Full BAB for the soulknife?

[haiiro]

The Soulknife is NOT a primary combatant. Look at the armor prof., saves, skills & BAB: it's much closer to a Monk, Rogue or (gasp!) Bard than any kind of tank.

Agreed -- but unlike all of those classes, the soulknife gets zero non-combat abilities (apart from the 4 skill points, I suppose). So it kind of looks like a class that's built solely to fight, but the mechanics don't support that appearance. As you say, some of the skills and combat abilities are geared strongly towards hit and run, or other skirmishing tactics -- but that's all the SK gets!

So it seems like the SK might be able to do some neat things in combat, but also has a good chance of being eclipsed by the primary combatants -- and unlike the rogue, bard or monk, he can't do much outside of combat (except play backup scout).

 

[Aus_Snow]

Good BAB, d8 HD, 4 skp/level and 1 good save sounds fair to me. . .I think.

 

[Voadam]

I think they are fine as is.

Compare them to a monk, another combatant 3/4 BAB class.

The soulknife's non combat role is stealth scouting. Look at their skill list.

I'm having a lot of fun playing a multiclassed soulknife9/paladin3 as a party brick. He is plenty tough and offensively potent.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I would make them full BAB and d8 hit dice with no other changes (except for extending the range of possible special effects for the sword slightly).

This puts them in the same niche as rangers - good BAB, more skills, lower hd when compared to the 'primary' combatants.

 

[Nifft]

As you say, some of the skills and combat abilities are geared strongly towards hit and run, or other skirmishing tactics -- but that's all the SK gets!

Yes, exactly. It's not an imbalanced class, it's just an uninteresting one -- inflexible in both strategy and tactics.

-- N

 

[DungeonmasterCal]

Buff him with Psionic Body, which gives you +2 hp for each Psionic Feat you have. I played one that was finally killed fighting incorporeal undead, but in a straight up fight with a corporeal creature, he was nearly as tough as the party's other tank, a werebear.

 

[haiiro]

I would make them full BAB and d8 hit dice with no other changes (except for extending the range of possible special effects for the sword slightly).

This puts them in the same niche as rangers - good BAB, more skills, lower hd when compared to the 'primary' combatants.

Given that the SK doesn't have any non-combat class abilities, would you say they'd be slightly better than rangers in combat (and even overall)?

 

[dedicated]

dude, rangers get to cast divine spells

I'd take the last change suggested, because it's a pretty fair tradeoff

 

[Nifft]

Given that the SK doesn't have any non-combat class abilities, would you say they'd be slightly better than rangers in combat (and even overall)?

They *do* get non-combat abilities -- skills from a good skill list and the ability to take [Psionic] feats, which are better than normal feats.

Non-Combat Psionic Feats That Are Cool:
- Up the Walls
- Inquisitor
- Mental Leap
- ... huh, I thought there were more. Maybe I'm remembering [Psionic] feats from 3.0e?

Anyway. Ranger is a very strong class. Soulknife is probably weaker, and certainly more focused, and most certainly less flexible (in tactics and customization options). Ranger is a high benchmark... don't know if Soulknife hits it. But SK isn't a bad class. Be careful, too -- giving too much to a loser concept ends up making overpowered wonk-monsters like the Cleric, which gets a pass for filling a vital party role. SK gets no such pass.

-- N

 

[haiiro]

They *do* get non-combat abilities -- skills from a good skill list and the ability to take [Psionic] feats, which are better than normal feats.

No disagreement, just mentioning that their class abilities (distinct from skills, saves etc. -- I'm talking about the stuff on the right side of the level chart) -- unlike all of the other secondary combatants I can think of -- are all combat-focused. The more I look at it, the more I think it's just a weird class!