Psionics rookie

[DrizztFan24]

So I have recently become interested in learning about psionics. With the very real possiblity my character may die in our current campaign (if you want details just ask) I thought it would be fun to try something new...but at the same time old. What would you guys suggest ask a first time psionics character? I have almost always played casters so the bookwork isn't a problem. Also the campaign I am in is gestalt so is you feel like providing a good class combo (whether psionic//psionic or psionic/whatever) that would be wonderful.

Thankee much.

[JeminiZero]

Psionics are closer to spontaneous casters than prepared casters. So you need to have a good power list beforehand.

For Gestalt, anything with a similiar primary attributes should work well. E.g. Psion / Archivist or Wizard. Or Psychic Warrior/Swordsage.

All that said, it would help if you can specify what party role(s) you want to fill. And then we might make recommendations from there.

[Starbuck_II]

Psionics are closer to spontaneous casters than prepared casters. So you need to have a good power list beforehand.

For Gestalt, anything with a similiar primary attributes should work well. E.g. Psion / Archivist or Wizard. Or Psychic Warrior/Swordsage.

All that said, it would help if you can specify what party role(s) you want to fill. And then we might make recommendations from there.

Wouldn't Psion/Swordsage (3/th bab since Swordage is) work better than Psychic Warrior/Swordage (3/4th because both are)?

I'd say Psychic Warrior/Crusader personally. Great BAB, good Health, all weapons/armor, and hard to kill.

Are Complete Psionic classes allowed or just Expanded Psionics Handbook?

[Shazzbaa]

Psion! If you're combining it with another class, then I see no reason not to get the most complete manifester you can. :3
Also note that psionics have no "arcane spell failure," so you can pretty much be a full-caster in full armour if you match it up with a class with the right proficiencies.

I'll leave the specific matching up to others who've done more gestalt than I.

[DrizztFan24]

Well lets see, we have a bard/rogue who wants do her job no matter what. A dragom shaman/?, our beat stick. And we also have a wizard/rogue who wants to summon stuff so she doesn't get hit. I play a beguiler duskblade at the moment. I decided he is a sneaky fellow who can hit hard when he needs to, and the arcane channeling is very handy. So whatever you think would hold us together best. All other players are under the age of 14 so....nothing spectacular from them :P. I am the oldest brother at 17 and i like to dink around with classes and homebrew.

EDIT:
All books are allowed from the shadowrunsystems website.

[monty]

Wouldn't Psion/Swordsage (3/th bab since Swordage is) work better than Psychic Warrior/Swordage (3/4th because both are)?

I'd say Psychic Warrior/Crusader personally. Great BAB, good Health, all weapons/armor, and hard to kill.

Are Complete Psionic classes allowed or just Expanded Psionics Handbook?

BAB lineup really isn't the biggest concern in Gestalt, especially if you're a primary caster (anything that needs to worry about it probably has full BAB on one or both sides anyway). What you really need to worry about is MAD. Psion uses Int to cast, while both Psychic Warrior and Swordsage use Wis. So, with the former, you need two good abilities to be fully effective (in addition to good Con and so on), while the latter only needs one.

[1of3]

Well lets see, we have a bard/rogue who wants do her job no matter what. A dragom shaman/?, our beat stick. And we also have a wizard/rogue who wants to summon stuff so she doesn't get hit.

Sincer you have no divine caster, I'd go Psion//Archivist. Dark Knowledge is quite nice with Call to Mind.

[jcsw]

Well lets see, we have a bard/rogue who wants do her job no matter what. A dragom shaman/?, our beat stick. And we also have a wizard/rogue who wants to summon stuff so she doesn't get hit. I play a beguiler duskblade at the moment. I decided he is a sneaky fellow who can hit hard when he needs to, and the arcane channeling is very handy. So whatever you think would hold us together best. All other players are under the age of 14 so....nothing spectacular from them :P. I am the oldest brother at 17 and i like to dink around with classes and homebrew.

EDIT:
All books are allowed from the shadowrunsystems website.

Psion//Warblade?
Or an Erudite//Warblade with Spell-to-Power(Scroll down, it's quite low in the thing), leeching on all the wizard's spells. It's fun.

[Eldariel]

Psion//Factotum is pretty sweet. Int-based world conquest.

[NEO|Phyte]

Since the current suggestions sound good to me, I'll hold off on making my own class suggestions, and instead make sure you are aware of something important in regards to psionics. Specifically, the power point limit. If you've ever heard horror stories about horrendously broken psions that dumped 50+ d6s of damage on something, odds are this rule was being broken.

[ghost_warlock]

If you want to be sneaky with this character, I would suggest a psion//lurk (from the book that shall not be named). Both use Int as their caster stat.

Lurk is more-or-less the psionic equivalent of a rogue, complete with a sneak attack ability of its own that...works somewhat differently than the rogue ability.

For the psion side, I'd suggest egoist (self-buffs and some healing abilities) for synergy with the lurk or perhaps seer (for information gathering).

[Chronos]

Lurk is more-or-less the psionic equivalent of a rogue, complete with a sneak attack ability of its own that...works somewhat differently than the rogue ability.

No, Lurk is the psionic equivalent of... hm... Trying to find something they're equivalent to... Well, nothing, really. They're not really good for much.

The psionic equivalent of a rogue is the psychic rogue. But there's not much point in putting two different psionic classes together in gestalt, anyway: You'll only gain power points at the rate of the faster class, which means the other class is just going to be giving you a few more powers known. If you want something rogueish to combine with a psionic class, just take psion/rogue.

[mangosta71]

The most fun I ever had in a D&D campaign was playing a swashbuckler/psion (nomad discipline) that went into the elocater PrC. Lightly armored, highly mobile combatant that could do all kinds of cool things. Gray elves are nice for the high dex and int.

[Mr.Bookworm]

If you want something rogueish to combine with a psionic class, just take psion/rogue.

Or beguiler.

For that full-casting goodness.

Just dump everything into Int and go crazy.

[DrizztFan24]

Or beguiler.

For that full-casting goodness.

Just dump everything into Int and go crazy.

I've got that now. I was looking for stuff to compliment other party members, or fill a niche, if/when my current character dies. but for some reason the srd and wizards stuff is blocked at school.

[Person_Man]

How about Warblade//Lurk or Psychic Rogue?

That will give you d12 hit die, Strong Ref and Fort Saves, 6 Skill points per level form a great list, Int synergy, Warblade abilities (Battle Cunning), Psychic Rogue Abilities (Mind Cripple), unbeatable Improved Uncanny Dodge, ToB fun, and psychic fun.

Psychic Rogues have the poorest power point reserve in the game and limited powers. But with all the ToB crazyness, you only need to cherry pick powers anyway.

[Eorran]

In gestalt, there's no reason to do anything but Psion. Soulknife is... not highly regarded, and hardly counts as psionic anyways. Psychic Warrior is a solid, fun class, but it's basically a Psion/Fighter gish. You can do better in gestalt. Wilder is psion with less features, and more suck. Way more suck.

For a combat role, I've always wanted to try a Warblade//Egoist. Basically a Psychic Warrior on performance-enhancing drugs.

For blasting, I think a Kineticist is regarded as one of the top classes anywhere. "Some call me... Tim."

Nomads and the Elocater prestige class are great fun for mobility-based characters.

Telepath//Rogue would be a very nasty spy. I've never tried a Seer, but I think they'd play a similar role.

[Eldritch_Ent]

Now I'm curious as to what happens when you combine Wizard/Sorceror. Do you get both as seperate spell progressions? Do you get the Sorceror's spontaneous casting plus the wizard's spells knowable? Do you now have to slow down your spells to add metamagic?

[NEO|Phyte]

Now I'm curious as to what happens when you combine Wizard/Sorceror. Do you get both as seperate spell progressions? Do you get the Sorceror's spontaneous casting plus the wizard's spells knowable? Do you now have to slow down your spells to add metamagic?

They each have their own separate set of spell slots, which function normally.