Sugglir the Illithid Presents:
Being Nightwing
or
Psionics and the Psion
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/compscoundrel_gallery/102050.jpg)
Class Features
Attributes/Races
Skills/Skill Tricks
Feats
Equipment
Powers
Multiclassing
Builds
Introduction:
Welcome, humans, to the realm of the intellect and will; the wild world of Psionics; the original red-headed stepchild of the D&D universe. My name is Sugglir; a creature you've come to know as a Mind Flayer. It's come to my attention that many among your race are yet unaware of the potential of the mind. Rest easy; even minds as feeble as that of the human species have a wealth of power just beyond your awareness.
This not quite core system suffers from a resemblance to that foul human crutch (read 'arcane magic') so strong as to invite constant comparison thereto and yet not so strong as to garner the degree of interest and research among your race as arcane magic enjoys. The overwhelming degree of neglect of this source of power has finally wrenched me from my dark lair to bring your poor backwards species the psionic gospel.
Why Psionics:
As any human caster will surely tell you, there are obvious parallels between magic and psionics. At a casual glance, your species may mistake psionics for just some sort of unsupported alternate spell casting. Many power descriptions will simply direct a reader to the description of a spell in the Player's Handbook, for the love of the Elder Brain. However, arcane casters carry titles like God or Batman or the Mailman. Arcane magic has been expanded in the form of prestige classes, expanded spell lists, and feats in nearly every splat book printed for the 3.5 edition of Dungeons and Dragons. By approaching psionics intent on building around tactics popular in arcane magic, with a few notable exceptions, you'll discover that arcane magic outperforms psionics. So why might you choice psionics over arcane magic?
It's a lazy mindset to approach a new system with preconceived rubric in mind and stacks the comparison in favor of the convention. A psion is not a wizard or a sorcerer or a cleric. If you went to have supreme flexibility beyond the wildest dreams of any caster, the psion is your class. Prepare yourself Human; the Batman is dead.
Roles of the Party:
Nightwing may wear many hats in a day. A strength of the psion class is the ability to quickly shift between the party roles without compromising competence. Before delving into the tools available to a psion, it is worthwhile to consider what roles he or she might be required to fill. To this end, I often reflect on the advice of a wise Treant of the ascetic variety, and, if only for traditions sake, I will maintain his nomenclature. In combat you might be expected to fill any of the following roles:
The Big Stupid Fighter:
[spoiler]
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/psi_july_med.jpg)
The role of the Big Stupid Fighter in combat is to divert as much of the enemy attention as possible away from softer party members (often simply by means of a deliberate presence among enemies and providing a reasonable threat to softer targets of the enemy party), and as a consequent, benefits from above average armor class and hit points. There are several ways of approaching this role as psion, as you'll soon see.[/spoiler]
The Glass Cannon:
[spoiler]
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cpsi_gallery/96354.jpg)
The task the Glass Cannon is expected to fulfill is to
reliably deliver high amounts of damage to bring down the most dangerous portion of the opposition as quickly as possible. This role is distinct from the BSF in the sense that, while a BSF may do considerable damage, often times important targets may be defended or difficult to approach. That said, this role demands a degree of mobility, range, and precision beyond what is expected of a BSF. The title of the role originates from the fact that doing so often involves considerable neglect of defensive ability.[/spoiler]
The God:
[spoiler]
(http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/wysiwyg/image/ForceUnleashed-ca-3.jpg)
The favorite role of our dear elder Treant is the God, and its effects on the course and flow of combat crucial for difficult encounters. God's role is to provide support to other party members by buffing allies, debuffing enemies, and manipulating the battlefield. The damage contribution of a character filling this role may often be very low, but don't be fooled; the God can be the difference between a total party kill and fight easily won.[/spoiler]
While combat is central to Dungeons and Dragons, in most games, time outside of combat is important and rewarding as well. Outside of combat, there are several roles which you might be required to fill:
- the Social: Intrigue and deception are the realms of the social character. The social is tasked with serving as the party 'face' when meeting with important Npcs and is necessary to diffuse conflicts before the party comes to blows. A carefully worded bluff or diplomacy check is not to be underestimated.
- the Sneak: The role of the Sneak is to provide the intelligence necessary for a party to make informed (and hopefully wise) decisions. Where are enemy forces located? In what numbers and sort do they appear? Is the loot they carry worth the effort to get? In addition, anticipation, detection, and removal of traps fall onto the Sneaks shoulders.
- the Healbot: The after-combat role; the Healbot maintains the party at peak performance. Healing damage, removing debuffs, and keeping the party generally poised for battle is the Healbots responsibility.
- Utility Caster: Any other task that proves necessary, such as interplanar travel or environmental adaptions, is left to the able hands of the utility caster
For more on these roles, see Treantmonk's Being a God (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19873034/Treantmonks_guide_to_Wizards:_Being_a_God)
Class Features:
- d4 hitdice
- Poor Base Attack Bonus
- Poor Fortitude
- Poor Reflex
- Good Will
- 2+Intelligence modifier Skill
- Bonus Feats at levels 1, 5, 10, 15, 20
- Best Power Point Progression
- Most Powers Known of any Psionic Class
Discipline: At 1st level, a psion chooses a discipline that affects the powers he or she may learn in each level and his or her class skills. Many players place excessive weight on the discipline powers in this choice but the addition of class skills really shouldn't be neglected in your considerations.
[spoiler]Seer (Clairsentience): Gather Information, Listen, and Spot.
Shaper (Metacreativity): Bluff, Disguise, and Use Psionic Device.
Kineticist (Psychokinesis): Autohypnosis, Disable Device, and Intimidate.
Egoist (Psychometabolism): Autohypnosis, Balance, and Heal.
Nomad (Psychoportation): Climb, Jump, Ride, Survival, and Swim.
Telepath (Telepathy): Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Sense Motive.[/spoiler]
Attributes:
- Strength: Dump it.
- Dexterity: This is the psion's tertiary attribute. Initiative is important regardless of which role you happen to be fulfilling in combat (doubly so if enemy forces include a 'god'). Dexterity also improves the psion's poor reflex save and supplements armor class.
- Constitution: A constitution score of at least 14 is vital for supplementing the psion's unimpressive hitpoint and fortitude values. Concentration, which allows you to manifest powers in difficult circumstances and without power displays, is also keyed to constitution. Don't ignore constitution.
- Intelligence: You're intelligence governs your skill points, power points, and power DC's. It's central to any psion, and especially Nightwing. You're highest score should be Intelligence.
- Wisdom: The psion has little to gain from a high wisdom score. The psion has no class features based upon the score and already has a good will save. If you're interested in the autohypnosis skill, note the highest check you'll likely make using the skill is a twenty. The unfortunate casualty is the perception skills: spot and listen. An investment in wisdom simply isn't worth the opportunity cost.
- Charisma: Charisma improves social skills and Use Psionic Device. It's also used when calculating the difficulty class of abilities granted via the metamorphic transfer feat. UPD can be very useful and can be acquired a couple of ways; that said, don't go overboard.
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80443.jpg)
Races:
Before continuing human, note that in writing this handbook, I have only considered creatures of level adjustment +0 and their kin with few exceptions. In a game following the rules for level adjustment printed in The Dungeon Master's Guide these races are indeed the races who fulfill the role best. However, my advice regarding races does not consider the possibility of an optional rule introduced in The Unearthed Arcana called Level Adjustment buy-off. If these rules are available to you, the range of suitable races to play Nightwing expands considerably. Even with buy-off available, I would be very hesitant to use any race with a level adjustment greater than two and would only very rarely consider a race with racial hit dice. When a race I've otherwise considered might prove to be a very good Nightwing under the Unearthed Arcana rules, I've made note.
Humans:
[spoiler]- Human:
The ever-popular human. Sporting a bonus feat, 30 foot movement speed, extra skill, and particularly tasty brains, there's a lot to love about the human.
- Azurin:
The azurin is a human that boasts an extra point of essentia but lacks the bonus skill most humans enjoy. This essentia becomes a great advantage when a psion possesses the midnight augmentation feat and the 'bestow power' psion/wilder power.
- Empty Vessel: +1 LA
It's a trap, human! This race is a kalashtar and human rolled up into one neat package. Cool right? Wrong :banghead
These critters have a bonus feat, bonus skill, bonus power points, and some racial skill bonuses to social skills. However, the bonus power point will never make for the power points a psion a level higher would have gotten and are certainly not sufficient to warrant reducing your manifester level. Under level adjustment buy off however, the Empty Vessels aren't bad.
- Illumian:
The illumian benefits from racial sigils that provide bonuses to skills keyed to one, two, or three chosen attributes in addition to an ability based on the combination of sigils chosen. The krau sigil improves caster level up to the illumian's hit dice making the race an attractive choice for those considering the Cerebremancer prestige class.
- Underfolk:
Underfolk are a group of humans who have survived sequestered in the Underdark for generations. The underfolk retain the racial bonus skill bonus skill but lose the bonus feat for darkvision, an irrelevant racial weapon proficiency, a racial skill bonus to listen, and massive racial skill bonus to hide while in rocky terrain.
[/spoiler]
Elves:
[spoiler]- High Elf: +2 dex, -2 con
The elf of The Player's Handbook. The elf has the standard 30 foot move speed, low light vision, and some pleasant skill bonuses that are a boon while serving as a sneak in addition to some minor immunities and resistances. The attribute modifiers are a drawback. Constitution is more important than dexterity, and the elvish attribute modifiers can be costly to compensate for in point buy.
- Half-Elf:
The Half-elf boasts minor bonuses to the perception skills and fair bonuses to interaction skills. It shares the elves minor resistances and immunities. There's no real turn off to the race, but then again, nothing very attractive either.
- Drow: +2 dex, +2 int, +2 cha, -2 con, +2 LA
Never say drow. While it sports some appealing attribute bonuses and a respectable spell resistance, there isn't enough to compensate for the levels lost for the perks. Even with a level adjustment buy off, the Drow still suck rocks.
- Grey Elf +2 dex, +2 int, -2 str, -2 con
This elf shares all the traits of the high elf mentioned earlier with better racial attribute bonuses. In low cost point buy, the penalty to constitution can be very painful. The grey elf is an excellent candidate for the dragonborn template.
- Snow Elf +2 dex, -2 cha
This elf also shares the racial traits of the high elf but with better racial attribute bonuses. The penalty to charisma isn't great but it's much better than a penalty to constitution.
[/spoiler]
Dwarves:
[spoiler]- Hill Dwarf: +2 con, -2 cha
The Dwarf of The Player's Handbook. While the dwarf isn't by any means the most powerful player race around, I feel these tasty little morsels perhaps receive less love than they ought to. The dwarf is built for carrying a heavy load; a dwarf maintains its 20 foot move speed even while fully armored and heavily encumbered and boasts a respectable racial resistance to bullrush and trip attempts. Darkvision is great. The racial bonus on saving throws against magic are often overlooked but are really quite relevant. The racial skill bonuses are either very restrictive or irrelevant.
- Deep Dwarf: +2 con, -2 cha
The racial bonus against spells and spell-like abilities and racial darkvision improves at the cost of light sensitivity. A pair of darkshade goggles from races of the dragon offset this problem for tens of gold pieces.
- Dream Dwarf: +2 con, -2 dex
The attribute adjustments are less favorable for a psion than the hill or deep dwarf. However the racial spell power ability is relevant for builds considering the cerebremancer prestige class.
- Duergar: +2 con, -4 cha, +1 LA
Racial invisibility and expansion are spell like abilities available to the Duergar. In addition, these dwarfs enjoy a racial skill bonus while moving silently. None the less, the racial abilities do not justify the loss of a manifester level in addition to 2 more charisma. The Duergar are probably pink rather than red if buy off is available.
- Psionic Duergar: +2 con, -4 cha, +1 LA
Identical to the standard duergar with exception to a handful of bonus power points. This race still isn't worthwhile.
[/spoiler]
Gnomes:
[spoiler]- Rock Gnome: +2 con, -2 str, small
The rock gnome is a slower prey race than many of the other races available but has good racial attribute adjustments. Rock gnomes have several very conditional racial bonuses such as a racial saving throw bonus against illusions and a racial ac bonus against giants. Take note of the racial bonus to difficulty class of illusions cast by gnomes if you're considering the cerebremancer prestige class. The racial bonus to craft alchemy checks is also very helpful if your psion has access to the minor creation power.
- Forest Gnome: +2 con, -2 str, small
The forest gnome is basically the rock gnome which extra racial features and different automatic languages. In addition to the rock gnome features, the forest gnome enjoys a +4 racial skill bonus to hide which doubles when in a wooded area. The forest gnome also has pass without a trace at will as cast by a druid of the forest gnome's class level. I'm at a loss as to why you would ever choose a rock gnome over a forest gnome.
- Svirfneblin Gnome: +2 dex, +2 wis, -2 str, -4 cha, small, +3 LA
A level adjustment of +3? Next...
- Whisper Gnome: +2 dex, +2 con, -2 str, -2 cha, small
The whisper gnome is a fantastic race. Despite their small size, the whisper gnome has a 30 foot movement speed. It's lowlight vision and darkvision are helpful while fulfilling the sneak role. The whisper gnome also has great racial skill bonus to the stealth skills and good racial bonuses to the perception skills. It retains the gnomish racial dodge bonus against giants and has several helpful spell-like abilities. A solid choice.
[/spoiler]
Halflings:
[spoiler]- Lightfoot Halfling: +2 dex, -2 str, small
Nice racial attribute bonuses and a racial bonus to all saving throws. The racial bonuses to move silently and listen are nice as well. It's a shame those little legs can only provide a 20 foot movement speed. - Tallfellow Halfling: +2 dex, -2 str, small
The halfling that wanted to be an elf when it grew up. It trades the halfling athletic bonuses for the elven perception bonuses and ability to detect secret doors. - Deep Halfling: +2 dex, -2 str, small
The halfling that wanted to be a dwarf when it grew up. It trades the halfling athletic bonuses for the dwarven artisan skill bonuses and darkvision. - Strongheart Halfling: +2 dex, -2 str, small
The halfling that wanted to be a human when it grew up. It trades the halfling bonus to saves for a bonus feat.
[/spoiler]
Miscellaneous:
[spoiler]- Aasimar: +2 wis, +2 cha, +1 LA
The aasimar are one of the planetouched races of the monster manual. The racial attribute adjustments are not incredibly relevant unfortunately. Like most outsiders, these creatures have darkvision. They also have a handful of resistances and a racial bonus to perception skills. Most of the bang for your level adjustment buck comes from the fact the aasimar is an outsider. Even with buy off, the aasimar are likely pink. - Changling:
The silver tongued changling is armed with the ability to change it's appearance at will as the disguise self spell. It also enjoys a racial bonus to bluff, intimidate and sense motive. It's a race suited for the role of the party 'face'. - Dragonborn of Bahamut: +2 con, -2 dex
The dragonborn isn't a race so much as it a template. Applying the dragonborn template removes all racial traits with the exception of the racial attribute adjustments, and in exchange, a dragonborn can choose between wings, a breath weapon, or perception abilities. - Elan: -2 cha
This was the flagship psionic race of the expanded psionics. It's resilience and resistance abilities allow the elan to expend power points to prevent damage or improve save respectively. It's also the aberration type rendering it immune to many low level enchantments.
- Goblin: +2 dex, -2 str, -2 cha, small
Goblins are one of the rare small races that have a full 30 foot move speed. I guess generations of genocide at the hands of the humans was not without its perks. The Goblin also has a great racial bonus to move silently and (less importantly) ride.
- Blue Goblin: +2 int, -2 str, -2 cha, small, +1 LA
Blue are the psionic goblins. They are identical to a standard goblin except the +2 bonus to dexterity is replaced by a +2 bonus to intelligence and for that reason, the also bear a +1 level adjustment (and are no longer worthwhile). In the monster entry, these critters are actually listed as a +0 level adjustment; if your DM allows you to play a blue at +0 LA, they move from red to a very appropriate blue. In level adjustment buy off, these guys are just okay.
- Half-Giant:+2 str, +2 con, -2 dex, +1 LA
Strength was a dump stat. Powerful build isn't as relevant to a psion as it might be to other classes. The handful of power points and constitution are not worthwhile. The half-giant is likely about pink if level adjustment buy-off is available. - Primordial Half-Giant: -2 str, -2 dex, +4 int, +4 cha, +1 LA
The primordial giant template shifts around a giant's racial attributes and provides a racial bonus to spellcraft and use magic device checks. In Level adjustment buy-off, these giants are fantastic.
- Hadozee: +2 dex, -2 cha
An ape with arm flaps! Not fantastic, but not horrible. It's something different to play.
- Kalashtar:
The kalashtar were the psionic race introduced for the Eberron campaign setting. The were also the first race to receive a dynamic power point bonus. In addition to the extra power point per level, these critters have a bonus to social skills. A major factor in the kalashtar's high rating is the fact that they are able to use the Quori mind crystal without making a use psionic device check. - Necropolitan:
Again, this is not a race of its own but rather a template (applicable to humanoids and monstrous humanoids), but something to consider none the less. While the Dragnborn of Bahamut may help a race by improving constitution at the cost of dexterity, the necropolitan does away with constitution entirely and changes hit dice to d12's (equivalent to a d4+4) by changing your creature type to undead. This comes all the standard immunities and weaknesses of the undead. However, the template allows you to heal damage normally and grants you a little turn resistance. - Kobold: +2 dex, -4 str, -2 con
explanation to come...
- Neraphim:
These creatures are vaguely frog-like. Darkvision and a racial skill bonus to spot and search are nice when playing the 'sneak'. A neraphim's hide is tough enough to provide 2 natural armor. Did I mention they are OUTSIDERS! The outsider type makes the metamorphosis power much more powerful. - Synad: -2 cha
The synad has several abilities that stem from its multiple personality disorder threefold mind. By spending power points, these creatures may improve an attack or initiative score once a day, improved knowledge or psicraft checks, or take an extra purely mental action once a day. The last ability can be used as a quicken power if you haven't otherwise manifested in a turn which is handy when a withdraw action is necessary or if you can cast spells. - Tiefling: +2 dex, +2 int, -2 cha, +1 LA
The tiefling sports a racial skill bonuses to hide and bluff, elemental resistances, and darkvision. The racial attribute bonuses of the tiefling are more relevant to a psion than those of an aasimar. Again, the value of the tiefling is largely due to being an outsider. If level adjustment buy-off is available, the tiefling may be a blue race. - Warforged: +2 con, -2 wis, -2 cha
The warforged benefit from a strange type: construct. While the warforged have the living construct subtype, robbing them of many of the construct immunities in exchange for a constitution score and other goodies, they still stand to gain much from the type. On the up side, a warforged can be revived by raise dead and similar spells as any other living creature could. The racial 'body' feats apply while using the metamorphosis power and (after magical enhancement) likely provide a higher armor bonus than the inertial armor power. Oh free light fortification as well. - Warforged Scout: +2 dex, -2 str, -2 wis, -2 cha, small
These micro-machines are the small warforged and stand to benefit from the same racial feats. The small size is nice but warforged scouts suffer from the typical 20 foot movement speed associated with the size. In low point buy games, I suggest the standard warforged.
- Xeph: +2 dex, -2 str
Once you get past the image of the Xeph soulknife in The Expanded Psionics Handbook to look at the racial statistics, the xeph aren't bad. A bonus to a class attribute and a penalty to an utter dump attribute in addition to darkvision and a racial bonus to saving throw against magic and psionics makes the xeph a decent choice. The bonus power point is kinda trivial but the racial burst ability is good.
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/psi_archpsion_med.jpg)
Skills:
Most skills are used outside of combat. Keep in mind which out-of-combat roles are most important in your party when allocating skills. The psion has 2 + intelligence modifier skill per level. However a psion's intelligence should never be lower than 15 and is often much higher. Consequently, while you're still no skill monkey, you do have a reasonable amount of skill.
Class skills:
[spoiler]
Concentration (con)
Craft (int)
Knowledge (all skills)(int)
Profession (wis)
Psicraft (int)
Seer (Clairsentience):
[spoiler]Gather Information (cha)
Listen (wis)
Spot (wis).[/spoiler]
Shaper (Metacreativity):
[spoiler]Bluff (cha)
Disguise (cha)
Use Psionic Device (cha)[/spoiler]
Kineticist (Psychokinesis):
[spoiler]Autohypnosis (wis)
Disable Device (int)
Intimidate (cha)[/spoiler]
Egoist (Psychometabolism):
[spoiler]Autohypnosis (wis)
Balance (wis)
Heal (wis).[/spoiler]
Nomad (Psychoportation):
[spoiler]Climb (str)
Jump (str)
Ride (dex)
Survival (wis)
Swim (str)[/spoiler]
Telepath (Telepathy):
[spoiler]Bluff (cha)
Diplomacy (cha)
Gather Information (cha)
Sense Motive (wis)
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]
- Autohypnosis:
A neat skill that doesn't require a large investment to function. Autohypnosis allows you to stabilize while bleeding, memorize large tracts of information in seconds, or suppress poison. This is a class skill for the egoist and kineticist. - Balance:
5 ranks in Balance prevents you from being flatfooted while balancing and is a class skill if you are an egoist. - Bluff:
Bluff keeps you (and your party members) out of trouble. If you are a Telepath or Shaper, this is a class skill and worth investment of at least 5 skill points. Note that in Magic of Ebberon, glibness became a third level psion power. This skill is also a class skill for the ectopic adept and thrallhard prestige classes. - Concentration:
Concentration allows a psion to manifest while suffering damage, while grappled or pinned, while distracted, without power displays, or without provoking an attack opportunity. This skill can be very helpful in a pinch. All psions have this skill. - Craft:
Crafting alchemical items can be a good way to earn money during early levels. If you decide crafting interests you, consider the creation
power line in the shaper discipline. - Diplomacy:
If you'll be expected to fulfill the 'face' role, it's very helpful to have few ranks in diplomacy. This is a class skill for telepaths and for the thrallherd prestige class. - Hide/Move Silently:
These are the bread and butter skills of the 'sneak'. If you anticipate filling this role on occasion during your early levels, be sure to invest a few skill points here. Later on, there are a few ways to avoid additional investment. - Knowledge:
Knowledge skills are intelligence based and a class skill. It's worthwhile to put at least 1 rank in each knowledge skill in order to be considered trained.- Arcana: It's important to know a little bit about the forces that permeate the world you live in. This skill is used when identifying dragons, constructs, and magical beasts.
- Dungeoneering: You can use knowledge: dungeoneering to learn a little bit about spelunking, caverns, oozes and aberrations. You'll normally only occasionally come across aberrations and rarely across oozes.
- Local: Wanna know where the best ale in the city is served? Wanna know which brothels to avoid? Knowledge: local is the knowledge for you then. It's also used to identify humanoids. Neat.
- Nature: Is this flower used to brew a rare tea or is it the deadly black lotus? Do those clouds warn of bad weather on the way? Knowledge: nature is used to identify plants, animals, giants, vermin, fey, and monsterous humanoids.
- Planes:Outsiders are among the most diverse and dangerous enemies you can expect to encounter. Knowledge: planes is one step in preparing for the demons, devils, yugoloths, archons, and who knows what else coming to kill you. Oh it also is used to identify elementals. Nifty.
- Psionics: Psionics is sorta a psion's a thing. Don't totally dump it. In reality however, this skill rarely come up. This skill has a synergy with psicraft.
- Religion: Ever wonder why that fruitcake on corner screaming, "The end is nigh"? With knowledge: religion, you can find out while avoiding talking to him! Great right? Also, this skill is used for identifying the most common threat throughout your early and mid levels; the undead.
- Listen/Spot:
- Psicraft:
- Use Psionic Device:
Skill Tricks:
Feats:
Equipment: