Synad Multitasking

[Diarmuid]

Our group decided to try out psionics for the first time and almost immediately upon starting the game we came to a discussion that had us stumped.

Comp Psi lists the Multitask ability of the Synad as giving a Swift Action that can be used to fuel any purely mental task.

The conundrum that came of this, was whether or not that Mental Action has to be one that would normally fit into a Swift Action or not. The examples arent teribly helpful and that pesky work "any" describing the mental action gummed it all up.

I couldnt find any official errata to help either.

[Psyren]

Huh, good question. I'm inclined to go by the strictest reading and say: "it gives you a swift, so a swift is all you get." Otherwise, you could use Multitask to, say, manifest Identify - also a purely mental action, but one that would ordinarily take a whole day (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/identifyPsionic.htm) to cast.

But here's where it gets even wackier. It doesn't specify the action you need to take to activate Multitask. Since MT is supernatural, by RAW that would mean it takes a standard action unless specified otherwise. So a strict reading there would cause you to spend a standard to get a swift.

I personally think the intent would be - activate as a free action, you gain a swift or standard - but the wording is much more restrictive.



Here's an idea - I'm away from my dragon mags, but I believe #314 is the one that introduces the Synad. If you can get ahold of that, the designers' true intent might be spelled out more clearly there, assuming their racials are the same.

[Diarmuid]

Thanks for the direction to the dragon mag. I'll see if anyone in the group has it.

I was DM'ing and to keep the game going, I ruled (with caveat to revisit after doing some digging) that it was a free to use and could power a swift or standard.

Like you, my original stance was that it should only allow for anything that can normally be done with a swift.

[Diarmuid]

Edit - bleh stupid dbl post

[Psyren]

"Free action for a swift" is the most likely interpretation. But there are few powers that are natively swift (especially at early levels), and even fewer other racials that require feats like Quicken to become useful.

I just can't see them designing a racial for such niche cases, especially a 1/day racial that requires spending PP. "Free for swift or standard, purely mental" would be my ultimate ruling, as it was yours.

[Diarmuid]

The direction to Dragon was very helpful. A quick email and response from the guy with Dragon mags clears things up.

DM314 defines it as a free and also states that it gives a mental standard, which could obviously be used to inact a swift.

[Psyren]

Glad to help! Hope your player enjoys their Synad.

There is a feat in CPsi that lets you Multitask an additional time per day as well. Though at later levels, EK: Schism might be a better investment.\

Hmm... I wonder if they stack? It seems like they do.

[Diarmuid]

They're only level 7 at the moment, but he already has the extra feat, but thanks again for the thought.

[FMArthur]

If it weren't any type of mental action, I would seriously question the purpose of the race altogether. You only use the swift action to gain an ambiguous action (any purely mental action). That it specifies that the synad's normal actions cannot also include manifesting a power suggests to me that the designers had in mind the manifestation of ordinary powers as within the scope of its intended use - that would be a pretty silly balancing mechanism if it only let you manifest Swift powers with it anyway.

The concept itself is that the ability is happening simultaneously to whatever else you are doing with your time that round, so it sounds perfectly reasonable that anything that would take the same amount of time or less (ie full-round) should be feasible. You can't even manifest a power (or cast a spell due to psionic-magic transparency) at the same time, and it's 1/day, so what's there to be concerned about?