PDA

View Full Version : The Luminous Knights (3.5, Peach)



eftexar
2012-06-07, 09:27 AM
Luminous Knight (3.5)

Everyone has a sword within their hearts; the purer the heart, the sharper the sword. ~ Gankutsuou


Abilities: Strength and dexterity remain as important as ever in both offense and defense, while constitution aids with durability. Charisma determines the saves of your abilities and intelligence helps boost your skills.

Organization: -

Alignment: A luminous knight may be of any alignment, but will always see himself as being on the side of righteousness.

Religion: -

Background: -

Races: -

Other Classes: Luminous knights would get along well with paladins if they hadn't such a strict code, but usually get along great with good aligned clerics and bards. They tend not to trust rogues and see barbarians as bloodthirsty monsters. Monks and fighters don't really tend to give them any impressions at first, while they admire the power of sorcerer's and wizards.

Role: The luminous knight can function as a melee or ranged character. He has plenty of defenses abilities smattered throughout his levels and his scintillations augment his attacks. Later on he gains fulminations, which basically grant limited spellcasting capability.

Class Features

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: As Fighter

Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points: 2 + Int mod (x 4 at first level)

{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Refx Save | Will Save | Special | Control Fall | Fast Movement | Scintillations | Fulgurations
1st | +1 | +0 | +2 | +2 | Weapon Focus, Beacon of Light, Lionhearted, Clean Strike | - | - | 2 | -
2nd | +2 | +0 | +3 | +3 | Evasive Action, Evasion | - | - | 3 | -
3rd | +3 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Fast Movement | - | +10ft | 3 | -
4th | +4 | +1 | +4 | +4 | Control Fall | 20ft | +10ft | 4 | -
5th | +5 | +1 | +4 | +4 | | 30ft | +10ft | 4 | 1
6th | +6/+1 | +2 | +5 | +5 | Imperious Blade (2d6), Flachete Sequence +1d6 | 30ft | +20ft | 5 | 1
7th | +7/+2 | +2 | +5 | +5 | | 40ft | +20ft | 5 | 2
8th | +8/+3 | +2 | +6 | +6 | Alacrity (Blur) | 40ft | +20ft | 6 | 2
9th | +9/+4| +3 | +6 | +6 | Improved Evasion | 50ft | +30ft | 6 | 2
10th | +10/+5 | +3 | +7 | +7 | | 50ft | +30ft | 7 | 3
11th | +11/+6/+1 | +3 | +7 | +7 | Sudden Step | 50ft | +30ft | 7 | 3
12th | +12/+7/+2 | +4 | +8 | +8 | Imperious Blade (3d6), Flachete Sequence +2d6 | 60ft | +40ft | 8 | 3
13th | +13/+8/+3 | +4 | +8 | +8 | | 60ft | +40ft | 8 | 4
14th | +14/+9/+4 | +4 | +9 | +9 | | 70ft | +40ft | 9 | 4
15th | +15/+10/+5 | +5 | +9 | +9 | Alacrity (Flank) | 70ft | +50ft | 9 | 4
16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +5 | +10 | +10 | Hide in Plain Site | 80ft | +50ft | 10 | 5
17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +5 | +10 | +10 | Imperious Blade (4d6) | 80ft | +50ft | 10 | 5
18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +6 | +11 | +11 | Flachete Sequence +3d6 | 90ft | +60ft | 11 | 5
19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +6 | +11 | +11 | | 90ft | +60ft | 11 | 6
20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +6 | +12 | +12 | Checkmate | 100ft | +60ft | 12 | 6
[/table]

Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: The knight is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as light armor and shields (except tower).

Class Abilities

Weapon Focus
The knight gains the Weapon Focus feat for free. He does not need to meet the BaB prerequisite for this free feat, but must still be proficient with the weapon in question.

Beacon of Light
The knight gains the capability to invoke a small number of divine abilities, called scintillations and fulgurations. He gains new scintillations and fulgurations at each indicated level, as long as he meets the listed requirements.
Scintillations are supernatural abilities activated as part of making an attack with a weapon that the knight has weapon focus with. For most effects you can assume that the attack must hit for the scintillation to hit (unless noted otherwise). Only one scintillation may be activated per round, but it may be activated at anytime (even during an attack of opportunity).
Fulgurations are spell-like abilities that are subject to spell resistence. They are more like spells than scintillations are and provoke attacks of opportunity. They may be interrupted, but are not subject to spell failure, and always take a full round action to activate.
The save DC for any such ability, scintillation or fulguration, is 10 + 1/2 his knight level + his charisma modifier. The effective spell level of any such ability is equal to half his knight level, to a minimum of 1st and a maximum of 9th.

Lionhearted (Ex)
The knight gains his charisma modifier as a bonus to saves and checks made to resist fear effects. Should he succeed on a save against a fear effect his next attack automatically threatens a critical, as long as it is made within a round.
Special: He does not gain this bonus from saving against any fear effect that originated from himself.

Clean Strike (Ex)
The knight may deal non-lethal damage with any weapon he has weapon focus for without penalty. In fact the knight gains a +4 bonus to attack rolls when making attacks with a weapon he has weapon focus for and deals non-lethal damage with.

Lv2 > Evasive Action:
The knight gains the dodge and mobility feats for free, even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites. His dodge feat bonus is +4, instead of just +1.

Lv2 > Evasion (Ex):
Anytime the knight succeeds on a reflex save to reduce the effects of an attack he instead negates them. He loses the benefits of this ability if wears over light armor or carries more than a light load.

Lv3 > Fast Movement (Ex):
The knight gains the listed bonus to his base land speed. He loses the benefits of this ability if wears over light armor or carries more than a light load.

Lv4 > Control Fall (Ex):
The knight treats any fall as being the listed distance shorter, for the purposes of taking ill effects, such as damage, from falling. If he is within arms reach of a wall or similar surface he may double this total.
Furthermore while he is falling the knight may adjust moving to the left and right. He may move up to 10ft left or right per 20ft he falls at no extra action.
He loses the benefits of this ability if wears over light armor or carries more than a light load.

Lv6 > Imperious Blade:
When the knight makes an attack with a weapon for which he has the weapon focus feat for he substitutes the damage die listed (see the table), instead of his normal weapon damage die, if it would be higher.

Lv6, 12, 18 > Flachete Stance (Ex):
If the knight successfully strikes an opponent more than once in a round, his opponent must make a reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 his knight level + his dexterity modifier) or take an additional amount of damage at the end of their next turn equal to that indicated (see table).
This damage is of the same as the attack that instigated it, though if a scintillation dealt a certain type of damage the knight deals that type instead. This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit and, if applicable, bypasses any DR the opponent may have.

Lv8, 15 > Alacrity (Ex):
While moving the knight gains the benefits of the blur spell. Unlike usual this is not magical or illusory in nature and so it isn't negated by effects such as anti-magic or true seeing.
At level 15 this improves and the knight may flank with himself. Effectively he counts the space he was last in as being occupied by an ally.
He loses the benefits of both parts of this ability if wears over light armor or carries more than a light load.

Lv11 > Sudden Step (Ex):
As an immediate action the knight may move up to half his fast movement speed. He must move in a straight line, but doesn't provoke attacks of opportunities and ignores any obstacles. He must still have been able to move through an area, even if he could only normally squeeze through it, to do so.
If the knight uses this ability to avoid an attack or move out of the area of an attack, it still has a 50% chance of hitting him before he can complete this movement.
He loses the benefits of this ability if wears over light armor or carries more than a light load.

Lv16 > Hide in Plain Site (Su):
The knight may hide in the area of a light spell or magical effect with the light descriptor as if it were the deepest shadow. He gains a +4 bonus to make such hide checks.

Lv20 > Checkmate (Ex):
Whenever the knight threatens a critical his target must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 his knight level + his strength modifier) or take an additional 1d6 damage per two knight levels. This extra damage is not multiplied on a critical hit and is of the same type as the strike that initiated it.

Feats
n/a

Design Notes:
So I've had this idea floating around for awhile, but couldn't think of how I wanted to handle a light themed class. Speed seemed to be the best option. Actually this is a combination of two classes I had started working on, a light knight and a speedster. Anyways I'm hoping for tier 3 again. I'm wondering if a BaB of 20 would be fine since his abilities are so limited.

eftexar
2012-06-07, 09:28 AM
Beacon of Light Abilities

Scintillations
Solar Flare [Light]
Your target must make a reflex save or be blinded for 1d4 rounds. A target who succeeds is still dazzled for the duration.
Targets who are already unable to see are immune to this scintillation.

Hammer of Odin [Electricity]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 2 or higher
You deal +1d6 electricity damage. This extra damage is not multiplied on a succesful critical hit.
Furthermore you gain a +4 bonus to your attack roll if your opponent is wearing metal armor or carrying a metal shield.

Brilliant Energy [Light]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 6 or higher
Your attack is made as a touch attack that ignores concealment from darkness, but you don't deal your weapons damage die as part of the damage you deal. Instead you deal all of the modifiers and addons you would have, as if you had.

Dispelling Strike
Requires Luminous Knight level of 12 or higher
You may make a targeted dispel check, as if with the dispel magic spell, against all ongoing effects your target possesses. Only once check is made and your check is not limited by a cap.

Smite Evil [Good]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 8 or higher
If your target is evil aligned your weapon damage is maximized.

Burning Strike [Fire]
Your attack deals 1d4 points of fire damage and your target must make a reflex save or be dazzled for 1 round and also catch on fire. Any further saves use the indicated DC instead.
This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Staggering Blow
The next attack made against your opponent, by anyone by the end of the foe's next turn, gains a +4 to its attack roll and deals an additional +1d6 damage.
This extra damage is of the same type as the attack made and is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Meteor Hammer [Fire]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 8 or higher
Your attack deals 4d6 fire damage and your opponent must make a fortitude save or be dazed for 1 round. If your opponent succeeds on their save you take 2d6 points of fire damage.

Sonic Boom [Sonic]
If your attack misses, as an exception for scintillations requiring the attack to hit to take effect, your opponent takes 2d6 sonic damage. If it hits you instead deal 1d6 points of sonic damage.
This damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Meteor Shower
You may make an additional attack roll at your highest base attack bonus. If successful you deal your weapon's damage die as damage again.
The extra damage from this attack may never be multiplied on a critical hit and does not get any modifiers or bonuses you possess added to it.

Shining Blade [Light]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 2 or higher
Your attack deals an additional 2d6 damage, but only if your target is either undead or is weak to light. Though this is caused from positive energy it may never be used to heal wounds.
This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Ambush
You deal +1d6 extra damage if your target is flatfooted, if your target is unaware of your presence, or if you are flanking that target.
This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Fahrenheit [Fire]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 4 or higher
Your target is caught on fire. The save to put out this fire is as indicated for your scintillations instead.
Furthermore, each round your target remains on fire from this effect, they must make a fortitude save or any metal equipment they are wearing or wielding begins to melt taking 2d4 points of damage (bypassing hardness).

Lightspeed [Light]
Your attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity, but if it misses you become flatfooted until you next move at least 10ft.

Disperse the Darkness [Light]
In addition to your attack you attempt to dispel any magical darkness you or your opponent is within the area of. Make a knight level check versus a DC of 10 + the caster's caster level.

Intensify Gravity
Requires Luminous Knight level of 4 or higher
Your target must make a fortitude save or take penalties as if they were carrying a heavy load for the next 2d4 rounds. Targets who actually are carrying a heavy load take 2d6 points of untyped damage each round of this effect.

Reverse Gravitation
Requires Luminous Knight level of 6 or higher
Your target must succeed on a fortitude save or gravity slowly ceases to affect them over the next 10 rounds. They begin to float upward at a rate of 10ft per round.
Such targets may grab onto an anchored object nearby, with a successful reflex save for any such object (once each), but otherwise continue to drift upward.

Falling Star
Requires Luminous Knight level of 2 or higher
If you fell at least 30ft on the round before making this attack, and didn't move, you may deal 2d6 + 1/2 your luminous knight level sonic damage in a 5ft burst from your position (including your position, which may include yourself) and +1d6 damage to your primary target.
This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Shockwave [Force]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 6 or higher
You needn't actually target an opponent with your weapon to use this scintillation, nor do you need a successful strike, though you may if you wish.
Your release a wave of energy that deals your imperious weapon die in force damage in a 15ft line. If you struck a target with your weapon you do not deal this damage to them and this range picks up behind them.
This damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Magnetize [Electricity]
Your target is magnetized. Metal objects that aren't anchored and are no larger than medium size, within 10ft, fly towards your target, dealing damage as appropriate for an improvised weapon strike (though with no bonuses or modifiers).
After dealing a number of die of damage this way equal to your knight level, though this doesn't cut the die short if an object deals multiple die of damage, or after 10 rounds this effect ends. Metal objects that are within anyone's possession are not affected by this ability.

Luna [Light]
You ignore your targets DR entirely with your attack. Furthermore you deal lethal damage against creatures with regeneration, even possibly killing them, even if your attack doesn't normally bypass their regeneration.

Astra
Requires Luminous Knight level of 6 or higher
As part of you attack make an additional attack roll, at your highest attack roll, for each damage die for imperious blade you possess. Each attack you miss imposes a cumulative -1 penalty to your AC for 1 round.
In addition to your normal attack you may make an additional strike for each successful attack roll. These extra attacks, however, do not deal normal damage, nor do they gain your normal modifiers, instead dealing your dexterity modifier worth of damage, not to exceed your knight level, each.
This extra damage is never multiplied on a critical hit.

Deliver Isotope
Requires Luminous Knight level of 8 or higher
1 point of damage from your attack is not able to be healed by magic or by extraordinary means. All damage dealt in this manner is recovered after a single nights rest, in addition to rests normal benefits.

Fulgurations
Photon [Light]
Select a single location within 60ft of you. A bright orb of light explodes from nothingness dealing 2d6 points untyped damage per fulguration known in a 5ft radius, blinding anyone within. This damage is doubled against both undead and creatures that are weak to light. Targets are allowed a reflex save to half damage and prevent themselves from being blinded.

Turn Undead
Requires Luminous Knight level of 7 or higher
You duplicate the effects of turn undead as a good cleric of 4 levels lower than yourself.

Corona [Light]
You body glows giving off light as a torch for the next 2d4 minutes. You may discharge a blast of light, at anytime during this duration (provoking no AoOs), blinding a target within 15ft for 1 round, negated by a reflex save, but doing so reduces the duration by one minute.

Angel Feathers [Light]
You grow large immaterial wings that flicker and glow many colors, giving off light as a candle. You are granted a fly speed equal to your fast movement speed with good maneuverability. This effect lasts indefinitely or until you dismiss it (which is a partial action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity).
When you dismiss this effect you may materialize these wings and fire shards in a 15ft cone. Each targets takes damage equal to that listed for imperious blade.

Blackout [Darkness]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 13 or higher
Make a knigh level check vs a DC of 10 + the caster's caster level of all light effects that you are within the area of. If you dispel at least one light effect you may select a single target within its area. That target must make a will save or be afflicted as if within antimagic for the next 1d4 + 1 rounds.

Shooting Star [Fire]
You fire a bolt of rock and fire, as a 60ft ranged touch attack, that deals 2d6 damage per fulguration known, for half of which is bludgeoning and the other is fire. The target is also caught on fire, using the indicated save for further attempts to put it out. Targets are allowed a reflex save to avoid the bludgeoning damage and from being caught on fire.

Meteor [Fire]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 16 or higher
The sky must be visible to use this fulguration. A large rock comes streaking down from the sky and slams into the ground within 100ft. It deals 3d6 damage per fulguration known, half bludgeoning and half fire, in a 5ft area. Targets are allowed a fortitude save to half this.
It deals an additional 1d6 points of fire damage to everyone 5ft out from that. Targets are allowed a reflex save to negate this.
This fulguration ignores the hardness of any objects in its path.
This fulguration may not be used again for 2d4 rounds and the knight takes 2d6 points of untyped damage upon activating it.

Comet [Cold]
You fire a single bolt of rock and ice, as a 60ft ranged touch attack, that deals 2d6 damage per fulguration known, for half of which is bludgeoning and the other is cold., and are entangled for 2d4 rounds. Targets are allowed a reflex save to avoid the bludgeoning damage and being entangled. Entangled targets who are dealt fire damage equal to twice your knight level are freed from this early.

Oort Cloud [Earth]
A number of small rocks, equal to your known fulgurations, begins to spin around you forming a protective barrier. You gain a +1 deflection bonus for each such orbiting rock.
You may fire any number of these rocks as a swift action, provoking no AoOs, at any number of targets within 30ft. Each rock deals 2d4 + 1 points of bludgeoning damage.

Gravity Well
Requires Luminous Knight level of 7 or higher
You form an intense area of gravity in a 15ft radius around you for the next 2d4 rounds. Anyone, other than yourself, within this area takes penalties as if they were carrying a heavy load. Targets who actually were carrying a heavy load take 1d6 damage per fulgeration each round they remain within this area.

Twinkle
Your location for the next 1d4 + 1 rounds is difficult to discern. Opponents must succeed on a spot check, a free action once per round, at a DC of 10 + your knight level to see through this effect.
Those that do not succeed on this check must roll, as if missing with a splash weapon, each round to see where they instead see you.
This fulguration may not be used again for its duration, plus 2d4 rounds afterward.

Nova [Fire]
You release a blast of flame in a 5ft to 15ft area that deals 2d6 points of fire damage per fulguration. A reflex save halves this damage.
A target who fails their reflex save must also make a fortitude save or be thrown 10ft out of the explosions range. They take 1d6 points of damage for collision (usually bludgeoning, such as a wall or person, but could be piercing from a spike, and etc).

Reign of Fire [Fire]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 13 or higher
Select an area within 100ft of you. In a 30ft area everyone and everything takes 1d6 points of fire damage per fulguration known, though a reflex save may be made to half. Regardless everyone and every unattended flammable surface or object is lit on fire. The save to put this out is as indicated for fulgurations.

Judgement [Light]
Requires Luminous Knight level of 19 or higher
Select a single target within 15ft. That target must make a fortitude save or die. Targets immune to death effects take 1d6 damage per knight level and are dazed for 2d4 rounds instead.
This fulguration may not be used again for 2d4 minutes.

Cosmic Ray
Requires Luminous Knight level of 13 or higher
As a 60ft ranged touch attack deal 2d4 points of damage to all your targets physical ability scores. Your target is allowed a fortitude save to negate. This effect dissipates at a rate of 1 point from all scores every round.
This fulguration may not be used again for 2d4 rounds.

Accelerate
You gain an extra move action on each round for the next 2d4 rounds. You also gain a +4 to reflex saves for the duration.

eftexar
2012-06-07, 09:18 PM
Lowered skill points to 2 per level but I rose the BaB to 20. Comments?

Welknair
2012-06-08, 02:13 PM
A proper flavor blurb at the beginning would be nice for PEACHers to know the kind of feel you're going for.

You need to note whether each ability is Spell-Like, Supernatural, or Extraordinary.

Beacon of Light: Given that you can only use Scintillations with weapons that you have Weapon Focus with, and you gain Scintillations at 1st level, Weapon Focus is effectively a feat-tax for the class, which is generally frowned upon. I'd suggest giving them Weapon Focus as a bonus feat at first level, or saying that they just select one weapopn that they can use their Scintillations with.

Lionhearted: Watch out for potential cheese with allied Wizard spamming Cause Fear on the Knight.

Clean Strike: The Knight will ALWAYS use this ability, then Coup de Grace their opponent once they're Helpless. Perhaps don't maximize the damage die?

Evasive Action: Seem decent enough. Such as high bonus to AC at only level 2 bothers me a bit, but they're offset with the conditional restrictions.

Control Fall: A pretty minor ability.

Imperious Blade: Interesting.. Do note that this will allow Knights to go around doing massive damage with daggers. It seems balanced enough, but I'm not sure if that's what you were going for.

Flachete Sequence: Huh, like Rend. It'll only ever come up on a full-attack, though.

Alacrity: 20% miss chance. At will. "While Moving"... I think you need to define this a bit more. Currently a player would have a strong argument for gaining this bonus even if all they did their turn was take a Shift action along with their full-attack. I'd be very wary of this one. Miss chance is one of the more powerful defensive abilities. At the very least set a minimum distance they need to move.

Sudden Step: This seems like it may be a bit powerful.. Once a round any attack targeted against them has a 50% chance to miss. You may want to limit this a bit.

Hide in Plain Sight: You're hiding in the light? That's actually pretty cool, and sounds very dramatic. It'd be similarly cool if you could still make that check when you have something like a bonfire or a setting sun behind you.

Checkmate: The way you have it worded, the damage is dealt whether or not the critical succeeds. Checkmate+Lionheart cheese could be a possibility. Nothing too concerning, though.

Beacon of Light specific abilities: I'll take a closer look through these later.

eftexar
2012-06-09, 12:15 AM
Alright welknair, the notes on what the different abilities are now existent and weapon focus has been given for free.

Hmm, not too sure I'm worried about checkmate cheese (it is a capstone), but as far as an ally wizard spamming fear; that might be a problem. I guess I could say it doesn't count, but that feels a little tacked on.

As far as clean strike though I want some sort of boon beyond just no penalties. Maybe a bonus to attack rolls as damage is already dished out in plenty. I think that's what I will do for now.

I'm fine with imperious blade upping dagger and weaker weapon damage though. The intent was for the luminous knight to be able to specialize in any weapon and still get the same damage boost.

How would you clarify alacrity? I'm not seeing the problem anyways. It works like one of the shadowcaster's feats anyways. It only applies to attacks made against them 'while they are moving' not to attacks made while they make an attack after they move.

I don't think sudden step needs limited. There are spells that can do that at lower levels and by the time the luminous knight gets this they can be thrown around like candy.

eftexar
2012-06-11, 08:13 PM
No more thoughts? Anyone?

eftexar
2012-06-12, 10:46 PM
Thoughts, please? no...