Manifest Trap (3.5e Power)

You're safe here, because you know the rocks are alive with psionic energy, waiting and watching.

You imbue an object or area with latent psionic energy waiting to burst forth on those who enter, pass, or open the warded area or object. A manifest trap can guard a bridge or passage, ward a portal, trap a chest or box, and so on.

You set the conditions of the ward. Typically, any creature entering the warded area or opening the warded object without speaking a password (which you set when manifesting the power) is subject to the energy it stores. Alternatively or in addition to a password trigger, traps can be set according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight) or creature type, subtype, or kind. Manifest traps can also be set with respect to good, evil, law, or chaos, or to pass those of your religion. They cannot be set according to class, Hit Dice, or level. Manifest traps respond to invisible creatures normally but are not triggered by those who travel past them ethereally. Multiple manifest traps cannot be cast on the same area. However, if a cabinet has three drawers, each can be separately warded.

When manifesting the power, you weave a tracery of faintly glowing lines around the warding sigil. A manifest trap can be placed to conform to any shape up to the limitations of your total square footage. When the power is completed, the tracery become nearly invisible.

Manifest trap cannot be affected or bypassed by such means as physical or psionic probing, though they can be dispelled. Mislead, metamorphosis, and nondetection (and similar psionic or magical effects) can fool a manifest trap, though nonmagical disguises and the like can’t. Detect psionics allows you to identify a manifest trap with a DC 13 Psicraft check. Identifying the manifest trap does not discharge it and allows you to know the basic nature of the trap (version, type of damage caused, what power is stored).

Note: Psionic traps such as manifest trap are hard to detect and disable. A rogue (only) can use the Search skill to find the manifest trap and Disable Device to thwart it. The DC in each case is 25 + power level, or 28 for an unaugmented manifest trap.

Depending on the version selected, a manifest trap either blasts the intruder or activates a power.

Blast Trap
A blast manifest trap deals 3d8 points of damage to the intruder and to all within 5 feet of him or her. This damage is cold, fire, electricity, or sonic (manifester’s choice, made at time of manifesting). Each creature affected can attempt a Reflex save to take half damage. Power resistance applies against this effect.

Cold: A blast of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die. The saving throw to reduce damage from a cold missile is a Fortitude save instead of a Reflex save.

Electricity: Manifesting a blast of this energy type provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on manifester level checks for the purpose of overcoming power resistance.

Fire: A blast of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.

Sonic: A blast of this energy type deals –1 point of damage per die and ignores an object’s hardness.

This power’s subtype is the same as the type of energy you manifest.

Power Trap
You can store any harmful power of 3rd level or lower that you know. All level-dependent features of the power are based on your manifester level at the time of casting the manifest trap. You manifest the desired power at the same time you complete this power, adding the power point cost to the effect. For example if you link swarm of crystals augmented to deal 2d4 damage, you spend the cost of this power (5) plus the cost of augmented swarm of crystals (4) for a total cost of 9. If the power has a target, it targets the intruder. If the power has an area or an amorphous effect the area or effect is centered on the intruder (or point blank for cones). If the power summons creatures, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack. Saving throws and power resistance operate as normal, except that the DC is based on the level of the spell stored in the manifest trap.

XP Cost: 40 xp

Augment: For every additional 2 power points spent, this power's damage increases by 1d8 points (blast trap version).

For every additional 2 power points spent, you can store a power one level higher (power trap version).