Is the Psicrystal Imprinter basically designed for "clever exploitation?"

[Segev]

The Psicrystal Imprinter is a PrC that focuses on putting powers into your psicrystal for later use. Its core ability is Psicrystal Receptical (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-prestige-classes/psicrystal-imprinter#TOC-Psicrystal-Receptical-Ex-), which is odd because you can't use it unless you already know the power, and it costs like you're crafting a power stone (well, half time commitment, but still). The example outright uses addressing an existing power stone - which, in PF psionics, you can only do if the power is on your class list - and using that as the source for it, so already it's clear that this is meant to be used to kind-of sort-of make a wizard spellbook out of your psicrystal by converting "Scrolls" into "spells known." It comes with a surcharge for manifesting powers from the psicrystal, too, which effectively reduces caster level while also consuming more resources.

Actually putting a power you, yourself, know into it seems pointless - you don't get anything for having it in the stone, and it'd cost extra pp to manifest it from there rather than your own knowledge - but you could use psychic reformation to alter your powers known and thus make room for a new one this way. And here's where we get into shenanigans. There's also absorb dorje (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Absorb_Dorje), which can add a dorje to your powers known. Or maybe you can just manifest straight out of the dorje to imprint onto the psicrystal? The ability to manifest from a power stone by addressing it and treating its stored power as one you know - manifesting normally AND flushing it at the same time - is gone in PF; in 3.5, you could do this, but in PF, you can only use a power stone the way a sorcerer uses a scroll. So you have to be able to just use a spell completion (and maybe trigger?) item to fuel imprinting into your psicrystal receptical. If spell trigger works, dorjes would be a valid source.

And then there is Expanded Knowledge. Coupled with psychic reformation, you can get any power (of a level lower than your highest available) into it, and one key thing about the psicrystal receptical is that it does not say anything about the powers in it having to be on your class list. So as long as you can finagle them into it somehow, they remain available to you. (It's not like the 2 pp surcharge isn't an additional reduction in value, but still...)

Finally, UMD can theoretically let you access a dorje or power stone, so you could theoretically use that to bypass class restrictions without needing psychic reformation.


Am I missing something, or are all of these likely intended uses of the PrC's feature, given that it has a surcharge, and offers no non-shenanigan option to imbue the psicrystal with powers that you don't already have (and thus would have no need to store in it)?

[Cortillaen]

It basically gives you a swappable Mind Stone with a 2PP penalty (but note that penalty decreases to 1PP @5th and 0 @10th). You've pretty well covered how you get powers into it that you don't just know already. Copying from another psion or power stone is obviously the main use, but UMD or Psychic Reformation naturally expand your options dramatically.

Note that the 2PP penalty on manifesting imprinted powers drops to 1 at 5th and 0 at 10th. Also don't overlook the Psicrystal Resonance benefits. The first 3 are remarkable for basically trading a move action for PP (raising the effective augmentation cap) and psionic focus. The last is a more mixed since it appears to turn manifesting into 2 full-round actions to complete. Still outstanding for buffing and such, less useful in combat where standing around for two rounds may get you killed or miss an opportunity.

Incidentally, getting 3 free Improved Psicrystal feats makes me think Psicrystal Imprinter might pair well with the Implanted Psicrystal (from the Superior Psicrystal feat) which increases all personality bonuses by 2. You don't really want to be risking your psicrystal as a scout with this PrC anyway, so the main downside of Implanted isn't a big deal.

The 10th level Crystalline Infusion is also really powerful, giving you a free, self-upgrading Cognizance Crystal (pairs well with the Informant psicrystal archetype if you're allowed it), pseudo versions of Psicrystal Containment and Psicrystal Reservoir, and another free feat for the psicrystal (haven't really looked into what might be good here).

[Segev]

I had missed the decrease in cost on the psicrystal powers at higher level. To confirm: I'm not missing anything about powers you actually just know, yourself, right? It's pointless to put those into it unless you're going to swap them out somehow?

...actually, probably not a bad PrC for a Vitalist, come to think of it. (Weirdly, it's a Vitalist I was looking at this potentially for, but my brain only made this connection now.) With the native ability to rotate powers in and out, they can naturally do the same thing you'd need psychic reformation for with anybody else.

I also wonder how it would work with a shattered mind occultist (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Shattered_Mind). Could he make each one a psicrystal receptacle?


Another interesting point: Psicrystal Imprinter specifically says what happens if the character loses Scribe Scroll. So if you're using psychic reformation, you could reform it in and out.

[Cortillaen]

I had missed the decrease in cost on the psicrystal powers at higher level. To confirm: I'm not missing anything about powers you actually just know, yourself, right? It's pointless to put those into it unless you're going to swap them out somehow?
Yeah, as far as I can tell, there's no reason to imprint a power you actually know. Actually, it's worse than that since the imprinted powers cannot be used with Psicrystal Resonance. So, aside from using it as a normal power stone that you can "craft" faster but at the same cost, the only possible use for Psicrystal Receptacle is to imprint powers you do not (or shortly will not) know.

I also wonder how it would work with a shattered mind occultist (https://libraryofmetzofitz.fandom.com/wiki/Shattered_Mind). Could he make each one a psicrystal receptacle?
The language between the two suggests no and that it couldn't benefit you anyway.
From Shattered Mind: "If she has a class feature from another class that interacts with her psicrystals (such as by the crystal warrior aegis’ astral suit), she can only have it affect a single psicrystal implements at any one time." means you could only use a single psicrystal with the Imprinter benefits.
From Psicrystal Imprinter: "The psicrystal imprinter can store up to his class level + his key ability modifier in power levels" means it probably wouldn't benefit you anyway since the character sets the limit no matter how many psicrystals you have.