Most assassins strike with physical weapons, and many burglars and spies use thieves' tools to infiltrate secure locations. In contrast, a Soulknife strikes and infiltrates with the mind, cutting through barriers both physical and psychic. These rogues discover psionic power within themselves and channel it to do their roguish work. They find easy employment as members of thieves' guilds, though they are often mistrusted by rogues who are leery of anyone using strange mind powers to conduct their business. Most governments would also be happy to employ a Soulknife as a spy.
Psionically Awoken
Those that follow the path of the Soulknife are Psionically Awoken. Additionally, you may choose to calculate your Rogue Power Reservoir using your Intelligence rather than your Dexterity. You may not change this choice later.
Psionic Power
3rd-Level Rogue (Soulknife) Feature
You harbor a wellspring of psionic energy within yourself.
Manifestation Die
You have a manifestation die that you use when making manifestation tests (see below). At 3rd level, your manifestation die is a d4. The die grows to a d6 when you reach 6th level, and it grows to a d8 when you reach 15th level.
Manifestation Score
Every power of 2nd order or higher has a manifestation score equal to its order. A power’s manifestation score increases by 1 for every other power you are concentrating on when you manifest it. For example, if you attempt to manifest the 2nd-order again power while concentrating on apparition and caress of fire, the manifestation score of again is 4.
Manifestation Tests
Whenever you manifest a power of 2nd order or higher, you must make a manifestation test at the end of the power's manifestation time. To make a manifestation test, roll your manifestation die and note the result:
- If the roll is higher than the power's manifestation score, you manifest the power.
- If the roll is equal to the power's manifestation score, you manifest the power, then gain 1 strain.
- If the roll is lower than the power's manifestation score, you manifest the power, then gain strain equal to the power's order.
If the amount of strain you gain from manifesting a power would cause you to exceed your strain maximum, you can choose to either manifest the power then immediately die; or to not manifest the power, gain no strain, and drop to 0 hit points.
Strain
Manifesting psionic powers can put stress on a manifester's body, mind, and soul. The strain mechanic represents this stress for your soulknife character.
Strain Maximum
At 3rd level, your strain maximum is 4. If your strain ever exceeds your strain maximum, you die. If you are returned to life after dying as a result of gaining strain, you return to life with strain equal to your strain maximum.
Your strain maximum increases as you gain levels as a Soulknife. It increases by 1 at 5th level (5), 7th level (6), 9th level (7), 11th level (8), 13th level (9), 15th level (10), 17th level (11), and 19th level (12).
Gaining Strain
Strain can manifest in three different ways for a soulknife:
- When you gain body strain, your physical prowess is depleted.
- When you gain mind strain, your mental fortitude weakens.
- When you gain soul strain, your connection to self and reality weakens.
Whenever you gain strain, you choose which type of strain it is and how much strain is applied as that type. For example, if you gain 3 strain while manifesting a 3rd-order power, you can choose to gain all 3 strain as body, mind, or soul strain; you can gain 2 strain in body and 1 in mind; you can gain 1 strain each in body, mind, and soul; and so forth.
Strain Effects
As you gain strain, you gain detrimental strain effects as shown on the strain Condition table. These effects are cumulative. For instance, if you have 3 body strain, you have disadvantage on Strength and Dexterity checks and your speed is halved.
Reducing Strain
When you finish a short rest, you can spend Hit Dice to remove strain instead of using them to regain hit points. For each Hit Die spent this way, you lose 1 strain from body, mind, or soul (your choice). When you finish a long rest, your strain is reduced to 0.
Psionic Energy Effects
The following are effects you can create using your Manifestation Die.
Psi-Bolstered Knack
When your nonpsionic training fails you, your psionic power can help: if you fail an ability check using a skill or tool with which you have proficiency, you can make a manifestation test with a base score of 2 in order to add the number rolled to the check, potentially turning failure into success.
Psychic Whispers
You can establish telepathic communication between yourself and others — perfect for quiet infiltration. As an action, choose one or more creatures you can see, up to a number of creatures equal to your Rogue Power Reservoir, and then make a Manifestation Test with a base score of 2. For a number of hours equal to the number rolled, the chosen creatures can speak telepathically with you, and you can speak telepathically with them. To send or receive a message (no action required), you and the other creature must be within 1 mile of each other. A creature can't use this telepathy if it can't speak any languages, and a creature can end the telepathic connection at any time (no action required). You and the creature don't need to speak a common language to understand each other.
Psychic Blades
3rd-Level Rogue (Soulknife) Feature
You can manifest your psionic power as shimmering blades of psychic energy. Whenever you take the Attack action, you can manifest a psychic blade from your free hand and make the attack with that blade. This magic blade is a simple melee weapon with the Finesse and Thrown properties, and you can choose to use Intelligence in place of Strength for the attack and damage rolls. It has a normal range of 60 feet and no long range, and on a hit, it deals psychic damage equal to 1d6 plus the ability modifier you used for the attack roll. The blade vanishes immediately after it hits or misses its target, and it leaves no mark on its target if it deals damage.
After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it. The damage die of this bonus attack is 1d4, instead of 1d6.
Soul Blades
9th-Level Rogue (Soulknife) Feature
Your Psychic Blades are now an expression of your psi-suffused soul, giving you these powers.
Homing Strikes
If you make an attack roll with your Psychic Blades and miss the target, you can make a Manifestation Test with a base score of 3 and add the number rolled to the attack roll.
Psychic Teleportation
As a bonus action, you manifest one of your Psychic Blades, make a Manifestation Test with a base score of 4, and throw the blade at an unoccupied space you can see, up to a number of feet away equal to 10 times the number rolled. You then teleport to that space, and the blade vanishes.
Psychic Veil
13th-Level Rogue (Soulknife) Feature
You can weave a veil of psychic static to mask yourself. As an action, you can psionically become invisible, along with anything you are wearing or carrying, for 1 hour or until you dismiss this effect (no action required). This invisibility ends early immediately after you deal damage to a creature, or you force a creature to make a saving throw.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you make a Manifestation Test with a base score of 5 to use this feature again.
Rend Mind
17th-Level Rogue (Soulknife) Feature
You can sweep your Psychic Blade directly through a creature's mind. When you use your Psychic Blades to deal Sneak Attack damage to a creature, you can force that target to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Dexterity or Intelligence modifier). If the save fails, the target is stunned for 1 minute. The stunned target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
Once you use this feature, you can't do so again until you finish a long rest, unless you make a Manifestation Test with a base score of 6 to use this feature again.
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