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Phosphate
2012-08-10, 12:09 PM
The Resonant
http://waranvil.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/deathknight.jpg

"The state of the world is yours to decide, the music of the spheres bows to your bidding, and the common note that keeps us all together depends on naught but your perspective." - Reardus, resonant


Resonants are adventurers that specialize in the control of waves and vibration to great effects. The source of this power of theirs is unknown, and it's particularly jarring in that's apparently nonmagical in nature (all resonant class features are extraordinary). Their proficiency with their powers makes them into great support characters for groups, hindering opponents while protecting allies from harm.

Alignment: any

Starting age: simple
Starting gold: as fighter

Hit Die: d12

Class Skills

The resonant’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), , Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) ×4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Tuning, Sound Pillow, Rythmic Combat

2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Dampen (1d6/4)

3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Dome Trait

4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Boost, Extended Reach

5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Dampen (2d6/8)

6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Unsync

7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Dome Trait

8th|+6/+1|+6|+2|+6|Boost, Dampen (3d6/12)

9th|+6/+1|+6|+3|+6|Wave Porting

10th|+7/+2|+7|+3|+7|Damage Feed

11th|+8/+3|+7|+3|+7|Dome Trait, Dampen (4d6/16)

12th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Boost, Sync

13th|+9/+4|+8|+4|+8|Shift Epicenter, Greater Dampen

14th|+10/+5|+9|+4|+9|Dampen (5d6/20)

15th|+11/+6/+1|+9|+5|+9|Dome Trait

16th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Boost

17th|+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Dampen (6d6/24)

18th|+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Vibe of Despair

19th|+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Dome Trait

20th|+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Boost, Dampen (7d6/28), Unmake

[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A resonant is proficient with simple weapons, all types of armor, and all shields.


Tuning (Ex): The main feature of a resonant is his unique Tune. All resonants exhibit an unique Tune around them in an area regarded as a Dome. This Dome cannot be suppressed or shaped, and it is always an emanation centered on the resonant that moves with the resonant and has a radius of Charisma score (not mod) * 10 feet. With respect to his own Dome, a resonant is regarded as the Epicenter.

All creatures, aside from himself, are either attuned or unattuned to a given resonant. If a creature is attuned to a resonant, it is by default unattuned to all other resonants. A resonant is neither attuned nor unattuned to himself, and is thus unaffected by the traits of his own dome, cannot give boosts to himself, and does not take reduced damage from a dampened foe.

However, resonants can be attuned or unattuned as normal to each other.

The default state is unattuned. A character becomes attuned either if the resonant Syncs them (check the class feature below), the resonant touches them as a move action that triggers attacks of opportunity, or they make a ranged or melee armed attack against the resonant within the dome, beating his AC and dealing lethal damage. They stay attuned until they become attuned to a different resonant, they spend 2 consecutive full rounds outside of the dome, or the resonant dies or Unsyncs them (check the class feature below).

Sound Pillow (Ex): A resonant has DR X/special, where X is equal to his class level and the condition to overcome it is that you must be attuned to him to ignore the damage reduction.

Rythmic Combat (Ex): A resonant's body is a well balanced rythmic battle machine. Whenever he makes a successful melee attack, he gains a stacking +1 bonus to attack and damage. This bonus caps at class level - BaB (for instance, at level 1 the bonus is capped at +1, while at level 20 it is capped at +5). He loses this stacking bonus by missing once.

Dampen (Ex): A level 2 and higher resonant learns to instill harmful vibrations in his foes when he is striking them. Once per round, when he is making a melee armed attack against an unattuned foe, he may choose to have it be a dampening strike. This adds 1d6 sonic damage to the attack and for 1 round the target will deal 4 less damage with his next weapon attack. This is not treated as precision damage, and thus works on opponents immune to critical hits. The damage dealt and damage reduction of this feature increase by 1 dice, and 4 points, respectively each for every 3 class levels of the resonant. The damage cannot be reduced below 0.

Dome Trait (Ex): At level 3 and every 4 levels thereafter, a resonant may enhance his dome with a special trait. Traits affect all unattuned creatures within the dome, and immediately cease on them when they leave. The first time a creature enters the dome, it makes a single fortitude save. If it fails, all traits of the dome affect it normally. If it succeeds, all traits of the dome affect it partially for 24 hours. The DC is always 10+class level/2+cha mod.

While a resonant cannot suppress his dome, he can suppress and reactivate its traits as a full round action. He cannot pick and choose - they're either all up or all down.

Down below is a list containing all the traits a resonant can choose from:


Magical Interference
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Increase the spell failure of all casters, including divine ones, by 15%.
Partial: Increase the spell failure of all casters, aside from divine ones, by 5%.

Taxing
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: All creatures are fatigued.
Partial: All creatures are fatigued for 2 rounds.

Tearing
Taken multiple times: Stacks Directly
Complete: Deals 1d6 untyped damage per round.
Partial: Deals 1 untyped damage per round.

Brittling
Taken multiple times: Stacks Directly
Complete: Reduces DR and hardness, if any, of all creatures by 5.
Partial: Reduces DR and hardness, if any, of all creatures by 2.

Eyejingling
Taken multiple times: Subsequent uses increase by 10%
Complete: Increase concealment of all attuned within dome to all unattuned by 20%, up to a maximum of 50%. Applies even if concealment was previously 0%.
Partial: Half

Dooming
Taken multiple times: Stacks directly, can only be taken twice
Complete: Imposes a -2 penalty to all saves.
Partial: No effect

Paranoic
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Creatures cannot use team tactics if as much as a single member is unattuned, and cannot flank.
Partial: Creatures do not gain flanking bonuses.

Confining
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Reduces magical healing, fast healing and regeneration by half (round up).
Partial: Reduces fast healing by half (round up).

Sluggish
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Reduces base land speed by 10 feet, and fly speed by 15 feet.
Partial: Reduces base land speed and fly speed by 5 feet.

Lagging
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Creatures cannot take immediate actions
Partial: Creatures taking an immediate action cannot take full round actions the next round.

Attention Breaking
Taken multiple times: No
Complete: Creatures cannot ready actions and the DC of all concentration checks increases by 4.
Partial: The DC of all concentration checks increases by 4.

Empowered
Taken multiple times: No
Effect: No actual effect, but increases the DC to resist dome traits by 4.



Boost (Ex): At level 4, and every 4 other levels, a resonant learns a boost that he may apply to any target attuned to himself within the dome. Every one boost can be placed on a single target, and as many targets can be affected by boosts as many boosts the resonant has learned. In order for a resonant to apply one boost to multiple targets, he must learn the same boost that many times. A single target cannot have multiple boosts applied to him. The resonant may apply all his boosts to appropriate, attuned targets within his dome as a standard action, swap a boost from a target to another as a swift action or remove a boost from a target as a free action. None of these triggers AoO.

Boosts cease if the target becomes unattuned or the resonant dies.

Here is a list of boosts:



CL Boost: Increases CL for all purposes by 1.

ML Boost: Increases manifester level for all purposes by 1.

IL Boost: Increases initiator level for all purposes except learning new manouvers by 1.

Soushape Boost: Increases meldshaping level for all purposes by 1.

SR: Gain SR 10+character level.

PR: Gain PR 10+character level.

Ferocious: +2 morale bonus to damage and attack

Handyman: +2 competence bonus to all skill checks

Fit: +2 untyped bonus to a physical ability score, chosen when boost is learned

Mindful: +2 untyped bonus to a mental ability score, chosen when boost is learned

Surviving: +2 to a save, chosen when boost is learned

Recovering: Provides Fast Healing 1 if at half hit points or less.

Resistant: energy resistance 10 to an energy chosen when boost is learned

Fast: +5 feet to land speed

Shredding: Deals 5 sonic damage to all foes that attack the target in melee and beat his AC, inflicting lethal damage.

Combative: +2 bonus to grapple, overrun, trip, and bull rush checks


Extended Reach (Ex): A level 4 resonant increases his reach by 5 feet for every 4 class levels he has.

Unsync (Ex): A level 6 or higher resonant may, as a full round action, choose any number of attuned targets within his dome. They must all make a will save against a DC of 12+class level/2+cha mod. All that fail become unattuned.

Wave Porting (Ex): A level 9 or higher resonant may teleport a willing target within his dome to any square within his reach as an immediate action. Teleportation doesn't occur through the astral plane, and thus dimensional locking does not inhibit it. If Wave Porting is used on a target while he is being attacked, the target must make a ref save against a DC equal to 10+1/2 the character level of the attacker + his dex mod. If he succeeds, he is teleported before the attack hits. If he fails, he is teleported afterwards.

Damage Feed (Ex): A level 10 or higher resonant can absorb some of the damage received by attuned targets within his reach, basically losing hit points equal to the amount the protected would have lost. For piercing damage, he can absorb up to 5 points. For slashing, up to 10. For bludgeoning, up to either 10 or half, whichever is higher. The decision to absorb must be made immediately after damage is rolled, and is a non-action.

Sync (Ex): A level 12 or higher resonant need not touch a creature to make it become attuned, it may make any creature within the dome attuned at range instead. This still requires a move action, but does not trigger AoO.

Shift Epicenter (Ex): A level 13 or higher resonant may, as a standard action, select any attuned willing target with no resonant levels within his dome. That target is now the epicenter, the dome size is based on his cha score, the dome moves with him, and he may exhibit dome traits and give boosts as a resonant of your level, except he cannot choose the traits and boosts, he uses the ones chosen by you. He gains no other features, except for Wave Porting. The resonant loses his dome, traits and boosts, but becomes attuned to the new epicenter, cannot be unsynced, and retains his Dampen and Sound Pillow Traits. The resonant can become the epicenter again by spending a full round action - the previous epicenter loses all features. Also, the temporary epicenter can hold this position for a maximum of 5 minutes a day.

Greater Dampen (Ex): If a level 13 or higher resonant performs a dampened attack against a creature and beats its AC by 4 or more, the creature is deafened for 1d4 rounds. If he beats its AC by 6 or more, the creature is also nauseated for 1d4 rounds.

Vibe of Despair (Ex): A level 18 or higher resonant is treated as having a Frighful Presence by all unattuned. The triggering action is a dampened attack, and the duration is 5d6 rounds.

Unmake (Ex): A level 20 resonant can resonate the very fibers of a creature to nothingness. As a standard action, select an ATTUNED target within your dome. It must make a Fort save against a DC of 10+class level/2+cha mod. If it fails, it dies. If it succeeds, it takes 2 points of ability damage to all ability scores and this feature cannot be used on it for 1 minute.

Eldan
2012-08-10, 02:24 PM
First: the basic idea is pretty cool and solid. However, there are a few mechanics that seem awkward to me.

In order:

Class level 1 looks a bit weak. DR 1 is rather underwhelming compared to, say, a barbarian's rage or even a fighter's bonus feat. Consider moving dampen up a level to first, as it really is the defining feature of this class.

Dampen is a bit awkward. I would reword it from 1d8 less damage to something else, if only for the pure fact that it adds another roll to every attack. A few suggestions:
-Lowered die size, perhaps by two or three sizes.
-Static 4 or 5 damage reduction. It's the average of a d8 roll.

Dome Traits: some of these seem rather better than others. Have you considered giving some of them level requirements? Like, the 1d6 damage from tearing is still pretty lethal at level 3, but gets considerably less so in the higher levels.

Does Eye-jingling give concealment if the creature doesn't have any? You may consider a wording like "all unattuned creatures treat all attuned creatures as if they had 20% concealment, or their existing concealment, if they have any, increases by 20%."

Attention Breaking seems a bit weird. Maybe include a line that spellcasters always have to make a basic concentration check to cast, similar to bad weather and other such conditions?

More later.

Just to Browse
2012-08-10, 02:42 PM
I will never play a class that forces opponents to roll damage dice and subtract them. That's far more fiddling than I care to do.

Xefas
2012-08-10, 02:48 PM
I came here expecting rules for playing an "actual" tank. Like, an armored vehicle, or perhaps a vessel for holding water.

This seems to be a metaphorical "tank". Which is kind of disappointing.

But I agree with Eldan that Dampen feels like it should be something you get at level 1, even if that means shifting each advancement of it down one level, leaving its highest progression at level 19. Level 20 should still be worth taking.

Speaking of level 20, I'm a little on the fence about Unmake. Perhaps you could give some of your thoughts on the matter? I'm not sure there are any other classes that have an at-will ranged extraordinary save-or-die, without any blockable subtypes (like [Death] or [Mind-Affecting]), that can be spammed every round, and take only a single roll.

The closest is the Tiger Claw's capstone, Feral Death Blow, which is an at-will extraordinary save-or-die. But it requires melee range, a successful Jump check, a successful melee attack, and a failed saving throw. And it can only be used every-other-round at the very most, and cannot effect things immune to critical hits.

On the other hand, Unmake does require either an additional successful attack, or a move action (bumping it up to a full-round) to Sync the target. So, I dunno.

Phosphate
2012-08-10, 04:30 PM
Class level 1 looks a bit weak. DR 1 is rather underwhelming compared to, say, a barbarian's rage or even a fighter's bonus feat. Consider moving dampen up a level to first, as it really is the defining feature of this class.

I'll think about that. But it's probably a better idea to come up with something new.


Dampen is a bit awkward. I would reword it from 1d8 less damage to something else, if only for the pure fact that it adds another roll to every attack. A few suggestions:
-Lowered die size, perhaps by two or three sizes.
-Static 4 or 5 damage reduction. It's the average of a d8 roll.

I find static reductions STRONGER than random reductions most of the time. But since everyone is on the same page on this, ok, will be changed.


Dome Traits: some of these seem rather better than others. Have you considered giving some of them level requirements? Like, the 1d6 damage from tearing is still pretty lethal at level 3, but gets considerably less so in the higher levels.

Since they all serve different purposes, and none is truly overpowered at level 3...no.


Does Eye-jingling give concealment if the creature doesn't have any? You may consider a wording like "all unattuned creatures treat all attuned creatures as if they had 20% concealment, or their existing concealment, if they have any, increases by 20%."

It does what it says. If concealment is 0%, it increases by 20%. To 20%.


Attention Breaking seems a bit weird. Maybe include a line that spellcasters always have to make a basic concentration check to cast, similar to bad weather and other such conditions?

No...again, you're reading too much into it. It increases the DC of concentration checks. That's all. It doesn't force you to make concentration checks when you normally shouldn't have to, that's overpowered.


I came here expecting rules for playing an "actual" tank. Like, an armored vehicle, or perhaps a vessel for holding water.

This seems to be a metaphorical "tank". Which is kind of disappointing.

Irony aside :smallredface:, I don't do modern.


Speaking of level 20, I'm a little on the fence about Unmake. Perhaps you could give some of your thoughts on the matter? I'm not sure there are any other classes that have an at-will ranged extraordinary save-or-die, without any blockable subtypes (like [Death] or [Mind-Affecting]), that can be spammed every round, and take only a single roll.

You answered your own question. Yes, Unmake is two-step, and that's a major balance point.

And think of it this way. Sorcerers can, and this is the most inefficient way to play them imaginable, cast Phantasmal Killer 46 times with a Charisma of 30 at level 20 per day. Yup.

Eldan
2012-08-10, 04:47 PM
I wouldn't be so sure about none being overpowered at level 3. The average fighter at that level has perhaps 40-50 HP and will survive for more than ten rounds, but consider mooks of some kind. At level 3, goblins are not out of the question yet, and they are pretty much dead as soon as the Resonant even comes close to them, without him having to expend any resoures.

Evejingling does not say that it gives concealment if you don't have any. It says it increases concealment, that can be taken either way. Clear wording is very important for rules, even if you clearly know what you meant. That sort of thing should exactly be why you get people to read your classes.

As for dampen: perhaps make it level dependent. Thinking about it, 8, or the average 4, is a very significant part of the damage dealt at those levels. A bow or dagger, for instance, has a pretty big chance of never dealing any damage to anyone near a Resonant, much less the resonant himself with his damage reduction.
How about making it scale by level instead, starting at a lower value?

Also, this is not even really about the power. Any roll added to the game makes it slower and more fiddly, and I think that avoiding adding more is always a good design goal.

Phosphate
2012-08-10, 04:50 PM
Are you at least aware of what it takes to get rid of that damage? A single successful attack roll. That is all. Traits are extraordinarily easy to ignore, if you remember that they don't work on attuned.

Eldan
2012-08-10, 04:53 PM
They are. But considering that this class will likely start out with at least an above-average charisma, a range of 100 or up to200 feet is not unlikely. If it gets the drop on someone or faces an enemy without ranged attacks, many will be dead before they reach it. The damage is that of a shortbow archer, and it can hit many more enemies per turn than a bow can.

Phosphate
2012-08-10, 04:56 PM
If they fail the save. Anyway, this was the point around which I balanced:

http://dndtools.eu/spells/tome-and-blood-a-guidebook-to-wizards-and-sorcerers--51/choke--3386/


Regardless, if this is a problem, I have 2 possible changes for it in my mind. The first - reduce from 1d6 to 2 damage. The second - swap traits with boosts so that traits are at 4th and every other 4 levels and boosts are at 3rd and every other 4 levels.

In other news, added a new 1st level feature. Not that it had any problems dealing with other 1st level classes before. DR 1 and 12 hp make a difference.

Eldan
2012-08-10, 05:03 PM
Consider the difference, however: that spell can be countered or stopped just like your feature. However, it also can only be cast maybe two or three times per day at the level when it first comes online, and it only hits one creature at a time, not all within range.

Make it scale with level, perhaps?

The new feature is pretty nice. Now, I didn't think it was exactly weak at level 1 (though it may have been that as well), it was rather just that it was... unexciting? Only minor defensive features do not an interesting class make.

Zaydos
2012-08-10, 05:21 PM
The problem he's pointing out is that the goblins never have time to make an attack with Tearing. The range is over 100 feet and 1d6 damage has a good chance of killing any goblin which comes into the range and will kill most mooks at Lv 3.

On the phantasmal killer comparison... That's also DC 14 + Charisma and allows two saves. Even assuming max charisma (34 without aging) against 20th level enemies they'd maybe kill one creature with all those uses. Now of course they could spam Finger of Death instead which still gets enough castings (20 some) and has a much higher chance of success. Both, though, have tags which grant immunity to a vast majority of the creatures in the game. Not saying Unmake is too strong, I'm on the fence there too, but that you're vastly over-estimating the power of Phantasmal Killer or underestimating the power of Unmake if you're using it as a point of comparison.

Now personally I don't get why these abilities are Extraordinary, they feel like they should be Supernatural; not a game balance thing just that it's rather odd. Game mechanically the significant difference is how affected you are by an anti-magic field and since almost everyone sucks completely in an anti-magic field giving you teleportation, save or lose, save debuffs and the like in one is actually probably not a good idea.

Game mechanically speaking, you don't need the teleport to ignore dimension lock; allow strategic use of abilities against the class especially when it's already at-will immediate action Dimension Door (range is a little shorter but still very high) at Lv 9 allowing you to easily move 20-ft as an immediate action (a powerful ability in and of itself) or to move allies ~160-ft (assuming Charisma of 14 with items). Honestly speaking the defensive use of this ability isn't the best use, as written it's awesome for strategically setting up full attacks and flanking.

Looking over the boosts, as you've written it he can allow Martial Initiators to learn new maneuver levels one level early because the duration is until ended and it's for all purposes; need to rework the wording a bit. The SR and PR boosts are stronger than most of the other boosts, though useless against a true caster who is using Assay Spell Resistance (so depending upon DM overpowered or laughably pointless), Recovering should probably have the half hp limit like a Dragon Shaman's auras and Healing Touch feat and most other infinite healing features or else needs some other hefty limit, Ferocious should probably be +1 to balance it against the other boosts as is it's much stronger than the others with the exceptions of SR and Recovering. Fast is the weakest of the bunch.

You also have Greater Dampen on the table but no such ability in the class features.

With the Dome, Dooming x2 + Empower might be too powerful in that it debuffs the enemy so that they will die to a save or die (even having a significant chance of dying to a Phantasmal Killer... still only about a 1 in 9 chance but much more significant than previously). Will mention I do really like lagging as a fun and strategic effect.

All in all, though, I like the concept and basic approach. Needs some cleaning up, but that's why people ask for PEACHes and can be said of a lot of official material.

Phosphate
2012-08-11, 05:16 AM
No, Eldan, the spell cannot be countered and stopped at all. The save is there only to halve damage, which is 1d4 anyway. Everything else, all penalties, are no save.

Zaydos, that's exactly the exotic aspect of the class I was getting at - it being extraordinary. It's basically a centerpoint, not a post-production "heh, why not?".

The point of the teleport is that flavor-wise what you're doing is real life quantum teleporting - breaking down your ally into information and reforming him, thus always remaining in the same plane - which requires me to mention that barring astral travel doesn't counter.

Ok, I will rewrite the ML boost as to clarify that they don't receive new manouvers.

As for the rest of your suggestions, I would have to ask you which balance point you're PEACHing relative to. Because you've definitely chosen a much lower point than me.

Eldan
2012-08-11, 05:22 AM
All spells can be countered. That's what counterspells are for. :smallconfused:

As for balance point: well, I usually go for something Tier 3-ish, which this doens't seem to be, it doesn't have much utility. But divorced from that, there are things which just shouldn't happen, under which automatically killing mooks at level three at 180 ft. should fall.

Phosphate
2012-08-11, 05:32 AM
Utility? Well let's see...large skill list, decent damage, decent damage reduction, strategic teleporting, slowing down opponents, AoE effects, various grantable protections to allies, healing. I don't feel like that is not enough.

Network
2012-08-12, 09:12 PM
Why all class features are extraordinary? How can teleportation EVER be extraordinary? Most of they should be supernatural, with the exception of boosts.

Unmaking is a bit powerful. I suppose it's not worst than Implosion, but Implosion is at best spell-like. This one is extraordinary (and shouldn't).

Grimsage Matt
2012-08-12, 09:30 PM
Quantum Teleportation? Nice one:smallbiggrin: Wizards, meet the Technomage, it's not magic, it's technolgogial wizardry:smalltongue: In this case, vibrations, or natural minipulation of string theroy. Which is a relly cool kind of class for D&D.

Network
2012-08-12, 10:11 PM
Psionic powers are not magical either, they are still countered by Antimagic Field. There is still no such thing as a psionic Implosion, and this one is also unknown as a supernatural effect... but you give an extraordinary variant!

I personally consider Implosion as very powerful, although it's no more of a challenge when epic magic begins to appear. Finger of Death? That's crap, its countered by a 4th level spell. Phantasmal Killer? A 8th level spell (and it allows two saves regardless). Any other spell? A 6th level spell. Unmake ask for a 15th level spell (namely, double-rapid quick true resurrection), and epic magic remains useless.

If there was any way to protect against Unmake, it wouldn't be that much of a problem. As an example, Quivering Palm is supernatural and doesn't affect those immune to critical hits. Either would do.