Questions about telepath [Archive] - Wizards Community

Questions about telepath [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Wrong
04-27-07, 06:49 PM I'm thinking about playing a telepath, I love the concept and the skill list, and I'd like to know how different it is to play a psion (telepath) from to play a sorcerer.

Sorcerers have Heighen Spell to increase DCs and spell level / Psions have augmentation (sometimes), and globes of invulnerability seem to really hurt them.
Even if I know that damage is not the best option, even more with the limited PP pool, almost all area damages are in the kineticist list, so the power selection I started to study has only Energy Stun (not very wide…) and, later, energy wave (7th power level !). And save or die effects are mostly mind-affecting or do not have augmentable DCs.

I used to play a character who can cast and Heighten charms, dominate, scupted area spells, illusions, walls, teleport, fliy, displacement, improved blink and some low level teleport tricks. And I could cast a lot of them.
So I think about taking some expanded knowledge : Astral Construct, Clairvoyant Sense, Greater Concealing amorpha, Energy Current.
It seems that the psion lacks protection, even if he can have a high CA and a lot of temporary hps, so I chose Greater Concealing amorpha, but I can only have it at 9th level and I don't know if it worth the time taken to cast it and the PP needed. Clairvoyant sense as a stndard action is very good, and energy current seems to be a good idea to preserve the precious PP. Someone think I waste a feat on one or more of these powers ?

The psion is also not a buffer, so I plan to use share pain + vigor between me, a psicrystal and the group meat shield to make the group members love me.

This telepath will be made to last at least 20 levels, and I wonder how efficient is a mid to high level telepath with all this mind-affecting and restrained mobility (compared to spellcasters, as my psion won't fly without item, for example). Is it harder to survive with a psion ? Is it as easy as it seems to run out of PPs ?

And last question : How does the Practiced Manifester feat interact with the Schism power ?
Cala, Legend Reborn
04-27-07, 07:09 PM See this post that I made a bit earlier: http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12233646&postcount=10

Not all of what's there will apply to your case, but it's a very rough guideline.

As for some of your other questions: PP is indeed a limited resource. It does take a bit of math and self-control not to go "nova" on the session's first encounter. While you said you're not a buffing psion, share pain and vigor are very much in the category of buffs. You should proportion out your PP so that you're not using more than say, 15-20% of it for buffs.

Astral construct is a nice power... but if you don't go into a PrC that makes them good, it's hardly worth it. Greater concealing amorpha is also a pretty trick, but it takes far too long for you to get it. I'd take something like energy missile via a 5th level EK.

And with PracMani and Schism... the wording is admittedly somewhat ambiguous, but my interpretation is that it'll be six ML lower regardless.

Quote for reference:
Your second mind can manifest powers using your power point reserve, but only as if your manifester level were six lower than it is.
Wrong
04-28-07, 05:35 AM Thank you Cala, it really helps me :)
I overlooked Dampen power and Linked Power. Linked synchronicity with empty mind or catfall is very powerful for a 2PP cost ! Manifested before your first turn, you have 2 standard actions and 1 move action before your second turn. Very low level combo, extremely useful when you only have one focus to spend per encounter because of the full-round action needed to refocus.

Practiced Manifester tells that you manifester level for the chosen class increases by 4 and that this benefit can't increase your ML higher than your Hit Dice. So the psion is already 4 levels higher, 4 "phantom levels", before applying the schism's level lowering.

I would also know how telepath players ensure their survivability through mid to high levels (no polymorph things allowed :embarrass )
Cala, Legend Reborn
04-28-07, 09:49 PM About that Synchronicity "combo"...
Myth 25: Synchronicity is overpowered
Answer: The wording of Synchronicity is actually the problem with this power. Does it grant an extra standard action? By the way it specifies move action + standard action, I'm inclined to say no, and that would be the way to keep it balanced. The overpowered view comes from those who feel that this grants them their normal allotment of moves in a round plus an extra standard action, which the power description does not state is gained.
Now, were this power Contingency-ed or Quickened, you would essentially have your first round of full actions (minus your swift) and your second round of actions where you can take the standard anytime you want. This sounds better than it is, since the power never states you get an extra standard action. While this does allow you to change your place on the initiative count based on need, it does not, nor should be thought to, grant you an extra standard action.
Even using Anticipatory Strike does not grant an extra standard action. The rules of readying an action, which this power does, clearly state that once you take your action, you have essentially used a new turn's standard action and your initiative count changes.

Your second mind is still are part of you, which means it would derive any necessary variables from your current statistics. You would calculate Schism's ML from your ML (capped by HD as per PracMani), and because you cannot have "phantom levels", likewise for your Schismed mind. Schism's a nice enough power as it is; it would be a stretch to pull out some ambiguous wording to break it completely. My :twocents: on that. Maybe someone more knowledgeable like Tempest Stormwind could clarify this one, since I haven't seen anything regarding this on the Myths thread or the FAQ.

Telepaths PrC easily and nicely into Thrallherd (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/thrallherd.htm)s, which effectively gives you Leadership, and gives you protection in the form of other characters. The loss of two manifester levels is well worth the eventual two (!) extra characters to deal with a variety of situations, though gameplay-wise, you need to be good at book-keeping and like occasionally talking to yourself. ;P

By mid-high levels, I assume you mean 12 onwards, which will give you 6th-level powers and higher... Temporal Acceleration (6th, generic) is a nice pseudo-Time Stop that will buy you some rounds to heal/buff as necessary. Oak Body (7th, generic) is a pretty good defensive power. Iron Body and True Metabolism (both 8th, generic) are fairly decent too.

Really though, Telepaths are about mind control. You should be charming and dominating things to use as meat shields, until you get True Mind Switch (9th, telepath). Then you can do crazy things with that.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Wrong 04-27-07, 06:49 PM	I'm thinking about playing a telepath, I love the concept and the skill list, and I'd like to know how different it is to play a psion (telepath) from to play a sorcerer. Sorcerers have Heighen Spell to increase DCs and spell level / Psions have augmentation (sometimes), and globes of invulnerability seem to really hurt them. Even if I know that damage is not the best option, even more with the limited PP pool, almost all area damages are in the kineticist list, so the power selection I started to study has only Energy Stun (not very wide…) and, later, energy wave (7th power level !). And save or die effects are mostly mind-affecting or do not have augmentable DCs. I used to play a character who can cast and Heighten charms, dominate, scupted area spells, illusions, walls, teleport, fliy, displacement, improved blink and some low level teleport tricks. And I could cast a lot of them. So I think about taking some expanded knowledge : Astral Construct, Clairvoyant Sense, Greater Concealing amorpha, Energy Current. It seems that the psion lacks protection, even if he can have a high CA and a lot of temporary hps, so I chose Greater Concealing amorpha, but I can only have it at 9th level and I don't know if it worth the time taken to cast it and the PP needed. Clairvoyant sense as a stndard action is very good, and energy current seems to be a good idea to preserve the precious PP. Someone think I waste a feat on one or more of these powers ? The psion is also not a buffer, so I plan to use share pain + vigor between me, a psicrystal and the group meat shield to make the group members love me. This telepath will be made to last at least 20 levels, and I wonder how efficient is a mid to high level telepath with all this mind-affecting and restrained mobility (compared to spellcasters, as my psion won't fly without item, for example). Is it harder to survive with a psion ? Is it as easy as it seems to run out of PPs ? And last question : How does the Practiced Manifester feat interact with the Schism power ?
Cala, Legend Reborn 04-27-07, 07:09 PM	See this post that I made a bit earlier: http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=12233646&postcount=10 Not all of what's there will apply to your case, but it's a very rough guideline. As for some of your other questions: PP is indeed a limited resource. It does take a bit of math and self-control not to go "nova" on the session's first encounter. While you said you're not a buffing psion, share pain and vigor are very much in the category of buffs. You should proportion out your PP so that you're not using more than say, 15-20% of it for buffs. Astral construct is a nice power... but if you don't go into a PrC that makes them good, it's hardly worth it. Greater concealing amorpha is also a pretty trick, but it takes far too long for you to get it. I'd take something like energy missile via a 5th level EK. And with PracMani and Schism... the wording is admittedly somewhat ambiguous, but my interpretation is that it'll be six ML lower regardless. Quote for reference: Your second mind can manifest powers using your power point reserve, but only as if your manifester level were six lower than it is.
Wrong 04-28-07, 05:35 AM	Thank you Cala, it really helps me :) I overlooked Dampen power and Linked Power. Linked synchronicity with empty mind or catfall is very powerful for a 2PP cost ! Manifested before your first turn, you have 2 standard actions and 1 move action before your second turn. Very low level combo, extremely useful when you only have one focus to spend per encounter because of the full-round action needed to refocus. Practiced Manifester tells that you manifester level for the chosen class increases by 4 and that this benefit can't increase your ML higher than your Hit Dice. So the psion is already 4 levels higher, 4 "phantom levels", before applying the schism's level lowering. I would also know how telepath players ensure their survivability through mid to high levels (no polymorph things allowed :embarrass )
Cala, Legend Reborn 04-28-07, 09:49 PM	About that Synchronicity "combo"... Myth 25: Synchronicity is overpowered Answer: The wording of Synchronicity is actually the problem with this power. Does it grant an extra standard action? By the way it specifies move action + standard action, I'm inclined to say no, and that would be the way to keep it balanced. The overpowered view comes from those who feel that this grants them their normal allotment of moves in a round plus an extra standard action, which the power description does not state is gained. Now, were this power Contingency-ed or Quickened, you would essentially have your first round of full actions (minus your swift) and your second round of actions where you can take the standard anytime you want. This sounds better than it is, since the power never states you get an extra standard action. While this does allow you to change your place on the initiative count based on need, it does not, nor should be thought to, grant you an extra standard action. Even using Anticipatory Strike does not grant an extra standard action. The rules of readying an action, which this power does, clearly state that once you take your action, you have essentially used a new turn's standard action and your initiative count changes. Your second mind is still are part of you, which means it would derive any necessary variables from your current statistics. You would calculate Schism's ML from your ML (capped by HD as per PracMani), and because you cannot have "phantom levels", likewise for your Schismed mind. Schism's a nice enough power as it is; it would be a stretch to pull out some ambiguous wording to break it completely. My :twocents: on that. Maybe someone more knowledgeable like Tempest Stormwind could clarify this one, since I haven't seen anything regarding this on the Myths thread or the FAQ. Telepaths PrC easily and nicely into Thrallherd (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/prestigeClasses/thrallherd.htm)s, which effectively gives you Leadership, and gives you protection in the form of other characters. The loss of two manifester levels is well worth the eventual two (!) extra characters to deal with a variety of situations, though gameplay-wise, you need to be good at book-keeping and like occasionally talking to yourself. ;P By mid-high levels, I assume you mean 12 onwards, which will give you 6th-level powers and higher... Temporal Acceleration (6th, generic) is a nice pseudo-Time Stop that will buy you some rounds to heal/buff as necessary. Oak Body (7th, generic) is a pretty good defensive power. Iron Body and True Metabolism (both 8th, generic) are fairly decent too. Really though, Telepaths are about mind control. You should be charming and dominating things to use as meat shields, until you get True Mind Switch (9th, telepath). Then you can do crazy things with that.