Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-23-07, 09:29 PM	So, the exact appearance of a mind blade is up to its wielder. Some people like to go with a really unique shape. I gotta know, what's your character's mind blade like? I've got two myself (two characters - one retired, one waiting play). Qui'elle Kessari, kalashtar soulknife. His mind blade manifests as a crystal rod (of varying color, but it's always a hexagonal prism with tapered ends) surrounded by a dream-like haze, which turns into a dark cloud with flashes of lightning within when it's charged with a psychic strike. [unnamed], xeph soulknife/monk. His mind blade manifests as an aura of crystal shards, surrounding him. When attacking, they all shift to surround his fist. When attacked, they all converge in front of the weapon (defending enhancement + psionic dodge). When thrown, various "diamond meteors" shoot forth. It'd be really nice if I get to high enough levels and convince the DM to allow it to have the Triple Throw enhancement. UPDATE: Based on a typo when writing this, I may name the xeph Meteror. Also, a third idea, less fleshed out: A maenad soulknife whose mind blade appears as crystal spikes growing from his forearms (sort of like a skarn).
Artector 10-23-07, 09:45 PM	The only notable soulknife I remember was a Kalashtar. His was the pure white extension of Il-lashtavar (I think that's the right word), and had several subtle red cracks along the length of the blade. My plan was: As he grew in levels the mindblade's cracks would grow larger until he finally turned lawful good, he was lawful neutral, a Sarlonian attack had left him a little unbalanced. I didn't get to play him long enough for it to really matter.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-23-07, 10:20 PM	That's cool. And a neat bit of role playing. Qui'elle was a lot of fun. I was using some variant sublime way soulknife fix. And I used the Hidden Talent (entangling ectoplasm) variant. So I had a lot of options. But the best part was questing across Eberron with Hammer to save his "daughter," my "niece," the Cyran orphan. The DD had mind seeded her to get to me. Too bad the campaign fell through. Hammer even forcefully coerced a powerful Adaran psion to mind seed little Suzy to at least overwrite the quori until we could fix the problem. (You know, a LN follower of il-lashtavar isn't going to want to pay the XP cost for the sake of some no account orphan). I've really got to recommend fine iron powder, ingestion, and heat metal as a way to get someone to talk.
Count Arioch the 28th 10-23-07, 10:42 PM	One time, a soulknife NPC had a mind blade that looked like a collumn of rapidly spinning gears. One time, I had another NPC that had a mind blage that looked like a metal ring with a blade wround the outside that hovered a few inches from his hand.
kyeudo 10-23-07, 11:13 PM	I have an elven soulknife with a wooden mindblade that grows in his hand when he manifests the blade.
CrimsonDeath 10-24-07, 01:44 AM	I nearly played a Githzerai Soulknife whose mind blade would've looked like he was holding a persistent bolt of lightning. (If you've played any of the Soul Reaver games, it would've been rather similar to the eponymous spectral blade.)
Ninja_Ferret 10-24-07, 02:27 AM	Hmm This is interesting. I dont know what i want to do with my mind blade at the moment. Im going to be playing in an ebberon campaign. Im also going to be a Half Giant named Sandwalker (going into the PrC that can harm undead with his psionic charge). Anyone have some good ideas. Also I have one more question. What type of damage does a Mind blade do? Slashing? Or what ever I feel like?
InkBlot 10-24-07, 03:03 AM	A mindblade always has the same stats as a shortsword, until level 5. At level five you can shape it into a longsword or a bastard sword. There are also feats which allow you to shape your mindblade into various other kinds of weapons (double sword, dwarven urgrosh, etc). It deals damage according to the shape its in. A medium soulknife's shortsword mindblade deals 1d6 piercing damage. Although a mindblade can look like almost anything, its stats never change based upon what it looks like.
Naldovir 10-24-07, 04:08 AM	Onyx black dewclaw coming out of my knife's wrist, ventral side (palm of his hand.) That's if he's calm. If not, blood orange. The color of a lunar eclipse, basically. If it's charged up, it looks like a saw blade on both sides.
aotrscommander 10-24-07, 08:01 AM	If you'll forgive me for quoting myself: Can my mindblade, without any of the mechanical effects, look like I'm holding (by the feet) Pun-Pun duel wielding +987 flaming, icy, shocking, thundering burst, vorpal uranium/neutronium/unobtainium Awakened DeathStar CoDzilla-chucks, then? Yes, that was so worth repeating for the 3rd time...
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-24-07, 09:49 AM	Hmm This is interesting. I dont know what i want to do with my mind blade at the moment. Im going to be playing in an ebberon campaign. Im also going to be a Half Giant named Sandwalker (going into the PrC that can harm undead with his psionic charge). Anyone have some good ideas. Also I have one more question. What type of damage does a Mind blade do? Slashing? Or what ever I feel like? Maybe his mind blade appears as a "regular" sword bearing his deity's holy symbol on the pommel. And on the blade there are ever-changing runes from the holy scripts of his religion. If you want to play up the fact that divine magic is the best weapon against undead. I can recommend Untapped Potential for stuff for half-giant soulknives. Including the ability to manifest that large mind blade. Also, I came across a neat way to work half-giants into Eberron. They're not giant/human hybrids. They're remnants from the giant/quori war. Some quori had infiltrated the giants in their dreams and worked a change that prevented them from physical maturation. Being touched so gave them psionic power. Think about it.
TevolRia 10-24-07, 10:35 AM	If I had a mind blade, it would not be just a weapon, it would be a utility too, an ultra modern reflection of our culture, it would not be a spoon, nor a fork, it would be something beutiful, it would be a spork. the weapon of the gods. (Or, for high combat adventures, a knork!)
TheKeyofE 10-24-07, 10:38 AM	My first foray into soulknife territory was before the XPH came out. I was playing in a friend's homebrewed system, basically as an alpha playtest. He told us we could be anything we wanted as the system was very open ended. I played a swordsman with psi-powers and a liquid metal sword, not unlike the T-1000. When "sheathed," the sword took the form of a silver gauntlet on the character's hand, and when "drawn," would flow over his hand into the shape of a curved longsword, about halfway between a katana and a cavalry sabre. If you're bored or curious, I wrote a more detailed description: The character concept was a mix of Himura Kenshin from Samurai X and Dak'kon from Planescape:Torment. A master swordsman like Kenshin and a gish (or zerth, as the githzerai call them) like Dak'kon, but rather than Dak'kon's spells, this character had illusion powers. His weapon was based heavily on Dak'kon's karach blade, in that its sharpness and strength were governed by the character's mental discipline, and it changed color and texture based on his mood. Similar to both Dak'kon and a soulknife, the blade became more powerful as the wielder gained more experience. Unlike a soulknife's mindblade, this weapon wasn't made of purely mental energy, and was restricted by the law of conservation of mass (although I planned to get an ability later that would remedy this), which is why it would flow between gauntlet and sword forms rather than disappear and reappear at will. The game world had an alignment system based on the five colors from Magic:The Gathering. With his illusions and his liquid blade, Tenmis was quite obviously Blue, as Blue deals with both water and the unseen. http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m72/thekeyofe/Tenmis.jpg I don't think this description really does him justice, but he was the coolest character I've ever played in any game. I've tried to replicate him in D&D with a straight soulknife, a soulknife/telepath, and even a warlock, but it never turns out right. When I first read the XPH, my experiences with the above character made me instantly want to play a soulknife, although it was a year or two before I finally got a chance to. When I did, I played a Kalashtar soulknife/illumine soul. His mindblade was a double-edged longsword with no crossguard that glowed white (because of being an illumine soul). His motto: "When you walk the Path of Shadows, you better bring your own Light." Both these characters had to grip their blades, although there is something very cool about a mindblade that moves independently of the wielder's movements. If I were a soulknife in real life, my mindblade would probably look like that of the first character, a silvery metal sword with a slight curve to the blade.
Ninja_Ferret 10-24-07, 10:38 AM	Where is this untapped potential? Feat or class ability? Im thinking it will end up just being holy simbolys floating around my hand that shoot out and strike the target. that sounds pretty neat and interesting.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-24-07, 11:26 AM	Where is this untapped potential? Feat or class ability? Im thinking it will end up just being holy simbolys floating around my hand that shoot out and strike the target. that sounds pretty neat and interesting. Untapped Potential is actually the name of the "book." (It's actually a pdf published by Dreamscarred Press). It includes a lot of stuff, including a few half-giant soulknife racial substitution levels. The floating holy symbols is a neat idea too.
Ovistavin 10-24-07, 11:26 AM	Where is this untapped potential? Feat or class ability? Im thinking it will end up just being holy simbolys floating around my hand that shoot out and strike the target. that sounds pretty neat and interesting. Untapped Potential is a 3rd party book by Dreamscarred Press. All the material Dreamscarred writes is for Psionics. [edit] I must type slowly.
carnivore 10-24-07, 03:05 PM	my Factum 1/Soulknife 4/ Soulbow 8 ... has a Mindblade that looks like a "Rubber Chicken" ...and his Mind Arrows look like "Custard Pies" ... hes a real cut-up at parties :D
Ananvilhurtz 10-24-07, 03:22 PM	Jania, my Soulknife, her mindblade was a katana formed of flowing water (since I used the bastard sword shape, twohanded). When she became angry, it hardened into ice. When she threw it, it became blue crescents of energy that exploded on impact. She kept it drawn most of the time, visible as droplets of water falling from her hand, evaporating before they hit the ground.
Spiritwalker 10-29-07, 09:36 AM	I'm currently employing a Soulknife 10/ Pyrokinetisist 10 in a game as my players contact, but they have seen her in battle a couple of times. River's Mindblade, when sheathed, appears as a short cape made of new spring leaves. She is often followed by the distint smell of the woodlands, and the faint sound of wind whispering through leaves. She is also followed by the occational animal sound, though only psionic characters can hear them. When she draws the blade, the eaves expode off of her as if whipped in a powerful wind, and flow down her arm to coallese above her clenched fist. In appearance, her blade looks like a swirl of multi-coloured leaves caught in the vortex of a storm. Through a feat from dragon, she can also form a sheild out of leaves, which leaps out of the blade and swirls around her opposite arm and shoulder. The psionic sounds are those of agitated animals and storm winds. When angered, her blade, shield, and everything burst into flame, swirling about her body as flaming motes and ash, and the sounds become those of a battle, with thunderous cracks and screams of dying. She'll also summone her fire lash at this point. Additionally, when she throws her mindblade, 1 or more curved leaves spin out of the core and fly to their target, a bit like Blades' Glaive. I've only ever run one Soulknife PC, and he was a dragonborn. His blade appeared as a dragon that setled over his shoulders, and twined its neck around his arm till its head lay over the back of his hand. When he drew the blade, the dragon head would open and spit out a line of platinum coloured fire.
Sagetim 10-29-07, 10:38 PM	The guy I'm going to be using soon is going to have his look like a handaxe (1d6 shortsword version) then when he can reshape it, he'll be using the two handed greataxe version one. It will look like a weapon of that type composed of green energy. When charged for a psi strike, it will get a green aura. With psionic shot, it will explode on impact.
Wizard Random 10-30-07, 06:21 AM	A blood red sword of coruscating energy AKA Dr. Jackal's "Bloody Cross" from Getbackers Since I also had levels of Soulbow "Bloody Rain" made a appearance a few times as well
Lycanthromancer 10-30-07, 02:27 PM	I've never had a soulknife....
Wizard Random 10-30-07, 02:59 PM	I've never had a soulknife.... If it makes you feel any better I only use them as NPC's. NPC's that die a horrible...horrible death.
CrimsonDeath 10-30-07, 04:02 PM	If it makes you feel any better I only use them as NPC's. NPC's that die a horrible...horrible death. Allies or enemies of the party?
Kady_Small 10-30-07, 04:15 PM	I had a guy whose soulknife looked like a spherical blue aura around his body that would shoot spiky blobs of flame when he pointed a finger at somebody. Not a blade per se, but the mechanics were the same so it didn't really matter what the description was.
Wizard Random 10-30-07, 04:46 PM	Allies or enemies of the party? ah enemies
InkBlot 10-30-07, 05:31 PM	I've used Soulknife and Soulbow to recreate The Paper Sisters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsXdEceUhWI) as NPCs in my games. One version was gestalt; Anita was soulknife//psiwar, Michelle was a soulknife/soulbow//wilder, and Maggie was a soulknife//shaper. In non-gestalt; Anita was a soulknife (hidden talent and bonus feats), Michelle was an ardent/soulknife/soulbow, and Maggie was simply an ardent. I've never gotten to use them, my games tended to disintegrate before they could show up, but they were there. In my games, a mindblade's appearance is limited to things that are at least vaguely weapon-like, and roughly the same size as the weapon the mindblade is emulating. The blades audible and light-emitting* aspects are similarly limited. It also has to somehow occupy your hand, even if you only need that hand free to direct the blade by pointing or whatever. A mindblade isn't a free major image (or even a silent image). I wouldn't allow a player to have a mindblade that looks like a cloak, and I wouldn't allow a player to have a mindblade that hovered around his head even with both his hands full. *It says right in the DMG that any magic weapon can be crafted to emit light as a torch, without adding anything to the cost or requirements, and so mindblades can emit light as a torch too.
Arco Versipellis 10-30-07, 11:14 PM	I would probably impose similar restrictions. Not that some of the previous dscriptions aren't cool, but a few of them are a little much for a weapon. I did like the idea of the metallic gauntlet/sword and the wooden sword. I would include vines the entagled the arm a little. I like the dragon idea, but I would have scaled it back to when manifesting it look like a serpentine dragon crawling down his arm. I like the idea of a mind blade that materializes as something akin to a column of wind that tosses leaves around, but the cloak is to much for me. Not knockig anyone, because my mind blades aren't that imaginaive. Personally, I can't think "mind blade" without thinking Psylocke. I always thought her weapon was awesome when I was a kid reading the comics. Ever since the soulknife was a prestige class, that is how I have pictured it.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 10-30-07, 11:50 PM	I've heard of a person or two who's had a cloak mind blade. I have no problem with it as long as you have to actually grab hold of it to throw it around to attack. That said, the leaf cloak is neat, because the mind blade is still seen when it's not technically manifested. That's probably the option I'd go with for my crystal swarm monk/soulknife. I love these ideas. And while, yes, some of these are a stretch from the base, I'd be willing to allow them. Although if the player then insisted on getting new mechanical bonuses for it, I might get mad. Unless they just made the soulknife less underpowered.
Jaxgaret 10-31-07, 12:03 AM	If you'll forgive me for quoting myself: Can my mindblade, without any of the mechanical effects, look like I'm holding (by the feet) Pun-Pun duel wielding +987 flaming, icy, shocking, thundering burst, vorpal uranium/neutronium/unobtainium Awakened DeathStar CoDzilla-chucks, then? Yes, that was so worth repeating for the 3rd time... Unobtainium ftw. Also, Awakened DeathStar CoDzilla-chucks was worth a chuckle :)
Moosh Nailo 10-31-07, 12:33 AM	Nezumi, sewer dweller. In a city where they were viewed as gutter dwellers, and accorded as much respect as yesterday's supper. Because of this view, anything of value would immediately be taken away from the ratlings. So this character's mindblade manifested as an ancient, uncared for, frail looking rust eaten blade.
nobodez_here 10-31-07, 12:48 AM	Unfortunately, the only "soulknife" I've played was a d0 Modern Battle Mind. I think I went the stereotypical route and went with a lightsaber effect. If I were to make a soulknfie for my next game, it would probably be a human with a blade made of a cacophony of mental images within the blade itself.
Viktor_Von_Doom 11-01-07, 04:34 PM	My soulknifes currebt Mind Blade when useing a short sword is a gold and copper snake with various designs on it that coils around my body, when dual weilded theirs another snake with different designs and is azure with forest green. The bastard sword form is regular katanna that holds thousands of images from my memories.
angelus_truelove 11-02-07, 12:07 AM	Izak, human male, carries the broken handle of a katana, his mind blade takes on the look of a glowing red katana that extends from the handle
sooperspook 11-04-07, 10:11 AM	I had a Soulknife ina campaign that featured demon fighting quite heavily. His mindblade took the form of a daisy chain because he thought it would humiliate the demons more when he killed them with it. :D He was a little bit 'broken' having witnessed many, many horrible things during the demons invasion. :P
TheKeyofE 11-04-07, 10:33 AM	I had a Soulknife ina campaign that featured demon fighting quite heavily. His mindblade took the form of a daisy chain because he thought it would humiliate the demons more when he killed them with it. :D He was a little bit 'broken' having witnessed many, many horrible things during the demons invasion. :P Heh, heh...Soulknife...'broken'...ha...haha.. .BWAHAHAHAhahahaha!!!! hahaha...ha...Ahem! Sorry, it's just funny to see the word 'broken' used to describe a Soulknife. When he wasn't kicking demon butt, did he wear the daisy chain on his head or around his neck? Hmm, that makes me think...a whip-like Mindblade could be pretty cool. There's a picture in Races of Eberron of two kalashtar dancing, and they have glowing ribbon-things coming from their hands that might be mindblades.
sooperspook 11-04-07, 11:29 AM	Some people think the SK is broken.Although in a half-elf not-as-good-as-it-should-be kinda way. :P The daisy chain only appeared when he summoned the blade, but he did like flowers a lot and spent a lot of time wandering in fields picking them. Made an odd appearance, what with his black spiked studded leather armour and his spiked heavy gauntlet/bucker, to see him wandering through fields picking daisies. Also another soulknife I made but didn't get to play, a half elf "assassin" (not the class). He used the two short sword version. One looked made of writhing shadows that whispered his negative, destructive thoughts. The other looked like it was made of pale , faintly glowing mist, that whispered his positive, constructive thoughts. Whenever he needed to make a decision , he would listen to each of them in turn. Kind of like an angel and devil on his shoulder. He never used the longsword but sometimes did use the bastard sword. When he did, it looked like a twisting spiral of light and shadow that seemed to fight itself. There was a houserule that the bastard sword version always had a lesser Vicious ability no matter what other abilities he gave it. It did 1d6 extra damage but did the same to him. This was caused by the conflict between his two sides. Edit: Theres a feat in a Dragon issue that lets you take another weapon shape for your mind blade. I had one player choose a scourge.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 11-04-07, 04:33 PM	Some people think the SK is broken. As is demonstrated by one of the links in my sig. Look for funny quotes and follow them to the source. In other news, I remembered another funny one that I came up with after finding Goblins: Life Through Their Eyes (http://goblinscomic.com/). He was a blue goblin soulknife, whose mind blade appeared as the traditional blade of energy/light saber rip-off without the hilt. Except his was always this lovely shade of lavender. Using the naming convention in that comic, his tribe's seer had actually named him Lavender Death. Best known for tiring of people belittling him for his mind blade's color and tossing it with the cry, "That's it. Lavender death!" (psychic strike for the win) "Anyone else got a problem with lavender?" Typically I imagine Minmax as the guy getting blown to smithereens. You know, a 2nd level fighter is toast against a 13th level soulknife. No matter how weak the class is.
TheKeyofE 11-05-07, 12:26 AM	As is demonstrated by one of the links in my sig. Look for funny quotes and follow them to the source. Awww, geez...I remember that thread, now. Some people have screwed up notions of balance and power.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 11-05-07, 08:54 AM	Awww, geez...I remember that thread, now. Some people have screwed up notions of balance and power. I still can't look back on it without laughing. There were some good one-liners in there.
turalisj 11-07-07, 10:16 PM	My mind blade... would probably be anything from a blade made from clockwork gears to a blade made from skulls stacked upon another. Depends on what kind of soulknife we are talking about. Screw the 13th level soulknife. Hello 7th level psion.
Garandene_Lyrandar 12-16-07, 01:23 AM	Jania, my Soulknife, her mindblade was a katana formed of flowing water (since I used the bastard sword shape, twohanded). When she became angry, it hardened into ice. When she threw it, it became blue crescents of energy that exploded on impact. She kept it drawn most of the time, visible as droplets of water falling from her hand, evaporating before they hit the ground. That is pretty sweet. My kalashtar soulknife has a blood that looks somthing like the laser sword in halo 2. It is covered in shifting purple Quori runes and when it is "drawn" it is acompanied by the sound of thousands of people whispering in quori, just outside the observers concious mind.
Rulebook 12-16-07, 10:45 PM	the last soulknife i played had his like a a long teardrop shaped flat sheet of purple/bluish light that hovered a couple inches under his palm and extended out wards. (he couldnt grasp anything in that hand because it took focus to use it or something) ive also had one who's knife was a twisting cone of air around his fist
Aryxbez 12-16-07, 11:18 PM	I've never used psionics, nor do I care to, but these mind blades sound interesting. Sounds to me one could have the Keyblade (kingdom hearts), to be their soul blade. So if possible via one of those feats, I would want my soulblade to be a triple maybe quadruple bladed axe mace looking object. With it being Dark Grey or light black color, the haft of the weapon creating a cross guard of sorts that look like the handle was made from horns that were fused together.
turalisj 12-17-07, 07:20 AM	Maybe that would be a good reason to et into psionics. If you don't like the name, just change the flavoring.
InkBlot 12-17-07, 12:21 PM	So if possible via one of those feats, I would want my soulblade to be a triple maybe quadruple bladed axe mace looking object. With it being Dark Grey or light black color, the haft of the weapon creating a cross guard of sorts that look like the handle was made from horns that were fused together. A soulknife doesn't need a feat to make his mindblade look like a stone-gray quadruple bladed axe-mace with a crossguard and grip made from fused horns. He only needs a feat if he wants his mindblade to do something other than deal slashing damage with a 19-20/x2 crit.
Starless 12-17-07, 01:06 PM	My only Soulknife was from 3.0. He was a modified Skulk (in a high-powered game where most races are LA+2, thus negating the LA). His mind-blade wasn't anything particularly unique, I suppose. Most of the time, it was a wavering grey--becoming almost translucent when he was calm, but nearly black when he was in combat or some other danger. I imagined it as really wispy, not having much of a concrete form, except when he struck with it, when it became solid.
angellis_ater 12-17-07, 01:16 PM	I've used the following: Flowing shadows Blood (the character cut himself to "draw" the weapon) Crystals (on a psi-forged they just grew out of him) And a "whip-sword" a la IVY from Soul Calibur.
Aryxbez 12-17-07, 05:43 PM	A soulknife doesn't need a feat to make his mindblade look like a stone-gray quadruple bladed axe-mace with a crossguard and grip made from fused horns. He only needs a feat if he wants his mindblade to do something other than deal slashing damage with a 19-20/x2 crit. What I meant was that I heard there was a feat that could transform your mind blade into something like a dwarven urgosh and such. So I assumed one could have their mindblade be transformed into almost any weapon they choose. Maybe that would be a good reason to et into psionics. If you don't like the name, just change the flavoring. Well I don't hold Kingdom hearts as a fantastic game or anything. I just kinda liked the way they did boss battles, also I was just using a theoretical example of what a Mind blade sounds like. Otherwise I don't think I would be interested in Psionics, perhaps a bit too X-men for me ( have nothing against X-men), besides it sounds like you put in more work for little result. I'm also unsure I would even be able to semi logically give a reason of the source of power for it, I don't believe in the brain having super lasers when clicked on.
CrimsonDeath 12-17-07, 05:57 PM	Otherwise I don't think I would be interested in Psionics, perhaps a bit too X-men for me ( have nothing against X-men) If you check out the Truenaming Psionics (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=470229) thread, there are examples of Psionics having whatever flavor you want. besides it sounds like you put in more work for little result. I'm not really sure what you mean by that. I'm also unsure I would even be able to semi logically give a reason of the source of power for it, I don't believe in the brain having super lasers when clicked on. But you believe in magic?
InkBlot 12-17-07, 06:28 PM	What I meant was that I heard there was a feat that could transform your mind blade into something like a dwarven urgosh and such. So I assumed one could have their mindblade be transformed into almost any weapon they choose. There were three mindblade shape feats in Complete Psionic: one for the double sword, one for the dwarven urgrosh, and one for the orcish double axe (IIRC). There's no feat that lets you choose any shape for your mindblade, at least not from WotC. A lot of people have done it in homebrew, and I'm sure at least one 3rd party source has too. There's no question that such a feat would be perfectly acceptable. If there is a question, then it's probably whether such a feat would grant weapon proficiency or require it. As for the verisimilitude of psionics, there are a few ways to look at it. Each official setting has it's own take. Then there's the real-life inspiration in 19th and 20th century psuedoscience and parlor-room-mysticism. It's also very easy to look at the psionics rules and see chi-powered wuxia, and all manner of other non-generic non-Tolkien-derivitive non-inspired-by-D&D-and-inspiring-D&D fantasy literature. In Forgotten Realms, magic comes from "the weave," and psionic characters are just those who have their own internal "weave." I don't know much about Forgotten Realms, so I don't know exactly what "the weave" is supposed to be. In Eberron, psionics is planar energy leaking in from the planes of the mind, most notably Dal Quor (the plane of dreams) but also others. There was a thread a little while back, in which I posted a good summary of the real-world inspirations for D&D psionics (with reference links). Check it out, please, if you're at all curious about why we're nuts about psionics. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?p=14467911#post14467911)
TheKeyofE 12-17-07, 08:43 PM	There were three mindblade shape feats in Complete Psionic: one for the double sword, one for the dwarven urgrosh, and one for the orcish double axe (IIRC). Don't forget the Dire Flail (stupidest weapon ever). I'm also unsure I would even be able to semi logically give a reason of the source of power for it, I don't believe in the brain having super lasers when clicked on. But you believe in magic? All magic, ALL magic, is based on focused intent. This is true for both fantasy and "real life" magic. Thoughts have energy, and that energy, when focused, is enough to alter and rearrange the natural energies of the universe. Arcane magic combines focused intent with spoken and physical components to project that intent and alter those energies. Divine magic relies on a power outside of the caster to give an effect to their intent. Psychic energy is still the driving force behind both. Psionics is focused intent that skips the intermediate steps, going from thought straight to effect. In some ways, it's harder to master than arcane or divine, in some ways it's easier. But the driving force behind all three is the same, focused intent. Chi-wuxia powers, a la Kung Fu movies or Tome of Battle, function off the same principle. (Hmm...maybe I should resurrect the "Psionics, what is it to you?" thread and repost this there...) So if you like magic, there's really no reason to not like psionics since at their core they are the very same thing. You may prefer the mechanics of one or the other (and most do), but that's a whole different can of worms. And we are now officially completely off topic.
CrimsonDeath 12-17-07, 09:19 PM	All magic, ALL magic, is based on focused intent. Which was my point. Which is more reasonable: "the brain having super lasers when clicked on", or that you can fire lightning bolts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/lightningBolt.htm) by rubbing a bit of fur on a glass rod?
TheAnthroDM 12-17-07, 09:49 PM	Which was my point. Which is more reasonable: "the brain having super lasers when clicked on", or that you can fire lightning bolts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/lightningBolt.htm) by rubbing a bit of fur on a glass rod?Not withstanding the fact that both of those were analogies for sex... Either, they both have good fantasy support. They are equally viable, use whichever you prefer.
TheAnthroDM 12-17-07, 10:06 PM	Back to topic. My Tiefling(who looked like an Aasimar because he was decended from a fallen angel) wielded a bloody angel wing.(DM substituted bludgeoning damage but all else remained the same)
Aryxbez 12-17-07, 11:55 PM	If you check out the Truenaming Psionics (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=470229) thread, there are examples of Psionics having whatever flavor you want. I'm not really sure what you mean by that. But you believe in magic? Well I'm sorry for derailing the thread, I will respond to these messages and be on my merry way. If any of you wish to keep talking about psionics to me, you can PM me about it or something. In the end, it all sounds the same to me, just using your mind. If it's just replacing the core spellcasting, then it's not psionics, it's just core magic that uses power points. What I meant was that I heard that through all the power points and Psionic spells, you end up being inferior to the true spellcasters. So you put in more effort to do what you need to do, while a wizard could do the same thing with less effort. I'm probably totally wrong, but I've looked at Psionics. Actually I can't even really give a reason or remember a reason how magic is formed originally in my campaign.
NoldorForce 12-18-07, 01:11 AM	If I ever had a soulknife...his/her mind blade would probably be a machete. It's not just a weapon, but also a fairly utilitarian tool. It doesn't need to be spiffy or exotic; it needs to be useful. Course, if I had my choice between that and an AE Witch I'd play the latter and make as much attempt as I could to throwing lots of knives.
GuyrtheadamantineOne 12-18-07, 06:32 PM	A Tsoreva Quori-shaped aura, with only the blades being material, following the moves of the dancer. I guess a Quincy-Style soulbow would be cool... Or a pitch-back blade, a sword of oblivion! Surrounded by small sparks and aura of grey lightning, much like the Samus' Annihilator Beam. Badass...
Aelii 12-19-07, 01:45 AM	I have always wanted to play a kalashtar soulknife/soulbow using the hidden talent variant. (dimension hop being the gained power) The number of power points is more than adequate to shuffle around the battlefield whilst still making full attacks. (usually in close range, taking advantage of PBS) The appearance is a vague midnight-blue mist around the palms of the hands that brightens and coalesces into scythelike arcs of energy when "fired" or even used in melee, thanks to the ability to use them as such with the soulbow class. Also a competant grappler...nothing is more satisfying to a soulbow (or soulknife of any sort, for that matter) than shaking a man's hand. After all...manifesting the thing is a free action. I just don't see the soulknife as needing a fix.... It has always worked just fine for me.
Moosh Nailo 12-19-07, 03:37 AM	Not personal characters, just ideas. -Necrid's weapon ball -> weapons from soulcalibur. -Motes of light that float around the character, and coalesce into a glowing blade. -When activated, a crystalline shard grows from the wrist of the character, engulfing the fist. Both of the last two stem from thinking of a maenad soulknife, with the motes of light possibly being shiny reflections from the crystal skin, and the shard simply being the crystal part of the skin growing out.
Omnirahk, half-Rahkshi 12-19-07, 11:30 AM	Yeah, I've thought of something similar for a maenad soulknife, Moosh Nailo. But rather than having the crystals grow over the fist, I had them grow out like spikes on a skarn. I'm also giving thought into getting High Psionics: Psicrystals so I can check out the psicrystal weapon and graft, go psychic warrior => psychic weapon master to recreate the same basic thing, but more permanently (it's a prosthetic limb). I'll go the improved disarm route: "You have been disarmed by the arm."
carve_dragon 01-02-08, 07:20 PM	My pc Kaliph (Medium Meanad) summons a Large size scyth that deals 1d10 slashing damage (yes, i know it's against the rules but my group allows it:P ). When not in combat it is simply a semi-solid translucent blade connected to the black handle. When in combat, the blade turns milky white with ever-shift red splotches along the blade (Much like blood-spatter).