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Belial_the_Leveler
2009-09-26, 02:35 AM
http://media.comicvine.com/uploads/1/13925/301007-89289-mjolnir_super.jpg

Agents of the Powers that Be, enforcers of the chief deity's edicts in the physical world, slayers of monsters. Hammers of Balance are all of the above and more. Wherever the natural order is threatened, they are there to wield their powers and help restore it.

Hit Dice: d12

THE HAMMER OF BALANCE
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+2|Magic Hammer, Focused Defense

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+0|
+3|Defy Magic, Hammerthrow

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+3|Deny Power

4th|
+4|
+1|
+1|
+4|Hammer in Mouth, Trollbane

5th|
+5|
+1|
+1|
+4|Defy Magic

6th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+5|Deny Power

7th|
+7/+2|
+2|
+2|
+5|Hammer of Thunderbolts

8th|
+8/+3|
+2|
+2|
+6|Defy Magic

9th|
+9/+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Deny Power

10th|
+10/+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Banned and Banished

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+7|Defy Magic

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+8|Deny Power

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+4|
+4|
+8|Wield the Banhammer

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+9|Defy Magic

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+5|
+5|
+9|Deny Power

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+10|Hammertime!

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Defy Magic

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Deny Power, Worldshaker

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Defy Magic

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Slayer of Monsters[/table]

Skill Points per level: 2 + Int Modifier (x 4 at 1st level)
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis)

Class Abilities:

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Hammers of Balance are proficient with all hammers, armors and shields.

Magic Hammer: When wielding a hammer, maul, warhammer, a greatclub shaped like a hammer or any other weapon that is a hammer, a Hammer of Balance gets an enhancement bonus to that hammer equal to half his class level, rounded up. The Hammer of Balance can choose to apply all of the bonus as an enhancement bonus-to a cap of +5-and/or add special abilities. He can change the special abilities thus bestowed with a five-minute runic ritual once per day.
In the hands of the Hammer of Balance, such weapons are nearly weightless; he can wield hammers of up to 2 size categories larger than normal without penalties.

Focused Defense (Ex) The Hammers of Balance serve the ultimate authority in the cosmos, whatever that may be. Against enemies that deviate even in the slightest from that authority, the Hammers gain special defenses. For every class other than Hammer of Balance an enemy has levels in, the Hammer of Balance gains a +2 bonus to saves and AC.

Hammerthrow (Su) A Hammer of Balance can instantly recall its enchanted hammer as a free action. This means it can recall it after using it as a thrown weapon or after being disarmed or stolen.
When throwing it, the hammer warps through the intervening distance; it can be thrown without penalty up to 40 ft per class level and it negates cover or barriers blocking line of effect but not concealment or barriers blocking line of sight.

Defy Magic (Ex) Each time the Hammer of Balance gains this ability, it chooses one bonus type or one school of magic. Untyped bonuses are a viable bonus choice and Universal magic is a viable magic choice. Once he makes that choice it cannot be changed; forever after he will ignore that bonus type or effects of this school of magic as long as they are not instantaneous or permanent. E.g. when attacking somebody with a temporary armor bonus to his AC, he will strike against the enemy's unbuffed AC if he has chosen to ignore armor and when attacked by someone with an enhancement bonus to strength, the enemy's bonus would not work if he'd chosen to also ignore enhancement bonuses. Nonmagical bonuses cannot be thus ignored.

Deny Power (Ex) Each time the Hammer gains this ability, it chooses an ability score. Afterwards it ignores the bonuses that ability score may give beyond the normal bonuses it gives to all creatures. E.g. if the Hammer chooses wisdom, it may ignore a monk's AC bonus but not the wisdom bonus to will saves. If he chooses intelligence, he may ignore the bonus DC to a wizard's spells but not bonus to intelligence-based skills. The Hammer ignores bonuses even if they would be beneficial to him. E.g. if he has paladin levels, he would not benefit from Divine Grace if he chose to defy charisma-based abilities.

Hammer in Mouth (Ex) A Hammer of Balance of 4th level and higher can, as full-round action, hit an enemy's mouth with a melee hammer or hammer throw attack. If the attack hits, it deals normal damage and the enemy must make a fortitude save DC 10+1/2 the Hammer's class level + the hammer's strength modifier. If the save fails, the magic hammer smashes teeth and bone, preventing the enemy from speaking clearly enough to be understood until he receives healing. If the fail succeeds, the enemy suffers no premanent effect but is still too sore to speak clearly for 1 round.

Trollbane (Ex) At 4th level and higher, the Hammer of Balance has the power to stop the recuperative abilities of some creatures. He always deals lethal damage (regardless of regeneration and similar abilities that shift lethal damage into nonlethal) if he attacks with a hammer. In addition, if the creature has an innate ability to reform, rejuvenate or otherwise avoid death, it must succeed at a will save DC 10 +1/2 the Hammer's level + the Hammer's strength modifier or this ability doesn't work. Creatures normally immune to fortitude saves still have to make a save. This ability works only on innate abilities. If the ressurection comes from some external factor-such as an ally casting a ressurection spell-it works normally.

Hammer of Thunderbolts (Su) At 7th level, as a full-round action, the Hammer of Balance can invoke a lightning bolt from his hammer as the spell cast from a wizard of his class level. At 10th level as a part of a melee hammer attack or thrown hammer attack, he can apply the effects of Orb of Lightning to the target if the attack hits. At 13th level as a ful-round action, he can invoke a Chain Lightning effect. Save for those abilities is DC 10 +1/2 the Hammer's level + the Hammer's constitution modifier
After using one of those abilities, he can't use any of them again for 1d4 rounds.

Banned and Banished (Su) As a standard action, a Hammer of 10th level and higher may perform a special melee or thrown hammer attack. If the attack hits, the target takes normal damage and is affected as if by dismissal, followed by dimensional anchor if the dismissal fails. All creatures under the ongoing control of the target are also affected by dismissal. At 15th level, the target and controlled creatures are affected by banishment instead of dismissal. Save for this ability is DC 10 +1/2 the Hammer's level + the Hammer's constitution modifier.

Wield the Banhammer (Su) As a standard action a Hammer of 13th level and higher may perform a special melee or thrown hammer attack. If the attack hits, the target is affected as if by Antimagic Ray and is unable to use any spells or magical abilities for 1 round per Hammer of Balance class level. Save for this ability is DC 10 +1/2 the Hammer's level + the Hammer's constitution modifier.

Hammertime! (Ex) As long as the Hammer of Balance is wielding a hammer, whenever an enemy within 1 mile would use extra actions (such as from Timestop or Celerity or shapechanging into a choker), the Hammer of Balance can also use the same amount of extra actions. The Hammer acts in those extra actions before the enemy who got the extra actions.

Worldshaker (Su) Once per minute as a full-round action, the Hammer of Balance can strike the earth or a building with his magic hammer and create an earthquake effect, as the spell, centered on himself. He is unaffected by his own earthquake but any other creature caught in the effect must make a reflex save or fall prone followed by a fortitude save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds. Save for this ability is DC 10 +1/2 the Hammer's level + the Hammer's strength modifier.

Slayer of Monsters (Ex) At 20th level, when fighting a nonhumanoid enemy with a CR higher than his class level, the Hammer of Balance may call upon hidden reserves of endurance and keep fighting until his foe is no more. If he would die in the fight, the Hammer instead keeps fighting until either the fight is over or the Hammer willingly moves 7 squares or more, whichever comes first. Once the fight is over or the Hammer moves seven steps, the ability stops working and the Hammer dies from his previously sustained mortal wounds.

Godskook
2009-09-26, 02:59 AM
Hammertime! As long as the Hammer of Balance is wielding a hammer, whenever an enemy within 1 mile would use extra actions (such as from Timestop or Celerity or shapechanging into a choker), the Hammer of Balance can also use the same amount of extra actions. The Hammer acts in those extra actions before the enemy who got the extra actions.

1.Are the same restrictions/penalties place upon the Hammer of Balance(hereafter: HoB)?

2.Based on the general description of the class, it should read "whenever an enemy within 1 mile would use extra actions as the result of magic"

3.A mile? That seems abusable... "Ok guys, stand half a mile away, and when you see us fighting, starting casting time stops till he dies, ok"?

Belial_the_Leveler
2009-09-26, 03:21 AM
The restrictions don't apply; the Hammer gets the extra actions.

I am not putting "as a result of magic" there. A choker's quickness is not magical. Maneuers, Psionic and Shadow effects can give extra actions as well.

However, I did put the restriction that the extra actions have to be used by an enemy. You can't stowaway on your allies' timestop.

Godskook
2009-09-26, 08:42 AM
The restrictions don't apply; the Hammer gets the extra actions.

So enemy wizard casts time stop, and this guy has five rounds to kill hit whomever he wants? That seems a little over the top...


I am not putting "as a result of magic" there. A choker's quickness is not magical. Maneuers, Psionic and Shadow effects can give extra actions as well.

Choker's quickness is magical, put a note about psionics transparency, and what gets 'non-magical' shadow effects? As far as maneuvers go, it makes absolutely no sense fluff-wise for one man's 'training' to result in another man going faster. Crunch-wise, this class reads like a mage-slayer, so why would he be good at fighting non-mages?

Getting acceleration based on schism(a psionic power) doesn't make any sense either. As it stands, it reads like a disassociated mechanic. There's no 'why' to how it works, it just does. If it was 'I leech off magical acceleration', but at present, it seems like 'fueled by awesome' is the why for it.

Belial_the_Leveler
2009-09-26, 11:38 AM
It is trigerred on enemy wizard using the extra actions, not getting the extra actions. So, in the case of timestop, the Hammer would get the action at the same time the wizard is trying to use them (i.e. in stopped time).
While the effect doesn't say the same restrictions apply, getting the actions in stopped time does restrict you.

As for why, look at spell stowaway epic feat. It stowaways on an effect used nearby. It is just an ability with a wider application.

Godskook
2009-09-26, 12:06 PM
It is trigerred on enemy wizard using the extra actions, not getting the extra actions. So, in the case of timestop, the Hammer would get the action at the same time the wizard is trying to use them (i.e. in stopped time).
While the effect doesn't say the same restrictions apply, getting the actions in stopped time does restrict you.

How does it restrict you, exactly, and more importantly, why? Why does some of the negatives of time stop apply, but nothing from celerity?


As for why, look at spell stowaway epic feat. It stowaways on an effect used nearby. It is just an ability with a wider application.

1.Stowaway only works on one spell per feat, for an epic feat slot. Very high cost for the ability. Hammertime works on pretty much anything including the other player just being 'good'(still makes 0 sense on that one), and is pre-epic. Way more powerful.

2.Stowaway doesn't prevent negatives of the spell being cast. Celerity still dazes. Again, this makes hammertime more powerful than the abilities triggering it.

3.Stowaway has an 'association' to it, while Hammertime doesn't.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-09-26, 12:23 PM
Be honest now, this entire class is just a joke isn't it?

just look at this ridicules level one ability:


Focused Defense (Ex) The Hammers of Balance serve the ultimate authority in the cosmos, whatever that may be. Against enemies that deviate even in the slightest from that authority, the Hammers gain special defenses. For every class other than Hammer of Balance an enemy has levels in, the Hammer of Balance gains a +2 bonus to saves and AC.


1 level dip in this class gives you pretty much +40 to saves and AC at level 20(or +38 assuming everybody takes at least one level), even casters would be highly tempted to take it. Creatures with monster HD would be even worse off.

Belial_the_Leveler
2009-09-26, 01:05 PM
@Godskook;
The ability is intended as anti-cheese. Abilities that give extra actions are that cheese. The ability has no effect in a normal fight but if the enemy uses that most broken cheese, he's toast.

@Fenix_of_Doom;
Read the ability carefully;

For every class other than Hammer of Balance an enemy has levels in
So, if the enemy is a straight wizard 20, the bonus is a flat +2. If the enemy is wizard 2/archivist 3/mystic theurge 10/archmage 5 then the bonus would be +8. The more complicated/broken the build, the stronger the Hammer's defence.
Against a classless dragon with 40 HD, the bonus is still +0 because there are no class levels.

Fenix_of_Doom
2009-09-26, 01:10 PM
That makes that class feature a lot more reasonable, I still don't like it though, but now for different reasons.

my observation still stands as well, it seems this class was created to poke fun at all things stereotypical optimisers do.

Belial_the_Leveler
2009-09-26, 01:13 PM
It has an ability called "Wield the Banhammer". Of course it is intended to be fun.

That doesn't mean it isn't effective and workable in a normal game.

Godskook
2009-09-26, 01:40 PM
@Godskook;
The ability is intended as anti-cheese. Abilities that give extra actions are that cheese. The ability has no effect in a normal fight but if the enemy uses that most broken cheese, he's toast.

Time stands still is not 'cheese', it is an 'out of the box' warblade/swordsage maneuver. Any standard Diamond Mind focused build will pick it up. It is also highly limited in what it adds(only extra attacks), rather than 'blank check' actions that most magical effects give.

---------------------------------

Primarily, I don't like this class because of how 'meta' it is. Basing an AC bonus on 'class level' is a good example, as is Hammertime, which activates based on bonus 'actions' on a purely mechanical level, without any concept of an in-world explanation. Deny power works how, or even why?

-------------------------------------

The capstone is pointless. Monsters of nigh-epic levels are very likely to simply move away, letting him die of his wounds. If you like the idea and want to keep it, try cribbing some concepts from the Devoted Spirit stance, Immortal Fortitude.