Is this ability kind of borked all to hades?

[visigani]

Energy Missile
Psychokinesis [see text]
Level: Kineticist 2
Display: Auditory
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level)
Target: Up to five creatures or objects; no two targets can be more than 15 ft. apart.
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half or Fortitude half; see text
Power Resistance: Yes
Power Points: 3
Upon manifesting this power, you choose cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. You release a powerful missile of energy of the chosen type at your foe. The missile deals 3d6 points of damage to each creature or object you target, to the maximum of five targets. You cannot hit the same target multiple times with the same manifestation of this power.

Cold
A missile of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die. The saving throw to reduce damage from a cold missile is a Fortitude save instead of a Reflex save.

Electricity
Manifesting a missile of this energy type provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on manifester level checks for the purpose of overcoming power resistance.

Fire
A missile of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.

Sonic
A missile of this energy type deals -1 point of damage per die and ignores an object’s hardness.

This power’s subtype is the same as the type of energy you manifest.

Augment
For every additional power point you spend, this power’s damage increases by one die (d6) and its save DC increases by 1.





From where I'm sitting this looks mechanically broken.

[Yuki Akuma]

Yes, Energy Missile is kinda borked. The save DC scales way too quickly.

I'm thinking that was a typo - all the other energy powers get +1 DC per two power points spent on increasing the damage.

[Waddacku]

I guess you can break everyone's stuff if they're grouped close together and you go sonic damage. I can imagine worse things.

[Fax Celestis]

From the Myths About Psionics (http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-general/threads/946751) thread.


Myth 5: Energy Missile is overpowered
Answer: Energy Missile is first balanced by being Kineticist only, requiring non-Kineticists to use an Expanded Knowledge feat at 5th level to learn it. For Kineticists, this means they get it at 3rd level, doing 3d6+/-3 to up to 5 targets, one of the strongest damage output low-level powers/spells known. Delaying access to this power until 5th level for even Kineticists might not be uncalled for if you find the damage potential abused despite efforts to the contrary.

Energy Missile's power of multiple targets is partly balanced by having no two of the targets farther than 15' apart. Lumping enemies together like that opens up the possibility of other powers / spells such as Fireball, Flamestrike.

Being able to differentiate between combatants is probably one of the strongest aspects of the power, and, if you feel it needs to be toned down, changing the power to affecting a maximum of 3 targets instead of 5, or distributing the damage instead would probably not make the power underpowered. If you do either of these, keep in mind that the power Concussion Blast scales at 1d6 per 2pp and has no save, and can target multiple opponents with augmentation without dividing the damage.
For further comparison of usage, if enemies are not bunched up, meaning you can get maybe 2-3 enemies at most with the power, it might actually be better to focus on one and use an Energy Ray - a level 1 general power - which has no save, but requires a touch attack. This means that enemies with Evasion / Improved Evasion / good saving throws are more likely going to take half damage from Energy Missile, halving its effectiveness, while on Energy Ray, with a ranged touch attack, they take full. The downside to the Ray is needing to make the touch attack, or wasting the power points. Some feel, and justifiably so, that 1/2 is better than nothing. But, in the case of Improved Evasion, the best you can hope for is half (unless using cold - as you can see, the logistics of taking all the powers and permutations is pretty intense).

The save DC on Energy Missile has been widely contested, but it is viewed by many that most saving throws are too low at the high end. If you are uncomfortable with Energy Missile's save progression, modify it to 1:2 as the normal energy powers progress. An official errata changing the save DC to 1:2 is expected by many, viewed as not terribly unlikely by more, and only argued against by a smaller group.

The Energy/Damage portion of this power is explained in Myth 6.

The targeting powers portion of this power was clarified by the author, Bruce Cordell, in an email response. He stated that the power cannot target attended objects. However, his choice of wording and memory of the game rules left many individuals feeling he was mistaken about game mechanics and, as such, is still up for debate. The spirit of the power as stated by the author, however, is that it can not target attended / held objects, and would be a legitimate ruling on those grounds.

For what it's worth, the guy who wrote these myths changed it (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/e/energy-missile) when he rewrote psionics for Pathfinder.


Augment For every additional power point you spend, this power’s damage increases by one die (d6). For every two additional dice of damage, the power’s save DC increases by 1.

[Yuki Akuma]

One of those rare cases of a Pathfinder change I agree with. :smallwink:

(Another is the Redeemer Paladin archetype because that's just gnarly.)

[Silva Stormrage]

I believe the DC was changed to the normal scaling progression in Complete Psionic.

Also energy stun also has the same quick progression as energy missiles. Though it does require two saves, I rarely see people complaining about that one.

[Vortenger]

I believe the DC was changed to the normal scaling progression in Complete Psionic.

Also energy stun also has the same quick progression as energy missiles. Though it does require two saves, I rarely see people complaining about that one.

Yes. Complete Psionic changed both of the energy powers to the same scaling as every other energy power. Agreed on it being a necessary fix. Also true that I've never really heard anyone hate on Energy Stun despite the accelerated save DC's. Never really noticed that amid all the Energy Missile threads. Good eye on you.