PlusSixPelican
2013-06-06, 09:36 AM
So, I was talking to a friend, and I had an idea for a PrC. It involves a degree of leveling the playing field between a martial class and the casters that everyone seems to complain about, giving a sword-wielding character some ability to control the battlefield, strike from a distance, and defend themselves without smashing open pots to look for the rupees to pay for it.
It also has the fun flavor of being struck by lightning.
Widening Gyre
Widening Gyres are mysterious swordsmen, struck by lightning and granted the power of a living hurricane.
Class Hit Dice: d8.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Non-lawful. The alignment requirement may be ignored by worshipers of a god of storms.
Base Attack Bonus: +11.
Feats: Storm-Lashed (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/storm-lashed).
Special: Character must know Auran language, and own a non-masterwork, non-magical cutlass or scimitar.
Skills:
2+Dex (Explained below.)
Class skills:
Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb, (Str), Escape Artist, Fly (Dex), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Nature), Perception (Wis), Perform (Oratory), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex).
Level 1: Fort: +2 Ref: +1 Will: +1, BAB +1
Level 2: Fort: +2 Ref: +1 Will: +1, BAB +2
Level 3: Fort: +3 Ref: +2 Will: +2, BAB +3
---
Level 1: Gale Attack, Marred by Lightning, Tempest’s Edge
Level 2: Dervish Dance, Light as Air, Mistral Maneuvers, Silencing Strike
Level 3: Levant, Snap Sirocco, Widening Gyre
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Widening Gyre gains proficiency with cutlasses and scimitars.
Class Features:
Gale Attack (Ex)
You can choose to take a -1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain an additional 15 feet of reach with your weapon, sending sharp gusts of wind at your foes. If you choose to do so, your attack deals slashing damage.
For each additional 4 points of BAB you possess beyond +4, you may increase this penalty by -1 to gain a scaling increase to the reach of your attack, as follows;
+4: -1, +15 foot reach
+8: -2, +35 foot reach
+12: -3, +60 foot reach
+16: -4, +90 foot reach
+20: -5, +125 foot reach
You must choose to use this ability before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next attack. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks, effect that do not deal hit point damage, or weapons that cannot deal slashing damage.
Marred by Lightning (Su)
When a character first becomes a Widening Gyre, they are struck by a mysterious thunderbolt, knocking them unconscious. Upon waking up, the character has a large scar in the form of a Lichtenberg figure, appearing somewhere on the character’s body; along with having the first level of the class. Most Widening Gyres are proud of these scars, and have no qualms with showing them off. Thereafter, he Widening Gyre gains resist Electricity and Sonic 5. These resistances increase to 10 at 2nd Widening Gyre level, and to 15 at 3rd Widening Gyre level.
Tempest’s Edge (Su)
Whenever the Widening Gyre holds an attuned non-masterwork Cutlass or Scimitar, it becomes a +1 Shocking weapon, hereby referred to as a Tempest’s Edge. The use of a Tempest’s Edge is as a Supernatural ability for the purposes of interacting with magic and magic suppression. The enhancement bonus to the Tempest’s Edge increases to +2 at 2nd Widening Gyre level, adding the Ghost Touch quality, and +3 at 3rd Widening Gyre level, also replacing the Shocking quality with the Shocking Burst quality. At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Tempest’s Edge is considered a +3 Ghost Touch Shocking Burst weapon. The Tempest’s Edge only applies when a Widening Gyre is holding an attuned weapon, and is not in effect when not in their hands.
Attuning a weapon into a Tempest’s Edge takes 8 hours of meditation, and the Widening Gyre may only have up one attuned weapon ready to be Tempest’s Edges per Widening Gyre level at one time. One eligible weapon is automatically attuned when the character takes their first level in Widening Gyre.
Dervish Dance
At 2nd Widening Gyre level, you gain Dervish Dance as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites, and may also apply the feat to a cutlass as though it were a scimitar. If you already have the Dervish Dance feat, you instead gain 5 skill points, but may still use Dervish Dance with cutlasses.
Light as Air (Su)
At 2nd Widening Gyre level you get a +4 inherent bonus to Fly checks. In addition, the Widening Gyre becomes immune to damage and detrimental effects from non-magical wind; and the Widening Gyre may choose not to be moved by wind if they choose not to be.
Mistral Maneuvers (Ex)
At 2nd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre may make Bull Rush, Dirty Trick, Disarm, Sunder, and Trip maneuvers from afar, gaining additional reach equivalent to the reach granted by their Widening Gyre ability, at the cost of a penalty as though they had used that much reach with a Gale Attack. Failing to make a check with a Mistral Maneuver does not cause the Widening Gyre to drop their weapon. This ability may only be used with a Tempest’s Edge.
Silencing Strike (Ex)
At 2nd Widening Gyre Level, the you gain the ability to make a Silencing Strike as a standard action. This strike has a range equal to that of your Gale Attack ability. This attack sends a column of vacuum at the target, sucking the air out of their immediate vicinity, taking away their ability to make sounds, communicate verbally, cast spells with verbal components, or use magic items with command words. To make a Silencing Strike attack, make an attack roll at your second highest Base attack bonus; the defending creature must succeed against a Reflex save with against the result or suffer the effects of Silencing Strike until the start of your next turn. This ability may only be used with a Tempest’s Edge.
Levant (Su)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre is considered to be surrounded on all sides (within their own square) by an effect equal to that of the spell Fickle Winds, although they may suspend this effect for as long as they wish with a free action, or resume it as a swift action if it has been suspended. Additionally, objects that would be deflected upwards are deflected downwards instead.
Snap Sirocco (Ex)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, whenever the Widening Gyre would need to make a Reflex save, they may replace it with an attack roll at their highest base attack bonus as long as they are holding a Tempest’s Edge. If successful, any consequences that would be halved are instead negated entirely.
Widening Gyre (Ex)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre may apply their Gale Attack ability to attacks of opportunity, although only when wielding a Tempest’s Edge.
Now, to answer pre-emptive questions about the skill ranks. Most fighters tend to not get many skill ranks, since 2+Int, and then not using much Int. For three levels, getting 2+"Stat I actually invest in" is there to help mitigate that, despite going against oodles of precedent as skills being Int-based.
So, thoughts, Playground?
It also has the fun flavor of being struck by lightning.
Widening Gyre
Widening Gyres are mysterious swordsmen, struck by lightning and granted the power of a living hurricane.
Class Hit Dice: d8.
Prerequisites:
Alignment: Non-lawful. The alignment requirement may be ignored by worshipers of a god of storms.
Base Attack Bonus: +11.
Feats: Storm-Lashed (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/storm-lashed).
Special: Character must know Auran language, and own a non-masterwork, non-magical cutlass or scimitar.
Skills:
2+Dex (Explained below.)
Class skills:
Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb, (Str), Escape Artist, Fly (Dex), Knowledge (Geography), Knowledge (Nature), Perception (Wis), Perform (Oratory), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex).
Level 1: Fort: +2 Ref: +1 Will: +1, BAB +1
Level 2: Fort: +2 Ref: +1 Will: +1, BAB +2
Level 3: Fort: +3 Ref: +2 Will: +2, BAB +3
---
Level 1: Gale Attack, Marred by Lightning, Tempest’s Edge
Level 2: Dervish Dance, Light as Air, Mistral Maneuvers, Silencing Strike
Level 3: Levant, Snap Sirocco, Widening Gyre
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Widening Gyre gains proficiency with cutlasses and scimitars.
Class Features:
Gale Attack (Ex)
You can choose to take a -1 penalty on all melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to gain an additional 15 feet of reach with your weapon, sending sharp gusts of wind at your foes. If you choose to do so, your attack deals slashing damage.
For each additional 4 points of BAB you possess beyond +4, you may increase this penalty by -1 to gain a scaling increase to the reach of your attack, as follows;
+4: -1, +15 foot reach
+8: -2, +35 foot reach
+12: -3, +60 foot reach
+16: -4, +90 foot reach
+20: -5, +125 foot reach
You must choose to use this ability before making an attack roll, and its effects last until your next attack. The bonus damage does not apply to touch attacks, effect that do not deal hit point damage, or weapons that cannot deal slashing damage.
Marred by Lightning (Su)
When a character first becomes a Widening Gyre, they are struck by a mysterious thunderbolt, knocking them unconscious. Upon waking up, the character has a large scar in the form of a Lichtenberg figure, appearing somewhere on the character’s body; along with having the first level of the class. Most Widening Gyres are proud of these scars, and have no qualms with showing them off. Thereafter, he Widening Gyre gains resist Electricity and Sonic 5. These resistances increase to 10 at 2nd Widening Gyre level, and to 15 at 3rd Widening Gyre level.
Tempest’s Edge (Su)
Whenever the Widening Gyre holds an attuned non-masterwork Cutlass or Scimitar, it becomes a +1 Shocking weapon, hereby referred to as a Tempest’s Edge. The use of a Tempest’s Edge is as a Supernatural ability for the purposes of interacting with magic and magic suppression. The enhancement bonus to the Tempest’s Edge increases to +2 at 2nd Widening Gyre level, adding the Ghost Touch quality, and +3 at 3rd Widening Gyre level, also replacing the Shocking quality with the Shocking Burst quality. At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Tempest’s Edge is considered a +3 Ghost Touch Shocking Burst weapon. The Tempest’s Edge only applies when a Widening Gyre is holding an attuned weapon, and is not in effect when not in their hands.
Attuning a weapon into a Tempest’s Edge takes 8 hours of meditation, and the Widening Gyre may only have up one attuned weapon ready to be Tempest’s Edges per Widening Gyre level at one time. One eligible weapon is automatically attuned when the character takes their first level in Widening Gyre.
Dervish Dance
At 2nd Widening Gyre level, you gain Dervish Dance as a bonus feat, even if you do not meet the prerequisites, and may also apply the feat to a cutlass as though it were a scimitar. If you already have the Dervish Dance feat, you instead gain 5 skill points, but may still use Dervish Dance with cutlasses.
Light as Air (Su)
At 2nd Widening Gyre level you get a +4 inherent bonus to Fly checks. In addition, the Widening Gyre becomes immune to damage and detrimental effects from non-magical wind; and the Widening Gyre may choose not to be moved by wind if they choose not to be.
Mistral Maneuvers (Ex)
At 2nd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre may make Bull Rush, Dirty Trick, Disarm, Sunder, and Trip maneuvers from afar, gaining additional reach equivalent to the reach granted by their Widening Gyre ability, at the cost of a penalty as though they had used that much reach with a Gale Attack. Failing to make a check with a Mistral Maneuver does not cause the Widening Gyre to drop their weapon. This ability may only be used with a Tempest’s Edge.
Silencing Strike (Ex)
At 2nd Widening Gyre Level, the you gain the ability to make a Silencing Strike as a standard action. This strike has a range equal to that of your Gale Attack ability. This attack sends a column of vacuum at the target, sucking the air out of their immediate vicinity, taking away their ability to make sounds, communicate verbally, cast spells with verbal components, or use magic items with command words. To make a Silencing Strike attack, make an attack roll at your second highest Base attack bonus; the defending creature must succeed against a Reflex save with against the result or suffer the effects of Silencing Strike until the start of your next turn. This ability may only be used with a Tempest’s Edge.
Levant (Su)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre is considered to be surrounded on all sides (within their own square) by an effect equal to that of the spell Fickle Winds, although they may suspend this effect for as long as they wish with a free action, or resume it as a swift action if it has been suspended. Additionally, objects that would be deflected upwards are deflected downwards instead.
Snap Sirocco (Ex)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, whenever the Widening Gyre would need to make a Reflex save, they may replace it with an attack roll at their highest base attack bonus as long as they are holding a Tempest’s Edge. If successful, any consequences that would be halved are instead negated entirely.
Widening Gyre (Ex)
At 3rd Widening Gyre level, the Widening Gyre may apply their Gale Attack ability to attacks of opportunity, although only when wielding a Tempest’s Edge.
Now, to answer pre-emptive questions about the skill ranks. Most fighters tend to not get many skill ranks, since 2+Int, and then not using much Int. For three levels, getting 2+"Stat I actually invest in" is there to help mitigate that, despite going against oodles of precedent as skills being Int-based.
So, thoughts, Playground?