Soulknife Build?

[Empedocles]

The soulknife is infamous for being both the worst psionic class by a long shot (the others are Tier 3+) and not really being psionic. Despite this, I was wondering if there were any 10 level builds for the soulknife that would be good? (multiclassing is fine, but the basic idea has to be a soulknife).

He'd obviously have to use the two handed bastard sword mind blade, since this is by far the best type he gets once he can shape it. I'd like him to be highly mobile and possibly a self buffer. A few thoughts were incarnum dips (either Soulborn for the full BAB or totemist for the Totem chakra, which gives him a good chakra without taking too many levels).

I'd be willing to use up to 2 flaws to make up for feat deficiencies.

[danzibr]

The soulknife is infamous for being both the worst psionic class by a long shot (the others are Tier 3+) and not really being psionic. Despite this, I was wondering if there were any 10 level builds for the soulknife that would be good? (multiclassing is fine, but the basic idea has to be a soulknife).

He'd obviously have to use the two handed bastard sword mind blade, since this is by far the best type he gets once he can shape it. I'd like him to be highly mobile and possibly a self buffer. A few thoughts were incarnum dips (either Soulborn for the full BAB or totemist for the Totem chakra, which gives him a good chakra without taking too many levels).

I'd be willing to use up to 2 flaws to make up for feat deficiencies.
Well... Soulborn isn't the way to go.

As far as being constructive, this (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872658/The_Soulknife_Handbook) knows way more than I would.

[Kansaschaser]

IT'S A TRAP!

Both the Soulborn and the Soulknife are traps. Don't play them.

If you want to play a "Soulknife" type character, play an Incarnate and get Incarnate Weapon. At first level you could have a +1 weapon. At 6th level your Incarnate Weapon could be at +3 or even higher if you get a specific magic item. Or as high as +5 with an item and a feat.

Then take Psychic Warrior to give you some Psionic abilities and some combat feats.

There ya' go. You have a better character than the Soulknife.

[Lateral]

You want to be a soulknife? Be a Psychic Warrior, they're the best soulknives.

Assuming you actually want the soulknife class, though, the best thing you can do is go into soulbow, from Complete Psionic. It's one of the few good things from that book, and makes soulknives more playable.

[Empedocles]

IT'S A TRAP!

Both the Soulborn and the Soulknife are traps. Don't play them.

If you want to play a "Soulknife" type character, play an Incarnate and get Incarnate Weapon. At first level you could have a +1 weapon. At 6th level your Incarnate Weapon could be at +3 or even higher if you get a specific magic item. Or as high as +5 with an item and a feat.

Then take Psychic Warrior to give you some Psionic abilities and some combat feats.

There ya' go. You have a better character than the Soulknife.

Ok...but incarnate has a bad BAB which is terrible for a melee build.

[Kansaschaser]

Ok...but incarnate has a bad BAB which is terrible for a melee build.

If you don't like the Incarnate/Psychic Warrior, then just play a full Psychic Warrior. Like Lateral said, they are better Soulknifes than Soulknifes.

[FMArthur]

I'm far too tired to find it again but I've got a build around here that combines a lot of weird things for a very very weird build: the unarmed soulknife. At its core it's just Tashalatora + Reshape Mind Blade (unarmed strike) but there are lots of additional aspects that work together well. Kalashtar + Hidden Talent: Expansion and Atavist + Practiced Mind Blade are interactions I remember being noteworthy. Fanged Ring is a natural, Strongarm Bracers work with it even though it's an unarmed strike, and I think the Necklace of Natural Weapons also works alongside your level-based enhancements. Throw Mind Blade + Scorprion's Grasp does bizarre tele-grapple things by the rules.

I remember ECL 10 being the point where all the features are up and running. Keep in mind that it's mostly just an interesting thing and doesn't transcend the problem of being a bare-bones melee class.

[Particle_Man]

Let's see. You could go the Spring Attack route. You could also take all the feats that require you to maintain your psionic focus and work with that, thematically. Since your weapon can disappear when you don't need it you could be an easy-going "face" character that looks fairly harmless and unarmed. You could go the Vow of Poverty route (since you have a free weapon anyhow). And yeah, you could take a few incarnum feats too.

This is just riffing, mind you. :) And yes, you will be low-powered. As long as you are cool with that, you can have fun with the character. It would be more like 1st ed or B/X where you have to rely upon your skills as a player (and awareness of the environment of the game setting and how to us it (including terrain features, potential allies, etc.) in the game, since you can't rely upon the mechanics of the character to save your butt.

Also, what are the other players playing? What is your DM's style and houserules? Is it a Tier 5 game?

Best of luck!

[Silva Stormrage]

I second Soul Bow, it can be an amazing class. If you dip shiba protector and take zen archery then you can get double wisdom to hit and to damage with all your arrow attacks. Its a very fun class to play and works great in volley archer builds. See if your DM will let you take splitting on your arrows.

[eggs]

The ideal situation involves a Soulknife fix like DSP's PF (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife) version, or their Mind Blade feat line (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/mind-blade-feats), or even a rough translation of the 3.0 prestige class. Even the barely-tweaked DSP 3.5 Soulknife would be better.



But if we're looking for a workable build with WotC's ****ty 3.5 class, how about: Kalashtar Soulknife 5/Warmind 5

Use the Hidden Talent and Bonus Feats (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) ACFs.

For feats, start with something like:
1-Power Attack 3-Improved Bull Rush 3-Linked Power 6-Practiced Manifester 9-Shock Trooper

For Powers, let's say Dimension Hop, Bite of the Wolf, Expansion, Psionic Lion's Charge.
9 ML, Probably 36 PP (depending on Wisdom and interpretation of Practiced Manifester), allowing every fight to include:

For equipment, let's say a Torc of Power Preservation, Feathered Wings graft and I don't care.

The result is 3 attacks per round at decent attack bonuses (charging Mind Blade+iterative+Bite) with mobility via Psionic Lion's Charge/Dimension Hop, Damage from Shock Trooper and a couple combat tricks from War Mind (mini-rage and Sweeping Strike). The Mind Blade itself is pretty crappy at this level, but you might shuffle some Kensai in later to keep it level-appropriate.

The one really weird part is that between charges and sweeping strikes, the build is really going to want to move exactly 10 feet a round. Dimension Hop might help with that.


...But I'd seriously look at a different version; the base class isn't just crappy, it's dry.

[Empedocles]

Let's see. You could go the Spring Attack route. You could also take all the feats that require you to maintain your psionic focus and work with that, thematically. Since your weapon can disappear when you don't need it you could be an easy-going "face" character that looks fairly harmless and unarmed. You could go the Vow of Poverty route (since you have a free weapon anyhow). And yeah, you could take a few incarnum feats too.

This is just riffing, mind you. :) And yes, you will be low-powered. As long as you are cool with that, you can have fun with the character. It would be more like 1st ed or B/X where you have to rely upon your skills as a player (and awareness of the environment of the game setting and how to us it (including terrain features, potential allies, etc.) in the game, since you can't rely upon the mechanics of the character to save your butt.

Also, what are the other players playing? What is your DM's style and houserules? Is it a Tier 5 game?

Best of luck!

It's a fairly low powered game, maybe averaging high Tier 4 or low tier 3 with the basic magic of the world being incarnum and psionics being a rare variant (that's why I wondered about incarnum alternatives). The party is going to consist of some sort of anti-hero mountebank character (who will be the weakest), a water shugenja using advanced magic from Magic of Rokugan, and a dragon shaman.


The ideal situation involves a Soulknife fix like DSP's PF (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife) version, or their Mind Blade feat line (http://dsp-d20-srd.wikidot.com/mind-blade-feats), or even a rough translation of the 3.0 prestige class. Even the barely-tweaked DSP 3.5 Soulknife would be better.



But if we're looking for a workable build with WotC's ****ty 3.5 class, how about: Kalashtar Soulknife 5/Warmind 5

Use the Hidden Talent and Bonus Feats (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) ACFs.

For feats, start with something like:
1-Power Attack 3-Improved Bull Rush 3-Linked Power 6-Practiced Manifester 9-Shock Trooper

For Powers, let's say Dimension Hop, Bite of the Wolf, Expansion, Psionic Lion's Charge.
9 ML, Probably 36 PP (depending on Wisdom and interpretation of Practiced Manifester), allowing every fight to include:

For equipment, let's say a Torc of Power Preservation, Feathered Wings graft and I don't care.

The result is 3 attacks per round at decent attack bonuses (charging Mind Blade+iterative+Bite) with mobility via Psionic Lion's Charge/Dimension Hop, Damage from Shock Trooper and a couple combat tricks from War Mind (mini-rage and Sweeping Strike). The Mind Blade itself is pretty crappy at this level, but you might shuffle some Kensai in later to keep it level-appropriate.

The one really weird part is that between charges and sweeping strikes, the build is really going to want to move exactly 10 feet a round. Dimension Hop might help with that.


...But I'd seriously look at a different version; the base class isn't just crappy, it's dry.

That's an interesting build. I'll give it some thought...

[Red_Dog]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=237741&page=2

Its a link to the last soulknife discussion thread^.

My position can be surmised in =>

=>abuse Iaijutsu Focus due to free draw of a mindblade, you can still only do it once as its free action once a turn.
=>Dip sword sage for Child of Shadows and a way to get Shadow blade[remember, one time your short sword mindblade is a advantage as its a shadowhand weapon] fast to make a Dex focused character.
=>Potential hit'n'run fighter to add Dex twice on your damage.
=>Abuse Hidden Talent thru Kalashtars or thru Psycarnum Infusion and azurins[eggs suggested Infusion]
=>Use Psychic weapon to do burst damage & trade you psychic strike for bonus feats. Psychic weapon scales faster and uses nearly the same mechanic. Its stop scaling quicker too, but at least you get to play with it sooner ^^

And don't forget, the best way to be useful with a useless character is to role-play properly ^^! As in, with all those movement skills, if you risk your life enough, scouting ahead, you can definitely be an asset to the party ^^

Jokes aside, yes Soulknife is terrible, no its not UNplayable. ^^

Good luck! ^^

P.S. FMArthur, that seems like it could be a neat idea. I'll look it up. ^^

P.S.2. Also, one can always abuse roof jumper for that extra damage! ^^ Its in city scape, and I think you can get it relatively fast. Yes its cheap and not what you'd expect soulknife be doing, but with a movement based skill list, what DID they expect that you'd be doing? = ]

[Beowulf DW]

I'd definitely look into using the PF Soul Knife if you can find a way to shoehorn it in. Use the rules for PrCs they included and PF Soul Knife can be pretty high tier 4.

[JadePhoenix]

I'd definitely look into using the PF Soul Knife if you can find a way to shoehorn it in. Use the rules for PrCs they included and PF Soul Knife can be pretty high tier 4.

I could even say tier 3. Pathfinder Soulknife is solid. I think his tactical positioning skills (via Combat Slide) are second to none in Pathfinder.

[deuxhero]

You want to be a soulknife? Be a Psychic Warrior, they're the best soulknives.

Assuming you actually want the soulknife class, though, the best thing you can do is go into soulbow, from Complete Psionic. It's one of the few good things from that book, and makes soulknives more playable.

Book? I thought Soulbow was web content like the Mind's Eye articles that didn't appear in a book?

Here's the article with it (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20060403a&page=2), note that Lucky mind arrows are awesome, as you can reroll EVERY attack.

[Empedocles]

Okay, you guys convinced me D&D needed this.

The Focus Knight. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238935) I'm still playing a soulknife in the upcoming campaign though.

[Yorrin]

Paladin 2 (with Serenity)/Soulknife 2/Monk 1/Soulbow 10 (with Zen Archery)/Shiba Protector 1/Swordsage 2/x 2

The only build I use with Soulknife. Wis to hit twice, damage twice, AC twice, and saves once. Use with a dragonborn anthropomorphic bat for kicks and flavor. I realize it's not within your lvl10 restriction, but I'm sure you might see something useful there.

[Empedocles]

Paladin 2 (with Serenity)/Soulknife 2/Monk 1/Soulbow 10 (with Zen Archery)/Shiba Protector 1/Swordsage 2/x 2

The only build I use with Soulknife. Wis to hit twice, damage twice, AC twice, and saves once. Use with a dragonborn anthropomorphic bat for kicks and flavor. I realize it's not within your lvl10 restriction, but I'm sure you might see something useful there.

What's the paladin with serenity?

[Yorrin]

What's the paladin with serenity?

That's for the Wis to saves. This build is basically just an exercise in adding Wis to things. Goes great gestalted with a swift hunter.

[Red_Dog]

That's for the Wis to saves. This build is basically just an exercise in adding Wis to things. Goes great gestalted with a swift hunter.

I believe the focal point of Pal of Serenity is =>Sir Wisdom the SAD

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=125732
Link in the spoiler*

[Anxe]

If you're not against a little bit of homebrewing you can combine the soulknife with the Pyrokintecist to have a pretty awesome weapon.

[Beowulf DW]

I could even say tier 3. Pathfinder Soulknife is solid. I think his tactical positioning skills (via Combat Slide) are second to none in Pathfinder.

True. If I ever get the chance, I'd love to try a soulknife with my friends. Our group takes a somewhat fluid approach to things that aren't covered by the rules. If I decided to make a mind spear to pole-vault, or some claws to climb or slow a fall, we'd try to work with that as best as we could. I'd love to see what I could do with those abilities.