Power Stones: maybe I'm just dumb [Archive] - Wizards Community

Power Stones: maybe I'm just dumb [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The_Shaman
06-21-07, 12:20 PM I've been reading up the XPH, and I come at something that confuses me: power stones. So, the primary use is to manifest a power off the stone, and be done with it. A psionic scroll of sorts. However, psionic characters can sometimes manifest a power they do not know, say off another psionic character who knows it.

My question is, can they do it with a power stone? In other words, can you use a power stone to manifest a power you do not know by paying it off your PP reserve and not expending it?
InkBlot
06-21-07, 12:35 PM No. The key is that, in Manifest An Unknown Power From Another's Powers Known on page 64, the first two paragraphs are talking about manifesting from power stones and other psychics, but the last paragraph is only talking about manifesting from other psychics. The first sentence in that last paragraph should make it clear -- "upon successfully making contact with another willing psionic character or creature and learning what he can of one power in particular, the character can immediately attempt to manifest that power even if he doesn't know it (and assuming he has power points left for the day).

Even if you want to interpret page 64 as allowing you to manifest from a power stone with your own pp and ML, the power stone would still be flushed afterwards. Nothing on page 64 contradicts the rule which states power stones are always flushed after using it.
Caterpillar
06-21-07, 01:30 PM The_Shaman,

I believe that you can use any powerstone so long as it is of a power level that you can manifest and it isn't a forbidded discipline.

For example, a 5th level kineticist can't use a power stone of "Brain Lock"
kyeudo
06-21-07, 02:12 PM You can manifest a power from a power stone by paying your own power points, just like a wizard can prepare a spell from a scroll.

However, just as a spell prepared from a scroll disapears from the scroll once prepared, a power is flushed from a power stone after it is manifested, even if you do so by the "Manifest an unknown power from another's powers known" trick.

This is according to Complete Psionic,of course, but one of the few things that CompPsi did okay, although it should have been issued as errata to the XPH, but thats CompPsi for you.

Anyway, If your DM has never even heard of CompPsi, you can use the "Manifest an unknown power from another's powers known" trick to use a power stone over and over using your own power points, so long as you never tell him about CompPsi.

InkBlot is mistaken. The failure to mention power stones in the third paragraph is an editting mistake. With out the CompPsi errata, Power Stones are only flushed if you use them to manifest the power from the stone, not if you manifest the power with your own power points while contacting the stone, barring a DM house rule, since you arn't using the stone as a power completion item.
InkBlot
06-21-07, 02:21 PM InkBlot is mistaken. The failure to mention power stones in the third paragraph is an editting mistake.
Do you have any proof that it was an editing mistake? Or are you just assuming?

Editing mistake or not, it doesn't say you can manifest from a stone with your own power points. I was not mistaken.
kyeudo
06-21-07, 02:39 PM It mentions power stones by name in the previous paragraphs, which are talking about the exact same procedure as the third paragraph.

Logicaly, if you can make mental contact with a power stone and understand the power, just like a power in the mind of a psionic creature, then logicly you should be able to manifest the power with your own power points just like you can with powers from your buddy's head. The lack of mentioning power stones

As for being able to manifest the power with your own power points:

Upon successfully making contact with another willing psionic character or creature and learning what he can of one power in particular, the character can immediately attempt to manifest that power even if he doesn’t know it (and assuming he has power points left for the day). He can attempt to manifest the power normally on his next turn, and he succeeds if he makes one additional Psicraft check (DC 15 + the power’s level). He retains the ability to manifest the selected power for only 1 round. If he doesn’t manifest the power, fails the Psicraft check, or manifests a different power, he loses his chance to manifest that power for the day.

Manifesting a power normaly is manifesting using your own power points, not manifesting like a psi-like ability or using a power stone as a power completion item.

Anyway, CompPsi clarifies the whole mess and patches the possible abuse. I prefer to use that piece of errata, even though I could get away with the reusable power stone trick.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Shaman 06-21-07, 12:20 PM	I've been reading up the XPH, and I come at something that confuses me: power stones. So, the primary use is to manifest a power off the stone, and be done with it. A psionic scroll of sorts. However, psionic characters can sometimes manifest a power they do not know, say off another psionic character who knows it. My question is, can they do it with a power stone? In other words, can you use a power stone to manifest a power you do not know by paying it off your PP reserve and not expending it?
InkBlot 06-21-07, 12:35 PM	No. The key is that, in Manifest An Unknown Power From Another's Powers Known on page 64, the first two paragraphs are talking about manifesting from power stones and other psychics, but the last paragraph is only talking about manifesting from other psychics. The first sentence in that last paragraph should make it clear -- "upon successfully making contact with another willing psionic character or creature and learning what he can of one power in particular, the character can immediately attempt to manifest that power even if he doesn't know it (and assuming he has power points left for the day). Even if you want to interpret page 64 as allowing you to manifest from a power stone with your own pp and ML, the power stone would still be flushed afterwards. Nothing on page 64 contradicts the rule which states power stones are always flushed after using it.
Caterpillar 06-21-07, 01:30 PM	The_Shaman, I believe that you can use any powerstone so long as it is of a power level that you can manifest and it isn't a forbidded discipline. For example, a 5th level kineticist can't use a power stone of "Brain Lock"
kyeudo 06-21-07, 02:12 PM	You can manifest a power from a power stone by paying your own power points, just like a wizard can prepare a spell from a scroll. However, just as a spell prepared from a scroll disapears from the scroll once prepared, a power is flushed from a power stone after it is manifested, even if you do so by the "Manifest an unknown power from another's powers known" trick. This is according to Complete Psionic,of course, but one of the few things that CompPsi did okay, although it should have been issued as errata to the XPH, but thats CompPsi for you. Anyway, If your DM has never even heard of CompPsi, you can use the "Manifest an unknown power from another's powers known" trick to use a power stone over and over using your own power points, so long as you never tell him about CompPsi. InkBlot is mistaken. The failure to mention power stones in the third paragraph is an editting mistake. With out the CompPsi errata, Power Stones are only flushed if you use them to manifest the power from the stone, not if you manifest the power with your own power points while contacting the stone, barring a DM house rule, since you arn't using the stone as a power completion item.
InkBlot 06-21-07, 02:21 PM	InkBlot is mistaken. The failure to mention power stones in the third paragraph is an editting mistake. Do you have any proof that it was an editing mistake? Or are you just assuming? Editing mistake or not, it doesn't say you can manifest from a stone with your own power points. I was not mistaken.
kyeudo 06-21-07, 02:39 PM	It mentions power stones by name in the previous paragraphs, which are talking about the exact same procedure as the third paragraph. Logicaly, if you can make mental contact with a power stone and understand the power, just like a power in the mind of a psionic creature, then logicly you should be able to manifest the power with your own power points just like you can with powers from your buddy's head. The lack of mentioning power stones As for being able to manifest the power with your own power points: Upon successfully making contact with another willing psionic character or creature and learning what he can of one power in particular, the character can immediately attempt to manifest that power even if he doesn’t know it (and assuming he has power points left for the day). He can attempt to manifest the power normally on his next turn, and he succeeds if he makes one additional Psicraft check (DC 15 + the power’s level). He retains the ability to manifest the selected power for only 1 round. If he doesn’t manifest the power, fails the Psicraft check, or manifests a different power, he loses his chance to manifest that power for the day. Manifesting a power normaly is manifesting using your own power points, not manifesting like a psi-like ability or using a power stone as a power completion item. Anyway, CompPsi clarifies the whole mess and patches the possible abuse. I prefer to use that piece of errata, even though I could get away with the reusable power stone trick.