New Power: Karma's a *, isn't it? [Archive] - Wizards Community

New Power: Karma's a *, isn't it? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
04-09-08, 04:34 PM I came up with this rather spontaneously (read: quickly), so I'd appreciate any advice. Including if it's balanced or ways to power it down and make this more powerful version an augment.

Karma

Telepathy/Clairsentience
Level: Psion/Wilder 8
Display: auditory and mental
Manifesting Time: 1 full-round action
Range: close
Target: one selected creature with INT 3 or higher
Duration: instantaneous and one round per level; see text
Saving Throw: Will half; sometimes harmless
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 15

You peer into your target's mind, locating either all of their wrongs or all of their good deeds, and then you follow this path to the minds of their victims or benefiters (living and dead) and unite their summed negative or positive emotions into one brutal force or protective field.
If you choose the offensive version, the target must make a Will save or take 2 points of damage per hit die and take a penalty to all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saves for the duration of the power. This penalty is equal to -1 per three hit die of the target. A successful save halves both effects.
If you choose the beneficial version, the target gains 2 temporary hit points per hit die and gains a luck bonus to all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saves for the duration of the power. This bonus is equal to +1 per three hit die of the target.

Augment: For each two additional power points you spend, the save DC of this power increases by 1.

This power assumes that even the most noble champions of righteousness have angered some people (like the fiends they've defeated), and even the most depraved of villains have pleased someone. It also assumes that the psion can find all of this but can only channel so much, so the overall depravity or goodness of the target has no impact on this power - only how long the target's had to make friends or enemies (and the relative rate this occurs at - read: higher level characters are more active and so make more of both).
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
04-12-08, 08:43 PM So, I guess this just needs such serious work that it's not even worth responding to. Maybe people just didn't like employment of dual disciplines, like dual school spells.
Herid_Fel
04-12-08, 09:03 PM Well, looking at it, it seems like it should be a mind-affecting power (like most telepathy powers). That limits its utility at that level, because many of its offensive targets will be immune to mind-affecting effects. Furthermore, at that level, a failed save will usually kill its target, rather than doing a small amount of damage (40 damage at level 20 isn't that much, especially with save for half) and giving a penalty to most rolls for the rest of the fight.

The defensive part is better, in part because a luck bonus is fairly rare. I'd have made it an insight bonus, but it's a matter of taste. Assuming you manifest it on an ally of your own level, that's +5 or +6 to all rolls he's making. I still don't know if I'd take this as one of my powers at level 9; it'd depend a lot on whether I'm better served by buffing one of my party members or doing something on my own.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
04-12-08, 10:15 PM Maybe. Although the fluff doesn't lead me to think of it as "mind-affecting." It's not mentally forcing the target to fail; it's calling all your enemies' hatred into a substantial force that's sabotaging you. It's meant to be the psionic analogue of a curse. As for damage, I never intended it to be the main effect - just gravy on top. I had actually been debating making the damage recurring each round for the duration of the power. Maybe I should make the damage a no save effect. I had also contemplated giving this power a bonus to all rolls to overcome power resistance equal to the bonus/penalty the power would grant/impose. Anyway, it's definitely staying a luck bonus. It'd either be that or sacred/profane (not exactly suited to psionics). It's really supposed to be a power about channeling collective will to alter odds (and what are odds but luck?).

I'll definitely knock it down at least one level. Better to start off too weak and build up than begin totally broken.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 04-09-08, 04:34 PM	I came up with this rather spontaneously (read: quickly), so I'd appreciate any advice. Including if it's balanced or ways to power it down and make this more powerful version an augment. Karma Telepathy/Clairsentience Level: Psion/Wilder 8 Display: auditory and mental Manifesting Time: 1 full-round action Range: close Target: one selected creature with INT 3 or higher Duration: instantaneous and one round per level; see text Saving Throw: Will half; sometimes harmless Power Resistance: Yes Power Points: 15 You peer into your target's mind, locating either all of their wrongs or all of their good deeds, and then you follow this path to the minds of their victims or benefiters (living and dead) and unite their summed negative or positive emotions into one brutal force or protective field. If you choose the offensive version, the target must make a Will save or take 2 points of damage per hit die and take a penalty to all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saves for the duration of the power. This penalty is equal to -1 per three hit die of the target. A successful save halves both effects. If you choose the beneficial version, the target gains 2 temporary hit points per hit die and gains a luck bonus to all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saves for the duration of the power. This bonus is equal to +1 per three hit die of the target. Augment: For each two additional power points you spend, the save DC of this power increases by 1. This power assumes that even the most noble champions of righteousness have angered some people (like the fiends they've defeated), and even the most depraved of villains have pleased someone. It also assumes that the psion can find all of this but can only channel so much, so the overall depravity or goodness of the target has no impact on this power - only how long the target's had to make friends or enemies (and the relative rate this occurs at - read: higher level characters are more active and so make more of both).
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 04-12-08, 08:43 PM	So, I guess this just needs such serious work that it's not even worth responding to. Maybe people just didn't like employment of dual disciplines, like dual school spells.
Herid_Fel 04-12-08, 09:03 PM	Well, looking at it, it seems like it should be a mind-affecting power (like most telepathy powers). That limits its utility at that level, because many of its offensive targets will be immune to mind-affecting effects. Furthermore, at that level, a failed save will usually kill its target, rather than doing a small amount of damage (40 damage at level 20 isn't that much, especially with save for half) and giving a penalty to most rolls for the rest of the fight. The defensive part is better, in part because a luck bonus is fairly rare. I'd have made it an insight bonus, but it's a matter of taste. Assuming you manifest it on an ally of your own level, that's +5 or +6 to all rolls he's making. I still don't know if I'd take this as one of my powers at level 9; it'd depend a lot on whether I'm better served by buffing one of my party members or doing something on my own.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 04-12-08, 10:15 PM	Maybe. Although the fluff doesn't lead me to think of it as "mind-affecting." It's not mentally forcing the target to fail; it's calling all your enemies' hatred into a substantial force that's sabotaging you. It's meant to be the psionic analogue of a curse. As for damage, I never intended it to be the main effect - just gravy on top. I had actually been debating making the damage recurring each round for the duration of the power. Maybe I should make the damage a no save effect. I had also contemplated giving this power a bonus to all rolls to overcome power resistance equal to the bonus/penalty the power would grant/impose. Anyway, it's definitely staying a luck bonus. It'd either be that or sacred/profane (not exactly suited to psionics). It's really supposed to be a power about channeling collective will to alter odds (and what are odds but luck?). I'll definitely knock it down at least one level. Better to start off too weak and build up than begin totally broken.