What's the best psionic Emergency Buff?

[Qwertystop]

I'm entering a game as an Elan. Class is Cleric/Warlock/Eldritch Disciple, and I'm going into IotSV (advancing Warlock) as soon as I get 4th level Cleric spells to qualify. My general goal is jack-of-all-trades utility, mostly because I really like the wide variety of niche magic items and spells. I realized that once I get past the "needs food" requirement, I still have one power point per day and not much to do with it. I found the Complex Psionic Tattoos rules (http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wizards.com%2Fdefault.asp%3Fx %3Ddnd%2Fpsm%2F20031225a&ei=K1uuUcLoCsvi4APAh4HoBA&usg=AFQjCNGLBBId9x5lVsD3EaFgAKZHsP0WSw&sig2=pCbQP2Tac41guVmgPIxEUQ&bvm=bv.47244034,d.dmg), and realized that the Capacitor there plus a standard one would work pretty well, as long as I have a power to use for it.

So, any ideas? Basically, an emergency this-is-a-really-big-fight-coming buff, or a panic button. In a pinch, maybe just a power so massively useful that I'd prepare it in Cleric slots every day, and this would just save one every few days, but I'd prefer something different instead of just more of what I already have.

Oh, and it should be something that's cheaper than just getting a once-per-day (or per several days - putting in a fraction for the "uses per day" on the pricing guidelines) normal item of the power. If I can get it cheaper and at least as often by another way, I don't want to do it with this.

[Than]

Dimension Swap. The trick is getting access to it without any psionic manifesting ability.

[erikun]

Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm), at 20 PP, gives you an instant 100 HP.

Compression (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/compression.htm) is a nice quick boost to AC, especially augmented. Expansion is good for the alternative.

Hustle

Psionic Freedom of Movement

Greater Psionic Teleport

Psionic Telekinetic Sphere

Time Regression (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeRegression.htm)

True Mind Switch would be an amusing one.

[Renen]

Dimension Swap. The trick is getting access to it without any psionic manifesting ability.

He wants tattoos... so just say he got a Psion to do them for him.

[Qwertystop]

Dimension Swap. The trick is getting access to it without any psionic manifesting ability.

Ummm.... how is that good? As I see it, it's exactly like Benign Transposition except psionic and second-level instead of first-level. Costs 1550 to get as a Tattoo with a Capacitor, which would let me use it once per three days. Once per day of Benign Transposition costs 400 gp - I could actually get it 4 times per day for only an extra 50 gp. And all it does is switch "One of my allies (or me) is in horrible danger" for "A different ally (or me) is in horrible danger."

Also, the first (and only other) post says exactly how I'd be getting it.

[Qwertystop]

Vigor (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/vigor.htm), at 20 PP, gives you an instant 100 HP.

Compression (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/compression.htm) is a nice quick boost to AC, especially augmented. Expansion is good for the alternative.

Hustle

Psionic Freedom of Movement

Greater Psionic Teleport

Psionic Telekinetic Sphere

Time Regression (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/timeRegression.htm)

True Mind Switch would be an amusing one.

Hmmm... High-power Vigor is perfect for this, but it's a bit more self-focused than I'd like. Certainly on the list.

Compression (and Expansion) are back to "cheaper to get more frequently as a normal item", though the augmentations cancel that and might be worth it. Also worth a shot, depending on what point in the game I get the gold for that kind of thing - at some point AC doesn't mean as much on it's own, and again, the personalness might be a small problem.

Time Regression would also be perfect, but the XP cost could be a problem - not sure how it factors into it, there don't seem to be any rules on it for potions or tattoos specifically, but under the general rules it certainly adds a bit.

EDIT: Hustle... less useful than just doing something to get out straightaway - I'm not combat focused yet. If I turn out to focus that it might be better.

TK Sphere - Looks good. Also has exactly the right "eccentric utility" feel - giant mind-bubbles! Very high on the list.

FoM: Useful... but useful enough that it'd almost be better to get it always-on. Cheaper this way, though.

Greater Teleport: Obviously good, and cheaper than an item even with being a level higher than the Wizard equivalent. And I probably won't need it every day anyway, and having a timer on teleports is a good thing for plot! This is going to be the one I take, almost guaranteed, unless there's a normal caster in the final party who's going to just have Teleport and solve the whole thing without need for me to do it.

[AmberVael]

Personally I've always been fond of Defensive Precognition (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/precognitionDefensive.htm) simply because it is a broad buff. Augmentation is a bit expensive, but hey, you're adding an insight bonus to all saving throws and your armor class at the same time.

[pwykersotz]

Schism is fantastic. You get a second save against any compulsion effects, and you can take another purely mental standard action each round. Granted, spells and powers are used at -6 CL/ML this way, so you'd better be high enough level for it to matter.

Astral Construct is a great 'Oh ****' button as well, as it has abilities tailored to your situation and gives the enemy another target. It also is 1st level and augmentable. I don't know much about Psionic Tattoos, but if they allow augmenting, this is a strong choice.

If you can go as high as 8th level, you can always get Chaos Fissure. It applies Wild Magic or Wild Surge effects in a 20ft radius emanation. Fun for allies or for enemies.

Yet another low level one is Damp Power. 3pp, minimize the next power/spell that hits you. If you have 4 extra PP, this will also apply to your allies. It definitely takes the sting out of a fireball.

These are just a few ideas, if you have a specific goal in mind I could suggest something else.

[Gavinfoxx]

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2814

Psionic Revivify Tattoo + Capacitor + Relay + Dimension Slide OR Ectoplasmic Cocoon + Body Adjustment (augmented with at least 2 power points to 3rd level) + Inducer + Transducer

This:

1) Activates Dimension Slide or Ectoplasmic Coccoon (on yourself) immediately upon your death, either getting you out of a lethal situation by moving you or making you much less likely to take more damage

2) The next round, you will be brought back to life with no XP loss, but at -1 hit points and stable.

3) The round after that, you'll be healed for 2d12 hit points

4) Will Recharge itself with your own power points, draining you of 1 power point per day until it is recharged (this takes 19 days)

5.) Doesn’t take up actual body slots, only psychic tattoo slots, of which it takes up 9/20

[Qwertystop]

Schism is fantastic. You get a second save against any compulsion effects, and you can take another purely mental standard action each round. Granted, spells and powers are used at -6 CL/ML this way, so you'd better be high enough level for it to matter.

Astral Construct is a great 'Oh ****' button as well, as it has abilities tailored to your situation and gives the enemy another target. It also is 1st level and augmentable. I don't know much about Psionic Tattoos, but if they allow augmenting, this is a strong choice.

If you can go as high as 8th level, you can always get Chaos Fissure. It applies Wild Magic or Wild Surge effects in a 20ft radius emanation. Fun for allies or for enemies.

Yet another low level one is Damp Power. 3pp, minimize the next power/spell that hits you. If you have 4 extra PP, this will also apply to your allies. It definitely takes the sting out of a fireball.

These are just a few ideas, if you have a specific goal in mind I could suggest something else.

Okay... let's see.

Schism could be good. Depends in part on whether it drops my Warlock abilities.

Astral Cosntruct is a no. I just looked up the rules and - oops! Turns out tattoos are like potions in more ways than being single-use consumables - they have to be self-targeted. Same for the others, except Damp Power which could be good.

So, ah... sorry to those ones I commented on as taking a hit for being self-only.

And... hmmm. Explanation of Tattoos.

As a baseline, they're like potions. Except instead of being in bottles, they're tattooed on you. You can't have more than a certain amount (twenty by core rules, but 17 is mentioned in that advanced-rules thing), and if you get more, they all go off at once.

The advanced-rules article lists prices for higher-than-third-level tattoos, as far as costs and extra slots taken. It also provides things a bit like meta-tattoos that let you modify the way they work - one that disables all of them temporarily if you go over the limit instead of wasting them, one that lets you activate them as a Swift action, one that lets you chain them so several activate in order when you use one, you get the idea. The one I'm concerned with is the Capacitor. It takes one power point from you per day, each time you regain them. When it has enough points stored to manifest the power in the tattoo it's linked to, you can use the tattoo and drain that pool instead of using up the tattoo.

So basically it lets me use my one power point per day that I really don't need as a way to power an emergency spell. If I get an Integrated Circuit as well, I can move the capacitors around (for 1 pp per connection or disconnection) to have another charged as backup, or to have more capacitor-powered powers than I have points per day (as long as I don't have too many ready-to-use at the same time). That's lategame, though. Right now I can't fit that in, because all my feats are used on prereqs to IotSV, so I don't have a big enough pool to charge one capacitor, switch two, and still not need food (which is a bit of a character point).

[Qwertystop]

http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=2814

Psionic Revivify Tattoo + Capacitor + Relay + Dimension Slide OR Ectoplasmic Cocoon + Body Adjustment (augmented with at least 2 power points to 3rd level) + Inducer + Transducer

This:

1) Activates Dimension Slide or Ectoplasmic Coccoon (on yourself) immediately upon your death, either getting you out of a lethal situation by moving you or making you much less likely to take more damage

2) The next round, you will be brought back to life with no XP loss, but at -1 hit points and stable.

3) The round after that, you'll be healed for 2d12 hit points

4) Will Recharge itself with your own power points, draining you of 1 power point per day until it is recharged (this takes 19 days)

5.) Doesn’t take up actual body slots, only psychic tattoo slots, of which it takes up 9/20

Well, apart from the fact that that's crazy-expensive, there's one thing missing from that: decisions made on using powers need to be made on making the tattoo. So Dimension Slide won't work unless you happen to be near whatever spot you picked on making the tattoo.

Also, Ectoplasmic Cocoon isn't really much of a defense when you get to the point of being able to afford this whole setup.

[pwykersotz]

Well, if you want to pull out the big guns of self-buff, you probably want either Temporal Acceleration or Timeless Body. Temporal Acceleration is like Time Stop only at 6th level, and Timeless Body is pretty much the ultimate set of immunities for a full round.

If you're going for more offense, I recommend Fission. Two of you is always better than one.