Blaster Psion, first time using psionics

[ArqArturo]

A friend is joining us in our Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil module run, and wants to play a psion. He's fairly new to 3.5 (playing only 2e, and non-d20 games) and I've never played psionics before.

Now, he likes Deadlands: Hell on Earth, and he likes Sykers (basically a person that can destroy/fry things with his/her mind), and he wants to make a Psionic 'Blaster'. We're all level 5, and we really could use the firepower.

The party is:

Dwarf cleric (me, in the end I decided from the sword & board and got a cleric instead)
Half-Elf Druid (unoptimized)
Human Paladin (tank)
Human Fighter (melee beatstick)

The stats he rolled are next: 10 18 16 14 14 12

I'm thinking an Elan Psion (kineticist) might do the trick, with the Overchannel and Talented feats. So... Any advice?.

[Psyren]

As much as I'd love to write something more detailed, pretty much everything I say would just be in the handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=10238) anyway. So show him that and then see if he has questions.

And be sure you have hammered the Golden Rule of Psionics gently yet firmly into his cranium.

[Keld Denar]

Energy Missiles is one of the more efficient PP/damage powers, especially if you are hitting like, 3-4 targets. It does have the same issue as Fireball, though, in that one dead foe is a stronger solution than 4 injured but living foes.

[Rubik]

I'd suggest shaper, rather than kineticist, because, while shapers can blast, they can do tons of utility stuff, too.

And once he hits level 7, tell him to consider taking Gemstone Breath (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15935821&postcount=4) as a power known. Especially useful with manifester level boosters and cost reducers, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17918174&postcount=9) to boost the number of "free" power points he can invest in it.

[LTwerewolf]

I'd suggest shaper, rather than kineticist, because, while shapers can blast, they can do tons of utility stuff, too.

And once he hits level 7, tell him to consider taking Gemstone Breath (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=15935821&postcount=4) as a power known. Especially useful with manifester level boosters and cost reducers, (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17918174&postcount=9) to boost the number of "free" power points he can invest in it.

I'd agree with this. You don't really need to be a kineticist to be good at blasting, and being one doesn't make you all that much better at it.

[ArqArturo]

I see, so... Shaper it is.

Is the feat selection good, or should it be something else?.

[LTwerewolf]

You can take the two of those if you want to. It's good for pumping out a little extra damage. The handbook psyren linked is a good resource for feats.

[Renen]

Dont forget the psycrystal feat too...