JustinCognito
2005-10-26, 12:58 PM
So, I was flipping through the XPH one day, and a thought ran through my demented little mind: "What if there were a psionic player class that allowed its player to prepare powers like a wizard prepares spells?"
Well, then it would be immensely broken. But the thought persisted, and mutated, and eventually resulted in this. I've made a good attempt at balance, but if I failed completely, please let me know.
Persona Crafter
"Don't try to remember me, gentlemen. I won't be the same girl tomorrow."
-Amanda Savarin
There are those who, no matter how accomplished, find some fault with their self. Perhaps they wish they were stronger, or could remember things more easily. The persona crafter has mastered the art of psionics to the point that they can actually accomplish such things. "Mind over matter," they say. To a persona crafter, the body, as well as the mind, is a thing that can be molded to fit any standard they wish.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Saves: Will +6
Skills: 11 ranks Autohypnosis, 5 ranks Bluff, 5 ranks Perform (Act)
Psionics: Able to manifest 3rd-level powers
Hit Dice: d4
BAB: Rogue
Saves: Will good, Reflex and Fort bad
Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Use Psionic Device (Cha)
Skill Points: 6 + Int bonus per level
Specialties (by level):
1st: Potential (1st), Areas of Interest, +1 manifester level
2nd: Identity Savant +2
3rd: Borrowed Talent, +1 manifester level
4th: Potential (2nd), Metabolism Shift
5th: +1 manifester level
6th: Identity Savant +4
7th: Potential (3rd), Psyche Shift, +1 manifester level
8th: Hidden Talent
9th: +1 manifester level
10th: Potential (4th), Identity Savant +6, Self Shift
Potential: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter permanently loses one of the 1st-level powers she knows. In its place lies a well of psionic energy that can be shifted any way she wishes, known as a potential. After resting to regain power points, a persona crafter may spend 15 minutes in meditation. During this time, she can shape the potential to take the form of any 1st-level power available to her. This power stays in the persona crafter's mind until she wishes to change it, which requires another 15 minutes of meditation following 8 hours of rest.
At every third level after 1st, the persona crafter loses another known power, this one being one power level above the last. A 7th-level persona crafter, for instance, will have lost one 1st-level power, one 2nd-level power, and one 3rd-level power in favor of a 1st-level potential, a 2nd-level potential, and a 3rd-level potential. These potentials can all be shaped during the 15 minute meditation period to replace a power of the respective level.
Areas of Interest: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter chooses three skills that are normally cross-class. These skills automatically become class skills for the persona crafter.
Identity Savant: Through practice, the persona crafter has become more skilled at acting like the person she wishes to be. At 2nd level, she gains a +2 to Disguise checks and Bluff checks related to identity. At every 4th level afterwards, this bonus increased by +2.
Borrowed Talent: Once per day, a persona crafter may use ranks in one skill to aid in one skill check that uses the same ability for a bonus. For example, Amanda has 14 ranks in Autohypnosis, but none in Listen. As a free action, Amanda may shift these 14 ranks into Listen for purposes of one Listen check. However, were Amanda to shift the ranks into a cross-class skill, such as Heal, they would count for only half their number (rounded down), giving her only 7 ranks. This skill is not reactive, and cannot be used in response to a check that is called for.
Metabolism Shift: Upon reaching 4th level, a persona crafter may take a full-round action to attune the psionic energies that course through her body; after properly attuning these energies, the persona crafter may switch ability scores between any of the two following abilities: Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. Any ability modifiers likewise switch, giving the persona crafter a bonus (or detriment) to the shifted skills. For example, Amanda has a +2 to Dexterity and a +3 to Constitution, and knows that there is a necromancer who specializes in touch spells in the dungeon she is about to enter. She may spend five minutes in meditation to switch her Dexterity and Constitution scores; while she may lose 1 hit point per class level, she gains +1 to her touch AC. This swap lasts for 2 minutes per persona crafter level.
Psyche Shift: A persona crafter's Psyche Shift ability functions just like her Metabolism Shift ability, except it applies to three different ability scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Using this ability, for example, Amanda may prepare for a battle with a vampire who makes regular use of his dominate person ability by swapping out her higher Intelligence score for her lower Wisdom score, giving her a greater bonus to Will saves. Swapping out an Intelligence score for a lower score has no effect on ranks in skills, though it does have an effect on bonuses to any Intelligence-based skill checks.
Hidden Talent: Like Borrowed Talent, a persona crafter may shift ranks between skills once per day; unlike Borrowed Talent, however, these ranks may come from any skill, regardless of chief ability. Ranks in Profession, for instance, could go to aid a Bluff check. The same rules concerning cross-class skills and reactive usage still apply.
Self Shift: Self Shift works just like Metabolism Shift and Psyche Shift; however, at this point, the persona crafter has gained such control over their own body that they may exchange any ability score with any other, whether it is physical or mental.
So, is it too broken? Or just broken enough?
Well, then it would be immensely broken. But the thought persisted, and mutated, and eventually resulted in this. I've made a good attempt at balance, but if I failed completely, please let me know.
Persona Crafter
"Don't try to remember me, gentlemen. I won't be the same girl tomorrow."
-Amanda Savarin
There are those who, no matter how accomplished, find some fault with their self. Perhaps they wish they were stronger, or could remember things more easily. The persona crafter has mastered the art of psionics to the point that they can actually accomplish such things. "Mind over matter," they say. To a persona crafter, the body, as well as the mind, is a thing that can be molded to fit any standard they wish.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Saves: Will +6
Skills: 11 ranks Autohypnosis, 5 ranks Bluff, 5 ranks Perform (Act)
Psionics: Able to manifest 3rd-level powers
Hit Dice: d4
BAB: Rogue
Saves: Will good, Reflex and Fort bad
Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Use Psionic Device (Cha)
Skill Points: 6 + Int bonus per level
Specialties (by level):
1st: Potential (1st), Areas of Interest, +1 manifester level
2nd: Identity Savant +2
3rd: Borrowed Talent, +1 manifester level
4th: Potential (2nd), Metabolism Shift
5th: +1 manifester level
6th: Identity Savant +4
7th: Potential (3rd), Psyche Shift, +1 manifester level
8th: Hidden Talent
9th: +1 manifester level
10th: Potential (4th), Identity Savant +6, Self Shift
Potential: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter permanently loses one of the 1st-level powers she knows. In its place lies a well of psionic energy that can be shifted any way she wishes, known as a potential. After resting to regain power points, a persona crafter may spend 15 minutes in meditation. During this time, she can shape the potential to take the form of any 1st-level power available to her. This power stays in the persona crafter's mind until she wishes to change it, which requires another 15 minutes of meditation following 8 hours of rest.
At every third level after 1st, the persona crafter loses another known power, this one being one power level above the last. A 7th-level persona crafter, for instance, will have lost one 1st-level power, one 2nd-level power, and one 3rd-level power in favor of a 1st-level potential, a 2nd-level potential, and a 3rd-level potential. These potentials can all be shaped during the 15 minute meditation period to replace a power of the respective level.
Areas of Interest: Upon taking this class, the persona crafter chooses three skills that are normally cross-class. These skills automatically become class skills for the persona crafter.
Identity Savant: Through practice, the persona crafter has become more skilled at acting like the person she wishes to be. At 2nd level, she gains a +2 to Disguise checks and Bluff checks related to identity. At every 4th level afterwards, this bonus increased by +2.
Borrowed Talent: Once per day, a persona crafter may use ranks in one skill to aid in one skill check that uses the same ability for a bonus. For example, Amanda has 14 ranks in Autohypnosis, but none in Listen. As a free action, Amanda may shift these 14 ranks into Listen for purposes of one Listen check. However, were Amanda to shift the ranks into a cross-class skill, such as Heal, they would count for only half their number (rounded down), giving her only 7 ranks. This skill is not reactive, and cannot be used in response to a check that is called for.
Metabolism Shift: Upon reaching 4th level, a persona crafter may take a full-round action to attune the psionic energies that course through her body; after properly attuning these energies, the persona crafter may switch ability scores between any of the two following abilities: Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution. Any ability modifiers likewise switch, giving the persona crafter a bonus (or detriment) to the shifted skills. For example, Amanda has a +2 to Dexterity and a +3 to Constitution, and knows that there is a necromancer who specializes in touch spells in the dungeon she is about to enter. She may spend five minutes in meditation to switch her Dexterity and Constitution scores; while she may lose 1 hit point per class level, she gains +1 to her touch AC. This swap lasts for 2 minutes per persona crafter level.
Psyche Shift: A persona crafter's Psyche Shift ability functions just like her Metabolism Shift ability, except it applies to three different ability scores: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. Using this ability, for example, Amanda may prepare for a battle with a vampire who makes regular use of his dominate person ability by swapping out her higher Intelligence score for her lower Wisdom score, giving her a greater bonus to Will saves. Swapping out an Intelligence score for a lower score has no effect on ranks in skills, though it does have an effect on bonuses to any Intelligence-based skill checks.
Hidden Talent: Like Borrowed Talent, a persona crafter may shift ranks between skills once per day; unlike Borrowed Talent, however, these ranks may come from any skill, regardless of chief ability. Ranks in Profession, for instance, could go to aid a Bluff check. The same rules concerning cross-class skills and reactive usage still apply.
Self Shift: Self Shift works just like Metabolism Shift and Psyche Shift; however, at this point, the persona crafter has gained such control over their own body that they may exchange any ability score with any other, whether it is physical or mental.
So, is it too broken? Or just broken enough?