Trying to understand the Erudite

[HCL]

Can anyone explain to me what the "unique powers per day" business means?

Let's say I am a Synad Erudite with 6 PP. I know the following powers:
Thicken Skin (Egoist)
Astral Construct (Shaper)
Psionic Grease
Force Screen
Vigor

I have 1 unique power per day. Now, do I have to pick only one of the specialist psion powers when I pick my powers, and I can cast that power all day, and I can still cast all of the non-specialist powers freely? Or is it only one power total among all of those powers that I can manifest?

[Starbuck_II]

Can anyone explain to me what the "unique powers per day" business means?

Let's say I am a Synad Erudite with 6 PP. I know the following powers:
Thicken Skin (Egoist)
Astral Construct (Shaper)
Psionic Grease
Force Screen
Vigor

I have 1 unique power per day. Now, do I have to pick only one of the specialist psion powers when I pick my powers, and I can cast that power all day, and I can still cast all of the non-specialist powers freely? Or is it only one power total among all of those powers that I can manifest?

How did you take a specialist power?
An erudite cannot automatically learn powers from a discipline. So no starting with them at first. Reread second paragraph of pg 154.

You can find another character (power stone or do Independent research) to learn it from them though. It costs 20 xp/level to learn (chickenfeed at low levels, but still not at 1st). You just take expanded knowledge, but that costs a feat.

Man, explain the erudite is like explaining the matrix.
Happily, you are only level 1 making this easier.
So pick any power you want: that is only power you can use. When you finally use a power: then it is locked in place.
You can't use another till the day is over.
The fun happens at level 3 when it requires interpretation to know how many now.

There are many interpretations.
1) By RAW (rules as written), one unique power/ Power level per day.
2) By RAA (rules as Assumed), one Unique power/day/Class level
3) By RAB (Rules as broken) Each unique power/level/ X/day

Under #1, You have 3 unique 1st levels and 3 unique 2nd.
Under #2, you have 3 uniques total
under #3, this one is based on dragon magazine erudite and it was argued it meant each power was 3/day.

But #3 is broken so ignore that one.

[FMArthur]

Under #1, You have 3 unique 1st levels and 3 unique 2nd.
Under #2, you have 3 uniques total
under #3, this one is based on dragon magazine erudite and it was argued it meant each power was 3/day.

But #3 is broken so ignore that one.

#1 is also broken because it becomes strictly superior to the psion very quickly - you get more Unique Powers than the regular psion gets Powers Known.
#2 is probably the intended interpretation... but it's quite bad.

The Erudite is flat out broken (unplayable) no matter how you interpret the existing text. You have to fix it yourself and run it by the DM to play one.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Yeah, poor erudite. Poorly written, poorly thought out... basically the poster child of Complete Psionic.

One potential fix is to ultimately, by level 20, allow them 4 unique 1st level powers per day, then 2 unique powers per day from the rest of the power levels (2-9). That leaves them with effectively '20 powers known,' which is worse than the standard psion, but they have the advantage of being able to pick from a large pool at the beginning of the day.

Failing that, you might want to invest in Encode Stone with a bonus feat, and make a crap load of powerstones / other items. That helps cover your limitations, but it's costly and time consuming. Regardless, I like to think that most psionic items in my world are made by Erudites.

[Myou]

Man, explain the erudite is like explaining the matrix.

Everyone is hooked up to a computer simulated world that you all think is real, while your bodies are used as an energy source by evil AI in a post-apocalyptic future.

Simple if you try.

[Optimystik]

Everyone is hooked up to a computer simulated world that you all think is real, while your bodies are used as an energy source by evil AI in a post-apocalyptic future.

Maybe he just sucks at explaining things?

[Myou]

Maybe he just sucks at explaining things?

Too bad they never made any sequels.

[Ravens_cry]

Everyone is hooked up to a computer simulated world that you all think is real, while your bodies are used as an energy source by evil AI in a post-apocalyptic future.

Morbo says, THERMODYNAMICS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!
Sorry, pet peeve. I call it 'Fluffy'.

[Myou]

Morbo says, THERMODYNAMICS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!
Sorry, pet peeve. I call it 'Fluffy'.

Tell it to Hollywood! I didn't write that crap!

[Lycanthromancer]

Morbo says, THERMODYNAMICS DO NOT WORK THAT WAY!
Sorry, pet peeve. I call it 'Fluffy'.

Should've been, "we're using them for the information processing power of their neurological systems."

It would explain the near-complete lack of spare intelligence in the modern world.

[lsfreak]

Should've been, "we're using them for the information processing power of their neurological systems."

It would explain the near-complete lack of spare intelligence in the modern world.

Iirc that was more along the lines of the original plan before the powers that be decided the audience wouldn't get it. Originally the AI used interconnected human neural pathways as one giant computer.

[Myou]

Iirc that was more along the lines of the original plan before the powers that be decided the audience wouldn't get it. Originally the AI used interconnected human neural pathways as one giant computer.

Errr, the humans were already using those.

[Stegyre]

#2 is probably the intended interpretation... but it's quite bad.

Taking the convert-spell-to-power web variant, I'd gladly live with that limitation.

One unique power per class level is actually not all that limiting. Compare the actual performance to a Sorcerer of equivalent level. A Sorcerer has substantially the same limitation, due to his spells known: if you only know two spells, you can only manifest two unique spells per day. (And actually, your versatility is much more limited than the Erudite, who can manifest two other powers, tomorrow.)

A 1st level Sorcerer has one more spell than the Erudite has powers.
From 2nd to 4th levels, they are the same.
5th and 6th levels, the Sorcerer gets one ahead again.
After 6th, the Sorcerer gets further ahead, but now, we're getting into the realm of luxury: in a typical day, how often do you need to draw upon more than six different powers/spells? When you do, it is usually the need for utility-type, which as a Wizard you typically would not prepare and as a Sorcerer you probably would not even know, so you would be resorting to a wand or scroll, and an Erudite could make an equivalent accommodation (using a dorje or stone).

I left out 0-level spells, because psionics do not have an equivalent, although some of them are admittedly useful. Still, I'd take the Erudite (RAA).

EDIT: This is what I get for posting AFB. Checking CPsi, Unique Powers <> Class Level, as I was assuming. By 6th level, for example, an Erudite has 4 UP, so it is consistently behind the Sorcerer. However, I would still stand behind the class. Psionics in general are more versatile than spells, and with the convert-spell-to-power ACF, the Erudite has the maximum versatility of any class in the game, allow the Dragon feat for Extra Unique Power to the extent you feel the number is too low for a day, and you're set.