I allow Dreamscarred Press' version of psionics in my games. One campaign limits magic to up to 6th-level spells because of the story and because I wanted to see if full casters were still ridiculously powerful at higher levels compared to aprtial casters when they no longer had 7th-9th level spells. Two players in this campaign use psionic classes, with one PC being a psion.
Recently, it came up that this means that eventually the psion will come into 7th-9th spell level territory. 7th-9th level powers are nonfunctional, like spells are. That was the simple bit. The other bit is augmentation. Most of the case, augments are meant to allow powers to scale like spells would. With the rules I'm using, a level 20 wizard still has CL 20 for duration, CL-dependent variables, and the like. It seems to make sense to allow powers to augment like they normally would, then. But a few powers' augments effectively upgrade them to equivalents of higher-level spells, like psionic dominate person (mind control) becoming dominate monster.
How should I handle this and why? Ban augments, allow augments, allow augments on a case-by-case basis? I'm currently going to do the last one if it comes up, but I'm not absolutely confident. I'd like to know what people with experience with high-level psionics think, and I'd like to know if there are any other augments like mind control's I should know about.
Psionics are just spells with a different name and mechanic. I would not allow any psionics past level 6, nor would I allow any psion to augment them past the point where a 12th level psion could.
I would allow for the psions to use CL for the purpose of duration since casters get to do it.
What Wraithstrike said. Put your metapsionic cap at 12, and it's roughly the same thing.
. . . One campaign limits magic to up to 6th-level spells because of the story and because I wanted to see if full casters were still ridiculously powerful at higher levels compared to aprtial casters when they no longer had 7th-9th level spells.
. . . The other bit is augmentation. Most of the case, augments are meant to allow powers to scale like spells would. With the rules I'm using, a level 20 wizard still has CL 20 for duration, CL-dependent variables, and the like. It seems to make sense to allow powers to augment like they normally would, then. But a few powers' augments effectively upgrade them to equivalents of higher-level spells, like psionic dominate person (mind control) becoming dominate monster. . . .
So full casters are still getting free scaling and the 7th-9th level spell slots for metamagiced versions... I lean toward your idea of disallowing augments on a case by case basis.
Giving psionic classes free scaling violates the you-don't-get-something-for nothing mechanics of psionics, but capping manifesting at 12th level creates a different issue. As Bigger Club references, metapsionic feats require both power points and the expenditure of a temporary focus for each feat to activate. Giving them a 20 ML for duration but nothing else doesn't let them use their metamagic nearly as well as the other full casters.
But wraithstrike's idea is the simplest. And there is an appeal in uncluttered simplicity.
But wraithstrike's idea is the simplest. And there is an appeal in uncluttered simplicity.
It just comes with the slight downside that you might as well just tell the players that they can't advance past level 12 if they're playing a psionic character.
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You have mot explained enough for us to give you proper guidance. For example, do 9th lb casters still get the slots for higher level spells so they can fill them with either lower level spells or the same with meta magic feats? If 9 casters never get spells past six, do 6 casterssyop getting spells around the same level?
But wraithstrike's idea is the simplest. And there is an appeal in uncluttered simplicity.It just comes with the slight downside that you might as well just tell the players that they can't advance past level 12 if they're playing a psionic character.
Even though I used the word duration I also intended for some powers to scale the damage if the casters damage dealt still increases.
Basically scale it just like the arcane version..
example: If disintegrate scales by caster level then let psion augment disintegrate damage also, but the psion should not be allowed to use PP to increase the DC beyond what the casters can before feats and other factors come into play.
. . . Just wanted to correct this, you are mistaking metapsionic feats for augmentations. The mentioned feats work just as described. Augmentation requires nothing else than knowing a power(that can be augmented.) and high enough manifester level and extra pp to use. Augmentation is internal part of those powers. . . .
I know. Maybe I wasn't clear that I was speaking about two things at once.
You cannot spend more power points than your manifester level. Using augments requires more power points. Using metapsionic feats require the expenditure of one focus per metapsionic feat AND additional power points. Consider it an augment that requires something extra because it applies to all powers. Your manifester level limit impacts BOTH.
A flat manifester level cap is easy, but I don't think it's necessarily fair. If you just give psionics free scaling as magic gets, then it's a little bit of a power up for psionics that its not made for.
It just comes with the slight downside that you might as well just tell the players that they can't advance past level 12 if they're playing a psionic character.
Hmm... and you know, that's why I said I favored, or would prefer, a different way if I was playing.
. . . I lean toward your idea of disallowing augments on a case by case basis. . . .