PDA

View Full Version : Psychic Warrior Quandries (or how not to suck)



SpikeFightwicky
2007-11-01, 04:28 PM
I'm going to be starting a new game soon (level 5) and was thinking about making a psychic warrior. Thing is, I don't want to end up gimping myself by making less than stellar character choices. (Keep in mind I don't have access to the WotC site right now, so I can't view the FAQ). Here goes:

Race:
- Should I go for a psionic race to get extra power points? Also, are the EL +1 races (Duergar, Half-Giant) worth the loss of level? I could always go human, but then I miss out on 2-3 bonus power points.

Powers:
- What are the perks/drawbacks of going claws/bite or melee weapon? Both seem like cool options, though claws/bite seems like a more power point intensive choice.

Feats:
- Psionic Meditation feat -> I'm guessing it still provokes an AoO if it only takes a move action?

- Psionic Weapon feat -> Worth it? It seems bothersome to have to regain your focus (provoking an AoO if in melee) to use it a second time, but the damage bonus is decent.

That's pretty much it. Anyone have any input?

Tor the Fallen
2007-11-01, 04:37 PM
Elan is pretty good, if you don't want to go Human (though bonus feats bring the house down).

Get track so you can go into Illithid Slayer, which is probably one of the best fighter PrC out there. Don't do anything to give up manifest progression. Make sure you get power attack, etc.

Pick up psionic lion's charge so you can pounce, asap.

Lochar
2007-11-01, 04:40 PM
I tend to like going with the claw/bite routine, if only because augmenting the claws, then manifesting expansion on yourself is great fun.

Tor the Fallen
2007-11-01, 04:43 PM
There's a build on Wizards called the King of Smack that abuses the hell out of a claw elan build.

SpikeFightwicky
2007-11-01, 05:16 PM
I'm now leaning towards the claw build, and I'll have to look up that 'King of Smack' build when I can get onto the Wizards site.

What about feat choices?

Lochar
2007-11-01, 05:52 PM
A 2 level dip into Pyrokineticist with Practiced Manifester is nice. An extra 2d6 damage on your unarmed attacks.

Aquillion
2007-11-01, 06:41 PM
Elan is a good choice, but more for their resistance ability than for the two extra power points. +4 to a save, without spending an action? Yes. Resilience, by comparison, is not a very efficient way to spend your PP, but is good if it keeps you from dying... Repletion is just for flavor.

Also, while the bonus feat from human etc is always nice, it's a bit less valuable to a psywar than it is for some other classes, since you'll get a bunch of fighter/psionic bonus feats anyway.

Temp
2007-11-01, 08:08 PM
If you're going for claw attacks, you may consider a Scorpion's Grasp/Grapple Route. I've found that a fun approach to take.

Zeful
2007-11-01, 09:25 PM
I like to pick up Dissapating Strike and sundering my opponent's most annoying contrivance; taking to much damage? sunder the sword. Can't hit? The armor. Spells? Holy Symbol, Spellbook, Component pouch etc. Also if you want to use psionic meditation, pick up a reach weapon like the glaive and use hustle to give you the move action to psionically focus. Psionic Weapon is only worth it to grab Deep Impact in my opinion, any attack with a melee weapon is a touch attack? Yes please.

leperkhaun
2007-11-02, 02:11 AM
check out the wizard's CO boards and look for the phsycic warrior handbooks. They give various builds and help with building one.

Remember the CO boards tend to try to make the most effienct character, which might be too high powered for your group, however it is easy to make a powerful character without overshadowing the rest of the party.

just remember, just because you can make pun pun, doesnt mean you should.

SpikeFightwicky
2007-11-02, 06:25 AM
Another question: How would a claw PW deal with DR creatures (devils, demons, golems, etc...)? Carry around a sword just in case?

its_all_ogre
2007-11-02, 07:17 AM
i do not believe you can sunder armour.
even if the rules say you can it would be very silly.
like pun pun.

Hario
2007-11-02, 07:18 AM
if you have your DM allow the ECS (eberron campaign setting) there is a +0 LA psionic race called the kalashtar's who get a bonus PP per character level (no matter what class)! They also get mindlink 1/day immunity to dream spells, and +2 vs mind effecting spells, to name a short list of what they get (awesome psionic race). But then again you can always use your human bonus feat for psionic pool or something. Kalashtars are pretty easy to fit in any campaign where psionics are allowed, there are even a non-psionic version on the wizard's site.

Telok
2007-11-02, 07:24 AM
Note that psywars don't get alot of power points or powers, and not quite as many HP as fighters. There are a couple of ways to work around these.

First option is to be a buff monster. Layering up on powers like the claws, claw enhancements, AC buffs, and a stat buff can put you significantly ahead of many melees. Alot of these builds will have Power Attack, the focus-as-move-action feat, and the Hustle power. Good things, look up the "King of Smack". Bad things, Dispel Magic/Psionics, ambushes (layering on buffs takes time), and Hustle will eat power points fast.

Second option is a more classic gish build. Play like a tank with some spells.

Third option is almost a ranger build, but you don't take levels of ranger. The focus-as-move-action feat, archery feats, a couple levels of Pyro. You can get a character throwing some fairly nasty bonus damage dice on those arrows.

Fourth option is what I call the "I have a trick" build. Pick up Psionic Body, the feat that gives you extra HP for each psionic feat you take. Expanded Knowledge: Astral Construct is good, Call Weapon, some defensive immediate action powers, Dissolving Weapon, the "Give me 50 of your HP, save for half" power. Take Levitate and/or another movement power.

You'll need to decide on what you want to do with your psionic focus. If you want to expend focus for hit/damage bonuses then you'll pick up the focus-as-move-action feat. The gish and trick styles will let you choose another method, there are several feats that allow you mild/moderate bonuses as long as you remain focused. You can take those feats and one expend-my-focus feat as an option. This will allow you to have some constant effects on you and you won't get pulled into the Hustle + focus vortex.

Race is your option. Human is ok for the feat if you really really need another feat. Dwarf is never a bad choice for this sort of thing. Xeph can get you some mileage if you can make a Dex build or even just get by with one point less Str bonus, check out the Complete Psy for the Xeph racial feats in that case (turn the speed boost into an extra attack at full BAB). If you can buy off the LA any +1 LA race is decent too, I almost never even consider the +2 and above races so I can't comment on them.

And for gods sake go for Illithid Slayer. We'll all gang up and do horrible things to you if you don't.

Zeful
2007-11-02, 11:09 AM
i do not believe you can sunder armour.
even if the rules say you can it would be very silly.
like pun pun.

I'm pretty sure you can, get Improved Sunder and take the round to damage it. If you deal enough damage (and with Dissapating touch is easy around Lv 15 where you can deal 15d6 damage (52.5 average) for 15 power points) to drop their AC, or kill their weapon spell casting abilities and etc.

To the OP, I don't think you can suck as a Psychic Warrior. If you pick abilities that synergiese well with each other and your parties capability you'll do fine.

Tor the Fallen
2007-11-02, 01:41 PM
Another question: How would a claw PW deal with DR creatures (devils, demons, golems, etc...)? Carry around a sword just in case?

You can augment your claws with your powers, or have the party druid put spells on them, or pick up an ammy.

Armads
2007-11-02, 10:18 PM
I like to pick up Dissipating Strike and sundering my opponent's most annoying contrivance; taking to much damage? sunder the sword. Can't hit? The armor. Spells? Holy Symbol, Spellbook, Component pouch etc.

This is a terrible idea, actually (except for sundering holy symbols and component pouches). Sundering things basically reduces your loot, and spellbooks, magic swords and magic armor are worth quite a bit.

A good combination, if you have Magic of Incarnum, is to use Psycarnum Infusion (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Psycarnum_Infusion,all) + Azure Talent (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Azure_Talent,all) + Psionic Meditation (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Psionic_Meditation,all). Basically, you get a few pp for free at lower levels by expending your psionic focus, which you can use to manifest powers. When you get it (by level 2), you can get 2 pp free, which is also the max augment of your powers. This works especially well for psywar, since your power points are extremely limited.


Another question: How would a claw PW deal with DR creatures (devils, demons, golems, etc...)? Carry around a sword just in case?

The shadow striking weapon enhancement lets you penetrate DR for a +3. It's from Tome of Magic. You can enchant your claws via the necklace of natural attacks (unfortunately, it's from SS, and most DMs ban that book).

You can get quite good reach (30ft) at your level, with Expansion + Aberration Blood (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Aberration_Blood,all) + Inhuman Reach (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Inhuman_Reach,all) with a reach weapon.

Valairn
2007-11-03, 10:42 AM
As a minor aside, a wilder receives the same BaB and may be a good multiclass approach to a "psy war." Wilder doesn't get those bonus feats, but her powers are much more potent than even a psion. If you are going for a tailored list of powers known that really pack a wallop, I think wilder is the better choice. But if you want the snazzy psionic feats, a two level dip into psy war is the preferable option. There are all sorts of really awesome flavorful options if you combine incarnum and psionics, some really really snazzy combos.

Personally psionics is weak these days, partially due to the lack of splatbook material dedicated towards it, which makes me sad, because some of the stuff in psionics is just so darn good.

tenguro
2007-11-03, 10:50 AM
Sorry if this has been mentioned before but I'm in a hurry and don't have time to read all the post. If your going claw build invest in Psychoactive skin:Skin of claw, only pys warrior's are allowed to use them, and they are awesome.