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Ozymandias9
2009-10-15, 12:13 AM
I've got a table that wants a strictly psionic campaign starting in a couple of weeks. I'm planning on using the 3.0 Psionic Handbook as opposed to 3.5 XPH/Complete Psionic: while the later is clearly better balanced for putting its classes in competition with T1 and T2 classes, I think that the 3.0 version creates a better and more diverse option for a self complete system. In this case, psionic combat is non-negotiable and the players seem to see the MAD manifesting requirements (personally, my biggest problem with the 3.0 version) as desirable.

Though I've played in games that simply substituted psionics for magic wholesale, the closest I've come to running a campaign like this for more than a brief oneshot is removing magic/psionic transparency, so I'm shopping for advise.

Flavor and Fluff
I've posted a thread over in the RPG forum dealing with ideas for fluff and flavor for this campaign: your ideas on that front are also most welcome.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7125640#post7125640


Some specific things that I'm wondering about:

Psionic Combat
One issue is what to do with psionic combat modes for monks, fighters, and rogues. I'm wavering between providing them some progression and power points (possibly limited to defense modes) or just sticking with the non-psionic buffer. I would imagine that the later would end up essentially leaving out characters if it becomes an important aspect of the game. On the other hand, unless I give them decent power point progression, they will end up more vulnerable if they run out (which is a reasonable expectation if psionic combat is important.

One option I'm considering is making the defense modes not cost power points, and giving them to the nonpsionic characters at the progression below, perhaps excluding Tower of Iron Will and possibly Intellect Fortress (not in general, but merely from this source). Would you feel it particularly needed to similarly alter the Psionic combat progression for Psions and Psi Warriors (though with more generous progression) if this was used.

I'm also wondering whether or not Id Insinuation's Mental Hardness bypass should be removed, and limiting if Intellect Fortress and Tower of Iron Will to manifesting classes would require reigning in relatively high damage on Psychic Crush.

Possible Psionic Defense Progression for Non-Manifesting Classes
{table=head]Total of Non-Manifesting Class Levels|Known Defense Modes

1-6|1

7-12|2

13-20|3
[/table]

Bards, Rangers, and Paladins
Primary spell-casters in core are right out-- its kinda the point of the campaign. But secondary spell-casters I'm not so sure on. 3.0 Bard's a fairly easy port: just replace the bonus feats for 3.0 psychic warrior with bardic music progression and alter the powers list. Paladin and Ranger are more problematic. What I'm looking at right now is in the spoiler below.

One thing that screams out is that if I don't at least make defense modes free, Paladins and Rangers will suddenly become very vulnerable to psionic combat at level 6. As such, the table currently assumes that the variant above is being used for psionic combat: if someone sees a better system for that, this will need to be adapted. As current, I'm planning on having the ranger/paladin levels stack as non-manifesting class levels for the purpose of the variant to defense modes presented.

Since they do have the ability to manifest at later levels, I've given them attack modes as well, though it would seem reasonable to let them spend those on additional defense modes if they so choose.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts. Also if anyone knows of a reasonably polished psionic ranger and/or paladin, 3.0 or 3.5, the location would be most welcome, as would suggestions on the powers list and what number of 0 level talents (if any) would be appropriate for free manifestation.

Possible Ranger and Paladin Psionic Progression
{table=head]Paladin or Ranger Level|Psionic Attack Modes Known|Psionic Defense Modes Known|Power Points per Day|0th Powers Known|1st Powers Known|2nd Powers Known|3rd Powers Known|4th Powers Known|Paladin Abilities|Ranger Abilities

1|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|Detect Evil, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Divine Health|Track, Favored Enemy 1

2|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|Aura of Courage, Smite Evil|-

3|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|Remove Disease, Turn Undead|-

4|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

5|-|1|-|-|-|-|-|-|Special Mount|Favored Enemy 2

6|-|1|2|2|-|-|-|-|Remove Disease 2/week|-

7|-|2|3|2|-|-|-|-|-|-

8|1|2|4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-

9|1|2|5|3|1|-|-|-|Remove Disease 3/week|-

10|1|2|8|3|2|-|-|-|-|Favored Enemy 3

11|1|2|10|3|2|1|-|-|-|-

12|2|2|16|3|3|1|-|-|Remove Disease 4/week|-

13|2|3|21|3|3|2|-|-|-|-

14|2|3|26|3|3|2|1|-|-|-

15|2|3|33|3|3|3|1|-|Remove Disease 5/week|Favored Enemy 4

16|2|3|40|3|3|3|2|-|-|-

17|3|3|47|3|3|3|2|1|-|-

18|3|3|56|3|3|3|3|1|Remove Disease 6/week|-

19|3|3|65|3|3|3|3|2|-|-

20|3|3|74|3|3|3|3|3|-|Favored Enemy 5
[/table]

If anyone sees an issue of simply modifying psychic warrior to fit bard, that insight would be useful as well. Should they have different free talent manifestation? Should a feat or two be left over after bardic music/knowledge is substituted for the bonus feats? Should the bard get lesser progression on Psychic Combat Modes in exchange for the better saves? Does anything need to be nerfed to justify the Bard's better skill progression when competing with the Psi Warrior? etc.

Ozymandias9
2009-10-18, 07:31 PM
bump for feedback