Warmind- Psionic Fighter Subclass

[frenzied67]

6/30/2021

The Warmind
A fighter Subclass for Dungeons & Dragons 5E.

The Reason*
Even back in 3.5 edition I wondered why the Soulknife was a rogue class.  Here was a class that manifested weapons with their mind, and weapons are the bread and butter of the fighting classes.  In 5E they granted the fighter a subclass called the Psi Warrior, which is a dumbed down jedi knight.  It was an interesting subclass, but it gets boring fast.  5E also gave us a new Soulknife which is one of the more interesting Rogue subclasses, but I have always wondered: what if we swapped 5E’s Soulknife abilities with the Psi Warrior to have a fighter with ectoplasmic weapons and a rogue with telekenisis.  The Warmind is the expression of the fighter’s half of this swap.

The Warmind*
Put aside your weapons, they just hold you back from expanding your mind.  Now is the time to tap into that inner power you always suspected was in you, reach in and pull if forth; let your mind supply the tools of your trade, warrior.  Now fight as you have always dreamed you could, become the weapon shifting nightmare of those who come against you!

As a Warmind, you might have taught yourself the knack of manifesting weapon shaped energies from your imagination, or you might have been taught by a Soulknife; it could be another psionic creature that helped you reach within.  However you arrived at this juncture, you are now a creature above the norm.  Not many beings can create and shape a weapon and wield it in combat.  A DC for any Warmind Power will be 8 + Wisdom Modifier + Proficiency Bonus.  This classes resources are specifically expensive to use because those powers may be more potent than many other classes.  Do not be surprised to see the Warmind requesting many short rests between encounters.

Ectoplasmic Manifestation
3rd level Warmind Power (Ectoplasmic weapon damage= 2d4)

Ectoplasmic Weapon-  As a free action, the Warmind is able to generate a weapon of mental energy at will.  This weapon can resemble any weapon the Warmind is proficient with, and it will deliver that weapons type of damage; i.e. a manifested spear will do piercing damage, while an ectoplasmic warhammer will do bludgeoning damage.  The Warmind can change the shape and type of weapon as a free action at the beginning of their turn, as long as it is a weapon the character is proficient with.  The player can even manifest range and thrown weapons, if they so wish; though their ectoplasmic weapon or ammunition reappears in hand almost instantly after it hits or misses.  No matter what weapon (or what type of damage) the Ectoplasmic Weapon appears as, it will only do a set amount of damage that scales upwards every time a Martial Archetype Feature is gained.  From 3rd to 6th level your weapon deals 2d4 damage plus the ability modifier the player uses (Dexterity or Strength).  From 7th to 9th level it deals 2d5 + ability modifier, 10th to 14th 2d6 damage + ability modifier, After 15th you do 2d7 damage + ability modifier, then at 18th level you will do 2d8+ ability modifier in damage.

3rd Level Warmind Features.
You harbor a wellspring of psionic energy inside of you.  This Energy is represented by your Psychic Energy Points.  You have a number of points equal to twice your Proficiency Bonus.  Some of your powers will require that little extra mental effort to manifest, and that is where you will spend your Psychic Energy Points.  You regain these expended points after completing short or long rests.  Note that not all of your Warmind powers require the expenditure of points.  (This is meant to resemble the monk’s Ki points, yet the Warmind’s Psychic Energy Points pool will end up being lower than a Monk’s pool.)
These powers below require your Psychic Energy Points.

Warmind Windmill- One point from the Psychic Energy Pool will grant the Warmind dual weapons for one minute.  Since the weapons are made of psychic ectoplasm, the two weapons can manifest as any melee weapon the Warmind chooses.  While wielding these two weapons the Warmind will fight as if they have the Dual Weapon Fighting style offered to fighters at 1st level.  The weapons will only deal the ectoplasmic weapon damage appropriate for their level (as explained above).  You do not get two attacks if you hurl these weapons.  This feature is for melee only and does not require a concentration check.

Ectoplasmic Missile- Another 1 point ability you gain at 3rd level is for archery.  If your Warmind manifests a weapon the has the ammunition feature, you can expend 1 Psychic Energy Point to try to do extra damage with your missile weapon.  Expend your point, roll to hit, and if you hit roll your ectoplasmic weapon damage as normal and roll a second dice of equal size (i.e. if your ectoplasmic weapon deals 2d6 damage, the second damage dice will also be 2d6); this damage will by psychic damage.

Warmind’s Block and Strike
7th level Warmind Features (Ectoplasmic Weapon damage= 2d5)

Ectoplasmic Shield- If the Warmind decides to use the Dodge action on their turn or for the next 3 turns, for 1 Psychic Energy point they can manifest a barrier that absorbs damage from one attack equal to the damage their Ectoplasmic weapon deals (i.e. an Warmind’s ectoplasmic weapon that deals 2d6 damage has a barrier that can absorb 2d6 from one attack that turn).  If the player stops utilizing the dodge action or three rounds have elapsed, the Ectoplasmic shield drops and it will require more Psychic Energy points to manifest again.

Warmind Smite- On a hit from a melee, hurled, or missile Ectoplasmic Weapon, the Warmind can expend 2 Psychic Energy points and deal two dice of damage, one set of those dice deals psychic damage.  Your hit also imposes one of the following conditions upon your target.  Knocked prone, stunned, deafened, or blinded.  These conditions last until the end of your next turn unless the target makes a Wisdom save against your Warmind save DC.  The Ectoplasmic Weapon still delivers the weapon and psychic damage if the target saves. The player chooses before the attack which condition they wish to impose.

Mind Delivered Doom
10th level Warmind powers.  (Ectoplasmic Weapon damage= 2d6)

Psychic Burst- At this level the Warmind can now hurl or fire his or her Ectoplasmic Weapon into a group of enemies up to 30’ away.  If the Warmind expend 3 Psychic Energy Points their Ectoplasmic Weapon will detonate and do Ectoplasmic Weapon damage to each creature in a 10’ radius.  A successful Wisdom save against the Warmind’s save DC cuts the damage in half.

Wormhole of Id- Just like the Soulknife subclass, the Warmind can hurl their Ectoplasmic Weapon up to 60’ from themselves.  If they expend 3 Psychic Energy Points they can teleport from their space to where their weapon landed.  The weapon will bounce off of any space that is occupied until it comes to rest in an unoccupied space, which facilitates the teleportation.  This act is a bonus action for the Warmind.

Bolstered Might
15th Level Warmind Feature.  (Ectoplasmic Weapon Damage= 2d7)

If the Warmind uses the Warmind Smite or the Psychic Burst features of their class, and pay the Psychic Energy Point cost for those features, at 15th level the character can pay an addition one or two Psychic Energy Points to double or triple the psychic damage dice rolled for damage.

Enhanced Ectoplasmic Shield
18th Level Warmind Feature.  (Ectoplasmic Weapon Damage= 2d8)

At 18th level, the Warmind no longer has to use the Dodge action in order to generate their Ectoplasmic Shield feature.  Spending 3 Psychic Energy Points, the Warmind can now sheath themselves in an invisible field that will absorb 2d8 points of damage from each attack for 4 rounds.

Okay group, what do you think?  Do you think this is a viable fighter subclass or is it unbalanced.  If you find the Warmind a little off, please identify what you think is making this character unbalanced.