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View Full Version : [d20r, Race Template] Xel'gash (Chaos-Aligned)



Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 01:41 PM
Xel'gash is an inherited racial class progression that can be applied to a living, corporeal, non-Outsider creature. It represents having a chaotically-aligned Outsider in one's ancestry. Like any class, a racial class progression does not need to be taken all the way through.

Prerequisites:
Type: Any corporeal, non-Outsider, non-Construct, non-Undead

{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Spellcasting/Spellweaving
1st | +1 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Chaotic Body, Outsider | -
2nd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | Natural Magic | +1 level of existing class[/table]

HD: d8

Skills: 4+Int, 1 set

Prowess: 4 per level.

Proficiencies: Xel'gash are proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Xel'gash gain no proficiencies with armor or shields.

Chaotic Body (Ex): A xel'gash creature's body is constantly morphic, changing his strengths and weaknesses daily. Each morning, the xel'gash rolls 1d6 twice and consults the following tables:

First Roll:
{table=head]Roll | Result
1 | Strength +2
2 | Dexterity +2
3 | Constitution +2
4 | Intelligence +2
5 | Wisdom +2
6 | Charisma +2[/table]

Second Roll:
{table=head]Roll | Result
1 | Strength -2
2 | Dexterity -2
3 | Constitution -2
4 | Intelligence -2
5 | Wisdom -2
6 | Charisma -2[/table]

These effects last for 24 hours or until the xel'gash rolls these stat adjustments again.

Outsider: At 1st level, a xel'gash creature's type changes to Outsider and they gain the Native and Chaos subtypes.

Spellcasting/Spellweaving: At 2nd level, a xel'gash gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in whatever arcane spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the racial class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of xel'gash to the level of whatever other arcane spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one arcane spellcasting class before she became a xel'gash, she must decide to which class she adds each level of xel'gash for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.

Alternatively, at 2nd level, a xel'gash gains new seeds known and augments her spellweaving class feature as if she had also gained a level in whatever spellweaving class she belonged to before she added the racial class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of xel'gash to the level of whatever other spellweaving class the character has, then determines seeds known accordingly.

If a character had more than one spellweaving class before she became a xel'gash, she must decide to which class she adds each level of xel'gash for the purpose of determining seeds known and the power of her spellweaving class feature.

Natural Magic (Sp): A xel'gash has a small pool of magical charges they may tap into daily. A xel'gash has one charge per three class levels, minimum one. A charge may be spent to activate one of the following spell-like abilities (Caster level equals the xel'gash's class levels):

{table=head]Character Level | Spell-Like Abilities
1-3 | disguise self
4-6 | suggestion
7-9 | misdirection
10-12 | bestow curse
13-15 | confusion
16-18 | modify memory
19+ | mislead[/table]

Should the xel'gash already have Natural Magic as a racial feature (but not Inborn Psionics, Born of Giants, or a similar racial feature), they instead conjoin the two features, using one pool of charges to power both abilities. In essence, the creature adds the new spell-like abilities gained from this class to the spell-like abilities gained by race.

MammonAzrael
2009-02-24, 02:23 PM
First off, this is a very interesting take, and I like it. That said, I am confused about some things that I hope you can clear up.


If it's inherited, then wouldn't it have to be taken at 1st level? Or is that purely fluff? Otherwise anyone could take this class/template at any point in their career. The only way I can think of keeping this an inherited template/class and allow it to be taken after gaining levels in other classes is to make a feat that can only be taken at 1st level as a prereq.
Otherwise prereqs look good.
Have you changed Outsiders in d20r to only have medium saves and 4 Skill points/level (instead of good saves and 8 points/level)? And presumably they get 4 Prowess/level.
Chaotic Body seems fun and unpredictable. Won't make a huge impact, but will certainly make for a fun jack-of-all-trades character.
Why is the 2nd level's class advancement limited to only Spellcasting and Spellweaving? Why can't it advance Cartomancers, Psionic-users, Fencers, Monks,Paladins and all the abilities you're putting into classes to give them options? Unless the Xel-gash is specifically tuned to Spellcasting/weaving (which isn't indicated in the fluff), then why would it advance only that, and not other abilities?
Why does it only ever get 1 charge for it's Natural Magic? Since it can never have more than 2 class levels in Xel'gash, that pool never increases. Did you mean character level? That would also clear up the weirdness about it's caster level (otherwise its caster level would always only be 2). You also probably want to specify in the text that you can only use abilities on the table according to your character level or lower.
I like that bit at the end where you combine the pools of Natural Magic from you race. My only question from that is what qualifies some abilities as Natural Magic instead of a different name, like Born of Giants? Flavor only, or do you have a specific guideline?

Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 02:41 PM
If it's inherited, then wouldn't it have to be taken at 1st level? Or is that purely fluff? Otherwise anyone could take this class/template at any point in their career. The only way I can think of keeping this an inherited template/class and allow it to be taken after gaining levels in other classes is to make a feat that can only be taken at 1st level as a prereq.
Actually, I'm planning on defining "inherited racial progressions" as "you can only have one". You can't be Aasimar-Xel'gash, for instance. I'll change the prereqs.


Have you changed Outsiders in d20r to only have medium saves and 4 Skill points/level (instead of good saves and 8 points/level)? And presumably they get 4 Prowess/level.Actually, it's to keep this from being a full-BAB, full-saves, 8 skills class. I justify it as, "half-outsider is only half as powerful".


Why is the 2nd level's class advancement limited to only Spellcasting and Spellweaving? Why can't it advance Cartomancers, Psionic-users, Fencers, Monks,Paladins and all the abilities you're putting into classes to give them options? Unless the Xel-gash is specifically tuned to Spellcasting/weaving (which isn't indicated in the fluff), then why would it advance only that, and not other abilities?The idea is that the other forms are too formulaic for xel'gash natural magical inclinations. The others will advance similarly. (Aasimar will advance divine casting and mantles, for instance).

Why does it only ever get 1 charge for it's Natural Magic? Since it can never have more than 2 class levels in Xel'gash, that pool never increases. Did you mean character level? That would also clear up the weirdness about it's caster level (otherwise its caster level would always only be 2). You also probably want to specify in the text that you can only use abilities on the table according to your character level or lower.Oh, that's a carryover. I'll fix that.

I like that bit at the end where you combine the pools of Natural Magic from you race. My only question from that is what qualifies some abilities as Natural Magic instead of a different name, like Born of Giants? Flavor only, or do you have a specific guideline?It's the fluff "source", if you will, of their powers. Half-giants, for example, pull their powers from their heritage, not from natural magical development.

Belobog
2009-02-24, 02:54 PM
A question:

If a Xel'gash takes the first two levels before they continue on into a normal class, what happens to that added level of spellcasting/spellweaving? Do they apply it to the first spellcasting/spellweaving class they take, or is it essentially non-existent if they don't have that class feature?

Also, must the first level of this be taken at the first character level, or is this available as long as a character meets the prerequisites?

Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 03:06 PM
If a Xel'gash takes the first two levels before they continue on into a normal class, what happens to that added level of spellcasting/spellweaving? Do they apply it to the first spellcasting/spellweaving class they take, or is it essentially non-existent if they don't have that class feature?The latter. The feature explicitly says "to an existing spellcasting/spellweaving class". Without one existing, it doesn't function.


Also, must the first level of this be taken at the first character level, or is this available as long as a character meets the prerequisites?
As long as they meet the prereqs.

MammonAzrael
2009-02-24, 03:08 PM
Actually, I'm planning on defining "inherited racial progressions" as "you can only have one". You can't be Aasimar-Xel'gash, for instance. I'll change the prereqs.

Good that you can only have one. But does this mean the first level of a character that wants it must be the template/class? Or can they start taking the template/class later in their career?

For instance, I want to make a level 5 character, that is a Xel'gash Sorceror. Does his first level have to be in the Xel'gash template/class, or can it be in Sorceror, and take the first level of Xel'gash at 2nd or 3rd level?


Actually, it's to keep this from being a full-BAB, full-saves, 8 skills class. I justify it as, "half-outsider is only half as powerful".

I can understand that. Outsider HD are awesome. Shouldn't that mean they also get half BAB? :smalltongue:

I can understand the need to game balance, but I guess it just seems wierd to me that you're basically getting racial hit dice, but not all the bonuses of said hit dice. Since the class is only 2 levels, do you think it would be too strong to give them a +2 to saves and basically an extra 8 skill points?

I could get behind the half-blood=half power, I guess it just feels weird atm.

On the not of monster types and what they get, have you come up with a list of how much prowess each type/subtype will get per level?


The idea is that the other forms are too formulaic for xel'gash natural magical inclinations. The others will advance similarly. (Aasimar will advance divine casting and mantles, for instance).

Ahh, awesomesauce. Then I hope there will be half-X that will advance things like the Monk or Fencer abilities?


Oh, that's a carryover. I'll fix that.

Shiny.


It's the fluff "source", if you will, of their powers. Half-giants, for example, pull their powers from their heritage, not from natural magical development.

Works for me. I think you should just be careful not to make nearly all races have Natural Magic, and the others each have a completely unique ability. That would raise synergy issues, pigeonholing some races into a less-viable option. I think the Half-Giants are fine, since they already are a half blood.

On the half-blood note (I think I mentioned this before), but how are you determining which are races, and which are templates? The method that makes the most sense to me is that half-X races will breed true, making more half-Xes, while the half-X template/classes do not breed true, and make either one or the other (depending on who they mate with), or their half-blood is not passed down at all and they can only produce their base race.

Fax Celestis
2009-02-24, 03:20 PM
Good that you can only have one. But does this mean the first level of a character that wants it must be the template/class? Or can they start taking the template/class later in their career?

For instance, I want to make a level 5 character, that is a Xel'gash Sorceror. Does his first level have to be in the Xel'gash template/class, or can it be in Sorceror, and take the first level of Xel'gash at 2nd or 3rd level?I should clarify: you're not just a Xel'gash. You're a Xel'gash gnome, or a Xel'gash half-giant, or a Xel'gash human.


I can understand that. Outsider HD are awesome. Shouldn't that mean they also get half BAB? :smalltongue:

I can understand the need to game balance, but I guess it just seems wierd to me that you're basically getting racial hit dice, but not all the bonuses of said hit dice. Since the class is only 2 levels, do you think it would be too strong to give them a +2 to saves and basically an extra 8 skill points?

I could get behind the half-blood=half power, I guess it just feels weird atm.Lemme do a couple more and we'll see where it goes.


On the not of monster types and what they get, have you come up with a list of how much prowess each type/subtype will get per level?I haven't codified it, but I'm going to.


Ahh, awesomesauce. Then I hope there will be half-X that will advance things like the Monk or Fencer abilities?Yes.


Works for me. I think you should just be careful not to make nearly all races have Natural Magic, and the others each have a completely unique ability. That would raise synergy issues, pigeonholing some races into a less-viable option. I think the Half-Giants are fine, since they already are a half blood.Yup, I won't.


On the half-blood note (I think I mentioned this before), but how are you determining which are races, and which are templates? The method that makes the most sense to me is that half-X races will breed true, making more half-Xes, while the half-X template/classes do not breed true, and make either one or the other (depending on who they mate with), or their half-blood is not passed down at all and they can only produce their base race.That's pretty much the idea. Races breed true; templates do not.

Belobog
2009-02-25, 02:54 PM
That's pretty much the idea. Races breed true; templates do not.

I take it that means there won't be racial (or should that be template?) feats centered around these?

Fax Celestis
2009-02-25, 02:55 PM
I take it that means there won't be racial (or should that be template?) feats centered around these?

There may be. Incertain on that.

MammonAzrael
2009-02-25, 03:19 PM
You could probably make one or two that keyed off either a specific ability, like a feat that requires Chaotic Body, or has a prereq of Xel'gash level X.