Expanded PsiHB Excerpts
- Thread starter EricNoah
- Start date
Vocenoctum
First Post
any street date for it?
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
I don't know that Psi Warrior is the proper comparison. Looking at the class, its primary ability seems to be accessing either one single +9 equivalent (+5 enhancement, +4 in abilities) weapon or two +8 weapons (+4 enhancement, +4 in abilities which can be re-arranged to suit the situation with a single FRA and whose abilities may be exchanged with 8 hours of meditation (so he could begin with a vicious keen mindblade of wounding and, upon hearing that he will be facing undead on the morrow, change it to a vicious, Lucky, Defending, Psychokynetic mindblade, and then, learning that he will be hunting something else the next week, might switch to a Sundering Bodyfeeder weapon). Given that, a comparison to other classes with weapon abilities (like CW's Samurai or Kensai) might be appropriate.
Curiously, the soulknife gains greater weapon focus but not even normal weapon specialization (without taking four fighter levels). In fact, multiclassing (especially into fighter or rogue) would look very attractive to the mindblade were it not for the fact that he sacrifices his primary class ability: mindblade progression.
Psychic strike is an interesting ability (especially since it seems that the first strike of every combat will be a psychic strike for a soulknife--the ability appears to last forever until used). Somehow I suspect that 5d8 is small potatoes next to a real fighter's iterative attacks at 19th level (and the 5 points of power attack that it would take to equalize their attack bonusses). However, the choice to make the mindblade do int, wis, or cha damage means that a high level soulknife will reduce most foes to mindless hulks quite quickly. There could be some real balance issues to doing five points of int, wis, or charisma damage to a target per round. (Most animals and magical beasts will be incapacitated by a single shot to int, and nearly all other melee foes have a weakness in one of the other stats that means they will only survive two or three hits--not to mention the potential for softening up foes for domination, etc by dealing wisdom damage (so, your wisdom went from 18 to 3; what's your will save with a -8 penalty?) A Soulknife with some way of attacking twice in one round (Snake's Strike, or Expert Tactician) despite taking a Move action to recharge his mind blade could easily deal ten points of int, wis, or cha damage in the first round of combat. Even at high levels, that's likely enough to take most foes down (or at least limit their life expectancy to one more round).
So, while I think that, absent Knife to the Soul, the class is an interesting alternative to Samurai etc (gives up BAB in return for flexibility with weapon powers (don't underestimate the possiblity of dual-wielding wounding weapons), Psychic Strike, and quite a few bonus feats (Free Draw is partial Quickdraw--completed by multiple throw, Bladewind is Whirlwind Attack, Speed of Thought, Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Focus) and would have to be playtested in order to be properly evaluated, I strongly suspect that Psychic Strike will be found to be broken in play.
Curiously, the soulknife gains greater weapon focus but not even normal weapon specialization (without taking four fighter levels). In fact, multiclassing (especially into fighter or rogue) would look very attractive to the mindblade were it not for the fact that he sacrifices his primary class ability: mindblade progression.
Psychic strike is an interesting ability (especially since it seems that the first strike of every combat will be a psychic strike for a soulknife--the ability appears to last forever until used). Somehow I suspect that 5d8 is small potatoes next to a real fighter's iterative attacks at 19th level (and the 5 points of power attack that it would take to equalize their attack bonusses). However, the choice to make the mindblade do int, wis, or cha damage means that a high level soulknife will reduce most foes to mindless hulks quite quickly. There could be some real balance issues to doing five points of int, wis, or charisma damage to a target per round. (Most animals and magical beasts will be incapacitated by a single shot to int, and nearly all other melee foes have a weakness in one of the other stats that means they will only survive two or three hits--not to mention the potential for softening up foes for domination, etc by dealing wisdom damage (so, your wisdom went from 18 to 3; what's your will save with a -8 penalty?) A Soulknife with some way of attacking twice in one round (Snake's Strike, or Expert Tactician) despite taking a Move action to recharge his mind blade could easily deal ten points of int, wis, or cha damage in the first round of combat. Even at high levels, that's likely enough to take most foes down (or at least limit their life expectancy to one more round).
So, while I think that, absent Knife to the Soul, the class is an interesting alternative to Samurai etc (gives up BAB in return for flexibility with weapon powers (don't underestimate the possiblity of dual-wielding wounding weapons), Psychic Strike, and quite a few bonus feats (Free Draw is partial Quickdraw--completed by multiple throw, Bladewind is Whirlwind Attack, Speed of Thought, Weapon Focus, and Greater Weapon Focus) and would have to be playtested in order to be properly evaluated, I strongly suspect that Psychic Strike will be found to be broken in play.
Hardhead said:
thundershot
Adventurer
*cough*soulknife*cough*Psylocke*cough*
Chris
Chris
Piratecat
Sesquipedalian
Good catch on the incorrect BAB, FireLance; I noticed that, too.
Obviously, this is also good for stripping spells out of a cleric's or wizard's repertoire. I'm not sure it's unbalanced, though, as it's equivalent to the 2nd (iirc) lvl spell touch of idiocy. That spells strips mental attributes, too, albeit less points... and despite my fears, I haven't heard a hue and cry about it.
Elder-Basilisk said:
Obviously, this is also good for stripping spells out of a cleric's or wizard's repertoire. I'm not sure it's unbalanced, though, as it's equivalent to the 2nd (iirc) lvl spell touch of idiocy. That spells strips mental attributes, too, albeit less points... and despite my fears, I haven't heard a hue and cry about it.
Michael Tree
First Post
I'm with Hardhead on this. The soulknife is a thorough disappointment. The 1/2 manifester level updated version was much more interesting. It might become balanced if they gave it a psychic warrior's power progression, but as it stands it's inferior in almost every way.
I'm giddy with excitement about everything else in the preview though!
My favorite bits:
Metamorphic Transfer Feat- Assume one supernatural ability of alternate form
Concentration skill use - Attempting to manifest a power without its display (DC 15 + power level)
I'm giddy with excitement about everything else in the preview though!
My favorite bits:
Metamorphic Transfer Feat- Assume one supernatural ability of alternate form
Concentration skill use - Attempting to manifest a power without its display (DC 15 + power level)
johnsemlak
First Post
Speaking of new classes, has anyone noticed the mention of 'Wilder' as a favored class in the races section? Any ideas on what that is?
Elder-Basilisk
First Post
True but Touch of Idiocy is a penalty (like Ray of Enfeeblement) and therefore does not stack with itself. It also cannot reduce scores to zero and consequently can't incapacitate foes. Though I haven't seen ToI used in game yet, it seems its primary use would be to weaken spellcasters (though it usually won't incapacitate them) and to deny fighters, clerics, etc use of Expertise based feats. Using ToI on an animal will rarely accomplish anything except maybe making the DM forget to flank.
Because it deals actual ability damage, the Knife to the Soul ability is FAR more powerful--more WRT incapacitating fighters and monsters than to stripping spells (though it's good at that too). The one-shot incapacitation of any low-int creature and 2 shot incapacitation of 10 int creatures at high levels is the real reason that it concerns me.
Because it deals actual ability damage, the Knife to the Soul ability is FAR more powerful--more WRT incapacitating fighters and monsters than to stripping spells (though it's good at that too). The one-shot incapacitation of any low-int creature and 2 shot incapacitation of 10 int creatures at high levels is the real reason that it concerns me.
Piratecat said:
