Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 malforge Oct 18, 2010 10:10:30	I'm starting lvl 6 campaign and I wanted to play my first psion, the problem is I don't know very well how things work, or at least it seems to me that wizards are better than psions, I hope you can enlight me. ALL BOOKS ALLOWED, lvl 6, 2 flaws, 32 Point Buy. From what I saw i liked Kineticist and Egoist, even though sounds cooler egoist seems more like a buffer, with d4 seems hard to get somewhere far even though it had some powers that seemed cool (only read the short description).  If you know a handbook (I searched I swear) like "psionic for dummies" I'll be eternally grateful if you post the link. For the tec part I'de like to know why are psionic so powerful when I read that the cant affect a power with 2 metapsionic until epic while wizards get tons of fun with those, pls give me some examples of gamebreaking stuff (ok not gamebreaking but hardcore stuff) that you can do with a psion. Btw as my last campaign I'm plaing evil so I'll be needing countermeasures to defend myself from a backstabbing masterthrower
#2 Maat_Mons Oct 18, 2010 11:18:52	You should read through the 3.5 Psion Buildguide and Compendium. Since you're inexperienced with psionics, you should look at the erudite psion variant, from Complete Psionic, page 153. You gain the ability to learn an unlimited number of powers, but you can only use a limited number of different powers each day. Essentially, you have 1/3 as many powers known as a psion, but you choose your powers known each day on the fly. This frees you up to try things out without getting locked into choices you don't like. Since you bring up the d4 hit dice, I'll tell you about the classic vigor/psicrystal/share pain combination. Vigor gives you 5 temporary HP per power point spent. If you have a psicrystal, it gains an equal number of temporary HP because of the share powers ability. If you keep share pain active with your psicrystal as the other target, half the damage you take is instead taken by your psicrystal, allowing you to make use of those temporary HP you can give it. So, vigor effectively gives you 10 temporary HP per power point. One of the best things to come out of Complete Psionic was the linked power metapsionic feat. A classic use is to manifest syncronicity (Complete Psionic) linked to vigor or whatever other buff you like. You use a standard action but gain a standard action, for no net loss, and the buff goes off at the start of your next turn with no need to spend an action. Remember, your powers don't suffer any ill effect for wearing armor. You can walk around in full plate with a tower shield if you want. You're not proficient, so you'll apply the armor check penalty to attack rolls, but you can just not make attack rolls. You don't need hands free to manifest a power, so you can hold a sword in your other hand. You can suppress a power's displays with a concentration check, so there's no indication that you're manifesting powers. In other words, you make your enemies think you're a fighter who isn't doing anything.
#3 malforge Oct 18, 2010 14:57:55	Thx a lot for the info, I'de like to know if you can suggest me some build for egoist psion or some other good combos, Btw I can't understand quite well how does the power points work, I thought is was like mana from any rpg, you spend it on the fly in any power you like, but I don't know the restrictions like how much can I augment a power (I read it said max I can spend points as my manifester level, that means if I'm lvl 20 and a lvl 9 power costs 17 points I'm left with 3 points to modify that power with metapsionics or augment?)
#4 Maat_Mons Oct 18, 2010 15:53:35	I can't understand quite well how does the power points work, I thought is was like mana from any rpg, you spend it on the fly in any power you like You've got it right. You can manifest any power you know at any time by spending the appropriate action and power points. At least, that's true of every psionic class except erudite. Erudite has special rules that make it different from all other psionic classes. It is the only psionic class that can learn an unlimited number of powers. It's sort of like a wizard in the same sense that psions are sort of like sorcerers. Erudite is also the only psionic class that can't freely manifest any power it knows. Instead, it chooses a subset of it's powers known each day and can freely manifest only those. The quirky thing is, it chooses that subset on the fly. Anyway, if you're not playing an erudite, you don't need to worry about that. As a psion, you're basically operating on a normal mana system. I read it said max I can spend points as my manifester level, that means if I'm lvl 20 and a lvl 9 power costs 17 points I'm left with 3 points to modify that power with metapsionics or augment? Again, you have it right.
#5 awaken_D_M_golem Oct 18, 2010 16:37:08	Right next door, on the Psi-board, to the Psion guide, is a Psionics Is Not Broken thread. It's an interesting romp, through the fields of anti-psi hate, with bramble bushes of Facts. Wilder 6 with Vigor, Astral Construct, Bestow Power and Energy Missile = more than enough. There's more fun to be had, too.
#6 Endarire Oct 22, 2010 0:24:13	What is the most powerful psionic power?
#7 lormador Oct 27, 2010 21:23:19	Erudite is more powerful, and much more complicated, than Psion. Save it for later- don't play it on your first run through. The reason to play an Egoist is to use Metamorphosis at your next level, as early as possible. That's a fun thing to do, if you're into that sort of thing. It's an efficient form of attack and defense. As outlined in the Psion Build Guide and Compendium, you can use this to change your Psicrystal into a beefy monster, and yourself into a Cloaker. Your psicrystal then wears you, and you use Assume Supernatural Ability to ape the Cloaker's special attacks. It has several- and they are cool. Telepath, Kineticist, and Shaper all have rather nice things, too. I believe the correct uses of Synchronicity and Linked Power are the classic Hustle+Synchronicity. At lower levels, just Force Deflection (a swift action for +4 deflection bonus to AC)+Synchronicity. At the cost of a swift action and 2 PP you got a readied action and +4 deflection for 1 round+concentration. Nice eh? You can share it with your psicrystal. If your psicrystal is an Annis Hag.... ...but form shifting is complicated, might be better to just stay away from Egoist for the time being. Kineticists can blast stuff fairly competently with a minimum of investment. Shapers have to know a lot about Minor Creation. There's a thread about it. Black Lotus Poison is somewhat controversial.  In the end, my advice is to play either a Telepath or a Kineticist. This will introduce you to the most classic, established, and basic maneuvers available to psions (you're right that they are weaker than wizards), and from this foundation a later character can branch off into more exotic maneuvers.