Dr.Zero
2016-08-30, 04:55 AM
Now, I have a problem.
It seems pretty clear that Empower works only on the base damage of a power, and not the augumented version.
POWER POINT LIMIT
It’s a basic rule that a psionic character can’t spend more power
points on a power than he has manifester levels. That power
point limit includes any additional costs due to augmentation
or the use of metapsionic feats.
For instance, a 14th-level psion manifesting a 5th-level power
that cost 9 power points and deals 9d6 points of damage can
choose to augment the power by spending 5 additional power
points, for a power with a total cost of 14 power points that
deals 14d6 points of damage. Or he could manifest the power
using the Maximize Power feat, paying 4 power points for the
meta psionic effect, for a power with a total cost of 13 points
that deals 54 points of damage. He can’t do both, however,
since the total cost of the power would be higher than his limit
of 14 points.
He could, however, remain within his limit by using the
Empower Power feat (increasing the cost by 2) and then aug-
menting the power with 3 additional power points, for a power
with a total cost of 14 power points that deals 16d6 points
of damage. They apply explicitly first the empowerment (on the base damage) and then the augmentation, when the other way around would have been more powerful, giving Empower(12d6)=18d6.
BUT!
It is stated clearly, and shown, that Maximize works on the augmented version, and immediately after that it is even stated that Empower and Maximize can be used together giving every one its own benefits (so implicitly it seems they should work the same way, on the augmented version)
MAXIMIZE POWER [METAPSIONIC]
You can manifest powers to maximum effect.
Benefit: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic
focus (see the Concentration skill description, page 37).
You can maximize a power. All variable, numeric effects
of a power modified by this feat are maximized. A maxi-
mized power deals maximum damage, cures the maxi-
mum number of hit points, affects the maximum number
of targets, and so on, as appropriate. Saving throws and
opposed checks are not affected, nor are powers without
random variables.
Augmented powers can be maximized; a maximized
augmented power deals the maximum damage (or cures the
maximum hit points, and so on) of the augmented power.
An empowered and maximized power gains the separate
benefi ts of each feat: the maximum result plus one-half the
normally rolled result.
Using this feat increases the power point cost of the power
by 4. The power’s total cost cannot exceed your manifester
level.
The SRD, on the other hand, seems to confirm this last version: that empower works on the augmented version
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#metapsionicFeats][/url]
Empower Power [Metapsionic]
You can manifest powers to greater effect.
Benefit
To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus.
You can empower a power. All variable, numeric effects of an empowered power are increased by one-half. An empowered power deals half again as much damage as normal, cures half again as many hit points, affects half again as many targets, and so forth, as appropriate. Augmented powers can also be empowered (multiply 1½ times the damage total of the augmented power). Saving throws and opposed checks (such as the one you make when you manifest dispel psionics) are not affected, nor are powers without random variables.
Using this feat increases the power point cost of the power by 2. The power’s total cost cannot exceed your manifester level.
So the questions are:
1) Does the SRD count as definitive source, in this case?
2) If not, what is the consensus regarding Empower? That it really works on the base version, or that the example was not a rule, but just a badly written one (suboptimal) and so empower too must work on the augmented version?
3) What about the other metafeats like Split Ray and Twin Power? Do they work on the base or the augmented versions, by RAW? And if RAW is unclear, what is the consensus?
Thanks.
It seems pretty clear that Empower works only on the base damage of a power, and not the augumented version.
POWER POINT LIMIT
It’s a basic rule that a psionic character can’t spend more power
points on a power than he has manifester levels. That power
point limit includes any additional costs due to augmentation
or the use of metapsionic feats.
For instance, a 14th-level psion manifesting a 5th-level power
that cost 9 power points and deals 9d6 points of damage can
choose to augment the power by spending 5 additional power
points, for a power with a total cost of 14 power points that
deals 14d6 points of damage. Or he could manifest the power
using the Maximize Power feat, paying 4 power points for the
meta psionic effect, for a power with a total cost of 13 points
that deals 54 points of damage. He can’t do both, however,
since the total cost of the power would be higher than his limit
of 14 points.
He could, however, remain within his limit by using the
Empower Power feat (increasing the cost by 2) and then aug-
menting the power with 3 additional power points, for a power
with a total cost of 14 power points that deals 16d6 points
of damage. They apply explicitly first the empowerment (on the base damage) and then the augmentation, when the other way around would have been more powerful, giving Empower(12d6)=18d6.
BUT!
It is stated clearly, and shown, that Maximize works on the augmented version, and immediately after that it is even stated that Empower and Maximize can be used together giving every one its own benefits (so implicitly it seems they should work the same way, on the augmented version)
MAXIMIZE POWER [METAPSIONIC]
You can manifest powers to maximum effect.
Benefit: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic
focus (see the Concentration skill description, page 37).
You can maximize a power. All variable, numeric effects
of a power modified by this feat are maximized. A maxi-
mized power deals maximum damage, cures the maxi-
mum number of hit points, affects the maximum number
of targets, and so on, as appropriate. Saving throws and
opposed checks are not affected, nor are powers without
random variables.
Augmented powers can be maximized; a maximized
augmented power deals the maximum damage (or cures the
maximum hit points, and so on) of the augmented power.
An empowered and maximized power gains the separate
benefi ts of each feat: the maximum result plus one-half the
normally rolled result.
Using this feat increases the power point cost of the power
by 4. The power’s total cost cannot exceed your manifester
level.
The SRD, on the other hand, seems to confirm this last version: that empower works on the augmented version
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#metapsionicFeats][/url]
Empower Power [Metapsionic]
You can manifest powers to greater effect.
Benefit
To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus.
You can empower a power. All variable, numeric effects of an empowered power are increased by one-half. An empowered power deals half again as much damage as normal, cures half again as many hit points, affects half again as many targets, and so forth, as appropriate. Augmented powers can also be empowered (multiply 1½ times the damage total of the augmented power). Saving throws and opposed checks (such as the one you make when you manifest dispel psionics) are not affected, nor are powers without random variables.
Using this feat increases the power point cost of the power by 2. The power’s total cost cannot exceed your manifester level.
So the questions are:
1) Does the SRD count as definitive source, in this case?
2) If not, what is the consensus regarding Empower? That it really works on the base version, or that the example was not a rule, but just a badly written one (suboptimal) and so empower too must work on the augmented version?
3) What about the other metafeats like Split Ray and Twin Power? Do they work on the base or the augmented versions, by RAW? And if RAW is unclear, what is the consensus?
Thanks.