Realms of Chaos
2011-04-08, 09:07 AM
The basic concept:Yup, I'm at it again. This is just an idea that I’ve had for a long time, a “superpower” class where the power is simply having outstanding luck. I’ve tried three previous iterations of this class and this one is pretty different from all those that came before, possessing no separate Luck ability score and lacking most of the fiat abilities that they possessed.
Beyond that, what I managed to do here is to create a character who is for all intents and purposes a normal person with tremendous luck, even at high levels. Everything from the way this class deals with damage to skills to combat to BAB and Save bonuses (which could be viewed as mere luck in-and-of themselves) allows for this class to come across as an otherwise completely normal commoner or expert 1 with tons and tons of luck added on. I’m aware that this might not be a popular concept but I wanted to see if I could make it work.
Also, I’m very aware that this is likely a weak class, probably either tier 4 or tier 5. As rerolls aren’t the strongest strategy in existence (for several reasons) and doesn’t really fit any traditional role, building a class around luck without adding more onto it (like Fax’s excellent Luckthief) results in a weaker class as a matter of course and I accept this readily. Hopefully, anyone out there who has considered playing a luck-based class might be willing to accept it anyways.
The Fortune-Blessed
“Competence? Why on earth would I need that?”
-Ter Korrain, Fortune-Blessed
In the world, there are many who gain incredible skill in their chosen crafts, garnering notoriety for their expertise with spell and skill. As a counterpoint to these skilled individuals, there are a few individuals who can get by on their luck alone. Regularly finding money in the street, dodging death with disturbing ease, and randomly striking weak points of their opponents, these beings are favored like no others by lady luck. Despite a dearth of actual talents or skill, these fortune-blessed can accomplish feats of daunting improbability.
Adventures: Of the many possible reasons for Fortune-Blessed to adventure, one element is always present. Namely, they all adventure by choice. A good majority, tired of living from day to day, journey to expand their coin pouches. After all, the life or luxury (or, as the case may be, a few kegs of ale) don’t pay for themselves. Other Fortune-Blessed set out to put their names in a few history books, seeing no more convenient way to do so. A rare few act as daredevils, always seeking out new ways to push their luck to the breaking point and beyond.
Alignment: Although not all fortune-blessed are chaotic, lawful ones are exceedingly rare. The few lawful ones see probability where others do not, realizing how likely they are to succeed or fail at most tasks. The Chaotic ones, by contrast, simply note that they are lucky to have the luck that they have and intend to use it while they’ve got it. As far as good and evil, luck seems to favor the hero and villain equally, leading to an approximately equal supply of good and evil fortune-blessed and a larger group of neutral ones between them.
Religion: Religion is a tricky subject when Fortune-Blessed are involved. Although some of them may take their luck for granted and turn their backs to religion, others are surprisingly religious. After all, in many cultures, having even half as much luck as a Fortune-Blessed is easily seen as a divine blessing. Even in cultures where this does not hold true, many a Fortune-Blessed is willing to toast to Oladimmara or other gods of chance.
Background: It’s impossible to simply practice luck. Either you have it or you don’t. For this reason, Fortune-Blessed are born, rather than made. Although it seems reasonable to suspect enchanted childhoods (as some of them have indeed had), most of them spend their childhoods testing the extent of their luck by angering dogs, jumping off of houses, or stealing small objects.
There is very little sense of camaraderie between Fortune-Blessed. Two or more who happen to meet in a bar are more likely to become rivals or enemies than friends.
Race: Luck truly transcends racial borders. Any and every race can (and does) produce about equal amounts of Fortune-Blessed. How each race deals with these lucky individuals differs, however. Halflings are viewed Fortune-Blessed as credits to their race, each one a living testament to Dallah Thaun (making them more attractive targets for luckstealers in the caravan). Elves and Half-Elves view them with varying degrees of interest but rarely consider them to be anything more than statistical abnormalities. Dwarves actively discriminate against Fortune-Blessed, scoffing at the very idea of going through life without ever needing to work for what you receive. As a result, most dwarven Fortune-Blessed try to fool others (if not themselves) that their shows of luck are truly hallmarks of skill. Half-Orc Fortune-Blessed are commonly credited with exceptional guile or wisdom that they simply do not possess, leading to positions of prominence that they may not be suited for. Humans, although they may appear about as uncaring as elves or unfriendly as dwarves towards Fortune-Blessed, often carry a deep-rooted envy for those who can get by with minimal effort.
Other Classes: Most classes are, at least initially, a bit wary about relying on an individual who needs to rely on luck. After the Fortune-Blessed completes a few stunts impossible without such luck, however, there are few classes who would find themselves opposed to having one as an ally.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Fortune-Blessed
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Elusive Target
Bout of Luck
Fate Points
1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Blessed Life, Elusive Target, Improvisation (10/level), Miraculous Strike +1d6
+1
--
--
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (natural 1s), Explosive Fortune
+1
1
--
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Aura of Luck 1, Extra Luck (1), Miraculous Strike (cover and concealment)
+1
1
--
4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 1
+1
1
1
5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Extra Luck (2), Miraculous Strike +2d6
+2
1
1
6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Bonus Luck Feat, Easy Luck
+2
2
1
7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Aura of Luck II, Extra Luck (3), Miraculous Strike (flat-footed)
+2
2
1
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 2
+2
2
2
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Extra Luck (4), Miraculous Strike +3d6
+3
2
2
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (natural 2s)
+3
3
2
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Aura of Luck III, Extra Luck (5), Miraculous Strike (touch attack)
+3
3
2
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 3
+3
3
3
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Extra Luck (6), Miraculous Strike +4d6
+4
3
3
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Bonus Luck Feat, Effortless Fortune
+4
4
3
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Aura of Luck IV, Extra Luck (7), Miraculous Strike (damage reduction)
+4
4
3
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Bonus Luck Feat Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 4
+4
4
4
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+15
Extra Luck (8), Miraculous Strike +5d6
+5
4
4
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (Natural 3s)
+5
5
4
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Aura of Luck V, Extra Luck (9), Miraculous Strike (pierce magic)
+5
5
4
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Bonus Luck Feat, Endless Luck, Manipulate Fortune +/- 5
+5
5
5
Class Skills (2+Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Select up to seven skills that can be used untrained when taking your first level of fortune-blessed. These are your class skills.
Class Features
The following are all class features of the fortune-blessed.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with all simple weapons and with light armor but with no shields.
Blessed Life: At 1st level, you gain blessed life (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188989) as a bonus feat (see below). Furthermore, your income from this feat is measured in gold pieces rather than silver pieces as normal.
Notes and Explanation:In addition to giving you a luck reroll to work with, this feat makes the old concept introduced in complete scoundrel of a lucky layabout living by their luck alone seem somewhat plausible. Mostly here for flavor. Though it allows for gold to be gained during downtime, it’s not much worse than a good perform modifier.
Elusive Target (Ex): You possess an astounding knack for escaping injury. Even when hit by a sword or fireball and severely “damaged”, the injuries always appear superficial at best (and often harm little more than your ego) so long as you possess at least a single hit point. As a result, you heal hit points every hour rather than every day (much as you heal nonlethal damage) and you gain the indicated bonus to AC while wearing light armor or no armor at all. You may expend a luck reroll as an immediate action to double the bonus to AC for 1 round or heal hit points equal to half of your class level (minimum 1).
Notes and Explanation:As everyone knows, hp has pretty much always been an abstraction, reflecting not only wounds but inspiration, exhaustion, near misses, and so forth. To allow this class to have full hit points while being no more “tough” than a normal person, these abstractions are being directly called upon. I’ll admit that this ability can be rather odd at times (such as when you are dropped down a previously described sheer cliff that was explicitly describes as having nothing to slow or cushion your fall) but these situations should be rather rare and could easily be attributed to a certain amount of pluckiness that Fortune-Blessed possess.
That said, as this ability likely still won’t sit well by some people, here is an alternate class feature for 1st level.
Evade Mishaps (Ex): you are quite able to avoid ambushes and traps, even if utterly unaware of them. You gain a luck bonus to your AC while flat-footed and against attacks made by traps (these bonuses do not stack) as well as to Reflex saves against traps. This bonus is equal to half of your remaining luck rerolls + 1. At 5th level and every 4 levels afterwards, this bonus is increased by +1.
With this ability, it is indeed possible to have higher AC while flat-footed than you would otherwise have.
Improvisation (Ex): At the start of each day, you gain a number of improvisation points equal to your class level x 10. As a free action, you may spend a number of these points up to your class level to gain a luck bonus of equal size to your next skill check this round and to make any skill check untrained for 1 round. This bonus never applies to skill checks that require more than one round to perform and does not allow such uses of trained-only skills to be used untrained.
Notes and Explanation:This ability allows you to play the limited roll of a skill monkey when needed, having access to whatever skill you need. The number of points you gain each day may seem huge but it is easier to expend them than you might suspect (especially as 10 maximum expenditures is enough to wipe you out completely). Good when faced with specific tasks but rather poor when faced with long-term tasks.
Miraculous Strike (Ex): As a fortune-blessed, you possess the remarkable ability to make one-in-a-million strikes with surprising accuracy. Whenever you make an attack against a target, you may expend a single luck reroll. If you do, you deal additional damage as noted in the table above. This damage starts at +1d6 at 1st level and increases by +1d6 at 5th level and every 4 levels afterwards.
Starting at 3rd level, your attacks happen to find weak points in an enemy’s defense, ignoring cover less than total cover and concealment less than total concealment. At 7th level, attacks benefiting from this ability treat the target as being flat-footed as it finds a flaw in their stance. At 11th level, attacks benefiting from this ability are treated as touch attacks as your strikes seem magnified to chinks in the enemy’s armor. At 15th level, attacks benefiting from this ability ignore damage reduction and hardness as you always seem to strike as the weakest point. At 19th level, your attacks find the weak point even in spells, allowing attacks benefiting from this ability to ignore any miss chance or bonus to AC gained through magical means.
The extra damage only applies against creatures who are vulnerable to critical hits, though the other effects can apply against any target. In addition, even if not expending a luck reroll, you may make these fortunate shots by mere chance. Each attack roll that you make without expending a luck roll has a 50% chance of gaining the benefit of this ability. You may not gain this benefit more than once per attack.
Notes and Explanation:This is the class’ main form of combat As you grow more powerful, a successful use of this ability becomes more and more likely to hit and damage an opponent. To use it, however, you must either expend a limited resource or take a risk and have it work 50% of the time
Bonus Luck Feat: At 2nd level and every 2 levels afterwards, you gain a bonus luck feat that you meet all prerequisites for.
Notes and Explanation:That’s right, folks, this class gets as many luck feats as a fighter gains feats. As luck feats are generally less powerful and are less able to form locks and optimized builds, however, this probably doesn’t count for all that much.
Explosive Fortune (Ex): For reasons beyond comprehension, when fortune smiles upon a fortune-blessed, it does so with nearly unbelievable gusto. Whenever you roll a maximum result on any dice roll (up to a d20), you may spend a number of luck rolls as indicated on the table below to have your fortune explode. In effect, you roll the dice again and add what you roll to the result. You may use this ability multiple times within the same round and may even target dice rolled due to this ability.
Size of Dice
# of Rerolls
Up to d6
1
d8
2
d10
3
d12
4
d20
5
Notes and Explanation:Borrowed from a few other systems, the idea of exploding dice seemed like a decent mechanic to put into a luck-based class. This ability might not come up too often but when it does come up, it can make a really big deal. Note that this only effects results that are actually rolled and thus can’t be used with dumb luck or better lucky than good. Also note that an “exploded” natural 20 still counts as a natural 20 if making an attack roll or saving throw (which never need exploding in the first place).
Bout of Luck (Ex): While a fortune-blessed has a set supply of luck, they seem to be at their luckiest while in dire straits. Starting at 2nd level, you gain a temporary luck reroll at the start of each encounter. This luck reroll is spent before all other rerolls and lasts until the end of the encounter if not previously spent. At 6th level and every 4 levels afterwards, you gain an additional temporary luck reroll.
Notes and Explanation:Because it is far too easy to go through your luck rerolls after just one or two encounters, here is an ability that helps ensure you’ll always have some at the start of a fight
Bound For Success (Ex): You are quite unfamiliar with failure and you likely intend to stay that way. Starting at 2nd level, you need not expend luck rerolls when using luck feats to change or reroll natural 1s. Starting at 10th level, this ability also extends to natural 2s. At 18th level, it extends to natural 3s as well.
Notes and Explanation:One of the most common uses for luck rerolls is ensuring that you don’t mess up a roll big time, and this ability helps you do so without draining your precious reserves of luck.
In the case that a player want to reroll a damage roll and only some rolls could be rerolled through this ability, I’d suggest either letting the player reroll all such dice for free or reroll all dice at the normal cost.
Aura of Luck (Ex): As a fortune-blessed gains more power, they learn how to share their fortune with their allies. At 3rd level, you can use your luck feats to allow allies within 30 feet of you to reroll in place of yourself and all allies within that range (including yourself) gain a +1 luck bonus on skill checks and ability checks. Every 4 levels after 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), you may select additional luck feats to be shared in this way and the luck bonus increases by +1. At the start of each day, you may select different luck feats to be shared in this way. If an ally moves out of range and returns, any expended luck rerolls remain expended.
Notes and Explanation:Probably one of the more important/powerful abilities, empowering allies in more than one way. Note that the bonus to skill checks doesn’t stack with the one gained through improvisation points.
Extra Luck (Ex): Fortune-Blessed possess a seemingly endless supply of luck at times, luck that follows them wherever they go. At 3rd level and every odd level afterwards, you gain an extra luck reroll each day.
Notes and Explanation:Again, it is very easy to run out of luck points very quickly and this ability should help to counter that to some degree.
Fate Points (Ex): Though it is generally enough to rely on normal luck, a fortune-blessed must intercede with fate at times to make it through rough times. Starting at 4th level, you gain a number of fate points each week equal to one-fourth of your class level (leftover points from one week don’t carry into the next). Up to once per round, you may spend a Fate point to gain one of three benefits:
Impossible Luck: You may reroll any dice roll you have made twice and use the highest result among the original roll and the two rerolls. If not rolling from a table and rolling a dice smaller than a d20, you may increase the size of the dice by one step (from a d6 to a d8, a d8 to a d10, and so forth) for the rerolls. This ability may be used even on the result of a reroll.
Renewed Fortune: You immediately regain all spent luck rerolls that you possess or all spent improvisation point that you possess..
Fate’s Protection: If you would be slain by any means, you are instead rendered unconscious and stable at –9 hit points.
Notes and Explanation:Another concept loosely based on mechaics from a few RPGs that I’m familiar with. While this ability is hardly an “I win” button, it should work fairly well to help keep you going or give you a chance when you are desperate.
Manipulate Fortune (Ex): Luck tends to work out in your favor more often than not. Starting at 4th level, whenever you or a creature within 30 feet rerolls a dice, you may impose a +1 bonus or –1 penalty to the reroll. This ability does not stack if multiple rerolls are made. At 8th level and every 4 levels afterwards, the size of this bonus and penalty is increased by 1.
Notes and Explanation:One of the biggest problems with dice rerolls is that the rerolling target has the exact same odds of success, odds that you likely won’t like. As such, this ability helps to manipulate the odds in your favor even further when you use or force a reroll.
Easy Luck (Ex): Starting at 6th level, luck comes as easily to you as talent may come to others. You need not spend actions to utilize your luck feats. You may not use any luck feat to influence a single dice roll more than once.
Notes and Explanation:Taken from the fortune’s friend (and gained at the same level), it seems fairly vital to the proper functioning of a luck-based class.
Effortless Fortune (Ex): Starting at 14th level, Luck seems to flow from you nearly endlessly and success seems to be your constant companion. Whenever you would reroll a dice or force another creature to reroll a dice, two rerolls are made and you select which one is used. If both of these rerolls land on even numbers, any luck reroll(s) you would otherwise spend are not expended.
Notes and Explanation:This ability is a bit of a double-whammy, giving you double the bang for your buck (reroll-wise) while helping you to reserve luck rerolls even better.
Endless Luck (Ex): At 20th level, you are never truly out of luck. You regain one expended luck reroll each round while in an encounter and otherwise regain one such reroll every minute. In addition, you may alter the result of a single dice roll any number of times in a single round through the use of your luck feats. Each additional reroll spent in this way is affected by your effortless fortune class feature separately.
Notes and Explanation:With this capstone, it is now possible to “fish” for a natural 20 when rolling dice and it is rather difficult to completely run out of dice rolls.
Also, the combination of this ability with effortless luck and explosive fortune is quite purposeful, allowing you to potentially gain an absolutely huge dice roll if you are willing to go nova.
Epic Fortune-Blessed
Level
Special
Elusive Target
Bout of Luck
Fate Points
21st
Extra Luck (10), Miraculous Strike +6d6
+6
5
5
22nd
Bonus Luck Feat
+6
6
5
23rd
Aura of Luck VI, Extra Luck (11)
+6
6
5
24th
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/-6
+6
6
6
25th
Extra Luck (12), Miraculous Strike +7d6
+7
6
6
26th
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound For Success (Natural 4s)
+7
7
6
27th
Aura of Luck VII, Extra Luck (13)
+7
7
6
28th
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/-7
+7
7
7
29th
Extra Luck (14), Miraculous Strike +8d6
+8
7
7
30th
Bonus Luck Feat
+8
8
7
Beyond that, what I managed to do here is to create a character who is for all intents and purposes a normal person with tremendous luck, even at high levels. Everything from the way this class deals with damage to skills to combat to BAB and Save bonuses (which could be viewed as mere luck in-and-of themselves) allows for this class to come across as an otherwise completely normal commoner or expert 1 with tons and tons of luck added on. I’m aware that this might not be a popular concept but I wanted to see if I could make it work.
Also, I’m very aware that this is likely a weak class, probably either tier 4 or tier 5. As rerolls aren’t the strongest strategy in existence (for several reasons) and doesn’t really fit any traditional role, building a class around luck without adding more onto it (like Fax’s excellent Luckthief) results in a weaker class as a matter of course and I accept this readily. Hopefully, anyone out there who has considered playing a luck-based class might be willing to accept it anyways.
The Fortune-Blessed
“Competence? Why on earth would I need that?”
-Ter Korrain, Fortune-Blessed
In the world, there are many who gain incredible skill in their chosen crafts, garnering notoriety for their expertise with spell and skill. As a counterpoint to these skilled individuals, there are a few individuals who can get by on their luck alone. Regularly finding money in the street, dodging death with disturbing ease, and randomly striking weak points of their opponents, these beings are favored like no others by lady luck. Despite a dearth of actual talents or skill, these fortune-blessed can accomplish feats of daunting improbability.
Adventures: Of the many possible reasons for Fortune-Blessed to adventure, one element is always present. Namely, they all adventure by choice. A good majority, tired of living from day to day, journey to expand their coin pouches. After all, the life or luxury (or, as the case may be, a few kegs of ale) don’t pay for themselves. Other Fortune-Blessed set out to put their names in a few history books, seeing no more convenient way to do so. A rare few act as daredevils, always seeking out new ways to push their luck to the breaking point and beyond.
Alignment: Although not all fortune-blessed are chaotic, lawful ones are exceedingly rare. The few lawful ones see probability where others do not, realizing how likely they are to succeed or fail at most tasks. The Chaotic ones, by contrast, simply note that they are lucky to have the luck that they have and intend to use it while they’ve got it. As far as good and evil, luck seems to favor the hero and villain equally, leading to an approximately equal supply of good and evil fortune-blessed and a larger group of neutral ones between them.
Religion: Religion is a tricky subject when Fortune-Blessed are involved. Although some of them may take their luck for granted and turn their backs to religion, others are surprisingly religious. After all, in many cultures, having even half as much luck as a Fortune-Blessed is easily seen as a divine blessing. Even in cultures where this does not hold true, many a Fortune-Blessed is willing to toast to Oladimmara or other gods of chance.
Background: It’s impossible to simply practice luck. Either you have it or you don’t. For this reason, Fortune-Blessed are born, rather than made. Although it seems reasonable to suspect enchanted childhoods (as some of them have indeed had), most of them spend their childhoods testing the extent of their luck by angering dogs, jumping off of houses, or stealing small objects.
There is very little sense of camaraderie between Fortune-Blessed. Two or more who happen to meet in a bar are more likely to become rivals or enemies than friends.
Race: Luck truly transcends racial borders. Any and every race can (and does) produce about equal amounts of Fortune-Blessed. How each race deals with these lucky individuals differs, however. Halflings are viewed Fortune-Blessed as credits to their race, each one a living testament to Dallah Thaun (making them more attractive targets for luckstealers in the caravan). Elves and Half-Elves view them with varying degrees of interest but rarely consider them to be anything more than statistical abnormalities. Dwarves actively discriminate against Fortune-Blessed, scoffing at the very idea of going through life without ever needing to work for what you receive. As a result, most dwarven Fortune-Blessed try to fool others (if not themselves) that their shows of luck are truly hallmarks of skill. Half-Orc Fortune-Blessed are commonly credited with exceptional guile or wisdom that they simply do not possess, leading to positions of prominence that they may not be suited for. Humans, although they may appear about as uncaring as elves or unfriendly as dwarves towards Fortune-Blessed, often carry a deep-rooted envy for those who can get by with minimal effort.
Other Classes: Most classes are, at least initially, a bit wary about relying on an individual who needs to rely on luck. After the Fortune-Blessed completes a few stunts impossible without such luck, however, there are few classes who would find themselves opposed to having one as an ally.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d8
Fortune-Blessed
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
Elusive Target
Bout of Luck
Fate Points
1st
+0
+0
+2
+0
Blessed Life, Elusive Target, Improvisation (10/level), Miraculous Strike +1d6
+1
--
--
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (natural 1s), Explosive Fortune
+1
1
--
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Aura of Luck 1, Extra Luck (1), Miraculous Strike (cover and concealment)
+1
1
--
4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 1
+1
1
1
5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Extra Luck (2), Miraculous Strike +2d6
+2
1
1
6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Bonus Luck Feat, Easy Luck
+2
2
1
7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Aura of Luck II, Extra Luck (3), Miraculous Strike (flat-footed)
+2
2
1
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 2
+2
2
2
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Extra Luck (4), Miraculous Strike +3d6
+3
2
2
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (natural 2s)
+3
3
2
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Aura of Luck III, Extra Luck (5), Miraculous Strike (touch attack)
+3
3
2
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 3
+3
3
3
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Extra Luck (6), Miraculous Strike +4d6
+4
3
3
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Bonus Luck Feat, Effortless Fortune
+4
4
3
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Aura of Luck IV, Extra Luck (7), Miraculous Strike (damage reduction)
+4
4
3
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Bonus Luck Feat Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/- 4
+4
4
4
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+15
Extra Luck (8), Miraculous Strike +5d6
+5
4
4
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound for Success (Natural 3s)
+5
5
4
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
Aura of Luck V, Extra Luck (9), Miraculous Strike (pierce magic)
+5
5
4
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Bonus Luck Feat, Endless Luck, Manipulate Fortune +/- 5
+5
5
5
Class Skills (2+Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Select up to seven skills that can be used untrained when taking your first level of fortune-blessed. These are your class skills.
Class Features
The following are all class features of the fortune-blessed.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain proficiency with all simple weapons and with light armor but with no shields.
Blessed Life: At 1st level, you gain blessed life (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188989) as a bonus feat (see below). Furthermore, your income from this feat is measured in gold pieces rather than silver pieces as normal.
Notes and Explanation:In addition to giving you a luck reroll to work with, this feat makes the old concept introduced in complete scoundrel of a lucky layabout living by their luck alone seem somewhat plausible. Mostly here for flavor. Though it allows for gold to be gained during downtime, it’s not much worse than a good perform modifier.
Elusive Target (Ex): You possess an astounding knack for escaping injury. Even when hit by a sword or fireball and severely “damaged”, the injuries always appear superficial at best (and often harm little more than your ego) so long as you possess at least a single hit point. As a result, you heal hit points every hour rather than every day (much as you heal nonlethal damage) and you gain the indicated bonus to AC while wearing light armor or no armor at all. You may expend a luck reroll as an immediate action to double the bonus to AC for 1 round or heal hit points equal to half of your class level (minimum 1).
Notes and Explanation:As everyone knows, hp has pretty much always been an abstraction, reflecting not only wounds but inspiration, exhaustion, near misses, and so forth. To allow this class to have full hit points while being no more “tough” than a normal person, these abstractions are being directly called upon. I’ll admit that this ability can be rather odd at times (such as when you are dropped down a previously described sheer cliff that was explicitly describes as having nothing to slow or cushion your fall) but these situations should be rather rare and could easily be attributed to a certain amount of pluckiness that Fortune-Blessed possess.
That said, as this ability likely still won’t sit well by some people, here is an alternate class feature for 1st level.
Evade Mishaps (Ex): you are quite able to avoid ambushes and traps, even if utterly unaware of them. You gain a luck bonus to your AC while flat-footed and against attacks made by traps (these bonuses do not stack) as well as to Reflex saves against traps. This bonus is equal to half of your remaining luck rerolls + 1. At 5th level and every 4 levels afterwards, this bonus is increased by +1.
With this ability, it is indeed possible to have higher AC while flat-footed than you would otherwise have.
Improvisation (Ex): At the start of each day, you gain a number of improvisation points equal to your class level x 10. As a free action, you may spend a number of these points up to your class level to gain a luck bonus of equal size to your next skill check this round and to make any skill check untrained for 1 round. This bonus never applies to skill checks that require more than one round to perform and does not allow such uses of trained-only skills to be used untrained.
Notes and Explanation:This ability allows you to play the limited roll of a skill monkey when needed, having access to whatever skill you need. The number of points you gain each day may seem huge but it is easier to expend them than you might suspect (especially as 10 maximum expenditures is enough to wipe you out completely). Good when faced with specific tasks but rather poor when faced with long-term tasks.
Miraculous Strike (Ex): As a fortune-blessed, you possess the remarkable ability to make one-in-a-million strikes with surprising accuracy. Whenever you make an attack against a target, you may expend a single luck reroll. If you do, you deal additional damage as noted in the table above. This damage starts at +1d6 at 1st level and increases by +1d6 at 5th level and every 4 levels afterwards.
Starting at 3rd level, your attacks happen to find weak points in an enemy’s defense, ignoring cover less than total cover and concealment less than total concealment. At 7th level, attacks benefiting from this ability treat the target as being flat-footed as it finds a flaw in their stance. At 11th level, attacks benefiting from this ability are treated as touch attacks as your strikes seem magnified to chinks in the enemy’s armor. At 15th level, attacks benefiting from this ability ignore damage reduction and hardness as you always seem to strike as the weakest point. At 19th level, your attacks find the weak point even in spells, allowing attacks benefiting from this ability to ignore any miss chance or bonus to AC gained through magical means.
The extra damage only applies against creatures who are vulnerable to critical hits, though the other effects can apply against any target. In addition, even if not expending a luck reroll, you may make these fortunate shots by mere chance. Each attack roll that you make without expending a luck roll has a 50% chance of gaining the benefit of this ability. You may not gain this benefit more than once per attack.
Notes and Explanation:This is the class’ main form of combat As you grow more powerful, a successful use of this ability becomes more and more likely to hit and damage an opponent. To use it, however, you must either expend a limited resource or take a risk and have it work 50% of the time
Bonus Luck Feat: At 2nd level and every 2 levels afterwards, you gain a bonus luck feat that you meet all prerequisites for.
Notes and Explanation:That’s right, folks, this class gets as many luck feats as a fighter gains feats. As luck feats are generally less powerful and are less able to form locks and optimized builds, however, this probably doesn’t count for all that much.
Explosive Fortune (Ex): For reasons beyond comprehension, when fortune smiles upon a fortune-blessed, it does so with nearly unbelievable gusto. Whenever you roll a maximum result on any dice roll (up to a d20), you may spend a number of luck rolls as indicated on the table below to have your fortune explode. In effect, you roll the dice again and add what you roll to the result. You may use this ability multiple times within the same round and may even target dice rolled due to this ability.
Size of Dice
# of Rerolls
Up to d6
1
d8
2
d10
3
d12
4
d20
5
Notes and Explanation:Borrowed from a few other systems, the idea of exploding dice seemed like a decent mechanic to put into a luck-based class. This ability might not come up too often but when it does come up, it can make a really big deal. Note that this only effects results that are actually rolled and thus can’t be used with dumb luck or better lucky than good. Also note that an “exploded” natural 20 still counts as a natural 20 if making an attack roll or saving throw (which never need exploding in the first place).
Bout of Luck (Ex): While a fortune-blessed has a set supply of luck, they seem to be at their luckiest while in dire straits. Starting at 2nd level, you gain a temporary luck reroll at the start of each encounter. This luck reroll is spent before all other rerolls and lasts until the end of the encounter if not previously spent. At 6th level and every 4 levels afterwards, you gain an additional temporary luck reroll.
Notes and Explanation:Because it is far too easy to go through your luck rerolls after just one or two encounters, here is an ability that helps ensure you’ll always have some at the start of a fight
Bound For Success (Ex): You are quite unfamiliar with failure and you likely intend to stay that way. Starting at 2nd level, you need not expend luck rerolls when using luck feats to change or reroll natural 1s. Starting at 10th level, this ability also extends to natural 2s. At 18th level, it extends to natural 3s as well.
Notes and Explanation:One of the most common uses for luck rerolls is ensuring that you don’t mess up a roll big time, and this ability helps you do so without draining your precious reserves of luck.
In the case that a player want to reroll a damage roll and only some rolls could be rerolled through this ability, I’d suggest either letting the player reroll all such dice for free or reroll all dice at the normal cost.
Aura of Luck (Ex): As a fortune-blessed gains more power, they learn how to share their fortune with their allies. At 3rd level, you can use your luck feats to allow allies within 30 feet of you to reroll in place of yourself and all allies within that range (including yourself) gain a +1 luck bonus on skill checks and ability checks. Every 4 levels after 3rd (7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th), you may select additional luck feats to be shared in this way and the luck bonus increases by +1. At the start of each day, you may select different luck feats to be shared in this way. If an ally moves out of range and returns, any expended luck rerolls remain expended.
Notes and Explanation:Probably one of the more important/powerful abilities, empowering allies in more than one way. Note that the bonus to skill checks doesn’t stack with the one gained through improvisation points.
Extra Luck (Ex): Fortune-Blessed possess a seemingly endless supply of luck at times, luck that follows them wherever they go. At 3rd level and every odd level afterwards, you gain an extra luck reroll each day.
Notes and Explanation:Again, it is very easy to run out of luck points very quickly and this ability should help to counter that to some degree.
Fate Points (Ex): Though it is generally enough to rely on normal luck, a fortune-blessed must intercede with fate at times to make it through rough times. Starting at 4th level, you gain a number of fate points each week equal to one-fourth of your class level (leftover points from one week don’t carry into the next). Up to once per round, you may spend a Fate point to gain one of three benefits:
Impossible Luck: You may reroll any dice roll you have made twice and use the highest result among the original roll and the two rerolls. If not rolling from a table and rolling a dice smaller than a d20, you may increase the size of the dice by one step (from a d6 to a d8, a d8 to a d10, and so forth) for the rerolls. This ability may be used even on the result of a reroll.
Renewed Fortune: You immediately regain all spent luck rerolls that you possess or all spent improvisation point that you possess..
Fate’s Protection: If you would be slain by any means, you are instead rendered unconscious and stable at –9 hit points.
Notes and Explanation:Another concept loosely based on mechaics from a few RPGs that I’m familiar with. While this ability is hardly an “I win” button, it should work fairly well to help keep you going or give you a chance when you are desperate.
Manipulate Fortune (Ex): Luck tends to work out in your favor more often than not. Starting at 4th level, whenever you or a creature within 30 feet rerolls a dice, you may impose a +1 bonus or –1 penalty to the reroll. This ability does not stack if multiple rerolls are made. At 8th level and every 4 levels afterwards, the size of this bonus and penalty is increased by 1.
Notes and Explanation:One of the biggest problems with dice rerolls is that the rerolling target has the exact same odds of success, odds that you likely won’t like. As such, this ability helps to manipulate the odds in your favor even further when you use or force a reroll.
Easy Luck (Ex): Starting at 6th level, luck comes as easily to you as talent may come to others. You need not spend actions to utilize your luck feats. You may not use any luck feat to influence a single dice roll more than once.
Notes and Explanation:Taken from the fortune’s friend (and gained at the same level), it seems fairly vital to the proper functioning of a luck-based class.
Effortless Fortune (Ex): Starting at 14th level, Luck seems to flow from you nearly endlessly and success seems to be your constant companion. Whenever you would reroll a dice or force another creature to reroll a dice, two rerolls are made and you select which one is used. If both of these rerolls land on even numbers, any luck reroll(s) you would otherwise spend are not expended.
Notes and Explanation:This ability is a bit of a double-whammy, giving you double the bang for your buck (reroll-wise) while helping you to reserve luck rerolls even better.
Endless Luck (Ex): At 20th level, you are never truly out of luck. You regain one expended luck reroll each round while in an encounter and otherwise regain one such reroll every minute. In addition, you may alter the result of a single dice roll any number of times in a single round through the use of your luck feats. Each additional reroll spent in this way is affected by your effortless fortune class feature separately.
Notes and Explanation:With this capstone, it is now possible to “fish” for a natural 20 when rolling dice and it is rather difficult to completely run out of dice rolls.
Also, the combination of this ability with effortless luck and explosive fortune is quite purposeful, allowing you to potentially gain an absolutely huge dice roll if you are willing to go nova.
Epic Fortune-Blessed
Level
Special
Elusive Target
Bout of Luck
Fate Points
21st
Extra Luck (10), Miraculous Strike +6d6
+6
5
5
22nd
Bonus Luck Feat
+6
6
5
23rd
Aura of Luck VI, Extra Luck (11)
+6
6
5
24th
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/-6
+6
6
6
25th
Extra Luck (12), Miraculous Strike +7d6
+7
6
6
26th
Bonus Luck Feat, Bound For Success (Natural 4s)
+7
7
6
27th
Aura of Luck VII, Extra Luck (13)
+7
7
6
28th
Bonus Luck Feat, Manipulate Fortune +/-7
+7
7
7
29th
Extra Luck (14), Miraculous Strike +8d6
+8
7
7
30th
Bonus Luck Feat
+8
8
7