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  1. - Top - End - #31
    Pixie in the Playground
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Hi there! I'm in need of some assistance and I wanted to have each of your opinion

    The race I have is a +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom -2 Charisma homebrewed race that have a climb speed of 20(It's a sort of Earth Genasi) and a power similar to the Suli(character level/round per day elemental damage, 1d6 usually). I'm looking at making either a Sword and Broad Soulknife, or just a ballsout Two-Handed one.

    I'm level 5. What do you suggest? I have /no/ clue what is good for a Soulknife in pathfinder. Bladeskills I'm looking at are Alter Blade, Combat Slide and Powerful Strikes.

    I am also wondering about the Gifted Blade Archetype that came out in Unlimited Possibilities.

    Also, for your guide, I think the Quick Draw the Soulknife get only apply to your Mind Blade.

    The rest of the party is an Alchemist, Inquisitor, Holy Gun Paladin, Cleric, a Rogue and myself.
    Last edited by Lunaris; 2012-01-11 at 06:41 PM.

  2. - Top - End - #32
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Lunaris View Post
    Hi there! I'm in need of some assistance and I wanted to have each of your opinion

    The race I have is a +2 Strength, +2 Wisdom -2 Charisma homebrewed race that have a climb speed of 20(It's a sort of Earth Genasi) and a power similar to the Suli(character level/round per day elemental damage, 1d6 usually). I'm looking at making either a Sword and Broad Soulknife, or just a ballsout Two-Handed one.

    I'm level 5. What do you suggest? I have /no/ clue what is good for a Soulknife in pathfinder. Bladeskills I'm looking at are Alter Blade, Combat Slide and Powerful Strikes.

    I am also wondering about the Gifted Blade Archetype that came out in Unlimited Possibilities.
    My understanding of sword-and-board in Pathfinder is that it's somewhat more viable than in 3.5, but you either want to stick with that or 2H, but not both, because the feats and stats to make them good are different. But I'll let someone more versed in general Pathfinder melee field that issue.

    Focusing on your bladeskill choices: Combat Slide is of course excellent as it lets you shift around the battlefield and full attack non-adjacent foes. Alter Blade... if you don't see yourself swapping between the 2H and the shield form often I would skip or at least postpone it. You could get Furious Charge instead (you'll be doing plenty of that early on anyway) so that you can get into Improved Furious Charge as soon as possible later. As for Powerful Strikes - Psychic Strike optimization tends to work better with dual-wielding in my opinion, but it certainly wouldn't hurt if you want to go that route.

    Do note that Gifted Blade (which is fantastic) replaces psychic strike, so choose which you'd rather have.

    Finally, I'll be updating all my Pathfinder Psionics guides after Psionics Expanded is complete; until then, there are other 3.5 guides I have in the works, particularly concerning Mind's Eye material.

    Quote Originally Posted by Lunaris View Post
    Also, for your guide, I think the Quick Draw the Soulknife get only apply to your Mind Blade.
    Thanks for the correction, not sure why I made that mistake.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
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  3. - Top - End - #33
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    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Hello All,

    I am working on a new Soul Knife with plans to go Pyrokineticist and was wondering how other would go about creating a Soulknife who manifests their weapon as a whip. I know that when you take the first level in Pyro you can manifest a whip with the Altered Blade skill, so I am looking for suggestions on how to make it at 1st level.

    Thanks for any help and thank you for a very nice guide.

  4. - Top - End - #34
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by spookdragon View Post
    Hello All,

    I am working on a new Soul Knife with plans to go Pyrokineticist and was wondering how other would go about creating a Soulknife who manifests their weapon as a whip. I know that when you take the first level in Pyro you can manifest a whip with the Altered Blade skill, so I am looking for suggestions on how to make it at 1st level.

    Thanks for any help and thank you for a very nice guide.
    That's funny. I was just doing the same thing, although I'm starting at level 2.

    Personally, I'm going with the following (whip and board):

    Elan Soulknife

    Traits:
    Dangerously curious (UMD is a class skill; +1 trait bonus to UMD)
    Resilient (+1 fort saves)

    Starting equipment:
    Hide armor
    Wooden heavy shield

    1:
    Cleave <standard>
    Power attack <soulknife>
    Resistance (Su): As an immediate action, an elan can spend 1 power point to gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws until the beginning of her next action.
    Resilience (Su): As an immediate action, he can reduce the damage he is about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 power point he spends.
    Repletion (Su): An elan can sustain his body without need of food or water. If he spends 1 power point, an elan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
    Form mind blade
    Shape mind blade
    Throw mind blade
    Psionic talent x2 (One from Elan, one from soulknife; gives 3pp)

    2:
    Combat slide <blade skill>

    3:
    Up the walls <standard>
    Enhanced mind blade +1
    Psychic strike +1d8

    4:
    Alter blade <blade skill>

    5:
    Great cleave <standard>
    Enhanced mind blade +2
    Quick draw <soulknife>


    Once I get to level 6 and get the whip, I should be able to move, then use great cleave to hit many enemies from 15 feet away (yay power attack and touch attacks), and move 5 more feet for each enemy hit due to combat slide. Upgrading to some mithral armor and shield later to remove ACP is planned. If allowed, a lantern shield is good for the extra utility (lantern slot, scroll slot, wand slot) if you take the Dangerously Curious trait (makes UMD a class skill).

    I've also considered only dipping into Pyro for 1 or 2 levels, as your weapon doesn't continue its progression, and the fire isn't my character's main focus. You can obviously choose which way you want to go. =)
    Last edited by Beta Sprite; 2012-03-10 at 01:23 PM.

  5. - Top - End - #35
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    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Thanks for the input. I think the character idea looks solid.

    What I am looking for though is suggestions on how to run the character as a whip user at 1st level. Since you can throw a mindblade at 1st and the blade can look like anything you want does it seem reasonable you could make it look like a whip? You would still have a range increment and without the disarm, trip ability you could not use those abilities, but I don't think it would be over powered especially if you limited it's range to 15'.

    Any thoughts are welcome.

  6. - Top - End - #36
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by spookdragon View Post
    Thanks for the input. I think the character idea looks solid.

    What I am looking for though is suggestions on how to run the character as a whip user at 1st level. Since you can throw a mindblade at 1st and the blade can look like anything you want does it seem reasonable you could make it look like a whip? You would still have a range increment and without the disarm, trip ability you could not use those abilities, but I don't think it would be over powered especially if you limited it's range to 15'.

    Any thoughts are welcome.
    Dipping into the pyro costs the following: Autohypnosis 5 ranks, Craft (alchemy) 1 rank, Knowledge (psionics) 2 ranks, 2 skill points, 1 BAB, 1 HP, slower weapon enhancements and blade skills, can't power attack touch attacks.

    Which grants the following: Ability to use a single 1d8 fire damage only touch attack at 15ft, manipulate existing fires.

    Right now you can throw a light 1d6 mind blade 20ft with no penalty. Making it a 15ft whip would let you add things like tripping, cleaving, and whatever abilities which you can't do ranged, which is what you'll be wanting to do otherwise you'd just throw your mind blade (mechanically, I know the aesthetics are cool but we're doing mechanics). Now personally I would allow a 1d8 two handed weapon with reach off the bat because it's a reasonable trade off (and with mind daggers I guess you could threaten 5ft away too). Now if you're tripping and cleaving then you're already spending those feats, and I hate the idea of making melee spend lots of feats to be a one trick pony. So what I would do is let a blade skill give you a whip form. The damage would be somewhere around 1d4-1d8, depending on my mood. 1d8 may outshine the pyro's whip just by being so much cheaper to acquire, with the only difference being it's not a touch attack and it doesn't do fire damage. 1d6 is probably good.

    tl;dr I'd allow a 1d6 15ft whip form (no touch) if you spent a blade skill on it.

  7. - Top - End - #37
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    Kobold

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Thank you kindly for the input. Yes that is about what I was thinking.
    As for Pyro I am actually planning to go 10/10 SoulKnife/Pyro as the character's real focus is as an arsonist.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hylas View Post
    Dipping into the pyro costs the following: Autohypnosis 5 ranks, Craft (alchemy) 1 rank, Knowledge (psionics) 2 ranks, 2 skill points, 1 BAB, 1 HP, slower weapon enhancements and blade skills, can't power attack touch attacks.

    Which grants the following: Ability to use a single 1d8 fire damage only touch attack at 15ft, manipulate existing fires.

    Right now you can throw a light 1d6 mind blade 20ft with no penalty. Making it a 15ft whip would let you add things like tripping, cleaving, and whatever abilities which you can't do ranged, which is what you'll be wanting to do otherwise you'd just throw your mind blade (mechanically, I know the aesthetics are cool but we're doing mechanics). Now personally I would allow a 1d8 two handed weapon with reach off the bat because it's a reasonable trade off (and with mind daggers I guess you could threaten 5ft away too). Now if you're tripping and cleaving then you're already spending those feats, and I hate the idea of making melee spend lots of feats to be a one trick pony. So what I would do is let a blade skill give you a whip form. The damage would be somewhere around 1d4-1d8, depending on my mood. 1d8 may outshine the pyro's whip just by being so much cheaper to acquire, with the only difference being it's not a touch attack and it doesn't do fire damage. 1d6 is probably good.

    tl;dr I'd allow a 1d6 15ft whip form (no touch) if you spent a blade skill on it.

  8. - Top - End - #38
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    I can't believe you didn't mention the Gifted Soulknife archetype.

  9. - Top - End - #39
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Hi everybody, I want to build a pathfinder soulknife, and I'm debating between a twf (probably xeph) and a 2-hander half-giant, with build orientations as follows: dex/boosting/probably some soul dagger throwing for the xeph, and power attacking/expansion/ basically Daernoth's build as below, maybe with some tripping worked in for the half-giant. I had also been considering that knockdown acf mentioned for half-giants.

    the main questions I have are: Is it possible to manifest powers without dipping into another class via the hidden talent acf/psionic talent from playing a psionic race? And what is the feat that Daernoth mentions below? Thanks in advance!

    Quote Originally Posted by Daernoth View Post
    I just created a 9th level soulknife/1st psy warrior that can do big damage like this...

    1. half giant wielding a large twohander
    2. half giant casts expansion so he is now wielding a huge twohander
    3. +2 holy weapon
    4. power attack
    5. 4d8 psystrike... coz of bladeskill
    6. improved critical feat
    7. vital strike feat

    so when he is large his damage to an evil creature is:
    8d6(4d6 base dam*2 for vital strike) + 2d6 holy + 4d8 psychic strike + 20(12 from str*1.5 + 6 pw attack + 2 weapon enh)
    with a crit range of 17-20(x2)

    If I understand the rules correctly, his crit would do 12d6 + 2d6 + 4d8 + 40.

    I also use the feat that removes the pw attack penalty for the first attack. If I'm fighting something with really high AC that I'm unlikely to hit with my second swing I'll just use a move action every round to recharge my psychic strike and just swing once per round.
    Last edited by trazwald; 2012-03-31 at 06:57 PM.

  10. - Top - End - #40
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Preorder people have previews for the upcoming PsiEx. There's a lot of soulknife stuff in there. I'll give a brief rundown here: you can add and judge as you like, Psyren.

    PsiEx: Find the Mark
    Soulbolt - you trade your ability to form a mind blade for the ability to form what amount to arrows. You gain access to a different enhancement availability list and some unique blade skills.

    PsiEx: Unlimited Possibilities
    Gifted Blade - you gain limited manifesting ability starting at 3rd level. You choose your powers known off your list daily, plus additionally known powers (via Expanded Knowledge) stick around. Your ML is soulknife level -2. This ability replaces psychic strike. You gain up to 4th level powers off a limited list, mostly psywar stuff.

    PsiEx: Master the Battle
    Armored Blade - you can form armor the same way you form your soulknife. There's a slower enhancement bonus table, but the reshaping and enhancing features also apply to the armor. Also, your armor has an independent enhancement pool from your weapons, so giving your armor fortification doesn't mean you have to pull flaming off your blade.

    Deadly Fist - you don't get a soulknife: instead, you get to imbue your fists with psionic punchiness. Enhancement progression still applies to your fists, too. You trade your bonus first level feat for IUS, but you also get the Flurry of Fists blade skill for free.

    Shielded Blade - you get to form a shield the same way you form a soulknife. You get the Mind Shield blade skill free, but you also get to treat your mind shield as a heavy steel shield, so you can bash and things with it. It gains an enhancement bonus at the same rate as your mind blade, but you take a -1 enhancement bonus penalty for having both out at once. At 2nd, you get either Improved Mind Shield or Tower Mind Shield free. For this, you trade your first level bonus feat and your second level blade skill, which awesomely means that this is fully compatible with Armored Blade. Yes, you can now have a character that, as a full round action, can create armor, a shield, and a sword from nothing.

  11. - Top - End - #41
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    I can't believe you didn't mention the Gifted Soulknife archetype.
    I wrote this guide a couple of months before PsiEx's first release. My plan is to wait until PsiEx is complete (and preferably, up on the PFSRD) before updating the guide again, as there's a couple more 3.5 guides I felt like doing while it's still (mostly) relevant. The same goes for my general PF Psionics guide.
    Quote Originally Posted by The Giant View Post
    But really, the important lesson here is this: Rather than making assumptions that don't fit with the text and then complaining about the text being wrong, why not just choose different assumptions that DO fit with the text?
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  12. - Top - End - #42
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Fax Celestis View Post
    Deadly Fist - you don't get a soulknife: instead, you get to imbue your fists with psionic punchiness. Enhancement progression still applies to your fists, too. You trade your bonus first level feat for IUS, but you also get the Flurry of Fists blade skill for free.
    Silly Atavist Soulfist builds aren't constrained to 3.5? I seriously loved those.

  13. - Top - End - #43
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Hey, I'm thinking of creating a two weapon fighting Soulknife in pathfinder myself. It'd be to replace a Divine Hunter I was playing. We're lacking a melee style class (It's a two person campaign) and the whole paladin thing didn't really work out for me flavor wise.

    The GM doesn't have any of the expanded books, so I'd be using just Psionics Unleashed, none of the other archetypes would be available to me.

    I'd be starting second level, so this is the build I'd have planned

    Spoiler
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    Human Soulknife
    1st Two Weapon Fighting (Soulknife bonus feat)
    1st Double Slice (Human bonus feat)
    1st Dodge (1st Level Feat)
    2nd Alter Blade (1st Blade skill)
    3rd Psionic Dodge (3rd Level Feat)
    4th Full Enhancement (2nd blade skill)
    5th Weapon Focus (Mind Blade) (5th level feat)
    6th Duel Imbue (3rd Blade Skill)
    7th Improved Two weapon Fighting (7th level feat)
    8th Combat Slide (4th Blade Skill)



    More or less this campaign would go on as far as it could. I'm unsure of my stats but there would be ways I'd be able to get them high enough for feats (Flaws system), so I'm not too worried about that in particular. Are there any suggestions or does this seem sound? Also; are there any feats that allow you to take an extra blade skill? Ala Extra Arcana feat for the Magus. At like 5th level for an example I'd rather take something like that so I could get Combat Slide earlier.

  14. - Top - End - #44
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    BlueKnightGuy

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Rblock View Post
    ...I'd be starting second level, so this is the build I'd have planned...
    (I'm assuming 8th level for the following) I would use Twin Strike because then you can imbue both weapons and attack with each of them once as a full-round action. You start the fight with both weapons imbued. With twin strike you can charge and attack with both for 1d6+1d6 elemental+3d8+STR. Without twin strike you only attack once. During the fight you can imbue both weapons as a move action for +2d8 and attack with both as a standard. Or you could do a full attack action and deal 1d6+1d6 at -5 BAB twice. I'd take the easier 2d8 over the harder 2d6 personally. Twin strike might lose out if you have a boatload of STR and DEX.

  15. - Top - End - #45
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    SwashbucklerGuy

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Would it be worth it to pick up Twin Strike Earlier? I went for Alter Blade for the versatility (+ the ability to use 1d8 + 1d6 for damage) but it seems like Twin Strike would be more efficient in that case. Getting Alter blade seems like it can wait for awhile, if anything.

    Edit:

    Spoiler
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    Human Soulknife
    1st Two Weapon Fighting (Soulknife bonus feat)
    1st Double Slice (Human bonus feat)
    1st Dodge (1st Level Feat)
    2nd Twin Strike (1st Blade skill)
    3rd Psionic Dodge (3rd Level Feat)
    4th Full Enhancement (2nd blade skill)
    5th Weapon Focus (Mind Blade) (5th level feat)
    6th Combat Slide (3rd Blade Skill)
    7th Improved Two weapon Fighting (7th level feat)
    8th Duel Imbue (4th Blade Skill)


    Duel Imbue's damage really doesn't help until 7th, but combat slide seems really nice. Is it better to get 1d6+1d8 (Alter Blade) or the extra mobility (Combat Slide)?
    Last edited by Rblock; 2012-04-23 at 09:38 PM.

  16. - Top - End - #46
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Thanks for the guide. I'm looking for an excuse to use a soulknife right now.
    Quote Originally Posted by Flickerdart View Post
    Fortunately, a Monk 1/Warblade 19 uses Iron Heart Surge to end the Monk character class, and the day is saved.

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Rblock View Post
    Duel Imbue's damage really doesn't help until 7th, but combat slide seems really nice. Is it better to get 1d6+1d8 (Alter Blade) or the extra mobility (Combat Slide)?
    You have to be 8th level to take Twin Strike.

    Having a 1d8 vs 1d6 is 1 damage on average. I'd probably take extra mobility between those two choices, but it's your decision.

  18. - Top - End - #48
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Hylas View Post
    You have to be 8th level to take Twin Strike
    Completely forgot that while I edited my post.

    Thanks again for the help.

  19. - Top - End - #49
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    no update on this?

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Unfortunately necessary but relevant necro! Posting a build!

    A build I've come up with for throwers is 18 Soulknife/2 Soul Archer. I do use the Gifted Blade archetype (Referencing the DSP forum post here: http://dreamscarredpress.com/dragonf...ic/t=1134.html), mainly to get Fold Space later on to qualify for the Dimensional Agility line of feats. The energy blade line of blade skills Dreamscarred Press has posted to the Pathfinder OGC are very nice, allowing you to convert your damage on the fly, while having the added benefit of tacking on an extra ability on one attack you've hit if you expend focus as a swift action. Here's what I have thus far:

    Levels | Progression
    1|SK 1| Ft: Two-Weapon Fighting(SK), Weapon Finesse
    2|SK 2| BSk: Alter Blade
    3|SK 3| Ft: Point Blank Shot
    4|SK 4| BSk: Mind Daggers
    5|SK 5| Ft: Precise Shot
    6|SK 6| BSk: Full Enhancement
    7|SK 7| Ft: Two-Weapon Fighting, Improved
    8|SK 8| BSk: Twin Strike
    9|SK 9| Ft: Psionic Meditation
    10|SK10| BSk: Ice Blade
    11|SK11| Ft: Two Weapon Fighting, Greater
    12|SK12| BSk: Enhanced Range
    13|SK13| Ft: Improved Precise Shot
    14|SK14| BSk: Multiple Throw
    15|SK15| Ft: Dimensional Agility
    16|SA 1| RBSk: Thousand Blades
    17|SA 2| Ft: Dimensional Assault, Clustered Shots (SK)
    18|SK16| BSk: Thunder Blade
    19|SK17| Ft: Dimensional Dervish
    20|SK18| BSk: Mental Power: Slip the Bonds

    Skills: Rank up Autohypnosis, Stealth, Perception, and Acrobatics every level. If Int modifier permits, Use Magic Device and Survival are the next best things to pump.

    Rank| Powers Known
    1 | Chameleon
    2 | Hustle
    3 | Vampiric Blade
    4 | Fold Space, Slip the Bonds

    Alternative Options include skipping Weapon Finesse and grabbing the Focused Offense blade skill. This would allow earlier access to Improved Precise Shot, but is ultimately more MAD, due to the heavier dex requirements of the feats. If you want the extra PP from pumping WIS, it's a solid option. Remove Enhanced Range or Mental Power for it.

    Another nice feat to grab, if you could, would be Returning Throw; it allows you to make iterative attacks with your mind blade if you could enhance them with the returning or teleporting weapon properties. I don't believe you can, unless DSP has given soul knives the enhancement in something they have yet to release to the OGC. For other throwing builds it's very solid to avoid breaking the bank.

    If any other builds come to mind I'll post some, a whip based tripper (Pyrokinetic optional), switch hitter, and Monk without Monk levels all seem doable out of the box. Experiment away!

  21. - Top - End - #51
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Hey Psyren, I have a question for ya,
    So Im playing a Deadly Fist Archetype for the soulknife, (where your unarmed attacks are enhanced by your mindblade, kinda like a monk variant for the soulknife, you even get Improved Unarmed attack at lv.1) and I was wondering, can you take this blade skill and essencially get a +2 ac bonus with no drawback of actually having a sheild?

    Mind Shield - This has been errata'ed;You get a +2 shield bonus to AC as long as you have a hand free. This is now useless for anyone not using the 1H shape; although you could simply use the 2H shape and take a hand off it at the end of your turn for an AC boost? Anyway, sword and board is bad, and therefore so is this. (Worse in fact, since you can't put any helpful buffs on your "shield.")

    Also, this is my build so far, if anyone would like to give some pointers that would be great too!
    Spoiler
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    1st level feat- Combat expertise
    2nd level Blade skill- Focused Offense
    3rd level feat- Up the Walls
    4th level Blade skill- Focused Defense
    5th level feat- Combat reflexes
    6th level Blade skill Deadly Psysic strike

    And thats all I've got so far, some help building the rest would be much appreaited! I kinda wanna go for a tanky type that can still dish out some respectable dmg. ^_^
    Last edited by Onixknight; 2013-04-06 at 09:11 PM. Reason: additional help with a Deadly Fist Archetype Build

  22. - Top - End - #52
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    MonkGuy

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Focused Offence
    As long as the soulknife maintains psionic focus, she adds her Wisdom modifier to her attack and damage rolls instead of her Strength modifier.
    (Emphasis mine)
    Does Focused Offence Count for Soulbolts too? (The archetype with ranged minblades). Because by my reading, the Soulbolt uses ranged attack rolls, thus making use of Dexterity, not Strength. I cannot find anything on the SRD that says what this means for Soulbolts.
    I'm asking because I'm going for the Soul Archer PrC, which adds your Wis to damage with it's mind arrows (not the same as mindbolt). Having a bit more SADness would be nice.
    Check out the guys at MitD's thread!
    Quote Originally Posted by DaggerPen View Post
    I still need to trim it down based on publication date, etc., but for now, it's a start.
    It has almost 21k monsters at the moment.
    ... who says we've run out of monsters to check?

  23. - Top - End - #53
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    What would you say the most important mental attribute for this class would be?
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    If you're a Gifted Blade, you want Wis as main mental stat(as it is tied to Manifesting/PP).

    If you aren't a Gifted Blade, I'd say you can pick between Intelligence(more skillpoints) or Wisdom(better Will saves), with little reason(qualifying for Eldritch Heritage or Unlocked Talent) to choose Charisma.

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Great to see you took up editing again. Gonna roll a Soulknife up for an upcoming game soon so this guide was a great help so far.

    By the way. Along the way I came across some pretty decent combinations ... I am pretty sure you are aware of them but I'm just gonna write them down for completeness reasons.
    One Level Monk + Focused Defense + Focused Offense makes for a pretty decent melee build (double wis to ac if you use combat expertise) but it really gets stupid if you mix in Tashalatora (if your dm allows 3.5 of course) -> one level monk and 19 levels Soulknife get you the unarmed damage of a level 20 monk ... now add all the soulknife goodies and 1d6 extra damage on top of that. Use an Amulett of Natural Attacks +5 if you want the +5 bonus on top of your normal Soulknife enhancements ... or just stack other boni on it for +19 unarmed attacks pre epic.

    Gets even more stupid if you can use the Shiba Protector for another wis to hit and damage.
    If you go this route I'd also take Gifted Blade for Inertial Armor and Expansion (alongside the great wisdom synergy).

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    An excellent guide, I wish it had been around when I played my Gestalt PF Soulknife/Swordsage. that and all the extra blade skills, I'll have to look into playing one again sometime.
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    I just realized that soulbolt could possibly be used to replicate spiderman through use of Emulate Ranged Weapon(Lasso) and duel wielding. Lasso also sets a precedent for the grappling hook to include rope as part of it, making it another possible weapon choice for utility.

    I am also contemplating making a soulknife who has Emulate Weapon(Garrote).
    Last edited by Jon Read; 2013-07-09 at 01:20 AM.

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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Feint's End View Post
    Great to see you took up editing again. Gonna roll a Soulknife up for an upcoming game soon so this guide was a great help so far.

    By the way. Along the way I came across some pretty decent combinations ... I am pretty sure you are aware of them but I'm just gonna write them down for completeness reasons.
    One Level Monk + Focused Defense + Focused Offense makes for a pretty decent melee build (double wis to ac if you use combat expertise) but it really gets stupid if you mix in Tashalatora (if your dm allows 3.5 of course) -> one level monk and 19 levels Soulknife get you the unarmed damage of a level 20 monk ... now add all the soulknife goodies and 1d6 extra damage on top of that. Use an Amulett of Natural Attacks +5 if you want the +5 bonus on top of your normal Soulknife enhancements ... or just stack other boni on it for +19 unarmed attacks pre epic.

    Gets even more stupid if you can use the Shiba Protector for another wis to hit and damage.
    If you go this route I'd also take Gifted Blade for Inertial Armor and Expansion (alongside the great wisdom synergy).
    Thank you yes I've been neglecting this one too long. Though the Occultist is starting to draw my attention away from psionics for a bit...

    Shiba Protector and Tashalatora were immediate thoughts for me as well, but given the amount of content PsiEx added for the Soulknife I'm going to focus on PF-only material for now. I may drop some 3.5 suggestions in the last reserved post or something.

    Gifted Blade + Deadly Fist + Monk Dip + FO/FD is one of the most Wis-SAD builds I can think of in PF right now.

    Quote Originally Posted by Hunter Noventa View Post
    An excellent guide, I wish it had been around when I played my Gestalt PF Soulknife/Swordsage. that and all the extra blade skills, I'll have to look into playing one again sometime.
    I appreciate your appreciation
    Note that the ratings (particularly for the bladeskills) are up for debate. And I've revised a few of them as I reconsidered, so I'm definitely open to feedback there.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jon Read View Post
    I just realized that soulbolt could possibly be used to replicate spiderman through use of Emulate Ranged Weapon(Lasso) and duel wielding. Lasso also sets a precedent for the grappling hook to include rope as part of it, making it another possible weapon choice for utility.

    I am also contemplating making a soulknife who has Emulate Weapon(Garrote).
    Emulate Garrote on a Cutthroat could get pretty nasty indeed, especially with an Assassin dip. It would be mean on a Dex-SAD Nimble Blade as well.

    The Lasso was an amusing thought I had as well. In fact, it could be interesting to Emulate a utility form (e.g. a lasso, net, or battle ladder) and also keep your regular blade form or mind daggers to fight with.
    Last edited by Psyren; 2013-07-09 at 07:55 AM.
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    I have a few questions/problems. There are some parts in your guide I do not agree with your interpretations or your writting of the class. First I have to say that I just have access to the online SRD of Pathfinder so if the wording is different in the books forgive me.

    First is Quick Draw: I can't see why the PF Soulknife gets the feat instead of just the ability to create the mindblade as a free action. The name of the Classfeature is Quick Draw but it states nowhere the Knife gets the feat.

    Second is about resting/reshaping: You mention a few times that you can just take the 8 hours of resting to reshape (referring to readjusting the enhancement boni here) your mindblade but it explicitely states these 8 hours can't be the same 8 hours to readjust your mindblade. So you had to rest 8 hours and readjust it another 8 totalling in 16.

    You should mention the size increase dilemma for Reaching Blade. I feel it was badely worded because what happens if you increase your reach and use expansion then? Then your range would be 20ft since it doubles but if you use expansion first and then reaching blade your range would just be 15ft. I'm not sure that was intended or not.

    Combat Slide is problematic for me because by RAW you can't do a 5 ft step and then use your Combat Slide but you can use your Combat Slide first and then your regular one (though even that might be wrong if you take the one 5 ft step rule literally)

    Bladestorm is great with expansion to huge and reaching blade (if you use the favourable ruling) .... effectively turning you into a living Fireball (without the annoying save/SR thingy) and without the way worse Bladestorm Blade Skill.

    That's everything I could think of now but if I find something else I'll let you know.

    edit: If you haven't though about it yet add the following tip to the Gifted Blade Archetype

    Feats: Spend your 3rd Levelfeat on Psicrystal Affinity (take Nimble for flavour and power in one package) and Share Pain via Expanded Knowledge at Level 11. Typcial Tanktrick for Psions it's now also availabe to the Soulknife.
    Last edited by Feint's End; 2013-07-09 at 11:34 AM.

  30. - Top - End - #60
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    Default Re: [3.P] Sharpening the Mind: A Guide to the Pathfinder Soulknife

    Quote Originally Posted by Psyren View Post
    Emulate Garrote on a Cutthroat could get pretty nasty indeed, especially with an Assassin dip. It would be mean on a Dex-SAD Nimble Blade as well.
    It sadly does not apply sneak attack damage, making such a build quite a bit tougher.
    Last edited by Jon Read; 2013-07-11 at 02:48 AM.

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