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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jessica" data-source="post: 6702451" data-attributes="member: 6796107">Quick Thinking: Utility PowersThe list of utility powers at each level will include all class utility powers and the skill powers that are rated at least black. Skill powers are sorted by class skills and non-class skills. The best powers will generally let you hit more often, prevent getting hit and increase your mobility. Don't forget you can also take utility powers from your theme and race. Those are beyond the scope of this handbook, but check the Theme and Race sections for some general advice. <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/" target="_blank">Level 2</a>[sblock]Cha-Psions take Intellect Fortress, Wis-Psions go for Transport Self. If you're trained in Dungeoneering, also consider Stay Back. Otherwise you have access to powers that increase your mobility or let you hide easily, and skill powers that can shore up all sorts of shortcomings.Intellect Fortress: PHB3. This is a good reason to be a Cha-Psion. Having 18 Cha makes this the equivalent of the acclaimed Wizard power Shield, but for all your defenses. Once your Cha rises further, this simply lets you negate any attack that's not a crit once per fight. Take this and love it.Transport Self: PHB3. This gives Wis-Psions a Fey Step, which is a very underrated power. You'll mostly use it to teleport to safety, presumably out of a grab or to higher ground so enemies can’t easily reach you.Mind Shroud: PsP. Although it slows you, this gives you an effective +5 bonus to all your defenses for a round. Very good to have if you expect to get attacked in melee often. Essential for Stealth builds who can use this to hide in plain sight. Even those who aren't built for Stealth can still try to hide, because hey, free combat advantage!Telekinetic Lift: PHB3. The rating assumes you use this on a portable platform of some sort (like a shield) to create a glider that you or an ally can use to fly around on for one encounter per day. If you don’t use it that way, the power only has niche and roleplaying purposes.Borrow Training: PsP. Even if your ability score for the skill sucks, a +5 bonus is huge. Use this to succeed on physical checks like Athletics, Acrobatics and Thievery, or for those skill challenges during combat that require training in a very specific skill.Dimensional Stowaway: PsP. The power is cool, but a little out of place on a Psion. Your only power that’s really good with this is Transport Self of the same level, and then only if you’re a Wis-Psion. Better if you’re an Eladrin, Shadar-kai, Shardmind or Wilden.Buoyancy of Thought: PsP. Being knocked prone can be incredibly annoying. But if you’re really concerned about that just take the level 2 Acrobatics utility Agile Recovery or wear Acrobat Boots. Preventing falling damage can come in handy once in a blue moon, but it’s no reason to take this power.Skill Empowerment: PHB3. As a daily power this is very underwhelming. I guess if you’re concerned about that one very important skill check that seems to come around once every adventure, then you can take this.Skill powersClass skills:Stay Back: DSH. Dungeoneering. With something as simple as a Sunrod (4 gp), you can give all enemies within a 20-square radius a -2 attack penalty for a round. Not bad for a minor action! A Floating Lantern (level 3 common item) makes this even easier, although the radius is "only" 10 squares. Just suspend your disbelieve for a second when you're using a torch to scare off Fire Elementals in bright daylight. Arcane Mutterings: PHB3. Arcana. If you dumped your Charisma, this gives you an out if you're faced with a sudden social check.Strategist's Epiphany: PHB3. History. If you don't have another way to boost your initiative, use this for that one combat where you really need to go first.Non-class skills:Agily Recovery: PHB3. Acrobatics. This power alone is worth getting training in Acrobatics for. Although not as good on you as it is on melee characters, using your minor action to stand up from prone is super for your action economy.City Rat: PHB3. Streetwise. If you get training in Streetwise somehow, your score should be very good. Hiding then becomes much easier, giving you a round of reprieve and/or free combat advantage which is kind of hard to come by otherwise.Failed Diplomacy: DSH. Streetwise. A party-wide +2 power bonus to initiative is nice, but when it comes with free combat advantage during the first round it's certainly worth considering. Don't take this if you have a Warlord with Combat Leader in your party.Iron Resurgence: DSH. Heal. It's not cheap on the healing surges, but if you want to act as the party's back-up healer, this is an okay way to do it.[/sblock]<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/" target="_blank">Level 6</a>[sblock]Your class powers at this level are pretty bad, so you'll probably look to level 2 or take a skill power like Insightful Warning, Guided Shot or Timely Dodge. Mental Void: PsP. Like Shield and Intellect Fortress, but only for your Will. Which isn’t bad, because that’s one of the defenses that’s most likely to get attacked if you stay at range. Getting a round of combat advantage out of it against the target is gravy.Intellect Prism: PsP. This lets you be a Shaper or Dreamwalker for one encounter per day. The fact that the Prism has +4 to all defenses and hp equal to your surge value actually makes it pretty good. When it’s destroyed you’re dazed for turn, but by that time you should be well out of reach of the enemy. Obviously red for Shapers and Dreamwalkers.Shared Recovery: PsP. Getting 10 free temp HP each fight is certainly good. Too bad the conditions (an ally within 5 regains HP or makes a save) are not the most reliable of circumstances, especially in the first rounds of combat when you’re most likely to need the temps.Explosive Force: PsP. A free action encounter power that gives you combat advantage is very good in theory, since you have a hard time getting it as a ranged caster. It’s too bad there are so many hoops you need to jump through to obtain it (hit with an unaugmented force power, there must be enemies next to the target). I wouldn’t bother.Telekinetic Screen: PHB3. Reducing the damage from a critical hit might just save your life. It just shouldn’t come into play more than once per day, and even then it might not be enough to save you.Steadfast Stanchion: PHB3. Letting you and your party ignore forced movement for as long as you don’t move is pretty nice, but it’s not remotely worth a standard action.Mind Shadow: PHB3. So let me get this straight: you can’t use this to sneak past some guards because you’ll be their nearest enemy, and the invisibility fades the moment you hit with an attack? And this is a daily power? Do yourself a favor and skip this.Skill powersClass skills:Insightful Warning: PHB3. Arcana. You not only prevent yourself from getting hit by an annoying burst or blast, with a little luck you can do the same for one or two allies. Preventing hits is a crucial skill to have in your arsenal as a fragile controller.Guided Shot: PHB3. Perception. If your ally misses an important attack by one or two points, use this to hopefully make it a hit. Very nice if you want to minor in leading.Warp in the Weave: DR385. Arcana. Although outright preventing a hit is awesome, it’s not like you have healing surges to spare. Use it to avoid a dragon’s breath attack, not the first area attack that comes your way.Prescient Maneuver: PHB3. Insight. Chances are that an enemies have to cover quite a lot of ground to attack you. Use this to stay just out of their reach.Everybody Move: PHB3. Intimidate. An emergency button in case you’re surrounded. It automatically hits, so it can get you out of some sticky situations. Better for Shapers and Dreamwalkers who can use it to somewhat rearrange the battlefield.Non-class skills:Timely Dodge: DSH. Acrobatics. Cancelling any melee attack made against you once per encounter is extremely good for a fragile controller like you. If you’re trained in Acrobatics, don’t look any further.Shrouding Gloom: PHB3. Stealth. Builds that want to hide can make good use out of this to prevent attacks and get free combat advantage. Not for everyone, but good for those that can use it.Natural Terrain Understanding: DR385. Nature. A small Reorient the Axis, coupled with an AC bonus once per encounter is a very decent use of your minor action. For those of you who want some leader capabilities.Swift Recovery: PHB3. Heal. Although this requires you to get into melee, raising an unconscious ally as a minor action can be critical to the outcome of a battle. If combats go awry, you’ll be glad to have it. Better for Shapers and Dreamwalkers who can just send their conjuration in to do the job for them.[/sblock]<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/" target="_blank">Level 10</a>[sblock]Plenty of decent options at this level, but nothing that’s head and shoulders above the rest. Dimensional Shortcut is very close to skyblue though, and Trace Teleport is worth considering if you have an Eladrin or other teleporter in your party. Dimensional Shortcut: PsP. Wow, Reorient the Axis and then some! Laugh as you teleport your party right next to the badguy who was hiding behind his wall of minions. Cheer as you ace the skill challenge where you must climb a tower or a cliff. Feel relieved when you get your party to safety in a fight gone bad. A truly awesome power that is only held back by the fact that it’s a daily.Mind over Flesh: PHB3. A free saving throw against the most annoying conditions in the game is always welcome. Even better is that the conditions themselves don’t have to be save ends. In combination with Superior Will (which you should have by now), you’ll never be dazed or stunned again.Force Barricade: PsP. A bit small and fragile for a wall, but it’s still a wall. It’s also the only wall you’re ever going to get as a Psion, so take that into account when considering this power.Sky Hook: PHB3. Turns you into a Pixie for one encounter per day. Crucial difference is that the altitude limit puts you just out of reach of most medium creatures. Good if you don’t yet have a way to fly.Intellect Leech: PHB3. A Stirring Shout just for you and for allies who do psychic damage. The amount of temporary hit points you can harvest with this is pretty good if you’re a Cha-Psion, and might save you a healing surge or two.Trace Teleport: PsP. Without teleporters in your party, this is only occasionally useful when an enemy tries to circumvent the defender by teleporting adjacent to you. With other teleporters in your party however, this becomes a virtually free move action every encounter. Take this power accordingly.Force Bubble: PHB3. This can come in handy occasionally when it’s clear on turn 1 that you’re facing elemental-themed artillery. As you can imagine, that scenario is rare enough that taking this power is optimistic at best.Energy Mitigation: PsP. While not a bad power, this is a little overshadowed by the level 6 power Warp in the Weave. This doesn't cost you a surge though. Skill powersClass skills:Prescient Defense: PHB3. Insight. Preventing hits is certainly worth a utility power. Although it won’t prevent a lot of them, it’ll protect you once every one or two encounters.Stall Tactics: PHB3. Bluff. This essentially increases the party’s initiative by 10, except against enemies that you can’t see. Very good to end a fight before it can properly begin.Snap Out of It: PHB3. Intimidate. Having a dazed defender or a dominated striker can make combats turn ugly quick. If your leader isn’t the type who deals in saving throws, you can help out by taking this. Better for Shapers and Dreamwalkers who can let their conjuration step into melee for them.Non-class skills:Navigate Crowds: PHB3. Streetwise. Shifting your speed once per encounter is a very handy trick to have in your back pocket. While no teleport, it does allow you to get out of some pretty sticky situations.[/sblock]<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/" target="_blank">Level 16</a>[sblock]Again lots of cool powers here, but you need a very good reason not to be trained in Insight and just take Insightful Riposte at this level.Precognitive Step: PHB3. A reroll, or preroll in this case, is invaluable for any character, even it’s only once per day. The fact that you can still use it if you make a crappy roll makes this awesome. Insightful Riposte is a lot better though.Mind Blank: PsP. Making yourself and your allies invisible to all enemies in a close burst 3 is pretty sweet, but unfortunately that means you’ve got to enter melee. Not so for the Shapers and Dreamwalkers among you, though. Place this on your conjuration, move it next to your melee allies and watch your DM groan in frustration. Just keep in mind that the zone is probably gone when your conjuration gets hit.Psychic Chirurgery: PHB3. As a free action, this is very flexible. Good to use on yourself at the start of your turn to ignore any condition for two turns, or on an ally who was at the wrong at end of a stun or just a lot of ongoing damage. Even better for Shapers and Dreamwalkers who, once again, can send their conjuration into battle to do the dirty work for them.Dream Traveler: PsP. You become a ghost for one encounter, but you’re weakened. Fortunately, that’s a fine trade for a fragile controller, who is there for status effects first and damage second.Subjective Reality: PsP. Ignoring anything but blocking terrain once per encounter is one of those abilities that’s deceptively powerful. From water and bushes to lightning pillars and lava-pits, this will get you through them without any trouble. Don’t forget to wave to your allies and enemies who are left on the other side.Kinetic Grasp: PsP. As an encounter power this is pretty sweet. Forced movement and prone are common enough that you’ll get a use out of this in most encounters. Fits better on a leader than on a controller, but that’s your secondary role anyway.Freedom of Movement: PHB3. Party is slowed, trapped in a quagmire or ambushed by a bunch of Gelatinous Cubes? Not a problem once you use this power. If your wisdom is good you can also use this to get your partymembers to where they’re supposed to be. Another leader power, and a bit of a situational one, but when this is useful you’ll be superglad you have it.Telekinetic Boost: PHB3. It’s a fun power for Wis-Psions, but the range on it just sucks. If your allies are within 5 squares of you, there aren’t a lot of places you can slide them to that they couldn’t have reached themselves. Although using this as a springboard can both be useful and hilarious in the right circumstances.Skill powersClass skills:Insightful Riposte: PHB3. Insight. You couldn’t ask for a better utility power. Turning one miss into a hit each encounter is enough reason for any character, but especially a controller, to train Insight.Indomitable Ally: PHB3. Diplomacy. It won’t be often that you’ll have an ally within 5 squares dropping to zero HP unless you are ambushed. Still a pretty good power to keep your allies going for another turn.Elemental Countermeasures: PHB3. Arcana. Your Arcana should be pretty good by now, so why not use it to become more resistant to elemental damage?Non-class skills:Diehard: PHB3. Endurance. Super risky because most monsters won’t hold back on a PC that’s still standing, but this will keep you going long enough for the leader to bring you back up to positive numbers. Use at your own peril.Nightshade Draught: DR385. Nature. Like Diehard, this also keeps you going if you drop below zero but at the cost of a few death saves. Use at your own peril.[/sblock]<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/" target="_blank">Level 22</a>[sblock]Wis-Psions look no further than Forceful Repositioning. The rest has a nice choice of leader-like powers that protect you and your party.Forceful Repositioning: PsP. If there’s one reason to choose Wisdom over Charisma, this is it. Giving yourself and your party a free move action each encounter is just awesome. Using this on turn 1 ensures everyone gets into position, so they can use their move action as another minor for that nova sequence.Warding Shield: PHB3. If your Wisdom is high enough, you can really ruin a dragon’s day with this. This, combined with Warp in the Weave and Energy Mitigation, should properly protect you from blasts and bursts.Summon Fleeting Thoughts: PsP. A leader-like summon that protects you and three allies and lets all of you fly through the air on your move action. There’s just a lot of utility in this, even if it’s only for one encounter per day.Interdicting Thoughts: PsP. Entering melee is dangerous, but might be worth it for this. Skyblue for Shapers and Dreamwalkers who just center this on their conjuration every encounter and stay safely in the back themselves.Through the Walls: PHB3. Giving your party phasing once per day can just trivialize some encounters, both in and out of combat. Walking through walls certainly won’t be useful in every encounter, but when it works it’ll be sweet.Mind over Earth: PHB3. Flight for one encounter per day is nice, but you’re better off just investing in a pair of Zephyr Boots at this point.Rejuvenate the Mind: PHB3. You shouldn’t use your second wind much as a controller, and getting 2 power points back once per day is not very impressive at this point.[/sblock]</blockquote>

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