Soulknife's Useless Power Point Reserve ?!?

[Infinite_Kydeem]

A single class Xeph Soulknife gets 1 powerpoint from being a Xeph and 2 powerpoints from gaining the Wild Talent feat as a class ability for a total of 3.

However, if I'm reading the rules correctly, he has no way to make use this reserve. He doesn't manifest powers so he has no manifester level and can't take the expanded knowledge feat. He can take psionic feats but I dno't think any of those use power points just psionic focus. I don't even remember any psionic items he can use that require the user to supply powerpoints to use. Have I got all this right?

It's not a huge deal, just curious. If the above is all true, I would almost certainly take at least one level of a manifesting class or prestige class.

 

[helium3]

The soulknife needs to have access to at least one power point in order to utilize psionics based abilities. You're correct however. There's nothing the class can do with those points. Why would you want to multi-class? It's already kind of a weak class and multi-classing would exacerbate that.

 

[Slaved]

The soulknife does not have a way, by itself, to use those power points. If your dm is feeling nice you might be able to take hidden talent though.

Also, the class doesnt mention needing some minimum amount of power points in order to use its abilities. From what has been explained to me and what I can read the mind blade has no reference to power points at all and the wild talent feat in his description merely says that it provides the character with the psionic power needed to manifest the blade, not that he needs any specific amount.

This board tends to be happy enough with the realization that - and 0 are two seperate things and this would appear to be another case of that.

I am using an online version of the SRD right now though so the book might use different wording.

 

[Infinite_Kydeem]

...Why would you want to multi-class? It's already kind of a weak class and multi-classing would exacerbate that.

I don't mind it being a weak class, 'casue it's just sweet.

It's probably the engineer in me, but I can't stand having abilities or powers of which I can't make at least some use.

I usually multi-class anyway just because I like to be able to do a little of everything.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

From a mechanical POV, we need a clear means of distinguishing who may acquire or benefit from a Psionic Feat and who may not.

The the approach used (1) allows a Human to take levels in Soulknife and have the mechanics work sensibly, (2) allows an inherently psionic race like Xeph to take only non-Psionic classes and still get to cherry pick a few Psionic feats, (3) gives a tiny extra incentive for Psionic races to multiclass into manifesting classes (as you mentioned above), (4) provides a logical mechanic for, say, a Psionic Warrior to voluntarily (or involuntarily) have a temporary loss of the benefit of Psionic feats.

All of the above are never going to apply to any one particular PC. But it is a reasonably elegant mechanic as achieves multiple ends with a simple bookkeeping method.

 

[Dracomeander]

While the class abilities of the Soulknife do not require the expenditure of power points, the ability to gain and hold a psionic focus to use various psionic feats requires a current power point reserve greater than zero.

 

[Someone]

A single class Xeph Soulknife gets 1 powerpoint from being a Xeph and 2 powerpoints from gaining the Wild Talent feat as a class ability for a total of 3.

However, if I'm reading the rules correctly, he has no way to make use this reserve. He doesn't manifest powers so he has no manifester level and can't take the expanded knowledge feat. He can take psionic feats but I dno't think any of those use power points just psionic focus. I don't even remember any psionic items he can use that require the user to supply powerpoints to use. Have I got all this right?

It's not a huge deal, just curious. If the above is all true, I would almost certainly take at least one level of a manifesting class or prestige class.

If you look carefully at the Concentration skill description in the XPH you'd see it describes how to gain psionic focus. I'm not saying anything new reminding you that it's important for many psionic feats. If you look more carefully into it you'd discover that one requisite to get psionic focus is to have a reserve of at least 1 power point (the other being able to roll a 20 in a concentration check) If you run out of power points, you lose your focus. Is that simple, though admittedly, well hidden in the rules; it's not the first time it's asked in the boards.

 

[werk]

A single class Xeph Soulknife gets 1 powerpoint from being a Xeph and 2 powerpoints from gaining the Wild Talent feat as a class ability for a total of 3.

However, if I'm reading the rules correctly, he has no way to make use this reserve.

But if you were a duergar soulknife...

 

[Infinite_Kydeem]

But if you were a duergar soulknife...

I'm afraid you lost me, what difference would that make?

 

[werk]

I'm afraid you lost me, what difference would that make?

I thought Duergar could use them for their psi-like racial abilities, but looking at it now...I guess not.

Most DMs I play under are afraid of psionics.

That would make it suck less...get it house ruled so that the powerpoints, in the case of the xeph, can be used for additional usages of Burst, or to extend its duration.