Hyperconsciousness: a detailed look

[Tokuhara]

Question: Compared to the common "Favored Psionic Races," is Kuresh a good choice for a psionic character? I love them as kind of a "D&D-equivelant of Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho" type appearance

[Psyren]

Kuresh are overpowered. Human bonus feat, Lucky from halfling (equivalent to another feat), LLV from elf, +2 saves from dwarf, 30 ft. move, naturally psionic., and an extra body slot... all for +0 LA/RHD? With no drawbacks?

I don't think Cordell was thinking clearly on that one.

[Tokuhara]

Kuresh are overpowered. Human bonus feat, Lucky from halfling (equivalent to another feat), LLV from elf, +2 saves from dwarf, 30 ft. move, naturally psionic., and an extra body slot... all for +0 LA/RHD? With no drawbacks?

I don't think Cordell was thinking clearly on that one.

So ask your DM? They look like a very sweet race with a cool look. Granted, they are VERY powerful (for a 0LA race), they are almost underpowered by PF standards

[stainboy]

Kuresh are overpowered. Human bonus feat, Lucky from halfling (equivalent to another feat), LLV from elf, +2 saves from dwarf, 30 ft. move, naturally psionic., and an extra body slot... all for +0 LA/RHD? With no drawbacks?

I don't think Cordell was thinking clearly on that one.

Their +2 save bonus is only against mind-affecting psionic powers. It's an explicit exception to psi-magic transparency and it doesn't even work against PLAs. It's not the awesome dwarf racial.

I don't see the extra body slot. Are you talking about replacing their third eyes?


Also, is there any mythological source on these guys, or are they just vaguely Indian-themed forehead aliens?

[Psyren]

So ask your DM?

I was commenting on the race as written. Obviously the DM can fix anything at his table or power up lesser races to match.

They look like a very sweet race with a cool look. Granted, they are VERY powerful (for a 0LA race), they are almost underpowered by PF standards

And if Hyperconscious were a PF book I would agree with you. But since it was written for 3.5, the race is overpowered.

[Tokuhara]

Their +2 save bonus is only against mind-affecting and only against psionic powers. It's an explicit exception to psi-magic transparency and it doesn't even work against PLAs. It's not the awesome dwarf racial.

I don't see the extra body slot. Are you talking about replacing their third eyes?


Also, is there any mythological source on these guys, or are they just vaguely Indian-themed forehead aliens?

1) You are right. The anti-psionic combat save bonus is amazing in a heavy-psionics campaign

2) Yes. Any third-eye item can be used to replace their normal third eye. I just wish WotC came up with Occular Power as a feat, to use psionic powers from your eyes (or third eye in the case of these psionic powerhouses

3) My guess: They are themed on the Chakra system used by ascetics. One of the chakras is the Third Eye, which is your clairvoyance and guidance chakra center. This means that the Kuresh are adept in awakening their Third Eye Chakra.

@ Psyren: I meant Pathfinderizing them. Since Psionics Unleashed and Psionics Expanded are available (the later being available soon), one could theorize that any psionic race/subrace could be modified into a PF race. I'd just give them +2 to any ability score, as human

[stainboy]

1) You are right. The anti-psionic combat save bonus is amazing in a heavy-psionics campaign

Mindscape psionic combat uses neither powers nor saving throws. The kuresh +2 bonus wouldn't apply to anything in it.

2) Yes. Any third-eye item can be used to replace their normal third eye. I just wish WotC came up with Occular Power as a feat, to use psionic powers from your eyes (or third eye in the case of these psionic powerhouses

I get that, but I don't see any reason to believe the third-eye item doesn't still take up its normal item slot.

[Tokuhara]

I get that, but I don't see any reason to believe the third-eye item doesn't still take up its normal item slot.

It acts as its own unique item slot in this case. Theoretically, a Kuresh can wear a third eye item slotted item (like the Eye of Vecna) and a Circlet of Intellect at the same time

[stainboy]

It acts as its own unique item slot in this case. Theoretically, a Kuresh can wear a third eye item slotted item (like the Eye of Vecna) and a Circlet of Intellect at the same time

Prove it. Because I'm looking at the actual text right now, and it does not say that.

[Psyren]

@ Third Eye discussion: I misread, the purpose behind that text in the Kuresh entry is to show that they can still embed a third eye in their forehead despite actually having an eye there.

None of that invalidates my other points, so it's moot. They're still overpowered for 3.5.

I agree that you could port them to PF with minimal changes (e.g. replacing their racial PP pool with Wild Talent.)

[Tokuhara]

Stainboy: they can embed a third eye even though they have an eye there, thus treating it as a unique virtual item slot. As long as you do not cover the eye, you should be able to put a headband over it.

Psyren: Good point. Give them Wild Talent, and Human's +2 to any one ability score and they are "balanced" for PF

[stainboy]

Stainboy: they can embed a third eye even though they have an eye there, thus treating it as a unique virtual item slot. As long as you do not cover the eye, you should be able to put a headband over it.

That is something you made up. It has no RAW support. If you want to prove me wrong, you need a quote or page citation from either Hyperconscious or 3.5 RAW.

E: I'm not trying to be harsh, but rereading I realize you just don't know how item slots work. Item slots are independent of physical space on the body. I could also just put on two headbands. I physically have enough space on my head to hold two headbands, but they both use the same item slot so only one of them works.

Furthermore, if a kuresh could wear a headband and a Third Eye at the same time because the headband doesn't cover the eye or whatever, then a regular old human could do that too. Human psion places a Third Eye Conceal in exactly the same same spot on her forehead as a kuresh's biological third eye. Then she puts on a Headband of Intellect, not covering the Third Eye Conceal. What do you think happens?

[classy one]

Khesh is very good, especially for 0 LA. The bonus feat is for psionic feats only I believe. If humans with only +1 skill/level and a bonus feat are 0 LA Khesh really should be as well.

No one said anything about the psimech? Becoming operant is a pretty big deal IMO. The creature you apply this template has powers and PP as if they had class levels in a psionic class (equal to their HD).

[Rubik]

No one said anything about the psimech? Becoming operant is a pretty big deal IMO. The creature you apply this template has powers and PP as if they had class levels in a psionic class (equal to their HD).

At +5 LA they're really only usable in a gestalt game with LA on one side, or when you have severely lowered LA values.

Otherwise it's a One Hit Kill template.

[stainboy]

Hey, where does "operant" come from as a game term? I gather it means the subset of psionic creatures that manifest actual powers, but I've never seen it before the Psimech description.

[brujon]

IMO Dreamwright is on the same level of broken as Planar Sheperd, due to the wording on Call Reflexion. Limit being only your HD, you can call heavily templated beasts by RAW, with nothing to stop you from doing so. Most templates don't actually add any HD, so your only limit is basically your imagination[or your character imagination, as the case may be...]. It should be a +3 or +4 at least. It's THAT strong. Example: Take a low HD Fleshraker. Now add every single non HD-adding template you can imagine, even some that give it 20th level casting and stuff... See? Campaign = Broken.

[Psyren]

Hey, where does "operant" come from as a game term? I gather it means the subset of psionic creatures that manifest actual powers, but I've never seen it before the Psimech description.

Bruce introduced a number of new game terms in Hyperconscious that aren't found elsewhere (like "dreamstained" and "latency.") He gives the formal definition of Operant in the sidebar on pg. 63.

If you're asking about the etymology I'd guess it comes from the same root as "operate," meaning to function.

[classy one]

IMO Dreamwright is on the same level of broken as Planar Sheperd, due to the wording on Call Reflexion. Limit being only your HD, you can call heavily templated beasts by RAW, with nothing to stop you from doing so. Most templates don't actually add any HD, so your only limit is basically your imagination[or your character imagination, as the case may be...]. It should be a +3 or +4 at least. It's THAT strong. Example: Take a low HD Fleshraker. Now add every single non HD-adding template you can imagine, even some that give it 20th level casting and stuff... See? Campaign = Broken.

Only drawback with reflexions is you lose all PLA/SLA. The description on reflexions is "an average version" of the base creature in every way (sans the PLA/SLA of course). Which I assume to mean "no templates". I guess you could rule lawyer it by saying: "Yeah a totally average, phernic, half-dragon, half-fay, half-fiend, lich, vampire, saint, psimech, hill giant".
To which I would say: Since such a hill giant doesn't exist, hence there is no "average".

[classy one]

Bruce introduced a number of new game terms in Hyperconscious that aren't found elsewhere (like "dreamstained" and "latency.") He gives the formal definition of Operant in the sidebar on pg. 63.

If you're asking about the etymology I'd guess it comes from the same root as "operate," meaning to function.

Think you are half right. I believe it derives from operant conditioning. It's the school of learning championed by the great BF Skinner based on reinforcement.