Fiery Diamond
2009-10-08, 10:01 PM
What do you think of this class? I tried to pack in a lot together in a 5 level PrC easily available at super-low levels. Ideally, this would be used by someone who otherwise would not focus on spellcasting at all, requiring a dip into a casting class or some similar shenanigan to qualify for the class. Admittedly, this class gains some high-level abilities at low character levels, but that's intentional. I'm more concerned with trying to balance said abilities so that they aren't too gamebreaking. I don't want a seventh level character to have access to a complete Greater Prying Eyes, but I do want them to have access to Greater Prying Eyes in some form. Is this workable as is, or should it be tweaked? What things should be tweaked? Keep in mind that I do want all the abilities to stay, I just want to figure out how best to tweak the abilities so that they don't become "uber-pwnage." This class is intentionally supposed to be better at what it does than a higher-leveled non-focused caster, but make up for it in providing a complete absence of the class abilities of whatever the main class of the character is.
THE SENSOR
A sensor is an individual like any other – a rogue, wizard, fighter, cleric, or even a commoner – who has developed mystical sensing talents. All sensors have some background with magic, even if only a little, as it is needed in order to understand how to nurture the sensing talents within. Few adventurers take up the path of the sensor because they feel their time could be better spent focusing on pursuing their primary talents – fighting, sneaking, or casting. However, it is not uncommon for nobles to hire sensors as spies and guards; they pay a premium to do so. In fact, spying is probably the best career for a sensor, which means that rogues who have dabbled in magic find the path of the sensor to their liking more often than others.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a sensor, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks.
Feats: Alertness.
Spells: Ability to cast Detect Magic.
Class Skills
The sensor’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Info(Cha), Hide(Dex), Knowledge (all skills chosen individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1|+0|+0|+0|+2|General Sensor 1, Locate 1/Spy 1/Scout 1
2|+1|+0|+0|+3|General Sensor 2, ID 1/Notice 1
3|+1|+1|+1|+3|General Sensor 3, Locate 2/Spy 2/Scout 2
4|+2|+1|+1|+4|General Sensor 4, ID 2/Notice 2
5|+2|+1|+1|+4|General Sensor 5, Locate 3/Spy 3/Scout 3[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sensor prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The sensor does not gain proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Hyper Attentive (Ex): The sensor is extremely alert and pays careful attention to detail. He gains a bonus to spot and search checks equal to twice his sensor level.
General Sensor (Su): The sensor has a primary sensing ability that can be turned on or off as a move action. It cannot be dispelled in any way, but it is suppressed by an AMF. It can be active for a number of consecutive minutes equal to the sensor’s concentration modifier without penalty. Every 1 minute thereafter that it remains active, he gains a cumulative 5% miss chance and cumulative -2 penalty on Spot and Search checks due to sensory overload (max 50% miss and -20 penalty). These side effects wear off at a rate equal to the rate they were accrued when sensing is ceased.
The general sensing ability has five levels of power, with the level increasing to match sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Detect Magic
Level Two: Detect Magic & See Invisibility
Level Three: Arcane Sight & See Invisibility
Level Four: Arcane Sight & True Seeing
Level Five: Greater Arcane Sight & True Seeing
Locate (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The locate ability can be activated as a standard action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to 10x the sensor’s concentration modifier. It can be activated up to 5 times per day. The effective caster level for determining range is 4x sensor class level. The locate ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level offers more power or versatility.
Level One: Locate Object
Level Two: Locate Object OR Locate Creature
Level Three: Locate Object OR Locate Creature OR Discern Location
Spy (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The spy ability can be activated as a 1 minute action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to 10x the sensor’s concentration modifier. It can be activated up to 5 times per day and requires a reflective surface. The effective caster level for determining range is 4x sensor class level. The spy ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Clairvoyance/Clairaudience
Level Two: Scrying
Level Three: Greater Scrying (duration increases to 30 minutes/point of concentration modifier)
Scout (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The scout ability can be activated as a 1 minute action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to the sensor’s concentration modifier at level one, 10x concentration modifier at level two (PE only), and 30x concentration modifier at level three (GPE only). It can be activated up to 5 times per day, and multiple activations can be simultaneous. The scout ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Arcane Eye
Level Two: Arcane Eye OR Prying Eyes
Level Three: Arcane Eye OR Greater Prying Eyes
ID (Sp): At second level, the sensor can choose either ID or notice as a third sensing ability. The ID ability can be activated as a standard action a number of times per day equal to the sensor’s appraise modifier by looking through any lens worth at least 1000gp. The ID ability has two levels of power, increasing every even numbered sensor class level.
Level One: Identify
Level Two: Analyze Dweomer
Notice (Su): At second level, the sensor can choose either ID or notice as a third sensing ability. The notice ability is continually active. The notice ability has two levels of power, increasing every even numbered sensor class level.
Level One: Detect Secret Doors
Level Two: Detect Scrying
THE SENSOR
A sensor is an individual like any other – a rogue, wizard, fighter, cleric, or even a commoner – who has developed mystical sensing talents. All sensors have some background with magic, even if only a little, as it is needed in order to understand how to nurture the sensing talents within. Few adventurers take up the path of the sensor because they feel their time could be better spent focusing on pursuing their primary talents – fighting, sneaking, or casting. However, it is not uncommon for nobles to hire sensors as spies and guards; they pay a premium to do so. In fact, spying is probably the best career for a sensor, which means that rogues who have dabbled in magic find the path of the sensor to their liking more often than others.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a sensor, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks, Spot 4 ranks.
Feats: Alertness.
Spells: Ability to cast Detect Magic.
Class Skills
The sensor’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Info(Cha), Hide(Dex), Knowledge (all skills chosen individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.
{table]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1|+0|+0|+0|+2|General Sensor 1, Locate 1/Spy 1/Scout 1
2|+1|+0|+0|+3|General Sensor 2, ID 1/Notice 1
3|+1|+1|+1|+3|General Sensor 3, Locate 2/Spy 2/Scout 2
4|+2|+1|+1|+4|General Sensor 4, ID 2/Notice 2
5|+2|+1|+1|+4|General Sensor 5, Locate 3/Spy 3/Scout 3[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the sensor prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The sensor does not gain proficiency with any weapons or armor.
Hyper Attentive (Ex): The sensor is extremely alert and pays careful attention to detail. He gains a bonus to spot and search checks equal to twice his sensor level.
General Sensor (Su): The sensor has a primary sensing ability that can be turned on or off as a move action. It cannot be dispelled in any way, but it is suppressed by an AMF. It can be active for a number of consecutive minutes equal to the sensor’s concentration modifier without penalty. Every 1 minute thereafter that it remains active, he gains a cumulative 5% miss chance and cumulative -2 penalty on Spot and Search checks due to sensory overload (max 50% miss and -20 penalty). These side effects wear off at a rate equal to the rate they were accrued when sensing is ceased.
The general sensing ability has five levels of power, with the level increasing to match sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Detect Magic
Level Two: Detect Magic & See Invisibility
Level Three: Arcane Sight & See Invisibility
Level Four: Arcane Sight & True Seeing
Level Five: Greater Arcane Sight & True Seeing
Locate (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The locate ability can be activated as a standard action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to 10x the sensor’s concentration modifier. It can be activated up to 5 times per day. The effective caster level for determining range is 4x sensor class level. The locate ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level offers more power or versatility.
Level One: Locate Object
Level Two: Locate Object OR Locate Creature
Level Three: Locate Object OR Locate Creature OR Discern Location
Spy (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The spy ability can be activated as a 1 minute action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to 10x the sensor’s concentration modifier. It can be activated up to 5 times per day and requires a reflective surface. The effective caster level for determining range is 4x sensor class level. The spy ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Clairvoyance/Clairaudience
Level Two: Scrying
Level Three: Greater Scrying (duration increases to 30 minutes/point of concentration modifier)
Scout (Su): At first level, the sensor can choose either locate, spy, or scout as an additional sensing ability. The scout ability can be activated as a 1 minute action, and it automatically deactivates after a number of minutes equal to the sensor’s concentration modifier at level one, 10x concentration modifier at level two (PE only), and 30x concentration modifier at level three (GPE only). It can be activated up to 5 times per day, and multiple activations can be simultaneous. The scout ability has three levels of power, with the level increasing at every odd numbered sensor class level. Each level is more powerful than the last.
Level One: Arcane Eye
Level Two: Arcane Eye OR Prying Eyes
Level Three: Arcane Eye OR Greater Prying Eyes
ID (Sp): At second level, the sensor can choose either ID or notice as a third sensing ability. The ID ability can be activated as a standard action a number of times per day equal to the sensor’s appraise modifier by looking through any lens worth at least 1000gp. The ID ability has two levels of power, increasing every even numbered sensor class level.
Level One: Identify
Level Two: Analyze Dweomer
Notice (Su): At second level, the sensor can choose either ID or notice as a third sensing ability. The notice ability is continually active. The notice ability has two levels of power, increasing every even numbered sensor class level.
Level One: Detect Secret Doors
Level Two: Detect Scrying