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The Stormbringer

A Shardmind Telekinetic Psion Build

Basics:

Race: Shardmind
Class: Psion
Discipline Focus: Telekinesis
Paragon Path: Dreamwalker
Epic Destiny: Planeshaper
Background: Auspicious Birth

Build Goal and Tactics:

The goal of this build is to make an optimal telekinetic psion that specializes in controlling enemy movement. This build isn't focused on any one particular tier so it should be fairly optimized throughout all levels of play.

At heroic tier, the ability to teleport (dimensional scramble) and slow (mind lock, force grasp) enemies are the two main tools in your toolbox. Identifying creatures' capabilities is key to which tactic you deploy. Creatures with melee capabilities (brutes and soldiers) are usually best slowed before they can enter melee combat. Creatures with ranged capabilities (artillery, controllers and skirmishers) are best teleported into melee where they will usually be less effective. With your high perception skill, you should also be able to spot hidden creatures (lurkers) and deal with them earlier rather than later. Don't forget that you always have the option of attempting to teleport creatures that can't fly up into the air and, if they fail their save, you'll do extra damage and knock them prone (assuming they aren't trained in acrobatics).

Once you hit paragon, the manifest dream form power opens up an amazing number of tactical options. It can essentially add 10 squares of range to any ranged or area attack you have. It can also flank with your allies, which grants combat advantage for both you and your allies' attacks against any target you're flanking. Also, since the conjuration is immune to your attacks, you don't have to worry about including it in your area attacks. Your dream form can also act as a blocker in more confined fighting areas, restricting enemies' movements unless they waste an attack to destroy the conjuration. At mid paragon the dreaming manifestation feature allows you to exert control over even more of the battlefield by giving you the ability to target an additional enemy with your area attacks. This works well with an unaugmented dimensional scramble allowing you to teleport enemies up to 23 squares. It also can work well with the augment 1 option of thunder tether, not only allowing you to target a third creature, but with the mark of storm feat, you'll also have a chance of sliding the third enemy into the zone from which they won't be able to leave.

At epic tier, your power level is increased significantly with the combination of the psion implement expertise feat and the astral critical feature of the planeshaper epic destiny. Removing enemies from play is a strong effect and offers several advantages over other conditions. First off, it essentially negates enemies' damaging auras since you and your allies won't be starting your turns within the aura. Secondly, lots of solo enemies have ways of dealing with the dazed, stunned and dominated conditions, the same is not true for the "removed from play" condition. By having party members use the ready an action standard action, they can attack an enemy that returns at the start of your turn.

For more detailed tactics at different levels, check out the snapshots section.

Alternatives:

With only one racial feat and a non-critical racial power, the race could easily be changed to something different. The two best alternatives are deva and githzerai since they both get bumps to intelligence and wisdom. The deva race is a slightly better alternative because of better skill bonuses.

The discipline focus you select is mostly academic since isn't doesn't affect which powers you select. So, any of the 3 current discipline foci will work. However, shaped consciousness is a bit redundant with your dream form and the distract discipline is probably the weakest of the discipline focus powers. So, you're probably better off sticking with telekinesis focus.

For paragon paths, time bender is probably your best alternative. It features a nice transition from being a "master of space" to being a "master of space and time". The shard disciple paragon path is also an option and fits nicely with the "storm" theme. It also increases the durability of the build and makes the line of shard swarm feats more appealing. But, it's a pretty sharp drop in power level.

The demigod and chosen epic destinies are solid alternatives to planeshaper, but a bit generic. You might also be interested in the master of moments epic destiny, especially if you select the time bender paragon path.

The born under a bad sign (Scales of War adventure) or Thay (Forgotten Realms campaign setting) are two identical alternatives to the auspicious birth background. The Impultir background (Forgotten Realms) allows you to add your wisdom modifier instead of intelligence, which, while not quite as good, is still decent. The Dragon Cost (Forgotten Realms) and High Imaskar (Forgotten Realms) backgrounds are nice since they allow you to reroll insight and arcana checks, respectively.

For other changes to the selected abilities, skills, feats, powers or items check out the commentary in those sections.