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Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 03:12 PM
OK, new here, this is my first post. I am thinking of a druid based class where the character can summon vines to attack and grapple people, as well as make a swamp around them around level 5... let me start over. The character can use the vines attack people similar to the warlock's eldritch essence, dealing around 1d6 at first level, and around 2d10 at 10th. These vines erupt in the character's space, and grapple them, this making up for the low damage at higher levels. Around level 5, the character can take 10 minutes to form a swamp around themselves, radius 5ft per character level. In the swamp, which starts as a bog, or whatever the less deadly swamp was, and can manipulate it; for evample, they can make a shallow pool or hedgerows at the beginning, and then shift each square up to 5 ft in any direction, like the elemental energies at limbo, and in spaces that would be empty, they can create a new bit of terrain. Characters in a space do not move because of this ability. The swamp druid could use swamp invocations here, which would be along the lines of summon nature's ally spells or entangle or such, and at later levels, the swamp can have more things like trees, deep bogs, quicksand, etc., and an ability , that has uses per day like the druid's wild shape, 'channel the swamp', in which the character surrounds himself in plants & vines, increasing his size one catagory, giving him damage reduction 10/-, an increase to constitution, and an increase to strength, a slam attack dealing twice the vine damage as normal; however, the swamp master must remain in the swamp, and the swamp cannot move (normally, by moving at 1/2 speed, the character can have the swamp move with him/her). Welcoming feedback and advice, such as how to add tables and 'spoilers'.

Zom B
2010-01-13, 03:19 PM
I'm reminded of the Swamp-dwelling Waterbenders (http://avatar.wikia.com/wiki/Foggy_Swamp_Tribe) from Avatar (the cartoon series).

That probably doesn't help you much if you are unfamiliar with that. I kind of like the idea of them creating a swamp that steadily grows, but it seems counterpoint to the idea of one of them travelling and adventuring in general. I've seen people introduce the idea of Druid Groves where Druids are more powerful, but again, it's interesting but ultimately not very useful except to escape (the Grove variant could basically teleport back to their grove).

You do mention that they can channel the powers of their swamp, though, so maybe the argument is null.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 03:33 PM
OK, basically this class creates a swamp around itself that can move. They, after 5th level, have to use it in the swamp. This class, yes, is not conductive to an adventurer, but neither are some other classes. This was made to be an NPC. Basically, they lie in wait, and when an intruder comes (intended to post the fact that they have tremorsense in swamp), they grapple the intruder and drown them in the swamp(by suceeding on a pin, they thrust their victims underwater. Eventually, I'm planning on letting the vines digest people who are held in the grapple while they're still alive, dealing an extra 2d6 damage, and increasing by 2d6 every 5 levels. Actually, this is to be used as a prestige class for the golgari, a guild in the magic the gathering set ravnica, and basically, they stay in swamps and use these powers agianst intruders, however, this would be an interesting class to play. Yes, the idea kind of came from the TV show, but the class becomes more powerful when people die in the swamp; each invocation grows in power the more corpses there are. Also, I was thinking of adding the ability to make undead and rebuke them to this class, reducing the power of invocations, but getting warriors. Later, invocations make the undead have extra abilities from the mold in the swamp, for example, at 10th level, animated skeletons have mold giving them extra damage reduction, and at 13th, maybe give them a reach vine attack dealing 1d6.

paddyfool
2010-01-13, 04:03 PM
I'm reminded of swamp thing, personally.

A simple solution would be to take the standard druid, swap out the AC for companion vines, and wild shape for swamp form (or whatever you want to call it). Maybe have a slightly altered spell list, and some ability to commune with plants in place of animal empathy, et voila. Simple swamp druid, and marginally less OP than the standard druid in all probability, since swamp form would probably have some very specific drawbacks.

I see you're planning to take this quite a bit further away from the 3.5 druid, however, so maybe you won't be so interested in this

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 06:29 PM
This is my idea of the class. (sorry for delayed response).
Base Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Abilities Invocations known
+0 +0 +0 +2 Vine (1,1d6), wild empathy 1
+1 +0 +0 +3 Disease immunity 1
+2 +1 +1 +3 Aquatic adaptations 2
+3 +1 +1 +4 Horrors of the swamp 2
+3 +1 +1 +4 Vine(2, 1d6), personal swamp, swamp shape 1/day, rebuke undead 3
+4 +2 +2 +5 Swamp shape 2/day 4
+5 +2 +2 +5 Swamp shape 3/day 4
+6/+1 +2 +2 +6 Greater swamp shape, swamp’s toll 5
+6/+1 +3 +3 +6 Moss-touched undead 5
+7/+2 +3 +3 +7 Vine(2, 1d10), swamp shape 4/day 6
+8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Contagion touch 3/day 7
+9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Vine-bearer undead 7
+9/+4 +4 +4 +8 8
+10/+5 +4 +4 +9 Swamp shape 5/day, Dire swamp shape, swamp’s toll 8
+11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Vine(4, 1d10), Greater vine bearer undead 9
+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Channel the swamp 1/day 10
+12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 10
+13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 Swamp shape 6/day, Channel the swamp 2/day 11
+14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Root-touched undead 11
+15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 Vine(4,1d12), Channel the swamp 3/day, Greater channel the swamp 12
Weapon/armor proficiencies: not proficient with any weapons or armor
Skills/lvl: 4+int mod
Ability descriptions:
Vine: The swampmaster druid can grow vines from the ground that can attack for the swampmaster. Damage shown on chart. Also, these vines can grapple opponents. Treat as medium creatures for this purpose, and their strength score is equal to the swampmaster’s wisdom score. At 5th level and again at 10th and 15th levels, the swampmaster can call up twice the number of vines he could before. At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, the vines are treated as having an increase in size by one category. 2 vines needed to grapple opponent, cumulative +2 bonus on grapple checks for each vine over 1.
wild empathy: only works on creatures native to swamps, otherwise same as druid class feature.
disease immunity: the filth of the swamps the swampmaster calls home gives him immunity to disease.
Aquatic adaptations: at 3rd level, the swampmaster druid can breath underwater.
Horrors of the swamp: At 4th level, the druid has seen unspeakable horrors in the swamp, and gets a +4 bonus against fear effects, and a +2 bonus against compulsion effects.
Swamp shape: when the swampmaster uses this ability, he increases his size category, gains damage reduction 5/-, fast healing 2, change all of his hit die to d12s and give him hitpoints as if his wisdom score was his constitution score, and he a slam attack that deals damage equal to twice his vine damage, is they attacked with all of their vines (e.g. 4 vines deal 1d10 damage, slam damage = 8d10), treat as magic weapon. Must stay inside personal swamp, see below. Lasts 1 round/class level
Personal swamp: the swamp master can focus for 10 minutes to create a swamp around him whose radius is equal to 5* his level. Inside, he can control the environment, determining the placement of all special terrain squares, including trees and hedgerows. He can spend a move action to rearrange the placement of the squares. He cannot move a character by doing so. He can feel all creature inside the bog, as per tremorsense, while he is in the bog, and gains +10 on all hide and move silently checks in the swamp. All of his saves in the swamp are equal to his will save. He can move at ½ speed in the swamp to have the swamp move with him.
rebuke undead- as per the cleric power, but wis instead of cha.
greater swamp shape: size improves 2 catagories, damage reduction 10/-, fast healing 4, add +2 to wis score while in swamp shape.
swamp’s toll: character gets -2 on dex, con, str, cha. stacks per time gained.
moss-touched undead: undead created by swampmaster gain damage reduction 2/bludgeoning. stacks with other damage reduction.
contagion touch. touch attack done by vines. afflicted character affected by contagion.
vine-bearer undead: undead have vines going out of body. can use vine attack in melee at full base attack bonus. vine damage is same as swampmaster’s.
dire swamp shape: size improves 3 catagories, damage reduction 15/-, fast healing 10, add +4 to wis in swamp shape.
channel the swamp: swamp disappears when used, reappears after done. same as swamp shape, but all bonuses doubles. counts as use of swamp shape.
root-touched undead: 2 vines, and if one hits, make grapple check. If successful, vine now attached to victims body, and undead drain hitpoints every round equal to vine damage.
Greater channel the swamp: same as channel the swamp, all bonuses *3, though.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 06:33 PM
sorry for the sloppyness; this thing won't let me draw a chart. Good save: will. Base attack bonus: as druid. Anyways, the invocations would be like
Hunt of the swamp pack:
required swamp size: 30 ft
effect: summons 1 dire wolf if one corpse in swamp if less than 3 corpses in swamp, 1d3 if 3-4 corpses, 1d4+1 if 5 or more corpses in swamp. lasts 1 round/level, if cast again within that time, effect is dispelled. cannot be used for 5 rounds after dispelled/ all the wolves killed.

Drolyt
2010-01-13, 07:31 PM
There's a template for making class tables in this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10313) thread. Scroll past the monsters section, it's in a spoiler. Then post that to the original post for easy reference. Also bold class abilities otherwise they all blur as you try to read them. As for the class itself, a few issues. Rebuke Undead should be Charisma, no reason to change it. You should also emphasize whether it is at the same level as a Cleric or lower (like how Paladin is Cleric - 3). If it is the same why not give it from level one? Everything should be proficient in some weapons, what if they need to fight in melee? If you want to make creating invocations easier on yourself just copy spells. You mention creating undead, I don't see where they gain that ability. It shouldn't be an invocation, since those are usable at will. Overall doesn't seem too overpowered, but really not playable as a PC. Sorry my response seems disorganized, I'm not feeling well and just typing whatever strikes me rather than making as thorough an analysis as I should. If you make the table clearer it will be easier for me to do that.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 07:54 PM
first, warlocks have the ability to animate dead with an invocation, the dead walk, so that would be an invocation, 2nd, they have penalties to charisma, and as they can only use invocations their personal swamp, save for low-level ones, so they gain the rebuke ability as they gain the ability to invoke more powerful spells (sorry for not posting this sooner.) thanks for the tipon making tables:smallbiggrin:

Debihuman
2010-01-13, 08:06 PM
This is my idea of the class. (sorry for delayed response).

This table may help. It also helps if you put spaces between your paragraphs. I thoroughly recommend that you go back and edit your post. Feel free to copy and paste this table into your post as well.

{table=head] BAB| Fort| Ref| Will| Abilities| Invocations known|
+0| +0| +0| +2| Vine (1,1d6), wild empathy| 1
+1| +0| +0| +3| Disease immunity| 1
+2| +1| +1| +3| Aquatic adaptations| 2
+3| +1| +1| +4| Horrors of the swamp| 2
+3| +1| +1| +4| Vine(2, 1d6), personal swamp, swamp shape 1/day, rebuke undead| 3
+4| +2| +2| +5| Swamp shape 2/day| 4
+5| +2| +2| +5| Swamp shape 3/day| 4
+6/+1| +2| +2| +6| Greater swamp shape, swamp’s toll| 5
+6/+1| +3| +3| +6| Moss-touched undead| 5
+7/+2| +3| +3| +7| Vine(2, 1d10), swamp shape 4/day| 6
+8/+3| +3| +3| +7| Contagion touch 3/day| 7
+9/+4| +4| +4| +8| Vine-bearer undead| 7
+9/+4| +4| +4| +8| -| 8
+10/+5| +4| +4| +9| Swamp shape 5/day, Dire swamp shape, swamp’s toll| 8
+11/+6/+1| +5| +5| +9| Vine(4, 1d10), Greater vine bearer undead| 9
+12/+7/+2| +5| +5| +10| Channel the swamp 1/day| 10
+12/+7/+2| +5| +5| +10| -| 10
+13/+8/+3| +6| +6| +11| Swamp shape 6/day, Channel the swamp 2/day| 11
+14/+9/+4| +6| +6| +11| Root-touched undead| 11
+15/+10/+5 |+6| +6| +12| Vine(4,1d12), Channel the swamp 3/day, Greater channel the swamp| 12
[/table]

Debby

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 09:08 PM
Ok, the table REALLY helps, thanks, and second, the invocation 'the dead walk' and the warlock class can both be found in complete arcane.

Drolyt
2010-01-13, 09:10 PM
Ok, the table REALLY helps, thanks, and second, the invocation 'the dead walk' and the warlock class can both be found in complete arcane.

Fair enough. I've never played a Warlock so that slipped past me, it still seems a bad idea to me. I'd give the class a class ability to raise dead, and tie it to swamps somehow.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 09:36 PM
The invocation is the class ability, and the special abilities on the table to enhance undead to tie it to swamps. Actually, the campaign that I'm using this in already covers the undead part; this class belongs to a group of swamp dwellers that revere the cycle of life and death, and especially turning death into life, hence animating the dead and the fact that most invocations gain a power boost as the swamp collects more dead bodies. For example, the one posted above, or this one:
Vines of Death
requirements: swamp 80ft
duration: 24 hours
effect: your vine attack carries the death and decay of a corpse to all it strikes. You must have at least one corpse in your swamp to use this ability. 1-2 corpses- targets hit become nauseated unless they save on a fortitude check. 3-5 corpses as before, but the target takes an extra 1d6 damage for every corpse in your swamp, up to 10 corpses. 6-10 corpses as above, and your target takes 1d4 points of damage of constitution drain on a successful hit. 11+ corpses as above, and if target fails fort save, they are slain.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 09:37 PM
also, corpses disappear after 1 day.

Drolyt
2010-01-13, 09:41 PM
also, corpses disappear after 1 day.

But that makes it impossible to make an undead army... at any rate, I have to say that your Vine of Death ability is pretty awesome, but either your campaign has a ridiculous death toll or it's not very useful...
Edit: Also, as written there is no cap to the damage ability, if you have a thousand corpses it is pretty powerful.

Fable Wright
2010-01-13, 09:54 PM
First of all, the bodies that are slain in the swamp stay there, and in a skill that lasts 24 hours (they would keep spamcasting it if it was a shorter time) that allows 4 death attacks is kind of ridiculous, as it can be used over and over. So, no, there is no very high death toll, and the monsters you fight would most likely save. Either you get lucky with this, or you're fighting a weaker foe. Or a foe without a fortitude save, like a wizard/sorcerer. I'm also raising the level cap for it to level 16. By corpses, also, I mean corpses that don't move around and kill stuff. so, corpses that empower vines of death can't be animated, but don't disappear after the end of the day.

Drolyt
2010-01-14, 07:01 AM
First of all, the bodies that are slain in the swamp stay there, and in a skill that lasts 24 hours (they would keep spamcasting it if it was a shorter time) that allows 4 death attacks is kind of ridiculous, as it can be used over and over. So, no, there is no very high death toll, and the monsters you fight would most likely save. Either you get lucky with this, or you're fighting a weaker foe. Or a foe without a fortitude save, like a wizard/sorcerer. I'm also raising the level cap for it to level 16. By corpses, also, I mean corpses that don't move around and kill stuff. so, corpses that empower vines of death can't be animated, but don't disappear after the end of the day.

K I thought the corpses were consumed, my mistake.