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Person_Man
2010-06-16, 12:56 PM
So on another thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8655692#post8655692) Fax suggested that his favorite Soulborn fix is to gestalt it with Soulknife in a nongestalt environment (ie, full BAB Soulknife with all the Soulborn's powers). And it turns out that Xallace was nice enough to stat it out two years ago (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=100035).

I think he did a good job, and that it's a great idea. But I felt it could be improved somewhat. Specifically, I've always felt that the Soulknife should be able to reasonably use Two Weapon Fighting, thrown weapons, and or ranged weapons with his Mind Blade starting at level 1. The fact that he can't severely limits the tactics and feats he can choose early in his progression.

Luckily, I had can up with a fix to this issue a while back with my Soulknife homebrew (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92407), and have a good Soulborn homebrew (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=119121) as well. So I've decided to combine the two concepts, add some new abilities, some advice from this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155948), and tweak the power level so that it's a Tier 3ish class. And I'm quite pleased with the result.

For those who might be unfamiliar with Magic of Incarnum, please remember that the maximum essentia capacity of each soulmeld is limited by a your hit dice:

1-5 HD = 1 point of essentia
6-11 HD = 2 points of essentia
12-17 HD = 3 points of essentia
18-20 HD = 4 points of essentia

PLUS any bonuses you get from class abilities, +1 for a specific soulmeld if you spend a Feat on it, +1 for any specific body slot if you spend a lot of money on a magic item (Magic of Incarnum or Magic Item Compendium).



The War Soul

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2013/127/d/1/sheeya_the_jedi_knight_by_michelefrigo-d4ff9rq.jpg
Creative Commons image from this talented artist (http://michelefrigo.deviantart.com/art/Sheeya-the-Jedi-Knight-267771446?q=gallery%3Amichelefrigo%2F13908643&qo=12).

Alignment: War soul’s are polarized in their alignments. As such, they can only be Lawful Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Evil, or Chaotic Evil. If they cease to be one of these alignments, the effectiveness of some of their class abilities are reduced (see below).

Hit Die: d8

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Skills: The war soul's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex). Lawful Good war souls add Diplomacy (Cha) to the list above. Chaotic Good war souls add Gather Information (Cha). Lawful Evil war souls add Bluff (Cha). Chaotic Evil war souls add Intimidate (Cha).

Weapons and Armor: War souls are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).








Level





Base Attack Bonus



Fort Save



Ref Save



Will Save



Class Abilities



Soul melds



Essentia



Chakra Binds




1st

+1



+0



+2




+2


Aura, Meldshaping, Soul Weapon

1



1



0




2nd

+2



+0



+3



+3


Incarnum Defense, Soul Weapon Focus

1



1



0




3rd

+3



+1



+3



+3


Read Chakra, Soul Strike (Extra Damage)

1



1



0




4th

+4



+1



+4



+4


Expanded Soul Weapon Capacity +1

2



2



0




5th

+5



+1



+4



+4


Chakra Binds (Crown, Feet, Hands)

2



2



1




6th

+6/+1



+2



+5



+5


Bonus Feat

2



3



1




7th

+7/+2



+2



+5



+5


Enchant Soul Weapon

2



3



1




8th

+8/+3



+2



+6



+6


Share Incarnum Defense

3



4



1




9th

+9/+4



+3



+6



+6


Bonus Feat

3



4



1




10th

+10/+5



+3



+7



+7


Soul Weapon Multibind

3



5



2




11th

+11/+6/+1



+3



+7



+7


Reshape Soul Weapon

3



6



2




12th

+12/+7/+2



+4



+8



+8


Chakra Binds (Arms, Brow, Shoulders)

4



7



2




13th

+13/+8/+3



+4



+8



+8


Sever Soul

4



8



2




14th

+14/+9/+4



+4



+9



+9


Bonus Feat

4



9



3




15th

+15/+10/+5



+5



+9



+9


Expanded Soul Weapon Capacity +2

4



10



3




16th

+16/+11/+6/+1



+5



+10



+10


Persistent Soul Weapon

5



11



3




17th

+17/+12/+7/+2



+5



+10



+10


Dispelling Strike

5



12



3




18th

+18/+13/+8/+3



+6



+11



+11


Chakra Binds (Waist, Throat)

5



13



4




19th

+19/+14/+9/+4



+6



+11



+11


Timeless Body

5



14



4




20th

+20/+15/+10/+5



+6



+12



+12


Soul Weapon Apotheosis

6



15



4







Class Abilities:

Aura (Ex): You have a particularly powerful aura corresponding to your alignment (see detect evil (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectevil.htm) spell). The power of your aura is equal to your war soul level plus any levels of any other class that grants the same ability (such as Incarnate, Paladin, Blackguard, or Cleric). Similarly, your war soul soulmelds always radiate an aura of your alignment as though they were aligned magic items with a caster level equal to your combined aura class levels.

If your alignment drifts into Neutral, you lose this class ability for that alignment axis.


Meldshaping: Beginning at 1st level, the war soul gains the ability to shape soulmelds, which are drawn from the soulborn soulmeld list (Magic of Incarnum pg 56) plus his unique soul weapon soulmeld (see below). The war soul may not shape soulmelds with an alignment description that does not match his own, regardless of their source.

The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a war soul soulmeld is 10 + number of points of essentia invested in the soulmeld + his Constitution modifier. His meldshaper level is equal to his war soul level. The war soul’s meldshaping abilities otherwise follow the standard rules for meldshaping (essentia pool and reallocation, rest to prepare, interactions with magic, etc).


Soul Weapon: At first level, you gain the ability to shape a special soulmeld that is unique to the war soul class. Other classes may not gain access to this soulmeld through the shape soulmeld feat, though multiclass war souls and war souls who enter a prestige class retain the ability to shape it. It also cannot be reproduced/shared using the Share Soulmeld feat. Shaping and binding the soul weapon soulmeld otherwise follows the normal rules for shaping and binding soulmelds. Shaping the soul weapon counts towards the war soul’s maximum number of soulmelds, and if it is bound to any chakra slot(s) it counts toward the war soul’s maximum number of chakra binds.

Descriptor: Shares alignment of war soul that shapes it.
Chakra: Crown, Hands, Arms, or Waist
Saving Throw: See text.

As a free action during your turn, you may shape incarnum into a weapon or shield of your choice. This includes melee weapons, ranged weapons, ammunition of all types (simple, martial, and exotic weapons). Shaping a weapon does not grant the war soul proficiency with it. This weapon acts exactly like a mundane weapon of the same type, with the following benefits and restrictions.

All items created by this soulmeld are treated as magical and Lawful or Chaotic and Good or Evil, matching the alignment of the war soul who creates them. This bypasses certain types of damage reduction. For example, a Lawful Good war soul would create a magical Lawful Good soul weapons (which bypasses the damage reduction of some magic or Chaotic and Evil enemies). If your alignment drifts into Neutral, you lose this ability for that alignment axis. For example, the soul weapons of a Lawful Neutral war soul would only be Lawfully aligned.

You may create any number of soul weapons during your turn (subject to reasonable limits on free actions set by your DM). Thus you could create two soul weapons and use Two Weapon Fighting, or multiple weapons with Multi-Weapon Fighting. You could also use it to make a full attack with a ranged weapons or thrown weapons. And each soul weapon created would gain the full benefits of this soulmeld.

Soul weapons, like most items made of incarnum, may not be sundered or otherwise destroyed. However, if you lose physical contact with a soul weapon (for example if you drop it, if it is disarmed, or if you throw or shoot it) then it dissipates at the end of the round. In addition, if you lose consciousness for any reason, all soul weapons dissipate immediately. Any other creature attempting to use a soul weapon gains none of it special benefits (but can wield it as a normal weapon of its kind until it dissipates).

Essentia: The soul weapon gains a +1 enhancement bonus to hit and damage rolls equal to the number of points of essentia you invest in it.

Chakra Bind (Crown): At will you may use Feather Fall (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/featherfall.htm), Ghost Sound (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ghostsound.htm), Open/Close (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/openclose.htm), or Mage Hand (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/magehand.htm). Your caster level is equal to your war soul meldshaper level, and your primary attribute is Constitution.

If you have 3 more points of essentia invested in this soulmeld you may also cast Swift Expedition Retreat (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/expeditiousretreat.htm) (Spell Compendium pg 85) at will (as per normal spell, with reduced casting time and 1 round duration).

You may use Swift Expedition Retreat a total number of times each day equal to your Constitution bonus.

Chakra Bind (Hands): While wielding a melee soul weapon if you are attacked by a weapon (including natural weapons, soul weapons, and ranged attacks) you may attempt to block it as an immediate action. If you choose to use this ability, you must declare that you are using it after your enemy successfully hits but before the DM announces damage or effects of the attack. Make a melee attack roll (including any bonuses from essentia invested in the soul weapon). If your modified attack roll is higher then the enemy’s modified attack roll, the attack is negated. If your modified attack roll is 5 points higher then your enemy’s modified attack roll, then the attack is deflected against the enemy. Resolve the attack against the enemy’s AC as if the enemy had attacked themselves.

If you have 4 or more points of essentia invested into this soulmeld, you may also use this ability to block (and potentially reflect back) attacks made against you by ray spells and effects (such as Scorching Ray and Disintegrate), following the same rules for doing so stated above.

Chakra Bind (Arms): You may use Telekinesis (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/telekinesis.htm) at will. Your caster level is equal to your war soul meldshaper level, and your primary caster attribute is your Constitution.

If you have 5 or more points of invested in this soulmeld you may activate Telekinesis as a swift action after successfully damaging an enemy with your soul weapon.

You may use Telekinesis for a total number of rounds each day equal to your Constitution bonus, split up throughout the day however you wish. If you initiate this spell as an swift action, it counts as at least 1 round of use.

Chakra Bind (Waist): You may use Hustle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/powers/hustle.htm) at will. You may use this ability to move, activate your Soul Strike ability, or any other move action. As part of this action, you may also reallocate your essentia. (Normally you would have to take a separate swift action to do so).

If you have 6 or more points of essentia invested in this soulmeld (before you reallocate your essentia) you may activate Hustle as an immediate action as well (which allows you to move during someone else's turn).

You may use Hustle a total number of times each day equal to your Constitution bonus.


Incarnum Defense (Su): Your incarnum fused soul dramatically effects your body and mind. The effect depends on your alignment:

Lawful Good: You gain immunity to sleep, exhaustion, and fatigue effects. You no longer need to sleep naturally, though you must still rest 8 hours and then meditate for 1 hour to shape soulmelds or memorize spells.

Chaotic Good: You may choose to ignore effects with the morale or language dependant descriptor. However, you may also choose to be effected by them if they are beneficial. For example, you could ignore a Bard’s use of Suggestion, but benefit from his Inspire Courage ability.

Lawful Evil: You gain immunity to all sickened and nauseated effects, as well as the negative effects of ingested poisons, drugs, and alcohol, and any disease caused by ingestion as well. You may still benefit from the positive effects of ingested drugs if you wish. Although you still must eat to survive, you require only a few mouthfuls of food and water each day, and it can be of any quality.

Chaotic Evil: You gain immunity to all Strength penalties, Strength damage, and Strength drain. You are also immune to any entangle effect, such as a net or the Entangle spell.

If any component of your alignment drifts into Neutral, you lose this class ability.

Soul Weapon Focus (Ex): You are treated as having the Weapon Focus (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/feats.htm#weaponFocus) feat for any weapon you shape with your soul weapon soulmeld. You may use ability to qualify for other feats and prestige classes which require Weapon Focus.

Read Chakra (Su): At will as a Swift Action you may determine the alignment of any one creature within 30 feet of you by making a Spellcraft check, with a DC equal 10 + the enemy's Hit Die. As part of this action, if your modified Spellcraft check is 20 or higher you also detect any ongoing spells, spell like abilities, shaped soulmelds, and chakra binds that an enemy is currently using, and any active magic items that are in their possession.

Soul Strike (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, as a move action a war soul can imbue his soul weapon with destructive energy. On his next successful attack with his soul weapon, this effect deals an extra 1d6 points of damage per point of essentia invested in the soul weapon at the time of the attack.

This effect only deals extra damage against enemies who have at least one alignment component in opposition to your own. For example, a Lawful Good war soul would deal extra damage against Chaotic and Evil enemies. If your target has both alignment components in opposition to your own, you instead deal 1d12 points of extra damage per point of essentia invested in your soul weapon. If your alignment drifts into Neutral, you lose this ability for that alignment axis. For example, the soul strike of a Lawful Neutral war soul would only effect Chaotic enemies, and would deal an extra 1d6 points of damage per point of essentia invested in the soulmeld against them.

Your soul strike energy is maintained for as long as your soul weapon is shaped, or until you successfully hit something. It is maintained even if you miss. If your soul weapon is dismissed or dissipates, it will be present in the next soul weapon that you manifest it. If you hit an enemy that does not have an alignment component in opposition to your own, then the effect is discharged harmlessly.

A war soul deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, no matter how many soul weapons he may have manifested at the time. But a war soul can imbue his soul weapon again by taking another move action.

Expanded Soul Weapon Capacity (Su): At 4th level, the essentia capacity of the war soul’s soul weapon expands by +1, up to a maximum of your Constitution bonus. At 15th level it expands by an additional +1, for a total of +2. This only applies to the soul weapon soulmeld, and not to any other soulmeld, feat, magic item, or class ability that has an essentia capacity.

This ability stacks with the bonuses provided by the Expanded Soulmeld Capacity feat and one Incarnum Focus magic item (but not multiple Incarnum Focus items).

Chakra Binds: Beginning at 5th level, the war soul may bind your soulmelds to your chakras granting new powers based on the soulmeld and the chakra chosen. Binding a soulmeld to a chakra closes the body slot associated with that chakra so that you cannot also benefit from a magic item worn on the body slot associated with that chakra. The number of chakra binds that you can have active at any one time depends on your level (See the Chakra Bind column on the table above).

At 5th level he can bind a soulmeld to his crown, hands, and feet chakra. At 12th level, he can bind a soulmeld to his arms, brow, and shoulders chakra. At 17th level, he can bind a soulmeld to his throat and waist chakra.

Bonus Feats: At 6th level a war soul may select either Bonus Essentia, Double Chakra, Expanded Soulmeld Capacity, Exotic Weapon Proficiency, Precise Shot, or Split Chakra as a bonus feat.

At 9th level, a war soul may select either Fleet of Foot, Greater Manyshot, Whirlwind Attack, or any of the above listed feats as a bonus feat.

At 16th level, a war soul may select either Robilar's Gambit, Anvil of Thunder, Bear Fang, Three Mountains, Elusive Target, Improved Precise Shot, or any of the above listed feats as a bonus feat.

A war soul need not have any of the prerequisites normally required for these feats to select them as a bonus feat.


Enchant Soul Weapon (Su): At the time you shape your soul weapon soulmeld, you may choose to enchant your soul weapon. You may give your soul weapon a number of enhancements equal to your soul weapon's essentia capacity minus one. All enchantments must be from sources approved by your DM. Once the exchange has been made, all weapons, shields, and ammo created by your soul weapon soulmeld until it is reshaped. You can change these enchantments each time you reshape the soul weapon soulmeld.

Only enchantments which are legal take effect. For example, a war soul with a soul weapon essentia capacity of two could enchant his soul weapons with the Keen property, which is a +1 enhancement. All weapons he creates with his soul weapon soulmeld now have the Keen property, with the exception of ranged weapon and blunt weapons, because Keen is not a legal enchantment for those weapons. Similarly, he could give all shields that he creates the Arrow Catching property, but it would have no effect on any weapon he creates.

In addition, bonuses gained from multiple soul weapons never stack, even if they otherwise would. For example, while two soul weapons with the Flaming property would grant a bonus of 1d6 fire damage to each weapon, multiple Defending weapons would only grant an AC bonus once.

Share Incarnum Defense (Su):Beginning at 8th level you may share the benefits of your incarnum defense ability with all allies within 30 feet of you whose alignment does not directly conflict with your own. For example, a Lawful Good war soul could use this ability on any Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral, Neutral Good, or True Neutral ally, but not Chaotic or Evil allies. This ability is continuous for all qualifying allies as long as the war soul is alive and conscious and the ally stays within 30 feet of the war soul.

Soul Weapon Multibind: You may bind your soul weapon soulmeld to any number of chakra slots. Each chakra bind still counts towards your total daily limit of chakra binds, and each closes off the chakra slot to other soulmelds and magic items (unless you have the appropriate feats to exceed this limitation).

Reshape Soul Weapon (Su): Beginning at 11th level as a full round action you may shape your soul weapon soulmeld without the need for rest or meditation beforehand. If there are any chakra binds assigned to your soul weapon at the time you shape it, you may rebind them to the same chakra slot, or bind them to any open slots available on your soul weapon or any other unbound soulmeld. You may also reassign any enchantments on your soul weapon as well.

Sever Soul (Su): Beginning at 13th level, after a war soul successfully executes a soul strike against an enemy of the appropriate alignment, he can choose to substitute Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (his choice) for the extra dice of damage. For each die of extra damage he gives up, he deals 1 point of damage to the ability score of his choice. A war soul can combine extra dice of damage and ability damage in any combination. If the war soul uses this ability on an enemy who is immune to ability damage, the extra ability damage is lost, and the war soul becomes aware that his target is immune.

Persistent Soul Weapon (Ex): At 16th level the war soul's soul weapon soulmeld cannot be unshaped, suppressed, or unbound from it's chakra binds against his will. It is thus immune to Dispel Magic and similar effects, and functions even while in an Antimagic Field or dead magic areas.

Dispelling Strike (Su):Beginning at 17th level, after a war soul successfully executes a soul strike, he may choose to substitute all of the bonus damage dice and ability damage in an attempt to break down his opponent’s magical defenses. For each point of essentia invested in his soul weapon, he may make one dispel check against each ongoing spell, spell-like ability, soulmeld, and magic item in the target’s possession. (If you are using psionic transparency rules, this also effects psionic powers, items, and psi-like abilities). If he is aware of what ongoing effects and magic items the target has, he may choose which are effected, and in what order. Otherwise the DM determines them randomly.

The war soul’s Dispelling Strike check is 1d20 + his war soul meldshaper level (max 20). The DC for each dispel check is 11 + the caster, manifester, or meldshaper level for each effect or item. If you succeed on any particular effect, it is dispelled or suppressed as if it had been successfully effected by Greater Dispel Magic.

Once any such effect or item has succeeded against a dispelling strike check, it becomes immune to further dispelling strikes from this war soul for 24 hours. (Thus you could not target a single spell multiple times with the same Dispelling Strike, or try to dispel it a second time in the same combat if the first Dispelling Strike failed).


Timeless Body (Su): After attaining 19th level, a war soul no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the war soul still dies of old age when her time is up.


Soul Weapon Apotheosis (Su): Once per day as a swift action the war soul may become one with his soul weapon. This has the following effects:

The essentia capacity for your soul weapon soulmeld becomes ten.
Your essentia pool is increased by ten.
You may reshape your soul weapon soulmeld. If there are any chakra binds assigned to your soul weapon at the time you shape it, you may rebind them to the same chakra slot, or bind them to any open slots available on your soul weapon or any other unbound soulmeld. You may also reassign any enchantments on your soul weapon as well, based on your new essentia capacity of ten.
You may reallocate your essentia pool. However, you may not reallocate any essentia into essentia feats or other “once per day” essentia abilities or items for the duration of this ability.
Your Soul Strike ability becomes charged.


This ability has a duration of ten rounds (one minute). At the end of this time, your essentia capacity and pool return to normal, and your soulmelds and chakra binds return to their previous state. You are then Dazed for 1 round, and may take no action of any type that round with the exception of spending a swift action to reallocate your diminished essentia pool.


I'm interested in what people think in terms of the war soul's power level (I was aiming for Tome of Battle), and I tend to suck at writing fluff. So any and all suggestions and/or additions are welcome.

demidracolich
2010-06-16, 08:22 PM
This idea is awesome! One thing is could you please get rid of the spoilers because it is actually easier to read without them. other than that I just have to say this classes is awesome and I wouldn't mind playing it.

Dead_Jester
2010-06-16, 08:41 PM
Very nice, but how about including the double chakra feat as a bonus feat, because the soul weapon will almost always be taking one chakra?
You should also specify that dispelling strike removes the bonus damage and the ability damage if sever soul is used, because RAW, you can replace all your damage with ability damage and still use dispelling strike.

Person_Man
2010-06-17, 08:31 AM
Very nice, but how about including the double chakra feat as a bonus feat, because the soul weapon will almost always be taking one chakra?

Good idea. I added it to the list of bonus feats, which you could pick up at 6th or 9th level. I also added Split Chakra, in case they want to use a magic item in a particular chakra slot that they're going to have bound all the time. And the 10th level ability, Soul Weapon Multibind, allows you to bind your Soul Weapon soulmeld to any number of chakra slots (although each one still counts toward your daily limit of chakra binds). So the War Soul shouldn't have any trouble with chakra slots.



You should also specify that dispelling strike removes the bonus damage and the ability damage if sever soul is used, because RAW, you can replace all your damage with ability damage and still use dispelling strike.

Nice catch. Done.



This idea is awesome! One thing is could you please get rid of the spoilers because it is actually easier to read without them. other than that I just have to say this classes is awesome and I wouldn't mind playing it.

Done.