Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Katash 01-06-08, 06:55 PM	Already playing a psion who looovvveeess the great nastiness of sharing Metamorphosis with my psicrystal. Currently I'm using the Diamond Saint Prc postedin this Forum. Showed my dm the threads showing psicrystals get feats and he's allowed it. What to pick? All my feats are taken for my Gish Tob Kineticist- he has the metamorphic transfer bit, Continual Power (from Hyperconscious, repeating disintegrates mmmmm...) and Martial study etc. So i'd like the psicrystal to aid me in some way- Would item creation feats work? I'm still not sure if they gain XP, but they could make the skill req and I'd provide the powers- for Dorje's for example. I wanted hidden talent but the crystal doesn't get ability enhancements every 4 HD (I think). so I was gonna go with craft dorje, universal item, arms and armour etc.
Bacris 01-06-08, 10:48 PM	How is your psicrystal fulfilling the Manifester level requirements without any class levels?
AntiDjinn 01-06-08, 11:28 PM	Your psicrystal does not get its own pool of XP, it simply levels when you level. If your pet rock can craft items at all then it would probably have to draw on your XP. It is, after all, an extension of your psyche. Being constructs, a psicrystal might lack the creativity to make an original item. Constructs are good at following instructions, but not so good at making plans of their own. The obvious exception would be the Artiste crystal, which is seeded from the creative portion of your psyche. If it can stand on your shoulder and give you pointers that are sufficient to boost your crafting skill by 3, then it is probably gifted enough to make items of its own. On the other hand, it might be argued that those who can not do, teach; being able to coach, critique, and goad and artist might not imply that the teacher itself has a lick of talent.
Katash 01-07-08, 12:26 AM	Damn, I'd hoped it could draw upon my XP. Oh, well. In that case, what sould a Psicrystal take as a feat? 1 to 20 progression. It would be nice to share powers at a range of 30ft instead of 5. Familiars can do this thru the Bonded Familiar Feat- could a psicrystal taking it? If not what would synergise well with me or let it stand alone? If i get SLA from metamorphic transfer and the psicrystal does as well could it take a feat to raise the DC's? Check http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=14734733#post14734733 thread to look for synergies with my Psion Build. Maybe Martial Study would be best to take (not sure if viable since it doesn't have any class levels) for a Psicrystal in a humaniod form. Cheers.
CrimsonDeath 01-07-08, 03:26 AM	Constructs are good at following instructions, but not so good at making plans of their own. I'd say that would depend on the mental ability scores of the construct in question. A psicrystal has Humanoid-level mental ability scores, so it could be expected to concoct and implement plans relatively well, especially if those plans revolve around activities closely associated to its personality type.
flamepheonix182 01-10-08, 04:43 PM	I don't know why people think Psicrystals get feats. It's explicitly stated that Familiars don't get feats and I can't find anything that would suggest psicrystal would be the exception to that rule. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20050906a This effective Hit Dice total applies only when the familiar is subjected to some effect whose resolution depends on Hit Dice, such as sleep, holy word, circle of death, and the frightful presence special attack. The familiar does not gain any skills, improved ability scores, base saving throw bonus, base attack bonus, feats, or hit points from its effective Hit Dice (though being a familiar improves most of these things -- read on), nor does the familiar increase in size.
Bacris 01-10-08, 04:46 PM	Because psicrystals aren't familiars? Just as animal companions aren't familiars?
flamepheonix182 01-10-08, 05:05 PM	Thats just a work arouund that people are trying to do. Psicrystals are clearly meant to be familiars, not animal companions. And in the Animal companion rules its explicitely stated that animal companions get extra skill points and feats as they gain levels. Bonus HD Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice. where as Psycrystal do not have this stated. The psicrystal also shares the masters saving throw, skill ranks and BAB which is pretty much excatly like the familiar
AntiDjinn 01-10-08, 07:20 PM	Psicrystals are clearly meant to be familiars Except for the fact that they are the benefit of a feat and are not a class feature for any class (even the Erudite gets the feat as a bonus feat, not the pet rock as a class feature). They don't have rules for replacement (time to replace, XP cost, penalties to owner) after their destruction as familiars do. Since you still have feat after the rock gets busted (and having the physical rock is not a prereq) it is assumed you can get a new one, though WotC has maintained an almost comical code of silence on the details; they would never keep legions of screaming arcane fans wanting for such info. Familiar abilities are determined by levels in wizard, sorcerer, and any other class for which the familiar is a class ability. Psicrystal abilites are determined by psionic character levels because, once again, they are not a class feature for any class. Familiars must be pre-existing normal animals, while there are no wild psicrystals running around. So aside from the fact that they are completely different I could see why people might want to ignore the text and declare them to be identical.
flamepheonix182 01-10-08, 07:36 PM	I still don't get the idea where the feats come from though? the reason familiars don't get feats is because they don't actually "gain HD" they just progress from the table as the casters does. The Psi-crystal progress the same way so why would then get feats? don't get me wrong I would love my psicrystal to have feats but I can't find any justification for it. at least from a RAW stance
AntiDjinn 01-10-08, 08:30 PM	I would be just as happy with them not getting feats, if we could get a clear and definitive answer from WotC. But obviously, they are not going to answer this or the dead psicrystal question and they seem to be amused that people still ask. All of this could have been answered in the space in Comp. Psi. that was devoted to the Divine Mind. Or it could have been in the Rules Compendium. My theory is that they are going to issue a proclamation that answers all the pet rock questions 1 day before 4.0 Psionics Handbook is published.
CrimsonDeath 01-10-08, 08:34 PM	I still don't get the idea where the feats come from though? the reason familiars don't get feats is because they don't actually "gain HD" they just progress from the table as the casters does. The Psi-crystal progress the same way so why would then get feats? don't get me wrong I would love my psicrystal to have feats but I can't find any justification for it. at least from a RAW stance Psicrystals are very similar to familiars in this regard, but not identical. A familiar is treated as having HD equal to its master's. A psicrystal has HD equal to its master's.
flamepheonix182 01-10-08, 10:23 PM	oops double post =(!
flamepheonix182 01-10-08, 10:26 PM	Psicrystals are very similar to familiars in this regard, but not identical. A familiar is treated as having HD equal to its master's. A psicrystal has HD equal to its master's. Wow I never actually noticed that different wording before. Well I concede that it is possible. however that could have just been an oversight by wizards (surprise surprise a possible oversight in the psionics handbook!:P )