[Psi] Is Psychic Meditation Broken?

[NCSUCodeMonkey]

I didn't really see that metaphysical weapon would apply to claw attacks, since they are still considered unarmed. The item I took is from MoF, Bracers of Striking. I put a +1 enchantment on them and also added Sure Striking (also in MoF) so that they act like +5 weapons for bypassing damage reduction.

So I guess they are Bracers of Sure Striking Striking +1

NCSUCodeMonkey

 

[Shard O'Glase]

also sword and fist has an amulet or gloves that gave the attacker a +1-5 enhancement bonus for natural attacks basically the druids greater magic fang spell on you permanently, so your fists are magic weapons. It is mad expensive in comparrison to magic weapon bonuses, though I think it is needed for monks.

 

[Garmorn]

I didn't really see that metaphysical weapon would apply to claw attacks, since they are still considered unarmed. The item I took is from MoF, Bracers of Striking. I put a +1 enchantment on them and also added Sure Striking (also in MoF) so that they act like +5 weapons for bypassing damage reduction.

So I guess they are Bracers of Sure Striking Striking +1

NCSUCodeMonkey

Your right. Missread the first post.

If you are using ITCK then ask your DM if you can convert druid spells and use a psionic version of Magic Fang. There is a official president in the WoTC's web enhancement that coverted a lot of clerical spells to powers.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

There is a official president in the WoTC's web enhancement that coverted a lot of clerical spells to powers.

Could you provide a link, please?

 

[Garmorn]

It is more general then I remembered but here is the link:

HoPSi article


This along with the section on converting wizard spells in ITCK would be a good start.

 

[KarinsDad]

The 10 minutes of meditation is most definitely a drawback. Unless your DM is not up to snuff, there will be times when you don't have the luxury of ten minutes of meditation.

Not up to snuff?

So, if this is a drawback for psionic characters, how much of a drawback of studying or praying for spells for an hour is it for normal spell casters? In the case of gaining extra PP, especially for long duration powers, it seems that it would be a lot less of an issue for psychic characters than for normal spellcasters.


With regard to normal encounters, you're right. They do not always announce themselves 10 minutes ahead of time. However, there are still a lot of situations where they do. For example, you can prepare ahead of time in a lot of city encounters where you are going to a set location. Ditto for dungeon encounters. For both of these, it's a toss up. Sometimes you'll have time to perpare. Sometimes not. Mostly, it is wilderness encounters where 10 minutes preparation time is rare since you tend to not encounter creatures from a mile or more away and have them close.


The real issue here, though, is that they tried to balance fairly potent abilities against a 10 minute preparation time and an hour duration. The question is whether that is balanced.

The +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con one, for example, gives +1 to hit with all attacks, +1 damage to most attacks (mighty longbow anyone?), +1 AC, +1 Reflex saves, +1 Fort saves, +1 hit point per level. For all intents and purposes, that's fairly close to raising a combat level for that hour for a combative character.

Is this balanced?

Well, compare it to Cleave. A single attack, but only when you have multiple opponents and only when one of your opponents drops. So, at equal levels of ability (the status quo of combat), that might occur one round in five out of one combat in two (half of the combats, you are probably fighting one on one to some extent). So, you might get a chance to cleave three or four times a day max (on average), depending on the types of combat you are getting into.

Compare it to Dodge. +1 AC versus one opponent every round of combat where you are probably only in combat for 10 to 30 rounds a day on average.

So, if you know you are going to be in combat, the feat is very powerful. If you do not know, it may or may not be.

The question is whether that is balanced.

I'm not sure of that, but I do not think the Third Eye power is balanced at all. It's just a boatload extra PP, most or all of which will be used up first thing in the morning.

 

[Vaxalon]

I would balance this by saying that any powers manifested with the bonus points would disappear when the bonus points disappear.

Another way would be to say that at the end of the hour, the bonus points are withdrawn again... So let's say someone with 20PP gets 10 bonus points, and spends them on buffs... at the end of the hour, he loses 10 bonus points, leaving him with 10 points.

In either case, this means that the benefit of the meditation can't last beyond the duration of the meditation's effect.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

The +2 Str, +2 Dex, +2 Con one, for example, gives +1 to hit with all attacks, +1 damage to most attacks (mighty longbow anyone?), +1 AC, +1 Reflex saves, +1 Fort saves, +1 hit point per level. For all intents and purposes, that's fairly close to raising a combat level for that hour for a combative character.


Compared to manifesting Animal Affinity, which takes up one power slot, up to six times to boost Strength by 2.5 (on average), Dex by 2.5 (on average) and Con by 2.5 (on average).

You get many more power slots than feat slots.

And Animal Affinity lasts 1 hour per manifester level, which can be a long time when you are medium to high level. And you can do this as a standard action any time you have the power points.

You can use Psychic Meditation only once per day (like before a "boss" encounter).

Note that even a "boss" encounter (by boss I mean BBEG, not something with high hp and almost no damage-dealing capability) can be a surprise encounter. They Teleport in, and combat starts. No, you didn't get 10 minutes to meditate on that.

 

[KarinsDad]

Compared to manifesting Animal Affinity, which takes up one power slot, up to six times to boost Strength by 2.5 (on average), Dex by 2.5 (on average) and Con by 2.5 (on average).

You get many more power slots than feat slots.

Actually, the averages are 3.5.

Anyway, we were discussing this with regard to the Psychic Warrior who actually gets only a few more power slots than feat slots, not many (and the power slots do not surpass the feats until 10th level).

For example, a 20th level PW gets 15 feats (plus Weapon Specialization) vs. 19 power slots (not including zeroth level ones). A 17th level PW gets 13 feats vs. 16 power slots. A 3rd level PW gets 4 feats vs. 1 power slot, etc.

Yes, Animal Affinity is cool. A PW cannot use it until 5th level however. He could use Psychic Meditation at first level. And, AA costs 3 PP per use, or 9 PP for the Str, Dex, Con useage. That is a significant number of PPs until mid to high levels for most PWs.

0 PPs for PM.

And, AA can be dispelled, PM cannot.

Pros and Cons. I merely pointed out that the frequency of use of PM and its power is somewhat greater than a lot of other feats in the game, even with the preparation time and one hour limit.

I did not say that it was more powerful than Psionic powers. I merely tried to compare it to other feats, their power, and their frequency of use. You want to give yourself a better chance of surviving any possible poison on that chest, take 10 minutes out and increase your CON by 2 (in case of CON drain), your Fort save by 1 (in case of Fort save), and your hit points by level (in case of hit point damage).

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Oops. My bad about the math error.

Maybe it's just me, but I don't how a powerful ability that can be used once per day is that overpowering.

Unless the DM throws multiple encounters at the PCs, one right after the other, in the space of an hour.

The power point version (Third Eye) might be overpowering. And if they reduced the save DC booster to +2 instead of +3 I could breathe easier.

But the others... they don't see all that bad to me.