3.PF Crystal Master build

[Dr_Dinosaur]

I’m playing a Psiforged in an upcoming pirate-focused Pathfinder game using DSP content, and the DM agrees to the Crystal Master PrC as it’s flavorful to both my race and the goal of amassing treasure.

My question is, without the Erudite what class should I enter with, and are there any tips and tricks I should keep in mind? Also, do the special Third Eye items stack with the embedded gems of the same stone?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I’m playing a Psiforged in an upcoming pirate-focused Pathfinder game using DSP content, and the DM agrees to the Crystal Master PrC as it’s flavorful to both my race and the goal of amassing treasure.

My question is, without the Erudite what class should I enter with, and are there any tips and tricks I should keep in mind? Also, do the special Third Eye items stack with the embedded gems of the same stone?Warforged? Easy answer. Go shaper. Grab a psicrystal, use your psionic repair damage power to heal the both of you for fairly cheap. Also, share vigor + share pain with your psicrystal to minimize actual damage to the both of you. You'll also want to invest in a utility construct (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/feats/advanced-constructs-psionic/). Having access to a living an animate vehicle that lasts a long time means you're far less likely to get stranded out on the open sea. Also, a lot of metacreativity powers are insanely useful on seagoing adventures. Imagine setting up sonic energy walls in front of ships, or using an astral construct to pull you along under an enemy ship in the dead of night and using fabricate to alter the hull in the shape of a forward-facing scoop to ruin the ship's hydrodynamic profile. You can create vegetable-based food and wine for the crew with psionic minor creation, with lemons, limes, oranges, and pineapples to prevent scurvy.

Shaper is THE best psion type outside of a thrallherd build for a pirate campaign.

You'll want to consider the Durable Construct and Extend Power feats for 20 minute astral constructs (40 if you have and expend two psionic foci on Extend) and the Linked Power feat from Complete Psionic to create ACs as a standard/swift/immediate action.

And depending on your level, look up Magic of Incarnum and consider a two-level dip in totemist, using the MoI powers and psionic/incarnum feats to full effect. You can shoulders-bind the phase spider cloak extremely early with ML boosts and cost reduction shenanigans on psionic open chakra.

[Nifft]

I would generally recommend against the Psiforged feat, since it seems worse than other 1st-level Warforged feats (e.g. Adamantine / Ironwood / Mithral Body).

Beyond that, I agree with Maxi that Shaper is a great choice.

Not sure about Incarnum -- I mean it's good, and you could build a great Totemist 2 / Psion 3 / Soul Manifester (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20060217a) 10 -- but that seems like it'd conflict with Psion 5 / Crystal Master 10.

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I think Third Eye items are just items, and you can use them if you have the slot free. What do you mean about "of the same stone"?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Instead of Psiforged, how about using the dragonborn template? You lose your armored body (but can now wear armor) and your slam attack. Given that psions can wear 0 ACP armor with no issue and don't typically make melee attacks without metamorphosis, that's not hurting you at all. Just buy a blueshine mithral chain shirt and add some nice enhancements.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Shaper Psion does look pretty great. As a potential alternative, how does the Augmented Blade Soulknife look? It’s not as powerful and has to wait another level, but gets a free Psicrystal and we use the errata giving all Soulknifes the Gifted Blade archetype for free so CM’s progression isn’t wasted.


I think Third Eye items are just items, and you can use them if you have the slot free. What do you mean about "of the same stone"?

The Crystal Master can craft gemstones into special versions of the item, and I’m unsure if the benefits listed stack with an embedded gem of the same type.


Instead of Psiforged, how about using the dragonborn template? You lose your armored body (but can now wear armor) and your slam attack. Given that psions can wear 0 ACP armor with no issue and don't typically make melee attacks without metamorphosis, that's not hurting you at all. Just buy a blueshine mithral chain shirt and add some nice enhancements.

Because the whole point is to play a cool psychic robot that gains power by blinging iself out with pirate booty

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Shaper Psion does look pretty great. As a potential alternative, how does the Augmented Blade Soulknife look? It’s not as powerful and has to wait another level, but gets a free Psicrystal and we use the errata giving all Soulknifes the Gifted Blade archetype for free so CM’s progression isn’t wasted.Not a fan of any flavor of soulknife, PF or 3.X. Shaper is so much more useful on this type of adventure, on every possible level.


Because the whole point is to play a cool psychic robot that gains power by blinging iself out with pirate bootyAnd you'd still get that; he'd just be a Dinobot, instead.

Remember the Dinobots?

https://orig00.deviantart.net/cf05/f/2014/056/8/4/foc_dinobots_2_0_by_tfprime1114-d764u7z.jpg (https://orig00.deviantart.net/cf05/f/2014/056/8/4/foc_dinobots_2_0_by_tfprime1114-d764u7z.jpg)

Do remember that the only reason the wings dragonborn can't fly from the beginning is because they get fatigued, which warforgedborn are immune to. And you can use a tow-rope attached to the ship or a swimming construct to paraglide.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Not a fan of any flavor of soulknife, PF or 3.X. Shaper is so much more useful on this type of adventure, on every possible level.

And you'd still get that; he'd just be a Dinobot, instead.

Remember the Dinobots?

https://orig00.deviantart.net/cf05/f/2014/056/8/4/foc_dinobots_2_0_by_tfprime1114-d764u7z.jpg (https://orig00.deviantart.net/cf05/f/2014/056/8/4/foc_dinobots_2_0_by_tfprime1114-d764u7z.jpg)

Do remember that the only reason the wings dragonborn can't fly from the beginning is because they get fatigued, which warforgedborn are immune to. And you can use a tow-rope attached to the ship or a swimming construct to paraglide.

Doesn’t Dragonborn require worshipping Bahamut, the Good dragon god? We’re playing *pirates*

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Doesn’t Dragonborn require worshipping Bahamut, the Good dragon god? We’re playing *pirates*You could be a rowdy misfit on the run from a LE state who fell in with a bad crowd. Or maybe a privateer that has at least some flavor of ethics, and so long as you're not Evil, he should be okay with you becoming a dragonborn.


Prerequisites: In order to be accepted as a suitable candidate, the supplicant must be non-evil and have an Intelligence score of at least 3.

Alternatively, you used to be Neutral. You've...slipped since then.

Or maybe you were created this way, and whoever created you made you a dragonborn before you were first awakened. You were Neutral at the time and have hardened significantly since.

Or you are just a draconic robot with dragon traits (made from dragon parts, obviously). You have nothing to do with Bahamut, and are, instead, just a physically weak (but highly intelligent) dragonflesh golem with cybernetic enhancements.

[Dr_Dinosaur]

Considering I’ll be a psion on a team with a Samurai and a Spheres of Power Elementalist, I’m just a bit shy of classic 3.5 power tricks tbh. Thanks for the suggestion though!

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I agree that Shaper is probably best, but Ardent using Substitute Powers (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070629a) could also work, especially considering Practiced Manifester can be used to keep up on when you gain new levels of powers since Crystal Master (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625d) loses a few levels.

If you can use a flaw to get an extra feat, you should also take Adamantine Body or Mithral Body at 1st level. If you can't use flaws, you can still get an extra feat at 1st level by starting out with moderate taint in Heroes of Horror. You can have a high Con score and low Wis score, low corruption and high enough depravity to be at moderate. Taint comes with drawbacks and can end up being more costly than flaws, but it can be used for significant character development, especially in a non-good campaign.