Soulknife help.

[Scerpico]

Hello all, apologies for my third post on this site being a request but I could use the help and this is easily my most trusted source for D&D advice.

I'm soon to be joining a level 6 3.5 game and have been itching to take a soulknife for ages, something I've only ever done once since the default version in the XPH sucks hard. However for this new game I not only have access to pathfinders shiny new Soulknife but the entirety of Hyperconcious and Dreamscarred press.

That said I must ask; how would you go about constructing and optimising a soulknife using these sources? Any advice you can offer would be of great help.

[Solo]

Ranger3/Soulknife2/Soulbow10/Kensai5

[Scerpico]

Thanks but I'm not really looking for a soulbow, since making my post I've looked at the intended role for this character and see it as more of a frontline fighter.
Also I'm trying to incorporate material from the books mentioned in my first post, especially the ability to modify the mindblade on the fly using the Reforge mindblade feat.

Of particular note is the blademanifester PRC from Hyperconcious which advances Soulknife class features while also giving a somewhat watered down Psi-warrior power progression, has anyone had any luck using this class?

[Solo]

Never played it before.

Soulknife going into Warmind might be fun, if only for Sweeping Strike.

[Scerpico]

Sounds interesting, I know that the Dreamscarred press soulknife advances differently to the usual one, hell you can and advance the thing entirely using feats, as well as counting any levels in a PRC that advance manifester level as advancing your soulknife too (if you have powers and mindblade you advance both!) so a Warmind might be pretty cool, one of the reasons I wanted to play a Soulknife was to ape Archer from Fate/Stay night and the powers would make that a lot easier.

On a different topic: amazing work on that Barbarian handbook.

[Solo]

Really, you could say that about everything I touch.

[nijineko]

the pathfinder srd now has the dreamscarred version of the soulknife. it is quite upgraded from the xph version. there is also the athas.org version which happens to be official 3.x material.

i'm also fond of the soulbow and illumine soul for soulknives.

[Scerpico]

Oh I'm aware that theres several different versions of the SoulKnife, I even mentioned the pathfinder one in my OP, its advice on how to actually optimise these enhanced versions I'm after.
Thank you for the advice though.

on a similar note is it possible/advisable to stack the soulbound weapon Psi-warrior class feature with the item familiar and/or ancestral weapon feats? I'm putting together a back-up character who is shaping up to be a half Minotaur Jettur (half giant with no LA) Psi-warrior (using pathfinders version thereof) using a big hammer and any advice/build tips regarding a smashy Psi-warrior would be greatly apreciated.

[nijineko]

big hammer? greathorn minotaur hammer for the win. mixing in a bit of book of nine swords would be quite useful too. get some dr and hardness ignoring going on with that character, and it would be a smash. ^^

[Sinfire Titan]

From what I understand, the PF Soulknife is at least decent. Look into stuff that enhances Chargers, as that will be your primary combat option unless you can shape the Mindblade into a Spiked Chain (doubtful because the Chain is a chain, thus multiple items instead of just one).

[Tshern]

Much like a crossbow is multiple items?

[Scerpico]

I don't think the PF Soulknife lets you actually shape an actual weapon but rather creates a 'mindblade' that has certain levels of damage/size.

On the one hand you can set its damage type and form as you like but on the other you can't take advantage of specific weapons special abilities.
That said some of the Blade skills (weapon enhancers you get like the ability to trip with the blade) seem pretty cool.

[Sinfire Titan]

Much like a crossbow is multiple items?

Right.

[sir_argenon]

check out the atavist prc, from eberron... not sure of the book, but its really good for soulknives.

[Sinfire Titan]

check out the atavist prc, from eberron... not sure of the book, but its really good for soulknives.

Not really. Medium BAB, weak class features, doesn't advance your Weapon Properties. The only redeeming feature comes at level 5 (either a permanent 10ft reach on a Kalashtar, or Blindsense out to 5ft). Races of Eberron, BTW.

[snakeman830]

check out the atavist prc, from eberron... not sure of the book, but its really good for soulknives.

Not really. Medium BAB, weak class features, doesn't advance your Weapon Properties. The only redeeming feature comes at level 5 (either a permanent 10ft reach on a Kalashtar, or Blindsense out to 5ft). Races of Eberron, BTW.

Ummm, yes it does advance weapon properties.  It's pretty much the only PrC that does if you aren't using Untapped Potential or pathfinder.

Plus, expending your focus for an additional standard or move action is pretty nice.

[Sinfire Titan]

check out the atavist prc, from eberron... not sure of the book, but its really good for soulknives.

Not really. Medium BAB, weak class features, doesn't advance your Weapon Properties. The only redeeming feature comes at level 5 (either a permanent 10ft reach on a Kalashtar, or Blindsense out to 5ft). Races of Eberron, BTW.

Ummm, yes it does advance weapon properties.  It's pretty much the only PrC that does if you aren't using Untapped Potential or pathfinder.

Plus, expending your focus for an additional standard or move action is pretty nice.

If you have the mind blade class feature, you can add your atavist levels to the levels of the class that grants that feature in or- der to determine your mind blade’s enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (but not for any of the weapon’s other features).

You were saying?

[snakeman830]

I was saying that I worked from opening to closing today and was AFB when I posted

[nijineko]

some of the feats allow you to shape your mind blade.

[drako_beoulve]

Titan Bloodline Goliath (LA+1) Soulknife 3 / (XXX 3*) / Kensai 5 / Warblade 3 / Bloodstorm Blade 5

Throw really big Swords, have some maneuvers, +2 attacks w/ Dancing Mongoose

*Check with your DM about the UA bloodlines, cuz the interpretation of it may'be diferent. We agreed that Bloodlines are apart from the class progression. We pay for the bloodline level, but does not consume a Class slot like the Race's LA.

If your DM rules that bloodlines consumes Class slots Titan Bloodline goes to XXX 3, if no, you can add Fighter to get more feats or Soulknife +3 to get +2 Mindblade and a +1 enhancement, maybe Barbarian, either Rage or Whirlwind version, your choise.