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KillianHawkeye
2007-09-16, 02:42 AM
Okay, so I haven't had a reason before now to look through all the revised psionic powers in the Expanded Psionics Handbook. I played a couple psions back when the 3.0 Psionics Handbook came out, and I thought they were awesome.

Anyway, I noticed that a lot of the old psionic attack & defense modes have now become standard psionic powers. I kinda liked it the old way, but I guess it was needlessly complex. But can somebody tell me what happened to Mind Blast? I don't see it in the list of powers at all! Are you telling me that PCs no longer have access to that most dreaded of psychic attacks? What gives?

starwoof
2007-09-16, 02:53 AM
When they re-did the psionics rules a mind flayer inquisition 'negotiated' with Wizards to take mind blast away from players. Its kind of their trademark move, and letting PCs use it cheapens it.



Also, 3.0 psionics are the devil. :smallyuk:

Dhavaer
2007-09-16, 02:55 AM
Rubbish. The devil is cool. Read Lucifer, it's great.

Zincorium
2007-09-16, 02:55 AM
As far as I can tell, it's been replaced by the similarly named 'psionic blast', pg. 125 of the XPH.

KillianHawkeye
2007-09-16, 04:55 AM
Thanks, I didn't see that before. But the 1 round stun duration is ridiculous, even if you can increase it with extra power points.

I just read the Illithid Blast heritage feat from Complete Psionic, which is STILL a dumbed down version of actual Mind Blast (TM). You have to take three other feats first and the stun only lasts 1d4 rounds and it costs your psionic focus to use. Compare that with 3.0 mind blast which IIRC did 3d4 rounds of stun to non-psionic creatures!

Lame!

I guess it makes sense, though. If Mind Flayers had a second favored class, it would probably be Lawyer. :smallwink: I'd hate to see the encounter between the PCs and the Illithid Psion/Lawyer. *shudder*

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-09-16, 08:33 AM
Thanks, I didn't see that before. But the 1 round stun duration is ridiculous, even if you can increase it with extra power points.

I just read the Illithid Blast heritage feat from Complete Psionic, which is STILL a dumbed down version of actual Mind Blast (TM). You have to take three other feats first and the stun only lasts 1d4 rounds and it costs your psionic focus to use. Compare that with 3.0 mind blast which IIRC did 3d4 rounds of stun to non-psionic creatures!
Being stunned is the next worst thing to being helpless. An ability that can potentially reduce all your opponents to this state for an average of 7.5 rounds is overpowered. "The Psion just won the battle for you. Rogue, go Sneak Attack them repeatedly. They're dead."

Yes, the Mind Flayer still can stun its opponents for 3d4 rounds. This is one of the reasons it has such a high Level Adjustment.

Mewtarthio
2007-09-16, 08:43 AM
Thanks, I didn't see that before. But the 1 round stun duration is ridiculous, even if you can increase it with extra power points.

I just read the Illithid Blast heritage feat from Complete Psionic, which is STILL a dumbed down version of actual Mind Blast (TM). You have to take three other feats first and the stun only lasts 1d4 rounds and it costs your psionic focus to use. Compare that with 3.0 mind blast which IIRC did 3d4 rounds of stun to non-psionic creatures!

Lame!

*coffeespew* 3d4 rounds of stun?! I'd heard horrible things about 3.0 psionics, but I'd never actually understood!

Citizen Joe
2007-09-16, 09:49 AM
Here's another nasty one:
Dust of Sneezing and Choking

This fine dust appears to be dust of appearance. If cast into the air, it causes those within a 20-foot spread to fall into fits of sneezing and coughing. Those failing a DC 15 Fortitude save take 2d6 points of Constitution damage immediately. In addition, those failing a second DC 15 Fortitude save 1 minute later are dealt 1d6 points of Constitution damage. Those who succeed on either saving throw are nonetheless disabled by choking (treat as stunned) for 5d4 rounds.

Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, poison; Price 2,400 gp.

And depending on how bad you consider dazed:
Sea Hag
Evil Eye (Su)

Three times per day, a sea hag can cast its dire gaze upon any single creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be dazed for three days, although remove curse or dispel evil can restore sanity sooner. In addition, an affected creature must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or die from fright. Creatures with immunity to fear effects are not affected by the sea hag’s evil eye. The save DCs are Charisma-based.

Starbuck_II
2007-09-16, 10:28 AM
Here's another nasty one:
Dust of Sneezing and Choking

This fine dust appears to be dust of appearance. If cast into the air, it causes those within a 20-foot spread to fall into fits of sneezing and coughing. Those failing a DC 15 Fortitude save take 2d6 points of Constitution damage immediately. In addition, those failing a second DC 15 Fortitude save 1 minute later are dealt 1d6 points of Constitution damage. Those who succeed on either saving throw are nonetheless disabled by choking (treat as stunned) for 5d4 rounds.

Faint conjuration; CL 7th; Craft Wondrous Item, poison; Price 2,400 gp.

Yeah, but using the dust affects you too: not a good thing.
Either you are alsao stunned for 5d4 rounds or you take 2d6 Con (6 hp/level).

Best, hey, if cornered by a Great wyrm Dragon: use it! Either he goes weak from damage from Con or he is stunned. Hopefully party can Coup him in 5d4 rounds.

Lemur
2007-09-16, 11:24 AM
*coffeespew* 3d4 rounds of stun?! I'd heard horrible things about 3.0 psionics, but I'd never actually understood!

Try this out then: psions got Mind Blast as an attack/defense mode, which meant that it didn't take up a slot of their normal powers known. They could technically take it at first level, although they wouldn't have enough power points to activate it for a while (it cost 9 pp). 60 ft. cone effect, with a +4 to the DC thrown on for nonpsionic creatures.

Yeah, it was a bit messed up.

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-09-16, 11:41 AM
Sea Hag
Evil Eye (Su)

Three times per day, a sea hag can cast its dire gaze upon any single creature within 30 feet. The target must succeed on a DC 13 Will save or be dazed for three days, although remove curse or dispel evil can restore sanity sooner. In addition, an affected creature must succeed on a DC 13 Fortitude save or die from fright. Creatures with immunity to fear effects are not affected by the sea hag’s evil eye. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
Well, once again, it's balanced as a monster ability. Sea Hags don't even get a level adjustment rating, indicating they are considered to be unsuitable for use as PCs.


Yeah, but using the dust affects you too: not a good thing.
Either you are alsao stunned for 5d4 rounds or you take 2d6 Con (6 hp/level).
Also, it's quite expensive for a single-use item.

Bauglir
2007-09-16, 11:45 AM
And you could always just throw the bag or (if you're Evil), pay a commoner a gp to open this mysterious bag for you.

mostlyharmful
2007-09-16, 03:38 PM
The next liche BBEG i make is going to be ridiculous.:smallbiggrin:

Starbuck_II
2007-09-16, 04:15 PM
And you could always just throw the bag or (if you're Evil), pay a commoner a gp to open this mysterious bag for you.

You have to throw the dust for it to work, but paying a hireling commoner would work. But is oh so evil!

Kaelik
2007-09-16, 05:03 PM
Um...? Who wants to take out the Tarrasque with me? I'll disable it long enough for the Fighter to Full Power Attack Coup de Grace with a +5 Weapon. Then someone else hits with a readied action, Then the readied action Wish goes off.

That's what Cost of Dust 2,600gp

Treasure by encounter of Tarrasque? Much more.

martyboy74
2007-09-16, 05:04 PM
Um...? Who wants to take out the Tarrasque with me? I'll disable it long enough for the Fighter to Full Power Attack Coup de Grace with a +5 Weapon. Then someone else hits with a readied action, Then the readied action Wish goes off.

That's what Cost of Dust 2,600gp

Treasure by encounter of Tarrasque? Much more.

What hoard does the treasure come from? The tarrasque roams the earth.

Nota Biene
2007-09-16, 05:25 PM
Also, the dust stuns you, not makes you helpless. A stunned creature is twitching ineffecually and can be sneak attacked, but not coup de graced.

Kaelik
2007-09-16, 05:38 PM
What hoard does the treasure come from? The tarrasque roams the earth.

Don't you read the rules? All encounters have X treasure. Them's the rules.

But seriously, you don't think you could leverage a dead Tarrasque into money?

martyboy74
2007-09-16, 05:42 PM
Don't you read the rules? All encounters have X treasure. Them's the rules.
Wrong. The Tarrasque (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/tarrasque.htm) is listed as not having any treasure.

slexlollar89
2007-09-16, 07:53 PM
With the fact that it eats anything, i could hav eaten a gold great wyrm and it's hoard. Nt to mention the fact that it has had a long time to eat stuff.

Even if the stuff is half desolved by acid, there is probab;y some kind of artifact in there... there is a pic in a book of Jozan throwing the and of orcus into the Terresque's mouth.

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-09-16, 08:04 PM
Even if the stuff is half desolved by acid, there is probab;y some kind of artifact in there... there is a pic in a book of Jozan throwing the and of orcus into the Terresque's mouth.
Jozan is doing that to destroy the wand. It is an illustration in reference to a previous reference to feeding artifacts to the Tarrasque as a possible means of destroying them.

Yes, the Tarrasque can digest anything. And, according to "Ecology of the Tarrasque" in Dragon, this digestion happens nearly instantaneously. You won't find anything worthwhile inside the Tarrasque.

martyboy74
2007-09-16, 08:13 PM
Yes, the Tarrasque can digest anything. And, according to "Ecology of the Tarrasque" in Dragon, this digestion happens nearly instantaneously. You won't find anything worthwhile inside the Tarrasque.

Party member's remains? Allips? :smalltongue:

Shhalahr Windrider
2007-09-16, 08:21 PM
Party member's remains?
Their remains? Does the Swallow Whole ability reference the ability to retrieve bodies of people killed by it?

As to characters being able to cut their way out—well that accounts for the "nearly" part of "nearly instantaneously." :smallamused:


Allips? :smalltongue:
They've got no body to digest.

...Oh, I suppose you mean "anything worthwhile."

Well, I suppose you could find an allip worthwhile under the right circumstances. But you've already beaten the Tarrasque by this point.

In any case, being incorporeal, they're immune to grappling and, by extension, swallow whole. So they'll only be inside the stomach if they happen to be passing through on a whim.