The Soulknife: How does it play?

[eris404]

I haven't played a single class soulknife, but decided to multiclass soulknife with psion. I don't think he's underpowered but that could be because we're still at a low level (4th level). Also, we haven't really found much in the way of magic items so far - I don't know if that's because of the DM or the adventure itself - so I think it will be helpful later for the character to be able to boost the weapon and himself when he needs it.

 

[Voadam]

I played a multiclassed paladin soulblade in a 12th level game and it made a great tank. Taking the ghost touch psionic feat thing, greater psionic weapon, and having a golembane amulet helped a lot, as well as the heavy armor and shielf from multiclassing.

Playing one straight would seem to me like playing a rogue as a combat machine without filling the skill niche. Doable but a bit frail and annoying that his combat effectiveness is crippled against a bunch of common foe types.

 

[EricNoah]

Hey, cool! Those look really cool!

Feats and examples by "MeatBop" with tweaks by me. Glad to be of service.

 

[Savage Wombat]

Well, I've only played mine for one game session, but my thinking was that Power Attack with the two-handed blade would help a lot. Combine with Deep Impact for maximum fun.

I think the real weakness of the class is not its abilities, but its conception as a "thief-like" class. As a weapon-focussed character, it probably needs a Fighter's BAB.

 

[eris404]

I think the real weakness of the class is not its abilities, but its conception as a "thief-like" class. As a weapon-focussed character, it probably needs a Fighter's BAB.

I think you're right about that. I may try that in my campaign.

 

[I'm A Banana]

The Soulknife is basically a monk. With thief-like damage capabilities, instead of monk-like survival abilities.

As such, they make GREAT adversaries. And they make use of the psionic feats better than most other psychic classes (possible exception of the PsyWar).

 

[HellHound]

With the right feats, our soulknife deals out TREMENDOUS damage on the first combat round, and then settles down significantly. Greater Psionic Weapon and Psychic Strike can be devastating, dn the first person who gets in her way in a fight usually pays for it with either death, or a serious reduction in hit points.

 

[EricNoah]

I think the real weakness of the class is not its abilities, but its conception as a "thief-like" class. As a weapon-focussed character, it probably needs a Fighter's BAB.

I agree it either needs an offense boost, as you say, or something of a defense boost. We house ruled a deflection bonus for the mind blade in my campaign (equal to mind blade's enhancement bonus).

Now that I think of it, I think we gave her bonus feats as well (like a fighter but at a reduced rate).

Yeah ... we really cooked up our own thing here.

 

[Desdichado]

I think the real weakness of the class is not its abilities, but its conception as a "thief-like" class. As a weapon-focussed character, it probably needs a Fighter's BAB.

That was my first thought when reading the class too, and I thought I had remembered some folks talking about having houseruled that in their campaigns. Does anyone have any experience to say this would be a bad idea, or having done this, found that it works fine?

 

[Andor]

The monk comparison is interesting to me. It hadn't occured to me and I think that may have been what they were going for.

That having been said I think as a monk analogue I think they are a failure.

A monk does basically three things.

A) Survives

B) Mobility

C) Mage Killer

How does the Soul Knife do at these?

A) Lousy, they lack the monks saving throws, and (in the long run) AC.

B) Mobility. A Soul Knife can be a very mobile character. However this is on the strength of Psychic Feats and not on anything inherent in the class. Any other character with even a single PP from race, class, or feat can be as mobile. If this was an intended role for the Soul Knife they should have had a few bonus feats for it.

C) Fairly well. Not on the Monks strength of grappleing, but on the raw damage of the Soul Knifes alpha strike combined with their superior range. However they do need to hit the mages full AC with their medium BAB. And if they flub the alpha strike, their mage killing is over for that fight.

So if the Soul Knife doesn't really step into the monks shoes that leaves fighter and rogue. And they lack the signature strengths of both classes. I think they either need a Fighters BAB or 6 to 8 skill points a level (with a modified skill list) to step up as a full strength class.

I'm not sure why they didn't make the Soul Knife a fighter analouge as a Psy War plays much more like a combat cleric than a fighter.