Psionic Intelligent Item Lesser Powers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psionic Intelligent Item Lesser Powers [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Platonix
04-17-07, 09:00 PM According to the XPH, fully 15% of psionic weapons are intelligent, which made me decide to try one. The same page (164) says this:

Intelligent items have extra abilities and sometimes also extraordinary powers and special purposes. Use the rules beginning on page 268 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for defining intelligent items, substituting manifesting for spellcasting as required.

Unfortunately, that's not quite good enough. All intelligent items have "lesser powers" (where 'power' means something different than it typically means for psionics), but about half of the lesser powers listed in the DMG are magic spells, some of which don't have any psionic equivalent. There's no way for a psion to duplicate the effect of the magic spells bless or deathwatch, for example, and thus there's no way for an intelligent psionic item to have those lesser powers.

I've looked through the XPH and Complete Psionics and have found no recommendations for lesser powers for intelligent psionic items. I need such a list because lesser powers are priced in terms of gp in a way that's not necessarily easily derived from the level of the magic spell or psionic power. Are psionic intelligent items simply limited to those lesser powers found in the DMG that have easy psionic equivalents?
Boedullus
04-17-07, 09:16 PM The key is to be reasonable in your pricing. Prices should be similar between spells and powers of the same level (i.e. a 2nd level spell should cost about the same as a 2nd level power), but tweak as appropriate for the spell. For example, Invisibility is a very useful spell for almost every PC; conversely, Cloud Mind, which replicates a similar effect, allows a save, which renders it significantly less "good," and should therefore come a little cheaper. Ultimately, it won't much matter - Intelligent items are unique, so you needn't worry about PCs making their own. If they sell it, once you split it up amongst the party it won't make more than a thousand or so GP difference apiece - nothing to throw away, but far from game-breaking by the point the PCs are powerful enough to acquire such a trinket. And finally, if they keep it, the price never matters anyway.
Boedullus
04-17-07, 09:18 PM Oh, and since I dodged your specific question, I think the DM is well within his rights to introduce whatever items he wants, and if he wants a psionic sword that can manifest tower of iron will on its wielder, then by God he should have one.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Platonix 04-17-07, 09:00 PM	According to the XPH, fully 15% of psionic weapons are intelligent, which made me decide to try one. The same page (164) says this: Intelligent items have extra abilities and sometimes also extraordinary powers and special purposes. Use the rules beginning on page 268 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for defining intelligent items, substituting manifesting for spellcasting as required. Unfortunately, that's not quite good enough. All intelligent items have "lesser powers" (where 'power' means something different than it typically means for psionics), but about half of the lesser powers listed in the DMG are magic spells, some of which don't have any psionic equivalent. There's no way for a psion to duplicate the effect of the magic spells bless or deathwatch, for example, and thus there's no way for an intelligent psionic item to have those lesser powers. I've looked through the XPH and Complete Psionics and have found no recommendations for lesser powers for intelligent psionic items. I need such a list because lesser powers are priced in terms of gp in a way that's not necessarily easily derived from the level of the magic spell or psionic power. Are psionic intelligent items simply limited to those lesser powers found in the DMG that have easy psionic equivalents?
Boedullus 04-17-07, 09:16 PM	The key is to be reasonable in your pricing. Prices should be similar between spells and powers of the same level (i.e. a 2nd level spell should cost about the same as a 2nd level power), but tweak as appropriate for the spell. For example, Invisibility is a very useful spell for almost every PC; conversely, Cloud Mind, which replicates a similar effect, allows a save, which renders it significantly less "good," and should therefore come a little cheaper. Ultimately, it won't much matter - Intelligent items are unique, so you needn't worry about PCs making their own. If they sell it, once you split it up amongst the party it won't make more than a thousand or so GP difference apiece - nothing to throw away, but far from game-breaking by the point the PCs are powerful enough to acquire such a trinket. And finally, if they keep it, the price never matters anyway.
Boedullus 04-17-07, 09:18 PM	Oh, and since I dodged your specific question, I think the DM is well within his rights to introduce whatever items he wants, and if he wants a psionic sword that can manifest tower of iron will on its wielder, then by God he should have one.