Brainstorm for Psionic Tricks, Tactics, and Combos Handbook

[martixy]

For my part, the contentious bit is the same metapsionic feat multiple times.
It's one of those "you need to squint real hard at just the right angle for it to make sense" situations.

That alone can account for a great number of shenanigans.
Linked power can transform any power's cost into a metapsionic cost.
Using that, you can literally instagib people with crystal shard.
With Synchronicity you can gain an arbitrary number of actions.
Heck even a 2nd level power can be manifested as many times as you have PP.

You can extend powers out to eternity.
You can go supernova with Split psionic ray, simply eviscerate everything within range.
And enlarge is free, so double that too.

HOWEVER!
Do note that Widen Power is a 4pp increase. NOT 2pp! So it can't be done an arbitrary number of times. There does come a point, where you run out of PP.

P.S. I don't think you comprehend just how big Graham's number really is, to be raising it to itself...

[Segev]

And the ardent doesn't have a specific list to draw his substituted powers from. If it exists as a power, he has potential access to it, no matter what list it's on.

Nope. It has to be a psionic power, not a spell that the StP Erudite can learn as a psionic power. Nor a spell that he could teach as a psionic power. You can't put it on your mantle, sorry.

[Flickerdart]

How many manifesters need access to it as a power before it's viable as a power?

I'd say one.

You would be wrong. Again - if your interpretation were correct, only one Erudite would ever need to be StP. This is evidently not true.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

For my part, the contentious bit is the same metapsionic feat multiple times.
It's one of those "you need to squint real hard at just the right angle for it to make sense" situations.

No squinting is needed. All other meta- feats (metamagic, etc) explicitly disallow stacking the same feat multiple times, whereas metapsionics has no such restriction. If you have the spare focus (or don't need one) and your pp cap is high enough, you can apply any metapsionic feat that can be used on the power you're manifesting, including one you've already added. It's just how it is.

That alone can account for a great number of shenanigans.

Definitely.

Linked power can transform any power's cost into a metapsionic cost.
Using that, you can literally instagib people with crystal shard.

Same with Empower, yes.

With Synchronicity you can gain an arbitrary number of actions.

Yep.

You can extend powers out to eternity.

Aye.

You can go supernova with Split psionic ray, simply eviscerate everything within range.

Subject to SPR's restrictions, yes.

And enlarge is free, so double that too.

Yes, though it doesn't work on that many powers.

HOWEVER!
Do note that Widen Power is a 4pp increase. NOT 2pp! So it can't be done an arbitrary number of times. There does come a point, where you run out of PP.

Hence my pointing out that you need Metapower for it to work. +4 pp minus 2 (ACF) minus 2 (Metapower) = +0.

P.S. I don't think you comprehend just how big Graham's number really is, to be raising it to itself...

It's absolutely, phenomenally huge. But it's still smaller than eternity, even raised to itself.

Nope. It has to be a psionic power, not a spell that the StP Erudite can learn as a psionic power. Nor a spell that he could teach as a psionic power. You can't put it on your mantle, sorry.

Source on that?

You would be wrong. Again - if your interpretation were correct, only one Erudite would ever need to be StP. This is evidently not true.

And your proof would be what?

[Flickerdart]

And your proof would be what?

Citing the rules that you so conveniently glossed over. A spell is never a power, and even if it is a power, it's not a power for anyone but the StP Erudite that converts it.

And to add to the train wreck that this "exploit" is, custom mantles explicitly require DM approval so, well, good luck?

[martixy]

Oh, missed metapower.

Anyway, how about messing with causality?

What happens if you manifest a twinned Vigor?
If both effects take place simultaneously, without a prior manifestation of Vigor on the subject, what happens? (Vigor explicitly relies on previous active manifestations of the power to prevent stacking.)
And linked power would allow you to gain an arbitrary number of HP.
Plus, I don't see anything that says you can't also stack it with something like Heroes' feast.

Unless I'm missing some general rule that prevents temp-HP stacking...

[Segev]

Source on that?

You quoted it yourself. The StP Erudite can use Spellcraft to learn a spell as a power. It doesn't make the spell a power; it makes it something the StP Erudite learned as a power.

The Ardent's ability to modify mantles lets them add powers to the mantle. Not spells. Not spells that somebody happens to know as a power.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If you learn it as a power, it's a power. That's kind of the whole point, and it's very clearly stated that you learn it as a power.

If reading comprehension isn't your thing, though, you could always purchase it from a StP erudite via psychic chirurgery before choosing the powers that go on your dominant ideal mantle. You know it as a power already, but that would allow you to add it onto the mantle to abuse at will with your ACFs.

[Segev]

If you learn it as a power, it's a power. That's kind of the whole point, and it's very clearly stated that you learn it as a power.

If reading comprehension isn't your thing, though, you could always purchase it from a StP erudite via psychic chirurgery before choosing the powers that go on your dominant ideal mantle. You know it as a power already, but that would allow you to add it onto the mantle to abuse at will with your ACFs.

Personal attacks are bad on this forum, and implying that anybody who doesn't agree with you lacks reading comprehension is a personal attack.

That said, the StP erudite just plain doesn't do what you want to make it do: its mere existence does not make every arcane spell into a power. May as well argue that the Magic Mantle's ability to treat magic as psi and psi as magic makes every single spell of any sort into a power, and every single power of any sort into a spell.

The fact that it requires a Spellcraft check to learn the spell as a power (never stating that the spell becomes a power) indicates the divide remains. Yes, your ardent absolutely can learn a spell as a power from an StP Erudite employing psychic chirurgery. That might even allow your specific Ardent to modify a mantle to include it. But that's a big "might," and it still is anything but guaranteed.

[martixy]

Honestly, I would rather agree with Maxi.

Psions learn powers.
StP specifically mentions this:
"allows you to attempt to convert an arcane spell into a power you can add to your repertoire."

Note the word convert and the bit about adding a power to your repertoire(not a spell).

Also this bit:
"Because the spells are now effectively psionic powers, they are no longer affected by metamagic feats. However, metapsionic feats can affect them as they would a psionic power."

That last sentence is, I believe something that transcends the semantics everyone here seems to be arguing over.

Have you heard of duck typing?

[Segev]

I could hang a lot on the word "effectively," there, but I won't bother. If you want to try to construct a case in the RAW that a class that need never show up in your build is somehow enabling you access to arcane spells you can add to your mantle as psionic powers through an optional rule variant in a web supplement, fine, but I think it a trick for which you're going to need the DM so on board that you may as well not worry about whether it's legal by the RAW or not. It requires incredibly twisty readings of the RAW with careful choice to ignore that there is a distinction, mechanically, between spells and powers that is more than semantic. But you can squint at it sideways until it works, so have fun if you can talk a DM into it.

[martixy]

Look, this is natural language, not a formally defined recursively enumerable language.

Me, I see "convert" and I'm done.
Cherry picking or defining criteria based on convenience is beyond the scope of this discussion. There's plenty of squinting on both sides.

Edit: I just remembered another thing.
There's a spell called "Footsteps of the Divine". Combine that with an arbitrary amount of Extend Power. And Chuck E. Cheese is reborn.

[Godskook]

Combining "At DM's discretion" and "StP Erudite" is not what I consider valid TO. To me, TO is about strict rules as written, requiring the DM to actually invoke rule 0 to stop you, whereas in this case, "DM's discretion" basically -is- rule zero, being built into your build.

[Troacctid]

Right. It's kind of like researching a brand-new psionic power to use for your TO trick.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Personal attacks are bad on this forum, and implying that anybody who doesn't agree with you lacks reading comprehension is a personal attack.

I'm just saying that it's extremely clear that it's converted into a power. As in, it says exactly that thing, straight out. Thinking that you might have issues with reading comprehension isn't an insult when you demonstrate issues with a very clear, concise, and simple statement.

"...convert an arcane spell into a power..."

Once it's converted, it's a psionic power, full-stop. It's even identified via Psicraft and is augmented with metapsionics instead of metamagic, and those only happens with powers and psi-likes.

[Godskook]

I'm just saying that it's extremely clear that it's converted into a power. As in, it says exactly that thing, straight out. Thinking that you might have issues with reading comprehension isn't an insult when you demonstrate issues with a very clear, concise, and simple statement.

Its Ad Hominem, writ large. He's not "demonstrating issues with very clear concise and simple statments". He's disagreeing with you, and instead of explaining yourself, you're masking insults as if people wouldn't see them.

"...convert an arcane spell into a power..."

Once it's converted, it's a psionic power, full-stop. It's even identified via Psicraft and is augmented with metapsionics instead of metamagic, and those only happens with powers and psi-likes.

Having had time to go read this thing, I can now comment on StP. That sentence explicitly says that this process applies to the Erudite, akin to the language broadly used to add random spells to random caster's spell lists("you can add to your repertoire"). There is, broadly speaking in D&D, a stark distinction between "my personal repetoir" and "apart of a general pool". Its the same reason why Arcane Disciple doesn't give Warmage access to Domain spells via Advanced Learning: Because its not actually converted into a proper power by the game rules; its just converted into one 'for that Erudite'.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

What is confusing is how something like Tiny Von largeMcHuge was put up when it requires a houserule to work. Just goes to show that what is included is rather arbitrary so don't take it personal.

Human Heritage or Human-Blooded.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Here's one I just thought of:

Plantamorphosis (Name pending; any ideas?)
The animate plants spell causes plants to (what else?) animate. The resulting effect gives them the stats of animated objects, effectively giving them Wis and Cha scores -- which, by definition, makes them creatures. And since the resulting creatures A.) don't have a template, and B.) have the plant type, metamorphosis allows you to turn into them. So basically you gain plant-typed animated objects added to the list of the stuff you can turn into. Want to become an animated rug? Animated plant shaped like a rug. How about an animated wagon? Animated plant shaped like a wagon. You even get the moving parts and animated object special abilities (including, potentially, flight).

[nijineko]

So why not just ask the original authors about the StP question?

[Endarire]

ACMA & ACME: Link.

Details:

These are the only range limits I've found for manifesting astral construct:
-The construct must be made within Close range.
-The construct can't appear inside another creature or object. (Metacreativity disicipline limitation.)
-I must have line of effect to the target area.

Because of this, I see every reason to allow Astral Construct Power Armor. Here's how:
-Manifest an astral construct of at least your size category. It must be big enough to cover you completely, but I assume you can fit snugly or comfortably inside. I advise making small holes on the face for breathing and seeing, and holes in the hands through which to use touch powers and rays.
-Mentally direct it.to act as you wish. You did give it all the transportation modes you needed, right?

Power Armor: Allies and Mounts
You can manifest this 'power armor' on your allies as well. They'd go on your initiative and us the STR and DEX scores of the construct while being able to act normally. Effectively, the construct is a mount that surrounds the target instead of merely staying under the target.

Yes, this allows you to turn normal mounts (horses, ponies, force dragons...) into power armored mounts.

Here's how to make a larger power armor than your size category.
-Fly, levitate, or otherwise hover in the place you want to be when your power armor appears. I recommend near the face or in a specifically-crafted hole in the construct.

Optional:
-Watch this and pay special attention to 0:16. Start singing at 0:20.

Astral Construct as a No-Save-Just-Lose Power
With no save and no power resistance, you can make such "power armor" to encase your foes. They'll probably get a STR check to override the AC's actions, and they can teleport out, but an Astral Construct Mobile Encaser seems like an awesome use for this power!

Skin of the Construct
PS: The feat Skin of the Construct (Complete Psionic 57) is worse once you realize how you can use astral construct by the rules.

[ExLibrisMortis]

ACMA & ACME: Link.

A useful thing to bookmark, but it doesn't work like that unless your DM is particularly permissive. At the very least, you can't use the construct's Strength and Dexterity; most likely, you can't create an astral construct in another creature's space (because two creatures can't share a space) or around another creature (because refluffing a spell can't give it additional utility). You can, however, use an astral construct as a mount, which you can refluff as "power armour" quite easily.

[Segev]

You could use them as mounts as easily as you could use, say, an ogre that you had forced into obedience as a mount. However, if they do not block line of effect for your attacks (or those of your allies for whom they're serving as "power armor"), then they also do not block line of effect for enemies, who are free to attack you or your allies "within" them normally.

[nijineko]

Yeah, the power armor idea doesn't work by RAW at all.

At best you might get away with sculpting a hole and internal compartment in the torso if the astral construct is big enough for other creatures to sit in.

After all, this is what you are working with:

An astral construct generally appears as an animate clump of ectoplasm with a vaguely humanoid shape, but the manifester can mold or sculpt one according to his or her whim within the limits imposed by the creature’s size. The quality of such “construct sculpture” is determined by a Craft (sculpting) check. A result of 10 to 19 creates a creature that is recognizably similar to the desired creature shape; a result of 20 to 29 creates a construct that looks like an accurate portrayal of that creature type; a result of 30 or higher creates a construct that looks like a specific individual. No matter how high the Craft (sculpting) check result, though, an astral construct’s appearance can’t hide the otherworldly material from which it is formed.

It strongly implies that these alterations are surface cosmetic alterations, not something that would be a chest compartment in the construct.

I suppose one could always sculpt a statue of the desired end form, and then use the sculpt check when summoning the astral construct to mimic the statue....

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Here're a few:

Let Me Touch Your Skin
So, find someone who can create and install illithid grafts (LoM). No, illithids are not a good idea here, because you'll wake up without a brain. Try a relatively trustworthy shapeshifter who can take the form of an illithid, or destroy the mind of an illithid and then use one of the myriad ways of inhabiting its body and do it yourself; those are much better ideas. Have 'em put you (or your body, at least) under for a few weeks (best done in quintessence) and remove your skin, turning it into an illithid humanoid skin graft. Now, ensure it's preserved via gentle repose or similar, and then enhance it as a magic item or twenty, which will take up your magic item slots, (?)(un)fortunately(?). Then reinstall.

My favorite is the below WoC sanctified psychoactive skin of proteus, with a built-in 'possum pouch that is itself enhanced as a handy haversack + sanctified enveloping pit (for a 10' x 10' x 50' haversack), with hands that act like gloves of the master strategist to shrink items and auto-store them in your pouch.

Now you're a shapeshifter who has his own video game inventory.

Holy Psychoactive Skin, Batman!
Use the Words of Creation (WoC) feat on a sanctified psychoactive skin of proteus. Now you've got +1 ML for fairly cheap on it, and you can use it to turn into creatures of 8 HD or lower. This works well for any psionic or magic item, really, but on the skin of proteus it's especially valuable.

[Troacctid]

Holy Psychoactive Skin, Batman! (Meh; I'll think of something better to call it later.)
Use the Words of Creation (WoC) feat on a sanctified psychoactive skin of proteus. Now you've got +1 ML for fairly cheap on it, and you can use it to turn into creatures of 8 HD or lower. This works well for any psionic or magic item, really, but on the skin of proteus it's especially valuable.

Inspired Master (Dragon #339, page 34) is much easier to qualify for, works regardless of who crafted the item. I guess they stack, though!

How are you sanctifying the item? You didn't cite a source.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Inspired Master (Dragon #339, page 34) is much easier to qualify for, works regardless of who crafted the item. I guess they stack, though!

Ooh. That they do.

How are you sanctifying the item? You didn't cite a source.

BoED gives rules for sanctifying items. Also, I believe there's a Sanctify Spell feat, and the MIC gives rules for making psionic versions of magic items and vice versa.

[Troacctid]

BoED gives rules for sanctifying items. Also, I believe there's a Sanctify Spell feat, and the MIC gives rules for making psionic versions of magic items and vice versa.

None of those allow you to turn any item Good-aligned. IIRC, BoED only lets you sanctify weapons, and they're not crafted that way. Sanctify Spell allows you to add the [Good] descriptor to a spell, but not to an item.

To make any arbitrary item good-aligned, best I can tell, you'd pretty much need it to be an intelligent item, and I don't believe there's rules for crafting them aside from Nybor's psychic imprint (which is an Evil spell, so you can't cast it and keep your Exalted feats).

[Rijan_Sai]

I believe Host feats give you psi-like abilities without giving you a power point reserve.

Well, the topic has been brought up even if ^that post is rather old, but I still must ask:
How do you get a Host feat onto a Psycrystal? Or perhaps rather, what ways are available for getting a "psionic entity" to inhabit a psycrystal with losing it as a psycrystal?

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Well, the topic has been brought up even if ^that post is rather old, but I still must ask:
How do you get a Host feat onto a Psycrystal? Or perhaps rather, what ways are available for getting a "psionic entity" to inhabit a psycrystal with losing it as a psycrystal?

Use one of the feats the psicrystal gains from it's HD, just like with any other creature. Host feats aren't [psionic], so they don't require pp to take, but they grant psi-likes, so they make your psicrystal psionic as a result.

And there's no reason why a host feat would make your psicrystal no longer your psicrystal.

[Flickerdart]

Let Me Touch Your Skin

Wow, that's kind of gross, but squicky and delicious for the right kind of villain. And if your PCs are not all willing to flay a man to get their loot, that's gonna be some fun RP.