Telekinetic Bladestorm (PEACH)

[DracoDei]

Well well well......we have a contender......

AGES back, bobthe6th started a project which ended up a 3 way collaboration which took about a year to complete, and ended in quite a stupendous (and granted, slightly huge) non-power using telekinetic psion base class. If you're looking for things to do with TK wielded weapons then perhaps you'd like to peruse it for inspiration, a reasonable chunk of the (massive) thread may have relevance to you also, along with the other miscellaneous feats and PrC. It's all in my signature under 'Telekineticist' etc...(it IS a smidgen on the WoT side, but I think it's worth the read, just give yourself a clear half hour!)

I'll try to take a look at that for inspiration!

Regarding this class as it stands, the text needs a lot of cleaning up and it's a little unclear in places,

Which places and what about each is unclear/how can I clear each on up. Very often I literally have no way of knowing such things due to a minor disability I have.

Granted, I DO know "if it is in the table, it needs to be in the text" which is something I'm going to be making happen, but it isn't as important to me as making the abilities I've already created paragraphs for clear since once that is done WELL, created the other stuff becomes trivial if it wasn't already. In other words, I'm pretty sure I could write out the Levitate Self stuff when the time comes without any major hiccups, and if I get Orbiting Blades worded exactly right to everyone's satisfaction, then I am DARN sure that both the self-levitation/self-flight stuff can be handled as a matter of mere grunt-work PLUS the same will be true for the Blade Barrier ability.

but the idea seems solid if a little limited. Is there a plan for other abilities within this class, because if not I see it having issues at about the same time as the fighter does, when all you can do is hit stuff in new and more painful ways.

Well, I did give them Levitate and transitioning into Fly effects, and I might accelerate the levels those are gained at. Flight is a really big deal in D&D, and not having to worry about an item for it can free up a bunch of gold for "toys". I suppose I COULD also give them UMD to make that effect even stronger, perhaps with the caviat that skill ranks bought with skill point from this class can ONLY be used for arcane items, not divine ones.

More appropriate to that image might be them being able to grant flight to their allies at some point along the way. Maybe starting out with Feather Fall type stuff, and perhaps also including a "Throw Ally" type option.

I suppose I could give them the ability to telekinetically bull-rush opponents around, but somehow that doesn't fit with the image in my head. They can definitely do disarms, and sunders with any weapon, and trips with appropriate weapons... maybe include a paragraph on doing bull-rushes and over-runs with tower shields at no size penalty (Heavy Shield might be a -4). Or I can put Rope Use on the class skill list and let that play into grappling by entangling and constricting enemies. Yeah... I think I'm getting some possibilities with combat maneuvers here...

But yeah, this class is "make the fighter cry" level stuff, I'm not really going for even "keep up with the sorcerer". That being said, that is a thematic decision, not a mechanical design goal, so I'd welcome ways to improve that.

OH! I'm also planning on giving them an Improved Uncanny Dodge-esque immunity to flanking (all that work multi-tasking widely separated parts of the battle-field pays off), and the ability to do a little sneak-attack damage, but only when flanking someone with two or more of their telekinetically wielded weapons. Granted, that is a passive ability and a "bigger numbers" ability, but it accentuates the "The fighter gets to play a guy with a pointy object, I get to play a bunch of different invisible people with pointy objects all at once... I have fun by virtue of being a squad unto myself" (the druid gets to play a creature with pointy bits, plus be another creature with pointy bits, the wizard gets to play the personification of armegeddon in various forms including boatloads of creatures with pointy bits and spells of their own if you go the summoning route).

All that being said, the ability to threaten 27 squares (81 cubes) at 6th level by triple-wielding swords that are all at least 15' apart is nothing to sneeze at for battle-field control. Throw on some (spiked) guantlets and you even threaten your own natural reach (albeit for pitiful damage). And Blade Barrier is DEFINITELY nothing to sneeze at, especially when it counts as a bunch of things for penetrating DR/Regen and ignores Spell Resistance since it is made out of physical objects rather than force-constructs. Getting back to the "AoOs count as Battlefield Control at sufficient intensities": maybe I should pull a tiny bit more in from the wall's-o-text behemoth that is the Grace-Gift and give them bonus damage on AoOs? Probably just class level to damage, or maybe even just half of that). Or give them "Stand Still" as a bonus feat? Perhaps they get to pick one or the other?

Not that this is a bad thing, it's just limited (I personally enjoy the bashy bashy approach) since a lot of people want a little more choice with actions at higher levels. Of course, you can pull the whole 'Magneto Effect' from very early levels, so you have plenty of cool factor going.

The damage ratios and numbers of attacks seem reasonable, and I don't think it comes off too strong. I especially approve of the way you have dealt with different materials amongst your orbiting shrapnel btw, makes a lot of sense and is well worded to convey the meaning without need for a small essay. Often-times I have found that wording is the hardest part when writing TK abilities!

I'm aware you often throw these ideas out there, then refine the text over a couple of days (a good way of working if the idea needs to come out in a hurry) so I'll check back once the wording is cleaned up and give a proper review.