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View Full Version : [CUTE] Evaluation Process: The Prodigy [Class]



Fax Celestis
2006-11-20, 01:21 PM
The Prodigy is designed to be the CUTE version of the Bard, minus spellcasting and with a different mechanic for Prodigal/Bardic music. It does involve a few interesting quirks that may have little to no effect (i.e. the ability to read sheet music) as well as weapons that don't exist (conductor's baton, violin bow, guitar pick, tuning fork). In this manner, it is similar to the monk in that it has "Prodigal Weapons". I personally see the conductor's baton as weak bludgeon, the violin bow as a moderate slash, the guitar pick as thrown ammunition, and the tuning fork as a piercing disarmer.

[hr]
Many are the children who are sent to music lessons as small children and excel due to some untapped musical talent. Some of these children learn to manipulate this talent and become prodigies.

Abilities: Charisma is a prodigy's most important statistic, since the majority of their class skills run off of it. Intelligence is another fine choice, for a variety of skill points.

Alignment: Prodigies who focus on classical music and instruments tend towards law, while prodigies who focus on more modern music and instruments tend towards chaos, though there are prodigies of all alignments in all genres.

Hit Die: d6

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Prodigies are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor. In addition, the prodigy is proficient in the following weapons: conductor's baton, violin bow, guitar pick, and tuning fork.

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Hold It, Listen, Perform, Play, Sleight of Hand

Sheet Music: All Prodigies can read sheet music regardless of race or upbringing.

Prodigal Music: A Prodigy may activate Prodigal Music a number of times per day equal to the Prodigy's class level plus his Charisma modifier. It has various effects according to the results of a Perform check. All Prodigal Music effects are cumulative, and "earshot" is defined as 45' except in exceptional circumstances.

For each point of the result of the check, all allies within earshot gain 1 temporary hit point.

For each three points of the result of the check above ten, all allies within earshot gain a +1 morale bonus to attack rolls.

For each three points of the result of the check above ten, all allies within earshot gain a +1 morale bonus to armor class.

For each four points of the result of the check above fifteen, all allies within earshot gain Damage Reduction 1/-.

For each four points of the result of the check above fifteen, all allies within earshot gain resistance 2 to the energy type of their choice.

For each five points of the result of the check above twenty, all allies within earshot gain Spell Resistance 5.

A Prodigy can continue a song for a number of rounds equal to his class level plus his Constitution modifier, after which he is fatigued. In order to use this ability, a Prodigy needs some sort of instrument he is proficient with (such as his voice or a drum). Starting a song is a standard action, while continuing one is a free action.

Motivation: By spending one use of his Prodigal Music and performing, a Prodigy can grant all allies within earshot a +1 bonus to all skill checks for the duration of his song. This increases to +2 at 5th level, +3 at 8th level, +4 at 11th level, +5 at 14th level, +6 at 17th level, and +7 at 20th level.

A Prodigy can continue a song for a number of rounds equal to his class level plus his Constitution modifier, after which he is fatigued. In order to use this ability, a Prodigy needs some sort of instrument he is proficient with (such as his voice or a drum). Starting a song is a standard action, while continuing one is a free action.

Refined Performance: Starting at 4th level, whenever making a Perform check for any reason, a Prodigy can treat a roll of 1 as a 2. This ability improves to treat all rolls of 2 or lower as 3 at 8th level, all rolls of 3 or lower as 4 at 12th level, all rolls of 4 or lower as 5 at 16th level, and all rolls of 5 or lower as 6 at 20th level. This ability, under all circumstances, only applies to Perform checks.

Resounding Performance: Starting at 7th level, a prodigy hones his skill as a public musician and can reroll a Perform check once per day. He gains extra uses of this ability at 10th, 13th, 16th, and 19th level.

Tireless Performace: At 15th level, the Prodigy is no longer fatigued after a use of his Prodigal Music.

Prodigy Progression
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Sheet Music, Prodigal Music
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Motivation +1
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|-
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Refined Performance (Ignore 1s)
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Motivation +2
6th|+4|+2|+5|+5|-
7th|+5|+2|+5|+5|Resounding Performance (1/day)
8th|+6/+1|+2|+6|+6|Motivation +3, Refined Performance (Ignore 2s)
9th|+6/+1|+3|+6|+6|-
10th|+7/+2|+3|+7|+7|Resounding Performance (2/day)
11th|+8/+3|+3|+7|+7|Motivation +4
12th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8|Refined Performance (Ignore 3s)
13th|+9/+4|+4|+8|+8|Resounding Performance (3/day)
14th|+10/+5|+4|+9|+9|Motivation +5
15th|+11/+6/+1|+5|+9|+9|Tireless Performance
16th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10|Resounding Performance (4/day), Refined Performance (Ignore 4s)
17th|+12/+7/+2|+5|+10|+10|Motivation +6
18th|+13/+8/+3|+6|+11|+11|-
19th|+14/+9/+4|+6|+11|+11|Resounding Performance (5/day)
20th|+15/+10/+5|+6|+12|+12|Motivation +7, Refined Performance (Ignore 5s)[/table]

Mephibosheth
2006-11-20, 02:10 PM
I like this class a lot, if only because everyone's heard stories of really young kids who had amazing musical chops with little or no practice. I like the new mechanic for the music. It makes Perform checks more important, a feature I like. I do have a couple of suggestions, however.

First, we need to change the name of "Prodigal Music" (or anything else with the word "prodigal" in it). "Prodigal" means "wastefully or recklessly extravagant" or "lavishly abundant" which (unless you're going for some double meaning that escapes me) isn't how we characterize this class. I can't think of any suitable replacements at the moment, but there's got to be something...

Second, I think we should clarify how the music works. If I succeed at a DC25 Perform check, do the people within earshot of me gett all the bonuses associated with a check of that level (i.e. HP, attack roll bonus, AC bonus, DR, energy resistance, and spell resistance) or do I have to chose which benefit/benefits to apply. As written now, it seems like you get all those benefits (which I don't think is too overpowered), but it should be clarified.

Third, it seems like the DC's are too low. It's pretty easy, between feats and items, to get really high Perform modifiers. I think it might be a good idea scale them just a little bit steeper. Maybe starting at 10 (for AC and attack rolls) then proceeding to 15 (DR), 20 (energy resistance), and 25 (spell resistance). I haven't done the math, though, so I could be wrong.

Fourth, the class seems like an awesome buffing class, but it otherwise seems boring. Pretty much the only ability they have is their buffing songs. Maybe it's just me, but combat would get pretty boring if all I did was sing to buff my allies. Maybe revive some of the Bard's mind-effecting abilities?

Just my 2 candy corn.

Mephibosheth

katarl
2006-11-20, 03:36 PM
I also like it, but if i do use it, i'll just be taking 10 as much as possible, making refined performance less useful. Maybe skill mastery instead?

Lucid_Archon
2006-11-20, 08:12 PM
I also like it, but if i do use it, i'll just be taking 10 as much as possible, making refined performance less useful. Maybe skill mastery instead?
As the skill check would be made in combat, you would be unable to take ten.

Elrosth
2006-11-22, 08:23 AM
personally I think that the classical music players would tend towards neutrality rather than law. Thats just me though.

Fax Celestis
2006-11-22, 01:04 PM
So what could I add or change to make the class more than just a buffer?

Elrosth
2006-11-23, 03:42 AM
Maybe make effects towards enemies or neutral parties, instead of just allies. For example, perhaps a lower effect gives enemies a penalty to hit, and a higher level effect has them make a save to fight at all.

[note: take this comment with a grain of salt, as I'm tired. We've seen how my thoughts get when I'm tired.]

Yuki Akuma
2006-11-23, 03:47 AM
De-buffing effects (such as lowering the attack bonus of an enemy) would be a good addition, I think. This would make the Prodigy more of a battlefield controller (well... not controlling the battlefield, but swaying the odds of the battle, if that makes any sense), rather than just a cheap bard knock-off.

belboz
2006-11-26, 05:12 PM
...or perhaps a few music-based, real battlefield control abilities. Not a copy of the Bard spell list, but maybe a few SLAs based on bard spells that are really plausibly music-based, such as Irresistable Dance and Hypnotism/Emotion-type abilities? They'd require a perform check, and would be exclusive of Motivation and the standard Prodigal Music bonuses.

Something like:

{table=head]Level|Special
1st|
2nd|
3rd|Hypnotic music (duplicates Hypnotism)
4th|
5th|
6th|
7th|Enthralling music (duplicates Enthrall)
8th|
9th|
10th|
11th|Sad Music (duplicates Crushing Despair)
12th|
13th|
14th|
15th|Angry Music (duplicates Song of Discord)
16th|
17th|
18th|
19th|Irresistable Music (duplicates Irresistable Dance)
20th|
[/table]

Is that too powerful? Maybe not--the serious lack of *flexibility* might make up for the reasonably strong ability to cast Irresistable Music 19+ times/day (in exchange for, basically, all other class features that day).

Or give a perform DC to get each effect: Maybe DC 16 for Hypnotic Music, DC 20 for Enthralling Music, DC 24 for Sad Music, DC 28 for Angry Music, and DC 32 for Irresistable Music.

That would make Irresistable Music about as hard to get (and using up the same slot) as the following, for all allies, simultaneously:

32 temporary hit points
+7 morale bonus to attack rolls.
+7 morale bonus to armor class.
Damage Reduction 4/-.
Resistance 8 to the energy type of their choice.
Spell Resistance 10
+6 bonus to all skill checks.A pretty balanced trade-off, no?

belboz
2006-11-30, 01:50 PM
Anyone? Thoughts?

Elrosth
2006-12-01, 06:15 PM
I think that sounds pretty good. I'll look at it again at work for the details, but I like the concept.

Fax Celestis
2007-01-04, 03:13 PM
Threaddeath avoided! I'll think on this overnight and see what I can come up with for tomorrow.

Elrosth
2007-01-09, 06:05 PM
Alright, I don't have much, but I thought of another ability. You know the kids that either just started learning music, or have a somewhat delusional passion for their craft? They think that tuba sounds so beautiful, or their set of drums sound so cool, but any adults in the area would beg, sometimes literally, to differ? Perhaps one of their abilities is something like Catanophy, where they can generate a grating, distracting noise that only affects adults. It could make them want to leave the area, or maybe just get them upset for whatever reason it'd be advantageous.

Like I said, its not much but it crossed my mind. I don't want this project to grind to a complete halt, its a really cool concept. Between this and my previous PbP games, everything I had been participating in on the boards just suddenly died on me after that long forum switch, so I've had a hard time coming back to the boards. Losing the internet for a month didn't help either... I'm gonna try to be on this more though, and I'm hoping most of you guys might too.