Psion in Melee, That Is, A Way To Boost BAB

[CrazyYanmega]

Hello again, Giants! Nice to see the site up and running again! I've got another optimization problem for you to solve.

I'm playing in a campaign with a fairly new character (My first character for the campaign, a Diopsid Barbarian, fell to a pack of wolves). I decided to base this character on the ACMI character Misaka WORST and I've been having a lot of fun roleplaying her, though her verbal tic means I have to be very careful with what I say, as I can't just blow off a flippant answer as "out-of-character." She is a Psion Kineticist 4 right now, and I plan on taking around 5 levels in Pyrokineticist refluffed into Electrokineticist. I primarily act as a living artillery piece, though my relatively small Power Point reserve means I can't unload Energy Missile barrages quite as often as the rest of the party would like. The DM was also kind enough to rule that I could use Profession Chef to provide morale buffs.

My problem now is this: Legacy Items. My DM is designing Legacy items for each PC, and we've been given the right to help him design the items. Most of the party is getting weapons, the rogue opted for some kind of cloak or armor, and my now-dead barbarian's legacy weapons will be used as plot devices. As a newly created character, my DM asked me to come up with something for my Psion. On an emotional high from watching the final episode of Kill La Kill, I asked my DM to allow me to assist in designing Senketsu, (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tdgACB5_fs) to which he agreed. I was feeling pretty happy, as I thought the concept would be awesome.

As awesome as the d20 version of Senketsu is, there is a MAJOR flaw that I overlooked until yesterday. If you watched the video, you will notice that Senketsu's powers are best utilized by a MELEE ORIENTED CHARACTER. Armor, Strength, and Dexterity buffs? Pounce? An increasing number of Claw attacks? Those don't exactly scream synergy with Psions, do they? The only thing that really helps a ranged blaster would be the Flight, but then what? Sure, I could probably deal heaps of damage with 4 claw attacks from a diving Pounce in combination with Tenser Weapon (Weapon Afire refluffed to electricity), but my lack of BAB means that I'm not going to be hitting too often.

Giants, this is my question: how do I salvage this situation? How can I utilize my Psionic abilities while still taking advantage of the powers granted by my Legacy Item?

Here is my psion's Character Sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=829839). I plan on taking the Psionic Body feat next level to boost my health to acceptable levels, and the DM is running a "No EXP" campaign.

[Xerlith]

Uh... You mean you DON'T intend to go Fire Lash with Greater Weapon Afire to just smack people with melee touch attacks? Not much BAB is needed. The damage though...

Up your strength to 13. Then grab Power Attack. Power Attacking your enemy's touch AC is fun. It explicitly works, thanks to "any feats that apply to the use of a standard whip" working with the Fire Lash. And you can wield it two-handed.

Some feats that work with those abilities too:
Quicken SPell-Like Ability (now you activate the lash as a swift action 3/day...)
Precise Shot
Point-Blank Shot

Also, check if your DM would let you use Martial maneuvers in conjunction with the Lash (you know "feats that apply to the use of a standard whip"), then whip out (heh) a level or two of Warblade. Or retrain so you are Psion1/Warblade4. That works too.

[Eldariel]

On this level, BAB isn't a problem yet. You're only couple of points behind. Also, for survivability, Vigor (power) shared with your Psi Crystal plus Share Pain will give you all the survivability you could ever want. Later on, well, you can buff yourself numerically to make up for lacking BAB; attack through Control Body to use your Int for Attack and Damage, pump up Insight-bonuses and whatnot and you're good to go. Natural Attacks don't get iteratives so you don't strictly need BAB. Tho Ranger plus Slayer levels could work.

[Tohsaka Rin]

You're probably better off sticking with your character's theme, rather than trying to crib together two separate anime. Legacy armor, or robe, or bodysuit would be more thematic, I think.

Something to reduce power point costs a little, a point or two maybe. A few free metapsionics a couple of times a day. Have it function as a cogniscence crystal that improves every few levels. Maybe +1 to electicity powers per die of damage.

Turning a psion blaster into a gish is kind of a big shift in focus. It's certainly doable, I've done it before, but it kind of makes an abrupt left-turn for your character concept.

Besides, you can get so much more mileage out of weapon aflame, psionic shot (and improved), fell shot, and any projectile weapons (and the throw anything feat). A couple levels of Master Thrower wouldn't go amiss, and be thematicly closer to Railgun than becoming a gish.

[CrazyYanmega]

Interesting. I didn't realize that the Lash stacked with the other powers.

While the Warblade idea has its merits, Tome of Battle has been banned.

While making changes to the Legacy item is an excellent idea, the window for doing as such as unfortunately passed. I must now make do with what I get. Also, what is a Gish?

Master Thrower seems interesting. I'll look into it if I ever make another Misaka.

[The Dragon]

-Would you mind posting the entire legacy item progression to the forums? It'd help us help you better.

-To what extent are you allowed to retrain feats and powers?

-When you say no xp, do you know how your gm intends to run stuff that requires you to pay xp for it to function, such as magic item creation and certain powers?

That said, the obvious thought when someone says "claw attacks" "pounce" and "psionics" is king of smack.

The philosophy is to deal tonnes of damage by way of size increases. Normally, we use psychic warrior and their claws of the beast, but I think the concept can apply to you as well.

Assuming that you can retrain powers and feats, here's what I'd do;

Feats
F - Improved Natural Attack(Claws)
F - Overchannel
H - Talented
P - Psicrystal Affinity
1 - Improved Initiative
3 - Expanded Knowledge(Expansion)

Powers
1 - Vigor (retrained)
1 - Offensive Precognition
1 - Inertial Armor (retrained)
1 - Energy Ray
1 - Control Object
(1 - Expansion)
2 - Share Pain (Retrained)
2 - Energy Missile
2 - Control Air
2 - Energy Stun

Cast share pain on yourself and your psicrystal so it takes half your damage when you go off adventuring, and if it looks like combat, cast vigor and share it with your psicrystal. Now you get 10 temporary hitpints for every point you spend on vigor. Overchannel & talented lets you generate +10 free hp with every casting of vigor. Your hp problem should just about be solved.

I don't know how the legacy item is statted up, but assuming it gives you two 1d6 claws, you now have 2 +5/+5 claw attacks that deal 2d6+1 damage each when buffed.

Looking forward, here's a thread which as ways to improve damage dice. I think taking a level of warshaper might be in order, as you can probably qualify by level nine with expanded knowledge(metamorphosis)

[StreamOfTheSky]

There's a +1 weapon property called Skillful that boosts you to a medium BAB if what you currently have is worse. It's in C.Arcane, iirc.

I hate that it exists and manages devalue the "benefit" of having BAB progressions at all even worse than D&D already does, but it might be useful to you.

[CrazyYanmega]

The DM is still working on Senketsu, but here's what I managed to get out of him: Starts with +2 PP/HD, the melee aspect are being based on Shifters, and keeping the Flight.