[3.5] Help With Psionic Monster

[Thurbane]

Hey all,

Need some help with a monster/BBEG.

I can't mention the specifics of the monster in question (in case players see this), but I want to optimize a monster with the Phrenic template and feats. It will have no class levels.

24HD, Str 22, Dex 30, Con 20, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 18

All feats are open. I want the monster to be focused on dominating it's foes and otherwise messing with their minds.

I'm very unfamiliar with psionics, so all help would be appreciated. Obviously, the Phrenic template already gives it the following abilities:


3/day—defensive precognition; 1/day—force screen
3/day—empty mind, mind thrust
1/day—body adjustment, brain lock
1/day—aversion, psionic blast
3/day—intellect fortress; 1/day—psychic crush
1/day—psionic dominate
1/day—energy current, tower of iron will
3/day—psionic teleport
1/day—fission
1/day—ultrablast

I'll reiterate again: this creature will have no class levels (for reasons), so everything needs to be done with feats and/or skill points. I'm thinking of sinking points into Lucid Dreaming as well.

Cheers - T

[unseenmage]

Consider me very interested in how this turns out.

In my extended sig is a list of Best Generic Feats. For your purposes they're likely more of a fallback position but here's hoping they're helpful nonetheless.

My apologies for not being able to help more.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

One thing to remember is that all psi-like abilities that aren't class-based manifesting are automatically manifested at full manifester level; so an energy ray (Ps) ability manifested at ML 7 will deal 7d6 points of energy damage (+/- 7 if [fire], [cold], or [sonic]).

Another thing is to always remember that manifestations are always capped at your manifester level, so if the above example were a manifested power instead of a psi-like ability, you could only spend 7 power points (pp) on the power in question, even if you have several dozen pp.

If you want to boost your DCs, the psionatrices (singular: psionatrix) in the Expanded Psionics Handbook do so for relatively cheap. You can also use the Ability Focus feat on your psi-likes (see the monster feats section in the MM1).

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Psi-Like Abilities are automatically augmented as though the user spent their manifester level in powerpoints on them, but they cost no powerpoints. They're also considered spell-like abilities, as opposed to supernatural or extraordinary abilities, so things that can be used on spell-like abilities can be used on them.

If you can give it the feat Magic in the Blood (PGtF, requires two ranks in Kn: Local for a region that qualifies) all of its 1/day racial spell-like abilities are usable 3/day.

Quicken/Empower Spell-Like Ability (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsterFeats.htm), and Maximize Spell-Like Ability in Complete Arcane, are probably some of your best choices if you want it to primarily use the Phrenic abilities. At 24 HD, it should be able to get those for any of its psi-like abilities. Assuming you turn all the 1/day abilities into 3/day abilities with Magic in the Blood, I'd go with Quicken+Maximize for Body Adjustment, Empower+Maximize for Ultrablast and Energy Current, and Quicken for Psionic Blast and Psychic Crush. That's all its feats without using flaws, but if you don't want to focus entirely on those then don't spend more than two or three on this.

I'd include Martial Study twice to give it Wall of Blades and Iron Heart Surge.

For its skills, definitely max out Intimidate, give it the Never Outnumbered skill trick, Imperious Command in Drow of the Underdark, and armor/barding with the Fearsome property also in DotU (which is a more recent version than the one in MIC). This way it can Intimidate as a move action, the target cowers for a round and is shaken for one more round which can scale up to Frightened/Panicked, and once per encounter it can Intimidate every opponent within 10 ft. which also uses Imperious Command.

You can give it Psionic Weapon and Deep Impact, Psionic Meditation, max out Concentration, and use Power Attack two-handed with Deep Impact to make it a touch attack and spend its move action to regain its psionic focus each round.

If it's large or bigger, also include Combat Reflexes and I'd throw in Large and In Charge in the Draconomicon.

[Thurbane]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I'm mainly looking for a way to pick up new psionic powers using feats, and to increase power points...

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Thanks for the suggestions so far.

I'm mainly looking for a way to pick up new psionic powers using feats, and to increase power points...The easiest way to pick up powers is to take Leadership, grab a convert-spell-to-power erudite (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) with lots of powers known as a minion, buy some thought bottles to nest together (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?217819-Nesting-Thought-Bottles-millions-of-wishes/), make sure the erudite has psychic chirurgery (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/psychicChirurgery.htm) in its repertoire, store its XP in the thought bottle, then spend lots of XP teaching you its powers known.

[ShurikVch]

How about the Psionic Creature template from the Psionics Handbook (3.0)?

Psionic Powers (Sp): A psionic creature possesses the indicated number of psionic powers, chosen from those described in Chapter 5: Powers, which it can manifest at will. The power's level can be no more than the creature's Hit Dice +2 (thus, a 1-HD psionic creature might possess the 3rd-level power fly but not the 4th-level power dissolving touch). Psionic creatures freely manifest their powers but do not need a minimum score in the key ability for a given discipline. They otherwise follow the standard rules for manifesting (so a creature with a poor key ability score could manifest a power with a surprisingly low DC).

[Thurbane]

How about the Psionic Creature template from the Psionics Handbook (3.0)?

That's definitely worth looking into.

Isn;t there a feat that let's you pick up Psionic powers? Can it be taken multiple times?

[Dexam]

That's definitely worth looking into.

Isn;t there a feat that let's you pick up Psionic powers? Can it be taken multiple times?

There's the Hidden Talent feat, that will give you 2 power points and any one 1st level power; Hidden Talent can only be taken at first level.

The Psionic Talent feat will grant extra power points, but no powers; it can be taken multiple times.

The Expanded Knowledge feat lets a manifester add a power to their powers know, but you would need to have levels in a manifesting class, which isn't going to work for you.

Other than that, you could re-fluff the Fey Heritage or Fiendish Heritage feats from Complete Mage as Psi-like abilities, and swap the SLA's granted with some Psionic powers.

Possible recommendations for the Fey feats:
Fey Presence: Charm Monster -> Charm, Psionic; Deep Slumber -> Crisis of Breath; Disguise Self -> Cloud Mind.
Fey Legacy: Confusion -> Control Body; Dimension Door -> Dimension Door, Psionic; Summon Nature's Ally V -> Astral Construct.

Possible recommendations for the Fiendish feats:
Fiendish Presence: Cause Fear -> Demoralize; Detect Thoughts -> Read Thoughts; Suggestion -> Suggestion, Psionic.
Fiendish Legacy: Teleport -> Teleport, Psionic; Summon Monster V -> Astral Construct; Unholy Blight -> Energy Ball (or Death Urge if you want to mess with the PC's).

[NontheistCleric]

Host feats give you really weak psi-like abilities, but they are one of the few options for getting psi-like abilities from feats.

[ShurikVch]

Feats:
Illithid Blast (Complete Psionic)
Mind Weapon (Dragon #325) //prerequisites include arcane casting and familiar; but - come on! Illithids are textbook example of psionics!
Venomless (Dragon #325) //same there, except for Yuan-ti

Templates:
Half-Dragon, Brainstealer (Dragon #337) - Brainstealer Dragon have Mind Blast instead Breath Weapon; there wasn't official Half-Dragon for it, but it's really easy to extrapolate
Half-Dragon, Ectoplasmic (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psb/20040123a) - Ectoplasmic Dragon have Whitefire as a Breath Weapon; Whitefire was 3rd-level Metacreativity power in 3.0
Half-Fiend, Cerebrilith (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/cerebrilith.htm) - use guidelines from the (Half)-Fiendish Variety (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20060630a) article to replace some of SLAs with PLAs
Half-Illithid (Underdark)
Symbiotic Creature (Savage Species) - since "symbiotic creature can use a special attack of either the host or the guest", it's just required to select a "right" guest or(/and) host
Ti-Khana (Fiend Folio) - Psionics (Sp): Detect Poison, Alternate Form, and Aversion
Voidmind Creature (Monster Manual III) - Cone of Slime