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Optimystik
2009-12-22, 10:02 AM
So, I was reading Tome of Magic again (thanks to the "Binder" thread) and I noticed a very interesting line in the Anima Mage "Adaptation" section.



Adaptation

"Anima mages needn't exploit vestiges to gain power - the vestiges could volunteer the added powers to an anima mage in recognition of his spellcasting ability. You could also relax the prerequisites to open this prestige class to any spellcaster - or even a psionic character."

This definitely caught my eye, because the Anima Mage is one of the stronger Wizard PrCs out there. The highlights are:

Anima Mage Benefits
Full Casting
Full Binding
Extra highest-level spell slot (by giving up a vestige ability at the time of Binding)
+2 Initiative (untyped!)
Free metamagic (to activate, suppress a vestige's abilities for 5 rounds as a swift action, up to 3/day)
Once per day, cast any spell you know Quickened, Stilled and Silenced for free.

And the entry requirements:

Intimidate 4, Know (Planes) 4
Any nongood
Any metamagic
2nd level arcane spells
One 2nd-level vestige

Obviously, this laundry list is stronger for casters than for manifesters, but it's still huge. Done right, this could be even stronger than a Cerebremancer (particularly since binder levels are not as important as caster levels)... but they didn't bother elaborating on exactly how you would go about adapting it.

Thus, I turn to the Playground for assistance. How would you go about making this delicious class available to Psionics? And how would you deal with the following:

1) Which class fits it best - both from a flavor perspective, and a mechanical one? Psion, Erudite, Ardent, Lurk, Wilder, Psywar, or perhaps even the reviled Divine Mind?

2) How exactly would you change the entry requirements? Just the arcane casting and metamagic bit, or would you change/add anything else?

3) How would Vestige metamagic apply to metapsionics? Would using Vestige Metamagic or Vestige Casting expend your focus?

4) How would soul binding flavor mesh with manifesting in general? Are the vestiges real entities, or vagaries locked away within your own mind? Do they inhabit the Astral Plane, or the Far Realm? How would a psionic character go about binding them - etching symbols on the ground (with a crystal or otherwise,) forming the seals out of pure ectoplasm, or simply meditating?

5) How would the Exploit Vestige ability work using power points instead of spell slots? Would you gain knowledge of a new power by suppressing the vestige, a set number of power points, or a number that scales with your manifester level? Would another benefit fit better, like an ML bonus or free augmentation?

So Playground, what do you think?

ex cathedra
2009-12-22, 10:23 AM
1) Which class fits it best - both from a flavor perspective, and a mechanical one? Psion, Erudite, Ardent, Lurk, Wilder, Psywar, or perhaps even the reviled Divine Mind?
I think that a Psion or Ardent would work best, honestly.


2) How exactly would you change the entry requirements? Just the arcane casting and metamagic bit, or would you change/add anything else?82426
I would convert it as directly as possible; One meta-psionic feat, second level powers.


3) How would Vestige metamagic apply to metapsionics? Would using Vestige Metamagic or Vestige Casting expend your focus?
You would gain the effects of the meta-power without having to spend PP to augment it and without expending your psionic focus, I think.


4) How would soul binding flavor mesh with manifesting in general? Are the vestiges real entities, or vagaries locked away within your own mind? Do they inhabit the Astral Plane, or the Far Realm? How would a psionic character go about binding them - etching symbols on the ground (with a crystal or otherwise,) forming the seals out of pure ectoplasm, or simply meditating?
That's up to the player, but I think that you've got some nice ideas there.


5) How would the Exploit Vestige ability work using power points instead of spell slots? Would you gain knowledge of a new power by suppressing the vestige, a set number of power points, or a number that scales with your manifester level? Would another benefit fit better, like an ML bonus or free augmentation?

So Playground, what do you think?
You would gain a number of power points = 2(the highest level power you can manifest) - 1, which is effectively equal to a spell slot.

I never noticed that adaptation, and it's nice to have another prestige class for Psions. As of now, I've never used any but Anarchic Initiate, Mindbender, and Cerebremancer.

AshDesert
2009-12-22, 10:39 AM
You would gain a number of power points = 2(the highest level power you can manifest) - 1, which is effectively equal to a spell slot.

Actually, because of the way that pp costs on powers scale, you'd have to have 3-2 when you have 2nd level powers, 5-2 for third level, and so on. I have no idea how you would word that though, "You gain a number of power points equal to the highest level power you can manifest X 2 - 3"?

ex cathedra
2009-12-22, 10:44 AM
Actually, because of the way that pp costs on powers scale, you'd have to have 3-2 when you have 2nd level powers, 5-2 for third level, and so on. I have no idea how you would word that though, "You gain a number of power points equal to the highest level power you can manifest X 2 - 3"?

I'm not sure that I follow. I believe that I listed the correct method by which powers scale in cost; 2(Power Level) - 1 produces 1pp for first level powers, 3 for second, 5 for third, 7 for fourth, 9 for fifth, 11 for sixth, 13 for seventh, and so on. That happens to be how much powers of that level cost, so I don't see how I'm mistaken.

Optimystik
2009-12-22, 11:19 AM
Thanks 'nox, and so far I agree with all your suggestions. (Nice avatar too, btw)

Anyone else have a different approach? What vestiges would fit with a psionic class flavorfully and mechanically? Can anyone come up with a good build? Something like... Psion 7/Binder 3/Anima Psion 10 for 17th-level psionics and 13th-level soul binding, maybe?

If we could squeeze in one more Binder level, we'd get 3 vestiges. I'm not sure you'd need 3, in which case we could drop a Binder level (using Improved Bind Vestige to qualify for the PrC.) If we drop 2 Binder levels we lose 6th-level Vestiges; I'm not sure we need those either. Maybe someone can optimize this better than I can?

ex cathedra
2009-12-22, 11:21 AM
Ardent 6/Binder 4/Anima Mage 10 manifests as a 20th level Ardent, with Practiced Manifester, because of the Ardent's power selection mechanic.

AshDesert
2009-12-22, 12:04 PM
I'm not sure that I follow. I believe that I listed the correct method by which powers scale in cost; 2(Power Level) - 1 produces 1pp for first level powers, 3 for second, 5 for third, 7 for fourth, 9 for fifth, 11 for sixth, 13 for seventh, and so on. That happens to be how much powers of that level cost, so I don't see how I'm mistaken.

Ah, I see, I misread what you put I guess:smallredface:. That's much less bass-ackwards than what I said.