Sorry if this is in the wrong section of the forums. Wasn't sure if there was a spot specifically for advice on 3PP options (outside of DSP Psionics, which I sometimes see here).
Anyhow... About to do (yet another) home game with a mere two characters involved. To that end, I've decided to play a Life Leech/Sadist Vitalist. For factors consisting but not limited to 'Rule of Cool', and 'been wanting to play one', I'm fairly set on Khymer from Obsidian Apocalypse as the race.
If anyone needs, and knows whether it's allowed or not, I can copy-pasta the mechanics of the Khymer from the PDF.
Key points of note (not everything): Medium, Aberration, 30ft land speed, Darkvis 60, +2 any 2 ability scores, 1 bonus PP at first level, can burn their constitution (1 con damage on a successful save, 2 on a fail) to recover PP or enhance powers it's manifesting, and they must use magic to heal (though if they enter a new body, they heal all damage automatically).
Having not really played either of these choices... I'm reaching out for a bit of advice. I figure the Sadist Life Leech Soul Thief Vitalist would be a halfway decent method of keeping the 'no natural healing' aspect from flat out killing my character.
Plus, take 1-2 points of con damage, recover 5 Power Points, blow 3 manifesting Body Purification, heal 2 points of constitution damage, net profit +2....
So, if anyone's familiar with either aspect of this character, Vitalist or Khymer... Any advice I should keep in mind? Such as general tactics or powers to choose?
I am very interested to hear more about this.
This sounds like an interesting, flavorful, fun idea. However ...
Plus, take 1-2 points of con damage, recover 5 Power Points, blow 3 manifesting Body Purification, heal 2 points of constitution damage, net profit +2....
I could see someone (player or GM) experiencing this---the vitalist using all the power points each encounter, and regaining full power points between every encounter---and concluding "Psionics is overpowered!" I don't know the exact mechanics that let you do this, but maybe 5 pp for 1-2 Con damage is too much?
Haven't gotten entirely around to building the character yet, been busy with more important thing, but figured I should copy-pasta the Khymer mechanics. Ripped right from the PDF.
with negative energy, broke down the khymer’s humanoid form into a sentient blood-like
substance that retained their original psionic abilities. In this new form, the khymer discovered
they could invade bodies of humanoid corpses and by some unknown means could
genetically reconstruct these “vessels” into their original humanoid form for a limited time.
The vessels normally last a month, at which time the vessel “burns out” from the khymer’s
energy, reverting the khymer to its blood form and necessitating another corpse to invade as
a new vessel. These characteristics give khymer the following abilities:
Medium: As Medium creatures, khymer have no special bonuses or penalties due to their
size.
Normal Speed: Khymer have a base land speed of 30 feet.
Darkvision: Khymer can see in the dark up to 60 feet.
Diversity: Khymer are very diverse and varied, giving them a +2 bonus to any two ability
scores.
Toxic Blood: The khymer’s blood form is highly toxic and poisonous to both the living and undead. Any creature that attempts to bite, swallow
whole, or blood drain a khymer in blood form will know of their toxic blood and will often become unwilling or unable to use that attack against that
khymer again. Any that persist or are forced to swallow khymer blood must make a Fortitude save (DC 15 + the khymer’s Constitution modifier)
or take 1d6 points of Strength damage each round for ten rounds or until consecutive two successful Fortitude saves are made to purge the blood.
Disease Immunity: A khymer is immune to disease, whether magical or non-magical.
Naturally Psionic: Khymer gain 1 bonus power point at 1st level. This benefit does not grant them the ability to manifest powers unless they gain
that ability through another source, such as levels in a psionic class.
Enhanced Psionics: At will, khymer can enhance their natural psionic powers and abilities beyond the levels of normal psions. Any time a khymer
enhances one of its abilities, it must make a Fortitude save (DC 25). On success, it takes 1 point of Con damage. On failure, it takes 2 points of Con
damage and is staggered until the end of its next turn. Only one effect can be enhanced at a time; the khymer must roll a new Fortitude save each
time it enhances one of its abilities. This enhancement can be one of the following effects: A khymer can expand its power point total at the expense
of its body vessel. A khymer doing so recovers 5 power points, which are added to the khymer’s power point reserve as if they had been gained by
resting overnight.
A khymer can manifest its powers to greater effect. All variable numeric effects of an empowered power are increased by one-half. An empowered
power deals half again as much damage as normal, cures half again as many hit points, affects half again as many targets, and so forth, as appropriate.
Augmented powers can also be empowered (multiply 1½ times the damage total of the augmented power). Saving throws and opposed
checks (such as the one you make when you manifest dispel psionics) are not affected, nor are powers without random variables. Using this ability
does not increase the power point cost of the power.
A khymer can manifest its powers farther than normal, increasing the range of a power with a range of close, medium, or long by 100%. An
enlarged power with a range of close has a range of 50 feet + 5 feet per level, a medium-range power has a range of 200 feet + 20 feet per level,
and a long-range power has a range of 800 feet + 80 feet per level. Powers whose ranges are not defined by distance, as well as powers whose
ranges are not close, medium, or long, are not affected. Using this ability does not increase the power point cost of the power.
A khymer can manifest its powers for longer than normal. An extended power lasts twice as long as normal. A power with a duration of concentration,
instantaneous, or permanent is not affected by this ability.
Unnatural Metabolism: Khymer do not heal physical ability damage normally; instead, all damage must be healed magically. If a khymer
enters a new body, all damage is healed automatically.
So, it'd be more of the Khymer are overpowered than Psionics, I believe. I'm under the impression that since it's "at will", it can be done ad nauseum. The only bit that concerns me is the 'as if they had been gained by resting overnight'. Which could also mean you only can do it once per day until your next rest.
I'm also working under the assumption that psionic healing would work on Khymer. Which is more or less the entire reason I chose Vitalist over, say, Oracle, for the 2-man party this foray into Emerald Spire will be (with me as the gm/gmpc-support). Already know that medium sized humanoids are going to be hard to come by later on, and looking forward to the challenge lol.
If any of my assumptions are to the contrary, it'd be nice to be wrong. There are several ways a DM can re-balance that. Make the 5pp part of the ability once per day (best imo); the con-damage can't be healed (rough but maybe fair); psionic healing doesn't work on Khymer at all (too much imo). I'd probably use the 1/day method myself if it were any other party/campaign/player.
Edit: Doh'. Forgot to mention for those that don't know, Body Purification psionic power. 1 round, cure 2 points of ability damage.
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One thing that you will want to do is ensure that the DC for your Unwilling Participant Collective ability is as high as possible -- all of the healing and or damage redirection you will be determined based on the saving throw DC established by this ability.
Using the collective to transfer healing from one person to another is a magical effect, but it doesn't change the nature of the healing itself...so "natural healing" transferred between party members is still considered natural healing.
Balancing the Khymer ability is easy enough -- change it to ability drain vs ability damage, then Body Purification won't apply. However, given that it is a DC 25 fortitude save, I don't see you making that save very consistently.
So, you'll be spending 3 power points to recover 5 power points for a total of 2 power points at the cost of potentially staggering yourself once per round. While powerful at lower levels, this tactic will quickly become less of an issue as your power point pool increases.