3 new mantles [Archive] - Wizards Community

3 new mantles [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Scion of Coldshard
05-10-07, 02:07 PM Ok, so it looks like I am switching characters in a game due to some subplots that need to be taken care of offstage. As the current mantles do not fit what I was going for I made up a few new ones.

Help on fleshing them out would be appreciated ;) Please no, 'its broken!' comments or similar.

Skill Mantle
Granted Ability: When you become psionically focused you gain the Focused Skill User feat and may choose the skills that it applies to. You lose this feat when you lose your focus. If you already have Focused Skill User then when you are focused its bonuses increase by +1 but you may not choose new skills for it nor do you lose the feat when you lose your focus.
1 Call to mind
1 Eidetic Lock
2 Feat Leech
2 Psionic Identify
2 Zone of Alertness
3 Realized Potential
4 Psychic Reformation
6 Psychometry
8 Hypercognition
9 Metafaculty

Skill Mantle
Granted Ability: When you become psionically focused get a +3 bonus to one skill, a +2 bonus to 2 skills, or a +1 bonus to all skills. These bonuses are competence bonuses and the bonus you recieve cannot be larger than the amount of ranks that you have in that skill.
1 Call to mind
1 Eidetic Lock
2 Feat Leech
2 Psionic Identify
2 Zone of Alertness
3 Realized Potential
4 Psychic Reformation
6 Psychometry
8 Hypercognition
9 Metafaculty

Shaping Mantle
Granted Ability: Gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat. If you already have Psicrystal Affinity gain Improved Psicrystal instead.
1 Psionic Minor Creation
1 Entangling Ectoplasm
2 Concealing Amorpha
3 Ectoplasmic Form
4 Burrowing Bonds
6 Psionic Fabricate
8 Astral Seed
9 Genesis

Mind Divided
Granted Ability: Gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat or Improved Psicrystal if you already have it.
1 Telempathic Projection
2 Id Insinuation
2 Mental Disruption
3 Personality Parasite
4 Death Urge
4 Schism
4 Suggestion, Implanted
5 Psychotic Break
6 Fission
7 Insanity

Negative Energy Mantle
Granted Ability: While focused whenever you deal negative levels to another creature you have a 25% chance to gain 5 temp hp for each negative level given. These temp hp stack with other temp hp gained from this ability and they last for 1 hour. If you lose focus all temp hp gained from this ability are lost.
While focused if you must make a save to avoid losing a level due to energy drain you get a +2 to that check.
1 Protection from Negative Energy Creatures (as prot from evil except it applies to creatures powered by negative energy and negative energy attacks)
1 Stygian Discernment
2 Stygian Ray
2 Stygian Erasure
3 Stygian Bane
4 Stygian Disruption
4 Stygian Ward
6 Stygian Bolt
8 Stygian Veil

Negative Energy Mantle
Granted Ability: While focused whenever you would be effected by something that the undead type would make you immune to (except mind-affecting effects) you make a DC 20 wisdom check to become immune to a single instance of that effect (if you are effected again later by the same effect, such as poison 10 rounds later, you are not immune from this check but may make another check regardless of first checks result). If you roll a 1 on the die then roll the check again, if you fail the second check then you gain a negative level which lasts for 1 hour.
If you are already undead then you gain turn resistance 2 or your current turn resistance goes up by 2 while focused. Whenever a turn undead check is made that would turn you, you may expend your focus as an immediate action to force that character to reroll all aspects of the turn attempt.

Or possibly, 'When focused any metapsionic feats applied to powers from this mantle do not require the expenditure of focus' since it is easy and the powers in this mantle are really light on augments.

1 Protection from Negative Energy Creatures (as prot from evil except it applies to creatures powered by negative energy and negative energy attacks)
1 Stygian Discernment
2 Stygian Ray
2 Stygian Erasure
3 Stygian Bane
4 Stygian Disruption
4 Stygian Ward
6 Stygian Bolt
8 Stygian Veil
CrimsonDeath
05-10-07, 04:24 PM With the introduction of the negative energy powers in that book, I figured a Negative Energy mantle would've been appropriate. The granted power seems a bit cumbersome, and possibly a little powerful. I'd suggest something more like the Life mantle's granted power.

Shaping doesn't seem to have much of a theme, IMO. The powers kind of look like they're all over the place. Maybe you could explain your reasoning for lumping the powers together? It looks kind of like an attempt to sidestep the Ardent's restriction on power selection.

I like the Skill mantle. It seems thematically appropriate. I can't recall Focused Skill User off the top of my head, but being able to shuffle the skills to which it applies may be a bit powerful. Skill Focus might also be thematically appropriate, or possibly just gaining Focused Skill User as a bonus feat.
Scion of Coldshard
05-10-07, 04:31 PM The negative energy mantles ability is a bit cumbersome, but I couldnt think of anything better. I almost put up some ability to ignore negative levels when they come in but it didnt seem to fit with the rest very well.

The shaper mantle started as a psicrystal mantle but once solicit psicyrstal and psionic repair damage are on there it is basically done. Instead I just went for a mishmash of things that kindof make and shape things. It is not very well done though so I could use some suggestions ;)
MnemonicSV
05-11-07, 02:28 PM 1) The Skills mantle has potential... I'm not certain about Focused Skill User as the granted ability though. Being able to dynamically choose the skills to which the focus applies overpowers the utility of the feat a little. Perhaps if you must choose which feats it applies to when you gain the mantle, it would not be overpowered.

IIRC, Focused Skill User can be taken multiple times, choosing different skills each time it is taken. If you have slotted Focused Skill User more than once before taking this mantle, how would the benefit account for this? Would all your focused skill user feats be improved?

Not sure about some of the power choices. Feat leech doesn't strictly apply to skills really (though they may benefit; what happens if you steal Focused Skill User, as above?). Not certain how Identify got in there.

Overall the mantle powers sort of shift from skill-flavoured to seer-flavoured, but I suppose that can't be helped really.

2) How does Psicrystal Affinity say ectoplasmic shaping? A different granted ability is in order. Perhaps a +4 bonus to caster level to all metacreativity powers you manifest, for the explicit purpose of resisting dispelling effects?

Mind Seed and Ectoplasmic Form doesn't say Shaping to me, but perhaps I am misinterpreting your intention of the mantle. Perhaps if it were called the Ectoplasm mantle or something like that.

I would simply divorce this mantle from your original "psicrystal" concept... but it still has hope.

3) This mantle seems a little unnecessary to me (what with the death mantle and all). It has the feel of a mantle that just had all the stygian powers "thrown into it." It practically means that anyone with this mantle won't not take the Stygian Archon feat later.

The granted ability is indeed cumbersome, and a little overpowered as well. It is also completely useless unless you actually have a power which deals negative levels (not good for low level Divine Minds).

-----

Speaking of Divine Minds, what are the Psychic Aura abilities of the mantles?
Scion of Coldshard
05-11-07, 03:46 PM 1) The Skills mantle has potential... I'm not certain about Focused Skill User as the granted ability though. Being able to dynamically choose the skills to which the focus applies overpowers the utility of the feat a little. Perhaps if you must choose which feats it applies to when you gain the mantle, it would not be overpowered.

I am debating whether to just have the mantle grant the feat or to give it some other limitation such as that version of the feat only working on skills you have 5 or more ranks in.

Tough call. Especially since the focused skill user feat is kindof bad. When you take it you pick three skills that you have ranks in and get a +2 competance bonus on those skills while you have focus.

So it has some pretty hefty limitations built in already.

I thought about having it increase synergy bonuses by 1 point while focused but then I thought about diplomacy and had to change that thought ;)

IIRC, Focused Skill User can be taken multiple times, choosing different skills each time it is taken. If you have slotted Focused Skill User more than once before taking this mantle, how would the benefit account for this? Would all your focused skill user feats be improved?

As it is currently I would definately have it add +1 to all of the focused skill user feats. If someone actually spent two feats to get 6 skills under that umbrella they would need all the help that they could get. I might even feel bad enough to give some other bonus as well for that matter such as the mantle granting +1 per focused skill user feat to all skills those feats worked on. At that point someone might actually take that feat three times for a +5 competance bonus while focused to 9 different skills.

Not sure about some of the power choices. Feat leech doesn't strictly apply to skills really (though they may benefit; what happens if you steal Focused Skill User, as above?). Not certain how Identify got in there.

Those two were basically knowledge based without many other options. I wanted to hit 10 choices since it was a skill based mantle. At first I had Object Reading and Sense Psychic Impressions but I didnt want to step on the Seers toes that much.

Overall the mantle powers sort of shift from skill-flavoured to seer-flavoured, but I suppose that can't be helped really.

Well, there is no seer mantle yet ;)

2) How does Psicrystal Affinity say ectoplasmic shaping? A different granted ability is in order. Perhaps a +4 bonus to caster level to all metacreativity powers you manifest, for the explicit purpose of resisting dispelling effects?

Loosely based on the psicrystal forming out of stable ectoplasm and crystalizing as your personality fragment entered it.

Like I said though, it is not well done. Suggestions on a Psicrystal Mantle or a mantle where getting a psicrystal is the granted ability that makes sense would be most helpful!

I would simply divorce this mantle from your original "psicrystal" concept... but it still has hope.

I know it is a bit too mishmashed :( There just arent that many psicrystal related powers and I really dont want to make up my own powers to go with a made up mantle.

3) This mantle seems a little unnecessary to me (what with the death mantle and all). It has the feel of a mantle that just had all the stygian powers "thrown into it." It practically means that anyone with this mantle won't not take the Stygian Archon feat later.

The death mantle is by default an Evil mantle and it has some pretty dumb powers on it unfortunately :( It really seems to be trying to be about 3 mantles at once: a dead mantle, an undeath mantle, and a negative energy mantle.

I just want a mantle with a bunch of negative energy on it which could be used for good or ill as the character desired.

The granted ability is indeed cumbersome, and a little overpowered as well. It is also completely useless unless you actually have a power which deals negative levels (not good for low level Divine Minds).

Well, two of the powers on its list do give negative levels, but I catch your meaning. Although I am not sure about the overpowered bit.

Still, any ideas that are negative energy related?

Perhaps, 'while psionically focused if you make your save vs a negative energy spell/power that deals you damage (such as inflict x) you gain as many hp as that spell/power would have dealt instead of the normal effects'.

That fits thematically, although it is also generally useless. It also has issues if the creature would already be healed by the attack such as some spells vs most undead.

There must be a decent ability in the theme!

Speaking of Divine Minds, what are the Psychic Aura abilities of the mantles?

Honestly havent gotten to that.

Perhaps the skill mantle could grant yourself and all allies a +1 insight bonus on skill checks with an extra +1 every so many levels up to some maximum. That would fit pretty well.

The shaper mantle is likely to be dismantled and recreated entirely so who knows at this point.

Negative energy mantle is tough though. So many options. I like to have crazy options whenever I can though so, even though it is really weird, I might just go with something like this:
Whenever you or an ally within your radius effected by anything that the undead type would grant immunity to they have a 5% chance of being treated as having the undead type for that effect (each effect is checked seperately and must be checked again each round if applicable).

hmm.. maybe I can give the granted ability from the mantle something similar. That is just a fun idea ;)
Scion of Coldshard
05-14-07, 10:22 AM I put a bit of editing in and the first post shows some changes in case anyone wanted to comment on anything ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Scion of Coldshard 05-10-07, 02:07 PM	Ok, so it looks like I am switching characters in a game due to some subplots that need to be taken care of offstage. As the current mantles do not fit what I was going for I made up a few new ones. Help on fleshing them out would be appreciated ;) Please no, 'its broken!' comments or similar. Skill Mantle Granted Ability: When you become psionically focused you gain the Focused Skill User feat and may choose the skills that it applies to. You lose this feat when you lose your focus. If you already have Focused Skill User then when you are focused its bonuses increase by +1 but you may not choose new skills for it nor do you lose the feat when you lose your focus. 1 Call to mind 1 Eidetic Lock 2 Feat Leech 2 Psionic Identify 2 Zone of Alertness 3 Realized Potential 4 Psychic Reformation 6 Psychometry 8 Hypercognition 9 Metafaculty Skill Mantle Granted Ability: When you become psionically focused get a +3 bonus to one skill, a +2 bonus to 2 skills, or a +1 bonus to all skills. These bonuses are competence bonuses and the bonus you recieve cannot be larger than the amount of ranks that you have in that skill. 1 Call to mind 1 Eidetic Lock 2 Feat Leech 2 Psionic Identify 2 Zone of Alertness 3 Realized Potential 4 Psychic Reformation 6 Psychometry 8 Hypercognition 9 Metafaculty Shaping Mantle Granted Ability: Gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat. If you already have Psicrystal Affinity gain Improved Psicrystal instead. 1 Psionic Minor Creation 1 Entangling Ectoplasm 2 Concealing Amorpha 3 Ectoplasmic Form 4 Burrowing Bonds 6 Psionic Fabricate 8 Astral Seed 9 Genesis Mind Divided Granted Ability: Gain Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat or Improved Psicrystal if you already have it. 1 Telempathic Projection 2 Id Insinuation 2 Mental Disruption 3 Personality Parasite 4 Death Urge 4 Schism 4 Suggestion, Implanted 5 Psychotic Break 6 Fission 7 Insanity Negative Energy Mantle Granted Ability: While focused whenever you deal negative levels to another creature you have a 25% chance to gain 5 temp hp for each negative level given. These temp hp stack with other temp hp gained from this ability and they last for 1 hour. If you lose focus all temp hp gained from this ability are lost. While focused if you must make a save to avoid losing a level due to energy drain you get a +2 to that check. 1 Protection from Negative Energy Creatures (as prot from evil except it applies to creatures powered by negative energy and negative energy attacks) 1 Stygian Discernment 2 Stygian Ray 2 Stygian Erasure 3 Stygian Bane 4 Stygian Disruption 4 Stygian Ward 6 Stygian Bolt 8 Stygian Veil Negative Energy Mantle Granted Ability: While focused whenever you would be effected by something that the undead type would make you immune to (except mind-affecting effects) you make a DC 20 wisdom check to become immune to a single instance of that effect (if you are effected again later by the same effect, such as poison 10 rounds later, you are not immune from this check but may make another check regardless of first checks result). If you roll a 1 on the die then roll the check again, if you fail the second check then you gain a negative level which lasts for 1 hour. If you are already undead then you gain turn resistance 2 or your current turn resistance goes up by 2 while focused. Whenever a turn undead check is made that would turn you, you may expend your focus as an immediate action to force that character to reroll all aspects of the turn attempt. Or possibly, 'When focused any metapsionic feats applied to powers from this mantle do not require the expenditure of focus' since it is easy and the powers in this mantle are really light on augments. 1 Protection from Negative Energy Creatures (as prot from evil except it applies to creatures powered by negative energy and negative energy attacks) 1 Stygian Discernment 2 Stygian Ray 2 Stygian Erasure 3 Stygian Bane 4 Stygian Disruption 4 Stygian Ward 6 Stygian Bolt 8 Stygian Veil
CrimsonDeath 05-10-07, 04:24 PM	With the introduction of the negative energy powers in that book, I figured a Negative Energy mantle would've been appropriate. The granted power seems a bit cumbersome, and possibly a little powerful. I'd suggest something more like the Life mantle's granted power. Shaping doesn't seem to have much of a theme, IMO. The powers kind of look like they're all over the place. Maybe you could explain your reasoning for lumping the powers together? It looks kind of like an attempt to sidestep the Ardent's restriction on power selection. I like the Skill mantle. It seems thematically appropriate. I can't recall Focused Skill User off the top of my head, but being able to shuffle the skills to which it applies may be a bit powerful. Skill Focus might also be thematically appropriate, or possibly just gaining Focused Skill User as a bonus feat.
Scion of Coldshard 05-10-07, 04:31 PM	The negative energy mantles ability is a bit cumbersome, but I couldnt think of anything better. I almost put up some ability to ignore negative levels when they come in but it didnt seem to fit with the rest very well. The shaper mantle started as a psicrystal mantle but once solicit psicyrstal and psionic repair damage are on there it is basically done. Instead I just went for a mishmash of things that kindof make and shape things. It is not very well done though so I could use some suggestions ;)
MnemonicSV 05-11-07, 02:28 PM	1) The Skills mantle has potential... I'm not certain about Focused Skill User as the granted ability though. Being able to dynamically choose the skills to which the focus applies overpowers the utility of the feat a little. Perhaps if you must choose which feats it applies to when you gain the mantle, it would not be overpowered. IIRC, Focused Skill User can be taken multiple times, choosing different skills each time it is taken. If you have slotted Focused Skill User more than once before taking this mantle, how would the benefit account for this? Would all your focused skill user feats be improved? Not sure about some of the power choices. Feat leech doesn't strictly apply to skills really (though they may benefit; what happens if you steal Focused Skill User, as above?). Not certain how Identify got in there. Overall the mantle powers sort of shift from skill-flavoured to seer-flavoured, but I suppose that can't be helped really. 2) How does Psicrystal Affinity say ectoplasmic shaping? A different granted ability is in order. Perhaps a +4 bonus to caster level to all metacreativity powers you manifest, for the explicit purpose of resisting dispelling effects? Mind Seed and Ectoplasmic Form doesn't say Shaping to me, but perhaps I am misinterpreting your intention of the mantle. Perhaps if it were called the Ectoplasm mantle or something like that. I would simply divorce this mantle from your original "psicrystal" concept... but it still has hope. 3) This mantle seems a little unnecessary to me (what with the death mantle and all). It has the feel of a mantle that just had all the stygian powers "thrown into it." It practically means that anyone with this mantle won't not take the Stygian Archon feat later. The granted ability is indeed cumbersome, and a little overpowered as well. It is also completely useless unless you actually have a power which deals negative levels (not good for low level Divine Minds). ----- Speaking of Divine Minds, what are the Psychic Aura abilities of the mantles?
Scion of Coldshard 05-11-07, 03:46 PM	1) The Skills mantle has potential... I'm not certain about Focused Skill User as the granted ability though. Being able to dynamically choose the skills to which the focus applies overpowers the utility of the feat a little. Perhaps if you must choose which feats it applies to when you gain the mantle, it would not be overpowered. I am debating whether to just have the mantle grant the feat or to give it some other limitation such as that version of the feat only working on skills you have 5 or more ranks in. Tough call. Especially since the focused skill user feat is kindof bad. When you take it you pick three skills that you have ranks in and get a +2 competance bonus on those skills while you have focus. So it has some pretty hefty limitations built in already. I thought about having it increase synergy bonuses by 1 point while focused but then I thought about diplomacy and had to change that thought ;) IIRC, Focused Skill User can be taken multiple times, choosing different skills each time it is taken. If you have slotted Focused Skill User more than once before taking this mantle, how would the benefit account for this? Would all your focused skill user feats be improved? As it is currently I would definately have it add +1 to all of the focused skill user feats. If someone actually spent two feats to get 6 skills under that umbrella they would need all the help that they could get. I might even feel bad enough to give some other bonus as well for that matter such as the mantle granting +1 per focused skill user feat to all skills those feats worked on. At that point someone might actually take that feat three times for a +5 competance bonus while focused to 9 different skills. Not sure about some of the power choices. Feat leech doesn't strictly apply to skills really (though they may benefit; what happens if you steal Focused Skill User, as above?). Not certain how Identify got in there. Those two were basically knowledge based without many other options. I wanted to hit 10 choices since it was a skill based mantle. At first I had Object Reading and Sense Psychic Impressions but I didnt want to step on the Seers toes that much. Overall the mantle powers sort of shift from skill-flavoured to seer-flavoured, but I suppose that can't be helped really. Well, there is no seer mantle yet ;) 2) How does Psicrystal Affinity say ectoplasmic shaping? A different granted ability is in order. Perhaps a +4 bonus to caster level to all metacreativity powers you manifest, for the explicit purpose of resisting dispelling effects? Loosely based on the psicrystal forming out of stable ectoplasm and crystalizing as your personality fragment entered it. Like I said though, it is not well done. Suggestions on a Psicrystal Mantle or a mantle where getting a psicrystal is the granted ability that makes sense would be most helpful! I would simply divorce this mantle from your original "psicrystal" concept... but it still has hope. I know it is a bit too mishmashed :( There just arent that many psicrystal related powers and I really dont want to make up my own powers to go with a made up mantle. 3) This mantle seems a little unnecessary to me (what with the death mantle and all). It has the feel of a mantle that just had all the stygian powers "thrown into it." It practically means that anyone with this mantle won't not take the Stygian Archon feat later. The death mantle is by default an Evil mantle and it has some pretty dumb powers on it unfortunately :( It really seems to be trying to be about 3 mantles at once: a dead mantle, an undeath mantle, and a negative energy mantle. I just want a mantle with a bunch of negative energy on it which could be used for good or ill as the character desired. The granted ability is indeed cumbersome, and a little overpowered as well. It is also completely useless unless you actually have a power which deals negative levels (not good for low level Divine Minds). Well, two of the powers on its list do give negative levels, but I catch your meaning. Although I am not sure about the overpowered bit. Still, any ideas that are negative energy related? Perhaps, 'while psionically focused if you make your save vs a negative energy spell/power that deals you damage (such as inflict x) you gain as many hp as that spell/power would have dealt instead of the normal effects'. That fits thematically, although it is also generally useless. It also has issues if the creature would already be healed by the attack such as some spells vs most undead. There must be a decent ability in the theme! Speaking of Divine Minds, what are the Psychic Aura abilities of the mantles? Honestly havent gotten to that. Perhaps the skill mantle could grant yourself and all allies a +1 insight bonus on skill checks with an extra +1 every so many levels up to some maximum. That would fit pretty well. The shaper mantle is likely to be dismantled and recreated entirely so who knows at this point. Negative energy mantle is tough though. So many options. I like to have crazy options whenever I can though so, even though it is really weird, I might just go with something like this: Whenever you or an ally within your radius effected by anything that the undead type would grant immunity to they have a 5% chance of being treated as having the undead type for that effect (each effect is checked seperately and must be checked again each round if applicable). hmm.. maybe I can give the granted ability from the mantle something similar. That is just a fun idea ;)
Scion of Coldshard 05-14-07, 10:22 AM	I put a bit of editing in and the first post shows some changes in case anyone wanted to comment on anything ;)