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Eldan
2008-11-06, 06:51 PM
This class, currently without a really good name, was an idea I had in the "why are soulknives underpowered"-thread. It consists, basically, of a mix of soulknife and ninja, and is still a work in progress. While writing, I realized that some of the ninja abilities aren't really all that useful, and replaced them with more mobility, and out came something that doesn't have much in common with the ninja at all.

The Ghostknife

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Mind Blade, Wild Talent, Weapon Finesse, Trapfinding
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3| Ghost step: Invisible, Greater Talent

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Ghost Strike +1d8

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|+1 mind blade, Mental Leap

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Free Draw, Martial Mindblade

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5| Mind Blade Enhancement +1, Speed of Thought

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Ghost Strike +2d8, Up the Walls

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|+2 mind blade

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6| Swift Strike

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7| Mind Blade Enhancement +2, Ghost Step: Ethereal

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7|Ghost Strike +3d8

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8| +3 mind blade, Evasion

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Knife to the Soul

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+9|
+9|Mind Blade Enhancement +3

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+9|Ghost Strike +4d8

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|+4 mind blade, Ghost Blade

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10| Exotic Mind Blade

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Mind Blade Enhancement +4, Ghost Walk

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Ghost Strike +5d8

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|+5 mind blade, Ghost Flurry[/table]

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: D8

Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex) Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex) Profession (Wis), Search (Int) Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (8 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Proficiencies: Ghostknives are proficient with all simple weapons, with their own mind blades, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Mind Blade (SU): As a move action, a ghostknife 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 light piercing or slashing melee or simple weapon chosen at character creation, of a size appropriate for it's wielder.
The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.

The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a ghostknife can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his blade, it dissipates. A mind blade can not be thrown. A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A ghostknife can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose mind blade for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade.

A ghostknife’s mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level).

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

Wild Talent: A ghostknife 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.)

Weapon Finesse: A ghostknife gains Weapon Finesse as a bonus feat at first level.

Trapfinding (Ex): A ghostknife can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20, and she can use Disable Device to bypass or disarm magical traps. See the rogue class feature of the same name.

Ghost Step (Su): Starting at second level, a ghostknife can spend power points to to become invisible. Using this ability is a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Every round that the ghostknife remains invisible, it has to spend one power point and use it's swift action to remain invisible.
At 10th level, a ghostknife becomes ethereal when using this ability.

Greater Talent (Ex): At second level, and at every level thereafter, the amount of power points the ghostknife gains from the Wild Talent feat increases by 1.

Ghost Strike (Su): As a move action, a ghostknife 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 target he successfully hits with a melee attack. Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects only take half the extra damage from Ghost Strike. (Unlike the rogue’s sneak attack, the ghost strike is not precision damage and can affect creatures otherwise immune to extra damage from critical hits.)

A mind blade deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, but a ghostknife can imbue his mind blade with psychic energy again by taking another move action.

Once a Ghostknife has prepared his blade for a ghost strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the Ghostknife 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 Ghostknife next materializes it.

At every four levels beyond 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the extra damage from a Ghostknife ’s ghost strike increases as shown on the Table above.

Mental Leap: A Ghostknife gains Mental Leap (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#mentalLeap) as a bonus feat at fourth level, even when he does not meet the prerequisites. Additionally, when using Mental Leap, the Ghostknife always counts as if he had a running start when using Mental Leap.

Free Draw: At 5th level, a ghostknife becomes able to materialize his mind blade as a free action instead of a move action. He can make only one attempt to materialize the mind blade per round, however.

Martial Mindblade (Su): At 5th level, the ghostknife can choose any one one-handed piercing or slashing martial weapon. From now on, he can manifest his mindblade in the form of this weapon. He can change the form of his mindblade as a move action.
Alternatively, he may choose to manifest his mindblade in the form of two weapons of the kind he chose at first level, one in each hand.

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

At every four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a Ghostknife can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A Ghostknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the ghostknife’s level.

The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the Ghostknife materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to any form the mind blade takes.

A Ghostkinfe can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his mind blade. To do so, he must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, the mind blade materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the Ghostknife.

Speed of Thought: A Ghostknife gains Speed of Thought (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#speedOfThought) as a bonus feat, even when he does not meet the prerequisites.

Up the Walls: A Ghostknife gains Up the Walls (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#upTheWalls) as a bonus feat on 7th level, even when he does not meet the prerequisites.

Swift Strike (Su): At 9th level, the Ghostknife can activate his ghost strike as a swift action.

Evasion: Beginning at 12th level, the Ghostknife can avoid damage from certain forms of attacks with a successfull Reflex save. (As the monk's class feature). He can only use this ability only if he's wearing light or no armor and is carrying no more than a light load.

Knife to the Soul (Su): Beginning at 13th level, when a ghostknife executes a ghost strike, the strike deals an additional point of Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma Damage (his choice).

He can decide to substitute extra dice for damage for more ability damage. For each die of extra damage he gives up, he deals 1 point of damage to the ability score he chooses.

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

Ghost Blade (Su): Beginning at 16th level, when activating his ghost strike, the Ghostknife may choose to pay 3 power points. When he chooses to do so, the strike is a touch attack and may affect incorporeal creatures normally.

Exotic Mind Blade (Su): At 17th level, the ghostknife can choose any one one-handed piercing or slashing exotic weapon. From now on, he can manifest his mindblade in the form of the chosen weapon. He can change the form of his mindblade as a move action.

Ghost Walk (Su): An 18th level ghostknife may enter th Ethereal Plane for an extended amount of time for a cost of 3 power points. This works like an Ethereal Jaunt spell with caster level equal to the Ghostknife's class level.

Ghost Flurry (Su): When a 20th level ghostknife uses his ghost strike, he may decide to pay an additional 5 power points. When he does so, the ghost strike extra damage, and ghost blade ability, when activated, are added to all attacks executed by the ghost knife before the beginning of his next turn.

Knaight
2008-11-06, 07:31 PM
Not bad. You might want to check out the Ghostblade in my sig while your at it, if for ideas to mine. And we seriously need those descriptions, otherwise this is more or less useless. Up the wall has a feat attached to it anyways, so either just give the feat over as a bonus feat, or change that to something else(maybe the ghost step from my class, which is sort of like yours if the ethereal bit indicates anything, if you want to borrow something, or fade.)

Eldan
2008-11-07, 01:31 PM
Yeah, sorry about not posting it, but as stated, it was already past 1AM.

BelGareth
2008-11-07, 03:11 PM
I Like this class it has lots of flavor, I'm somewhat skeptical about getting invisibility at 2nd level though, maybe 4th to match that of a spell caster?
Im thinking that there are just too many abilities, and taking everything a soulknife has and adding more just doesn't make it balanced(whether it is underpowered or not) i think you should remove the Enhancement ability for the soulknife as this one concentrates more on the stealth aspect and not the combat (direct i mean)


And names:
Ghost Blade, Soul Blade, Ghost Edge, Blades ghost, etc...

Eldan
2008-11-07, 03:15 PM
Okay, that should be all. Comments?

Bel'Gareth: Actually, this class was created by taking the Soulknife, which was seen as underpowered by pretty much everyone, and adding some of the stealth power of the ninja (Complete Adventurer), which was also believed to be underpowered (and it doesn't even have the ninja's Skirmish damage, since that would have been too much.) Also, please not that I also removed some abilities the Soulknife had, mainly all those dealing with thrown weapons.
Still, I'm not good with balance, and I'd be happy if someone could comment on it.

However, I won't remove the blade enhancement, since without that, it makes no sense to even use the mindblade, since it will just be worthless.

Human Paragon 3
2008-11-07, 03:49 PM
My thoughts:

--On the one hand, I like the elegance of using power points instead of the ninja Ki points. On the other hand, I'm seing some room for abuse by multiclassing. A level of Psion or Wilder (or a couple levels) will give the ghostknife a lot of power points to keep up his invisibility.

--I agree that level 2 might be too early for this effect, although on the other hand you'll only get 2 rounds of invisiblity unless you take another feat to enhance your PP pool. Then again, this might just be awesome. Hard to say.

--I think it would be cool if the ghostknife got a bonus to his psychic strike if his opponent is flat footed, say, an extra d8. This preserves the sneaky nature of the ninja. You could even start the progression at +0d8* (*1d8 if opponent is flat footed) and up the damage more often.

--The Exotic Ghost Blade ability should say that the ghostknife counts as proficient for whatever weapon he manifests.


--You made a couple typos in your write up. At one point you refer to Ghost Strike as Psychic Strike. Also, I think Greater Talent would be a better name for Greater Wild Talent. Just sounds cooler.

Eldan
2008-11-07, 04:05 PM
-Abuse by multiclassing might be a problem, however, a level of psion would, when only taken for power points, not much else (since using the points for powers would mean they couldn't be used for this class.) It could still be limited somehow.

-Two rounds in the beginning is pretty short. Also, the ninja gets it at the same level, and as far as I can tell, it's not too strong when they get it.

-That would be doable, but I think it would just give more abilities to a class that already seems a little crowded.

-It already says so in the proficiencies section, but I'll clarify it.

-Most typos are most likely due to me not being all that good at spelling complicated english words. Pointing them out would help.

Eldan
2008-11-09, 05:20 PM
No other comments? It would be nice to get some help from someone with a little homebrewing experience.

Ziegander
2008-11-09, 08:21 PM
I like your idea here, a lot. To people crying unbalanced, I think they are merely knee-jerking. I'm not just bragging, I have ALOT of homebrew experience. I've been working in homebrew material, creating, evaluating, for I dunno, five years now. I think I've gotten pretty good.

Anyway, to evaluate: 2nd level is fine for the Invisibility. You're right, the Ninja got it at the same level, and it was far from broken (or really even good). I see absolutely no problem with multiclassing Psion or something for the extra power points if you want. You're giving up something to gain something else. That's exactly what multiclassing should be for.

My only real point of concern with this is that you renamed Psychic Strike and got me all excited except that it does the same thing. If I were you I'd take off the move action power up thing, change the ability entirely. Say that the Ghostknife deals the extra damage while he's invisible, ethereal, or incorporeal, and also that in any of those situations he can damage incorporeal creatures as normal. Sounds more like a Ghost Strike to me!

Finally, check out my Lurkblade (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=15280174#post15280174). It's along the same design theory as this class (take the Soulknife, and some other weak class, smash them together see what happens!).

Knaight
2008-11-09, 11:59 PM
If anything it looks like it is trailing behind. Either up the BAB, or make ghost strike a swift action.

Eldan
2008-11-10, 02:15 AM
Well, good idea for a ghost strike there. Actually, I did only change one thing, and that is that the damage is no longer mind-affecting.

Can't comment more now, have to go.