Lantern Corps Soldier (3.5e class)

Lantern Corps Soldier

Making a Lantern Corps Soldier

Abilities: Strength or Dexterity should be first choice as this dictates how well a manifested weapon works. Constitution should also be just as important as it helps with Concentration checks which would turn a bad situation in an antipsionic field into a shocking surprise for the enemy. Along with a nice boost to HP.

Race: Pretty much any race is a viable option. There was rumor of even a whole planet becoming a Lantern Corps Soldier. If that can happen, the floodgates have opened to the possibilities.

Alignment: Varies (see below).

Starting Gold: 10d4×10 gp (250 gp).

Starting Age: Simple.

Table: The Lantern Corps Soldier

Hit Die: d8

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+0	+2	+2	Power ring, Lantern Weapon Construct, Weapon Focus (Lantern Power Ring), Wild Talent, Construct of Defense(Light)
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+3	Extend Range, Fly
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+3	Construct Strike +1d8
4th	+3	+1	+4	+4	+1 Construct Armor
5th	+3	+1	+4	+4	Free Draw
6th	+4	+2	+5	+5	Power Ring Enhancement +1, Speed of Thought
7th	+5	+2	+5	+5	Construct Strike +2d8
8th	+6/+1	+2	+6	+6	Construct of Defense(Medium), +2 Construct Armor
9th	+6/+1	+3	+6	+6	Bladewind, Greater Weapon Focus (Power Ring)
10th	+7/+2	+3	+7	+7	Weapon Construct Enhancement +2
11th	+8/+3	+3	+7	+7	Construct Strike +3d8
12th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	+3 Construct Armor
13th	+9/+4	+4	+8	+8	Soul Pierce
14th	+10/+5	+4	+9	+9	Weapon Construct Enhancement +3
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+9	+9	Construct Strike +4d8, Construct of Defense(Heavy)
16th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	+4 Construct Armor
17th	+12/+7/+2	+5	+10	+10	Multiple Throw
18th	+13/+8/+3	+6	+11	+11	Weapon Construct Enhancement +4
19th	+14/+9/+4	+6	+11	+11	Construct Strike +5d8
20th	+15/+10/+5	+6	+12	+12	+5 Construct Armor
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 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), Tumble (Dex).

Class Features

All the following are class features of the Lantern Corps Soldier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Lantern Corps Soldiers are only proficient with the power ring, though with it, they are treated as being proficient with weapons/shields/armors as indicated in the Lantern Weapon Construct and Construct of Defense class features.

Power Ring (Ps): At the first level, the specific type of power ring gained is chosen based on the emotion that governs the power. For simplification purposes, the colors are restricted by alignment as shown below

Red: Chaotic Any (Anger)
Orange: Lawful Evil (Greed)
Yellow: Neutral Evil (Fear)
Green: True Neutral (Will)
Blue: Neutral Good (Hope)
Indigo: Chaotic Neutral (Compassion)
Violet: Lawful Neutral (Love)
White: Lawful Good (Life)
Black: Special: Must have undead or similar template. (Death)

The ring must be recharged at the start of each day or all class features relying on making a construct or utilizing the ring is unusable. The ring cannot be stolen, sold or otherwise taken, as the ring will simply return to its rightful owner. When an owner does die, the ring simply leaves to find another master, or wait for the master to be revived if indications as such are aparent.

Lantern Weapon Construct (Su): As a move action, a Lantern Corps Soldier can create a semisolid weapon composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The weapon is identical in all ways (except visually) to a physical weapon of a size appropriate for its wielder. For instance, a Medium Lantern Corps Soldier materializes a Medium Short Sword that he can wield as a light weapon, and the blade deals 1d6 points of damage (crit 19–20/×2). Lantern Corps Soldiers who are smaller or larger than Medium create weapons appropriate for their size, with a corresponding change to the weapon’s damage. The wielder of the weapon construct gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength or Dexterity bonus (As the weapon). The weapon MUST be a weapon the Lantern Corps Soldier is proficient with. The weapon can change to another weapon's form (taking the same time as manifesting one). Just like a normal weapon, the weapon finesse feat can be applied to weapon contructs of the same type.

Proficiencies with given weapons varies by level, representing the progression towards mastering combat with constructs in the shapes of weapons.

1st- All simple weapons
8th- All simple and martial weapons
15th- All simple, martial, and exotic weapons
20th- All weapons and improvised weapons without penalty

Ranged weapons function normally until it comes into contact with something. Whether it does damage or not is unimportant. If it is a weapon that requires ammunition, the ammunition simply dissipates after hitting something and then reforms on the weapon, ready to be fired as per the standard rates of a ranged weapon. Improvised weapons can be used as a ranged or mele weapon

The weapon can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, a Lantern Corps Soldier can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his weapon, it dissipates. A Lantern Weapon Construct is considered a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

A Lantern Corps Soldier can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the weapon construct just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose his power ring for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization.

A Lantern Corps Soldier's Weapon Construct improves as the character gains higher levels. At 4th level and every four levels thereafter, the weapon 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 Lantern Corps Soldier can attempt to sustain his weapon by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the Lantern Corps Soldier maintains his weapon for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the weapon vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the Lantern Corps Soldier can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his Weapon Construct while he remains within the psionics negating effect.

Weapon Focus (Lantern Power Ring): A Lantern Corps Soldier gains Weapon Focus (Lantern Power Ring) as a bonus feat.

Wild Talent: A Lantern Corps Soldier gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat. (This class feature provides the character with the psionic power he needs to materialize his Weapon Construct, if he has no power points otherwise.)

Construct of Defense (Su): The following armor and shield archetypes can be manifested at the levels indicated below, requiring a move action to manifest the armor or shield (2 move actions for both). Similar to the Weapon Construct, the armor and shield predominantly appears and behaves like its physical counterpart. The armor does not carry any penalties since it is made of psionic energy, and is therefore quiet and flexible. The shield carries the penalty of its normal counterpart due to restricting movement to wield a shield, but cannot be used as an offhand weapon until 5th level, such an attempt will force the shield to dissapate At 8th level onward, the shield can be summoned with shield spikes, treating it as its regular counterpart as per usual. Whenever a save is needing to be made for a construct weapon, the same occurrences apply to the armor and shield as if the 2 or 3 were all a single unit.

1st- Padded
2nd- Leather, Buckler
3rd- Studded Leather, Shield, Light wooden
4th- Chain Shirt, Shield, Light steel
8th- Hide
9th- Scale Mail, Shield, Heavy wooden
10th- Chain Mail 
11th- Breastplate, Shield, Heavy steel
15th- Splint Mail
16th- Banded Mail
17th- Half Plate
18th- Full Plate, Tower Shield

Extend Range (Ex): A Lantern Corps Soldier of 2nd level or higher can extend the range of melee weapon constructs with a range increment of 30 feet, extending some part of the weapon so the weapon is held in hand, the weapon can strike a target within this range increment providing the Lantern Corps Soldier wills it to happen. Ranged weapons/ammunition simply go 30ft farther. At 3rd level or higher, the Lantern Corps Soldier can make a construct strike (see below) with an extended weapon construct and can use the weapon in conjunction with other special abilities (such as Soul Pierce; see below).

Fly (Ex): At 2nd level, a Lantern Corps Soldier the ability to Fly at the same speed as overland movement speed with Clumsy Maneuverability. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, the flight maneuverability improves by one step and an increased movement of 10 feet. If some other means of flight is present, it instead add 5 ft at first level. If maneuverability is perfect upon reaching one of the indicated levels, instead add 15 feet at each level indicated. This fly ability is treated as Psionic Fly ability at constant effect for all intents and purposes. The ability can be suppressed/activated at will, and can even be used in an antipsionic field provided the appropriated save is made (as explained in the Weapon Construct class feature).

Construct Strike (Su): As a move action, a Lantern Corps Soldier of 3rd level or higher can imbue his Weapon Construct with destructive psychic energy. This effect deals an extra 1d8 points of damage to the next living, non-mindless target he successfully hits with a melee attack. Creatures immune to mind-affecting effects take half damage from this ability.

A Weapon Construct deals this extra damage only once when this ability is called upon, but a Lantern Corps Soldier can imbue his Weapon Construct with psychic energy again by taking another move action.

Once a Lantern Corps Soldier has prepared his weapon for a construct strike, it holds the extra energy until it is used. Even if the weapon dissipates, it is still imbued with psychic energy when the Lantern Corps Soldier next materializes it.

At every four levels beyond 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), the extra damage from a Lantern Corps Soldier's construct strike increases as shown on the Table above.

Construct Armor (Su): The armor is granted a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus to Hardness and HP as indicated by Shield Hardness and Hit Points

Free Draw (Su): At 5th level, a Lantern Corps Soldier becomes able to materialize his weapon as a free action instead of a move action. He can make only one attempt to materialize the weapon per round, however.

Alternatively, a Lantern Corps Soldier can manifest 2 single handed weapons, suitable for fighting with a weapon in each hand. (The normal penalties for fighting with two weapons apply.) However, both weapons have an enhancement bonus 1 lower than the Lantern Corps Soldier would otherwise create with a single weapon, this also allows a shield to be used as an offhand weapon (Mentioned previously).

Weapon Construct Enhancement (Su): At 6th level, a Lantern Corps Soldier gains the ability to enhance his Weapon Construct. 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 Lantern Corps Soldier can add to his weapon improves to +2, +3, and +4, respectively. A Lantern Corps Soldier can choose any combination of weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the Lantern Corps Soldier’s level.

The weapon ability or abilities remain the same every time the Lantern Corps Soldier materializes his weapon (unless he decides to reassign its abilities; see below). The ability or abilities apply to any form the weapon takes, including the use of the bladewind class abilities.

Weapon Special Ability	Enhancement Bonus Value
Defending	+1
Keen	+1
Lucky	+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

A Lantern Corps Soldier 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 weapon materializes with the new ability or abilities selected by the Lantern Corps Soldier.

Speed of Thought: A Lantern Corps Soldier gains Speed of Thought as a bonus feat at 6th level.

Bladewind (Su): At 9th level, a Lantern Corps Soldier gains the ability to momentarily fragment his weapon into numerous identical blades, each of which strikes at a nearby opponent.

As a full attack, when wielding his weapon, a Lantern Corps Soldier can give up his regular attacks and instead fragment his weapon to make one melee attack at his full base attack bonus against each opponent within reach. Each fragment functions identically to the Lantern Corps Soldier’s regular weapon.

When using bladewind, a Lantern Corps Soldier 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 (Lantern Power Ring): A Lantern Corps Soldier gains Greater Weapon Focus (Lantern Power Ring) as a bonus feat at 9th level.

Soul Pierce (Su): Beginning at 13th level, when a Lantern Corps Soldier executes a construct 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 Lantern Corps Soldier can combine extra dice of damage and ability damage in any combination.

The Lantern Corps Soldier decides which ability score his construct strike damages and the division of ability damage and extra dice of damage when he imbues his weapon with the construct strike energy.

Multiple Throw (Ex): At 17th level and higher, a Lantern Corps Soldier can throw a number of weapons per round equal to the number of melee attacks he could make.

Epic Lantern Corps Soldier

Table: The Epic Lantern Corps Soldier

Hit Die: d10

Level	Special
21st
22nd	Weapon Construct Enhancement +5
23rd	Bonus Feat, Construct Strike +6d8
24th
25th	+6 Construct Armor
26th	Weapon Construct Enhancement +6, Bonus Feat
27th	Construct Strike +7d8
28th
29th	Bonus Feat
30th	+7 Construct Armor
4 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Construct Armor At 25th level and every five levels thereafter, the Lantern Corps Soldier gains an additional +1 enhancement bonus on Hardness and Hit Points.

Weapon Construct Enhancement: The epic Lantern Corps Soldier’s mind blade gains additional powers as the Lantern Corps Soldier gains epic levels. At 22nd level and every four levels thereafter, the Lantern Corps Soldier can improve the value of the weapon special abilities on his mind blade by 1 (+5 equivalent bonus at 22nd, +6 at 26th, and so on). As noted in the Lantern Corps Soldier class description, reassigning qualities still takes 8 hours of concentration.

Construct Strike: The epic Lantern Corps Soldier’s construct strike progression continues past 20th level, continuing to grant an additional die (d8) of damage every four levels higher than 19th (+6d8 at 23rd, +7d8 at 27th, and so on).

Bonus Feats: The epic Lantern Corps Soldier gains a bonus psionic feat every three levels higher than 20th (23rd, 26th, and so on).

Human Lantern Corps Starting Package

Weapons: Power Ring

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 5 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Autohypnosis	4	Wis	-
Concentration	4	Con	-
Hide	4	Dex	-
Listen	4	Wis	-
Move Silently	4	Dex	-
Spot	4	Wis	-
Climb	4	Str	-
Jump	4	Str	-
Tumble	4	Dex	-

Feat: Toughness.

Bonus Feats: Weapon Focus (Lantern Power Ring), Wild Talent

Gear: Backpack with 2 waterskins, Personal Lantern Power Ring Recharger (Recharge Power Ring 1/day), one day’s trail rations, bedroll, sack, and flint and steel

Gold: 4d4 GP.

Campaign Information

Playing a Lantern Corps Soldier

Religion: Religion is more to the Racial preference, not classed based preference. However, there is said to be a group of individuals that embody the power source that is the ring's true nature, but so little is known about these entities that there are no known worshipers of them.

Other Classes: Psionic based users tend to be the ones that get along fine with the Lantern Corps Soldiers. Particularly the soulknife as the 2 are remarkably similar. Warrior races tend to do fine too since the two fight in similar ways. Magic users and these guys really only work together as needed.

Combat: These soldiers tend to be as the name implies, front line soldiers. They are likely the ones charging into combat head on. At earlier levels it is likely they will choose to start at long range then alter the weapon for melee combat.

Advancement: As Soul Knives would advanced or other psionic classes without incurring penalties for multiclassing.

Lantern Corps Soldiers in the World

“	It is not our rings that make us Lanterns, it is what is in our minds and in our hearts	”
—Hal Jordan, Human Lantern Corps Soldier

Lantern Corps Soldiers tend to fight for whatever agenda suits them or their organizations best.

Daily Life: They tend to live the life similar to a Soldier, Warrior, or a Soulknife, with the exception of needing to charge their weapon at the beginning of each day. From there, they get to work on whatever their task or agenda is for that particulr day.

Notables: Razar, Sinestro, Hal Jordan, Saintwalker

Organizations: There are not many Lantern Corps on the planet, but it is said there are numerous outposts and a well established base of operations for most all Lantern Corps of each indicated color, except for Black and White, as they are the rarest. Most times they are on call to do some mission as assigned by their superiors from wherever they may be.

NPC Reactions: Most NPCs associate this class as a Soulknife class, a very effective soulknife with an odd color manifestation.

Lantern Corps Soldier Lore

Characters with ranks in Knowledge(Psionics) can research Lantern Corps Soldiers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Knowledge(Psionics)

DC	Result
5	Lantern Corps Soldiers possess a psionic-esque ring. The ring creates the weapons and armor that a Lantern Corps uses.
10	There are 9 forms of ring based powers, most involving an emotions to fuel, some don't.
15	The ring cannot be stolen, sold or otherwise taken, as the ring will simply return to its rightful owner. When an owner does die, the ring simply leaves to find another master.
20	Information on a particular Lantern Corps Soldier, including last known location and most recent notable deed.

Lantern Corps Soldiers in the Game

These characters are adaptive fighters and operate very similar to a SoulKnife, as such they get along swimingly with psionics as the sorts have much in common with the Lantern Corps Soldier.

Adaptation: This could be used simply as a replacement to Soulknife or a psionic based prestige class requiring the creation of a psionic ring, treating the first 10 levels as base levels and the next 10 as epic level prestige classes (Ignoring 21-30).

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