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ndragonsbane
2007-06-29, 02:57 PM
Well, a friend of mine is starting up a campaign shortly after finishing a couple of the Drizzt compilations. He's decided it should be an Underdark campaign (not world specific, but Faerunesque) with the party consisting only of non-good drow. We'll be third level (ECL of 5) and all have to be of the same house. According to him we'll be focusing on mainly extra-city adventuring and will only occasionally have urban adventures. Frankly, he loves drow too much for this to be true...we're going to have some conflict with other drow at some point.

My question is this: should I be a psion or wizard?

Now, I don't have stats yet to give you, but I can tell you that I don't want to be a blaster regardless of choice. I don't have much experience as a utility spellcaster and would like to try something new in that regard. The campaign WILL utilize the Psionics are different ruleset. My real problem is do I want the supreme versatility of a wizard or should I go for the SR doesn't apply to my spells psion? I can't really recall just how many underdark critters actually have SR aside from drow and can't check either (I'm at work which means I'm away from home until the middle of next week...). My biggest problem with psionics is, since it's different, magic items affecting spellcasting would be useless to me and there is a good chance I won't be able to commission or buy much in the way of psionics. Another problem, I'm not entirely familiar with the power-selection availble to utility psions (and does their limited powers known list put them in the same boat as utility sorcerers?). Available books include the Complete Series, PHBII, Core, and probably a few others (hopefully Spell Compendium)...FR books and a few others MAY be allowed, but see below:

I'd love to give you more specifics but the DM pretty bluntly refuses to enlighten us before we have to sit down and create the characters (we'll be playing same day...namely tomorrow evening). Thanks

ndragonsbane
2007-06-30, 11:27 AM
Nothing?

Has anyone played a utility psion and not spent the whole time wishing they were a wizard or somesuch; are they even viable?

Flawless
2007-07-01, 01:02 PM
Play both. Start with wizard and take as one of your first level feats precocious apprentice (complete arcane) and thus get the ability to cast second levels arcane spells. Then take three levels of psion and after that level up as cerebremancer. You only loose one manifester level and get 11 caster levels until character level 14. Nearly full manifesting plus 6th level arcane casting seems nice to me. And you only need int, which as a drow isn't much of a problem.

Inyssius Tor
2007-07-01, 01:15 PM
http://files.blog-city.com/files/aa/37231/p/f/morbo.jpg
Precocious Apprentice does not work that way!

EDIT: On further investigation, it appears that Precocious Apprentice does, in fact, work that way. Huh.

Flawless
2007-07-01, 05:18 PM
EDIT: On further investigation, it appears that Precocious Apprentice does, in fact, work that way. Huh.

Indeed.

It doesn't work with dual spell casting theurgs (such as mystic theurg or ultimate magus) but works for cerebremancers, anima mages, eldtritch theurgs and probably for noctumancers, though. So it can actually be worth it. Still, straight wizard seems more powerful...

Fizban
2007-07-01, 06:59 PM
Be an Erudite from Complete Psionic and use this (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) variant ability.

Best of both worlds, you get natural psionic casting and can then learn arcane spells when you find scrolls. If your DM really thinks it will be that much worse (read: powerful) than a normal Eruidte, give up a unique power per day, that ought to be enough considering that it's already your main limit. Though how this would work with the psionics are different rule makes my brain hurt.

Sornjss Lichdom
2007-07-01, 07:08 PM
Im actuallying making almost the exact same char lvl3 ecl 5 and a wiz. i went for more of a battle mage and am startin an evoker. ya wiz is the best a psion just isnt the best in an underworld inviorment.

try to talk ur dm into(if u alrdy dont hav) alowing all ur chars to start with the same house insignia of like blur or lev.

or a fun thing to make is a vhaerun cleric, they hav a kick--- prestige class and if ur with lolth priestess crank up the bluff skill and take acouple rouge lvls, then play as a rouge caster or just rouge and let in a couple of trusted(for a drow) companions. and as soon as u can class our with a darkmask or somthing by killin ur ranking priestess:smallbiggrin: , that should be fun bc a low lvl rog/cle should tak on a low lvl cl fine.


heres the best place to find drow stuff, look at class, the waiting list is kinda long.

http://drowcampaign.roleplaynexus.com/

ndragonsbane
2007-07-02, 09:18 AM
Play both. Start with wizard and take as one of your first level feats precocious apprentice (complete arcane) and thus get the ability to cast second levels arcane spells. Then take three levels of psion and after that level up as cerebremancer. You only loose one manifester level and get 11 caster levels until character level 14. Nearly full manifesting plus 6th level arcane casting seems nice to me. And you only need int, which as a drow isn't much of a problem.

First, thanks to everyone for the input. My DM got so sidetracked by World of Warcraft that not just did he not finish the adventure, but he didn't even start it...now that I have the extra time, I'll look into this and do some research on the various utility powers. As for the Erudite, this particular DM is one of the most stubborn DM's I've ever met when it comes to ANY variant rules(even stuff posted on the wizards site). With time I might convince him, but I think I'll go the cerebremancer route for now if I go both (he's a fan of the Theurge no matter how crappy so he'll probably go with that readily).

As for the house broach, all of the PC's will get one and they'll all be for the same house (though we don't know what they will be yet).

Sornjss Lichdom
2007-07-02, 05:57 PM
hey refresh my memorie how far awy is evensville from greenfield, if u know.