3.5 d20 Level-By-Level Base Class Breakdowns, Part V

   Here we have the next segment of the level-by-level breakdowns of the basic d20 character classes for Eclipse: The Codex Persona – the Psion and the Psychic Warrior. Both of these are fairly easy breakdowns, if only because, like the Fighter and the character classes in d20 modern, they both refrain from providing much in the way of specific powers, instead simply offering bonus Feats.

   Of course, in Eclipse, you aren’t limited to a particular list of bonus Feats, since you’re quite welcome to create your own six-point powers and ability combinations – but it still makes for a simple chart.

   In practice, at least in fantasy settings, most players seem to prefer spellcasters to psychics. It’s more dramatic and more genre to think of your character making mystical gestures, intoning strange spells in forgotten languages, and fooling about with weird ingredients than it is to have them look at things and concentrate for a moment.

   The psychics tend to start popping up in modern, futuristic, and super-heroic settings, where – despite the fact that there isn’t much in the system to distinguish between the two – the players tend to feel that psychic powers are faster, more reliable, and more “scientific” than spellcasting. In a way, they’re right – simply because half the mages in such settings corrupt of specialize their magic to increase it’s power at the expense of requiring lengthy rituals and such to use it.

   That’s a clue for easy game-mastering there. Develop your setting a bit, make sure that the players all have some idea of what to expect and what the conventions are likely to be – and most of them will cooperate enthusiastically. They realize that it makes for more fun and less argument.

The Psion, Levels 1-20:

   Every Level: d4 Hit Die (0), +4 SP (4), one Psion Magic Level (one Caster Level specialized in the Psion Spellcasting Progression, 3, and one level of the Psion Spellcasting Progression, 9) = 16 CP.

Level	Cost	Purchases
1st	48	+2 Will (6), Bonus Feat (6), Domain/Path (6), +12 Skill Points (12), Proficient with a limited set of Simple Weapons (2).
2nd	25	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3)
3rd	22	+1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3)
4th	25	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3)
5th	22	Bonus Feat (6)
6th	31	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
7th	16	None
8th	25	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3)
9th	22	+1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3)
10th	31	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3), Bonus Feat (6)
11th	16	None
12th	31	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
13th	16	None
14th	25	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3)
15th	28	+1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), Bonus Feat (6)
16th	25	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3)
17th	16	None
18th	31	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
19th	16	None
20th	31	+1 BAB (6), +1 Will (3), Bonus Feat (6)

   Grand Total: 502 out of 504 available.

   The Psion is another easy one to buy in Eclipse; there are a couple of levels where you’ll have to put off taking a skill point or two, but there are rather more where you’ll wind up a few points ahead even if you don’t take any disadvantages. If you come up with a few extra points, you can spend them on a bit of customization even before getting into the points from bonus Feats. Still, while the Psion, like a Wizard, regularly gets a Bonus Feat to look forward too, all the real excitement in this kind of build comes from acquiring new spells and powers. Fortunately, they’re good at it.

　

The Psychic Warrior, Levels 1-20:

   Every Level: d8 Hit Die (4), +2 Skill Points (2), +1 Psychic Warrior Magic Level (one Caster Level Specialized in the Psychic Warrior Progression, 3, and one level of the Psychic Warrior Spell Progression, 3) = 12

Level	Cost	Purchases
1st	57	+2 Fort (6), +6 Skill Points (6), Proficient with All Simple and Martial Weapons (9), Light, Medium, and Heavy Armor (15), and Shields (3), Bonus Feat (6).
2nd	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), Bonus Feat (6)
3rd	24	+1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3), +1 BAB (6)
4th	21	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3)
5th	18	Bonus Feat (6)
6th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
7th	18	+1 BAB (6)
8th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), Bonus Feat (6)
9th	18	+1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
10th	21	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3)
11th	24	+1 BAB (6), Bonus Feat (6)
12th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
13th	12	None
14th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), Bonus Feat (6)
15th	24	+1 BAB (6), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3),
16th	21	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3)
17th	18	Bonus Feat (6)
18th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), +1 Ref (3), +1 Will (3)
19th	18	+1 BAB (6),
20th	27	+1 BAB (6), +1 Fort (3), Bonus Feat (6)

   Grand Total: 483 out of 504 available.

   The Psychic Warrior winds up with 21 leftover points and is thus slightly underpowered. On the other hand, like the Fighter, the Psychic Warrior is a small-scale combat specialist – and thus this usually passes unnoticed, since a lot of games tend to focus on small-scale combat. More importantly for our purposes, it’s another build which can be fairly easily duplicated, customized, or improved on, by an Eclipse-style point-buy character. All you need to do is take a few disadvantages to help cover that slightly over-pricey first level, and perhaps a restriction, package deal, or set of duties, and you should have plenty of points left over to add some unique touches at higher levels.

   The Psychic Warrior does make an interesting contrast with the various magical-warrior builds, such as Hexblades and Duskblades*. Those builds tend to use fairly normal spells, and focus on giving the character ways to invoke them quickly, or channel them through weapons. The Psychic Warrior, on the other hand, simply uses “spells” with the high-speed, easy-to-use, and focused-on-weapons options built right in. That makes those spells weaker for their level of course, but the overall effect is pretty much the same.

   *Why is it always straight-swords-and-spells rather than – say – axes and spells? Partly tradition, partly the fact that the sword is perceived as a noble weapon that requires skill and finesse rather than brute force (trust me; all unpowered melee weapons require both some skill and enough muscle to move them around quickly), and partly simply the fact a straight sword that can be held in one hand is a pointing device – and most players seem to envision magic as something that comes from the caster, is directed at a target, travels in a straight line as directed, and takes effect on whatever it hits. There’s no reason for this outside of game balance (you’ve got to give your targets a chance to see you and strike back), since most classical magic didn’t even call for being able to see your target or even knowing where they were at the moment, but that’s the usual notion. Ergo, your basic spellblade uses a straight, one-handed, and fairly maneuverable sword to help direct his or her magic.