Detonate Psicrystal -- Why?

[Rubik]

The 3rd party psionic sourcebook Hyperconscious contains the 8th level Detonate Psicrystal power, which destroys your psicrystal and deals 30d6 points of untyped damage in a 20 ft radius. You must make a Fort save (DC 15), and if you fail, you lose 200 XP per level. Either way, you take 2 points of Intelligence drain. You cannot regain your psicrystal or heal the ability drain for 6 months.

Why would anyone ever take this power? Honestly, it's almost as bad as taking the Mage Slayer feat as an arcane caster. Why not just take Empower Power and Overchannel, and deal nearly as much damage on an Energy Ball, without completely screwing yourself?

[ZamielVanWeber]

Because it only takes one feat and is untyped? No clue ultimately. Damage is harder to do with psionics then magic, but this power really does not close the gap.

[Feralventas]

Make a little bit of effort to immunize yourself to Int drain effects, and a few thousand xp can be worth a good BOOM at mid to late levels.

Alternatively, grant your psicrystal the Psicrystal afinity feat, and have that one do the same untill your psicrystals have psicrystals have psicrystals, then sett them of in a chain and stop before the chain hits your's.

[Rubik]

Because it only takes one feat and is untyped? No clue ultimately. Damage is harder to do with psionics then magic, but this power really does not close the gap.Well, psionics is easier to get decent damage from without optimizing, but it's more difficult to optimize highly.


Make a little bit of effort to immunize yourself to Int drain effects, and a few thousand xp can be worth a good BOOM at mid to late levels.

Alternatively, grant your psicrystal the Psicrystal afinity feat, and have that one do the same untill your psicrystals have psicrystals have psicrystals, then sett them of in a chain and stop before the chain hits your's.It only affects your psicrystal. I could see this being useful if you could detonate someone else's, but only with your level of optimization or in a high-psionics campaign.

[J-H]

Why would anyone do a Retributive Strike by snapping a Staff of the Magi type item?

It exists for edge cases where you're willing to die or badly harm yourself to kill everything nearby... except that your Psicrystal can be far enough away from you that you don't kill yourself.

[Rubik]

Why would anyone do a Retributive Strike by snapping a Staff of the Magi type item?

It exists for edge cases where you're willing to die or badly harm yourself to kill everything nearby... except that your Psicrystal can be far enough away from you that you don't kill yourself.Except death is actually easier to fix.

[Kuulvheysoon]

Why would anyone do a Retributive Strike by snapping a Staff of the Magi type item?

It exists for edge cases where you're willing to die or badly harm yourself to kill everything nearby... except that your Psicrystal can be far enough away from you that you don't kill yourself.

But the point is that the Staff of the Magi has other potent abilities. Why would a Psion want to use one of his valuable powers known on this? It's like a sorceror taking a spell that explodes their familiar.

[Fouredged Sword]

You take two turns to cast it. One round you psi reform, next round you detonate, then you just switch it back. It costs 100exp extra.

Psions who take psi reform laugh at those who don't.

[Person_Man]

Feats are also used for NPCs. I as a player would never take this. But I as a DM might give it to a creature for plot reasons (if they were on a suicide attack) or to challenge the PCs (if I know they have access to Resurrection).

[Boci]

Feats are also used for NPCs. I as a player would never take this. But I as a DM might give it to a creature for plot reasons (if they were on a suicide attack) or to challenge the PCs (if I know they have access to Resurrection).

But it doesn't kill you, it destroys your psichrystal.

[Eurus]

Why not just empower an Energy Ball? Well, why not empower the Detonate? 45d6 untyped damage isn't anything to sneeze at. It's not amazing, admittedly, but the cost isn't that big of a deal either if you're prepared to be able to shrug it off.

[Big Fau]

Look at who wrote the book. Not even Bruce Cordell, a highly respected developer amongst 3.5's fans, had a firm understanding of 3E's mechanics and the concept of opportunity costs. Powers like this were designed with flavor in mind, not balance or mechanical efficiency. They didn't even start designing abilities with those two concepts at the forefront until PH2, and even then they weren't very successful at it.