Psionic Domination Problems

[Zalos93]

I want to play a Thrallherd, but there's one major issue - in order to hold a psionic Dominate, you need to hold concentration - which makes it impossible to do anything else except move, due to taking a standard action to do so. Is there any way to change this to a move action or (preferably) a free action? I've searched for days and have found nothing on this.

I realize this might make Thrallherds more powerful than they already are, but if it's possible, I'd like to know.

[Sian]

you mean like Swift Concentration skill trick in Complete Scoundrel?

[Psyren]

By spending a small amount of additional PP your problems should be solved:


Augment:
...
If you spend 1 additional power point, this power’s duration is 1 hour rather than concentration. If you spend 2 additional power points, this power’s duration is 1 day rather than concentration. If you spend 4 additional power points, this power’s duration is 1 day per manifester level rather than concentration.

[Ryuuk]

Read the last augmentation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dominatePsionic.htm). You can't use it to dominate properly at 7th level, unless you Overchannel, but using 8pp instead of 7 lets it last an hour. You need to be able to pump 11 points into it to get the 1 day per level duration.

[Rubik]

I want to play a Thrallherd, but there's one major issue - in order to hold a psionic Dominate, you need to hold concentration - which makes it impossible to do anything else except move, due to taking a standard action to do so. Is there any way to change this to a move action or (preferably) a free action? I've searched for days and have found nothing on this.

I realize this might make Thrallherds more powerful than they already are, but if it's possible, I'd like to know.Augment #4 changes the duration from Concentration, meaning you no longer need to spend actions on it.

[edit] Argh! Double-swordsage'd!

[Psyren]

Note also that Thrallherd discounts PD for you at 5th-level, basically making the days/ML augment free of charge.

[incarnate236]

If you are a Telepath or can spare the feat to get it through Expanded Knowledge I believe you could use Schism to maintain the concentration power and then manifest with your normal standard actions.

[Segev]

If you don't mind the short duration, there's a power to hand off concentration to your PsiCrystal, too, I believe.

[Rubik]

If you don't mind the short duration, there's a power to hand off concentration to your PsiCrystal, too, I believe.Co-Opt Concentration and Solicit Psicrystal both.

[Spuddles]

Note also that Thrallherd discounts PD for you at 5th-level, basically making the days/ML augment free of charge.

Combine with practiced manifester and a way to fly, and you can reliably dominate the tarrasque at around level 13 by spamming psionic dominate.

[Urpriest]

Combine with practiced manifester and a way to fly, and you can reliably dominate the tarrasque at around level 13 by spamming psionic dominate.

I'd hardly call needing to roll a 19 to get through PR reliable.

[Rubik]

I'd hardly call needing to roll a 19 to get through PR reliable.That's what Supernatural Transformation is for.

[Psyren]

That's what Supernatural Transformation is for.

Let's not ignite that debate again :smalltongue:

In any event it's not hard to boost ML thanks to transparency, meaning stuff like Bead of Karma works for manifesters. Throw in Assay Spell Resistance (via UMD or Erudite etc.) for an easy +10 and Big T may as well be naked.

...metaphysically speaking.

[Spuddles]

I'd hardly call needing to roll a 19 to get through PR reliable.


Let's not ignite that debate again :smalltongue:

In any event it's not hard to boost ML thanks to transparency, meaning stuff like Bead of Karma works for manifesters. Throw in Assay Spell Resistance (via UMD or Erudite etc.) for an easy +10 and Big T may as well be naked.

...metaphysically speaking.

You dont even need to go that far. With just feats and items from XPH you can get breaking SR at ~50% chance and save failing at ~50%. So every turn you have around a 1/4 or 1/5 chance to take control for days.

The problem is not dying. Big T can jump like 1000ft once per hour.

[Zalos93]

Sorry, I guess I didn't read too thoroughly - my apologies! However, even at 10th level Thrallherd, wouldn't I need to pay 5PP a day for each active doninate? Did i read that wrong too? And if not, how can I lower the cost further?

[Gemini476]

You dont even need to go that far. With just feats and items from XPH you can get breaking SR at ~50% chance and save failing at ~50%. So every turn you have around a 1/4 or 1/5 chance to take control for days.

The problem is not dying. Big T can jump like 1000ft once per hour.

It's once per minute, but on the other hand it's just a 300ft charge.

Rush is pretty crazy.

So you're fine at ML 24, at least.

[Urpriest]

Sorry, I guess I didn't read too thoroughly - my apologies! However, even at 10th level Thrallherd, wouldn't I need to pay 5PP a day for each active doninate? Did i read that wrong too? And if not, how can I lower the cost further?

Let's say you're a 10th level Thrallherd, with ML 15. You can augment Psionic Dominate by 4pp, so you can make it last 1 day/level, which means that you only need to pay to reapply it every 15 days, at which point you pay whatever the power's pp cost is (11 for the minimum effect described here). I don't know where you're getting 5pp per day.

[Spuddles]

It's once per minute, but on the other hand it's just a 300ft charge.

Rush is pretty crazy.

So you're fine at ML 24, at least.

Rush changes his speed to 150, which gives him a rather chunky jump bonus. Combine wth strength and hes jumpin like 60ft vertically with a bunch of reach.

[Zalos93]

I got 5 because at ML15, The Thrallherd can manifest Dominate as for one PP less per level of Thrallherd he has (minimum of one), plus 4 for the time ability augmentation.

Speaking of which, I'm in the XPH right now, and I only see 3 augmentations. Was this fourth one printed elsewhere or something?

[Rubik]

Speaking of which, I'm in the XPH right now, and I only see 3 augmentations. Was this fourth one printed elsewhere or something?I think that one was added via errata. It's on the SRD version here. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/dominatePsionic.htm)

[TuggyNE]

Rush changes his speed to 150, which gives him a rather chunky jump bonus. Combine wth strength and hes jumpin like 60ft vertically with a bunch of reach.

Psionic dominate is medium range, not close, so I don't see any reason to ever fly that near Big T. Just get psionic overland flight or EK: psionic fly or whatever and there you go.

[Zalos93]

Would anybody be able to direct me to the official piece of game material the errata for this power was printed in? The DM won't let me use it if I can't prove it was printed by Wizards with the actual copy of the updated power.

[TuggyNE]

Would anybody be able to direct me to the official piece of game material the errata for this power was printed in? The DM won't let me use it if I can't prove it was printed by Wizards with the actual copy of the updated power.


Page 96: Dominate, Psionic Power
The following paragraph was omitted from the power’s
description:
4. If you spend 1 additional power point, this power’s
duration is 1 hour rather than concentration. If you
spend 2 additional power points, this power’s duration
is 1 day rather than concentration. If you spend 4
additional power points, this power’s duration is 1 day
per manifester level rather than concentration.

Find the errata on Wizards.com (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/er/20040125a).

[Gemini476]

Psionic dominate is medium range, not close, so I don't see any reason to ever fly that near Big T. Just get psionic overland flight or EK: psionic fly or whatever and there you go.

Close is just 100ft+10ft/level. He has an additional 20ft reach on top of his 150ft speed, so you'll need to be careful as to where you cast.

...The Jump skill has a table for vertical reach, which gives the Tarrasque 128ft of vertical reach. Huh. His 150ft speed gives him +48 to jump, so +65 when combined with his strength. With a 20ft running start, his High Jump reaches 144ft+1ft/4 in check. His Long Jump is 65ft+1ft/1 in check with a height of a quarter of that (see High Jump for those calcs.).

So there's a donut ring of death surrounding the Tarrasque. There's a bunch of safe spots, but make sure you are in them. Flying above the Tarrasque is the biggest no-no you can make. (Remember, one hit is enough to grapple you with, so have FoM up!)

[Lord Vukodlak]

Would anybody be able to direct me to the official piece of game material the errata for this power was printed in? The DM won't let me use it if I can't prove it was printed by Wizards with the actual copy of the updated power.

Tell him the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org) includes all errata everything in there is official and was at one point or another printed by wizards then organized for convenience.
Any differences from printed material are the result of official errata or material that isn't Open Gaming Content. You won't find mind flayers or beholders in the SRD, and spells that were named after specific people are changed to Mage's X.

But all the errata is included

[Urpriest]

Would anybody be able to direct me to the official piece of game material the errata for this power was printed in? The DM won't let me use it if I can't prove it was printed by Wizards with the actual copy of the updated power.

In general, your DM will know where to find D&D errata. It's all in one place, and you can't DM without it.

[TuggyNE]

Close is just 100ft+10ft/level.

You mean medium. Close is 25' + 5/2 levels.


...The Jump skill has a table for vertical reach, which gives the Tarrasque 128ft of vertical reach. Huh. His 150ft speed gives him +48 to jump, so +65 when combined with his strength. With a 20ft running start, his High Jump reaches 144ft+1ft/4 in check. His Long Jump is 65ft+1ft/1 in check with a height of a quarter of that (see High Jump for those calcs.).

I'm not sure Big T is actually a biped, given the way its reach is specified for long instead of tall creatures; if not, vertical reach is only 64'.

Either way, while taking one hit from Big T is not fun, using psionic freedom of movement to guarantee it can't grapple you works. Then just use vigor (and possibly share pain + psicrystal) to make sure you don't die, and you've got ten turns in which to spam dominate attempts before it can jump like that again.


In general, your DM will know where to find D&D errata. It's all in one place, and you can't DM without it.

This may be overestimating some things. :smallsigh: