Manifester Level

The next entry in the summary indicates the level of the creator (or the manifester level of the powers placed within the item, if this level is lower than the actual level of the creator). The manifester level provides the item’s saving throw bonus, as well as range and other level-dependent aspects of the powers of the item (if variable).

It also determines the level that must be contended with should the item come under the effect of a dispel psionicspower or a similar situation. This information is given in the form “ML x,” where “ML” is an abbreviation for manifester

level and “x” is an ordinal number representing the manifester level itself.

For psionic tattoos, power stones, and dorjes, the creator can set the manifester level of an item at any number high enough to manifest the stored power and not higher than her own manifester level. For other psionic items, the item itself determines the manifester level. In this case, the creator’s manifester level must be as high as the item’s manifester level (and prerequisites may effectively put a higher minimum on the creator’s level).

Prerequisites: Certain requirements must be met in order for a character to create a psionic item. These include feats, powers, and miscellaneous requirements such as level, alignment, and race or kind. The prerequisites for creation of an item are given in the summary immediately following the item’s manifester level.

A power prerequisite can be provided by a character who knows the power, or through the use of a power completion or power trigger psionic item or a psi-like ability that produces the desired power effect. For each day that passes during the creation process, the creator must expend one power completion item (such as a power stone) or 1 charge from a power trigger item (such as a dorje), if either of those objects is used to supply a prerequisite.

It is possible for more than one character to cooperate in the creation of an item, with each participant providing one or more of the prerequisites. In some cases, cooperation may even be necessary, such as if one character knows some of the powers necessary to create an item and another character knows the rest.

If two or more characters cooperate to create an item, they must agree among themselves who will be considered the creator for the purpose of determinations where the creator’s level must be known. (It’s sensible, although not mandatory, for the highest-level character involved to be considered the creator.) The character designated as the creator pays the experience points required to make the item.

Typically, a list of prerequisites includes one feat and one or more powers (or some other requirement in addition to the feat). When two powers at the end of a list are separated by “or,” one of those powers is required in addition to every other power mentioned prior to the last two.