[DSP] Superior Psicrystal+Psicrystal Reservior?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

PSICRYSTAL RESERVOIR [PSIONIC]
The splinter of your personality embedded into your Psicrystal holds part of your psionic potential within itself, allowing it to act as a receptacle for a little of your psionic power.
Prerequisites: Psicrystal Affinity, Psicrystal Containment.
Benefit: Your psicrystal gains the ability to refocus itself even without a power point pool, as long as you retain power points. This allows it to refocus itself for the purpose of your Containment feat instead of having you focus it. This also means that the psicrystal can utilize feats which require it to hold or expend psionic focus.
So, my question is can the more diverse forms of Superior Psicrystal, such as Embedded Psicrystal and Psicrystal Weapon, use Psicrystal Reservior? Neither of them appear to be actual creatures capable of taking their own actions (or at least Embedded Psicrystal; it explicitly says that it overwrites the Psicrystal from Psicrystal Affinity). My reading is that RAW the feat can be taken, but the Embedded Psicrystal doesn’t look like it can even take actions to use the feat.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Didn't DSP specifically negate the 3.5 psicrystal's ability to take HD-based feats? How can a psicrystal use feats if it can't take feats?

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Didn't DSP specifically negate the 3.5 psicrystal's ability to take HD-based feats? How can a psicrystal use feats if it can't take feats?

I don’t know, maybe for abilities that allow you to share abilities, or futureproofing the feat? Not really what I’m asking.

[Psyren]

The "semblance of life" line does suggest that it's still a psicrystal (i.e. a creature), even if it loses the speech and propulsion abilities that normal psicrystals get.


Didn't DSP specifically negate the 3.5 psicrystal's ability to take HD-based feats? How can a psicrystal use feats if it can't take feats?

You take Psicrystal Reservoir, but it gives your psicrystal the ability to use Psicrystal Containment itself. That's how I read it anyway. If you see a dysfunction here that might be a good one for the DSP FAQ thread.

[upho]

So, my question is can the more diverse forms of Superior Psicrystal, such as Embedded Psicrystal and Psicrystal Weapon, use Psicrystal Reservior? Neither of them appear to be actual creatures capable of taking their own actions (or at least Embedded Psicrystal; it explicitly says that it overwrites the Psicrystal from Psicrystal Affinity). My reading is that RAW the feat can be taken, but the Embedded Psicrystal doesn’t look like it can even take actions to use the feat.Yes, any type of Superior Psicrystal can use Psicrystal Reservoir, because none of the them say the psicrystal stops being its own creature, which means it still has its own actions during its own turn on its own initiative (for example the last paragraph of the effect description of the Crystallized Creature (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Crystallized_Creature) form explicitly mentions this). This is true also in the case of an implanted psicrystal or a psicrystal weapon, even though such a psicrystal typically has no uses for its own actions since it can longer move its body on its own. (I assume that by "Embedded Psicrystal" you're referring to Implanted Priscrystal (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Implanted_Psicrystal).)

That even an implanted psicrystal remains its own creature is also made obvious by both the language used for the abilities and especially the description (my emphasis):

"Not all psions see their psicrystals as expendable scouts, but rather as cherished friends and trusted advisors -after... ...gives them a trusted advisor in social situations or an extra mind to handle what happens on a battlefield. These psicrystals exhibit an even closer connection to their masters and while they cannot deliver touch powers, fly or scout an area, they enhance their masters in different ways."

(Btw, I believe the "the psicrystal can utilize feats" bit of the Psicrystal Reservior benefit was included to ensure compatibility with any future options allowing the psicrystal to use feats, because no currently existing option does AFAIK.)

[Ninjaxenomorph]

Yes, any type of Superior Psicrystal can use Psicrystal Reservoir, because none of the them say the psicrystal stops being its own creature, which means it still has its own actions during its own turn on its own initiative (for example the last paragraph of the effect description of the Crystallized Creature (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Crystallized_Creature) form explicitly mentions this). This is true also in the case of an implanted psicrystal or a psicrystal weapon, even though such a psicrystal typically has no uses for its own actions since it can longer move its body on its own. (I assume that by "Embedded Psicrystal" you're referring to Implanted Priscrystal (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Implanted_Psicrystal).)

That even an implanted psicrystal remains its own creature is also made obvious by both the language used for the abilities and especially the description (my emphasis):

"Not all psions see their psicrystals as expendable scouts, but rather as cherished friends and trusted advisors -after... ...gives them a trusted advisor in social situations or an extra mind to handle what happens on a battlefield. These psicrystals exhibit an even closer connection to their masters and while they cannot deliver touch powers, fly or scout an area, they enhance their masters in different ways."

(Btw, I believe the "the psicrystal can utilize feats" bit of the Psicrystal Reservior benefit was included to ensure compatibility with any future options allowing the psicrystal to use feats, because no currently existing option does AFAIK.)

Right, Implanted, my bad. The thing is, RAW, I don’t they they are their own creature; they’re just a bundle of stat bonuses and abilities the owner gets, instead of a creature, though it retains the flavor of being another creature. Another quote:

It is also important to note that an implanted psicrystal cannot be targeted in any way and for all intents and purposes, isn't a targetable or separate creature, instead providing their abilities directly.

I’d take this to the DSP FAQ thread if there was one in use. It seems to me I’ve answered my own question; implanted psicrystals aren’t actually creatures (and thus cant take actions themselves) and Psicrystal Affinity is explicitly overwritten, while it’s still vague for Psicrystal weapons, I’m leaning towards yes (the weapon is still a creature as per Affinity, just shaped and used as a weapon).

[Psyren]

I’d take this to the DSP FAQ thread if there was one in use.

The DSP folks who posted in it still have accounts here; PM one of them? Sorry for the lack of help but quasicreature psicrystals aren't really an area of interest for me.

[Kris Moonhand]

I personally allow it, just because it's easier to deal with. I look at the Implanted one as like a Tumor Familiar, and the Weapon one as a Black Blade or other intelligent weapon. They've got their own actions, but they don't generally have anything to do with them.

[upho]

Right, Implanted, my bad. The thing is, RAW, I don’t they they are their own creature; they’re just a bundle of stat bonuses and abilities the owner gets, instead of a creature, though it retains the flavor of being another creature. Another quote:That quote only says an implanted psicrystal can't be targeted as a separate creature, not that it doesn't have a mind of its own like other psicrystals. Speaking of, I believe a more relevant quote in this context is from the Resistant Mind (Ex) feature of an implanted psicrystal (my emphasis):

"...when the owner fails a saving throw against a mind-affecting effect... ...she can shunt that effect into the implanted psicrystal’s consciousness instead."

And I believe related rules in Paizo and DSP material at the very least heavily imply that consciousness is precisely what allows for mental actions - not to mention the only thing which can be psionically focused.

But yeah, the RAW definitely isn't as obvious as I believed.


I personally allow it, just because it's easier to deal with. I look at the Implanted one as like a Tumor Familiar, and the Weapon one as a Black Blade or other intelligent weapon. They've got their own actions, but they don't generally have anything to do with them.I do the same thing in my games, for pretty much the same reasons.