Boosting a Lurk's Mental Assault?

[Kantolin]

I'm a lurk, who will have the 'mental assault' lurk augment and intend to use that a lot. My DM has allowed me to spend a feat so I can pick any of the six stats to target (Or more probably, anything besides constitution) instead of just wisdom and intelligence.

I'm then curious what options there are (if any) to further improve the stat damage he can do with the augment.

The character is already planning on using poisons, is a goblin, and will likely be chaotic good if it helps. He won't have a diety, but if having a diety is important for something feel free to suggest it - there's very little support for goblins out there, so it's probable that he'll be allowed to have a few sources that wouldn't normally be allowed for him despite this.

[deuxhero]

MM Goblin or Eberron Goblin?

[Kantolin]

Well, he's a monster manual goblin by default, but I can probably get any eberron-only (Or Forgotten Realms only) options accepted.

[Kantolin]

Well, that's a bad sign. ^_^

Is the problem that 'chaotic good' and 'goblin' make things too restrictive, or is there just not much support for improving dealing stat damage to things? Or is it, most likely, 'lurks didn't get much support'?

[Flickerdart]

Intelligence is probably the best ability score to target, since many powerful creatures such as dinosaurs will have low Intelligence. If you had to pick another one, low Charisma is also popular with many monsters.

If you're after dealing lots of ability damage, check out the Mind Cripple attack of the Psychic Rogue (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723b) (ECL11) and Psychic Assassin (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040723d) (ECL10). It does 2 Intelligence damage on a sneak attack, but triggers for every attack, and for free - so amping up your ability damage is as simple as getting more attacks per round.

[Kantolin]

Thanks for the response, and you make a good point about monsters. We tend to fight a lot of humanoids in these games, who tend to be of races with traditionally low charisma, but I'll be sure to go with 'int if it's a 'monster', cha if it's a humanoid'.

Sadly, though, I do have my heart set on Lurk - Psychic rogue is almost certianly more effective but not quite what I'm aiming for - tier 4 is really perfect for this game. (Also, levels 10 or 11 are kind of a lengthy wait).

I was hoping for an obscure 'When you do stat damage, do more of it' feats, or perhaps a power or sommat to help out, but it seems that my only real option to help out my stat-stabbing are poisons (and the totally-not-posions from the book of exalted deeds).

[Psyren]

You boost Lurk augments by spending power points <= your ML, just like you would manifesting an augmentable power. Get as high an ML and as many PP as you can and you're set, you can ramp up the ability yourself.

[Fax Celestis]

I forget if lurks can qualify for sneak-attack requiring feats. If they can, Exemplars of Evil has a feat called Twist the Knife that lets you trade sneak attack for Charisma damage. So, if you CAN qualify, that is totally something you should jump all over.

[Big Fau]

Just FYI, all Lurk Augments that offer a save have a DC of 10+Int. This is likely an error (the book is replete with them, and the Ebon Saint has a similar ability with the save DCs being 10+1/2 Character level+Int), so talk to your DM about that as there isn't Errata for the book.

[Psyren]

I forget if lurks can qualify for sneak-attack requiring feats. If they can, Exemplars of Evil has a feat called Twist the Knife that lets you trade sneak attack for Charisma damage. So, if you CAN qualify, that is totally something you should jump all over.

"This is identical to the sneak attack ability of the rogue (PH 50)," so I'd say yes.


The main problem with PSA (besides needing to be focused to use it), is how bloody little of it Lurks get. The only base class I know with less is Savant, and at least theirs works all the time. Sure, Lurks can get more from an augment, but doing so eats up their swift and shuts off any other augment they would want to use that round. It's abysmal. (Nice that they have ways to SA constructs and undead built into the class though.)


Anyway, can't wait for DSP's psionic skillmonkey to come out. (Acuit? I think?)

[Kantolin]

I forget if lurks can qualify for sneak-attack requiring feats. If they can, Exemplars of Evil has a feat called Twist the Knife that lets you trade sneak attack for Charisma damage.

I think you meant 'Maiming strike' - twist the knife lets you replace critical hit damage with a -3 penalty for a couple rounds, while the former is sneak-for-cha-damage.

Useful, although as Psyren states:


The main problem with PSA (besides needing to be focused to use it), is how bloody little of it Lurks get.

So it'll be a bit before that one comes online. Still, a useful feat for the future, especially when I can double augment.


You boost Lurk augments by spending power points <= your ML, just like you would manifesting an augmentable power. Get as high an ML and as many PP as you can and you're set, you can ramp up the ability yourself.

And this is a route I had forgotten about! Thank you. *Goes to analyze ML boostings*


talk to your DM about that as there isn't Errata for the book.

Yeah, I did note that the saves for many of them are pretty awful. There will, however, be some mild boosts for the class - I have to chat with the DM about that. Among other things, 6+int.


Anyway, can't wait for DSP's psionic skillmonkey to come out. (Acuit? I think?)

They're making a skillmonkey? Awesome - definitely the most worthwhile preorder ever. I'm still awaiting your vitalist guide, heh.

Thanks for the responses!

[Optimator]

Disemboweling Strike would let you do a bit of Con damage. CS i think.

[Kantolin]

We're Level 6 now, and thus I haven't hit high enough level to really take use of most of the suggestions above (Only now am I really looking at manifester-level-boosting).

The Jade Water ravage has proven exceptionally useful despite its cost, though - and we just had a plot event where I now can get access to free Unicorn Blood (likely provided I don't abuse this, but I generally don't).

Lurk's sadly cannot get access to disembowling strike due to it requiring 5d6 sneak attack, and lurks only get 4.

[Big Fau]

We're Level 6 now, and thus I haven't hit high enough level to really take use of most of the suggestions above (Only now am I really looking at manifester-level-boosting).

The Jade Water ravage has proven exceptionally useful despite its cost, though - and we just had a plot event where I now can get access to free Unicorn Blood (likely provided I don't abuse this, but I generally don't).

Lurk's sadly cannot get access to disembowling strike due to it requiring 5d6 sneak attack, and lurks only get 4.

The extra 1d6 can be provided by the Assassin's Stance (Bo9S), through use of Martial Stance.

[alchemyprime]

We're Level 6 now, and thus I haven't hit high enough level to really take use of most of the suggestions above (Only now am I really looking at manifester-level-boosting).

The Jade Water ravage has proven exceptionally useful despite its cost, though - and we just had a plot event where I now can get access to free Unicorn Blood (likely provided I don't abuse this, but I generally don't).

Lurk's sadly cannot get access to disembowling strike due to it requiring 5d6 sneak attack, and lurks only get 4.

Spend 2pp on Additional Sneak Attack to amp up your damage dice? It seems at the level you are at (6th), you can hit 4d6, and hit 5d6 next level (because you'll be starting from 2d6), thn at 8th you can spend another 2pp to hit 6d6.

Though I find it funny that they made it a 2pp ability at 1st, when a lurk can't spend that much yet.

[classy one]

Are yoy allowed to use 3rd party stuff? Have you taken a look at innate pretender from Hyperconscious? it gives 5d6 of sneak attack in 10 levels and has sneak PLA and powers. It has the ability to deal SA even when the target isn't flat footed and is INT based.
Untapped potential has a few feats worth taking if you want to use poisons. Assassins training makes you immune to your own poisons and let's you gauge how likely you poison will succeed. Poison mastery lets you deliver other kinds of poisons via your weapon (like ingested or inhaled).
The mantra feat fang of the cobra lets you get +4 from flanking or expend your focus to deal max SA damage.

[Psyren]

The trouble with PrC'ing as a Lurk is that their augments depend on Lurk level rather than manifester level. This applies to which ones you can access, the maximum PP you can spend per augment use, and how many uses per day of the augments you get. If the OP truly wants an augment focus, staying in Lurk and boosting ML/PP is the way to go.

[hex0]

If the OP truly wants an augment focus, staying in Lurk and boosting ML/PP is the way to go.

Abberantion Blood and Warped Mind are fun, though worse than psionic talent, will also open up Inhuman Reach. This is fun since your are proficient with the Glaive. Cheers!

[Kantolin]

Still trying to boost my lurk's assaults - lately we've been running into a ton of enemies who have rather high mental stats (and aren't casting with them!).

(I'm pretty sure this is just random coincidence, mind you, as I generally don't dominate encounters the way other key party members do :P )

Is there a handy handbook for boosting your psionic manifester level? I know there's one for boosting your caster level...

[Big Fau]

Is there a handy handbook for boosting your psionic manifester level? I know there's one for boosting your caster level...

Any magic item that boosts caster level affects manifester level equally, provided you translate the bonus appropriately. The Transparency rule does not differentiate between Arcane/Divine as far as I can tell, so something like Pray Beads of Karma should provide a +4 bonus to your manifester level.