Changeling Superspy

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Alright, this is a character the likes of which I don't usually play...

http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetvie...sheetid=250840

Going Changeling Psion primarily, going for a DM-approved variant of Unseen Seer (Prereqs are the same, with all the arcane bits replaced by equal and appropriate Psionic bits).

Got 900 gold to spend (minus the 432 I've already spent on my crossbow, armor, and dagger, but this character isn't really meant for combat anyways.)

I'm mainly looking for help with gear, feat and power selection, and any good combos for this style of play. I've got the feel of the character down pretty well, I just need help making the mechanics match the idea of how the character is supposed to work.

[Psyren]

You will definitely want metamorphosis so you can change into objects. People will look behind the crate for the rogue, but they won't expect him to BE the crate. Chameleon is also a nice help. Your psicrystal makes a great spy, especially if you make yours an unassuming rock or piece of gravel.

Psionics' great weakness is a lack of true invisibility; not even Hyperconscious and Untapped Potential have duplicated that power. You'll have to rely on UPD or something with a wand of it.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

You do you get your psycrystal automatically, or do you have to take the feat for it?

[Psyren]

Only Erudites get one automatically, everyone else has to pay.

Come to think of it, Erudite would be nice for this build, you could use spell-to-power to pick up all the things psionics can't do like invisibility and fog effects.

[KellKheraptis]

You will definitely want metamorphosis so you can change into objects. People will look behind the crate for the rogue, but they won't expect him to BE the crate. Chameleon is also a nice help. Your psicrystal makes a great spy, especially if you make yours an unassuming rock or piece of gravel.

Psionics' great weakness is a lack of true invisibility; not even Hyperconscious and Untapped Potential have duplicated that power. You'll have to rely on UPD or something with a wand of it.

On that note, plenty of forms have Invisibility naturally or as a Su or Sp ability. Assume Supernatural Ability seems like a shoe-in.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Metamorphosis isn't an option, since I went Seer as my discipline (you know, since I'm going Unseen Seer with this....)

So what would be some alternate ways of doing the same thing? UPD? I already have ranks in UMD, but I could afford to bring up UPD eventually.

Another problem I'm having is skill priority, since Psions only get 2+Int skill points per level, and I have a lot of skills to put points in.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Also, he's pretty lousy in combat right now, but I'm thinking that perhaps some psionic focus shenanigans can help with that? Psionic Shot + Sneak Attack for a good bit of d6's tacked onto my piddly little weapons, possibly with some way of generating touch attacks to make up for poor BAB.

[Raging Gene Ray]

I think you have three options:

1) Stay a Seer, invest in UPD, and get a Dorje of Metamorphosis.

2) Go Egoist (changeling Egoist get a few racial substitution levels in Races of Eberron), and only use Power Stones/Dorjes when you absolutely need a Seer-only power.

3) Erudite. Use Powers from ANY discipline, providing you can track down a Psion or Psionic Item to learn it from.

4) Forget about Metamorphosis and invest in Hide and Move Silently (or Stealth) and maybe a wand of Invisibility.

And Psions get their Psycrystal for free, just like Erudites...changeling Egoists can choose to take a substitution level that lets them change their Psicrystal into ANY personality they wish, granting them its benefit.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

I like option one best, so I can qualify better for Unseen Seer.

Another question; someone in the OOC thread put up a picture of the TF2 Spy when I described my character. With that in mind, how can I optimize 'backstabbing'? Coup De Grace op? Sneak Attack op?

What is the best way to decloak (or not decloak) or even just use a disguise and get that one crippling or killing blow in?

[Prime32]

Note that there's a psion ACF which trades your 1st-level bonus feat for the changeling's Minor Change Shape. So you can use a different race if you want.

[Lev]

Metamorphosis isn't an option, since I went Seer as my discipline (you know, since I'm going Unseen Seer with this....)

So what would be some alternate ways of doing the same thing? UPD? I already have ranks in UMD, but I could afford to bring up UPD eventually.

Another problem I'm having is skill priority, since Psions only get 2+Int skill points per level, and I have a lot of skills to put points in.

Warning: Changing into crates is dangerous as they might think you are inside the crate.

[Prime32]

Warning: Changing into crates is dangerous as they might think you are inside the crate.

So turn into a clearly open or damaged crate, which can be seen to be empty from where they enter.

[Lev]

I would say an iron cage.

[Psyren]

Metamorphosis isn't an option, since I went Seer as my discipline (you know, since I'm going Unseen Seer with this....)

Metamorphosis is always an option and a damn good one at that.

[Raging Gene Ray]

What is the best way to decloak (or not decloak) or even just use a disguise and get that one crippling or killing blow in?

Are you allowed to use Tome of Battle? If so, a one-level dip into Swordsage so you can grab a few Shadow Hand maneuvers is good for that.

If you stay in the Assassin's stance, you gain a +2d6 to sneak attack. Plus you qualify for a feat called Shadow Blade that adds DEX to damage.

You could avoid losing any Manifester levels by taking two Feats (Martial Study to get a Shadow Hand maneuver in order to qualify for the Martial Stance feat), but in your case, I think one level of Swordsage would be worth that one Manifester level.

Of course, this all assumes you are using ToB.

[Maeglin_Dubh]

We are, and that fits in nicely. I'm taking three levels of Rogue, for the first two Changeling substitution levels, and with Practiced Manifester I have one more level to play around with, and Swordsage works.

[Raging Gene Ray]

In that case, you might want to go with the Unarmed Swordsage variant. You get Improved Unarmed Strike like a Monk but lose Medium Armor proficiency. This way you won't have to worry about having to conceal a weapon or even spend an action to draw one.

Invest two feats in Weapon Finesse and Shadow Blade, and you can become just as adept in melee as the Fighter with the Maxed STR. (I'm assuming that your best stat is INT followed closely by DEX and then CON or CHA).

So...that's your damage issue taken care of, probably. What level are you starting at?

[Maeglin_Dubh]

Starting at level 2. The link in the first post is the character sheet as it stands now.