I am making a character for a campaign, 10th level 32 point buy, book allowed only the main core books, plus expanded psionics. Unfortunately no expanded knowledge, and schism. I wanted to go the slayer route with either kineticist or shaper. Both are really interesting to go down, kineticist as blaster, shaper as a battlefield control. I would really be happy, if someone could help me with an analysis of the effectiveness of the builds, or suggest changes to make one of them even better.
Human Ranger 1 Psion 6 Slayer 3
Str 14 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 8
Feats:
Track, Psicrystal Affinity, Overchannel, Talented, Psionic Meditation, Extend Power
(after that: split ray at lvl 12)
Money to start: 49,000gp
Equipment:
Mithril full plate+2: 14,500gp
Heavy shield +2: 4320gp
Deepcrystal longsword +1, shocking: 8315gp
Composite longbow (Str +2)+1: 2600
Headband of Intellect +2: 4,000gp
Cloak of resistance +2: 4,000gp
Amulet of natural armor +1: 2,000gp
Ring of protection +1: 2,000
Gloves of Dexterity +2: 4,000
get AC further up with improving armor and shield, and items.
AC: 28
TP: 63
Saves:
Fort: 12 (psicrystal: hero)
Ref: 10
Will: 12
Powers (S for powers I would choose as Shaper, K as a Kineticist)
1st
Astral Construct (S)
Energy Ray
Entangling Ectoplasm
Precognition, defensive
Precognition, offensive (K)
Vigor
2nd
Energy Missile (K)
Energy Stun (S)
Levitate
Repair Construct (S)
Share Pain (with psicrystal – nice if vigored – but as kineticist, how to repair my crystal?)
Tongues (K)
3rd
Concealing Amorpha, greater (S)
Dispel Psionics (K)
Ectoplasmic cocoon (seems good, but how to you get rid of the encapsulated foes?) (S)
Energy Wall (to feed energy conversion)
Solicit psicrystal (K)
Time hop
4th
Dimension Door
Energy Adaptation (get rid of for Control body or TK maneuver when getting Energy conversion – those powers could then go to my psicrystal as kineticist)
Freedom of Movement
Wall of Ectoplasm
5th
Ectoplasmic shambler (throw it in first, then seal the area with wall of ectoplasm)
Energy current (K) (let my psicrystal do the work)
Plane Shift, Psionic (S)
Power resistance
True seeing
6th
Disintegrate (get split ray)
Overland flight
Temporal Acceleration
7th
Decerebrate
Ectoplasmic cocoon, mass (S)
Energy conversion (share with psicrystal and split ray) – but I am allowed to only store 5 times my level….
Reddopsi (K)
8th
Bend reality
Teleport, greater
At 10th, you have 6 K and 5 S.
At 20th, you have 7 K and 6 S.
If you can research cross-disciplinarian powers, I'd play a K. Even without, I'd play a K. You can do without some of the S choices you've picked (2nd and 3rd level ones, for example, even the 7th level), though, but the K ones fulfill an important role.
You should find room for Control Body; its ridiculously good. Use it on yourself, even.
I've had this problem before as well. When I put out a list of all the powers I absolutely wanted, and compared them to what I sort of wanted, I found I wanted more Kineticist powers than anything else.
At 10th, you have 6 K and 5 S.
At 20th, you have 7 K and 6 S.
If you can research cross-disciplinarian powers, I'd play a K. Even without, I'd play a K. You can do without some of the S choices you've picked (2nd and 3rd level ones, for example, even the 7th level), though, but the K ones fulfill an important role.
You should find room for Control Body; its ridiculously good. Use it on yourself, even.
Actually, he has 5 Shaper discipline powers in total (Astral Construct, Greater Concealing Amorpha, Repair Construct, and the two Cocoons) and 3 Kineticist discipline powers (Energy Missile, Energy Current, and Reddopsi).
No Expanded Knowledge is rough (I assume that means no researching cross-discipline powers either).
Periac, I would really suggest trying to focus on one thing. Are you trying to be a good melee combatant? Then I'd go with Egoist + Slayer (for Metamorphosis + Metamorphic Transfer). Are you trying to be a good Shaper? Then I'd drop the Ranger + Slayer route; it just costs you pp and manifester levels. Are you trying to be a good blaster? Then I'd try Kineticist + Anarchic Initiate (again, dropping Ranger + Slayer).
. And no researching into cross-discipline, you are right .So I don't see a good route being that great in melee. And I have some difficulties with some powers, on reading and searching Ectoplasmic Cocoon seems to be quite good, but - how do they look like during play? I have never seen anyone creating one. And ectoplamic shambler and wall of ectoplasm just occured to me, so I don't know if it is worth pulling it of.
Same with playing a shaper - what you see is blasting (at least what I have seen when sorcerer or wizards were played), so how do the powers then compare to a kineticist?
Some problems just come due to restrictions, no metamorphosis, no Anarchic Initiate, again
So I don't see a good route being that great in melee. And I have some difficulties with some powers, on reading and searching Ectoplasmic Cocoon seems to be quite good, but - how do they look like during play? I have never seen anyone creating one. And ectoplamic shambler and wall of ectoplasm just occured to me, so I don't know if it is worth pulling it of.
Same with playing a shaper - what you see is blasting (at least what I have seen when sorcerer or wizards were played), so how do the powers then compare to a kineticist?
Ectoplasmic Cocoon is handy when you're fighting 2 or more "tough" enemies; you can put one aside for a number of rounds while you focus on fighting the remaining ones. Against one enemy it's useful if you need a break in order to regroup, heal, etc. Against many weak enemies, it's not very useful.
In my experience, a shaper usually manifests one or two of the biggest Astral Constructs possible and then spends the rest of the fight using cheaper powers like Psionic Grease, Entangling Ectoplasm, Ego Whip, etc. as support. Definitely get the Boost Construct feat if you're planning on using Astral Constructs!
At any rate, I'd suggest that most of the time you'll have something more useful to do than swinging a sword so there's not a huge benefit to the Slayer class. You're losing two manifester levels and a psionic feat by not going with Psion 10.
:D
- I wouldn't only take 1 of Energy Ray/Energy Stun - it's not like you're going to blast often, and Energy Wall has more uses.
- Consider Intellect Fortress - it's a nice defensive power.
- Concealing Amorpha is powerful, but given its short duration manifesting it means wasting an action (during which you're not controlling the battlefield). It is very valuable if you often end up threatened ; if your teammates do a good job of protecting you I would drop it.
- I would try to get Dispel Psionics even as a Shaper - but I always run out of 3rd level power slots.
- you can dump Str.
Human Ranger 1 Psion 6 Slayer 3
excellent.... so far so good
Str 14 Dex 12 Con 14 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 8
also very good... but if you want ranged combat... try this:
Str 12 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 16 Wis 14 Cha 8
since Dex also affects the Accuracy of your Ranged Touch Powers
Feats:
Track, Psicrystal Affinity, Overchannel, Talented, Psionic Meditation, Extend Power
(after that: split ray at lvl 12)
you get more feats than that:
1 human bonus
1 Ranger bonus(track)
2 Psion Bonus
4 Levels(1,3,6,9)
try this:
Track(Ranger bonus)
Point Blank Shot(human Bonus)
1st lvl Improved initiative
2nd lvl Psicrystal Affinity(psion bonus)
3rd lvl Overchannel
6th lvl Extend power
7th lvl Psionic Meditation(psion bonus)
9th lvl Psionic Shot
then... Psicrystal Containment , Greater Psionic Shot, Talented,
Money to start: 49,000gp
Equipment:
Mithril full plate+2: 14,500gp
Heavy shield +2: 4320gp
Deepcrystal longsword +1, shocking: 8315gp
Composite longbow (Str +2)+1: 2600
Headband of Intellect +2: 4,000gp
Cloak of resistance +2: 4,000gp
Amulet of natural armor +1: 2,000gp
Ring of protection +1: 2,000
Gloves of Dexterity +2: 4,000
not bad... but i would adjust like this:
+2 Mithril Breastplate: 9,500gp
Heavy shield +2: 4320gp
Deepcrystal longsword +1, shocking: 8315gp
Composite longbow (Str +2)+1: 2600
Headband of Intellect +2: 4,000gp
Cloak of resistance +2: 4,000gp
Gloves of Dexterity +2: 4,000
2500gp Ring of Sustenance: This ring continually provides its wearer with life-sustaining nourishment. The ring also refreshes the body and mind, so that its wearer needs only sleep 2 hours per day to gain the benefit of 8 hours of sleep. The ring must be worn for a full week before it begins to work. If it is removed, the owner must wear it for another week to reattune it to himself.
2000gp Handy Haversack: A backpack of this sort appears to be well made, well used, and quite ordinary. It is constructed of finely tanned leather, and the straps have brass hardware and buckles. It has two side pouches, each of which appears large enough to hold about a quart of material. In fact, each is like a bag of holding and can actually hold material of as much as 2 cubic feet in volume or 20 pounds in weight. The large central portion of the pack can contain up to 8 cubic feet or 80 pounds of material. Even when so filled, the backpack always weighs only 5 pounds.
While such storage is useful enough, the pack has an even greater power in addition. When the wearer reaches into it for a specific item, that item is always on top. Thus, no digging around and fumbling is ever necessary to find what a haversack contains. Retrieving any specific item from a haversack is a move action, but it does not provoke the attacks of opportunity that retrieving a stored item usually does.
1000gp Boots of Landing: These boots allow the wearer to recover instantly from a fall and can absorb some damage from falling once per day. The wearer lands on her feet no matter how far she falls, and takes 2 fewer dice of damage from the fall than normal.
2500gp Eyes of the Eagle: These items are made of special crystal and fit over the eyes of the wearer. These lenses grant a +5 competence bonus on Spot checks. Wearing only one of the pair causes a character to become dizzy and, in effect, stunned for 1 round. Thereafter, the wearer can use the single lens without being stunned so long as she covers her other eye. Of course, she can remove the single lens and see normally at any time, or wear both lenses to end or avoid the dizziness.
Alchemical Items
Alchemical items(self crafted=1/2 cost)
60gp 3x Alchemist Fire
50gp 5x Acid
50gp 2x Holy Water
10gp 5x Sunrod
170gp .......................
Alchemical items(self crafted=1/2 cost)
60gp 3x Alchemist Fire
50gp 5x Acid
50gp 2x Holy Water
10gp 5x Sunrod
170gp .......................
After looking through this and giving it another thought I will go with a Kineticist, just feel more comfy about it. I made some adjustment to feats, as adding another feat for human ;) and otherwise kept my kineticist power list.
@carnivore, just a question, why take psionic meditation before talented? Is the impact that much more worth it to take the damage and overchannel?
and otherwise kept my kineticist power list.
i will try to address that later .... i would suggest some adjustments
@carnivore, just a question, why take psionic meditation before talented? Is the impact that much more worth it to take the damage and overchannel?
the Psionic Shot feat tree ... allows you to do extra damage to both Weapons(arrows) and your Ranged touch Powers... the best part it does not cost any PP(PP conservation is something you need to learn) ....the only thing it does require, is you to Expend your Focus.... thats where Psionic Meditation is very helpful ....... Talented is nice for Some Powers... but you can just Manifest Vigor for a Couple of PP before you use Overchannel to avoid the Damage(you still take the damage, but it comes off your Temp hp first)
also Overchannel does not Require you to expend your focus.. Talented does.. so when you finally do get it you will need to refocus Quickly anyway
:D