Psionics: Vigor & Empathic Healing?

[0-hr]

Can you use Vigor to give you self temporary hitpoints, and then Empathic Healing to transfer someone else's damage to you?

For example:
- Vigor to give yourself 30 temporary hitpoints.
- Empathic Healing to transfer 30 points of damage to yourself (which just burns the temp hp)
- Then repeat as desired.

This seems like an awful lot of healing for a very low number of power points, but I don't see any rules stopping it.

 

[godfear]

Well Vigor maxes out @ 18 temp hp which doesn't stack with temp hp from other sources or future uses of the power, but other than that, your idea seems sound.

 

[Zhure]

Optimally, the character can use Vigor at level 6 for 18 temporary points, then Empathic Healing on himself to heal 18 points (up to 8 per level, indicating it can be less), so for a 6th level Psion. he spends 2 rounds and 2 PP for 18 points of healing.

Similarly, a Cleric spends 1 round and a single 1st level spell (equal to 1 PP) for ~9.5 points of healing. And it works vs undead and takes half as long.

Seems pretty close.

Greg

 

[Tomiro]

I do almost the same procedure every session we play, because we have 2 dwarven barbarians with over 100 HP each. Our cleric is overemployed with this 2 guys. but the healing costs me only some PP and I can spend them a lot of HP, even temporary one. It doesn't matter if it is from your normal HP or from temporary ones to empathic transfer them!

 

[0-hr]

Optimally, the character can use Vigor at level 6 for 18 temporary points,

Is there an 18 hp limit? This question came up when our 10th level psion was doing 30 point cures for 2pp and some of us thought is a little unbalanced. But hey, if it works, then more power too him.

 

[Tomiro]

The limit of empathic transfer is 8 points per manifester level. f.e. an 10th level psion can transfer 80 points of damage or as many as he wishs.

 

[Spatzimaus]

Is there an 18 hp limit?

Yes, each spell in the Vigor line caps at a different amount. Here's the list: (Vigor and Improved Vigor are PsiHB, the rest are Mind's Eye)

Vigor (1): 3/level, max 18
Vim (2): 3/level, max 24
Vehemence (3): 3/level, max 34
Vitality (4): 3/level, max 42
Improved Verve (5): 3/level, max 51
Improved Vigor (6): 3/level, max 60
Improved Vim (7): 4/level, max 72
Improved Vehemence (8): 5/level, max 85
Improved Vitality (9): 6/level, max 96

Vigor's still a great power for Psions and Psychic Warriors; an 18 HP buffer for 1 PP nicely makes up the HP difference when comparing to PHB classes, but it's more useful as a prep spell.

Between Vigor, Empathic Transfer, and the Body Adjustment line, Psions do make decent pinch-healers.

 

[Zhure]

(an only slightly-related aside)

.. the best use of Empathic Transfer is as a Crawling Tattoo. If it survives the AoO to get in, it can do 160 hit points of damage, no save. And it's dirt cheap since Crawling Tattoos are rated solely by power level, not caster level. Only 100 gp!

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Zhure, where do these hp go? I don't think that trick works, but I'm going to email custserv just the same.

 

[Sarellion]

can you recast them after you used all Hitpoints?

I am not so familiar with the psionic stuff