Blade Mystic prestige class: please comment

[Mithril Man]

I posted this before as the Blade Wanderer, but messed with it a bit and am reposting--in the hope that I can get some comments (this time). I also posted this in the Monte Cook forums, in case it looks familiar.

I've got a couple questions about this prestige class:

1) Is it balanced?
2) Are the requirements stringent enough?
3) Any suggestions for alterations?

By the way, I took out campaign specific description as I felt it might be easier to digest.


Blade Mystic
Requirements:
Alignment: Any non evil
Race: Human, Half-elf or Elf
BAB: +7
Skills: Jump 5, Tumble 5
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Weapon Focus, Whirlwind Attack
Magic: A blade mystic must have the ability to cast arcane or divine spells

Class Abilities:
HD: d8
BAB: As fighter
Saves: Ref/Will good, Fort poor
Skill points: 4 + Int bonus per level
Class Skills: Balance, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Tumble

The Way
All blade mystics must follow a code, which they call the Way. They must dedicate their every action to the Way, which includes seeking out and destroying any vestige of the Taint/evil. Other aspects of the Way include an ascetic and nomadic lifestyle: blade mystics never keep more wealth than they can carry.

All blade mystic special abilities are usable only if wearing light or no armor.

Special Abilities:
1 - Acrobatics (+5), Leap of the Clouds, Fast Movement (+10 ft)
2 - Intuitive Defense
3 - Mystic Weave 1/day
4 - Superior Weapon Focus
5 - Acrobatics (+10), Fast Movement (+20 ft)
6 - Mystic Weave 2/day
7 - Mystic Veil
8 -
9 - Mystic Weave 3/day
10 - Acrobatics (+20), Fast Movement (+30 ft)

Acrobatics - modifier to Jump, Tumble and Balance checks.
Leap of the Clouds - jumping distance is not limited according to height
Fast Movement - +10 ft to base move
Intuitive Defense - Wisdom bonus added to AC
Superior Weapon Focus - +1 attack bonus to previously focused weapon
Mystic Veil - permanent nondetection as the spell.
Mystic Weaves -
*Eyes of Truth - as the spell true seeing.
*Blade Cocoon - the blade cocoon takes a full attack action to prepare, during which the blade wanderer whirls their weapon in a vortex around themself, creating a shimmering cocoon of protection. The blade cocoon provides a spell resistance of 10+1 per blade wanderer level and wisdom modifier; it lasts for 1 minute per blade wanderer level.
*Blade Storm - Whirlwind attack as a partial attack action instead of a full attack action (as ki whirlwind attack).
*Sphere Walk - As the spell plane shift.


REFERENCE: COMPARISON TO OTHER PRESTIGE CLASSES
Blade Dancer:
SUBTRACT:
Ride the Wind (Air walk)
Acrobatic Attack
Enchanted Blade I, II, and III
REDUCED:
Acrobatics
Fast Movement
IMPROVE:
Skills
Saves
ADD:
Superior Weapon Focus
Intuitive Defense
Nondetection
Mystic Weaves


Weapon Master:
SUBTRACT:
Ki Damage
Increased Multiplier
Superior Combat Reflexes
Ki Critical
Ki Whirlwind Attack
REDUCE:
Hit Dice
IMPROVE:
Skills
Saves
ADD:
Acrobatics
Leap of the Clouds
Fast Movement
Intuitive Defense
Nondetection
Mystic Weaves

My opinion is that it is pretty equivalent to the blade dancer, but with easier requirements, and a bit more than the weapon master but with more difficult requirements. If this is true, I either need to tone it down a touch in order to make it match the requirements, or beef up the requirements a bit.

I also wouldn't mind modifying the special abilities somewhat--maybe getting rid of Mystic Veil/nondetection and/or altering the Weaves.

 

[Mithril Man]

Damn, getting a response in this forum is like trying to find a whore in the Vatican.

errr...maybe not?

 

[Cheiromancer]

Eyes of truth- when you say 'as the spell," do you mean that the material component is also required? it is kind of expensive, IIRC. How about the combined effects of Detect Secret Doors and See Invisibility instead?

Blade Cocoon- Nice flavorful description. Similar class abilities do not add ability bonuses (cf. Diamond Soul in a monk), so I would recommend that yours not either. I would bump the base though- maybe 10 + class level? A little weaker than the 5th level cleric spell Spell Resistance, but I think weaves should not be too powerful.

Sphere Walk- I think this is a little too dramatic an ability.

Non-detection: make it a weave. Replace the 7th level ability with a bonus equal to the mystic blade's class level and wisdom bonus to Scry checks made to notice being scried. (Scry is based on Intelligence, and can be used untrained against a DC of 20).

Some good Weaves might be (given colorful names, of course): Displacement ("Shifting Stance"), Phantasmal Killer ("Fated Attack"- the Mystic Blade assumes the terrifying form), Shout, Sending (or maybe Dream).

 

[Mithril Man]

Thanks for the response, Cheiromancer.

Eyes of truth- when you say 'as the spell," do you mean that the material component is also required? it is kind of expensive, IIRC. How about the combined effects of Detect Secret Doors and See Invisibility instead?

Hmmm, well it is a sort of flavor thing. No, the material component would not be required--but the deity that the blade mystic 'worships' is sort of like the Egyptian god Horus, whose one-eyed vision 'sees all.' Maybe I'll tone it down a bit.

Blade Cocoon- Nice flavorful description. Similar class abilities do not add ability bonuses (cf. Diamond Soul in a monk), so I would recommend that yours not either. I would bump the base though- maybe 10 + class level? A little weaker than the 5th level cleric spell Spell Resistance, but I think weaves should not be too powerful.

Thanks--and sounds good.

Sphere Walk- I think this is a little too dramatic an ability.

You might be right.

Non-detection: make it a weave. Replace the 7th level ability with a bonus equal to the mystic blade's class level and wisdom bonus to Scry checks made to notice being scried. (Scry is based on Intelligence, and can be used untrained against a DC of 20).

Well it ain't as fancy if it isn't at all times--maybe I could make it higher level.

Some good Weaves might be (given colorful names, of course): Displacement ("Shifting Stance"), Phantasmal Killer ("Fated Attack"- the Mystic Blade assumes the terrifying form), Shout, Sending (or maybe Dream).

I really like Displacement, maybe Shout, Dream or Sending--probably not Phantasmal Killer, though. I was also thinking some sort of "mystic heal"--maybe 2 hp per level + Wis bonus.

I'll rework it a bit and maybe repost it.