Psionics Unleashed Gaming Book Review [YouTube Link]

[Tetsubo 57]

I review the long awaited update to the 3.5 psionics rules, Psionics Unleashed for the Pathfinder game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDZej3iMXmI

[Psyren]

I've got a couple of corrections... actually, quite a few corrections, so please don't think I'm being overly critical.

Spoiler

Show

- Overchannel does raise your manifester level, but not your class level. I know you were trying to simplify the golden rule of psionics for the layman, but you risk creating confusion if people consider those to be one and the same when they are in fact different. (For instance, psicrystal abilities are based on your class level(s), not your manifester level.)

- Blues are OGL as well; it wasn't clear from your video that they had always been around (and playable) rather than being a new addition for Pathfinder. (You also say "some races are new" but there's actually only one new player race in PsU - the Ophiduans - everything else comes from the XPH/SRD and was playable before.)

- I'm not sure where you're getting any link between Elans and Illithid. Elans are aberrations (or aberrant humanoids, in PF) due to the bizarre method of their creation, not because they have any link with Illithids. (In fact, it's impossible for Elans to have anything to do with Illithids in Pathfinder, because Illithids are not OGL and thus don't exist.)

- The Nomad ability you describe in detail, Nomad's Step, is not 20 ft then +10 ft./level (that would be far too powerful.) Rather, it starts at 15 ft at 2nd level, then gains 5 ft./level after that. It's also based on your psion level rather than your manifester level. (i.e. it is incentive not to PrC out.) Finally, it's a standard action teleport, limiting its effectiveness in combat (as you typically have to wait until the next round after hopping to manifest a power.

- While you mentioned how the classes were changed, you didn't actually say anything about how the races or the PrCs changed. Particularly for the latter, there were some significant revisions in that section of the book that I think should have been touched on. (You also zoom right over the Phrenic Slayer without even a blurb! It is a class designed to hunt Psionic creatures.)

Positives:

- Your overview of the classes was succinct. You gushed a bit on the Soulknife but I don't blame you, they deserved it.

- Your conclusion was sharp and to the point. Pathfinder needed this book, and DSP did a great job. I almost clapped at that part.

- For someone totally new to psionics, you did a good job explaining the basics. I would have pointed them to the SRD for more info though, as many of the main differences between psionics and magic (e.g. displays instead of components, lack of spell failure etc.) are also important, but too detailed to go over in a brief video like this.

[Tetsubo 57]

Thank you for the corrections. I do these videos from memory and I have been known to miss details. I hope that my failings haven't dissuaded anyone from purchasing this otherwise excellent book.

[Psyren]

Thank you for the corrections. I do these videos from memory and I have been known to miss details. I hope that my failings haven't dissuaded anyone from purchasing this otherwise excellent book.

Nah, you hit the big point ("THEY FIXED THE SOULKNIFE! OMG!!") which is really all most people need in order to pick up the book. I covered the change in greater detail in a response to true_shinken.

Actually, a lot of people are probably wondering about the differences between Pathfinder Psionics and the XPH. I'll make a post similar to Saph's to cover the big ones. (There were actually some big changes you didn't cover, that wouldn't be obvious to most people, e.g. the Psychokinesis change, and the Psionic Focus change.)

There are some changes I don't like too. I can kind of understand them but I don't like them.

[RndmNumGen]

Awesome

I haven't played Pathfinder before, but one of my friends swears by it and has been wanting to DM a game of it. I really like the Psionics PP system over the traditional Spell Slot system though, and I was slightly disappointed that Pathfinder didn't have psionics... until now! Wheeee!

Have they made any significant changed to Wilder? You don't seem to really cover that class.

[Psyren]

Have they made any significant changed to Wilder? You don't seem to really cover that class.

Yes and no. It was changed significantly but was actually changed the least out of any base class in the book.

There are different types of Wilders now... but only two are actually any good, imo. The rest just don't get enough to overcome the Wilder's flaws from the XPH.

That's it, I'll go ahead and make that comparison guide now.