Author Topic: Anti Psion  (Read 2273 times)

Offline GigaBig

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Anti Psion
« on: December 29, 2014, 12:44:30 AM »
I am looking for items/feats/tips and trick for defeating psionics.

I am playing a Tiefling Rogue 4/Fighter 2. (started at rogue 3/fighte  r2) Primary focus is ranged combat but i can hold my own in melee if needed. I have looked at Psion classes before but never played one or in a group that had one. Our campaign is primarily island to island. Our DM has been dropping hints that the main goal/direction is going to end up fighting Psions. We have found several books written in the Psion language, as well 2 corpses githyanki and mind flayer who apparently killed each other in combat.

Originally i wasn't overly concerned about fighting Psions, but one of the players in or group is playing one, and he has it set up that he can use Mind Thrust? DC23 will save or take like 40+ dmg. My MD has gone over his sheet and says its all legit, so i am worried he will pull that against us and frankly that would just abt one shot me, and only need like 2 shots vs out fighter.

So far my only defense i can come up with are items to boost my will saves/wis mods. My wis is only a 13 (not very helpful), regarding combat i do have Silver Gythianki Sword (from those 2 corposes). I was wondering if Psion attacks we similar to mind reading/scrying and could be blocked by say a lead helmet.

I have found a couple anti psion feats but most don't seem overly helpful. Closed mind is ok, but not good

    Chaotic Mind - stops the benefit of psionic insightful bonuses to Atk and AC vs you.
    Closed Mind - +2 saves vs Psionics
    Force of Will - when targets by Psionic atk that allows for reflex/fort you may use will instead (as i have a low will no help)
    Hostile Mind - When targets by psionics caster must make will save vs 10+.5 char level+cha mod or take 2D6 dmg
    Mental Resistance - gain DR 3/- for psionic attacks not including energy based (not overly useful sounding if i'm getting hit for 30+ a hit)
    Psionic Hole - When you get hit in melee combat, they immediately loses psionic focus, if any. Also, if you are the target of a power, the manifester of the power must spend an additional number of power points equal to your Wisdom bonus, or the power fails

as per books, we have been given complete reign to use the completes, forgotten realms, stormwreak. It hasn't been explicitly given but so far not items from other books has been turned down. Other books are on a case by case basis based on what we want.

My main plan is to kill them before they can attack me, not mush of a plan unless there is only 1 or 2.
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Offline ketaro

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Re: Anti Psion
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2014, 12:57:59 AM »
Null Psionics Field

Get it on an item.
That's the straight and easy way that doesn't require jumping through hoops or asking for stuff that isn't in a book already allowed. This power is in a book your DM already allows if a Psion is in your party.  ;)

Offline GigaBig

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Re: Anti Psion
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2014, 02:33:30 AM »
I love it, perfect solution. Though it didn't say could b made permanent. Gonna pitch it to the DM

Just had a thought, would it not cancel itself out as an item of psionic manifestation within the null field, thus it would cancel nullify itself, then it would activate as the field went away and then nullify and activate............. and so on?
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Offline ketaro

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Re: Anti Psion
« Reply #3 on: December 29, 2014, 07:08:07 AM »
No, that's stupid. Once the item is activated to cast it, it's done, it's in effect. Have fun. Go murder some psions, champ.

It doesn't need to be permanent. You just buy or have some one make an item that casts the power at probably minimum manifester level for that power; 13th. Probably once a day for cheapness sake.

It'd be like......(6x13) x 2,000 divided by (5 divided by charges per day[1])
156,000 / 5 = 31, 200 gp to buy. If your friendly party psion knows how to craft psionic items and knows the power, you can cut that in half.
You'll also need to pick a body slot for the woundrous item to fit into. I'd vote Head or Face because psionics makes sense somewhere up there.


Edit: By the way, considering you said you were 6th level, I am assuming the party Psion is also level 6?
If so, a DC 23 on a 1st level power (Mind Thrust) is very, very hard to believe and he might be doing something wrong. Or cheating. Whatever.
Assuming the Psion is 6th level like you are, the most power points he could augment a power with is equal to his manifester level, which would be 6 assumedly. Every 2 points spent on Mind Thrust after the initial 1 to manifest it at all increases the DC by 1, so capped at 6 additional points beyond the first he could instead the DC by 3 at most at his 6th level. With a 1st level power, that puts his base DC at 14 if he spends all 7 power points to do so. That means he'd have to have a +9 modifier on his Int score. His Int would have to be a minimum of 28.

I just find that hard to believe IF the mentioned Psion in your party is the same level as you.
(And then after I typed all that I realized you said you were a Tiefling too, which is a LA race, so you'd be 7th at least, so the Psion could be assumed to be at least the same level as you; 7. But that still doesn't give enough room for another DC boost with further payment of power points.)

ALTERNATIVELY you just remembered the name of the power wrong and it's something higher level than Mind Thrust being used and this is all moot  ;)
« Last Edit: December 29, 2014, 07:27:21 AM by ketaro »

Offline Sleepyphoenixx

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Re: Anti Psion
« Reply #4 on: December 29, 2014, 07:09:39 AM »
Mind Thrust is [Mind-Affecting], which you want to get immunity to anyway. Mind Blank is the usual solution, but it's usually a high level one. There's several types that are naturally immune (plants, undead, constructs) and a whole bunch of spells, items and class features that grant full or partial immunity.

For more immediate protection get your armor enchanted with Mindarmor (MIC, 3000gp) for a +5 bonus to will saves as an immediate action. Combine this with an armor Crystal of Mind Cloaking (MIC, 500-10000gp) for another +1-5 bonus against mind-affecting and a reroll 1/day on the greater crystall.
Both of those are pretty good investments for warrior/rogue types anyway.

Null Psionics Field has the drawback that it disables all your magic and psionic items (if you're playing with transparency, which is the default).

Offline Unbeliever

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Re: Anti Psion
« Reply #5 on: December 29, 2014, 10:51:38 AM »
Pretty much along the lines of what Sleepyphoenixx said:  look for things that protect you from mind-affecting abilities and the usual anti-magic type of stuff (e.g., evasion, good saves, etc.).  Mind Cloaking is one of the best and most efficient ones out there.  I also like some of the Third Eyes in MIC, like Clarity or Dampening.  Also, the Vest of Freedom.  Really, a lot of this is "how'd you go about fighting mages or guys with lots of spell-likes?" just in a different form.

A wand (dorje, whatever) of Damp Power would be a great investment if you expect to face psions a lot and don't have a lot of uses for your immediate/swift actions.  You are a Rogue after all.  It's even better if using magic/psionics transparency. 

Note also that Psions are not notoriously perceptive.  They would rely on their psionics to see a sufficiently sneaky rogue coming.  So, if you can invest in the usual stealth v. magic counters, like Non-Detection or what have you, you can get the drop on them, pre-buff, or set up counters to their powers.

All of this is a lot cheaper than the feat investments in the OP.