Fixing the Power Points System - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Damon_Tor May 20, 2011 5:03:13	Power Points were introduced in PHB3 as a new system to take the place of encounter powers in three of the four psionic classes, with the goal of increasing their options by giving them a limited number times they can "augment" an at-will power. The system has two basic weaknesses, mostly unrelated to each other: 1. Scaling Power Points costs. Paragon tier powers cost more power points to augment than heroic tier powers, and epic powers cost even more, and they continue to gain power points over their career. By contrast, other classes expend the exact same number of resources to use every encounter power. This is done to prevent a low-paragon character from using all of his encounter resources on a newly aquired paragon-level power which is (in theory) more powerful than his heroic tier options. In effect, this leads to repeated use of particularly powerful heroic tier powers, which is both imbalancing and boring. 2. Power Points are (in theory) a separate-but-equal resource when compared to encounter attack powers, and many feats and systems, such as multi-classing and hybrid classes, assume this and have been modified to work for both systems, and for characters who use both. The problem is, so many feats, items, and other game elements refer to gaining, swapping, recovering and otherwise manipulating encounter powers, that these classes are often unfairly limited. The combonation of systems also makes creating a character that uses both systems somewhat confusing, especially when it comes to gaining new powers and counting power points. This system seeks to correct both these flaws in a simple, global way. A third flaw to the system, related to flaw number 1, is that augmentable powers do not gain the expected boost to damage at level 21 while unaugmented. In theory, this is partially compensated for by those powers' first augmentations, but using those augmentations limits your per-encounter resources. This flaw is partially addressed by this change, but each augmentable at-will power would need to be altered individually for best results, something that is beyond the scope of this modification. Psionic Augmentation: This class feature now reads as follows: Through discipline and careful study, you have mastered a form of psionic magic that offers greater versatility than other characters command. You know a broad array of at-will powers, each of which is a conduit through which you can pour as much or as little psionic energy as you choose. You channel psionic energy into a reservoir of personal power, represented in the game as power points, that you can use to augment your at-will attack powers, replacing the encounter attack powers that other characters use. Because of this class feature, you acquire and use powers in a slightly different manner from how most other classes do. Attack Powers: When you choose Encounter Attack powers, this class has only one option to select, the "Psionic Empowerment" attack power of the appropriate level. These powers each grant your character 2 additional power points with which to augment at-will attack powers. As with any other class, you can only have three encounter attack powers from your class (your level 13 Psionic Empowerment attack power should replace your level 3 Psionic Empowerment attack power, and so on, effectively limiting the number of power points you can obtain from your class to 6) You choose at-will attack powers and daily powers, as normal. Note: This system is already less complicated than it is as presented in PHB3. Psionic Characters gain power points via encounter attack powers, which they gain just like any other class. This also means characters stop gaining Power Points at level 7, for a total of 6 power points, but their power points become more potent at higher levels (See below). This makes the power points system far more modular with the AEDU system, because it makes power points a part of that system in a more elegant way. Replacing old at-will attack powers with new ones is now a function of the Psionic Empowerment Attack Powers themselves (See below). Power Points: You gain power points when you use your Psionic Empowerment attack powers, and from other sources. Power Points come in three tiers: Heroic, Paragon, and Epic. You can only use power points to augment powers, items, or other game elements of an equal or lower tier: for example, a Heroic Power Point can only augment powers of levels 10 and below, while a Paragon Power Point can augment powers from levels 1-20. If a game element has no level, it can be augmented by any type of power point. When you take a short or extended rest, your Power Points are reduced to 0. Note: This is the part that repairs the "spam heroic-tier powers" issue. Even if all six of your power points are epic tier, it still requires 2 for each use of Dishearten, exactly as many as it requires for each use of Psionic Veil.

Through discipline and careful study, you have mastered a form of psionic magic that offers greater versatility than other characters command. You know a broad array of at-will powers, each of which is a conduit through which you can pour as much or as little psionic energy as you choose. You channel psionic energy into a reservoir of personal power, represented in the game as power points, that you can use to augment your at-will attack powers, replacing the encounter attack powers that other characters use.

Because of this class feature, you acquire and use powers in a slightly different manner from how most other classes do.

Attack Powers: When you choose Encounter Attack powers, this class has only one option to select, the "Psionic Empowerment" attack power of the appropriate level. These powers each grant your character 2 additional power points with which to augment at-will attack powers. As with any other class, you can only have three encounter attack powers from your class (your level 13 Psionic Empowerment attack power should replace your level 3 Psionic Empowerment attack power, and so on, effectively limiting the number of power points you can obtain from your class to 6)

You choose at-will attack powers and daily powers, as normal.

Note: This system is already less complicated than it is as presented in PHB3. Psionic Characters gain power points via encounter attack powers, which they gain just like any other class. This also means characters stop gaining Power Points at level 7, for a total of 6 power points, but their power points become more potent at higher levels (See below). This makes the power points system far more modular with the AEDU system, because it makes power points a part of that system in a more elegant way. Replacing old at-will attack powers with new ones is now a function of the Psionic Empowerment Attack Powers themselves (See below).

Power Points: You gain power points when you use your Psionic Empowerment attack powers, and from other sources. Power Points come in three tiers: Heroic, Paragon, and Epic. You can only use power points to augment powers, items, or other game elements of an equal or lower tier: for example, a Heroic Power Point can only augment powers of levels 10 and below, while a Paragon Power Point can augment powers from levels 1-20. If a game element has no level, it can be augmented by any type of power point. When you take a short or extended rest, your Power Points are reduced to 0.

Note: This is the part that repairs the "spam heroic-tier powers" issue. Even if all six of your power points are epic tier, it still requires 2 for each use of Dishearten, exactly as many as it requires for each use of Psionic Veil.