Psion Level 1-10

[Gradine]

Hey guys, I've been working for the past week or so on a Psion class, and I've completed the first ten levels worth of powers. I wanted to know what everyone thought before tackling the next set of powers.

Psion D&D 4.0.pdf

I'm open to all comments and advice. Please let me know what you think!

Also I apologize for the minor editing glitches that crop up here and there- my software's fairly outdated.

 

[generalhenry]

quick glance

"Target: One creature"

not much AOE, which makes me question the controller role

 

[Nymrohd]

I think it needs a bit more flavor. Also I'd see the psion as using 4 abilities (Int, Con, Cha, Wis). I also don't see him so much as a pure controller. He can have leader and striker abilities as well. Also why not use the classic psionic power names that have been around since the beginning? Attack modes and defense modes maybe even call his encounter and utility powers devotions and his dailies sciences for some AD&D flavor

 

[Appleseeth]

I agree with generalhenry, there needs to be more AoE effects, especially for 1st level at wills. Your psion is not very good at controlling creatures for a controller. I saw 2 1st level powers that could target more than a single creature. Don't forget that controllers are the minions' worst enemy, they should be able to mow them down like nothing.

I think Telekinesis could also be an at-will free power, like prestidigitation is for the wizard.

I also don't understand why you divided the powers by the disciplines other than to have extra effects on encounter powers, as they don't even share attack ability scores when they are the same discipline sometimes.

On particular powers:

Bloodless Surge: Why are you simultaneously punishing and giving a bonus for players who haven't used their second wind. Let them have it afterwards, it's not going to hurt anyone.

Tug of War: Seems like a lot of work, and really sucks if you miss the attack, especially since its a daily.

Baleful Teleport: You should do the effect afterwards, it doesn't seem to make a difference anyway, also just use stunned (virtually same effect), it is a daily power after all.

Scare Tactics: That seems a little too good. You get to jump around the battlefield, stunning opponents willy nilly, effectively knocking them out of the fight on your move action, and then get to attack some other target, without a chance of failure. Use stunned as well here.

I didn't read over all the powers, but it looks to me like your daily attacks are just not strong enough and are pretty unreliable, as few have miss damage or additional effects that happen even on a miss.

Just my opinion, take it any way you like, or not at all.

 

[Gradine]

Haha, I thought about digging out the old AD&D psionics stuff because I love the whole concept of devotions and sciences. I definitely wanted to go back and spruce up the names of powers as well.

I all noticed the general lack of AOE and Miss damage as I was uploading it, and it's going to be the first thing I go back and fix. That and I should probably up the damage, particularly for the daily talents. While there is, at this point, absolutely no difference between stunned and surprised, I used surprised with powers because it seemed to fit the flavor a little better, though I could see how it could get confusing as every other class just stuns.

Constitution based powers (Biofeedback and the whole Psychometabolism suite) I'm saving for the Psychic Warrior.

Scare Tactics I thought as written works only against the first target, if not I should clarify that more. I originally thought to make it a sustain standard, and with a shorter range. I could also make this a daily attack of a higher level (probably 15) by giving it some damage.

As for splitting the powers into disciplines, I was using the Warlock as the basic design model for the class, with Telepathy taking the starring role as the "split" discipline (their powers use both basic attack stats, as per the Star Pact.) I've considered making Telepathic attacks based solely on Charisma, but I wondered if there would be issues with using three separate attack stats for a single class. I've thought about rolling Seer and Telepath together (as the flavor exists right now one read minds while the other manipulates them, easy enough to combine) and giving some of the Seer stuff (like Psychoportation) to the Psychic Warrior. Do you guys think this is a better idea?

Thanks for all of your advice and I'll be updating the class when I'm able to get back to it.

 

[Nymrohd]

Would anyone like to see something like Contact back? I liked contact