Soulknife Fix?

[Yael]

I've been planning to improve the class for a more decent combat-oriented melee class (or ranged if entering the Soulbow PrC.)

My thoughs are increasing the BAB from medium to full, maybe giving it a power point and manifesting progression, with a themed-limited list of powers capping at power level 4th-5th? Removing (or moving up) the Weapon Focus feat granted at level 1st, and granting the Greater Weapon Focus at an earlier level. Changing the enhancement bonus to less levels than every 4 (like every 2, maybe?) Also, I saw on a similar thread that removing Bladewind, and Shape Mind Blade as class features, and converting them into bonus feats is a good idea?

Help?

[Seerow]

There's two fixes for the Soulknife I like.

The first is converting the whole class into a +1 LA template. Basically you take 1 LA, and you get to gestalt soulknife with whatever else you want.


The other is my fix that can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?304504-Revitalized-Soulknife). It does a lot of what you are looking for (full BAB, limited manifesting, improved mindblade).

[ghanjrho]

I'd take a long look at DSP's Soulknife for Pathfinder. Full BAB, lots of little tweaks, bladeskills and psychic strike are both much better. There's even an archetype/ACF called Gifted Blade that swaps your psychic strike out for 4th-level manifesting. And it's free: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/psionics-unleashed/classes/soulknife

[StreamOfTheSky]

PF's version is good. I still like my fix (http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?312218-Soulknife-s-Mind-Blade-as-Touch-Attack&p=5697365&viewfull=1#post5697365), though. Unlike the normal 3E one *and* the PF one, it has you full attacking with thrown mind blades by a reasonable level.

Don't let the thread title fool you; mine has nothing to do w/ touch attacking. My idea was a reply post in that thread.

EDIT: May as well just post it here.

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
BAB: Full
Saves: Good Reflex, Will

Class Skills
The soulknife’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis* (Wis), Balance, Climb (Str), Concentration* (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics)* (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device (Cha).

Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (×4 at 1st level)

Class Features
All the following are class features of the soulknife.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Soulknives are proficient with all simple weapons, with their own mind blades, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Mind Blade (Su)
As a move action, a soulknife can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a short sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium soulknife materializes a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19-20/×2). Soulknives who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind blades identical to short swords appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.

The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a soulknife can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his blade, it dissipates (unless he intends to throw it; see below). A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A soulknife can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose mind blade for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade. If a Soulknife gains the ability to wield a larger weapon without penalty, such as the Powerful Build racial trait, he may create a larger mind blade appropriate for what size weapon he can wield.

A soulknife’s mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 3rd level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 7th level, +3 at 11th level, +4 at 15th level, and +5 at 19th level). The enhancement bonus improves the mind blade's hardness and hit points accordingly.

Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a soulknife can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 20 Autohypnosis check. On a successful check, the soulknife maintains his mind blade for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the soulknife can attempt a new Autohypnosis check to rematerialize his mind blade while he remains within the psionics negating effect.

A soulknife is able to create his mind blade and sustain it even if he has no power points remaining, his ability to do so is not connected to his psionic reserves.

Mind Blade Aptitude
A soulknife gains Weapon Focus (mind blade) as a bonus feat at 1st level. In addition, starting at 3rd level, a Soulknife is considered to be a Fighter of his Soulknife level -2 for the purposes of qualifying for feats, but only can benefit from them while wielding his mind blade. Thus, a Soulknife could select Melee Weapon Mastery (Slashing), but it would only provide a benefit while using the mind blade, for example. Feats that do not require a Fighter level do not face this restriction.

Hidden Talent
A soulknife gains Hidden Talent as a bonus feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites. This grants the Soulknife 2 power points and a single 1st level power known of his choice. The soulknife uses his class level as the manifester level and his wisdom modifier for the save DC, if any, of this power. He gains bonus PP based upon his manifester level and wisdom modifier.

Throw Mind Blade (Ex)
A soul knife of 2nd level or higher can throw his mind blade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet.

Whether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind blade then dissipates. A soulknife of 4th level or higher can make a psychic strike (see below) with a thrown mind blade and can use the blade in conjunction with other special abilities (such as Knife to the Soul; see below).

Bonus Feats
A Soulknife gains a bonus feat at levels 2, 6, 10, 13, and 17. The Soulknife must meet all requirements of the chosen feat and must choose from among feats available as Fighter bonus feats or psionic feats.

Psychic Strike (Su)
As long as he is psionically focused, a soulknife of 4th level or higher can imbue his mind blade with destructive psychic energy as a free action before making an attack, once per round. This effect deals an extra 1d8 points of damage to a living, nonmindless target. Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to psychic strike damage. (Unlike the rogue’s sneak attack, the psychic strike is not precision damage and can affect creatures otherwise immune to extra damage from critical hits or more than 30 feet away, provided they are living, nonmindless creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects.) The effect dissipates after the attack roll is resolved, regardless of whether it hit or missed.

At every four levels beyond 4th (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th), the extra damage from a soulknife’s psychic strike increases by +1d8. At level 15, a Soulknife is able to inflict Psychic Strike damage to any target, even if it is mindless or immune to mind-affecting effects.

Free Draw (Ex)
At 5th level, a soulknife becomes able to materialize his mind blade as a free action instead of a move action, and may do so as frequently as he wishes.

Shape Mind Blade (Su)
At 5th level, a soulknife gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. Select any one simple or martial melee weapon, and add it to the possible shapes the soulknife's mind blade may materialize as. A soulknife is proficient with his mind blade in this form as well as any others it may take. Alternatively, the soulknife can select an exotic weapon, but he must already be proficient with it. All mind blade abilities apply to the new form, unless they are incompatible. For instance, keen could not be applied to a Greatclub mind blade, and throwing a two-handed weapon would require a full round action. All normal rules apply to use of this new weapon, such as adding 1-1/2 times the strength modifier to damage for a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands. A double weapon gains the appropriate enhancement bonus and special weapon properties on each end of the weapon. At every 3 levels thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th) a Soulknife may choose another kind of weapon to add to his list of options. Each time the Soulknife draws his mind blade, he chooses which form it will take.

Alternatively, a soulknife can split his mind blade into two identical light weapons of a form he is able to shape his mind blade (such as short swords), suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) Both mind blades gain the appropriate enhancement bonus and special weapon properties.

Mind Blade Enhancement (Su)
At 6th level, a soulknife gains the ability to enhance his mind blade. He can add any one weapon special ability that has an enhancement bonus value of +1.

At every three levels beyond 6th (9th, 12th, 15th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a soulknife can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, +4, and +5, respectively. A soulknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the soulknife’s level.

The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the soulknife materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to any form the mind blade takes, including the use of the shape mind blade or bladewind class abilities.

A soulknife can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his mind blade. To do so, he must first spend 10 minutes in concentration. After that period, the mind blade materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the soulknife.

Bladewind (Su)
At 9th level, a soulknife gains the ability to momentarily fragment his mind blade into numerous identical blades, each of which strikes at a nearby opponent.

As a full attack, when wielding his mind blade, a soulknife can give up his regular attacks and instead fragment his mind blade to make one melee attack at his full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach. Each fragment functions identically to the soulknife’s regular mind blade.

When using bladewind, a soulknife forfeits any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats or abilities (such as the Cleave feat or the haste spell). The mind blade immediately reverts to its previous form after the bladewind attack. At 16th level, the Soulknife may execute this ability as a standard action and can also combine it with the Spring Attack feat, moving, taking all his attacks, and then moving again.

Knife to the Soul (Su)
Beginning at 13th level, when a soulknife executes a psychic strike, he can choose to substitute Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (his choice) for extra dice of damage. For each die of extra damage he gives up, he deals 1 point of damage to the ability score he chooses. A soulknife can combine extra dice of damage and ability damage in any combination.

The soulknife decides which ability score his psychic strike damages and the division of ability damage and extra dice of damage when he imbues his mind blade with the psychic strike energy.

Psychic Surge (Ex)
At 20th level, a Soulknife learns to harness his psychic energy into a single, devastating attack. The soulknife may choose to expend his psionic focus as he makes a psychic strike. If he does so, he inflicts his full psychic strike damage and an amount of ability damage to one ability score of his choice, as if he had devoted all of his damage dice to the Knife to the Soul ability. Furthermore, if the foe is struck by this attack, he must make a Will save, with a DC equal to 10 + damage dealt. If he fails the save, he is dazed for a number of rounds equal to the Soulknife's bonus dice damage for psychic strike. Alternatively, the soulknife may choose to heal an amount of damage from the successful psychic strike equal to half the damage dealt, instead of inflicting the daze condition. The soulknife can opt to heal from the attack even against a foe that would have been immune to the dazed condition.

Features full BAB, better mind blade rules (including working w/ powerful build), psychic strike as something you just get 1/round instead of having to recharge, throw as many mind blades as you want by level 5, faster enhancement and special property progression, picking different mind blade shapes, and more.

[JeminiZero]

The "Fix" I figured involves semi-gestalt of Soulknife with various other things of your choice depending on what kind of Soulknife you want to be. Choose from 2 others: limited psionic powers, ToB Maneuvers, Revised Flurry with Mindblade (like Monk, but applies to Charge), various templates, and many many others. See link in sig.

Also, Throw Mindblade can get range increments of 100 ft, and apply Soulbow enhancements if you want to go ranged.

[Psyren]

PF Soulknife can full throw mind blades at level 2; you just need the Mind Daggers bladeskill.