Dawnblade[Class]

[TheOOB]

Dawnblade

With every strike I make, I grow stronger
--Jaeden Holt, Dawnblade of Pelor

Dawnblades are talented warriors who combine martial power with divine might.

The divine practices of the dawnblade where first practiced by the dwarves, not content to let the elves duskblades be the ones who melded combat and spellcasting into one whole. While all dawnblades where orginally dwarves who worshipped their partron god Moridin, now, centuries later, dawnblades can be found among any race in the service of any diety, in fact many dawnblades do not worship a diety at all, but instead devote themselves to a cause or ideal.

While not as powerful spellcaster as a cleric, or as talented warriors as a fighter, the dawnblade is powerful in their own right. While dawnblades have their share of offensive tricks, most of their magic ability focuses defense, healing, and enhancement. Unlike duskblades who use their weapon to channel their deadly magic into their does, dawnblades channel magic into themselves while fighting, and are able to heal and enhance themselves without ever stopping their attack.

Abilities: Charisma and Strength are your most important attributes as they influence your spellcasting and melee combat abilities respectivly. Constitution is important because you'll need as many hit points as you can get.

Races: The dawnblade orginated from dwarves, and dwarves, despite their Charisma penalty still make up a large portion of the dawnblades. Still members of any race can enter this class, though human, elf, and half-elf dawnblades are more common then members of other races.

Alignment: If you worship a diety (as most dawnblades do), your alingment must be within one step of your dietie's alignment. Dawnblades who worship dieties may not be neutral unless their diety is also neutral.

However, many Dawnblades do not worship a diety and instead follow a personal cause or philosophy. These dawnblades may be of any alignment.

Starting Gold: 6d4x10(150gp)
Starting Age: As Paladin
Hit Die: d10

The Dawnblade
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th

1st|
+1|
+2|
+2|
+2|Divine Attunement|3|2|-|-|-|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Combat Casting|4|3|-|-|-|-

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+3|
+3|Divine Channeling|5|4|-|-|-|-

4th|
+4|
+4|
+4|
+4|Turn/Rebuke Undead|6|5|-|-|-|-

5th|
+5|
+4|
+4|
+4|Quick Cast 1/day|6|5|2|-|-|-

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+5|Reach Cast 1/day|6|6|3|-|-|-

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+5| |6|6|5|-|-|-

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+6|Heavy Armor Proficiency|6|7|6|-|-|-

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+6| |6|7|6|2|-|-

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+7|
+7|Quick Cast 2/day|6|8|7|3|-|-

11th|
+11/+6/+1|
+7|
+7|
+7|Reach Cast 2/day|6|8|7|5|-|-

12th|
+12/+7/+2|
+8|
+8|
+8|Mettle|6|8|8|6|-|-

13th|
+13/+8/+3|
+8|
+8|
+8|Divine Channeling(Full Attack)|6|9|8|6|2|-

14th|
+14/+9/+4|
+9|
+9|
+9| |6|9|8|7|3|-

15th|
+15/+10/+5|
+9|
+9|
+9|Quick Cast 3/day|6|9|8|7|5|-

16th|
+16/+11/+6/+1|
+10|
+10|
+10|Reach Cast 3/day|6|9|9|8|6|-

17th|
+17/+12/+7/+2|
+10|
+10|
+10| |6|10|9|8|6|2

18th|
+18/+13/+8/+3|
+11|
+11|
+11|Reach Cast 4/day|6|10|9|8|7|3

19th|
+19/+14/+9/+4|
+11|
+11|
+11| |6|10|10|9|7|5

20th|
+20/+15/+10/+5|
+12|
+12|
+12|Quick Cast 4/day|6|10|10|10|8|6[/table]

Class Skills
The dawnblades class skills(and the key ability for each) are Concentraition(Con), Craft(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Heal(Wis), Intimidate(Cha), Knowledge(arcana)(Int), Knowledge(religion)(Int), Knowledge(the planes)(Int), Profession(Wis), and Spellcraft(Int)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier)x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features
All of the follow are class features of the dawnblade base class

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dawnblades are proficienct with simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields(but not with tower shields).

Aura(Ex): The power of a dawnblade's alignment aura (see detect chaos/evil/good/law) is equal to their dawnblade level.

Spells: You cast divine spells, which are drawn from the dawnblade spell list below. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time, however, his alignment may restrict him from casting certain spells opposed to his moral or ethical beliefs(see below).

To learn or cast a spell you must have a Charisma score of at least 10+the spells level(Cha 10 for 0 level spells, Cha 11 for 1st level spells and so forth). The difficulty class for saving throws agienst your spells is 10+spell level+your Cha modifier.

You can only cast a certain number of spells each day. Your base allotment is givin on the table below. In addition you gain additional spells if you have a high Charisma score (see the table on page 8 of the PHB).

Spells Known: You begin play knowing two 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells.You also know one additional 0 level spell for each point of Cha bonus.

Each time you gain a new class level you gain an additional spell of any spell level you can cast, choosen from the dawnblade spell list.

Upon reaching 5th level, and at every subsequent odd-numbered level, you can choose to learn a new spell in place of one you allready know. In effect you loose access to the old spell in exchange for gaining a new one. The new spells level must be equal to the level of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower then the highest level spell you can cast. For example at 9th level you can exchange a single 1st-level spell (two levels lower then 3rd-level, the highest you can cast), for another 1st-level spell. You can swap only a single spell at any givin level, and you must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time you gain your new spell known for the level.

You do not need to prepare your spells ahead of time. You can cast any spell you know at any time assuming you still have the spell slots neccesary to cast that spell.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: A dawnblade can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to their own or their deity’s (if they have one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.
Divine Attunement(Sp): You can use the spell-like abilities cure minor wounds, detect magic, light, and read magic a combined total of of times per day equal to 3 + your Cha modifier. These spell-like abilities do not count against your total spells known or spell per day.

Combat Casting: At 2nd level you gain Combat Casting as a bonus feat.

Divine Channeling(Su): Beginning at 3rd level you can use a standard action to cast any personal or touch range spell you know on yourself or your equiptment and make a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. You must hit with your attack to successfully cast the spell, if you miss your target you cannot cast the spell, but it doesn't count twords your spells per day.

At 13th level you may cast any personal or touch range spell you know on yourself or your equiptment as part of a full attack action. You must hit with at least one attack to successfully cast the spell.

Turn/Rebuke Undead(Su): Starting at 3rd level you can turn or rebuke undead as a cleric three levels lower then yourself. You can use this ability a number of time per day equal to 3 + you Cha modifier.

Good dawnblades turn undead, while evil dawnblades rebuke undead. Neutral dawnblades may choose whether they want to turn or rebuke undead, but once that choice is made it cannot be changed.

Quick Cast: Beginning at 5th level you may cast one spell each day as a swift action, so long as the casting time for that spell is 1 standard action or less. You can use this ability twice per day at 10th level, three times per day at 15th level, and four times per day at 20th level.

Reach Cast: Beginning at 6th level you may cast any touch range spell you know as a 30ft ray once per day. If your target is willing you do not need to make an attack roll to affect them with the reach spell, but you must make a ranged touch attack to hit an unwilling target with a reach spell. You can use this ability twice per day at 11th level, three times per day at 16th level, and four times per day at 18th level.

Heavy Armor Proficiency: At 8th level you gain proficiency in heavy armor of all types

Mettle(Ex): Starting at at 12th level when a dawnblade succeeds a will or fortitude saving throw against a spell or effect that would normally have a partial effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), they instead completely negate the effect. An unconscious or sleeping dawnblade does not gain the benefit of mettle.

Dawnblade Spell list
The dawnblade spell list is printed below. Spells not from the PHB have their source printed in parathesis.

0 Level: Detect Poison, Guidance, Inflict Minor Wounds, Resistance, Virtue
1st Level: Bless, Bless Weapon, Corrupt Weapon(DMG), Cure Light Wounds, Divine Favor, Divine Sacrifice(SpellCom), Endure Elements, Entropic Shield, Expeditous Retreat, Inflict Light Wounds, Lesser Vigor(SpellCom), Magic Weapon, Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Remove Fear, Rhino's Rush(SpellCom), Sancuary, Shield, Shield of Faith, True Strike
2nd Level: Aid, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace, Cure Moderate Wounds, Dely Poison, Eagle's Splendor, Enlarge Person, Flame Blade, Flame of Faith(SpellCom), Inflict Moderate Wounds, Iron Silence(SpellCom), Lesser Restoration, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, See Invisibility, Shield Other, Spider Climb, Spiritual Weapon, Undetectable Alignment
3rd Level: Bestow Curse, Cure Serious Wounds, Find the Gap(SpellCom), Greater Magic Weapon, Inflict Serious Wounds, Invisibility Purge, Magic Circle against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Magic Vestment, Mirror Image, Prayer, Protection from Arrows, Protection from Energy, Rage, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Vigor(SpellCom), Weapon of the Diety(SpellCom)
4th Level: Air Walk, Cure Critical Wounds, Dimensional Anchor, Dispel Magic, Divine Power, Draconic Might(SpellCom), Fire Shield, Freedom of Movement, Haste, Inflict Critical Wounds, Lesser Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser Vistage of the Diety(SpellCom), Mass Cure Light Wounds, Mass Inflict Light Wounds, Poison, Restoration
5th Level: Break Enchantment, Dimension Door, Disrupting Weapon, Flame Strike, Greater Vigor(SpellCom), Harm, Heal, Holy Sword, Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass Inflict Moderate Wounds, Revivify(SpellCom), Slashing Dispel(PHBII), Spell Resistance, Stoneskin, Unholy Sword(As holy sword but effective vs good creatures)

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

A divine duskblade? very cool.

[mikeejimbo]

I like the detail you went into.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

I have a question about reach cast. Do you need to make a ranged touch attack like other forms of this ability? or a normal Str based touch attack just from 30 feet away?

[TheOOB]

As it's a ray you would need to mage a ranged touch attack. It's usually not a problum however, as most dawnblade spells are beneficial and your allies can just choose to let the ray hit them.

I'll update the ability to clarify it.

[Gyrfalcon]

I like it, but I'm unsure about giving the Dawnblade all good saves. I might suggest moving Reflex to the 'poor' track, since classes that end up in heavy armor generally don't have the good save progression to reflexes. (I could be wrong about this, of course.)

Otherwise, this is an excellent tank class, as you can pop a healing spell into yourself every round you hit someone successfully. *grins* Good job!

[TheOOB]

Originally I had divine grace as a dawnblade class ability, considering that this class is pretty much a replacement of the paladin, and thats one of the paladins most iconic abilities.

In the design process I noted that divine grace and cha based spellcasting are simply too powerful to put in the same class together, so I decided to use all good saves to keep the idea, but make it more balanced, like how a favored souls saves are.

That and the dawnblade doesn't have the same damage dealing power the duskblade has, so I though that better saves would help balance it.

Healing spells are definatly one of the better uses of divine channeling (they work well with reach spell too). I also tried to design the spell list so most spells work with with it. I can see a 2h handed weapon wielder starting off most battles with a divine channeled shield for instance.

[DracoDei]

Hmmm.... probably too many spells per day, combined with the BAB, Saves, and Hit Die. The only thing they are REALLY lacking over a cleric is
Also they start out turning as 0th level Clerics? Mechanically it works, but also a bit odd.
Also, combining True Strike with Divine Channeling, especially in a full attack (so it triggers for the next attack in the sequence which is at -5 compared to the one before it) seems... well, not cheesy per se... but like a very effective strategy.

[ghost_warlock]

I find it interesting that you've given them access to a number of spells that are traditionally arcane...doesn't that sort of defeat the purpose? The divine spell list should be adequate using the PHB, PHB II, and Spell Compendium that this isn't necessary.

[Wolfprint]

Oh your Divine Attunement isn't properly bolded (formatting nitpicking :smallbiggrin: ). And while you described the dawnblade as being less powerful than a fighter or spellcaster, his combination of good saves, HD, and BAB does elevate him from the Core fighter, or even paladin. I would suggest reducing his HD to d8, or reducing the saves, as suggested by the previous posters.

But other than that, it's really nice.

[Overlord]

Woah, woah, woah.

I thought the Duskblade was an arcane Paladin....

Does that make the Dawnblade a divine arcane paladin?


Joking aside, I think this is a pretty cool class. However, it's rather overpowered, in my opinion.

Firstly, I second the idea to cut the Reflex saves down to 'poor'. Also, I think you should cut the HD down to d8, I mean, the Duskblade had a d8, and it couldn't heal itself.

That's still probably not enough, though. As is, the Dawnblade is a super-Paladin. Sure, no Mount, Divine Grace, disease immunity/removal, or lay on hands, but the Dawnblade, can cast spells sooner and better (not to mention more often), turn undead better, has better saves and abilities, and to top it all off has less MAD issues. [I'm not trying to bash your class, I definitely like it. And I realize you probably didn't balance it against the Paladin].

Okay, here's what I recommend:


Drop the hit die to D8.
Drop the reflex save to 'poor'.
Switch the spellcasting to Wis-based, rather than Cha-based (also like the Paladin).
Go ahead and add Divine Grace. With Wis-based casting, it'll be a lot less cheesy than otherwise. Maybe take away the free Combat Casting feat in exchange, though.


But I really do like the class. God job!

[Khantalas]

Woo... threadomancy much?

[Overlord]

Woo... threadomancy much?

Haha, I didn't even notice the date of the original post. :smallbiggrin:

[Ivius]

Isn't the CLERIC a martial divine spellcaster?

[Leon]

Drop the hit die to D8.
Drop the reflex save to 'poor'.
Switch the spellcasting to Wis-based, rather than Cha-based (also like the Paladin).
Go ahead and add Divine Grace. With Wis-based casting, it'll be a lot less cheesy than otherwise. Maybe take away the free Combat Casting feat in exchange, though.



Seconded, as it is right now is rather overpowering.

[ZeroNumerous]

Woo... threadomancy much?
Ten character limit..

[Overlord]

Deja vu....