Stamina on an Emp/Psi?

I wanted to discuss the need for Stamina on Empaths, since they basically carry an endurance fountain in their pockets.

There was a similar thread on the need for Stamina on Kineticists, but it came to the conclusion that Stamina lowers downtime for them, since they often find themselves out of endurance by the time the fight's over and there are no enemies around to steal from.

I currently have an Emp/Psi at level 32. After coming to the conclusion that Empathy was basically "Health Blast" in the lower levels (two ST attacks and an AoE, green numbers instead of orange), I decided the character's gameplay felt very fast-paced and aggressive and decided to load up on the offensive.

This means that, while everyone was spending their teens getting muted powers out of the Fitness pool, I got and spammed Psychic Scream (dropping recharge on whole mobs) and had my own version of Stamina, Recovery Aura, by level 18, followed by Hasten to speed up its recharge, and TK Blast (so much fun to just push stuff away from my poor squishies). I also started taking pride in not being a "Pure Empath" or a "Healer", since I really did a lot of stuff besides healing and have to date never put Healing Aura on auto.

Now at level 32, though, I notice my playstyle has become very conditioned by RecAura. While the Fortify Cycle reigns supreme (why don't other emps keep 3 people fort'ed at all times?), I find myself with a character that feels a lot like a Dominator with their Jeckyll'n'Hyde syndrome: I'll open fights with Psi Tornado and Psi Scream and force myself to focus on support, but whenever RA is up, I'll start singing "It's Blasting Time!" (Flight of the Conchords), and use my single target chain like there's no tomorrow.

Trouble is, I'm not satisfied. Knowing the fun that I get from blasting, I want to be doing it all the time, and not just when the Awesome Button is up. Another problem is the high endurance cost of RA, which I'm going to be reducing by slotting, that often prevents actual use of the Awesome Button when I want to.

Seeing as how next level I'm getting Swift from the Fitness pool, since it's such a great utility power, it's very tempting to just sacrifice two powers and go over to the lazy side of the force instead of using a power out of my primary like it's meant to be used. So I thought I'd ask you guys about your opinions and input.

Anyway, here's my planned build. Thanks a lot in advance!

Hero Plan by Mids' Hero Designer 1,401
http://www.cohplanner.com/

Click this DataLink to open the build!

Metempsyche: Level 48 Magic Defender
Primary Power Set: Empathy
Secondary Power Set: Psychic Blast
Power Pool: Flight
Power Pool: Speed
Power Pool: Fitness
Power Pool: Leadership
Ancillary Pool: Psychic Mastery

Hero Profile:
Level 1: Healing Aura -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Mental Blast -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Heal Other -- Empty(A)
Level 4: Absorb Pain -- Empty(A)
Level 6: Resurrect -- Empty(A)
Level 8: Hover -- Empty(A)
Level 10: Psychic Scream -- Empty(A)
Level 12: Fortitude -- Empty(A)
Level 14: Fly -- Empty(A)
Level 16: Clear Mind -- Empty(A)
Level 18: Recovery Aura -- Empty(A)
Level 20: Hasten -- Empty(A)
Level 22: Telekinetic Blast -- Empty(A)
Level 24: Will Domination -- Empty(A)
Level 26: Regeneration Aura -- Empty(A)
Level 28: Psionic Tornado -- Empty(A)
Level 30: Swift -- Empty(A)
Level 32: Adrenalin Boost -- Empty(A)
Level 35: Scramble Thoughts -- Empty(A)
Level 38: Assault -- Empty(A)
Level 41: Dominate -- Empty(A)
Level 44: Mass Hypnosis -- Empty(A)
Level 47: Psychic Wail -- Empty(A)
Level 49: Mind Over Body -- Empty(A)
------------
Level 1: Brawl -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Sprint -- Empty(A)
Level 2: Rest -- Empty(A)
Level 1: Vigilance

I think you've hit the nail on the head in this matter - between RA and vigilance, you *can* get away without stamina, but it *is* kinda a pain. I can certainly understand wanting stamina in order to free you to pursue your true defebcer destiny.

You could eat up two of your upcoming powers, but honestly I'd do a respec instead - there'll be a free one coming with issue 16, at the very least. Mostly it's because I don't think an empath actually needs both absorb pain and heal other. Also, unless you actively use hover a lot, or object to super speed as a travel power, you can save the other power you need by switching to SS. Drop both of those in a respec and you can fit in stamina sometime before 30.

Alternatively, if you don't want to drop fly (or if you do use both AP and HO a lot), you can get stamina at 35 by dropping just one of those and scramble thoughts, because scramble thoughts kinda sucks. It's got a huge cast time, longish recharge, and only average duration. Dominate, which you are getting at 41, is better in every way - longer duration, shorter recharge, quicker cast time, a 'harder' mez, and even a 20% acc bonus.

I would only want Stamina on an Emp if I was going to solo. I don't even have Stamina on my Ill/emps and normal blue inspirs carried me during anytime I got low on my blue bar. Slot one end reduc into the two heals and in all of your attacks and call it a day. I miss Swift/Hurdle more than I miss Stamina.

I'm not going to lie, not having stamina scares me, and empathy's that don't have it scare me more.. Here is the thing, Psi is a little end heavy, imo, i have a T/A Psi, and my end sucks even with stamina, vig, and end redux. I know you have RA but obviously that isn't always up and blue insp don't last forever. I agree with Neutrino about just sticking with SS, but i like AP on my emp, so i would switch things around and drop assault. If you want to drop AP thats fine too, either way i think stamina is a must on most ALL characters. Kins can get away with it, but its still messy, and regen and willpower etc.

P.s. i know EXACTLY what you are saying about the, "Why dont other emps keep 3 forts on at all times?" It's really really irritating, the other day i was on a team with FOUR Emps and i was the only one who was forting, then i asked them to kind of keep up with it, and one of them got angry, saying i don't have to heal bot all the time! But i guess that is people for you, who shouldn't be an empathy in the first place. Blasting is totally fine but when you go primary, sorry its what you chose, right?

Ouch, I'm trying to bend my mind around the concept of taking Superspeed on my Empath. Metempsyche has this shamanistic mojo going on, and the ability to levitate really fits the character. He would also look horrible with the raptor pack on his back whenever there's a wall. I'll consider it if it really is The Only Way™, though. Can't I just drop Mass Hypnosis and push everything back instead? I'd be getting Stamina my level 38 that way.

By the way, what's a defebcer? I've seen the term thrown around, but I may not have lurked enough.

I like AP, too, it's the only healing that has any noticeable effect on tankers. It also cost barely any endurance, so I can use it when I make a mistake and stop paying attention to my endurance for a second. Playing my PainDom MM has taught me the wonders of +regen when you can't heal yourself, which I can give myself with the other RA.

Thanks for the answers!

I've run my Emp/Psi without Stamina for almost 5 years now, and have to say that it is possible without too much pain.

As an Emp/Psi, you have a fair few options, and if you've already found powers you want in place of Stamina, then I'd say go for it.

Without spending a bajillion inf, around 10-15% recovery is affordable. Roughly half unslotted Stamina. A lot of the sets offer +Recovery for the investment of only 2-3 slots. Frankenslot your attacks with a bit of +Rec and use some End redux in those splits and you'll start to notice a big difference. I know you're only 32 right now, but look at investing in some L35 set IO's.

If you're prepared to play the market a bit, it's quite easy to get +25% recovery (without Stamina) through bonusses.

And... I know I bang on about this... Recharge is also your friend. Empathy is one of the sets that benefits most from it. More recharge = Aura's back quicker, and with RA up, as you've already said, it's blastin' time.

My guide has some more info on slotting with sets. It's old (yet again!) now and I need to go back and re-edit the forum-change damage, but it might help.

Don't feel the need to Fort everyone. I've got Fort on a 16 second recharge, and I tend to keep it on only 2-3 people. Only when the fan gets mucky do I start spamming it out. That's another advantage of +Recharge - you can keep it on 3 people easily.

Good luck! and have fun!

-H