Post/Author/DateTime	Post
m o n k 12-18-07, 08:15 PM	My DM rules that the Dodge feat gives a constant +1 to AC, so I usually take Dodge right away at level 1. I'm now creating a level 1 Psion, and I was about to grab the Dodge feat when I noticed that psions don't suffer penalties for manifesting powers while wearing armor. So I'm wondering if it would be wiser to take light armor proficiency and wear armor as a way to boost my AC. This method would be better than Dodge in the sense that it would allow me to get more than +1 to AC. I just don't know if there are more drawbacks than it's worth. Specifically... 1. Would wearing armor negatively affect any of my powers (for example, shield powers?) 2. Would my valuable feat be much better spent on something else?
InkBlot 12-18-07, 08:28 PM	Armor won't stack with inertial armor. So if you wear leather armor, and manifest inertial armor, then you'll only get the +4 AC from inertial armor. This is because bonuses of the same type don't stack. If you used force screen instead, then it would stack, because force screen provides a different kind of AC bonus (a shield bonus). If you wear physical armor, then you won't be able to carry as many other things (dorjes, power stones, your tent, food, etc.). You may also want to get a donkey to carry those things for you. Inertial armor is cheaper than physical armor, provides at least as much AC bonus as a chain shirt, and doesn't have any penalties at all. However, it's another 1st level power you could have spent on offense or utility. Force screen provides as much AC bonus as inertial armor, and stacks with physical armor, but it doesn't last nearly as long. If you want it up in every fight, then it's going to cost you more PPs than inertial armor. Personally, I think I'd go with inertial armor, a physical shield, and the doge feat. That's 17 AC before dex, for the cost of just a power point and a heavy shield (+4 armor, +1 dodge, +2 shield). At higher levels, it's possible to get shields that don't have any armor check penalty (mithral, darkwood, etc). At lower levels, it's easy to avoid powers that require an attack roll. For powers that do require an attack roll, it's easy enough to drop the shield for a moment.
archerpwr 12-18-07, 08:29 PM	Just wear armor with 0 ACP. Leather gives +2 to AC with no drawbacks. Upgrade to masterwork and mithral armor later for more AC (use heavier armor).
Scion of Coldshard 12-18-07, 09:07 PM	Yeah, not much point in buying the prof with a feat, just go with something with a low enough ACP that you dont care. If you really like dodge you could get both dodge and psionic dodge. That would give you a +2 dodge bonus to AC while you have focus (since he already made dodge give the same benefit as psionic dodge he might even make psionic dodge better to compensate for the extra cost and the 2nd tier effect).
TheKeyofE 12-18-07, 11:45 PM	Yeah, not much point in buying the prof with a feat, just go with something with a low enough ACP that you dont care. Agreed. Start with leather armor and upgrade to a mithril chain shirt when you have the cash (by 3rd level or so). A heavy darkwood shield is only about 350gp (you can get they by 2nd level), +2 AC with no ACP. Or you can go with inertial armor as Inkblot suggested. I had a kineticist with intertial armor and a darkwood shield, and it worked very well. Either way, don't bother with light armor prof. I would not go for force screen as a psion. IMO, that power is more effective for psywars using two-handed weapons.
Tedronai 12-19-07, 06:06 AM	Particularly at first level, you'll be wanting to preserve every last PP you can, even the one that could buy you +4 AC for an hour. There's a good chance it's gone by the next fight anyway, so at that level, Inertial Armour's not much better than Force Screen (which, frankly sucks for most people, most of the time). Do what those other folks said, and wear armour without an armour check penalty. Even if you later pick up Inertial Armour, keep the physical stuff for when you're surprised, or just short on PPs at the end of a long day.
runestar 12-19-07, 06:46 AM	If you don't on attacking or using powers with attack rolls, you could just screw the armour check penalties and wear the heaviest armour you can find. :)
TheKeyofE 12-19-07, 09:09 AM	If you don't on attacking or using powers with attack rolls, you could just screw the armour check penalties and wear the heaviest armour you can find. :) Or be a warforged with Adamantine Body.
The_Mess 12-19-07, 11:24 AM	One of my current psionic characters was a warrior before being discovered to have The Talent by her trainer. Representing this, she has a level of fighter. This has the nice feature of giving her all armor profiencies, allowing her to indulge in ridiculously heavy armor. Avoiding any powers that require attack rolls, she's very effective, and all the mages are jealous. : - ) We started at 4th level and the extra hit points have saved her life a couple times as well.
Lycanthromancer 12-19-07, 11:38 AM	Note that the Craft skill doesn't actually require any skill points invested in it, so if you have a high Int (luckily, it's the primary stat for a psion) and an Artiste psicrystal (that gives a +3 bonus to ALL - note ALL - Craft skills) that can Aid Another, you can get a nice Craft check going at 1st level, untrained. So make yourself some nice armor with no ranks in Craft, and a darkwood shield, and all at 1/3 the cost. I always use lots of Crafting to buy for a 1st - 3rd level psion. ALWAYS.
The_Mess 12-19-07, 02:04 PM	Come to think of it, there's not really that much penalty for wearing armor you aren't proficient with. You just take the ACP for attack rolls and any skill check that involves movement at all. Depending on how you build your character, you might not care in the slightest. Energy Missile needs no attack roll!