or
Repeat to yourself, 'it's just a game', you should really just relax.
Does the Warlock having Con-attack powers cause the same disconnect, out of curiosity?
Why does the assassin use Dexterity for his magic attacks?
Why does the warlock or battlemind use Constitution for his attacks?
...
"Because" is a good enough answer for me. But if it's not for you:
The bard is more impressive than he is skilled. Standing at the front of the battlefield, swishing his initials into people's clothing with a rapier, laughing at charging ogres--sure, his swordsmanship is more showmanship, but that's okay because he does it well.
The assassin has raw energy at his fingertips. He doesn't need force of will to siphon it, like a sorcerer, or intellect to learn how to use it, like a wizard. He just needs to point and shoot, effortless--such is the benefit of selling your soul to the Shadowfell.
As for our warlock/battlemind? Well, they have the same deal as the assassin, but a touch higher cost. They don't need intellect or force of will to summon their massive reserves of energy. Warlocks bid for their energy with demons, battleminds are just a font of psionic power. But, alas, unlike assassins their magic doesn't come so easy: they must fight with it, tooth and nail, to get it to come to the surface. They must fight back straining muscles and clenched fingers and burning muscles to blast out their magic into physical form.
There's yer answer, take it or leave it.
The Battlemind's powers place enormous strain on his body. The upper limit on his abilities isn't simply can will will through his Psionic powers, but what he can actually put his body through.
The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.
Shinigami (at least some of them) in that anime would probably be Constitution based classes. Ichigo's (the main character's) final form, for instance, makes him faster, stronger, and with a sharper blade than anyone else in the show--but using this form to its full potential will tear at his body until every single one of his bones has been broken from the stress.
Constitution-based class: which will break first, your enemy or you?
For that matter, most shinigami in that anime have virtually limitless power, whether it's guided by their force of will or raw potential. The only limit they seem to have is eventually, its just too much on their bodies and they'll collapse in exhaustion and/or fall asleep. Again, I could make the argument that all shinigami in that world are Constitution-based: they might have boundless resources of attack and magic at their fingertips still, but if their bodies are simply unwilling to take any more of the strain of being powerful, then they're done.
Of course, that show is a bit eccentric at times, being anime as it is, but it'll work as an example.
ArchDemon Diazapam - "I'll devour your heart, Puny Mortal!"
Epic Battlemind - "Go ahead, I haven't used it in six months anyway."
That said, the idea of controlling your enemies' minds with your magnificent legs sounds hilarious
Casting from Con is about channeling power directly through your body. In my mind, con-based attacks that aren't purely physical are likely to cause things like bulging veins, psychic nosebleeds, red sclera, etc, with more extreme manifestations for dailies.
Also, bear in mind that for the Battlemind at least, most of the powers have a physical component. He's maintaining incredible mental focus and strain while also engaging in physical action. This takes unity of body and mind, which is why Concentration used to be a con-based skill. He must be able to take the physical pain of melee combat (where even a successful strike by YOU can hurt) without breaking mental focus.
Or, perhaps the battlemind's body is a conduit for his psionic energy. The strength and power of the effects he can create are limited by his Con. In this case, Con would be kind of like the diameter of the hole for a water hose. A larger hole allows more water to shoot through it - a garden hose can't pass through as much water as a fire hose, for example.
On page 82 of the AD&D 1e DMG, Gygax wrote "constitution affects both actual ability to withstand physical punishment hit points (physique) and the immeasurable areas which involve the sixth sense and luck (fitness)." So I'm partial to using Con as an indicator of things like luck, the sixth sense, and other non-physical things, in addition physical health and the like (perhaps, in the magical, fantastic world of D&D, those things are one and the same ...). Thus, moreso than any other warrior class, battleminds have tapped in to their ability as living and/or vital creatures to manipulate fate and use it as a weapon.
For anyone who watches BLEACH...
Shinigami (at least some of them) in that anime would probably be Constitution based classes. Ichigo's (the main character's) final form, for instance, makes him faster, stronger, and with a sharper blade than anyone else in the show--but using this form to its full potential will tear at his body until every single one of his bones has been broken from the stress.
Constitution-based class: which will break first, your enemy or you?
For that matter, most shinigami in that anime have virtually limitless power, whether it's guided by their force of will or raw potential. The only limit they seem to have is eventually, its just too much on their bodies and they'll collapse in exhaustion and/or fall asleep. Again, I could make the argument that all shinigami in that world are Constitution-based: they might have boundless resources of attack and magic at their fingertips still, but if their bodies are simply unwilling to take any more of the strain of being powerful, then they're done.
Of course, that show is a bit eccentric at times, being anime as it is, but it'll work as an example.
Thank you. This post actually made me appreciate a con based psionic class. Until this post I was just reading posts and going "why would you need to have powerfull legs to controle the minds of your enemies, and channel psionic energy?" This one sort of makes sense. I guess I will go with this...
And personally, I've always wanted con to become an attack stat, so i could make a character who is always in the fray.. the storm of the attack so to say.
There was a game as well, were you could cast magic even when you had no mana left, but to do so caused you to lose Con. Cast too many, and you died.
And personally, I've always wanted con to become an attack stat, so i could make a character who is always in the fray.. the storm of the attack so to say.
Con was an attacking stat from the beginning… just not a melee one.
Con was an attacking stat from the beginning… just not a melee one.
Technically, that changed a year or so ago, when Eldritch Strike came out.
There was a game as well, were you could cast magic even when you had no mana left, but to do so caused you to lose Con. Cast too many, and you died.
And personally, I've always wanted con to become an attack stat, so i could make a character who is always in the fray.. the storm of the attack so to say.
Con was an attacking stat from the beginning… just not a melee one.
No. No it wasn't. Not really.
Sure there was one class that could use it, but that was only one class. One class having the ability doesn't make it a real attack stat. Two having it now means we are starting to actually gain momentum into actually having it be an attack stat.
There was a game as well, were you could cast magic even when you had no mana left, but to do so caused you to lose Con. Cast too many, and you died.
And personally, I've always wanted con to become an attack stat, so i could make a character who is always in the fray.. the storm of the attack so to say.
Con was an attacking stat from the beginning… just not a melee one.
No. No it wasn't. Not really.
Sure there was one class that could use it, but that was only one class. One class having the ability doesn't make it a real attack stat. Two having it now means we are starting to actually gain momentum into actually having it be an attack stat.
Same could have been said about Wisdom or Intelligence. What's your point?
Nothing. You just wont get it.
It's nice to have another for Hybriding and MCing purposes. This is true.
But beyond that, it's another class with thematic attacks based off Constitution. Yes, it's nice. But I don't see it as innately special. It was bound to happen, eventually.
Paths of Figher, the entire Warden class and feature set (hammers, second wind?)... Druids.
Developers have shown they want Dwarves to be the uber race and give them feats far beyond what any other race gets, and then class paths and path specific feats as well which trump everyone else's.
Why shouldn't they get a class where their one weakness, no dex/str for primary attack is gone AND it uses their secondary for kickers as well? Don't worry, Dwarf specific Battlemind feats to follow.
It's just so there is yet another Dwarf focused class.
Paths of Figher, the entire Warden class and feature set (hammers, second wind?)... Druids.
Developers have shown they want Dwarves to be the uber race and give them feats far beyond what any other race gets, and then class paths and path specific feats as well which trump everyone else's.
Why shouldn't they get a class where their one weakness, no dex/str for primary attack is gone AND it uses their secondary for kickers as well? Don't worry, Dwarf specific Battlemind feats to follow.
To be clear... I don't actually think that was the intent like it was with Warden (there is no way Warden being a dwarf specific class was NOT intentional) it just seems like it.