PDA

View Full Version : Astral Construct



sofawall
2009-09-24, 07:52 PM
It struck my interest recently, reading through XPH. What ways are there to improve an Astral Construct? We see all sorts of summoners for Arcane and Divine, do Psionics have a ghost of a chance? (I am aware the answer is no, but bear with me.)

I've seen the meh class in Comp Psi, and decided it was worth ignoring.

I've seen the feat in XPH that lets you pick another ability, and it looks handy.

What else is there? (All WotC and Dragon are allowed. Please give source if you remember it.)

And a side question, what happens if you augment it to a level 10 construct? Is it a waste? If so, would you think it reasonable to make a level 10 version, following the patterns set by the preceding 9 levels?

Cieyrin
2009-09-24, 09:36 PM
Any serious Astral Construct maker probably wants to have a look at the Constructor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) PRC from the Mind's Eye series. You get more build options, make it more resistant to dispelling, longer lasting and you can make multiple constructs at the same time. Definitely worth your time, I'd say. :smallbiggrin:

Samb
2009-09-24, 09:51 PM
There was a Menu D but for epic constructs on the OP boards which has been lost. I can't remember if it was home brew or part of web enchancements.

The ectopic forms are not bad. My personal fav is the emerald gryge, who comes with improved trip and improved grab, and better stats later on. If combined with boost construct feat you have a formidible puppet.

1of3
2009-09-25, 02:52 AM
You want Overchannel and Boost Construct feats, as well as the Constructer PrC.

Overchannel allows you to manifest powers above your level. That's quite expensive, if you use it with direct damage, but perfect for lasting effects like constructs.


The good thing about constructs is, you have the perfect thing for every situation. You need an aquatic charger? You got it. You need something to grapple a flyer? You got it. You need a brick and some minion clearing? You got it.

Lycanthromancer
2009-09-25, 03:00 AM
There was a Menu D but for epic constructs on the OP boards which has been lost. I can't remember if it was home brew or part of web enchancements.

The ectopic forms are not bad. My personal fav is the emerald gryge, who comes with improved trip and improved grab, and better stats later on. If combined with boost construct feat you have a formidible puppet.

Ectopic forms are terrible. They don't get menu options (RAW, and, according to Bruce Cordell, RAI), and Boost Construct doesn't work for them because they don't get menu options.

The only times you'd ever want to get one is A.) at early levels, when you don't get that many menu options, and B.) you get the explodey one and Metapsionic it to make animate land-mines.

Never ever ever ever ever bother with ectopic forms (or the PrC in CPsi). Go constructor.

If you want some useful extra options that are (so far as I know) balanced, interesting, and fun, check out my powers revision (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=3080.0).

Aharon
2009-09-25, 09:40 AM
I looked at the RAW in Complete Psionic, and to me, it looked as if Ectopic Constructs do get the menu choices. The Astral Constructs in ComPsi are reprinted without menu choices, but a short remark says they get them, and the ectopic constructs then refer to the ACs in ComPsi.

The RAI is often enough stupid. I mean, almost all the options ectopic constructs get can be gotten using the normal menu choices - why would anybody do that if they didn't offer anything in addition?

crazedloon
2009-09-25, 10:11 AM
I would agree with above suggestions thus far

take the constructor PrC/Overchannel/Midnight augmentation (magic of incarnum)/practiced manifester = 1/day at level 15 you can have 3 level 9 constructs for a low cost of 13 pp :smallwink: at 16 you are summoning those three as a swift action :smallbiggrin:

Lycanthromancer
2009-09-25, 11:28 AM
The menu choices aren't chosen by the player, and more cannot be chosen via Boost Construct for that reason. And it doesn't say that you can choose menu abilities for them; the stat blocks for them have everything they get, and that doesn't include the option of choosing menu abilities.

Yes, I know. It wastes a feat to make you less effective at what you do. It's like 40% of the rest of the book in that it actually makes you worse at your job. And yes, WotC really doesn't like psionics.

(Note that the passage on ectopic forms purposefully excludes their menu abilities. It says that flat out. If they'd been meant to have them, they'd have been included in the stat blocks, yo.)