Using power points without manifestor level?

[retaliation08]

Some templates grant psionic power points (half giant). I am wondering what benefit can be gained from these power points without taking levels in a psionic class. I have browsed the psionic feats and not seen anything that uses power points. Thanks for any help.

[Zombimode]

There are some rather specific Options. You can enhance Lurk abilities with power Points. There are Kalashtar-specific feats that let you spend power Points, mostly Mind Blade related.

... uhm, after that, I'm drawing blank.


The main benefit of having a power Point reserve is to aquire the psionic subtype and thus be able to take psionic feats. There are quite some good Options so this is a net gain even if you can't actually spend your power Points.

[JoshuaZ]

There are some rather specific Options. You can enhance Lurk abilities with power Points. There are Kalashtar-specific feats that let you spend power Points, mostly Mind Blade related.

... uhm, after that, I'm drawing blank.




If Pathfinder is allowed, you can spend them to augment Sleeping Goddess maneuvers.

[Tiri]

If you can take Hidden Talent at first level, you have a first-level power you can spend those points on.

[Darrin]

A Darklight (500 GP, Secrets of Sarlona) is charged up via PP.

[retaliation08]

Hidden talent is exactly what I was looking for! Thanks

[Karl Aegis]

Hidden Talent gives you a manifestor level, defeating the purpose of not having a manifestor level.

[retaliation08]

True, but my issue was not having a manifesto level and not wanting to dip into a psionic class. Hidden talent fixes that issue

[Tiri]

Hidden Talent gives you a manifestor level, defeating the purpose of not having a manifestor level.

Firstly, it's 'manifester level' not 'manifestor level'.

Secondly, despite the thread title, the goal was actually to be able to use the PP without levels in a psionic class, as opposed to actually not having manifester levels. So it should be ok.

[phlidwsn]

You can also use the pp to charge Deep Crystal weapons for an extra 2d6 damage.

[Flickerdart]

You can also use the pp to charge Deep Crystal weapons for an extra 2d6 damage.

There are a few items in the MIC that work the same way. The one I am remembering grants +5ft of reach for the round, and there might be others.

[Kelb_Panthera]

Do be aware that if you spend all of your power points then you cannot use psionic feats until they're recharged to at least 1.

[Troacctid]

Having any power point reserve at all allows you to gain psionic focus, which lets you take 15 on Concentration with no additional investment. This is useful for using your racial PLAs defensively, for example.

Half-Giant is not a template BTW.

[KillianHawkeye]

Having any power point reserve at all allows you to gain psionic focus, which lets you take 15 on Concentration with no additional investment. This is useful for using your racial PLAs defensively, for example.

Additionally, there are a lot of psionic feats that require you to either maintain or expend your psionic focus. Any of the races which naturally gain pp can take and use these kinds of feats without gaining any levels in a psionic class.

[Crake]

It's also worth noting that hidden talent is a variant feat for high psionics campaigns, so shouldn't be taken for granted that a DM will allow it.

[retaliation08]

My dm allows pretty much anything I can find. My only concerns with builds stinky cheese and out powering my party too drastically.

[ShurikVch]

Feats:
Cerebremetamagic (Dragon #349): you can spent power points to negate metamagical need for higher level spell slot
Psiomancer (Dragon #349): during the daily spell preparation, you can spent power points to prepare additional spell(s)

[Doctor Awkward]

Some templates grant psionic power points (half giant). I am wondering what benefit can be gained from these power points without taking levels in a psionic class. I have browsed the psionic feats and not seen anything that uses power points. Thanks for any help.

Having a power point reserves permits you to roll make a DC 20 Concentration check to become psionically focused. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/skills/concentration.htm#gainPsionicFocus) You can expend a pisonic focus to take 15 on any concentration check.

This in turn enables the use of various psionic feats, most of which are activated by expending your psionic focus. Making use of most of these feats also requires Pisonic Meditation, which allows you to focus as a move action instead of a full round action. Actually spending the points without levels in a manifesting class is usually done with something like a deep crystal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/specialMaterials.htm#crystalDeep) weapon, that lets you spend power points for additional damage.

Specific subsystems make further use of this feature like Tome of Battle's Instant Clarity, which permits you to spend a swift action to become psionically focused after any successful martial strike, and Psychic Renewal, which expends your focus to recover any one maneuver by spending power points equal to the maneuver level.

Magic of Incarnum has the Azure Talent feat, which gives you an additional 2 power points per point of essentia invested in it (the feat also grants 1 point of essentia so you can get additional power points without dipping incarnum classes). The rest of the feats are only useful for incarnum dips.

The aforementioned Hidden Talent gives you a power to spend your points on, but requires a minimum Charisma of 11 to manifest it.