lycantrope
2015-08-02, 02:44 PM
crosspost from DSP forums, any input appreciated!
Occult Adventures introduced a new mechanic for users of psychic magic called psychic duels, which is really neat! Unfortunately, RAW, psionics are pretty harshly crippled in a psychic duel, which makes no sense, and when applying transparency, they are greatly overpowered, and better are psychic duels than the characters who can natively initiate them! Initiators aren’t really a problem in terms of balance, but obviously don’t slide directly into the RAW.
Both of these scenarios are bad news, so here is the workaround our table has come up with for both initiators and psionics so that other fans of DSP products can make the most of the Occult Adventures features. For the sake of transparency and balance review, the workaround will be preceded by our view of the problems.
The problem with psionics:
There are two ways to read how psionics (specifically, those with a manifester level) interact with psychic duel mechanics. (1) They do not have a caster level or spells in the sense that psychic duels require them to, so they are considered mundane for the purpose of psychic duels and limited to manifesting 1/4 HD points per manifestation. (2) Due to transparency, psionics do have a caster level, but then what? You don’t have spell slots to burn, leaving two possibilities. Either a complex (and ultimately unwieldy) jury-rig converts spells known into temporary spell slots, or you are simply allowed to burn power points without regard to spell slots, which quickly ramps up to the point where a psion and wilder are better at dueling than psychics!
Our solution for psionics:
(1) Aegis and non-gifted blade Soulknife are unaffected by our solution, as they fit perfectly into the rules for non-casters already established in Occult Adventures.
(2) The remaining classes, which will be referred to simply as psionics to prevent confusion, are affected, as their reliance on a power point reserve to cast spells throws a wrench into the mechanic.
(3) The instigate psychic duel spell or effect does not normally affect psionic characters because the thought structure of psionics so greatly differs from that of psychic magic users. When this ability targets a psionic character, instead of instigating a psychic duel, the psionic character instead takes 1d4 damage per 2 caster levels of the caster with a will save to negate all damage. The justification for this rule is simply that it’s incredibly unlikely for a psionic character to be targeted for a psychic duel, and that it doesn’t warrant a total rewrite or repatch in all cases for which a psionic or psychic character must otherwise prepare, let alone the DM trying to run them. Essentially, this part of our patch makes integration in the event of this scenario unfolding unexpectedly easy and quick to resolve without punishing either party.
(4) A psionic character that wants to participate in this cool mechanic can take the feat, Psychic Duel Training, detailed below. This feat removes the damage effect from instigate psychic duel targeting a psionic character, and grants the psionic character the ability to participate and even instigate psychic duels themselves on equal terms with their Occult Adventures counterparts. By tying this mechanic to a feat, we allow psionic players interested in participating in this mechanic a way to do so without complicating all psionics with an otherwise less than ideal system.
Feat: Psychic Duel Training
Prerequisites: Able to manifest 2nd level powers.
Benefit: Add instigate psychic duel to your list of powers known as a 2nd level power. When targeted by this effect by another source, you no longer take damage, and the spell resolves normally. You gain a virtual spell slot progression for the purpose of psychic duels – psions, wilders, tacticians, and vitalists gain the psychic progression, dreads, psychic warriors, and cryptics gain the occultist’s progression, and gifted blade soulknives and marksmen gain the mesmerist’s progression. You gain bonus spell slots as normal for having a high ability score for this virtual progression. This progression only exists for the purpose of generating manifestation points when engaged in a psychic duel, and does not count as a prerequisite for anything else. When you consume a virtual spell slot in a psychic duel, you also consume power points equal to the standard cost of a power of that level (1 points for a 1st level power, 3 for a 2nd, and so on).
Power: Instigate Psychic Duel
Discipline: Telepathy [mind-affecting]
Level: 2 (see text)
Display: Auditory and material
Manifesting time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: One minute/level
Saving throw: will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power points: 3
Description: This power can only be learned by taking the Psychic Duel Training feat. It otherwise functions exactly as the spell of the same name from Occult Adventures.
Psionics in conclusion: We haven’t had a chance to playtest this, obviously, but given that it’s a direct feature import with minimum homebrewing, balance issues seem unlikely. An additional possibility is creating a Psychic Dueling discipline for Psions similar to the psychic archetype of the same theme.
The problem with initiators:
(1) None mechanically, other than maneuvers don’t really fit cleanly into RAW for psychic duels.
Our solution for initiators;
(1) Initiator classes are limited to generating 1/4 HD (rounded down) manifestation points per round when in a psychic duel.
(2) An initiator can sacrifice a maneuver readied to generate manifestation points during a psychic duel equal to 1/2 the maneuver level (rounded down). The maneuver may still be refreshed after the duel is over, but not during the duel. This solution makes initiators slightly more efficient at generating points than some other martial themed classes, but comparable to paladins and rangers.
Well that’s what our table uses. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated! It’s a clunky patch, but it works.
Occult Adventures introduced a new mechanic for users of psychic magic called psychic duels, which is really neat! Unfortunately, RAW, psionics are pretty harshly crippled in a psychic duel, which makes no sense, and when applying transparency, they are greatly overpowered, and better are psychic duels than the characters who can natively initiate them! Initiators aren’t really a problem in terms of balance, but obviously don’t slide directly into the RAW.
Both of these scenarios are bad news, so here is the workaround our table has come up with for both initiators and psionics so that other fans of DSP products can make the most of the Occult Adventures features. For the sake of transparency and balance review, the workaround will be preceded by our view of the problems.
The problem with psionics:
There are two ways to read how psionics (specifically, those with a manifester level) interact with psychic duel mechanics. (1) They do not have a caster level or spells in the sense that psychic duels require them to, so they are considered mundane for the purpose of psychic duels and limited to manifesting 1/4 HD points per manifestation. (2) Due to transparency, psionics do have a caster level, but then what? You don’t have spell slots to burn, leaving two possibilities. Either a complex (and ultimately unwieldy) jury-rig converts spells known into temporary spell slots, or you are simply allowed to burn power points without regard to spell slots, which quickly ramps up to the point where a psion and wilder are better at dueling than psychics!
Our solution for psionics:
(1) Aegis and non-gifted blade Soulknife are unaffected by our solution, as they fit perfectly into the rules for non-casters already established in Occult Adventures.
(2) The remaining classes, which will be referred to simply as psionics to prevent confusion, are affected, as their reliance on a power point reserve to cast spells throws a wrench into the mechanic.
(3) The instigate psychic duel spell or effect does not normally affect psionic characters because the thought structure of psionics so greatly differs from that of psychic magic users. When this ability targets a psionic character, instead of instigating a psychic duel, the psionic character instead takes 1d4 damage per 2 caster levels of the caster with a will save to negate all damage. The justification for this rule is simply that it’s incredibly unlikely for a psionic character to be targeted for a psychic duel, and that it doesn’t warrant a total rewrite or repatch in all cases for which a psionic or psychic character must otherwise prepare, let alone the DM trying to run them. Essentially, this part of our patch makes integration in the event of this scenario unfolding unexpectedly easy and quick to resolve without punishing either party.
(4) A psionic character that wants to participate in this cool mechanic can take the feat, Psychic Duel Training, detailed below. This feat removes the damage effect from instigate psychic duel targeting a psionic character, and grants the psionic character the ability to participate and even instigate psychic duels themselves on equal terms with their Occult Adventures counterparts. By tying this mechanic to a feat, we allow psionic players interested in participating in this mechanic a way to do so without complicating all psionics with an otherwise less than ideal system.
Feat: Psychic Duel Training
Prerequisites: Able to manifest 2nd level powers.
Benefit: Add instigate psychic duel to your list of powers known as a 2nd level power. When targeted by this effect by another source, you no longer take damage, and the spell resolves normally. You gain a virtual spell slot progression for the purpose of psychic duels – psions, wilders, tacticians, and vitalists gain the psychic progression, dreads, psychic warriors, and cryptics gain the occultist’s progression, and gifted blade soulknives and marksmen gain the mesmerist’s progression. You gain bonus spell slots as normal for having a high ability score for this virtual progression. This progression only exists for the purpose of generating manifestation points when engaged in a psychic duel, and does not count as a prerequisite for anything else. When you consume a virtual spell slot in a psychic duel, you also consume power points equal to the standard cost of a power of that level (1 points for a 1st level power, 3 for a 2nd, and so on).
Power: Instigate Psychic Duel
Discipline: Telepathy [mind-affecting]
Level: 2 (see text)
Display: Auditory and material
Manifesting time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Target: One creature
Duration: One minute/level
Saving throw: will negates
Power Resistance: Yes
Power points: 3
Description: This power can only be learned by taking the Psychic Duel Training feat. It otherwise functions exactly as the spell of the same name from Occult Adventures.
Psionics in conclusion: We haven’t had a chance to playtest this, obviously, but given that it’s a direct feature import with minimum homebrewing, balance issues seem unlikely. An additional possibility is creating a Psychic Dueling discipline for Psions similar to the psychic archetype of the same theme.
The problem with initiators:
(1) None mechanically, other than maneuvers don’t really fit cleanly into RAW for psychic duels.
Our solution for initiators;
(1) Initiator classes are limited to generating 1/4 HD (rounded down) manifestation points per round when in a psychic duel.
(2) An initiator can sacrifice a maneuver readied to generate manifestation points during a psychic duel equal to 1/2 the maneuver level (rounded down). The maneuver may still be refreshed after the duel is over, but not during the duel. This solution makes initiators slightly more efficient at generating points than some other martial themed classes, but comparable to paladins and rangers.
Well that’s what our table uses. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated! It’s a clunky patch, but it works.