Recharging Power Points (3.5e Variant Rule)
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Contents
Recharging Power Points[edit]
Explanation[edit]
While being primarily rogue level in power, psionics isn't balanced for a per-encounter environment, instead being balanced per-day. This means that a character can "nova" and waste the majority of their PP in a single combat, then be out of PP for the rest of the day and be doomed to uselessness for the most part. This variant fixes both in one sweep, limiting the number of PP so that a character isn't able to nova as effectively, while on the other hand allowing characters to last through any number of encounters per day, as well as throughout an entire encounter regardless of how long it lasts.
Buffs can be problematic with this variant, since one could theoretically keep them up forever. In order to combat this, a caveat is added that forces characters to maintain them, allowing them to buff out of combat but not be totally immune to their drains on resources.
How it Works[edit]
- Primary psionic characters (psions, wilders, ardents, and so on) have a total number of PP equal to their manifester level plus the ability modifier responsible for their manifesting ability.
- Secondary psionic characters (psychic warriors, divine minds, lurks, and so on) have a total number of PP equal to one-half their manifester level plus the ability modifier responsible for their manifesting ability (minimum of 0).
- Races that gain a number of PP equal to their HD (such as Kalashtar or Empty Vessels) instead get one bonus PP at first level and another every four levels afterwards (5, 9, 13, and so on).
- Full manifesters recharge a number of PP at the beginning of their turn as a free action equal to one-third their manifesting ability modifier (rounded up) plus one-fourth their manifester level (rounded down, before any effects like Overchannel or Wild Surge that trigger when manifesting powers or items).
- Psychic Warriors, Lurks, and other "half-manifesting" classes recharge at one-half the rate that primary manifesters recharge as a free action at the beginning of their turn, rounded up.
- When a Wilder suffers from Psychic Enervation, they lose only a number of PP equal to one-half their wilder level, rounded up.
- If a character has Power Points from a race or feat, he does not automatically recharge PP; however, if he gains a manifester level along with it, he recharges PP based on that ML. Due to the fact that he would not normally gain extra PP from a high ability score in this instance, their ability modifier does not count for the purpose of recharging PP.
Longer-Lasting Powers[edit]
- Specific powers that are dismissable (have a "D" in their duration) or affect you, and that last for more than one round and that do not have a duration of permanent, reduce the number of PP gained when recharging PP, based on their duration when not augmented, even if they are augmented to a longer duration. Subtract the total upkeep costs from the number of PP one would regain. If the number of points that would be gained would be negative, decrease the manifester's PP at the end of their round by this number. If this would put one's total PP into the negatives, all powers that subtract from the total are dispelled. The cost to maintain powers for psychic warriors and similar half-manifesters is one less than the value for full-manifesters, as detailed in the parentheses.
- A power that lasts for one hour per ML costs no PP to maintain.
- A power that lasts for ten minutes per ML costs one PP to maintain per round (no PP to maintain for half-manifesters).
- A power that lasts for one minute per ML costs two PP to maintain per round (one PP to maintain for half-manifesters).
- A power that lasts for one round per ML or less than one minute costs three PP to maintain per round (two PP to maintain for half-manifesters).
All powers that are have a maintenance cost have a Permanent duration and last until the effect is dispelled, is destroyed (such as in the case of creatures summoned), or the manifester stops maintaining it.
Examples[edit]
- A level 7 psion with 24 Intelligence would have a total of 14 PP (7 + 7) and would recharge 4 PP per round (7/4 rounded down plus 7/3 rounded up)
- A level 13 wilder with 30 Charisma would have a total of 23 PP (13 + 10) and would recharge 7 PP per round (13/4 rounded down plus 10/3 rounded up)
- A level 9 psychic warrior with 28 Wisdom would have a total of 18 PP (9 + 9) and would recharge 3 PP per round (9/4 rounded down plus 9/3 rounded up, then that total halved and rounded up)
- If said psychic warrior had Inertial Armor (-0), Bite of the Wolf (-1), and Freedom of Movement (Psionic) (-0) manifested, he would gain two PP each attempt to recharge. If he also manifested Expansion (-2), Force Screen (-1), and Fly (Psionic) (-1), he would begin losing two PP every round until he was out of PP, after which Bite of the Wolf, Expansion, Fly (Psionic), and Force Screen would be automatically dispelled.
Multiclassed Manifesters[edit]
In the case of multiclassed manifesters, the rules change slightly. In order to figure out how many PP you would have, total the number of PP gained from class levels, and add only one of the ability scores from one of those classes to your total. Thus, a Psychic Warrior 8 / Wilder 9 with 30 Charisma would have 9 PP from his Wilder levels, and another 4 PP from his Psychic Warrior levels, for a total of of 23 PP after adding in their Charisma modifier.
To figure the amount of PP that a multiclassed manifester gains, figure out the amount each class would regain separately each round. Then the sum of all your manifesting classes, and subtract one for every manifesting class beyond the primary one to get the total amount of PP regained. So let's say that the above Psychic Warrior 8 / Wilder 9 had 30 Charisma and 26 Wisdom; first we figure out how many PP the Wilder side would regain. 4 (Charisma mod / 3, rounded up) + 2 (Manifester level / 4) is 6. Then we figure out how many PP the Psychic Warrior side would regain; 3 (Wisdom mod / 3, rounded up) + 2 (Manifester level / 4) = 5, and divide it by two (rounded up) for a total of 3 due to it being a half-manifester. Then, we add the two together, and subtract one for having one manifesting class beyond Wilder, for a total of 8 PP regained per round.
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