3.P: Achieving "body corruption" flavor for a Vitalist?

[13_CBS]

Hello everyone,

I'm planning on playing a Vitalist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/vitalist), using the Sadist and Life Leech archetypes to make something akin to a psychic vampire. In terms of personality, I'm trying to play a character who is steadily, inexorably turning into an abomination and is desperately trying to collect funds to pay for a cure for it--meanwhile, as distasteful as it is, she (very reluctantly) figures she might as well use her newfound powers to collect said funds.

Now, in terms of fluff, the Flayerspawn Psychic is just what I need--as the character grows in power, she also grows in monstrosity as the Illithid Heritage feats pile on. Mechanically, however...Flayerspawn Psychic isn't pulling its weight. 6/10 Manifesting, in exchange for 3 Illithid Heritage feats (which are flavorful but mediocre to bad in terms of crunch) and up to 5/day Psionic Blast (whose DC scales off of Charisma, which is a dump stat for Vitalists).

So I'm looking for something, a prestige class or a series of feats or whatever, that help me achieve the flavor I want without crippling my character's ability to contribute to combat.

Relevant information:

-We're using 3.P. All official Wizards, Paizo, and Dreamscarred Press material is allowed. Homebrew is allowed, but the GM has to ok it first. Dragon materials are generally banned.
-The rest of the party is pretty optimized. No one is trying to break the campaign with Tier 1 shenanigans, but almost everyone is playing a Tier 3-high Tier 3 class and generally know what they're doing in terms of building solid characters.
-I've already considered [url=http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?435296-Twisted-Minds-Twisted-Bodies-Psionic-Aberration-PrCs&highlight=PrC]this homebrew[url] and Bloodlines, but the former doesn't quiiite fit what I'm looking for and I don't want to deal with LA business, even with LA buyoff available.
-Starting at level 3, normal WBL.
-Characters get feats every odd level, a la Pathfinder.

If all else fails, I might just take go for a straight Vitalist and grab as many Illithid Heritage feats as I can, but I'd like to see what else is on the table before I take that path.

[Ellowryn]

Outside of homebrew going straight vitalist is going to be your best bet. And do even need the illithid feats? While only somewhat flavorful they are, as you pointed out, really mechanically bad and even with 10 feats you have better things to spend them on.

You could of course ask if you can just increase the manifesting progression of Flayerspawn Psychic, but i think a pure vitalist will be much more powerful.

[13_CBS]

Outside of homebrew going straight vitalist is going to be your best bet. And do even need the illithid feats? While only somewhat flavorful they are, as you pointed out, really mechanically bad and even with 10 feats you have better things to spend them on.

You could of course ask if you can just increase the manifesting progression of Flayerspawn Psychic, but i think a pure vitalist will be much more powerful.

Obviously going straight Vitalist will be more powerful, but I'm also trying to see if I can incorporate the "body corruption" flavor I'm looking for via a prestige class or whatever. Any ideas?

[Psyren]

You're already playing with Pathfinder mixed in, which has a stronger baseline, so I would negotiate a buff to Flayerspawn Psychic with your GM. Point to other examples of PrCs that Pathfinder has bumped up, like the Arcane Archer, Dragon Disciple, Arcane Trickster, Metamind, Psychic Fist, and War Mind, then see if you can swing 8/10 manifesting and better features.

[Prime32]

I suggest dipping Aegis (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis) with the Aberrant (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/aberrant) archetype.

The Student of the Astral Suit feat from Ultimate Psionics is effectively Practiced Spellcaster for astral suits, and IIRC there's a trait that does the same thing at half strength. Also, if you enter a PrC that advances your manifesting, then you might be able to advance your astral suit at the same time.

Sometimes, a soulknife may qualify for a prestige class with “+1 level of existing manifesting class” as a class feature. This increased psionic training helps those who follow the path of the mind blade as well as the path of the manifester. At each level where a manifester level would increase by one, treat the soulknife as if he had gained a level of soulknife for the purposes of Enhanced Mind Blade. The soulknife does not gain any other benefits from an increased level (blade skills, etc.).

It’s less common, but sometimes a multiclass soulknife enters one of these prestige classes with a bit of manifesting talent. In high psionics games, for this special case, each indicated level of the prestige class advances both the soulknife’s Enhanced Mind Blade, as above, and his existing manifester level by one level. In games that are not high psionics, choose one or the other to increase, but not both.


You could also try using Elan or Daelkyr Halfblood as your race, for the Aberration type.

[13_CBS]

You're already playing with Pathfinder mixed in, which has a stronger baseline, so I would negotiate a buff to Flayerspawn Psychic with your GM. Point to other examples of PrCs that Pathfinder has bumped up, like the Arcane Archer, Dragon Disciple, Arcane Trickster, Metamind, Psychic Fist, and War Mind, then see if you can swing 8/10 manifesting and better features.

Certainly worth a shot. Now, losing all those Vitalist class features are gonna hurt, so I'm gonna have to figure out when to jump off of Flayerspawn Psychic (and figure out what extra class features, if any) to ask for, but it's worth thinking about.


I suggest dipping Aegis (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis) with the Aberrant (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/aegis/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/aberrant) archetype.

The Student of the Astral Suit feat from Ultimate Psionics is effectively Practiced Spellcaster for astral suits, and IIRC there's a trait that does the same thing at half strength. Also, if you enter a PrC that advances your manifesting, then you might be able to advance your astral suit at the same time.


Interesting, but wouldn't "+1 to existing manifester class" improve either my Vitalist manifesting abilities or my Astral Suit, rather than both?



You could also try using Elan or Daelkyr Halfblood as your race, for the Aberration type.

Daelkyr Halfblood? What does that have to do with--


You start off as an abomination, then grow horrible things on your body as you level up!

Oh ho. :smallamused:

Edit: Hmm, although I really like the Daelkyr Half Blood idea, after reading about symbionts some more it looks like Symbionts have Egos that fight with the host for control over the body. Another party member is already using the "PC struggles with multiple personalities" theme, and I'd like to avoid stepping on her toes if I can, unfortunately...


Look at the rules quote again, the second paragraph.

"High psionics games" is the same rule used for the Hidden Talent feat in 3.5.

Oh, I see. Noted.

[Prime32]

Interesting, but wouldn't "+1 to existing manifester class" improve either my Vitalist manifesting abilities or my Astral Suit, rather than both?Look at the rules quote again, the second paragraph.

"High psionics games" is the same rule used for the Hidden Talent feat in 3.5.

[MasterFu]

Re: the Daelkyr half blood, symbionts, and ego conflict:

"Collective Ego: All symbionts have the standard complication of Collective Ego, as per Special Rules. When created, symbionts have the same alignment as their creator and their special purpose to serve whatever host they are attached to. A symbiont that is left unattached to a host for 24 hours immediately changes it's alignment to Lawful Evil and it's special purpose to serving the Daelkyr of Xoriat."

https://sites.google.com/site/eberronpathfinder/conversion-info/magical-items/special-rules/symbionts

Basically, you're fine unless you let it wander off for more than a day.