Help fix my Psion/Soul Manifester build

[Battlemage]

Hey guys,

In one of the PbP-games I'm playing in on this board, I'm playing a Psion planning on going into Soul Manifester. Hi if anyone from the Savage Tide group reads this.:smallsmile:

I'm usually someone that optimizes a lot (practical optimization though, not the ridiculous stuff), but when I created this character many months ago, I didn't know a single thing about psionics or incarnum (and I still don't know much about it). Logically I decided on using both of the things I didn't know in my character, because I'm somewhat of an idiot.

Now, I'd like some help from you in regards to how to progress the character. I want to focus on blasting, since I enjoy that kind of thing (I know it's not that that effective). The problem is that I chose the wrong setup for blasting. In retrospect I wish I'd gone Wilder into Anarchic Initiate for big casterlevels and bonus damage. I didn't, though, and I can't change it now.

In the campaign I'm playing in, the first level (and only the first one) is a gestalt level (from level 2 on it's normal). Currently my character is a Tiefling Psion (Kineticist) 2 // Incarnate 1. The +1 LA will be bought off at level 3. The idea was to use the souldmelds for general utility and the psionic powers for offense. My feats so far are Azure Talent and Psicrystal Affinity. This is my character sheet. (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=603715)
For future feats I was planning to get Empower Power (more damage), Psionic Meditation (to get psionic focus back as move action) and Psicrystal Containment (second psionic focus). After that I'm not sure. I'm considering Psycarnum Infusion + Midnight Augmentation, but I'm not sure how good that actually is.
The plan was to use Energy Missile for most blasting purposes, get some aoe powers for when larger aoe is needed, later on Energy Current + Psicrystal Solicitation for lots of sustained damage. Some defensive and utility/debuffing powers to round things out (which ones though?).

I realize now that Soul Manifester isn't going to help my goal of blasting at all, and the one manifester level I'm going to lose for the entrance requirement is even going to hurt it. So now I'm a bit unsure what exactly I should do with the character to make it a useful member of the group. Any tips and/or build suggestions are appreciated.

For reference, the other party members are a summoning-focused conjuration wizard (the usual good wizard stuff), a binder/barbarian (pounce, whirling frenzy, lots of pain), a bard/warblade (lots of useful party-buffing stuff and competent fighter himself), and a cleric/crusader (tank, utility/buffs and healer in one neat package).

[Battlemage]

Any help would be appreciated.:smallsmile:

[Troacctid]

I realize now that Soul Manifester isn't going to help my goal of blasting at all, and the one manifester level I'm going to lose for the entrance requirement is even going to hurt it.

You can solve this bit by taking Shape Soulmeld as a feat and using the Open Chakra power to qualify without a second level of Incarnate.

[Battlemage]

You can solve this bit by taking Shape Soulmeld as a feat and using the Open Chakra power to qualify without a second level of Incarnate.

Great idea, thanks. I've totally missed the existence of the Open Chakra power. The sacrifice of one feat, one power known, and delaying entry into Soul Manifester until after level 7 is costly, but less so than giving up a level of psion, I think.

[Red Fel]

Alright, alright, settle down, I'm here. Let's see.

Before we go anywhere else, obligatory Psion handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10238.0).

So, as I understand, you're getting a free level, which you're taking as Incarnate 1. Fine. I would recommend squeezing the second level of Incarnate in there someplace. I know you're reluctant to give up manifester level, but being MaL 19 instead of MaL 20 isn't going to kill you, frankly, and having to invest two feats isn't going to do you any favors. Suck up the expense and take Incarnate 2. Enjoy the free Chakra Bind (crown) while you're there. At the end of your build, you'll have MaL 19 and MeL 12, which ain't too shabby.

Now, powers. There's a lot of talk about psionics-incarnum cheese you can pull. I won't go into that. I will say that if you're focusing on those energy powers for blasting, you're thinking small. Consider powers like Crystal Shard, Entangling Ectoplasm, and Crystalstorm. They're no save, no PR, and because they're instantaneous, they work within a null field. Similarly, Amethyst Burst will give you an AoE that's a force effect, which is useful on many levels. Basically, think more broadly when it comes to blasting.

Now, soulmelds. I'll be honest, the Psychic Focus soulmeld (from the same article that gives us the Soul Manifester) isn't so hot - +1 damage is rather meh, really, and you shouldn't be targeting Fort saves, both since your soulmeld DC will be low, and since Fort saves tend to be high. Daze is nice, but you won't get much oomph out of it. That said, it's a decent backup soulmeld if you have nothing else in the Throat and can bind it there. (Mind you, that will cost you a feat - you don't get that chakra bind from Soul Manifester.)

Apart from that, the soulmelds are your standard choices. If it looks good, try it out; if not, change it the next day. Consider Lucky Dice, which are almost always a good decision. A shame you're NG instead of CN; the Chaos Incarnate Avatar gets you a bonus on ranged attack rolls, which is perfect for a blaster.

[Troacctid]

I disagree on the 2nd level of Incarnate. It's one thing to be MaL 19 instead of a MaL 20, but it's another thing entirely to be MaL 6 instead of MaL 7. Lagging behind is going to suck until you eventually catch up, and there's no guarantee the game will even last that long. Shape Soulmeld is a good feat in general and a great feat if you have an essentia pool, and extra chakra binds are nothing to shake a stick at. I haven't played much with psionics, but I'm pretty sure if there were a feat you could take to just straight-up get +1 manifester level, you'd probably snap-take it on every Psion build.

For the record, you don't get the Throat bind from Soul Manifester, but you can get it from the Open Chakra power if you augment it. With Midnight Augmentation and Psionic Investment, I believe you could access it as early as 13th level?

If retraining is allowed, I suggest retraining Psycarnum Crystal to Midnight Augmentation when you get the chance. The latter is strictly better. (Psycarnum Crystal is bafflingly underpowered...it gives you 1 point of essentia while your psicrystal is in arm's reach, whereas literally every other incarnum feat gives you 1 point of essentia with no restrictions plus an extra ability on top of that.) Consider asking the DM if Share Soulmeld applies to psicrystals--there are some nifty tricks you can do with it if it does, like using it as a shoulder cannon with Dissolving Spittle or getting free movement with your Cerulean Sandals bind.

[Battlemage]

Thanks for the tips, guys. At the moment I'm tending toward taking the manifester level over the feat slot, but I'm going to think about it. Definitely going to look at the powers you mentioned, Red Fel.

I don't have Psycarnum Crystal, that feat is indeed quite terrible. At the moment I have Psicrystal Affinity and Azure Talent. Currently I'm thinking along these lines in regards to feats:

These are locked in:

1: Psicrystal Affinity
1 (Psion 1): Azure Talent

These are still open:

3: Empower Power (need a damage boost somewhere)
5 (Psion 5): Psionic Meditation (can't really use psionic focus without it)
6: Shape Soulmeld
9: Psicrystal Containment (two focuses seem useful)
12: Midnight Augmentation (not sure here)
15: Psycarnum Infusion (also not sure)
18:

I'd also kinda like Extend Power, but maybe I can do that with an item. Is there a metamagic rod equivalent for psionics?

Edit: I like the share soulmeld idea, I think my DM might let that work.