This Psion build leverages the Kineticist discipline, focusing on energy control and telekinesis. Key abilities at this level include the Extended Power feat and a nimble Psicrystal, boosting initiative and providing early utility.
Stat Block Level 1:
Unnamed Psion: unknown gender, Synad Psion 1; CR 1; Medium humanoid (psionic); HD 1d4+2; hp 6; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 11, touch 11, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +0; Grp -1; Atk unarmed strike (1d3-1) or psychic energy construct; Full Atk unarmed strike (1d3-1) or psychic energy construct; SA None; SQ Psicrystal (Nimble bonus to Init), Discipline (Kineticist); AL N; SV Fort +2, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills, Abilities, and Feats:
Knowledge (Psionics) 8, Knowledge (The Planes) 8, Concentration 4; Extend Power, Psicrystal Affinity. Powers and Special Qualities: Nimble (Psicrystal provides +2 to Initiative).
Possessions: Basic traveling gear, sufficient funds for crafting early-stage Dorjes if needed.
This Level 5 Psion (Kineticist) Human excels in initiating powerful psionic attacks and controlling the battlefield with telekinesis and energy manipulation. With an impressive Intelligence of 18, our focus at this level is on maximizing the efficiency of their abilities, leveraging feats like Extend Power and Psionic Meditation for sustained combat proficiency. The synergistic blend of abilities and feats makes them a formidable presence even at an early stage.
Stat Block Level 5:
[No Name]: Male, Synad Psion 5; CR 5; Medium Humanoid; HD 5d4+2; hp 15; Init +0; Spd 30 ft.; AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10; Base Atk +2; Grp +1; Atk Dorje (Ray, ranged touch) +2 or Psicrystal (Secondary Attack); Full Atk Dorje (Ray, ranged touch) +2 or Psicrystal (Secondary Attack); SA Discipline (Kineticist); SQ Psionic Powers, Psicrystal Affinity; AL Neutral; SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +4; Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Possessions: Custom-crafted Dorjes for offensive and defensive maneuvers, basic travel essentials.
This level 10 Synad Psion/Kineticist has strong abilities in battlefield control and high-damage output. Utilizing feats like Overchannel and Psicrystal Affinity, this build showcases versatility with both offensive and defensive capabilities. Dorje crafting provides additional flexibility.
Stat Block Level 10:
Unnamed: male, Synad Psion 5/Anarchic Initiate 5; CR 10; Medium humanoid (psionic); HD 5d4+3d6+2d6+20; hp 57; Init +2; Spd 30 ft.; AC 13, touch 13, flat-footed 11; Base Atk +5; Grp +4; Atk Light crossbow (+6 ranged, 1d8/19-20) or quarterstaff (+4 melee, 1d6-1); Full Atk Light crossbow (+6 ranged, 1d8/19-20) or quarterstaff (+4 melee, 1d6-1); SA Psionics, Wild Surge +1; SQ Psicrystal (Nimble), Anarchic Grace, Discipline (Kineticist); AL CN; SV Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +8; Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills, Abilities, and Feats:
Knowledge (Psionics) +16, Knowledge (the Planes) +16; Extend Power, Linked Power, Overchannel, Craft Dorje, Psicrystal Affinity, Psionic Meditation, Dorje Mastery. Special Attacks and Qualities: Wild Surge +1 – Boosts manifester level by +1, Anarchic Grace – 20% miss chance for enemies, Psychic Enervation – 5% chance of being dazed when using Wild Surge.
Possessions: Crossbow, quarterstaff, various Dorjes, traveling equipment, 800 gp worth of psionic items.
A Synad Psion who has finely combined the abilities of Psions and Anarchic Initiates. Specializing in Kineticist discipline and Metapsionic Feats for maximized power output. Exploits Wild Surge and Dorje crafting for superior damage. Utilizes an infinite Power Points combo (Precognition + Bestow Power).
Stat Block Level 15:
Unnamed Character: female, Synad Psion 5/Anarchic Initiate 10; CR 15; Medium humanoid (extra planer); HD 15d4+3; hp 45; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 18, touch 12, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +7; Grp +6; Atk Dorje attack +8 (damage as per Dorje) or Precognition linked with Bestow Power; Full Atk Dorje attack+8 (damage as per Dorje) or Precognition linked with Bestow Power; SA Wild Surge, Chaotic Breach; SQ Synad traits, Psicrystal (Nimble), Psicrystal Affinity, Linked Power, Kineticist discipline; AL neutral; SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +10; Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 8.
The Psion focuses on using their Dorjes and the infinite Power Points (PP) combo to overwhelm adversaries. Anarchic Initiate grants them enhanced abilities similar to a Wilder, such as Wild Surge and Chaotic Grace, increasing their battle effectiveness and survivability. With high Intelligence, they utilize powers involving telekinesis and energy manipulation.
Stat Block Level 20:
“Anarchic Psion”: male, Synad Psion 10/Anarchic Initiate 10; CR 20; Medium Humanoid (Psionic); HD 10d4+30 plus 10d6+30; hp 140; Init +4; Spd 30 ft.; AC 15, touch 15, flat-footed 11; Base Atk +12/+7/+2; Grp +11; Atk Psionics (various); Full Atk Psionics (various); SA Wild Surge, Chaotic Breach; SQ Psicrystal (Nimble), Discipline (Kineticist), Anarchic Grace; AL Chaotic Neutral; SV Fort +12, Ref +8, Will +18; Str 8, Dex 11, Con 15, Int 22, Wis 13, Cha 8.
Skills, Abilities, and Feats:
Knowledge (Psionics) 23, Knowledge (The Planes) 23; Extend Power, Psionic Meditation, Overchannel, Craft Dorje, Dorje Mastery, Psicrystal Affinity, Psicrystal Containment, Linked Power, Midnight Augmentation, Metapower. Special Attacks and Qualities: Wild Surge +3, Psychic Enervation, Chaotic Breach Complete, Anarchic Grace (20% miss chance); Infinite Power Points combo using Linked Power and Metapower with Bestow Power and Precognition.
Possessions: Various Dorjes, Psionically enchanted items, traveling gear, Power Stones.
Milestones Of Character Development
Levels 1-5: Gain foundational Psion abilities, focusing on Extend Power and Psicrystal Affinity. Become a Kineticist, leveraging energy control and telekinesis. Obtain Psionic Meditation to recover Psionic Focus swiftly.
Levels 6-10: Enter Anarchic Initiate prestige class, unlocking Chaotic Surge and Anarchic Grace, adding a 20% miss chance against enemies. Wild Surge boosts Psionic prowess, and Dorje Crafting intensifies.
Levels 11-15: Enhance Anarchic Initiate abilities with Postpone Enervation and Chaos Breach. Acquire Psicrystal Containment and Linked Power, aiming to set up infinite Power Points combo.
Levels 16-20: Return to Psion class, maximizing Int with level boosts. Unlock Midnight Augmentation and Metapower, solidifying infinite PP strategy. Focus on maximizing damage with minimal resources through Dorje usage.
Core Abilities & Features as an Anarchic Mind
Wild Surge and Psychic Enervation
At the heart of the Anarchic Mind[1] build lies the synergy between Psion and Anarchic Initiate class features. Wild Surge grants the Psion additional power by temporarily increasing their manifester level, akin to the Wild Surge ability in the Wilder class. This boost greatly enhances the effectiveness of manifested powers. However, this power comes with a risk: Psychic Enervation. This mechanic can cause the Psion to lose their psionic focus and take damage. Preparing to mitigate this drawback, such as using the Psicrystal Containment feat, becomes essential.
Chaotic Breach
Chaotic Breach is an exceptional ability for battlefield control. It disrupts enemy resistances and immunities, making it easier to penetrate defenses. Notably, Chaotic Breach Complete at higher levels is especially potent, providing significant advantages against formidable foes. The confusion it sows among enemies creates valuable openings for the Psion and their allies.
Metapsionic Enhancements
The Anarchic Mind[1] build leverages metapsionic feats to enhance power manifestations. Key feats include Extend Power, allowing for prolonged effects; Linked Power, which enables combo manifestations; and Midnight Augmentation, for boosting power options. Overchannel increases manifester level at the cost of personal health, while Psionic Meditation allows for rapid regaining of psionic focus, making these feats indispensable for the build’s strategy.
Dorje Creation and Mastery
Crafting and mastering Dorjes (psionic wands) provide the Psion with a versatile arsenal. Craft Dorje enables the creation of these potent items, while Dorje Mastery further enhances their effectiveness. This combination ensures the Psion can adapt to a wide range of challenges, maintaining a robust and flexible toolkit throughout the campaign.
Nimble Psicrystal
Nimble, the chosen psicrystal, grants a bonus to initiative – a crucial advantage in combat situations. Going first can often determine the outcome of a battle, making Nimble an excellent strategic choice. The additional intelligence bonus from the psicrystal also complements the Psion’s primary stat, boosting overall capability.
Infinite Power Points
A standout feature of this build is the combination of Midnight Augmentation, Metapower, and Linked Power, leading to an infinite power points (PP) loop. By linking powers like Precognition with Bestow Power, the Psion can continually regenerate their PP, achieving a limitless source of power. This mechanic, while requiring careful setup, dramatically enhances sustainability and firepower.
Equipment Progression of the Anarchic Mind
Level Range
Equipment
Details
L1-5
Dorje of Energy Ray
Early levels benefit from reliable ranged attacks. Energy Ray helps control the battlefield.
Traveling Gear
Invest in basic traveling supplies. You can afford it early when others might not be able to.
L6-10
Dorje of Telekinetic Thrust
This allows control over the battlefield and the environment, essential for a Kineticist.
Headband of Intellect +2
Boosts your primary stat, increasing PP, save DCs, and skill checks.
L11-15
Dorje of Energy Ball
Gives access to area-of-effect damage, useful for crowd control.
Cloak of Resistance +3
Improves all saving throws, essential for survival.
L16-20
Staff of Psionics
A versatile tool, provides various powers without expending your PP.
Amulet of Health +4
Increases your Constitution, enhancing durability and PP.
Combat Scenarios as an Anarchic Mind
Dungeon Crawls:
In tight corridors or enclosed spaces, leverage Telekinesis to trigger traps from a safe distance. Use your Psicrystal for scouting ahead, minimizing the risk to the main party.
Engage foes with energy ray or energy stun. They’re efficient in confined spaces where crowd control is crucial. If overwhelmed, utilize Dorjes for quick offensive or defensive maneuvers.
Open Fields:
Maximize your Kineticist abilities by tapping into energy maneuverability. Energy Ball or Energy Burst can affect multiple enemies scattered across the field. Opt for Overchannel to enhance your manifestation strength, ensuring maximum area coverage.
Position yourself strategically with the help of Psionic Meditation, ensuring you regain your focus and are always ready for the next strike.
Ambushes:
In case of an ambush, use Anarchic Grace instantly to grant yourself a 20% miss chance. Follow up with a chaotic breach to disrupt enemy cohesion.
Manifest Linked Power Precognition to prepare for incoming attacks and Bestow Power to regain spent Power Points, ensuring sustained combat effectiveness.
Defensive Stands:
When holding a position, rely on your Psychic Enervation and Wild Surge for enhanced power manifestations. Employ dorjes you’ve crafted for rigid defense and customized attacks. Utilize energy wall to create barriers against incoming assaults.
Set up your Psicrystal strategically to act as an early warning system, giving you precious moments to prepare counter-defenses or offensive responses.
Urban Encounters:
In the narrow streets of a city, use telekinesis to manipulate the environment, blocking pathways or creating distractions. Anarchic Grace can give you the edge in close combat situations.
Leverage your Linked Power combo for quick bursts of power – using Precognition combined with offensive or defensive abilities to maintain control in chaotic urban scenarios.
Weaknesses & Counters of the Anarchic Mind
Weakness
Counter
Low Constitution
Consider boosting with items like the Amulet of Health (+2 to +6 Constitution).
High Dependency on Dorjes
Invest in Craft Dorje feat and Dorje Mastery, and have backups in case of loss or theft.
Psionic Enervation Risk
Use the Postpone Enervation ability effectively; consider the Feat: Force of Will to mitigate.
Low Physical Damage Output
Focus on spell-like abilities and boost them with gear like the Ring of Wizardry (doubles 1st-4th level power slots).
Poor Close Combat Abilities
Maintain distance using powers like Telekinetic Thrust or hit-and-run tactics like the Dodge feat.
Weakness to Anti-Magic Fields
Plan to flee or avoid areas with severe anti-magic fields or invest in magic-resistant gear.
Limited Skill Points
Choose key skills to focus on, and consider items that grant skill boosts like the Headband of Intellect (+2 to +6 Intelligence).
Roleplaying the Anarchic Mind
Opportunities:
Eclectic Gatherings: As a Synad, you are a rarity. Embrace it, letting your distinct nature open doors to secret societies, forgotten cults, and hidden psionic enclaves. Use your three-fold mind to navigate complex social situations with ease. Imagine walking into ‘The Fishbone’s Gutter’ and knowing exactly who to talk to and how to manipulate the conversation to your advantage.
Mysterious Aura: With your unique abilities and the subtle flair of your floating phantom heads, lean into a mysterious and almost otherworldly persona. This can be especially useful in intimidating foes or leaving a lasting impression on wary NPCs.
Strategic Alliances: Use your psionic prowess to forge alliances. Offer your services for protection, strategic counsel, or even covert operations that require delicacy and tactical expertise only a psion can offer. Your infinite PP combo can be a powerful bargaining chip.
Themes:
Chaos and Control: You are a walking contradiction—a psion of chaotic mind wielding structured psionic power. Explore this balance in your roleplay. Show how your character makes sense of the chaos within, channeling it into precise, devastating power. Perhaps your character sees the world as a place needing order, and you are the one to impose it through controlled chaos.
Pursuit of Knowledge: With high Intelligence and a penchant for knowledge, your character should have a keen interest in ancient texts, forgotten ruins, and esoteric lore. Use your Knowledge(Psionics) and Knowledge(The Planes) skills as leverage in interactions. Seek out other scholars, dangerous artifacts, and forgotten planes of existence.
The Weight of Power: Infinite power comes at a cost. Roleplay the psychological and physical strain that comes with using abilities like Overchannel and Wild Surge. Maybe your character shows signs of exhaustion or has intricate rituals to manage the psychic toll of their abilities. This can add depth and make your character more relatable.
The main advantage is its ability to combine Psion and Anarchic Initiate features. Wild Surge boosts your power manifestation, while Chaotic Breach disrupts enemy defenses. This combination makes you versatile and powerful against various foes.
How do I counter Psychic Enervation effects?
Use the Postpone Enervation ability to delay the effects. Additionally, consider the Force of Will feat to mitigate the drawbacks. Having a Psicrystal for focus is also beneficial, as it can help you manage the impacts.
Key feats include Extend Power, Linked Power, and Midnight Augmentation. Extend Power prolongs the effects of your manifestations. Linked Power allows combo powers, while Midnight Augmentation boosts your power options. Overchannel and Psionic Meditation are also crucial for enhancing and restoring your focus.
How do I achieve the infinite Power Points (PP) loop?
The infinite PP loop is achievable using Midnight Augmentation, Metapower, and Linked Power. Combine powers like Precognition with Bestow Power to regenerate PP continuously. This setup requires careful planning but results in a limitless source of power.
Yes, the Anarchic Mind[1] excels in diverse scenarios like dungeon crawls and open fields. Use Telekinesis for traps and energy rays for confined spaces. In open areas, leverage your Kineticist abilities and strategic positioning to maximize damage output.
Writer, Editor, GM, Technologist – Andrew’s been playing TTRPGs since as far back as he can recall… at least sometime in the nineties… or was it the early 2000s?
After finding their destination, a quaint establishment by the name of “The Fishbone’s Gutter”, they made their way inside, only to be struck by the heavy smell of tobacco, cheap alcohol, sweat and seafood.
The sensitive nose of the woman made her grimace as she took in more olfactive information that the man could even imagine existed.
Despite being at a place of rest for many sailor, tough and strong men amongst many others, they both still stood a good head above the rest. Fortunately, the place was busying in the morning hour and nobody gave them much attention, except for a man sitting at a small booth who waved at them. Their contact.
As they got closer, the man could swear in the shadows of the booth that the man had twophantasmic heads that floated next to their contact. He tried to blink it a way as he thought that must have been a trick of the light.The heads didn’t fade, though.
-“Glad you two could make it. Now, order yourselves some chowder because this is going to take a while, said the man with an amicable scoff.”
Race
Synad
Classes
-Psion 5/Anarchic Initiate 10/Psion +5
Ability Scores
Str 8/Dex 11/Con 15/Int 18/Wis 13/Cha 8
Skills
Knowledge(Psionics) 8, Knowledge(The Planes) 8.
Feats
Our Metapsionic Feats are Extend Power for obvious reasons, and later on we add Linked Power for shenanigan reasons detailed below.
Overchannel will let us take damage to increase our Manifester Level and is a Prerequisite to get into Anarchic Initiate so that’s fine.
Craft Dorje+Dorje Mastery makes our Dorje extremely potent which is always fun.
Psicrystal Affinity+Psicrystal Containment are no-brainers for any Psion.
Late game, the Midnight Augmentation+Metapower+Linked Power, combined will let you Manifest say Precognition linked with Bestow Power to gain infinite Power Points.
Yep. Fear the infinite PP.
Finally, Psionic Meditation lets us regain our Psionic Focus as a Move Action and frankly that’s another feat that should be a straight Class Feature so good it is.
Special Abilities
Discipline: Kineticist
Psicrystal: Nimble
Nimble gives bonus to Initiative and Initiative wins battles as always. As for our Discipline, we are focusing on overt displays of power here. That means energy control, telekinesis and the like. Flashy, and despite what naysayers like to complain about, fairly effective if deployed appropriately. Don’t focus too heavily on those though. There’s no need.
Equipment
Once again, the majority of your gold will go into crafting Dorjes. Early on, you don’t have much in terms of strict necessities which allows you to buy extra traveling equipment that the rest of your party might be too financially tight to afford which is a nice place to be all things considered.
Final Thoughts on the Build
Anarchic Initiate is easily the second best Psionic Prestige Class out there for a Psion. By granting you a Wild Surge equivalent from the Wilder on top of all your Psion Discipline, your infinite PP combo, your various Dorje and Powers, you can achieve some spectacular amounts of damage with spending very little resources.
Add on this some of the Anarchic Initiate’s incredible abilities like Anarchic Grace which gives enemies a specifically un-bypassable 20% miss chance on all attacks, and Chaotic Breach Complete is a ridiculously fun battlefield control/Save or Suck ability.
This build gets the best of both worlds from being a Psion and a Wilder and it makes for a fantastic psionic character to play.
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