Augmented Blade

Most soulknives rely on the idealized weapon-form that is created by their concentrated will and effort. Some soulknives, however, are unable to physically manifest a solid-thought weapon into existence and use this for war because they prefer to rely on physical weapons. These soulknives introduce a psicrystal to their combat method to utilize their arts. By focusing this weapon-manifesting energy into their psicrystal, they can cause it to bind to a weapon and augment its abilities in combat just like more traditional soulknives.

## Abilities

### **Weapon and Armor Proficiencies**

The augmented blade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and with all shields (except tower shields).

This replaces the soulknife’s normal weapon and armor proficiencies.

### **Augmented Bladeworks**

At 1st level, the augmented blade may select a bonus feat from the following list: Point Blank Shot, Power Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, or Weapon Focus. If the augmented blade chooses feats that select specific weapon types (such as Improved Critical, Weapon Focus, or Weapon Specialization), she may select ‘mind blade’ and gain the benefits of that feat regardless of what type of weapon she is currently augmenting.

This ability replaces the bonus feat gained at 1st level.

### **Psicrystal Affinity**

At 1st level, the augmented blade gains the Psicrystal Affinity blade skill.

This replaces the throw mind blade class feature.

### **Psicrystal Augment**

At 1st level, the augmented blade learns how to attach her psicrystal to a weapon and cause it to bond to the item as a move action (reclaiming the psicrystal is a free action). Some weapons become covered in a thin sheen of crystal, for other augmented blades the entire weapon becomes psychic energy - the result is the same regardless of the cosmetic appearance. Once bonded, this psicrystal augmentation allows for the bonded weapon to be used with blade skills and is treated as a masterwork item when augmented. Weapons created through temporary means (such as the *call weaponry* power, or the *flame blade* spell) may not be bonded with the augmented blade’s psicrystal due to their ephemeral nature.

If the augmented blade is ever separated from her weapon (or an item augmented by her psicrystal), the psicrystal stays with that object(s) as long as the item stays within range of the augmented blade and his telepathic link (one mile) with the psicrystal. At any time, the augmented blade can cause the psicrystal to abandon them item as a free action within that range and command her psicrystal as normal.

Starting at 3rd level, the bonded weapon gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus that increases every odd level thereafter that they may spend on an actual enhancement bonus or on weapon special abilities. An augmented blade’s level determines her maximum enhancement bonus (see Table: The Soulknife as per the enhanced mind blade class feature for melee weapons or see Table: The Soulbolt as per the enhanced soul bolt class feature for ranged weapons). The augmented blade may (and must, when her total enhancement is higher than her maximum bonus) apply any special ability from Table: Weapon Special Abilities instead of an enhancement bonus, as long as she meets the level requirements. This overrides any magical or psionic enhancements that may already be on this weapon, but the weapon retains any material or masterwork bonuses it may have. An augmented blade can choose any combination of weapon special abilities and/ or enhancement bonus for attack and damage rolls before assigning any special abilities each time that the augmented blade uses this ability.

This replaces the Form Mind Blade and Enhanced Mind Blade class features, but counts as Form Mind Blade and Enhanced Mind Blade for prerequisites or requirements.

### **Blade Skills**

In addition to the blade skills accessible by a normal soulknife, an augmented blade may choose from the following list when he selects a blade skill. This ability does not cause the augmented blade archetype to be incompatible with other archetypes that alter the blade skills class feature.

*Augmented Armor:* By placing his psicrystal to his armor, he may enhance his armor as he would enhance a weapon when using his psicrystal. See mind armaments class feature of the armored blade archetype in Ultimate Psionics to see the list of available armor special qualities that can be added to a suit of armor.

*Augmented Item**:*** By attaching his psicrystal to a tool or item when making a Craft or Profession skill check, or when using an item to aid in Acrobatics, Climb, or Swim checks, the augmented blade gains a competence bonus on these checks equal to his mind blade enhancement bonus.

*Augmented Psyche**:*** By attaching his psicrystal to a headband or eye-slot item the augmented blade gains a competence bonus equal to his mind blade’s enhancement bonus on any Appraise, Autohypnosis, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive or Spellcraft skill checks.

*Augmented Shield:* By placing his psicrystal to his shield, he may enhance his shield as he would enhance a weapon when using his psicrystal. See form mind shield class feature of the shield blade archetype in Ultimate Psionics to see the list of available shield special qualities that can be added to a shield.

*Improved Psicrystal Augment:* Magical or psionically enchanted weapons that possess special abilities that are not normally on the soulknife’s enhanced mind blade list (such as *bane*) are temporarily added to that list for use by the augmented blade when using his psicrystal augment class feature, and the enhancement bonus applied to the weapon by that class feature increases by +1. The augmented blade must be at least 4th level to select this blade skill.

*Psicrystal Power Source:* As a move action, the augmented blade can attach his psicrystal to a magic item that uses the spell trigger (e.g. wands, staffs) or power trigger (e.g. dorjes, psicrowns) activation methods, allowing him to add his Wisdom Modifier to Use Magic Device checks with that item in place of his Charisma modifier (if higher). When using that item to produce a spell or power effect, in place of expending a charge or power points from that item, he may choose to spend a number of his own power points equal to double the effect’s spell or power level (e.g. using a wand of *fireball*, a 3rd-level spell, would require 6pp); if he does so, then he may use his class level in place of the effect’s normal caster level or manifester level, and may calculate its saving throw DCs using his Wisdom modifier instead of the minimum modifier needed to cast a spell or power of that level. If manifesting a psionic power from the item, then he may expend additional power points to augment that power as normal. In the case of a spell from a staff which normally requires multiple charges to use, this ability reduces the number of charges required to cast that spell by one - this reduction does not stack with itself.

*Split Crystal:* You may split off portions of your crystal to perform multiple augmentations on items. When you split your psicrystal in this fashion, small child-crystals are birthed onto a piece of a equipment when using augmentation abilities that fuse to the item, and may be reclaimed by touching the psicrystal to these child-crystals as a free action. When the crystal is split, its overall enhancement bonus is reduced by 1 for each item enhanced. This may be applied to a second weapon if the character wishes to fight with two weapons, or as a prerequisite for other blade skills specifically tailored to the augmented blade’s skill set (such as augmenting a shield or a piece of armor). The augmented blade must be at least 4th level to select this blade skill.

The augmented blade is unable to use the following blade skills: Alter Blade, Bladestorm, Bladewind, Deceptive Blade, Discipline Blade Shapes, Dual Imbue, Emulate Melee Weapon, Emulate Ranged Weapon, Enhanced Range, Full Enhancement, Improved Armor, Mind Daggers, Mindflayer, Psychic Toolkit, Psychic Net, Psychokinetic Armor, Telekinetic Blade, Telekinetic Bolt, and Twin Strike. Alternately, the augmented blade may select a bonus combat feat in place of a blade skill.

This alters the blade skills class feature.

### **Fast Augmentation**

At 5th level, the augmented blade can augment an item in her possession with her psicrystal as a free action once per round. This replaces the quick draw class feature.

### **Weapon Training (Ex)**

At 6th level, the augmented blade gains weapon training, as the fighter ability, adding an additional weapon group every six levels after 6th (to a maximum of three groups at 18th level) and increasing the bonus on attack and damage rolls for weapon groups chosen by +1. This ability replaces the blade skill normally gained at 6th.

### **Fighter Training (Ex)**

At 7th level, the augmented blade counts her soulknife level –3 as her fighter level for the purpose of qualifying for feats (if she had levels in fighter; these levels stack).