Post/Author/DateTime	Post
aotrscommander 07-05-07, 01:35 PM	Can you share Schism with your Psicrystal? Reason I ask (and if you're a member of my Monday group move right along now...) ...is I'm trying to maximise the potential of an NPC Society Mind...and the limiting factor is Concentration. The encounter will be 4 20th level characters - the Society Mind, a Dragon shaman, Sublime Mashal and one other (probably a Bard X/something). As far as I can see, I manage the following: S’Jentae (the Society Mind), forewarned of the PCs approach in plenty of time, will have linked all four and her psicrytsal into her Worldthought Network and manifested: Schism (7PP) (learned via Expanded Knowledge) Ability as One (Str (from Dragon shaman), Con (from the Marshal) three additional characters, 20PP (maintained by S’Jentae via Efficient Network)) Prowess As One (12PP, three additional characters (shunted to and maintained by Psicrystal via Divert Concentration)) Withstand As One (All saves, two additional characters, Improved Evasion,1 16PP (maintained by S’Jentae Schism)) Force Screen (Hidden Talent, Mystic Echo'd on to everyone, 13PP) If Schism can be shared with the Psicrystal, I can add in Technique As One (Power Attack, 13 PP (both Dragon Shaman and Marshal have it)). Is there any feat or power that allows you to concentrate on more than one thing a once? I can't seem to find one but...that'd add Sense As One to the mix (and hopefully leaving S'Jentae with a standard action free!) So, all in all, this combination - at the moment - should leave the team on: Str 23, Con 16, +20 BAB +10 Melee Damage (Power and Motivate Ardour Auras), plus +50 damage on the initial charge (+75 for the Marshal) (Over the Top aura, Leading the Charge, War Master's Charge), plus whatever buffs the 4th character has (pity Divine Mind sucks otherwise, or I'd be going fo even more damage!) and Power Attack if I can squeeze Technique As One in. If I can find a way to give the psicrystal an attack, even better. Anybody know about that one? Any other suggestions on improving this nightmare are gleefully welcomed! 1From the psicrystal. A literal (and perhaps slightly dubious) reading of RAW suggests that Improved Evasion in this case is not limited by armour (as it has no armour statement). Okay, it's a bit mean, maybe, but the party they're facing are six 20-21 level killing machines!
Bacris 07-05-07, 02:01 PM	Only if the psicrystal is in some other form. 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). Schism Telepathy [Mind-Affecting] 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. If you can change your psicrystal into another creature type, yes, otherwise, no.
aotrscommander 07-05-07, 02:19 PM	Guh. Of course: construct. I'm not that familiar with psicrystals, hense I missed that rather obvious point! Okay, how do you change a creature's type? After quick check of stuff, a variant of the old playing-a-sandwich Mind Switch trick isn't going to work (Mind Switch not being a [Network] power...) What about Assume Form (share spell'd)? Does that change your type? I'm not clear...I know Polymorph doesn't, nowadays...
Tempest Stormwind 07-05-07, 02:30 PM	Assume Form never changed your type; it essentially transforms your target form into a buff template and gives that to you. I don't know of a way to get past the mind-affecting immunity either, although the network powers can bypass it (they're not mind-affecting when used through a network on willing targets, thanks to Spirit of Many). If you want your psicrystal to have an attack, give it Bite of the Wolf. You'll need to EK it... or perhaps have Harmonic Resonance and give a few other powers out to your team as Hidden Talents.
aotrscommander 07-05-07, 05:40 PM	Assume Form never changed your type; it essentially transforms your target form into a buff template and gives that to you. I suspected it probably didn't. I don't know of a way to get past the mind-affecting immunity either, although the network powers can bypass it (they're not mind-affecting when used through a network on willing targets, thanks to Spirit of Many). If you want your psicrystal to have an attack, give it Bite of the Wolf. You'll need to EK it... or perhaps have Harmonic Resonance and give a few other powers out to your team as Hidden Talents. Aw. Doesn't look like I can manage it then (since both Schism and Mind Shift are both Mind-Affecting and not Network powers. Hold on; *smacks head* Obtain Familar. Duh. S'Jentae can't have one - but the Bard can! Then it's simple Divert Concentration away. The familar can hide somewhere within 50' and job's good 'en! (If you wonder why I'm not just adding another character to the mix, there's four convienant rooms for the four NPCs to have spent the umpteen dozen years or so, waiting for the PCs.) Hidden Talent can't count for the purposes of Psicrystal Affinity can it? Otherwise, I could give the Bard one too, for extra insanity. You point about Bite of the Wolf is noted - though I realised the psicrystal can't be charging if it's concentrating (and the Concentration check's not high enough for me to risk Extraordinary Concentration relably, even with Skill Focus and Focused Skill User. Harmonic Resonance is worth noting though; I missed that poking through UT earlier. Still, it is the first time I've tried out a Society Mind. (Yes, I am starting out with most of the new classes by including 20th level versions, I am that nuts! Still, by the time I've done, I'll have a pretty good idea of their capabiltes!)
Tempest Stormwind 07-05-07, 06:44 PM	Hidden Talent can't count for the purposes of Psicrystal Affinity can it? Otherwise, I could give the Bard one too, for extra insanity.It says it doesn't count as a manifester level, so no.You point about Bite of the Wolf is noted - though I realised the psicrystal can't be charging if it's concentrating (and the Concentration check's not high enough for me to risk Extraordinary Concentration relably, even with Skill Focus and Focused Skill User. Harmonic Resonance is worth noting though; I missed that poking through UT earlier. Still, it is the first time I've tried out a Society Mind. Actually, looking strictly at actions, War Master's Charge lets you attack without eating up your actions, and concentration only takes a standard action to maintain. Thus, the psicrystal spends its standard action concentrating and concentration is maintained. The marshal signals the charge and everyone charges "for free", including the psicrystal. The psicrystal's turn comes around again and he spends a standard action maintaining the charge... By the way, Harmonic Resonance was written to enable society minds to make good use of other members' powers, including those that are far away. This means that if you have a plot reason for that society mind to have an agreement with another psionic benefactor (a distant, unseen leader, perhaps?), the Smind could manifest the powers that other entity had, although it would take time to do. (For PC use, it's obviously RP-related, but this is for an NPC BBEG, you can just say he has the connection needed.)
aotrscommander 07-05-07, 07:15 PM	Actually, looking strictly at actions, War Master's Charge lets you attack without eating up your actions, and concentration only takes a standard action to maintain. Thus, the psicrystal spends its standard action concentrating and concentration is maintained. The marshal signals the charge and everyone charges "for free", including the psicrystal. The psicrystal's turn comes around again and he spends a standard action maintaining the charge... Oh yeah! War Master's Charge makes it an Immediate Action, doesn't it? Muhahaha! Sweeeeet. By the way, Harmonic Resonance was written to enable society minds to make good use of other members' powers, including those that are far away. This means that if you have a plot reason for that society mind to have an agreement with another psionic benefactor (a distant, unseen leader, perhaps?), the Smind could manifest the powers that other entity had, although it would take time to do. (For PC use, it's obviously RP-related, but this is for an NPC BBEG, you can just say he has the connection needed.) As this quartet come from an essentially mutant Kobold tribe that naturally get Hidden Talent, I think I can (ab)use this something rotton. These four are the Watchers - the first line of defense protecting the Heart of the Mountain. The rest of the tribe will all be psionic (including at least a Sekkou, Psychic Warrior and Erudite). What manner of evil can I manage with that, I wonder... Unholy crap! Erudite! Hello, Mind's Eye Expanded Classes! Hello, 8th level wizard spells! Bwahaha! Oohh...the possibilities... I think I just had an Evilgasm... (I think I'll be adopting your idea of PP = Caster level though, as their system equates to UA Spell Points, which flat-out suck.) In case anybody's worried about the party, I should note that by this point, they will have survived the ambush by a Cleric 20, Warlock 16, two Dread Necromancer 13s, fourteen assorted clerics and Psychic Theurges (levels 14-13), four assorted Crusader/Blackguards and Divine Minds, ten Crusaders and fifteen fighters - in one encounter - and three Sorcerer 20, two Cleric 20, two Fighter/Order of the Bow Initiative 20 and 50 assorted 12th level fighters, followed by a Great Wyrm Red Dragon and a Fighter 23 in another...and I expect them to have pretty much kicked the crap out of the lesser encounters in between! So four 20th level uber-optimaised characters shouldn't be too hard...
aotrscommander 07-18-07, 11:17 AM	I'm toying with the idea of having an elemental steward instead of a psicrystal (since they have an attack naturally). However, it does not appear to say anywhere that how - or indeed if - elemental stewards advance in HD or hp. This would kind of be massively unbelieveable advantage having a Small 3 HD creature at anything above, what, 5th level. As they are more than 1 HD, it's not clear if they should gain additional HD like animal companions (but it only gives Natural Armour/Cha/ML in the table) or wheher they should count like familiars and psicrystals (as actually or effectively the master's HD and 1/2 the master's hp) or they don't advance at all in HD/hp, then becoming an amazingly innane idea. Anybody know of any clarifications? My own instinct is that they would be like familiars. And not getting feats, like Psicrystals do (since I'm happy with the logic of that), it may or may not be better. This depends on whether there is anything stopping a Psicrystal having Hidden Talent/Wild Talent as a feat. Anybody know? If not, it can Schism then, plus HT Bite of the Wolf.
Tempest Stormwind 07-18-07, 02:02 PM	I'm toying with the idea of having an elemental steward instead of a psicrystal (since they have an attack naturally). However, it does not appear to say anywhere that how - or indeed if - elemental stewards advance in HD or hp. This would kind of be massively unbelieveable advantage having a Small 3 HD creature at anything above, what, 5th level. As they are more than 1 HD, it's not clear if they should gain additional HD like animal companions (but it only gives Natural Armour/Cha/ML in the table) or wheher they should count like familiars and psicrystals (as actually or effectively the master's HD and 1/2 the master's hp) or they don't advance at all in HD/hp, then becoming an amazingly innane idea. Anybody know of any clarifications? My own instinct is that they would be like familiars. And not getting feats, like Psicrystals do (since I'm happy with the logic of that), it may or may not be better. Houserule all you want. As written, they never advance. Ever. Schism[/I] then, plus HT Bite of the Wolf. Wild Talent yes, Hidden Talent if and only if Hidden Talent is allowed. Reread Share Powers, though. You can manifest personal range powers on the psicrystal. It doesn't even have to be adjacent to you unless you also benefit from that power.
aotrscommander 07-18-07, 02:45 PM	Houserule all you want. As written, they never advance. Ever. That's what I was afraid of. Stupid Comp Psi... So, Elemental Envoy is amazingly pointless then, since unless you're human, it'll become a liability after about 2-4 levels. I suppose if you argue you get another one in the same way do do a psicrysal it's marginally more use, but still... The original RAI must have been to ape Improved Familair, surely...*Shrug* Ah well, no matter. Incidently, never having really looked at the new monster format, I notice it doesn't appear to even have and Advancement entry normally. Blargh. Wild Talent yes, Hidden Talent if and only if Hidden Talent is allowed. Cool. As a matter of principle, I allow Hidden Talent pretty much unilaterally. Reread Share Powers, though. You can manifest personal range powers on the psicrystal. It doesn't even have to be adjacent to you unless you also benefit from that power. Huh. So you can. Interesting. Still, be more efficient1 to slap Hidden Talent on the Psicrystal than take another EK for the SMind. As purely a matter of interest, having now finished the crew (bar the Bard - I went pure in the end - and SMind's last couple of feats), the net hurtage is currently (bearing in mind everyone bar the familiar is on 20 BAB, 23 Str (+Elation!) and 16 Con) +16 to everyone's attack on the first War Master's Charge and +69 damage (+94 for the Marshal). Followed by +6 to attack (+11 for foes next to the Marshal) and +18 to damage (+24 if flanking). I don't suppose for a moment that's especially a record, but I thought it was pretty nasty considering! Heh. I suppose I could add Expansion in there somewhere too, but I don't theink the Warf cave's got enough height - and the SMind's done enough prep that about half her effects will be will on the way to expiring before they start! And much more and I'd start to worry about the party...! 1Or more horrendously munchkin, take your pick!