The Psion (has nothing to do with the XPH version)

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koz
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The Psion (has nothing to do with the XPH version)

Post by koz »

This is my take on the psion, as a guy who actually has mental powers which are both somewhat subtle and reflective of the fluff these guys tend to have. I've also put in a lot of empathy/cognition-related stuff into it, so hopefully, you guys will like it. The class is 10 levels long, and, as ever, all critique is very welcome.

Edit: Grr, how could I forget! Thank you ubernoob, for helping me develop this class. And SunTzuWarmaster for your suggestions.
Edit 2: Added a table, as well as some corrections. More Field abilities to come soon.
Edit 3: Field abilities completed, and a slight change in how psionics work, to make this class less dip-tastic.
(What I hope is the) final edit: Regeneration wording.
New stuff: A whole new (almost) complete Field, thanks to Roy. And added fluff.
More new stuff: Another (almost) complete Field, thanks to Roy and VitM. I'll finish the full wording as soon as I'm done with this damn presentation.

Any abilities marked with an asterisk can be found at the bottom of this post.

The Psion

Most humans (or in fact, sapient races in general) can only enter The Dream when they are asleep. During this time, they can experience almost anything their imaginations can conjure, but the majority of such beings lack the ability to truly control what they view or experience. Psions attempt to do this, but go one step further: they use The Dream as a form of power, drawing upon its infinite mutability, mastering it with their mind and projecting it into the Material Plane.
A psion is, above all, an extremely peculiar individual. One of the first steps to becoming a psion is the ability to manipulate your own dreams. When one’s mind becomes strong enough to do so, The Dream’s first reaction is to simply eject the dreamer from itself, forcing him to awaken. However, over time, The Dream simply cannot force the psion to leave, but instead seeks to block his senses. At this time, the psion no longer dreams when he sleeps. When his powers grow sufficient, however, a psion can begin to call upon The Dream when he is awake, in effect ‘dreaming’ in reality, forcing it to obey his will, much like The Dream already can.

Hit die: d6
BAB: Average
Saves: Fort good, Ref poor, Will good
Class skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Gather Information, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Spellcraft
Skill points per level: 4+Int (x4 at level 1)
Starting age: Complex (as wizard)
Starting gold: 4d4 x10gp (100 gp)

1: Psionics (one Field, basic access), Empathic Sense, Mental Blast
2: Empathic Links
3: Psionics (two Fields, basic access)
4: Read Thoughts
5: Psionics (three Fields, advanced access)
6: Thoughts of the Mindless
7: Psionics (four Fields, advanced access)
8: Push The Weak Mind
9: Psionics (five Fields, expert access)
10: Greater Empathic Sense

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: Psions are proficient with all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice. They are proficient with light armour, but not shields.
Psionics (Sp): A psion draws upon the inner powers of his mind. At 1st level, and every odd level thereafter, he gains basic access to a new Field. At 5th level and every odd level thereafter he also upgrades his access in a Field he has already (from basic to advanced to expert). A psion may not upgrade the same Field twice in a row (meaning that expert access cannot be gained until level 9).
All abilities derived from Fields are considered to be spell-like abilities unless otherwise noted, and any saves that they call for have DCs of 10+1/2 the psion’s character level+the psion’s Wis modifier. Furthermore, you gain additional Field abilities according to your psion level, or levels in classes which are considered similar to the psion.
Empathic Sense (Su): A psion has an intuitive sense of how people feel. This manifests itself as an aura out to Close range. The psion receives a general sense of the mental state of all sapient (Int 3+) beings within that area, friend or foe. However, this feeling is not more specific than a single word – he can feel their emotions, but not their origin or reasons behind them. Any creature can make a Will save (DC 10+1/2 psion’s character level+psion’s Wis modifier) to block this ability’s effect on them for one hour.
Alternatively, the psion can focus this ability more precisely, to affect only a single target within Close range, as a standard action. The target must be sapient, though it need not be friendly. The target must make a Will save as if blocking the aura version of this ability. If it fails, the psion receives information of its alignment, as well as its general mental state. With a successful Sense Motive check (DC 10+target’s CR+target’s Wis mod), the psion can also discover the source of these emotions, but is limited to the information he would realistically possess in terms of determining precise origins.
Mental Blast (Su): A psion can project a blast of overwhelming mental energy at an opponent within Close range as a standard action. That opponent must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + psion's Wis modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. This is a mind-affecting ability.
Empathic Links (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a psion can form a close connection with another individual who considers the psion his friend. This requires a ritual lasting 10 minutes, and there is no limit to how many such individuals a psion can be linked to. All individuals so linked are considered to be within the psion’s aura from Empathic Sense, as long as they are on the same plane as the psion. However, unless they are within Close range, a psion cannot use the ‘focused’ version of Empathic Sense on them.
Read Thoughts (Su): At will as a standard action, a psion of 4th level can use detect thoughts, as the spell, with a caster level equal to his character level.
Thoughts of the Mindless (Su): Starting at 6th level, a psion treats creatures immune to mind-affecting effects (for any reason) as having a bonus on saves against such effects equal to 10-the psion’s character level instead. Additionally, any target whose thoughts the psion has read in the last 5 rounds receive a penalty to any saves against the psion’s abilities equal to the psion’s Wisdom modifier.
Push the Weak Mind (Su): As a standard action, a psion of 8th level can use suggestion, as the spell, with a caster level equal to his character level. If you have the Field of Control at any access level, this receives +2 to its DC.
Greater Empathic Sense (Su): At 10th level, the psion’s empathic sense improves, now having an effect identical to detect thoughts on all individuals within it, in addition to its normal effects. A single save against this ability blocks both the detect thoughts and the usual aspect.

Psion Fields

Field of Empathy
They have their uses.
Basic: You may use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Charisma modifier for all skills based on Charisma.
Advanced: You gain telepathy out to 100 feet and mindsight out to 50ft.
Expert: As long as a creature is friendly to you, you can communicate telepathically with it regardless of plane or distance.
1: Detect (something chosen on casting)
3: Shield Other
5: Arcane Sight
7: Locate Creature
9: Contact Other Plane
11: Hyperempathy*
13: Vision
15: Mind Blank
17: Sympathy (permanent duration)
19: Empathic Projection Field*

Field of Perception
Let me be your eyes.
Basic: You may use see invisibility, as the spell, with a caster level equal to your character level, as a standard action a number of times per day equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Advanced: You are under a constant see invisibility effect.
Expert: You are constantly under the effects of true seeing.
1: Comprehend Languages
3: Chain of Eyes
5: Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
7: Arcane Eye
9: Prying Eyes
11: True Seeing
13: Greater Scrying
15: Moment of Prescience
17: Foresight
19: Perfect Perception*

Field of Healing
The mind can heal a broken mind, and, given time, a broken body, too.
Basic: When you administer first aid using the Heal skill, you restore an additional number of hit points equal to your character level.
Advanced: You gain fast healing equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Expert: Your fast healing gained from the advanced ability of this Field becomes regeneration instead. This regeneration can be bypassed by attacks of an opposed alignment to your own, as well as one material of your choice.
1: Vigour, Lesser
3: Lesser Restoration
5: Dispel Magic, Greater
7: Remove Curse
9: Heal
11: Regenerate
13: Mass Cure Critical Wounds
15: Mass Heal
17: True Ressurection
19: Greater Restoration (can be used as an immediate action)

Field of Mentat
A little logic is a dangerous thing.
Basic: You gain a competence bonus equal to your character level on Intimidate checks. Additionally, you can negate size bonuses and penalties to Intimidate checks.
Advanced: You are immune to fear. If you are already immune to fear, you gain 1 hit point per hit die.
Expert: The future is just as easy to see as the past to you. You may expend an immediate action at any time to reroll any die roll.
1: Cause Fear
3: Ego Whip*
5: Mentat Sense*
7: Mental Reformation*
9: Magic Jar
11: Geas/Quest
13: Greater Teleport
15: Clone
17: Foresight
19: Imprisonment

Field of Knowledge
“First, know thy Self.”
Basic: You may use all Knowledge skills as if you were trained in them. Additionally, you may use your Wisdom modifier on Knowledge checks instead of your Intelligence modifier.
Advanced: Choose one Knowledge skill. You are always considered to have a number of ranks in this skill equal to your character level +3.
Expert: Whenever you successfully identify a creature with a Knowledge roll, it takes a -1 penalty on all saves against your abilities. If you pass by 5 or more, this penalty is -2; 10 or more, -3; 15 or more, -4.
1: Call to Mind*
3: Mental Insight*
5: Divination
7: Analyse Dweomer
9: Legend Lore
11: Find the Path
13: Discern Location
15: Foresight
17: Hypercognition*
19: Foresight

Field of Motion
Reality is a fragile thing, and the mind is the chisel that shapes it.
Basic: You may use mage hand, as the spell, with a caster level equal to your character level, at will as a standard action.
Advanced: Your armour and shield bonuses to AC apply to touch attacks as well.
Expert: Your attacks deal damage as if you were one size category larger.
1: Animate Rope
3: Control Body*
5: Fly
7: Animate Objects
9: Telekinesis
11: Disintegrate
13: Control Weather
15: Iron Body
17: Mass Hold Monster
19: Energy Drain

Field of Control
The strong rule the weak. The strong mind rules the weak mind.
Basic: If you fail to affect something with a social skill (Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate), you may reroll the check, with a -5 penalty.
Advanced: You become immune to fear. If you are already immune to fear, you gain 1 hit point per hit die instead.
Expert: Any opposed rolls against your social skills must be rolled twice, and the worse result used.
1: Charm Monster
3: Calm Emotions
5: Suggestion
7: Confusion
9: Dominate Monster
11: Mind Switch*
13: Mental Shutdown*
15: Call Ally*
17: Mass Dominate Monster
19: Soul Bind

Field of Reflection
You are your own enemy.
Basic:
Advanced:
Expert:
1: Backbiter
3: Inimical Insinuation
5: Vampiric Touch
7: Death Urge*
9: Reciprocal Gyre
11: Dominate Monster
13: Spell Turning
15: Irresistible Dance
17: Absorption
19: Murphy's Guard*

Field of Destiny
It is inevitable you will lose.
Basic: Once per day as an Immediate action, you may allow a willing creature within 30 feet to reroll an attack, save, ability check, or skill check they have just made. You must have line of sight and line of effect to the creature to use this ability.
Advanced:
Expert:
1: Omen of Peril
3: Augury
5: Delay Death
7: Bestow Curse
9: Stalwart Pact
11: Warp Destiny
13: Greater Bestow Curse
15: Moment of Prescience
17: Choose Destiny
19: Schrodinger's Guard*

New Abilities

Call Ally [Mind-Affecting]
Time: 10 minutes
Range: Special (see text)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 day/level
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You attempt to call an outsider to aid you for a time. You must have sufficient knowledge of the outsider to call it successfully (you must pass a Knowledge check as if to identify it by 5 points or more - if you fail this check, you cannot call that kind of outsider again until you gain a level), and cannot call upon templated outsiders, or those whose CR exceeds your caster level -2. When it appears, you attempt to bend it to your will. If you defeat its spell resistance, and it fails its Will save, it will serve you as a cohort would for the listed duration. If you fail to beat SR, or it passes its Will save, you do not get its services, and cannot try to call that type of outsider again until you gain a level.

Call To Mind [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You may use this ability in response to a failed Knowledge check. When you use this ability, reroll the check, with a +4 competence bonus.

Control Body
Time: Standard action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 min/level
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You mentally control the actions of a single creature to which you have line of sight. You can cause the target to move (but not speak), or be helpless, according to your choice. You cannot force the target to perform anything which is not simply a function of its body movements. If you force the subject to fight, it uses your BAB, and your Wis modifier instead of whatever stat it would normally add to attack rolls, receives a bonus on damage rolls equal to your Wis mod, and uses your Wis score as its Dex score for AC and Reflex save purposes.

Death Urge [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Standard action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You make the target wish to kill itself. On the subject's next turn, it looks for the quickest way to end its life. If it is suitably armed, it will immediately attack itself, which scores an automatic critical hit. If it is not armed, but there is an opponent nearby, it will attempt to move near them, provoking an AOO. If there is a hazard (such as a cliff) nearby, the subject will throw themselves off it or something similar (based on the hazard). If there are no hazards, no opponents nearby and the subject is not armed, he will simply do nothing.
For every 4 caster levels above 7th, this ability's duration increases by 1 round.

Ego Whip [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Standard action
Range: Medium
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Will half, see text
SR: Yes

The target of this ability is dealt 1d4 Cha damage, with a Will save for half (minimum 1). This damage increases to 2d4 at caster level 6, and an additional 1d4 for every 4 caster levels after that (3d4 at 10th, 4d4 at 15th, etc). Additionally, any target that fails its Will save against this ability is dazed for 1 round.

Empathic Projection Field
Time: Standard action
Range: 20ft radius emanation, centred on you
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Save: Fort negates (potentially harmless)
SR: Yes

All creatures within the area become linked to you empathically. While the duration lasts (even if the subjects leave the area), all subjects so linked take any damage that you do (this includes ability damage), and heal wounds when you do.

Creatures in range are also subject to any spell effects of 3rd level or lower (or their equivalent). They receive their own saves and SR against those spells, and if you are immune to a certain effect in this manner, you cannot transfer it this way.

Multiple empathic projection fields do not overlap or stack: any effect can only be transmitted this way once, in one direction.

Hyperempathy [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Standard action
Range: Close
Targets: One subject/level, no two of which can be more than 30ft apart
Duration: 1 min/level
Save: Will negates
SR: Yes

You perceive whatever the target perceives, from two of its senses, as chosen by you upon casting. You make any perception-based checks using the subject's modifiers, but also from the subject's standpoint, with all the information the subject would receive.

If the subject or subjects move out of the original zone of effect, this ability continues to function. Additionally, if you linked with a subject's vision, you are subject to any gaze attacks affecting the subjects. If the subjects benefit from any enhanced senses, you also gain this benefit.

Alternatively, you can choose to have this ability have a reverse effect, and share up to two of your senses with the subjects.

For every 4 caster levels above 11th, you may link another sense.

Hypercognition
Time: Standard action or immediate action; see text
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

If you use the standard action version of this ability, you may gain reasonable insights about a person, place or object with very little information to go on.
If this information requires an Intelligence check, you may instead use the immediate action version of this power, which gives that check a +20 bonus.

Mental Insight [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You may use this ability before making a skill check. You gain a competence bonus to that check equal to 5+1/2 your character level.

Mental Reformation [Mind-Affecting]
Time: 10 minutes
Range: Close
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: None
SR: No

When you use this ability, the target may re-make all the choices they made upon gaining their last level, including skill point assignation, feat choices etc. Their choices must have been possible at the level that had been gained. With multiple successive uses of this, it is possible to alter multiple levels, all the way back to level 1, but the uses must be successive; they are considered to 'reset' if more than 1 minute passes between them.

Mental Shutdown [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Standard action
Range: Close
Target: One living creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Save: Fort negates
SR: Yes

You forcefully shut down a part of the subject's brain. The subject loses all cerebral function, all senses and all motor control, essentially becoming a limp, unconscious mass. Without a greater restoration or similar effect of 7th level or higher, the subject will die in 1d4 days.

Mentat Sense
Time: Standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min/level (D)

You mentally feel an area 60ft around you. You ignore invisibility, darkness and concealment, although you need line of effect to a creature to perceive it, and do not need to make Listen and Spot checks for creatures within this area. For every 2 caster levels above 5th, the area of this ability increases by 10ft.

Mind Switch [Mind-Affecting]
Time: 1 round
Range: Close
Targets: You and one other creature
Duration: 10 min/level
Save: Will negates; see text
SR: Yes

You take control of a nearby creature whose CR does not exceed your caster level. You possess its body, and force its mind into your body, unless it succeeds on a Will save. Essentially, you gain the target's statistics, but retain your own thoughts and motivations, while the target gains your statistics, but retains its own thoughts and motivations.

A targeted dispel magic or similar effect on one of the targets causes both to return to their original bodies.

Murphy's Guard
Time: Standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
Save: Will negates (harmless)
SR: Yes

You are granted the perfect defense - adaptation to any circumstance. You are automatically aware of any actively hostile act a creature takes against you an instant before it happens. This includes such things as animated objects, but does not include traps, or other such hazards that are not actively hostile. As an immediate action, you may change the target of that attack to the user. For example, if a caster attempts to cast horrid wilting on you, you can redirect it so that they are hit by their own spell. If an archer attempts to fire at you, using this ability makes them shoot themselves. If the attack would affect multiple targets, it still affects them instead of you, but affects any other targets as normal. If this is your first time using this ability on a given target within this encounter, they take a -4 to any relevant defensive checks against their own attack.

Perfect Perception
Time: 1 minute
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You perceive almost everything there is to know about a single subject you have somehow viewed before (pictures and such do not count, although any form of scrying does). You learn the following details:

- The creature's name (use-name in the case of outsiders), alignment and character class(es)
- All of the creature's abilities (as if you had passed a Knowledge check to identify it by 10 points or more)
- Its CR
- Its location (at the equivalent of street level)
- Significant items in the creature's possession
- Any significant activities the creature has undertaken in the last 8 hours

This ability is powerful enough to defeat abilities that normally block scrying and similar effects, requiring a caster level check against DC 6+caster level of the effect to be bypassed.
Last edited by koz on Tue Mar 10, 2009 9:48 pm, edited 19 times in total.
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Post by ckafrica »

One thought for field of control might be a HD pool of controlled thralls, much like a necromancer.
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Post by koz »

ckafrica wrote:One thought for field of control might be a HD pool of controlled thralls, much like a necromancer.
I was indeed thinking of writing a PrC which does exactly this. Essentially, as this class is only 10 levels long, it needs PrCs to effectively continue it, which I will write 1 of for each of the Fields. The Field of Control PrC will basically have mooks galore, or at least that will be one of his abilities.
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Re: The Psion (has nothing to do with the XPH version)

Post by SunTzuWarmaster »

First of all, love it.

The saves for these abilities should be 10 + (1/2 the left they got the abilities at) + Wis mod. They shouldn't all be Heightened unless they also take Heighten Spell Like Ability. This keeps those DCs more on par with a Cleric or Sorceror of their level.

Field of Empathy: needs to give Mindsight.

Field of Perception: needs to not cast Blindness on people, this is incorrect flavor (and doesn't match the other abilities). Suggested replacement: Chain of Eyes (SpC). This happens to be an incredibly useful Divination as well due to the non-actions.

Field of Healing: please take away the aura at expert access level (an in-battle 5 hp/round is really annoying). Suggested replacement: Regeneration using some combo of these.
Mister_Sinister wrote: 1: Detect (something chosen on casting)
Fix this to be whatever you had intended. As written it allows for mineral and undead detection, which I am assuming to be incorrect.
Mister_Sinister wrote: Mental Insight [Mind-Affecting]
Time: Swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You may use this ability before making a skill check. You gain a competence bonus to that check equal to 5+1/2 your character level.
This will grant a bonus on Swim, Jump and Tumble checks. I like it, I'm just wondering if that is what you had intended.

I REALLY hate to do this, but as long as those abilities are scaling with character level, you have to give new abilities all the way out to 17. Sorry.

----------

In general, I really like it. However, there needs to be a low-level attack in there somewhere. As written, a level 1-7 psion MUST take control or Mentat to hold his own in combat. After level 8 you can cast Suggestion every round, so it's all good in combat again. My proposed fix? See below.

Psychic Blast At level 1, Psion may "mind blast" an opponent as a standard action. The target must make a save versus a DC of 10 + 1/2 character level + Psions Wis mod or be struck dazed for one round. This is a mind affecting ability.
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Post by koz »

Thanks SunTzuWarmaster - I'm glad you liked it!

The save DCs is something of a personal thing - I am of the opinion that ALL DCs should be computed as SnAs, and actually do so for wizards and clerics (and everyone else) in all my games. It's a very sensible change, and Frank himself has actually said that this is a good idea. That said, you are right on that count.

Agreed on mindsight and chain of eyes - editing now. As for the aura, would regenerate at will be a suitable replacement in your eyes? This was a bit of a kitbash on my end of things, so I'm all ears for replacements.

The detection is totally legit - that is exactly how it is meant to work, and you interpreted it correctly. Same for Mental Insight.

As far as abilities to 17 are concerned, the class is only 10 levels long. That said, I think you are right, and will endeavour to make this happen ASAP.

As far as the Psychic Blast is concerned, I like it - it's subtle enough for my purposes. The range on it will be Close, and I'll add it immediately. Thanks again!
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Post by Meikle641 »

Interesting take on the psion so far. I'm a little surprised you aren't trying to use some existing powers for it, though (rather than all spells). I mean, even something like Sense Link would be handy, as you can hijack somebody's senses, or have them experience your own.

Other than taking some psychic powers from 3.5 psi sources to round things out and diversify, it seems fairly good. Beef up the TK angle a bit, and maybe add a path for making stuff out of mental energy (ectoplasm, whatever you wanna call it).

But hey, that's me.
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Post by koz »

Meikle641 wrote:Interesting take on the psion so far. I'm a little surprised you aren't trying to use some existing powers for it, though (rather than all spells). I mean, even something like Sense Link would be handy, as you can hijack somebody's senses, or have them experience your own.

Other than taking some psychic powers from 3.5 psi sources to round things out and diversify, it seems fairly good. Beef up the TK angle a bit, and maybe add a path for making stuff out of mental energy (ectoplasm, whatever you wanna call it).

But hey, that's me.
I was thinking more or less the same thing. As for the ectoplasm angle, it's a little too unsubtle for my liking - I would rather have something that dealt with mental images or 'mind-ghosts' or something.
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Post by Aktariel »

How much regeneration do you gain from expert access to Field of Healing? Sure, you have it, but how much is it?
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Post by ckafrica »

Mister_Sinister wrote:
ckafrica wrote:One thought for field of control might be a HD pool of controlled thralls, much like a necromancer.
I was indeed thinking of writing a PrC which does exactly this. Essentially, as this class is only 10 levels long, it needs PrCs to effectively continue it, which I will write 1 of for each of the Fields. The Field of Control PrC will basically have mooks galore, or at least that will be one of his abilities.
I'd maybe aim to make the prcs 5 levels only, it would be nice to have to focuses instead of one.

Only problem with using pre existing psionic powers (that aren't just copies of spells) is some people want avoid touch XPH like it bears the plague.
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Post by koz »

Aktariel wrote:How much regeneration do you gain from expert access to Field of Healing? Sure, you have it, but how much is it?
My new wording should make this more apparent.
ckafrica wrote:I'd maybe aim to make the prcs 5 levels only, it would be nice to have to focuses instead of one.

Only problem with using pre existing psionic powers (that aren't just copies of spells) is some people want avoid touch XPH like it bears the plague.
For the former, I'd be inclined to agree, but I will have to consult with ubernoob on whether we're cool with this once I have a framework thrown down.

As for the second, I plan to rewrite/rename them as proper spells, which solves this problem pretty well, in my opinion.
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Post by Meikle641 »

Mister_Sinister wrote: I was thinking more or less the same thing. As for the ectoplasm angle, it's a little too unsubtle for my liking - I would rather have something that dealt with mental images or 'mind-ghosts' or something.
Hmm, sorta like Green Lantern?
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Post by koz »

Being a bit weak comics-wise, I don't actually know exactly what you mean. Could you link me to some images of what his stuff looks like?
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Post by ubernoob »

Meikle641 wrote:
Mister_Sinister wrote: I was thinking more or less the same thing. As for the ectoplasm angle, it's a little too unsubtle for my liking - I would rather have something that dealt with mental images or 'mind-ghosts' or something.
Hmm, sorta like Green Lantern?
Flavorwise, I think even the green lantern is too direct for our tastes. Also, I'm against 5 level PrCs for this.
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Post by Meikle641 »

Well, never read any Green Lantern comics myself...But basically he makes mental constructs using a fancy ring, which happens to be green and glowy.

Or there's folks like Psylocke, with that soulknife-like weapon.

Basically, my point was that the medium of it doesn't hugely matter, whether it be fancy glowy crap or a psycho-reactive substance you draw from the astral plane.
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Post by JonSetanta »

It's very... Psionic, MS.

I noticed a distinct lack of any elemental flavor. This is good, although your Psion seems hellbent on mental and PK effects.
It's a bit of diversity to have a role outside of the elementalism that 'mages' tend to invest in but have you considered any other traditionally psychic effects besides mental control and moving objects?
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Post by koz »

sigma999 wrote:It's very... Psionic, MS.

I noticed a distinct lack of any elemental flavor. This is good, although your Psion seems hellbent on mental and PK effects.
It's a bit of diversity to have a role outside of the elementalism that 'mages' tend to invest in but have you considered any other traditionally psychic effects besides mental control and moving objects?
The thing is, it wasn't just a thing about 'mental control and moving stuff'. Both ubernoob and I wanted to create a class that had very subtle magic, which is how I (and likely he too) visualises the psion as being - someone who uses his powers with more finesse than balls of fire permit.

On a mechanical level, I despise the fact that psions as-written tend to end up as 'wizards but not', which is stupid, as no class should have a purpose that entails emulating another class, which is stepping on toes at best, and a waste of time at worst.

All that said, if there are any other roles you can suggest that fit within this, I would certainly love to hear them. This represents me racking my own brains for inspiration, so more ideas are always welcome, provided they fit within what I described above.
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Post by Avoraciopoctules »

I can see that improved Field access gives more advanced special abilities. Does it also control the number of times per day you can use SLAs in the same manner as Sphere access?
Last edited by Avoraciopoctules on Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:46 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Post by koz »

Avoraciopoctules wrote:I can see that improved Field access gives more advanced special abilities. Does it also control the number of times per day you can use SLAs in the same manner as Sphere access?
No - all Field abilities are available at-will at all access levels.
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Post by ckafrica »

ubernoob wrote:Also, I'm against 5 level PrCs for this.
Reasoning?
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Post by ubernoob »

ckafrica wrote:
ubernoob wrote:Also, I'm against 5 level PrCs for this.
Reasoning?
Mostly that since we're not just advancing casting we'd have to give 'new and level appropriate abilities' on the assumption you hop in after psion 10. Psion 10/ X 5/ Y 1 ends up picking up a level 11 ability at level 16.
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Post by SunTzuWarmaster »

Hmm... Those are at will? That... actually doesn't change much. Now there is significant reason to never take the same one twice, however.

As far as the Regeneration issue goes, in my opinion the party already has infinite healing at this point, there was a big "why bother" to give them more infinite healing.

You need to specify how the Regneration works, however, I assumed from your favor that is it Troll-like.
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Post by IGTN »

ubernoob wrote:
ckafrica wrote:
ubernoob wrote:Also, I'm against 5 level PrCs for this.
Reasoning?
Mostly that since we're not just advancing casting we'd have to give 'new and level appropriate abilities' on the assumption you hop in after psion 10. Psion 10/ X 5/ Y 1 ends up picking up a level 11 ability at level 16.
They're getting new abilities in their fields for progressing (now), which keeps them level-appropriate.
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Post by koz »

SunTzuWarmaster wrote:Hmm... Those are at will? That... actually doesn't change much. Now there is significant reason to never take the same one twice, however.

As far as the Regeneration issue goes, in my opinion the party already has infinite healing at this point, there was a big "why bother" to give them more infinite healing.

You need to specify how the Regneration works, however, I assumed from your favor that is it Troll-like.
It is indeed troll-like, but I was unsure how to word it. Could you sketch it for me?
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Post by JonSetanta »

Mister_Sinister wrote:
It is indeed troll-like, but I was unsure how to word it. Could you sketch it for me?
Use the spell Regenerate, change heal amount.
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Post by Avoraciopoctules »

Or just make the word "regeneration" a hyperlink to http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilit ... generation
Last edited by Avoraciopoctules on Mon Feb 23, 2009 4:54 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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