Adding augmentation to Inertial Barrier

[Essence_of_War]

It really bothers me that the kineticist/psy war power "Inertial Barrier (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/inertialBarrier.htm)" has no augmentation. Barriers that absorb blows are a very evocative theme in fantasy psionics and this power is barely usable at the level it becomes available much less scalable with level. The kineticist can access this power at level 7, the psychic warrior first gains access at level 10.

How unbalancing would it be (if at all) to add:


Augment:

For each additional power point you spend the DR increases by 1.

If you spend 4 additional power points, you can manifest this power as an immediate action.

This would cap it at DR 18/- at 20th level, 13/- at 15th level, and 8/- at 10th level, hardly game breaking, but probably worth considering. It's way better than biofeedback (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/biofeedback.htm), but that's probably ok since it is 2 levels higher on the kineticist list, and 3 levels higher on the psychic warrior list.

I looked to Energy Adaptation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/energyAdaptation.htm) (same level, similar utility) for the immediate action augment cost.

[Yora]

This would cap it at DR 18/- at 20th level.

Exactly. DR 18/- pre-epic is huge! Balors and Pit Fiends have DR 15 that can be overcome by the right weapons and the only things with DR 20 are epic dragons that can be overcome by any magic weapon. DR 18/- would be the best DR in the whole game. And it makes the barbarians DR 5/- look rather silly.

[LordBlades]

Exactly. DR 18/- pre-epic is huge! Balors and Pit Fiends have DR 15 that can be overcome by the right weapons and the only things with DR 20 are epic dragons that can be overcome by any magic weapon. DR 18/- would be the best DR in the whole game. And it makes the barbarians DR 5/- look rather silly.

It all depends on the level of optimization you're using it at. If you're playing low-op, where the average hit deals 20-30 damage, then yes it's huge. If you're playing high OP where the average hit deals several hundred damage then it's pretty useless.

[Psyren]

It has no augment because you're supposed to use this power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/biofeedback.htm) for scaling purposes. IB's benefit is that it gives you more for less and lasts longer, but won't scale.


It all depends on the level of optimization you're using it at. If you're playing low-op, where the average hit deals 20-30 damage, then yes it's huge. If you're playing high OP where the average hit deals several hundred damage then it's pretty useless.

Powers shouldn't be buffed to match high-op; there's already plenty of powers (and spells) to use in high-op games already.

[Godskook]

You should rarely, if ever, create a psionic power that's a strict and direct upgrade to an existing power. Powers are meant to scale well enough that the concept of 'level' is more to determine the minimum level when its ok to use such a power, unlike spells that use spell level to upgrade existing spells into better versions.

That said, DR 18/- is kinda nuts compared to other DR out there, so in the current 3.5, no, that's not a balanced power.

[LordBlades]

It has no augment because you're supposed to use this power (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/biofeedback.htm) for scaling purposes. IB's benefit is that it gives you more for less and lasts longer, but won't scale.



Powers shouldn't be buffed to match high-op; there's already plenty of powers (and spells) to use in high-op games already.

But there's no harm in doing so either if that's what you want.

[Psyren]

But there's no harm in doing so either.

In the sense that a high-op game has way bigger balance concerns than a piddly DR 18/-, yes I agree. But Inertial Barrier is still fine as-is.

[LordBlades]

In the sense that a high-op game has way bigger balance concerns than a piddly DR 18/-, yes I agree. But Inertial Barrier is still fine as-is.

Or rather than between low-op and high-op games there's a spot where DR 18/- is appropriate.

[Psyren]

Or rather than between low-op and high-op games there's a spot where DR 18/- is appropriate.

Sure, why not. It doesn't change my point.

[Teron]

Exactly. DR 18/- pre-epic is huge! Balors and Pit Fiends have DR 15 that can be overcome by the right weapons and the only things with DR 20 are epic dragons that can be overcome by any magic weapon. DR 18/- would be the best DR in the whole game. And it makes the barbarians DR 5/- look rather silly.
The barbarian's DR is silly.

I don't like the idea of obsoleting biofeedback (not that it's terribly impressive in its own right - perhaps it should have a unique augmentation to give it a niche), but WotC vastly overestimated the value of DR, and 18/- doesn't seem unreasonable given what else you could do with 20 PP, even discounting stuff like greater metamorphosis. In fact, it's only slightly better than the 15/adamantine you get from psionic iron body along with a pile of immunities for only 15 PP. At that level, anything that can't overwhelm or ignore it probably isn't a credible threat in the first place.

[Essence_of_War]

Hmmm...It seems that I got a bit too...excited...about augmentation and didn't think through the consequences very well.

Let's toss the increase the DR augment out the window, because I find the "not invalidating other powers" argument compelling.

How about just giving it an immediate action augment for +4 pp?

We now have two distinct DR powers, Biofeedback for scaling, and Inertial Barrier for Ach!-Falling!/I'm-about-to-unexpectedly-take-several-hits! The immediate action augment is consistent with other somewhat similar powers, like the energy adaptations.

It's obviously possible to go a little crazy here with the immediate action augments (do enough of them and suddenly quicken power looks pretty silly) but I think that having an immediate action small/modest DR is probably OK.

[faceroll]

If it were to absorb, say up to 10 points of damage per manifester level, like stoneskin, that would be cool.

[sreservoir]

If it were to absorb, say up to 10 points of damage per manifester level, like stoneskin, that would be cool.

vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) is probably better than that. well, less damage absorbed, yes, but it applies to more things.

[faceroll]

vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) is probably better than that. well, less damage absorbed, yes, but it applies to more things.

Vigor doesn't stack with vigor, though,

[Big Fau]

vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm) is probably better than that. well, less damage absorbed, yes, but it applies to more things.

Step 1: Manifest Vigor at maximum augmentation, sharing it with your Psicrystal (you do have a Psicrystal right?).
Step 2: Manifest Shared Pain, targeting you and your Psicrystal.
Step 3: ?
Step 4: You now have 10*ML in HP, and take only half damage. You may have more HP if the Temp HP you get also boosts your Psicrystal's base HP count.