PrC: Persona Crafter

[JustinCognito]

So, I was flipping through the XPH one day, and a thought ran through my demented little mind: "What if there were a psionic player class that allowed its player to prepare powers like a wizard prepares spells?"

Well, then it would be immensely broken. But the thought persisted, and mutated, and eventually resulted in this. I've made a good attempt at balance, but if I failed completely, please let me know.

Persona Crafter

"Don't try to remember me, gentlemen. I won't be the same girl tomorrow."
-Amanda Savarin

There are those who, no matter how accomplished, find some fault with their self. Perhaps they wish they were stronger, or could remember things more easily. The persona crafter has mastered the art of psionics to the point that they can actually accomplish such things. "Mind over matter," they say. To a persona crafter, the body, as well as the mind, is a thing that can be molded to fit any standard they wish.

Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Saves: Will +6
Skills: 11 ranks Autohypnosis, 5 ranks Bluff, 5 ranks Perform (Act)
Psionics: Able to manifest 3rd-level powers

Hit Dice: d4
BAB: Rogue
Saves: Will good, Reflex and Fort bad
Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Use Psionic Device (Cha)
Skill Points: 6 + Int bonus per level

Specialties (by level):
1st: Potential (1st), Areas of Interest, +1 manifester level
2nd: Identity Savant +2
3rd: Borrowed Talent, +1 manifester level
4th: Potential (2nd), Metabolism Shift
5th: +1 manifester level
6th: Identity Savant +4
7th: Potential (3rd), Psyche Shift, +1 manifester level
8th: Hidden Talent
9th: +1 manifester level
10th: Potential (4th), Identity Savant +6, Self Shift

Potential: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter permanently loses one of the 1st-level powers she knows. In its place lies a well of psionic energy that can be shifted any way she wishes, known as a potential. After resting to regain power points, a persona crafter may spend 15 minutes in meditation. During this time, she can shape the potential to take the form of any 1st-level power available to her. This power stays in the persona crafter's mind until she wishes to change it, which requires another 15 minutes of meditation following 8 hours of rest.

At every third level after 1st, the persona crafter loses another known power, this one being one power level above the last. A 7th-level persona crafter, for instance, will have lost one 1st-level power, one 2nd-level power, and one 3rd-level power in favor of a 1st-level potential, a 2nd-level potential, and a 3rd-level potential. These potentials can all be shaped during the 15 minute meditation period to replace a power of the respective level.

Areas of Interest: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter chooses three skills that are normally cross-class. These skills automatically become class skills for the persona crafter.

Identity Savant: Through practice, the persona crafter has become more skilled at acting like the person she wishes to be. At 2nd level, she gains a +2 to Disguise checks and Bluff checks related to identity. At every 4th level afterwards, this bonus increased by +2.

Borrowed Talent: Once per day, a persona crafter may use ranks in one skill to aid in one skill check that uses the same ability for a bonus. For example, Amanda has 14 ranks in Autohypnosis, but none in Listen. As a free action, Amanda may shift these 14 ranks into Listen for purposes of one Listen check. However, were Amanda to shift the ranks into a cross-class skill, such as Heal, they would count for only half their number (rounded down), giving her only 7 ranks. This skill is not reactive, and cannot be used in response to a check that is called for.

Metabolism Shift: Upon reaching 4th level, a persona crafter may take a full-round action to attune the psionic energies that course through her body; after properly attuning these energies, the persona crafter may switch ability scores between any of the two following abilities: Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. Any ability modifiers likewise switch, giving the persona crafter a bonus (or detriment) to the shifted skills. For example, Amanda has a +2 to Dexterity and a +3 to Constitution, and knows that there is a necromancer who specializes in touch spells in the dungeon she is about to enter. She may spend five minutes in meditation to switch her Dexterity and Constitution scores; while she may lose 1 hit point per class level, she gains +1 to her touch AC. This swap lasts for 2 minutes per persona crafter level.

Psyche Shift: A persona crafter's Psyche Shift ability functions just like her Metabolism Shift ability, except it applies to three different ability scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Using this ability, for example, Amanda may prepare for a battle with a vampire who makes regular use of his dominate person ability by swapping out her higher Intelligence score for her lower Wisdom score, giving her a greater bonus to Will saves. Swapping out an Intelligence score for a lower score has no effect on ranks in skills, though it does have an effect on bonuses to any Intelligence-based skill checks.

Hidden Talent: Like Borrowed Talent, a persona crafter may shift ranks between skills once per day; unlike Borrowed Talent, however, these ranks may come from any skill, regardless of chief ability. Ranks in Profession, for instance, could go to aid a Bluff check. The same rules concerning cross-class skills and reactive usage still apply.

Self Shift: Self Shift works just like Metabolism Shift and Psyche Shift; however, at this point, the persona crafter has gained such control over their own body that they may exchange any ability score with any other, whether it is physical or mental.

So, is it too broken? Or just broken enough?

[chiefwaha]

Put limits on the shifts. 1 minute a level x times a day or something. Hidden talent I assume is 2/day also? I'd make that so it cannot be reactive. So don't let them switch it around for spot checks just because the DM asked for them.

Also I don't understand the Potential ability. What's it do exactly?

[JustinCognito]

Potential basically gives the persona crafter the ability to prepare a power, much as a cleric prepares a spell. For example, let's say Amanda is an 8th level psion/2nd level persona crafter. Her known first level powers are skate, inertial armor, detect psionics, missive, and defensive precognition. At 2nd level, Amanda chooses to lose skate and replace it with a potential. By meditating for 15 minutes after resting, Amanda may reshape this potential to emulate any 1st level power from the psion/wilder power list.

[ILM]

Potential's a nice ability. In fact, I like the whole class. Just a few suggestions :
Borrowed Talent / Hidden Talent : I'd limit it to only once per day. Provided you have one maxed out skill, this basically ensures that in a pinch, you'll be able to auto-succeed a skill check. The provision you've included about how it won't work for a check that's called for is a nice thought (though I'd modify it to say it doesn't work on opposed skill checks, which is more or less the same but less open to interpretation), but as a DM I'd be worried about a PrC making a character able to simply shrug off one skill check a day.

Shifts : Agreed with chiefwaha : they need a duration. I'd suggest reducing the time it takes to activate the ability to a full-round action (or expending focus) and then setting its duration to Character level minutes per day.
Furthermore, I see a problem where switching mental stats is concerned. Specifically, intelligence. You should probably explain that switching another stat for intelligence does not play hell with your skill ranks.

Aside from that, I have a nagging thought that maybe Potential (5th) is a bit too powerful. I would probably stagger the Potentials so it only goes up to 4th, and in exchange give the class 6+int skill points a level. It's more of a skill class anyway, and 4+int seems a bit low.

Edit : looking at the list of psionic powers, I'm actually more concerned over Potential (4th). More powers, and especially more powers you'd like once in a while but not enough to choose them (Psychic Reformation comes to mind). Of course, you can't very well skip 4th and go straight to 5. Hm. Just a question : are you restricted to the powers of your own specialization or can you pick any power ?

[Spuddly]

I see this class practically invalidating the bard. Actually, a multiclass bard/soulknife would be incredibly well with this PrC. The tons of skill points you'd be getting could all be dumped in core Bard stuff like perform and diplomacy, and then when a magic device needs to be used or a trap disarmed, all the skill points could be moved over and the appropriate abilities swapped.

There appears to be a lot of potential for breaking it.

[Randomman413]

Psh. Stupid Whining bards anWAIT...Soulknives can use psychic powers? I mean, besides the soulknife they create. Are you serious?

[JustinCognito]

Furthermore, I see a problem where switching mental stats is concerned. Specifically, intelligence. You should probably explain that switching another stat for intelligence does not play hell with your skill ranks.

Aside from that, I have a nagging thought that maybe Potential (5th) is a bit too powerful. I would probably stagger the Potentials so it only goes up to 4th, and in exchange give the class 6+int skill points a level. It's more of a skill class anyway, and 4+int seems a bit low.

Edit : looking at the list of psionic powers, I'm actually more concerned over Potential (4th). More powers, and especially more powers you'd like once in a while but not enough to choose them (Psychic Reformation comes to mind). Of course, you can't very well skip 4th and go straight to 5. Hm. Just a question : are you restricted to the powers of your own specialization or can you pick any power ?

Shift: Yeah, that Int thing is risky. I'll put in that clarification.

Skills: There aren't really enough skills to justify 6+Int skill points per level, though. Maybe I should make this class slightly like the human paragon from UA and include "two skills of your choosing."

Potentials: Now that I've looked over the power list, I agree; 4th level seems more appropriate, especially because of Psychic Reformation.

Powers: If you're a psion with a specialization, then you can still only choose the spells provided by your specialization.

[ILM]

I see this class practically invalidating the bard. Actually, a multiclass bard/soulknife would be incredibly well with this PrC. The tons of skill points you'd be getting could all be dumped in core Bard stuff like perform and diplomacy, and then when a magic device needs to be used or a trap disarmed, all the skill points could be moved over and the appropriate abilities swapped.

There appears to be a lot of potential for breaking it.
On the other hand, creating a good skill monkey has never been really hard, and this PrC clearly won't let anyone be good at combat (although Switching dex for str might offset it a little - and even then your BAB is likely to still suck).

In terms of manifesting power it grants 1/2 progression, which makes it a bad choice for a primary manifester. Since bards are arcane users and soulknives don't get psionic powers, I don't think you're going to break this with a bard/soulknife.

In fact, if you want a pure skill monkey, it still doesn't beat a rogue/exemplar. Sure, you have that once per day boost, which is huge, but you don't have that many skill points nor class skills.

Nah, I think the abusable part of this class could have been the Switch. That's why a fixed duration is so important : it's be too easy to build a Wiz3/Psion3/Cerebremancer4/Persona Crafter 10 and Alter Self of Polymorph into a form with only one godly stat and just put it where you feel you're going to need it in the near future. But since the set duration really neuters this, I think the class is pretty decently balanced.

It's kind of like a simpler Chameleon, only Psionic. Its abilities place it in a well-defined and useful niche (party face/infiltrator) without being abusable. It gets two thumbs up from me ;D.

[Bitter_Elf]

Cool... very cool. I don't have much with psionic characters, but it does look like a decent balance to me. I like the idea of adding two skills of the characters choice to the class list - it adds to the 'bendability' of the class without doing anything risky. I also think that, to cut down on the abuse of skills like Use Magic Device, you could forbid Borrowed/Hidden talent from being used for exclusive skills. And a few small changes to limit durations and insta-changing of skill or ability points would be good too. Still, very impressive!

Another note - with regards to the 'identity savant' - take a look at the Spymaster PrC from the Song and Shadow handbook - it talks a bit about multiple 'cover' identities.

[Sophistemon]

I like this idea very much. Psions are adaptable as it is, and you've given them the opportunity to be more so. Excellent!