Nail said:
As I look through the list of powers, I see a significant number that break the balance just a wee bit. Many are close, I'll grant. But if power after power after power is slightly high on the power scale........
Perhaps, but you also get less of them. And not all of the powers are better. (
Cloud mind and
catfall come to mind as obvious examples of weaker powers.) It seems to me to be kind of like comparing the paladin spell list to the bard spell list. They get access to things at different levels, some better, some worse, but by-and-large average out.
If you're having a problem with psionic casters in the game you run, that's a totally different problem, and you could simply be overlooking some things. For instance, you mention that the DR 10/psionics is over the top, since there's no critter in the MM that can hit it. But the XPH recommends its psionic transparency rules for just this reason. Psionics, in effect, simply becomes another form of magic. Then that DR 10/psionics becomes the equivalent of DR 10/magic, which I think allows any creature with some DR X/magic of its own to hit the
ectoplasmic form'ed psion without too much difficulty.
And that's ignoring NPCs and critters with class levels and magic weapons. But consider, with the transparency
dispel magic can also dispels psionics. Not to mention, just because you're
ectoplasmic or
gaseous doesn't mean you're not targetable!
Magic missile works just fine, as does
fireball,
ice storm,
flame strike,
scorching ray, etc. Spells ignore DR, so any critter that has an offensive spell-like ability can still whack the player's character.
Now I'm not saying you've missed any of these things, I have no idea, really. But I have, in some of my past games, and it's only through discussion (and lots of help from these forums) that I've been able to better balance my game. So maybe bring up some specific issues, and let us see if there isn't something you're missing. And maybe soon your player's psion will be running for the
psychic reformation power, MUAHAHAHAHA!
Cheers,
Vurt