The Best Way to Get Telepathy

[SnugUndies]

I was playing around with a build for a Psion Telepath, since I was interested in trying to play as the arrogant, invasive, rule-over-the-weak character archetype, with an eye on eventually being a Thrallherd. Now, obtaining telepathy seems like a pretty natural part of being a telepath (and I was also mighty curious of trying on Mindsight!) but I'm unsure of the best way to go about it. Which is deemed preferable - the one-level dip into Mindbender, or the Telepathic Communication ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) from Mind's Eye? The Mindbender's telepathy has a very servicable range of 100 feet, whereas the ACF is 5 feet per level, meaning it will only catch up by level 20. That said, Mindbender requires some stringent skill ranks, which psions aren't exactly laden with, including the cross-class Intimidate. The ACF also comes online a level earlier, but on the other hand it of course costs you a (bonus) feat.

What's the general consensus? And is there anything superior that I'm missing?

[Endarire]

I prefer Mindbender if available and it advances manifesting.

[Venger]

I was playing around with a build for a Psion Telepath, since I was interested in trying to play as the arrogant, invasive, rule-over-the-weak character archetype, with an eye on eventually being a Thrallherd. Now, obtaining telepathy seems like a pretty natural part of being a telepath (and I was also mighty curious of trying on Mindsight!) but I'm unsure of the best way to go about it. Which is deemed preferable - the one-level dip into Mindbender, or the Telepathic Communication ACF (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) from Mind's Eye? The Mindbender's telepathy has a very servicable range of 100 feet, whereas the ACF is 5 feet per level, meaning it will only catch up by level 20. That said, Mindbender requires some stringent skill ranks, which psions aren't exactly laden with, including the cross-class Intimidate. The ACF also comes online a level earlier, but on the other hand it of course costs you a (bonus) feat.

What's the general consensus? And is there anything superior that I'm missing?

Mindbender telepathy is better for the reason you specify.

You're already covered by telepath. It gives you bluff, diplo, and sm as class skills. You can't qualify for mindbender til level 5 anyway, so just pay the extra 4 points for intimidate, dip it for 1 level, get its telepathy and mindsight, and never think about it again.

Not useful for this character, but dipping totemist (or just taking shape soulmeld (shedu crown) and open chakra (crown) ) is also a good way to get telepathy for other character classes.

[Selene Sparks]

Skill ranks aren't even a concern, as you're a psion and so can take the Apprentice feat to render Intimidate a class skill, and PsyRef it away later. I mean, it's not efficient, as feats are more valuable, but long term, even skill ranks don't factor in because you don't even need to take cross-class ranks and can spend a piddling amount of XP instead of having lost anything past level 7.

[Venger]

Skill ranks aren't even a concern, as you're a psion and so can take the Apprentice feat to render Intimidate a class skill, and PsyRef it away later. I mean, it's not efficient, as feats are more valuable, but long term, even skill ranks don't factor in because you don't even need to take cross-class ranks and can spend a piddling amount of XP instead of having lost anything past level 7.

But that's not even necessary. Mindbender only requires 4 cc points for a telepath, and it's doable by the level you enter anyway. Just pay the points, you don't even need them for anything, you're a psion.

[SnugUndies]

Mindbender telepathy is better for the reason you specify.

Not useful for this character, but dipping totemist (or just taking shape soulmeld (shedu crown) and open chakra (crown) ) is also a good way to get telepathy for other character classes.

Fair enough, that makes sense to me.
Also, good to know about Totemists! That could be fun as a wild card on a melee build, by the sounds of it.


Skill ranks aren't even a concern, as you're a psion and so can take the Apprentice feat to render Intimidate a class skill, and PsyRef it away later. I mean, it's not efficient, as feats are more valuable, but long term, even skill ranks don't factor in because you don't even need to take cross-class ranks and can spend a piddling amount of XP instead of having lost anything past level 7.

Ooh, good point with Psychic Reformation. Still, a part of making it to level 7 includes having the tools necessary to survive, and I think I can risk the cross-class skill ranks rather than having a mostly-dead feat for seven whole levels: I don't know about you, but that can easily mean over a year of sessions!

[gkathellar]

If you don't need it prior to level 15, Hellbred (from Fiendish Codex 2) get it without a level adjustment.