[Dreamscarred Press] Aegis Aberrant

[BB36]

Are they a Manifestor?

As in, if they take the "Unlocked Talent" Feat, and pick "Force Screen", could they even use it at all, save getting a true Manifestor Psionic Class?

[Jeremy Smith]

They could use it the way the feat allows - as a level 1 manifester - but the aegis itself does not gain manifester levels, no.

[BB36]

Just to be sure then, if a Psionic Character with no Manifestor Levels (say a 2nd level Aegis/ 2nd level Soul Blade) were to take that Feat with that specific power in, it wouldn't work as they have no Manifestor levels at all?

As most powers are "Manifestor Level*x" for duration, the best you can get is a "popping sound"?

[Jeremy Smith]

No, that's not correct.

Unlocked Talent gives you an effective ML of 1 for the power you pick when you take the feat. So you'd manifest it as if a 1st level manifester. But unless you take a class that actually gives manifester levels, your manifester level never goes above 1.

[BB36]

Thanks Jeremy,

Last questions for now:

1st: If a Character is 1st Soul Knife Armored Blade/1st Aegis Aberrant with a 14 Int and the 2 "Wild Talents" as Freebies from their classes, they'd have 6 PP, 4 WT + 1 Aegis + 1 (14Int/1st Level), correct?

2nd: Do the Customization Points, CPs, for Aegis need to be spelled out when they get them at the next level, like the Sorcerer's Spells or what Evolutions a Summoner's Eidilon will have? So at a 1st Level Aegis, do they need to define what powers they have up to 3 CPs spent?

3rd: The Armored Blade Armor - That is EXACTLY like a MW set of armor when it comes to weight, speed, Max Dex, correct?

4th: If at 3rd level the Soul Knife, Armored Blade picks up "Gifted Blade" (I don't see a reason why they can't the thing they'll lose is "Psychic Strike") and become a Manifestor at Soul Knife (AB/GB) - 2, BUT don't take the power listed in their "Unlocked Talent", does that Talent remain at 1st level ML until they do or will it go up to 2nd Level ML at Soul Knife (AB/GB) 4th level, ML 2, regardless if they take the Power and level it as an "Unlocked Talent"?

[Jeremy Smith]

1) You actually have Wild Talent + Psionic Talent - an important distinction, although it's still 14. Otherwise, yes, 6 power points.

2) "Modifying the customization points spent on an astral suit requires 8 hours of concentration. An aegis may choose to leave customization points free when he sets his customization choices, allowing him to customize his suit on the fly. If he does so, setting a customization in this fashion takes one minute of concentration and that customization cannot be changed until the aegis spends another 8 hours modifying the astral suit."

3) Yes.

4) The power gained from Unlocked Talent is in addition to the powers you gain from levels in classes. You would be doing yourself a disservice to pick it with Unlocked Talent and then pick it again with your class's powers known. Regardless, it would be ML2 when you were Soulknife (Gifted Blade) 4.

[BB36]

Thanks again Jeremy,

I know the Aegis Aberrant gets the "Brawn" and "Hardened" for free, so that means that they can take 3 CPs on TOP of those two customizations?

[Jeremy Smith]

Yep!

[BB36]

Here's one for you sir: Rules Clarification on Astral Suit

Now the Aegis Aberrant gives up the Astral Suit but what about those powers, such as Invigorating Suit, Damage Reduction (when suit is manifested), Augment Suit, etc?

Would just manifesting the Aberrant Aegis ability "Transformed Body" be all that is needed for the Aberrant Aegis. IOW, is "Transformed Body" the Astral Suit substitute? If that is the case then when the standard Aegis powers says "when wearing his Astral Suit", "Transformed Body" counts as the per-requisite

[Interjection Games]

Gold star customer service, my good man!

[BB36]

Well color me fushcia

Found the answers

Later

[BB36]

Interjection Games wrote:

Gold star customer service, my good man!

Yes, he's been very helpful

[pensworth]

BB36 wrote:

Here's one for you sir: Rules Clarification on Astral Suit

Now the Aegis Aberrant gives up the Astral Suit but what about those powers, such as Invigorating Suit, Damage Reduction (when suit is manifested), Augment Suit, etc?

Would just manifesting the Aberrant Aegis ability "Transformed Body" be all that is needed for the Aberrant Aegis. IOW, is "Transformed Body" the Astral Suit substitute? If that is the case then when the standard Aegis powers says "when wearing his Astral Suit", "Transformed Body" counts as the per-requisite

I would like to know the answer on this or someone point me to the place where it has the answer. Also for cannibalize suit how would that work?

The d20pfsrd seems to make it feel like I go to bed with the strange mutations that I gave my self with this ability and I wake up with them. No where does it make it seem that I can reverse the changes unless I use the Reconfigure class feature.

"An aberrant learns to modify his own form, rather than covering himself in an ectoplasmic suit. The aberrant gains a +1 natural armor bonus to his AC. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), the natural armor bonus increases by 1.

An aberrant can modify his form in a fashion similar to the aegis’s customization, but his options are more limited. He can choose customizations from the customization list below, as well as new customizations exclusive to the aberrant. Because the aberrant is modifying his own body, he can wear armor as normal.

The aberrant gains Hardened Strikes and Brawn as a free customization. At 2nd level, the aberrant gains Darkvision as a free customization. At 10th level, the aberrant gains Improved Damage Reduction as a free customization.

This ability replaces Astral Suit."

[Jeremy Smith]

Part of this is covered in the errata - bolded for emphasis.

"An aberrant learns to modify his own form as a full-round action, rather than covering himself in an ectoplasmic suit. This transformation lasts until it is dismissed, and the aberrant can dismissed the transformation as a free action. While this ability is active, the aberrant gains a +1 natural armor bonus to his AC. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th), the natural armor bonus increases by 1."

Otherwise, yes, those other abilities function when the transformation is active.

[Changing Man]

I hope you meant to say,

'This transformation lasts until it is dismissed, and the aberrant can dismiss the transformation as a free action', or perhaps

'This transformation lasts until it is dismissed, and can be dismissed by the aberrant as a free action.'

Attention to detail (even things like grammar and spelling) is what makes the difference between a really good product and an exceptionally awesome product- that, and you'll make all of your High School English teachers proud...

[Jeremy Smith]

One minor verb tense confusion and it all goes to pot.

"can dismiss" :)

[Changing Man]

The devil's in the details. :)

And it precisely because of Dreamscarred Press's attention to detail that they get a 'Free Pass' at my table.

It is amazing (in a bad way) how many things make it into print which, had they been given a 'Read-aloud' through, never would have sullied paper and ink. I have literally tossed some books aside after only getting a few pages into them, as the 'errors per page' ratio made the reading more challenge or chore than pleasure. I don't have such a problem with it if I am reviewing a beta draft and actually getting credit (or better yet, paid) to fix all kinds of errors, but when I'm sitting down to actually play or do pre-game prep, then it's just plain annoying to have my immersion disrupted by mistakes that could have, and should have been easily avoided.

One of the worst offenders shall remain unnamed, however I suppose if a company is large enough, perhaps they don't feel they need to put any attention towards detail, and can instead bank on name recognition to bring in sales month after month.

Thank goodness there are still those companies out there who do make reading fun. Now, if I could just get my FLGS to stock DSP products, I'd be an ultra-happy camper :)

[Jeremy Smith]

Changing Man wrote:

Thank goodness there are still those companies out there who do make reading fun. Now, if I could just get my FLGS to stock DSP products, I'd be an ultra-happy camper :)

Let them know we're available via Alliance and ACD. Or if they want to order directly from me, I'll give them a hefty discount and free shipping (assuming they're in the US.)

Last week I sent out the details to our distribution partner to get Psionic Bestiary available in stores. :)

[pensworth]

Okay! Thank you sir! That makes more sense. Now where would this errata be located for my eyeballs to gaze upon.
Edit: as a side note how long does it take the Aberrant to alter his body from the average Joe into a machamp.

[Changing Man]

Jeremy Smith wrote:

Let them know we're available via Alliance and ACD. Or if they want to order directly from me, I'll give them a hefty discount and free shipping (assuming they're in the US.)

Eh, we're not in the US (although I personally have a US address for shipping purposes- particularly KS things and such), but rather in Austria, which means 99.9% of things come via Germany. And what all they can get through their suppliers seems to be limited to 'big names'. I've toyed with the idea of trying my hand at opening my own shop, but unfortunately many of the Gaming stores here have closed up or gone out of business, so I really can't say if there's much of a market here- regardless of the fact that I live in one of the largest cities in Central Europe. It's like one of my ex-pat friends often says: "Vienna looks like a city, but it's really just an overgrown village".

[Temeryn]

Are there any limits on the number of attacks for the aberrant aegis like an eidolon because while at later levels they seem fine, at level 1 they can get a lot of attacks and then by level 3 they can get 7 attacks in one round.

[Quintain]

As of right now, the number of attacks that the Aberrant has is limited by the number of natural attack customizations he can take.

However, a certain amount of logic should be engaged so as to prevent a ridiculous amount of attacks to be done by a single character.

[TheGray]

I know this is extremely late but i'm not sure where else to post this question, do the free ability enhancement customizations you get count towards the limit on the maximum number you can have per level? for example if I take nimble as a customization at first level and then switch to astral skin are those points wasted until i switch to something heavier or do I get plus four to dex?

Also, for awakened blades who have levels in aegis and psion, does the path of the warrior ability progress astral suit while the manifester levels affect psion or do I have to pick which to progress?

[137ben]

TheGray wrote:

I know this is extremely late but i'm not sure where else to post this question

Try the "add new thread" button:)

Anyhow,

Quote:

do the free ability enhancement customizations you get count towards the limit on the maximum number you can have per level? for example if I take nimble as a customization at first level and then switch to astral skin are those points wasted until i switch to something heavier or do I get plus four to dex?

I don't think they do, because the Aberrant's Transformed Body is a variation on the Form Astral Suit ability, which says

Form Astral Suit wrote:

Different astral suit forms grant different free customizations. These free customizations never count against the aegis's total number of customization points spent on his astral suit.

The Transformed Body description says

Quote:

An aberrant can modify his form in a fashion similar

to the aegis’s customization, but his options are more
limited.

In then proceeds to describe the extra limitations, but says nothing about your specific question, so it appears that the clause from the original Form Astral Suit ability carries over into Transformed Body.

[Andreas Rönnqvist]

Pretty much what was said here above - free enhancements don't count for customization points, but they do count for how many times you can have a single customization dependant on level.

Awakened Blade's "path of the warrior" ability describes which classes it affects - Soulknife and Psychic warrior. No other classes gain benefits from it.

[TonanBora]

So, I know it is mentioned that it is a free action to dismiss the transformation, but I can't find anywhere where it mentions how long it takes to actually transform, is it a free action, move action, standard action, or Full-Round action?

[Andreas Rönnqvist]

Looks like we missed something - it should be a move action to transform.