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desero clades
2013-09-19, 11:32 PM
Hello everyone! This is a quick rough draft for a base class my wife imagined up. It was inspired a little by incarnum (if it wasn't obvious). Was wondering about the power level and hoping for other suggestions for Runes.



Valkyrie
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Asgardian Familiar, Rune Magic 1

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Expel Rune 1

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Familiar Scry

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Bonus Feat

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Deathwatch

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+5|Rune Magic 2

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+5|Expel Rune 2

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+6|

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+6|Bonus Feat

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+7|Second Familiar

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+7|Rune Magic 3

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+8|Expel Rune 3

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+8|

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+9|Bonus Feat

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+9|

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+10|Rune Magic 4

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Expel Rune 4

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Bonus Feat

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Defender of Asgard

[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8

Class Skills:
Class Skills
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Valkyrie's are proficient with simple and martial weapons. They also are proficient with light and medium armor and with shields (but not tower shields).

Rune Magic: At first level you may inscribe 1 rune on yourself and gain it's benefits. This process takes about 10 minutes. Once you have a rune inscribed you may not remove it from you until you can rest for 8 hours, unless you use alternative means (such as the familiar ability). you may only have one rune on each location. The save DC for any rune ability (including the Expel abilities) is 10 + 1/2 valkyrie levels + Wisdom modifier.
You may inscribe 2 runes at 6th level, 3 runes at 11th level, and 4 runes at 16th level.

Asgardian Familiar: As the sorcerer's familiar except as listed here. You don't lose any xp if the familiar is slain, and you may summon another in 24 hours if it is slain. The familiar gains different abilities instead of the standard sorcerer/wizard ones.
At 1st level it has improved evasion, alertness, and may use cure light wounds as a level 1 cleric once per day.
At level 3 it may hold onto 1 rune inscription and as a standard action on the Valkyrie may replace one rune she already has with the one the familiar is holding.
At 5th level the familiar may speak with its master
At 10th It may hold 2 rune inscriptions.

Expel Rune: Choose one of the Rune locations (arms, crown, chest or legs), you may now activate the expel abilility. After using an expel ability you may not use that same expel ability for 1 minute. Every 5 level after you may select and use additional Rune locations.
Unless otherwise stated, using an Expel ability is a standard action.

Scry on Familiar: As a standard action you may view through your familiar's eyes so long as your familiar is with 10' per Valkyrie level. You may return to your own vision as a free action.

Bonus Feat: The valkyrie may gain a bonus fighter feat. They must still meet the prerequisites.

Deathwatch: The valkyrie can use Deathwatch as the spell like a spell like ability. She may use this at will.

Second Familiar: Gain a second familiar exactly as the Asgardian Familiar.

Defender of Asgard: She is forevermore treated as a native outsider rather than as a humanoid (or whatever the valkyrie’s creature type was) for the purpose of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the valkyrie gains damage reduction 5/-, which allows her to ignore the first 5 points of damage from any attack. Unlike other outsiders, the valkyrie can still be brought back from the dead as if she were a member of her previous creature type.
She also gains a pair of feathery wings that grant her a flight speed of 100' with perfect maneuverability so long as she is at a light or less encumbrance.


Runes:

Arms
Uller's Winter: Gain 5 cold resistance per 4 valkyrie levels, in addition deal + 1 cold damage on all attacks per 4 levels.
Expel to make your next attack this round to affect the creature with the slow effect for 1d6 rounds.

Sutr's Wrath: Gain 5 fire resistance per 4 valkyrie levels, in addition deal + 1 fire damage on all attacks per 4 levels.
Expel to make your next attack this round a touch attack and catch the opponent on fire taking 1d6 fire damage for 1d6 rounds or until the creature takes a full round action to put itself out.

Thor's Storm: Gain 5 electricity resistance per 4 valkyrie levels, in addition deal + 1 electricity damage on all attacks per 4 levels.
Expel to make your next attack this round also damage an additional target within 10ft of the original target. The second target takes damage equal to the damage of the first enemy except the damage is all electricity damage.

Alfheim's Grace: When making a ranged attack you may add half your dexterity modifier as precision damage.
Expel as a free action to make your next ranged attack ricochet and hit an additional enemy. Use the same attack roll against both enemies and the second enemy must be within 15' of the original target. At 6th level the attack may hit a third target who must be within 15' of the second target. At 11th level the attack may hit a fourth target who must be within 15' of the third target. At 16th level the attack may hit a fifth target who must be within 15' of the fourth target. No target may be hit more than once with this ability.

Jotunhiem's Strength: Gain a bonus to strength equal to 1/3 valkyrie levels (minimum 1)
Expel to use Enlarge Person as a spell like ability except as listed here. The duration is only 1 minute.

Crown
Odin's Sight: +1 spot and sense motive bonus per 2 levels.
Expel to do a gaze attack this turn against 1 opponent. On a failed Will save, the opponent is dazed for 1d6 turns.

Loki's Trust: +1 bluff and disguise bonus per 2 levels.
Expel to use Charm Monster as the spell, except as listed here. The ability is considered a supernatural ability, and the save DC = 10 + 1/2 valkyrie level + Wisdom mod. If the Valkyrie attempt to use this ability against a second creature, the effect is automatically broken from the first creature. The effect also only lasts 1 minute per Valkyrie level.
Must be level 5 to use this rune.

Heimdall's Senses: +1 search and listen bonus per 2 levels.
Expel to use True Strike as the spell except as listen here. The ability is a supernatural ability.

Chest
Hel's Domination: Mindless undead treat you with an indifferent attitude unless you take a hostile action towards them.
Expel to attempt a rebuke/control undead this round, your cleric level equals your valkyrie level. You can only maintain control of any undead with this ability for a number of minutes equal to your valkyrie level.
Must be level 10 to use this Rune.

Balder's Song: As a standard action give all your allies within 50ft a +1 bonus to attack, and damage rolls for 1 round. The bonus increases by 1 for every 4 levels above 1st.
Expel to use cure light wounds, as a spell like ability as a cleric level equal to your valkyrie level. At 5th level you use cure moderate wounds and at 10th level it becomes Cure Serious Wounds. Anyone healed by this ability can not be healed above half of their maximum HP.

Freya's Magic: Gain a bonus to use magic device equal to your valkyrie level. You may also use the skill even if it is untrained for you.
Expel to use Dispel Magic as a spell like ability.


Legs
Sleipnir's Speed: Gain the benefit of the Run feat as well as an 5' of movement speed for every two valkyrie levels.
Expel as a free action to gain an additional move action this turn.

Jormungandr's Bonds: Gain benefit of the Improved Trip and Improved Grapple feats.
Expel as a free action to negate your opponent's size bonuses when trying to trip or grapple them.

Fenrir's Ferocity: Gain a bite attack as a natural weapon. The attack deals 1d8 damage (for a medium creature). If you bite as your only attack, you use your highest base attack bonus on the attack roll, and you can apply your full Strength bonus to damage. If you bite in addition to making other attacks, the bite is a secondary attack.
Expel to attempt a special disarm attack. Roll an opposed strength check. If you win the opponent drops his weapon, however if you win by 10 or more you remove the creature's limb that was holding the weapon. If the weapon was a two handed weapon you remove the creature's off hand limb.
Requires level 3

Bifrost's Path: Use dimension hop as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to your valkyrie level.
Expel to use Plane Shift as a spell like ability. Unlike other expel abilities this may only be used once per day.
Must be level 15 to use this rune.

Wyrmhero
2013-09-20, 09:35 AM
While I haven't played 3.5 outside of Neverwinter Nights, and only play Pathfinder when it comes to D&D, there are still a couple of issues I can possibly see. So take some of this with a pinch of salt, it might be different in 3.5 to Pathfinder.

Rune Magic
Firstly, with Rune Magic, you say that at first level, you can only inscribe one Rune, and you can only have one Rune in each location - But the description never actually says when it can inscribe more Runes. The table does, but it'd be nice to have it explained more in the description.
The Runes themselves are a bit all-over the place. The Arm-Runes are a bit lackluster, and only really matter for elemental damage - Perhaps they should add 5 resistance to that element, and deal a small bonus point of that element as damage per attack? (+1 per four levels, or something). It would mean that they're more relevant as a passive ability than an active one.
Hel's Domination is perhaps a bit too strong, being able to be ignored by skeletons and the like from first level. Alternate suggestion might be minor damage bonus, or perhaps an AC bonus. You would need to also specify that a Good character cannot control them and vice versa.
Balder's Song is better than the Resistance spell, like this. Quite a bit better. On the other hand, the Cure Light Wounds thing becomes pretty useless after fifth level.
Freya's Magic is strange. I would suggest a bonus to UMD or something like that instead. I also assume that UMD is a class skill because of this? You never actually put their class skills.
Sleipnir's Legs are quite poor compared to the other choices - my suggestion here would be a bonus to checks for sprinting long distances, or the Run Feat, or something like that.

Second Familiar
Secondly, I think that fifth level is too early for a second familiar - Though I don't know how strong familiars are, having not played around with them, I would still suggest making it later in the class. How about around the tenth level area, where there are quite a few dead levels in a row?

Defender of Asgard:
The Valkyrie is treated as an Outsider, but as far as I know you need to name its home plane - It can be targeted by Banish and the like, by these rules, but it has nowhere to be Banished too. I don't know if D&D has this, but in Pathfinder she would be counted as a Native Outsider, who by definition can be resurrected and can't be banished. Do you mean that?
Also, DR 10/Magic at level 20 is probably too little, too late. Magic weapons are just +1 weapons, and the standard adventuring party should be running into those exclusively by half that level, let alone level 20. As such, it only really protects her from really low level characters and mundane monsters. A Paladin gets DR 10/Evil in Pathfinder (not sure about 3.5), so perhaps DR 10/Chaotic? Would mean they have to be Lawful, but it makes sense that they are.

Bonus Feats:
For the Bonus Feats, I think you might also need to specify 'as if she had a Fighter Level equal to her Valkyrie Level', since otherwise there are a lot of Fighter Feats that she doesn't qualify for.

Minor issue as well - You never actually specify they have to be female :P

I think, hit-die wise, you can get away with d10 instead of d8. They're meant to be a Fighter-style character, after all.

As for new Runes, perhaps rope some off for lower leveled characters. For instance, a Rune of Bifrost could be expelled to cast Plane Shift, but only used by characters of 15th level or higher, or something. Other than that, a Rune of the Jotun could perhaps make the character one size larger as Enlarge Person, and I would tie them more towards Divine Magic, if possible.

Other than that, I might suggest playing around with the fact that they are connected to the dead? Maybe at some points they could treat Negative Energy as if it were Positive Energy? Deathwatch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/deathwatch)constantly or at will, if it exists in 3.5? (I assume it does)

desero clades
2013-09-20, 01:04 PM
First, thank you very much for the input. I really appreciate it!



While I haven't played 3.5 outside of Neverwinter Nights, and only play Pathfinder when it comes to D&D, there are still a couple of issues I can possibly see. So take some of this with a pinch of salt, it might be different in 3.5 to Pathfinder.

To be honest you're pretty spot on with all you're input, the differences from PF to 3.5 are very minimal when it comes to this class really.



Rune Magic
Firstly, with Rune Magic, you say that at first level, you can only inscribe one Rune, and you can only have one Rune in each location - But the description never actually says when it can inscribe more Runes. The table does, but it'd be nice to have it explained more in the description.
The Runes themselves are a bit all-over the place. The Arm-Runes are a bit lackluster, and only really matter for elemental damage - Perhaps they should add 5 resistance to that element, and deal a small bonus point of that element as damage per attack? (+1 per four levels, or something). It would mean that they're more relevant as a passive ability than an active one.
Hel's Domination is perhaps a bit too strong, being able to be ignored by skeletons and the like from first level. Alternate suggestion might be minor damage bonus, or perhaps an AC bonus. You would need to also specify that a Good character cannot control them and vice versa.
Balder's Song is better than the Resistance spell, like this. Quite a bit better. On the other hand, the Cure Light Wounds thing becomes pretty useless after fifth level.
Freya's Magic is strange. I would suggest a bonus to UMD or something like that instead. I also assume that UMD is a class skill because of this? You never actually put their class skills.
Sleipnir's Legs are quite poor compared to the other choices - my suggestion here would be a bonus to checks for sprinting long distances, or the Run Feat, or something like that.

I knew I forgot to add something, I'll include at what levels you can add more runes to yourself.
Yeah I was wondering if I should put level requirement on some of them. That way I could make stronger and weaker runes to be chosen at appropriate levels. I agree with the Arms runes being a little lackluster and will take your suggestion, thanks!
Would Hel's Domination be too strong still if it had a level requirement? Probably close to 10+? I also still want to give the chance of a good character to be able control undead. I believe you can use undead towards good causes.
Is Balder's Song that good? You have to keep using standard actions to keep it active, and the Expel ability virtually gives you infinite healing, which is a little worrying
Freya's Magic was actually ripped from a cleric's ability in 3.5, though bonuses to UMD is probably easier to word and pull off. I don't think they will have UMD but when they have Freya's Magic they can use it untrained?
Sleipnir's Speed honestly was the last one I came up with, I think the run feat is a good replacement. That or increase the speed by level? like 5' per 2 valkyrie levels?



Second Familiar
Secondly, I think that fifth level is too early for a second familiar - Though I don't know how strong familiars are, having not played around with them, I would still suggest making it later in the class. How about around the tenth level area, where there are quite a few dead levels in a row?
Alright, that's fair, I'll try to come up with something for level 5 in it's place.



Defender of Asgard:
The Valkyrie is treated as an Outsider, but as far as I know you need to name its home plane - It can be targeted by Banish and the like, by these rules, but it has nowhere to be Banished too. I don't know if D&D has this, but in Pathfinder she would be counted as a Native Outsider, who by definition can be resurrected and can't be banished. Do you mean that?
Also, DR 10/Magic at level 20 is probably too little, too late. Magic weapons are just +1 weapons, and the standard adventuring party should be running into those exclusively by half that level, let alone level 20. As such, it only really protects her from really low level characters and mundane monsters. A Paladin gets DR 10/Evil in Pathfinder (not sure about 3.5), so perhaps DR 10/Chaotic? Would mean they have to be Lawful, but it makes sense that they are.
I did mean Native outsider actually, I just forgot a word, thanks for the catch! 10/chaotic might be good, but I'm think maybe just 5/- might be better.



Bonus Feats:
For the Bonus Feats, I think you might also need to specify 'as if she had a Fighter Level equal to her Valkyrie Level', since otherwise there are a lot of Fighter Feats that she doesn't qualify for.
Honestly she qualifies for quite a lot in 3.5 there are that many fighter specific feats.



Minor issue as well - You never actually specify they have to be female :P

I think, hit-die wise, you can get away with d10 instead of d8. They're meant to be a Fighter-style character, after all.
Don't worry I'll include the female only part in the fluff. As for HD, really? I thought that would be pretty strong for all the abilities you get. I'll keep it at d8 for now, but I will think about it.



As for new Runes, perhaps rope some off for lower leveled characters. For instance, a Rune of Bifrost could be expelled to cast Plane Shift, but only used by characters of 15th level or higher, or something. Other than that, a Rune of the Jotun could perhaps make the character one size larger as Enlarge Person, and I would tie them more towards Divine Magic, if possible.
I like both of those, thanks for the suggestions!



Other than that, I might suggest playing around with the fact that they are connected to the dead? Maybe at some points they could treat Negative Energy as if it were Positive Energy? Deathwatch (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/d/deathwatch)constantly or at will, if it exists in 3.5? (I assume it does)

Hmm... negative as positive would probably pretty good actually maybe at a later level. As for deathwatch yeah there is and I think I might add that as a replacement for second familiar at 5th level.

Wyrmhero
2013-09-20, 05:18 PM
Would Hel's Domination be too strong still if it had a level requirement? Probably close to 10+? I also still want to give the chance of a good character to be able control undead. I believe you can use undead towards good causes.


I couldn't really comment on a level, since I can't find an ability similar to it in Pathfinder except for the Undead Sorcerer Bloodline capstone, but I think level 10 might a bit too high?


Is Balder's Song that good? You have to keep using standard actions to keep it active, and the Expel ability virtually gives you infinite healing, which is a little worrying.

It's not the fact that it's good, per say, but it's an at-will Resistance that's better in every way. I'm not sure what I would change there, though. Maybe attack and damage only at lower levels, getting stronger with the character.

Expelling Runes a lot of times per day is going to be a problem no matter what Rune it is, really. Perhaps a time-limit on Expelling Runes, or at least the same Rune?


Sleipnir's Speed honestly was the last one I came up with, I think the run feat is a good replacement. That or increase the speed by level? like 5' per 2 valkyrie levels?

Sounds about right, I think, but should probably have a flat bonus as well, so it works at first level - Could be Run +5' per 2 levels?


Honestly she qualifies for quite a lot in 3.5 there are that many fighter specific feats.

Here's a part I have no idea about for 3.5 - Pathfinder has a lot of Fighter-only Feats.


As for HD, really? I thought that would be pretty strong for all the abilities you get. I'll keep it at d8 for now, but I will think about it.

Again, I might be biased due to Pathfinder generally upping hit dice, so...

desero clades
2013-09-21, 12:41 AM
Alright I edited some stuff and took some of your suggestions.

Changes
Expel abilities each have a 1 minute cooldown.

Baldur's Song is only helps attack and damage. The heal ability can only heal up to 50% of the creature's max HP

Freya's Magic gives the ability to use UMD even though it is not a class skill for you.

Added Alfheim's Grace as a rune for a ranged valkyrie

Took Wyrmhero's suggestions and added Jotunheim's Strength (increase size and str bonuses) as well as Bifrost's Path (plane shift)