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Quellian-dyrae
2013-04-20, 11:23 PM
The Cursed

"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong." -Murphy's Law

Have you ever gone an entire battle without rolling above a 3? Landed a beautiful natural 20 on a full power attack with your greataxe and botched the confirmation roll? Given an awesome description of a clever action with loads of circumstance bonuses and rolled a 1? Botched a save against a [Death] effect in the first round of the climactic battle? Of course you have.

Now, does that stuff seem to happen in Every. Single. Game?

That's when you roll up a Cursed.

Adventures: Why would anyone who is plagued with bad luck take up the dangerous life of an adventurer? Oh, there are reasons. Some don't wish to drag their friends and families down with them. Some try to appease the gods of fate and fortune by taking great risks. Some just have a lot of pent up anger and want to hit things. Some simply have a death wish. And some seek to overcome the fickle hand of fate, to face the challenges of the adventuring life trusting not in luck, but in their own skills and resilience to see them through and make their name!

That lot usually fail and die, but the rest are all solid reasons.

Characteristics: The Cursed are capable warriors at their base, with both natural and supernatural powers revolving around one thing - their awful luck. Their luck is so bad, that they can bring misfortune upon their foes, and even draw ill fortune away from their allies. On the more mundane side of things, they channel their determination to succeed and their resentment towards those to whom it comes easy into greater effort, allowing them to push beyond their limits and achieve what they should not be able to - at a cost.

Alignment: It is difficult to hold to one's ideals in the face of a constant plague of misfortune. Many Cursed tend towards neutral, chaotic, and even evil alignments. However, there are those who keep trying, fighting for what they know is right, accepting whatever tragedies may befall them in the service of the greater good!

That lot, also, usually fail and die.

Religion: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

Background: Many Cursed are otherwise ordinary people who just have a bad run of things. A life of awful luck toughens them and breeds resentment, and even the supernatural aspects of the class are less magical power than simply an extension of the strange happenstance that afflicts them. However, people who are literally cursed by vengeful mages, witches, or fiends are also possible. Warlocks who break their pacts, or fallen paladins who are forsaken by their gods, may become Cursed as a result.

Races: The potential for bad luck can manifest among any race, although it is quite uncommon among halflings and other naturally lucky races.

Other Classes: Cursed have a strong resentment towards anyone who has natural good luck or, beyond that, any sort of external force watching out for them. Rogues, divine casters, bards, and so on tend to draw their ire. They respect more self-sufficient classes that get by on their own strength and skill, and tend to envy mages - especially those who master the sorts of spells that remove luck entirely from the equation.

Role: The Cursed is largely a supportive character; it can absorb punishment, take negative effects for its allies, weaken foes, accept bad luck so good fortune favors its allies, and so on. It can also deal credible melee damage, although not as reliably as some combatants.

Adaptation: Although the class is written with the assumption of ill luck, and most of its abilities require failure or harm to have their full effect, the class doesn't need to focus on the negative. It could just as easily be a luck-manipulating warrior, or even a tactician whose every move, even the apparently unsuccessful ones, are building towards an eventual victory.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
The Cursed have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Constitution is critical to the Cursed, as it allows them to endure the rigors of a painfully unlucky life. Charisma gives them the sheer force of will to succeed despite their ill luck. Most Cursed also have a particularly low ability score as a result of their general poor fortune in life.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d12.
Starting Age: As fighter.
Starting Gold: As fighter.

Class Skills
The Cursed's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

CURSED
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st
+1
+0
+0
+0Cursed Ability, Cursed Aura, Failure Is Always An Option, Resentment.
2nd
+2
+0
+0
+0Spread It Around, Why Me?
3rd
+3
+1
+1
+1Acceptance, Defiance.
4th
+4
+1
+1
+1Can't Catch a Break, Survivor.
5th
+5
+1
+1
+1Pile It On.
6th
+6
+2
+2
+2Pall.
7th
+7
+2
+2
+2A Comedy of Errors.
8th
+8
+2
+2
+2Let It Ride.
9th
+9
+3
+3
+3Improved Defiance.
10th
+10
+3
+3
+3Never Give Up.
11th
+11
+3
+3
+3Epic Fail.
12th
+12
+4
+4
+4Layer It On Thick.
13th
+13
+4
+4
+4Dangerous Pall.
14th
+14
+4
+4
+4Karmic Paradox.
15th
+15
+5
+5
+5Hatred Overflowing.
16th
+16
+5
+5
+5Drag Them Down.
17th
+17
+5
+5
+5Feel My Pain.
18th
+18
+6
+6
+6Crush Hopes.
19th
+19
+6
+6
+6Never Happened.
20th
+20
+6
+6
+6Eternal Suffering.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cursed. The DC for the Cursed's abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Cursed is proficient with simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, and shields (including tower shields).

Cursed Ability (Su): You are cursed, not just unlucky, but debilitated in some way. Your weakness drives you to push yourself harder, but then again, you pretty much have to. Choose a single ability score; you suffer a permanent -4 penalty to that score. Theoretically, powerful spells such as Heal or Greater Restoration could remove this penalty, but you'll just encounter some mishap or another to reinstate it at a depressingly early opportunity.

Your weakness cannot be compensated for with other strengths. Any ability you gain that allows you to substitute a different ability modifier for a value that is normally affected by your cursed ability still suffers the ability penalty. For example, if your Cursed Ability is Strength and you take the Weapon Finesse feat, while you add your Dexterity bonus to your attack rolls normally, you still apply any Strength penalty to your attack rolls. If your Cursed Ability has a positive modifier, though, it is not further added.

Your Cursed Ability cannot be reduced below 1 by any means, and you subtract your lowest ability score modifier from all your saving throws.

Cursed Aura (Su): The Cursed radiates an aura of ill luck out to 10' per odd-numbered class level. All opponents in the aura take a penalty on all d20 rolls equal to the value of the Cursed's lowest ability modifier. If the Cursed's lowest ability modifier is not negative, the penalty is only -1. An opponent can spend an Immediate action at any time to attempt to ignore this penalty for one round; to do so, it must make a successful Will save (for speed of play, it is suggested to only do this if the aura would actually hinder a roll, rather than just doing it as a matter of course each round). The saving throw does not receive the penalty.

The penalty from multiple Cursed Auras don't stack; only the highest applies. Successfully resisting a Cursed Aura also resists any others whose DCs would be beaten by the Will save result.

Failure Is Always An Option (Ex): You are cursed with ill luck. No matter how certain it seems, there is always a chance that you will fail. You cannot take 10 or take 20, and do not automatically succeed attack rolls or saving throws on a natural 20. Any time you roll a natural 1 on a check, if you have not failed, subtract 1d10 from the check result. If you roll a 10, continue rolling until you fail or roll something other than a 10. Any Luck Bonus you receive is set to 0.

Fortunately, you also tend to bounce back from failure more quickly than others. Any time you take damage, you may choose to convert an amount of damage equal to your class level + your Constitution modifier to nonlethal damage. You cannot convert damage caused by critical hits, and you cannot use this ability if you are immune to nonlethal damage.

Resentment (Ex): The good fortune of others never ceases to annoy you, and it drives you to push yourself harder to make up for your lack. You may add your Charisma modifier as a bonus on all attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and opposed checks made against a character who you witnessed succeeding more checks than it failed since the end of your last turn. In addition, for each three class levels, your weapon attacks against such opponents deal an additional 1d6 points of damage.

If a character succeeded a check with a natural 20 since the end of your last turn, and you qualify for this bonus, all your damage against that character is maximized.

Spread It Around (Su): Your own failures afflict your foes. Starting at second level, any time you fail a check in any sort of opposed challenge, you may "store" the d20 result. You may have a maximum number of such results stored equal to 0 minus your lowest ability score modifier, minimum 1. Stored rolls fade at the end of the current challenge. While they remain, any time a character within your Cursed Aura is about to make a d20 roll of any sort, before the roll is made, you may expend a stored roll. The character must use the stored roll instead of rolling, but the normal penalty from your Cursed Aura does not apply to the roll.

A character who has resisted your Cursed Aura for the round is not subject to having its rolls modified in this way. You may not use this ability to alter the save made to resist your Cursed Aura.

Choosing to automatically fail a check does not count as rolling it for purposes of this ability (except due to the Can't Catch a Break ability), and the check you make must be relevant to the current challenge. Also, seriously, you're cursed. If you attempt to abuse this ability by storing meaningless rolls or making extra unnecessary rolls to store or, really, just using any sort of shenanigans, your DM gains the ability to spend your stored rolls for the rest of the challenge (and remember, you are always in your own Cursed Aura).

Why Me? (Su) When bad things happen, they have an odd tendency of happening to you. Also at second level, whenever an ally in your cursed aura suffers any negative effect, you may take any or all of the effect upon yourself. You may choose to do this after your ally takes all relevant defensive actions. Your own abilities and defenses cannot further reduce or mitigate the effect. However, if you take damage for an ally, any abilities you possess that can convert some or all of it into nonlethal damage still do so.

Allies in your Cursed Aura are also immune to any harmful effects you set off. For example, if you trigger a trap, contingency, or readied action, your allies won't be harmed by it. For each ally that receives this protection, you take a -2 penalty on your saves and AC against the effect.

Acceptance (Ex): On gaining your third level of Cursed, you have come to accept your fate. You know fortune will never favor you, and use that knowledge to drive you to try harder.

Every time you make an attack that threatens a critical hit, and do not deal critical damage for any reason, you gain the ability to make a weapon attack once per round as a free action. This ability takes effect on your next turn, and lasts for one round per point of your critical modifier above 1. If this occurs multiple times, the duration stacks (but you still only get one free attack per round).

In any round that you make at least one attack roll, and do not hit an opponent, you gain the benefits of a Total Defense action.

Any time you deal damage to an opponent, you heal an amount of nonlethal damage equal to half (the maximum damage you could have done - the damage you actually did).

Any time one of your attacks leaves an opponent with more than 0 hit points, but no more hit points than (1 - your lowest ability modifier), that opponent is reduced to -10 hit points.

Defiance (Ex): Although you have accepted your fate, it does not mean that you accept it quietly. Also at third level, you may take nonlethal damage to improve the result of a d20 roll you make. Each point you improve the roll by deals nonlethal damage equal to 9 + your lowest ability modifier.

You must choose to do this before making the roll, and cannot gain a higher bonus to the roll than 1 - your lowest ability modifier. If the roll fails despite this bonus, instead of taking the nonlethal damage, you remove that amount of nonlethal damage.

Can't Catch a Break (Su): Even in those rare occurrences where fate might have smiled upon you, it often chooses not to. Starting at fourth level, you may now choose to automatically fail a check after rolling it, allowing you to store high check results with Spread It Around. However, you may not spend stored results of 10 or higher on yourself (you may spend them on allies within your aura, however).

Survivor (Ex): You are incredibly tough to kill. Starting at fourth level, subtract your maximum hit point total from the greatest possible value it could have been (that is, as if you had rolled maximum on every Hit Die). The number of hit points below 0 that you can fall to before you die is extended by the result. For example, a Cursed who rolled a 4, 6, and 9 for its three rolled Hit Dice doesn't die until it hits -27 hit points.

Pile It On (Ex): You're so used to bad things happening, that the volume of hindrances really doesn't matter. Starting at fifth level, any time you are suffering from more than one negative effect (physical damage, and the results thereof, aside), only the most debilitating actually applies. If multiple negative effects stack (as with fear, ability damage, negative levels, etc), they stack into a single negative effect. Additionally, your ability scores can no longer be reduced to 0 by ability damage or drain.

Pall (Su): You ever see those cartoons where the unlucky guy is constantly followed by a raincloud while it's otherwise a bright sunny day? From sixth level on, that is basically your life. Enemies treat the area of your Cursed Aura as difficult terrain, and have a 20% miss chance against any characters within your Cursed Aura. You and your allies ignore these mechanical effects, but your aura is still a pretty miserable place to be.

A Comedy of Errors (Su): You have learned to embrace your misfortune and let others suffer the consequences. At seventh level, as a free action on your turn, you may choose to up to double the penalty imposed by your Cursed Aura. However, each extra point of the penalty your aura causes imposes -1 on your own d20 rolls and your AC.

You must make at least one d20 roll on your turn to activate this ability.

Let It Ride (Su): There's luck, and then there's simple mathematical probability. Much to your dismay, your actions depend on the former. Your actions and efforts are always resolved with a single check (which may be an opposed check) - whichever offers you the lowest probability of success.

On the plus side, this means that if there are multiple checks you have to make, or multiple people who have a chance to foil you, only one such check is made. If you attack an enemy with a Miss Chance, you roll either the attack or the miss chance. If you cast a spell at a foe with SR, you either roll against SR or it gets a save. Use a ability that requires a touch attack and allows a save, the opponent gets either/or. Trying to sneak past a group of enemies, only the one with the highest chance to detect you gets a roll. Climbing a wall, you make a single skill check and that's what you get to determine the success or failure of your ascent. And so on. Again, however, you must roll the check that offers the lowest probability of success (or, if that isn't easy to determine, your opponent chooses which check is rolled).

However, this also means you can't retry checks to flat-out accomplish something. If it's a check you could normally take 20 on, you cannot retry for one day if you fail. Actions that you could repeat but not take 20 on (such as attack rolls, tumbling to avoid attacks, and so on) can still be performed repeatedly with a new check each time.

Improved Defiance (Ex): As a ninth level Cursed, you will suffer, but your foes will suffer too. As an immediate action when you fail a saving throw, choose an opponent in your Cursed Aura. That opponent is subject equally to the effect (it gets its own saving throw as normal).

Never Give Up (Ex): Yours is a tragic life, plagued by misfortune, but you know what? You press on. You make do. You survive despite everything life throws at you. You've made it to tenth level with all your failures and suffering, halfway through the class, and you will go on. You gain Damage Reduction and Regeneration both equal to your Constitution modifier minus your lowest ability modifier. Both of these defenses are overcome by critical hits. If you have any immunity to critical hits or nonlethal damage, you lose them. What, were you starting to think from the inspiring description of perseverence that you got rewarded by an unmitigated good thing? You're still Cursed, and there's still ten levels of pain left to go!

Epic Fail (Su): As an eleventh level Cursed, you have made abject failure into an art form. Any time you roll a natural 1 on a check, you suffer a negative circumstance from the following list as best fits the action you were taking: You fall Prone; become Entangled, Sickened, Shaken, or Flat-footed for one round; or wind up flinging whatever item you were using to perform the task 1d6x5 feet in a random direction. The DM may come up with similarly debilitating and humiliating results of a failure.

However, every enemy in your Cursed Aura must make a Will save or be stunned for one round by your ineptitude.

Your allies within your Cursed Aura also gain a morale bonus on their next d20 roll (if made within the next round) equal to your Charisma modifier.

The creeps.

Layer It On Thick (Su): At twelfth level, you can take delight in ruining the triumphs of others. You may now use your Spread It Around ability to alter a die roll after it has been rolled. You may do so a number of times per encounter equal to 1 - your lowest ability modifier.

Dangerous Pall (Su): At thirteenth level, your Pall has grown more severe, to the point of becoming hazardous. You learn to live with it. Your enemies do not. Choose a standard energy type (fire, cold, electricity, acid, or sonic). You gain immunity to that energy type, and enemies in your Cursed Aura suffer damage of that energy type equal to your class level at the start of each turn.

Karmic Paradox (Su): Starting at fourteenth level, you are like a black hole of karma, making the good bad and the bad worse. Whenever you swap a die roll after it has been rolled (using Spread It Around with Layer It On Thick), you may replace your stored roll with the swapped roll, rather than simply expending it.

Hatred Overflowing (Ex): At fifteenth level, your resentment has reached new levels. Every time an enemy that you threaten succeeds an action, it provokes an attack of opportunity from you. You also add your Charisma modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make per round, and to the damage rolls of your attacks of opportunity.

Drag Them Down (Su): Your misery is such that your very presence blots out the stronger emotions and literally drags foes down to your level. Starting at sixteenth level, enemies taking a penalty from your Cursed Aura lose any Luck or Morale bonuses they would normally receive, as well as bonuses from emotional effects. Luck or Morale penalties these enemies suffer, or penalties from emotional effects, are doubled.

Additionally, any enemy who is currently flying above the area within your Cursed Aura must make a Will save at the start of its turn or fall to the ground, sustaining normal falling damage.

Feel My Pain (Su): You are likely to suffer greatly in your life, but you can visit your misery on your foes, and that, if nothing else, can sometimes bring you relief. At seventeenth level, you may make a single weapon attack as a standard action. Choose any condition or temporary negative effect you are currently suffering from. If you hit, your target must make a Will save, or the chosen effect is transferred from you to the target. If the target is immune to the effect, it is not transferred. The effect retains its current duration and parameters.

If you are injured, and the opponent fails its save, you also transfer 1d6 points of damage per class level from yourself to your target. This is in addition to a negative effect (although if you have no negative effects, you may still use this ability solely to transfer damage).

Crush Hopes (Ex): When your foes are at the top of their game, lording their success over you, that is when you focus your rage and tear them down, shattering their hopes and dreams in an explosion of violence. Starting at eighteenth level, you may make an attack that can instantly slay your opponent, and savage its body enough that it is no longer considered in-tact for purposes of resurrection. As a standard action, make a melee attack against an opponent who scored at least two critical hits since the end of your last turn. Each natural 20 the opponent has rolled since the end of your last turn on non-attack checks counts as a critical hit for this purpose, and on a critical hit, each point of the critical multiplier above 2 counts as one additional crit. That opponent must make a Fortitude save, DC 8 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier + the total number of effective crits it has scored since the end of your last turn, or die instantly. If its save succeeds, you instead execute a full attack against it without further action cost, and your iterative attack penalty on each attack is reduced by the number of points its save succeeded by (so if it succeeded by 7, you would attack at +18/+18/+15/+10 rather than +18/+13/+8/+3).

Never Happened (Su): Your powers of denial are truly amazing. Sometimes, everything just goes wrong. When you have a string of truly awful luck, you just pretend it never happened. Starting at 19th level, at the end of an encounter where every check you made failed, you and your allies recover all hit points and resources lost during the encounter, and remove all negative effects incurred during the encounter, up to and including death. You may activate this ability once per day.

You must make at least five checks during the encounter, and at least one must be a failure on its own merits, not simply due to Can't Catch a Break or other intentional failures.

Eternal Suffering (Ex): Your life has been one grand cosmic joke. Your struggles, your failures, your losses, your pain and suffering, and yes, your occasional moments of triumph, have amused and entertained some greater powers. Unfortunately, mainly the cruel and spiteful ones - Archdevils, Demon Lords, Cosmic Horrors, Dungeon Masters, and so on. At twentieth level, you are "rewarded" for years of entertainment with eternal life. You no longer age or receive ability modifiers (good or bad) for aging, and you no longer have to eat, drink, sleep, or breathe. Your Regeneration and Damage Reduction are no longer overcome by any normal effect, and you gain immunity to negative energy, death effects, and disintegration effects.

It is still be possible to kill or permanently neutralize you through other means, but they don't make it easy.

Pathfinder Adaptation

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), (Str), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Favored Class Options:

Human: -1/5 to lowest ability score.

Elf: +1/5 maximum bonus from Defiance.

Half Elf: +1/5 stored rolls from Spread It Around.

Dwarf: +1/2 damage converted to nonlethal by Failure is Always an Option. At level 10 when this ability gets overlapped by Regeneration, this value is halved and added to your Damage Reduction from Never Give Up.

Gnome: +1/5 to penalty imposed by Cursed Aura.

Halfling: +1/5 to save bonus from Cursed Ability.

Half Orc: +1/2 bonus damage from Resentment.

Rakoa
2013-04-21, 11:18 AM
You are a genius. An absolute genius. This is my favourite base class probably ever. The flavour of this class is amazing and it will just be so awesome to play at some point.

The only question I have is for the purpose of abilities such as Resentment, what exactly qualifies a "check"? Opposed ability checks used in Bull Rushes and Trips are what comes to mind, which makes the granted bonuses still useful but not as useful as if a successful check is intended to be an attack roll as well. I'm not saying which would be better, just wondering which you intended when writing the class. The power level of the ability changes based on the interpretation, of course.

Also, Cursed Aura mentions a Will saving throw but does not mention a DC.

Meeky
2013-04-21, 11:30 AM
Also, Cursed Aura mentions a Will saving throw but does not mention a DC.


All of the following are class features of the Cursed. The DC for the Cursed's abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier.

It's there, but it's hidden. It took me a little while to find that while I was reading this.

I love the flavor of the class and would love to play it, but in a way it feels like it gets way too many abilities, and all made more powerful by having one really bad stat (which can't be Charisma, luckily)... I'd have to playtest this depressed feller to get an idea of how strong the class actually is, though.

Rakoa
2013-04-21, 11:35 AM
It's there, but it's hidden. It took me a little while to find that while I was reading this.

I love the flavor of the class and would love to play it, but in a way it feels like it gets way too many abilities, and all made more powerful by having one really bad stat (which can't be Charisma, luckily)... I'd have to playtest this depressed feller to get an idea of how strong the class actually is, though.

Ahh, thanks for pointing that out. It definitely has a lot of class abilities, and ones that could make it really powerful, especially if "check" also refers to attack rolls as I asked above. I don't think this is really a bad thing, though. A high tier class focused on sucking would be really cool.

I'm curious as to the intended balancing point / tier rank aimed for, though.

EDIT: While I'm here, another question: do you use Defiance to boost your die roll before or after it is rolled?

Quellian-dyrae
2013-04-21, 01:51 PM
You are a genius. An absolute genius. This is my favourite base class probably ever. The flavour of this class is amazing and it will just be so awesome to play at some point.

Awesome, thanks! Glad you like it!


The only question I have is for the purpose of abilities such as Resentment, what exactly qualifies a "check"? Opposed ability checks used in Bull Rushes and Trips are what comes to mind, which makes the granted bonuses still useful but not as useful as if a successful check is intended to be an attack roll as well. I'm not saying which would be better, just wondering which you intended when writing the class. The power level of the ability changes based on the interpretation, of course.

My intent was basically any d20 roll that can succeed or fail. So yeah, it's pretty substantial.


I love the flavor of the class and would love to play it, but in a way it feels like it gets way too many abilities, and all made more powerful by having one really bad stat (which can't be Charisma, luckily)... I'd have to playtest this depressed feller to get an idea of how strong the class actually is, though.

It is a large number of abilities. The intent is that it'll be balanced by most of the abilities requiring some sort of failure or cost, or success by your enemies. The abilities that get boosted by a low ability score...well, require a low ability score. The class features somewhat ease the pain of that, but it's still a hefty cost.

The class also doesn't have things like spells, maneuvers, and similar "leveled" features, so a large ability list keeps it competitive.


I'm curious as to the intended balancing point / tier rank aimed for, though.

Obviously, an incredibly strong Tier 6 :smallcool:.

More seriously, I'd say in the same general vicinity as a warblade.


EDIT: While I'm here, another question: do you use Defiance to boost your die roll before or after it is rolled?

Ah, I should specify that. And think about it, actually. My original intent was after, making it basically a, "you can force a check to succeed, at a high cost in hit points", but that might be too good since it lets you cheaply succeed when you fail by a point or two.

Maybe I'll change it around...make it that you "bet" a number of hit points on a check, getting a bonus based on the amount, up to a certain maximum. If the check succeeds, you lose the hit points. If the check fails, you heal the hit points.

So basically...

Defiance (Ex): Although you have accepted your fate, it does not mean that you accept it quietly. Also at third level, you may take nonlethal damage to improve the result of a d20 roll you make. Each point you improve the roll by deals nonlethal damage equal to 9 + your lowest ability modifier.

You must choose to do this before making the roll, and cannot gain a higher bonus to the roll than 1 - your lowest ability modifier. If the roll fails despite this bonus, instead of taking the nonlethal damage, you remove that amount of nonlethal damage.

Rakoa
2013-04-21, 02:09 PM
My intent was basically any d20 roll that can succeed or fail. So yeah, it's pretty substantial.


It is a large number of abilities. The intent is that it'll be balanced by most of the abilities requiring some sort of failure or cost, or success by your enemies. The abilities that get boosted by a low ability score...well, require a low ability score. The class features somewhat ease the pain of that, but it's still a hefty cost.

Nothing wrong with that. In fact, if it wasn't any d20 roll and was only opposed checks it wouldn't be nearly as useful. Those do happen in combat, but only very infrequently.



The class also doesn't have things like spells, maneuvers, and similar "leveled" features, so a large ability list keeps it competitive.

Agreed, the large ability list keep the class from becoming irrelevant.



Defiance (Ex): Although you have accepted your fate, it does not mean that you accept it quietly. Also at third level, you may take nonlethal damage to improve the result of a d20 roll you make. Each point you improve the roll by deals nonlethal damage equal to 9 + your lowest ability modifier.

You must choose to do this before making the roll, and cannot gain a higher bonus to the roll than 1 - your lowest ability modifier. If the roll fails despite this bonus, instead of taking the nonlethal damage, you remove that amount of nonlethal damage.

This is really good. Basically, you can bet as small as you want with little to no risk, or go large for a guaranteed success (but a crapload of damage). I like it.

Quellian-dyrae
2013-04-21, 06:17 PM
Alright, that's added. Also tweaked Failure Is Always An Option a bit; moved the save bonus and ability penalty to a new featured, Cursed Ability, and specified that stats affected by your lowest ability modifier also can't be swapped/added to by another ability score (after realizing that the clear winning move was, dump Wisdom, get Steadfast Determination).

Added some nonlethal damage conversion to Failure Is Always An Option as well, to help them tank without dying at the lower levels.

zorenathres
2013-04-21, 06:38 PM
Just wanted to say I really dig this concept, I would have especially loved it early on in my D&D career as a noob rolling so many terrible rolls! Though primarily a DM now, i would love to play this class...

Quellian-dyrae
2013-04-21, 07:10 PM
Thanks! Glad to hear it!

crayzz
2013-04-21, 07:50 PM
Were I a malevolent god, I would give the Cursed One good luck after they'd dedicated their lives to this class.

Kristofthegreat
2013-04-21, 08:39 PM
I'm totally adding this to my "to play" list!!!

Quellian-dyrae
2013-04-22, 04:47 PM
So, had a thought...actually started as a character concept of like a gestalt Cursed//Bard, but I decided it'd work better as a class variant. For a more buffer/healer spin on the Cursed class, I present...


Variant Cursed - The Fool

Most Cursed face lives of poor fortune with focused determination barely masking seething resentment. They train hard at the warrior's arts, seeking to overcome deficiencies of luck with pure skill and resilience. Some, however, look upon their bad luck with a self-deprecating sense of humor, or even refuse to believe they are unlucky at all. Though they lack the martial skills of many other Cursed, they still try hard, tackling challenges with earnest enthusiasm. Rather than resent the good fortune they cannot have, they cheerfully encourage their luckier allies, even as they are often mocked for their ineptitude. These are the people who face the rigors of adventure with neither luck nor skill, but with a smile on their faces, a song in their hearts, and unshakable faith in their friends.

These are the Fools.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Fools have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Like all Cursed, Fools rely on Charisma and Constitution, although they tend to favor the former over the latter.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Starting Age: As bard.
Starting Gold: As bard.

Class Skills
The Cursed's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are...
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (N/A), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at First Level: (8 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 8 + Int modifier

THE FOOL
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st
+0
+0
+0
+0Cursed Ability, Cursed Aura, That's Our Fool, Inspiring.
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+0Optimism (Allies), Why Me?
3rd
+2
+1
+1
+1Enthusiasm, Encouraging.
4th
+3
+1
+1
+1Optimism (Enemies), Comic Relief.
5th
+3
+1
+1
+1Pile It On.
6th
+4
+2
+2
+2Pall.
7th
+5
+2
+2
+2A Comedy of Errors.
8th
+6
+2
+2
+2Let It Ride.
9th
+6
+3
+3
+3Pity The Fool.
10th
+7
+3
+3
+3Spirit Undimmed.
11th
+8
+3
+3
+3Epic Fail.
12th
+9
+4
+4
+4Layer It On Thick.
13th
+9
+4
+4
+4Dangerous Pall.
14th
+10
+4
+4
+4Karmic Paradox.
15th
+11
+5
+5
+5Cheer Overflowing.
16th
+12
+5
+5
+5Lift Them Up.
17th
+12
+5
+5
+5Feel My Pain.
18th
+13
+6
+6
+6Congratulate.
19th
+14
+6
+6
+6Never Happened.
20th
+15
+6
+6
+6Eternal Optimism.

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cursed. The DC for the Cursed's abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 level + Cha modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Cursed is proficient with simple and martial weapons, light, medium, and heavy armor, and shields (including tower shields).

That's Our Fool! (Ex) [1st; Replaces Failure Is Always An Option]: You are cursed with ill luck. No matter how certain it seems, there is always a chance that you will fail. You cannot take 10 or take 20, and do not automatically succeed attack rolls or saving throws on a natural 20. Any time you roll a natural 1 on a check, if you have not failed, subtract 1d10 from the check result. If you roll a 10, continue rolling until you fail or roll something other than a 10. Any Luck Bonus you receive is set to 0.

However, people tend to feel obligated to protect you. Any time you take damage all allies who witnessed you take damage receive a bonus on all damage rolls against your attacker equal to one-fifth the damage you sustained, rounded up. Any time you fail a saving throw, all allies who witnessed it receive a bonus on attack rolls and save DCs against the attacker. This bonus is +2 to attack rolls and +1 to save DCs if the effect causes damage or statistical penalties. It is +3 and +1 if the effect gives your actions a flat percentage chance to fail or prevents you from taking move actions. It is +4 and +2 if the effect prevents you from taking standard actions or compels your actions. It is +5 and +2 if the effect renders you helpless. It is +6 and +3 if the effect kills you, takes complete control over you, or permanently transforms you.

The damage bonuses stack. The attack and DC bonuses do not; use only the highest. The bonuses last for one round. If the effect incapacitates you, the bonuses last for the rest of the encounter, and your allies get an equal bonus against all allies of the attacker for one round. If the effect kills you, the bonuses are permanent, and your allies get an equal bonus against all allies of the attacker for the rest of the encounter.

Inspiring (Ex) [1st; Replaces Resentment]: While other Cursed seethe at the luck of others and lash out vengefully, you delight in seeing your allies pull off great deeds. There's absolutely no proof that it isn't your cheerful presence that inspires them to new heights of skill! If you sing like a bard, that's even better! As a swift action, you can grant all allies in your Cursed Aura (excluding yourself) a morale bonus for one round. This bonus is equal to half your Charisma modifier, and can apply to any one of the following, chosen with each use:


Attack and weapon damage rolls.
AC and DR (granting DR/- if allies don't have existing DR).
All saving throws.
All skill checks.
All ability checks and miscellaneous opposed checks.
Caster level, with half the bonus also applying to save DCs.
Movement speed (+10' speed per point of the bonus).


Additionally, for each three class levels, all allies affected by this ability gain 1d6 temporary hit points. These temporary hit points last for one round.

Optimism (Su) [2nd; Modifies Spread It Around and Can't Catch a Break]: Your constant failures don't dim your spirit, even when your friends swoop in, make it look easy, and claim all the glory when you know you could have done it if it wasn't for that pothole, sudden muscle cramp, or low-flying bird. This ability functions like Spread It Around and Can't Catch a Break. However, you reverse who you can affect at what levels; you may automatically fail checks and use them to improve the rolls of your allies at second level, and can simply store low rolls and use them to hinder your foes at fourth level.

Enthusiam (Ex) [3rd; Replaces Acceptance]: You attempt to accomplish through sheer enthusiasm what others rely on skill or luck to do. You typically fail, but your allies can pick up the slack. No doubt, it was your stunning assault that provided them the distraction they needed to capitalize on!

Every time you make an attack that threatens a critical hit, and do not deal critical damage for any reason, your target provokes an attack of opportunity from one of your allies. For each point of your critical multiplier above 1, it provokes from one additional ally.

Any time you miss with an attack, an ally in your Cursed Aura receives the benefits of an Aid Another action (no further roll is made, you just provide the +2 bonus).

Any time you deal damage to an opponent, an ally in your Cursed Aura heals an amount of damage equal to half (the maximum damage you could have done - the damage you actually did).

Any time one of your attacks leaves an opponent with more than 0 hit points, but no more hit points than (1 minus your lowest ability modifier), that opponent immediately surrenders. This is a mind-affecting compulsion.

Encouraging (Ex) [3rd; Replaces Defiance]: When you cheer for your allies and call out tactical suggestions, you just know it's having an impact. Sure, your foe may be too strong for your blade, but yelling "Get him!" and "You can do it!" at the top of your lungs has to be just as valuable a contribution as stabbing! At third level, whenever you use Aid Another to provide a bonus on attack rolls, the bonus also applies to damage rolls and to all opposed checks for combat maneuvers. Whenever you use Aid Another to provide a bonus to AC, the bonus also applies to DR (granting DR/- if no DR exists) and saving throws. The bonus applies to all attacks made by or against the affected ally until the start of your next turn.

You can also use Aid Another on any ally within your Cursed Aura, and substitute a Bluff, Intimidate, Diplomacy, or Perform check for the attack roll. For each ten points your check beats the DC by, you increase the bonus by 1, up to a maximum increase equal to 0 minus your lowest ability modifier.

Comic Relief (Ex) [4th; Replaces Survivor]: Your constant bumbling and ineptitude never fails to amuse your friends. For whatever reason, you have not sought out new friends. At fourth level, in any round that you fail more checks than you succeed while in combat, all allies in your Cursed Aura either receive healing equal to 1d6 points per two class levels, or may make a new saving throw against an effect upon them that allowed a save to resist and lasts on a duration, with a successful save functioning as if they had succeeded the save initially. You do not receive these benefits.

Pity The Fool (Sp) [9th; Replaces Improved Defiance]: You're just so bumbling and harmless, it makes you hard to hate. A combined number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can produce the following effects as spell-like abilities: Charm Monster, Calm Emotions, or Sanctuary. The DCs for these abilities use your normal Cursed DC, not a DC based on the spell level.

Additionally, any character who grapples you must make a Will save or be unable to cause any damage to you while grappling. This is not a mind-affecting ability and lasts for the rest of the encounter.

Spirit Undimmed (Su) [10th; Replaces Never Give Up]: As long as you are breathing, you won't give up, and you won't let your friends either! Even if you've been beaten within an inch of your life! And no matter how common an occurance that might be! At tenth level, you and all allies in your Cursed Aura gain Fast Healing equal to your Constitution modifier minus your lowest ability modifier.

Cheer Overflowing (Ex) [15th; Replaces Hatred Overflowing]: When you think you've helped, you push on twice as hard! Whenever an ally who is benefitting from an offensive Aid Another action from you makes a successful attack, you may make an attack of opportunity against its target. You also add your Charisma modifier to the number of attacks of opportunity you can make per round, and to the damage rolls of your attacks of opportunity.

Lift Them Up (Su) [16th; Replaces Drag Them Down]: Your constant optimism cannot be denied, lifting your friends' spirits - in more ways than one. At sixteenth level, all allies in your Cursed Aura increase the effects of any morale bonuses or emotion-based bonuses they receive by half, and are immune to morale penalties and undesired emotion-based effects. They also gain a Fly speed of 10' per point of your Charisma modifier (with Good maneuverability) as long as they remain in or above the area affected by your Cursed Aura. This flight also lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1 - your lowest ability modifier after they leave that area, and renews if they reenter before it expires. You do not receive either benefit, but I'm sure you take much joy in watching your allies soar around like birds while you remain stuck on the ground.

Congratulate (Su) [18th; Replaces Crush Hopes]: Sometimes, your allies pull off the amazing, going so far beyond your abilities that they leave you awed. There is no need for cheer, for encouraging words; everyone knows what they just did, and all that is left is to offer your sincere congratulations on such an achievement. Activating this ability is a standard action, and it only applies to allies who rolled two or more critical hits since the end of your last turn. Each natural 20 the ally has rolled since the end of your last turn on non-attack checks counts as a critical hit for this purpose, and on a critical hit, each point of the critical multiplier above 2 counts as one additional crit. All allies in your Cursed Aura who qualify for the effect immediately receive the full effects of a Heal and Greater Restoration spell.

Eternal Optimism (Su) [20th; Replaces Eternal Suffering]: So you've made it to twentieth level. Your allies are the perennial champions of the land, and you count yourself lucky to be considered their mascot. When the bards tell the tales of your adventures, they tend to get your name wrong when they mention it at all. You have faced down countless foes, and most of them don't even deem you worth trying to kill.

...There's not really a "but" here. You spent twenty levels on a class called Fool. What did you expect?

Your allies, though, man, look at those guys! They take, like, everything the world can throw at them and handle it like champs! They don't seem to know how to die! Allies in your Cursed Aura are immune to disintegration and death effects, can't have ability scores reduced below 1, and cannot die due to hit point damage. And if you think you get even a taste of these benefits, you're an even bigger Fool than twenty levels of the class suggests.

Pathfinder Adaptation

Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Favored Class Options:

Human: -1/5 to lowest ability score.

Elf: +1/3 to morale bonus from Inspiring when boosting caster level and save DCs.

Half Elf: +1/5 stored rolls from Optimism.

Dwarf: +1/3 to morale bonus from Inspiring when boosting AC and DR.

Gnome: +1/3 to morale bonus from Inspiring when boosting skill checks.

Halfling: +1/3 to morale bonus from Inspiring when boosting saving throws.

Half Orc: +1/3 to morale bonus from Inspiring when boosting attack and weapon damage rolls.