sirpercival
2012-08-21, 06:44 AM
Based on changes I made for a class in my Magipunk campaign setting (to be posted here eventually) which used identical mechanics. Originally posted here (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=6231.0).
SHADOWCASTER
Class Skills
The Shadowcaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int
{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Fundamentals of shadow, mysteries (apprentice) | 1 | | | | | | | |
2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Control light, discerning eye | 1 | | | | | | | |
3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Umbral sight (darkvision 30 ft) | 1 | 1 | | | | | | |
4 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus fundamental | 1 | 1 | | | | | | |
5 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus feat (see text) | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
6 | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Sustaining shadow (eat 1 meal/week) | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
7 | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Mysteries (initiate) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | |
8 | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Bonus fundamental | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | |
9 | +4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Umbral sight (see in darkness 60 ft) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | |
10| +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Sustaining shadow (sleep 1 hour/day) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | |
11| +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Improved discerning eye | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
12| +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus fundamental, duplicity | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
13| +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Mysteries (master) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
14| +7/+2 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Sustaining shadow (immune to poison & disease) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
15| +7/+2 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Creep of darkness | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
16| +8/+3 | +10| +5 | +10| Bonus fundamental | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
17| +8/+3 | +10| +5 | +10| Sustaining shadow (no need to eat, breathe, or sleep)| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
18| +9/+4 | +11| +6 | +11| Greater discerning eye | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
19| +9/+4 | +11| +6 | +11| Deeper duplicity | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
20| +10/+5| +12| +6 | +12| Bonus fundamental, concentrated shadow | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A shadowcaster is proficient with simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with your gestures, which can cause your mysteries to fail when they function as spells.
Fundamentals of shadow (Su): A shadowcaster must master certain basic powers before proceeding to the deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable at will as a standard action. A shadowcaster begins play with three fundamentals and gains an additional fundamental at 4th level and every four additional levels beyond 4th. A shadowcaster can, when gaining a new level, choose a new fundamental in place of another mystery (see below). The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + the shadowcaster's Int modifier. When choosing a fundamental, a shadowcaster can relearn an already known fundamental, which increases the save DC and the caster level for that fundamental by 1.
Mysteries and paths: A shadowcaster does not cast spells as other classes do, but instead invokes mystical secrets called mysteries. A shadowcaster knows one mystery at 1st level and gains one additional mystery every class level. Up to 6th level, a shadowcaster can learn only apprentice mysteries; at 7th level, she gains access to initiate mysteries, and at 13th level she becomes able to use master mysteries. A shadowcaster can choose her new mystery at each level from any category she has access to (including fundamentals). For instance, at 8th level, a shadowcaster could select either a fundamental, an apprentice mystery, or an initiate mystery.
Within a category of mysteries (apprentice, initiate, or master), a shadowcaster can only learn mysteries of a new level if she has learned at least two mysteries of the previous level, but she need not know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. A shadowcaster can always select the first mystery in a path of a category she has access to, even if she didnt complete the lower category paths. At 4th level, and every even level after (6th, 8th, etc.), a shadowcaster can learn a new mystery in place of a mystery she already knows of the same level.
Mysteries represent thought patterns and formulae so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As a shadowcaster progresses, however, her connection to the Plane of Shadow grows stronger, and her mysteries become more ingrained in her essence. When a shadowcaster is capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, she casts them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure, and are subject to interruption, though they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components. Whenever a shadowcaster casts a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 Spot check to note that her shadow is making different gestures from the ones she makes when she casts the mystery.
At 7th level, when a shadowcaster becomes capable of casting initiate mysteries (whether or not she chooses to learn any), her apprentice mysteries become so much a part of her that they now function as spell-like abilities, and they no longer require somatic components. The shadowcaster's new initiate mysteries (when she learns them) function as arcane spells and follow the rules described above.
When the shadowcaster reaches 13th level and becomes capable of casting master mysteries, another change occurs. Her master mysteries now function as arcane spells, and her initiate mysteries function as spell-like abilities. The shadowcaster's apprentice mysteries become supernatural abilities, and no longer provoke attacks of opportunity. They are not subject to dispelling, counterspelling, or spell resistance, though they still do not function in an antimagic field.
A shadowcaster can learn a mystery more than once; each time she relearns a mystery, she gains another set of uses of that mystery per day, and the save DC and caster level of that mystery each increase by 1. A shadowcaster can cast each mystery she knows a certain number of times per day depending on whether it is cast as a spell (once), a spell-like ability (twice), or a supernatural ability (thrice). The allotments per level are given on the table above, but only apply if she is able to cast mysteries of the level indicated.
A shadowcaster gains bonus uses of her mysteries for a high Intelligence score just like a spellcaster; however, each bonus daily use a shadowcaster is granted applies to all of her mysteries of the appropriate level. For example, a shadowcaster with an 18 Intelligence would gain an additional daily use of each of her 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-level mysteries.
Although a shadowcaster does not prepare spells, she must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain her use of mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of spell slots. In order to cast a mystery, a shadowcaster must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery's level. The save DC for a shadowcaster's mysteries which are cast as spells or spell-like abilities equals 10 + mystery level + her Int modifier, while the save DC for mysteries cast as supernatural abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 shadowcaster level + Int modifier. Even though a shadowcaster does not cast spells in the traditional sense, her levels in this class count for the purpose of determining her overall caster level.
Control light (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a shadowcaster learns to control the light and shadows around her. This works exactly like the control light psionic power, with a manifester level equal to her shadowcaster level; she can use this ability at will.
Discerning eye (Ex): At 2nd level, a shadowcaster's vision becomes much more acute than a normal person's. She gains a bonus equal to half her shadowcaster level on Spot checks, as well as saves vs being blinded and to defeat illusions with a visual component.
Umbral sight (Su): Upon reaching 3rd level, a shadowcaster's vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. She gains darkvision out to 30 feet. If she already has darkvision, or gains it from some other source, the effective distance of that vision is increased by 30 feet. At 9th level, she becomes able to see perfectly in complete darkness, even magical darkness, out to 60 feet.
Bonus feat: A shadowcaster of 5th level or higher gains a bonus feat of her choice for every path she completes. If the shadowcaster changes one of her known mysteries (at an even level) and in doing so "un-completes" a path, she loses access to the bonus feat granted by that path, unless she chooses that feat as a normal feat or a bonus feat from completing a different path. The shadowcaster must meet the prerequisite (if any) in order to select a feat as a bonus feat. The list of feats she can select includes any metamagic feat, Favored Mystery, Greater Path Focus, Nocturnal Caster, Path Focus, Shadow Vision, and any metashadow feat.
Sustaining shadow (Ex): By 6th level, a shadowcaster's bond to the Plane of Shadow allows her to absorb dark energies, mitigating certain biological needs. She need eat only a single meal per week to maintain health. At 10th level, she only needs 1 hour of sleep per night (but must still rest for 8 hours to regain her mysteries for the next day). At 14th level, she gains immunity to nonmagical diseases and poisons. Finally, at 17th level, she no longer needs to breathe, and need never eat or sleep.
Improved discerning eye (Ex): At 10th level, a shadowcaster's vision has become so acute that she can see things other people can't, by noticing visual cues that aren't apparent to the untrained. The shadowcaster gains blindsense out to a range of 10 feet times her Wisdom modifier.
Duplicity (Su): Beginning at 12th level, a shadowcaster can follow up a mystery with an additional, less-powerful mystery. Whenever the shadowcaster casts an initiate or master mystery in a round, she can follow with an apprentice mystery in the same round as a move action as long as she has a move action to spare. Using this ability does not count against the daily uses of the chosen apprentice mystery. The shadowcaster can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier.
Creep of Darkness (Su): At 15th level, a shadowcaster draws strength from the workings of shadow perpetuated by others. Whenever the shadowcaster is subject to a spell with the Darkness descriptor, or one from the Shadow subschool, she heals a number of hit points equal to the caster level of the spell. The spell must have been cast by a non-shadowcaster (other than herself) for her to gain the benefit of this ability.
Greater discerning eye (Ex): Upon reaching 18th level, a shadowcaster's senses are finely-tuned instruments of detection. She gains blindsight out to a range of 5 feet times her Wisdom modifier.
Deeper duplicity (Su): Starting at 19th level, a shadowcaster can follow up her most potent mysteries with additional mysteries of lesser strength. Whenever the shadowcaster casts a master mystery in a round, she can spend a use of her Duplicity ability to immediately follow with an initiate mystery as a move action and/or an apprentice mystery as a swift action, as long as she has such actions to spare. Using this ability does not count against the daily uses of either the apprentice or initiate mystery.
Concentrated shadow (Su): At 20th level, a shadowcaster is an unparalleled master of shadow. She can cast two mysteries simultaneously in the same action. The shadowcaster cannot use both this ability and Duplicity or Deeper Duplicity in the same round. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier.
SHADOWCASTER
Class Skills
The Shadowcaster's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int
{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9
1 | +0 | +2 | +0 | +2 | Fundamentals of shadow, mysteries (apprentice) | 1 | | | | | | | |
2 | +1 | +3 | +0 | +3 | Control light, discerning eye | 1 | | | | | | | |
3 | +1 | +3 | +1 | +3 | Umbral sight (darkvision 30 ft) | 1 | 1 | | | | | | |
4 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus fundamental | 1 | 1 | | | | | | |
5 | +2 | +4 | +1 | +4 | Bonus feat (see text) | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
6 | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Sustaining shadow (eat 1 meal/week) | 1 | 1 | 1 | | | | | |
7 | +3 | +5 | +2 | +5 | Mysteries (initiate) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | |
8 | +4 | +6 | +2 | +6 | Bonus fundamental | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | | | | |
9 | +4 | +6 | +3 | +6 | Umbral sight (see in darkness 60 ft) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | |
10| +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Sustaining shadow (sleep 1 hour/day) | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | | |
11| +5 | +7 | +3 | +7 | Improved discerning eye | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
12| +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Bonus fundamental, duplicity | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | |
13| +6/+1 | +8 | +4 | +8 | Mysteries (master) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
14| +7/+2 | +9 | +4 | +9 | Sustaining shadow (immune to poison & disease) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
15| +7/+2 | +9 | +5 | +9 | Creep of darkness | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
16| +8/+3 | +10| +5 | +10| Bonus fundamental | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
17| +8/+3 | +10| +5 | +10| Sustaining shadow (no need to eat, breathe, or sleep)| 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
18| +9/+4 | +11| +6 | +11| Greater discerning eye | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
19| +9/+4 | +11| +6 | +11| Deeper duplicity | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1
20| +10/+5| +12| +6 | +12| Bonus fundamental, concentrated shadow | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1[/table]
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A shadowcaster is proficient with simple weapons, but not with any type of armor or shield. Armor of any type interferes with your gestures, which can cause your mysteries to fail when they function as spells.
Fundamentals of shadow (Su): A shadowcaster must master certain basic powers before proceeding to the deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable at will as a standard action. A shadowcaster begins play with three fundamentals and gains an additional fundamental at 4th level and every four additional levels beyond 4th. A shadowcaster can, when gaining a new level, choose a new fundamental in place of another mystery (see below). The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + the shadowcaster's Int modifier. When choosing a fundamental, a shadowcaster can relearn an already known fundamental, which increases the save DC and the caster level for that fundamental by 1.
Mysteries and paths: A shadowcaster does not cast spells as other classes do, but instead invokes mystical secrets called mysteries. A shadowcaster knows one mystery at 1st level and gains one additional mystery every class level. Up to 6th level, a shadowcaster can learn only apprentice mysteries; at 7th level, she gains access to initiate mysteries, and at 13th level she becomes able to use master mysteries. A shadowcaster can choose her new mystery at each level from any category she has access to (including fundamentals). For instance, at 8th level, a shadowcaster could select either a fundamental, an apprentice mystery, or an initiate mystery.
Within a category of mysteries (apprentice, initiate, or master), a shadowcaster can only learn mysteries of a new level if she has learned at least two mysteries of the previous level, but she need not know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path. A shadowcaster can always select the first mystery in a path of a category she has access to, even if she didnt complete the lower category paths. At 4th level, and every even level after (6th, 8th, etc.), a shadowcaster can learn a new mystery in place of a mystery she already knows of the same level.
Mysteries represent thought patterns and formulae so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As a shadowcaster progresses, however, her connection to the Plane of Shadow grows stronger, and her mysteries become more ingrained in her essence. When a shadowcaster is capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, she casts them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure, and are subject to interruption, though they do not require material components, foci, or verbal components. Whenever a shadowcaster casts a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 Spot check to note that her shadow is making different gestures from the ones she makes when she casts the mystery.
At 7th level, when a shadowcaster becomes capable of casting initiate mysteries (whether or not she chooses to learn any), her apprentice mysteries become so much a part of her that they now function as spell-like abilities, and they no longer require somatic components. The shadowcaster's new initiate mysteries (when she learns them) function as arcane spells and follow the rules described above.
When the shadowcaster reaches 13th level and becomes capable of casting master mysteries, another change occurs. Her master mysteries now function as arcane spells, and her initiate mysteries function as spell-like abilities. The shadowcaster's apprentice mysteries become supernatural abilities, and no longer provoke attacks of opportunity. They are not subject to dispelling, counterspelling, or spell resistance, though they still do not function in an antimagic field.
A shadowcaster can learn a mystery more than once; each time she relearns a mystery, she gains another set of uses of that mystery per day, and the save DC and caster level of that mystery each increase by 1. A shadowcaster can cast each mystery she knows a certain number of times per day depending on whether it is cast as a spell (once), a spell-like ability (twice), or a supernatural ability (thrice). The allotments per level are given on the table above, but only apply if she is able to cast mysteries of the level indicated.
A shadowcaster gains bonus uses of her mysteries for a high Intelligence score just like a spellcaster; however, each bonus daily use a shadowcaster is granted applies to all of her mysteries of the appropriate level. For example, a shadowcaster with an 18 Intelligence would gain an additional daily use of each of her 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th-level mysteries.
Although a shadowcaster does not prepare spells, she must rest for 8 hours and meditate for 15 minutes each day to regain her use of mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of spell slots. In order to cast a mystery, a shadowcaster must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery's level. The save DC for a shadowcaster's mysteries which are cast as spells or spell-like abilities equals 10 + mystery level + her Int modifier, while the save DC for mysteries cast as supernatural abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 shadowcaster level + Int modifier. Even though a shadowcaster does not cast spells in the traditional sense, her levels in this class count for the purpose of determining her overall caster level.
Control light (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a shadowcaster learns to control the light and shadows around her. This works exactly like the control light psionic power, with a manifester level equal to her shadowcaster level; she can use this ability at will.
Discerning eye (Ex): At 2nd level, a shadowcaster's vision becomes much more acute than a normal person's. She gains a bonus equal to half her shadowcaster level on Spot checks, as well as saves vs being blinded and to defeat illusions with a visual component.
Umbral sight (Su): Upon reaching 3rd level, a shadowcaster's vision extends slightly into the Plane of Shadow. She gains darkvision out to 30 feet. If she already has darkvision, or gains it from some other source, the effective distance of that vision is increased by 30 feet. At 9th level, she becomes able to see perfectly in complete darkness, even magical darkness, out to 60 feet.
Bonus feat: A shadowcaster of 5th level or higher gains a bonus feat of her choice for every path she completes. If the shadowcaster changes one of her known mysteries (at an even level) and in doing so "un-completes" a path, she loses access to the bonus feat granted by that path, unless she chooses that feat as a normal feat or a bonus feat from completing a different path. The shadowcaster must meet the prerequisite (if any) in order to select a feat as a bonus feat. The list of feats she can select includes any metamagic feat, Favored Mystery, Greater Path Focus, Nocturnal Caster, Path Focus, Shadow Vision, and any metashadow feat.
Sustaining shadow (Ex): By 6th level, a shadowcaster's bond to the Plane of Shadow allows her to absorb dark energies, mitigating certain biological needs. She need eat only a single meal per week to maintain health. At 10th level, she only needs 1 hour of sleep per night (but must still rest for 8 hours to regain her mysteries for the next day). At 14th level, she gains immunity to nonmagical diseases and poisons. Finally, at 17th level, she no longer needs to breathe, and need never eat or sleep.
Improved discerning eye (Ex): At 10th level, a shadowcaster's vision has become so acute that she can see things other people can't, by noticing visual cues that aren't apparent to the untrained. The shadowcaster gains blindsense out to a range of 10 feet times her Wisdom modifier.
Duplicity (Su): Beginning at 12th level, a shadowcaster can follow up a mystery with an additional, less-powerful mystery. Whenever the shadowcaster casts an initiate or master mystery in a round, she can follow with an apprentice mystery in the same round as a move action as long as she has a move action to spare. Using this ability does not count against the daily uses of the chosen apprentice mystery. The shadowcaster can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier.
Creep of Darkness (Su): At 15th level, a shadowcaster draws strength from the workings of shadow perpetuated by others. Whenever the shadowcaster is subject to a spell with the Darkness descriptor, or one from the Shadow subschool, she heals a number of hit points equal to the caster level of the spell. The spell must have been cast by a non-shadowcaster (other than herself) for her to gain the benefit of this ability.
Greater discerning eye (Ex): Upon reaching 18th level, a shadowcaster's senses are finely-tuned instruments of detection. She gains blindsight out to a range of 5 feet times her Wisdom modifier.
Deeper duplicity (Su): Starting at 19th level, a shadowcaster can follow up her most potent mysteries with additional mysteries of lesser strength. Whenever the shadowcaster casts a master mystery in a round, she can spend a use of her Duplicity ability to immediately follow with an initiate mystery as a move action and/or an apprentice mystery as a swift action, as long as she has such actions to spare. Using this ability does not count against the daily uses of either the apprentice or initiate mystery.
Concentrated shadow (Su): At 20th level, a shadowcaster is an unparalleled master of shadow. She can cast two mysteries simultaneously in the same action. The shadowcaster cannot use both this ability and Duplicity or Deeper Duplicity in the same round. She can use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Intelligence modifier.