Base Class Challenge Chat Thread II [Archive] - Page 5

God Imperror

2012-08-15, 07:06 AM

Ok then I'll keep in mind tier 2 trying to make comments to tier 3 if I get some good idea. :smallsmile:

The Dimensional Double

http://conceptartworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Goran_Josic_10a.jpg

"You talk of a world of possibilities… I ask: why limit yourself to only one world?" - The one of many.

Nice image :smallsmile: Can we get two at the same time? That seems cool :smallamused:

Across the infinite web of parallel dimensions there occasionally comes one who bridges them together and, through forces unknown, acts as a dimensional conduit. These rare few impact not only their own plane of existence, but forge a destiny which ripples across the endless worlds of creation.

Some are born, some find such power by accident and others strive for many years to achieve such insight. The result however is always the same… The individual becomes aware of the great nexus which links them to their dimensional counterparts and they in turn are drawn to offer their assistance.

Some speculate that such individuals are in fact being presented with a trans-dimensional trial, which will determine not only their own fate but that of each and every other double across the all endless worlds.

Adventures: Those who draw upon their dimensional doubles can see themselves in infinite form - sometimes as the hero and sometimes as the villain. They become aware of a link binding them together with all such versions of themselves and see these worlds being drawn into their own. Such powerful forces demand answers and the dimensional double, in all her many guises, will not rest until they are revealed.

Characteristics: A dimensional double is no mere jack of all traits, they are a diverse and focused mass of driven individuals acting as one. While they may be hewn from the same stone each dimensional double has been sculpted by their own life time of experiences and are in fact entirely unique individuals. Each one is both as flawed and perfected as any creature, for they have been shaped by a life unseen in a world beyond our own.

A dimensional double draws upon their dimensional twins, calling them for their aid and channelling their multitude of skills to unlock their combined destiny.

Alignment: Anyone can become a dimensional double, but few remain unaffected by the profound change it represents. To see oneself in infinite form - both at your most noble and most vile - is in itself a provocative experience indeed, from which some never truly recover from.

A lawful dimensional double likely sees a greater pattern or logic presenting itself to them, an order which spans dimensions yet still holds true. In contrast a chaotic dimensional double sees only the turmoil of existence, repeated and recycled endlessly, where the smallest moment can change a world forever.

Dimensional doubles can use there “gift” (or curse, depending on their outlook) for almost any end. Some become truly evil, viewing themselves as a greater being that has transcended mortal ties whilst other are humbled by the immeasurable scale of their vision and thus strive to better themselves and the lives of others.

Religion: Dimensional doubles have seen one of the great divides of creation unravel before their very eyes. They have peered into the endless space beyond the known world and witnessed the true immensity of existence – few can comprehend their vision and o find the words to express it. Some may well turn to a deity for answers, but most begin to trust in something greater still, the raw forces of existence, time and space themselves.

Background: Most dimensional doubles are unfortunate victims of cosmic events beyond mortal comprehension. They are often little more than individual in the wrong place at the wrong time and, as a result, witness the dimensional vale they once knew sunder before their eyes.

Some are born this way or grow into it upon reaching maturity. These individuals often stem from ancient bloodlines, touched by events beyond their own dimension. Some may even have ties to dimensions beyond their birthplace and thus see the great nexus linking them to the infinite worlds.

A rare few actively seek out such insight, unlocking secrets so alien in their nature that none truly know what they will unleash until it is too late. These individuals roam the world, skimming he boundaries of creation and drawing upon their doubles wisdom in search of greater answers.

Races: A character born of any race can find themself enveloped by the infinite worlds.

Riftlings (new race, see below) are born from the energies which link one dimension to another and thus often find themselves bound to their dimensional doubles as a result.

Oh... you are going to create a race too cool :smallsmile:

Other Classes: Most find the dimensional doubles connection with unseen worlds to be unnerving. Those who travel with them often find it difficult to accept that a world exists where their own doubles not only exist but, in infinite instances, acts in a way utterly contrary to their own beliefs.

Those without understanding of such powers may perceive the dimensional double to merely be eccentric individuals with an unusual multiple personality disorder. Other more learned or worldly individuals likely view them with a mixture of interest, pity and caution.

Fluff is fluff and fluffy, I like it, it is quite original. It gives a finished touch to the class.

Role: A dimensional double is no mere dilettante with a broad array of interests. They are a union of individuals, each of whom have developed their skills over a lifetime of experience. They are a collective of understanding with a range as infinite as the many worlds themselves, each one unique - in every way.

The dimensional double is herself a conduit, allowing her parallel selves to enter this world. As she gains experience, she is able to contact more doubles who will in turn expand her flexibility. Ultimately a dimensional doubles success is dependent upon the union they forge with those doubles they choose to form a link with.

So... if the dimensional double weren't able to channel the doubles what would he be able to do?

Adaptation: The dimensional double could easily be re-purposed as a shape shifter of sorts or have their powers explained in more magical terms. Perhaps they draw upon inspiration to take on new abilities or maybe they have some form of chronomancy which allows them to move back through time and alter their own experiences and skill set.

The alternate dimensions themselves could also be altered from near infinite to a simple few, thereby reducing the range and makeup of the doubles they may call upon.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

The Dimensional Double has the following game statistics.

Abilities: A brief description of what ability scores are important to your class.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8

Starting Age: As rogue.

Starting Gold: As cleric.

Class Skills
The Dimensional Double's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Knowledge (the planes) should definitely be a class skill.

Dimensional double
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Doubles|Double Level

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Dimensional double|
1|
1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Dimensional guidance (+1), Planar lore|
1|
2

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Rift stride (10-feet)|
1|
3

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Dimensional pocket, Riftweave weapon (+1)|
2|
3/2

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Void keeper (10%)|
2|
4/3

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Worlds collide|
2|
5/4

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Dimensional Grasp, Dimensional guidance (+2)|
2|
6/5

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Riftweave weapon (+2), Void keeper (20%)|
3|
6/5/4

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Beyonder, Rift stride (15-feet)|
3|
7/6/5

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+7|
+7|Endless worlds (1 double)|
3|
8/7/6

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+7|
+7|Void keeper (30%)|
3|
9/8/7

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Dimensional guidance (+3), Riftweave weapon (+3)|
4|
9/8/7/6

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Between worlds|
4|
10/9/8/7

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Reconnection, Void keeper (40%)|
4|
11/10/9/8

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+9|
+9|Endless worlds (2 doubles), Rift stride (20-feet)|
4|
12/11/10/9

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Riftweave weapon (+4), Voice of many (+1)|
5|
12/11/10/9/8

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Dimensional guidance (+4), Void keeper (50%)|
5|
13/12/11/10/9

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11|Meld realities|
5|
14/13/12/11/10

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11|Voice of many (+2)|
5|
15/14/13/12/11

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12|Endless worlds (3 doubles), Riftweave weapon (+5)|
6|
15/14/13/12/11/10
[/table]

No dead levels is always a good thing. All good saves though? I can see will as they have to have a strong mind to hold the doubles but why reflex or fortitude?

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Dimensional Double.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Dimensional Double is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Dimensional Double's are proficient with both light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields).

So he has the BAB of a rogue but gets the proficiency of a fighter? If I understand the class correctly one of the things that would worry me is the dimensional double only using casters for its doubles. Why does he have all the martial weapons? Has he trained physically? Wouldn't it be better if one of the benefits of a fighter double would be said proficiency?

Dimensional Double (Su):

The dimensional double, is not a single character, they are a collection of characters who share this class as a conduit, through which they can enter the campaigns dimension. While each of these characters are essentially a duplicate of the same entity, the differing circumstances native to their home dimension have lead them to forge a unique life time of experiences. As a result no two doubles are ever the same and can often hold quite unique world views.

The conduit is unique in from all their doubles as they act as a focal point which bridges these dimensions and links their alternate selves to one another. The conduit is the version of the character native to the campaigns dimension and acts as the default representative of their persona.

Why not use character/creature? I mean, the dimensional double is the character while the other doubles are creatures.

Drawing a double.

At first level the character searches the infinite worlds and reaches out to their first double, who the controlling player constructs by generating an additional character sheet. The character they create must share both the same race and age as the conduit and may not utilise any templates which suggest that they have a different lineage or bloodline to conduit. Doubles may however be formed as though they were a unique character in their own right - having ability scores, class levels (see below), feats, skill and other such factors which differ from the conduit.

Can they have acquired templates that do not suggest that they have a different lineage or bloodline to conduit? Can we channel lich (or necropolitan for the matter) versions of ourselves from another reality? If the dimensional double (player character) has an inherent template (such as half dragon) do the other doubles have to take said template?

Amidst the chaos and turmoil of the infinite dimensions only those with a clear focus towards a singular path draw the conduits attention. As a result a double may only posses class levels from a single class but may diverge into a single prestige class (should they qualify).

At later levels the conduit forges a link with additional doubles that will in turn require their own character sheets, following the above rules. The main class table shows the levels at which new doubles are gained. Once a conduit forges a link with a double their vision of similar doubles blurs and fades, making it impossible for any two doubles to share a level in the same class (or prestige class).

Subsequent doubles are also drawn from an increasingly congested array of possible candidates which makes finding those of great power ever more complex. As a result the maximum level of subsequent doubles lowers by 1 each time a new double is obtained (as shown upon the main class table).

Though it may be possible for multiple conduits of the same entity to exist (indeed the nature of the infinite dimensions demands that there are indeed infinite conduits) no two conduits may link to one another. This means that none of a conduits doubles may possess any levels in this class.

As the conduit gains levels in this class their doubles may also increase in level. All of a conduits doubles are deemed to increase in level simultaneously. Doubles drawn into a dimension by a conduit often experience a fractured and disjointed life, which over time causes them to increase in level at a slower rate, as shown by the main class table.

Though a dimensional double may own items, equipment or other assets within their home dimension, none of it travels with them into the conduits dimension. A double instead takes possession of the conduits possessions when called upon and thus should only have these items reflected upon their respective character sheets.

Does a wizard leave its spell book behind?

Aspects of a doubles class which are not directly born from the double themselves cannot travel into the conduits dimension. For example, a Psicrystal is created by their master's ego and thus may travel with them, while an animal companion may not, as it shares no direct biological link to their master (it was born from another creature).

:smallannoyed: Poor rangers and poor druids. What happens with familiars?

Calling forth a double.

The conduit may, as a full round action, activate one of their doubles. This action immediately replaces them with their chosen double, who adopts the exact same body position the conduit previously held. The double always enters play using the conduits initiative result (if one exists).

By immediately do you mean at the end of the full round action? :smallconfused:

The double enters play wearing or holding all of the conduits items, including any restraints (such as manacles). Doubles with aspects of their character that differ from the conduit (such as their alignment) may find that items respond differently when in their possession. Intelligent items are aware of a double taking the conduits place and may respond differently to their new owner as a result.

Activating a dimensional double draws an attack of opportunity which can be avoided by successfully performing a concentration skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 (+1 for every two levels the double possesses). This attack of opportunity is made against the conduit, not the double. A conduit struck by such an attack of opportunity automatically fails in their attempt to activate a double and may not make a fresh attempt until the start of their next turn.

He couldn't actually try it since he wasted his whole turn, it took a full round action to try to draw the double.

When a double enters play it should be regarded as an entirely separate creature, who does not share any bonuses or penalties affecting the conduit that preceded them. They may however emerge in any number of situations which would affect a creature freshly introduced to the field, including finding themselves in the midst of a grapple or an environment which requires them to make a saving throw.

Why would you put them in a position where they need to make a saving throw? You have all good saves.

A double is not able to perform any actions in their home dimension which will benefit them in the conduits dimension, including casting spells to bolster their defences before they arrive. Such effects are stripped away by the powerful rifts through which the double is drawn.

A wizard cannot have mage armor cast on himself then? :smallsmile:

Playing as a double.

As soon as a double enters play they may perform a full range of actions as though their turn had just begun. However, the double cannot sustain its presence within the conduits dimension for long and therefore must return to its home dimension at the end of their turn - thus any actions they attempt to perform which extend beyond this period will immediately fail.

At the end of the doubles turn they are immediately swapped for the conduit, who returns to exactly the same location and holds exactly the same body position as the double they are replacing. This dimensional swap is instantaneous and draws no attacks of opportunity.

It is a summon that takes a full round to summon but gets a full round of actions when summoned. Okay.

If a doubles sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their turn ends immediately, causing the conduit to return and replace them (as described above). All but 1 point of this damage is then inflicted upon the conduit upon their return.

A double who sustains damage may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

Then your better summons are blasters from far away or people that can buff your party. As any melee that you draw can be beaten up easily.

If a double may ever exist within the conduits dimension for a period which extends beyond their turn and will immediately shift back to their own dimension if incapacitated or hindered in a way which would cause them to do so. Such a double may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

All effects (for good or ill) which were active upon the double whilst within the conduits dimension are automatically cancelled when they return to their home dimension. The double immediately reverts back to their previous state before they travelled to the conduits. Even doubles slain within the conduits dimension are return to their home alive.

All doubles have a fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension and thus may not extend their time here by any means. Any attempts to grant then further actions (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.

They act as debuff sponges then. Cool, that's why you make them make the saves. They aren't going to be happy about it. Although they are mailman's I mean they can act for a round blast, blast, blast.

Dimensional Guidance (Su):

Upon reaching 2nd level the conduit learns to draw inspiration from its infinite doubles without drawing upon a singular individual.

If the conduit chooses not to activate a double this turn they receive a +1 insight bonus to all subsequent 20 sided dice rolls until the start of their next turn. However, when a conduit chooses to benefit from this ability they immediately become incapable of activating a double until the start of their next turn. In essence each turn the conduit must choose to either benefit from this ability or utilise a double (they may never benefit from both abilities).

Additionally for every 5 levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by 1 (+2 at 7th level, +3 at 12th level and +4 at 17th).

+1 to hit, +1 to damage, +1 to trip/disarm/grapple/bullrush/sunder, +1 to all skills, +1 to caster level checks, +1 to all saves... Isn't that... awesomely good?

Planar Lore (Ex):

Starting at 2nd level the conduit’s understanding of the dimensional weave gives them insight into the multiverse and its many realms. As a result the conduit receives a bonus to all Knowledge [the planes] equal to half their dimensional conduit class level.

It's a bonus and it escalates at 20th level a dim double has a +14 to knowledge [the planes]. Maybe skill focus?

Rift Stride (Su):

Upon reaching 3rd level the conduits bond with the dimensional weave allows them to step through rifts unseen by other beings, using them to teleport short distances. The conduit may, as a swift action, teleport 10 feet. Later at the distance the conduit may teleport increases by 5 feet every 6 levels (15 feet at 9th level and 20 feet at 15th level).

Grapple immunity with no limited uses.

Dimensional Pocket (Su):

Upon reaching 4th level the conduit gains access to a small pocket dimension between the normal planes of existance.

Once per turn the conduit may, as a free action, move any one item within their hands into a dimensional pocket, accessible only to them. The dimensional pocket may hold a total weight of 10 pounds per level (to a maximum of 200 pounds at 20th level).

Free small bag of holding?

Additionally once per turn a single item may, as a free action, be retrieved from the dimensional pocket. The retrieved item emerges within the conduits hands. A conduit who has no free hands may not retrieve items from the dimensional pocket.

Actually better. Can a double get items too? Or only the pc?

Riftweave Weapon (Su):

Begining at 4th level the conduit gains the ability to, as a free action, summon forth a riftweave weapon whenever they activate a double.

The conduit may summon one weapon of a type their chosen double is proficient with to a free hand (if they have no free hands the ability fails). If they choose to summon a projectile weapon, it comes with 10 bolts, cartridges, arrows, bullets, or whatever serves as the most appropriate projectile.

Weapons summoned by this ability gain a +1 enchantment bonus to their both attack and damage rolls. Additionally for every 4 further levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by +1 (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level and +5 at 20th level).

Weapons summoned by this ability are made of riftweave, a trans-dimensional material which can mimic the form of metal and wood yet has the appearance of raw solidified energy. Riftweave weapons are considered magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and also extend into the ethereal realm, functioning normally against any creatures present there.

This weapon (and all projectiles summoned with it) persist only while the chosen double is in play, after which it vanishes.

Free magic any-weapon which escalates since the dimensional double is proficient with most weapons he can create a lot of different weapons. It is good.

Void Keeper (Su):

At 5th level the conduit observes the rifts and weaves of the infinite dimensions and can interpret their motions, allowing them to act against methods of extradimensional travel in their locality.

The conduit may, as a free action, choose to prevent a creature within 20 feet from utilising a method of extradimensional travel. If the conduit chooses to utilise this ability all such attempted methods of travel (or abilities) have a 10% chance of failing each round.

Each round?

This ability may only be utilised against the same creature once each round.

Forms of movement hindered by a this ability include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities.

Later at 8th levels and every three level beyond (until 17th level) the chance of such abilities failing increases by 10% (20% at 8th level, 30% at 11th level, 40% at 14th level and finally 50% 17th level).

Only the conduit and not her doubles may utilise this ability.

The conduit is an ass :smallamused: But seems okay.

Worlds Collide (Su):

Upon reaching 6th level the conduit may, Once per encounter when activating a double, pull them into their dimension with such force that a rift between the worlds detonates as 20 foot emanation centred upon them.

All other creatures and unattended objects within this area must overcome a reflex save (DC = 10 + half the conduits class level + half the chosen doubles class level) or pushed back 5 feet, knocked prone and sustain 1d6 force damage for each level the chosen double possesses.

A creature who successfully overcomes this save suffers only half the full damage and is neither pushed back or knocked prone. Creatures with evasion (and improved evasion) may deploy that ability against this effect to avoid damage.

Using this ability expends the move action of the chosen double as they take time to steady themselves after such a turbulent entry into the conduits dimension.

Only a double called to temporarily replace the conduit (and not those summoned using the Endless Worlds ability) may be targeted by this ability.

It is nice to have a panic button.

Dimensional Grasp (Su):

A conduit who reaches 7th level may, as a standard action, attempt a ranged touch attack which will secure the target creature as if stuck by the dimensional anchor spell. This ability can target creatures at a maximum distance of 60ft.

For how long? Can he do it every round?

Beyonder (Su):

A conduit who reaches 9th level understands how to safely traverse the rifts linking differing planes of existence, time and space.

Once per day you may, as a standard action, use this ability to generate an effect similar to either the plain shift or teleport spells. Unlike the either of these spell however you don’t need to physically touch creatures to transport them and may instead target creatures up to 30 feet away as a ranged touch attack. Your caster level is deemed equal to your class level when using this ability.

You may utilise this ability twice per day upon reaching 13th level and a third time at 17th level.

Do they get a save? Do you have to travel with them?

Endless Worlds (Su):

A conduit that attains 10th level learns to draw their double into the world without substituting their own involvement. The conduit may, once per encounter, summon one of their doubles into any free space within 30 feet of their current position as a standard action. The Double may then immediately act as normal, returning to its home dimension upon concluding its actions.

Later at 15th level the conduit may use this ability to summon two of their doubles and finally upon reaching 20th level they may summon a third double.

Summoned doubles appear wearing no armour or possessing any items of their own. Instead they emerge in clothing forged from riftweave, which offers a +1 Enchantment bonus to armour class for every 4 character levels the double possesses. Each double may also opt to emerge wielding a single weapon forged from riftweave as if the conduit had utilised the riftweave weapon ability for each double.

If a doubles summoned in this way sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their immediately return to their home dimension. Unlike a double who takes the conduits position none of the excess damage flows over to the conduit when a summoned double is struck

All doubles have a fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension and thus may not extend their time here by any means. Any attempts to grant further actions to either a double or the conduit (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.

I really like this ability though I still believe that melee doubles would have a hard time.

Between Worlds (Su):

Starting at 13th level the conduit learns to survive and travel within the space between dimensions. Once per encounter the conduit may, as a swift action, become ethereal until the start of the conduits next turn.

This ability does not extend to the conduits doubles, who do not appear in an ethereal state. The conduit however will remain ethereal until the start of their next turn.

As a standard action the conduit may re-set this ability, allowing them to once again use it within the same encounter.

Do they have means of attacking while ethereal? Or this is just a panic button?

Reconnection (Su):

A conduit that attains 14th level may, once per week, choose gaze into eternity for a period of 10 minutes and there substitute one of their existing doubles for a replacement of identical level. The replacement double is created just like any other double and may use the same classes and prestige classes the substituted double used.

I don't like this ability :smallfrown: Wasn't the idea to limit the power of the dimensional double by having it not have access to any double he wanted?

Voice of Many (Su):

Starting at 16th level the conduit learns to act as an intermediary between the infinite versions of them self and their doubles, sharing experiences, concepts and tactical suggestions. As a result all of the conduits doubles receive a +1 bonus to all their 20 sided dice rolls. Later at 19th level this bonus increases to +2.

It was good at lvl 4 it is still good at level 16. So at level 20 a dimensional double has +6 to any d20 roll? wow

Meld Realities (Su):

Once per day a conduit of 18th level may, as a standard action, reach into an alternate existence and draw aspects of it into their own dimension. This power enables the conduit to meld the existing physical reality with that of another dimension. This mergence extends over a 100 foot area radiating around the conduit.

The conduit may specify a broad geographic or environmental concept such as “a lake” or “a lava flow” which will then manifest itself within the existing environment. The concept may not include specific details regarding the exact layout of the environment, but the space the conduit currently occupies is never placed into an imminently threatening situation as a result.

The DM will determine the full extent of this mergence and reflect it as necessary upon the environment.

o.O This as written can be used offensively. You might want to have that as a capstone. AND clarify how deep (or high) can it go in case the double wants to substitute a city with a "hole".

Overall this is a really strong class and not only due to its doubles, the 18th level ability is game breaking. The +6 to any roll is really powerful and justifies not having any drawn double.

How to lower the power level?
-Every double when drawn has only 50% (or is only willing to spend that much) of their daily resources a wizard ain't going to expend all of its spells. The DM has the final say in what's available.
-Doubles can get damaged (though you suffer half the damage or all if they are killed) if a double gets killed you cannot draw said double until you gain another level in this class.
-You only apply the bonus to one kind of rolls per round (changing it as a swift action).
-Doubles have their own agenda (and might be unhappy to be damaged or put in situations of danger repeatedly) played by the DM. I am so using planar bind on the party if I am the double wizard.

malonkey1

2012-08-15, 08:04 AM

I can to be hazzing teh PEACH plz too? kthxbai!

God Imperror

2012-08-15, 10:16 AM

Sure, intended power level?

Also I would like some peaching to my class too :smallbiggrin: I am always open to trade.

kanachi

2012-08-15, 10:46 AM

So... if the dimensional double weren't able to channel the doubles what would he be able to do?

Be a kinda average melee type with a few tricks. Basically the conduit relies upon the combinations of her other selves to succeed. If you walk around in an anti magic area your flexibility (much like a wizard) will be reduced.

I'm toying with the idea of making two versions of the class, this version which represents a more melee focused individual and a second which has magic that grows more slowly than a sorcerer. You would be able to multiclass both together without penalty... hopefully this would help give the conduit themselves a bit more individual identity.

Knowledge (the planes) should definitely be a class skill.

Yer sorry I've not drawn up the skill list yet, the above uncertainty is a big part of that. Obviously Knowledge (the planes) is a big part of there skill list though.

No dead levels is always a good thing. All good saves though? I can see will as they have to have a strong mind to hold the doubles but why reflex or fortitude?

So he has the BAB of a rogue but gets the proficiency of a fighter? If I understand the class correctly one of the things that would worry me is the dimensional double only using casters for its doubles. Why does he have all the martial weapons? Has he trained physically? Wouldn't it be better if one of the benefits of a fighter double would be said proficiency?

Again this is due to the fact that I may well develop to versions of the class a melee focused version and a spell casting version. If i do just keep it like this however, I will most likely cut it back to just Will saves, simple weapons and a few others.

Why not use character/creature? I mean, the dimensional double is the character while the other doubles are creatures.

I think this is the bit where I have confused everyone. Part of it is probably down to the class name "dimensional double" when in fact i refer to "them" (this class, ignoring their doubles) as the conduit. I will probably rename the class to the "dimensional conduit" or simply the "conduit" as a result.

I didn't want to call their doubles creatures however as "you" the player enact them and must roleplay them. You become the double for the brief period they exist within the campaigns dimension and in essence they become your character whilst substituting your own character.

Can they have acquired templates that do not suggest that they have a different lineage or bloodline to conduit? Can we channel lich (or necropolitan for the matter) versions of ourselves from another reality?

Yes. such templates do not alter the fact that the two doubles were born genetically identical, which is the crucial point. Templates applied "after birth" are therefore ok. I will try to clarify this better, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

If the dimensional double (player character) has an inherent template (such as half dragon) do the other doubles have to take said template?

Yes. The conduit and all their doubles must be genetically identical at the time of birth.

Does a wizard leave its spell book behind?

Owch, i didn't think about this... I guess rules as written yes, they do... hmm maybe I will allow this as an exception. I don't know a way to implement it without people asking "well if he can bring his spell book why cant i bring my holy avenger!?"

I must think on this...

Poor rangers and poor druids. What happens with familiars?

Indeed, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Your double is the person, the individual... not their pet cat. A DM may choose to rule that a familiar is created "of" their spell caster, but as written they are not.

By immediately do you mean at the end of the full round action? :smallconfused:

This is the part where i think i have confused you (bad writing on my part!). Basically the conduit takes a full round action, replaces themself with the chosen double and then takes a full round of actions as that double. As soon as the double has concluded taking their actions they are replaced by the conduit, who at that point has already taken their full round action and thus their own turn ends.

So in essence you are swapping a turn as yourself for a turn as one of your doubles.

Also its important to remember that this means that you dont play a full round as a double, only your turn. Thus once the double concludes their actions the conduit is the one who stands in the firing line of whatever retaliation may occur.

He couldn't actually try it since he wasted his whole turn, it took a full round action to try to draw the double.

I included this just in case the conduit was able to somehow gain an additional full round action via another means. So basically this prevents you from being able to use the ability twice in such a circumstance.

Why would you put them in a position where they need to make a saving throw? You have all good saves.

The field may be under some kind of on-going effect which requires a save to endure. If you chose to bring in your double they would have to resist such an effect as the conduit cant do it for them... they are both separate entities after all.

A wizard cannot have mage armor cast on himself then? :smallsmile:

Not before he got there no... but once he emerges he could though it would be sort of pointless as he will vanish (taking with him the buff) at the end of his action.

Basically you would bring a double in to perform an offensive action, a de-buff or to produce an effect which lingers beyond the time in which they are upon the field. Any other kind of action would be folly.

It is a summon that takes a full round to summon but gets a full round of actions when summoned. Okay.

exactly, your substituting your action for an action as your double.

Then your better summons are blasters from far away or people that can buff your party. As any melee that you draw can be beaten up easily.

Not really as a double only remains in play until they finish their action after which the conduit takes over. So unless you draw an attack of opportunity and get hit you should be fine no matter which double you bring in.

+1 to hit, +1 to damage, +1 to trip/disarm/grapple/bullrush/sunder, +1 to all skills, +1 to caster level checks, +1 to all saves... Isn't that... awesomely good?

Agreed, i am going to nerf this. Basically i want to make playing on as the conduit rather something tempting, however in doing so you loose the chance to use a double (and vice-versa).

It's a bonus and it escalates at 20th level a dim double has a +14 to knowledge [the planes]. Maybe skill focus?

at 20th level you get a +10 bonus to knowledge [the planes] from this ability, then +4 from dimensional guidance (which I will probably nerf). So yes +14. None the less, I would say any character of this class who is not regularly bashing over the 20s when making a knowledge [the planes] check is doing something wrong. This is the core aspect of the class, you should at level 20 be one of the greatest experts on inter-dimensional connections, planes and other factors in the known world.

Grapple immunity with no limited uses.

True, I will change it so you are prevented from using it either grappled or otherwise restrained.

Free small bag of holding?

Actually better. Can a double get items too? Or only the pc?

Essentially its a free dimensional holster. The idea is that you zip your weapon into said holster, become a double who emerges with a riftweave weapon, they do their thing then... zing your back and you can re-call your item into your hand.

Only the conduit can use it.

Free magic any-weapon which escalates since the dimensional double is proficient with most weapons he can create a lot of different weapons. It is good.

A double is only proficient with the weapons their own classes allow, the conduit does not share proficiencies with their doubles and vice versa.

A wizard would not be able to use a great sword for example, however a fighter could.

Each round?

Basically this is a spell failure chance of X% if you try to use such spells or abilities within the stated area. I will re-word it to reflect this better.

The conduit is an ass :smallamused: But seems okay.

The idea is that he governs the dimensional links and pathways around him and is therefore pretty scary if you are trying to flee.

It is nice to have a panic button.

Hehe, this was more just for lols than anything else. I like the idea of a double emerging from a dimensional rift that shatters around him.

For how long? Can he do it every round?

It functions like the spell (including duration) and has unlimited uses of it. I didn't see to much of a problem with giving it unlimited uses as its not a spell you spam everywhere in general.

Do they get a save? Do you have to travel with them?

It functions, like the spell, so yes, you deffonatly get a save… I will make this clearer

I really like this ability though I still believe that melee doubles would have a hard time.

This is kind of the signature power of the class, because of its power it only kicks in now though. The abilty to have a “mega turn” which is what this essentially is, once per encounter is pretty massive. As I explained above, doubles don’t persist beyond their own actions so, therefore would not have to worry about absorbing damage unless they draw attacks of opportunity or try to do something which will injure them… thus melee doubles are perfectly viable.

Do they have means of attacking while ethereal? Or this is just a panic button?

Not as standard, but I’m sure you could acquire ways of doing so.

I don't like this ability :smallfrown: Wasn't the idea to limit the power of the dimensional double by having it not have access to any double he wanted?

Agreed. I essentially made this so you could have a redo of a double who you made early on and messed up pretty badly. I think I will combine this ability with the main dimensional double ability to simply allow the conduit to alter an existing double at specific levels.

It was good at lvl 4 it is still good at level 16. So at level 20 a dimensional double has +6 to any d20 roll? wow

Conduits and doubles don’t share either of these abilities, they are exclusive from one another.

o.O This as written can be used offensively. You might want to have that as a capstone. AND clarify how deep (or high) can it go in case the double wants to substitute a city with a "hole".

It’s important to note that one reality does not replace another, they merge. So if you combine a city and a hole you would likely end up with a city link together by many thin bridges spanning a drop. The dm controls the outcome and the player can’t give specific details or locations, only a rough environmental description.

The lack of rules surrounding this may make it broken however. Its something I love the idea of visually though, so if anyone out there has a good idea of how it could be better worded or explained please let me know.

Overall this is a really strong class and not only due to its doubles, the 18th level ability is game breaking. The +6 to any roll is really powerful and justifies not having any drawn double.

Every double when drawn has only 50% (or is only willing to spend that much) of their daily resources a wizard ain't going to expend all of its spells. The DM has the final say in what's available.

I wanted to avoid this as it’s a lot of book keeping. It was my initial thought as well though.

You only apply the bonus to one kind of rolls per round (changing it as a swift action).

This is what I will probably do.

Doubles have their own agenda (and might be unhappy to be damaged or put in situations of danger repeatedly) played by the DM. I am so using planar bind on the party if I am the double wizard.

I don’t want to take the control of the doubles away from the player, but I think it’s heavily implied that a double indeed has their own agenda and a DM should ensure that the player respects that.

I would expect a player playing this class to develop a personality unique to each double and reflect them in game accordingly.

kanachi

2012-08-15, 10:47 AM

I would like some peaching to my class too :smallbiggrin: I am always open to trade.

I will get on it ASAP! Thank you so much for looking over my class, you gave me some great insight.

kanachi

2012-08-15, 10:48 AM

I can to be hazzing teh PEACH plz too? kthxbai!

I'll take a look once I've taken a gander as Imperror's. I'm always open for a trade as well. lol

God Imperror

2012-08-15, 11:24 AM

Be a kinda average melee type with a few tricks. Basically the conduit relies upon the combinations of her other selves to succeed. If you walk around in an anti magic area your flexibility (much like a wizard) will be reduced.

I'm toying with the idea of making two versions of the class, this version which represents a more melee focused individual and a second which has magic that grows more slowly than a sorcerer. You would be able to multiclass both together without penalty... hopefully this would help give the conduit themselves a bit more individual identity.

That sounds interesting, as it is it is a good gish with a really strong base and a really variate casting ability.

Yer sorry I've not drawn up the skill list yet, the above uncertainty is a big part of that. Obviously Knowledge (the planes) is a big part of there skill list though.

Don't worry There is time, when doing so consider that the conduit can choose to channel skill monkeys and channeling skill monkeys should be an option.

Again this is due to the fact that I may well develop to versions of the class a melee focused version and a spell casting version. If i do just keep it like this however, I will most likely cut it back to just Will saves, simple weapons and a few others.

Good as it is it has a strong chasis.

I think this is the bit where I have confused everyone. Part of it is probably down to the class name "dimensional double" when in fact i refer to "them" (this class, ignoring their doubles) as the conduit. I will probably rename the class to the "dimensional conduit" or simply the "conduit" as a result.

Conduit will certainly be helpful, I was able to follow most of the time but had troubles wording it later.

I didn't want to call their doubles creatures however as "you" the player enact them and must roleplay them. You become the double for the brief period they exist within the campaigns dimension and in essence they become your character whilst substituting your own character.

I mean you are a character formed by different creatures (like a pair of dvati twins) I would certainly make dvati twins unable to take this class as that can be... a source of headaches.

Yes. such templates do not alter the fact that the two doubles were born genetically identical, which is the crucial point. Templates applied "after birth" are therefore ok. I will try to clarify this better, thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Yes. The conduit and all their doubles must be genetically identical at the time of birth.

:smalltongue:

Owch, i didn't think about this... I guess rules as written yes, they do... hmm maybe I will allow this as an exception. I don't know a way to implement it without people asking "well if he can bring his spell book why cant i bring my holy avenger!?"

I must think on this...

Well what about material spell components then? What about a holy simbol? What about... Just DON'T allow it to go through, that way it nerfs the high tiers and I am led to believe that you want that. There are still sorcerers with eschew materials, mystics, favored souls or any of the specialized arcane spell casters that can keep working naked.

Indeed, but that's just the way the cookie crumbles. Your double is the person, the individual... not their pet cat. A DM may choose to rule that a familiar is created "of" their spell caster, but as written they are not.

I would probably leave the psicrystal at the home plane too then. It is a small limitation for psions.

This is the part where i think i have confused you (bad writing on my part!). Basically the conduit takes a full round action, replaces themself with the chosen double and then takes a full round of actions as that double. As soon as the double has concluded taking their actions they are replaced by the conduit, who at that point has already taken their full round action and thus their own turn ends.

So in essence you are swapping a turn as yourself for a turn as one of your doubles.

Also its important to remember that this means that you dont play a full round as a double, only your turn. Thus once the double concludes their actions the conduit is the one who stands in the firing line of whatever retaliation may occur.

Yep it took me a while but I ended getting it. He acts in the same initiative order doesn't he?

I included this just in case the conduit was able to somehow gain an additional full round action via another means. So basically this prevents you from being able to use the ability twice in such a circumstance.

Maybe you want to use the word round somewhere, as using white raven tactics you get another turn even if its in the same round.

The field may be under some kind of on-going effect which requires a save to endure. If you chose to bring in your double they would have to resist such an effect as the conduit cant do it for them... they are both separate entities after all.

And said effect might "kill" the double as it appears.

Not before he got there no... but once he emerges he could though it would be sort of pointless as he will vanish (taking with him the buff) at the end of his action.

Basically you would bring a double in to perform an offensive action, a de-buff or to produce an effect which lingers beyond the time in which they are upon the field. Any other kind of action would be folly.

Cool

exactly, your substituting your action for an action as your double.

:smalltongue:

Not really as a double only remains in play until they finish their action after which the conduit takes over. So unless you draw an attack of opportunity and get hit you should be fine no matter which double you bring in.

You mentioned earlier the possibility of doubles having to save against lingering effects. I worry that those bad effects are probably going to be around enemies (or in the way to enemies)

Agreed, i am going to nerf this. Basically i want to make playing on as the conduit rather something tempting, however in doing so you loose the chance to use a double (and vice-versa).

A +4 to any check is still a pretty good option.

at 20th level you get a +10 bonus to knowledge [the planes] from this ability, then +4 from dimensional guidance (which I will probably nerf). So yes +14. None the less, I would say any character of this class who is not regularly bashing over the 20s when making a knowledge [the planes] check is doing something wrong. This is the core aspect of the class, you should at level 20 be one of the greatest experts on inter-dimensional connections, planes and other factors in the known world.

You can be friends with Pazuzu :smallwink: I don't believe it would normally be a problem though.

True, I will change it so you are prevented from using it either grappled or otherwise restrained.

Line of sight / line of effect?

Essentially its a free dimensional holster. The idea is that you zip your weapon into said holster, become a double who emerges with a riftweave weapon, they do their thing then... zing your back and you can re-call your item into your hand.

Only the conduit can use it.

Cool Idea (me likes)

A double is only proficient with the weapons their own classes allow, the conduit does not share proficiencies with their doubles and vice versa.

A wizard would not be able to use a great sword for example, however a fighter could.

A wizard won't be proficient though he could use a great sword (if the conduit had one in his hands)

Basically this is a spell failure chance of X% if you try to use such spells or abilities within the stated area. I will re-word it to reflect this better.

Oh, ok

The idea is that he governs the dimensional links and pathways around him and is therefore pretty scary if you are trying to flee.

Yes, it's scary

Hehe, this was more just for lols than anything else. I like the idea of a double emerging from a dimensional rift that shatters around him.

Yep

It functions like the spell (including duration) and has unlimited uses of it. I didn't see to much of a problem with giving it unlimited uses as its not a spell you spam everywhere in general.

It functions, like the spell, so yes, you deffonatly get a save… I will make this clearer

Caster level then?

This is kind of the signature power of the class, because of its power it only kicks in now though. The abilty to have a “mega turn” which is what this essentially is, once per encounter is pretty massive. As I explained above, doubles don’t persist beyond their own actions so, therefore would not have to worry about absorbing damage unless they draw attacks of opportunity or try to do something which will injure them… thus melee doubles are perfectly viable.

It is a really cool ability I am still slightly worried with melees. If a melee charges a dragon the dragon gets AoO. If a caster shoots a dragon nothing happens to the caster.

Not as standard, but I’m sure you could acquire ways of doing so.

Good

Agreed. I essentially made this so you could have a redo of a double who you made early on and messed up pretty badly. I think I will combine this ability with the main dimensional double ability to simply allow the conduit to alter an existing double at specific levels.

Probably better.

Conduits and doubles don’t share either of these abilities, they are exclusive from one another.

I misunderstood it then :smallredface:

It’s important to note that one reality does not replace another, they merge. So if you combine a city and a hole you would likely end up with a city link together by many thin bridges spanning a drop. The dm controls the outcome and the player can’t give specific details or locations, only a rough environmental description.

The lack of rules surrounding this may make it broken however. Its something I love the idea of visually though, so if anyone out there has a good idea of how it could be better worded or explained please let me know.

Yeah the idea is a great idea, visually, but I can see the need of DM intervention as a bit complicated.

I wanted to avoid this as it’s a lot of book keeping. It was my initial thought as well though.

Since the player character is going to have to write down several sheets for each of his doubles I don't think it adds a lot of book keeping (or at least it is not the biggest source)

This is what I will probably do.

Glad that you like it.

I don’t want to take the control of the doubles away from the player, but I think it’s heavily implied that a double indeed has their own agenda and a DM should ensure that the player respects that.

I would expect a player playing this class to develop a personality unique to each double and reflect them in game accordingly.

Certainly while the player controls them they are played by the player :smallsmile:

malonkey1

2012-08-15, 11:28 AM

Yeah, the intended power level is somewhere between 3rd and 2nd tier, but I'm really not sure if it hit the mark, and Random Knowledge might make it kinda variable.

God Imperror

2012-08-15, 12:04 PM

Quantum Mage
http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Isaiah-Mustafa-480x269.jpg
"Look again. The tickets are now DIAMONDS.”
-Isaiah Mustafa, the world's sexiest Quantum Mage.

That was a great spot.

I have always been fascinated by the quantum world, and so when I saw the theme of this contest, I knew I wanted to do something quantum-related. The Quantum mage is designed to go beyond an enchanter, illusionist, or transmuter, while sacrificing most of the direct firepower afforded by many wizard spells. It also becomes better at spellcasting when not observed, and gains a unique companion known as an "Imaginary Friend". The class will require more lateral thinking and creativity than most classes to use effectively, but I think the payoff will be well worth it.

Adventures: They might be found searching for rare artifacts, or defending or subjugating the weak, depending on alignment. They love getting a chance to show off their unique skills. They also love to learn new things, not so much for the knowledge or power it brings, but for the novelty and fun of it. This thirst for novelty, adventure and above all, fun leads them to take up adventure quite easily. Do not underestimate the focus of a Quantum mage once he's started something, though. That has led to...interesting circumstances.

Characteristics: Quantum Magi are, at their core, unpredictable. Regardless of their alignment, they find new, unique, and bizarre ways to use their talents which can more than make up for their lack of direct firepower spells. For arcane casters, they are unusually well in touch with nature, likely due to their shapeshifting.

Alignment: Usually chaotic, and never lawful, the Quantum Magi are split fairly evenly between good and evil, but usually tend to remain neutral along that axis.

Religion: Quantum Magi are not a very religious group, largely because they can't observe the gods, meaning there's no way they definitely exist. However, those who do worship tend to prefer gods of knowledge, freedom, or nature.

Basic Set: Boccob (god of knowledge) and Fharlanghn (god of freedom) are common choices for Quantum Magi.

Forgotten Realms:Lathander, Mystra, Oghma, Beshaba, Tymora, Azuth, and Lliira are all popular choices for Quantum Magi, largely due to their connections with freedom or knowledge.

Background: A quantum mage often learns their trade in much the same way as a wizard, and the two are often confused and may well multiclass into each other. The interesting thing about quantum mages is that they hide the secrets of their trade, not because they want to, but because the more people who know those secrets, the greater the chance that those secrets will no longer be true.

Races: Any race with members of sufficient intelligence and creativity can produce Quantum mages, but the adaptable humans and halflings usually make the best. Elves find the art too flighty, and half-orcs are usually too dumb.

Other Classes: Wizards often mistake them for fellow wizards, but even when they do realize the difference, they don't truly care. If anything, they find the idea of Quantum Magic to be fascinating. Sorcerers don't get them and usually avoid them if they can. Clerics and Druids, dependent on their individual beliefs, will likely have mixed reactions. non-magical types such as fighters and rogues don't care either way as long as they have magical backup.

Role: While largely utilitarian in their skill set, they are adaptable enough to fill many roles, from a leader or face to an upfront melee fighter, with the right spells and feats.

Adaptation:: The Quantum Mage can be fairly easily adapted as envoys of a trickster or nature deity, given strange powers to fulfill that god's will. For nature deities, it would be good to perhaps add more Druid spells to their spell list, and change their Imaginary Friend (below) to a Nature Spirit.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Quantum Magi have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Intelligence is vital for the casting of spells and many class features, while Dexterity is good for Armor Class. If you intend to fight up close, it would probably be good to assign higher scores to Strength and Constitution.
Alignment: any non-Lawful.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: as wizard.
Starting Gold: as bard.

Class Skills
The Quantum Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...

Up to here it's been great.

{table=head]Skill|Ability
Bluff|Charisma
Concentration|Constitution
Diplomacy|Charisma
Disguise|Charisma
Heal|Wisdom
Hide|Dexterity
Knowledge[arcana]|Intelligence
Move Silently|Dexterity
Sense Motive|Wisdom
Spellcraft|Intelligence[/table]

I miss craft, not because everyone gets craft but because I can see them actually crafting something. Profession is a common skill too. Other than that a good choice. Spot or Listen would also make good additions, I believe that every class should have them, and with Hide and Move Silently would be able to make the quantum magi a decent scout.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Since it is an int based class with a good skill list (move silently is difficult to get) it makes sense to have 4.

Quantum Mage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|1|2|3|4|5|6|7

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Quick-Shape, 1/day|4|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Imaginary Friend, Armored Mage|4|4|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Random Knowledge|5|5|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Quick-Shape, 2/day|5|5|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Empowered Illusion 1/day|6|6|3|-|-|-|-

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Random Knowledge|6|6|4|-|-|-|-

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Quick-Shape, 3/day|7|7|5|-|-|-|-

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+2|
+6|Empowered Illusion 2/day|8|8|5|-|-|-|-

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+3|
+6|Random Knowledge|8|8|6|3|-|-|-

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+3|
+7|Quick-Shape, 4/day|8|8|7|4|-|-|-

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+3|
+7|Empowered Illusion 3/day|9|8|8|5|-|-|-

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Random Knowledge|9|9|8|5|-|-|-

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Quick-Shape, 5/day|9|9|8|6|3|-|-

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+4|
+9|Empowered Illusion 4/day|9|9|8|7|4|-|-

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+5|
+9|Random Knowledge|9|9|9|8|5|-|-

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Quick-Shape, 6/day|9|9|9|9|5|-|-

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Empowered Illusion 5/day|9|9|9|8|6|3|-

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11|Random Knowledge|9|9|9|8|7|4|-

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Quick-Shape, 7/day|9|9|9|8|8|5|3

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Empowered Illusion 6/day|9|9|9|8|8|5|3[/table]

2nd level spells at lvl 1? Why? Isn't that really powerful? I mean it makes a great dip. It seems to me that maybe you wanted to give 0 lvl spells and 1st lvl spells at lvl 1 instead of 2nd lvl spells...

Other than that 3/4 bab might be a bit too much, let's see how everything works out before judging on that though.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Quantum Mage.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: All simple weapons, Light Armor

Not proficient with shields? Having caster proficiencies is nice though.

Spells: A Quantum Mage casts arcane spells from the Quantum Mage spell list (see Spoilers). He can cast any spell from that list without preparing it ahead of time.
To cast a spell, the Quantum Mage must have an Intelligence score equal to the spell's level + 10. The DC for a saving throw against a Quantum Mage's spells is 10 + spell level + caster's Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Quantum Mage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: the Quantum Mage. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

Spontaneous arcane based on Intelligence, with access to the whole spell list. Maybe check the beguiler or the warmage for spell progression (I seriously believe that 2nd lvl spells at level 1 is really strong)

Quick-shape (Su): once per day, at first level, the Quantum Mage may cast any transmutation spell she knows as a swift action, as the feat Quicken Spell. The Quantum Mage must not be in the line of sight of any other lucid characters in order to do this. The number of times per day this can be used increases by one at 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th levels.

Interesting feature :smallsmile: I like the idea

Imaginary Friend (Su): At 2nd level, the Quantum Mage receives an “Imaginary Friend”, an incorporeal, usually unobservable piece of thought. This creature cannot physically interact with the world, but can be used for reconnaissance and carrying messages. Those incapable of detecting beings on the astral plane will only notice the Imaginary Friend as a “gut feeling”, and their messages will only be relayed as a “hunch”. Those that can see into the Astral plane will be able to detect the creature and communicate with it normally. It relays information in any languages its master knows, but does not speak without being commanded to do so. Being made of thought, it cannot be “killed”, as when it is damaged, it will simply return to its master's mind.

How far from the quantum magi can the imaginary friend travel?

Armored Mage (Ex): While nobody is quite sure how Quantum Magi cast their spells, it is apparent that the motions required are fairly simple, allowing them to ignore the chance for arcane spell failure while wearing light armor.

You probably mean somatic spell failure, there are other ways of acquiring spell failure, like the dimensional conduit ability.

Random Knowledge (Ex): Through their strange research into the ever-unpredictable forces of Quantum Magic, Quantum Mages often stumble across ways to cast spells that are normally beyond their reach. At every level divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, etc.) the Quantum Mage chooses an Arcane Spell list and a spell level that they are capable of casting from. The DM then chooses a spell from that list and level that they do not yet possess and adds it to the Quantum Mage's personal spell list at the same level. How the specific spell is chosen is entirely up to the DM.

Maybe you might want to add a mention that the spell if available to the sorcerer/wizard has that level. As it is nothing stops the quantum magi to choose trapfinder's spell list (which is a tad broken)

Empowered Illusion (Su): Once per day, at 5th level, a Quantum Mage may cast any spell from the Illusion school as if under the effects of the Empower Spell feat. The Quantum Mage must not be in the line of sight of any other lucid characters in order to do this. The number of times per day this can be used increases by one at 8th level, and every three levels thereafter.

I hope that the quantum magi gets ways of getting concealment (or use of sleight of hand to be able to use this ability (and the quick change one).

First-level Spells:

I wanted more class features :smallfrown: Consider adding the source of the spells in case they are not from the PHB

{table=head]Spells|School

Alarm|Abjuration
Entropic Shield|Abjuration
Hold Portal|Abjuration
Obscure Object|Abjuration
Undetectable Alignment|Abjuration
Grease|Conjuration
Mage Armor|Conjuration
Augury|Divination
Detect Secret Doors|Divination
Identify|Divination
Charm Person|Enchantment
Hideous Laughter|Enchantment
Hypnotism|Enchantment
Confusion, Lesser|Enchantment
Faerie Fire|Evocation
Shocking Grasp|Evocation
Color Spray|Illusion
Magic Aura|Illusion
Magic Mouth|Illusion
Erase|Transmutation
Enlarge Person|Transmutation
Reduce Person|Transmutation[/table]

:smallfrown: I expected to see a focus on transmutation and Illusion but this list is really general :smallfrown:

I would seriously reduce the spells known and seriously focus on transmutation/ illusion

[QUOTE=malonkey1;13626864]2nd-Level Spells

{table=head]Spells|School

Glitterdust|Conjuration
See Invisibility|Divination
Status|Divination
Daze Monster|Enchantment
Heroism|Enchantment
Hold Person|Enchantment
Touch of Idiocy|Enchantment
Blacklight|Evocation
Continual Flame|Evocation
Darkness|Evocation
Shatter|Evocation
Blur|Illusion
Invisibility|Illusion
Minor Image|Illusion
Mirror Image|Illusion
Misdirection|Illusion
Phantom Trap|Illusion
Scare|Necromancy
Alter Self|Transmutation
Bear's Endurance|Transmutation
Bull's Strength|Transmutation
Cat's Grace|Transmutation
Darkvision|Transmutation
Eagle's Splendor|Transmutation
Fox's Cunning|Transmutation
Levitate|Transmutation
Owl's Wisdom|Transmutation
Pyrotechnics|Transmutation
Rope Trick|Transmutation[/table]

This list is better lots of transmutation spells, but you might want to reduce the others. I don't see the quantum magi as a generalist who traded its familiar for a better chasis, some class feature, knowledge of all its spell list, and an imaginary friend. Consider that you can cast any of those spells 3 times a day at level 1 (or better said) with only a level of quantum magi.

3rd-Level Spells

{table=head]Spells|School

Dispel Magic|Abjuration
Nondetection|Abjuration
Protection from Energy|Abjuration
Remove Curse|Abjuration
Sepia Snake Sigil|Conjuration
Stinking Cloud|Conjuration
Arcane Sight|Divination
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance|Divination
Scrying|Divination
Deep Slumber|Enchantment
Heroism|Enchantment
Suggestion|Enchantment
Displacement|Illusion
Illusory Script|Illusion
Invisibility Sphere|Illusion
Major Image|Illusion
Gentle Repose|Necromancy
Ray of Exhaustion|Necromancy
Blink|Transmutation
Fly|Transmutation
Gaseous Form|Transmutation
Haste|Transmutation
Keen Edge|Transmutation
Magic Weapon, Greater|Transmutation
Secret Page|Transmutation
Shrink Item|Transmutation
Slow|Transmutation
[/table]

you learn 26 3rd lvl spells. A Beguiler gets 20, a Warmage gets 10, Dread necro gets 8, a Bard or a Sorcerer gets 5 (and its going to take them a really loooong time).

4th-Level Spells

{table=head]Spells|School

Break Enchantment|Abjuration
Dimensional Anchor|Abjuration
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser|Abjuration
Dimension Door|Conjuration
Solid Fog|Conjuration
Detect Scrying|Divination
Charm Monster|Enchantment
Hold Monster|Enchantment
Confusion|Enchantment
Dweomer of Transference|Evocation
Hallucinatory Terrain|Illusion
Illusory Wall|Illusion
Invisibility, Greater|Illusion
Phantasmal Killer|Illusion
Rainbow Pattern|Illusion
Shadow Conjuration|Illusion
Enervation|Necromancy
Enlarge Person, Mass|Transmutation
Polymorph|Transmutation
Reduce Person, Mass|Transmutation[/table]
5th-Level Spells

{table=head]Spells|School

Mage's Private Sanctum|Abjuration
Dispel Magic, Greater|Abjuration
Secret Chest|Conjuration
Plane Shift|Conjuration
Teleport|Conjuration
Contact Other Plane|Divination
True Seeing|Divination
Dominate Person|Enchantment
Mind Fog|Enchantment
Symbol of Sleep|Enchantment
Dream|Illusion
False Vision|Illusion
Mirage Arcana|Illusion
Nightmare|Illusion
Persistent Image|Illusion
Seeming|Illusion
Shadow Evocation|Illusion
Shadow Walk|Illusion
Baleful Polymorph|Transmutation
Fabricate|Transmutation
Overland Flight|Transmutation
Passwall|Transmutation
Telekinesis|Transmutation
Permanency|Universal
[/table]
6th-Level Spells

{table=head]Spells|School

Antilife Shell|Abjuration
Antimagic Field|Abjuration
Globe of Invulnerability|Abjuration
Repulsion|Abjuration
Analyze Dweomer|Divination
Legend Lore|Divination
Heroism, Greater|Enchantment
Suggestion, Mass|Enchantment
Sympathetic Vibration|Evocation
Mislead|Illusion
Permanent Image|Illusion
Programmed Image|Illusion
Project Image|Illusion
Veil|Illusion
Eyebite|Necromancy
Undeath to Death|Necromancy
Bear's Endurance, Mass|Transmutation
Bull's Strength, Mass|Transmutation
Cat's Grace, Mass|Transmutation
Disintegrate|Transmutation
Eagle's Splendor, Mass|Transmutation
Flesh to Stone|Transmutation
Fox's Cunning, Mass|Transmutation
Hardening|Transmutation
Owl's Wisdom, Mass|Transmutation
Transformation|Transmutation]
[/table]
7th-level Spells:

{table=head]Spells|School

Sequester|Abjuration
Spell Turning|Abjuration
Instant Summons|Conjuration
Mage's Magnificent Mansion|Conjuration
Phase Door|Conjuration
Teleport, Greater|Conjuration
Teleport Object|Conjuration
Arcane Sight, Greater|Divination
Scrying, Greater|Divination
Vision|Divination
Hold Person, Mass|Enchantment
Insanity|Enchantment
Power Word: Blind|Enchantment
Symbol of Stunning|Enchantment
Forcecage|Evocation
Mage's Sword|Evocation
Prismatic Spray|Evocation
Invisibility, Mass|Illusion
Shadow Conjuration, Greater|Illusion
Simulacrum|Illusion
Symbol of Weakness|Necromancy
Exhaustion|Necromancy
Changestaff|Transmutation
Control Weather|Transmutation
Ethereal Jaunt|Transmutation
Reverse Gravity|Transmutation
Statue|Transmutation
Polymorph Any Object|Transmutation
Temporal Stasis|Transmutation
Limited Wish|Universal
[/table]

Imho you need to extremely reduce the spells known, focus in illusion and transmutation. You also need to check the spells per day (they have a lot) and push back the access to 2nd level spells.

The Epic Quantum Mage:

As a quantum mage, you were always well-versed in the more bizarre physical laws of the universe. As you become an Epic Quatnum Mage, you draw ever-closer to a perfect understanding. One day, you may well compose the Theory of Everything, a powerful spell that encompasses all that is, all that can be, all that was, all that can be known, and that which cannot be known. As you draw ever closer to seeing the very birth of the universe, you gaze into the eyes of the cosmos, and it gazes back. You are good friends, with little that you do not know of each other. On some level, one could say you are one and the same.

{table=head]Level|Special

21st|Bonus Feat, Random Knowledge
22nd|
23rd|Bonus Feat
24th|Random Knowledge
25th|Bonus Feat
26th|
27th|Bonus Feat
28th|Random Knowledge
29th|Bonus Feat
30th|
[/table]
Random Knowledge: At levels 21, 24, 28, and every 4th level thereafter (32, 36, 40, etc.), the Epic Quantum Mage gains a new spell as normal.

Tips for Epic Levels: Don't be afraid to get Improved Spell Capacity and Improved Knowledge. These feats will give you access to nearly any spell a Wizard would have access to, as well as opening the door to epic spellcasting. It may also be a good idea to get Permanent Emanation of a spell that affords you some cover. Improved Knowledge is a useful feat regardless of your maximum spell level, simply because it can give you acess to much-needed firepower. And don't forget to get Imaginary Spell! It allows your Imaginary friend to do some not-so-imaginary things!

Bonus Feats: Automatic Quicken Spell, Automatic Silent Spell, Automatic Still Spell, Craft Epic Magic Arms and Armor, Craft Epic Rod, Craft Epic Staff, Craft Epic Wondrous Item, Efficient Item Creation, Energy Resistance, Epic Spell Focus, Epic Spellcasting, Extended Lifespan, Imaginary Spell (Reskin of Familiar Spell), Ignore Material Components, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Heighten Spell, Improved Metamagic, Improved Spell Capacity, Intensify Spell, Improved Knowledge

Improved Knowledge [Epic]
Prerequisite: Epic Level, Maximum-level spells for your class, ability to learn spells from another class's spell list.
Benefits: Learn any one spell from any list you may learn from.

I am not familiar enough with epic games (haven't ever played one) to comment on this, sorry :smallfrown:

malonkey1

2012-08-15, 01:43 PM

Made some changes like you said, pushed 2nd-level spells back to Level 3, added a clause about distance limits to Imaginary Friend, a limiting clause to Random Knowledge like you advised, trimmed the spell list by quite a bit. Tell me if there's anything that still needs work.

kanachi

2012-08-15, 04:03 PM

Ok, so I doubt I will be as good at this as you have been but lets give it a go... oh and i appologise if my spelling is all to hell.

Anointed Heritor

http://www.raymondswanland.com/Images/Illustration%20Gallery/Ardneh.jpg

I learned the way of the sword by listening to stories. I practice the way of the sword by being part of stories.

Cool image and a nice quote, i'm interested...

In a middle ground between binders and incarnates the Anointed Heritor channels the souls of heroes of the past via pacts.

Adventures: Why your class might adventure.

Characteristics: What your class is capable of.

Alignment: What alignment or alignments your class may have and why.

Religion: What deities or ideals your class follows, if any, and why.

Background: How you become part of your class and why.

Races: What races most often have members of your class, as well as any races that cannot join, along with why.

Other Classes: How your class relates to other classes, positively or negatively, and why.

Role: What your class does in and for a party.

Adaptation: How a DM might change your class to fit into their campaign or unique world setting.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Anointed Heritor's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: CHA
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: What age your class starts at level one as normally ("As barbarian," "As bard," and "As cleric" are the standard options, though feel free to put down the numbers, as well.).
Starting Gold: What amount of currency your class starts at level one with normally ("As barbarian," "As cleric," "As druid," "As fighter," "As monk," and "As sorcerer" are the standard options, though feel free to put down the numbers, as well.).

Ok, sadly an under developed theme at the moment. I would work on bashing a quick deffinition of what your class is all about, so you have something more tangible to aim for.

Class Skills
The Anointed Heritor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather information (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis) Spot (Wis) plus any skill that the anointed heritor receives from his channeled heroes and his patron hero.
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

I understand why you went for Knowledge (Nobility and royalty), but i would also argue that heroes can be found in many places beyond those high ranks of society. Knowledge (Local) seems like a nice fit to me as well, it also gives it a slightly bardish quality which merges well in my eyes "I know of your town, for this is birthplace of Blah Blah".

Other than that is a nice list.

Anointed Heritor
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Heroes|Offerings|Pacts

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Patron Hero, Anointed Guidance|0|0|0

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Anointed Protection, Anointed Attack|0|0|0

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Ancestral Channeling (one hero), Anointed Intervention|1|0|0

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Anointed Grace, Offerings (maximum lvl 1)|1|1|0

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Ancestral Skills|2|1|0

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Pacts (one)|2|2|1

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Anointed recovery (move action)|3|2|1

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+2|
+6|Ancestral feat (one), Offerings (maximum lvl 2)|3|3|1

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+3|
+6|Ancestral repentance 1/day|4|3|1

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+3|
+7|Ancestral channeling (two heroes)|4|4|1

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+3|
+7|Anointed inspiration|5|4|1

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Offerings (maximum lvl 3), Pacts (two)|5|5|2

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Anointed might|6|5|2

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+4|
+9|Anointed recovery (swift action)|6|6|2

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+5|
+9|Anointed sacrifice|7|7|2

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Ancestral feat (two), Offerings (maximum lvl 4)|7|8|2

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Superior Guidance|8|9|2

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11|Ancestral repentance 2/day, Pacts (three) |8|10|3

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Superior Recovery|9|11|3

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Ancestral channeling (three saints), Offerings (maximum lvl 5), Anointed hero|9|12|3
[/table]

Obviously without knowing more about the theme this is hard to judge, but the problem for me is that if you are drawing inspiration and guidance from the heroes of old then you are forced to face the reality that such heroes take many forms. The medium bab seems fare as its in the middle but if Quaya Quickfoot were my childhood hero maybe i would seek to emulate her and develope a good reflex save at the expence of something else... Something to think on anyway.

Maybe you could set both bab and all saves to poor and then have the heroes you emulate boost you to the required levels to gain the eqivilant to a good save to X and a bab equal to Y? Just an idea.

Patron Hero (Ex): Through study and dedication you learn a bit of the ancestral heroes. Choose an ancestral hero from the lists of ancestral heroes available to the Anointed Hero, even if you cannot fully channel it you gain its associated skill as class skill, its associated weapon proficiency, regardless of any hero that you might channel you keep both the proficiency and the class skill. In addition if you are not channeling any hero you gain the first ability of your patron hero. If somehow your ancestral channeling gets suppressed you gain the benefit of this class skill.

Hard for me to say right now without looking into the patron heroes in more detail, but this looks solid enough.

Anointed Guidance (Ex): At the beginning of every encounter you gain one guidance point per class level to a maximum equal to your Charisma bonus. While you have guidance points you gain a +2 insight bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks. At 17th level your guidance points are twice your Charisma bonus and while you have guidance points you gain a +2 insight bonus to three skills of your choosing.

Nice boost to some of the best skills in the game. Good kickstart at low levels to help you take on that scout role... I would maybe even consider a boost to initiative rolls at later levels, it would fit nicely.

Anointed Attack (Ex): Before making an attack roll you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an insight bonus on the roll equal to your Charisma modifier. Anointed Attack does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Because this ability provides an insight bonus, it does not stack with itself.

Anointed Protection (Ex): Before determining the exit of an enemy's attack roll you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an insight bonus to AC to your Charisma modifier. Anointed Protection does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Because this ability provides a insight bonus, it does not stack with itself.

I did something similar with my trueforge class, This flexability is really fun at low levels and stays useful throughout. It helps put emphasis on charisma as the key stat, which in turn deepens the theme. I like it.

Ancestral Channeling (Su): Through special methods known only to Anointed Heritors you can channel one of the ancestral heroes. At third level you can only channel your patron hero, but you can learn new heroes at every odd level. Once you are channeling a hero you gain its associated skill as class skill and its abilities. You can make offerings and pacts with the heroes that you channel as described below. At 10th level you can channel two heroes at once and at level 20th you can channel three heroes at once. Ancestral heroes are bound to your soul and they cannot be targeted or expelled by any means except by using the ancestral repentance class ability, described below, nor can they be suppressed except by an antimagic field or similar effect.
To channel a hero you must perform a private ritual every morning. You must anoint yourself with clean water and oils while meditating for a minute.

The difficulty class for a saving throw against any supernatural power granted by an ancestral hero is 10 + 1/2 your effective anointed heritor level + your Cha modifier.

Solid ability which offers a lot of scope for expansion. Which (for me) is the best thing about a class like this a dm and player can form their own heroes to fit the campaign world.

Anointed Intervention (Su): Before using an ability granted by an ancestral hero you can spend 1 guidance point to to use it without incurring its normal waiting time. Anointed hero does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend), but most ancestral's heroes abilities do require actions.

Nothing uber exciting on the face of it, but certainly useful and powerful if you chain the right abilities. Be aware of this power when making your abilities as you could easily fall into a situation where certain combos become very potent (especially at later levels). At the moment with what i have seen though, this is not a problem.

Anointed Grace (Ex): Before making a save roll you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an insight bonus on the roll equal to your Charisma modifier. Anointed Grace does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Because this ability provides an insight bonus, it does not stack with itself. This ability doesn't stack with divine grace nor with any similar ability that doesn't stack with divine grace.

Again, i had something similar when i was making my trueforged class. All these optionas work very well together, but you have to make sure you give yourself the ability to generate the needed points.

I would perhaps grant the character there maximum alotment of points at an encounters start and grant them an option to expend a full round (or maybe standard) action to return to this level. In doing this though i would also wipe away the ability to get an amount of points equal to twice you charisma at 17th level.

I think the above changes would let you hit the ground running when an encounter kicks off, but have to stop for a moment to catch your breath if you push yourself to hard.

Offerings (Su): You gain access to a small reserve of offerings, which can be invested into your ancestral heroes abilities to increase their power. Your offerings reserve's size is shown on the table above. Your character level, as noted above, determines the maximum quantity of offerings that you can invest in any single ability. As a swift action, you can reallocate your offerings investments in your ancestral hero abilities every round.

I like this a lot, its clever and gives you a lot more flexability to bolster your actions. I think that adding this extra resource pool, gives the class that extra dimension needed to push it over the edge.

It does however make the class a "gamers" class as its essentially all about resource management (i know all classes are, but normally to a lesser degree) this however is something which appeals to me a lot.

Ancestral Skills (Ex): Whenever you start channeling a hero you can designate a number of class skills equal to your charisma bonus (if any). For the duration of the channeling you can make skill checks using your anointed heritor level in place of the number of ranks you have in that skill (even if the number is 0). You can make "trained only" checks but you can't take 10 using ancestral skills (you need to have actual ranks to take 10).

I really like this! It gives you that "eye of the eagle!!" kind of feel. You wisely chose to keep the skill list short and to the point as a result, which makes this a usefully and situationally strong ability but never over the top.

Pacts (Su): You can forge a pact with any hero that you are channeling. Unlike offerings pacts are more permanent and last for as long as you channel the ancestral hero. At 12th level and again at 18th level you gain an additional pact.

Mechanically i like this, but the fact that all the heroes you can draw upon would even want you to have to make a pact does not square with me in all instances themeatically. Personal taste only though, as it just seems to give the class a darker edge than I would maybe see it as having. Who are these heroes? they seem kinda not really heroic?...

Once you have laid down the theme a bit thicker though this will probably make more sense to me.

Anointed recovery (Su): You can expend a move action to recover one guidance point. You can expend as many move actions as you have, earning an equal number of guidance points. At 14th level you can choose to expend a swift action to recover one guidance point. At 19th level you recover two guidance points per expended move action (or swift action).

A much needed ability! Glad to see you put this in there.

Ancestral feat (Ex): You gain a bonus feat. You must meet the prerequisites for this feat. Whenever you start channeling a new hero you can choose to change your bonus feat to any other feat for which you meet the prerequisites. At 16th level you gain a second bonus feat that you can also choose to change whenever you change your channeled heroes.

I get what your going for here, but I would maybe have the range of possible feats listed as part of the chosen heroes list rather than saying "pick what you want!" it helps tie the theme in more, though i understand that it takes away some of the power potentially.

Ancestral repentance (Su): You can repent on your choosing of ancestral heroes, ancestral skills and ancestral feats picking new choices. Using ancestral repentance takes 10 minutes and provokes attacks of opportunity. You can use this ability 1/day at 9th level and 2/day at 18th level.

Theme again props up some issues for me here... who are these heroes that you have to repent to? they dont sound like the kind of heroes i want to celibrate. Again, i'm sure a better write up of your theme will clear this up for me (we obviously have different visions at the moment as there is no theme to take me into your perspective).

Anointed inspiration (Ex): Before making an skill check you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an insight bonus on the roll equal to your Charisma modifier. Anointed inspiration does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Because this ability provides an insight bonus, it does not stack with itself.

Nice enough, allows you to further own int he skills you know.. I would worry that your getting this a little later in the game than some of its better cousins (bonus to attacks, bonus to saves, bonus to ac) you never really become a full blown skill monkey after all.

Still its great to see something liek this in the class it does give it a nice boost and helps you latch on to the theme a bit more.

Anointed might (Ex): Before making a damage roll you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an insight bonus on the roll equal to your Charisma modifier. Anointed might does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Because this ability provides an insight bonus, it does not stack with itself.

Again, your getting this a little late in the game... the extra damage is nice though, its just a shame we dont see all these option come together sooner in the class.

You have to wait a while before you can really get to make the choices you want to make when it comes to the application of your resources... it kinda feels like when your playing the first 80% of the levels of an RTS game and they keep artificially restricting what your allowed to build.

You cant do it all at once, so you dont need to worry about the balance of being able to have increased flexability sooner in the classes life.

Anointed sacrifice (Su): You can voluntarily take 2 points of Constitution damage to fully replenish your guidance points.

I would sack this for the expendature of an action as I stated earlier.

Anointed hero (Su): Before using an ability granted by an ancestral hero you can spend 1 guidance point to gain an offering point. Anointed hero does not require an action, and you can use it as often as you wish during your turn or others' turns (provided that you have guidance points to spend). Offering points acquired in this manner lasts until the start of your next turn. Investing offering points still takes a swift action.

Though an awesome ability, this feel like the kinda thing i wanted to be doing yesterday. I'm trading 1 resource for another on a 1:1 ratio... i'm not deathstaring a planet. This is not a 20th level ability in my eyes.

In sumation i really like the class and though you deffonately need to add some theme to give an idea of the true direction your heading the machine benieth seems to be well oiled and ticks along rather nicely.

I would say that you need to embrase what your class is actually doing a bit more though. Your producing a sandbox of options which you can spend resources upon. As these resources are limited your not going to use any of them to crack the earth open with their power... people will play this class for the versitility it offers and meta game hidden within it, so dont drip this aspect out over 20 levels as an artificial hamstring.

Give me my bucket and my spade and throw me into that sand pit already!

God Imperror

2012-08-15, 05:37 PM

Ok, so I doubt I will be as good at this as you have been but lets give it a go... oh and i appologise if my spelling is all to hell.

Thanks and don't worry

Cool image and a nice quote, i'm interested...

Glad you like it I've been considering others from the same artist, he is inspiring.

Ok, sadly an under developed theme at the moment. I would work on bashing a quick deffinition of what your class is all about, so you have something more tangible to aim for.

I will add a few lines soon atm I was working more on the heroes (they are in the next post).

The idea is the following though, the anointed heritor starts his career as an scholar-bard learning of a hero of the past, this will become his patron hero, through studying the hero's feats he grows capable of emulating him, soon he can not only emulate the hero but also channel some of its essence. Then as he progresses he starts channeling other heroes too.

Pact might be a bad word, maybe anointment or boon works better.

I understand why you went for Knowledge (Nobility and royalty), but i would also argue that heroes can be found in many places beyond those high ranks of society. Knowledge (Local) seems like a nice fit to me as well, it also gives it a slightly bardish quality which merges well in my eyes "I know of your town, for this is birthplace of Blah Blah".

Other than that is a nice list.

Knowledge (local) just made it into the class skill list.

Obviously without knowing more about the theme this is hard to judge, but the problem for me is that if you are drawing inspiration and guidance from the heroes of old then you are forced to face the reality that such heroes take many forms. The medium bab seems fare as its in the middle but if Quaya Quickfoot were my childhood hero maybe i would seek to emulate her and develope a good reflex save at the expence of something else... Something to think on anyway.

Maybe you could set both bab and all saves to poor and then have the heroes you emulate boost you to the required levels to gain the eqivilant to a good save to X and a bab equal to Y? Just an idea.

All three good saves seems an option (and I actually considered it) other than that I thought about having good ref and good will.

The problem with having the heroes set the saves is that eventually the character can channel three at once. And he might have full BAB and 3 good saves.

Hard for me to say right now without looking into the patron heroes in more detail, but this looks solid enough.

There are some (not all, I plan on doing 18) on the next post. Each has an associated skill and 3 abilities

Nice boost to some of the best skills in the game. Good kickstart at low levels to help you take on that scout role... I would maybe even consider a boost to initiative rolls at later levels, it would fit nicely.

Initiative sounds tempting I'll keep it in mind if I compress some abilities.

I did something similar with my trueforge class, This flexability is really fun at low levels and stays useful throughout. It helps put emphasis on charisma as the key stat, which in turn deepens the theme. I like it.

The source of inspiration was the factotum though :smalltongue: I believe that those abilities add flexibility and as you mention I may push up (to a lower level) some other abilities.

Solid ability which offers a lot of scope for expansion. Which (for me) is the best thing about a class like this a dm and player can form their own heroes to fit the campaign world.

That is basically the idea :smallcool: Glad that you like it I would also add some guidelines on balancing new heroes. They were originally balanced as vestiges (they are slightly more powerful than second level vestiges, but with less abilities)

Nothing uber exciting on the face of it, but certainly useful and powerful if you chain the right abilities. Be aware of this power when making your abilities as you could easily fall into a situation where certain combos become very potent (especially at later levels). At the moment with what i have seen though, this is not a problem.

I will probably write a clause on the heroes that abilities that have an effect lingering on the battlefield (a fog cloud or an area of darkness) automatically dispel the last one if used before it duration is completed.

Again, i had something similar when i was making my trueforged class. All these optionas work very well together, but you have to make sure you give yourself the ability to generate the needed points.

I would perhaps grant the character there maximum alotment of points at an encounters start and grant them an option to expend a full round (or maybe standard) action to return to this level. In doing this though i would also wipe away the ability to get an amount of points equal to twice you charisma at 17th level.

I think the above changes would let you hit the ground running when an encounter kicks off, but have to stop for a moment to catch your breath if you push yourself to hard.

I will look at it, probably some class features are going to fly arround :smallsmile:

I like this a lot, its clever and gives you a lot more flexability to bolster your actions. I think that adding this extra resource pool, gives the class that extra dimension needed to push it over the edge.

It does however make the class a "gamers" class as its essentially all about resource management (i know all classes are, but normally to a lesser degree) this however is something which appeals to me a lot.

Glad you like it, WotC has done it with some classes in the past, mostly incarnum. And since I really like that sistem I wanted to include some part of it.

I really like this! It gives you that "eye of the eagle!!" kind of feel. You wisely chose to keep the skill list short and to the point as a result, which makes this a usefully and situationally strong ability but never over the top.

There is a hero that grants Iaijutsu focus, another one that will grant autohypnosis and a third one that will grant truespeak so in some cases it might be strong. Other than that I'm confident on not having broken abilities (well there is the social triumvirate but those are easily accessible).

This idea comes from the bardic knack another one of my favorite skillmonkeys.

Mechanically i like this, but the fact that all the heroes you can draw upon would even want you to have to make a pact does not square with me in all instances themeatically. Personal taste only though, as it just seems to give the class a darker edge than I would maybe see it as having. Who are these heroes? they seem kinda not really heroic?...

Once you have laid down the theme a bit thicker though this will probably make more sense to me.

How would anointment, or boon work? I fear the problem is the name.

A much needed ability! Glad to see you put this in there.

Should I push this higher? I would like the players to not have to worry about a lot of resources when they start playing.

I get what your going for here, but I would maybe have the range of possible feats listed as part of the chosen heroes list rather than saying "pick what you want!" it helps tie the theme in more, though i understand that it takes away some of the power potentially.

I am going to add a list of [heritor] feats (I hope to have enough time) that should feel really atractive to be taken with the extra feats. Otherwise I might add a couple of feats per hero saying that if the hero is channeled they can be taken as ancestral feats ignoring the prerequisites (or some prerequisites)

Theme again props up some issues for me here... who are these heroes that you have to repent to? they dont sound like the kind of heroes i want to celibrate. Again, i'm sure a better write up of your theme will clear this up for me (we obviously have different visions at the moment as there is no theme to take me into your perspective).

Again maybe its a problem of word choosing. I want to give the mechanical option of changing your channeled heroes. Any good idea?

Nice enough, allows you to further own int he skills you know.. I would worry that your getting this a little later in the game than some of its better cousins (bonus to attacks, bonus to saves, bonus to ac) you never really become a full blown skill monkey after all.

Still its great to see something liek this in the class it does give it a nice boost and helps you latch on to the theme a bit more.

Again, your getting this a little late in the game... the extra damage is nice though, its just a shame we dont see all these option come together sooner in the class.

You have to wait a while before you can really get to make the choices you want to make when it comes to the application of your resources... it kinda feels like when your playing the first 80% of the levels of an RTS game and they keep artificially restricting what your allowed to build.

You cant do it all at once, so you dont need to worry about the balance of being able to have increased flexability sooner in the classes life.

I would not like to have all the anointed class features at the beginning of the class I like having them at different points because it adds options and options are power... I just had an idea though.

Have a class feature called Anointed "whatever" at every level where the anointed heritor gets an Anointed class feature and make him choose what ability they want at that level. How would that work?

I would sack this for the expendature of an action as I stated earlier.

Full round?

Though an awesome ability, this feel like the kinda thing i wanted to be doing yesterday. I'm trading 1 resource for another on a 1:1 ratio... i'm not deathstaring a planet. This is not a 20th level ability in my eyes.

Any good capstone idea? I might go to summon any of the heroes that you are chaneling but stating it might be a bit difficult.

In sumation i really like the class and though you deffonately need to add some theme to give an idea of the true direction your heading the machine benieth seems to be well oiled and ticks along rather nicely.

I would say that you need to embrase what your class is actually doing a bit more though. Your producing a sandbox of options which you can spend resources upon. As these resources are limited your not going to use any of them to crack the earth open with their power... people will play this class for the versitility it offers and meta game hidden within it, so dont drip this aspect out over 20 levels as an artificial hamstring.

Give me my bucket and my spade and throw me into that sand pit already!

I will deffinetly try. And I will think of more class features as that might leave some dead levels open.

Thank you very much for the PEACHing :smallsmile: it was great.

kanachi

2012-08-15, 06:24 PM

The problem with having the heroes set the saves is that eventually the character can channel three at once. And he might have full BAB and 3 good saves.

To be honest i find the idea of channeling multiple heroes at the same time kinda meh anyway, obviously i understand why and i think its kind of cool that you can esentually bring them all together as an adventuring dream time within you... but all dream teams need a point man, a leader.

I would consider making the player select, at the start of each day, a hero to act as the primary inspiration for their days adventures. Or you could be very bold and let them select a primary hero at the start of each encounter. This would really let you shift your stats around.

There are some (not all, I plan on doing 18) on the next post. Each has an associated skill and 3 abilities

The ones I saw I liked, i have to be honest though I've not looked into them in great detail yet... it a big read.

That is basically the idea :smallcool: Glad that you like it I would also add some guidelines on balancing new heroes. They were originally balanced as vestiges (they are slightly more powerful than second level vestiges, but with less abilities)

Which is no bad place to start and I think it works well, however I would say yur actually making something funner here and thus caution you against staying to true to the old inspirations you took from vestiges and instead let yourself tred the new ground your discovering... how exactly i dont know, but think on it.

I will probably write a clause on the heroes that abilities that have an effect lingering on the battlefield (a fog cloud or an area of darkness) automatically dispel the last one if used before it duration is completed.

Makes sense.

There is a hero that grants Iaijutsu focus, another one that will grant autohypnosis and a third one that will grant truespeak so in some cases it might be strong. Other than that I'm confident on not having broken abilities (well there is the social triumvirate but those are easily accessible).

This idea comes from the bardic knack another one of my favorite skillmonkeys.

I like it a lot.

I fear the problem is the name.

I would agree... its certainly a throw back to the system you based your work upon. Sometimes when i have such issues I reword them and that works out fine.. sometimes however i look at the system in question and choose to pull a few wires out and find out what happens.

Time has shown me that if you cant find imediate inspiration for the former you are best to explore the later.

Should I push this higher? I would like the players to not have to worry about a lot of resources when they start playing.

If your starting at your max at the start of an encounter and you can take an action (full or standard... your call) to recharge then you should not have a problem at low levels. Thus i woudl say this kicks in at the right point.

One thing though... consider what may happen if somone pounds your CHA modifier, what if you have a negative modifier? Maybe consider setting a minamum of 2 or something?

I am going to add a list of [heritor] feats (I hope to have enough time) that should feel really atractive to be taken with the extra feats. Otherwise I might add a couple of feats per hero saying that if the hero is channeled they can be taken as ancestral feats ignoring the prerequisites (or some prerequisites)

Not a bad plan.

Again maybe its a problem of word choosing. I want to give the mechanical option of changing your channeled heroes. Any good idea?

I'm seeing some wires you need to pull out here for sure...

Maybe look at the heroes journey as inspiration? Perhaps one of your heroes complets they journey within your spirit, rewarding you with a perminant boon and then guides you to another whom may quest with you? Just an idwea off the top of my finger tips. lol

I would not like to have all the anointed class features at the beginning of the class I like having them at different points because it adds options and options are power... I just had an idea though.

Have a class feature called Anointed "whatever" at every level where the anointed heritor gets an Anointed class feature and make him choose what ability they want at that level. How would that work?

This will be the single best move you can make to the class as it stands in my opinion. It lets the player develop as they want to. Dont spread these choices out to far though. I would like to see you have them all by around 12th level (just pulled that numer out of my ass though).

Full round?

or standard? its your call to be honest. Both would work well for me.

Maybe start with it as a full round and then have it later shift to a standard?

Any good capstone idea? I might go to summon any of the heroes that you are chaneling but stating it might be a bit difficult.

lol, yer look at the mess i've got into with my class.

But no, i dont think a summon appraoch would be right... This class is about using the heroes of the past as inspiration for yourself. If you fall back on them in a physical form it feel kinda meh.

I would maybe consider that perhaps you in some way become equal in status to the heroes you are chaneling... perhaps you can somehow construct your own heroic essance which you can in turn channel? Maybe you become something "other" something "greater".

Waht i'm saying is that it would be nice if the heroes of old somehow acknowledge you for attaining 20th level... "No longer do you call upon our deeds to guide your own, now it is you whom inspire others. And when at last you fall, amidst a field of your broken foes, we here shall sing you home - to our humble hall of heroes!"

Basically you just got your "I'm a total bad ass" sticker.

Temotei

2012-08-16, 12:16 AM

I do have a new idea, but also a question: are there any guidelines regarding the pictures, as in which ones we can use?

Nope. Careful with pictures that aren't open for use, though. I pull most of my pictures from deviantart.

The critiques...they're everywhere. :smalleek:

I'm glad. Coming back to almost two full pages of chat and at least half of it being PEACH stuff is pretty awesome.

kanachi

2012-08-16, 04:39 AM

are there any guidelines regarding the pictures, as in which ones we can use?

If you could avoid things that would not normally be safe for work that would be great. I occasionally check this page during my breaks at work and having something excessively graphic would be unwelcome.

Also don't post anything to big unless your going to place it in a spoiler.

I'm glad. Coming back to almost two full pages of chat and at least half of it being PEACH stuff is pretty awesome.

Agreed! Its been an awesome contest.

Though I'm not sure how well i will do in this one as the quality seems very high! I need to get to work improving what I've done!

malonkey1

2012-08-16, 08:19 AM

The critiques...they're everywhere. :smalleek:

I'm glad. Coming back to almost two full pages of chat and at least half of it being PEACH stuff is pretty awesome.

Welcome back!

God Imperror

2012-08-17, 04:00 AM

The critiques...they're everywhere. :smalleek:

I'm glad. Coming back to almost two full pages of chat and at least half of it being PEACH stuff is pretty awesome.

:smallsmile:

I made several changes to the anointed heritor based on the last season of PEACHes :smallbiggrin:

To be honest i find the idea of channeling multiple heroes at the same time kinda meh anyway, obviously i understand why and i think its kind of cool that you can esentually bring them all together as an adventuring dream time within you... but all dream teams need a point man, a leader.

I would consider making the player select, at the start of each day, a hero to act as the primary inspiration for their days adventures. Or you could be very bold and let them select a primary hero at the start of each encounter. This would really let you shift your stats around.

I think that that might be overly complicated so I went for a middle term, since anointed heritors start their career by studying a hero (their patron hero) they can get the associated save of said hero. And I believe that the player character should be the leader (at least regarding the heroes in his head)

Additionally there are 2 kinds of abilities.
-Ancestral you choose them at the start of the day.
-Anointed you can expend guidance points on them and you can use them as often as you like.

Then there are the offerings that you can relocate as swift actions (as often as you otherwise want) to power your abilities.

So there aren't really any real ability that works in a per encounter basis I would rather keep away from them :smallbiggrin:

The ones I saw I liked, i have to be honest though I've not looked into them in great detail yet... it a big read.

Don't worry I understand :smallsmile:

Which is no bad place to start and I think it works well, however I would say yur actually making something funner here and thus caution you against staying to true to the old inspirations you took from vestiges and instead let yourself tred the new ground your discovering... how exactly i dont know, but think on it.

Yep, at the start I looked at the kinds of abilities that you could access with vestiges or soulmelds (or on the guidelines on how to balance a vestige) but I am probably going to draw myself further as I advance the class.

I would agree... its certainly a throw back to the system you based your work upon. Sometimes when i have such issues I reword them and that works out fine.. sometimes however i look at the system in question and choose to pull a few wires out and find out what happens.

Time has shown me that if you cant find imediate inspiration for the former you are best to explore the later.

At the moment I am working with boon is like your channeled hero grants you a better knack of his abilities as a present.

If your starting at your max at the start of an encounter and you can take an action (full or standard... your call) to recharge then you should not have a problem at low levels. Thus i woudl say this kicks in at the right point.

One thing though... consider what may happen if somone pounds your CHA modifier, what if you have a negative modifier? Maybe consider setting a minamum of 2 or something?

Minimum half your class level that way you progress with a bad cha modifier but you don't progress as fast, and if your class level is much higher than your cha, actually possible in several tables you still can get a good quantity of guidance points.

I'm seeing some wires you need to pull out here for sure...

Maybe look at the heroes journey as inspiration? Perhaps one of your heroes complets they journey within your spirit, rewarding you with a perminant boon and then guides you to another whom may quest with you? Just an idwea off the top of my finger tips. lol

Well there are going to be a LOT of heroes (it is one of the premises of the class) so I don't really like permanent stuff there.

Since it is a tactics issue (you change your heroes to affront new encounters) I renamed it ancestral tactics.

This will be the single best move you can make to the class as it stands in my opinion. It lets the player develop as they want to. Dont spread these choices out to far though. I would like to see you have them all by around 12th level (just pulled that numer out of my ass though).

But... me likes level by level progression :smallmad: I made it so you choose at every even level one anointed ability or an anointed feat. This way I can make the capstone an anointment and in turn try to make a couple or more capstones (depending on your playstile you might want one or another)

or standard? its your call to be honest. Both would work well for me.

Maybe start with it as a full round and then have it later shift to a standard?

I do like the idea of using moves or swift while you fight (like I don't really need a swift/move action this turn I am going to spend it recovering points) and I believe that it would be detrimental to have it be a standard.

lol, yer look at the mess i've got into with my class.

But no, i dont think a summon appraoch would be right... This class is about using the heroes of the past as inspiration for yourself. If you fall back on them in a physical form it feel kinda meh.

I would maybe consider that perhaps you in some way become equal in status to the heroes you are chaneling... perhaps you can somehow construct your own heroic essance which you can in turn channel? Maybe you become something "other" something "greater".

Waht i'm saying is that it would be nice if the heroes of old somehow acknowledge you for attaining 20th level... "No longer do you call upon our deeds to guide your own, now it is you whom inspire others. And when at last you fall, amidst a field of your broken foes, we here shall sing you home - to our humble hall of heroes!"

Basically you just got your "I'm a total bad ass" sticker.

That was my first idea too, but I wasn't really sure how to make you badass other than saying you're pretty badass now. Ascension to Valhalla? You become an outsider and all your class features become extraordinary, something among those lines?

Or... I'm a hero! :elan:

kanachi

2012-08-17, 01:05 PM

I've finally managed to redraft my class!

I’ve renaming it to the dimensional conduit, hopefully explaining my mechanics better and editing/subtracting/adding some new abilities.

See what you guys think!

I still have not sorted out the skill list and may make a spell casting variant.

God Imperror

2012-08-17, 02:11 PM

A redraft deserves a rePEACH

The Dimensional Conduit

http://conceptartworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Goran_Josic_10a.jpg

"You talk of a world of possibilities… I ask: why limit yourself to only one world?" - The one of many.

Across the infinite web of parallel dimensions there occasionally comes one who bridges them together and, through forces unknown, acts as a dimensional gateway. These rare few impact not only their own plane of existence, but forge a destiny which ripples across the endless worlds of creation.

Some are born, some find such power by accident and others strive for many years to achieve such insight. The result however is always the same… The individual becomes aware of the great nexus which links them to their dimensional counterparts who are in turn are drawn to offer their assistance.

Some speculate that such individuals are in fact being presented with a trans-dimensional trial, which will determine not only their own fate but that of each and every other double across the all endless worlds.

This character class details the dimensional conduit, who functions as a gateway for their dimensional counterparts (henceforth referred to as doubles) to enter and influence the world. It’s important to note when reading this class that the conduit and all their doubles are separate entities from one another and thus do not share any abilities or other aspects unless specifically detailed.

Adventures: Those who draw upon their dimensional doubles can see themselves in infinite form - sometimes as the hero and sometimes as the villain. They become aware of a link binding them together with all such versions of themselves and see these worlds being drawn into their own. Such powerful forces demand answers and the conduit will not rest until they are revealed.

Characteristics: A dimensional conduit is no mere jack of all traits, they are a diverse and focused mass of driven individuals acting as one. While they may be hewn from the same stone each double has been sculpted by a life time of experiences and are, as a result, entirely unique individuals. Each one is both as flawed and perfected as any creature, for they have been shaped by a life unseen in a world beyond our own.

A dimensional conduit draws upon their doubles, calling them for their aid and channelling their multitude of skills to unlock their combined destiny.

Alignment: Anyone can become a dimensional conduit, but few remain unaffected by the profound change it represents. To see oneself in infinite form - both at your most noble and most vile - is in itself a provocative experience indeed, from which some never truly recover from.

A lawful conduit likely sees a greater pattern or logic presenting itself to them, an order which spans dimensions yet still holds true. In contrast a chaotic conduit sees only the vast turmoil of existence, repeated and recycled endlessly, where the smallest moment can change a world forever.

Dimensional conduits can use there “gift” (or curse, depending on their outlook) for almost any end. Some become truly evil, viewing themselves as a greater being that has transcended mortal ties whilst other are humbled by the immeasurable scale of their vision and thus strive to better themselves and the lives of others.

Religion: Dimensional conduits have seen one of the great divides of creation unravel before their very eyes. They have peered into the endless space beyond the known world and witnessed the true immensity of existence – few can comprehend their vision and none are able to find the words to express it. Some may well turn to a deity for answers, but most begin to trust in something greater still, the raw forces of existence, time and space themselves.

Background: Most dimensional conduits are unfortunate victims of cosmic events beyond mortal comprehension. They are often little more than individuals who stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time and, as a result, witness the dimensional vale they once knew sunder before their eyes.

Some are born this way or grow into it upon reaching maturity. These individuals often stem from ancient and unusual bloodlines, touched by events beyond their own dimension. Some may even have ties to dimensions beyond their birthplace and thus see the great nexus linking them to the infinite worlds.

A rare few actively seek out such insight, unlocking secrets so alien in their nature that none truly know what they will unleash until it is too late. These individuals roam the world, skimming he boundaries of creation and drawing upon the combined wisdom of their doubles to find greater answers.

Races: A character born of any race can find themself enveloped by the infinite worlds.

Riftlings (new race, see below) are born from the energies which link one dimension to another and thus often find themselves bound to their doubles as a result.

Out of curiosity how are the riftlings going to be?

Other Classes: Most find the dimensional conduits connection with unseen worlds to be unnerving. Those who travel with them often find it difficult to accept that a world exists where their own doubles not only exist but, in infinite instances, acts in a way utterly contrary to their own beliefs.

Those without understanding of such powers may perceive the conduit to merely be eccentric individuals with an unusual multiple personality disorder. Other more learned or worldly individuals likely view them with a mixture of interest, pity and caution.

Role: A dimensional conduit is no mere dilettante with a broad array of interests. They are a union of individuals, each of whom have developed their skills over a lifetime of experience. They are a collective of understanding with a range as infinite as the many worlds themselves, each one unique - in every way.

The dimensional conduit is the gateway through which their parallel selves may enter this world. As she gains experience, she is able to contact more doubles who will in turn expand her flexibility. Ultimately a conduits success is dependent upon the union they forge with those doubles they choose to form a link with.

Adaptation: The dimensional conduit could easily be re-purposed as a shape shifter of sorts or have their powers explained in more magical terms. Perhaps they draw upon inspiration from past lives, or maybe they use some form of chronomancy to move back through time and alter their own experiences and skill set.

The alternate dimensions themselves could also be altered from near infinite to a simple few, thereby reducing the range and makeup of the doubles they may call upon.

GAME RULE INFORMATION

The Dimensional Conduit has the following game statistics.

Abilities: A brief description of what ability scores are important to your class.

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8

Starting Age: As rogue.

Starting Gold: As cleric.

Class Skills
The Dimensional Conduit's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...

I would probably take the skills of a bard (+spot, -perform) they are pretty generalist.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Dimensional Conduit
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Doubles|Double Level

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Dimensional double|
1|
1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Dimensional guidance (+1), Planar lore|
1|
2

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Rift stride (10-feet), Warp shield (+4)|
1|
3

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Dimensional pocket, Riftweave weapon (+1)|
2|
3/2

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Void keeper (10%)|
2|
4/3

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Worlds collide|
2|
5/4

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Dimensional Grasp, Dimensional guidance (+2)|
2|
6/5

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Riftweave weapon (+2), Void keeper (20%), Warp shield (+5)|
3|
6/5/4

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+6|
+6|Beyonder, Rift stride (15-feet)|
3|
7/6/5

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+7|
+7|Endless worlds (1 double)|
3|
8/7/6

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+7|
+7|Void keeper (30%)|
3|
9/8/7

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Dimensional guidance (+3), Riftweave weapon (+3)|
4|
9/8/7/6

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+8|
+8|Between worlds, Warp shield (+6)|
4|
10/9/8/7

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Void keeper (40%)|
4|
11/10/9/8

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+9|
+9|Endless worlds (2 doubles), Rift stride (20-feet)|
4|
12/11/10/9

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Riftweave weapon (+4), One of many (+2)|
5|
12/11/10/9/8

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10|Dimensional guidance (+4), Void keeper (50%)|
5|
13/12/11/10/9

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11| Warp shield (+7)|
5|
14/13/12/11/10

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11|One of many (+4)|
5|
15/14/13/12/11

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12| 5 World Step, Endless worlds (3 doubles), Riftweave weapon (+5)|
6|
15/14/13/12/11/10
[/table]

Still no dead levels

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Dimensional Conduit.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A Dimensional Conduit is proficient with all simple and martial weapons. Dimensional Conduit's are proficient with both light and medium armour and shields (except tower shields).

Dimensional Double (Su):

The dimensional conduit, is not a single character, they are a collection of characters who share this class as a gateway, through which they can enter the campaigns dimension. While each of these characters are essentially a duplicate of the same entity, the differing circumstances native to their home dimensions have lead them to forge a unique life time of experiences. As a result no two doubles are ever truly the same and can often hold quite unique world views.

The conduit is unique in from all their doubles as they act as a focal point which bridges these dimensions and links their alternate selves to one another. The conduit is the version of the character native to the campaigns dimension and acts as the default representative of their persona.

Reading (and understanding) this is much easier now that it is dimensional conduit. :smallsmile:

Drawing a Double.

At first level the character searches the infinite worlds and reaches out to their first double, who the controlling player constructs by generating an additional character sheet.

The character they create must share both the same race and age as the conduit and may not utilise any templates which suggest that they have a different lineage or bloodline to conduit. In essence the conduit and all her doubles must have been identical at the time of birth. Thus a conduit with a racial template (such as a half dragon) would also have this template active upon all their doubles. However, templates which may be applied to a creature after the time of birth (becoming a lich for example) could exist upon a conduit or a double without necessarily existing upon every double.

The examples ease the reading of this :smallsmile:

Each double may be formed as though they were a unique character in their own right - having ability scores, class levels (see below), feats, skill and other such factors which differ from the conduit.

Amidst the chaos and turmoil of the infinite dimensions only those with a clear focus towards a singular path draw the conduits attention. As a result a double may only possess class levels from a single class. However, they are permitted to diverge into, and gain levels within, a single prestige class (should they qualify).

At later levels the conduit forges a link with additional doubles that will in turn require their own character sheets, following the above rules. The main class table shows the levels at which new doubles are gained. Once a conduit forges a link with a double their vision of similar doubles blurs and fades, making it impossible for any two doubles to share a level in the same class (or prestige class). Subsequent doubles are also drawn from an increasingly congested array of possible candidates which makes finding those of great power ever more complex. As a result the maximum level of subsequent doubles lowers by 1 each time a new double is obtained (as shown upon the main class table).

Though it may be possible for multiple conduits of the same entity to exist (indeed the nature of the infinite dimensions demands that there are indeed infinite conduits) no two conduits may link to one another. This means that none of a conduit’s doubles may possess any levels in this class.

As the conduit gains levels in this class their doubles may also increase in level. All of a conduits doubles are deemed to increase in level simultaneously. Doubles drawn into a dimension by a conduit often experience a fractured and disjointed life, which over time causes them to increase in level at a slower rate, as shown by the main class table.

Great so far.

Items and Class Abilities

Though a double may own items, equipment or other assets within their home dimension, none of it travels with them into the conduits dimension. This includes spell books, spell components, holy symbols and other such items. A double instead takes possession of the conduits possessions when called upon and thus should only have these items reflected upon their respective character sheets.

Aspects of a doubles class which are not directly born from the double themselves cannot travel into the conduits dimension. This includes familiars, mounts and animal companions. However, a double may spend actions to summon creatures once they arrive within the conduits dimension.

Spending actions to summon? Didn't they last for a round? Still this isn't a problem here, as the duration hasn't been mentioned nor the action cost (so it is clear)

Replacing Existing Doubles.

At 6th, 12th and 18th level the conduit may gaze into eternity and there substitute one of their existing doubles for a replacement of identical level. The replacement double is created just like any other double and may use the same classes and prestige classes the substituted double used.

This adds a little flexibility but doesn't over step creating too many available options. Much better than a week cooldown.

Calling Forth a Double.

The conduit may, as a full round action, activate one of their doubles. Immediately after performing this action the chosen double replaces the conduit and adopts the exact same body position the conduit previously held. The double then immediately performs their turn’s actions (as directed by the conduit) before being replaced by the conduit. The conduit may then perform any other actions, if they are able, before ending their turn and allowing the initiative order to proceed as normal.

Essentially the conduit spends a full round action to substitute these actions for a full turn of actions as their chosen double. It’s important to note that the conduit still both initiates and concludes their turn so the double is therefore never in play beyond this brief period of time.

A double enters play wearing or holding all of the conduits items, including any restraints (such as manacles). Doubles with aspects of their character that differ from the conduit (such as their alignment) may find that items respond differently when in their possession.

Activating a double draws an attack of opportunity which can be avoided by successfully performing a concentration skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 (+1 for every two levels the double possesses). This attack of opportunity is made against the conduit, not the double. A conduit struck by such an attack of opportunity automatically fails in their attempt to activate a double and may not make a fresh attempt for 1 round.

The round specification will get over the problems of getting two turns in a row, or two full actions.

When a double enters play it should be regarded as an entirely separate creature, who does not share any bonuses or penalties affecting the conduit that preceded them. They may however emerge in any number of situations which would affect a creature freshly introduced to the field, including finding themselves in the midst of a grapple or an environment which requires them to make a saving throw.

A double is not able to perform any actions in their home dimension which will benefit them in the conduits dimension, including casting spells to bolster their defences before they arrive. Such effects are stripped away by the powerful rifts through which the double is drawn.

Now that I think about it what happens if a conduit was buffed before calling the double? Would the powerful rifts strip them of the buffs? I expect that nothing happens to them.

Playing as a Double.

As soon as a double enters play they may perform a full range of actions as though their turn had just begun. However, the double cannot sustain its presence within the conduits dimension for long and therefore must return to its home dimension at the end of their turn - thus any actions they attempt to perform which extend beyond this period will immediately fail.

The doubles fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension may not be extended by any means. Any attempts to grant then further actions (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.

At the end of the doubles turn they are immediately swapped for the conduit, who returns to exactly the same location and holds exactly the same body position as the double they are replacing. This dimensional swap is instantaneous and draws no attacks of opportunity. The conduit may then perform any other actions, if they are able, before ending their turn and allowing the initiative order to proceed as normal.

Essentially the conduit spends a full round action to substitute these actions for a full turn of actions as their chosen double. It’s important to note that the conduit still both initiates and concludes their turn so the double is therefore never in play beyond this brief period of time.

Now I start to wonder about summoning the familiar.

Doubles vs Incoming Damage and Other Effects.

If a doubles sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their turn ends immediately, causing the conduit to return and replace them (as described above). All but 1 point of this damage is then inflicted upon the conduit upon their return.

A double who sustains damage may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

A double may never ever exist within the conduits dimension for a period which extends beyond their allotted time and will immediately shift back to their own dimension if incapacitated or hindered in a way which would cause them to do so. Such a double may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

All effects (for good or ill) which were active upon the double whilst within the conduits dimension are automatically cancelled when they return to their home dimension. The double immediately reverts back to their previous state before they travelled to the conduits. Even doubles slain within the conduits dimension are return to their home alive. However, doubles do feel pain and can therefore be as emotionally affected as any other creature when placed in a traumatic situation.

While the underlined sections until now have been spoilered this wasn't spoilered

Doubles as a Disguise.

Though both the double and the conduit were born genetically identical an entire life time of experiences can lead them to appear quite different, the amount by which they differ physically can therefore vary wildly. Generally speaking a double who has different strength, constitution or dexterity scores from the conduit will likely hold a noticeably different yet still vaguely similar appearance. Other aspects, such as the application of a lich template to a double can produce far more obvious physical differences to the conduit.

If a double retains some similarity to the conduit they may attempt a disguise check to fool onlookers into thinking they are in fact the conduit. Those who appear almost identical receive a +10 bonus to such disguise checks whilst those whom only appear vaguely similar only receive a +4 bonus.

I really like this, great idea.

Dimensional Guidance (Su):

Upon reaching 2nd level the conduit learns to draw inspiration from its infinite doubles without drawing upon a singular individual.

If the conduit chooses not to activate a double this turn they may select one of the following aspects to receive a +1 insight bonus to until the start of their next turn. The aspects the conduit may choose are:

Attack rolls
Saving throws
Armour Class

However, when a conduit chooses to benefit from this ability they immediately become incapable of activating a double until the start of their next turn. In essence each turn the conduit must choose to either benefit from this ability or utilise a double (they may never benefit from both abilities in the same round).

For every 5 Additional levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by 1 (+2 at 7th level, +3 at 12th level and +4 at 17th level).

Much more balanced though since it is limited to attacks, savings or armor you might rise it to +2 (then +3, +4, +5) so it is more attractive.

Planar Lore (Ex):

Starting at 2nd level the conduit’s understanding of the dimensional weave gives them insight into the multiverse and its many realms. As a result the conduit receives a bonus to all Knowledge [the planes] equal to half their dimensional conduit class level.

This was already good so it keeps being good.

Rift Stride (Su):

Upon reaching 3rd level the conduits bond with the dimensional weave allows them to step through rifts unseen by other beings, using them to teleport short distances. The conduit may, as a swift action, teleport 10 feet. Later at the distance the conduit may teleport increases by 5 feet every 6 levels (15 feet at 9th level and 20 feet at 15th level).

The conduit may not utilise this ability if restrained or grappled and must have a line of sight to their destination.

It is nice to have the clause, maybe at later level when escaping from a grapple is more easy add an improvement that they can use it on a grapple or restrained with a concentration check.

Warp Shield (Su):

Upon reaching 3rd level doubles who enter the conduits dimension can envelope themselves with a dimensional shield when entering combat.

Any double who draws an attack of opportunity when moving or performing a bull rush receives a +4 bonus to their armour class. This bonus to armour class increases by +1 at 8 level and every 5 levels thereafter (+5 at 8th level, +6 at 13th level and finally +7 at 18th level).

This helps the melee characters to get in range, awesome! :smallbiggrin:

Dimensional Pocket (Su):

Upon reaching 4th level the conduit gains access to a small pocket dimension between the normal planes of existence.

Once per turn the conduit may, as a free action, move any one item within their hands into a dimensional pocket, accessible only to them. The dimensional pocket may hold a total weight of 10 pounds per level (to a maximum of 200 pounds at 20th level).

Additionally once per turn a single item may, as a free action, be retrieved from the dimensional pocket by the conduit. The retrieved item emerges within the conduits hands. If the conduit has no free hands they may not retrieve items from the dimensional pocket.

If a conduit’s dimensional pocket is suppressed, by an antimagic field for example, it will become temporarily inaccessible to the conduit. Items which offer links to extra dimensional spaces, such as a bag of holding, may not be placed into a dimensional pocket.

The use of conduit makes it easier to recognize the limits of this class feature.

Riftweave Weapon (Su):

Beginning at 4th level the conduit’s doubles gains the ability to, as a free action, summon forth a single riftweave weapon whenever they activated.

The double may summon one weapon they are proficient with to a free hand (if they have no free hands the ability fails). If they choose to summon a projectile weapon, it comes with 10 bolts, cartridges, arrows, bullets, or whatever serves as the most appropriate projectile.

Weapons summoned by this ability gain a +1 enchantment bonus to their both attack and damage rolls. Additionally for every 4 further levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by +1 (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level and +5 at 20th level).

Weapons summoned by this ability are made of riftweave, a trans-dimensional material which can mimic the form of metal and wood yet has the appearance of raw solidified energy. Riftweave weapons are considered magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and also extend into the ethereal realm, functioning normally against any creatures present there.

The summed weapon (and all projectiles summoned with it) persist only while the chosen double is in play, after which they vanish.

Again using conduit's doubles makes easier to understand this class feature. Other than that check a summed in the last line.

Void Keeper (Su):

At 5th level the conduit observes the rifts and weaves of the infinite dimensions and can interpret their motions, allowing them to act against methods of extradimensional travel in their locality.

Any creature within 20 feet of the conduit who attempts to use a method of extradimensional travel has a 10% chance of their action failing. The conduit may opt to suppress this ability as a free action if they so choose.

Forms of movement hindered by a this ability include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities.

Later at 8th levels and every three level beyond (until 17th level) the chance of such abilities failing increases by 10% (20% at 8th level, 30% at 11th level, 40% at 14th level and finally 50% 17th level).

Great

Worlds Collide (Su):

Upon reaching 6th level the conduit may, Once per encounter when activating a double, pull them into their dimension with such force that a rift between the worlds detonates as 20 foot emanation centred upon the doubles location.

All other creatures and unattended objects within this area must overcome a reflex save (DC = 10 + half the conduits class level + half the chosen doubles character level) or pushed back 5 feet, knocked prone and sustain 1d6 force damage for each character level the chosen double possesses.

A creature who successfully overcomes this save suffers only half the full damage and is neither pushed back or knocked prone. Creatures with evasion (and improved evasion) may deploy that ability, as normal, against this effect to lessen or avoid the damage it inflicts.

Using this ability expends the move action of the chosen double as they take time to steady themselves after such a turbulent entry into the conduits dimension.

Only a double called to temporarily replace the conduit (and not those summoned using the Endless Worlds ability) may be targeted by this ability.

As mentioned before the extension of the text and the use of conduit / double make it easy to follow.

Dimensional Grasp (Sp):

A conduit who reaches 7th level may, as a standard action, cast the dimensional anchor spell as though they were a wizard with a caster level equal to their dimensional conduit class level.

Caster level was a much needed addition.

Beyonder (Sp):

A conduit who reaches 9th level understands how to safely traverse the rifts linking differing planes of existence, time and space.

Once per day the conduit may, as a standard action, cast either the plain shift or teleport spells as though they were a wizard with a caster level equal to their dimensional conduit class level.

Unlike the either of these spells however the conduit is not required to physically touch creatures to transport them and may instead target creatures up to 30 feet away as a ranged touch attack. Targeted creatures are still permitted saving throws and allowed the opportunity to use any spell resistance they may have as normal.

You may utilise this ability twice per day upon reaching 13th level and a third time at 17th level.

Nice addition to the abilities it makes sense that as much as he can be detrimental to others people through the planes he can travel if needed.

Endless Worlds (Su):

A conduit who attains 10th level learns to draw their doubles into the world without substituting their own involvement. The conduit may, once per encounter, summon one of their doubles into any free space within 30 feet of their current position as a standard action. The Double may then immediately act as normal, returning to its home dimension upon concluding its actions.

Later at 15th level the conduit may use this ability to summon two of their doubles and finally upon reaching 20th level they may summon a third double.

Summoned doubles appear wearing no armour or possessing any items of their own. Instead they emerge in clothing forged from riftweave, which offers a +1 Enchantment bonus to armour class for every 4 character levels the double possesses. Each double may also opt to emerge wielding a single weapon forged from riftweave as if the conduit had utilised the riftweave weapon ability for each double.

If a double summoned in this way sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their immediately return to their home dimension. Unlike a double who takes the conduits position none of the excess damage flows over to the conduit when a summoned double is struck.

All doubles have a fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension and thus may not extend their time here by any means. Any attempts to grant further actions to either a double or the conduit (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.

Wow this is a nice and cool ability at 10th level :smallsmile:

Between Worlds (Su):

Starting at 13th level the conduit learns to survive and travel within the space between dimensions. Once per encounter the conduit may, as a swift action, become ethereal for 1 round.

This ability does not extend to the conduits doubles, who do not appear in an ethereal state. The conduit however will remain ethereal so it’s therefore possible for a conduit to become ethereal, activate a double (who emerges in a non-etherial state) before returning once more – still in ethereal form.

As a move action the conduit may re-set this ability, allowing them to once again use it within the same encounter.

Nice, easy to follow and useful. I really like the redraft of the class.

One of Many (Su):

Starting at 16th level the conduit learns to act as an intermediary between the infinite versions of them self and their doubles, sharing experiences, motivation, insight and tactical suggestions. As a result whenever a double enter the play they receive a +2 bonus to all their saving throws. Later at 19th level this bonus increases to +4.

Yep the first time I checked this ability I missed double for dimensional double it is easier to read now :smallsmile:

5 World Step (Su):

At 20th level the conduit has learned to meld their many selves into a seamless dimensional confluence, allowing their many doubles to take action in the blink of an eye.

Once per day the conduit may, as a full round action, activate all their doubles - one after the other – as if using their dimensional double ability up to 5 times in a row.

Each of the conduits five chosen doubles may only be used once and may only perform a single move or standard action instead of a full round action.

The intense strain of performing this action causes the conduit to become fatigued upon conclusion of the final doubles action.

Awesome ability and capstone, does he become fatigued until the end of the encounter?

kanachi

2012-08-17, 03:46 PM

A redraft deserves a rePEACH

what a legend you are sir! Thank you so much :o)

Out of curiosity how are the riftlings going to be?

I'm playing with the idea of them as we speak... At the moment they get a free double and the ability to use said double as if using the dimensional double class feature listed here. This free double maxes out at level 10 when you have 20 character levels.

So basically they let you get a taste of the class feature without actually needing to take this class. Of course if you do enter the class you will have an extra double to draw upon.

Other than this they have a rift weave ability which lets them teleport 5 feet as a swift action a number of times per encounter equal to their constitution modifier. So they would also make pretty good scouts (as in the scout class).

Fluff wise they are being born in a dimension consumed by a cataclysmic rift of their own creation. A select few were flung, by forces unknown, into the campaigns dimension. Though their home dimension is lost within an eternal void they can still call upon an alternate version of themselves trapped within... the version that never was.

Their appearance is similar to the Protoss from star craft except they have mouths and have a grey skin tone which rhythmically pulses from light to dark.

They were once an arrogant and destructive race, but most have found themselves severely humbled since the destruction of their home dimension and their resulting reliance upon other races whom they used as slaves within their home dimension.

I would probably take the skills of a bard (+spot, -perform) they are pretty generalist.

Not a bad list, I'll think on it.

Reading (and understanding) this is much easier now that it is dimensional conduit. :smallsmile:

Yer i think its made a huge difference, thank you!

Spending actions to summon? Didn't they last for a round? Still this isn't a problem here, as the duration hasn't been mentioned nor the action cost (so it is clear)

Just trying to cover my bases again, but I've gone back and reworded it a bit to make things more understandable... i hope.

This adds a little flexibility but doesn't over step creating too many available options. Much better than a week cooldown.

Agreed! Thank you so much for this idea!

Now that I think about it what happens if a conduit was buffed before calling the double? Would the powerful rifts strip them of the buffs? I expect that nothing happens to them.

The conduit's own buffs or debuffs are uneffected by a double. I've done a rewrite to explain this a bit better. Thanks!

While the underlined sections until now have been spoilered this wasn't spoilered

Doubles as a Disguise.

Changed. Thanks!

Much more balanced though since it is limited to attacks, savings or armor you might rise it to +2 (then +3, +4, +5) so it is more attractive.

Took your advice and upped it to +2.

It is nice to have the clause, maybe at later level when escaping from a grapple is more easy add an improvement that they can use it on a grapple or restrained with a concentration check.

Might be a good idea. I'll think on it.

This helps the melee characters to get in range, awesome! :smallbiggrin:

I was hoping you would approve. I really want to make a melee double viable. Thank you for stiring my thinking this way.

Wow this is a nice and cool ability at 10th level :smallsmile:

I would say at 10th level its good but its not until you start getting 2 or 3 doubles that it gets awesome.

Awesome ability and capstone, does he become fatigued until the end of the encounter?

I just loved the image of 5 different versions of a dude emerging, one after the other, to lay a smack down upon someone... kinda like those anime you see where things go utterly mental.

I've made the fatigue run tot he end of the encounter as well. So its a nice finishing move.

God Imperror

2012-08-17, 07:25 PM

Could anyone please check the ancestral heroes abilities?

I received a comment on stormcloacks lightning bolts being overpowered :smallannoyed:

I don't really know what to think, I believe that in order to make any ability strong you need to invest several resources into it. And the maximum investment is severally limited by your class level, so I don't see it OP, maybe it's just that I've spent too much time thinking on it.

Thanks on advance :smallredface:

Zaydos

2012-08-17, 08:47 PM

Looking at it many of your abilities are either passive offensive buffs, or use and forget for 5 rounds which means the limit from your offerings is "Select two buffs each round" or "Select 1 buff and empower a non-attack offensive option". Lightning Bolt doubles your attacks per round with ranged attacks as long as there are two enemies, couple that with also giving you more than half of a rogue's sneak attack damage except slightly less likely to be resisted and I can see why someone would think it was overpowered. Compare it to Night's Caress which grants the same amount of bonus damage but instead of grants a mere +0.5 damage +0.5 damage per offering point. Lightning Bolt is the best just sheer damage ability, and probably the strongest of the Anointed Hero abilities. Inspiring Dance is Inspire Courage + a better Dragonfire Inspiration almost constantly which might be too strong in its own regard, and currently as written doesn't tie up your offering for the duration meaning you just switch them back to something else after using it to give your whole team +X to hit and Xd6+X damage.

Changing Visage: I don't like the boon getting around True Seeing, that's mostly a personal thing and a recognition that Disguise Self is pretty powerful as is. Also Supernatural abilities don't normally radiate magical auras for some reason that eludes my understanding.

Battlepower's Boon also might be too strong, it depends upon balance level, but generally power attacking from AC is really strong, this also gives DR (up to) 10/- when doing it and (up to) 10 temp hp. Mostly, though, it's Shock Trooper+ which is already considered pretty strong.

Swordmaster's Sublime Sword is actually rather weak compared to most of the features.

Some of the heroes are definitely better than others (Nightthirster can grant the best version of Hide in Shadows and a scaling bonus to hide checks, Stormcloak is 2x damage, Battlelord is a better version of the 3 Diamond Mind save maneuvers 1/5 rounds and Shocktrooper+, Dancing Fire is bardic music + Dragonfire Inspiration). Battlelord is rather unique in having 3 strong boons. The rest usually have one boon definitely better than the others. Most of the offering abilities are either skill checks (very much "when you need them" but +1/2 level to a skill check is a pretty typical "when you need it" ability) or offensive (meaning no reason to passively keep offerings in them). As is it looks like with a few exceptions of activated abilities with durations you'd not be changing your offerings much unless you needed to make a specific type of skill check and even then not often.

God Imperror

2012-08-18, 05:00 AM

Thanks for the insight :smallsmile:

Looking at it many of your abilities are either passive offensive buffs, or use and forget for 5 rounds which means the limit from your offerings is "Select two buffs each round" or "Select 1 buff and empower a non-attack offensive option".

One source of problem might be not tying the offering points to the use and forget abilities. Would fixing, for the duration, the offering points invested in those abilities make it more compensate?

Lightning Bolt doubles your attacks per round with ranged attacks as long as there are two enemies, couple that with also giving you more than half of a rogue's sneak attack damage except slightly less likely to be resisted and I can see why someone would think it was overpowered.

Maybe only having the electricity damage jump to the next target?

Compare it to Night's Caress which grants the same amount of bonus damage but instead of grants a mere +0.5 damage +0.5 damage per offering point.

Nightthirster
Background:
Associated skill: Move silently
Associated weapon: Javelin
Associated save: Reflex
Abilities:
Night's caress: This is exactly like the rogue sneak attack ability. You deal 1d6 extra damage, plus another 1d6 per offering point invested.
Shadow shroud: You don't leave a trail and you cannot be tracked by scent. Any offering point invested grants you a cumulative 10% chance of deflecting ranged attacks.
Black candle: You can use darkness as a supernatural ability once every five rounds with a CL equal to your Anointed Heritor level. Each offering point invested increases the effective spell level by one to determine the light spells that it can counter.
Boons
Night's caress: You become more precise with your sneak attacks, you can reroll any result of 1 on the dice. Any offering point invested increases the range at which you can use your night's caress sneak attack by 10'.
Shadow shroud: You gain a bonus on saves towards divination spells equal to your CHA bonus additionally if you make a save against a divination spell you are automatically aware of it. Any offering point invested allows you to snatch any projectile weapon that gets deflected by your shadow shroud to a maximum of one per offering point invested, thrown weapons can immediately be thrown back at the original attacker (even though it isn’t your turn) or kept for later use.
Black candle: As long as you are at least 10' away from shadows you can attempt Hide checks while being observed, just as if you had cover or concealment for the purpose of this determination. Any offering point invested grants you a +2 on Hide checks and Move silently checks while you are at least 10' from shadows.

Night caress (with the boon) grants +1d6 and +10' to the distance from where you can use sneak attack per offering point. It is true that it grants the same damage and probably the ricochet is the main issue. I will have the ricochet be a standard (so it cannot be used in a full round).

Inspiring Dance is Inspire Courage + a better Dragonfire Inspiration almost constantly which might be too strong in its own regard, and currently as written doesn't tie up your offering for the duration meaning you just switch them back to something else after using it to give your whole team +X to hit and Xd6+X damage.

Maybe keep you expending standard actions to do so or fixing the points in there.

Changing Visage: I don't like the boon getting around True Seeing, that's mostly a personal thing and a recognition that Disguise Self is pretty powerful as is. Also Supernatural abilities don't normally radiate magical auras for some reason that eludes my understanding.

Good to know that you don't radiate auras with supernatural, maybe beating true seeing is to strong. What about being able to change the aura that you (or the items that you carry) emit?

Battlepower's Boon also might be too strong, it depends upon balance level, but generally power attacking from AC is really strong, this also gives DR (up to) 10/- when doing it and (up to) 10 temp hp. Mostly, though, it's Shock Trooper+ which is already considered pretty strong.

The DR might be excessive, I might switch it to something else.

Swordmaster's Sublime Sword is actually rather weak compared to most of the features.

Maybe have the boon be picking martial study as a bonus feat?

Some of the heroes are definitely better than others (Nightthirster can grant the best version of Hide in Shadows and a scaling bonus to hide checks, Stormcloak is 2x damage, Battlelord is a better version of the 3 Diamond Mind save maneuvers 1/5 rounds

Should I limit it to reflex? It is Battlelord's bad save and it is the "worst" save.

and Shocktrooper+, Dancing Fire is bardic music + Dragonfire Inspiration). Battlelord is rather unique in having 3 strong boons. The rest usually have one boon definitely better than the others. Most of the offering abilities are either skill checks (very much "when you need them" but +1/2 level to a skill check is a pretty typical "when you need it" ability) or offensive (meaning no reason to passively keep offerings in them). As is it looks like with a few exceptions of activated abilities with durations you'd not be changing your offerings much unless you needed to make a specific type of skill check and even then not often.

I'll look in dealing with the ones with duration, probably add a clause to the list at the top. Thank you very much for your comments.

kanachi

2012-08-18, 07:02 PM

Right so I've posted the magic user version of the Dimensional Conduit in the post after the main class entry. See what you guys think.

I will also try to post the Riftling rules up soon as well before moving onto feats and the like.

If anyone has any thoughts on anything in the contest entry thus far let me know.

God Imperror

2012-08-19, 03:17 PM

Okay...

12/18 Ancestral heroes done

1/15 Anointments prerequisites done

Once I finish that I will work on the feats the original idea was to make two specific feats per hero, but that it is probably going to be out of reach :smallfrown:

GFawkes

2012-08-20, 06:49 PM

Since everyone else seems to have one, could I get a PEACH-ing of the Skin Shifter? I was aiming for that area between tiers 3 and 4, but I think it came out somewhere in the low 4 area.

kanachi

2012-08-20, 07:15 PM

Since everyone else seems to have one, could I get a PEACH-ing of the Skin Shifter? I was aiming for that area between tiers 3 and 4, but I think it came out somewhere in the low 4 area.

I'll try to take a look tomorrow as its a bit late here now.... so give me a couple of hours and i will see what can be done :)

Also, peach for peach is a good way to go i reckon.

God Imperror

2012-08-20, 10:07 PM

Since everyone else seems to have one, could I get a PEACH-ing of the Skin Shifter? I was aiming for that area between tiers 3 and 4, but I think it came out somewhere in the low 4 area.

I like the concept so I'll give it a go, If the same could be provided for my class I would really appreciate it.

Skin Shifter

Put an image of your class here!

Everyone is someone, and I'm everyone.

Image could improve, I guess :smallwink: Sentence is interesting.

Skin Shifters are the best at blending. There are few situations that a Skin Shifter cannot find some application of their most basic ability: adapting to the situation. Need a Prince Charming for the ball? Or maybe an intimidating bodyguard? Or maybe just someone to cause the guards to be, ahem, otherwise occupied? A skin shifter can offer all, if the price is right.

Adventures: Skin Shifters may adventure for any reason, though the most common is to show off their ability. It's one thing to have your name down as a brave warrior; it's entirely different to also be a diplomat and an exiled royal in the same life.

Characteristics: All skin shifters are capable of altering their appearance to some degree. As they become more proficient in this, they can make greater changes that may even have no physical effect, but instead affect how their minds and souls are seen.

Alignment: While there are skin shifters of every alignment, they lean towards the more chaotic side. Most skin shifters are free spirited, changing their opinion of something about as often as they change their eye color. The most common alignment for a skin shifter is Chaotic Neutral, becoming less and less frequent the more steps you are away from there.

Religion: Olidammara is the most common deity for skin shifters, him being the god of trickery and all, though worshipers of Fhlarghan aren't unheard of due to the wandering nature of skin shifters.

Background: While all skin shifters are born with their abilities, there are a few factors that make each unique. Firstly, there is the source of the transformative ability. It could be that he was just born in the right place at the right time, or perhaps there's a doppelganger in his distant ancestry. Extraplanar beings may also have had some effect in causing a skin shifter's power. Then there's how those abilities manifest. They may develop into a form of lycanthropy, only have a small effect such as looking more like the neighbor than the father, or not appear at all until he is on his deathbed.

However, having power is much different than controlling it. Many skin shifters take time to first show signs of their ability, and will spend about as much time learning to control it. After all, it's embarrassing to be in the middle of wooing the elven queen when you suddenly change into a feral orc warrior.

Races: Humans are the most common race to show skin shifting, though it is by no means exclusive to them. Skin shifters can show up in any race native to the Prime Material plane. Skin shifters among the more savage races are more inclined to imitate animals and present a more feral look.

No dopplegangers? No changelings? I can certainly see changelings skin shifting.

Other Classes: Skin shifters generally get along well with everyone. It's their job to do so. Other social classes, such as bards, beguilers, and certain rogues, get along extraordinarily well with skin shifters. Non-social rogues also get along well, though they don't see the risk of interacting with so many people to get somewhere you could easily break into. Divine casters that are tied to nature (druids, spirit shamans) both sympathize with and question skin shifters. They understand that there is more to life than one physical form, but often disapprove of how casually skin shifters alter their form. Paladins disapprove of skin shifters, seeing them as dishonorable tricksters. However, as with rogues, they will give an individual a chance to prove himself. Skin shifters have no special relations with any other class.

Role: Skin shifters make unparalleled infiltrators, being able to change their appearance on the fly. Some skin shifters focus more on combat, allowing them to fight long enough for assistance to arrive, while others lean to utilize their bodies, being able to be prepared for any situation.

Adaptation: The easiest way to adapt a skin shifter is to make them a master of disguise, though there are plenty of imaginative ways to fit them into a setting.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Skin shifters have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma helps a skin shifter do what he does best: blend in. As with any class that wears little armor, Dexterity is important. Constitution is important for more battle-oriented Skin Shifters, for both hitpoints and Concentration.
Alignment: Any, though they tend towards chaotic
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: 4d4x10 gp.

Class Skills
The skin shifter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...

Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (All, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (NaN), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Good fluff, ad good skill list with enough skill points to be competent. Move Silently might be an addition depending on how much they focus on stealth, it is rather difficult to get move silently as a class skill.

Skin Shifter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Skinslip, Form Focus, Social Awareness
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Alternate Persona (1 minor identity), Resistive Body
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Genderslip, Shift Utility, Hide Alignment
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Skinshift, Alternate Persona (2 minor identities)
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Alternate Persona (2 minor identities, 1 medium identity), Shift Utility
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Raceslip, Alternate Persona (3 minor identities, 1 medium identity)
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Ageslip, Quickened Change (Standard Action), Shift Utility
8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|Gendershift, Alternate Persona (4 minor identities, 1 medium identity, 1 major identity)
9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6|Transmutive Body, Shift Utility
10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7|Sizeslip, Alternate Persona (5 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity)
11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7|Ageshift, Quickened Change (Move Action), Shift Utility
12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Raceshift, Alternate Persona (6 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity), Hide Thoughts
13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Disguise Mastery, Shift Utility, Mask Alignment
14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+9|
+9|Alternate Persona (7 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity)
15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+9|Alternate Persona (7 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 1 major identity), Quickened Change (Swift Action), Shift Utility
16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Sizeshift, Alternate Persona (8 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 2 major identities)
17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Disguise Perfection, Mask Thoughts, Shift Utility
18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Alternate Persona (9 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 2 major identities)
19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Quickened Change (Free Action), Shift Utility
20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|Alternate Persona (10 minor identities, 4 medium identities, 2 major identities), True Identity[/table]

No dead levels is always a good thing

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the skin shifter.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Skin shifters are proficient with all simple weapons, any natural weapons of the forms they take, and all light martial weapons. They are not proficient with any kind of armor, and tend to dislike wearing it.

I like the natural weapons part.

Skinslip (Su): This is the most basic ability of any skin shifter. A skin shifter can alter his appearance at will, with large limitations. He must remain the same race, gender, and age category, altering his appearance takes a full-round action, and it only affect his appearance, as disguise self. This quickly improves, however.

rather limiting at 1st level.

Form Focus (Ex): When you can be anyone, it's hard to remember what you look like in a mirror. Skin shifters must constantly concentrate to maintain a form. This is usually a DC 10 Concentration check when performing day to day activity. During combat, or other moments of high stress (Taking 10 not allowed), this doubles to a DC 20. If he takes damage, a skin shifter must automatically make a Concentration check of DC (Damage Taken/Skin Shifter level, round up). These checks are made automatically with no action required. If the skin shifter fails this Concentration check, he immediately reverts to his natural form and cannot use any slips, shifts, or Shift Utilities until he makes a successful Concentration check

This hurts them a lot at low level, pcs are probably going to eventually fail a check. Also it is not mentioned how frequently they need to check. Every round? Every minute?

It is quite worse than using disguise self as it is.

Social Awareness (Ex): All skin shifters learn to blend in at a basic level by learning how to behave like everyone else. This has three effects:

A skin shifter may always Take 10 on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive
A skin shifter can make a Sense Motive check to get a gut assessment of the situation as a Move Action
A skin shifter gets a +4 on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Gather Information, and Sense Motive checks

Can he take 10 on bluff diplomacy and sense motive even under stress?

Alternate Persona (Ex): When you change your identity on a nearly constant basis, it can help you stay sane by having an identity that you can retreat to. Starting at 2nd level, a skin shifter develops an alternate identity, and then realizes that one simply isn't enough. At every even level, he gains an additional minor identity. At 5th level, and every 5 levels after, he gains a medium identity. At 8th level and 16th level, he gains a major identity.

A minor identity is just that: someone he can call himself at the end of the day. These identities are usually inconsequential ones. Not necessarily low-class, but no one would notice if they disappeared for an extended period of time without explanation.

having profession intervene in those could be fun.

A medium identity is more important, and thus can learn more. While in a medium identity, a skin shifter gets a +4 bonus on Gather Information checks and a +2 on one Knowledge skill, chosen when the identity is made. The Knowledge boost is from some social connection or perhaps a library. Medium identities are roughly middle class: they can vanish for a day or two without warning, but any longer and people will at least have the thought cross their mind of where they are.

A major identity is a person of influence. They often have people that depend on them on a daily basis, and are in a much higher position of power. While in a major identity, a skin shifter gets a +10 to Gather Information, +4 on three Knowledge skills chosen when the identity is made, and can ask for a minor favor 1/week. The favor can have a gp value of no more than 100 gp. Any request that is either out of the ordinary for the identity (such as a wealthy tailor asking how crops are growing) or overly suspicious (such as asking guards to not be around a certain area for an hour) allows the target a Sense Motive check against the skin shifter's Bluff check. Major identities are almost always high class. If they disappear without announcing plans to travel, there will be investigation.

Creating an identity takes 1 week plus -1d4 days for a minor ID, 1d6 days for a medium ID, and 2d4 days for a major ID. This consists of focusing on the new form, committing it to memory, separating thoughts that belong exclusively to it, and making the identity known.

It is possible to retire an identity, though each one is different. Most minor identities can simply just disappear with no effort. Medium identities require 1d4+2 days of effort to come up with an explanation and spread it around. Major identities require either a drastic spontaneous event (making a fake murder) or 1d4-1 months of effort, minimum 1 month.

Cool ability, I like the zhentarim spy from players guide to faerun, it is a tad similar, maybe check it for inspiration.

Resistive Body (Ex): A skin shifter's body reacts differently to transmutations than most people's. When a skin shifter is the target of a transmutation spell, it acts as if it were cast (1/2 Class Level) levels lower, due to his body resisting change that it has not chosen to make.

Can he choose to be affected by the transmutation spell as normal? It doesn't seem so at the moment and it is pretty bad in that case. Also why? He's been using illusion until now, no actual change was involved.

Genderslip (Su): As skin shifters are constantly learning to shift further from their original form, one of the earliest tricks is gender alteration. He can now appear to be either male or female, though this is also appearance only, as per disguise self, and he still takes a penalty for disguising as the opposite gender.

Okay

Shift Utility (Ex): At level 3, and every 2 levels thereafter, a skin shifter learns a new trick for his transforming. He can only pick a Shift Utility once, unless otherwise noted. Some have prerequitite Shift Utilities, and cannot be taken until those are.

Amphibious: You can grow gills as a move action. You may return to your original state as a free action. These gills allow you to breathe underwater indefinitely.
Blending: Your skin changes to match the background, providing a +10 modifier to Hide checks. This only works if you can see the area around you.
Clotheshift: When you skinshift, you can create mundane clothing on your body. You must already have Clotheslip to have Clotheshift.
Clotheslip: When you skinshift, you may also choose to alter the appearance of clothing on your body. However, you cannot create any clothing.
Fortification: Gain Light Fortification. You may take this Utility up to 3 times, increasing the level of Fortification by one step each time (Light, Medium, Heavy).
Improved Utility: Pick a skill that you have Utility Limb for. The tool you create now counts as masterwork, and thus provides a +2 bonus. Additionally, you can now create it as a Swift Action.
Offensive Limb: You shift your arm into any non-reach melee weapon you are proficient with. It has all the properties of the weapon, and cannot be sundered or disarmed. It counts as either a manufactured weapon or a natural weapon, whichever is more beneficial.
Pointy Claw: Gain a claw attack that deals 1d6 damage (for a medium creature). This counts as a primary natural attack. You may take this Utility up to as many times as you have arms in your natural form.
Rebuild: Gain Fast Healing 1. You can take this Utility multiple times.
Resilient Skin: Gain DR 1/-. You can take this Utility multiple times.
Scent: Gain the Scent ability with a range of 30 ft. You may take this Utility multiple times, increasing the range by 30 ft each time.
Studied Mimic: After observing someone for 10 rounds, you may shift your form to look like them exactly, giving a +10 bonus on Disguise checks to impersonate them. However, if there is a trait of them that you cannot mimic due to not being able to slip or shift (such as size or age category), you do not mimic that trait, and the bonus decreases by 2. After 1 hour of total time not spent looking like them, you must re-study them to retain the bonus.
Temporary Amorph: By loosening your joints and softening your bones, you are more able to slip through tight spaces. Gain (Class level) as a bonus to Escape Artist checks for CON Modifier rounds. Usable 3 + CHA modifier times per day.
Thick Skin: Gain +1 Natural Armor. You may take this Utility multiple times.
Toothy Maw: Gain a bite attack that deals 1d6 damage (for medium creatures). This counts as a secondary natural attack.
Utility Limb: Pick a skill. As a Move Action, you may shift part of your body into a tool that aids in the use of that skill. This could be anything from growing webbed feet to swim better, elongating your fingers into lockpicks, or placing a scar on just the right place to be more intimidating.
Venom:You secrete venom on your body that can be applied to weapons you hold as a move action in combat. If you use this in conjunction with a natural attack, it counts as a free action. The venom deals 1d4 damage to a physical ability score (STR, DEX, CON) or 1d6 to a mental ability score (INT, WIS, CHA), chosen when you take this Utility, as both primary and secondary damage. The DC for the venom is Fort (10+1/2 Class Level+CHA Modifier), and applies on Injury/Ingestion. You cannot be affected by your own venom, though the venom of other skin shifters may still affect you.

This seem to be based on actually changing the body of the skin shift. Since disguise self is an illusion spell, it isn't actually changing anything, I don't really see how they could get those effects through illusion. Since you disbelief your own illusion I don't think that you can get effects on yourself, from your own illusions (even if they weren't actually real). Why don't you use alter self instead of disguise self for the base?

Hide Alignment (Su): Disguising yourself as the captain of the guard doesn't do much if you register as evil in the paladin's eyes. Starting at level 3, a skin shifter is constantly protected by an undetectable alignment effect. He may choose to suppress this ability as a free action, and may re-activate it as a move action.

Nice ability to have :smallsmile:

Skinshift (Ex): Since it is one of the most innate abilities of a skin shifter, it's only natural that it's one of the first ones mastered. At 4th level, a skin shifter's Skinslip ability ceases to be an illusion and becomes an actual physical change. It now functions as alter self, though it retains the limitations from before. However, it does not allow Genderslip to become a physical change.

If he can turn himself into a member of a different race why can't he change sex? Also how did he get a shift utility before this? As I mentioned earlier disguise self works as an illusion.

Raceslip (Su): Building his repitoir of transformations, a skin shifter of 6th level or higher can alter his apparent race. He must remain humanoid, and keeps his original type and subtype. This is visual only, as disguise self, and he takes the penalty for not disguising as his own race.

Ageslip (Su): Age is but a number, and a number multiplied allows options. Starting at level 7, a skin shifter can alter his apparent age. This functions as disguise self, and retains the penalty for disguising as a different age category.

So... this are illusions if someone were to touch you they would actually get a will safe to disbelief?

Quickened Change (Ex): After so much practice, it's only natural that a skin shifter would get faster at changing his appearance. At 7th level, it takes only a Standard Action to change form. At 11th, it goes down to a Move Action. At 15th, it further shortens to a Swift Action. Finally, at 19th level, a skin shifter can alter his form as a Free Action.

I would limit it to a free action, once per turn (in its turn) otherwise maybe they can pull shenanigans somehow.

Gendershift (Ex): Rule 63: For every male character, there is a female version, and vice versa. At level 8 skin shifter's Genderslip ability becomes physical, as alter self. The penalty still remains, due to not being as well versed in how someone of the opposite gender is supposed to act, but it is halved.

The penalty is probably not significant (it is a -1)

Transmuting Body (Ex): Easing the path for alteration, a skin shifter of level 9 or higher improves on his Resistive Body. At the time he is affected by a transmutation spell, he may choose to instead raise the ECL of it by (1/2 Class Level) instead of lowering it.

I still miss the ability to be affected as normal.

Sizeslip (Sp): Sometimes, you just need to be big enough to use party members as improvised weapons or small enough to use a rat as a mount. Starting at level 10, a skin shifter can alter his size by up to (CHA Modifier) categories, to a minimum of Fine and a maximum of Colossal. This imitates the enlarge person or shrink person spells, respectively. However, due to the awkwardness of being a size you weren't born into, the bonuses, if any, are halved and there is a -2 penalty to Dexterity if growth is chosen or a -2 penalty to Strength if shrinking is chosen.

You can go from fine to colossal then at 10th level this can be used for the lolz if you ever get inside an enemy's body. I am actually getting nasty ideas of fine creatures getting into your mouth while you sleep to become colossal once inside.

Ageshift (Ex): Beginning at level 11, a skin shifter's ability to alter his age improves. The change becomes physical, as alter self, and the penalty is halved for disguising as a different age category.

Do they stats change if the use this ability?

Raceshift (Ex): After being outside of his natural skin, it is logical that a skin shifter would learn to take the skin that cannot be his. At 12th level, a skin shifter's ability to appear as a member of a different race becomes physical, as alter self, and the penalty for disguising as a member of a different race is halved. Additionally, when using Raceshift, he loses the type he previously was and gains the type (and subtype) of the race he shifts into.

And now he can use alter self properly is he limited to the types listed in alter self and limited by hd? Or since he was based on illusions he can do anything he wants?

Hide Thoughts (Su): With all the identities in his head, it makes sense to at least lock the door to a skin shifter's mind. In any identity, his mind is concealed with an effect similar to mind blank. While his mind can be detected, no access is permitted to outsiders without permission. The skin shifter is aware of the attempted intrusion, though not where it came from.

Fitting ability

Disguise Mastery (Ex): At level 13, a skin shifter becomes highly competent in his disguises. He can always Take 10 on a Disguise check, and disguises in only 1d3 minutes. Additionally, he no longer takes penalties for disguising as a different gender, race, or age category.

The skin shifter disguises like a boss.

Mask Alignment (Su): While hiding information can work, it may raise a few unnecessary issues. Better to give false information. At level 13, a skin shifter can alter his apparent alignment. Doing so takes a swift action, and may only change by one step at a time, or a full-round action with no step limitation. For example, if the skin shifter is naturally Chaotic Neutral, and he wants to appear Lawful Good, it will take either 3 rounds (Neutral to Good, Chaotic to Neutral, Neutral to Lawful) and permit him to do other things, or 1 round (Chaotic Neutral to Lawful Good) but will not let him focus elsewhere. This does not affect his ability to emulate alignments with the Use Magic Device skill. Using the same skin shifter as an example, if he is masking his alignment to be Lawful Good, he still gets hurt from touching a Book of Exalted Deeds.

Nice ability to have, how does this help him though? Those he gets to avoid being hit by a smite of his apparent alignment?

Sizeshift (Su): Growing out of the awkwardness of being a different size, a skin shifter learns to control his size changing ability. At level 16, when the skin shifter alters his size with Sizeslip, he no longer takes a Dexterity penalty for being larger or a Strength penalty for being smaller, and the bonuses return to their normal amounts.

Well now I can move from fine to colossal and have bonus I guess.

Disguise Perfection (Ex): Practice makes perfect. At level 17, a skin shifter can Take 20 on a Disguise check any time he could Take 10 without the use of his Disguise Mastery ability. Additionally, he can now disguise as a full-round action.

What for? True seeing still can pierce some of his ****. An awesomely high skill check aint going to help it.

Mask Thoughts (Su): In the Abjuration vs. Illusion arguement, it comes up that abjuration lets them know you're aware they're trying, while illusion offers no protection besides hiding. A skin shifter of level 17 or higher reaches a middle ground when protecting his mind. When his mind is forcefully accessed, he only shows thoughts that match up with the identity he is currently assuming. If there are none, or he doesn't want to allow access, he can still allow his Hide Thoughts ability to affect the intrusion.

True Identity (Ex): A skin shifter by this point will have had at least 17 different identities that he needs to keep up with. Even with all his practice, this can be taxing on his brain and make him lose his sense of who he is. By defining a True Identity, he avoids this problem. First, he chooses one of his identities, including the one he had before reaching level 2 of skin shifter. By meditating for 8 hours a week, not necessarily consecutive, he prevents himself from forgetting who he is. If his Hide Thoughts and Mask Thoughts abilities are penetrated, or access to his mind is otherwise forced through, the only thoughts that will be read are the ones pertaining to the chosen identity. Secondly, the skin shifter can take the form of his chosen identity as an immediate action.

Nothing overly exiting here.

Variants

Social Assassin
Sometimes, you need to get your hands dirty. But it's better if you can dirty the hands of your enemies. By selecting the social assassin variant, you gain +1d6 of Sneak Attack at every even level, and gain a death attack as an assassin at level 20. However, you don't gain the Alternate Persona or True Identity features.

This is probably a little better it adds some damage to the class.

I have to admit that I feel that this class is a bit weak, it fits its niche, but probably other existing classes or races or monsters could do it better (much better)

Good points:
-It has a +10 to disguise checks, ignores some petty penalties and can make really good disguise checks.
-It is really good at bluffing with his mind.
-It is capable of utterly destroying any creature by growing to colossal in them (or on them actually, the weight would probably kill them).
-It gets bonus to receiving transmutation spells (even if it cannot cast any)

Bad points
-It is only good at disguise (which can be easily be pierced by spells)
-It sucks at keeping the disguise up while he is in combat (even if it doesn't have a time for the check the damage part is pretty bad)
-It's main source of damage (growing) is probably a bug, not a feature.
-It sucks at receiving transmutation magic before level 9.

If I were to play a master of disguise a Greater Doppleganger would do it much better (and it is CR 12) or a changeling with a decent build can do it as good or even better.

For improving this I would look at the following:
-Changeling (Eberron campaign setting)
-Doppleganger (Monster Manual 1)
-Greater doppleganger (Monsters of Faerun)
-Zentharim Spy (Player's guide to Faerun)
-Insidious corruptor (Drow of the underdark)
-Mindspy (Complete warrior)
-Warshaper (Complete warrior)
-Master of Many forms (Complete adventurer)
-Spymaster (Complete adventurer)
-Cabinet trickster (Races of Eberron)
-Master of masks (Complete scoundrel)
-Chameleon (Races of destiny)
-Psibond agent (Complete scoundrel)

It needs more powah! And a good way would be to have more versatility and have some ways of influencing others and make them do their bidding, probably giving them a bonus if they skin shift into someone those guys like (or fear).

kanachi

2012-08-21, 05:11 AM

Ok... so i'm stuck at home waiting for things to be delivered so i thought i would try my hand at a mega peachathon starting from top to bottom.

I'm going to skip classes which i deem as incomplete, so i'm sorry if you fall into that catagory. I'm also sorry if i run out of steam and dont get to your class today.

Also, I would love a re-peach for anyone of you willing to have a look over my class and its extras, but i understand if you dont have the time.

Anyway... with that said, LETS DO THIS!

kanachi

2012-08-21, 06:42 AM

So first up is...

The Squillionaire

Title Image and initial fluff...

Squillionaire

http://th06.deviantart.net/fs7/PRE/i/2005/228/b/6/Bribery_by_zarand.jpg

If there's one thing life has taught me, there's no problem that can't be solved through sufficient application of money.

Some people struggle and work hard to get through life. That's not you. You solve your problems with your large amounts of wealth. Others work hard for amounts you look at as small change. And when throwing money to people doesn't work, well then you throw it at them.

To be honest when i first saw read this challenge something along these lines theme wise shot into my head.

for some reason i expected an image of scruge mcduck, but i like your image none the less. I also love the fluff here, it sets the tone.

I should be honest with you from the outset, that i play dnd pretty straight and dont really run comidy campaigns (we have humour of course, but this more something that just happens rather than something we build in). So its probably going to be tough for me to adiquately judge your class.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: You can never have enough money, and adventuring is a good way to get lots of it.

Characteristics: You may not be the best at fighting, but you sure can foot the bill.

Alignment: You may be of any alignment, so long as you have money.

Religion: You worship who you choose so long as they don't insist on poverty. You may not have worked hard to earn you money, but it is yours.

Background: Maybe you had success in some business venture or other. More likely you were lucky and inherited your money.

Races: Any culture with a form of currency may have members of this class.

Other Classes: Your popularity with other classes tends to depend on how they view having large quantities of wealth. Rogues and other thieves tend to see you as good marks. Bards see you as good paying customers. Fighters and similar often view you as stuck up dandies that might hire them while intellectuals will at best view you as someone to fund their research and at worst an ignorant fool getting by on daddy's treasury. Those of a spiritual persuasion often lament your focus on worldly wealth, though may apprecient contributions to the church.

Role: You help pay for things. Be that lodging, food, bribes, or bail. When that fails you resort to using you money to pelt or distract the enemies.

Adaptation: You may be the heir of a wealthy family or business. Alternatively you may be the head of one. So long as people of sufficient wealth who are willing to rely on it in all cases exist in the setting you can fit.

You set the tone for the class really well here. I love "You may not be the best at fighting, but you sure can foot the bill" as a quote as well.

As for adaptation, I was thinking that you could probably re-theme this class into a kind of inter-dimensional swindler or lead to gold style alchemist who "creates" their pocket change and fobs it on to people. It would be one way of explaining their wealth in a setting without having some crazy "Mc Big Bucks" type household sitting somewhere off shore and yet never involved in the action. Obviously I’m not saying this should be the main theme just a possible adaption you could offer for those with a more serious slant to their campaign world.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Squillionaire's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma is the most important ability for you as it helps you when bargaining or bartering. Also important is wisdom for reading people and making gut choices, and intelligence for making smart choices based on knowledge.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As bard
Starting Gold: 10d4 x 10 (250 gp)

Class Skills
The squillionaire's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

It may just be my take on the theme but I was thinking that disguise may be a good skill to include. While some Squillionaires may want people to know who they are I’m sure a good percentage would do what many of the wealthy elite do in our own society, travel incognito. To be honest I could even see this as the kind of thing they have bonuses to... I would expect them to have aliases and so forth to hide some of their more scandalous behaviour from travelling home to daddy Mc Big Bucks.

Also if your name is scrudge mcduck you should get a bonus to swim if you ever find yourself in a mass of gold coins. (joke)

Class Table...

SQUILLIONAIRE
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Pocket Change

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Pocket Change, Small Change (1d6, 15'), Money Knows Money|9gp

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Distracting Glimmer|20gp

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Bribery, Small Change (2d6, 15')|25gp

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Throw it Around|33gp

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+45|Small Change (3d6, 20')|43gp

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5||56gp

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Small Change (4d6, 20')|72gp

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Throw it Around|94gp

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Small Change (5d6, 25')|120gp

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7||160gp

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Small Change (6d6, 25')|210gp

12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Throw it Around|270gp

13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Small Change (7d6, 30')|350gp

14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9||450gp

15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9|Only the Finest Accommodations Will Do, Small Change (8d6, 30')|590gp

16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Throw it Around|770gp

17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Small Change (9d6, 35')|1000gp

18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11||1300gp

19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+12|Small Change (10d6, 35')|1700gp

20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+13|Throw it Around|2200gp[/table]

Never a huge fan of dead levels, but that’s just personal preference, perhaps flesh thigns out with some very minor abilities to reinforce your fluff if you’re worried about power creep.

OR, If your after a more substantial class feature, I was thinking that it would be cool if they could obtain an entourage, which evolves similarly to the leadership chain. You could flavour it so these people are not powerful npc’s with character classes but instead artists, dancers, performers, bouncers, agents, groupies and publicists... You could essentially evolve to have your own wandering band of freaks and social parasites constantly flocking around you.

Also, weirdly I don’t see will as being a suitable save for this class... surely their lack of will power is what makes them spend. It would be a shame to see them with all bad saves however, so i can see why you did this.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
What need do you have of weapons when you have money? You are only proficient with simple weapons, and light armor.

Makes sense.

Pocket Change (Ex):
You have money. Lots of money. However, for all the money you have, it wouldn't do to spend it all in one place. Thus outside what you find adventuring, you limit yourself to a daily allowance from you vast funds. Each day you may use up to your pocket change money in any assortment of coinage for various abilities or paying for various goods or services. However, if anything bought with this money is ever sold (even if this money only partially was used to pay for it), you place the money back with the rest of your vast wealth, and as such cannot access it except as it is granted with this ability. You may not simply give this money to others. If you do not spend all of your daily allowance of pocket change, the remaining amount does not carry over to the next day

I really like this class feature, it could get a little out of hand if your dm is a bit slow and allows you to spend a few weeks in a city so in that sense it does act as a foot to move the plot along a bit faster.

I don’t see the above as a weakness however, the simple fact is that this class is not meant for ever setting or campaign in my eyes and should not therefore be judged on those grounds. So yes, in some situations this could ruin a game, but that does not mean it ever will in practice.

Small Change (Ex):
If there is one thing you're good at, its throwing money around. You're so good in fact that you can hurt people with it. As an attack action while unarmed, you may throw a handful of small change at an enemy. This costs 1d6 copper pieces, and causes one damage per copper piece thrown (if you throw enough it may include some silver or gold coins as well). The range increment for this is 15 feet. At every odd level the value of coins you throw increases by 1d6, while at 5th level and every fourth level thereafter the range increment increases by 5 feet. If money from you pocket changed is used for this ability, it is not worth the trouble of retrieving, however if you used your normal funds, a DC 25 search check may be used to retrieve the money.

Probably one of the most hilarious abilities I’ve ever read! Its fantastic and actually gives the squillionaire some bite in combat. I would consider maybe offering some kind of bonus to increase your chances of hitting with this ability as the class has a poor bab... I would not be adverse to a ranged touch attack, though I understand that its thematically hard to justify.

Another issue may be the fact that while the money you throw has no value to you (if its from your pocket change) it probably does have value to other people and thus they may very well look for it. If they do this could be used as a way of distributing your wealth.

Money Knows Money (Ex):
You have lots of money, and your familiarity with having lots of money has taught you how to tell who else has lots of money. You gain a bonus equal to your class level to Gather Information, Knowledge (Local), and Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty) checks when it come knowing who has lots of money, finding them, and learning about them and the ways they use their money.

Makes sense.

Distracting Glimmer (Ex):
It may be small change for you, but there are many who would scrabble on the ground for it. When using this ability you throw a handful of money on the ground within one range increment of your small change ability as a standard action. The amount thrown is twice as much as you throw with your small change ability (roll twice as many dice). All enemies who see this much make a will save (DC 5 + the amount rolled), or attempt to gather the coins. Doing so requires they move to the square the money was throw in, and spend a move action retrieving all coins there. If another individual gets there first, or if the enemy is attacked, they break free of this effect. Mindless enemies are immune to this ability. Pocket change used for this ability isn't worth the effort of retrieving, however if normal funds are used you may loot the money from the corpse of whichever enemy gathered the money, or if none did you may retrieve it the same way as the small change ability.

Much the same as my previous issue, in fact you even touch upon it here without actually resolving it. While the money you throw has no value to you (if it’s from your pocket change) it probably does have value to other people, such as your party members. I don’t think this is a MASSIVE problem as its not going to be vast sums of money, but it’s worth considering none the less.

Bribery (Ex):
At third level, you become able to bribe an individual to do something for you. This is a standard action to make a touch attack and costs an amount of money equal to a small change roll in silver. This acts as a charm person spell, with a caster level equal to half the result of the roll (minimum 1). Your casting stat for this is charisma. You gain a bonus to opposed charisma checks against the bribed individual equal to half the caster level of the spell. This is not a mind-affecting effect, though mindless creatures are still immune. If used on a creature that you have already attempted to use it on within the past hour, add the rolls stack for the purposes of determining caster level.
At level 10 this upgrades to counting as charm monster with the same changes as above.

This could be fun, though I can see it making for some pretty wonky stuff in a real campaign. Can you get the BBEG on side? Could you convince someone with a vow of poverty?

As with most things in this class I think it’s not really a problem as your DM should really apply common sense to things, but those who are sticklers for the rules will probably want greater clarity.

Throw it Around (Ex):
You are adept at throwing money around, so much so that you have developed more advanced ways of doing so. At the listed levels you may select one of the below techniques. Any time you use small change or an ability requiring a small change roll you may apply any of the techniques you have selected to it. Some may not be used in conjunction with certain other techniques or some abilities.

Lets look at these one at a time...

Gems:
Coins are heavy. As such you have also taken you carrying around gems. When you apply this ability, you throw gems rather than coins. Use d10s rather than d6s. Gems do cost more however, and as such treat the result of the roll as 20 times the number of dice rolled for determining how much money you used for the ability. For all other effects use the result of the roll.
This technique may not be used in conjunction with the Hoard Scarab technique.

Improves your damage output, who does not like that!

Hoard Scarab:
Even with how little money is worth to you, you understand the need to protect it. As such you have trained hoard scarabs to protect your wealth from possible thieves. This has the added benefit of allowing you to throw some of them rather than coins at enemies to inflict added harm. When used with targeting abilities, each round after initially being hit, they take 1d4 damage as the beetles crawl over them and bite them. This damage stacks if they are hit multiple times with hoard scarabs. The effect ends if the target or an adjacent individual brushes the scarabs off as a move action. If used with Distracting Glimmer, only an individual who picks up the 'coins' takes the damage. While able to be used for bribery, the damage dealt the round after it is used breaks the creature of the effect and makes it immune to the ability. This technique may not be used with Only the Finest Accommodations Will Do.
Despite not being real coins, the trained scarabs are valuable. As such they still detract 1.5 times the normal amount of money from your funds.

This could add a quite fun tomb king flavour to the class. I like it.

Coin Flick:
You have figured out how to quickly flick the coins one at a time. When using small change, you may split up the dice between multiple targets. This technique may not be used with abilities other than small change.

Awesome and much needed.

Hand Over Fist:
You have learned the complex skill throwing money with one hand while holding something with the other. This allows you to 'dual wield' the small change ability. You may treat it as your main hand or off hand weapon. You may not use small change with both hands. This may not be used with abilities other than small change.

Hmmm... my own error but until now i had not really thought of it as a weapon but more of an ability. The idea that you cant momenteraly free your hand as a free action so you can then throw coins is a bit of a bummer for me personally. Its not like your holding a handful of coins at the ready like you would a sword, its more likely that you just dip you hand in a pound and throw in a fluid motion (IMO).

Fists Full of Money:
You have learned the even more difficult skill of using both hands to throw your money around. You may use both hand simultaneously for small change and other abilities if unarmed. When used with small change, you may make two attacks for each attack you would normally make, at the BAB of that attack. Roll the amount of money used for each attack. For other abilities, you may choose to roll twice the normal amount of dice.
This technique requires the Hand Over Fist technique to learn.

I dont like viewing this ability as a "weapon" but if you want to run it this way then this is a good way to handel things.

Glittering Toss:
You have figured out how to throw your money such that it gleams distractingly even as it sails at the opponent, though it reduces the force behind it. When using small change, you may choose to pay the amount as if using distracting glimmer. If you do so, the target of the attack must make a will save as if you used distracting glimmer and targeted their square.
This technique may not be used with hoard scarabs.

I'm english, so the name made me lol.

Gleaming Toss:
You have learned to fully accentuate the currency when throwing your money. When you use glittering toss, you may have it impact all enemies as if you had used distracting glimmer normally.

...and again. lol.

Light Fingers:
You may have plenty of money, but that doesn't mean you need to waste it excessively. When using small change or any ability that requires a small change roll, you may choose to roll less than the normal number of dice.

This should be an option as standard... its not like you need a special ability to take less money from a bag!?

Skilled Fingers:
You have further refined the ability to grab exactly the amount of money you desire from your abundant wealth. Any time you make use small change or otherwise make a small change roll, you may make a slight of hand check (DC 15 + 2 per die being rolled) to grab exactly the amount of money you want. If you succeed on this check, you may choose the outcome of the small change roll. If you fail you roll as normal to determine the amount of money grabbed.
This technique requires the Light Fingers technique to learn.

This makes a bit more sense however.

Only the Finest Accommodations Will Do (Su):
You are so wealthy even entities from other planes take note, why should you need to sleep on the dirt. At level 15 you may as a full round action spend money equal to a small change roll x 10 in gold to obtain accommodations from another plane. This acts as a Mage’s Magnificent Mansion spell with a caster level equal to half the result of the roll prior to multiplying it by 10. Unlike the spell, you do not get to decide the layout of the building, and must pay an additional half the normal amount for each additional person allowed to enter.

Mage’s Magnificent Mansion is a fun spell to have at your disposal.

Summary

Well for the first class i’ve looked at today this one gave me a bit of a headache as it’s totally different from the normal stuff I play with in my own campaigns. A lot of this class relies upon understanding by all parties not to turn the game into a farce. Strangely in my group, even though we don’t normally play with comedy style things, I don’t really see this being a problem. However, I think in some games (those filled with rules lawyers) I’m sure you will have all manner of issues to contend with.

Should we judge a class on that basis however... for me personally I think not. It’s quite obvious what the intention is behind the class and if everyone has to suspend their disbelief a little to make it work... well that’s fine by me and I’m more than happy to do so.

While I will probably never play with a class like this your work makes me want to and that surely counts for something.

As for what to improve... well i’m sure your aware that you have no cap stone and actually a lot of the class runs a bit dry at stages. I think you need to follow through with the theme a little more and think up a couple of fun features to help push that “obscenely rich” feel and examine allt he trappings that such a theme entails.

By level 20 you should be like Batman, able to afford any gadget needed to get the job done!

kanachi

2012-08-21, 07:37 AM

so, so i'm only on to my second class and i'm already running out of steam, so its time to grad a sandwich with everything the fridge has to offer thrown into it!

arrr much better... ok so lets move on:

The Quantum Mage

Title Image and initial fluff...

Quantum Mage
http://starcasm.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Isaiah-Mustafa-480x269.jpg
"Look again. The tickets are now DIAMONDS.”
-Isaiah Mustafa, the world's sexiest Quantum Mage.

I have always been fascinated by the quantum world, and so when I saw the theme of this contest, I knew I wanted to do something quantum-related. The Quantum mage is designed to go beyond an enchanter, illusionist, or transmuter, while sacrificing most of the direct firepower afforded by many wizard spells. It also becomes better at spellcasting when not observed, and gains a unique companion known as an "Imaginary Friend". The class will require more lateral thinking and creativity than most classes to use effectively, but I think the payoff will be well worth it.

Best image in the entire contest and maybe in any of the contests i've gone back and look through... you sir win the image game, i doth my cap.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: They might be found searching for rare artifacts, or defending or subjugating the weak, depending on alignment. They love getting a chance to show off their unique skills. They also love to learn new things, not so much for the knowledge or power it brings, but for the novelty and fun of it. This thirst for novelty, adventure and above all, fun leads them to take up adventure quite easily. Do not underestimate the focus of a Quantum mage once he's started something, though. That has led to...interesting circumstances.

Characteristics: Quantum Magi are, at their core, unpredictable. Regardless of their alignment, they find new, unique, and bizarre ways to use their talents which can more than make up for their lack of direct firepower spells. For arcane casters, they are unusually well in touch with nature, likely due to their shapeshifting.

Alignment: Usually chaotic, and never lawful, the Quantum Magi are split fairly evenly between good and evil, but usually tend to remain neutral along that axis.

Religion: Quantum Magi are not a very religious group, largely because they can't observe the gods, meaning there's no way they definitely exist. However, those who do worship tend to prefer gods of knowledge, freedom, or nature.

Basic Set: Boccob (god of knowledge) and Fharlanghn (god of freedom) are common choices for Quantum Magi.

Forgotten Realms:Lathander, Mystra, Oghma, Beshaba, Tymora, Azuth, and Lliira are all popular choices for Quantum Magi, largely due to their connections with freedom or knowledge.

Background: A quantum mage often learns their trade in much the same way as a wizard, and the two are often confused and may well multiclass into each other. The interesting thing about quantum mages is that they hide the secrets of their trade, not because they want to, but because the more people who know those secrets, the greater the chance that those secrets will no longer be true.

Races: Any race with members of sufficient intelligence and creativity can produce Quantum mages, but the adaptable humans and halflings usually make the best. Elves find the art too flighty, and half-orcs are usually too dumb.

Other Classes: Wizards often mistake them for fellow wizards, but even when they do realize the difference, they don't truly care. If anything, they find the idea of Quantum Magic to be fascinating. Sorcerers don't get them and usually avoid them if they can. Clerics and Druids, dependent on their individual beliefs, will likely have mixed reactions. non-magical types such as fighters and rogues don't care either way as long as they have magical backup.

Role: While largely utilitarian in their skill set, they are adaptable enough to fill many roles, from a leader or face to an upfront melee fighter, with the right spells and feats.

Adaptation:: The Quantum Mage can be fairly easily adapted as envoys of a trickster or nature deity, given strange powers to fulfill that god's will. For nature deities, it would be good to perhaps add more Druid spells to their spell list, and change their Imaginary Friend (below) to a Nature Spirit.

I like it. Its well writen and gives you a solid idea of the basic concept. Solid stuff.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Quantum Magi have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Intelligence is vital for the casting of spells and many class features, while Dexterity is good for Armor Class. If you intend to fight up close, it would probably be good to assign higher scores to Strength and Constitution.
Alignment: any non-Lawful.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: as wizard.
Starting Gold: as bard.

Class Skills
The Quantum Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
{table=head]Skill|Ability
Bluff|Charisma
Concentration|Constitution
Diplomacy|Charisma
Disguise|Charisma
Heal|Wisdom
Hide|Dexterity
Knowledge[arcana]|Intelligence
Listen|Wisdom
Move Silently|Dexterity
Sense Motive|Wisdom
Spellcraft|Intelligence
Spot|Wisdom[/table]

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Just a formatting issue, but I’m not overly fond of the skill table for some reason - personal preference.

I think they should get:
Craft, because well... that’s kind of akin to what they do.
Appraise, because I think they have an idea of what things are and what they are worth.
Sleight of hand, so they can make people second guess what exactly they just did

Class Table...

Quantum Mage
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|1|2|3|4|5|6|7

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Quick-Shape, 1/day|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Imaginary Friend, Armored Mage|4|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Random Knowledge|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Quick-Shape, 2/day|5|3|-|-|-|-|-|-

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Empowered Illusion 1/day|6|4|3|-|-|-|-

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Random Knowledge|6|5|4|-|-|-|-

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Quick-Shape, 3/day|7|6|5|-|-|-|-

8th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+2|
+6|Empowered Illusion 2/day|8|6|5|-|-|-|-

9th|
+6/+1|
+6|
+3|
+6|Random Knowledge|8|6|6|3|-|-|-

10th|
+7/+2|
+7|
+3|
+7|Quick-Shape, 4/day|8|7|6|4|-|-|-

11th|
+8/+3|
+7|
+3|
+7|Empowered Illusion 3/day|9|7|6|5|-|-|-

12th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Random Knowledge|9|8|7|5|-|-|-

13th|
+9/+4|
+8|
+4|
+8|Quick-Shape, 5/day|9|8|7|6|3|-|-

14th|
+10/+5|
+9|
+4|
+9|Empowered Illusion 4/day|9|9|8|6|4|-|-

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+9|
+5|
+9|Random Knowledge|9|9|8|6|5|-|-

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Quick-Shape, 6/day|9|9|9|6|5|-|-

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+5|
+10|Empowered Illusion 5/day|9|9|9|7|6|3|-

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+6|
+11|Random Knowledge|9|9|9|7|6|4|-

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Quick-Shape, 7/day|9|9|9|8|6|5|3

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Empowered Illusion 6/day|9|9|9|8|7|5|4[/table]

no 0 level spells and 4 1st level spells at level 1?

I would have though spells like Prestidigitation would work really well for a class like this. Also no other class i know of gets 4 level 1 spells per day, but then if your not getting any 0 level spells maybe thats ok...

I'm not sure about the medium bab either, why do they have it? are they skilled warriors?

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

All simple weapons, Light Armor

Maube add shields? I would look at the warmage for ideas.

Spells:

A Quantum Mage casts arcane spells from the Quantum Mage spell list (see Spoilers). He can cast any spell from that list without preparing it ahead of time.
To cast a spell, the Quantum Mage must have an Intelligence score equal to the spell's level + 10. The DC for a saving throw against a Quantum Mage's spells is 10 + spell level + caster's Intelligence modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Quantum Mage can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table: the Quantum Mage. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score.

I have to be honest i'm not really a master at spell casting ballance as i tend to only dabble with magic and never take things to silly levels. However, i think you would probably do well to draw inspiration from the warmage or beguiler. Both do a similar thing to what your going for here.

Quick-shape (Su):
once per day, at first level, the Quantum Mage may cast any transmutation spell she knows as a swift action, as the feat Quicken Spell. The Quantum Mage must not be in the line of sight of any other lucid characters in order to do this. The number of times per day this can be used increases by one at 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th levels.

Hehe, this is nice, I like it. I think it would be col if you could combine this with the slight of hand skill in some way, but i'm not sure how.

Imaginary Friend (Su):

At 2nd level, the Quantum Mage receives an “Imaginary Friend”, an incorporeal, usually unobservable piece of thought. This creature cannot physically interact with the world, but can be used for reconnaissance and carrying messages. Those incapable of detecting beings on the astral plane will only notice the Imaginary Friend as a “gut feeling”, and their messages will only be relayed as a “hunch”. Those that can see into the Astral plane will be able to detect the creature and communicate with it normally. It relays information in any languages its master knows, but does not speak without being commanded to do so. Being made of thought, it cannot be “killed”, as when it is damaged, it will simply return to its master's mind. The Imaginary Friend cannot venture further than 400 feet from its owner. If it attempts to do so, its owner must make a Concentration check with a DC of 14 + (the total distance over 400 feet/10, minimum 1) every ten minutes.

Interesting. I'm not really sure what to think of it, but its a cool ability. What kind of a bond does the mage have to his friend? do they have any kind of sensory link? also how does it travel and how fast? What happens if the concentration check fails?

All pretty obvious answers but you should probably flesh this out a bit more.

Armored Mage (Ex):

While nobody is quite sure how Quantum Magi cast their spells, it is apparent that the motions required are fairly simple, allowing them to ignore the chance for somatic spell failure while wearing light armor.

Always a nice ability to have!

Random Knowledge (Ex):

Through their strange research into the ever-unpredictable forces of Quantum Magic, Quantum Mages often stumble across ways to cast spells that are normally beyond their reach. At every level divisible by 3 (3, 6, 9, etc.) the Quantum Mage chooses an Arcane Spell list and a spell level that they are capable of casting from. The DM then chooses a spell from that list and level that they do not yet possess and adds it to the Quantum Mage's personal spell list at the same level. The spell MUST be acquired at its Sorcerer/Wizard spell level if it is on the Sorcerer/Wizard List. How the specific spell is chosen is entirely up to the DM, and remains entirely subject to DM approval.

Hehe this could be fun. It would let the dm throw some lesser used yet interesting spells the mages way rather than going for all the awesome stuff. Both player and dm would need to talk this through in some capacity though I reckon. However, thats not something i see as a problem as such.

Empowered Illusion (Su):

Once per day, at 5th level, a Quantum Mage may cast any spell from the Illusion school as if under the effects of the Empower Spell feat. The Quantum Mage must not be in the line of sight of any other lucid characters in order to do this. The number of times per day this can be used increases by one at 8th level, and every three levels thereafter.

Like the previous ability its fun, as before though I think you might want to work in the use of the slight of hand skill somehow.

spell lists...

II’m going to state here that I’ve never been that gifted at looking through spell lists, especially at high level. I don’t see any problem as such with the spells you have here however, it all seems to makes sense.

Summary

I have to admit that I was expecting a little “more” from the class. Not that its bad as is, in fact I think it would probably run ok (though I’m still not sure why it either needs or has medium bab?).

I guess I was just after some more class features to push things home. Also I thought you could have maybe tried you hand at generatning some nice unique spells for the class.

I personally see them focusing heavily on swift action spells with minor effects which they can use to give them battlefield advantage. Also I’m looking for that spell that lets them turn a hanging chandelier into a whale which then comes crashing down on their foes... THAT is what i’m talking about and thats how Isaiah Mustafa roles (when he’s not riding unicorns constructed from pure win).

Derjuin

2012-08-21, 07:48 AM

I wouldn't mind a peach for the Dark Vessel myself; would be glad to return said peach!

God Imperror

2012-08-21, 07:52 AM

I will look into it as soon as I have time to, it might be a few hours it seems that this morning is busy. :smallsmile:

kanachi

2012-08-21, 08:55 AM

Ok so lets see whats up next...

arrrr... this was the idea that made me curse at my computer when i saw it pop up. You must surely have stolen the idea for such a creation from my mind, for no other could think up the...

Storyteller Bard

or so i thought...

Title Image and initial fluff...

Storyteller Bard

Storyteller magic was...odd.

It relied on dramatic principles, on narrative conceits. All of Galland's siblings were guilty of, at one time or another, chastising him for basically "believing in fairy tales". Sometimes, the magic was explicit, the storyteller directly altering the course of events or guiding actions. Other times, though, it was subtle, even unconscious.

Of course, the narrative of history is never compiled until after the fact, and people frequently seek to add meaning and drama to otherwise unrelated events. Some, then, argued that the power of the storytellers was primarily divinatory. And indeed, divination was a valuable explicit power of the storyteller bards, allowing them to learn the whole story and retell it accurately. These people would argue that the storytellers might subconsciously acquire information - divinations were the most common type of unconscious or uncontrolled magic - and their own desire to weave stories is what caused them to attach dramatic significance to the events they discerned.

Others, though, swore roundly that storytellers could and did subconsciously alter fortune and fate to create their narrative. It was always subtle, never causing an event that wouldn't happen to occur, but perhaps guiding one that would to occur in a dramatic or, if the storyteller was proficient at its craft, advantageous way.

It was an interesting debate, a puzzle that many of the finest minds in spellcraft argued heatedly to solve. It was also, functionally, a moot point. The long and short of it was that Galland had just given the cult a perfect cue to initiate any attack that they might in fact be planning to initiate, which meant that when the small army of ghoulish marauders, spectral mages, and vampiric assassins led by the reanimated remains of Elyra and Dashar came bursting from the ground in a sudden effort to assassinate the royal family and slay as many heroes of the realm as they could, the assembled warriors were spontaneously made aware of them, thus negating what would have been a devastating surprise advantage.

Oddly enough, it also meant that every capable warrior who had attended the funeral retroactively decided to come armed.

"Fairy tales, indeed," Galland murmured under his breath as he turned to face the first wave of the undead.

I’m not sure if it’s a deliberate choice but rolling into town with no image is a master stroke of theme setting for this class. Your words, which are very well written, paint a wonderful image of their own.

What balls!
Awesome stuff!

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Pah! And what kind of storyteller would you be, I ask, if you just sat around at home all day? We live in a world of magic and monsters, of great warriors and cunning rogues, of myth and legend! We as storytellers must constantly travel the world, seeking new tales, documenting the great feats and cunning plans of the people of our world and plane. Oh, we may not always be the hero. Ours are not likely the swiftest blades or strongest spells. But no few storytellers have left home with their little band of up-and-coming protagonists and returned home with a legend passed down through the generations.

Characteristics: All of life is a story, and we're the ones who get to tell it. Our narrations can alter fate and fortune, our descriptions can direct our friends in battle. We also pack a few spells; primarily divinations and illusions, to better learn the whole story and assist in the telling, enchantments to ensure it goes the way we want, and a few buffs, because you know, bard.

Alignment: I speak of heroes and champions, and indeed, that is what drew me to the path of the storyteller, but even I must admit that a great story needs a great villain, and to be fair, it often helps the story for the teller not to be too attached to any of the particulars. So no, we storytellers don't hold to any particular moral or ethical preference.

I will, however, point out that in most stories I've heard, it's the side of good that always wins!

Religion: Well, obviously, deities of song and story attract their share of our fellows, but they aren't the only ones. The wanderer gods resonate well with us, as do deities of knowledge, as no one wants an incomplete story. Rare would be the storyteller that doesn't at least show respect to the gods of fate and fortune. I doubt our narrative powers would do us much good if they didn't at least find us entertaining!

Background: We storytellers can come from any roots, but if there's one thing that pops up more often than not in our personal stories, it's - what, dead parents? No! Gods! Morbid, much? No, it's that we grew up surrounded by tales of myth and legend. Maybe we sat at a shaman's feet every night, hearing campfire fables, or perhaps we grew up with a library of epic tales. Some of us might even have been brought up in a temple - some of the best stories in the world are those about the gods and their champions in the days of yore.

Races: Name a race without stories! Be they fact or fiction, history or prophecy, if it has a language, it has a tale to tell. Now sure, some races might follow the way of the bard more often than others. Elves, in particular, tend to have the artistic background and dreamer's nature that often leads one to the path. But you can find the talent for story among any race.

Other Classes: Ah, yes, our companions. The assembly of wandering miscreants that we shall forge into a team of heroes. I've worked with several types, and there's not a one I wouldn't work with again - although I suppose there are some who might not want to work again with me! The subtler types, in particular, don't tend to be fans of our loudly proclaiming their every move and deed. Protip: All the narrative magic in the world doesn't change the fact that if you proclaim the rogue's clever sneak attack, it isn't.

Role: I doubt there's a storyteller in all the world who does not dream of being the great hero. Striking down the dragon, defeating the big bad with skill and cunning, saving the day or even the world. The truth, though, is that we are rarely the heroes of our stories. We are the narrators. We document. We describe. But most of all, we change. Ours may not be the most direct role, but we can alter fate and fortune with our narrative commands, and glean knowledge of the whole story that our companions might never know. All of life is a story, you see. Our job is to ensure it has a happy ending.

Adaptation: Now, not everyone who wields the magic of fate and fortune and the power of illusion, divination, and enchantment are storytellers. I hear tell of mage-generals, great leaders and competent warriors and casters, who command similar powers through tactical commands and spells that trigger the magic of their allies. Likewise, there are some evangelical priests who speak with the voice of their god to direct and support their flock, and convert or confound their enemies.

This class oozes theme and you have presented it very well here. I also really like your ideas for possible adaptations, it gives a good scope for the classes use in multiple campaign settings.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Storyteller Bards have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Our narrative power comes from the strength of our spirits and personalities, so Charisma will always be our most important ability. After that, you'll want to focus on Charisma; it governs our spells, which are the primary way we will exert our power directly. Finally, if you have the points to spare, consider investing in Charisma, as it drives the social skills that are the classic strength of the bards.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d6.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Storyteller Bard's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (N/A), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

A solid start to the crunch, there is nothing here to argue with.

Class Table...

STORYTELLER BARD
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0|1|2|3|4|5|6|7

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Power Words, Storytelling.|2|-|-|-|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Narrate Results.|3|0|-|-|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3||3|1|-|-|-|-|-|-

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Genre Savvy.|3|2|0|-|-|-|-|-

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4||4|2|1|-|-|-|-|-

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Narrate Action.|4|3|2|-|-|-|-|-

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5||4|3|2|0|-|-|-|-

8th|
+6|
+2|
+6|
+6|Breaking the Fourth Wall.|4|3|3|1|-|-|-|-

9th|
+6|
+3|
+6|
+6||4|4|3|2|-|-|-|-

10th|
+7|
+3|
+7|
+7|Narrate Magic.|4|4|3|2|0|-|-|-

11th|
+8|
+3|
+7|
+7||4|4|4|3|1|-|-|-

12th|
+9|
+4|
+8|
+8|Dangerously Genre Savvy.|4|4|4|3|2|-|-|-

13th|
+9|
+4|
+8|
+8||4|4|4|3|2|0|-|-

14th|
+10|
+4|
+9|
+9|Narrate Flashback.|4|4|4|4|3|1|-|-

15th|
+11|
+5|
+9|
+9||4|4|4|4|3|2|-|-

16th|
+12|
+5|
+10|
+10|Crowning Moment of Awesome.|4|4|4|4|3|2|0|-

17th|
+12|
+5|
+10|
+10||4|4|4|4|4|3|1|-

18th|
+13|
+6|
+11|
+11|Narrate Response.|4|4|4|4|4|3|2|-

19th|
+14|
+6|
+11|
+11||4|4|4|4|4|3|2|0

20th|
+15|
+6|
+12|
+12|Deus Ex Machina.|4|4|4|4|4|4|3|1[/table]

Dead levels, which is something i normally have issue with. I understand that you are happy with your build and the symmetry and balance one can achieve by having them can be tempting though. However, I would personally always consider throwing something in at every level, even if its a token fluff ability.

Players enjoy that feeling of progression and you don’t have to make every class feature shatter the cosmos. A chief who has adds a pinch of flavour to their meal here and there is something I look for in every build.

Class features...

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Storyteller Bard. The DC for the Storyteller Bard's abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier.

Thanks for adding this!

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

As a storyteller, we're not likely the ones to be dealing mighty blows, but there will be times when another blade is important to the group. You'll be trained in the use of all simple weapons, and light armor, as well as given opportunity to achieve proficiency with a martial weapon of your choice.

Perfect.

Spellcasting:

Magic is a key part of our abilities. We may not be wizards, but we can manage our share of spells. Compared to classically trained bards, our focus on stories results in a rather more narrow range of spells, but likewise means we have more overall proficiency with the spells we do know, including that we are able to master the lot of them. Basically, our spells known list is the same as our class spell list. Our spells per day are provided on that fancy table I showed you earlier.

Like any other bard, our spells are arcane in nature and always have verbal components, but the somatic components are simple enough that we can cast just fine in light armor.

I'll have a list of our spells for you after we're done with the basics here.

Good stuff, its hard to really judge till i work my way down to the spell list though, so i will come back to this later.

Power Words (Su):

Just coming up with a tall tale won't be changing anything. First thing you'll learn as a storyteller is how to invest your words with magic. That takes some effort, so it's a standard action to use, but there's no limit to how often you can do it. A basic power word is the sort of thing you're likely to use on an enemy. The target has to be in close range, and they get a Will save to throw the effect off. If they fail, though, you can give them a one-word command that they're forced to obey, and if you choose, you can also hammer them with the sheer volume of your voice, dealing 1d6 points of Sonic damage per two class levels.

Now, a single word command is still a flexible tool, but the sort of things you can compel are somewhat limited. The command itself (not the sonic damage) is a mind-affecting compulsion ability, and what that basically means beyond what creatures are immune to it, is that the command has to be something the target can do of its own volition, or might do as a reflex or subconsciously. You can't command a target without wings to "Fly" for example, and commanding someone to "Die" is right out. You give a strong impulse, but it's still your target that interprets exactly what it means, if it isn't completely clear. Telling a foe to "Attack" will ensure it attacks someone or something (rather than, say, healing, moving, or augmenting an ally), but who and how are still its own decision.

A command that would put the target in immediate grave peril (including by rendering it helpless), or that would force it to do something against its nature grants a +5 bonus on the saving throw. Don't bother trying to come up with commands that would cause the target to die instantly or kill itself or things like that; they'll just be ignored. The target is compelled for only one round. If the action demanded is a free action, or if it doesn't count as an action, the target follows the command instantly, but commands that force an actual action on its part require it to take the actions normally, on its turn. Important thing to note is that the target must use any actions it can to fulfill your command, and must do so before taking any other actions on its turn, and can't "undo" the command with other actions in the same turn (so commanding a target to "Fall" also means it can't stand up in the same turn).

You can also expend a spell slot when speaking a power word. If you do, every two spell levels of the slot increases the sonic damage by one die step. Every level of the slot doubles the number of targets affected by the command (this is a full doubling, so a level three slot lets you affect eight targets).

I will firstly say that while I do enjoy your writing style it does at times make things a little more obtuse to read than they really need to be. I personally find it a lot easier to have the fluff and crunch separated a little more as I don’t want to have to read a around thing when I’m referencing something “in game”. I love the effect you have created however, like you are telling the tale of the class and so forth, but it’s something to be aware of from a practical stand point.

I really like this ability, it opens the doorway for a lot of creative encounters and still has a little rule structure behind it to back things up. My first thoughts were “fall”, “drop”, “vomit”, “flee” and (because I’ve got a dirty mind) “undress”.

Also I assume the target has to be able to understand your instruction? so you would have to speak their language (or another they know)?

Storytelling:
Obviously, we're good at it. Whatever other skills you might practice, you're going to master the art of storytelling. All storyteller bards receives free skill ranks in Perform (Oratory), one other Perform skill of choice, and one Knowledge skill of choice equal to their class level + 3.

Makes sense.

Narrate Results (Su):

Once you hit your second level in the class, you'll have worked out how to use your magically-enhanced words to alter reality...somewhat. At this stage, you won't be causing anything special to happen, but you'll be able to tweak how things turn out.

Here's how it works. Something's happening, something important, and you want to make sure it goes your way. So you take an immediate action, and describe it happening the way you want. You'll notice a bit of a slowdown as you speak, the scene might fade out some, but when everything picks up again, the act will resolved, and hopefully, in your favor.

This basically lets you alter the outcome of a roll, and you have to do it before the roll is actually made. You can do a number of things depending on the type of roll. If it's one of those classic d20 rolls, you can modify the result of the roll by anywhere up to your Charisma modifier. Alternately, you can just dictate that if the result on the die comes up as less than twice your Charisma modifier, or more than 20 minus twice your Charisma modifier, it has to get rerolled. If we're talking a percentage roll, you can add or subtract up to five times your Charisma modifier. If you're looking at a roll for damage, healing, or other hit-point-based things, you can maximize or minimize up to one individual die rolled per point of your Charisma modifier. If it's anything else, you can simply modify the result by one point in either direction, regardless of your Charisma modifier.

Very well written once again, but this is also a very long winded way of expressing a very simple ability. Sorry to grumble, but I know that in practice this would be infuriating in game. Obviously this is probably exacerbated by the fact I’m on a peaching marathon... but still you get my point right? Can you imagin waiting for you player to read through all that just so they can get you to maybe re-roll a dice or something?

As for the ability itself, its good, clean and makes sense with the theme.

Genre Savvy (Ex):

Starting at fourth level, you'll begin to connect the narrative conventions of stories with your life, helping you figure out how things are likely to unfold. You'll always be able to tell the presumed "goal" of an encounter. Life doesn't always expect you to crush your enemies, see them driven before you, and hear the lamentations of the women, you know. I mean, depending on how your friends are, you might do it anyway, but you can always take a moment (a free action) to learn if, say, you're expected to run away, or get captured, or rescue someone, or whatever.

You'll also always know when you still have something to accomplish, and when it's time to move on to the next scene. If there's some hidden room you haven't explored in the current dungeon, or a clue to a mystery you've overlooked, or a plot point you haven't found yet, or things like that, you'll be able to tell. You won't be able to tell the wheres and whats, only that the current scene isn't necessarily complete.

Finally, you can always stop and think for a moment to see if what you're about to do is incredibly stupid, likely to have serious repercussions or unforeseen consequences, almost impossible to succeed, and things like that.

Here's the thing, though; even though this is a free action, it's still an active ability. We don't have some Genre Angel sitting on our shoulder telling us what we need to know. We have to at least think about these things to come to the right conclusion. And, although it's reliable, not all stories are fully written beforehand, so it's far from perfect.

This is nice and reflect the Elan ability really well. In fact this class is Elan basically. Awesome stuff!

Narrate Action (Su):

Fact is, we're not usually going to be the heavy hitters on our team. Starting at fifth level, you'll be able to get around that by letting your friends act in your stead. A number of times per encounter equal to your Charisma modifier, you'll be able to narrate an action on your turn, and an ally of your choice will get to instantly take the action as described. This costs you an action of the same type as you grant, so if you narrate an ally warrior taking a full attack, it's a full-round action for you. Taking the action is always an Immediate action for your ally. The action has to be one your ally can take, but can draw from any of their capabilities and powers. You only provide the action; any other resources (such as spell slots) are still expended by your ally normally.

You can expend a spell slot when narrating an action; every level of the slot allows one additional ally (excluding you) to take the action. If you do this, though, the action you spend is one step higher, so to mass-narrate a move action costs you a standard action, and mass-narrating a standard action is a full-round action for you. The action must also be the same for all targets, so you could narrate everyone casting Fireball (assuming you have a bunch of pyros around), but not just give everyone a free standard action to cast whatever spell they want. Your allies don't, however, all have to affect the same target.

You can also narrate enemy actions. This functions basically like a Power Word, but without the sonic damage. It's also not limited to a single word, so you can get quite a bit more flexibility out of it. Finally, the action you force continues for one round per level, although they get a new save to throw it off every round.

I really like this, it makes the class a very unique filler of the support role in the group. Its also very thematic.

Breaking the Fourth Wall (Ex):

Okay, so you may have noticed I'm talking about a bunch of crazy stuff like "turns" and "standard actions" and "levels". It's...too much to explain here, but you'll start to understand somewhere around eighth level, and you'll be able to discern them with a glance. Like your genre-savviness, it takes some thought (a free action), but you'll be able to tell what the stats and mechanics of a situation are. You'll know what sort of skill is required to do something, how difficult a task is, how an enemy's stats compares to yours, how many hit points people have left, what level everyone is, and so on.

You'll also know...other things. Things that you couldn't possibly know, but that you know. Understand? No? That's because you're not eighth level yet. But you understand. Right? Right. Anyway, you'll know that stuff, as it relates to the world and the story and the stats and things like that. You might also have a sense of, you know, other stuff that you know. But those things don't fit in the world, and this ability won't let you devise or invent them. Trust me, I've tried.

This is fun, but not something i would be comfortable allowing as a DM. I don’t like the idea that my players can ever “know” the exact numbers behind the game. This is personal preference however and the rules you placed here do seem to function well with that in mind.

Narrate Magic (Su):

Starting at tenth level, your narrative commands will improve to the point that you can narrate the act of spellcasting, using your magic through your allies. This is an immediate action for you, works on allies in Close range, and can work in one of three ways.

First, you can allow an ally to cast one of your spells. You supply the spell slot, but the ally takes the action to actually cast the spell on its turn. You're still the one channeling the magic; the mechanics of the spell use your Charisma, caster level, spell failure chance, and so on. The ally, however, is the one the spell comes from. This can give you some nice tactical targeting options, but the big advantage is that it lets your allies cast your personal spells on themselves.

Second, you can simply power an ally's spell. You provide a spell slot, which the ally can use to cast one of its known, prepared, or expended spells of equal or lower level. In this case, the targeted ally is the actual caster, you just provide the raw energy.

Third, you can boost up an ally's spell. For each two levels of your spell slot, the ally gets one free spell level to use to apply metamagic feats. It can apply such feats to these spell levels spontaneously, with no increase in casting time, and may draw from your metamagic feats as well as its own.

This ability doesn't grant any actions to cast the spells with, but you can still use Narrate Action to provide those if you want.

Awesome ability and much more clearly written and simple to follow than some of the previous abilities.

I think this is the level where the class truly comes into its own as a great support class.

Dangerously Genre Savvy (Ex): By twelfth level, your understanding of how the story goes will start to get scary. You add your Charisma modifier to any checks to avoid surprise, such as a Spot check to detect a hidden foe or a Sense Motive check to discern a betrayel, and to initiative checks. Even if circumstances would normally deny you such checks or you do not choose to actively take them, you are always entitled to such a check, which is always opposed by a relevant skill, even if the opponent has abilities that would otherwise deny such, and you may choose for both checks to ignore any magical bonuses if you wish. For example, if an invisible foe sneaks up on you, you'd still make a normal Spot vs. Hide check to avoid surprise, adding your Cha modifier, and without the crazy +40 bonus for invisibility (although you'd also have to forego any magical bonuses to your Spot check). If no skill checks would be relevant (such as a group of enemies teleporting in to attack), opposed initiative checks are rolled, pitting your initiative against the best in the enemy group.

Even better, if you avoid surprise, you and your allies retroactively receive one round of prep time per point you succeeded by. You can't affect enemies during this time, but you can heal, buff, get into position, and so on. This also applies if surprise wasn't a factor, using the opposed initiative check. So if you turn a corner and find yourself facing a group of monsters, even though neither party is surprised, your team still gets a chance at extra rounds of prep time.

Finally, any ability you possess that has to be used before a roll is made or before results have been declared is freed of that restriction. You may use any such abilities to modify the roll after results are known. You also get to know the results of any hidden checks made - and yes, this means you do know when you've failed a spot check (in which case, you don't get surprised unless the opponents act immediately after the roll is made).

Stuff like this does risk ruining a lot of classing gaming moments which, yes, may be generic but are a useful part of any dms tool box. The ability is cool however and defonately rams home that Elan feel.

I guess my main problem with the class is that is steps on the DMs toes a little too much with abilities like this. I understand why you have taken this route however, I just think that features like this moves the class in directions which would see it clucked out of my game...

having said that however there are spells which are equally as damaging to a campaign, so I can see that argument as well.

Narrate Flashback (Su):

We're storytellers, not obsessed fanboys and fangirls. Who cares about continuity when death is on the line? Starting at fourteenth level, you'll be able to narrate events that occurred in the past. You can do so once per day per point of your Charisma modifier.

Narrating a flashback is a full-round action. Although standard narrative prose is perfectly functional, acting like this is something you had already done in preparation for just this circumstance and are now explaining it to the enemy, rather than a blatant temporal manipulation is always satisfying. You may narrate a standard and move action, as per Narrate Action, which occurred previously during the encounter. This applies to a single target, and you cannot use a spell slot to affect more.

Alternately, you can narrate a more complex activity undertaken at any time prior to the encounter, though such actions must be things the characters involved could accomplish without making checks and without using any expendable resources that take longer than a few minutes to recover. For example, you could narrate that you filled in your allies on the strengths and weaknesses of the monster you find yourselves fighting, or that your wizard friend decided to swap out his usual Fireball spell for a Haste spell this morning, but you couldn't narrate all your friends doing a pre-encounter buff routine just before the fight began, since that expends resources. In this case, you are not limited to the number of targets, but all targets must be willing to accept this alteration to their history.

Your narration can't change the past beyond the current round and the specific change you make; it merely alters things for the future. So for example, if one of your allies is incapacitated and, three rounds later, you narrate that your priest friend healed him, that ally would be up and ready to go, and if its turn in initiative had already passed this round, it would still get its turn. However, it wouldn't retroactively get the past two turns it missed. Likewise, if enemies have been constantly streaming in, and you narrate your wizard ally sealing the entry with a Wall of Force just after some giant monster comes through, the giant monster and anyone else who entered this round would be retroactively blocked, but others who had come through earlier would not.

An utterly bonkers idea and one which i’m not sure i would be overly happy with seeing in my games... however I cant really argue against it on grounds of it be totally awesome!

Crowning Moment of Awesome (Ex): It is the gift of the storyteller to be able to witness - and, if we are lucky, perform - some of the greatest feats and deeds the world has ever known. But here's the secret. Sometimes, our presence is the very thing that facilitates these amazing accomplishments. This isn't a strictly active ability; you cannot personally choose to use it. It happens at the whim of whatever gods or forces dictate the fate of our world, but there are always two requirements. First, the character performing the deed must be within your line of sight, and you must be willing for the deed to receive the benefit. Second, the character performing the deed must be doing something truly impressive, indeed legendary. This could be an act of tremendous courage, a feat of stupendous daring, an amazing stunt or display of power or prowess. It could be the culmination of someone's personal story, a desperate last stand, a harbinger of karma, or all a grand cosmic joke. Whatever the case, merely attempting this feat has impressed the powers that be, and through the presence of the storyteller, the attempt is rewarded with a Crowning Moment of Awesome.

Everything that can go right, goes right. The character treats any die roll made during a Crowning Moment as if it had rolled the best possible result (this can result in critical hits, but does not otherwise trigger special functions of natural rolls, such as auto-successes or exploding dice). If the action involves an ability score, the character can use its highest ability score or your Charisma in its place. If the action involves mechanics that scale with level, the character uses the best of any possible class progressions (for example, a full base attack bonus, a caster level equal to its full character level, a good saving throw bonus, maximum ranks in a skill, or so on). Any static DCs that oppose rolls against the action use a base of 20 (for example, a spell cast as part of a Crowning Moment of Awesome would have a DC of 20 + the spell level + the appropriate ability modifier). All situational penalties or arbitrary failure chances, such as for cover, concealment, rushing, moving too quickly, or the like, are ignored. Additionally, the character can choose to forego all magical bonuses to the action, to eliminate any magical penalties or opposing magical bonuses. If the action succeeds, it has the best possible result, and may have effects that go beyond what would normally be expected of it. Any resources that would normally be used in the action, such as spell slots or ability uses, are not consumed.

Note, however, that these moments cannot be fully predicted, and are never guaranteed. More, one must commit to the action; you can't "pull back" if fate doesn't smile upon you. Even in the high-action lives of heroes, it is rare to see two Crowning Moments of Awesome without days or even weeks between them, especially from the same character...but it is possible.

Additionally, every time you or an ally in your presence rolls a Natural 20 on a check, that character may spend an immediate action to take an additional standard action.

At this point we have go into realms where I am fully aware that while I would never personally allow such a class to exist in my game I am none the less in awe of its construction, ambition and scope.

Fantastic work.

Narrate Response (Su):

By eighteenth level, you should be able to predict how the story will go with substantial accuracy, allowing you to prepare narrations in advance. This works like Narrate Action, but cannot be used to compel foes, cannot affect multiple targets, and doesn't provide the action immediately. Rather, the narration remains latent until a specific situation chosen when you make the narration comes up. Once that situation occurs, the target may take an immediate action to instantly perform the narrated action, at no further action cost to you. This expends that narrated response. Note that since the action you spend for a narrated response occurs well before the actual trigger, you may narrate your own responses.

The condition that triggers the response follows the same rules as a wizard's contingency spell. The response itself must be specific with regards to the exact action used. Narrating a full attack or total defense is fine, as is a Wail of the Banshee or Time Stands Still, but you can't just narrate a "spell" or a "martial maneuver". Likewise, the action cannot be one that, itself, grants additional actions. And please, don't try to narrate yourself using Narrate Action. Storytellers of this level give Time enough headaches as it is.

You can have a number of narrative responses pending at any one time equal to your Charisma modifier. Once a response is expended, you must wait twenty-four hours before narrating a replacement response, which can be the same or a different one.

Much more of the above, the game is trickling out of the DM's hands and this class is scooping it up and turning the entire experience into a much more collaborative role playing endeavour.

Its hard to really peach this in a conventional sense as its truly very cool stuff but nothing that I would allow or want in my game.

Deus Ex Machina (Sp):
And doesn't everyone complain about this one, hmm? Talks of authors writing themselves into a corner, and unsatisfactory endings, and all that. Well, here's the trick; the big heroes up and dying and the world ending is a way less satisfying ending, especially when you're living it (or not, as the case may be). But if you've dedicated the full twenty levels to storytelling, you've earned the right to say, politely but firmly, "No." You narrate the story going the way it should, however nonsensical that may be, emulating a Wish or Miracle spell as a spell-like ability. You may do this once per story.

And yeah, I know, we don't have one of those narrative-based time abstraction mechanics in this game. Guess what? Twentieth. Level. Storyteller. You'll know when you can use it again.

lol, i love the fact that at this point even you have realised that things have gone utterly OTT and that makes for a fabulous conclusion to a very flavoursome and utterly bonkers class.

Summary

I have to say that this was a tough one to peach.

It’s a class which I both had amazing fun reading but also found totally overblown and actually quite frustrating to work through at times. It packed full of flavour and will surely get one of my three votes just one those grounds alone (at time of writing) in fact i think you have thus far created the class to beat as I think many will fall in love with your work here.

Sadly for all its utterly awesome and incredible work i do still find it a little disappointing, because i know i would never allow this in my game and I am pretty sure a lot of others would feel the same. Which is a crying shame indeed because I firmly believe that a more DM sensitive version of this class would certainly be something which I would build a private lobby for in my dnd airport.

I’m sorry I can’t peach you class better to be honest, you have hit the edge of my abilitys as a pearcher (not hard to do). It warrants someone far more skilled than me to go other things in greater detail and break down what I believe to be one of the most creative classes I’ve seen in a long while.

kanachi

2012-08-21, 08:58 AM

I wouldn't mind a peach for the Dark Vessel myself; would be glad to return said peach!

I'm working my way down to you... but your quite a ways down the list.

Its a hell of a task and Quellian-dyrae's class just exhausted me so i'm gunna peace out for a few mins with a beer and then move on to the next class.

EDIT: I Wrote "...i'm gunna peace out for a few mins with a bear..." and obviously i dont float my boat that way!

Jester of Doom

2012-08-21, 09:23 AM

Ok... so i'm stuck at home waiting for things to be delivered so i thought i would try my hand at a mega peachathon starting from top to bottom.

THANK YOU!!!!! The mime is my first base class, and I could use a good peach. I can wait.

kanachi

2012-08-21, 09:27 AM

ok... so beer in hand and ready for the next one.

Form Shaper

Title Image and initial fluff...

[QUOTE=TheGeckoKing;13628979]
Form Shaper

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m5w5ooIbLy1qei1m2o1_1280.jpg

I would make a statement, but I'd only change my mind anyway. - Switch, a Form Shaper

Of all the schools of magic, Transmutation is the most alluring to one who can't make up their mind about much. Shall I attack or defend? Shall I hide or fly? Shall I have wings or not? Of these people who indulge in Transmutation, there is a specific school exists that focuses on changing not the outside world, but their own bodies, using these changes to further enable changes on the outside world.

This image reflects perfectly what happens if you try to act the big man and order an extra hot curry.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: To know why a Form Shaper does anything is at best a taxing effort on the local Diviner, but the usual ideas are to explore and learn, develop their powers, or simply to avoid whatever mess they made in other lands.

Characteristics: A Form Shaper is a hybrid spellcaster/fighter, focusing on self-buffing and being a secondary or a main meleer, with added utility from other forms made available by their spellcasting.

Alignment: To make it simple and obvious, chaos is a key part in this class and it's mindset. Most people could be Form Shapers with sufficient training and a hint of magical aptitude, but to be a Form Shaper doesn't sit with Lawful folk of any type.

Religion: Most Form Shapers are too scatterbrained to prey to a deity, but gods such as Boccob (for his magical supremacy), Vecna (a thousand forms for a thousand secrets) and Obad-Hai (reverence for nature in all its forms) count a few Form Shapers as their worshippers.

Background: Befitting a fluid class like this, many backgrounds can spawn a Form Shaper, from Transmutation devotees to magical biologists, to simply a strange breed of Sorcerers.

Races: The most common type of Form Shaper is that of the Changelings and Doppelgangers, as the shapechanging comes naturally to their ilk. Humans are also good at this art, but Dwarfs tend to be a no-no, hating how flippant the class seems.

Other Classes: Arcane Spellcasters of all kind respect the Form Shaper's dedication to their art, but quietly mock their one-school minds behind their backs. Divine Casters aren't quite sure where to put them, and Druids get irritated by the Form Shapers seemingly using nature as a tool. Melee, and Stealthy classes tend to treat them as specialist spellcasters, and leave it at that.

Role: The Form Shaper's roles are to use their magic for utily, and to bolster their melee capabilities.

Adaptation: This class could be changed to reflect the abilities of transforming robots, Khyber-Spawn, Limbo-Spawn, Far Realm Spawn, or simply a morphing blob of morphic-y......stuff.

Not too much to say here really, its solid stuff and cuts to the point. I always like to read how people believe their work could be adapted and you have done a good job highlighting possible areas here.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Form Shapers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: You need Charisma for spellcasting and other class abilities, and physical scores (Con, Dex, Str) for fighting, although as you gain more spells per day, your reliance on your own scores becomes decreased. Form Shapers do not need to be either smart or sane. Nice bonus, though.
Alignment: Any non-Lawful
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As Sorcerer
Starting Gold: As Sorcerer
Class Skills
The Form Shaper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (All, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Everything seems fine here as well...

Class Table...

The Form Shaper

Custom
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |0th|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th|7th|8th|9th

1st|+0|+2|+2|+2|Spellcasting, Armoured Mage, Uncaring Change|5|3|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

2nd|+1|+3|+3|+3|Discern Shapechanger, Minor Changes|6|4|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

3rd|+2|+3|+3|+3|Pick and Choose, Warp Flesh +1d8|6|5|—|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

4th|+3|+4|+4|+4|Advanced Learning|6|6|3|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

5th|+3|+4|+4|+4|Warp Burst 1/encounter|6|6|4|—|—|—|—|—|—|—

6th|+4|+5|+5|+5|Warp Flesh +2d8|6|6|5|3|—|—|—|—|—|—

7th|+5|+5|+5|+5|Vibrant Changes|6|6|6|4|—|—|—|—|—|—

8th|+6/+1|+6|+6|+6|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|5|3|—|—|—|—|—

9th|+6/+1|+6|+6|+6|Warp Flesh +3d8|6|6|6|6|4|—|—|—|—|—

10th|+7/+2|+7|+7|+7|Warp Burst 2/encounter|6|6|6|6|5|3|—|—|—|—

11th|+8/+3|+7|+7|+7||6|6|6|6|6|4|—|—|—|—

12th|+9/+4|+8|+8|+8|Strange Changes , Warp Flesh +4d8, Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|—|—|—

13th|+9/+4|+8|+8|+8||6|6|6|6|6|6|4|—|—|—

14th|+10/+5|+9|+9|+9||6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|—|—

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+9|+9|Warp Burst 3/encounter, Warp Flesh +5d8|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|—|—

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3|—

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+10|+10|Fantastic Changes|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4|—

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+11|+11|Warp Flesh +6d8|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|5|3

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+11|+11||6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|4

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+12|+12|Evolutionary Plunder 1/year, Warp Burst 4/encounter, Advanced Learning|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6|6[/table]

WOW... medium bab, all good saves and9th level spells? Dont forget to chuck in a respectable d8 hit points and well... you have a beast on your hands.

I'll hold fire until i get further down the class features but alarm bells can be heard and i've not even finished my this beer yet!

Also, there are some dead levels here which dont seem to have a logical pattern to them. This normally points to some kind of imbalance in the class structure (or it does in my builds).

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
A Form Shaper is proficient with all simple weaponry, light armour and light shields.

seems to make sense.

Spellcasting:

A Form Shaper casts arcane spells (the same type of spells available to sorcerers and wizards), which are drawn from the Form Shaper spell list given below. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time the way a cleric or wizard must. When a Form Shaper gains access to a new level of spells, he automatically knows all the spells for that level listed on the Form Shaper’s spell list. Essentially, his spell list is the same as his spells known list. Form Shapers also have the option of adding to their existing spell list through their advanced learning ability as they increase in level (see below). See below for the Form Shaper’s spell list. To cast a spell, a Form Shaper must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level (Cha 10 for 0-level spells, Cha 11 for 1st level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Form Shaper’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the Form Shaper’s Charisma modifier. Like other spellcasters, a Form Shaper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, he receives bonus spells for a high Charisma score (see Table 1–1, page 8 of the Player’s Handbook). Unlike a cleric or a wizard, a Form Shaper 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.

As i've said before, i’m no great judge of spell lists and high level spell casting. That said however I believe medium bab, full saves, d8 hit dice, respectable skills and access to potent spell like time stop is a little OTT.

Mind you, both the druid and cleric are also not far behind it in terms of overall statistical power, so what do i know.

Armoured Mage (Ex):
Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster’s gestures, which can cause his spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components).
A Form Shaper’s limited focus and specialized training, however, allows him to avoid arcane spell failure as long as he sticks to light armor and light shields. This training does not extend to medium or heavier armors, nor to heavier shields. Nor does this ability apply to spells gained from a different spellcasting class.

Nice class feature to have.

Uncaring Change (Ex):

A Form Shaper is concerned more with their spells than where they come from, which is reflected in the spell's change on the caster. A Form Shaper's spells lack the alignment descriptor (and thus the potential effects on the caster's alignment) other caster would have on their spells.

Interesting feature, does it work on spell gained from other classes?

Discern Alignment (Sp):
As the spell, at-will.

Did you mean Discern Alignment or Discern Shapechanger?

Minor Changes (Su):
At 2nd level, the Form Shaper gains the Minor Shape Change ability of a Changeling. Changeling Form Shapers instead gain the ability to use their Minor Shape Change ability as a free action instead of a move action.

very nice all round, especially if your a changeling. I'm not sure a free action is quite the right way to go... maybe a swift? or a free action which can be performed once per round (6 seconds)?

This would stop you giving people seizers with a bazillion times per round.

Pick and Choose (Ex):
At 3rd level, the Form Shaper can make subtle, beneficial changes to their spells that allow them to stand above normal Transmuters.
When casting a Transmutation spell that would change their ability scores, they may use their original ability scores if they would be higher than the new form's scores.
Additionally, a Form Shaper is not impeded in spellcasting by the body of a new form, allowing him to cast his spells no matter their form. Normal impediments such as arcane spell failure or a Silence spell still take effect as normal if they would be an issue.

I have to be honest with you here I don’t normally play with a great deal of polymorphing in my campaigns so I’m not a reliable source of how balanced this may potentially be. However, from my limited knowledge this looks pretty fun and makes sense theme wise.

I would maybe add some kind of caveat for adjustments based upon size... as well a fly with a strength of 20 just seems like madness to me.

Warp Touch (Su):
At 3rd level, the Form Shaper can force more painful forms upon their enemies.
As a melee touch attack, the Form Shaper can deal 1d8 points of damage to an opponent, and automatically Dispel any Transmutation spells on the target, but spells of a level equal or lower to the highest spell level the Form Shaper can cast.
As the Form Shaper gains more levels, their Warp Touch deals more damage, as shown in the table above.

Warp touch or Warp flesh?

I'm not sure if allowing it to remove all transmutations spells is a great idea. Maybe a total number of spell levels equal to half the Form Shaper class level would be better?

Advanced Learning (Ex):
At 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th and 20th
level, a Form Shaper can add a new spell to his list, representing
the result of personal study and experimentation.
The spell must be a spell of the Transmutation school from any spell list, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the Form Shaper can cast. For spells with multiple levels (depending of class lists), use the lowest level given.
Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that Form Shaper’s spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on their list.

Solid and makes sense.

Warp Burst (Su):

At 5th level, the Form Shaper can simply will their body to change into a more efficient form, but only for a short time.
Once per encounter, the Form Shaper can activate their Warp Burst, which lasts for 1+Cha Mod rounds, and grants the following benefits;

+2 boost bonus to all physical scores (Con, Dex, Str).
+10 boost bonus to any skill checks.
A 30ft increase to all movement speeds, and an increase in flight maneuverability by two steps.

A Form Shaper gains an extra use per encounter of this ability at 10th, 15th and 20th level.

Is it a standard action to use this?

1+Cha mod rounds will likely be most the encounter for a character of this class. Which is not a bad thing but something to keep in mind.

Also maybe give it some kind of rage like cool down. Such a change sounds pretty exhausting to me.

Can you combine this with a polymorphed shape?

Vibrant Changes (Ex):
At 7th level, picking all the best forms for the best situations finally rubs off on them, picking up on their failing and rectifying them.
A Form Shaper of this level gains a +1 bonus to their three lowest ability scores. For 4 or more ability scores that are the same number, choose randomly.

wow... this is pretty heavy dude.

It takes most other classes 12 level to get an equal amount of points to boost their ability scores. I know it goes to your lowest scores but still...

Strange Changes (Ex):
At 12th level, whatever race you were before this point, you're not the same race now.
A Form Shaper of this level gains the Shapechanger subtype, and Alter Self as a 1/day SLA, with a Caster Level equal to their HD.

Makes sense.

Fantastic Changes (Ex):

At 17th level, trying to understand what on earth a Form Shaper of this power is, is quite frankly a futile effort. Their minds are too quick, and their bodies too strong.
A Form Shaper of this level gains the ability to automatically Quicken any 0, 1st and 2nd level spells they cast from the Form Shaper list (including Advanced Learning spells) without an increase in the spell slot's level or casting time. A Form Shaper of 17th level also acquires Fast Healing 5 as a special quality.

This class is very powerful. how many quickened 0 1st and 2nd level spells can it perform? as many as it likes? If so then your going to be seeling multiple spells spammed every round, things will get very messy.

Evolutionary Plunder (Su and Variable: See Text):

At this level, trying to constrict you to spell effect and simple lines of logic is just maddening. Why bother with limits, when we can punch nature in the face and steal its stuff!
Once per year (starting from when you acquire your 20th level), you may spend 5000gp in a 24 hour ritual requiring concentration throughout the process.
At the end of this process, you must burn the heart (or similar organ) of a creature that you want to imitate. Once complete, you may choose one special ability or special quality that the heart's former owner had while alive. The Form Changer gains this special ability, with the same limitations and uses per (time period) as the owner had, and the same ability typing (Ex, Sp, Su). You still use your own size and ability scores when relevant, though (such as for abilities such as Swallow Whole or calculating DC's).
This ability may not be used to acquire abilities which can be directly used to gain or grant other abilities (such as Manipulate Form), nor can it be used to gain Spellcasting or or other abilities that are class abilities, or directly mimic class abilities.
The ability gained by this Supernatural ability lasts for 1 year, at which point it is lost (although the Form Shaper is free to renew the ability by conducting another ritual).

Its a hell of a cap stone. You can make all kinda of things happen with this. The once per year thing kind of sucks but the boon could be massive or even broken if your savy.

Summary

I think you have probably gone a little too far with a number of the abilities of this class. It feels very powerful to me, probably even broken.

Polymorphing and shape changing are already very potent aspects of dnd and you have a class here who is a total bad ass at it.

Having said all that however, there are many positives to be drawn and I don’t think you would have to go that far to pull this back into line. The theme is quite nice and your class features do all make sense even if some are a little OTT (in my opinion).

kanachi

2012-08-21, 09:29 AM

THANK YOU!!!!! The mime is my first base class, and I could use a good peach. I can wait.

be warned i may have no fingers or keys left by the time i work my way down to your class... but i intend to get there... eventually.

kanachi

2012-08-21, 09:55 AM

necro-morph & Hero skipped as they are not yet finished. Sorry guys.

kanachi

2012-08-21, 10:09 AM

Ok so whats next on the list...

Morphic Claw

sounds pretty bad ass, lets check it out...

Title Image and initial fluff...

[QUOTE=Zaydos;13657196]
Morphic Claw

Put an image of your class here!

”What use is a sword when your body is a finer weapon?”

A master of combat, a morphic claw is a warrior who transforms their entire body into a living weapon. Morphic claws fight without need of forged weapons, but with a ferocity and power like the greatest predators of the world.

No image, but I can overlook that. The description sets the tone nicely, basically I don’t want to meet one in a dark alley right?

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: A morphic claw might adventure for the chance to whet their skills with the challenge of the dangers that adventuring brings. Others adventure because their bestial transformations make them unacceptably strange even in a world of mages and monsters, something about it makes them not quite human and thus altogether too much of a monster for them to mingle with ordinary humans. Other morphic claws adventure for the reasons which attract all mortals, gold, fame, vengeance or a plethora of potential options.

Characteristics: A morphic claw is at its heart a melee combatant. Mastering several martial disciplines, both those common to warblades and swordsages and some unique to their kind. Morphic claws are also capable scouts, and able to make their way through the wilderness, gaining enhanced speed and senses.

Alignment: Many morphic claws find the freedom of the wild an intrinsic part of their own affinity for it. They are not bound easily by society’s laws, instead flowing through the gaps to find their own way and place. As such most morphic claws are chaotic, even though neutral and even lawful ones exist. Lawful morphic claws often see themselves as taping into the primal power of their own forms, through introspection and self-control. Many morphic claws find themselves falling to the allure of the hunter and predator, the joy of battle and bloodshed. These morphic claws, though a plurality, are not the majority and tend towards evil.

Religion: Morphic claws are not particularly prone to religion; their powers come ultimately from within and their focus is often inwards. Those who do deal with gods often worship gods of war, making themselves into living weapons for their gods. Others worship gods of nature, especially those associated with predatory animals, or gods of change.

Background: Morphic claws do not share a single unifying background. Some trained from early childhood, growing intone with their own inner beast, releasing it to face their enemies. Others inherited a trace of lycanthrope, doppleganger, or other shapeshifter blood giving them a natural talent for shapeshifting that they channeled towards combat. Some receive their talents due to mutations from being born in magic saturated regions. What they share in common is training and talent in combat, coupled with a skill at shifting their body into a form suited for battle. To many morphic claws it is not how you came to your power that matters, but what it allows you to do.

Races: Humans, with their natural aptitude for adaptation, and tendency to carry bloodlines of mystical creatures within their veins are fairly common amongst morphic claws. Elves, despite their natural magic and connection to the wilderness, lack the savagery and physical hardiness of a morphic claw, although wild elves find it an easy and acceptable path. Dwarves, whose physical hardiness would prove a useful advantage, rarely follow the path because they lack the connection to the beast and the willingness to change. Half-orcs are fairly common, forged from a combination of adaptable human blood, orcish savagery, and social ostracism. Half-elves also find the path of the morphic claw relatively easy, taking to it more naturally than even humans.

It is among more exotic races that the morphic claw is most common, though. Changelings find the transformations of the morphic claw to come naturally to them their bodies already fluid things. Shifters are the most likely to follow the path, their lycanthropic blood filling them with the power of the beast, and the talent for transformation, which combines to form the perfect template for a morphic claw.

Other Classes: Morphic claws see themselves as part of the natural world of druids and rangers, feeling a certain kinship to them both; this is especially strong in their dealings with druids and wildshape rangers from whom many morphic claws think that they might have something to learn. Morphic claws also feel a kinship with barbarians whose wild savagery resembles their own. Monks and swordsages present a split to many morphic claws; some respect their discipline and focus, others find their refusal to release their inner beasts frustrating at best. Morphic claws take arcanists on a case by case basis, they can be very powerful and with some, such as transmuters, they feel a strong kinship though even then they tend to look down on anyone unwilling to wade into battle and get their hands bloody. Morphic claws get along well with clerics of the bloodier gods, or at least similarly aligned war gods, though few find much kinship with paladins and their strict codes.

Psions often are grouped with other self-disciplined classes; either respected or shrugged off as missing what is important, though with the additional stigma of being afraid of physical combat. Psychic warriors, though, are usually seen with a certain kinship, especially those who wield claws of mental force. Incarnum is usually treated as just another form of magic, but totemists do have some similarities that a morphic claw has trouble turning a blind eye to; some even seek to learn and copy such powers.

Role: Morphic claws serve as melee combatants, fighting on the front line through the use of their natural weapons and martial maneuvers. They can also serve as primary scouts, although their lack of trapfinding proves a hindrance there they have a skill for stealth, enhanced speed, and improved senses to aid them.

Adaptation: Morphic claws could easily be regulated to a single order of supernaturally skilled warriors; an offshoot of the temple of nine swords for example. They could also be connected to a god of change, war, or animals as holy warriors. The low number of morphic claws amongst elves could be reversed, turning it into an ancient elven art. Perhaps they only exist amongst a sect of true lycanthropes, or ones who have begun training human warriors in their arts as a part of a plan to integrate with humans or subvert control of a region.

Really nice flavour (well writen as well) and I like the options put forward int he adaptation section. Top stuff.

Also looking at psionics and others in the other classes section is a nice touch.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Morphic claws have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Strength determines your ability to hit and deal damage with your natural weapons. Dexterity adds to your AC, and with your bonuses to damage might even be usable to replace Strength for to-hit. Constitution helps make up for your d8 HD, allowing you to survive more blows, and at high levels it can determine the cap to your class based AC bonus.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10 GP.

Class Skills
The Morphic Claw's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animals (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Quite a few skills and skill points a psychic warrior (kind of like this class) only has 2 + Int.

None the less the list looks solid so lets move on.

Class Table...

CLASS NAME
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Known

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Unarmed Combat, Natural Blows (Ferocity +2)|
6|
3|
1

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Claws, Shifting Skin, Natural Skill (Weapon Focus)|
7|
4|
2

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3| Natural Blows (Ferocity +3), Enhanced Movement (Speed)|
8|
4|
2

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Eldritch Claws, Shifted Sense (Sight)|
9|
4|
2

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Natural Blows (Accuracy +1), Natural Blows (Ferocity +4)|
10|
5|
3

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Bestial Knowledge|
11|
5|
3

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5| Natural Blows (Ferocity +5)|
12|
6|
3

8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+6|Enhanced Movement (Climb)|
13|
6|
3

9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+6|Fangs, Natural Blows (Ferocity +6)|
14|
6|
3

10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+7| Natural Blows (Accuracy +2)|
15|
7|
4

11th|
+8|
+7|
+3|
+7|Body Control, Natural Blows (Ferocity +7)|
16|
7|
4

12th|
+9|
+8|
+4|
+8| Shifting Claws|
17|
8|
4

13th|
+9|
+8|
+4|
+8| Natural Blows (Ferocity +8), Enhanced Movement (Wings)|
18|
8|
4

14th|
+10|
+9|
+4|
+9|Shifted Sense (Ears)|
19|
8|
4

15th|
+11|
+9|
+5|
+9|Natural Blows (Accuracy +3), Natural Blows (Ferocity +9)|
20|
9|
5

16th|
+12|
+10|
+5|
+10| Natural Blows (Ferocity +7), Improved Bestial Knowledge|
21|
9|
5

17th|
+12|
+10|
+5|
+10| Natural Blows (Ferocity +10)|
22|
10|
5

18th|
+13|
+11|
+6|
+11| Enhanced Movement (Sudden Burst)|
23|
10|
5

19th|
+14|
+11|
+6|
+11| Natural Blows (Ferocity +11), Shifted Sense (Electrolocation)|
24|
10|
5

20th|
+15|
+12|
+6|
+12|Natural Blows (Accuracy +4), Living Battle|
25|
11|
6[/table]

No dead levels and a nice visual flow to the class table. However, its always useful to show the additional attacks you get and the progression they follow as you advance in level.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
An Morphic Claw gains no proficiencies beyond their natural weapons. An Morphic Claw is proficient in light and medium armor but not shields.

Not afraid to dish out no weapon proficiencies. I like it, a statement like that at the start tells me right off the bat that this is a class with balls.

Maneuvers, Maneuvers Readied and Stances Known:

You begin your career with knowledge of six martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Diamond Mind, Feral Hunger, Protean Hunter, Stone Dragon, and Tiger Claw.

Once you know a maneuver, you must ready it before you can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by morphic claws is considered an extraordinary ability unless otherwise noted in its description (note all Protean Hunter maneuvers are Supernatural). Your maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and you do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you initiate one.

You learn additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the table above. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. See Tome of Battle page 39, Table 3-1, to determine the highest-level maneuvers you can learn.

Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered morphic claw level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), you can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one you already know. In effect, you lose the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. You can choose a new maneuver of any level you like, as long as you observe your restriction on the highest-level maneuvers you know; you need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level. For example, upon reaching 10th level, you could trade in a single 1st-, 2nd-, 3rd- or 4th-level maneuver for a maneuver of 5th level or lower, as long as you meet the prerequisite of the new maneuver. You can swap only a single maneuver at any given level.

Maneuvers Readied: You can ready three of the maneuvers you know at 1st level. You ready your maneuvers by exercising for 5 minutes. The maneuvers you choose remain readied until you decide to exercise again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to ready your maneuvers; any time you spend 5 minutes in practice, you can change your readied maneuvers.

You begin an encounter with all your readied maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you initiate a maneuver, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your readied maneuvers can be used once per encounter (until you recover them, as described below).

You can recover one maneuver each round in which you reduce a creature with a CR of at least your IL – 8 to 0 or less hp or render it unconscious. To do so is a free action. You may not recover a maneuver you have used since the start of your last turn.

Stances Known: You begin play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to morphic claws. At 2nd, 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th level, you can choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and you do not have to ready them. All the stances you know are available to you at all times, and you can change the stance you are currently using as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description (note all Protean Hunter stances are Supernatural).

Unlike with maneuvers, you cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one you already know.

Much to my shame I’ve not actually played with the book of nine swords that much so I can’t remember all the stances and manoeuvres off the top of my noggin like some people seem to be able to. Still it’s a system I enjoy, so no complaints here.

I simply don’t have the energy to do a breakdown of all your new manoeuvers and stances in the two new disciplines you have made but from the brief look I have had they seem pretty good. I like the theme of them as well. I will try to come back to you at a later time with a more detailed work through of them all but no promises sadly.

Unarmed Strike (Ex):
An Morphic Claw learns to fight with every inch of their body. An Morphic Claw gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat and their unarmed strikes deal 1d6 lethal or nonlethal damage, and counts as the better of a natural weapon or manufactured weapon for all purposes.

A obvious must for any class with a theme like this.

Natural Blows (Ex):

An Morphic Claw is a master of their natural weapons. As their mastery with their natural weapons increase Morphic Claws of the Morphic Claw gain a bonus to hit and damage.
Ferocity: At 1st level an Morphic Claw gains a +2 untyped bonus to damage with unarmed strikes and natural weapons, this bonus increases by +1 at 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter. This bonus also applies to damage dealt by maneuvers which do not use weapons.
Accuracy: At 5th level an Morphic Claw gains a +1 untyped bonus to attack rolls with unarmed strikes and natural weapons. This bonus increases by +1 at 10th level and every 5 levels thereafter.

So this basically pumps us back up to full bab and gives us a steadily increasing damage buff to boot. It’s a nice feature.

Claws:

An Morphic Claw has begun to transform their body. At 2nd level their hands change into deadly claws giving them two claws which may act as primary or secondary natural weapons and deal 1d6 damage for a medium sized Morphic Claw. The Morphic Claw may only use one claw if they also attack with their unarmed strike, and may not use either claw if they make attacks with their unarmed strike through Two-Weapon Fighting rules, even if they do not use their hand for the unarmed attacks. An Morphic Claw also gains the Supernatural ability to revert these claws to regular hands as a standard action, returning them to claws is a swift action.

If you already have claw attacks you do not gain new claw attacks, but the damage increases as if you had gained a size category, as this is not an actual change in your size it stacks with other effects which would increase your damage with natural weapons.

So you can only ever get 1 claw attack at any time with this ability?

Anyway, I’m sure in the hands of certain races it could lead to an impressive damage output.

Shifting Skin (Su): An Morphic Claw learns to harden and transform their skin. Their hardened skin grants them increased protection against physical attacks. An Morphic Claw’s natural armor bonus is increased by ½ their class level to a maximum increase of 2 higher than their Constitution modifier (if they do not have natural armor treat it as +0).

A much needed boost to AC. I was worried that this class would be a glass cannon.

I'm not sure i would implement it quite this way however as the resulting figure your allowing is somewhat intangible. Instead I would simply give the class incremental bonuses to their natural AC.

Natural Skill:
An Morphic Claw has a talent for all natural weapons. At 2nd level they are considered to have Weapon Focus in any natural weapon they possess (including unarmed strikes).

There going to have a pretty solid attack roll with all these abilities stacking up, which is no bad thing.

Shifted Senses (Ex):

An Morphic Claw learns to change the very nature of their sensory organs, these modifications growing more complex as they advance along their path.

Eyes: Your eyes have changed becoming more sensitive to light, or those transmissions which exist even without it. Choose either Low-Light Vision or Darkvision. If you do not already have that ability you gain it (out to 60-ft with darkvision), if you already possess that ability you gain Superior Low-Light Vision (if you selected Low-Light Vision), or your Darkvision extends by 60-ft (if you selected darkvision). Whichever option you select you gain a +4 competence bonus to Spot checks.

Ears: Your ears have grown keen enough, that you can pinpoint creatures through echo-location. You gain Blindsense out to 30-ft, and a +4 competence bonus to Listen checks.

Electroreception: Your entire body has grown sensitive to the electric signals of the world around you, letting you sense their location like a fish in water. You gain Blindsight out to 30-ft. If you take electricity damage equal to or greater than your Constitution score in one attack your blindsight is suppressed for 1d4 rounds.

Some of these bonuses are pretty darn good and make you respectable choice as party scout and reinforce that predator feel.

Enhanced Movement (Ex):

An Morphic Claw’s body adapts to the needs of the battlefield transforming to grant them battlefield supremacy. At 3rd level, and every 5 levels afterwards, an Morphic Claw’s ability to move about the battlefield improves in some way.

Speed: At 3rd level you base land speed increases by 10-ft.

Climb: At 8th level your claws adapt to climbing and while they are manifest you gain a climb speed equal to ½ your base land speed.

Wings: At 13th level wings sprout from your back granting you a fly speed equal to your land speed with average maneuverability. As a full-round action you may retract these wings into your body (hiding them is a Su ability), and may allow them to reassert themselves as a standard action.

Sudden Burst: At 18th level your body has grown accustomed to sudden bursts of movement; whenever you take a full-attack action (but not a strike or other action which allows you to full-attack) you may move up to half your speed as part of that action. This movement must come before or after all of your attacks and provokes attacks of opportunity as normal; you may still take a 5-ft step even in a round in which you use this ability.

Good mobility options are always welcome. I'm not sure about Sudden Burst however, essentially does it just provide a little bit extra movement if you perform a regular full-attack action? It may be easier to simply allow the class some kind of movement if they perform a swift action.

Eldritch Claws (Su):
An Morphic Claw is in many ways a being of magic, and this magical nature extends to their natural weapons. Beginning at 4th level an Morphic Claw’s natural weapons and unarmed strikes overcome DR as if they were magic weapons and may hit incorporeal creatures as if they were magic, but not ghost touch, weapons.

Eldritch Claws (Su):
An Morphic Claw is in many ways a being of magic, and this magical nature extends to their natural weapons. Beginning at 4th level an Morphic Claw’s natural weapons and unarmed strikes overcome DR as if they were magic weapons and may hit incorporeal creatures as if they were magic, but not ghost touch, weapons.

Nice idea and much needed.

Bestial Knowledge (Ex):

An Morphic Claw learns much about identifying creatures due to their imitation of the monstrous form. Beginning at 2nd level an Morphic Claw gains a +2 untyped bonus to Knowledge checks to identify creatures or as part of Knowledge Devotion.

do you get this at 2nd or 6th level? the table and text differ.

Fangs:
An Morphic Claw continues to change and enhance their body, becoming more and more of a living weapon. At 9th level an Morphic Claw gains either a Bite or Tail attack as his body shifts to grow this new weapon; once this choice is made it cannot be changed. As a standard action (Su) he may revert this weapon into his form to hide it; restoring his natural weapon is a swift action.

If you already have the type of natural weapon you selected, or would gain it from another source, instead your damage die with it increases by 1 size.

What kind of damage outlay do these weapons have as standard? do they have attack penalties?

Body Control:

An Morphic Claw’s body is always shifting and changing, even if only in small ways. At 11th level an Morphic Claw gains the Shapechanger subtype, a +4 on Fortitude saves versus poison and disease, light fortification (this does not stack with fortification from other sources), and if they succeed on a Fortitude save against an effect which allows a save for Fort half or Fort partial they suffer no effect.

Obviously a move to Shapechanger makes sense.

Its also nice to be able to shake off fort saves like a boss.

Shifting Claws (Su):

An Morphic Claw learns to synthesize mystical materials and infuse his blows with them. Beginning at 12th level an Morphic Claw may choose one special material type, his natural weapons and unarmed strikes deal damage as if they were that material. An Morphic Claw may, with a swift action change which material their claws deal damage as.

Not really into this theme wise, but i can see why you went there. A personal preference thing.

Improved Bestial Knowledge (Ex):
An Morphic Claw’s knowledge of the monstrous form continues to grow. Beginning at 16th level an Morphic Claw gains a +5 untyped bonus to Knowledge checks to identify creatures, and for Knowledge Devotion. In addition they may now make Knowledge checks to identify creatures even if they are untrained. This ability supersedes (does not stack with) Bestial Knowledge.

Useful but nothing to write home about at 16th level. Perhaps a bit lackluster to be honest

Living Battle (Ex):

As an Morphic Claw reaches supremacy in their field they have become embodiments of war. Going far beyond mere living weapons which they have been for some time upon their path, they have become a battle concentrated into mortal form. At 20th level an Morphic Claw’s control over their own body grants them immunity to Transmutation spells or effects which allow Spell Resistace, although they can lower or raise this immunity as a swift action, they are also immune to critical hits, stunning, poison and disease. If an effect allows a Fort save for partial or half, an Morphic Claw suffers no effect on a successful save, and even on a failed save suffers the reduced effect. Finally their presence as a being of battle allows their natural weapons and unarmed strikes to overcome damage reduction as if Epic and the alignment of choice. This alignment does not need to match that of the Morphic Claw’s and can even oppose it. They may change which alignment their natural weapons are treated as with a swift action.

Snap son! thats a hell of a cap stone. It all makes sense however so i have no major issue with it. It is quite a large leep in power however over some of your previous abilities. you may have been better served spreading out the love of this ability over the final few levels, rather than getting it all in one mega wammy.

Summary

So what do i think?

Well obviously a large part of this class lays in its stances, and maneuvers which I've not gone into in to much detail and may even be best left to those more skilled than myself. None the less I feel able to offer some conclusions on the class.

Its got a solid theme as the shape changer theme normally does, it conjures up images of coolness which are immediately of interest. The crunch also back this theme up for the most part though some of it feel a bit bumpy (up and down) on the power scale.

Overall however I like it. Its a solid enough class which sticks to the brief well without riding around on a unicycle tooting a horn for attention.

In fact I've been toying with the idea of implement one as a NPC in my current campaign, so that probably says all you need to know about my thoughts to be honest.

God Imperror

2012-08-21, 11:51 AM

Awesome effort kanachi :smallsmile: Btw I think that the magical conduit could see a bit more work, atm it trades two good saves for spellcasting up to 5th level I would lower the BAB and probably reduce (by one) the number of doubles that it can draw so it is still attractive to play a vanilla conduit.

On the other hand, some PEACHing is due.

Dark Vessel

http://images.wikia.com/wowwiki/images/a/a8/Emberscar_the_Devourer_Art.jpg

Boldly you sought the power of flame. Now you shall witness it firsthand! ~ Firelord Magmus

Earth can be shaped, molded...you cannot! You are useless! Your kind has no place in my master's world. ~ Earthlord Obsidion

An impressive display... ~ Warlord Feludius

Dark Vessels are magicians, whether of inborn talent or learned skill, that have little to no respect for balance in the world. They seek to rearrange their world at their own whims or a hidden master's, and as they grow more powerful, can change it with a simple touch. Early in their career, they gain the ability to completely subsume an elemental and gain its abilities. Usually they specialize in an element to master - the most powerful of them attain the rank of Elemental Lord, signifying their absolute mastery over the element. Most Dark Vessels use pseudonyms, usually transliterated names from the elemental language that matches their mastery.

Adventures: Dark Vessels adventure to gain power and expand their influence. Usually this means they gain a flock of like-minded individuals they can direct, or they destroy and corrupt as much as they can. Some choose to be defilers, setting fire to forests and sinking islands, while others use more subtle approaches.

Characteristics: Dark Vessels are specialized in their elemental mastery, and can handle excursions to elemental planes with ease. Depending on their choice of mastery, they can also excel at melee or ranged combat.

Alignment: Almost all Dark Vessels are evil, as dominating the elements in such a reckless way leaves little for good intentions. Those few that are not evil are certainly of a neutral bent, though they can be either lawful or chaotic. Those lawful Dark Vessels see the elements as a right, while the chaotic ones tend not to care about them either way and use them when it is convenient.

Religion: While Dark Vessels tend not to be very religious in their quest for power, those that are revere deities of power, death, or destruction. They almost never join the ranks of the supplicants of elemental deities - it is considered an affront to the deity to attempt to control their element as the Dark Vessels do.

Background: Dark Vessels are typically made up of fanatic cultists with a lust for power, with the skill and devotion to excel. Those diplaying the skill and intentions are often approached by cults looking to recruit them for greater elemental beings, those that are outside the power of the Vessel to control. It is not often that these cults are known amongst the general populace except in terror.

Races: Races strongly gifted in magic without a penchant for doing good may find themselves with many Dark Vessel candidates among them. Those that are easily swayed by promises of power may also have an elemental cult within them that harbors Dark Vessels.

Other Classes: Dark Vessels most often work well with other "loner" classes - evil or neutral clerics of evil gods, rogues, or sorcerers. Wizards may see them as forcing magic with a hammer instead of working it with a quill, though they also may admire them for their devotion. Dark Vessels are almost always incompatible with Paladins or good-aligned Clerics, as their philosophies differ largely. Druids and other nature spellcasters are the exact opposite of a Dark Vessel and will clash often.

Role: Dark Vessels inflict damage, control enemies, and can handle certain types of traps. They are somewhat good at dealing with people through lies and propaganda.

Adaptation: Dark Vessels manipulate the elements to their benefit, forcing them to bow to their will or even consuming them in rituals. This can be changed to demons, spirits, or other forces, typically intelligent ones with some will to resist.

I really liked the fluff, set the tones right for the class

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Dark Vessels have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A Dark Vessel's Charisma score affects its damage, ability to manipulate its element and subsume an elemental, and several other things. It is paramount to its effectiveness, while Dexterity and Constitution keep the Dark Vessel alive longer.
Alignment: Any Evil, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral.

Wouldn't it be simple any nongood?

Hit Die: d4

This class (up till now) strikes as a kind of gish using elemental mastery or a blaster in the lines of the warmage and vanilla warlock. If so d6 could be more apropiate.

Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: As cleric.

Class Skills
The Dark Vessel's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).

Forgery? It is quite an specialized skill, I don't really know if it fits. Maybe they could benefit from intimidate, listen and spot.

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

DARK VESSEL
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Corruptions
1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Essence Bolt (1d6), Enslave Elemental|0
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Subsume Elemental (Resistance), Drawn Power (1st)|0
3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+3|Essence Bolt (2d6), Inflict Corruption|1
4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Drawn Power (2nd)|1
5th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Essence Bolt (3d6), Elemental Path|2
6th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Subsume Elemental (Traits), Drawn Power (3rd)|2
7th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Essence Bolt (4d6)|3
8th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
+6|Planar Tear, Drawn Power (4th)|3
9th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Essence Bolt (5d6), Dominate Elemental (temporary)|4
10th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Drawn Power (5th), Elemental Adept|4
11th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Essence Bolt (6d6)|5
12th|
+6/+1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Subsume Elemental (Elemental Ability), Drawn Power (6th)|5
13th|
+6/+1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Essence Bolt (7d6), Corrupting Touch|6
14th|
+7/+2|
+9|
+4|
+9|Core Shatter, Drawn Power (7th)|6
15th|
+7/+2|
+9|
+5|
+9|Essence Bolt (8d6), Elemental Lord|7
16th|
+8/+3|
+10|
+5|
+10|Drawn Power (8th)|7
17th|
+8/+3|
+10|
+5|
+10|Essence Bolt (9d6), Dominate Elemental (permanent)|8
18th|
+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Drawn Power (9th)|8
19th|
+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Essence Bolt (10d6), Obliterate|9
20th|
+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Essence Bolt (11d6), Elemental Ascendant|10[/table]

No dead levels is good.

Saves look good, though I would rather see the class before judging on poor bab, essence bolt seems like something that could benefit from a 3/4 bab (and justify it) if it is balanced around the warlock's eldritch blast it might fit having 3/4 bab. On the other hand why do level 20 add an extra 1d6? It seemed to progress at odd numbers and suddenly an even one.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Dark Vessel.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dark Vessels are proficient with all simple weapons and light and medium armor. While they are able to cast spells, the nature of their magic does not cause them to suffer failure chances.

They can cast spells in medium armor? Out of the box? That might be a low level class feature :smallsmile:

Essence Bolt (Su): Dark Vessels first learn to command the elements by shaping raw energies into a damaging bolt. As a standard action, the Dark Vessel may launch a bolt up to 100 ft away that inflicts 1d6 damage for every 2 levels he has (up to 11d6 at level 20) with a ranged touch attack. The type of damage inflicted is chosen at the time of use; it can either be acid, fire, cold, or electric. While the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed (see below), the bolt has the following additional effects if its type matches the subtype of the elemental:

{table=head]Element|Type|Effect
Air|Electric|Inflicts an additional 1 point of damage per die to living creatures
Fire|Fire|Inflicts an additional 1 point of damage per die to nonliving creatures
Water|Cold|Reduces the victim's movement speed by 5 feet for 1 round
Earth|Acid|Ignores 10 points of hardness when attacking objects
[/table]

Nice ability and its nice to see different effects depending on the element chosen. Since fire damage is the most frequently resisted I would swap air and fire effects. Also you might want to try to give some scaling to water and earth.

Enslave Elemental (Su): After shaping an Essence Bolt, Dark Vessels learn to utilize the same energies to summon and bind an elemental to their service. This elemental is a Small elemental (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/elemental.htm) (air, earth, fire, or water, your choice) that functions as a familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/sorcererWizard.htm#sorcererFamiliar), where the Dark Vessel's sorcerer or wizard level is equal to his Dark Vessel level. While enslaved, the elemental provides the Dark Vessel with increased resistance to harsh elements in the form of a permanent Endure Elements (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/endureElements.htm) spell. The Dark Vessel does not lose XP if his elemental dies because it was Subsumed by his own ability. Unlike other familiars, the act of calling and binding an elemental is easier than attuning oneself to a creature, and thus can be done as a full round action. However, the Dark Vessel, no matter how powerful he is, can only have one elemental enslaved at a time.

Can he get elementals even in combat? Does this provoke AoO?

Subsume Elemental (Su): At 2nd level, Dark Vessels learn how to absorb an elemental into their body, gaining the abilities of the elemental without diminishing their personalities. When a Dark Vessel first learns how to do this, they gain magical power and resistance from the elemental absorbed. A Dark Vessel cannot subsume an elemental with Hit Dice greater than twice his Dark Vessel levels.

At 2nd level, the Dark Vessel gains the following benefits when bound to an elemental of the Air, Fire, Water, or Earth subtypes:

{table=head]Elemental Subtype|Benefits
Air|+1 Dodge AC/4 levels, Electric resistance 5
Fire|+1 Will save/4 levels, Fire resistance 5
Water|Spell Resistance equal to 1/2 Dark Vessel level +10, Cold resistance 5
Earth|+2 HP per level, Acid resistance 5[/table]

At 6th level, the Dark Vessel gains the traits of the Elemental type while he has an elemental subsumed.

At 12th level, the Dark Vessel gains immunity to the damage type associated with the elemental's subtype(s) he has subsumed (Air subtype = electricity, Fire subtype = fire, Water subtype = cold, Earth subtype = acid). In addition, he may gain a single (Ex) or (Su) ability* that elemental had for the duration.

When an Elemental is subsumed within the Dark Vessel's body, it is considered destroyed. In order to subsume an Elemental, the Dark Vessel must first pacify it in some way (wounding it severely, dominating it, or enslaving it). It must not be actively engaged in combat of any kind, and he must be within 10 feet of the elemental. He must then take a full round to concentrate and attempt to absorb the elemental. The DC is equal to 10 + 1/2 the Dark Vessel's class levels plus his Charisma modifier, and is a Will save for the elemental. If the elemental fails its save, it is absorbed instantly into the Dark Vessel and ceases to exist, instead granting its essence to the Dark Vessel for 24 hours. When a Dark Vessel has subsumed an elemental, his body's appearance changes to mirror the type of elemental he has subsumed.

*Spellcasting, or supernatural versions of any spells with expensive material components or XP costs, are not legal targets with this ability.

Awesome and simple to follow ability. I really like this one. Though one question does he get any benefit from doing this with high HD elementals? Can he do it with his "familiar" elemental without penalty?

Drawn Power (Su): Whenever the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed within his body, he gains the ability to cast certain spells as spell-like abilities. At 2nd level, he is able to use these spell-like abilities 1/day each. Whenever the Dark Vessel gains new spell-like abilities, he can use all previous levels of spell-like abilities once more per day, up to a maximum of 3/day (for example, when the Dark Vessel gains the ability to use 2nd level spell-like abilities, he can use his 1st-level spell-like abilities 2/day; when he gains access to 3rd, he can use all 2nd-level spell-like abilities 2/day, and all 1st-level spell-like abilities 3/day). The Dark Vessel's caster level is equal to his class level.

I thought that he was able to bound elementals as frequently as he wanted, you might check the subsume elemental ability to make sure that once he has subsumed an elemental he cannot subsume another one until 24 hours pass.

SPELL-LIKE ABILITIES GRANTED

1st level (gained at 2nd Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Obscuring Mist, Protection from Chaos/Evil/Law/Good
Fire|Burning Hands, Smoke Ladder (Complete Arcane, p122)
Water|Animate Water (Complete Arcane, p96), Color Spray
Earth|Magic Stone, Shield[/table]

I don't really see the Protection from Chaos/Evil/Law/Good fitting the theme. swift expeditious retreat or feather fall might be better air spells.

Fist of stone is another nice earth spell.

2nd level (gained at 4th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Wind Wall
Fire|Pyrotechnics
Water|Fog Cloud
Earth|Soften Earth and Stone[/table]

3rd level (gained at 6th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Stinking Cloud
Fire|Fireball
Water|Water Breathing
Earth|Stone Shape[/table]

4th level (gained at 8th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Air Walk, Dimension Door
Fire|Fire Shield, Wall of Fire
Water|Wall of Ice, Control Water
Earth|Stone Skin, Spike Stones[/table]

5th level (gained at 10th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Empowered Lightning Bolt
Fire|Summon Monster V (fire elemental only)
Water|Cone of Cold
Earth|Indomitability[/table]

I think that a ball of lightning could fit more the air spell or lord of the sky (I love lord of the sky).
I miss the wall of stone on earth (the other elements already got their walls) and fire breath could be a nice fire spell (if you don't want to got summoning)

6th level (gained at 12th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Control Weather
Fire|Disintegration
Water|Acid Fog
Earth|Flesh to Stone[/table]

7th level (gained at 14th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Teleport, greater
Fire|Emerald Flame Fist (Spell Compendium, p79)
Water|Ice Claw (Spell Compendium, p118)
Earth|Maw of Stone (Spell Compendium, p140)[/table]

8th level (gained at 16th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Whirlwind
Fire|Giant Size (Complete Arcane, p109-110)
Water|Horrid Wilting
Earth|Earthquake[/table]

9th level (gained at 18th Dark Vessel level):
{table=head]Elemental|Spells gained
Air|Reaving Dispel (Spell Compendium, p169-170), Elemental Swarm (air elementals only)
Fire|Maw of Fire* (see Spell Compendium, p140 for Maw of Chaos), Elemental Swarm (fire elementals only)
Water|Obedient Avalanche (Spell Compendium, p148-149), Elemental Swarm (water elementals only)
Earth|Imprisonment, Elemental Swarm (earth elementals only)[/table]

*Similar to Maw of Chaos, only it inflicts Fire damage, has the [Fire] subtype, and does not affect creatures with the [Fire] subtype.

Great spells overall :smallsmile: You might want to add summon spells down the line, if you do so, do not only add the fire damage it is a bit sad that only fire elementals get love.

Inflict Corruption (Su): The Dark Vessel's use of elemental magic is not a natural thing, and often causes corruptions in victims or recipients of it. These corruptions are often beneficial for the Dark Vessel and his allies, and potentially devastating for his victims. At 3rd level, and every odd level afterwards (and again at 20th level), the Dark Vessel may choose a new Corruption to add to his repertoire. Up to three times per day, when the Dark Vessel uses a spell-like ability that targets a single creature, attacks with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, or uses Essence Bolt, he may choose to add a Corruption to his attack. Multiple attacks (such as from high base attack bonus) only risk corruption once. Victims that take damage or suffer an effect from the ability or attack must make an additional Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel level + his Charisma modifier) or suffer the corruption. Corruptions are considered Alteration spell effects

Do you mean transmutation?

with indefinite duration; each instance of a corruption can only afflict a creature once, though it may suffer multiple corruptions. A creature already corrupted becomes slightly resistant to further corruptions; for each corruption a creature has, it gains a +1 bonus to its Fortitude save to resist suffering another. A corruption cannot reduce an ability score below 1 with the exception of the Twisted Body corruption.

CORRUPTIONS

{table=head]Corruption|Prerequisites|Effect
Stiffened Muscles|-|+2 Str, -2 Dex, 1/2 movement speed
Weakness|-|-2 Str
Feeblemind|-|-2 Int, Wis, Cha
Mana Attuned|Feeblemind|+4 Int, Wis or Cha, -4 Con, +1 CL on all spells
Agony|5th level|Strenuous activity results in taking 1d6 damage
Blink Warp|5th level|Each minute, make Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel level) or teleport 100 ft in random direction
Elemental Might|7th level, Stiffened Muscles|+4 Str/Dex/Con, Vulnerability to one element (overrides immunity), gains elemental type but no benefits from it
Shield of Corruption|7th level|+1 AC per corruption on victim
Thin and Nimble|9th level|+6 Dex, -1/2 weight, -8 all Str checks
Cursed Blood|9th level|1/2 HP healed from spells, deals 2d6 damage to melee attackers
Insanity|9th level, Feeblemind|Each day, must make Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel level) or be confused for that day
Impotence|11th level, Blink Warp|-3 all CL checks
Frenzy|11th level, Elemental Might|Victim becomes Frenzied when engaged in combat
Dyssomnia|11th level|Once per hour, victim must make Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel level) or fall asleep for 1 minute
Unholy Aura|13th level|+6 deflection AC, -4 Cha, creatures with 5 HD or more have initial attitude of unfriendly, creatures with less are shaken and hostile
Poisonous Hands|13th level, Cursed Blood|Victim's touch is poisonous (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/poison.htm), rots food instantly and poisons water
Living Mana Battery|15th level, Mana Attuned|Victim's touch drains wands of all charges instantly, grants +1 Int per item destroyed for 1 hour
Scaled Skin|15th level, Stiffened Muscles|+5 natural AC, -6 Dex, -4 Cha
Sulfurous Breath|15th level|Victim can spit acid, dealing 4d6 acid damage at 15 feet range with a ranged touch attack; -20 to Diplomacy checks
Corrupted Tissue|17th level|Victim gains Fast Healing 10, but each round it heals from Fast Healing it takes 2 Dexterity damage
Extremely Thin|17th level, Thin and Nimble|+10 Dex, -6 Str, -4 Con, 1/10th weight, cannot take 10 on Str/Con skills
Regression|19th level|Each day, victim gains stacking +2 Str, -2 Dex/Int/Wis/Cha; stops when any score reaches 1
Twisted Body|19th level, Corrupted Tissue|Each conjuration (healing) spell or day of natural healing victim receives also causes 1 point of wisdom drain; victim becomes a Chaos Beast at 0 wisdom
Wild Magic|20th level|Victim must roll 1d10 on table below before casting any spell
Twilight's Call|20th level|After 1 day, victim gains Pseudonatural (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/pseudonaturalCreature.htm) template and becomes permanently confused, cannot be stopped unless killed
[/table]

Wild Magic:
{table=head]Roll|Effect
1|Automatically fail Concentration checks to cast in melee
2|Spells always take at least a Standard action to cast
3|Damage dice for spells and spell-like abilities capped at 1/2 caster level
4|50% miss chance with all spells
5|Damaging spells heal instead of damage (regardless)
6|Healing spells damage instead of heal (regardless)
7|Healing dice for spells and spell-like abilities capped at 1/2 caster level
8|Must roll Concentration check to cast the spell
9|Spell costs 2 spell slots instead of 1
10|Spell is reflected onto the caster[/table]
[/spoiler]

Really cool ability and awesome. though it is a pity that they are only usable 3/day

Elemental Path (Su): At 5th level, a Dark Vessel begins down the path to ascension. He must choose an elemental subtype (air, fire, water, or earth). He is able to influence naturally occurring elements of that type. By concentrating for 1 round, the Dark Vessel can crudely shape up to 5 cubic foot of loose earth, change the direction of a slow, shallow river, increase or decrease the speed of winds in the area by up to 10 feet, or snuff out or cause a fire to spread up to 20 feet away. In addition, he may use this ability to make a special ritual circle 10 feet in diameter which any Elemental suffers a -2 penalty on its saves against his Subsume Elemental and Dominate Elemental abilities.[quote]

Flavorful ability he can use all the elemental manipulations regardless of the subtype chosen, can't he?

[QUOTE=Derjuin;13686598]Planar Tear (Su): At 8th level, a Dark Vessel can tear a small hole through planar walls into one of the elemental planes, creating an effect that imbues the area with elemental power. The area changes to roughly match the energy imbued in the area: an area imbued with fire energy becomes charred and smells of carbon, while an area imbued with water energy becomes damp and slippery; an area imbued with air energy becomes brighter, clean and slightly foggy (not enough to impair vision), while an area imbued with earth energy feels more cramped, becomes dusty and any walls or objects nearby take on a hewn stone appearance. This effect has a radius of 20 feet and functions similarly to a Desecrate (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/desecrate.htm) spell with a duration of 1 hour per Dark Vessel level.

Creating the tear is a full round action, and enhances the area with a specific elemental subtype (air, fire, water, or earth, chosen at the time of use). All Charisma checks as part of turn attempts against elementals of the same subtype take a -3 profane penalty, and every elemental creature of the same subtype entering an empowered area gains a +1 profane bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. An elemental of the correct subtype summoned into such an area gains +1 hit points per HD. Within the area, elementals that are turned only run in fear for half the duration (5 rounds) and cannot be destroyed outright.

Do the elementals get any bonus against the dark vessel?

Dominate Elemental (Su): Beginning at 9th level, once per day a Dark Vessel can attempt to Dominate an elemental as if by a Dominate Person (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/dominatePerson.htm) spell. The DC for this ability is equal to 14 + his Charisma modifier and is a Will save. At 17th level, the duration of this ability becomes permanent and has a DC equal to 19 + his Charisma modifier. The Dark Vessel may only have one elemental dominated at a time.

Nice he can have more elemental pets

Elemental Adept (Su): At 10th level, the Dark Vessel becomes adept at manipulating elemental energies and can change the shape of his Essence Bolt into a 30' cone, a 60' line, or a 15' radius area. When shaped in such a way, the Essence Bolt requires a Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel levels + his Cha modifier) instead of a ranged touch attack, and victims take half damage on a successful save.

In addition, while the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed that matches the elemental subtype chosen with Elemental Path, he gains a bonus to damage with his Essence Bolt equal to the subsumed elemental's total Hit Dice, plus another bonus effect:

{table=head]Element|Bonus
Air|Fly speed of 60 ft. with perfect maneuverability
Fire|Can teleport from one fire to another if each are within 200 feet of each other as a swift action
Water|Can walk on water at his normal speed and can swim at twice his land speed
Earth|Can move into the earth as if he had the Earth Glide ability[/table]

Wow really neat movement abilities and a good reason to have elementals with higher hd, now that I think about it, a familiar normally counts its master hd for purposes related to hd if the dark vessel subsumes its enslaved elemental does it still have the clause on the familiar for the HD?

Corrupting Touch (Su): Beginning at 13th level, the Dark Vessel may corrupt with a simple touch. Three times per day, the Dark Vessel can make a melee touch attack against a creature to inflict them with a corruption, or touch the ground or an object touching the ground to produce the effects of his Planar Tear ability as a swift action.

I guess that this corrupting touch is not against the limited number of times that he can use corruption.

Core Shatter (Su): At 14th level, whenever the Dark Vessel strikes a creature with an Essence Bolt whose damage type opposes the victim's elemental subtype (water opposes fire and earth opposes air), it suffers additional damage equal to half the Essence Bolt's original damage, as if it had vulnerability to that type. If the creature already has vulnerability to that damage type, it instead suffers double damage from the Essence Bolt.

Nice ability to have when fighting elemental creatures, flavorful.

Elemental Lord (Su): At 15th level, the Dark Vessel gains the ability to manipulate the elemental energies within his body to augment his powers or create new effects. To do so, he must subsume an elemental that matches the subtype chosen with Elemental Path and then suppress the effects of the Subsume Elemental ability for a short time. He can use any one of the following effects once per round as a free action:

{table=head]Effect|Description|Suppression time
Empower|Causes the next spell-like ability or Essence Bolt to deal 50% more damage|5 rounds
Maximize|Causes the next spell-like ability or Essence Bolt to deal maximum damage|6 rounds
Quicken|Causes the next spell-like ability or Essence Bolt to be usable as a swift action|1 minute
Elemental Barrier|Grants immunity to electricity, acid, cold and fire for 5 rounds|2 minutes
Second Wind|Heals the Dark Vessel for half of his maximum hit points|1 hour
Expel|Removes energies from the Dark Vessel as full round action with check|Expels elemental energies[/table]

The Dark Vessel must wait until the absorbed elemental is unsuppressed again before using another ability presented above. If he chooses to use Expel, he can summon, bind and absorb another elemental. Unlike other options, Expelling an elemental requires a check against a DC equal to 25 + the Hit Dice of the subsumed elemental. The Dark Vessel gets a bonus on this check equal to his Class levels and his Charisma modifier.

Nice ability the waiting time is a good way of balancing them.

Obliterate (Su): At 19th level, the Dark Vessel can strike with such force that anything barring complete immunity cannot stop his elemental prowess. Creatures cannot make use of Improved Evasion against his elemental attacks, spell-like abilities and Essence Bolt, and all of his abilities that inflict elemental damage (electricity, fire, cold, and acid damage) ignore Resistance and Resist Energy spells and effects. In addition, as a full round action, the Dark Vessel may unleash a volley of four Essence Bolts. These bolts may be aimed at a single creature or multiple creatures. He may use Elemental Adept to change any of them into cones, lines, or area effects.

If he uses the full round action to fire essence bolts (I would lower the number to three) what is the bab? Can creatures make use of evasion?

Elemental Ascendant: At 20th level, the Dark Vessel ascends and becomes the perfect fusion of elemental and flesh. He retains his old type, but may choose to be considered either his original type or an Elemental for the purposes of effects of spells. He may still be resurrected as if he were his original type (if it was capable of being resurrected). In addition, whenever the Dark Vessel uses his Essence Bolt to inflict damage that is the same type as the elemental subtype that he has subsumed (air, fire, water, or earth correspond to electricity, fire, cold, or acid, respectively), it automatically bypasses immunity and creates an area identical to a Planar Tear where it strikes.

But planar tear gave bonuses why use it against the ones that would benefit from it?

I guess you can enslave elementals and then make them explode.

Cool ability and cool class, not overpowered.

GuyFawkes

2012-08-21, 12:19 PM

Man, you two sure do have time. Good job btw. :smallbiggrin:

kanachi

2012-08-21, 12:43 PM

kanachi

2012-08-21, 01:51 PM

Ok... so on to the next one...

The Skin Shifter

Either we playing a cockney tanner who wants to shift some leather or...

[QUOTE=GFawkes;13664477]
Skin Shifter

Put an image of your class here!

Everyone is someone, and I'm everyone.

Skin Shifters are the best at blending. There are few situations that a Skin Shifter cannot find some application of their most basic ability: adapting to the situation. Need a Prince Charming for the ball? Or maybe an intimidating bodyguard? Or maybe just someone to cause the guards to be, ahem, otherwise occupied? A skin shifter can offer all, if the price is right.

... as i suspected.

Ok, so no image which is fine, you have plenty of time to find one.

The introduction also gives us an interesting insight into the class and its well writen.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Skin Shifters may adventure for any reason, though the most common is to show off their ability. It's one thing to have your name down as a brave warrior; it's entirely different to also be a diplomat and an exiled royal in the same life.

Characteristics: All skin shifters are capable of altering their appearance to some degree. As they become more proficient in this, they can make greater changes that may even have no physical effect, but instead affect how their minds and souls are seen.

Alignment: While there are skin shifters of every alignment, they lean towards the more chaotic side. Most skin shifters are free spirited, changing their opinion of something about as often as they change their eye color. The most common alignment for a skin shifter is Chaotic Neutral, becoming less and less frequent the more steps you are away from there.

Religion: Olidammara is the most common deity for skin shifters, him being the god of trickery and all, though worshipers of Fhlarghan aren't unheard of due to the wandering nature of skin shifters.

Background: While all skin shifters are born with their abilities, there are a few factors that make each unique. Firstly, there is the source of the transformative ability. It could be that he was just born in the right place at the right time, or perhaps there's a doppelganger in his distant ancestry. Extraplanar beings may also have had some effect in causing a skin shifter's power. Then there's how those abilities manifest. They may develop into a form of lycanthropy, only have a small effect such as looking more like the neighbor than the father, or not appear at all until he is on his deathbed.

However, having power is much different than controlling it. Many skin shifters take time to first show signs of their ability, and will spend about as much time learning to control it. After all, it's embarrassing to be in the middle of wooing the elven queen when you suddenly change into a feral orc warrior.

Races: Humans are the most common race to show skin shifting, though it is by no means exclusive to them. Skin shifters can show up in any race native to the Prime Material plane. Skin shifters among the more savage races are more inclined to imitate animals and present a more feral look.

Other Classes: Skin shifters generally get along well with everyone. It's their job to do so. Other social classes, such as bards, beguilers, and certain rogues, get along extraordinarily well with skin shifters. Non-social rogues also get along well, though they don't see the risk of interacting with so many people to get somewhere you could easily break into. Divine casters that are tied to nature (druids, spirit shamans) both sympathize with and question skin shifters. They understand that there is more to life than one physical form, but often disapprove of how casually skin shifters alter their form. Paladins disapprove of skin shifters, seeing them as dishonorable tricksters. However, as with rogues, they will give an individual a chance to prove himself. Skin shifters have no special relations with any other class.

Role: Skin shifters make unparalleled infiltrators, being able to change their appearance on the fly. Some skin shifters focus more on combat, allowing them to fight long enough for assistance to arrive, while others lean to utilize their bodies, being able to be prepared for any situation.

Adaptation: The easiest way to adapt a skin shifter is to make them a master of disguise, though there are plenty of imaginative ways to fit them into a setting.

Pretty much as i suspected it would be, and you should not take that in a negative way. There is nothing wrong with what you have done here at all.

I would second what God Imperror said in his peach though. You should probably write a little bit about dopplegangers and changelings.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Skin shifters have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma helps a skin shifter do what he does best: blend in. As with any class that wears little armor, Dexterity is important. Constitution is important for more battle-oriented Skin Shifters, for both hitpoints and Concentration.
Alignment: Any, though they tend towards chaotic
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: 4d4x10 gp.

Class Skills
The skin shifter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...

Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (All, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (NaN), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Looks pretty solid, I would maybe consider Move Silently, search and Spot if your infultrating places these are pretty core skills. While its always possible to form a disguise to get entry to the barrons party, there generally comes the moment where you have to break away from the crowd and do the actual spy stuff unseen, regardless of your form.

Class Table...

Skin Shifter
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Skinslip, Form Focus, Social Awareness
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Alternate Persona (1 minor identity), Resistive Body
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Genderslip, Shift Utility, Hide Alignment
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Skinshift, Alternate Persona (2 minor identities)
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Alternate Persona (2 minor identities, 1 medium identity), Shift Utility
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Raceslip, Alternate Persona (3 minor identities, 1 medium identity)
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Ageslip, Quickened Change (Standard Action), Shift Utility
8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|Gendershift, Alternate Persona (4 minor identities, 1 medium identity, 1 major identity)
9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6|Transmutive Body, Shift Utility
10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7|Sizeslip, Alternate Persona (5 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity)
11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7|Ageshift, Quickened Change (Move Action), Shift Utility
12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Raceshift, Alternate Persona (6 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity), Hide Thoughts
13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Disguise Mastery, Shift Utility, Mask Alignment
14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+9|
+9|Alternate Persona (7 minor identities, 2 medium identities, 1 major identity)
15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+9|Alternate Persona (7 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 1 major identity), Quickened Change (Swift Action), Shift Utility
16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Sizeshift, Alternate Persona (8 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 2 major identities)
17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Disguise Perfection, Mask Thoughts, Shift Utility
18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Alternate Persona (9 minor identities, 3 medium identities, 2 major identities)
19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Quickened Change (Free Action), Shift Utility
20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|Alternate Persona (10 minor identities, 4 medium identities, 2 major identities), True Identity[/table]

Nice plump levels with saves and bab as they should be. Everything looks good here.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

Skin shifters are proficient with all simple weapons, any natural weapons of the forms they take, and all light martial weapons. They are not proficient with any kind of armor, and tend to dislike wearing it.

Its hard to pass for a guard if your not wearing armour, but i can also see why you made this call.

Skinslip (Su):
This is the most basic ability of any skin shifter. A skin shifter can alter his appearance at will, with large limitations. He must remain the same race, gender, and age category, altering his appearance takes a full-round action, and it only affect his appearance, as disguise self. This quickly improves, however.

Useful for those who don’t have something better, but it’s an instant turn off if your a race like a changeling as it offers you something worse than what you already have for little benefit. Maybe consider throwing members of such races some kind of small boost.

Form Focus (Ex):

When you can be anyone, it's hard to remember what you look like in a mirror. Skin shifters must constantly concentrate to maintain a form. This is usually a DC 10 Concentration check when performing day to day activity. During combat, or other moments of high stress (Taking 10 not allowed), this doubles to a DC 20. If he takes damage, a skin shifter must automatically make a Concentration check of DC (Damage Taken/Skin Shifter level, round up). These checks are made automatically with no action required. If the skin shifter fails this Concentration check, he immediately reverts to his natural form and cannot use any slips, shifts, or Shift Utilities until he makes a successful Concentration check

wow so far your a poor mans changeling at best. I sort of understand what your doing here and it does add a lot of theme to the class, but i think in practice your hitting it with the nerf stick before its even learnt to walk.

Social Awareness (Ex): All skin shifters learn to blend in at a basic level by learning how to behave like everyone else. This has three effects:

A skin shifter may always Take 10 on Bluff, Diplomacy, and Sense Motive
A skin shifter can make a Sense Motive check to get a gut assessment of the situation as a Move Action
A skin shifter gets a +4 on all Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Gather Information, and Sense Motive checks

This is actually some pretty heavy stuff and does make this class excellent for a 1 level dip if nothing else.

Alternate Persona (Ex):

When you change your identity on a nearly constant basis, it can help you stay sane by having an identity that you can retreat to. Starting at 2nd level, a skin shifter develops an alternate identity, and then realizes that one simply isn't enough. At every even level, he gains an additional minor identity. At 5th level, and every 5 levels after, he gains a medium identity. At 8th level and 16th level, he gains a major identity.

A minor identity is just that: someone he can call himself at the end of the day. These identities are usually inconsequential ones. Not necessarily low-class, but no one would notice if they disappeared for an extended period of time without explanation.

A medium identity is more important, and thus can learn more. While in a medium identity, a skin shifter gets a +4 bonus on Gather Information checks and a +2 on one Knowledge skill, chosen when the identity is made. The Knowledge boost is from some social connection or perhaps a library. Medium identities are roughly middle class: they can vanish for a day or two without warning, but any longer and people will at least have the thought cross their mind of where they are.

A major identity is a person of influence. They often have people that depend on them on a daily basis, and are in a much higher position of power. While in a major identity, a skin shifter gets a +10 to Gather Information, +4 on three Knowledge skills chosen when the identity is made, and can ask for a minor favor 1/week. The favor can have a gp value of no more than 100 gp. Any request that is either out of the ordinary for the identity (such as a wealthy tailor asking how crops are growing) or overly suspicious (such as asking guards to not be around a certain area for an hour) allows the target a Sense Motive check against the skin shifter's Bluff check. Major identities are almost always high class. If they disappear without announcing plans to travel, there will be investigation.

Creating an identity takes 1 week plus -1d4 days for a minor ID, 1d6 days for a medium ID, and 2d4 days for a major ID. This consists of focusing on the new form, committing it to memory, separating thoughts that belong exclusively to it, and making the identity known.

It is possible to retire an identity, though each one is different. Most minor identities can simply just disappear with no effort. Medium identities require 1d4+2 days of effort to come up with an explanation and spread it around. Major identities require either a drastic spontaneous event (making a fake murder) or 1d4-1 months of effort, minimum 1 month.

To be honest this is the kind of thing I would normally want my players to roleplay out and would give them appropriate bonuses for as we went along.

However, this is a pretty cool and fun way of applying rules to such things. I like the way you have kept it all pretty simple but added a degree of depth and plenty of room for customisation by the player.

Its a very flavoursome ability, perfect for the class.

Resistive Body (Ex):

A skin shifter's body reacts differently to transmutations than most people's. When a skin shifter is the target of a transmutation spell, it acts as if it were cast (1/2 Class Level) levels lower, due to his body resisting change that it has not chosen to make.

can they turn this ability off? this could suck pretty bad if not.

Genderslip (Su):

As skin shifters are constantly learning to shift further from their original form, one of the earliest tricks is gender alteration. He can now appear to be either male or female, though this is also appearance only, as per disguise self, and he still takes a penalty for disguising as the opposite gender.

Just to clarify something, is the Skin Shifter changing shape physically or simply using an illusion to give the appearance that they are?

Depending which route you take your flavour will change quite a bit.

Shift Utility (Ex):
At level 3, and every 2 levels thereafter, a skin shifter learns a new trick for his transforming. He can only pick a Shift Utility once, unless otherwise noted. Some have prerequitite Shift Utilities, and cannot be taken until those are.

Well i guess this answers my question it must by a physical change?

Anyway, these abilities all see pretty cool and give you quite a bit of wiggle room.

Hide Alignment (Su):
Disguising yourself as the captain of the guard doesn't do much if you register as evil in the paladin's eyes. Starting at level 3, a skin shifter is constantly protected by an undetectable alignment effect. He may choose to suppress this ability as a free action, and may re-activate it as a move action.

Much needed. Well done.

Skinshift (Ex):

Since it is one of the most innate abilities of a skin shifter, it's only natural that it's one of the first ones mastered. At 4th level, a skin shifter's Skinslip ability ceases to be an illusion and becomes an actual physical change. It now functions as alter self, though it retains the limitations from before. However, it does not allow Genderslip to become a physical change.

Hmmm... i would probably do away with this and makes your changes physical as you seem to be popping in and out of the two at the moment.

Raceslip and Ageslip:

Raceslip (Su): Building his repitoir of transformations, a skin shifter of 6th level or higher can alter his apparent race. He must remain humanoid, and keeps his original type and subtype. This is visual only, as disguise self, and he takes the penalty for not disguising as his own race.

Ageslip (Su): Age is but a number, and a number multiplied allows options. Starting at level 7, a skin shifter can alter his apparent age. This functions as disguise self, and retains the penalty for disguising as a different age category.

more of the above really... Its not really a problem but you seem to be stuck 50/50 between whats real physical change and whats illusion.

Quickened Change (Ex):

After so much practice, it's only natural that a skin shifter would get faster at changing his appearance. At 7th level, it takes only a Standard Action to change form. At 11th, it goes down to a Move Action. At 15th, it further shortens to a Swift Action. Finally, at 19th level, a skin shifter can alter his form as a Free Action.

hehe, this is pretty cool. I would probably avoid a free action though as you could theoretically do such things a bazzillion times and give everyone watching you an epileptic shock.

Transmuting Body (Ex):

Easing the path for alteration, a skin shifter of level 9 or higher improves on his Resistive Body. At the time he is affected by a transmutation spell, he may choose to instead raise the ECL of it by (1/2 Class Level) instead of lowering it.

hmmm not sure if i would involve things like ECL here and also there maybe should be a way to turn the ability off?

Seems fare enoguh though.

Sizeslip (Sp):

Sometimes, you just need to be big enough to use party members as improvised weapons or small enough to use a rat as a mount. Starting at level 10, a skin shifter can alter his size by up to (CHA Modifier) categories, to a minimum of Fine and a maximum of Colossal. This imitates the enlarge person or shrink person spells, respectively. However, due to the awkwardness of being a size you weren't born into, the bonuses, if any, are halved and there is a -2 penalty to Dexterity if growth is chosen or a -2 penalty to Strength if shrinking is chosen.

You can do some pretty mega stuff with this. Into a fine animal fly onto the BBEGs head and then turn into a whale. SPLAT!

Hide Thoughts (Su):

With all the identities in his head, it makes sense to at least lock the door to a skin shifter's mind. In any identity, his mind is concealed with an effect similar to mind blank. While his mind can be detected, no access is permitted to outsiders without permission. The skin shifter is aware of the attempted intrusion, though not where it came from.

Great ability a must for any such individual hoping to infiltrate a mage circle or the like.

Disguise Mastery (Ex):

At level 13, a skin shifter becomes highly competent in his disguises. He can always Take 10 on a Disguise check, and disguises in only 1d3 minutes. Additionally, he no longer takes penalties for disguising as a different gender, race, or age category.

This is what its all about. These last few levels feel like the point where the class really hits its stride.

Mask Alignment (Su):

While hiding information can work, it may raise a few unnecessary issues. Better to give false information. At level 13, a skin shifter can alter his apparent alignment. Doing so takes a swift action, and may only change by one step at a time, or a full-round action with no step limitation. For example, if the skin shifter is naturally Chaotic Neutral, and he wants to appear Lawful Good, it will take either 3 rounds (Neutral to Good, Chaotic to Neutral, Neutral to Lawful) and permit him to do other things, or 1 round (Chaotic Neutral to Lawful Good) but will not let him focus elsewhere. This does not affect his ability to emulate alignments with the Use Magic Device skill. Using the same skin shifter as an example, if he is masking his alignment to be Lawful Good, he still gets hurt from touching a Book of Exalted Deeds.

I can see this being pretty situational but should the time come I’m sure you will be happy that you have this!

Good ability.

Disguise Perfection (Ex):

Practice makes perfect. At level 17, a skin shifter can Take 20 on a Disguise check any time he could Take 10 without the use of his Disguise Mastery ability. Additionally, he can now disguise as a full-round action.

I like it. I woudl not call it a mega ability or anything though, because at this level there are a lot bigger things flying around. Still that does not make it a bad ability. Plus it really adds to the theme of the class.

Mask Thoughts (Su):

In the Abjuration vs. Illusion arguement, it comes up that abjuration lets them know you're aware they're trying, while illusion offers no protection besides hiding. A skin shifter of level 17 or higher reaches a middle ground when protecting his mind. When his mind is forcefully accessed, he only shows thoughts that match up with the identity he is currently assuming. If there are none, or he doesn't want to allow access, he can still allow his Hide Thoughts ability to affect the intrusion.

Pretty fun, you could almost allow yourself to be taken prisoner and interrogated at this point which could be fun to play out.

True Identity (Ex):

A skin shifter by this point will have had at least 17 different identities that he needs to keep up with. Even with all his practice, this can be taxing on his brain and make him lose his sense of who he is. By defining a True Identity, he avoids this problem. First, he chooses one of his identities, including the one he had before reaching level 2 of skin shifter. By meditating for 8 hours a week, not necessarily consecutive, he prevents himself from forgetting who he is. If his Hide Thoughts and Mask Thoughts abilities are penetrated, or access to his mind is otherwise forced through, the only thoughts that will be read are the ones pertaining to the chosen identity. Secondly, the skin shifter can take the form of his chosen identity as an immediate action.

Its not really a cap stone in the grand scheme of things but its interesting none the less.

Summary

Of all the shape changer things I’ve read so far in this competition this one is closest to what I normally think of as a shape shifter in terms of fluff. A master infiltrator and manipulator.

Sadly the crunch is a little off in my eyes. I think you need to pump this class with several cans of powerthirst and get it to live up to the scarlet pimpernel master of disguise gig it set out on. Sadly at the moment it weighs in as a poor mans changeling for a few levels and only really hits its stride at level 10ish (after which its really picks up).

You probably don’t need to change that much to bring this closer to what I think you’re going for though. Just clear up the confusion surrounding the illusion/physical alteration aspects of the class and give it a few more abilities to help it on its way.

I would also like to see a more offensive combat ability as standard. Maybe they can mimic other classes for a short amount of time or something? Perhaps they can assess peoples weaknesses quite easily?

but the most important part of any class in my eyes "the idea" is solid and thus i've high hopes for what you will construct here.

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-21, 03:23 PM

Ok so lets see whats up next...

Awesome, thanks! Return PEACH will be forthcoming.

I’m not sure if it’s a deliberate choice but rolling into town with no image is a master stroke of theme setting for this class.

Um...of course! It was completely intentional, and I'm glad you picked up on it!

::Narrate Flashback::

Dead levels, which is something i normally have issue with. I understand that you are happy with your build and the symmetry and balance one can achieve by having them can be tempting though. However, I would personally always consider throwing something in at every level, even if its a token fluff ability.

Players enjoy that feeling of progression and you don’t have to make every class feature shatter the cosmos. A chief who has adds a pinch of flavour to their meal here and there is something I look for in every build.

My original concept was to fill those with "Trope of Legend" abilities, creating a set of abilities you could gain with advancement, based of course on more tropes. Didn't wind up going through with that, but your point is a good one; I'll see if I can fill them up with something.

I will firstly say that while I do enjoy your writing style it does at times make things a little more obtuse to read than they really need to be. I personally find it a lot easier to have the fluff and crunch separated a little more as I don’t want to have to read a around thing when I’m referencing something “in game”. I love the effect you have created however, like you are telling the tale of the class and so forth, but it’s something to be aware of from a practical stand point.

I had been concerned about that, and figured if anyone brought it up, I'd go back in and put more precise mechanics in spoilers under each ability. I'll set that up.

Also I assume the target has to be able to understand your instruction? so you would have to speak their language (or another they know)?

Whoops! The [Language-Dependent] tag exists for a reason.

It’s a class which I both had amazing fun reading but also found totally overblown and actually quite frustrating to work through at times. It packed full of flavour and will surely get one of my three votes just one those grounds alone (at time of writing) in fact i think you have thus far created the class to beat as I think many will fall in love with your work here.

Wow! High praise!

Sadly for all its utterly awesome and incredible work i do still find it a little disappointing, because i know i would never allow this in my game and I am pretty sure a lot of others would feel the same. Which is a crying shame indeed because I firmly believe that a more DM sensitive version of this class would certainly be something which I would build a private lobby for in my dnd airport.

Pretty much glossed over point by point quotes since the meat of the issue with the higher-level abilities can be summed up here, and it's a valid point. I definitely don't want to strictly remove the abilities, as they fit the theme and can probably work fine in higher-tier campaigns where divinations and contingencies and the like are the norm. I'll see if I can come up with some alternatives, though, that don't provide quite as much control.

I’m sorry I can’t peach you class better to be honest, you have hit the edge of my abilitys as a pearcher (not hard to do). It warrants someone far more skilled than me to go other things in greater detail and break down what I believe to be one of the most creative classes I’ve seen in a long while.

Apologies neither necessary nor warranted. Thanks a ton!

kanachi

2012-08-21, 04:59 PM

right thats me burnt out for the night... I'll try to have a look at some other classes further down the list asap, so i'm sorry if i have not yet reached you!

TheGeckoKing

2012-08-21, 05:13 PM

Summary

I think you have probably gone a little too far with a number of the abilities of this class. It feels very powerful to me, probably even broken.

Polymorphing and shape changing are already very potent aspects of dnd and you have a class here who is a total bad ass at it.

Having said all that however, there are many positives to be drawn and I don’t think you would have to go that far to pull this back into line. The theme is quite nice and your class features do all make sense even if some are a little OTT (in my opinion).

I thought I had been a bit too "creative", and I get what you're saying. Anyway, thanks for the heads up!
EDIT: I've gone through it, and gave everything a tweaking. Should be a bit better balanced now.

GFawkes

2012-08-21, 06:07 PM

PEACH

PEACH

I'll take both of those into consideration. Here's a list of things I noticed both had in common:

Both asked for specification on how the slip abilities are different from the shift ones. I had meant for it to be that the slip abilities are detectable via magic and whatnot, while the shift ones are actual changes, like a werecreature changing forms, except for Sizeslip/shift. I'll clarify that sometime within 36 hours.

Both asked if the Resistive Body could be turned off. I'll bounce the idea off of a friend and see what he thinks. The idea for it was to provide some sort of defense that would aid in combat, as opposed to just hiding. The upgraded form, Transmuting Body, is meant to raise the Effective Caster Level of it, the idea being that helpful spells are more accepted (like eagle's splendor) while harmful ones are resisted (like disintegrate)

Both asked to add more skills. I can see the logic here, and will update that with all the other feedback updates.

Both asked about changelings and doppelgangers. I was considering making a racial variant for changelings, but I'm thinking of just giving both races a boost to social and disguise checks.

Both mentioned the "Fantastic Voyage Bomb" idea of shrinking, entering someone, then growing. I should have seen that coming. I'll update the Sizeslip/shift abilities to limit growth based on available space.

Both said that Form Focus was harsh at early levels. I agree. I'm considering halving the DCs, making it a 5 on day-to-day and a 10 in combat/stress. Or even just removing the passive DCs, and having a check only needed when hit.

Both mentioned that I should limit how many shifts per round you get. Again, should have seen this coming. Shift to a dwarf to get a bonus against that orc ranger, then shift to a human so he doesn't get bonuses against you, for instance

Both ended saying that I need to send this class to Hans and Franz. I'm thinking of possibly slowing the progression of Alternate Persona, and having Sneak Attack fill in. I recall that one idea I had at one point was to give it a damage multiplier against targets unaware of its attack. Then I realized that multiplication is a bad idea in 3.5. Thus the variant Social Assassin was born. In terms of other combat things, I'll probably look at other roguelike classes, such as scouts.

Here are my other general notes. These function as both a reminder to me, and to allow insight to everyone else:

Alternate Persona could easily be adapted as a general rule for everyone, simply requiring a Disguise check in place of the ability. It was meant mostly as flavor/fluff, but could also work mechanically. No one expects the town drunk to also be the captain of the guard, for instance.

Shift Utilities are a growing list. Each one is meant to imitate either an object or spell, and there's a lot of each of those. Some, obviously, are just impossible/gross. Making a tent of your own skin defeats the purpose of protecting your skin from the weather, for instance.

I'll more than likely rework the first few levels entirely within a day or so. That was a big area of weakness that both reviews noted. I'll take suggestions on how to do so while I think of how to do it.

God Imperror

2012-08-21, 07:07 PM

right thats me burnt out for the night... I'll try to have a look at some other classes further down the list asap, so i'm sorry if i have not yet reached you!

Take a rest before jumping into the anointed heritor it is a long read atm :smallfrown:

Zaydos

2012-08-21, 07:30 PM

Thanks, kanachi :smallbiggrin:

Fixed: Bestial Knowledge level and Fangs damage.

Claws: You can get two if you don't attack with your unarmed strike which is beneficial to do until you have iterative attacks and possibly even then (is it better to have two attacks at your highest bonus or 1 at your highest and 2 at 5 less). Mostly it's to stop you from getting 3 attacks per round at 2nd level, and because I was worried about giving them too many attacks. I might make it so that after a certain (relatively low) level you can attack with unarmed strike and both claws since that just catches you up with flurry of blows assuming you take 2 feats.

Shifting Claws: I agree that Shifting Claws is not really the most fluff appropriate ability, but with the difficulty in getting magical properties on natural weapons (which ended up a big difficulty in trying to balance the class) and problems with DR I decided they needed some way to get around DR from a balance point of view (at least in my opinion).

Enhanced Movement: I mainly gave them this ability so that they'd have a reason to make a full attack and an ability to letting them bring their natural weapons all to bear. That said, I might just make it a swift action movement so many times per day or encounter.

Living Battle: Looking over it again it might be a little too much all at once :smallredface: Any advice on how to spread it out a bit? I might could split it into 3 abilities (Immunity to transmutations, Immunity to crits and stunning, and the :smalleek: improvement to their Fort only Mettle) but what levels would be good for each one? The last I'd feel really worried about giving at an earlier level because it's actually rather strong (Finger of Death is now 3d6+15 damage save negates for example, disintegrate is 5d6 damage save negates).

Summary: Thanks :smallbiggrin: I actually statted 2 out, one at 5th level which I ran through a challenge I'd been running a few homebrewed classes through and I had to make several changes to the class for it to not lose to the fighter and even then it was one of the worst ones I ran. The other was 17th level and I never tested it but was worried it might be a little strong, so I definitely agree that it's balance is a little bumpy for lack of a better word.

Hope it goes well as an NPC and that reminds me I'm building an adventure in Limbo, I might should use some of these classes for it :smallbiggrin:

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-21, 11:37 PM

Okay, went through the Dimensional Double. Hope some of this is useful!

Dimensional Double:

Dimensional Double (Su):

The dimensional conduit, is not a single character, they are a collection of characters who share this class as a gateway, through which they can enter the campaigns dimension. While each of these characters are essentially a duplicate of the same entity, the differing circumstances native to their home dimensions have lead them to forge a unique life time of experiences. As a result no two doubles are ever truly the same and can often hold quite unique world views.

The conduit is unique in from all their doubles as they act as a focal point which bridges these dimensions and links their alternate selves to one another. The conduit is the version of the character native to the campaigns dimension and acts as the default representative of their persona.

Drawing a Double.

At first level the character searches the infinite worlds and reaches out to their first double, who the controlling player constructs by generating an additional character sheet.

The character they create must share both the same race and age as the conduit and may not utilise any templates which suggest that they have a different lineage or bloodline to conduit. In essence the conduit and all her doubles must have been identical at the time of birth. Thus a conduit with a racial template (such as a half dragon) would also have this template active upon all their doubles. However, templates which may be applied to a creature after the time of birth (becoming a lich for example) could exist upon a conduit or a double without necessarily existing upon every double.

Each double may be formed as though they were a unique character in their own right - having ability scores, class levels (see below), feats, skill and other such factors which differ from the conduit.

Amidst the chaos and turmoil of the infinite dimensions only those with a clear focus towards a singular path draw the conduits attention. As a result a double may only possess class levels from a single class. However, they are permitted to diverge into, and gain levels within, a single prestige class (should they qualify).

At later levels the conduit forges a link with additional doubles that will in turn require their own character sheets, following the above rules. The main class table shows the levels at which new doubles are gained. Once a conduit forges a link with a double their vision of similar doubles blurs and fades, making it impossible for any two doubles to share a level in the same class (or prestige class). Subsequent doubles are also drawn from an increasingly congested array of possible candidates which makes finding those of great power ever more complex. As a result the maximum level of subsequent doubles lowers by 1 each time a new double is obtained (as shown upon the main class table).

Though it may be possible for multiple conduits of the same entity to exist (indeed the nature of the infinite dimensions demands that there are indeed infinite conduits) no two conduits may link to one another. This means that none of a conduit’s doubles may possess any levels in this class.

As the conduit gains levels in this class their doubles may also increase in level. All of a conduits doubles are deemed to increase in level simultaneously. Doubles drawn into a dimension by a conduit often experience a fractured and disjointed life, which over time causes them to increase in level at a slower rate, as shown by the main class table.

Items and Class Abilities

Though a double may own items, equipment or other assets within their home dimension, none of it travels with them into the conduits dimension. This includes spell books, spell components, holy symbols and other such items. A double instead takes possession of the conduits possessions when called upon and thus should only have these items reflected upon their respective character sheets.

Aspects of a doubles class which are not directly born from the double themselves cannot travel into the conduits dimension. This includes familiars, mounts and animal companions. However, a double may spend actions to summon objects or creatures once they arrive within the conduits dimension, provided they have time.

Replacing Existing Doubles.

At 6th, 12th and 18th level the conduit may gaze into eternity and there substitute one of their existing doubles for a replacement of identical level. The replacement double is created just like any other double and may use the same classes and prestige classes the substituted double used.

Calling Forth a Double.

The conduit may, as a full round action, activate one of their doubles. Immediately after performing this action the chosen double replaces the conduit and adopts the exact same body position the conduit previously held. The double then immediately performs their turn’s actions (as directed by the conduit) before being replaced by the conduit. The conduit may then perform any other actions, if they are able, before ending their turn and allowing the initiative order to proceed as normal.

Essentially the conduit spends a full round action to substitute these actions for a full turn of actions as their chosen double. It’s important to note that the conduit still both initiates and concludes their turn so the double is therefore never in play beyond this brief period of time.

A double enters play wearing or holding all of the conduits items, including any restraints (such as manacles). Doubles with aspects of their character that differ from the conduit (such as their alignment) may find that items respond differently when in their possession.

Activating a double draws an attack of opportunity which can be avoided by successfully performing a concentration skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 15 (+1 for every two levels the double possesses). This attack of opportunity is made against the conduit, not the double. A conduit struck by such an attack of opportunity automatically fails in their attempt to activate a double and may not make a fresh attempt for 1 round.

When a double enters play it should be regarded as an entirely separate creature, who does not share any bonuses or penalties affecting the conduit that preceded them. They may however emerge in any number of situations which would affect a creature freshly introduced to the field, including finding themselves in the midst of a grapple or an environment which requires them to make a saving throw.

A double is not able to perform any actions in their home dimension which will benefit them in the conduits dimension, including casting spells to bolster their defences before they arrive. Such effects are stripped away by the powerful rifts through which the double is drawn.

Any affects (positive or otherwise) which exist upon the conduit remain unaffected by the emergence of a double. These affects therefore re-enter play - with the conduit - upon the conclusion of the doubles actions.

Playing as a Double.

As soon as a double enters play they may perform a full range of actions as though their turn had just begun. However, the double cannot sustain its presence within the conduits dimension for long and therefore must return to its home dimension at the end of their turn - thus any actions they attempt to perform which extend beyond this period will immediately fail.

The doubles fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension may not be extended by any means. Any attempts to grant then further actions (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.

At the end of the doubles turn they are immediately swapped for the conduit, who returns to exactly the same location and holds exactly the same body position as the double they are replacing. This dimensional swap is instantaneous and draws no attacks of opportunity. The conduit may then perform any other actions, if they are able, before ending their turn and allowing the initiative order to proceed as normal.

Essentially the conduit spends a full round action to substitute these actions for a full turn of actions as their chosen double. It’s important to note that the conduit still both initiates and concludes their turn so the double is therefore never in play beyond this brief period of time.

Doubles vs Incoming Damage and Other Effects.

If a doubles sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their turn ends immediately, causing the conduit to return and replace them (as described above). All but 1 point of this damage is then inflicted upon the conduit upon their return.

A double who sustains damage may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

A double may never ever exist within the conduits dimension for a period which extends beyond their allotted time and will immediately shift back to their own dimension if incapacitated or hindered in a way which would cause them to do so. Such a double may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

All effects (for good or ill) which were active upon the double whilst within the conduits dimension are automatically cancelled when they return to their home dimension. The double immediately reverts back to their previous state before they travelled to the conduits. Even doubles slain within the conduits dimension are return to their home alive. However, doubles do feel pain and can therefore be as emotionally affected as any other creature when placed in a traumatic situation.

Doubles as a Disguise.

Though both the double and the conduit were born genetically identical an entire life time of experiences can lead them to appear quite different, the amount by which they differ physically can therefore vary wildly. Generally speaking a double who has different strength, constitution or dexterity scores from the conduit will likely hold a noticeably different yet still vaguely similar appearance. Other aspects, such as the application of a lich template to a double can produce far more obvious physical differences to the conduit.

If a double retains some similarity to the conduit they may attempt a disguise check to fool onlookers into thinking they are in fact the conduit. Those who appear almost identical receive a +10 bonus to such disguise checks whilst those whom only appear vaguely similar only receive a +4 bonus.

So, the meat of the class. This is a really cool ability, and a tricky one to balance. While the mechanics are solid overall, what I'm concerned about is that the nature of the class heavily encourages casters, making it a sort of omni-theurge if played optimally. A group of casters with very specific specializations, with the lower-level ones emphasizing utility, support, or defense-piercing spells, allow you to have tremendous amounts of versatility and a truly staggering number of spells per day.

Non-casting classes, meanwhile, seem notably discouraged. The higher hit points of warriors aren't useful, and lower levels mean they'll have trouble contributing effectively. I'm a little unsure how the constant swapping in and out would work for many skill uses. Most critically, the AoO for using the ability is a strong deterrent to melee doubles (there are ways around it, of course, but it becomes a hoop you have to jump through to get an already less-optimal result). I suppose a purely damage-optimized charger or archer would be worth a slot, though.

Dimensional Guidance:

Dimensional Guidance (Su):

Upon reaching 2nd level the conduit learns to draw inspiration from its infinite doubles without drawing upon a singular individual.

If the conduit chooses not to activate a double this turn they may select one of the following aspects to receive a +2 insight bonus to until the start of their next turn. The aspects the conduit may choose are:

Attack rolls
Saving throws
Armour Class

However, when a conduit chooses to benefit from this ability they immediately become incapable of activating a double until the start of their next turn. In essence each turn the conduit must choose to either benefit from this ability or utilise a double (they may never benefit from both abilities in the same round).

For every 5 Additional levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by 1 (+3 at 7th level, +4 at 12th level and +5 at 17th level).
This is a nice ability. I don't expect it will often be worth giving up your double's actions, though since you have doubles for offense, I can imagine combining this with defensive actions to make the conduit itself a capable tank, if you can find a way to force foes to attack you.

Actually...you know what, you could make this an immediate action, and change it to, you can't activate a double on your next turn. That would make the conduit into a credible tank; if the enemies don't mount a serious enough attack against it to force it to buff its defenses, it can summon up some offense-focused double to wreak havoc.

Planar Lore:

Planar Lore (Ex):

Starting at 2nd level the conduit’s understanding of the dimensional weave gives them insight into the multiverse and its many realms. As a result the conduit receives a bonus to all Knowledge [the planes] equal to half their dimensional conduit class level.
Fits the flavor and certainly doesn't hurt.

Rift Stride:

Rift Stride (Su):

Upon reaching 3rd level the conduits bond with the dimensional weave allows them to step through rifts unseen by other beings, using them to teleport short distances. The conduit may, as a swift action, teleport 10 feet. Later at the distance the conduit may teleport increases by 5 feet every 6 levels (15 feet at 9th level and 20 feet at 15th level).

The conduit may not utilise this ability if restrained or grappled and must have a line of sight to their destination.
I actually really like this ability for this class, because summoning a double still gives you a use for your swift action. This gives the class something to use that on, a helpful little boost to mobility. Actually, I'm starting to realize that there really are worse things you can do than put one of your upper-slot doubles to some horrifically brutal charger. Blink 10' back (or into the air with Battle Jump?), summon the charger, guaranteed charge every turn, terrain permitting.

Warp Shield:

Warp Shield (Su):

Upon reaching 3rd level doubles who enter the conduits dimension can envelope themselves with a dimensional shield when entering combat.

Any double who draws an attack of opportunity when moving or performing a bull rush receives a +4 bonus to their armour class. This bonus to armour class increases by +1 at 8 level and every 5 levels thereafter (+5 at 8th level, +6 at 13th level and finally +7 at 18th level).
More good news for the charger-double!

Dimensional Pocket:

Dimensional Pocket (Su):

Upon reaching 4th level the conduit gains access to a small pocket dimension between the normal planes of existence.

Once per turn the conduit may, as a free action, move any one item within their hands into a dimensional pocket, accessible only to them. The dimensional pocket may hold a total weight of 10 pounds per level (to a maximum of 200 pounds at 20th level).

Additionally once per turn a single item may, as a free action, be retrieved from the dimensional pocket by the conduit. The retrieved item emerges within the conduits hands. If the conduit has no free hands they may not retrieve items from the dimensional pocket.

If a conduit’s dimensional pocket is suppressed, by an antimagic field for example, it will become temporarily inaccessible to the conduit. Items which offer links to extra dimensional spaces, such as a bag of holding, may not be placed into a dimensional pocket.
This ability is cool. I feel like there should be some way to allow it to be used to let your doubles bring in items of their own. Even just letting you put in your weapon and they pull out theirs or something. Although I guess that's what Riftweave is for.

Riftweave Weapon:

Riftweave Weapon (Su):

Beginning at 4th level the conduit’s doubles gains the ability to, as a free action, summon forth a single riftweave weapon whenever they activated.

The double may summon one weapon they are proficient with to a free hand (if they have no free hands the ability fails). If they choose to summon a projectile weapon, it comes with 10 bolts, cartridges, arrows, bullets, or whatever serves as the most appropriate projectile.

Weapons summoned by this ability gain a +1 enchantment bonus to their both attack and damage rolls. Additionally for every 4 further levels the conduit gains within this class the bonus provided by this ability increases by +1 (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level and +5 at 20th level).

Weapons summoned by this ability are made of riftweave, a trans-dimensional material which can mimic the form of metal and wood yet has the appearance of raw solidified energy. Riftweave weapons are considered magic for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and also extend into the ethereal realm, functioning normally against any creatures present there.

The summoned weapon (and all projectiles summoned with it) persist only while the chosen double is in play, after which they vanish.
I get the point of this ability, although to be honest, it strikes me as just another problem with non-caster doubles. As it stands, I'd more likely make sure all my doubles who use weapons, if any, use the same as my conduit, so I could buy a level-appropriate one (and GMW it up with a caster double).

Still and all, guaranteed magic weapons are a nice perk for low levels. I actually learned that the hard way recently. Shadows, bah.

Void Keeper:

Void Keeper (Su):

At 5th level the conduit observes the rifts and weaves of the infinite dimensions and can interpret their motions, allowing them to act against methods of extradimensional travel in their locality.

Any creature within 20 feet of the conduit who attempts to use a method of extradimensional travel has a 10% chance of their action failing. The conduit may opt to suppress this ability as a free action if they so choose.

Forms of movement hindered by a this ability include astral projection, blink, dimension door, ethereal jaunt, etherealness, gate, maze, plane shift, shadow walk, teleport, and similar spell-like or psionic abilities.

Later at 8th levels and every three level beyond (until 17th level) the chance of such abilities failing increases by 10% (20% at 8th level, 30% at 11th level, 40% at 14th level and finally 50% 17th level).
Niche, but potentially useful and cool flavor.

Worlds Collide:

Worlds Collide (Su):

Upon reaching 6th level the conduit may, Once per encounter when activating a double, pull them into their dimension with such force that a rift between the worlds detonates as 20 foot emanation centred upon the doubles location.

All other creatures and unattended objects within this area must overcome a reflex save (DC = 10 + half the conduits class level + half the chosen doubles character level) or pushed back 5 feet, knocked prone and sustain 1d6 force damage for each character level the chosen double possesses.

A creature who successfully overcomes this save suffers only half the full damage and is neither pushed back or knocked prone. Creatures with evasion (and improved evasion) may deploy that ability, as normal, against this effect to lessen or avoid the damage it inflicts.

Using this ability expends the move action of the chosen double as they take time to steady themselves after such a turbulent entry into the conduits dimension.

Only a double called to temporarily replace the conduit (and not those summoned using the Endless Worlds ability) may be targeted by this ability.
This is nice, although centered-on-self area attacks can be tricky to use. Would make for a nice nova move with a caster or psion double with Greater Fireburst or Energy Burst or whatever. Also pretty awesome thematically.

Dimensional Grasp:

Dimensional Grasp (Sp):

A conduit who reaches 7th level may, as a standard action, cast the dimensional anchor spell as though they were a wizard with a caster level equal to their dimensional conduit class level.
Further development of anti-teleport capabilities. Always nice.

Beyonder:

Beyonder (Sp):

A conduit who reaches 9th level understands how to safely traverse the rifts linking differing planes of existence, time and space.

Once per day the conduit may, as a standard action, cast either the plain shift or teleport spells as though they were a wizard with a caster level equal to their dimensional conduit class level.

Unlike the either of these spells however the conduit is not required to physically touch creatures to transport them and may instead target creatures up to 30 feet away as a ranged touch attack. Targeted creatures are still permitted saving throws and allowed the opportunity to use any spell resistance they may have as normal.

You may utilise this ability twice per day upon reaching 13th level and a third time at 17th level.
Level-appropriate access to long-distance teleportation - it's a wonderful thing. Targeted teleportation is even better. This is the ability that proves that the conduit itself is not to be discounted.

Endless Worlds:

Endless Worlds (Su):

A conduit who attains 10th level learns to draw their doubles into the world without substituting their own involvement. The conduit may, once per encounter, summon one of their doubles into any free space within 30 feet of their current position as a standard action. The Double may then immediately act as normal, returning to its home dimension upon concluding its actions.

Later at 15th level the conduit may use this ability to summon two of their doubles and finally upon reaching 20th level they may summon a third double.

Summoned doubles appear wearing no armour or possessing any items of their own. Instead they emerge in clothing forged from riftweave, which offers a +1 Enchantment bonus to armour class for every 4 character levels the double possesses. Each double may also opt to emerge wielding a single weapon forged from riftweave as if the conduit had utilised the riftweave weapon ability for each double.

If a double summoned in this way sustains 1 or more hit points of damage whilst within the conduits dimension their immediately return to their home dimension. Unlike a double who takes the conduits position none of the excess damage flows over to the conduit when a summoned double is struck.

All doubles have a fleeting existence within the conduits home dimension and thus may not extend their time here by any means. Any attempts to grant further actions to either a double or the conduit (even through the manipulation of time) immediately fail.
When you first get this ability it's less than impressive. You basically get to keep your move action, although I suppose being able to target your double's location has its advantages. Once you get multi-summoning, though, it's a potent nova move.

Between Worlds:

Between Worlds (Su):

Starting at 13th level the conduit learns to survive and travel within the space between dimensions. Once per encounter the conduit may, as a swift action, become ethereal for 1 round.

This ability does not extend to the conduits doubles, who do not appear in an ethereal state. The conduit however will remain ethereal so it’s therefore possible for a conduit to become ethereal, activate a double (who emerges in a non-etherial state) before returning once more – still in ethereal form.

As a move action the conduit may re-set this ability, allowing them to once again use it within the same encounter.
Another helpful use for your swift action, and per-encounter usage gives it reasonable general utility. Quite nice.

One of Many:

One of Many (Su):

Starting at 16th level the conduit learns to act as an intermediary between the infinite versions of them self and their doubles, sharing experiences, motivation, insight and tactical suggestions. As a result whenever a double enter the play they receive a +2 bonus to all their saving throws. Later at 19th level this bonus increases to +4.

To be honest, this ability feels pointless. It's only really useful against readied actions, and if a caster has an action readied to tell your double to go home, it can probably come up with one that a save won't matter against (even a basic area attack will do - half damage is still enough to send a double away instantly).

5 World Step:

5 World Step (Su):

At 20th level the conduit has learned to meld their many selves into a seamless dimensional confluence, allowing their many doubles to take action in the blink of an eye.

Once per day the conduit may, as a full round action, activate all their doubles - one after the other – as if using their dimensional double ability up to 5 times in a row.

Each of the conduits five chosen doubles may only be used once and may only perform a single move or standard action instead of a full round action.

The intense strain of performing this action causes the conduit to become fatigued upon conclusion of the final doubles action. This effect persists until the end of the encounter.
The capstone ability is pure awesome, and pure insanity if you have a full lineup of casters. Unloading an 8th, two 7th, and two 6th level spells in succession should be sufficient to annihilate anything even vaguely level-appropriate. And as written, I...think they might still be able to quicken, if that isn't enough (unless I misinterpreted the base ability and they don't actually get a swift action).

Overall

The class has a cool theme, and interesting mechanics. Really, I think it's quite solid, my only really significant complaint being that the class seems better geared towards being an omni-theurge (well, plus a beastly charger) than really going for a mix of roles. The mundane/caster disparity is going to be a problem in any mechanic that involves having access to additional character sheets, of course, but if I were to suggest any changes to the class, it would be to tweak things to make melee and skill doubles more worthwhile.

kanachi

2012-08-22, 05:28 AM

Okay, went through the Dimensional Double. Hope some of this is useful!

Thank you! very kind of you to do a re-peach!

Dimensional Double:

So, the meat of the class. This is a really cool ability, and a tricky one to balance. While the mechanics are solid overall, what I'm concerned about is that the nature of the class heavily encourages casters, making it a sort of omni-theurge if played optimally. A group of casters with very specific specializations, with the lower-level ones emphasizing utility, support, or defense-piercing spells, allow you to have tremendous amounts of versatility and a truly staggering number of spells per day.

Agreed. Its very hard to balance. Not allowing items, which includes: spell books, spell components or holy symbols was one way of cutting down on the range of spell casting uber classes that would be effective. A savvy conduit would likely have a holy symbol in store, to get around this however, but a lack of spell books and components are still a lot harder to work around.

Also no two doubles can share the same class so you could only have 1 sorcerer, 1 druid, etc...

Still, I would concede that even with the above spell casters remain the most potent choice as your double. The fact they are the most potent classes anyway does not help of course.

I have toyed with the idea of putting a cap on the spells and spell like abilities which a double can manifest in "our" dimension of say... 5th level spells/spell like abilities. This would also extend on to psionics as well of course. Do you think something like that would be a good idea?

Non-casting classes, meanwhile, seem notably discouraged. The higher hit points of warriors aren't useful, and lower levels mean they'll have trouble contributing effectively. I'm a little unsure how the constant swapping in and out would work for many skill uses. Most critically, the AoO for using the ability is a strong deterrent to melee doubles (there are ways around it, of course, but it becomes a hoop you have to jump through to get an already less-optimal result). I suppose a purely damage-optimized charger or archer would be worth a slot, though.

To be honest, i wanted to avoid the conduit being able to use doubles to circumvent the need to use her own skills, hence the extremely short time which doubles are involved. So yes skill monkeys are at a disadvantage for that reason, which i believe to be a good thing as far as skills are concerned. I should probably write up something to emphasize/expand upon this however.

As for non-casters, to be honest its what i would like to try to use my doubles for, not because its the most powerful option but because its the most awesome especially when you get 5 world step and can make an uber melee attack in multiple different forms.

That being said however, i dont want doubles to act as damage sponges. That would obviously make stopping the conduit very tough.

Any idea you have are most welcome though!

Dimensional Guidance:

This is a nice ability. I don't expect it will often be worth giving up your double's actions, though since you have doubles for offense, I can imagine combining this with defensive actions to make the conduit itself a capable tank, if you can find a way to force foes to attack you.

Actually...you know what, you could make this an immediate action, and change it to, you can't activate a double on your next turn. That would make the conduit into a credible tank; if the enemies don't mount a serious enough attack against it to force it to buff its defenses, it can summon up some offense-focused double to wreak havoc.

Not a bad idea at all!

Rift Stride:

I actually really like this ability for this class, because summoning a double still gives you a use for your swift action. This gives the class something to use that on, a helpful little boost to mobility. Actually, I'm starting to realize that there really are worse things you can do than put one of your upper-slot doubles to some horrifically brutal charger. Blink 10' back (or into the air with Battle Jump?), summon the charger, guaranteed charge every turn, terrain permitting.

Yer this is one of my favorite aspects of the class as well. It also help the conduit avoid being entirely passive.

Warp Shield:

More good news for the charger-double!

This was my though also.

Riftweave Weapon:

I get the point of this ability, although to be honest, it strikes me as just another problem with non-caster doubles. As it stands, I'd more likely make sure all my doubles who use weapons, if any, use the same as my conduit, so I could buy a level-appropriate one (and GMW it up with a caster double).

Still and all, guaranteed magic weapons are a nice perk for low levels. I actually learned that the hard way recently. Shadows, bah.

Agreed, though to be honest a large part of this class is supposed to be embracing the vast differences between your doubles, sure you can be boring and make a mega build where everyone of your doubles works in perfect harmony... but where is the fun in that?!

who would not want to 5 world step where your doubles attack with a great bow, kung fu, a goliath great hammer, a whip dagger and a psi blade? it would be like having the entire cast of soul blade at your disposal.

Worlds Collide:

This is nice, although centered-on-self area attacks can be tricky to use. Would make for a nice nova move with a caster or psion double with Greater Fireburst or Energy Burst or whatever. Also pretty awesome thematically.

Yer this one was purely for the lols to be honest.

Endless Worlds:

When you first get this ability it's less than impressive. You basically get to keep your move action, although I suppose being able to target your double's location has its advantages. Once you get multi-summoning, though, it's a potent nova move.

Also not having to put yourself in the line of fire is a good boon at its first step. Still, it obviously gets way more powerful once you get to 15th level and beyond.

One of Many:

To be honest, this ability feels pointless. It's only really useful against readied actions, and if a caster has an action readied to tell your double to go home, it can probably come up with one that a save won't matter against (even a basic area attack will do - half damage is still enough to send a double away instantly).

Agreed, its not really supposed to be a mega powerful thing but it will possibly help you get your doubles into some situations a bit more easily.

5 World Step:

The capstone ability is pure awesome, and pure insanity if you have a full lineup of casters. Unloading an 8th, two 7th, and two 6th level spells in succession should be sufficient to annihilate anything even vaguely level-appropriate. And as written, I...think they might still be able to quicken, if that isn't enough (unless I misinterpreted the base ability and they don't actually get a swift action).

An all magic mega blow out is a concern as is meta magic (which i may disallow or limit).

Again I would hope that a dm or a preferably the player themselves would see the actual intention of the class and not use it as a way of simply loading up on a bazillion casters and instead have fun bashing some heads in a many different ways. However, you cant count on such things sadly so there is more tinkering to be done i fancy.

Overall

The class has a cool theme, and interesting mechanics. Really, I think it's quite solid, my only really significant complaint being that the class seems better geared towards being an omni-theurge (well, plus a beastly charger) than really going for a mix of roles. The mundane/caster disparity is going to be a problem in any mechanic that involves having access to additional character sheets, of course, but if I were to suggest any changes to the class, it would be to tweak things to make melee and skill doubles more worthwhile.

Thank you so much for going over all this!

I think the most important thing is trying to balance out the doubles you can make, which is probably best done by limiting the abilities of casters once they enter our dimension... which would make sense thematically i think. Do you think a spell level and spell like ability cap of 5th level is a good idea?

If you have any other thoughts let me know as well! :)

kanachi

2012-08-22, 01:49 PM

Take a rest before jumping into the anointed heritor it is a long read atm :smallfrown:

Rest taken and challenge accepted sir!

Obviously as I've gone over a number of aspects of your class before this will be a little bit more brief, or at least I think it will.

anyway I'll shut up, because its PEACHIN' TIME!!

The Anointed Heritor

It sounds like a feminine hygiene product sold by the Vatican, but let’s find out...

Title Image and initial fluff...

http://www.raymondswanland.com/Images/Illustration%20Gallery/Ardneh.jpg

I learned the way of the sword by listening to stories. I practice the way of the sword by being part of stories.[/center]

The anointed heritors follow a path of tradition and oral history that goes back to the ancestral heroes. Those heroes from the dawn of time are shrouded and mysteries, not many facts remain of the heroes. And everything that is left is subject to interpretation by the anointed heritors.

Nowadays is hard to tell what are the heroes. They might be lesser deities from times past that even after loosing most of their followers keep some of their former power by being attracted to the heritors. They might be myths that have gained power due to the believes of generations. They could be just inspiring stories that keep the anointed heritors goings. Whatever they are it is impossible to tell, as the written documents are scarce and date several hundreds of years latter than the theoretical time of the heroes, and oral tradition focuses in their practices rather in where did they come from.

... well yer actually that does look like the kinda thing the Vatican would put on such a product were they selling them.

Anyway, enough of my tomfoolery, lets move on because everything here looks dandy to me!

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Anointed heritors most of the time adventure in order to get closer to their patron hero. By adventuring they also expand the area of influence of the ancestral heroes, some truly dedicated even join the ranks of the ancestral heroes themselves.

Characteristics: The most important abilities of anointed heroes are the heroes that they chanel, through them they get access to several varied skills and abilities. Its abilities are also supported by the guidance of ancestral heroes, helping the anointed heritors in moments of need.

Alignment: Characters of any alignment can become anointed heritors as there are heroes of several alignments and mentalities.

Religion: Religion is not normally an important part of anointed heritor's life, those who chose to follow the path of a deity normally revere warrior deities specially those with portfolios that include fate or strategy. Some anointed heritors choose to revere the ancestral heroes as if they were deities.

Background: Most anointed heritors start they career studying the deeds of heroes. They will unravel the misteries of their chosen heroes life. Training to emulate their fighting style soon they will become experts and draw some of the true essence of the ancestral hero being partially indistinguishable from their patron hero. By continuing the legend of their chosen hero they empower both themselves and the hero. Once they are able to chanel the essence of a hero they can learn new paths following the steps of other heroes and eventually combining their styles to form a unique legend.

Races: As every race has heroes characters of any race can become anointed heritors. Races with a distinct trait for story telling and oral tradition have more anointed heritors as their ancestral heroes are better known.

Other Classes: Anointed heritors work well with companions of other classes and races. He might be awed the stealth of rogues and their ability to finish enemies with a single strike, maybe he feels atracted to the heroic ideals of a paladin or he admires the powers of spell casters over reality.

Role: Anointed heritors are generalist, depending on their ancestral heroes they can work on different roles. Mostly mundane in their abilities they can fall in the middle ground between skillfull characters such as rogues or rangers and more martial characters such as fighters or paladins. Chosing on hero or another would make the anointed heritor strive more to a role or another, as he progresses in his career he is able to fill more roles. Regardless of their particular strengths anointed heritors as a whole tend to have strong personalities and be good spokesmen.

Adaptation: Heroes are porpuselly left ambiguious and open, every anointed hero can have a different view of the ancestral heroes to fit their backstory and personality. Depending on the campaign the heroes might be renamed or even with the collaboration of the DM new heroes can be created.

I really like the flavour you have built up for this, it’s filled out much better than when I first looked over it all and as such has really helped elevate the class beyond a simple numbers experiment (which many other classes become).

I would like to see alternate explanations for their powers explored within the “Adaptation” section however. This is just personal preference though as I always think this is one of the more interesting elements when analysis these fluff entries. Not all campaign worlds are the same and thus it’s nice to show that you creation can be melded to fit a new theme and form if needed.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Anointed Heritor's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma determines most of their abilities potency and uses. Most anointed heritors are martial characters, strength, dexterity and constitution become important depending on their fighting style.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As bard
Starting Gold: As sorcerer

Class Skills
The Anointed Heritor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather information (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility and royalty) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Search (Int), Spot (Wis) plus any skill that the anointed heritor receives from his channeled heroes and his patron hero.
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Just as solid as its always been :)

Class Table...

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save*|Ref Save*|Will Save|Special|Heroes|Offerings|boons

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Patron Hero, Anointed Guidance|0|0|0

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Anointment|0|0|0

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Ancestral Channeling (one hero)|1|0|0

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Offerings (maximum lvl 1)|1|1|0

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Ancestral Skills|2|1|0

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Anointment, Boons (one)|2|2|1

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Anointed recovery (move action)|3|2|1

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Ancestral feat (one), Offerings (maximum lvl 2)|3|3|1

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Ancestral tactics 1/day|4|3|1

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Ancestral channeling (two heroes), Anointment|4|4|1

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+3|
+7|Ancestral guidance (Initiative)|5|4|1

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Offerings (maximum lvl 3), boons (two)|5|5|2

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Anointed recovery (swift action)|6|5|2

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+4|
+9|Anointment|6|6|2

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+9|Anointed recovery (full round)|7|6|2

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Ancestral feat (two), Offerings (maximum lvl 4)|7|7|2

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Ancestral Guidance (3 skills)|8|7|2

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Ancestral tactics 2/day, Anointment, boons (three) |8|8|3

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Anointed recovery (superior)|9|8|3

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Ancestral channeling (three saints), Offerings (maximum lvl 5)|9|9|3
[/table]

More of the same, all looks good here.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
Light armor and simple weapons

Brief and to the point i guess... maybe worth writing it in the more traditional style. Just a nit pick though.

Patron Hero (Ex):
Through study and dedication you learn a bit of the ancestral heroes. At 1st level choose an ancestral hero from the lists of ancestral heroes available to the Anointed Hero, even if you cannot fully channel it you gain its associated skill as class skill, its associated weapon proficiency and the associated good save progression (fortitude or reflex), regardless of any hero that you might channel you keep the weapon proficiency, the save progression and the class skill. In addition if you are not channeling any hero you gain the first ability of your patron hero. If somehow your ancestral channeling gets suppressed you gain the benefit of this class ability.

It was good before and still just as good now. I'll take a look at the Ancestral Heroes a bit further down, which will give a better idea of how things look.

Anointed Guidance (Ex):

Starting at 1st level at the beginning of every encounter you gain one guidance point per class level to a maximum equal to your Charisma bonus (minimum half your level). While you have guidance points you gain a +2 bonus to Listen, Search and Spot checks. At 11th level you gain a +2 bonus to initiative checks. At 17th level while you have guidance points you gain a +2 bonus to three skills of your choosing, in addition if those skills are gained through your ancestral skill class feature you can choose 10 with those skills, even under conditions where taking 10 would normally be impossible (some skills, like use magic device, specifically disallow you to take 10, you cannot use this ability to take 10 with those skills).

So at 17th level when do i pick the skills which i gain my bonus on? is it a one time choice? or each time i replenish my guidance points? or freeform?

I also asume from the wording that you cant choose Listen, Search or Spot and thus cant use the ability to take 10 on those?

Anointment (Ex or Su):
At second level you gain two anointed abilities selected from the list below every four levels thereafter you can choose an additional ability.

Wow this class really is a big read...

these abilities all seem pretty good to me to be honest. They certainly add a lot of flexability and customisation to your hero.

I guess my only gripe at this time would be the lack of flavour text for each ability. It might be nice to have a single line just to explain the fluff behind the boon a bit better.

Ancestral Channeling (Su):
Through special methods known only to Anointed Heritors you can channel one of the ancestral heroes. At third level you can only channel your patron hero, but you can learn new heroes at every odd level. Once you are channeling a hero you gain its associated skill as class skill and its abilities. You can make offerings and boons with the heroes that you channel as described below. At 10th level you can channel two heroes at once and at level 20th you can channel three heroes at once. Ancestral heroes are bound to your soul and they cannot be targeted or expelled by any means except by using the ancestral repentance class ability, described below, nor can they be suppressed except by an antimagic field or similar effect.
To channel a hero you must perform a private ritual every morning, this is similar to a wizard preparing spells and you can do so only once per day after a good night's rest. You must anoint yourself with clean water and oils while meditating for an hour to be able to channel heroes.

The difficulty class for a saving throw against any supernatural power granted by an ancestral hero is 10 + 1/2 your effective anointed heritor level + your Cha modifier.

Much as i remebmer it, still looking good.

Offerings (Su):

You gain access to a small reserve of offerings, which can be invested into your ancestral heroes abilities to increase their power. Your offerings reserve's size is shown on the table above. Your character level determines the maximum quantity of offerings that you can invest in any single ability, at 4th level you can invest up to one offering point in abilities, every four levels thereafter you can invest an extra offering point to a maximum of 5 offering points at level 20. As a swift action, you can reallocate your offerings investments in your ancestral hero abilities every round.

As above, still looking good.

It would be nice if you gave a little more insight into the fluff of your abilities though.

Ancestral Skills (Ex):

Whenever you start channeling a hero, or more, you can designate a number of class skills equal to your charisma bonus (if any). For the duration of the channeling you can make skill checks using your anointed heritor level in place of the number of ranks you have in that skill (even if the number is 0). You can make "trained only" checks but you can't take 10 using ancestral skills (you need to have actual ranks to take 10).

The flexability this actually offers makes it rather powerful. Not OTT but powerful.

Boons (Su):
You can get a boon from any hero that you are channeling. Unlike offerings boons are almost permanent and last for as long as you channel the ancestral hero. At 12th level and again at 18th level you gain an additional boon.

Stacked with everything else your class is getting over time some of these things are begining to make your class very powerful.

No single ability is broken or OTT but combined together they are very potent indeed. I see this class as a very high Tier 3 at the moment, which if totally fine but i thought you should know my thoughts.

Anointed recovery (Su):
You can expend a move action to recover one guidance point. You can expend as many move actions as you have, earning an equal number of guidance points. At 13th level you can choose to expend a swift action to recover one guidance point. At 15th level you can expend a full round action to recover half your guidance points (rounded up). At 19th level you recover two guidance points per expended move action (or swift action).

Much needed and kicks in at about the right point.

Ancestral feat (Ex):
You gain a bonus feat. The ancestral heroes are known for their heroic deeds, you cannot choose a feat with the following descriptors [divine], , [metamagic], [metapsionic], [psionic item creation feats] or [wild]. You must meet the prerequisites for this feat. Additionally if you choose any [heritor] feat you can use the effective ranks granted by your ancestral skills ability as if they were true ranks (only for the purpose of meeting prerequisites). Whenever you start channeling a new hero you can choose to change your bonus feat to any other feat for which you meet the prerequisites. At 16th level you gain a second bonus feat that you can also choose to change whenever you change your channeled heroes.

"The ancestral heroes are known for their heroic deeds, you cannot choose a feat with the following descriptors [divine], [item creation], [metamagic], [metapsionic], [psionic item creation feats] or [wild]." is not really the best flow of fluff into crunch i've seen.

Still the feature itself is pretty good, no complaints from me!

Ancestral tactics (Su):
Your knowledge of your ancestral heroes allows you to channel different heroes if it would fit the situation. You can change your ancestral heroes, ancestral skills and ancestral feats picking new choices. Using ancestral repentance takes 10 minutes and provokes attacks of opportunity. You can use this ability 1/day at 9th level and 2/day at 18th level.

If you get this at 9th why is it all the way down here?

Also where is your capstone? is this supposed to be it? I mean its not bad but I was kinda expecting something with more balls to be honest.

Ancestral Heroes

Ok i'm gunna blast through these pretty quick...

Granted abilities:

All powers granted by heroes are supernatural in origin, even if they replicate spells, powers or abilities that are not normally considered magical.
Supernatural abilities are magical and thus suppressed in an [I]antimagic field.
Supernatural abilities cannot be dispelled.
Unless they deal damage supernatural abilities affect incorporeal creatures normally. A supernatural ability has a 50% chance not to affect an incorporeal target if the source of the ability is corporeal.
Using a supernatural ability does not provoke attacks of opportunity unless otherwise noted.
Using a supernatural ability is a standard action unless otherwise noted.
Some of the supernatural abilities granted by heroes provide constant benefits once activated. If the duration of a particular effect is not stated or implied by the ability description assume it constant. In case those abilities get suppressed they can be resumed as a free action.
Supernatural abilities don't have somatic or verbal components, but certain requirements might apply to the use of individual granted abilities.
Supernatural abilities are neither arcane nor divine. Thus no spell failure applies to the use of hero-granted abilities by an armored anointed heritor, even when those abilities mimic spells.
An anointed heritor shows no outward sign when using a granted ability, unless the ability description specifies that he must concentrate, or the use of the ability would be obvious based on its description (such as becoming a werewolf)
When subjected to a supernatural ability that requires a saving throw but has no obvious effect, the target feels a hostile force or tingle but does not necessarily know the source or the nature of the attack.
Effects created by the anointed heritor's supernatural abilities end when the anointed heritor uses again the ability that caused them (there cannot be two identical effects at once being caused by a single anointed heritor), if the anointed heritor switches his offering points from (or to) the ability that caused the effect, the anointed heritor stops channeling the hero that granted them, or if the anointed heritor dies while channeling.
The difficulty class for a saving throw against a hero's granted abilities is 10 + 1/2 anointed heritor level + anointed heritor's Cha modifier.
Abilities that duplicate feats grant the benefit of the feat even if the anointed heritor doesn't qualify for the feat. Abilities granted by heroes that duplicate feats cannot be used for meeting prerequisites.

Its great to have all this sorted up front. Good job!

right on to the Ancestral Heroes themselves...

Nightthirster: very themeatic plus who does not like a bit of sneak attacking!

Stormcloak: Lightning is always fun and its got some ok abilities. Not super powerful, but i like it.

Dancing Fire: I really like this one, its quite potent as well. Inspire courage is a really nice touch.

Windrider: I always like looking at mounted combat stuff even though i never really get the chance to explore it in game as much as i would like. Its not overly powerful as far as I can tell, but i like it none the less.

Moonwolf: Becoming a kind of werewolf is awesome. I like the way this develops.

Swordmaster: Martial lore as a skill is a nice touch. I love playing "the greatest swordsman who ever lived" role and while this is far away from that kind of power level it does carry the flavor.

Laughing fool: Why the Kukri as its weapon? I would hve though maybe something a bit more trixy like net or whip?

Battlelord: Spell cutter is a cool ability, i like the image of using an attack roll more than using a weapon drill check, but i see why you made that call.

Godspeaker: I love the image of a bad ass priest with a war hammer. Forbidden knowledge is a nice idea as well Omen of Peril is a cool thing for a class like this to have access to and it works quite well.

Swifttalon: Dont know why but i really expected this one to offer you a movement speed boost. none the less its a solid choice, not one of my favs though.

Wrath: ...and here is the movement boost. You get to fill that barbarian role if you so wish. Its nice and theme filled, probably not the choice I would make but good none the less.

Truthseeker: Its got that paladin feel, which i asume was the point. Sadly i'm not really that fond of paladins so its not really for me, none the less its a solid choice.

Summary

Wow, that was one hell of a class to work though.

I will be honest, I really like it and mechanically it hits all the right notes. I cant really point at to many issues beyond a few nitpicks mentioned above.

I guess my biggest single issue would be the lack of flavour on some of the features. You sometimes just kind of give a title for an ability and then state some crunch... obviously this is fine, but I quite enjoy a little bit of fluff to get me in the mood... think of it as class feature foreplay.

Anyway, I think you should be very prouf of what your making here. Its solid and powerful enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the cool kids without being broken.

All in all, a strong candidate for winning this entire contest if you flesh out the flavour text.

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-22, 02:09 PM

Limiting the spells would certainly help, but I think equally important, if not moreso, is encouraging the sort of tactics you want players to use. Some suggestions:

Give the conduit a spells per day list (capped if desired), even if they don't have spells known; every spell cast by a double burns an appropriate spell slot. That instantly cuts out the massive advantage of having up to six lists worth of spells per day.

Get rid of the AoO. In my opinion, this is probably the single most important change you can make. It's not that it's really that hard to get around, but psychologically, it's basically saying that the class is not intended to be in melee combat.

I'd actually allow the doubles to bring along their items if you're intending a focus on diverse melee, for a couple reasons. Holy symbols and basic spell components are cheap, and spellbooks don't matter in the one round the double will be present. Mundane characters, meanwhile, need their items, especially if they are below expected level for an encounter.

I might also say to dispense with some or all of the level reducing. I'd probably at least remove the thing where further doubles are progressively one level lower (which encourages having one main combat double, and using the rest more for utility). The baseline reduction of level as you advance is probably okay, since you can expect higher offense-optimization to make up for it, although you could even reduce it. Having it so a 20th level conduit gets 17th level doubles, and thus, 9th level maneuvers, could allow each double (well, three of them at least) to end up with an appropriately-awesome special move. I was somewhat terrified of the possible Five World Step, until I realized that every single big gun I chose for it was a full-round action and thus disqualified. Of course, if you were to do this, you would definitely need to cap spells.

kanachi

2012-08-22, 03:14 PM

Thank you so much for your reply! Your thoughts and ideas have been really helpful!

Give the conduit a spells per day list (capped if desired), even if they don't have spells known; every spell cast by a double burns an appropriate spell slot. That instantly cuts out the massive advantage of having up to six lists worth of spells per day.

I've been thinking about this also, though it would be important to make it apply equally to psionics and other systems as well. Having a psionic ability of level X use up a slot of spell level X would probably work though.

Get rid of the AoO. In my opinion, this is probably the single most important change you can make. It's not that it's really that hard to get around, but psychologically, it's basically saying that the class is not intended to be in melee combat.

This ones a bit more tricky, you cant simple disallow an apponent any chance of an AOO as standard thats a pretty mega ability if you think about it.

I do get what your talking about though.

I'd actually allow the doubles to bring along their items if you're intending a focus on diverse melee, for a couple reasons. Holy symbols and basic spell components are cheap, and spellbooks don't matter in the one round the double will be present. Mundane characters, meanwhile, need their items, especially if they are below expected level for an encounter.

The problem is you open the doorway for so many abuses if you allow items through, think of all the wonderous items those characters could bring in let alone the effective increase in the wealth you would have to spend on all those misc items.

The best work arounds i can think of are:

a) Things forged from riftweave which replicate some of those much needed non-caster combatant buffs.

b) feats for either the conduit or her doubles which allow them to bring riftweave versions of items with them.

I might also say to dispense with some or all of the level reducing. I'd probably at least remove the thing where further doubles are progressively one level lower (which encourages having one main combat double, and using the rest more for utility). The baseline reduction of level as you advance is probably okay, since you can expect higher offense-optimization to make up for it, although you could even reduce it. Having it so a 20th level conduit gets 17th level doubles, and thus, 9th level maneuvers, could allow each double (well, three of them at least) to end up with an appropriately-awesome special move. I was somewhat terrified of the possible Five World Step, until I realized that every single big gun I chose for it was a full-round action and thus disqualified. Of course, if you were to do this, you would definitely need to cap spells.

The first version of this class was actually writen so all doubles were of equal level. I may well revert back to this, but i'm not sure about 17th level... maybe. Once I'm happy i've sorted out the caster problem.

kanachi

2012-08-22, 04:20 PM

Skipping Visionary as its not finished enough to peach.

Anyway, I'm gunna grab something to much before i get stuck into the...

kanachi

2012-08-22, 04:22 PM

Dark Vessel

A hollow or concave utensil which is in need of a wash... hmm I cant see this wor-

http://images.wikia.com/wowwiki/images/a/a8/Emberscar_the_Devourer_Art.jpg

Boldly you sought the power of flame. Now you shall witness it firsthand! ~ Firelord Magmus

Earth can be shaped, molded...you cannot! You are useless! Your kind has no place in my master's world. ~ Earthlord Obsidion[/center]

Dark Vessels are magicians, whether of inborn talent or learned skill, that have little to no respect for balance in the world. They seek to rearrange their world at their own whims or a hidden master's, and as they grow more powerful, can change it with a simple touch. Early in their career, they gain the ability to completely subsume an elemental and gain its abilities. Usually they specialize in an element to master - the most powerful of them attain the rank of Elemental Lord, signifying their absolute mastery over the element. Most Dark Vessels use pseudonyms, usually transliterated names from the elemental language that matches their mastery.

Holy crap! This is what happens if you become a curry addict.

On a serious note though... the fluff here is awesome. The image is also very bad ass indeed.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Dark Vessels adventure to gain power and expand their influence. Usually this means they gain a flock of like-minded individuals they can direct, or they destroy and corrupt as much as they can. Some choose to be defilers, setting fire to forests and sinking islands, while others use more subtle approaches.

Characteristics: Dark Vessels are specialized in their elemental mastery, and can handle excursions to elemental planes with ease. Depending on their choice of mastery, they can also excel at melee or ranged combat.

Alignment: Almost all Dark Vessels are evil, as dominating the elements in such a reckless way leaves little for good intentions. Those few that are not evil are certainly of a neutral bent, though they can be either lawful or chaotic. Those lawful Dark Vessels see the elements as a right, while the chaotic ones tend not to care about them either way and use them when it is convenient.

Religion: While Dark Vessels tend not to be very religious in their quest for power, those that are revere deities of power, death, or destruction. They almost never join the ranks of the supplicants of elemental deities - it is considered an affront to the deity to attempt to control their element as the Dark Vessels do.

Background: Dark Vessels are typically made up of fanatic cultists with a lust for power, with the skill and devotion to excel. Those diplaying the skill and intentions are often approached by cults looking to recruit them for greater elemental beings, those that are outside the power of the Vessel to control. It is not often that these cults are known amongst the general populace except in terror.

Races: Races strongly gifted in magic without a penchant for doing good may find themselves with many Dark Vessel candidates among them. Those that are easily swayed by promises of power may also have an elemental cult within them that harbors Dark Vessels.

Other Classes: Dark Vessels most often work well with other "loner" classes - evil or neutral clerics of evil gods, rogues, or sorcerers. Wizards may see them as forcing magic with a hammer instead of working it with a quill, though they also may admire them for their devotion. Dark Vessels are almost always incompatible with Paladins or good-aligned Clerics, as their philosophies differ largely. Druids and other nature spellcasters are the exact opposite of a Dark Vessel and will clash often.

Role: Dark Vessels inflict damage, control enemies, and can handle certain types of traps. They are somewhat good at dealing with people through lies and propaganda.

Adaptation: Dark Vessels manipulate the elements to their benefit, forcing them to bow to their will or even consuming them in rituals. This can be changed to demons, spirits, or other forces, typically intelligent ones with some will to resist.

Very strong fluff entry. I like the fact that the flavour of class can be easily adjusted to have a different "victim" in mind.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Dark Vessels have the following game statistics.
Abilities: A Dark Vessel's Charisma score affects its damage, ability to manipulate its element and subsume an elemental, and several other things. It is paramount to its effectiveness, while Dexterity and Constitution keep the Dark Vessel alive longer.
Alignment: Any Evil, Lawful Neutral, True Neutral or Chaotic Neutral.
Hit Die: d4
Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: As cleric.

Class Skills
The Dark Vessel's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

d4 hit points seems a bit harsh and i'm not sure why Forgery, hide and Move Silently are all here. Is there a sneaky infultration element to them?

Class Table...

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Corruptions
1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Essence Bolt (1d6), Enslave Elemental|0
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Subsume Elemental (Resistance), Drawn Power (1st)|0
3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+3|Essence Bolt (2d6), Inflict Corruption|1
4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Drawn Power (2nd)|1
5th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Essence Bolt (3d6), Elemental Path|2
6th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Subsume Elemental (Traits), Drawn Power (3rd)|2
7th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Essence Bolt (4d6)|3
8th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
+6|Planar Tear, Drawn Power (4th)|3
9th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Essence Bolt (5d6), Dominate Elemental (temporary)|4
10th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Drawn Power (5th), Elemental Adept|4
11th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Essence Bolt (6d6)|5
12th|
+6/+1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Subsume Elemental (Elemental Ability), Drawn Power (6th)|5
13th|
+6/+1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Essence Bolt (7d6), Corrupting Touch|6
14th|
+7/+2|
+9|
+4|
+9|Core Shatter, Drawn Power (7th)|6
15th|
+7/+2|
+9|
+5|
+9|Essence Bolt (8d6), Elemental Lord|7
16th|
+8/+3|
+10|
+5|
+10|Drawn Power (8th)|7
17th|
+8/+3|
+10|
+5|
+10|Essence Bolt (9d6), Dominate Elemental (permanent)|8
18th|
+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Drawn Power (9th)|8
19th|
+9/+4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Essence Bolt (10d6), Obliterate|9
20th|
+10/+5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Essence Bolt (11d6), Elemental Ascendant|10[/table]

No dead levels and the table has that nice evenly distributed look to it which makes you feel as though your looking at a solidly built class.

Maybe consider upping its bab to medium?

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Dark Vessels are proficient with all simple weapons and light and medium armor. While they are able to cast spells, the nature of their magic does not cause them to suffer failure chances.

Your probably better starting this off in light armour and advancing it to medium later on (like the war mage).

Still would would give medium armour a bit more love, which often gets ignored (in my games at least) sadly.

Essence Bolt (Su):

Dark Vessels first learn to command the elements by shaping raw energies into a damaging bolt. As a standard action, the Dark Vessel may launch a bolt up to 100 ft away that inflicts 1d6 damage for every 2 levels he has (up to 11d6 at level 20) with a ranged touch attack. The type of damage inflicted is chosen at the time of use; it can either be acid, fire, cold, or electric. While the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed (see below), the bolt has the following additional effects if its type matches the subtype of the elemental:

I really like this, it kind of takes the eldrich blast and cranks it up a notch in awesome.

Enslave Elemental (Su):

After shaping an Essence Bolt, Dark Vessels learn to utilize the same energies to summon and bind an elemental to their service. This elemental is a Small elemental (air, earth, fire, or water, your choice) that functions as a familiar, where the Dark Vessel's sorcerer or wizard level is equal to his Dark Vessel level. While enslaved, the elemental provides the Dark Vessel with increased resistance to harsh elements in the form of a permanent Endure Elements spell. The Dark Vessel does not lose XP if his elemental dies because it was Subsumed by his own ability. Unlike other familiars, the act of calling and binding an elemental is easier than attuning oneself to a creature, and thus can be done as a full round action. However, the Dark Vessel, no matter how powerful he is, can only have one elemental enslaved at a time.

This is a pretty cool ability and i like the fact you get Endure Elements. This feature fits the theme very well.

Subsume Elemental (Su):

At 2nd level, Dark Vessels learn how to absorb an elemental into their body, gaining the abilities of the elemental without diminishing their personalities. When a Dark Vessel first learns how to do this, they gain magical power and resistance from the elemental absorbed. A Dark Vessel cannot subsume an elemental with Hit Dice greater than twice his Dark Vessel levels.

Haha awesome class feature! I asume you can fule this with your own elemental as well right?

Drawn Power (Su):

Whenever the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed within his body, he gains the ability to cast certain spells as spell-like abilities. At 2nd level, he is able to use these spell-like abilities 1/day each. Whenever the Dark Vessel gains new spell-like abilities, he can use all previous levels of spell-like abilities once more per day, up to a maximum of 3/day (for example, when the Dark Vessel gains the ability to use 2nd level spell-like abilities, he can use his 1st-level spell-like abilities 2/day; when he gains access to 3rd, he can use all 2nd-level spell-like abilities 2/day, and all 1st-level spell-like abilities 3/day). The Dark Vessel's caster level is equal to his class level.

These are really cool. I really like the spells you offer.

Could i maybe recomend that you give summon (X elemental) to them at all its various levels. It could be a seperate class feature but it would be cool. I supose this would allow them to always have something they could consume of course, but thats not such a bad thing because at the moment that ability is kind of campaign setting dependant.

Inflict Corruption (Su):
The Dark Vessel's use of elemental magic is not a natural thing, and often causes corruptions in victims or recipients of it. These corruptions are often beneficial for the Dark Vessel and his allies, and potentially devastating for his victims. At 3rd level, and every odd level afterwards (and again at 20th level), the Dark Vessel may choose a new Corruption to add to his repertoire. Up to three times per day, when the Dark Vessel uses a spell-like ability that targets a single creature, attacks with a melee weapon or unarmed strike, or uses Essence Bolt, he may choose to add a Corruption to his attack. Multiple attacks (such as from high base attack bonus) only risk corruption once. Victims that take damage or suffer an effect from the ability or attack must make an additional Fortitude save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel level + his Charisma modifier) or suffer the corruption. Corruptions are considered Alteration spell effects with indefinite duration; each instance of a corruption can only afflict a creature once, though it may suffer multiple corruptions. A creature already corrupted becomes slightly resistant to further corruptions; for each corruption a creature has, it gains a +1 bonus to its Fortitude save to resist suffering another. A corruption cannot reduce an ability score below 1 with the exception of the Twisted Body corruption.

Wow nice list of options. I would maybe consider upping the uses per day or construct some feats to allow you to do so... in fact this class could use a couple of nice custom feats.

Elemental Path (Su):

At 5th level, a Dark Vessel begins down the path to ascension. He must choose an elemental subtype (air, fire, water, or earth). He is able to influence naturally occurring elements of that type. By concentrating for 1 round, the Dark Vessel can crudely shape up to 5 cubic foot of loose earth, change the direction of a slow, shallow river, increase or decrease the speed of winds in the area by up to 10 feet, or snuff out or cause a fire to spread up to 20 feet away. In addition, he may use this ability to make a special ritual circle 10 feet in diameter which any Elemental suffers a -2 penalty on its saves against his Subsume Elemental and Dominate Elemental abilities.

Very cool indeed!

Planar Tear (Su):
At 8th level, a Dark Vessel can tear a small hole through planar walls into one of the elemental planes, creating an effect that imbues the area with elemental power. The area changes to roughly match the energy imbued in the area: an area imbued with fire energy becomes charred and smells of carbon, while an area imbued with water energy becomes damp and slippery; an area imbued with air energy becomes brighter, clean and slightly foggy (not enough to impair vision), while an area imbued with earth energy feels more cramped, becomes dusty and any walls or objects nearby take on a hewn stone appearance. This effect has a radius of 20 feet and functions similarly to a Desecrate spell with a duration of 1 hour per Dark Vessel level.

Creating the tear is a full round action, and enhances the area with a specific elemental subtype (air, fire, water, or earth, chosen at the time of use). All Charisma checks as part of turn attempts against elementals of the same subtype take a -3 profane penalty, and every elemental creature of the same subtype entering an empowered area gains a +1 profane bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws. An elemental of the correct subtype summoned into such an area gains +1 hit points per HD. Within the area, elementals that are turned only run in fear for half the duration (5 rounds) and cannot be destroyed outright.

So they can they make elementals more powerful and then consume them at that level of increased power?

Dominate Elemental (Su):

Beginning at 9th level, once per day a Dark Vessel can attempt to Dominate an elemental as if by a Dominate Person spell. The DC for this ability is equal to 14 + his Charisma modifier and is a Will save. At 17th level, the duration of this ability becomes permanent and has a DC equal to 19 + his Charisma modifier. The Dark Vessel may only have one elemental dominated at a time.

Hehe, you can become micky mouse out of fantasia but with fire elementals.

Elemental Adept (Su):

At 10th level, the Dark Vessel becomes adept at manipulating elemental energies and can change the shape of his Essence Bolt into a 30' cone, a 60' line, or a 15' radius area. When shaped in such a way, the Essence Bolt requires a Reflex save (DC = 10 + 1/2 Dark Vessel levels + his Cha modifier) instead of a ranged touch attack, and victims take half damage on a successful save.

In addition, while the Dark Vessel has an elemental subsumed that matches the elemental subtype chosen with Elemental Path, he gains a bonus to damage with his Essence Bolt equal to the subsumed elemental's total Hit Dice, plus another bonus effect:

ooo... i really like this. I'm always a sucker for awesome methods of movement, your pandering to all my likes at the moment. Leaping through fires is particularly cool as well.

Corrupting Touch (Su):
Beginning at 13th level, the Dark Vessel may corrupt with a simple touch. Three times per day, the Dark Vessel can make a melee touch attack against a creature to inflict them with a corruption, or touch the ground or an object touching the ground to produce the effects of his Planar Tear ability as a swift action.

Interesting ability and it offer more flexability.

Core Shatter (Su): At 14th level, whenever the Dark Vessel strikes a creature with an Essence Bolt whose damage type opposes the victim's elemental subtype (water opposes fire and earth opposes air), it suffers additional damage equal to half the Essence Bolt's original damage, as if it had vulnerability to that type. If the creature already has vulnerability to that damage type, it instead suffers double damage from the Essence Bolt.

A bit setting dependant but still very cool.

Elemental Lord (Su):
At 15th level, the Dark Vessel gains the ability to manipulate the elemental energies within his body to augment his powers or create new effects. To do so, he must subsume an elemental that matches the subtype chosen with Elemental Path and then suppress the effects of the Subsume Elemental ability for a short time. He can use any one of the following effects once per round as a free action:

Now thats a class feature with a bold claim in its name... and its lives up to it very well indeed.

Obliterate (Su):

At 19th level, the Dark Vessel can strike with such force that anything barring complete immunity cannot stop his elemental prowess. Creatures cannot make use of Improved Evasion against his elemental attacks, spell-like abilities and Essence Bolt, and all of his abilities that inflict elemental damage (electricity, fire, cold, and acid damage) ignore Resistance and Resist Energy spells and effects. In addition, as a full round action, the Dark Vessel may unleash a volley of four Essence Bolts. These bolts may be aimed at a single creature or multiple creatures. He may use Elemental Adept to change any of them into cones, lines, or area effects.

A good way to bypass may of the classes innate weaknesses and also add a good amount of flexibility to things. Nice feature.

Elemental Ascendant:

At 20th level, the Dark Vessel ascends and becomes the perfect fusion of elemental and flesh. He retains his old type, but may choose to be considered either his original type or an Elemental for the purposes of effects of spells. He may still be resurrected as if he were his original type (if it was capable of being resurrected). In addition, whenever the Dark Vessel uses his Essence Bolt to inflict damage that is the same type as the elemental subtype that he has subsumed (air, fire, water, or earth correspond to electricity, fire, cold, or acid, respectively), it automatically bypasses immunity and creates an area identical to a Planar Tear where it strikes.

Nice way to round things off, i like image of making your bolts explode into a Planar Tear when the strike.

Summary

I really rather like this class, its packed to the rafters with flavour and then proceeds to burn said building down with some pretty funky crunch.

I think the biggest problem facing the class is its that some of its abilities are quite setting dependant, but that something for a player and their dm to sort out.

If you get some free time I would be interested in seeing variants of this class using alternate fuel types other than elementals. Though obviously that is probably something you could do after the contest is over and you have more time.

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-22, 04:30 PM

This ones a bit more tricky, you cant simple disallow an apponent any chance of an AOO as standard thats a pretty mega ability if you think about it.

I do get what your talking about though.

I'm not sure how. To be clear, I'm not saying the double should never provoke AoOs; just that the AoO specifically for summoning a double should be removed. If the double casts a spell or makes a ranged attack while threatened, it would still provoke (and risk being sent away before it completes its action), but if you just summon a double to make a melee attack, there's no better reason for you to risk damage and losing your action than for a barbarian or warblade to do so.

The problem is you open the doorway for so many abuses if you allow items through, think of all the wonderous items those characters could bring in let alone the effective increase in the wealth you would have to spend on all those misc items.

The best work arounds i can think of are:

a) Things forged from riftweave which replicate some of those much needed non-caster combatant buffs.

b) feats for either the conduit or her doubles which allow them to bring riftweave versions of items with them.

I thought about that myself. I don't know if it would be overpowered in general use (you're limited to one set of items at a time, each double has lower WBL individually and has to spend a chunk on their personal offenses, etc). That being said, there are loads of ways to exploit items. Maybe something like, they arrive with Riftweave gear that duplicates any items they have, but the only magic abilities that are duplicated are those that are constantly active. You could describe it as, since the item is constantly active, its power can transcend the dimensions, but the link isn't strong enough to "reach over" and activate latent magic, or something like that.

The first version of this class was actually writen so all doubles were of equal level. I may well revert back to this, but i'm not sure about 17th level... maybe. Once I'm happy i've sorted out the caster problem.

Yeah, I'm not sure myself that boosting the base level would be a good idea. Might be worth considering if casters are sufficiently curtailed, but who knows?

kanachi

2012-08-22, 05:27 PM

I'm not sure how. To be clear, I'm not saying the double should never provoke AoOs; just that the AoO specifically for summoning a double should be removed. If the double casts a spell or makes a ranged attack while threatened, it would still provoke (and risk being sent away before it completes its action), but if you just summon a double to make a melee attack, there's no better reason for you to risk damage and losing your action than for a barbarian or warblade to do so.

Arrr ok, sorry i get you. I misunderstood i thought you meant all AoO. lol

Your right this makes a lot of sense.

I thought about that myself. I don't know if it would be overpowered in general use (you're limited to one set of items at a time, each double has lower WBL individually and has to spend a chunk on their personal offenses, etc). That being said, there are loads of ways to exploit items. Maybe something like, they arrive with Riftweave gear that duplicates any items they have, but the only magic abilities that are duplicated are those that are constantly active. You could describe it as, since the item is constantly active, its power can transcend the dimensions, but the link isn't strong enough to "reach over" and activate latent magic, or something like that.

Maybe, though the fear of exploitation is hard to shake. It may simply be safer to think up what kind of items a non-caster double could possibly want
and offer them the chance to have such boons via an array of riftweave options (your weapon can come into being with a Special Ability = to +X, and other such things).

I'll think on it though.

Yeah, I'm not sure myself that boosting the base level would be a good idea. Might be worth considering if casters are sufficiently curtailed, but who knows?

Agreed, thanks for all you help on this by the way!

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-22, 05:56 PM

Maybe, though the fear of exploitation is hard to shake. It may simply be safer to think up what kind of items a non-caster double could possibly want
and offer them the chance to have such boons via an array of riftweave options (your weapon can come into being with a Special Ability = to +X, and other such things).

I'll think on it though.

That could work, a sort of Vow of Poverty-esque deal. Except useful.

Agreed, thanks for all you help on this by the way!

No problem!

kanachi

2012-08-22, 05:56 PM

right, so I've removed AoO when drawing a double and I've also added some stipulations to nerf magic using doubles.

Take a look and see what you guys think thus far.

I'm now thinking of making all doubles weigh in at the same level (equal to that of the best double the conduit currently has access to).

God Imperror

2012-08-22, 05:57 PM

Rest taken and challenge accepted sir!

Obviously as I've gone over a number of aspects of your class before this will be a little bit more brief, or at least I think it will.

anyway I'll shut up, because its PEACHIN' TIME!!

The Anointed Heritor

It sounds like a feminine hygiene product sold by the Vatican, but let’s find out...

I actually struggled for the name, at first I considered anointed knight, but a knight without full bab? And since this class is slightly compensated by medium bab I switched the name.

Title Image and initial fluff...

... well yer actually that does look like the kinda thing the Vatican would put on such a product were they selling them.

Anyway, enough of my tomfoolery, lets move on because everything here looks dandy to me!

Pre game rule information stuff...

I really like the flavour you have built up for this, it’s filled out much better than when I first looked over it all and as such has really helped elevate the class beyond a simple numbers experiment (which many other classes become).

I would like to see alternate explanations for their powers explored within the “Adaptation” section however. This is just personal preference though as I always think this is one of the more interesting elements when analysis these fluff entries. Not all campaign worlds are the same and thus it’s nice to show that you creation can be melded to fit a new theme and form if needed.

I promise to work a bit more on adaptation :smallsmile:

Game rule information...

Just as solid as its always been :)

Surprisingly they lost sense motive in this last iteration as it fitted truthseeker pretty well.

Class Table...

More of the same, all looks good here.

I still lack a good capstone ability at the moment I am contemplating having you build your own hero. And giving you a bonus if you choose to channel said hero (that hero would be yourself)

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

Brief and to the point i guess... maybe worth writing it in the more traditional style. Just a nit pick though.

Yep, forgot to change that from when I started to work on it.

Patron Hero (Ex):

It was good before and still just as good now. I'll take a look at the Ancestral Heroes a bit further down, which will give a better idea of how things look.

It now has an associated save too which makes the class more customizable, though you always get will save. And even if reflex is normally inferior to fortitude it fits a different archetype.

Anointed Guidance (Ex):

So at 17th level when do i pick the skills which i gain my bonus on? is it a one time choice? or each time i replenish my guidance points? or freeform?

I also asume from the wording that you cant choose Listen, Search or Spot and thus cant use the ability to take 10 on those?

You can choose listen, search and spot (if you want) and I am probably going to make it a one time choice, I feel that if I allow people to change it whenever they use ancestral tactics it might be too OTT.

As a side note I also reduced (halved) the guidance points at high levels.

Anointment (Ex or Su):

Wow this class really is a big read...

these abilities all seem pretty good to me to be honest. They certainly add a lot of flexability and customisation to your hero.

I guess my only gripe at this time would be the lack of flavour text for each ability. It might be nice to have a single line just to explain the fluff behind the boon a bit better.

They are going to get flavor text, some might disappear (probably anointed intervention and anointed hero) since they might be a bit over powered and there are certainly enough abilities.

Ancestral Channeling (Su):

Much as i remebmer it, still looking good.

Just clarified that it was once a day and increased the time required, to make it clearly an out of combat thing.

Offerings (Su):

As above, still looking good.

It would be nice if you gave a little more insight into the fluff of your abilities though.

Burning some incense while you start channeling the heroes?

Ancestral Skills (Ex):

The flexability this actually offers makes it rather powerful. Not OTT but powerful.

I try to convince myself that the limits on the class skill list and the fact that the anointed heritors are probably going to need knowledge (history) and whatever hero they are channeling lessens the actual skills available but it is of course strong (I am considering adding a clause to limit this to the class skills gained from your levels in anointed heritors specifically)

Boons (Su):
Stacked with everything else your class is getting over time some of these things are begining to make your class very powerful.

No single ability is broken or OTT but combined together they are very potent indeed. I see this class as a very high Tier 3 at the moment, which if totally fine but i thought you should know my thoughts.

I might try to tone it down a little once I feel that the class is finished, I have to say though that I don't fear having a hight tier 3 and later nerf it a little once we get some playtesting done with it.

Anointed recovery (Su):
Much needed and kicks in at about the right point.

Really glad that you like the point it kicks in I moved it along the class.

Ancestral feat (Ex):
"The ancestral heroes are known for their heroic deeds, you cannot choose a feat with the following descriptors [divine], , [metamagic], [metapsionic], [psionic item creation feats] or [wild]." is not really the best flow of fluff into crunch i've seen.

Still the feature itself is pretty good, no complaints from me!

Yep, the fluff on that sucks, I have to improve it.

Ancestral tactics (Su):
If you get this at 9th why is it all the way down here?

Also where is your capstone? is this supposed to be it? I mean its not bad but I was kinda expecting something with more balls to be honest.

I need to work on a cool capstone not been inspired lately :smallfrown:

Ancestral Heroes

Ok i'm gunna blast through these pretty quick...

Its great to have all this sorted up front. Good job!

right on to the Ancestral Heroes themselves...

Yep that helped to build the abilities.

Nightthirster: very themeatic plus who does not like a bit of sneak attacking!

Stormcloak: Lightning is always fun and its got some ok abilities. Not super powerful, but i like it.

Dancing Fire: I really like this one, its quite potent as well. Inspire courage is a really nice touch.

Windrider: I always like looking at mounted combat stuff even though i never really get the chance to explore it in game as much as i would like. Its not overly powerful as far as I can tell, but i like it none the less.

Moonwolf: Becoming a kind of werewolf is awesome. I like the way this develops.

Swordmaster: Martial lore as a skill is a nice touch. I love playing "the greatest swordsman who ever lived" role and while this is far away from that kind of power level it does carry the flavor.

Laughing fool: Why the Kukri as its weapon? I would hve though maybe something a bit more trixy like net or whip?

I didn't really know what weapon to give the laughing fool I almost picked the cutlass from stormwrack for a more pirate feeling arrh.

Battlelord: Spell cutter is a cool ability, i like the image of using an attack roll more than using a weapon drill check, but i see why you made that call.

Skill checks are OP but it is a small memento to the broken bardblade.

Godspeaker: I love the image of a bad ass priest with a war hammer. Forbidden knowledge is a nice idea as well Omen of Peril is a cool thing for a class like this to have access to and it works quite well.

Glad you like, I am quite fond of this one it is in fact one anointed heritor that became a hero so it will tie to the capstone (once it gets one).

Swifttalon: Dont know why but i really expected this one to offer you a movement speed boost. none the less its a solid choice, not one of my favs though.

It is a scout role though I just realized that it lacks fluff :smallredface:

Wrath: ...and here is the movement boost. You get to fill that barbarian role if you so wish. Its nice and theme filled, probably not the choice I would make but good none the less.

Yep that's the barbarian.

Truthseeker: Its got that paladin feel, which i asume was the point. Sadly i'm not really that fond of paladins so its not really for me, none the less its a solid choice.

The paladin is a really embedded archetype at least on stories so it seemed necessary to have it filled.

As a sidenote the six other anointed heroes that I want to build are:
-A "dragon" breathing fire, having scaly hide, and something related with gold/greed/hoards
-A "mage" archetype a savy hero opposed slightly to the power of Godspeaker probably using some low level spell like or psi like abilities.
-A "crafter" while probably have some abilities that replicate crafting or create stuff.
-A "tankie" character the hit me kind of guy. A mix of knight and crusaders typical abilities.
-A "poisoner" there is not a love for poisons in D&D and having an ancestral hero capable of pulling it off might fit a niche.
-A "flier" no hero seems to give good mobility (other than mounted) and it can be a good role to fit.

This will up the heroes to 18, that way the anointed heritor is not taking 9 of their available heroes and this combined with the several number of anointments will probably give a lot of options to the prospective anointed heritor.

Summary

Wow, that was one hell of a class to work though.

I will be honest, I really like it and mechanically it hits all the right notes. I cant really point at to many issues beyond a few nitpicks mentioned above.

I guess my biggest single issue would be the lack of flavour on some of the features. You sometimes just kind of give a title for an ability and then state some crunch... obviously this is fine, but I quite enjoy a little bit of fluff to get me in the mood... think of it as class feature foreplay.

Anyway, I think you should be very prouf of what your making here. Its solid and powerful enough to stand shoulder to shoulder with all the cool kids without being broken.

All in all, a strong candidate for winning this entire contest if you flesh out the flavour text.

I wouldn't be able of doing these without everyone's help, PEACHes and other homebrews have been really helpful.

PS. Who want's to see a multiclass feat between this and the Champion (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9623431&postcount=9)?

kanachi

2012-08-22, 06:17 PM

I still lack a good capstone ability at the moment I am contemplating having you build your own hero. And giving you a bonus if you choose to channel said hero (that hero would be yourself

hmmm how about we look at this the other way around if we look at the last stages of the heroes journey (by Joseph Campbell) we come to the idea that at the end of their journey the hero returns with the knowledge, skill, boon or magic mcuffin they sort out and thereby improve the world of the common man.

You could reflect this by making an ability which does not make the character themselves better but instead inspires other they meet to begin their own such journeys. For example...

you could, at the start of each day, grant a number of creatures equal to your char modifier the entire first level of this class as a bonus level, complete with all its bonuses (bab, saves, special abilities... the lot). You could simplify some of the effects of this "level" by giving them a +2 bonus to all skill checks you have at least 1 rank in and +X max hit points. This bonus "level" is not an actual level however and does not increase their current real level.

Any good?

Burning some incense while you start channeling the heroes?

I would make it much less about what they do and more the kind of sensations and feelings one experiances when envoking such powers. It just helps ground you in the place of the characters mood and gives you something you can work off in role playing terms.

Zaydos

2012-08-22, 08:42 PM

Tavar

2012-08-22, 08:54 PM

Jester of Doom

2012-08-22, 10:40 PM

To Zaydos:
I'm dying for any opportunity for the mime to be playtested. You could give one of the githzerai some unusual mix of abilities, like monk abilities and Invocations, or Improved Familiar and Maneuvers. Don't forget to use the Spell Mimicking ability.

Techwarrior

2012-08-22, 11:06 PM

The Everready is up, excepting the Cinereal Bastion stance it should be ready for PEACHing.

Tavar

2012-08-23, 01:13 AM

For anyone who cares, the first 13 levels or so of the Jack of All blades have been essentially finalized, and the last 3 are probably good as well. Still have a few dead levels, and I'm toying with what to fill them with.

Possibly some sort of changeable feat like the Cameleon, but limited to fighter/warblade feats, or something.

kanachi

2012-08-23, 05:15 AM

Also not doing the Dimensional Conduit for this because, despite it being one of my favorites to come out of the contest so far, it'd multiply the workload of making a single NPC more than a full caster would and these are one time use NPCs most of which won't even have names. And yes this disclaimer is here mostly because it was my first choice till I realized why it was a bad one.

Totally understandable and thanks for the kind words :)

To be honest the Dimensional Conduit would probably work best as a BBEG.

I will probably work on making a few character builds. I've also been toying with an example encounter where you can have a face off against an evil Dimensional Conduit.

kanachi

2012-08-23, 05:55 AM

The Everready is up, excepting the Cinereal Bastion stance it should be ready for PEACHing.

I doubt i will get to it today as your a little ways down from where i am but i shall try to get to it in the next few days.

kanachi

2012-08-23, 05:58 AM

Not sure I will get to your class today (I'm actually DMing tonight), but I'm almost there!

For anyone who cares, the first 13 levels or so of the Jack of All blades have been essentially finalized, and the last 3 are probably good as well. Still have a few dead levels, and I'm toying with what to fill them with.

Possibly some sort of changeable feat like the Cameleon, but limited to fighter/warblade feats, or something.

God Imperror

2012-08-23, 06:12 AM

Okay I'm going to be sending my players to Limbo on the 31st, and I know I want an encounter with githzerai bandits (Lv 4 and 6) and a single neraph (Lv 8 or maybe 9) so if anybody has some requests to be used for them let me know, since change seems to fit Limbo. The level 8 one should be able to take a few hits as it ought to survive at least one round from the party (2 shadow blade swordsages, a summoner druid, an unoptimized wizard, and possibly one more character) so not a squishy class.

Also not doing the Dimensional Conduit for this because, despite it being one of my favorites to come out of the contest so far, it'd multiply the workload of making a single NPC more than a full caster would and these are one time use NPCs most of which won't even have names. And yes this disclaimer is here mostly because it was my first choice till I realized why it was a bad one.

I would really love some playtesting, if you are ok with it, githzerai could have trapped the souls from heroes of the past in the limbo and be using them as tools for power.

Anointed heritors should be balanced around those levels, pick any hero you like, but if you need something to take hits a Battlelord based anointed heritor is probably the best option atm since he refuses to die and gains temporal hit points when attacking.

If you need help with building something or have any suggestion let me know :smallbiggrin:

GuyFawkes

2012-08-23, 06:28 AM

The Persona could use some playtesting as well, if the class would be interesting to you. She can fill in any role except a full caster.

kanachi

2012-08-23, 09:23 AM

Right so time for another PEACH... whats up next...

The Persona

Sounds interesting lets take a look.

Title Image and initial fluff...

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/225/1/4/multiple_personality_by_alexielart-d46f7gs.jpg[/CENTER]

"I gather you've heard of the tale of the good ol' Dr. Jekyll and big bad Mr. Hyde? What they never told you about was the story of the few others that shared that body with the two of 'em." - an old storyteller.

Personas are essentially the Jack of all trades type of class, able to adjust to what is needed for the task at hand, mostly through mundane means, though they do exhibit supernatural abilities, and through one of their multitudes of personalities, are able to exhibit arcane magic or psionic powers. And though they are good at dabbling with everything, they also excel at focusing their talents into one particular aspect.

I love the image, its very cool indeed (though a re-size would probably be good). The introduction also gives us a good idea of what to expect.

Lets move on...

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Life on the road is almost a given for the Persona, whose life is a but a long series of being rejected, for who they are or what they are capable of. They find comfort in anonymity, and thus travel from place to place. Due to harsh circumstances that they have been through, most try to seek approval from others by trying to achieve great deeds, while others just try to show their superiority over others who have placed them as outcasts and lowlifes.

Characteristics: Personas are capable of filling almost any role in a party. They could very well live up to being the Jack of all Trades of the group, though through choosing the right abilities, they could pretty much excel at one role.

Alignment: Alignments can be as varied between Personas as there are Personas. And even in an individual Persona, some of her other personalities may exhibit a different belief systems from her, and could lean to a different alignment. However, being a Persona means having the will to control the multitude of voices in her head, that means reigning in their actions to the direction she would generally go for.

Religion: Different Personas worship different gods or goddesses, depending on what leanings they have, most probably worshiping the deity who exhibits the ideals that they strive for the most, or those they could see as someone who would understand their situation the most.

Background: Personas tend to come from turbulent and traumatic childhood, such that they develop coping mechanisms to protect themselves. These coping mechanisms may involve creating an outer shell, a persona, that comes out and takes all of the negative experiences and is also a means of outlet to express themselves when their true selves feel they have no power to do so.

Some Personas may develop rather later in life, and not through traumatic experiences. Some actors and players, for example, delve too deep in their subconscious to try to emulate roles that they are playing, and sometimes go beyond the boundary and create a different "self" entirely.

Races: Most intelligent beings can become Personas, most notably humans and their complex social interactions. Having multiple personalities does not equate to being a Persona; it is having enough willpower to reign in these different personalities to use to your advantage. Thus, races with high Wisdom scores tend to produce good Personas.

Other Classes: Most classes tend to be wary of Personas, as they can drastically change their personalities in an instant, and may seem them as unstable and dangerous, but once they are able to go through that prejudice, they could find worthy allies in the Persona.

Role: The Persona can be anybody, and thus she can do any role in the party. Thrown into an existing party, she can tailor her abilities to fit what is most needed of her or what is lacking in the group. Her primary weakness would be at being a primary spell caster, as the class does not focus too much on spells, though she could do a decent job of being a secondary spell caster.

Adaptation: Since Personas are mostly a mundane class, there are not too many things needed to change to adapt it to any campaign setting, though some of their abilities might be flavored differently or removed entirely to fit some settings that do not involve magic or psionics.

I like it, your kind of making something quite similar and yet also very different thematically from my dimensional conduit.

I always enjoy reading through the adaptation sections and was a bit disappointed by the lack of anything here really, but to be honest i understand why you have drawn a blank... this is ultimately little reason to adapt them at the moment.

I suppose you could re-theme it so they were the victems of multiple spirits being infused within them or some kind of magnet for ghosts who want to possess their body for a while (kinda like Whoopi Goldberg's character from ghost. lol).

Anyway, apart from my random thoughts its all very solid and has a nice flavor to it.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Personas have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Willpower is the most important attribute for a Persona, thus Wisdom is the key ability score for her. Constitution helps to mitigate low Fortitude saves and an average hit die. The third ability score would depend on what role you want to focus in the most.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Persona's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Great range of skills, solid hit dice and good number of skill points. My first thought was maybe to allow them to pick X skills to make class skills at first level as they can pretty much do anything.

Class Table...

The Persona
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Personae, Jack of all Trades

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Multiple Personalities, Split Personalities (1 effect)

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Jack of all Trades

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Hypnotic Induction

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Jack of all Trades

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Hypnosis (suggestion)

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Jack of all Trades

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Overdrive

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Jack of all Trades

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Hypnosis (modify memory), One Mind

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+3|
+7|Jack of all Trades

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Split Personalities (2 effects)

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Jack of all Trades

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+4|
+9|Hypnosis (psychic reformation)

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+9|Jack of all Trades

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Hyper Overdrive

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Jack of all Trades

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Hypnosis (dominate monster)

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Jack of all Trades

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|One Mask[/table]

No dead levels and well paced out... first impression: looks good.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

The Persona is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Personas are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Bardish types then. Seems solid enough.

Personae (Ex):

The defining ability of the Persona is to switch personalities as easily as switching masks. Personas have experienced multitude of different circumstances both negative and positive to draw on, and an equally numerous personae may be formed, however they generally fall into six distinct archetypes, as detailed below. Each archetype is associated with an ability score, and whenever the Persona switches from one archetype to the other, she switches her Wisdom score with the ability score associated to that archetype. In the case of the Sage archetype, she instead gains a +2 bonus to her Wisdom score. In addition, all skills that have their key ability score the same as the associated ability score of the archetype they are in are treated as trained even without any ranks in them as long as the archetype is in effect.

At 1st level, the Persona can switch freely into any 3 archetype as a standard action for a number of times equal to his original Wisdom modifier per day. This can be any 3 of the 6 archetype per day; once she has switched through 3 archetypes, she can no longer switch to another archetype except between the 3. She can choose different archetypes each day, and this is determined only as soon as she switches into them. At 6th level, she can switch between 4 archetypes, 5 archetypes at 11th, and all archetypes at 16th level. The Persona can stay in an archetype for a number of hours equal to her class level for each instance she switches into a particular archetype. Switching back to normal state (no archetype) does not count as one use of this ability, but shares the same type of action required to shift into an archetype.

Each personality is a different entity on its own such that the Persona cannot remember anything that transpires around her during the time she is in a persona other than her normal self.

The Warrior – The Warrior archetype encompasses all the personae stemming from aggression, rage, anger, ferocity, and hatred. The Warrior is associated with the Strength ability score.

The Trickster – The Trickster defines all personae that exhibit playfulness, deftness, whimsicality, chaos, and adaptability. The Trickster is associated with the Dexterity ability score.

The Braveheart – The Braveheart archetype includes all personae that deal with fortitude, courage, honor, resilience, and the desire to protect. The Braveheart is associated with the Constitution ability score.

The Scholar – The Scholar archetype represents personae that reflect learning, thirst for new knowledge, curiosity, order, and dedication. The Scholar is associated with the Intelligence ability score.

The Sage – The Sage is the embodiment of all personae exhibiting unbending will, steadfast determination, clarity, perseverance, and enlightenment. The Sage is associated with the Wisdom ability score.

The Leader – The Leader archetype deals with all personae showing confidence, decisiveness, tact, cunning, and eloquence. The Leader is associated with the Charisma ability score.

I like it. Its a simple way of achieving a good amount of flexibility. I also love the fact you gave flavor for what each archetype represents.

Jack of all Trades (Ex):

Along with her different personalities, the Persona gains different abilities that stem from the unconscious retention of skills and abilities of each of the personae within her. At 1st level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the Persona learns one ability from the following list. Some of these abilities can be used by the Persona whether in normal state or switched into an archetype, while other abilities can only be used when switched to a particular archetype. Some abilities have synergies with particular archetypes, making them more potent when used while switched to that archetype, and some have more powerful versions called Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives which can be unlocked at higher levels.

Getting the benefits of synergy effects is not considered as one use of Jack of all Trades ability. However, Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives are equivalent to learning one additional ability. To be able to use the Hyper Overdrive of the Sneak Attack ability, for example, requires a level 18 Persona and 3 investments of the Jack of all Trades ability; one for the Sneak Attack ability, one for the Overdrive, and one for the Hyper Overdrive. They must also be taken in order, i.e. you cannot take a Hyper Overdrive option without taking the requisite Overdrive option, and you cannot take an Overdrive option without taking the requisite ability.

Jack of all Trades abilities are affected by the psychic reformation power or similar effects, and you can allocate a new set of abilities afterwards.

Not sure i like the terms "Overdrives" and "Hyper Overdrives" sounds like i'm driving a deathrace 2000 car.

Never the less, i like the abilities and the concepts behind them. I also like the way in which some have synergies with other aspects of the class. I think this does kind of make you feel obliged to build your character in a number of ways however, it would be nice if you created a way to benifit from a synergy without meeting its prerequisites (perhaps a feat which bonds the two aspects together as though they has a synergy?).

Anyway, looks good to me.

Multiple Personalities (Ex):

At 2nd level, the Persona's different personae continue to grow. Each of the gain their own meaning of "self"; each persona may call itself by a different name, have its own beliefs, identity, and personality distinct from the others. They also develop abilities distinct for each of them according to their personalities, as follows:

The Warrior - she becomes proficient with martial weapons, as well as one melee exotic and one ranged weapon of her choice. This choice must be made upon acquiring this ability, and cannot be changed.
The Trickster - she uses the good Reflex saves progression.
The Braveheart - she uses the good Fortitude saves progression.
The Scholar - she gains an insight bonus to all Intelligence-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).
The Sage - she gains an insight bonus to all Wisdom-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).
The Leader - she she gains an insight bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).

These abilities are active as long as the Persona is switched to the particular archetype they are attributed to.

Seems pretty cool, I like the way this lets you switch up your character. I supose in game you would probably want to take some time to write yourself a character sheet for each Persona to help speed things up.

Split Personalities (Ex):

Starting at 2nd level, whenever the Persona switches from one archetype to another, she can choose to ignore 1 mind-affecting effect currently active on her, for as long as she is in an archetype different from the archetype (or normal state) she was in when she suffered that effect. At 12th level, she can ignore 2 mind-affecting effects at a time.

Can her ability to switch personas be supressed by a mind effecting ability. So for example could she be instructed to maintain her current persona for the duration of the spell/effect/whatever? Are her personas individually sentient? i.e can they react even when another is turned to act against them.

Also if you were ordered to, for example, “attack an ally” would choosing to switch personal be in keeping with that effect if your current persona could indeed launch such an attack? Basically I guess I’m wondering who exactly is being controlled here and if therefore other personas have the ability to overthrow a mind affected persona without that persona choosing to allow them to do so?

Hypnotic Induction (Ex):

At 4th level, the Persona learns to use hypnosis as a means to facilitate quicker switching from one archetype to another. Each day, she can spend a few minutes to undergo the process of hypnotic induction. The Persona has to roll an Autohypnosis check with a DC of 15. If she succeeds, for the rest of the day, she can utter a few keywords to make her switching into archetypes faster, making it as a move action instead of a standard action. If she fails, she can still switch as a move action, but due to errors in the process, she also becomes susceptible to suggestions from outside sources, receiving a -2 penalty to Will saves against mind affecting effects. At 14th level, the Persona takes only a swift action to switch archetypes.

The Persona can also initiate hypnotic induction on any one target she can see, and the target must be able to see and hear the Persona for this to work. As a standard action, the Persona makes a Autohypnosis roll. If the target fails a Will save with the DC equal to the Autohypnosis roll, the target suffers a -2 penalty to AC and Will saves for a number of rounds equal to the Persona’s class level. If a target succeeds on its saving throw against this ability, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

At 14th blank, the action required to do this ability is reduced to a move action.

While thematic on paper, I’m not so sure if this will really be played out in such a way in practice. More likely the character will simply roll a dice at the start of the day and simply suck up the penalty if it comes there way. Plus any such character would surely eliminate any chance of failure asap.

Actions are the most valuable resource in dnd so it would be folly not to attempt a process which allows you to get more bang for your buck if possible. Of course if this is what your expecting then don’t worry about it, I just thought I would make you aware of it.

Anyway, its a very nice ability. I like it.

The second part of the ability is also cool, but keep in mind that there are many ways to make skill checks far outstrip will saves, so a savvy character will make it extremely difficult for them to not overcome their victims save.

Hypnosis (Ex):

At 6th level, the Persona begins to learn different hypnosis techniques. Whenever an enemy is under hypnotic induction, as a move action, she can utter a few key words to make the target obey her commands. The target behaves similar to being under a suggestion spell, but the duration uses the remaining duration of the Hypnotic Induction ability.

At 10th level, the Persona can use this ability to modify her target's memory, as if the target is affected by the modify memory spell. At 14th level, she can use this ability to reformat the target's psyche, as the psychic reformation power. She and the target must pay the XP cost as normal. At 18th level, she can control her target similar to a dominate monster spell, with the duration using the remaining duration of the Hypnotic Induction ability.

The target gains a Will save for all of these effects, with the DC equal to 10 + 1/2 class level + Wisdom modifier.

At 14th level, the Persona can use this ability as a swift action.

Its very cool that hypnotic induction scales. I like the way you have implemented this.

Is a subject aware at any point that they have been the victim of hypnotic induction? I'm amusing not if you succeed? but would they be aware if you failed?

Maybe the target should get a save at the start of each round and again i worry that a skill vs save check has only 1 winner.

Overdrive (Ex):

At 8th level, the Persona can channel the very essence of her persona to achieve a heightened level of synergy with a particular ability. The Persona can now use the Overdrive option for certain Jack of all Trades abilities. She must be switched into the archetype that has synergy with the particular Jack of all Trades ability. Using this ability pushes the particular persona over her limit of concentration, sending her back into the Persona's subconscious and immediately reverts her into her normal state at the end of the ability.

Hate the name of this ability. Mechanically it works well though.

One Mind (Ex):

At 10th level, the Persona’s various personae gain awareness of each other’s existence, breaking the boundaries between them. She no longer forgets any events that happen when switching to other personas. In addition, she can gain the benefit of the Multiple Personalities ability of any one archetype she is not currently switched into for a number of times equal to half her Persona class levels per day. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to her original Wisdom modifier.

I hadn't noticed before that the other personas are not aware of each other and forget.

To be honest, while I love the theme I think the reality of acting like you have forgotten everything which has happened will get extremely repetitive and may prove very clunky and frustrating - especially in combat.

If a persona is not aware they are in a battle and then "bang!" all of a sudden they are... would they not be flat footed?

Roleplaying this may become quite tedious for everyone involved as they have to sit there and explain everything to the new persona for the umpteenth time. Sure the first few times it may be fun, quirky and interesting but I can see it being fraught with problems from a role playing perspective. Personal opinion only of course.

Hyper Overdrive (Ex):

By 16th level, the Persona unlocks the highest potentials of her abilities. She can now use the Hyper Overdrive options for certain Jack of all Trades abilities. As with the Overdrive ability, the Persona must be switched into the archetype that has synergy with the particular Jack of all Trades ability. This is more taxing than the Overdrive ability in that aside from the Persona immediately reverting into her normal state at the end of the ability, she cannot switch into any persona for 1d4 rounds.

Again I really dislike the name of this ability. However, mechanically its very sound. I like it.

One Mask (Ex):

At 20th level, the Persona has full control over his different personalities, being one of them and at the same time being all of them, and she is able to be who she wants to be on a whim. She can now switch into different archetypes as a free action once per round even without having to rely on hypnosis. She also gains immunity to all mind-affecting effects.

In addition, whenever she is switched into an archetype, she gains the benefit of another archetype as if she is switched into that archetype as well, gaining the Multiple Personalities ability of that archetype as well as being able to synergize with and use Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives of Jack of all Trades abilities linked to that archetype. She does not, however, gain the bonus of the Personae ability for that second archetype. This second archetype is chosen every time the Persona switches into an archetype.

A good capstone, nice and themeatic and some solid power. I very much like this!

Summary

I really like this class, its one of my favourites so far actually. Though, for me, a few issues and quirks keep me from fully "loving it". Also a horrid choice of name for two of the classes abilities makes me a sad panda.

Still apart from those minor gripes I think you are onto a winner here. I would certainly like to see how this one performs in the field and may well adapt one into an npc whom I'm running in my current campaign. I think it can be re-themed to represent someone with an insane genius and split personality disorder very well indeed.

All in all this is a dark horse class in the contest in my eyes. Work at it a bit more and you may well go all the way.

p.s: sorry it took so long to write this one up by the way. I've had a busy few days.

God Imperror

2012-08-23, 06:51 PM

Loads of thingies added to the anointed heritors I start to fear to run out of space :smalleek:

malonkey1

2012-08-23, 08:58 PM

New Avvy, GI?

Temotei

2012-08-23, 09:09 PM

New Avvy, GI?

He switched to a kobold a week or two ago. Probably searching for a favorite.

God Imperror

2012-08-24, 03:28 AM

This one is probably going to stick though. I like the Imp :smallsmile:

kanachi

2012-08-24, 08:56 AM

I finally finished my peach of The Persona, which is well worth a look by the way.

So, whats next you might be thinking... well another peach of course!

kanachi

2012-08-24, 08:59 AM

The Jack of All Blades

Surely a car jack with blades protruding from it is counter logical?

oh...

http://th03.deviantart.net/fs26/PRE/f/2008/134/3/f/The_King__s_Treasure_by_soumakyo.jpg

A Jack of All Blades taking his time deciding what style to crush his foes with.

"Jack of all blades, master of none,
Certainly better than a master of one."
- Attributed to [/center]

The Jack of All Blades has asked themselves the question "why specialize in a few disciplines?", and found the answers wanting. They do not seek to master any one discipline, but to master the sublime way as a whole.

Sadly while they maybe potential masters of the book of nine swords I am not... so I appologise in advance if i'm not that good at peaching your class.

I will give it my best shot however, and the image and starting fluff both seem interesting. Opening the image blows the walls clean off the forum though, so you might want to think about a re-size.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: To test themselves. To prove their detractors wrong. For vengeance, love, or duty. The fact that their path is one tied to violence only makes adventuring a more attractive option.

Characteristics: Jacks of All Blades are a varied lot, though it is undeniable that they are focused on combat, and melee combat most of all.

Alignment: Jacks of All Blades favor no single alignment, though many who know of them associate their skills with the more chaotic side of the spectrum, but this is due to the often more flamboyant and obvious nature of those souls. There are plenty of lawful adepts, who tend to change styles based on logical reasoning, rather than feelings.

Religion: They are more inclined to follow martial deities, but it is generally up to the adept in question to follow a god of their choosing.

Background: Jacks of All Blades are the dreamers and wanders of the martial Adepts. Often times they trained at multiple sites, learning much but never quite fitting in with other students.

Races: Any race known for either short attention spans or a desire to be well rounded have a slightly higher predilection for Jacks of All Blades. Being martially inclines is also a plus.

Other Classes: Jacks of All Blades tend to look down on those who are more focused than themselves, most often in a sort of patronizing way. Interestingly, Masters of the Nine are generally looked down upon with something like pity, as if they are missing some truth that the Jacks know. Factotums, Bards, Non-specialized wizards, and theurges of almost all sorts tend to be given more respect. Masters of one, Wizards who have given up more than 2 schools, or other such specialists tend to be looked upon with some small amount of contempt.

Role: As with most Martial Adepts, Jacks of All Blades focus on combat, generally melee combat. Their wide range of options, however, does allow them to branch out into other areas a tad, as the situation calls for it.

Adaptation: Jacks of All Blades work in essentially any setting that allows Tome of Battle and the like.

Seems pretty solid. It’s a shame to not see a slightly more ambitious adaptation entry in here, which is always one of my favourite things to read when looking at fluff, but I understand why.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Jack of All Blades's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As a combatant, the physical scores are all important, though the exact priority depends on what you want the Jack to be: an archer needs higher dexterity, while the Two handed fighter needs higher strength. constitution is almost always useful, moreso if you want to be a tank.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As Bard.
Starting Gold: As Fighter.

Class Skills
A Jacks' of All Blades class skills are Balance(Dex), Craft(Int), Concentration(con), Heal, Knowledge [Local, History](Int), Listen(Wis), Martial Lore, Spot(Wis), Tumble(Dex)

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Just what i expected really. Good stuff.

Class Table...

JACK OF ALL BLADES
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Readied

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Jack of All Trades(2), Master of None |3|1

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|Flexible Arsenal: Martial Proficiency|3|1

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3||4|1

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Flexible Arsenal: Martial Proficiency|4|1

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|Flexible Training: Enchantments|5|2

6th|
+6/1|
+2|
+5|
+5|Jack of All(3), Flash of Inspiration 1/encounter|6|2

7th|
+7/2|
+2|
+5|
+5||7|2

8th|
+8/3|
+2|
+6|
+6|Quick Focus 1/Day, Flexible Arsenal: Martial Proficiency|7|2

9th|
+9/4|
+3|
+6|
+6||8|2

10th|
+10/5|
+3|
+7|
+7|Flash of Inspiration 1/encounter|8|3

11th|
+11/6/1|
+3|
+7|
+7||9|3

12th|
+12/7/2|
+4|
+8|
+8|Jack of All(4)|10|3

13th|
+13/8/3|
+4|
+8|
+8|Flexible Arsenal: Exotic Proficiency|11|3

14th|
+14/9/4|
+4|
+9|
+9|Quick Focus 2/Day|11|3

15th|
+15/10/5|
+5|
+9|
+9||12|3

16th|
+16/11/6/1|
+5|
+10|
+10||12|4

17th|
+17/12/7/2|
+5|
+10|
+10||13|4

18th|
+18/13/8/3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Quick Focus 3/Day|13|4

19th|
+19/14/9/4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Jack of All(5)|14|4

20th|
+20/15/10/5|
+6|
+12|
+15|Flash of Genuis 1/Day|15|4[/table]

Quite a few dead levels but then I suspect you know that. It’s hard to judge the class table fully as a result though. Looks promising none the less!

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:
They are proficient with Simple weapons and Medium Armor.

Short and to the point i guess... i like to see these entries follow the traditional format however. What about shields by the way?

Are they not proficient with light armour? only medium? Also i expected martial weapons from a class like this.

Jack Of Trades(Ex):

Through various sources, Jacks have learned many styles of fighting. They have access to at least all 9 of the disciplines found in Tome of Battle, and can access homebrew ones with permission(See Notes at the Bottom). However, they can only focus on so many different styles at once. At first level, they may focus on two school, at 6th 3, at 12th 4, and at 19th 5. In any school currently in focus, a Jack of All Blades is considered to know all maneuvers and stances his initiator level would qualify him for.

He may change Focuses by spending 5 minutes meditating, going over weapon forms, or similar exercises to retrieve the knowledge, though this ritual needs to be repeated for multiple disciplines if applicable. This knowledge stays with him until he lets it recede or he changes focus.

In addition, they get a bonus equal to their levels in Jack of All Blades divided by 4 on Martial Lore checks to identify maneuvers due to their extensive experience.

Having such a wide pallet from which to draw their stances and manoeuvres makes this a pretty darn powerful ability to take as a 1 level dip.

I get why you have given them such a broad tool box and as its the key class feature I guess it’s hard to pull out but maybe you should consider some kind of nerf for a character who has 2 or 3 times the class levels in another class other than this one?

Still a pretty good ability none the less, flexibility equals power after all.

Master of None (Ex):

Not all of the common saying is false, as much as Jacks of All Blades would like to deny it. Their far-ranging attention does impede their prowess, to a degree. As such, Jack of All Blades levels count as 3/4 of an initiator level, rounded up, rather than the normal one or 1/2.

Quarters (or 3/4 in this case) are not always the neatest thing to deal in, but i have no real problem with it.

Maneuvers and Stances(Ex):

Simply having the knowledge isn't enough: a Jack of All Blades must prepare himself for the exertions. A minute of concentration allows him to select which maneuvers he considers readied, up to a maximum shown on the chart above. He is not able to freely pick these without restriction, though, due to his inexpert grasp of the techniques. He may have at most 1 of his highest level maneuvers his initiator level qualifies him for, 2 of the second highest level, and 3 of his third highest, with the rest being unlimited, and there is never a limit to the number of level 1 maneuvers he may know excepting his normal maximum. At level XXX these values increase by 1 (2 of highest, 3 of next highest, 4 of next), and again at level xxx. As discussed below, Stances count as maneuvers for these numbers.

The Jack of All Blades has 2 methods of regaining maneuvers in combat. First of all, if he has no maneuvers readied or has just expended his last readied maneuver, then he may spend a swift action, and replenish all of his maneuvers. Alternatively, he may take a Standard Action at any point in time, and replenish a number of his maneuvers at the start of his next turn equal to the highest maneuver level known.

In addition, while most Martial adepts can freely switch between Stances they know, Jacks are not so fortunate, though they make up for this in sheer versatility: they may have a number of stances readied at a time equal to the chart above, all from disciplines currently in focus. He may switch between any of these as normal for a martial adept. Stances are readied or changed along with maneuvers, and count for maneuvers for the purpose of the number of a given level of maneuvers that you can ready.

When Changing focused Disciplines, readied maneuvers do not change, but any maneuver from a school he no longer knows is lost, as the knowledge of it's workings recedes from his mind. He may change his maneuvers readied at any time by spending a minute.

The restrictions here are good and fit the theme well. I still say this is a great class to have a 1 level dip in though, especially if you’re not a martial adept.

There is nothing wrong with this as such, I personally don’t scoff at 1 level dips as long as they fit the theme of the character a player is building.

Flexible Training:

During his varied studies, a Jack of All Blades internalizes not just the specific techniques involved, but the weapon play associated with the styles, leading to his flexible arsenal ability. This manifests in the following ways:

Flexible Martial Proficiency(Ex): The Jack of All Blades can chose one martial weapon that is a preferred weapon of any one of the school and be treated as if he is proficient with said weapon. He first gains this ability at Level 2, and gains an additional choice at 4th and 8th Level. These are chosen at the same time as choosing disciplines, and can only be changed if the focus discipline the weapon is tied to is changed.

Flexible Enchantments: The largest restriction on the weapons a combatant wields is not the proficiency, but the magical nature of the weapons: a normal sword against a Dragon or Demon is of limited use, and using one in a fight against a highly magical blade can easily end in disaster. At 5th level, the Jack of all Blades begins to find a method past this restriction. By focusing on a weapon they own(in this case, meaning one that either they have legally purchased or one that has been in their possession for over 24 hours), they are able to draw it's enhancements forward, allowing them to apply them to any weapon they are proficient in, with the following restrictions:

The original weapon has it's magic properties surpressed while this effect is active, though it still counts as a magic item for sunder checks and the like.
The Jack of All Blades may only transfer magical properties up to the gp costs show in the chart below, as if he was purchasing the weapon with enhancements. Thus, weapons made from materials such as Cold Iron may have fewer enhanments transfered.
The Enhancements must be legal for the weapon: Vorpal cannot be applied to a Warhammer, and any weapon must first receive the minimum +1 bonus, but the weapon does not need to be masterwork.
Any weapon the Jack of Blades weilds benefits from the transfered enhancements as long as he is proficient with it. If the weapon leaves his hand, it reverts to its normal state.
If the weapon recieving the enhancements has magical properties already, they are overwritten by the new properties.
Spells with a duration less than permanent cannot be transferred: a greater magic weapon spell can only boost one weapon.
While under this effect, the weapon that receives the enhancement bonus and the weapon that gave it count as the same item for purposes of dispel magic's ability to suppress magic items, or Disjunction's ability to destroy them.

[snip!]

Though many have tried, no one has yet managed this with artifacts and legacy weapons.

Flexible Exotic Proficiency(Ex): At 13th Level, the Jack of All Blades is experienced enough to use even Exotic Weapons. Choosing such a weapon requires him to forgo 2 Marital Proficiency granted by Flexible Training, and it must be a preferred weapon in one of his focused disciplines.

I like the idea behind flexible martial proficiency but not getting your first weapon choice at level 1 feels a little weird. I guess you were maybe trying to make a 1 level dip less attractive and make players stick it out for the long haul. The problem however is that most players who do dip into this class will likely have their weapon choice sorted already, while those actually interested in playing this thing out have to actually wait until level 2 before they get that long sword they had their eyes set on.

However are a feature and a way of balancing the classes many powers it’s not a bad idea.

I like the idea behind the Flexible Enchantments ability but I’m not sure about its application. I personally would have allowed them to select specific magical boons which they can gift their weapon at the start of an encounter and which remain in play for as long as they are holding said weapon or until the encounter ends. Just an idea though.

Flexible Exotic Proficiency maybe kicks in a little late? By 13 level you probably have your weapon system refined. It’s useful don’t get me wrong but I would personally have it start sooner.

Flash of Inspiration(Ex):

Once per Day at level 6, as a free action Jack of All Blades boosts his initiator level to equal his character level, and may sacrifice any number of readied maneuvers. If he does so, he may select any maneuver in his currently focused disciplines and use it, provided he it is legal at the time for him to do so (one could not use this ability to take a standard action attack on someone else's turn, but you could use it to use an immediate action if you had one available). The Jack takes non-lethal damage equal to the level of maneuver used, cannot recover maneuvers for one round, and counts as fatigued until the end of the encounter.

At 10th level this ability is upgraded to be usable once per encounter.

I really like this, its a great way of boosting yourself for that all important moment. The aditional boon at level 10 is also a sound move. Bravo!

Quick Focus(Ex):

As the Jack of All Blades continues his study of the Sublime, he becomes ever more adept changing the way he applies his findings. Once per day at level 8, with additional uses gained at level 14 and 18, he may switch one of the disciplines he has focused as a standard action, and may replace any maneuvers or stances from the changed discipline with the ones from his new area of focus as a move action.

Fits the flavour well, I like this.

Flash of Genuis(Ex):

Once per day at level 20, as a free action a Jack of All Blades may expend 15 readied maneuvers. In doing so, his Initiator level equals his character level for 1 action, and he may use any maneuver he wishes, even ones that are not from Disciplines he has currently focused on. He must be able to chose that discipline as a focus, and he must be able to use the maneuver he chooses, as described in Flash of Inspiration. He counts as fatigued until the end of the encounter, takes non-lethal damage equal to twice the level of maneuver he used, and cannot recover maneuvers for 1 round.

I’ll be honest i just don’t have enough insight into the mechanics of the book of nine swords to really give you a balanced view of this ability. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful in this regard, but to be honest you probably know a lot better than me how this weighs in.

Summary

As I stated in my caveat at the start of this peach, I may be utterly wrong about all of the above, so take my thoughts with a few pinches of salt. I would really like to see someone out there with a greater understanding than myself step in and give you a hand because i like the vision you are building this towards but feel you maybe could use some more sage advice than i can offer in regard to the exact direction you should take your work.

That being said I will say that for a build in progress like this there is a lot to like. Obviously some of the edges are a little rough, but I have no doubt you shall polish them out.

The theme is strong and the vision is there to match it, so I have no doubt you will produce something of quality.

Zaydos

2012-08-24, 03:37 PM

Temotei

2012-08-24, 03:51 PM

kanachi

2012-08-24, 04:09 PM

Ok, well firstly i must say sorry to Tavar for my last peach being a bit naff... I’m afraid you’re knocking on the ceiling of my expertise with that one. I would really encourage someone out there to help pick up the obvious slack I have left though.

but with that said its time to roll out and see who is next in line... oohh i've been looking forward to this one.

The Mime

Marcel Marceau is back and hes here to kick your ass in silence.

[QUOTE=Jester of Doom;13761970]
Mime

http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20120724220307/finalfantasy/images/thumb/5/59/195px-Ff6_gogo.jpg/346px-195px-Ff6_gogo.jpg

"My name is Gogo, Mimic Exstrordinarie! The basis-no, the very soul of mimicry is the ability to aptly imitate anything, no matter the situation. Thusly, I will imitate your every move! When you attack, I will attack, when you cast a spell, I will cast a spell. Could you imitate me, you'd certainly win. More likely, it will be curtains for you!" -Famed Mimic Gogo.

The Mime is a class based upun a seemingly simple concept: mimicking the abilities of other classes. As such, their abilities can change drastically from day to day, and even encounter to encounter. This is a class for those who play a fighter and wish they had magic, play a cleric and wish they had sneak attack, and play a rouge and wish they had firebreating.

I really like the image, its got a really nice unfinished quality to it which expresses the crazy eccentric nature of the class.

You also spell out what the class is all about farely well, so no problems here.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Most mimes adventure simply to witness more skills to learn, others to test the skills they already know, but a large fraction adventure simply to put a roof over their head or right what they percieve as a great wrong.

Characteristics: Mimes have the esoteric ability to mimic actions performed by others, and as they grow in power they develop ever-improving mimicking skills, as well as learning some abilities permanently. In addition, mimes are masters of impersonation, and the most skilled of their kind do such even better than doppelgangers.

Most (but not all) mimes tend to wear heavy, concealing robes, face paint, masks, or anything else that coceals their face, as if no-one knows their face it is all that much harder to recognise them when they are in disguise.

Alignment: Although many would belive they tend towards chaos, the sheer amount of training, devotion and above all focus required to become a mime means that just as many are lawful. Ultimatly, however, the loss of self that results from copying others to the smallest detail, day in, day out, week after week, year after year, leads most mimes to a detached True Neutral.

Religion: Most mimes simply feign devotion to whatever god seems apropriate, whith a similarly apropriate level of fanaticism, very few mimes actually have religious beliefs of their own, and those that do generally worship their true faith only in secret.

Background: Most mimes learn from wandering sages, a few learn from ancient texts and in some settings secret scools exist, teaching the next generation of infiltrators. A very small amount are self-taught, and those that are almost always posess some strange, supernatural ability that facilitates their abilities.

Races: Most mimes are humans, simply because of their open-mindedness and large population, but the single race most likely to become a mime is probably changelings, followed by half-elves. Dwarves are extremely unlikely to become mimes, as such an extreme level of open-mindedness is somewhat alien to the dwarven mindset, and halflings ar also unlikely to become mimes for almost the oposite reason: halflings rarely sum up the devotion to master the art of mimicry. Any race that is unusually intelligent has a natural aptitude for miming.

Other Classes: Monks respect their discipline but are unnerved by their chaotic attitude, divine casters highly distrust mimes as they copy divine magic without any religious devotion, rouges are wary of them as master of deciet and disguise, fighters and other martial classes regard them much as they do rouges, and arcane casters scoff at their pathetic attempts at magic but deeply and horribly fear their ability to send someone's most powerfull spells back at them. Mimes' reactions to other classes vary greatly from mime to mime, but as a general rule, feel a deep sene of kinship and respect towards the more disciplined classes such as monk and psion, as well as a brotherly attitude towards rouges, ninjas, and factotums.

Role: A mime's role in a party greatly depends on the party makeup and their chosen abilities, but as a general rule they fall closest to rouge.

Adaptation: You could take away all spellcasting and Supernatural abilities and just use them for a "master of disguise/infiltrator" type of character, or you could restrict their entry to a secret sect that has mastered some kind of magical ability to memorize and perform viewed tecniques.

Each entry is concise and to the point but also very well written. I approve!

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Mime's have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important stat for mimes as it effects both their casting and most of their class features.
Charisma is useful for most of their skills as well as a few class features, Constitution helps for hit points, incarnum, and rage,
Strength helps if you try to fight in melee, and Dexterity is a necesary buff to Armor Class.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The Mime's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), Use Psionic Device (Cha) and 5 additional skills chosen at entry into the class.

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Wow that’s a wide and flexible skill array. Having said that I am sort of surprised not to see forgery in there as I can imagine them not only mimicking people but the documents and objects they need to perfect their impression.

Also maybe a d6 for hit dice? I can see that they can mimic the skills of a warrior but that does not necessarily mean they can mimic the physical resilience of one. Just my 2 coppers though.

Class Table...

MIME
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Bad saves|Good Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|Mimic 1/encounter, Spell Mimicking, Good Save
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|Learn Lesser Class Feature
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|Reassign Class Features (x1)
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|Emulate Magic
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|Learn Lesser Class Feature
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|Mimic (standard action)
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|Mimic 2/encounter
8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|Learn Lesser Class Feature
9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|Reassign Class Features (x2)
10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|Master of Repitition
11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|Learn Moderate Class Feature
12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|Mimic (swift action)
13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|Master of Disguise
14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+9|Mimic 3/encounter, Learn Moderate Class Feature
15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|Reassign Class Features (x3)
16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|Master of Counterspelling
17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|Learn Greater Class Feature
18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|Mimic (immediate action)
19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|Master of Mimicry
20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+12|Learn Greater Class Feature, Reassign Class Features (All)[/table]

Peeks my interest with the saves and no dead levels... looks interesting.

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

Mimes are proficient with all simple weapons, with light and medium armor, and shields (exept tower shields).

feels about right, but for some reason i quite like the idea of a single exotic weapon proficient from a list of crazy weird stuff (like whip daggers) just to give it the WTF flavour which is currently in my mouth.

Mimic (Ex):

As a full-round action (that voids use of their swift action this turn) a mime may copy every action performed by a target on their most recent turn.
•You must have had full view of the target and been able to clearly see these actions, and they must have occured within the last 6 seconds.
•When you activate this ability, you may repeat every action performed by the target on their last turn, in the same order they performed them in,
such as move, then attack, then swift action class feature, or 5ft-step, swift action class feature, full-attack.
•You may not rearrange the order that the copied actions are performed in.
•You may not emulate any abilities that were not activated by the target on that turn.
•You gain modifiers from all class features, feats, base attack bonuses, ability scores, and skill bonuses that modified these actions,
but you do not gain any other capacity of these abilities.
•You do not gain access to racial abilities and modifiers other than skill bonuses and feats.
•You may not copy spellcasting or spell-like abilities without the use of the Spell Mimicking ability. The same goes for Psionics.
•You do not gain benefits from any magic items or active spell effects.
•You do gain any modifiers that active abilities such as a barbarian's rage, a bound vestige or an active soulmeld would apply to those actions,
but you do not gain any other benefits from those abilities, nor do you gain these benefits for more than one round.
Long duration effects whose activation is copied with this ability function normally.
•You may copy supernatural abilities gained by class features such as vestiges or soulmelds.
•You may not copy the binding of a vestige or the shaping of a soulmeld.
•You may copy martial manuvers activated by the target.
•You may not copy any action that takes more than one round.
•You must use the target's ability modifiers, attack bonus, and skill modifiers, even if they are worse than your own.

Example: A mime mimics a 4th level human monk with the cleave feat who just moved 40ft, killed an orc with his unarmed strike,
and then attacked another orc with the cleave feat. the mime would gain access to the monk's fast movement, cleave feat, and 1d8 unarmed strike,
but none of the monk's other abilities, as they were not activated on the monk's turn. The mime could then, after activating this ability,
move and attack as the monk did. He need not move 40ft, (and indeed can't if he is wearing any armor) nor must he move in the same direction as the monk (or even at all). he may then make an attack using the monk's base attack bonus and strength modifiers (even if they are worse than his own).
He need not use the monk's unarmed strike, instead using whatever weapon he may have, and if he kills his target he may make another attack (with the monk's modifiers) as a result of the cleave feat. he may not, however, make actions based opon his own abilities, such as additional attacks granted by great cleave, or damage bonuses from sneak attack.

At first level you may activate this ability once an encounter, you gain additional uses on levels 7 and 14.

Perhaps my favourite single class feature in this entire contest thus far... perhaps.

Wonderfully thematic, strong and robust. I only worry that your constant copying of other peoples and creatures moves and the resulting need to ask “what do i add here?” may bog things down. To be honest though, I don’t really care about that when an ability is this damn cool.

minor nitpick... you seem to have hit return in a few places which has broken up your text and made it a bit anoying to read. Either break thigns up with clear gaps or write them as the same solid paragraph.

Spell Mimicking (Su):

Once per day per mime level, you may use a spell, power, spell-like ability, mystery, Etc. when you use your mimic ability. It is treated as though cast by a member of the target's class with a level equal to your mimie level, and all save DCs are based on your Int stat, rather than the ability score that class normally casts with. If a member of the target's class whose level is equal to your mime level and whose casting stat is equal to your Int could not cast the spell you are mimicking,
you may not mimic the spell. If a psionic power is augmented beyond a manifester of your mime level's ability to augment, it is instead augmented to the maximum degree such a character could. If you mimic a spell that has been moified with metamagic or similar feats, you may not cast the normal versions, nor may you add your own metamagic effects to spells you mimic.

More of the same and very little more to add.

Good Save (Ex):

You select one of your three saving throws, and it then uses the "Good Save" saving throw progression, instead of the "Bad Saves" progression used by the other two.

look what i wrote before i got to Reassign Class Features. Oh ye of little faith eh? hehe

I’m a bit disappointed here actually when i saw the unusual class table design i expected you to be experimenting with something a little “more”. This just feels a bit meh to me.

How about allowing them to choose their good save (which is a horrid name for an class feature by the way) at the start of each encounter?

Learn Lesser Class Feature:

at levels 2, 5, and 8, you choose one of the following class features:
Rage (Ex) as a 1st level barbarian. This ability does not improve with level nor does it gain additional uses.
Fast Movement (Ex) as the barbarian class feature.
one Bonus Feat taken from the fighter list. You may select this ability multiple times.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency (Ex): You gain proficiency with All martial weapons, heavy armor, and tower shields.
Mime's AC Bonus (Ex): You add your Int bonus to Ac and get an AC bonus equal to 1/5 your mime level. This ability does not function in armor.
This otherwise functions as the monk ability.
Unarmed Strike as a monk of your mime level.
Mime's Lay on Hands (Su):Each day you can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to your mime level × your Inteligence bonus. This ability otherwise functions as the paladin ability.
Wild Empathy (Ex) as the ranger class feature.
Lesser Sneak Attack (Ex): You gain Sneak Attack +1d6. This does not stack with Moderate Sneak Attack or Greater Sneak Attack.
Trapfinding as a rouge.
Familiar as the wizard class feature.
or
Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat, even if you do not fulfill the prerequisite.

Please space out your text better this feels really horridly compressed and makes for an uncomfortable read.

again look what i wrote before i got to Reassign Class Features. lol you sir have out foxed me!

That being said its a good class feature but to be honest it feels a little safe. I want you to push the boat out on these things a bit more. I don’t view a mime as a cemented in their ways class.... why can’t they pick from this list at the start of each day? (once they get to level X) Now that would be a bit more flexible and a lot more interesting.

on a serious note i would probably elude to Reassign Class Features ability within this ability and the saves ability.

Also, consider giving your class features slightly more inspiring/imaginative names... I'm all for calling a spade a spade but I’m not in a garden centre today mate.

Reassign Class Features (EX):

Starting at 3rd level, after a full 8 hours rest you may reselect any choices made when you aquired one of the following class features:
Good Save, Learn Lesser Class Feature, Emulate Magic*, Learn Moderate Class Feature, and Learn Greater Class Feature.
*:Special restrictions apply when reassigning this ability, see its description for details.

At 9th level you may reselect 2 class features each day, at 15th you may reselect 3, and at 20th you may reselect all of them each day.

Again with the formatting issues.

But still this class feature put me on the naughty step for my earlier lack of faith. lol

Emulate Magic (Su):

At 4th level you get to select one of the following abilities:

At this point i will stop going on about the formatting issues, but you really need to sort them. You have a great class here but if you make it hard to read you should not be surprised when people don’t read it.

Anyway, i like this feature as it allows you to give a little bit of personal identity and specialisation to your character.

Mimic (Standard Action) (Ex):

As a standard action, you may activate a use of your mimic ability to copy a single standard action performed by the target within the last 6 seconds. This otherwise functions as the mimic class feature.

You really should state in the text which level your getting this at, it saves cross referencing. Other than this though I like it.

Master of Repitition (Ex):

Your mastery of perfectly replicating actions has made you incredibly good at common tasks. you gain the ability to take 10 even if stress and distractions would normally prevent you from doing so for the following skills:
Bluff, Concentration, Disguise, Move Silently, Perform, Slight of Hand, Spot and one other skill of your choice.

This is OTT in my book especially allowing you to pick a skill of your choice. Its NEVER supposed to be possible to take 10 on a use magic device check.

Learn Moderate Class Feature (Ex):

at 11th & 14th level, you choose one of the following class features:

More of the same goodness.

Mimic (Swift Action) (Ex):

As a swift action, you may activate a use of your mimic ability to copy a single swift action performed by the target within the last 6 seconds. This otherwise functions as the mimic class feature.

Little to say as it follows the same chain of good things.

Master of Disguise (Ex):

A mime of this power has taken the skill of disguise to a superhuman level. You gain a +5 competence bonus on all Disguise checks and can make a Disguise check as a full-round action.

I like it, it turns you into one of those quick change artist.

Master of Counterspelling (Su):

Your ability to mimic spells has reached its pinnacle:
if you ready an action, as normal for counterspelling, you may automatically suceed by mimicking the very spell you are countering. this uses one use of your Mimic ability and your Spell Mimicking ability.

Rather potent, it’s a mage killing ability. Maybe it’s too good?

Learn Greater Class Feature (Ex):

at 17th & 20th level, you choose one of the following class features:

Still just as good as it always has been.

Mimic (Immediate Action) (Ex):

As an immediate action, you may activate a use of your mimic ability to copy a single immediate action performed by the target within the last 6 seconds. This otherwise functions as the mimic class feature.

Maybe less useful but who knows, still good to have i guess.

Master of Mimickry (Ex):

It is a rare occurance to see a mime of this skill, and when encountered, they are truly frightening to behold.
Once per day, as an immediate action, you may activate Reselect Class Features as though you had taken a full 8 hour rest. This ability caps at 3 reselected abilities and cannot reselect Emulate Magic.

I really like this, Its simple and yet allows you to tailor yourself to take on a mega encounter. A good capstone.

Full Descriptions For Non-Core Abilities:

[Snip!]

I'm not sure you can post these up here. You might want to consider removing them or writing your own unique abilities.

Summary

Well this class is a case of the good the bad and the ugly to be honest.

The core theme and mechanics of the class are awesome, probably some of the best I’ve seen in the contest to date. However some features feel a bit broken and the formatting well... it’s torrid.

The fact is though that poor formatting can be changed while a poor class has to be scrapped. You have only the former to worry about because in my eyes this late comer is showing up to the contest with a cocky assurance which tells me that we may indeed have a strong contender on our hands here.

Zaydos

2012-08-24, 04:51 PM

I just posted the discipline without listing anything about the Morphic Claw. They aren't really thematically linked or anything. Now to actually make feats for the Morphic Claw. Added a feat for each of the disciplines, also sorted things alphabetically within the level.

Tavar

2012-08-24, 05:59 PM

Quite a few dead levels but then I suspect you know that. It’s hard to judge the class table fully as a result though. Looks promising none the less!
Some of them are also not quite dead: gaining a new manuever readied or stance can be pretty nice.

Short and to the point i guess... i like to see these entries follow the traditional format however. What about shields by the way?

Are they not proficient with light armour? only medium? Also i expected martial weapons from a class like this.
Derp. Added Shields and Light armor. And, well, I thought limiting their proficiency would be a nice way to encourage changing disciplines, without being too harsh or anything.

Having such a wide pallet from which to draw their stances and manoeuvres makes this a pretty darn powerful ability to take as a 1 level dip.

I get why you have given them such a broad tool box and as its the key class feature I guess it’s hard to pull out but maybe you should consider some kind of nerf for a character who has 2 or 3 times the class levels in another class other than this one?

Still a pretty good ability none the less, flexibility equals power after all.
I'm not sure: if you dip you only get 2 or 3 schools(though 6 levels is hardly a dip), and your IL is going to be pretty low. If you took one level in this class, at level 20 you'd only be able to have 1 6th level maneuver and 2 5th level ones.

The restrictions here are good and fit the theme well. I still say this is a great class to have a 1 level dip in though, especially if you’re not a martial adept.

There is nothing wrong with this as such, I personally don’t scoff at 1 level dips as long as they fit the theme of the character a player is building.
It's certainly good, but most martial adept classes are good dips. Keep in mind Initiator Level is the limiting factor on what manuevers you can learn, and that classes only add 1/2 initiator level to other classes.

I like the idea behind flexible martial proficiency but not getting your first weapon choice at level 1 feels a little weird. I guess you were maybe trying to make a 1 level dip less attractive and make players stick it out for the long haul. The problem however is that most players who do dip into this class will likely have their weapon choice sorted already, while those actually interested in playing this thing out have to actually wait until level 2 before they get that long sword they had their eyes set on.

However are a feature and a way of balancing the classes many powers it’s not a bad idea.
Not really the reason it's there: mainly, I was trying to think of something to stuff in second level so that it wouldn't be dead, and delaying the Martial proficiency one level didn't seem like it would be too great of a burden.

But, I have a better system, now. Might end up dropping BaB down to 3/4, but there will be more boons to make up for that.

I like the idea behind the Flexible Enchantments ability but I’m not sure about its application. I personally would have allowed them to select specific magical boons which they can gift their weapon at the start of an encounter and which remain in play for as long as they are holding said weapon or until the encounter ends. Just an idea though.
That leads to a whole mess of things, and the ability is really simply supposed to allow one to use any weapon they wish, rather than one because they can't afford the costs associated with having multiple magical weapons.

Flexible Exotic Proficiency maybe kicks in a little late? By 13 level you probably have your weapon system refined. It’s useful don’t get me wrong but I would personally have it start sooner.
What do you mean by this?

I’ll be honest i just don’t have enough insight into the mechanics of the book of nine swords to really give you a balanced view of this ability. I’m sorry I can’t be more helpful in this regard, but to be honest you probably know a lot better than me how this weighs in.
Understood. Personally, I don't think it's a problem, but it's easy to miss flaws in one's own work.

kanachi

2012-08-24, 06:11 PM

Right then... it’s been epic guys but I’m almost there only one class to go.

If anyone else posts up a class now I’m sorry but you have missed my peaching window. I need to turn my gaze back to my own work after all! Hopefully some other kind soul on here will oblige you.

That being said its time for one last peach... let’s do this

The Everready

Sounds eager to please, let’s see if it hits the spot...

Put an image of your class here!

You mages and your need to rest... Sad.. you could be doing so much more with yourself.[/center]

There are several orders of guardians whose sole task is to protect something, or someone. An Everready is, as its name implies, always ready to protect others from another's blows.

Well being someone of a pretty lazy disposition i have the feeling this guy/gal would have harsh words to say to me.

No image yet to judge. Interesting quote and fluff.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Why your class might adventure.

Characteristics: An Everready is a combat oriented class. They are capable of many different styles of fighting, though each Everready focuses on one of three paths.

Alignment: Everready select who they train carefully. They only accept people who are either righteous enough to be trusted or disciplined enough to be controlled. All others are turned away; though possible, Lawful Evil and Chaotic Good Everready typically are looked down upon. Everready society requires tolerance however, and one of these Everready could even rise high in the ranks if they show talent.

Religion: Everready prefer to distance themselves from religion, seeing it as a distraction to their art. They are quite open to others though, and some even become Clerics later in their career.

Background: Everready typically train from a young age in the secret ways of the Everready at one of the even more secret Everready Acadamies. Each Everready is trained in a specific style, and masters a particular set of equipment, though frequently they follow in the footsteps of the Everready that trained them.

Races: Humans, with their adaptability, take the flexibility an Everready presents in stride. Elves, with their dedication to both swordplay and the arts, are also frequently Everready, seeking to master the art of weaponry, and the magic inherent in the Everready’s style. Half orcs and half elves find the inherent society of the Everready world to be a comfort, and occasionally are Everready.

Other Classes: An Everready, knowing something of both magic and swordplay, find both magic users and mundane combatants interesting. Chaotic Everready sometimes find companionship with Barbarians, or other savages. Lawful Everready find that they share some similarities in philosophy with Monks, though their methods are completely different.

Role: An Everready is a combatant, their role is defined by their current stance.

Adaptation: Everready are by nature, a small order of soldiers that are typically contracted to guard mages. Adaptation could be as simple as the Everready being from far away lands, or as complex as a secret magocracy that is protected by an even more secret order of Everready.

Not entirely finished but it seems pretty good. Theme sounds interesting enough and draws your attention.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
EVERREADY have the following game statistics.
Abilities: An Everready needs a good Intelligence score, as it powers most of their abilities; a high Intelligence will also help them to focus on their skills, and several defensive feats require a moderate Intelligence. In addition, as a primary melee combatant, they need to focus on physical stats.
Alignment: Any Good or any Lawful.
Hit Die: d10
Starting Age: As Wizard.
Starting Gold: As Fighter.

Class Skills
An EVERREADY'S class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Essence and Skills: An Everready gains additional skills based on their Essence. A Nightstalker adds Hide, Move Silently, and Perform (Dance) to their class skill list. A Brilliant Commander adds Heal to their class skill list. A Grey Guardian adds Concentration to their class skill list.

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Seems fine to me. The skill selection is pretty wide however, still further reading will tell me if it’s all justified.

Class Table...

CLASS NAME
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Essence, Weapon Skill
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Any-Weapon Familiarity, Quick Draw
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Focused Kit
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Secondary Stances, Morphic Armor
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Insightful Grace
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Morphic Weapon
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Insightful Agility
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Bonus Feat
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Endurance
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Kit Enhancements (2 sets)
11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+3|
12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+4|Bonus Feat
13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+4|Everready’s Endurance
14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+4|Kit Enhancement (3 sets)
15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+5|
16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat
17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+5|Improved Everready’s Endurance
18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+6|Kit Enhancement (4 sets)
19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+6|
20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+6|Bonus Feat[/table]

Obviously still a couple of dead levels, but this is still a work in progress so i'm sure you will sort that out. Looks interesting none the less!

Class Features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

Everready are proficient in all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).

Great selection of weapons and armour.

Weapon Skill:

Everready are skilled in using their uncanny skill with weaponry for many purposes, even outside of combat. An Everready gains a bonus equal to half her Everready level (though this may not exceed her Intelligence bonus) to skill checks involving weapons, and to Intimidate and Perform (Weapon Drill) checks if she can use a weapon in the attempt. A few examples of applications of this ability include: Appraise checks to identify a weapon, Bluff checks to feint, Craft checks to make a weapon, Sleight of Hand checks to hide a weapon, and Spot and Search checks to find a weapon.

I really like this, its a very simple ability which adds a lot of versitility to things.

One thing though, if i were to gain a class feature to treat an improvised weapon as a weapon would that then let me use this on pretty much any skill check where i can use a "thing"? It would be pretty powerful but also a pretty cool.

Essence (ex):

Each Everready specializes in a particular fighting style, described by her chosen Essence. At first level an Everready must choose an Essence from the list below. Once chosen, this may not be changed. The Everready gains the bonuses on their essences table as they level up, in addition to their normal class features. In addition, they immediately gain access to the stance their Essence favors, and add the bonus skills associated with their Essence to their class skill list.

Sounds cool, i'll just pick out the bits which popped out at me...

1) You gain shadow step at 8th level and the maximum you can shadow step is 70feet (before 20th level kicks in) once they hit 18th level. The maximum DC of a 70 feet shadow step is 20, and yet at 10th level they gain the ability to take 10 on the check... now keep in mind that your getting +3 to perform dance at 3rd level and will have another +4 from Shadow’s Childe by 16th level this means giving you a total bonus of +7 before ranks or ability modifiers. So if you can must 3 points between your ability modifiers or ranks you will bypass 20 automatically and thus never need to worry about the skill check.

Now I dont really have a problem with the ability but if your going to make the skill check all but irelivant at almost every level which its in play you may as well just remove it.

2) Shadowstep Momentum probably kicks in to late to be of any real worth to the player... its a bit late to go into the scout class at that point, for example.

3) Your Grey Guardian seems to referance some stuff you have posted outside of the contest. As far as i know i think this breaks the contest rules so you may want to remove it and come up with something different?

Everready Stances (ex):

An Everready uses a stance to achieve certain goals. They start with only the stance that their Essence favors at level one, but at level four they gain access to the other two stances. Changing a stance is a swift action that can be done while Morphing Armor (see below). The Everready may only be in one stance at a time. An Everready counts as three levels lower when figuring the bonuses granted by a stance that is not favored by their Essence. A stance may only be used while an Everready is in the appropriate armor. For instance, while wearing a Chain Shirt, the Everready may only use the Skirmisher stance, but only if they have access to it.

Looks good. Just to check though, does the "Favored by" entry in either this or the Essences have any effect? or any they just there for flavour?

Also you stated before that Cinereal Bastion would use something which was posted outside the contest, so you may wish to change this.

Any-Weapon Familiarity (ex):

Everready train in the use of all sorts of weapons, even weapons that most people have never heard of (such as a Tekkan) or things that aren't normally weapons (barstool, backpack, gnome, etc.). This feature grants an extra weapon proficiency above and beyond what they are normally familiar with. The Everready may change the feat granted by this ability once per round as a swift action. This feat may never be used to qualify for other feats or abilities. In the case of an improvised weapon, the Everready is considered proficient with only a single improvised weapon, such as a boot, arrow, or halfling.

So this brings about my earlier question again... can they combine this with Weapon Skill?

If so level 2 may be a bit soon to get such an ability as it can be worked to basically get a +X to most skills if you game it right.

Quick Draw:

Everready always seem to have a weapon when you least expect it, hence the name. At second level, an Everready gains the feat Quick Draw as a bonus feat. If they have this feat already, they may instead select one [Fighter] feat that they meet the prerequisites for.

Nice and simple. Fits the theme.

Focused Kit (su):

Everready bond with a set of equipment, seeing it as an extension of themselves. As a ritual that takes 8 hours, they may attune a set of equipment that includes (A) a single suit of armor they are proficient in, (B) a single shield they are proficient with, and (C) a single weapon they are proficient in (though this must be an actual proficiency, not the one gained from Any-Weapon Familiarity). Regardless of the quality of the equipment, bound equipment is treated as items of at least masterwork quality while the Everready uses them. An Everready with the feat Two-Weapon Fighting may attune a second weapon, but they may not attune a shield if they do so.
In addition to being masterwork, an Everready may enchant the items in their kit with magic. Doing this takes 1 hour. The magic the Everready imparts into their kit only functions for the Everready. An Everready may not enchant ammunition for their weapon. The following table lists the maximum amount of enhancements their equipment may have. Any weapon, armor, or shield the Everready enchants must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. If the Everready has bonded to 2 weapons, as described above, one of these weapons gains enhancements based on the Weapon portion of the table, and the other one gains enhancement based on the Shield portion of the table. The Everready may reenchant the items in their Kit, losing the old enhancements and applying new ones. This follows the rules above.

Consider breaking this into smaller paragraphs... its a big wall of text at the moment.

I like it, its pretty cool and gives them a lot of extra gp to splash out on other things. They can also taylor their most important gear to suit an upcoming situation, which is pretty powerful.

Does this stack with existing enchantments? If so its extreamly potent at high levels +7 is not to be scoffed at!

Morphic Armor (su):

An Everready may use magic to completely alter the armor they wear as a Standard action. They may only do this with a suit of armor that has been attuned to them. The armor takes on all of the statistics of the new armor, but retains whatever magical properties it may have. This effect is not removed by an Antimagic. If examined, the item will have a Faint Transmutation aura, in addition to its other properties.

Alter how? the shape and appearance or are we talking actual type of armour here? can you turn leather into full plate?

I'm not sure they should be able to bypass anti magic with this

Insightful Grace:

An Everready has studied several techniques to avoid dangers that may harm them. They add their Intelligence bonus (if positive) to all saving throws.

Pretty mega boost to saves if int is your core stat.

Morphic Armor (su): ?

An Everready may use magic to completely alter the weapon they wield as a Standard action. They may only do this with a weapon that has been attuned to them. The weapon takes on all of the statistics of the new weapon, but retains whatever magical properties it may have. Abilities inappropriate to the new weapon are either swapped out for a similar ability suitable to the new weapon (such as keen to impact) or ignored completely (such as vorpal). This effect is not removed by an Antimagic. If examined, the item will have a Faint Transmutation aura, in addition to its other properties.

did you mean Morphic weapon?

Again this is very powerful especialy if it can bypass antimagic.

Insightful Agility (ex):

An Everready studies several techniques in order to avoid blows. They add their Intelligence bonus to their Dexterity bonus to AC, though this may not raise this above the maximum Dexterity bonus of their current armor. Everready use this ability frequently as they change armor types for their stances.

Makes lighter armour very strong... Leather for exampe has a max dex bonus of 6... so you could get +6 from your dex, +6 from your int and then +2 for the armour itself (total of +14). Compare this to full plate... +1 for dex, +1 for int and +8 for the armour (total of +10).

Also dont forget all this is before any magic item abilities are involved or even the Focused Kit ability!

Wow!

Bonus Feats:

At eighth level, and every four levels thereafter, the Everready gains a bonus [Fighter] feat that they meet the prerequisites for. At eighth level, they gain an effective Fighter level equal to half their Everready level for the purposes of meeting feat prerequisites.

I never object to bonus feats :)

Endurance:

At ninth level, the Everready becomes hardened to physical hardships. They gain the feat Endurance as a bonus feat. If they already have the feat Endurance, they instead gain one feat that they meet the prerequisites for.

Makes sense.

Kit Enhancements (su):

At tenth level, the Everready may enchant their kit to have multiple sets of enhancements that they can use depending on the situation. They may only have 1 set of enchantments active at any point in time. Switching Kit Enchantments is a Swift action, and the Everready may switch only 1 items enchantments per Swift action. The Everready sets up their Kit Enchantments when they are enchanting their weapon. Every four levels after tenth, the Everready may enchant an additional set of Kit Enhancements.

I know its their job to be ever ready, but combined with all of the above do you not think they are getting just a little bit OTT?

Everready's Endurance (ex):

At thirteenth level, the Everready becomes nearly impossible to slow down or make tired. They are immune to the any effect that bestows fatigue, and any effect that would make them Exhausted only renders them Fatigued. In addition, they only need half of the food, drink, and rest to function properly. However, if they are a spellcaster, they still need to rest for 8 hours to prepare spells.

Dont have a problem with this. A warforged ever ready would probably be a bit sad as it does nothing for them.

Improved Everready's Endurance (ex):

At seventeenth level, the Everready becomes completely impossible to slow down or make tired. They are constantly under the effects of a Freedom of Movement spell. They are also to immune to Fatigue and Exhaustion effects. Finally, the Everready needs only one quarter of the food, drink, and rest to function properly. This benefit now extends to any spellcasting they might have access to.

Much the same as the above.

summary...

Ok, so its obviously still just a work in progress, but i think you may want to seek ways to tone it down a bit. Its moved from being ever ready to ever owning in my opinion.

Also i was suprised that a class which focuses on being ever ready has no bonuses to initiative.

I may be wrong but i think some of your numbers and bonuses are a bit off and OTT you may wish to revise them to become more modist.

On the flip side i actually really like a lot of the mechanics and thought which has gone into this class. I really like weapon skill as a concept as well.

Keep plugging away at it, because i think its got a lot of promise!

Jester of Doom

2012-08-24, 10:29 PM

:cool:
Wow that’s a wide and flexible skill array. Having said that I am sort of surprised not to see forgery in there as I can imagine them not only mimicking people but the documents and objects they need to perfect their impression.
How did I forget FORGERY:frown:!? Fix'd.

Also maybe a d6 for hit dice? I can see that they can mimic the skills of a warrior but that does not necessarily mean they can mimic the physical resilience of one. Just my 2 coppers though.
I thought about d6 hit dice, but I want melee to be a serious option for them, so I put them on par with ranger & monk, rather than rouge & bard.

feels about right, but for some reason i quite like the idea of a single exotic weapon proficient from a list of crazy weird stuff (like whip daggers) just to give it the WTF flavour which is currently in my mouth.
Also thought about this, decided that if you want an exotic weapon, you can just take the feat at 2nd level, then swap it out when you get Use Any Item.

Perhaps my favourite single class feature in this entire contest thus far... perhaps.
Really? thanks!:smile:

on a serious note i would probably elude to Reassign Class Features ability within this ability and the saves ability.
Will do.

At this point i will stop going on about the formatting issues, but you really need to sort them. You have a great class here but if you make it hard to read you should not be surprised when people don’t read it.
Sorry, I'll try to fix it. I originally wrote this up on notepad, and when I went back to remove all the line jumps, I missed... A lot.

Also, consider giving your class features slightly more inspiring/imaginative names... I'm all for calling a spade a spade but I’m not in a garden centre today mate.
I just figured that since the whole idea is that they learned other class's abilities, I'd only name the new or modified ones. Possibly fixed.

This is OTT in my book especially allowing you to pick a skill of your choice. Its NEVER supposed to be possible to take 10 on a use magic device check.
Actually, a rouge's Skill Mastery ability (which may be chosen at level 10) lets you always take 10 on 3 + Int modifier skills of your choice, including Use Magic Device. See Zaydos' post, below. Also, their spellcasting ability somewhat limits the usefulness of Use Magic Device.

Rather potent, it’s a mage killing ability. Maybe it’s too good?
That may be my single biggest fear with this class. I can't decide if mimic & spell mimicking usage is enough of a limiter, but I think its a really cool ability, so I think I'll wait till I've playtested before I change it.

Maybe less useful but who knows, still good to have i guess.
It looks that way, then the wizard casts celerity...

I really like this, Its simple and yet allows you to tailor yourself to take on a mega encounter. A good capstone.
Again, thanks for the compliment. :smallredface:

I'm not sure you can post these up here. You might want to consider removing them or writing your own unique abilities.
Sorry, removed.

in my eyes this late comer is showing up to the contest with a cocky assurance which tells me that we may indeed have a strong contender on our hands here.
Wow... My ego has not been stroked so much in a quite a while. :cool:

Zaydos

2012-08-24, 10:43 PM

Rogue's Skill Mastery does not affect Use Magic Device (it only lets you get around the "while threatened" problem).

However there are two base classes which can take 10 on UMD. Warlocks with Deceive Item at 4th level, and Artificers with Skill Mastery at Lv 13 (which explicitly works on UMD).

kanachi

2012-08-25, 05:24 AM

Right well i've finally gone through and peached everything... it was an epic task but a lot of fun. I hope it was of help to everyone and look forward to seeing how they all evolve before the closing date!

Bravo one and all!

kanachi

2012-08-25, 08:33 AM

Right, I’ve added skills and ability score information to both the standard and magical variant conduit.

I've also included a description of how doubles may function outside of an encounter.

Finally and most importantly I’m trialling having all the conduits doubles having an equal level.

Anyway, for anyone who is willing I would be interested to see what you think of the class thus far.

Zaydos

2012-08-25, 11:12 AM

GuyFawkes

2012-08-25, 11:33 AM

Thanks for the PEACH! I'll try to give a PEACH back for your class. Though since a lot of better peachers have already pitched theirs, mine would most probably more on the fluff and layout.

Here are my answers and some further questions if you're interested.
Right so time for another PEACH... whats up next...

Title Image and initial fluff...

http://fc04.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/225/1/4/multiple_personality_by_alexielart-d46f7gs.jpg[/CENTER]

"I gather you've heard of the tale of the good ol' Dr. Jekyll and big bad Mr. Hyde? What they never told you about was the story of the few others that shared that body with the two of 'em." - an old storyteller.

Personas are essentially the Jack of all trades type of class, able to adjust to what is needed for the task at hand, mostly through mundane means, though they do exhibit supernatural abilities, and through one of their multitudes of personalities, are able to exhibit arcane magic or psionic powers. And though they are good at dabbling with everything, they also excel at focusing their talents into one particular aspect.

I love the image, its very cool indeed (though a re-size would probably be good). The introduction also gives us a good idea of what to expect.

Lets move on...

Huh. Right. I should prolly roll over my lazy bum and resize the thing.

Pre game rule information stuff...

Adventures: Life on the road is almost a given for the Persona, whose life is a but a long series of being rejected, for who they are or what they are capable of. They find comfort in anonymity, and thus travel from place to place. Due to harsh circumstances that they have been through, most try to seek approval from others by trying to achieve great deeds, while others just try to show their superiority over others who have placed them as outcasts and lowlifes.

Characteristics: Personas are capable of filling almost any role in a party. They could very well live up to being the Jack of all Trades of the group, though through choosing the right abilities, they could pretty much excel at one role.

Alignment: Alignments can be as varied between Personas as there are Personas. And even in an individual Persona, some of her other personalities may exhibit a different belief systems from her, and could lean to a different alignment. However, being a Persona means having the will to control the multitude of voices in her head, that means reigning in their actions to the direction she would generally go for.

Religion: Different Personas worship different gods or goddesses, depending on what leanings they have, most probably worshiping the deity who exhibits the ideals that they strive for the most, or those they could see as someone who would understand their situation the most.

Background: Personas tend to come from turbulent and traumatic childhood, such that they develop coping mechanisms to protect themselves. These coping mechanisms may involve creating an outer shell, a persona, that comes out and takes all of the negative experiences and is also a means of outlet to express themselves when their true selves feel they have no power to do so.

Some Personas may develop rather later in life, and not through traumatic experiences. Some actors and players, for example, delve too deep in their subconscious to try to emulate roles that they are playing, and sometimes go beyond the boundary and create a different "self" entirely.

Races: Most intelligent beings can become Personas, most notably humans and their complex social interactions. Having multiple personalities does not equate to being a Persona; it is having enough willpower to reign in these different personalities to use to your advantage. Thus, races with high Wisdom scores tend to produce good Personas.

Other Classes: Most classes tend to be wary of Personas, as they can drastically change their personalities in an instant, and may seem them as unstable and dangerous, but once they are able to go through that prejudice, they could find worthy allies in the Persona.

Role: The Persona can be anybody, and thus she can do any role in the party. Thrown into an existing party, she can tailor her abilities to fit what is most needed of her or what is lacking in the group. Her primary weakness would be at being a primary spell caster, as the class does not focus too much on spells, though she could do a decent job of being a secondary spell caster.

Adaptation: Since Personas are mostly a mundane class, there are not too many things needed to change to adapt it to any campaign setting, though some of their abilities might be flavored differently or removed entirely to fit some settings that do not involve magic or psionics.

I like it, your kind of making something quite similar and yet also very different thematically from my dimensional conduit.

I always enjoy reading through the adaptation sections and was a bit disappointed by the lack of anything here really, but to be honest i understand why you have drawn a blank... this is ultimately little reason to adapt them at the moment.

I suppose you could re-theme it so they were the victems of multiple spirits being infused within them or some kind of magnet for ghosts who want to possess their body for a while (kinda like Whoopi Goldberg's character from ghost. lol).

Anyway, apart from my random thoughts its all very solid and has a nice flavor to it.

I've actually tried to think about something but I didn't really quite find any other more suitable theme that would explain the extraordinary nature of the abilities other than having DID or being a player. Ghosts are actually a good idea, but it kinda gives a more supernatural vibe to it.

Game rule information...

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Personas have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Willpower is the most important attribute for a Persona, thus Wisdom is the key ability score for her. Constitution helps to mitigate low Fortitude saves and an average hit die. The third ability score would depend on what role you want to focus in the most.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Persona's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Psionic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Great range of skills, solid hit dice and good number of skill points. My first thought was maybe to allow them to pick X skills to make class skills at first level as they can pretty much do anything.

Yeah, the class has average HD, skill points, and skill list, as befitting a generalist. My first thoughts was that the ability granted by the Persona ability of being able to use the associated skills of an archetype even untrained was already enough to answer this. Maybe I could add another Jack of All Trades ability granting 3 skills as class skills each time you take the ability, or taken only once but you gain more as you progress in class levels. Thoughts?

Class Table...

The Persona
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Personae, Jack of all Trades

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Multiple Personalities, Split Personalities (1 effect)

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Jack of all Trades

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Hypnotic Induction

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Jack of all Trades

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Hypnosis (suggestion)

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Jack of all Trades

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Overdrive

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Jack of all Trades

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Hypnosis (modify memory), One Mind

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+3|
+7|Jack of all Trades

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Split Personalities (2 effects)

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Jack of all Trades

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+4|
+9|Hypnosis (psychic reformation)

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+9|Jack of all Trades

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Hyper Overdrive

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Jack of all Trades

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Hypnosis (dominate monster)

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Jack of all Trades

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|One Mask[/table]

No dead levels and well paced out... first impression: looks good.

Cool. :smallbiggrin:

Class features...

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies:

The Persona is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the longsword, rapier, sap, short sword, shortbow, and whip. Personas are proficient with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Bardish types then. Seems solid enough.

Bards I believe are the average joes of the base classes, so I think this is fitting.

Personae (Ex):

The defining ability of the Persona is to switch personalities as easily as switching masks. Personas have experienced multitude of different circumstances both negative and positive to draw on, and an equally numerous personae may be formed, however they generally fall into six distinct archetypes, as detailed below. Each archetype is associated with an ability score, and whenever the Persona switches from one archetype to the other, she switches her Wisdom score with the ability score associated to that archetype. In the case of the Sage archetype, she instead gains a +2 bonus to her Wisdom score. In addition, all skills that have their key ability score the same as the associated ability score of the archetype they are in are treated as trained even without any ranks in them as long as the archetype is in effect.

At 1st level, the Persona can switch freely into any 3 archetype as a standard action for a number of times equal to his original Wisdom modifier per day. This can be any 3 of the 6 archetype per day; once she has switched through 3 archetypes, she can no longer switch to another archetype except between the 3. She can choose different archetypes each day, and this is determined only as soon as she switches into them. At 6th level, she can switch between 4 archetypes, 5 archetypes at 11th, and all archetypes at 16th level. The Persona can stay in an archetype for a number of hours equal to her class level for each instance she switches into a particular archetype. Switching back to normal state (no archetype) does not count as one use of this ability, but shares the same type of action required to shift into an archetype.

Each personality is a different entity on its own such that the Persona cannot remember anything that transpires around her during the time she is in a persona other than her normal self.

The Warrior – The Warrior archetype encompasses all the personae stemming from aggression, rage, anger, ferocity, and hatred. The Warrior is associated with the Strength ability score.

The Trickster – The Trickster defines all personae that exhibit playfulness, deftness, whimsicality, chaos, and adaptability. The Trickster is associated with the Dexterity ability score.

The Braveheart – The Braveheart archetype includes all personae that deal with fortitude, courage, honor, resilience, and the desire to protect. The Braveheart is associated with the Constitution ability score.

The Scholar – The Scholar archetype represents personae that reflect learning, thirst for new knowledge, curiosity, order, and dedication. The Scholar is associated with the Intelligence ability score.

The Sage – The Sage is the embodiment of all personae exhibiting unbending will, steadfast determination, clarity, perseverance, and enlightenment. The Sage is associated with the Wisdom ability score.

The Leader – The Leader archetype deals with all personae showing confidence, decisiveness, tact, cunning, and eloquence. The Leader is associated with the Charisma ability score.

I like it. Its a simple way of achieving a good amount of flexibility. I also love the fact you gave flavor for what each archetype represents.

Thanks. I just want to represent here that you can actually have any number of personalities, but rather than actually attributing an ability for each different personality, I wanted to put in the affinity to ability scores part in the class, hence the archetypes. Actually, having more than one Jack of all Trades abilities that synergize with a particular ability could still explain the existence of personalities more than 6.

Jack of all Trades (Ex):

Along with her different personalities, the Persona gains different abilities that stem from the unconscious retention of skills and abilities of each of the personae within her. At 1st level, and every 2 levels thereafter, the Persona learns one ability from the following list. Some of these abilities can be used by the Persona whether in normal state or switched into an archetype, while other abilities can only be used when switched to a particular archetype. Some abilities have synergies with particular archetypes, making them more potent when used while switched to that archetype, and some have more powerful versions called Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives which can be unlocked at higher levels.

Getting the benefits of synergy effects is not considered as one use of Jack of all Trades ability. However, Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives are equivalent to learning one additional ability. To be able to use the Hyper Overdrive of the Sneak Attack ability, for example, requires a level 18 Persona and 3 investments of the Jack of all Trades ability; one for the Sneak Attack ability, one for the Overdrive, and one for the Hyper Overdrive. They must also be taken in order, i.e. you cannot take a Hyper Overdrive option without taking the requisite Overdrive option, and you cannot take an Overdrive option without taking the requisite ability.

Jack of all Trades abilities are affected by the psychic reformation power or similar effects, and you can allocate a new set of abilities afterwards.

Not sure i like the terms "Overdrives" and "Hyper Overdrives" sounds like i'm driving a deathrace 2000 car.

Never the less, i like the abilities and the concepts behind them. I also like the way in which some have synergies with other aspects of the class. I think this does kind of make you feel obliged to build your character in a number of ways however, it would be nice if you created a way to benifit from a synergy without meeting its prerequisites (perhaps a feat which bonds the two aspects together as though they has a synergy?).

Anyway, looks good to me.

A feat would be a good way to answer that, yes. Hmm, I'm wondering if I should get rid of the clause that says I have to spend a Jack of all Trades ability slot for accessing Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives. That would drastically increase the flexibility of the class. However, I don't know if it would still be balanced. Thoughts?

Multiple Personalities (Ex):

At 2nd level, the Persona's different personae continue to grow. Each of the gain their own meaning of "self"; each persona may call itself by a different name, have its own beliefs, identity, and personality distinct from the others. They also develop abilities distinct for each of them according to their personalities, as follows:

The Warrior - she becomes proficient with martial weapons, as well as one melee exotic and one ranged weapon of her choice. This choice must be made upon acquiring this ability, and cannot be changed.
The Trickster - she uses the good Reflex saves progression.
The Braveheart - she uses the good Fortitude saves progression.
The Scholar - she gains an insight bonus to all Intelligence-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).
The Sage - she gains an insight bonus to all Wisdom-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).
The Leader - she she gains an insight bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks equal to one-fourth her Persona class level (minimum 1).

These abilities are active as long as the Persona is switched to the particular archetype they are attributed to.

Seems pretty cool, I like the way this lets you switch up your character. I supose in game you would probably want to take some time to write yourself a character sheet for each Persona to help speed things up.

Yeah, but I don't think it's necessary. Most of the things granted are identical, you just have to note for which ability score. :smallwink:

Split Personalities (Ex):

Starting at 2nd level, whenever the Persona switches from one archetype to another, she can choose to ignore 1 mind-affecting effect currently active on her, for as long as she is in an archetype different from the archetype (or normal state) she was in when she suffered that effect. At 12th level, she can ignore 2 mind-affecting effects at a time.

Can her ability to switch personas be supressed by a mind effecting ability. So for example could she be instructed to maintain her current persona for the duration of the spell/effect/whatever? Are her personas individually sentient? i.e can they react even when another is turned to act against them.

Also if you were ordered to, for example, “attack an ally” would choosing to switch personal be in keeping with that effect if your current persona could indeed launch such an attack? Basically I guess I’m wondering who exactly is being controlled here and if therefore other personas have the ability to overthrow a mind affected persona without that persona choosing to allow them to do so?

Can her ability to switch personas be supressed by a mind effecting ability. So for example could she be instructed to maintain her current persona for the duration of the spell/effect/whatever?

Yes, if there exists an ability to do so.

Are her personas individually sentient?

Yes. They are aware of themselves, but they are unaware of each other.

i.e can they react even when another is turned to act against them.

I don't quite get this. One persona is pitted against another?

Also if you were ordered to, for example, “attack an ally” would choosing to switch personal be in keeping with that effect if your current persona could indeed launch such an attack? Basically I guess I’m wondering who exactly is being controlled here and if therefore other personas have the ability to overthrow a mind affected persona without that persona choosing to allow them to do so?

As the order says, the immediate response would be to attack with what means you have as you are, so switching into another persona is not possible as the order is worded IMO. However, in the case that your enemy does not know of said ability and you are ordered to switch personalities, you can then choose to end the mind affecting effect.

Hypnotic Induction (Ex):

At 4th level, the Persona learns to use hypnosis as a means to facilitate quicker switching from one archetype to another. Each day, she can spend a few minutes to undergo the process of hypnotic induction. The Persona has to roll an Autohypnosis check with a DC of 15. If she succeeds, for the rest of the day, she can utter a few keywords to make her switching into archetypes faster, making it as a move action instead of a standard action. If she fails, she can still switch as a move action, but due to errors in the process, she also becomes susceptible to suggestions from outside sources, receiving a -2 penalty to Will saves against mind affecting effects. At 14th level, the Persona takes only a swift action to switch archetypes.

The Persona can also initiate hypnotic induction on any one target she can see, and the target must be able to see and hear the Persona for this to work. As a standard action, the Persona makes a Autohypnosis roll. If the target fails a Will save with the DC equal to the Autohypnosis roll, the target suffers a -2 penalty to AC and Will saves for a number of rounds equal to the Persona’s class level. If a target succeeds on its saving throw against this ability, it is immune to this effect for 24 hours.

At 14th blank, the action required to do this ability is reduced to a move action.

While thematic on paper, I’m not so sure if this will really be played out in such a way in practice. More likely the character will simply roll a dice at the start of the day and simply suck up the penalty if it comes there way. Plus any such character would surely eliminate any chance of failure asap.

Actions are the most valuable resource in dnd so it would be folly not to attempt a process which allows you to get more bang for your buck if possible. Of course if this is what your expecting then don’t worry about it, I just thought I would make you aware of it.

Anyway, its a very nice ability. I like it.

The second part of the ability is also cool, but keep in mind that there are many ways to make skill checks far outstrip will saves, so a savvy character will make it extremely difficult for them to not overcome their victims save.

For the first part of the ability, I just put it there as a very real drawback, though the chance to have so is slim, especially for minmaxers. However, putting it as it is without any drawback at all is not broken anyway, and at higher levels, you are meant to autosucceed on the check.

For the second part, I do admit it is very hard to beat a skill check with a save, but as is, the skill has a penalty that does not scale, so at higher levels it becomes but a setup for the Hypnosis ability.

Hypnosis (Ex):

At 6th level, the Persona begins to learn different hypnosis techniques. Whenever an enemy is under hypnotic induction, as a move action, she can utter a few key words to make the target obey her commands. The target behaves similar to being under a suggestion spell, but the duration uses the remaining duration of the Hypnotic Induction ability.

At 10th level, the Persona can use this ability to modify her target's memory, as if the target is affected by the modify memory spell. At 14th level, she can use this ability to reformat the target's psyche, as the psychic reformation power. She and the target must pay the XP cost as normal. At 18th level, she can control her target similar to a dominate monster spell, with the duration using the remaining duration of the Hypnotic Induction ability.

The target gains a Will save for all of these effects, with the DC equal to 10 + 1/2 class level + Wisdom modifier.

At 14th level, the Persona can use this ability as a swift action.

Its very cool that hypnotic induction scales. I like the way you have implemented this.

Is a subject aware at any point that they have been the victim of hypnotic induction? I'm amusing not if you succeed? but would they be aware if you failed?

Maybe the target should get a save at the start of each round and again i worry that a skill vs save check has only 1 winner.

Yes, they would be aware even if you succeed or not. For Hypnosis abilities, however, no. Well, except for the psychic reformation part. It must be noted that the Hypnosis abilities have a different save DC (a normal one) from Hypnotic Induction, so you actually have to go through 2 saves to be affected by a Hypnosis ability, even though the first one is easy to fail.

Overdrive (Ex):

At 8th level, the Persona can channel the very essence of her persona to achieve a heightened level of synergy with a particular ability. The Persona can now use the Overdrive option for certain Jack of all Trades abilities. She must be switched into the archetype that has synergy with the particular Jack of all Trades ability. Using this ability pushes the particular persona over her limit of concentration, sending her back into the Persona's subconscious and immediately reverts her into her normal state at the end of the ability.

Hate the name of this ability. Mechanically it works well though.

The name actually fits, as you have the persona's mind go into overdrive to achieve the heightened effects of the ability.

One Mind (Ex):

At 10th level, the Persona’s various personae gain awareness of each other’s existence, breaking the boundaries between them. She no longer forgets any events that happen when switching to other personas. In addition, she can gain the benefit of the Multiple Personalities ability of any one archetype she is not currently switched into for a number of times equal to half her Persona class levels per day. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to her original Wisdom modifier.

I hadn't noticed before that the other personas are not aware of each other and forget.

To be honest, while I love the theme I think the reality of acting like you have forgotten everything which has happened will get extremely repetitive and may prove very clunky and frustrating - especially in combat.

If a persona is not aware they are in a battle and then "bang!" all of a sudden they are... would they not be flat footed?

Roleplaying this may become quite tedious for everyone involved as they have to sit there and explain everything to the new persona for the umpteenth time. Sure the first few times it may be fun, quirky and interesting but I can see it being fraught with problems from a role playing perspective. Personal opinion only of course.

Memory is a very complex thing. For the flat-footed part, I would say awareness of combat is also a physical response (adrenaline release, affecting heart rate, pupil dilation, breathing, etc), so sharing one body, they would feel the rush of combat coming in, and thus not be flat-footed.

For the role play part, it is what it is. For a person with DID, barring it being a real case or not (so I'm basing this on characterizations from whatever I have read on it), you cannot choose what you remember or not. As a player though, it could be seen as another drawback for the flexibility granted by the class. You become skillful in another aspect and forget stuff, or you fight as you are and retain your memory. At least before 10th level. Besides, there are lots of ways to go about this, like writing notes or other similar tactics.

Hyper Overdrive (Ex):

By 16th level, the Persona unlocks the highest potentials of her abilities. She can now use the Hyper Overdrive options for certain Jack of all Trades abilities. As with the Overdrive ability, the Persona must be switched into the archetype that has synergy with the particular Jack of all Trades ability. This is more taxing than the Overdrive ability in that aside from the Persona immediately reverting into her normal state at the end of the ability, she cannot switch into any persona for 1d4 rounds.

Again I really dislike the name of this ability. However, mechanically its very sound. I like it.

This, however, I agree. :smallbiggrin: I just didn't know what to name this ability tbh. Any suggestions?

One Mask (Ex):

At 20th level, the Persona has full control over his different personalities, being one of them and at the same time being all of them, and she is able to be who she wants to be on a whim. She can now switch into different archetypes as a free action once per round even without having to rely on hypnosis. She also gains immunity to all mind-affecting effects.

In addition, whenever she is switched into an archetype, she gains the benefit of another archetype as if she is switched into that archetype as well, gaining the Multiple Personalities ability of that archetype as well as being able to synergize with and use Overdrives and Hyper Overdrives of Jack of all Trades abilities linked to that archetype. She does not, however, gain the bonus of the Personae ability for that second archetype. This second archetype is chosen every time the Persona switches into an archetype.

A good capstone, nice and themeatic and some solid power. I very much like this!

Thanks! :smallbiggrin:

Summary

I really like this class, its one of my favourites so far actually. Though, for me, a few issues and quirks keep me from fully "loving it". Also a horrid choice of name for two of the classes abilities makes me a sad panda.

Still apart from those minor gripes I think you are onto a winner here. I would certainly like to see how this one performs in the field and may well adapt one into an npc whom I'm running in my current campaign. I think it can be re-themed to represent someone with an insane genius and split personality disorder very well indeed.

All in all this is a dark horse class in the contest in my eyes. Work at it a bit more and you may well go all the way.

p.s: sorry it took so long to write this one up by the way. I've had a busy few days.

Thanks for the peach! Really appreciated, and it helped me gain more insight on what to improve. :smallsmile:

sirpercival

2012-08-25, 11:46 AM

I'm working on something, so I hope you guys aren't all PEACHed out!

GuyFawkes

2012-08-25, 11:55 AM

Hey, if it isn't sirp. Fancy seeing you in these parts of the interwebz. Looking forward to your class. :smallwink:

sirpercival

2012-08-25, 11:59 AM

Hey, if it isn't sirp. Fancy seeing you in these parts of the interwebz. Looking forward to your class. :smallwink:

:smallbiggrin: I've decided gitp has been too long without my homebrews, so I've started porting stuff over here (including Wardancer :smallwink:) and entering contests. I've got an entry in ErrantX's prc contest as well.

EDIT: Why the hell did I decide on mechanics which are so difficult to write?

Techwarrior

2012-08-25, 04:33 PM

Response to Kanachi's PEACH (thank you for the PEACH by the way :smallsmile: ).
Skills:
While I understand the concern on the wide skill array. I really feel that most of them are ones that they need. At heart, I gave them some of the Social skills, the movement skills, several Knowledges (something everyone should have). A wide skill selection isn't neccassarily bad though, the number of skills you get really governs how skillful you are, and 4+Int isn't that great. Them being Int based might take it over though, should I drop it down to 2+Int?

Class Table:
Actually, with the stances and essences, none of the levels are dead, they look dead on the class table, but aren't. In fact, each of the Essences gives a Capstone of sorts.

Weapon Skill:
It doesn't explicitly say so, but I'd say if you were treating an improvised weapon as a weapon that you were proficient in, I'd say yes it counts.

Essence
Shadowstep Momentum is in place for the Skirmisher stance, which grants Skirmish on its own (albeit a better version), giving 3d6+5 damage at that point. A lot of the class features bounce back and forth on each other actually, making for some interesting interplay. Nightstalker essence and Skirmisher stance are one such example.

The Shadowstep DC was a typo, the base DC is 20, which makes taking 10 only relevant if you don't Shadowstep your maximum, or have at least 14 Charisma, as the base DC for the maximum is calculated to be attainable with a Charisma of 10, max ranks, and all relevant bonuses, with an 8. I'll admit, that the level 20 ability makes that redundant, but that is also when you can extend your Shadowstep as far as you desire, making the DC unable to calculate.

My understanding of the rules is that the class itself cannot be posted anywhere outside of the contest thread until after the contest is over. Mechanics, by my reading, are acceptable.

You may not post your entry anywhere else until after the contest is finished. If you have already posted a class under this theme, you may not enter it for this contest.

Emphasis mine. I'm not trying to come across as rude, I just don't think it actually breaks the rules.

Everready Stances:
The Favored by section denotes which stance you get at full strength at level 1. If your stance isn't favored by your class, you don't get it till level 4, and then you get it as if you were level 1. The stance you favor, at that point, is treated as level 4. This was explained in the Essence and Stance sections, should I clarify this further?

Any-Weapon Familiarity:
It doesn't grant a proficiency that can be used to qualify for other things, Weapon Skill would not be effected. I'll clarify that.

Focused Kit:
I'll break it up into more concise paragraphs. The intent is to make it not stack with any outside enchantments. I'll clarify that.

Morphic Armor/Weapon:
It becomes the new item completely, yes you can turn leather into full plate, that's the purpose of the ability. It is powerful, but it is neccasary to be able to use the different stances, as they each require a certain type of armor. The Antimagic clause states its not removed by an Antimagic field. It still can't be activated in an Antimagic field. I'll reword it to be clearer.

Insightful Agility:
It's supposed to be Int+Dex to figure your max dex bonus. So someone in Leather with 18 Int and 16 Dex would add them together (4+3), then compare to your max dex rating, in this case 6. It's so that the Grey Guard built for plate can Morphic Armor into Leather for Skirmisher stance and still have a reasonable AC. I'll clarify the order in which it is calculated, your right that is unreasonable as worded.

Insightful Grace:
Big, yes, but look at the Paladin, who gets the same ability at level 2.

Kit Enhancements:
Ah, this is where I expected the most eye-raising, and I was not surprised. This is pretty much just 'I have the right weapon for the situation.' In most campaigns, you were going to enchant that +1 Holy Burst Shock etc weapon anyway. In addition, if you were careful, you'd have, say, a Ghost Touch capsule to enchant your weapon with. This gives you the option of having, say, +1 Shock Holy Burst Metalline Longsword as your primary weapon, and then have that +2 Ghost Touch Undead Bane Longsword of Disruption also. It might be a little over the top, would reducing the maximum amount of enchantments on your secondary Kits be sufficient do you think? Possibly by 1, any more would defeat the purpose.

Summary:
The class is designed to function, and function well, alongside spellcasters. It will never overtake a spellcaster, but it will definitely outshine a fighter or barbarian. I can understand your concern, but this is aimed at that high level of power. I don't think it will actually outshine a spellcaster, but it definitely gives a good run. I'm not precisely sure, but it might be a tad over a ToB class, if not on par. The weapon enchantments is really where they're going to break, if they do.

Temotoi, I'm curious as to whether I can use alternate mechanics that I have posted outside of the contest in my class. Its not a class, so the rules don't precisely forbid or deny it, but I'd like to be sure it wouldn't be a faux pas. The mechanics are a set of alternate shield rules that I prefer to use in most of the things that I design, I'm willing to use standard rules, and have already included adaptations for such, but again, want to know if basing some of my class's features on alternate mechanics would be inappropriate.

Temotei

2012-08-25, 06:33 PM

Question: If I make/post a martial discipline for general use, can I note that my contest entry can pick it up with the rules most of the homebrewed disciplines have of switching things out? If the answer is yes can I include a link to my entry?

If the answer is no, I'll wait to add that till after the contest.

If you make it for this contest, sure. If you've posted it outside of the contest before, no.

Temotoi, I'm curious as to whether I can use alternate mechanics that I have posted outside of the contest in my class. Its not a class, so the rules don't precisely forbid or deny it, but I'd like to be sure it wouldn't be a faux pas. The mechanics are a set of alternate shield rules that I prefer to use in most of the things that I design, I'm willing to use standard rules, and have already included adaptations for such, but again, want to know if basing some of my class's features on alternate mechanics would be inappropriate.

I'm going to rescind my decision on the martial discipline and allow you to use such things in your classes as long as no mention of the class or any part of the class was made in that homebrew.

I'll be changing the original post in the contest to reflect this ruling.

Quellian-dyrae

2012-08-25, 10:34 PM

Made some updates to the storyteller. A bit of general tweaking, but mostly, added some "short version" descriptions of the abilities in spoilers below the basic version, added something to fill the dead levels, and created a variant that tones down the sheer flexibility (and probably cuts down a fair bit of the power) of most of the class features in exchange for expanded spellcasting options.

kanachi

2012-08-26, 07:36 AM

I'm working on something, so I hope you guys aren't all PEACHed out!

I've done a peach of most the classes here, but i'm pretty tuckered out, so I may leave it for a bit if thats ok. I will try to take a look at some point though.

God Imperror

2012-08-26, 09:09 AM

If I finish the heroes soon enough I promise some peaches though at the moment I am exhausted after 7 hours of driving non stop.

sirpercival

2012-08-26, 09:15 AM

OK, I posted my mechanics. Still need to put in the flavor stuff, and write three disciplines (ack!). I'm also going to go back and try and rewrite the base mechanics so it isn't horribly confusing; suggestions to that effect would be very welcome.

GuyFawkes

2012-08-26, 09:47 AM

Wow. I like it. A lot.

sirpercival

2012-08-26, 09:49 AM

Wow. I like it. A lot.

Yay!! Did the axis/rating mechanic make any sense at all?

GuyFawkes

2012-08-26, 10:59 AM

Zaydos

2012-08-26, 11:47 AM

Personally I find the ability to get a +4 Insight bonus to hit at Lv 1 a little too strong, even every other round. Currently as written the accuracy boost means that you're going to only use Winter or Summer and Spring or Autumn and the other half of each Solstice/Equinox will be a liability because you're giving up such a large to hit bonus. I would suggest changing it to a bonus to damage which is weaker (at 1st level it could be stronger but you can already get the Str to one-hit most enemies, at higher levels it's half as strong as PAing away the bonus), but I don't think people will complain about it only being a full initiator with more maneuvers known than a warblade and full BAB.

Otherwise it looked pretty nice.

sirpercival

2012-08-26, 12:01 PM

It's comprehensible enough. You just have to track the values of each and you're good. Switching is easy to track as well, so it's good. For me at least.

The abilities benefit much from the value of the ratings, and you get to change through what you want to boost by using maneuvers. A unique mechanic. I like it!

Sweet. I'm glad :)

Personally I find the ability to get a +4 Insight bonus to hit at Lv 1 a little too strong, even every other round. Currently as written the accuracy boost means that you're going to only use Winter or Summer and Spring or Autumn and the other half of each Solstice/Equinox will be a liability because you're giving up such a large to hit bonus. I would suggest changing it to a bonus to damage which is weaker (at 1st level it could be stronger but you can already get the Str to one-hit most enemies, at higher levels it's half as strong as PAing away the bonus), but I don't think people will complain about it only being a full initiator with more maneuvers known than a warblade and full BAB.

Otherwise it looked pretty nice.

Yeah, that makes sense. I'll switch it to damage. Thanks for the suggestion!

I'm also going to clean up how Epoch works a little.

Tavar

2012-08-26, 12:03 PM

Huh. Very similar to my original idea, at least theme wise, though I was aiming for a caster or incarnum-like class, which is why I ran into so much trouble. Nice work.

sirpercival

2012-08-26, 06:26 PM

The Equinox discipline has been posted, some PEACHery would be lovely. I'm working on Revolution and Solstice.

Zaydos

2012-08-26, 07:01 PM

Will try to look over it, feeling a bit sick at the moment so I might miss somethings.

God Imperror

2012-08-26, 07:29 PM

I am going to PEACH some stuff to empty my mind of the anointed heritor before going back to it, if someone wants a PEACH let me know.

Cycle Warden

http://www.ipad-wallpapers.us/bgs/girl-warrior-in-flowers-ipad-background.jpg

Put a quote by or about a member of your class here!

A general description of what your class is!

Adventures: Why your class might adventure.

Characteristics: What your class is capable of.

Alignment: What alignment or alignments your class may have and why.

Religion: What deities or ideals your class follows, if any, and why.

Background: How you become part of your class and why.

Races: What races most often have members of your class, as well as any races that cannot join, along with why.

Other Classes: How your class relates to other classes, positively or negatively, and why.

Role: What your class does in and for a party.

Adaptation: How a DM might change your class to fit into their campaign or unique world setting.

I also start working on the crunch before fleshing out the fluff but you need to come back to this some time.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Cycle Wardens have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As a melee class, a cycle warden relies on her Strength and Constitution scores. Wisdom is also of secondary importance.
Alignment: Any neutral. Though seasons change, the core of balance and renewal remains constant.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As ranger.
Starting Gold: As ranger.

Class Skills
The Cycle Warden's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Martial rangers?

CYCLE WARDEN
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Maneuvers Known|Maneuvers Readied|Stances Known

1st |
+1|
+2|
+2|
+0|Changing seasons|
5|
3|
1

2nd |
+2|
+3|
+3|
+0|Epoch 1|
5|
3|
2

3rd |
+3|
+3|
+3|
+1|Eternal gift +2|
6|
3|
2

4th |
+4|
+4|
+4|
+1|Rise and fall|
6|
3|
2

5th |
+5|
+4|
+4|
+1|Renewal|
7|
3|
3

6th |
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+2|Decay|
7|
4|
3

7th |
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+2|Wax and wane|
8|
4|
3

8th |
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+2|Eternal gift +4|
8|
4|
3

9th |
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+3|Second epoch|
9|
4|
4

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+3|Bloom and wither|
9|
4|
4

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+3|Call of the cycle|
10|
5|
4

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+4|Improved renewal|
10|
5|
4

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+4|Eternal gift +6|
11|
5|
4

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+4|Improved rise and fall|
11|
5|
4

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+5|Greater decay|
12|
5|
5

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+5|Epoch 2|
12|
6|
5

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+5|Improved wax and wane|
13|
6|
5

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+6|Eternal gift +8|
13|
6|
5

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+6|Greater renewal|
14|
6|
5

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+6|Improved bloom and wither, verdigris|
14|
7|
6[/table]

No dead levels is a good thing, though it gets a weird number of stances and maneuvers. It gets one more maneuver than a warblade and two more stances. It gets as many stances as a swordsage but 11 less maneuvers.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cycle Warden.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A cycle warden is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields. Though there is no specific restriction, most cycle wardens prefer wooden equipment to that made of metal.

Maybe give them a slight bonus for using non metal armor.

Maneuvers: A cycle warden begins her career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers. She learns two maneuvers from the Solstice discipline, two from the Equinox discipline, and one maneuver from the Revolution discipline. Once she knows a maneuver, a cycle warden must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by cycle wardens is considered a supernatural ability unless otherwise noted in its description. A cycle warden's maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.

A cycle warden learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the above table. She must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. The highest-level maneuvers she can learn are based on her initiator level, as normal. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered cycle warden level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), a cycle warden can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she meets the prerequisites and observes her restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she can learn; she need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level.

Maneuvers readied: A cycle warden can ready three of her five maneuvers per encounter at level 1, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she must choose which maneuvers to ready. A cycle warden readies maneuvers by meditating and practicing for 5 minutes; once readied, the maneuvers remain so until she spends 5 minutes to ready new ones. A cycle warden begins an encounter with all her maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she readied them. When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of his maneuvers can be used once per encounter unless she recovers them. Whenever the cycle warden initiates a maneuver from the Solstice or Equinox disciplines, she may recover a single expended Revolution maneuver, and whenever she initiates a Revolution maneuver, she may recover a single expended Solstice or Equinox maneuver. A cycle warden cannot initiate a maneuver in the same round she recovers it, and cannot recover an expended maneuver in the same round she initiates it.

At first I though boooh it has the same recovering maneuver than the swordsage which sucks, but then it seems that it gets a recovering system as good (or better) as the warblade. It can spam two maneuvers as long as he alternates them every round.

Stances known: A cycle warden begins play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to her. At 2nd, 5th, 9th, 15th, and 20th level, she can choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and she does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she currently uses as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, a cycle warden cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.

Cool

Changing seasons (Ex): The connection between a cycle warden and the Cycle itself is both fundamental and profound. The cycle warden's fighting techniques, defenses, and even her physical appearance reflect the changing Cycle and her place within it. To represent this give and take, a cycle warden has two sets of Season Ratings, one for the Solstice axis (a Summer rating and a Winter rating), and one for the Equinox axis (an Autumn rating and a Spring rating). The total rating for each of Equinox and Solstice is always 4 (for example, a cycle warden could have a Winter rating of 3 and a Summer rating of 1, as well as an Autumn rating of 0 and a Spring rating of 4).

At any given time, a cycle warden is associated with either the Equinox or Solstice axis, but not both; any time the cycle warden initiates a maneuver from the Revolution discipline, the axis she is associated with changes, and her appearance and abilities alter accordingly. Each time a cycle warden initiates an Equinox or Solstice maneuver, her rating for the season associated with that maneuver increases, and her rating for the opposing season decreases (for example, a cycle warden with Winter 3 and Summer 1 who initiated a Summer maneuver would then have Winter 2 and Summer 2).

A number of the cycle warden's class features are determined by her current axis and season ratings, as described below. In addition, a cycle warden gains an insight bonus to damage rolls with maneuvers equal to the rating of the appropriate season whenever she is associated with that axis (i.e., a cycle warden associated with Equinox with ratings of Autumn 1 and Spring 3 would gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with Autumn maneuvers and a +3 bonus to attack rolls with Spring maneuvers). Finally, as a cycle warden's season ratings and associated axis change, so does her physical appearance. Her skin, eye, and hair color reflect the season she is attuned to most strongly. An autumn cycle warden is a study in oranges and reds; spring brings hues of light green and brown; a summer cycle warden displays dark green and gold; and winter dusts the cycle warden in white, silver, and black.

Cool and interesting I still fear a little double spamming. What happens when the bonus are at 2 / 2? You manifest the last aspect that you used?

For how long do those bonus last though? Could a warden practice his strikes against a stone early on the morning so he gets 4 (or 6) to his chosen season and go to town from there?

Epoch (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a cycle warden can choose a particular season to which she can attune more strongly, called an Epoch. Such attunement requires 24 hours of meditation and communion with the Cycle; the cycle warden can change her Epoch by spending another 24 hours meditating. A cycle warden's maximum and minimum rating for her Epoch increases by 1 (becoming a range of 1 to 5; the other season on the same axis is still limited to the range of 0 to 4 for its ratings). For example, a cycle warden with the Spring Epoch could have a Spring rating of 5, at which point her Autumn rating would be 0. At 16th level, the maximum and minimum rating of her Epoch increases by an additional 1 (becoming a range of 2 to 6).

Nice and not overpowered.

Eternal gift (Ex): Upon reaching 3rd level, a cycle warden understands how the Cycle's constant change affects the world around her. She gains a +2 insight bonus to Wisdom-based skill checks, which increase by +2 at 8th level and every 5 levels after.

I hope that the cycle warden never gets lucid dreaming, other than that nice ability. Maybe skill mastery at a high level would be fitting.

Rise and fall (Su): At 4th level, a cycle warden's ties to the Cycle begin to show more strongly. Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains resistance to Acid and Electricity equal to 5 times her Autumn and Spring ratings, respectively. When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains resistance to Fire and Cold equal to 5 times her Summer and Winter ratings, respectively.

I really like the seasonal mechanics of the class it is fresh and breaks with some of the main themes of this contest.

Renewal (Ex): A cycle warden learns to reinvent herself, growing anew from the remains of what she was before. Whenever a cycle warden of 5th level or higher switches into an Equinox or Solstice stance, she may ready one maneuver she knows from the same discipline as her new stance in place of any readied and unexpended maneuver.

This allows the warden to swift their maneuvers around allowing them to not be punished by the sucky recovery of the swordsages, in addition it makes it workable with less maneuvers known (it already has several less than the swordsage)

Decay (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, a cycle warden understands how to hasten the end of her enemies, drawing upon the progression of decay that each creature moves through during its lifetime. She may expend a readied and unexpended maneuver as a standard action and make a melee touch attack against an opponent. If the attack succeeds, the opponent takes 1 point of ability damage to the physical ability score of the cycle warden's choice (chosen when expending the maneuver) each round, for 1 round per level of the expended maneuver.

It makes a lot of damage (since it is per round) and the warden doesn't have problems recovering maneuvers. The warden doesn't have a restriction to prepare high level maneuvers or to recover them. In addition at the moment this doesn't have a save.

Wax and wane (Su): Starting at 7th level, a cycle warden's connection to the Cycle strengthens once again. Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains an insight bonus to Wisdom and Constitution equal to her Autumn and Spring ratings, respectively. When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains an insight bonus to Dexterity and Strength equal to her Summer and Winter ratings, respectively.

If it were enhancement bonus I don't think it would be a problem as it is, since insight bonus are rare, it might be really strong, maybe only half the bonus?

Second epoch (Ex): Upon reaching at 9th level, a cycle warden can attune to two Epochs simultaneously, one for each axis, with the same 24 hours of meditation.

Does he get an increase of his second epoch at later level?

Bloom and wither (Su): At 10th level, a cycle warden manifests the next aspect of her connection to the Cycle. Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains fast healing equal to her Spring rating, and an insight bonus to Initiative checks equal to her Autumn rating. When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains an insight bonus on Fortitude saves equal to her Winter rating, and any creature that attacks her with a natural weapon or non-reach melee weapon takes 1d8 fire damage times her Summer rating.

I am still worried of people stacking really hard on a season from the equinox and a season from the solstice.

Call of the Cycle (Su): Beginning at 11th level, a cycle warden can draw upon her connection to the Cycle to grant her incredible resiliency for a short period of time. A number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier, a cycle warden can gain the Plant type (with all associated immunities) as a swift action on her turn. She retains the benefit for 1 round per class level.

Up till now this is the only ability with listed duration, it is nice :smallsmile:

Improved renewal (Ex): At 12th level, a cycle warden learns that change need not be slow. Whenever she uses her Renewal ability, she may exchange an additional readied and unexpended maneuver for a readied maneuver from the other season associated with that discipline. For example, a cycle warden switching into an Equinox stance could exchange two readied and unexpended maneuvers to ready one Autumn maneuver and one Spring maneuver.

Improved rise and fall: The energy resistance granted to a cycle warden of 14th level or higher by her Rise and Fall ability increases to 10 times the appropriate season rating.

This are strong on themselves, overpowered or not I don't really know.

Greater decay (Ex): Beginning at 15th level, whenever a cycle warden uses her Decay class feature, it deals 1 point of damage to each physical ability score instead of to a single physical ability score.

This is REALLY strong, I actually thought that decay was to strong so I do fear that this can cause a lot of damage.

Improved wax and wane: At 17 level, the insight bonus to ability scores granted by a cycle warden's Wax and Wane ability increases to twice the appropriate season rating.

So he can get +12 to one stat? :smalleek:

Greater renewal (Ex): Upon reaching 19th level, a cycle warden can alter her techniques with barely a thought. Whenever she makes use of her Improved Renewal ability, the cycle warden may exchange a third readied maneuver, readying a Revolution maneuver in addition to the two seasonal maneuvers.

Okay, but probably should reduce maneuvers known then (probably readied too)

Improved bloom and wither (Su): A 20th level cycle warden gains increased benefit from her Bloom and Wither ability. Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, her fast healing becomes regeneration (overcome only by acid) equal to twice her Spring rating, her bonus to Initiative increases to twice her Autumn rating, and she additionally gains an insight bonus to Reflex saves equal to twice her Autumn rating. When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, her bonus on Fortitude saves increases to twice her Winter rating, she gains an insight bonus to Will saves equal to twice her Winter rating, and the damage dealt by her Summer aura increases to 3d8 fire damage times her Summer rating.

Verdigris (Su): At 20th level, a cycle warden's connection to the Cycle is complete. She permanently gains the Plant type (as per her Call of the Cycle ability), but still counts as her original type whenever it would be beneficial to her.

It is a really strong capstone but on the lines of the class. Regeneration is a bit over the top though.

Some comments:
-Cool concept :smallsmile:
-I don't really know what is the benefit on not sticking to two seasons: let's say summer and spring and using maneuvers from one or the other alternatively.
-I will wait till I see the rest of the maneuvers to judge on them, but I'll check them.

sirpercival

2012-08-26, 08:09 PM

I am going to PEACH some stuff to empty my mind of the anointed heritor before going back to it, if someone wants a PEACH let me know. Thank you!!

I also start working on the crunch before fleshing out the fluff but you need to come back to this some time. Oh definitely, it's next after I finish the disciplines.

Martial rangers? It's thematically closest to the ranger, so that's what I went with. I actually have a martial ranger variant in my Magipunk campaign setting (not ported to these boards yet), which looks absolutely nothing like this. Lol.

No dead levels is a good thing, though it gets a weird number of stances and maneuvers. It gets one more maneuver than a warblade and two more stances. It gets as many stances as a swordsage but 11 less maneuvers. Yeah, I rarely give out the same progression as one of the printed classes when I homebrew a martial adept. I feel like it makes them a little more unique. And I try never to have dead levels :smallsmile:

Maybe give them a slight bonus for using non metal armor.I thought about this, but since most non-metal armors really are quite crappy, I didn't want to effectively penalize for a melee char.

At first I though boooh it has the same recovering maneuver than the swordsage which sucks, but then it seems that it gets a recovering system as good (or better) as the warblade. It can spam two maneuvers as long as he alternates them every round. While this is true, usually you won't want to, since every time you initiate a Revolution maneuver it switches your axis. You could maybe try to switch between 3, but then you're behind because you can't recover both the Equinox and Solstice at the same time. It slows down the combo, at the very least. I guess it depends on how much you want a particular axis's abilities.

Cool and interesting I still fear a little double spamming. What happens when the bonus are at 2 / 2? You manifest the last aspect that you used? Oh yes, I should address this. I was figuring in between...

For how long do those bonus last though? Could a warden practice his strikes against a stone early on the morning so he gets 4 (or 6) to his chosen season and go to town from there? He could, but then it would get weird as soon as he got in combat and wanted to use various maneuvers. I really don't know how this would play out in practice. But either way, a +4-+6 on damage from strikes is nothing to worry about, I think.

Nice and not overpowered. Yay!

I hope that the cycle warden never gets lucid dreaming, other than that nice ability. Maybe skill mastery at a high level would be fitting. Maybe... I don't want to overload with class features, but I'll see if I can fit it in somewhere.

I really like the seasonal mechanics of the class it is fresh and breaks with some of the main themes of this contest. :smallsmile:

This allows the warden to swift their maneuvers around allowing them to not be punished by the sucky recovery of the swordsages, in addition it makes it workable with less maneuvers known (it already has several less than the swordsage) That was my hope.

It makes a lot of damage (since it is per round) and the warden doesn't have problems recovering maneuvers. The warden doesn't have a restriction to prepare high level maneuvers or to recover them. In addition at the moment this doesn't have a save. Actually, since you have to initiate a maneuver to recover a maneuver (there's no other mechanism), if you do this too much you'll run out real quick. And, it's not very much damage, if you think about it. How long do most combats run? 3 rounds, maybe 4? That's 3 or 4 ability damage, max, before the opponent gets ganked in some other way. I was happy with it as being a very cool ability which is much less powerful than it seems... :) By the time you get high-level maneuvers, curing/being immune to ability damage is pretty easy anyway.

If it were enhancement bonus I don't think it would be a problem as it is, since insight bonus are rare, it might be really strong, maybe only half the bonus? Yeah, I was worried about this. Which is better, switching to enhancement bonus or halving the insight bonus?

Does he get an increase of his second epoch at later level? Yes, I'll make that explicit.

I am still worried of people stacking really hard on a season from the equinox and a season from the solstice. I know what you mean, I'd just need to see how it plays out in-game with the switcheroo.

Up till now this is the only ability with listed duration, it is nice :smallsmile: Lol.

This are strong on themselves, overpowered or not I don't really know. I don't think they're too overpowered. The energy resistance may come close, except that energy immunity was available 1-to-3 levels ago.

This is REALLY strong, I actually thought that decay was to strong so I do fear that this can cause a lot of damage. I would agree with you if it wasn't spread out over 3 scores. See my explanation of why Decay isn't overpowered.

So he can get +12 to one stat? :smalleek: Yeah... same question as before.

Okay, but probably should reduce maneuvers known then (probably readied too) Why? The real issue is the number of readied maneuvers. I doubt this is a gamebreaker... out of combat you don't care, and in combat you can only exchange maneuvers you haven't expended. Honestly Improved Renewal is probably all you'll need/care about.

It is a really strong capstone but on the lines of the class. Regeneration is a bit over the top though. I could drop it to =rating instead of =2 x rating, if that would help. I should also put in a note about what happens when you lose the regeneration from your axis switching... any thoughts?

Some comments:
-Cool concept :smallsmile:Thanks!

-I don't really know what is the benefit on not sticking to two seasons: let's say summer and spring and using maneuvers from one or the other alternatively. I'm not sure how to discourage that, honestly... any ideas?

-I will wait till I see the rest of the maneuvers to judge on them, but I'll check them. Thanks!

Techwarrior

2012-08-26, 08:21 PM

I wouldn't mind a PEACH for my entry if PEACHes are being given out. :smallbiggrin:

Once I'm finished with mine I will also go through and PEACH them all.

Zaydos

2012-08-26, 08:51 PM

So writing this as I go:

Brittle Branches: Stacking -1 to AC per hit on target (max - natural armor). Compare to other 1st level stances and it's stronger (punishing stance leads to the most heads on comparison: +3.5 damage for -2 AC, this is escalating +2 damage with PA). At 1st level it's not too strong, but it helps all your allies and gets better as you get iterative attacks, haste, two-weapon fighting, etc. You should probably not let it stack with itself or have it only affect DR.

First Harvest: Better than sapphire nightmare blade, but sapphire nightmare blade isn't that good so it checks out.

Growing Season: Close Wounds is a powerful 2nd level spell because of its immediate action speed emergency healing, along with Heal it's one of the two in combat healing spells actually used. This is much stronger (1d4 + 10 or more as opposed to 2d4+5 at Lv 10). This is also infinitely spamable. Every other round you heal a target 1d4+16 damage, at 1st level. This is a bad idea on many levels. I would either take a hint from the Devoted Spirit maneuvers with similar effects and power it by hitting enemies (not logical but) or make it only work to keep people from dying (can't raise hp above 0) and even then probably make it 1/2 heal check instead of 1d4+heal check.

Sapling Strike: Checks out. +5-ft range (or +10 if you're large) for one attack, and +3.5 damage (going to assume Greatsword because it's a good choice).

As the Leaf Falls: The lack of a save and the relatively long duration for a maneuver are odd. The effect is about comparable to Ray of Enfeeblement, probably weaker, which actually about checks out. Should probably note it can't reduce Str to 0, though, and that it doesn't stack with itself (RAW as is it doesn't, but clarity is a plus).

Early Frost: So it's a weaker version of Burning Blade (I think I have the right boost, my swordsage player loves it although its becoming less useful because it's an outer planes campaign) but boosts your ally. As written right now you want to make it stronger. Either an AoE boost, or add IL as well like Burning Blade. Cold resistance is common and by the time this is giving more than +2.5 damage it's likely to be reduced by 5 per hit, then 10, etc.

Floral Bloom: Right now the entangled might actually be a little strong (-2 to hit and AC for Wis rounds) compared to 2nd level maneuvers, I'd probably allow a save or make the duration until the end of your next turn. If you do either change I'd also up the damage to +2d6 instead of 1d8 (more in line with Mountain Hammer, Foehammer, Claw at the Moon, etc).

Gentle Rain: I think I like it. I think. Gives you the potential for pretty high fast healing, but I think it'll end up reasonable and you can only convert 20 damage/round at lv 20 which means it's not even infinite healing.

Season of Plenty: See Growing Season. Also note that as currently written this isn't really worth more than the other (1d4 + ~21 compared to 3d4 + ~21) as most of the healing is coming from the heal check either way.

Second Harvest: Looks more in the style of ToB maneuvers while also having a unique effect. I will note, though, that as is it's worse than Floral Bloom (+2.5 damage but the damage is typed, and entangled is on par with sickened and will last longer and not allow a save).

Bitter Creep: Con damage is strong. Compare this to Bonesplitting Strike (same level official maneuver). Bonesplitting Strike simply deals 2 Con damage this deals Wis modifier (at least 2 liable to be more, likely ending as high as +10 or even +11 due to Wax or Wane). Bonesplitting Strike also requires you to have your feet on the ground.

Leafmould: Again needs a note about not stacking and not being able to reduce to 0, but looks fairly good. Is it a melee touch attack with your weapon, or is it unarmed? It looks like it should be unarmed but that should be noted clearly, possibly with a reminder that it means you don't get weapon bonuses and weapon specific feats.

Willow Strike: +2 to hit, +10.5 damage, or +14 if you were large to begin with, and a reach boost. Looks legit for a 4th level maneuver.

Heavy Clouds: Do not make it a situation of Skills versus Saves, Skill bonuses increase too much faster, go with the standard 15 + Wis. It should also have a limited duration on how long they are exhausted/fatigued, and really might shouldn't even fatigue on a failed save. Exhaustion on a failed save is probably too strong already due to it stopping charging, though fatigue might be a little too weak to be the fail effect but might not be (competition at this level is +5-ft with 5-ft step, +5-ft reach during your turn only, blindsense, ignore difficult terrain and water walking, etc).

Late Harvest: Compare to Irresistible Mountain Strike. It does the same damage (less on a crit), requires your feet to be on the ground, simply removes their Standard action (as opposed to also disallowing quickened spells as well) for 1 round (as opposed to 3), and is Lv 6 (as opposed to 5). You need to think of something other than nauseated to do and probably not do a 3 round duration.

Surge of Life: Make it a boost not a strike; this stops you from using another boost alongside it. The damage is then a little low (compare Searing Blade) but the AoO and fact that electricity is less resisted than fire should make up for that. Even then I'd probably make it 1d6 + Initiator Level, bringing it more in line with the Desert Wind ones.

Cornucopia: This is about the level you should be getting immediate action healing with anything near this efficiency. But compare to Iron Heart Endurance (2 x IL, self only, to half health only, level 6) and it's still too strong. Reduce the amount, limit it to no more than half-health (or just make it damage prevention altogether).

Early Thaw: Neat. Looks good.

Slow Rot: Again make it a boost to stop the use of other boosts with it. Might be a little too strong, I might suggest doing a -1 penalty. Still ends up with a -5 (assuming you're hasted) or even a -8 (with dual-wielding + haste).

Bitter Cringe: No. DC = Damage dealt is a bad idea to begin with (damage again scales faster than saves) and paralysis 3 rounds is effectively death. Make it 1 round, add some bonus damage, and DC 17 + Wis and it's still strong and probably death if your group is capable of working together. It's similar to Hand of Death, but that requires a flat-footed opponent, deals no damage (like that matters with multi-round paralysis) and is 1d3 rounds, and something I just realized I hope my players don't notice because it's 4th level and a potential game breaker. And that's without the +8 to Wisdom you'll have when you're using this (+4 to DC).

Broken Branches: Spring finally gets a cool maneuver that's not healing and Autumn just gets it 1 level later... do something different and actually spring might need more maneuvers at this point.

Redwood Strike: It's only one attack so it looks fairly reasonable +4 to hit, +9d6+6 damage (assuming you got your hand on a large greatsword) and +15-ft reach. The reach thing is what makes this actually keep up with other Lv 7 maneuvers.

Bare Earth: As a 1 attack duration thing: Meh. 1 round duration thing: nice. Until magically restored: No. This is a save or lose as an immediate action usable every other round.

Primal Surge: Potential for a lot of free attacks makes this pretty powerful even with only +17.5 damage per hit (less than a Lv 4 boost). Hard to balance it because of that. I'd have limited it to 1 AoO per target and made it 4d6+IL trusting that the +10.5 damage/hit (~+31.5 damage) would make it better than the level 5 version.

Unbridled Growth: Compare to level 8 stances... extra Counter each round (run out of counters pretty quickly), 5-ft step between successful attacks, immunity to crits, walk on air (limited flight), other limited flight, survive hp damage up to 3 times in a row, make an opponent that missed you due to a miss chance hit another creature adjacent to you (at a level where all enemies have reach), and DR 5/- when not flat-footed. Now look at this. You and allies within 30-ft get something like fast healing 15 (6d4 averages 15 and would be about an average roll at Lv 15). Compare to the most comparable (DR 5/- when not flat-footed). My 8th level stance was a little too strong, it's you gain Fast Healing 5. This makes it look like a sickly child.

Final Harvest: looks fine except the bonus from Wax and Wane might push your Wis too high.

Endless Bloom: Maneuvers shouldn't have permanent effects only healable with powerful magic. Make it something like they get a daily Fort save to remove the flowers.

General Comments: Add prerequisites. Note that they will effectively be getting 2 9th level maneuvers with the prereqs for 1. Note that Wax or Wane brings their save DCs up in comparison to ToB characters and might push any of them into too high territory. You seem to be more Autumn heavy than spring, even though there is only 1 more Autumn maneuver than Spring. The healing ones need a major rework, and you should probably look over the short descriptions of all the maneuvers on pages 48-51 for maneuvers that do similar things for a balance point.

On the class itself:

Wax and Wane: Switch it to enhancement. Also even then +12 to one stat can be brokenly powerful. I'd probably make it cap at +8 (maybe +2 more to the higher of the two for each axis or some such).

Also: took me the better part of an hour to get this to post.

God Imperror

2012-08-27, 06:46 AM

Thank you!!

You are welcome :smallsmile: If you want to PEACH back the anointed heritor I would really appreciate it.

Oh definitely, it's next after I finish the disciplines.

It's thematically closest to the ranger, so that's what I went with. I actually have a martial ranger variant in my Magipunk campaign setting (not ported to these boards yet), which looks absolutely nothing like this. Lol.

Yeah, I rarely give out the same progression as one of the printed classes when I homebrew a martial adept. I feel like it makes them a little more unique. And I try never to have dead levels :smallsmile:

I thought about this, but since most non-metal armors really are quite crappy, I didn't want to effectively penalize for a melee char.

Yep, they are unique uhm... maybe just a aesthetic change, flowers may appear on the armor on spring, and in autum some parts of it may fall as if they were leaves falling.

While this is true, usually you won't want to, since every time you initiate a Revolution maneuver it switches your axis. You could maybe try to switch between 3, but then you're behind because you can't recover both the Equinox and Solstice at the same time. It slows down the combo, at the very least. I guess it depends on how much you want a particular axis's abilities.

Maybe have maneuvers tie to other maneuvers. For example if you use Maneuver A after maneuver B maneuver B gets a bonus.

Oh yes, I should address this. I was figuring in between...

I would go with the later one used.

He could, but then it would get weird as soon as he got in combat and wanted to use various maneuvers. I really don't know how this would play out in practice. But either way, a +4-+6 on damage from strikes is nothing to worry about, I think.

So many class features build on this that it can be potentially scary.

Maybe... I don't want to overload with class features, but I'll see if I can fit it in somewhere.

Then don't :smallsmile:

Actually, since you have to initiate a maneuver to recover a maneuver (there's no other mechanism), if you do this too much you'll run out real quick. And, it's not very much damage, if you think about it. How long do most combats run? 3 rounds, maybe 4? That's 3 or 4 ability damage, max, before the opponent gets ganked in some other way. I was happy with it as being a very cool ability which is much less powerful than it seems... :) By the time you get high-level maneuvers, curing/being immune to ability damage is pretty easy anyway.

Yes... it is still ability damage more or less at will, it could be a cool maneuver not necessarily a class feature.

Yeah, I was worried about this. Which is better, switching to enhancement bonus or halving the insight bonus?

Probably both, or cap it somehow. Or make the extra bonus apply to the other season of the same axis.

I know what you mean, I'd just need to see how it plays out in-game with the switcheroo.

giving bonus when using a maneuver from the opposite side? Having the epoch apply to the other season wen it increases (instead of the same)

I don't think they're too overpowered. The energy resistance may come close, except that energy immunity was available 1-to-3 levels ago.

Yep.

I would agree with you if it wasn't spread out over 3 scores. See my explanation of why Decay isn't overpowered.

I still believe it is pretty strong... and I would make it a maneuver, a winter maneuver in fact, I don't see how this fits spring.

Yeah... same question as before.

Bonus to using maneuvers in the same axis. Penalties to spamming same maneuvers? I don't really know.

Why? The real issue is the number of readied maneuvers. I doubt this is a gamebreaker... out of combat you don't care, and in combat you can only exchange maneuvers you haven't expended. Honestly Improved Renewal is probably all you'll need/care about.

At first I thought you could renew maneuvers when you waited the 5 minutes, that's why I believed that it was too strong.

I could drop it to =rating instead of =2 x rating, if that would help. I should also put in a note about what happens when you lose the regeneration from your axis switching... any thoughts?

Regeneration is too strong... you basically can keep going for ever. I would change it to Fast healing.

I wouldn't mind a PEACH for my entry if PEACHes are being given out. :smallbiggrin:

Once I'm finished with mine I will also go through and PEACH them all.

I'll give it a look this afternoon :smallsmile:

sirpercival

2012-08-27, 07:56 AM

So writing this as I go:

Brittle Branches: Stacking -1 to AC per hit on target (max - natural armor). Compare to other 1st level stances and it's stronger (punishing stance leads to the most heads on comparison: +3.5 damage for -2 AC, this is escalating +2 damage with PA). At 1st level it's not too strong, but it helps all your allies and gets better as you get iterative attacks, haste, two-weapon fighting, etc. You should probably not let it stack with itself or have it only affect DR.

First Harvest: Better than sapphire nightmare blade, but sapphire nightmare blade isn't that good so it checks out.

Growing Season: Close Wounds is a powerful 2nd level spell because of its immediate action speed emergency healing, along with Heal it's one of the two in combat healing spells actually used. This is much stronger (1d4 + 10 or more as opposed to 2d4+5 at Lv 10). This is also infinitely spamable. Every other round you heal a target 1d4+16 damage, at 1st level. This is a bad idea on many levels. I would either take a hint from the Devoted Spirit maneuvers with similar effects and power it by hitting enemies (not logical but) or make it only work to keep people from dying (can't raise hp above 0) and even then probably make it 1/2 heal check instead of 1d4+heal check.

Sapling Strike: Checks out. +5-ft range (or +10 if you're large) for one attack, and +3.5 damage (going to assume Greatsword because it's a good choice).

As the Leaf Falls: The lack of a save and the relatively long duration for a maneuver are odd. The effect is about comparable to Ray of Enfeeblement, probably weaker, which actually about checks out. Should probably note it can't reduce Str to 0, though, and that it doesn't stack with itself (RAW as is it doesn't, but clarity is a plus).

Early Frost: So it's a weaker version of Burning Blade (I think I have the right boost, my swordsage player loves it although its becoming less useful because it's an outer planes campaign) but boosts your ally. As written right now you want to make it stronger. Either an AoE boost, or add IL as well like Burning Blade. Cold resistance is common and by the time this is giving more than +2.5 damage it's likely to be reduced by 5 per hit, then 10, etc.

Floral Bloom: Right now the entangled might actually be a little strong (-2 to hit and AC for Wis rounds) compared to 2nd level maneuvers, I'd probably allow a save or make the duration until the end of your next turn. If you do either change I'd also up the damage to +2d6 instead of 1d8 (more in line with Mountain Hammer, Foehammer, Claw at the Moon, etc).

Gentle Rain: I think I like it. I think. Gives you the potential for pretty high fast healing, but I think it'll end up reasonable and you can only convert 20 damage/round at lv 20 which means it's not even infinite healing.

Season of Plenty: See Growing Season. Also note that as currently written this isn't really worth more than the other (1d4 + ~21 compared to 3d4 + ~21) as most of the healing is coming from the heal check either way.

Second Harvest: Looks more in the style of ToB maneuvers while also having a unique effect. I will note, though, that as is it's worse than Floral Bloom (+2.5 damage but the damage is typed, and entangled is on par with sickened and will last longer and not allow a save).

Bitter Creep: Con damage is strong. Compare this to Bonesplitting Strike (same level official maneuver). Bonesplitting Strike simply deals 2 Con damage this deals Wis modifier (at least 2 liable to be more, likely ending as high as +10 or even +11 due to Wax or Wane). Bonesplitting Strike also requires you to have your feet on the ground.

Leafmould: Again needs a note about not stacking and not being able to reduce to 0, but looks fairly good. Is it a melee touch attack with your weapon, or is it unarmed? It looks like it should be unarmed but that should be noted clearly, possibly with a reminder that it means you don't get weapon bonuses and weapon specific feats.

Willow Strike: +2 to hit, +10.5 damage, or +14 if you were large to begin with, and a reach boost. Looks legit for a 4th level maneuver.

Heavy Clouds: Do not make it a situation of Skills versus Saves, Skill bonuses increase too much faster, go with the standard 15 + Wis. It should also have a limited duration on how long they are exhausted/fatigued, and really might shouldn't even fatigue on a failed save. Exhaustion on a failed save is probably too strong already due to it stopping charging, though fatigue might be a little too weak to be the fail effect but might not be (competition at this level is +5-ft with 5-ft step, +5-ft reach during your turn only, blindsense, ignore difficult terrain and water walking, etc).

Late Harvest: Compare to Irresistible Mountain Strike. It does the same damage (less on a crit), requires your feet to be on the ground, simply removes their Standard action (as opposed to also disallowing quickened spells as well) for 1 round (as opposed to 3), and is Lv 6 (as opposed to 5). You need to think of something other than nauseated to do and probably not do a 3 round duration.

Surge of Life: Make it a boost not a strike; this stops you from using another boost alongside it. The damage is then a little low (compare Searing Blade) but the AoO and fact that electricity is less resisted than fire should make up for that. Even then I'd probably make it 1d6 + Initiator Level, bringing it more in line with the Desert Wind ones.

Cornucopia: This is about the level you should be getting immediate action healing with anything near this efficiency. But compare to Iron Heart Endurance (2 x IL, self only, to half health only, level 6) and it's still too strong. Reduce the amount, limit it to no more than half-health (or just make it damage prevention altogether).

Early Thaw: Neat. Looks good.

Slow Rot: Again make it a boost to stop the use of other boosts with it. Might be a little too strong, I might suggest doing a -1 penalty. Still ends up with a -5 (assuming you're hasted) or even a -8 (with dual-wielding + haste).

Bitter Cringe: No. DC = Damage dealt is a bad idea to begin with (damage again scales faster than saves) and paralysis 3 rounds is effectively death. Make it 1 round, add some bonus damage, and DC 17 + Wis and it's still strong and probably death if your group is capable of working together. It's similar to Hand of Death, but that requires a flat-footed opponent, deals no damage (like that matters with multi-round paralysis) and is 1d3 rounds, and something I just realized I hope my players don't notice because it's 4th level and a potential game breaker. And that's without the +8 to Wisdom you'll have when you're using this (+4 to DC).

Broken Branches: Spring finally gets a cool maneuver that's not healing and Autumn just gets it 1 level later... do something different and actually spring might need more maneuvers at this point.

Redwood Strike: It's only one attack so it looks fairly reasonable +4 to hit, +9d6+6 damage (assuming you got your hand on a large greatsword) and +15-ft reach. The reach thing is what makes this actually keep up with other Lv 7 maneuvers.

Bare Earth: As a 1 attack duration thing: Meh. 1 round duration thing: nice. Until magically restored: No. This is a save or lose as an immediate action usable every other round.

Primal Surge: Potential for a lot of free attacks makes this pretty powerful even with only +17.5 damage per hit (less than a Lv 4 boost). Hard to balance it because of that. I'd have limited it to 1 AoO per target and made it 4d6+IL trusting that the +10.5 damage/hit (~+31.5 damage) would make it better than the level 5 version.

Unbridled Growth: Compare to level 8 stances... extra Counter each round (run out of counters pretty quickly), 5-ft step between successful attacks, immunity to crits, walk on air (limited flight), other limited flight, survive hp damage up to 3 times in a row, make an opponent that missed you due to a miss chance hit another creature adjacent to you (at a level where all enemies have reach), and DR 5/- when not flat-footed. Now look at this. You and allies within 30-ft get something like fast healing 15 (6d4 averages 15 and would be about an average roll at Lv 15). Compare to the most comparable (DR 5/- when not flat-footed). My 8th level stance was a little too strong, it's you gain Fast Healing 5. This makes it look like a sickly child.

Final Harvest: looks fine except the bonus from Wax and Wane might push your Wis too high.

Endless Bloom: Maneuvers shouldn't have permanent effects only healable with powerful magic. Make it something like they get a daily Fort save to remove the flowers.

General Comments: Add prerequisites. Note that they will effectively be getting 2 9th level maneuvers with the prereqs for 1. Note that Wax or Wane brings their save DCs up in comparison to ToB characters and might push any of them into too high territory. You seem to be more Autumn heavy than spring, even though there is only 1 more Autumn maneuver than Spring. The healing ones need a major rework, and you should probably look over the short descriptions of all the maneuvers on pages 48-51 for maneuvers that do similar things for a balance point. I will be going through these with a fine-toothed comb, thank you! It's only the second discipline I've ever written, so I don't have an intuitive sense on maneuver balance yet.

On the class itself:

Wax and Wane: Switch it to enhancement. Also even then +12 to one stat can be brokenly powerful. I'd probably make it cap at +8 (maybe +2 more to the higher of the two for each axis or some such). I think this is the neatest solution. I changed it to enhancement, capped at +8.

You are welcome :smallsmile: If you want to PEACH back the anointed heritor I would really appreciate it. I will definitely do so when I get a chance.

Responses:

Yep, they are unique uhm... maybe just a aesthetic change, flowers may appear on the armor on spring, and in autum some parts of it may fall as if they were leaves falling. I put a little blurb into Changing Seasons that equipment made of plant material undergoes visual changes appropriate to the season as well.

Maybe have maneuvers tie to other maneuvers. For example if you use Maneuver A after maneuver B maneuver B gets a bonus. This is likely to be either useless (if general) or incredibly complicated (if specific by maneuver). I'm actually working on a combat technique system involving combo chains at the moment, and it's damn hard to do.

Yes... it is still ability damage more or less at will, it could be a cool maneuver not necessarily a class feature. I got rid of Decay and replaced it with Skill Mastery for Wis-based skills. Now there's no issue, and I included another of your appropriate suggestions. Lol.

I still believe it is pretty strong... and I would make it a maneuver, a winter maneuver in fact, I don't see how this fits spring.Since I got rid of Decay, I replaced this with an out-of-combat ability, granting Commune with Nature as a Su 3-4 times per day. Flavorful and not overpowered, I hope.

At first I thought you could renew maneuvers when you waited the 5 minutes, that's why I believed that it was too strong. Well you can, but that doesn't help you in combat. I still don't really feel like this is overpowered, but if a third opinion agrees with you I'll change it.

Regeneration is too strong... you basically can keep going for ever. I would change it to Fast healing. Changed back to fast healing.

kanachi

2012-08-27, 08:07 AM

I dont knwo if it will interest anyone but i've set about fleshing out my new race the Hielivanns (previously called riftlings) who are common candidate for entering the conduit class. Its pretty fluff packed to prep yourself for a medium to long read if you choose to have a look!

kanachi

2012-08-27, 08:47 AM

Looked over the updates and I still have to say it looks nice overall. Being myself, and being asked to look over homebrew I'm going to focus on the negative, since what works works and there isn't much to say about it. Also I'm not touching fluff (very rarely do in reviewing things).

Sounds good to me! Thank you so much for having another look over it.

Conduits and Buffs: Not a section on yours but I wanted to make sure how this worked. If a double was summoned and cast a spell on itself, mage armor for example, would mage armor be on the conduit afterwards? If no, how would Flesh to Stone and Baleful Polymorph interact with the double/conduit relationship.

I tried to cover this in the “Doubles vs Incoming Damage and Other Effects” section. Which reads:

"A double may never ever exist within the conduits dimension for a period which extends beyond their allotted time and will immediately shift back to their own dimension if incapacitated or hindered in a way which would cause them to do so. Such a double may not be called into action again for the rest of the encounter or for a period of 1 minute (whichever is occurs first).

All effects (for good or ill) which were active upon the double whilst within the conduits dimension are automatically cancelled when they return to their home dimension. The double immediately reverts back to their previous state before they travelled to the conduits. Even doubles slain within the conduits dimension are return to their home alive. However, doubles do feel pain and can therefore be as emotionally affected as any other creature when placed in a traumatic situation."

So essentially all buff, debuffs, save of sucks and save or die effects do not transfer to the conduit. The double takes them away when they leave (which always occurs in the set time frame) and revert back to their original state within their home dimension (essentially dispelling/removing them).

Does that make sense or should i reword it somehow?

Skills: I'd add Search and Diplomacy, but mostly I just don't see a theme to the skills as much as a random assortment. Not the worst list, but doesn't quite seem up to the high quality standard that the class as a whole sets.

Yer it’s been difficult to really add a set “theme” to the conduits skills as they are kind of a freeform entity. I have been thinking of simply letting them pick any X skills. I suppose I could make them focus upon being more socially gifted, after all they must forge links with their doubles by reaching out to them... so maybe I will focus it that way. Thanks for your thoughts on this!

Conduits and Spells: The progression bothers me for 2 reasons. One: while giving them a cross-double spells per day cap is a good idea, probably a necessary idea, I think capping their highest level spells at 5th level is not; I'd suggest giving them at least full bardic casting, perhaps even 7th level spells. Two: I don't like that it's a smooth every 2 level progression till level 10 and then cuts off. Besides creating a dichotomy where the cap doesn't matter which exists when Lv 4 spells are gained (Lv 4 is, in my experience, the big jump in a caster's power where they start leaving people behind; I've seen how it can be done at earlier levels, but not actually seen it done in game). I might look at bard for an idea of what levels they should get new spell levels maybe even (unlike bard) continuing the progression to Lv 7 spells at Lv 20.

Agreed, I will explore this!

In addition I have a question: how does this interact with Versatile Spellcaster (RotD). For example if one of my doubles was a sorcerer with Versatile Spellcaster and used 2 1st level spell slots to cast a 2nd level spell?

Hmmm good question i supose i would rule that they are using their powers to channel 1st level slots and would therefore burn those up, not the 2nd level slot. I will add this into the text.

Warp Shield: It's obvious that the AC bonus is only against AoOs due to context, but you should probably change the wording to: Any double gains a +4 bonus to AC against attacks of opportunity provoked for moving or initiating a bull rush.

Will do. Thanks :)

Void Keeper: I like it, but I can see times it would annoy your party members (not saying to change it, just noting the fact)

How?

"The conduit may opt to suppress this ability as a free action if they so choose."

I suppose you could choose to be anoying and stop your allies if you wished, but you dont have to.

Endless Worlds: So now I need to actually check if things have spell components, or just get Eschew Materials. Not the worst thing, but you might want to allow the doubles to have non-costly spell components especially with the lowered level you're giving their max spells. Also what happens if a double summoned this way takes damage? Does it still simply vanish after 1 point?

Doubles never emerge with any items from their home dimension, including spell books, components and holy symbols. This limits the power of having multiple full caster doubles, though you could of course use classes which don’t need such things to bypass the problem.

Hopefully increasing the range of available spell levels will help however.

Also yer, after 1 hit point they vanish, the overflow does not go back the conduit. I should make this much more obvious in the text though. Thank you!

Between Worlds: Note walls (less than your 1 round full movement through the ethereal) no longer mean anything to you. It's 13th level so it might not be too much, but if used cleverly this ability is a game changer.

Maybe i should add a movement limitation. Like "if you move beyond 30 feet from your previous location whilst under this effect the power imediately ends." ?

I should probably change the cool down time to once per hour as well so you cant spam it outsde combat.

5 World Step: You have 6 doubles at this level. Game balance-wise I don't know if 6 actions would be too much, but this almost seemed like it was a holdover from a version which got less doubles (don't remember if such a version existed or not).

Agreed, it many came about when i had a) 5 doubles and b) i wanted it to sound like a 5 foot step. lol

using the full range of your doubles would be much cooler as well. Thanks!

Casting Variant: Trade 2 skill points/level, 1 hp/level, and +6 to Fort and Ref over 20 levels, for access to a small list of spells (there's a change to proficiencies too but going to be normally using my double's weapon proficiency anyway and armor will have to be wary of regardless). Personally I'd stick with the non-casting, but I can see why the casting one might be used at some point.

Maybe i should bring this up to 7th level spells at level 20 as well so it matches the same progression doubles can follow?

sirpercival

2012-08-27, 08:49 AM

So writing this as I go:
OK, edits made:

Brittle Branches: Stacking -1 to AC per hit on target (max - natural armor). Compare to other 1st level stances and it's stronger (punishing stance leads to the most heads on comparison: +3.5 damage for -2 AC, this is escalating +2 damage with PA). At 1st level it's not too strong, but it helps all your allies and gets better as you get iterative attacks, haste, two-weapon fighting, etc. You should probably not let it stack with itself or have it only affect DR. Switched to DR only.

First Harvest: Better than sapphire nightmare blade, but sapphire nightmare blade isn't that good so it checks out. I dunno, the flat-footed thing is really nice against a lot of opponents and in a lot of builds. I think they're pretty equal. But either way.

Growing Season: Close Wounds is a powerful 2nd level spell because of its immediate action speed emergency healing, along with Heal it's one of the two in combat healing spells actually used. This is much stronger (1d4 + 10 or more as opposed to 2d4+5 at Lv 10). This is also infinitely spamable. Every other round you heal a target 1d4+16 damage, at 1st level. This is a bad idea on many levels. I would either take a hint from the Devoted Spirit maneuvers with similar effects and power it by hitting enemies (not logical but) or make it only work to keep people from dying (can't raise hp above 0) and even then probably make it 1/2 heal check instead of 1d4+heal check. I'll make it half Heal check, and only to prevent enemies from dying. That's still quite useful at all levels, and an interesting wrinkle.

As the Leaf Falls: The lack of a save and the relatively long duration for a maneuver are odd. The effect is about comparable to Ray of Enfeeblement, probably weaker, which actually about checks out. Should probably note it can't reduce Str to 0, though, and that it doesn't stack with itself (RAW as is it doesn't, but clarity is a plus). Clarified.

Early Frost: So it's a weaker version of Burning Blade (I think I have the right boost, my swordsage player loves it although its becoming less useful because it's an outer planes campaign) but boosts your ally. As written right now you want to make it stronger. Either an AoE boost, or add IL as well like Burning Blade. Cold resistance is common and by the time this is giving more than +2.5 damage it's likely to be reduced by 5 per hit, then 10, etc. Added IL to the damage.

Floral Bloom: Right now the entangled might actually be a little strong (-2 to hit and AC for Wis rounds) compared to 2nd level maneuvers, I'd probably allow a save or make the duration until the end of your next turn. If you do either change I'd also up the damage to +2d6 instead of 1d8 (more in line with Mountain Hammer, Foehammer, Claw at the Moon, etc). Added a Reflex save to avoid, and changed dmg to +2d6.

Gentle Rain: I think I like it. I think. Gives you the potential for pretty high fast healing, but I think it'll end up reasonable and you can only convert 20 damage/round at lv 20 which means it's not even infinite healing. You also regen the nonlethal damage more slowly, so it could still knock you unconscious if you aren't careful.

Season of Plenty: See Growing Season. Also note that as currently written this isn't really worth more than the other (1d4 + ~21 compared to 3d4 + ~21) as most of the healing is coming from the heal check either way. Altered as per Growing Season.

Second Harvest: Looks more in the style of ToB maneuvers while also having a unique effect. I will note, though, that as is it's worse than Floral Bloom (+2.5 damage but the damage is typed, and entangled is on par with sickened and will last longer and not allow a save). Changed to +3d6 damage to stay ahead of Floral Bloom.

Bitter Creep: Con damage is strong. Compare this to Bonesplitting Strike (same level official maneuver). Bonesplitting Strike simply deals 2 Con damage this deals Wis modifier (at least 2 liable to be more, likely ending as high as +10 or even +11 due to Wax or Wane). Bonesplitting Strike also requires you to have your feet on the ground. Changed to 1 Con dmg per round for 3 rounds, staying more to "creep" and replacing the Decay ability which I axed.

Leafmould: Again needs a note about not stacking and not being able to reduce to 0, but looks fairly good. Is it a melee touch attack with your weapon, or is it unarmed? It looks like it should be unarmed but that should be noted clearly, possibly with a reminder that it means you don't get weapon bonuses and weapon specific feats. Clarified on both points.

Heavy Clouds: Do not make it a situation of Skills versus Saves, Skill bonuses increase too much faster, go with the standard 15 + Wis. It should also have a limited duration on how long they are exhausted/fatigued, and really might shouldn't even fatigue on a failed save. Exhaustion on a failed save is probably too strong already due to it stopping charging, though fatigue might be a little too weak to be the fail effect but might not be (competition at this level is +5-ft with 5-ft step, +5-ft reach during your turn only, blindsense, ignore difficult terrain and water walking, etc). Took out the fatigue on failed save, and standardized DC; made exhaustion scale down to fatigue after Heal check / 5 rounds, and then to nothing after the same amt of time.

Late Harvest: Compare to Irresistible Mountain Strike. It does the same damage (less on a crit), requires your feet to be on the ground, simply removes their Standard action (as opposed to also disallowing quickened spells as well) for 1 round (as opposed to 3), and is Lv 6 (as opposed to 5). You need to think of something other than nauseated to do and probably not do a 3 round duration. Nauseated is the next step after sickened... I reduced the damage by 1d6 and dropped the duration to 1 round. Is that still too good?

Surge of Life: Make it a boost not a strike; this stops you from using another boost alongside it. The damage is then a little low (compare Searing Blade) but the AoO and fact that electricity is less resisted than fire should make up for that. Even then I'd probably make it 1d6 + Initiator Level, bringing it more in line with the Desert Wind ones. Done.

Cornucopia: This is about the level you should be getting immediate action healing with anything near this efficiency. But compare to Iron Heart Endurance (2 x IL, self only, to half health only, level 6) and it's still too strong. Reduce the amount, limit it to no more than half-health (or just make it damage prevention altogether). Altered as per Growing Season.

Early Thaw: Neat. Looks good. Yay! One of them worked! lol :smallwink:

Slow Rot: Again make it a boost to stop the use of other boosts with it. Might be a little too strong, I might suggest doing a -1 penalty. Still ends up with a -5 (assuming you're hasted) or even a -8 (with dual-wielding + haste). Will do.

Bitter Cringe: No. DC = Damage dealt is a bad idea to begin with (damage again scales faster than saves) and paralysis 3 rounds is effectively death. Make it 1 round, add some bonus damage, and DC 17 + Wis and it's still strong and probably death if your group is capable of working together. It's similar to Hand of Death, but that requires a flat-footed opponent, deals no damage (like that matters with multi-round paralysis) and is 1d3 rounds, and something I just realized I hope my players don't notice because it's 4th level and a potential game breaker. And that's without the +8 to Wisdom you'll have when you're using this (+4 to DC). Fixed.

Broken Branches: Spring finally gets a cool maneuver that's not healing and Autumn just gets it 1 level later... do something different and actually spring might need more maneuvers at this point. Lol. Copypasta error. It was supposed to be mass wraithstrike, not FoM. Fixed.

Bare Earth: As a 1 attack duration thing: Meh. 1 round duration thing: nice. Until magically restored: No. This is a save or lose as an immediate action usable every other round. OK, I'll make it last 1 round. Feeblemind is permanent, affects 2 ability scores, and was around 2 levels ago...

Primal Surge: Potential for a lot of free attacks makes this pretty powerful even with only +17.5 damage per hit (less than a Lv 4 boost). Hard to balance it because of that. I'd have limited it to 1 AoO per target and made it 4d6+IL trusting that the +10.5 damage/hit (~+31.5 damage) would make it better than the level 5 version. I'll change the damage, but I'd like to keep it at multiple AoOs on the same target so that you're not stuck with Whirlwind Attack syndrome.

Unbridled Growth: Compare to level 8 stances... extra Counter each round (run out of counters pretty quickly), 5-ft step between successful attacks, immunity to crits, walk on air (limited flight), other limited flight, survive hp damage up to 3 times in a row, make an opponent that missed you due to a miss chance hit another creature adjacent to you (at a level where all enemies have reach), and DR 5/- when not flat-footed. Now look at this. You and allies within 30-ft get something like fast healing 15 (6d4 averages 15 and would be about an average roll at Lv 15). Compare to the most comparable (DR 5/- when not flat-footed). My 8th level stance was a little too strong, it's you gain Fast Healing 5. This makes it look like a sickly child. Yeah... I didn't really think this one through too well. I'll change the progression to match Knowledge Devotion, so it caps at 5.

Final Harvest: looks fine except the bonus from Wax and Wane might push your Wis too high. Now capped at +8.

Endless Bloom: Maneuvers shouldn't have permanent effects only healable with powerful magic. Make it something like they get a daily Fort save to remove the flowers. Will do.

General Comments: Add prerequisites. Note that they will effectively be getting 2 9th level maneuvers with the prereqs for 1. Note that Wax or Wane brings their save DCs up in comparison to ToB characters and might push any of them into too high territory. You seem to be more Autumn heavy than spring, even though there is only 1 more Autumn maneuver than Spring. The healing ones need a major rework, and you should probably look over the short descriptions of all the maneuvers on pages 48-51 for maneuvers that do similar things for a balance point. Hopefully all the above changes have helped. I'll add maneuver prereqs, though I personally hate them. ;)

Thank you SOOO much!

kanachi

2012-08-27, 02:26 PM

Made several changes to the Dimensional Conduit class...

Change Log:

•Re-did the conduits skill list to reflect the focus upon the social skills they would need to convince their doubles to aid them.

•Upped the spell cap to 7th level.

•Created a new spell table to reflect the new spell cap.

•Reflected the new spell cap in the spell casting variant (expanded the spells known list accordingly).

•Re-worded the Warp Shield ability.

•Emphasised the fact that doubles, even those summoned by the Endless Worlds ability do not emerge with any items of their own (including spell books, spell components and holy symbols).

•Changed the between worlds ability so it may only be activated once per hour and limited the conduits movement range whilst in an ethereal form.

•Changed 5 world step so it now allows you to use all your doubles once. Renamed it to “Dimensional Unity”

Tavar

2012-08-27, 11:52 PM

:snip:

Alignment: Everready select who they train carefully. They only accept people who are either righteous enough to be trusted or disciplined enough to be controlled. All others are turned away; though possible, Lawful Evil and Chaotic Good Everready typically are looked down upon. Everready society requires tolerance however, and one of these Everready could even rise high in the ranks if they show talent.

:snip:
Fluff is largely okay, though this section seems odd to me. What exactly makes Lawful Evil or Chaotic Good alignments less in tune with the class?

GAME RULE INFORMATION:snip:

Alignment: Any Good or any Lawful.
:snip:
I can begin to see the justification for why LE or CG are less liked, though only if you start from this premise. Still not sure why it's required to be Lawful or Good.

Class Skills
An EVERREADY'S class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Essence and Skills: An Everready gains additional skills based on their Essence. A Nightstalker adds Hide, Move Silently, and Perform (Dance) to their class skill list. A Brilliant Commander adds Heal to their class skill list. A Grey Guardian adds Concentration to their class skill list.

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier
Lots of skills for so few skill points. And since they aren't as Int Based as wizards, this might be a problem. Or it could be a feature. In either case, skills are obviously not a strong suit of this class.

Everready
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Essence, Weapon Skill
2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Any-Weapon Familiarity, Quick Draw
3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Focused Kit
4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Secondary Stances, Morphic Armor
5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Insightful Grace
6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Morphic Weapon
7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Insightful Agility
8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Bonus Feat
9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Endurance
10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Kit Enhancements (2 sets)
11th|
+11|
+7|
+3|
+3|Insightful Reactions
12th|
+12|
+8|
+4|
+4|Bonus Feat
13th|
+13|
+8|
+4|
+4|Everready’s Endurance
14th|
+14|
+9|
+4|
+4|Kit Enhancement (3 sets)
15th|
+15|
+9|
+5|
+5|Improved Insightful Reactions
16th|
+16|
+10|
+5|
+5|Bonus Feat
17th|
+17|
+10|
+5|
+5|Improved Everready’s Endurance
18th|
+18|
+11|
+6|
+6|Kit Enhancement (4 sets)
19th|
+19|
+11|
+6|
+6|Perfect Insightful Reactions
20th|
+20|
+12|
+6|
+6|Bonus Feat[/table]
No dead levels, though some of the granted abilities aren't all that much. Interesting choice to make a bonus feat the capstone: not sure I like that, to be honest. But that might just be a personal preference.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the CLASS NAME.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Everready are proficient in all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields).
A decent sampling of weapons and armor. Not remarkable, but a good sign for a really heavy martial class.

Weapon Skill: :snip:
Nice and flavorful, without being overpowering.

Essence (ex): Each Everready specializes in a particular fighting style, described by her chosen Essence. At first level an Everready must choose an Essence from the list below. Once chosen, this may not be changed. The Everready gains the bonuses on their essences table as they level up, in addition to their normal class features. In addition, they immediately gain access to the stance their Essence favors, and add the bonus skills associated with their Essence to their class skill list.

Everready Stances (ex): An Everready uses a stance to achieve certain goals. They start with only the stance that their Essence favors at level one, but at level four they gain access to the other two stances. Changing a stance is a swift action that can be done while Morphing Armor (see below). The Everready may only be in one stance at a time. An Everready counts as three levels lower when figuring the bonuses granted by a stance that is not favored by their Essence. A stance may only be used while an Everready is in the appropriate armor. For instance, while wearing a Chain Shirt, the Everready may only use the Skirmisher stance, but only if they have access to it.
Ah, these are the real meat an bones of the class, something that's not really apparent from the table. Also, might end up overloading the class a bit. I'll cover each essence and stance below.

Any-Weapon Familiarity (ex): Everready train in the use of all sorts of weapons, even weapons that most people have never heard of (such as a Tekkan) or things that aren't normally weapons (barstool, backpack, gnome, etc.). This feature grants an extra weapon proficiency above and beyond what they are normally familiar with. The Everready may change the feat granted by this ability once per round as a swift action. This feat may never be used to qualify for other feats or abilities, such as Weapon Focus or their feature weapon skill. In the case of an improvised weapon, the Everready is considered proficient with only a single improvised weapon, such as a boot, arrow, or halfling.
A nice ability, but you might want to tone it down a bit: make it take longer to switch, or something.

Quick Draw: :snip:
A nice, basic feat, but one that can still be useful.

Focused Kit (su): Everready bond with a set of equipment, seeing it as an extension of themselves. As a ritual that takes 8 hours, they may attune a set of equipment that includes (A) a single suit of armor they are proficient in, (B) a single shield they are proficient with, and (C) a single weapon they are proficient in (though this must be an actual proficiency, not the one gained from Any-Weapon Familiarity). Regardless of the quality of the equipment, bound equipment is treated as items of at least masterwork quality while the Everready uses them. An Everready with the feat Two-Weapon Fighting may attune a second weapon, but they may not attune a shield if they do so.
In addition to being masterwork, an Everready may enchant the items in their kit with magic. Doing this takes 1 hour. The magic the Everready imparts into their kit only functions for the Everready. An Everready may not enchant ammunition for their weapon. The nature of an Everready's Focused Kit prevents any other magical qualities from being active on any of the items in the Everready's Kit, all enchantments previously on the weapon are permanently removed. The path of the Everready requires striking out on your own. You cannot follow in someone else's footsteps and hope to succeed. The following table lists the maximum amount of enhancements their equipment may have. Any weapon, armor, or shield the Everready enchants must have at least a +1 enhancement bonus. If the Everready has bonded to 2 weapons, as described above, one of these weapons gains enhancements based on the Weapon portion of the table, and the other one gains enhancement based on the Shield portion of the table. The Everready may reenchant the items in their Kit, losing the old enhancements and applying new ones. This follows the rules above.
{table=head]Level|Weapon|Armor|Shield
4|1|-|-
5|1|1|-
6|1|1|1
7|2|1|1
8|2|2|1
9|3|2|2
10|3|3|2
11|3|3|2
12|4|3|3
13|4|4|3
14|5|4|4
15|5|5|4
16|5|5|4
17|6|6|5
18|6|6|5
19|7|6|6
20|7|7|6[/table]

....
How much can this class do? Free-be enchantments is a bit much, especially when it covers weapons, armor, and shields.

Also, the flavor in some of this stuff is really confusing: they have to strike out on their own and not be tied to others, except they have to protect others and belong to some order or something. Seems a bit all over the place.

Morphic Armor (su): An Everready may use magic to completely alter the armor they wear as a Standard action. They may only do this with a suit of armor that has been attuned to them. The armor takes on all of the statistics of the new armor, but retains whatever magical properties it may have. This effect is not removed by an Antimagic, though it can still not be activated while under the effects of Antimagic. If examined, the item will have a Faint Transmutation aura, in addition to its other properties.
I don't think this is problematic, but it does seem to be a pretty powerful ability. Might want to specify that it can only be standard materials(IE, no getting adamatine/mithral armor on the cheap).

Insightful Grace: An Everready has studied several techniques to avoid dangers that may harm them. They add their Intelligence bonus (if positive) to all saving throws.
Reasonable on it's own.

Morphic Weapon (su): An Everready may use magic to completely alter the weapon they wield as a Standard action. They may only do this with a weapon that has been attuned to them. The weapon takes on all of the statistics of a different weapon of the same size, chosen by the Everready upon activating this ability, but retains whatever magical properties it may have. Abilities inappropriate to the new weapon are either swapped out for a similar ability suitable to the new weapon (such as keen to impact) or ignored completely (such as vorpal). This effect is not removed by an Antimagic field, though it can still not be activated while under the effects of Antimagic. If examined, the item will have a Faint Transmutation aura, in addition to its other properties.
Again, I don't think this is problematic, but it does seem to be a pretty powerful ability. Might want to specify that it can only be standard materials(IE, no getting adamatine/mithral armor on the cheap).

Insightful Agility (ex): An Everready studies several techniques in order to avoid blows. They add their Intelligence bonus to their Dexterity bonus to AC. Their combined Intelligence and Dexterity bonus may not exceed the maximum Dexterity bonus of the armor the Everready is wearing. Everready use this ability frequently as they change armor types for their stances.
This seems like a good ability: reduces dependency on Dex, but it's still limited by the same things Dex would be. Though, does this ability function in cases where Dex would be denied?

Bonus Feats: At eighth level, and every four levels thereafter, the Everready gains a bonus [Fighter] feat that they meet the prerequisites for. At eighth level, they gain an effective Fighter level equal to half their Everready level for the purposes of meeting feat prerequisites.
Four bonus feats is a decent amount, especially from the fighter list. Remember, the problem with the feats is that the fighter only gets those: if a class has a whole suite of abilities, it's less needed.

Endurance: At ninth level, the Everready becomes hardened to physical hardships. They gain the feat Endurance as a bonus feat. If they already have the feat Endurance, they instead gain one feat that they meet the prerequisites for.
Like quickdraw, not a powerful feat all things considered, but a nice bonus to have, and it can be useful in the right circumstances. Though, at this point, be aware that this class is getting a crapton of stuff.

Kit Enhancements (su): At tenth level, the Everready may enchant their kit to have multiple sets of enhancements that they can use depending on the situation. They may only have 1 set of enchantments active at any point in time. Switching Kit Enchantments is a Swift action; the Everready may switch only 1 item's enchantments per Swift action. The Everready sets up their Kit Enchantments when they are enchanting their weapon. Every four levels after tenth, the Everready may enchant an additional set of Kit Enhancements. Additional sets of Enchantments granted by this ability have 1 less maximum enchantment than the maximum given in the Focused Kit ability.
This? This I don't like. At the moment, Focused Kit is already an extremely powerful and useful ability. This makes it more so.

Insightful Reactions (ex): An Everready practices many techniques that allow them to react to danger faster than is normal. At eleventh level, they may add up to 2 points of their Intelligence modifier (if positive) to their initiative score.

Improved Insightful Reactions (ex): An Everready practices many techniques that allow them to react to danger faster than is normal. At fifteenth level, they may add up to 3 points of their Intelligence modifier (if positive) to their initiative score.

Perfect Insightful Reactions (ex): An Everready practices many techniques that allow them to react to danger faster than is normal. At nineteenth level, they may add their entire Intelligence modifier (if positive) to their initiative score.
Not sure why, but I don't like the way these are layed out, somehow. Can't really put my finger on it, so disregard unless you can see something wrong.

Everready's Endurance (ex): :snip:
Improved Everready's Endurance (ex): :snip:
The first is a nice ability, though probably a bit on the powerful side. The second is extremely powerful. The fact that they're both Ex factors into this, at least a bit in my mind.

Okay, now that I got that out of the way, time to look at the real meat of the class.
Essence-
Nightstalker

[QUOTE=Techwarrior;13773675]Dance of the Shadows A Nightstalker learns bits and pieces of the Dance of the Shadow. This is a very captivating dance that the Everready can incorporate into their training. The Everready gains Skill Focus: Perform (Dance) as a bonus feat at first level.
So, this is Skill Focus:Dance?

Feint: A Nightstalker learns to feint with incredible skill. They may attempt to feint as either a swift or move action, though they may only make one attempt per round. This counts as Improved Feint for the purposes of meeting prerequisites.
I'd me more concerned about this if the Feint rules weren't so mediocre.

Shadow’s Childe A Nightstalker learns to use even more of the Dance of the Shadow. They gain a +1 bonus to Hide, Move Silently, and Perform (Dance) checks.. This increases by 1 at level 8, and by 1 more every four levels thereafter.Should probably list what kind of bonus it is.

Sneak Attack (ex): A Nightstalker learns to strike when their opponents are unable to defend themselves. At fifth level, The Everready deals 1d6 extra damage any time her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the Everready flanks her target. This damage increases by 1d6 every three levels thereafter, otherwise this works like the Rogue feature of the same name.
Okay, this is actually a decently powerful ability. Still, as it's limited by being sneak attack, not too out of line on it's own.

Wide Steps (ex): An Everready with the Nightstalker Essence is adept at moving about unhindered. Whenever she makes a 5 ft step, she may instead move 10 ft. At 12th level this increases to 15 ft, and at 18 level this increases again to 20 ft.
Okay, this is actually a really powerful ability. Increasing the 5ft step distance is really, really good.

Shadowstep (su): An eighth level Everready with the Nightstalker Essence is so well trained in the Dance of the Shadow that they can flit between the grey areas connecting this world to the next. They may make a Perform (Dance) check to attempt to teleport a small distance as a Move action. The Everready may only travel a certain amount of distance, at 8th level this is 20 ft, and this increases by 10 ft every 2 levels thereafter. The Nightstalker is not traveling, they merely arrive, so the Nightstalker may not use any ability that requires movement in conjunction with this ability
{table=head]Condition|DC
Base DC|20
Per 5 ft traveled|+1
Per full 20 ft traveled|+3
[/table]
Ah, now the bonuses to Perform:Dance come into play. If you're going to make it DC based, you need stronger DCs: At a base, this class gives +5 to the check when you get it, and if you factor in skill ranks and Dex bonus, you're probably looking at ~18 or so as the number of ranks they have, and the highest initial check they need to make is 23. The fact that the DC only goes up by 3 every 4 levels, and the skill before rolling goes up by 5(4 ranks+Shadow's Childe) means that it actually gets easier as you go on.

Dance of Shadows Mastery At tenth level, a Nightstalker is so confident in her abilities involving the Dance of Shadows that she may take 10 on Hide, Move Silently, and Perform (Dance) checks, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.
This essentially means that they never fail the Shadowstep.

Shadowstep Momentum: At fifteenth level, a Nightstalker has practiced in the Shadowstep ability that they can actually channel some momentum while Shadowstepping. The Nightstalker may use abilities that require movement, such as Skrimish, as if the Shadowstep was actual movement.
A nice bonus, though not really that powerful unless you give them a skirmish attack as well.

Perfect Dance of the Shadows A 20th level Nightstalker has fully mastered the Dance of the Shadows. They may take 15 on Hide, Move Silently, and Perform (Dance) checks, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so (This follows the rules for taking 10, though the check is calculated as if the result was 15, not 10.). In addition, the Nightstalker may Shadowstep any distance, so long as they can see their destination.Well, now there is a chance of failure on the check, but you need to be going at least 170 ft(assuming full ranks and a Dex of 0) before that happens.

Yeah, this needs reworking.

Stance: Skirmisher Stance

Fast Movement (ex): While in Skirmisher Stance, the Everready moves quicker in order to close with their enemies. The Everready gains a Competence bonus to their movement speed. This starts at 5 feet, and increases by 5 every six levels after first.
Wow, that's fast.

Skirmish (ex): While in Skirmisher Stance, the Everready relies on their agility to take down their opponents. In any round where the Everready moves at least 10 feet, they deal bonus damage on all attacks made during that round. The bonus damage starts at +1d6 at second level, and increases by 1d6 every 6 levels thereafter. This bonus damage is gained from the Everready's momentum, and thus is not precision damage. In addition, a highly trained Skirmisher gains a Competence bonus to their AC whenever they qualify for Skirmish. This starts at +1 at level 5, and increases by 1 every 6 levels thereafter.
Okay, this ability+the Nightwalker essence is a tad overpowered. Especially the not being precision damage.

Agility (ex): In Skirmisher Stance, an Everready gains great agility and an almost supernatural grace. The Everready gains a Competence bonus to Reflex Saves and to Balance, Jump, and Tumble checks. This starts at +1 at third level, and increases by 1 every three levels thereafter.
Yeah, this is overpowered as well: +6 bonus to skills isn't too much, though the bonus to Tumble checks is a bit worrisome. The real problem, however, is the saves. Especially since this class already gets Int to saves.

Fluid Strike: While in Skrimisher stance, an Everready can make deadly attacks while moving. They gain the benefits of the feats Spring Attack and Shot on the Run. In addition, if they have the feat Two Weapon Fighting, they may attack with both weapons when they make a Spring Attack, gaining all the usual benefits and penalties for doing so.
That's essentially 2 1/2 free feats, but they aren't really strong feats to begin with, so I don't think this is a big problem.

Evasion (ex): While in Skirmisher stance, an Everready gains the extraordinary ability to evade magical and unusual attacks with incredible agility. If she makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, she instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Everready is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Everready does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Improved Evasion (ex): At twelfth level, the Everready's Evasion ability granted by Skirmisher stance improves. While the Everready still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Everready does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.
Not too much of an issue without the boosted saves. With them, it's a tad overpowered.

Improved Fluid Strike: At sixteenth level, the Everready can make supreme use of their momentum while in Skirmisher stance. They gain a bonus to their to hit roll equal to the number of bonus dice and the AC bonus they gain from their Skirmish ability when using Fluid Strike. Any or all of this may be exchanged for bonus damage at a 1:1 ratio, but this decision must be made before the attack roll is made. If the Everready gets to attack more than once, they must use the same attack and damage combination for all of their attacks. The bonus to attack and damage lasts until the Everready's next turn.
First off, needs cleaned up: am I supposed to add the number of dice and the AC bonus together? Combined with the Nightwalker essence, though, it doesn't really matter: it's overpowered. Plus 7 untyped bonus to attack or damage that's always on? With +4d6 dice and +3 AC? No, just no.

Brilliant Commander

Battlefield Medicine (ex): A Brilliant Commander must be able to take care of the people he leads. At first level he gains Skill Focus (Heal) as a bonus feat. In addition he gains additional ways to use the Heal skill. Other than Battlefield Care, all of the following abilities require a Healer’s Kit.
Battlefield Care
As a Standard action, the first level Brilliant Commander can tend to some of the wounds of an ally. The Brilliant Commander makes a Heal check to determine the amount of hit point damage healed by the Battlefield Care. A Heal check of 10 heals 2 hit points, every 2 points above 10 heals the target of 1 additional hit point. A Brilliant Commander may only provide Battlefield Care to a specific target once per day at first level, though this increases as the Brilliant Commander levels (see the Medic feature). This is considered Positive energy for calculating reduced effects of the healing (such as healing a Warforged), but will not harm creatures that are damaged by Positive energy.

Medic (ex): At fourth level, a Brilliant Commander becomes very practiced in the use of medicine, particularly as it pertains to the Heal skill. They gain a +1 bonus to the Heal skill, and may use Battlefield Care an additional time per day on a specific target. Both of these increase by one every four levels after fourth.

Need to specify the action cost of this ability. Other than that, seems fine.

Bind Wounds
After the battle is over, a first level Brilliant Commander may give more attention to the wounds their allies have suffered during the battle. A Brilliant Commander may spend 1 full minute binding the wounds of the target. The Brilliant Commander then makes a Heal check (they may take 10 if the situation permits). The subject heals hit point damage equal to the Heal check – 10. A subject may only have their wounds bound once per day, even if multiple Brilliant Commanders attempt to bind the subject’s wounds. This is considered Positive energy for calculating reduced effects of the healing (such as healing a Warforged), but will not harm creatures that are damaged by Positive energy.

Lesser Restoration
A third level Brilliant Commander may attempt to restore some of the target’s ability by using the Heal skill as a Standard action. The Brilliant Commander attempts a Heal check with a DC of 23 (the Brilliant Commander may take 10 or 20, as the situation permits). If the check succeeds, the target is affected as if by the spell Lesser Restoration. A Brilliant Commander may only succcessfully use this on a specific target once per day, though separate Brilliant Commanders may make separate attempts.

Restoration
A third level Brilliant Commander may attempt to restore more of the target’s ability by using the Heal skill as a Standard action. The Brilliant Commander attempts a Heal check with a DC of 27 (the Brilliant Commander may take 10 or 20, as the situation permits). If the check succeeds, the target is affected as if by the spell Restoration. A Brilliant Commander may only succcessfully use this on a specific target once per day, though separate Brilliant Commanders may make separate attempts.
Heal
A twelfth level Brilliant Commander may use the Heal skill to Heal almost anything, as if a Cleric had stepped in to save the subject with a Heal spell, as a Standard action. The Brilliant Commander attempts a Heal check with a DC of 31 (the Brilliant Commander may take 10 or 20, as the situation permits). A successful check removes all the effects that [i]Heal removes, and heals hit point damage as if the Heal spell had a Caster Level equal to the Heal check – 30. A Brilliant Commander may only succcessfully use this on a specific target once per day, though separate Brilliant Commanders may make separate attempts. Unlike the real Heal spell, this will not harm creatures that are harmed by Positive energy.
Greater Restoration
A fourteenth level Brilliant Commander may attempt to restore more of the target’s ability by using the Heal skill as a Standard action. The Brilliant Commander attempts a Heal check with a DC of 33 (the Brilliant Commander may take 10 or 20, as the situation permits). If the check succeeds, the target is affected as if by the spell Greater Restoration. A Brilliant Commander may only succcessfully use this on a specific target once per day, though separate Brilliant Commanders may make separate attempts.
You need to note if it heals those who would be harmed by positive energy.

Also, do note that the skill checks for most of these are pretty low, though the once per day limitation and timing restrictions on some of these seems a good balancing factor. The Heal ability needs timing rules.

Rallying Cry (su): A Brilliant Commander must learn to lead others, and more specifically, to rally troops in times of great need. Once per day, the Brilliant Commander may make a Rallying Cry. The Everready may rally 1 ally per class level that is both within 60 feet of the Brilliant Commander and the Brilliant Commander has line of sight to gain a +2 morale bonus to one of the following: Caster Level, To hit, Damage, Saving throws, Skill checks, or AC for a number of rounds equal to three plus half of the Brilliant Commander’s level. Each target may seperately choose to receive the +2 bonus to one of the abilities listed above. At fifth level, each ally may only choose one area to gain the bonus in, though for every 3 levels the Battlefield Commander has after fifth, each ally may choose an additional area to gain the bonus in.
Decently powerful, but since it's limited to a +2 or +3 bonus it's not overpowering.

Multiple Patients (ex): :snip:
Improved Rallying Cry: :snip:
Battlefield Medicine Mastery: :snip:
Master Rallying :snip:
Legendary Commander :snip:
All seem fine.

Stance-Guiding Light

Inner Fire: An Everready in Guiding Light stance uses the unquenchable fire within them to guide themselves, and their allies, to greatness. They Everready gains a bonus to Will saves against [Mind Affecting] effects equal to half their class level (minimum 1). The Everready also becomes more susceptible to healing effects. They gain the same bonus to all healing effects that are directed at them, effectively increasing the amount of healing done. However, this cannot increase the amount of health healed by the effect by more than the original amount. (i.e. The Everready cannot gain more hit points through this ability than the effect would have healed originally.) Powerful, but I think limiting the will save bonus to mind affecting helps somewhat. Might want to lower that aspect, though, as +10 is a bit much for a save booster. Maybe half again that amount, though the healing can probably remain as is.

Brilliant Aura (su): An Everready in Guiding Light stance is a great beacon of hope, bolstering their allies. All allies within 30 ft of the Everready, including the Everready, gain a +1 insight bonus to all damage rolls and Charisma checks, this increases by 1 every three levels after second.

Guiding Light (ex):[/b] An Everready in Guiding Light stance focuses on guidance. Both for the Everready, and for their allies. The Everready gains the a +1 bonus to their Reflex and Will saving throws, as well as Wisdom checks (but not Wisdom based skills), this increases by 1 for every 3 levels after third level.
Yeah, these two are both too much, most especially with all the other bonuses to saves this class gets. The Damage is also pretty powerful, considering it takes no investment.

Mettle (ex): :snip:
Evasion (ex): :snip:
Improved Evasion (ex): At thirteenth level, an Everready in Guiding Light stance’s Evasion ability improves. Even if they fail their Reflex save, they still take half damge, though they still suffer from the same stipulations as from Improved Evasion.Fine, if the bonuses to saves is dropped down from OMGRIDICULOUS

Brilliant Strike (su): The seventh level Everready is so familiar with the Fire Within that they may call this down upon their foes. Once per day per two levels in the Guiding Light stance, the Everready may make a normal attack which, if successful, deals 1d6 Light damage per 2 levels to the target. The Everready must declare the Brilliant Strike before the attack roll is made, so a failed attack roll wastes the attempt.
Improved Brilliant Strike (su): At sixteenth level, the Brilliant Strike ability improves. The Everready may now declare the use of this ability after the attack roll is made, and after all things that may cause the attack to miss have been bypassed (AC, miss chance, being parried, etc). In addition, the extra damage improves to 1d10 per 2 levels, and if the attack is a critical hit, deals an additional 2d6 Light damage plus a further 2d6 for each multiplier above 2 (so a Greataxe would deal 4d6 on a critical, and a Heavy Pick would deal 6d6).
Light isn't really a damage type. Do you mean radiant? The amount of damage you're adding to these attacks, especially with the improved version where you do it after you know it hits, are a bit much.

Grey Guardian

NOTE The Grey Guardian, and it’s companion stance Cinereal Bastion, make references to a specific ruleset for parrying. These rules can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=246377). At the bottom of the description of Grey Guardian and Cinereal Bastion are alternate rules for those features if you do not wish to use these parrying rules.
Not sure I like these rules, as they heavily hurt characters making fewer attacks or those making them at reduced attack values.

Improved Parry: A Grey Guardian is practiced in the art of defence. They gain the feat Improved Parrying as a bonus feat, if they have this feat already, they may instead select a single feat that has Improved Parrying as a prerequisite. If they do not meet the prerequisites for any of those feats, they may instead select a single [Fighter] feat that they meet the prerequisites for.Feat not found anywhere, including in the link.

Guardian’s Companion (su): A Grey Guardian becomes the epitome, not only of their own defense, but of the defense of others as well. At third level, the Grey Guardian may select one ally as a Swift action within a range of Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels) to be their Companion. So long as the ally stays within range, they are treated as if under the effects of a Shield Other spell, as if it were cast by the Grey Guardian. This ability improves as the Grey Guardian gains in power.The Deflection and Resistance bonus improves by 1 for every 3 class levels beyond 3, in addition to gaining the abilities listed below at the appropriate levels. The Grey Guardian must focus on their companion to protect them, requiring a Concentration check each round at a DC of 10 + ECL of the companion + 1 per round that this ability is active. If the Grey Guardian fails this check, they may not use this ability for 1d4 rounds.
What action does the check take, if any. Also, how exactly does the DC reset? Does it count if you simply switch targets, does it need to be turned off for 1 round? More?

By Your Side
Once per day per 5 class levels, when the Grey Guardian’s Companion would hit point damage due to an attack, whether ranged or melee. The Grey Guardian may Dimension Door to their side as an Immediate action, they arrive just before the blow lands, and can make a Parry attempt if they have any attempts left in the round and can parry the attack.You mention Dimension Door. If this works like the spell, you should probably list the caster level they use, as it might come up.

[i]Avengeng Strike
The Grey Guardian of fifteenth level will go to great lengths to protect their Companion. Any attack the Grey Guardian makes against a creature that attacked their Companion in the last round deals double damage, and any criticals that are threatened are automatically confirmed. These attacks also ignore all Damage Reduction and bypass any Regeneration the creature might have.
This is pretty darn powerful. Might change it so that the Companion damaged needs to have been the companion when they took damage. Other than that, well, I'm iffy about double damage abilities.

Warrior’s Calm: A Grey Guardian becomes an absolute master at focusing their mind. At fourth level, they gain a +1 bonus to Concentration checks, this bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels after fourth.
I think your table has a mistake, as it lists Perfect calm both at levels 4 and 20.

Deadly Calm (ex): A Grey Guardian can become so focused that they become incredibly more difficult to kill. The Grey Guardian may make a Concentration check once per round as a free action. They may use this in several ways, depending on their level. A Grey Guardian may not use Deadly Calm and Guardian’s Companion in the same round. For each consecutive round the Grey Guardian uses this ability, subtract 1 from their Concentration check, before calculating the bonuses granted by this ability. The Grey Guardian’s check gains them all of the following benefits:
Evade:snip:
Power:snip:
Focus:snip:
Dead in Their Tracks:snip:
These all seep fine.

Counterstrike
After an attack is made against the eigth level Grey Guardian that misses, either due to being Parried, a failed miss chance roll, or the blow failing to beat the Grey Guardian’s AC, the Grey Guardian may make an Attack of Oppurtunity against the creature that attacked the Grey Guardian, if the creature is within range of an Attack of Opportunity. If the Grey Guardian has the feat Riposte, they only gain 1 Attack of Opportunity for successfully parrying while under this effect, though they gain a +2 bonus to the attack and damage roll.
How does this interact with Deadly Calm? Right now, I'm not sure I can really judge it.

Guardian’s Parry (ex): At sixth level, a Grey Guardian gets even closer with their shield than most. If the Grey Guardian is using a Light Shield, Buckler, or Parrying weapon to parry with, they gain a +1 bonus to parry attempts with a Light Shield, Buckler, or Parrying weapon. If the Grey Guardian is using a Heavy or Tower Shield, they instead gain 1 additional Parry per round.
At twelfth level, the Grey Guardain gains a further +1 bonus to parry attempts with a Light Shield, Buckler, or Parrying Weapon, for a total of +2; the Grey Guardian gains a +1 bonus to Parry attempts with a Heavy Shield; and the Grey Guardian gains 1 additional Parry attempt with a Tower shield.
At eighteenth level, the Grey Guardain gains a further +1 bonus to parry attempts with a Light Shield, Buckler, or Parrying Weapon. The Grey Guardian gains an additional +1 bonus to Parry attempts with a Heavy Shield; and the Grey Guardian gains 1 additional Parry attempt with a Tower shield, for a total of 3 additional Parry attempts.
The Red part indicates a repeat. I'm a bit nervous with all the parries this class seems to get, and the bonuses it gets on those parries.

Silver Resistance (ex): The Grey Guadian is able to shrug off blows that would drop most others. They gain 20% Fortification, which increases by 20% every 2 levels, to a maximum of 100% at eighteenth level.
I'll admit I'm not a fan of Fortification in any form, so I'm not sure I can really judge this.

Perfect Guardian, Perfect Calm A twentieth level Grey Guardian is a stalwart bastion of defence. They gain particular bonuses when they are using Guardian’s Companion or Deadly Calm. In addition, the Grey Guardian may use both Guardian’s Companion and Deadly Calm at the same time, although they require separate Concentration checks.
Guardian’s Companion
The Grey Guardian may choose to use the abilitiy By Your Side an unlimited number of times per day, though it is still an immediate action. In addition, any parry attempt made while using By Your Side gain a +4 bonus. In addition, the Grey Guardian gains the Deflection and Resistance bonuses granted by their Shield Other, even if they do not have a Companion.
Deadly Calm
The Grey Guardian may take 15 on Concentration checks for this ability.
Going to bring up something in my note at the end, but I think the By Your Side bonus is a bit strong.

Alternate Features for Standard Rules:
Improved Parry: A Grey Guardian is trained in the use of a shield. They gain the feat Shield Specialization (PHB 2) as a bonus feat, even if they do not meet the prerequisites. If they have this feat, they instead select a single [Fighter] bonus feat that they meet the prerequisites for.
Guardian’s Companion By Your Side Once per day, when the Grey Guardian’s Companion would hit point damage due to an attack, whether ranged or melee. The Grey Guardian may Dimension Door to their side as an Immediate action, they arrive just before the blow lands. They then provide cover to their Companion (+4 AC, if this causes the attack to miss, the target changes to the Grey Guardian.)
Deadly Calm Evade
The Grey Guardian subtracts 13 from his Concentration check, and then divides the result by 5. They may add this as an Insight bonus to their AC for the round, to a maximum of 1 per 5 class levels.
Guardian’s Parry: At sixth level, the Grey Guardian gains an additional +1 to their Shield AC bonus, this increases by 1 for every six class levels.

Biggest problem is with the By Your Side alternative: make the attack redirect to the Guardian if it misses seems out of place. Better to have it redirect towards the Guardian if it still hits.

Cinereal Bastion -No comment as it is unfinished.

Final Notes:
I think you have a big problem in that your class has many abilities based on skills, but the DC's don't seem to be calculated using the rules that Skill rolls follow.

Also, while you stress that the class is a guardian, which is why it has some restrictions early on, the nightwalker essence doesn't seem to mesh with this role. And, well, most of the flavor seems to be telling, not showing: you say they're a great defender, so they get X, which impairs its flow, and overall seems a bit off: like the class is hoping that by saying something enough, it will become true even though it does something else.

Finally, while many individual parts are okay, or only a tad overpowered, this class gets so much that it seems bloated: not having dead levels is a good thing, but having too much is also bad.