MikelAmroni's page

About the only thing I really like from 4.0 as it has been presented is the "more monsters per fight" approach. The 3.x CR system really was based more around 1 opponent and 4 PCs, and the more monsters you have, the less dangerous they become to the PCs, which can be frustrating. I've run plenty of encounters with multiple monsters, and Gestalt is actually a great way to really do this without making it too impossible/cake-walk-ish for the players, but I'd love something built into the rules for this. The Minions set-up of 4.0 is a pretty interesting idea that I may just test out once or twice. If anything else, it's a good way to up the number of creatures without appreciably increasing the time the combat will take.

The problem is that WotC already gave us the way to implement this in 3.5, in Dungeonscape. They introduced the concept of monsters with roles (which they took a step further in 4E, designing monsters to fit into roles, instead of applying roles to monsters...not sure I like that approach). One controller, some artillery, a bruiser, and a few skirmishers what you need? Grab a kobold sorcerer, some kobold spearman (artillery and skirmishers), a bugbear barbarian, and adjust the CR to match your party, (D20SRD.org has an awesome CR Calculator), and voila, everything you need, no 4E to retrofit :)

The only answer I can give you is that min-maxers don't need third party or psionics to min-max. In fact its quite possible to come up with some pretty amazing things with just the SRD. That said, I don't think clarifying psionics is needed; beyond where the current rules don't mix well with the new Pathfinder Rules Tweaks - same as was done for magic. I am with those who think the Soulknife would be an interesting and well done add to give psionic flavor in with base classes. It would also be very easy to write a sidebar removing the psionic influence of the soulknife, and making them akin to the sorcerer in terms of style.

As for changes to psionics, either powers or classes, I don't really see a need beyond clarification. I do think the idea of rolling autohypnosis and concentration into a single skill called Discipline is a wonderful idea, and it would serve defensive casting better than spellcraft. Adding in the things that Autohypnosis can do would make it valuable for anyone who is NOT a caster. The ability to ignore a caltrop wound is one of those things I attribute to the tough as nails fighter, not just the mentally stable monk.

Now I'm not saying you couldn't do for psion, psionic warrior, etc what was done for the rest. In fact changing disciplines to be something similar to Domains might be a good change. It would allow reworking of some of the more heinous powers folks complain of (if it was thought necessary). And including a psychic healer class might not be a bad one, especially if you put in a side bar about psionics being an alternative to magic. Maybe have it only in the sidebar, as a way to replace the role of the cleric.

There was also talk about including minor psionic feats in the main book, with the same basic thing of allowing for them to be redefined along with the soulknife. Up the walls, wild talent, open mind, and a bevy of other general feats, or psionic feats that only require wild talent, could be opened up for wider use in the PFRPG, while greater exposure could be given in a psionics sourcebook. While this might increase the breadth of psionic exposure, it would not increase the depth of it. After all, if the only thin in the main rules you can be, as far as psionics are concerned, is a wild talent with little to no control over your ability, you don't count as increasing the population of psions.

I love the reduced skill list. That is about the best idea I've seen to date. The use of skill choices, and the number of skill choices, is a cause for concern. I think that when creating a character (NPC or PC), the creator should have one of two choices (which should be equal). Choose skills, or assign ranks. I'm NOT fond of the skill points equalling tiered progression I've seen so far. One thing I don't think OGL had wrong was skill points.

But, to address the need for simplicity AND the want to increase skills, I think a SIMPLE change of skills increase with either character level based feats or stat increases being enough to make enough people happy.

I, for one, will likely use the Pathfinder skill list and the OGL skill point rules, sans synergies. Seems the easiest fix.