3.5 Base Class: Knight of the Manifold Path(PEACH)

[Darth Stabber]

Knights of the Manifold Path pursue the warriors art, but augment their abilities any way they can. They Study many long hours in their monasteries, trying to better understand how to incorporate their somewhat Disparate arts into a single whole. They're teachings of magic and psionics don't allow for as much time spent on weapon teachings as other traditons, this is partially made up for in the fact that their martial studies are focused on a single weapon to maximize the impact of weapon training. Their magic and Psionics training is focused on improving their combat prowess, as opposed to flashier direct damage effects, thus synchronizing their efforts. The Martial, magic, and Psionic training all work toward the same goal, each dependent on the others to get the job done, none is greater than the others, none is lesser than the others, like a three legged stool, all are needed to stand.

Knight of the Manifold Path
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|Spell Known|Power points|powers known|Maximum power level

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+0|Weapon Mastery(focus), Improved Transparency, |0|-|-|-|-|1|0|1|1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+0||1|-|-|-|-|1|0|1|1

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+1|Bonus Feat|2|-|-|-|-|2|1|1|1

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+1|Intelligent Defense(AC)|3|-|-|-|-|2|2|2|1

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+1|Weapon Mastery(Specialization)|3|0|-|-|-|3|3|2|1

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+2|Quickening|3|1|-|-|-|3|4|3|2

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+2|Bonus feat|3|2|-|-|-|4|7|3|2

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+2|
+2|Intelligent Defense(saves)|3|3|-|-|-|4|10|4|2

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+3|
+3|Weapon Mastery(Critical)|3|3|0|-|-|5|13|4|2

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+3|
+3|Interoperability|3|3|1|-|-|5|17|5|3

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+3|
+3|Bonus Feat|3|3|2|-|-|6|20|5|3

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+4|Spell Manifestation|3|3|3|-|-|6|25|6|3

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+4|Weapon Mastery(Greater focus)|3|3|3|0|-|7|30|6|3

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+4|
+4||3|3|3|1|-|7|35|7|4

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat|3|3|3|2|-|8|40|7|4

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5||3|3|3|3|-|8|45|8|4

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+5|Weapon Mastery(Greater Specialization)|3|3|3|3|0|9|50|8|4

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+6||3|3|3|3|1|9|55|9|5

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+6|Bonus Feat|3|3|3|3|2|10|60|9|5

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+6|Weapon Mastery(Supremacy), Quickening(+1)|3|3|3|3|3|10|65|10|5[/table]
Hitdie:d8
Skill Points:2+int(x4 at first level
Class skills:Concentration, Spellcraft, Knowledge(any), Craft(any), UMD, Intimidate, Tumble, Climb, Jump, Swim, Ride, Autohypnosis, Spot, survival.



Class features

Proficiencies - Knights of the manifold path are proficient in light armor, small shields, simple weapons, and martial weapons

Spells - Knights of the Manifold Path learn to cast a limited number or arcane spells. They may cast any spell they know without preparation. They suffer the risk of arcane spell failure if they wear any armor except light armor. Highest castable spell level, Save DCs and Bonus spell determined by Intelligence. If a feat, prestige class ability, or other ability not listed in this class entry would grant the character access to a spell not on it's spell list to cast using this classes spell casting as the source, The KotMP does not gain the offending spells.

Psionic Powers - Knights of the Manifold Path learn to manifest a limited number number of Psychic powers. Highest manifestable power level, Save DCs and Bonus power points determined by Intelligence. If a feat, prestige class ability, or other ability not listed in this class entry would grant the character access to a Psionic power not on it's power list but still using this class's Psionics Class feature as the source, The KotMP does not gain the offending power.

Improved Transparencya Knight of the Manifold Path's study leads them to a particular understanding of how magic and psionics intertwine. You may use Spellcraft in place of Psicraft. They may Also use UMD in place of UPD.

Weapon Mastery - The Manifold path encourages learning the intricacies of their favored weapon. When you take your first lvl in this class choose a martial weapon. This weapon is you mastery weapon, and this may not be changed. At 1st, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th, and 20th lvls you gain the weapon specific bonus feat listed in the following table. You need not meet the prerequisites. In addition your mastery weapon counts as the arcane focus for any KotMP spells that requires one, and if the weapon has a magic bonus you may ignore the material components as well.
{table=head]level|feat
1st|Weapon focus
5th|Weapon specialization
9th|Improved Critical
13th|Greater Weapon Focus
17th|Greater Weapon Specialization
20th|Weapon Supremacy[/table]

Bonus feat - You may choose a bonust feat from the Fighter bonus feat lists. You must meet the feat's prerequisites.

Intelligent Defense - At 4th level Knights of the Manifold Path may add their intelligence modifier to their armor class so long as they are wearing light or no armor, and not using a large or tower shield. At 8th level they may also add their intelligence modifier to their saves.

Quickening - @ 6th level the Knight of the Manifold path learns to quickly ready himself when the fight begins. When you gain this ability choose 1 spell and 1 power you know with a duration other than instantaneous. During your first round of combat (after initiative is rolled, and before you take any other actions) You may cast that spell and/or manifest that power as free action. These do not count as quickened spells or powers for the purposes of the feats Quicken spell, or Quicken Power. whenever you gain a Knight of the Manifold Path lvl you may change which spell and power are utilized by this ability. At 20th level you may choose 2 powers and 2 spells instead of 1 each. The spells and powers choosen must be explicitly granted by Knight of the manifold path.

Interoperability - At 10th lvl Knights of the Manifold Path learn how interrelated their spells and powers really are. Knights may manifest a power as though it were a spell using an equivalent level spell slot (augmentation is not possible using this method). They may also pay a number of power points equal to (2xSpell level -1) to cast a spell as a psionic power. If you have spell casting or psionic powers from another class you may not use this ability with spells, spell slots, or powers known granted by other classes.

Spell Manifestation - A knights understanding of interrelation between magic and psionics is such that, like their powers, their spells seem to be manifest of thought alone. All KotMP spells you cast that are lower than the maximum level that you can cast gain the benefits of the silent spell and still spell feats, without raising its caster level.

Spell List:
1: Blades of Blood, True Strike, Shield, Magic Weapon, expeditious retreat, endure elements.
2: Animalistic Power, Protection From Arrows, Protection from Alignment, Alter Self, Blur.
3: Blink, Haste, Keen Edge, Greater Magic Weapon, Fly, Displacement, Heroism, protection from energy.
4: Globe of invulnerability, Stone Skin, Dimension Door, Spell Resistance.
5: Overland Flight, Transformation, Greater Heroism.

Power list:
1: Biofeedback, Call Weaponry, Expansion, Grip of Iron, inertial armor, Prevenom weapon.
2: Body adjustment, Body Purification, Dimension Swap, Dissolving weapon, Hustle, Lion's Charge, Prowess.
3: Vampire Blade, Empathic Feedback, Mental Barrier, Ectoplasmic Form, Evade Burst
4: Truevenom Weapon, Weapon of Energy, Freedom of Movement, energy adaptation, immovability
5: Form of doom, Minkblank, Oak body, Psychofeedback.


Thoughts, criticisms, death threats? May be extremely over powered, may be extremely weak.

[LordShotGun]

Interesting idea, but unfortunatly it may only be good for small lower level adventures due to the fact that this class does almost nothing special. Its like you tried to make a jack of all trades (which would be good for a 2-3 person adventure group) but in any adventure that is larger you would want to have a dedicated caster and melee meatshield.

So, therefore good idea but not likly to be used by anyone.

[Darth Stabber]

I'm looking to make the guy a dedicated melee'r that utilizes magic and Psionics to augment his combat abilities, not to be a gish. He is not supposed to act as a caster, He is supposed to fill the role of a fighter or Psiwar, how would I better make the class fit that design goal?

[Ziegander]

I'm looking to make the guy a dedicated melee'r that utilizes magic and Psionics to augment his combat abilities, not to be a gish. He is not supposed to act as a caster, He is supposed to fill the role of a fighter or Psiwar, how would I better make the class fit that design goal?

I think you're off to a good start, however, compared to the Duskblade I think you missed the mark. At lower levels this class is basically strictly the weaker class. Once you've gotten to Quickening at 6th level the class begins to really shine, however, it seems that Quickening is really a bit too strong, in my opinion (especially given the myriad ways to increase the modest spell list you have).

The Weapon Mastery line is a poor substitute for full BAB and Arcane Channeling, so I would replace it with Full BAB and something else to bring this class more in line with the Duskblade.

Intelligent Defense gives it really great survivability in the higher levels, which is nice, but it needs something from levels 3-6. I think I have to recommend ditching Quickening as well. That replacement for Arcane Channeling I was talking about - what if you combined Quickening and Arcane Channeling? A la -

Quickening Strike (Su): Twice each encounter you may declare one of your attack rolls as a Quickening Strike. If this attack hits you may spend a swift action to cast a spell or manifest a power.

Alternatively you could give it out at 3rd level like Arcane Channeling, but only usable once per encounter, and grant additional uses per encounter every six to eight levels thereafter. Further, you might put in some sort of "Greater Quickening Strike" at higher levels (13/14 maybe?) that allows you to cast or manifest two spells or powers with a single swift action.

[Draz74]

I'm looking to make the guy a dedicated melee'r that utilizes magic and Psionics to augment his combat abilities, not to be a gish. He is not supposed to act as a caster, He is supposed to fill the role of a fighter or Psiwar, how would I better make the class fit that design goal?

Well, that is a Gish.

Personally, I just find such concepts to be better represented by multiclassing. That was the point of having multiclassing rules in the game originally, after all, before they started getting powergamed to end up with things like Fighter 2/Ranger 2/Barbarian 1/Swashbuckler 3/etc. A melee fighter who devotes himself to one weapon, augmenting his fighting with both magic and psionics? Sounds to me like it should be a multiclass character for sure!

That said, the existing feats and multiclass rules would make such a build suck incredibly, so I suppose there's room for your class too. I would just prefer a system where multiclassing allowed something like your Knight anyway.

As far as critiquing ... looks ok. Lack of focus would make it weak, but it gets one incredibly good ability (Quickening) to make up for that. Cheesier optimizers than I might be able to pull off something abusive using Interoperability to use a different class's PP pool to "manifest" spells from this class. Evasion seems out of place on a warrior type with a bad Reflex save; Mettle would be better, but you might just want to come up with something else. The spell list has some real gems and some real stinkers all mixed together, which means you won't see much variety with only 10 spells known (which seems a little limiting, but I'd have to actually see some builds to be sure).

It's odd that you get a spell and a power at every odd level, and neither at every even level. I'd definitely stagger something so that you get one or the other at every level.

Interchanging Spellcraft/Psicraft and UMD/UPD actually seems like it should be a class feature, not just a side note in the skill list. Also beware that this could make the class an attractive dip for UMD-focused types -- which may not actually be a bad thing, if you wish magic/psi transparency had been done a little more completely.

The biggest problem with your class is actually editing errors that hurt my eyes. From improper puctuation ("they're" vs. "their" especially), to the wrong names for Greater Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization.

[Darth Stabber]

I always thought gish was burn stuff down and hit people.

[Darth Stabber]

Some improvements have been made. Too much, not enough?

[Ziegander]

You made Quickening EVEN better than it used to be. It was too powerful before, it continues to be too powerful. I know what you're trying to do, but it's just too easy, and too easy to break by opening up your spell list (Arcane Disciple is the easiest way).

And those Fighter bonus feats you gave out are harder to take for this class because they don't have the Base Attack bonus to take the better feats faster.

You need Full BAB. Without your Quickening ability this class is always worse than a Duskblade (it has slightly higher defensive capabilities in exchange for very stunted offensive capabilities).

Actually, what are you trying to balance this against? Don't balance it against the Fighter.

Try Full BAB, d10 HD, The Quickening Strike feature I suggested, and lose the Weapon Mastery line. 4 Skill points per level wouldn't hurt either.

[Darth Stabber]

There, cheese prevention, now you can't gain spells outside the class and still cast them using this class. Probably a bit heavy handed though.