Vigor/Share Pain/Psicrystal Combo?

[jywu98]

So recently I decided to play a Psion in one of my campaigns, and I found a lot of references to a Vigor/Share Pain/Psicrystal combo in guides. Can anyone tell me what it does and why its so good?

[TroubleBrewing]

For no cost to you beyond a few PP, you get twice the temp HP of Vigor. It's nice.

[jywu98]

But how does it do that?

[TroubleBrewing]

Google is your friend.

[jywu98]

Google is your friend.

I tried but can't find any information regarding how the combo works.

[RagnaroksChosen]

Essentially you are able to keep nigh infinite hit points. At the cost of PP.

Cast vigor on your self, share with psi crystal then share pain on the psicrystal.
So now when you are hit half the dmg goes to the crystal.
Doubles the amount vigor lets you have... then when the Tmp hp gets low cast vigor again on your self and share with crystal.


Some people say you can get/pick feats for the crystal if you can wild talent and psionic body are great.

[jywu98]

Thanks for clearing it up for me.

[dextercorvia]

Also, Psicrystals have Hardness 10. Some will say that this applies to the damage shared. I haven't reached a conclusion, myself yet, but I think that it might work.

[TroubleBrewing]

Oooooo... That's a little messed up. I'd ask the RAW FAQ.

[The Glyphstone]

Also, Psicrystals have Hardness 10. Some will say that this applies to the damage shared. I haven't reached a conclusion, myself yet, but I think that it might work.

I'd call that nonsense, myself.The wording of the spell (and its magical cousin, Shield Other) are just vague enough to allow it, but I'd consider such to be disallowable unless the Psicrystal was the one being attacked - DR/Hardness would only apply to the initial damage total, and only if it was on the creature taking the initial damage.

[dextercorvia]

As a DM, I'd houserule it out, but as Glyphstone said, the spell and power are vague enough (unlike Share Pain, etc) to not change the source of the damage.

[lianightdemon]

And it has hardness 8 not 10

Of course you could later always augment it with Matter Manipulation

[Psyren]

Though the wording isn't clear, I don't think hardness/DR would apply to damage being shared any more than it would to Empathic Transfer.


Of course you could later always augment it with Matter Manipulation

That power does not work on creatures.

[Draz74]

Some people say you can get/pick feats for the crystal if you can wild talent and psionic body are great.

This is an additional way to make Psicrystals useful, but it's really separate from the Share Pain/Vigor combo. If your DM doesn't believe in Psicrystal feats, the Share Pain/Vigor combo still works great.

Also, I've always been mystified by why people think Psionic Body is a good feat. It's generally strictly inferior to Improved Toughness, which is not an amazing feat itself.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I tried but can't find any information regarding how the combo works.

Check the Psionic Tricks handbook linked in my sig - it's got the Masochistic Crystal trick explained, along with several others.

[Psyren]

This is an additional way to make Psicrystals useful, but it's really separate from the Share Pain/Vigor combo. If your DM doesn't believe in Psicrystal feats, the Share Pain/Vigor combo still works great.

Also, I've always been mystified by why people think Psionic Body is a good feat. It's generally strictly inferior to Improved Toughness, which is not an amazing feat itself.

It's decent for your psicrystal because of Feat Leech. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/featLeech.htm) Load it up, and since the HP aren't temporary, you basically heal yourself for a ton with each manifestation.

When you want a different loadout on your crystal, just Reform it.

EDIT: What Piggy said too, although at low levels you're usually aiming for prereq feats ahead of PB.

[Piggy Knowles]

Psionic Body is a great feat, for one reason - Psychic Reformation.

At the low levels, Psionic Body can more or less double your HP, and make you significantly more survivable (especially when Matter Agitation is about your best reliable form of offense). By the time it becomes more or less obsolete, you have access to Psychic Reformation, and can ice it for something better.

[TroubleBrewing]

Psionic Body is a great feat, for one reason - Psychic Reformation.

At the low levels, Psionic Body can more or less double your HP, and make you significantly more survivable (especially when Matter Agitation is about your best reliable form of offense). By the time it becomes more or less obsolete, you have access to Psychic Reformation, and can ice it for something better.

Low-level survivability is exactly it. At low levels, say, level 5, Improved Toughness gives 5 HP. By contrast, a Human Psychic Warrior who picked at least 3 psionic feats (some of which are pretty solid) gains 6 HP, as long as one of them is Psionic Body. If all 6 are PB, he's up 12 health.

At higher levels it becomes less useful, but Psychic Reformation fixes that.

[Piggy Knowles]

EDIT: What Piggy said too, although at low levels you're usually aiming for prereq feats ahead of PB.

True - but if you don't mind waiting until level 7 to PrC out, or paying somebody to manifest it on you, Psychic Reformation fixes THAT, too.