Psion "learning" from a Power Stone?

[Phoenix8008]

Okay, in the Psi Handbook, it has on page 19 for the skill Psicraft, '15+power level' = 'Learn a power from a power stone.'

Now does this mean that a 2nd level Psion with 3 discovered 0-lvl powers and 2 discovered 1st level powers could find a power stone with an unknown 1st level power and add it to his number of discovered powers so that he would have 3-0 level and 3-1st level discovered powers? Or does this use of Psicraft just let you find out what power is encoded into the stone?

Since Power Stones seem to be a version of Scrolls for Wizards, I thought there might be some way of 'copying it into the Psion's spellbook' as it were. Probably not, but the wording is just ambiguous enough to leave me wondering.

Thanks in advance...

 

[Grayswandir]

Look on page 9 under Powers. Your Psion still has to wait until third level to learn the power (you "discover" it from the power stone instead of on your own), but (!) you can learn a Psychic Warrior power in this manner. So if the stone happens to contain the Hustle ability, a first-level Psychic Warrior spell which is not normally available to Psions at all, you could learn the power with a successful Psicraft check. But only, as I mentioned, when advancing from second to third level in the Psion class (or otherwise "discovering" a new first-level power).

 

[green slime]

I believe I read somewhere that this was to be able to introduce new powers into the campaign that the character does not have access through via the PsiHB. (Dragon mag, ITCK,...)

So the DM introduces the "new" power via a power stone, From which the character can choose to learn the power, if and when he gets a new power slot of an adequate level.

 

[StealthyMark]

Your Psion still has to wait until third level to learn the power (you "discover" it from the power stone instead of on your own),

That's correct.

but (!) you can learn a Psychic Warrior power in this manner.

That's wrong.

You still can't learn a Power not on your class list. "Psicraft, '15+power level' = 'Learn a power from a power stone.'" is useful to learn a new Power (a Power later added to the Psion Power list). Otherwise every Wizard/Sorcerer could learn Cure X Wounds from a "bardic" scroll.

 

[Grayswandir]

The PsiHB simply reads that a psion can learn powers "not on the psion power list" by this means. Given that the only psionic powers not on the psion power list (out of the PsiHB) are unique to the Psychic Warrior, I must conclude my reasoning to be correct. However, restricting the ability to only allow "new" powers you're introducing seems a perfectly reasonable step to me.

Note that the description for Sorcerers in the PHB (page 50) uses a similar wording. So, yes, a Sorcerer can, as far as I can tell, learn cure light wounds with an appropriate Spellcraft check, provided he can learn a new first-level spell at that time. Note however that the scroll in this case would have to have been scribed by a Bard - the ability only extends to Arcane scrolls:

For example, a sorcerer with a scroll or spellbook detailing an unusual arcane spell (one not on the sorcerer spell list) could select that spell as one of his new spells for achieving a new level

Note also that this ability is exclusive to Psions and Sorcerers. The descriptions for Psychic Warriors, Bards, and Wizards mention nothing of any such ability.

Again, this is all as per my interpretation of a single line or two in the books, but I see nothing to contradict it. And I don't think it's unreasonable to allow a Sorcerer one or two Bard spells, or to allow a Psion one or two Psychic Warrior powers (especially since the Psychic Warrior list contains very few powers not on the Psion list anyway). If the DM wants to disallow this ability, that also seems a reasonable ruling to me.

Slime, do you have an exact reference handy to that clarification? I don't own If Thoughts Could Kill, and don't have my Dragons handy.

 

[Zhure]

from the FAQ

"The Player ’s Handbook mentions that sorcerers can obtain spells from other sources,which implies that they can choose spells from beyond the sorcerer/wizard spell list.Does this mean sorcerers can access divine magic as well?
No.The text in question (on page 50 of the first-printing Player ’s
Handbook )is an error left over from an earlier draft of the rules.The error has since been corrected.Sorcerers are limited to spells on the sorcerer/wizard list.Note that other books add spells to the sorcerer/wizard list and sorcerers certainly can use those.

One can only assume Psions are treated the same way and the information in the PsiHB was just cut and pasted from the original Sorcerer section.

Greg

 

[Grayswandir]

Aha. That seems to clear things up. Strange that the Errata for the PHB makes no mention of it. Unless the errata has increased in size since I grabbed it.

 

[Piratecat]

By "not on the psion's power list," Bruce meant "a home-brewed or uniquely researched power." It's as if a sorcerer was trying to learn a unique spell from a scroll.