Aligned Attack (XPH, SRD)
Powers, like spells, generally aren’t subject to DR. You don’t need this.
Azure Talent (MoI)
Bonus PP is always nice.
Body Fuel (XPH, SRD)
Yeah, you get PP back in a pinch, but it’s a bad trade. The drain also counts as the unique
ability burn damage type, which can’t be healed by anything other than natural healing and rest.
Exception: if you are somehow immune to, or can quickly heal, ability burn, this feat is
purple. My research has yielded no consensus on the existence of any method of either type.
Boost Construct (XPH, SRD)
Makes Astral Constructs even better.
Exception: you can take this feat even if you don’t have the Astral Construct. That’s a
red choice.
Combat Manifestation (XPH, SRD)
As bad as Combat Casting.
Dazzling Energy (CPsi)
Harsh prerequisites, but the effect lasts a good length of time.
Deep Impact (XPH, SRD)
You should avoid melee.
Exception: for melee gish-types, this feat is
green.Deep Psychic Meditation (M’sE)
Gives more uses Psychic Meditation effects and lets you have more Psychic Energy Centers awake at a time. You need to take this feat three times to enter the Meditant PrC.
Deep Vision (CPsi)
Purely average.
Don Mantle (CPsi)
You can’t qualify for this without multiclassing or using the Egoist ACF.
Ectopic Form: Agile Loper, Alabaster Aerial, Amber Tunneler, Anathemic Carapace, Astral Aquan, Ebony Stinger, Emerald Gyre, Indescent Serpent (CPsi)
Lock Astral Constructs into pre-generated forms. You get no menu choices and Boost Construct doesn’t apply. Worse than the default Astral Constructs.
Exception: Anathemic Carapace is
blue, if you can get it without the prerequisites.Elemental Envoy (CPsi)
Inferior to, and requires you to give up, your Psicrystal.
Exception: overpowered at very low levels (1 through 3). A
purple choice for campaigns confined to those levels.
Energize Armor (CPsi)
There are better uses for your psionic focus.
Exception: this feat is black for gishes.
Enervation Endurance (CPsi)
No need.
Note: PP loss from Psychic Enervation is tied to Wilder levels, so Psion/Anarchic Initiates don’t need it.
Envoy Cognizance (CPsi)
If you take Elemental Envoy, take this too.
Expanded Knowledge (XPH, SRD)
Adds a power from ANY list to your powers known. This feat runs the gamut from
purple to
red, depending on the power. Refer to the Powers section for help picking good powers.
Fell Shot (XPH, SRD)
Ranged attack powers are usually touch attacks.
Exception: for archer gishes, this is
green.Focused Body (M’sE)
You can avoid Balancing and Climbing, and Tumble isn’t a class skill.
Focused Perception (CPsi)
Bad prerequisites. Use your powers, instead.
Focused Shield (CPsi)
Okay, if you gain shield proficiency for free.
Focused Skill User (CPsi)
Usefulness depends on skills picked.
Exception: if your DM lets it apply to ALL Craft and/or ALL Knowledge skills, this is
green.Focused Sunder (XPH, SRD)
Strength is your dump stat, you’re not a melee-er, sundering means less loot for the party, less loot means pissed off companions. Bad.
Gestalt Anchor (CPsi)
Nice if everyone uses Host feats or is Kalashtar.
Ghost Attack (XPH, SRD)
Take a Force power or the Transdimensional Power feat instead.
Greater Power Penetration (XPH, SRD)
Okay, but it’s better to take a few powers that aren’t subject to PR/SR.
Greater Power Specialization (XPH, SRD)
Strictly inferior to Psionic Shot.
Greater Psionic Endowment (XPH, SRD)
Useful for non-augmentable powers with saves.
Greater Psionic Fist (XPH, SRD)
Bad prerequisite. Melee required.
Greater Psionic Shot (XPH, SRD)
Good if you specialize in ranged touch attacks. With, e.g., a 1 PP Crystal Shard, you deal fair damage all day long.
Exception: for gish archers, this feat is
blue.Greater Psionic Weapon (XPH, SRD)
You want to stay away from melee.
Exception: for melee gishes, this is
green.Improved Psicrystal (XPH, SRD)
The basic Psicrystal is enough.
Inquisitor (XPH, SRD)
Of limited use.
Note: a prerequisite for the Thrallherd PrC.
Instant Clarity (ToB)
If you know a martial strike maneuver, this can help you stay psionically focused.
Instinctive Consummator (CPsi)
Crit-centric builds are not optimal, though in such a build this feat has its place.
Invest Armor (CPsi)
There are better uses for your psionic focus.
Exception: this is
green for gish-type builds.
Mental Juggernaut (CPsi)
Being dazed or stunned is bad. This can help.
Note: not usable to avoid the daze from Psychic Enervation, because Psychic Enervation is an Extraordinary effect, not a power, psi-like ability, or other psionic or magical effect.
Mental Leap (XPH, SRD)
Why play leapfrog when you can Levitate or Fly?
Metamorphic Transfer (XPH, SRD)
Metamorphosis is an awesome power, and this is an awesome feat. Gain a supernatural ability from any form you choose to become, up to three times per day! If the ability is a use-activated ability, or usable at will by the form you pick then you get three uses of that ability per transfer.
Exception: taking this feat more than once is a black choice. One ability is generally enough.
Midnight Augmentation (MoI)
Reducing the augmentation cost for powers is always nice.
Narrow Mind (XPH, SRD)
Take Skill Focus (Concentration), instead.
Overchannel (XPH, SRD)
A useful power booster. Offset the damage with Vigor or with the Talented feat.
Postpone Enervation (CPsi)
You don’t need it.
Exception: green for Psion/Anarchic Initiates, who get it for free.
Power Penetration (XPH, SRD)
Take a few powers that aren’t subject to PR/SR.
Power Specialization (XPH, SRD)
Inferior to Psionic Shot, though the psionic focus-expense part of the feat isn’t horrible.
Practiced Manifester (CPsi)
You don’t need it at all.
Exception 1: if you lose up to 2 ML from multiclassing or PrCs, this is
blue. Exception 2: if you lose 3 or 4 ML, this feat is
purple. Exception 3: purple if your DM allows it to increase the ML of the Schism effect.
Privileged Energy (CPsi)
If it worked with all of the energy types then it’d be great. It doesn’t, so it’s not.
Psicrystal Affinity (XPH, SRD)
Psicrystals are Psions’ familiars. Should be a class feature. Psicrystals are effective scouts, communication devices, power-delivery units, and can take a beating. They can turn your Psion into a tank with the Psicrystal + Share Pain + Vigor combo. The free Alertness and personality bonus are nice, too. Trust me: you want a Psicrystal.
Note: there is a debate over whether Psicrystals gain feats. Regardless, this feat is excellent.
This is a list rating different Psicrystal personalities:- Artiste - Very good, since it works with all Craft skills, and craft skills can be used untrained.
- Bully - You won't be making any Intimidate checks unless you try. You shouldn't try.
- Coward - You'll rarely make Hide checks. Nevertheless, success on the few you'll make could save your butt.
- Friendly - Great for Telepaths or the party face.
- Hero - Fortitude is a poor save for you. This beefs it up.
- Liar - Succeeding on a Bluff check can save your butt, like Hide, and you'll probably make a few more of these.
- Meticulous - Search checks are pretty common.
- Nimble - Going first in the Initiative order gives you options. Many people swear by it.
- Observant - Spot checks are VERY common.
- Poised - You have ways to avoid having to Balance. This won't help you toward the benefits of 5 ranks in the skill, either.
- Resolved - Will is your best save, so it's not as good as the Hero personality. Still, it’s not bad.
- Sage - If it worked with all Knowledge checks, it'd be better. You only get one, though, so it's not that good.
- Single-minded - You never, ever want to fail a Concentration check. This will help ensure that you don't.
- Sneaky - You're not a stealthy character. If you need to hide, STAY PUT!
- Sympathetic - Sense Motive checks don't come up a lot, but can help you avoid nasty consequences.
Psicrystal Containment (XPH, SRD)
Gives you a second psionic focus, a very rare and handy thing. Keeps you from having to refocus and allows you to apply two metapsionic feats to a power.
Note: unlike metamagic feats, you can apply the same metapsionic feat to a power more than once. You may have to show your DM the section of the XPH/SRD on applying metapsionic feats to powers.
Psionic Body (XPH, SRD)
You get two extra HP for every Psionic (NOT metapsionic) feat you take, including this feat. Okay for low-levels or Psions with bad Con. Most will want to use that feat slot for something else.
Psionic Charge (XPH, SRD)
Avoid melee.
Exception: for a charging gish-type, this is a
green choice.
Psionic Dodge (XPH, SRD)
Dodge sucks. This sucks harder.
Psionic Endowment (XPH, SRD)
Nice if you have a lot of powers that allow saves.
Psionic Feint (M’sE)
A feat intended for Psychic Rogues. A typical Psion has no use for it.
Psionic Fist (XPH, SRD)
Stay away from melee.
Psionic Meditation (XPH, SRD)
Most Psions will want this feat, so most Psions need Wisdom 13+. Lets you refocus as a move action. Fire off a standard action power, use your move action to refocus, repeat again next round. Highly useful.
Psionic Shot (XPH, SRD)
Increases your damage output. Preserves some PP, too. Requires the crummy Point-Blank Shot feat.
Psionic Talent (XPH, SRD)
Gets you two extra PP the first time you take it, then 3 extra PP the next time you take it, then 4, then 5, etc. Two extra PP is great at level 1, but a flash-in-the-pan by level 5.
Psionic Tumble (M’sE)
Tumble isn’t a class skill for Psions.
Psionic Weapon (XPH, SRD)
You don’t want to be in melee.
Exception: for melee gishes, this is
blue.Psycarnum Crystal (MoI)
More essentia just for having a Psicrystal. Nice.
Psycarnum Infusion (MoI)
An instant power boost when you expend focus. Very nice. Psionics and Incarnum really do go great together.
Psychic Meditation (M’sE)
Opens up many options for your character. It’s like getting seven feats in one.
Note: this is a prerequisite for the Meditant PrC.
Psychic Renewal (ToB)
Fine for Psion/Swordsages, due to the Swordsage’s poor maneuver recovery mechanic. Not so good for Psion/Warblades, due to the Warblade’s superior recovery mechanic, though it does give such a character options.
Psymbiot (CPsi)
Lots of bonuses, but you’ll probably be the only Psionic character in your party. Oddly, this feat works if you’re within 10 feat of a psionic enemy that meets the prerequisites.
Exception: if you are not the only Psionic character in your party, this is a
blue feat.
Return Shot (XPH, SRD)
Lots of prerequisites. The only thing this feat has going for it, really, is the chance to automatically avoid damage, which is, admittedly, always nice.
Skin of the Construct (CPsi)
Adds some versatility to your character. Lets a level 1 character fly, too. You can have multiple skins active. The temporary HP is okay, but nothing to rely on.
Exception 1: for characters with the Constructor PrC, this feat is
blue. Constructor increases Astral Construct’s duration, so the duration of your Skins is increased, and the number of abilities you gain from each Skin.
Exception 2: if your DM says Constructor doesn’t add extra abilities to each Skin, then this feat stays
green for characters with that PrC.Speed of Thought (XPH, SRD)
Another reason to stay psionically focused. More movement isn’t bad.
Stygian Archon (CPsi)
Makes the Stygian powers a stronger choice. Requires you to be psionically focused.
Talented (XPH, SRD)
Avoid all damage from Overchanneling a Level 1-3 power.
Tap Mantle (CPsi)
You can’t access this without multiclassing or taking the Egoist ACF. Many of the abilities are nice, but the cost isn’t worth it.
Unavoidable Strike (XPH, SRD)
Of no benefit to you.
Exception: blue for Power Attacking gishes.Up the Walls (XPH, SRD)
Adds tactical movement and exploration options. Best when combined with Speed of Thought.
Exception: by RAW, you can walk on ceilings with this feat, while psionically focused. I'm 99% sure this is not RAI, so check with your DM. If he/she allows it,
this feat is blue. Expect some fights with your DM about what counts as "horizontal," regardless.
Wounding Attack (XPH, SRD)
Dealing automatic Con damage is nice. High BAB requirement.