Powers researched by crystal master [Archive] - Wizards Community

Powers researched by crystal master [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Aharon
06-25-07, 03:29 PM Hello folks!

I will soon be playing a crystal master (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625d).
For that purpose, I want to propose to the DM the following two powers as researched powers. I would like to hear your opinion on their power level, and how you would change them to make them weaker, if neccessary.

War Embedding
Psychometabolism
Level: Egoist 5
Display: Material; see text
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 9
You can temporarily embed gems and/or crystals, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. They are embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell hard to dispel – bend reality or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose any of the abilities or enhancements described in the Crystal Master prestige class for your embedded gems.
They also count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you are reduced to 10 hp if you are a Crystal master, otherwise you only lose 1d4 hp per temporarily embedded gem. You also loose your psionic focus, which you can’t regain for the next 5 hours due to the extreme pain of the embedded gems leaving your body. You can temporarily embed 1 gem per 5 levels, up to a maximum of 5.

Greater War Embedding
Psychometabolism
Level: Egoist 9
Display: Material; see text
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 17,XP
You can temporarily embed gems and/or crystals, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. They are embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell extremely hard to dispel – reality revision or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose any of the abilities or enhancements described in the Crystal Master prestige class for your embedded gems.
They do count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you loose ½ of your remaining hp if you are a Crystal master. You loose your psionic focus, which you can’t regain for the next 3 hours due to the pain of the embedded gems leaving your body. You can temporarily embed 1 gem per 3 levels, up to a maximum of 10.
XP Cost: 100 XP.

Thanks in advance,

Aharon
Aharon
06-26-07, 09:23 AM Hu? Is it so bad/unbalanced/boring that nobody wants to comment on it?

Bump.
Fleem
06-26-07, 12:13 PM Um, yes? ;)

Let's see...
1) reduced to 10 hp or half hps and lose focus for hours? Why would I take a power that cripples me for hours after every casting? The 10 hp thing is especially arbitrary; it could have no effect or great effect. And why would I want to do anything that unfocuses me for hours? It might be more useable if you make it a temporary pain penalty to dex/attack/skill checks (concentration checks), etc.
2) Benefits vary widely, from useless to very nice. 9th level power at 19th level bumps your PR from 29 to 47, insight bonus +6 on AC and saves becomes +12, DR 6/- becomes DR12/-, and +3 becomes +6 on a few stats. 2/3 of those increases for the 5th level version at 22nd level. Effectively useless if you have other crystals than those ones, though.
3) consider making it an augmentable power, rather than based on "level" (manifester level?)
4) These spells effectively give non-PrC members the PrC (plus benefits) for 1min/lvl, or more than doubles the PrC benefits for members. Is that your intention? Stated that way, do you think it's balanced?

In general, the "I'm done for the day" limiters after using this power make it smell like nova. I'd recommend going for a lower level version that could be used more times per day. Or maybe make a magic item forehead crystal that counts as another crystal for the prestige class limit.

BTW, I'm surprised the editors let the author create a prestige class that gives odd stat bonuses. Last I checked, that sort of thing was discouraged.
Aharon
06-26-07, 12:59 PM I did indeed think of it as a kind of "done for the day"-power - something used as a last resort. I thought that the drawback would serve to balance the great benefits, so that it is basically only used against very tough opponents (at least if you are sane).

By what you write, it seems like this is not the case, so I will consider changing it the way you proposed.

Thank you for your feedback.

Concerning your BTW: The prestige class is from 2004, was this rule already in place at that time?
BTW, another question: the Azurite gem allows the crystal master not to sleep. Could he stay psionically focused while resting and thus get the PP-Bonus for an Int-increase?
vahju
06-26-07, 01:53 PM For some reason your link to the article wasn't working.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625d

About the Azurite gem ability. Since you still have to rest to regain your points, that could be sleeping or meditating. You would not be able to get the bonus for power points until your done resting. Because when your resting you loose psionic focus.

I believe Psionics, Arcane Casters, and Divine Casters still have to rest (in some fashion) for 8 hours in order to regain power points or spells. When your done resting you would be able to regain your focus.
Aharon
06-26-07, 02:15 PM Thank you for providing the working link.

This seems to be another case of the RAW/RAI-Problem. RAI, it seems logical that the bonus doesn't stay while resting. Althoug one might argue that other gems bestow far more powerful effects, so it could be the intention that this has an effect on bonus-PP.

RAW, I could only find this:

Once you are psionically focused, you remain focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep (or enter a meditative trance, in the case of elans), or until your power point reserve drops to 0.

Daily Power Point Acquisition

To regain used daily power points, a psionic character must have a clear mind. To clear his mind, he must first sleep for 8 hours. If the character does not need to sleep for some reason, he still must have 8 hours of restful calm before regaining power points.

Unless restful calm is defined somewhere as "you loose your psionic focus", you would keep it. Not that we're talking about a lot of bonus-PP, anyway... 10, at most (for a 20th level character).
Fleem
06-26-07, 04:37 PM I did indeed think of it as a kind
Concerning your BTW: The prestige class is from 2004, was this rule already in place at that time?
BTW, another question: the Azurite gem allows the crystal master not to sleep. Could he stay psionically focused while resting and thus get the PP-Bonus for an Int-increase?

IIRC, The whole "no odd stat bonuses" thing was part of 3.5, at the latest. That's why the various 2nd lvl stat bonus spells/powers give a flat +4, rather than 1d4+1. You also shouldn't see races with +1 stat bonuses, although that sort of thing might crop up in 3rd-party products.
Aharon
06-28-07, 10:50 AM War Embedding
Psychometabolism
Level: Egoist 4
Display: Material; see text
Manifesting Time: 1 round
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 7
You can temporarily embed a gem and or crystal, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. It is embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell hard to dispel – bend reality or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose the abilities or enhancements granted by Amethysts, Bulls Eye Agates, Malachites, Sapphires, Red Garnets, Red Jasper, or Tourmalines for your embedded gems.
They also count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you are subject to a -2 temporary pain penalty to Constitution, as well as to attacks and skill checks due to the extreme pain of the gems leaving your body. The penalty lasts for 3 hours.
Augment:
For every 8 additional power points you spend, you can temporarily embed 1 more additional gem (to a maximum of 2 additional gems for a 16-point expenditure).

Usable now, or still to strong?
It is not completely useless for non-Prc-Members, but they can't gain the more powerful effects (stat boosts, bonuses to AC, damage reduction).

I'm especially unsure about the penalty (high enough, or too low?) and the Augmentation. The Way it is now, a 20th level caster could get 3 gems with overchannel - for a crystal master 10, that would be a +3 bonus to DR, AC and saves.

I also wonder if I should add:
This power functions only while you inhabit your base form, and while your mind resides within your own body.
to prevent to powerful metamorphed fighting forms.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Aharon 06-25-07, 03:29 PM	Hello folks! I will soon be playing a crystal master (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625d). For that purpose, I want to propose to the DM the following two powers as researched powers. I would like to hear your opinion on their power level, and how you would change them to make them weaker, if neccessary. War Embedding Psychometabolism Level: Egoist 5 Display: Material; see text Manifesting Time: 1 round Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 min./level Power Points: 9 You can temporarily embed gems and/or crystals, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. They are embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell hard to dispel – bend reality or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose any of the abilities or enhancements described in the Crystal Master prestige class for your embedded gems. They also count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you are reduced to 10 hp if you are a Crystal master, otherwise you only lose 1d4 hp per temporarily embedded gem. You also loose your psionic focus, which you can’t regain for the next 5 hours due to the extreme pain of the embedded gems leaving your body. You can temporarily embed 1 gem per 5 levels, up to a maximum of 5. Greater War Embedding Psychometabolism Level: Egoist 9 Display: Material; see text Manifesting Time: 1 round Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 min./level Power Points: 17,XP You can temporarily embed gems and/or crystals, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. They are embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell extremely hard to dispel – reality revision or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose any of the abilities or enhancements described in the Crystal Master prestige class for your embedded gems. They do count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you loose ½ of your remaining hp if you are a Crystal master. You loose your psionic focus, which you can’t regain for the next 3 hours due to the pain of the embedded gems leaving your body. You can temporarily embed 1 gem per 3 levels, up to a maximum of 10. XP Cost: 100 XP. Thanks in advance, Aharon
Aharon 06-26-07, 09:23 AM	Hu? Is it so bad/unbalanced/boring that nobody wants to comment on it? Bump.
Fleem 06-26-07, 12:13 PM	Um, yes? ;) Let's see... 1) reduced to 10 hp or half hps and lose focus for hours? Why would I take a power that cripples me for hours after every casting? The 10 hp thing is especially arbitrary; it could have no effect or great effect. And why would I want to do anything that unfocuses me for hours? It might be more useable if you make it a temporary pain penalty to dex/attack/skill checks (concentration checks), etc. 2) Benefits vary widely, from useless to very nice. 9th level power at 19th level bumps your PR from 29 to 47, insight bonus +6 on AC and saves becomes +12, DR 6/- becomes DR12/-, and +3 becomes +6 on a few stats. 2/3 of those increases for the 5th level version at 22nd level. Effectively useless if you have other crystals than those ones, though. 3) consider making it an augmentable power, rather than based on "level" (manifester level?) 4) These spells effectively give non-PrC members the PrC (plus benefits) for 1min/lvl, or more than doubles the PrC benefits for members. Is that your intention? Stated that way, do you think it's balanced? In general, the "I'm done for the day" limiters after using this power make it smell like nova. I'd recommend going for a lower level version that could be used more times per day. Or maybe make a magic item forehead crystal that counts as another crystal for the prestige class limit. BTW, I'm surprised the editors let the author create a prestige class that gives odd stat bonuses. Last I checked, that sort of thing was discouraged.
Aharon 06-26-07, 12:59 PM	I did indeed think of it as a kind of "done for the day"-power - something used as a last resort. I thought that the drawback would serve to balance the great benefits, so that it is basically only used against very tough opponents (at least if you are sane). By what you write, it seems like this is not the case, so I will consider changing it the way you proposed. Thank you for your feedback. Concerning your BTW: The prestige class is from 2004, was this rule already in place at that time? BTW, another question: the Azurite gem allows the crystal master not to sleep. Could he stay psionically focused while resting and thus get the PP-Bonus for an Int-increase?
vahju 06-26-07, 01:53 PM	For some reason your link to the article wasn't working. http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625d About the Azurite gem ability. Since you still have to rest to regain your points, that could be sleeping or meditating. You would not be able to get the bonus for power points until your done resting. Because when your resting you loose psionic focus. I believe Psionics, Arcane Casters, and Divine Casters still have to rest (in some fashion) for 8 hours in order to regain power points or spells. When your done resting you would be able to regain your focus.
Aharon 06-26-07, 02:15 PM	Thank you for providing the working link. This seems to be another case of the RAW/RAI-Problem. RAI, it seems logical that the bonus doesn't stay while resting. Althoug one might argue that other gems bestow far more powerful effects, so it could be the intention that this has an effect on bonus-PP. RAW, I could only find this: Once you are psionically focused, you remain focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep (or enter a meditative trance, in the case of elans), or until your power point reserve drops to 0. Daily Power Point Acquisition To regain used daily power points, a psionic character must have a clear mind. To clear his mind, he must first sleep for 8 hours. If the character does not need to sleep for some reason, he still must have 8 hours of restful calm before regaining power points. Unless restful calm is defined somewhere as "you loose your psionic focus", you would keep it. Not that we're talking about a lot of bonus-PP, anyway... 10, at most (for a 20th level character).
Fleem 06-26-07, 04:37 PM	I did indeed think of it as a kind Concerning your BTW: The prestige class is from 2004, was this rule already in place at that time? BTW, another question: the Azurite gem allows the crystal master not to sleep. Could he stay psionically focused while resting and thus get the PP-Bonus for an Int-increase? IIRC, The whole "no odd stat bonuses" thing was part of 3.5, at the latest. That's why the various 2nd lvl stat bonus spells/powers give a flat +4, rather than 1d4+1. You also shouldn't see races with +1 stat bonuses, although that sort of thing might crop up in 3rd-party products.
Aharon 06-28-07, 10:50 AM	War Embedding Psychometabolism Level: Egoist 4 Display: Material; see text Manifesting Time: 1 round Range: Personal Target: You Duration: 1 min./level Power Points: 7 You can temporarily embed a gem and or crystal, such as cognizance crystals, dorjes, power stones or magic jewelry. It is embedded in the same way as permanently embedded gems, making this spell hard to dispel – bend reality or an effect of similar or greater power level is needed to do so. You may choose the abilities or enhancements granted by Amethysts, Bulls Eye Agates, Malachites, Sapphires, Red Garnets, Red Jasper, or Tourmalines for your embedded gems. They also count as additional embedded gems for purposes of determining the effects of any permanently embedded gems. While they are embedded, you can’t use the powers these items normally grant. After the duration ends, you are subject to a -2 temporary pain penalty to Constitution, as well as to attacks and skill checks due to the extreme pain of the gems leaving your body. The penalty lasts for 3 hours. Augment: For every 8 additional power points you spend, you can temporarily embed 1 more additional gem (to a maximum of 2 additional gems for a 16-point expenditure). Usable now, or still to strong? It is not completely useless for non-Prc-Members, but they can't gain the more powerful effects (stat boosts, bonuses to AC, damage reduction). I'm especially unsure about the penalty (high enough, or too low?) and the Augmentation. The Way it is now, a 20th level caster could get 3 gems with overchannel - for a crystal master 10, that would be a +3 bonus to DR, AC and saves. I also wonder if I should add: This power functions only while you inhabit your base form, and while your mind resides within your own body. to prevent to powerful metamorphed fighting forms.