Soulknife Training [Archive] - Wizards Community

Soulknife Training [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sir Elton
02-23-07, 12:09 PM Perhaps the easiest way to get what I'd like from everyone. IF you play a soulknife, how did he grow up and learn how to wield his mindblade?

(I'm expanding on something, and I like to get everyone's answer to this question.)
WinterPsionic
02-23-07, 01:04 PM I wrote in that during a village raid while fearing for his life attempted to "punch" a would be attacker in the face and in the process shaped the dagger right into the guys head, then after a few years of living in the wild he learned how to shape and throw the blade while hunting small animals for food by examing a local halfing ranger hunting with a throwing knife.
Fatalis_902
02-23-07, 03:06 PM Personally, because if I play a Soulknife I have him go Illumine Soul, my ready-for-use soulknife learned about his potential during an undead raid on his frontier town. He and his friends were part of the guard, and when undead attacked one night, after a day of fighting displacer beasts, he and his friends rushed to the town walls upon hearing the alarm, but forgot their weapons. His friends jumped down to help the guards already fighting, but didn't have weapons, so they were pretty quickly over-whelmed. Zayl (the soulknife in question) jumped down to save his friends, and when he prepared to attack one of the undead with his fist, he found his mindblade (in the shape of a set of claws) on his fist. He helped his friends get back to the wall, but the guards were having trouble holding the undead off. Just then, an Illumine Soul, who had not revealed this fact, launched a Positive Energy Ray, and helped the guards beat the undead. He took Zayl with him when he went on his way, and Zayl learned the basics of Soulknife training from him. Zayl eventually had to leave his mentor, and now is on his own, but I can't decide why Zayl left.
Vharuck
02-23-07, 04:31 PM I think of soulknives as people who started out like monks. They practice forms where, despite being unarmed for some, their motions resemble those of swordplay. This is of course done with long periods of meditation and reflection.

The difference between monks and soulknives is that the latter have the psionic spark in them. They meditate on it, making them spend more time on mental perfection than monks, who spend more time on physical perfection (in comparison to soulknives, that is; monks are certainly more mentally trained than your average fighter or ranger). This inner training leads to the glorious day they're first able to focus their psionic energies into a mindblade (the equivalent of a monk attaining the rank of black belt). After this, their forms are all done with the mindblade, and once they grow accustomed to manifesting and using the psionic weapon, they are what I would think as being a first level soulknife.

That's why, should I ever get to play a soulknife instead of DM, I'm giving him Improved Unarmed Strike.
Nightshade
02-23-07, 05:47 PM It was easy for my Kalashtar Soulknife. He was trained by his fellow Kalashtar in the warrior class (soulknife) of the Kalashtar in the Monastery fortress in the mountainous region of Adar that is their home.
Sir Elton
02-23-07, 05:52 PM I'm not interested in results or the details of Soulknife training. I'm interested in the process. That's why I like Vharuck's answer.
ChubZ
02-24-07, 07:53 AM The Soulknife I play has some psionic talents. So I've set that he was to be trained for a psion and then manifested the first time he was attacked. When his parents figured what he was (being a psionics themselves) they made him go to a fighters academy. There he would learn how to wield weapons. Now they forbid him to use his mindblade until he attains the knowledge needed for wielding a normal weapon. Later he was permited to manifest his mindblade and start the training anew with it.
I think of soulknives as people who started out like monks. They practice forms where, despite being unarmed for some, their motions resemble those of swordplay. This is of course done with long periods of meditation and reflection.
I think that Soulknife should go through weapons training because the core mindblade ability says that it's in every way as a SS/LS/BS except visually.
So they know the limitations of weapons and can figure the difference between mindblades and weapons.

As for that soulknife/monks meditation. As I've read it soulknives revel in swordsmanship and sword play bravado while monks enjoy inner peace and contemplation using their fighting skills to overcome/defend (speaking of good side only).
Those two are connected through their lack of equipment but not in lifestyle.
I'd compare soulknife to someone that is pure fighter by nature but has a latent psionic talent that manifests through a mindblade, else they would have an option to meditate and maybe go further in manifestation of powers.
cog_n_taz
02-24-07, 09:38 AM Well, using the force helps.

...sorry.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi
02-24-07, 10:26 AM There are a few back stories I've wanted to try out. One involves a blacksmith with a little bit of an obsession. He felt a drive to forge a perfect weapon - he could visualize it so clearly, but he lacked the skill to bring its total glory into being. Anyway, he works with his brother (a mage) in a magical weapons shop. It happened to get a lot of business from the church of Bahamut (or other religion). So the church of Tiamat decided to get rid of this nuisance to disrupt the supplies. So this blacksmith sees his brother killed and finds himself unarmed, with cultists wanting him dead. He prepares to rush in, intending to at least take them down with him, when he suddenly finds a weapon in his hand - the very one he's been trying to forge.

I like a few things about this story - the top one being that this guy had several levels in soulknife before he even realized he could create a mind blade.
Sir Elton
02-24-07, 03:05 PM Sounds like a character I'd be happy to DM for you. Just beware of the Gansta.

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/5343/pwormloresue6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

One of Storn's doings. :)

I like yours too. Keep them coming.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sir Elton 02-23-07, 12:09 PM	Perhaps the easiest way to get what I'd like from everyone. IF you play a soulknife, how did he grow up and learn how to wield his mindblade? (I'm expanding on something, and I like to get everyone's answer to this question.)
WinterPsionic 02-23-07, 01:04 PM	I wrote in that during a village raid while fearing for his life attempted to "punch" a would be attacker in the face and in the process shaped the dagger right into the guys head, then after a few years of living in the wild he learned how to shape and throw the blade while hunting small animals for food by examing a local halfing ranger hunting with a throwing knife.
Fatalis_902 02-23-07, 03:06 PM	Personally, because if I play a Soulknife I have him go Illumine Soul, my ready-for-use soulknife learned about his potential during an undead raid on his frontier town. He and his friends were part of the guard, and when undead attacked one night, after a day of fighting displacer beasts, he and his friends rushed to the town walls upon hearing the alarm, but forgot their weapons. His friends jumped down to help the guards already fighting, but didn't have weapons, so they were pretty quickly over-whelmed. Zayl (the soulknife in question) jumped down to save his friends, and when he prepared to attack one of the undead with his fist, he found his mindblade (in the shape of a set of claws) on his fist. He helped his friends get back to the wall, but the guards were having trouble holding the undead off. Just then, an Illumine Soul, who had not revealed this fact, launched a Positive Energy Ray, and helped the guards beat the undead. He took Zayl with him when he went on his way, and Zayl learned the basics of Soulknife training from him. Zayl eventually had to leave his mentor, and now is on his own, but I can't decide why Zayl left.
Vharuck 02-23-07, 04:31 PM	I think of soulknives as people who started out like monks. They practice forms where, despite being unarmed for some, their motions resemble those of swordplay. This is of course done with long periods of meditation and reflection. The difference between monks and soulknives is that the latter have the psionic spark in them. They meditate on it, making them spend more time on mental perfection than monks, who spend more time on physical perfection (in comparison to soulknives, that is; monks are certainly more mentally trained than your average fighter or ranger). This inner training leads to the glorious day they're first able to focus their psionic energies into a mindblade (the equivalent of a monk attaining the rank of black belt). After this, their forms are all done with the mindblade, and once they grow accustomed to manifesting and using the psionic weapon, they are what I would think as being a first level soulknife. That's why, should I ever get to play a soulknife instead of DM, I'm giving him Improved Unarmed Strike.
Nightshade 02-23-07, 05:47 PM	It was easy for my Kalashtar Soulknife. He was trained by his fellow Kalashtar in the warrior class (soulknife) of the Kalashtar in the Monastery fortress in the mountainous region of Adar that is their home.
Sir Elton 02-23-07, 05:52 PM	I'm not interested in results or the details of Soulknife training. I'm interested in the process. That's why I like Vharuck's answer.
ChubZ 02-24-07, 07:53 AM	The Soulknife I play has some psionic talents. So I've set that he was to be trained for a psion and then manifested the first time he was attacked. When his parents figured what he was (being a psionics themselves) they made him go to a fighters academy. There he would learn how to wield weapons. Now they forbid him to use his mindblade until he attains the knowledge needed for wielding a normal weapon. Later he was permited to manifest his mindblade and start the training anew with it. I think of soulknives as people who started out like monks. They practice forms where, despite being unarmed for some, their motions resemble those of swordplay. This is of course done with long periods of meditation and reflection. I think that Soulknife should go through weapons training because the core mindblade ability says that it's in every way as a SS/LS/BS except visually. So they know the limitations of weapons and can figure the difference between mindblades and weapons. As for that soulknife/monks meditation. As I've read it soulknives revel in swordsmanship and sword play bravado while monks enjoy inner peace and contemplation using their fighting skills to overcome/defend (speaking of good side only). Those two are connected through their lack of equipment but not in lifestyle. I'd compare soulknife to someone that is pure fighter by nature but has a latent psionic talent that manifests through a mindblade, else they would have an option to meditate and maybe go further in manifestation of powers.
cog_n_taz 02-24-07, 09:38 AM	Well, using the force helps. ...sorry.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 02-24-07, 10:26 AM	There are a few back stories I've wanted to try out. One involves a blacksmith with a little bit of an obsession. He felt a drive to forge a perfect weapon - he could visualize it so clearly, but he lacked the skill to bring its total glory into being. Anyway, he works with his brother (a mage) in a magical weapons shop. It happened to get a lot of business from the church of Bahamut (or other religion). So the church of Tiamat decided to get rid of this nuisance to disrupt the supplies. So this blacksmith sees his brother killed and finds himself unarmed, with cultists wanting him dead. He prepares to rush in, intending to at least take them down with him, when he suddenly finds a weapon in his hand - the very one he's been trying to forge. I like a few things about this story - the top one being that this guy had several levels in soulknife before he even realized he could create a mind blade.
Sir Elton 02-24-07, 03:05 PM	Sounds like a character I'd be happy to DM for you. Just beware of the Gansta. http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/5343/pwormloresue6.jpg (http://imageshack.us) One of Storn's doings. :) I like yours too. Keep them coming.