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DiscoBear
2011-04-13, 09:53 AM
Hey, all! I'm new to the forums, but I'd like to share a homebrew class I designed. I designed the class to be a high tier 4/low tier 3 as a way to counter magic users the party encounters. The class is flavored as an unarmed melee fighter (much like the monk) with a wild shaping aspect. Orphics view chaos as the progenitor of all things and revere it, viewing aberrations as the ultimate symbol of its power in the material plane.

ORPHIC
Hit Die: d8
Skills: 4+Int
Skill List:
Climb, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Intimidate, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Dungeoneering), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Spellcraft, Swim, Tumble
Weapon Proficiency: Orphics are proficient with all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice.
Armor Proficiency: Orphics are proficient with light and medium armor and shields.
Alignment: Because Orphics revere chaos, they can never be lawful and lose all of their supernatural and spell-like abilities if they ever become so. Though the majority of class members are chaotic neutral, many are chaotic evil. Few are good.
Abilities: Orphics rely on their dexterity for their claw attacks and their charisma to power their spell-like abilities.
Orphics in the World: Because of their high charisma, an Orphic can rarely maintain a low profile. They are often unkempt, with long, shaggy hair and torn clothes. Cities with large magic-using populations fear them outright and many wizards will not tolerate their presence at all.
Orphics and Other Classes: Orphics are most comfortable with Barbarians and Rogues, especially chaotic members of these classes. The chaotic flurry of a Barbarian's rage and the Rogue's willingness to exploit his target's defenses are commendable in the eyes of the Orphic. Sorcerers and Bards share much of the Orphic's chaotic outlook, but their use of the arcane arts seem to them deplorable. They will however tolerate one another if their cooperation leads to mutually beneficial ends. Paladins, Monks, Knights and Wizards are often the target of Orphics' ridicule and find his presence in the party unnerving at best and intolerable at worst.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Base Saves|Special Ability
1|+0|+2/+2/+2|Detect Magic, Darkvision 30ft., Claws (1d6), Dungeon Sense
2|+1|+3/+3/+3|Aberrant Transformation (1/day), Aberrant Form (Choker), Improved Grapple
3|+2|+3/+3/+3|Mettle, Chaotic Touch
4|+3|+4/+4+4|Fast Grapple
5|+3|+4/+4/+4|Aberrant Trans (2/day), Aberrant Form (Ettercap)
6|+4|+5/+5/+5|Claws (1d8, Magic), Spell Sense
7|+5|+5/+5/+5| Amorphic Swiftness
8|+6/+1|+6/+6/+6|Aberrant Trans (3/day), Aberrant Form (Umberhulk, Cloaker)
9|+6/+1|+6/+6/+6|Chaotic Presence, Claws of Chaos
10|+7/+2|+7/+7/+7|Amorphous Form, Dispel, Reactive Displacement
11|+8/+3|+7/+7/+7|Aberrant Trans (4/day), Aberrant Form (Chuul), Claws (1d10, Chaotic)
12|+9/+4|+8/+8/+8|Improved Transformation
13|+9/+4|+8/+8/+8|Mindblow
14|+10/+5|+9/+9/+9|Aberrant Trans (5/day), Aberrant Form (Beholder, Mindflayer)
15|+11/+6/+1|+9/+9/+9|Greater Dispel
16|+12/+7/+2|+10/+10/+10|Claws (1d12, Adamantine)
17|+12/+7/+2|+10/+10/+10|Aberrant Mind, Exquisite Transformation
18|+13/+8/+3|+11/+11/+11|Aberrant Eyes
19|+14/+9/+4|+11/+11/+11|Aberrant Trans (6/day), Aberrant Form (Will-O-Wisp)
20|+15/+10/+5|+12/+12/+12|One With Chaos[/table]

Special Ability Descriptions:
Detect Magic (Sp): Beginning at Level 1, an Orphic may activate Detect Magic as a spell-like ability at will.
Claws: Orphics are easily distinguished by their long, unkempt fingernails. They may use them as a natural slashing attack dealing 1d6 damage. The damage dealt with their claws increases to 1d8 at level 6, 1d10 at level 11 and 1d12 at level 16. In addition, their claws become magic, chaotic and adamantine at these levels respectively for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction.
Dungeon Sense: Because of their natural respect for aberrations, Orphics gain +2 to their Know (Dungeonerring) skill. They may also use their Know (Dungeoneering) skill to search for traps and hidden doors as long as they are in a dungeon.
Improved Grapple: As the feat.
Aberrant Transformation (Su): Beginning at level 2, Orphics can assume certain qualities of specific aberrations as a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. An Orphic remains in this form for one hour per class level or until it is dismissed as a swift action or another form is chosen. At various levels, new options for their transformations become available. The save DC for an Orphic's spell-like, supernatural and extrodinary abilities in his aberrant form are equal to 10+(1/2 Orphic class levels rounded down)+Cha mod.
Choker: The Orphics hands become long, sinewy tentacles. When in this form, the Orphic's reach extends by 5ft, though he may still attack creatures occupying a neighboring square. Much like a Choker, the Orphic grapples its enemies around the neck, preventing their use of spells or spell-like abilities with verbal components.

Ettercap: The Orphic grows large spider-like mandibles in the space its mouth formerly occupied. The Orphic gains a bite attack that does 1d6 damage and poisons the enemy.
Poison (Ex): 1d4 Con dmg initial, 2d4 secondary, usable once every 1d4 rounds.
Web (Sp): Functions as the Ettercap's ability.

Umber Hulk: The Orphic grows to the size of an Umber Hulk (large) and grows two insect-like eyes. While in this form, the Orphic's armor is absorbed into his body and his armor bonus becomes a natural armor bonus. In the form of an Umber Hulk, the Orphic takes no penalty from his armor.
Confusing Gaze (Sp): Functions as the spell Confusion.

Cloaker: The Orphic grows two large, fleshy expanses that serve as wings. The Orphic gains fly speed 30 ft with good maneuverability.
Moan (Ex): Just as a Cloaker can emit a dangerous subsonic moan as a standard action, so may an Orphic in its form. By changing the frequency, the Orphic can cause one of four effects. Cloakers are immune to these sonic, mind-affecting attacks. Unless otherwise specified, a creature that successfully saves against one of these effects cannot be affected by the same moan effect from the same Orphic for 24 hours.
Unnerve
Anyone within a 60-foot spread automatically takes a -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Those forced to hear the moan for more than 6 consecutive rounds must succeed on a Will save or enter a trance, unable to attack or defend themselves until the moaning stops.
Fear
Anyone within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2 rounds.
Nausea
Anyone in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a Fortitude save or be overcome by nausea and weakness.
Affected characters fall prone and become nauseated for 1d4+1 rounds.
Stupor
A single creature within 30 feet of the cloaker must succeed on a Fortitude save or be affected as though by a hold monster spell for 5 rounds. Even after a successful save, the creature must repeat the save if the cloaker uses this effect again.

Chuul: The Orphic grows small legs about his stomach and becomes covered in mucus. In this form, the Orphic gains swim speed equal to his base land speed and can make swim checks even when threatened.

Beholder: The Orphic eyes merge into a large, horrid one and stalks of eyes appear around his head.
Antimagic Gaze (Sp): Functions as an Antimagic Field radiating in a 30-ft cone from the Orphic eye.
Eye Stalks: Functions as the Beholder's ability of the same name.

Mindflayer: The Orphic grows four tentacles from its mouth. Much like the Illithid, the Orphic can attack opponents with them and attempt to suck out their brains.
Extract (Ex): Functions as the Mindflayer ability of the same name.

Will-O-Wisp: The Orphic appears to be made of a series of glowing lights.
Spell Immunity (Ex): The Orphic becomes immune to all spells that allow SR.
Natural Invisibility (Ex): While in this form, the Orphic has the benefit of the Greater Invisibility spell. He may dismiss or reactivate this ability as a free action.
Mettle: Functions as the Hexblade ability of the same name.
Chaotic Touch: Beginning at level 3, the Orphic (in their own words) may revert objects to their primal form. The ability functions once per day per class level and functions as the spell Shatter, DC 12+Cha.
Fast Grapple (Ex): Because Orphics often rely on their speed more than their strength, they may add their dex mod to their grapple checks.
Improved Natural Attack: As the Monster Manual feat.
Spell Sense (Sp): By studying their opponent, Orphics may learn what spells she has prepared. As a standard action Orphics may learn one of the highest level spells his opponents have prepared or one of the spells from their highest spell slot.
Amorphic Swiftness (Su): Chaos flowing freely through him, the Orphic may move his body in unnatural ways. As long as he is wearing medium or lighter armor, the AC penalties of wearing armor no longer apply to him.
Chaotic Presence (Ex): As long as the Orphic is not wielding a weapon, enemies threatened by him using spells or spell-like abilities always provoke attacks of opportunity from him, regardless of a successful concentration check or use of the Combat Casting feat.
Claws of Chaos (Ex): With their natural presence and grotesque form, enemies are often disgusted by the Orphic. Beginning at 9th level, the Orphic adds his charisma modifier to any attack against a creature with an intelligence above one and which are able to see him. This ability does not work against undead or aberrations as neither are off-put by disgusting appearances.
Amorphous Form (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, the Orphic allows chaos to flow through the whole of his body and can alter its shape at will. He is now immune to sneak attacks, critical hits and polymorph effects. This ability can be dismissed or reactivated as a swift action.
Dispel (Sp): As the Orphic continues cultivating his mistrust of magic users, he learns to negate their effect. 3 + Cha mod times a day, he may use Dispel as a spell-like ability as a wizard of his Orphic level and may ready an action to use it as a counterspell.
Reactive Displacement (Sp): Dispersing his form into pure chaos, the Orphic can move freely around the battlefield. By sacrificing one of his Dispel attempts, the Orphic can, as a move action, disappear from the square he occupied and reappear in one adjoining an enemy that used a spell or spell-like ability that round.
Improved Transformation: By expending two uses of his Aberrant Transformation ability, the Orphic may take the form of two of his known forms. Doing so takes a large strain on the Orphic's mind and body, thus the duration of the effect lasts only one minute per class level.
Mindblow (Su): Once per day per charisma mod, an Orphic may attack an enemy with spells with such ferocity that he or she loses one of his highest-level spells prepared or highest level spell slot if the attack is successful. The Orphic's use of a Mindblow is not expended if the attack misses.
Swift Transformation: Aberrant Transformation may now be used as a swift action.
Greater Dispel (Sp): The Orphic may use Greater Dispel as a spell-like ability rather than Dispel.
Aberrant Mind (Ex): Because the Orphic's mind has become so chaotic, enemy spellcasters find it difficult to penetrate its inner workings. The Orphic is now under the effects of a permanent Mind Blank spell.
Exquisite Transformation: The Orphic may now apply the benefits of three of his Aberrant Forms when expending two Aberrant Transformations. The effects of the transformation last for one minute per Orphic level.
Aberrant Eyes: Now attuned to the deceptive powers of magic, the Orphic can see past the wiles of spellcasters. The effects of the True Sight spell are now always active.
One With Chaos: After learning the true nature of chaos, the Orphic gains the Anarchic template whenever he is in an Aberrant Form.

jiriku
2011-04-13, 02:52 PM
Needs MOAR TABLE! Quote my post to see the code used below, and extend it to your desired numbers of columns and rows.

{table=head]Header1|Header2
R1C1|R1C2
R2C1|R2C2[/table]

Also, I spy a conspicuous lack of mobility-enhancing powers. Unless you get the drop on a caster, you may have difficulty getting into melee range and staying there. They tend to fly and teleport a lot, and to throw walls and such into your path.

Additionally, you have a mindflayer form in your spoiler, but it's not granted at any level on the chart.

DiscoBear
2011-04-13, 04:14 PM
Alright, that table looks beautiful. Seriously needed more table. I added a Cloaker form so that the Orphic could fly when needed and an ability that allows him to move around the battlefield to enemy casters as long as they cast a spell that round.

byaku rai
2011-04-13, 04:31 PM
Problems:

1. Lack of mobility. This character will be blasted into oblivion long before they reach the mage.

2. Claw damage is even more pathetic than the Monk's, and no clause I can see about "using it as a secondary natural attack" or some such, which makes it useless-ish. Not to mention the lack of DR-piercing powers.

3. With the cleric's BAB, grappling in any form is problematic at best. Yes, you should be able to grapple spellcasters. If they don't do what is suggested in #1 to you first. If you really want grappling to be a major tactic in any form, grant a grapple-enhancing bonus feat or something.

4. Why is Mind Flayer above Beholder? Beholders, especially with their eye beams, are quite a bit more dangerous. You also conspicuously lack the Mind Thrust ability for the Mind Flayer, making it much too weak for a high-level ability.

5. Chuul above Umber Hulk? Umber Hulk is more powerful, and confusion at will is a hell of a lot better than the ability to swim. Although on that note, why not grant more of the original creatures' abilities? Or just allow the character to go ahead and shapechange into the specific aberrations? You've really nerfed something which needs to be much more powerful if it's going to contend with high-level casters of any variety. And restack the creatures in CR order. The current order isn't accurate.

6. Chaotic Touch: just make it At Will. It's useless at higher levels anyway, so they might as well abuse it at low levels. Also, is it a Touch spell, or does it function just like the original spell in that regard? Request clarification.

7. Fast Grapple: this seems a bit... well... tacked on. Especially since you didn't make an Abilities section describing how to allocate scores.

8. Spell Sense: As written, it's too cumbersome to use unless the Orphic is doing nothing but this for a good while (stalking the target, etc.). I would suggest changing it to a Full-Round action to know either all the enemy's spells or all the spells of their highest three or so levels.

9. Claws of Chaos: pretty wimpy for a Level 9 ability. Scale it, move it down a bit, or improve it. Also, INT of 1? I think I see the reasoning behind that, but keep in mind the cutoff for sentience is 3.

10. Amorphous Form: while being immune to polymorph and sneak attack are all well and good, why not improve this into giving the [shapechanger] subtype, or immune to crits, or a Can't Be Flanked ability? Another thought is alter self at will. Or just go All of the Above, or make it so that they can choose any three at a given time. (including the ones provided by you)

11. Greater Dispel: At will? x/day? Also, you mention normal Dispel, but it's never listed or mentioned earlier in the class progression. I'd personally advocate at will, but I tend to be a spammer-type when it comes to stuff like that.

12. One With Chaos: um... IIRC, isn't Axiomatic the Lawful one?

13. Spell Resistance and Anti-Magic Fields, two things generally considered necessary for anti-mage warfare, are conspicuously absent from the class progression. I note you have Mettle, which is good, and the Monk's excellent saves, but Evasion and(?) Improved Evasion would also be good against blasty types. The poor guy's gonna need the help hunting the most powerful non-divine or epic things in the D&D universe.

All in all, a good effort in a difficult subject. "Say you have a cat evolved to be perfect at hunting elephants. It has sharper claws to pierce the elephant's hide, etc. so it has everything it needs to hunt elephants. No matter what, at the end of the day, it's still going to suck at hunting elephants." That's the problem here. You really can't overdo a class designed to counter mages, because mages are already ridiculously overdone. Pull out all the stops and say, "Screw you, magic users!" and you might just have a class which could compete.

Sorry if this post seems a bit harsh, I'm running on about half an hour of sleep over the past four days. My tolerance for humanity is approaching zero.

jiriku
2011-04-13, 06:00 PM
To augment what BR is saying, I'd say that you do have plenty of room to add more functionality to this class (especially by including new abilities in the dead levels). I really like the aberration-themed style of it.

I'd especially urge you to add a few "stupidly overpowered" abilities to levels 17-20, as those are the levels at which you're competing with time stop, gate, maw of chaos, prismatic sphere, wail of the banshee, etc., etc., etc..

Also, I'd suggest a d8 hit die, rather than d6. Aberrations get a d8 hit die after all, and the class is fairly melee-focused, which means it's going to take a lot of hits.

DiscoBear
2011-04-13, 07:45 PM
Thanks for the replies! I aimed to make the class a balanced tier 3, so it could hold its own with a Crusader in the party but not outshine the Ranger when faced with melee-only opponents. Here are some of the fixes I've added to the original post:


Problems:

1. Lack of mobility. This character will be blasted into oblivion long before they reach the mage.

I added Reactive Displacement at lvl 10, allowing you to burn a dispel attempt and a move action to teleport yourself next to any creature that used a spell or spell-like ability that round. While you get it 5 levels later than wizards start casting Dimension Door, it's a good, versatile ability. May have to up the number of dispel attempts though, or give it its own uses/day.


2. Claw damage is even more pathetic than the Monk's, and no clause I can see about "using it as a secondary natural attack" or some such, which makes it useless-ish. Not to mention the lack of DR-piercing powers.

I'm comfortable with the damage progression, but I will add DR-piercing.


3. With the cleric's BAB, grappling in any form is problematic at best. Yes, you should be able to grapple spellcasters. If they don't do what is suggested in #1 to you first. If you really want grappling to be a major tactic in any form, grant a grapple-enhancing bonus feat or something.

True, but the dex-to-grapple bonus will help.



5. Chuul above Umber Hulk? Umber Hulk is more powerful, and confusion at will is a hell of a lot better than the ability to swim. Although on that note, why not grant more of the original creatures' abilities? Or just allow the character to go ahead and shapechange into the specific aberrations? You've really nerfed something which needs to be much more powerful if it's going to contend with high-level casters of any variety. And restack the creatures in CR order. The current order isn't accurate.

The Chuul is just for flavor, really, in case a dungeon has an underwater component. I mostly nerfed some abilities (the Choker's Quickness and the Will-O-Wisp's spell immunity come to mind) to keep the monster progression hit die rather than ECL appropriate.



10. Amorphous Form: while being immune to polymorph and sneak attack are all well and good, why not improve this into giving the [shapechanger] subtype, or immune to crits, or a Can't Be Flanked ability? Another thought is alter self at will. Or just go All of the Above, or make it so that they can choose any three at a given time. (including the ones provided by you)

Noted.



11. Greater Dispel: At will? x/day? Also, you mention normal Dispel, but it's never listed or mentioned earlier in the class progression. I'd personally advocate at will, but I tend to be a spammer-type when it comes to stuff like that.


I should have clarified, you can use GD in place of your regular Dispel attempts. As for the uses/day, 3+Cha might be too little, but at-will seems to me to be too much.



12. One With Chaos: um... IIRC, isn't Axiomatic the Lawful one?

Derp. Yeah. Brain fart.


13. Spell Resistance and Anti-Magic Fields, two things generally considered necessary for anti-mage warfare, are conspicuously absent from the class progression. I note you have Mettle, which is good, and the Monk's excellent saves, but Evasion and(?) Improved Evasion would also be good against blasty types. The poor guy's gonna need the help hunting the most powerful non-divine or epic things in the D&D universe.

Spell immunity at lvl 19 and an always-on 30ft antimagic cone at lvl 14?


Sorry if this post seems a bit harsh, I'm running on about half an hour of sleep over the past four days. My tolerance for humanity is approaching zero.

No worries! Perhaps if the designers had had more feedback like this, 3.5 would be less broken.


I'd especially urge you to add a few "stupidly overpowered" abilities to levels 17-20, as those are the levels at which you're competing with time stop, gate, maw of chaos, prismatic sphere, wail of the banshee, etc., etc., etc..

I'm going to add True Sight.

byaku rai
2011-04-13, 08:11 PM
That stuff should help. True Sight probably won't do all that much to the whole "Time Stop, Gate, Maw of Chaos, End the world on a whim" stuff in the long run, though.

As for the Dispel stuff, I still don't see where Dispelling is on there...

As for the spell stuff granted by aberrant form, you only get six of those per day. I don't know about the people you play with, but I'm the sort of person who wouldn't use such a scarce resource hardly at all (weird psychological thing, probably a sign of being a hoarder). So the AMC and Spell Immunity would hardly get used at all.

... BTW, how does attacking work in the wisp form? O_o

Edit: Oh, and AMC is going to make any spellcaster in your party very unhappy.

Solaris
2011-04-13, 11:56 PM
How about an immunity to time stop?

Goonthegoof
2011-04-14, 12:09 AM
I'd do something like have the claw attacks apply your choice of dismissal/dimensional anchor.