Magic-to-Psi adaptation thought: Green Star Adept

[Segev]

In general, the Green Star Adept seems a fairly weak class, even with the addition of the likely-unintended (but still quite clearly RAW) fact that it gains +15 CL (while only +5 advances in spellcasting) over the course of 10 levels.

(For those who aren't aware, this arises because they have a standard every-other-level caster progression, and then have a class feature that says they add their class level to their CL; the likely intended effect of this is to make it 10 CL over 10 levels, but the RAW of it gives them +5 from "gain spellcasting" levels and +10 from GSA levels.)

Now. This means that for practical purposes, the spellcaster adds 5 more to any CL-based calculation than would a straight caster, but he's 2-3 spell levels behind (which is pretty painful, especially since many CL-dependent effects are capped; e.g. Fireball can only get up to 10d6).


What if we made a psionic adaptation of the Green Star Adept? Nothing about this class's arcane fluff couldn't be re-adjusted to be psionic, instead. "Meteoric rock" could as easily be crystal as metal, and could even remain green.

The psion would still be 2-3 power levels behind (as well as being behind on power points, just as the caster is behind on spell slots), but for a psion, being 5 ML ahead of the curve could actually be worth it. Fewer power points, but more ability to augment the heck out of the lower-level powers they have.

Would this seem broken to people, or merely bringing GSA up a bit closer to other "caster" or "manifester" PrCs? Or am I over-estimating the benefit this would give to manifesters?

[TuggyNE]

ML is quite a bit nicer than CL, but it wouldn't be too broken if it weren't for one thing: the Ardent class. Ardents learn powers of the appropriate level based only on ML.

… yeah.

[Fouredged Sword]

It would actualy be pretty cool. Consider that you are turning yourself into a psycrystal.

You could heal yourself without problem with power selections. You gain a ton of immunities.

You loose something like 150 PP though, and suffer no 8th or 9th level powers.

A ML 25 construct is pretty powerful though.

[Segev]

True, Ardents could break this pretty hard. Doing some quick back-of-the-envelope calculations, they'd theoretically hit 9th level powers by 14th level!

Though the loss of mantles would hit them, still, I think. Though if Wilders can manage...so can they, probably.

[Fax Celestis]

You loose something like 150 PP though, and suffer no 8th or 9th level powers.

So...Metamind all over again?

[Segev]

So...Metamind all over again?

Well, with the distinction that Metamind explicitly sets out to have MORE power POINTS at the expense of power (and manifester) LEVELS.

This would set out to have more MANIFESTER LEVELS with which to augment at the expense of power points and power levels.

So at least this isn't out-and-out worse at doing what it's ostensibly meant to do than staying in the base class used to get into it.

[Fax Celestis]

Well, with the distinction that Metamind explicitly sets out to have MORE power POINTS at the expense of power (and manifester) LEVELS.

...which Metamind fails at because of the lost ML and bonus PP being based upon your ML.

[Segev]

Thinking about it, though, combining a psi-adapted GSA with Metamind might actually make a PrC that achieved what Metamind sought to, with a little work. Still down power points, but shifting it to "becoming a living psicrystal" and adding the Metamind capstone to represent tapping a deep reservoir in your crystaline matrix...

Hrm.

[Fax Celestis]

Just don't call it psionatrix. Because, uh. Well, we already have those (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionatrix).

[Segev]

Just don't call it psionatrix. Because, uh. Well, we already have those (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionatrix).

Well, clearly, the male members of the class would be "psionators." ;)

[TuggyNE]

Just don't call it psionatrix. Because, uh. Well, we already have those (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/universalItems.htm#psionatrix).

Hey! It is a fine D&D tradition to use the same good name for many different things (character level, class level, effective character level, effective druid level, effective cleric level, spellcaster level, caster level, manifester level, manifesting class level, spell level, power level, maneuver level, initiator level, effective binder level, vestige level, dungeon level, bloodline level, level ground, encounter level, average party level).

Stop oppressing my culture! :miko: