D&D 3E/3.5 Psionics (3.0) vs Psionics (3.5)
- Thread starter dvvega
- Start date
Geoff Watson
First Post
A lot. Nearly everything.
Most of the commonly complained about problems have been fixed (multiple ability dependence, power scaling).
Geoff.
Most of the commonly complained about problems have been fixed (multiple ability dependence, power scaling).
Geoff.
Evilhalfling
Adventurer
xph = good,
there are some over powered ablilities (Schism, Energy Missle)
Psions can be better blaster mages than Sorc (for one battle)
Psionic warrior now fun to play - much better powers -
Soulknife is a 20 lvl class, and more focused than 3.0 but still
not very playable, as they have no psionic spells - just sword abliities
When I got it I wondered how I had gotten so much use out of 3.0 psionics
- but then again I managed to play w/2nd ed psionics as well.
there are some over powered ablilities (Schism, Energy Missle)
Psions can be better blaster mages than Sorc (for one battle)
Psionic warrior now fun to play - much better powers -
Soulknife is a 20 lvl class, and more focused than 3.0 but still
not very playable, as they have no psionic spells - just sword abliities
When I got it I wondered how I had gotten so much use out of 3.0 psionics
- but then again I managed to play w/2nd ed psionics as well.
Ridley's Cohort
First Post
Toss the 3.0 book into the trash can. Go buy the 3.5 book.
Really.
Two huge changes:
(1) No more weird 1e inspired psi-combat.
(2) Many powers can be "upgraded" by burning more points to be comparable in effectiveness to high level powers. In other words, in other words a 1st level power that you pump 11 points into functions like a 5th level power (more or less).
Really.
Two huge changes:
(1) No more weird 1e inspired psi-combat.
(2) Many powers can be "upgraded" by burning more points to be comparable in effectiveness to high level powers. In other words, in other words a 1st level power that you pump 11 points into functions like a 5th level power (more or less).
Christopher Lambert
First Post
Vraister said:
Interesting question, hard to answer.
A 3.0 psion using Psychofeedback to boost the save DC of Disintegrate to unbeatable numbers would qualify as more powerful (something a 3.5 psion cannot do). This 3.0 trick would also, however, qualify as broken.
The removal of MAD and increasing base and bonus power points makes 3.5 psions generally more powerful. Well, psychokineticists can't use Con as their primary ability score but this is a good thing.
Psion
Adventurer
I had to jazz up psions to make them work in 3.0. In XPH, I can run them "out of the box" so to speak. If you are relying on high-con savant builds, though, you are in for a shock. (For that matter, almost every psion build other than shapers could be radically altered.)
Psionic combat is gone; all modes have become powers. If you dig psionic combat, get Hyperconscious by Malhavoc.
Psychic warriors also come into their own. They drop their vestiges of fighter-ness and they now have their own feel.
I'm not too hot on the soulknife, and I do have a few compatability issues. Some 3e material was built on the one-discipline-per-ability score correspondance, which has been eliminated. While this creates the biggest compatability problem, it gets rid of some balance problems, so is probably worth it in the long run. I can't get over Githyanki now being bad Psychic Warriors, though. Hmmph.
Psionic combat is gone; all modes have become powers. If you dig psionic combat, get Hyperconscious by Malhavoc.
Psychic warriors also come into their own. They drop their vestiges of fighter-ness and they now have their own feel.
I'm not too hot on the soulknife, and I do have a few compatability issues. Some 3e material was built on the one-discipline-per-ability score correspondance, which has been eliminated. While this creates the biggest compatability problem, it gets rid of some balance problems, so is probably worth it in the long run. I can't get over Githyanki now being bad Psychic Warriors, though. Hmmph.
DreamChaser
Explorer
Vraister said:
I would say that 3.5 psionics are more consistant than 3.0 psionics. 3.0 psions had the potential to be overwhelmingly powerful or a walking attempt at suicide. Psions are more balanced.
On the topic: I have been a fan of psionics since 1e. Each time they have been written up as rules I've been both excited and disappointed. This time is no exception: I don't really like that Intelligence is the psion's prime stat but I understand it. 3.5 is, however, the first time I haven't began modifiying things within a week.
One of my favorite additions is the wilder, which hasn't been mentioned yet on this thread that I've seen. The class is the perfect way to add some psionic abilily to your rogue or even fighter without completely screwing yourself in everything else because they get medium BAB and decent skills. It is, in many ways, what I think the sorcerer should have been: very few spells and other abilities to go along with.
I did two dances of joy when I first read the XPH: the first was incited by the removal of psionic combat, the most archaic, poorly designed, and (esp in 3.0) suicidal system ever created; the second was due to the change in psi-crystals--they are now optional. A psion gains a bonus feat at 1st level and one of the things they can choose is a pet rock. Or they can get something that isn't an unimaginitive rip off of a familiar.
Overall, the best 3.0 to 3.5 transition since the gnome
DC
