Brainstorm for Psionic Tricks, Tactics, and Combos Handbook

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Inspired by some of the stuff in this thread I've decided to try my hand at writing a Psionic Tricks Handbook. It would be a sort of clearing house for psionic tricks, tactics, and combos. Trouble is, I'm no expert on what tricks you can pull with Psionics. So I humbly ask for help in this endeavor.

The MoI Recharge Trick -

Spoiler

The Recharge Trick uses Midnight Augmentation, Linked Power and Metapower to manifest Bestow Power (linked to a 1st level power) with a lower power point cost than power points bestowed by Bestow Power. This allows your psychic to do his thing, all day long.
Feats: Midnight Augmentation, Linked Power, Metapower, Psicrystal Containment
Powers: Bestow Power, a first level power (Here I use Synchronicity)
Method:

• 1. Focus yourself and your Psicrystal

• 2. You choose Synchronicity to be effected by Midnight Augmentation, investing one essentia

• 3. Expend your Psychic Focus to manifest a Synchronicity (which you have chosen to permanently join Linked Power to by Metapower)

• 4. Expend your Psicrystal's Psychic Focus to manifest Synchronicity, linked to Bestow Power (Costs reduced by Midnight Augmentation for -1, and Metapower for -2, reducing the cost of the Hustle/Bestow Power combo to 1 PP)

• 5. Refocus yourself and your Psicrystal (Doable in one round, if you choose Synchronicity as your 1st level power)

• 6. Repeat 3-6

Minimum Level: 3 (Higher without Flaws + Human)

The Meditation Hustle -

Spoiler

The Meditation Hustle uses Psicrystal Containment, Psionic Meditation Twin Power, Linked Power, and Hustle to use one metapsionic feat per turn (with two every other turn)
Feats: Psicrystal Containment, Psionic Meditation, Twin Power, Linked Power
Powers: Hustle
Method:

• 1. Both you and your Psicrystal are focused

• 2. With your Swift, manifest Twinned Hustle linked to Hustle (expending both focuses - total PP cost 3+3+6 = 12.) - you now have two extra move actions, with a third one coming in the next round. Use the two extra move actions to regain both your focus and your psicrystal's, then take your other actions for the turn as normal (move and standard.)

• 3. Next round, your linked Hustle goes off. Use your swift again to repeat (2).
  
  You now have 3 bonus move actions (2 from the twinned hustle, and the third one from last round's linked power.) Use two of them to regain your foci again, and you have your standard + 2 move actions. This of course means that you can manifest a standard-action power modified with two more metapsionic feats (any), use your two move actions to regain your foci, and start the cycle over from (1).

Minimum Level: 12

The Mad Minute-

Spoiler

The Mad Minute uses Temporal Acceleration, Fission, Affinity Field, and Synchronicity to effectively grant you infinite standard actions, at least until you run out of power points (remember never to go so low that you can't manifest an augmented Bestow Power to recharge).
Feats:
Powers: Affinity Field, Fission, Synchronicity, Temporal Acceleration
Method:

• 1. Manifest Temporal Acceleration as a swift action for at least 3 rounds

• A. Manifest Fission as your Standard Action for Temporal Acceleration round 1

• B. Fissioned copy manifests Affinity Field

• C. Fissioned copy manifests Synchronicity, augmented to 3 PP, which effects you both (via Affinity Field)

• 2. You use your standard action from Synchronicity to do as you will, your Fissioned Copy uses its standard action to manifest Synchronicity, repeat from 2.

Minimum Level: 17

Move by Wire-

Spoiler

Move by Wire uses Control Body and your Psicrystal to grant you extra physical actions. It has been pointed out that this requires that you manifest Solicit Psicrystal and the feat Psicrystal Affinity.
Powers: Control Body, Solicit Psicrystal
Feats:
Method:

• 1. Manifest Control Body, targeting yourself

• 2. Manifest Solicit Psicrystal, let your Psicrystal take over the concentration of Control Body

• 3. Have your Psicrystal force you to take a physical standard and move action

• 4. Repeat 3 for the duration of Control Body/Solicit Psicrystal

Minimum Level: 7

The Save Game Trick-

Spoiler

The Save State Psion 1.0
By Tleilaxu_Ghola

The Simple Summary
This trick works by abusing time hop to send your psicrystal days forward in time, and forced dream (Magic of Eberron 104), which will return him back in time to the moment you manifested time hop. Doing so will undo whatever caused your party to wipe, because the psicrystal's Dream began before you time hopped it. (Presumably while you were all alive and kicking.)

There's a couple of other things you'll need to make it work, below:

Abstract
With this trick one is able to create "save" game points, with a minimal cost of 15 XP for psionic contingency. The trick allows one to adventure for a day and then reload the save game point if something went awry.

Ingredients:
Forced Dream (Magic of Eberron 104)
Anticipatory Strike (Complete Psionic 78)
Time Hop (Mass version lasts longer, for a full day of adventuring)
Psionic Contingency
A Psicrystal
Status
Imbue with Spell Ability
Metamorphosis - needed if your DM ignores Player's Handbook 177 that states a creature can suppress racial resistances/immunities to magic.
Sending Stones [Optional magic item] (Complete Arcane 150, 15K per linked pair)

Forced Dream: Psion/Wilder 3
[Paraphrased]
Any time during the 1 round/level duration (or minutes per level with 4 pp augment), you can spend a swift action to restart your turn. As forced dream says, "When this effect is used, everyone and everything is reset to the state they were at when the subject's turn began. Any spells or abilities used are available again, any damage dealt is healed , any effects incurred are negated, any objects or creatures moved are reset to their original position, and so on. The only exception to this is that any power points spent to manifest forced dream are not recovered..." Forced dream ends when the swift action to do this is expended or when the duration expired.

The Trick
Manifest psionic contingency on your psicrystal placing a contingent ancipatory strike on him contingent on the event: returns to the normal time stream from a time hop.

If desired, share metamorphosis with your psicrystal to transform him into something that isn't immune to mind-affecting compulsions. Heck you could transform him into an object of any size if you wish. (Player's Handbook 177 states a creature can suppress racial resistances and immunities to magical/psionic effects, meaning metamorphosis is just for show.) Have the party Cleric use imbue with spell ability on the psicrsytal so that it can use the spell status. (A Spell to Power Erudite, Cerebremancer, Psychic Theurge or someone with an item can cast status himself.) Mix with affinity field if you wish the psicrystal to have knowledge of all party members' condition, though this requires a level 9 (!) power.

The psicrystal casts status on you or whatever party member you choose. This person's condition will determine whether or not the save state will be reloaded, so choose carefully. NOTE: Status will NOT work across planes! Be careful!

Manifest forced dream on your psicrystal at some time before you fear harm will befall you. Ready a standard action to manifest a contingent time hop on your party (+2PP per target) when the psicrystal moves. Tell the psicrystal to do so, advancing him hours / level ahead in time. With enough ML you can advance your psicrystal nearly a day. Adventure on your merry way, whilst your psicrystal is outside the time stream.

If your party succumbs to a TOTAL PARTY KILL, your psicrystal will still be alive and kicking the next day. No time will pass for him and when he comes out of the time hop and the contingency will grant him sufficient actions to check the status of the party, provided they are on the same plane as the psicrystal. (If on another plane, there's a 5% chance of failure.) The psicrystal may also use a Sending Stone to ask whether his master would like to reload or not. If the party member is under a certain condition or if the master tells the crystal to, the save state is reloaded as the psicrystal spends a swift action to return to the beginning of his turn, which began with you manifesting time hop on him right before he started moving. You may now retry whatever you failed to accomplish.

The Embrace of Mother Earth-

Spoiler

Minimum Level: 3 (if you ignore WBL)

You need:
1) Torc of Power Preservation (the more expensive one in the Expanded Psionic Handbook - NOT the cheaper one in the Magic Item Compendium)
2) Earth Power (and it's requirement, Earth Sense).
3) Bestow Power
4) At least one remaining power point (you could use Body Fuel, but that's a bad idea)
5) Natural stone to stand on

Method:
1) Psionically Focus Yourself (requirement for use of Earth Power)
2) Stand on the natural stone (requirement for use of Earth Power)
3) Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, do NOT augment it.
4) Repeat until full of power points.

What happens? Well, Bestow Power costs 3 points to manifest, and bestows two on the target (you). Earth Power reduces the cost by 1. The Torc of Power Preservation reduces the cost by 1. So you bestow yourself 2 power points at the cost of 1 power point.

You Squared-

Spoiler

Minimum Level: 17

You need:
1) Affinity Field
2) Bestow Power
3) At least 59 remaining Power Points
4) Fission (or another Psion with Bestow Power, but Fission is doing it with Style)

Method:
1) Manifest Fission (which costs 13 PP, and cuts your remaining power points in half - you'll need at least 23 remaining after that)
2) Manifest Affinity Field (Cost: 17 PP, you need at least 6 remaining when you're done)
3) You: Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, augmented as high as you dare (Giving yourself X*2/3 power points, costing you X power points - in the minimal example, you spend all 6 PP, to give yourself 4), and sharing it with your Fissioned duplicate (so 4 PP to you, 4 PP to your duplicate).
Fissioned Duplicate: Manifests Bestow Power on you, to the maximum it can without damaging itself, which is shared back by Affinity Field (it'll have at least 27 Power Points at this point, but could have a manifester level as low as 15, which we'll assume for here). So it spends 15 power points to give you 10, and itself 10 through Affinity field.
This round, you have spent 6 power points, and gone up by 14; your duplicate has spent 15 power points, and gone up by 14.
4) You: Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, augmented as high as you dare (you should have a minimum of 14 power points at this point - Spend 12 on Bestow Power, and you have 2, but gain 8 - for a total of 10... and 8 of those are also given to your duplicate.
Your Duplicate: Manifest Bestow Power on you (max of 15 points spent, ten for you, ten for your duplicate back through affinity field).
At this step, you've lost 12 power points, and gained back 18, for a six-point gain.
5) Go To 4 until either Fission or the Affinity Field expire.
6) After a few rounds, you'll have fully paid off your power point expenditure. Oh yes, and when you merge with your duplicate, you get all of it's power points as well - and it's power point total has been going up, too.

Note: Some DM's will read a particular line in Fission, and decide this doesn't work. If your DM does that, just make sure there's another party member with a manifester level of 6 or higher in the party that knows Bestow Power. This manifester takes the place of your Fissioned duplicate... and can actually make the effect slightly more efficient. It's less cool, though.

Tiny von BigMcLargeHuge-

Spoiler

I link this because it's a cool build and a hilarious idea. As far as I know, Tiny von BigMcLargeHuge relies on house rules to work.
Tiny von BigMcLargeHuge

The Fistfull of Manifester Arrows-

Spoiler

The Bundle of Manifester Arrows capitalizes on the fact that arrows are enchanted in groups of 50, and the Manifester quality can be read to supply 5PP per arrow.
Powers:
Feats:
GP: 18,302.5GP
Method:

• 1. Have 50 arrows enchanted as +1 Manifester Arrows

• 2. Gain +5PP per arrow, for the price of a +1 Manifester Longsword (which would only provide +5PP)

• 3. ???

• 4. Profit

The Psionic Sandwich-

Spoiler

The Psionic Sandwich was an attempt to build the most optimized useless character possible, back on 339. The nice thing about this trick is that Tleilaxu_Ghola found a way to effectively get a True Mindswitch without paying the 10,000XP cost.

The Masochistic Crystal Trick-

Spoiler

The Masochistic Crystal Trick is an old standby for psionic characters. It uses Share Pain, Vigor, and Psicrystal Affinity to grant you twice the number of temporary hit points that Vigor grants you.
Powers: Share Pain, Vigor
Feats: Psicrystal Affinity
Method:

• 1. Manifest Vigor, sharing it with your Psicrystal

• 2. Manifest Share Pain, sharing it with your Psicrystal

Minimum Level: 3

The Psionic Dreadnought-

Spoiler

The Psionic Dreadnought uses Affinity Field, two (or more) 3rd level (or higher) thralls or followers, Bestow Power, Telekinetic Sphere, Solicit Psicrystal, and Burrowing Power to become the psionic equivalent of the USS Iowa.
Powers: Affinity Field, Bestow Power, Telekinetic Sphere, Solicit Psicrystal
Feats: Burrowing Power, Leadership
Classes: Thrallherd
Method:

• 1. Acquire followers or thralls

• 2. Manifest Telekinetic Sphere, surrounding yourself and your minions

• 3. Manifest Affinity Field

• 4. Manifest, using Burrowing Power, through your Telekinetic Sphere (Psicraft DC 31), raining death upon your enemies

• 5. Have your minions manifest Bestow Power on you, netting them 1 PP each (2 per manifestation, shared by Affinity Field) and you 4 PP

Minimum Level: 17

ACMA and ACME-

Spoiler

The Astral Construct Mega Armor and Astral Construct Mobile Entrapment work by encasing a character in an Astral Construct, either to grant said character bonuses (ACMA) or to trap them inside it (ACME). They both may be found here.

The Carmen San Diego Trick-

Spoiler

The Carmen San Diego Trick uses Remote Viewing and Retrieve to approximate the thieving prowess of our favorite Red-Trenchcoat-and-Hatted-Globe-Trotting-Thief. It requires Overchannel or similar ability (or cost reducers) to pull off pre-epic. Because Remote Viewing allows you to "See" the target, you do not need to manifest through it in order for this trick to work. You must, however, be within Retrieve range of the target. Red Hat and Trenchcoat are optional.
Powers: Retrieve, Remote Viewing
Feats: Overchannel
Method:

• 1. Manifest Remote Viewing on the target object (or a target within 30 feet of the object)

• 2. Manifest Retrieve on the target object

Minimum Level: 13

The Psionic Last Breath Trick-

Spoiler

The Psionic Last Breath trick allows you to preserve a fallen comrade to be raised for the cost of 200+ XP, rather than the sometimes prohibitive sum of 5000GP in Diamonds.
Powers:Time Hop, Psionic Revivify, Quintessence
Feats:
Method:

• 1. Either cover your fallen comrade's body in Quintessence or manifest Time Hop on their corpse (an object)

• 2. Either bring the body (covered in Quintessence) to the Revivifie or bring the Revivifier to the place where the corpse will appear (after Time Hop runs its course)

• 3. Manifest Psionic Revivify on the corpse

Minimum Level: 9

Do the Wight Thing-

Spoiler

To Do the Wight Thing, one must have a critter under their control who can apply one negative level (such as a Wight, but anything that can apply one negative level at a time, with a type of negative level that will convert to real level loss, will do) and Psionic Restoration to generate 'free' XP. This can be done as soon as level 11 if one has a Ring of Spell Storing (which should also store powers, due to transparency).
Powers: Psionic Restoration
Feats:
Critters: 1 Wight or Similar
Items: 1 Ring of Spell Storing
Method:

• 1. Store Psionic Restoration in the Ring of Spell Storing
• 2. Have the critter hit you with one negative level
• 3. Wait until the time rolls around for the Fort save on that negative level, and voluntarily fail it, converting it to real level loss, setting your XP to halfway between the level you were and the level before (e.g., if you were level 12, and got drained to 11th, you're halfway between 11th and 12th - 60,500 xp, which is 5,500 xp in excess of 11th).
• 4. Spend your newly-unlocked XP however you like (5,500 xp, for the character who starts this as a 12th level Egoist) - but watch the time limit!
• 5. Before the time limit expires (1 day per manifester level), use Psionic Restoration to wipe away the level loss, which brings you "up to the minimum number of experience points necessary to advance it to the next higher level".

Minimum Level: 11 (With Ring of Spell Storing, otherwise 12)

The Feat Battery Trick-

Spoiler

The Feat Battery Trick uses your Psicrystal (or Psionic Cohort/Thrall) as a source of extra feats, shared with you via the Feat Leach Power. This can grant you access to extra psionic or metapsionic feats.
Powers: Feat Leach, Psychic Reformation (not necessary but beneficial)
Feats: (A Psicrystal requires Wild Talent or Hidden Talent, you'll also need to give the Battery whatever feats you want to get)
Method:

• 1. You manifest Feat Leach on the 'Battery'

• 2. The 'Battery' voluntarily fails its Will Save

• 3. You gain up to your Wis mod in bonus feats

Minimum Level: 3
Note: A list of useful feats can be found here

Garryl's Casual Disconcern for the Action Economy-

Spoiler

Garryl came up with this trick, which is yet another way for psychics (in this case, Ardents) to tell the Action Economy to shut up and sit down.

Doable as early as Ardent 10.
Requires: Ardent 10, Dominant Ideal ACF, Substitute Powers ACF, Time mantle, Synchronicity power, Linked Power feat.
Optional: Bestow Power power, Metapower feat.

With Dominant Ideal (set to Time Mantle), you spend 2 PP less (minimum 1 PP) and do not expend your psionic focus when using metapsionic feats or augmentations on powers from the chosen mantle. With Substitute Powers, you can put Synchronicity into the Time mantle. Thus, you can spend 1 PP to manifest Synchronicity linked to Synchronicity, which does not cost you any actions effectively, and grants you an extra standard action in the next round. Since you haven't expended your psionic focus, you can do this again (manifesting the power using the standard action granted by the first Synchronicity) to get as many extra actions as you want in the next round at the cost of 1 PP per action.

The option for the recharge comes when you link Synchronicity to Bestow Power. For 1 PP (base 4 PP, reduced by 4 between Metapower and Dominant Ideal), you gain 2 PP next round at no effective action cost to you. Thus, the amount of PP you can have access to increases at an exponential rate, close to doubling every round. Even if your DM rules that you can't have more PP in your pool at once than your normal maximum, you can still "float" the excess PP from round to round using the automatically readied standard actions granted by a linked Synchronicity manifested from the previous round.

Nijineko's Steal Steel-

Spoiler

Synopsis: To store one's body in a time-stopped state, but allowing one's mind to be free from the body and able to act.

Process overview: Separate the mind from the body. Preserve the body. Store the body. House the mind so that it is free to act.

Pros: Able to inhabit any edged metal (host) weapon within a certain radius at will. Able to exist for a few rounds outside of a "host". Can be affected only by a very limited list of effects; for example: effectively immune to all physical and energy damage. Body is immune to at least one (or two) rounds of damage, regardless of type. Effectively disguised as a minor magic item.

Cons: Complex requirements-limited entry. Requires daily (or more frequently, depending on character level) power point expenditure to survive. Cannot benefit from magic items, except for weapon crystals. (which fact went a long way towards placating my dm.) Can still be affected by mental and death effects. True seeing reveals that you are not a minor magic item.

Preparation:
Two to five feat slots filled with Expanded Knowledge Feat (manifester level 3rd).
Glove of storage (2,500 gp) or similar psionic item.
Psychic Reformation power (psion/wilder 4th level power, manifester level 7).
Compression power (psychic warrior 1st level power, manifester level 1-via expanded knowledge feat).
Crystalize power (shaper 6th level power, manifester level 11, must be shaper or use another expanded knowledge feat.)
Quintessence (shaper 4th level power, manifester level 7, must be shaper or use another epanded knowledge feat.)
Steal Steel (psion 5th level power, manifester level 9, unique power-via expanded knowledge feat)
Sufficient ranks of Autohypnosis to set up an unconscious hypnotic command.
Delay power feat if there is any question about the timing of the sequence of events.
Construct body feat or animate object power to activate the glove of storage.
Ring of sustenance to offset any minor quibbles of survivability, especially if the quintessence is canceled.

step one: compression (requires psychic reformation, and exp. know. feat)
this will reduce her weight to below the glove's limit, if augmented for double
reduction.
step two: steal steel. (unique power, must be obtained from dragon in the forgotten
realms setting, or by dm permission/arrangement/fiat. )
this will allow her to escape her body and inhabit an edged weapon.
step three: crystalize.
this will preserve her reduced body and its life functions.
step four: use quintessence on the crystalized body.
this will timestop the duration of all non-permanent effects on her. it will also
serve as a measure of protection against damage, as if the glove is
destroyed, the violence of the gloves destruction would neutralize the
quintessence but leave enclosed items undamaged... till next round.
step five: use glove of storage on the compressed crystalized body.
if there is a question of activation, use psychic reformation to acquire
construct body feat, to wear a construct form long enough to active the glove.
step six: use quintessence on the glove.
this will time stop the duration of all non-permanent effects on her. it will also
serve as a measure of protection against damage, as if the dagger is
destroyed, the violence of the daggers destruction would neutralize the
quintessence but leave enclosed items undamaged... till next round.
step seven: store glove in the handle of the dagger.

since shrink cannot be used on a 'magic item', and crystalize results in a 'magic item', this route will allow the character to exist in the dagger. have the quintessence prepared ahead of time.

Steelsteal
Psychoportation (Dex)
Level: Psion 5
Display: None
Manifestation Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level or until you return to your body (D) (see text)
Power Points: 9

You free your spirit from your body, allowing you to travel as an incorporeal creature and inhabit metallic blades (such as daggers, swords, and so on). While incorporeal, you cannot make attacks or use any abilities, but you can fly at speed 30 (perfect). You do not carry any equipment with you but gain a deflection bonus to AC equal to your Charisma bonus. You can remain incorporeal for up to 3 rounds in succession, after which the power ends and your spirit returns to its body. When incorporeal, you are affected by spells and powers that ward or harm such disembodied spirits or possession attempts, such as magic circle against evil, which prevents you from entering or attempting to possess any blade within the area.

While incorporeal, you can overlap a metallic blade with your incorporeal form and enter it fully. While "possessing" the blade in this manner, you can see, hear, and feel as well as a normal human. You can speak and use any powers or abilities you have that don't require somatic or material components (therefore psionic abilities function normally). You cannot move the blade unless you have magic or psionics that allow you to move objects (such as far hand, skate, or telekinesis). You can remain within a blade indefinitely, subject to the duration of the power. As a standard action you can vacate the blade and become incorporeal again, or transfer directly between two blades in physical contact at the time. A blade possessed by you can bypass damage reduction as if it had a +2 enhancement bonus, but it does not gain any bonuses to hit or damage. Damaging the blade causes you no harm, and destroying it merely returns you to your incorporeal form. At any time you can end the power as a standard action and immediately return to your body.

If you attempt to possess an intelligent blade, the blade resists and you must attempt a Will saving throw (DC = item's ego). Success means you possess the blade and can use its abilities in addition to your own (so if the weapon could teleport once per day, you could activate that ability and teleport yourself and the blade to your choice of locations). Failure means you possess the blade but cannot use its abilities or any of your own (you are essentially a passenger), although you can still leave the blade normally.

Your body remains behind, unconscious. Effects on your body (such as poison, disease, and so on) continue while you are away, and because your body is still alive, it still needs air, water, and food. If your body is killed, you die.

Note: Another possible DM fiat, but the autohypnosis power could be used to self-program to auto expend the pp on the steal steel power. so long as one does not drop down below the minimum pp required to manifest it for 24+ hours.... I believe that there are other methods to get into an object more or less permanently, but this is one of the lowest level ones I can find.

Also note the unusual level-based duration. This article was published in June 2003, one month before the 3.5 phb was released, and a year or so before the exp psi was released... so this is definitely a 3.0 power.

Suck it Wizards, (Su) Psi and You-

Spoiler

Disclaimer!!! This trick is verging on T.O. /Disclaimer!!! Ok, with that out of the way, this is one beautiful trick. You see, according to the SRD:

Originally Posted by SRD

Psi-Like Abilities (Ps)
The manifestation of powers by a psionic character is considered a psi-like ability

And...

Originally Posted by SRD

Psi-Like Abilities And Feats
Creatures with access to psi-like abilities can use the feats Empower Spell-Like Ability and Quicken Spell-Like Ability.

Which means that your manifesting is a valid target for feats which effect Spell-Like Abilities. Like, say, Supernatural Transformation. Now, the benefits of making your manifesting into an (Su) power are manifold - they are no longer subject to Dispell Magic/Psionics, they are no longer effected by PR/SR, and the big one, they no longer have an XP cost to manifest. Now, the Sage has said that Supernatural Transformation does not apply to class based abilities, as it says "Innate Spell-Like Ability" in the feat description. However, this is not RAW and it could be argued that Psionic ability is in fact innate - to quote the SRD:

Originally Posted by SRD

Powers And Power Points
Psionic characters manifest powers, which involve the direct manipulation of personal mental energy. These manipulations require natural talent and personal meditation.

So, if you take Supernatural Transformation and apply it to your manifesting, you gain a host of benefits. Sprinkle in Spell-to-Power Erudite to taste and you've got one wicked character.
Powers:
Feats: Supernatural Transformation
Method:

• Take Supernatural Transformation, apply directly to Manifesting
• Dodge DMG, XPH, Boot, etc. to the head (And one for Jenny and the wimp)
• ???
• Profit

Minimum Level: 1

Power Surge-

Spoiler

You will need:

- Wild Surge +3 or Font of Power
- Bestow Power
- [recommended] A Torc of PP Preservation
- [optional] A psionic cohort or party member

Summary
This tricks lets you generate infinite power points - either to recharge your own reserve or someone else's. As a Metamind, your ability to do this is more limited and comes online much later, but is also more reliable.

Method
As a Wilder:
1) Manifest Bestow Power, targeting yourself.
2) Wild Surge +3, paying for one augmentation.
3) If successful, you will have spent 3 points and gained 4, before any PP reduction e.g. Torc of PP or Earth Power.
4) Repeat as needed to refill your PP reserve. (but see "Psychic Enervation" below.)

As a Metamind:
1) Pour all your remaining PP into cognizance crystals, or Bestow it to your party members when they run low.
2) Activate Font of Power
3) Manifest Bestow Power, targeting whoever needs it (starting with you), augmented as high as you can.
4) Repeat (3) until everyone is recharged or FoP ends ten rounds later.

Special: Place an Affinity Field on yourself, and you can refill your own reserve and that of the entire party simultaneously.

Sidebar: Psychic Enervation
The Wild Surge method can be done earlier (level 7) but carries with it the risk of psychic enervation - the chance that your attempt to recharge is cancelled out by all the PP you lose. We can use the mean probability formula to determine how many PP this trick will gain you on average.

If you Wild Surge +3, your chance of enervation is 15%, or 0.15. If you enervate, you will lose PP = to your wilder level. Therefore, at level 7, the outcome will be:

(net PP gained w/o enervation)(chance of success) + (net PP lost w/ enervation)(chance of failure)

= (1)(0.85) + (-6)(0.15) = -0.05 before PP reduction. (On average you gain nothing, and actually end up worse off if you do this 20 or more times.)

With PP reduction = 1 it becomes:
= (2)(0.85) + (-5)(0.15) = +0.95, now on average you gain PP.
With PP reduction >= 2 you no longer need Wild Surge and can instead just Bestow Power yourself directly with no chance of failure.

This is why PP reduction helps the trick work reliably, but you can still refill others without it - the PP you lose from enervating won't be taken from their total.

Suicide (A Do the Wight Thing Variant)-

Spoiler

This fuctions as normal for "Do the Wight Thing", but instead of using a Wight or some other level-draining critter, you use Fission, and kill your duplicate - giving you a negative level, which you leave until it becomes real level loss. Then continue with Do the Wight Thing as normal

Diamonds are Forever-

Spoiler

Diamonds are Forever is a method to truly, really, permanently change your form. This requires you really, really lose a level (Restoration won't help), as it's by death. But the way it works is as follows:
1) Get the form with abilities you want (whether that's by Mind Switch, Metamorphosis, or any other method.
2) While in said form, manifest Astral Seed
3) Let the method of switching forms expire.
4) Kill yourself.
5) Make a new body from your astral seed - which is "a living, breathing body that is an exact duplicate of your body at the time you manifested astral seed (the crystal itself breaks down and becomes a part of the new organic body). When the tenth day ends, you completely and totally inhabit the new body. You possess all the abilities you possessed when astral seed was manifested, at one level lower, but you have none of your equipment."

Congrats - it cost you a level, but hey: Instant change of shape. If you're an Egoist-17 with Greater Metamorphosis, this lets you get Supernatural abilities, too.

Shards of Leadership-

Spoiler

This trick uses nested leadership to effectively grant a 17th (or higher) level Cohort to a 2nd level character.
Powers:
Feats: Psicrystal Affinity, Improved Psicrystal, Leadership
Method:[list][*]Take Psicrystal Affinity and Improved Psicrystal until your Psicrystal has 6HD[*]Have your Psicrystal take Leadership and pick a level 4 Human Psion as its Cohort[*]Have your Psicrystal's Cohort repeat step 1 until his/her Psicrystal has 7HD[*]Have your Psicrystal's Cohort's Psicrystal take Leadership and choose a 5th level Human Psion (with at least 12 Charisma) who repeats step one to attract an 8HD Psicrystal[*]Repeat previous steps until a Psion Cohort of 17th level is attracted
Minimum Level: 2 (Human with two flaws)

Frickin' Laser Beams-

Spoiler

Use energy conversion, a psicrystal (with metamorphosis to remove immunity to mind-affecting effects), schism, Chain Power, Split Psionic Ray, Overchannel, Greater/Psionic Shot, and Aligned Attack/a chasuble of fell power, along with energy wall to charge it up, to deal up to (8x[ML+3]x3)+7d6 damage (and half damage to tons of secondary creatures) every single round, and all for the cost of one energy conversion and one energy wall (both manifested beforehand) and a schism (a psychoactive skin can take care of the metamorphosis bit).

Erudite Concerto-

Spoiler

This trick lets level 9+ Erudites circumvent their UPD limitation..

You will need:
- A Psicrystal with Wild/Hidden Talent, or a psionic cohort
- Metaconcert

Method:
1) Manifest Metaconcert, targeting yourself and your friend/pet rock.
2) Use the entity created to manifest any utility powers you need.

Because the entity manifests the powers, and knows every power you know, you are able to access your entire library without adding to your UPD count - you are not actually manifesting them.

It is unclear whether the entity gets its own set of actions or must use those of the conductor. If the latter, simply make your psicrystal the conductor so that you can keep manifesting as needed.

Notes:
1) This can only be done solo if your psicrystal gets feats (they are not psionic by default, but Wild Talent makes them that way.) This is RAW, but some DMs do not like this. Without it, you will need a cohort or party member.
2) This is not always suitable for combat. Metaconcert takes a minute to cast (10 rounds) and only lasts minutes/level, so ideally you will already be in one when a fight starts if you need your repertoire that much.
3) You can get around the movement speed reduction; RAW it only applies "if you move as a group." So tell your psicrystal not to move, put it in your pocket, and move as normal.

So, if you've got any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Also, I'm not sure that the MoI Recharge Trick or the Move by Wire trick work, though, so if they don't let me know. And if you can think of a way to make them work, even better. The MoI recharge trick and Move by Wire work, or at least so I have been told.

Acknowledgements

Spoiler

The MoI Recharge Trick is the work of another (Does anyone know whom?)
The Meditation Hustle is the work of Psyren, here on GitP
The Mad Minute is the work of Jack_Simth, here on GitP
The Move by Wire trick is my own
The Save Game Trick and Psionic Sandwich are the work of Tleilaxu_Ghola
The Masochistic Crystal Trick is the work of another
The Psionic Dreadnought is the work of Emo_Duck
Thanks to Stegyre for explaining the MoI Recharge Trick to me
ACMA and ACME are the work of Endarire
The Carmen San Diego Trick is the work of jameswilliamogle
The Psionic Last Breath Trick is the work of Psyren
The Do the Wight Thing Trick is the work of Jack_Simth
The Feat Battery Trick is the work of another (possibly Lycanthromancer?)
Garryl's Casual Disconcern for the Action Economy is the work, fittingly enough, of Garryl
Nijineko's Steal Steel is the work of Nijineko
Suck it Wizards, (Su) Psi and You is the work of Lycanthromancer
Power Surge is the work of Psyren
Suicide is the work of Jack_Simth
Diamonds are Forever is the work of Jack_Simth
Shards of Leadership is the work of Godskook
Frickin' Laser Beams is the work of Lycanthromancer
Erudite Concerto is the work of Psyren
A Fistful of Manifester Arrows is the work of Lycanthromancer

Changelog

Spoiler

1 December 2010 - Changed Move by Wire to include Solicit Psicrystal.
1 December 2010 - Added the Save Game trick.
1 December 2010 - Added The Embrace of Mother Earth.
1 December 2010 - Added You Squared.
1 December 2010 - Added The Fistful of Manifester Arrows
1 December 2010 - Changed The Embrace of Mother Earth to remove the 'Racial Requirements' line
1 December 2010 - Added the GP Cost of The Fistful of Manifester Arrows
1 December 2010 - Added Tleilaxu_Ghola's Psionic Sandwich
2 December 2010 - Added The Masochistic Crystal trick
3 December 2010 - Added the Psionic Dreadnought
3 December 2010 - Fixed the MoI Recharge Trick
3 December 2010 - Added ACMA and ACME
4 December 2010 - Added the Carmen San Diego Trick
7 December 2010 - Added the Psionic Last Breath Trick
8 December 2010 - Added the Do the Wight Thing Trick
9 December 2010 - Added the Feat Battery Trick
16 December 2010 - Added Garryl's Casual Disconcern for the Action Economy
26 December 2010 - Added Nijineko's Steal Steel Trick
27 December 2010 - Added Suck it Wizards, (Su) Psi and You
8 January 2011 - Added Power Surge
9 January 2011 - Added Suicide
9 January 2011 - Added Diamonds are Forever
9 January 2011 - Added Shards of Leadership
9 January 2011 - Added Frickin' Laser Beams
20 January 2011 - Added Erudite Concerto
16 February 2011 - Added source on A Fistful of Manifester Arrows

[Psyren]

A handbook like this would definitely need the Save Game Trick. I'll see if I can track it down.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Originally Posted by Psyren

A handbook like this would definitely need the Save Game Trick. I'll see if I can track it down.

That would be the Final Fantasy Save Crystal trick? I've heard of it, but never seen it explained.

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by Kalaska'Agathas

That would be the Final Fantasy Save Crystal trick? I've heard of it, but never seen it explained.

I never heard the "Final Fantasy" part applied to it - it's just a save game, as in "we died, so let's reload to before we died and try again."

Anyway, I found it, so here it is

Spoiler

The Save State Psion 1.0
By Tleilaxu_Ghola

The Simple Summary
This trick works by abusing time hop to send your psicrystal days forward in time, and forced dream (Magic of Eberron 104), which will return him back in time to the moment you manifested time hop. Doing so will undo whatever caused your party to wipe, because the psicrystal's Dream began before you time hopped it. (Presumably while you were all alive and kicking.)

There's a couple of other things you'll need to make it work, below:

Abstract
With this trick one is able to create "save" game points, with a minimal cost of 15 XP for psionic contingency. The trick allows one to adventure for a day and then reload the save game point if something went awry.

Ingredients:
Forced Dream (Magic of Eberron 104)
Anticipatory Strike (Complete Psionic 78)
Time Hop (Mass version lasts longer, for a full day of adventuring)
Psionic Contingency
A Psicrystal
Status
Imbue with Spell Ability
Metamorphosis - needed if your DM ignores Player's Handbook 177 that states a creature can suppress racial resistances/immunities to magic.
Sending Stones [Optional magic item] (Complete Arcane 150, 15K per linked pair)

Forced Dream: Psion/Wilder 3
[Paraphrased]
Any time during the 1 round/level duration (or minutes per level with 4 pp augment), you can spend a swift action to restart your turn. As forced dream says, "When this effect is used, everyone and everything is reset to the state they were at when the subject's turn began. Any spells or abilities used are available again, any damage dealt is healed , any effects incurred are negated, any objects or creatures moved are reset to their original position, and so on. The only exception to this is that any power points spent to manifest forced dream are not recovered..." Forced dream ends when the swift action to do this is expended or when the duration expired.

The Trick
Manifest psionic contingency on your psicrystal placing a contingent ancipatory strike on him contingent on the event: returns to the normal time stream from a time hop.

If desired, share metamorphosis with your psicrystal to transform him into something that isn't immune to mind-affecting compulsions. Heck you could transform him into an object of any size if you wish. (Player's Handbook 177 states a creature can suppress racial resistances and immunities to magical/psionic effects, meaning metamorphosis is just for show.) Have the party Cleric use imbue with spell ability on the psicrsytal so that it can use the spell status. (A Spell to Power Erudite, Cerebremancer, Psychic Theurge or someone with an item can cast status himself.) Mix with affinity field if you wish the psicrystal to have knowledge of all party members' condition, though this requires a level 9 (!) power.

The psicrystal casts status on you or whatever party member you choose. This person's condition will determine whether or not the save state will be reloaded, so choose carefully. NOTE: Status will NOT work across planes! Be careful!

Manifest forced dream on your psicrystal at some time before you fear harm will befall you. Ready a standard action to manifest a contingent time hop on your party (+2PP per target) when the psicrystal moves. Tell the psicrystal to do so, advancing him hours / level ahead in time. With enough ML you can advance your psicrystal nearly a day. Adventure on your merry way, whilst your psicrystal is outside the time stream.

If your party succumbs to a TOTAL PARTY KILL, your psicrystal will still be alive and kicking the next day. No time will pass for him and when he comes out of the time hop and the contingency will grant him sufficient actions to check the status of the party, provided they are on the same plane as the psicrystal. (If on another plane, there's a 5% chance of failure.) The psicrystal may also use a Sending Stone to ask whether his master would like to reload or not. If the party member is under a certain condition or if the master tells the crystal to, the save state is reloaded as the psicrystal spends a swift action to return to the beginning of his turn, which began with you manifesting time hop on him right before he started moving. You may now retry whatever you failed to accomplish.

[Jack_Simth]

Oh, and don't forget the other two recharge tricks I'm familiar with:

The Embrace of Mother Earth

Spoiler

Minimum Level: 3 (if you ignore WBL)

You need:
1) Torc of Power Preservation (the more expensive one in the Expanded Psionic Handbook - NOT the cheaper one in the Magic Item Compendium)
2) Earth Power (and it's requirement, Earth Sense - oh yes, and this also requires one of a few races: Both in Races of Stone).
3) Bestow Power
4) At least one remaining power point (you could use Body Fuel, but that's a bad idea)
5) Natural stone to stand on

Method:
1) Psionically Focus Yourself (requirement for use of Earth Power)
2) Stand on the natural stone (requirement for use of Earth Power)
3) Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, do NOT augment it.
4) Repeat until full of power points.

What happens? Well, Bestow Power costs 3 points to manifest, and bestows two on the target (you). Earth Power reduces the cost by 1. The Torc of Power Preservation reduces the cost by 1. So you bestow yourself 2 power points at the cost of 1 power point.

You^2

Spoiler

Minimum Level: 17

You need:
1) Affinity Field
2) Bestow Power
3) At least 59 remaining Power Points
4) Fission (or another Psion with Bestow Power, but Fission is doing it with Style)

Method:
1) Manifest Fission (which costs 13 PP, and cuts your remaining power points in half - you'll need at least 23 remaining after that)
2) Manifest Affinity Field (Cost: 17 PP, you need at least 6 remaining when you're done)
3) You: Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, augmented as high as you dare (Giving yourself X*2/3 power points, costing you X power points - in the minimal example, you spend all 6 PP, to give yourself 4), and sharing it with your Fissioned duplicate (so 4 PP to you, 4 PP to your duplicate).
Fissioned Duplicate: Manifests Bestow Power on you, to the maximum it can without damaging itself, which is shared back by Affinity Field (it'll have at least 27 Power Points at this point, but could have a manifester level as low as 15, which we'll assume for here). So it spends 15 power points to give you 10, and itself 10 through Affinity field.
This round, you have spent 6 power points, and gone up by 14; your duplicate has spent 15 power points, and gone up by 14.
4) You: Manifest Bestow Power on yourself, augmented as high as you dare (you should have a minimum of 14 power points at this point - Spend 12 on Bestow Power, and you have 2, but gain 8 - for a total of 10... and 8 of those are also given to your duplicate.
Your Duplicate: Manifest Bestow Power on you (max of 15 points spent, ten for you, ten for your duplicate back through affinity field).
At this step, you've lost 12 power points, and gained back 18, for a six-point gain.
5) Go To 4 until either Fission or the Affinity Field expire.
6) After a few rounds, you'll have fully paid off your power point expenditure. Oh yes, and when you merge with your duplicate, you get all of it's power points as well - and it's power point total has been going up, too.

Note: Some DM's will read a particular line in Fission, and decide this doesn't work. If your DM does that, just make sure there's another party member with a manifester level of 6 or higher in the party that knows Bestow Power. This manifester takes the place of your Fissioned duplicate... and can actually make the effect slightly more efficient. It's less cool, though.

[Psyren]

Here's a neat trick with Earth Power - put dirt in your shoes. Now you can wear boots and get the benefits.

This poster takes no responsibility for thrown DMGs

[Crow]

For move-by-wire, you're forgetting to manifest Solicit Psicrystal.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Fixed Move by Wire, I'll add the Save Game trick, The Embrace of Mother Earth, and You Squared tomorrow, along with some stuff from the BG thread.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Added Tiny von BigMcLargeHuge and The Fistfull of Manifester Arrows. I'm currently trying to figure out how Eberron's Power Link Shards work, so I can add them too. Keep the ideas coming!

[Psyren]

Psionic Sandwich

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Wasn't that an attempt at building the most optimized useless character possible?

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by Kalaska'Agathas

Wasn't that an attempt at building the most optimized useless character possible?

Yes. However, underneath the silliness is a glimmer of the trick's real genius - a way to True Mind Switch without paying 10,000 XP.

The key is for your target to not start out as a living thing - it therefore cannot "die" - and when Mind Switch ends, neither will you. This is why smashing your crystal carries no penalties - when you do so, it has the mind of a sandwich.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

I've got another trick I'd like to add, but I would like to see if there are any other sub-tricks to this one. I'm tentatively calling it The Loose Limits of Linked Power, but if you can come up with a better name, I'll use it.

The Loose Limits of Linked Power-

Spoiler

Linked Power is a wonderful Metapsionic Feat. In addition to helping you break the action economy, it has uses for cost/time reduction.
Powers:
Feats: Linked Power
Method: By choosing a power with an XP cost or high manifesting time as the second power in the link, you avoid those costs, as you only have to pay the increased PP cost for Linked Power, and the power explicitly comes into effect in the next round. Thus, by manifesting Force Screen (or any other first level power) linked to Reality Revision you avoid the 5,000 XP cost. If you manifest Force Screen (or any other first level power) linked to Remote Viewing you avoid the latter's 1 hour manifesting time.
Minimum Level: 2

Any other tricks you can do with Linked Power? Any better name ideas?

[Psyren]

I don't read Linked Power that way. The feat mentions manifesting both powers, not manifesting one and just adding the cost of the other.

Metapower is the obvious combo with LP - if there's a power you link a lot (say, Hustle) then Metapower will make it cheaper to do so repeatedly. Combine with Earth Power, Torc of PPr etc. and you can reap some nice discounts over time. Unike EP and ToPP, Metapower can reduce the extra PP cost of a power to zero.

Metapower can also be taken multiple times for the same power; This lets you apply costly metapsionics to high-level powers at the cost of feats. (Handy for E6 perhaps?)

As for tricks, here's a straightforward one - Heat Death Spam.

Spoiler

Originally Posted by srd

Heat Death (Ps)

A pyrokineticist who reaches 9th level can expend her psionic focus and take a full attack action to raise the internal temperature of one living creature within 30 feet to lethal levels. The target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw (DC 14 + pyro’s Cha modifier) or die horrifically as its blood (or other internal fluid) boils. Even on a successful save, the target takes 4d8 points of fire damage from the heat.

There are two tricks here. One, this is a spammable SoD - there is no use limit on Heat Death, you can just keep regaining your focus and taking full attack actions. Even an epic monster will roll a nat 1 eventually.

Two, the death effect itself has no element type - only the damage does. So by RAW, you can Heat Death a red dragon since they have bodily fluids. (you couldn't kill it with the damage from a successful save of course.) If your DM rules otherwise, just switch elements using the Mind's Eye variants - how many guys are immune to sonic?

It's not even a death effect, so death ward, being undead (unless you lack fluids) etc. won't save you.

[FMArthur]

1) Torc of Power Preservation (the more expensive one in the Expanded Psionic Handbook - NOT the cheaper one in the Magic Item Compendium)

Too bad. The MIC versions of items are revisions, not variants or homonyms. Even in cases where the new effect only barely resembles the old (which is not the case here at all). The "Embrace of Mother Earth" trick works 5 times a day per Torc. Not like you really need it to work when you can Linked Power+Metapower the same combo with only two Metapowers.

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by FMArthur

Too bad. The MIC versions of items are revisions, not variants or homonyms. Even in cases where the new effect only barely resembles the old (which is not the case here at all). The "Embrace of Mother Earth" trick works 5 times a day per Torc.

That holds true if your playgroup has access to MIC. If it doesn't, you can't very well ask online for non-OGL text just because you feel that it is the most up-to-date wording available. Meanwhile, the XPH Torc is freely available in the SRD.

Updated or not, it's a safe bet the XPH Torc will continue to see play.

[Stegyre]

MoI Recharge Trick has multiple variants. Here is what I think is most efficient and low level.

Step 1. Metapower, Linked Power, and a 1st level power. Use Metapower to permanently join Linked Power to your choice of self-targeting 1st level power. (Precognition is my personal favorite.) Now, every time you manifest Precognition (or whatever) + Link Power + Bestow Power, you pay 2 pp in turn 1 (1 for Precognition + 3 for Bestow Power -2 for Metapower), and regain those 2 pp in turn 2. Whee! A free 1st level power. (Requires two feats (Metapower, Linked Power) a 1st and 2nd level power and ML 3; possible by character level 3.)

Step 2. Add any means of reducing augmentation cost by one point. Options include Torc of Power Preservation (limited uses, as amended by MIC), Earth Power, Midnight Augmentation, or (for Ardents) Dominant Ideal. Dominant Ideal is hands down the best in every way, but only available to one class and not available until 10th level in that class. Torc has limited uses. The least expensive feat investment is Midnight Augmentation (requires Midnight Augmentation + Psicrystal Affinity + Psicrystal Containment):

Midnight Augmentation grants 1 essentia, which is the maximum we can invest in a 1st level power anyway, and all that we need. (This moots the need for Psycarnum Infusion.) Select Precognition as your augmented power, and manifest as per Step 1, but now discharge the second focus (from the Psicrystal) to activate Midnight Augmentation. Because players may apply modifiers in the order they prefer, we take the total power cost (4), subtract 1 for Midnight Augmentation (which can only reduce augmentation costs to a minimum of +1), and then subtract 2 more for Metapower (which can reduce augmentation costs to 0).

Now, we are paying 1 pp to manifest Precognition in turn 1 and getting back 2 pp in turn 2 when Bestow Power manifests.

This routine may only be done every third turn. The two intervening turns are required to regain the two foci. But what does it matter? There is no expiration on the pp granted. Instead of resting for 8 hours, our psionic spends 1 hour (600 rounds, so 200 iterations) playing this game and has 200 pp.

Earliest possible level: we've added 3 feats since Step 1, so a human with two flaws could still do this by character level 3.

(Disclaimer: imo, infinite power loops are per se bannable, but RAW permits this. That's just evidence of very poorly written RAW. RAW should have included a simple disclaimer that the cost of Bestow Power may not be reduced by any means, as it is the actual transfer of power points from one creature to another, and does not -- and cannot -- create pp.)

[Stegyre]

Originally Posted by Psyren

Metapower can also be taken multiple times for the same power; This lets you apply costly metapsionics to high-level powers at the cost of feats. (Handy for E6 perhaps?)

While metapower can be applied multiple times, it expressly doesn't negate the expend-focus requirement for metapsionics, so practically, you can only ever get away with two metas, using the extra focus from your psicrystal.

The one exception is Dominant Ideal, which to my knowledge is the only source to negate the expend-focus requirement. I'm not sure whether to be grateful or sad that isn't available in E6.

[Keld Denar]

Grip of Iron is a 1st level power. Its an IMMEDIATE action to activate. My PsyWar currently links it to Expansion for an immediate action boost. Simply move into position, after your turn, manifest Grip of Iron for 1 PP, and Expansion for whatever's left, and when your turn starts, boom, you're big.

Tash multi-pouncing:

Psionics has a lot of Psychoportation powers, the best of which is Dimension Hop. A Tashed out Monk/PsyWar or Monk/Ardent who aquires Dim Hop and a couple of other Psychoportation powers can really have some fun with Complete Warrior's Sun School tactical feat to squeeze in a couple extra attacks in a round for very low PP expenditure. Combine with Link Power or something like Scism to nova even more.

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by Stegyre

While metapower can be applied multiple times, it expressly doesn't negate the expend-focus requirement for metapsionics, so practically, you can only ever get away with two metas, using the extra focus from your psicrystal.

That requires a rather silly reading of the metapsionics rules. Yes, the general rule is that you must expend your focus to activate metapsionics, but every metapsionic feat except Metapower carries that statement within the feat itself. If the RAI were for Metapower to require its own focus expenditure, the feat would have said so like all the others do.

But if you want to stick to the RAW, I can do so and still get what I want. Metapower permanently reduces the extra cost needed to apply metapsionics to that power. Ergo, once you choose a power, you only have to expend your focus once for Metapower to be applied to that power forevermore.

[Da Beast]

Is this only for broken tricks or just useful combos someone new to psionics might not know? If it's the latter maybe you should add some less cheesy stuff like vigor/psicrystal affinity/share pain to double your temp HP.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Originally Posted by Da Beast

Is this only for broken tricks or just useful combos someone new to psionics might not know? If it's the latter maybe you should add some less cheesy stuff like vigor/psicrystal affinity/share pain to double your temp HP.

I want it to be a clearinghouse of sorts for both the cheesy tricks and useful combinations. My goal is to make a resource for those new to psionics, or who are looking for build ideas. So I'll add the Vigor/Psicrystal Affinity/Share Pain combination.

Stegyre: Thanks for helping me refine the recharge mechanic. I think I still need Psycarnum Infusion, however, as that lets you get around the 1/day limit of Midnight Augmentation. Though, upon rereading Midnight Augmentation, it doesn't seem to have a 1/day limit. Am I just reading it wrong? I'll fix the MoI recharge trick once I figure this out.

[Radar]

I dug out the description of the save game trick. I'm not sure about the author tough. Anyway, here it is:

Spoiler

First, it is necessary to have the following powers/spells/items available to you:
Forced Dream (Magic of Eberron)
Anticipatory Strike (Complete Psionics)
Time Hop
Psionic Contingency
A psi-crystal
Status
Imbue Spell-like Ability
Sending Stones (Magic Item) (Complete Arcane)

The Trick
1) Manifest psionic contingency on your psi-crystal placing a contingent ancipatory strike on him contingent on the event: returns to the normal timestream from a time hop.

2) Share metamorphosis with your psi-crystal. Transform him into something that isn't immune to mind-affecting compulsions. Heck you could transform him into an object of any size if you wish.

3) Have the party cleric use imbue spell-like ability on the psi-crsytal so that it can use the spell status. Mix with affinity field if you wish the psi-crystal to have knowledge of all party members' condition.

4) Psi-crystal casts status on you or whatever party member you choose. This person's condition will determine whether or not the save-game will be reloaded, so choose carefully.

5) Manifest forced dream on your psicrystal at some time before you fear harm will befall you.

6) Ready a std action to manifest time hop mass contingent on when the psi-crystal moves (tell him to do so), advancing him hours / level ahead in time. With enough ML you can advance your psi-crystal nearly a day.

7) Adventure on your merry way, whilst your psi-crystal is outside the time stream.

8) If your party succumbs to a TPK, your psi-crystal will still be alive and kicking the next day. No time will pass for him and when he comes out of the time hop the contingency will grant him sufficient actions to check the status of the party (provided they are on the same plane as the psi-crystal). The psi-crystal may also use a sending stone to ask whether his master would like to reload or not. If the party member is under a certain condition or if the master tells the crystal to, the save game is reloaded as the psi-crystal spends a swift action to return to the beginning of his turn (which began with you manifesting time hop on him right before he started moving). You may now retry whatever you failed to accomplish. There is a 5% error in the sending transmition if you are not on the same plane as the psi-crystal and the status effect will not work across planes.

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by Radar

I dug out the description of the save game trick. I'm not sure about the author tough. Anyway, here it is:

*snip*

Psst... check post #4

[Fax Celestis]

The Easiest Psionic Gish Ever: manifest control body on yourself.

Also don't forget The Dream of Metal.

[Psyren]

Originally Posted by Fax Celestis

The Easiest Psionic Gish Ever: manifest control body on yourself.

Don't forget, you need solicit psicrystal to be able to full attack/charge etc.

Also, lack of AoOs can hurt if you're trying to tank. (No Stand Still etc.)

[Fax Celestis]

Originally Posted by Psyren

Don't forget, you need solicit psicrystal to be able to full attack/charge etc.

Also, lack of AoOs can hurt if you're trying to tank. (No Stand Still etc.)

Well, or some other swift/no-action concentration mechanism. IIRC there are a couple items that do something like that. Still, it's a neat little thing.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

Originally Posted by Fax Celestis

The Easiest Psionic Gish Ever: manifest control body on yourself.

Also don't forget The Dream of Metal.

I've already got the control body trick up (Move by Wire) but I'll look into this Dream of Metal. What's it do, exactly?

Also, Move by Wire works best if you're an Int based psychic, it doesn't do as much for Psywars, Wilders, and Ardents.

[Fax Celestis]

The Dream of Metal destroys a millennium on the Prime Material by rewinding time, and the person responsible becomes a lich with 108 horcruxes that he can scatter as he pleases through the multiverse.

[Stegyre]

Originally Posted by Psyren

That requires a rather silly reading of the metapsionics rules. Yes, the general rule is that you must expend your focus to activate metapsionics, but every metapsionic feat except Metapower carries that statement within the feat itself. If the RAI were for Metapower to require its own focus expenditure, the feat would have said so like all the others do.

But if you want to stick to the RAW, I can do so and still get what I want. Metapower permanently reduces the extra cost needed to apply metapsionics to that power. Ergo, once you choose a power, you only have to expend your focus once for Metapower to be applied to that power forevermore.

I think you are misunderstanding both me and Metapower. No one is saying that Metapower requires you to expend your focus. The limitation on Metapower is that it expressly does not relieve you of the focus requirement for the underlying metapsionic feat(s).

So you can Metapower (Empower-Energy Missile), expending your own focus, and Metapower (Maximize - Energy Missile), expending the focus from your psicrystal, to get yourself a Maximized, Empowered Energy Missile, at -4 pp from its usual augmentation cost, but after that, you don't have any more foci to expend to metapsionic it any further. You're done.

The sole exception of which I'm aware is the Ardent web ACF Dominant Ideal, which expressly does eliminate the focus requirement for metapsionics on powers from your dominant ideal, so you can twin-empower-maximize-link your Energy Missile to your heart's content.

Mere mortals, however? To foci, two metapsionics.