If so, any speculations on new classes or modifications of old ones?
Soulknife =
I = 
I don't know about everyone else, but I loved the crap out of Soulknives in 3.5. Try as I might, I can't create a 4e one. Do you reckon that Wizards will eventually create a 4e Psionics Handbook with the Soulknife and all that other Psychic goodness?
If so, any speculations on new classes or modifications of old ones?
Soulknife =
We might see an official Soulknife published in 2010, in PH3, if indeed PH3 has Psionics in it. (There's a ton of speculation that it will.)
Soulknife is definitely a melee Psionic Striker, to me. In the mean time, you might want to try reflavoring a current melee Striker to feel more "psionic". In particular, I'll point you to melee Rogues (there are several builds) and two-weapon Rangers. If you feel like kitting your own Soulknife class out of that, I'd recommend you use a mix of powers and features from those two classes, but also borrow mechanics from the Arcane power source.(Swordmage in particular, as another class which specializes in a specific weapon.) Additionally, keep an eye on new Striker classes that get released for more ideas; Barbarian may not have anything "Soulknife-y", but the Avenger (expected to be the first Divine Striker) might.
Best of luck to you!
Thanks for the suggestions, Doctorhook. I have a forum with the soulknife class, but it's nowhere near complete and i'd run out of ideas. But now i have some :D
Glad I could help, Ducky! I'd offer more, but I'm neither a very experienced CharOp'er nor homebrewer, so you'd do the best to ask for some other opinions on balancing the thing, once you've got the basics sorted out.
(There's a ton of speculation that it will.)
The psi power source was originally supposed to be in PH2, but was pulled for further development.
The psi power source was originally supposed to be in PH2, but was pulled for further development.
Hence the speculation. :P
Fact is, after Primal (which is, of course, confirmed for March 09), Psionics has been the most talked about power source. WotC has been pretty mum about Ki, Shadow, and Psionics overall, but there have been occasional hints; on the demand-side, though, Psionics is almost a daily story.
The psi power source was originally supposed to be in PH2, but was pulled for further development.
better to get it right than get it done
better to get it right than get it done
Ah, just like Blizzard's methods. Very cool indeed. Wait... *cogs in brain start to move and then 'clicks'* That means 4e is like Blizzard, therefore like... WoW!
:P
So it's very likely that many of the old classes will still be around, it won't resemble 'real-world psychic phenomena' at all, there will be crystals and ectoplasm, and there will be energy attacks along with psychic and force damage attacks. There will be the Elan as a PC race, as he was trying to play one back in the design teams playtests.
And I certainly see the Soulknife sticking around, as it was quite unique class in D&D, but it might actually beat up the Lurk and take it's stuff.
There should be some sort of Psionics in the Eberron books, when they get released, as it featured strongly in that setting.
Maybe, just maybe if we will it hard enough, there might be a speck of Psionics flare in there that will keep our hope afloat. Maybe a couple psionic enemies that we can pick apart, a-la Half-Orc NPCs?
Keep in mind how they released the Forgotten Realms guides as well. First a campaign setting, and then a Players Guide. The setting housed an encounter, and all of the region fluff, whereas the Players Guide gave you a couple races, a class, and a ton of Paragron and Epic paths....
Maybe, just maybe if we will it hard enough, there might be a speck of Psionics flare in there that will keep our hope afloat. Maybe a couple psionic enemies that we can pick apart, a-la Half-Orc NPCs?
I don't think we're going to see a lot in the way of psionics. We'll have the Kalashtar and some psionic monsters, but probably nothing useable for PCs outside of some Paragon Paths (much like there's a PP in Manual of the Planes that uses the Shadow power source).
Perhaps for the time being, you could remodel the Spellsword into a Soulknife... I mean, they practically work the same, only the one is arcane and the other is psionic...
I see the Soulknife as a Striker.
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1133488
It IS a striker, yes. But due to having nearly only Melee and short Range attacks, it should receive hit points that of a defender.
Rogues get on fine.
Only Primal classes so far seem to have higher HP than other classes with the same role.
Perhaps for the time being, you could remodel the Spellsword into a Soulknife... I mean, they practically work the same, only the one is arcane and the other is psionic...
If you have a look up in the thread, that's sorta what I suggested to the guy to do. Since the Soulknife is almost obviously a melee Striker, it ought to look to the Rogue and TWF Ranger for powers and mechanics to replicate, but since it focuses on a specific weapon, it ought to look to steal some of the minor featuresand flavour of the Swordmage (rethemed Psionically, of course).
Since the Soulknife is almost obviously a melee Striker....
So I shouldn't mention my melee controller soulknife idea?
If it works like a controller, sure why not... ;) ...I made mine a Striker with a little control powers (like the Swordmage) so it might work almost the same...
Soulknife... controller? Are you mad? :P
My idea for a melee controller soulknife is to have it function in principle like a Green Lantern. So it wouldn't just be limited to using a sword, the sword would just be the default form. It would be able to change its weapon into all sorts of shapes such as a ten foot long spear, a battering ram, or heck even a dragon's maw.....although I also think it should be a ki class, but oh well.
My idea for a melee controller soulknife is to have it function in principle like a Green Lantern. So it wouldn't just be limited to using a sword, the sword would just be the default form. It would be able to change its weapon into all sorts of shapes such as a ten foot long spear, a battering ram, or heck even a dragon's maw.....although I also think it should be a ki class, but oh well.
Did you just describe a Totemist, R?
Did you just describe a Totemist, R?
I don't think so? Were totemists able to just randomly make a battering ram to hit people with? Because I really don't recall ever hearing about them doing that.
I don't think so? Were totemists able to just randomly make a battering ram to hit people with? Because I really don't recall ever hearing about them doing that.
I dunno either; I never actually read Magic of Incarnum very closely. Your description just sounded a lot more like the descriptions of Totemists than it did like a Soulknife. :P
I dunno either; I never actually read Magic of Incarnum very closely. Your description just sounded a lot more like the descriptions of Totemists than it did like a Soulknife. :P
Other than the dragon maw, I don't see how....I mean my inspiration, besides Green Lantern, was Kuwabara from YuYu Hakusho who is the only soulknife character in fiction that I can think of off the top of my head.
Other than the dragon maw, I don't see how....I mean my inspiration, besides Green Lantern, was Kuwabara from YuYu Hakusho who is the only soulknife character in fiction that I can think of off the top of my head.
...I don't know who any of those characters are, except for the Green Lantern, from that show with Bruce Lee, and I don't recall anything Soulknife-y about it. (Or was that the Green Hornet? Damn, I forget.)
As far as Soulknives go, though, I always thought the class was a straight clone of Psylocke from the X-Men, pictured below with classic psychic knives.
Alternatively, I'm willing to accept Starcraft's Protoss Zealots as a (super-tough) form of Soulknife. (Protoss are explicitly referred to as "psionic".)
...I don't know who any of those characters are, except for the Green Lantern, from that show with Bruce Lee, and I don't recall anything Soulknife-y about it. (Or was that the Green Hornet? Damn, I forget.)
That was the Green Hornet (Bruce Lee played Kato). The Green Lantern (amongst many, many other things) creates energy constructs and projects energy.
That was the Green Hornet (Bruce Lee played Kato). The Green Lantern (amongst many, many other things) creates energy constructs and projects energy.
lol Well then I officially don't know anything about any of the characters Ranadiel mentioned.
lol Well then I officially don't know anything about any of the characters Ranadiel mentioned.
Wow I feel that I should revoke your geek card for not knowing who Green Lantern is.
And I'm trying to decide whether I should link you to a video of Kuwabara or not.
Power sources are PHBs only. The current speculation (and that's all it is) is that the PHB3 will be Psionic, Shadow, and Ki Heroes.
I think it would make more sense to do 8 classes out of two sources in one book, three new sources in one book sounds like a tall order.
I think it would make more sense to do 8 classes out of two sources in one book, three new sources in one book sounds like a tall order.
Depends on the power source(s) and how they're filling them out. Since they aren't going to restrict themselves to pointless grid-filling and forced symmetry, they don't have to sweat a Leader, Controller, Striker and Defender for each source. On the other hand, there could possibly be duplicate roles, such as the rogue/ranger thing.
I think it would make more sense to do 8 classes out of two sources in one book, three new sources in one book sounds like a tall order.
They did it with PHBI, I don't see any reason why they couldn't do it again.
They did it with PHBI, I don't see any reason why they couldn't do it again.
And PHBII.
Other than the dragon maw, I don't see how....I mean my inspiration, besides Green Lantern, was Kuwabara from YuYu Hakusho who is the only soulknife character in fiction that I can think of off the top of my head.
Uryuu from Bleach is a soulbow. Zelots and Dark Templar are pretty good representations of a mid and high level Soulknives.
Wow I feel that I should revoke your geek card for not knowing who Green Lantern is.
And I'm trying to decide whether I should link you to a video of Kuwabara or not.
Tell me about it. He's one of DC's Big 5. Even if you aren't a comic reader, it's like not knowing who Mickey Mouse is.
And PHBII.
Technically, PH2 only presents one new power source.
Tell me about it. He's one of DC's Big 5. Even if you aren't a comic reader, it's like not knowing who Mickey Mouse is.
Full disclosure: I have heard of the Green Lantern. I just don't know anything about him, and obviously I'm ignorant enough to confuse him with the Green Hornet. (This guy actually carries around a lantern? Seriously? Uh, okay... :confused
Other DC superheroes I know about include Batman, Superman, Wonderwoman, and... I need one more, don't I? Robin.I grew up in the '90s watching cartoons, not reading comics :P. For the most part, this means doctorhook = Marvel fan. (To me, DC mostly seemed old and stale, plus Batman.)
I would hope for the Dromites myself. The self made race didn't sit right to me.
There should be some sort of Psionics in the Eberron books, when they get released, as it featured strongly in that setting.
Well, Eberron is coming out this summer and the PHB2 won't have psionics in it and I don't they would add more than a cursory amount of a new power source outside of the PHBs. Sort of like the few shadow powers that have appeared, there might be around.
But as for full coverage in a PHB, if you want to coincide with a major campaign setting, psionics was all over Dark Sun! :D
Full disclosure: I have heard of the Green Lantern. I just don't know anything about him, and obviously I'm ignorant enough to confuse him with the Green Hornet. (This guy actually carries around a lantern? Seriously? Uh, okay... :confused
I grew up in the '90s watching cartoons, not reading comics :P. For the most part, this means doctorhook = Marvel fan. (To me, DC mostly seemed old and stale, plus Batman.)
No disrespect meant, Doc. Just a bit taken aback, is all.
On the other hand, I once wrote a Superman sketch for the comedy group I worked with, and was completely floored when half the cast had no idea who Jimmy Olsen was...
Back to Psionics discussion. Sorry for the interrupt.
But seriously, I think its funny to build out these things, but a soulknife that can make a "bull" out of his blade is a bit excessive. I could still cope with the fact that it can become a spear if needed, or any other weapon (with each their special characteristics), but not ala "Green Lantern".
Not that I don't like the Green Lantern, but not in a D&D setting...
Full disclosure: I have heard of the Green Lantern. I just don't know anything about him, and obviously I'm ignorant enough to confuse him with the Green Hornet. (This guy actually carries around a lantern? Seriously? Uh, okay... :confused
I grew up in the '90s watching cartoons, not reading comics :P. For the most part, this means doctorhook = Marvel fan. (To me, DC mostly seemed old and stale, plus Batman.)
No he doesn't actually carry a lantern most of the time, it is normally kept in an extradimensional space. Now go and read the wikipedia article on him!
I see you're a superhero too... captain swift... :P
But seriously, I think its funny to build out these things, but a soulknife that can make a "bull" out of his blade is a bit excessive. I could still cope with the fact that it can become a spear if needed, or any other weapon (with each their special characteristics), but not ala "Green Lantern".
Not that I don't like the Green Lantern, but not in a D&D setting...
Bah, I'm just ahead of my time. You'll see that someday. *sniff*
:P-=Edit: I should also point out that my idea for the soulknife wouldn't be able to create a "bull" out of his blade. The soulknife would mostly be limited to objects with less mass than him and would have to be touching/holding some part of any constructs. So he wouldn't be able to make a full functioning bull, but he could give himself bull horns to charge with. I should also mention that my dragon maw idea from earlier would be an epic daily where he punches with the maw on his fist or something.=-
Full disclosure: I have heard of the Green Lantern. I just don't know anything about him, and obviously I'm ignorant enough to confuse him with the Green Hornet. (This guy actually carries around a lantern? Seriously? Uh, okay... :confused
The lantern is a cosmic power battery ... he uses it to recharge the energy in his ring. But if it makes you feel better, Green Lantern was the only character he's mentioned that I've heard of, so you're not THAT far behind.
No disrespect meant, Doc. Just a bit taken aback, is all.
On the other hand, I once wrote a Superman sketch for the comedy group I worked with, and was completely floored when half the cast had no idea who Jimmy Olsen was...
Back to Psionics discussion. Sorry for the interrupt.
We're cool, Swifty!
Suffice to say, like I said above, I definitely thought that the primary (sole?) inspiration for the Soulknife class was Psylocke. Anyone have any insight on the matter?
The lantern is a cosmic power battery ... he uses it to recharge the energy in his ring. But if it makes you feel better, Green Lantern was the only character he's mentioned that I've heard of, so you're not THAT far behind.
.....I only mentioned two characters.
.....I only mentioned two characters.
... oh, right, someone else mentioned the bleach thing. My bad.