It seems to me that while the psychic blades feature emulates two weapon fighting mechanically in a lot of ways, it’s different. As such, with the psychic blade manifesting when used for an attack, then immediately disappearing before another blade is summoned for subsequent attacks, that each blade benefits from the dueling fighting style while no other weapon is held. This means the action and bonus action attack not only gains attribute modifier to damage, but also potentially the dueling style bonus damage.
3-5 fighter seems quite nice for a soul knife build.
Yes, RAW the soulknife blades are NOT in any way connected to the usual two weapon fighting rules and so would gain nothing from the two weapon fighting style. Dueling fighting style does technically work by RAW since you only have one blade out at a time before it disappears. This also means that if you have a way to get multiple fighting styles and are using the soul blades as throwing knives you can utilize both Dueling and Thrown Weapon fighting styles (though what you'd be giving up to get multiple fighting styles may not be worth it).
Yes the modifier would be added to the bonus action attack too. This is similar to how the polearm master feat bonus action works, the double bladed scimitar too.
Proficiency would be added to the attack rolls to see if the attack hit. Proficiency would not be added to damage rolls unless some other feature gives the ability to do so, like the warlock hexblades feature.
Rules as written I think dueling only works with melee attacks. So although psiknifes are melee, if they are being thrown they are a ranged attack and lose the dueling +2.
Rules as written I think dueling only works with melee attacks. So although psiknifes are melee, if they are being thrown they are a ranged attack and lose the dueling +2.
Dueling does NOT state Melee attacks but rather melee weapons.
When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Psychic blades does create a melee weapon:
This magic blade is a simple melee weapon with the finesse and thrown properties.
Getting extra fighting styles is a challenge especially when combined with a class that doesn't get one. Meaning you will need to use a feat, or ASI, to get another fighting style. Lucky for you, both fighter and rogue are the two who excel at ASI the most. Fighter 8 levels and rogue 12 by end of leveling to give an idea of a target. this will get you two more ASI than any other class alone (aside from these two classes obviously) Fighter gives an extra one at lvl 6 and rogue gives an extra one at 10. Fighter also give another one in later levels but that is too many levels to divot to fighter for any benefit of adding another class.... I. E. 8/12 is the best split for Feat gains between fighter/rogue. That said;
With fighter, I would advise choosing Archery first to improve your chance of hitting targets with your psychic blades. You don't need the draw to be included in your attack while using psychic blades (unless using with any other thrown weaponry) but you do want the bonus to damage from thrown weapon fighting style. The bonus from dueling fighting style is only applicable to the psychic blades or while you only have one throwing dagger (no dart/shuriken) in hand as it is a melee weapon to begin with and also has the thrown weapon property. So between those two, either first is fine with psychic blades so once you don't need to boost any ability score and can get a feat instead, increase your damage with your psychic blades to 1d6 + 4 + dex mod (should be maxed asap) ranging from 9-14 (or 10-15 with max dex) damage each dagger that hits and sneak attack with any one of them that has advantage with the attack. My question really is, do any of this fighting styles that add damage to ranged attack apply to a Net that originally does no damage?
With fighter, I would advise choosing Archery first to improve your chance of hitting targets with your psychic blades.
The Archery fighting style only applies to ranged weapons, and psychic blades are not ranged weapons. They are simple melee weapons with the thrown and finesse properties, and so Archery does not apply.
My question really is, do any of this fighting styles that add damage to ranged attack apply to a Net that originally does no damage?
There is Sage Advice that the intent is that nets do no damage at all, and so no damage modifiers of any description apply. That would be how I would run it at my table.
With fighter, I would advise choosing Archery first to improve your chance of hitting targets with your psychic blades.
The Archery fighting style only applies to ranged weapons, and psychic blades are not ranged weapons. They are simple melee weapons with the thrown and finesse properties, and so Archery does not apply.
RAW this is correct since they have the thrown property and are not a ranged weapon. However, testing on a dndbeyond character sheet when you add the archery fighting style the to hit bonus does get a plus two. I think this is because the psychic blades are considered "ranged attacks" on the sheet. The same thing happens if you equip darts that are a thrown weapon but count as a "ranged attack". I assume this is a coding issue on the sheets treating the blades as a ranged weapon. Also Thrown Weapon Fighting and Dueling do not add the bonuses to the psychic blades correctly on the sheet.
Edit: I just read the subclass feature and found something interesting.
"After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it."
This sounds like the psychic blade is considered a ranged weapon, at least for the bonus action attack. Which means archery fighting style would apply to the bonus action attack but not attack action. Seems like a strange distinction but that's RAW I guess.
It seems to me that while the psychic blades feature emulates two weapon fighting mechanically in a lot of ways, it’s different. As such, with the psychic blade manifesting when used for an attack, then immediately disappearing before another blade is summoned for subsequent attacks, that each blade benefits from the dueling fighting style while no other weapon is held. This means the action and bonus action attack not only gains attribute modifier to damage, but also potentially the dueling style bonus damage.
3-5 fighter seems quite nice for a soul knife build.
Yes, RAW the soulknife blades are NOT in any way connected to the usual two weapon fighting rules and so would gain nothing from the two weapon fighting style. Dueling fighting style does technically work by RAW since you only have one blade out at a time before it disappears. This also means that if you have a way to get multiple fighting styles and are using the soul blades as throwing knives you can utilize both Dueling and Thrown Weapon fighting styles (though what you'd be giving up to get multiple fighting styles may not be worth it).
Since it isn't two weapon fighting, would the first and second blade both get the modifier bonus?
Yes the modifier would be added to the bonus action attack too. This is similar to how the polearm master feat bonus action works, the double bladed scimitar too.
Wouldn't it also add proficiency bonus if you are proficient in simple weapons?
Proficiency would be added to the attack rolls to see if the attack hit. Proficiency would not be added to damage rolls unless some other feature gives the ability to do so, like the warlock hexblades feature.
Rules as written I think dueling only works with melee attacks. So although psiknifes are melee, if they are being thrown they are a ranged attack and lose the dueling +2.
Dueling does NOT state Melee attacks but rather melee weapons.
Psychic blades does create a melee weapon:
Getting extra fighting styles is a challenge especially when combined with a class that doesn't get one. Meaning you will need to use a feat, or ASI, to get another fighting style. Lucky for you, both fighter and rogue are the two who excel at ASI the most. Fighter 8 levels and rogue 12 by end of leveling to give an idea of a target. this will get you two more ASI than any other class alone (aside from these two classes obviously) Fighter gives an extra one at lvl 6 and rogue gives an extra one at 10. Fighter also give another one in later levels but that is too many levels to divot to fighter for any benefit of adding another class.... I. E. 8/12 is the best split for Feat gains between fighter/rogue. That said;
With fighter, I would advise choosing Archery first to improve your chance of hitting targets with your psychic blades. You don't need the draw to be included in your attack while using psychic blades (unless using with any other thrown weaponry) but you do want the bonus to damage from thrown weapon fighting style. The bonus from dueling fighting style is only applicable to the psychic blades or while you only have one throwing dagger (no dart/shuriken) in hand as it is a melee weapon to begin with and also has the thrown weapon property. So between those two, either first is fine with psychic blades so once you don't need to boost any ability score and can get a feat instead, increase your damage with your psychic blades to 1d6 + 4 + dex mod (should be maxed asap) ranging from 9-14 (or 10-15 with max dex) damage each dagger that hits and sneak attack with any one of them that has advantage with the attack. My question really is, do any of this fighting styles that add damage to ranged attack apply to a Net that originally does no damage?
The Archery fighting style only applies to ranged weapons, and psychic blades are not ranged weapons. They are simple melee weapons with the thrown and finesse properties, and so Archery does not apply.
There is Sage Advice that the intent is that nets do no damage at all, and so no damage modifiers of any description apply. That would be how I would run it at my table.
RAW this is correct since they have the thrown property and are not a ranged weapon. However, testing on a dndbeyond character sheet when you add the archery fighting style the to hit bonus does get a plus two. I think this is because the psychic blades are considered "ranged attacks" on the sheet. The same thing happens if you equip darts that are a thrown weapon but count as a "ranged attack". I assume this is a coding issue on the sheets treating the blades as a ranged weapon. Also Thrown Weapon Fighting and Dueling do not add the bonuses to the psychic blades correctly on the sheet.
Edit: I just read the subclass feature and found something interesting.
"After you attack with the blade, you can make a melee or ranged weapon attack with a second psychic blade as a bonus action on the same turn, provided your other hand is free to create it."
This sounds like the psychic blade is considered a ranged weapon, at least for the bonus action attack. Which means archery fighting style would apply to the bonus action attack but not attack action. Seems like a strange distinction but that's RAW I guess.
Per aspera ad astra