Erudite Question - Does addressing a power stone and manifesting use a UPPD?

[Crichton]

So, regardless of the debate about how many Unique Power Per Day an Erudite can use, the description from Complete Psionic says:


an erudite is limited to manifesting a certain number of unique psionic powers of each level per day from the repertoire of powers he knows

(emphasis mine)

It then goes on to describe the process an Erudite uses to add a new power to his repertoire, which involves 'addressing' the power stone or psionic user (via a Psicraft check), and then another Psicraft check to see if he can 'understand' the power(s) contained therein. Assuming both Psicraft checks are successful, it then presents 2 options:

1 - 'Manifest the power normally on his next turn'

2 - 'attempt to permanently commit the power to his own repertoire'


So unless I'm missing something, as long as he doesn't commit the power to his repertoire, using a power stone to manifest via the first option (which uses the Erudite's reserve of power points, thus not expending the power stone), is a RAW way to completely bypass the limitation on UPPD.

In other words, as long as the Erudite never permanently commits a power to his repertoire, he can use his PP to fuel the manifesting of as many powers as he wants from power stones, so long as he takes 3 rounds each to do it.

Am I missing something here? Because if this works, my erudite will never ever learn any utility powers again. He just needs to carry around a single power stone of each power he wants to be able to use outside of combat.

[Psyren]

Yeah it works. But as you mentioned, it's impractical for combat.

The other problem is that it still flushes the stone, so you'll have to buy multiples. Not a big problem once you're wealthy, but can be a limiting factor early on (and also mentally, in a "too awesome to use" kind of way.)

[Crichton]

The other problem is that it still flushes the stone, so you'll have to buy multiples.

I must have missed this somewhere. I'm not seeing wording in Complete Psionic or Expanded Psionics Handbook that says it flushes the stone when you use your own power points to manifest in this way.

I really only looked in the 'Manifest an Unknown Power from Another’s Powers Known' section of the XPH, and the Erudite section of CPsi, though.

[Psyren]

I must have missed this somewhere. I'm not seeing wording in Complete Psionic or Expanded Psionics Handbook that says it flushes the stone when you use your own power points to manifest in this way.

I really only looked in the 'Manifest an Unknown Power from Another’s Powers Known' section of the XPH, and the Erudite section of CPsi, though.

It's in the CPsi 105 sidebar, which it says supersedes the XPH 64 rules. "Using a power stone in this way expends the power within the stone."

Normally folks ignore the rules updates that were introduced in CPsi (e.g. the astral construct nerf.) The problem here though is that you're using the Erudite, which is a CPsi class.

[Crichton]

It's in the CPsi 105 sidebar, which it says supersedes the XPH 64 rules. "Using a power stone in this way expends the power within the stone."

Normally folks ignore the rules updates that were introduced in CPsi (e.g. the astral construct nerf.) The problem here though is that you're using the Erudite, which is a CPsi class.

Ok, now I know I must be missing something. If using your own power points to manifest from a stone expends the stone, then why wouldn't you just use the stone the normal way, which requires less time and fewer Psicraft checks, and doesn't use any power points? This makes no sense whatsoever... There's no reason to go through all the steps and spend the points if you just have to buy another copy of the stone to use it again. I guess doing that way you can stack on metapsionics and augments, perhaps. So not completely useless as a method. Just not so great for the Erudite.

EDIT: Also, I now see that sidebar. Odd that the CPsi reference for Erudite using powers this way sends you directly to the XPH entry, with no mention of the updated rule printed just a few pages before it. Still makes no sense to me, for the above reasons, though.

[Psyren]

Ok, now I know I must be missing something. If using your own power points to manifest from a stone expends the stone, then why wouldn't you just use the stone the normal way, which requires less time and fewer Psicraft checks, and doesn't use any power points?

Because this way lets you use your own manifester level, ability score and feats. It basically turns all your power stones from being scrolls, into being one-shot staves. But it keeps them from being really cheap knowstones.

Not saying I agree with the nerf one way or another, but I can see the pros and cons.

[Crichton]

Because this way lets you use your own manifester level, ability score and feats. It basically turns all your power stones from being scrolls, into being one-shot staves. But it keeps them from being really cheap knowstones.

Not saying I agree with the nerf one way or another, but I can see the pros and cons.

Fair enough. Thanks for the clarifications