Note to self: One of these days, I need to review the energy warrior's module list. It was always thinner and more disjointed than the others and I don't think I ever corrected that. On top of that, non-damage options are more limited even with the same module count because so many of the energy warrior modules are beam modules, which have one of their socket attachments devoted to variations on the same thing (enhancing energy beam attacks).
Taking a quick look, I see Energy Warrior needing some refluffing, and possibly some mechanical adjustments, to make sense. Energy Beam's fluff, being a
beam, is rather nonsensical for having it treated as a melee weapon, and kinda constricts sane design space by having an implication that it's always going to be damage, no matter what. What about people who want to be a pile of tanking with Energy Warrior? There
should be an armor or shield option at lower levels, for that desire. There's actually no option at all for just using it as a beam, so the name is nonsense.
As for suggestions on expanding the Energy Warrior list, I'd move Energy Claws and Energy Fangs to Module space. Rather than one Module for each natural attack type, I'd have it kinda be groupings. For example, Sting and Tail on one Module, Bite and Gore on another and Claw and Slam on a third, with each option having different effects and each Module having different Sockets/effects for Sockets to make them really matter as separate things.
Another thing would be more Combo Modules. There's only four of them currently, but there can be a lot more of them. Energy Beam auxiliary effects, like above, and Missile Launcher alterations are both good space to stick Combo Modules on. One of these that's
seemingly, but not
really, covered by an existing module is having Energy Beam boosters apply to Missiles. The reason it's not really covered is because Ice Spreader sticks this effect on the Energy Emitter socket, where
literally all of the existing Energy Beam enhancements are, so it really just means feats and features apply. Unless you grab the feat that gives a duplicate socket to have two Energy Emitter sockets active at once, which needs errata for how it deals with the existing multiple Energy Emitter sockets of Energy Warrior and the move action swap of active socketing.
A different Energy Emitter combo would, naturally, be something that enhances Energy Beam that doesn't occupy the Energy Emitter socket. Something like getting 1d6 damage on some particular condition, like having a Target Lock, or be Fighting Defensively. If the latter is the case, a Shielding module effect could be having Energy Beam damage apply to all attackers who land a hit while a low-Absorption Energy Shield with relatively high Recharge, like being 4-8 Absorption per Energy with 2-4 Recharge per Energy. This would give an alternative to Energy Tank for that ablative, regenerating HP.
A general issue with this subsystem is effect overlap. It's downright excessive. There's just flat out too much finite requirement on what's being done with particular sockets. The Visor socket gets practically all the tracking and visibility functions, while the shielding socket gets virtually all the useful defensive abilities that aren't on non-socket effects. You have immunity to fire in the shielding slot, which is nothing compared to getting 80 extra HP, with 20 of that coming back at 4 HP per round as the Shielding socket effect. Energy Tank just massively overwhelms so many of the other effects in it's slots, specifically because of that specification of what sockets do. 1d6 damage per Energy for
every attack this round? With Duel Weapon making replacement of the TWF chain cost one feat(duplicate slots make things nasty, okay?) and four energy, this becomes completely trivial to get massive damage out of
Or you can attach Missile Launcher to the Arm socket and trivially get +4d6 damage on five separate Touch Attacks that have 5 ft. splash. Each one already dealing 2d6 damage. While also getting the option to use Ice Spreader and the socket duplicating feat to add another 4d6 to each attack, with a 30 ft. cone radius coming off the already 5 ft. splash, while
also having a 50% miss chance for attackers. This comes from Shadow Beam. Even if the bonus damage is halved, it's still crazy. And, of course, the extra Energy Emitter slot can instead be used for a different Energy Beam module, which means another 4d6 damage for Energy Beam attacks.
Swap Energy Tank to Shielding, freeing Hands for Duel Weapon to get GTWF and full Strength to damage and reduced attack penalties, swap Missile Launcher for teleporting full-attack Spring Attack off of Assassin Teleportation and swap Ice Spreader for Warp Beam to enable Assassin Teleportation and get a +4 bonus to Attack rolls and 4d4 damage and you've got a nightmare of an attack spam setup with a rather large amount of damage soak before we even get into anything else.
