Psychic Gladius (3.5e Prestige Class)

Psychic Gladius

“	"My mind is just one weapon."	”
—Baca, Psychic Gladius

The Psychic Gladius develops the ability to form a semi-solid blade using nothing more than there mind. While they share some traits with the soulknife, they focus more on the blade with no distraction. Their power grows as they do.

Becoming a Psychic Gladius

The Psychic Gladius is a warror who has discovered the power of his mind. He may have started as a Fighter, Barbarbian, or other melee focused class (in particular rogues). Psychic Warriors also prove naturals to the class as they already have some pychic experience. More rare are other manifesting classes. Spell casting classes usually do not pursue this way unless they seek a broader base of skills.

This class provides any warrior with the ability to develop a mental blade (mindblade) much as the soulknife does. The Psychic gladius gives up some of the special class features of the soulknife to focus on his weapon. This provides increased flexibility to any fighter, allowing her to prepare for any situation. It also provides the ultimate in ability to be armed at all times - you cannot disarm someone of their mind.

For most classes, Strength will be critical for damage. Dexterity may help some builds, and may provide the ability to avoid some damage. Constitution is always useful, as is Wisdom for their manifesting of powers. The Psychic Gladius learns a very limited set of psychic tricks to augment their mindblade. If they come from a prior class, these tricks are replaced by a limited manifesting class progression.

Entry Requirements

Alignment:	None.
Base Attack Bonus:	+7.
Race:	None.
Skills:	Concentration 3 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 5 ranks.
Feats:	Must have one of: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Psionic Weapon, Power Attack, or Two Weapon-Fighting.
Special:	Must have received training from a Mindblade user or Psychic Warrior.

Table: The Psychic Gladius

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special	Manifesting	Power Points/Day	Powers Known	Maximum Power Level Known
		Fort	Ref	Will						Enhancements Known	Maximum Enhancement Bonus
1st	+1	+0	+2	+2	Mindblade, Shape Simple Mindblade, +1 Mindblade		2	1	1	1	1
2nd	+2	+0	+3	+3	+1 Bonus Dmg, Retraining 1	+1 Level of Existing Manifesting Class	5	2	1	2	1
3rd	+3	+1	+3	+3	+2 Mindblade, Shape Martial Mindblade		8	2	1	3	2
4th	+4	+1	+4	+4	+3 Mindblade, Quickdraw	+1 Level of Existing Manifesting Class	11	3	2	5	3
5th	+5	+1	+4	+4	+4 Mindblade, +2 Bonus Dmg, Retraining 2		14	3	2	6	4
6th	+6	+2	+5	+5	Special Function	+1 Level of Existing Manifesting Class	17	4	2	7	4
7th	+7	+2	+5	+5	+5 Mindblade, Retraining 3		20	5	3	8	5
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

All the following are class features of the Psychic Gladius. Note: A Psychic Gladius who was a member of a psionic/manifesting class prior to entry gains levels in their prior manifesting class as below and a total of four times, per the table. If the Gladius came from a class that was not psionic/had no manifesting progression, they gain powers and power points per the right hand side of the table, ignoring the +1 manifesting levels. Do not under any circumstance use both the manifesting increases and the PP/Powers known progression.

Manifesting: At every even level you gain power points per day, an increase in manifester level, and new powers as if you had also gained a level in a manifesting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one manifesting class before becoming a Psychic Gladius, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining powers, manifester level, and powers known.

Power Points/Day: Your ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points you have available. Your base daily allotment of power points is given on Table: The Psychic Gladius. In addition, you receive bonus power points per day if you have a high Wisdom score (see Table: Ability Modifiers and Bonus Power Points). Your race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items. Your power points and bonus power points at each level do not increase automatically after 7th level.

Powers Known: You begin play knowing one psychic warrior power power of your choice. Each time you achieve a new level, you unlock the power of a new power. You can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than your manifester level.

The total number of powers you can manifest in a day is limited only by your daily power points.

You simply know your powers; they are ingrained in your mind. You do not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though you must get a good night's sleep each day to regain all your spent power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against Psychic Gladius powers is 10 + the power's level + your Wisdom modifier.

Your powers known at each level do not increase automatically after 7th level.

Choose the powers known from the psychic warrior power list. (Exception: The Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge feats allow you to learn powers from the lists of other classes.). A psychic warrior can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than his manifester level.

Maximum Power Level Known: This column determines the highest level power you can learn at this level.

To learn or manifest a power, you must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the power’s level.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Psychic Gladiuses are proficient with their mindblade. They gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Mind Blade (Su): As a move action, a Psychic Gladius can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. Gladiuses who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind blades identical to weapons appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the blade’s damage. The wielder of a mind blade gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.

The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a Gladius can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his blade, it dissipates (unless he intends to throw it; see below (Special Function)). A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A Psychic Gladius can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the mind blade just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose mind blade for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade.

A Psychic Gladius’s mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 1st level and four total levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 3rd level, +3 at 4th level, +4 at 5th level, and +5 at 7th level).

Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a Gladius can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the he maintains his mind blade for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the mind blade vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the Gladius can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his mind blade while he remains within the psionics negating effect.

Shape Simple Mind Blade (Su): At 1st level, a Gladius gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a fullround action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a gauntlet (dealing bludgening damage), dagger (dealing slashing damage, light weapon), Club (dealing bludgening damage), or spear (dealing piercing damage). If the Gladius forms his mindblade into a two-handed weapon form, he must use it two-handed unless there is an exotic proficiency that allows one-handed use and he has the appropriate proficiency. If a Gladius shapes his mind blade into the form of a two-handed weapon and wields it two-handed, he adds 1-1/2 times his Strength bonus to his damage rolls, just like when using any other two-handed weapon. The weapon is identical in all ways (except visually) to a weapon of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium Gladius materializes a dagger as a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d4 points of damage (crit 19–20/×2).

Mind Blade Enhancement (Su): At 1st level, a Psychic Gladius gains the ability to enhance his mind blade. He can add any one of the weapon special abilities on the table below that has an enhancement bonus value of +1.

At every level, the Psychic Gladius learns one or more new enhancements. The maximum enhancement known and total value able to be applied to a mindblade is shown in the Psychic Gladius table, above. A Gladius can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the soulknife’s level. The Gladius learns only 8 total enhancements from the table below unless they gain new ones from a PrC, feat, or other source.

The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the Psychic Gladius materializes his mind blade (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to any form the mind blade takes, including the use of the shape mind blade or bladewind class abilities.

Weapon Special Ability	Enhancement Bonus Value
Bane	+1
Defending	+1
Flaming	+1
Frost	+1
Ghost touch	+1
Keen	+1
Lucky	+1
Mighty cleaving	+1
Psychokinetic	+1
Sundering	+1
Vicious	+1
Collision	+2
Mindcrusher	+2
Psychokinetic burst	+2
Suppression	+2
Wounding	+2
Bodyfeeder	+3
Mindfeeder	+3
Soulbreaker	+3
Brilliant energy	+4

A Gladius can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his mind blade. To do so, he must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, the mind blade materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the soulknife.

Unusual Blade enhancements have been known, however these may be region or campeign specific and would replace options in the list above (read: GM discretion).

Bonus Damage: At 2nd level and 5th level, if the Psychic Gladius had a prior class granting a bonus damage effect (for example, the rogue sneak attack or scout skirmish) he gains an additional dice of that damage. For example, he would add +1d6 skirmish damage if the Gladius was a prior Scout. If the Gladius had no prior class granting bonus damage, he gains a Sneak Attack as per the Rogue class feature. This bonus damage counts for stacking with other sources of sneak attack and for admittance to PrCs.

Retraining (Su): At 2nd level, the Gladius becomes familiar enough with her mindblade to allow her to specialize in it. She may take any previous weapon feat (for example, Weapon Focus (shortsword)) and convert it to her mindblade. This costs 1000XP, and a week of practice and meditiation. She may take other actions (eat, sleep, etc.) during this time but must spend at least 6 hours a day training and 8 hours resting to absorb the new information. This training is irreversible, and cannot be undone. Thereafter her weapon feat now would become Weapon Focus (mindblade) and could be used with any shaped mindblade she has the ability to make. She mnay accomplish additional retraining at 5th and 7th level, for 1500XP and 2000XP respectively. This retraining must occur essentially at the time of taking the level. If the Gladius is adventuring at the time of the level increase, she must retrain at the next opportunity (i.e., before the next adventure). If the Gladius has no feats to retrain at any of these three levels she cannot "save" it for a later feat and the retraining is unavailable.

Shape Martial Mind Blade (Su): At 3rd level, a Gladius gains greater ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a fullround action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a light hammer (light, B dam), Handaxe (light, S dam), short sword (light, P), wahammer (light, B), longsword (light, S), rapier (light, P), greatsword (S), greatclub (B), or lance (P only). While the Psychic Gladius has the ability to form his mindblade into a near infinite variety of forms, this weapons are representative of the resulting damage values. As per the simple mindblade, the weapon is the same numerically to the weapon he chooses, but is visually distinct to each Psychic Gladius.

QuickDraw (Su): At 4th level, a Gladius becomes able to materialize his mind blade as a free action instead of a move action. He can make only one attempt to materialize the mind blade per round, however.

Special Function (Su): At 6th level, the Gladius can choose from one of the following special functions:

Split Blade: A Gladius can split his mind blade into two identical light melee weapons, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) However, both mind blades have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the Gladius would otherwise create with a single mind blade (i.e., +4/+5 enhancement max). In addition, each blade must use the same enhancements unless modified by feat, class feature, or equipment.

Exotic Shape: The Psychic Gladius may choose a single Exotic weapon to gain to his mindblade shape list. He must have an example of the weapon avilable to study and practice with for at least 6 hours a day, with 8 hours of rest, for a week. At the end of that time he may choose to discard the source weapon.

Thrown Blade (Ex): This Function is the only one that is extraordinary. The Psychic Gladius can throw his mind blade as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. Whether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind blade then dissipates. He may reform it immediately after in his hand. The blade does damage as per the weapon he has materialized, with all appropriate enhancements.

Bladewind: As per the Soulknife feature: The Psychic Gladius gains the ability to momentarily fragment his mind blade into numerous identical blades, each of which strikes at a nearby opponent.

As a full attack, when wielding his mind blade, a Gladius can give up his regular attacks and instead fragment his mind blade to make one melee attack at his full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach. Each fragment functions identically to the soulknife’s regular mind blade.

When using bladewind, a Gladius forfeits any bonus or extra attacks granted by other feats or abilities (such as the Cleave feat or the haste spell).

The mind blade immediately reverts to its previous form after the bladewind attack.

Working:

Short list of Mindblade related actions:

Form/Materialize blade Move (4th level PG = Free, 1/rd)

Change shape/dam type Full Round

Change Enhancements 8 Hours (Feats can reduce to 10 minutes or Full round action)

Gain Psionic Focus Full Round (requires 1 PP available, not used)

Charge Psychic Strike Move

The epic Psychic Gladius gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic feats) every levels after .

Epic Bonus Feat List:

Ex-Psychic Gladiuses

If a Psychic Gladius ceases to progress as a Gladius, he maintains all skills, abilities, BAB, etc. He does not continue to improve his mindblade or enhancements until he takes additional levels of Psychic Gladius unless noted in the description of a prestige class.

Multiclassing Notes

A Psychis Gladius cannot multiclass with the Soulknife. He also cannot multiclass with (if available) the Athasian (Dark Sun Setting) Soulknife PrC, the Pathfinder Soulknife or the DnD 3.0 Soulknife PrC. His training is focused and does not broaden to the wider capabilities of soulknifes. He may however take classes that are PrCs that require the mindblade class feature. If these PrCs allow stacking levels or continuing improvement of his mindblade, he can stack levels up to his max of 7. He may not use these levels to gain more than a +5/+5 enhancement mind blade prior to Epic levels. For example, the Illumine Soul PrC (CPsi) levels will stack (using the improved mindblade class feature) with his Gladius levels up to 7. He may also gain additional enhancements above and beyond his eight if the PrC adds them. Again, the Illumine Soul adds Ghost Touch as an enhancement available. The Psychis Gladius would add this ability as the 9th enhancement he knows. This can extend his enhancements known beyond the 8 he learns as a Gladius.

If the Psychic Gladius chooses an exotic proficiency as his Special Function he may choose a monk weapon and use his mindblade as a monk weapon for flurry of blows, per the Monk class feature. He may also use his gauntlet formed mindblade for unarmed attacks.

Playing a Psychic Gladius

Combat:

Advancement:

Resources:

Psychic Gladiuses in the World

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NPC Reactions:

Psychic Gladius Lore

Characters with ranks in can research to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

DC	Result
11	.
16	.
21	.
26	.

Psychic Gladiuses in the Game

Adaptation:

Sample Encounter:

EL whatever:

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