Question about Mantled Wilder ACF

[thorr-kan]

Mantled Wilder

Your focus allows you access to a psionic mantle.

Level: 2nd.

Replaces: You lose your elude touch class ability; also see below.

Benefit: You gain access to a single psionic mantle from Complete Psionic. You replace the elude touch class ability at 2nd level with the mantle's granted ability and gain access to the powers on the mantle list. In fact you must take those powers at your first opportunity. If you chose the Creation mantle, you would have to learn astral construct and minor creation at 1st and 2nd level, for example. You are free to choose all other powers from the psion/wilder list.

I'm requesting a reality check on the reading of this. It's a 2nd level feature that grants you access to a mantle's granted ability. But you have to take the powers of that mantle as your powers known, at the first opportunity, including your 1st power at 1st level.

Is my summary correct?

[ZamielVanWeber]

RAW yes, you must violate the space time continuum to use this feature if the mantle has multiple leven one powers; do not ask me how that works.

[thorr-kan]

RAW yes, you must violate the space time continuum to use this feature if the mantle has multiple leven one powers; do not ask me how that works.
If you squint, it does work; we're just looking at it wrong! The mantle ACF is the *result* not the *cause.* Your deviant, untrained wilder ways are the cause. Getting a mantle is the result.

It can make a certain amount of sense I suppose. You choose a power not usually available to a wilder (your mantle power); it signals you aren't a regular wilder and something is strange about your powers. At 2nd level, you manifest the mantle and it's ability. At subsequent levels, you manifest the mantle's powers. That limit's your choices for some levels of powers, but I'm OK with that. It's the trade-off for getting a mantle's ability and access to some powers not on the wilder's class list.

Just be careful not to meet that flying DMG if your try to multiclass out of wilder before taking the first level.

[Fouredged Sword]

Yes, this ACF has a serious drawback though. It requires you to play a wilder.

[thorr-kan]

Yes, this ACF has a serious drawback though. It requires you to play a wilder.
Wilder is a valid intro to the psionic rules: less overhead than a psion, and limited power choices for an inexperienced player to dither over during his actions.

I also like the ACFs and fluff better than a psion.

[Fouredged Sword]

Your unique class feature makes you worse at doing the thing you are supposed to do.

[Darrin]

Benefit: You gain access to a single psionic mantle from Complete Psionic. You replace the elude touch class ability at 2nd level with the mantle's granted ability and gain access to the powers on the mantle list. In fact you must take those powers at your first opportunity. If you chose the Creation mantle, you would have to learn astral construct and minor creation at 1st and 2nd level, for example. You are free to choose all other powers from the psion/wilder list.


Yeah, about that... Wilders have an extremely limited number of powers known. In fact, other than 1st and 9th level, they only know a single power at each power level. Assuming that the Wilder picks from the highest-level powers available, he will only know one 2nd level power, one 3rd level power. etc. So the only way a Mantled Wilder can actually pick a power from the Psion/Wilder list is if the Mantle they have chosen doesn't have a power at that particular power level.

[thorr-kan]

Yeah, about that... Wilders have an extremely limited number of powers known. In fact, other than 1st and 9th level, they only know a single power at each power level. Assuming that the Wilder picks from the highest-level powers available, he will only know one 2nd level power, one 3rd level power. etc. So the only way a Mantled Wilder can actually pick a power from the Psion/Wilder list is if the Mantle they have chosen doesn't have a power at that particular power level.
A lot of mantles don't a have a power for every level. Some have multiple powers for some levels and none for others. I was assuming mantles were like domains: 1/level. But they are not.

It's something to be aware of, but depending on your mantle, it's a feature, not a bug.

[thorr-kan]

Thanks for everyone's input on this.

[daremetoidareyo]

This makes the tap mantle feat much more powerful an option...

[thorr-kan]

This makes the tap mantle feat much more powerful an option...
Somewhat. A wilder using the ACF is still required to pick up the ACF mantle's powers first, but additional uses of Tap Mantle do open up some options for other powers known.

It also is useful for the psychic warrior's mantle ACF.