Dark Knight Renee
2007-03-26, 03:52 PM
Fishing around in the XPH and the SRD, I haven't been able to figure out whether Psicrystals gain abilities from a master's psionic PrCs or not.
Firstly, this entry from the Psicrystal text is both specific and vague:
Psicrystal abilities are based on the owner’s levels in psionic classes. Levels from other classes do not count toward the owner’s level for purposes of psicrystal abilities.
Now, most of the PrCs are fairly clear in mentioning that the character's psicrystal does not, in fact, improve.
Powers Known: At every level indicated on the table, the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of elocater to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.
This makes no sense whatsoever, since Psionic PrCs are still psionic classes, and the Psicrystal comes from a feat, not a class feature linked to a specific class.
HOWEVER, the particular PrC I'm considering actually fails to include the statement about not gaining Psicrystal powers, and furthermore gains a new Psicrystal related power.
Powers Known: At every even-numbered level, a metamind gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of metamind to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.
Cognizance Psicrystal (Ex): At 2nd level, a metamind masters the trick of storing excess power points in a psicrystal. The psicrystal is now treated as a cognizance crystal capable of storing 5 power points, in addition to its psicrystal abilities. At every even-numbered level, a metamind becomes able to store an additional 2 power points in his psicrystal, to a maximum of 11 points at 8th level.
Although I could assume that just because it failed to mention it doesn't mean the same rule doesn't apply, and therefore that the Psicrystal gains nothing at all from Metamind levels. However, I could also interpret the rules to mean that the Metamind does get Psicrystal progression, at least on the levels that increase manafester level. Is there any official ruling, or am I missing something? Because the RAW doesn't seem to agree, at least it doesn't look like it to me.
Firstly, this entry from the Psicrystal text is both specific and vague:
Psicrystal abilities are based on the owner’s levels in psionic classes. Levels from other classes do not count toward the owner’s level for purposes of psicrystal abilities.
Now, most of the PrCs are fairly clear in mentioning that the character's psicrystal does not, in fact, improve.
Powers Known: At every level indicated on the table, the character gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if she had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, psicrystal special abilities, and so on). This essentially means that she adds the level of elocater to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.
This makes no sense whatsoever, since Psionic PrCs are still psionic classes, and the Psicrystal comes from a feat, not a class feature linked to a specific class.
HOWEVER, the particular PrC I'm considering actually fails to include the statement about not gaining Psicrystal powers, and furthermore gains a new Psicrystal related power.
Powers Known: At every even-numbered level, a metamind gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if he had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bonus feats, metapsionic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of metamind to the level of whatever manifesting class the character has, then determines power points per day, powers known, and manifester level accordingly.
Cognizance Psicrystal (Ex): At 2nd level, a metamind masters the trick of storing excess power points in a psicrystal. The psicrystal is now treated as a cognizance crystal capable of storing 5 power points, in addition to its psicrystal abilities. At every even-numbered level, a metamind becomes able to store an additional 2 power points in his psicrystal, to a maximum of 11 points at 8th level.
Although I could assume that just because it failed to mention it doesn't mean the same rule doesn't apply, and therefore that the Psicrystal gains nothing at all from Metamind levels. However, I could also interpret the rules to mean that the Metamind does get Psicrystal progression, at least on the levels that increase manafester level. Is there any official ruling, or am I missing something? Because the RAW doesn't seem to agree, at least it doesn't look like it to me.