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View Full Version : The Remade Maelstrom Mind. Still Needs Criticism.



Angry Bob
2010-04-06, 12:12 PM
To recap: Maelstrom Minds leave their sanity behind for a host of strange abilities. I want to know what you believe the power levels of the class features are. If they're too powerful or not powerful enough, tell me. If they're fine the way they are, my ego needs padding anyway.

"Tell the pickle people to leave me alone. I don't want to play with them right now." - a Maelstrom Mind

Entry Requirements:
Skills: Concentration 8
Feats: Combat Manifestation
Alignment: True Neutral, Chaotic Neutral, or Chaotic Evil.
Manifesting: Ability to Manifest 3rd-level powers, including at least 2 telepathy powers.

Skills: Concentration, Intimidate, Knowledge(all), Psicraft, Sense Motive, Use Psionic Device
Skill points per level: 2 + Int

HD: d4

{table]Level | BaB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Manifesting
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Chaotic Insight (Level 2), Breakdown | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Insane Focus(Move Action) | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Chaotic Insight (Level 3), Fractured Psyche | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Telepathy, Maddening Whispers | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Chaotic Insight (Level 4) | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Insane Focus (Swift action), Maddening Whispers(Frightening Presence) | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Chaotic Insight (Level 5) | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Barbed Mind | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Chaotic Insight (Level 6) | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Blast Sanity | +1 to Existing Manifesting Class[/table]

Class Features:

Weapon Proficiencies: A Maelstrom Mind gains no proficiencies with weapons and armor.

Manifesting: Whenever a Maelstrom Mind gains a level, they also gain power points, powers know, and manifester level as though they had also gained a level of their existing manifesting class. They choose which to add to if they had more than one already.

Breakdown(Ex): On taking her first level, the Maelstrom Mind suffers a psychotic break. Thereafter, she takes a penalty to all wisdom-based skill checks (except sense motive) equal to half her class level, rounded up. Additionally, she no longer needs sleep, though she does need 8 hours of uninterrupted rest to regain her power points and select a new power for Chaotic Insight.
At 3rd level, she permanently loses 2 points from two mental ability scores of her choice and becomes immune to fear effects.
At 5th level, she begins splitting her already near-incomprehensible communication between her telepathy and normal speech, and takes a penalty equal to her class level on all cha-based skill checks except intimidate.
At 7th level, she becomes insensible, losing her ability to see and hear as most people do to her now near-constant hallucinations, and gains blindsight to the radius of her telepathy while psionically focused.
At 9th level, her continually degenerating mind has taken a real toll on her body. She takes a permanent -2 to her strength and constitution.

Chaotic Insight: At 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels, a Maelstrom mind permanently loses knowledge of one power they know. Every day, for each power they've lost this way, they may choose a power from any class list of up to a power level indicated on the class table. For that day, they may manifest that power as though they knew that power.

Insane Focus(Su): At 2nd Level, a Maelstrom Mind may take 1d6 wisdom damage as a move action to automatically become psionically focused. At 6th level, this becomes a swift action.

Fractured Psyche(Ex): A Maelstrom Mind's thoughts too far removed from conventional thought to affect easily. At level 3, if a Maelstrom Mind fails on a will save against a mind-affecting effect, she may make a second will save against the same DC, but if she succeeds on that one, she is confused, as from the spell, for 1d8 rounds instead of being normally effected.

Telepathy(Su): As she gains in power, a Maelstrom Mind's insanity begins leeching out into her surroundings. At 4th level, a Maelstrom Mind gains telepathy to 10 feet per telepathy level.

Maddening Whispers(Su): A Maelstrom Mind has little control over her roiling psyche. Wherever she goes, she's followed by a susurrus of ghostly whispers. At level 4, within 5 feet per character level, characters and creatures with intelligence scores are aware of the Maelstrom Mind's presence, and any enemy that spends more than 1 round inside this radius takes a -2 penalty to will saves vs. mind-affecting powers of the Maelstrom Mind. Additionally, characters within this area cannot sleep.
At 6th level, a Maelstrom Mind's continual telepathic whispering takes a truly malevolent turn. Enemies inside the effect of Maddening Whispers when the Maelstrom Mind manifests a power, if they have fewer hit dice than the Maelstrom Mind, must succeed on a will save (DC 15 + manifesting stat modifier) or be shaken for 5d6 rounds. Enemies that succeed on this save are immune to it for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting fear affect.

Barbed Mind(Su): No one knows the true nature of a Maelstrom Mind's madness, and attempts to descry it have only ended in failure. What is known is that their minds hide much darker secrets than they let on. Whenever someone attempts to read a Maelstrom Mind's mind via magic or psionics, they must make a DC 17 + Maelstrom Mind's manifesting stat modifier or die instantly(usually from their head exploding, their brain eating itself, or some such colorful effect). Characters killed this way can't be brought back by raise dead, due to their destroyed/missing brain. This is a death effect. This ability has no effect on other Maelstrom Minds or Creatures that can live without a brain.
Additionally, once per day, a Maelstrom Mind may make a touch attack against an enemy she is in mental contact with via telepathy. That enemy is counted as having read her mind for the purposes of this ability.

Blast Sanity(Su):The most powerful Maelstrom Minds can project their roiling thoughts into enemies' minds. At 10th level, when manifesting a mind-affecting power, a Maelstrom Mind may expend her psionic focus. If she does, all enemies who fail their save, instead of being normally affected, go insane, as though affected by the power insanity.

Changes so far:
Adjusted Breakdown
Expanded Maddening Whispers
Fixed stat to use for Barbed Mind
Fixed Telepathy

Edwin
2010-04-06, 12:38 PM
It certainly brings some versatility to a psion or whatever entry class you use, and Insane focus looks neat, too.

A bit worried about Barbed Mind. A lot of creatures may be immune to Death Effects, but unless the DM specifically prepares his mooks for it, that ability is quite deadly.

Gotta love the flavor, though. Top ten grade on that man, really awesome.

TabletopNuke
2010-04-06, 10:37 PM
I agree with the previous poster. This is indeed a superbly flavored class. That said, it still seems underpowered.

I feel that Breakdown imposes a considerable penalty. My madness feat system adds a -1 penalty to Wis-based saves and checks per feat, but each feat has double the usual benefit. Not needing to sleep anymore is not a huge benefit.

Insane focus is another so-so feature. By the time the character is 7th level, they shouldn't have that hard a time making their Concentration checks, and that Wis damage is pretty nasty, especially if it's a dump stat (my psionic PC has a Wis of 6, she doesn't have anything to spare).

Chaotic insight is a neat ability, though. I'm not positive how the balance is, but you could rework the Breakdown feature so the penalty only increased at levels where the character got a new Chaotic Insight power.

Fractured Psyche is another rather weak ability. It trades one unfortunate effect for another. Granted a few rounds of confusion is better than some of the other stuff you have to make Will saves against, but still kinda unpleasant.

I'm not sure about the balance of the Telepathy feature. For comparison, I offer this: There's a variant of the telepath that grants telepathy as a replacement for the 5th-level bonus feat. The telepathy has a range of 5 feet per caster level.

Maddening Whispers has FANTASTIC flavor, but makes any sort of stealth virtually impossible. Also, there's probably not many practical applications for keeping your enemies from sleeping near you (they probably wouldn't be doing that to begin with, unless you run campaigns as messed up as I do). Now, if Maddening Whispers also had a frightful presence-type effect, that would be pretty cool and better balanced.

Barbed Mind seems okay. A psion can probably create other save or die effects by that point. I don't know about not being able to be raised, though. Also, don't you think the modifier used to determine the save should be whatever their primary manifesting score is (Int for psions, Cha for wilders, ect)?

Blast Sanity seems a bit powerful. Perhaps it should be limited in the number of times per day it can be used?

I'm eager to see where this goes. I believe I said before, this class has a lot of potential. Feel free to use my madness feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129960)for inspiration.

Angry Bob
2010-04-07, 03:52 PM
I feel that Breakdown imposes a considerable penalty.

That's kind of the point. I might adjust, it, though.


Not needing to sleep anymore is not a huge benefit.

It's pure flavor, especially since she still needs to regain power points.


Insane focus is another so-so feature. By the time the character is 7th level, they shouldn't have that hard a time making their Concentration checks, and that Wis damage is pretty nasty, especially if it's a dump stat (my psionic PC has a Wis of 6, she doesn't have anything to spare).

Okay, point by point. At that level, the point isn't to not have to make the check, it's the not using a full-round action to get it. However, if low-wis psions are that common, maybe the damage could stand to be reduced a bit. Thoughts? Consider potions of restoration and stuff.


Chaotic insight is a neat ability, though. I'm not positive how the balance is, but you could rework the Breakdown feature so the penalty only increased at levels where the character got a new Chaotic Insight power.

For power, the real 'weak spot', if classes above tier 3 can be said to have such a thing, of psionic classes besides the erudite and psi artificer is inflexibility. Flexibility is what pushes wizards, erudites, and clerics into overpowered territory, so I want to be careful with an ability that gives it to a psion or wilder. I may add a new breakdown effect at each Chaotic insight level, though. Any word on what power levels should be available?


Fractured Psyche is another rather weak ability. It trades one unfortunate effect for another. Granted a few rounds of confusion is better than some of the other stuff you have to make Will saves against, but still kinda unpleasant.

Taking the confusion instead is optional. Though I may change it, too - possibilities: Instead you can only take partial actions for x rounds, you're confused instead for 1d4 rounds, stuff like that.


I'm not sure about the balance of the Telepathy feature. For comparison, I offer this: There's a variant of the telepath that grants telepathy as a replacement for the 5th-level bonus feat. The telepathy has a range of 5 feet per caster level.

The point of adding telepathy was to support Maddening Whispers, the numbers were seriously just thrown on. I'll probably change it to 10 ft. per class level or as the telepath ACF.


Maddening Whispers has FANTASTIC flavor, but makes any sort of stealth virtually impossible. Also, there's probably not many practical applications for keeping your enemies from sleeping near you (they probably wouldn't be doing that to begin with, unless you run campaigns as messed up as I do). Now, if Maddening Whispers also had a frightful presence-type effect, that would be pretty cool and better balanced.

It was supposed to be primarily a drawback(including the sleep thing - your party having to stay clear of you at night), but the fear aura effect was a crazy good idea. Possibly a will save penalty to all within range, for flavor and to synergize with her telepathy affinity.


Barbed Mind seems okay. A psion can probably create other save or die effects by that point. I don't know about not being able to be raised, though. Also, don't you think the modifier used to determine the save should be whatever their primary manifesting score is (Int for psions, Cha for wilders, ect)?

The stat used will be fixed. It's supposed to mirror the effect of destruction, and reflect that a Maelstrom Mind knows eldritch secrets that are outright dangerous for a sane person to know. I don't know how else to show that. Suggestions?


Blast Sanity seems a bit powerful. Perhaps it should be limited in the number of times per day it can be used?

Sure.