[PF] An experiment with Pathfinder Psionics

[masterjoda99]

So, I've recently started playing pathfinder, on account of my group finally having a GM to run it. I was rather fond of psionics in 3.5, so imagine my joy when I found out Dreamscarred Press made a Pathfinder book for psionics.

Of course, one thing I always desired as a psion was the ability to exceed that limit on powers known, and, to use a meme here, know ALL the psionic powers.

I'm aware of some methods, some silly, to achieve this or at least most of this in 3.5 psionics, but is there a way in Pathfinder to achieve at least all the general powers known and up to 8th level discipline specific powers known as a psion?

[Psyren]

You can learn every power ever with just two: Metaconcert (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/m/metaconcert) and Psychic Chirurgery. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/p/psychic-chirurgery) Because of the ability burn, it will take you a long time though.

[RndmNumGen]

Doesn't Psychic Chirurgery limit the number of powers you can learn that way to your key ability score? I don't see how Metaconcert can get around this restriction any way either.

[Psyren]

Doesn't Psychic Chirurgery limit the number of powers you can learn that way to your key ability score? I don't see how Metaconcert can get around this restriction any way either.

Of course, but all you need then is some cheese to raise that ceiling high enough to learn everything, + a bunch of EK feats if necessary for the stragglers.

[subject42]

The next book released by Dreamscarred Press will have a psion archetype that lets you swap out powers. It's called the Erudite (not to be confused with the 3.5 erudite).

Another way to manifest more powers is to be a Thrallherd. If you use the "Manifest an Unknown Power from Another’s Powers Known" rules and you have psionic followers, you can use them as big meaty scrolls.

[LibraryOgre]

Tangential, but I've been playing a Half-Giant Psionic Warrior (now with 2 levels of Warmind!) in our recent game, and I must say I enjoy it. She's pretty much violence personified, though I dislike the lack of ability to swap out powers as I level and I find some of the powers of Psychic Warrior to be less than inspiring (like the 6th level ability to manifest one of your path powers as part of an attack... not terribly useful for most of the paths as written).

[deuxhero]

A Vitalist using Fusion with a sufficiently vast collective could know every power.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Tangential, but I've been playing a Half-Giant Psionic Warrior (now with 2 levels of Warmind!) in our recent game, and I must say I enjoy it. She's pretty much violence personified, though I dislike the lack of ability to swap out powers as I level and I find some of the powers of Psychic Warrior to be less than inspiring (like the 6th level ability to manifest one of your path powers as part of an attack... not terribly useful for most of the paths as written).

Is there anything (except levels) preventing you from getting Psychic Reformation? Actually IIRC you can use a power from a Dorje or Power Stone without using up them if you use your own power points so you could get a dorje or it and use it when you need to swap powers.

[Corlindale]

and I find some of the powers of Psychic Warrior to be less than inspiring (like the 6th level ability to manifest one of your path powers as part of an attack... not terribly useful for most of the paths as written).

Really? I always though it looked like one of their coolest abilities, though I haven't seen it in play.

Not having to waste an action on buffing yourself seems like a huge benefit to me. Or the assasin that can reapply Venom after every strike. Or the brawler that can imbuehis attacks with xd8 extra damage (until he runs out of PP). Might be a tad underwhelming for feral warrior and mind knight, though.

[LibraryOgre]

Really? I always though it looked like one of their coolest abilities, though I haven't seen it in play.

Not having to waste an action on buffing yourself seems like a huge benefit to me. Or the assasin that can reapply Venom after every strike. Or the brawler that can imbuehis attacks with xd8 extra damage (until he runs out of PP). Might be a tad underwhelming for feral warrior and mind knight, though.

It becomes a bit underwhelming because it explicitly applies AFTER the attack. So...

Ascetic: Defensive Precognition? Get a buff. Not bad. Offensive precognition? Get a buff to hitting... after you've hit.

Assassin: Prevenoming for the next hit is nice, but Distraction is useless.

Brawling: Both as greatly useful... you can either Grip of Iron after you've hit with your grapple, or Hammer after you've punched.

Feral Warrior: It cuts down your time to get both claws and a bite. Maybe walk around with hours/level claws, then grow jaws after your first hit?

Mind Knight: Well, presuming you are relying on Called weaponry (which you get a bonus to use), it means that you spend your first round calling your weapon, then get to buff on your second round.

Weaponmaster: Again, as with Ascetic, you can give yourself a bonus to hit and damage after you've hit. Empty Mind is an immediate action, anway.

If it were "You can manifest a power as part of a single attack, with the power taking place as part of the standard action", without the stipulation that it happens after the attack, it would be FAR more useful, and I don't think it would be broken at all (since it's limited to Path powers, and not an excuse to use Dissolving Weapon on every hit).

I got over it; my GM let me switch a couple skill points around and go into Warmind. But as written, it is not nearly as useful as it could or should be.

EDIT: Oh, and something I would've LOVED to have seen for Call Weapon? An option to spend more PP and call a specific material... like 2 more for Silver or Cold Iron, or 10 more and call Adamantine. Though, with Deep Crystal weapons, that could be abused, probably...