Creative ways to use Psionics

[Renen]

There are multiple threads on how to use spells in unintended ways (or intended but funny ones) Anyone got any stories/tips to share how to have some fun :smallwink: with psionics?

[Rubik]

There are multiple threads on how to use spells in unintended ways (or intended but funny ones) Anyone got any stories/tips to share how to have some fun :smallwink: with psionics?I like using the Linked Power metapsionic feat to turn strategic powers into tactical ones. Normally you couldn't use (Greater) Psionic Fabricate or Psionic Minor Creation in the heat of battle to create a bridge or a few gallons of poison. However, given that Linked Power forces the secondary power to manifest completely in the second round, those tactics suddenly become possible! It opens a startlingly large array of options, for those willing to delve into it. It also makes Psionic Identify a power that's actually worth taking.

Also, go look at the Gemstone Breath power, from Races of Stone. Note that it gives you an actual breath weapon, but is itself a power. Note also that given that it's both a power and a breath weapon, you can use both metapsionic and metabreath feats on it, which opens up some rather nasty possibilities for things like Empower Breath and Empower Power.

If you can boost your manifester level (or lower the cost), Psionic Open Chakra can be used to bind soulmelds way before anyone else can get them. Shoulder bind the phase cloak at or before level 9? Sure!

If you can get your claws on other creatures with abilities (and ability scores, and HD, and type/subtype, feats, skills, class abilities, and so on) that you want, whether through thrallherd/Leadership, Psionic Charm/Dominate, Planar Binding, Gate, taking them prisoner, or just using Diplomacy or Bluff to talk them into letting you manifest a power on them for a few moments, you can combine the Fusion power with Astral Seed to ultragestalt them with yourself. Manifest Fusion on them, then Astral Seed. Then kill yourself. A few days later you'll come back gestalted with the creature you Fusion'd with.

Grab the magic mantle to force your psionics to be magical (whether anyone else likes it or not), then the Supernatural Transformation (Psionics) feat from Savage Species. Now your manifestations are all supernatural abilities, which have a host of benefits (such as not being subject to PR or SR, and not provoking AoOs). Your ML also ramps up to your HD, so it's way better than the Practiced Manifester feat.

[edit] Also. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=177889)

[Yora]

I like to refluff catfall so it doesn't negate the force of an impact, but instead channels the entire force into the ground and almost nothing into the psion. You can't use it to jump on a creature, but whatever big object you land on gets double the damage from having an object of your size fall on it.

It's soo much cooler :smallbiggrin:

And matter agitation is the hottest thing ever. Set anything on fire with a touch, for only 1 pp. Sure, it doesn't do anything touching something with a thorch wouldn't do. But you don't always have a thorch at hand. And you don't have to have one. Or use your hands.

Body Adjustment is nice to heal lots of damage quickly. But with Vigor you never take damage in the first place. If you have the pp, you can use Vigor to give yourself 30 temporary hp, on top of the 20 or so a 6th level psion has. High on vigor, you can do all kinds of crazy stuff.
100 feet drop and no catfall? Vigor yourself 40 hp for 8 pp and just faceplant yourself on the floor below. You probably won't even get injured.

[Renen]

WOW! This is great!!! MORE!!!

Edit:
Grab the magic mantle to force your psionics to be magical (whether anyone else likes it or not), then the Supernatural Transformation (Psionics) feat from Savage Species. Now your manifestations are all supernatural abilities, which have a host of benefits (such as not being subject to PR or SR, and not provoking AoOs). Your ML also ramps up to your HD, so it's way better than the Practiced Manifester feat.
Doesnt supernatural transformation apply only to one spell like ability?

[Rubik]

Doesnt supernatural transformation apply only to one spell like ability?Manifesting from class or race is always marked "psionics" in monster/NPC entries, so you can choose "psionics" as the ability used by the feat. Since manifesting powers is, RAW, psi-like, and the magic mantle forces super-transparency between magic and psionics (ie, psionics IS magic, in all ways), the feat works as though "psionics" was a spell-like ability.

[Renen]

So instead of specifying a specific skill, you use psionics (as a subtype)?

[Rubik]

So instead of specifying a specific skill, you use psionics (as a subtype)?Well, it's got one entry in NPC and monster entries, so it's one ability, and thus works as such. You can also use Ability Focus (psionics) to get +2 to all DCs of powers you manifest.

[Renen]

Ok thanks. Got any more tips to share? Not necessarily tricks/cheese, but even clever uses of some powers?

[avr]

Energy wall (sonic) can bring down castles, if slowly.

Besides the obvious uses with movement, hustle can be used to draw weapons, get items out of your pack or similar. It's quick draw as well as pounce.

[Humble Master]

For telekinesis my all time favorite is lifting up 500lbs of magma with it and throwing it at people. Good times.

Also for feats. Become a Warforged and max out you weight using flaws, traits, feats whatever. Then get the Up the Walls feat. Run up walls, jump of and squish people. Being fat was never so lethal.

I will probably come up with more too.

[Rubik]

Energy wall (sonic) can bring down castles, if slowly.It can also be used as a sort of Wind Wall, if placed between you and archers. You can fire powers out, but any arrows that try to get in will be blasted with sonic energy.


Besides the obvious uses with movement, hustle can be used to draw weapons, get items out of your pack or similar. It's quick draw as well as pounce.It can also be used to regain your psionic focus, or manifest a move-action power. It can also be used with Linked Power for something like Synchronicity to get an additional standard action next round.

[Renen]

Wonder if Psyren knows some stuff >_<

[Norin]

Wonder if Psyren knows some stuff >_<

Psyren plays psionics? Naaaah. :smallbiggrin:

[chronomatophobe]

Matter Agitation can kill just about anyone without fire resistance for one power point (up to 10d6/level damage, minus five to ten points) as long as they hold very still, or are perhaps restrained. No save

Had a lawful evil inquisitor character use this trick on victims' faces to extort information.

EDIT: I also think that egoist and erudite are the only classes that allows you to Shapechange into TWO colossal dragons, through Fission+Greater Metamorphosis+Expansion

[Rubik]

EDIT: I also think that egoist and erudite are the only classes that allows you to Shapechange into TWO colossal dragons, through Fission+Greater Metamorphosis+ExpansionFour, actually, since both can have psicrystals to share those powers with.

[chronomatophobe]

Four, actually, since both can have psicrystals to share those powers with.

You, sir, have just blown my mind.
Can one even share fission with a psicrystal? Peculiar idea.

[Vaz]

Ardent 10, Time Dominant Mantle

Use Substitute Powers ACF to get Synchronicity (fairly easy), and hopefully Bestow Power on Time. Linked Power and Metapower Linked Syncronicity

For 1pp/round, get 1 free standard action each turn, or alternatively regain 2 PP for free (net regain 1pp/round). Manifest Schism (Substitue into Mental power) as well for another purely mental standard action each round.

Ardent 9/non Manifester 5/Ardent +1, overchannel (taken at 12 or before) and practised manifester (again, 12 or before). At 15, get the equivalent of 9th level powers (17pp) two levels early. It is a bit dodgy in that to manifest them you need to take damage, but with the above trick as well with Vigor, you can easily account for it, unless you have another form of Fast Healing.

[Psyren]

Wonder if Psyren knows some stuff >_<


Psyren plays psionics? Naaaah. :smallbiggrin:

:smalltongue:

There's a whole thread of tricks compiled from the community (by KA) in my sig. Plenty of creativity there.

My personal favorites for "creativity" are probably the Psionic Sandwich and Save Game Tricks, but there are many more. Dreadnought is another uniquely psionic tactic.

[Tvtyrant]

There is the whole Mass Time Hop and Time Regression to make a time machine trick. Mass Time Hop allows you to jump forward hours/level, which with extend gets you 2/ML. Keep jumping forward until you are 1,000 years in the future or so, and then use a dorje of Time Regression with a single charge to move anywhere in the past (the charge auto-refills when you jump back, so you can jump backwards or forwards infinitely.)

You want to play something immortal to deal with the millions of turn of hopping, but you are now a Time Lord! The earliest you can do this is with Time Hop and a mostly used Dorje at level 5, which is pretty low.

[Renen]

Psionic Sandwich is actually gone. Well, the link atleast

[Venger]

I like to use time hop to remove locked doors and other obstacles.

[Psyren]

Psionic Sandwich is actually gone. Well, the link atleast

The Minmaxboards version of the tricks thread still has it quoted.

[Garagos]

Couple days ago our group which includes my Wizard/Psion(egoist)/Cerebremancer were clearing out a giant's stronghold. We fought over 50 giants in the course of 1 initiative roll, so healing was getting tough after awhile. I used Magic Jar to start taking giant's bodies and then using augmented Empathic Transfers to help keep our fighters alive while also doing some damage to the enemy, as well as a little crowd control.

[Renen]

Matter Agitation can kill just about anyone without fire resistance for one power point (up to 10d6/level damage, minus five to ten points) as long as they hold very still, or are perhaps restrained. No save

Had a lawful evil inquisitor character use this trick on victims' faces to extort information.

EDIT: I also think that egoist and erudite are the only classes that allows you to Shapechange into TWO colossal dragons, through Fission+Greater Metamorphosis+Expansion

Why do they have to be restrained?

[chronomatophobe]

Why do they have to be restrained?
I wouldn't stand idly by while someone burned me with their brain--I'd retaliate. Just makes it so the power isn't interrupted. Since it takes the power so long to do appreciable damage, it's not really suitable for combat. Just torture.