Fixing the soulknife/wilder [Archive] - Wizards Community

Fixing the soulknife/wilder [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
JimProfit
12-06-07, 05:38 PM Wanted to make a pure psionics campaign, the problem is, even just between XPH and Complete Psionics there's some class imbalance. Mostly the soulknife/wilder, so i've considerd this idea to balance'em out.

#1: Fort Saves For Damage:
This seems reasonable, instead of HP, they have an injury system like in unearthed arcana. What role does hit die play then? You'll findout momentarily.

#2: Hit Die:
Hit die now gives you a def bonus based on the hit die type.
d4=+0
d6=+1
d8=+2
d10=+3
d12=+4

Sense armor now longer provides AC bonus but damage reduction as in unearthed arcana.

#3: Bonus Feats:
Each character gains a feat at 1st and every even level, as opposed to first and every third level. This allows for more versatility.

#4: Wilder:
The wilder gains rage like a barbarian. It seemed like a natural fit for the wilder. Instead of providing con bonus, it just supplies strength bonus and +2 AC. Also you can avoid fatigue by making a fortitude saving throw of 16. The rounds this rage lasts is equal to your charisma modifier+1d12. You can end it prematurely, but doing so increases the fort check to avoid fatigue to 20.

#5: Soulknife:
The soulknife gains a full BaB, all good saving throws, and one of these abilities at 11th level.

Summon Monster:
As the spell, you can summon monster up to IX. It is usable 1/day. Your soulknife level lets you immitiate a differant level of summon monster. Caster level equal to soulknife level. This is considerd a psi-like ability.

11: Summon Monster I
12: Summon Monster II
13: Summon Monster: III
14: Summon Monster: IV
15: Summon Monster V
16: Summon Monster VI
17: Summon Monster VII
18: Summon Monster VIII
19: Summon Monster IX

Wildshape:
As a druid, but a bit differant, you can wildshape into any creature that you observe and succeed at a concenctration check. The creature is then added to your repitore of creatures you can wildshape into. You can only wildshape into creatures that have atleast 1 in all sentinent scores. The concencreation check is ussualy equal to the number of thier hit die. You can use wildshape 1/day, 2/day at 13th level, then 3/day at 19th level. This is considerd a psi-like ability.

Eldritch Blast:
The Eldritch blast works differantly depending on the element you choose. This is considerd a psi-like ability.
Fire: Deals 1d12 damage per soulknife level, usable 1/day.

Ice: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, and the foe must make a fortitude saving throw of 20 or become stunned for 1d3rounds. Usable 1/day.

Electric: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, and the foe must make a reflex saving throw of 19 or become prone and stunned for 1d3 rounds. Usable 1/day.

Acid: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, if it deals more damage then the foe's strength score they must make a fortitude saving throw of 15 or die. Usable 1/day.

Negative Energy: Deals 1d8 damage per soulknife level, if it deals more damage then the foe's charisma score, they must make a will saving throw of 19 or become sickend for 1d12 rounds. Usable 1/day.

#6: No Constitution:
Nope, strength determines bonus to fortitude saving throw. Concentration is now wisdom based.

#7: Stat dependant starting gold:
No dice rolling or static, you have starting gold equal to charisma x10.

#8: No Psicraft or Autohypnosis:
I think autohypnosis is stupid, and psicraft is just knowledge (psionics). All knowledge arcana checks would be replaced by knowledge psionics too. Even if they are technichaly SPELL-like abilities. Gambeling is a class skill however, and is still wisdom based.

#9: Cut skill check bonus in half:
Originaly you'd have something like 18 strength score and 4 ranks in climb equals +8 modifier. That's pretty high for a first level character, so i'd cut that in half. You get a +4 modifier in such a case, always round-down.

You can invest skillpoints in inniative checks, though innitiative is not considerd a skill in itself. For mechanics of expending skillpoints, consider it a cross-class skill unless you are a soulknife or wilder.

#10: Dexterity dependancy:
For some weapons (even melee) you're going to need atleast a dexterity of X or more. X is individualy based. This is to introduce the idea you need some level of competance before you can use a weapon, even if your feat box says you're profficient, you're treated as though you aren't if your dexterity is poor.

What'cha think? I figured it would be easier to create game-balance in a pure psionics game, now there's no "dump stat". People with low charisma are poor and have bad social skills, low wisdom can be detrimental to psionic-manifesting, intelligence is still required as much as ever, and strengh/dexterity are finnaly "even".

Flavor wise this could still depict naruto as psionics, presuming for flavor you immagine a mindblade could either be chidori OR ransangegan. And no, i'm not trying to make a pure naruto game. But the flavor of naruto where mercenaries of high degree of psionic mastery are hired for misc jobs.
Enchanter_Tom
12-06-07, 07:00 PM This is more houserule material than psionics material.

However, I can see some glaring flaws already.

1. What does "fort saves for damage" mean? I don't understand.
2. Non-scaling bonus = bad. Furthermore, what about multiclass characters who might have a d4 HD and a d12 HD?

3. Rage doesn't really "fit" the wilder, as the wilder is more caster than fighter, and rage has the drawback of making casting not work.

4. Good grief, did you just cobble together a list of abilities that aren't thematic in any way? Also, any 1/day abilities that don't get improved uses as one levels are lame.

5. The DCs in D&D are calibrated for skill checks. Screwing with them will throw off balance, and your rogue will cry. [Personally, I'm for halving max skill ranks and doubling the stat bonus to skill checks.]

I've already fixed the soulknife for you:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?referrerid=406019&t=882451

Other people have fixed the wilder. Check out their projects.
JimProfit
12-07-07, 12:59 PM It's an unearthed arcana thing, bassicaly when you fort save for damage if it's succesful nothing happens, (atleast in theory, I might still for RP reasons have you dazed, prone, etc)

if you fail, depending on how much you failed, you can either take damage thus take penalties to the next save, fall unconciouse, even die.

As for hit die, that's simple. You take the lowest hit die you have. So if someone multiclasses from a psychic warrior to a psion, they take the d4 fort modifier.

This doesn't apply in gestalt games however. Obviously taking the higher hit-die.

I didn't understand why you thought the soulknife/wilder's new abilities don't get better as they level, they get more and more powerful.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JimProfit 12-06-07, 05:38 PM	Wanted to make a pure psionics campaign, the problem is, even just between XPH and Complete Psionics there's some class imbalance. Mostly the soulknife/wilder, so i've considerd this idea to balance'em out. #1: Fort Saves For Damage: This seems reasonable, instead of HP, they have an injury system like in unearthed arcana. What role does hit die play then? You'll findout momentarily. #2: Hit Die: Hit die now gives you a def bonus based on the hit die type. d4=+0 d6=+1 d8=+2 d10=+3 d12=+4 Sense armor now longer provides AC bonus but damage reduction as in unearthed arcana. #3: Bonus Feats: Each character gains a feat at 1st and every even level, as opposed to first and every third level. This allows for more versatility. #4: Wilder: The wilder gains rage like a barbarian. It seemed like a natural fit for the wilder. Instead of providing con bonus, it just supplies strength bonus and +2 AC. Also you can avoid fatigue by making a fortitude saving throw of 16. The rounds this rage lasts is equal to your charisma modifier+1d12. You can end it prematurely, but doing so increases the fort check to avoid fatigue to 20. #5: Soulknife: The soulknife gains a full BaB, all good saving throws, and one of these abilities at 11th level. Summon Monster: As the spell, you can summon monster up to IX. It is usable 1/day. Your soulknife level lets you immitiate a differant level of summon monster. Caster level equal to soulknife level. This is considerd a psi-like ability. 11: Summon Monster I 12: Summon Monster II 13: Summon Monster: III 14: Summon Monster: IV 15: Summon Monster V 16: Summon Monster VI 17: Summon Monster VII 18: Summon Monster VIII 19: Summon Monster IX Wildshape: As a druid, but a bit differant, you can wildshape into any creature that you observe and succeed at a concenctration check. The creature is then added to your repitore of creatures you can wildshape into. You can only wildshape into creatures that have atleast 1 in all sentinent scores. The concencreation check is ussualy equal to the number of thier hit die. You can use wildshape 1/day, 2/day at 13th level, then 3/day at 19th level. This is considerd a psi-like ability. Eldritch Blast: The Eldritch blast works differantly depending on the element you choose. This is considerd a psi-like ability. Fire: Deals 1d12 damage per soulknife level, usable 1/day. Ice: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, and the foe must make a fortitude saving throw of 20 or become stunned for 1d3rounds. Usable 1/day. Electric: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, and the foe must make a reflex saving throw of 19 or become prone and stunned for 1d3 rounds. Usable 1/day. Acid: Deals 1d4 damage per soulknife level, if it deals more damage then the foe's strength score they must make a fortitude saving throw of 15 or die. Usable 1/day. Negative Energy: Deals 1d8 damage per soulknife level, if it deals more damage then the foe's charisma score, they must make a will saving throw of 19 or become sickend for 1d12 rounds. Usable 1/day. #6: No Constitution: Nope, strength determines bonus to fortitude saving throw. Concentration is now wisdom based. #7: Stat dependant starting gold: No dice rolling or static, you have starting gold equal to charisma x10. #8: No Psicraft or Autohypnosis: I think autohypnosis is stupid, and psicraft is just knowledge (psionics). All knowledge arcana checks would be replaced by knowledge psionics too. Even if they are technichaly SPELL-like abilities. Gambeling is a class skill however, and is still wisdom based. #9: Cut skill check bonus in half: Originaly you'd have something like 18 strength score and 4 ranks in climb equals +8 modifier. That's pretty high for a first level character, so i'd cut that in half. You get a +4 modifier in such a case, always round-down. You can invest skillpoints in inniative checks, though innitiative is not considerd a skill in itself. For mechanics of expending skillpoints, consider it a cross-class skill unless you are a soulknife or wilder. #10: Dexterity dependancy: For some weapons (even melee) you're going to need atleast a dexterity of X or more. X is individualy based. This is to introduce the idea you need some level of competance before you can use a weapon, even if your feat box says you're profficient, you're treated as though you aren't if your dexterity is poor. What'cha think? I figured it would be easier to create game-balance in a pure psionics game, now there's no "dump stat". People with low charisma are poor and have bad social skills, low wisdom can be detrimental to psionic-manifesting, intelligence is still required as much as ever, and strengh/dexterity are finnaly "even". Flavor wise this could still depict naruto as psionics, presuming for flavor you immagine a mindblade could either be chidori OR ransangegan. And no, i'm not trying to make a pure naruto game. But the flavor of naruto where mercenaries of high degree of psionic mastery are hired for misc jobs.
Enchanter_Tom 12-06-07, 07:00 PM	This is more houserule material than psionics material. However, I can see some glaring flaws already. 1. What does "fort saves for damage" mean? I don't understand. 2. Non-scaling bonus = bad. Furthermore, what about multiclass characters who might have a d4 HD and a d12 HD? 3. Rage doesn't really "fit" the wilder, as the wilder is more caster than fighter, and rage has the drawback of making casting not work. 4. Good grief, did you just cobble together a list of abilities that aren't thematic in any way? Also, any 1/day abilities that don't get improved uses as one levels are lame. 5. The DCs in D&D are calibrated for skill checks. Screwing with them will throw off balance, and your rogue will cry. [Personally, I'm for halving max skill ranks and doubling the stat bonus to skill checks.] I've already fixed the soulknife for you: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?referrerid=406019&t=882451 Other people have fixed the wilder. Check out their projects.
JimProfit 12-07-07, 12:59 PM	It's an unearthed arcana thing, bassicaly when you fort save for damage if it's succesful nothing happens, (atleast in theory, I might still for RP reasons have you dazed, prone, etc) if you fail, depending on how much you failed, you can either take damage thus take penalties to the next save, fall unconciouse, even die. As for hit die, that's simple. You take the lowest hit die you have. So if someone multiclasses from a psychic warrior to a psion, they take the d4 fort modifier. This doesn't apply in gestalt games however. Obviously taking the higher hit-die. I didn't understand why you thought the soulknife/wilder's new abilities don't get better as they level, they get more and more powerful.