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EdroGrimshell
2009-06-20, 11:33 AM
This is my first psionic race, so, try to be gentle. I only recently got into psionics after starting a psionic eberron campaign.

Tsora
A tsora is a very rare race, consisting of the remnants of a psicrystal that has survived its master’s death, ectoplasm, and a tsoreva quori spirit. This crystal’s mind remains in a stasis like state, thriving on the realm of dreams some of these psicrystals successfully bind themselves to a tsoreva quori, its mind bonds with the quori and its physical form draws ectoplasm to itself solidifying into a humanoid creature.
Personality: A tsora’s personality is a cross between the psicrystal’s original personality and that of the tsoreva quori it has bonded with. This makes them diverse, although some personalities are more readily able to become a tsora than others. The most common being the hero, resolved, and single-minded personalities, as well as most that have multiple personality shards.
Physical Description: A tsora resembles a partially crystallized humanoid with arms similar to those of a tsoreva quori. A tsora’s body is either light brown or red in color. A tsora’s eyes glow a deep sapphire blue. A tsora’s body is constructed from a liquid metal crystal mixed with ectoplasm, making it more resilient than normal creatures.
Relations: A tsora is a rare creature, few know of their existence, and those that meet them have different views on them based on their alignment and personality. Good aligned tsora can get along well with any race, although evil ones are loners.
Alignment: A tsora’s alignment varies based on what its former master’s alignment was, although bonding with a quori has made them more likely to be lawful than chaotic.
Languages: A tsora automatically knows both common and quori, many remember the languages their master had in life.

Tsora Racial Traits
*+2 Con, -2 Cha: A tsora’s crystalline nature makes it more sturdy than normal but their fragmented personality makes them less sociable.
*Medium
*Construct (Living Construct, Psionic)
*A tsora can imbed psionic warforged components in the same way as a normal warforged.
*Naturally Psionic: A tsora gains two power points at 1st level.
*Astral Shaping (Su): A tsora may spend one power point to gain a single menu A choice available to an astral construct. You gain all the normal benefits of the chosen ability for one minute. A tsora that takes the buff ability gains 5 temporary hit points. A tsora cannot take the flight ability.
*A tsora cannot obtain a psicrystal in any way. It qualifies as a psicrystal (and is treated as having Psicrystal Affinity) for all purposes. It does not, however, gain any of the benefits of a normal psicrystal. Although class features that modify a psicrystal (such as a metamind’s cognizant psicrystal feature) apply normally.
*A tsora gains Body Fuel as a bonus feat at 1st level even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
*Automatic Languages: Common and Quori. Bonus Languages: Any
*Favored Class: Psion or Soulknife. A tsora must choose which one is his favored class at 1st level, once chosen it cannot be changed.

Racial Feats

Tsoreva Mind Blades [Racial, Psionic]
You access the power of your tsoreva quori spirit to manifest its mind blades and its ability to wield them effectively.
Prerequisites: Tsora
Benefits: You can transform your hands into blades of psionic energy that deal damage as short swords. A tsora is automatically proficient with these blades and can fight with both and is treated as having Two Weapon Fighting for these mind blades only. While these blades are active, you cannot use your hands for any other purpose.
Special: A tsora with this feat can enchant these blades as if they were normal weapons. They also gain any enhancements granted to a normal mind blade granted from levels as a soulknife.

Natural Cognizance [Racial, Psionic]
Your crystalline nature allows you to store your power for later use.
Prerequisites: Tsora
Benefits: You can store a number of power points in your body equal to 1 + half your character level.
Special: A tsora that gains cognizance from another source (such as a metamind’s cognizant psicrystal class feature) adds the amount gained from that other source to the amount he can store from its Natural Cognizance.

Psicrystal Bond [Racial]
You have learned how to take the frayed connection from your previous master and apply it to another creature to act as a temporary “master”.
Prerequisites: Tsora
Benefits: You can designate a single willing creature within 30ft of you to bond your essence to. While bound to that creature, you and the designated can transfer power points between each other and have access to one of each others powers (chosen upon establishing the link).

Crystal Shards [Racial, Psionic]
You have learned to shape ectoplasm into crystalline shards usable as thrown weapons.
Prerequisites: Tsora
Benefits: You can create a shard of razor sharp crystal that can be thrown as a weapon. This shard deals 1d6 points of bludgeon, piercing, or slashing damage (chosen when thrown), scores a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20, deals double damage on a critical hit, and has a range increment of 50ft. A tsora can create one shard for each attack he would get in a round. These crystals disperse shortly after striking an object.

Deep Crystal Shards [Racial, Psionic]
You can charge your crystal shards as if they were deep crystal.
Prerequisites: Tsora, Crystal Shards
Benefits: You can spend power points to charge your crystal shards as if they were made of deep crystal.


Tsora Paragon
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Manifesting

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Master's Knowledge|+1 Psion Level

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Improved Astral Shaping|---

3rd|
+2|
+0|
+0|
+3|Ability Boost (+2 Int)|+1 Psion Level[/table]

Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (All; Each skill taken separately) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex). 4 + Int mod (x4 at 1st level)

Wpn/Arm Prof: A tsora is proficient with all simple weapons and with light armor, but not with shields.
Masters Knowledge: At 1st and 3rd level, a tsora paragon gains new powers known, power points per day, manifester level, and maximum power level as if he had gained a level in psion. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. A tsora paragon without levels in psion gains powers known and power points per day as a 1st level psion at 1st level and a 2nd level psion at 3rd level. If he later gains levels of psion, he adds those levels to his psion level.
Improved Astral Shaping: Beginning at 2nd level, a tsora paragon can select one choice offered by his astral shaping, he gains the benefits of that choice for 24 hours. If he chooses the buff ability, his total hit points increase by five for 24 hours. Additionally, he gains access to the flight ability, although he cannot select it as a 24-hour choice.
Ability Boost: A tsora paragon’s intelligence score permanently increases by two.


Racial Substitution Levels

To be Posted Later

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-21, 04:59 PM
BUMP

Please critique

Iferus
2009-06-22, 03:22 AM
For one, Psicrystal Bond shouldn't allow you to share mindblades. That would be equal to cloning a high level magic item.

paddyfool
2009-06-22, 04:14 AM
I like the fluff - it's a very nice concept.

The crunch, however, seems a bit overpowered - two power points, a bonus psionic power of the player's choice, and +2 int for no level adjustment makes this something of an uber-psion. Maybe give it +2 Con instead of Int (Con bonus applies well to being crystalline, imho, and would fit better with the Soulknife option too).

Also, Master's Knowledge should probably specify that it grants a level 1 power, and possibly specify a class spell list too (since Psion/Wilder get different level 1 options to Psychic Warriors).

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-22, 02:46 PM
Thank you for the replies.

fixed, fixed, and fixed.

Anything else of concern about this race

I have posted this on gleemax as well, they have given me some info as well. actually here's the post that gave me all of the info


to be honest, after reading the fluff part of the Tsora, I expected much more from the race than it provided. A combination of a psicrystal and a quori spirit should be something more than I just read.

The mechanics of the race are boring and just imitate or mimic the abilities and traits the other creatures have. The race is powerful (maybe even too much) and boring.

+2 Int, -2 Cha is a really good trade for a psion. Who needs charisma anyways? I'd drop the Int bonus as the race already has powerful powers.

Ability to use warforged components is a great idea. I like it!

Master's knowledge. You don't explicitly say that it has to be 1st level power. Is it the purpose? And Tsora can't manifest the power it has chosen on 1st level unless it took a psionic level first. Is that the purpose? Manifester level should be 1 at minimum. Also a freely chosen power is powerful for others, but for a psion it's just an extra power. Maybe the most boring ability. Give it an unique way to use power points. Take for example Elan, which has 3 different ways to use power points besides actually manifesting powers.

This race needs something. Something non-psionic and related to its history. It also needs more flavorful and unique abilities no other races have. Not every race is a psicrystal with a quori spirit... :D

EDIT
Git an idea: give the creature ability to manipulate its form. It's made of ectoplasm anyways. Take ideas for example from astral construct.

paddyfool
2009-06-22, 05:12 PM
Glad you liked the edits!



*+2 Con, -2 Cha: A tsora’s psionic nature makes it more intelligent than normal but their fragmented personality makes them less sociable.


You should probably change the description here to fit with the new stats.

Also, in line with the previous criticism from Gleemax: How about also having a +1 LA version of this race with more funky abilities and that Int bonus besides? That way, players have a choice between the necessarily simple LA 0 and something more involved. Up to you.

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-24, 09:25 AM
Replaced Master's Knowledge with Astral Shaping

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-06-24, 09:40 AM
Replaced Master's Knowledge with Astral Shaping

Which is an excellent choice, in my mind. Flavorful and pretty awesome.

However, the balance is slightly awkward in several situations. 1pp for Fly for 1 minute? Yes please. I'd limit the effect to, say 2, 3, or 5 rounds. Maybe 2, with a feat increasing it to 5?

Then maybe a 9th level feat allowing abilities from the B selection for a cost of 2 or 3pp, and then a 15th level feat allowing abilities from the C list (for 3 or 5pp).

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-24, 10:02 AM
Which is an excellent choice, in my mind. Flavorful and pretty awesome.

However, the balance is slightly awkward in several situations. 1pp for Fly for 1 minute? Yes please. I'd limit the effect to, say 2, 3, or 5 rounds. Maybe 2, with a feat increasing it to 5?

Then maybe a 9th level feat allowing abilities from the B selection for a cost of 2 or 3pp, and then a 15th level feat allowing abilities from the C list (for 3 or 5pp).

*hits head* that's what i forgot, to take out the flying

paddyfool
2009-06-24, 04:13 PM
Very nice.

If you're looking to flesh out this race further, a few things you could do would be:

- Stat out and describe one or two examples of tsora adventurers.
- Write a racial paragon class up for this, or some other racially-specific prestige class.
- Write up a lore post describing the life story of a tsora, what survives of the history of the first tsora, a story of an encounter with a tsora or from a tsora's perspective, or some other lore post that takes your fancy.

However, as a playable race, this seems fine as-is.

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-24, 09:28 PM
Added the tsora paragon and two new feats

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-27, 09:48 PM
Anything on the stuff i added

paddyfool
2009-06-28, 04:43 AM
Well, you might want to use a table to describe the racial paragon (code for a three-level table is in the spoiler)

NAME OF CLASS
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Manifesting

1st|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

2nd|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

3rd|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability[/table]


The "levels as wilder" was an interesting departure from the usual... not quite sure how that would play out in a game. Why Wilder, and not "Psion who acts as own psicrystal"? Is it that a wilder doesn't need training?

These things are tricky to balance, on the whole, but you might get some ideas from a prior attempt at building racial paragon classes for the mainstream psionic races here: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=115446

On the new feats... I'm really not sure. Why spend a feat when you can just buy a crossbow for pretty much the same effect?

EdroGrimshell
2009-06-28, 10:12 AM
thanks for the table, i've never been able to get it. And wilder was actually a suggestion on another forum.

EdroGrimshell
2009-07-03, 11:57 AM
BUMP

Any ideas on balance or any abilities i should add/take away.