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mootoall
2010-11-14, 04:08 PM
My google-fu seems to be failing me. The one handbook I can find doesn't give much in the way of power selection, discipline selection or feat selection ...

Gnorman
2010-11-14, 04:35 PM
This one's decent, but heavily disorganized. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19571514/3.5_Psion_Buildguide_and_Compendium)

This one's far from complete. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=8342.0)

This one focuses on powers, but doesn't give much explanation as to why one is better than other. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19537882/What_Is_the_Most_Powerful_Psionic_Power)

Amphetryon
2010-11-14, 04:42 PM
I figure the best Psion handbook on GitP is called Lycanthromancer...

Psyren
2010-11-14, 04:47 PM
After you read the three links in the 2nd post, do you have any specific questions OP?

Gnorman
2010-11-14, 05:33 PM
Discipline selection: Heavily debatable, as they all lend themselves to different play styles. Kineticists will blast and blast hard (and find themselves without PP if they're not careful). Egoists make great gishes and Slayers. Nomads are mobile and quick. Telepaths make for excellent faces and are more suited to an intrigue campaign. Seers are... well, I don't have much experience with Seers. But my favorite, Shapers, are just plain versatile as all hell. They're also the most efficient with their PP.

Power Selection: Look for augmentability and creative usage, which I think tends to lead one to lean towards the Shaper. Control Sound may not sound like much at first glance, but it opens up a world of possibility as a utility power. Like sorcerers, it's helpful to have save-or-sucks that target different saves (Ectoplasmic Cocoon versus Reflex; Control Body vs. Fort; Death Urge vs. Will, just for a few examples). No matter what discipline you choose, it's always worth dropping a feat on Expanded Knowledge for Astral Construct, as it's the most versatile summoning ability in the game as far as I'm concerned.

Feat Selection: Depends, again, on your play style. Some psions depend heavily on metapsionics, and as such, find things like Psionic Meditation helpful. Every psion should have a psicrystal, so that's one feat taken care of right there. Linked Power, when used correctly, can vastly reduce manifesting times for some powers and in general is an efficient use of your actions. Burrowing Power's a unique meta-feat. Improved Initiative's an easy, boring choice, but a good one. When in doubt, use Expanded Knowledge to pick up a power from a different list - there's almost always a very useful one in each discipline. Telepathy has Schism, Psychometabolism has Metamorphosis, Psychokinesis has Energy Missile (the most efficient method of blasting), Metacreativity has Astral Construct, Psychoportation has Psionic Fly, and Clairsentience has Remote Viewing, just off the top of my head.

mootoall
2010-11-14, 06:01 PM
What exactly are the limitations of taking a discipline? Is it an option, as a wizard's school is, or mandatory?

Ernir
2010-11-14, 06:06 PM
What exactly are the limitations of taking a discipline? Is it an option, as a wizard's school is, or mandatory?
It's mandatory, but there aren't any drawbacks to "specializing" in this way, only benefits.

mootoall
2010-11-14, 06:15 PM
Are there analogues between the psionic disciplines and the wizard schools?

Jjeinn-tae
2010-11-14, 06:23 PM
If I get your question:

Clairsentience = Divination
Metacreativity = Conjuration
Psychokinesis = Evocation
Psychometabolism = Transmutation
Telepathy = Enchantment

Psychoportation isn't equivalent to anything.


Otherwise if you mean bonuses equivalent to specializing... It only increases the list of powers you can learn (without a feat) it doesn't increase your power points per day, nor give you a larger selection of powers, though it quite possibly is just built into the class.

Psyren
2010-11-14, 06:26 PM
Are there analogues between the psionic disciplines and the wizard schools?

Yes, in fact (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm)

Note that there are no psionic equivalents to illusion or abjuration (the closest you will come to the latter is psychokinesis, and there are no illusion powers at all.) Psychoportation has no magical equivalent (though in practice, conjuration comes closest.)

As for feats, do you have access to Complete Psionic? The book has its flaws but there are goodies within.

Endarire
2010-11-14, 08:50 PM
I too lamented at the lack of a Psion handbook, but relied on What is the most powerful psionic power? (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19537882/What_Is_the_Most_Powerful_Psionic_Power) for awhile.

Psions are manifesters like Wizards are casters. Follow similar advice, but consider your small number of powers known.

Psionic disciplines are similar to Cleric domains. You only get advantages from having them; different class skills and native access to discipline-only powers (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powerList.htm#psionDisciplinePowers).

I too prefer Shapers. Astral construct alone is wonderful. Minor creation, astral seed, genesis, and some non-OGL powers seal the deal.

Ask about power research (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicPowersOverview.htm#independentResearch). From what I can tell, you can spend 200XP/power level and learn any power of any level you can manifest. If you can swing it, it's far better than Expanded Knowledge repeatedly.

Jjeinn-tae
2010-11-14, 09:02 PM
Sorry if this is thread hijacking, but...


I too lamented at the lack of a Psion handbook,

This does appear to be a problem, from what I've seen it seems to be a community project of sorts. I'm rather good with organization so I'd be willing to get one started. What section does a handbook go in? Roleplaying Games?

Psyren
2010-11-14, 09:10 PM
Yes, past handbooks have gone here (like Fax's Spellthief Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44299))

Jjeinn-tae
2010-11-14, 09:25 PM
Ok, wish me luck then, I'll draft it up with what I can do, and open it to the beyond ridiculous min-maxers to add to this or next week...

Edit: Anyone know if there's officially a "Practiced Manifester" feat?

Amphetryon
2010-11-14, 09:39 PM
Ok, wish me luck then, I'll draft it up with what I can do, and open it to the beyond ridiculous min-maxers to add to this or next week...

Edit: Anyone know if there's officially a "Practiced Manifester" feat?

Complete Psionics.

Jjeinn-tae
2010-11-14, 09:48 PM
Ach, should of known.

Endarire
2010-11-14, 11:48 PM
No official Precocious Manifester.

Psyren
2010-11-15, 12:03 AM
No official Precocious Manifester.

Ardents can jury-rig this with Practiced Manifester and another base class. For example, A Cleric 3/Ardent 1 can enter Psychic Theurge, picking 1-2 2nd-level powers from their initial mantles.

mootoall
2010-11-15, 12:49 PM
I eagerly await the handbook!

Jjeinn-tae
2010-11-15, 03:35 PM
You'll probably be waiting a while, working on listing the races, and with the potential for using anything as optimization in some build or another, I've gone out of my way to show that Half-Giants gain Medium Armor Proficiency and Martial Weapon Proficiency, as Giant-types are proficient with Martial weapons, and any armor they wear in their description, they wear scale mail in that. I have similar things for the other races as well, but I'm almost through with them for the moment.