Monk
Way of the Soul Blade
Monks of the Way of the Soul Blade are monks who have learned to harness and focus their ki, using their inner will and focus to control psionic powers—primarily into a blade of pure psionic power: a Soul Blade.
Soul Blade
Starting when you choose this tradition at 3rd level, you’ve learned to focus your ki into a psionic blade. As a bonus action, you can create a blade of pure scintillating psionic energy. The blade you create this way most typically takes the form of a knife-like blade projecting from your fist, but you can shape it however you choose. You can choose to create multiple blades, but any blade you are not touching vanishes at the end of your turn and must be resummoned.
Regardless of the form it takes, the weapon is a monk weapon for you, deals 1d8 psychic damage, and has the light, finesse, and thrown(20/60) properties.
Psionic Ki
Additionally at 3rd level, you gain the Telekinetics Discipline; this can be found under the Psionic Disciplines list of the psion class. You can use ki points as psi points, with a limit of 1 ki point. This limit increases to 2 ki points at level 5, 3 ki points at level 9, 4 ki points at level 13, and 5 ki points at level 17. The DC for your psionic abilities is equal to your ki save DC.
If your character has both psi points and ki points, those are added together into one pool and can be used interchangeably. Your psi limit (and the limit you can use ki points as psi points) becomes your psi limit + one third of your monk levels rounded down.
When you use your action on a psionic power or to cast a spell using this feature, you can make one attack with an unarmed strike or monk weapon as a bonus action before the end of your turn.
Art of the Soul Blade
Starting at 6th level, your expertise with the blade allows you to control it in unique and powerful ways
Extended Blade
You can expend 1 ki point to give your Soul Blade the Reach property until the end of your turn.
Psionic Flurry
When you make a Flurry of Blows, you can make the additional attacks with your Soul Blade.
Soul Strike
When you take the Attack action, you use your soul blade to make a single piercing strike. Make a single attack using your action (forgoing any additional attacks gained from Extra Attack) to ignore all armor a creature has and treat its AC as 10 + its Dexterity. On a hit, the creature takes additional damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Power of the Mind
Starting at 11th level, your psionic abilities manifest more completely, giving you greater control and power in your psionic abilities.
Ethereal Sweep
When you use Extended Blade, you can sweep or stab through multiple creatures with a single blow. Once per turn, when you make an attack with your Soul Blade, if you have activated Extended Blade you can make a single additional weapon attack with your Soul Blade against a number of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier within range.
Consumptive Blade
Whenever you kill a creature with your Soul Blade that has an Intelligence of 6 or higher, you can use your reaction to draw in part of their psionic essence. You regain 1d4 hit points and 1 expended ki point.
Empowered Discipline
When you use a Psionic Discipline, you can expend 1 ki point for free without exhausting the ki point on empowering the psionic power granted by the Discipline, even if you do not have any remaining ki (this can’t be used on the spells granted by the Discipline).
Transcendent Blade
Starting at 17th level, your Soul Blade becomes a peerless weapon. You can add a +1 to its attack and damage rolls. You can choose for your blade to affect inanimate material, causing it to gain the Siege property and deal force damage to it when you choose. Reactions that parry or block to add Armor Class against an attack are ineffective against attacks made with the Soul Blade.
Additionally, critical hits from your Soul Blade rend the soul of the target. If a creature would have less than 50 hit points after taking damage from your critical strike, the creature must make a Charisma saving throw. On failure, its Charisma score becomes zero and it dies.
Soul Blade Quirks
The following are some optional quirks for a player of this Way
| d6 | Quirk |
|---|---|
| 1 | You carry around a bladeless sword hilt for your Soul Blade’s blade. |
| 2 | You occasionally attempt to cut fruit with your Soul Blade. |
| 3 | You refer to your actions as the will of the living Ki. |
| 4 | You view killing things with your psionic powers as evil, but killing things with your Soul Blade as perfectly okay. |
| 5 | You have endless platitudes about temperance and control. |
| 6 | You practice obscure martial arts stances every morning. |
Soul Knife Magical Items
A Way of the Soul Knife monk without a magical weapon would quickly find themselves eying a +1 Quarterstaff and discarding the main focus of their subclass, so consider giving a Way of the Soulknife Monk the following one of the items as other players start acquiring magic items:
Psi Blade CrystalK
Wondrous item, uncommon/rare/very rare
Embedded in a ring, braclet, bladeless sword hilt, or similar item, this small gem seems to have minimal value to the casual observer, but has perfect psionic resonance. While carried by a Way of the Soul Knife Monk, that monk can use this crystal to focus a purer Soul Knife, adding +1/+2/+3 (based on rarity) to attack and damage rolls with their Soul Knife.
Some crystals come in various colors, and change the hue of your psi blade to match the color of the crystal.
Telekinesis Discipline
Telekinesis is the ability to interact with physical objects and energy with your psionic powers.
Telekinetic Hands
When you gain this feature, you can manipulate small objects within 30 feet with your mind as if using your hand to interact with it. You can use this power to manipulate an object, open an unlocked door or container, stow or retrieve an item from an open container, or pour the contents out of a vial. You cannot Attack, activate magical items, or carry more than 10 pounds in this manner. You can move an item you are controlling in this way up to 30 feet during your turn.
You can spend 1 or more psi point to increase how much you can lift by 100 pounds per psi point spent for 1 turn.
Telekinetic Force
Psionic Power
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You smash a target creature you can see or object with your mental power. The target must succeed on a Strength saving throw, or take 1d10 bludgeoning damage and be shoved 5 feet in a direction of your choosing or be knocked prone.
You can spend Psi Points up to your per use limit to add the following modifiers to Telekinetic Force (you can add multiple modifiers). The points must be spent when choosing the target of the power.
Hammering (1+ psi points): The target takes +1d10 bludgeoning damage for each point spent.
Hurling (1-3 psi points): The target is shoved +10 feet in a direction of your choosing for each point spent.
Crushing (2 psi points): The target is restrained until the end of its next turn if it fails its saving throw.
Zone of (1-3 psi points): You can target all creatures in a 5 foot radius. The radius doubles for each point spent (5 ft., 10 ft., 20 ft.).
Alternate Effects
Additionally, when you learn the Telekinesis psionic discipline you can use your Psionics feature to cast the following spells as per the rules defined in the feature:
| Points Cost | Alternate Effects |
|---|---|
| 1 | jump, launch objectK, thunderwave |
| 2 | flingK, levitate, shatter |
| 3 | fly, vortex blastK |
| 4 | orbital stonesK, resilient sphere |
| 5 | telekinesis, wall of force, shockwaveK |
If a spell can be cast at a higher level, you can spend an additional psi point to cast it at that higher level.
Spell Appendix
The following are spells reproduced for use with the Soul Blade Kibbles' Casting Compendium.
Launch Object
1st-level transmutation
- Classes: Inventor
- Casting Time: 1 action
- **Range: **60 feet
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
Choose one object weighing 1 to 5 pounds within range that isn’t being worn or carried. The object flies in a straight line up to 90 feet in a direction you choose before falling to the ground, stopping early if it impacts against a solid surface. If the object would strike a creature, that creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the object strikes the target and stops moving. When the object strikes something, the object and what it strikes each take 3d8 bludgeoning damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the maximum weight of objects that you can target with this spell increases by 5 pounds, and the damage increases by 1d8, for each slot level above 1st.
Fling
2nd-level transmutation
- Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You manipulate gravity around one Large or smaller creature. The target creature makes a Strength saving throw. On failure, you can fling them 40 feet straight up or 20 feet in any direction.
If you fling them straight up they immediately fall, taking 4d6 damage falling damage, and fall prone. If you fling them any other direction, they take 2d6 damage and fall prone. If their movement would be stopped early by a creature or object, both the target and creature or object takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage.
Vortex Blast
3rd-level evocation
- Classes: Druid, Occultist, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self (30-foot cone)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You create a sudden violent vortex that blasts outwards in a 30-foot cone, tossing characters and objects within the area. Creatures in the area take 2d6 bludgeoning damage and must succeed a Strength saving throw or be knocked 20 feet backward and 40 feet upward.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
Orbital Stones
4th-level transmutation
- Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You lift three inanimate Small- or Medium-sized rocks or similar objects from within 10 feet of you, causing them to defy gravity and slowly circle you. With all three stones orbiting, you have three quarters cover. With at least one stone remaining, you have half cover.
As a bonus action while at least one stone remains in orbit, you can magically fling a stone at target within 60 feet. Make a ranged spell attack roll. On hit, the target takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage and is knocked backward 5 feet.
Shockwave
5th-level psionic
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: Self (30-foot radius)
- Components: S
- Duration: Instantaneous
You unleash a burst of telekinetic force in all directions. Each creature of your choice within 30 feet of you is knocked 5 feet back and must succeed on a Strength saving throw or take 8d6 damage bludgeoning damage and be knocked prone. A creature that succeeds on its saving throw takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone.