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Zaydos
2010-09-24, 09:36 AM
Wyldwood Knight:
A flash of light, our swords are drawn.
The clap of thunder as our swords clash.
A parry, a feint, we rain blows down towards each other.
I dodge left, his blade missing me by a nymph's lock.
My sword stabs deep between the plates of his armor.
The flash of dream was instant but I knew how this battle would go. We drew, we clashed, and just as the dream said he was too slow.

Wyldwood knights were originally highly trained warrior fey who served as elite soldiers and protectors for the Knight of the Iron Rose. They trained in heavy armor till it became like a 2nd skin, as well as a mark of station and power. The closed in helm gave these knights anonymity and a certain dread aura as they went about their work for their Unseelie liege. The Knight of the Iron Rose failed in his attempt to impose his will over the fey, but his warriors remained. They became mercenaries, selling their skills to the highest bidder. For a time it was not uncommon to see one, looming as a dark spot behind the throne, even in the court of a Seelie lord or lady. Since this period they have fallen in popularity within the fey courts and are no longer a fashionable decoration.

Over time their secret battle techniques were leaked to other races. Some by rogue members who wandered human lands, some by mercenaries who sold their knowledge, some were taught it by friends of elven kind, and some stole these arts from the fey with iron and blood.

{table]Level| BAB| Fort| Ref| Will| Special| Maneuvers Known| Maneuvers Readied| Stances
1| +1| +0| +2 |+2 | |4 |3 |1
2 |+2 |+0 |+3 |+3 |Agile Armor +1 |5 |3 |1
3 |+3 |+1 |+3 |+3 |Blood Dreams 1/day |6 |3 |1
4 |+4 |+1 |+4 |+4 |Armor Mastery (Medium) |6 |4 |1
5 |+5 |+1 |+4 |+4 | |7 |4 |2
6 |+6 |+2 |+5 |+5 |Star Dream Weapon Mastery |7 |4 |2
7 |+7 |+2 |+5 |+5 |Agile Armor +2 |8 |4 |2
8 |+8 |+2 |+6 |+6 |Evasion |8 |4 |2
9 |+9 |+3 |+6 |+6 |Armor Mastery (Heavy) |9 |4 |3
10 |+10 |+3 |+7 |+7 | |9 |5 |3
11 |+11 |+3 |+7 |+7 |Blood Dreams 2/day |10 |5 |3
12 |+12 |+4 |+8 |+8 |Agile Armor +3 |10 |5 |3
13 |+13 |+4 |+8 |+8 | |11 |5 |4
14 |+14 |+4 |+9 |+9 | |11 |5 |4
15 |+15 |+5 |+9 |+9 |Healing Dreams |12 |6 |4
16 |+16 |+5 |+10 |+10 |Imp Evasion |12 |6 |4
17 |+17 |+5 |+10 |+10 |Agile Armor +4 |13 |6 |5
18 |+18 |+6 |+11 |+11 | |13 |6 |5
19 |+19 |+6 |+11 |+11 |Blood Dreams 3/day |14 |6 |5
20 |+20 |+6 |+12 |+12 |Champion of the Fey Court |14 |7 |5[/table]
HD type: d8.
Class Skills (4 + Int/level): Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animals, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Nature), Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty), Martial Lore, Ride, Sense Motive, Survival, Swim, Tumble.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A wyldwood knight is proficient in all simple and martial melee weapons, shortbow, longbow, composite shortbow, composite longbow, elven thinblade, and elven courtblade. They are proficient in light, medium, and heavy armor and shields (except tower shields).
Martial Disciplines available: Diamond Mind, Star Dream (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=169100), White Raven, and either Frozen Zephyr or Shocking Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570). If a maneuver requires a save you may replace the ability score used to determine the save DC with your Charisma. (note they can swap disciplines as normal for a ToB character although which disciplines would be available to them is left to the DM)
Regaining Maneuvers: A wyldwood knight rely on their subconscious mind and the insight of harmony with the fey world around them. When they pause and do not use the powers of the fey they allow their awareness to expand and regain maneuvers as the fey dream speaks to them. If they don’t use a maneuver during a round they regain 1 martial maneuver, if they do not use a maneuver for 2 consecutive rounds they regain all martial maneuvers that they have expended.
Agile Armor (Ex): Add the number to the maximum Dexterity bonus of light armor you wear, also reduce the ACP of any light armor you wear by the listed amount.
Armor Mastery (Ex): You may treat armor of the listed type as both its normal type and light armor whichever is more beneficial for a specific effect; you also ignore the reduction to speed when wearing armor of this type.
Agile Weapon Mastery (Ex): Add your Dexterity modifier to damage when using weapons that are valid targets for Weapon Finesse.
Blood Dreams (Ex): When their life is gravely threatened, and their blood flowing freely, a wyldwood knight's fey dream speaks to him. When at 1/4th or less hp a Wyldwood Knight may regain all their martial maneuvers as a swift action. They may only do so 1/day at Lv 3, gaining an additional use every 8 levels thereafter at Lv 11 and Lv 19.
Healing Dreams (Su): At 15th level a wyldwood knight learns to commune with his fey dream entering a restful meditation in which even mortal wounds close seamlessly. 1/day A Wyldwood Knight may meditate for 1 minute to receive the effects of a Regenerate spell, a Heal spell and a Greater Restoration spell. Their caster level for these effects is equal to their character level.
Champion of the Fey Court (Ex): At 20th level a Wyldwood Knight chooses either to become a champion of the Seelie or the Unseelie court gaining either the Champion of Summer (Seelie) or Champion of Winter (Unseelie) ability depending upon his choice. Regardless of your choice you gain DR 5/cold iron and you no
Champion of Summer (Su): As long as you are in a martial stance you gain Fast Healing 5 and immunity to Strength damage, Dexterity damage, Constitution damage, and all death spells, death effects, energy drain, and any negative energy effects.
Champion of Winter (Su): Whenever you initiate a martial strike you may choose to add your charisma modifier in negative energy damage and 1 point of Constitution damage to each attack made as part of the strike.

What do people think about the capstone (and the rest of the class)? Does everything look balanced, and is one of the two capstones obviously a much better choice than the other?

Credit for Frozen Zephyr and Shocking Sky (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570) goes to Krimm Blackleaf.

Mulletmanalive
2010-09-24, 07:14 PM
Welp, you've managed something that no-one else has; i genuinely want to play this class, despite it being ToB. The recovery mechanic and Star Dream being what did it. What ACFs would you levy if i wanted to play this as a Seelie version?

I won't bother commenting on balance: it's basically identical to the Warblade, which i think is a pants piece of design but everyone else seems to like...

Zaydos
2010-09-24, 07:24 PM
To be honest I haven't started thinking up ACFs yet, although I'd be glad to hear suggestions. I tried to make most of the abilities generic and equally applicable to either court, except for the capstone which is divided into Seelie and Unseelie Court abilities. In the discipline (Star Dream) made to go with them there's a few Seelie and Unseelie themed maneuvers, as well as a feat for each court (although nothing is actually stopping you from taking both). I tried to design it so that you could switch courts without changing your character game mechanically because fey were known to do so on a regular basis in mythology. I would suggest taking Shocking Sky over Frozen Zephyr if you want a Seelie themed Wyldwood Knight since ice/cold tends to be associated with the Unseelie (or sometimes Winter) Court.

Elfin
2010-09-24, 07:34 PM
First of all, I think that this idea might be better suited to a Prestige Class because of its specific flavor.
As for balance, the majority of class features seem rather weaker than the warblade's, which is the obvious choice for comparison. For one thing, this class is basically only suited to Dex-based Weapon Finessers, another reason this would work better as a PrC; as well, consider adding access to Shadow Hand, as the Shadow Blade feat is a staple for Dex-based warriors.

Agile Armor is good, but it doesn't make that much of a difference: (mithral) Celestial Armor of Nimbleness, which again is something that all finessers will want, already takes care of most max Dex problems and has 0 ACP.
Blood Dreams is definitely the most interesting feature, and something to build on, though.

The automatic proficiency with the elven Xblades is nice, and makes this an appealing dip; however, it's not still not an enormous bonus.
And really, Healing Dreams is good, but still not great, since unlimited out-of-combat healing is already available and access to Greater Restoration and Regenerate is pretty easy at level 15. Nonetheless, Healing Dreams is nothing to be scoffed at: consider adding additional daily uses.

Both capstones are good, but both can be bought: the former with the Soulfire armor enhancement, and the latter with the Wounding weapon property. Both are good abilities, but having a buyable capstone is not a good idea.

So: the class has promise, probably as a PrC. Keep up the work, and this could turn out to be quite good. :smallsmile:

Zaydos
2010-09-25, 12:37 AM
You're right it would be easier to make this work as a PrC. -looks over class- a lot easier. But I'm going to continue to doggedly try and make it a base class because I'm stubborn like that and I want to make a ToB base class (I should also remake it as a PrC). Even though I'm going to still try to make it a base class a lot of your suggestions seem really good and give me a few ideas. Thanks :smallsmile:

Edit:
Temporary revision (I expect it will still need a fair bit of work but it needs PEACHing if I'm going to improve it)

Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Maneuvers Known
Maneuvers Readied
Stances


1
+1
+0
2
+2
Agile Armor +1
4
3
1


2
+2
+0
+3
+3
Weapon Skill
5
3
1


3
+3
+1
+3
+3
Blood Dreams 1/day
6
3
1


4
+4
+1
+4
+4
Armor Mastery (Medium)
6
4
1


5
+5
+1
+4
+4
Agile Armor +2
7
4
2


6
+6
+2
+5
+5
Agile Weapon Mastery
7
4
2


7
+7
+2
+5
+5
Evasion
8
4
2


8
+8
+2
+6
+6
Armor Mastery (Heavy)
8
4
2


9
+9
+3
+6
+6
Agile Armor +3
9
4
3


10
+10
+3
+7
+7
Blood Dreams 2/day
9
5
3


11
+11
+3
+7
+7
Healing Dreams 1/day
10
5
3


12
+12
+4
+8
+8
Vital Dream
10
5
3


13
+13
+4
+8
+8
Agile Armor (no maximum Dex or ACP)
11
5
4


14
+14
+4
+9
+9
Imp Evasion
11
5
4


15
+15
+5
+9
+9
Healing Dreams 2/day
12
6
4


16
+16
+5
+10
+10
Dream of the Moon
12
6
4


17
+17
+5
+10
+10
Blood Dreams 3/day
13
6
5


18
+18
+6
+11
+11
-
13
6
5


19
+19
+6
+11
+11
Healing Dreams 3/day
14
6
5


20
+20
+6
+12
+12
Champion of the Fey Court, Blood Surge
14
7
5



Changes: Gets many abilities at an earlier level and other abilities progress faster.
Agile Armor now caps at Lv 13 with No Maximum Dex or ACP; I will need to address if it allows you to move normally in Dwarven Mountain Plate (although why you'd bother when Mechanus Gear Armor is better and doesn't take a feat).
Healing Dreams is now gained at Lv 11 (too soon?) and gets 3 daily uses by Lv 19.
New features added:
Weapon Talent: At 2nd level choose either Weapon Focus or Weapon Finesse, you gain this feat as a bonus feat.

Vital Dreams: Beginning at Lv 12 when you use your Blood Dreams ability you also regain hit points equal to your character level (considering a +2 Dodge bonus to AC for 1 round).

Dream of the Moon: When you are at one-fourth or less health you may add your Charisma modifier if positive to all Fortitude and Will saves you make.

Blood Surge: Starting at 20th level when you use your Blood Dreams ability you may also activate one boost. This boost is regained along with your other maneuvers. A capstone that can't be bought

Considering wrapping Timeless Body into Champion of the Fey Court.