Hi guys,
Cheers for your comments - I think, overall though, that many of you were expecting a 'general' psionics book. That was precisely what we told Sam Witt _not_ to do. We wanted to actually make Psychic Warriors 'feel' different from Psions, much in the same way as Sorcerers will feel different from Wizards. They may share a common rules base, but they should not act the same in game play. On to your specific points;
Psychic Progression: As 2WS-Steve pointed out, the simple +1 progression does not always work and what you have to be careful of is allowing Psychic Warriors one thing, but at the same time be wary of a Psion entering the class. It is a balance thing (and, incidentally, we will not automatically do something just because other 3rd parties have done it the same way in the past!). Basically, if you enter these prestige classes, you are wanting to become a specialist of some sort, and so the Psychic Warrior's more generalist nature will suffer in accordance. However, you will be getting some meaty class features in return - _that_ is the reason you would take these classes, not to keep your own progression going plus gain some nifty abilities.
Double Weapon Fighter & Power Fighter: Correct, they do not gain psionic feats as bonuses - but then, they are no longer true Psychic Warriors, but characters who have chosen to become more martial in nature. Has this never happened to a character of yours, whereby you change your mind as to where he is headed halfway through a campaign? These classes allow you to do that without bouncing straight back to the core Fighter class and, potentially, suffering multiclass penalties. It is just another twist on what a Psychic Warrior can possibly be.
Improved Powers: Again, yes, they are not always needed as prerequisites. So?
If you want to take full advantage of the class, then you will ensure you di indeed have the power but, on the other hand, you may be just after one class feature among the whole lot. This comes down to flexibility, with players being able to pick and choose which classes they go into and which class features they can take maximum advantage of. As for the Finesse Fighter, there is nothing to say that all prestige class levels have to be taken one after the other. . .
Dread Coverage: We placed this one under Psychometabolism because it works directly upon the Psychic Warrior's own body. Psychoportive and Psychikinetic are just plain wrong for this power. Clairsentient, I agree, could potentially work, but that was not how we saw that particular power working.
Void Targeting: He is receiving a +5 bonus (that is, _+5_) to attack rolls for an extended period of time. Probably worth a few downsides
Psion Powers: You can, if you wish, allow Psions to tajke the Psychic Warriors powers in this book. However, Psions will be getting their own set in their own book and, remember, the whole point of this tome is to make Psychic Warriors different from Psions. It is not The Quintessential Psionicist - it is the Quintessential Psychic Warrior. We never intended it to be a generalists book.
Prerequisite Powers: You mention Seeker. True, it needs a prerequisite power, but this is not a theme carried on throughout the entire book. It is a fair trade off in terms of what the power can do and, at the end of the day, forcing players to plan a little ahead in terms of what they want to do is never a bad thing.
Flawed? With respect, I have to disagree. I can understand that some people may have been wanting a general psionics upgrade book, but that is not what The Quintessential Psychic Warrior is about. However, if you combine it with the forthcoming Quintessential Psion, I have a feeling you will get the best of both worlds - two psionic classes that stand up on their own, and yet are portrayed as something quite different.
After all, who wants to play a character who is a combination of a weakened Fighter and a weakened Psion? Psychic Warriors are meant to be hard!
Hope this helps,
..Tease)
), but I think the Illithid in my games are about to get much more hungry.
