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jiriku
2010-06-11, 01:38 AM
EARTHBENDER
The Earthbender is a master of martial arts who manipulates earth, stone and even metal as part of his fighting style. This borrows heavily from my earth dreamer class (http://http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155003), which is in turn an adaptation of the earth dreamer originally presented in Races of Stone (pp.110-112). The class draws inspiration from the earthbenders of Avatar: LOB, and is made by special request for DrizztFan24.

Changes made in response to Playgrounder feedback are spoilered here

Removed spells that involved a fire or cold element, and removed low-level spells that directly affect metal.
Eliminated Swim from the class skill list.
Reflavored the earth elemental wild shape to more appropriately reflect canonical Earthbender powers.


GAME RULE INFORMATION
Earthbenders have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is the most important ability for an Earthbender, as it determines the effectiveness of his melee attacks and how difficult most of his maneuvers are to resist. Dexterity and Constitution are key for use of many of the Earthbender's class skills and secondary abilities.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Unarmed Strike Damage|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Maneuvers Granted

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Stone power 1/day, earth sense, improved unarmed strike|1d6|6|4|1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Hung Gar style|1d6|7|4|2

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|DR 1/adamantine|1d6|8|5|2

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Mettle|1d8|9|5|2

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Stone power 2/day (earth projection)|1d8|10|6|2

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Lesser tremorsense|1d8|11|6|3

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|DR 2/adamantine|1d8|12|6|3

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Earth dream|2d6|13|7|3

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Stone power 3/day (rock shield)|2d6|14|7|4

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+7|
+7|Tremorsense|2d6|15|8|4

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+7|
+7|Earth sight, DR 4/adamantine|2d6|16|8|4

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Earth glide|3d6|17|8|4

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Stone power 4/day (stone shell)|3d6|18|9|4

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Greater tremorsense|3d6|19|9|5

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+9|
+9|DR 6/adamantine|3d6|20|10|5

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Earth armor 1/day (large)|4d6|21|10|5

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Stone power 4/day (indomitability)|4d6|22|10|5

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11|Earth armor 2/day|4d6|23|11|5

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11|DR 10/adamantine|4d6|24|11|5

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12|Earth armor 3/day (huge)|6d6|25|12|6[/table]

CLASS SKILLS (6 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
An Earthbender's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

CLASS FEATURES
Your spells and class features make you well-suited to a variety of roles, but you are best suited to tasks involving ranged combat, manipulating earth and stone, and exploration of underground areas.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Earthbender gains proficiency with monk weapons and with his unarmed strikes. He gains no proficiency with armor or with shields.

Maneuvers: An Earthbender begins play knowing six martial maneuvers. Hung Gar Kung Fu teaches four styles: the Stone Dragon Style, and also the styles of Crane, Mantis, and Tiger. Accordingly, you may select your maneuvers from the Stone Dragon, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, or Tiger Claw disciplines, or from from the Earthbender power list. Powers learned from the Earthbender list are supernatural abilities, but their save DCs, level-based variables, and other effects function as if they were maneuvers. All Earthbender powers that refer to your caster level use your martial initiator level instead, and all references to your casting attribute should use your highest ability bonus.


Like a swordsage, you may use each maneuver only once per encounter before it is expended. Also like a swordsage, however, you may take a full-round action to focus your chi and recover a single expended maneuver. It is then available for use once more.

Earth Sense: An Earthbender gains Earth Sense as a bonus feat, provided he meets the prerequisites.

Improved Unarmed Strike: You gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.

Hung Gar Style: At second level, the Earthbender learns to defend himself with Hung Gar kung fu. Add your Constitution bonus to your AC.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 3rd level, an Earthbender gains some of the steadfastness and solidity of earth. While in contact with the earth, he gains damage reduction 1/adamantine. The Earthbender loses his damage reduction whenever he is not standing upon solid ground. This damage reduction increases by 1 at 7th level, and by 2 at 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Mettle (Ex): A 4th level Earthbender learns to embrace the steadfastness of earth and stone. Whenever he is subject to a harmful effect that offers half damage or a partial effect on a successful Fortitude or Will save, he instead ignores the effect entirely on a successful save. The GM's judgement may be necessary in situations where this ability produces a nonsensical result.

Stone Power (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, the Earthbender learns to channel the earth dream to his allies, granting some of the solidity and resilience of the earth to himself and all willing allies within 30 feet. An Earthbender can activate Stone Power as an immediate action, once per day. To use this ability, the Earthbender must be standing upon solid ground, and only allies who are also standing upon solid ground can claim Stone Power's benefit. Stone Power has the earth descriptor.


At 1st level, the Earthbender can grant stability: all affected allies gain a +4 bonus to resist bull rush and trip attempts until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn.


At 5th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant earth projection: projections of stone jut up beneath any affected allies, providing momentum for a leap or handholds for climbing. The targets add the Earthbender's Constitution bonus to any Balance, Climb, Jump, or Tumble checks they make. This effect lasts until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn.


At 9th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant rock shield: all affected allies are protected by stone barriers with hardness 8 and a number of hit points equal to the Earthbender's Constitution bonus until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn. These barrier offers cover, and any damage that would be dealt to the target is dealt to the barrier instead. Once a barrier is destroyed, excess damage spills over and affects the target normally.


At 13th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant stone shell: all affected allies are enclosed by hemispherical stone shells with hardness 8 and a number of hit points equal to the Earthbender's full Constitution score until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn. These shells render the ally immobile, but provide total cover, and any damage that would be dealt to the target is dealt to the barrier instead. Once a barrier is destroyed, excess damage spills over and affects the target normally.


At 17th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant indomitability: all affected allies gain immunity to death effects, negative energy, ability damage, ability drain, annihilation effects such as disintigrate, implosion, or a sphere of annihilation, confusion and insanity effects, imprisonment, and teleportation or planar travel. This effect lasts one round.

Lesser Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, an Earthbender is so in tune with the earth that he gains the tremorsense ability with a range of 10 feet.

Earth Dream (Sp): By attuning himself to the earth dream, an Earthbender of 8th level or higher can pull knowledge from the mountains. This ability works like the divination spell in many ways, allowing the Earthbender to ask one question and receive a short, often cryptic answer. An Earthbender's chance of receiving an answer is 70% + 2% per Earthbender level, and the dream reveals only correct answers.


The earth dream ability can be used only to answer questions that are related in some way to the mountains. In general, the dreamer can get answers to questions about creatures, objects, and locations that are within 50 miles of a mountain, including underground or hidden locations. As with the augury and divination spells, multiple uses of this ability regarding the same topic by the same Earthbender use the same dice result and reveal the same answer each time.


Using this ability takes 10 minutes, and the Earthbender can use it once each day.

Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, an Earthbenders connection to the earth improves, and the range of his tremorsense ability increases to 30 feet.

Earth Sight (Su): An Earthbender of 11th level can see through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal to a range of 30 feet, as easily as if the substance weren't there. The Earthbender can still see the stone or earth as a ghostly outline, so she can avoid walking into walls and can otherwise function normally.


Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the Earthbender's Con modifier.

Earth Glide (Su): A 12th level Earthbender may move through earth like an earth elemental, gliding through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. This burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or any other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing an earth gliding Earthbender flings the dreamer back 30 feet, stunning him for 1 round unless he succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.


Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the Earthbender's Con modifier.

Greater Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 14th level, an Earthbenders connection to the earth improves even further, and the range of his tremorsense ability increases to 60 feet.

Earth Armor(Su): At 16th level, an Earthbender gains the ability to encase his form in earth, stone, or crystal once per day. He may increase his size if he wishes, up to a maximum of Large. He gains the bonuses to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and natural armor as if he were an earth elemental of his size, and gains Earth Mastery, Push, and Earth Glide as per the earth elemental description. He also gains the feats listed for an earth elemental of his size. He retains his own type and racial attributes, but gains the earth subtype. The effect lasts one minute per Earthbender level, or until the Earthbender changes back. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.


Upon activating earth armor, the Earthbender regains hit points (but nothing else) as if he had rested for the night. If slain in armored form, he reverts to his normal shape (but remains dead).


The Earthbender gains an additional use per day of this ability at 18th and 20th level. At 20th level, he may use this ability to assume up to huge size.


Earthbender POWER LIST
The Earthbender power list appears below. All spells are notated with the name and page number of the sourcebook in which they appear.

1st Level: climb walls (SC 47), endure elements (PHB 226), fist of stone (SC 94), foundation of stone (SC 99), hail of stone (SC 108), magic stone (PHB 251), pass without trace (PHB 259), rapid burrowing (SC 166), sandblast (SC 180), shillelagh (PHB 278), waste strider (SS 128).

2nd Level: barkskin (PHB 203), beastland ferocity (SC 25), burrow (SC 41), earth lock (SC 75), earthbind (SC 76), earthen grace (SC 76), earthen grasp (SC 76), earthfast (SC 76), easy climb (SC 76), halo of sand (SS 117), mountain stance (SC 144), saltray (SC 179), scimitar of sand (SS 120), soften earth and stone (PHB 280), spider climb (PHB 283).

3rd Level: bands of steel (reflavored as stone) (SC 24), control sand (SS 112), crumble (SC 56), eradicate earth (SC 84), forestfold (SC 98), giant's wrath (SC 105), meld into stone (PHB 252), nature's rampart (SC 146), primal form (earth only) (SC 161), soul of the waste (SS 121), stone shape (PHB 284), stony grasp (SC 209), strength of stone (SC 211), tremor (SC 223), tremorsense (SC 224).

4th Level: blast of sand (SS 112), burrow, mass (SC 41), fuse sand (SS 116), heart of earth (PH2 106), land womb (SC 130), rain of spines (PH2 114), sandform (SS 119), sarcophagus of stone (SC 180), spike stones (PHB 283), stone sphere (SC 209), stoneskin (PHB 284), sudden stalagmite (SC 213), wall of salt (SS 127), wall of sand (SC 235), wingbind (SC 240).

5th Level: choking sands (SS 112), earth reaver (SC 75), indomitability (SC 121), ironguard, lesser (SC 125), passwall (PHB 259), stone shape, greater (SC 208), telekinesis (stone or metal objects only) (PHB 292), transmute mud to rock (PHB 295), transmute rock to mud (PHB 295), transmute sand to glass (SS 124), transmute sand to stone (SS 124), transmute stone to sand (SS 125), wall of stone (PHB 299), xorn movement (SC 244).

6th Level: awaken sand (111), bones of the earth (PH2 104), cometfall (SC 60), hardening (SC 109), move earth (PHB 257), stone body (SC 207), stone tell (PHB 284), stonehold (SC 209), tunnel swallow (SC 225).

7th Level: earthquake (PHB 225), elemental body (earth only) (SC 78), great worm of the earth (PH2 106), heart of stone (SC 111), ironguard (SC 125), master earth (SC 139), maw of stone (SC 141), phase door (PHB 261), statue (PHB 284), wrack earth (PH2 128).

8th Level: bombardment (SC 37), excavate (SC 85), iron body (PHB 245), repel metal or stone (PHB 271).

9th Level: genius loci (earth only) (PH2 105), freedom/imprisonment (PHB 233, 244), shadow landscape (SC 184), undermaster (SC 227).

nonsi
2010-06-11, 02:33 AM
Even putting aside my personal dislike toward the maneuver-based mechanics for a moment, recovery-based powers such as disintigrate, reverse gravity, bombardment and transmute rock to lava seem crazy strong to me.
(or did I miss something?)

jiriku
2010-06-11, 10:09 AM
Hmm, I've neglected to describe the recovery mechanic. Better add that (it uses the swordsage recovery mechanic).

They are crazy strong. And you can't counterspell them or resist them with spell resistance (although many of the effects didn't allow spell resistance in the first place). But there are balancing factors:

Can't spam a spell-like maneuver repeatedly without specific build optimization.
Can't apply metamagic to a spell-like maneuver.
Can't apply caster level boosters to a spell-like maneuver.
Limited selection of spell-like maneuvers restricts the ability to create combos that multiply the power of the effects involved.
Vs. earth dreamer, loses access to divination, dispelling and summoning magic.
Has fewer options compared to earth dreamer.

DracoDei
2010-06-11, 10:45 AM
There was an entire project, complete with play-test arena matches for that setting a while back...

Zevox
2010-06-11, 11:45 AM
Hm. Well, my comments would depend on what exactly you're going for. A D&D-esque class to represent Earthbenders as seen in Avatar: The Last Airbender? Or just a D&D class inspired by that concept?

For the latter, I think this is fine. I can't really comment on the whole maneuver thing, since I'm not familiar with those mechanics, but I think it looks basically sound. Don't know about the balance of it, especially with strength as the "casting" stat, but my lack of knowledge about maneuvers guarantees that I'll be in the dark there anyway.

For the former, perhaps not so much. I'd definitely not give a class meant to accurately reflect the Earthbenders of Avatar the ability to turn into elementals, for instance - there's no parallel to elementals in the show, nor any indication that even the mightiest benders acquire anything like the power to shape-shift into their element. The "Earth Dream" ability also doesn't seem to have any basis in the show. And I'd question some of the "Stone Power" abilities, especially indomitability, which doesn't seem like there's any way to make it work based on earthbending.

I'd also wonder if, perhaps, the termorsense ability should be done as one of those "manuevers" - not every Earthbender displays that ability, mostly just Toph and Aang; and indeed it seems that the generals of the Earth Kingdom didn't have it, else they'd have sensed the Dai Li during the coup. There should also be a "zone of truth"-esque ability available to advanced users of the technique, given Toph's ability to sense heart rate and the like through it and use that to determine when someone was lying.

Glancing over the skills, should swim really be an Earthbender skill? I mean, I know that Toph's inability to swim probably isn't because she's an Earthbender, but it doesn't seem like that would be something I'd associate with them nonetheless.

Also, while I am as mentioned unfamiliar with the maneuvers, there are some that sound... off, for an Earthbender. Ice Flowers? Reverse Gravity? Disintegrate? Granted, I don't know what Ice Flowers does, but it sounds more like a waterbending technique; and I know the other two, and neither seems appropriate for an Earthbender. And there are a few others I wouldn't use myself. Wall of Iron allows creating metal, which Earthbenders can't do - Toph learns to bend it by locating and bending impurities in it, but that's it; she can't make it pop out of nowhere. I'd also not use any of the magma/lava-based techniques, since the one time we see that bent, it appears to be a firebending technique (this being when Roku is explaining the Avatar State to Aang, and we see one Avatar of each nation demonstrating the state's power over their respective element - an unnamed Fire Nation Avatar demonstrates his element by bending lava out of a few volcanoes).

In any event, you should specify the speed at which the Earth Glide ability allows you to move (I'd guess your land speed, but the ability doesn't say one way or the other).

Zevox

jiriku
2010-06-11, 12:05 PM
It's merely inspired by it. I'm actually making this class on request, and I was totally unfamiliar with the series until yesterday. My entire experieince with it consists of about 45 minutes I spent surfing YouTube and various fan sites to pick up the flavor of series and the earthbender.

However, a number of your suggestions are easily worked into the class - mostly it's about stripping out spells that don't match the finer details of the flavor. Since there are currently something like 5x more spells and maneuvers to choose from than the Earthbender can possibly take, it's not like the player is going to be hurting for options if we remove a few of them. I'll make some of those changes once I get my lunch break.

Ice flowers causes the ground to erupt in a massive burst of rock and ice. It deals a pile of damage, half bludgeoning and half cold, and leaves a mess of rubble and rough terrain in its wake.

DracoDei
2010-06-11, 12:14 PM
Ice flowers causes the ground to erupt in a massive burst of rock and ice. It deals a pile of damage, half bludgeoning and half cold, and leaves a mess of rubble and rough terrain in its wake.

Sounds like a Earth/Waterbending hybrid.

Zevox
2010-06-11, 12:15 PM
Sounds like a Earth/Waterbending hybrid.
Aye, which would only for an Avatar, since only the Avatar can learn to bend multiple elements on his own.

Zevox

jiriku
2010-06-11, 01:34 PM
Removed spells that involved a fire or cold element, and removed low-level spells that directly affect metal.
Eliminated Swim from the class skill list.
Reflavored the earth elemental wild shape to more appropriately reflect canonical Earthbender powers.


I am open to eliminating tremorsense and/or earth dream, but doing so creates four dead levels. Any suggestions for appropriate powers to swap in as replacements?

Indomitability may not match powers in the series, but the series probably didn't include wizards and clerics running around who would implode you or plane shift you into Baator as a combat tactic. I suppose I could switch it to something more traditional, like brief immunity to energy damage, but I'm worried that it defeats the design goal of Stone Power, which is to provide the character with immediate-activation powers that can protect him or his allies from common types of harm. Thoughts?

Milskidasith
2010-06-11, 02:04 PM
Removed spells that involved a fire or cold element, and removed low-level spells that directly affect metal.
Eliminated Swim from the class skill list.
Reflavored the earth elemental wild shape to more appropriately reflect canonical Earthbender powers.


I am open to eliminating tremorsense and/or earth dream, but doing so creates four dead levels. Any suggestions for appropriate powers to swap in as replacements?

Indomitability may not match powers in the series, but the series probably didn't include wizards and clerics running around who would implode you or plane shift you into Baator as a combat tactic. I suppose I could switch it to something more traditional, like brief immunity to energy damage, but I'm worried that it defeats the design goal of Stone Power, which is to provide the character with immediate-activation powers that can protect him or his allies from common types of harm. Thoughts?

Dead levels are not so bad for classes that get manuever/spellcasting progression.

I don't know what the tier this class is aiming for, but if it aims for tier three, it's probably there. It seems to be about as strong a swordsage, really.

Zevox
2010-06-11, 03:05 PM
Reflavored the earth elemental wild shape to more appropriately reflect canonical Earthbender powers.
You probably didn't need to do that. If you're just going for a class inspired by the show but which is intended to fit into D&D instead of the original source material, elemental wild shape would be fine. Still, the new version does indeed fit better with the source material.


I am open to eliminating tremorsense and/or earth dream, but doing so creates four dead levels. Any suggestions for appropriate powers to swap in as replacements?
Hm. Can't think of anything appropriate for the levels in question, but here's an off-the-top-of-my-head idea: at 1st or 2nd level, at-will telekinesis which works only on earth (and at a high level, with sufficient mastery of tremorsense, can add metal to that), and only of the "Sustained Force" variety. The most basic ability of all benders is that they can essentially telekinetically manipulate their element - they require much training and/or practice to do this with the necessary speed, precision, and skill to really use it in combat, but even those only just aware of their talent can move at least small amounts of their element around in rudimentary ways without ever tiring. Though perhaps the ability should have a reduced weight limit - 25 lbs per level does seem like too fast a growth rate for the most basic ability of bending. Perhaps more like 10 or 15 lbs per level.

Oh, and I'm not sure how I missed it before, but the Earth Sight ability also doesn't really make sense. The only thing even remotely like that in the show is the tremorsense ability, which you already have. If I were removing any of the abilities it currently has, it would be that one.


Indomitability may not match powers in the series, but the series probably didn't include wizards and clerics running around who would implode you or plane shift you into Baator as a combat tactic.
True, but my thoughts were more along the lines of: how exactly do you use earthbending to grant immunity to death effects and the like? How, for instance, would any bender defend herself from Finger of Death? Bending isn't magic - it's the power to manipulate one of the four classic elements, and the only way I can think of for earthbending to protect someone against things like that is to break line-of-sight, preventing it from targeting the person at all, by throwing up a solid barrier of stone between them and the caster - which you have covered with the Stone Shell ability.

Zevox

Mephibosheth
2010-06-11, 03:09 PM
Since it was mentioned but not linked, here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=54063) is the classes thread from the Avatar d20 project that ran on the boards a while ago. That page also has links to the feats, creatures, items and pretty much everything else we designed for the Avatar d20 world. You can also find all that stuff here (http://avatar.d20.googlepages.com), though it hasn't been updated in a while and all of the screenshots stopped working.

Not at all trying to discourage further Avatar-related homebrew, just posting this as an FYI.

Mephibosheth

Kobold-Bard
2010-06-11, 03:27 PM
There's also Golden-Esque's Waterbender (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=149722) (and a link to their Earthbender in post 3).

I prefer the Avatar d20 system, but this one is pretty cool too, as is yours.

DrizztFan24
2010-06-12, 04:48 PM
Hm. Can't think of anything appropriate for the levels in question, but here's an off-the-top-of-my-head idea: at 1st or 2nd level, at-will telekinesis which works only on earth (and at a high level, with sufficient mastery of tremorsense, can add metal to that), and only of the "Sustained Force" variety. The most basic ability of all benders is that they can essentially telekinetically manipulate their element - they require much training and/or practice to do this with the necessary speed, precision, and skill to really use it in combat, but even those only just aware of their talent can move at least small amounts of their element around in rudimentary ways without ever tiring. Though perhaps the ability should have a reduced weight limit - 25 lbs per level does seem like too fast a growth rate for the most basic ability of bending. Perhaps more like 10 or 15 lbs per level.

True, but my thoughts were more along the lines of: how exactly do you use earthbending to grant immunity to death effects and the like? How, for instance, would any bender defend herself from Finger of Death? Bending isn't magic - it's the power to manipulate one of the four classic elements, and the only way I can think of for earthbending to protect someone against things like that is to break line-of-sight, preventing it from targeting the person at all, by throwing up a solid barrier of stone between them and the caster - which you have covered with the Stone Shell ability.

Zevox

How about a Reflex+Concentration check to bring up a stone armor that would block line of sight? Much like the stone gloves worn by some of the Di Li. (I think that is the correct group)

I'm actually playing the Shackled City campaign right this very moment, but when I get a chance I'll read through this a bit more closely. And actually I was hoping for somethign very similar to the canon correct(ish) bender. Seems a bit more balanced, IMO.

Zevox
2010-06-13, 12:12 AM
How about a Reflex+Concentration check to bring up a stone armor that would block line of sight? Much like the stone gloves worn by some of the Di Li. (I think that is the correct group)
Er, armor like that wouldn't block line-of-sight. You need an actual physical obstruction between you and your enemy to do that - a comparably thin layer of rock armor doesn't do that, especially if, like the Dai Li's, it has gaps in it to facilitate movement at the joints. And as I said, his Stone Shell ability already covers that.

Zevox

jiriku
2010-06-13, 01:36 AM
How about a Reflex+Concentration check to bring up a stone armor that would block line of sight? Much like the stone gloves worn by some of the Di Li. (I think that is the correct group)

I'm actually playing the Shackled City campaign right this very moment, but when I get a chance I'll read through this a bit more closely. And actually I was hoping for somethign very similar to the canon correct(ish) bender. Seems a bit more balanced, IMO.

Stone Power offers you a variety of effects to use in event of an impending attack. Rock shield essentially throws up ablative armor, while stone shell will break line of effect. At higher levels, earth armor covers you in a stone or crystal shell that offers a considerable natural armor bonus.

Maneuvers like primal form, stoneskin, stone body, and elemental body also allow you to wrap yourself in earth to protect yourself, although not as an immediate action.

If you want specific abilities added or deleted, let me know. Remember, I've never actually watched the series so all I have to go in is a handful of YouTube clips.

zenanarchist
2010-06-22, 01:27 AM
EARTHBENDER
The Earthbender is a master of martial arts who manipulates earth, stone and even metal as part of his fighting style. This borrows heavily from my earth dreamer class (http://http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155003), which is in turn an adaptation of the earth dreamer originally presented in Races of Stone (pp.110-112). The class draws inspiration from the earthbenders of Avatar: LOB, and is made by special request for DrizztFan24.

Changes made in response to Playgrounder feedback are spoilered here

Removed spells that involved a fire or cold element, and removed low-level spells that directly affect metal.
Eliminated Swim from the class skill list.
Reflavored the earth elemental wild shape to more appropriately reflect canonical Earthbender powers.


GAME RULE INFORMATION
Earthbenders have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength is the most important ability for an Earthbender, as it determines the effectiveness of his melee attacks and how difficult most of his maneuvers are to resist. Dexterity and Constitution are key for use of many of the Earthbender's class skills and secondary abilities.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Unarmed Strike Damage|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Maneuvers Granted

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Stone power 1/day, earth sense, improved unarmed strike|1d6|6|4|1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Hung Gar style|1d6|7|4|2

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|DR 1/adamantine|1d6|8|5|2

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Mettle|1d8|9|5|2

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Stone power 2/day (earth projection)|1d8|10|6|2

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Lesser tremorsense|1d8|11|6|3

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|DR 2/adamantine|1d8|12|6|3

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Earth dream|2d6|13|7|3

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Stone power 3/day (rock shield)|2d6|14|7|4

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+7|
+7|Tremorsense|2d6|15|8|4

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+7|
+7|Earth sight, DR 4/adamantine|2d6|16|8|4

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Earth glide|3d6|17|8|4

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Stone power 4/day (stone shell)|3d6|18|9|4

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Greater tremorsense|3d6|19|9|5

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+9|
+9|DR 6/adamantine|3d6|20|10|5

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Earth armor 1/day (large)|4d6|21|10|5

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Stone power 4/day (indomitability)|4d6|22|10|5

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11|Earth armor 2/day|4d6|23|11|5

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11|DR 10/adamantine|4d6|24|11|5

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12|Earth armor 3/day (huge)|6d6|25|12|6[/table]

CLASS SKILLS (6 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
An Earthbender's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Tumble (Dex).

CLASS FEATURES
Your spells and class features make you well-suited to a variety of roles, but you are best suited to tasks involving ranged combat, manipulating earth and stone, and exploration of underground areas.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Earthbender gains proficiency with monk weapons and with his unarmed strikes. He gains no proficiency with armor or with shields.

Maneuvers: An Earthbender begins play knowing six martial maneuvers. Hung Gar Kung Fu teaches four styles: the Stone Dragon Style, and also the styles of Crane, Mantis, and Tiger. Accordingly, you may select your maneuvers from the Stone Dragon, Diamond Mind, Setting Sun, or Tiger Claw disciplines, or from from the Earthbender power list. Powers learned from the Earthbender list are supernatural abilities, but their save DCs, level-based variables, and other effects function as if they were maneuvers. All Earthbender powers that refer to your caster level use your martial initiator level instead, and all references to your casting attribute should use your highest ability bonus.


Like a swordsage, you may use each maneuver only once per encounter before it is expended. Also like a swordsage, however, you may take a full-round action to focus your chi and recover a single expended maneuver. It is then available for use once more.

Earth Sense: An Earthbender gains Earth Sense as a bonus feat, provided he meets the prerequisites.

Improved Unarmed Strike: You gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat.

Hung Gar Style: At second level, the Earthbender learns to defend himself with Hung Gar kung fu. Add your Constitution bonus to your AC.

Damage Reduction (Ex): At 3rd level, an Earthbender gains some of the steadfastness and solidity of earth. While in contact with the earth, he gains damage reduction 1/adamantine. The Earthbender loses his damage reduction whenever he is not standing upon solid ground. This damage reduction increases by 1 at 7th level, and by 2 at 11th, 15th, and 19th level.

Mettle (Ex): A 4th level Earthbender learns to embrace the steadfastness of earth and stone. Whenever he is subject to a harmful effect that offers half damage or a partial effect on a successful Fortitude or Will save, he instead ignores the effect entirely on a successful save. The GM's judgement may be necessary in situations where this ability produces a nonsensical result.

Stone Power (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, the Earthbender learns to channel the earth dream to his allies, granting some of the solidity and resilience of the earth to himself and all willing allies within 30 feet. An Earthbender can activate Stone Power as an immediate action, once per day. To use this ability, the Earthbender must be standing upon solid ground, and only allies who are also standing upon solid ground can claim Stone Power's benefit. Stone Power has the earth descriptor.


At 1st level, the Earthbender can grant stability: all affected allies gain a +4 bonus to resist bull rush and trip attempts until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn.


At 5th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant earth projection: projections of stone jut up beneath any affected allies, providing momentum for a leap or handholds for climbing. The targets add the Earthbender's Constitution bonus to any Balance, Climb, Jump, or Tumble checks they make. This effect lasts until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn.


At 9th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant rock shield: all affected allies are protected by stone barriers with hardness 8 and a number of hit points equal to the Earthbender's Constitution bonus until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn. These barrier offers cover, and any damage that would be dealt to the target is dealt to the barrier instead. Once a barrier is destroyed, excess damage spills over and affects the target normally.


At 13th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant stone shell: all affected allies are enclosed by hemispherical stone shells with hardness 8 and a number of hit points equal to the Earthbender's full Constitution score until the beginning of the Earthbender's next turn. These shells render the ally immobile, but provide total cover, and any damage that would be dealt to the target is dealt to the barrier instead. Once a barrier is destroyed, excess damage spills over and affects the target normally.


At 17th level, the Earthbender gains an additional use per day of Stone Power, and can grant indomitability: all affected allies gain immunity to death effects, negative energy, ability damage, ability drain, annihilation effects such as disintigrate, implosion, or a sphere of annihilation, confusion and insanity effects, imprisonment, and teleportation or planar travel. This effect lasts one round.

Lesser Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, an Earthbender is so in tune with the earth that he gains the tremorsense ability with a range of 10 feet.

Earth Dream (Sp): By attuning himself to the earth dream, an Earthbender of 8th level or higher can pull knowledge from the mountains. This ability works like the divination spell in many ways, allowing the Earthbender to ask one question and receive a short, often cryptic answer. An Earthbender's chance of receiving an answer is 70% + 2% per Earthbender level, and the dream reveals only correct answers.


The earth dream ability can be used only to answer questions that are related in some way to the mountains. In general, the dreamer can get answers to questions about creatures, objects, and locations that are within 50 miles of a mountain, including underground or hidden locations. As with the augury and divination spells, multiple uses of this ability regarding the same topic by the same Earthbender use the same dice result and reveal the same answer each time.


Using this ability takes 10 minutes, and the Earthbender can use it once each day.

Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, an Earthbenders connection to the earth improves, and the range of his tremorsense ability increases to 30 feet.

Earth Sight (Su): An Earthbender of 11th level can see through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal to a range of 30 feet, as easily as if the substance weren't there. The Earthbender can still see the stone or earth as a ghostly outline, so she can avoid walking into walls and can otherwise function normally.


Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the Earthbender's Con modifier.

Earth Glide (Su): A 12th level Earthbender may move through earth like an earth elemental, gliding through stone, dirt, or almost any other sort of earth except metal as easily as a fish swims through water. This burrowing leaves behind no tunnel or hole, nor does it create any ripple or any other sign of its presence. A move earth spell cast on an area containing an earth gliding Earthbender flings the dreamer back 30 feet, stunning him for 1 round unless he succeeds on a DC 15 Fortitude save.


Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the Earthbender's Con modifier.

Greater Tremorsense (Ex): Beginning at 14th level, an Earthbenders connection to the earth improves even further, and the range of his tremorsense ability increases to 60 feet.

Earth Armor(Su): At 16th level, an Earthbender gains the ability to encase his form in earth, stone, or crystal once per day. He may increase his size if he wishes, up to a maximum of Large. He gains the bonuses to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and natural armor as if he were an earth elemental of his size, and gains Earth Mastery, Push, and Earth Glide as per the earth elemental description. He also gains the feats listed for an earth elemental of his size. He retains his own type and racial attributes, but gains the earth subtype. The effect lasts one minute per Earthbender level, or until the Earthbender changes back. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.


Upon activating earth armor, the Earthbender regains hit points (but nothing else) as if he had rested for the night. If slain in armored form, he reverts to his normal shape (but remains dead).


The Earthbender gains an additional use per day of this ability at 18th and 20th level. At 20th level, he may use this ability to assume up to huge size.


Earthbender POWER LIST
The Earthbender power list appears below. All spells are notated with the name and page number of the sourcebook in which they appear.

1st Level: climb walls (SC 47), endure elements (PHB 226), fist of stone (SC 94), foundation of stone (SC 99), hail of stone (SC 108), magic stone (PHB 251), pass without trace (PHB 259), rapid burrowing (SC 166), sandblast (SC 180), shillelagh (PHB 278), waste strider (SS 128).

2nd Level: barkskin (PHB 203), beastland ferocity (SC 25), burrow (SC 41), earth lock (SC 75), earthbind (SC 76), earthen grace (SC 76), earthen grasp (SC 76), earthfast (SC 76), easy climb (SC 76), halo of sand (SS 117), mountain stance (SC 144), saltray (SC 179), scimitar of sand (SS 120), soften earth and stone (PHB 280), spider climb (PHB 283).

3rd Level: bands of steel (reflavored as stone) (SC 24), control sand (SS 112), crumble (SC 56), eradicate earth (SC 84), forestfold (SC 98), giant's wrath (SC 105), meld into stone (PHB 252), nature's rampart (SC 146), primal form (earth only) (SC 161), soul of the waste (SS 121), stone shape (PHB 284), stony grasp (SC 209), strength of stone (SC 211), tremor (SC 223), tremorsense (SC 224).

4th Level: blast of sand (SS 112), burrow, mass (SC 41), fuse sand (SS 116), heart of earth (PH2 106), land womb (SC 130), rain of spines (PH2 114), sandform (SS 119), sarcophagus of stone (SC 180), spike stones (PHB 283), stone sphere (SC 209), stoneskin (PHB 284), sudden stalagmite (SC 213), wall of salt (SS 127), wall of sand (SC 235), wingbind (SC 240).

5th Level: choking sands (SS 112), earth reaver (SC 75), indomitability (SC 121), ironguard, lesser (SC 125), passwall (PHB 259), stone shape, greater (SC 208), telekinesis (stone or metal objects only) (PHB 292), transmute mud to rock (PHB 295), transmute rock to mud (PHB 295), transmute sand to glass (SS 124), transmute sand to stone (SS 124), transmute stone to sand (SS 125), wall of stone (PHB 299), xorn movement (SC 244).

6th Level: awaken sand (111), bones of the earth (PH2 104), cometfall (SC 60), hardening (SC 109), move earth (PHB 257), stone body (SC 207), stone tell (PHB 284), stonehold (SC 209), tunnel swallow (SC 225).

7th Level: earthquake (PHB 225), elemental body (earth only) (SC 78), great worm of the earth (PH2 106), heart of stone (SC 111), ironguard (SC 125), master earth (SC 139), maw of stone (SC 141), phase door (PHB 261), statue (PHB 284), wrack earth (PH2 128).

8th Level: bombardment (SC 37), excavate (SC 85), iron body (PHB 245), repel metal or stone (PHB 271).

9th Level: genius loci (earth only) (PH2 105), freedom/imprisonment (PHB 233, 244), shadow landscape (SC 184), undermaster (SC 227).

You know I can't do mechanics as I don't play D and D, so telling you if it's balanced or not would be redundant coming from me. However the flavour of the entire class is sexy as hell.

I especially liked the Earth jutting up and assisting jumps. All the maneuvers and powers are really well themed towards the class and I think you've done a great job there.

I like that he craps all over the monk. lol good job. Glad to know I'm getting reviews from someone who's rocking it here in the homebrew section.

Corporate M
2010-06-22, 01:22 PM
I love the concept, (always liked the bender idea) but it seems to me you gave yourself more trouble then you'd have too.

Unearthed arcana has a recharge magic variant that basically functions as manuevers. Why not just give it basically a monk or fighter build, and allow them to access an elemental list of spells they can cast that use the recharge magic variant?

Infact, this seems more inline with the series. Aang tends to function like a scout+airbending. Firebenders typically are monks or barbarians+firebending. If you were to make a campaign around benders, you'd probably just take these normally tier 5 classes and give them the buff of bending. Putting them at about tier 3 or 2.