PDA

View Full Version : Is this PrC broken?



McDeath
2005-12-28, 04:05 AM
Blademaster
The Blademaster is more than a warrior. He is an artist, who writes new masterpieces with steel and courage. Using perfectly co-ordinated styles called forms, he can perform acts that leave lesser warriors staring. At the end of a blademaster’s life, he will have created his own form, unique and everlasting.

Prerequisites
Alignment: any lawful
BAB: +5
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Quick Draw, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Finesse
Ranks: Tumble 4 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks, Perform (dance) 4 ranks
Special: Must be taught a form by another blademaster.

Level BAB Fort Will Ref Special
1 1 1 0 1 Blade Form, Bladestorm 1/day
2 2 2 0 2 Adaptation +1
3 3 3 1 3 Blade Form
4 3 3 1 4 Bladestorm 2/day
5 4 4 2 5 Blade Form
6 5 4 2 6 Adaptation +2
7 6 5 3 7 Bladestorm 3/day, Blade Form
8 6 5 3 8 Adaptation +3
9 7 6 4 9 Blade Form
10 8 6 4 9 Bladestorm 5/day, Blade Mastery

The Blademaster’s class skills are Balance, Concentration, Heal, Diplomacy, Jump, Knowledge (history), Listen, Profession, Ride, Sleight of Hand, Speak language, Tumble.
The Blademaster gets 2 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Abilities
Blade Form – every second level a Blademaster chooses another form to learn. During combat, the Blademaster may as a free action change form. He may only change between forms he knows, and he may choose to use no form. He may only fight using one form at a time. He may not use any form if wearing any armour that restricts his Dexterity bonus to AC, and only while wielding a longsword.
Inner Fire: +1 to damage rolls
Bladesong: all watching take Will save DC equal to Blademaster level plus Dex modifier, cannot be affected twice in one day, if fail lose next action
Serpent Tongue: +3 attack and +1d6 damage to all AoO
Wind Walker: +1 AC per Blademaster level
Relentless Mirror: +3 attack if opponent does not attack or is attacked by another, nor does the Blademaster
Twin Soul: does not count as flanked, -3 to attack rolls
Spiral Dance: does not count as surrounded, cannot take any actions

Bladestorm – once per day, increasing at 4th, 7th and 10th levels, the Blademaster can weave a web of steel that distracts, paralyses or kills an opponent. The Blademaster must designate an attack as a Bladestorm before making it. If successful, he may choose to distract the target, giving it –3 on Will saves, reflex saves, Spot and Listen checks, or knock them unconscious, or – if the damage would be sufficient to take them into negative HP) kill instantly, with a Fort save DC 15 + Blademaster level. A Blademaster may not make a Bladestorm attack if he is using the Spiral Dance form.

Adaptation – at 2nd level, the Blademaster gets a +1 competence bonus on all attacks with a longsword, but –1 on all attacks with another weapon. Both modifiers increase by one at level 6 and 8.

Blade Mastery – at 10th level, the Blademaster has nothing left to learn when it comes to the way of the sword. He may feint or attempt to disarm as a free action. He keeps such a firm grip on his weapon that he gets +3 when opposing a disarm attempt, and he gets +3 on all Sense Motive checks when opposing a feint. The Blademaster also creates his own form – the DM must approve it. He cannot learn his own form, but he can teach it to other Blademasters. A 10th-level Blademaster gets +5 on all Diplomacy checks with other Blademasters.

Please let me know whether you think it's broken, overpowered, stupid, unnecessary, or slightly wonky.

firepup
2005-12-28, 04:13 AM
blade forms? what forms are there to choose from, and what do they do?

Jothki
2005-12-28, 04:26 AM
What does Bladesong do? All you mention is the Will save, not the effect.

Deleran
2005-12-28, 04:35 AM
I think its overpowered for a variety of reasons, but specifically, I'm just wondering whats going on with his reflex save. Thats a pretty impressive progression.

McDeath
2005-12-28, 04:41 AM
Anyone here play Warhammer? What I was going for with this was a warrior who is based oon speed and study, not strength. Hang on a sec, I'm going to tone down his Fort save progression.

Edit: Done. What I was going for was a kind of Eltharion figure (except, y'know, one who can see). It is overpowered, but the thing is...Take the Blademaster's longsword away, and he's dead.

Frank
2005-12-28, 04:53 AM
I think this already exists...

Isn't it like called "Sword dancer" or "Blade Dancer" or something like that?

I know my old running buddy Mike handled a character who used to create sword forms like this...I think he said something about being able to hit it at level 8. "Bladesinger" maybe?


-Frank

Deleran
2005-12-28, 05:01 AM
It is overpowered, but the thing is...Take the Blademaster's longsword away, and he's dead.

Thats not much of a justification. "Put me in a very specific situation that my character has undoubtedly made contigency plans for and I'm in trouble." What about the other 90% of the time?

McDeath
2005-12-28, 06:49 AM
You're correct. However, are there ways to balance this? Which parts are too overpowered?

Thomas
2005-12-28, 06:49 AM
Why don't the BAB and save progressions follow any normal rule? Is this not a D&D prestige class? (I know several d20 games have PrCs and classes that don't follow the same progressions as D&D characters.)

The BAB should either be Level x 3/4 (rounded down) or Level x 1; saves should either go 0/0/1/1/1/2/2/2/3 or 2/3/3/4/4/5/5/6/6/7. Anything else is going to end up unbalanced.

Generally, you use +/- 3 a lot. Why? Bonuses and penalties tend to be even numbers if they're above 1.

Weapon Finesse is a silly requirement, since the feat does not work with a longsword (for which you must have weapon focus). Either change the weapon to a rapier, or drop Weapon Finesse as a requirement.

The other requirements are a bit odd, too. What kind of character is supposed to be able to get into this PrC? Right now, I think you have to be a Bard 1/Fighter 5 (or Fighter 5, either a human or with Int 12+, with no skills points anywhere else).

Bladesong: The DC is nonstandard (the standard is something like 10 + class level + stat); this makes the ability useless at high levels. I suppose that's just as well, though, since the ability is overpowered. You need to limit the distance. "All enemies within 30 ft." or something. Then it's just a daze effect. Of course, making it contigent on the Dex bonus is a bit of a bad idea, since this character will have Dex 30+ at level 20. Maybe Cha or Int?

Relentless Mirror: I don't understand the wording. "Nor does the Blademaster" what?

Spiral Dance: This doesn't make sense. "Does not count as surrounded" ? There's no state or condition called surrounded in D&D. Why on earth would anyone use this ability?

Bladestorm: This is silly. You can kill someone - if you do enough damage to kill them? I suppose that's a free coup de grace, but that would work better as a separate ability ("If you drop an opponent below 0 hit points, you get a free coup de grace against them" or something). You can knock someone unconscious without a save, just with a successful attack? Overpowered. That one has to go. Make it something like the assassin's paralyzing death attack, rather; hit, Fort save (DC 10 + class level, maybe + Int/Cha bonus), paralyzed for (blademaster class level) if save doesn't succeed.

Adaptation: Unprecedented. I'd do away with this, and rather give Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization as bonus feats (I'd say level 3 and level 7, respectively).

Blade Mastery: Oh dear heavens, no. First: creating one's own form to be approved by the DM, with absolutely no rules and guidelines? No, trash that. +5 Diplomacy bonus with other Blademasters? Why? Won't they be Friendly be default anyway? Useless, toss it. And then the absolute worst - feint and disarm as free actions? Do you know what a free action is? This means that you could, RAW, disarm and/or feint unlimited times in a round (only restricted by DM fiat, which should never, ever be necessary). At the very least, every munchkin could convincingly argue themselves 2-4 disarms and feints per round. This is a horribly over-powered ability. First of all, a Disarm is an attack action. So forget that one entirely; maybe give Improved Disarm as a bonus feat instead. Feint as a swift action (basically a free action, but you only get one swift action on any turn) might work, but is still too powerful; just give Improved Feint instead.


Basically, this entire prestige class could be forgotten, and replaced by giving a Fighter or Fighter/Rogue the feats Combat Expertise, Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack, Improved Feint, and Improved Disarm. (All of which a straight Fighter can have at level 10.)

Ryver
2005-12-28, 11:44 PM
The concept I like. It's like the Bladesinger without the singing. However, there are many things wrong with it, most/all of which have been mentioned.

That said, I would like to see it fixed, because I like the concept of a no-armored, sword-swinging warrior that doesn't cast magic or sing. :D

A specialized fighter gets close, but I'd like to see a PrC that gives some kind of an AC bonus when unarmored and using a [insert sword here]

Heck, maybe I should just make a fighter/monk? Never did like the idea of Monks being unable to multiclass...

McDeath
2005-12-29, 01:01 AM
Good points. I'm going to take this class away for a while and tweak it severely. It'll be back, less nonsensical and more balanced.