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TabletopNuke
2009-12-02, 08:08 PM
This is a prestige class for the mindscourge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7318333#post7318333), my psionic variant of the warlock class. It's adapted from the hellfire warlock class, so I think it's pretty balanced. But if anyone has any ideas for replacing the energy resistance feature (I'm not sure how well it fits the flavor), I'm all ears. Other than that, all the class really needs is a once-over from anyone interested (mostly the class requirements).

Edit 01/13: I replaced the energy resistance with the more thematically appropriate "psychic acceleration" ability.

Ultrascourge

The psychic ability of a mindscourge is vastly different from most that of most manifesters. A mindscourge has a virtually inexhaustible well of psychic power, but lacks the control to focus it as well as a psion or wilder. This means that a mindscourge cannot create as concentrated destructive effects as other psychics.

Most mindscourges are untroubled by this fact, quite comfortable with the knowledge that their mental power supply can outlast virtually any threat. However, a few of these enigmatic mentalists have learned to increase their destructive capability with brief surges of psychic power, augmenting their seemingly bottomless pool of energy by consuming their own life force. These are the ultrascourges.

Hit Dice: D6

Requirements:
Skills: Concentration 6 Ranks, Knowledge (Psionics) 12 Ranks, Psicraft 6 Ranks
Feats: Empower Psi-like Ability (Psychokinetic Lash)
Mindscourge Anomalies: Must know at least one lash composition anomaly of lesser level or higher

Class Skills:
Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Psionics) (Int), Psicraft (Int), Tumble (Dex), Use Psionic Device (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Ultrascourge
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Anomaly Manifesting

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Ultrasurge lash +2d6|
+1 level of existing anomaly manifesting class

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Distort psionics, psychic acceleration, ultrasurge lash +4d6|
+1 level of existing anomaly manifesting class

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Ultrasurge backlash, ultrasurge lash +6d6|
+1 level of existing anomaly manifesting class[/table]


Class Features:
Anomaly Manifesting: At each level, an ultrascourge gain new anomalies known, increased damage with her psychokinetic lash, and an increase in manifester level as if she had also gained a level in the mindscourge class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Ultrasurge Lash (Sp): Whenever an ultrascourge uses her psychokinetic lash ability, she can change it into an ultrasurge lash. An ultrasurge lash deals the normal psychokinetic lash damage, plus and extra 2d6 points of damage per class level. If the lash hits multiple targets (for example, the leaping lash or psychokinetic wave anomalies), each target takes the extra damage. This damage is the same type as the rest of the psychokinetic lash damage.

Each time an ultracourge uses this ability, she takes 1 point of Constitution damage. The immense power of an ultrasurge lash is fueled by the manifester’s own life force. An ultrascourge cannot use this ability if she has no Constitution score or is immune to constitution damage.

Psychic Acceleration (Su): At 2nd level, an ultrascourge learns to use her psychic power to trigger short bursts of astounding speed. She can act as if hasted for 5 rounds a day. This ability stacks with the psychic acceleration gained from mindscourge class levels.

Distort Psionics (Su): Starting at 2nd level, an ultrascourge can manipulate the effects of psionic items. Whenever she uses a charged psionic item (such as a dorje), or a psionic item with it’s own power point supply (such as a psicrown), she can apply one of the following metapsionic effects to her next use of the item: empower, enlarge, widen, or split ray. These effects work just like the metapsionc feats of the same name. Using distort psionics is a swift action. An ultrascourge can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier (minimum one).

Ultrasurge Backlash (Sp): At 3rd level, an ultrascourge develops the ability to reactively muster a torrent of devastating psychic power in response to an attack. Whenever someone directs a melee attack against the ultrascourge, she can, as an immediate action, aim a burst of psychic energy at that creature. This blast deals damage equal to her psychokinetic lash (including bonus damage from her ultrasurge lash ability). This attack automatically strikes the target, which can attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage (DC 10 + ½ the ultrascourge’s character level + her Cha modifier).

Each time an ultrascourge uses this ability, she takes 1 point of Constitution damage. The immense power of a ultrasurge backlash is fueled by the manifester’s own life force. An ultrascourge cannot use this ability if she has no Constitution score or is immune to constitution damage.

ErrantX
2009-12-06, 02:54 PM
Okay... Energy resistance needs to go. Otherwise, it really is just a refluffed Hellfire Warlock. Secondly, I'd actually consider basing the ultralash off of your Wisdom score; by bringing that much destructive psychic energy to bear, you're destabilizing your own psyche. It's still similar, but at least it is a little different.

Perhaps change it so that the hostile psychic energies within the ultrascourge cause him to generate a constant catapsi (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/catapsi.htm) effect? He can willingly bring it down or up, but he can consistently do this as he just radiates disturbing psychic energies.

Just a thought.
-X

TabletopNuke
2009-12-06, 05:18 PM
Okay... Energy resistance needs to go. Otherwise, it really is just a refluffed Hellfire Warlock. Secondly, I'd actually consider basing the ultralash off of your Wisdom score; by bringing that much destructive psychic energy to bear, you're destabilizing your own psyche. It's still similar, but at least it is a little different.

Perhaps change it so that the hostile psychic energies within the ultrascourge cause him to generate a constant catapsi (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/catapsi.htm) effect? He can willingly bring it down or up, but he can consistently do this as he just radiates disturbing psychic energies.

Just a thought.
-X

Using Wisdom might be unbalancing, and the fluff is that the ultrascourge burns up their own life energy to fuel the ultralash.

Your suggestion does give me an idea, though. What if I made another mindscourge prestige class related to my madness feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129960)? Maybe the class would grant a bonus madness feat every couple levels, and the character could use their madness score instead of Charisma to determine anomaly save DCs (if it was higher, or course).

I just compared Energy Adaptation to Catapsi. Catapsi is too powerful to replace energy resistance if it functions at will. What if it was an bonus anomaly? Then it would only usable when psionically focused.

Oh, or what if the 2nd level class feature was a bonus anomaly of the current highest level?

Thanks for the help, by the way. I really appreciate it.

Off-topic: Every time I see at your icon, I have to stare at it an extra second to be sure it's not Vash the Stampede.

DaTedinator
2010-01-08, 04:16 PM
I think you could really up the psionic flavor here; like ErrantX said, as it is, it's just a refluffed Hellfire Warlock.

You should try to give it more flavor. It's got psionics; let it do something the normal Warlock can't. Distort Psionics is a good example; instead of limiting uses per day, or instead of requiring a swift action, make it that the Ultrascourge has to expend his psionic focus. Alternatively, you could do something similar with Ultrasurge; let it deal Wisdom damage (which is less hindering than Constitution damage), but he has to expend psionic focus.

You could also make expending the focus a bigger deal by replacing the energy resistance with some sort of benefit as long as the Ultrascourge maintains psionic focus, like adding his Wisdom or Charisma bonus to AC (maybe just touch, like Wilder, maybe not). Or do they already need psionic focus to use their powers?

TabletopNuke
2010-01-09, 01:08 AM
I think you could really up the psionic flavor here; like ErrantX said, as it is, it's just a refluffed Hellfire Warlock.

You should try to give it more flavor. It's got psionics; let it do something the normal Warlock can't. Distort Psionics is a good example; instead of limiting uses per day, or instead of requiring a swift action, make it that the Ultrascourge has to expend his psionic focus. Alternatively, you could do something similar with Ultrasurge; let it deal Wisdom damage (which is less hindering than Constitution damage), but he has to expend psionic focus.

You could also make expending the focus a bigger deal by replacing the energy resistance with some sort of benefit as long as the Ultrascourge maintains psionic focus, like adding his Wisdom or Charisma bonus to AC (maybe just touch, like Wilder, maybe not). Or do they already need psionic focus to use their powers?

I do want to keep the Constitution loss. It really fits the concept I had in mind, a wildly out of control psychic who achieves even greater power by draining the life out of their own body. Also, relying on any more ability scores would be devastating to the warlock, and by extension, the mindscourge.

I'm not entirely sure I even want to go with Distort Psionics. While mindscourges do have the same magic item abilities as warlocks, it's not as much a part of their fluff. But at the same time, psionic focus isn't a huge part of their fluff, either. Mindscourges anomalies are more like a monster's psi-like abilities, after all.

I do have some ideas for replacement, though. I've posted a possible substitute for the warlock's damage reduction, a deflection bonus to AC of the same amount. If that seems too powerful, I could rule that it only functions when psionically focused. 2nd level of ultrascourge could increase the AC bonus by 1.

Or, distort psionics could be replaced by the Mind over Body feat, which works very, very well with the ultrasurge lash.

I'm working on an energy resistance replacement for the mindscourge, and I'll add it to the ultrascourge as well. My current idea is to replace it with the ability to act hasted for 5 rounds/day. How does that sound?