Armored Psion with some interesting houserules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Armored Psion with some interesting houserules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gurthoron
02-15-06, 10:25 AM Hi all. I am soon to be joining a new campaign, and decided to finally try playing a psion. First off, some interesting background:

We are all dwarves who have been raised by other cultures.
Instead of regular advancement we now get a feat every odd level and an ability point every even. Yes, its potent, but I have a fair number of feats I want.
Our stats are awesome due to alternate rolling system.
We are starting at third level.

So, you end up with a dwarf with an impressive stat array and a lot of feats to throw around. Now, I'm wanting to go with an armored dwarf Kineticist psion, as the various feats from the Races of Stone and that fun psionic class in there looked like fun. I just have no idea how to go about it. With straight Psion I would be burning all my feats on armor prof and with Fighter1/Psion2 I would be violated Commandment #1 of the CharOp Commandments: Thou shalt not give up spellcasting levels. Any advice on that score?

I am not looking for an incredible killing machine, but simply a character optimised for its role of an armored dwarf shooting off rays of flaming death all over. I'd like to include the Earth Sense and Earth Power feats ASAP, as I think they would help a lot at low levels. Combat Manifesting leads to Shielded Manifesting which would be useful since I'd have a shield anyway. Basically I have a lot of ideas but have no idea how to incorporate them all.

Semi-on topic, I was trying and failing to figure out what I'd use a psicrystal for. I am fairly inexperienced with familiar type critters (The only ones I've had are animal companions which I am extremely over-protective of) and just don't know how to make use of them. Any advice or directions to a useful thread would be appreciated.
Lusden Veharo
02-15-06, 10:54 AM Honestly, don't worry too much about armor as a Psion. The Intertial Armor power kicks all kinds of ass and lasts for hours/level; combined with Extend Power, you'll be good for most of the day even at low levels.
hogarth
02-15-06, 11:08 AM Just to add one more point, if you actually wanted to use the Iron Mind prestige class from Races of Stone, you'll be losing manifester levels anyway, so you might as well bite the bullet and take a level of fighter.

I agree with the previous poster, though: don't worry too much about heavy armor. Just enjoy blasting away with Energy Missile. :D
batstek
02-15-06, 11:35 AM Another vote for not bothering with heavy armor.

In your situation, the only manifester levels I'd give up are for PrC's. Like, Kineticist 10 / Slayer 10 loses 1 ML but gains 5 BAB.
Gurthoron
02-15-06, 11:47 AM Well, the heavy armor thing was more flavorful than required. Plus, I thought the Iron Mind thing looked like fun, but you need heavy armor for it. You're right about the losing manifester levels from it, so I guess the level dip from fighter shouldn't be too bad. I realize how nifty Inertial Armor is, but I'm seriously loving walking into a fight as this heavily armored dwarf armed with a martial weapon then whipping out the psionic powers. Well, I'm looking at this right now:

Fighter 1: Armor, shield, and weapon prof, Earth Sense, Iron Will (Needed for Iron Mind I believe)
Fighter 1/ Psion 1: Combat Manifesting
Fighter 1/ Psion 2: Earth Power (psionics cost 1 pp less when I'm standing on earth or stone)
Fighter 1/ Psion 3:
Fighter 1/ Psion 4: Shielded Manifesting
Fighter 1/ Psion 5: psion feat (metapsionic probably, or if allowed Practiced Spellcaster)
Fighter 1/ Psion 6: Energize Armor (Needed for Iron Mind)
Fighter 1/ Psion 6/ Iron Mind 1:

Well, that gets me to level 8, in heavy armor and shield, able to manifest in melee without AoO, paying 1 pp less for powers practically always, with a manifestor lvl of 6 (hopefully 8 but powers know as a 6 with Practiced Spellcaster). Perhaps not the best psion ever but definitely out of the ordinary and with the potential for decent melee as well as blasty death.
PonTelon
02-15-06, 12:52 PM I highly suggest getting a Psycrystal at low levels. +6 Spot and Listen makes it a fun and useful scout type character. The bonuses to your skills/saves/initiative is nice also.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gurthoron 02-15-06, 10:25 AM	Hi all. I am soon to be joining a new campaign, and decided to finally try playing a psion. First off, some interesting background: We are all dwarves who have been raised by other cultures. Instead of regular advancement we now get a feat every odd level and an ability point every even. Yes, its potent, but I have a fair number of feats I want. Our stats are awesome due to alternate rolling system. We are starting at third level. So, you end up with a dwarf with an impressive stat array and a lot of feats to throw around. Now, I'm wanting to go with an armored dwarf Kineticist psion, as the various feats from the Races of Stone and that fun psionic class in there looked like fun. I just have no idea how to go about it. With straight Psion I would be burning all my feats on armor prof and with Fighter1/Psion2 I would be violated Commandment #1 of the CharOp Commandments: Thou shalt not give up spellcasting levels. Any advice on that score? I am not looking for an incredible killing machine, but simply a character optimised for its role of an armored dwarf shooting off rays of flaming death all over. I'd like to include the Earth Sense and Earth Power feats ASAP, as I think they would help a lot at low levels. Combat Manifesting leads to Shielded Manifesting which would be useful since I'd have a shield anyway. Basically I have a lot of ideas but have no idea how to incorporate them all. Semi-on topic, I was trying and failing to figure out what I'd use a psicrystal for. I am fairly inexperienced with familiar type critters (The only ones I've had are animal companions which I am extremely over-protective of) and just don't know how to make use of them. Any advice or directions to a useful thread would be appreciated.
Lusden Veharo 02-15-06, 10:54 AM	Honestly, don't worry too much about armor as a Psion. The Intertial Armor power kicks all kinds of ass and lasts for hours/level; combined with Extend Power, you'll be good for most of the day even at low levels.
hogarth 02-15-06, 11:08 AM	Just to add one more point, if you actually wanted to use the Iron Mind prestige class from Races of Stone, you'll be losing manifester levels anyway, so you might as well bite the bullet and take a level of fighter. I agree with the previous poster, though: don't worry too much about heavy armor. Just enjoy blasting away with Energy Missile. :D
batstek 02-15-06, 11:35 AM	Another vote for not bothering with heavy armor. In your situation, the only manifester levels I'd give up are for PrC's. Like, Kineticist 10 / Slayer 10 loses 1 ML but gains 5 BAB.
Gurthoron 02-15-06, 11:47 AM	Well, the heavy armor thing was more flavorful than required. Plus, I thought the Iron Mind thing looked like fun, but you need heavy armor for it. You're right about the losing manifester levels from it, so I guess the level dip from fighter shouldn't be too bad. I realize how nifty Inertial Armor is, but I'm seriously loving walking into a fight as this heavily armored dwarf armed with a martial weapon then whipping out the psionic powers. Well, I'm looking at this right now: Fighter 1: Armor, shield, and weapon prof, Earth Sense, Iron Will (Needed for Iron Mind I believe) Fighter 1/ Psion 1: Combat Manifesting Fighter 1/ Psion 2: Earth Power (psionics cost 1 pp less when I'm standing on earth or stone) Fighter 1/ Psion 3: Fighter 1/ Psion 4: Shielded Manifesting Fighter 1/ Psion 5: psion feat (metapsionic probably, or if allowed Practiced Spellcaster) Fighter 1/ Psion 6: Energize Armor (Needed for Iron Mind) Fighter 1/ Psion 6/ Iron Mind 1: Well, that gets me to level 8, in heavy armor and shield, able to manifest in melee without AoO, paying 1 pp less for powers practically always, with a manifestor lvl of 6 (hopefully 8 but powers know as a 6 with Practiced Spellcaster). Perhaps not the best psion ever but definitely out of the ordinary and with the potential for decent melee as well as blasty death.
PonTelon 02-15-06, 12:52 PM	I highly suggest getting a Psycrystal at low levels. +6 Spot and Listen makes it a fun and useful scout type character. The bonuses to your skills/saves/initiative is nice also.