Psionic Archetype for Wizard Help

[Hrimhari]

I was imagining a retool of the Erudite from 3.5.

Maybe a Wizard who has natural psionic power and instead of just letting the powers come like a Psion but instead seeks out the powers and how they work, while still taking part in the study of magic.

What I am curious about is what would the powers per day be, maybe the spell slots the wizard chart uses?
What would the power points be, maybe the psions power point chart?

I was thinking he would learn powers naturally and of course can learn powers like a normal wizard through power stones or other psionic beings. But also be able to learn powers from Scrolls and magic users up to one level lower then his highest power level.

Now his powers per day limit would count for his learned spells too. So if he can use 4 level 1 powers/spells he can only use a total of 4 level one abilities a mix of either powers or spells but he cannot use 4 of each.

I was also thinking a restriction. If you use a power it is locked into that slot but you can use it as long as you have power points to fuel it. However, after the first time you use the power or spell. You treat it every other time as a level higher.

So mind thrust would cost 1 power point the first time you manifest it but every time after you would treat it as a lvl 2 power and cost 3 points. a level 2 power would then cost 5 points after 1 use. a lvl 3 power costs 7 points the same as 4th level powers.

[erikun]

This sounds like the Spell to Power Erudite variant (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a). In fact, I'd be hard-pressed to point out the difference, besides your idea having a ton of additional unique powers per day.

Most people who're familiar with the Erudite will agree that 11 UPD at 20th level, and especially 1 UPD at 1st, is a bit too low. I've heard granting 2 UPD at 1st level and increasing it by +1 UPD each level, up to 21 UPD at 20th level. I haven't given it a try myself to test it out, though.

How else is your idea different from the Spell to Power Erudite?

[Neoxenok]

Before I offer my advice, are we talking about 3.5 edition D&D or Pathfinder? - because that is important to my advice given the differences between the arcane and psionic casters of those games.

[gurgleflep]

Before I offer my advice, are we talking about 3.5 edition D&D or Pathfinder? - because that is important to my advice given the differences between the arcane and psionic casters of those games.

It's 3.5, look at the first line of his post.

[Neoxenok]

It's 3.5, look at the first line of his post.

Hmm... The best hidden things are right in front of my face, I suppose.

Anyway, if that's the case, then there are a number of routes you could go here. I don't personally like the Erudite because I consider it far more powerful than either a standard psion OR a wizard but a more balanced variation can be achieved, certainly.

The easiest way would be to play a cerebromancer - a theurge-type prestige class available in the expanded psionics handbook.

Alternatively, you could play a wizard and use the specialization mechanics - have the wizard give up two or three schools as prohibited schools as if the wizard were specializing in a school of magic and give up all bonus feats.

Instead, the wizard gains a pool of psionic power points and can gain psionic powers at a rate of 1 + 1 per two wizard levels after 1st as bonus powers (which would be class features, so a prestige-classing wizard wouldn't get any advanced psionic powers.) He could also perhaps replace the familiar with a psicrystal.

His feats are also replaced with either discipline powers or bonus feats from which you could select either psionic feats (from the psion's list of bonus feats) or your standard wizard bonus feats.

So that's what I would design if I were doing something like that for a game I were running.