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I've been looking at the uses of Psicrystals lately and have been wondering why I keep seeing references to them getting feats. I have not read anything to support the idea. They technically don't have hit dice, they have 1/2 the Psion's HP. (At least, that's how I read it.)

Am I wrong? Do Psicrystals get feats?

SevenSidedDie
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Novian
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2 Answers2

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Technically every creature in the game has Hit Dice.

Psicrystals have their master's number of Hit Dice, therefore, being intelligent creatures, they receive 1 feat at 1st HD, 1 feat at 3rd HD and 1 feat each 3 HD thereafter.

d20SRD:

Hit Dice: As master’s HD (hp 1/2 master’s)

While you do change some of the statictics as listed in psion class description, no HD change is mentioned.

The consequence of psicrystals having quite a bit of feats is maybe unintentional, but nevertheless logical implication of them having hit dice and being intelligent.

In my practice several DMs houseruled this out, without any arguing on the player's part, and I myself allow it.

Jeor Mattan
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    It's worth comparing Psicrystals to Familiars here: Familiars only have the quarter to one HD of their Animal base, and then gain bonuses similar to HD without actually gaining HD. Psicrystals instead state that they have HD equal to their master's. – KRyan Apr 21 '13 at 14:18
  • I Suppose this makes sense. although It does seem like it could be used for shenanigens. IE Psicrystal with Psicrystal. – Novian Apr 21 '13 at 14:40
  • @Novian I seem to recall a way to make your psicrystal have one HD more than you do... and have it take the same feats so that it has its own psicrystal of one HD more than it is, which has a psicrystal of yet another HD, so on and so forth for infinite psicrystals whose HD increases without bound. So yes, shenanigans are definitely possible. Under a good DM, though, the psicrystal’s feats can be interesting without that kind of thing happening. – KRyan Sep 21 '13 at 02:32
  • This answer is incorrect because psicrystals have a general rule about being incapable of advancement, as per the Monster entry in the EPH. Only with the psicrystal feat does a psicrystal gain HD, and even those HD are without the normal benefits of HD, such as feats and skill points. It is an incorrect assumption to state that psicrystals gain anything not specified in the psicrystal feat description, especially as one of the other major benefits of HD (skill points) have a specified mechanic. Feats were excluded from psicrystals by RAW. – nijineko Nov 14 '23 at 16:54
  • Having pointed out the flaw in that trick, I personally wish psicrystals could gain feats, I think it would be most interesting. – nijineko Nov 14 '23 at 16:58
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As listed in the Expanded Psionic Handbook, they have HD equal to their master's, but only counting Psion classes that contribute to it.

Intelligent constructs gain feats normally, but since it is a shard of its master, its skills/feats must be taken from its master's, with alertness being its first feat. It gains additional feats every time its master attains 3/6/9/12/15/18/21 etc levels in Psion contributing classes.

doppelgreener
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dungeon_master
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    I’m reasonably certain that there is no requirement that a psicrystal’s feats be taken from its master’s feats, nor do I think the fluff supports that since the psicrystal is frequently an aspect of one’s personality that is cut off from the self and then amplified, leaving the master to exhibit that aspect somewhat less and the crystal to embody that aspect entirely. But because of psionic resonance/hand-waiving this acts as an amplifier hence the bonuses you get. Anyway, the long and short of it is, can you provide evidence for that claim? – KRyan Sep 21 '13 at 02:30