Iron Chef Optimization Challenge: E6 Appetizer Edition (Round XI)

[Zaq]

Welcome back to the Iron Chef Optimization Challenge E6 Appetizer Edition! I think it's time we went back to basics, but that doesn't mean that we're not due for some crazy entries.

The form of this challenge is to take a particular D&D 3.5 base class (our "secret ingredient," or SI) and turn it into a functional E6 (https://esix.pbworks.com/f/E6v041.pdf) build, which must feature the SI as heavily as possible. (The only hard rule about this is that you must take at least one level in the SI, though judges are encouraged to look favorably on builds that take all or almost all of their levels in said SI.) Your final build submission should consist of your 6 regular levels and your first 10 epic bonus feats, though providing a snapshot at earlier points through the progression is heartily encouraged. Entries are to be PM'd to the Chair (that would be me!), and they will be posted anonymously; our volunteer judges will then grade each build on a 1-5 point scale in four categories: Originality, Power, Elegance, and Use of the Secret Ingredient. The builds with the highest three scores will be awarded medals, with the Honorable Mention award going to the non-medaling build that the Chair likes best and/or that receives the most votes for HM in this thread. (HM may not always be awarded, particularly if the number of builds is very small.) And then we all have cake!*

*Note: You must provide your own cake.

This is basically like the regular Iron Chef, and let's be brutally honest with ourselves here: this isn't a gargantuan community, and we basically all know what we're talking about at this point. Make the builds, send 'em in, post some scores, and have fun. If you've got questions, lemme know. Still, let's lay out a few rules!

Cooking Time: Builds must be submitted via PM to the Chair by 4:59 PM GMT - 8 on Wednesday, August 15, 2018 (12:59 AM GMT on Thursday, August 16). The reveal shall be on the first evening the Chair has free following the cooking deadline, which is hoped to be that evening or the immediately subsequent one. Judging is then expected (*cough*) to take no more than two weeks, so we'll put the judging deadline at approximately two weeks after that, with adjustments as necessary. (You can do the math yourselves; I don't want to put two dates here and confuse people.) Notice that this is slightly earlier in the day than previous deadlines; the goal is to have the deadline be around the time the Chair gets off of work on that particular day, thereby allowing him to post the builds without having to stay up super late or wait until the next day.

Kitchen: Let's break this one down a bit.

ALLOWED: Almost all D&D 3.5 material published by WotC: Core, Completes, monster books, Races Of books, alternate power source books (Expanded Psionics Handbook, Magic of Incarnum, Tome of Battle, Tome of Magic, etc.), Spell Compendium, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, Eberron material, Forgotten Realms material, and other WotC-published 3.5 material. (This list is NOT exhaustive and there are many other legal books that I did not mention by name!)

ALLOWED: Material from the 3.5 archives of the Wizards of the Coast website (including, but not limited to, the Mind's Eye articles). If you use it, link it.

ALLOWED: Official errata from WotC. If you're relying on this in a material fashion, it's a good idea to link it and to discuss it.

NOT ALLOWED: Unofficial errata, including "class fixes" (regardless of the source, including from the original author if not published in a WotC book) or fan-created content.

ALLOWED: Unupdated WotC-published 3.0 material (e.g., Sword and Fist, Masters of the Wild, etc.) except for 3.0 psionics. No 3.0 psionics allowed. If you are using 3.0 material, use the general-purpose skill updates (Wilderness Lore becomes Survival, Innuendo becomes Bluff, etc.) and the general-purpose rules updates (spells with a casting time of "1 action" become "1 standard action," etc.) when appropriate.

NOT ALLOWED: 3.0 material for which a direct 3.5 update exists. Use the updated material instead.

ALLOWED: Dragon Compendium and its errata (http://paizo.com/download/dragon/compendium/DragonCompendiumVolumeIErrata.pdf).

NOT ALLOWED: Content from Dragon Magazine and/or Dungeon Magazine unless said content appears in an otherwise allowed source.

ALLOWED: Oriental Adventures, including the 3.5 update to Oriental Adventures from Dragon Magazine #318. This is a specific exception to the "no Dragon" rule!

NOT ALLOWED: Pathfinder content, regardless of whether it is "D&D 3.5 OGL" or not. If it didn't come from WotC, we don't want it.

ALLOWED: From Unearthed Arcana: racial paragon classes, alternate class features/variant classes, spelltouched feats, and variant races. (Traits and flaws are technically legal, but traits warrant a -0.5 point penalty in Elegance, and flaws warrant a -1 penalty in Elegance.)

NOT ALLOWED: Other Unearthed Arcana content, including (but not limited to) bloodlines, LA buyoff, fractional BAB/saves, alternate casting systems, alternate skill systems, item familiars, prestigious character classes, generic classes, gestalt, etc.

NOT ALLOWED: Leadership, regardless of source. Game elements functionally equivalent to Leadership (including, but not limited to, Dragon Cohort, Undead Leadership, and Thrallherd) are similarly banned. (Familiars, Improved Familiar, animal companions, Wild Cohort, psicrystals, elemental envoys, and similar game elements are allowed, and they are not considered to be "Leadership." If the difference isn't obvious, feel free to contact the Chair with specific questions.)

NOT ALLOWED: Third-party content, homebrew, or other non-WotC content.

NOT ALLOWED: Epic feats from the Epic Level Handbook. Just because you're "epic" in E6 after 6th level doesn't mean that you're that kind of epic.

NOT ALLOWED: Any race or template with a level adjustment other than +0. (Or any other source of LA other than a race or template, if any such things exist.)

NOT ALLOWED: For our judges: penalizing solely based on legal sources used, regardless of whether those sources are plentiful, sparse, common, obscure, or something in between. If the material is legal, then it doesn't matter how many or how few books it came out of.

ALLOWED: Also for our judges: penalizing for using a source (other than material in Core; don't be vindictive about genuinely obvious stuff) that isn't listed in the build writeup. The chef may choose to present the sources in-line with the text, in a consolidated source list, or somewhere else, but if the source is listed (and is otherwise legal), it counts. If the source is not listed, you may choose to penalize for that.

If you have questions about anything in this section (or hell, in this ruleset), feel free to ask the Chair.


Character Creation: 32 point buy is assumed. For the purposes of this contest, Level Adjustment greater than +0 is banned. (This may be revised at a later point, but I don't feel that the E6 LA rules are conducive to fun in the context of this contest.) No more than two entries per chef per contest, please; if you submit two builds and somehow are so overcome with inspiration for a third that you can't help yourself, PM me and tell me which two you care about the most.

Speculation: Please do not post any form of speculation before the reveal. Just don't do it, guys. It's not cool. This means NOT posting any of the following or anything substantially similar: what you think is going to be common, significant elements of your planned build or of other potential builds, or anything else that could directly influence someone else's build choices for good or for ill. (It's acceptable to ask for rules clarifications as appropriate, but try to avoid tipping your hand too much.) Speculation is bad because it can discourage people from posting builds and can also "taint the judging pool" when it comes to Originality, so please just try to be aware of how other people might react to your speculation.

E6: Here's how E6 works for the purposes of this contest. Build your character normally for the first six levels. After you reach level 6, you stop gaining levels and start gaining bonus feats every time you would gain 5,000 XP. Since we aren't actually tracking XP, you'll basically list your first ten epic bonus feats in the order that you take them, and we think of them as being kind of like levels. We will not use the LA-equals-reduced-point-buy rules, instead preferring to just ban races with LA, at least for now. We will not use the "capstone feats"; all feats that you take must be normal legal 3.5 feats, not homebrew E6 ones. You may not use the Epic feats from the Epic Level Handbook, though if for some reason there are non-Epic feats from the ELH that you qualify for, you may take those. (I don't think there are any, but I'm sure someone will prove me wrong.) It is up to the discretion of each judge whether this is a "hard E6" (magic above 3rd level spells is simply beyond mortal reach, items that have a listed CL above 6th are just plain not available, etc.) or a "soft E6" (if you can somehow get the magic on your character, it's yours, regardless of level), though I honestly don't expect it to come up. Don't go crazy with making assumptions about items and we probably won't have to find out.

Presentation: Please use the table found below in the spoiler. List your epic bonus feats (in clear order) after the table. If you find a clever way of formatting that that isn't annoying and that doesn't break anything, have fun; if it's portable, I may steal it for the next round. When sending your build or any disputes to the Chair, clearly include your build's name in the subject of the PM, and please present your build exactly as you want the Chair to copy and paste it into the thread.
If you're using a picture, cite the source and follow any relevant citation rules. Because we have had issues with this in the past, when listing your skills, please make it very clear how many ranks you have at each level. There are multiple ways to do this and we do not wish to cramp anyone's individual style by dictating exactly how this must look, but make sure that somewhere in your entry there's an explanation of how many actual skill ranks you have. It's still fine to list total skill bonuses, if that's your style, but don't only list bonuses; make sure that there is a clear listing somewhere of your ranks alone.

Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


Code for the table:

Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


2nd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


3rd
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


4th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


5th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


6th
New Class Level
+x
+x
+x
+x
Skills
Feats
New Class Abilities


Contest houserules: Nearly the same as the main contest's rules here: all creatures are proficient with natural weapons they have or may acquire, bonus feats that are explicitly granted without meeting prereqs are usable even without those prereqs, and feats that affect which skills are class skills for you and/or how you spend your skill points (Able Learner, Martial Study, Truename Training, Apprentice, etc.) apply immediately at the level at which you take them (even though you normally spend skill points before taking a feat).

Judging guidelines: The minimum score in a category is 1, and the maximum is 5. Judges are expected to be fair, consistent, and open-minded, and they are expected to make a good-faith effort to engage with any reasonable disputes that arise, especially when RAW is in question. That said, contestants are asked to not dispute more than necessary; let's do everything in good faith and really only dispute when a judge is being inconsistent, being unfair, or is otherwise grossly misinterpreting a build.
Judges may not penalize Originality solely because a build is a tribute or homage to an existing creative work (in or out of D&D canon; note that this is not the same thing as penalizing Originality for using well-known optimization tactics), nor may judges penalize based solely on sources used (whether those sources are plentiful, sparse, common, obscure, or something in between, you should judge the build elements and how they work together rather than what book or what books they came out of, as long as those books are legal for this contest and are cited in the entry).
As with the main contest, we will follow the "One Mistake, One Penalty" guideline, and it is very important that the judges adhere to it. I'm going to directly copy and paste this from the main thread, and hopefully the original author won't mind too much:
Judges are only allowed to penalise once for a given mistake. If someone messes up their skills and doesn't qualify for a PrC, ding them as hard as you like. Once. In one category. You don't then get to declare that because they didn't qualify for that PrC, they don't get those levels, and thus don't qualify for anything else. If Ranger is a common ingredient, ding them for Originality. Once. Don't also take off points for Two-Weapon-Fighting being a common ingredient.

Non-exhaustive list of examples:

Skills
Allowed:

Giving a penalty for miscalculating the number of skill points gained
Giving a penalty for not having enough ranks to meet a prerequisite
Increasing the harshness of a skill miscalculation penalty if it affects critical skills including prereqs


Not allowed:

Giving separate penalties for miscalculating skill points and for non-qualification where the non-qualification is solely caused by the miscalculation



Prereqs
Allowed:

Giving a penalty for not meeting prereqs
Scaling the penalty depending on how important the item that the build failed to qualify for is
Giving minimum score in UotSI for not qualifying for the SI
Not giving credit for (note: not the same as penalising for) tactics using feats or classes other than the SI that were not qualified for (but see below)


Not Allowed:

"Cascading" failures to qualify - declaring that because a build doesn't qualify for a feat, for example, it also doesn't qualify for anything using that feat as a prereq
Treating a build as having fewer levels than it does because of FtQ for classes



Other general things that are no longer allowed:

Penalising because someone has chosen to build a tribute to an existing creative work
Deciding that a backstory has not met a fluff prerequisite well enough, or because its method of meeting it is "unrealistic". You may penalise if a fluff prereq is not addressed at all, but not for how well it is addressed.


Note that these are protections, not licenses. Deliberately taking a feat that you know you don't qualify for hoping to just suck up the judging penalty for a feat that you couldn't normally take is not okay, and may lead to your build being disqualified.

Other bits and bobs: If there's something major and relevant I haven't mentioned, assume that the way I handle it will probably be the same as the main contest unless stated otherwise or unless doing so would be an obviously absurd result. If you've got questions, I'll give you answers.


This round's secret ingredient: the SOULKNIFE, (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/soulknife.htm) from the Expanded Psionics Handbook (and the SRD)! Allez Optimizer!



The Builds:


Name
Alignment/Race
Class Stub
Score
Place
Chef


Bzzsherrrp (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=73)
NG Human
Soulknife 1 / Fighter 1 / Soulknife 4
15.5
2nd, Silver
daremetoidareyo


Chozin-Wan Sandhater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=74)
?? Azurin
Soulknife 5 / Swordsage 1
13.5
4th
Pleh


D’dee Homaggio (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=75)
CE Silverbrow Human
Rogue 1 / Soulknife 2 / Ranger 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
jdizzlean


Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=76)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Wilder 1
Judge
Honorable Mention
Randuir


Olloh, Mind-Tipper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=77)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Warblade 1
15.5
2nd, Silver
RaiKirah


Psir Perpsival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=78)
Something Necropolitan
Soulknife 5 / Illumine Soul 1
13
5th
tricktroller


Sorashana (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=79)
LG Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
14.5
3rd, Bronze
Falontani


T'Fimebjeil, Paladin of the Raven Queen, Lantern of Life's Light (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=80)
CG Feytouched
Soulknife 3 / Fighter / Crusader / Illumine Soul
14.5
3rd, Bronze
Ripptor


T'Fimebjeil, Inquisitor of the Raven Queen, Dark Maiden of Death (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=81)
CE Unseelie Fey Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
16
1st, Gold
Ripptor


T'lasofe (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
?? Jermlaine
Psychic Warrior 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
13
5th
lysyly


‘Laine Bow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
Jermlaine
Ninja 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
Maat Mons




Round 4: Knight (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?542333-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(IV))
Round 5: Ninja (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?548763-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-V))
Round 6: Racial Paragon Classes (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?551174-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-VI))
Round 7: Hexblade (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?553767-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-VII))
Round 8: Shugenja (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?555626-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-VIII))
Round 9: Swashbuckler (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?559135-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-IX)")
Round 10: Crusader (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?562183-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-X))



Round 1: Divine Mind (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?197000-Iron-Chef-Appetizer-Edition!-(e6))
Round 2: Monk (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?201548-Iron-Chef-Appetizer-Edition!-(e6)-II)
Round 3: Marshal (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?235221-Iron-Chef-Appetizer-Edition-(E6)-III)

[Zaq]

I want there to be more entries this time, so an OGL ingredient seemed like a good choice. Doesn't mean it's not an awful class, but it's got a strong intended flavor even though it struggles to live up to said flavor, and those ingredients tend to inspire us, wouldn't you say?

This should be a fun round, I'm hoping. Show me what you've got, everyone!

[RaiKirah]

Aaahh, the Soulknife. What an awkward class. Looking forward to trying to put a build together!

[Falontani]

Already have Inspiration. That is a weird feeling.

[Long_shanks]

Oh my... I played a Soulknife, once... This is going to be interesting.

[daremetoidareyo]

I don't get why this thing doesn't have full bab. It's a fighter that has the bonus feats pre-selected that is locked into a single weapon choice. Rangers and paladins have way better class features and they get full BAB.

[RaiKirah]

I don't get why this thing doesn't have full bab.


Yeah, my immediate first idea was just as immediately sunk when I realized this :/

[Maat Mons]

I don't get why this thing doesn't have full bab.

I don't get why the class is incapable of benefiting from Power Attack or Two-Weapon Fighting until 5th level.

[lylsyly]

Hmmm, might have an idea, and right now I have the time. Provisionally in to cook.

[RaiKirah]

I don't get why the class is incapable of benefiting from Power Attack or Two-Weapon Fighting until 5th level.

Eh, not much lost on PA before then anyways with only 3/4 BAB, and before 4th level the mind blade might as well be a mundane stick for all the benefit it gives so you can TWF with a regular weapon no problemo. But I do have to agree, those restrictions do seem really arbitrary.

[Zaq]

I don't get why this thing doesn't have full bab. It's a fighter that has the bonus feats pre-selected that is locked into a single weapon choice. Rangers and paladins have way better class features and they get full BAB.


I don't get why the class is incapable of benefiting from Power Attack or Two-Weapon Fighting until 5th level.


Eh, not much lost on PA before then anyways with only 3/4 BAB, and before 4th level the mind blade might as well be a mundane stick for all the benefit it gives so you can TWF with a regular weapon no problemo. But I do have to agree, those restrictions do seem really arbitrary.

What? You aren’t thoroughly impressed by the thrilling primary class feature of “has a weapon”? Whyever not?

[DeTess]

Just marking this thread, nothing to see here :P

[tterreb]

I like how the soulknife can't actually make a knife...

[PrismCat21]

I like how the soulknife can't actually make a knife...

Is 'knife' even a legal weapon?

[tterreb]

Is 'knife' even a legal weapon?
A dagger is a type of knife, so yes.

[lylsyly]

A dagger is a type of knife, so yes.

Do you have a source for this?

[tterreb]

Do you have a source for this?

a sharp pointed knife for stabbing
There is no actual 'knife' in 3.5, but the joke wouldn't work if I replaced it with dagger. And there's no way to make daggers as a soulknife that I could find aside from a Dragon Magazine feat.

[RaiKirah]

Welp, my first four ideas have all fallen apart....back to the drawing board!

[lylsyly]

Which isn't allowed, I am out. Maybe next time.

[Luccan]

You know a class is in a rough spot when you can look at it even in E6 and go "I've got this idea for a Swashbuckler I want to make...". I've got some ideas, I'll submit if anything seems promising.

[Pleh]

I'm working on a build and I have a question about how Soulknife works. It's a question about how Mind Blade and Wild Talent are supposed to relate to each other. Since all build submissions must have at least the one level that grants both abilities, I don't think it's spoiling anything to talk about in the general thread (or else I would just PM the chairman). Might as well clarify for all competitors since there's no chance of it spoiling the game.

In the SRD listing for Soulknife, it says that Soulknife gets Wild Talent (when they could have picked Hidden Talent), which provides the Power Points necessary to materialize their blade, even if they have no other sources of psionic power besides.

But the rules for Mind Blade don't seem to require that you HAVE power points to spend. In fact, they rather particularly chose Wild Talent so as not to offer the Soulknife any Psionic Powers other than their Mind Blade, but the Mind Blade doesn't say anything about costing Power Points or requiring Psionic Focus. Or am I missing something tucked away in a different chapter of the XPH?

It seems rather critical to potential builds to know whether or not I've got to remember to set aside 2 points every time I want to use the class's main feature. You know, in case I decide to take options that enable me to spend those Power Points to manifest other Powers.

[daremetoidareyo]

The mind blade is a supernatural ability completely divorced from wild talent.

What wild talent provides, specifically to soulknife only, is the designation of "psionic class"

What wild talent helps do for everyone is grant a character the ability to use concentration to gain a psionics focus or take psionics feats, or psionics item creation feats, assuming of course, that the other prerequisites are fulfilled

The soulknife is nominally psionic, and although the mindblade seems related to psionics, it has a completely divorced mechanic

I fell down a huge RAW rabbit hole on this one. What I hate is that i can't share that knowledge due to speculation issues.

[thorr-kan]

Which isn't allowed, I am out. Maybe next time.
Come on and judge; join the Dark Side!

[thorr-kan]

Dagnabit. I committed to judging, and now I have an idea. That's a pain.

I'm still judging.

[thorr-kan]

I'm working on a build and I have a question about how Soulknife works. It's a question about how Mind Blade and Wild Talent are supposed to relate to each other. Since all build submissions must have at least the one level that grants both abilities, I don't think it's spoiling anything to talk about in the general thread (or else I would just PM the chairman). Might as well clarify for all competitors since there's no chance of it spoiling the game.
I am not the Chairman, but I think you're on safe ground here.


In the SRD listing for Soulknife, it says that Soulknife gets Wild Talent (when they could have picked Hidden Talent), which provides the Power Points necessary to materialize their blade, even if they have no other sources of psionic power besides.

But the rules for Mind Blade don't seem to require that you HAVE power points to spend. In fact, they rather particularly chose Wild Talent so as not to offer the Soulknife any Psionic Powers other than their Mind Blade, but the Mind Blade doesn't say anything about costing Power Points or requiring Psionic Focus. Or am I missing something tucked away in a different chapter of the XPH?
Here's the relevant SRD entry, for reference:
"Wild Talent: A soulknife gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat. (This class feature provides the character with the psionic power he needs to materialize his mind blade, if he has no power points otherwise.)"


It seems rather critical to potential builds to know whether or not I've got to remember to set aside 2 points every time I want to use the class's main feature. You know, in case I decide to take options that enable me to spend those Power Points to manifest other Powers.
I think daremetoidareyo has got it and I agree, but I will bow to the Chairman if he rules otherwise.

My logic: Mind Blade mentions nothing about using power points. Wild Talent says "psionic power" not "power points." A character is still psionic, even if power points are expended, right?

[lylsyly]

Come on and judge; join the Dark Side!

I really don't know enough to judge, maybe somewhere down the road.....

[DeTess]

I really don't know enough to judge, maybe somewhere down the road.....

Judging is (in my experience) not really any more difficult than participating, as long as contestants make sure to properly explain what their builds do and how they do what they do, which is on them. There isn't really any encyclopedic knowledge or superhuman understanding of optimization required.

The one tricky thing is that you need to somehow have access to just about every bit of material ever made for 3.5, but in age of the internet, that's not that difficult.

[lylsyly]

The one tricky thing is that you need to somehow have access to just about every bit of material ever made for 3.5, but in age of the internet, that's not that difficult.

This part I have (and I mean everything). My problem is I am NOT an optimizer. I would be leery of judging power levels. And understanding the builds that are not well explained.

I am relooking at what I wanted to try .....

[thorr-kan]

This part I have (and I mean everything). My problem is I am NOT an optimizer. I would be leery of judging power levels. And understanding the builds that are not well explained.

I am relooking at what I wanted to try .....
While I firmly believe you should be joining the Dark Side (<Sith Mind Trick>You wanna judge<\Sith Mind Trick>), if inspiration strikes, go for it.

And if *I'm* judging, system mastery *can't* be a requirement, 'cause I'm not a system master! :smallsmile:

[Luccan]

I'm working on a build and I have a question about how Soulknife works. It's a question about how Mind Blade and Wild Talent are supposed to relate to each other. Since all build submissions must have at least the one level that grants both abilities, I don't think it's spoiling anything to talk about in the general thread (or else I would just PM the chairman). Might as well clarify for all competitors since there's no chance of it spoiling the game.

In the SRD listing for Soulknife, it says that Soulknife gets Wild Talent (when they could have picked Hidden Talent), which provides the Power Points necessary to materialize their blade, even if they have no other sources of psionic power besides.

But the rules for Mind Blade don't seem to require that you HAVE power points to spend. In fact, they rather particularly chose Wild Talent so as not to offer the Soulknife any Psionic Powers other than their Mind Blade, but the Mind Blade doesn't say anything about costing Power Points or requiring Psionic Focus. Or am I missing something tucked away in a different chapter of the XPH?

It seems rather critical to potential builds to know whether or not I've got to remember to set aside 2 points every time I want to use the class's main feature. You know, in case I decide to take options that enable me to spend those Power Points to manifest other Powers.

Far as I can tell, Wild Talent: a) Makes Soulknife a Psionic Class which, b) allows it to use Psionic feats (some of which it gains as class features).

[DeTess]

I'd just like to comment on how well designed the Soulknife is. Just like the monk it gets something new at every level, so there's always something to look forward to.

[RaiKirah]

I really don't know enough to judge, maybe somewhere down the road.....

This was my feeling prior to judging last round (still feel that way to be honest), but I seem to have gotten away with it. As long as you are consistent and make a good faith effort I think nearly anyone can judge. I also found that I learned a lot doing so, which was pretty fun. All that said, if you don't feel you can do it, then you don't have to. We want everyone to have fun, and that includes the judges!

[daremetoidareyo]

Anyone else get fatigued right around the 6th epic feat? I get this option paralysis everytime i do one of these. Around epic feat #8 or so, I just stop caring as much.

[RaiKirah]

Anyone else get fatigued right around the 6th epic feat? I get this option paralysis everytime i do one of these. Around epic feat #8 or so, I just stop caring as much.

Yeah, I definitely get to the 'season to taste' stage of my dish in the late epic feats

[Zaq]

That's honestly not a bad thing. The first batch of Epic feats is going to be the most important. By the time you're putting together the last few, that's the equivalent of something like ECL 18+ in a 20-level build. You want it to matter, but it's got so much less screen time than everything that comes before it that it basically can't (and shouldn't) be as important as what you've got in the middle.

I'm obviously not judging, but I would probably be a bit less inclined to reward a build that only comes together with the 8th+ Epic feat than a build where the meat and potatoes are already firmly established by that point and you're really just wrapping up by that point.

[DeTess]

Anyone else get fatigued right around the 6th epic feat? I get this option paralysis everytime i do one of these. Around epic feat #8 or so, I just stop caring as much.


Yeah, I definitely get to the 'season to taste' stage of my dish in the late epic feats

It seems Vizini is working in my favor for a change :smallbiggrin:

Edit: and yeah, usually I suffer form the same thing.

[lylsyly]

Q201 Will the Expanded Knowledge feat (XPH p.46) Allow me to gain a 1st level power if I can only use 1st level powers? Or does it mean it is a waste for me to take?



A201: By RAW, the feat is wasted, as there are no 0th-level psionic powers, so would have to choose from an empty list.

So much for my idea, maybe next time. I'll post my idea after the deadline passes and the builds submitted for judging.

I would dearly love to be able to outright buy 3.0 and 3.5 from WoTC. Fix all the nutso things like this and release it with all the info but gathered into fewer books.:smallsmile:

[DeTess]

Q201 Will the Expanded Knowledge feat (XPH p.46) Allow me to gain a 1st level power if I can only use 1st level powers? Or does it mean it is a waste for me to take?



A201: By RAW, the feat is wasted, as there are no 0th-level psionic powers, so would have to choose from an empty list.

So much for my idea, maybe next time. I'll post my idea after the deadline passes and the builds submitted for judging.

I would dearly love to be able to outright buy 3.0 and 3.5 from WoTC. Fix all the nutso things like this and release it with all the info but gathered into fewer books.:smallsmile:

Might I suggest you keep looking into this idea? There is a way to do what you want to do, but its in a rather obscure source. Apologies if me saying this much already breaks the 'no speculation' rule.

[lylsyly]

Might I suggest you keep looking into this idea? There is a way to do what you want to do, but its in a rather obscure source. Apologies if me saying this much already breaks the 'no speculation' rule.

Naw, I have already flipflopped back and forth with this so much with this that I probably wouldn't make the deadline anyway. May have been somewhat unique, have too see what everyone else does with it.

My first time even opening those two books, we do not use psionics in my group because of certain people's feelings (which is sad because we play a lot of Traveller too and Psionics can be great in that game).

[Pleh]

With all the posts declaring intent to opt out, I'll just announce that I intend to submit a build. If I need an extension, I'll try to request it by tuesday at the latest

[jdizzlean]

Anyone else get fatigued right around the 6th epic feat? I get this option paralysis everytime i do one of these. Around epic feat #8 or so, I just stop caring as much.

unless i have a pre planned idea of exactly what i'm trying to do, i usually hit the "i don't care" stage at about the 8th epic feat. Plenty of times in both this and the normal IC builds i've just tacked on lightning reflexes or the like to fill a slot..



i'm just now getting time to work on this, but night shift and 8 of my 12 hours a night w/ nothing to do, so i should be able to get one in before the deadline.. If any extension is needed, i'll post by Tues AM :)

I will also volunteer to judge the next round sight unseen :)

[Zaq]

Fewer than 72 hours remain! Got some very interesting entries already, but keep ‘em coming! This should be an excellent round.

[daremetoidareyo]

Fewer than 72 hours remain! Got some very interesting entries already, but keep ‘em coming! This should be an excellent round.

Sorry about that mess of an entry!

[tricktroller]

Hopefully mine is easy to read and the page numbers will make looking up the feats, etc easier.

[Maat Mons]

Got some very interesting entries already

Well drat, I was hoping I'd be the only entrant, and take 1st by default.

[jdizzlean]

i should be able to get my build in before the deadline. no extension needed.

i just have to double check numbers and do the write ups which I will get to when i come into work tonight (about 14 hours from the time of this posting)

thanks.

[Falontani]

I will work hard tomorrow to finish, unfortunately I do not have time today. But I just need to finish the final draft

[RaiKirah]

I am hoping to get my write-up finished tonight. We shall see.

[Falontani]

I will work hard tomorrow to finish, unfortunately I do not have time today. But I just need to finish the final draft

Guess what, I found time! It's sent in.

[jdizzlean]

done!

now the agony of waiting...

[daremetoidareyo]

Im excited to see what other people did with this class

[Pleh]

I've submitted my build. Here's hoping I didn't leave out anything important, but it is my first submission to one of these games.

[DeTess]

I've submitted my build. Here's hoping I didn't leave out anything important, but it is my first submission to one of these games.
Did you include:
-your ability scores
-the sources (name of the books) of all the stuff you used
-your race
-the sources of all your feats
-your alignment, if relevant
-the sources of all classes and acf's used
-an explanation describing how your stuff plays
-all the sources of all the stuff you used

These are some of the more common things I've seen people forget, and have forgotten myself.

P.S. did you remember to list your sources? Judges become very unhappy if you don't list those.

[daremetoidareyo]

Did you include:
-your ability scores
-the sources (name of the books) of all the stuff you used
-your race
-the sources of all your feats
-your alignment, if relevant
-the sources of all classes and acf's used
-an explanation describing how your stuff plays
-all the sources of all the stuff you used

These are some of the more common things I've seen people forget, and have forgotten myself.

P.S. did you remember to list your sources? Judges become very unhappy if you don't list those.

Put your name in the title too. The chairpersons in the all the comps like that a lot.

[thorr-kan]

I've submitted my build. I'm judging. The Chairman shot it down. As is Right and Proper. :smallsmile:

But when the character's been sitting in the back of your head saying, "Write me up. I'd be fun to play. Put me in, coach. I can win this." you do whatever it takes to shut. him. up.

Submitting him worked. Now he's muttering, "I coulda been a contender." But that's much less distracting.

I'm actually looking forward to judging this now!

[Zaq]

Please, no one resubmit or anything (unless you have actual changes or updates), but as a reminder to our newer chefs, please include your build’s name in your PM title, and please submit the build exactly as you want me to present it without any side commentary for me to edit out.

I’ll take care of editing out side commentary this time, but please be mindful of that in the future! (And lest anyone feel too bad about this, I’ve had multiple entries with this problem, so you’re not alone!)

[Pleh]

resubmitted with 67% more pedantry on the citations

[Ripptor]

Zaq has gotten quite popular, no more room in his inbox! :smallamused:

[daremetoidareyo]

Zaq has gotten quite popular, no more room in his inbox! :smallamused:

That's because the contestants had mad corrections

[RaiKirah]

Well, I have my build written up, so as soon as Zaq's mailbox has room again I will submit it! I'm only slightly in like with my build, but it's nice to get something submitted again. Looking forward to what everyone else came up with!!

[Falontani]

oh geez, that is a great sign for this competition's booming rep, terrible news for my chances of winning.

[Ripptor]

oh geez, that is a great sign for this competition's booming rep, terrible news for my chances of winning.

I love E6, it's much more grounded and fun to play for me! Far easier to build for, as well :smallbiggrin:

I can't wait to see the submissions either, more E6 NPCs for everyone!

[Zaq]

Try it now! I cleared up about 20 slots in my inbox. I’ll do a full purge when not on mobile. I won’t be posting the reveal until later this evening.

[RaiKirah]

Try it now! I cleared up about 20 slots in my inbox. I’ll do a full purge when not on mobile. I won’t be posting the reveal until later this evening.

Great Success!! Thanks for hosting Zaq! Looking forward to the reveal!

[Ripptor]

In and In! :smallbiggrin:

Sorry for the newbness. Let me know if the images aren't rendering for you, Imgur seems to be on / off hiding some of them? They seem to be going through a re-vamp... Annoying :smallannoyed:

[Zaq]

I haven’t been able to see very many hosted images this round.

[lylsyly]

I submitted an entry, thanks to a couple of Elveses.

I used tinypic.com. Hope it worked because the image was everything, ROFL.

[daremetoidareyo]

In and In! :smallbiggrin:

Sorry for the newbness. Let me know if the images aren't rendering for you, Imgur seems to be on / off hiding some of them? They seem to be going through a re-vamp... Annoying :smallannoyed:

I struggle with imgur too. If your image link ends in a .jpeg or .GIF or .PNG it should work. The links they automatically give you don't work.

[Ripptor]

I struggle with imgur too. If your image link ends in a .jpeg or .GIF or .PNG it should work. The links they automatically give you don't work.

Those are the ones I'm using, and it's still being buggy :smallyuk: :smallyuk: :smallyuk:

Even my avatar is being weird, now... I have to: Right click -> Open Image in a New Tab -> Get a 403 Forbidden -> Refresh the Image, and suddenly I can see it??

That's not how 403 errors even work!

EDIT:
Firefox is even worse, Refreshing the image isn't good enough, I have to 'View Image', click into the URL bar and hit enter. Blergh

[Zaq]

The only entry where (at least on mobile) I can see the image was submitted about 13 hours ago. Oh, and one submitted on 08/08/18. If you submitted one with an image and it wasn’t one of those two, I can’t see the image when I’m on mobile. I won’t be back on non-mobile until I post the reveal, so I can’t check. If you care about your image and you aren’t one of the two I described, you may want to send me an update. I’ll just post what I have regardless.

[jdizzlean]

images can be edited in after the reveal too

[Zaq]

Time's up! Pencils down, everyone.

I have, like, about a hundred entries and revisions here (just what every judge wants to hear, right thorr-kan?), so I'm going to be a few minutes organizing them all. Your patience is appreciated.

[Zaq]

Ah yes, Bzzsherrrp, from the Sherrrp clan, named after his grandfather, Bzz. Normal human names all around.




Bzzsherrrp

https://i.imgur.com/cF3sxSo.jpg

NG Human Soulknife 1/fighter 1/soulknife 4
Str 18
Dex 10
Con 10
Int 10
Wis 8
Cha 16
Add 4th level +1 to cha or str.




Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
Hidden Talent Soulknife
+0
+0
+2
+2
Concentration 4, craft (alchemy) 4, craft (mind bladesmithing) 4, Autohypnosis 4, Hide 4
1: Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Alchemy Blade), B: Weapon focus (mind Blade) B: Hidden Talent (Psionic Minor Creation), B: Hidden Talent (Call Armor)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), Hidden Talent


2nd
Fighter
+1
+2
+2
+2
ride 1, handle animal 1, craft alchemy 5
B: Exotic Heavy Armor proficiency, B: Exotic Shield proficiency (extreme shield)
Bonus fighter feat, medium and heavy armor proficiencies, tower shield Exotic Shield proficiency (races of stone p.139)


3rd
Soulknife
+2
+2
+3
+3
concentration 6, craft alchemy 6, auto hypnosis 6
Hidden Talent Synchronicity
Throw Mind Blade


4th
Soulknife
+3
+3
+3
+3
concentration 7, craft alchemy 7, autohypnosis 7, craft (carpentry) 2

Psychic Strike +1d8


5th
Soulknife
+4
+3
+4
+4
concentration 8, craft alchemy 8, autohypnosis 8, craft (weaving) 2

+1 mind blade


6th
Soulknife
+4
+3
+4
+4
concentration 9, craft alchemy 9, autohypnosis 9, craft (armormaking) 2
Heavy Armor Optimization (Races of Stone p. 141)
free draw, shape mindblade




Epic Level
Feat
Source
Page


1st
Deflective Armor
Races of Stone
137


2nd
Grenadier
Player's Handbook II
79


3rd
Mad Alchemist
Player's Handbook I
94


4th
Linked Power
Complete Psionic
62


5th
Pyro
Song and Silence
40


6th
Mind Strike
Complete Psionic
56


7th
Martial Study (Shadow Blade Technique)
Tome of Battle
31 (78)


8th
Instant Clarity
Tome of Battle
31


9th
Psychic Renewal
Tome of Battle
32


10th
Truebond
Dungeon Master's Guide 2
232




This is my Mind Blade. There are many like it, but this one is mine.
My Mind Blade is my best friend. It is my life. I must master it as I must master my life.
Without me, my Mind Blade is useless. Without my Mind Blade, I am useless. I must fire my Mind Blade true. I must shoot straighter than my enemy who is trying to kill me. I must stab him before he stabs me. I will…
My Mind Blade and I know that what counts in war is not the rounds we fire, the noise of our burst, nor the smoke we make. We know that it is the hits that count. We will hit…
My Mind Blade is human, even as I, because it is my life. Thus, I will learn it as a brother. I will learn its weaknesses, its strength, its parts, its accessories, its sights and its barrel. I will keep my Mind Blade clean and ready, even as I am clean and ready. We will become part of each other. We will…
Before the Gods, I swear this creed. My Mind Blade and I are the defenders of my country. We are the masters of our enemy. We are the saviors of my life.
So be it, until victory is our's and there is no enemy, but peace!

Bzzsherrrp is a soulknife.
At first level, he takes hidden talent twice, First as a class bonus feat via the mind’s eye expanded classes article, and then again as a bonus feat for being human. He gets call armor and psionic minor creation. With minor creation, he can use craft skills to make stuff that he wants, like alchemy items. Why alchemy items? Because Bzzsherrrp is also taking exotic weapon proficiency alchemy blade. This curiously worded little guy allows Bzzsherrrp to load alchemist fire into his mindblade for more damage. You should survive this level with your 2d6 damage +1d6 damage next round from your free cubic foot of alchemists fire that you can psionically create. Bring a trough, a ladle, a funnel and some flasks, and go to town.

At second level, Bzzsherrrp takes a level of normal fighter. He uses the bonus feat for heavy exotic armor (mountain plate or battle plate or mechanus gear) proficiency. He uses his tower shield proficiency to instead take exotic shield proficiency (extreme shield). Read the special text for exotic shield proficiency. This is a legal optional rule, and the towershield has a -2 to attack that the extreme shield doesn’t. This brings Bzzsherrrp’s AC from 13 to 22 or 23. Bzzzsherrp will likely survive this level.

At third level, Bzzsherrrp takes hidden talent again, bringing his PP up to six. His Cha bonus will also help his PP total. This is where he learns the synchronicity power. This power allows him to take a specified readied standard action before next turn. He can reload his alchemy mindblades with that. Or summon his armor first round and also attack. Bzzsherrrp can now throw his alchemy mindblades, but his dex is trash. Only do this if you have someone using aid another on you while you have the high ground, or you have a few rounds of free attacks, so you can miss a few times. Bzzsherrrp should survive this level.

At fourth level, psychic strike should allow you to begin combat with 2d6+1d8 damage with 1d6 fire damage a round later. Bzzsherrrp with begin to experience challenges being relevant around this level.

At fifth level, Bzzsherrrp gets +1 to attacks and damage rolls with his mindblade. Bzzsherrrp should survive this level, but no promises.

At sixth level, Bzzsherrrp can make two mind alchemy blades at once, psychically charge them separately, and then allow one to fade away. He keeps that one in the bank where he can free draw it later, so that he can use his shield with his other hand. The armor optimization feat adds one more to his AC. His touch AC is trash. Bood luck surviving this level. Play carefully and defensively. Hope you have a bard with inspire courage to help you hit with your 1 attack per round. Your charisma of 16 grants you 9 extra PP for you to use synchronicity on for extra attacks.

Epic feat 1: deflective armor! Your touch AC is now higher than anyone else in your party. You now have survivability

Epic feat 2: grenadier: +1 damage on alchemy flask filled mind blades, and arguably, +1 to hit with your primed alchemy mind blade.

Epic feat 3: mad alchemist: +1d6 damage on the second flame based attack to anyone you cover in alchemists fire with your first attack, and they catch on fire for real. Not that namby pamby alchemist fire “on fire” which only lasts for one additional round. The type of on fire that you have to save against every round. Here’s the rules to catching on real fire. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/environment.htm So long as you keep hitting them with alchemist’s fire, you should be dealing 1d6+1+str +2d6+3 (3d6+8) approximately 19 damage per round. The thunderstone ability is helpful for debuffing. With a masterwork craft alchemy item, that’s a 1d20+11 will save or a -2 to checks.

Epic feat 4: linked power is amazing. You can queue up multiple synchronicities, or a call armor and synchronicity, or whatever. Beware of losing your psionic focus mid battle with things that target touch AC.

Epic feat 5: pyro. Now, while your enemies are on fire, they have to deal with really high ref saves to put themselves out.

Epic feat 6: mind strike. Now when you charge your psychic strike, you can blow your psionic focus to add another 1d8 of damage to it. Thing is, your blades save their psychic strikes, so you can shape 2, load them up, drop one, refocus, then pick up your shield and use that. Those extra banked charged mindblades will allow you to do an average of +8 damage for two attacks in a combat.

Epic feat 7: martial study: shadow blade technique will allow you to roll 2d20 to hit. This will help with your terrible BAB once per encounter. If both hit, you get 1d6 cold damage added to that hellfire you’ve been spreading with every hit.

Epic feat 8: Instant clarity. If you use your psionic focus in combat, now you can use shadowblade technique to hit your opponent and get it back to restore your high touch AC.

Epic feat 9: Psychic renewal: Now you can get your shadow blade technique back by blowing your focus, when in situations where hitting with high damage output is more important than a high touch AC.

Epic feat 10: Truebond. The ritual of blood, which takes 15 minutes after killing a creature gives you +4 damage against that entire type of critter. So, hopefully you have very little enemy diversity in your quests. Arguably, you can also use it to enchant your mindblade...i think, ask your DM. The rules are really fuzzy about that: is your mindblade an item, or is it something else. It stores your psychic strike and whatever weapon enhancement you make it have, so is it just temporarily stored in your psychic armory? Any ways, there is a lot of feat text for this one, but basically you can spend money and upgrade your mindblade.

Gear: if you get one of those mindblade gauntlets, absolutely get one. They are awesome.
An item of +2 charisma nets you +3 PP.
An item that boosts craft checks or intelligence will help with the mad alchemist feat.
An item that boosts saves is a good idea.
An item that boosts dexterity will help with your thrown mindblades attack rolls. Gloves of balanced hands can help you get more attacks in a round, but limits your shield use.


Handy Dandy Guide to the E6 Soulknife
https://i0.wp.com/www.sageadvice.eu/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Untitled-5.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1

First off, the very first thing you do when you decide to consider playing a soulknife is to go to the DM and ask them to housrule full BAB onto the class. Point at how a paladin and ranger get weapons and class abilities and full BAB, and point at the psychic warrior how it gets multiple powers and feats at the same BAB as a soulknife. This is the absolute most critical step of optimizing a soulknife there is.

But let’s explore this ugly base class to find the little patches of beauty by book diving.


ARMOR

There is no ability intrinsic to the class that is harmed by wielding a shield or heavy armor. Psionics are like divine spells in that they don’t care about armor. This means that you can dump dexterity and still have a sufficiently high AC. Dip fighter for free shield and heavy armor proficiencies. Do it. You don’t have to dig very far to see that this strategy is gonna hurt when it comes to touch AC. Seeing as how this is E6, and feats are king here: consider the heavy armor optimization and the deflective armor feats. Heavy armor optimization blows, but it grants plus 1 AC. Deflective armor allows you to apply your armor bonus to your touch attack AC so long as you’re psionically focused. Both feats are in races of stone. That’s a good deal.

----

HIDDEN TALENT

According to the mind’s eye class expanded class options (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a), a Soulknife can replace wild talent with hidden talent, and they can take multiple hidden talent feats. Let's dig deeper.


Hidden Talent (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 67) [General] Your mind wakes to a previously unrealized talent for psionics.
Prerequisites: This feat can only be taken at 1st level
Benefit Your latent power of psionics flares to life, conferring upon you the designation of a psionic character. As a psionic character, you gain a reserve of 2 power points, and you can take psionic feats, metapsionic feats, and psionic item creation feats. If you have or take a class that grants power points, the power points gained from Hidden Talent are added to your total power point reserve. When you take this feat, choose one 1st-level power from any psionic class list. You know this power (it becomes one of your powers known). You can manifest this power with the power points provided by this feat if you have a Charisma score of 11 or higher. If you have no psionic class levels, you are considered a 1st-level manifester when manifesting this power. If you have psionic class levels, you can manifest the power at the highest manifester level you have attained. (This is not a manifester level, and it does not add to any manifester levels gained by taking psionic classes.) If you have no psionic class levels, use Charisma to determine how powerful a power you can manifest and how hard those powers are to resist. Note: This is an expanded version of the Wild Talent feat, intended for use in high-psionics campaigns

The bolding in red there is mine. So that leaves us with 2 questions:
Is the soulknife a psionic class?
And if not, what the heck does it mean to “use charisma to determine how powerful a power you can manifest”?

To the SRD!


Abilities And Manifesters (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/classes/index.htm)
The ability that your powers depend on—your key ability score as a manifester—is related to what psionic class (or classes) you have levels in: Intelligence (psion), Wisdom (psychic warrior), and Charisma (wilder). The modifier for this ability is referred to as your key ability modifier. If your character’s key ability score is 9 or lower, you can’t manifest powers from that psionic class.

Psionic Classes
Random Starting Gold Table:
Psion 3d4 ×10 (75 gp)
Psychic warrior 5d4 ×10 (125 gp)
Soulknife 5d4 ×10 (125 gp)
Wilder 4d4 ×10 (100 gp)

Are you seeing the lack of soulknife being listed in there, as well as not having the ability to which powers are keyed being explained. But, then the soulknife is listed as a psionic class in the random starting gold area. We still don’t know if a soulknife is a “psionic class” or not. Maybe we need to go after the primary source instead of the open source.

In the soulknife description:

xph. p.26: Characteristics: More than any other psionic class, the soulknife fights with psionic power directly in both melee and ranged combat. Strength, combat prowess, and psionic talent allow the soulknife to claim equal footing—at least—with any other combat-oriented class on the field of battle.

Xph p.28: Wild Talent: A soulknife gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat. (This class feature provides the character with the psionic power he needs to materialize his mind blade, if he has no power points otherwise.)

Here’s the smoking gun we wanted!


XPH p.17: THE CLASSES The four psionic classes, in the order they’re presented in this chapter, are as follows.
1. Psion: A seeker after psionic secrets; a master of the mind and the thoughts of others.
2. Psychic Warrior: A warrior who combines combat skill with psionic powers.
3. Soulknife: A warrior who fights with an idealized blade of personal mental energy.
4. Wilder: A passionate, reckless talent who wields uncontrolled psionic power.
The soulknife is a psionic class. Therefor, with hidden talent, “If you have psionic class levels, you can manifest the power at the highest manifester level you have attained.” This opens up a new question, what is a soulknife’s manifester level?

Going on the hidden talent feat alone, your manifester level is at least 1. Is there a way to bump that up? Let’s go look up the practiced manifester feat to see if that helps get us up to manifester level 5.


Practiced Manifester (Complete Psionic, p. 57) [Psionic] Choose a manifesting class that you possess. The powers you manifest from that class are more powerful.
Prerequisite Psicraft 4 ranks
Benefit Your manifester level for the chosen manifesting class increases by four. This benefit can't increase your manifester level higher than your Hit Dice. Even if you cant benefit from the full bonus immediately, however, if you later gain levels of nonmanifesting classes, you might be able to apply the rest of the bonus. For example, a human 5th-level psion/3rd-level fighter who selects this feat would increase his psion manifester level from 5th to 8th (since he has 8 Hit Dice). If he later gained a fighter level, he would gain the remainder of the bonus, and his psion manifester level would become 9th (since he now has 9 Hit Dice). A character with, two or more manifesting classes (such as a psychic warrior/psion) must choose which class gains the feats effect. This feat does not affect your powers per day or powers known. It only increases your manifester level, which helps you overcome power resistance and increases the duration and other effects of your powers.
Special You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you choose it, you must apply it to a different manifesting class.

What the heck! So now we have to find out how you can be considered a “manifesting class.”


xph. p.54: MANIFESTER LEVEL The variables of a power’s effect often depend on its manifester level, which is equal to your psionic class level. 9

Soulknife is technically a manifesting class because it is technically a psionic class. That means that your manifester level for hidden talent increases with each level of soulknife you take. That means that you can augment your first level powers, (remember you cant spend more PP on a single power than you have manifester levels), assuming that you have sufficient PP. While we are talking about sufficient PP, can we get bonus PP from a high ability score? Let’s go back to that ability modifiers quote.


The ability that your powers depend on—your key ability score as a manifester—is related to what psionic class (or classes) you have levels in: Intelligence (psion), Wisdom (psychic warrior), and Charisma (wilder). The modifier for this ability is referred to as your key ability modifier. If your character’s key ability score is 9 or lower, you can’t manifest powers from that psionic class.

Hidden talent pretty unambiguously nominates charisma as the key ability modifier.


Just as a high Intelligence score grants bonus spells to a wizard and a high Wisdom score grants bonus spells to a cleric, a character who manifests powers (psions, psychic warriors, and wilders) gains bonus power points according to his key ability score. Refer to Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points.

So it is very reasonable to assume that the ommission of soulknife in this example listing of manifesting base classes (which also leaves out psychic rogue, lurk, and ardent) is counting on soulknives not having the hidden talent feat, which grants a power to manifest. But, you have a key ability modifier, and manifester level and powers that you can manifest, so it is reasonable to assume that you get bonus PP for high charisma scores. Awesome!

This means that you can qualify for a number of prestige classes that have an enumerated manifester level as prerequisites: psychic assassin and metamind come to my metamind.

But let’s run for the mother effin hills. What if we want a prestige class or feat that necessitates higher level powers than the unlimited first level powers available though hidden talent?

Heighten power, of course!


Heighten Power (Psionics Handbook 3.0, p. 0) [Metapsionic] You can manifest a power as if it were higher level than it actually is.
Benefit A heightened power has a higher psionic power level than normal (up to 9th level). Unlike other metapsionic feats, Heighten Power actually increases the effective level of the power that it modifies. All effects dependent on power level (such as saving throw DCs and ability to penetrate a minor dead psionics zone or a minor globe of invulnerability) are calculated according to the heightened level. The heightened power costs as many power points as a power of its effective level


It’s 3.0 and therefor not RAW compliant, with the primacy of XPH supplanting the 3.0 rules. Unless someone finds a heighten power feat written after the publication of XPH, the fun stops here. Unless, of course, you’re an ardent with the magic mantle and the heighten spell metamagic feat. If heighten power is allowed in your game, you are only limited in what level powers you can have by your PP. If you can manifest a 1st level power as a 5th level power through the use of heighten power because you have at least 9 PP, then you can take expanded knowledge feat, choosing any power that is 1 level less than the maximum power level that you have the PP for from any psionic power list. This is probably why 3.0 psionics is banned altogether. That's sloppy.

-----
Ok, now it’s time to look at the quintessential feature of the the entire soulknife base class (that is totally outclassed entirely by the psychic warrior soulbound weapon ACF)


The Mind Blade


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 rolland damage roll from a high Strength bonus.


Shape Mind Blade (Su) At 5th level, a soulknife gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a fullround action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a longsword (damage 1d8 for a Medium weapon wielded as a one-handed weapon) or a bastard sword (damage 1d10 for a Medium weapon, but he must wield it as a two-handed weapon unless he knows the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) feat). If a soulknife shapes his mind blade into the form of a bastard sword and wields it two-handed, he adds 1½ times his Strength bonus to his damage rolls, just like when using any other two-handed weapon. Alternatively, a soulknife can split his mind blade into two identical short swords, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.ihhv ) However, both mind blades have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the soulknife would otherwise create with a single mind blade.

So we generate a mind blade as a supernatural ability (consider taking empower supernatural ability from tome of magic, because it’s roughly equivalent to the damage boost from weapon specialization if you only use your mindblade for melee attacks)

But look at this peculiar language that I bolded in red for you. The mind blade is identical to a shortsword and can be used with feats that work on normal weapons.

This leads to an interesting question: Does weapon focus stack for a weapon that is considered two different weapons?


Weapon Focus (PHB p. 102) [Fighter Bonus Feat, General] Choose one type of weapon, such as greataxe. You can also choose unarmed strike or grapple (or ray, if you are a spellcaster) as your weapon for purposes of this feat. You are especially good at using this weapon. (If you have chosen ray, you are especially good with rays, such as the one produced by the ray of frost spell.)
Prerequisite base attack bonus +1, Proficiency with selected weapon,
Benefit You gain a +1 bonus on all attack rolls you make using the selected weapon.
Special You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new type of weapon.

So if you take weapon focus (shortsword) and weapon focus (mind blade), and the mind blade is identical in all ways except visually to a shortsword, do the +1's stack?
I mean, the +1s apply to new types of weapons, which happen to be the same weapon. But....I reckon "It's effects do not stack" is pretty unequivocal.
Otherwise, if you’re not in an E6 game, dip a level of fighter at high level and take improved critical mindblade and improved critical shortsword feats and try to swing them stacking together…

lol, yeah right. It's fun to dream though

This whole line of inquiry probably doesn’t work.

But I found something better that probably does.


ALCHEMY BLADE - MAGIC OF EBERRON (3.5)
Exotic Light Melee Weapon
Cost: 310 gp
Damage (s): 1d4 Damage (m): 1d6
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 2 lb
Type: P
Ammo: Application, Flask
An alchemy blade appears much like a normal short sword. Two slender channels form a groove on each side of the blade, and the pommel is built to accept a flask of either alchemist’s fire or alchemist’s frost. (It could also accept a flask of acidic fire or alchemist’s spark, but a single use of either of these would render the weapon useless.) When a flask of alchemist’s fire or alchemist’s frost is plugged into the pommel, the weapon is primed. When you strike a target with a primed blade and deal damage, an internal alchemical pump instantly expels the fire or frost through hollows in the hilt and out along the channels in the blade. In addition to taking any damage dealt by the blade, the target also takes damage as if it had been struck by the flask attached to the weapon. Adjacent creatures, including the wielder, are not subject to splash damage. If the blade deals critical damage, the frost or fire damage is not multiplied. Priming an alchemy blade is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. When not primed, the alchemy blade deals damage as a short sword. Creating an alchemy blade requires a DC 20 Craft (alchemy) check in addition to the normal Craft (weaponsmithing) checks required to make a weapon. Characters who take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (alchemy blade) can treat the alchemy blade as a short sword for the purpose of any feat or ability that affects the character’s ability to use a short sword (such as Weapon Focus [short sword]).



So long as we have exotic weapon proficiency (alchemy blade), we can now load alchemists fire or alchemist frost, (or acidic fire, or alchemist’s spark) as needed into our mind blade. Even further, the parenthetical alchemy items don’t have a drawback, you can just make a new mindblade next round after they melt into your enemy's flesh.

Because in both instances in the soulknife description of the mind blade, it describes the mindblade as identical to a shortsword in all ways except visually, and you can apply any “ability” that affects a shortsword to the alchemy blade. So, as long as you have exotic weapon proficiency, you can load flasks into your mindblade, because you can manifest a shortsword, therefor you can manifest an alchemy blade, with your class feature.

We can use flasks!
Consider PHB2’s grenadier feat (for +1 fire damage) and the mad alchemist feat (for +1d6 damage and they catch on fire for real). That’s a lot of fire dependancy, but if it’s what you got, it’s what you got. Nicely enough, you have craft skill as a class skill, so you can ask permission to make alchemical items when you take craft (alchemy.) I mean, after all you are a manifester, which is almost like being a spellcaster.

Also, ask the DM if rapid reload is an option that you can take, swapping the crossbow for the alchemy blade, otherwise we are looking at needing hidden talent (syncronicity) for standard actions to load our mind blades with more alchemist flasks.

Rounding all of this out is the turtle dart style feat found in races of stone. If Weapon Focus (shortsword) stacks with weapon focus (mind blade)(it doesn't), or...much more likely, if WF mindblade can replace WF shortsword, this option is worth consideration.
You can move out of a threatened square without provoking attacks of opportunity. You’ll have an AC of like 23, a touch AC of 20, and with enough alchemists fire you’ll set your opponent on fire in round 1, run away for round 2. Throw mindblades, manifest, charge up some more alchemist fire or psionic foci on round 3. It's all Fire-based attrition damage. The problem with this is that it is a slower technique than taking the psionic weapon line of feats as far as feat economy, it’s geared towards a common energy resistance, but with the psionic weapon feats you have to blow your focus and thus lose your touch AC bonus. So just keep that in mind if you're considering running away a lot.

Other Mind Blade Observations of Note:
No Duration: The mindblade exists for as long as you grasp it, so if you never let go, your mindblade exists for as long as it’s in your grasp.

No limit on the number of Mind Blades you can have manifested at the same time: There is no prohibition from forming more than one mindblade at a time. Like... none, whatsoever.

That 5th level ability to make two identical shortswords just saves you time at the expense of a +1 bonus. You don't have to do it that way. That's just something to do when you're desperate. You could already make as many mindblades as you have hands, because there is nothing indicating that you can't.

Considering taking craft (mind bladecraft) to build bigger, better weapons out of all of those mindblades that you can make.


Regenerate hands with mind blades in them that you cut off
Consider finding an item that grants access to the restore extremity power, or maybe a ring of regeneration, wear a locking gauntlet and just shape mindblades and then cut off your own hand. If you're a glimmerskin halfling, use the heal skill to cut off your own hand.
Restore,
Repeat.
Then consider the following options.

1: Use the craft skill use mindblades as a raw material. Then use all these +1 mind blades locked in gauntlets to make stuff. I’m not sure entirely what you could make, but a flail made out of locking gauntleted mindblades on a series of chains seems like one of many ways to go here. Maybe hammer them together into a giant oversized two handed sword, using some abstruse psionic crafting process (yay quests!) and when part of a mindblade is fused to another, you can remove a gauntlet, as the mindblade will be grasped by your other (detached) hand. Keep on doing that until you remove all but one locking gauntlet, build that into the hilt, and now you have a permenant greatsword mindblade +1, made up of shortsword mind blades.

2. Exploit the magic items. If you can gain a benefit from sacrificing +1 magic items, which you can make all day starting at level four, (hi ancestral relic, how are you?) (spellfire channeler, you so crazy!) this is the way to go. Just costs an arm.

The problem with soulknife's mindblade is one of Raw Damage Output. Until 5th level, you’re doing 1d6+1+ str. Occasionally 1d6+1+1d8+str. You don’t get iteratives in E6. And you’ll miss pretty often. Power attack with crappy BAB is a painful game of miss a lot. So the alchemy blade exploit is actually a nice way to add another 1d6 or more damage per round.

Mind Blade Damage Uppers
Psycarnum blade is an incarnum feat from magic of incarnum that requires spending your psionic focus to get: # of essentia x 1d6 extra damage. In E6, it's no better than the psionic weapon feat.

If you're kalashtar, you can take the spiritual force feat from races of eberron (spend psi focus for + cha to damage for 1 round). Actually, complete psionic was published after that, and kept this feat but gave it the "Host" category. Because races of eberron was published in 2005, and complete psionic in 2006, complete psionic has precedence. That means, that you are saddled with a "one other host feat" tax. The psionic weapon feat blows your focus for an average of +7 damage on one attack roll. Spiritual force grants up to +4 without any charisma modifying items or templates on all mind blade damage rolls for 1 turn when you blow your psionic focus.
So if you have a source of spare attacks, like combat reflexes, or if you have a charisma of 24 or above and are a kalashtar, chosen, inspired, or a host to a formless psionic entity (arguably synad) get spiritual force instead of psionic weapon. Consider extend supernatural ability for this feat. It is considered a psionic feat, and psionic feats are considered supernatural abilities, and two rounds of adding charisma to your damage is better than 1, especially if you have a feat to refocus as a move action to do it again.

Soulblade warrior from races of eberron is kalashtar only, and wasn't reprinted in complete psionic, so you need to find a different host feat to fulfill that terrible prerequisite, unless your DM handwaves it. You can shape your mindblade as a swift action and if you use action points, you add them to your mind blade damage.



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Item Support

Races of Eberron p.175: Mind Blade Gauntlet: A mind blade gauntlet is an opalescent glove that serves as a channel for the inner power of a kalashtar or Inspired soulknife, allowing the wielder to enhance the power of his mind blade. Each mind blade gauntlet is crafted with a particular weapon special ability (such as keen) that can be used by a kalashtar or Inspired soulknife with the mind blade enhancement class feature (see the Soulknife class description, page 26 of the Expanded Psionics Handbook). When the soulknife expends his psionic focus while manifesting his mind blade through the mind blade gauntlet, the weapon gains the weapon special ability designated by the gauntlet. This effect lasts for 1 minute. If a soulknife splits his mind blade into two matching blades, the effect only applies to the mind blade manifested through the mind blade gauntlet (though two gauntlets can be worn simultaneously, allowing an effect to be applied to each mind blade). The price of a mind blade gauntlet depends on the base price modifier of the weapon special ability imbued into it. Moderate metacreativity; ML 5th; Craft Psionic Arms and Armor, mind blade ability, creator must be a kalashtar or an Inspired; Price: 22,000 gp (+1 base price modifier), 48,000 gp (+2 base price modifier), 78,000 gp (+3 base price modifier).


MIC p.68: ADAMANTINE MIND BLADE GAUNTLETS Price (Item Level): 2,000 gp (6th) Body Slot: Hands Caster Level: 9th Aura: Moderate; (DC 19) transmutation Activation: — Weight: 1 lb. Each of these heavy leather gloves bears a violet crystal set on a small plate of adamantine. Adamantine mind blade gauntlets allow you to give your mind blade the properties of adamantine. If you are able to enhance your mind blade (with the mind blade enhancement class feature), whenever you materialize your mind blade while wearing these gauntlets, you can choose to treat it as an adamantine weapon for the purpose of ignoring hardness or overcoming damage reduction. This ability takes the place of a property with a +1 enhancement bonus value. For example, a 6th-level soulknife wearing the gauntlets could either choose to apply the gauntlets’ effect or apply one of the +1 enhancement bonus value properties given on the table (EPH 29). A 10th-level soulknife could apply both the gauntlets’ effect and a +1 enhancement bonus value property rather than applying a combination of properties from the table totaling +2. Adamantine mind blade gauntlets function an unlimited number of times per day. The gauntlets require no separate activation; using them is part of the action to materialize your mind blade. Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, fabricate, mind blade. Cost to Create: 1,000 gp, 80 XP, 2 days.


The adamantine gauntlet is pretty cool. Pair with martial study stone dragon bonus damage against objects ability and cut through some walls.

The Mindblade gauntlet doesn’t limit what weapon enhancements can go into it. Hello aptitude mindblades! Off the top of my head, take a look at Lightning maces, boomerang ricochet or stun, tormtor school, or rapid reload (hand crossbow Alchemy blade) Get some of these gauntlets bro. It bumps the soulknife up like a tier.

Weapon crystals. Get them. They are perfect for your weapon.

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Free Draw


Complete psionic p.48: SOULKNIFE’S FREE DRAW ABILITY The Soulknife’s free draw ability counts as the Quick Draw feat for the purpose of qualifying for feats or prestige classes.

The shame here is that all of the good quick draw based feat/skill tricks require a ton of skill points in class skills that you don’t get, or a prohibitively high BAB for an E6 competition using soulknife. If you're not in an E6 game, the hurling charge feat from miniature's handbook is the reason that this ability is any good at all. Maybe a master thrower build?

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Psychic Strike



Psychic Strike (Su) As a move action, a soulknife of 3rd level or higher can imbue his mind blade with destructive psychic energy. This effect deals an extra 1d8 points of damage to the next living, nonmindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack (or ranged attack, if he is using the throw mind blade ability).


Complete psionic p.56: DUAL MIND BLADES AND PSYCHIC STRIKE If a soulknife chooses to shape his mind blade by splitting it into two blades, each separate blade is able to hold a psychic strike as long as the soulknife spends a separate move action to empower each blade with psychic strike.


psychic Strike (Continued) Once a soulknife has prepared his blade for a psychic strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the soulknife drops the mind blade (or it otherwise dissipates, such as when it is thrown and misses), it is still imbued with psychic energy when the soulknife next materializes it.

Just spend a day preparing as many blades as you can grasp, and stockpile a few mind strike feat enhanced psychic strike blades. That's a fist full of 2d8s. Thrikreen, diopsid, anthro-octopus, totemist 2 with girallon arms, you should take notes. Again, it seems like the psychic strike is an out of combat preparation that starts charging action cost taxes when you try to use it in combat, just like the shape mindblade ability. This explains why xephs move fast: they run away and recharge a few mind blades and then charge back into the fray.

Most Importantly for an E6 soulknife, You can use the mind strike feat to up that 1d8 to 2d8 per mind blade. You can consider taking empower supernatural ability on your psychic strike and hope that that can include your mind strike d8.

Other psychic strike support includes Complete Psionics' (p.56) mind cleave (charge your psychic strike if you actually do enough damage to kill them, WITH YOUR SHORTSWORD), mind empowerment (add another 1d8 psychic strike damage for 3 rounds after you actually do enough damage to kill your foe), swift mindstrike (1/day charge psychic strike with a swift action).

[Zaq]

Favored Enemy: Silica


Chozin-Wan Sandhater, Azurin Lightbringer of Sharn

The build isn't dependent on the backstory, it's just frosting so put your own spin on it if you want to use it in an E6 game. But it all fits well enough that I feel it deserves a place in the final presentation. It may be mostly parody, but then again, so is the Soulknife, right?

Except the Azurin race, the character backstory is pieced together from the Ebberron campaign setting and Races of Ebberron.

At a young age, a Kalashtar Lightbringer discovered an exceptionally talented orphan during a quest to discreetly escort a minor figure of royalty through the dangerous Menechtarun desert of the Xen'drik. He became convinced the Azurin boy was actually the prophesied Host of Taratai, the first and the greatest of the Rebel Quori who would bring Light back to the world and end the Dreaming Darkness. The council initially rejected the admission of a non-kalastar into their order of Lightbringers. But they took the boy in when the Lightbringer who discovered him died soon after to an Inspired conspiracy, leaving the orphan with no home or guardian. Raised as one of their own, Chozin-Wan trained relentlessly and eventually became a full fledged Lightbringer (levels 1-5 represent most of his apprenticeship, while his 6th level and after represent his adventures as a Jedi Knight fully sufficient Lightbringer).

His path was not without difficulty, however, as being both a Lightbringer and capable of dreaming in his sleep cycle made him more susceptible to manipulation of the Quori. The council tried to console him concerning nightmares he kept experiencing regarding friends and loved ones being harmed to get to him, and thus the Kalashtar as well. This became especially complicated after Chozin-Wan took a marriage in secret (against the traditions of the Lightbringers and the express instructions of the Council) only to have the Dreaming Dark take his wife hostage and force Chozin-Wan to betray the Lightbringers to protect her. He eventually died in the act of taking revenge upon the Reidran friend that had betrayed him to the Dreaming Dark, after the Dreaming Dark had killed his wife despite Chozin-Wan's cooperation.

Future Kalashtar would use his tale to warn future Lightbringers and council members the dangers of placing too much hope into the raw talent of prospective members. "The Council members all saw the Dream Spirits swirling powerfully around Chozin-Wan and were convinced that he was special. But sometimes swirling spirits are just that: swirling spirits."

SOULKNIFE ACF SOURCE: The Mind's Eye: Expanded Classes, Part 1 (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a)

I am using both ACFs to swap Wild Talent for Hidden Talent and Psychic Strike for Sense Weakness from the Draconomicon.

The Azurin race, Shape Soulmeld feat, and the Pegasus Cloak soulmeld are from Magic of Incarnum

Soulknife, Hidden Talent feat, the Autohypnosis and Knowledge(Psionics) skills, and Far Hand power are from XPH

All skill tricks are from Complete Scoundrel

Swordsage and all maneuvers are from Tome of Battle



Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
Soulknife
+0
+0
+2
+2
Autohypnosis 4 Ranks, Concentration 4 ranks, Tumble 4 Ranks, Jump 4 Ranks
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent


2nd
Soulknife
+1
+0
+3
+3
Autohypnosis 5 Ranks, Concentration 5 Ranks, Tumble 5 Ranks, Jump 5 Ranks; +2 Synergy bonus to Jump, Balance, Tumble, Autohypnosis, and Knowledge (Psionics)
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent, Throw Mind Blade


3rd
Soulknife
+2
+1
+3
+3
Autohypnosis 5 Ranks, Concentration 6 Ranks, Tumble 6 Ranks, Jump 5 Ranks; +2 Synergy bonus to Jump, Balance, Tumble, Autohypnosis, and Knowledge (Psionics); Skill Trick: Extreme Leap
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak, Deflect Arrows
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent, Throw Mind Blade, ACF: Bonus Feat: Sense Weakness


4th
Soulknife
+3
+1
+4
+4
Autohypnosis 7 Ranks, Concentration 7 Ranks, Tumble 7 Ranks, Jump 6 Ranks; +2 Synergy bonus to Jump, Balance, Tumble, Autohypnosis, and Knowledge (Psionics); Skill Trick: Extreme Leap
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak, Deflect Arrows
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent, Throw Mind Blade, ACF: Bonus Feat: Sense Weakness, +1 Mind Blade


5th
Soulknife
+3
+1
+4
+4
Autohypnosis 7 Ranks, Concentration 8 Ranks, Tumble 8 Ranks, Jump 7 Ranks; +2 Synergy bonus to Jump, Balance, Tumble, Autohypnosis, and Knowledge (Psionics); Skill Trick: Extreme Leap, Skill Trick: Nimble Stand
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak, Deflect Arrows
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent, Throw Mind Blade, ACF: Bonus Feat: Sense Weakness, +1 Mind Blade, Free Draw, Shape Mind Blade (Bastard Sword)


6th
Swordsage
+3
+1
+6
+6
Autohypnosis 9 Ranks, Concentration 9 Ranks, Tumble 9 Ranks, Jump 9 Ranks; +2 Synergy bonus to Jump, Balance, Tumble, Autohypnosis, and Knowledge (Psionics); Skill Trick: Extreme Leap, Skill Trick: Nimble Stand
Improved Unarmed Strike, Azurin Bonus Feat: Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak, Deflect Arrows, Power Attack
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), ACF: Hidden Talent, Throw Mind Blade, ACF: Bonus Feat: Sense Weakness, +1 Mind Blade, Free Draw, Shape Mind Blade (Bastard Sword), Quick to Act +1, Discipline Focus (Unarmed Strike), Maneuvers


Abilities: With 32 Point Buy: 14 Str, 14 Dex, 14 Con, 13 Int, 13 Wis, 11 Cha
At 4th level, add 1 point to Int: 13->14
This means Skill Points at each level are 16, 4, 4, 5, 5, and 7.

Hit Dice are 5d10+1d8. Anydice.com sez average HP at level 6 (with max at first level) should be 48.5

Melee Attack with his Mind Blade at level 6 is +3 BAB + 2 Str + 1 WF + 1 Enhancement = +7 To Hit
His normal Mind Blade Damage is 1d10 + 3 Str + 1 Enhancement = 1d10+4 with 19-20/x2
He has the option to Power Attack for as much as +4 to hit with +6 to damage and later to Leap Attack for +9 to damage. He can later expend Psionic Focus for +2d6 damage.

Throwing his Mind Blade is at the same bonuses and making an Unarmed Strike misses only the Enhancement Bonus and deals 1d3 weapon damage.

He probably wears Leather Armor for +2 Armor Bonus to AC for a measly 14 AC, 12 Touch, 12 FF. But he's a mobility tumbler, not a tank. If money becomes available, why not pick up some Masterwork Studded Leather for a small boost? You get the idea. Keep it light and the ACP 0. Whatever the GM allows.

+3 to Initiative because Quick to Act. Nothing special, but not to be forgotten.

Hidden Talent Power: Far Hand. What's a Jedi without Move Light Object?
He's got 2 power points if he needs a little extra oomph, but it'll never quite be Force Slam.

Shape Soulmeld: Pegasus Cloak. Only Sith die to falling damage. For obvious reasons, I like to imagine the Cloak looks like unassuming brown robes.
He's got a single Essentia Point with 1 capacity on the Soulmeld, so the Cloak is granting him a constant +4 to Jump on top of his general immunity* to falling damage.
*Terms and conditions may apply.

Maneuvers Known:
Stance: Hunter's Sense. I like this to be refluffed as the Jedi Precognition, approximately. He can, "stretch out with his feelings."
Sapphire Nightmare Blade: Lightsaber dueling
Emerald Razor: Lightsabers can ignore armor
Charging Minotaur: Needed for Mountain Hammer, but also useful
Mountain Hammer: Lightsabers cut through Bulk Heads
Sudden Leap: Jedi Jump
Claw at the Moon: Chozin-Wan is clearly a Guardian, not a Sentinel or Consular.


Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer) - "You underestimate my power."
Combat Reflexes
Hold the Line (Complete Warrior) - "I have the high ground."
Narrow Mind (XPH)
Psionic Meditation (XPH)
Speed of Thought (XPH)
Mental Leap (XPH)
Up the Wall (XPH)
Psionic Weapon (XPH)
Psionic Fist (XPH)

Just to help compile the various boosts to Jump:
Ranks stay competitive with level increases (within 2 ranks of max at any given point)
Level

Pegasus Cloak with 1 EP: +4 Enhancement
+2 Synergy from Tumble 5 Ranks
Skill Trick: Extreme Leap. If Jump at least 10ft Horizontally, Swift action to add +10ft
Ranks
Ranks
Maneuvers: Sudden Leap - Jump as Swift action, Claw at the Moon - Jump vs AC to deal extra damage and gain bonus to confirm critical
Leap Attack: Jump as Charge Attack and triple PA damage bonus (since we're using a Bastard Sword two handed)
Skip
Skip
Narrow Mind: +4 to gain Psionic Focus (important later)
Psionic Meditation: Move action to gain Psionic Focus (important later)
Speed of Thought: +10 move speed while Psionically focused, which grants +4 untyped bonus to Jump
Mental Leap: Expend Psionic Focus for +10 untyped bonus to Jump.


The rest does not benefit Jump, but note that Jump rules say you may make Tumble Checks as part of movement normally to avoid attacks of opportunity while jumping.

[Zaq]

This is probably the best-presented image I've seen in this competition.



D’dee Homaggio


I spent 30 minutes looking for just the right picture, it doesn't exist.. so here.

https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/newsfeed/000/007/445/pancake_bunny.jpg?1249339142



CE Rogue 1/Soulknife 2/Arcane Hunter 2/Soulbow 1

HP= 1d6+2d8+3d10+12+(6)

Hidden Talent ACF – replace wild talent w/ hidden talent, gain 1st level power and 2pp at 1st level, and can take Hidden Talent multiple times

Arcane Hunter ACF – replace favored enemy with favored enemy (arcanists), so +2 bluff/listen/sense motive/spot/survival vs wizards, sorcerers, bards, warlocks, DFA’s, as well as anything or anyone using arcane casting mechanics (like dragons for example), as well as +2 damage on weapon rolls

Celestial Slayer ACF – lose wild empathy, gain SR 12 vs Good, when confirming crit against good, do so at +4

Silverbrow human: As human except: Dragonblood subtype, Feather Fall 1/day +1/day per 5HD, no bonus to skill points/lvl, +2 disguise and always a class skill.

S 14 D 17 C 14 I 10 W 10 C 11
level up into DEX


Some are born with an appetite only for vegetables, some with
love in their hearts for everything they see, still others with an
overbearing desire to be their people’s protectors. All of this is
fine and good, and natural. But the unnatural spawn that is one
who manipulates through the arcane arts is most definitely not.


You see, I was born with an unquenching and burning
desire for the destruction, humiliation, and utter decimation of
the arcane way. I was also born with the mental fortitude
necessary to see this course of action through, and the ability
to manifest my hatred in physical ways to ensure that end.
Any and all who would stand in my way are likewise swept up
and swept aside just as easily.


I will systematically rip through entire conclaves of arcanists
who will eventually flee in sheer terror from my approach.
That doesn’t save them from their fates, only slows it down.
An arrow in the back is just as swift and sure a death as a sword
in the ribs.


Many see only a woman, someone to be brushed aside.
I relish their ignorance and gladly instruct them in the error of
their ways. I wear pieces of my victims in raiment’s finer than
any seen in courts the land over.


On any given day, I may leave behind me a swath of the
fallen, and that is a good day indeed.





Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
Rogue
+0
+0
+2
+0

cc-Autohypnosis 2, Balance 4, Craft (taxidermy) 4, Escape Artist 1, Hide 4, Intimidate 3, Move Silently 4, Spot 4, Tumble 2, UMD 2

Craven, (B) Dragonfire Strike
SA 1d6, trapfinding


2nd
Soulknife
+0
+0
+4
+2
Autohypnosis 5, Craft 5

(B) Hidden Talent - Dimension Hop, (B) Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
Mind Blade, Hidden Talent ACF


3rd
Ranger
+1
+2
+6
+2
cc-Balance 5, Craft 6, Hide 5, Move 5, Spot 5,

Point Blank Shot, (B) Track
Favored Enemy (arcanists), Arcane Hunter ACF, Celestial Slayer ACF



4th
Ranger 2
+2
+3
+7
+2
cc-Autohypnosis 6, Hide 7, Move 7

(B) Rapid Shot
Combat Style - Ranged


5th
Soulknife 2
+3
+3
+8
+3
Autohypnosis 8, Spot 7

-
Throw Mind Blade


6th
Soulbow
+3
+3
+8
+5
Autohypnosis 9, Hide 8, Nimble Charge

Maiming Strike, (B) Bowslinger
Mind Arrow




1-Craven -2 penalty to save vs fear, SA’s deal 1 extra damage/level
1-Dragonfire Strike – add 1d6 SA fire damage
2-(B) Hidden Talent – Dimension Hop (1pp = 10ft swift action teleport)
2-(B) Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
3- Point Blank Shot
3- (B) Track
4- (B) Rapid Shot - gain a 2nd ranged attack at -2, must use full attack action
6- Maiming Strike (EoE 25) req SA 2d6, evil: reduce SA damage by 2d6 to instead deal CHA damage
6- (B) Bowslinger - +2 attack vs flat footed opponent

1- Indigo Strike (+2 damage on SA’s)
2- Psionic Talent (+2 PP)
3- Martial Study – Cloak of Deception
4- Telling Blow (add SA to crits after multiplying)
5- Psychic Meditation – Most often use Base (+2 STR/DEX/CON for 1 hour)
6- Martial Stance – Assassin’s Stance
7- Trophy Collector (up to 4 trophies, each grants +2 Intimidate, +1 on saves vs fear, 1/day gain morale bonus equal to number of trophies on a single will save, this stacks w/ morale bonus for +8 total)
8- Hidden Talent – Psychic Grease (+2 PP)
9- Far Shot (double thrown weapon range to 60 for mind blade, and 50% further ranged to 165 for mind arrow)
10- Psionic Talent (+3PP)



total attack bonus: 3 (BAB) + 1 (weapon focus) +1 (point blank shot) + 2 (bowslinger) +4 (DEX) = 11
Rapid Shot would be 2 ranged attacks at +9 each

If psychic meditation is up, that grants another +1 to hit both in melee and at range, +1 damage to most attacks, +1 AC/REF/FORT/INIT and +6 HPs for an hour.
flanking or invisibility would grant another +2 to attack as well.

Total PP: 9 (2 each for both hidden talents, 2 from first psionic talent, 3 from 2nd psionic talent)

Weapon damage:
Mind Blade 1d6 +2 (STR) +1 CHA (-2d6 SA) + 2d6 SA (assassin stance) +2 CHA (indigo Strike) +6 CHA (craven) + 1 (if psychic meditation is up) +2 (if arcane) and if throwing the mind blade rapid shot could give you a 2nd attack depending on how you work out the action economy to reshape it (rapid shot requires a full attack action, which grants you a 5ft step as your move action, it takes a move action to form the blade, so technically you should be able to throw, sacrifice your step and throw again).

Mind Arrow 1d8 +1 CHA (-2d6 SA) + 2d6 SA (assassin stance) +2 CHA (indigo Strike) +6 CHA (craven) +2 (if arcane) +1 (point blank shot) and rapid shot will give you a 2nd attack

Needless to say, CHA affects different characters in different ways. Any CHA based caster or psion with a score 9 or lower wouldn’t even be able to cast or manifest a single power/spell, this includes those that use CHA based invocations. A cleric wouldn’t be able to turn undead, a paladin would be severely hampered in his class abilities. Anyone or anything hitting 0 in CHA would simply pass out. At 9-10 CHA damage per sneak attack, or on a confirmed crit w/ the Telling Blow feat, it’s not going to take very long. 1 hit might be all it takes to reduce the enemy caster to a commoner with a dagger.


1- rogue, lots of skill points, 2d6 SA 1/2 of which is fire
2- soulknife, mind blade fun begins, hidden talent for 10ft dimension hopping goodness to force SA availability
3- arcane hunter celestial slayer ranger, we hates arcane caster types precious, we hates them! oh, and SR 11 (then 12) vs good, and +4 to confirm crits vs good
4- moar ranger! pick up rapid shot as a bonus feat, and double that epic BAB
5- now you can throw your mind blade out to 30 ft
6- now you can 'shoot' your mindblade as a free action out to 110 feet if you wanted to. dump SA damage to equal CHA damage instead, and the shenanigans begin.

Epic levels: add 2 damage (CHA) per sneak attack, pick up a total of 7 more power points for dimension hopping goodness, or psionic grease creating. Psionic grease forces a balance check, balance checks make you flat footed, flat footed means you get SA'd! Nimble Charge negates our need to make a balance check when inside our own grease traps area. Cloak of Deception for 1 round greater invisibility every encounter for more SA joy or a get out of jail card. Telling Blow adds SA damage onto the tail end of confirmed crits (which means crit damage and then CHA damage as well). Psychic Meditation grants +2 to STR/DEX/CON for an hour, great for dungeon hopping or any other prepared fight. Assassin's Stance is opened up to add another 2d6 straight SA damage or another 1 CHA damage. Trophy Collector turns the hides or other body pieces of our fallen enemies (arcanist scum!) into essentially a ghastly charm bracelet with multiple uses, one of which offsets the penalty to fear saves from Craven. With a little planning, all 4 possible trophies could effect a single target or group of targets.. Far shot will double the thrown range of the mind blade, and increase the range of mind arrow by 50%. You can fire off a lot of rounds worth of double mind arrows before someone can close the 165ft distance.


What? no precise shot? we're evil remember? if you're dumb enough to get in the way of my arrows, you deserve what's coming to you!

Soulbow's Mind Arrow in particular only functions like its shot from a bow, you aren't firing a bow. So you can make your 2 attacks in melee w/o provoking AoO's. And nothing says you can’t use both attacks to sneak separate foes as well.




http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a Soulknife ACF
http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/psionicFeats.htm
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827b Psychic Meditation
Champions of Ruin – 17
Complete Mage - 33
Complete Psionic – 36, 56, 83
Complete Scoundrel - 87
Dragon Magic - 6
Exemplars of Evil – 21, 25
Expanded Psionics Handbook – 26, 67
Magic of Incarnum - 38
PHB – 46, 49, 90-91
PHB2 - 83
Tome of Battle - 76
Underdark - 24

This is a tribute build in homage of both Darrin and daremetoidareyou, hence the character’s name :) I’ve adapted both their builds to better function w/in the e6 environment and the confines of this particular challenge, and with how I wanted to present this character of course :)
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21231205&postcount=15




Kalashatar (RoE 55): lots of boring stuff other than they get 1 extra PP per char level, which when combined w/ hidden talent means 8 uses of dimension hop/day, however going this route would necessitate finding another d6 of sneak attack or its equivalent to make the rest of the build function. This would free up some Psionic Talent feats, but you'd have to find more SA to replace dragonfire strike.

I really want to make the argument that Mage Slayer SHOULD work with ranged or thrown attacks, and therefor especially with the anti-mage bent of this build would’ve been an amazing feat to take at epic first. Mage Slayer states: “casters you threaten can’t cast defensively.” Mind Arrow from Soulbow acts the same as a projectile fired from a composite longbow, which has a range increment of 110 ft, meaning you should be able to threaten a target in that first increment. You could do it w/ throw mind blade but it’s treated as a ranged weapon and therefor also doesn’t qualify under “threaten”, and then creating a new mind blade would be a move action as opposed to a free action from mind arrow.

If for some reason you think that the addition of actual SA dice back into the build via Assassin’s stance would negate the CHA damage you are doing, then we would switch that feat out w/ improved initiative. However, since you are able to apply effects in the manner most advantageous to you, we are removing the initial 2d6 SA to trigger the CHA fun in the first place and then after resolving all the CHA damage (9 per sneak attack) are adding the 2d6 from the stance back into the damage pool. And of course you can simply throw these extra 2d6 in SA away and gain another 1 CHA damage for a total of 10 CHA damage per SA!

Iajatsu Focus and Flick of the Wrist could be fun options, but you aren't really "drawing" your weapon so I don't think they're legal.

[Zaq]

The Easter bunny who hid these talents is either really good or really, really bad at their job.


Julia of the many, many, many talents

https://i.pinimg.com/236x/1d/8c/1c/1d8c1c431d1f15da2a5894ce5f818dd7.jpg

“I never understood what she was doing at my academy instead of at some Wilder coven. Pretty decent hand with a blade though.”
-Arvid Kendrick, Master Soul Knife

“So there we were, facing off against this massive fire elemental, and I was fresh out of spell slots. I thought we were doomed, as without my arcane might we couldn’t best a foe like that. (The mundane ‘adventurers’? Don’t make me laugh!) And then she stepped up, and blasted the thing’s head clean off with a blast of cold. Never thought she had it in her.”
-Julia the proud, Wizard

“Pok be part of big battle. Pok spot small girl without armor but with sword. So Pok smash. But she didn’t squish. Then she put Pok’s lights out.”
-Pok the Ogre, during his take-in interview in Ogre afterlife.

“1, 2 ,3… Just how many times did she take that feat?!?”
-thorr-kan the judge, presumably when reading this entry



Stub
CG Human Soulknife 5/wilder 1
Ability scores (number in brackets is the number of points from point-buy)
str 10 (2)
dex 16 (10)
con 12 (4)
int 10 (2)
wis 9 (1)
cha 18 (13)(includes +1 at level 4)

Note: Bonus feats from class features are listed on class features, and not under feats.

I use two ACF's from the mind's eye article (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a). The 1st replaces wild talent at level 1 with hidden talent and allows me to take hidden talent as often as I want. The second replaces psychic strike at 3rd with a bonus feat that the mindblade can benefit from.


Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
soulknife 1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Concentration 4, move silently 4, hide 4, spot 4, autohypnosis 4
hidden talent, hidden talent
Mind blade, weapon focus(mind blade), hidden talent


2nd
Soulknife 2
+1
+0
+3
+3
Concentration 5, move silently 5, hide 5, spot 5, autohypnosis 5
-
throw mind blade


3rd
Soulknife 3
+2
+1
+3
+3
Concentration 6, move silently 6, hide 6, spot 6, autohypnosis 6
hidden talent
point blank shot


4th
Soulknife 4
+3
+1
+4
+4
Concentration 7, move silently 7, hide 7, spot 7, autohypnosis 7
-
+1 mind blade


5th
Soulknife 5l
+3
+1
+4
+4
Concentration 8, move silently 8, hide 8, spot 8, autohypnosis 8
-
free draw, shape mind blade


6th
Wilder 1
+3
+1
+4
+6
Concentration 8, move silently 9, hide 8, spot 8, autohypnosis 8, psicraft 4

practiced manifester(wilder)
Wild surge +1,psychic enervation

hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent
hidden talent


Offensive and debuff
energy ray
demoralize
Grease, psionic
Buff
Force screen
precognition, offensive
precognition, defensive
vigor
inertial armor
channel the psychic dragon
Utility and misc.
call item
chameleon
synchronicity
far hand
create sound
detect psionics



HP=16+4d10+1d6 (average 41)
AC=19-25 (19 with 5pp inertial armor, 23 with force screen added, 25 with force screen and defensive precognition at 4pp)
Manifester level: 5
Powerpoints: 32 (2(wilder)+2(bonus from CHA)+28(hidden talent))




You’re a soulknife, so stab things. Or rather, you throw your mindblade at things, as Julia's strength is bad.

You’ve also got a manifester level of 5 (wilder+practiced manifester, hidden talent uses highest manifester level) and have 32 pp and 15 powers, so use those. Julia mainly uses her PP for buffing and debuffing, but keeps some PP in reserve for emergency nova and/or utility.

Remember to use wild surge when buffing. Julia has only 1 level in Wilder, so you’ll only lose 1 PP if it backfires, which is the PP you saved by using the wild surge in the first place.

Outside of combat you’re pretty sneaky, and the Chameleon power makes you very difficult to spot by giving you an additional +10 to hide. You can also create small items using call item, such as ropes, manacles, baskets or a spyglass if you’ve got the PP to spare. Channel the psychic dragon can give you a bonus on diplomacy, climb, balance or escape artist, as well as resistance to either cold or electricity, or a bonus to saves against force spells. The utility of all other powers should be fairly obvious.



The mind's eye:Expanded Classes (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a): The Soulknife ACF's
The mind's eye: Power conversions (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20040827e): Call item power
PHB: Human, Point Blank Shot
XPH: Soulknife, Wilder, hidden talent (listed separately from the feats on page 67), powers: Energy ray, demoralize, force screen, 'precognition, offensive', 'precognition, defensive', vigor, inertial armor, chameleon, create sound, detect psionics, 'grease, psionic', far hand
Complete psionic: Synchronicity power
dragon magic: channel the mystic dragon power

[Zaq]

Better a dire flail than a dwarven urgrosh, because then we'd have to decide how to spell "urgrosh." The writer of Dwarven Urgrosh Mind Blade certainly couldn't decide. Go look it up.


Olloh, Mind-Tipper
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Race: Human
Stub: Soulknife 5/Warblade 1

Herrill Miller worked hard. Every morning he rounded up the cows on his farm, milked those that needed it, forked down hay from the barn loft, refilled the water troughs, checked the pastures for what needed doing, and saw to any animals that had taken hurt in the night, and all of this before the sun was properly up. And then his day really started. It wasn’t all bad though; Herrill had a wife he loved, a daughter he doted on, and two sturdy sons to help with the farm work. The farm yielded well and the cows were hale; indeed as these things go Herrill was doing mighty fine. Most folk agreed that Herrill’s life was a good one, though none would say it was easy, least of all Herrill himself. And so when Herrill was roused one night by an unusual amount of lowing amongst his herd it was perhaps understandable when he groaned, grumbled, rolled over, and went back to sleep hoping fervently that whatever had startled his heifers would pass on by. When the next bovine bawl was accompanied by a loud thud and slight trembling of the ground however, Herrill dragged himself awake to figure out what was going on.
Exiting his cottage Herrill beheld a slight young man holding what appeared to be a staff with chains dangling from either end eyeing a cow and chuckling to himself. Before Herrill could confront this trespasser, the young man reached out with the staff and slowly pushed over the now loudly bellowing cow. As the cow hit the ground the man’s staff lit up with an internal glow, upon which the young man’s hands shot into the air and he could be heard to say “It works!” and then start giggling. Herrill was dumbfounded. The young man moved over to the next cow and began again.
Poke. Thud. Glow. Giggle.
After the third time this sequence occurred directly before his eyes Herrill shook off his stupefaction and yelled at the young cow-tipper: “Oi! Get ‘way from me cows yeh hooligan!!”
The young man startled and leapt a remarkable distance into the air, dropping his glowing staff-thing in the process. As he landed facing Herrill the glowing staff promptly blinked out of existence, dropping the pasturage into the pitch darkness of night. Taking advantage of the momentary night-blindness this caused in both men, the intruder quickly fled into the gloom, cackling in childish glee.
“Tha’s right, run off yeh nutter! Honestly, kids these days,” Herrill muttered to himself. After checking that all of his cows had come through the ordeal unscathed Herrill went back to bed to catch a few short hours of rest before rising to do it all over again.
“I wonder wha’ he were doin’….”




Ability
Score
Lvl 4 Increase
Final


Strength
16
-
16


Dexterity
14
-
14


Constitution
14
-
14


Intelligence
14
-
14


Wisdom
12
+1
13


Charisma
8
-
8







Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
Soulknife
+0
+0
+2
+2
Balance 2(4cc), Concentration 4, Jump 4, Listen 4, Psicraft 2(4cc), Spot 4, Tumble 4
Defensive Shell, Host Focus (H), Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), Hidden Talent (B)
Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), Wild Talent --> Hidden Talent


2nd
Soulknife
+1
+0
+3
+3
Autohypnosis 2(2), Concentration 5(1), Jump 5(1), Listen 5(1), Spot 5(1), Tumble 5(1), Balance 2, Psicraft 2
-
Throw Mind Blade


3rd
Soulknife
+2
+1
+3
+3
Balance 3(2cc), Concentration 6(1), Listen 6(1), Psicraft 3(2cc), Tumble 6(1), Autohypnosis 2, Spot 5, Jump 5
Mind Cleave
Psychic Strike +1d8


4th
Soulknife
+3
+1
+4
+4
Autohypnosis 4(2), Concentration 7(1), Jump 6(1), Listen 7(1), Spot 6(1), Tumble 7(1), Balance 3, Psicraft 3
-
+1 Mindblade


5th
Soulknife
+3
+1
+4
+4
Autohypnosis 5(1), Concentration 8(1), Listen 8(1), Psicraft 4(2cc), Spot 8(2), Balance 3, Jump 6, Tumble 7
-
Free Draw, Shape Mind Blade


6th
Warblade
+4
+3
+4
+4
Balance 5(2), Concentration 9(1), Jump 8(2), Tumble 9(2), Autohypnosis 5, Listen 8, Psicraft 4, Spot 8
Dire Flail Mind Blade
Battle Clarity (Reflex Saves), Weapon Aptitude, Maneuvers


Epic Feats:

1: Improved Trip

2: Knock-Down

3: Mind Empowerment

4: Combat Reflexes

5: Practiced Manifester (Symbiotic/Host)

6: Psychic Renewal

7: Instant Clarity

8: Psionic Meditation

9: Strength of Two

10: Psionic Weapon

Tome of Battle Maneuvers Known: 3

Wolf Fang Strike (Tiger); Moment of Perfect Mind (Diam); Action Before Thought (Diam)
Tome of Battle Stances Known: 1

Punishing Stance (Iron)



Pre - Epic: The Soulknife is a 3/4 BAB frontline fighter with some weirdness. Its primary mechanic is “has a weapon,” it’s a psionic class without psionics, and it does everything slightly awkwardly. So what we’ve done here is try to address these weirdnesses and deficiencies. Let’s address these in reverse order. The Soulknife gets the Wild Talent feat at level 1 which I’m convinced was written just to have something to point to so as to say “The Soulknife is pionic, see!?!??!” Luckily the Expanded Psionics Handbook gives us the actually good option to swap Wild Talent out for Hidden Talent, which gives us 2 power points and single lvl1 psionic power. Now we’re starting to sort of look like a psionic character, albeit exactly like every other character that takes Hidden Talent. Like them, we’re interested in the Expansion power, but other nice options might be Daze, Psionic (we’ll have more pp later making the Augment decent), Defensive Precognition (+1 insight to AC and Saves, augment for more), and Offensive Precognition (+1 insight to attack rolls, augment for more). All of these are decent options, and the choice is left to the player’s discretion. Expansion is probably going to be our default, as we’ll be using tripping later in the build. First level also sees us picking up Defensive Shell and Host Focus, which gives us 2/day use of either Force Screen or Empty Mind which are both great defensive options. This also gives us a manifester level of 1/2HD using the modifier of our choice (we’ll pick INT), which will be important later. With that we’ve got as much of a psionic character as we’re able to make until epic feats with three powers available a day. Now let’s talk Mind Blade. While this class feature is conceptually awesome, it is functionally pretty bad. Until level five it has only one form and takes too long to summon to do anything but walk around with it formed, which means it’s basically a masterwork longsword. This is mitigated in part by getting free Weapon Focus for the Mind Blade, and getting a free +1 enhancement at lvl 4, which puts us on par with a full BAB class for to-hit (assuming they didn’t take WF or get their weapon enhanced….never mind). This benefit (term used loosely) is offset by the fact that you cannot enchant the Mind Blade, so our next order of business is to make this puppy do more damage. At level 3 we got Psychic Strike, which is a single use one-size-fits-all-as-long-as-it-has-a-mind-and-is-alive-and-not-immune sneak attack which requires a move action to reset. That’s pretty garbage, so we picked up Mind Cleave to make it more consistent since we now refresh Psychic Strike whenever the Mind Blade does “enough damage to make [a creature] fall.” We’ll come back to that quote later. We stay in Soulknife for a 5th level to get the Free Draw (finally) ability as well as the Shape Mind Blade ability so we can stop using a shortsword, though we don’t care about the new granted forms because we’ll pick up Dire Flail Mindblade at level 6 to take advantage of its ability to be used as either two weapons, or a single two-handed weapon as we desire. We don’t need to worry about proficiency because basically the only thing the Soulknife gets right is that it is always proficient with its Mind Blade (and Weapon Focus follows it as well). Our final class level is taken in Warblade because we need to make our primary combat character slightly better at combat. Punishing Stance helps add damage to our Mind Blade that we can’t get by adding an elemental enhancement, Wolf Fang Strike let’s us get damage from both ends of the Dire Flail with a single standard action, and the Diamond Mind maneuvers shore up our Reflex and Will Saves. At this point we’re a decently competent melee character with decent (fairly consistent) damage, pretty good defenses, and some psionic based options for our offensive and defensive capabilities. Our Skills are mostly aligned for combat (Concentration, Jump, Tumble), though we have nearly max ranks in Listen and Spot so can help the party avoid ambushes, and a couple ranks in Autohypnosis gives us a third Will save.

Post - Epic: Here’s where things start getting pretty decent for our poor Soulknife. Do you recall the text from Mind Cleave: ‘enough damage to make [a creature] fall?’ The text then gives a clarifying statement that starts with ‘typically,’ thereby implying that the listed methods (0 HP or killing) are just examples that fulfill the criteria previously stated. Thus, if we do damage to an opponent, and it then falls, we should trigger Mind Cleave’s criteria and refill our Psychic Strike damage. Enter the first two Epic Feats: Improved Trip and Knock-Down. It is now worth noting that the Dire Flail is a trip weapon. The latter of these two feats states that “whenever you deal 10 or more points of damage…you make a trip attack as a free action.” So whenever we do 10 or more damage we get to trip for free, and if we succeed we’ve made the target fall, so Mind Cleave triggers for the Improved Trip attack. Let’s take a look at our damage: 1d8+1+1.5*STR (Dire Flail) +1d6 (Punishing Stance) + 1d8 (Psychic Strike) = 1d6+2d8+1+6 = 10min, 18.5 avg while using Expansion. Therefore we automatically trigger Knock-Down while using Expansion. Neat! So our full normal attack is twice that with the Improved Trip attack, and if we manage to kill our target during that we get psychic strike refreshed again. Mind Empowerment is a natural addition to this trick, as it gives us an additional 1d8 damage from psychic strike after making a creature fall as long as it’s expended within the next 3 rounds, which suits us just fine. From here we pick up Combat Reflexes to try to get more opportunities to trigger Knock-Down and Practiced Manifester (which we’re applying to the manifester class explicitly given to us from Defensive Shell) to give us additional power points as if we had a manifester level of 6 with a key attribute of 14 (INT) for an additional 6 power points which lets us use Expansion 4/day now, or once to grow to Huge size. Psychic Renewal and Instant Clarity allow us to use those Power Points (or alternately Manifester Arrows) and Psionic Focus to recall an expended maneuver as a swift action, which can allow us to circumvent the small requirements on the Warblade recovery method. Instant of Clarity can then let us use that recovered strike to get Psionic Focus back as a swift action 3/day if needed. To further make use of our Psionic focus we pick up Psionic Meditation to be able to recover it as a move action, and Strength of Two to further make our Will saves a bad idea to target. Finally, we pick up Psionic Weapon to add an additional 2d6 damage to our attack when expending psionic focus.


Expanded Psionic Handbook (XPH) – Soulknife (p27), Hidden Talent (p67), Psionic Weapon (p50), Deep Impact (p45)
Complete Psionic (CP) – Defensive Shell (p60), Host Focus (p60), Mind Cleave (p56), Dire Flail Mind Blade (p49), Practiced Manifester (p57), Psionic Meditation (p50), Strength of Two (p60), Mind Empowerment (p56)
Tome of Battle (ToB) – Warblade (p20), Instant Clarity (p31), Psychic Renewal (p32)
Sword & Fist (SF) – Knock-Down (p7)

All items not specifically called out are either described in a higher-level item (such is the case for class features), in the PHB, or not part of the build as presented.

[Zaq]

If you guyps don't take this one pseriously, I jupst don't know what I can psay to you.




Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features


1st
Soul Knife(XPH p.26)
+0
+0
+2
+2
Concentration 4, Use Magical Device 4, Psicraft 4, Knowledge Psionics
SK Hidden Talent(Force Screen) (XPH p.67), SK Weapon Focus(PHB), 1st Skill Knowledge (UMD) (UnArc p.81)
Mind Blade


2nd
Soul Knife
+1
+0
+3
+3
+1 all skills swap Psicraft to Knowledge Religion
None
Throw Mind Blade


3rd
Soul Knife
+2
+1
+3
+3
+1 all skills swap Psicraft to Knowledge Religion
Psicrystal Affinity(XPH p.49)
Psychic Strike +1d8


4th
Soul Knife
+3
+1
+4
+4
+1 all skills swap Psicraft to Knowledge Religion
None
+1 Mindblade


5th
Soul Knife
+3
+1
+4
+4
+1 all skills swap Psicraft to Knowledge Religion
None
Free Draw, Shape Mindblade


6th
Illumine Soul (CPs p.33)
+3
+3
+4
+6
+1 all skills
Psionic Meditation (XPH p.50)
Positive Energy Conduit, Improved Mind Blade, Psychic Strike +1d8



E1 Defensive Shell (CPs p.60)
E2 Psionic Weapon (XPH p.50)
E3 Martial Study – Emerald Razor(Bo9S p.31)
E4 Mind Cleave (CPs p.56)
E5 Psicrystal Containment (XPH p.49)
E6 Improved Toughness (CW p.101)
E7 Psionic Body (XPH p.49)
E8 Martial Study – Battle Leader’s Charge(Bo9S p.31)
E9 Psymbiot (CPs p.57)
E10 Instant Clarity(Bo9S p.31)


Bonus Alertness (PHB)
1 Hidden Talent(Minor creation, psionic) (XPH p.67)
3 Antagonist (Host) (CPs p.60)
6 Martial Study – Shield Block(Bo9S p.31)


Soulknife 5/ Illumine Soul 1
Elf

Str: 20 (10 point buy, +4 Enhanced Undead Necromancer ACF Ritual Leader)
Dex: 22(10 point buy, +2 Racial, +4 Enhanced Undead Necromancer ACF Ritual Leader)
Con: – (Undead, 0 point buy)
Int: 10 (2 point buy)
Wis: 13 (4 point buy +1 at 4th level)
Cha: 14 (6 point buy)
Race: Something Necropolitan*
Hit Points: 99 on average roll – 6d12+42+18(Psionic body with 9 Psionic Feats)
BAB: +3
Armor Class: 23/27 (27/31 Shield block) (10+6(Dex)+5(+1 mithril chain)+2(Natural Armor)+4 (force screen, if cast))
Initiative: 10 (6 Dex+4 Nimble Bones from Corpsecrafter)

Base Saves: Fort: +3 Ref +4 Will +6
With Bonuses:
Fort: +7 (3 Base +2 Psymbiot, untyped, +2 Desecrate, Profane)
Ref: +14 (4 Base, +2 Psymbiot, untyped, +2 Desecrate, Profane,+6 Dex)
Will: +11 (6 Base, +2 Psymbiot, untyped, +2 Desecrate, Profane, +1 Wis)

Concentration 9 ranks+3 Psicrystal+5VoSS+2Cha = +19
Use Magical Device 9 ranks+5Ring of UMD+2 MW tool+2 Cha= +18
Psicraft 5 ranks+0 = +5
Knowledge Psionics 8+0 = +8
Knowledge Religion 5=0 = +5
*Necropolitan – Raised by a 6th level “enhanced undead” (UA63-64) Necromancy specialist Wizard with the Corpsecrafter(LM)line of feats, on a desecrated evil altar. These benefits are as follows; +4 Str, +4 Dex, +6 HP per Hit Die, +4 Initiative, +2 Natural Armor, +10 ft speed, +4 Turn Resistance, +2 Profane Bonus on Attack rolls and Saves)



Wand – Rhino’s rush 30 charges
Wand – Wraithstrike 20 charges
Wand – Prot evil 20 charges
Wand – Power Word Pain 20 charges
Wand – Fist of Stone 25 charges
Wand – Nerveskitter 25 charges
Ring of UMD +5
Tunic of Steady Spell casting
+1 Mithril chain shirt
crystal of return least on quarterstaff

Mw Quarterstaff with two wand chambers
Triple Weapon capsule retainer
Masterwork UMD tool
6 quickflame
6 quickspark
6 quickfrost
5 blood spike, tempo


Psir Perpsival was a regular soulknife who got turned into a Necropolitan due to some very very bad miscommunication. Afterwards he became an Illumine Soul to try to undo some of the sullying his soul took when he was made undead.

The character makes use of many different abilities to do the same things; Psychic strike, psionic weapon, and keep rolling it over as many times as possible.

With Psionic meditation he can recover his psionic focus as a move action, with psicrystal containment he can take the focus from his psicrystal, and with his psicrystal having a manifester level and power points, it can spend its own full round regaining its focus while Perpsival does the work.

With his left hand holding onto his quarterstaff he can access two wands (Rhino’s rush, and Wraithstrike) at a moment’s notice. Leaving his main hand to swing his longsword mindblade.

First round of combat is usually done by casting Rhino’s rush as a swift action, using Battle Leader’s charge, and expending his crystal’s psionic focus, his psychic strike, and all three alchemical capsules on his mindblade. This deals 2d8(sword)+4d8(Psychic strike)+4d6(Psionic weapon)+6d6(@2d6 per alchemical capsule)+ 32 for an average damage output of 94.
If he kills his opponent with that attack he automatically regains his psychic strike from the feat mind cleave. During that same round, after he goes, his psicrystal will spend it’s round recovering its psionic focus so he can use it again the next round. If he gets attacked and hit, the crystal can possibly use the shield block maneuver to give him +4 to his AC.

In the second round, if he kept his psychic strike he will attempt to hit an opponent with high AC with emerald Razor and expend his own focus to regain it with the feat Instant Clarity.

Further rounds are just him attacking with his psionic weapon feat and psychic strike ability for an average of 30 damage a swing.
Before combat he will have a blood spike, tempo in his system which allows him to take an extra move action once in the next hour. Using this ability he will either regain his psychic strike or his psionic focus (Or both) and attack.
He has a variety of wands that can help him in different situations, each one should have obvious applications.

If you have any questions feel free to send me a message!

[Zaq]

You sorabout that?



Lawful Good Kalashtar Soulknife 6


Stat

Base

Level up



Strength

14




Dexterity

12

+1



Constitution

14




Intelligence

12




Wisdom

10




Charisma

16






A woman lies sleeping in the darkness. She was kidnapped because she appeared to own nothing, to matter to no one. And to an extent you would be right. She owns nothing, and no one cares for her further than they can use her. She is a loner, and once upon a time could be seen to be begging for bread. But she is not helpless now. She awakens in this dark room, knowing that she has succeeded in her role as bait and trap. She was kidnapped by the very people she was hunting, without them knowing so much as who she was. In the darkness she whispers to herself. She touches a mark on her skin, an area where it looks like an arrowhead is still imbedded. As she touches it scraps of armor seem to grow right out of her skin. She begins chanting in the language of dread, the language of dreams, the language of the Quori. The armor fully manifests on her, a brilliant Full Plate with a golden hue. She begins to glow as an internal light emanates from her. She thrusts her hand outwards and a sword of purest light bursts forth from her hand. She puts her other arm out in front of her as a disk of light swirls into being in front of her, a shield made of solidified light. Finally she seems to grow a tail of solid soulstuff, and her aura turns purple. From a beggar to a warrior in the span of minutes. She steps forward towards the door. Foolish of them, they forgot to lock the door.




Level

Class

Base Attack Bonus

Fort Save

Ref Save

Will Save

Skills

Feats

Class Features


1st

Kalashtar Soulknife

+0

+0

+2

+2

Concentration +4, Diplomacy +2, Autohypnosis +4, Listen +4, Perform Dance +4

Sacred Vow

Mindblade, Weapon Focus Mindblade, Align Mindblade



2nd

Soulknife

+1

+0

+3

+3

Concentration +5, Diplomacy +2.5, Autohypnosis +5, Listen +5, Perform Dance +5


Throw Soulknife



3rd

Kalashtar Soulknife

+2

+1

+3

+3

Concentration +6, Diplomacy +3, Autohypnosis +6, Listen +6, Perform Dance +6

Vow of Poverty

Purifying Strike



4th

Soulknife

+3

+1

+4

+4

Concentration +7, Diplomacy +3.5, Autohypnosis +7, Listen +7, Perform Dance +7

Sanctify Martial Strike(B)

+1 Mindblade



5th

Soulknife

+3

+1

+4

+4

Concentration +8, Diplomacy +4, Autohypnosis +8, Listen +8, Perform Dance +8


Free Draw, Shape Mindblade



6th

Kalashtar Soulknife

+4

+2

+5

+5

Concentration +9, Diplomacy +4, Autohypnosis +9, Listen +9, Perform Dance +9, Knowledge Psionics +1

Shield of Thought, Nimbus of Light(B)

Stand Fast, Mindblade Enhancement



1

Medium Armor Proficiency



2

Heavy Armor Proficiency



3

Bind Vestige: Savnok



4

Improved Bind Vestige



5

Spiritual Force



6

Martial Study: Crusader’s Strike



7

Instant Clarity



8

Martial Stance: Martial Spirit



9

Shape Soulmeld: Wormtail Belt



10

Heavy Armor Optimization






This character is a fun one, going from absolutely nothing to fully armed in the matter of an hour at most (shaping the soulmeld). This amazing warrior has an armor class of 32-35: 6 exalted bonus to AC from Vow of Poverty, 10 armor bonus from the +1 full plate with Heavy Armor Optimization, +1 from her dexterity, +1 deflection bonus from Vow of Poverty, +2 shield bonus from her +1 light shield, +2 natural armor from her Wormtail Belt, and may choose to manifest her mindblade with the defending property granting her a further +1 to AC. Finally when she is psionically focused and moves no more than 5 ft she gains +2 AC.
When fully armed she literally glows with Nimbus of Light active, and she looks like the biggest threat most of the time. From a melee perspective she can use her psionic focus to add her charisma modifier to all her damage rolls for the round. She can freely shift her +1 enhancement bonus from her weapon to her shield thanks to Exalted Strike, allowing her to maintain her enhancement bonus in her weapon and shield at all times. She is quite willing to talk her way through conflict, however when push comes to shove she is good enough at attacking to consistently deal damage round after round healing her allies as she goes. Her AC is where her true power lies, few people can use diplomacy in combat by just swatting all the attacks away and using their action for Diplomacy. Yet she can do so with a +11 which is fairly decent as a cross class skill.

Kalashtar, Kalashtar Soulknife, Shield of Thought, Spiritual Force - Races of Eberron
Sacred Vow, Vow of Poverty, Sanctify Martial Strike, Nimbus of Light - Book of Exalted Deeds
Medium Armor Proficiency, Heavy Armor Proficiency - Player’s Handbook
Bind Vestige, Improved Bind Vestige, Savnok - Tome of Magic
Martial Study, Martial Stance, Instant Clarity - Tome of Battle
Shape Soulmeld, Wormtail Belt - Magic of Incarnum
Heavy Armor Optimization - Races of Stone
Soulknife - Expanded Psionics Handbook

[Zaq]

I've appended the "Alpha" and "Bravo" designations to save us all some headache. You're welcome.


A Warrior who worships both Life and Death, with a minor concern on the specific emphasis:


T'Fimebjeil, Paladin of the Raven Queen, Lantern of Life's Light (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1662590)

(Te-Fey-Mah-Byel)


https://i.imgur.com/XE1dAX0.jpg
( View Image ) (https://i.imgur.com/XE1dAX0.jpg)

Credit: Heroes of Camelot, Uncredited Artist

Tiffy, that Crazy Woman from the Mudblood Fey Cult Nunnery of Death (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1662590)


https://i.imgur.com/QMSLnQh.png
( View Image ) (https://i.imgur.com/QMSLnQh.png)
Credit: Rozelque on DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/rozelque/)

Once upon a time, there were the Fey, and there were the other races. The Fey liked the other races, sometimes even liked-liked the other races, even enough to invite them over for a short spell. These travelers would eventually either overstay their welcome (or vice versa), leaving behind little ones in their wake, which the Fey were not entirely pleased about suddenly having to endure. These half-breeds were kept apart in a separate nursery until the courts could find out what to do with them.

They discovered a purpose for these throw-away beings after a rather nasty encounter with the sudden rise of the Undead, brought about by who-even-remembers-anymore which spilled into the Feywild. They took these castaways and began teaching them of their 'divine' purpose in life: to protect the natural balance of life and death, laying these poor soul to their final rest, and protecting the Feywild. By this time, the half-breeds had begun to develop unfamiliar abilities, which the Fey caretakers dubbed their 'divine gifts', with which they must crusade on... their Goddess' behalf?

Yes! The... Raven Queen, guardian of souls in passing, Mother of death's soothing embrace, and crusader against the soul-stealers and their undead abominations. They must use their strengths to wage her holy war, and end the Undead menace wherever it may arise. Afterall, they were her chosen ones! Each... immaculately conceived by her holy spirit to protect all of nature, and the Fey within it. They themselves must not continue to spawn half-breeds remain pure, so that they too may be blessed by the spirit Raven queen and add their own holy warrior to her cause.

The trickster Goddess, a real Goddess, continues to take great delight in this charade, and will sometimes intervene in the hopes of the mischief that is to come. Of course, when she does so, she dons the mantle of this "Raven Queen", continuing to light small fires on the edges of this delightful show.
The Raven Queen has always been with T'Fe. Even as a Chosen in the Sanctuary, she felt her presence lingering on the edge of her being, reassuring her in her faith. Pursuing that connection further, she discovered her Goddess' favor as her faith manifested in the form of a holy weapon, an extension of herself, clear in purpose. She must fulfill her role as a Protector of Life, guarding the safety of the Feywild and bringing peace to the restless souls forced to wander from her cold embrace.

T'Fe's harsh training could not prepare her for the reality of the battlefield, however. As the empty hunger of the undead claimed the lives of her brethren around her, she felt true dread for the first time when her Goddess' presence faded away on the field. Alone for the first time she could remember, she fought with pure terror, railing against the wall of corpses around her, and she survived to live another day. Returning to Sanctuary, she felt Her presence return, and felt ashamed that she had lost her faith in the wake of the nightmare. Opening herself up fully to the holy spirit around her, she let the light of her Goddess enter her fully, as every Dark Maiden aspires to one day harbor. Steeling herself for the coming war, she resolved to stamp down on her fears and continue her quest as a true Lantern of Light.

T'Fe had unknowingly picked up another presence since her exploits on the field, eventually revealing itself as the soul of a Black Dragon slain by a willing Undead, leaving no progeny in it's wake. It begged her help in defeating this Lich and his armies, and T'Fe felt the spirit within stir her to action. Crafting a vessel for her new companion to accompany her, the Dragon's soul now resides in a crystallized piece of her mind given life. Her connection to the vengeant soul excites her in ways that the calming spirit in her mind never had, keeping her on edge and pushing her to new heights, new battlefields, and away from the Santuary at last.

T'Fe now wanders the lands of mixed races, seeking out pockets of Necromancers to cleanse while developing her own survivalist style of combat, based on the gritty experiences she continues to have out on her own... Terrified of dying on the battlefield, her soul left astray and her body unfinished with it's spiritual commune, T'Fe fights tooth and nail to live to see out her dual righteous duties to deliver both Life, and Death. She will need help, however, from these peoples so unlearned that they have no awareness of the Raven Queen, nor any apparent ability to pronounce her name any way other than... Tiffy.

T'Fimebjeil (Te-Fey-Mah-Byel) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1662590)
Female Chaotic Good Feytouched (Fey)
Soulknife 3 / Fighter / Crusader / Illumine Soul
Level 6, Init 10, HP 46, DR 3 / Cold Iron, Speed 30ft
Abilities Str 14, Dex 18, Con 13, Int 14, Wis 8, Cha 14
AC 22, Touch 14, Flat-footed 18, Fort 8, Ref 9, Will 7
Base Attack Bonus 4, Power Points 5
+1 Positive Energy Mind Blade +8 (1d6+3, 19-20 / x2)
+1 Mithral Shirt, +1 Darkwood Shield (+5 Armor, +3 Shield, +4 Dex)
Skills Tumble 13, Balance 11, Listen 11, Spot 11, Know(Psi) 10, Jump 9, Know(Religion) 6
Special Abilities Low-light Vision, Sneak Attack +1d6, Psychic Strike +2d8 (Positive Energy), Steely Resolve
Stances Known Bolstering Voice, Island of Blades
Maneuvers Readied Foehammer, Mountain Hammer, Tactical Strike, Wall of Blades, Cloak of Deception
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6) 1 - Disguise Self 1/day, 3 - Deep Slumber 1/day, 4 - Charm Monster 1/day
Psi-Like Abilities (ML 3) Entangling Ectoplasm or Deaden blow 1/day
Psionic Powers (ML 3) Adrenaline Boost
Condition Island of Blades, Psionically Focused, Psychic Strike readied
Additional +4 Will vs. Mind-Effecting, +3 Will vs. Enchantment, -2 Will vs. Fear

Her Psicrystal shares her 6 HD (granting it 3 feats at 1/3/6) and gains abilities per her 4 Psionic class levels.

Feats
[01] Aggressive Mind(CPsi) 1/day PSA, Daze or Mind Thrust
[03] Draconic Aura(DM) Vigor, Fast Healing 1 to allies in 30ft
[06] Gestalt Anchor(CPsi) +2 Init / Reflex to Hosts in 60ft

Abilities (Lvl 4 Psionic Master)
Alertness (+2 Spot / Listen to Master)
Nimble Personality (+2 Init to Master)
Improved Evasion
Self-Propulsion, Sighted, Telepathic Link
Share Powers, Deliver Touch Powers
+1 Natural Armor / Intelligence
And, a Power Point Reserve of 3 (INT x ML x 0.5)

As long as her Psicrystal remains in Psionic Focus, Tiffy gains +4 Initiative, +2 Reflex, +2 Spot / Listen, and Fast Healing 1 (up to half HP). Nearby allies will benefit from the Healing, and gain benefits if they too are Psionic Hosts. Once per day, the rock can take a more active role via it's own PSA, via a 3d10 Mind Thrust (DC 14) or 6HD Psionic Daze (DC 13).

The psionic mixture of herself and the angry dragon has created a very... violent creature, urging her into hostilities and battles that she may have otherwise avoided.

32 Point Buy: 14 / 15 / 15 / 14 / 8 / 12
Feytouched: +0 / +2 / -2 / +0 / +0 / +2 (Savage Progressions, http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a)
Racial: Medium Fey, Lowlight Vision, +4 vs. Mind-Effecting


Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
ACF Trades

1st
Soulknife 1


+2
+2
4 x ( 4 + Int) = +16
+1 Jump, +3 Know(Psi), +4 Listen, +4 Spot, +4 Tumble
Keen Intellect
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), Hidden Talent
Wild Talent for Hidden Talent(Web, http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a)

2nd
Hit and Run Sneaky Fighter 1
+1
+2


( 2 + Int ) = +4
+5 Jump, +3 Know(Psi), +4 Listen, +4 Spot, +4 Tumble
-
Hit and Run, Sneak Attack +1d6
Tower + Heavy Armor for Hit and Run(DotU)
Feat for Sneak Attack(UA)

3rd
SoulKnife 2
+1

+1
+1
( 4 + Int ) = +6
+5 Jump, +5 Know(Psi), +5 Listen, +5 Spot, +6 Tumble
Psionic Weapon
Throw Mind Blade


4th
SoulKnife 3
+1
+1


( 4 + Int ) = +6
+5 Jump, +7 Know(Psi), +6 Listen, +7 Spot, +7 Tumble
-
Psychic strike +1d8


5th
Chaotic Crusader 1
+1
+2


( 4 + Int ) = +6
+5 Jump, +8 Know(Psi), +4 Know(Religion), +6 Listen, +7 Spot, +7 Tumble
-
Furious Counterstrike, Steely Resolve 5, Stance(Bolstering Voice), Maneuvers(Battle Leader's Charge, Crusader's Strike, Foe Hammer, Mountain Hammer, Tactical Strike)


6th
Illumine Soul

+2

+2
( 4 + Int ) = +6
+5 Balance, +5 Jump, +8 Know(Psi), +4 Know(Religion), +7 Listen, +7 Spot, +7 Tumble
Martial Study(Wall of Blades)
Positive Energy Conduit, +1 Mind Blade, Psychic Strike +2d8


Epic6
Extra Granted Maneuver, Pacifist, Psicrystal Affinity, Martial Study(Cloak of Deception), Martial Stance(Island of Blades), Shadow Blade, Craven, Fey Heritage, Fey Presence, Fey Skin


Tiffy stands on the Front Line, keeping a (secretly nervous) eye and ear out for any trouble. With decent Spot / Listen she can backup scout, and with her high initiative she can maneuver herself where she needs to be to protect the group. As a front liner with high AC + Saves, light DR, decent HP and Fast Healing, Tiffy can tank hits and strike to clear the path ahead.
As Tiffy is not terribly fond of fighting the innocent, she would rather talk her way out or use some magic to avoid a bad situation. She can use Deep Slumber to bloodlessly get past a group of creatures, Charm Monster to avoid killing a noble magical beast in its lair, or just Ecto-Entangle something much larger in order to run away while it's slowed.
Once Tiffy is cornered into a fight, she certainly fights like she is! Her damage output increases as she levels, striving to make one-hit kills whenever possible to end the conflict quickly and avoid damage, or even death.

See: Power, Tricks

In order to qaulify for a Psicrystal, you need two things: A manifester level (Feat pre-requisite), and Psionic class levels (as Psicrystal abilities are determined by Psionic class levels, having zero causes some strange rules void where your rock either does not exist or simply has no abilities). Soulknife and Illumine Soul are psionic classes without ML, the Hidden Talent feat bestows upon Tiffy a manifester level of 1, and the Pacifist feat increases that to 3, so she can find her companionship! In addition, she can continue to take Hidden Talent as she levels to grow her reserve further and learn additional powers (DimHop, Charm, etc.)

Tiffy's Manifester level grants 3 bonus power points ( ML x Cha Bonus x 0.5 ), so she can Boost 4x day, or Boost 2x and augment her PsiLike, while retaining her ability to focus for Psionic Weapon. Bestowing a manifester level on the Psicrystal does the same, awarding it 3 PP as well, so it can augment it's own PsiLike and retain focus for Gestalt Anchor.
XYZ always has her Psicrystal on her person, a diminutive creature in her square. Generally, Diminutive creatures can't flank. Specific trumps general however, and The Island of Blades stance allows you to "gain the benefit of flanking" as long as "both you and an ally are adjacent to the same creature." As long as her and her Psicrystal are in the same square, they are flanking all of their adjacent opponents!

This affords Tiffy a needed a +2 to hit, helping her surmount her low BAB and enabling Sneak Attacks against the vulnerable.
As of Epic 1, Tiffy will be granted 3/5 of her maneuvers, which will all auto-recover every three rounds. With three +2d6 strikes, each round she can initiaite a +2d6 damage strike for eternity. 2/3 of the time this will bypass DR, allowing her to rely on her Mindblade without carrying extra weapons of different material/damage types.

As her other two maneuvers would be wasted as Strikes, Tiffy instead readies a Boost and a Counter that auto-refresh as well. She can rely on having these available 80% of the time, each usable once per three rounds, to either MindBlade parry an attack / spell or instead become invisible to render opponents flat-footed against her for the AC penalty, Hit and Run damage, and potential Sneak Attack against the un-flankable.

Damage cap by level:


Nova by Level
Mind Blade
Adrenaline
Sneak Attack
Hit and Run
Psi Weapon
Psi Blast
Maneuver
Furious
Shadow Blade
Range
Average

1st
1d6+2
+1







4 - 9
6.5

2nd
1d6+2
+1
1d6
+4





9 - 19
14

3rd
1d6+2
+1
1d6
+4
2d6




11 - 31
21

4th
1d6+2
+1
1d6
+5
2d6
1d8



13 - 40
26.5

5th
1d6+2
+1
1d6
+5
2d6
1d8
2d6
+1

16 - 53
34.5

6th
1d6+3
+1
1d6
+5
2d6
2d8
2d6
+1

18 - 62
40

Epic 6
1d6+3
+1
1d6
+5
2d6
2d8
2d6
+1
+5
23 - 67
45

Epic 7
1d6+3
+1
1d6+6
+5
2d6
2d8
2d6
+1
+5
29 - 73
51


While the main swings in damage eventually comes from Sneak Attack acceptance, the two Psionic follow-ups depend on the ability to charge them up for the +2d6 each. Adrenaline Boost adds the smallest (+3 from STR + 2X Dex, and a +1 to hit), but it's truly the only thing that caps her at a 4-per-day limit on her nova strike. Without that, she can go all day if need be, refocusing between encounters and recharging on 5ft steps. Eventually she would add Mind Cleave to her build, allowing free PsiStrike recharges on any downed opponent, giving her slightly more flexibility.

Addressing Sneak Attack:
With her high initiative and perception skills, she can often go twice before the opponent in the ambush & first rounds, hitting them flat-footed. Her always-on flanking stance allows her to continue to press whenever possible, and once every three rounds she can go Greater Invis for flat-footed again, once the match really starts. Eventually a Mua-Jehe with a Greater Truedeath crystal (If she can find such epic items) would allow her to SA her true enemy in the undead, but otherwise she'll have to rely on a friendly neighborhood Gravestrike.

One of the most important things about E6 is building in room for improvement, where Tiffy can continue to shine. Mind Cleave is a good flexibility boost for the action economy, and Thick-Skinned will nearly double her DR and tanking power. Weapon Finesse will add 2-3 for her to-hit, and Shield Spec + Shield ward will bump her AC, especially her Touch AC. With +4 BAB and 13 INT she can even chase down the Whirlwind Attack tree, which will greatly multiply her DPS (especially with Cloak of Deception). With 13 Con she can pickup Soulmelds as well, such as the Strongheart Vest to protect her from the ability damage the undead like to shell out, or bind Lightning Gauntlets to supercharge her blows.

I tried to leave annotations where needed, but as a catch-all here:

(Savage Progressions, http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sp/20040213a) Feytouched Race w/ LA +0
(Web, http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a) Hidden Talent Soulknife ACF
(OA) Keen Intellect
(SS) Thick Skinned
(CM) Fey Heritage, Fey Presence, Fey Skin
(CPsi) Illumine Soul, Pacifist, Psicrystal Affinity, Mind Cleave
(XPH) Soulknife, Hidden Talent, Psionic Weapon
(ToB) Crusader, Martial Study, Martial Stance, Shadow Blade
(CoR) Craven
(DotU) Hit and Run Fighter ACF
(UA) Sneaky Fighter ACF
This SoulKnife build loses very little from scrapping the last two levels: Free Draw, Shape Weapon, a +1 Weapon ability, and Speed of Thought are not much of a trade for an SK focused on single-strike Short sword and Board.

By going Illumine Soul, she greatly improves her Soulknife's Psychic strike with +1d8 and usage vs. the Undead, even better than a Lvl 6 SK. This turns SK 4 into a dead level, making SK 3 a perfect breaking point.

A Crusader dip lets her meet the Illumine Soul Know(Religion) Prereq, which a straight SK 5 wouldn't be able to cover. In addition, it greatly improves her single strike damage via maneuvers, allowing her small Mind Blade to catch up in the damage race.

The Fighter Dip brings in bonus damage and a sorely needed BAB, allowing her to focus more on an agile DEX build and leave STR lower. This is good to reduce MADness, as a Soulknife was supposed to be a maneuverable melee type focused on bonus die in the first place.

With her classes and feats combined, she feels like what a SoulKnife should have been all along: A tumbling Dex and Int melee build, focusing on bonus dice, psionic boosts, and battle tricks to bridge the gap between her and other other melee brutes.

Her specific Fey flavor adds more Dex and mental resistance, trading Con for DR for front-line staying power. Her spell-likes also give her some non-combat alternatives when the heat gets too high... Sneak, Sleep, or Sweet-talk.

[Zaq]

With a name like T'Fimebjeil, I'm surprised they're not a svirfneblin. Who makes pilgrimages to Oxyrhynicus. And who plays Xorvintaal. While worshiping Blibdoolpoolp.


In another timeline, however, things happened in a slightly different order...


T'Fimebjeil, Inquisitor of the Raven Queen, Dark Maiden of Death (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1669809)

(Te-Fey-Mah-Byel)


https://i.imgur.com/1G0oWeg.jpg
( View Image ) (https://i.imgur.com/1G0oWeg.jpg)
Credit: MerkyMerx on DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/merkymerx)
Tiffy, that Crazy Woman from the Mudblood Fey Cult Nunnery of Death (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1669809)

https://i.imgur.com/ZbvqZ5y.jpg
( View Image ) (https://i.imgur.com/ZbvqZ5y.jpg)
Credit: MerkyMerx on DeviantArt (https://www.deviantart.com/merkymerx)

Once upon a time, there were the Fey, and there were the other races. The Fey liked the other races, sometimes even liked-liked the other races, even enough to invite them over for a short spell. These travelers would eventually either overstay their welcome (or vice versa), leaving behind little ones in their wake, which the Fey were not entirely pleased about suddenly having to endure. These half-breeds were kept apart in a separate nursery until the courts could find out what to do with them.

They discovered a purpose for these throw-away beings after a rather nasty encounter with the sudden rise of the Undead, brought about by who-even-remembers-anymore which spilled into the Feywild. They took these castaways and began teaching them of their 'divine' purpose in life: to protect the natural balance of life and death, laying these poor soul to their final rest, and protecting the Feywild. By this time, the half-breeds had begun to develop unfamiliar abilities, which the Fey caretakers dubbed their 'divine gifts', with which they must crusade on... their Goddess' behalf?

Yes! The... Raven Queen, guardian of souls in passing, Mother of death's soothing embrace, and crusader against the soul-stealers and their undead abominations. They must use their strengths to wage her holy war, and end the Undead menace wherever it may arise. Afterall, they were her chosen ones! Each... immaculately conceived by her holy spirit to protect all of nature, and the Fey within it. They themselves must not continue to spawn half-breeds remain pure, so that they too may be blessed by the spirit Raven queen and add their own holy warrior to her cause.

The trickster Goddess, a real Goddess, continues to take great delight in this charade, and will sometimes intervene in the hopes of the mischief that is to come. Of course, when she does so, she dons the mantle of this "Raven Queen", continuing to light small fires on the edges of this delightful show.
The Raven Queen has always been with T'Fe. As a young Chosen in the Sanctuary, she felt her presence enter into her being, calling her to her faith as a Dark Maiden. Suffused with the divine energy and purpose all Chosen pray to one day harbor and bear fruit, T'Fe communed with the holy spirit within and blossomed into her Fey heritage, lifting herself deservedly over the others as she knew she had been destined. She soared over her peers both literally and figuratively, training with righteous fury and leading her age group in martial skill and power. Her zeal manifested in the form of a holy weapon, an extension of her own self, clear in purpose. She must fulfill her role as a Bringer of Rest, seeking out and bringing peace to the souls straying from Her cold embrace, and those that hide in the shadow of her light.

T'Fe's training prepared her for the battlefield well, and she took to it as a Salamander to Fire. As the empty hunger of the undead claimed the lives of her brethren around her, she felt true ecstacy as her Goddess' presence swelled within her on the field. Flying overhead, her blade arced with divine grace as she carved swaths through the hordes of enemies in front of her, roaring in united delight as the corpses fell away. Returning to Sanctuary, she 'dreamt' of a kingdom of undeath, ruled by a Lich keeping armies of souls away from Her cold embrace. Stirred into action, she resolved to take this holy quest upon herself, knowing that she could only consummate her spiritual commune on completion, bearing another divine life unto this dark world.

T'Fe had unknowingly picked up another presence during her exploits on the field, eventually revealing itself as the soul of a Brass Dragon slain by the willing Undead, leaving no progeny in it's wake. It saw in her the zeal to slay this same Lich and his armies, and T'Fe felt the pity of the spirit within her when it despaired for their journey. This restless creature worried for her as she worried for it's own wandering soul, and she felt a powerful, empathic connection to this spirit and her lost children. Crafting a vessel for her new companion to accompany her, the dragon's soul now resides in a crystallized peice of her mind given life. Her connection to the venerable soul brings moments of peace and clarity the zealous spirit in her mind never had, allowing her brief glimpses into the world through those around her, whom she bore little thought before.

T'Fe now wanders the lands of mixed races, seeking out pockets of Necromancers to cleanse while continuing to develop her brutalist style of combat, indulging in the dance of life and death she experiences as she ventures out on her own... Glorious death on her pilgrimage would be second only to accomplishing her divine mission and completing her body's divine goal. T'Fe fights as a woman possesed, living fully her dual righteous duties to bring both Death, and Life. She will need help, however, from these ignorant creatures so unlearned that they have no awareness of the Raven Queen, nor any apparent ability to pronounce her name any way other than... Tiffy.

T'Fimebjeil (Te-Fey-Mah-Byel) (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1669809)
Female Chaotic Evil Unseelie Fey Kalashtar (Fey)
Soulknife 6
Level 6, Init 7, HP 46, DR 8 / Cold Iron, Speed 40ft, Fly(Avg) 80ft
Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con 13, Int 8, Wis 8, Cha 15
AC 20, Touch 15, Flat-footed 17, Fort 3, Ref 10, Will 4
Base Attack Bonus 4, Power Points 9
+2 Vicious Mind Blade Bastard Sword +11 (1d10+8 +2d6), 19-20 / x2)
+1 Mithral Shirt (+5 Armor, +3 Dex)
Skills Jump 18, Tumble 13, Intimidate 11, Spot 9, Balance 5, Bluff 4, Diplomacy 4
Special Abilities Darkvision 60, Summer Caress, Iron Vulnerability, Psychic Strike +1d8, Steely Resolve
Maneuvers Readied Foehammer
Spell-Like Abilities (CL 6) 1 - Disguise Self 1/day, 3 - Deep Slumber 1/day, 4 - Charm Monster 1/day
Psi-Like Abilities (ML 6) Mindlink 1/day
Psionic Powers (ML 6) [I]Adrenaline Boost
Condition Martial Spirit, Psionically Focused, Psychic Strike readied
Additional +2 Will vs. Mind-Effecting, +3 Will vs. Enchantment

Her Psicrystal shares her 6 HD (granting it 3 feats at 1/3/6) and gains abilities per her 4 Psionic class levels.

Feats
[01] Pacifist(CPsi) 1/day PSA, Entangle or Deaden Blow
[03] Draconic Aura(DM) Vigor, Fast Healing 1 to allies in 30ft
[06] Gestalt Anchor(CPsi) +2 Init / Reflex to Hosts in 60ft

Abilities (Lvl 6 Psionic Master)
Alertness (+2 Spot / Listen to Master)
Nimble Personality (+2 Init to Master)
Improved Evasion
Self-Propulsion, Sighted, Telepathic Link, Telepathic Speech
Share Powers, Deliver Touch Powers
+2 Natural Armor / Intelligence
And, a Power Point Reserve of 4 (INT x ML x 0.5)

As long as her Psicrystal remains in Psionic Focus, Tiffy gains +4 Initiative, +2 Reflex, +2 Spot / Listen, and Fast Healing 1 (up to half HP). Nearby allies will benefit from the Healing, and gain benefits if they too are Psionic Hosts. Once per day, the rock can take a more active role via it's own PSA, via a 3d10 Mind Thrust (DC 14) or 6HD Psionic Daze (DC 13).

The psionic mixture of herself and the worried dragon has created a very protective creature, urging caution and advising her away from hostilities and battles that she may have otherwise attempted.

32 Point Buy: 17 / 14 / 15 / 8 / 8 / 13
Kalashtar (RoE)
Racial: +HD Power points, Mindlink 1/day, +2 Bluff / Diplomacy / Intimidate / Disguise(as Human), Dreamless
Unseelie Fey (DrC): -2 / +2 / -2 / +0 / +0 / +2
Racial: Medium Fey, 60' Darkvision, Batlike Wings, Flight(Avg) 2x Landspeed, +2 vs. Mind-Effecting, +4 Intimidate, DR 5 / Cold Iron, Iron Vulnerability, Summer Caress


Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills
Feats
Class Features
ACF Trades

1st
Soulknife 1


+2
+2
4 x (Int - 1) = +12
+4 Jump, +4 Spot, +4 Tumble
Soulblade Warrior
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), Hidden Talent
Wild Talent for Hidden Talent(Web, http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a)

2nd
Soulknife 2
+1

+1
+1
( Int - 1 ) = +3
+5 Jump, +5 Spot, +5 Tumble
-
Throw Mind Blade


3rd
SoulKnife 3
+1
+1


( Int - 1 ) = +3
+6 Jump, +6 Spot, +6 Tumble
Flyby Attack
Psychic strike +1d8


4th
SoulKnife 4
+1

+1
+1
( Int - 1 ) = +3
+7 Jump, +7 Spot, +7 Tumble
-
Mind Blade +1


5th
Soulknife 5




( Int - 1 ) = +3
+8 Jump, +8 Spot, +8 Tumble
-
Free Draw, Shape Mind Blade


6th
Soulknife 6
+1
+1
+1
+1
( Int - 1 ) = +3
+3 Intimidate, +8 Jump, +8 Spot, +8 Tumble
Martial Study(FoeHammer)
+1 Mind Blade Enhancement


Epic6
Psicrystal Affinity, Power Attack, Leap Attack, Cleave, Mind Cleave, Mind Empowerment, Kalashtar Mindlink, Fey Heritage, Fey Presence, Fey Skin


Tiffy flies on the Front Line, keeping a (blatantly hungry) eye and ear out for any trouble. The bloodthirst in her eyes and body show through, allowing her to verbally force her way through some situations as a back-up face for when fancy words fail the main face. With decent Spot she can also backup scout, and with her decent initiative and flight ability she can maneuver herself where she needs to be to deliver devastating strikes. As a front liner with high AC and DR, decent HP and Fast Healing, Tiffy can tank some hits while clearing the path ahead.
As Tiffy is anxious to kill those that stand in her way, or appear to stand in her way, she would rather cut her way out or use her intimidating presence to get where seh needs to go. For the more difficult encounters, she can use Deep Slumber to kill her foes in their sleep, Disguise Self to sneak into a flanking position, and Charm Monster to befriend a powerful magical beast in its lair. On occasion, she enjoys using Mindlink on a foe to taunt them and terrify them from the inside of their own skull, distracting them enough for her own needs.
Once Tiffy jumps into the fray, the bloodbath begins! Her damage output is solid on the ground while jumping and charging, but if she has the airspace she takes to the sky and begins to dive like a dragon predator of the sky. She can carve through multiple enemies at a time, with one strike killing up to two opponents while empowering her next hit. She naturally ends the conflict quickly, though she always takes damage due to the violent dual nature of her blade.

See: Power, Battle Plan

While Tiffy is an ubercharger at heart, she badly wants to be airborne, due to the Dive ability as written here: (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20040706a)


[I]Charge

Flying creatures can use the charge action. A flying charge must be in straight line and most cover at least 10 feet (2 squares). A flyer can charge while diving, but not while gaining more than 5 feet altitude (unless the flyer has perfect maneuverability and can climb without losing speed).

If a flyer makes a diving charge of at least 30 feet (6 squares) and also loses 10 feet of altitude or more, it can attack only with a claw or with a piercing or slashing weapon. These attacks, however, deal double damage.

The ability to deal double damage, paired with Flyby attack and her 80ft (160ft during charge) flight speed, means that she can make parabolic dives into, through, and out the back of the fight continuously, provided she has the room to do so. The attacks deal massive damage, as shown below, allowing her to take full advantage of her cleaving abilities. In addition, attacking from overhead should give her a +1 attack by higher ground, since most opponents are less adept at defending from that direction.

While this can take a toll on her via Vicious weapon damage, Martial Stance dulls the damage via her extreme sadism/masochism causing her to self-heal whenever she trades blows. In addition, her Adamantine Mind Blade Guantlet allows her to swap out Weapon abilities if she feels the need, swapping out for Keen / Adamantine / Psychokinetic as desired. Free Draw plus a full round to re-shape her blade to the Bastard sword she desires, or just using the short sword in a pinch.
Nova by level, which scales nicely during Pre-Epic:



Base Damage


Level
Mind Blade
Adrenaline
PA
Leap
Dive
Psi Blast
Manuever
Vicious
Range
Average

1st
1d6+2
+1


+Base



8 - 18
13

2nd
1d6+3
+1


+Base



10 - 20
15

3rd
1d6+3
+1


+Base
+1d8


11 - 28
19.5


+1 Str, +2 Str Item

4th
1d6+5
+1


+Base
+1d8


15 - 32
23.5

5th
1d10+7
+1


+Base
1d8


19 - 44
31.5

6th
1d10+7
+1


+Base
1d8
2d6
2d6
19 - 83
50.5

Epic 2
1d10+7
+1
+8

+Base
1d8
2d6
2d6
35 - 99
66.5

Epic 3
1d10+7
+1
+8
+8
+Base
1d8
2d6
2d6
51 - 115
82.5

Epic 6
1d10+7
+1
+8
+8
+Base
2d8
2d6
2d6
52 - 123
87


Starting at Epic 4, the above numbers double on a successful Cleave.

As this is her Nova, these arent the usual expected numbers:

Tiffy can only add the FoeHammer maneuver once per encounter, as a Standard Action in the middle of a Slyby attack. Additionally, power attacking for her full -4 (limited by BAB) will only be advisable when she uses the Heartseeking amulet to deliver as a touch attack.

That said, there is no limit on the number of Dives a character can make, and with Flyby attack Tiffy can repeatedly set herself up to repeat this round after round by flying right through the fray and out the other side, at least 30ft away again.
Note: Unlike Spring Attack, Flyby Attack does not allow you to ignore AoOs, so do try and kill the target(s) you are aiming at.

As for the Leap Attack, while there are no RAW restrictions on jumping while flying, there may be certain sane DMs (Search far and wide!) that will want there to at least be something for you to touch with your feet. This can (and has) been argued that a jump check in the sky is essentially your ability to mid-air roll to add that centifugal force to your blade that the normal 2D jump would provide via gravity. If you have a (sane) DM that argues this, then you can drop Leap Attack and the up to +16 damage. Otherwise, it will be important that your jump check be high, and you can ask for that +10 circumstance Jump bonus due to having wings that only Raptorans seem to actually have written down! (This is not included above, just the +4 due to a 40ft speed)
Attempted round up of everything, in addition to the notations on the sheet and in the write-up above!

(SS) Thick Skinned
(CM) Fey Heritage, Fey Presence, Fey Skin
(CA) Leap Attack
(MM) Flyby Attack
(CPsi) Pacifist, Psicrystal Affinity, Mind Cleave, Mind Empowerment
(XPH) Soulknife, Hidden Talent, Ghost Attack
(ToB) Martial Study, Martial Stance
(SoS) Kalashtar Mindlink
(RoE) Kalashtar, Soulblade Warrior
Soulknife 6 means this is the meat and potatoes of the build, and to be honest, this was more of a personal challenge to make a pure Soulknife shine and keep up with spice alone: The race and feat selection.

The Soulknife's signature ability is the Mindblade, usually lackluster, and falling behind the pace of other readily available mundane weapons. However, a Kalashtar w/ Soulblade Warrior has the opportunity (in E6) to manifest +1 weapons at level 2, and weapons of Epic proportions via a +2 Vicious / Keen / Lucky / Psychokinetic mind blade. Each of these weapons has a CL of 9 or higher, usually far out of the reach for E6, even for Artificers.

As such, Tiffy wields one of the E6 world's deadliest weapons, a +2 Vicious Bastard Sword that she can further charge herself, or feed with the psionic energy of her victims as they fall before her (Mind Cleave + Mind Empowerment). This finally gives the Soulknife a way to shine using their main class feature, and almost everything else in this build was built around that focus.

The Unseelie Fey template dings her painfully in both Str and Con, causing her to have pretty mediocre stats. The trade-off is in the various racial abilities, the main feature being Flight, allowing her to Dive for double damage as a charger build. The Fey type, Darkvision, DR, and Deflection are some delicious Fey flavor, which I just personally love! Faeries forever!


The race for who gets to her first, the Black or the Brass dragon, drastically changes the course of T'Fe's history while still holding true to her core values. Either way, the world will view her as quite the crazy person, somewhat rightfully so as she juggles four psionic souls between two psionic entities on her person at any given time: The good Brass Dragon T'Fe who wants to preserve life, and the evil Black dragon T'Fe who wants to deliver Death. Fun RP potential either way for the conversations she must have with her multiple selves, most likely aloud!

So the question is, which would you prefer in the Person, and which would you prefer in the PsiCrystal?

[Zaq]

Was there a sale at the T-apostrophe store or something?


T’lasofe (The Laughable Soulknife) or has my girlfriend calls him, The Rat *astard


Well, I Had an Image but...
http://tinypic.com/1r55fekjhttp://www.tinypic.com/1r55fekj




T’lasofe never knew who his Father was (actually he wasn’t too sure about his mother either). Small


even for his kind, he was always being picked on and having what few morsels of food he could find taken away from him.


Finally, he started carrying a few pebbles with him to discourage his fellows. He soon learned however that he simply


wasn’t strong enough to throw them very far or very hard. In desperation he found a way to do both. Using scraps of junk


laying around in the sewers he fashioned a crude bow and some arrows. Thus did the Jermlaine invent the Art of Archery.


T’lasofe was amazed at quickly he became very good with his bow and so were his packmates (1). Instead of picking on him,


they began to rely on his skills as both a hunter and defender until one time his efforts in defense of his packmates


failed when a large pack of dire rats entered that section of the sewer. When T’lasofe awoke, dazed and battered to


discover all of his packmates were dead, and that he was in the middle of the corridor did T’lasofe begin to wonder how he


had survived, surely the huge beasts had seen him laying there. No longer able to stay in his home territory, T’lasofe


begin to roam above the sewers in the land of the giants.


In The Lands Above (his people’s name for the streets of Clumpmore), he initially fought for survival, but then realized


an astonishing fact, when he really didn’t need to be seen, he wasn’t (2). He began to get bolder in his actions and


thievery, even beginning to learn the language of the people of Clumpmore. One night, after a successful raid on a


cannery, his luck ran out. A large beasty he had learned to call a cat had chased him, causing him to lose his bow in the


process. Back into a corner, he desperately begin swinging his hands back and forth when suddenly a glowing blade appeared


in his hand. Startled by this new development, the cat slowly backed away, not enough to let him escape, but far enough


to avoid that glowing blade.


Then, to T’lasofe’s utter astonishment, the cat began to both grow and change, becoming less catlike and more like a


Clumpmorean child (of course, those of us in the know realize this must have been a Tibbet). Then even more astonishingly,


the child spoke, “greetings little one, how long have you been able to manifest?”


“M.M.M.Manifest?” squeaked T’lasofe. “What is that?” With a soft chuckle, the miraculously form changing creature said


“you must come to my home little one, I have milk and cheese and fish and a fire to warm ourselves by and I can explain to


you what this power of yours is called and perhaps assist you in becoming stronger.”


And thus was born the friendship between a rat and a cat! Beware traveller, if you are ever in Clumpmore and see a mangy,


greenish rat-like creature riding the shoulder of a vaguely feline looking waif, Guard your possessions! You just might


have something they want!


(1) having of course never heard of psionics, he did not realize that he was manifesting the powers of Metaphysical Weapon


and Prescience, Offensive.
(2) T’lasofe begins showing signs of the Chameleon power.




Male Jermlaine (mm2 p.131and 3.5 update p. 34): Fey; 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; 40ft
Craft (trapmaking) +2, Hide +14, Listen +8, Move Silently +6, Spot +8;
Alertness; LA +0; Wild Empathy (Ex): This power works exactly like the
druid's wild empathy class feature. -8 str, +6 dex, -2 con, -2 int, +6 wis, -6 cha,




32 pt buy: 10 str,14 dex,12 con,12 int,18 wis, 8 cha
Racial: -8 str, +6 dex, -2 con, -2 int, +6 wis, -6 cha
Level 4 adjustment: +1 str (because why not,)
Final: 3 str, 20 dex, 10 con, 10 int, 24 wis, 2 cha






Lvl
Class
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Skills
Feats
Class Features
PP/D
Pwr Knwn
Max Pwr Lvl


1st
Psy War 1
+0
+2
+0
+0
Autohypnosis 4, Concentration 4
1st: Point Blank Shot, (b)Psionic Shot
Bonus Feat
0+3*=3
1
1st


2nd
Psy War 2
+1
+3
+0
+0
Autohypnosis 5, Concentration 5
(b)Precise Shot
Bonus Feat
1+7*=8
2
1st


3rd
Psy War 3
+2
+3
+1
+1
Autohypnosis 6, Concentration 6
3rd: Zen Archery
None
3+10*=13
3
1st


4th
Soulknife 1
+2
+3
+3
+3
Autohypnosis 7, Concentration 7, Hide 1, Move Silenty 1

Mind Blade, Wpn Focus (mind blade) Hidden Talent^
5+10*=2^=17
4
1st


5th
Soulknife 2
+3
+3
+4
+4
Autohypnosis 8, Concentration 8, Hide 2, Move Silenty 2

Throw Mind Blade
5+10*+2^=17
4
1st


6th
Soulbow 1
+3
+3
+6
+6
Autohypnosis 8, Concentration 9, Hide 3, Move Silenty 4
6th Psionic Meditation. (b)Rapid shot
Mind Arrow, Bonus Feat
5+10*+2^=17
4
1st

(*) Bonus points from High Wisdom
(^) Hidden Talent ACF From WoTC Web Link: The Minds Eye: Expanded Classes, Part One
SPECIAL NOTE: 26 extra hit points in the end due to # of Psionic feats and the psionic body feat




1st Linked Power(CPsi 62)
2nd Psionic Body (XPH 49) +10 HP (Psionic Body Feat)
3rd Hidden Talent: (XPH 67) +2 PP (19 PP) 5th Power = Daze, Psionic (XPH 90) +2 HP
4th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (21 PP) 6th Power = Entangling Ectoplasm (XPH 104) +2 HP
5th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (23 PP) 7th Power = Mind Thrust (XPH 120) +2 HP
6th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (25 PP) 8th Power = Skate (XPH 132) +2 HP
7th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (27 PP) 9th Power = Primal Fear (CPsi 95) + 2 HP
8th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (29 PP) 10th Power = Demoralize (XPH 91) +2 HP
9th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (31 PP) 11th Power = Charm, Psionic (XPH 82) +2 HP
10th Hidden Talent: +2 PP (32 PP) 12th Power = Astral Construct (XPH 77) +2 HP




1st Metaphysical Weapon
2nd Prescience, Offensive
3rd Chameleon
4th Psionic Grease
5th Daze, Psionic
6th Entangling Ectoplasm
7th Mind Thrust
8th Skate
9th Primal Fear
10th Demoralize
11th Charm, Psionic
12th Astral Construct




Psychic Warrior Class (XPH 24)
Soulknife Class (XPH 26)
Soulknife Hidden Talent ACF http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a
Soulbow PrC (CPsi 36)
Point Blank Shot feat (PHB 98)
Psionic Shot Feat (XPH 50)
Precise Shot (PHB 98)
Autohypnosis Skill (XPH36)
Psionic Meditation feat (XPH 50)
Rapid shot Feat (PHB 99)
Metaphysical Weapon (XPH 118)
Prescience, Offensive (XPH 125)
Chameleon (XPH 82)



Role in an Adventuring Party


In Combat: Be a Nuisance
Out Of Combat: Be a Nuisance


Rats and Cats Oh My .... ;D

[Zaq]

You want a taste of this?




Wormbane, Jermlaine Soulbow

In many ways, Wormbane was a typical Jermlaine. He was about one foot tall. He constantly reeked of unspeakable filth. And there never arose a situation he couldn't construe as a grievous offense against him, personally.

Wormbane was unusual in one way though. He was very gifted with the crossbow. And he loved killing things. What didn't matter, but it was better if it could scream. I should clarify, the part about enjoying killing and visiting suffering on others isn't a way in which he was unusual. That's pretty much de rigueur[i] as jermlaines go. Being a good shot was the unusual part. But he really [i]really did like killing things. It's important that you know that.

So much did Wormbane love killing things, that, like only a handful of Jemlaines before him, he left the safety of the dank, earthen tunnels that formed his home city, and ventured upward, in search of more targets for his crossbow.

The surface world was indeed plentiful with killable creatures, but there was a price to be pain for this easy access. It was far too bright half the time, for one thing. And sometimes water would fall from the sky! An unwary jermlaine who didn't find shelter in time could wind up essentially bathing, of all the awful fates. Nevertheless, Wormbane stuck it out, and surface dwellers everywhere came to recognize his calling card, a tiny, barbed crossbow bolt in the left testicle.

Middle-Aged Jermlaine Ninja 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1

Jermlaine Racial Traits
Dexterity +6, Wisdom +6, Strength -8, Constitution -2, Intelligence -2, Charisma -6
Tiny: +2 AC, +2 attack, +8 Hide, carrying capacity 1/2 normal
Base Speed: 40 feet
Low-Light Vision
Wild Empathy: As a ???-level Druid
Automatic Languages: Jermlain. Bonus Languages: Common, Dwarf, Gnome, Goblin, Orc
Spell-Like Ability: At will—speak with rats
Favored Class: ???

Starting Ability Scores

BaseRaceAgeScore
Strength12-8-13
Dexterity96-114
Constitution15-2-112
Intelligence11-2110
Wisdom186125
Charisma8-613


Ability Increases
4th: +1 Wisdom

Class Benefits

ClassBase Attack BonusBase Fort SaveBase Ref SaveBase Will SaveSkillsFeatsClass Features
1stNinja0020Disable device +4, hide +14, listen +8, move silently +6, open lock +6, search +4, spot +8Point blank shotAC bonus, ki power, sudden strike +1d6, trapfinding
2ndNinja1030Disable device +5, hide +15, listen +9, move silently +7, open lock +7, search +5, spot +8Ghost step
3rdNinja2131Disable device +6, hide +16, listen +9, move silently +8, open lock +8, search +6, spot +9Zen archerySudden strike +2d6, poison use
4thSoulknife2153Autohypnosis: +12, disable device +6, hide +16, listen +10, move silently +8, open lock +8, search +6, spot +10Mind blade, weapon focus (mind blade), hidden talent (psionic minor creation)
5thSoulknife3164Autohypnosis: +16, disable device +6, hide +16, listen +10, move silently +8, open lock +8, search +6, spot +10Throw mind blade
6thSoulbow3186Autohypnosis: +16, disable device +6, hide +17, listen +11, move silently +9, open lock +8, search +6, spot +11Precise shot, rapid shot (B)Mind arrow, bonus feat


Skill Point Expenditure

1st2nd3rd4th5th6th
Autohypnosis---44-
Disable Device411---
Hide411--1
Listen11---1
Move Silently411--1
Open Lock411---
Search411---
Speak Languagecommon (2 points)*-----
Spot1-1--1
Total2466444


Epic Feats
Craven
Great Fortitude
Improved Toughness
Improved Initiative
Darkstalker
Hidden Talent (dimension hop)
Tactile Trapsmith
Expanded Ki Pool
Sickening Strike
Able Sniper

Wormbane starts with 21 AC at 1st level, which is pretty decent, especially for someone not wearing armor. Unfortunately, his AC doesn't improve much with level. It gets bumped up to 22 at 4th level, when his Wisdom increases, but it otherwise remains unchanged unless modified by magic items or buff spells. If he can mooch a casting of Mage Armor from a party member, he'll still be in a pretty good spot though.

From levels 1 through 5, Wormbane's weapon of choice is a tiny light crossbow. It deals a paltry 1d4 damage, but at least it ignores his -4 Strength modifier. During these levels, his only means of dealing substantial damage is his Sudden Strike ability. Beginning at 2nd level, he can be invisible for 8 rounds per day. Other than that, he'll only really be getting the bonus damage against enemies that haven't acted yet in the current combat. So, maybe 3 uses of Sudden Strike per combat. Not super.

At least Wormbane can find and disable traps. So his mediocre combat abilities aren't the only thing he brings to the table.

Wormbane's attack bonus hits a nice 6-point jump at 4th level, when he can finally take Zen Archery. Friggin' +1 base attack bonus prerequisite.

Beginning at 4th level, Wormbane gains the ability to cast Psionic Minor Creation twice per day. And you know what that means, lots of poison/ Conveniently, he gained the Poison use ability last level. So now he can go into at least two fights per day with a quiver-full of poison bolts. Maybe more, if the encounters are less than an hour apart. Things are starting to look up.

Wormbane finally trancends the use of physical weapons at 6th level. Well, technically, he's been able to shape a Mind Blase since 4th level, but he has no natural reach and a massive Strength penalty, so that wasn't a viable option. But now! He has Mind Arrows that deal 1d4+8 damage! And he can fire two of them each round! At a pretty good attack bonus, since he still gets his +8 Wisdom and +2 size modifier on attack rolls. ... And he no longer takes a penalty for shooting into melee. Hope that hasn't been too big a problem up to now.

So, all-in-all, his gimmick has finally come together. The down side is, he can't apply poison to his Mind Arrows. Maybe some of the other party members would like poisoned weapons? Or use Psionic Minor Creation for something other than poison, maybe.

None of the epic feats are essential, they could easily be switched out without causing significant harm to the build. But the listed feats are all helpful at enhancing his capabilities or covering his weaknesses.

I should probably note, since some people actually do enforce multiclass xp penalties for some unfathomable reason, this build suffers those penalties for one level, 4th.

Able Sniper: Races of the Wild, page 148
Craven: Champions of Ruin, page 17
Darkstalker: Lords of Madness, page 179
Dimension Hop: Complete Psionic, page 83
Expanded Ki Pool: Complete Scoundrel, page 77
Hidden Talent: Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 67
Improved Toughness: Complete Warrior, page 101
Jermlain: Monster Manual II, page 131; Monster Manual II 3.5 update booklet, page 8
Ninja: Complete Adventurer, page 5
Psionic Minor Creation: Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 114
Sickening Strike: Drow of the Underdark, page 54
Soulbow: Complete Psionic, page 36
Soulknife: Expanded Psionics Handbook, page 26; Mind's Eye Expanded Classes I (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a)
Tactile Trapsmith: Complete Adventurer, page 112
Zen Archery: Complete Warrior, page 106

[Zaq]

And there you have it! Eleven Soulknives for your judging pleasure!

I've got, like, 1/3 of the table done, but the rest is going to wait until I get some dinner. If anyone feels like making a table before then, I won't stop you.

[daremetoidareyo]

Interesting manifester level work-arounds

[RaiKirah]

Really great stuff!! That's a whole lot of Hidden Talent on display there :P

I'm going to have to put in an immediate HM vote for Bzzsherrrp, because I spent the entire time I was reading it laughing. Well done!!

[DeTess]

Heh, interesting stuff. I'm surprised to see no one try early entry into soulbow to get that sweet adjustable bane effect.

Then again, that was the build I gave up on, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

[thorr-kan]

Wow. That's...a lot of work by the contestants. I'm gonna be awhile judging these. This bodes well.


This is probably the best-presented image I've seen in this competition.
On the other hand, I'm DQing this one (no, I'm not) because it's a terrible, terrible joke (it's *HILARIOUS*). The contestant can go their room; they know what they've done (and it's still *HILARIOUS*).

For contrast, I will mention that I *finally* found the perfect image for my submission. And I can't use, because, judge. ETA: And I find that hilarious, too; just so everybody's clear on my low, low threshold for low, low humor.

[Falontani]

More impressive than the amount of entries, the weird names! My goodness.

[daremetoidareyo]

More impressive than the amount of entries, the weird names! My goodness.

The only thing worth optimizing. Everyone knows that the vowel to consonant ratio needs to be really low in order to get the stumbling over name bonus to attacks and relevance.

[Ripptor]

Interesting manifester level work-arounds

I like the first one, which decides that a hidden talent Soulknife just has full manifester levels! I like that solution, it would have made things easier if I thought that way...


More impressive than the amount of entries, the weird names! My goodness.

Roll three sets of 26d26, and drop consonants until you have three names to choose from, and pick your favorite! That's how I roll :smallwink: bdumtiss

[RaiKirah]

While i was brainstorming for builds I realized that the Soulknife should actually pair nicely with Drunken Master. If you manifest a two-handed Mind Blade (bastard sword, dwarven urgrosh, etc.) while Large through Expansion and then go back to Medium the Mind Blade should stay Large (since it was created at that size, not enlarged through the power), at which point it becomes too large to wield save as an improvised weapon. Since a Soulknife is explicitly proficient with its Mind Blade you're still proficient with it as an improvised weapon. Ta-da! I needed this to be an E7 competition to fit it in though.

Did anyone else find something to like in the Soulknife that didn't make it into a build?

[lylsyly]

A lot of the feats I would have like to add required far more bab than an e6 build gets.

[Ripptor]

Did anyone else find something to like in the Soulknife that didn't make it into a build?

One of the things I liked in the Soulknife was the free-action draw ability, to pair with Iajutsu Focus, but taking 5/6 levels to get there meant losing out on the best/reliable ways to force an opponent to be flatfooted that I had, so no dice (literally). And with so few skill points to go around, it would have hurt to max a cross-class skill like that.

It would have also meant not taking advantage of the Shape Mindblade ability you get that same level, which is counter-productive. The whole class is frustrating like that :smalltongue:

I did like how a straight Soulknife (in E6) could manifest weapons that aren't even possible to make, otherwise. Thats more a function of E6 than the class itself, but... I like it regardless :smallsmile:

[Zaq]

While i was brainstorming for builds I realized that the Soulknife should actually pair nicely with Drunken Master. If you manifest a two-handed Mind Blade (bastard sword, dwarven urgrosh, etc.) while Large through Expansion and then go back to Medium the Mind Blade should stay Large (since it was created at that size, not enlarged through the power), at which point it becomes too large to wield save as an improvised weapon. Since a Soulknife is explicitly proficient with its Mind Blade you're still proficient with it as an improvised weapon. Ta-da! I needed this to be an E7 competition to fit it in though.

Did anyone else find something to like in the Soulknife that didn't make it into a build?

That’s actually fairly hilarious. Very clever!

I was kind of hoping that someone would try to find a way to use someone else’s mind blade. I never knew that I wanted such a thing to happen before I read the “proficient with their own mind blades” line. Doesn’t that just seem like a challenge to anyone else? Granted, I have no idea how one would go about accomplishing such a thing (especially without Leadership or another way of guaranteeing access to a fellow SK), so I can’t say I’m surprised or anything, but still.

[DeTess]

A lot of the feats I would have like to add required far more bab than an e6 build gets.

Yeah, that's another thing I ran into with my failed soulbow build. I find this very odd as well, as Soulknife (and soulbow) is a class whose main class feature is 'has weapon' but then he doesn't get full BaB. What where those designers thinking?

[Pleh]

Yeah, that's another thing I ran into with my failed soulbow build. I find this very odd as well, as Soulknife (and soulbow) is a class whose main class feature is 'has weapon' but then he doesn't get full BaB. What where those designers thinking?

"He's psionic. Why does he need BAB?"

[tricktroller]

Did these get judged? I can't the judgments anywhere.

[lylsyly]

Did these get judged? I can't the judgments anywhere.

It can take quite some time what with Real Life always getting in the way.

Bad Real Life! Bad! *spank spank*

[Zaq]

Yeah, the waiting is the hardest part*. Just gotta be patient. Good judgments take time, and we had no shortage of entries.

*Well, that and building the friggin’ skill table. But that’s way easier in E6, at least.

[daremetoidareyo]

I found the soulknife kind of fun to build around. There only seems to be a handful of ways to optimize the class, and they all require extensive feat trees, but you don't get any of the appropriate feats for free with the class. You can do hidden talent-o-mancy, psionic feats, psicrystal hijinx and weapon feat optimization, mind blade optimization has some terrible feat taxes and racial requirements, and action point optimization really hurts. You don't have the feat space to get all of them or even two of them, and you need to optimize along those lines in order to keep up with a bog standard ranger or scout. The psychic warrior outshines this class in seemingly every way, with both manifesting and feat support.

What's yall's analysis?

[RaiKirah]

3/4 BAB along witg Free Draw and Shape Mind Blade being at level 5 really limited the options of this class. There were quite a few feat options I couldn't get to based on BAB, and only having one level to play with if you want anything other than a shortsword was difficult.

[lylsyly]

I found the soulknife kind of fun to build around. There only seems to be a handful of ways to optimize the class, and they all require extensive feat trees, but you don't get any of the appropriate feats for free with the class. You can do hidden talent-o-mancy, psionic feats, psicrystal hijinx and weapon feat optimization, mind blade optimization has some terrible feat taxes and racial requirements, and action point optimization really hurts. You don't have the feat space to get all of them or even two of them, and you need to optimize along those lines in order to keep up with a bog standard ranger or scout. The psychic warrior outshines this class in seemingly every way, with both manifesting and feat support.

What's yall's analysis?

That it is just another fine example of WoTC's outstanding design.

[jdizzlean]

3/4 BAB along witg Free Draw and Shape Mind Blade being at level 5 really limited the options of this class. There were quite a few feat options I couldn't get to based on BAB, and only having one level to play with if you want anything other than a shortsword was difficult.

yea, making it a move action to remanifest the mind blade after you throw it for so long was also a stupid idea. and since you aren't drawing the weapon, none of the things like quick draw would allow you to manifest it any faster action wise. i did find one verrrrrrry interesting tidbit about this round that i will post after judgement is posted as i find it *HILLARIOUS*

[RaiKirah]

i did find one verrrrrrry interesting tidbit about this round that i will post after judgement is posted as i find it *HILLARIOUS*

Well color me curious...is it something about the class or the builds?

[jdizzlean]

Well color me curious...is it something about the class or the builds?

i can't narrow it down for you w/o also giving it up. you'll just have to be patient.

as a note to self, the information is in the VC round options document (since that's what was open..)

[RaiKirah]

you'll just have to be patient.

Crud. grumblegrumblegrumble.

[jdizzlean]

Here you are sir



Build
Chef
Judgment
Place


Bzzsherrrp (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=73) NG Human Soulknife 5/Fighter 1

???




Chozin-Wan Sandhater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300910&postcount=74) ?? Azurin Soulknife 5/Swordsage 1

???




D'dee Homaggio (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300912&postcount=75) CE Silverbrow Human Rogue 1/Soulknife 2/Arcane Hunter 2/Soulbow 1

???




Julia (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300913&postcount=76) CG Human Soulknife 5/Wilder 1

???




Olloh, Mind-Tipper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300914&postcount=77) CG Human Soulknife 5/Warblade 1

???




Psir Perpsival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300915&postcount=78) ?? Elf Soulknife 5/Illumine Soul 1

???




Sorashana (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300920&postcount=79) LG Kalashtar Soulknife 6

???




T'Fimebjeil - Alpha (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300922&postcount=80) CG Feytouched Soulknife 3/Fighter 1/Crusader 1/Illumine Soul 1

???




T'Fimebjeil - Bravo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300925&postcount=81) CE Unseelie Fey Kalashtar Soulknife 6

???




T'lasofe (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300926&postcount=82) ?? Jermlaine Fey Psychic Warrior 3/Soulknife 2/Soulbow 1

???




'Laine Bow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300929&postcount=83) ?? Jermlaine Ninja 3/Soulknife 2/Soulbow 1

???

[Darrin]

Almost everyone used the Hidden Talent ACF... I'm tempted to backport the other builds that didn't so that all the builds are more "consistent".

I had two Soulknife builds that I submitted as part of LordOfCain's Rubbish Arena Challenge II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?499010-Rubbish-Arena-Challenge-II-D-amp-D-3-5). The first was a straight-up water orc beatstick:

Race: Water Orc
Ability Scores: Str 22, Con 14
Stub: Soulknife 5/Fighter 1
Feats: Power Attack (1st), Hidden Talent: Expansion (1st, via ACF), Weapon Focus: Mindblade (1st), Shape Soulmeld: Thunderstep Boots (Flaw), Animal Devotion (Flaw), Cobalt Charge (3rd), Leap Attack (6th), Headlong Rush (6th)

Average damage was around 84 per hit, and adding some epic feats could certainly improve that, but the more I thought about it, the more it felt like, "This build would work a lot better if I took out the Soulknife stuff" (which, admittedly, is applicable to *every* Soulknife build).

The second was basically daremetoidareyo's Scruffy the Fuglimancer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=19553550&postcount=248) trick redone as a Soulknife.

Race: Silverbrow Human
Ability Scores: Str 18, Dex 15, Cha 11
Stub: Sneak Attack Fighter 1/Soulknife 5
Feats: Dragonfire Strike (1st), Craven (1st), Martial Study: Distracting Ember (Flaw), TWF (Flaw), Hidden Talent: Bite of the Wolf (2nd), Weapon Focus: Mindblade (2nd), Maiming Strike (3rd), Martial Study: Cloak of Deception (6th)

It deals 7 Charisma damage on a sneak attack, which is usually enough to drop most enemies after two hits. However, it felt a little too much like a retread.

There was actually a third build I was working on for RACII, which started out as Soulknife 5/Warlock 1, but after I fell down a deep "Hive Mind" hole that became my Black Sparrow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21197986&postcount=91) build for Iron Chef LXXX: Master of Many Forms. That build is sorta my high-water-mark for Tier Zero ruleswankery. (Even so, I was pretty stoked to find that you can pull off the Hive Mind trick in E6, although you would want to use Bard 5/Warlock 1 instead of Soulknife.)

Looks like a great batch of builds, though. At this time, I don't think I have the time to judge.

[DeTess]

Almost everyone used the Hidden Talent ACF... I'm tempted to backport the other builds that didn't so that all the builds are more "consistent".


It's a straight-up no drawback increase to power. I'd have been surprised if someone hadn't used it (though one build was forced to skip it because of a replacement level).

[Ripptor]

I found the soulknife kind of fun to build around. There only seems to be a handful of ways to optimize the class, and they all require extensive feat trees, but you don't get any of the appropriate feats for free with the class. You can do hidden talent-o-mancy, psionic feats, psicrystal hijinx and weapon feat optimization, mind blade optimization has some terrible feat taxes and racial requirements, and action point optimization really hurts. You don't have the feat space to get all of them or even two of them, and you need to optimize along those lines in order to keep up with a bog standard ranger or scout. The psychic warrior outshines this class in seemingly every way, with both manifesting and feat support.

What's yall's analysis?

In E6, taking even a single level in this class loses you all access to basic iterative attacks. Furthermore, without UA's partial BAB/Saves, there is a heavy penalty to dip, or even prestige, into any class without full BAB, losing you a full point per dip.. A Soulknife 5 / Soulbow 1 only ends up with a full-caster's +3 BAB, and a Soulknife 2 / Rogue 1 / Factotum 1 / Swordsage 1 / Soulbow 1 ends up with only +1 BAB.

For Melee, that means making the most of a move+standard action, or full-round charging. The issue with Charging is trying to repeat that trick (you need to keep distance), and the issue with maneuvers are the lost Initiator levels capping you at level 2. While you can get three maneuvers via feats, you lose a recovery method unless you dip martial, making them one-off tricks, so there's a heavy pressure to dip martial, if not just switch and do that instead. We do see a lot of martial dipping above for this reason, as the class loses nothing by focusing on single attacks this way. There is also an Ubercharger build that found a way to repeat charges via flight, so that's been covered as well.

For Psionic builds, spamming Hidden Talent via the Mind's Eye ACF gives lots of PP and powers known, as long as you stick to level 1 powers. This is achieved with only a single level of Soulknife, and is probably best optimized by simply going for true psionic levels for the other 5 (gaining level 3 powers and full ML) and using E6 to take advantage of the feat spamming.

For Ranged... Well, I'm actually still looking into that. I've taken on a Judge's challenge and am still trying to iron out the details, but I should probably not post that until after judging is over? I don't want to pollute anything :smallsmile:

[daremetoidareyo]

As to a potential future round where you pitch another good ingredient to the board, I would like to humbly suggest Artificer.

[DeTess]

As to a potential future round where you pitch another good ingredient to the board, I would like to humbly suggest Artificer.

I think the tricky thing with artificer is that the amount of wealth you've got suddenly matters a lot to the build. I don't disapprove of the idea, but I would suggest the chair would then, for that round only, explicitly give everyone a certain amount of GP they can use in crafting.

[Zaq]

Any news, thorr-kan (or any other judges)? Judging takes time and that’s cool, but I want to make sure that we do still have a judge.

[thorr-kan]

Any news, thorr-kan (or any other judges)? Judging takes time and that’s cool, but I want to make sure that we do still have a judge.
Live is biting hard, but I'm still plugging away at this. I *will* have it done before month end. It's harder for me than I thought it would be.

[tterreb]

I finally found some inspiration! A full two weeks after the deadline though. Probably wouldn't have worked anyways as the whole build would have hinged on convincing the judge that an obscure reference in one of the books to a dragon magazine made it an official source...

[DeTess]

I finally found some inspiration! A full two weeks after the deadline though. Probably wouldn't have worked anyways as the whole build would have hinged on convincing the judge that an obscure reference in one of the books to a dragon magazine made it an official source...

Don't leave us hanging like that! Tell us what you'd found!

[tterreb]

Don't leave us hanging like that! Tell us what you'd found!
Secrets of Xen'drik 52 "The abilities and culture of the Umbragen are described in issue 330 of Dragon magazine."

This leads to the umbragen racial stats and the shadow soulknife that gives you a mindbow. I'd have to go half-drow to avoid the LA, and making a decent build would still be challenging, but at least it's interesting enough to motivate me to try.

[daremetoidareyo]

Secrets of Xen'drik 52 "The abilities and culture of the Umbragen are described in issue 330 of Dragon magazine."

This leads to the umbragen racial stats and the shadow soulknife that gives you a mindbow. I'd have to go half-drow to avoid the LA, and making a decent build would still be challenging, but at least it's interesting enough to motivate me to try.

That's a cool find!

[DeTess]

Secrets of Xen'drik 52 "The abilities and culture of the Umbragen are described in issue 330 of Dragon magazine."

This leads to the umbragen racial stats and the shadow soulknife that gives you a mindbow. I'd have to go half-drow to avoid the LA, and making a decent build would still be challenging, but at least it's interesting enough to motivate me to try.

Nice find! I'd probably have given you a pass on that loop-hole if I had been judging. It might be interesting if the chair is willing to make some kind of statement regarding this particular style of loop-hole, because I doubt its the only one of its kind.

[lylsyly]

Secrets of Xen'drik 52 "The abilities and culture of the Umbragen are described in issue 330 of Dragon magazine."

This leads to the umbragen racial stats and the shadow soulknife that gives you a mindbow. I'd have to go half-drow to avoid the LA, and making a decent build would still be challenging, but at least it's interesting enough to motivate me to try.

Would be interesting to watch the debate on whether the line makes that little bit of drag mag "official" or not. I would start a thread myself but my keyboard is broke and this on screen kb clicking blows chunks.

[daremetoidareyo]

It's a strange conundrum. It's referred to in an official source but allowing it causes all sorts of issues like do you allow the substitution levels? Do you allow the Feats?

And let's suppose that it is allowed, do the judges then have to look up obscure Dragon magazine articles? Most of which are locked away in PDFs that you cannot control F to find the bits faster for. On the other hand, the number of sources allowed in all of these contests would go up in there by increase diversity of entrants.

[lylsyly]

I wasn't really thinking of the e6 comp. just whether it should in fact be "official."

[tterreb]

It only specifically mentions the racial and cultural description, so you could argue only the racial abilities are allowed.

[tricktroller]

Did this ever get a final judgement?

[tterreb]

It hasn't yet.

[Zaq]

Patience, grasshopper. It hasn't even been 3 weeks yet. Judging 11 builds in 3 weeks takes a lot of work. I should know, because I just did exactly that (okay, technically I had 12) for the Hordestealer round of the main competition, and to be honest, I kind of regretted pushing so hard to finish in so short a span of time. Burned me out a little bit. thorr-kan is working hard for us all, I'm sure.

[Falontani]

I think they were talking about tterreb's dilemma of official content calling out Dragon mag as a source

[Ripptor]

I'm happy to wait for a good judgement, especially if we only get one judge this time around!

Though, I did spend the extra time making another submission based off of Randuir's challenge... Are you a judge or contestant @Randuir? I might be confused :smallsmile:

[Zaq]

Ah, I misunderstood. I've been a little crazy with schoolwork this past couple of weeks and should even be working on it right now, so I kind of glossed over the umbragen discussion. (Apparently grad school is hard and involves a ton of work! Who knew, right?)

Personally, while I'm willing to listen to potential counterarguments, I don't see how something merely being mentioned (but not detailed/statted) in an allowed source suddenly turns a separate non-allowed source into an allowed source. Any actual material in an allowed source (so if a given feat or whatever is actually reprinted in an allowed source) should be fine, but unless the race in question and their supporting material actually shows up in the non-Dragon source, I don't think that we get to crack open Dragon for the competition. Barring a really convincing argument otherwise, my current stance is that you're fine to use (for example) Secrets of Xen'drik in your build, but that doesn't mean you get to bring in D330 at the same time.

[tterreb]

Ah, I misunderstood. I've been a little crazy with schoolwork this past couple of weeks and should even be working on it right now, so I kind of glossed over the umbragen discussion. (Apparently grad school is hard and involves a ton of work! Who knew, right?)

Personally, while I'm willing to listen to potential counterarguments, I don't see how something merely being mentioned (but not detailed/statted) in an allowed source suddenly turns a separate non-allowed source into an allowed source. Any actual material in an allowed source (so if a given feat or whatever is actually reprinted in an allowed source) should be fine, but unless the race in question and their supporting material actually shows up in the non-Dragon source, I don't think that we get to crack open Dragon for the competition. Barring a really convincing argument otherwise, my current stance is that you're fine to use (for example) Secrets of Xen'drik in your build, but that doesn't mean you get to bring in D330 at the same time.

My argument for it would be that they were both written by Keith Baker and he didn't want to spend 4 precious pages for something that was already in print, so he just referenced it instead.

[Falontani]

My argument for it would be that they were both written by Keith Baker and he didn't want to spend 4 precious pages for something that was already in print, so he just referenced it instead.

Keith is the creator of Eberron, and from what I can see, he did a fantastic job with it; so I know in my personal games most things that he writes in an "official" capacity will definitely fly at my table, but that is neither here nor there. For competition material... that is a tough one. I personally would say no specifically so that judges (and anyone else that puruses these for inspiration) doesn't have to attempt to get their hands on the magazine. That said if Keith were to post the content on his own site I'd be much more convinced to allow it, even though it wasn't on an official wizards site. I guess that is just me.

[DeTess]

Though, I did spend the extra time making another submission based off of Randuir's challenge... Are you a judge or contestant @Randuir? I might be confused :smallsmile:

My challenge? I'm a contestant this time around.

[Ripptor]

Heh, interesting stuff. I'm surprised to see no one try early entry into soulbow to get that sweet adjustable bane effect.

Then again, that was the build I gave up on, so maybe I shouldn't be surprised.

I thought you had given up and judged, my mistake... I guess I just took this as a personal challenge, then! :smallsmile:

Anyway, I spent the last two weeks building a Bane-bow to share with you :smallbiggrin: Well, that and breeding rats...

[DeTess]

Zaq, I assume I'd be allowed to post a judging if I retracted my entry? I think I'm going to start working on judging for this round, but if someone that wouldn't have to take their horse out of the race could get theirs done first, I'd appreciate it :smalltongue: .

Edit: welp, I figured out why people would need some time to judge this one. That first build includes some impressive/elegant/beautiful./hellish/monstrous RAWyery.

[jdizzlean]

Zaq, I assume I'd be allowed to post a judging if I retracted my entry? I think I'm going to start working on judging for this round, but if someone that wouldn't have to take their horse out of the race could get theirs done first, I'd appreciate it :smalltongue: .

Edit: welp, I figured out why people would need some time to judge this one. That first build includes some impressive/elegant/beautiful./hellish/monstrous RAWyery.

i think everyone is well aware of the near physical pain i suffer from the agony of waiting, and I would welcome a judgement in this round.

that said, hopefully t-kan will get his done and posted before you so that you don't have to withdraw whichever of these builds is yours.

i mentioned it earlier, but i'm in for judging the next round whatever it may be. I'd encourage folks to do the same a round ahead of time in all the various build comps on this board so we can keep them moving on a somewhat normal schedule. makes for more overall chances for everyone to build if we aren't waiting a month or more for a single judge to be found.

right now:

e6 is 3 weeks from reveal right now
IC is at just over 2 weeks from reveal
VC is just over 2 weeks from reveal
JYW was at nearly 6 weeks after reveal (for only 5 builds!) before judging was posted, and is just waiting on the chair for a final reveal now.


all told, that's really not horrible at all (other than JYW), but most of them have yet to have judging posted, which means still a further 2-3 weeks at least most likely.

sometimes judging sucks, but so does building sometimes, if everyone would just take a turn, then everyone would have more opportunities for building :)_

[jdizzlean]

Secrets of Xen'drik 52 "The abilities and culture of the Umbragen are described in issue 330 of Dragon magazine."

This leads to the umbragen racial stats and the shadow soulknife that gives you a mindbow. I'd have to go half-drow to avoid the LA, and making a decent build would still be challenging, but at least it's interesting enough to motivate me to try.

i finally got around to reading that, shadow bow is neat, but all the things from soulknife don't apply to it until 9th level, and then you have to lose a damage die to allow psychic strike. it seems like it's just more crap piled on a crap class!

would've been a great entry for sure if you could make it actually do anything :)

[tterreb]

i finally got around to reading that, shadow bow is neat, but all the things from soulknife don't apply to it until 9th level, and then you have to lose a damage die to allow psychic strike. it seems like it's just more crap piled on a crap class!

would've been a great entry for sure if you could make it actually do anything :)

That would have been the challenge.

[Ripptor]

If we are still trying with suggestions for next round, I would put forth the Walker in the Waste prestige class from Sandstorm!

It's an early-entry prestige class you can take three levels in for E6, and without the Dry Lich capstone it's mostly a jumble of unique features: A touch attack, a disease, and an aura of heat.

I honestly don't know how I would optimize any of those three things, and would be curious as to what everyone else can find! :smallbiggrin:

[Zaq]

Zaq, I assume I'd be allowed to post a judging if I retracted my entry? I think I'm going to start working on judging for this round, but if someone that wouldn't have to take their horse out of the race could get theirs done first, I'd appreciate it :smalltongue: .

Edit: welp, I figured out why people would need some time to judge this one. That first build includes some impressive/elegant/beautiful./hellish/monstrous RAWyery.

I can't help but laugh at the edit. I have so been there. So been there.

Tell ya what: if you still feel like judging, I certainly won't stop you. We almost always need judges, after all. I'll say that you're still in the race until you actually drop a judgment on us, at which point we'll obviously identify your build(s) and set what you submitted clearly over to the side in some kind of metaphorical exhibition room. But that way you'll still be in the running if someone else finishes judging before you do.

Please note that I don't want this to automatically become a universal precedent. I can see it getting really weird if everyone started occupying a superposition of entrant and judge all at once (especially with regards to Originality), so at least while I'm Chair, please always clear it with me first if you've already submitted a posted build and you decide to step up as a judge instead. If it's been a few weeks past the reveal and things are dragging, I'll almost always give it the thumbs-up, but please don't just assume that it'll work out this way.

thorr-kan, any word from the front lines? As always, I know better than anyone that judging takes time, good judging takes more time, and doing good judging on a kajillion builds takes a truly scary amount of time (friggin' Hoardstealer, man!), so please don't take this as a form of pressure. That said, updates are always appreciated.

Ripptor: That's a clever idea for a weird round, but there's really only like two ways to enter WitW in E6 (especially if you want more than one level of the SI, which seems kind of important), so I don't think there'd be enough variety to support an interesting array of dishes.

I'm pretty sure I've got the next round's ingredient nailed down anyway. I just need a way to minimize the rules disputes I can foresee it generating (so I very well may need to step in with an official ruling or two). That's your only hint.

[WhamBamSam]

Ripptor: That's a clever idea for a weird round, but there's really only like two ways to enter WitW in E6 (especially if you want more than one level of the SI, which seems kind of important), so I don't think there'd be enough variety to support an interesting array of dishes. We could do a more generalized "Early PrC Entry" round like with Racial Paragon Classes.

[Zaq]

Stop looking at my notes, Sam.

[daremetoidareyo]

I have two future round suggestions, but only use them when you're feeling less inspired than usual:
1. the sohei from OA.
2. The artificer

[lylsyly]

I have two future round suggestions, but only use them when you're feeling less inspired than usual:
1. the sohei from OA.
2. The artificer

How about Commoner!

[RaiKirah]

How about Commoner!

I would honestly love that!

[Zaq]

. . . Stop sharing my notes with dare, Sam.

(Sohei’s possibly coming eventually. It was originally slated earlier as an extra-hard round, but considering how hard it was to get Hexblade entries, doing a class that’s kind of a crappier Hexblade with zero support and not even full BAB might result in insufficient entries to fill up the podium, let alone HM. That said, if there’s interest in it, we might be able to arrange it showing up!)

[daremetoidareyo]

I would honestly love that!

You may have gotten exactly what you wanted, or you may have gotten something way worse

Game Warper's Optimization Challenge: E6 flawed Commoner (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?568952-Game-Warper-s-Optimization-Challenge-1-E6-Flawed-Commoner)

[DeTess]

Hey guys, just a quick update. I'm still working on the judging, and expect to be done on Monday or Tuesday.

Also, a public service announcement: Check your @!#$ing prerequisites!

have a nice day. :P

[Zaq]

Oh man, do I ever feel you on those prereqs. Like, do I ever. I don't think I've ever judged a round where I didn't have to ding someone for messing up their prereqs. (And usually for taking a bonus feat that isn't on the list of bonus feats for a given source, usually the Fighter list. But that's slightly different.)

Any word, thorr-kan?

[DeTess]

Alright, judgings coming right up. Before I get to that, I've got a short introduction. If you just want to read about your score, you can skip the explanation of how I reach scores, but the bit about soulknifes and manifester levels is relevant for almost every build and I'd like you to read it first, because I will be referring back to it.

Soulknifes and manifester level
As exemplified by my own build, I did not actually think Soulknifes had an inherent manifester level. Bzzsherrrp made a pretty good argument in the RAWyery section of his post for why Soulknifes do have a manifester level however, and every counter arguments I came up with was not actually supported by RAW. So for this specific installment of this competition I'll be ruling that soulknifes do indeed have a manifester level equal to their levels in soulknife. I'll evaluate every build as if they had the relevant manifester level, but will not penalize for power loss if someone used another method to pump manifester level, assuming of course that that alternative method is legal.


Every category starts at 3/5 points, and you get penalized or rewarded as appropriate.

Originality
This is probably the most subjective of the categories. You get bonus points for an interesting/funny background, nice build aesthetics and unexpected but working build decisions (5 levels in commoner are definitely original, but won't get you a bonus to originality if it doesn't do anything for your build).

You get penalized if you follow a well-known existing build-archetype (such as building an ubercharger using the usual suspects of ubercharger feats) or if your build includes a very obvious for-power dip that doesn't really do many interesting or unique things for your build (in this case, dipping a martial intiator class would most likely count as such).

Power
I look at in-combat ability and out-of-combat ability separately, and weigh the one that's more part of the class's 'thing' more heavily. In this case, for example, in-combat power weighs more heavily than out-of-combat power. I take what I perceive as the baseline power for the class as 3/5, and adjust upwards or downwards based on that. It's not rocket science.

I wish it was rocket science though, as I'd say I'm better at that than at eye-balling power-levels. If you've got a dispute for this category, the easiest way to get it resolved in your favor is to show that you're equal to or better than a build with a higher score on (almost) very count, but a clear explanation of exactly what you character's stats are and what you can do in a typical combat round (if not included in your built) will help too.

Elegance
This is where I penalize build mistakes. The first mistake is usually* 0.5 points, most mistakes after that will cost you a full point. Likewise, particularly convoluted RAWyery is likely to be punished here. IE, if the thing you do works, but only because your character jumped two points on the alignment scale during every level and only because several levels where taken while your character was under a spell with a rounds/level duration, expect an elegance ding.

On the other hand, particularly elegant interpretations and moves will get a bonus here, but I don't often end up giving bonuses here.

*I might penalize a mistake more heavily if it forms the mechanical cornerstone of a build. If the entire concept of a build is based on what I think is a misconception, I either have to punish you twice, by dinging your elegance and treating your power as if you can't do the thing you build around, or ding your elegance heavily, but then rate your power as you describe it. As punishing twice for the same mistake isn't allowed, I take the second option.

Use of SI
For this category, the first thing I look at is the amount of levels actually taken int he SI. For this round, I also include levels in soulknife PRC's, being the Soulbow and the illumine soul, in this count. The way the rest of your levels and feats interact with the ingredient is considered afterwards, but the amount of levels taken in the SI sets the base. Generally speaking, 3/6 levels will set 2.5/5 as the base score, 4/6 will set 3.5, 5/6 will set 4 and 6/6 will set the base as 4.5/5.



Originality
This build involves an impressive amount of creative RAWyery (a bit more about that in elegance), and the concept as a whole is pretty nice and unique too.

4.5/5

Power
You do a decent amount of damge in combat, and your defences are respectable, though neither stand out in particular. You've got a wide selection of kills, but most of those are related to crafting. provided the adventure has some downtime, you could create quite a few utility alchemcial items and the like, but if the adventure doesn't have this time, it's less useful to you, though you still get mileage out of it with psionic minor creation.

3.5/5

Elegance
Your Alchemy blade trick is interesting, but unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t actually work. The text you highlighted shows that you can treat the alchemy blade as shortsword for all feats and abilities related to using a shortsword. However, you need something that allows you to treat a shortsword like an alchemy blade for it to work with the mindblade. I’m open to hearing a further elaboration regarding why you think this would work, though.

Your reasoning for why soulknifes have manifester levels is impressive, and as you might have read in the introduction, I’ve decided to use that interpretation for the judging of this round. The explanation gives you a small elegance bonus.

3.5/5

Use of SI
5/6 levels in soulknife. Your focus on the alchemical blade isn't really something the soulknife does better than a dude with an actual alchemy blade, but neither does the soulknife do worse, so no further bonuses or penalties.

4/5



Originality
It took me way too long to realize your backstory was a star wars parody. The rest of the build lives up to the idea. Swordsage is a very obvious dip for power, even if it does fit your theme.

3.5/5

Power
You’ve got a lot of mobility, which is very useful both in and out of combat. Your AC is very low and your damage output not especially high though, and your build is generally suffering from a pretty bad case of MAD.

2.5/5

Elegance
You’ve got a spare skillpoint at every level. Soulknife is a 4+int class, and you start with a positive int modifier (not penalized).

3/5

Use of SI
5/6 levels in soulknife.

4.5/5



Originality
It’s an interesting direction to take the Soulknife in, and the background is an interesting thing, though I feel like its also a reference going over my head.

4/5

Power
If you did the massive amounts of CHA damage you listed, you'd be able to one-shot a lot of opponents. For the power section I'll assume you do, but I'll talk about this more in the elegance section. AFAIK there are no creatures without a CHA score, but you won't be able to employ this trick against targets immune to sneak attack unless you crit.

You've got fairly little out-of-combat utility to back-up the quick death you cand eal in-combat.

4.5/5

Elegance
Bowslinger isn’t on the basic list of soulbow bonus feats, but fits neatly in the suggestions for expanding the list, so no penalty.

Though it's an interesting argument, I'm really not seeing why Craven would add CHA damage to your sneak attacks instead of normal damage, and the same goes for indigo strike. If either of these somehow multiplied your sneak attack damage, it'd be another thing, but both are stated to just add hp damage. By the same logic, you wouldn't be doing any CHA damage at all, but fire damage because you're using dragonfire strike.

1.5/5

Use of SI
2 levels in soulknife, and 1 in soulbow. The levels in ranger help with setting up the archery fighting style and add some mechanical punch to the mage-slayer flavour.

2.5/5



Originality
*reads backstory*
Okay…?
*reads mind cleave feature*
*starts giggling like an idiot*

Warblade, like swordsage, is a fairly obvious dip for extra power though.

4/5

Power
You hit fairly hard, and against opponents you can trip you hit often. Your tripping brings a modicum of battlefield control as well. You're not particularly tough however. Your skills also bring some basic out-of-combat utility in the perception department.

4/5

Elegance
You take improved trip without taking combat expertise, which is a pre-requisite.

Your host feat also isn’t a manifesting class, even if it does give you a manifester level, so you wouldn’t qualify for practiced manifester.

That having been said, the way you’re using the wording for mind cleave is very interesting, and nowhere near a stretch, so this gives you a small bonus to elegance.

3/5

Use of SI
5 levels in soulknife, rest of the build based around making the actual soulknife work, as opposed to making a martial work.

4.5/5



Originality
Nothing really stands out in this regard.

3/5

Power
The build as described hits very hard and is tough. You can provide some basic out-of-combat utility wiht your knowledge skills, but that's it.

4.5/5

Elegance
Skill knowledge is a feat for the alternative skill system in Unearthed Arcana, which is not an allowed resource in this competition.

Actually seeing all your skills and the ranks in them would be very helpful. As it is, you either don’t meet the requirements for illumine soul (as you don’t have knowledge(psionics)), or you’ve spent one more skill point per level than you have access to, as psicraft and knowledge(religion) are both cross-class skills.

You do not meet the prerequisites (knowing 1 diamond mind maneuver) for the Emerald Razor strike. The same goes for Battle leader’s charge.

Being turned into a Necropolitan does not involve a necromancy spell, so you do not get any of the benefits from being raised by a wizard with the corpsecrafter line of feats.

1/5

Use of SI
5 levels in soulknife, and 1 in a soulknife prestige class.

4.5/5




Originality
You used an interesting trick to get summonable armor to go with your summonable sword. I don’t think I’ve seen binding used much in competitions like this, but it’s a good fit here (except where noted in elegance).

4/5

Power
You’re extremely tough, but lack ways to force the opponents to contend with you. You've got a set of skills that'll be of use in most out-of-combat situations.

3.5/5

Elegance
You have taken Exalted feats, and bind a vestige that is very much non-good, that requires you to commit a non-good act and show no remorse for it to bind him. The key-word here being ‘non-good’, not ‘evil’, so you can probably get away with this with most DM’s.

However, vow of poverty expressly forbids both owning and using magic items, and the plate you get from Savnok very much is an item. Vow of poverty even calls out that you cannot borrow items from your friends, no matter how readily they’d give them to you.

2/5

Use of SI

6 levels in soulknife, and the build is made around the them of summoning all the stuff you need from thin air, which at the end of the day is soulknife’s class feature.

5/5




Originality
Interesting backstory that fits all bits of your build together nicely, including the crusader dip bringing in the 'Paladin' flavor. That same dip is also a fairly obvious route toe 'more power for a 1-level investment'.
3.5/5

Power
You hit decently hard, you’re not frail, and you’ve got enough skills to have a bit of out-of-combat utility as well.

4.5/5

Elegance
You get 24 skillpoints at 1st level, not 16 (not penalized).

3/5

Use of SI
4/6 levels in soulknife or directly related PRC’s.

3.5/5




Originality
I’d like to comment on how this and the other ‘Tiffy’ contrast nicely with eachother, and that I really appreciate how your write-up accentuates that. Unfortunately, I need to judge builds on their own merits, so I can’t say that. Please disregard the above.

Once again, a nicely crafted backstory. The build uses many of the classic ubercharger bits though.

3/5

Power
You hit like a truck, but your defenses are nothing to write home about. Apart from a useful fly-speed you also have little out-of-combat utility.

4.5/5

Elegance
Nothing to comment on here.

3/5

Use of SI
6/6 levels in soulknife, build is made around and enhances the soulknife’s strengths.

4.5/5



Originality
I don’t think I’ve seen a Jermelain used before (scratch that, just took a look at the next build), but it fits nicely with what you’re doing. Your backstory fits pretty nicely with your race and circumstances.
3.5/5

Power
You’ve got a decent powerpoint reserve and lots of versatility with a broad selection of powers for both combat and out-of-combat use. Zen archery means you still get a decent to-hit with your soulbow.

4/5

Elegance
Nothing stands out.

3/5

Use of SI
2 levels in soulknife, 1 in a soulknife related class. You make copious use of the soulknife 1st level ability to take lots of hidden talent to make your build though.

3/5



Originality
You’re a Jermelain that enters soulbow after 2 levels in soulknife, which is apparently nowhere near as obscure a combo as I thought when looking at the last build. The ninja levels are an interesting non-obvious addition, and I enjoyed your background.
3.5/5

Power
You’ve got a decent stack of out-of-combat utility. In-combat, your performance is passable, but nothing to write home about.

3.5/5

Elegance
Nothing stands out.
3/5

Use of SI
2 levels in soulknife, 1 in a soulknife related class. Your levels in ninja have some synergy, but as you note the ‘poison use’ is basically wasted once you get your mind arrow.
2.5/5




edit: I almost forgot. 'Julia of the many, many, many talents' was my own build, and is therefore obviously not judged here.

[Maat Mons]

Woo! Sour grapes time!

Bzzsherrrp
you can treat an alchemy blade as a short sword for abilities that "affect you ability to use a short sword," but your mind blade doesn't affect your ability to use a short sword

D’dee Homaggio
assassin's stance is a 3rd-level maneuver, so it requires initiator level 5, and your initator level is only 3
you don't have the +2d6 sneak attack damage needed for Maiming Strike

T'lasofe
hidden Talent isn't a psionic feat, so it doesn't give you HP via Psionic Body
not to rub salt in the wound, but non-psionic characters can't take psionic feat, and Hidden Talent is designed to be taken by non-psionic characters, so of course it isn't psionic


Also, I'm trying to calculate the average damage of each build. I've probably made some mistakes. Can someone double-check these?

Bzzsherrrp
average damage 12.5 (normal)
average damage 21.5 (psychic strike; 2/encounter)

Chozin-Wan Sandhater
average damage 9.5 (not charging)
average damage 21.5 (charging)

D’dee Homaggio
average damage 11 (normal)
avergae damage 24.5 (when sneak attacking arcanists)

Olloh, Mind-Tipper
average damage 14

Psir Perpsival
average damage 19.5

Sorashana
average damage 9.5 (normal)
average damage 14 (psychic strike; 1/encounter)

T'Fimebjeil Alpha
average damage 6.5 (normal)
average damage 15.5 (psychic strike; 1/encounter)

T'lasofe
average damage 23

‘Laine Bow
average damage 25 (normal)
average damage 32 (sudden strike)

Edit: Wait, I'm dumb. Psychic Strike is a move action, it doesn't require expending focus, you don't need Psionic Meditation to do it every round.

[DeTess]

Woo! Sour grapes time!
D’dee Homaggio
assassin's stance is a 3rd-level maneuver, so it requires initiator level 5, and your initator level is only 3
you don't have the +2d6 sneak attack damage needed for Maiming Strike


...This one I'd like to call out in particular, as it's really dumb of me that I missed it. ToB is probably my favorite subsystem, and I was pretty sure that assassin's stance was oddly enough a 2nd level stance.

[Maat Mons]

Okay, I think I've sort of gotten my head around T'Fimebjeil Bravo. So here's more sower grapes.

As far as I can tell, Flyby Attack only works when you take your standard and move action separately. I don't think it does anything when you combine your actions together into a full-round action, like a charge.

Diving requires descending 10 feet. And to set yourself up for a new dive, your movement after the attack will have to put you 10 feet up again. So, in order to dive every round you need to go down and then up every round. Charging only works in a straight line. So you can't dive every round and also charge every round.




...This one I'd like to call out in particular, as it's really dumb of me that I missed it. ToB is probably my favorite subsystem, and I was pretty sure that assassin's stance was oddly enough a 2nd level stance.

I don't think Tome of Battle has even one 2nd-level stance in the whole book.

[DeTess]

Okay, I think I've sort of gotten my head around T'Fimebjeil Bravo. So here's more sower grapes.

As far as I can tell, Flyby Attack only works when you take your standard and move action separately. I don't think it does anything when you combine your actions together into a full-round action, like a charge.

Diving requires descending 10 feet. And to set yourself up for a new dive, your movement after the attack will have to put you 10 feet up again. So, in order to dive every round you need to go down and then up every round. Charging only works in a straight line. So you can't dive every round and also charge every round.


I originally ran into this as well, but flyby attack explicitly calls out the option for performing a dive as part of your movement, opening up, as far as I could tell, the charge option.

[jdizzlean]

no disputes from me

[RaiKirah]

No disputes here either!


Thanks for stepping up to judge! Really appreciated!

[Zaq]

Quick-hit dispute!

FYI, I'll do my best to stay on top of disputes, but I'm also insanely busy this week and really shouldn't be on GitP at all. (A guy's gotta indulge his ADD every once in a while, though, so I'll try not to disappear entirely.)



Your Alchemy blade trick is interesting, but unless I’m missing something, it doesn’t actually work. The text you highlighted shows that you can treat the alchemy blade as shortsword for all feats and abilities related to using a shortsword. However, you need something that allows you to treat a shortsword like an alchemy blade for it to work with the mindblade. I’m open to hearing a further elaboration regarding why you think this would work, though.

Randuir: Thank you for judging. I agree with all of your evaluations more or less. Do not feel pressured to change this score because I'm submitting a dispute. I'm submitting this because I think that you are mostly correct, but there is RAW reason that I think that you can have a mind alchemy blade, but it isn't likely at first level by super strict RAW.

It's at fifth level, when the soulknife has the ability to split his mindblade, that i believe that the alchemy blade is fully supported by RAW as being interchangeable with the mindblade shortsword rather than 1st level when you get the ability to make a mindblade.

The relevant text for alchemy blade is this:


Characters who take Exotic Weapon Proficiency (alchemy blade) can treat the alchemy blade as a short sword for the purpose of any feat or ability that affects the character’s ability to use a short sword (such as Weapon Focus [short sword]).

The Shape mindblade ability does this:


Alternatively, a soulknife can split his mind blade into two identical short swords, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand.

Unlike the mindblade ability which creates a sword from his mind that happens to be identical to a shortsword, the shape mindblade ability takes your mindblade and specifically creates two identical shortswords. This ability affects the soulknife's ability to use a shortsword (by providing two of them from the one you have and by reducing your ability to give it enhancement bonuses).

If you have a real alchemy blade in your possession, The RAWest reading is that you can double the number of alchemy blades you have on hand, that is, if you are assuming that that the text is referring to a specific alchemy blade in possession of the soulknife. That's a pretty cool trick if you have a massively upgraded alchemy blade. "Now I have two vorpal alchemy blades, MWAHAHAHA!"

But let's assume that you don't have a physical copy of an alchemy blade in your character's possession. Your feat doesn't disappear because you have insufficient gear. Under this condition, You aren't treating a specific alchemy blade that you have on hand as a shortsword, rather, you are treating the platonic ideal of alchemy blades in general as shortswords for the purpose of any feat or ability that affects the character's ability to use a shortsword. Therefor, I can argue, this explicitly works. I have exotic weapon pro (alchemy blade) and can therefor use the concept of alchemy blades for any ability that affects the concepts of shortswords.

I assume the trick works at level 5, because the concepts of weapons are being used extensively throughout the description of mind-blades, and unlike at first level, it specifically calls your mindblade (not one, but two) "shortswords" in stead of semisolid blades of pyschic energy.

But like I said, that "firm ground" interpretation doesn't occur until 5th level. So Bzzzsherrrp is gonna suck til then by RAW. Not only that, but this argument obviously won't be accepted at every table, so the score is still accurate by my judgment.

Thank you again for judging.

[RaiKirah]

Zaq - Please ignore my dispute PM, I have nothing that needs to be addressed.

Sorry about spamming you with this request, i just wanted to make certain it caught you. Thanks!

[DeTess]

RE: Bzzsherrrp

Alright, I can see where you're coming from now, but as you said this interpretation only really comes online at 5th level, and even then it's really wonky, to put it mildly (it's basically related to the absolute widest imaignable interpretation of what constitutes something affecting your ability to use a shortsword). If I'd penalized you more than half a point for it, I'd have adjusted the penalty to half a point, but as it is I think it's an accurate and reasonable score.

[Pleh]

Are comments on judging disputes posted here allowed?

[lylsyly]

No disputes here. Thanks for judging.

[jdizzlean]

Are comments on judging disputes posted here allowed?


generally not unless you are also a judge, or at the very least, not until the round has been finalized otherwise.

if you feel strongly enough about it, you can PM the chair and then it's up to them whether it gets posted before hand or not.

[Pleh]

generally not unless you are also a judge, or at the very least, not until the round has been finalized otherwise.

if you feel strongly enough about it, you can PM the chair and then it's up to them whether it gets posted before hand or not.

I don't want to influence the outcome. I just find some arguments amusing and wanted to banter. It can certainly wait

[Ripptor]

Okay, I think I've sort of gotten my head around T'Fimebjeil Bravo. So here's more sower grapes.

As far as I can tell, Flyby Attack only works when you take your standard and move action separately. I don't think it does anything when you combine your actions together into a full-round action, like a charge.

Diving requires descending 10 feet. And to set yourself up for a new dive, your movement after the attack will have to put you 10 feet up again. So, in order to dive every round you need to go down and then up every round. Charging only works in a straight line. So you can't dive every round and also charge every round.

I originally ran into this as well, but flyby attack explicitly calls out the option for performing a dive as part of your movement, opening up, as far as I could tell, the charge option.


Woo! Sour grapes time!

Bzzsherrrp
you can treat an alchemy blade as a short sword for abilities that "affect you ability to use a short sword," but your mind blade doesn't affect your ability to use a short sword

D’dee Homaggio
assassin's stance is a 3rd-level maneuver, so it requires initiator level 5, and your initator level is only 3
you don't have the +2d6 sneak attack damage needed for Maiming Strike

T'lasofe
hidden Talent isn't a psionic feat, so it doesn't give you HP via Psionic Body
not to rub salt in the wound, but non-psionic characters can't take psionic feat, and Hidden Talent is designed to be taken by non-psionic characters, so of course it isn't psionic


Also, I'm trying to calculate the average damage of each build. I've probably made some mistakes. Can someone double-check these?

Bzzsherrrp
average damage 12.5 (normal)
average damage 21.5 (psychic strike; 2/encounter)

Chozin-Wan Sandhater
average damage 9.5 (not charging)
average damage 21.5 (charging)

D’dee Homaggio
average damage 11 (normal)
avergae damage 24.5 (when sneak attacking arcanists)

Olloh, Mind-Tipper
average damage 14

Psir Perpsival
average damage 19.5

Sorashana
average damage 9.5 (normal)
average damage 14 (psychic strike; 1/encounter)

T'Fimebjeil Alpha
average damage 6.5 (normal)
average damage 15.5 (psychic strike; 1/encounter)

T'lasofe
average damage 23

‘Laine Bow
average damage 25 (normal)
average damage 32 (sudden strike)

Edit: Wait, I'm dumb. Psychic Strike is a move action, it doesn't require expending focus, you don't need Psionic Meditation to do it every round.

For Power, Tiffy (Alpha+Bravo) have tables displaying their damage output, though it is focused on Nova numbers. I knew that both builds are a little hard to parse+calculate, so I tried to clarify.. I didn't think to add another for 'average' turn damage. Let's look at that! :smallsmile:

For average damage calculation, I assume we are ignoring DR / Energy Resistance / Immunities.

Tiffy Alpha's average attack routine is Move action to power up, then a Standard maneuver for +2d6 damage.
She can use a +2d6 maneuver every turn via the Crusader's free recovery, her selections, and the extra granted feat.
In addition, she will always be in the Island of Blades stance, which adds her Dex to damage with the Mind Blade.
Finally, she is always considered to be flanking all adjacent enemies due to her Stance+PsiStone, so unless the opponent is immune to SA/flanking, that is 'always on'.

Tiffy (Alpha) swings for: 1d6+3(Base) +2d6(Maneuver) +2d8(Psionic) +1d6+6(SA) +5(Shadow Blade)
Total: 4d6+2d8+5
Average: 28 Damage
Extras: +1 while Furious, +5 against flat-footed, +2d6 if expending PsiFocus, -9 if immune to SAWhile not an original build via Ubercharger stacking (Though I thought the Dive find was awesome!), Tiffy Bravo was going for full marks in Power and SI use. Kalashtar Soulknife 6, focusing on two Soulknife-only feats with Psionic feats and power-ups.
The Mind Cleave feat really pushed her in the THF/Ubercharger/DPS direction, letting her show off an otherwise lackluster ability that other traditional chargers lack.

For Power:
Tiffy Bravo will Dive using Flyby Attack every turn she can, which should be most.
If she does get knocked down, she can perform a non-diving flyby charge, passing the opponent and re-gaining her altitude.
As noted above, Flyby attack does specifically allow for Dive usage, so she can Fly straight down at an enemy, then past them and climb back up.
Dive doubles her base damage (including PA and Leap), and using PA for -2 would be her average swing, without the Heartseeker setup.
With 12pp, she can Swift Adrenalize herself 12 rounds per day. (An average of two six-round encounters, if used on every round)
In addition, she starts each battle with PsiStrike enabled, and double-powers it for free on each felled enemy. I'm honestly not sure if that would be about 50% of the time or not... but I assume 50%, with an average of over 50 damage?
Finally, the Cleave feat itself doubles her damage output on any felled enemy. She is attempting to maximize the rate of cleaving via high damage, but a second opponent does have to also be within reach... No clue what the 'average' return on that truly would be.

Tiffy Bravo swings for: 1d10+7(Weapon) +1(Adrenaline) +4(PA) +4(Leap) +1d10+16(Dive) +2d6(Vicious) +(0.5)2d8(PsiStrike)
Total: 2d6+2d10+32 +4.5(PsiStrike)
Average: 54.5 Damage
Extras: +2d6 Maneuver, +59 if Cleaving, +8/+16 on PA for -3/-4

Responding to the point against Tiffy Bravo's defense, perhaps some features might have been overlooked in combination:
DR 8/Cold Iron is decently high, with a relatively rare bypass material.
She stays 15ft in the air above the opponents, mostly out of melee reach. (Against taller opponents, she can stay 15ft above their height)
Summer Caress is a continuous Circle of Protection against nearly everything (Non-animal/fey/beast), granting immunity to mind control and summons, and +2 to all saves.
Her Fort save is average at +6, but +12 Reflex reduces incoming damage, and +9/+11 Will lets her shrug off much of what bypasses her CoP ability above.
Finally, her Mind Blade+Steadfast Boots gives her great defense against opposing charger builds, dealing 2d6+2d10+16 damage (Avg 34) before they even get to resolve their attack.


This combination gives her defenses against Chargers(34 Dmg), Pounce/Multiattack(DR 8), general Melee(Out of Reach), Summoners(Circle), Blasters(Reflex), and mental Debuffers(Will+Immunities). While none are insurmountable, she does try to cover her bases!

As for out-of-combat utility, she does only have enough to be a Scout (Flight+Spot+Darvision) and Muscle (Intimidate+Mountain Hammer). She can fly over/break through obstacles, act as an eye in the sky/dark, and attempt to scare off/shout down social issues. She just can't be everything :smallsmile:
My only 'dispute' then would be considering Tiffy Bravo for the full 5 in SI Use and/or Power, as I'm not sure how she could have gone further in either category :smallsmile: She uses the most SK+SK feats across the board, and she deals the most damage (more than other 4.5 entries).

Thanks so much Randuir for stepping up to judge, I (all of us) really appreciate it! As a first-time participant, I'm very happy both with the competition and the results (even as they stand!), and look forward to more in the future.

With the way the judging bottle-necked this time, (I thought it might just die without a score!) I will consider being a judge myself next round (depending on the SI), if a newbie like me would be adequate? This round has certainly shown me how little I know, again :smallbiggrin:

[DeTess]

With the way the judging bottle-necked this time, (I thought it might just die without a score!) I will consider being a judge myself next round (depending on the SI), if a newbie like me would be adequate? This round has certainly shown me how little I know, again :smallbiggrin:

I think I judged the second or third comp I took part in, and the Tiffy builds where solid (though usually you should wait with revealing that bit of info until after disputes are done), so I think you would do fine as judge.

Are your 'disputes' actual disputes you want me to take a look at? In that case you should send them in via Zaq for officialness. Otherwise I'll explain my choices there after the scoring is officially done if you're interested.

[RaiKirah]

Randuir - if you're interested in psuedo-judging feedback on your build let me know and I'd be happy to take an in-depth look at it. Part of what I enjoy about these competitions is getting feedback on my builds and I'd hate for you to miss out on that due to being a nice person should you feel similarly.

[DeTess]

Randuir - if you're interested in psuedo-judging feedback on your build let me know and I'd be happy to take an in-depth look at it. Part of what I enjoy about these competitions is getting feedback on my builds and I'd hate for you to miss out on that due to being a nice person should you feel similarly.

I'd appreciate that.

[RaiKirah]

I'd appreciate that.

I'll get on that this evening

[Zaq]

Another dispute!



You have taken Exalted feats, and bind a vestige that is very much non-good, that requires you to commit a non-good act and show no remorse for it to bind him. The key-word here being ‘non-good’, not ‘evil’, so you can probably get away with this with most DM’s.
My only dispute that I have with your rulings here is this one line. The requirement to bind Savnok is
Special Requirement: To summon Savnok, you must have stolen something and made neither reparations nor apology for the act.

The act of theft is chaotic in and of itself by disrespecting the law. If during a delve into an evil necromancer's lair one were to steal the weapon off of a fallen guard and put it to use in destroying further undead this would satisfy the requirement, and be a definitively Good act. Another example would be sneaking into a demonologist's place and stealing their spell components so that they may not summon the demon to destroy the town. Neither of these Sorashana would even think twice about doing. However it does not say WHEN you must have done this, so in Sorashana's case she could have stolen food at a young age when she was a beggar, and not gotten the chance to apologize, or felt that apologizing was not warranted for any number of reasons.

I will not deny that the act of stealing has the ability to be an evil act, but as is usually the case intent is far more important than the act in defining whether an act is good or evil. An act is much more able to be defined as lawful or chaotic without knowing the intent than it is to be define as good or evil, which is why good people can end up in jail. Please remember that in the past certain acts were seen as legal and even favorable in society, while the same such acts are very much proclaimed and denounced now as evil. The nature of these forums does not let us discuss real world circumstances so I will not bring any exact acts to the table.

[DeTess]

The act of theft is chaotic in and of itself by disrespecting the law. If during a delve into an evil necromancer's lair one were to steal the weapon off of a fallen guard and put it to use in destroying further undead this would satisfy the requirement, and be a definitively Good act. Another example would be sneaking into a demonologist's place and stealing their spell components so that they may not summon the demon to destroy the town. Neither of these Sorashana would even think twice about doing. However it does not say WHEN you must have done this, so in Sorashana's case she could have stolen food at a young age when she was a beggar, and not gotten the chance to apologize, or felt that apologizing was not warranted for any number of reasons.

I will not deny that the act of stealing has the ability to be an evil act, but as is usually the case intent is far more important than the act in defining whether an act is good or evil. An act is much more able to be defined as lawful or chaotic without knowing the intent than it is to be define as good or evil, which is why good people can end up in jail. Please remember that in the past certain acts were seen as legal and even favorable in society, while the same such acts are very much proclaimed and denounced now as evil. The nature of these forums does not let us discuss real world circumstances so I will not bring any exact acts to the table.

I did not actually penalize you for that part, which I should have mentioned in the judging.

To me, justifying your act of theft is just another way of apologizing for it. I don't disagree that an act of theft can be justified as good, but stealing something with neither apology nor reparations seems to me to be something different from stealing something because it is necessary. This is more of a flavor issue, which I'll happily discuss with you after grading is done, if you're interested. I agree though that by applying RAW to the flavor you're right.

[RaiKirah]

Alrighty, I've finished my perusal of Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents. Below you will find my response to the build structured into the classic four criteria: Originality, Power, Elegance, and Use of SI. I've included what scoring I would have given, though take those with a grain of salt and out of context - since this is the only build I judged the scoring is entirely subjective, and I have a tendency to score both Elegance and UoSI fairly low. This should not be taken to be scoring in the context of your own judgements. I quite liked this build, and think Julia would be a lot of fun to play. Without any other disclaimers here you go:


Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents

Originality:
At first pass this build doesn’t feel that Original: it’s a Human with 5 levels of Soulknife (the most obvious breakpoint) and another level of a psionic class. But then I noticed that you took Hidden Talent 14 times and things start to get interesting. What you’ve constructed here is basically a psionic E6 Chameleon, and that’s pretty cool. You can do a bit of everything, but not all at once, and you don’t (natively) have enough pp to do them all in a single day. Add onto that your fluff which, in addition to being quite a nice bit of writing, gives a very succinct and comprehensive introduction to the character. She is clearly curious, competent, and (this may be me projecting how I suspect I would play such a versatile character) distractible. Nicely done. Were I judging, I would likely have given this a 4 in originality, if only for the audaciousness of taking Hidden Talent 14 times.

Power:
This one’s a little odd, mostly because you don’t specify the order of selection of powers. While this is nice from a usability and customizability standpoint, it’s hard to know how Julia is supposed to play throughout her career. At the start she’ll only really be good at one thing, adding competencies as additional Talents are discovered. If you pick them up in groupings, this will flow pretty naturally, but if you scattershot them it will feel like you’re ok at a bunch of different things, likely falling prey to the Jack of All Trades Master of None feeling. At full build however, Julia is pretty competent. She is a decent combat character, though better at soaking damage than dealing it: Inertial Armor, Force Screen, Vigor, and Precognition, Defensive make her really tanky. Precognition, Offensive helps with damage, but based on your selection of Point Blank Shot I suspect that you are going to be throwing your Mindblade, and the damage there is pretty pitiful, particularly with a STR of 10. Energy Ray provides a nice addition source of damage and a potentially massive nova if needed. On the utility side, your skills and power selections make you a very accomplished sneak and a passable scout/lookout, though without Search or Trapfinding your usefulness in those roles is limited. There’s some great out of combat utility and RP potential in Call Item, Create Sound, and Far Hand. You have some limited (heavily pp gated for non-Diplomacy buffs) party face capability from the Channel the Psychic Dragon power augmented by 6 and 8 pp. Speaking of pp, you have a pool of 32 points (possibly more if your DM takes pity and lets Practiced Manifester work for bonus pp calculations, which seems to be the general consensus), which is a decent amount for un-augmented usage of powers. However, once you start using the augmented versions, which you will need to do to keep up with casters with level 3 spells, this becomes a sharply limited resource. The acquisition of some Manifester arrows (or shuriken assuming a kind DM god-king) helps you out immensely, as most of your powers can be augmented to great effect for 6 or less pp (5 from the Manifester enchantment, one from Wild Surge). This would basically allow you to go ham all day, which is the build’s only really glaring weakness. Put it all together and Julia is a decent melee fighter, and has a plethora of utility and defensive options that mean she’s always going to be useful as long as the pp are flowing. Had I been judging I probably would have given this a 4 as well, as you fill the primary role of the Soulknife (combat) decently, while also being quite competent in the Social and Utility roles as well.

Elegance:
Nothing really to say here; everything is legal as far as I can tell. The build is also aesthetically pleasing in that there are no abandoned skill points and no shenanigans used for qualifications. There’s also a certain satisfaction in seeing Hidden Talent written 14 times in the build table. Had I been judging this would have garnered a 3.5 from me, for being rules legal (3) and amusing me structurally (.5)

Use of SI:
You used 5/6 levels in the SI, and could not have made this build without it, which is always a nice baseline for a UoSI score. That said, you basically only use one class feature (Hidden Talent) and more or less ignore the primary class feature of ‘has a weapon’ aside from making use of the Free Draw ability to throw +1 weapons every round. I can’t say I blame you as the class feature isn’t awesome, but when you make a soulknife that basically doesn’t use the Mind Blade it’s hard to say that your UoSI is on point. Once you get your hands on some Manifester arrows I suspect you’ll be throwing out 5d6 Energy Rays each round as a touch attack, rather than 1d10+1 Bastard Sword Mind Blades. If I had been judging I would have given this a 2.5, as your build relies on Soulknife, but doesn’t really use it. It feels like a psionic manifester build, rather than a Soulknife.


So, I think that’s about it. I (in case this wasn’t clear) really liked Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents, and think she would be a ton of fun to play, particularly because the build progression is entirely modular. Had I been judging, you would have received a combined score of 14. I hope that this feedback makes sense, and that any criticism I may have leveled is taken in the constructive manner in which it was intended. I truly do like the build. Thanks again for being willing to withdraw and judge; I think Julia would have been a contender, and I’m sorry you had to give up on that while simultaneously being grateful for your work. Let me know if you have any questions.

~Rai

[Ripptor]

I think I judged the second or third comp I took part in, and the Tiffy builds where solid (though usually you should wait with revealing that bit of info until after disputes are done), so I think you would do fine as judge.

Are your 'disputes' actual disputes you want me to take a look at? In that case you should send them in via Zaq for officialness. Otherwise I'll explain my choices there after the scoring is officially done if you're interested.

Ah, I had to mess something up somewhere! Though, I didn't find any guidelines for disputes in the first post / rules.. And as other contestants post 'No Dispute' you can start guessing by process of elimination anyway :smallbiggrin: I'll make a cleaner write-up, with your guidelines, and learn the official process.

I'm happy to look at judging next round, and I'll also practice by looking over yours! Though, I won't post anything final until after the judging is complete, for integrity :smallsmile:

[RaiKirah]

... Though, I won't post anything final until after the judging is complete, for integrity :smallsmile:

That probably would have been a good call, whoops :D

[Ripptor]

That probably would have been a good call, whoops :D

Your identity is still a secret, so you're good! I'm the only one who tipped their hat so far :smalltongue:

[Zaq]

More disputes! Well, one more dispute entry, at least.


SI Scale, in the order of (what appears to be) low 4.5 to high 4.5, plus the 5.0 submission.


Grade
Build
Reason


4.5
Chozin-Wan
5/6 Levels in Soulknife.


4.5
Olloh, Mind Tipper
5/6 Levels in Soulknife. Rest of the build based around making the actual Soulknife work, as opposed to making a martial work.


4.5
Psir Perpsival
5 Levels in Soulknife, and 1 level in a Soulknife Prestige class.


4.5
T'Fimebjeil (Bravo)
6/6 Levels in Soulknife, build is made around and enhances the Soulknife's strengths.


5
Sorashana
6 Levels in Soulknife, and the build is made around the theme of summoning all the stuff you need from thin air, which at the end of the day is Soulknife's class feature.



From your judging comments, it appears that Tiffy Bravo has some of your strongest approval, second only if not tied with your comments on Sorashana. However, she ended up graded alongside the other builds, with less Soulknife levels and with lesser approval. Tiffy Bravo appears to be much closer to the participant on the 5.0 scale than the other 4.5 awardees: 6/6 levels in Soulknife & thematic cohesion (Sorashana) vs. 6/6 levels in Soulknife and mechanical cohesion(Tiffy).

As 4.5 is your base point score for taking 6/6 levels in Soulknife, the last .5 would only be awarded for going above mechanically ('level and feat interaction') or, in Sorashana's case, thematically. I would dispute that T'Fimebjeil does so, moreso than the other 4.5 scores, and nearly or equally as well as the 5.0 watermark set in your scores here.



Following your request, my dispute will focus on how Tiffy Bravo is better than her peers on the grading scale. For quick reference, the grading scale is as follows:


Grade
Build
Damage
Defense
Reason


4.5
D'Dee Homaggio
11 CHA damage (on SA)
24.5 (w/ SA vs Arcanists)
Ranged
AC 18
SR 12 vs Good

If you did the massive amounts of CHA damage you listed, you'd be able to one-shot a lot of opponents.
For the power section I'll assume you do, but I'll talk about this more in the elegance section.
AFAIK there are no creatures without a CHA score, but you won't be able to employ this trick against targets immune to sneak attack unless you crit.
You've got fairly little out-of-combat utility to back-up the quick death you can deal in-combat.


4.5
Psir Perpsival
Avg: 19.5
AC 22/26
Shield Block
High Saves (7/14/11)
Undead Immunities

The build as described hits very hard and is tough. You can provide some basic out-of-combat utility with your knowledge skills, but that's it.


4.5
Tiffy Alpha
Avg: 19, ignoring DR
+5 if Flatfooted
+9 on Sneak Attack
AC 22
DR 3/Cold Iron
Fast Healing 1
Fey type

You hit decently hard, you're not frail, and and you've got enough skills to have a bit of out-of-combat utility as well.


4.5
Tiffy Bravo
Avg: 54.5
+59 on Cleave

Flying
AC 20
DR 8/Cold Iron
High Saves (6/12/11)
Circle of Protection
Fey type

You hit like a truck, but your defenses are nothing to write home about. Apart from a useful fly-speed you also have little out-of-combat utility.



Tiffy Bravo deals the most pure damage on the 4.5 scale, by nearly triple the other 4.5 builds, or quintuple on a Cleaving attack. D'Dee is a difficult watermark, but at most he can disable (helpless) two opponents at a time via CHA damage.. However, dead is generally a better condition than helpless, and Tiffy can also bestow it on up to two targets in one round. This appears to have been taken into account, so I assume the last 0.5 is due to the comments on Defense and OoC Utility.

Addressing Defense:

DR 8/Cold Iron is decently high, with a relatively rare bypass material.
She stays 15ft in the air above the opponents, mostly out of melee reach. (Against taller opponents, she can stay 15ft above their height)
Summer Caress is a continuous Circle of Protection against nearly everything (Non-animal/fey/beast), granting immunity to mind control and summons, and +2 to all saves.
Her Fort save is average at +6, but +12 Reflex reduces incoming damage, and +9/+11 Will lets her shrug off much of what bypasses her CoP ability above.
Finally, her Mind Blade+Steadfast Boots gives her great defense against opposing charger builds, dealing 2d6+2d10+16 damage (Avg 34) before they even get to resolve their attack.

This combination gives her defenses against Chargers(34 Dmg), Pounce/Multiattack(DR 8), general Melee(Out of Reach), Summoners(Circle), Blasters(Reflex), and mental Debuffers(Will+Immunities). Compared to Tiffy Alpha, she is almost certainly better protected. Comparing her to Psir, she has less AC and less immunities, equal saves, added Damage Reduction, and spends the battle more safely out of harms way rather than in melee.

Addressing Skills:
Out of Combat, Tiffy Bravo acts as Scout (Flight+Spot+Darvision) and Muscle (Intimidate+Mountain Hammer). She can fly over/break through obstacles, act as an eye in the sky/dark, and attempt to scare off/shout down social issues. Barring that, she has her Deep Slumber SLA to Sneak/Run, and her Charm Monster SLA to buy allies. This gives her about as much utility as the other 4.5 submissions:

Compared to Psir, she has multiple out of combat roles to his one knowledge base.
Compared to D'Dee, they both have the Scout role. While he has sneak skills and listen, she has a much better spot, Deep Slumber, Darkvision, Flight, and the Muscle role.
Compared to Tiffy Alpha, they are very close. Bravo loses in Listen but gains in Spot with Darkvision over Lowlight Vision. They can both break through obstacles, but Bravo will do so much faster, and can choose to fly instead.

With Tiffy Bravo having the most damage by 2x (or 5x), comparative defenses, and three out-of-combat roles, she is both stronger in her specific forte than her 4.5 peers, as well as more (or equally) rounded in non-combat utility. I would dispute that this puts her above the 4.5 watermark set by the other submissions.

[DeTess]

Thanks to Raikirah for the judging pass of my build! I'm not really seeing anything that makes me want to send in a dispute.


RE: Tiffy Bravo's use of SI

I agree that Bravo's Use of SI should have been a 5/5. After you mentioned it I took another look, and the build has got most of the things that made me increase the mind-tipper's score by half a point, so it's only fair you'd get the same point increase bringing you to 5/5


RE: Tiffy Bravo's power
I'm somewhat slow to give out a perfect score for power, as it means you need to do well both in and out of combat. It's true that your build hits the hardest of all contestants, but damage does have something of diminishing returns past a certain point(IE: the point where you'll be oneshotting a lot of the non-boss monsters), and you're well past that. Your defenses are somewhat better than I originally gave you credit for, but archers will still be making live difficult for you.

I've been on the edge for whether your out-of-combat utility is good enough to warrant a full 5/5. a Flying speed covereth a multitude of sins, and despite only having a few ranks it it, your intimidate will be good enough for a lot of situations, but you'll not be threatening your way out of every situation. On the other hand, you took the 'foehammer' maneuver, not the 'mountain hammer' one, and the big difference between the two is that foehammer isn't a lockpick (mountain hammer calls out hardness as well, foehammer doesn't), so that's not going to help you too much out-of-combat.

(Memo to self: starting next comp I judge, I'll be using 0.25 point increments so these situations are resolved more easily).

After thinking on this for a bit, I've decided you warrant a 5/5 for Power as well. The addition of your Fey SLA's means your build is probably as versatile out-of-combat as can be expected without you taking hidden talent a dozen times, and a permanent fly speed is something that really shouldn't be underestimated, especially with a good spot check.

the new total score for T'Fimebjeil, Inquisitor of the Raven Queen, Dark Maiden of Death is 16/20

[Pleh]

I don't know if it's expected to declare if there are no disputes, but just in case, I would say that I have none

[Ripptor]

Thanks for the consideration, Randuir!
Nothing further from me.

Also, I missed that Foehammer doesn't ignore Hardness! I always thought the only difference was that Mountain Hammer required you to be on the ground, which makes it a no-go for fliers like T'Fimebjeil. That makes the choice more interesting...

[Zaq]

I’ll try to wrap this up tonight or tomorrow. I’m crazy busy from now through at least, like, Tuesday or Wednesday, though, so if anyone wants to save me some time and put together a score table, I’d appreciate it.

[Ripptor]

Excited to get started on the next one, so... Something like this?

Gold
Silver
Bronze
Honorable Mention


Name
Alignment/Race
Class Stub
Score
Place
Chef


Bzzsherrrp (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=73)
NG Human
Soulknife 1 / Fighter 1 / Soulknife 4
15.5
2nd, Silver
User


Chozin-Wan Sandhater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=74)
?? Azurin
Soulknife 5 / Swordsage 1
13.5
4th
User


D’dee Homaggio (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=75)
CE Silverbrow Human
Rogue 1 / Soulknife 2 / Ranger 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
User


Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=76)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Wilder 1
Judge
Honorable Mention
User


Olloh, Mind-Tipper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=77)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Warblade 1
15.5
2nd, Silver
User


Psir Perpsival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=78)
Something Necropolitan
Soulknife 5 / Illumine Soul 1
13
5th
User


Sorashana (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=79)
LG Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
14.5
3rd, Bronze
User


T'Fimebjeil, Paladin of the Raven Queen, Lantern of Life's Light (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=80)
CG Feytouched
Soulknife 3 / Fighter / Crusader / Illumine Soul
14.5
3rd, Bronze
User


T'Fimebjeil, Inquisitor of the Raven Queen, Dark Maiden of Death (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=81)
CE Unseelie Fey Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
16
1st, Gold
User


T'lasofe (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
?? Jermlaine
Psychic Warrior 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
13
5th
User


‘Laine Bow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
Jermlaine
Ninja 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
User

[Zaq]

Guess we’re not finishing tonight?


Elegance

The most comparable build to my own is, of course, T'lasofe. Elegance-wise, I feel out builds are pretty similar, except that I don't make any errors regarding my feats. T'lasofe mistakenly treats his many instances of hidden talent as psionic feats. I also considered taking many instances of hidden talent and slapping on psionic body. The difference is, I actually looked at the books and realized it didn't work.

I feel like I should be rewarded for being the one of us that actually took the trouble to abide by the rules. If people are rewarded in the power section for the illegal parts of their builds, and still get just as high a score in elegance as people who's builds were legal, it really undermines the integrity of this contest. Honestly, even allowing a violation of rules to give a boost in power at the expense of elegance is a terrible decision. It just incentivises people to "accidentally" make illegal builds, knowing they'll gain more points in power than they lose in elegance.



Use of Secret Ingredient

The T'lasofe build was praised here for "taking lots of hidden talent to make itself tough." Hidden talent does not add any HP. The psionic body feat does not change that, because it only gives you HP for psionic feats. If T'lasofe is being awarded points for gaining +0 HP from use of hidden talent. I beleive that I also should gain those points, because my build also gains +0 HP from hidden talent.

Furthermore, I actually improve my defenses in a way that ties into the soulknife class. The single most noteworthy feature of soulbow is mind arrow, which uses wisdom to determine damage. In conjunction with zen archery, this allows for a certain amount of SAD in regard to combat stats. I enhanced this by making wisdom a defensive stat as well. I add my +8 wisdom to armor class. So, I've used a feature of the soulknife (it's entry into soulbow), to enhance my defenses (by making my AC depend on the same stat as my attack and damage).

It's also worth noting that some sort of unarmored AC bonus is highly desirable for a jermlain, since the strength penalty leads to a very low carrying capacity. Both my 'Laine Bow and T'lasofe have a maximum light load of only 5 pounds, and a carrying capacity of only 15 pounds. You'll notice that a chain shirt sized for a tiny creature weighs 6 pounds, putting either of us over our light load. Even if T'lasofe were to wear merely studded leather armor, he'd still be carrying 5 pounds in armor, and would go over a light load if he wore clothing, carried even one magic item (such as a handy haversack), or picked up a few copper pieces.

So, of the two of us, I'm the one who actually possesses well-considered defenses that stem from synergies with the secret ingredient. Therefore, I should have the higher score.

Additionally, of all contestants, T'lasofe and I are literally the only ones who did anything with soulknife that couldn't have been done better without it. Everyone who built around hidden talent actually just made manifesters that happen to have levels in soulknife (and are worse off for it). Everyone who built melee combatants just made beatsticks that happen to have levels in soulknife (and are worse for it). Yes, even the ones who used psychic strike. If you want to build a character that can make one big attack each round, so long as he keeps still, there are lots of ways to do that, and soulknife is one of the worst.

T'lasofe and 'Laine Bow are the only two builds that in the whole competition that use soulknife, in the sense that they would be diminished if soulkinfe were taken out. Every single other build would have been better if, instead of soulknife, some combination of manifesting classes and martial classes had been used. But I'd challenge you to make a wisdom-SAD ranged combatant without soulknife. Te others made builds that happen to have levels of soulknife shoehorned in, but they didn't actually use those levels. T'lasofe and 'Laine Bow were the only builds that found something good and unique in soulkife, and nurtured it into something. Instead of making a psi-gish, and gimping it with levels in soulknife.

Taking levels in soulknife is one thing. Using soulkife is another. T'lasofe and I may not have taken as many levels in soulknife as some of the other builds. But we used the class a hell of a lot more than anyone else. And we very clearly should have the two highest scores in this category.

[DeTess]

Elegance

The most comparable build to my own is, of course, T'lasofe. Elegance-wise, I feel out builds are pretty similar, except that I don't make any errors regarding my feats. T'lasofe mistakenly treats his many instances of hidden talent as psionic feats. I also considered taking many instances of hidden talent and slapping on psionic body. The difference is, I actually looked at the books and realized it didn't work.

I feel like I should be rewarded for being the one of us that actually took the trouble to abide by the rules. If people are rewarded in the power section for the illegal parts of their builds, and still get just as high a score in elegance as people who's builds were legal, it really undermines the integrity of this contest. Honestly, even allowing a violation of rules to give a boost in power at the expense of elegance is a terrible decision. It just incentivises people to "accidentally" make illegal builds, knowing they'll gain more points in power than they lose in elegance.


Since I missed it myself, I highly doubt this was a deliberate 'accident'. As it's been brought up in a dispute, I'll just do what I would have done had I spotted it to start with, which is to drop T'lasfoe's elegance by 0.5 a point for the mistake (unless there's a rule against me adjusting another's build based on a dispute?).

New score for T'lasofe: 13/20

One thing I want to clear up before I get to the main body of your elegance argument;



The T'lasofe build was praised here for "taking lots of hidden talent to make itself tough." Hidden talent does not add any HP. The psionic body feat does not change that, because it only gives you HP for psionic feats. If T'lasofe is being awarded points for gaining +0 HP from use of hidden talent. I beleive that I also should gain those points, because my build also gains +0 HP from hidden talent.


I wrote 'though', not 'tough'. for Use of SI, I didn't consider the psionic body 'trick', I considered him using the soulknife's first level feature that let him take hidden talent a number of times to good effect




Use of Secret Ingredient

Furthermore, I actually improve my defenses in a way that ties into the soulknife class. The single most noteworthy feature of soulbow is mind arrow, which uses wisdom to determine damage. In conjunction with zen archery, this allows for a certain amount of SAD in regard to combat stats. I enhanced this by making wisdom a defensive stat as well. I add my +8 wisdom to armor class. So, I've used a feature of the soulknife (it's entry into soulbow), to enhance my defenses (by making my AC depend on the same stat as my attack and damage).

It's also worth noting that some sort of unarmored AC bonus is highly desirable for a jermlain, since the strength penalty leads to a very low carrying capacity. Both my 'Laine Bow and T'lasofe have a maximum light load of only 5 pounds, and a carrying capacity of only 15 pounds. You'll notice that a chain shirt sized for a tiny creature weighs 6 pounds, putting either of us over our light load. Even if T'lasofe were to wear merely studded leather armor, he'd still be carrying 5 pounds in armor, and would go over a light load if he wore clothing, carried even one magic item (such as a handy haversack), or picked up a few copper pieces.

So, of the two of us, I'm the one who actually possesses well-considered defenses that stem from synergies with the secret ingredient. Therefore, I should have the higher score.

Additionally, of all contestants, T'lasofe and I are literally the only ones who did anything with soulknife that couldn't have been done better without it. Everyone who built around hidden talent actually just made manifesters that happen to have levels in soulknife (and are worse off for it). Everyone who built melee combatants just made beatsticks that happen to have levels in soulknife (and are worse for it). Yes, even the ones who used psychic strike. If you want to build a character that can make one big attack each round, so long as he keeps still, there are lots of ways to do that, and soulknife is one of the worst.

T'lasofe and 'Laine Bow are the only two builds that in the whole competition that use soulknife, in the sense that they would be diminished if soulkinfe were taken out. Every single other build would have been better if, instead of soulknife, some combination of manifesting classes and martial classes had been used. But I'd challenge you to make a wisdom-SAD ranged combatant without soulknife. Te others made builds that happen to have levels of soulknife shoehorned in, but they didn't actually use those levels. T'lasofe and 'Laine Bow were the only builds that found something good and unique in soulkife, and nurtured it into something. Instead of making a psi-gish, and gimping it with levels in soulknife.

Taking levels in soulknife is one thing. Using soulkife is another. T'lasofe and I may not have taken as many levels in soulknife as some of the other builds. But we used the class a hell of a lot more than anyone else. And we very clearly should have the two highest scores in this category.


Doing a non-soulbow wisdom-sad archery build is pretty easy actually. Taking 5 levels in ranger or fighter, and 1 level in Shiba protector will giveyou wisdom to hit and to damage, and adding zen archery will allow you to add wisdom to hit twice. You'd miss out on the wisdom to AC, but neither of those are soulknife features. So as you can see, not even your build concept is immune to being rebuild using other classes. In fact, I think Olloh the mind-tipper is the only one that really can't be done without soulknife.

The build described above can't be done using Jermelain. In fact, as you stated your build does make excellent use of the Jermelain's strengths and compensates for its weaknesses, and if the SI had been 'Jermelain', I'd definitely have scored you higher.

However, there's a reason I value using as many levels as possible in the SI class. Making a build that's powerful or original is really quite easy if you're only using the SI as seasoning, but I expect a build to use it as its main course in a competition like this. You're right that there are other things to consider, which I do, but the first step for this category has for me always been to check how many actual levels in the SI someone has taken to use as a jumping off point. If you think it should be done differently, then I'll keep that in mind for the next competition I'll judge.

No score change.

[lylsyly]

Actually, I did miss it. Probably missed out on some good stuff to do with the rat #astard as well since it was the first time I had ever opened the book. Oh well ....

[Zaq]

Okay. This has dragged on long enough, so let's get this show on the road.


Name
Alignment/Race
Class Stub
Score
Place
Chef


Bzzsherrrp (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=73)
NG Human
Soulknife 1 / Fighter 1 / Soulknife 4
15.5
2nd, Silver
daremetoidareyo


Chozin-Wan Sandhater (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=74)
?? Azurin
Soulknife 5 / Swordsage 1
13.5
4th
Pleh


D’dee Homaggio (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=75)
CE Silverbrow Human
Rogue 1 / Soulknife 2 / Ranger 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
jdizzlean


Julia of the Many, Many, Many Talents (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=76)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Wilder 1
Judge
Honorable Mention
Randuir


Olloh, Mind-Tipper (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=77)
CG Human
Soulknife 5 / Warblade 1
15.5
2nd, Silver
RaiKirah


Psir Perpsival (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=78)
Something Necropolitan
Soulknife 5 / Illumine Soul 1
13
5th
tricktroller


Sorashana (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=79)
LG Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
14.5
3rd, Bronze
Falontani


T'Fimebjeil, Paladin of the Raven Queen, Lantern of Life's Light (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=80)
CG Feytouched
Soulknife 3 / Fighter / Crusader / Illumine Soul
14.5
3rd, Bronze
Ripptor


T'Fimebjeil, Inquisitor of the Raven Queen, Dark Maiden of Death (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=81)
CE Unseelie Fey Kalashtar
Soulknife 6
16
1st, Gold
Ripptor


T'lasofe (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
?? Jermlaine
Psychic Warrior 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
13
5th
lysyly


‘Laine Bow (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=23300907&postcount=82)
Jermlaine
Ninja 3 / Soulknife 2 / Soulbow 1
12.5
6th
Maat Mons



Thanks for the table, Ripptor! Congrats to all of our medalists. Ordinarily I'd have cut us off after the minimum number of medals that is no less than 3 (so we would have stopped with 1 gold, 2 silver, and 0 bronze), but I'm not going to rip that away from you this time, especially in light of how many entries there were. (We'll stick to the usual scheme in the future, though.)

Major, major, major thanks and recognition to Randuir for nobly stepping up and withdrawing in order to judge. That's a big sacrifice, and I think we're all extremely grateful. If we ever meet up, I'm buying. You have definitely earned this round's HM award.

New thread HERE! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?569723-Iron-Chef-Optimization-Challenge-E6-Appetizer-Edition-(Round-XII)) Thanks for playing, everyone!

[daremetoidareyo]

So, does everyone agree that hidden talent soulknives have a manifester level equal to their psionic class level in soulknife? Do y'all agree that you bonus PP based on your charisma score like other manifesters?

I addressed the sour grapes argument about alchemy blades.

Does anyone else agree about the assessment that you can manifest multiple mindblades by virtue of the first level ability?

[Pleh]

So, does everyone agree that hidden talent soulknives have a manifester level equal to their psionic class level in soulknife? Do y'all agree that you bonus PP based on your charisma score like other manifesters?

I didn't see that dispute (there was a lot of text I glossed over because it wasn't about my submission), but I don't think I'd allow it at my table unless I already felt bad about the player picking a Soulknife. It SHOULD have been RAW, but I don't think the current wording supports that interpretation.


I addressed the sour grapes argument about alchemy blades.

That was actually what I wanted to comment about and abstained. I was wanting to say something like,

"if a player at my table tried that logic, books would be flying"

and,

"I'd be more comfortable House Ruling that your Alchemy Blade trick works with Mindblade at Level 1 (because a mindblade is a shortsword for all intents and purposes) rather than support the argument that the Twin Mindblades are somehow REAL shortswords while the ability they modify produces an effect which ISN't a real shortsword."

I empathize with the fact that the game makers SHOULD have made it work the way you want, but I don't accept this level of word twisting to fabricate meaning that isn't there.


Does anyone else agree about the assessment that you can manifest multiple mindblades by virtue of the first level ability?

Another dispute I missed, but I wouldn't tend to agree with at my table. The Shape Mindblade feature's paragraph about splitting the mind blade and getting a lower enhancement bonus for doing so basically becomes worthless if you could already do that with the first level ability (because theoretically the first level ability would have no penalty to enhancement bonus).

I'll grant that the first level ability seems to never use the exact language of "a single mindblade," but the rest of the description implies it rather strongly. The only point at which the term Mindblade is used in the plural for its description is when comparing Soulknives belonging to different size catergories (explaining that the plural in that sentence wasn't meant to imply that the soulknives were each producing multiple mind blades).

I'll agree that Shape Mindblade probably should have been a First Level benefit, since their class revolves around this one feature and letting soulknives have some diversity of weapon choice like other martials would have been the least they could have given the poor class. But what should have been is unfortunately different than what was and I can't agree with a RAW reading to the contrary.

[jdizzlean]

as promised... what i found about this round that is *hillarious*

I wonder just how long our chairman has been harboring ill feelings for the soulknife...


http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=21421753&postcount=11

[RaiKirah]

Thanks again Randuir for stepping up to judge - it's really appreciated! I didn't have anything worth disputing (and am very happy with how Olloh did), but had a couple reactions/comments from your judgement that I apparently want to state:


Your reaction to the backstory is everything I was hoping for, so I'm really glad that landed (I was concerned you wouldn't get past step 1.5: confusion).

With respect to the lack of Combat Expertise I had no excuse. I'm used to getting Improved Trip for free from Wolf Totem Barbarian 2 and completely forgot to get Combat Expertise, which is a shame since it would have been trivial to have taken it as Epic1 and just not take Psionic Weapon.


I had a surprisingly fun time working with the Soulknife. The fluff has always appealed to me, even if in execution the class features are remarkably lacking.



Dare - I'm on board with the manifester level argument, partialy because I actually buy your RAWyery, and mostly because the poor class really needs some slack cut for it

[Ripptor]

I'll be using the same Criteria as the sole judge of this competition,
to follow along as a baseline and somewhat match thi build alongside the other available scores:


Every category starts at 3/5 points, and you get penalized or rewarded as appropriate.

Originality
This is probably the most subjective of the categories. You get bonus points for an interesting/funny background, nice build aesthetics and unexpected but working build decisions (5 levels in commoner are definitely original, but won't get you a bonus to originality if it doesn't do anything for your build).

You get penalized if you follow a well-known existing build-archetype (such as building an ubercharger using the usual suspects of ubercharger feats) or if your build includes a very obvious for-power dip that doesn't really do many interesting or unique things for your build (in this case, dipping a martial intiator class would most likely count as such).

Power
I look at in-combat ability and out-of-combat ability separately, and weigh the one that's more part of the class's 'thing' more heavily. In this case, for example, in-combat power weighs more heavily than out-of-combat power. I take what I perceive as the baseline power for the class as 3/5, and adjust upwards or downwards based on that. It's not rocket science.

I wish it was rocket science though, as I'd say I'm better at that than at eye-balling power-levels. If you've got a dispute for this category, the easiest way to get it resolved in your favor is to show that you're equal to or better than a build with a higher score on (almost) very count, but a clear explanation of exactly what you character's stats are and what you can do in a typical combat round (if not included in your built) will help too.

Elegance
This is where I penalize build mistakes. The first mistake is usually* 0.5 points, most mistakes after that will cost you a full point. Likewise, particularly convoluted RAWyery is likely to be punished here. IE, if the thing you do works, but only because your character jumped two points on the alignment scale during every level and only because several levels where taken while your character was under a spell with a rounds/level duration, expect an elegance ding.

On the other hand, particularly elegant interpretations and moves will get a bonus here, but I don't often end up giving bonuses here.

*I might penalize a mistake more heavily if it forms the mechanical cornerstone of a build. If the entire concept of a build is based on what I think is a misconception, I either have to punish you twice, by dinging your elegance and treating your power as if you can't do the thing you build around, or ding your elegance heavily, but then rate your power as you describe it. As punishing twice for the same mistake isn't allowed, I take the second option.

Use of SI
For this category, the first thing I look at is the amount of levels actually taken int he SI. For this round, I also include levels in soulknife PRC's, being the Soulbow and the illumine soul, in this count. The way the rest of your levels and feats interact with the ingredient is considered afterwards, but the amount of levels taken in the SI sets the base. Generally speaking, 3/6 levels will set 2.5/5 as the base score, 4/6 will set 3.5, 5/6 will set 4 and 6/6 will set the base as 4.5/5.

Originality
This build is fairly unique, going all-in on Hidden Talent in a way that only the Soulknife can. While nearly everyone uses the Mind's Eye ACF, I've never seen (and haven't found) a build that uses it so exclusively. While the Human race is a bog-standard power grab, it is used here to take Hidden Talent even more. The fluff and intended crunch really plays up the 'Hidden' in Hidden Talent as well, of which I approve.

4/5

Power
Using her +1 Mind Blade as a Free Draw + Throw is the baseline damage for a Soulknife, which is fine (if weak) as a main routine. The emergency damage routine will instead be a Wild Surge Energy Ray for 6d6 energy damage vs Touch AC, with either more Damage(Fire/Cold) or an attack bonus(Elec), mitigating her low BAB and STR scores while avoiding any energy resistances her opponents may have. She can do this 4/day naturally (after buffs) with only a 5% Daze chance, and can find other sources of PP to further improve this rate. PBS helps both of these, as the only non-Hidden Talent feat taken.

Assuming 3 daily encounters with 6 rounds each:
4x 1d20+7 vs. Touch, for 6d6+7 (Fire/Cold) [5PP]
0x 1d20+10 vs. Touch, for 6d6+1 (Elec) [5PP]
14x 1d20+8 vs. AC, for 1d6+1 [0PP]

Average Damage: 9.7, increasing with PP (Methods unlisted/unknown)

Curiously, Julia's DPS actually improves if she instead focuses heavily on lesser Ray damage, rather than her Mind Blade. Using the same 20 PP across 18 rounds, her damage instead looks like:
2x 1d20+7 vs. Touch, for 3d6+4 (Fire/Cold) [1PP]
16x 1d20+7 vs. Touch, for 1d6+1 (Fire/Cold) [1PP]
0x 1d20+10 vs. Touch, for 6d6+1 (Elec) [5PP]
0x 1d20+8 vs. AC, for 1d6+1 [0PP]

Average Damage: 10.5, increasing with PP (Methods unlisted/unknown)

Julia may be better off simply Wild Surging as many small rays per day as she can, rather than holding out and throwing Mind blades. Even with these numbers, on average she should only get Dazed once per day. Though this is not the stated intent of the build, I found it interesting enough to share.

For non-damage combat utility, she has two useful debuff options on-hand, and her high AC lets her soak up attacks that would otherwise threaten the squishier members of a party. As a mid-line combatant, she can alternate between damage and debuffs, avoiding damage while blocking access to the backline.

Out of combat, Julia has Hide/Move/Spot for scouting, and Channel the Dragon gives her additional flexibility to play party face when needed. She can quickly fill in skill gaps in any party that will have her, without the need to wait/plan/prepare relevant options.

3.5/5 (Sorashana, 'Laine Bow)

Elegance
Julia is a straightforward build with no need to bend any RAW/RAI. Everything she does is easy to interpret and fully legal, all while managing to find and exploit a unique class opportunity.

3.5/5

Use of SI
5/6 levels in Soulknife, 13/15 'Soulknife-only' feats. The build is focused entirely around one niche of the Soulknife, but as in most optimization challenges, the goal is to find and exploit one thing well, not to do everything. However, the end result feels more like a Wilder than a Soulknife, and would potentially be better as a Soulknife 1/Wilder 4/Metamind 1 for free manifesting, +2 Wild Surge w/ Euphoria, and a second level power, while still loading up on Hidden Talent for PP and Powers.

4/5

Final Thoughts
I really love this as a Psionic build in E6, as it is just so much more fun and interesting than Psion 5/Prestige 1. The flexibility to bridge gaps and play different roles as needed will help a small party, and the fallback Mind Blade thrower routine does allow Julia to go all-day, once her PP reserve is empty. The idea is interesting enough that I can see myself building that Soulknife 1/Wilder 4/Metamind 1 based off of your idea here, and see how that goes as a ray-based 'Caster' build. Thanks for sharing, and thanks again for volunteering to Judge!

[DeTess]

Thanks for that, Ripptor!

[thorr-kan]

My apologies to everyone for dropping the ball on this. We had a sinkhole on our property and I managed to have both my laptop and my tablet brick themselves. So now I have a smartphone.

My apologies to our Chairman, my congratulations to our winners, and my thanks to our judges who stepped in the cover my sorry butt.

[DeTess]

Don't worry about it. Real life happens, and in your case it seemed to happen excessively.

[Zaq]

What Randuir said! Really sorry that you’re dealing with all that, and I hope you get it cleared up in short order!

[thorr-kan]

It's all settled. It just took so much bloody *time.* And it was time for me to lose the flip-phone anyways.

The sink-hole was fortunately yard and not house. It opened during a party we were having. Somehow it missed the kids, the incoming water line, the outgoing sewer line, and the natural gas lines. It wasn't too big or too deep, but we live in an old suburb. Everything had to be inspected before we could fill it.

In retrospect, if you're going to have a sinkhole, this is the way to do it. No actual damage, just a scare and a lot of frustration.

ETA: And thanks. Your understanding is appreciated.

[thorr-kan]

Before I volunteered to judge, then got bit by Life, I was toying with submitting this build. This would have marked the first time I'd been inspired by a specific piece of art and a specific TV quote. I present it here for posterity, and so it will GET. OUT. OF. MY. HEAD.

Theayarv Boneshadow, Guild Enforcer

"You know, as one deadly and unpredictable halfing, you are the smallest cargo I've ever had to transport for arson, yet by far the most troublesome. You just love fire."
"I dunno whatcher talkin' about..."
FWOOSH!

http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh240/thorr-kan/Theayarv%20Boneshadow.pngPicture courtesy the wizard Goblin, the Black Company Campaign Setting.

Theayarv (THEE-yarv) grew up in the city, running with other halfling and human urchins, doing scutwork and odd jobs for the local thieves' guild. But from an early age, he could feel a taint inside himself, and Theayarv was determined not to become a destitute beggar as so many age-mates had. Theayarv saw the wealth and power of the legitimate guilds. He was determined to get a piece of that action.

Puberty released his nascent psychic abilities and also manifested his tainted heritage. But a successful subcontracting run brought him to the attention of a local fortuneteller. The timing was perfect. Theayarv was accepted membership in the local soothsayers' guild just when officialdom cracked down on street gang activities. He'd successfully made the jump to legitimacy.

Theayarv lacked any fortunetelling ability, but there was always a need for guards, debt collectors, and leg-breakers. No one suspected the small halfling of being any one of those. He made himself useful and started developing his abilities. While serving the guild, Theayarv acquired Mau-Jehe, a short sword from the guild's treasure vaults. No one had used the weapon for awhile, but Theayarv sensed potential locked in the weapon.

After an unsuccessful collection attempt from a similarly tainted sorcerer, Theayarv developed an appreciation for the beauty and fury of the flame to counterweight his watery taint. He opened a sideline into arson nvestigation, culminating with burning a warehouse with the tainted sorcerer inside. These events channeled his psychic abilities from soulknife into pyrokinesis and finally allowed him to unlock Mau-Jehe's potential.

Theayarv now serves as his guild's primary troubleshooter. It's a job he's good at, and he enjoys it immensely. The halfling finally has the power, wealth, and respect he's coveted his entire childhood.

Theayarv stands 3'4" and weighs 38#. He has brown eyes, black hair, and tanned skin. But his features are vaguely disturbing, with bulging eyes, a rounded face, and a broad mouth with little nostrils. He appears well muscled, nimble, and balanced though he is a bit surly.



Level
Class
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Skills - (Skill points, ability bonuses, and racial bonuses, 4/level/soulknife, 2/level/pyrokineticist)
Feats
Class Features
Psionic Powers


1st
Soulknife 1
+0
+2
+6
+4
Autohypnosis/4 (Wis) +5, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/4 (Con) +5, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +8, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/1 (Wis) +4, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +6, Spot/1 (Wis) +2, and Tumble/1 (Dex) +4.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent)
Force Screen


2nd
Soulknife 2
+1
+2
+7
+5
Autohypnosis/5 (Wis) +6, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/5 (Con) +6, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +8, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/2 (Wis) +5, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +6, Spot/2 (Wis) +3, and Tumble/1 (Dex) +4.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent), Throw mind blade
Force Screen


3rd
Soulknife 3
+2
+3
+7
+5
Autohypnosis/6 (Wis) +7, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/7 (Con) +8, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +8, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/2 (Wis) +5, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +6, Spot/2 (Wis) +3, and Tumble/2 (Dex) +5.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus), Primary Contact (soothsayers' guild, Concentration, 3rd), Weapon Finesse (bonus)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent), Throw mind blade, ACF Bonus Feats (in place of psychic strike+1d8)
Force Screen


4th
Soulknife 4
+3
+3
+8
+6
Autohypnosis/7 (Wis) +8, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/8 (Con) +9, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +9, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/3 (Wis) +6, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +6, Spot/3 (Wis) +4, and Tumble/2 (Dex) +6.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus), Primary Contact (soothsayers' guild, Concentration, 3rd), Weapon Finesse (bonus)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent), Throw mind blade, ACF Bonus Feats (in place of psychic strike+1d8), +1 mind blade
Force Screen


5th
Soulknife 4/Pyrokineticist 1
+3
+5
+10
+6
Autohypnosis/7 (Wis) +8, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/9 (Con) +10, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +11, Intimidate/1 (Cha) +0, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/3 (Wis) +6, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +8, Spot/3 (Wis) +4, and Tumble/2 (Dex) +6.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus), Primary Contact (soothsayers' guild, Concentration, 3rd), Weapon Finesse (bonus), Least Legacy (Mau-Jehe, bonus)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent), Throw mind blade, ACF Bonus Feats (in place of psychic strike+1d8), +1 mind blade, Fire lash, Knife made mind, sneaky intentions
Force Screen


6th
Soulknife 4/Pyrokineticist 2
+4
+6
+11
+6
Autohypnosis/7 (Wis) +8, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/10 (Con) +11, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +11, Intimidate/2 (Cha) +1, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/3 (Wis) +4, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +8, Spot/3 (Wis) +4, and Tumble/2 (Dex) +6.
Simple Weapon Proficiency, Martial Weapon Proficiency (mind blade), Armor Proficiecy (light), Shield Proficiency (all), Favored (soothsayers' guild, 1st), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus), Hidden Talent (force screen, bonus), Primary Contact (soothsayers' guild, Concentration, 3rd), Weapon Finesse (bonus), Least Legacy (Mau-Jehe, bonus), Improved Unarmed Strike (6th)
Mind blade, Weapon Focus (mind blade), ACF Hidden Talent (for Wild Talent), Throw mind blade, ACF Bonus Feats (in place Of psychic strike+1d8), +1 mind blade, Fire lash, Fire adaptation, hand afire, Knife made mind, sneaky intentions, +1 ghost touch short sword
Force Screen


CG Amphibious Lightfoot Halfling
Soulknife 4/pyrokineticist 2
S-13
D-18 - +1 at 4th level
C-12
I-10
W-13
Ch-08

HP: 61 (10 +6(Con bonus) +(4*5.5(soulblade)) +(2*4.5(pyrokineticist)) +(9*2(PsiBody)) -4(Least Legacy))
AC: 17 (leather+Dex+size), flat-footed 13, touch 15
Init: +4
Damage: 1d4+1+2d6 (mind blade, firehand, +10 attack)
Manifester Level: 1 `
Power Points: 2

Skills - (Skill points, ability bonuses, and racial bonuses, 4/level/soulknife, 2/level/pyrokineticist)
Autohypnosis/7 (Wis) +8, Climb/0 (Str) +3, Concentration/10 (Con) +11, Craft (alchemy/1) (Int) +1, Hide/1 (Dex) +11, Intimidate/2 (Cha) +1, Jump/0 (Str) +3, Knowledge (psionics/2) (Int) +2, Listen/3 (Wis) +4, Move Silently/1 (Dex) +8, Spot/3 (Wis) +4, and Tumble/2 (Dex) +6.

(Feats, in order granted and sources)
SB1 - Favored (soothsayers' guild, CScape), Weapon Focus (mind blade, bonus, PH), Hidden Talent (bonus, force screen, XPH)
SB2 -
SB3 - Primary Contact (soothsayers' guild, Concentration, CScape), Weapon Finesse (bonus, PH)
SB4 -
PY5 - Least Legacy (Mau-Jehe, bonus, WoL)
PY6 - Improved Unarmed Strike (PH)

Epic (10)
1 - Two-Weapon Fighting (PH)
2 - Speed of Thought (XPH)
3 - Psionic Weapon (XPH)
4 - Psionic Body (XPH)
5 - Psionic Dodge (XPH)
6 - Combat Reflexes (PH)
7 - Up the Walls (XPH)
8 - Psionic Meditation (XPH)
9 - Ghost Attack (XPH)
10 - Focused Skill User (Concentration, Intimidate, Tumble) (CPsi)

Alternate Class Features Source
http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a

Hidden Talent
Your psionic talent is strong enough to manifest a single power.
Level: 1st
Replaces: Wild Talent class ability
Benefit: You gain the Hidden Talent feat instead of the Wild Talent feat at 1st level (see Expanded Psionic Handbook, page 67). You gain 2 psionic power points, can now learn any psionic feat for which you meet the prerequisites, can expend your psionic focus, and can gain a single 1st-level power from any list.
Special: Normally the Hidden Talent feat can be taken only once at 1st level, but a soulknife with this class ability can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining an additional 2 psionic power points and another 1st-level power.
The most common powers chosen with this class ability are force screen and inertial armor since they fit the theme of a soulknife, but many choose other powers.

Bonus Feats
You sacrifice power for skill and technique.
Level: 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th.
Replaces: You lose all psychic strike class abilities at the above levels.
Benefit: In place of the psychic strike class ability, you gain a bonus feat at each level above. You may choose any feat designed for soulknives (such as those in Complete Psionic) or any feat that your mind blade can benefit from, such as Power Attack or Improved Critical (also see the mind blade feats in Dragon Magazine #341 in the "Class Acts: Adventurer" article). You must meet any prerequisites for the feat you choose.



+2 Dexterity, –2 Strength: Halflings are quick, agile, and good with ranged weapons, but they are small and therefore not as strong as other humanoids.
Small: As a Small creature, a halfling gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but she uses smaller weapons than humans use, and her lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Halfling base land speed is 20 feet.
+2 racial bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks: Halflings are agile, surefooted, and athletic.
+1 racial bonus on all saving throws: Halflings are surprisingly capable of avoiding mishaps.
+2 morale bonus on saving throws against fear: This bonus stacks with the halfling’s +1 bonus on saving throws in general.
+1 racial bonus on attack rolls with thrown weapons and slings: Throw*ing and slinging stones is a universal sport among halflings, and they develop especially good aim.
+2 racial bonus on Listen checks: Halflings have keen ears.
Automatic Languages: Common and Halfling. Bonus Languages: Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Goblin, and Orc. Smart halflings learn the languages of their friends and enemies.
Favored Class: Rogue. A multiclasshalfling’srogue class does not count when determining whether she takes an experience point penalty for multiclassing (see XP for Multi*class Char*acters, page 60). Halflings have long had to rely on stealth, wit, and skill, and the vocation of rogue comes naturally to them.

CREATING AN AMPHIBIOUS CREATURE (Stormwrack, p135)
“Amphibious” is an inherited template that can be added to any humanoid or monstrous humanoid (referred to hereafter as the base creature).
An amphibious creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature gains the aquatic subtype, but its creature type and other subtypes are unchanged. Size is unchanged.
Speed: An amphibious creature gains a swim speed equal to half the normal land speed of the base creature (not including any adjustments for feats, class features, or other effects).
Special Qualities: An amphibious creature retains all the special qualities of the base creature and also gains the following special quality.
Amphibious: An amphibious creature can breathe air and water equally well.
Abilities: Adjust from the base creature as follows: Dex –2. Amphibious creatures are less agile and flexible than their surface kin.
Skills: An amphibious creature has a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. It can move through water at its swim speed without making Swim checks. The creature can always choose to take 10 on a Swim check, even if distracted or endangered. The creature can use the run action while swimming, provided it swims in a straight line.
Environment: Any (usually aquatic).
Level Adjustment: +0.

All the following are legacy item abilities of Mau-Jehe.
Knife Made Mind (Su): Beginning at 5th level, you can treat Mau-Jehe as a mind blade (see the sidebar). If you are a soulknife, the abilities of your mind blade stack with those of Mau-Jehe (except for enhancement bonuses), or you can use Mau-Jehe as a separate mind blade. In this latter case, the abilities of your mind blade and those of Mau-Jehe do not stack, since each weapon remains distinct from the other. When Mau-Jehe is used as a mind blade (or in combination with your soulknife mind blade), you take no nonproficiency penalty for wielding the sword.
Sneaky Intentions (Su): At 5th level, you gain a +2 competence bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
Hit Point Loss (Ex): At 6th level, you permanently lose 4 hit points from your total.


Force Screen
Psychokinesis [Force]
Level: Psion/wilder 1, psychic warrior 1
Display: Auditory
Manifesting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Power Points: 1
You create an invisible mobile disk of force that hovers in front of you. The force screen provides a +4 shield bonus to Armor Class (which applies against incorporeal touch attacks, since the force screen is a force effect). Since it hovers in front of you, the effect has no armor check penalty associated with it.
Augment: For every 4 additional power points you spend, the shield bonus to Armor Class improves by 1.