Help Building a Soulknife

[Rolflyn]

For my next campaign, I'm building a soulknife. I know this class is considered weak, but I'm going to try to make it work. So I'm thinking of halfling soulknife thrower.

4th level, 28pb
Str 12
Dex 18
Con 14
Int 8
Wis 14
Cha 8
Feats: PB Shot, Psionic Shot

I plan on taking Psionic Meditation at 6th.

I'm concerned that the lack of Precise Shot will hurt, but with the small size attack bonus and the halfling racial attack bonus, I should be fine.

I'm also concerned that I won't do enough damage. I could go Xeph and lose +2 on my attacks but then deal +2 damage (d6+2 instead of d4+1). On the other hand, most of the damage will come from psionic shot or psychic strike.

 

[Plane Sailing]

A soulknife thrower is pretty limited because he can't get iterative attacks with his soulknife until, what, about 17th level? That means you'll struggle to do much damage even though you've got a pretty good range.

 

[irdeggman]

See if you can use the Races of Eberron book and choose a Kalashtar and the racial substitution levels for soulknife.

1st level substitution: drop wild talent (since a psionic race anyway) and gain:
spend 1 pp to align mind blade as good for 1 round.

Add Holy to list of potential enhancements (+2 enhancement)

The soulblade warrior feat from the same book works real nice.

Manifest mindblade as a swift action.

Effective class level is increased by 2 for purposes of mind blade enhancements (must be able to have sufficient level for enhancments first to get benefit).

When spending an Action Point to influence attack roll result also applies to damage roll.

Weapon finesse as 3rd level feat is real handy since mindblade manifests as a short sword and the real damage the weapon does is from the "other stuff" not the actual weapon itself. Increasing the chance of a first hit is better, IMO, than a slight bump in damage from making the weapon a different shape. Real, real useful if playing a halfling by the way.

 

[Rolflyn]

A soulknife thrower is pretty limited because he can't get iterative attacks with his soulknife until, what, about 17th level? That means you'll struggle to do much damage even though you've got a pretty good range.

Yeah, you have to be 17th level to throw more than one mind blade in a round. But the extra damage from psychic strike takes a move action to set up. So I'm thinking I won't be taking a lot of full-round attacks anyway.

 

[Rolflyn]

See if you can use the Races of Eberron book and choose a Kalashtar and the racial substitution levels for soulknife.

Thanks for the advice, but unfortunately Eberron is out.

Weapon finesse as 3rd level feat is real handy since mindblade manifests as a short sword and the real damage the weapon does is from the "other stuff" not the actual weapon itself. Increasing the chance of a first hit is better, IMO, than a slight bump in damage from making the weapon a different shape. Real, real useful if playing a halfling by the way.

Do you think Weapon Finesse is worth giving up psionic shot? I would think spreading out my combat style into melee would just dilute the character.

 

[Dracomeander]

If you have Complete Psionic, you should check out the Soulbow PrC. It allows a Soulknife to manifest his weapon as a bow shot including iterative attacks when desired with a longbow range increment.

 

[irdeggman]

Do you think Weapon Finesse is worth giving up psionic shot? I would think spreading out my combat style into melee would just dilute the character.

Well if you throw you mind blade then you no longer threaten. This can be a very bad thing.

Psionic Shot uses up your focus, which takes a full round (or move action when you get psychic meditation) to regain. But it also takes a move action to charge with psychic strike - so you will be making a "full powered" atack every other round. IMO this is a bad trade off. I'd rather make more frequent attacks for less damage that hit more oftern.

If you get in a couple levels of rogue then you get to add sneak attack damage to the mix.


Another option is from Complete Psionic - Mind Strike, Focused - expend focus when you imbue your mindblade with psychic strike to gain an extra 1d8 of psychic strike damage. Note that this is when you imbue your mind blade with psychic strike. And after you imbue it it will manifest with the "charge" until you make a hit. So you charge early in the day, recover you focus well before going into battle and you are ready.

 

[Nifft]

If you have Complete Psionic, you should check out the Soulbow PrC.

Even if you don't have Complete Psionic, which is frankly a good decision, since most stuff in Comp.Psi sucks.

Nice build stub: Ranger 2 / Soulknife 3 / Soulbow +++

Keep your Mindblade in one hand (so you are armed), and fire Soul Arrows with your other, free hand. Keep your Ranger levels even (or near) your Soulknife levels so you don't face an XP penalty.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Destil]

Well if you throw you mind blade then you no longer threaten. This can be a very bad thing.

Actually it's not so bad. Free draw lets you reform the blade once per round as a free action. So charge (move), throw (standard), form (free).

 

[Rolflyn]

Psionic Shot uses up your focus, which takes a full round (or move action when you get psychic meditation) to regain. But it also takes a move action to charge with psychic strike - so you will be making a "full powered" atack every other round. IMO this is a bad trade off. I'd rather make more frequent attacks for less damage that hit more oftern.

I guess I was thinking of it more as:
Round 1: Throw mind blade (std action). Recharge psychic strike (move).
Round 2: Reattain focus (move). Throw mind blade (std action).
True, after those first two rounds, the psionic focus is going to be harder to get back, but if I can get Mind Cleave (recharge automatically on a kill), I can refocus as a move at that point.

The other option is to take a second attack for d4+2 which isn't very good. And that second attack requires me to be in melee, at least 8th level (I'm starting at 4th), and the attack is at -5.

Another option is from Complete Psionic - Mind Strike, Focused - expend focus when you imbue your mindblade with psychic strike to gain an extra 1d8 of psychic strike damage.

At first blush, this looks worse than Psionic Shot. You get +1d8 damage instead of +2d6, but you can "precast" it and get the focus back, so you start combat with an extra +1d8 for the first shot and then expend the focus on the first recharge for an extra +1d8 again. +2d8 total. Interesting choice if you don't intend to get Psionic Mediation. I think the +2d6 twice is better though, and it can be upgraded to +4d6 with greater psionic shot.

Something to think about. Thanks again.