Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Azzy 06-25-07, 01:18 AM	Okay, so the "Psicrystals Do/Don't Get Feats" debate has sprung up once more and I'm left the following facts: 1) The rules as written (RAW) suggests that they have HD and gain all the benefis thereof. And: 2) That's purely academic as the only official says that they're not supposed to. However, if psicrystals do not have HD for the purposes of gaining HD-dependent benefits they become underpowered compared to the sorcerer's familiar and all other PC "pets." In addition, there are other facets about the psicrystal that are contradictory or just simply omitted. Until WotC decides to gets off their duffs and actually correct these issues by updating the errata slips, I present the following, unofficial, fix to bring psicrystals in line with the official writ of CustServ and with game balance of other PC pets. All changes are clearly marked for comparison (additions in green text and deletions in red, strikethough text.), and typically contain footnotes. With the rules addition, I tried to stay as close to existing official text and syntax as appropriate (drawing from both the familiar entry in the 3.5 PHB, and the psicrystal entry in the 3.0 Psionics Handbook). Note: This is not a thread to debate whether or not psicrystals gain feats, and as such debating that issue is offtopic here. If you feel that you really must debate that issue (for whatever purpose you feel it may gain you), please do so in the appropriate thread (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=871210). Thank you.
Azzy 06-25-07, 01:18 AM	PSICRYSTAL AFFINITY [psionic] You have created a psicrystal. Prerequisites: Manifester level 1st. Benefit: This feat allows you to gain a psicrystal. Special: If the psicrystal is destroyed, the manifester must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses 200 experience points per manifester level; success reduces the loss to one‑half that amount. However, a manifester’s experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a psicrystal’s destruction. A destroyed psicrystal cannot be replaced for six months.1 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PSICRYSTALS A psicrystal is a fragment of a psionic character’s personality, brought into physical form and a semblance of life (via the Psicrystal Affinity feat). A psicrystal appears as a crystalline construct about the size of a human hand. Because it is an extension of its creator’s personality, a character’s psicrystal is in some ways a part of him. That’s why, for example, a psionic character can manifest a personal range power on his psicrystal even though normally he can manifest such a power only on himself. A psicrystal is treated as a construct for the purposes of all effects that depend on its type. A psicrystal grants special abilities to its owner, as shown on the Psicrystal Special Abilities table below. In addition, a psicrystal has a personality (being a fragment of the owner’s personality), which gives its owner a bonus on certain types of checks or saving throws, as given on the Psicrystal Personalities table below. These special abilities and bonuses apply only when the owner and the psicrystal are within 1 mile of each other. Psicrystal abilities are based on the owner’s levels in psionic classes. Levels from other classes do not count toward the owner’s level for purposes of psicrystal abilities. A psicrystal can speak one language of its owner’s choice (so long as it is a language the owner knows). A psicrystal can understand all other languages known by its owner, but cannot speak them. This is a supernatural ability. Psicrystal Basics: Use the statistics for a psicrystal, but make the following changes. Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level.2 Hit Points: The psicrystal has one‑half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the psicrystal’s Dexterity modifier to get its melee touch attack bonus when used to deliver touch powers.3 Saving Throws: A psicrystal uses its owner’s base saving throw bonuses and ability modifiers on saves, though it doesn’t enjoy any other bonuses its owner might have (from magic items or feats, for example). Abilities: When its self‑propulsion ability is not activated, a psicrystal has no Strength score and no Dexterity score. Skills: A psicrystal has the same skill ranks as its owner, except that it has a minimum of 4 ranks each in Spot, Listen, Move Silently, and Search. (Even if its owner has no ranks in these skills, a psicrystal has 4 ranks in each.) A psicrystal uses its own ability modifiers on skill checks. Psicrystal Special Abilities Natural Owner Level Armor Adj. Int Adj. Special 1st-2nd +0 +0 Alertness, improved evasion, personality, self‑propulsion, share powers, sighted, telepathic link 3rd‑4th +1 +1 Deliver touch powers 5th-6th +2 +2 Telepathic speech 7th-8th +3 +3 — 9th-10th +4 +4 Flight 11th-12th +5 +5 Power resistance 13th-14th +6 +6 Sight link 15th-16th +7 +7 Channel power 17th-18th +8 +8 — 19th-20th +9 +9 — Psicrystal Ability Descriptions: All psicrystals have special abilities (or impart abilities to their owners) depending on the level of the owner, as shown on the table above. The abilities on the table are cumulative. Natural Armor Adj. (Ex): This number noted here is an improvement to the psicrystal’s natural armor bonus (normally 0). It represents a psicrystal’s preternatural durability. Intelligence Adj. (Ex): Add this value to the psicrystal’s Intelligence score. Psicrystals are as smart as people (though not necessarily as smart as smart people). Alertness (Ex): The presence of a psicrystal sharpens its master’s senses. While a psicrystal is within arm’s reach (adjacent to or in the same square as its owner), its owner gains the Alertness feat. Improved Evasion (Ex): If a psicrystal is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails. Personality (Ex): Every psicrystal has a personality. See Psicrystal Personality, below. Self‑Propulsion (Su): As a standard action, its owner can will a psicrystal to form spidery, ectoplasmic legs that grant the psicrystal a land speed of 30 feet and a climb speed of 20 feet. The legs fade into nothingness after one day (or sooner, if the owner desires). Share Powers (Su): At the owner’s option, he can have any power (but not any psi‑like ability) he manifests on himself also affect his psicrystal. The psicrystal must be within 5 feet of him at the time of the manifestation to receive the benefit. If the power has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the psicrystal if it moves farther than 5 feet away, and will not affect the psicrystal again, even if it returns to its owner before the duration expires. Additionally, the owner can manifest a power with a target of “You” on his psicrystal (as a touch range power) instead of on himself. The owner and psicrystal cannot share powers if the powers normally do not affect creatures of the psicrystal’s type (construct). Sighted (Ex): Although it has no physical sensory organs, a psicrystal can telepathically sense its environment as well as a creature with normal vision and hearing. Darkness (even supernatural darkness) is irrelevant, as are areas of supernatural silence, though a psicrystal still can’t discern invisible or ethereal beings. A psicrystal’s sighted range is 40 feet. Telepathic Link (Su): The owner has a telepathic link with his psicrystal out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The owner cannot see through the psicrystal’s senses, but the two of them can communicate telepathically as if the psicrystal were the target of a mindlink power manifested by the owner. For instance, a psicrystal placed in a distant room could relay the activities occurring in that room. Because of the telepathic link between a psicrystal and its owner, the owner has the same connection to an item or place that the psicrystal does. For instance, if his psicrystal has seen a room, the owner can teleport into that room as if he has seen it too. Deliver Touch Powers (Su): If the owner is 3rd level or higher, his psicrystal can deliver touch powers for him. If the owner and psicrystal are in contact at the time the owner manifests a touch power, he can designate his psicrystal as the “toucher.” The psicrystal can then deliver the touch power just as the owner could. As usual, if the owner manifests another power before the touch is delivered, the touch power dissipates. Telepathic Speech (Ex): If the owner is 5th level or higher, the psicrystal can communicate telepathically with any creature that has a language and is within 30 feet of the psicrystal, while the psicrystal is also within 1 mile of the owner. Flight (Su): If the owner is 9th level or higher, he can, as a standard action, will his psicrystal to fly at a speed of 50 feet (poor). The psicrystal drifts gently to the ground after one day (or sooner, if the owner desires). Power Resistance (Ex): If the owner is 11th level or higher, the psicrystal gains power resistance equal to the owner’s level + 5. To affect the psicrystal with a power, another manifester must get a result on a manifester level check that equals or exceeds the psicrystal’s power resistance. Sight Link (Sp): If the owner is 13th level or higher, the character can remote view the psicrystal (as if manifesting the remote view power) once per day. Channel Power (Sp): If the owner is 15th level or higher, he can manifest powers through the psicrystal to a distance of up to 1 mile. The psicrystal is treated as the power’s originator, and all ranges are calculated from its location. When channeling a power through his psicrystal, the owner manifests the power by paying its power point cost. He is still subject to attacks of opportunity and other hazards of manifesting a power, if applicable (for instance, he becomes visible when manifesting an offensive power if invisible, as does the psicrystal). Psicrystal Personality (Ex): Each psicrystal has a distinct personality, chosen by its owner at the time of its creation from among those given on the following table. At 1st level, its owner typically gets a feel for a psicrystal’s personality only through occasional impulses, but as the owner increases in level the psicrystal’s personality becomes more pronounced. At higher levels, it is not uncommon for a psicrystal to constantly ply its owner with observations and advice, often severely slanted toward the psicrystal’s particular worldview. The owner always sees a bit of himself in his psicrystal, even if magnified and therefore distorted. Psicrystal Personalities Personality Benefit to Owner Artiste +3 bonus on Craft checks Bully +3 bonus on Intimidate checks Coward +3 bonus on Hide checks Friendly +3 bonus on Diplomacy checks Hero +2 bonus on Fortitude saves Liar +3 bonus on Bluff checks Meticulous +3 bonus on Search checks Nimble +2 bonus on Initiative checks Observant +3 bonus on Spot checks Poised +3 bonus on Balance checks Resolved +2 bonus on Will saves Sage +3 bonus on checks involving any one Knowledge skill owner already knows; once chosen, this does not vary Single‑minded +3 bonus on Concentration checks Sneaky +3 bonus on Move Silently checks Sympathetic +3 bonus on Sense Motive checks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ PSICRYSTAL Diminutive Construct Hit Dice: As master’s HD (hp 1/2 master’s) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 20 ft.* Armor Class: 16 (+4 size, +2 Dex*), touch 16, flat‑footed 14 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/–17 Attack: — Full Attack: — Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft. Special Attacks: — Special Qualities: Construct traits, hardness 8, psicrystal granted abilities (improved evasion, personality, self‑propulsion, share powers, sighted, telepathic link) Saves: As master’s saves Abilities: Str 1*, Dex 15*, Con —, Int 6, Wis 10, Cha 10 Skills: Climb +14*, Listen +6, Move Silently +6, Search +2, Spot +6 Feats: Alertness Environment: Any Organization: Solitary Challenge Rating: Included with master Treasure: None Alignment: As master Advancement: — Level Adjustment: — *With self‑propulsion ability activated. The psicrystal described here is that of a 1st‑level manifester. COMBAT A psicrystal’s characteristics depend on its master. Its Hit Dice are equal to its master’s Hit Dice (counting only levels in psion or wilder) effective Hit Dice are equal to its master’s character level, its hit points are equal to half its master’s, and its saving throw bonuses are the same as its master’s. Construct Traits: A psicrystal has immunity to poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, mind‑affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), and any effect that requires a Fortitude save unless it also works on objects or is harmless. It is not subject to critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain. It cannot heal damage, but it can be repaired. Psicrystals do not have the usual construct traits of darkvision and low‑light vision. Psicrystal Granted Abilities: The psicrystal described here has the special abilities of self‑propulsion, alertness, improved evasion, share powers, telepathic link, sighted, and personality (If its master chooses not to activate the self‑propulsion ability, the psicrystal reverts to a speed of 0 feet and has no Strength score and no Dexterity score.) Skills: A psicrystal (with its self‑propulsion ability activated) uses its Dexterity modifier instead of its Strength modifier on Climb checks. It has a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks and can always choose to take 10, even if rushed or threatened. ---------------- Footnotes: 1. Taken from the 3rd Edition Psionics Handbook, and reworded to match the syntax used in the sorcerer’s class ability entry for familiars in the 3.5 PHB. This is the closest “official” text we have, though I’m personally inclined nix the XP loss altogether and decrease the 6 month wait to 24 hours and a bit of meditation. 2. This is a direct change from the psicrystal's monster entry that states "counting only levels in psion or wilder" (or even the common house rule "counting only manifester levels."). If psicrystals are going to be treated like familiars for HD purposes, then they should be treated the same as familiars for HD purposes (that is, all character levels count). 3. Familiars use the higher of their Str or Dex. Psicrystals with the self-propulsion ability activated have a Str of 1 and a Dex of 15, so this is simply removing extraneous text (as the psicrystal’s Dex is always higher than its Str). Also, like bat and toad familiars, psicrystals can't deal damage on melee attacks.
Azzy 06-25-07, 01:19 AM	Okay, I thought I'd go ahead a post the sources for my added text in their original, unadulterated form. Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar’s kind, but make the following changes: Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher. Hit Points: The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar’s Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the familiar’s melee attack bonus with natural weapons. Psicrystal: A psion can encode a psicrystal. Doing so takes a day and requires materials that cost 100 gp (the gem used as the basis for the psicrystal represents at least 50% of the total cost). A psicrystal is a psionically charged crystalline stone no more than 1 inch in diameter. It carries a fragment personality seeded from the psion’s own mind, with which the psion can empathically interact and from which he or she can derive benefits. A psion may possess no more than one psicrystal at any one time. The psion chooses the type of psicrystal he or she gets. As the psion increases in level, his or her psicrystal also increases in utility, as shown on Table: Psicrystal Special Abilities. If the psicrystal is destroyed the psion must attempt a Fortitude save (DC 15). If the saving throw fails, the psion loses 200 experience points per class level. A successful saving throw reduces the loss by half. However, a psion’s experience can never go below 0 as the result of a psicrystal’s destruction. A destroyed psicrystal cannot be replaced for six months.
hovnarr 06-25-07, 01:45 AM	Good work. I think you should note how the psicrystal is replaced - not simply that it can be, if destroyed. Do we know anything about rules intent as for XP loss etc? For example, it's been clarified that psicrystal's were never intented to get feats. Has it been clarified if a text similar to the one you have compiled on psicrystal destruction/replacement was intended to exist?
Azzy 06-25-07, 08:39 AM	Good work. Thank you. :) I think you should note how the psicrystal is replaced - not simply that it can be, if destroyed. Do we know anything about rules intent as for XP loss etc? For example, it's been clarified that psicrystal's were never intented to get feats. Has it been clarified if a text similar to the one you have compiled on psicrystal destruction/replacement was intended to exist? Oi! I'm still working on that. From CustServ, we only know that when a psicrystal is destroyed: "You go through the same process you went through to get your first crystal. It should not take longer than 3 to 7 days." The 3.0 psicrystal entry required a day's work and an 100 gp expenditure, but I'm not sure how applicable that is considering that a feat slot is now used to gain the psicrystal rather than simply being a class ability. More on this later... :)
zuul88 06-25-07, 08:59 AM	Great job. :cookie: Respect Nathan
Slagger the Chuul 06-25-07, 09:59 AM	It looks good. In response to your first footnote, I agree that the XP loss and wait time don't seem appropriate for the 3.5 psicrystal.
Racinante 06-25-07, 10:28 AM	Hit Points: The psicrystal has one‑half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice. Unfortunately, this is (and always has been) poorly worded. Everyone seems to make the assumption (and appropriately, I might add) that the hit points for the familiar and the psicrystal are defined at the start of each level in this manner, yet the statement does not specify when the familiar or psicrystal has half its master's hit points. A continuous validation of this statement would indicate that the familiar or psicrystal always has exactly half the masters hit points, meaning that the pet only dies when its master does. So what happens when the master's Constitution changes or the master gains negative levels?
Racinante 06-25-07, 10:36 AM	It looks good. In response to your first footnote, I agree that the XP loss and wait time don't seem appropriate for the 3.5 psicrystal. Agreed. If it were a class ability, then referencing that cost would be appropriate, however since it does require a feat...
Syrkres 06-25-07, 05:46 PM	For the creation process... Psicrystals are sentient beings/constructs. Many believe them to be made of stone or even crystal, but nothing could be further from the truth. A psicrystal is formed when a sentient being's life blood is spilled and pooled. If enough blood gathers and there is enough psychokinesis or metacreativity energy about it will form into a psicrystal hardening within 24 hours into a crystaline structure. A Psion (or other Psionic being) can manually form a psycrystal by spilling their own blood (taking 2d6 points of subdual damage in the process) into a vessel where the blood is pooled. The psion then must be no more than 1' from the vessel during the next 24 hours while the bond is formed with the psicrystal or else the bond is broken and it will be a free thinking Psicrystal (and possibly the psicrystal fails to form). After 24 hours the blood has hardened to a crystaline structure condensing into it's diminutive size and takes on it's personality and color. Sometimes based on the purity of the personality the color may be clear, while the darker the personality the darker the crystal. The above is what I have used in the past for my campaigns.
Rageheart 06-25-07, 05:52 PM	Good Job... don't agree with everything but that's ok :D
brothersutek 06-25-07, 07:06 PM	+++ Good stuff, the only thing I have a problem with is the need to spend a feat to gain one.:raincloud If its going to be a familiar then it should be a class feature as it was in 3rd. I'm in the other camp anyway I like them getting feats and allow my PC's to do so. meh :duel: . Other than that I think you did a great job :twocents:
Azzy 06-26-07, 02:00 AM	Thank you guys for your support and comments. Over the next few days, I'll see about trying to get everything together and polishing it. After that, I may have a few more ideas. :)
Racinante 06-26-07, 10:16 AM	For the creation process... A psicrystal is formed when a sentient being's life blood is spilled and pooled. If enough blood gathers ... A ...being can manually form a psycrystal by spilling their own blood (taking 2d6 points of subdual damage in the process) into a vessel where the blood is pooled. ... After 24 hours the blood has hardened to a crystaline structure condensing into it's diminutive size and takes on it's personality and color.... Sounds so Arcane and Necromantic, hardly mental (psionic) at all...
BloodSpill 06-26-07, 10:38 AM	However, if psicrystals do not have HD for the purposes of gaining HD-dependent benefits they become underpowered compared to the sorcerer's familiar What? What are you even referring to?
Azzy 06-26-07, 12:25 PM	What? What are you even referring to? If you mean psicrystals gaining feats, see here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=698578), here (http://boards1.wizards.com/wotc_archive/index.php/t-639247) and here (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=871210).
BloodSpill 06-29-07, 04:34 AM	I think you meant to say overpowered.
Azzy 06-29-07, 06:10 AM	I think you meant to say overpowered. And you would be ever so wrong. Exactly what about having no scaling BAB--unlike a familiar--makes a psicrystal overpowered? (Because that is what you're arguing.) Especially when you consider that you would have to expend a feat slot (for the Psicrystal Affinity feat) for something that you gain you less benefit from than a class feature that wizards and sorcerers gain for free. What the changes presented in this thread do is allow the psicrystal to be on par with the familiar. Because without these changes, unless you take the pro-feat interpretation (which cover these deficiencies), the psicrystal in underpowered because: A) It will forever be inept for delivering touch attack powers (because it has no scaling BAB, and it cannot use the ability modifier of its best physical stat to as an attack modifier--while familiars do). B) You do not use the manifester's character level to determine the effective HD of the psicrystal for the purpose of effect that vary depending on the target's HD (unlike the familiar, that uses it master's character level for this purpose). If you want to argue about psicrystals potential to gain feats, please do somewhere else as it is quite off-topic here. This thread is about accepting the official writ on the subject, and then bringing psicrystals in line with familiar so that they are fair to the player that chooses to use them.
BloodSpill 06-29-07, 07:18 AM	Psicrystals are better than familiars. Firstly because nobody plays psicrystals 'as is'. There aren't enough rules in the EPH to even have a psicrystal function, and likely most people already use a psicrystal almost exactly like a familiar in terms of HD, and don't take "as psion or wilder" as overriding "levels in psionic classes". So no, this idea isn't new. Secondly: Hardness 8, universal translator, flight, construct type. They're available to any psionic class and you don't even get lumped with the class feature if you don't want it. They win versus familiars!
Azzy 06-29-07, 08:03 AM	Psicrystals are better than familiars. Firstly because nobody plays psicrystals 'as is'. There aren't enough rules in the EPH to even have a psicrystal function, and likely most people already use a psicrystal almost exactly like a familiar in terms of HD, and don't take "as psion or wilder" as overriding "levels in psionic classes". So no, this idea isn't new. No, I don't claim that this is a new thing (I've originally suggested these changes way back on the old boards). But the motivation here is to try and get the people who accept (even grudgingly) the CustServ ruling on the same page and to prod WotC to actually do something similar in the errata. As you said, the rules in the XPH for psicrystals is incomplete and unclear--hence the need for clarification and addition. However, until WotC does something about it, I think we, as the psionic community, should take the initiative. I started this thread for that very purpose (unfortunately, I've been lax in updating lately)--my goal is to clarify and flesh out the psicrystal while trying to remain as close to extant rules as possible. With enough community effort, we'll be able to get something that most of us can agree upon. Secondly: Hardness 8, universal translator, flight, construct type. They're available to any psionic class and you don't even get lumped with the class feature if you don't want it. They win versus familiars! Yay, so they win in some respects versus something that casters get for free. Telepathic speech is a great ability. Flight, on the other hand... the psicrystal gets to do something at 9th-level that some familiars can do at 1st. Groovy. Now compare them to familiars gained with Improved Familiar feat (using the same amount of feat resources). There are a lot of nice options there. Psicrystals still need the scaling BAB if they are going to viable as a bought option. Otherwise, one of their granted abilities become useless. Nothing in this thread overpowers the psicrystal, it merely brings the psicrystal to where it should be.