Recharge Variant for Psionics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Recharge Variant for Psionics [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Steely_Dan
05-31-07, 08:16 AM My buddy and I love the magic recharge variant in UA and wanted to adopt it to psionics, so here are our thoughts, and any input/ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Bonus power points - it works the same as for casters, now that it isn't per day based; bonus spells/power points per day are obsolete.

9th level psion as an example:

If you chose to manifest mind thrust as 5th level (equivalent 9 pp), it would deal 9d10 damage (DC 10 + 5 + Int modifier) and your 5th level power slot would be retrieved in 1d4+1 rounds. If you manifested mind thrust as a 1st level power it would deal 1d10 damage (DC 10 +1 + Int modifier) and your 1st level power slot would be retrieved in 1d3 rounds (DC 18).

Does this sound right?
Darth Sephiroth
06-26-07, 01:59 PM Just spotted this, but if you want to keep the difference between Magic and Psionics, you could easily swap out the recharge going for spells to a slow recovery of PP similar to the Fast Healing ability.
ShinoAburame
06-27-07, 06:11 PM Well the recharge varaint works that you can only use a spell once then have to wait a set amount of time before you can use it again right?

Well, make the psionic power recharge waiting period have to be X minutes. X equal to the number of total powerpoints you would've used. (Both the basic pp cost and the additional to allocate it's power)

A minute is equal to about ten rounds. Suprisingly psionics becomes nerfed by the recharge mechanic instead of better. (As most psionics have a sorcerer like quality to restricted list)

Albeit I still think manifestors would have an edge over the likes of the fighter, but then what doesn't?
Thomar_of_Uointer
06-28-07, 09:39 PM It doesn't work. In practice, recharge magic means that a high-level caster will start with a high-level spell, then fire off a spell one level lower, then one level lower, and so on until his highest-level spell recharges, then repeat the cycle. If you mapped everything over to power points, a high-level psion would regain more power points each round than he could possibly use without Quicken Power. The only comparable thing you could do is give the psion multiple power point pools that recharge seperately at very slow rates, but that's far too complex considering how psionics are supposed to make things easier.
Cheza
06-30-07, 10:47 AM I think this shows, how unbalanced recharge magic is. If you can cast a spell every 1d4 rounds just because it has intantaneous duration, but wait longer for a 1min/level spell, it should be easy to see, that it's unbalanced.
Steely_Dan
07-02-07, 07:30 AM Thanks for everyone's input, but I have reached the conclusion that power/spell points, or recharge are not a remedy for the antiquated, overpowered system that is D&D psionics/magic. Both systems need to be rebuilt from the ground up, IMO, and designed/balanced around per encounter, maybe something like ToB/The Force (Saga).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Steely_Dan 05-31-07, 08:16 AM	My buddy and I love the magic recharge variant in UA and wanted to adopt it to psionics, so here are our thoughts, and any input/ideas would be greatly appreciated. Bonus power points - it works the same as for casters, now that it isn't per day based; bonus spells/power points per day are obsolete. 9th level psion as an example: If you chose to manifest mind thrust as 5th level (equivalent 9 pp), it would deal 9d10 damage (DC 10 + 5 + Int modifier) and your 5th level power slot would be retrieved in 1d4+1 rounds. If you manifested mind thrust as a 1st level power it would deal 1d10 damage (DC 10 +1 + Int modifier) and your 1st level power slot would be retrieved in 1d3 rounds (DC 18). Does this sound right?
Darth Sephiroth 06-26-07, 01:59 PM	Just spotted this, but if you want to keep the difference between Magic and Psionics, you could easily swap out the recharge going for spells to a slow recovery of PP similar to the Fast Healing ability.
ShinoAburame 06-27-07, 06:11 PM	Well the recharge varaint works that you can only use a spell once then have to wait a set amount of time before you can use it again right? Well, make the psionic power recharge waiting period have to be X minutes. X equal to the number of total powerpoints you would've used. (Both the basic pp cost and the additional to allocate it's power) A minute is equal to about ten rounds. Suprisingly psionics becomes nerfed by the recharge mechanic instead of better. (As most psionics have a sorcerer like quality to restricted list) Albeit I still think manifestors would have an edge over the likes of the fighter, but then what doesn't?
Thomar_of_Uointer 06-28-07, 09:39 PM	It doesn't work. In practice, recharge magic means that a high-level caster will start with a high-level spell, then fire off a spell one level lower, then one level lower, and so on until his highest-level spell recharges, then repeat the cycle. If you mapped everything over to power points, a high-level psion would regain more power points each round than he could possibly use without Quicken Power. The only comparable thing you could do is give the psion multiple power point pools that recharge seperately at very slow rates, but that's far too complex considering how psionics are supposed to make things easier.
Cheza 06-30-07, 10:47 AM	I think this shows, how unbalanced recharge magic is. If you can cast a spell every 1d4 rounds just because it has intantaneous duration, but wait longer for a 1min/level spell, it should be easy to see, that it's unbalanced.
Steely_Dan 07-02-07, 07:30 AM	Thanks for everyone's input, but I have reached the conclusion that power/spell points, or recharge are not a remedy for the antiquated, overpowered system that is D&D psionics/magic. Both systems need to be rebuilt from the ground up, IMO, and designed/balanced around per encounter, maybe something like ToB/The Force (Saga).