Confusion over the Erudite

[Ralcos]

Ever since I got Complete Psionics, I failed to wrap my head around the seemingly simple class known as the Erudite.

All I want to know is: How does the class work?
The way they word the simple class trait "Unique Powers per Day" simply baffles me, and continues to confuse me when I think about it.

Can someone tell me how the Erudite works? I REALLY want to know.

Thank you in advance.

[Zanos]

None of the Erudites powers are locked in when he starts the day. He can manifest any power he knows, provided he spends power points on it. After manifesting that power, it takes up one of his Unique Power Per Day slots. If he has no more Unique Power Per Day slots, he can manifest a power already in one of them, but not another power.

Consider a 5th Level Erudite. When he wakes up, his UPPD looks like this.
1.[Empty]
2.[Empty]
3.[Empty]

He gets in a fight with some Orcs, and decides to manifest Energy Ray.
1.[Energy Ray]
2.[Empty]
3.[Empty]

The next time he decides to manifest, he can choose to manifest energy ray again, in which case nothing happens to his UPPD, but he does lose the appropriate power points.
If he manifests, say, force screen, his UPPD looks like this.
1.[Energy Ray]
2.[Force Screen]
3.[Empty]

When his UPPD are all filled, he cannot manifest any other powers he knows besides ones he has already manifested. In effect, the powers he can manifest that day are locked in until he rests again.

Note: By RAW, an Erudite technically receives the number of unique powers per day listed in the chart per power level. I don't believe this was intentional because it would give a level 20 Erudite
99 UPPD, but some (insane) people might argue it's valid.

[One Step Two]

Zanos nailed it.

Now regarding:


Note: By RAW, an Erudite technically receives the number of unique powers per day listed in the chart per power level. I don't believe this was intentional because it would give a level 20 Erudite
99 UPPD, but some (insane) people might argue it's valid.

The Table for the Erudite gives the number of the Unique powers per day, but the description of the UPPD States: "Unlike a psion, an erudite is limited to manifesting a certain number of unique psionic powers of each level per day from the repertoire of powers he knows, according to his class levels."
With no other specific details, the two usual choices are to either set a total number of 11 different powers only you can cast per day at 20th, which while quite restrictive is still decently versatile; or 11 of each level, which is insane.

The version presented in Dragon Magazine, where the Erudite first comes from, gives them Unique Powers per day like a wizards spells slots, no more than 4 per Power level, so 27 Unique powers total, which I find preferable.

[Jeff the Green]

The Table for the Erudite gives the number of the Unique powers per day, but the description of the UPPD States: "Unlike a psion, an erudite is limited to manifesting a certain number of unique psionic powers of each level per day from the repertoire of powers he knows, according to his class levels."
With no other specific details, the two usual choices are to either set a total number of 11 different powers only you can cast per day at 20th, which while quite restrictive is still decently versatile; or 11 of each level, which is insane.

While I agree that 11 UP/D per power level is insane, but I'm not sure there's any other way to read it. It's entirely possible I'm missing something, though.


The version presented in Dragon Magazine, where the Erudite first comes from, gives them Unique Powers per day like a wizards spells slots, no more than 4 per Power level, so 27 Unique powers total, which I find preferable.

I assume that the higher levels never get 4 UP/D so you end up with an average of 3? I agree that that's better than 11 total UP/D and less insane than 11 UP/D/L, but it still strikes me as excessive. I'd say you could limit it to a max of 3 and still be quite comfortable.

[Grod_The_Giant]

the two usual choices are to either set a total number of 11 different powers only you can cast per day at 20th, which while quite restrictive is still decently versatile; or 11 of each level, which is insane.
Either way is pretty bad. The Dragon Magazine version seems much saner.

[Gavinfoxx]

The actual limit of the number of 'locked' powers really depends on which version of the Erudite you are reading...

-The Complete Psionic gives the Erudite unique powers per day equal to 1+1/2 class level (rounded down) per level, This means a level 20 Erudite can manifest 99 unique powers a day, 11 per power level (!!!)

-A common claim of RAI is that the Erudite should have 1+1/2 class level unique powers per day, no matter the level.

-The Erudite from Dragon Magazine #319 version has this, where the first level you can manifest a new level power you can manifest one a day, the next two level you can manifest three a day, the next three you can manifest 3 a day and every level after that you can manifest 4 a day. (Exceptions being 8th level powers where you skip one level of manifesting only 2 a day and 9th level powers where every level from 17th to 20th increase the number you can manifest daily by one.)

-A common houserule has it as:
1 per level 1-10, 1/2 level 11-20. leaves 15 at 20, and adds an extra +1 at 1. So, some example NET unique powers per day, which changes depending on how many class levels associated with Erudite you have. Thus, as a class level 1 erudite, you have 2 unique powers per day. As a level 5, you have 6, as a level 10, you have 11, as a level 15 you have 13, as a level 20 you have 16. This thread discusses the problem some:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131058

[Psyren]

I simply take the UPD progression and replace the numbers with the Ardent powers known progression from the same book. (i.e. 2 UPD, then +1 per level up to 21 UPD.) This is low enough that the UPD is meaningful (i.e. you have fewer unique options than an equivalent level psion) but high enough that you don't feel like a one-trick pony after one manifestation.