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The Shadowmind
2010-08-24, 12:47 PM
Okay I trying to build a Shaper for a level 4 game, and from what one of the players has told me the DM is "challenging" with the party being a human warlock, a gnome barbarian(for the lulz), and a mindblade ninja(no clue). All evil alignment.

I plan on focuses on astral construct with things like boost construct, but haven't got with the DM to find out if setting specific and web material is allowed. And the core races only.

Most books should be allowed, but I prefer to stick to complete+srd, and tome of battle is allowed. 32 point buy.

Draz74
2010-08-24, 02:15 PM
OK, so Warforged is out ... that's fine, you can still make a very strong Shaper. Go Human, though ... no other PHB races really have any synergy with a Psion. Find out ASAP if Constructor (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b) will be allowed. Find out also if the Complete Psionic one-Astral-Construct-at-a-time restriction is in place (and, if it is, make sure there's at least an exception for the Constructor's Utility Construct and Enhanced Construction features).

Definitely don't bother with any PrCs other than Constructor.

Get a Psicrystal ASAP. It can benefit from any Construct-buffing powers you pick up, such as Psionic Repair Damage. You'll probably want to use the Psicrystal/Share Pain/Vigor combo, and you can think about whether you'll also use the cheesy Feat Leech/Psicrystal combo.

Speaking of cheese, if you really want ridiculous amounts of PP, buy some +1 Manifester Arrows. 5 extra PP each, for only 166 gp each. May cause DM to smack you with book.

Get at least 13 Wisdom; it's a prerequisite for a few important feats. You'll definitely want Overchannel, Talented, and probably Psionic Meditation. Also probably Linked Power (definitely, if your DM is lenient about using it to link Astral Construct to a power that has a target, such as a self-buff. Even if your DM is more strict about which powers can be Linked, it's still a pretty decent feat choice).

Make sure you have some good battlefield control or buff actions that you can spam for zero or one PP each; there will be a lot of combat rounds when your Construct is doing the heavy lifting, while you're just sitting back and watching and conserving your PP. Psionic Grease and Entangling Ectoplasm are worth thinking about, but I wouldn't say they're must-haves. (Grease is such a small area, but then again it's also got good non-combat utility. Entangling Ectoplasm is a great debuff for just 1 PP, but it's also pretty easy to duplicate using items, such as a dorje or a Rod of Viscid Globs.) I'm not sure what else to recommend here ... perhaps a crossbow with an array of interesting magic arrows?

If you want to be able to do some blasting on the side, but don't care about doing so at early levels, then you can eventually pick up the Energy Wall + Energy Conversion combo, for ridiculous amounts of blasting (especially with assistance from your Psicrystal) for very little PP. It helps that neither power is exactly worthless on its own, either. Of course another option is to start with a blasting power of some sort, then retrain it away at later levels using Psychic Reformation.

If you make it to higher levels, definitely pick up a melee weapon of Suppression. Free Dispels all day long? Yes please.

Tome of Battle probably won't actually do anything for a Shaper, other than picking up a couple of Novice Rings of the Diamond Mind to replace your Fortitude and Reflex saves with Concentration checks. I guess you could also spend a feat and buy an item to get White Raven Tactics, which has very flexible uses (use on your party, or on your Astral Construct ...)

Biffoniacus_Furiou
2010-08-24, 03:01 PM
Get the Personal Construct ACF (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070411a) at Psion 5, it turns Astral Construct into a swift action cast time instead of one round.

Starting at level 4, you could get Ectopic Form: Emerald Gyre and Boost Construct, and since even a level 1 Emerald Gyre has a Menu B ability it would get an additional Menu B ability.

Definitely get Psicrystal Affinity, and take Share Pain and Vigor. When you use Vigor both you and your psicrystal gain its benefit. Use Share Pain on your psicrystal and half the damage you take is transferred to it. Keep in mind that it has Hardness 8, so it takes that much less damage from every source no matter what it is, other than adamantine weapons. Have Share Pain up, first round of combat manifest Vigor and a swift Astral Construct, next round regain your focus. Maybe throw around electrical Energy Stuns, keep in mind that stunned creatures automatically drop everything they're holding. Hopefully you're not using the nerfed versions of powers from Complete Psionic, it screws the DC of Energy Stun and limits Astral Construct to only having one summoned at any given time.

Get Psionic Meditation at 6th, and you'll probably want Overchannel and Talented. You can't use Talented with a swift Astral Construct unless you have Psicrystal Containment, but you can use Vigor/Share Pain to soak the damage for Overchannel. Maybe take Constructor (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040625b), but you won't need the 10th level of it.