Segev
2013-08-16, 10:37 AM
This is a concept that's rattled around my head for a while, but placing it precisely and picking the exact implementation has been difficult. So I thought I'd turn to my fellow crunch-loving players to try to make this idea into one or more probably-balanced realities!
The core of the idea is a Psi power that grants ability to use a skill that the psionic character is not necessarily trained in, and probably granting a bonus based on augmentation. I can see it as a Clairsentience power (and likely Seer-exclusive) if it just lets you spend the power points and name a skill to gain phantom ranks in it, or as Telepathy if it requires you to target somebody with ranks in the skill to gain up to the number of PP spent on it in ranks.
So here are some rough sketches of a write-up:
Phantom Ranks
Clairsentience
You gain a number of ranks in a skill of your choice equal to the number of pp you expend on this power for one skill check. It would have a base rating of whatever its base PP cost is, and could be augmented 1:1 up to your ML. If the skill is cross-class, you gain only half as many ranks.
Telepathy
You gain a number of ranks in a skill equal to the number of ranks your target has in that skill (or N+3, if N+3 is lower, where N is the base number of PP you spend on the power) for one skill check. You can augment it on a 1:1 basis, but can't exceed your target's number of ranks.
Possible Second Power: You select a skill in which you have ranks, and grant the target ranks equal to your own, capped by their legal level limit and the PP you spend (including augmentation).
In both instances, the ranks overlap with, not stack with, any ranks you already have. This means you'll never have more ranks than your level would permit.
Insight Bonus
Clairsentience
When you activate this power, you select a skill. You gain an insight bonus equal to the PP spent on this skill (augmentation can increase this above the base amount), and may use it untrained for a single skill check.
Telepathy
When you activate this power, you select a skill in which your target has ranks, and gain an insight bonus to that skill equal to the number of PP you spend on this power (augmentable in the obvious fashion), capped by the number of ranks your target has in that skill. You may also use this skill untrained. This lasts for one check.
Telepathy Exclusive Version: Shared Ranks
You select a number of willing targets equal to your ML, and form a sort of hive mind. Each participant may use the skill ranks of the one who has the most ranks in that skill in the group when making skill checks. Augmentation can allow you to include unwilling targets and select whether they gain the benefit or merely "contribute" skill ranks.
comment: This version of the power may be best done with Concentration duration, but that does mean the Psion himself isn't really able to use the skills directly, and if he's maintaining it for any length of time, probably needs to be carried around on a mount or a cart for the party to move at a reasonable rate.
I'm not sure which, if any, of these are the best way to go, nor how to place them in the Psion/Wilder, Seer, or Telepath lists, nor at what level. I'm unsure on durations; the "for one skill check" is the most restrictive I can think of and makes sure it is costly to try to "replace" a skill-monkey with it, but given the sheer dearth of powers known available to Wilders and even Psions, it may not quite be "Good Enough," since taking such a power would be an attempt to be a backup or replacement skill-monkey.
I look to you, Playground denizens, for suggestions on implementation and crunch!
Thanks!
The core of the idea is a Psi power that grants ability to use a skill that the psionic character is not necessarily trained in, and probably granting a bonus based on augmentation. I can see it as a Clairsentience power (and likely Seer-exclusive) if it just lets you spend the power points and name a skill to gain phantom ranks in it, or as Telepathy if it requires you to target somebody with ranks in the skill to gain up to the number of PP spent on it in ranks.
So here are some rough sketches of a write-up:
Phantom Ranks
Clairsentience
You gain a number of ranks in a skill of your choice equal to the number of pp you expend on this power for one skill check. It would have a base rating of whatever its base PP cost is, and could be augmented 1:1 up to your ML. If the skill is cross-class, you gain only half as many ranks.
Telepathy
You gain a number of ranks in a skill equal to the number of ranks your target has in that skill (or N+3, if N+3 is lower, where N is the base number of PP you spend on the power) for one skill check. You can augment it on a 1:1 basis, but can't exceed your target's number of ranks.
Possible Second Power: You select a skill in which you have ranks, and grant the target ranks equal to your own, capped by their legal level limit and the PP you spend (including augmentation).
In both instances, the ranks overlap with, not stack with, any ranks you already have. This means you'll never have more ranks than your level would permit.
Insight Bonus
Clairsentience
When you activate this power, you select a skill. You gain an insight bonus equal to the PP spent on this skill (augmentation can increase this above the base amount), and may use it untrained for a single skill check.
Telepathy
When you activate this power, you select a skill in which your target has ranks, and gain an insight bonus to that skill equal to the number of PP you spend on this power (augmentable in the obvious fashion), capped by the number of ranks your target has in that skill. You may also use this skill untrained. This lasts for one check.
Telepathy Exclusive Version: Shared Ranks
You select a number of willing targets equal to your ML, and form a sort of hive mind. Each participant may use the skill ranks of the one who has the most ranks in that skill in the group when making skill checks. Augmentation can allow you to include unwilling targets and select whether they gain the benefit or merely "contribute" skill ranks.
comment: This version of the power may be best done with Concentration duration, but that does mean the Psion himself isn't really able to use the skills directly, and if he's maintaining it for any length of time, probably needs to be carried around on a mount or a cart for the party to move at a reasonable rate.
I'm not sure which, if any, of these are the best way to go, nor how to place them in the Psion/Wilder, Seer, or Telepath lists, nor at what level. I'm unsure on durations; the "for one skill check" is the most restrictive I can think of and makes sure it is costly to try to "replace" a skill-monkey with it, but given the sheer dearth of powers known available to Wilders and even Psions, it may not quite be "Good Enough," since taking such a power would be an attempt to be a backup or replacement skill-monkey.
I look to you, Playground denizens, for suggestions on implementation and crunch!
Thanks!