Eldritch Rager (3.5 barbarian warlock PrC)

[DJDeMiko]

The Eldritch Rager (Barbarian Warlock combination PRC 3.5)

Where as some Barbarians find that their rage allows them to tap into unknown physical strength . . . others find themselves summoning arcane energy.

Design Note – This is not a true dual-progression class. Instead this is meant for a barbarian who dips into Warlock to tap into unknown reserves of power

Hit die – d8
Requirements:
BAB - 5
Invocations - Hideous Blow
Class or Racial ability - Rage of Frenzy ability
Feat – Power attack
Alignment – Must be Chaotic or Non-lawful evil

{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Invocations
1|0|2|0|0|Eldritch Fury +1, Diverse Training|-
2|1|3|0|0|-|Blast shape: Rage Strike least
3|2|3|1|1|-|-
4|3|4|1|1|-|Blast shape: Rage Strike lesser
5|3|4|1|1|Eldritch Fury +2|-
6|4|5|2|2|-|Blast shape: Rage Strike Greater
7|5|5|2|2|-|-
8|6|6|2|2|-| Blast shape: Rage Strike Dark
9|6|6|3|3|Eldritch Fury +3|-
10|7|7|3|3|See Below|-[/table]

SKills 4+int. The Eldritch Rager's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use magic device (cha)

Eldritch fury – While in a rage you tap into innate reserves of eldritch power. Add +1 to all melee attack rolls, this bonus increases to +2 at level 5 and +3 at level 10

Diverse Training – Levels of Eldritch Rager stack with levels of Barbarian (or similar class) to determine the number of times that you can rage each day. It does not grant access to improved versions of Rage. Levels of Eldritch Rager stack with levels of Warlock to determine the damage done by your eldritch blast.

Blast Shape: Rage Strike – While raging, the eldritch rager may apply this blast shape. The rager may attack normally and add damage based on his eldritch blast to all melee attack rolls. The amount of damage added increases as she progresses. This bonus does not apply if she is dual wielding (balance issue that I haven’t resolved yet). Only the first attack in the round can apply an eldritch essence. See below to determine how much damage the rager may add.

Least – At this point add 1d3 per eldritch damage die. As an example of you can use a 4d6 eldritch blast, add 4d2 damage to every attack while using Rage Strike

Lesser – You may now use 1d4 per eldritch damage die

Greater – You may now use 1d5 per eldritch damage die

Dark – You may now use your full power and add your full d6’s damage to each attack

Level 10 ability – undecided – not sure what’s balanced properly

Possibilities –

Eldritch power attack – when using the power attack feet, instead of subtracting 1 to hit and adding 1 to damage, increase your eldritch blast by 1d6 for each point. This seems far too powerful.

Fury Cone – Once per rage and while using Hideous Blow or Rage Strike, you may use Fury Cone. The rager strikes his foe with such eldritch force that the attack pushes past his foe, hitting everything behind it. The attack must hit or the attempt is wasted. If the attack hits, the target creature takes damage normally. The force of the attack then continues outward in a cone shape. The cone must be aimed from the attacker through the defender, but can originate from any cross-section within the targets space. The same attack roll used to hit the target is then used to attempt to hit each creature. Any creature hit takes damage equal to the damage done to the first target.



Balance and design Issues

My desire was to take the barbarian and turn it into a glass cannon and the idea of a Barbarians rage letting him tap into not just physical strength but internal arcane energies was interesting.
Problems I am considering

1. Is this too much damage. On one hand this player is a barbarian who stops gaining better versions of rage, lower hit die and no DR. On the other hand a barb who hits level 10 in this PRC is adding at least 6d6 or 7d6 untyped damage to every attack. That seems damn high to me.

2. Is a level 10 power necessary and how to I find a balance for it?

3. Should the player gain some access to new invocation levels?

[Pyrusticia]

Blast Shape: Rage Strike – While raging, the eldritch rager may apply this blast shape. The rager may attack normally and add damage based on his eldritch blast to all melee attack rolls. The amount of damage added increases as she progresses. This bonus does not apply if she is dual wielding (balance issue that I haven’t resolved yet). Only the first attack in the round can apply an eldritch essence.

The two statements in bold seem to be contradictory. First you say the eldritch damage is applied to all melee attacks, then you say it only applies to the first attack each round. Which is it?


Balance and design Issues

My desire was to take the barbarian and turn it into a glass cannon and the idea of a Barbarians rage letting him tap into not just physical strength but internal arcane energies was interesting.
Problems I am considering

1. Is this too much damage. On one hand this player is a barbarian who stops gaining better versions of rage, lower hit die and no DR. On the other hand a barb who hits level 10 in this PRC is adding at least 6d6 or 7d6 untyped damage to every attack. That seems damn high to me.

I don't play Barbarians much, so I can't really comment on this from that angle. However, from the Warlock angle, you're losing all higher-level invocations in exchange for being able to apply your eldritch blast to multiple attacks/round (assuming that is, indeed, how it's supposed to work). This seems reasonable.


2. Is a level 10 power necessary and how to I find a balance for it?

I'd give it the following:

Blast Shape: Dark Blow - At this point, the Eldritch Rager has learned to channel his eldritch energy at will. He gains the ability to apply his Blast Shape - Rage Strike Dark to all attacks, even when not in a rage.


3. Should the player gain some access to new invocation levels?

Nope. See above.

[DJDeMiko]

The two statements in bold seem to be contradictory. First you say the eldritch damage is applied to all melee attacks, then you say it only applies to the first attack each round. Which is it?

The power is a blast shape which allows it to apply to all attacks, however I stipulate that Essence's (which normally can be applied to blast shapes) only apply on the first attack.

IE if he uses rage strike and gets 3 attacks normally and wants to use frightful blast, then he attacks 3 times, adding whatever damage he adds, but only the first attack also has frightful blast.




I don't play Barbarians much, so I can't really comment on this from that angle. However, from the Warlock angle, you're losing all higher-level invocations in exchange for being able to apply your eldritch blast to multiple attacks/round (assuming that is, indeed, how it's supposed to work). This seems reasonable.



I'd give it the following:

Blast Shape: Dark Blow - At this point, the Eldritch Rager has learned to channel his eldritch energy at will. He gains the ability to apply his Blast Shape - Rage Strike Dark to all attacks, even when not in a rage.



Nope. See above.

Hmmm, thats an interesting idea. It's definitely not overpowered.

[Pyrusticia]

The power is a blast shape which allows it to apply to all attacks, however I stipulate that Essence's (which normally can be applied to blast shapes) only apply on the first attack.

Ah, right, I was forgetting about the essence invocations, and so I misinterpreted what you had written. Yeah, this makes sense. Looks good!