Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Tectorman 03-24-08, 10:45 AM	The title says it all. SOULBLADE Alignment: Any. Hit Die: d10 Class Skills The soulblade’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str). Skill Points at 1st level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. Base Attack Fort Ref Will Level Bonus Save Save Save Special 1st +1 +0 +0 +2 Mind blade, warrior’s focus 2nd +2 +0 +0 +3 Throw mind blade 3rd +3 +1 +1 +3 Psychic strike +1d8 4th +4 +1 +1 +4 +1 mind blade 5th +5 +1 +1 +4 Adaptive mind blade, free draw 6th +6/+1 +2 +2 +5 Mind blade enhancement +1 7th +7/+2 +2 +2 +5 Psychic strike +2d8 8th +8/+3 +2 +2 +6 +2 mind blade, adaptive mind blade 9th +9/+4 +3 +3 +6 Bladewind 10th +10/+5 +3 +3 +7 Mind blade enhancement +2 11th +11/+6/+1 +3 +3 +7 Adaptive mind blade, psychic strike +3d8 12th +12/+7/+2 +4 +4 +8 +3 mind blade 13th +13/+8/+3 +4 +4 +8 Knife to the soul 14th +14/+9/+4 +4 +4 +9 Adaptive mind blade, mind blade enhancement +3 15th +15/+10/+5 +5 +5 +9 Psychic strike +4d8 16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +10 +4 mind blade 17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Adaptive mind blade, multiple throw 18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Mind blade enhancement +4 19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Psychic strike +5d8 20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 +5 mind blade, adaptive mind blade Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Soulblades are proficient with all simple weapons, with their own mind blades, and with light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields). Mind Blade (Su): As a move action, a soulblade can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. Initially, the blade is manifested as a one-handed weapon. It deals 1d6 points of damage (for a Medium soulblade; for a larger or smaller soulblade, the blade increases or decreases in its damage as appropriate for their size). The blade has a critical range of 20 and a critical modifier of x2. Despite being called a mind blade, the weapon can actually deal any type of damage the soulblade requires. The weapon’s damage type (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing) is determined when the soulblade creates the weapon. The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus. The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a soulblade can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his blade, it dissipates (unless he intends to throw it; see below). A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. A soulblade can use feats such as Power Attack and Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. He 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 soulblade’s mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level). Furthermore, once the soulblade gains that first enhancement bonus, whenever he manifests his mind blade, it can (at his option) shed light as the light spell. He makes this decision every time he manifests the mind blade. Normally, a mind blade sheds absolutely no illumination. Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a soulblade can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the soulblade maintains his mind blade for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. However, even on a successful save, the soulblade can only retain the inherent qualities of the mind blade (no enhancement bonuses or special weapon qualties or light-shedding ability). On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the soulblade can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his mind blade while he remains within the psionics-negating effect. Warrior’s Focus (Ex): A soulblade is always treated as having at least one power point for the purpose of determining whether he can gain a psionic focus. You are also treated as a psionic character and can take psionic feats, metapsionic feats, and psionic item creation feats. Throw Mind Blade (Ex): A soulblade of 2nd level or higher can throw his mind blade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. Whether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind blade then dissipates. A soulblade of 3rd level or higher can make a psychic strike (see below) with a thrown mind blade and can use the blade in conjunction with other special abilities (such as Knife to the Soul; see below). Psychic Strike (Su): As a move action, a soulblade 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, nonmindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack (or a ranged attack, if he is using the throw mind blade ability). 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, providing they are living, nonmindless creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects.) A mind blade deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, but a soulblade can imbue his mind blade with psychic energy again by taking another move action. Once a soulblade has prepared his blade for a psychic strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the soulblade 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 soulblade next materializes it. At every four levels beyond 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the extra damage from a soulblade’s psychic strike increases as shown on the above table. Free Draw (Su): At 5th level, a soulblade 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). He is considered to have the Quick Draw feat, but only so far as it applies to his mind blade. Adaptive Mind Blade (Ex): At 5th level, a soulblade gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. Now, as a part of manifesting the mind blade (in other words, at the same time as when the soulblade decides what type of damage to deal with his mind blade), he can choose one of three forms for his mind blade to manifest as: a light weapon dealing 1d6 damage, a one-handed weapon that now deals 1d8 damage, or a two-handed weapon dealing 1d10 damage. The damages listed are for a Medium soulblade; a smaller or larger soulblade’s damages are increased or decreased accordingly. At every 3rd level thereafter (8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th), the soulblade gets to add a new inherent special weapon quality to his mind blade from the following list. Each weapon quality may be selected once unless specified otherwise and this choice may not be changed once made. Finessable: The mind blade may now benefit from the Weapon Finesse feat even if it’s not in the form of a light weapon. If the mind blade is not in the form of a light weapon and is currently manifested to deal bludgeoning damage, it may not gain this benefit. Furthermore, if the soulblade also has the Reach inherent weapon quality, he may not gain the benefits of Weapon Finesse while manifesting his mind blade as a reach weapon. Reach: A soulblade can now manifest the two-handed weapon form of his mind blade as a reach weapon. He may now strike opponents 10 feet away with it, but he may not use his mind blade against an adjacent foe (at least, not while it’s still manifested as a two-handed reach weapon). A soulblade of 9th level or higher who makes a bladewind attack (see below) while the mind blade is in this form makes a melee attack against every opponent 10 feet away (but not any adjacent opponents). A soulblade that selects this inherent quality is not now limited to manifesting two-handed weapons only as reach weapons; he may manifest a two-handed mind blade or a two-handed reach mind blade at his option. Double: A soulblade can manifest the light weapon form of his mind blade as two weapons, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) However, both mind blades have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the soulblade would otherwise create with a single mind blade. For example, a 12th-level soulblade normally creates a single +3 mind blade, but he could use this ability to instead materialize two +2 mind blades. A soulblade that selects this inherent quality is not now limited to manifesting light weapons only as two weapons; he may manifest a light mind blade or two light mind blades at his option. Superior Critical: The soulblade can either increase the critical threat range of his mind blade by 1 or he can increase the critical modifier of his mind blade by 1. This inherent quality may be selected twice, meaning that after two selections, the mind blade would either have a critical range and modifier of 18-20/x2, 19-20/x3, or 20/x4. This is considered a quality inherent to the weapon and so may stack with effects such as Improved Critical or the Keen special weapon ability (those two still would not stack with each other, though). Trip: The soulblade may now use his mind blade to make trip attacks. If the soulblade is tripped during his own trip attempt, he may release his grip on the mind blade to avoid being tripped. Disarm: The soulblade now gains a +4 bonus on opposed attack rolls made to disarm an opponent (including the roll to avoid being disarmed if such an attempt fails). Special Material: The mind blade's semi-solid nature changes until it closely approximates certain exotic materials used to manufacture more conventional weapons. The mind blade now overcomes damage reduction as though it were made of either cold iron, adamantine, or silver. Alternatively, a soulblade can gain a bonus psionic feat. The soulblade must still meet all prerequisites for the bonus feat, including ability score and base attack bonus minimums as well as class requirements. These bonus feats are in addition to the feats that a character of any class gains every three levels. A soulknife is not limited to psionic feats when choosing these other feats. Mind Blade Enhancement (Su): At 6th level, a soulblade gains the ability to enhance his mind blade. He can add any one of the weapon special abilities on the table below that has an enhancement bonus value of +1. At every four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a soulblade can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A soulblade can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the soulblade’s level. For example, an 18th-level soulblade could add two +2 special weapon abilities, or one +1 weapon ability and one +3 weapon ability. The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the soulblade materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to the mind blade no matter how it’s manifested, including the use of the adaptive mind blade or bladewind class abilities. A soulblade can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his mind blade. To do so, he must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, the mind blade materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the soulblade. For example, a 10th-level soulblade 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 mind flayer the next day, he could take 8 hours to change his mind blade’s special ability from psychokinetic burst to mindcrusher. Weapon Special Ability* Enhancement Bonus Value Defending +1 Ghost Touch +1 Keen** +1 Lucky +1 Merciful +1 Mighty Cleaving +1 Psychokinetic +1 Sundering +1 Vicious +1 Anarchic +2 Axiomatic +2 Collision +2 Holy +2 Mindcrusher +2 Psychokinetic Burst +2 Suppression +2 Unholy +2 Wounding +2 Bodyfeeder +3 Mindfeeder +3 Soulbreaker +3 Speed +3 Brilliant Energy +4 * All special weapon abilities can be found either in the Expanded Psionics Handbook or in the Dungeon Master’s Guide. ** Keen can even be applied to the mind blade when it is manifested as a bludgeoning weapon. Bladewind (Su): At 9th level, a soulblade gains the ability to momentarily fragment his mind blade into numerous identical blades, each of which strikes at a nearby opponent. As a full attack, when wielding his mind blade, a soulblade 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 reach. Each fragment functions identically to the soulblade’s regular mind blade. (For example, if the mind blade were in the form of a +2 keen (two-handed, improved critical range, slashing damage) mind blade, due to the soulblade’s mind blade enhancement and adaptive mind blade abilities, each fragment attacks and deals damage as a +2 keen (two-handed, improved critical range, slashing damage) mind blade.) When using bladewind, a soulblade 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 original form after the bladewind attack. Knife to the Soul (Su): Beginning at 13th level, when a soulblade executes a psychic strike, he can choose to substitute Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (his choice) for extra dice of damage. For each die of extra damage he gives up, he deals 1 point of damage to the ability score he chooses. A soulblade can combine extra dice of damage and the ability damage in any combination, so a 19th-level soulblade could choose to strike for 3 points of Charisma damage and an extra 2d8 points of damage. The soulblade decides which ability score his psychic strike damages and the division of ability damage and extra dice of damage when he imbues his mind blade with the psychic strike energy. Multiple Throw (Ex): At 17th level and higher, a soulblade can throw a number of mind blades per round equal to the number of melee attacks he could make. Thus, a 17th-level soulblade could throw four mind blades, with a base attack bonus of +17/+12/+7/+2. If he had used adaptive mind blade to materialize a mind blade for each hand and thus fight with two weapons, he could throw eight mind blades in a round. There we go. Tell me what you think. (Also found on the Classes board.)
ppaladin123 03-24-08, 02:44 PM	You might want to offer augmentations that give the soul blade cold iron, silver, adamantine and alignment properties to help the character bypass DR. There are items for the soul knife that add cold iron as a potential augument and kalashatar soul knives can get holy weapons through a racial substitution level so there is already precedence for this. Otherwise this is pretty good.
Tectorman 03-25-08, 03:24 PM	You might want to offer augmentations that give the soul blade cold iron, silver, adamantine and alignment properties to help the character bypass DR. There are items for the soul knife that add cold iron as a potential augument and kalashatar soul knives can get holy weapons through a racial substitution level so there is already precedence for this. Otherwise this is pretty good. Okay, I can pull off the alignment properties just by putting in the anarchic, axiomatic, etc. special weapon qualities in the table that the Soulblade can choose from, but could you expand on the materials a bit more? For instance, that item that allows the soulknife to add cold iron as an augment, what all does it do? Normal cold iron increases the cost of magically enhancing something. Silver lessens the damage and adamantine overcomes hardness. So, I guess what I'm asking is, does the soulknife just overcome DR as if his mind blade were made out of cold iron or is it treated as cold iron entirely?
ppaladin123 03-25-08, 05:03 PM	Okay, I can pull off the alignment properties just by putting in the anarchic, axiomatic, etc. special weapon qualities in the table that the Soulblade can choose from, but could you expand on the materials a bit more? For instance, that item that allows the soulknife to add cold iron as an augment, what all does it do? Normal cold iron increases the cost of magically enhancing something. Silver lessens the damage and adamantine overcomes hardness. So, I guess what I'm asking is, does the soulknife just overcome DR as if his mind blade were made out of cold iron or is it treated as cold iron entirely? I'm pretty sure it is treated "as if" it is cold iron but I am AFB right now. Anyway I like this fix because it makes the class more like a psychic kensai.
Legdiwena 03-25-08, 05:42 PM	There are also feats that do the same thing.
Tectorman 03-31-08, 12:44 PM	Update: added Axiomatic, Anarchic, Holy, and Unholy to the list of special weapon quality enhancements that a soulblade can choose from. Added the ability to make the mind blade bypass DR as if it were a silver, cold iron, or adamantine (an adamantine mind blade would not bypass hardness, and silver mind blades don't deal less damage because of it; it's just overcoming DR). I also added the ability to make the mind blade shed light in the same way that 30% of magical weapons do.
Lyric 03-31-08, 09:10 PM	I like it, but if it does shed light, it should be at will to turn it on and off.. or else it can become a liability.. And as for special material substitutions.. don't include anything that can be had with a feat. Just my opinion.
Legdiwena 03-31-08, 09:35 PM	The ability to emit light would be something you can change anytime you change abilities on mind blade. A normal magical sword is forever on/off. So not combat liability unless you want it to be one.
Tectorman 04-01-08, 04:07 PM	I like it, but if it does shed light, it should be at will to turn it on and off.. or else it can become a liability.. And as for special material substitutions.. don't include anything that can be had with a feat. Just my opinion. It already is. Everytime you manifest it, you decide whether it sheds light or not. If it does and you need it not to, then you let go and immediately remanifest it (except not shedding light now). (Goes back to add "at his option" to the description.) As for the special materials, don't know where feats like that are, so I can't really comment on them (I don't own anything campaign-related except for Oriental Adventures). Also, how do ya'll usually see the mind blade emitting light? 'Cause I was thinking along the lines of a lightsaber. A lightsaber emits heat out to an inch or so, but after that, you'll never be able to warm your hands by it. Likewise, if you've got your face an inch away from a lightsaber's blade, the light will illuminate your face, but any further away and while you'll still be able to see the lightsaber (it's glowing, after all), you won't be able to see anything by that glow. That's how I was imagining the mind blade when it wasn't shedding light.
Legdiwena 04-01-08, 06:17 PM	The feats for special mats are in Dragon 335. Adamantine feat says it treats in all ways as if made of adamantine, that includes changes in hardness/hp.
Lyric 04-01-08, 08:04 PM	I'd say a five foot glow, enough to make a glow around your person, and 'maybe' read by, but not enough to light a hallway. That's a light saber glow. Hence the blue/red contrasts that exist in the movies. However, wasn't it mentioned earlier a 30' glow? That's fairly bright. Personally, I'd prefer a smaller glow, lest it blind the guy using it. :-P
Legdiwena 04-01-08, 09:39 PM	It's a 20' glow. Fully 30% of magic weapons shed light equivalent to a light spell (bright light in a 20-foot radius, shadowy light in a 40-foot radius). These glowing weapons are quite obviously magical. Such a weapon can’t be concealed when drawn, nor can its light be shut off. Some of the specific weapons detailed below always or never glow, as defined in their descriptions.
Tectorman 04-02-08, 12:28 PM	Ah. Well, I don't own any of the magazines, either. And I don't particularly feel like going through CrystalKeep and checking for everything that applied to the Soulknife that can still apply to the Soulblade and shouldn't. Sorry. Do you think I need to actually quantify the illumination (or lack thereof) of the mind blade when not shedding light, or leave that up to the individual player (like how the mind blade's actual shape isn't quantified)?
Legdiwena 04-02-08, 01:34 PM	Just state it sheds light at players choice and refer them to DMG for details on light. Illumination option can be changed anytime you change properties of mind blade through meditation.
Tectorman 04-15-08, 03:56 PM	You know what I just realized? The whole glowing ability that it's initially depicted as having (a la all the pictures) is still just fluff/artistic interpretation. It looks like a lightsaber that way. The "shadow sword" in the picture of the Shadowsmith (ToM) would be another way to describe it. Since psionics often include ectoplasm in their effects, a sword of slime would also be another way. So I won't be imposing a specific look to the mind blade. But since it could look like a tentacled shadow, a slick, translucent blade, or a lightsaber (and only one of those makes sense to naturally generate light), I think I will specify that it doesn't shed illumination of any kind besides the light version.
Mirannan 04-16-08, 05:05 AM	Hmmm... (Quite a nice soulknife fix, by the way.) As far as I recall, psionically-enhanced weapons don't generally glow - it's magical ones that do that, although this doesn't matter if you use psionic/magical transparency. However, psionic weapons do sometimes emit sound - usually a low hum (see the metaphysical weapon power) and often emit a psionically-transmitted "sound" that sounds like muttering or some such. If I was DMing this, I would rule that all this is changeable when you meditate to change a weapon's powers. For flavour, at the moment my soulknife's blade glows softly and emits a low hum - and when further charged up with psychic strike or psionic shot glows brighter and makes more noise. A humming, glowing weapon might mess up a soulknife's stealth abilities, of course - but at the moment my character has no stealth abilities, for various rather complicated reasons. (Soon to be corrected, I hope!) Just a random thought - I am hoping to gain some RP experience points next time my character uses Autohypnosis to shake off a fear effect - the Bene Gesserit Litany Against Fear sounds impressive!
Legdiwena 04-17-08, 01:14 PM	The soulknife can look like whatever you want it to. It can change shape/color from moment to moment. This doesn't change anything mechanical though.
Lyric 04-27-08, 04:16 AM	would you require a feat to create a soul-weapon that was invisible? and what about a feat or psionic power to animate said weapon? (imagine an invisible whip.. what a murder weapon) :) Who did it? And from where?
InkBlot 04-27-08, 03:56 PM	It depends on what mechanical advantage using an invisible weapon would grant. It's not like you wouldn't see the guy with a murderous stare in his eyes waving his arms at you like some sort of demented mime.
Lyric 04-28-08, 06:02 AM	Unless you're a bit sneaky about it.. (I'm reading a lot of murder mystery comics lately) Imagine the crowd of people huddled around the man who is mysteriously in pain. something he ate no doubt.. and then.. unknown to all.. blood.. but how? where was the weapon? several people had their hand on him.. but there was no sign! (Or, just imagine a thrown invisible weapon :-P )
Tectorman 04-28-08, 11:11 AM	I'm not sure how that would work. Soulblade or Soulknife, the mind blade basically functions the same. It's semisolid energy distilled from the mind. I think it has to be visible (no matter how you manifest it, it has to have some kind of appearance). Now, you can cast invisibility on it and perhaps even make it permanent (since it acts like an object), although I don't know how that would work since it's creation takes all of a move action (or free) even if it's sundered. Plus, there's the fact that even if the mind blade is invisible, you are not, and your arm (appearing to have an invisible weapon in it) is still swinging towards their face. This is purely my untested opinion, but I think the best it would act like is the Blurstrike enhancement from Races of the Wild. Honestly, check with your DM. [Being facetious]It's unfortunate that it's not directly listed as having a visual display like an actual psionic power, otherwise you could just Concentrate on not manifesting the display. For instance, the visual display of an astral constuct could be the construct itself. Make a high enough check and you can make the construct without a visual display, even after it attacks.[/Being facetious]