Psionics: Balance and Integration

[Nail]

The best thing for a psion to do is probably create super-buffed Astral Constructs while using the defensive self-buffs to stay alive.

Bingo.

BTW: why are astral constructs so much better than summoned Monsters or Nature's Ally? I don't get it. Is there some major limitation I've missed?

 

[Rystil Arden]

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.

Because the transparency rules feel bland and silly, as if the psion was simply a mage who casts in a slightly different way, and non-transparency it gave the PCs a good RP reason to seek out a psion, who could defeat the antimagic psychic venom that the cult had used on the princess with his Psychic Chirurgery. Transparency is basically just a cop-out to make things easier, but I guess I've shown that I like different forms of interlacing effects of magic by allowing a Shadow Weave of magic, even when I don't play in the Forgotten Realms.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Bingo.

BTW: why are astral constructs so much better than summoned Monsters or Nature's Ally? I don't get it. Is there some major limitation I've missed?

Yes. They instantly die to several psion powers unless the Construct's creator takes special pains against it by bolstering them. However, if the psion never fights enemies with psionic powers, this doesn't apply.

 

[Nail]

I can see why "It's different" appeals...but then, why isn't divine magic different from arcane too?

Talk about cop-out.

 

[Nail]

Yes. They instantly die to several psion powers unless the Construct's creator takes special pains against it by bolstering them. However, if the psion never fights enemies with psionic powers, this doesn't apply.

Help me out: Name the psionic powers. Then name the monsters that use them.

 

[Rystil Arden]

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).

Astral Construct: Agreed. Its good. But not so overpowered except compared to other summoners. But I have had a TPK once from one Astral Construct of a level-appropriate Shaper, although it was wearing the Psychic Warrior's armour and the party had split up.

Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass: Not a problem at all. We've had a discussion with you about this, and Forcecage is much more broken.

Crystal Ray: What can I say. Its probably balanced with the crazy Erudite class from Dragon. Don't allow it, like I do for 50% of Dragon material.

Dimension Slide: Not a problem, since you need to be a Psychic Warrior to have it or take a feat, and even then, you pay for a 5th-level power to have it as a move action.

 

[beaver1024]

Bingo.

BTW: why are astral constructs so much better than summoned Monsters or Nature's Ally? I don't get it. Is there some major limitation I've missed?

Better in what way? Can you please run through some numbers?

 

[Nail]

Astral Construct: Agreed. Its good.

Very good. Again, why should it be? I don't get it.

Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass: Not a problem at all. We've had a discussion with you about this, and Forcecage is much more broken.

Forcecage costs 1500gp, this doesn't. I'll admit all else is comparable, at least.

Crystal Ray: What can I say. Its probably balanced with the crazy Erudite class from Dragon. Don't allow it, like I do for 50% of Dragon material.

And to be fair, there are equally silly wizard spells. As I'm not the main DM of the group, disallowing it isn't an option. Sigh.

Dimension Slide: Not a problem, since you need to be a Psychic Warrior to have it or take a feat, and even then, you pay for a 5th-level power to have it as a move action.

And the equivalent Wiz/Sor spell would be.... Maybe it's on the Ranger spell list, and the Wiz/Sor can take a feat to get it?

 

[beaver1024]

Yes. They instantly die to several psion powers unless the Construct's creator takes special pains against it by bolstering them. However, if the psion never fights enemies with psionic powers, this doesn't apply.

Dismiss Ectoplasm is the power you're thinking off.

 

[Tzarevitch]

Bingo.

BTW: why are astral constructs so much better than summoned Monsters or Nature's Ally? I don't get it. Is there some major limitation I've missed?

Astral constructs are more powerful than most summoned creatures but they also have significant limitations. If your foe has an attack that is devastating against constructs, it is devestating against everything the psion can create using that power. A conjurer can simply summon something you are not that effective against.

In short, you can choose which abilities you want for your construct and stack them so that they work harmoniously. With summoned creatures you get the creature for better or worse. Most summoned creatures (with the exception of the elementals) from a spellcaster of equivalent level aren't that tough. Also, the astral construct is a construct so it has a range of immunities that summoned creatures don't have.

For example, if I remember correctly at Summon Monster IX ( 17th level caster) you can summon a vrock and you get the basic vrock abilities and nothing else. The conjurer can summon other creatures too, but each only arrives with the basic abilities and equipment. With an Astral Construct power from a 17th level psion you can choose to make a super-buff combat construct, a mount (by giving it wings and having it carry you), a range blaster (by giving it that ranged force blast thing) etc. and depending on the power/level combo you can do more than one.

That being said, astral constructs ARE very easy to destroy if you are expecting them and have that weapon that auto-crits ectoplasmic entities or any of the powers that are effective against ectoplasmic entities. Unlike a conjurerer, a psion can't summon anything except astral constructs, consequently a properly equipped enemy can shred them and there is not much that can be done to stop him.

Tzarevitch