Crystalless Psions?

[JMobius]

The association of crystals with psi is a flavor element I've never really cared for much. I really like the class, and am looking to play one soon, but I'd like to do it without a mystic pretty pet rock.

Has there been any class variants that swap out the psicrystal for some other ability?

[sonofzeal]

Psycrystals are not a Psion class ability, they're a purely optional feat. It's a GOOD feat, but feel free to give it a pass.... or switch it with a normal familiar. Similarly, just pick and choose around the crystal themed powers. No real rewrite needed.

[JMobius]

Um. I guess I didn't analyze the class abilities in detail, I just liked the flavor. I read about their pet crystals on the next page, put two and two together with the layout for sorcs/wizards, and assumed they just got them as familiars.

Sorry.

[Fishy]

I've always wanted, instead of a crystal, a pet squishy ball of ectoplasm. Is there a way to actually do that, other than handwave/refluff?

[Telonius]

Seems like it would be kind of intuitive to be able to switch out a crystal with a standard homunculus, or some sort of a mechanical doohickey like Warforged can get. All it would really involve would be some re-flavoring of the text, the stats could all stay the same.

[Douglas]

That's one of the changes from 3.0 to 3.5 psionics. 3.5 Psions don't get a psicrystal unless they take the Psicrystal Affinity feat. They do get a bonus feat at 1st level that can be used for Psicrystal Affinity if that's what you want, but there are a bunch of other feats you can spend it on too.

[JMobius]

That's probably also the source of my confusion; I read the 3.0 psionics book front to back a few years ago, but I'm still getting used to 3.5. Apparently my assumptions are not all safe.

[NEO|Phyte]

There's also the feat in Complete Psionic that replaces your psicrystal with an elemental steward or some such, but most psi-fans are put-off by the book.

[Fax Celestis]

I've always wanted, instead of a crystal, a pet squishy ball of ectoplasm. Is there a way to actually do that, other than handwave/refluff?

Try my Medium.

[Waspinator]

Three options:

1: Don't take the feat.

2: Get DM permission to reflavor the crystal into some other kind of construct, like a little golem or something.

3: Take Item Familiar or something instead (note: most DMs will probably ban the extra XP option of this feat due to extreme cheese).

One of the things I like about Psion in 3.5 is that they did make it pretty easy to ignore the crystals and stuff and rework it into an alternative mage class. Even stuff like Cognizance Crystals can be redone, calling them some kind of wand or a magical gemstone or something.

[NEO|Phyte]

One of the things I like about Psion in 3.5 is that they did make it pretty easy to ignore the crystals and stuff and rework it into an alternative mage class. Even stuff like Cognizance Crystals can be redone, calling them some kind of wand or a magical gemstone or something.

Heck, the rules flat-out suggest using pearls of power as a cognizance crystal with the appropriate capacity.

[Randel]

I've never played a psion but I kind of imagined that you could get some cool stuff going with a character who acts like a stage magician sort of guy... with the top hat and suit and everything. Then have a ventriloquist dummy as your psicrystal.

Kind of inspired by the fu-machu style villain from the Doctor Who episode City of Death. Since stage hypnotists and magicians kind of have the same dressed up look to them. I thing the Conjure Astral Construct psionic power has one of the most interesting potentials. Instead of just summoning a creature you can reflavor it as whatever you want from some alien thing to a creature from a childrens book.

[Starbuck_II]

There's also the feat in Complete Psionic that replaces your psicrystal with an elemental steward or some such, but most psi-fans are put-off by the book.

The worse part? The Stewards don't get stonger...

Yeah, you heard me. they are stuck at that strength. You don't have progression like a Psi-crystal or Familiar.

[BobVosh]

You could put your pet rock in something. Like a doll

Or a cactus doll that looks like it is running.

There isn't a rule against placing the gem in a socket, I don't believe. I'm not a huge psionic buff.

[charl]

A Psion with a familiar just sounds... wrong to me.

Crystals don't really make sense either. Purely for flavor I would instead use an object of some sort, used in meditation or some such. Something that helps the psion concentrate. Maybe some old childhood toy that holds emotional value. Psionics are supposed to be based on the users mind after all.

[Starbuck_II]

A Psion with a familiar just sounds... wrong to me.

Crystals don't really make sense either. Purely for flavor I would instead use an object of some sort, used in meditation or some such. Something that helps the psion concentrate. Maybe some old childhood toy that holds emotional value. Psionics are supposed to be based on the users mind after all.

The idea is your mental enrgy condenses into a crystal with a fragment of your presonality within it.
And it is possible.
Heck, in real life carbon crystallizes. Crystals at atomic or molecule level do happen.

[Chronos]

And it is possible.
Heck, in real life carbon crystallizes. Crystals at atomic or molecule level do happen.

What the heck does crystallized carbon have to do with crystallized personality? Personality isn't made of molecules.

[BobVosh]

What the heck does crystallized carbon have to do with crystallized personality? Personality isn't made of molecules.

Rocks on the mind...

[averagejoe]

What the heck does crystallized carbon have to do with crystallized personality? Personality isn't made of molecules.

Yeah, but feelings apparently are; it's generally accepted wisdom that anger explodes when one lets it build up for too long. It must follow some sort of pV=nkT model.

I'd just like to point out that there is some real-world basis for psychics using crystals. Mediums using crystal balls to see other places/the future is probably the most famous example. Not trying to dissuade you; in fact, I dislike psi crystals myself (I love that squishy ball of ectoplasm idea, though), I'm just saying it isn't completely out of left field.

[Starbuck_II]

Yeah, but feelings apparently are; it's generally accepted wisdom that anger explodes when one lets it build up for too long. It must follow some sort of pV=nkT model.

I'd just like to point out that there is some real-world basis for psychics using crystals. Mediums using crystal balls to see other places/the future is probably the most famous example. Not trying to dissuade you; in fact, I dislike psi crystals myself (I love that squishy ball of ectoplasm idea, though), I'm just saying it isn't completely out of left field.

Don't forget Hindu. Psionics is Hindu, Greek, etc.
Astral Constructs are completely a Hindu idea (Tulpas I believe were what they called them).