Soulknife question

[VarianArdell]

In the group I frequent, it has apparently been a long-standing house-rule that a soulknife's mind blade can mimic any weapon that the character has proficiency with. Would you, the Playground, consider this broken at all? What are your thoughts on this house-rule?

[Cog]

It makes it easier to bring the Buddha's Palm build online; that effect is the only thing that needed to come from Dragon Mag instead of the books. As for brokenness? Not even close.

[wayfare]

In the group I frequent, it has apparently been a long-standing house-rule that a soulknife's mind blade can mimic any weapon that the character has proficiency with. Would you, the Playground, consider this broken at all? What are your thoughts on this house-rule?

Why not? Is not like being able to go spiked chain will help you that much in the long run.

[Jude_H]

Hulking hurlers might make it wonky, but it makes much more sense than the default.

[erikun]

The problem with the Soulknife is that their entire class replicates a single magical weapon - one that basically anyone can reproduce. It's not much more than an expert outside that. Allowing them to use a spiked chain wouldn't be a problem, but the Soulknife class itself isn't likely to get all the feats to make much use out of it.

I'd think that a guisarme - reach and a trip option - would be the best choice, especially if you can shorten it up to a standard melee weapon on command. That, and being able to use it at a range without re-forming it every other round (as a bow) would be extremely useful.

I'd say it's fair, and you aren't likely to run into too many troubles with it.


Hulking hurlers might make it wonky, but it makes much more sense than the default.
Isn't that the class with Fling Ally? Yeah, that would be an odd mindblade. You might also want to watch out for classes granting "Improvised Weapon Expertise" unless you want the Soulknife creating tables and such. :smalltongue:

Actually, you are considered trained at grenadelike weapons, including acid and poisons, aren't you? You might want to restrict the mindblade to actual, statted weapons.

[wayfare]

The problem with the Soulknife is that their entire class replicates a single magical weapon - one that basically anyone can reproduce. It's not much more than an expert outside that. Allowing them to use a spiked chain wouldn't be a problem, but the Soulknife class itself isn't likely to get all the feats to make much use out of it.

I'd think that a guisarme - reach and a trip option - would be the best choice, especially if you can shorten it up to a standard melee weapon on command. That, and being able to use it at a range without re-forming it every other round (as a bow) would be extremely useful.

I'd say it's fair, and you aren't likely to run into too many troubles with it.


Isn't that the class with Fling Ally? Yeah, that would be an odd mindblade. You might also want to watch out for classes granting "Improvised Weapon Expertise" unless you want the Soulknife creating tables and such. :smalltongue:

Actually, you are considered trained at grenadelike weapons, including acid and poisons, aren't you? You might want to restrict the mindblade to actual, statted weapons.

That would just make him a rookie Green lantern: the guy with a superweapon who uses to smack folks.

[FMArthur]

Dragon 341 (p86) has this as a feat, as well as a bunch of other fairly mediocre abilities that would do no real harm to give them for free. Maybe you could expand the houserule to encompass all of them.

[Psyren]

Not close to broken. An option like this wouldn't even get it to T3, just like a fighter who kept an entire arsenal of weapons in his haversack would still be a fighter.

[VarianArdell]

Okay, so the question of its brokenness has been answered (it's not). Would this change if the Soulknife was given martial weapon proficiency as well, or no? What about limited exotic weapon proficiencies?

[Divide by Zero]

Okay, so the question of its brokenness has been answered (it's not). Would this change if the Soulknife was given martial weapon proficiency as well, or no? What about limited exotic weapon proficiencies?

Even if it had proficiency with every weapon in the game (barring questionable shenanigans like improvised weapons), it still would be underpowered. All this really does is change its primary feature of "has a weapon" to "has many weapons."

[Seerow]

Okay, so the question of its brokenness has been answered (it's not). Would this change if the Soulknife was given martial weapon proficiency as well, or no? What about limited exotic weapon proficiencies?

You could probably give the soulknife every exotic weapon proficiency in the book, and even let it mix and match weapon properties at whim, without overpowering the soulknife. Hell, make the soul blade have every positive weapon property at once simultaneously, inclusive reach +2 to disarm/trip, finessible, etc, and you STILL wouldn't make it too strong.

It is very low in tier 5, and it takes a lot more than some weapon proficiencies to push it into even worth using, much less into overpowered.

[VarianArdell]

Dragon 341 (p86) has this as a feat, as well as a bunch of other fairly mediocre abilities that would do no real harm to give them for free. Maybe you could expand the houserule to encompass all of them.

I don't have access to Dragon Magazine. What would these other abilities be, and where can I find them online?

[Tetsubo 57]

Psionics Unleashed for Pathfinder does something similar. You get one of three different forms, a Light weapon, a One-handed weapon or a Two-handed weapon. Allows a lot of options. I highly recommend the book. But than again I really like Pathfinder.

[mootoall]

In order to make the Soulknife an at all useful class, and possibly even interesting, it has to not only "Have a weapon," but "Have a weapon that can do things no one else can do with their weapon."

[Divide by Zero]

Hmm, what about making the Soulknife more Green Lantern-like? Instead of just manifesting weapons, they can also manifest armor and a variety of other objects, which can gain an assortment of bonuses as they gain levels. It still probably wouldn't be top-tier, but at least it would be able to do something unique.

[alchemyprime]

Hmm, what about making the Soulknife more Green Lantern-like? Instead of just manifesting weapons, they can also manifest armor and a variety of other objects, which can gain an assortment of bonuses as they gain levels. It still probably wouldn't be top-tier, but at least it would be able to do something unique.

See, this is something I've been tinkering with. I've also been looking at giving the soulknife a list of Psionic Gifts (read: Psi-Like Invocations) to turn them into the Psionic Warlock essentially.

But I like the idea. Make him be able to manifest X amount of objects at a time, or fire a blast of energy by sacrificing focus. So his options are xd8 ranged touch attack, or Xd8+[W]+(Str/Dex/Cha based on choice for Mindblade feature)+Mindblade Enhancements. I'd probably use a Mindscythe, so you'd be looking at Xd8 (maybe max 6d8 at 20th?) + 2d4 + 5 + other damage enchaners + Charisma mod?

Just some ideas.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

My idea on soulknife was to give them a PsyWar's PP progression, and let them have abilities they can channel through their blades which lets them either Damage Output or Lockdown depending on the abilities you choose.

[mootoall]

Actually, making the Soulknife the Green Lantern might not be a bad idea. Shotty writing this fix!

[Grendus]

If I were to rebuild the soulknife, I'd make it's mindblade kind of like artificer infusions. Let him change up the enchantments as a full round action rather than 8 hours, and mimic any enchantment he can make a successful psicraft check to craft (even magical enhancements, if you're using transparency). Maybe move the enhancement bonuses up a level or so, and give him martial adept type scaling (so multiclassing counts for half soulknife levels). Considering it's still about what you'd do with WBL anyways, it's nothing special, but a dip level or two could be useful, and committing would give you some uses.

But giving it proficiency and letting it manifest or switch weapons as a swift action would at least give it a niche. Right now, you can replace the entire class with a Psychic Warrior ACF and two feats. Being able to suddenly be carrying a +3 flaming giant bane spiked chain to fight off trolls and then a +3 holy undead bane warhammer against a giant skeleton could be useful. Still T4 at best, but useful.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

My idea for a soulknife fix was found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=174683), and really in it's conception stage. It was an idea to give the Soulknife something to do other than 'make coffee'.