Arsenalist (psychic warrior + soulknife), psionics issues

[Bigode]

Continuing after the brute and the gish, one more "full BAB base class I'd like to matter".

Also, I'd like to know what are people's issues (I mean structural, not flavor, as it doesn't matter) with psionics. So far, I've seen "those guys are weak" (says nothing of the system itself), and "it compares things not in the same power scale" (where the supposedly most pungent example of genesis fails because it takes 1 week to manifest, making the PP cost moot, and more funnily because genesis is a spell too; also, it's more of an issue of the specific power, since psionics has much less long-lasting stuff than magic). So, what's the core psionics problem, if any?

ARSENALIST
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
BAB: High.
Fortitude: Good.
Reflexes: Poor.
Will: Average.

Power Points per Day: As Psychic Warrior.
Powers Known: As Psychic Warrior.
Maximum Power Level Known: As duskblade (except level 0, of course).

Class Skills
The arsenalist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Wis), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Ride (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points per Level: (4 + Int modifier).

Class Features
All the following are class features of the arsenalist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Arsenalists are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Power Points/Day: An arsenalist’s ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points he has available. His base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Arsenalist. In addition, he receives bonus power points per day if he has a high Wisdom score. His race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.
Powers Known: An arsenalist begins play knowing one arsenalist power of your choice. Each time he achieves a new level, he unlocks the knowledge of a new power.
Choose the powers known from the arsenalist power list. (Exception: The feats Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge do allow an arsenalist to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) An arsenalist can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.
The total number of powers an arsenalist can manifest in a day is limited only by his daily power points.
An arsenalist simply knows his powers; they are ingrained in his mind. He does not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though he must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all his spent power points.
The Difficulty Class for saving throws against arsenalist powers is 10 + the power’s level + the arsenalist’s Wisdom modifier.
Maximum Power Level Known: An arsenalist begins play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As he attains higher levels, he may gain the ability to master more complex powers.
To learn or manifest a power, an arsenalist must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power’s level.
Mind Weaponry (Su): As a move action, an arsenalist can create equipment composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The piece of equipment is identical in all ways (except visually) to a weapon, armor, or shield (only one of the three, of a specific kind; it can only be changed when reforging) that he is proficient with, of a size appropriate for its wielder.
This gear can be destroyed; however, an arsenalist can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his gear, it dissipates (unless he intends to throw it, in which case it dissipates after impact). A piece of mind weaponry has a +1 enhancement bonus of the type appropriate for its shape.
An arsenalist can reforge his mind weaponry. To do so, he must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, the mind weaponry materializes with the new shape and abilities selected by the arsenalist.
An arsenalist’s mind weaponry improves as the character gains higher levels. At 3rd level and every other level thereafter, the mind weaponry gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus. Note that this enhancement bonus cannot exceed +5. The arsenalist may (and, indeed, must, after the enhancement bonus exceeds +5) apply an equipment special ability of the appropriate type instead of an enhancement bonus. A arsenalist can choose any combination of special abilities and/or enhancement bonus that does not exceed the total allowed by the arsenalist’s level.
The equipment abilities remain the same every time the arsenalist materializes his mind weaponry (unless he decides to reforge it; see above).
Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), an arsenalist can attempt to sustain his mind weaponry by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the arsenalist maintains his mind weaponry for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind weaponry vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the arsenalist can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his mind weaponry while he remains within the psionics-negating effect.
Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, an arsenalist gets a bonus feat. The arsenalist gains an additional bonus feat at 6th level and every four levels thereafter (10th, 14th, and 18th). These bonus feats must be combat feats or psionic feats. The arsenalist must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums as well as class requirements.
These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that a character of any class gains every three levels. An arsenalist is not limited to combat feats and psionic feats when choosing these other feats.
Reforge Weaponry (Su): At 4th level, an arsenalist becomes able to materialize his mind weaponry as a free action instead of a move action.
Reactive Forging (Su): At 8th level, an arsenalist becomes able to create his mind weaponry as an immediate action.
Inner Alchemy (Su): At 12th level, an arsenalist becomes able to, as a move action, change the characteristics of his mind weaponry so that it counts as a specific material for all purposes. This effect lasts until the material is changed.
Greater Reassignment (Su): Starting at 16th level, an arsenalist can reforge his mind weaponry with only 10 minutes of concentration.
Supreme Reassignment (Su): A 20th-level arsenalist can reforge his mind weaponry as a move action.

Arsenalist Power List
1: biofeedback, bite of the wolf, bolt, burst, catfall, chameleon, claws of the beast, compression, conceal thoughts, defensive precognition, detect psionics, dissipating touch, elfsight, empty mind, expansion, float, force screen, grip of iron, hammer, inertial armor, metaphysical claw, metaphysical weapon, my light, offensive precognition, offensive prescience, prevenom, prevenom weapon, skate, stomp, synesthete, thicken skin, vigor.
2: animal affinity, body adjustment, body equilibrium, body purification, concealing amorpha, darkvision, detect hostile intent, dimension swap, dissolving touch, dissolving weapon, empathic transfer, exhalation of the black dragon, feat leech, hustle, levitate, painful strike, prowess, psionic scent, psionic lion’s charge, specified energy adaptation, strength of my enemy, sustenance, thought shield, wall walker.
3: claws of the vampire, danger sense, dimension slide, duodimensional claw, ectoplasmic form, empathic feedback, escape detection, evade burst, graft weapon, greater concealing amorpha, hostile empathic transfer, keen edge, mental barrier, touchsight, ubiquitous vision, vampiric blade.
4: breath of the black dragon, claw of energy, dimension door, energy adaptation, freedom of movement, immovability, inertial barrier, psychic vampire, steadfast perception, truevenom, truevenom weapon, weapon of energy.
5: adapt body, catapsi, dispelling buffer, form of doom, oak body, personal mind blank, power resistance, psychofeedback, suspend life, true metabolism, true seeing.

[Username17]

So, what's the core psionics problem, if any?

The big core problem is Power Points. They don't work in D&D.

Let's consider some spells: magic missile and acid fog. Both are offensive spells which inflict an obscure damage type and use an action to hose your enemies. Right?

But one of them is a decisive battlefield spell and the other is a rather uninspiring attack likely indistinguishable from any other. There is no number of Magic Missiles you could forgo firing that would in any way equate to being able to fire off an extra Acid Fog. Not 6, not 11, not 32, not any number, because the Magic Missile is basically just worth the action required to use it and the Acid Fog is an encounter defining trump card.

And that is why every single attempt to inject mana points into D&D has been an unmitigated failure. The fact that Psionics has a bunch of Atlantean Hippy Bullshit in it is a complete side issue. The important fact is that there is no possible way to balance a point cost against taking actions appropriate for characters who are 2 Challenge Ratings higher or failing to do so.

The fact that the "everything goes, everything stacks" mentality of D&D allows you to also break Power Point systems in the other direction by breaking down higher level spells for piles of stacking lower level buffs is an accounting error. But the fact that Power Points by deifnition allow you to trade out Magic Missiles for Acid Fogs means that there is no way it could be balanced or acceptable.

-Username17

[KauTZ]

1188438821[/unixtime]]There is no number of Magic Missiles you could forgo firing that would in any way equate to being able to fire off an extra Acid Fog.

Thats the joy of augmentation.

Going with shitty direct damage, your right, no number of level 1 spells is going to hold up to a single level 7 spell. But augmentation changes that. Your beefing up your level one spell until it is worth the cost, and supposedly just as effecting as a level 7 spell (and your paying for it just like it was a level 7 spell). Suddenly, it doesn't suck ass (all things considered). But if your smart, and don't want to cast a level 7(either actual or augmented to the point of) damage spell, your could be casting something that actually matters, like acid fog, or acid fog, psionic.

The thing about Psionics I personally like, is the fact that all its broken shit is just a drop of water compared to the fucking barrel full of shit that is magic abuse. Thats just core also.

I will also admit I have a boner for anything "mind" related.

As for your class, one of the only gripes about the original psychic warrior is that it doesn't have enough power points. Full BaB alone doesn't make up for that, but the free weapon might. Just something to consider.

[Catharz]

When you cast an augmented power, you're casting with the cost a high-level power. Hopefully it's worth that cost.

So when you cast an augmented magic missile, you're using up resources that could have been used for acid fog. On the flip side, you can trade some number of magic missiles for some number of acid fogs, which of course you'll always do for reasons Frank already suggested.

[Username17]

And Augmentation is bullshit. You have to pay an augmentation cost just to do level appropriate damage with your magic missile - you get cock punched coming and going.

But that's just an implementation problem. There's no particular reason that throwing down extra power points into a fire attack couldn't be a worthwhile thing to do with your life - it just isn't because some asshole thought it would be a good idea to charge psionic fireballs Augmentation costs just to keep the damage scaling.

But beyond the fact that everything in the Psionics books has shitty flavor, bad math, and a retarded implementation, the underlying concept is unsalvageable. The whole idea of spending more points out of a pool to perform an action that is appropriate for an 11th level character and less points out of the same pool to perform an action that is appropriate for a 3rd level character is fundamentally incompatable with the assumption that an 11th level character does not gain XP for blowing up < 3rd level opposition.

-Username17

[Crissa]

Frank, if the spells which were just worth an action were taken out of the list that the pool could be used on... would that remove the problem of the pool?

Or is there still no number of Web which is worth an Acid Fog?

-Crissa

[CalibronXXX]

If you did that it would take care of half of the problem, a problem that is also existent in plain old magic, but you'd still have the equivalent of the ability of a Wizard being able to burn a 3rd level spell and a 2nd level spell in order to get a 5th level spell to deal with. And I'm not really even sure how to begin to deal with that in a totally non-arbitrary way.

Ignoring that for the moment you'd have to take a good long look at the augmentation for every single psionic power and make sure that if you're paying for the equivalent of a 6th level power you are coming away with the equivalent of a 6th level power. Maybe if an augmented Web started doing something like making creatures in it's area save versus constitution poison or something instead of just getting more area and a higher save DC it would be workable, maybe.

So every single combat power would need to be augmentable and fully augmented powers would all need to be level appropriate all the time.

[the_taken]

Why not just have it so that all powers are available from level one, and they auto augment to stay level apropriate?

[Koumei]

That really is the best way to do it. All powers are always level-appropriate at all levels.

[Username17]

1188582079[/unixtime]]Why not just have it so that all powers are available from level one, and they auto augment to stay level apropriate?

Why have power points at all at that point? You could just give people limited power uses ("spell slots" if you will) and then have all the powers be level appropriate.

The only "advantage" that a power point syystem gives is the ability to use a "more powerful" option instead of using several "less powerful" options sequentially or vice versa.

And in a game system in which "less powerful" options are "cohort actions" - that's not desirable.

[KauTZ]

1188586883[/unixtime]]
The only "advantage" that a power point syystem gives is the ability to use a "more powerful" option instead of using several "less powerful" options sequentially or vice versa.

And in a game system in which "less powerful" options are "cohort actions" - that's not desirable.

What the hell?

I must be reading this wrong... but you hate psionics because it gives you the option to purposely use your abilities at less then proper character power-level?

Who in there fucking right of mind would want to do that? Your going to use you abilities to the best they are needed. Your going to use them to their maximum potential whenever possible. Just because you can spit out crystal shard at one power point from here till your dick falls off doesn't mean you are going to. Your going to augment that bitch up to 11 powers points for a 11d6 ranged touch attack, which is just like casting a regular level 6 direct damage spell. Or you could not be stupid and cast something else that will actually help you win your level appropriate encounter. Psionics actually has pretty much no selection of acid-fog equivalent powers, so why not go a different route then battlefield control? Astral construct. Or whatever. Your level 1 Demoralize can still fuck every thing over when its cast at DC level 6 power.

[the_taken]

1188586883[/unixtime]]

1188582079[/unixtime]]Why not just have it so that all powers are available from level one, and they auto augment to stay level apropriate?

Why have power points at all at that point? You could just give people limited power uses ("spell slots" if you will) and then have all the powers be level appropriate.

Different powers have different PP costs. So we add bullshit reasons. You add in some cracked up, half-way believable text saying it's more efficient to use crappy, but "cost effective", HP damaging spells than it is to use the buffs and tactical spells. Also, it's easier for my kid brother to read Fireblast than it is to read Simulacrum.

So HP based spells... sorry, "powers" cost 1pp at any level, STR boost and mind control costs 3pp, while the power that becomes Genesis at Lvl19 costs 5pp. Or something equally small, and the PP pool increases very slowly.

[Bigode]

But beyond the fact that everything in the Psionics books has shitty flavor, bad math, and a retarded implementation, the underlying concept is unsalvageable.

Last I checked, the PHB (and, namely, the magic chapters) didn't suffer from a lack of any of those; to clarify, it's that I'm not saying the math behind psionics is all that good - I just don't see the math behind magic as particularly praiseworthy. Moreover, I see talking about damaging stuff as a particularly bad example, since I don't recall anything except feats+full BAB+equipment handling it decently (specifically, directly spellcasting doesn't) - I could damn well see situations where a fully-augmented psionic charm (level 1) would be preferable to mass ectoplasmic coccon (level 6); so, I think there're instances of low-level powers being consistently useful (mostly unlike magic, which's "Catterpillar: the Transformation); the reason for the existance of higher-level powers would just be isolating adventure-changing effects (flight, creation, and so on) as needed.

The only "advantage" that a power point syystem gives is the ability to use a "more powerful" option instead of using several "less powerful" options sequentially or vice versa.

And in a game system in which "less powerful" options are "cohort actions" - that's not desirable.

That's the core issue and the part I so far fail to understand: that's exactly what power points bring (one can have everything be made level-appropriate and yet break stuff down into multiple instances of weaker stuff); and aren't there situations where you'd rather have multiple instances of something normally good for a lower level than one instance of something for your own level?

[Iaimeki]

1188665648[/unixtime]]That's the core issue and the part I so far fail to understand: that's exactly what power points bring (one can have everything be made level-appropriate and yet break stuff down into multiple instances of weaker stuff); and aren't there situations where you'd rather have multiple instances of something normally good for a lower level than one instance of something for your own level?

In combat? No. The limit for every use of a power or spell in combat is the action it takes to use it. Every character only gets a handful of actions in each combat, and if you can afford to blow those actions on effects appropriate to a character far below your own level, it doesn't really matter what you're doing in that combat, because obviously, your opposition is so puny you will automatically win because you're that much higher level.

[Bigode]

1188675549[/unixtime]]In combat? No. The limit for every use of a power or spell in combat is the action it takes to use it. Every character only gets a handful of actions in each combat, and if you can afford to blow those actions on effects appropriate to a character far below your own level, it doesn't really matter what you're doing in that combat, because obviously, your opposition is so puny you will automatically win because you're that much higher level.

And what if said opposition appears really often (not that level-appropriate stuff wouldn't appear too)? That's one of the situations where you'd rather have this kind of option, right?

[Username17]

1188678160[/unixtime]]

1188675549[/unixtime]]In combat? No. The limit for every use of a power or spell in combat is the action it takes to use it. Every character only gets a handful of actions in each combat, and if you can afford to blow those actions on effects appropriate to a character far below your own level, it doesn't really matter what you're doing in that combat, because obviously, your opposition is so puny you will automatically win because you're that much higher level.

And what if said opposition appears really often (not that level-appropriate stuff wouldn't appear too)? That's one of the situations where you'd rather have this kind of option, right?

Not really. Wizards get 1st level spells when they can cast 5th level spells because it's free. The ability to emulate a lower level character some number of times a day is worth fuck all.

-Username17

[Bigode]

Not really. Wizards get 1st level spells when they can cast 5th level spells because it's free. The ability to emulate a lower level character some number of times a day is worth fuck all.

If said number is "some tens", how isn't having part of it and part of "being level-appropriate a couple times" a fair "guns and butter" distribution (4 levels below more times, or the entire level less times, as happens to be needed in a particular day)?

[Iaimeki]

1188678160[/unixtime]]And what if said opposition appears really often (not that level-appropriate stuff wouldn't appear too)? That's one of the situations where you'd rather have this kind of option, right?

No! If you're facing opponents that far below your level, you can seriously just abuse the fact that you have better BAB, more hit points, and better AC to club them to death with your backup melee weapon. Or toss out one of any of the many level-appropriate effects designed specifically to eliminate weak enemies from the battlefield. Or whatever. The point is, it doesn't really matter what you do: you're going to win unless you go out of your way to lose, so there's no point in preparing any substantial resources for that situation anyways.

[Voss]

A couple things on the class itself- you are using 'reforging' in two different ways. In one instance, its changing the type/bonus/powers of the item, and later, its referring to simply manifesting the item. Weird and confusing.

Metaphysical weapon (and some of the other weapon buffs, I guess) interact with the class bonus you get in a fairly messed up way. As in, you might as well set the enhancement bonus to +0, which seems totally viable with the way its worded, and load up on the special qualities, because you totally can, and its better. You don't have a permanent +1/2 character level weapon, you've got a +1 +~1/4CL (thanks to the weird-ass math involved in 'additional 4 PP') + 1/2 CL weapon, pretty much all the time. At 5th level, this guy is walking around with essentially a +5 weapon, plus whatever bonuses he gets from offensive precog/prescience. Hurrah, he wins, and it just gets worse as the 3rd level powers open up and he can throw keen and energy burst on.

On the other hand, there are times when he just has to sit there, throwing a whole hell of a lot of buffs up. Strip those off, and he sucks, and with the fact that they last anywhere from 1/round per level to 1/hour per level, it gets a little stupid.

It makes me long for consist durations, and perhaps a cap of how many effects a character can have on him at one time.

There also isn't any real reason not to pick a weapon over an armor or shield, since magical weapons are simply more expensive than magical armor.

You might want to clarify 'Inner Alchemy'. There are some stupid good, if rare, materials out there, and the wording allows access to all of them. It looks like you intend it to bypass DR, but you can get people trying stupid crap with 'diamond' weapons as well.

Why 5th level powers as the cap? You've worked all the 6th level psychic warriors powers in anyway, so, wtf? That drops the PP cost on a lot of them, and for some reason breath of the black dragon went from 6 to 4, which makes an 11d6 power only cost 7 PP. Even if the psi augment system is screwy, thats messed up.

Consider dropping the claw powers. They don't really fit the weapon/armorsmith feel of the class.

And what happens if someone wants a spiked or bladed or whatever shield? Do the enhancement bonuses get split, or do they just win?

And, summing up. OK, its a gestalt psychic warrior/soul knife thats mostly better than the sum of the classes (except in the area of saves). So, what are you aiming to compete with? The rogue? The wizard? the druid? Tome stuff?

[Bigode]

A couple things on the class itself- you are using 'reforging' in two different ways. In one instance, its changing the type/bonus/powers of the item, and later, its referring to simply manifesting the item. Weird and confusing.

I think that error was just in the "reforge weaponry" ability; changed to "fast forging".

Metaphysical weapon (and some of the other weapon buffs, I guess) interact with the class bonus you get in a fairly messed up way. As in, you might as well set the enhancement bonus to +0, which seems totally viable with the way its worded, and load up on the special qualities, because you totally can, and its better. You don't have a permanent +1/2 character level weapon, you've got a +1 +~1/4CL (thanks to the weird-ass math involved in 'additional 4 PP') + 1/2 CL weapon, pretty much all the time. At 5th level, this guy is walking around with essentially a +5 weapon, plus whatever bonuses he gets from offensive precog/prescience. Hurrah, he wins, and it just gets worse as the 3rd level powers open up and he can throw keen and energy burst on.

I think you got everything here right; I'll look closer at the resulting numbers (in fact, I'll probably do so when making the character for the EL 5 Same Game test), including the time needed to set such up, which's the major reason why I let it for now.

On the other hand, there are times when he just has to sit there, throwing a whole hell of a lot of buffs up. Strip those off, and he sucks, and with the fact that they last anywhere from 1/round per level to 1/hour per level, it gets a little stupid.

It makes me long for consist durations, and perhaps a cap of how many effects a character can have on him at one time.

Yeah, that's basically agreed with. In fact, I'm talking now with a guy who's trying to set up a per-encounter psionics version, and I'm thinking about such a cap to suggest to him.

There also isn't any real reason not to pick a weapon over an armor or shield, since magical weapons are simply more expensive than magical armor.

True. OTOH, in my games, I've went for the "weaponry's stupid overpriced" route, and: halved weapon prices, and added DR/- to the normal armor/shield enhancement bonus along with the AC. What'd you say about it (as well as the arsenalist's interaction with it)? Also, an interesting idea I've had now is collapsing armor and cloak of resistance - armor giving AC/saves - opinion on that would be appreciated too.

You might want to clarify 'Inner Alchemy'. There are some stupid good, if rare, materials out there, and the wording allows access to all of them. It looks like you intend it to bypass DR, but you can get people trying stupid crap with 'diamond' weapons as well.

Actually, it was meant to get all benefits, but I'm not well-versed on special materials (I rarely look beyond the SRD when considering magic and psionics) - I was looking, for example, towards mithral fullplates, not whatever diamond does, which evades me. Could you point the books where the things I should avoid reside?

Why 5th level powers as the cap? You've worked all the 6th level psychic warriors powers in anyway, so, wtf? That drops the PP cost on a lot of them, and for some reason breath of the black dragon went from 6 to 4, which makes an 11d6 power only cost 7 PP. Even if the psi augment system is screwy, thats messed up.

Because: a)even with Malhavoc and Dreamscarred's books, the level 6 power list was damn short; b)one of the complaints on the psychic warrior was too little PP at high levels, and that indirectly helps; and c)I'm capping all classes at level 5/7/9. On the breath, have in mind that it's gotten at class level 10 (where 11d6 aren't still that big of a deal, instead of at level 16, where it's sort of humiliating even for an area effect) and that it costing less for a class with little PP, IMO, doesn't upset things too much.

Consider dropping the claw powers. They don't really fit the weapon/armorsmith feel of the class.

Considering.

And what happens if someone wants a spiked or bladed or whatever shield? Do the enhancement bonuses get split, or do they just win?

Good fringe case - so far, I think the wording would mean "choose one function to enchant it as" - getting either a weapon that protects nonpsionically, or a shield/armor that damages stuff nonpsionically. I'll get it clearer, and, do you think the ability to split the bonus would be a good addition?

And, summing up. OK, its a gestalt psychic warrior/soul knife thats mostly better than the sum of the classes (except in the area of saves). So, what are you aiming to compete with? The rogue? The wizard? the druid? Tome stuff?

Ah, sorry; I probably should have included this at each class' header; the balance point would be either "decently-played rogue, without epic feat access" or "sorcerer whose spell selection isn't either retarded or really cheesy". BTW, do you think those 2 really do stand at close power levels? Lastly, thank you very much for the comment.

[CalibronXXX]

What's your definition for a "really cheesy" sorcerer spell selection? Good Battle Field Control with some Debuffs and SoDs? Or are you talking more Shadowcraft Mage/Incantrix type craziness?

And to answer your question I think a good sorcerer has a noticeable edge over a rogue when you take away the worst of his bonus feat shenanigans, at least in combat anyway.

[Bigode]

1188960743[/unixtime]]What's your definition for a "really cheesy" sorcerer spell selection? Good Battle Field Control with some Debuffs and SoDs? Or are you talking more Shadowcraft Mage/Incantrix type craziness?

And to answer your question I think a good sorcerer has a noticeable edge over a rogue when you take away the worst of his bonus feat shenanigans, at least in combat anyway.

Incantrix and wish/shapechange-type stuff. So, the question would be whether the arsenalist, brute, fighter and gish play the same game as the sorcerer with battlefield control, cursing and instant kills.

[Voss]

Well, as to that... it depends. I've been playing a melee character with short duration self-buffs recently (plus sword + board, and expertise). In any situation where I have time to prepare myself, the character rocked (except, when we started hitting CR 8/9. At the point, the character was decent, but sucked in any situation that he didn't have help from the group).

However, any time enemies were in his face before he had prep time... he blew chunks. As in, 'Where the hell is the rest of the party, help, help I'm going to die', gory, gibbed chunks.

A sorcerer doesn't really have to deal with that sort of crap. Neither does a rogue, necessarily. Based on some direct experience with that, and the other characters in the party didn't have to deal with that sort of thing, I would suggest that they are better off. Long duration buffs or buffs that activate with a free action don't matter so much, but short and some medium duration buffs are a kick in the teeth, especially if you get surprised.

OTOH, in my games, I've went for the "weaponry's stupid overpriced" route, and: halved weapon prices, and added DR/- to the normal armor/shield enhancement bonus along with the AC. What'd you say about it (as well as the arsenalist's interaction with it)? Also, an interesting idea I've had now is collapsing armor and cloak of resistance - armor giving AC/saves - opinion on that would be appreciated too.

On the one hand, messing with those numbers can yield bad results. On the other, DR (1-5)/- isn't a hideously big deal. At later levels it is honestly more of a irritating booking issue than its actively helpful to the character. The incoming numbers are big enough that it doesn't matter. Saves... thats a bigger advantage. At 5th, the character will be almost doubly his base save bonus, and tripling his poor save bonus. So, thats going to have a big effect. It definitely makes the weapons less of a 'no brainer' option.

Actually, it was meant to get all benefits, but I'm not well-versed on special materials (I rarely look beyond the SRD when considering magic and psionics) - I was looking, for example, towards mithral fullplates, not whatever diamond does, which evades me. Could you point the books where the things I should avoid reside?

I don't think diamond does anything specifically. It was just the thought of someone constantly want to cut through glass and whatnot, the way real diamond can. As for the horde of special materials and where they are from, I'm not sure. Here's the list Frank had in one of the Tome books-

Adamantine:
– Alchemical Gold
– Black Steel
– Orichalcum
– N Metal
– Thinaun
– Urdrukar
Iron:
– Blood Steel
– Green Steel
– Morghuth Iron
– Trusteel
Silver:
– Pandemonic Silver
– Astral Driftmetal
– Entropium
– Nerra Mirrorblade
– Ysgardian Heartwire
– Mithril
Stone:
– Tainted Obsidian
– Blended Quartz
– Elukian Clay
– Kaorti Resin
Wood:
– Bronzewood
– Chitin
– Darkwood
– Iron wood
– Boneblade
– Dragon Bone

Thats a lot of crap. You could go his route and say 'there are 5'

Because: a)even with Malhavoc and Dreamscarred's books, the level 6 power list was damn short; b)one of the complaints on the psychic warrior was too little PP at high levels, and that indirectly helps; and c)I'm capping all classes at level 5/7/9. On the breath, have in mind that it's gotten at class level 10 (where 11d6 aren't still that big of a deal, instead of at level 16, where it's sort of humiliating even for an area effect) and that it costing less for a class with little PP, IMO, doesn't upset things too much.

Well, true. I was reacting as much to the break in the straight progression of psi damaging effects as anything else

Good fringe case - so far, I think the wording would mean "choose one function to enchant it as" - getting either a weapon that protects nonpsionically, or a shield/armor that damages stuff nonpsionically. I'll get it clearer, and, do you think the ability to split the bonus would be a good addition?

I suspect there a certain amount of cheese potential if you can split it, particularly when combined with certain powers. Metaphysical weapon (+ keen weapon, weapon of energy) again, or the defending property.