[Base Class] Mind. Soul. Blade.

[Fusecase]

Hello all,
I was looking at ToB and EPH and a thought occurred to me. ToB carries a little psionic support while psionics could easily enhance ToB, but there is one part that bugs me. The Soulknife falls so short of its flavor.

But I have a solution that I hope you will help me balance out.

The Soulknife:
HD d8
Custom
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|M. Known|M. Readied|S. Known|PP/day|P. Known|Max Power Level

1st|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+2

|

Maneuvers and Stances, Manifesting, Mind Blade

|

2

|

2

|

1

|

1

|

0

|

0

2nd|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|

Psychic Renewal

|

2

|

2

|

1

|

2

|

1

|

1

3rd|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+3

|

Psychic Strike +1d8

|

3

|

2

|

1

|

3

|

1

|

1

4th|

+4

|

+2

|

+2

|

+4

|

Free Draw

|

3

|

2

|

1

|

5

|

2

|

1

5th|

+5

|

+3

|

+3

|

+4

||

4

|

2

|

1

|

7

|

2

|

1

6th|

+6/+1

|

+3

|

+3

|

+5

|

Mind Blade Enhancement +1

|

4

|

2

|

1

|

9

|

3

|

2

7th|

+7/+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+5

|

Psychic Strike +2d8

|

5

|

2

|

1

|

11

|

3

|

2

8th|

+8/+3

|

+4

|

+4

|

+6

||

5

|

3

|

1

|

13

|

4

|

2

9th|

+9/+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+6

|

Psychic Strike (Second Attack)

|

6

|

3

|

2

|

15

|

4

|

2

10th|

+10/+5

|

+5

|

+5

|

+7

|

Mind Blade Enhancement +2

|

6

|

3

|

2

|

17

|

5

|

3

11th|

+11/+6/+1

|

+5

|

+5

|

+7

|

Psychic Strike +3d8

|

7

|

3

|

2

|

19

|

5

|

3

12th|

+12/+7/+2

|

+6

|

+6

|

+8

||

7

|

3

|

2

|

23

|

6

|

3

13th|

+13/+8/+3

|

+6

|

+6

|

+8

||

8

|

3

|

2

|

27

|

6

|3

14th|

+14/+9/+4

|

+6

|

+6

|

+9

|

Mind Blade Enhancement +3

|

8

|

4

|

2

|

35

|

7

|

4

15th|

+15/+10/+5

|

+7

|

+7

|

+9

|

Psychic Strike +4d8

|

9

|

4

|

3

|

43

|

7

|

4

16th|

+16/+11/+6/+1

|

+7

|

+7

|

+10

|

Psychic Strike (Third Attack)

|

9

|

4

|

3

|

51

|

8

|

4

17th|

+17/+12/+7/+2

|

+8

|

+8

|

+10

||

10

|

4

|

3

|

59

|

8

|

4

18th|

+18/+13/+8/+3

|

+8

|

+8

|

+11

|

Mind Blade Enhancement +4

|

10

|

4

|

3

|

67

|

9

|

5

19th|

+19/+14/+9/+4

|

+8

|

+8

|

+11

|

Psychic Strike +5d8

|

11

|

4

|

3

|

79

|

9

|

5

20th|

+20/+15/+10/+5

|

+9

|

+9

|

+12

|

Psychic Strike (Full Attack)

|

12

|

5

|

3

|

93

|

10

|

5

[/table]
Skills: 4+int
Skill List: Autohypnosis, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Psionics), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Profession, Spot, Tumble
Proficiencies: Light armor, simple weapons, and any form the mindblade takes (Except for Bastard sword, one handed)

Special:

Spoiler

Show

Mind Blade: A Soulknife's entire life in combat is centered upon the shard of energy known as the Mind Blade. At first level the blade is small, with only the power of a dagger. By second level the Soulknife can impart more power within his blade to improve its power to that of a shortsword or kukri. At third level the Soulknife can splinter his blade into two, each with the power of a dagger. By fourth level the blade may evolve a step further and become either a longsword, a scimitar, or two shortswords/kukris. At fifth level the blade undergoes its final evolution and may be shaped into a bastard sword as appropriate for its wielder.
Mind Blades take a move equivalent action to shape and can be held indeffinitely as long as an outside force does not prevent it from doing so (such as a Null Psionics Field or an Anti-Magic Field). The blade may also be sundered, it has hardness ten and ten hp, but it may be reformed the next round as a move action.
At level four the blade obtains an enhancement bonus of +1, if the blade is split into two then the offhand blade recieves an enhancement bonus of one less than the main hand. The bonus increases by one for each four levels the Soulknife obtains.

Maneuvers and Stances: The Soulknife trains in the martial paths to not only hone their body, but to also sharpen their mind to a razor perfection. The Soulknife learns maneuvers and stances from the Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, and Stone Dragon schools. The Soulknife's maneuvers are readied by five minutes of meditation and exercise, like a Swordsage the Soulknife uses more thought than other martial warriors. The Soulknife may refresh all of their maneuvers by taking a full-round action to meditate, which does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
They begin with two maneuvers known and two maneuvers readied at level one. At third level, every odd level thereafter, and twentieth level the Soulknife gains another maneuver known. At eighth, fourteenth, and twentieth level the Soulknife gains another maneuver readied. At fourth level and every even lever thereafter the Soulknife can replace a known maneuver of any level for another maneuver they qualify for. At first level the Soulknife knows one stance. At level 9 and level 15 the Soulknife learns another stance.

Manifesting: The seed from which a Soulknife's blade is born holds the key to psionic manifestation. At first level the Soulknife has one power point, however the Soulknife has yet to master any powers. Upon reaching second level and every even level thereafter the soul knife learns one power from the Soulknife list. By level six the Soulknife unlocks the ability to wield second level powers, and every four levels afterward the Soulknife reaches another level of powers.

Psychic Renewal: At second level the Soulknife learns to allow their mind to override the limitations of their body when performing the martial arts and gains Psychic Renewal as a bonus feat.

Psychic Strike: By taking a move equivalent action to focus, the Soulknife releases a portion of their soul into their blade. Upon striking a living creature with a mind, the target takes an extra d8 of damage, plus an additional d8 per four levels, as the energy tears back through to the Soulknife. At level nine the blade retains the energy for a second strike, at sixteenth level the energy is retained for a third attack, and at twentieth level the Psychic Strike affects one entire full round of attacks (yes, this stacks with effects that increase the number of attacks).

Free Draw: At fourth level the Mind Blade becomes more like a retractable claw than a splinter of the soul. From that point onward, the Soulknife may shape the mind blade as a free action once per round.

Mind Blade Enhancement: The Mind Blade is shaped of all the the Soulknife is and all that the Soulknife experiences, during the long road of adventuring it is entirely probable that a Soulknife will be exposed to weapons that are gifted with abilities beyond magical guidance. At sixth level the Soulknife may enhance the blade with further power. This manifests as a weapon ability with a +1 enhancement modifier on the mind blade chosen from the list of enhancements (see below). At tenth level and every four levels there after the blade gains another +1 in enhancements. At any point the Soulblade may choose to spend eight hours resting to rechoose which enhancements are on their mind blade.

Power List:

Spoiler

Show

1: Biofeedback, Burst, Catfall, Chameleon, Compression, Conceal Thoughts, Empty Mind, Expansion, Float, Force Screen, Grip of Iron, Precognition (Defensive), Precognition (Offensive), Skate, Synesthete, Thicken Skin
2: Animal Affinity, Body Equilibrium, Concealing Amorpha, Psionic Darkvision, Hustle, Psionic Scent, Sustenance
3: Greater Concealing Amorpha, Danger Sense, Evade Burst, Mental Barrier, Ubiquitous Vision
4: Psionic Freedom of Movement, Inertial Barrier, Steadfast Perception
5: Adapt Body, Catapsi, Oak Body, Psychofeedback

Mind Blade Enhancements:

Spoiler

Show

+1: Defending, Diamond Mind, Keen, Ghost Touch, Iron Heart, Lucky, Mighty Cleaving, Psychokinetic, Stone Dragon, Sundering, Vicious
+2: Anarchic, Axiomatic, Collision, Holy, Mindcrusher, Psychokinetic Burst, Suppression, Unholy, Wounding (Must match the user's alignment.)
+3: Body feeder, Mindfeeder, Soulbreaker

P.S. This was completed and typed between the hours of 12 - 2 AM so please forgive any grammar mistakes or any spelling errors that you find. Please post comments or questions and I will do what I can to improve this, because frankly I like the thought of the warrior that kicks rear on brains and training.

Edit: Thanks Lord T. :)
Edit 2: Agreed Alex12.
Edits: Did a test build to twenty and I found the setting sun just doesn't fit at all... I took it out.

[Lord Tataraus]

*shudder* must...have...tables....please edit using this!

[Fusecase]

Grr, the thing doesn't have enough special slots, so I'll just post the maneuvers in one spoiler and the manifesting in another...

[Lord Tataraus]

Ah much better with the table, no then...

Well, mostly its just a revision of the old Soulknife mixed with some Pyschic Warrior and Warblade. I'd up the PP/day so you don't only have 1 for 2 levels after you can use powers. I like how you fixed Psychic Strike, not too much, but enough. You might want to increase the Mind Blade Enhancement a lot more or allow for an item to further increase it. As for maneuvers, the only thing that I am skeptical about is the choice of including Setting Sun, it doesn't really fit. Other than that good job, it looks balanced

[D Knight]

hey great job with the mix. i love it and now i want to play this class.i did i say good job already if not good job.

[ErrantX]

How do they regain maneuvers? Do they regain them like a Warblade, Crusader, Swordsage, or as something entirely different?

-X

[Lord Tataraus]

How do they regain maneuvers? Do they regain them like a Warblade, Crusader, Swordsage, or as something entirely different?

-X

On the note, given the maneuver progression, I'd suggest Warblade recovery.

[ErrantX]

Agreed, it makes the most sense for this case.

-X

[thevorpalbunny]

I would up the power points and have maneuver recovery cost power points. Say. . . add 2 pp to each level and increase pp gains by 1/level and maneuvers cost 1 pp/level of the maneuver and a swift action to recover? Not sure if it's balanced, but I like the flavor of it.

[Fusecase]

Oh darn it, I forgot the recovery mechanic.
I was thinking that I should use the swordsage mechanic, while letting the character pick up Instant Clarity so they can use a maneuver and Clarity into Focus then recharge it by Psychic Renewal with power points and then Clarity back.

Edit: I meant a Swordsage-like recovery mechanic. I don't agree with taking a full-round action to refresh one, but I don't want this to be done at SAS (standard action speed).

[Alex12]

May I suggest a few additional possible enhancements?
for +1, Ghost Touch
for +2, Holy, Unholy, Anarchic, Axiomatic (must be part of user's alignment)

[Fusecase]

Good points, I think they deserve to be included.