Split Ray (& Linked Power)

[Yair]

I have a rules question, and a request for advice.

First, the rules question: I've been interpreting Split Psionics Ray to mean that the character can choose to target the same target twice. Reading over the feat's description, though, and keeping in mind that it costs less than Maximize Power, I suspect I might be mistaken! Is Split Psionic Ray meant to affect each target once, i.e. you cannot target the same target with both rays?

Split Psionic Ray [Metapsionic]

You can affect two targets with a single ray.
Prerequisite

Any other metapsionic feat.
Benefit

To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus. You can split psionic rays you manifest. The split ray affects any two targets that are both within the power’s range and within 30 feet of each other. If the ray deals damage, each target takes as much damage as a single target would take.

Using this feat increases the power point cost of the power by 2.

Now to the advice.
I have a character with the following combination of feats: [Edit: replaced Linked Power with Metapower; sorry for the confusion]
Split Psionic Ray
Empower Power
Metapower (Split Psionic Ray + Energy Ray) [Complete Psionic]
Metapower (Empower Power + Split Energy Ray)
[plus Psicrystal Affinity and Psicrystal Containment so he could spend two focuses on casting the empowered split psionic ray]

This allows him to do 1d6+1 x 2 x 1.5 = 3d6+3 damage per power point spent. At level 5, with Overchannel, this amounts to 18d6+18 (81 hp). (For comparison, a vanilla application of energy ray with 6 pp would do 27 hp of damage. If I limit him to a single ray per target, his damage will drop to 40.5 hp per target.)

I think Metapower is broken. It allows the character to do more damage per power point spent. No matter the other costs (feats, powers), the end result is that the character does more damage per power point, which unbalances the game. I think the Metapower feat should be eliminated; at the very least, it should be weakened (perhaps reducing the cost by 1 instead of by 2; this will lead to 4d6+4 x 2 x 1.5 = 2 x (6d6+6) = 2 x 27 hp).

I've so far handled this by not raising the character a level, while leveling the rest of the party. This ain't much of a long-term solution I'm looking for ideas on how to resolve things.

[Edit: replaced Linked Power with Metapower; sorry for the confusion]

 

[anarchy1973]

If you have a look at the metamagic feat "Split Ray" Page 83 of Complete Arcane, it allows the additional ray to strike the same target (requires separate ranged touch attack), as far as I'm aware Split Psionic Ray is used the same way.

 

[Someone]

Waitaminute. At 5th level, with overchannel, he can spend 6 power points. Since he has to pay for both empowered psionic rays (by the rules of the Linked power feat) let's say he spends 3 power points in each. Empower costs an extra of 2 power points, so he's spending the normal 1 power point to manifest energy ray; that makes a total of [(1d6+1)*1,5*2] total damage, or around 3d6+3 damage, and is very debatable that you only have to spend 2 foci and not 3. With split psionic ray. Linked power doen't work like Repeat or Twinned metamagic: you have to pay for both powers.

Of he could have manifested energy ray normally and deal 6d6+6 damage and save two focuses (foci?). Or empowered energy ray and deal (4d6+4)*1,5 and deal, huh, 6d6+6 damage and spend only one focus. (And he's Overchanneling when doing all of this, so he's hurting himself for 1d8 damage)

Linked power is problematic, but it's not because of this particular example. The problems come with manifesting times and the Metapower feat.

 

[Yair]

If you have a look at the metamagic feat "Split Ray" Page 83 of Complete Arcane, it allows the additional ray to strike the same target (requires separate ranged touch attack), as far as I'm aware Split Psionic Ray is used the same way.

Darn. I think I'm gonna treat that as a typo

Anyone has any idea why the Designers, in their infinite wisdom, decided that doubling the damage on ray powers should cost +2 power points, while doubling the damage on all other powers (Maximize Power) should cost +4 power points?

Waitaminute. At 5th level, with overchannel, he can spend 6 power points. Since he has to pay for both empowered psionic rays (by the rules of the Linked power feat) let's say he spends 3 power points in each. Empower costs an extra of 2 power points, so he's spending the normal 1 power point to manifest energy ray; that makes a total of [(1d6+1)*1,5*2] total damage, or around 3d6+3 damage, and is very debatable that you only have to spend 2 foci and not 3. With split psionic ray. Linked power doen't work like Repeat or Twinned metamagic: you have to pay for both powers.

Of he could have manifested energy ray normally and deal 6d6+6 damage and save two focuses (foci?). Or empowered energy ray and deal (4d6+4)*1,5 and deal, huh, 6d6+6 damage and spend only one focus. (And he's Overchanneling when doing all of this, so he's hurting himself for 1d8 damage)

Linked power is problematic, but it's not because of this particular example. The problems come with manifesting times and the Metapower feat.

I'm... not sure how you calculate things. Why would he need to pay for "both" psionic rays? Why does he need to spend 2 extra power points for Empower? Why does he need to spend 3 foci?

The Linked Power feat reduces the cost of the manifestation by 2. (It also denies you the power, you now only know the metamagic version of the power.) Empower costs 2 pp, so a Linked Empowered power costs an extra +0 power points - you need no more power points, while benefiting from Empower. You likewise don't need a seperate empower for each ray, and you pay for both rays at the same time with the Split Ray feat, both rays doing maximum damage.

Edit: You're correct; my problem is with Metapower, my bad.

 

[anarchy1973]

Split Psionic Ray = Expend Focus, cost extra 2PP, affects ANY 2 targets within range & 30 feet of each other.

Linked Power = Expend Focus, PP cost of power is added to other power (as/example CPSi), affects same area or target.

You need to expend 2 Foci, 1 Per Feat, so assuming in this case Power's Manifestor & Psicrystal.

The EPIC feat Epic Psionic Focus, allows two feats requiring Psionic Focus to be used at once for expenditure of only one Foci. The EPIC feat Improved Manifestation allows you to subtract 2 PP, per use of a Metapsionic feat, can't be lowered less thn 1PP.

To empower would again increase the cost, in the case of Split Psionic Ray, if you Empowered it, it would affect both creatures as you are only manifesting the one power & paying the metapsionic PP cost when originally manifested.

I think it is fine as is, using the metamagic equivelants for comparison, however some people consider Split Psionic Ray overpowered.

 

[Yair]

Split Psionic Ray = Expend Focus, cost extra 2PP, affects ANY 2 targets within range & 30 feet of each other.

Linked Power = Expend Focus, PP cost of power is added to other power (as/example CPSi), affects same area or target.

You need to expend 2 Foci, 1 Per Feat, so assuming in this case Power's Manifestor & Psicrystal.

The EPIC feat Epic Psionic Focus, allows two feats requiring Psionic Focus to be used at once for expenditure of only one Foci. The EPIC feat Improved Manifestation allows you to subtract 2 PP, per use of a Metapsionic feat, can't be lowered less thn 1PP.

To empower would again increase the cost, in the case of Split Psionic Ray, if you Empowered it, it would affect both creatures as you are only manifesting the one power & paying the metapsionic PP cost when originally manifested.

I think it is fine as is, using the metamagic equivelants for comparison, however some people consider Split Psionic Ray overpowered.

Errg, I meant to say Metapower, not Linked Power. Was working from memory and got the name of the feat wrong... ooopps.... sorry.

 

[anarchy1973]

Yeah, I just noticed with Metapower where it says: "The Metapower can be used normally with other metapsionic feats you know", shows how often I look at CPSi.

I guess that although it allows the character the ability to do more damage, the fact that by using a 1st level power is a real waste & will need to be most probably Psychic Reformed later, costing your player XP, as Globe of Invulnerability & even Globe Lesser will make this obselete versus a spellcaster with this spell (and a lot have one of the two).

The issue then is that you can't spend more PP's on a single manifestation than your manifester level for the psionic class. Thus a seventh level Psion can only spend seven PP's on any single power, including the base cost, metapsionics, and any augmentation.

Is it overpowered ? I guess it depends on who else is playing in your campaign, if they are using magic or divine power and are in any way optimised, then it really is subpar in comparison.

 

[Kilroy]

Anyone has any idea why the Designers, in their infinite wisdom, decided that doubling the damage on ray powers should cost +2 power points, while doubling the damage on all other powers (Maximize Power) should cost +4 power points?

Maximize power doesn't quite double. (min damage isn't 0) It is, however, far more generally useful than Split Ray. Outside of "I have this one neat trick" builds, Split Ray is far less generally useful, so it needs something to balance out its lack of utility.