[Q][Psi] Level advancement and characters with the psionic template

[Tome]

I have a mage character with the psionic template. The character gained the template when he was 3rd level, but is now 6th level. The writeup of the Psi template in the PsiHB indicates that when a psionic monster has higher Hit Dice he gets more abilities as well as a higher ECL. Does the same thing happen to my character as he advances in level or do his powers and his ECL stay at +1? If the character gains abilities, then at what point do you implement the additional ECL. It is not a very clear cut rule.

thanks,

TOME

 

[Piratecat]

I'll slide this over to rules!

 

[AGGEMAM]

I have a mage character with the psionic template.

The psionic template is meant to be used with creatures, not characters.

Characters should instead multi-class with the Psychic Warrior or the Psion class.

Does the same thing happen to my character as he advances in level or do his powers and his ECL stay at +1?

A CR + rating and ECL + rating is by no means the same.

My advice, strip the character of the template and do it right this time.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

Not true. The template is based on the base Hit Dice of the creature.

If you give a 6 HD crysmal psionic powers (it already has them and then advance it to 15 HD it has the exact same powers.

Check my sig and look for Psionic Bestiary: Arctic Cat to see that the creature does not gain new psionic powers for advancing Hit Dice. There are other examples in the works

BTW if the psionic template is applied to a human, then the base Hit Die is 1. That's why a blue goblin that takes character levels doesn't suddenly become uber-powerful.

Note that a scaling psionic template is okay if you want to house rule it, but your character should pay a high ECL for it. At minimum the same ECL as a half-celestial. In practice, the ECL varies depending on which powers the psionic human would take.