Manifiestation based on any stat, why is it bad?

[TheLogman]

I own the 3.0 Psionic Handbook, and I know it gets a lot of flak on the internet.

Some of this, I admit, is deserved.

But some of the book I particularly liked, especially a part that I know a lot of people like to dump on: the ability to base your manifestation on any stat you wanted.

So I ask you: Why is this so bad?

Alone, it could lead to being extremely SAD, sure, especially with DEX or maybe CON. But if you look at the disciplines, those that are tied to DEX are mostly transportation based, and aren't going to give the Psion any sort of extreme combat ability, so he'll just be a ranged combatant with some mobility.

And the CON and STR based spells are, for the most part, combat based anyway. Which makes the Psion into some sort of gish.

None of this seems terribly powerful or broken, so why all the hate for being able to chose your casting stat?

[jokey665]

Having never read the 3.0 Psionics Handbook and being a HUGE fan of 3.5 psionics, the way you're describing it actually sounds pretty interesting and usable.

[NoldorForce]

How many Vancian casters do you see choosing spells out of only one school? None, really. Doing such is like blasting yourself in the foot with a Henry rifle. You're a one-trick pony to the extent that you can either choose to turtle without offense or be the glass cannon to end all glass cannons. And maybe not even that - some schools don't give options that are terribly great on their own, but do work well with others (Abjuration, Necromancy).

That is what multi-stat manifesting did for psionics.

[TheLogman]

That would be a legitimate complaint, except that Psions in 3.0 weren't limited to their discipline. If I remember correctly, they just got superior progression on their chosen discipline, and slower progression on the other disciplines.

[Foryn Gilnith]

Except if they wanted to get powers from other disciplines, they needed another stat. And that makes them MAD. And that means that they were weaker than standard casters in yet another way.

[NoldorForce]

Except if they wanted to get powers from other disciplines, they needed another stat. And that makes them MAD. And that means that they were weaker than standard casters in yet another way.

Quite true. My example wasn't entirely correct, but close enough considering that multi-stat manifesting forces you to pay (in such a manner) from bowel to brain if you should dare to generalize.

[Renchard]

Don't forget how it turned Polymorph and Metamorphosis into the single best Save DC and PP increaser (and metamorphosis was already based on Strength!)