Fuzziness Regarding Psicrystals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Fuzziness Regarding Psicrystals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
invisiblekid
03-14-07, 12:52 PM Pages 21 through 24 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook outline the skills, abilities, and personalities available to a psicrystal. Given this, I figured that I'd need a secondary character sheet. Started setting it up, and got really confused.
First, it says that full statistics can be found on page 207. Fine; I can deal with that. I get to page 207, and decide that I should start putting all of that information into the character sheet. This goes well until I see "The psicrystal described here is that of a 1st level manifester". My character is a fifth level kalashtar wilder. Technically, I could have had this psicrystal since level one. Since I'm still kinda new to the entire concept of D&D (I've been playing for over a year, now, but...there's a lot that I'm still learning), I'm not sure if some of the stats on page 207 should change according to my character not being a 1st level manifester.

Second, ability modifiers. Pg 207 provides these. Yet, pg 22 states that "a psicrystal uses its owner's base saving throws and ability modifiers on saves." Do the scores/modifiers of my wilder override those of the psicrystal outlined on 207?
AvonRekaes
03-14-07, 01:07 PM Before we even get into it, this really belongs on the psionics board as there's no "in Eberron" aspect to your post. However I'll try and help as much as possible.

First, the example psicrystal just happens to be for a 1st level manifester. The hypothetical character the psicrystal belongs to just happened to take the psicrystal feat at 1st level. You don't automatically gain a psicrystal in 3.5 psionics anymore, so the only way to get it is by taking the feat, which you took at 5th.
Manifester level for the psicrystal gives it more abilities. For instance, a 1st level psicrystal only has Alertness, improved evasion, personality, self-propulsion, share powers, sighted, and telepathic link as special abilities.
A 5th level manifester such as yourself would have a psicrystal that also could also deliver touch powers and speak telepathically. A 5th level manifester's psicrystal also has Natural Armor and an Intelligence score 2 points higher than the example 1st level manifester's psicrystal.

Second, your psicrystal's base save and ability modifiers on saves are overriden by your own. Also note, that the psicrystal only uses the owners ability modifiers for saves, not skills or attack rolls or anything else it might try.

The example psicrystal also uses it's hypothetical owner's skill ranks, modified by its own ability modifiers (not the owners), with the requesite 4 free ranks in those skills all psicrystals get as detailed on page 22.

Edit: Also, according to the SRD: "A psicrystal’s characteristics depend on its master. Its Hit Dice are equal to its master’s Hit Dice (counting only levels in psion or wilder), its hit points are equal to half its master’s, and its base saving throw bonuses are the same as its master’s." Meaning your 5th level wilder's psicrystal would also have 5 HD.
Millenia
03-14-07, 03:41 PM Also do note that your psicrystal gets feats by RAW (though you may wish to speak to your DM about it) as well as ability score increases.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
invisiblekid 03-14-07, 12:52 PM	Pages 21 through 24 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook outline the skills, abilities, and personalities available to a psicrystal. Given this, I figured that I'd need a secondary character sheet. Started setting it up, and got really confused. First, it says that full statistics can be found on page 207. Fine; I can deal with that. I get to page 207, and decide that I should start putting all of that information into the character sheet. This goes well until I see "The psicrystal described here is that of a 1st level manifester". My character is a fifth level kalashtar wilder. Technically, I could have had this psicrystal since level one. Since I'm still kinda new to the entire concept of D&D (I've been playing for over a year, now, but...there's a lot that I'm still learning), I'm not sure if some of the stats on page 207 should change according to my character not being a 1st level manifester. Second, ability modifiers. Pg 207 provides these. Yet, pg 22 states that "a psicrystal uses its owner's base saving throws and ability modifiers on saves." Do the scores/modifiers of my wilder override those of the psicrystal outlined on 207?
AvonRekaes 03-14-07, 01:07 PM	Before we even get into it, this really belongs on the psionics board as there's no "in Eberron" aspect to your post. However I'll try and help as much as possible. First, the example psicrystal just happens to be for a 1st level manifester. The hypothetical character the psicrystal belongs to just happened to take the psicrystal feat at 1st level. You don't automatically gain a psicrystal in 3.5 psionics anymore, so the only way to get it is by taking the feat, which you took at 5th. Manifester level for the psicrystal gives it more abilities. For instance, a 1st level psicrystal only has Alertness, improved evasion, personality, self-propulsion, share powers, sighted, and telepathic link as special abilities. A 5th level manifester such as yourself would have a psicrystal that also could also deliver touch powers and speak telepathically. A 5th level manifester's psicrystal also has Natural Armor and an Intelligence score 2 points higher than the example 1st level manifester's psicrystal. Second, your psicrystal's base save and ability modifiers on saves are overriden by your own. Also note, that the psicrystal only uses the owners ability modifiers for saves, not skills or attack rolls or anything else it might try. The example psicrystal also uses it's hypothetical owner's skill ranks, modified by its own ability modifiers (not the owners), with the requesite 4 free ranks in those skills all psicrystals get as detailed on page 22. Edit: Also, according to the SRD: "A psicrystal’s characteristics depend on its master. Its Hit Dice are equal to its master’s Hit Dice (counting only levels in psion or wilder), its hit points are equal to half its master’s, and its base saving throw bonuses are the same as its master’s." Meaning your 5th level wilder's psicrystal would also have 5 HD.
Millenia 03-14-07, 03:41 PM	Also do note that your psicrystal gets feats by RAW (though you may wish to speak to your DM about it) as well as ability score increases.