Hidden Blade (Prestige Class) PEACH [Archive] - Wizards Community

Hidden Blade (Prestige Class) PEACH [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
calronmoonflower
03-08-07, 02:29 AM I put this clas together quite awhile ago. I origanally was going to try to make a soul knife prestige class, but decided to cut it short.

HIDDEN BLADE
Was Primordial Mind Blade
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80464.jpg

A hidden blade harnesses the power of their mind to produce a primitive mind blade. Unlike a soul knife a hidden blade psychic blade is limited, but powerful enough for a cause others to take notice. Generally not as strong or as flexible as a mind blade a psychic blade makes a good last ditch defense. Easier to master than a mind blade a psychic blade’s power varies with the psychic strength of the wielder.
Much like a mind blade a psychic blade’s appearance varies depending upon the wielder’s psychic strength, mood, and personality. A primordial mind blade may use their weapon as a last chance defense, as a tool of assassination, or as a ranged weapon. Most confuse a hidden blade with a soul knife, causing some conflict between members of both classes.
Psions, psychic rogues, and psychic assassins can find this class useful. Psionics can benefit from always having a weapon “at hand” and psychic rogues and assassins can benefit from a weapon they cannot be truly disarmed from. Combat minded wilders can benefit from this class as well. Psychic warriors and soul knife rarely if ever take up this class. Generally both have better options easily available to them.
Hit Die: d6

Adaptation: A hidden blade is a prestige class version of a soul knife. This prestige class can be used as a NPC version of a soul knife, or in a campaign with a limited psionic classes. In Eberron this class could work well in that fashion.

REQUIREMENTS

Skills: Knowledge (Psionics) 4 ranks.
Feats: Psionic Weapon or Power Strike.
Psionics: Manifester Level 5.

CLASS SKILLS
The hidden blade's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Autohypnosis (Wis) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Psionics) (Int), Profession (Wis), Tumble (Dex).
Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier.

CLASS FEATURES
All the following are class features for the hidden blade prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hidden blade is proficient with their psychic blade, but gain no other weapons nor armor.

Powers Known: At each level except 1st a hidden blade gains power point and powers known as if they also gained a level in whatever manifesting class they belonged to before they added this prestige class. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.
If a character had more than one manifesting class before becoming a hidden blade , they must decide which class to add the new level of hidden blade for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Psychic Blade (Su): As a move action, a hidden blade can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from their own mind.
The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a daggerof a size appropriate for its wielder (1d3 19-20/X2 for a medium wielder).
A psychic blade can be broken (it has a hardness 10 and 10 hit points): however a hidden blade can simply create another on their next move action. The moment the wielder relinquishes their grip on the blade, it dissipates (unless the wielder throws it; see below). A psychic blade is considered a magic weapon for overcoming damage reduction.
A hidden blade can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the psychic blade just as it were a normal weapon. They can also choose a psychic blade for feats require a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization,. Powers and spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a psychic blade.
Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as in a null psionics field), can sustain the psychic blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the hidden blade maintains the psychic blade for the number of rounds equal to their class level before they need to check again. On an unsuccessful save the blade vanishes. As a move action on their turn, the hidden blade can attempt a new Will save rematerialize his mind blade while they are within the psionics-negating effect.

Throw Psychic Knife (Ex): A 2nd level or higher a hidden blade can throw their psychic blade at a target within 30 feet. Is the attack misses or the target is more than 30 feet away the psychic knfe dissapates harmlessly

Free-Draw (Su): At 3rd level a hidden blade becomes able to materialize their psychic blade as a free action instead of a move action. They can only make one attempt to materialize their blade once per round, however.

Psychic Resonance (Su): At 3rd level a hidden blade's psychic blade resonates with their own psychic power to enhance their blade. As a result the psychic blade gains the psychic enchantment even though it is not a +1 or higher weapon.

Second Blade (Su): At 4th level and higher a hidden blade may chose their psychic knife to mimic a short sword (1d6 19-20/X2 for a meduim character) instead of a dagger.

Mind Killer (Su): 3 times per day, a hidden blade that successfully strike a creature with their psychic knife may pay any number of power points up to their manifester level. For each power point paid the creature struck takes an extra 1d6 points of damage. The extra damage is empathic in nature, so damage reduction, energy resistance, and regeneration do not apply. This is a mind-affecting affect.

The Hidden Blade

Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Powers Known
Attack Save Save Save
Bonus
1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Psychic Blade --
2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Throw Psychic Knife +1 of existing manifesting class
3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Free-Draw, Psychic Resonance +1 of existing manifesting class
4 +3 +1 +4 +4 Second Blade +1 of existing manifesting class
5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Mind Killer +1 of existing manifesting class

EPIC HIDDEN BLADE

A hidden blade cannot push their class levels into epic levels, but a few have developed a way to push the psychic resonance class feature to grant an epic level bonus to their psychic blade.

EPIC PSYCHIC RESONANCE [Epic, Psionic]
You have learned to imbue your psychic blade with epic power.
Prerequisites: The ability to manifest powers of the normal maximum power level in at least one psionic class, the ability to materialize a psychic blade with the psychic resonance class feature.
Benefit: If for every 5 manifester levels that you possess past 20 the enhancement bonus to your psychic blade increases by 1. This stacks with the bonus for the psychic resonance class feature.

PSYCHIC BLADES AND MIND BLADES

A psychic blade is a primitive form of mind blade. Feats that apply to a mind blade can be applied to a psychic blade if it meets the requirements and vise versa. However class features from the soul knife class cannot be applied to a psychic blade. The reverse is also true. Any character that can materialize both types of blade can do so separately.

POWER STRIKE [Psionic]
You can channel your psionic power into your melee attacks.
Prerequisites: Manifester Level 5, Base Attack Bonus +5
Benefit: As a free action you may expend your psionic focus and pay 1 power point. If you do your gain a +1 bonus on your melee attacks and deals an extra +1d4 points of damage on your successful attacks for 1 round. For every extra 2 power points you pay the bonus increases by another +1 and the damage increases by another +1d4. The bonus on your attack roll cannot be greater that your base attack bonus. You may not expend more power points in this way than your manifester level.

(Edit)
1. Increased the prequiresites.
2. Decreased the BAB.
3. Decreased the HD.
4. Removed Throw Psychic knife Class feature.(/edit)
(Edit=2)
1. Renamed
2. Changed prequiresites.
3. Changed LvL 1 Psychic Knife to a dagger.
4. Readded Throw Psychic knife Class feature with a limited range.
5. Added 2 new levels.(Edit)
[edit=3]
changed prerequirsites slightly and added the Power Strike
danzibr
03-08-07, 12:46 PM I think this is a really neat idea (assuming I understand what you're getting at).

You are trying to create a hybrid between Soulknife and caster, right? Well, psion-caster. Kind of like Eldritch Knight or something, unless I am mistaken.

I'm no expert, but my advice is to make the class longer. 10 levels, maybe. That way you can be, say, level 1 Psion/10 Primordial Mind Blade and have a caster level of nine and some good Soulknife abilities. I'm not sure how'd you break down the BAB and Soulknife abilities, but... it looks good.

Hope I helped at least a little :P This PrC looks good; I especially like the fact that it's available so early on. With a little alteration this is certainly one I would play.

Dan
SlanderPanic
03-08-07, 01:50 PM I don't see the point of this class. Why not just take a few levels of soulknife? This gives you three levels of full BAB and two MLs and gives some very powerful abilities on top of that. That's pretty overpowered, honestly.
The_One_Who_Walks
03-08-07, 03:08 PM I think Slander is right, it's a bit too powerful. I'd drop it to rogue BAB, and drop Thrown Mindblade. If they're splitting time between their manifesting, and thier ney psychic blade, neither is gonna get fully developed. Also, if the psychic blade is indeed primitive by comparison to a mindblade, I wouldn't think they would be able to mantain cohesion on it without physical contact, thus making throwing it impossable.

I dunno, that's my take on it. Also/alternativly, you might require a concentration check to manifest the blade, and/or every 10 or so rounds to mantain it, owing to the fact that it's less refined, and thus maybe more difficult to control.

Also, what exactly do you mean by "psychic enchantment even though it is not a +1 or higher weapon."? what exactly does this ability do, that is not already acomplished by it being considered magic for DR?
SlanderPanic
03-08-07, 04:28 PM The psychic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/weapons.htm#psychic) enhancement is what he means. It increases the weapon's enhancement bonus as the wielder's power point reserve goes up. It adds 35,000 gp to the cost of the weapon. This means that, unlike taking a soulknife dip and having a mind blade that stays the same for the rest of your career, you get a weapon that improves all the way to 20th and, with a single feat, continues to get better into infinity.

It's also worth noting that you can qualify for this class at 1st level, meaning that you can get that 35,000 gp major weapon ability on a weapon you can never lose by 4th level. As-is, a psion, wilder, or psychic warrior would be stupid not to take the entire class. (Ardents, lurks, and divine minds are giving up a bit more... though not really all that much, in the case of divine minds.)

I hate to just pick it apart here, Calron, but you're basically letting any manifester pick up a huge boost to her combat ability for the sacrifice of one measly manifester level. It's way overpowered and it really doesn't have as unique a flavor as it should.

Now, let me be constructive here.
First off, let's boost the requirements. Knowledge (psionics) 8 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks, ML 3rd, Psionic Weapon. That's fine. This should be a relatively easy class to get into, since it's basically learning the rudiments of another class.

Features: Medium BAB, good Ref/Will saves, keep skills as-is, reduce hit dice to d6. We'll keep the manifester progression, too. I'll make it work.

First Level: Psychic blade forms a dagger of mental energy. Otherwise, it functions the same.
Second Level: Throw Psychic Blade. This lets you throw your dagger without it dissipating the moment it leaves your grip.
Third Level: Shape Psychic Blade into a short sword, Psychic Blade Enhancement +1.

You're probably still better off just taking soulknife levels, but it's useful to be able to materialize a dagger or a short sword any time. (Or you could take call weaponry.)
danzibr
03-08-07, 11:09 PM Wow... that Psychic enchantment is nice. I was thinking he meant although the weapon was not +1 it could get a single +1 ability like Keen or something. Wow.

I still quite support a caster/Soulknife prestige class, but I agree with SlanderPanic, more or less. More than less.

Dan
calronmoonflower
03-09-07, 02:42 AM I think this is a really neat idea (assuming I understand what you're getting at).

You are trying to create a hybrid between Soulknife and caster, right? Well, psion-caster. Kind of like Eldritch Knight or something, unless I am mistaken.

I was going to make sould knife into a prestige class, but just came up short.

If you want a manifester/soulknife try this http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=804007
danzibr
03-09-07, 07:59 AM Soulknife was a PrC in 3.0 I hear. Have a look at that, could give some insight.

Dan
calronmoonflower
03-10-07, 03:17 AM Thanks for all the input.
I did a major re-write of the class, so tell me what you think.
SlanderPanic
03-10-07, 10:35 AM It's a decent choice for manifesters who want a little taste of soulknife without having to give up too many MLs. If there's anything I'd change, it'd be to give the class 3/5 manifesting, but it's fine as-is.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
calronmoonflower 03-08-07, 02:29 AM	I put this clas together quite awhile ago. I origanally was going to try to make a soul knife prestige class, but decided to cut it short. HIDDEN BLADE Was Primordial Mind Blade http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/xph_gallery/80464.jpg A hidden blade harnesses the power of their mind to produce a primitive mind blade. Unlike a soul knife a hidden blade psychic blade is limited, but powerful enough for a cause others to take notice. Generally not as strong or as flexible as a mind blade a psychic blade makes a good last ditch defense. Easier to master than a mind blade a psychic blade’s power varies with the psychic strength of the wielder. Much like a mind blade a psychic blade’s appearance varies depending upon the wielder’s psychic strength, mood, and personality. A primordial mind blade may use their weapon as a last chance defense, as a tool of assassination, or as a ranged weapon. Most confuse a hidden blade with a soul knife, causing some conflict between members of both classes. Psions, psychic rogues, and psychic assassins can find this class useful. Psionics can benefit from always having a weapon “at hand” and psychic rogues and assassins can benefit from a weapon they cannot be truly disarmed from. Combat minded wilders can benefit from this class as well. Psychic warriors and soul knife rarely if ever take up this class. Generally both have better options easily available to them. Hit Die: d6 Adaptation: A hidden blade is a prestige class version of a soul knife. This prestige class can be used as a NPC version of a soul knife, or in a campaign with a limited psionic classes. In Eberron this class could work well in that fashion. REQUIREMENTS Skills: Knowledge (Psionics) 4 ranks. Feats: Psionic Weapon or Power Strike. Psionics: Manifester Level 5. CLASS SKILLS The hidden blade's class skills (and the key ability for each) are Autohypnosis (Wis) Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (Psionics) (Int), Profession (Wis), Tumble (Dex). Skill points at each level: 2 + Int modifier. CLASS FEATURES All the following are class features for the hidden blade prestige class. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hidden blade is proficient with their psychic blade, but gain no other weapons nor armor. Powers Known: At each level except 1st a hidden blade gains power point and powers known as if they also gained a level in whatever manifesting class they belonged to before they added this prestige class. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one manifesting class before becoming a hidden blade , they must decide which class to add the new level of hidden blade for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level. Psychic Blade (Su): As a move action, a hidden blade can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from their own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a daggerof a size appropriate for its wielder (1d3 19-20/X2 for a medium wielder). A psychic blade can be broken (it has a hardness 10 and 10 hit points): however a hidden blade can simply create another on their next move action. The moment the wielder relinquishes their grip on the blade, it dissipates (unless the wielder throws it; see below). A psychic blade is considered a magic weapon for overcoming damage reduction. A hidden blade can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the psychic blade just as it were a normal weapon. They can also choose a psychic blade for feats require a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization,. Powers and spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a psychic blade. Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as in a null psionics field), can sustain the psychic blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the hidden blade maintains the psychic blade for the number of rounds equal to their class level before they need to check again. On an unsuccessful save the blade vanishes. As a move action on their turn, the hidden blade can attempt a new Will save rematerialize his mind blade while they are within the psionics-negating effect. Throw Psychic Knife (Ex): A 2nd level or higher a hidden blade can throw their psychic blade at a target within 30 feet. Is the attack misses or the target is more than 30 feet away the psychic knfe dissapates harmlessly Free-Draw (Su): At 3rd level a hidden blade becomes able to materialize their psychic blade as a free action instead of a move action. They can only make one attempt to materialize their blade once per round, however. Psychic Resonance (Su): At 3rd level a hidden blade's psychic blade resonates with their own psychic power to enhance their blade. As a result the psychic blade gains the psychic enchantment even though it is not a +1 or higher weapon. Second Blade (Su): At 4th level and higher a hidden blade may chose their psychic knife to mimic a short sword (1d6 19-20/X2 for a meduim character) instead of a dagger. Mind Killer (Su): 3 times per day, a hidden blade that successfully strike a creature with their psychic knife may pay any number of power points up to their manifester level. For each power point paid the creature struck takes an extra 1d6 points of damage. The extra damage is empathic in nature, so damage reduction, energy resistance, and regeneration do not apply. This is a mind-affecting affect. The Hidden Blade Level Base Fort Ref Will Special Powers Known Attack Save Save Save Bonus 1 +0 +0 +2 +2 Psychic Blade -- 2 +1 +0 +3 +3 Throw Psychic Knife +1 of existing manifesting class 3 +2 +1 +3 +3 Free-Draw, Psychic Resonance +1 of existing manifesting class 4 +3 +1 +4 +4 Second Blade +1 of existing manifesting class 5 +3 +1 +4 +4 Mind Killer +1 of existing manifesting class EPIC HIDDEN BLADE A hidden blade cannot push their class levels into epic levels, but a few have developed a way to push the psychic resonance class feature to grant an epic level bonus to their psychic blade. EPIC PSYCHIC RESONANCE [Epic, Psionic] You have learned to imbue your psychic blade with epic power. Prerequisites: The ability to manifest powers of the normal maximum power level in at least one psionic class, the ability to materialize a psychic blade with the psychic resonance class feature. Benefit: If for every 5 manifester levels that you possess past 20 the enhancement bonus to your psychic blade increases by 1. This stacks with the bonus for the psychic resonance class feature. PSYCHIC BLADES AND MIND BLADES A psychic blade is a primitive form of mind blade. Feats that apply to a mind blade can be applied to a psychic blade if it meets the requirements and vise versa. However class features from the soul knife class cannot be applied to a psychic blade. The reverse is also true. Any character that can materialize both types of blade can do so separately. POWER STRIKE [Psionic] You can channel your psionic power into your melee attacks. Prerequisites: Manifester Level 5, Base Attack Bonus +5 Benefit: As a free action you may expend your psionic focus and pay 1 power point. If you do your gain a +1 bonus on your melee attacks and deals an extra +1d4 points of damage on your successful attacks for 1 round. For every extra 2 power points you pay the bonus increases by another +1 and the damage increases by another +1d4. The bonus on your attack roll cannot be greater that your base attack bonus. You may not expend more power points in this way than your manifester level. (Edit) 1. Increased the prequiresites. 2. Decreased the BAB. 3. Decreased the HD. 4. Removed Throw Psychic knife Class feature.(/edit) (Edit=2) 1. Renamed 2. Changed prequiresites. 3. Changed LvL 1 Psychic Knife to a dagger. 4. Readded Throw Psychic knife Class feature with a limited range. 5. Added 2 new levels.(Edit) [edit=3] changed prerequirsites slightly and added the Power Strike
danzibr 03-08-07, 12:46 PM	I think this is a really neat idea (assuming I understand what you're getting at). You are trying to create a hybrid between Soulknife and caster, right? Well, psion-caster. Kind of like Eldritch Knight or something, unless I am mistaken. I'm no expert, but my advice is to make the class longer. 10 levels, maybe. That way you can be, say, level 1 Psion/10 Primordial Mind Blade and have a caster level of nine and some good Soulknife abilities. I'm not sure how'd you break down the BAB and Soulknife abilities, but... it looks good. Hope I helped at least a little :P This PrC looks good; I especially like the fact that it's available so early on. With a little alteration this is certainly one I would play. Dan
SlanderPanic 03-08-07, 01:50 PM	I don't see the point of this class. Why not just take a few levels of soulknife? This gives you three levels of full BAB and two MLs and gives some very powerful abilities on top of that. That's pretty overpowered, honestly.
The_One_Who_Walks 03-08-07, 03:08 PM	I think Slander is right, it's a bit too powerful. I'd drop it to rogue BAB, and drop Thrown Mindblade. If they're splitting time between their manifesting, and thier ney psychic blade, neither is gonna get fully developed. Also, if the psychic blade is indeed primitive by comparison to a mindblade, I wouldn't think they would be able to mantain cohesion on it without physical contact, thus making throwing it impossable. I dunno, that's my take on it. Also/alternativly, you might require a concentration check to manifest the blade, and/or every 10 or so rounds to mantain it, owing to the fact that it's less refined, and thus maybe more difficult to control. Also, what exactly do you mean by "psychic enchantment even though it is not a +1 or higher weapon."? what exactly does this ability do, that is not already acomplished by it being considered magic for DR?
SlanderPanic 03-08-07, 04:28 PM	The psychic (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/items/weapons.htm#psychic) enhancement is what he means. It increases the weapon's enhancement bonus as the wielder's power point reserve goes up. It adds 35,000 gp to the cost of the weapon. This means that, unlike taking a soulknife dip and having a mind blade that stays the same for the rest of your career, you get a weapon that improves all the way to 20th and, with a single feat, continues to get better into infinity. It's also worth noting that you can qualify for this class at 1st level, meaning that you can get that 35,000 gp major weapon ability on a weapon you can never lose by 4th level. As-is, a psion, wilder, or psychic warrior would be stupid not to take the entire class. (Ardents, lurks, and divine minds are giving up a bit more... though not really all that much, in the case of divine minds.) I hate to just pick it apart here, Calron, but you're basically letting any manifester pick up a huge boost to her combat ability for the sacrifice of one measly manifester level. It's way overpowered and it really doesn't have as unique a flavor as it should. Now, let me be constructive here. First off, let's boost the requirements. Knowledge (psionics) 8 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks, ML 3rd, Psionic Weapon. That's fine. This should be a relatively easy class to get into, since it's basically learning the rudiments of another class. Features: Medium BAB, good Ref/Will saves, keep skills as-is, reduce hit dice to d6. We'll keep the manifester progression, too. I'll make it work. First Level: Psychic blade forms a dagger of mental energy. Otherwise, it functions the same. Second Level: Throw Psychic Blade. This lets you throw your dagger without it dissipating the moment it leaves your grip. Third Level: Shape Psychic Blade into a short sword, Psychic Blade Enhancement +1. You're probably still better off just taking soulknife levels, but it's useful to be able to materialize a dagger or a short sword any time. (Or you could take call weaponry.)
danzibr 03-08-07, 11:09 PM	Wow... that Psychic enchantment is nice. I was thinking he meant although the weapon was not +1 it could get a single +1 ability like Keen or something. Wow. I still quite support a caster/Soulknife prestige class, but I agree with SlanderPanic, more or less. More than less. Dan
calronmoonflower 03-09-07, 02:42 AM	I think this is a really neat idea (assuming I understand what you're getting at). You are trying to create a hybrid between Soulknife and caster, right? Well, psion-caster. Kind of like Eldritch Knight or something, unless I am mistaken. I was going to make sould knife into a prestige class, but just came up short. If you want a manifester/soulknife try this http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=804007
danzibr 03-09-07, 07:59 AM	Soulknife was a PrC in 3.0 I hear. Have a look at that, could give some insight. Dan
calronmoonflower 03-10-07, 03:17 AM	Thanks for all the input. I did a major re-write of the class, so tell me what you think.
SlanderPanic 03-10-07, 10:35 AM	It's a decent choice for manifesters who want a little taste of soulknife without having to give up too many MLs. If there's anything I'd change, it'd be to give the class 3/5 manifesting, but it's fine as-is.