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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Shadowdweller" data-source="post: 1757711" data-attributes="member: 14563">Simply by using direct damage capacity, you are putting things in favor of the psion.  Direct Damage is NOT the arcane caster's strength...even when psions are taken out of the equation.  Or at least not against a single foe...melee types have always outperformed casters in that regard.Just for kicks though, here's an attempt:Race: HalflingStr 6Dex 16Con 14Int 10Wis 10Cha 20(24)BAB: +5Ray Spells: +9Skills: Concentration +15, Spellcraft +13, othersFeats: Spell Focus(Evocation),  Spell Penetration, Empower Spell, Maximize SpellEquip (49k): Cloak of Charisma +4(16k), Rod of Lesser Maximize (14k), 2 Rods of Lesser Empower(18k), Cloak of Resistance +1Spells per Day: (6) 8 8 8 6 4Spell DC: 17 + Cl, 18 + CL for EvocationsSpells Known: (9) 5 4 3 2 11st: Magic Missile, Alarm, Obscuring Mist, Enlarge Person, Mage Armor2nd: Glitterdust, Scorching Ray, Resist Energy, Invisibility3rd:  Fireball, Haste, Dispel Magic4th:  Dimension Door, Enervation5th: Wall of ForceRogue: 1 Maximized, Empowered Scorching Ray (depending on DM's interpretation of how these interact), 4th lvl slot, 1 use Max rod.Treant: 1 Maximized Fireball, 3rd lvl slot, 1 use Max rodDread Wraith: Four Empowered Magic Missiles, 4 third level slotsHezrou: Four Enervations…possibly including another or an (empowered) fireball depending on the rolls, 3 fourth lvl slots 1 fifth lvl slot for good measure.  Counts as damage, right?Nasty Fire Elemental: Can’t empower Cone of Cold (waaaah), and they’ve got REALLY good reflex saves (double waaah) so…five empowered, maximized magic missiles?  Using rods and feats as necessary about  2 fifth lvl slots, 2 fourth lvl slots and 2 uses empower rod, and 1 third lvl slotNet: 3 fifth slots, 6 fourth lvl slots, 5 third lvl slots; all 3 uses Max rod, 2 uses Empower RodRemaining: (6) 8 8 3 0 1; Four uses Empower RodNotes: A real sorceror would choose to buff the rest of the party or maladict the enemy rather than directly attempting to inflict damage much of the time.  Discounting damage, many effective techniques come into play.  Blindness reduces enemy damage output by about 50% as well as increasing damage dealt to enemy by dint of reduced AC.  Banishment or Fear can give first round wins against some of the more unpleasant creatures above...as a psion might simply dominate them.  Haste will likely improve damage output of EACH weapon-user (of 10th lvl) by about 65% per round! (Assume 2 attacks.  Avg damage 1.75x where 1 equals top iterative times chance to hit + second iterative at -5 to hit...net 25% reduction from top iterative thus net 1.75x for the attack.  Adds extra attack to top iterative...+1.0x as well as +1 to hit for each...2.75x multiplied by 1.05...net increase of 65%)Other things of note: Invisibility, Obscuring Mist, Wall of Force, Alarm, Haste...all extremely powerful effects that cannot be easily replicated by a psion.Edit: D'oh!  Some petty and likely very confusing mistakes corrected there.</blockquote>

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