Psychic Warrior Handbook: Discussion Thread

[zugschef]

well, if you guys still like to talk about the psychic warrior, i hope you do so in this thread. if something new comes up, i'll be happy to add it to the handbook.

thanks in advance.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Keep the droll humor on this side, eh?
 


Near the end of BG, there was a thread about the ACF soulknife-y thing.
Included pulling a Trebuchet out, and why not ?!

I've mentioned taking one of Bauglir's CL builds,
ditching 2 levels for PsyWar 2 and the ACF,
and getting the Psiotheurgist feat that'll move the CL over.
One hell of a weapon.

[M16AMachinegun]

You didnt really recommend any powers that were really worth taking. Are they all useful, or are they all crap and not worth mentioning?

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Blue powers are rated the best.
Most of this stuff, was hashed out back in '04 and '05.
The better builds happened since then.
That's where the action is.

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1542.msg14178#msg14178

If you start feeling like the powers "route"
is the direction you wanna go, you might
think about going Ardent instead.

[M16AMachinegun]

Huh. That's a lot more powers on your list than i remember. Thanks for the reminder, i must have missed it.

And yeah, Psywarrior is good for me only for dipping 2 levels for the extra feats. Not enough making me want to stay for the higher level powers since i can just research that stuff later on.

[lieronet]

First item of note: if you don't hate Pathfinder to death and don't mind mixing the systems, it modified the Warmind to give an option for 10/10 Psiwar manifesting progression, making it a stellar choice for PrC. Probably worth a mention in the guide. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/war-mind

Second, although you know this already, you can buy Iron Will through the Otyugh Hole in Complete Scoundrel, it would be a good idea to point that out in the Sanctified Mind's class description.

[Garryl]

First item of note: if you don't hate Pathfinder to death and don't mind mixing the systems, it modified the Warmind to give an option for 10/10 Psiwar manifesting progression, making it a stellar choice for PrC. Probably worth a mention in the guide. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/war-mind

Technically, I think it only applies RAW to the first level (given that the ability has no mention of it being for multiple levels or at multiple levels). Of course, that's a silly interpretation and definitely not RAI, and it's the kind of thing I'd expect to see errataed eventually. But I feel I should mention it, if only for kicks. And maybe to have someone point out the key piece of wording I've missed.

[lieronet]

First item of note: if you don't hate Pathfinder to death and don't mind mixing the systems, it modified the Warmind to give an option for 10/10 Psiwar manifesting progression, making it a stellar choice for PrC. Probably worth a mention in the guide. http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/war-mind

Technically, I think it only applies RAW to the first level (given that the ability has no mention of it being for multiple levels or at multiple levels). Of course, that's a silly interpretation and definitely not RAI, and it's the kind of thing I'd expect to see errataed eventually. But I feel I should mention it, if only for kicks. And maybe to have someone point out the key piece of wording I've missed.

I believe the ability gives the character the option to improve his psiwar manifesting instead of his warmind manifesting at every level he takes of the PrC. He doesn't lose the ability, so he applies its effect (if he so desires) upon taking a level of Warmind.

if that made any sense

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Oh, you're refering to the Warrior’s Journey (Ex) class feature, in the PF War Mind.

Something like X 3 / PsyWar 2 / WarMind 5 / Slayer 9
... could stick 5 levels from Slayer onto the Warmind prog,
and stick the remaining 3 back onto Psywar.  Sure that's fine.

I don't remember correctly (wink) wtf it means to have a Manifesting level
and have that not mean the same thing as Manifester level.
PF has lots of little things different.
It seems to me, that IF the PsyWar 2 + WarMind 5 = festing 7 (!!)
... then Slayer could possibly wrap around to make an 18 in there.
I've no idea how this would work.

[GrizzlyHunter25]

Monastic Training^ECS -- Lets you freely multiclass between monk and a chosen class. Needed for the tashalatora feat.

Tashalatora^SoS -- Lets you stack psychic warrior and monk levels to calculate fast movement, flurry of blows, slow fall, unarmed AC bonus and unarmed strike damage. Combine this with monastic training for the best monk builds out there.

When looking up Tashalatora in Secrets of Sarlona, I found that it does not stack fast movement.

TASHALATORA
You have successfully integrated martial arts with psionic power under the tutelage of Tashalatora masters.
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 5 ranks, Concentra­tion 5 ranks, Monastic Training (psionic class), ability to manifest 1st-level powers.
Benefit: Your levels in the psionic class you selected for Monastic Training stack with your monk levels to determine your AC bonus, flurry of blows attacks, and unarmed damage from the monk class.

[zugschef]

TASHALATORA
You have successfully integrated martial arts with psionic power under the tutelage of Tashalatora masters.
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 5 ranks, Concentra­tion 5 ranks, Monastic Training (psionic class), ability to manifest 1st-level powers.
Benefit: Your levels in the psionic class you selected for Monastic Training stack with your monk levels to determine your AC bonus, flurry of blows attacks, and unarmed damage from the monk class.

oh thanks! never read it that thoroughly apparently. ;-)

i still think it should, though. i'll add this, of course. thank you, for pointing this out. keep it coming.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

I don't remember correctly (?!)
... but Carmindine Monk instead of Tash,
is useful for Int builds, like Psion / Erudite.
But the old psi board much prefered Tash.

[Azoriel]

I just recently discovered the phrenic blast feat, a metapsionic feat from Dragon #316, page 80.

Phrenic Blast
Foes damaged by your power are also mentally blasted.
Benefit: When you deal damage with a phrenic blasting power to any creature that is subject to mind-affecting effects, the target is also stunned for 1 round. Using this eat increases the power point cost of the power by 2 (maximum cost equals your manifester level).
You must expend your psionic focus to use this feat.

Combine with Energy Emanation, and now wading into melee suddenly becomes unfairly safe for your character.

[Endarire]

Can Phrenic Blast apply to astral construct?  If so, rock 'em sock 'em robots!

[Azoriel]

Given the way maximize spell has been ruled to interact with summon spells (i.e. any damage being done by a summoned creature isn't a direct result of the spell itself, so therefore doesn't qualify for maximization, since the spell itself doesn't actually do any damage), I would be inclined to say no for most campaigns.  =(  That being said, though, if you're in a campaign where you're able to do stuff like this, allow me to introduce you to a metamagic feat that can easily be converted to psionics...

Fell Drain [Metamagic]
Living foes damaged by your spell also gain a negative level.
Benefit: You can alter a spell that deals damage to foes so that any living creature that is dealt damage also gains a negative level. If the subject has at least as many negative levels as Hit Dice, it dies. Assuming the subject survives, the negative level disappears (without requiring a Fortitude save) after a number of hours equal to your caster level (maximum 15). A fell draining spell uses up a spell slot two levels higher than the spell's actual level.

Addendum: Ectoplasmic Shambler and Energy Wall both qualify for phrenic blast - you can still manifest them to hold your opponents in place, and then have your AC pound away at them.  (Since the AC is immune to mind-effecting, it'll just be eating a bit of damage per round and still be able to act.)

[Waazraath]

Just curious, why is manyshot listed only as 'okay'? The combination fell shot + manyshot + psionic mediation allows fire several arrows simultaneously, as a touch attack, and can be repeated every round. That seems to be worth it for an archer.

[nijineko]

and if you have access to more than one focus, you can stick greater psionic shot on it too.

[sambojin]

Necro.....

I was wondering why there was no mention of Rainbow Ioun Stones in the guide. While pricey (16k), they're bread and butter for a low PP class. You can even have a few of them. It lets you concentrate your PP into bigger/better powers, and essentially gives you free PP for an up-to-lvl3 power, or mini-augmented 1's and 2's, or heaps of Expansion head smacking. Worth the cash.

Also, since it tends to be a solo Psychic Warrior guide, thus most builds having plenty of concentration skill, I'm not sure why you rate "Up the Walls" so low as a feat. It's horribly close to broken as a movement feat. Breaks encounters, DM's carefully laid road-blocks/dungeon/city design and scales with movement (plus, it's pseudo at-will). Very good feat, near ridiculous with a tumbling/rogue'ish build. Still pretty damn good for any build. One trick that makes a whole raft of tricks possible.

[nijineko]

and the more movement rate you can pack in, the more ridiculous 'up the walls' can get. i've found it especially useful when combined with dervish levels.

[FreeBeer]

I apologize for the Necro in advance.

So I have a question about the tripper build. How do you get around needing the +2 attack bonus prerequisite for Knock-Down? I understand that is taken as a bonus feat because of the Psy Warrior level 2. But Even in the text of Psychic Warrior it says-

"These bonus feats must be drawn from the feats noted as fighter bonus feats on Table 5–1: Feats, page 90 of the Player’s Handbook, or from the psionic feats in Chapter 3 of this book. The psychic warrior must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums as well as class requirements."

And then it get's a little more confusing because Knock-Down isn't a fighter bonus feat. And then the most important lesson D&D has ever taught me is that it's the last line/paragraph that matters when playing. And the last paragraph for bonus feats reads -

"These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that a character of any class gains every three levels (as given on Table 3–2: Experience and Level-Dependent Benefi ts, page 22 of the Player’s Handbook).A psychic warrior is not limited to fighter bonus feats and psionic feats when choosing these other feats."

So does this last line also lift the prerequisite requirement for the Knock-Down feat? Or did I just destroy a build by accident? Because I was really looking forward to making a Githzerai Tripper.


Talashatora Build: Synad Monk2/Psychic Warrior18

32-Point-Buy: 16 STR, 10 DEX, 14 CON, 12 INT, 16 WIS, 8 CHA

Feats:
1: monastic training (psychic warrior), passive way monk: combat expertise, improved unarmed strike
2: passive way monk: improved trip
3: synad multitask, enhanced, psychic warrior: knock-down
4: psywar: mantled warrior acf (freedom mantle)
6: tashalatora
7: psywar: linked power
9: improved natural attack (unarmed strike)
10: psychic warrior: practiced manifester
12: snap kick
13: psychic warrior: psionic meditation
15: earth sense
16: psychic warrior: metapower (expansion, linked power)
18: earth power
19: psychic warrior: expanded knowledge (temporal acceleration)