Psion on a flying mount. Good idea? Terrible idea? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psion on a flying mount. Good idea? Terrible idea? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
celestialkin
11-14-07, 11:07 PM Hey guys.

I have come up with a somewhat unusual idea for my latest character, so I wanted to get the psionic pros' opinions on this.

Basically, this character is a Psion kobold who will be flying around on a MM eagle. The eagle is small sized and can hover (It has 3 HD, so it took the Improved Flight feat.). The kobold character has a use-activated continuous ring of Reduce Person, which makes him tiny sized and able to use a small sized bird for a mount.

My question is: Are mounts/flying mounts beneficial to psionic manifesters, or are they a liability?

Would being tiny and able to fly help keep him safe? Or would the tight quarters of dungeons and the ride checks be fatal to him?

I maxed out Ride as a cross-class skill (5 ranks + 3 Dex = 8 total), and I purchased a magical saddle from the Arms & Equipment Guide which will give him a +10 to his ride checks (for a total of 18).

Once he gains two more levels he will Psianimate Dead (from Hyperconscious) a large fang dragon, which he and my previous character (his master) have been keeping in storage. I hope to also ride it in more open spaces.

As always, any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated!
PhaedrusXY
11-14-07, 11:56 PM Of course being able to fly is a great advantage. Just make sure you have a contingency plan for when you fall. :P
Sublime03
11-15-07, 12:11 AM Umhh, Dragon Magic I think gives Kobolds Slight Build (Web enhancement says so) so you really wouldn't need the reduce person. Otherwise though, :ayyyy!: go for it:ayyyy!:
CrimsonDeath
11-15-07, 12:48 AM Slight Build was in the Races of the Dragon Web Enhancement. It lets Kobolds count as Tiny for several purposes, including squeezing through tight spaces, but I'm not sure if riding a mount is one of them.

So, you're not a Nomad? Ride is a class skill for them...
AntiDjinn
11-15-07, 02:51 AM If you are actually planning on using this flying mount in the dungeon instead of just for overland travel, or even see yourself riding it in combat on a regular basis, then you had better have a high Ride skill because you are going to be making lots of checks. This means you really need Ride as a class skill. You can sometimes add to your class skills with a feat (such as Cosmopolitan, if it is available in your game), but generally this means picking a class that has Ride in its class list. For manifesting base classes that is: The psion (nomad only), the psychic warrior, and the divine mind. None of the manifesting PrCs from the XPH or Comp Psi have the skill.

If you are thinking of playing a nomad, then it might start out as a fun ride, but pretty soon you are going to wonder why you are hanging with this bird. By level 7 you will be able to fly on your own without the use of a mount. A few levels later and you will be teleporting across vast distances without having to deal with the territory in between, or even jumping from plane to plane. Then what are you going to do with your feathered friend? Odds are your own independent movement rate will leave the bird in the dust.

If you are thinking of playing a psychic warrior. Hmmmmm. Kobold psychic warrior. It actually has possibilities, though most builds of the class are bruisers, it is possible to go the finesse route. You could easily do an archery-bases psychic warrior and use your mount to stay out of reach. You are going to run into problems with the fact that psychic warriors don't have a lot that defends those around them (Damp Power, a few others) so your mount is going to be a target. This will happen to you at least once: Someone is going to target your flying mount with Time Hop just to watch you fall. It is just too much fun not to do if you have access to the power.

If you are thinking of playing a divine mind, then any advice I might offer is already wasted.
CrimsonDeath
11-15-07, 03:31 AM ]If you are thinking of playing a divine mind, then any advice I might offer is already wasted.

More precisely: Do not think of playing a Divine Mind.
hogarth
11-15-07, 07:26 AM In the Core Coliseum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=483), mounted psions are among the toughest opponents around. The advantage of being able to move fast and cast (even in close quarters) is great.

Note that an eagle advanced to 3 HD is size Medium and thus is a bit more durable because of the bonus to Str and Con.

I suspect it'll get hit by some area effect and die, though.
Lycanthromancer
11-15-07, 01:16 PM Is your DM amenable to house rules? If so, ask for a feat that allows you to Share Powers with your eagle with a range of Touch, or allows you to treat it as a psicrystal with regards to psicrystal abilities. Or, if you're playing an egoist, you could always use a metamorphosed psicrystal as a mount. If you're using a shaper, there's always the idea of making astral constructs to ride around on.

Alternatively, give your bird some meldshaping feats from Magic of Incarnum. Those should give your avian companion some serious survivability boosts. Talk to your DM about having the bird as a cohort and give it a share of XP so it'll gain character levels as you go. You don't even need to awaken it, as no base classes have stat requirements that I know of.
AncestralRakmakallan
11-15-07, 07:35 PM You could always play a kineticist. You have the range, and the flying mount can really save your skin, given your low hit points(psion+ -2 Con). Just imagine: level 3,you get energy missile. 5 targets at a time and none can strike back. It really feels good.
The_Shaman
11-15-07, 08:40 PM In the Core Coliseum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=483), mounted psions are among the toughest opponents around. The advantage of being able to move fast and cast (even in close quarters) is great.

Note that an eagle advanced to 3 HD is size Medium and thus is a bit more durable because of the bonus to Str and Con.

I suspect it'll get hit by some area effect and die, though.

He could take the animal cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) feat, I suppose. Eagles are allowed from lvl 1, so eventually it would get an okay-ish number of bonus HD, more than a ranger companion really.
IceFractal
11-16-07, 02:57 AM With a Ride check of +18, Mounted Combat might be worth taking, if you're not short on feats. Depends on how much you'll be riding it, and how much you plan to advance your Ride skill (+19 is enough for any normal use).

As for utility, it depends on what variety of Psion you are; for most it's useful, but a Shaper can already have plenty of defenders, and an Egoist can fly themselves - although a mounted charge-based Egoist could do some hefty damage. For a Kineticist, there's an additional advantage - being airborn gives you a lot more versatility with cones - you can blast them straight down for a large radius area, or at an angle for oddly-shaped conic sections to more easily avoid your allies.

And of course, make sure you have a decent Concentration skill, but what Psion doesn't?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
celestialkin 11-14-07, 11:07 PM	Hey guys. I have come up with a somewhat unusual idea for my latest character, so I wanted to get the psionic pros' opinions on this. Basically, this character is a Psion kobold who will be flying around on a MM eagle. The eagle is small sized and can hover (It has 3 HD, so it took the Improved Flight feat.). The kobold character has a use-activated continuous ring of Reduce Person, which makes him tiny sized and able to use a small sized bird for a mount. My question is: Are mounts/flying mounts beneficial to psionic manifesters, or are they a liability? Would being tiny and able to fly help keep him safe? Or would the tight quarters of dungeons and the ride checks be fatal to him? I maxed out Ride as a cross-class skill (5 ranks + 3 Dex = 8 total), and I purchased a magical saddle from the Arms & Equipment Guide which will give him a +10 to his ride checks (for a total of 18). Once he gains two more levels he will Psianimate Dead (from Hyperconscious) a large fang dragon, which he and my previous character (his master) have been keeping in storage. I hope to also ride it in more open spaces. As always, any advice or opinions would be greatly appreciated!
PhaedrusXY 11-14-07, 11:56 PM	Of course being able to fly is a great advantage. Just make sure you have a contingency plan for when you fall. :P
Sublime03 11-15-07, 12:11 AM	Umhh, Dragon Magic I think gives Kobolds Slight Build (Web enhancement says so) so you really wouldn't need the reduce person. Otherwise though, :ayyyy!: go for it:ayyyy!:
CrimsonDeath 11-15-07, 12:48 AM	Slight Build was in the Races of the Dragon Web Enhancement. It lets Kobolds count as Tiny for several purposes, including squeezing through tight spaces, but I'm not sure if riding a mount is one of them. So, you're not a Nomad? Ride is a class skill for them...
AntiDjinn 11-15-07, 02:51 AM	If you are actually planning on using this flying mount in the dungeon instead of just for overland travel, or even see yourself riding it in combat on a regular basis, then you had better have a high Ride skill because you are going to be making lots of checks. This means you really need Ride as a class skill. You can sometimes add to your class skills with a feat (such as Cosmopolitan, if it is available in your game), but generally this means picking a class that has Ride in its class list. For manifesting base classes that is: The psion (nomad only), the psychic warrior, and the divine mind. None of the manifesting PrCs from the XPH or Comp Psi have the skill. If you are thinking of playing a nomad, then it might start out as a fun ride, but pretty soon you are going to wonder why you are hanging with this bird. By level 7 you will be able to fly on your own without the use of a mount. A few levels later and you will be teleporting across vast distances without having to deal with the territory in between, or even jumping from plane to plane. Then what are you going to do with your feathered friend? Odds are your own independent movement rate will leave the bird in the dust. If you are thinking of playing a psychic warrior. Hmmmmm. Kobold psychic warrior. It actually has possibilities, though most builds of the class are bruisers, it is possible to go the finesse route. You could easily do an archery-bases psychic warrior and use your mount to stay out of reach. You are going to run into problems with the fact that psychic warriors don't have a lot that defends those around them (Damp Power, a few others) so your mount is going to be a target. This will happen to you at least once: Someone is going to target your flying mount with Time Hop just to watch you fall. It is just too much fun not to do if you have access to the power. If you are thinking of playing a divine mind, then any advice I might offer is already wasted.
CrimsonDeath 11-15-07, 03:31 AM	]If you are thinking of playing a divine mind, then any advice I might offer is already wasted. More precisely: Do not think of playing a Divine Mind.
hogarth 11-15-07, 07:26 AM	In the Core Coliseum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=483), mounted psions are among the toughest opponents around. The advantage of being able to move fast and cast (even in close quarters) is great. Note that an eagle advanced to 3 HD is size Medium and thus is a bit more durable because of the bonus to Str and Con. I suspect it'll get hit by some area effect and die, though.
Lycanthromancer 11-15-07, 01:16 PM	Is your DM amenable to house rules? If so, ask for a feat that allows you to Share Powers with your eagle with a range of Touch, or allows you to treat it as a psicrystal with regards to psicrystal abilities. Or, if you're playing an egoist, you could always use a metamorphosed psicrystal as a mount. If you're using a shaper, there's always the idea of making astral constructs to ride around on. Alternatively, give your bird some meldshaping feats from Magic of Incarnum. Those should give your avian companion some serious survivability boosts. Talk to your DM about having the bird as a cohort and give it a share of XP so it'll gain character levels as you go. You don't even need to awaken it, as no base classes have stat requirements that I know of.
AncestralRakmakallan 11-15-07, 07:35 PM	You could always play a kineticist. You have the range, and the flying mount can really save your skin, given your low hit points(psion+ -2 Con). Just imagine: level 3,you get energy missile. 5 targets at a time and none can strike back. It really feels good.
The_Shaman 11-15-07, 08:40 PM	In the Core Coliseum (http://forums.gleemax.com/forumdisplay.php?f=483), mounted psions are among the toughest opponents around. The advantage of being able to move fast and cast (even in close quarters) is great. Note that an eagle advanced to 3 HD is size Medium and thus is a bit more durable because of the bonus to Str and Con. I suspect it'll get hit by some area effect and die, though. He could take the animal cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) feat, I suppose. Eagles are allowed from lvl 1, so eventually it would get an okay-ish number of bonus HD, more than a ranger companion really.
IceFractal 11-16-07, 02:57 AM	With a Ride check of +18, Mounted Combat might be worth taking, if you're not short on feats. Depends on how much you'll be riding it, and how much you plan to advance your Ride skill (+19 is enough for any normal use). As for utility, it depends on what variety of Psion you are; for most it's useful, but a Shaper can already have plenty of defenders, and an Egoist can fly themselves - although a mounted charge-based Egoist could do some hefty damage. For a Kineticist, there's an additional advantage - being airborn gives you a lot more versatility with cones - you can blast them straight down for a large radius area, or at an angle for oddly-shaped conic sections to more easily avoid your allies. And of course, make sure you have a decent Concentration skill, but what Psion doesn't?