Author Topic: 3.0 Psionics  (Read 2845 times)

Offline Rags

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3.0 Psionics
« on: December 07, 2015, 04:16:15 AM »
I've recently acquired a copy of the 3.0 Psionics Handbook, and after reading most of it I've come to really like the angle the book was going for. Understanding the nature of 3.0 psionics and why it was updated, my group of players and I want to do an all 3.0 psionics game. We will be using the core books (sans most magic) alongside the Psionics Handbook and the 3.0 Minds Eye articles. We have played a lot together, so we shouldn't run into any party issues. However, I do have a few things I'd like to ask everyone here.

I'd like to know other peoples experiences with this psionics system, especially if you've played in a game similar to what we'll be doing.

Are there any other 3.0 sources that contain psionic material that I should look at?

Do you know of any little tricks or loop-holes? I'm not out to stop players, on the contrary, I encourage fun finds and optimization in my games.

One thing I've stumbled across is the Trigger Power feat in conjunction with the Ecto Puppet power. You can use that feat to gain a IX level astral construct, presuming you know the power, right? It's a little silly, but also pretty sweet.

Cheers!

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2015, 05:58:50 PM »
The mental combat was kinda not mathed.
The archive.wizards article that lets Psion 3
go ahead and dump 5 of those for feats
is quite tasty.

Things were different back then, with way
fewer posters scratching for every detail.

Tiers is probably the most significant since,
so with 3.0e psi, Tier 5 is standard homegame,
Tier 4 is I've read a guide, Tier 3 is working
quite hard to make the combos line up.
CoDzilla was known about (if not yet coined)
and old psi couldn't really get there much.

Bruce Cordell (the lead author) had a bunch
of side projects that were/are compatible.
If Thoughts Could Kill and Hyperconscious.


Still a few posters around here, have 3.0 street cred.
 :cool
Robby Pants perhaps, some of the gamingden guys.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2015, 06:00:43 PM by awaken_D_M_golem »
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Offline Rags

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #2 on: December 07, 2015, 06:22:28 PM »
Yeah, the Resculpt Mind feat is pretty awesome. From what I gather, metapsionics is hugely important.

I've been compiling all the 3.0 Minds Eye articles into OneNote and far out, it's the size of any other published book!

I'll check out Cordells other books, thanks.

3.0 street cred.
 :cool
I dig it

Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #3 on: December 07, 2015, 06:40:38 PM »
The psionic combat modes from what I remember were crazy dangerous, especially when used by monsters. IIRC a brain mole could easily whip the pants of an entire psionic party, but be relatively harmless to a non-psionic one.  :lmao
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Offline Rags

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #4 on: December 07, 2015, 06:51:02 PM »
Hahaha, those little guys will be hilarious to pit against the party. If things go bad, it's at least a memorable death... by mole.

Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2015, 04:01:51 PM »
hmm ... provided that decent feats
could be found , and justified (!)
Fighter 2 / PsyWar 2 / Psion 3 + that feat
(?? order) / Slayer 10 on the Psion festing
would be a rather obvious gish combo.
But idk the viability, I wasn't C.O.-ing back then.
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Offline awaken_D_M_golem

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #6 on: December 09, 2015, 06:33:49 PM »
It might  be worth it to go back and
do a solid semi-C.O. hash of 3.0e.

Zardnaar was a very long time poster
at wotc, and he recently noted a '14
report that saying 3.0e sold double 3.5e.

The wotc boards were not as well known
or populated for 3.0e , and were relatively
tame/sedate compared to the later ones.

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Offline Rags

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #7 on: December 09, 2015, 09:15:42 PM »
The old Slayer has its own power progression, from levels 0 to 3. All the prestige classes in the book have their own power progressions, so the optimization is kind of meh. Saying that though, I do like the Metamind.
Most of the Minds Eye prestige classes advance previous power progression. Sangehirn has full progression, (though I can't recommend too many levels, as it restricts the powers discovered) as does Shadow Mind, Arch Psion, Percipient, and Devotee/Defender of Sardior. The Constructor, Crystal Master and Planar Vanguard also look kick ass though. Most of the Psychic Warrior PrCs also look good, I feel like the extra class abilities are worth the slower progression of powers.

I thought the WotC boards were shut down. Do you know where I can find anything interesting and/or on Zardnaar?

Offline Rags

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Re: 3.0 Psionics
« Reply #8 on: February 08, 2016, 07:58:20 PM »
I've come across 2 pdf files written by Bruce Cordell under Malhavoc Press that alter the prestige classes in the Psionics Handbook. He says that when he was writing Tome and Blood he had the idea of advancing a character's previous spell casting, but the Psionics Handbook was already out at that time. These alternate versions of the prestige classes advance psionics and change some of the class abilities (all the PrCs now have 5/10 manifesting level increase, bar the Metamind which is 7/10). The Metamind is sexy, better than any other version I've seen, and the Pyro is more attractive too.

If anyone is interested in these, just message me. I'd share the links, but I've misplaced them :-\