Convince me about psionics.

[mans0011]

I wrote my psionic powers revision to grant more options to manifesters specifically because they don't have nearly the options that core casters have. I also smoothed over a lot of rough areas, closed a bunch of broken loopholes, and made psionics in general slightly more powerful on average (mostly through giving a standard scaling rate for powers, additional options, and making nigh-useless powers more interesting and useful).

However, even in the plain vanilla XPH, there's a lot of power and versatility under the hood if you look past the most obvious options, and can think around limitations.

For instance, shapers are one of the best grappling classes in the game. Wanna know why? Astral constructs. Seriously, look at the grapple modifier on a level 9 construct. Now add a few menu options. Extra Attack, Pounce, Improved Grab, and Muscle. Now it can make 3 attacks on a charge, making grapple checks for free at a +40 grapple check. On top of that, it's easy enough to pump out large numbers of low-level constructs to Aid Another on your first turn in combat to pump your numbers up to inane levels. And while you're grappling the tarrasque (at absolutely no risk to yourself), you're free to take pot-shots from a distance.

A lot of psionic powers have far more combat/out-of-combat flexibility than they're given credit for on first glance. Look at time hop, and consider all of the uses for being able to making an object disappear for a few rounds. You can bypass doors, hop out chests to get at the gold without searching for traps or breaking the locks, and target the horse of that charging paladin over there (you know, the man with the sky-high Will saves, but with a mount with very small ones, and who wears plate-mail, and is almost useless when ground bound?). Psionics takes a bit of imagination to bring to full power, since, unlike spells, the full uses of a given power are rarely spelled out. They're generally non-specific enough that they can be used for purposes that weren't (necessarily) intended.

Again, look at astral construct. What kinds of things can you do with an ever-changing toolbox of disposable parts that you can craft to make look like almost anything you want it to? Heck, I once held off a CR 23 dracolich by myself for several rounds with a level 16 shaper/constructor that used multiple constructs to confuse it into thinking I'd split myself into 10 different pieces (since we'd blinded it, and it used its blindsense to track me down, since it was determined to abduct me specifically) until my party could kill it. I also used constructs to break down doors, to 'disable' traps, to ride as flying mounts, to act as surrogate blasters (see energy bolt), as pack-mules, to cart my body off when I was paralyzed, and a wide variety of other purposes. (Taking the 3.5 constructor PrC was so worth it; even with the loss of MLs.)

Not to mention all the cool things that I did with psionic minor creation.

Use your imagination, and the only class that can match a psion on sheer awesomeness is a focused illusionist.

That's why I like psions.

Ah, Lycanthromancer. I'm so glad to see you here. I was wondering if I would bump into you.

[rubberduck]

great thread!

really!
i did not even think of the possibility to time hop a door! thats fu**ing brilliant!

[Omen of Peace]

I come a bit late, but yeah, "Time Hop" is a good answer for people who think Psions don't have enough utility. Lycanthromancer also already mentioned Astral Construct and Minor Creation (Shapers are awesome !). Seers have a gem too, Clairvoyant Sense, which is the best answer to the frequent question "What is behind that door/wall ?".

[woodenbandman]

 

Nice one Lycan! That's awesome!

[Lycanthromancer]

Take another look at psionics, and let's see if you can pull off a trick or two of your own.

Specifically, let's see if you can pimp out a level 13 blaster with...let's say energy conversion. Look at the standard XPH feats, a psicrystal, and maybe another power or two, and see what you can come up with.

[Anklebite]

Take another look at psionics, and let's see if you can pull off a trick or two of your own.

Specifically, let's see if you can pimp out a level 13 blaster with...let's say energy conversion. Look at the standard XPH feats, a psicrystal, and maybe another power or two, and see what you can come up with.

lol, this is akin to having two epic warminds with robilar's gambit and epic combat reflexes standing next to an opponent and infinite sweeping strikes it to death.

[Lycanthromancer]

Hey, it's not nearly that broken. It's (potentially) really efficient, and can do pretty decent damage.

Basically, it makes blasting worth it, if you know what you're doing.

[Negative Zero]

Well, you can only get up to 3 * ML per standard action with it, right? Double if your Psicrystal is sharing it.

[Lycanthromancer]

Well, you can get a lot more out of it if you swing the right way, but basically, yeah.

[Negative Zero]

I'm not sure if my g-fu is failing, or if 5 hours of sleep is insufficient. Hm.

[Lycanthromancer]

I won't let on, since I want WoodenBandMan to figure out something on his (her?) own. At least, not yet.

[Operation Shoestring]

While we're on the subject Midnight Augmentation is awesome to play with.  So is Psycarnum Infusion.  I'm getting to really love Psionics + Incarnum.

[sonofzeal]

While we're on the subject Midnight Augmentation is awesome to play with.  So is Psycarnum Infusion.  I'm getting to really love Psionics + Incarnum.

Also awesome is "Instant Clarity".  Combine with "Deep Impact", and rule with an iron fist!

[BowenSilverclaw]

Is that the one from ToB?

Too bad it's only 3/day, but apart from that it's awesome

[Optimator]

Hypercognition.  That is all.

[sonofzeal]

Hypercognition.  That is all.

...Batman (the actual one, not the Wizard one) must have that as an at-will ability....

[Operation Shoestring]

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/synesthete.htm

Isn't powerful, but i love the flavor.  Plus, the closest magic equivalent, Listening Lorecall, got nerfed and errated off of many spell lists... only druids and rangers still get it... lame.

[sonofzeal]

I like Fiery Discorporation too, as well as Cloud Mind.  Control Body completely bypasses immunity to mind-affecting, could potentially create a viable combat tool (since attack and damage are based on your Int), and is friggin hilarious.

[woodenbandman]

@ that challenge...thingy. I got that you can manifest it twinned AND split ray'd (it is effect:ray), with overchannel), shoot your psicrystal with maximized energy missle to boost the damage soak, then shoot off 8 rays as a standard action for 69 damage apiece. It's pretty good, and the little thing that makes it cool is that once energy's absorbed, it doesn't go away. I'm not sure if twin works because it might fall under stacking similar magical effects overlap, but that's still 276 damage per round as a standard action that takes no resources of yours.

Now, if you could get, say, something that makes it explode at the end of the ray, I'm sure I saw some sort of meta-something feat somewhere... that'd rule.

[Lycanthromancer]

@ that challenge...thingy. I got that you can manifest it twinned AND split ray'd (it is effect:ray), with overchannel), shoot your psicrystal with maximized energy missle to boost the damage soak, then shoot off 8 rays as a standard action for 69 damage apiece. It's pretty good, and the little thing that makes it cool is that once energy's absorbed, it doesn't go away. I'm not sure if twin works because it might fall under stacking similar magical effects overlap, but that's still 276 damage per round as a standard action that takes no resources of yours.

Now, if you could get, say, something that makes it explode at the end of the ray, I'm sure I saw some sort of meta-something feat somewhere... that'd rule.

Not bad (although Twinned power doesn't work, since the effects overlap, but you can still get 8 rays a round; see below).

Overchannel + Split Psionic Ray + Chained Power + psicrystal + shared metamorphosis + schism (to bypass immunity to the [mind-affecting] tag) = 8 rays per round. Charge it up each morning with a sonic energy wall, and that's 45 sonic damage x 8 = 360 damage per round. Add on Greater Psionic Shot + Aligned Attack + a greater chasuble of fell power for an additional 7d6 points of damage.

It's build resource-intensive, but every feat and power up there will be extremely useful in other contexts, and you can always psychic reformation them in and out as needed (meaning you're not stuck with those choices for any longer than you wish to be).

Well done, however.

See what I mean about a little imagination going a long way?