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Jimp
2007-09-10, 04:12 PM
So I was thinking of making a Psion focused on Astral Constructs. Like a psionic summoner, but I've never played a psion before.
Any advice on how to make one for this task?

Starsinger
2007-09-10, 04:18 PM
3E or 3.5? I haven't personally experienced a 3.5 Psion with Astral Construct, but in 3E I made quite the summoner. I found it useful to make "templates" of my constructs, and any time I would summon one with a certain combination of powers from the abilities menu, I would tell the DM "I'm summoning an X" (I can't recall the names I gave my templates.

GimliFett
2007-09-10, 04:19 PM
Make sure you have Complete Psionic? The Ectopic Form feats in there will make your choice extremely viable and useful. They allow you to give different forms to your astral constructs. Also, Skin of the Construct is a nice, fun and flavorful feat that allows you to expend your psionic focus to infuse the essence of an astral construct with your body.

Jimp
2007-09-10, 04:51 PM
3E or 3.5?

It will be 3.5.

Behold_the_Void
2007-09-10, 04:57 PM
Make sure you have Complete Psionic? The Ectopic Form feats in there will make your choice extremely viable and useful. They allow you to give different forms to your astral constructs. Also, Skin of the Construct is a nice, fun and flavorful feat that allows you to expend your psionic focus to infuse the essence of an astral construct with your body.

Doesn't Complete Psionic restrict you to one Astral Construct at a time though?

Tellah
2007-09-10, 05:02 PM
I'd say you're better off using one of the more useful disciplines and burning a feat to pick up astral construct. The shaper really doesn't get anything cool, other than astral construct, so you'll get more mileage out of an egoist or telepath with Expanded Knowledge. You may also want to look into "The Big Guy is With Me" builds that focus on making a fantastically powerful psicrystal. Functionally it's pretty similar, and it's quite powerful--on par with a well-PrC'd Wizard.

GimliFett
2007-09-10, 05:05 PM
Doesn't Complete Psionic restrict you to one Astral Construct at a time though?

I thought that was the case in XPH, too. Regardless, if you go into the Ectopic Adept, you'll be able to have 2 constructs at once, as long as your Craft (sculpting) meets or exceeds your manifester level.

Lord Tataraus
2007-09-10, 05:05 PM
Doesn't Complete Psionic restrict you to one Astral Construct at a time though?

That's an easy fix, though it makes the Ectopic Adept a little less useful. But, still Complete Psionic is a must, and don't waste your time being a shaper, just take the feat to learn a power off a another power list (I don't remember what it is called, but you have to be third level). That way you don't get all those useless powers, but can be a telepath, egotist, etc.

edit - ninja'd

0oo0
2007-09-10, 05:13 PM
I'd say you're better off using one of the more useful disciplines and burning a feat to pick up astral construct. The shaper really doesn't get anything cool, other than astral construct, so you'll get more mileage out of an egoist or telepath with Expanded Knowledge. You may also want to look into "The Big Guy is With Me" builds that focus on making a fantastically powerful psicrystal. Functionally it's pretty similar, and it's quite powerful--on par with a well-PrC'd Wizard.

Where might I find this "The Big Guy is With Me" build?

GimliFett
2007-09-10, 05:13 PM
edit - ninja'd

I need to get a pirate and a ninja avatar to complement that. I seem to do it a lot!

Seriously, the suggestion to learn Astral Construct through Expanded Knowledge is a good one. Kineticist might be a good bet.

lord_khaine
2007-09-10, 05:23 PM
i must say, the general oppinion of complete psionic on wizards homepage is that its a waste of paper, and i agree with them on that.

avoid both that stupid book with its change to astral construct, and the constructor prestice class as well, you will be better served with just taking a pure psion shaper.

besides that metacreativity actualy has a lot of usefull powers, from the great defensive option of concealing amorpha, greater to ectoplasmic cocoon, a great save or suck power that runs on reflex saves.

Karsh
2007-09-10, 06:50 PM
Don't use Ectopic Adept. If at all possible, disregard the rules of Complete Psionic entirely.

Use the Constructor Prestige Class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) from Mind's Eye.

You get a slew of new menus to choose from for your abilities, when you're psionically focused, the duration of your Astral Constructs is multiplied by 10, at higher levels you can manifest two or more constructs at the same time for an additional 2 PP per, and at 10th level your Astral Construct spells are all Quickened for free, eliminating that pesky 1 round manifesting time.

The one downside is that you lose two levels of manifesting, but if you really want a heavily focused Astral Constructor, the Constructor PrC is the way to go. There's also some good Construct-related feats in Mind's Eye which are fantastic to choose from, as well.

Tellah
2007-09-10, 06:55 PM
Where might I find this "The Big Guy is With Me" build?

Here you go. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=463152)

Draz74
2007-09-10, 07:06 PM
Use the Constructor Prestige Class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) from Mind's Eye.

You get a slew of new menus to choose from for your abilities, when you're psionically focused, the duration of your Astral Constructs is multiplied by 10, at higher levels you can manifest two or more constructs at the same time for an additional 2 PP per, and at 10th level your Astral Construct spells are all Quickened for free, eliminating that pesky 1 round manifesting time.

Quoted For Truth.

Also, Shaper isn't a bad discipline to specialize in. Psionic Fabricate, along with the Trapmaking skill, is awesome for turning the terrain of the battlefield to your advantage! Genesis is good at high levels, and not available via Expanded Knowledge. I won't argue that Telepathy isn't more powerful (unless you face lots of creatures immune to Mind-Affecting), but Shaper is far from being the worst discipline.

BetaFlame
2007-09-10, 07:39 PM
Shapers are awesome. I am playing one right now. I took Overchannel and Talented so I can get access to better ACs earlier.

First thing: CPsi is a waste of space, and the Ectopic Form feats are pretty worthless. The only one I like is the one that makes them explode, but I would never take any of the others for any reason. They remove your ability to customize your AC when you use it.

Good powers for a shaper, by level.

1st: Astral Construct and Minor Creation. Minor creation seems useless, but the crazy stuff you can make is just fun. If you like, I can find the thread on the WoTC forums talking about it.

3rd: Ectoplasmic Cocoon. If they fail their save, the foe is removed from the fight. Great controlling spower.

4th: Fabricate and Quintessence are both wonderful. Fab can make anything you need whenever you need it, and Quintessence just has a metric ton of applications if you are creative.

6th: Crystallize: Save or die. Woot.

7th: Ectoplasmic Cocoon, Mass. Good for all the same reasons as the lower level ones.

9th: Genesis. THis is my absolute favorite power in the whole book. You make your own plane. It's a permanent hidey hole for you. Make a set of ring-gates for it ;)

StickMan
2007-09-10, 07:53 PM
I've played A Constructor before and its quite a bit of fun. First Complete psionic is worth getting out from the library, and copying the Astral Construct feats just ignore the nerf. Unless your DM is a crazy he will ignore the nerf.

Second Use the Constructor Prestige class (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) its from the site found here.

Also go shaper there are a number of good talents and once you get one minute/level duration on your constructs from above PRC, its cheaper to repair them using psionic repair or what ever its called.

Over channel is a good idea.

Making Astral Constructs is one of the best powers of a psion, people tend to over look it but hey that is one of our secret powers no one expects summoned type stuff to be tough.

Karsh
2007-09-10, 08:45 PM
Yes, I forgot about Talented/Overchannel.

USE THESE.

Manifest an augmented Vigor to buffer the damage from a jacked up Overchannel, and then create a construct way more powerful than whatever it is you're fighting.

There was an Illithid game a while ago that Cockroach Tea Party ran where we could choose our disciplines, so I went with a Shaper for the Psion levels tied into Mind Flayer and then Constructor after that.

Astral Constructs can wreak some serious, serious havoc if you can add enough abilities to them.