Everyone knows the legend of the Irontooth clans and mech fu. The tribes were born of the union of monks and rough-and-tumble barbarians, and the first group brought their knowledge of the martial arts and sparring matches. With the rise of mechs, they learned to use similar techniques with their steam-driven and clockwork wonders. But lesser known is a smaller but similarly monastic tradition. Although they go by many names, outsiders know them only as soulknives. And like their brethren monks, they too have learned to harness their unique talents in combination with mechs. Like their predecessor soulknives, this group goes by many names depending on the sensei master, but the name heard most often is "Ironsoul Elite."
In the L'Arile Nation their exists a similar order of gifted mech jockeys. They are usually known as the Oaksoul Elite, or aelorithol, who channel their own souls through their still-living tree-mechs, amplifying it in ways most Ironsoul Elite never manage. Nonetheless, these two separate traditions are mostly identical.
IRONSOUL ELITE
Hit Die: d8
Prerequisites
To qualify to become an Ironsoul Elite, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
BAB: +3
Feats: Psionic Weapon
Skills: Mech Pilot 8 ranks
Special: Shape Mind Blade class feature
Skills
As original Mech Jockey + Autohypnosis, Concentration, Knowledge (psionics), and Use Psionic Device (let me know if I missed any other important ones).
Hit Dice: d8
Code: Select all
[b] BAB MAB Fort Ref Will Abilities [/b]
1. +0 +1 +0 +2 +0 Empower Weapons OR Mech Mind Blade, Enhanced Mind Blade
2. +1 +2 +0 +3 +0 Bonus Feat, Psychic Strike + 1d8
3. +2 +3 +1 +3 +1 Mind Over Metal
4. +3 +4 +1 +4 +1 Bonus Feat, Psychic Strike + 2d8
5. +3 +5 +1 +4 +1 Debilitating Blow
Class Features
The following are class features of the Ironsoul Elite prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An ironsoul elite gains no new proficiencies with any weapons, armor, or shields.
Empower Weapons: A first level the ironsoul elite knows how to combine his talent with shaping his mind blade and charging weapons to maximum potential within a mech. Rather than manifesting a mind blade, you may grant one weapon on a mech you pilot certain benefits of you mind blade:
- enhancement bonus and magic weapon options
- counts as your mind blade for any feats you possess, such as weapon focus (mind blade)
- may be used to deliver a psychic strike
You may use shape mind blade to affect more than one weapon, but you take the standard penalty to your effective enhancement bonus. You may not use this ability and manifest a normal mind blade at the same time (nor may you affect two mechs at the same time, since you must be piloting the mech to use this ability). If you select this option, you do not get Mech Mind Blade. This version is normally favored by Oaksoul Elites, although either option is open.
Mech Mind Blade: When piloting a mech, you may manifest your mind blade as a weapon for your mech. This works in all ways as your normal mind blade, but deals damage as a weapon appropriate for the size of your mech. If you select this option, you do not gain Empower Weapons. This version is normally favored by true Ironsoul Elites, although either option is open.
Enhanced Mind Blade: Levels of Ironsoul Elite count as levels of soulknife for determining your mind blade's enhancement bonus and magic weapon options.
Bonus Feat: Drawn from the mech jockey base class (see DragonMech).
Psychic Strike: As soulknife.
Mind Over Metal: Your training with psionics and mechs allows you to be devastating to mechs, even though they are mindless. You may deliver a psychic strike to mechs. Psychic Strike may affect non-living or mindless creatures, or creatures immune to mind-affecting effects, but it only deals half damage in this case.
Debilitating Blow: A 5th level the ironsoul elite has mastered the devastating combination of psionics and mecha. By expending your psionic focus when you score a critical hit, you may treat the opponent's critical threshold as one increment more dangerous. Green critical hits are treated as yellow, yellow critical hits are treated as orange, and orange critical hits are treated as red.