The Pyrokineticist

[Caliber]

My question regards two abilities that the Pyrokineticist.

First there is Fire Adaptation.

This gives the character +10 on all saves vs. fire or heat affects. Further, the first d6 of damage from fire attacks and environmental effects is treated as subdual.

Don't environmental effects do subdual anyway though? Not that this isn't a powerful ability (give it to a Rogue and watch them become Fireball-proof) but I was wondering if I was misunderstanding something here, or if this ability doesn't actually do anything.

My second question is about the upgrade of the above ability, Fear No Fire.

Besides the fact that it allows you to treat the first 2d6 die of damage from environmental effects as subdual, it also gives you 30/+3 Damage Reduction against Fire Attacks.

Uhm. I assume this would be the equivalent of Fire Resistance 30 unless the fire is +3?

Admitedly, this may be adressed in Errata somewhere. However, the Errata on my computer doesn't mention anything about these two abilities so ....

 

[Crothian]

As far as I can tell you are right in both accounts. I 'm not up to date with psionic errata so I don't know if it has been fixed.

 

[Staffan]

This gives the character +10 on all saves vs. fire or heat affects. Further, the first d6 of damage from fire attacks and environmental effects is treated as subdual.

Don't environmental effects do subdual anyway though?

I think that they mean things like being in a burning house or falling into lava.

 

[Caliber]

Hmm. Interesting. Never occured to me to think of it that way.

What about the 1d4 from heat exhaustion and such? Do you think they should be immune? Should I perhaps ask in House Rules?

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

My second question is about the upgrade of the above ability, Fear No Fire.

Besides the fact that it allows you to treat the first 2d6 die of damage from environmental effects as subdual, it also gives you 30/+3 Damage Reduction against Fire Attacks.

Uhm. I assume this would be the equivalent of Fire Resistance 30 unless the fire is +3?

If you're hit by a +1 flaming sword, you get fire resistance 30 against it. If you're hit by a +4 flaming sword, you don't get that fire resistance. However, the first 2d6 points of flaming damage are treated as subdual damage.

If you're hit by a Fireball spell, you gain a +10 to your save and you take the first 2d6 points of damage as subdual damage. You don't reduce damage taken by 30, however.

In case you're wondering, I contacted the author of the Psionics Handbook earlier for these answers.

And a gift: http://www.montecook.com/arch_stuff14.html for a playable pyrokineticist. It's written by Bruce Cordell, the author of the Psionics Handbook.

 

[Caliber]

Thats an interesting interpretation (Psi)SeveredHead.

I don't think the rules work that way anywhere else in the system. I would probably feel better just using Fire Resistance 30, but I guess I could give this idea a try.

Anyway, thanks for the answers. And the updates PrC!

 

[Destil]

I think it's just a misprint (don't remember seeing Eratta about it), and fire resistance 30 works better. The DMG specificaly mentions that DR does not affect energy damage (Fire, Acid, Sonic et cetera). And usualy that should trump a poorly worded / confusing description in any Non-Core book unless the non-core book specificaly states it overrules the DMG, PHB or MM.

However, I think the intention was that you have fire resistance of 30 verses each individual fire attack, rather than 30 points of resistance each round (as standard energy resiatnce works). Effectivly DR, but not, since DR dosn't work vs. energy.

Also, go here
http://www.montecook.com/arch_stuff14.html
And take a look at BRC's revised Pyro. I'm not saying use it (Though it is cool!), but if it's still worded like that (Fire DR) it would hopefully be explained better, since I noticed he clarifyed a few things amoung the basic powers of the classes. I'd check myself, but I don't have a PDF veiwer installed right now...