How do Psionics work?

[Nautilust]

I'm used to the spellcasting system from the Player's Handbook. But Psionics is something new, and I have just one more day before Game day to learn the system.

Could I get a breakdown of how the system works? This way I can sort of know what I'm doing.

[Kayden Prynn]

Psionics is actually pretty simple, since a fair bit of it is similar to spellcasting anyway.

First, a list of terms:
Manifester: Someone who uses psionic powers; a psionic spellcaster
Powers: The abilities of a manifeste; psionic spells
Manifester level: A character's level in a manifesting class; psionic caster level
Power points: The resource a manifester uses to manifest powers
Augmentation: Spending extra power points on a power in order to get a stronger effect

Things to keep in mind:
Psionic manifesters are similar to sorcerers in that they have a set power list that they manifest from spontaneously
Psionic powers don't have verbal, somatic, or material components. Instead they have displays, which are small sensory effects detected by anyone nearby to the manifestation
Displays can be suppressed with a relatively easy concentration check, allowing manifesters to use their powers stealthily
While they do not get armor proficiencies, a manifester's powers are not impeded by armor

How it works:
A manifester has a set of known powers, which they manifest from spontaneously. In order to manifest a power, they must expend power points equal to or greater than power level*2-1. Many powers can achieve greater effects if you spend more power points, referred to as augmentation. This is generally included in the power description.

Any questions?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I'm used to the spellcasting system from the Player's Handbook. But Psionics is something new, and I have just one more day before Game day to learn the system.

Could I get a breakdown of how the system works? This way I can sort of know what I'm doing.It's identical in many ways to the way sorcerers use magic. You have powers of varying levels that you learn at the indicated levels (using the wizard learning progression, but with different numbers of powers at levels 1 and above 10). AoOs and Concentration checks for avoiding them are also identical, as are aiming, ranges, areas, saving throws, and so on. You also have labels like [mind-affecting] and [death] that are also identical. The default is that psionics is a type of magic and they interact with each other like any other magic systems would, except you use Kn: Psionics, Psicraft, and Use Psionic Device on powers instead of Kn: Arcana/Religion, Spellcraft, and UMD. "Psionics is different" is a variant rule, and it's not a very good or well-balanced one.

Psionics are an innate ability to use your body and mind to project effects into yourself and the world around you. It's an internal power source, unlike arcane and divine magic, which tap into power outside the self. Psionic powers are psi-like abilities (the equivalent of spell-likes), and any creature with a pool of 1 or more power points or has psi-like abilities, has the [psionic] subtype, allowing them to take psionic feats. In Faerun, psionics use the weave to project out into the world (like ripples in water), but even permanent dead magic zones don't affect powers a psion manifests on himself.

And instead of using spell slots, you use the D&D equivalent of video game MP (mana/magic points), called power points; you have a single pool that all of your pp are funneled into, from all classes, from your race (if any), from feats, etc. The cost is 1 pp for a first level base power, and you add +2 pp per additional level of power above 1st, so 3 pp for 2nd level powers, 5 pp for 3rds, up to 17 pp for a 9th level power. Incidentally, the most important rule in psionics is thus: the maximum number of power points you can spend on any one manifestation is equal to your manifester level (psionic caster level). Don't ever forget that. So at 1st level, without any ML boosters, you can only ever spend 1 pp out of your power point pool. Boosting your ML (through orange ioun stones, feats, class abilities, etc) can increase this beyond your normal levels.

Augmentation is also a thing. Most psionic powers have entries for spending more pp on that power to increase its effect; energy ray, for instance, allows you to spend +1 pp for +1d6 energy damage, with no stated limit (other than your ML, of course, like normal). That means you have a lot more effective options for what you can do at higher levels, such as spending 17 pp on energy ray for 17d6 energy damage on a successful ranged touch attack.

Metapsionic feats are like metamagic feats, insofar as you take a feat and it gives you the ability to alter your powers on the fly. Unlike sorcerers, using metapsionic feats doesn't increase casting time; instead, you spend something called psionic focus, which is described in the XPH under the Concentration skill (make a DC 20 Concentration check as a full-round action to become psionically focused until you lose it somehow, which you can then "expend" to perform various tasks, such as adding a single metapsionic feat to a power you manifest, or to "take 15" on a single Concentration check). This is a big limiter on metapsionics, as (unless you find a feat or class feature to get around the limitations) you only have one psionic focus, and you can only spend your focus on one effect at a time. So at psion level 10 you manifest an energy ray that you want to Empower, using the Empower Power feat. You can spend up to 10 pp on the augmented electricity energy ray, but Empower costs +2, so you have 8 pp + 2 pp for Empowering + your psionic focus. That leaves you with 8d6 * 1.5 = 12d6. You cannot use your psionic focus to Empower a manifestation again until you've taken the time to regain your psionic focus.

Also, instead of material/verbal/somatic components, powers use XP components (just like magic) and displays. (Note that due to not using somatic components, arcane spell failure on armor does not affect psionic powers.) Displays cause some wide AoE effects which don't have too much in the way of mechanical penalties on their own, but they alert everyone in the area that something just happened, whether it's a bright flash of light or a loud buzzing noise or coating everything in a thin layer of inert ectoplasm or making everything smell like snozzberries. Displays can be suppressed with a Concentration check.

Those are the main things, really. Everything else is specifics, like psions must choose a discipline (the psionic version of a school of magic), and they get access to powers that other classes don't get, as well as extra skills on their skill list. Psicrystals are incredibly useful for any manifester, they must be gotten with a feat (Psicrystal Affinity), they gain ACTUAL HD (like animal companions but unlike familiars -- leading to gaining HD-based feats and ability score boosts), and there's no actual RAW way to get one back after it dies (though CustServe says "you get another one," and you can use the psychic reformation power or retraining to get another one if the DM has issues with CustServe's "ruling").

That's mostly it.

[Nifft]

Psions have a Manifester Leve. Tthat's like a Spellcaster Level except for psionics. You can't spend more power points than your ML (manifester level).

You can augment some powers (= spend more points). You can apply Metapsionic Feats (= spend more points). The total number of power points can never exceed your ML.

There are exceptions: with Overchannel (+ Talented), you can spend up to 3 points more than your ML. That's useful at higher levels.

All your powers have a Display, which makes it obvious that you're doing something. You can suppress this display with a free-action Concentration check (DC 15 + power level), and if you fail this check the power works normally with the usual display. It's no risk.


At level 4, your main problem will be endurance. You're like a Wizard without a [Reserve] feat.

Some of the more efficient powers include:

- Psi Minor Creation (Shaper) -- can you make poison? if not, it's still great for creating wooden utility items, like ladders & poles.
- Entangling Ectoplasm -- if you can keep a foe from joining melee for a few rounds.
- Energy Ray -- basic ranged touch attack which deals 1d6 per PP, nice if you want to target a specific vulnerability and/or delve into (Greater) Psionic Shot feats.
- Vigor + Share Pain (+ Psycrystal Affinity) -- this is a tank package. You're probably not going to tank much but at higher levels it might be worth picking up.
- Attraction + Conceal Thoughts -- this is a social package which lasts 4 hours (at your level) and also has combat utility; if you can hit a target with Attraction you can skew his or her behavior in predictable ways, which can make it easy to isolate or avoid that target.

Specific example for Attraction: hit a noble with "going out to the opera". Now you know that noble will leave the house tonight, and you can sneak in facing fewer guards, all for 1 power point.

Shaper has Bluff as a class skill, and UMD (or UPD) benefits from Charisma, so it's not a terrible idea to spec yourself as a potential face. Able Learner would be useful for Sense Motive / Diplomacy / Intimidate ranks.


At level 4, Astral Construct is not a good choice, because 4 rounds of a small construct is not worth it. Astral Construct becomes great when you get access to bigger forms.


Some unusual power ideas:
- Channel the Psychic Dragon (Dragon Magic) for random skill bonuses & energy resistances, including a cheap +5 to Diplomacy and eventual (expensive) +10 to Intimidate.
- Cryokinesis (Frostburn) for cost-effective sustained kill-that-guy and/or break-this-wall.
- Psychic Scimitar (Sandstorm) seems lame, but it's quite decent as a cheap round-to-round damage spell, and if you can share it with your PsiCrystal than it's actually pretty good.
- Psi Glibness (Secrets of Sarlona) makes you one of the best liars in the game. In combo with Conceal Thoughts, you're quite possibly the best liar in the game. This power is level 3 though.



EDIT: Hey is this also you? http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?538427-3-5-Build-Help-Optimizing-a-Psiforged-Shaper

Don't ask for the same info in two places. Report the other thread for deletion and post the consolidated info here.

[Nautilust]

Oh, sorry i figured since it was kinda 2 different topics it would be 2 different Threads will report for deletion.
How do save DC's for psionics work and should I have to worry about them much? My GM keeps saying that that's a difficult part of the system.

[Nifft]

Oh, sorry i figured since it was kinda 2 different topics it would be 2 different Threads will report for deletion.
How do save DC's for psionics work and should I have to worry about them much? My GM keeps saying that that's a difficult part of the system.

You currently have SIX different threads about this character on the front page.

I want to help you, and I'm not telling you this to be mean, but you should try to consolidate your threads to be considerate.

A power's saving throw DC is 10 + your Intelligence modifier + the power's level (just like a spell) + any augmentation benefits in the power description (not like a spell).

So it's almost exactly like a spell, except when you augment a power you might get a higher DC.

Usually, for every 2 pp you spend, you get +1 to the DC -- this is exactly like Heighten Spell, since every +2 pp is like +1 spell slot level.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Usually, for every 2 pp you spend, you get +1 to the DC -- this is exactly like Heighten Spell, since every +2 pp is like +1 spell slot level.But unlike Heighten Spell, augmenting a power does not change the actual level of the power, so you get kinda screwed on resilient spheres and such. There is a Heighten Power feat, but it's either 3.0 or 3rd party, depending on which one you go with.

[Nifft]

But unlike Heighten Spell, augmenting a power does not change the actual level of the power, so you get kinda screwed on resilient spheres and such. There is a Heighten Power feat, but it's either 3.0 or 3rd party, depending on which one you go with.

Globe of Invulnerability, not Resilient Sphere, but yeah your point is valid.

Augmenting is not exactly like Heighten Spell, it's just often a similar effect as far as DC is concerned.

[Nautilust]

Alright I asked for 4 posts to be deleted

[Necroscope]

In my first campaign with the current group, I played a psychic warrior. Of course I've always favored the get up close and personal type of character myself. But there are a few really good books if your group is including psionics in to your campaign.
The Complete Psionic, and there is an expanded psionics handbook as well. Of course you can also look through some of the wiki websites for D&D as well most of the stuff has made it onto there.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Here's a list of the official 1st party content outside the XPH: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MFoCAbLwlMU6GQ_q72ZTxg-5-LzZ12Kar6SXOH2Wpm0/edit?usp=sharing

[Nautilust]

Wiki websites a feel might be a trap and he's be too stupid too know


then again maybe i can't use english today.:smallconfused:

[Nautilust]

SO all of this stuff has been in print?

[Nautilust]

OK so does anybody actually know this stuff well enough to suggest a build, with feats and stuff. Keep in mind if it hasn't been printed it can't be used. I've got less than a day to get my character done! I'm looking at either a full manifester, a Gish, or a Rogue/Manifester. Probably one of the later 2 because of party setup right now (alot of casters). But 9th level powers is a definite thing to reach for no matter what.

I don't have time to look at everything in that link and do research or I would! Please and Thank You.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

OK so does anybody actually know this stuff well enough to suggest a build, with feats and stuff. Keep in mind if it hasn't been printed it can't be used. I've got less than a day to get my character done! I'm looking at either a full manifester, a Gish, or a Rogue/Manifester. Probably one of the later 2 because of party setup right now (alot of casters). But 9th level powers is a definite thing to reach for no matter what.

I don't have time to look at everything in that link and do research or I would! Please and Thank You.Just go with your ranger 1/egoist/slayer. It's an easy build and gets you what you want.

[Nautilust]

GM ssaid slayer might be too fluffy for his campaign

[Nifft]

GM ssaid slayer might be too fluffy for his campaign

Your GM is weird.

Just be a Psion 20 then.

You can be tanky as heck without Slayer.

Pick one type of Psion and we'll help you make it awesome.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

GM ssaid slayer might be too fluffy for his campaignMy next suggestion is to ask HIM what you want to play, because obviously he won't let you play anything else.

[Nautilust]

At this point I want to make a really awesome Telepath for like mind domination and stuff, or a Shaper would be my second option.

[Nautilust]

He said Psion was fine. I think that he feels like he's obligated to add a bunch of mind flayer's to the game if he let's me go Slayer and he doesn't want to do that.

[The Glyphstone]

My question is, why?

Why are you intent on playing a class from a ruleset you've never used before on such short notice? We can build a character for you, but without having any idea of what makes it tick (or having any backstory+fluff+characterization appropriate to it and the setting), it'll be a very uninspired introduction to the subsystem.

[Nautilust]

I've already played everything out of the PHB and I wanted to play something different. Psion is what we agreed on after he declined severl ideas. And i m a backstory writing machine so i'm not worried about that.

[Nautilust]

I've already got the basics of the system down, so it'll be manageable tomorrow and then next game i should know the system pretty well.