Opinions of Expanded Psi-handbook

[Sarellion]

The whole time as I read the thread I thought about the MysticTheurge and the discussions about their brokenness. Seems to have been cooled down a lot after the MT has been played instead of just being analyzed.

 

[Piratecat]

I have to ask, because I don't recall you saying anything yet, but PCat, what are your opinions about the variable energy powers allowed psions? Are there any pure psions in the group, or does your PsyWar have any? Have you found them to be too powerful to allow ALL energy types on the fly like that, without any limitations?

I don't have an opinion yet, Henry, because I haven't seen it used in my game. I'll want to see how it plays as written before downgrading it. I love the "anti-rogue" nature of the cold damage's fortitude save, though.

If I was going to weaken the flexibility at all, I'd probably make psions align themselves with an energy type while meditating in the morning. They can only use this type all day, and can change it by expending (as a standard action) psychic focus, then regaining it. Thus, in combat changing energy types would waste a round. Out of combat it would be a non-issue.

So, not tempted to get a psicrystal buddy and the feat which enables it to maintain a focus for you? That plus greater psionic weapon could make for a verrrry nasty two-handed power attack...

I'm not as tempted as you'd think! That takes two feats, and I already have a waiting list of things I'd like to take. A psicystal doesn't really fit the character concept, either. I'd still consider it, but my PC uses a shield (so no two-handed attack), we're mostly still in 3.0 for that game (so no x2 dmg with 2 hands), and I don't want to tread on the barbarian player's turf. It's simply not meant to be.

Does anyone else here feel that it is a little strong for a skill that is reactive, or is it just him?

My character has maxed out ranks in this skill, and it's been virtually useless. It's a powerful skill on paper, but has turned out to be quite balanced because each of the things it can do only come up very rarely. In my experience it's just fine as written.

 

[Thanee]

The whole time as I read the thread I thought about the MysticTheurge and the discussions about their brokenness. Seems to have been cooled down a lot after the MT has been played instead of just being analyzed.

Yeah, there's usually an outbreak on every newly created stuff (not only in D&D ).

Just for the record, since I am quite adamant about the 'broken-ness' of the XPH... I always considered the MT to be fair, seeing the high cost they have to get their abilities as a balancing factor. I simply don't see the real balancing factor in the XPH (unless you count wasting resources, which is a matter of playing style more than options).

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

Re: Wilder

No, not really. At first I considered it a psionic wild mage, but it's more analogous to a 2nd tier fighting class like the monk, where the psionic powers replace the intrinsic class abilities.

Yep, a quick look at the BAB progression and hit points shows, that it can't be meant as a pure 'mage'.

It's probably some kind of psychic warrior variant, more leaning towards power use and less mundane fighting. The 'eldritch knight' of psionics, so to say.

I suspect that a well designed wilder will only have powers that are fun to augment, ...

Not only but mostly. They'll surely - even more than the sorcerer - have to pick powers, that are most flexible and versatile.

IMHO a well-designed wilder will have very, very few offensive powers (Energy Missile, maybe Dominate), a selection of universal and highly flexible powers (Metamorphosis, 'Limited Wish' (don't remember the name, something with change reality), etc) and some augmentation powers (the best of the best and the most versatile of the usual suspects only).

Most of those should be good to augment, as you say, since they want to make some use of their wild surge ability.

Also Expanded Knowledge will be a common feat choice for them!

...and will use those wild surges to both kick ass and take names.

Or stand around dazzled and get their asses kicked.

The chance to get stunned really seems quite high for the high end wild surges.

Bye
Thanee

 

[ph0rk]

IMHO a well-designed wilder will have very, very few offensive powers (Energy Missile, maybe Dominate), a selection of universal and highly flexible powers (Metamorphosis, 'Limited Wish' (don't remember the name, something with change reality), etc) and some augmentation powers (the best of the best and the most versatile of the usual suspects only).

Most of those should be good to augment, as you say, since they want to make some use of their wild surge ability.

Also Expanded Knowledge will be a common feat choice for them!

all but one of your example powers (as usual) require expanded knowledge as they are all discipline powers and wilders don't get one. They also only have the standard feats, and any feats granted at 1st level cannot be used to buy powers; so they could only ever buy 6 extra powers; at the expense of all other feats (save those at character creation). The soonest they could attain energy missile would be 5th level, dominate and metamorphasis both at 9th (which means they'd have to pick one, and snag the other at 12) Reality Revision is a discipline power and a seer disc power; which i assume is a typo and may have an errata; in which case it wouldn't be available for a wilder at all, until epic levels.

 

[MerricB]

The more I look at the XPH, the more I like it.

Balance issues will come later... I really have to see it in play. There's so much that works differently from normal D&D. (And I consider that an excellent thing).

The stupid typographical mistakes and other errors are bothering me, though. There are FOUR EDITORS with their names attached to this thing, and the result is three different versions of how many skill points a Soul Knife has.

That shouldn't be hard to get right. Haven't they learnt from the core 3.5E books that they have to check those correspondences?

Cheers!

 

[Thanee]

all but one of your example powers (as usual) require expanded knowledge as they are all discipline powers and wilders don't get one.

Yeah, I know that (as usual). Look at the last line you quoted from me.

I fully expect, that many wilders will spend a sizeable amount of their feat choices on Expanded Knowledge.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

I really don't like the wilder. 11 powers at 20 level...um... is this a spellcasting class?

Something it is quite easy to overlook is that augmentations mean that 1 power might be the equivalent of several spells. I could easily imagine a 3rd level wilder using expanded knowledge to pick up "Astral Construct" and suddenly they've got their summon monster I - IX all in one shot. Scalable damage powers are more akin to higher level spells because of the DC increase when you pump up damage etc.

11 powers isn't as bad as it first sounds.

 

[Psion]

The stupid typographical mistakes and other errors are bothering me, though. There are FOUR EDITORS with their names attached to this thing, and the result is three different versions of how many skill points a Soul Knife has.

My solution for that one is real simple.

The one that kills me is they still have the sample starting psy warrior with weapon focus at first level.

Off of editorial issues and onto other things: I'm sort of miffed they didn't have stock characters!

 

[Spatula]

As a 1st level power they can enlarge themselves.. and at low-mid levels they can enlarge themselves 2 class sizes!

At 7th level, as it would cost 7 power points to manifest expanasion augmented in that fashion. At 7th level, a psywar gets 15 base points points per day, so using that ability sucks up 1/3-1/2 (depending on bonus power points) of the character's power for the day.

So A 1/2 giant, who can weild large weapons, gets enlarged and his 2 handed sword is now considered a GARGANTUAN WEAPON.

There's a reason why half-giants have a level adjustment.

Add to that an elemental resistance they can call up essencially in response to an incoming fireball. "Oh.. I'm being fireballed? I put up my elemental resistance and absorb the first 20 points..." The ability to do so being a low level effect....

A psywar can't manifest energy adaptation, specified as an immeadiate action until 7th level, as it costs 7 power points to augment the power in that fasion. Not exactly a low-level effect. And again, that's a huge chunk of a 7th level psywar's power points.

Let us turn our attention to the Psion... A Class that was certainly underpowerd in its 3.0 incarnation. Seer's Destiny Dissonance.. A 1st level power with a touch attack no save that sicken for 1 round per level.... No Save....

Ray of Enfeeblement... a 1st level spell with a ranged touch attack no save that lowers the target's strength by 1d6+1-5 for 1 minute per level... No Save...