Keen with Soul Bolts?

Question

I understand the enhancement Keen is majority placed in melee weapons and on the odd ranged ammo or ranged thrown weapon sometimes. It can be even applied to Soul Knives mind blades.

But does that apply to the Soulbolt the Soul Knife archetype as well? I thought that it would since the Soulbolt still has to throw/launch the mind bolt so the Keen enhancement would still work.

My gaming buddy has a Soulbolt who uses the blade skill Emulate Range Weapon, I suggested that he could use keen on his Soulbolt. He firmly said and believes the Keen was primary for melee weapons and said it would not work for him. Is that so? If Keen can be used on ammunition, and be applied to mind blades/soul bolts, then can't the emulated ranged weapon of the Soulbot be assumed to fire Keen soul bolts?

Answer 1

Keen cannot be placed on a mind bolt

Though the mind blade weapon special abilities table on page 64 of Ultimate Psionics states this about keen: "a keen mind blade gains its benefits no matter the assigned damage type," the keen weapon special ability states that it can only be placed on melee piercing or slashing weapons. A mind blade can be bludgeoning and become keen, but it doesn't have any provisions for ignoring the melee-only restriction on the ability.

Other non-melee weapons or ammunition that you may have found with the keen weapon special ability are likely either written in error, or specific exceptions. The ability itself is quite clear that "only piercing or slashing melee weapons can be keen."