I'm currently working on a setting to run with my wife and a friend in which the PCs will eventually be traveling between different universes based on various fantasy, sci-fi, video game, and anime worlds. One such world is going to be a mess of merged worlds from various different modern anime series (actually part of the story with different characters and influences from different shows forcefully get pulled into one of the universes). While they are there, they will likely meet a character named Misaka from a series called Toaru no Majutsu no Index (or A Certain Magical Index). She is a young girl and a very powerful electromacer type esper. Now, having recently purchased the Ultimate Psionics PDF, I figured it would be a good time to play around with the book. Sadly, I couldn't find any option to really make a character that focused almost exclusively on the use of a single elemental energy. Maybe I missed something in the book, but from what I could see just about all characters that could use psionics of one energy type can also use it for all other types. With how common such a power is in the fantasy/sci-fi genres, it seemed like a bit of an oversite to me to not have such an option.
TLDR: So basically, I made an archetype for a psionic using character that focuses on one energy type. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! (oh, and does anyone know a good name for someone focused on using sonic energy, like pyromancer is for fire?)
Focused Kineticist (Wilder Archetype)
Some wilders are gifted with an affinity for a specific energy. Similar to a Kineticist Psion, they can wield the power of their energy with ease, but they do so forsaking the use of other energy types. Often these focused kineticists have specific names associated with their gifted energy type such as pyromancer (fire), electromancer (electricity), cryomancer (cold).
Powers Known: At 1st level, a focused kineticist must choose one energy type: cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. Any power that has an energy type in its descriptor must match your chosen energy type or you cannot learn it. Any power that gives a choice for the energy type must always use your chosen energy type. A focused kineticist can always learn powers which include his selected energy type in the descriptor even if it the power does not appear on the wilder power list. Such powers are treated as having power levels equal to the lowest power level it is available for any particular class. The talent and 1st-level power chosen at level 1 must have the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type in its descriptor (most commonly Energy Splash and Energy Ray). This modifies the Powers Known and Talent abilities.
Wild Surge: Whenever a focused kineticist uses his wild surge for abilities using his chosen energy type, the chance for enervation is reduced by 15%. Whenever using wild surge for any other powers, the chance of enervation is increased by 5%. Wild Surge otherwise functions as the standard ability.
Favored Energy: At 1st level, a focused kineticist gains Favored Energy as a bonus feat without needing to meet the prerequisites. This feat must be taken for the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type.
Elemental Blast: At 1st level, a focused kineticist gains Elemental Blast as a bonus feat without needing to meet the prerequisites. This feat must always use the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type and the focused kineticist is not normally able to deal force damage with his Surge Blast. This ability modifies the Surge Blast ability.
Force of Energy (Su): Starting at 4th level, whenever a focused kineticist is dealing damage of his chosen type he may as a free action spend 1 power point or expend his psionic focus to do half of that damage as force damage instead of the normal energy type. This ability may be applied to the focused kineticist’s Elemental Blast at no cost. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +1.
Energy Force Push (Su): Starting at 12th level, whenever a focused kineticist uses his Force of Energy ability, he may attempt a bull rush or trip combat maneuver against all creatures who took force damage from the attack as a free action. A single combat maneuver check is made using the focused kineticist’s manifester level in place of his base attack bonus and Charisma modifier in place of his Strength modifier. The result is applied to each creature’s CMD to determine success. Successful bull rush maneuvers move creatures away from the focused kineticist’s location. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +2.
Greater Energy Force Push (Su): At 20th level, whenever a focused kineticist uses his Energy Force Push ability, he may attempt both a bull rush and a trip combat maneuver. He first rolls a single bull rush attempt and then a single trip attempt in the same manner as when using Energy Force Push. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +3.
. . . Maybe I missed something in the book, but from what I could see just about all characters that could use psionics of one energy type can also use it for all other types. With how common such a power is in the fantasy/sci-fi genres, it seemed like a bit of an oversite to me to not have such an option.
TLDR: So basically, I made an archetype for a psionic using character that focuses on one energy type. Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you! (oh, and does anyone know a good name for someone focused on using sonic energy, like pyromancer is for fire?)
I figure it's less of an oversight and maybe more of a balance reason. Evoking and direct damage mechanics are not efficient as other types of casting. This gives a blaster build some options when faced with something immune or highly resistant to his shtick.
But you're right. It's a common trope. So lets take a look at your substitutions. :)
Powers Known: At 1st level, a focused kineticist must choose one energy type: cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. Any power that has an energy type in its descriptor must match your chosen energy type or you cannot learn it. Any power that gives a choice for the energy type must always use your chosen energy type. A focused kineticist can always learn powers which include his selected energy type in the descriptor even if it the power does not appear on the wilder power list. Such powers are treated as having power levels equal to the lowest power level it is available for any particular class. The talent and 1st-level power chosen at level 1 must have the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type in its descriptor (most commonly Energy Splash and Energy Ray). This modifies the Powers Known and Talent abilities.
You're getting access to discipline powers only available to the Psychokinesis discipline without the Expanded Knowledge feat(s). Considering the small amount of powers a wilder gets, it should be fine. Its not as bad as how sorcerer's abilities are parceled out... some overlap but not too much.
At first, I worried that 3/4 or 1/2 casting psionics classes like psychic warrior and marksman would net you some powers early that you just shouldn't... but after looking, even the corner cases aren't that great, like the melee powers shocking strike or sonic blast.
I think that there ought to be a simpler way to phrase the idea that you can pick powers with any energy type and they only manifest as your chosen energy type, but I'm just not sure how to phrase it.
Wild Surge: Whenever a focused kineticist uses his wild surge for abilities using his chosen energy type, the chance for enervation is reduced by 15%. Whenever using wild surge for any other powers, the chance of enervation is increased by 5%. Wild Surge otherwise functions as the standard ability.
This is now getting something for nothing. That should never happen. I'd probably rework it such that when one surges and manifests a power with an associated energy type (which now becomes his chosen energy type thanks to the modification to powers known) the chance for psychic enervation drops to 5% and when manifesting any other power the chance for psychic enervation increases to 20%.
I know this is still just about something for nothing, but I roll enough 1s that I think a 5% will still happen, possibly at the worst possible moment. As a wilder of this type, I would probably never surge a power that's not an energy type, but then again, as a player I am sometimes a scaredy-bat. I feel the 1 in 5 chance would hit me pretty often. I'd almost say 10% for the energy type powers, as you can just avoid the 20% failure by not surging non energy powers. A 1 in 10 chance for more power to something you're going to be doing a lot of is still a good risk/reward, but since it becomes his thing!... I'd lean toward 5%.
Then again, I'm not the best with numbers, so all I can say for certain is that you should not eliminate the possibly of failure entirely.
Favored Energy: At 1st level, a focused kineticist gains Favored Energy as a bonus feat without needing to meet the prerequisites. This feat must be taken for the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type.
A free feat is nice, especially this free feat for a blaster, but considering you only get one type of energy now, I still think its a drop in power.
Favored Energy
. . .
[b]Benefit: Choose one type of energy to become your favored energy: cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. Any time you manifest a power that deals damage of your favored energy type, the damage is increased by +1 per die.
It's like taking a sorcerer heritage, which a psionic class couldn't do (because they manifest powers, not cast spells) unlike wizards that dip sorcerer or sorcerers who take eldritch heritage to focus on blast damage.
Elemental Blast: At 1st level, a focused kineticist gains Elemental Blast as a bonus feat without needing to meet the prerequisites. This feat must always use the focused kineticist’s chosen energy type and the focused kineticist is not normally able to deal force damage with his Surge Blast. This ability modifies the Surge Blast ability.
Elemental Blast
. . .
Benefit: Your surge blast deals damage of your active energy type instead of force damage. In addition, your surge blast is modified based upon your active energy type.Cold: A surge blast of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.
Electricity: A surge blast of this energy type provides a +3 bonus on your attack roll if the target is wearing metal armor.
Fire: A surge blast of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.
Sonic: A surge blast of this energy type deals –1 point of damage per die and ignores an object's hardness.
So you are trading the ability to affect incorporeal creatures for... a specific bonus. I think this is another drop in power, but thematically it fits.
Force of Energy (Su): Starting at 4th level, whenever a focused kineticist is dealing damage of his chosen type he may as a free action spend 1 power point or expend his psionic focus to do half of that damage as force damage instead of the normal energy type. This ability may be applied to the focused kineticist’s Elemental Blast at no cost. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +1.
Splitting the damage type does mean bypassing some resistance sometimes. Other times it means nothing. I am kind of 'meh' here. I'd actually prefer it to be something like 3.5's searing spell feat for psions.
Penetrating Blast: Starting at 4th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and bypass some of a targets resistance to his chosen energy. Treat a targets resistance as one less per manifester level. This has no effect on targets with an immunity to the chosen energy type.
At 12th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and effect a creature with immunity to the chosen energy type as if he had a resistance of 30. This resistance cannot be further reduced.
At 20th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and effect a creature with resistance or immunity to the chosen energy type as if it did not possess resistance or immunity. Alternately, when manifesting a power of his chosen energy type against a creature with vulnerability to that energy type, a focused kineticist may expend his focus as a free action and deal double (+100%) the amount of damage as normal from that energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure.
Energy Force Push (Su): Starting at 12th level, whenever a focused kineticist uses his Force of Energy ability, he may attempt a bull rush or trip combat maneuver against all creatures who took force damage from the attack as a free action. A single combat maneuver check is made using the focused kineticist’s manifester level in place of his base attack bonus and Charisma modifier in place of his Strength modifier. The result is applied to each creature’s CMD to determine success. Successful bull rush maneuvers move creatures away from the focused kineticist’s location. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +2.
Greater Energy Force Push (Su): At 20th level, whenever a focused kineticist uses his Energy Force Push ability, he may attempt both a bull rush and a trip combat maneuver. He first rolls a single bull rush attempt and then a single trip attempt in the same manner as when using Energy Force Push. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria +3.
Both of these abilities are of less use at this level. Flying opponents. Larger Opponents. And the ones it will work on are probably the ones who will drop dead from the blasting itself. I like the idea, but I don't think it will actually see a lot of use at these levels. If you don't like the penetration idea above, I'd almost say adding status effects, like stun and then paralysis for electricity, fatigue and exhaustion for cold, sickened and nauseated for acid, and... something for fire.
All in all, I think your idea is fair, if a power down from what a wilder can normally do.
Thanks for the detailed feedback! I'll try to respond to most of your comments:
I figure it's less of an oversight and maybe more of a balance reason. Evoking and direct damage mechanics are not efficient as other types of casting. This gives a blaster build some options when faced with something immune or highly resistant to his shtick.
Yeah, I figured it was probably for something like that. This is the main reason I really wanted to make an archetype that got more of a benefit using a single energy type, because just making a wilder which took nothing but powers of one energy type would be pretty weak. Maybe a high level ability that lets the focused kineticist ignore part of a creature's resistance or immunity to the chosen energy type would be appropriate?
I think that there ought to be a simpler way to phrase the idea that you can pick powers with any energy type and they only manifest as your chosen energy type, but I'm just not sure how to phrase it.
After reading more into how some of the kineticist powers and other abilities in the book work, I was thinking about making the first entry for the archetype something like this instead:
Single Energy Focus: At 1st level, a focused kineticist must choose one energy type: cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. This is always considered to be the focused kineticist's active energy type. Any power that has an energy type in its descriptor must match your chosen energy type or include it as a choice, otherwise the focused kineticist cannot learn it. A focused kineticist can always learn such powers even if it they do not appear on the wilder power list. These powers are treated as having power levels equal to the lowest power level at which it is available for any particular class. The talent and 1st-level power chosen at level 1 must also be powers of this type (most commonly Energy Splash and Energy Ray). This modifies the Powers Known and Talent abilities.
Having the focused kineticist to only be able to use his energy type as his active energy type makes sense and also makes the Elemental Blast bonus feat a little easier to write:
Elemental Blast: At 1st level, a focused kineticist gains Elemental Blast as a bonus feat. The focused kineticist is not normally able to deal force damage with his Surge Blast. This ability modifies the Surge Blast ability.
Although I'm not sure if the "not normally able to deal force damage" line is needed. It seems like any wilder that takes Elemental Blast can't use the surge blast to do force damage anymore, if you do a strict reading of the feat. Any opinion on that?
But yeah, having the focused kineticist always having the same active energy type may have some other consequences I don't recognize right now? It would probably be especially troublesome with multiclassing, but that might be a good thing. This archetype might be too dipable otherwise.
This is now getting something for nothing. That should never happen. I'd probably rework it such that when one surges and manifests a power with an associated energy type (which now becomes his chosen energy type thanks to the modification to powers known) the chance for psychic enervation drops to 5% and when manifesting any other power the chance for psychic enervation increases to 20%.
This isn't exactly something for nothing. The balancing factor for all of the abilities that don't say they replace something directly is meant to be the fact that the focused kineticist can only use one energy type. I can probably go with the 10% reduction and 5% increase, but it just seemed to make sense that they should be able to power up their element's powers without risk. They would still risk a 15% chance of psychic enervation if they wanted to manifest the power without using power points (35% for other powers). It's a really nice ability, but I didn't think it was too great since, again, they can only use the one energy type. Considering that most of your other comments call out how the archetype is a drop in power, I would think it should be fine, but I'll think about it further.
Splitting the damage type does mean bypassing some resistance sometimes. Other times it means nothing. I am kind of 'meh' here.
I do sort of agree. It can be pretty situational, but I didn't think Surging Euphoria was all that great of an ability either, although with the focused kineticist being able to wild surge with little or no risk of psychic enervation, that would make Suring Euphoria a bit better.
Penetrating Blast: Starting at 4th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and bypass some of a targets resistance to his chosen energy. Treat a targets resistance as one less per manifester level. This has no effect on targets with an immunity to the chosen energy type.
At 12th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and effect a creature with immunity to the chosen energy type as if he had a resistance of 30. This resistance cannot be further reduced.
At 20th level, whenever a focused kineticist is manifesting a power of his chosen energy type, he may expend his focus as a free action and effect a creature with resistance or immunity to the chosen energy type as if it did not possess resistance or immunity. Alternately, when manifesting a power of his chosen energy type against a creature with vulnerability to that energy type, a focused kineticist may expend his focus as a free action and deal double (+100%) the amount of damage as normal from that energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure.
I do like this ability. As I mentioned earlier in this response, being able to bypass resistance or immunity is something I am thinking of adding in or swapping with something else. I do prefer the way I wrote the trigger for the ability, to include an extra power point as an option to activate it instead of being locked into expending his focus. I also think the final ability is rather strong to just be a replacement for Surging Euphoria and should probably also replace Perfect Surge at 20th level. How about this:
Penetrating Energy (Su): Starting at 4th level, whenever a focused kineticist is dealing damage of his chosen type he may as a free action spend 1 power point or expend his psionic focus to bypass some of the targets' resistance to that type. Treat such energy resistance from all targets damaged as one less for every manifester level of the focused kineticist. This has no effect on targets with immunity to the chosen energy type. This ability may be applied to the focused kineticist's Elemental Blast at no cost.
At 12th level, targets with immunity to the chosen energy type are treated as if they have a resistance of 30 instead when using this ability. This resistance cannot be further reduced.
At 20th level, all resistances and immunities to the chosen energy type are ignored when using this ability. Additionally, when this ability is used against creatures with vulnerability to the chosen energy type, the modified damage deals double (+100%) the amount of damage as normal, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure. This ability replaces Surging Euphoria and Perfect Surge.
The only question I'd have is if the additional damage to creatures with vulnerability replaces the normal vulnerability increase of +50%? If so, maybe it should be reworded to this just to be clearer:
....Additionally, when this ability is used against creatures with vulnerability to the chosen energy type, they take double as much damage (+100%) from the energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure instead of the normal +50% damage from vulnerability.
If you don't like the penetration idea above, I'd almost say adding status effects, like stun and then paralysis for electricity, fatigue and exhaustion for cold, sickened and nauseated for acid, and... something for fire.
Well, I do like the penetration idea, but I like this one, too. Unfortunately, there isn't much left to replace. Maybe I can write exclusive Surge Types for the four different focused kineticists that can include the application of status effects. I could also write up a Force of Energy Surge that would be available to focused kineticists of all types to preserve some of that idea as well....
Oh, and acid isn't an option for an active energy type so it wouldn't be a possible focused kineticist. It's sonic instead. Although I was thinking a bit about how to implement acid as a special choice for the archetype. I'll have to think about that a bit. I'd have to write special modifications for acid when the focused kineticist uses Elemental Blast and powers that have a choice of energy type. Looking them over, most of them are the same from power to power. I can probably be safe in just saying that acid works the same as fire for Elemental Blast and most of those powers. The only problem child with that would be Energy Splash's alternate ability for fire (lighting something like a torch or heating something like food). Acid wouldn't do that and I'm not sure what it would do instead.
Thanks again for the feedback and the ideas. Let me know if you have any other thoughts!
Thanks for the detailed feedback!. . .
No problem. :)
This isn't exactly something for nothing. The balancing factor for all of the abilities that don't say they replace something directly is meant to be the fact that the focused kineticist can only use one energy type. I can probably go with the 10% reduction and 5% increase, but it just seemed to make sense that they should be able to power up their element's powers without risk. They would still risk a 15% chance of psychic enervation if they wanted to manifest the power without using power points (35% for other powers). It's a really nice ability, but I didn't think it was too great since, again, they can only use the one energy type. Considering that most of your other comments call out how the archetype is a drop in power, I would think it should be fine, but I'll think about it further.
Well, it's just that it's based on the wilder. You push yourself with the surge. It's akin to the barbarian's rage. You are giving in to the Dark Side of the Force. (:D)
There should be a chance for enervation, but the focused specializing should reduce that. I still lean to 5% for your focused energy type (which you will be using All the time) and 20% for other powers (which you could always just manifest normally and completely avoid the 1/5 surge downside). Even heroes in anime and movies appear weak or even pass out sometimes after pulling out all the stops.
Well, I do like the penetration idea, but I like this one, too. Unfortunately, there isn't much left to replace. Maybe I can write exclusive Surge Types for the four different focused kineticists that can include the application of status effects. I could also write up a Force of Energy Surge that would be available to focused kineticists of all types to preserve some of that idea as well....
Or possibly... another feat?
Overwhelming energy
Prerequisite: Favored energy, Wild Surge class ability or Overchannel
Benefit: When using the wild surge class ability or the overchannel feat to manifest a power with your favored energy type, you may add an additional effect. A creature damaged by the power must make a fortitude save with a DC equal to the normal save for the power, or suffer a status effect based on the active energy type. For a power with no saving throw, it’s the DC that the power’s saving throw would have if a save were allowed (10 + power level + manifester’s ability score).
Cold: A target becomes fatigued for two rounds. At manifester level 15 and higher, you can instead make a target exhausted for one round.
Electricity: A target becomes stunned for two rounds. At manifester level 15 and higher, you can instead make a target paralyzed for one round.
Fire: A target becomes dazzled for two rounds. At manifester level 15 and higher, you can instead make a target blinded for 1 round.
Sonic: A target becomes sickened for two rounds. At manifester level 15 and higher, you can instead make a target nauseated for 1 round.
Sonic should be something and deafened, but there isn't a lesser version and
. . . Extremely high-power sound waves can disrupt or destroy the eardrums of a target and cause severe pain or disorientation. This is usually sufficient to incapacitate a person. Less powerful sound waves can cause humans to experience discomfort or nausea. The use of these frequencies to incapacitate persons has occurred both in counter-terrorist and crowd control settings. . . .
After looking around, I am not really happy with the dazzled condition, but I can't find anything that fits. I am also completely unsure of the balance of this proposed feat, but it could be used as a starting point.
. . . Oh, and acid isn't an option for an active energy type so it wouldn't be a possible focused kineticist. It's sonic instead. Although I was thinking a bit about how to implement acid as a special choice for the archetype. I'll have to think about that a bit. I'd have to write special modifications for acid when the focused kineticist uses Elemental Blast and powers that have a choice of energy type. Looking them over, most of them are the same from power to power. I can probably be safe in just saying that acid works the same as fire for Elemental Blast and most of those powers. The only problem child with that would be Energy Splash's alternate ability for fire (lighting something like a torch or heating something like food). Acid wouldn't do that and I'm not sure what it would do instead. . . .
Yep. I missed/forgot that. Psychic warriors get a few corrosive powers and I had just looked at their list to see if they got anything too soon compared to a kineticist. I got mixed up. :(
Acid isn't strictly an energy, so I can kind of see why they chose to leave it out of the versatile powers and make individual ones (especially since it was that way in 3.5). I would probably just avoid making the acid addition to other powers and pillage from the psychic warrior list. However, the acid powers like corrosive aura or dissolving touch come with the problem of limited/touch range.
The only question I'd have is if the additional damage to creatures with vulnerability replaces the normal vulnerability increase of +50%? If so, maybe it should be reworded to this just to be clearer:
....Additionally, when this ability is used against creatures with vulnerability to the chosen energy type, they take double as much damage (+100%) from the energy type, regardless of whether a saving throw is allowed or if the save is a success or failure instead of the normal +50% damage from vulnerability.
Better.
I must admit, I like the game, but I don't always phrase things well. :)
Oh... I take it that a strict reading of the elemental blast feat completely overwrite the surge blast feature as well.