Psionics: Balance and Integration

[Bront]

I'm planning on running a new campaign and including the psionics out of the Expanded Psionics Handbook. However, I have a few rules concerns that I was hoping I could get some help in addressing. While I am sure there have been similar posts before, I was unable to find a recient one, and felt that it could be a usefull topic to bring up, given that some of the reviews I have read have ranged from "Very well done and balanced" to "Very unbalanced" (and of course, the occasional "They got rid of my favorite part!").

I like that Psionic combat is no more. I didn't see the older 3.0 version, but I never liked the 2nd ED version, and generaly just ignored it if I used Psionics (which was rarely given the cumbersomness of the system).

First of all, the Psionic Focus is a bit unclear to me. Can a Psionic focus himself and stay that way all day if they don't choose to expend it and don't do anything else particularly taxing? That seems strange.

I have concerns about the power of psionics, as well as far as the general power of the powers are concerned. I did an analysis of PSPs vs Spells, and found that things are fairly close for a Wizard and Psion (Psion gets a few more PSPs than a Wizard if converted spells to PSPs, but the gap closes as the main stat gets bigger, but the Wizard has far more variety and a much larger Volume of abilities given how the wizard powers are automaticly pumped to the max, I did a spreadsheet to crunch the numbers and can share them here if anyone wishes), but that is assuming that the powers are fairly balanced. Are all the powers fairly balanced?

In particular, I worry about some of the damage spells, especialy given that many of them have no top end scale for dice like many of the Wizard spells, and the DR scales for many of them as well. Is there a simple way to balance this? Is this more balanced than it appears due to the fact that more PSPs must be spent while a Wizard gets them for free?

I'd idealy also like some hints as far as a good way to work them into the game. Are there any rules pits to be aware of? Anything else that scremes "Unbalanced!"?

Some additional background on what I am atemting, I am looking to start an Eberron campaign, and while I am not sure that any of my players actualy want to use psionics, I would like to be clear on them so I can offer it to my players, and integrate it better into the setting, if even as a minute detail. The biggest hurdle I've seen in general is that often if a character is psionic, that may be the only use of psionics in the game, which isolates the player/character, or sometimes psionics is used too much, alienating non-psionic characters/players. I want to strike a good balance where it's evident that psionics exist in the world, but it is not anything truely mainstreme and you won't find it as prevelently as magic (Which is what I tend to feel is the appropriate level for psionic inclusion in Eberron).

Thanks in advance for all of your help.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Pretty much every single one of the powers are fairly balanced, although some people here will try to tell you they aren't. Also, sorcerers are probably a better comparison, since they are closer in spontaneity to the psion, and they would have a large amount more PPs than a psion if converted.

 

[Anthraxus]

The powers seem pretty balanced, although there may be a few that stand out as being a bit overpowered in some cases- but that is true with some spells as well!

Needing to spend more PP's to augment spells does compare pretty well against the "free augmentation of spells" such as Magic Missle, Fireball, etc, which do more damage as the Caster progresses. If you are a Psion, and you want more damage, you will have to pay for it!

We are playing an Eberron campaign (or two), and I like how Psionics are included right into the setting, but can be more or less ignored if you don't want to use Psionics in your campaign.

-A

 

[beaver1024]

The cardinal rule to remember is that the psion cannot spend more PSPs on a power than she has manifester levels. Unless utilising things like Overchannel and that is painful. Secondly do not change the default psionics/magic transparency or you will regret allowing psionics at all. Keep these 2 simple rules in mind and most of your psionic balance problems will go away.

 

[Rystil Arden]

The cardinal rule to remember is that the psion cannot spend more PSPs on a power than she has manifester levels. Unless utilising things like Overchannel and that is painful. Secondly do not change the default psionics/magic transparency or you will regret allowing psionics at all. Keep these 2 simple rules in mind and most of your psionic balance problems will go away.

Actually, I don't have any problems and I use Psionics are Different. The key is to give creatures with SR an equivalent PR and vice versa. After that, its balanced by the fact that the psion can't defend against magic just as the mages can't defend against her. Especially since most four-player parties with a psion don't have room for a wizard too, so now the entire party loses access unless they take 2 d4 hit dice casters. In fact, the Telepath NPC in my Psionics are Different campaign has been the least effective character in combat for his level throughout the entire campaign. When the PCs finally let him do some social manipulation, though, he did a good job at it, and he did save them from a beholder with an antimagic (but not psionic) central eye and psionic eye beams by putting out the central eye so that others could use their magic (but died doing this).

 

[Kanegrundar]

Speaking as someone who uses the XPH a lot, the new psionics rules are quite balanced with the Core Rules. There are a couple slightly overpowered powers, but overall this is the best version of D&D Psionics. (IMO, of course. )

Kane

 

[Bront]

Well, the big worries, as I said, were the damage spells. Especialy with the scaling DC (which doesn't hapen for a mage, though he doesn't pay for it).

Example, Energy Missile, a L2 power, can hit up to 5 targets for damage of 3d6 each. Granted, they get a save for half, but that seems a bit over the top for something a character can do at 3rd level.

My other worry is flexibility, given how the damage type can be changed, Unlike with a magic spell (although, again, someone could research a "Iceball" or such, but barring that). This is fairly easily fixed by making a psionic character choose an elemental type when they take the power.

Good stuff, keep it coming.

 

[beaver1024]

Actually, I don't have any problems and I use Psionics are Different. The key is to give creatures with SR an equivalent PR and vice versa. After that, its balanced by the fact that the psion can't defend against magic just as the mages can't defend against her. Especially since most four-player parties with a psion don't have room for a wizard too, so now the entire party loses access unless they take 2 d4 hit dice casters. In fact, the Telepath NPC in my Psionics are Different campaign has been the least effective character in combat for his level throughout the entire campaign. When the PCs finally let him do some social manipulation, though, he did a good job at it, and he did save them from a beholder with an antimagic (but not psionic) central eye and psionic eye beams by putting out the central eye so that others could use their magic (but died doing this).

Modifying monsters is way more work than just having a psionics/magic transparency. If you going to make monsters as immune to psionics as they are to magic why bother then? Might as well save yourself some work and just follow the default transparency rules. YMMV.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well, the big worries, as I said, were the damage spells. Especialy with the scaling DC (which doesn't hapen for a mage, though he doesn't pay for it).

Example, Energy Missile, a L2 power, can hit up to 5 targets for damage of 3d6 each. Granted, they get a save for half, but that seems a bit over the top for something a character can do at 3rd level.

My other worry is flexibility, given how the damage type can be changed, Unlike with a magic spell (although, again, someone could research a "Iceball" or such, but barring that). This is fairly easily fixed by making a psionic character choose an elemental type when they take the power.

Good stuff, keep it coming.

Damage spells are long and away the weakest choice for psions, compared to Sorcerers (or, Ilsensine forbid, Warmages!). The best thing for a psion to do is probably create super-buffed Astral Constructs while using the defensive self-buffs to stay alive.

 

[Nail]

Pretty much every single one of the powers are fairly balanced, although some people here will try to tell you they aren't.

Like me.

But putting that aside for a moment, here are a few powers that have caused "raised eyebrows" around our gaming table.

• Astral Construct
• Ectoplasmi Cocoon, Mass
• "Crystal Ray" (?) or some such...no SR, Ref save, 7d4 Con damage! It's fron Dragon Mag.
• Dimension Slide, move-action option

Those are the recent ones. You'll also notice that the psion self-buffs tend to have longer duration than similar ones from the Sor/Wiz or Clr/Drd list. Enough so that the psion can usually count on being buffed for all encounters that day. Some powers the psion is able to extend for 48 hours, so he can manifest them for "free" essentially (since he did it the day before, and has now regained his power points).