CockroachTeaParty
2007-06-29, 02:04 PM
The WotC site has the latest Mind's Eye article up: Expanded Psionic Classes 4
Link of DESTINY!! (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a)
This time, they give the PHB II treatment to the often unloved classes from Complete Psionic. I read the article with much apprehension... here's what I have to say.
Ardent:
Overall, nothing too dramatic was added to the Ardent. The Dominant Ideal option actually seems very attractive, giving more reason to play a straight Ardent until 10th level or so. The free augmentation, and the fact that you can use metapsionics on your favored powers without expending your psychic focus are both very useful abilities. The separate elemental mantles seemed like a no-brainer to me. Interesting, but they seem a might underpowered. I'd just stick with the normal Elements mantle.
Divine Mind:
Well, the ectopic ally and stygian path options for the poor Divine Mind do nothing to save the class. Summon a construct, but do it worse than a psion, or turn undead, but do it worse than a cleric. Too bad they can't benefit from divine metamagic. I could see some creative homebrewing putting that to use, but otherwise... meh.
Lurk:
Now the Lurk gets some good treatment here. Two new lists of Lurk augments transform the Lurk's role from sneaky fighter to a proper psychic rogue, or into a psychic ranger type. The hunter augments have great flavor, allowing a lurk to 'tag' a target, then hunt said unfortunate individual to the ends of the earth. I'm pleased with what they have done here. Bravo.
Erudite:
Favored discipline, yeah yeah... Mantled Erudite, snore... Convert Spell to Power?!? WHAT? Oh. My. God.
That's right folks, Erudites now have the option to learn arcane spells, converting them into psionic powers. The psionic equivalent to a wizard has now effectively become a Cerebramancer, at the sacrifice of a bonus feat. The implications of this option are too great for me to really think about right now, but giving the Erudite access to half of the Spell Compendium seems a might intense. Personally, I see this as a violation of all that psionics represents... but who knows?
I sense a great disturbance in the force... as if a thousand psions raised their voices in terror, and were suddenly silenced...
Link of DESTINY!! (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a)
This time, they give the PHB II treatment to the often unloved classes from Complete Psionic. I read the article with much apprehension... here's what I have to say.
Ardent:
Overall, nothing too dramatic was added to the Ardent. The Dominant Ideal option actually seems very attractive, giving more reason to play a straight Ardent until 10th level or so. The free augmentation, and the fact that you can use metapsionics on your favored powers without expending your psychic focus are both very useful abilities. The separate elemental mantles seemed like a no-brainer to me. Interesting, but they seem a might underpowered. I'd just stick with the normal Elements mantle.
Divine Mind:
Well, the ectopic ally and stygian path options for the poor Divine Mind do nothing to save the class. Summon a construct, but do it worse than a psion, or turn undead, but do it worse than a cleric. Too bad they can't benefit from divine metamagic. I could see some creative homebrewing putting that to use, but otherwise... meh.
Lurk:
Now the Lurk gets some good treatment here. Two new lists of Lurk augments transform the Lurk's role from sneaky fighter to a proper psychic rogue, or into a psychic ranger type. The hunter augments have great flavor, allowing a lurk to 'tag' a target, then hunt said unfortunate individual to the ends of the earth. I'm pleased with what they have done here. Bravo.
Erudite:
Favored discipline, yeah yeah... Mantled Erudite, snore... Convert Spell to Power?!? WHAT? Oh. My. God.
That's right folks, Erudites now have the option to learn arcane spells, converting them into psionic powers. The psionic equivalent to a wizard has now effectively become a Cerebramancer, at the sacrifice of a bonus feat. The implications of this option are too great for me to really think about right now, but giving the Erudite access to half of the Spell Compendium seems a might intense. Personally, I see this as a violation of all that psionics represents... but who knows?
I sense a great disturbance in the force... as if a thousand psions raised their voices in terror, and were suddenly silenced...