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<blockquote data-quote="Nifft" data-source="post: 3805117" data-attributes="member: 6562">In my experience as a player and as a DM, 3.5e Psionics (those from the XPH, not the old 3.0e PsiHB, and ignoring the nerfs from the Complete Psionic) are very well balanced. Better than spellcasting. Why? Designers had fewer sacred cows to protect.There are no 1st level powers as good as magic missile. There are no 3rd level powers as good as haste, particularly not as cast by a 5th level character.Psions are better at: early summoning*, direct damage via energy**, personal buffs, flexibility.Magic is better at: extended summoning, turning money into power, party buffs, game breakers.Cheers, -- N*) Astral constructs have more HP and do more damage, but that's all. Their spell-like abilities are also just damage. Even if confined to the SRD, a Wizard's Outsiders can generate a variety of effects, including healing. Later, Wizards get access to the various planar binding spells, and in the end game gate. The Psion has no answer to these.**) Wizards get Force damage via magic missile early and untyped damage via horrid wilting later. It's hard to overstate the strength of horrid wilting targeting only your foes. Psions can take a feat to get similar (but more restricted) targeting via energy missile, but the damage type is always energy. Don't bring up concussion blast, it's painfully expensive for what it does.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Nifft, post: 3805117, member: 6562"] In my experience as a player and as a DM, 3.5e Psionics (those from the XPH, not the old 3.0e PsiHB, and ignoring the nerfs from the Complete Psionic) are [b]very well balanced[/b]. Better than spellcasting. Why? Designers had fewer sacred cows to protect. There are no 1st level powers as good as [i]magic missile[/i]. There are no 3rd level powers as good as [i]haste[/i], particularly not as cast by a 5th level character. Psions are better at: early summoning*, direct damage via energy**, personal buffs, flexibility. Magic is better at: extended summoning, turning money into power, party buffs, game breakers. Cheers, -- N *) Astral constructs have more HP and do more damage, but that's all. Their spell-like abilities are also just damage. Even if confined to the SRD, a Wizard's Outsiders can generate a variety of effects, including healing. Later, Wizards get access to the various [i]planar binding[/i] spells, and in the end game [i]gate[/i]. The Psion has no answer to these. **) Wizards get Force damage via [i]magic missile[/i] early and untyped damage via [i]horrid wilting[/i] later. It's hard to overstate the strength of [i]horrid wilting[/i] targeting only your foes. Psions can take a feat to get similar (but more restricted) targeting via [i]energy missile[/i], but the damage type is always energy. Don't bring up [i]concussion blast[/i], it's painfully expensive for what it does. [/QUOTE]

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