Psionic AoO's & Buffer

[taotad]

I'm a guy that's happy with the new psionic rules, but would like slightly more emphasis on psionic combat (slightly). Pleeease comment!


Rules Variant: Psionic AoO
Whenever a creature using a psionic power other then attack modes she opens up her mind for other psionic entities to enter. This means that the psionic entity focuses her energy on other things then the possibility for psionic combat, and thus lowers her guard for the short time the manifestation takes.
This short amount of time lets other psionic characters within the range of attack modes (25 feet + 2 feet/2nd lvl) fire a psionic attack with the intention of disrupting the manifestation.
The attacker chooses the attack, and the defender chooses defense; both paying the Power Points needed. If the attack succeeds and does stat damage, the defender must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + power level + ability damage) or loose the manifestation.
Mind Blast takes on a unique role in this variant: From being a cone attack, the mode only gets a target of one, but still can be used anywhere within 60'. The cost of the power does not decrease because of this.

The high cost of raising psionic defenses can be devastating to psionicists, especially when encountering several other psionic beings. To negate this to some degree, I propose using the below optional rule commited by Humanophile:

Variant: Expanded Non-Psionic Buffer
The psionicist can have to spend some enormous amount of PP's maintaining her defences. If your world is heavy with mental power, this rule can lighten the load for psionic-users.
This rule presumes that the only thing distinguishing a psionicist with a Latent (non-psionicist) is when the psionicist is under the effect of psionic powers. When the psionicist manifests a power, and under the duration of that power, the psionicists mental pathways are charged with mental energy, allowing other mental energies to flow more easily within it.
Effectively as long as a psionicist is not engaged in psionic-activity, she enjoys the Non-Psionic Buffer that Latents are born with.



Using the first variant rule forces two psionicists to use psionic combat during an encounter. If one does not, she will have to go on the defensive and risk loosing every power point she owns to fizzled powers.

At first glance this Variant Rule seems to further hindrance the psionicists, and the first glance is right. A psionicist is much more vulnerable when opposing other psionicists and it actually forces them to take the battle into eachothers minds.
I like this idea. It sorta sets the psionicist back into the role as being very special that have lacked in this edition. From being an ordinary spellcaster, this variant makes the psionicist into some dream-stuff.
I can imagine the two psionicists facing eachother for a showdown, and neither uses any other power then attack and defense modes, afraid of loosing their precious PP's. It also explains why psionicists dread to face eachother in mental combat. It's a true game of skills, taking the characters back to raw mental fight, without the learned finesses of their other powers.


Originally posted on wizards board:

boards.wizards.com/rpg/ul...3;t=002125

 

[Caliber]

Personally I like it. I like the Psionic rules, but like everyone else, have a few bones to pick with it.

The fact that this somewhat 'forces' characters to use mental combat when faced with other Psions is, well, VERY cool. Of course I would say this would also nessicitate some changes with Psionic combat.

In my campaigns I give Psionic monsters PPs, which helps balance them against Psion characters. You might also want to lessen the cost of the Attack & Defense Modes, or perhaps allow then for free a few times a day, possible with a feat?

Just a few ideas. Overall, consider this idea yoinked.

 

[Humanophile]

I think it's nice in concept, but the presentation is lacking. It makes psions even harder pressed to deal with things that wouldn't styimie a wizard or sorcerer, and we all know that the psion needs all the help he can get.

I do think it'd be neater if you allowed the psion to keep a nonpsionic buffer up when they're not using powers, and only take it down when they're out of PP's, or on rounds they use powers or concentrate to maintain them. (Or maybe have powers still in use, depending on how broad you want your definition.) That way, the psion loses one of the weaknesses they're harassed over, but they still want to take out the opposing psion before they manifest their boombooms, lest they be brainfried.

 

[taotad]

You might be right Humanophile. This does stigmatize the psion AND the psychic warrior, but not so much as you might think:
The only time this rule applies is when to psionic beings encounter eachother. Only then. So that the two psionic beings are at a disadvantage when facing several opponents and a psionic being is of no doubt.
But the psionic beings actually negate each others presence in the combat by this rule. They step out of the material fight and must continue to face the other until one goes down.
(feel that western-sensation crawling?)
It makes psionic combat something you DO NOT want to participate in, since it effectively cancels out your whole repertoair of powers. Most of all it makes psionic combat very special.

Now to the good point of Caliber. The PP-drain on psionicists will be horrendous with this system; and to be honest I don't have any good ideas to cancel this out. We could say that manifesting a defense costs the required cost, but maintaining it is relatively free (1 PP per round?). As a hindrance to using this ability, we would let any attacker KNOW that the defense was being maintained, and using a psionic lore against opponents bluff could identify it, letting the attacking manifester change his attack mode to maximize the attack. This would lead to a strategic approach to combat, but would tamper it in real-time.

Also like giving monsters PP. How do you do that?

Hope you like the idea, and please continue to critic, albeit my rather long replies...

 

[Caliber]

Well, this isn't really a place for this but ...

Basicly, I didn't like the whole, psionic monsters can use each of their powers 3x a day. Instead I gave them PPs as if they had levels of Psion = to their HD. They received no bonus points from high stats, but as a small boost, I also gave them enough points to use each power 1 extra time.

I think Mind Flayers came out an 80ish number, and it worked rather well. Of course I didn't have too mandy psionic monsters (the only Psion in the party quit after one session) so I was never able to tell how balanced it was.

To keep this post from being a complete hijack, I will go back to psionic combat. It always bothered me, paying PPs for it. I think, outside of Mind Blast, I wouldn't mind too much letting players manifest the powers a number of times a day free. Perhaps the number of times they can manifest talents.

Since Mind Blast is actually useful as something more than a Psionic attack mode would need to remain where it is in terms of PPs.

Do you think it would be unbalanced to make attack and defense modes (with the exception of Mind Blast) free to manifest?

 

[Humanophile]

Taotad, the problem with psicombat already is that it's wiser to suck the ability drain and use combat powers to blow your opponent away than it is to "waste" PP's on defending agaisnt them. Using your variant, both sides will either take up a "waste the psion" approach, sucking very muchly for such a fragile class, or it'll turn into a "forget the psion" situation, where the psion feels like he's stuck on the sidelines. This approach would be good if the psion were a superclass, but in a class balanced setting, neither is a good idea.

Besides, the thing I like about mine is that it already encourages a showdown. The only way to avoid being stuck with your psionic pants down is to be as combat effective as a commoner, but the first person to bring psipowers into play gets whapped by the other guy. Same idea, without quite the pain to it.

 

[taotad]

Humbled tao

You're right Humanophile!
I'm sorry, but I seemed to have mis-read you earlier post. The idea of letting the psionicists have the non-psionic-buffer when not indulging in psionic powers is good. Very good.
The new variant rule for this and title-change of the post are done. Please tell me if it's wrong!


To Caliber:
I think removing the PP cost will probably work as you think it will, but it changes too much of the original rules for my taste. Implementing it will make psionicists more powerful, no doubt, but it changes the mental people too much in relating to non-psionicists.

 

[taotad]

An update to the original post have been made. Check it out, and give me critique.

 

[Humanophile]

Only problem I might have with the psionic AoO's now is that you give opposing psions free hits. It might be balanced, you might have to playtest it, or you might be better if you make them "reverse ready" an action. (MaoF has a feat that lets you do a similar counterspell "AoO", at the cost of giving up your next action.) The PP cost might balance it, but that requires using the limited combat modes per day rule (or houseruling PP's for monsters), or psions are again hosed.

But playtest it, this looks good at first blush, and tell us how it works.

 

[taotad]

It's playtested:

Psionic AoO
What struck me when playing this variant is that is doesn't imbalance things in any way. The "free hits" you mentioned Humanophile doesn't affect combat more then regular AoO's do.
During the course of the testing, though, I decided to limit the AoO option for once per round as the regular Attack Of Opportunity is conducted. This means that psionicists can bypass this by using the Quicken Power feat if they've already been disrupted in previous manifestations (the costs are enourmous, but makes for more colorful battles).
"Fooled you with that 0-level power, didn't I?"

Non-Psionic Buffer
This little variant really boils down to how you want your game. If you want the initiater of the battle to loose for starting the combat, then go ahead, but if you want more psionic combat this is probably the wrong way to do it.
It kinda makes the psionic combat something you don't want to start, but I think thass cool to. I won't play it, but I understand perfectly if others do.


If you think there's too much power points burned when you engage in psionic combat, this problem can be resolved in an easy manner:
Just remove the last sentence from the psionic feat called Trigger Power (PsiHB) where its stated that this feat cannot be used in conjunction with psionic attack and defences!
Easy and not too imbalancing.
Just convert the attack modes into levels using the PP cost:

Psychic Crush - 3rd level
Id Insinuation - 2nd level
Mind Thrust - 1st level
Ego whip - 2nd level
Mind blast - too powerful

You could probably do the same with defences too.
The problem is that you burn a lot of feats to pull this stunt, but I think it powers things up.
(inspired by Calibers ideas... thanx)