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View Full Version : give manifester levels or powers known to my psicrystals?



alisbin
2010-03-17, 11:42 AM
hey mates,
i'm trying to get a few extra low level powers for my psion and i was wondering if there is a way for my psicrystal to learn powers that i don't use often but occasionally need (scrying powers, basically all the long casting time/situational powers) so i can use it as a sort of a super powerstone? my original idea was wild talent and expanded knowledge, but EK requires manifester level 3...
anything i can do?

Thalnawr
2010-03-17, 11:44 AM
Maybe Hidden Talent if the GM allows?

Edit:Although since I'm AFB and I can't find it on the SRD, I'm not sure if that gives out a manifester level.

NEO|Phyte
2010-03-17, 11:49 AM
There's actually a feat for this, but it's Epic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/feats.htm#psicrystalPower). It should be noted that the epic psicrystal progression gets the feat for free every 10 levels starting at 21st.

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 11:49 AM
You can give it Hidden Talent for One (1) power. Of course, you can do so indirectly if you give it Leadership and then psionic followers.

You could use metamorphosis to turn it into something affected by [Mind-Affecting] effects, then have another psionic character use true mind switch to swap bodies, then allow metamorphosis to run out. The character-in-the-psicrystal keeps the psicrystal granted abilities and other racial effects (such as hardness), but can have whatever class you like (including levels in psion/ardent/etc).

LichPrinceAlim
2010-03-17, 11:51 AM
You can give it Hidden Talent for One (1) power. Of course, you can do so indirectly if you give it Leadership and then psionic followers.

You could use metamorphosis to turn it into something affected by [Mind-Affecting] effects, then have another psionic character use true mind switch to swap bodies, then allow metamorphosis to run out. The character-in-the-psicrystal keeps the psicrystal granted abilities and other racial effects (such as hardness), but can have whatever class you like (including levels in psion/ardent/etc).

I like this, but with one side-note:

Make sure the psychic you put in there has powers you cannot have (ie: If you're a nomad, put a kinetic in there)

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 11:53 AM
I like this, but with one side-note:

Make sure the psychic you put in there has powers you cannot have (ie: If you're a nomad, put a kinetic in there)Alternately, metamorphosis, then mind seed. I'm pretty sure the psicrystal is still affected even when it reverts, since spells and powers only check for their target's viability when the effect first comes into play.

Just make sure you use psychic reformation properly so that it doesn't use your powers known.

alisbin
2010-03-17, 11:55 AM
yeah i know about the epic feat and the metamorphosis trick had occured to me for way later. alas, we're only 5th level right now, and our DM is a bit stingy with the XP so i doubt i'll ever see higher then 10th level with this build. are tehre any low level ways to do this?

Thalnawr
2010-03-17, 11:58 AM
Alternately, metamorphosis, then mind seed. I'm pretty sure the psicrystal is still affected even when it reverts, since spells and powers only check for their target's viability when the effect first comes into play.

Just make sure you use psychic reformation properly so that it doesn't use your powers known.
Y'know, except for the thing about how a psicrystal is a shard of your own personality, this is a pretty neat trick. The problem is that Mind Seed specifically states that your target eventually diverges in personality from you. Some GMs might interpret that to mean it's no longer your psicrystal at that point, and might require you to take Leadership to keep it.

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 11:58 AM
yeah i know about the epic feat and the metamorphosis trick had occured to me for way later. alas, we're only 5th level right now, and our DM is a bit stingy with the XP so i doubt i'll ever see higher then 10th level with this build. are tehre any low level ways to do this?Kill things until you're higher level?

Really, your best bet is to take Leadership, then use your followers. It's available at level 6.

If you're just wanting your psicrystal to manifest powers, take ranks in UMD, use your psicrystal's feats to pump its UMD, then give it dorjes.

Vizzerdrix
2010-03-17, 11:59 AM
Umm... Hidden Talent+the trick that gives your crystal a crystal? Repeat untill you get a bag of gems.

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 12:00 PM
Umm... Hidden Talent+the trick that gives your crystal a crystal? Repeat untill you get a bag of gems.Doesn't work, since it's not an 'actual manifester level'.

alisbin
2010-03-17, 12:01 PM
i'm going thrallherd at 6 so the leadership style thing is already a go, i'm just seeing if i can get that many more powers available.
i don't want the crystal to actually do any manifesting, i just want it to enhance my ability to manifest (via more powers or more power points)

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 12:03 PM
i'm going thrallherd at 6 so the leadership style thing is already a go, i'm just seeing if i can get that many more powers available.
i don't want the crystal to actually do any manifesting, i just want it to enhance my ability to manifest (via more powers or more power points)Metamorphosis, then psychic chirurgery, then psychic reformation.

Of course, that's higher level.

You could always buy power stones and risk brain burn trying to activate them. You should be able to afford a 7th or 8th (or even 9th) level power stone fairly early on, barring exorbitant XP costs.

Thalnawr
2010-03-17, 12:05 PM
i'm going thrallherd at 6 so the leadership style thing is already a go, i'm just seeing if i can get that many more powers available.
i don't want the crystal to actually do any manifesting, i just want it to enhance my ability to manifest (via more powers or more power points)
Try to get a psionic thrall, and manifest powers from their powers known?

Edit:Of course, that's not storing powers in your psicrystal for your own use, but it's on the same track.

alisbin
2010-03-17, 12:09 PM
already done, psionics are really rare so no go on powerstones, and i've got a psionic thrall coming but there are always more powers that would be nice to have. i'm seeing about only attracting psionic believers which would eventually get me access to pretty much all the 1st-3rd level powers, but again thats not going to be really handy till later. i guess i'll have to stick with the powers i've got.

Lycanthromancer
2010-03-17, 12:14 PM
Psionic contingency + psychic reformation would let you rechoose your powers whenever you liked, though you'd have to A.) figure out how much XP you really want to spend on that, and B.) convince your DM that the text of psionic contingency allows more than one contingency at a time (and it technically does, though it's slightly ambiguous).

Optimystik
2010-03-17, 12:19 PM
Y'know, except for the thing about how a psicrystal is a shard of your own personality, this is a pretty neat trick. The problem is that Mind Seed specifically states that your target eventually diverges in personality from you. Some GMs might interpret that to mean it's no longer your psicrystal at that point, and might require you to take Leadership to keep it.

Thats not a problem unless your DM is extremely narrow-minded. The psicrystal description states that it only has a small part of your personality, heavily slanted to its own worldview. In other words, it already diverges from you even before Mind Seed.

Thalnawr
2010-03-17, 12:36 PM
Thats not a problem unless your DM is extremely narrow-minded. The psicrystal description states that it only has a small part of your personality, heavily slanted to its own worldview. In other words, it already diverges from you even before Mind Seed.
Perhaps, but Mind Seed also says the subject is not your slave or servant, but an NPC in it's own right. It may be 8 levels lower than you, but you've just given it power to think and more importantly act on its own.