Erudite Repertoires and General Powers

[Zombulian]

Can an Erudite add any Psion/Wilder power to their repertoire as long as they make the requisite skill checks (even if they are unable to manifest the power), similar to how a Wizard can scribe a spell in their spellbook without actually having the ability to cast the spell yet?
The rules for adding powers seems silent on this issue. Level up powers are limited to a maximum assumedly based on the table (interestingly there is no text to match the table for power level known like there is for other psionic classes), and the rules for adding discipline powers specifies that you can only add powers that are a level below your maximum, but that seems to be it.

[ApologyFestival]

RAW, no. Maybe, with psychic chirurgery.

As you noted, the table has a field explicitly called "maximum power level known", which is not referred to in the text.

If we ignore the table (though the maxim is usually "text trumps table", not "straight up ignore the table dogg"), then the hard limiter is found under "Learning Discipline Powers", paragraph 3. Due to poor formatting, only the first paragraph of this section applies to discipline powers, everything else applies to learning powers in general.


Once mental contact is achieved, the erudite becomes aware of all the powers stored in the power stone or all the powers known by the target up to the highest level of power the erudite knows himself [...]

An erudite can not become aware of any power higher level than what they already know, so the limit is effectively set by their two free powers per level. It does not explicitly rule out knowing a higher level power through multiclassing, though that is a terrible idea for erudites, nor powers gained through psychic chirurgery.

[Zombulian]

Ah, makes sense. CPsci editing strikes again.
Is Psychic Chirurgery really the only way for a Psionic character to get advanced power knowledge early - without, say, multiclassing into Ardent?

[Psyren]

Ah, makes sense. CPsci editing strikes again.
Is Psychic Chirurgery really the only way for a Psionic character to get advanced power knowledge early - without, say, multiclassing into Ardent?

Well no, you could have a higher level manifester Fuse with you or something cheesy like that - but for practical purposes your highest power level known is intended to be a cap.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Well, ardent bases its maximum power level known on its manifester level, so adding three levels of illithid savant to devour a CStP erudite for its power learning mechanic and boosting its ML through the roof (far above its level) would do it.

Other than that, I think psychic chirurgery is it.

[Psyren]

He mentioned Ardent - though I suppose eating an Erudite is a separate suggestion than multiclassing with one :smalltongue: