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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Michael Tree" data-source="post: 236408" data-attributes="member: 1455">What level of character are you considering?  At lower levels psions have limited usefulness, but I've seen mid to high level psions used for tremendous effect.  A high level Telepath with mind switch, metamorphosis, mass domination, and the Body Fuel feat is a horrifying foe (trust me, I've played one <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /> ).  There's virtually no limit to the havoc he can create, and if he faces undead or constructs, he can just polymorph into a stone giant, manifest haste, inertial barrier, and tenser's transformation (with no expensive material component to worry about) and wade into combat.  That is, if he doesn't just want to send in the minions he dominated or charmed a few days ago to do the fighting.  My Telepath also used the psicrystal Channel Power ability to tremendously good use.My advice for playing a worthwhile psion is:- Get If Thoughts Could Kill.  This book single-handedly makes psions worthwhile, giving psions more power points, less dependancy on multiple stats, and a broader variety of powers to choose from, including many great wizard spells.- Use the errata.  Displays are obnoxious otherwise.- Use the Wizards website.  There are many cool powers and feats there.  Always take Resculpt Mind, or better yet, turn it into a class ability as many have done.- Don't bother taking any damage-dealing powers.  They suck wet farts out of dead pidgeons.  Instead, take indirect powers and attacks, like astral constructs and telepathic powers.  (If you plan on taking any high level Astral Construct powers, learn Ecto Puppet and get the Trigger Power feat to create them for free as a standard action.)- Make sure you are able to manifest at least 2nd level metabolic powers.  Animal Affinity is tremendously useful, as is body adjustment.  If you can swing it, take Polymorph Self as a 4th level power or Metamorphosis as a 5th.  Psionics doesn't require any components, so a psion could polymorph himself into a sparrow (for flight and incredible size and Dex bonuses to AC), a rock (for ubiquitousness and unobtrusiveness) or a girallon or stone giant (for sheer physical power) and still manifest powers freely.- Use the house rules that make Hide Power into a single feat, and that give the psion the Chain Link or Upgrade Power feats as a class ability.- Take a single level of Bruce Cordell's variant/upgraded Slayer that's on Monte Cook's website and the print version of ITCK. That way you gain proficiency in all armor and shields without losing a level of power progression. (Yes this is twinkery, but not unjustified twinkery. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> )- At the earliest opportunity, get a mind feeder weapon.  Even if you never use it in combat, and only use it to coup de gras helpless opponents, it's worth whatever you had to do to get it.  A Torc of Psionc Might is almost as useful.- If you're playing a higher level Telepath, only take the 'Mass' versions of your powers.  Mass Suggestion and Mass  Domination cost less than half the PPs of the lower level versions, have much higher save DCs, affect 1 target/level, and in the case of Domination, have the additional perk that no common language is neccessary.  (If you are lower level, take the Chain Link feat and upgrade as soon as gain access to the appropriate level of powers).What's so complex about it?  Powers use the same basic rules as spellcasting.  Only psionic combat is complicated, and it's almost universally agreed that it's worse than useless, so you can just dump it if you want.</blockquote>

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