Why does astral juggernaut cost XP?

[Temennigru]

I mean, it's a power that lets you create a gargantuan machine that lasts only a few rounds and costs XP.
HOW CAN A TEMPORARY POWER COST XP?

[ericgrau]

Probably because you're making a CR 15 creature at level 17. That would be as good as leadership except that leadership lets you optimize your second character. But even without optimizing that is quite good. The big drawback is that it takes a round to create, making it merely ok rather than brokenly amazing.

And 500 xp at level 17 is nothing. Even if you fall behind in level for a brief instant the accelerated xp gains will immediately make it disappear or sometimes even give you more xp than what you lost. Even if you cast the spell in every fight you'll usually be around 1/8 a level behind and you won't ever fall further behind than that due to accelerated xp gains.

If you have an optimized 17th level character then an ordinary CR 15 creature probably isn't that great and then you wouldn't ever cast the spell at all, with or without the xp cost.

[Temennigru]

Probably because you're making a CR 15 creature at level 17. That would be as good as leadership except that leadership lets you optimize your second character. But even without optimizing that is quite good. The big drawback is that it takes a round to create, making it merely ok rather than brokenly amazing.

And 500 xp at level 17 is nothing. Even if you fall behind in level for a brief instant the accelerated xp gains will immediately make it disappear or sometimes even give you more xp than what you lost. Even if you cast the spell in every fight you'll usually be around 1/8 a level behind and you won't ever fall further behind than that due to accelerated xp gains.

If you have an optimized 17th level character then an ordinary CR 15 creature probably isn't that great and then you wouldn't ever cast the spell at all, with or without the xp cost.

That actually makes sense.
And now that I read the full extend of astral juggernaut and saw that it can fire ASTRAL MISSILES and you can ride it, I really want this power.

[Tvtyrant]

Which book is Astral Juggernaut in?

[Psyren]

In addition to what ericgrau said, remember that psionic powers don't have components. So while some spells can be balanced to prevent spammability by requiring an expensive material component, that isn't an option for powers (in 3.5 anyway) and so an XP cost serves that function instead. For example, Bend Reality is a power that very often has temporary effects. but it costs XP so that you don't simply spend all your PP manifesting that over and over for every situation.

[Temennigru]

Which book is Astral Juggernaut in?

No idea. Psionics d20srd (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/astral-juggernaut) has lots of stuff that comes out of the wizards website and it doesn't say where they got the material.

[Necroticplague]

No idea. Psionics d20srd (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/astral-juggernaut) has lots of stuff that comes out of the wizards website and it doesn't say where they got the material.

Well, it says right in the name (DSP d20 SRD) it's from Dreamscarred Press....and even more so on the home page....

[Temennigru]

Well, it says right in the name (DSP d20 SRD) it's from Dreamscarred Press....and even more so on the home page....

DSP has loads of 3.5 material. You can never tell what comes from them and what comes from official d&d

[Psyren]

DSP has loads of 3.5 material. You can never tell what comes from them and what comes from official d&d

Sure you can - when you look at anything on that site, if it's not from the original 3.5 SRD, it's original content they created. They didn't (and aren't allowed to) repost any of WotC closed content.

[Temennigru]

Sure you can - when you look at anything on that site, if it's not from the original 3.5 SRD, it's original content they created. They didn't (and aren't allowed to) repost any of WotC closed content.

Isn't web content open?

[danzibr]

Isn't web content open?
He's saying *if* it's not on the original SRD, then it's original content they created.

[Urpriest]

Isn't web content open?

Not via the OGL, no.