how to fix melee.. make them all psychic!!!

[visigani]

The psionics system, with only a few adjustments, could be made use of by noncasters and low casters to simulate amazing skill and talents. Nothing overt like standard casters but there are a plethora of options.

[Snowbluff]

Not sure, but I think this is called Psychic Warrior, which is Tier 3, which is the same wonderful Tier as the ToB.

Unless you are suggesting adding full manifesting to melee classes, in which case I would suggest you do otherwise.

[Twilightwyrm]

This if kind of what Tomb of Battle already did, except they based it upon the spell casting system rather than the psionic system. You could try it based upon psionics, but it may turn out like Incarnum.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Also power points plus full bab gets silly. I live slapping phrenic on my fighters. Good powers AND deep impact? Sign me up.

[Talionis]

I think the direction you are going is valid, but psionics wasn't designed for it so it would need more than tweaking.

I agree with the premise that all non casters should get some system to give them more ways to interact and definately more choices.

I absolutely HATE how dependent non casters are on the Feat system to sink multiple feats to grant less than casters achieve in their spells.

The classes are not balanced, which is ok. But when no casters get boring because casters have choices and they don't it sucks.

For me the best answer is to change all non casters into Gishes.

[visigani]

I think the direction you are going is valid, but psionics wasn't designed for it so it would need more than tweaking.

I agree with the premise that all non casters should get some system to give them more ways to interact and definately more choices.

I absolutely HATE how dependent non casters are on the Feat system to sink multiple feats to grant less than casters achieve in their spells.

The classes are not balanced, which is ok. But when no casters get boring because casters have choices and they don't it sucks.

For me the best answer is to change all non casters into Gishes.



It's possible to take existing powers and "adjust them" to be more about skill than "magic", this tends to be especially true with psionics.

A good example would be bend reality and reality revision. Limit the scope of their ability somewhat, and you can use the powers in a rebranded fashion.

Bend Reality becomes Master Strategy, and Reality Revision becomes Perfect Strategy.

Bend reality allows a single role just made to be redone, and Reality Revision allows an entire round just made to be redone.

All this under the guise that in each case what "happened" was really just the strategist envisioning the result, and now the round is played for real.

There's a bunch of abilities like that, some right out of the box... like defensive/offensive precognition, vigor or mental barrier (which becomes defensive barrier, but is essentially the same).

[Talionis]

It's possible to take existing powers and "adjust them" to be more about skill than "magic", this tends to be especially true with psionics.

A good example would be bend reality and reality revision. Limit the scope of their ability somewhat, and you can use the powers in a rebranded fashion.

Bend Reality becomes Master Strategy, and Reality Revision becomes Perfect Strategy.

Bend reality allows a single role just made to be redone, and Reality Revision allows an entire round just made to be redone.

All this under the guise that in each case what "happened" was really just the strategist envisioning the result, and now the round is played for real.

There's a bunch of abilities like that, some right out of the box... like defensive/offensive precognition, vigor or mental barrier (which becomes defensive barrier, but is essentially the same).

Fluff can be refluffed in my book. I don't disagree with you at all. But even some of the low level stuff like Enlarge Person become problematic because you wouldn't want the character to actually get bigger. Bigger has a large set of bonuses and setbacks attached to it. I agree it would be more than appropriate to make the character hit like he is bigger without an actual size change, but that's more than a tweak.

Some are easier than others, I'll grant you. I'm sure there are worse ones than Enlarge Person too. And there is no question that Psionics are easier to translate into non-magical than Divine or Arcane spells would be.

I just think it would take a DM and player sitting down and saying, "yes this power." "This power only with these changes." "Not that power." Because Psionic isn't a simple all of the Powers can port over without any changes other than Fluff.

That being said. I think you have an excellent idea. I applaud it. I actually may try it for an upcoming campaign. But I'd go into it with the thought in mind that I'd be making compromises.

[Fouredged Sword]

Cool idea. I would take a diferent path but it seems like a cool idea.

I would add a twist though. Lets make a generic martial class. Lets call that class "Fighting Man" just for nostalgia.

Full BAB, d10 HD, 6+int skill points per level, most skills as class skills (not UMD). Good fort save, bad other saves. Prof in medium and light armor, all shields but tower, and all martial and simple weapons.

Class features
1 - Class Focus, Effort, Lesser Effort Talent
2 - Fighting Feature
3 - Lesser Effort Talent
4 - Floating Bonus Feat
5 - Lesser Effort Talent
6 - Expanded Effort, Fighting Feature
7 - Great Effort talent
8 - Floating Bonus Feat
9 - Great Effort Talent
10-Second Focus, Fighting Feature
11-Great Effort talent
12-Floating Bonus Feat
13-Greater effort talent
14-Supreame Effort, Fighting Feature
15-Greater effort talent
16-Floating Bonus Feat
17-Greater effort talent
18-Greater Fighting Feature
19-Master effort talent
20-Master of War

The idea is that the class picks a stat to focus on, str, dex, con, int, wis, or cha.

This gives them three things. First they get a "lesser talent" and "fighting feature" based on their choice, that stat is used to determine the cap on the amount of effort they can store, and they get some class skills based on that stat.

Selecting Strength would give them the Powerful Build trait as a Fighting Feature and the focused attack lesser talent. Charisma would give the fighting man the divine grace fighting feature and the smite lesser talent.

Effort would be a pool of points up to the modifier of your class focus stat modifier. These points can be used to roll an extra die when taking an action that is resolved immediately, like smashing a door or attacking. You roll two die in place of one and if this roll uses your chosen attribute you add that modifier a second time. This means you can roll an extra d20 to break a door down, or an extra d12 when hitting with your great ax. You keep the better of the two rolls, adding your modifier to the final result if appropriate.

These points recover 1 per minute, and their use takes an immediate action.

They can also be used to power talents. Talents usually take 1 effort point and have some effect that ether is a once applied effect or lasts for 1 minute.

These are like the following
Focused attack - You can spend effort points to add damage after a hit has been confirmed and damage rolled. Each point spent adds 2 points to the damage.
Smite - Spend an effort point. You add your charisma to the attack and damage rolls for a single attack
Iron Body - Spend one effort point. You gain DR 1/- for one minute, with DR +1 per effort point spent past the first to use this ability.

There would need to be lots of these. Each tier being better than the last.

Fighting features are there to add permanent bonuses to a character, like powerful build, dex to attack AND damage, Wis to AC, charisma to saves, bardic knowledge, or upped HD and heavy armor prof.

There needs to be lots of these and they need cool choices.

At 6th you add your chosen stat to all actions when spending effort for an extra die with a roll, and twice with your chosen stat.

At 10th you pick a second chosen stat and gain the benefits of that class focus, adding both modifiers together to determine the total effort you can hold, but the maximum spent on a single ability remains your primary stat.

At 4th and every 4th level after that you gain a floating feat that can be used to gain any feat from the fighter bonus feat list you qualify for. This feat can be reassigned by spending a effort point per feat to be resigned.

The idea is that you give melee cool things, and they can and should expend themselves completely every battle. They get cool self buffs and class features without spending every action buffing.

[Big Fau]

This if kind of what Tomb of Battle already did, except they based it upon the spell casting system rather than the psionic system.

Actually, there is evidence that the Bo9S was based on Psionics and was switched to it's psuedo-Vanican form late in the editing process. The editors missed small hints.

[Snowbluff]

Actually, there is evidence that the Bo9S was based on Psionics and was switched to it's psuedo-Vanican form late in the editing process. The editors missed small hints.

Probably for the best. Counting points would have made the system have extra tedium it evidently does not need to function.

[Talionis]

Probably for the best. Counting points would have made the system have extra tedium it evidently does not need to function.

I didn't know that the ToB system was closer to Psionics... Good to know. I would also agree with you Snowbluff. The ToB system is less cumbersome to keep track of than a powerpoint system.

I just wish we had more ToB material. I'd have liked more Prestige Classes to better interact with other systems such as Binders and Warlocks. I'd have liked more styles of maneuvers, some that worked with missile weapons would have been nice. I'm a huge fan of ToB, but I just feel like even Psionics is better supported.

[Fouredged Sword]

There is great hombrew on the forum.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=255468

Black Rain is a good ranged TOB school.