Soulbow
dx0403ex_96349.jpg

"The bolts fell like a shower of stars, scything through the duergar raiders with lethal accuracy. The War of Reclamation had begun, and we led
the way in a rain of glory."

— Nathara Teng, a soulbow

In the tradition of the soulknife, a soulbow realizes the direct capacity of her own mind to give shape to weapons of psionic perfection. Through desire alone, a soulbow creates a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy, just as any soulknife can. Unlike a soulknife, however, a soulbow can also produce dazzling shafts of deadly grace that she can project with all the force of a composite longbow — using nothing but her mind.

The soulbow relishes her ability to attack foes at a distance. Accuracy, speed, distance, and lethality are all skills a soulbow pursues and perfects — and in so doing, discovers serenity in lethal mastery.

Hit Die:
d10

Class Skills: (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level)
Autohypnosis* (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration* (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics)* (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Reflex Save Will Save Special
1st +0 +0 +2 +2 Mind arrow, bonus feat
2nd +1 +0 +3 +3 Mind arrow enhancment (+1 bonus equivalent ability)
3rd +2 +1 +3 +3 +1 Mind Arrow, bonus feat
4th +3 +1 +4 +4 Close combat shot
5th +3 +1 +4 +4 Bonus Feat
6th +4 +2 +5 +5 Mind arrow enhancement (+2 bonus equivalent ability)
7th +5 +2 +5 +5 +2 Mind arrow, bonus feat
8th +6/+1 +2 +6 +6 Phase arrow
9th +6/+1 +3 +6 +6 Bonus feat
10th +7/+2 +3 +7 +7 Mind arrow enhancement (+3 bonus equivalent ability)

Mind Arrow (Su): As a free action, you can create a semisolid arrow composed of psychic energy distilled from your mind. If your base attack bonus is high enough to grant you multiple attacks, you can create multiple mind arrows as part of an attack. You must have one hand free to create and project a mind arrow.

The bolt is identical in all ways (except visually) to an arrow shot from a composite longbow. For instance, a Medium soulbow materializes an arrow that speeds toward the specified target, and if it hits, deals 1d8 points of damage (crit x3) plus extra damage equal to the soulbow's Wisdom modifier. Soulbows who are smaller or larger than Medium create mind arrows identical to arrows shot from composite longbows appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the arrow's damage (see Table 7-4 and Table 7-5 in the Player's Handbook). You gain the usual benefit to your attack roll from a high Dexterity bonus.

Whether a mind arrow hits or misses, it dissipates 1 round after being shot. A mind arrow is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A mind arrow can be charged with a psychic strike as if it were a mind blade. If a soulbow has enough soulknife levels to have the knife to the soul ability, that ability also applies to her mind arrows.

You can use feats such as Point Blank Shot or Precise Shot in conjunction with a mind arrow (see bonus feats provided by the class for further guidance). You can also choose mind arrow for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a mind blade. Any feats previously requiring specific weapon choice (such as Weapon Specialization) for your mind blade also apply to your mind arrow, if applicable.

Your mind arrows improve as you gain higher levels. At 3rd level, a mind arrow gains a +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls, and at 7th level the bonus improves to +2. These enhancement bonuses stack with previous enhancement bonuses gained earlier for your soulknife class levels. Likewise, these enhancement bonuses also improve your soulknife base attack bonus. If your return to your soulknife class progression, these mind arrow enhancement bonuses on attack and damage are cumulative bonuses on top of any new enhancement bonuses gained, and they benefit both your mind blade and mind arrows.

Even in places where psionic effects do not normally function (such as within a null psionics field), you can attempt to attack foes with mind arrows by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, you can freely produce mind arrows for a number of rounds equal to your class level before you need to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, you must wait 1 round before trying again while you remain within the psionics-negating effect.

Bonus Feat: At 1st level, you can choose a bonus feat from the following list: Far Shot, Precise Shot, Psionic Shot, Greater Psionic Shot, Fell Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Greater Manyshot, Shot on the Run, Improved Precise Shot, and Mounted Archery. You must meet the prerequisites for the feat as normal. Feats that grant additional attacks, such as Rapid Shot, allow you to create additional semisolid arrows of psychic energy as needed to make additional attacks.

The list of potential bonus feats can be expanded by the DM to include any feats from other supplements that improved ranged attacks. For instance, if your game makes use of Complete Warrior, this list might also include Improved Mounted Archer, Improved Rapid Shot, Ranged Disarm, Ranged Pin (in which case the mind arrow persists until the pinned character breaks the pin), Ranged Sunder, Sharp Shooting, and Zen Archery.

Choose another bonus feat from the list at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th level.

Mind Arrow Enhancement (Su): At 2nd level, you can enhance your mind arrows with ranged special abilities. Choose any one of the weapon special abilities on the table below that has an enhancement bonus value of +1. From now on, mind arrows you produce as part of an attack possess that special ability.

At every four levels beyond 2nd (6th and 10th), the value of the enhancement you can add to your mind arrow improves to +2 and +3, respectively. You can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by your soulbow level.

The special ability provided by this class feature does not stack with the soulknife's mind blade enhancement ability.

Enchantment Value
Bane +1
Distance +1
Lucky* +1
Flaming +1
Frost +1
Lucky +1
Merciful +1
Psychokinetic +1
Returning +1
Seeking +1
Shock +1
Anarchic +2
Axiomatic +2
Collision +2
Flaming Burst +2
Psychokinetic Burst +2
Psibane +2
Shocking Burst +2
Suppression +2
Wounding +2
Dislocator +3
Speed +3

You can reassign the ability or abilities you have chosen for your mind arrows. To do so, you must spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, all subsequent mind arrows you produce as part of an attack action possess the new ability or abilities selected by you.

Close Combat Shot: At 4th level, you can attack with your mind arrow while in a threatened square and not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Phase Arrow (Ps): At 8th level, you can take a full attack action (in lieu of your regular attacks) to expend your psionic focus and launch a mind arrow at a target known to you within range. The mind arrow travels to the target in a straight path, passing through any nonmagical or nonpsionic barrier or wall on its way. (A wall of force, wall of fire, wall of ectoplasm, or the like stops a mind arrow.) This ability negates cover, concealment,and even armor modifiers, but otherwise the attack is rolled normally.