More PsiGish help

[JW86]

Hi guys,

Still in a little quandry following on from this thread: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303516

Basically, I'm trying to create a PsiGish (Picture Ulquiorra from Bleach for cheese).

Seeking highest possible BAB and ML. I keep going around in circles picking from people's advice and struggling to settle on something I feel happy with. I think it comes down to wanting to be master at melee and manifesting, both - there are not enough feats to fully cover all of this!

Introducing the character at level 15. At the moment, I have a Lesser Tiefling Ranger 1/Psion 5/Slayer 9.
Stats (4d6, remove lowest dice roll are at) 16, 15, 14, 14, 14, 11. Including racial modified and level additional scores, I'm at: STR 16, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 20, WIS 14, CHA 9.

Feats are: Psicrystal Affinity (for Share Pain/Vigor), Psionic Meditation, Empower Power, Practiced Manifester, Power Attack, Leap Attack, Expanded Knowledge: Psionic Lion's Charge, and Expanded Knowledge: Form of Doom (suits the character well).

Level 17 and 18 were going to be a 2-level dip into Fighter, taking Improved Bullrush and Shock Trooper, with the general Level 18 feat being Quicken Power.

Psion discipline was going to be Egoist, powers taken as follows.

Level 1 - 5 - Inertial Armour / Force Screen / *Thicken Skin / Vigor / Mind Thrust / OR Precognition, Defencive
Level 2 - 4 - *Animal Affinity / Biofeedback / Crystalstorm / Share Pain
Level 3 - 4 - *Hustle* / Mental Barrier / Energy WallORTelekinetic Thrust / Time Hop
Level 4 - 4 - *Metamorphosis* / Dimension Door / Divination / Correspond
Level 5 - 4 - Anticipatory Strike / Plane Shift / Ectoplasmic Shambler / Major Creation,Psionic
Level 6 - 3 - Disintegrate / Temporal Acceleration / Restoration (Retrieve tempting)
Level 7 - 1 - Ultrablast

Alongside Psionic Lion's Charge and Form of Doom from expanded knowledge.

BAB at level 15 is +12/+7/+2. AC I can pump through roof by empowering inertial armour, thicken skin, etc. Saves are Fort+8, Ref9, Will+12

The game is likely to go epic, probably culminating somewhere around level 30. So there is plenty of time to improve.

Would like to maximise BAB and ML, getting 9th level powers, etc. Assimilate and Greater Metamorphosis are of interest.

As an aside, I do not want to use that general Egoist power of Metamorphosis to be shapeshifting into war trolls for melee - I want to fight in my own physical form. Only except will be using Greater Metamorphosis when absolutely necessary, but the cheese of a Psionic Tiefling zwooshing into a Balor or somesuch when near-death appeals, kind of.

Concerns are if I am putting too many feats into "charging" - the psionic lion's charge, shock trooper, improved bull rush etc., - is there a less feat-intensive way for a psigish to be decent melee? If so, I could put some of those feats towards psicrystal, metapsionics. Also, I would rather use Exp. Knowledge for Dimension Hop or Slide, and quicken those, as the flavour of it is more appealing than Lion's Charge

Also need to consider adapting the build for that feat/power whereby you reclaim power points, with a torc of power preservation, to help regain power points.

Sorry if this is a bit wishy-washy. I'm just after some optimisation advice, really. (again, if you are familiar with Bleach, "Ulquiorra" style character!)

I have also heard words like Ardent and Anarchic Initiate thrown around.. this game can get so complex! I've only been playing for a few months, lol.

[lord_khaine]

Well, then i am going to throw the words Ardent and Warblade after you again :P

Picking Ardent along with practiced manifester will give you level 8 powers at level 15, while allowing you to splash in 4 levels of either Warblade or Crusader, giving you a potent mix of psionic manifestation and Tome of Battle maneuvers.

And whats better, as a Ardent you can get the rather exclusive Dimension Slide power, allowing you to make short teleports as a swift action, giving you both a lot of mobility for getting full attacks in, as well as the Bleach feeling of popping up behind someone and stabbing them.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Ranger 1/ Psion 5 only has a +3 BAB, you need +4 BAB to take Slayer.

Finish the build with Sanctified Mind from Lords of Madness, it's a six-level class that gives full BAB and advances manifesting at the 2nd-6th levels, plus it gives some decent class features. You need 2 ranks in three skills, a nonevil alignment, Iron Will, proficiency in all martial weapons, and BAB +4 to qualify. You can say you visited the Otyugh Hole in CS to get Iron Will for 3,000 gp without spending a feat on it.

That means Ranger 1/ Psion 6/ Slayer 9/ Sanctified Mind 4, which gives you 17/20 BAB and 17/20 manifesting. Or you could go Ranger 1/ Ardent or Wilder 4/ Slayer 9/ Sanctified Mind 6, be sure to use Substitute Powers (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) for Ardent and switch your race to Lesser Aasimar.

[Vaz]

An Ardent is highly multiclass friendly due to it's method of learning powers. It gets a massively reduced number of powers (1/level, with an additional single PP only power), and learns them based on whether it can manifest them (so Practised Manifester, and arguably, Overchannel).

Combine with the "Substitute Powers (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a)" ACF (it's free, why not?) to near enough "Create a Mantle", and you've got a fantastic ability to wrangle in whichever power you want. Linked Metapower Syncronicity allows all sorts of abuse when combined with Ardent 10's Dominant Mantle (same link as above), in that you can manifest any power as part of the linked power XP-less and as part of the action it takes to activate the Syncronicity in the first place.

Combining that with a Psionic Abjurant Champion adaptation (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=9941.0); will allow you to get a ton of powerful abilities. (Whirling Frenzy Spirit Lion Wolf Totem Barbarian 5/Ardent 9/Psionic Abjurant Champion 5/Ardent +1 is my favourite; but it does require Adaptation to work; you get a BAB of 17, which gives you a Manifester Level (with Practised Manifester) of 20).

[JW86]

Lots of things to look at, thank you.

[JW86]

Thank you everybody, I have a lot to consider now.


Well, then i am going to throw the words Ardent and Warblade after you again :P

Picking Ardent along with practiced manifester will give you level 8 powers at level 15, while allowing you to splash in 4 levels of either Warblade or Crusader, giving you a potent mix of psionic manifestation and Tome of Battle maneuvers.

And whats better, as a Ardent you can get the rather exclusive Dimension Slide power, allowing you to make short teleports as a swift action, giving you both a lot of mobility for getting full attacks in, as well as the Bleach feeling of popping up behind someone and stabbing them.

Warblae as a non-psionic class, I'm wondering what can offer. As a level 15 ardent, then 4 into warblade, that is an initiator level of 11 so up to 6th level maneuvers, I believe?

I beseech you, because ToB is very mysterious to me, give me an example of what such a character could do with 6th level maneuvers?

Dimension Slide looks so tasty. I'm still tempted to keep with ranger/psion/slayer though, I can expanded knowledge feat for dimension hop/slide if need be... but if there is some hidden gold in the ToB classes I'm missing, please tell me. I can read over the rules, but thinking how to work it all together optimally is a real stretch for me!

[Emperor Tippy]

I am going to go totally the opposite direction.

Race: Gray Elf

Class: Wizard 1/ Psion 3/ Cerebremancer 10/ Psion 4/ Martial Monk 2

Elf Generalist Domain Wizard with Precocious Apprentice for early entry to Cerebremancer.

Take Faerie Mysteries Initiate for Int to HP, your HP will make the average fighter weep.

Take Kung Fu Genius to get Int to AC from Martial Monk and (if your DM will allow it) select Infinite and Exceptional Deflection as your bonus feats.

Take the feat Psiotheurgist as it increases your ML by 11 and your CL by 17 (so an ML of 31 at ECL 20 and a CL of 28).

Get Divine Power onto your powers known list with Psychic Chiguery (Wyrm Wizard makes it arcane, Spell to Power Erudite makes it a Power, Psychic Chiguery gives it to you). Grab Wraithstrike and other good melee buff spells as well.

Take the feat Persistent Power and persist those buffs.

Take the feat Selective Spell and Arcane Thesis: Antimagic Field, extend it with a rod of extend. With your CL of 28 it lasts 9 hours per casting. You now get to use all of your magic and psionics as normal but everyone else in the AMF is shutdown and, unlike a shaped or extraordinary spell aimed AMF you are still protected from magic as if the AMF was covering you.

So the end result is full BAB (thanks to Divine Power), 17th level Psion Manifesting, 11th level Wizard casting, HP that is 1d4+13 per HD (so a minimum of 283 HP at ECL 20), AC that is around +50 (+19 from fully augmented Inertial Armor, +11 from fully augmented Force Screen, +13 from 36 Int, +7 Dex), virtual immunity to magic, and total immunity to ranged attack.

The only "weakness" is your offensive damage and your Fort save (as Con is a dump stat). Your strength (after a +4 Inherent and a +6 item) is only going to be around 16, which means you should be looking at a very good magic weapon to up damage.

There you go, a Psionic Gish that I bet can take most anything anyone else throws out and yet has d4 HD, 1/2 BAB, a Con score of 6 (before inherent and items), a Strength score of 6 (before inherent and items), no armor proficiency, and needs a Skillful weapon if he uses anything beyond a dagger or quarterstaff.

[herrhauptmann]

Question:
What are you trying to get out of the Ulquiorra type character?

The silent type who is strong and has several powerups/transformations?
The super-cero energy beam?
Regeneration?
Didn't he also generate and throw a lance of spirit energy that would explode?

[JW86]

Wow, Tippy, that's just so win:smallbiggrin:

I am leaving for work in a minute so cannot begin to even reply to that post, haha.

Herrhaupmann - yes, strong silent type who you can never quite figure out. The ability for most attacks to miss or fail to significantly harm him (High AC, Psicrystal/Vigor/Share Pain) and possible Regeneration (there is a high level Psionic Power that does this). Some kind of pointed green ray attack from his finger (Disintegrate, basically). Martial proficiency (strong, accurate attacks/nee d for high AB and decent melee damage) a Flash Step (ie. Dimension Slide).

Form of Doom was going to do for when he gets pissed, transforming into a tentacled, high speed, high strength enemy.. which I'd basically refluff to be "My true form". This is also the point at which he'd give up his normal Disintegrate and start meta-psionis ing it.

[JW86]

Right, Tippy.

I am nervous at the idea of even suggesting this to my DM.. it looks very, very "hacks" :smallamused:

I would not want to ruin it for the rest of the party by being so superbly overpowered, but it is tempting. I think this character would only resort to using its full power when absolutely necessary. Much like Ulquiorra from Bleach.

A lot of these feats are from Dragon magazines, I take it? I'll run it by the DM but I'd be thinking "no magazines" would apply here, has to be a book he can check in with.

Mind you, he does keep going on about Cerebremancer, I think he'd appreciate that element.

[lord_khaine]

Warblae as a non-psionic class, I'm wondering what can offer. As a level 15 ardent, then 4 into warblade, that is an initiator level of 11 so up to 6th level maneuvers, I believe?

I beseech you, because ToB is very mysterious to me, give me an example of what such a character could do with 6th level maneuvers?


I belived you were level 15, so the idea was actualy Ardent 11 Warblade 4, or maybe Ardent 11 Warblade 2 monk 2 in case you want to go without armor.

With practiced manifester then that will still give you a manifester level of 15, allowing for level 8 powers.

And a Initiator level of up to 9, allowing for level 4 maneuvers.

With those you can.
-Use a feat for Burning blade, adding 1d6+9 fire damage to all melee attacks for a round.
-Make a singel melee attack, then double its damage with a concentration check against the opponents ac (hint, use psionic focus here)
-Use Mithral Tornado to reroll a missed melee attack.
-Shout "IRON HEART! SURGE!" (both in and out of character of course) to remove a negative effect from you, like slow, hold, paralyze, poison ect.
-Poke someone with your finger, then watch them explode as you replace the damage with a concentration check though Insightful strike.
- Deflect Orbs and other ranged touch attacks with your sword, since Wall of Blades allow you to replace your touch AC with the result of a melee attack against a singel attack.
-pass just about any save automatically, as you can spend a maneuver to instead roll a concentration check (hint, use focus again)

Anyway, while Tippy's build would certainly blow this one out of the sky, then its also using the kind of stupid feats and loopholes that will get most DM's (at least those i have known) to throw books after you.
It will also, i belive, require some solid bookkeeping to play, and im not sure the early entry into cerebromancer will work as written. And even if its the case, that you can convince your DM about it.

[JW86]

Thanks, lord_khaine.

I have given my DM a link to this thread to have a look over it. Tippy's build is uber-powerful, but I doubt it'd be accepted :P

This has some cool potential. I'm also tempted by Ranger/Ardent/Slayer or Ranger/Psion/Slayer. Will see what my DM's views on the "Substitute mantle" ACF are. If I can get the powers I'd like in one mantle, then great. It would be less OP as well than Tippy's - Disintegrate, Dimension Hop and Inertial Armour with good BAB will do me.!

[lord_khaine]

This has some cool potential. I'm also tempted by Ranger/Ardent/Slayer or Ranger/Psion/Slayer. Will see what my DM's views on the "Substitute mantle" ACF are. If I can get the powers I'd like in one mantle, then great. It would be less OP as well than Tippy's - Disintegrate, Dimension Hop and Inertial Armour with good BAB will do me.!

I would rather suggest Warblade/Ardent/slayer in that case.
And you do also get a couple of mantles, where expanded knowlede can then help to cover your bases a bit.

Other psionic powers to look out for would be metamorphis in case you are an outsider, Crystal shard (refluff it) for poking holes in people, dispel psionic for negating other peoples tricks, and maybe overland flight for mobility.

A few other tasty picks would be Iron body, temporal acceleration, power resistance, energy adaptation, energy bolt, concealing amorpha (refluff it), empathic transfer (hostile, vigor and maybe Form of doom.

Anyway, thats just a couple of suggestions that i belive will fit the overall powerlevel you are running.

Anyway, your welcome, and hope you have fun

[JW86]

Thank you for the feedback..

OK, going for a two-handed bastard sword (refluff to Katana).

Will look at a Warblade/Ardent later, just had a go getting the right feel and power onto the following..

Xellos Xecaros Xoxes, LE Lesser Tiefling Level 15 Ranger 1 / Psion(Egoist) 6 / Slayer 8.
Ability rolls: 16, 15, 14, 14, 14, 11.
Stats: STR 16(15+1lvl), DEX 16(14+2 racial), CON 14, INT 20 (16+2racial+2lvl), WIS 14, CHA 9(11-2racial).
Alternative is to accept STR 15, put the level into INT (21) then at level 16 get another racial point so INT 22 - probably more sensible, really?

Feats:
1. Track [ranger 1], Power Attack [general]
2. Psicrystal Affinity [psion 1]
3. Improved Bullrush [general]
6. Shock Trooper [general], Psionic Meditation [Psion 5]
9. Practiced Manifester [General]
12. Expanded Knowledge: Dimension Hop [general]
15. Expanded Knowledge: Control Body [general]
18. Empower Power
21. and upwards - Quicken Power

Will need to check if any of these need switching around due to prereqs..

Powers known:
Level 1 - 5 - Inertial Armour / Force Screen / *Thicken Skin / Vigor / Mind Thrust
Level 2 - 4 - Animal Affinity / Biofeedback / Crystalstorm / Share Pain
Level 3 - 4 - *Hustle* / (Mental Barrier OR Energy Wall OR Telekinetic Thrust OR Time Hop) - help! / Bestow Power / Solicit Psycrystal
Level 4 - 4 - *Metamorphosis* / Dimension Door / Divination / Correspond
Level 5 - 4 - Anticipatory Strike / Plane Shift / Ectoplasmic Shambler / Major Creation,Psionic
Level 6 - 3 - Disintegrate / Temporal Acceleration / Restoration (Retrieve tempting)
Level 7 - 1 - Ultrablast - or something else perhaps???

Also Dimension Hop/Slide and Control Body from Expanded Knowledge..

Campaign going up to level 30, most likely, so will keep adding Slayer and other manifesting/BAB classes.. perhaps some warblade or swordsage.


This allows some basic proficiency with power attacks, especially using Shock Trooper to maximise the damage from the high AC gained from Inertial Armour, Force Screen, and Control Body. I don't see this as a charging character, more of a quickened teleporting kind of bleach flash step attacking char. :)

Tactics are kind of in a hierarchy, so I can match the challenge of the situation.

For easier combats, buff ac with inertial armour and force screen. Shre pain / vigor with psicrystal. Dimension hop around casting disintegrate and making melee attacks with power attack/shock trooper. Use animal affinity for ability buff as need be.

For more challenging combats, Solicit Psycrystal/Control Body. now have +INT to AC/Attack/Damage, awesome general buff. Combine this with Quickened/Empowered Disintegrated, swift Dimension Hop with full shock trooper power attack. The cheese of this works well, having to call upon his psycrystal and surrender his body to it to achieve greater levels of proficiency.

As my build will be Disintegrate heavy, I need to keep dex decent, as ranged touched attack.?

Seems like it will work as a general idea.. please comment..

Will build another, Warblade/Ardent-based one later, compare and decide.. such a complex process, this character rolling lark. Some of the Diamond Mind looks quite tasty.. also if I got a wisdom boosting item, then Swordsage would also look an option, more dancy anime swordsman AC goodness.

Is there anything there which looks glaringly broken?

PS. in regards to Ardent, the Substitute Power ACF.. would that allow you technically to substitute powers from psion/wilder powerlist, or would they have to be from other ardent mantles?

[JW86]

OK, if I could narrow it down to a few abilities I want, it would be as follows.

DEFENSIVE - Inertial Armour, Force Screen, Thicken Skin, Vigor, Share Pain
MOVEMENT - Dimension Hop, Dimension Door, Psionic Lion's Charge, Fly, Plane Shift, Teleport
OFFENSIVE - Mainly feats?? Melee -Power Attack, Leap Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Shock Trooper-
SIGNATURE - DISINTEGRATE, and probably mind thrust.
ECONOMY/TRICKS - Psicrystal affinity with share pain and vigor. Control Body with Solicit Psycrystal. Would look at schism later perhaps once I'd become comfortable with the existing tactics.

Now, going Ardent/Warblade or something similar is better HD, BAB etc than the Psion mixup. However, I'm aware that the power/leap/bullrush/shock trooper chain is feat intense, and as ardent sucks for adding feats, it's hard to nluded psionic meditation, practiced manifester, one or two expanded knowledge feats and one or two metapsionics feats on top of all the melee feats.

I'm also still unclear on whether this Substitute Power ACF would allow me to port psion/wilder or psywar powers that are not already included on any mantles.

[Rubik]

If you can get your hands on a copy of Hyperconscious (3rd party, but written by the guy who wrote the XPH), try getting levels in the ghostbreaker PrC next. It's got a few decent offensive and defensive buffs against undead, is really easy to get into, and it's the only full BAB/full manifesting PrC anywhere.

[JW86]

Sounds good, Rubix!

DM has given go a-head for Ardent with Substitute Power/Dominant Ideal (Well, I explained it in all full, and he said "Alls good, Ardents fine" so.. :smallamused:

Will be looking to create a rough Ardent-based gish build over next day or two, to compare with Psion-based, and then.. decision time.

I refer back to my earlier question, I'm still unsure on - can the Substitute Power Ideal be used to learn/know powers from the psion/wilder list, and/or from the psywar list? Or is it exclusively limited to powers from other existing mantles?

[Rubik]

Along with two levels in warblade (or whatever), what about two levels in totemist? Take and use the Psionic Open Chakra power, from Magic of Incarnum, and you can bind high level soulmelds (such as the phase cloak) with no additional expenditure of resources. Of course, there are several MoI feats that are great for psionic types, so...

[drax75]

DEFENCIVE - Inertial Armour, Force Screen, Thicken Skin, Vigor, Share Pain
MOVEMENT - Dimension Hop, Dimension Door, Psionic Lion's Charge, Fly, Plane Shift, Teleport
OFFENCIVE - Mainly feats?? Melee -Power Attack, Leap Attack, Improved Bull.

Sorry this bothers me, its the internet man come on spelling should be easy.

It's Defensive and Offensive.....

[Vaz]

I refer back to my earlier question, I'm still unsure on - can the Substitute Power Ideal be used to learn/know powers from the psion/wilder list, and/or from the psywar list? Or is it exclusively limited to powers from other existing mantles?

Any power, anywhere, from anything that gives a new power. It basically comes down to how well can you explain to your DM why a power should be in a particular area. it's essentially "Make your own Mantle/Domain".

For example, I tried to blag Light and Dark Mantle into getting Metamorphosis (I take the forms of things which hide in the dark, like Cloakers etc); I got the go ahead, but then when all of a sudden I needed to become beatstick after the party got seperated, and turned into a War Troll, the DM said "erm, woops, I meant you could use it to become forms that aided your ability to hide".

Unintended consequences, of course, and with only 11+ powers, you've got to be careful you don't waste them by trying to be too clever.

[JW86]

Rubik - Psionic Open Chakra seems to open up a world of options, that's fantastic! I'll have to get ahold of a copy of Magic of Incarnum. And due to augmentation, I can pick high-level shiny binds? Tee hee. :smallamused:

drax75 - I can see why that would bother you! I have been excitedly writing on here on too little sleep, sometimes towards the end of 12 hour night shifts. Corrected.

Vaz - DM did not seem too concerned about thematic justifications. I'll cherry pick the powers I want. Will post more on this once I'm home (after tonight's 12 hour night shift I've just begun!)

[Rubik]

Rubik - Psionic Open Chakra seems to open up a world of options, that's fantastic! I'll have to get ahold of a copy of Magic of Incarnum. And due to augmentation, I can pick high-level shiny binds? Tee hee. :smallamused:Fixed that for you. And yes, you can bind anything but heart and soul if you augment enough. Note that since it's based on augmentation, manifesters with cost reducers and manifester level boosters can bind high-level soulmelds before anyone else in the game.

JSYK, the two levels of totemist are primarily for the totem chakra, as it's rather...difficult to get, otherwise.

[JW86]

My bad, Rubik, I wrote that at work and received a call mid-post, came back and hastily finished.

Lesser Tiefling - Ranger1/Fighter1/Psion5/Slayer 8
HD: 30 + d8 + d10 + 5d4 + 8d8
BAB: +12/+7/+2
Init: +5 (+3 dex, +2 nimble psicrystal)
STR 16, DEX 16, CON 14, INT 22(18+2racial+2item), WIS 14, CHA 9

1st: Power Attack, Track [ranger bonus]
2nd: Improved Bullrush [fighter bonus]
3rd: Empower Power
4th: Psionic Meditation [psion bonus]
6th: EK: Psionic Lion's Charge
8th: Practiced Manifester (Psion)
9th: Shock Trooper
12th:EK: Dimension Hop
15th: Psicrystal Affinity

18th: EK: Control Body

Powers known:
Level 1 - 5 - Inertial Armour / Force Screen / *Thicken Skin / Vigor / Mind Thrust
Level 2 - 4 - Animal Affinity / Biofeedback / Crystalstorm / Share Pain
Level 3 - 4 - *Hustle* / (Mental Barrier OR Energy Wall OR Telekinetic Thrust OR Time Hop) / Bestow Power / Solicit Psycrystal
Level 4 - 4 - *Metamorphosis* / Dimension Door / Divination / Telekinetic Maneuver
Level 5 - 4 - Anticipatory Strike / Plane Shift / Ectoplasmic Shambler / Major Creation,Psionic
Level 6 - 3 - Disintegrate / Temporal Acceleration / Restoration (Retrieve tempting)
***EK - Dimension Hop, Psionic Lion's Charge

Tactics:
Share Pain/Vigor with psycrystal for durability.
Buff Inertial Armour each day, and Force Screen when accounters are nearby for high AC.
Generally control and blast from a distance, with shambler, energy wall, telekinetic maneuver, disintegrate etc.
When other casters threatened, dimension hop and defend them.
When needing to melee offencively, psionic lion's charge making full use of highish AC with shock trooper and power attack.

Once level 18 with "Control Body" will have accumulated a decent INT bonus from item acquisition etc - then it is time to lay some smack down.. keep levelling slayer and other full bab, full as possible ml classes to increase melee efficiency and powers!

Idea is that he is quite 'cool and collected', happily disintegrating enemies dispassionately, until certain triggers make him fly into a lion charging, power attacking, hustling ball of rage.

Should suffice for gameplay.

I'm trying to work the courage up to write an ardent based gish and compare. It's daunting.

I couldn't even face adding warblade or totemist.:smallfurious:

[JW86]

Lesser Aasimar Ranger 1 / Ardent 4 / Slayer 10
4d6+11d8+30
BAB +14/+9/+4
PP 147+WIS(39) = 186
ML 15 (13+4, CAP TO 15)
14 powers known

6 feats

1 Power Attack
3 Practiced Manifester
6 Improved Bullrush
9 Psionic Meditation
12 Shock Trooper
15 Psicrystal Affinity

18 Empower Power

3 mantles available:

Substitute Mantle AFC. Something along the lines of the following (but please, do comment)
FREEDOM (+10 foot bonus to speed)
Dimension Hop (1)
Hustle (2)
Lion's Charge (2)
Fly (4)
Plane Shift (5)
Temporal Acceleration (8)
Greater Teleport (8)

PHYSICAL POWER (Expend psionic focus to gain +2 to str/dex/con for 1 round)
Inertial Armour (1)
Thicken Skin (1)
Vigor (1)
Force Screen (1)
Share Pain (2)

CONFLICT
Disintegrate (6)
Spirit of War (8)

So the Ardent build seems to have better BAB and higher level powers available immediate, but also has less available feats and powers than the ranger/fighter/psion/slayer. Also as it is Wisdom based, it seems there is less point taking the Solicit Psicrystal/Control Body powers.

Does anybody have any input? It would be really appreciated.

[JW86]

Or, to put this another way for the more experienced than I..

If you had 6 feats and 14 powers as an ardent/slayer, what would you choose to create a defensively sound, reasonable melee damage dealing, couple of cool psionic trick, style character. Extra enthusiasm given to those who consider the anime Bleach and make something either CG Ichigo or LE Ulquiorra feeling, for added cheese -although not too important.

Inertial Armour, Force Screen, Dimension Hop and Disintegrate being the core powers, what would you do with the other 10? And how can we arrange them with the substitue mantle acf?

[JW86]

Other psionic powers to look out for would be metamorphis in case you are an outsider, Crystal shard (refluff it) for poking holes in people, dispel psionic for negating other peoples tricks, and maybe overland flight for mobility.

A few other tasty picks would be Iron body, temporal acceleration, power resistance, energy adaptation, energy bolt, concealing amorpha (refluff it), empathic transfer (hostile, vigor and maybe Form of doom.


Derp - you've already given some great suggestions. I'll look into these powers - but more suggestions are welcome for how to spread my precious 14 powers!!

[JW86]

Psion or Ardent, both are tempting in different ways. To include ToB, there are pros and cons either way. The decisions are just too much for my amateur brain.

The flavour of having a hot chick female lesser tiefling with a fiery temper is good - now tiefling is +2int, which would suggest the psion build.. which has 2 less BAB, lower max power level, but is generally better 'fleshed out' power selection wise.

Ardent has less powers, but higher power level, and higher bab and hd, but less feats. Psion requires quite a few EK feats to get the powers I want, has less bab, less hd, lower level power, but synergises with int for the tiefling.

I guess flavour and fun over optimisation sometimes.. but still.. the indecisiveness is killing me! I have realistically one more day to make the character. Please help.

Need the ability to hack savagely at opponents with power attack/shock trooper, mobilise around the battlefield like a ninja, be difficult to hit with high ac/amorpha, manifest some funky buffs.. then still be able to do some decent blasting and disintegrating, and other interestin psionic powers welcome.

Please help!

[JW86]

Ranger 1 / Fighter 1 / Ardent 10 / Slayer 3
STR 16, CON 14, DEX 14, INT 14, WIS 20, CHA 11
HP: 4D8+D10+10D6+30
BAB: +12/+7/+2
pp: 126+30(WIS) = 156 PP PER DAY. ML 15 (12+4=16, 15 MAX AS ECL=15)
Fort: 10, Ref: 8, Will: 15
94 Skillpoints


Tiefling
Ranger 1 / Fighter 1 / Ardent 10 / Slayer 3
STR 15, CON 14, DEX 16, INT 16, WIS 19, CHA 9 (wis 20 at lvl16)
BAB: +12/+7/+2
PP: 126+24 = 150PP PER DAY. ML 15 (12+4=16, 15 MAX AS ECL=15).
Fort: 10, Ref: 9, Will: 14
112 Skillpoints


Aasimar is more optimised, Tiefling is more flavourful and has more skillpoints and better reflex.. both end up with 20 wis by level 16... Aasimar has better str and wis which is good for an ardent psigish.. arghhH!