New psionic feat: Unhealthy Resonance

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Was thinking about an article I had read about sonic-based weapons being invented where just a single sweep of it can knock out entire crowds purely by the frequency.

I was worried it might not be balanced, but as it requires the manifester to be a kineticist, only applies to sonic damage, and it takes three feats, I think that cuts it down a bit.

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Unhealthy Resonance [Psionic]
Your powers with the sonic type resonate dangerously with living creatures.
Prerequisites: Privileged Energy (sonic)
Benefit: To use this feat, you must expend your psionic focus. You have begun to learn frequencies that have strange side affects upon living creatures. Depending on the strength of the power it can affect creatures in the following ways:
Powers that deal 1-5 damage dice leave your foe shaken for 1 round as your sonics instill an instinctive dread (this is a mind-affecting effect).
6-10 damage dice cause intense internal upsets and disorientation that leave your foe nauseated for one round.
11-15 damage dice causes blood vessles and eardrums to rupture. The target of the power take 1 point of constitution damage from blood loss and a -4 penalty on hearing checks for 24 hours. If its listen skill is reduced below 0 the opponent is permanently deafened. Blood loss and hearing damage can be repaired with a successful DC 15 heal check or any healing power or spell. Complete deafeness may only be repaired with a DC 25 heal check or any healing power or spell. Constitution and listening damage stack with multiple manifestations using this feat.
16-20 damage dice causes headaches so intense that the victim collapses into unconsciousness from pain and dizzyness. They remain so for 1 round per half the damage dice dealt.

Special: This feat only applies to powers with sonic descriptor and if the target fails their save, not when only half damage is dealt.

[The Glyphstone]

You might want to allow some sort of Fortitude save...otherwise the level 16 Psion PC can just nuke the BBEG with a 16d6 Energy Ray and end the fight right there. Death effects with no save are generally something I'm wary of...

[Rigeld2]

Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

If its hearing is reduced below 0 the opponent is permanently deafened.

hearing == hitpoints?

[Jack Mann]

I think he means their listen modifier.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Originally Posted by The_Glyphstone

You might want to allow some sort of Fortitude save...otherwise the level 16 Psion PC can just nuke the BBEG with a 16d6 Energy Ray and end the fight right there. Death effects with no save are generally something I'm wary of...

It does have a save, the save is the power save. If they fail their save they get knocked out (and the DM doesn't have to let on that its only unconscious).

But as I mentioned, it balances itself out.

#1. Requires a three feat build.
#2. One must be a kineticist.
#3. Only can be used with sonic energy, which is already a suboptimal energy as I once heard someone say, which deals -1 damage per hit dice. So you'd be having to focus on a less harmful energy to begin with.
#4. Only works after 16th level when monsters have some pretty steenkin' high saves.

I actually have folks on the Wizard's psionics forums telling me that is underpowered because of the above.

hearing == hitpoints?

Err, that should be 'listening skill'. Adjusting.

[Brickwall]

Well, its use would be, as said above, disabling large crowds.

All bow to me! *No? *Okay, then. *Say goodbye to your precious eardrums and mental health!

Goblin army? You mean you guys consider that a THREAT?

So, I hear you're having problems with rats in the sewers.

'Sall good.