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sengmeng
2011-04-02, 09:00 PM
These prestige classes are meant to create an NPC villain capable of murdering PCs in a single hit via a special power called Sacrificial Strike, the Granted Power for their bonus domain, the Murder domain (also a homebrew). This power allows them to make a coup-de-grace once per day against an opponent who would normally be sneak attacked. The Seducer is supposed to be a charming pseudo-bard tasked with obtaining sacrifices for his dark goddess, and the Night Reaper is supposed to be a scarier, female version who keeps the Seducer in line, with a stalk-and-kill-one-by-one or a kill-and-take-their-place feel. I'm wondering about balance mostly for the Seducer class; the Night Reaper is basically a tool of pure DM hate and sadism. Together they are my answer to the inadequacies of the Assassin and Blackguard prestige classes.

Seducer


Seducer's are what all novice priests of the Laughing Moon Goddess aspire to be. Those in her service who do not qualify to join the Seducers' ranks are eventually culled (male single-class clerics of the Laughing Moon Goddess are rare beyond 10th level). The Seducer is entrusted with leading unsuspecting young women to become sacrifices to the Mad Maiden, though their murderous abilities are fully capable of removing far more dangerous threats to their cult.

Prerequisites:
Class: Single-class Cleric of the Laughing Moon Goddess of 5th level or higher
Alignment: Any evil
Gender: Male,
Abilities: Charisma 15+
Skills: Diplomacy 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks.

Weapons and Armor: a Seducer gains proficiency with razors.

New Exotic Weapon!
{table]name|cost|weight|dmg (S)|dmg (M)|crit|type
Razor|1 gp|1/2 lb|1d3|1d4| 18-20/x3|slashing [/table]
Special: the razor's small size allows it to be concealed easily, granting a +2 circumstance bonus to Sleight of Hand checks made to conceal it.

HD: d8

Skills: 6 + Int bonus per level. Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Seducer

{table] Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spellcasting
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Murder Domain, Ladykiller| +1 level
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Sneak Attack +1d6, Charm, By the Light of the Moon|
3rd | +2 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Frightening Strike|+1 level
4th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Sneak Attack +2d6, Suggestion|+1 level
5th | +3 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Terrifying Strike|+1 level
6th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Sneak Attack +3d6|
7th | +5 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Night's Grace|+1 level
8th | +6 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Sneak Attack +4d6|+1 level
9th | +6 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Horrifying Strike|+1 level
10th | +7 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Sneak Attack +5d6, Reaper of Flesh| [/table]

Murder Domain: Upon adopting the Seducer class, a character gains access to the Murder domain. The character gains the granted power associated with the domain (the ability to coup de grace a flat-footed or flanked character once per day) and can choose the spells in that domain as his daily domain spells.

Ladykiller: when speaking to a female, the Seducer gains a +4 circumstance bonus to all Cha-related checks.

Spells per Day: A Seducer continues to advance in divine spellcasting ability. Every odd level, he gains spells per day as if he had advanced another level of cleric. He does not, however, gain any other benefit of advancing in that class (improved chance of rebuking undead, etc.).

Sneak Attack: The Seducer gains Sneak Attack, as the Rogue ability. He will not have had sneak attack from another source, but if he later gains sneak attack form anther source, the damage will stack with the sneak attack damage from his Seducer levels.

Charm: The Seducer adds Charm to his spell list as a second-level divine spell

By the Light of the Moon: The Seducer gains a +2 circumstance bonus to all Cha-related checks at night.

Suggestion: The Seducer adds Suggestion to his spell list as a third-level divine spell

Frightening Strike: It's all in the wrist! At 3rd level, the Seducer's Sacrificial Strike (the granted power for the Murder domain) is such a horribly disturbing thing to watch that all living creatures who witness it must make a will save or be shaken for 1d6 rounds. The DC is equal to half the damage the Sacrificial Strike dealt, + the Seducer's Charisma modifier.

Terrifying Strike: At 5th level, the Frightening Strike ability is replaced with the Terrifying Strike. Anyone who witnesses the Seducer's Sacrificial Strike becomes Frightened instead of Shaken, and the DC is half the damage dealt, + twice the Seducer's Charisma modifier. Otherwise, the abilities function identically. In addition, the first normal sneak attack the Seducer performs on any round causes the same effects as Frightening Strike

Night's Grace: At night, the Seducer adds his Charisma modifier to his AC and saves as a divine bonus.

Horrifying Strike: At 9th level, the Terrifying Strike ability is replaced with the Horrifying Strike. Anyone who witnesses the Seducer's Sacrificial Strike takes 2d10 Wisdom damage from the extreme trauma. A save for half damage is allowed, equal to the damage dealt by the Sacrificial Strike + the Seducer's Charisma modifier. This damage goes away after 1d3 rounds. Otherwise, the abilities function identically. In addition, the first normal sneak attack the Seducer performs on any round causes the same effects as Terrifying Strike


Reaper of Flesh: Upon reaching 10th level, the Seducer may call himself Seducer Superior and, increases all his sneak attack damage dice to d8.



Night Reaper


Thankfully, Night Reapers are rare, usually encountered singly, and their primary targets are the unworthy within their own clergy. Rarely seen or even known of, they spend most of their time evaluating and culling the ranks of the Seducers and novice priests of the Laughing Moon Goddess, or communing with their Goddess at shrines deep in the forest. A Night Reaper is an artist of death, the perfect assassin. When among normal people, they often adopt the persona of a druid or other spiritual woman. They share a druid's affinity for nature and restriction to natural armors. Their only weakness is a frailty in the face of brute physical harm, but their stealth, trickery magic, and skill at dealing quick death allow them to avoid such things for the most part.

Prerequisites:
Religion: Worshipper of the Laughing Moon Goddess, Evil and Trickery Domains
Gender: Female
Alignment: Any evil
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Feats: Stealthy
Skills: Move Silently 10 ranks, Knowledge Religion 10 ranks
Abilities: Dex 13+, Int 13+, Cha 15+
Special: Sneak attack 3d6, ability to cast 1st level Divine spells

Weapons and Armor: The Night Reaper gains proficiency with scythes. The Night Reaper also becomes restricted to natural armors like a druid. Wearing prohibited armor makes them lose access to their murder domain spells, Spontaneous Trickery ability, Grace, and Assassin's Grace.

Skills: 2 + Int bonus per level. Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

HD: 1d4

{table]Level|BAB| Fort Save |Ref Save| Will Save |Special| Spellcasting

1st | +1 |+2 | +2 |+2 | Murder Domain| +1 level
2nd | +2| +3| +3 |+3 |Spontaneous Trickery
3rd |+3 | +3 |+3| +3 |Grace| +1 level
4th |+4 | +4 |+4| +4 | Sneak attack +1d6, Undetectable Alignment| +1 level
5th | +5 |+4 | +4 |+4 |Darkvision
6th |+6 | +5 | +5 |+5| Frightening strike, Assassin's Grace| +1 level
7th | +7 | +5 | +5 | +5 |Improved Critical: Scythe| +1 level
8th | +8 | +6 | +6 |+6 | Terrifying Strike, Sneak attack +1d6
9th | +9 | +6 | +6 |+6 | Sneak attack +1d6| +1 level
10th |+10| +7 |+7 | +7 |Reaper of Flesh| +1 level[/table]


Murder Domain: Upon adopting the Night Reaper class, a character gains access to the Murder domain. The character gains the granted power associated with the domain (the ability to coup de grace a flat-footed or flanked character once per day) and can choose the spells in that domain as her daily domain spells.

Spells per Day: A Night Reaper continues to advance in divine spellcasting ability. She does not, however, gain any other benefit of advancing in that class (improved chance of rebuking undead, etc.).

Spontaneous Trickery: A Night Reaper gains the ability to lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast the Trickery domain spell of the lost spell's level or a lower level.

Grace: While wearing natural armor, or no armor, the Night Reaper adds her Charisma modifier to her AC as a deflection bonus, and adds it to her saves as a divine bonus.

Sneak Attack: The Night Reaper gains Sneak Attack, as the Rogue ability. This stacks with the sneak attack damage from other sources.

Undetectable Alignment: The Night Reaper gains undetectable alignment, as the spell, as a permanent effect.

Darkvision: The Night Reaper gains 60 ft. Darkvision.

Assassin's Grace: While wearing natural armor, or no armor, the Night Reaper add's her Charisma modifier to her Hide and Move Silently skill checks as a Divine bonus.

Improved Critical: Scythe: The Night Reaper gains the Improved Critical: Scythe feat, even if she does not meet the prerequisites.

Frightening Strike: At 6th level, the Night Reaper's Sacrificial Strike (the granted power for the Murder domain) is such a horribly disturbing thing to watch that all living creatures who witness it must make a will save or be shaken for 1d6 rounds. The DC is equal to half the damage the Sacrificial Strike dealt, + the Night Reaper's Charisma modifier.

Terrifying Strike: At 9th level, the Frightening Strike ability is replaced with the Terrifying Strike. Any living creature who witnesses the Night Reaper's Sacrificial Strike becomes Frightened instead of Shaken, and the DC is half the damage dealt, + twice the Night Reaper's Charisma modifier. Otherwise, the abilities function identically.

Reaper of Flesh: Upon reaching 10th level, the Night Reaper may choose to call herself by either the title of Night Reaper Superior, or Reaper of Flesh. Likewise, the ability can take two forms: the Night Reaper may choose to gain another use of the Murder Domain's Sacrificial Strike Granted Power per day, or increase all her sneak attack damage dice to d8.

sengmeng
2011-04-02, 09:20 PM
Can someone tell me how to get a stat chart to post on here?

If you can't read that jumbled mess, the Seducer has a Cleric's BAB and good Will saves

The Night Reaper has a fighter's BAB and all good saves.

Thanks, fixed.

John Cribati
2011-04-02, 10:32 PM
Code for tables: just keep adding |
{table]Whatever1| Whatever2|...
A1|A2|...
B1|B2|...[/table]

Comes out like
{table]Whatever1| Whatever2|...
A1|A2|...
B1|B2|...[/table]

sengmeng
2011-04-03, 11:11 AM
Here is the Murder Domain:

Murder Domain
(the murder domain is only available as a bonus domain to members of the Seducer and Night Reaper prestige classes)
Deity: Laughing Moon Goddess
Granted Power: Once per day, the cleric may make a sacrificial strike. The sacrificial strike must be made against an opponent who is flat-footed or would lose their dexterity bonus to AC, or is flanked (the same requirements as a sneak attack) and counts as a coup de grace. It must be declared before the attack roll is made, and the ability is used up if the attack misses. Once it hits, treat it as a normal coup de grace. To fail to kill the target with a sacrificial strike is a grievous offense against the Laughing Moon Goddess, and may require atonement, at the DM's discretion.

Spells:
1st level
Deathwatch

2nd level
Death Knell

3rd level
Deeper Darkness

4th level
Magic Weapon, Greater

5th level
Slay Living

6th level
Blade Barrier

7th level
Mordenkainen's Sword (called "The Silvered Razor")

8th level
Symbol of Death

9th level
Power word: Kill

Benly
2011-04-03, 03:40 PM
Seducer I probably wouldn't bother with beyond a one-level dip to pick up Murder domain. Half spellcasting progression on a class that requires being a single-classed cleric isn't worth bothering with for the rather minor benefits you give.

Night Reaper would be workable except for the insanely wacky entry requirements. I could see it working with a Sneak Attack Fighter or Daring Outlaw that dips cleric, maybe? Even then, though, three trash feats and d4 HD on an unarmored melee combatant make it largely unworkable.

sengmeng
2011-04-03, 04:11 PM
Seducer I probably wouldn't bother with beyond a one-level dip to pick up Murder domain. Half spellcasting progression on a class that requires being a single-classed cleric isn't worth bothering with for the rather minor benefits you give.

Night Reaper would be workable except for the insanely wacky entry requirements. I could see it working with a Sneak Attack Fighter or Daring Outlaw that dips cleric, maybe? Even then, though, three trash feats and d4 HD on an unarmored melee combatant make it largely unworkable.

Night Reaper is supposed to be a one-trick pony: kill and get away.
How about take away the two skill focus feat requirements and lower the BAB requirement to +5?

Would Seducer be more attractive with good Will and Ref saves and fighter's BAB?

Benly
2011-04-03, 04:34 PM
Night Reaper is supposed to be a one-trick pony: kill and get away.

"Kill and get away" is great the one time per day you can get a good shot at a one-hit kill. The problem is that the rest of the day, there's a good chance the enemy will get to hit back. Some way to return to hiding after striking would be useful. Another idea that could combine well with that would be to give them the Assassin's Death Attack ability and let Frightening and Terrifying Strike be triggered off that as well as off the Sacrificial Strike - that way you have class abilities you can keep using after that one Sacrificial Strike, albeit ones with much trickier setup.


How about take away the two skill focus feat requirements and lower the BAB requirement to +5?

That would make it considerably easier to qualify with the classes you seem to intend. (Rogue 5/cleric 3 without fractional BAB, rogue 5/cleric 2 or rogue 3/cleric 3/assassin 1 with fractional BAB.)



Would Seducer be more attractive with good Will and Ref saves and fighter's BAB?

Probably not, especially since then it'd just sort of come off as the Night Reaper's poor cousin. If you want to give it a boost, I'd either increase its casting to 8/10 or so, or give it more interesting and useful social/control abilities than just "two spells added to your spell list", or both.

sengmeng
2011-04-03, 08:27 PM
The problem is that the rest of the day, there's a good chance the enemy will get to hit back. Some way to return to hiding after striking would be useful.

Spontaneous Trickery lets them lose a second level spell to spontaneously cast Invisibility.


Another idea that could combine well with that would be to give them the Assassin's Death Attack ability and let Frightening and Terrifying Strike be triggered off that as well as off the Sacrificial Strike - that way you have class abilities you can keep using after that one Sacrificial Strike, albeit ones with much trickier setup.

I don't like assassin's and their nearly-useless-against-people-their-own-level death attack. For a villain to one-hit kill a PC, even just once a day and then they have to run, is what an assassin SHOULD have been and I think it makes a scary villain. However, you're right about the Frightening and Terrifying Strike abilities, perhaps Frightening Strike applies to all sneak attacks (though only one per round) once you have Terrifying Strike? And at tenth level, the Night Reapers at least have the option of making two Sacrificial Strikes per day.


then it'd just sort of come off as the Night Reaper's poor cousin.

they are :)

but perhaps a little more social control is in order... suggestions?

Benly
2011-04-03, 08:55 PM
Spontaneous Trickery lets them lose a second level spell to spontaneously cast Invisibility.

That's not really much of a way to avoid retaliation - by the time you have the option with the prerequisites as they are, invisibility is starting to wear out its welcome.



I don't like assassin's and their nearly-useless-against-people-their-own-level death attack. For a villain to one-hit kill a PC, even just once a day and then they have to run, is what an assassin SHOULD have been and I think it makes a scary villain.

So give it a DC calculation that doesn't suck. :)

Now, that said, I'm reviewing this as a class that could also be accessed by PCs, because the simple dirty secret is that if you just want to make something for your NPCs that PCs will never touch, you don't really need to observe good PrC design - you can just arbitrarily give every member of the cult a given set of special powers. So I'm considering this from a general PrC standpoint.


However, you're right about the Frightening and Terrifying Strike abilities, perhaps Frightening Strike applies to all sneak attacks (though only one per round) once you have Terrifying Strike? And at tenth level, the Night Reapers at least have the option of making two Sacrificial Strikes per day.

This is an example of that. Two per day is fine for an NPC, but from a PrC design standpoint it's not really enough to have two interesting things to do per day at level 16-17.




they are :)

So what's the point of having a PrC that's "like this other PrC, but worse in every way"?

sengmeng
2011-04-03, 09:34 PM
Okay, the Seducer is beefed up a little. He was always tougher in hitpoints, and he can wear armor, but now he gains the Reaper of Flesh, is more charming to the ladies, and reaches a third tier of the Strike, the Horrifying Strike, causing temporary Wisdom damage (causing the faint of heart to, well, faint). This could let him perform normal coup de graces on a few more people after his Sacrificial Strike. He also now gets 7 levels of spellcasting equivalent to the Night Reaper, and a nighttime-only version of Grace.

Any better ideas for social control?


So what's the point of having a PrC that's "like this other PrC, but worse in every way"?

The point was that you can access Seducer at lower levels and easier, but Night Reapers are meant to be scary psycho-*****es who watch them and keep them in line. It's a twisted cult that preys on its own weak. Also, you can only be one or the other, because they have opposite gender requirements.

So, is Seducer viable but still likely to get his butt kicked by a Night Reaper? That's the end goal. However, I think you already answered all my questions when you said "fine for a villain" earlier, since the goal was to make a crazy dangerous villain. I don't even know how I feel about PCs wanting to see stats on them; they shouldn't want to play as a human-sacrificing cultist just so they can perfectly slit a throat once per day.

Benly
2011-04-03, 09:38 PM
So, is Seducer viable but still likely to get his butt kicked by a Night Reaper? That's the end goal. However, I think you already answered all my questions when you said "fine for a villain" earlier, since the goal was to make a crazy dangerous villain.

Actually, my point was that for villains you don't have to bother designing a PrC.

Just figure out what abilities you want them to have and give them a template. Come up with two templates if it works better for you.

sengmeng
2011-04-03, 09:46 PM
I guess we just have different philosophies on villains, or maybe I'm just ready for my players to want to be crazy throat-slitting cultists, and then they'll see the stats and be dissuaded. :)

Good day, I think my questions are all answered