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View Full Version : [3.5][WIP] Steelsoul Knight



Salacar
2012-02-09, 05:25 AM
So, following my train of thought from the thread I made a couple of days ago (this one: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=12674516#post12674516) I decided that I'd try and make my concept into a PrC.
I've very little experience with creating Prestige Classes outside of the odd tinkering and adapting, so I'd love some input and ideas if possible =)

Note: The Soul Shape ability is based on an ability from the Soul Blade PrC on dandwiki

Thus far (20 min or so of writing) the class looks like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------

Requirements: To qualify to become a Steelsoul Knight, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:

Base Attack Bonus: +5

Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Martial Lore 6 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks,

Feats: Adaptive Style, Weapon Focus (any),

Martial Stances: Must know at least one stance from two different disciplines

Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least one maneuver from four different disciplines



Steelsoul Knight
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |
Man. Known|
Man. Readied|
Stances Known

1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|Soul Shape, Weapon Aptitude|
0|
0|
0

2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0||
1|
0|
1

3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Bonus fighter feat|
0|
0|
0

4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Soul Shape (standard action)|
1|
0|
0

5th|+5|+4|+4|+1||
0|
1|
0

6th|+6|+5|+5|+2|Bonus fighter feat|
1|
0|
1

7th|+7|+5|+5|+2||
0|
0|
0

8th|+8|+6|+6|+2|Soul Shape (swift action)|
1|
0|
0

9th|+9|+6|+6|+3|Bonus fighter feat|
0|
1|
0

10th|+10|+7|+7|+3||
1|
0|
1

[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8

Class Skills:
Balance, Climb, Craft, Concentration, Diplomacy, Jump, Martial Lore, Profession, Sense Motive, Tumble
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: the Steelsoul Knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor, and with all shields

Weapon Aptitude: Your training with a wide range of weaponry and tactics allows you the opportunity to gain great skill with particular weapons. You can qualify for feats requiring a minimum number of fight levels as if you had a fighter level equal to your combined warblade and steelsoul knight levels -2.
Furthermore, you have the flexibility to adjust your weapon training. Each morning, you can spend 1 hour practicing and change the weapons selected for any feat you have that applies only to a single chosen weapon. For example, you could change your Weapon Focus (greataxe) feat so its benefit applies to longswords instead.
You can adjust any number of feats in this way, and you don’t have to adjust them all in the same way. You can’t change the weapon choices in such a way that you no longer meet a feat’s prerequisites. You must also have that weapon available during practice; if you don’t have a longsword handy, you can’t assign your feats to affect longswords.

Soul Shape: The Steelsoul Knight gains the ability to manipulate a portion of his soul so that it manifests as a weapon, armor or shield that he owns. In order to do so, the Steelsoul Knight must absorb such a piece of equipment, allowing it to become one with his soul. Absorbing a piece of equipment in such a way takes 10 minutes of meditation. The item becomes known as a soul shape. The Steelsoul Knight’s soul shapes are completely hidden when they are not manifested and cannot be found by any form of searching.
A Steelsoul Knight can conjure any number of soul shapes (one for each applicable body slot) or a set of soul shapes as a full-round action (a set being defined as one weapon, shield and armor or two weapons and armor, etc.) and the shape is normally manifested in a specific thematic way. A ranged soul shape still requires the Steelsoul Knight to provide ammunition for it. If a Steelsoul Knight’s soul shape is thrown or disarmed, then the soul shape dissipates after 1 minute, becoming part of the Steelsoul Knight’s soul once more. A Steelsoul Knight can reabsorb a soul shape or a set of soul shapes as a move action, he can also change between sets of soul shapes as a full-round action.
A Steelsoul Knight can only make a soul shape out of melee weapons, ranged weapons, shields and armor. He cannot make a soul shape from ammunition or improvised weapons. The Steelsoul Knight must be proficient with the item before it can be made into a soul shape. A crossbow, or a similar ranged weapon, is stored with a full-round of ammunition.
Broken pieces of equipment are automatically absorbed back into the Soulsteel Knight’s soul and cannot be conjured again until 24 hours have passed, at which point the item is fully repaired.
A Steelsoul Knight can keep a number of soul shapes equal to 1 plus his class level.
Additionally, a Steelsoul Knight can use Adaptive Style and change his soul shapes in the same full-round action.
As a full-round action, the Steelsoul Knight can part one of his soul shapes from his body. The item returns to its original material state.
At 4th lvl the Steelsoul Knight can conjure or change his soul shapes as a standard action which provokes an attack of opportunity, and at 8th lvl he can do it as a swift action which does not provoke an attack of opportunity.

Bonus Fighter Feat: Steelsoul Knights study all aspects of combat and as such they gain increased prowess in martial disciplines. At 3rd, 6th and 9th level, you gain a bonus feat chosen from the list of fighter bonus feat. You must meet the prerequisite of the feat to take it.
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My current ideas for other class abilities are mostly a mixed bunch, everything from bonus to hit and damage with soul shape weapons, lower check penalty for soul shape armor, etc. to additional AoOs (by conjuring a weapon in free air), the ability to absorb equipment from other body slots or a sort of ammunition system for ranged weapons, etc. etc.

So yeah, any thoughts? xD

al'raith
2012-02-09, 06:32 AM
I like it. It would allow versatility on the battlefield to suit your needs.

Ziegander
2012-02-09, 09:39 AM
I don't understand the flavor here at all. The main class feature appears to be the ability to don armor really fast. I say that because using soul shape to change your weapons is drastically slower than simply drawing a new weapon until you reach 8th level and even that is worse than the Quick Draw feat. How does the character learn this wondrous, yet underpowered soul shape ability? Nothing in the prerequisites to join this PrC is indicative of conjuring, crafting, or soul-type abilities. Why do the prerequisites for the class seem to point toward a Warblade/Swordsage multiclass?

Salacar
2012-02-09, 09:57 AM
I don't understand the flavor here at all. The main class feature appears to be the ability to don armor really fast. I say that because using soul shape to change your weapons is drastically slower than simply drawing a new weapon until you reach 8th level and even that is worse than the Quick Draw feat. How does the character learn this wondrous, yet underpowered soul shape ability? Nothing in the prerequisites to join this PrC is indicative of conjuring, crafting, or soul-type abilities. Why do the prerequisites for the class seem to point toward a Warblade/Swordsage multiclass?

Good questions, as I stated earlier I only used about 20min to write it down and it's still a WIP =)
About simply drawing weapons, it's true that it's a lot slower, especially for a character with the Quick Draw feat, but at the same time this ability allows one to carry around many more different kinds of weapons than you'd normally be able to without a handy haversack, and even then you'd need to homerule being able to use Quick Draw with it. With soul shape you don't need to walk around with a haversack (which is still a rather big bag), and you'll be able to eventually change weapons almost as fast as with Quick Draw.

As for how they learn it, my original idea was someone whose soul is changed in such a way that it allows one to 'bond' with the concepts of weaponry and battle (weapons, armor, etc.) and absorb the essence of these items into themselves. As for how the character learns the ability, I'd say it'd be a natural ability for some rare people with different sources, like a Sorcerer. It could be racial heritage, perhaps a really thin LeShay bloodline, it could be a special affinity for the essence of war granted by a Deity (Torm, Tempus, etc.), a curse, or the result of some great magical event which took place during ones birth, anything really, it's up to the character in question I guess. (Then again, how many Sorcerers really explain the source of their powers in 3.5 anyway? =P)
The prerequisites though, I did mean for the PrC to be a primarily Warblade PrCs, since they are the Martial Adept base class with the most affinity for battle and weapons. I wasn't sure what other requirements I could place though, but I'd welcome advice on the matter =)