(Sub) Design & Development - Psionics

[TheWyrd]

Been thinking about how the builds of the various different psionic classes will work out as compared against the way 3e (more specifically 3.5) spead things out.

Ignoring the monk which is basically an add-on, we know that the Psionic has a Telepathy build and a Telekinetic build.

If they carry across the Psychic Warrior I can see them putting the Psychometabolic Build and Clairsentience Build. Both of those were existing options with Claw based psychic warriors or insight based psychic warriors.

Everyone seems pretty sure that the Soul Knife is going to be an option. Honestly, with the monk as a Psionic striker already, I'd be pleased to see the Soulknife as a seperate build for the class.

 

[lutecius]

Would you be willing to pay $9.95 a month for such re-writes?

Probably not, but I'd buy the books. I'm just not into subscriptions or pre-orders. As a rule, I don't buy stuff sight unseen. Anyway the ddi would also have to offer a little more than that, like the long awaited virtual tabletop and more usable crunch (previews or design & development articles may be interesting but they are essentially marketing and thus should be free)

The Power books provide a clear opportunity for WotC to release more mechanically sophisticated builds of existing classes. The Battlerager fighter and the Beastmaster ranger are already two examples of builds that are more mechanically involved than the PH1 builds.

But they don't break the mold like the psion does. I am not interested in more mechanically involved builds, I want to steer away from the rigid and artificial encounter/daily power structure, especially for non-spellcasters. The psion is a step in that direction but I don't think anything similar could be done with the existing classes (like KM suggested) without rewriting the powers themselves.

I think it will be possible to introduce new mechanics into old classes simply by publishing new alternate class features, such as the battlerage vigor fighter and the beastmaster ranger in Martial Power. I think it is entirely possible to have a "fighter" with mostly at-will abilities and an augment-like mechanic for encounter and/or daily powers (using adrenaline points and/or luck points) released in PH4 or Martial Power 2.

The fighter's exploits were not meant to be augmented and some combos were not meant to be used more than once per encounter/per day, so implementing a point system on top of the current power list would certainly create balance issues.

 

[Rechan]

Everyone seems pretty sure that the Soul Knife is going to be an option. Honestly, with the monk as a Psionic striker already, I'd be pleased to see the Soulknife as a seperate build for the class.

IMO, the Soul Knife has only one thing that differentiates himself from any other class: he can make the soul knife weapon.

So, I anticipate this schtick is going to get eaten by another class. Probably firmly implanted in the Psychic Warrior, as one of the starter builds.

 

[FireLance]

The fighter's exploits were not meant to be augmented and some combos were not meant to be used more than once per encounter/per day, so implementing a point system on top of the current power list would certainly create balance issues.

I think the basic implementation would probably involve tagging augmentable powers with the Adrenaline or whatever keyword, and have a rule that says something along the lines of "whenever you take a heroic/paragon/epic Adrenaline power, you get 2/4/6 adrenaline points". A fighter with more Adrenaline powers would have more flexibility with respect to how he spends his adrenaline points, but one with just a single Adrenaline power can augment it to encounter power level only once per encounter.

 

[Mouseferatu]

IMO, the Soul Knife has only one thing that differentiates himself from any other class: he can make the soul knife weapon.

So, I anticipate this schtick is going to get eaten by another class. Probably firmly implanted in the Psychic Warrior, as one of the starter builds.

I'm not even sure a full build is necessary, to be honest, though it's certainly viable. I think a few at-will powers that form and attack with the knife, perhaps a few feats or utility powers to augment it, and then a paragon path based around it, would work just fine.

 

[I'm A Banana]

I'm not even sure a full build is necessary, to be honest, though it's certainly viable. I think a few at-will powers that form and attack with the knife, perhaps a few feats or utility powers to augment it, and then a paragon path based around it, would work just fine.

I could see rolling together the soulknife powers with the lurk's "sneak attack augments" and running with that as a variant monk build or just a variant class feature.

But the monk and the soulknife were already pretty close before the monk was psionic. Now, especially with a few powers, a build, or whatever, they're practically one with each other.

 

[Mouseferatu]

But the monk and the soulknife were already pretty close before the monk was psionic. Now, especially with a few powers, a build, or whatever, they're practically one with each other.

What I'd really like to see, to be honest, is way to build a "soulknife" from either a psionic striker (be it monk or something else) or a psionic defender. They could each have their own soulknife powers (mechanically different, of course), and the soulknife PrC could be written to accommodate both. (Difficult, for two different roles, but not impossible.)

 

[Hawke]

What I'd really like to see, to be honest, is way to build a "soulknife" from either a psionic striker (be it monk or something else) or a psionic defender. They could each have their own soulknife powers (mechanically different, of course), and the soulknife PrC could be written to accommodate both. (Difficult, for two different roles, but not impossible.)

Excellent thought process... I guess the question is, if I created a Sword magic item that allowed you to use a minor action to call it from nothingness, and it automatically increased its abilities with your level... how is that different than your soul knife? What features of a Psionic Soul Knife are a requirement that could not be filled with just a neat uber-item?

I wonder if perhaps the easiest way would be something akin to Dragonmarks, Spellscars, or other multiclass weapons... spend some feats to get the weapon, have access to some specific/neat powers if you want, but allow it to be applied to any class. Looking at some of the items out there, I can see it not being too worrysome about breaking balance (heck, a rogue player of mine just picked up that Invisible Sword).

I'd love to hear from someone that feels a class is necessary, I like being proven wrong =)

 

[Spatula]

The soulknife seems like a poor fit for an official WotC class. The central shtick - that you can create your primary weapon out of your thoughts - conflicts with the design conceit of being able to use the cool loot that you find. See the 4e warforged's new relationship with armor, for an example. Then again, the same issue applies to the monk's unarmed strikes, so maybe they're moving away from that...

Hm, I just got an idea for a warforged monk that swaps out hands for different unarmed strike effects. "Hold on, let me attach my radiant fist before we open that crypt..."

 

[mach1.9pants]

I'd love to hear from someone that feels a class is necessary, I like being proven wrong =)

Your wrong 'cos I said so, do you feel good now?

The soulknife seems like a poor fit for an official WotC class. The central shtick - that you can create your primary weapon out of your thoughts - conflicts with the design conceit of being able to use the cool loot that you find. See the 4e warforged's new relationship with armor, for an example. Then again, the same issue applies to the monk's unarmed strikes, so maybe they're moving away from that...

Hm, I just got an idea for a warforged monk that swaps out hands for different unarmed strike effects. "Hold on, let me attach my radiant fist before we open that crypt..."

True but there is no problem, IMO, of having merge rituals which merge powers from magic weapons into your soul knife, fists, metal body etc. And I minor action to swap from your class soul knife properties to the merged soul knife properties. Or something, I'd like that.

Although that would be a lot of calculating for all your powers!