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Zore
2010-10-12, 10:30 AM
The Animist
http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs50/f/2009/331/8/b/under_water_by_fangogogo.jpg
"The spirits of the world guide and protect me." --

Nori Jun, Animist

The Animist is a divine spellcaster who worships the divine spirits that inhabit the world around them. Where other divine spellcasters worship complex deities and ideals, the spirits the Animist gathers through worship are very basic divine imprints on the world. They are the essence, or ideal of something represented with divine force.

An Animist studies these beings and utilizes complex rituals to worship and attract them to him. As he gains in power he attracts more spirits to him and they begin to passively protect him from harm he may be unaware of.


BECOMING AN Animist
An Animist is typically one who takes a more intellectual approach to nature than a Druid or Ranger. By studying and perfecting certain rituals, an Animist can attract nature spirits and utilize their power to bless their friends and curse their foes.

Abilities
Intelligence is the key ability for Animists as it governs how powerful their rituals are and adds to their armor class. Dexterity is useful too as they are required to be near their enemies to affect them with their rituals. Constitution adds to their survival as they have a small hit die and Strength allows them to attack more efficently in melee. Wisdom and Charisma are not as importanyfor an Animist, though they have a number of Charisma based skills and Wisdom is always useful for its bonus to will saves.

Alignment

Animists trend towards no alignment, not even neutrality.

Races
Animists are often found in any race that has a bond with nature. Halflings and Elves are common as both races share an affinity for nature and an inquisitiveness about the world that helps them discover the rituals of the Animist.

Among the monstrous races, Kobolds and Goblins may take up the path of the Animist in areas where their traditional gods are not worshiped. Both races can use the abilities of the Animist to overcome their traditional physical weaknesses.

CLASS FEATURES OF THE Animist

Hit Die
d6.

Skills
Class Skills
The class skills (and key ability modifier for each) of the Animist are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), Spot (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skills at 1st Level
(4 + Int modifier) ×4.

Skills per Level Thereafter
4 + Int modifier.

Table 1: The Animist
{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | Rituals
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Ritual casting (1 creature), Least rituals | 3
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | AC Bonus | 4
3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 |+3 | Evasion | 4
4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | DR 1/- | 5
5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Ritual Removal | 5
6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Lesser rituals | 6
7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Ritual Casting(2 creatures) | 6
8th | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Quicken Ritual 1/day | 7
9th | +6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +6 | DR 3/- | 7
10th | +7/+2 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Potent Rituals | 8
11th | +8/+3 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Greater rituals, | 8
12th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Quicken Ritual 2/day | 9
13th | +9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Chain Ritual | 9
14th | +10/+5 | +4 | +4 | +9 | Ritual casting(3 creatues), improved evasion | 10
15th | +11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +9 | DR 5/- | 10
16th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Greatest rituals | 11
17th | +12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Quicken Ritual 3/day | 11
18th | +13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | DR 10/- | 12
19th | +14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | Cloaked mind | 12
20th | +15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Ritual casting(5 creatures), Ritual Mastery, Quicken Ritual 5/day |13[/table]
Armor and Weapon Proficiencies
Animists are proficient in simple weapons, light armor and shields but not tower shields.

Ritual Casting (Su)
Rituals are specialized divine spells that an Animists knows a limited number of. He begins play with knowledge of 3 rituals and gains another ritual at each even level beginning with level 2. On odd levels the Animist may switch out one ritual he knows in exchange for another ritual of any level he can currently cast. Rituals are ranked in four levels; least, lesser, greater and greatest. At level 1 an Animist may only have knowledge of least rituals. When he reaches level 6 he gains access to lesser rituals, at level 11 greater rituals and at level 16 greatest rituals as marked on the above chart. An Animist may use a ritual as many times a day as desired.

An Animist may only have one copy of a Ritual on its list of Rituals he may cast.

Each ritual may be used in one of two ways, to benignly grant a bonus to a willing creature or offensively to cause a penalty to another creature. Every offensive use of a ritual grants the opposing creature a saving throw of a type noted in the ritual description. A ritual may only affect a single creature at a time, if a ritual is used on another creature while the first effect is still active the effect immediately ends on the original creature.

The DC of saving throws for Offensive Rituals is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Animist's character level (minimum 1) + the Animist's Intelligence modifier.

A full round action is required to activate the highest level ritual an Animist knows. When they gain access to a higher level of rituals at level 6, lesser rituals take a full-round action to activate while least take a standard action. When the third tier of ritual levels is unlocked at level 11 the greater rituals take a full-round action to activate while lesser take a standard actionand least require only a move action. At the highest tier, at level 16, greatest rituals take a full-round action while greater require a standard action to activate and least and lesser rituals require only a move action.

Once activated and affecting a creature, a ritual lasts for 24 hours unless cast on another creature. An Animist cannot dismiss a ritual once cast, they must use it again on another creature to remove the effect from the first. Every three rounds a creature who has been affected by an offensive ritual gains another save against the effect with a cumulative +1 bonus. An Animist is aware when his ritual is no longer affecting a creature even if he is on another plane.

To affect a creature with a ritual an Animist must be withing 30 feet of the creature and have a line of sight to them.

At level 7 an Animist may effect 2 creatures with a single ritual at the same time. It still requires seperate actions to activate the ritual on each creature. At level 14 this limit is increased to 3 creatures. At level 20 it increases to 5 creatures.


AC bonus
At 2nd level, an Animist learns to listen to the spirits he commands and adds his intelligence modifier, if positive, to his Armor class as long as he is unencumbered and wearing no more than light armor.

Evasion (Ex)
At 3rd level and higher, an Animist can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with the help of the spirits. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage.

Evasion can be used only if the Animist is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Animist does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Damage Reduction
Starting at 4th level the spirits that aid the Animist begin to protect him by negating some of the damage dealt by weapons. He gains DR 1/-, increasing to DR 3/- at level 9, DR 5/- at level 15 and finally DR 10/- at level 18

Ritual Removal
At 5th level the Animist is fully able to command the spirits and may remove the effect of a ritual from a creature as a swift action.

Quicken Ritual
At 8th level an Animist has gained a rapport with some of the first spirits he attracted. Because of this familiarity he may direct them to activate a ritual on a character as a swift action 1/day. As he gains in levels this limit increases, he is able to do it 2/day at level 12, 3/day at level 17 and 5/day at level 20.

Potent Ritual
At level 10 an Animist has become more adept as directing the spirits he commands and can now activate rituals at a distance of sixty feet from a creature, though he still requires a line of sight.

Chain ritual
At Level 13 an Animist has attracted enough spirits that he may affect the maximum number of creatures he can with a single ritual in a single action as long as they are within 30 feet of each other.

Improved Evasion (Ex)
At fourteenth level the Animist gains Improved Evasion.This ability works like evasion, except that while the Animist still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth he takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Animist does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Mind Blank (Su)
At 19th level the spirits protecting the Animist give him protection from things that influence thoughts and emotions. He is treated as though he is permanently under the spell Mindblank.

Ritual Mastery
As a result of the Animists great devotion and power, at 20th level Greatest Rituals may now be cast as a standard action. In addition least rituals may be cast as a swift action.


Rituals

Least

Ritual of Minor Attack
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a +2 sacred bonus to all attack rolls

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to take a -2 penalty to all attack rolls. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Snapping Jaw
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a bite attack with damage appropriate to a creature of its size, 1d6 for a medium creature, as a primary natural attack. If the creature already has a bite attack, its damage die is increased by a single step. At level four and every four levels thereafter this also grants the bite attack a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to seal a creature's jaw. For as long as this ritual remains in effect the affected creature is unable to use a single bite attack. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Spider
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to use Spider Climb as the spell.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose its climb speed and any racial bonus to its climb check as long as it remains in effect. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Mole
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a burrow speed equal to half its land speed. If the creature has a burrow speed it is doubled.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose its burrow speed for as long as it remains in effect. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Fish
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a swim speed equal to its base land speed and the ability to breathe underwater. If the creature has a swim speed it is doubled.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose its swim speed and any racial bonus for swimming as long as it remains in effect. In addition, the afflicted creature begins to float to the surface of the water at a speed of 10 feet per round. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Monster
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature Darkvision 60 and the special ability scent. If the creature already has Darkvision it gains the ability to see invisibility as the spell.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to removed its ability to use its Darkvision and Scent abilities for as long as it remains in effect. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Dragon
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a tail attack as appropriate for a creature of its size, 1d6 for a medium creature. If the creature already has a tail attack, its damage die is increased by a single step. At level four and every four levels thereafter this also grants the bite attack a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose the ability to use its tail attack for as long as the ritual remains in effect. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Thief
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a +4 sacred bonus to any one skill.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to take a -4 penalty on all skills for as long as it affects the creature. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Knight
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a +2 dodge bonus to AC.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to take a -2 penalty to AC for as long as it is affected. Will save to avoid

Ritual of the Cheetah
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a sacred bonus to its land speed equal to 1/2 of its base speed.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to take a penalty to its base land speed equal to half of its base land speed. Reflex save to avoid



Lesser


Ritual of the Fighter
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability, during a full-attack action, to make another attack at a negative -5 penalty with any weapon it uses during the attack including natural weapons.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to, during a full attack, be unable to use a single secondary attack or iterative attack. If the creature has a single attack this ritual does nothing. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Hawk
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a flight speed equal to its base land speed with good maneuverability. If the creature already has a flight speed it is doubled.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose its flight speed. It will fall to the ground as if under a feather fall spell if in mid-flight. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Aberration
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature two tentacle attacks with reach as a primary natural attack. The tentacles deal damage as appropriate for the size of the creature, 1d4 for a medium creature. If the creature already has a tentacle attack, its damage die is increased by a single step. At level four and every four levels thereafter this also grants the bite attack a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to be unable to use its tentacles for attack for as long as its affected. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Raven
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to speak any language. If the creature can already speak any language this ritual does nothing

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose the ability to speak a single language decided by the Animist. Will Save to avoid.

Ritual of the Lynx
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to take a single extra 5-foot step during their turn as a free action

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose its ability to take a five foot step while it is affected. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Raptor
An Animist may use this ritual to grant all a creature's natural weapons a single step increase in damage die. At level 10 this becomes a two step increase and at level 15 this becomes a three step increase.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a a creature's natural weapons a single step reduction in damage die. At level 10 this becomes a two step reduction and at level 15 this becomes a three step reduction. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Elements
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a resistance to a single element equal to 5 plus five more for every four class levels the Animist has.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove all resistance to a single element from the targeted creature for the duration of the effect. At level 10 this penalty causes the creature to become vulnerable to the element and take an extra 50% damage for the duration. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Mage
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature spell resistance equal to 13+ Half the Animist's class level.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the spell resistance from a target. At level 18 it also removes immunity to magic for the duration of its effect. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Viper
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to poison with a single natural attack. The poison deals 1d6 constitution damage immediately and 1d6 1 minute later. Fortitude save to avoid the consitution damage is equal to 10+ half the Animists level + The Animist's intelligence modifier.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to be unable to utilize any natural poisons it has for the duration. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Wolverine
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature two claw attacks as a primary natural attack. The claws deal damage as appropriate for the size of the creature, 1d6 for a medium creature. If the creature already has a claw attack, its damage die is increased by a single step. At level four and every four levels thereafter this also grants the bite attack a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lock away a creature's ability to use its natural claw attacks in combat for the duration of the effect. Fortitude save to avoid.


Greater


Ritual of the Barbarian
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a single extra attack at its highest base attack during a Full attack.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause a creature to lose the ability to make an attack at its highest base attack bonus during a full-attack. If the creature has iterative or secondary attacks it may make them as normal. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Scout
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to take an extra move action during its turn.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause the target to only be able to take a single move or attack action each turn. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of Greater Attack
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature half its total base attack bonus as a sacred bonus to its attack

An Animist may use this ritual to cause the targeted creature to take a penalty to its attack equal to half its base attack bonus. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of Greater Armor
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a dodge bonus to its Armor class equal to half its base attack as a sacred bonus.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause the targeted creature to take a penalty to its Armor class equal to half its base attack bonus. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of the Giant
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature five additional feet of reach.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove five feet of reach from the targeted creature. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Troll
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature fast healing 5.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the targeted creature's fast healing. In addition, once the Animist has reached level 16 this ritual removes the target's Regeneration for the duration. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Bat
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature Blindsense 30.

An Animist may use this ritual to suppress the target's blindsense, blindsight or tremorsense for the duration. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Psion
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to use the special ability Telepathy at a distance of 100 feet.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove a creature's ability to use telepathy or any power of spell which mimics that ability for the duration of the effect. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Lycanthrope
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature Damage Reduction/ Silver equal to five times 1/4 the class level of the Animist.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the target's damage reduction for the duration of the ritual. Reflex save to avoid.

Greatest


Ritual of the Initiator
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to use an extra swift action on its turn once per encounter.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the ability of the target creature to use a swift or immediate action for the duration of the effect. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Inspired
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to make a single extra standard action during its turn once per encounter.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the ability of the target to use a standard action for the duration of the effect. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Lion
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to make a full attack after a move action.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the ability of a creature to make a full attack, it may only make a single attack for the duration of the effect. Reflex save to avoid.

Ritual of Teleportation
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature the ability to use the spell Dimension Door at will as the spell with a caster level equal to the Animist's level.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the target creature's ability to Teleport or use spells or abilities with the Teleportation tag for the duration of the effect.

Ritual of the Tremor
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature Tremorsense 60.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove all the target creature's senses except for normal vision for the duration of the effect. Fortitude save to avoid.

Ritual of the Beguiler
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature True Sight as the spell.

An Animist may use this ritual to remove the target creature's ability to use the spell True sight or any ability that mimics the effects. In addition the target is unable to utilize any means to see through illusions for the duration of the effect. Will save to avoid.

Ritual of the Master
An Animist may use this ritual to grant a creature a +15 Sacred bonus to a single skill.

An Animist may use this ritual to cause the targeted creature to take a -15 penalty on all skill checks for the duration of the effect. Will save to avoid.

Zore
2010-10-12, 10:31 AM
Feats

Extra Ritual

Prerequisites: Character Level 6th, Ritual Casting Class Feature

Benefit: You may select a Ritual not currently on your Ritual list that is the same level or lower than you can currently cast. This Ritual is added to the list of Rituals you can cast per day. This Ritual is not eligible to be traded out for another Ritual on levels when a switch is allowed.

Special: This feat may be taken multiple times, each time it allows the beneficiary to gain an additional new ritual.

Flickerdart
2010-10-12, 11:01 AM
Did you mean: Animist?

Zore
2010-10-12, 11:16 AM
Did you mean: Animist?

Yes, yes I did. Now fixed.

Zore
2010-10-13, 02:56 PM
*Bump*

Added a new feat and clarified some of the language. Any feedback?

Zore
2010-10-15, 09:53 PM
*Bump* Fixed some more wording, changed some of the names of the Rituals

Any feedback?

AugustNights
2010-10-16, 08:35 AM
For a class that is based around Intelligence, it behaves as a class based on Wisdom. 'Listening to the spirits around it' 'Familiarity with Spirits' and 'Ritual Magic' all ring as wisdom based abilities to me. Familiarity with spirits, all of this is speaking to me as wisdom, I think if you want a more intellectual approach you may consider mentioning long hours or studying key components of spirits, or something more... intellectual than spiritual.

Evasion DR and Cloaked mind, it seems all a bit much, and kind of out of the blue. And the DR 10/- is a huge jump.
And a lot of DR/-.
Ignore 10/- every time? Even at higher levels this can be rather useful, when considering other magical and mundane defenses...


The title of Ritual, it has an essence of time consuming. A full-round action doesn't seem appropriate, or the tittle or ritual perhaps isn't appropriate, for the spell casting type.

The rituals are, well unorganized. Spider climb at level 1? I think even the warlock makes you wait for such things.

Some of the saves don't make sense either, Ritual of the Fighter has a reflex save, but what does the target dodge? Spirits?

Ritual of the Aberration is a bit wildly powerful, at least if I remember how those sort of attacks function.

Ritual of the mage is crazy powerful, as is the ritual of the initiator, and ritual of the Master, a free +15 to skills makes epic uses of skills a little too easy.

Durations of rituals as 24 hours? I'm sorry that's a bit too powerful. Yes the Warlock does something similar, but that's to itself, and usually the 24 hour ones are rather, mundane.
The 24 on others clause makes these guys a 1 hour a day character. Wake up in the morning magic up the part while the wiz prepares spells, and then go to sleep for the rest of the day.
Further, 24 hours on a lot of these effects is far, far, far too long.

Over all I'd say this Base-class is overpowered, easily overstepping any non-maneuver using base class. I suppose when compared to higher (or is it lower?) tier classes it's decent, but disorganized.
And that's my critique, and the two copper painted brass pieces its worth.

Zore
2010-10-16, 08:50 AM
For a class that is based around Intelligence, it behaves as a class based on Wisdom. 'Listening to the spirits around it' 'Familiarity with Spirits' and 'Ritual Magic' all ring as wisdom based abilities to me. Familiarity with spirits, all of this is speaking to me as wisdom, I think if you want a more intellectual approach you may consider mentioning long hours or studying key components of spirits, or something more... intellectual than spiritual.

Evasion DR and Cloaked mind, it seems all a bit much, and kind of out of the blue. And the DR 10/- is a huge jump.
And a lot of DR/-.
Ignore 10/- every time? Even at higher levels this can be rather useful, when considering other magical and mundane defenses...


The title of Ritual, it has an essence of time consuming. A full-round action doesn't seem appropriate, or the tittle or ritual perhaps isn't appropriate, for the spell casting type.

The rituals are, well unorganized. Spider climb at level 1? I think even the warlock makes you wait for such things.

Some of the saves don't make sense either, Ritual of the Fighter has a reflex save, but what does the target dodge? Spirits?

Ritual of the Aberration is a bit wildly powerful, at least if I remember how those sort of attacks function.

Ritual of the mage is crazy powerful, as is the ritual of the initiator, and ritual of the Master, a free +15 to skills makes epic uses of skills a little too easy.

Durations of rituals as 24 hours? I'm sorry that's a bit too powerful. Yes the Warlock does something similar, but that's to itself, and usually the 24 hour ones are rather, mundane.
The 24 on others clause makes these guys a 1 hour a day character. Wake up in the morning magic up the part while the wiz prepares spells, and then go to sleep for the rest of the day.
Further, 24 hours on a lot of these effects is far, far, far too long.

Over all I'd say this Base-class is overpowered, easily overstepping any non-maneuver using base class. I suppose when compared to higher (or is it lower?) tier classes it's decent, but disorganized.
And that's my critique, and the two copper painted brass pieces its worth.

First, on the flavor aspects. The idea was that the character is much like a Wizard, except instead of learning arcane formulae and magic he's learning how to perform rituals that attract natural divine spirits to him and use them.

Plus I wanted to get away from wisdom dependence. If they have to pump intelligence, which is as important for them as it is for Wizards, they aren't also getting will save boosts. They're a much more MAD class because they have to have relatively decent physical stats, because they have to be within 30 ft of their target, and good intelligence and decent wisdom. None of the Rituals actually do damage either so they are a very support focused character.

The warlock does get Spider climb at will at level one, 24 hour duration much like this. In fact most of the warlock's invocations have better passive effects, a level 1 gives a +6 bonus to 3 skills, one gives a much larger bonus to movement speed etc. I tried to use the Warlock as a bit of a balance point in fact, the idea was this guy could do similar things but slightly weaker and to other people. The lower level abilities have some clear analogues in Warlock invocations and are usually weaker.

Also, you may have missed it, but each ritual can only be active on a single creature until level 7 when it bumps up to 2 creatures at a time.

I may bump down the DR as it does hit 10 out of nowhere, thats partially because in my original draft a few abilities were on different levels and when I changed it I got a dead level.

AugustNights
2010-10-16, 10:14 AM
First, on the flavor aspects. The idea was that the character is much like a Wizard, except instead of learning arcane formulae and magic he's learning how to perform rituals that attract natural divine spirits to him and use them.

Plus I wanted to get away from wisdom dependence. If they have to pump intelligence, which is as important for them as it is for Wizards, they aren't also getting will save boosts. They're a much more MAD class because they have to have relatively decent physical stats, because they have to be within 30 ft of their target, and good intelligence and decent wisdom. None of the Rituals actually do damage either so they are a very support focused character.

I like the idea of a Intelligence based Divine 'Warlock,' but what I was trying to say is that the Flavor does not fit the Mechanic. I think you could choose better flavor language to match an Intellectual Divine Caster, because the way it reads, it reads as Wisdom and Charisma based.
Perhaps mention the long hours spent studying the different types of spirits, the exact patterns used to call them, and the name of all the rituals. And perhaps a better word than rituals, ritual has a wisdom like flavor to the word, something practiced until perfected with muscle memory (Like profession), honestly I can't think of a better word but something that sounds like it could be taught more and less intuited. (How is intuited a word, but debuffer isn't?)

Also I still don't understand the Reflex saves on the abilities...



The warlock does get Spider climb at will at level one, 24 hour duration much like this. In fact most of the warlock's invocations have better passive effects, a level 1 gives a +6 bonus to 3 skills, one gives a much larger bonus to movement speed etc. I tried to use the Warlock as a bit of a balance point in fact, the idea was this guy could do similar things but slightly weaker and to other people. The lower level abilities have some clear analogues in Warlock invocations and are usually weaker.

Still, the Warlock doesn't affect other creatures for 24 hour durations, this makes this guy a super-buffer/debuffer. (Debuffer should totally be a word.) One of the Warlock's balancing points is that it cannot grant it's amazing buffs to other characters. (Which fits very well with the selfish stigma warlocks have.)
Further damage is actually less powerful than status effects and buffs.


The 'slightly weaker but to other people' makes it much more powerful than the warlock. A lot of these negative effects are super potent for 24 hour durations.



Also, you may have missed it, but each ritual can only be active on a single creature until level 7 when it bumps up to 2 creatures at a time.

Didn't miss the first part. The second part makes it more overpowered, in my opinion. (Whatever that's worth.)

Zore
2010-10-16, 10:23 AM
I like the idea of a Intelligence based Divine 'Warlock,' but what I was trying to say is that the Flavor does not fit the Mechanic. I think you could choose better flavor language to match an Intellectual Divine Caster, because the way it reads, it reads as Wisdom and Charisma based.
Perhaps mention the long hours spent studying the different types of spirits, the exact patterns used to call them, and the name of all the rituals. And perhaps a better word than rituals, ritual has a wisdom like flavor to the word, something practiced until perfected with muscle memory (Like profession), honestly I can't think of a better word but something that sounds like it could be taught more and less intuited. (How is intuited a word, but debuffer isn't?)

Also I still don't understand the Reflex saves on the abilities...


Still, the Warlock doesn't affect other creatures for 24 hour durations, this makes this guy a super-buffer/debuffer. (Debuffer should totally be a word.) One of the Warlock's balancing points is that it cannot grant it's amazing buffs to other characters. (Which fits very well with the selfish stigma warlocks have.)
Further damage is actually less powerful than status effects and buffs.


The 'slightly weaker but to other people' makes it much more powerful than the warlock. A lot of these negative effects are super potent for 24 hour durations.


Didn't miss the first part. The second part makes it more overpowered, in my opinion. (Whatever that's worth.)

Maybe put on a limitation that no more than 1/3 rounded down of an Animist's Rituals can be active on a single creature at a time? Even at max level thats 4 Rituals at a time and I can't see a combination of 4 rituals that really breaks everything open.