XPH balance: Pyrokineticist

[BelXiror]

Resist Energy
Abjuration
Level: Clr 2, Drd 2, Fire 3, Pal 2, Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 10 min./level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
This abjuration grants a creature limited protection from damage of whichever one of five energy types you select: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The subject gains energy resistance 10 against the energy type chosen, meaning that each time the creature is subjected to such damage (whether from a natural or magical source),that damage is reduced by 10 points before being applied to the creature’s hit points.The value of the energy resistance granted increases to 20 points at 7th level and to a maximum of 30 points at 11th level. The spell protects the recipient’s equipment as well.
Resist energy absorbs only damage. The subject could still suffer unfortunate side effects.
Note: Resist energy overlaps (and does not stack with) protection from energy. If a character is warded by protection from energy and resist energy, the protection spell absorbs damage until its power is exhausted.


This pretty much nixes alot of the pyro's power.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

OFFTOPIC: Bah. I've read every psionics thread at this board that I can find, and Thanee appears in all the ones I've seen, usually giving one-liners as to how broken the XPH is, and every once in a while using actual rules to back it up (but they are always slanted in the favor of psionics, such as comparing Energy Missile augmented to 6th level [11] PP vs. a level 2 Scorching Ray with no metamagic). So yeah, I do know quite a bit about what you post in relation to psionics: mostly negative things with no gameplay backing.

Yes, of course do they need the augmentation, but maybe you should reread the augmentation rules, seems you didn't quite get how they work!

For that power, 1 PP for +2 on the dispel check, can't spend more PP than your manifester level, just like all augmentable powers. What's not to get? That accusation is pretty left-field, where did it come from?

Do you even know what I am complaining about? I guess not!

Well no, not really, since all you said in your first post was something sarcastic about the XPH being 'thoroughly' playtested.

ONTOPIC: I think BelXiror pretty much summed it up: fire resistance makes the guy bordering on totally useless.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Thanee, Gumphrey...

Play nice.

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[Thanee]

OFFTOPIC: Bah. I've read every psionics thread at this board that I can find, and Thanee appears in all the ones I've seen, usually giving one-liners as to how broken the XPH is, and every once in a while using actual rules to back it up...

Haha, ok, you're disqualified.

Hey, if you don't like my opinion or do not agree with it, that's one thing, no problem there, but writing blatant lies like this is another.

So, you have read ALL psionic threads, claim I posted to EACH of them (maybe 20%-30% of the more recent ones since the XPH, I guess, I surely don't know exactly, since I havn't even read them all), ALMOST ALWAYS posting one-liners, which I do every now and then (maybe thrice or so), but usually clearly mark them as fun comments, they surely are a minority of my posts. What's even more funny is, that you cannot even recall one thing I said besides what is on the front page of this forum right now.

Biased? Yeah, I guess, that's it.

How about you find ALL those one-liners to support your claim?
That should be fairly easy, considering, that there should be DOZENS of them on this board!

(but they are always slanted in the favor of psionics, ...).

Another blatant lie, I have also posted positive things about the XPH, even argued AGAINST some stuff being overpowered, but you know that, of course, since you have read all these posts...

Doh!

Dude, you have SO no credibility to post this!

... such as comparing Energy Missile augmented to 6th level [11] PP vs. a level 2 Scorching Ray with no metamagic ...

Correct, but there are a few pieces missing... what were your words? Slanted? Yeah, I think that was it...

(Sorry, for being a bit harsh, but it's not me, claiming all this crap here!)

Bye
Thanee

 

[Hypersmurf]

I'd prefer not to have to close the thread on account of a spat, kids.

On topic, not en garde, hmm?

-Hyp.

 

[Thanee]

Of course.

Just couldn't leave those totally unreasonable claims unanswered, for obvious reasons.

Sorry for the off topic stuff.


ON TOPIC:

Yes, the Pyro is very much a one-trick wonder, totally mauled by energy resistance, but not every creature has fire resistance (surely depends highly on the campaign how often these are encountered).

However, unlimited abilities to deal damage or outright kill are rarely a good idea.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Darklone]

Back on topic, I don't think the Pyro's bolt of fire is too strong at all. When it can first be obtained (level 8), 3d6 isn't too great. A first level spell will do more than that, let alone a level 2 or 3 or 4 spell. Yeah, a spellcaster only gets a limited number of slots per day, and a Pyro can shoot fire as much as he wants, but it's a balanced bonus for the specialization of only being able to shoot fire. At higher levels, the damage increases to more respectable levels, but a good offensive spell will still do much more. Doing 10d6 as a standard action is okay, but nowhere near what a level 15 character needs to be doing to stay in the game combatwise.

This here and the energy resistance are the most valid points IMHO (as long as Hyp doesn't close this thread ). I do agree that the bolt itself isn't that strong, but I guess it's power scales a lot with the campaign style... e.g. whether you have 10 fights per day or one. I suppose it's balanced for the typical DMG gamestyle with a certain number of encounters per day... which doesn't fit my variable game style at all. Bad luck for me, but not that bad.

Resistance to energy: Pretty valid point. But I can't say that too many of my PCs opponents would have this spell with an appropriate spell level available. Still, even 10 points of fire resistance are probably enough.

 

[Old Gumphrey]

Seriously, who keeps arguing after a moderator wants it stopped? Feel free to contact me off the boards if you want to talk about this, but that last post was really uncalled for.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Seriously, who keeps arguing after a moderator wants it stopped?

That's the attitude I'm after

If everyone can take it on board, we won't have any more problems

Feel free to contact me off the boards if you want to talk about this...

One minor problem with that is that the "Show Email Address" function is currently disabled, and there's no contact info on your homepage

-Hyp.
(Moderator)

 

[Old Gumphrey]

oldgumphreySPAMPROTECTION@hotmail.com OR Gnomes Will Rise on AIM.