A problem with emulating Force powers in D&D

[Tshern]

So I am in a PbP game aiming to build Darth Bane. I am going to use Pyrokineticist for lightsaber, but that only takes a single level. After that I have to cover Force push and Force lightning. Any ideas about how to do that? I need to keep formidable melee capabilities and still get those done.

All 3.5e options open, level from anything from 9 to 14 and the point buy is astonishingly high. So Force push and Force lightning are the problems I need to solve. Suggestions for a better lightsaber are also welcome.

Edit: I hear using the lightsaber from d20 Star Wars should be okay, so that's one issue solved. No need for Pyrokineticist.

[Zonugal]

Force Lightning can be done via the psionic power Energy Current.

Force Push can be done via the psionic power Telekinetic Force or Telekinetic Thrust.

[Tshern]

Accessing Energy current is kind of difficult though if I intend to keep the melee capabilities. I was thinking about Psychic Warrior, but they can't get that before level 16 and even then it requires some trickery.

[Zonugal]

There is always Ardent...?

You could very well do a build like Human Paragon 1/Ardent 2/Human Paragon 2/Ardent 1/Warblade 1 or Ardent 4/Swordsage 1/Ardent 1/Swordsage 1?

[Tshern]

Any specific reasons for those builds? Human Paragon seems like a wasted manifester level for rather meager benefits. Ardent, on the other hand, is an excellent idea. I am not too familiar with psionic melee builds though. Can Ardents be made into melee monsters?

[Mooncrow]

Any specific reasons for those builds? Human Paragon seems like a wasted manifester level for rather meager benefits. Ardent, on the other hand, is an excellent idea. I am not too familiar with psionic melee builds though. Can Ardents be made into melee monsters?

Assuming that you're getting free WP in lightsaber: oh my, yes. 

[Zonugal]

Any specific reasons for those builds? Human Paragon seems like a wasted manifester level for rather meager benefits.

Primarily to grab Iaijutsu Focus as a career-long skill, a martial weapon proficiency, a bonus feat and a stat boost. Ardents effectively don't gain anything past third level (with tenth level being the exception).

Ardent, on the other hand, is an excellent idea. I am not too familiar with psionic melee builds though. Can Ardents be made into melee monsters?

With some solid optimization I'd wager they can be. Through the Mind's Eye substitution/ACF you can customize your own mantles which means you can pick whatever powers you want. This ends up meaning you get less overall powers than a psion but you can grab gems from all the disciplines.

To me though the difference between an Ardent and another melee class is the versatility in their scope. While made in the imagine of a 'psionic cleric' they don't really hold up to that idea. Instead you have a guy with medium BaB, full armor proficiencies who can be telekinetically throwing people around the battlefield, summoning Astral Constructs to back him up, reviving fallen allies, blasting foes, warping in walls of energy and beyond. They are a very fun class to play/build. 

Ideally you should seek Lycan's advice though on this topic as he'll be able to address the viability of an Ardent's melee capabilities better than I could.

[Zonugal]

Regarding a lightsaber if you wanted to stay within the confines of D&D RAW here is the option I use:

Basic Model Lightsaber ($11,350 gp or $2,769 with a dedicated Lightsaber crafter)
Sunsword with the Sonic, Focus and Deflecting enchantments with a Lesser Crystal of Return coupled with a Glove of the Master Strategist.
A +1, Masterwork Bastard Sword (treated as a Short Sword whenever advantageous) which does a extra 1d4 points of sonic damage on a successful hit and bestows a +4 insight bonus to the wielder's Iaijutsu focus checks while carrying the weapon, even if the weapon is sheathed. The lightsaber may be drawn as a free action and you may call it to your hand from 30ft away as a move action. In addition you can try to knock projectiles aimed at you out of the air. Once per round when you would normally be hit by a ranged weapon, you may make a DC 20 Reflex saving throw (if the ranged weapon has a magical enhancement bonus, the DC increases by that amount). If you succeed, the ranged weapon or projectile deflects away harmlessly. You must be aware of the attack and not flat-footed. Intrinsically connected to the Lightsaber is the mystical handling glove which allows you to store and retrieve held items into the glove as free actions as well as activate True Strike 1/day.

[Tshern]

That looks like a really neat weapon for my purposes! Need to go through Weapons of Legacy to see if I can actually use that for the weapon. There are a couple of things there that catch my fancy.

For the lightsaber proficiency: I think in d20 SW it deals vitality damage that probably won't be present in the game. More interest in the fluff than anything else.

[ariasderros]

ummm... for the majority of the kinetic manipulations you could go with a Gith (and be a true Gish) with a ring of TK and go into Master of the Unseen Hand. Or, as T_M_L might suggest, die.

Seriously, find another source for the Lightning, and go Ghost. Manifest into a construct (you're now Vader w/o breathing). Proceed to Force manipulate everything.

And I really think that for the force lightning having a Caster Glove with a wand of Chain Missile would be a better aesthetic cant miss, hurts anything w/o Forceward (highly appropriate) and still has the look.

[Tshern]

Darth Bane though remained a human. If I took the LA hit of the Ghost, I'd probably be boned. Bane's role probably would be a physically menacing brute and I would prefer the telekinetic and lightning abilities to be natural rather than item based. Thanks for the ideas though, I will consider them.

[Endarire]

Egoist can make one tough Psion to kill.  Metamorphosis helps much there, and PsyWars don't get that natively in 3.5.

[ariasderros]

yeah, the Gith-Gish Factotum, MotUH would still be a decent start. Fact gets a lot of skills that can be used for this, so there is your intimidate, high Int (Bane was a great planner), et alli. Plus all of Facts other abilities.

Main problem with this is once per spell per day.

But I will pointy out that he managed to survive by transferring to a new body, which sounds Ghost Manifest-like to me.

[Tshern]

Egoist can make one tough Psion to kill.  Metamorphosis helps much there, and PsyWars don't get that natively in 3.5.

A bit un-Sith though. Definitely worth considering though, especially if I can redo the fluf.

As a note, I doubt I will need Force push or lightning all that often. A few times a day should be plenty.

[ariasderros]

I guess a major point here is what level are you trying for? NVM, re-read the OP.

[Zonugal]

Doing a quick read up of Darth Bane's abilities/talents I think one could possibly do something like this:

Human Paragon 1/Ardent 2/Human Paragon 2/Ardent 2/Slayer 4/Warblade 1?

[Tshern]

Doing a quick read up of Darth Bane's abilities/talents I think one could possibly do something like this:

Human Paragon 1/Ardent 2/Human Paragon 2/Ardent 2/Slayer 4/Warblade 1?

Doesn't seem all that bad. Iajitsu focus could be emulate Djem So (his lightsaber style), Slayer advances manifesting and with the point buy we have MAD isn't really a problem. Though he is described as being fast as hell, I could probably concentrate on one big strike per round with the Diamond mind maneuvers, maybe. Or do you have better melee idea?

[Zonugal]

If you are interested in speed a psionic swiftblade build might be viable?

[Tshern]

Could go relatively well with Ardent, I think.

[Tshern]

At the moment I am considering Human Paragon 1/Ardent 1/Human Paragon 2/Ardent 1/Swiftblade 9.

Now it is a problem of feats. I need Dodge and Mobility and I want Practiced manifester. With human and two flaws, plus the bonus from Human Paragon that would leave me with six empty slots. Able learner might be good if I combine it with Knowledge devotion, leaving me with four feats to amp my melee capabilities.

Thoughts?

Edit: Yeah, Power attack might be a handy choice.