Pact Bound Knight: Initiator/Binding PRC

[Silva Stormrage]

For the capstone, probably want to still let swordsage recovery work, even if it’s crap and redundant.

Edit: have a chance to go through. Costs on the influence uses?
Also, the Cha to hit and damage seems strong

Adaptive Style is a prerequisite for the class. Swordsages can use that feat to recover their maneuvers. I didn't specify all recovery mechanics because some homebrew martial class recovery mechanics may break it. So any recovery mechanic that recovers 2+ maneuvers at a time triggers the effect. If the initiator can't do so with their regular recovery mechanic they can use their Adaptive Style feat instead.

Influence Uses are one influence point per use unless otherwise noted. I will clarify this.

Cha to Hit and damage may seem strong but its offset mostly by forcing the Pact Bound Knight to 1) Use terrible weapons for the most part. Vestige weapons and natural attacks aren't particularly good. and 2) Balance the fact that the class needs to be fairly MAD. Needing Str/Dex, Con and Cha.

For reference, here was Krimm Blackleaf's take on this. Your class is better in general but Krimm's Weapon Binding and Stance of Those Beyond seem cool and worth incorporating.

First thing, give it its own maneuver known/readied/stance columns or else people will advance by 1.5 ILs for each level in the class. (I guess you could instead include a special clarifying clause to prevent this.)

I would change Soul-Guided Strike to only apply when making attacks that are part of maneuvers.

Influence Pool is too complicated. I like this particular condition: "If the Pact Bound Knight kills or knocks an enemy unconscious with a natural or manufactured weapon granted to him by a vestige." Sacrificing maneuvers to a vestige is also potentially cool, though confusing fluffwise -- what's actually happening here? The other two conditions should be deleted.

Vestiges of Weaponry seems inessential.

Martial Lore from the Void is a little generic -- to give it flavor, maybe give every vestige 1 or 2 specific disciplines that they allow access to. To make that more fun, maybe having the vestige bound makes you count as having 1 additional maneuver in that discipline for the purpose of maneuver prerequisites (maybe increasing to 2 additional at a higher level of the class?).

Improved Soul-Guided Strike I would have simply be what you originally had Soul-Guided Strike as, plus perhaps +cha to special vestige granted special attacks.

Soul Wound is synergistic but the penalty is too high. Reduce to -2 or -3.

Ah darn I didn't know of any other binding/initiating dual PRCs I thought I was being original XD. Still that class is interesting. I do like the stances of the beyond feature. I think this PRC is already too filled with class features though, I think I will make it a feat that grants a similar ability that Pact Bound Knights can take.

I don't think anyone would realistically expect a dual progression PRC to advance their initiator levels 1.5 times. Anyone attempting that should have a DMG book thrown at their head. The class clearly states that they advance as their previous class and ToB states that any class that grants martial maneuvers progress IL by 1, which Pact Bound Knight clearly does.

I really think Soul Guided Strike is fine as is, the character already had to lose some BAB from their binder levels and most of the weapons granted by vestiges are fairly weak. Making it apply to any weapons when you use a maneuver kinda ruins the point of trying to make the pact bound knight use the weapons granted by the vestiges. It would also be a fairly powerful buff.

What aspect of Influence Pool do you think is too complicated? Its a pool of points you add to and then spend? Do you mean it has too many options to both gain points and spend on? I do agree with you on the fluff for sacrificing maneuvers though now that I think on it. It kinda makes sense for SU maneuvers but even then doesn't the vestige want the binder to USE those maneuvers? I will have to think on reworking some of those ways to gain influence points.

Vestiges of Weaponry: I am firmly of the opinion that binders get too few vestiges and since this PRC already delays their second vestige further I am 100% fine with giving them an extra vestige a bit early.

Martial Lore from the Void: I like being able to grant any discipline because of the vast amount of homebrew disciplines available. Often times I see those disciplines be used by one character in a campaign and then never touched on again. In addition I didn't want to prevent homebrew vestiges from being used without having to force the DM/player to assign disciplines to every single new vestige. Perhaps I should adjust the fluff for this ability though and make it clear that the vestiges are drawing on their experiences from their past/connection with other pact bound knights.

Ya Soul Wound worked better at the massive +5 bonus when this class had fewer class features and other bonuses. Reducing that to a -2 penalty makes more sense.

Thanks for the review and feedback!