XPH: Elan Balanced?

[Darklone]

Stalker0: Most heros who died from a failed save (or after a failed save vs. paralyze, unconsciousness or whatever) IMC rolled a 1. The luck domain would have saved them, but not the Elan ability.

 

[Goobermunch]

In the long run, I don't think resilience is that much more powerful than evasion (or improved evasion). Admittedly, I'm comparing a class ability with a racial one, but I don't think the comparison is out line, given the focus on how an Elan Psion would be able to abuse the resilience ability.

Unlike *evasion, resilience puts the PC in control of whether or not he's going to use the power. On the other hand, evasion applies to all damaging effects with a reflex save and completely avoids the damage.

The balancing factor is that the Elan's ability consumes a limited resource while the rogue's ability does not. I'm thinking it's a wash.

--G

 

[Thanatos]

I think the fact that, over so many forums and so many posts, no one can quite agree as to whether or not the race is balanced, means its balanced.

that being said, I've been playing an Elan and playtested one in combat sequences. In both cases, the Elan abilities have proven marginally effective at best. Against multiple strikes, resiliance use to absord damage has been pretty useless.

I've gotten better use out of not having to eat/drink and only trance for 4 hours then anything else *L*.

The +4 save is helpful. However, it seems tough to judge whether I should spend an action doing that or saving for damage absorb...

and fyi, our munchkin player wasn't all too impressed. He ran a few combats and his meat-grind..er..I mean his halfing fighter/rogue/shadowdancer/something-or-other still ate the Elan Psi up...

From what I have seen in game, played in game and tested and from all the various posts I've read, I've concluded it is balanced compared to other races.

 

[two]

what he said

The thing about dnd is that danger isn't about the constant drain on a party's resources, its about the critical moments.

I get hit loads of times, and they all take hp away, but I'm not sweating it till that there's the chance this hit will put me under.

Fireballs are nasty, but at higher levels will probably just weaken me. But that finger of death could end it here and now.

Sure, in general the elf's +2 dex will be better from avoiding attacks, and in the long run I will save much more damage. But what do I care, healing is cheap. As long as I live through the battle, I can use CLW wands or my buddy bandaid cleric. But its those moments where, crap this hit will kill me, where the elans ability becomes so incredibly powerful.

the big thing is that the +2 dex MIGHT prevent me from dying, the elan's ability WILL. The ability to consciously say, no I don't want this to happen, is so precious in dnd that it can not be underestimated.

This is how I feel as well -- "what he said." Very concisely put.

 

[James McMurray]

I agree, its a very useful ability. Which is why IMO it is the only ability the Elan's get that is unique and combat usable (resistance is unique, but comparable to a dwarf and halfling's racial save bonuses).

 

[Psiblade]

I have to agree with the opinion that they are balenced. Their ability is limited because you get hit multiple times in a round especially at upper levels. The ability can only negate one of them. I would still rather play a human psy war over a elan one, because I would rather use vigor instead of their ability.

-Psiblade

 

[James McMurray]

An Elan can still use Vigor (and given the usefulness of that power, he'd be kinda silly not to). Nobody in my campaign has not taken vigor yet (except for the Soul Knife, for obvious reasons ). Even the NPCs with psionics all have it.

 

[Thanee]

Vigor + Schism and you are 'almost' an elan!

Bye
Thanee

 

[James McMurray]

Tack on a cloak of resistance +4 and a ring of sustenance and you're even closer. You'll even be more efficient with your damage prevention, just less able to stop incredible amounts of damage (damage per round greater than your (level - 6) x 5).

Of course, an Elan can also use Schism + Vigor for some serious damage prevention.

 

[Kartissa]

Probably long overdue to reply to this topic, but I've had a few thoughts about their racial powers.

If you're capping the PP expenditure to the Elan's manifester level, what about those poor Elan who *aren't* Soulknives, Psions, Psychic Warriors or Wilders?
They can't use their ability because they have *no* manifester level? That makes the power useless....
(Also unless they take feats to gain extra, Elan Soulknives only have 4 PP anyway. 8hp per day isn't much of a reduction for a front-line fighter, even at level 1.)

Yes, an Elan's favoured class is Psion, but not everyone is going to powergame that way. Some of us actually like unusual class/race combinations for roleplaying reasons. (Although my Elan is a Soulknife)


With the resistance power I read it as more a subconscious thing. They instinctively enhance their powers (saves) in response to danger. They wouldn't need to make a Psicraft/Spellcraft check to identify what's about to hit them. They only need to know it's coming. (The resilience would work the same way, but that's just my opinion.)

I agree that they can't retroactivally turn a fail into a pass, though. That *would* be overpowered.


None of this has much bearing on whether Elan Psions are too powerful for +0LA, of course, but it's something to bear in mind.