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View Full Version : [3.5] A cliche self-sacrificing last resort psionic power?



newbDM
2008-12-25, 07:11 AM
Before I quit the game I was recently in, at the end of the last session I had a talk with the DM about an idea I had for my PC. During the gaming session he almost died, and was of almost no use to the party during that encounter due to being entangled in the air by a subboss's flying fire serpents. Based on his personality, the group's current situation, and what knowledge they had of the BBEG, I for some unknown reason got the idea of him doing the cliche self-sacrificing explosion/implosion scene you see in movies and such.

You know, when the character is dying, or otherwise doomed anyway, and lets lose his innate magical/physic/soul/whatever power in a way that usually appears as an explosion of brilliant light, which heals the other characters and/or destroys the BBEG, but destroys the character in the process?


Some basic concept ideas I have so far are:

Perhaps basing it around how many power points the PC has left at the time of the act?
Or instead base it on how many power points the character is capable of renewing each day to represent the limit of his/her potential power?
Maybe making a radius based on the character's level?

Greymane
2008-12-25, 07:27 AM
See, I love these sorts of things, and they're something I would totally do for a player on the fly if they thought the character would do it.

Some food for thought, though I'm AFB at the moment...

There's a system for baddies in the BoVD to curse people as they die, dependent on their HD for how powerful it is. Maybe use that as a basis?

In its counterpart, the BoED, I believe there's a paladin spell that does just this. It could be Spell Compendium, but since it depends on whether or not you die, I'm sure it's BoED.

I apologize about not being more specific.

Kris Strife
2008-12-25, 07:46 AM
The BoED has the Sanctified spell Pheonix Fire. 15 ft radius blast of fire and sacred energy (so fire immunity or resistance wont protect from damage), 2d6 per caster level (up to 40d6) and turns you to ash. You rise from the ashes 10 minutes later as if revived by a ressurection spell.

Something like that?

Eldariel
2008-12-25, 08:15 AM
I like using simply an extended version of the Overchannel-feat for that; allow some massive PP increase (with the PP being provided from the character's life force) if the character is willing to die as a cost (in some means that doesn't allow "easy" revival; make True Resurrection cost one level and others cost two, with Revivify being impossible).

Malacode
2008-12-25, 08:19 AM
You'd need to increase the cost of resurrection (Or even outright ban any kind of coming back) to represent the lifeforce spent during the explosion of psychic power. Otherwise people would just kill themselves to do massive damage as often as they could. I can see potential abuse of this.

-Ninja'd-

Triaxx
2008-12-25, 10:59 AM
Yeah, like a level penalty is all that bad in D&D, not to mention plus Psionics.

Regular D&D: Oh noes, I was asploded and lost a level. Ah well. *proceeds to slaughter numerous goblin hordes while charming maidens and mayors*

D&D plus Psionics: I lost a level eh? *kicks a dragon in the balls* Woo-hoo!

Deth Muncher
2008-12-25, 11:09 AM
Yeah, like a level penalty is all that bad in D&D, not to mention plus Psionics.

Regular D&D: Oh noes, I was asploded and lost a level. Ah well. *proceeds to slaughter numerous goblin hordes while charming maidens and mayors*

D&D plus Psionics: I lost a level eh? *kicks a dragon in the balls* Woo-hoo!

But if you kick a Dragon's Balls, then people with funky hair will yell at you!
(And three days later, let loose an energy blast.)

arguskos
2008-12-25, 11:16 AM
Before I quit the game I was recently in, at the end of the last session I had a talk with the DM about an idea I had for my PC. During the gaming session he almost died, and was of almost no use to the party during that encounter due to being entangled in the air by a subboss's flying fire serpents. Based on his personality, the group's current situation, and what knowledge they had of the BBEG, I for some unknown reason got the idea of him doing the cliche self-sacrificing explosion/implosion scene you see in movies and such.

You know, when the character is dying, or otherwise doomed anyway, and lets lose his innate magical/physic/soul/whatever power in a way that usually appears as an explosion of brilliant light, which heals the other characters and/or destroys the BBEG, but destroys the character in the process?


Some basic concept ideas I have so far are:

Perhaps basing it around how many power points the PC has left at the time of the act?
Or instead base it on how many power points the character is capable of renewing each day to represent the limit of his/her potential power?
Maybe making a radius based on the character's level?

Actually, here's the best way I can suggest to give it a shot: use the rules for a Retributive Strike (like breaking a Staff of the Magi or similar). "But argus, that's only on items!" Ah, but psionics makes it work. I'd word it like so:


Psionic Sacrifice
A psionic character may, at any time, willingly elect to sacrifice themselves in order to deal massive damage to their foes. The character explodes, and forfeits all possibility of resurrection, in order to deal 1d6 damage/power point the character has to everything w/in 50 ft. This attack allows a Reflex save for half (DC 10+1/2 psionic character's HD+psionic characters manifesting statistic modifier), but cannot be affected by Evasion or Improved Evasion. The character is consumed in the blast, and cannot be returned to life by any means short of divine intervention.

Note that my wording is... to put it lightly, ATROCIOUS, but that's the gist of it. I tossed the clause about Evasion in there to make it so that rogues wouldn't just laugh at you and kill everyone who survived. :smallannoyed:

Prometheus
2008-12-25, 12:47 PM
Divine intervention seems to be the most dead kind of dead I've heard about in a while. Usually a Wish/Miracle or True Resurrection can bring you back at least but you literally have to be brought back on DM fiat.

I don't think self-sacrifices are cliche and what not, but you have to make it so it is actually the case that your player needs to perform the action AND have it actually the case that you don't steal the final battle from everyone. So I suggest you work out with the DM that the BBEG is that powerful. Perhaps he is invulnerable to all the PCs attacks and targets your PC first. In the last possible moment for your PC, you explode in self-sacrifice - opening the shield for the other players to finish the fight on fair terms. Of course, if the PCs really stop to think about it they will realize the obvious construct of the battle in this manner, but it will still be entirely unexpected and high levels of epic for the fight that it really matters in.

If you play with the Binder class, see if your DM will make your old character into a visage for future PCs.

ericgrau
2008-12-25, 12:58 PM
Meh, I think the increased chance of ressurection level loss is still enough of a penalty for the massive damage. Not to mention the high gold cost. People still won't be routinely imploding every encounter, or even every BBEG. I think the idea would work just fine.

He'll probably be drained of power points when this happens, so it might be better to base it on level or etc., but then again maybe he just got hit hard in the first round, still has his PP and using PP may simply make more sense. That'll also keep people from blowing all their PP as fast as they can then, with nothing better to do in the big critical BBEG fight, blow their kamikaze. It will be more of a desperation move like you want when it comes after high unexpected damage when lots of PP still remain.

Baron Corm
2008-12-25, 01:05 PM
I once made a spell like this. It sent off one magic missile per spell slot you had left, deailng 1d6 damage each (actually a little different, but basically). This is basically the same damage as your power argus, except the Evasion avoidance is included. I didn't allow any save at all because who wants to die in vain. For the range I just made it Long.

Here it is (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2789493), for more inspiration.

Eldariel
2008-12-25, 06:47 PM
Meh, I think the increased chance of ressurection level loss is still enough of a penalty for the massive damage. Not to mention the high gold cost. People still won't be routinely imploding every encounter, or even every BBEG. I think the idea would work just fine.

He'll probably be drained of power points when this happens, so it might be better to base it on level or etc., but then again maybe he just got hit hard in the first round, still has his PP and using PP may simply make more sense. That'll also keep people from blowing all their PP as fast as they can then, with nothing better to do in the big critical BBEG fight, blow their kamikaze. It will be more of a desperation move like you want when it comes after high unexpected damage when lots of PP still remain.

You could make it convert HP into PP/HD into PP. After all, that's what the final explosion is all about - pouring your lifeforce and the powers of any magic items you possess into the one final attack to seal away the darkness at the cost of...you.

JackMage666
2008-12-25, 07:13 PM
I just built a 21st level Psion (I know, probably a bit higher than we're looking at here), and he generates about 500 PP a day. Now, even half that is an excessive amount of damage to dish out in an attack (250d6 averages about 825 damage).

My suggestion? A good old fashioned power, I'd say 7th. Attack deals 25d10 damage to creatures not immune to mental effects, and another 25d6 damage to those who aren't (representing the mental burst because, you know, you're a Psion, but then the pure physical shockwave that dishes out damage, too) to everyone in a 50 ft radius (will for half for the first effect, reflex for half with the second). Every point you use to augment this increases this by 1d10 and 1d6, and the save DCs by 1.

As a 15th level Psion, you'll be dishing out an average of 137.5+87.5 damage. Add in things like Overchannel, other feats, Items, Wild Surge (if you're a Wilder), and other things, and the damage increases. That's just my two cents.

Fostire
2008-12-25, 07:58 PM
You could make it convert HP into PP/HD into PP. After all, that's what the final explosion is all about - pouring your lifeforce and the powers of any magic items you possess into the one final attack to seal away the darkness at the cost of...you.
^I like this idea.

Also, How about something similar for a sorceror, their magic comes from within them as well so maybe they too can go boom.

Wih
2008-12-25, 09:08 PM
There's a Wu Jen power that turns you pretty much invincible and super-fantastic for 1 round/level, but at the end of the duration you die and cannot be brought back. 9th level spell. Perhaps tweak it slightly to be what you wanted?
Spell in question is "Transcend Mortality" from Complete Mage.

Fostire
2008-12-25, 09:20 PM
There's a Wu Jen power that turns you pretty much invincible and super-fantastic for 1 round/level, but at the end of the duration you die and cannot be brought back. 9th level spell. Perhaps tweak it slightly to be what you wanted?
Spell in question is "Transcend Mortality" from Complete Mage.

I just checked it and it says you can be brought back to life by resurrection or true resurrection (raise dead won't work)