Is this a decent build?

[Ralcos]

I'm building a character for a campaign soon, and I'm wondering if this build is a good one.
I'm not making an overpowered badass, but I'm just making sure he is good at his job (being a Psionicist).


Athan “the Silver-Eyed” character build
By Ralcos



Human Male
Bonus Feat at 1st level
4 Bonus Skill Points at 1st level; 1 Bonus Skill Point per level.
Languages Known: Common, Xeph, Dwarven, Ancient Common, Ancient Elven
(Estimated Ability Scores)
10 Strength (+0)
16 Dexterity (+3)
12 Constitution (+1)
18 Intelligence (+4) Level 4: +1 Level 8: +1 Level 12: +1 Level 16: +1 Level 20: +1
Level 24: +1 Level 28: +1
(Total of 23 Intelligence; +6) (Total of 25 OR 29 Intelligence Epic Levels; +7 OR +9)
13 Wisdom (+1)
12 Charisma (+1)

Class Levels:
Psion 20 (Telepath) / ??? (Will look at Psion Handbook for multiclass options) ??
d4 HD, Poor BaB, Good Will Save, Power Points, Powers

1st level; Bonus Psionic Feat, Discipline
5th level; Bonus Psionic Feat
10th level; Bonus Psionic Feat
15th level; Bonus Psionic Feat
20th level; Bonus Psionic Feat
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
21st level; Bonus Feat (Epic or Other)
24th level; Bonus Feat (Epic or Other)
27th level; Bonus Feat (Epic or Other)
30th level; Bonus Feat (Epic or Other)



Power Points at level 4: 17 (from class) + 8 (18 Intelligence) + 2 (Hidden Talent Feat) = 27 PP

Power Points at level 20: 343 (from class) + 60 (23 Intelligence) + 2 (Hidden Talent Feat) = 405 PP

Epic Level Power Points at level 30: 343 (from class) + 70 (25 Intelligence) OR 90 (29 Intelligence) + 2 (Hidden Talent Feat) = 415 PP (25 Int) OR 435 PP (29 Int)


List of Wanted Powers
NOTE: Powers marked in Bold are powers I have chosen for the campaign's starting level (4).

1st Level Powers (1 PP Base Cost): Psionic Charm, Mindlink (Telepath); Burst, Call to Mind,Conceal Thoughts, Crystal Shard, Psionic Daze, Detect Psionics, Disable, Dissipating Touch, Empathy, Energy Ray, Far Hand, Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Offensive Precognition, Skate

2nd Level Powers (3 PP Base Cost): Read Thoughts, Psionic Suggestion (Telepath); Biofeedback, Concussion Blast, Specified Energy Adaption, Energy Push, Energy Stun, Psionic Identify, Psionic Levitate, Recall Agony, Swarm of Crystals, Psionic Tongues

3rd Level Powers (5 PP Base Cost): Hostile Empathic Transfer (Telepath); Body Adjustment, Dispel Psionics, Energy Bolt, Energy Burst, Energy Retort, Energy Wall, Mental Barrier, Telekinetic Force, Telekinetic Thrust, Time Hop, Touchsight, Ubiquitous Vision

4th Level Powers (7 PP Base Cost): Psionic Dominate (Telepath); Correspond, Psionic Dimension Door, Psionic Divination, Empathic Feedback, Energy Adaption, Telekinetic Maneuver

5th Level Powers (9 PP Base Cost): Mind Probe (Telepath); Adapt Body, Incarnate, Power Resistance, Psychic Crush, Psionic True Seeing

6th Level Powers (11 PP Base Cost): Breath of the Black Dragon, Psionic Contingency, Psionic Disintegrate, Psionic Overland Flight, Retrieve, Temporal Acceleration

7th Level Powers (13 PP Base Cost): Energy Conversion, Energy Wave, Evade Burst, Psionic Phase Door, Ultrablast

8th Level Powers (15 PP Base Cost): Psionic Iron Body, Matter Manipulation, Recall Death, Psionic Greater Teleport, True Metabolism

9th Level Powers (17 PP Base Cost): Affinity Field, Psionic Etherealness, Timeless Body



================================================== ==============

Feats
Human: Hidden Talent (2 PP plus Power of Choice)
1st Level: Psionic Meditation, Point Blank Shot
3rd Level: Empower Power
5th Level: Psionic Shot
6th Level: Maximize Power
9th Level: Split Psionic Ray
10th Level: Fell Shot
12th Level: Twin Power
15th Level: Extend Power, Widen Power
18th Level: Burrowing Power
20th Level: Chain Power
21st Level: Epic Manifestation (Needs 24 Know (Psionics) Ranks and 24 Psicraft Ranks) OR Great Intelligence
24th Level: Epic Psionic Focus (Needs Epic Manifestation) OR Great Intelligence
27th Level: Epic Psionic Focus (Needs Epic Manifestation) OR Great Intelligence
30th Level: Improved Manifestation (Needs Epic Manifestation) OR Great Intelligence




Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Knowledge (all, taken individually), Profession, Psicraft, Sense Motive
Skill Points: 3 + Int Modifier; x4 at 1st level (+4 at 1st level)
MAXIMIZE Concentration (4 at 1st level, 1 per level afterwards)
Knowledge (2 separate) (2 Ranks each level)
Psicraft (2 Ranks every other level)
Put remaining ranks into whatever you wish!
Skill Tricks: Collector of Stories

Skill Points at 1st level (w/ Intelligence): 2 (Class) + 4 (Intelligence), x4 (1st level), +4 (Human at 1st level) = 28
Skill Points per level after 1st: 2 (Class) + 4 (Intelligence) + 1 (Human) = 7

Athan’s Skill Allocation (based on build sheet)

1st level: 28 Skill Points
Concentration 4 Ranks (24)
Knowledge (Psionics) 4 Ranks (20)
Knowledge (History) 4 Ranks (16)
Psicraft 2 Ranks (14)
Knowledge (Arcana) 2 Ranks (12)
Knowledge (Religion) 2 Ranks (10)
Skill Trick: Collector of Stories (8)
Diplomacy 4 Ranks (4)
Sense Motive 4 Ranks (0)

2nd level: 7 Skill Points Gained
Concentration +1 Rank (6)
Knowledge (History) +1 Ranks (4)
Knowledge (Nobility) 2 Ranks (2)
Gather Information 2 Rank (2)
Sense Motive +1 Rank (0)

3rd level: 7 Skill Points Gained
Concentration +1 Rank (6)
Knowledge (Psionics) +2 Ranks (2)
Psicraft +3 Ranks (0)

4th level: 7 Skill Points Gained
Concentration +1 Rank (6)
Knowledge (Arcana) +2 Ranks (4)
Knowledge (Religion) +2 Ranks (2)
Knowledge (History) +2 Ranks (0)

Totals at the Beginning of the Game:
Concentration = 1 (Con) + 7 (Ranks) = +8
Diplomacy = 1 (Cha) + 4 (Ranks) = +5
Gather Information = 1 (Cha) + 2 (Ranks) = +3
Know (Arcana) = 4 (Int) + 4 (Ranks) = +8
Know (History) = 4 (Int) + 7 (Ranks) = +11
Know (Nobility) = 4 (Int) + 2 (Ranks) = +6
Know (Psionics) = 4 (Int) + 6 (Ranks) = +10
Know (Religion) = 4 (Int) + 4 (Ranks) = +8
Psicraft = 4 (Int) + 5 (Ranks) = +9





Power Save DC (4th Level Athan) = 10 + 4 (Intelligence) + Power Level (up to 2).
DC 15 for 1st level Powers, DC 16 for 2nd level Powers

Power Save DC (8th Level Athan) = 10 + 5 (Intelligence) + Power Level (up to 4).
DC 16 for 1st level Powers, DC 17 for 2nd level Powers, DC 18 for 3rd level Powers.

Power Save DC (16th Level Athan) = 10 + 6 (Intelligence) + Power Level (up to 8).
DC 17 for 1st level Powers, DC 18 for 2nd level Powers, DC 19 for 3rd level Powers, DC 20 for 4th level Powers, DC 21 for 5th level Powers, DC 22 for 6th level Powers, DC 23 for 7th level Powers, DC 24 for 8th level Powers.

Power Save DC (21st Level Athan) = 10 + 7 (Intelligence) + Power Level (up to 9).
DC 18 for 1st level Powers, DC 19 for 2nd level Powers, DC 20 for 3rd level Powers, DC 21 for 4th level Powers, DC 22 for 5th level Powers, DC 23 for 6th level Powers, DC 24 for 7th level Powers, DC 25 for 8th level Powers, DC 26 for 9th level Powers
Power Save DC (28th Level Athan) = 10 + 7 (Non-Epic Intelligence) OR 9 (Epic Intelligence) + Power Level (up to 9).

DC 18 (Non Epic) OR DC 20 (Epic) for 1st level Powers, DC 19 OR DC 21 for 2nd level Powers, DC 20 OR DC 22 for 3rd level Powers, DC 21 OR DC 23 for 4th level Powers, DC 22 or DC 24 for 5th level Powers, DC 23 OR DC 25 for 6th level Powers, DC 24 OR DC 26 for 7th level Powers, DC 25 OR DC 27 for 8th level Powers, DC 26 OR DC 28 for 9th level Powers.

[Feint's End]

You might want to give us a short description here because swapping between pages for commenting is cumbersome to do.

Generally it looks good but you have a lot of mediocre power decisions. A few thoughts:

-don't get call to mind as a power ... get a dorje
-crystal shards is better than energy ray
-burst is a bad power
-defensive precognition is better than offensive
-Vigor is a must have for every psion
-share pain is a must have for every psion
-energy push is not worth it ... too reliant on failed saves
-concussion blast isn't very good but you can roll with it if you need it for flavour
-don't take hostile empathic transfer ... its to easy to resist and depends on you taking dmg
-most important level 3 powers are touchsight, dispel psionics and time hop
-level 4 it's important to get psychic reformation ... otherwise your list looks good
-level 5 and onwards maybe later ...

Just some thoughts

[Ralcos]

Updated the first post to actually have the build.
Updated build to include epic levels (since DM wants us to plan to 30, if possible).

[Ellowryn]

I would recommend a look through The New, Virtually No-Nonsense Guide To Psions (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=50isg9e5domt7r4hi9l17vdlf0&topic=10238), particularly the section on selecting powers to fit rolls.

Also, if you are going telepath then i would highly suggest the Thrallherd PrC, yes you lose 2 manafester levels but Leadership on steroids is totally worth it, along with free augmentations of your Psionic Dominate power (which is already a better ability than the Dominate Person spell before augmentation).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

No, it's not decent because you need the feat Epic Manifestation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/psionicPowers.htm). Granted it's not listed with the rest of the epic feats, but it should be a given that every epic character needs epic spellcasting of some kind.

This is what epic spells do (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?353655-Permanent-epic-spells#11). Epic psionic powers can't be used with Uncanny Forethought to avoid casting times, but a quick google search should give you some ideas as to how you can mitigate epic psionic powers to a DC 0. Keep in mind that with a Spellcraft/Psicraft DC of 0, an epic spell/power takes zero time (less than a free action), zero gold, and zero experience to research.

[Ralcos]

The thing is that I didn't want to optimize to the point of overshadowing the party. I just wanted to know if this was a decent build for a group that does SOME optimization but not enough to become gods within 20 levels.

As is, I feel that going into Thrallherd will go into the overpowered category for the group I play in (Not to mention that they'd consider the class to be evil, since you're controlling people).

[Ellowryn]

The thing is that I didn't want to optimize to the point of overshadowing the party. I just wanted to know if this was a decent build for a group that does SOME optimization but not enough to become gods within 20 levels.

As is, I feel that going into Thrallherd will go into the overpowered category for the group I play in (Not to mention that they'd consider the class to be evil, since you're controlling people).

Now, now, you are not controlling the thralls per se, but rather they are just overly susceptible to your influence, sorta like lackeys in the movies.

[Ralcos]

Now, now, you are not controlling the thralls per se, but rather they are just overly susceptible to your influence, sorta like lackeys in the movies.

Honestly, Thrallherd doesn't fit the character, and the class itself also doesn't fit the DM's campaign style (dungeon delving).

[Ralcos]

Updated build post to include Skill Rank calculations.

[Thrice Dead Cat]

I see that you're using dandwiki archpsion, while the official version is technically 3.0 in an old Mind's Eye article, it would not take much work update it properly.

[Ralcos]

Now with even more updates!
I couldn't meet the requirements to get into the Archpsion (Though, I could probably ask the DM if I could ignore that Skill Focus (Psicraft) requirement......