Xerlith
2013-08-14, 06:06 PM
This is a class that I made some time ago. As it's something one of my player expressed a desire to play, I'd like to have its power level evaluated. :smallsmile:
The Frostblade
Frostblades are those martial adepts who choose to enhance their fighting abilities with magic, eventually changing into beings of cold itself. The members of this class are rarely seen, but every one of them is a potent fighter and more often than not is able to utilize magic to defend himself.
BECOMING A FROSTBLADE
To become a frostblade, one typically seeks out either a high enough level member of this class to infuse themselves with that frostblade's body, or an elemental creature to take a part of their body instead. Infusing requires a special, obscure ritual that is known only to a select few. Once it is completed, the recipient gains arcane abilities and may begin his training.
Requirements:
Skills: Martial Lore 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4
Special: Must be able to initiate maneuvers of 3rd level or higher, must know at least one strike, at least one stance.
Special: Must have contacted an outsider with cold subtype and bound a part of their body within self.
The Frostblade
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
Freezing Wrath, Icy Skin (+1)
2
2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
Hoarfrost Stance
2
1
3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
Chilling Glance, Crystallize
3
2
4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
Icy skin (+2), Spell Channel
3
2
1
5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
Body Of Frost
3
3
2
6th
+6
+5
+2
+5
Piercing Chill
4
3
2
1
7th
+7
+5
+2
+5
Icy Skin (+3), Spell Channel (Full Attack)
4
3
3
2
8th
+8
+6
+2
+6
Numbing Cold
4
4
3
2
1
9th
+9
+6
+3
+6
Residual Cold
5
4
3
3
2
10th
+10
+7
+3
+7
Frozen Ascension, Icy Skin (+4)
5
4
3
3
2
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: Climb(Str), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Ride(Dex), Spellcraft(Int), Swim(Str), Martial Lore (Int), Intimidate (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1st
3
1
2nd
4
2
1
3rd
4
2
2
4th
4
2
2
1
5th
5
3
2
2
6th
5
3
3
2
1
7th
5
3
3
2
2
8th
5
4
3
3
2
1
9th
6
4
4
3
2
2
10th
6
4
4
3
3
2
Maneuvers
Level
M. Known
M. Readied
Stances
1st
1
0
0
2nd
0
0
0
3rd
1
1
0
4th
0
0
0
5th
1
0
1
6th
0
1
0
7th
1
0
0
8th
0
0
0
9th
1
1
0
10th
0
0
1
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Frostblade gains no weapon or armor proficiencies. You can cast spells while wearing light or medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This only applies to the spells you know as a Frostblade, and you might incur arcane spell failure chance for spells received from other spellcasting classes
Maneuvers and stances: Every odd level you learn a maneuver from the following disciplines: Frozen Zephyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570), Iron Heart, Bitter Edge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8096955#post8096955).
On levels 3, 6 and 9 you gain new maneuver readied. On 5th and 8th level you gain a new stance, which must be chosen from the disciplines available to you.
Frostblade (Su): At 1st level, you learn your signature skill. You gain the ability to channel your cold energies into the form of a weapon. As a move action, you can conjure a blade composed of swirling ice crystals.
You wield this blade as a scimitar made for your size, and it deals 1d6 damage per five initiator levels on a successful melee attack (including extra damage or effects from class features or feats), though it is not subject to spell resistance. In addition, it counts as a Frozen Zephyr weapon.
A frostblade is treated as a magic weapon, and it has an enhancement bonus on attack rolls equal to Ό your caster level.
The moment you relinquish your grip on your frostblade, it dissipates.
Once per round, as a free action you may choose to solidify your blade into a crystalline ice or have it reassume it's original fluid, gaseous form.
Solid Form:
The attacks you make with the solid Frostblade are normal melee attacks and you add your strength bonus to them.
The solid blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another on your next move action.
You can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the solid frostblade just as if it were a normal weapon. You treat it as a scimitar for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. You can use weapon-enhancing spells on it, but you cannot enchant it permanently.
Fluid Form:
The attacks with the fluid frostblade are melee touch attacks. It has a reach of 10ft. You do not add your strength bonus to damage and cannot use Power Attack or similar feats in conjunction with it. If a weapon-enhancing spell is cast upon it, it works only with the solid form.
Half damage it deals is piercing, the other half cold.
Even in places where magical effects do not function, you can attempt to sustain your blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, you maintain it for a number of rounds equal to your caster level. On an unsuccessful attempt, the weapon vanishes. As a move action on your next turn, you can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize it while you remain within the magic-negating effect.
Spellcasting: A frostblade has access to a small list of arcane spells, which are drawn from the list of spells available to sorcerers/wizards from the schools of conjuration, evocation, abjuration and transmutation. You learn and cast spells as a sorcerer does, At 4th level and on every next even level you may exchange a spell you know for any other available spell of the same level as the previous spell.
Any time you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you may choose to have it deal cold damage instead of its normal damage type. Effectively, you are able to spontaneously apply the benefits of the Energy Substitution (Cold) feat, without increasing the spell's casting time.
If the spell has an effect other than dealing damage there is no change to its non-damaging effect.
You treat all spells with the [fire] descriptor as one level higher for purposes of spell slots, but not spells known. Thus while you can choose to learn fireball, and it's a 3rd level spell for you, you must use your 4th level slot to cast it (or have it deal cold damage and use up your 3rd level spell slot, like a normal fireball would).
To cast a spell, you must have a Constitution score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell's level + your Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Constitution score.
Your cantrips do not consume any slots upon being cast.
Your caster level for Frostblade spells equals your Initiator level.
Icy Skin(Ex): Your body gradually becomes more like ice. Your skin turns whiter and colder to the touch as the permanent layer of frost grows deeper.
You gain a natural armor increase on 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th level.
In warm temperatures, the frost continually evaporates and replenishes itself, enshrouding you in a wispy vapor.
You are also considered to be under a constant effect of the Endure Elements spell.
Freezing Wrath(Su): You can channel your innate arcane energy into a melee weapon, your unarmed strike, or natural weapons.
As a free action you can expend one of your unused spell slots (of 1st level or higher) to gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed, as well as extra cold damage equal to 1d8 points x the level of the spell sacrificed.
The bonus damage stacks with whatever additional damage your weapon deals.
Hoarfrost Stance(Su): As a swift action, you can forgo the benefits of your current stance to enter the Hoarfrost Stance. While you're in it, the area under your feet and in squares adjacent to you is covered by a thin layer of ice. It functions as a Grease spell cast by you (With a Reflex save DC equal to 11+your Cha modifier). It crystallizes under your feet as soon as you move and dissipates after one round. You yourself are immune to the Grease effect.
Furthermore, upon entering the stance, you may choose to expend one of your unused spell slots to gain ability to gracefully skate along the ground, turn, or stop suddenly as desired. Your land speed increases by 10ft per level of the spell expended (This is an untyped bonus).
This is a supernatural ability.
Chilling Glance(Ex): Your unnatural and cold stare makes people around you uneasy. Beginning at 3rd level you add ½ your class level (rounded down) to your Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.
Crystallize(Su): Starting at 3rd level you may, as a free or immediate action, expend a Frostblade spell slot to give yourself Fire Resistance and DR/piercing and magic equal to twice the spell level expended until the beginning of your next round.
Spell Channeling (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack made as a part of a martial maneuver with initiation time of a standard action. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved. If the attack misses, you may attempt a Concentration check with its DC equal to 16+twice the spell level to hold the charge. Spell saved this way deals damage on your next attack and is discharged if the attack misses.
Beginning at 7th level, you can channel a spell as a part of a full attack action.
Body of Ice(Ex): Upon reaching fifth level, it becomes apparent that you have become something different than other members of your race. You gain the cold subtype, granting you immunity to cold. Your oneness with cold, however, makes you more susceptible to flame.
Just like any other creature with the cold subtype, you gain vulnerability to fire, which means you take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether or not a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.
Piercing Chill(Ex): The understanding of nature of the cold allows you to deepen its intensivity highly.
Beginning at 6th level you ignore cold resistance up to twice your class level and deal half the normal cold damage to the creatures immune.
Creatures with the cold subtype can tell that this is colder than normal, but they remain undamaged by the attack.
Creatures with the fire subtype damaged by you take double normal cold damage instead of the usual +50%.
Numbing Cold(Su): Starting at 8th level, whenever you deal cold damage with a spell or maneuver, your target must make a fortitude save equal to 15+your Constitution modifier or be slowed for a round.
Residual Cold(Ex): Your ability to channel your now innate frost manipulation abilities allows you to do so with more ferocity. Beginning at 9th level, whenever you deal cold damage with a spell or attack, the target is dealt ½ the damage dealt next round.
Frozen Ascension (Ex): At 10th level, your body has become perfectly fused with the elemental essence inside you. Your type changes to elemental with cold and native subtypes. You no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You gain an elemental creatures immunity to stunning, and you no longer are subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. You no longer age.
Unlike a normal elemental, you retain a soul separate from your body. You can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of your previous type.
Furthermore, for every 2 points of cold damage that would have otherwise been dealt to you, you heal 1 point of damage.
The Frostblade
Frostblades are those martial adepts who choose to enhance their fighting abilities with magic, eventually changing into beings of cold itself. The members of this class are rarely seen, but every one of them is a potent fighter and more often than not is able to utilize magic to defend himself.
BECOMING A FROSTBLADE
To become a frostblade, one typically seeks out either a high enough level member of this class to infuse themselves with that frostblade's body, or an elemental creature to take a part of their body instead. Infusing requires a special, obscure ritual that is known only to a select few. Once it is completed, the recipient gains arcane abilities and may begin his training.
Requirements:
Skills: Martial Lore 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 4
Special: Must be able to initiate maneuvers of 3rd level or higher, must know at least one strike, at least one stance.
Special: Must have contacted an outsider with cold subtype and bound a part of their body within self.
The Frostblade
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
Freezing Wrath, Icy Skin (+1)
2
2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
Hoarfrost Stance
2
1
3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
Chilling Glance, Crystallize
3
2
4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
Icy skin (+2), Spell Channel
3
2
1
5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
Body Of Frost
3
3
2
6th
+6
+5
+2
+5
Piercing Chill
4
3
2
1
7th
+7
+5
+2
+5
Icy Skin (+3), Spell Channel (Full Attack)
4
3
3
2
8th
+8
+6
+2
+6
Numbing Cold
4
4
3
2
1
9th
+9
+6
+3
+6
Residual Cold
5
4
3
3
2
10th
+10
+7
+3
+7
Frozen Ascension, Icy Skin (+4)
5
4
3
3
2
Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: Climb(Str), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Ride(Dex), Spellcraft(Int), Swim(Str), Martial Lore (Int), Intimidate (Cha)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
Spells Known
Level
0lvl
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
1st
3
1
2nd
4
2
1
3rd
4
2
2
4th
4
2
2
1
5th
5
3
2
2
6th
5
3
3
2
1
7th
5
3
3
2
2
8th
5
4
3
3
2
1
9th
6
4
4
3
2
2
10th
6
4
4
3
3
2
Maneuvers
Level
M. Known
M. Readied
Stances
1st
1
0
0
2nd
0
0
0
3rd
1
1
0
4th
0
0
0
5th
1
0
1
6th
0
1
0
7th
1
0
0
8th
0
0
0
9th
1
1
0
10th
0
0
1
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Frostblade gains no weapon or armor proficiencies. You can cast spells while wearing light or medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This only applies to the spells you know as a Frostblade, and you might incur arcane spell failure chance for spells received from other spellcasting classes
Maneuvers and stances: Every odd level you learn a maneuver from the following disciplines: Frozen Zephyr (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=67570), Iron Heart, Bitter Edge (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8096955#post8096955).
On levels 3, 6 and 9 you gain new maneuver readied. On 5th and 8th level you gain a new stance, which must be chosen from the disciplines available to you.
Frostblade (Su): At 1st level, you learn your signature skill. You gain the ability to channel your cold energies into the form of a weapon. As a move action, you can conjure a blade composed of swirling ice crystals.
You wield this blade as a scimitar made for your size, and it deals 1d6 damage per five initiator levels on a successful melee attack (including extra damage or effects from class features or feats), though it is not subject to spell resistance. In addition, it counts as a Frozen Zephyr weapon.
A frostblade is treated as a magic weapon, and it has an enhancement bonus on attack rolls equal to Ό your caster level.
The moment you relinquish your grip on your frostblade, it dissipates.
Once per round, as a free action you may choose to solidify your blade into a crystalline ice or have it reassume it's original fluid, gaseous form.
Solid Form:
The attacks you make with the solid Frostblade are normal melee attacks and you add your strength bonus to them.
The solid blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another on your next move action.
You can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the solid frostblade just as if it were a normal weapon. You treat it as a scimitar for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. You can use weapon-enhancing spells on it, but you cannot enchant it permanently.
Fluid Form:
The attacks with the fluid frostblade are melee touch attacks. It has a reach of 10ft. You do not add your strength bonus to damage and cannot use Power Attack or similar feats in conjunction with it. If a weapon-enhancing spell is cast upon it, it works only with the solid form.
Half damage it deals is piercing, the other half cold.
Even in places where magical effects do not function, you can attempt to sustain your blade by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, you maintain it for a number of rounds equal to your caster level. On an unsuccessful attempt, the weapon vanishes. As a move action on your next turn, you can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize it while you remain within the magic-negating effect.
Spellcasting: A frostblade has access to a small list of arcane spells, which are drawn from the list of spells available to sorcerers/wizards from the schools of conjuration, evocation, abjuration and transmutation. You learn and cast spells as a sorcerer does, At 4th level and on every next even level you may exchange a spell you know for any other available spell of the same level as the previous spell.
Any time you cast a spell that deals energy damage, you may choose to have it deal cold damage instead of its normal damage type. Effectively, you are able to spontaneously apply the benefits of the Energy Substitution (Cold) feat, without increasing the spell's casting time.
If the spell has an effect other than dealing damage there is no change to its non-damaging effect.
You treat all spells with the [fire] descriptor as one level higher for purposes of spell slots, but not spells known. Thus while you can choose to learn fireball, and it's a 3rd level spell for you, you must use your 4th level slot to cast it (or have it deal cold damage and use up your 3rd level spell slot, like a normal fireball would).
To cast a spell, you must have a Constitution score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell's level + your Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Constitution score.
Your cantrips do not consume any slots upon being cast.
Your caster level for Frostblade spells equals your Initiator level.
Icy Skin(Ex): Your body gradually becomes more like ice. Your skin turns whiter and colder to the touch as the permanent layer of frost grows deeper.
You gain a natural armor increase on 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th level.
In warm temperatures, the frost continually evaporates and replenishes itself, enshrouding you in a wispy vapor.
You are also considered to be under a constant effect of the Endure Elements spell.
Freezing Wrath(Su): You can channel your innate arcane energy into a melee weapon, your unarmed strike, or natural weapons.
As a free action you can expend one of your unused spell slots (of 1st level or higher) to gain a bonus on all your attack rolls for 1 round equal to the level of the spell sacrificed, as well as extra cold damage equal to 1d8 points x the level of the spell sacrificed.
The bonus damage stacks with whatever additional damage your weapon deals.
Hoarfrost Stance(Su): As a swift action, you can forgo the benefits of your current stance to enter the Hoarfrost Stance. While you're in it, the area under your feet and in squares adjacent to you is covered by a thin layer of ice. It functions as a Grease spell cast by you (With a Reflex save DC equal to 11+your Cha modifier). It crystallizes under your feet as soon as you move and dissipates after one round. You yourself are immune to the Grease effect.
Furthermore, upon entering the stance, you may choose to expend one of your unused spell slots to gain ability to gracefully skate along the ground, turn, or stop suddenly as desired. Your land speed increases by 10ft per level of the spell expended (This is an untyped bonus).
This is a supernatural ability.
Chilling Glance(Ex): Your unnatural and cold stare makes people around you uneasy. Beginning at 3rd level you add ½ your class level (rounded down) to your Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.
Crystallize(Su): Starting at 3rd level you may, as a free or immediate action, expend a Frostblade spell slot to give yourself Fire Resistance and DR/piercing and magic equal to twice the spell level expended until the beginning of your next round.
Spell Channeling (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack made as a part of a martial maneuver with initiation time of a standard action. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved. If the attack misses, you may attempt a Concentration check with its DC equal to 16+twice the spell level to hold the charge. Spell saved this way deals damage on your next attack and is discharged if the attack misses.
Beginning at 7th level, you can channel a spell as a part of a full attack action.
Body of Ice(Ex): Upon reaching fifth level, it becomes apparent that you have become something different than other members of your race. You gain the cold subtype, granting you immunity to cold. Your oneness with cold, however, makes you more susceptible to flame.
Just like any other creature with the cold subtype, you gain vulnerability to fire, which means you take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether or not a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.
Piercing Chill(Ex): The understanding of nature of the cold allows you to deepen its intensivity highly.
Beginning at 6th level you ignore cold resistance up to twice your class level and deal half the normal cold damage to the creatures immune.
Creatures with the cold subtype can tell that this is colder than normal, but they remain undamaged by the attack.
Creatures with the fire subtype damaged by you take double normal cold damage instead of the usual +50%.
Numbing Cold(Su): Starting at 8th level, whenever you deal cold damage with a spell or maneuver, your target must make a fortitude save equal to 15+your Constitution modifier or be slowed for a round.
Residual Cold(Ex): Your ability to channel your now innate frost manipulation abilities allows you to do so with more ferocity. Beginning at 9th level, whenever you deal cold damage with a spell or attack, the target is dealt ½ the damage dealt next round.
Frozen Ascension (Ex): At 10th level, your body has become perfectly fused with the elemental essence inside you. Your type changes to elemental with cold and native subtypes. You no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You gain an elemental creatures immunity to stunning, and you no longer are subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. You no longer age.
Unlike a normal elemental, you retain a soul separate from your body. You can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of your previous type.
Furthermore, for every 2 points of cold damage that would have otherwise been dealt to you, you heal 1 point of damage.