Soulknife Fix [Feats]

[Lord Iames Osari]

Rather than revamp the soulknife, I am going to convert the most significant aspects of the soulknife class into feats, designed to be taken by the psychic warrior.

{table="head"]Mindblade Feat Name|Prerequisites|Effect
Mindblade|Power point reserve|You can manifest a mindblade
Blade to the Soul|BAB +9, Mindblade, Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon|Trade extra damage dice for ability damage
Shape Mindblade|BAB +3, Mindblade|You can alter the shape of your mindblade
Improved Mindblade|BAB +4, Mindblade, Shape Mindblade|Your mindblade grows in power as you do.
Split Mindblade|BAB +3, Mindblade|You can split your mindblade into two weapons
Throw Mindblade|BAB +1, Mindblade|You can throw your mindblade[/table]

Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
You can manifest a mindblade.
Prerequisites: Having a power point reserve.
Benefit: As a move action, ayou can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from your own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a short sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium character materializes a Medium mindblade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19-20/×2). Characters who are smaller or larger than Medium create mindblades identical to short swords appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder of a mindblade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.

The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another on your next move action. The moment you relinquishes your grip on the blade, it dissipates (unless you intend to throw it; see the Throw Mindblade feat below). A mindblade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

You can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mindblade just as if it were a normal weapon. You can also choose mindblade for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade.

Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), you can attempt to sustain your mind blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, you maintain your mind blade for a number of rounds equal to your level before you need to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade vanishes. As a move action on your turn, you can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize your mind blade while you remain within the psionics negating effect.
Special: A psychic warrior may select this feat as one of his bonus feats. A character with the Quick Draw feat can generate a mindblade as a free action.

Throw Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
You can throw your mindblade.
Prerequisites: BAB +1, Mindblade.
Benefit: You can throw your mindblade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. Whether or not the attack hits, the thrown mindblade then dissipates.
Special: A psychic warrior may select this feat as one of his bonus feats.

Shape Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
You can alter the shape of your mindblade.
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Mindblade.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can alter the shape of your mindblade to match that of any weapon with which you are proficient. It is identical in all ways (except visually) to the weapon of your choice, sized appropriately for you to wield.
Special: A psychic warrior may select this feat as one of his bonus feats.

Split Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
You can split your mindblade into two identical pieces.
Prerequisites: BAB +3, Mindblade.
Benefit: As a full-round action, you can split your mindblade into two identical short swords, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.
Special: A character with both this feat and Shape Mindblade can alter the shape of the two mindblades created by this feat, but only one at a time.

A psychic warrior may select this feat as one of his bonus feats.

Improved Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
Your mindblade grows in power as you do.
Prerequisites: BAB +4, Mindblade, Shape Mindblade.
Benefit: Your mindblade gains an effective enhancement bonus equal to half your character level. You can divide this effective bonus up to grant your mindblade an enhancement bonus or equivalent abilities, following the normal rules for magical weapons.

You can alter the abilities and the bonus of your mindblade, but you must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that, your mindblade will manifest with the new abilities and new bonus.

Blade to the Soul [Mindblade, Psionic]
Your mindblade strikes at the very being of other creatures.
Prerequisites: BAB +9, Mindblade, Psionic Weapon, Greater Psionic Weapon.
Benefit: When using Psionic Weapon or Greater Psionic Weapon with your mindblade, you can choose to substitute Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (your choice) for extra dice of damage. For each die of extra damage you give up, you deal 1 point of damage to the ability score you chose. You can combine extra dice of damage and ability damage in any combination.

You decide which ability score is damaged and the division of ability damage and extra dice of damage when you spend your psionic focus to activate Psionic Weapon or Greater Psionic Weapon.

This is a mind-affecting effect.
Normal: Psionic Weapon and Greater Psionic Weapon deal hit point damage only.
Special: A psychic warrior may select this feat as one of his bonus feats.

[Grim Greyscale]

I like it o_o

So if you had both Split and Shape Mindblade, you could make a Longsword/Shortsword combo? That's better than the original class feature. Makes it actually useful, now.

[dead_but_dreaming]

Yeah, you can do this or just use the old PrC from the original psionics handbook. This is ok tho...

[ZeroNumerous]

Honestly, it's much better than normal Soulknife. However, what about adding Psychic Strike?

[Lord Iames Osari]

I figure Psionic Weapon and Greater Psionic Weapon are good enough substitutes.

[ZeroNumerous]

Psychic Strike [Mindblade, Psionic]
You have learned to channel your power through your mindblade.
Prerequisties: BAB +1; Able to manifest a mindblade.
Benefits: As a move action, you can channel a number of power points equal to one-half of your class level into your mindblade. These points are spent as if you were manifesting a power without gaining any of the benefit of manifesting a power.

On your next successful melee attack, you can choose to expend a number of power points channeled into your mindblade. For every power point you expend from your mindblade, it does +1d8 points of damage. This expenditure of power points does not count against your normal maximum for your manifester level.
Special: A Psychic Warrior can select this power as a bonus feat.

[Artemician]

I don't think there's a need to state that Psychic Warriors can take it as a bonus feat, because PsyWar's bonus feats entry specifies that they can take Psionic feats or Fighter Bonus Feats as Bonus Feats.

Anyway, great job Iames. This is so yoinked.

[Fax Celestis]

...if the mindblade no longer has an enhancement bonus based on level, how can you improve it so it can overcome things like DR/Magic or DR/Epic?

What about a feat that allows you to treat it as seperate materials?

[Lord Iames Osari]

The mindblade overcomes DR/magic anyway:

A mindblade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A feat to let it overcome material-based DR would be good... and I guess there could be an epic feat that let it overcome DR/epic.

[ZeroNumerous]

The material based thing comes from Complete Psionics. I believe there are feats that let your Mindblade count as Material X for Purpose Y. Though Complete Psionics is dead to anyone who actually plays psionic characters.

Erudite: ZOMG I R BEST THAN PSION @ EVYTHING PSION DO!

.. Ya.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Not true! There is usable stuff in there! Even *shudder* the Illithid Heritage feats, if you re-flavor them.

[Fax Celestis]

Okay. Is there a way to give the mindblade (using this system) an enhancement bonus, or enchant it?

[ZeroNumerous]

I like my sanity way too much to open Complete Psionics. I just now got it back in double digits.

EDIT: Thats one reason I suggested Psychic Strike. Losing your +X Mindblade does hurt abit.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Okay. Is there a way to give the mindblade (using this system) an enhancement bonus, or enchant it?

That's what the Invest Mindblade feat is for. You can invest it with metaphysical weapon, for example.

[ZeroNumerous]

That's what the Invest Mindblade feat is for. You can invest it with metaphysical weapon, for example.

The question is: Why would I do that when I have Vampiric Blade? Or, for that matter, Strength of my Enemy? Both of which, when affecting the weapon continuously, can become insane. Bag'o'rat healing.

[Lord Iames Osari]

The question is: Why would I do that when I have Vampiric Blade? Or, for that matter, Strength of my Enemy? Both of which, when affecting the weapon continuously, can become insane. Bag'o'rat healing.

Well, consider that by the time you can manifest vampiric blade, your investiture limit is going to be at least 10, you could easily invest vampric blade, strength of my enemy, and metaphysical weapon into your mindblade, and still have room to invest another 1st-level power.

[ZeroNumerous]

Thank you for furthering my point.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Well, okay, maybe it does need a rewrite.

[Fax Celestis]

You also seem to be operating under the assumption that only psychic warriors would be taking this. I can see a psychic rogue, lurk, ardent, or even a wilder taking this feat chain.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Well, I intended it primarily for psychic warriors. Anyone else who wants to take the feats is of course welcome to do so, provided they meet the prereqs, which isn't that difficult.

[Fax Celestis]

Speaking of which: for a Lurk who takes these: how does Psychic Strike interact with their class features?

[ZeroNumerous]

Speaking of which: for a Lurk who takes these: how does Psychic Strike interact with their class features?

Psychic Strike was my idea, as such, it does not exist in this feat chain so far.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Ok, anybody have any suggestions for alternate methods of enhancing the mindblade?

[Fizban]

Not a fix per se, but you could specify that the powers stored must normally have a duration of at least 10 minutes per level. That should prevent most abuse I'd think.

Hmm, reviewing the psychic warrior power list, that would leave only keen edge. Why isn't there a power for a flat +x bonus?

Edit: d'oh, missed metaphysical weapon.

Also, I will note, in my quest to turn all things psionic to arcane, these would be a nice adaptation to pretty much any martial arcanist as well.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Improved Mindblade [Mindblade, Psionic]
Your mindblade grows in power as you do.
Prerequisites: BAB +4, Mindblade, Shape Mindblade.
Benefit: Your mindblade gains an effective enhancement bonus equal to half your character level. You can divide this effective bonus up to grant your mindblade an enhancement bonus or equivalent abilities, following the normal rules for magical weapons.

You can alter the abilities and the bonus of your mindblade, but you must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that, your mindblade will manifest with the new abilities and new bonus.

How's that as a replacement for "Invest Mindblade"?

[Fizban]

Takes three feats to get it, sounds good to me.