Help with a psionic vitalist (I think)

[Baroncognito]

Our party was doing kingmaker, we'd gotten to level 15 or so, and we were closing in on the end of the game when we had a party member pass.

The GM would like to return to the game and would like to have the player's character around for the end in remembrance.

We don't have his character sheet; two of us have been asked to put on together.

What I remember: He was an Elan, he was some form of psion. He had the entire party in a mind link and when my oracle used cure mass wounds, he could direct the healing to the people that needed it most. I think he had an archetype, because he used to talk about "oh, if I wasn't this archetype, I could do that." He was able to provide either +to hit or +damage. He had a haste like power, he could give us all DR. I think that his mind-link was big enough to reach the entire stolen lands now, perhaps even into other planes? He mostly boosted us, but if the enemy was not immune to mind-affecting, he could forcibly add them to the collective, steal health, trade off status effects, and every so often he could move an attack from one person to someone else in the collective.

Wisdom was his highest stat, he'd invested in a +5 book of wisdom and had a headband that did at least +6 wisdom, but it might have had intelligence or charisma bonuses. He had a couple of Ioun stones too.

I think we started with a slightly higher than epic point buy. Maybe 28 points?

I'm grateful for any advice I can get on this. Thanks everyone.

[TiaC]

This is a nice thing you are doing.

It sounds like he was using the Vitalist (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/vitalist/) class. The Vitalist has a collective, which is the mind link you're talking about. At 15th level, the collective works anywhere on the same plane, I don't know a way to reach other planes at 15th level, although the Enlarged Collective (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/enlarge-collective/) will do it at 16th. It lets him manifest most beneficial powers on members of the collective, ignoring range, and redistribute healing through the collective. It also lets him augment powers than they normally would. That's how he was giving you all haste, because Physical Acceleration (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/p/physical-acceleration), the psionic version of haste, is normally personal-only.

The archetype sounds like the Life Leech (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/classes/vitalist/archetypes/dreamscarred-press/life-leech), which moves status conditions and can move attacks and gives the feat that lets you add enemies to your collective.

Vitalists are low-BAB full manifesters. He was probably all-in on wisdom, maybe dumping strength.

Don't worry too much about power selection, most of a vitalist's powers can be switched out every day.

The biggest question I have after reading your description is his choice of method, which is a choice somewhat like a sorcerer Bloodline.

Giving you all DR could be the Biofeedback (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/b/biofeedback) power, with the vitalist augment to give it more targets, or the Guardian Method's Pulse.

Giving you bonuses to attack and damage could be a power like Battlesense (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/psionic-powers/b/battlesense), or it could be the Intercessor Method's Pulse. (The pulse could also give skill bonuses)

The other two methods both have abilities that depend on an ability that the Life Leech trades away, so Guardian or Intercessor are most likely.

Let me know if you have any more questions or details and I'd be happy to offer more help.

[Baroncognito]

Oh, I remember that he was able to make will saving throws for the party fighter, and there was a power that he talked about like it was a heads-up display.

I think you're right that he couldn't keep the minds linked across planes, but I think he was planning on getting that ability at level 16.

[TiaC]

If he could make Will saves for another character, that's almost certainly Intercessor’s Expertise, so that's the character's method.

Battlesense's description includes "When you manifest this power, a type of heads-up display appears in each target’s mind, improving their coordination and group awareness."

The last big question is feats.

Now, this build looks like it has a lot of things that need psionic focus. Most psionic characters take feats to make psionic focus easier to work with. Psionic Meditation (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/psionic-meditation-psionic/) is almost a must, because it lets you recover focus faster. Did he have a psicrystal (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/psicrystal-affinity-psionic/)? Psicrystal Containment (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/psicrystal-containment-psionic/) gives an extra focus. If he didn't, Deep Focus (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/deep-focus/) also gives a second focus. You can't take both though.

Did he sometimes take damage when manifesting? Overchannel (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/overchannel-psionic/) is a common feat for manifesters, which can make your powers stronger at the cost of some damage.

Most metapsionic powers aren't too common on a vitalist. Maybe Extend (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/extend-power-metapsionic/) for buffs. The big exception is probably Shared Power (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/alternative-rule-systems/psionics-unleashed/feats/shared-power-metapsionic/), which lets you manifest and share powers through your collective that you otherwise wouldn't be able to.

He also may have taken the Reconstruction alternate racial feature. It improves manifester level for healing powers, and the abilities it trades out are fighting for already tight immediate actions.

[Baroncognito]

I don't remember a psi crystal, so Deep Focus sounds more likely. Overchannel also sounds possible. Is there a method by which Psions take non-lethal damage that they can't just heal away?

I also remember that he had something that let him increase the DC of his power by 2, and a metamagic rod... maybe quicken. And Shared power and Psionic Meditiation sound very likely too.

Thanks again for the help.