[d20r, Race Template] Phrenic (Psi-touched)

[Fax Celestis]

Phrenic is an inherited racial class progression that can be applied to a living, corporeal, non-Outsider creature. It represents having a strong bent towards psionics. Like any class, a racial class progression does not need to be taken all the way through.

Prerequisites:
Type: Any corporeal non-Construct, non-Undead

{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Manifesting
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Meditant, Psionic | -
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Inborn Psionics, Bonus Psionic Feat | +1 level of existing class
3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Power Resistance, Improved Meditant | +1 level of existing class[/table]

HD: d6

Skills: 4+Int, 1 set

Prowess: 4 per level.

Proficiencies: Phrenic creatures do not gain any new proficiencies.

Meditant (Su): A phrenic creature is capable of extreme acts of concentration, and uses this to their advantage in combat and in other situations. While psionically focused, a phrenic creature gets a +2 racial bonus to one ability score of their choice.

Psionic: At 1st level, a phrenic creature gains the (Psionic) subtype. A phrenic creature also gains bonus power points equal to one-half their character level (round down). If a creature who gains this feature does not have a power point reserve, this ability gives it one.

Manifesting: At 2nd and 3rd level, a phrenic creature gains new powers, power points, and increases her manifester level as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class (such as a psion) she belonged to before she added the racial class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the appropriate levels of phrenic to the level of whatever other manifesting class the character has, then determines powers known, power points, and her manifester level accordingly.

If a character had more than one manifesting class before she became a phrenic creature, she must decide to which class she adds each level of phrenic.

Inborn Psionics: A phrenic creature has a small pool of psionic charges they may tap into daily. A phrenic creature has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate one of the following psi-like abilities (Manifester level equals the phrenic creature's character level):

{table=head]Character Level | Psi-Like Abilities
1-3 | defensive precognition, sustenance
4-6 | escape detection
7-9 | ubiquitous vision
10-12 | mind probe
13-15 | steadfast perception
16-18 | immovability
19+ | fate of one[/table]

Should the phrenic creature already have Inborn Psionics as a racial feature (but not Natural Magic, Natural Talent, or a similar racial feature), they instead conjoin the two features, using one pool of charges to power both abilities. In essence, the creature adds the new psi-like abilities gained from this class to the psi-like abilities gained by race.

Bonus Psionic Feat: At 2nd level, a phrenic creature gains a bonus feat. This feat must be a psionic feat, and the phrenic creature must meet all prerequisites.

Power Resistance (Ex): At 3rd level, a phrenic creature gains Power Resistance equal to 10 + her Hit Dice.

Improved Meditant (Su): At 3rd level, the phrenic creature's Meditant ability improves. When psionically focused, the phrenic creature receives a +2 racial bonus to two ability scores. These must be two different ability scores.

[MammonAzrael]

Shouldn't the Prereq be Any corporeal, non-Psionic, non-Construct, non-Undead?
The HD, Skills, BAB, Saves, Proficiencies, and Prowess look good.
Meditant is very nice. I take it they choose the attribute to boost when they gain psionic focus? Or do they choose one attribute when they gain the ability, and that is the attribute that is always increased?
Psionic looks fine. I like that it scales, so it's doesn't feel pointless at higher levels.
Inborn Psionics looks fine. I don't have huge experiance with psionics, so no comment on the actual abilities. I'll check them out on the SRD in a bit.
Why the bonus feat? Your other class/templates don't get that much at 2nd level.
Power Resistance is nice, and a good incentive to take the class to the third level. Will you be having spell/psionic transparency? (And I can't remember, can you volentarily turn it off, to be affected by buffs, or is it always on?)
Improved Meditant is good, and another good reason to take third level.


Over all, a terrific translation of the template. Well done.

[Fax Celestis]

Shouldn't the Prereq be Any corporeal, non-Psionic, non-Construct, non-Undead?Actually, no. While most learn psionics, this represents a strong natural inclination.

Meditant is very nice. I take it they choose the attribute to boost when they gain psionic focus? Or do they choose one attribute when they gain the ability, and that is the attribute that is always increased?The former is correct.

Why the bonus feat? Your other class/templates don't get that much at 2nd level.Because they get better saves, AB, and HD. Also, this is a 3 level racial class, not a 2, so it works out more cleanly.

Will you be having spell/psionic transparency? (And I can't remember, can you volentarily turn it off, to be affected by buffs, or is it always on?)Yes, and yes, but shutting it down is not instant: it lasts for a round.

[MammonAzrael]

Actually, no. While most learn psionics, this represents a strong natural inclination.
So then...why can't Outsiders take this? Especially since one could take this, then take, say, the Aasimar Template/Class and become an Outsider.

And just to make sure I wasn't misunderstood, I meant the Psionic subtype, not being a psionic user. The 3.5 Phrenic template only limited it to creatures without the psionic subtype, so why is this more restrictive? :smallconfused:

[Fax Celestis]

So then...why can't Outsiders take this? Especially since one could take this, then take, say, the Aasimar Template/Class and become an Outsider.

And just to make sure I wasn't misunderstood, I meant the Psionic subtype, not being a psionic user. The 3.5 Phrenic template only limited it to creatures without the psionic subtype, so why is this more restrictive? :smallconfused:

Since it represents an ancestry, something constructs and undead (and arguably, most outsiders) don't have, it's not open to them. I'll open it up to Outsiders for now, though.

[Draz74]

The former is correct.
Yikes!


Yes, and yes, but shutting it down is not instant: it lasts for a round.
Depending on party composition, this could be reason enough for me to avoid the third level like the plague. Which is fine, I guess. Since nobody's forced to take the third level, abilities with drawbacks are fair game.

My only other comment is that it would actually be better to take this class for a non-psionic creature than for a psionic creature, in order to end up with two Natural Talent/Magic/whatever pools instead of just one. More racial special ability uses per day.

Phrenic is fun. Always has been. :smallamused:

[Cute_Riolu]

Since it represents an ancestry, something constructs and undead (and arguably, most outsiders) don't have, it's not open to them. I'll open it up to Outsiders for now, though.

So, then, it could apply to a lich, vampire, etc.?

[Lappy9000]

So, then, it could apply to a lich, vampire, etc.?

Prerequisites:
Type: Any corporeal non-Construct, non-Undead. Apparently not.

[MammonAzrael]

Apparently not.

Of course, that begs the question of what happens when you no longer meet the prerequisites? What happens if you take all three levels, then two levels in the Aasimar template/class, and then become a lich just for good measure?

[Flickerdart]

Of course, that begs the question of what happens when you no longer meet the prerequisites? What happens if you take all three levels, then two levels in the Aasimar template/class, and then become a lich just for good measure?
You create a Rules Pterodox which eats you.

[Limos]

Of course, that begs the question of what happens when you no longer meet the prerequisites? What happens if you take all three levels, then two levels in the Aasimar template/class, and then become a lich just for good measure?

An Inevitable appears and crams you into your own rectum.

[Lappy9000]

An Inevitable appears and crams you into your own rectum.Proctolyrut?

[sidhe3141]

Of course, that begs the question of what happens when you no longer meet the prerequisites? What happens if you take all three levels, then two levels in the Aasimar template/class, and then become a lich just for good measure?

Well, I'd guess that, since there's no such thing as an ex-phrenic and it's entirely possible to have a psionic lich (correct me if I'm wrong), nothing happens.