How would you improve the Psi-Archer from Rifter 45?

[gaby]

I would allow that Psi-archer to charge ther arrows with different psi-powers.

What psi-powers do you think will wokr for the psi-arrows?

what do you think?

[Grandil]

Maybe give him the same skill set as the Tattoo archer in Splynn D.M., IE. Sharpshooting.

[drewkitty ~..~]

By leaving it alone.

[Grandil]

"Psi-Archer" sounds like a class I'd hate right from the get-go. "Ugh!" There's a reason I ignore most Rifter material.

Why? Unlike guns Bows & Arrows are silent-Great for schneaking up on someone!

[Syndicate]

...well...

I would give them an extra 1D4x10+20 I.S.P. in Rifts...

...give them some sort of psionically enhanced vision (strike bonuses for any ranged attack and far-sight)...

...the P.C.C. skills are pathetic (look at the skills of a Psi-warrior)...add:

Prowl, Streetwise, Detect concealment, Horsemanship: General or Pilot motorcycle, and athletics

...special Psionic arrows: (multiple arrows-creates 1 extra arrow every 3 levels 25 I.S.P., Pierce arrow-causes the arrow to better penetrate armor...1D4+1 points of damage will always bypass armor if hit, Far arrow-...+1000' to range)

[Balabanto]

I would let the Psi-Bow deal more damage. In Rifts, that bow is useless. You're better off buying a longbow and magic arrows as soon as you get any money at all.

[Syndicate]

I would let the Psi-Bow deal more damage. In Rifts, that bow is useless. You're better off buying a longbow and magic arrows as soon as you get any money at all.

Rifts has that "high-power" value to it which warrents (I believe) a slight increase in the damage of the arrows. Maybe giving them their own class skill...something like:

*Strategic hitting 45% +5% per level, on a successful skill roll the character has targeted and hit "weaker" areas of a living or inanimate object. (note) damage is X2 at levels 1-7, X3 at levels 8+...this skill takes two actions, on a failed roll one action is wasted. (power punch, but with arrows)

[Lord Z]

The original poster didn't specify if the class were to be used in Palladium Fantasy as it was intended or for use in another game.

If the class were being used in HU, I would only allow the channeling of other psi-powers through the arrows if we were playing a Mega-Heroes game. Even then, any powers which require physical contact like Mind Wipe would involve the psychic first creating an arrow out of ectoplasm, and the range of the intended affect would still be limited to the ectoplasm's range. The psi-archer is at his most potent when you actually use the optional archery rules that appear in the Rifter article.

I see no compelling reason to change the class for most games in which psychics appear (Systems Failure, Beyond the Supernatural, Robotech Sentinels, After the Bomb, etc.) except for expanding the skills to allow more modern skills. I would consider Syndicate's ISP boost in Nightbane and Rifts, depending on what classes the players are playing.

[Prysus]

Greetings and Salutations. Well, someone brought this to my attention so I'll try to respond. I may not have a lot of useful additions, but I'll do my best.

First, my personal thoughts. It was written with the thought in mind to make people want to play archers, and not totally eclipse men of arms with a psychic who could do everything they could do plus all these extra psionics making the other ones pointless. They still get psionics, and can sneak their ranged weapon anywhere they want (even if weapons aren't allowed). Some like the balance, some don't, can't make everyone happy (though I have to say I like how often this class gets discussed, good or bad, just that it keeps coming back up). It could fit well as is depending on group on setting. In a high powered group it would need something to help it, but in could fit easily enough in a low powered game, even in a Rifts game where M.D.C. is rare (some people still run it that way).

Don't forget to include the factors of the Hand to Hand bonuses and the Archery Proficiencies in the article to the Psi-Archer. Use of those two factors can do most of what Syndicate suggested (at least at higher levels) including Multiple Arrows, Power Arrow, increased range, armor penetration, bonuses to strike, and various other bonuses. I think a lot of people sell a Psi-Archer short by not factoring in all the bonuses they can do with those arrows.

Something new, this came up in a previous thread and I mentioned had I thought about it at the time I may have made one different change. I haven't ever tested this out, but I would have likely included an ability to the Psi-Bow. Any Psi-Arrow fired from the Psi-Bow costs half as much I.S.P. (minimum 1). This gives added motivation to use the Psi-Bow, but I don't think would be totally unbalancing or break the game/class.

I.S.P. levels ... well, this is a matter of taste. Many feel they need more I.S.P., so if someone feels it needs more I.S.P. I'd suggest using 2D4x10 plus M.E., plus 10 per level. This would be in place of the current I.S.P. pool, not in addition to. That's just a general suggestion (it's the I.S.P. pool I'd have used if I wanted to make them more powerful psychics, which I voted for going the lower power side).

Syndicate mentioned skills, for Rifts that's a pretty good point. The class was designed for Palladium Fantasy, and PF O.C.C. tend to get less skills than Rifts. So if playing in Rifts, I have nothing wrong with adding in the skills he suggested. For Rifts (I don't feel as necessary in PF) I particularly endorse the Prowl suggestion because it fits the class, while the others are fine (I neither endorse nor have an issue with).

I agree with Rider about including other powers to the arrows. That's the ability of the Yhabbayar (sp?), but that would make a pretty cool combo now that he mentioned it. With that aside, if someone was determined to do it and not by a Yhabbayar, then I'd strongly suggest it at least costs two to three times the normal I.S.P. cost (getting it at an advantage like that should not be cheap!).

For more powerful arrows/damage increase, I'll state I know kevarin (another poster on these boards) has already posted a table like that based on level. I can't remember where he posted it, but he posts often enough in the Rifts forum (and often mentions the Psi-Archer in some variation or new O.C.C. he's done, man I love that guy, my best publicist ). So if you want other ideas, variations, or things like that, you may want to contact him or look at some of the things he's done. Actually ... it might be here (as well as other places):

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=98929&start=44 (I started it on post 44 where I make a response to the first comment of it, though if you want to read on the other articles remove the "&start=44" from the link).

Another post in the PF Forum, with not much in the way of suggestions until the end (though that's because most people there liked it):

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=106889

All right, hopefully some of that helps. I've done my best to provide anything of use (whether it be pro or con against the work, I've tried to hide nothing). Thank you for your time and patience, please have a nice day. Farewell and safe journeys to one and all.



P.S. Rogue Scientist (from what I've seen) doesn't like the way Palladium has done psychics. From what I've seen so far, he probably wouldn't like the Psi-Archer, admittedly.

[kevarin]

Prysus made a great char class with the psi-archer and they find a way in to most campains
i run now have had everything from a kirin to a cs ranger psi-archer and the wife allways
wants to play one the changes below didnt over power our rifts games and worked well
the class is made for paladium fantasy so you might want to look in to changing the
skills set a little to add some tech skills to the list i used modified wilderness scout
and cs ranger skills on my psi archers when used in rifts

the final changes i made was to up its isp did a 2D4X10+ME attribute

i made the isp cost to make the pis-bow 10 but they had to do the one meele of concentration to make it
couldnt make it at 25 without concentration.

has been suggested to remove the isp cost and make the bow like a cyber-knights psi-sword but havent
tryed it yet to see what it did to game

and did the following for the damage table

for 1 isp it shoots a 1D4 sdc arrow that gains 1D4 per lvl till lvl 6
and for 2 isp shoots a 2D6 mdc arrow and at lvl 3 it starts gainig 1isp and 1D6 mdc per lvl till lvl 6
at lvl 10 for 10 isp it can shoot a 1D4x10 arrow but must be the first attack and uses all attacks for that round
at lvl 15 for 20 isp it can shoot a 1D6x10 arrow but must be the first attack and uses all attacks for that round