Custom Psionic "BladeSinger" Type Class - NEED INPUT PLS!

[kalos72]

Hello all!

I was trying to come up with a psionic class for one of my group that plays/feels like a epic wizard, his primary character. Thinking of going straight psion or DSP erudite.

But then the question came into play, what about something that has a maartial feel as well, soulknife was mentioned but appears to be quite under powered and we also wanted more psionic flexability.

So I thought I would try to combine the classic psion, WoTC Erudite and the DSP Soulknife but I havent really made custom classes much, once actually. :)

Below is a link, I would LOVE feedback.

FYI, I left it 4d as the psion because I was concerned about making the class too strong if I went with the default for Soulknifes lets say.

Also, I need some guidance on the BAB and such...I think Soulknife's would be too strong but againn feedback is welcome!

Thanks for your help!


http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19842494&postcount=54

[DrMartin]

I think the easiest way to go about this is to figure out a version of variant multiclassing for the DSP soulknife and slap it on a base class.

for instance:
level 3: form and shape mindblade
level 7: enhanced mind blade, as soulknife level -4
level 11: psychic strike +2d8
level 15: one blade skill
level 19: one blade skill

(If you need it in more 3.5 terms it would be more like a feat-chain with level prerequisite, each feat unlocking some mindblade abilities.)

So you are basically taking the class the best fits your idea (psionics have psychic warrior and ardent as "gish in a can" without needing to create new classes that smell like a bladesinger) and you slap a mind blade on it, trading it for a few feat.

[kalos72]

Understood. Makes sense...however this player wants more wizard with Martial secondary. Soul knife or physic warrior are both more martial then wizard due to their limited power points and known skills.

Thats why I went from Psion as a base and just added some martial to it. I kept the soul knife skills limited to just create and enhance mind blades and removed alot of the added functionality because I was trying to keep the psion base. I thought keeping both full ability sets would be too OP.

Its been suggested to just run a straight Psion but I am not sure/cant see how I add the martial feel to it.

[DrMartin]

how about you take the ardent as a base then? 9th level casting, with a cleric chassis (so 3/4 BAB). Small list of powers, group thematically together in mantles (like a psionic version of domains). So you could homebrew something like a mindblade mantle, picking mindblade abilities instead of powers known.

[kalos72]

I never really liked Ardent because its more "priesty" then wizard but the mantles are pretty diverse. Am I correct that I can only have the powers from my selected mantles? I cannot gain powers from outside a mantle?

[DrMartin]

yes that's correct, you can only pick powers from your mantles. There's an online alternate class feature though (more a general guideline to personalizing mantles than an alternate class feature honestly) that allows an ardent to swap or add (to a max of 10) powers to a mantle, as long as they fit the theme.

As for it being priestly: well the description to the class you posted in the other thread refers to an order, with an oracle supervisor, so that would fit a cloister / monastery kind of training just fine I think.

[kalos72]

Link pls?

The "Oracle" reference is to Ioulaum, a Netheril Wizard that is now undead and leads a cabal of alhoons / undead illithids. So its not so much priestly as a reference to the title Ioulaum has taken to hide his identity. But I get your assumption... :)

[kalos72]

You mean the Minds Eye ACF for Ardent? Nice! That might work actually...

What about the max power level for the Ardent, I cant see how that works?