Replacing the sorceror with the psion

[Spatzimaus]

Even better, you could make "Mind Blast" be a single-target power given like all the others, and then include a separate level 1 power that turns your next attack mode into a cone.

The one thing I'd be careful of, when turning modes into powers, is that they were errata'd to use the psion's primary discipline for DC. You'd have to throw that out if you wanted to treat them as normal powers.

 

[Trip]

I just got done doing this recently actually, and am playtesting bits in my campaign right now. For the most part I did what others have said:

-- ditched defense modes, switches offensive modes into powers (in the respected level)

-- got rid of the "psionic combat modes" in the psion level progress table, and followed the mage setup (encode stone, psicrystal at 1st, bonus metaspionic feat, item creation feat, and a few others to choose from at level 5, 10, 15, and 20).

-- to keep the offensive modes a bit more interesting, I added in the PAB (psi attack bonus) that i seen on another site, no clue where off hand though. I changed it a slight bit though. This PAB adds a certain number to the DC of saving throws vs the offensive modes. The psion is much better at this, eventually allowing them to use two of them in the same action, like other classes gets extra attacks.

-- The psi warrior is a bit different, I gave them 5 bonus fighter feats, and 5 bonus psi feats, each switching back and forth every other level. Still not quite balanced, but rather fun! Have to play around a bit more on this one I think.

Trip

 

[Staffan]

Even better, you could make "Mind Blast" be a single-target power given like all the others, and then include a separate level 1 power that turns your next attack mode into a cone.

The way I've been considering it is to make Mind Blast a 5th level power (since it costs 9 PP), and make a 2nd level power or so that stuns a single target for a shorter period of time. 2nd level would put it on par with Hold Person - while it has some advantages over Hold Person (not dispellable, but rather has an instant duration with a lasting effect; affects non-humanoids) it also has a major disadvantage in that it only stuns, which means the target is not helpless (aka coup de grace fodder).

The one thing I'd be careful of, when turning modes into powers, is that they were errata'd to use the psion's primary discipline for DC. You'd have to throw that out if you wanted to treat them as normal powers.

Of course. As a telepathic power, they would use Charisma for save DCs. There wouldn't be any psionic combat as such either - a psion wouldn't have any more protection from a Mind Blast than he would from a Whitefire, except that his Will save is better than his Reflex save.

 

[steveroe]

I like the idea of replacing sorcerers with psions. I think the psion fits the flavor better of an innately magical character.

I've played a sorcerer before in a campaign with a psion in the party. Both characters relied on scrolls or the psionic equivalent for some versatility and utility. Both had spontaneous casting.
However, the sorcerer had more spells per day. The psion ran out of spells on several days. The sorcerer never did.

So, aside from spells per day they were very similar. I think for the psion to be an attractive replacement for a sorcerer it needs a bit more oomph. I think the suggestions in 'if thoughts could kill' are very interesting. However, I have not seen these changes in play yet. So, I don' t know if they really solve the imbalance.

I agree that taking out psi combat is a good idea. Replacing the attack/defense modes with feats and/or spells know also sounds very workable to me. In addition I would also try boosting power point progressions and choosing two secondary disciplines to key off the primary abilility stat, like 'if thoughts could kill.'

Sadly, I'm not running a campaign at the moment. So, I will not be able to see how these changes work in actual game play for a while. If anyone has some game experience with this I'd love to hear about it.

steve

 

[theoremtank]

I agree that sorcerers should be done away with also, and possibly replaced with a psionic class.

Sorcerers cast all the same spells as wizards, only they cast on the fly. I didn't think this was different enough to require a separate class from wizards. There should simply be feat progressions available to the wizard that allows them to eventually cast similar to a sorcerer .

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

In my campaigns, I replace Wizard with Sorceror, and leave Psions as Psions.

But, Psion as a class is pretty weak. Taking psionic combat away from them doesn't weaken them further, as was pointed out, since noone in their right mind uses it... but the Psion was balanced with the idea that psionic combat was somehow useful.

Giving the Psion the Wizard's bonus feats would probably fix the balance issue.

I'm considering giving the Rogue, Sorceror, and Psion a hit die increase, so that the Rogue and Bard are d8, and Sorceror and Psion are d6, to match the Star Wars base hit die. Also, it makes more sense for me that the Rogue and Bard have hit die that match their Base Attack Bonus, and that the weeniecasters have one hit die below that.

I still can't get anyone to play spellcasters, except for the one guy who always plays them-- and he multiclasses, so he needs all the help he can get. I haven't noticed any balance problems.

 

[Destil]

In my game:
Psionic Combat is still in, and enhanced a bit to be more effective (increased damage, add BAB to save DC and are used as an attack action, rather than a standard). Psions get 4 combat modes at 1st and a bonus feat every 3 levels (1st, 3rd) choosen from a psionic, metapsionic, psionic item creation or psionic combat mode. Psyhic warriors are per the book. (this makes the psy warrior better at psionic combat, since they get the modes automaticly and havea higher BAB. With the right feat selection a psyhic warrior can really be dangerous though psionic combat).

Secondary Diciplines: Psions choose two secondary diciplines, which use the mean of their primary dicipline ability score and the secondary's.

Psions get d6 HP.