Egoist Build
[spoiler]Sample Character Builds :LEVEL 1-6
Note: The builds below assume assume that you're an Egoist, to save as much research XP as possible throughout your career. Choice of other disciplines may require slight modifications, but are very feasible, especially if you have ample opportunity to research powers. It's also assumed that you progress from level 1, which means that a higher level build (up to and including level 6) is not necessarily optimal for starting at that level (since you don't need to account for actually getting there). Beyond level 7, this is not an issue since you have access to Psychic Reformation then, meaning any level is (theoretically) your optimal level for that build. In practice though, you won’t be reforming at every level if the advantage for doing so is small.
Egoist
Level 1
Feats: Psionic Body, Psicrystal Affinity (Single-minded), Psionic Talent
Powers: Attraction, Matter Agitation, Vigor
Skills: Concentration, Craft, Knowledge, Psicraft and other [trained only] int-based skills.
Equipment: Studded leather, light wooden shield, light crossbow, bolts.
At level 1, you have 10 hp and 4 pp, + con mod and half your int mod, respectively. Comparing with other classes, you have the hp of a fighter, can cast more, and more varied, spells than a sorceror, and you have the ac of a typical druid. That should almost guarantee surviving to level 2. Instead of fighting with weapons, you use Matter Agitation, which deals about as much as most weapons, but does so consistently every round instead of only when you hit. As an area effect, it's also effective against swarms, and out of combat it can burn down structures/objects, cook food or boil water etc.
Begin more challenging fights with a 5 hp Vigor buff. Use Attraction to lure away guards, negotiate or to avoid fighting all together. The crossbow is useful against weaker enemies when you want to save pp. Use the craft skill to make cheaper items so you can buy better armor and afford more alchemical items sooner. Take advantage of your high int mod by "unlocking" trained only skills with single skill points (a cross class rank in decipher script is not a bad idea), and max out useful class skills depending on discipline (spot, listen, diplomacy, autohypnosis etc.).
Be sure to make use of your psicrystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/psion.htm%23psicrystals). It is really three feats in one since you get Alertness (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/featsAll.html%23alertness), SF: Concentration (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/featsAll.html%23skill-focus) (single-minded trait), and a construct companion – all in one feat. It's very useful for reconaissance since it's small, climbs very well, has good stealth and perception and communicates telepathically with you. Always share Vigor with it whenever possible, just in case. If you’re wondering about psicrystal gaining feats, this guide will not address the issue. By the RAW, they do get them as their hit dice increase, but the author of the XPH (Bruce Cordell) has clarified that this was not the intention. Either way, you can learn more about maxing your psicrystal’s potential in the Psicrystal FAQ and Building Guide (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D698578).
Level 2
New Powers: Grease, [any].
Skills: This is the level of skill synergies! Max out what matters.
Equipment: Masterwork chain shirt, large darkwood shield, riding dog (combat trained, light barding), +2 masterwork concentration item for 50 gp (subject to DM approval), everburning item for 110 gp (continual light effect enchanted on a copper piece, for instance), alchemical items.
Grease is an excellent tactical power (disarm, field control, escape grapple), and prefered over Entangling Ectoplasm at this level since your ranged attack is so poor. It is already good for disarming or to get out of a grapple, and its battlefield control use will continue to grow as the duration increases.
For your last level 1 slot, you can pretty much take what suits you best. There are many useful utility powers here such as Synesthete, Control Light, or Missive. Pick what you think will be most useful to you and your party up to level 7 (at which point you will be reforming anyway).
With your new equipment, you now have ac 16 + dex mod, with only -1 ACP. Add 10 hp vigors, riding dog (compares to a level 1 construct, and it can be ridden/controled by your psicrystal) and grease, and you have recipe that will take you to level 3 in one piece. You can craft most of your equipment yourself for 1/3 the cost. Pick up an eternal light source (that can be attached to your psicrystal, for instance) and make/comission a masterwork concentration item as per the PHB. Also consider that your psicrystal can use the aid another action to help you concentrate (it must pass a DC 10 check, but it has the same ranks as you do). Since it's also single-minded, you can potentially have a +12 concentration modifier by level 2 (not counting constitution modifier or the possibility to take skill focus etc.) Also remember that you can expend your focus to take 15 on a concentration check (you have no other uses for focus at this point), which means you can pass DCs nearing the 30 range.
Level 3
New Powers: Levitate, Ego Whip.
New Feat: EK: Minor Creation.
New Equipment: See below.
Minor Creation will solve many, many low level problems and can be used with your craft skills to create poison or alchemical items, food, prepare an ambush (traps, soaking in oil, wooden obstacles), get utility items (such as a ladder, wall or bridge), make incendiary bombs (wooden spheres with oil, great with matter agitation) etc. For a much more in-depth view on this power, see Minor Creation and You, a Small Guide (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D747757).
Ego Whip is a potent new weapon that incapacitates rather than kills (which means it also has a utility use). Consider a typical CR 3 foe such as an Ogre. It has 29 hp and 7 cha (will save +1). Blasting it continously with Ego Whip will consume much more pp than concentrating with matter agitation, but you can disable it in only 2-4 rounds, single-handedly! Best of all, it can't act during those rounds if it fails the save. And even on a save, the power still deals cha damage.
Levitate means avoiding all ground-based enemies. Just manifest and move 20' into the air - problem solved. From this position, you can use ego whip or matter agitation as you please. If you can't use this defense to any effect, buff with vigor instead. Levitate also allows you to get to hard to reach places, get an overview of the landscape, recover from pit traps, long falls etc.
The level 7 build has a more definitive item list based on available gold at that point, but until then you can pick and choose from the list above whenever you have gold to spend.For a better idea of Cheap useful items...see Bunko's Bargain Basement: Magic Items That Are a Steal! (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D657626)
Level 4-6
By level 3, you have covered most of your fundamental bases. You have varied forms of attack (matter agitation, ego whip, grease, animal minions, alchemical and/or psionically created items, crossbow), strong defense (vigor, levitate, good ac and hp), and lots of utility (minor creation, attraction, psicrystal, grease). This leaves a lot of flexibility before attaining level 7, allowing you to tailor your build to your specific needs and opportunities. A few of the powers and feat slots are fixed, while recommendations are provided for others.
Level 4:
Don’t miss out on Empathic Transfer at this level, since it’s probably the most efficient means of healing (using Vigor to buffer the damage) available to the party until Heal is available. The last level 2 slot can be anything depending on needs and sources allowed. Share Pain is a good core alternative if you often find that you have more than one round to buff before important fights (combine with shared Vigor on your psicrystal). Mass Missive is a very good alternative for the tactically savvy. Crystal Storm and Psychoportive Shelter are wonderful if you can take them.
Level 5: There are no alternatives here, take Time Hop and Dispel Psionics. Time hop solves so many problems it’s scary. Bypass any object without a trace, use it like a Maze spell on an enemy, remove a dying ally from combat and deal with it later (no time will have passed for the ally) etc. Dispel Psionics is fantastic on a manifester since you can use it spontaneously and without components. Being able to take purely mental actions is all you need to get out of binds with this, and you can cast it repeatedly if it didn’t work the first time. A good feat choice here is EK: Energy Missile to really round out your offensive repertoire at this point. You’ll reform it out later, but it will make getting to level 7 easy peasy.
Level 6: It’s recommended that you use this level for some item creation, since you will soon reform to a more powerful build anyway. Take Craft Dorje (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html%23craft-dorje) for your feat and select two powers (levels 1-3) for your level 6 slots that you’d like to put in your dorjes. For example, Identify is a good power to put in a dorje.
(http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/moe_gallery/91472.jpg)
LEVEL 7
Congratulations, you’ve made it to level 7! Now we turn to the true meaning of power and versatility, and create our character from scratch using Psychic Reformation. Level 7 is probably the most significant level in a Psion’s career, since you can basically recreate your character at this level for the first time, and you get access to Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) , which is in itself offense, defense and utility in a single power. Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) has an even more profound impact on mid level game play than minor creation had in the lower levels. Before we examine the powers and feats in the reformed level 7 build, let’s take a closer look at what Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) and the feat Metamorphic Transfer (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html%23metamorphic-transfer) offer at this level.
Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis)
Let’s make Overchannel our second feat pick after Metamorphic Transfer (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html%23metamorphic-transfer) to get access to up to 8 HD forms at this level. There are many useful combat forms and a few (Ex) utility abilities that come in handy too. Here’s a selection of some of the best forms for a core human.
Ground combat: Annis Hag. This form comes with 25 strength, +10 to natural armor and the full attack routine claw/claw (1d6+7) bite (1d6+3). Even more impressive are the (Ex) attacks improved grab, rake and rend. This form beats face while offering adequate melee protection.
Aerial combat: Wyvern. You don’t get the flyby attack feat, which means you loose out on 2 of the attacks. You still get 4 solid attacks on a decent body, but the most important feature is the (Ex) poison attack that deals 2d6 con damage (DC 17, fort).
Aquatic combat: Aboleth. 4 tentacle attacks and 26 strength! Also good combat abilities overall and great swim capabilities.
Multi-purpose: Cloaker. This is fantastic. High str, dex, con and natural armor, flying 40’ (average), decent attacks (10’ threat range, and engulf to boot) and a very inconspicious appearance. Stupor is what really makes this shine though. As an extraordinary ability (bypassing an anti magic field, for instance), you can launch a hold monster-type attack with a DC 15 fort save, lasting 5 rounds, with a range of 30’. Infinite freebee (Ex) hold monster at range, that are sonic rather than mind-affecting! This will be your default method of attack, so let’s take Ability Focus (Stupor) as our third feat, making that a DC 17 fort save.
Metamorphic Transfer (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html%23metamorphic-transfer)
This feat is a toolbox in itself when you consider all the supernatural abilities that are available to you. You can make no more than three transfers per day, which often means once per encounter. This allows you to cherry pick the most useful ability from your repertoire of available monsters. If the transferred ability is use activated, you may only use it up to three times (even if it was at will for the real monster). That should still be quite enough for the encounter though. Here are some of the most useful abilities available to you at ML 8.
Body Thief (Intellect Devourer): This is almost like mind switch, only more disgusting. Can be used to animate a powerful fallen enemy to continue the fight, or to gain basic information from foes that die in combat before you can get any answers from them.
Destructive Harmonics (Destrachan): The material version of this is particularly interesting for various uses (blast down a door, destroy weapons, or create a hole in the ground where an enemy is standing).
Detect Thoughts (Doppelganger): Reconnaisance and information gathering.
Dimension Door (Blink Dog): You can do this as a free action and act afterwards, which offers superb mobility in combat. Move and manifest as you please, and get out of any bind. Also offers blink (though there are better defensive options) and the track feat.
Enslave (Aboleth): The aboleth comes with a (Su) dominate person effect up to three times per transfer. While useful, dominating someone as a huge, fishlike amphibian has its social issues.
Ethereal Jaunt (Phase Spider): This should probably be treated as a use activated ability for play balance. Still very useful for defense and reconnaisance.
Freedom of Movement (Spider Eater): Not the most useful form normally, but if you really need freedom of movement, you can get it here.
Greater Invisibility (Pixie): This is very good defensive option. Small size, dex 18, flying 60’ (good), and complete stealth. Manifest powers and move about in three dimensions as you see fit, while avoiding most spells and physical attacks. Very good with ranged touch attacks.
Jet (Pyrohydra, Cryohydra): Why bother with energy damage powers when you can do 8x3d6=24d6 supernatural (no SR/PR) fire or cold damage every 1d4 rounds up to three times per transfer? As if that wasn’t enough, you have a 10’ reach and can take 8 attacks of opportunity per round. Between jets, you can also attack with all 8 heads, even if you move or charge. A good form for aquatic combat to boot.
Magic Circle Against Evil (Lammasu): Useful when you need to hedge out evil outsiders or stop mental control.
Quickness (Choker): It’s probably best to treat quickness as a use activated ability for play balance. You can manifest an extra power every round which is fantastic, though the form is quite fragile in itself.
Silent Image (Cloaker): This goes a long way with a little imagination, and makes up for the lack of illusions in psionics. Yet another reason to morph into a cloaker!
Melee Damage: We have powerful fighting forms for all environments.
Direct Damage: Hydra jet for 24d6 fire or cold damage should be enough.
Battlefield control: Few abilities are relevant here, unfortunately.
Save or Die: We have (Su) dominate person and infinite (Ex) hold monster. Sufficient.
Information Gathering: Excellent reconnaisance forms (cloaker, pixie and phase spider - or simply morph into an object such as a coin), body thief, detect thoughts, dominate etc.
Transportation: A much improved dimension door effect (blink dog), but self only.
Healing: Unfortunately, no (Su) healing is available to humans in core. If you play an outsider or have access to other monsters, it's a different story.
Buffing: Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) is a prime example of a buff, but also self only.
NPC interaction: Even though you have powers like detect thoughts and dominate, they are inconvenient to use in a non-offensive environment (since you need to turn into a doppelganger or aboleth!). Using Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) to assume a disguise can be very useful though. But to be honest, this area also needs work.
So it seems we have yet to cover battlefield control and healing, and should also consider improving buffing, transportation and NPC interactions some more. We also want an alternative offensive strategy for when Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) will not work very well. Overall, we’re looking for powers that work well with our primary metamorphosis concept.
Alternative Offensive Strategy
Undead are perhaps the biggest threat to a Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) strategy. You may want to avoid melee combat due to nasty drain or other close range effects, and your hold monster and dominate options will not work here. Against spell casters, you may also prefer a defensive form such as an invisible pixie, and must be able to produce a relevant threat in that position. Astral Construct answers both these needs as it is immune to most problem undead attacks, and is an expendable threat that can be produced on demand. This also settles our fourth feat pick to Boost Construct.
Yet another back-up alternative is Crystal Shard. Wonderful with the Pixie form and bypasses antimagic field even when the target is immune to your (Ex) hold monster. With Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis), Metamorphic Transfer (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicFeats.html%23metamorphic-transfer), astral construct and crystal shard, you have an offensive repertoire that will last and be fully sufficient up to the epic levels.
Battlefield Control
We have two excellent options here: Entangling Ectoplasm and Time Hop. For only 1 pp, you have a guaranteed 5 round entangle as a ranged touch attack (great with your high dex forms!) that will stop a charger, lower ac and attacks, and force casters to make concentration checks. For a 5 pp time hop, you can displace a friend, foe or object up to 8 rounds - much like a low level maze spell. Also has many utility uses (getting past obstacles without a trace, setting up ambushes etc).
Healing
As mentioned previously Vigor and Empathic Transfer is one of the most efficient means of healing in the mid levels. Vigor is also a very good power in itself, though you may not want to use it too liberally. With all the defensive options available to you, it is unlikely that you will suffer much damage yourself. Check with your DM if he or she would allow you to heal yourself with this combo too, or simply rely on the cleric or potions for that. Body Adjustment is hardly worth picking up, but you’ll get an excellent healing power in True Metabolism later on.
Buffing
Vigor has already been mentioned, but it’s important to understand why it’s suboptimal to use a buff like Vigor liberally with a Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) concept. Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) already takes a standard action, and considering the immense versatility available to you, that should really be enough to handle most problems. If you fear a large amount of direct damage headed towards you, morph to an invisible pixie and move away – or use an immediate action response (see below). You don’t want to waste more actions on defense when you could be doing something useful to help your party instead. Vigor is really mostly for healing allies, or buffing up for the BBEG if you have time to prepare.
Primarily, we’re looking for buffs that do not interfere with the Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) concept and buffs that do something useful for the entire party. Inertial Armor can be cast ahead of time since it lasts so long, and has great synergy with your various morphs since most of them couldn’t otherwise wear armor. To make use of our immediate actions, let’s pick up Mental Barrier and Intellect Fortress as powerful defenses against physical and magical attacks. Both can be augmented to last longer and intellect fortress protects your entire party! While on the topic of buffs, let’s also add Dispel Psionics in this category. Removing debuffs can be viewed as buffing even though you’re merely bringing the target back to his original effectiveness. It has many other uses too of course, such as stripping caster defenses. Speaking of which, Touchsight is also a very important buff to offset invisibility, concealment, blindness, darkness etc. This gives us a powerful buff package that can help ourselves as well as our allies.
Transportation
At the present level, there’s only one power worth the bother: Dimension Swap. The kind of tricks you can pull with this considering your other abilities are truly amazing though. Let’s say the party is scattered and many are in great need of healing. Rather than simply walking up to each one and healing them (which would take too long), you engage in a round-robin heal fest! Assume the form of a choker and transfer quickness, manifest a big vigor and move to the nearest ally. On your next turn, you heal him with empathic transfer and swap him for the most seriously wounded party member, which you heal and swap on your next turn!
The synergy with astral construct is also wonderful. If some fool tries to grapple you, they may soon find that they are grappling with an astral construct instead. Get the party fighter out of melee with some nasty undead energy draining monster and replace him with an immune astral construct. Or use it with Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) and replace a more frail party member with yourself in a combat form. In fact, you can go completely defensive and accomplish a lot behind the scenes with this and your other powers: Go invisible pixie and get to a good vantage point. Start bringing the enemy down to size for your melee characters with entangling ectoplasm and summon an astral construct mid combat. Maneuver allies into favorable positions with dimension swap for the win!
There are also utility uses. Say a specific party member needs to get to a hard to reach location (for instance, the mechanism to disarm a trap may be placed on a narrow ledge 20 feet up, and the walls are too smoothe for the rogue to climb). Then you assume the form of a blink dog, dimension door up there and swap positions with the rogue. A very versatile power that will last your entire career, very much worth the 400 xp investment to acquire (if you’re not a Nomad).
NPC Interactions
Our first pick here is Tongues to enhance our Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) disguise concept. You can now assume any form and speak any language, which makes you a master of impromptu impersonation. For our last slot, we’ll pick Attraction, which served you well in the low levels. It augments and affects everything that’s not immune to [mind-affecting], so it’s still very useful.
There it is. Six level 1 powers, two level 2 powers, four level 3 powers and two level 4 powers. You’ve covered all your bases very well, and have built in pp economy in your powers and feats. Assuming an Egoist, it will cost you 950 xp to acquire these powers at level 7 (including manifesting psychic reformation down to level 1). It will take 3 weeks of secluded research all in all, during which time other party members could tend to their personal matters (perhaps there are also other casters in the party that also want to do some research, craft items etc.). The xp and time can be spread out over levels 4-6 however, to fit the needs of the campaign.
Feats
You have already picked four out of six feats to make the most of your powers. Our fifth pick will be Psicrystal Affinity. At this point, you don’t really need the bonus to concentration anymore, so pick the nimble personality trait for a very useful +2 initiative improvement. Besides the various uses of a psicrystal at your ML, the share powers ability is incredible with Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) and your other buffs. Consider an Annis Hag psicrystal wrapped in you as a Cloaker. You’re also both buffed with Inertial Armor and can use Mental Barrier against challenging opponents. You Hold Monster anything nearby??????? and the hag tears it to pieces. You can heal or do various combat tricks meanwhile, and get AoO in a 10’ threat range. You could also use your psicrystal as a flying mount, or to create an additional individual for a disguise (playing the part of your butler or fiancé, for instance).
Finally, Psionic Body is really too good to pass up when you have 5 psionic feats already. Twelve extra hp at level 7? Sure! That’s 6 extra hp for your psicrystal too.
Summary of Level 7
Here are the feats and powers compiled, along with skill advice and 19000 gp worth of suitable equipment.
Feats: Metamorphic transfer, boost construct, ability focus (stupor), overchannel, psicrystal affinity (nimble), psionic body.
Powers: Astral construct, attraction, crystal shard, entangling ectoplasm, vigor, inertial armor, tongues, dimension swap, empathic transfer, time hop, dispel psionics, touchsight, mental barrier, Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis), intellect fortress.
Skills: You can change these with Psychic Reformation too, so drop skills that were useful at lower levels (craft skills, healing etc.) for something more useful. Knowledge skills can be very important depending on house rules for shape changing abilities like Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) (check with your DM). Maxing Psicraft is a good idea, since you’ll be picking up Burrowing Power later on and need it for the epic levels. If you still have points to spend, put them in Listen and Spot.
LEVEL 8-20
The mid-high levels reinforce the strong foundation from the level 7 build. You gain access to a few more useful Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) forms as your manifester rises, and add new tricks to your psionic repertoire as you acquire more advanced powers.
New Metamorphosis (http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org/35/sovelior_sage/psionicPowersGtoP.html%23metamorphosis) Forms
· Roper: A new fantastic form, especially for your psicrystal, this 10 hd darling becomes available at level 8 with overchannel. Six ranged touch attacks (50’ range) per round that deal 2d8 strength damage each on a failed fort save (DC 18), and a +14 natural armor bonus.
· Behir: This form is good for straight combat against opponents immune to paralysis (Cloaker) or ability damage (Roper). 26 str, constrict, improved grab, rake and swallow whole! It slices, it dices...
· Will-o’-wisp: Remember this form for the future with Greater Metamorphosis and Fusion. Using only Fusion (and normal Metamorphosis), this can slap a +9 dex and +9 deflection bonus on any other (preferably low dex) form. With Greater Metamorphosis, you also get spell immunity and (Ex) invisibility here.
· Dragon Turtle: This form is available at level 10 and allows you to capsize ships. +17 natural armor bonus!
Power and Feat Progression
Level 8: You can now emulate ML 10 with overchannel, and get access to the roper, behir and will-o’-wisp forms. Wall of Ectoplasm adds a useful ability to your repertoire here, and can trap a foe in a hemisphere for quite some time, or divide the battlefield in more managable portions. Psionic Divination also brings something new and useful to the table. Having the DM give you clues on how to best proceed is a sure way to increase your success. Use it liberally.
Level 9: At this level you get Psionic Revivify, which is perhaps the best revive effect in the game, and Plane Shift to round out your transportation portfolio. Revivify also has nice synergy with Time Hop, as you can hop a fallen ally forward in time, clean up the mess, and revive him when he hops back – for no extra xp cost. Plane shifting also offers emergency healing for the entire party if you pay a visit to the positive energy plane. For your feat, take Extend Power here (see level 10).
Level 10: Level 10 means ML12 with Overchannel, which in turn means full day duration for your 1 hour/level powers! For your bonus feat here, take Psionic Meditation, since Extend Power also has a combat use in Entangling Ectoplasm. You will also gather quite a few metapsionic powers in the levels to come, so it will come in handy. At this level you pick up Power Resistance, which is a decent catch all defense power before you get better options at higher levels. There are few good level 5 powers to take at this point (Adapt Body has uses if you plane travel extensively), so it’s recommended that you take Energy Wall in your last slot. Energy Wall has many utility uses, and protects your Wall of Ectoplasm from damage too. Its usefulness will continue to grow as you progress in levels.
Level 11: You only get one power at this level, but what a power it is: Temporal Acceleration. It changes everything. Overchannel and extend it so it lasts 2 rounds immediately when you get it, and handle all your buffing in a swift action! You can now use multiple buffs and go nova if the situation so requires. Choker quickness is a boon here, especially when you can increase the duration further. This also applies to Fission.
Level 12: Yet another multi-purpose power lies in Psionic Disintegrate, especially when combined with Split Psionic Ray (your feat at this level). Disintegrate is good for offense, for battlefield control (walls, ceilings, floors), and as an answer to specific effects (such as Wall of Force). Split Ray also enables you to deal 24d6 damage (no save) with an overchanneled crystal shard at this level. For your final level 6 power, take Psionic Contingency. This is a very cheap life insurance, and can store Temporal Acceleration, Plane Shift or Psionic Revivify, for instance. See the epic build below for more inspiration.
Level 13: Here you simply get a new all day buff: Personal Mindblank. It would be a shame if you were dominated, since you’re so powerful. Use Dispel Psionics if someone else would suffer this fate, and don’t waste a level 8 slot on psionic mindblank.
Level 14: Now you can make even more out of your energy walls with a split Energy Conversion, which is perhaps the most efficient damage dealer in the XPH. Even interpreted as strictly as possible, the pp-for-damage ratio of energy conversion charged with energy wall is unmatched, and you get elemental protection to boot. There’s nothing in the rules that prevent you from charging ahead of time, but you can also set the combo up in the comfort of a temporal acceleration. This level also offers Fission, which is the key to go nova like you have never gone nova before. Manifest temporal acceleration, and metamorph to a choker transferring quickness. For the extra action, manifest fission, and have your fissioned self turn into a choker too, transferring quickness, and using the extra action to do something useful (such as buffing with vigor to prevent overchannel damage). You now have 4 actions each round the TA lasts to play with.
Level 15: Finally, you get Greater Teleport and can travel to any place that’s been described to you, and the entire party can come along for the ride. As you now have, access to level 8 spells, invest in your first power granted through Psychic Chirurgery: Telekinetic Sphere. This is a catch-all defense for the entire party (see the epic section), and you can amazingly continue to be effective within it by taking Burrowing Power as one of your two feats here (Fusion and Choker quickness makes the kill even quicker). For you other feat, take Psicrystal Containment, in case you want to add more metapsionics to your burrowing powers. It also allows extended, split Energy Conversion for even more pp economy, letting you blast for a very long time.
Levels 16-20: You have all the power and versatility you need, so use these levels to prepare for the epic levels. Read through the epic section and adopt the strategies that best suit the needs of your campaign. You’ll probably want to use Psychic Reformation once you reach epic anyway, or you can split it up and do part of the reformation now and the rest later. Powers that you’ll probably want to pick up here include Fusion, Bend Reality, Assimilate (+4 unnamed bonus to all ability scores!) and Greater Metamorphosis. The possibilities with Greater Metamorphosis (and as a result, Fusion) are too vast for this guide, but do visit this thread for a full review of its use. (Complete List of Supernatural Abilities: (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php%3Ft%3D226959))[/spoiler]
...Even better if you take the Corpsecrafter feats, since thrallherd never mentions exactly HOW you get your thralls; if they spontaneously arise from your mere presence, it's all good.
Psianimate Dead? It's from Hyperconcious, but it's not a Necromancy spell.Wouldn't that fall under equivalency?
Necromancy has no equivalent under the psionic disciplines. Enchantment, Divination, and Conjuration do, but not Necromancy.Psianimate Dead? It's from Hyperconcious, but it's not a Necromancy spell.Wouldn't that fall under equivalency?
i am currently working on a fun Thrallherd build ... will post when finishedCorrection: all Thrallherd builds are fun... :)
:D
I know that's kind of a weak arguement, that's why I'll agree to call it a house rule... but I think disallowing undead as thralls or believers jives with RAI.
Start up your own little brothel. Get enough 'exotic' followers together and profit!So that'show Vivid Ent did that... :P