Bladespeaker
"I can do all things."
- Excasard the Brilliant, Human Bladespeaker
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Making a Bladespeaker
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Abilities: Intelligence is the ability that the Bladespeaker uses to speak truenames. More at home in combat than using utterances, the Bladespeaker does well to have strong physical statistics.
Races: Bladespeaker appear amongst all races, for their talents are widespread and to be a jack-of-all-trades is always useful.
Alignment: Bladespeaker can be of any alignment, and there is no bias in any one direction.
Table 1: The Bladespeaker
Level BAB Ref Fort Will Abilities
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1 +1 +2 +0 +2 Bladespeaker, Utterances
2 +2 +3 +1 +3 Weapon Focus (mind blade), Throw mind blade
3 +3 +3 +1 +3 Psychic strike +1d8
4 +4 +4 +2 +4 +1 mind blade, Enhancing Utterance
5 +5 +4 +2 +4 Free draw, shape mind blade, Bonus Recitation Feat
6 +6 +5 +3 +5 Mind blade enhancement +1, Speed of Thought
7 +7 +5 +3 +5 Psychic strike +2d8, Hammer of Truth
8 +8 +6 +2 +6 +2 mind blade, See the Named, Multiple throw
9 +9 +6 +3 +6 Bladewind, Greater Weapon Focus (mind blade)
10 +10 +7 +3 +7 Mind blade enhancement +2, Bonus Recitation Feat, Sending
11 +11 +7 +3 +7 Psychic strike +3d8, Speak unto the Masses
12 +12 +8 +4 +8 +3 mind blade, Say My Name and I Am There
13 +13 +8 +4 +8 Knife to the soul
14 +14 +9 +4 +9 Mind blade enhancement +3, Pronouncement of Doom
15 +15 +9 +5 +9 Psychic strike +4d8, Bonus Recitation Feat
16 +16 +10 +5 +10 +4 mind blade, Truthstorm
17 +17 +10 +5 +10 Spoken Gift
18 +18 +11 +6 +11 Mind blade enhancement +4, Sword of Words
19 +19 +11 +6 +11 Psychic strike +5d8, Land of Thine Own Creation
20 +20 +12 +6 +12 +5 mind blade, Bonus Recitation Feat, Blade of the True
Game Rule Information
Bladespeakers have the following game statistics.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10 (125 gp)
Starting Age: Complex (as wizard)
Class skills
Autohypnosis* (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration* (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all)* (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Psicraft* (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Truespeak (Int), and Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features
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Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Bladespeakers are proficient with all simple weapons, with their own mind blades, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Utterances
A Bladespeaker gains and uses utterances from the Lexicons of the Evolving Mind, Crafted Tool, and Perfected Map exactly as if he was a Truenamer of an equal class level, except that the Law of Resistance and the Law of Sequence do not apply to the Bladespeaker.
Mind Blade (Su)
As a move action, a Bladespeaker can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a short sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium Bladespeaker materializes a Medium mind blade that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19-20/×2). Bladespeakers who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind blades identical to short swords 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 Bladespeaker 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). A mind blade is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
A Bladespeaker 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 Bladespeaker’s mind blade improves as the character gains higher levels. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the mind blade gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level).
Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), a Bladespeaker can attempt to sustain his mind blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the Bladespeaker 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 Bladespeaker can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his mind blade while he remains within the psionics negating effect.
Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
A Bladespeaker gains Weapon Focus (mind blade) as a bonus feat.
Throw Mind Blade (Ex)
A Bladespeaker of 2nd level or higher 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. A Bladespeaker of 3rd level or higher can make a psychic strike (see below) with a thrown mind blade and can use the blade in conjunction with other special abilities (such as Knife to the Soul; see below).
Psychic Strike (Su)
As a move action, a Bladespeaker of 3rd level or higher can imbue his mind blade with destructive psychic energy. This effect deals an extra 1d8 points of damage to the next living, nonmindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack (or ranged attack, if he is using the throw mind blade ability). Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects are immune to psychic strike damage. (Unlike the rogue’s sneak attack, the psychic strike is not precision damage and can affect creatures otherwise immune to extra damage from critical hits or more than 30 feet away, provided they are living, nonmindless creatures not immune to mind-affecting effects.)
A mind blade deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, but a Bladespeaker can imbue his mind blade with psychic energy again by taking another move action.
Once a Bladespeaker has prepared his blade for a psychic strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the Bladespeaker drops the mind blade (or it otherwise dissipates, such as when it is thrown and misses), it is still imbued with psychic energy when the Bladespeaker next materializes it.
At every four levels beyond 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the extra damage from a Bladespeaker’s psychic strike increases as shown on the Table above.
Enhancing Utterance (Su)
By saying his own truename as a swift action in the same round as he expends his Psychic Strike, the Bladespeaker can make the damage from the Psychic Strike apply to all attacks he makes during the round, instead of the first.
Free Draw (Su)
At 5th level, a Bladespeaker becomes able to materialize his mind blade as a free action instead of a move action. He can make one attempt to materialize the mind blade per each attack granted by BAB.
Shape Mind Blade (Su)
At 5th level, a Bladespeaker gains the ability to change the form of his mind blade. As a fullround action, he can change his mind blade to replicate a longsword (damage 1d8 for a Medium weapon wielded as a one-handed weapon) or a bastard sword (damage 1d10 for a Medium weapon, but he must wield it as a two-handed weapon unless he knows the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) feat). If a Bladespeaker shapes his mind blade into the form of a bastard sword and wields it two-handed, he adds 1½ times his Strength bonus to his damage rolls, just like when using any other two-handed weapon.
Alternatively, a Bladespeaker can split his mind blade into two identical short swords, 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 Bladespeaker would otherwise create with a single mind blade.
Bonus Recitation Feat
By repeating your own personal truename over and over with a particular inflection, you can achieve various healing effects starting at 5th level. Choose one recitation feat. You must still meet the prerequisites for the bonus feat to take it. At each indicated level, gain another bonus recitation feat.
Mind Blade Enhancement (Su)
At 6th level, a Bladespeaker 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 four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement a Bladespeaker can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A Bladespeaker can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the Bladespeaker’s level.
The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the Bladespeaker 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.
A Bladespeaker 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 Bladespeaker.
Weapon Special Ability Enhancement Bonus Value
Defending +1
Keen +1
Lucky1 +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
Speed of Thought
A Bladespeaker gains Speed of Thought as a bonus feat at 6th level.
Hammer of Truth
When the Bladespeaker takes a full attack action, he may speak one utterance as a free action. It must affect a target he struck using his mind blade. He recieves a +4 bonus on his Truespeak check.
See the Named (Su)
Beginning at 8th level, you have the ability to see a creature from afar whose personal truename you know. This ability works as the scrying spell, but does not require a mirror or pool of water to function. Instead, you must make a Truespeak check for the creature as normal (see page 196 for information on making a Truespeak check to affect a creature). If your check is successful, the creature does not get a save to resist the ability, but you can view the subject for only 1 round. You can use this ability once per point of intelligence modifier per day.
Multiple Throw (Ex)
At 8th level and higher, a Bladespeaker can throw a number of mind blades per round equal to the number of melee attacks he could make.
Bladewind (Su)
At 9th level, a Bladespeaker 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 Bladespeaker 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 Bladespeaker’s regular mind blade.
When using bladewind, a Bladespeaker 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.
Greater Weapon Focus (Mind Blade)
A Bladespeaker gains Greater Weapon Focus (mind blade) as a bonus feat at 9th level.
Sending (Su)
Beginning at 10th level, you can speak to creatures whose personal truenames you know from a great distance. You must make a successful Truespeak check (DC 15 + 2 × target's CR) to use this ability. If successful, you can send a message to the subject as a sending spell (caster level equal to your truenamer level). You can use this ability at will.
Speak unto the Masses (Su)
At 11th level, you have the ability to affect a number of creatures of the same creature type with a single, powerful utterance. You can only affect creatures of the same type (humanoids, giants, or dragons, for example) with a single use of this ability, although you could use it against a different group of a different creature type each round. No two of the creatures you wish to affect with your utterance can be more than 30 feet apart, and the base DC for your Truespeak check is equal to the most powerful (highest CR or most Hit Dice, if you are affecting PCs) creature in the group. For each creature you wish to affect with the utterance beyond the first, the DC of your Truespeak check increases by 2.
Say My Name and I Am There (Su)
At 12th level, you develop a truename—not your personal truename, but a sort of true nickname—that is invested with cosmic power such that others who speak it can conjure you forth. Whenever someone successfully says this truename, you can appear at that creature's location as if taken there by a word of recall spell. You know who is saying your truename, and you can choose not to be transported if you wish. The nickname is often one or two syllables taken from your personal truename. A creature speaking your true nickname need not make a Truespeak check to do so. Most truenamers with this ability teach the truename to their friends and allies so they can be called when needed.
Knife to the Soul (Su)
Beginning at 13th level, when a Bladespeaker executes a psychic strike, he can choose to substitute Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma damage (his choice) for extra dice of damage. For each die of extra damage he gives up, he deals 1 point of damage to the ability score he chooses. A Bladespeaker can combine extra dice of damage and ability damage in any combination.
The Bladespeaker decides which ability score his psychic strike damages and the division of ability damage and extra dice of damage when he imbues his mind blade with the psychic strike energy.
Pronouncement of Doom
If a Bladespeaker makes a successful psychic strike attack, he may pronounce doom on the struck creature. That creature must make a fortitude save or be destroyed (this affects undead and other unliving creatures). Treat this as a 6th level utterance from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind.
Truthstorm
After the Bladespeaker has successfully spoken an utterance, he may choose to expend his psychic strike. If he does, all creatures affected by the utterance take the psychic strike damage.
Spoken Gift
By making an utterance check to affect himself (treat as a 3rd level Utterance of the Evolving Mind), the Bladespeaker can grant his mind blade a single +3 or lower weapon special ability. It lasts for a number of rounds equal to his charisma modifier.
Sword of Words
By making an utterance check to affect himself (treat as a 3rd level Utterance of the Evolving Mind), the Bladespeaker can animate his mind blade, as per the dancing enhancement. He immediately forms another mind blade. This lasts for a number of rounds equal to his charisma modifier.
Land of Thine Own Creation
If the Bladespeaker is fighting inside an area of effect generated by his utterances, he is immune to any effects of that utterance, and doubles his psychic strike damage on any creature who is inside the area of effect with him. He also recieves a +4 bonus to attack rolls.
Blade of the True
Whenever the Bladespeaker successfully strikes a creature with his mind blade, he may speak an utterance targeting the struck creature as a free action.
