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Ekeralos
2009-05-07, 11:06 PM
Dervish

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Class Traits
Role: Controller. You manipulate foes with your clever footwork and elegant fighting style. Depending on what deadly talent you select you either act as a secondary defender or striker.
Power Source: Martial. You have become a deadly tempest of steel through training and your own skill.
Key Abilities: Charisma, Constitution, Dexterity

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged
Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex

Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier

Trained Skills: Acrobatics. From the class skills list below, choose three trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Athletics (Str), Bluff (Cha), Endurance (Con), Insight (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Stealth (Dex), Thievery (Dex)

Build Options: Desert wind dervish, exotic dancer dervish
Class Features: Alacrity, Dance of Blades, Deadly Talent

Creating a Dervish
Dervishes depend on Charisma, Constitution, and Dexterity for their powers. The two dervish builds present here are the desert wind dervish and the exotic dancer dervish.

Desert Wind Dervish
You like powers that control the battlefield or that lessen your foes capability to fight effectively. Your attacks use Charisma, so keep that as your highest ability score. Constitution should be a close second – it lets you last longer in the front lines, and it can determine other effects of your attacks. Dexterity is a good third ability score, particularly if you want to utilize some powers from the other dervish build. Select the desert wind deadly talent, and look for powers that hit multiple foes, or cause status effects.
Suggested Feat: Toughness (Human feat: Human Perseverance)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Endurance, Intimidate
Suggested At-Will Powers: disorientating dance, snaring strike
Suggested Encounter Power: whirling steel
Suggested Daily Power: humbling strike

Exotic Dancer Dervish
You like powers that hit multiple foes or that keep you from the brunt of your opponents blows. Your attacks use Charisma, so keep that as your highest ability score. Dexterity should be your second highest score as it affects your AC and Reflex defense and initiative, and it important for a few of your attacks. Constitution is helpful for the health points it gives or if you want to select powers from the other dervish build. Select the exotic dance deadly talent, and look for powers the deal a lot of damage, hit multiple foes, or keep you moving.
Suggested Feat: Two-weapon fighting (Human feat: Action Surge)
Suggested Skills: Acrobatics, Bluff, Stealth, Thievery
Suggested At-Will Powers: flurry of steel, viper strike
Suggested Encounter Power: dance of the storm
Suggested Daily Power: rain of blades

Dervish Class Features
Alacrity
Due to your constant training in combat and dancing, you are quick on your feet. While not wearing heavy armor you gain a +1 to base speed

Dance of Blades
Due to your training with two melee weapons you may wield a one-handed weapon in your off-hand as if it were an off-handed weapon.
In addition, if you move at least 3 squares on your turn, you gain a +1 to melee attack rolls until the start of your next turn.

Deadly Talent
Your training in the dance of the dervish lends itself to a mobile style of fighting. Some dervishes are adept at skirting past an opponent, while others are harder to strike while in motion.
Choose one of these options. Your choice provides bonuses to certain dervish powers, as detailed in those powers.
Exotic Dance: When any power or effect allows you to shift or you shift as a move action you may instead shift the allotted number of squares + 1 or shift half your Dexterity modifier squares (whichever is greater), as long as you are not wearing heavy armor, as long as you are not wearing heavy armor.
Obscuring Wind: If you move at least 1 square on your turn, you add your Constitution modifier to AC and Reflex defense until the start of your next turn, as long as you are not wearing heavy armor.

Ekeralos
2009-05-07, 11:08 PM
Dervish Powers
Your powers are mystifying exploits that rely on your cunning and tenacity. At higher levels, you have access to special stance powers.

Level 1 At-Will Exploits
Disorientating Dance; Dervish Attack 1
Your opponent is unable to truly grasp their surroundings as you dance around them, and your clever footwork leaves them right where you want them.
At-Will ✦ Martial
Standard Action; Melee touch
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Charisma modifier damage and you slide the target 1 square
Increase damage to 2d6 + Charisma modifier damage at 21st level.

Flurry of Steel; Dervish Attack 1
You elegantly whirl your body, striking multiple times as you pivot.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two weapons
Target: One or two creatures
Attack: Charisma vs. AC (melee; main weapon and off-hand weapon)
Hit: 1[W] damage per attack
Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level.

Snaring Strike; Dervish Attack 1
Your attack prevents your opponent from getting away as you set them up for another strike.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons
Standard Action; Melee Weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is slowed
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier at 21st level.

Viper Strike; Dervish Attack 1
Like a snake you move around your prey and then strike.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee or Ranged Weapon
Target: One creature.
Special: Shift 1 square before, or after, you attack
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier at 21st level.

Level 1 Encounter Exploits
Dance of the Storm; Dervish Attack 1
You quickly dance and evade around your foes striking them and building up momentum with each attack.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons
Target: One, two, or three creatures
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and shift 1 square, make a secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Secondary Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and shift 2 squares, make a tertiary attack
Exotic Dance: You gain +1 damage until the end of your next turn
Tertiary Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Tertiary Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage
Exotic Dance: You gain +2 damage until the end of your next turn.

Deadly Reach; Dervish Attack 1
Your blows sink past your opponents defenses, and your opponents find your quick dancing and slicing to be difficult to circumvent.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage
Effect: Until the end of your next turn all adjacent squares become difficult terrain.

Defensive Whirlwind; Dervish Attack 1
You halt a foes advances and use your weapons to protect yourself from your enemies attacks.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is slowed.
Effect: You gain a +2 to AC until the end of your next turn

Whirling Steel; Dervish Attack 1
You spin rapidly striking all foes in range. Foes that remain close are quickly cut by your weapons.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Close burst 1
Requirement: You must be wielding two melee weapons
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage.
Effect: Until the end of your next turn, any opponent that enters or ends its turn in an adjacent square, takes Constitution modifier damage.
Obscuring Wind: Any opponent that starts its turn in an adjacent square, takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls (save ends).

Level 1 Daily Exploits
Humbling Strike; Dervish Attack 1
Your strike makes it painful for your foe to move and swing weapons.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is weakened and slowed (save ends both).
Miss: Half damage and the target is weakened and slowed until the end of your next turn.

Rain of Blades; Dervish Attack 1
You skillfully toss a multitude of blades into the air and watch them rain down upon your foes. You then utilize the opening in your opponents’ offense to sneak away.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Close burst 2
Requirement: You must be wielding a light thrown weapon
Target: All enemies in burst
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Charisma modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage
Effect: You may shift a number of squares equal to the number of enemies you have hit with this attack.

Vengeful Counterstrike; Dervish Attack 1
An opponent strikes and you seize this opening to lay them low.
Daily ✦ Martial, Reliable, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt; Melee weapon
Trigger: An adjacent creature hits you
Target: The creature that hit you
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is knocked prone.

Level 2 Utility Exploits
Evasive Step; Dervish Utility 2
An opponent strikes, but you anticipate the attack and quickly move yourself from harms way.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Immediate Interrupt; Personal
Trigger: An enemy hits you with a melee attack
Effect: The attack doesn’t hit and you can shift 2 squares.

Jump of the Heavens; Dervish Utility 2
You do not require a running start to leap great distances.
At-Will ✦ Martial
Move Action; Personal
Requirement: You must be trained in Athletics
Effect: You make a high jump or a long jump. Determine the DC of the Athletics check as though you had a running start. The distance that you jump can exceed your speed.

Surprising Substitution; Dervish Utility 2
You catch a foe off guard by switching places with them, or by darting behind an ally.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Move Action; Melee 1
Requirement: You must be adjacent to an ally and a foe
Target: Either your ally or your foe.
Effect: Switch places with your ally or your foe. All allies gain Combat Advantage against one foe adjacent to you, until the end of your next turn. If you switched places with a foe, then that foe is the one that grants Combat Advantage to allies.

Tenacity of the Traveler; Dervish Utility 2
You shrug off wounds, and stop yourself from faltering, dancing around the battlefield with renewed vigor.
Daily ✦ Martial
Minor Action; Personal
Effect: You spend a healing surge and shift a number of squares equal to your Constitution modifier.

Wind Stride; Dervish Utility 2
With graceful moves, you effortlessly circumvent difficult terrain.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Minor Action; PersonalEffect: You ignore difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.

Level 3 Encounter Exploits
Blade Retrieval; Dervish Attack 3
You toss your weapon at a foe and then quickly shift next to them retrieve your weapon and use it to strike them or another foe.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Ranged 5
Requirement: Must be wielding a one handed weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] damage and make a secondary attack
Effect: You can shift 5 squares as long as you end your move adjacent to the target.
Secondary Attack; Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage

Dance with Me; Dervish Attack 3
Your strikes leads your opponent into a specific set of steps, and you quickly follow your quarry with steps of your own.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and you slide the target 2 squares. You can then shift 2 squares.
Exotic Dance: If you pass an enemy during your shifting you deal Dexterity modifier damage to that enemy. You can only affect an enemy like this once but there is no limit to the number of foes that you can affect.

Dazing Feint; Dervish Attack 3
You quickly weave to and fro, tiring your foe and weighing them down with indecision and worry.
Encounter ✦ Martial
Standard Action; Melee touch
Requirement: You must be trained in Bluff
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Will
Hit: 1d6 + Charisma modifier damage and the target is dazed (save ends).

Pinning Fangs; Dervish Attack 3
You quickly slice into the feet of your foe, pinning them down and causing immense pain every time they move.
Encounter ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Requirement: You must be wielding two weapons
Target: One creature
Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is slowed (save ends) and make a secondary attack.
Secondary Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex
Secondary Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target is immobilized (save ends)
Obscuring Wind: After saving against being immobilized, the target is slowed (save ends). The target receives a penalty on his saving throws against being slowed and immobilized equal to your Constitution modifier.

Level 5 Daily ExploitsUncoiled Serpent Strike; Dervish Attack 5
You spring at your foes who underestimated your agility and reach. Your weary enemies must be mobile and alert if they are to defend themselves against you and your allies’ onslaught.
Daily ✦ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action; Close blast 2
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Charisma vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage and the target takes a -2 penalty to defenses if it does not move on its turn (save ends).
Exotic Dance: They penalty is equal to your Dexterity modifier

Level 6 Utility Exploits
Gale Stance; Dervish Utility 6
With alarming speed you circumvent your foes attacks, forcing them away from you or moving from their reach, like sand slipping through their fingers.
Daily ✦ Martial, Stance
Standard Action; Personal
Effect: Every time you provoke an opportunity attack or an immediate interrupt triggered by movement the target takes a -2 penalty on any attack roll that targets you. If the attack misses then you may slide the target 1 square or shift up to half your speed.

Ekeralos
2009-05-07, 11:09 PM
Reserved for paragon powers

Ekeralos
2009-05-07, 11:10 PM
Reserved for epic powers

Ekeralos
2009-05-07, 11:11 PM
Dervish Feats:
Blade Dancer Initiate [Multiclass Dervish]
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13
Benefit: You gain training in the Acrobatics skill.
Once per encounter, if you move more than 3 squares on your turn, you gain a +1 bonus to melee attack rolls and Reflex defense until the start of your next turn.

Enduring Wind
Prerequisites: Dervish class, desert wind deadly talent
Benefit: You gain a +2 to death saving throws. You gain a +1 to Endurance checks.

Graceful Momentum
Prerequisites: Dervish class, Dexterity 13
Benefit: When slowed you have a speed of 3. While immobilized, you are treated as if you had a speed of 1, but this movement is not considered a shift. If immobilized you cannot utilize any movement benefits from any powers (such as the shifting granted while using vipers strike).

Graceful Save
Prerequisites: Dervish class
Benefit: Once per encounter you may reroll a single Acrobatics check. You may use the better of the two rolls.

On Your Feet
Prerequisites: Dervish class, exotic dancer deadly talent
Benefit: You can stand up from prone as a minor action (instead of a move action). You gain a +1 to Acrobatics checks.

Ekeralos
2009-05-08, 12:18 AM
I haven't done much homebrewing in 4e and I speculate that the features and powers of this class are above the norm and should be weakened in order to balance this among the other classes. I am far from done, and I don't have much to go off of since most controller powers are magical effects. If anyone has any criticisms or suggestions feel free to reply.

Certain questions/concerns readers might have:
Why use Charisma as an attacking stat? The powers are not magical in origin so it makes more sense for the attack powers to be based on Strength or Dexterity.
I chose to use Charisma because I wanted to differentiate the Dervish from the Rogue. I felt that it represented the graceful and unconventional attacks of the dervish.

Why don't all powers require that the dervish use the same weapon?
I chose to add the two-weapon requirement for some powers, when it made the most sense. I felt that some players might want to wield a different type of weapon, such as a longspear. I'll probably end up editing almost all the powers to have the two weapon requirement.