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View Full Version : [3.5 Base Class] The Analyst (PEACH)



Maldraugedhen
2009-01-07, 12:21 AM
OK, the following is a stab at making a class almost entirely dependent on a single attribute--intelligence. The primary class feature deals with opening weaknesses in the opposition through detecting faults in their behavioral patterns, and peripheral class features mostly have to do with that one.

What I would like PEACH'd--Is the class as a whole too strong? Too weak? Too specialized? Do each of the Schools of Thought seem roughly the same level of power, or did I miss some fault line that'll make the balance break? Are each of the Mental Acuities worth it? Is it too tempting to dip?

I could also use a bit of a hand with the rewording. Some of it strikes me as a bit clumsy going back through.

With all of that said--

Analyst
Alignment: Any nonchaotic.
Hit Die: D6.
Class skills:
Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Perform (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level
(8 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level
8 + Int modifier.
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st| +0| +0| +2| +2| Analysis +1, School of Thought I
2nd| +1| +0| +3| +3| Insightful Strike
3rd| +2| +1| +3| +3| First Specialization +1
4th| +3| +1| +4| +4| Analysis +2, School of Thought II
5th| +3| +1| +4| +4| Accelerated Analysis
6th| +4| +2| +5| +5| Second Specialization +1
7th| +5| +2| +5| +5| Analysis +3, School of Thought III
8th| +6/+1| +2| +6| +6| Mind Manipulator
9th| +6/+1| +3| +6| +6| Third Specialization +1
10th| +7/+2| +3| +7| +7| Accelerated Analysis, Analysis +4, School of Thought IV
11th| +8/+3| +3| +7| +7| Mental Acuity
12th| +9/+4| +4| +8| +8| First Specialization +2
13th| +9/+4| +4| +8| +8| Analysis +5
14th| +10/+5| +4| +9| +9| Mental Acuity
15th| +11/+6/+1| +5| +9| +9| Accelerated Analysis, Second Specialization +2
16th| +12/+7/+2| +5| +10| +10| Analysis +6
17th| +12/+7/+2| +5| +10| +10| Mental Acuity
18th| +13/+8/+3| +6| +11| +11| First Specialization +3
19th| +14/+9/+4| +6| +11| +11| Analysis +7
20th| +15/+10/+5| +6| +12| +12| Mental Acuity[/table]


Class Features
All of the following are class features of the analyst.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Analysts are proficient with all simple weapons plus all crossbows, longbows and rapiers. Analysts are also proficient with all light armor and shields, but not tower shields.

Analysis
An analyst, through careful observation of his or her opponents and correlation with known trivia, may make some relevant discovery about how they act in combat to provide themselves with a useful advantage. As a standard action, an Analyst may make a Spot check with a DC equal to 8 + (2 x Target’s HD) followed by an appropriately typed Knowledge check with a DC determined by the DM appropriate to the obscurity of the creature type (see the list below) to gain ONE of the following bonuses:
- + 1 AC versus attacks made by the creature
- +1 Damage to attacks made against the creature
- +1 to attack for attacks made against the creature
- +1 to saves versus special attacks made by the creature
The bonus provided by this check increases at level four and every three levels thereafter.
All knowledge check base DCs are for fairly well-known representative creature. Moderately obscure creatures increase the DC by 5, while extremely obscure creatures increase the DC by 15. If the creature also has a subtype that is correctly identified before the check, the DC is decreased by two. Incorrectly identifying the subtype increases the DC by 2.

{table=head]Monster Type
Aberration-type—Base DC 15 Knowledge (Dungeoneering).
Animal-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Nature).
Construct-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Arcana).
Dragon-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Arcana).
Elemental-type—Base DC 15 Knowledge (The Planes).
Fey-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Nature).
Giant-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Nature).
Humanoid-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Nature) for creatures without civilizations, Knowledge (Local) for creatures with civilizations.
Magical Beast-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Arcana).
Monstrous Humanoid-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Nature).
Ooze-type—Base DC 15 Knowledge (Dungeoneering).
Outsider-type—Base DC 10 Knowledge (Religion).
Plant-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Nature).
Undead-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Religion).
Vermin-type—Base DC 5 Knowledge (Nature).[/table]

The analysis may be shared with other characters if they succeed on an Intelligence check equal to one half of the Spot DC the Analyst while the Analyst explains the quirk to them. They must be able to hear and understand the analyst over two rounds, during which the analyst may not say anything unrelated to the analysis. If the creature being analyzed can hear and understand the analysis, and can make the intelligence check, the bonus is reduced by one. The bonuses from analyses fade after one minute. An analyst may only have one of the four bonuses above active on a target at a time.

School of Thought
At first level, an Analyst chooses one of the following four Schools of Thought. This determines their specialty when it comes to combat roles.
Combat Advisor
1st Level—Aid Another may be used as a swift action.
4th Level—When Aid Another is used against a creature the Analyst has analyzed, it receives a bonus to the effect equal to one half (rounded up) the Analyst’s Analysis modifier.
7th Level—The Analyst may Aid Another up to two allies as a swift action.
10th Level—The Analyst may Aid Another to improve the save DCs of arcane, divine, or psionic abilities cast by allies.
Precise Warrior
1st Level—Bonus Fighter Feat. Analyst levels may be counted as Fighter levels for the purpose of selecting new feats.
4th Level—Bonus Fighter Feat.
7th Level—Bonus Fighter Feat.
10th Level—2 Bonus Fighter Feats.
Practical Analyst
1st Level—All skill synergy bonuses increase by 1, and the analyst may select one skill trick that requires an analyst class skill to purchase for free.
4th Level— All skill synergy bonuses increase by 1, and the analyst may select one skill trick that requires an analyst class skill to purchase for free.
7th Level— All skill synergy bonuses increase by 1, and the analyst may select one skill trick that requires an analyst class skill to purchase for free.
10th Level— All skill synergy bonuses increase by 1, and the analyst may select one skill trick that requires an analyst class skill to purchase for free.
Commander
1st Level—Allies receive a bonus equal to the analyst’s analysis modifier to the Intelligence check to gain the benefit of any analyses the analyst has made.
4th Level—Allies who gain the bonus of the analyst’s analysis gain an additional +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects caused by creatures the analyst has successfully analyzed. This effect may stack with bardic song or a paladin’s Aura of Courage.
7th Level—A creature the analyst has analyzed may not choose to take the first attack of opportunity available to it in the round.
10th Level—The commander analyst may analyze his own allies to provide a penalty to opponents targeting that ally, in the opposite manner of the analysis class feature. This penalty to the analyst’s opponents is equal to one third of the analyst’s analysis modifier rounded up.

Insightful Strike
Whenever an Analyst deals precise damage, either through the Precise Shot feat or the Weapon Finesse feat, they may add their Intelligence modifier in addition to their Strength modifier to their damage and attack modifier.

Specialization
An analyst may specialize in a particular creature type as per the Ranger Favored Enemy class feature. This grants a +2 bonus per level of specialization on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot checks made against creatures of this type (including Analysis checks) and a +1 to weapon damage rolls per level of specialization against creatures of the chosen type.

Accelerated Analysis
At fifth level, an analyst may perform an analysis as a move action. At tenth level, analyses may be performed as a swift action, and at fifteenth level, analyses may be performed as a free action.

Mind Manipulator
At eighth level, an analyst may duplicate the effects of any first-, second-, or third-level spell with only the mind-affecting descriptor as a caster of one half their analyst level through speech and gesticulation. This is not a magical effect, and so cannot be detected by Detect Magic, nor suppressed by an anti-magic field. This may be done up to 3 + the Analyst’s Intelligence modifier times per day.

Mental Acuity
At 11th level and every three levels thereafter, an Analyst may select one of the following abilities.
Mental Resilience—Select one type of save (Fortitude, Reflex, or Will). The analyst may choose to substitute the relevant ability modifier for the save with their intelligence modifier. This may be taken up to three times, once per each type of save.
Knock Off Balance—Being hit by a standard attack (meaning an attack or full attack action) from this analyst while the analyst has its analysis bonus against the creature provokes an attack of opportunity that can be taken by any character but the analyst. An analyst may trigger one attack of opportunity per round this way.
Collected—The analyst may take 10 on the Spot check or Knowledge check for their analyses, but not both.
Detailed Analysis—In addition to the selected bonus for a given analysis, the analyst (but not all allies) also receives one half the effect (rounded down) of each of the other bonuses granted by analysis.
Brief Explanation—The analyst may explain the analysis within one round rather than two. Doing so increases the DC of the Intelligence check by 2.
Discern the Illusion—Analysis checks made against illusions make the analyst automatically disbelieve. If the analyst explains the analysis, then the allies who gain the analysis also automatically disbelieve.
Read Immediate Motions—In the first round of the analysis, the analyst’s analysis bonus is increased by +3. This diminishes to +2 in the second round, +1 in the third round, and +0 in the fourth round.

Maldraugedhen
2009-01-08, 12:05 PM
Nothing?
Not even so much as a grunt?

Human Paragon 3
2009-01-08, 12:34 PM
This looks pretty good. My only suggestion would be to take the Archivists Dark Knowledge ability and use it for Analysis instead of the system you're currently using. It's a little cleaner I think, takes fewer checks and gives bonuses to allies as well.

A good representation of a clever hero.

lilhowie624
2009-01-09, 04:17 PM
im just speech less. just gotta say
how much time did you spend thinking of this class