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    Default Biscuit's Comprehensive Soulknife Fix

    D&D 3.5 - The Soulknife
    (Expanded Psionics Handbook, p. 26)

    A Soulknife recognizes their own mind as the most beautiful and the most deadly thing in all creation. With this understanding and through extended practice, a Soulknife learns to forge their mental strength into a shimmering blade of semisolid psychic energy.

    Each Soulknife's personal blade, referred to as a mind blade, differs in color and shape according to his personality, mental strength, and even mood. Although no two mind blades look exactly alike, all share the same lethal qualities. Because the Soulknife turns the power of their minds to such weaponry, they are notorious for their violence.

    More than any other psionic class, the Soulknife fights with psionic power directly in both melee and ranged combat. Strength, combat prowess, and psionic talent allow the Soulknife to claim equal footing, at least, with any other combat-oriented class on the field of battle.


    Hit Dice: d10

    Alignment: Any

    Starting Gold: 5d4x10

    Skill Points: 4 + Int

    Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Psionics), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Swim, Tumble

    Level BAB Fort Reflex Will Class Features Mind Blade Shapes
    1 +1 +2 +2 +0 Mind Blade, Blade Shape, Hidden Talent Default Blade Shape
    2 +2 +3 +3 +0 +1 Mind Blade, Weapon Focus Arrow Shape
    3 +3 +3 +3 +1 Psychic Strike (+1d8) -
    4 +4 +4 +4 +1 +1 Weapon Enhancement -
    5 +5 +4 +4 +1 Quick Manifest, Mind Over Matter Bonus Blade Shape
    6 +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 +2 Mind Blade -
    7 +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Psychic Strike (+2d8) -
    8 +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 +2 Weapon Enhancement Bonus Blade Shape
    9 +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Bladewind Attack, Greater Weapon Focus -
    10 +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 +3 Mind Blade, Serrated Edge -
    11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 Psychic Strike (+3d8) Bonus Blade Shape
    12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 +3 Weapon Enhancement -
    13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Knife to the Soul -
    14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 +4 Mind Blade Bonus Blade Shape
    15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 Psychic Strike (+4d8) -
    16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 +4 Weapon Enhancement -
    17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Mirage Blade Bonus Blade Shape
    18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 +5 Mind Blade -
    19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 Psychic Strike (+5d8) -
    20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 +5 Weapon Enhancement Bonus Blade Shape


    Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Soulknives are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
    Note: If using the 'Weapon Group feat' variation listed here, Soulknives have only start with the Basic Weapons group.


    Mind Blade (Su): As a swift action, a Soulknife can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from their own mind. At level 1, a Soulknife selects a default Blade Shape for their mind blade, allowing them to manifest their own mind blades as the piercing or slashing martial weapon of their choice. Bonus Blade Shapes at higher levels are separate from any weapon proficiencies the character might have, and you are always considered proficient with your mind blade, regardless of the shape it takes.

    For instance, a Medium Soulknife materializes a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon (no matter what the shape it takes is normally considered). The blade is identical in all ways (except the physical appearance and that fact that it is virtually weightless) to Blade Shape chosen at level 1, of a size appropriate for its wielder (see below) - the Mind Blade's damage and critical range is identical to the weapon selected. While a Mind Blade still gains a benefit to attack and damage rolls for having a high a Strength modifier (Or dexterity if used in conjunction with the Weapon Finesse feat), the bonus to damage uses the Wisdom modifier as a bonus to mind blade damage if it is higher than the Soulknife's Strength score.

    Mind blades can be broken (it has hardness and hit points are both 10 +1 for every Soulknife level you possess); however, a Soulknife can simply create another on their next swift action. The moment they relinquish their grip on the mind blade, it dissipates (unless they intend to throw it; see below). A mind blade is always considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

    A mind blade can also be used as a thrown weapon with a range increment of 20 feet with no penalty for throwing a melee weapon. Doing so causes the mind blade to dissipate at the end of the Soulknife's turn, the same as if it were broken.

    A Soulknife can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. They 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 Soulknife's mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 2nd level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 6th level, +3 at 10th level, +4 at 14th level, and +5 at 18th level).

    Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a Soulknife can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 30 Concentration check. On a successful check, the Soulknife maintains his mind blade for a number of rounds equal to their class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade dissipates as if it were dismissed by the wielder. As a swift action on his turn, the Soulknife can attempt a new concentration check to rematerialize the mind blade while they remain within the psionics-negating effect.


    Bonus Blade Shapes (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a Soulknife can manifest their mind blade in the shape of an arrow that does piercing damage instead of a melee weapon. Instead of appearing in their hand like a melee weapon, a mind blade manifested with this shape hovers over the Soulknife's open hand for a brief moment before being launched at its target. The range increment is 100 feet + 10 feet for every four levels of Soulknife, and it deals 1d8 points of base piercing damage. You gain the usual benefit to your attack roll from a high Dexterity bonus, but unlike normal arrows, a mind blade in arrow shape deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier, if positive. If your base attack bonus is high enough to grant you multiple attacks, you can create multiple mind blades in arrow shape as part of an attack. You must have one hand free to create and launch a mind blade in arrow shape.

    Whether a mind blade in arrow shape hits or misses, it dissipates at the end of the turn it was shot. You can use feats such as Point Blank Shot or Precise Shot in conjunction with this shape for the mind blade. Any feats previously requiring specific weapon choice (such as Weapon Focus or Weapon Specialization) still apply, if applicable. Weapon ability enhancements (see below) are restricted to those that can be applied to ammunition, or thrown weapons when manifesting a mind blade in arrow shape.

    At 5th level and every 3 levels afterwards, a Soulknife selects a new piercing of slashing martial weapon to add to the shapes that their mind blade can take when manifesting.

    Starting at 8th level, any exotic weapons with your race's name in the weapon's name is considered a martial weapon when determining Bonus Blade Shape selections, so dwarves could choose Dwarven Battle Axe, Elves could choose Elven Lightblade, Gnomes could pick the Gnomish Quickrazor, etc.

    Beginning at level 11, you can choose to select any exotic weapon instead of a martial one.


    Weapon Focus: A Soulknife gains Weapon Focus (Mind Blade) as a bonus feat at 2nd level.


    Hidden Talent: A Soulknife gains the Hidden Talent as a bonus feat. This lets you qualify for any psionic feat for which you meet the prerequisites, allows your to expend your psionic focus, allowing you to qualify for feats that use that mechanic, and it grants you a single 1st-level power from any psionic power list. If you have or later gain an actual manifesting class, these power points are combined with those of the actual manifester class. The most common powers chosen with this class ability are force screen and inertial armor since they fit the theme of a Soulknife, but many choose other powers. Wisdom determines any bonus power points that a Soulknife gets, as well as the DC of the power(s) selected by Hidden Talent, unless they also have levels in an actual manifesting class - in which case, their manifesting stat for that class applies to their Hidden Talent power(s). Unlike the feat, however, instead of granting you 2 additional power points, you gain 1 power point for every Soulknife level you possess. Additional iterations of the Hidden Talent feat being taken as an actual feat still only grant +2 power points, however.

    Normally the Hidden Talent feat can be taken only once at 1st level, but a Soulknife with this class ability can take this feat multiple times, each time gaining an additional 2 psionic power points and another 1st-level power. When manifesting powers granted by Hidden Talent, a Soulknife without levels in a true manifester class counts as a manifester of equal level to their half their current Soulknife class level (rounded up) for the purposes of calculating Manifester level, bonus power points, and how many points can be spent on a power (including the amount of augmentation if applicable). If the Soulknife has levels in a true manifester class, they count as a manifester equal to their highest manifester class + half their Soulknife level (rounded up).


    Mind Blade Enhancement (Su): At 2nd level, a Soulknife 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 4th (8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th), the value of the enhancement a Soulknife can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, +4, and +5 respectively. A Soulknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the Soulknife's level.

    For example, an 16th-level Soulknife could add two separate +2 weapon special abilities, or a single +1 weapon ability and also a single +3 weapon ability.


    Psychic Strike (Su): As a move action, a Soulknife 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 living, non-mindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack (or ranged attack, if he is using Arrow Shape). Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to psychic strike damage. (Unlike the rogue's sneak attack, the psychic strike is not precision damage and can affect creatures otherwise immune to extra damage from critical hits or more than 30 feet away, provided they are living, non-mindless creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects.)

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

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

    At every four levels beyond 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the extra damage from a Soulknife's psychic strike increases as shown on Table 1-1.


    Weapon Ability Enhancement (Su): At 4th level, a Soulknife gains the ability to further customize and enhance their mind blade. They can add any weapon special abilities that has a listed enhancement bonus value of +1.

    At every four levels beyond 4th (8th, 12th, and 16th, and 20th), the value of the enhancement a Soulknife can add to their weapon improves to +2, +3, +4 and +5, respectively. A Soulknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the Soulknife's level. For example, an 16th-level Soulknife could add two +2 weapon special abilities, or one +1 weapon ability and one +3 weapon ability.

    A Soulknife can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his mind blade. To do so, he must first spend 4 hours in concentration. After that period, the mind blade materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the Soulknife. For example, an 8th-level Soulknife might have initially chosen to imbue his weapon with psychokinetic burst, a +2 weapon special ability. Every time he materializes the weapon, it is a +2 psychokinetic burst mind blade. However, on learning that he may face a mindflayer the next day, he could take 4 hours to change his mind blade's special ability from psychokinetic burst to mindcrusher - an entirely different +2 weapon special ability.

    The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the Soulknife materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see above). The ability or abilities apply to any form the mind blade takes including the use of the shape mind blade ability.

    One exception however, is the arrow shape for the mind blade. Being so different than other blade shapes, the arrow shape occupies a separate place in the Soulknife's mind, retaining its own set of special weapon abilities that take an addition 4 hours of concentration to reassign if the Soulknife chooses to do so. The arrow shape can only be granted special weapon abilities that apply to ranged weapons that normally confer their abilities to their ammunition, abilities specifically for ammunition, and abilities that apply to thrown weapons. An arrow shape cannot be granted a melee-only special weapon ability.


    Quick Manifest (Su): At 5th level, a Soulknife 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 (if, for example, he must make a Will save to materialize it within a null psionics field).


    Mind Over Matter (Su): At 5th level, when a Soulblade manifests the power granted by their Hidden Talent class feature (but not the powers later gained via iterations of the Hidden Talent feat) that targets the Soulknife himself, and if that power can be augmented, it is considered to be augmented to the current limit a manifester of their level would be able to augment it with power points. Unlike when a power is normally augmented, this effect does not use up additional power points above the base manifesting cost.

    At 10th level, powers effected by Mind over Matter are also considered Extended, as if by the metapsionic feat Extend Power, if applicable and targeting only the Soulknife - again at no additional power-point cost above the base manifesting cost.

    At 15th level, powers effected by Mind over Matter are no longer considered Extended and are instead considered Persisted, as if by the metapsionic feat Persist Power, if applicable and targeting only the Soulknife - still incurring no additional power-point cost above the base manifesting cost.

    At 20th level, powers effected by Mind over Matter are manifested as a swift action instead of a standard action.


    Bladewind (Su): At 9th level, a Soulknife gains the ability to momentarily fragment their mind blade into numerous identical blades, each of which strikes at a nearby opponent.

    As a full attack, when wielding a mind blade in a melee weapon shape, a Soulknife can give up his regular attacks and instead fragment his mind blade to make one melee attack at his full base attack bonus against each opponent within their current mind blade shape's reach with a different attack roll for each fragment. Each fragment functions identically to the Soulknife's regular mind blade. (For example, if the mind blade were in the form of a +1 keen bastard sword, due to the Soulknife's mind blade enhancement and shape mind blade abilities, each fragment attacks and deals damage as a +1 keen bastard sword.)

    When using bladewind, a Soulknife forfeits any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats or abilities (such as the Cleave feat or the haste spell).

    The mind blade immediately reverts to its previous form after the bladewind attack.


    Serrated Edge (Su): At 10th level, a Soulknife's mind blade is treated as a weapon of one size category larger than would normally be appropriate for someone of their size. So a small Soulknife using a longsword shaped mind blade would do 1d8 points of damage instead of 1d6, and a medium Soulknife wielding a longsword shaped mind blade would do 1d10 instead of 1d8. This actual size of the weapon does not change, so the Soulknife takes no penalty for wielding it. This stacks with other things that increase weapon damage based on size, like a Goliath's powerful build feature.


    Greater Weapon Focus (Mind Blade): A Soulknife gains Greater Weapon Focus (mind blade) as a bonus feat at 9th level.


    Knife to the Soul (Su): Beginning at 13th level, when a Soulknife executes a psychic strike, they can choose to substitute damage to Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (their choice) in exchange for dice of extra damage. For each die of extra damage they give up, the Soulknife deals 1 point of damage to the ability score they choose. A Soulknife can combine extra dice of Psychic Strike damage and Ability damage in any combination, so a 19th-level Soulknife could choose to strike for 3 points of Charisma damage and still also deal an extra 2d8 points of Psychic Strike damage.

    The Soulknife decides which ability score their Psychic Strike deals damage to and the division of ability damage and extra Psychic Strike damage dice when they imbue their mind blade with the psychic strike energy.


    Mirage Blade (Su): At 17th level, you can use a swift action to expend your psionic focus (see spoiler below) and all attacks made with your mind blade ignores nonliving matter for 1 round. Armor and shield bonuses to AC (including any enhancement bonuses to that armor) do not count against it because the weapon passes through armor. (Dexterity, deflection, dodge, natural armor, and other such bonuses still apply as do force effects such as the shield spell, the mage armor spell, or a wall of force.) While under this effect, your mind blade cannot harm undead, constructs, and objects, as it simply passes through them.

    Spoiler: Note: Gaining Psionic Focus
    Show
    Gaining Psionic Focus

    If you have 1 or more power points available, you can meditate to attempt to become psionically focused. The DC to become psionically focused is 20. Meditating is a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity. When you are psionically focused, you can expend your focus on any single Concentration check you make thereafter.

    When you expend your focus in this manner, your Concentration check is treated as if you rolled a 15. It’s like taking 10, except that the number you add to your Concentration modifier is 15. You can also expend your focus to gain the benefit of a psionic feat—many psionic feats are activated in this way.

    Once you are psionically focused, you remain focused until you expend your focus, become unconscious, or go to sleep (or enter a meditative trance, in the case of Elans), or until your power point reserve drops to 0.



    Multiclassing: Being consummately versatile combatants, Soulknives can freely multiclass with every other class without the normal penalties.


    High Psionics Variant: For high-powered psionic campaigns, or campaigns where the use of psionics and/or magic is in heavy use, the High Psionics Variant of the Soulknife class simply adds the Psionic Talent alternate class feature onto the base Soulknife class, without replacing the Hidden Talent, Mind Over Matter, Psychic Strike, & Knife to the Soul class abilities, but does keep the restriction on the Hidden Talent feat listed in its entry. As you do not give anything up, other alternate class features and racial substitution levels can still be used.

    NOTE: The High Psionics Soulknife Variant is intended for campaigns where psionics is more prominent, or for when you want to give a bit of a boost to the Soulknife in order to keep up with the rest of the party but still enjoy this class's unique flavor. Consult your DM before usage.


    Spoiler: Author Notes & Changelog
    Show

    I've kept the core of the Soulknife class true to form as well as spirit and simply incorporated some class features that everyone who plays a Soulknife usually adds in themselves with various sub-par feats and alternative class features. It was my firm belief that you shouldn't have to piece together a usable class from disparate parts just to do what the class was originally meant to do. I simply added those bits to the basic class itself, allowing people to spend their oh-so-precious feats on actually improving their combat potential, just like every other hack-and-slash class does.

    All-in-all, when you compare this fix with the existing tier 4 classes... I believe that it still falls a bit short. But only a bit. And it feels a lot more comprehensive and well-balanced, which is generally more important to me than sheer power, so I'm satisfied with the new middle-ground this fix provides. I'd say it went from an inefficient mid tier 5 to a balanced high tier 5.

    Below is the changelog, detailing the changes made to the class for ease of reference. I hope this straight-forward fix to the Soulknife class aids you on your adventures.

    ~ Biscuit


    • It was given full BAB. Because it was already a bottom-of-the-barrel tier 5 class. So why was Soulknife being extra shafted? It needed rectified.
    • Good Saves were changed from Reflex and Will to Fort and Reflex. If a Soulknife is using his willpower to manifest a mind blade in a myriad of ways, his willpower would already be taxed. Instead, as he is a consummate warrior, Will was replaced with Fort.
    • The enhancement and special ability progression was re-aligned to cap at the max pre-epic bonus at level 20 - having to resort to feat trickery to achieve what you should have been able to in the first place was ridiculous.
    • Mind Blade starts as a swift action instead of a move action - you shouldn't have to waste action economy to prepare to do the one thing your class can do at level 1 when a single kobold or dire rat is a legitimate threat to your survival.
    • Quick Draw was simply renamed Quick Manifest to avoid confusion with the feat of the same name.
    • Wild Talent was nixed altogether for the far more popular alternate class feature feat of Hidden Talent, which does the exact same thing, but with an extra goodie thrown in.
    • Throw Mind Blade was replaced with Arrow Shape. Why you would have to sacrifice progressing the one thing your class does just to switch from melee to ranged, and having to take a prestige class (Soulbow) to make that one change was just dumb.
    • Mind Over Matter was added as a means of providing the class with at least one neat, if limited ability, so it isn't seen as a complete one-trick-pony and had something going for it aside from Mind Blade + Psychic Strike.
    • Shape Mind Blade was replaced with Bonus Blade Shapes as a means to customize your Soulknife so not every single one is running around with a shortsword, longsword, or bastard sword. 'No two mind blades are exactly alike' after all.
    • Serrated Edge was added because it is simple, and by that late in the game, you really need the damage boost, however minor, to keep up with fighters and barbarians and stay competitive.
    • Multiple Throw was replaced with Mirage Blade, which is similar to the Soulbow's Phase Arrow capstone ability, and is more useful by far since they already have access to iterative attacks with their arrow shape.
    • Some language was updated to be more clear, but retained its original meaning.
    • Multiclassing the Original Soulknife was absolutely brutal, and in the spirit of this re-write's versatility, I've changed it to be freely multiclassed with any other classes.

    Last edited by Biscuit; 2022-12-17 at 06:35 AM.

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    Default Epic Levels

    The Epic Soulknife


    Requirements:
    • Must have 20 levels of Soulknife



    Hit Dice: d10

    Alignment: Any

    Skill Points: 4 + Int

    Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Psionics), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Swim, Tumble

    Level Class Features Mind Blade Shapes
    21 Surge of Power -
    22 +6 Mind Blade, Bonus Feat -
    23 Psychic Strike (+6d8) Bonus Blade Shape
    24 +6 Weapon Enhancement, Blade Hurricane -
    25 Mentally Talented, Bonus Feat -
    26 +7 Mind Blade, Metapsionic Enhancement Bonus Blade Shape
    27 Psychic Strike (+7d8) -
    28 +7 Weapon Enhancement, Bonus Feat -
    29 Mentally Adept Bonus Blade Shape
    30 +8 Mind Blade, Deadly Edge -
    31 Psychic Strike (+8d8), Bonus Feat -
    32 +8 Weapon Enhancement Bonus Blade Shape
    33 Mentally Brilliant -
    34 +9 Mind Blade, Bonus Feat -
    35 Psychic Strike (+9d8) Bonus Blade Shape
    36 +9 Weapon Enhancement -
    37 Metapsionic Enhancement, Bonus Feat -
    38 +10 Mind Blade Bonus Blade Shape
    39 Psychic Strike (+10d8)
    40 +10 Weapon Enhancement, Bonus Feat


    Surge of Power (Su): Upon reaching epic levels, at 21st level a soulknife gains a measure of enlightenment, granting them an extra power point to add to their daily total for every level of soulknife they posess.


    Bonus Feats: At every 3rd level above lvl 20, a soulknife gains another bonus feat. It can be any feat the soulknife qualifies for, including Epic feats.


    Mind Blade A soulknife's mind blade continues to improve as the character gains higher levels. At 22nd level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+6 at 22nd level, +7 at 26th level, +8 at 30th level, +9 at 34th level, and +9 at 38th level).


    Mind Blade Enhancement (Su): At 24th level, a soulknife continues progressing his ability to enhance his mind blade. The number and cost of abilities he can assign to his mind blade continue increasing by +1 for every 4 levels of soulknife.

    At every four levels beyond 20th (24th, 28th, 32nd, 36th, and 40th), the value of the enhancement a soulknife can add to his weapon improves to +6, +7, +8, +9, and +10 respectively. A soulknife can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the soulknife's level.

    For example, an 32nd-level soulknife could add two seperate +4 weapon special abilities, or four seperate +2 weapon abilities.

    Blade Hurricane (Su): At 24th level, a soulknife's bladewind attack transforms into blade hurricane - Instead of striking each enemy within *melee* range, they instead strike at every enemy within 60 feet of their current position. In addition, enemies struck by the blade hurricane must make a Fortitude saving throw or be knocked prone - the DC for which is 10 + 1/2 the soulknife class level, rounded down + the soulknife's Wisdom modifier. If an enemy succeeds on their saving throw, they must make a successful balance check with the same DC or be pushed back an amount of space based on their size. Creatures that are smaller than medium are pushed back 30 feet, medium creatures are pushed back 15' and large creatures are pushed back a mere 5'. Creatures larger than large are not pushed back at all.


    Mentally Talented (Su): Upon reaching their 25th level, a soulknife gains a single power from any list of up to 3rd level. Any power selected that grants an AC bonus to the soulknife (and only the soulknife) also gains the benefit of the Mind over Matter class feature.


    Mentally Adept (Su): Upon reaching their 29th level, a soulknife gains a single power from any list of up to 6th level. Any power selected that grants an AC bonus to the soulknife (and only the soulknife) also gains the benefit of the Mind over Matter class feature.


    Deadly Edge (Su): Upon reaching the 30th level, a soulknife's mind blade increases damage as if it had gained another size catagory that stacks with the Serrated Edge base class ability.


    Mentally Brilliant (Su): Upon reaching their 33rd level, a soulknife gains a single power from any list of up to 9th level. Any power selected that grants an AC bonus to the soulknife (and only the soulknife) also gains the benefit of the Mind over Matter class feature.


    Metapsionic Enhancement: At 26th and again at 37th level, the soulknife gains the benefit of a metapsionic feat that they would normally qualify for. However, unlike the actual feat, they need not pay the power point cost to apply it to one of the few powers they know - they can choose to manifest the power normally for their class, or apply their chosen metapsionic enhancement to it at no additional cost.


    Spoiler: Changelog
    Show

    • Kept the bonus feat progression.
    • Rewrote the mind blade scaling to the Epic maxed.
    • Added three bonus powers known of various levels to make the soulknife increasingly versatile.
    • Gave a bonus to power points so they can fuel they can pay for their known powers.
    • Wrote an improved version of bladewind to supplant it at epic levels.


    Last edited by Biscuit; 2022-01-10 at 02:47 AM.

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    Default Alternate Class Features

    Soulknife Alternate Class Features


    Mind Tool
    Your abilities with the mind blade extend not only to weaponry, but also to tools.
    Level: 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, or 20th
    Replaces: One of your Bonus Blade Shapes
    Benefit: You gain the ability to manifest your Mind Blade as a Mind Tool when desired. When you manifest your Mind Blade as a tool, it appears as a single mundane, non-magical and non-alchemical solid object that, if purchased, would value under 200gp. You could have it manifest as a length of rope, a set of masterwork manacles with an amazing lock, locksmith's tools, an artisan tool, a backpack, etc. The tool is still made of psychic energy and cannot mimic material properties, nor can it be made of any liquid, gaseous, or granulated parts. So while you could make a Sundial or a blacksmith's hammer, you could not make an hourglass (granulated parts) or a flask full of water. The tool is always a single object, with the only exception being when it is manifested as a set of thieves' tools. You are not locked into a specific tool, and can manifest any tool you desire within the limited lined above each time.

    At level 10, the 200gp item limit is raised to 500gp and another exception to the single-object rule is added in the form of an Alchemist’s lab. Also at this level, when manifesting your Mind Tool, it is always treated as having the Ghost Touch property.

    Your Mind Tool grants the same bonus to the task for which it is used, if a roll is involved, as your Mind Blade's numerical bonus. An artisan tool would provide the same bonus when applied to an appropriate a skill check (such as thieves' tools to Open Lock or Disable Device). For example, a level 6 Soulknife could make a set of thieves' tools that would grant a +2 to their Disable Device and Open Lock skill, while a level 16 Soulknife's set would grant +4.

    Special: Unlike a Mind Blade, so long as you stay within 10' per soulknife level of the created Mind Tool, it will persist indefinitely without your needing to maintain contact with it. Circumstances that would cause a manifester to make a concentration check to manifest (such as being struck in combat) also force a soulknife to make a concentration check to maintain their tool. Also, at level 5, manifesting a Mind Tool as part of a skill check is a free action and does not count against your limit of manifesting a mind blade once per round.



    Bonus Feats
    Level: 3rd
    Replaces: Psychic Strike & Knife to the Soul class features
    Benefit: Instead of the Psychic Strike Class Feature, a soulknife may opt to instead select bonus feats at levels where they would normally gain or improve their Psychic Strike ability. They may select any feat for which they qualify at the time of selection.



    Mind Skirmisher
    Level: 3rd
    Replaces: Psychic Strike & Knife to the Soul class features
    Benefit: Instead of the Psychic Strike Class Feature, a soulknife may opt to instead gain the Mind Skirmish class feature, which increases in potency at every level you would normally gain Psychic Strike, following the chart below. As you move, the kenetic force your body generates can be used to enhance your attacks with your Mind Blade. You are given a set bonus to damage done by any attack within a round in which you moved at least 10' before attacking with a Mind Blade, and you recieve the corresponding dodge bonus to Armor Class until the beginning of your next turn. You also become more mobile in general, gaining a minor speed enhancement.
    Level Damage Bonus AC Bonus Bonus to Base Speed
    3 +1d6 +1 AC +10'
    7 +2d6 +2 AC +10'
    11 +3d6 +3 AC +20'
    15 +4d6 +4 AC +20'
    19 +5d6 +5 AC +30'
    Special: Only one Mind Blade gains the bonus damage, although its damage applies to any iterative attacks made that round with that mind blade - including attacks of opportunity. The bonus kenetic energy is depleted by the start of your next turn and must be charged again by moving at least 10' before attacking. Any equipment or feats that affect the Skirmish ability also apply to Mind Skirmish.



    Mind Armor
    Level: 3rd
    Replaces: Psychic Strike & Knife to the Soul class features
    Benefit: Instead of the Psychic Strike Class Feature, a soulknife instead gains Mind Armor - your mind generates a tangible field of force that provides an initial +4 armor bonus to Armor Class. Unlike mundane armor, Mind Armor entails no armor check penalty or speed reduction. Because Mind Armor is composed of psychokinetic force, incorporeal creatures can’t bypass it the way they do normal armor.

    At 7th level, and every 4 levels afterward when Psychic Strike would normally be improved, you gain one of two benefits. Either the Mind Armor's base armor bonus to Armor Class increases by +2, or you can enhance your Mind Armor and grant it special armor abilities in the same way thet you enhance your mind blade with special weapon abilities by +1 (+1 at lvl 7, +2 at level 11, etc). Either option can be selected when reaching the required level and you do not have to select the same option each time.

    Manifesting the Inertial Armor power, or selecting the Inertial Armor will not function normally while wearing Mind Armor, and instead will bolster your Mind Armor by half of the armor bonus normally provided by the effect (rounded down). Mind Armor 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: Mind Armor can be invisible or can appear as a colored glow, at your option. The armor bonus provided by Mind Armor does not stack with the armor bonus provided by regular armor.



    Psionic Talent
    Your psionic talent is stronger that others of your class, giving you access to a limited number of powers and providing a pool of power points with which to manifest them.
    Level: 1st
    Replaces: Hidden Talent, Mind Over Matter, & Psychic Strike, & Knife to the Soul class abilities
    Benefit: You gain a base Power Point Pool and Powers Known selected from the Psychic Warrior power list, as well as the powers normally exclusive to Kineticist Psions. A Psionic Soulknife must have a Wis score of 10 + Power Level in order to manifest powers. Wis is also used to determine bonus power points and the DCs to resist Powers.
    Special: You can still select the Hidden Talent feat multiple times, but it acts as the feat describes and otherwise gains no additional class-specific benefits that was replaced by this alternate class feature.
    Level Power Points Max Power Level Powers Known
    1 3 1st 1
    2 6 1st 2
    3 9 1st 3
    4 12 1st 3
    5 15 2nd 4
    6 19 2nd 5
    7 23 2nd 6
    8 27 2nd 6
    9 31 3rd 7
    10 35 3rd 8
    11 40 3rd 9
    12 45 3rd 9
    13 50 4th 10
    14 55 4th 11
    15 60 4th 12
    16 66 4th 12
    17 72 5th 13
    18 78 5th 14
    19 84 5th 15
    20 90 5th 15
    Last edited by Biscuit; 2022-09-20 at 08:45 AM.

  4. - Top - End - #4
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    Default Substitution Levels & Feats

    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.
    Last edited by Biscuit; 2023-01-03 at 12:53 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #5
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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    I'll point out that while less complicated, Serrated Edge is a straight nerf from Knife to the Soul. It's one of the unique aspects of the soulknife, able to deal ability damage without a save or SR or anything. You hit, they hurt, and reducing the DC of a monster's abilities could be far more valuable than another 10 points of damage. If you're looking for more damage at later levels, consider reducing the space between more Psychic Strike damage - might be able to eke another die or two out of it, and that's about the same amount of damage as increasing the weapon size by a category.

    For Mind Over Matter, why not just give them inertial armor as a psi-like ability? Scales a bit better, sure, but you can't use this and armor at the same time. Maybe even ML = 1/2 HD if you want to keep the +1 AC/4 levels. Really, you're leaning this pretty hard in a monk-like direction: no need for weapon or armor, full BAB over flurry, 4+Int skills, got that mystic vibe going on.

    Not sure how I feel about explicitly divorcing Strength from damage. It encourages pumping Wisdom for a few more points of damage, but that's useless without being able to hit them. you're actually either adding MADness (by requiring Strength and Wisdom) or giving them a Weapon Finesse feat tax (and still requiring Wisdom to deal damage). It especially hurts given the low base damage that you've forced onto them - 1d4 is really not a lot of damage for a full BAB class to focus on, especially with the split focus.

    What's the benefit to keeping the mindblade and mind arrow separate? I get why you'd want to do it (easier to toss the best weapon enhancements for that specific function onto it if you're keeping track of them separately), but why not just make the mindblade the Best Weapon? Keep and expand the original Throw Mind Blade feature and restrict the weapon enhancements to ones that apply equally to both ranged and melee (write up your own list; it's not like the list is going to grow any more). Let them mix up 100 foot thrown attacks with hitting people in melee - it'd help give them a niche that few other people have.

    Losing the good Will save really hurts them in regards to keeping their mindblades active in an AMF.

    Losing the Speed of Thought bonus feat makes this incompatible with kalashtar soulknifeRaces of Eberron racial substitution level at 6th.

    The Weapon Group thing is a little bit messy, tbh. They get access to the Basic Weapon Group at 1st level... but they're restricted to bladed weapons. Which means that they get the dagger (because clubs and quarterstaffs aren't bladed). I'd probably drop the bow/basic weapon groups entirely and focus on the other categories. You've got a strange definition of 'bladed' weaponry if you're counting a morning star among their ranks. Most people (myself included) would assume that 'bladed' means Slashing damage, not slashing and piercing. If that's what you mean, just say that instead of bladed.

    Besides that, there's a few instances of table not matching text (they get Wild Talent on the table, and Hidden Talent in the class description, psychic strike still references throw mind blade).

    One of the easiest fixes that I've seen for the Soulknife was Full BAB, 4 + Int skills, Thrown Mind Blade at 5th level, full weapon spec tree for free and untethering the blade bonus from the enhancement (so a 10th level soulknife could have anywhere between a +4 mindblade to a +1 [choice of enhancements totalling +3] mindblade). Still not good, mind you, but better and super easy to implement.

  6. - Top - End - #6
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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    If the reserved reply posts that contained no information as of yet were not indicative enough, I'm not actually done working on this fix. That said...

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    I'll point out that while less complicated, Serrated Edge is a straight nerf from Knife to the Soul. It's one of the unique aspects of the soulknife, able to deal ability damage without a save or SR or anything. You hit, they hurt, and reducing the DC of a monster's abilities could be far more valuable than another 10 points of damage. If you're looking for more damage at later levels, consider reducing the space between more Psychic Strike damage - might be able to eke another die or two out of it, and that's about the same amount of damage as increasing the weapon size by a category.
    This is no longer a concern in the current mock-up.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    For Mind Over Matter, why not just give them inertial armor as a psi-like ability? Scales a bit better, sure, but you can't use this and armor at the same time. Maybe even ML = 1/2 HD if you want to keep the +1 AC/4 levels. Really, you're leaning this pretty hard in a monk-like direction: no need for weapon or armor, full BAB over flurry, 4+Int skills, got that mystic vibe going on.
    I've already revised Mind over Matter to be more user-friendly and effect any power learned via the Hidden Talent feature.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    Not sure how I feel about explicitly divorcing Strength from damage. It encourages pumping Wisdom for a few more points of damage, but that's useless without being able to hit them. you're actually either adding MADness (by requiring Strength and Wisdom) or giving them a Weapon Finesse feat tax (and still requiring Wisdom to deal damage). It especially hurts given the low base damage that you've forced onto them - 1d4 is really not a lot of damage for a full BAB class to focus on, especially with the split focus.
    It wasn't meant to be divorced. It was meant to be a 'whichever one is more beneficial' mechanic - now more clearly worded.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    What's the benefit to keeping the mindblade and mind arrow separate? I get why you'd want to do it (easier to toss the best weapon enhancements for that specific function onto it if you're keeping track of them separately), but why not just make the mindblade the Best Weapon? Keep and expand the original Throw Mind Blade feature and restrict the weapon enhancements to ones that apply equally to both ranged and melee (write up your own list; it's not like the list is going to grow any more). Let them mix up 100 foot thrown attacks with hitting people in melee - it'd help give them a niche that few other people have.
    The fact that some people want to be a purely ranged fighter, and others want to be able to switch easily between the two. The best ranged weapon enhancements cannot be placed on melee weapons. Anyone wanting a ranged fighter would not appreciate the soulknife's inability to accommodate any sort of genuine optimization in their chosen combat style. That is why Arrow Shape gets its own set of enhancements.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    Losing the good Will save really hurts them in regards to keeping their mindblades active in an AMF.
    That was already changed to a concentration check instead of a will save, so this isn't an issue.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    Losing the Speed of Thought bonus feat makes this incompatible with kalashtar soulknifeRaces of Eberron racial substitution level at 6th.
    I haven't gotten to the Alternative Class Features and Substitution Levels section yet . Obviously, I'm not going to require a class feature that the class no longer has.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    The Weapon Group thing is a little bit messy, tbh. They get access to the Basic Weapon Group at 1st level... but they're restricted to bladed weapons. Which means that they get the dagger (because clubs and quarterstaffs aren't bladed). I'd probably drop the bow/basic weapon groups entirely and focus on the other categories. You've got a strange definition of 'bladed' weaponry if you're counting a morning star among their ranks. Most people (myself included) would assume that 'bladed' means Slashing damage, not slashing and piercing. If that's what you mean, just say that instead of bladed.
    True. I've changed it to chosen weapon shapes (that you are proficient in) that do piercing or slashing damage. Which is still more customizable than the original version.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    Besides that, there's a few instances of table not matching text (they get Wild Talent on the table, and Hidden Talent in the class description, psychic strike still references throw mind blade).
    For an unfinished rough draft, I think the instances of this were fairly low, all things considered. Again, still not finished revising and polishing.

    Quote Originally Posted by Kuulvheysoon View Post
    One of the easiest fixes that I've seen for the Soulknife was Full BAB, 4 + Int skills, Thrown Mind Blade at 5th level, full weapon spec tree for free and untethering the blade bonus from the enhancement (so a 10th level soulknife could have anywhere between a +4 mindblade to a +1 [choice of enhancements totalling +3] mindblade). Still not good, mind you, but better and super easy to implement.
    A soulknife already get 4+Int for skill points in the official version. This version also gets full BAB. And untethering the modifier is good in theory, but it would allow shenanigans without a lot of extra detailed rules attached to cover all the different avenues of abuse - I would rather just leave it as-is, in a straight-forward progression that is already familiar, just better.

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    Lightbulb Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    Apologies in advance if this is old enough to qualify for "thread necromancy", or if the idea's been left adrift.

    I like this fix, and it's very close to similar fixes I've tried to work out with my group. I do have one minor suggestion/issue - and that's with the timing of the bonus shapes.

    In this fix, I'm starting with one additional martial weapon that I can't shape my mind blade to until level 5. And If I wanted to do something like take EWP(Spiked Chain), I can take it at 3, but I won't be able to shape until 5; or I can take it at 6, but I won't be able to shape it until 8.

    I could always take the Bonus Feats alternate class feature (EC1*, web: gain bonus feats instead of psychic strike) and use those bonus feats for Blade Shape options, or do a one-level dip into Fighter or something that gets all the martial weapons to expand out the options - because as it is, there isn't exactly an overabundant list of options given "All Simple, One Martial" that meets the "Slashing/Piercing weapons you're proficient with". But both of those detract from the idea of making Soulknife something you could reasonably play in low to mid optimization group (or as part of a larger group where you can afford to be flavorful instead of at parity).

    That leads me to two potential changes that could enhance this option:

    1) Instead of giving you a random martial weapon in your initial weapons proficiencies and specifying the blade as a short sword, your initial weapons proficiency is "All simple, and one piercing or slashing light melee martial weapon", and your initial mind blade is that selected martial weapon. They're all about on par, and it keeps with your goal of "every soulknife is unique".

    2) Line up the Bonus Shapes with when you'd normally get feats, that way if you really want to expand your arsenal through feats instead of a dip into another class they line up and you don't have to wait for your new blade shape to come online.

    Again, appreciate what you're doing, and really like the way this is going. Just one thing that jumped out at me.

    *Can't post links yet... archive[dot]wizards[dot]com/default.asp?x=dnd/psm/20070214a
    Last edited by AnonJr; 2021-11-07 at 11:05 AM. Reason: minor clarification

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    I believe the limit for thread necromancy is 45 days. So you were just under the wire. Also, I think trying to post in a thread that's been inactive for more than 45 days gives you a message of some sort?



    Anyway, on the class.

    I don't see why Soulknife shouldn't be a true manifester. I'd actually argue for it being an ACF for Psychic Warrior, and for Psychic Warrior having full base attack bonus and some class features that aren't bonus feats. But if you're purely looking at Soulknife, and leaving other, similar classes unchanged, I'll suggest giving Soulknife powers up to 5th level. That matches Duskblade, which is also full-base-attack-bonus. And it's slightly behind Psychic Warrior, which you can point to if anyone accuses the class of stepping on Psychic Warrior's toes.

    I just don't understand Psychic Strike. Why is it desirable for Soulknife to have an ability that requires it to forgo both movement and extra attacks? The full-attack mechanic already encourages melee characters to sit in one spot to increase their damage output. Why have another ability that also does that? Why make it incompatible with full attacks? Why make it less effective that full attacks?

    Instead of making Mind Blades default to short swords, and giving more options later, why not let the player pick one weapon they're proficient with at first level? And then the next step up could be being able to shape the Mind Blade into any weapon you're proficient with, not just a small handfull of weapon types you've selected.

    One major issue with any Soulknife fix will be multiclassing. Classes should be designed to support multiclassing. But if you take a prestige class as a Soulknife, you wind up stuck with a +2 weapon at 15th level.

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    I believe the limit for thread necromancy is 45 days. So you were just under the wire. Also, I think trying to post in a thread that's been inactive for more than 45 days gives you a message of some sort?
    Good to know on that. I've been lurking on and off for a long time, just now getting around to posting.


    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    I don't see why Soulknife shouldn't be a true manifester. I'd actually argue for it being an ACF for Psychic Warrior, and for Psychic Warrior having full base attack bonus and some class features that aren't bonus feats. But if you're purely looking at Soulknife, and leaving other, similar classes unchanged, I'll suggest giving Soulknife powers up to 5th level. That matches Duskblade, which is also full-base-attack-bonus. And it's slightly behind Psychic Warrior, which you can point to if anyone accuses the class of stepping on Psychic Warrior's toes.
    I've seen some other suggestions along those lines, and I've looked at them. My current GM is even open to that line of thinking, though the last GM would have been more likely to go with this sort of re-work. Always nice to have options.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    I just don't understand Psychic Strike. Why is it desirable for Soulknife to have an ability that requires it to forgo both movement and extra attacks? The full-attack mechanic already encourages melee characters to sit in one spot to increase their damage output. Why have another ability that also does that? Why make it incompatible with full attacks? Why make it less effective that full attacks?
    By itself, it is a little meh - though extra damage is extra damage. There's an ACF that lets you trade it out for some Bonus Feats if you'd rather go that route, and there's a respectable number of feats that augment the ability to make it be a nice option to have handy, even something worth the feats.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    Instead of making Mind Blades default to short swords, and giving more options later, why not let the player pick one weapon they're proficient with at first level? And then the next step up could be being able to shape the Mind Blade into any weapon you're proficient with, not just a small handfull of weapon types you've selected.
    Yeah, it's one of those things that sort of worked (but not really) in the original - you start with a short sword, and get the ability to make it bigger as you go - but if we're really trying to lean into the "every mind blade is a unique manifestation of that character, then picking the initial form really makes more sense.

    I made the suggestion I made because I wanted to at least keep it in the size/damage range of the initial class, and allow for each player to make further changes from there. Given that other martial classes usually have the full array of martial weapons at their disposal, it might even be worth just adding martial weapons proficiency, and make your initial mind blade any one piercing/slashing weapon you're familiar with.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    One major issue with any Soulknife fix will be multiclassing. Classes should be designed to support multiclassing. But if you take a prestige class as a Soulknife, you wind up stuck with a +2 weapon at 15th level.
    Multi-classing is a bit of an issue for many classes, but you're right in that it's a particularly rough spot for the Soulknife. I can see two ways of dealing with it:

    1) Make PrC's that advance manifester level advance Mind Blade/Enhancements and Psychic Strike (but not other class features - you usually have to give something up for that prestige...)

    2) Make the Mind Blade/Enhancements upgradable through normal means - but not more than it could have been if you had stayed single-classed. Sort of like what Person_Man did for the armor in his Magitech Templar build (Thread: 176276-3-5-Magitech-Templar-Iron-Man ... still no links. )

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    Quote Originally Posted by AnonJr View Post
    1) Instead of giving you a random martial weapon in your initial weapons proficiencies and specifying the blade as a short sword, your initial weapons proficiency is "All simple, and one piercing or slashing light melee martial weapon", and your initial mind blade is that selected martial weapon. They're all about on par, and it keeps with your goal of "every soulknife is unique".

    2) Line up the Bonus Shapes with when you'd normally get feats, that way if you really want to expand your arsenal through feats instead of a dip into another class they line up and you don't have to wait for your new blade shape to come online.
    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    Instead of making Mind Blades default to short swords, and giving more options later, why not let the player pick one weapon they're proficient with at first level? And then the next step up could be being able to shape the Mind Blade into any weapon you're proficient with, not just a small handfull of weapon types you've selected.
    I've integrated your ideas into the re-write. I hope they are what you'd hoped for. :)

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    I don't see why Soulknife shouldn't be a true manifester. I'd actually argue for it being an ACF for Psychic Warrior, and for Psychic Warrior having full base attack bonus and some class features that aren't bonus feats. But if you're purely looking at Soulknife, and leaving other, similar classes unchanged, I'll suggest giving Soulknife powers up to 5th level. That matches Duskblade, which is also full-base-attack-bonus. And it's slightly behind Psychic Warrior, which you can point to if anyone accuses the class of stepping on Psychic Warrior's toes.
    I've finally gotten around to writing up the alternate class features section, which should address this desire nicely!

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    I just don't understand Psychic Strike. Why is it desirable for Soulknife to have an ability that requires it to forgo both movement and extra attacks? The full-attack mechanic already encourages melee characters to sit in one spot to increase their damage output. Why have another ability that also does that? Why make it incompatible with full attacks? Why make it less effective that full attacks?
    I believe it is meant to be applied before battle, and is something you can re-apply during rounds where you can't attack to ensure that when you do, it will pack a punch. There are a couple ways to get an extra move action or another attack action that would allow you to charge it up at few times mid-battle at the very least.

    Quote Originally Posted by Maat Mons View Post
    One major issue with any Soulknife fix will be multiclassing. Classes should be designed to support multiclassing. But if you take a prestige class as a Soulknife, you wind up stuck with a +2 weapon at 15th level.
    I've added an addendum to the bottom of the main post, stating that a Soulknife can multiclass freely with all other classes on account of their consummately versatile fighting style.
    Last edited by Biscuit; 2021-12-01 at 12:41 AM.

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    Looks great!

    The only quibble would be to clarify what was meant by "multi-class freely". Usually the brutal part of a multiclass Soulknife is the lack of an ability to progress the key feature - the mind blade enhancements. Personally, I'd probably just do the Psychic Warrior ACF you have listed as that would have been my primary target for multi-classing. But that's also me personally.

    Something more along the lines of the "Imbue Armour" ability from the Magitech Templar homebrew, where the key function is:
    This ability allows you to continue to improve your Magitech Armor (and certain Magitech Upgrades which depend on your Magitech Armor’s enhancement bonus to it’s Armor Class) more easily, even if you later take levels of a class or prestige class other then Magitech Templar.
    You don't get any other progression, but if you choose a PrC or some other class you still have options to advance the signature skill - so maybe a Psicraft or Knowledge (Psionics) check to let you progress the blade (bonus and enhancements only) if you Mulitclass, or PrC into something that doesn't advance the base. I'll try to mull over something while I finish my morning coffee. It's been a week...

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    I've added the long-promised Substitution Levels. A rework of the Kalashtar that fits with this Soulknife Fix, as well as the addition of Changeling, Dragonblood, and Warforged substitution level options.
    • The Dragonblood levels are fairly tame, but very thematic for those wishing to embrace their draconic bloodlines.
    • The Changelings levels focus on their ever-shifting and often-times deceptive nature.
    • The Kalashtar levels are geared towards Alignment, playing into their more prominent mental nature having an effect on their manifested Mind Blades.
    • The Warforged levels are, obviously, geared towards their strengths - being a humanoid wrecking ball with a blunt and to-the point (that point being lots of pain for the meat-bags) fighting style.


    I've also re-worded a few things in all the posts (and fixed a few typos) for clarification purposes, but did not change any of the mechanics.
    Last edited by Biscuit; 2022-01-10 at 04:49 AM.

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    Default Re: Biscuit's Straight-Forward Soulknife Fix

    Update: Added another Racial Substitution option (Elf), and cleaned up some language and spelling mistakes. No actual abilities were altered in any way.
    Last edited by Biscuit; 2022-11-17 at 07:18 AM.

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