Questions About PLAs

[ATHATH]

While rereading the powers given by the Phrenic Creature template (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/phrenicCreature.htm), I noticed that it gave access to the Empty Mind and Defensive Precognition powers as psi-like abilities 3 times per day (each).

Empty Mind
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1
Display: Auditory
Manifesting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Power Points: 1
You empty your mind of all transitory and distracting thoughts, improving your self-control. You gain a +2 bonus on all Will saves until your next action.

You can manifest this power instantly, quickly enough to gain its benefit in an emergency. Manifesting this power is an immediate action. You can use this power even when it is not your turn.

Augment
For every 2 additional power points you spend, the bonus on your Will saves increases by 1.

Precognition, Defensive
Clairsentience
Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1
Display: Material and visual
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Power Points: 1
Your awareness extends a fraction of a second into the future, allowing you to better evade an opponent’s blows.

You gain a +1 insight bonus to AC and on all saving throws. If caught in a situation where your Dexterity bonus isn’t applied to your Armor Class, this bonus to AC and saving throws does not apply.

Augment
You can augment this power in one or both of the following ways.

For every 3 additional power points you spend, the insight bonus gained increases by 1.
If you spend 6 additional power points, you can manifest this power as a swift action


All creatures with psi-like abilities are assigned a manifester level, which indicates how difficult it is to dispel their psi-like effects and determines all level-dependent variables (such as range or duration) the abilities might have. When a creature uses a psi-like ability, the power is manifested as if the creature had spent a number of power points equal to its manifester level, which may augment the power to improve its damage or save DC. However, the creature does not actually spend power points for its psi-like abilities, even if it has a power point reserve due to racial abilities, class levels, or some other psionic ability.

Psi-Like Abilities (Sp)
A phrenic creature possesses the psi-like abilities indicated below, depending on its Hit Dice. The abilities are cumulative. Unless otherwise noted, an ability is usable once per day. Manifester level is equal to the creature’s HD. The save DCs for a phrenic creature’s psi-like abilities are Charisma-based.

Psi-Like Abilities (Ps)
The manifestation of powers by a psionic character is considered a psi-like ability, as is the manifestation of powers by creatures without a psionic class (creatures with the psionic subtype, also simply called psionic creatures). Usually, a psionic creature’s psi-like ability works just like the power of that name. A few psi-like abilities are unique; these are explained in the text where they are described.

Psi-like abilities have no verbal, somatic, or material components, nor do they require a focus or have an XP cost (even if the equivalent power has an XP cost). The user activates them mentally. Armor never affects a psi-like ability’s use. A psi-like ability has a manifesting time of 1 standard action unless noted otherwise in the ability description. In all other ways, a psi-like ability functions just like a power. However, a psionic creature does not have to pay a psi-like ability’s power point cost.
Note the bolded sections.

If I have 7 HD and the Phrenic template, can I manifest Empty Mind as an immediate action? Under the same parameters, can I augment Defensive Precognition to manifest it as a swift action?

Bonus Round:
Psi-Like Abilities And Feats
Creatures with access to psi-like abilities can use the feats Empower Spell-Like Ability and Quicken Spell-Like Ability.

These feats can be used only on psi-like abilities that do not have increased effects due to augmentation. Furthermore, the creature can empower only a psi-like ability with a level less than or equal to half its manifester level (round down) minus 2, and can quicken only a psi-like ability with a level less than or equal to half its manifester level (round down) minus 4.

If I have 10 HD and the Phrenic template, can I use Quicken SLA to manifest an unaugmented version of Empty Mind?

2nd Bonus Round:
Do you guys know of any ways (other than increasing my number of HD (even temporarily)) to boost the ML of my PLAs (from the Phrenic template) by 1?

Oh, and all of this is in 3.5, not Pathfinder or 3.PF.

[DreganHiregard]

Howdy, I love me some Psionics and I'd be happy to help you.

So firstly Empty mind will be an immediate action to manifest for sure. And likewise at ML 7 you can manifest defensive precog as a swift action. You've got it right.

As far as quickening empty mind it's a little vague as to if it means the power ISN'T augmented or the power CANNOT BE augmented, I'm not even sure why they have that rule so it's hard to tell their intent. But Empty mind is already an immediate action, which if used during your turn becomes swft anyways. So this one is pretty tricky.

As far as boosting manifester level I don't know of any good ways. Because raising ML is inherently much better than CL it's hard to even say if an ioun stone of +1 CL would be equivilant cost if it boosted ML.

I'd ask your GM about those last two questions. Cheers!

[Troacctid]

If I have 7 HD and the Phrenic template, can I manifest Empty Mind as an immediate action?
Yes. As per the text of the power.


Under the same parameters, can I augment Defensive Precognition to manifest it as a swift action?
Yes. It is automatically augmented to the maximum allowed for its manifester level, so if you are 7th level, you may either increase the bonus by +2 or reduce the manifesting time to a swift action, your choice.


If I have 10 HD and the Phrenic template, can I use Quicken SLA to manifest an unaugmented version of Empty Mind?
There is no benefit to doing this. It is already a swift action if used on your turn.

[ATHATH]

Can the Primitive Spellcaster feat and/or the Truebond feat boost the ML of PLAs through magic-psionics transparency?

If I'm a giant, can I use the Elder Giant Spellcasting feat on PLAs? Will it increase their MLs (via magic-psionics transparency)?

[Troacctid]

Can the Primitive Spellcaster feat and/or the Truebond feat boost the ML of PLAs through magic-psionics transparency?
Here is what transparency does.

Though not explicitly called out in the spell descriptions or magic item descriptions, spells, spell-like abilities, and magic items that could potentially affect psionics do affect psionics.

When the rule about psionics-magic transparency is in effect, it has the following ramifications.

Spell resistance is effective against powers, using the same mechanics. Likewise, power resistance is effective against spells, using the same mechanics as spell resistance. If a creature has one kind of resistance, it is assumed to have the other. (The effects have similar ends despite having been brought about by different means.)

All spells that dispel magic have equal effect against powers of the same level using the same mechanics, and vice versa.

The spell detect magic detects powers, their number, and their strength and location within 3 rounds (though a Psicraft check is necessary to identify the discipline of the psionic aura).

Dead magic areas are also dead psionics areas.
I don't believe what you're talking about is covered by any item on this list.