A little help/advice with a Psionic-ToB "Gish"?

[what the duck]

Hi guys! First post here, I absolutely love your forums, they've helped me out a lot in the past.

Anyway I've been dancing around with a concept for a character, and I guess the best way to describe it is a "Psi-Mage Adept". But unfortunately none of my groups play gestalt, and that would be the easiest way to do this and capture the level of mystical I'm trying to grasp with this build.

Before I post the build thus far, I guess I'll include the char-gen rules.

Starting level 3, 25 Point Buy, Pathfinder (Plus Psionics Unleashed/Psionics Expanded, no other 3rd party allowed) with 3.5e material allowed per DM approval (no Dragmag/3rd Party).

I was thinking the way to do this would probably be Psion 6/Elocater 2/Swordsage 2/Phrenic Slayer 10.

While not exactly a Psy-"Mage", I can use maneuvers gained through Swordsage/Martial Study to fake having arcane powers. I'm pretty content with the build and plan on using it as is, but I'm not sure if it could be better or if I could do it differently and easier.

The level and feat breakdowns are this.

1 Psion (Nomad) 1 - Human Feat: Dodge, Level 1 Feat: Mobility, Psion Feat: Psycrystal Affinity.
2 Psion 2 - N/A
3 Psion 3 - Level 3 Feat: Power Attack
4 Psion 4 -N/A
5 Psion 5 - Psion Feat: Psycrystal Containment, Level 5 Feat: Psionic Meditation
6 Psion 6 -N/A
7 Elocater 1 - Level 7 Feat: Skill Focus (Survival)
8 Elocater 2 - N/A
9 Swordsage 1 - Level 9 Feat: Adaptive Style
10 Swordsage 2 - N/A
11 Phrenic Slayer 1 - Level 11 Feat: Expanded Knowledge: Schism
12 Phrenic Slayer 2 - N/A
13 Phrenic Slayer 3 - Level 13 Feat: Quicken Power
14 Phrenic Slayer 4 - N/A
15 Phrenic Slayer 5 - Level 15 Feat: Extend Power
16 Phrenic Slayer 6 - N/A
17 Phrenic Slayer 7 - Level 17 Feat: Open/No Idea
18 Phrenic Slayer 8 - N/A
19 Phrenic Slayer 9 - Level 19 Feat: Open/No Idea
20 Phrenic Slayer 10 - N/A


Please help and/or validate me, GITP? :)

[silverwolfer]

what will you do, when you face a female succubus, with a bald head fetish?

[what the duck]

what will you do, when you face a female succubus, with a bald head fetish?

Be thankful that I have a full head of super blonde anime protagonist hair.

[silverwolfer]

yep the incubus just confused you for a girl roll a 20

[what the duck]

This is some sort of new poster hazing, right?

[eggs]

I have no idea what silverwolfer is on about. I'm going to run with the theory it's a Turing test.

But if you're looking for actual feedback, I'll try to help. I haven't done much with PF psionics, so there's a pretty real chance that I'm ignoring some minor changes between WotC and DSP's 3e material and the PF versions.

Firstly, this doesn't look like it has enough investment in Swordsage to need Adaptive Style. Spending a full round at level 9+ to recover a couple level 3 maneuvers just isn't going to be very worthwhile - as a psion, you're going to have bigger and better things to do with your time.

If WotC's 3e materials are fair game, I'd try to get Complete Psionics' Practiced Manifester and Linked Power in there. The first is invaluable for resisting dispels, raising your augment caps and maybe getting a few ability score-based PP (this part is up for interpretation; the feat is a horrible copy/paste job; most of its purposes are clear, just not that last bit). The latter is fantastic for the action economy: essentially it means spending one action to manifest two powers: you could get Shism and Flight up with one standard action or use it+Burst for a 1-PP Quicken effect.

A Human with the Focused Study racial trait would be strictly superior to the normal human here, even if its payoffs are just a couple extra skill focuses.

With Dodge and Mobility already in the build, the typical gish's splash of MAD and that many middling HD, Sidestep might be useful for avoiding full attacks. Similarly, Combat Patrol is often useful for melee control builds (but with the psion elements, you'll probably have better things to do than spend a full round setting it up).

Though it's technically not RAW (unless Psionics-Magic transparency was extended in PF), the Dimension Dervish Feat line looks like it would be perfect for this character. If Abundant Step is close enough to Dimension Door to qualify for the feat line, it's probably worth asking your DM if Psionic Dimension Door is close enough to Dimension Door to qualify.

[what the duck]

I have no idea what silverwolfer is on about. I'm going to run with the theory it's a Turing test.

But if you're looking for actual feedback, I'll try to help. I haven't done much with PF psionics, so there's a pretty real chance that I'm ignoring some minor changes between WotC and DSP's 3e material and the PF versions.

Firstly, this doesn't look like it has enough investment in Swordsage to need Adaptive Style. Spending a full round at level 9+ to recover a couple level 3 maneuvers just isn't going to be very worthwhile - as a psion, you're going to have bigger and better things to do with your time.

If "official" 3e materials are fair game, I'd try to get Complete Psionics' Practiced Manifester and Linked Power in there. The first is invaluable for resisting dispels, raising your augment caps and maybe getting a few ability score-based PP (this part is up for interpretation; the feat is a horrible copy/paste job; most of its purposes are clear, just not that last bit). The latter is fantastic for the action economy: essentially it means spending one action to manifest two powers: you could get Shism and Flight up with one standard action or use it+Burst for a 1-PP Quicken effect.

A Human with the Focused Study racial trait would be strictly superior to the normal human here, even if its payoffs are just a couple extra skill focuses.

With Dodge and Mobility already in the build, the typical gish's splash of MAD and that many middling HD, Sidestep might be useful for avoiding full attacks. Similarly, Combat Patrol is often useful for melee control builds (but with the psion elements, you'll probably have better things to do than spend a full round setting it up).

Though it's technically not RAW (unless Psionics-Magic transparency was extended in PF), the Dimension Dervish Feat line looks like it would be perfect for this character. If Abundant Step is close enough to Dimension Door to qualify for the feat line, it's probably worth asking your DM if Psionic Dimension Door is close enough to Dimension Door to qualify.

I'm pretty sure the DM would let me use the PF Nomad's "Nomad's Step" ability in place of Dimension Door, as it's practically the same thing.

[silverwolfer]

psonic bald dude with gem stereotype.

I really have no clue about the PSI advice, but figured helping keep it near the top would get you someone with some skilled logic. Consider it a hazing bump of helping +1, much like the spellstoring vorpal sword of healing.

[Urpriest]

This is some sort of new poster hazing, right?

Silverwolfer himself is a new poster, and arguably one less in tune with the forum's gestalt (in the psychology sense, not the rules sense) than you.

It's unfortunate you can't use homebrew, as there is an excellent Psi-ToB prestige class on this forum's homebrew boards, called the Ephemeral Blade. That said, Ardents are a bit better mixed with Swordage than Psions are, though I don't think they've been updated for PF. Since Ardents have powers known based on Manifester Level, you can afford to lose more levels of progression, including up to 7 non-psionic levels and still getting 9th level powers.

[what the duck]

Worse that can happen is he says no about updating Ardent and using Ephemeral Blade. I'll definitely look it up and ask him. Thanks!

[Dusk Eclipse]

Just take note that Ephemeral blade is intended for warblade entry, though Swordsage is certainly possible.

[what the duck]

After some more research and looking up some stuff, I've settled on Human Psychic Warrior 6/Elocater 2/Swordsage 2/War Mind 10. The bonus feats from Psychic Warrior makes it easier to fit in Snap Kick/the Dimensional Dervish line.

A full break down of levels and feats are here follows. This neuters his manifesting a bit (a lot I guess) but gives him more survivability/feels "better" for a frontline melee-er.


Human

Psyadept (Psywar Base)
1: Psywar 1: [H] Dodge [1] Mobility, [PW1] Psycrystal Affinity
2: Psywar 2: [PW2] Power Attack
3: Psywar 3: [3] Spring Attack
4: Psywar 4:
5: Psywar 5: [5] Psionic Meditation, [PW5] Psycrystal Containment
6: Psywar 6:
7: Elocater 1: [7] Expanded Knowledge: Share Pain
8: Elocater 2:
9: Unarmed Swordsage 1: [9] Snap Kick
10: Unarmed Swordsage 2:
11: War Mind 1: [11] Dimensional Agility
12: War Mind 2:
13: War Mind 3: [13] Dimensional Assault
14: War Mind 4:
15: War Mind 5: [15] Dimensional Dervish
16: War Mind 6:
17: War Mindr 7: [17] Quicken Power
18: War Mind 8:
19: War Mind 9: [19] Expanded Knowledge: Schism
20: War Mind10:

[Coidzor]

Why are you taking War Mind? :smallconfused:

[eggs]

PF Warmind advances PsyWar manifesting

[what the duck]

PF Warmind advances PsyWar manifesting

This is why I'm taking War Mind.

[Coidzor]

PF Warmind advances PsyWar manifesting

Ah, I just didn't scroll down far enough, haha.

[supermonkeyjoe]

Aren't there some rules somewhere for converting Jade Phoenix Mage to psionics?

I'm actually more interested in what the hell silverwolfer was going on about.

[Urpriest]

Aren't there some rules somewhere for converting Jade Phoenix Mage to psionics?

I'm actually more interested in what the hell silverwolfer was going on about.

Silverwolfer is apparently evincing the belief that all psionic characters look like Ialabode, much like all Rogues look like Lidda.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Silverwolfer is apparently evincing the belief that all psionic characters look like Ialabode, much like all Rogues look like Lidda.

Wait... they don't?

Dammit. This means that not all wizards look like androgynous elves. That's three perfectly awesome concepts down the drain.

I have to say, if I played Pathfinder, I would totally play a Warmind. I can't believe that they advance manifesting.

Awesome.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Silverwolfer is apparently evincing the belief that all psionic characters look like Ialabode, much like all Rogues look like Lidda.

Where is the Psion Bald dude name Ialabode? I don't recall that on the XPH....

[hamishspence]

The art archive for that book gives several of the characters names:

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ag/20040403a

Ialdabode the Telepath
Mitra the Shaper
Sandharrow the Psychic Warrior
Xerxes the Soulknife
Eulad the Wilder

[what the duck]

DM is gonna let me use Gloves of the Balanced hand from 3.5e too, so I'm gonna take on (3.5e) Dancing on a Greatsword, and use my Swordcane/"telepathically" controlled greatsword while I teleport around the battlefield and run on walls. :D