Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

[Biscuit]

Soulknife Substitution Levels


Changeling Soulknife Substitution Levels:
Add Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, and Slight of Hand to your class skills.
2nd level: Gain Charlatan Blade & Lose Weapon Focus at lvl 2, and Greater Weapon Focus at lvl 9.
5th level: Gain Charismatic Blade & Lose 5th level Bonus Blade Shape
10th level: Gain Adaptable Blade & Lose Serrated Edge

Charlatan Blade: Your Mind Blade's numerical to-hit bonus is applied as a moral bonus to all your Cha-based skill checks. As a secondary effect, your Mind Blade can be made to look like a normal, mundane steel weapon with none of the normal manifestations of magical weapon abilities (a lack of flames while still having the Flaming property, for example) as a free action with a simple mental command. It can also be returned to it's normal visual appearance as a free action the same way. This only effects visual appearance, and does nothing to prevent other means of determining the Mind Blade's magical properties.

When you have at least 8 Ranks in Slight of Hand, you can also manifest your Mind Blade with a flourish as if you are drawing it from a hidden place on your body with the Quick Draw feat, adding to the illusion that it is simply a mundane steel weapon.


Charismatic Blade: You may use your Charisma modifier instead of Wisdom modifier as a bonus to mind blade damage if it is higher than your Strength score. This also applies when using Arrow Shape.

When you have at least 12 Ranks in Bluff, you can also use your Charisma modifier instead of Strength modifier for your attack bonus (or instead of your Dexterity modifier in the case of ranged or finesse attacks), but only as long as you have the maximum ranks allowed by your level in both the Bluff and Slight of Hand skills. Doing so counts as using a Skill Trick, but can be used a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier instead of only once per day.


Adaptable Blade: Your Mind Blade is always considered to have the Elemental Aura weapon ability, without an associated cost. Elemental Aura weapons may add an additional amount of damage from an element of the wielder's choice (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic), exactly as described under the flaming special weapon ability, including bestowing an additional 1d6 points of damage of the appropriate elemental subtype on a normal hit. Determining the weapon's elemental aura is a free action that may be taken no more than once per round (thus, you can't change the subtype between iterative attacks in the same round).

When you have at least 16 ranks in the Disguise skill, you can change the appearance of your blade so that it appears to be wreathed in any of the five elements the Adaptable Blade skill allows, no matter what energy type it is actually set to. Therefore, your blade can look as if it is wreathed in flame, even when doing Cold damage, or look wreathed in lightning while doing acid damage, etc.



Dragonblood Soulknife Substitution Levels:
Add Diplomacy, Knowledge (Arcana), and Use Magic Device to your class skills.
2nd Level: Gain Dragon Aura & Lose Weapon Focus (and Greater Weapon Focus at level 9).
3rd level: Gain Psychic Breath & Lose Psychic Strike and Knife to the Soul
5th level: Gain Draconic Mind & Lose your bonus blade shape normally gained at level 5.

Dragon Aura: At level 2, by giving up Weapon Focus (and Greater Weapon Focus in the future), you gain a Dragon Aura of your choice, as if you had the Dragon Aura Feat, even if you do not meet the requirement of being a character of 3rd level. However, the strength of your Dragon Aura is not determined by the feat, but instead matches your current maximum Mind Blade numerical bonus to-hit. Further, the range of your Aura is only 10 feet instead of 30 feet at level 2, but extends by an additional 5 feet for each Dragonblood Substitution Level you take.

When you would normally gain Greater Weapon Focus at level 9, your aura's range is doubled to 60 feet instead, as is any other Dragon Auras from other sources you may have or gain later from other sources.


Psychic Breath: Instead of gaining the Psychic Strike class feature, you gain a Psychic Breath Weapon. By expending your Psionic Focus, as a swift action, you can unleash a 15' Cone or 30' Line of Psychic Damage equal to +2d6 for each d8 of Psychic Strike feature progression that you would have otherwise gained. After using this ability, you must wait 1d4 rounds before you are able to make a concentration check to regain your psionic focus. Unlike normal energy-based breath weapons, Psychic Breath is halved by a successful Will save (10 + + 1/2 Class Level rounded up + your Wisdom Modifier) instead of a Reflex save. This is a Mind-Effecting effect just as Psychic Strike is, and those immune to Psychic Strike are also immune to Psychic Breath.

Feats, spells, and other mechanics that effect or progress either Breath Weapons or Psychic Strike work with Psychic Breath as well. However, Metabreath feats do not increase rounds between breath usage, but instead increase the number of rounds that you must wait before attempting to regain psionic focus when used to power a Psychic Breath.


Draconic Mind: You become immune to all fear effects. You also gain a bonus to saves vs all other Mind-Effecting effects equal to your Mind Blade's maximum numerical to-hit value that stacks with all other sources.

Any effect designed to detect or read your thoughts now only returns a ferocious dragon's roar - If the spell or effect originates from a caster and it allows for a save, the caster is deafened by the roar if you succeed. The resulting deafness is permanent unless magically healed, but those immune to your Psychic Breath are also immune to this effect as well. This secondary effect can be suppressed or reactivated as an free action.



Elf Soulknife Substitution Levels:
Add Gather Information, Knowledge (Nature), and Survival to your class skill list.
1st level: Gain Elven Blade & Limit your ability to select a Default Blade Shape.
5th level: Gain Entangling Blade & Limit what you can select as your 5th level Bonus Blade Shape.
8th level: Gain Channelling Blade & Limit what you can select as your 8th level Bonus Blade Shape.


Elven Blade: You gain the benefit of the Weapon Finesse feat when utilizing your Mind Blade as a Melee Weapon.

At level 5, your Mind Blade is always considered to have the Illuminating weapon ability, without an associated cost. This effect can be surpressed or resumed as a free action. Illuminating weapon ability causes your weapon to glows like a torch, illuminating a 20-foot radius and providing shadowy illumination out to a 40-foot radius.

Special: Your default blade shape can only be chosen from the following list: Elven Lightblade, Elven Thinblade, or an Elven Courtblade.


Entangling Blade: When you successfully land a critical hit with your Mind Blade, the struck target is effected by the augmented Entangling Ectoplasm psionic power. The power is automatically augmented to increase the target's size limits as if the maximum power points of a manifester of half your Soulknife level were spent to do so.

Special: Your 5th level blade shape choice can only be chosen from the following list: Elven Lightblade, Elven Thinblade, or an Elven Courtblade. Ignore this restriction if you already have all three blade shapes.


Channelling Blade: Any psionic power you manifest that targets one or more creatures gains one of the following possible augments:

• Augment for single target powers: By expending 1 additional power point, you can make a single attack with your Mind Blade as part of the manifestation, and the power is delivered along with the attack. If the attack fails to land, all power points are still spent, but the power does not manifest.
• Augment for multiple-target powers: By expending 3 additional power points, you can make a full-round with your Mind Blade as part of the manifestation, and the power is delivered along with each attack. If you strike the same target multiple times, the power effects the target seperately for each successful strike, up to the maximum target variable of the power in question. If all of the attacks fails to land, all power points are still spent, but the power does not manifest.

Special: Your 8th level blade shape choice can only be chosen from the following list: Elven Lightblade, Elven Thinblade, or an Elven Courtblade. Ignore this restriction if you already have all three blade shapes.



Kalashtar Soulknife Substitution Levels:
Add Disguise, Knowledge (The Planes), and Sense Motive to your class skills.
1st level: Gain Aligned Blade & Lose your ability to select a Default Blade Shape.
8th level: Gain Mental Blade & Lose your 8th level Bonus Blade Shape.
11th level: Gain Parrying Blade & Lose your 11th level Bonus Blade Shape.

Aligned Blade: Your Mind Blade is always treated as both your alignments (Good/Evil & Lawful/Chaotic). At level 10, alignment specific weapon enhancement abilities (Anarchic, Axiomatic, Holy, Unholy) are treated as +1 Abilities instead of their normal cost of +2 when determining your Mind Blade's Weapon Enhancements.

If you are True Neutral, you can instead choose to deal non-lethal damage with your Mind Blade, and at level 10, your Mind Blade is instead always considered to have the Merciful weapon ability, without an associated cost.

Special: Your default blade shape can only be a Dagger or Short Sword.


Mental Blade: When you must make a Will Save caused by a hostile enemy's spell or power, you may choose to expend your psionic focus as an immediate action to make an attack roll with your currently manifested Mind Blade vs their Touch AC. Should the attack succeed, roll damage as normal. If your mind blade was charged with a Psychic Strike when this ability is triggers, that damage is included if the attack succeeds. When this ability triggers, your Mind Blade is unmanifested and cannot be reformed until your next turn. This is a Mind-Effecting effect just as Psychic Strike is, and those immune to Psychic Strike are also immune to Mental Blade.

Special: You cannot attempt to regain your psionic focus for 1d4 rounds after triggering this ability.


Balanced Blade: When using a melee Blade Shape, your Mind Blade is always considered to have the Parrying weapon ability, without an associated cost. The Parrying weapon ability adds a passive +1 Insight bonus to AC and +1 Insight Bonus to all Saves.

When manifesting your Mind Blade with Arrow Shape, however, it instead is considered to have the Phasing weapon ability.



Warforged Soulknife Substitution Levels:
Add Craft, Disable Device, and Open Lock to your class skills.
1st Level: Gain Armblade Shape & Lose Default Blade Shape Choice & your lvl 5 Bonus Blade Shape.
2nd level: Gain Heavy Bolt Shape & Lose Arrow Shape
5th level: Gain Overcharge & Lose Mind over Matter (You cannot take this substitution level if you are using the Psionic Talent alternate class feature).

Armblade Shape: Your hands have been specially crafted with an alternate design function, and bear large slots on the backs that extends up your forearms. When manifesting your Mind Blade, your wrist snaps into alignment with your forearm as it manifests extending out from the aforementioned slot. Your Default Blade Shape is that of an Armblade, that uses the same statistics as a bastard sword.

If you acquire the Dual Mind Blades feat, you would use it by activating both slots at the same time. Any Bonus Mind Blade Shape that you take in the future functions the same way - extending from one or both of the slots on the back of your hands. If you acquire the Mind Shield feat, you would also manifest the shield from your off-hand's slot.

Special: Because of the unique way you manifest your Mind Blades, you cannot be disarmed when using your manifested Mind armaments (Mind Blade or Blades &/or Mind Shield, if applicable). You do not, however, get a Bonus Blade Shape at level 5. All your Mind Blade Shapes are always considered to be 'Warforged Weapons'.


Heavy Bolt Shape: Instead of manifesting an arrow-like Mind Blades above your open palm, you instead launch Your Mind Blade in thick bolts fired from the slot on the back of your hand. The Range is much shorter than that of the normal Arrow Shape, being only 10 feet + 10 more feet times the numerical bonus of your Mind Blade (for example, a level 2 Soulknife that has a +1 Mind Blade would have a range of 20 feet, while a level 19 Soulknife would with a +5 Mind Blade would have a range of 60 feet). However, its lack of range is made up for in extra power, dealing 2d6 base damage with a critical hit multiplier of 20/x3.

Special: For the purposes of weapon-specific feats, this is considered to be both a Heavy Crossbow and a Hand Crossbow that does not require reloading - therefore it is eligible to be used with the Two-Weapon Fighting mechanics when making full attacks.


Overcharged Weaponry: When manifesting a Mind Blade, you may choose to manifest them as one size category larger than would normally be appropriate for your current size, and causes them to become even deadlier. You are still considered proficient with them, as always, and suffer no penalties to-hit for using oversized weapons. However, doing so uses energy that is normally used to maintain the state of your living construct body, and causes ability damage to your constitution equal to your Mind Blade's numerical bonus (2 at level 6, 3 at level 10, etc.).

The ability damage caused by Overcharged Weaponry cannot exceed your Mind Blade's maximum numerical bonus value at any given time, so once you have used the ability, you can continue to manifest the larger weapons with no additional penalties (a Constitution of 0 means that the character is dead). However, if you heal any or all of the ability damage (naturally at a rate of 1 per 24 hours, or by some other psionic or magical means), the ability damage maxes out once again at your Mind Blade's current maximum numerical bonus value once you use Overcharged Weaponry again.

This ability does not stack with other means of using larger weaponry or increasing weapon's size category for calculating damage, with the exception of the 'Serrated Edge' Soulknife Class Ability. If you do not have a constitution score, this class feature causes ability damage to your Charisma instead (a Charisma of 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a catatonic, coma-like stupor, and is considered helpless).




Soulknife Feats


Mind Shield
[Psionic]
You wield your spirit as both weapon and shield.
Prerequisites: The ability to generate a Mind Blade.
Benefit: When manifesting a one-handed Mind Blade, you may opt to simultaneously manifest a Mind Shield. The shield is virtually weightless, hovers above your wrist and moves with your arm as if it were held in place with straps like a normal shield, but leaves your hand free to hold something else. The Mind Shield provides a base shield bonus of +2 and does not apply an armor check penalty. You may choose to transfer some of the Mind Blade's power to the Mind Shield, when manifesting them. For example, a level 6 Soulknife could choose to manifest a +1 Mind Blade and a +1 Mind Shield instead of a +2 Mind Blade and an unmodified Mind Shield. Mind Shields cannot be granted special abilities, however.

Manifesting the Force Screen power will not function normally while equipped with a Mind Shield, and instead will bolster your Mind Shield by half of the armor bonus normally provided by the effect (rounded down). Mind Shield can only be bolstered by one such effect at a time, and will assume the bonus of the most powerful effect in play at any given time.

Special: As they are treated as the same manifested object, when either the Mind Blade or the Mind Shield dissipates, so too does the other.



Bludgeoning Blade Shapes
[Psionic, Fighter Bonus Feat]
Your arsenal's variety becomes even more varied.
Prerequisites: The ability to manifest a Mind Blade.
Benefit: When selecting additional blade shapes, you do not have to limit yourself to cutting or piercing weapons. Instead of an edge, you can form your psychic energy into blunt weaponry.

Special: Unlike slashing or piercing Blade Shapes, a Bludgeoning Blade Shape only gains increased damage based on Strength and gain no benefit whatsoever from a high Wisdom score, even if that attribute is greater than the Soulknife's Strength ability score.



Dancing Mind Blade
[Psionic]
Your Mind Blade no longer needs to be wielded with a physical body, allowing the Soulknife the opportunity to focus on something other than personal combat if needed.
Prerequisites: The ability to manifest a Mind Blade with a +4 Enhancement.
Benefit: You can select the Dancing weapon ability for your mind blade. If you do, you no longer need to manifest the Mind Blade in your hand, but can manifest it anywhere within 30ft of the Soulknife, and it will attack any target the Soulknife designates, using the statistics of the Soulknife as if they were wielding it. The Mind Blade still dissipates at the end of the round, unless the Soulknife takes physical hold of it before the end of the round. This technique is most often used to make a full attack on a target while the Soulknife moves, performs another action, or both. If a Soulknife manifests a Dancing Blade, they must wait 1d4 rounds before doing so again - however, they can manifest other variations normally during that time.

The soulknife with the Dual Mind Blade or Mind Shield feats may designate one manifestation as a Dancing Blade, dividing the enhancement bonus appropriately as indicated by that feat.

Special: This enhancement can only be used with a melee weapon Blade Shape.



Practiced Mind Blade
[Psionic]
Your Mind Blade is as sharp as your brethren's, despite your deviation from the way of the Soulknife.
Prerequisite: The ability to manifest a Mind Blade.
Benefit: Your Soulknife level when calculating your Mind Blade's numerical enhancement bonus increases by four. This benefit can't increase your Soulknife level higher than your Hit Dice. For example, a human 6th-level Soulknife/4th-level Fighter who selects this feat would increase his Soulknife level for calculating their Mind Blade's enhancement bonus from 6th to 10th (since he has 10 Hit Dice), allowing them to manifest their Mind blade with a +3 Enhancement Bonus instead of +2. This feat does not affect your Mind Blade's weapon enhancement special abilities. It only increases your Soulknife level in regards to the numerical +x Mind Blade class feature, which applies to Attack Bonus and Damage.



Dual Mind Blades
[Psionic, Fighter Bonus Feat]
One mind blade is not enough for you - shields are pointless because the best defense is a strong offense.
Prerequisite: The ability to Manifest a Mind Blade, Two-Weapon Fighting, BAB of +5 or greater
Benefit: Instead of manifesting a single Mind Blade, you can manifest two identical Mind Blades - one in your main hand, and one in an off-hand. Any bonuses from the Mind Blade or Weapon Enhancement features must be split between the two weapons. For example, if you have a +3 bonus, you could chose to manifest one as a +2 and the other as a +1, or have one be a +3 while the other receives no enhancement bonus. Any weapon abilities granted to the second Mind Blade must have already been selected for the original mind blade's configuration.

This does not function with Mind Blades in Arrow Shape, and only functions for Mind Blades in the Shape of a melee weapon. This feat cannot be activated while also manifesting a Mind Shield.

Special: Mind Blades are always considered light weapons for the purposes of Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse.



Flickering Blade
[Psionic, Fighter Bonus Feat]
Instead of manifesting a Mind Blade in preparation for battle, you manifest your blade only when you've already begun an attack.
Prerequisite: Quick Manifest class feature, Duel Mind Blades feat, BAB of +10 or greater
Benefit: Flickering in and out of existence your Mind Blade is only there when you need it. Striking at someone as if already wielding a Mind Blade in your empty hand, your Mind Blade manifests in your hand mid-attack and just as quickly dissipates after the attack has resolves, re-manifesting for each iterative attack. If you have the ability to attack with weapons in more than one hand, your Mind Blade manifests where such weapon(s) would be as you begin off-hand attacks as well. When using the Flickering Blade technique, your off-hand attacks with your Mind Blade use your full Mind Blade's enhancement bonus since you only ever manifest a single blade at any given time, so your off-hand attacks gain the benefit of any of your Mind Blade's special abilities that it has been configured with.

This does not function with Mind Blades in Arrow Shape, and only functions for Mind Blades in the Shape of a melee weapon. This feat cannot be activated while also manifesting a Mind Shield.

Special: Mind Blades are always considered light weapons for the purposes of Two-Weapon Fighting and Weapon Finesse.