[PEACH] This is usually the part where people start screaming... [Archive] - Wizards Community

[PEACH] This is usually the part where people start screaming... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The Vorpal Tribble
05-14-07, 11:10 PM Because I can see how things work. What makes things... tick. Like you.

Sylar's Study [Psionic]
You can see how the mind works.
Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks
Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. The target's head and brain must be intact and be no more than 1 hour since its death. If the brain is killed, such as by mind thrust or psychic crush, then it is not considered intact. Spells such as Gentle Repose or a mindflayer's brain canister can prolong the brain's usability, though must be removed from it's suspended state to examine. To recognize a psionic power the being knew, you must be able to examine the brain and succeed on a Psicraft check, DC 25 + power level. Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 minute per level of the power. Once you have determined the power or psi-like ability the being possessed you can learn it and add it to your list of powers known as long as its no higher a level than you can normally manifest. To learn additional powers requires another session of concentration. Out of these powers learned only 1 may be kept permanently from each brain. You retain knowledge of the remaining powers and the ability to manifest them for 24 hours or until you sleep, whichever comes first.
Special: This counts as the brain being eaten for the purposes of an illithid slayer's Brain Nausea class feature.
OmegaLord
05-15-07, 12:18 AM :eek:

:mymy:

Thats... just... GENIUS!

I must now play an erudite with scary catepillar eyebrows (seriously hes like 6 hairs away from a uni-brow).

Massive kudos to you sir. In addition to being hideously flavorful (HA!) it also seems quite balanced.
Thomar_of_Uointer
05-15-07, 01:04 AM Hmm... Makes Expanded Knowledge pointless at higher levels. I'd limit it to powers of level 3 or lower, or possibly equal to the user's key manifesting ability modifier or lower.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-15-07, 01:07 AM Hmm... Makes Expanded Knowledge pointless at higher levels. I'd limit it to powers of level 3 or lower, or possibly equal to the user's key manifesting ability modifier or lower.
Not neccessarily. With that feat you can choose the power from anywhere you like. With this one there is no guarantee that you can get anything you don't already know.

Also requires you to actually meet a psionic creature and kill them. Quite a bit more effort is involved.
Obsidianjaerc
05-15-07, 02:18 AM Cool!
JoshuaZ
05-15-07, 02:56 AM Not neccessarily. With that feat you can choose the power from anywhere you like. With this one there is no guarantee that you can get anything you don't already know.

Also requires you to actually meet a psionic creature and kill them. Quite a bit more effort is involved.

This feat is easily broken. Among other tricks, one could be a thrallherd, have thralls research the desired powers and then kill the thralls. This makes the thrall + research + psychic chirgurery trick (which normally requires epic levels due to needing a thrall with 9th level manifestations) much easier.
I suggest that there be an xp cost to aquiring the new powers. If one makes it take a quarter the xp researching the power that would deal with most tricks. I suggest in that case reducing the psicraft DC to recognize the power to 15 + the power level to recognize the power, and then make it 20+ the power level to learn the power.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-15-07, 07:31 AM This feat is easily broken. Among other tricks, one could be a thrallherd, have thralls research the desired powers and then kill the thralls. This makes the thrall + research + psychic chirgurery trick (which normally requires epic levels due to needing a thrall with 9th level manifestations) much easier.
This is only if you do the cheesy thing about all your thralls 'magically' happen to be psionic.

Seriously though, why not just use Psychic Reformation? Sure it costs some minor XP, but you can change everything.
sooperspook
05-15-07, 08:28 AM As far as I know, the Thrallherd gets to choose what his thralls are. Unlike the Leadership feat.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-15-07, 08:51 AM As far as I know, the Thrallherd gets to choose what his thralls are. Unlike the Leadership feat.
Not a bit of text in the PrC even hints at that.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-15-07, 11:25 AM I have also just specified a bit that everyone seems to be missing. The brain cannot be dead for more than an hour. It takes 11 minutes to study a single 1st level power. Therefore if you kill it and the very next round cut out the brain you can still only learn around 5 powers before it is too degraded to learn any more.
Ilikan Holyaxe
05-15-07, 12:00 PM You should state that you cannot learn powers from a brain coated in quintessence.
Harbin_Dunewalker
05-15-07, 12:13 PM Funky. Kinda makes sense, though- you can use other psionic creatures as a source of powers known through "direct mental contact," and the process is very much like using a scroll. If wizards can learn spells from a scroll they found, why shouldn't psions?
CrimsonDeath
05-15-07, 04:29 PM I have also just specified a bit that everyone seems to be missing. The brain cannot be dead for more than an hour. It takes 11 minutes to study a single 1st level power. Therefore if you kill it and the very next round cut out the brain you can still only learn around 5 powers before it is too degraded to learn any more.
Unless the friendly party Cleric casts Gentle Repose on it.
Ishindri
05-15-07, 04:44 PM Simply pure awesome :D I can just imagine- the party manages to bring down the enemy psion, and next round, the erudite is on him with a bonesaw while the rest of the party looks on in horror... I love it.
brahmin
05-15-07, 05:37 PM hmmm, i really like the flavor of the feat, but for balance issues, i would limit it to one power only and let the brain "expire" its psionic energy after 1 hour regardless of quintessence or gentle repose and similar effects. still worth taking imo if the campaign has a lot of psionic flavor.

how would it work with creatures who have psi-like abilities?
Moosh Nailo
05-16-07, 12:41 AM Very w00t.

And I agree with brahmin, it should last one hour period.
And after reading JLaurHughes' post just below mine, I'm liking the thought that you can gentle repose the brain all you want, but you can only do research when it is actually decomposing (active. at least, as active as a dead brain gets). As in, repose lets you study it later, but not longer. I believe that is what JLaurHughes is saying.
JLaurHughes
05-16-07, 12:53 AM Because I can see how things work. What makes things... tick. Like you.

Sylar's Study [Psionic]
You can see how the mind works.
Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks
Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. The target's head must be intact and be no more than 1 hour since its death. Spells such as Gentle Repose or a mindflayer's brain canister can prolong the brain's usability. To recognize a psionic power the being knew, you must be able to examine the brain and succeed on a Psicraft check, DC 25 + power level. Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 per level. Once you have determined the power or psi-like ability the being possessed you can learn it and add it to your list of powers known as long as its no higher a level than you can normally manifest. To learn additional powers requires another session of concentration.
Special: This counts as the brain being eaten for the purposes of an illithid slayer's Brain Nausea class feature.

There is only one part of this I am having a bit of trouble with. The wording in the Bold text isn't that clear though I know what your meaning is, some people would be asking +1 what per level of what?

Add a limit to how long the spells you've mentioned in the body of the feat prolong the brain's usability. For example even the brain does not decompose while under the effects of Gentle Repose, the activity slows to a point where it becomes nil>Represented as X number of hours. I think this can be represented as up to 24 hours.
JulesCARV
05-16-07, 01:13 AM Yeah... if you have a party with a level 17+ cleric (casting True Resurrection) and two psions, they could repeatedly study each other's brains, and psychicly reform to learn powers neither knew before. Learning a few 9th level powers and some lower level powers (depending on whether the gentle repose trick works, five powers total or potentially dozens) would cost only 25,000 gp, rather than the 9,000 xp for just one 9th level power for psychic chirurgery.

As for thrallherds, they have the same abilities as leadership except where stated otherwise -- which means that a thrallherd "can try to attract a cohort of a particular race, class, and alignment."
razorangel
05-16-07, 11:42 AM Nevermind!
Ryuu_Tenshi
05-16-07, 01:48 PM Oh lord. I love this idea. And let me quote my response to this Monday's episode:

SYLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!
Ilikan Holyaxe
05-16-07, 01:56 PM Hee hee, now, does Mind Thrusting a person into death turn their brain to useless goo? Hows about Psychic Crush?
The Vorpal Tribble
05-16-07, 04:03 PM Ok folks, I've adjusted it so that you can only permanently learn one power, though all the others you learn from it last in your memory for 24 hours.

how would it work with creatures who have psi-like abilities?
The same as psionic powers. If it is a 4th level power than it is learned as one even if the being could manifest it more powerfully.

And after reading JLaurHughes' post just below mine, I'm liking the thought that you can gentle repose the brain all you want, but you can only do research when it is actually decomposing (active. at least, as active as a dead brain gets). As in, repose lets you study it later, but not longer. I believe that is what JLaurHughes is saying.
Thats how I intended it. Will elaborate in the text.

Hee hee, now, does Mind Thrusting a person into death turn their brain to useless goo? Hows about Psychic Crush?
Had thought about that, but thought the feat would become overly long if I started including explanations like that. Will adjust and see how bad it is.
Grod_The_Giant
05-16-07, 04:09 PM wow. This is just...sick. And awesome. Syler is one of the creepiest villains out there. Ten/Ten thumbs up!
teshen
05-16-07, 07:33 PM This is just full of wrong and awesome. It's going in my games, and I'll bring this feat to the attention of the other storytellers I play with...

As a side note, what does he do with the brains? I get a mental image of...

:thinks: Tastes like... :lightbulb cryokinesis.
Frylord
05-16-07, 09:05 PM :thinks: Tastes like... :lightbulb cryokinesis.

Nah, it tastes like chicken...

I said this on the other forum Vorpal goes too, but good job Vorpal!
Stado
05-17-07, 05:20 AM I'm in agreeance with brahmin. The potential to acquire a psionic power should be limited to 1 hour, quintessence or gentle repose aside. This should be explicitly stated. Additionally, a person should only be able to acquire, at maximum, a single power from a brain/creature, not multiple ones if they take their time. As it is now, this feat seems to be, indeed, overpowered. I know, not many manifestors are going to have Heal 12, but still. Maybe if it were Epic, it wouldn't seem so abrasive, but again, the way it is now, there's no way this feat is integrally kosher.

Which is not to say I don't think this feat is totally awesome. 'Cause it is. You've taken an idea from what can only be considered a great source of inspiration and have done it justice. I respect you a lot, Vorpal, I just don't believe this feat of yours to be on par with others available at its potential time of acquisition.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-17-07, 10:15 AM I'm in agreeance with brahmin. The potential to acquire a psionic power should be limited to 1 hour, quintessence or gentle repose aside. This should be explicitly stated.
It is.

Additionally, a person should only be able to acquire, at maximum, a single power from a brain/creature, not multiple ones if they take their time.
They only permanently have one of the powers. Sure they get the others for 24 hours, but considering that you'll be taking the brain AFTER the battle, there may not be any need to use those powers until they are gone.
JLaurHughes
05-17-07, 10:43 AM They only permanently have one of the powers. Sure they get the others for 24 hours, but considering that you'll be taking the brain AFTER the battle, there may not be any need to use those powers until they are gone.

Or the powers that the recently deceased creature knew are already known by the manifester who uses the feat.

I like the rewrite of the feat, though I think that the manifester would also need concentration ranks as a prerequisite.
The Vorpal Tribble
05-17-07, 11:05 AM I like the rewrite of the feat, though I think that the manifester would also need concentration ranks as a prerequisite.
Whys that?

Basically heal to remove the brain without damaging it and knowledge of what each part does and how it affects the others, and psicraft to recognize the powers locked away and what portion of the brain is affected by it, etc.

Not sure how concentrations comes into it.
Ryuu_Tenshi
05-17-07, 01:24 PM Nah, it tastes like chicken...

Eating brains? When does THAT get fun...?
JLaurHughes
05-17-07, 09:34 PM Whys that?

Basically heal to remove the brain without damaging it and knowledge of what each part does and how it affects the others, and psicraft to recognize the powers locked away and what portion of the brain is affected by it, etc.

Not sure how concentrations comes into it.

I'll answer that question with a snipit from the feat.
Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 minute per level of the power. Basically because it does require a concentration check to study the psionic power.
Antendren
05-17-07, 11:23 PM Basically because it does require a concentration check to study the psionic power.It requires a psicraft check. "Concentration" is being used in its non-technical sense here as a synonym for "study".
JoshuaZ
05-18-07, 12:27 AM One other thing I'm wondering about this feat is whether it would work on a power that has been apopsied. The wording isn't clear but I would think that the answer should be yes if it were withing the 1 week, since arguably in that time the powers are still there but inaccessible. However, I could see it going either way.
InkBlot
05-18-07, 01:17 PM It requires a psicraft check. "Concentration" is being used in its non-technical sense here as a synonym for "study".
If there were something distracting you while you using the ability, then you would have to make a concentration check. That's what it means when any ability says that it requires concentrating.
InkBlot
05-18-07, 05:18 PM Sylar's Study [Psionic]
You can see how the mind works.
Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks
Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. ...

Who's Sylar?

Anyway, this is how I would render the idea as a feat;

CEREBRAL PHRENOLOGY [PSIONIC]
You can see how the mind works.
Prerequisites: Heal 4 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks
Benefit: You can manifest a power from the repetoire of a deceased creature, by establishing direct contact with it's brain. This works exactly as attempting to manifest an unkown power from another's powers known (Expanded Psionics Handbook p64), except as noted here. The deceased creature is considered willing. Knowledge of the power remains in your mind for 12 hours, no matter what other powers you manifest. However, you only have one chance to manifest the power within that time.

In order for the process to work, the brain must be intact and dead for no more than 1 hour. Any damage from a mind affecting effect which deals Hit Point damage (such as mind thrust) renders the brain unusable. The process of cerebral phrenology itself damages the brain, meaning that this feat can only be used once with any given brain.

Special: If you attempt to contact the brain of a dead Illithid Slayer, you may be affected by the Illithid Slayer's Brain Nausea class feature.

edit: Sorry for the doublepost! I meant to copy&paste this post into the earlier one instead of actualy posting it, but I got distracted and forgot.
CrimsonDeath
05-18-07, 05:31 PM Who's Sylar?
A character from the TV series "Heroes". This feat is (presumably) based on his signature ability.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The Vorpal Tribble 05-14-07, 11:10 PM	Because I can see how things work. What makes things... tick. Like you. Sylar's Study [Psionic] You can see how the mind works. Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. The target's head and brain must be intact and be no more than 1 hour since its death. If the brain is killed, such as by mind thrust or psychic crush, then it is not considered intact. Spells such as Gentle Repose or a mindflayer's brain canister can prolong the brain's usability, though must be removed from it's suspended state to examine. To recognize a psionic power the being knew, you must be able to examine the brain and succeed on a Psicraft check, DC 25 + power level. Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 minute per level of the power. Once you have determined the power or psi-like ability the being possessed you can learn it and add it to your list of powers known as long as its no higher a level than you can normally manifest. To learn additional powers requires another session of concentration. Out of these powers learned only 1 may be kept permanently from each brain. You retain knowledge of the remaining powers and the ability to manifest them for 24 hours or until you sleep, whichever comes first. Special: This counts as the brain being eaten for the purposes of an illithid slayer's Brain Nausea class feature.
OmegaLord 05-15-07, 12:18 AM	:eek: :mymy: Thats... just... GENIUS! I must now play an erudite with scary catepillar eyebrows (seriously hes like 6 hairs away from a uni-brow). Massive kudos to you sir. In addition to being hideously flavorful (HA!) it also seems quite balanced.
Thomar_of_Uointer 05-15-07, 01:04 AM	Hmm... Makes Expanded Knowledge pointless at higher levels. I'd limit it to powers of level 3 or lower, or possibly equal to the user's key manifesting ability modifier or lower.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-15-07, 01:07 AM	Hmm... Makes Expanded Knowledge pointless at higher levels. I'd limit it to powers of level 3 or lower, or possibly equal to the user's key manifesting ability modifier or lower. Not neccessarily. With that feat you can choose the power from anywhere you like. With this one there is no guarantee that you can get anything you don't already know. Also requires you to actually meet a psionic creature and kill them. Quite a bit more effort is involved.
Obsidianjaerc 05-15-07, 02:18 AM	Cool!
JoshuaZ 05-15-07, 02:56 AM	Not neccessarily. With that feat you can choose the power from anywhere you like. With this one there is no guarantee that you can get anything you don't already know. Also requires you to actually meet a psionic creature and kill them. Quite a bit more effort is involved. This feat is easily broken. Among other tricks, one could be a thrallherd, have thralls research the desired powers and then kill the thralls. This makes the thrall + research + psychic chirgurery trick (which normally requires epic levels due to needing a thrall with 9th level manifestations) much easier. I suggest that there be an xp cost to aquiring the new powers. If one makes it take a quarter the xp researching the power that would deal with most tricks. I suggest in that case reducing the psicraft DC to recognize the power to 15 + the power level to recognize the power, and then make it 20+ the power level to learn the power.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-15-07, 07:31 AM	This feat is easily broken. Among other tricks, one could be a thrallherd, have thralls research the desired powers and then kill the thralls. This makes the thrall + research + psychic chirgurery trick (which normally requires epic levels due to needing a thrall with 9th level manifestations) much easier. This is only if you do the cheesy thing about all your thralls 'magically' happen to be psionic. Seriously though, why not just use Psychic Reformation? Sure it costs some minor XP, but you can change everything.
sooperspook 05-15-07, 08:28 AM	As far as I know, the Thrallherd gets to choose what his thralls are. Unlike the Leadership feat.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-15-07, 08:51 AM	As far as I know, the Thrallherd gets to choose what his thralls are. Unlike the Leadership feat. Not a bit of text in the PrC even hints at that.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-15-07, 11:25 AM	I have also just specified a bit that everyone seems to be missing. The brain cannot be dead for more than an hour. It takes 11 minutes to study a single 1st level power. Therefore if you kill it and the very next round cut out the brain you can still only learn around 5 powers before it is too degraded to learn any more.
Ilikan Holyaxe 05-15-07, 12:00 PM	You should state that you cannot learn powers from a brain coated in quintessence.
Harbin_Dunewalker 05-15-07, 12:13 PM	Funky. Kinda makes sense, though- you can use other psionic creatures as a source of powers known through "direct mental contact," and the process is very much like using a scroll. If wizards can learn spells from a scroll they found, why shouldn't psions?
CrimsonDeath 05-15-07, 04:29 PM	I have also just specified a bit that everyone seems to be missing. The brain cannot be dead for more than an hour. It takes 11 minutes to study a single 1st level power. Therefore if you kill it and the very next round cut out the brain you can still only learn around 5 powers before it is too degraded to learn any more. Unless the friendly party Cleric casts Gentle Repose on it.
Ishindri 05-15-07, 04:44 PM	Simply pure awesome :D I can just imagine- the party manages to bring down the enemy psion, and next round, the erudite is on him with a bonesaw while the rest of the party looks on in horror... I love it.
brahmin 05-15-07, 05:37 PM	hmmm, i really like the flavor of the feat, but for balance issues, i would limit it to one power only and let the brain "expire" its psionic energy after 1 hour regardless of quintessence or gentle repose and similar effects. still worth taking imo if the campaign has a lot of psionic flavor. how would it work with creatures who have psi-like abilities?
Moosh Nailo 05-16-07, 12:41 AM	Very w00t. And I agree with brahmin, it should last one hour period. And after reading JLaurHughes' post just below mine, I'm liking the thought that you can gentle repose the brain all you want, but you can only do research when it is actually decomposing (active. at least, as active as a dead brain gets). As in, repose lets you study it later, but not longer. I believe that is what JLaurHughes is saying.
JLaurHughes 05-16-07, 12:53 AM	Because I can see how things work. What makes things... tick. Like you. Sylar's Study [Psionic] You can see how the mind works. Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. The target's head must be intact and be no more than 1 hour since its death. Spells such as Gentle Repose or a mindflayer's brain canister can prolong the brain's usability. To recognize a psionic power the being knew, you must be able to examine the brain and succeed on a Psicraft check, DC 25 + power level. Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 per level. Once you have determined the power or psi-like ability the being possessed you can learn it and add it to your list of powers known as long as its no higher a level than you can normally manifest. To learn additional powers requires another session of concentration. Special: This counts as the brain being eaten for the purposes of an illithid slayer's Brain Nausea class feature. There is only one part of this I am having a bit of trouble with. The wording in the Bold text isn't that clear though I know what your meaning is, some people would be asking +1 what per level of what? Add a limit to how long the spells you've mentioned in the body of the feat prolong the brain's usability. For example even the brain does not decompose while under the effects of Gentle Repose, the activity slows to a point where it becomes nil>Represented as X number of hours. I think this can be represented as up to 24 hours.
JulesCARV 05-16-07, 01:13 AM	Yeah... if you have a party with a level 17+ cleric (casting True Resurrection) and two psions, they could repeatedly study each other's brains, and psychicly reform to learn powers neither knew before. Learning a few 9th level powers and some lower level powers (depending on whether the gentle repose trick works, five powers total or potentially dozens) would cost only 25,000 gp, rather than the 9,000 xp for just one 9th level power for psychic chirurgery. As for thrallherds, they have the same abilities as leadership except where stated otherwise -- which means that a thrallherd "can try to attract a cohort of a particular race, class, and alignment."
razorangel 05-16-07, 11:42 AM	Nevermind!
Ryuu_Tenshi 05-16-07, 01:48 PM	Oh lord. I love this idea. And let me quote my response to this Monday's episode: SYLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAR!!!!
Ilikan Holyaxe 05-16-07, 01:56 PM	Hee hee, now, does Mind Thrusting a person into death turn their brain to useless goo? Hows about Psychic Crush?
The Vorpal Tribble 05-16-07, 04:03 PM	Ok folks, I've adjusted it so that you can only permanently learn one power, though all the others you learn from it last in your memory for 24 hours. how would it work with creatures who have psi-like abilities? The same as psionic powers. If it is a 4th level power than it is learned as one even if the being could manifest it more powerfully. And after reading JLaurHughes' post just below mine, I'm liking the thought that you can gentle repose the brain all you want, but you can only do research when it is actually decomposing (active. at least, as active as a dead brain gets). As in, repose lets you study it later, but not longer. I believe that is what JLaurHughes is saying. Thats how I intended it. Will elaborate in the text. Hee hee, now, does Mind Thrusting a person into death turn their brain to useless goo? Hows about Psychic Crush? Had thought about that, but thought the feat would become overly long if I started including explanations like that. Will adjust and see how bad it is.
Grod_The_Giant 05-16-07, 04:09 PM	wow. This is just...sick. And awesome. Syler is one of the creepiest villains out there. Ten/Ten thumbs up!
teshen 05-16-07, 07:33 PM	This is just full of wrong and awesome. It's going in my games, and I'll bring this feat to the attention of the other storytellers I play with... As a side note, what does he do with the brains? I get a mental image of... :thinks: Tastes like... :lightbulb cryokinesis.
Frylord 05-16-07, 09:05 PM	:thinks: Tastes like... :lightbulb cryokinesis. Nah, it tastes like chicken... I said this on the other forum Vorpal goes too, but good job Vorpal!
Stado 05-17-07, 05:20 AM	I'm in agreeance with brahmin. The potential to acquire a psionic power should be limited to 1 hour, quintessence or gentle repose aside. This should be explicitly stated. Additionally, a person should only be able to acquire, at maximum, a single power from a brain/creature, not multiple ones if they take their time. As it is now, this feat seems to be, indeed, overpowered. I know, not many manifestors are going to have Heal 12, but still. Maybe if it were Epic, it wouldn't seem so abrasive, but again, the way it is now, there's no way this feat is integrally kosher. Which is not to say I don't think this feat is totally awesome. 'Cause it is. You've taken an idea from what can only be considered a great source of inspiration and have done it justice. I respect you a lot, Vorpal, I just don't believe this feat of yours to be on par with others available at its potential time of acquisition.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-17-07, 10:15 AM	I'm in agreeance with brahmin. The potential to acquire a psionic power should be limited to 1 hour, quintessence or gentle repose aside. This should be explicitly stated. It is. Additionally, a person should only be able to acquire, at maximum, a single power from a brain/creature, not multiple ones if they take their time. They only permanently have one of the powers. Sure they get the others for 24 hours, but considering that you'll be taking the brain AFTER the battle, there may not be any need to use those powers until they are gone.
JLaurHughes 05-17-07, 10:43 AM	They only permanently have one of the powers. Sure they get the others for 24 hours, but considering that you'll be taking the brain AFTER the battle, there may not be any need to use those powers until they are gone. Or the powers that the recently deceased creature knew are already known by the manifester who uses the feat. I like the rewrite of the feat, though I think that the manifester would also need concentration ranks as a prerequisite.
The Vorpal Tribble 05-17-07, 11:05 AM	I like the rewrite of the feat, though I think that the manifester would also need concentration ranks as a prerequisite. Whys that? Basically heal to remove the brain without damaging it and knowledge of what each part does and how it affects the others, and psicraft to recognize the powers locked away and what portion of the brain is affected by it, etc. Not sure how concentrations comes into it.
Ryuu_Tenshi 05-17-07, 01:24 PM	Nah, it tastes like chicken... Eating brains? When does THAT get fun...?
JLaurHughes 05-17-07, 09:34 PM	Whys that? Basically heal to remove the brain without damaging it and knowledge of what each part does and how it affects the others, and psicraft to recognize the powers locked away and what portion of the brain is affected by it, etc. Not sure how concentrations comes into it. I'll answer that question with a snipit from the feat. Studying a single power or psi-like ability requires 10 minutes of concentration +1 minute per level of the power. Basically because it does require a concentration check to study the psionic power.
Antendren 05-17-07, 11:23 PM	Basically because it does require a concentration check to study the psionic power.It requires a psicraft check. "Concentration" is being used in its non-technical sense here as a synonym for "study".
JoshuaZ 05-18-07, 12:27 AM	One other thing I'm wondering about this feat is whether it would work on a power that has been apopsied. The wording isn't clear but I would think that the answer should be yes if it were withing the 1 week, since arguably in that time the powers are still there but inaccessible. However, I could see it going either way.
InkBlot 05-18-07, 01:17 PM	It requires a psicraft check. "Concentration" is being used in its non-technical sense here as a synonym for "study". If there were something distracting you while you using the ability, then you would have to make a concentration check. That's what it means when any ability says that it requires concentrating.
InkBlot 05-18-07, 05:18 PM	Sylar's Study [Psionic] You can see how the mind works. Prerequisites: Heal 12 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks Benefit: You may attempt to examine the brain of a fallen psionic creature. ... Who's Sylar? Anyway, this is how I would render the idea as a feat; CEREBRAL PHRENOLOGY [PSIONIC] You can see how the mind works. Prerequisites: Heal 4 ranks, Psicraft 12 ranks Benefit: You can manifest a power from the repetoire of a deceased creature, by establishing direct contact with it's brain. This works exactly as attempting to manifest an unkown power from another's powers known (Expanded Psionics Handbook p64), except as noted here. The deceased creature is considered willing. Knowledge of the power remains in your mind for 12 hours, no matter what other powers you manifest. However, you only have one chance to manifest the power within that time. In order for the process to work, the brain must be intact and dead for no more than 1 hour. Any damage from a mind affecting effect which deals Hit Point damage (such as mind thrust) renders the brain unusable. The process of cerebral phrenology itself damages the brain, meaning that this feat can only be used once with any given brain. Special: If you attempt to contact the brain of a dead Illithid Slayer, you may be affected by the Illithid Slayer's Brain Nausea class feature. edit: Sorry for the doublepost! I meant to copy&paste this post into the earlier one instead of actualy posting it, but I got distracted and forgot.
CrimsonDeath 05-18-07, 05:31 PM	Who's Sylar? A character from the TV series "Heroes". This feat is (presumably) based on his signature ability.