Psychic Assassin

CustosObscurus

First Post
I recently got the 3e Psionics Handbook, and really liked it. The Soulknife in particular caught my eye. However, I didn't care much for the psion or the psychic warrior leading into the class, so I wanted it to be a 20 level base class. I heard that the 3.5 book did this, but it wasn't very good. So I started a new class: the Psychic Assassin. Basically, I wanted to make the equivalent of a psychic rogue, similar to the Psychic Warrior being similar to a, well, psychic fighter. This is my first draft, and I think that it's too powerful. Any advice on how to make it more... fair would be appreciated.

PS. I really don't like dead levels, so if there's a way to fix it without having levels with no special ability, it would be preferable.

EDIT: Here's the new version of the Psychic Stalker class:

Psychic Stalker
Class Description
Hit Die: d6
Starting Gold: 5d4*10 (125 gp)

Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble, Use Magic Device, Use Psionic Device, Use Rope

Skill Points
At 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) * 4
At Each Additional level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features:
BAB Average
Fort Poor
Ref Good
Will Poor

Level Power Points
1 0
2 1
3 2
4 4
5 5
6 8
7 11
8 13
9 16
10 19
11 25
12 30
13 36
14 41
15 47
16 55
17 64
18 72
19 81
20 90

Bonus Power Point Modifier: Charisma

Level Powers Known
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 3
5 4
6 5
7 6
8 6
9 7
10 8
11 9
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 12
17 13
18 14
19 15
20 15

Level Max Level of Powers Known
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 2
7 2
8 2
9 2
10 2
11 3
12 3
13 3
14 3
15 3
16 4
17 4
18 4
19 4
20 4

Psychic Stalker Power list:
1- Burst, Catfall, Chameleon, Compression, Conceal Thoughts, Control Light, Distract, Elfsight, Empty Mind, Float, Force Screen, Inertial Armor, Precognition (Defensive), Precognition (Offensive), Prevenom Weapon, Synesthete

2- Animal Affinity, Body Equilibrium, Cloud Mind, Concealing Amorpha, Psionic Darkvision, Dimension Swap, Hustle, Psionic Levitate, Prowess, Sustenance, Thought Shield, Wall Walker

3- Greater Concealing Amorpha, Danger Sense, Dimension Slide, Ectoplasmic Form, Empathic Feedback, Escape Detection, Mental Barrier, Ubiquitous Vision

4- Psionic Dimension Door, Psionic Freedom of Movement, Inertial Barrier, Steadfast Perception

Level Special
1 Sharpen Blade, Bonus Psionic Feat
2 Sneak Attack +1d6
3 Evasion
4 Mind Blade 1d3
5 Sneak Attack +2d6
6 Uncanny Dodge
7 Free Draw
8 Mind Blade 2d3, Sneak Attack +3d6
9 Throw Mind Blade
10 Improved Uncanny Dodge
11 Sneak Attack +4d6
12 Mind Blade 3d3
13 Improved Evasion
14 Sneak Attack +5d6
15 Imbed Power
16 Mind Blade 4d3
17 Sneak Attack +6d6
18 Hide in Plain Sight
19 Knife to the Soul
20 Mind Blade 5d3, Sneak Attack +7d6, Death Attack

A Psychic Stalker is proficient with all simple weapons.

Sharpen Blade: A psychic stalker can focus his mind on the edge of his weapon and enhance it's power. If a psychic stalker spends 1 power point, he can make his blade even sharper, which adds a +1 to damage with that weapon. This ability takes a move action, and lasts for 10 rounds. This ability stacks up to +5.

Sneak Attack: If you can catch an opponent by surprise, you can strike a vital point for more damage. Any time the target is denied their Dex bonus to AC (wether they have a Dex bonus or not) or if the target is flanked by the stalker, a sneak attack can be made. The extra damage is 1d6 at first level, and increases by 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter. Ranged attacks can be sneak attacks, but they must be made within 30 feet.

Evasion: If you make a reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can only be used if the stalker is wearing light or no armor. A helpless stalker does not have the benefit of evasion.

Mind Blade: As a move equivalent action, the stalker can create a semisolid weapon of any size and any color/shape you desire. As a move equivalent action you can change the color, size, or shape of your weapon. This blade is never considered a reach weapon or a ranged weapon despite the shape you choose. The blade can be broken (10 hardness, 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another one on your next move-equivalent action. The moment he releases his grip on the blade, it dissipates. The stalker may take weapon focus, Weapon specialization, or weapon finesse in conjunction with the mind blade. The stalker must have 1 power point in reserve to create the mindblade.
The blade is a light one-handed weapon that deals 1d3 slashing damage at fourth level, and gains +1d3 damage at every fourth level afterwards. Since the weapon is not completely real, your strength modifier doesn't apply to damage; instead, you add your Cha modifier to the damage dealt. A mind blade doesn't weigh anything. A mind blade will continue to function where psionics normally don't; such as a null psionics field. However, you have to make a concentration check (DC 15) to prevent it from dissipating.
A mindblade is considered a magic weapon for purposes of overcoming damage reduction.

Uncanny Dodge: You can react to danger before your regular senses would normally allow. You retain your Dex bonus to AC (if any) even if caught flat footed or struck by an invisible attacker.

Free Draw: You may create a Mind Blade as a free action rather than a move action.

Throw Mind Blade: A psychic stalker can throw his Mind Blade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30'. Wether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind blade then dissipates. The Assassin can make a sneak attack with a thrown Mind Blade and can use the blade in conjunction with other special abilities (such as embedding powers). You must have at least 1 power point in reserve to use this ability.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: You can no longer be flanked; you can react to opponents on opposite sides as easily as you can react to a single attacker. You also can't be sneak attacked while being flanked unless the attacker has at least 4 more levels than you.

Improved Evasion: This ability works like evasion, except that while the stalker still takes no damage on a successful reflex save, she now takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless stalker does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Imbed Power: You can imbed one psionic power of 3rd level or lower that you know in your mind blade. This spell-like ability requires a move equivalent action, and the stalker must pay the cost of the power to imbed it. The power immediately affects the next target that the assassin successfully attacks with the mind blade, with no saving throw allowed. Even if the power normally affects an area or is a ray, it affects only the target. When the power is cast, the blade is ready to have another power cast on it. A mind blade can only have 1 power imbedded at a time.

Hide in Plain Sight: If you are within 10 feet of a shadow, you can attempt to make a hide check, even if you are being watched. If you succeed, you seem to just melt into the shadows.

Knife to the Soul: If you spend 15 power points, you can attack an opponent's life force directly. They get to make a will save (with a DC of your class level + your Cha modifier). If they fail, they take 1d6 points of Con damage. You can only perform this ability 3/day.

Death Attack: If a stalker studies his victim for 3 rounds and then makes a successful melee sneak attack, it has the additional effect of possibly paralyzing or killing the target (stalker's choice). While studying the target, the stalker can undertake other actions as long as his attention stays focused on the target and the target does not detect the stalker or recognize the stalker as an enemy. If the victim fails the saving throw (DC 10 + the stalker's class level + the stalker's Int modifier) he either dies or is paralyzed for 1d6 rounds + 1 round for each level of the stalker. If the victim's saving throw succeeds, the attack is just a normal sneak attack. The attempt must be made within 3 rounds of finishing the study. If it is not, you must study the target for another 3 rounds.
 
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dedicated

First Post
buy the expanded psionics handbook, it's fun and has the full 20 progression for soulknife (which is really fun, you can summon them as a free action, soup them up,and throw them).
I don't know if it's a 3.5 book but you could ask someone to post the progression for you and use it with the normal psionics handbook if you want

But as for your class, I think 6th level powers is to high, make it 4th (like the ranger and paladin for divine spells)
 

Bront

The man with the probe
Actualy, you don't need to buy the book, simply look at the SRD for 3.5, which now contains the psionic stuff from the XPH in it.

I'd limit the power and PP advancement as per the Psi-warrior for the class (Which means you don't need either table that you have, which is quite different from the 3.5 one.)

3.5 also got rid of psionic combat modes and made them regular powers, which simplified thigns immensely. check out www.srdd20.org to see the current incarnation of the soul-blade and psionic warrior, which I generaly think are fairly good. The only limitation the soul-blade has is that he is fairly limited in multi-classing due to his advancement in his primary weapon, though you could always rule that he continued with his weapon enchantment and enhancement abilites if he takes any classes that continue to add manifest levels.

Honestly, since I am not familiar with 3.0 psionics, I can't comment on the class, as the psionic rules have changed so much that most of what you have doesn't work correctly in 3.5.
 

ZuulMoG

First Post
Other than the 'manifesting a soulknife in an anti-magic zone' I agree with dedicated. Drop 5th and 6th psion powers, and add Autohypnosis as a class skill.

(And, uh, BTW, nice job.)
 


CustosObscurus

First Post
Thanks for all the quick replies, everyone. I looked at the SRD, and the Soulknife isn't as bad as I'd heard it was. However, it seems more combat oriented than what I'm looking for. Like I said, my inspiration for this class was 'psionic rogue.'

I do have a few questions about the suggestions, though.

1. Bront - What doesn't work correctly in 3.5? I really don't see anything, other than the combat mode thing, that wouldn't work with the 3.5 rules.

2. Bront - I don't think that a rogue-ish character would be able to cast as many spells as often as a warrior, so I made a custom list. Are you sure I should go with the Psychic Warrior PP advancement?

3. Bront - If Combat modes don't exist anymore, then should they recieve bonus powers at those levels? Perhaps powers of any level they can cast at that point? If I don't, they end up with dead levels, which my slight OCD has a big problem with.

4. ZuulMoG - Thanks for the compliment. I guess it's better than the Elite, then? I did what you and dedicated suggested and removed 5th and 6th level powers. But what do you mean about the anti-magic field?
In the original Psionic Handbook, it said that a manifested mindblade could exist in a place where most powers couldn't manifest if the wielder made a successful Will save. Do you think that the blade shouldn't be able to exist at all within such a field, and they are forced to resort to another weapon?

5. Should they recieve Exotic Weapon Proficiency (mind blade) at 4th level, or should they have to use up a feat to get it?

Thanks again for the quick responses.

EDIT: I see that they no longer have 0-level powers. I guess I need to fix that.
 
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Nifft

Penguin Herder
3.0e -> 3.5e Psionic changes:

1/ All Psionic PCs gain bonus Power Points from a single stat, just like spellcasters gain bonus spells from a single stat.

2/ Psionic Powers can be augmented, so PsiPCs always have the option of choosing a lower-level Power.

3/ Attack & Defense modes are now just regular Powers. They're cool ones -- Mind Thrust deals 1d10 damage per power point, for example.

-- N
 

CustosObscurus

First Post
I just skimmed through the Expanded Handbook, and now I see what you mean, Bront. I've gone through and modified the class to fit the changes I saw. If I missed something, please tell me.

I didn't change what any of the abilities did (yet), so I'm leaving that part off. See above if you need to know what something does. For ease of scanning, I'll bold what I changed:

Psychic Assassin
Class Description
Alignment: Any non-lawful
Hit Die: d6
Starting Gold: 5d4*10 (125 gp)

Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Balance, Bluff, Climb, Disable Device, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spot, Tumble, Use Magic Device, Use Psionic Device, Use Rope

Skill Points
At 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) * 4
At Each Additional level: 6 + Int modifier

Class Features:
BAB Average
Fort Poor
Ref Good
Will Poor

Level Power Points
1 0
2 2
3 4
4 6
5 8
6 11
7 14
8 18
9 22
10 27
11 32
12 38
13 44
14 51
15 58
16 66
17 74
18 83
19 92
20 102

Bonus Power Point Modifier: Charisma

Level Powers Known
1 1
2 2
3 3
4 3
5 4
6 5
7 6
8 6
9 7
10 8
11 9
12 9
13 10
14 11
15 12
16 12
17 13
18 14
19 15
20 15

Level Max Level of Powers Known
1 1
2 1
3 1
4 1
5 1
6 2
7 2
8 2
9 2
10 2
11 3
12 3
13 3
14 3
15 3
16 4
17 4
18 4
19 4
20 4

A Psychic Assassin gains his powers from the Psychic Warrior list.





I'm thinking about 2 different special progressions. One is the original, minus the combat modes. The other has been moved around a bit after I looked at the 3.5 Soulknife.

Original
Level Special
1 Sharpen Blade, Sneak Attack +1d6
2 Evasion
3 Uncanny Dodge
4 Mind Blade 1d3, Sneak Attack +2d6
5 Imbed Power
6 Improved Uncanny Dodge
7 Sneak Attack +3d6
8 Mind Blade 2d3
9 Improved Evasion
10 Sneak Attack +4d6
11 Free Draw
12 Mind Blade 3d3
13 Sneak Attack +5d6
14 Hide in Plain Sight
15 Bonus Feat
16 Mind Blade 4d3, Sneak Attack +6d6
17 Throw Mind Blade
18 Knife to the Soul
19 Sneak Attack +7d6
20 Mind Blade 5d3, Death Attack

Version 2
Level Special
1 Sharpen Blade, Sneak Attack +1d6
2 Evasion
3 Uncanny Dodge
4 Mind Blade 1d3, Sneak Attack +2d6
5 Imbed Power, Throw Mind Blade
6 Improved Uncanny Dodge
7 Sneak Attack +3d6
8 Mind Blade 2d3, Free Draw
9 Improved Evasion
10 Sneak Attack +4d6
11 Bonus Feat
12 Mind Blade 3d3
13 Sneak Attack +5d6
14 Hide in Plain Sight
15 Bonus Feat
16 Mind Blade 4d3, Sneak Attack +6d6
17 Bonus Feat
18 Knife to the Soul
19 Sneak Attack +7d6
20 Mind Blade 5d3, Death Attack


Which do you think should stay?
 
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Bront

The man with the probe
CustosObscurus said:
1. Bront - What doesn't work correctly in 3.5? I really don't see anything, other than the combat mode thing, that wouldn't work with the 3.5 rules.

2. Bront - I don't think that a rogue-ish character would be able to cast as many spells as often as a warrior, so I made a custom list. Are you sure I should go with the Psychic Warrior PP advancement?

3. Bront - If Combat modes don't exist anymore, then should they recieve bonus powers at those levels? Perhaps powers of any level they can cast at that point? If I don't, they end up with dead levels, which my slight OCD has a big problem with.
1. The power selection you have gives them more powers than a Psion. How the powers tweek is changed too.

2. Your PP progression is better up till 8th than a Psi-war, then worse after that, but not by much. You're talking 2 more PP at L1, and 25 less PP at level 20. Also the power list breakdown doesn't work as well now with now powers work (Thanks Nifft). I'd just use the Psi-war tables. Keep in mind, you are giving up the 8 bonus feats, and droping the HD by 1. You might be better off giving them their own custom power list because the Psi-war list is a bit more offensive than might be appropriate.

3. Let's go over what you have here.

Psychic Assassin
Alignment: Any non-lawful
Hit Die: d6
Starting Gold: 5d4*10 (125 gp)

Skill Points
At 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) * 4
At Each Additional level: 6 + Int modifier

Level Special
1 Sharpen Blade, Psionic combat mode, Sneak Attack +1d6
2 Evasion
3 Uncanny Dodge
4 Mind Blade 1d3, Sneak Attack +2d6
5 Imbed Power, Psionic combat mode
6 Improved Uncanny Dodge
7 Sneak Attack +3d6
8 Mind Blade 2d3
9 Improved Evasion
10 Psionic combat mode, Sneak Attack +4d6
11 Free Draw
12 Mind Blade 3d3
13 Sneak Attack +5d6
14 Hide in Plain Sight
15 Psionic combat mode
16 Mind Blade 4d3, Sneak Attack +6d6
17 Throw Mind Blade
18 Knife to the Soul
19 Sneak Attack +7d6
20 Mind Blade 5d3, Psionic combat mode, Death Attack
I would suggest changing the name to Psionic Stalker or rogue or something like that, and droping the non-lawful. If you can be good, assassin is too much.

4 skill points per level may be better balanced if you want a lot of class abilities like you have.

Give the character a bonus psionic feat at first level, and push back the sneak attack to 2nd. Push Evasion back to 3rd (Uncanny dodge at 3rd is before the rogue gets it, not cool in general). Uncanny at 6th, improved uncanny at 10th, and improved evasion at 13th.

Not sure on the other powers. You could give him trap sense at 1st level. But you have to be carefull. As you have him built, he's significantly more powerful that a rogue. He should be about even with a rogue in power, so should have his abilities at later levels or different abilities.
 

Bront

The man with the probe
Dang it, you posted a new version while I was posting :p

I'll look it over. You went a different route, and I'll look it over to see how I feel it works. Look over my suggestions to see if any still apply.
 

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