However.
1) ranged abilities aren't so limited when they qualify to take the Psionic Shot feat chain in addition to the normal ranged attack feat chain, using a heavy crossbow or something else.
I think a character using a heavy crossbow and trying to use the Psionic Feat chain needs all the help they can get - in this case, it seems as if you're arguing for full BAB.
2) yeah it really does encourage multiclassing 1 level into Fighter or Psychic Warrior for expanded proficiencies, another bonus feat, or a nice psionic boost. That's not really a good thing, and yet, it eliminates much of the problem. 1 level dip into either of those jacks up his armor and weapon proficiencies and nabs him another handy feat, like Psionic Weapon or whatever. Since this guy is gonna save money on his main melee weapon, he can easily afford a good bow after his 1-level-dip into Ftr or PsyWar.
Yet, many characters have the same option. Explain how a rogue dipping into fighter (or psywar) isn't very much to his advantage. And if you do dip, your mind blade progression falls behind (the prestige classes I designed do not end up with a mind blade equal to what a normal character would have, in terms of magical bonuses until 10th or 11th character level - before that using their mind blade is a fairly underwhelming proposition.
3) Yes the base class only has WF and GWF to make up for its medium BAB progression, so this full-BAB version really wouldn't need them. This class still has better skills than a Fighter after considering they'll likely sink points into Concentration for a few levels, and while their bonus feat selection is more limited, that's not exactly a huge drawback; it's still a decent bonus feat list.
It's a very limited bonus feat list. There are no bonus feats regarding ranged weapons. There is no bonus feat to gain more power points on the list either. Almost every class (including the ranger and barbarian) have better skills than the Fighter. The fact is they don't have enough skill points to be a really good rogue without a decent Int. Concentration is already a must, if they take Move Silently and Hide, Tumble is likely their last skill. If they want to go Spot and Listen, again probably take Tumble as the 4th. But they can't get it all (and that is assuming they don't get the more fighter-y skills like climb, jump, and swim).
......I think you're rather missing the fact that your version still trumps the XPH version and the Fighter at this level. Yours trumps the XPH version here with +2 more attack bonus and an extra attack per round (which can still be very accurate sometimes if they take Deep Impact as their level 6 character feat). In exchange yours has a slightly lower Will save (+2 instead of +5), no Throw Mind Blade (arguably feat-equivalent maybe, you can just use a normal thrown weapon or projectile anyway), and no Psychic Strike (not really feat-equivalent, it's worse than psionic weapon)..... It gets 3 feats worth of stuff still, like the XPH version, which it gets to choose instead, and its Focused Talent gives more PP than Wild Talent which is good for multiclassing and makes up for the lack of Free Draw, which isn't terribly important anyway (nothing stops them from keeping their mind blade active for a while when traveling or whatnot on the off chance they're ambushed on the road).
The basis for this change is being underwhelmed by the XPH's version of Soulknife. I feel it is a weak, narrow base class that is rarely taken. I also feel there is room for a Psionic 'Fighter' variant. If the Psion is the Wizard, the Wilder is the Sorcerer, and the Psionic Warrior is an attempt at a gish (Fighter/Magic-User), then there is still room for the straight-up Psionic Fighter. How do you create a full BAB psionic class? You don't give them a power point progression, or hardly any powers, but you do give them bonus feats. In this case, I consider the skills to be a wash (check those proficiencies again). Also, you end up with a character with a 'free weapon', who has extra money to spend since he is saving so much on his primary weapon. Again I point out the extreme lack of ranged options and the inherent limitations of the mind blade. If you feel Free Draw is a weak feat, then compare it to Quick Draw. Yes, they aren't that strong, but they are about the right power for a feat.
Your version's flexibility, attack rate, feat-qualification speed, accuracy, and greater power points for multiclassing (a few levels of Psychic Warrior really, really don't hurt this character; so what if their mind blade gets a tad less enhancement at upper levels, they've got a full BAB and the PsyWar's got decent BAB for its first 4 levels, and Expansion is sooo tempting, and the other powers and bonus feats.....) make it superior, and the BAB difference just grows larger over the course of further levels.
I want a competitive psionic class that encourages multiclassing but doesn't become an auto-take. I feel the Fighter in the core rules is in the same spot. There are many situations where 1 or 2 or 4 levels of fighter can really help achieve a character concept. In the same vein, I think it's hard to create a Psionic Tank. PsyWars need to much pre-combat time to buff and as I think we've all agreed, the base Soulknife class is lacking. Taking 4 levels of Psywar will definitely impact your mind blade progression.
Compared to the Fighter, your version gets 1 less feat-equivalent benefit, and instead gains several power points, a psionic power, more skill points and better class skills, a decent mind blade that's free, and fewer proficiencies (assuming again that he doesn't just dip 1 level into Fighter for them and another bonus feat, overcoming the only 2 deficiencies in that case). Sure, it's not a lot better, but your version is very similar to the Fighter in many ways so it's a good comparison.
I want it to be a good comparison and I want there to be compelling reasons to multiclass. By multiclassing, you delay mind blade progression and feat progression. I think you are overestimating the usefulness of the bonus feats, when in fact, many of them will be needed just to have a competent mind-blade (again, the mind blade is a 1d6 piercing weapon with 19-20/x2 crit). The fighters and barbarians of the world are in no danger of being out-damaged by a soulknife...but I'd like them all to be competent at hitting monsters.
Weapon Focus really isn't optimal for this class, I think, since it doesn't get a fighter's later feats like Weapon Specialization. But I suppose you're meaning to make it a prereq of Shape Mind Blade. And anyway, as mentioned your class has other benefits that make up for the miscellany that a standard Soulknife would get, the extra BAB and PP and psionic power (those other abilities aren't really all that good). Again, the ranged weakness is nothing, they can easily afford to pour money into a good ranged weapon. 1 feat or multiclass level will get them composite longbow proficiency if they want it, but crossbows aren't all that bad (and there's always the Rapid Reload feat). The same can get them full armor profs.
Aye, but there are a limited number of feats. It's easy to theorize and say how easily they can overcome their deficiencies...but the cost is still present. Compare a soulknife who is patching up his deficiencies with a fighter who is just improving his strengths.
Which really isn't a drawback for it; it's still superior to Fighters even if it gives up 1 level for Psychic Warrior benefits (great proficiencies, awesome selection for a bonus feat, a handy psionic power, and possibly some bonus points from Wisdom). And I think you're forgetting the fact that this character can still spend money on a backup weapon if he feels the need, like if the DM has a preference for constructs/undead. He just doesn't need one so much; a simple +1 morningstar or such will do him just fine for those few cases where his mind blade is ineffectual.
It's not a matter of possibly buying a back-up weapon, at high levels you will be depending on back-up weapons in a few situations (ranged combat, combat vs creatures without minds, combat in anti-magic zones). At the levels when a Soulknife will buy a back-up +1 Morningstar (let's say, 6-10th level) his mind blade is at best a +2 weapon with 2 enhancements (let's say +1d4 psionic damage and keen). But a 10th level fighter can easily have a +2 Flaming Greatsword, outdamaging the Soulknife by quite a margin (assuming the Soulknife took Shape Mind Blade and is wielding it 2-handed for 1d10 damage).
Huh? That's not its 'sole purpose' at all. Psionic Talent is in the XPH as an update and renaming of the Inner Strength feat from 3.0. It's extra power points, that can be taken multiple times, and improves a bit each time, as an equivalent to the spellcasters' access to the Extra Slot feat or whatever (to cast more spells each day). A Psychic Warrior with less-than-stellar Wisdom may take it for extra points so he doesn't burn out his main abilities all in 1-2 fights each day. It's a good 1st-level feat to take sometimes. And someone who just dips a bit into a psionic class can use Psionic Talent to make better use of their power(s); example: Half-Giant Psychic Warrior 3/Barbarian 4+, take Practiced Manifester and 1+ copies of Psionic Talent, use augmented Expansion at the start of every fight just before Raging and it'll last quite a while as a big damage boost. Etc. Though it is a bit weaker in 3.5 since psionic feats no longer require spending power points or having a certain number of them left in reserve.
I remember Inner Strength and back in 3.0 I dont think the feat options were as rich as they are now. These days it seems ludicrous for a Psywar or (especially) a Psion to take it as a feat unless it is to qualify for a prestige class.
Near as I can tell your Focused Talent only serves to fill the same purposes only better, and make the Soulknife better for multiclassing (rather than just giving it some power points directly, or making its few power-like abilities not cost any points as in the XPH).
I have decided to change Focused Talent to a class ability. At each level the Soulknife gains 1 power point. I think the Soulknife's class abilities should cost power points. First, it gives an incentive to multiclass (a Psion/Soulknife going for Knife to the Soul is giving up a lot of mind-blade progression, but could be a decent gish). Second it allows a Soulknife a bit of resource management. Mind Blank for the day or use some of your class's powers? Vigor up before a fight? It is in all cases an extremely limited amount of power points. At 20th level 20 power points is a tiny amount of power...points.
Except from your mind blade description I can't quite grasp how it's supposed to work/what it's supposed to do, and how that would help with multiclassing. I think I'm understanding now that the purpose is that a Soulknife multiclassed into a psionic prestige class could improve their mind blade instead of manifesting ability, but it didn't quite make sense at first, and I'm still not sure I'm guessing right from the way it's worded.
Yes, I posted the structure but didn't really detail it that well. I still haven't managed to, but basically it is standardized mind blade progression. If you eliminate all instances of those powers, and look at the base Soulknife class (either my version, or the XPH's) you get this:
1 Mind Blade Progression Level 1
2
3
4 Mind Blade Progression Level 2
5
6 Mind Blade Progression Level 3
7
8 Mind Blade Progression Level 4
9
10 Mind Blade Progression Level 5
11
12 Mind Blade Progression Level 6
13
14 Mind Blade Progression Level 7
15
16 Mind Blade Progression Level 8
17
18 Mind Blade Progression Level 9
19
20 Mind Blade Progression Level 10
That was the reason for creating the 3 variant Soulknife classes, each built around the Mind Blade progression as printed in the XPH. Having a standardized progression allows you to easily (or more easily) give existing material a mind blade progression, or enable a rule like substituting 2 levels of manifester increase for 1 level of mind blade progression.
Reducing the Base Attack Bonus probably balances them out, I dunno. It either makes them close to balanced, or a bit underpowered like the XPH version.
I don't like the thought of going through this much work to end up with the same problem. I guess I must tackle it from the standpoint of balancing a Full BAB Soulknife.
By "bard-like" I mean extremely limited, like the various casters that don't have full casting progressions (Rangers, Paladins, etc.).
If they could learn just a few select powers- Inertial Armor, Force Screen, Biofeedback & Expansion to name a few- and only 1 or 2 per level, with very limited power points (perhaps no more than 2PSP/Lvl), they'd be much more effective because they'd be able to get to their intended targets (spellcasters) more easily without becoming overpowering.
That is the realm of the PsyWarrior. I strictly do NOT want it to be easy for the soulknife to get Expansion. The whole point is being an option to be used side-by-side with a Psionic Warrior (or multiclassed with), not overriding the class. I added Vigor to create a progression of limited powers (to go with Bladewind and Knife to the Soul). I added Mind Blank as a defensive option for dedicated Soulknives. Bard-like Psionic Fighters already have the Psionic Warrior, or the Psion/Fighter multiclassing option. I am trying to fill different shoes with the Soulknife.
I'd also like to point out that I appreciate this criticism as it makes me inspect my methods and goals more closely and will hopefully yield a better solution.
