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Solaris
2008-10-24, 06:04 AM
In my defense, tables are not my friends. Here's the ghost elf soulknife substitution levels, perhaps more to follow.

Ghost Elf Soulknife
When the ghost elves brought with them knowledge of the mind blade from the Tempering in the Netherworld, the art was still in its infancy. In the years since, with time to assume a semblance of living in the mortal realms of Arken, the schools that formerly trained but one style have begun to hone the art into a multitude of arts. These substitution levels represent the most predominant style to emerge among the ghost elves since the Tempering ended, the Whispering Phantasm. The Whispering requires speed and agility, endowing the fighter with almost supernatural defenses and superior combat speed.
Hit Dice: d8

Requirements: To take levels in this substitution class, a character must be a ghost elf about to take his first, third, or fifth level of soulknife.

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Mind Blade, Weapon Focus (Mind Blade), Phantasm Defense, Fast Movement
3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Psychic Strike +1d8, Flurry of Blows
5 +3 +1 +4 +4 free draw, shape mind blade, Improved Phantasm Defense

Class Skills
The ghost elf soulknife's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana)* (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).
*Knowledge (psionics) is interchangeable with Knowledge (arcana)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Proficiencies: The ghost elf soulknife does not gain proficiency with any sort of armor if he takes the substitution level at 1st level. He gains the normal number of weapon group proficiencies (Basic, plus three more).

New Class Features
The following are class features added onto the soulknife's list and gained at the appropriate levels mentioned. For a hint, they're pretty much lifted directly from the monk base class.

Phantasm Defense (Ex): A soulknife is highly trained at dodging blows, and he has a sixth sense that lets him avoid even unanticipated attacks. When unarmored and unencumbered, the soulknife adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to his AC.

These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the soulknife is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.

Fast Movement (Ex): At 1st level, the soulknife gains an enhancement bonus that increases his speed by 10 feet. At 6th and every three levels after, this enhancement bonus increases by another 10 feet. The soulknife loses this extra speed if wearing armor (even light armor) or carrying a medium or heavy load.

Flurry of Blows (Ex): When wielding the mind blade or unarmed, the soulknife may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy starting at third level. When doing so, he may make one extra attack in a round at his highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -2 penalty to hit, as does each other attack made that round. The resulting modified base attack bonuses are shown in the Flurry of Blows Attack Bonus column on Table 3-10: The Monk, in the PHB. This penalty applies for 1 round, so it also affects attacks of opportunity the soulknife might make before his next action. When the soulknife reaches 5th level, the penalty lessens to -1, and at 9th level it disappears. A soulknife must use a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows.

When using flurry of blows, the soulknife may only make unarmed strikes, attacks with the mind blade(s), or attacks with natural weapons. He may attack with any or all of these weapons interchangeably as desired.
In the case of the soulknife dual-wielding mind blades (as he can do at 5th level with the Shape Mind Blade ability), he may apply the flurry of blows to the offhand attacks normally. Penalties do stack - that is to say, flurrying with both mind blades has a penalty of -2 to all attack rolls. At 9th level this penalty disappears altogether, as per normal. The soulknife still retains normal dual-wielding penalties.

When a soulknife reaches 11th level, his flurry of blows ability improves. In addition to the standard single extra attack, he gets a second extra attack at his full base attack bonus.

Improved Phantasm Defense (Ex): If he has the Phantasm Defense class feature, the ghost elf soulknife gains a +1 bonus to AC at 5th level as his ability to avoid harm increases with experience. This bonus increases by 1 for every five soulknife levels thereafter (+2 at 10th, +3 at 15th, and +4 at 20th level). These bonuses to AC apply even against touch attacks or when the soulknife is flat-footed. He loses these bonuses when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load. These bonuses stack with the bonuses from the AC Bonus class feature.

Altered Class Features
The following are class features of the soulknife that these substitution levels change.

Mind Blade (Su): In addition to the normal elements of the mind blade, the mind blade also gains the ghost touch enhancement. It ignores the usual requirement that the weapon have an enhancement bonus before picking up a special ability.

Ghost elves theorize that their mind blade is somehow intrinsically linked to their glowskin; a ghost elf soulknife cannot materialize his mind blade while suppressing his glow.

Shape Mind Blade (Su): At 5th level, a soulknife gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a full-round action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a scimitar (damage 1d6, crit range 18-20 x2). He gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls made with this form of the mind blade, one that stacks with other bonuses to hit. The weapon focus, weapon specialization, and other such feats for heavy blades still do not apply to the mind blade, regardless of what form it takes.

Alternatively, a soulknife can split his mind blade into two identical short swords, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand, or a spiked chain (damage 2d4, crit range 20 x2). (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) However, both mind blades have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the soulknife would otherwise create with a single mind blade. For example, a 12th-level soulknife normally creates a single +3 mind blade, but he could use this ability to instead materialize two +2 mind blades.

This ability lasts until the soulknife changes the mind blade's form. When next he manifests the blade, it is in the form it had the last time he manifested it.

And as a little bonus, stats for the homebrewed (and seriously improved) spiked chain I use in my campaign. Because I like spiked chains, that's why.
Spiked Chain
Cost: 25 marks (gp)
Damage - Critical: 2d4 - x2
Size: Two-Handed Melee Weapon
Weight: 10 lbs
Damage Type: P and B or S and B

A spiked chain has reach, so you can strike opponents 10 feet away with it. In addition, unlike most other weapons with reach, it can be used against an adjacent foe.

Because the chain can wrap around an enemy's leg or other limb, you can make trip attacks with it. If you are tripped during your own trip attempt, you can drop the chain to avoid being tripped.

When using a spiked chain, you get a +2 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails).

You can use the Weapon Finesse feat (PHB p 102) to apply your Dexterity modifier instead of your Strength modifier to attack rolls with a spiked chain sized for you, even though it isn't a light weapon for you.

As a move action, you can shift your grip so that you use the spiked chain as a double weapon with two identical heads instead of a reach weapon. The Quick Draw feat lets you do this as a free action either before or after your attack. One head is treated as a one-handed melee weapon, while the off-hand head is treated as a light melee weapon. You take a -4 penalty to attack rolls while using the spiked chain as a double weapon unless you have Exotic Double Weapon Proficiency.
Proficiencies: Exotic Weapons, Flails and Chains