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Rithaniel
2010-01-28, 11:49 PM
Amaranthine Wanderer

The temporal powers that manifest within an 'amaranthine wanderer' time walker are vastly different from that of a normal time walker, and allows them to focus more directly upon the raw manipulation of time and it's nuances. A 'amaranthine wanderer' time walker's powers allow them to summon illusions from other times and places to the world, and to make entities slow down to a ridiculous degree as they speed themselves up.

Class: Time Walker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139109)

Level: 1-20

Replaces: The amaranthine wanderer version of the time walker class does not gain the walk the aeons class feature at first level, or any fast healing because of the class. Additionally, the time walker does not gain the dichotomy class feature at level nineteen.

Benefit: The amaranthine wanderer version of the time walker class casts arcane spells which are drawn from the list given below. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the way a wizard or a cleric must (see below).

To cast a spell, an amaranthine wanderer must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an amaranthine wanderer’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the amaranthine wanderer’s Wisdom modifier.

Like other spellcasters, an amaranthine wanderer can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: Amaranthine Wanderer Spells per day. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score.

An amaranthine wanderer automatically knows all spells on the following list, and can cast any one of them, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level:

1—expeditious retreat, hypnotism, jump, silent image, sleep, ventriloquism

2—blur, enlarge person, feather fall, invisibility, minor image, see invisibility

3—bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, deep slumber, displacement, slow

4—blink, dimension door, hallucinatory terrain, haste, major image, rainbow pattern

5—greater invisibility, mirage arcana, permanency, persistent image, symbol of sleep, teleport

6—contingency, eyebite, mislead, permanent image, shadow walk, true seeing

7—ethereal jaunt, greater teleport, limited wish, mind blank, prismatic spray, simulacrum

Unlike a wizard or a cleric, an amaranthine wanderer need not prepare his spells in advance. He can cast any spell he knows at any time, assuming he has not yet used up his spells per day for that spell level. He does not have to decide ahead of time which spells he’ll cast

Table: Amaranthine Wanderer Spells per day
{table=head] Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th
1st | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | —
2nd | 3 | — | — | — | — | — | —
3rd | 4 | — | — | — | — | — | —
4th | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | — | —
5th | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | — | —
6th | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | — | —
7th | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | —
8th | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | —
9th | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | — | —
10th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | —
11th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | —
12th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | — | —
13th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | —
14th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | —
15th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | — | —
16th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2 | —
17th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | —
18th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | —
19th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2
20th | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 [/table]

Rithaniel
2010-01-29, 06:23 PM
Timeless Warrior

The focus and control over time that a 'timeless warrior' time walker posesses, is so intensely acute and sensitive, that they can actually seem to have the fighting skill of a weathered, practiced veteran. A timeless warrior' time walker is an assuredly unique foe to fight, as they are vastly different from usual time walkers, and do not fight in the way that a time walker usually does, instead calling up maneuvers used in ancient wars, long past, for their own use, as though they had known them from the very beginning.

Class: Time Walker (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139109)

Level: 1-20

Replaces: The timeless warrior version of the time walker class does not gain the delay or greater delay class features at fifth and tenth level, or any fast healing because of the class. Additionally, the time walker does not gain the dichotomy class feature at level nineteen, the time sync class feature at fifth level, or the foresight class feature at seventeenth level.

Benefit: The timeless warrior version of the time walker class initiates maneuvers, and the details on this are as follows:

Maneuvers: A timeless warrior begins with knowledge of four Martial Maneuvers. A typical timeless warrior knows Maneuvers from the Army of One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=5710173), Chthonic Serpent (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=131567), Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, and Storm Soul (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7702984) disciplines.

The Coin's Edge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=75548), Dancing Leaf (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=85614), Shadow Hand, Tiger Claw, and White Raven disciplines, however, are alternate disciplines (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7459338&postcount=56) for the timeless warrior.

Timeless warriors learn additional Maneuvers as listed in Table: Timeless Warrior Maneuvers and Stances . The timeless warrior must also meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it (see Table 3-1, Tome of Battle, pg. 39, to determine the highest level maneuver a timeless warrior can learn).

Upon reaching 4th level, and every even level thereafter, a timeless warrior may choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one he already knows. In effect, he loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. He can choose a new maneuver of any level he likes, as long as it is a level that he may know; it may even be a higher level than the maneuver he forgets. He may only swap a single maneuver at a given level.

Maneuvers Readied: A timeless warrior can ready 2 maneuvers he knows at 1st level, and gains an addition readied maneuver at third level, and every three levels there-after. He readies his maneuvers by meditating and remembering echoes of times long past for 5 minutes. The maneuvers he chooses remain readied until he decides to meditate again and change them. He needs not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready his maneuvers; any time he spends 5 minutes in meditation, he can change his readied maneuvers.

A timeless warrior begins an encounter with all his readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times he might have already used them since he chose them. When he initiates a maneuver, he expends it for the current encounter, so each of his readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until he recovers them, as discribed below).

The timeless warrior can recover all expended maneuvers in one of two ways. The first is to spend an entire full-round action that provokes an attack of oppurtuniry, to refresh himself, and bring back the memories he has recently lost, and results in him essentially just standing in one place for his round, though, he may take a swift action in this round, if he wishes to. The second way can only be used while he is in his flow of time ability, and requires him to spend a free action, and to forsake his reroll for that round (making it so that, if he already used the reroll, he cannot recover his maneuvers this way). If the timeless warrior recovers his maneuvers in the second manner, he does not immediately regain their usage, and on the round he takes this free action, the maneuvers he would recover are noted, and, not on his next round, but, on the round after that, he regains the noted maneuvers. A timeless warrior can use any maneuver he has prepared in a round, if he uses the second method of recovering his maneuvers, though, he obviously can't in the case of the first way.

Stances Known: A timeless warrior begins play with a single stance, and may learn one stance from any discipline from which he may learn maneuvers. At fifth level, and every four levels there-after, he may learn additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and do not have to be readied. All stances known to a timeless warrior are available at all times, and he may switch between them as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless noted otherwise in its description.

Unlike maneuvers, a timeless warrior cannot change his stances after selecting them at the appropriate levels. Receiving training in an alternate discipline is an exception to this, however.

Table: Timeless Warrior Maneuvers and Stances
{table=head] Level | Maneuvers Known | Maneuvers Readied | Stances
1st | 4 | 2 | 1
2nd | 4 | 2 | 1
3rd | 5 | 3 | 1
4th | 5 | 3 | 1
5th | 6 | 3 | 2
6th | 6 | 4 | 2
7th | 7 | 4 | 2
8th | 7 | 4 | 2
9th | 8 | 5 | 3
10th | 8 | 5 | 3
11th | 9 | 5 | 3
12th | 9 | 6 | 3
13th | 10 | 6 | 4
14th | 10 | 6 | 4
15th | 11 | 7 | 4
16th | 11 | 7 | 4
17th | 12 | 7 | 5
18th | 12 | 8 | 5
19th | 13 | 8 | 5
20th | 13 | 8 | 5 [/table]

DragoonWraith
2010-01-30, 10:51 AM
Seem like reasonable swaps. I don't really have any concerns. The Timeless Warrior gets quite a few readied maneuvers, and the second recovery method means that once they get enough they will never have to waste an action recovering and never be without maneuvers, though they'd have to be careful about the timing (which seems altogether fitting). I might make the second recovery method charge him a Swift action, maybe, but I'm not certain it's absolutely necessary.

On the other hand, looking at the class features that they have left, they rather completely trump the class features of the Crusader, Swordsage, and Warblade. So they are strictly superior to the ToB base classes, having at least as good maneuvers and better class features. That's... well, I wouldn't want to do that, but that's up to you.

They're also going to be hurt quite a bit by Prestige Classes, though. You start with far fewer Readied Maneuvers than most, but gain more more quickly than any class (you start with fewer than the Warblade, but end with more than the Crusader). But Prestige Classes aren't going to let you maintain the progression. Just something to consider.

In reality, the Crusader's Granting mechanic makes a lot of sense for the Timeless Warrior, since they're relying on past memories to make their maneuvers work, similar to the way the Crusader relies on divine inspiration. So, if you wanted an alternative, you could very easily change the Timeless Warrior to use the Crusader's progression, recovery mechanic, and just give him three or four different disciplines to go with it.

Rithaniel
2010-01-31, 05:55 AM
Seem like reasonable swaps. I don't really have any concerns. The Timeless Warrior gets quite a few readied maneuvers, and the second recovery method means that once they get enough they will never have to waste an action recovering and never be without maneuvers, though they'd have to be careful about the timing (which seems altogether fitting). I might make the second recovery method charge him a Swift action, maybe, but I'm not certain it's absolutely necessary.

Yeah, my goal with this was to make it be a unique recovery mechanic, and the only ways I could think of were 'as a standard action', 'as a move action', and 'as a free action'. Since standard and move action requirements would have both been subpar to the Warblade, I decided to make it be a free action, but heap it up with requirements (like, forsaking your reroll, and putting a delay counter on it). Glad you like it, though, and, yeah, I was thinking about the meaning of being a 'timeless warrior', and I came to the conclusion that it would be a warrior who could, and might, be fighting forever, so, I aimed for that.


On the other hand, looking at the class features that they have left, they rather completely trump the class features of the Crusader, Swordsage, and Warblade. So they are strictly superior to the ToB base classes, having at least as good maneuvers and better class features. That's... well, I wouldn't want to do that, but that's up to you.

Well, I thought about that for a bit, and, well, I deemed it sort of similar to the Swordsage, as the class gets 75% BAB. Of course, the Swordsage gets access to more maneuvers, iirc (lost my flash drive, can't look up the ToB), and some of the class features left are similar to miniature maneuvers, in their own respect. So, I didn't think twice about the benifit of the class features. Of course, I might contest you on the class features being better than those of the ToB classes (Swordsage get better Wisdom to AC, Crusader has, in the end, better to hit from his class features, and Warblade adds his Intelligence modifier to a lot more things, and don't even get me started on the capstones). Though, what would you recommend to help that variant?


They're also going to be hurt quite a bit by Prestige Classes, though. You start with far fewer Readied Maneuvers than most, but gain more more quickly than any class (you start with fewer than the Warblade, but end with more than the Crusader). But Prestige Classes aren't going to let you maintain the progression. Just something to consider.

Good point, should probably remain tucked away in my brain, somewhere.


In reality, the Crusader's Granting mechanic makes a lot of sense for the Timeless Warrior, since they're relying on past memories to make their maneuvers work, similar to the way the Crusader relies on divine inspiration. So, if you wanted an alternative, you could very easily change the Timeless Warrior to use the Crusader's progression, recovery mechanic, and just give him three or four different disciplines to go with it.

Yes, well, you have a point, but, I could have flavoured it however. I could have flavoured it that the Timeless Warrior gained his martial prowess by moving with time in the rythym of a warrior, and been sort of like the Warblade, or that the Timeless Warrior gained his martial ability via manipulation of the timeline, and would be like a Swordsage. So, yeah, I could do that, and use the Crusader progression, but, I could have done anything else, as well.

DragoonWraith
2010-01-31, 12:26 PM
The Crusader gets the really cool delayed damage pool, but it never amounts to much, and it gives extra damage, which also never amounts to much.

The Swordsage gets Wis to AC, Wis to damage with two disciplines, and +2 to saving throws when in one of two stances. Then they get double boosts at 20.

The Warblade gets Int to Ref saves, Crit confirmations, Damage against flat-footed or flanked opponents, opposed checks, and on Attack and Damage rolls with AoOs. A couple of Bonus Feats, (Improved) Uncanny Dodge, and the Double Stance ability.

The Timeless Warrior gets as good if not better maneuver usage than any other adept (free action recovery, no random selection, plenty of maneuvers known and readied), he gets bonus damage on an attack per round, that ignores defenses and fatigues the target, he can get +4 Dex and Wis, often he can take a reroll, he has Wis to AC, he can heal himself as a free action, they can move outside their own turn, they're immune to fear effects, and then his bonuses from Flow of Time double.

One of these is not like the others.

Rithaniel
2010-02-01, 01:06 PM
Now, to be fair, assuming you're going to be in combat, it's easy to assume that a Crusaders delayed damage pool will always be full, which, at level 20, will be +26/+21/+16/+11 total to-hit, just from class features. The Time Walker, however will have +25/+20/+15, meaning that the Crusader is better off in regards to 'to-hit'.

Course, this is about equal to the Swordsage, in more realism, as the class gets 3/4 BAB, two good saves, and similar skills/HD. Though, the Swordsage is much better off in regards to known stances and maneuvers and readied maneuver (much, much better off, as the Timeless Warrior only gets ~1/2 the Swordsage's known maneuvers, 2/3 of his readied maneuvers, and 5/6 of his stances).

The Swordsage then gets Evasion and Imp. Evasion, which, is on par with Moment Stop and Imp. Moment Stop.

The Swordsage gets a better version of Wisdom to AC, but, the Timeless Warrior gets more Wisdom, so, that evens out as well.

Then, the closest thing that the Timeless Warrior gets to a 'capstone' is the Renewal ability, and, I'm gonna have to point out that Dual Boost is better.

Next you get Initiative bonus versus fast movement (both are about as useful, as the other, so, yeah).

So, is annul, and the ability to hit closely on par with the Crusader (minus one attack), equal to losing a massive chunk of maneuvers/stances? (seriously asking, seeing what you think)