Question on Cog Crystals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Question on Cog Crystals [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Meikle_641
09-24-07, 09:01 PM So as I read the description for Pearls of Power and compare them to the lowly Cognizance Crystals, I ponder. Why do psionic characters have to pay so much for an item that gives so little? Sure they hold power points, but they don't even regenerate like Pearls do.

Which of course makes me wonder some more. I'm sure this has been asked many times, but would it affect game balance in a negative way if Cog crystals refilled by themselves at a certain rate? Not necessarily all unused PP in one day, but perhaps 1 PP per day.

The reason I ask is that I'm planning to use a fellow's suggestion I saw on the boards a while ago. The idea that cog crystals are naturally occurring, and the high capacity ones are downright massive, if not immovable. My thought was that perhaps psionic folks in my setting would settle near such formations, much like we already do near sources of water. It could be like a psychic well, in a way.

So, keep current pricing and have them regenerate PP at a daily rate of perhaps 1/day, or a daily refresh? Your input would be appreciated.
Scion of Coldshard
09-24-07, 10:26 PM Because psionics is supposed to always be bad? ;)

No one knows why they suck so hard, but they certainly do.

I would say that even if you let them recharge to full just as the pearls do they are still not as powerful as the pearl with casters free scaling.
sijigs
09-24-07, 10:30 PM If you ever get them as treasure, just exchange them for moolah. :D
flamepheonix182
09-24-07, 11:46 PM I dunno sure they are expensive but if you just fill them with any excess power points you have before you rest each day then it doesnt really cost you anything
AntiDjinn
09-25-07, 03:33 AM The two (meager) advantages cog crystals offer over pearls of power are:

1) You are much more likely to find a cog crystal in your next treasure trove. Somewhere between 20 and 30% of any psionic treasure will be cog crystals, while only a small fraction of treasure that has been determined to be a wondrous item will be a pearl of power. Most casters have to buy or craft pearls of power, but manifesters never pay a copper for cog crystals or waste a feat on making them, just be patient, kill things, and gather them up.

2) You don't have to wait a day for a recharge. There is, in fact, no limit on how many times they can be charged in a day. That you need to use your points to recharge them is a problem that can be solved by using someone else's. So when your party is fighting a horde of undead, your kineticist or shaper can hand off crystals to the party telepath and lurk and say: "Since these guys are immune to mind-affecting powers and don't give a damn about sneak attacks, or stunning strike, why don't you make yourselves useful and give me a charge?" If a character has power points and nothing appropriate into which to channel them, then cog crystals are a way to make their points available to another for power manifestation. If you happen to be a thrallherd, just hand your depleted crystal off to a minor psionic minion who can charge it and hand it back to you; if you are ML 17 and your minion is ML 5 the overall output is better if he recharges your 17 point crystal than if he manifests powers himself (may take a few rounds since the mechanics for recharging are ill-defined, assume a standard action and possibly with the normal ML point cap for each such action). Repeat as needed for several rounds and several minions. Can't do that with a pearl of power. In fact, with access to multiple psionic mooks from which to pool recharge points, thrallherds may be the only characters who are happy receive cog crystals; they effectively turn minions into battery chargers.

That is about it. Worth the cost? Certainly not, but as I said, people don't pay retail for these things and you have to wonder how the folk crafting them are making a living.
CrimsonDeath
09-25-07, 04:26 AM I dunno sure they are expensive but if you just fill them with any excess power points you have before you rest each day then it doesnt really cost you anything

Doesn't really gain you anything, either. If you have enough spare PP at the end of the day to recharge all your depleted cognizance crystals, you may as well not have had them anyway.
Orenmir
09-25-07, 10:40 AM What book is Pearl of Power in?
Scion of Coldshard
09-25-07, 11:35 AM What book is Pearl of Power in?

They are in the DMG ;)
The_Ditto
09-25-07, 04:08 PM The two (meager) advantages cog crystals offer over pearls of power are:

1) You are much more likely to find a cog crystal in your next treasure trove. Somewhere between 20 and 30% of any psionic treasure will be cog crystals, while only a small fraction of treasure that has been determined to be a wondrous item will be a pearl of power. Most casters have to buy or craft pearls of power, but manifesters never pay a copper for cog crystals or waste a feat on making them, just be patient, kill things, and gather them up.

This assumes your DM using psioinic treasure tables/guidelines ... (mine wasn't, so I found the feat very useful ... :P )
(I probably wouldn't do it again ... but ... uh ... ;) )

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Meikle_641 09-24-07, 09:01 PM	So as I read the description for Pearls of Power and compare them to the lowly Cognizance Crystals, I ponder. Why do psionic characters have to pay so much for an item that gives so little? Sure they hold power points, but they don't even regenerate like Pearls do. Which of course makes me wonder some more. I'm sure this has been asked many times, but would it affect game balance in a negative way if Cog crystals refilled by themselves at a certain rate? Not necessarily all unused PP in one day, but perhaps 1 PP per day. The reason I ask is that I'm planning to use a fellow's suggestion I saw on the boards a while ago. The idea that cog crystals are naturally occurring, and the high capacity ones are downright massive, if not immovable. My thought was that perhaps psionic folks in my setting would settle near such formations, much like we already do near sources of water. It could be like a psychic well, in a way. So, keep current pricing and have them regenerate PP at a daily rate of perhaps 1/day, or a daily refresh? Your input would be appreciated.
Scion of Coldshard 09-24-07, 10:26 PM	Because psionics is supposed to always be bad? ;) No one knows why they suck so hard, but they certainly do. I would say that even if you let them recharge to full just as the pearls do they are still not as powerful as the pearl with casters free scaling.
sijigs 09-24-07, 10:30 PM	If you ever get them as treasure, just exchange them for moolah. :D
flamepheonix182 09-24-07, 11:46 PM	I dunno sure they are expensive but if you just fill them with any excess power points you have before you rest each day then it doesnt really cost you anything
AntiDjinn 09-25-07, 03:33 AM	The two (meager) advantages cog crystals offer over pearls of power are: 1) You are much more likely to find a cog crystal in your next treasure trove. Somewhere between 20 and 30% of any psionic treasure will be cog crystals, while only a small fraction of treasure that has been determined to be a wondrous item will be a pearl of power. Most casters have to buy or craft pearls of power, but manifesters never pay a copper for cog crystals or waste a feat on making them, just be patient, kill things, and gather them up. 2) You don't have to wait a day for a recharge. There is, in fact, no limit on how many times they can be charged in a day. That you need to use your points to recharge them is a problem that can be solved by using someone else's. So when your party is fighting a horde of undead, your kineticist or shaper can hand off crystals to the party telepath and lurk and say: "Since these guys are immune to mind-affecting powers and don't give a damn about sneak attacks, or stunning strike, why don't you make yourselves useful and give me a charge?" If a character has power points and nothing appropriate into which to channel them, then cog crystals are a way to make their points available to another for power manifestation. If you happen to be a thrallherd, just hand your depleted crystal off to a minor psionic minion who can charge it and hand it back to you; if you are ML 17 and your minion is ML 5 the overall output is better if he recharges your 17 point crystal than if he manifests powers himself (may take a few rounds since the mechanics for recharging are ill-defined, assume a standard action and possibly with the normal ML point cap for each such action). Repeat as needed for several rounds and several minions. Can't do that with a pearl of power. In fact, with access to multiple psionic mooks from which to pool recharge points, thrallherds may be the only characters who are happy receive cog crystals; they effectively turn minions into battery chargers. That is about it. Worth the cost? Certainly not, but as I said, people don't pay retail for these things and you have to wonder how the folk crafting them are making a living.
CrimsonDeath 09-25-07, 04:26 AM	I dunno sure they are expensive but if you just fill them with any excess power points you have before you rest each day then it doesnt really cost you anything Doesn't really gain you anything, either. If you have enough spare PP at the end of the day to recharge all your depleted cognizance crystals, you may as well not have had them anyway.
Orenmir 09-25-07, 10:40 AM	What book is Pearl of Power in?
Scion of Coldshard 09-25-07, 11:35 AM	What book is Pearl of Power in? They are in the DMG ;)
The_Ditto 09-25-07, 04:08 PM	The two (meager) advantages cog crystals offer over pearls of power are: 1) You are much more likely to find a cog crystal in your next treasure trove. Somewhere between 20 and 30% of any psionic treasure will be cog crystals, while only a small fraction of treasure that has been determined to be a wondrous item will be a pearl of power. Most casters have to buy or craft pearls of power, but manifesters never pay a copper for cog crystals or waste a feat on making them, just be patient, kill things, and gather them up. This assumes your DM using psioinic treasure tables/guidelines ... (mine wasn't, so I found the feat very useful ... :P ) (I probably wouldn't do it again ... but ... uh ... ;) )