Psionics as a healer class? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Psionics as a healer class? [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
PhattieMcgee
12-28-07, 03:13 PM Hey everyone, I was wondering if a psionic character is able to heal a group close to what a cleric or druid can. I'm kinda new to psionics (haven't played since Dark Sun) and I have always really enjoyed playing a healer support class in every game.

So with a few questions I'm hoping I can get some answers to set me straight :D

Are Psionics a good class to play if you want to be a healer.

If they are, what skills/feats/ability's/powers/items do you recommend?

Thanks :D
Nabuchadnezzar
12-28-07, 03:27 PM Be an Egoist.
This (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=971186) is my build of a 6-level egoist who focuses in knowledge, heal and battlefield control, but can do many interesting things...

Feats:
1) Psicrystal affinity (Single-minded)
1) Psionic body (Extend power at 7)
1) Enlarge power
3) Expand Knowledge (Astral construct)
5) Boost construct
6) Craft dorje (Metamorphic transfer at 7)

Skills:
Knowledge (psionic) maxed
Psicraft maxed
Concentration maxed
Autohypnosis maxed
Knowledge (all the other 10 at least 1 rank, with 12 rank to spend at 6th level)

There are 11 Knowledge fields (Arcana, Architecture and engineering, Dungeoneering, Geography, History, Local, Nature, Nobility and royalty, Religion, The planes, Psionic), so the first 20 ranks will be:
1 for every single knowledge field
4 concentration
4 autohypnosis
1 psicraft
I'll max out psicraft and knowledge (psionic) in the first 5 levels.

Powers known by level:
1) Vigor, Call to mind (Precognition, defensive at 7), Matter agitation (Inertial armor at 7)
2) Missive (Energy ray at 7), Grease (Entangling ectoplasm at 7)
3) Share pain, Empathic transfer, [Astral construct]
4) Ego whip, Animal affinity
5) Dispel psionic, Energy wall
6) Mental barrier, Touchsight

I'll craft level 1 (Enlarged if applicable) "Call to mind", "Matter agitation", "Missive" and "Grease" dorjes at level 6 or early level 7 before reformation, these will be enough for the rest of my carreer I think...

AC will be boosted by leather armor, then up to mithril chainmail and darkwood heavy shield, or masterwork studded leather armor and darkwood heavy shield. By level 7 my armor will be (extended) Inertial armor, good with Metamorphosis.

By level 3 you'll heal like a cleric, if not better:
Share vigor with psicrystal, have Share pain manifested with psicrystal and you are ready to absorb huge amount of damage.
During and before battle, manifest share pain with your melee fighters, so half damage will hurt you instead of them, but you and your psicrystal will burn temporary hit points from vigor. So if a warrior would take 20 damage, he only takes 10 and the other 10 are shared, 5 you and 5 psicrystal.
After (and sometimes during) battle, manifest Empathic transfer to heal 2d10 damage to allies and take half damage (absorbed by temporary hit points). This power scales up well... 10d10 for 7 pp at level 7, empowered 15d10 for 9 pp at level 9.
At level 9 you'll get Revivify, the best resurrect option in the game.
At level 11 you'll get Restoration.

To get Empathic transfer, Revivify and Restoration ASAP you'll need to be an Egoist.
Autohypnosis works fine with Empathic transfer if you transfer a poison.
jbsaff
12-28-07, 04:29 PM Also consider the Society Mind (http://dreamscarredpress.com/main/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=7&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29) (available free from Dreamscarred Press). To whit, the Society Mind allows the party to transfer healing around as needed. Combined with a dorje of Body Adjustment, as well as a raft of empathic powers, you should be able to fulfill the role quite nicely.

I just hit level 3 with my SocMind, and I'm having a lot of fun. In addition to the healing, you also act as a party support buffer and enemy de-buffer.

You could make use of Empathic Transfer and Share Pain as the Egoist above. You might also lobby your DM to add Vigor to the Society Mind's class list if you are going to be the main/only healer. Once you get third level powers, Body Adjustment can be used for direct healing.
The_Shaman
12-28-07, 05:14 PM Hey everyone, I was wondering if a psionic character is able to heal a group close to what a cleric or druid can. I'm kinda new to psionics (haven't played since Dark Sun) and I have always really enjoyed playing a healer support class in every game.

Well, one way is to get the hurt on yourself through empathic transfer, ideally "cheating" by using share pain/vigor/psicrystal to mitigate or negating the damage to yourself. However, a simpler - if less effective - way is to simply get a few Sangehirn levels; it is a PrC that was designed to make for psionic healers, and it's freely available here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c) . The first level is really c...py, but after that you get some decent abilities. What your really want is the lvl 3 ability, which allows you to put a personal range power - like vigor, body adjustment, etc - on another.
InkBlot
12-28-07, 05:35 PM By level 3 you'll heal like a cleric, if not better.

Not better. A 3rd level Cleric heals 1d8+3 for a 1st level spell slot. A 3rd level Psion heals about 2 HP healed for 1 power point.

The break down: 2d10 HP for 6 power points (3 for empathic transfer plus 3 for vigor). That's 11 HP on average. Eleven divided by six is one-and-five-sixths.

If you share vigor with your psicrystal, and manifest share pain on it, then you do better. Still not as good as a Cleric though.

Share pain on your allies plus vigor on yourself is a great combo, but it isn't healing.

But once you get enough level in Sangehirn to get fast healing, fuggedaboutit. Empathic transfer is win-sauce if you have fast healing or regeneration..
Nabuchadnezzar
12-28-07, 05:41 PM Or just make a tattoo and give it to another (they cost twice, so a 1 pp vigor tattoo would cost 100 gp instead of 50 because they have range:personal).
Don't lose manifester level EVER.
Take extend power and manifest a 2h/lvl long share pain (5 pp each) between everyone in the party (including yourself) and the psicrystal, and between the psicrystal and yourself.
As soon as combat starts, manifest (shared) vigor, and if someone would get hurt, manifest intellect fortress at full augment: empathic damage from share pain is dealt by a psionic power, so every time it bounces from you and the psicrystal (until it fall to 1 or less damage) half of it is instead absorbed by intellect fortress.

Here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14659104&postcount=57) I wrote some stats...

For example: A is your protected guy, B is you psicrystal, C is you (psion).

An Evil Barbarian hits A for (say) 200 damage.
A takes 100.
The other 100 would be taken by the Psicrystal, but it's first halved by intellect fortress to 50, then halved by share pain with the psion to 25.
The Psion would take 25 damage, but this damage is first halved by intellect fortress to 12, then halved by share pain with the psicrystal to 6.
The Psicrystal would take 6 dmage, but it's first halved by intellect fortress to 3, then halved by share pain to 1.

Total damage dealt to A: 100
Total damage dealt to B: 26
Total damage dealt to C: 6
Total damage negated (N): 68

Maybe I am wrong in rounding up/down, but you can easily calculate once and for all which percentage of damage would be taken from A, B and C, if you start with say 1'000'000 damage

The same calculations could be done if damage is dealt by powers and/or to the Psion directly.

I made the calculations:

Column 1: Weapon against Ally
Column 2: Weapon against Psion
Column 3: Power against Ally
Column 4: Power against Psion
Column 5: Weapon/Power against Ally (no Intellect fortress, flat-footed?)
Column 6: Weapon/Power against Psion (no Intellect fortress, flat-footed?)

A = Ally
B = Psicrystal
C = Psion
N = Negated

%A 50.00% 0.00% 25.00% 0.00% 50.00% 0.00%
%B 13.33% 13.33% 6.67% 6.67% 33.33% 33.33%
%C 3.33% 53.33% 1.67% 26.67% 16.67% 66.67%
%N 33.33% 33.33% 66.67% 66.67% 0.00% 0.00%

Fraction(A) 1/2 0 1/4 0 1/2 0
Fraction(B) 4/30 4/30 1/15 1/15 1/3 1/3
Fraction(C) 1/30 8/15 1/60 4/15 1/6 2/3
Fraction(N) 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 0 0

Actually, you previously expend 5*(#PartyMember) pp for Share pain (good by level 8, it lasts 16 hours), then a good (shared) vigor and as an immediate action intellect fortress as needed. You don't need to jump the entire battlefield healing injured allies, just make sure they are at close range to make Share pain work.
jbsaff
12-28-07, 06:33 PM But once you get enough level in Sangehirn to get fast healing, fuggedaboutit. Empathic transfer is win-sauce if you have fast healing or regeneration..

Sangehirn really is where it's at for Psionic healing. With enough levels, any psion could be a healer. But a Society Mind/Sangehirn with the Lend Health feat (in the material I linked above) can pass out the fast healing goodness to anyone in the group, anytime, without having to use actions or pp. Having a SocMind Sangehirn means full hp for everyone almost every battle. Of course, you have to be level 10 before this starts.
PhattieMcgee
12-28-07, 07:37 PM woah thanks guys!, Like I said I havn't played since the Dark Sun days.. So I need a little time to catch up and cram this info into my head :) :lightbulb

So Sangehirn is another class, so I'd have to multiclass.. I'd like to stay away from multiclassing because I dont understand it :confused: (if someone wants to give me the nitty gritty that would be awesome)

Also, what about race? I'm surprised no one mentioned one, is there one better than the other? or all the same?

My new DM said I could use a monster race.. here are his rules:
1. If you play a standard race you will start out at level 2.
2. If you want to play a monster race it can?t have a Level
Adjustment of more than +1.
3. If you do play a monster race add one level of any class
also.

Any suggestions?

Thanks guys all this info is absolutely great and VERY helpful! :bow:
Nabuchadnezzar
12-28-07, 07:43 PM Human is the best imho: bonus feat and bonus skills!
PhattieMcgee
12-28-07, 07:45 PM good lord that was quick! :)

Thanks! im using pcgen to help make my guy.. so im off to input some data!
jbsaff
12-28-07, 09:24 PM So Sangehirn is another class, so I'd have to multiclass.. I'd like to stay away from multiclassing because I dont understand it :confused: (if someone wants to give me the nitty gritty that would be awesome)

Sangehirn is a Prestige Class (PrC). Basically, PrCs are classes that have a set of prerequisites (and sometimes restrictions) before you can enter them.

For the Sangehirn, this means that you have to have the following:

9 ranks in the Heal skill,
the feats "Mind Over Body" and "Psionic Body"
Manifester Level (ML) 5th (5 levels in the same manifesting class)

The skill requirement means that you can't start Sangehirn till at least your seventh character level (You have to fulfill requirements before you can start a Prestige Class, and you can't get 9 ranks in Heal until 6th level).

Once you have taken a level in a PrC (or another base class), simply look at the lines for your level in each class. Add together things like BAB and Saves.
The_Mess
12-28-07, 10:49 PM The Sangehirn prestige class is one offered on the Mind's Eye column (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/psi) that used to run regularly on the WotC website. There's good stuff in there! Just note that it started under 3.0 rules so some of the early material needs updating. This link to Sangehirn is just fine (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c), however.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
PhattieMcgee 12-28-07, 03:13 PM	Hey everyone, I was wondering if a psionic character is able to heal a group close to what a cleric or druid can. I'm kinda new to psionics (haven't played since Dark Sun) and I have always really enjoyed playing a healer support class in every game. So with a few questions I'm hoping I can get some answers to set me straight :D Are Psionics a good class to play if you want to be a healer. If they are, what skills/feats/ability's/powers/items do you recommend? Thanks :D
Nabuchadnezzar 12-28-07, 03:27 PM	Be an Egoist. This (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=971186) is my build of a 6-level egoist who focuses in knowledge, heal and battlefield control, but can do many interesting things... Feats: 1) Psicrystal affinity (Single-minded) 1) Psionic body (Extend power at 7) 1) Enlarge power 3) Expand Knowledge (Astral construct) 5) Boost construct 6) Craft dorje (Metamorphic transfer at 7) Skills: Knowledge (psionic) maxed Psicraft maxed Concentration maxed Autohypnosis maxed Knowledge (all the other 10 at least 1 rank, with 12 rank to spend at 6th level) There are 11 Knowledge fields (Arcana, Architecture and engineering, Dungeoneering, Geography, History, Local, Nature, Nobility and royalty, Religion, The planes, Psionic), so the first 20 ranks will be: 1 for every single knowledge field 4 concentration 4 autohypnosis 1 psicraft I'll max out psicraft and knowledge (psionic) in the first 5 levels. Powers known by level: 1) Vigor, Call to mind (Precognition, defensive at 7), Matter agitation (Inertial armor at 7) 2) Missive (Energy ray at 7), Grease (Entangling ectoplasm at 7) 3) Share pain, Empathic transfer, [Astral construct] 4) Ego whip, Animal affinity 5) Dispel psionic, Energy wall 6) Mental barrier, Touchsight I'll craft level 1 (Enlarged if applicable) "Call to mind", "Matter agitation", "Missive" and "Grease" dorjes at level 6 or early level 7 before reformation, these will be enough for the rest of my carreer I think... AC will be boosted by leather armor, then up to mithril chainmail and darkwood heavy shield, or masterwork studded leather armor and darkwood heavy shield. By level 7 my armor will be (extended) Inertial armor, good with Metamorphosis. By level 3 you'll heal like a cleric, if not better: Share vigor with psicrystal, have Share pain manifested with psicrystal and you are ready to absorb huge amount of damage. During and before battle, manifest share pain with your melee fighters, so half damage will hurt you instead of them, but you and your psicrystal will burn temporary hit points from vigor. So if a warrior would take 20 damage, he only takes 10 and the other 10 are shared, 5 you and 5 psicrystal. After (and sometimes during) battle, manifest Empathic transfer to heal 2d10 damage to allies and take half damage (absorbed by temporary hit points). This power scales up well... 10d10 for 7 pp at level 7, empowered 15d10 for 9 pp at level 9. At level 9 you'll get Revivify, the best resurrect option in the game. At level 11 you'll get Restoration. To get Empathic transfer, Revivify and Restoration ASAP you'll need to be an Egoist. Autohypnosis works fine with Empathic transfer if you transfer a poison.
jbsaff 12-28-07, 04:29 PM	Also consider the Society Mind (http://dreamscarredpress.com/main/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=7&category_id=1&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29) (available free from Dreamscarred Press). To whit, the Society Mind allows the party to transfer healing around as needed. Combined with a dorje of Body Adjustment, as well as a raft of empathic powers, you should be able to fulfill the role quite nicely. I just hit level 3 with my SocMind, and I'm having a lot of fun. In addition to the healing, you also act as a party support buffer and enemy de-buffer. You could make use of Empathic Transfer and Share Pain as the Egoist above. You might also lobby your DM to add Vigor to the Society Mind's class list if you are going to be the main/only healer. Once you get third level powers, Body Adjustment can be used for direct healing.
The_Shaman 12-28-07, 05:14 PM	Hey everyone, I was wondering if a psionic character is able to heal a group close to what a cleric or druid can. I'm kinda new to psionics (haven't played since Dark Sun) and I have always really enjoyed playing a healer support class in every game. Well, one way is to get the hurt on yourself through empathic transfer, ideally "cheating" by using share pain/vigor/psicrystal to mitigate or negating the damage to yourself. However, a simpler - if less effective - way is to simply get a few Sangehirn levels; it is a PrC that was designed to make for psionic healers, and it's freely available here (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c) . The first level is really c...py, but after that you get some decent abilities. What your really want is the lvl 3 ability, which allows you to put a personal range power - like vigor, body adjustment, etc - on another.
InkBlot 12-28-07, 05:35 PM	By level 3 you'll heal like a cleric, if not better. Not better. A 3rd level Cleric heals 1d8+3 for a 1st level spell slot. A 3rd level Psion heals about 2 HP healed for 1 power point. The break down: 2d10 HP for 6 power points (3 for empathic transfer plus 3 for vigor). That's 11 HP on average. Eleven divided by six is one-and-five-sixths. If you share vigor with your psicrystal, and manifest share pain on it, then you do better. Still not as good as a Cleric though. Share pain on your allies plus vigor on yourself is a great combo, but it isn't healing. But once you get enough level in Sangehirn to get fast healing, fuggedaboutit. Empathic transfer is win-sauce if you have fast healing or regeneration..
Nabuchadnezzar 12-28-07, 05:41 PM	Or just make a tattoo and give it to another (they cost twice, so a 1 pp vigor tattoo would cost 100 gp instead of 50 because they have range:personal). Don't lose manifester level EVER. Take extend power and manifest a 2h/lvl long share pain (5 pp each) between everyone in the party (including yourself) and the psicrystal, and between the psicrystal and yourself. As soon as combat starts, manifest (shared) vigor, and if someone would get hurt, manifest intellect fortress at full augment: empathic damage from share pain is dealt by a psionic power, so every time it bounces from you and the psicrystal (until it fall to 1 or less damage) half of it is instead absorbed by intellect fortress. Here (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=14659104&postcount=57) I wrote some stats... For example: A is your protected guy, B is you psicrystal, C is you (psion). An Evil Barbarian hits A for (say) 200 damage. A takes 100. The other 100 would be taken by the Psicrystal, but it's first halved by intellect fortress to 50, then halved by share pain with the psion to 25. The Psion would take 25 damage, but this damage is first halved by intellect fortress to 12, then halved by share pain with the psicrystal to 6. The Psicrystal would take 6 dmage, but it's first halved by intellect fortress to 3, then halved by share pain to 1. Total damage dealt to A: 100 Total damage dealt to B: 26 Total damage dealt to C: 6 Total damage negated (N): 68 Maybe I am wrong in rounding up/down, but you can easily calculate once and for all which percentage of damage would be taken from A, B and C, if you start with say 1'000'000 damage The same calculations could be done if damage is dealt by powers and/or to the Psion directly. I made the calculations: Column 1: Weapon against Ally Column 2: Weapon against Psion Column 3: Power against Ally Column 4: Power against Psion Column 5: Weapon/Power against Ally (no Intellect fortress, flat-footed?) Column 6: Weapon/Power against Psion (no Intellect fortress, flat-footed?) A = Ally B = Psicrystal C = Psion N = Negated %A 50.00% 0.00% 25.00% 0.00% 50.00% 0.00% %B 13.33% 13.33% 6.67% 6.67% 33.33% 33.33% %C 3.33% 53.33% 1.67% 26.67% 16.67% 66.67% %N 33.33% 33.33% 66.67% 66.67% 0.00% 0.00% Fraction(A) 1/2 0 1/4 0 1/2 0 Fraction(B) 4/30 4/30 1/15 1/15 1/3 1/3 Fraction(C) 1/30 8/15 1/60 4/15 1/6 2/3 Fraction(N) 1/3 1/3 2/3 2/3 0 0 Actually, you previously expend 5*(#PartyMember) pp for Share pain (good by level 8, it lasts 16 hours), then a good (shared) vigor and as an immediate action intellect fortress as needed. You don't need to jump the entire battlefield healing injured allies, just make sure they are at close range to make Share pain work.
jbsaff 12-28-07, 06:33 PM	But once you get enough level in Sangehirn to get fast healing, fuggedaboutit. Empathic transfer is win-sauce if you have fast healing or regeneration.. Sangehirn really is where it's at for Psionic healing. With enough levels, any psion could be a healer. But a Society Mind/Sangehirn with the Lend Health feat (in the material I linked above) can pass out the fast healing goodness to anyone in the group, anytime, without having to use actions or pp. Having a SocMind Sangehirn means full hp for everyone almost every battle. Of course, you have to be level 10 before this starts.
PhattieMcgee 12-28-07, 07:37 PM	woah thanks guys!, Like I said I havn't played since the Dark Sun days.. So I need a little time to catch up and cram this info into my head :) :lightbulb So Sangehirn is another class, so I'd have to multiclass.. I'd like to stay away from multiclassing because I dont understand it :confused: (if someone wants to give me the nitty gritty that would be awesome) Also, what about race? I'm surprised no one mentioned one, is there one better than the other? or all the same? My new DM said I could use a monster race.. here are his rules: 1. If you play a standard race you will start out at level 2. 2. If you want to play a monster race it can?t have a Level Adjustment of more than +1. 3. If you do play a monster race add one level of any class also. Any suggestions? Thanks guys all this info is absolutely great and VERY helpful! :bow:
Nabuchadnezzar 12-28-07, 07:43 PM	Human is the best imho: bonus feat and bonus skills!
PhattieMcgee 12-28-07, 07:45 PM	good lord that was quick! :) Thanks! im using pcgen to help make my guy.. so im off to input some data!
jbsaff 12-28-07, 09:24 PM	So Sangehirn is another class, so I'd have to multiclass.. I'd like to stay away from multiclassing because I dont understand it :confused: (if someone wants to give me the nitty gritty that would be awesome) Sangehirn is a Prestige Class (PrC). Basically, PrCs are classes that have a set of prerequisites (and sometimes restrictions) before you can enter them. For the Sangehirn, this means that you have to have the following: 9 ranks in the Heal skill, the feats "Mind Over Body" and "Psionic Body" Manifester Level (ML) 5th (5 levels in the same manifesting class) The skill requirement means that you can't start Sangehirn till at least your seventh character level (You have to fulfill requirements before you can start a Prestige Class, and you can't get 9 ranks in Heal until 6th level). Once you have taken a level in a PrC (or another base class), simply look at the lines for your level in each class. Add together things like BAB and Saves.
The_Mess 12-28-07, 10:49 PM	The Sangehirn prestige class is one offered on the Mind's Eye column (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/arch/psi) that used to run regularly on the WotC website. There's good stuff in there! Just note that it started under 3.0 rules so some of the early material needs updating. This link to Sangehirn is just fine (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625c), however.