Warforged Shaper [Archive] - Giant in the Playground Forums

RFLS

2012-07-21, 05:50 PM

Does anyone have a good guide for psion shapers, particularly warforged ones?

Here's (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=425388) my character so far. I'm mostly looking for advice on feats. In particular, I've heard of ways to get all sorts of shenanigans going with the "minor creation" power involving poisons, and was wondering if anyone had any advice on that.

Mithril Leaf

2012-07-21, 06:31 PM

Max ranks in craft(poisonmaking), and take get an artisan psicrystal. Start churning out the best poison you can, ignoring DCs and focusing on damage. As a warforged, you're already immune to poison, so coat everything you own in it.
Extend is probably the most versitile metapsionic power, so pick that up early on. Also, since I noticed you only have one flaw, see if you can take the one that drops your reflex saves and pick up keen reflexes from Complete Adventurers for a net increase, since it bases your reflex saves on Intelligence.
As for PrCs, Anarchic Initiate is widely regarded as the best all around, but for shapers, Constructor from Mind's Eye for 9 levels is quite good, although it loses a single manifesting level. The alternate class feature, personal construct is fairly good.'
Finally, further reading:
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=1187.0
http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=5343.0

RFLS

2012-07-22, 04:08 PM

Hey, thank you. Those links were pretty great. Sadly, I'm limited to one flaw, but I feel like my character's pretty well off as is.

Answerer

2012-07-22, 04:29 PM

Psiforged (Magic of Eberron) is a pretty obvious option here.

Rubik

2012-07-22, 04:43 PM

Linked Power, from CPsi, is a MUST for a shaper. It's like Quicken Power for 1 pp (though it goes off in the second round). Just make sure you have a 1st level power for swift/immediate actions, and if you can get some powers as move and standards you could fire off six powers per round (including Astral Construct and Psionic Minor Creation).

You might also consider Shape Soulmeld, from Magic of Incarnum. Grab the Psionic Open Chakra power and you can bind your soulmeld earlier than anyone else in the game if you boost your manifester level a bit. There're a number of nice soulmelds in there (see the shoulders bind for the phase cloak, for instance).

I'd also consider going dragonborn if you're using warforged. They lose their slam and their "natural" armor, but you can get the latter back (and better!) with a feat.

Biffoniacus_Furiou

2012-07-22, 05:39 PM

You have the Swift Concentration skill trick on there, but it requires 12 ranks in Concentration, so you can't qualify for that until 9th level.

It looks like you have one too many feats, I think you need a second flaw.

Psionic Body and Psionic Talent are both pretty weak, you'd probably be better off with something like Overchannel and Talented.

I'd pick up Adamantine Body. You don't need any armor proficiencies for it, and there's no drawback apart from the reduce move speed.

Get Personal Construct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a), so you can manifest it as a Swift Action. A one-round summon duration isn't exactly useful, but later on you'll be glad you have it.

For low levels, Ectopic Form: Emerald Gyre plus Boost Construct is pretty good. The Emerald Gyre starts with a Menu B ability even on a 1st level construct, so Boost Construct will give you another Menu B, or two Menu A's. Once you get 5th level powers you can pick Psychic Reformation to trade Emerald Gyre for something more useful, and repick any other feats/skills/powers while you're at it, including Psychic Reformation itself. I'd let one of those wait until 3rd level, since Astral Construct won't really be worth manifesting until you can get a few rounds out of it.

Endarire

2012-07-22, 09:28 PM

I'm a fan of the Nimble Psicrystal for the init boost. Craft boosts are cheap in comparison. (Get a Masterwork Artistan's Tool.)

Rubik

2012-07-23, 06:11 PM

Psionic Body and Psionic Talent are both pretty weak, you'd probably be better off with something like Overchannel and Talented.Agreed. Though I never take Talented. I'd rather have Psicrystal Affinity, Vigor, and Share Pain, myself.

I'd pick up Adamantine Body. You don't need any armor proficiencies for it, and there's no drawback apart from the reduce move speed.I'd rather go dragonborn and just buy armor. At least then you have the option of not being slow-as-a-dwarf, and you can upgrade more easily.

Get Personal Construct (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a), so you can manifest it as a Swift Action. A one-round summon duration isn't exactly useful, but later on you'll be glad you have it.Linked Power is better, if you're burning a feat. Useful more often, and with more things. For 1 pp and your psionic focus (and a Swift action power) you can Quicken it easily enough, though it won't show up until next round. Plus there are items in the MIC that can let you manifest low level powers much more quickly.

For low levels, Ectopic Form: Emerald Gyre plus Boost Construct is pretty good. The Emerald Gyre starts with a Menu B ability even on a 1st level construct, so Boost Construct will give you another Menu B, or two Menu A's. Once you get 5th level powers you can pick Psychic Reformation to trade Emerald Gyre for something more useful, and repick any other feats/skills/powers while you're at it, including Psychic Reformation itself. I'd let one of those wait until 3rd level, since Astral Construct won't really be worth manifesting until you can get a few rounds out of it.You can't trade out the ectopic forms' menu abilities. You get what's listed, and that's it, since they're not actually menu abilities.

Ectopic forms. Blech.

RFLS

2012-07-23, 06:59 PM

Hey, fixed the things I completely derped on. I still have no idea why I thought that psicrystals are a class feature. Anyway, for feats I have:

Psicrystal Affinity (Single minded)
Boost Construct
Linked Power

I don't have access to Personal Construct, since we're limited to core/completes/races/ToB/UA and a few other things here and there. If it's absolutely necessary, I can ask for it, but if it's not, I'd rather hang on to the ability to ask for a better feat.

Here's the link to the character again- http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=425388

EDIT: Considering swapping Boost Construct out for Psiforged. Is this a good or bad idea?

Rubik

2012-07-23, 07:03 PM

Urpriest

2012-07-23, 07:25 PM

I would postpone Linked Power until 3rd when you can actually use it, and take Adamantine Body instead.

Draz74

2012-07-23, 08:58 PM

Max ranks in craft(poisonmaking), and take get an artisan psicrystal.

If you're doing this, make sure to pick up at least a few ranks in some other Craft() skills, too; particularly Trapmaking. Amazing flexibility once you have Psionic Fabricate.