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Amnoriath
2013-09-23, 09:56 AM
While not the worst PrC in the Magic of Incarnum, the Incandescent champion lacked mechanics and an applied theme to make it worth much. It also had odd requirements so I made it centered around a bit of an unsung soulmeld(Diadem of Purelight) while improving on Marshal auras.

Incandescent Champion
http://www.rovingbandofmisfits.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/untitled.bmp
"Where ever there is heart, hope, and truth there is always light" Raegella Urthadar, an Incandescent Champion
Description: Light is an ever important element in all of the world. It brings family and friends closer at home. It reveals truth and distinction. Finally, it brings people out of obscurity who were in darkness. The Incandescent Champion seeks to be all of these while purging the world of shadow and illusions. All Incandescent Champions were marshals at some point usually taking up the cause of good through Incarnate, Soulborn, Cleric, or Paladin.
Prerequisites
Alignment: Any Good
BAB: +3
Essentia Pool: 1
Feats: Any Exalted Feat
Skills: Concentration 6 ranks, Spot 5 ranks
Special: Must be able to shape the Diadem of Purelight soulmeld and must know 1 major aura

Hit Die: d8
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Essentia Pool|Minor Auras|Major Auras
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Flexible Meldshaping, Invest Aura(1), Turn the Dark |1|1|0
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Incandescent Strike, Permanent Diadem|2|1|0
3rd|+2|+3|+1|+3|Discriminating Radiance, Healing Ambience|3|2|1
4th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Incandescent Ray, Invest Aura(2)|4|2|1
5th|+3|+4|+1|+4|Expand Aura, Expand Radiance(+1), Radiant Truth(I) |5|2|1
6th|+4|+5|+2|+5|Merged Diadem, Unbearable Countenance|6|3|1
7th|+5|+5|+2|+5|Invest Aura(3), Guiding Light|7|3|2
8th|+6|+6|+2|+6|Incarnum Overload|8|3|2
9th|+6|+6|+3|+6|Presence of the Corona, Radiant Truth(II)|9|4|2
10th|+7|+7|+3|+7|Expand Radiance(+2), Incandescent Transcendence, Invest Aura(4)|10|4|3[/table]

Class skills: Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate, Heal, Knowledge(arcana), Knowledge(religion), Knowledge(the planes), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot
Skill Points at each level: 2+int. modifer
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: You gain no new proficiencies with weapons, armor, or shields.
Special Abilities

L1 Flexible Meldshaping: If you have meldshaping levels from other classes they stack with this for determining meldshaper level. In addition if you were a Good Incarnate you do not lose access to your soulmelds or your class features if your alignment changes to either Lawful Good or Chaotic Good. However, you still can't use soulmelds with descriptors opposite of your alignment.

Invest Aura(Su): You can select any aura to be invested with essentia. At level 1 and every three levels after you select any aura you know to invested like any other essentia recepticle. Every point of essentia increases the bonus by one. After 8 hours of complete rest you can select a different aura. If you were to swap one of these auras with another that has this same feature while invested the essentia automatically transfers to the new one. If you were to swap it with an aura that does not have this feature the essentia returns to your pool.

Minor Auras(Ex): You may now select minor auras from the Marshal class list.

Turn the Dark(Su): As a standard action you can now purge the creatures of the dark in a brilliant flash of light. Any creature that has light blindness, is sensitive to light, or comes from the plane of shadow is subject to this effect. Those who merely have light sensitivity have a +6 turn resistance and only flee for 1 round. You use the full range specified by your Diadem in which the entire area is treated as full sunlight. This otherwise functions as the turn undead class feature except it can't use items that specifically boost turn undead. Feats that boost or add another effect to turn undead instead apply to the creatures specified above. This may be used 3+cha. modifier times a day and qualifies as turn undead for other features.

L2 Incandescent Strike(Su): You gain a bonus on damage rolls made with any weapon or natural attack you wield equal to the essentia invested in this feature. As long as you have one point of essentia all of your attacks are treated as your alignment for bypassing DR. In addition as a swift action you can sacrifice a turn the dark attempt to give your weapons and natural attacks the brilliant energy weapon enchantment for 1 round except it can affect undead normally.

Major Auras(Ex): You may now select major auras from the Marshal class list.

Permanent Diadem(Ex): The Diadem of Purelight soulmeld no longer counts against soulmelds shaped and is always active. It still does count as a bind if you bind to your crown chakra. You may suppress the effect of the diadem as an immediate action. Also if your effective light spell level exceeds that of a darkness spell it remains in effect. You also open your crown chakra if you couldn't do so before. If you could already you may select any least chakra to open.

L3 Discriminating Radiance(Ex): You can choose to exclude either enemies or allies out of your Diadem's light radius. What this does is where ever the selected target goes the area retains the original lighting of the area. Also this means they may be excluding from any effects in which are tied to the diadem. You can exclude a number of targets equal to your cha. modifier+essentia invested. You may switch these targets as a free action but only once per round.

Healing Ambience(Su): All allies within the area of the diadem's bright light gains fast healing equal to the essentia invested in this feature. Additionally they automatically stabilize and save from massive damage. If you and/or any ally fails a save you can sacrifice a turn the dark attempt to reroll the save. They must take the second result even if it is worse.

L4 Incandescent Ray(Su): As a standard action you can make a ranged touch attack at a range of 60+10/per point of essentia. This attack deals 1d8+1d8/per point of essentia+con. modifer damage. The target must save make a fortitude save at 10+1/2 HD+cha. modifer or become blinded for 1+1/essentia rounds. If they are successful they merely become dazzled for half the time. This may be treated as direct sunlight for the rounds of the blinded condition. Those without eyes are immune to the blindness effect, but not the light. Undead who are sensitive to the light are not immune to the save.

L5 Expand Aura(Su): Your auras now expand by 10 feet per point of essentia that are invested in them.

Expand Radiance(Ex): Your Diadem of Purelight always acts as if it has one point of essentia invested but it does not count against the maximum amount that can be invested. This happens again at level 10.

Radiant Truth(Su): You can make a sense motive check as a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity against a target with a DC of 10+HD+wis. modifier to gain the results of the detect evil/good/law/chaos/thoughts spells. This can be maintained by making a concentration check equal to 10+HD of the creature as a move action up to half your level in rounds in which you must wait for double the time to use it again. Your increased aura, intelligence, and spell level is equal to the essentia for the purpose of determing the effects of the spells and interacting with others. You can use it against any creature within the light affect of your diadem.
At level 9 as a standard action you may sacrifice a turn the dark attempt to suppress spells of the illusion school for 1+cha. modifier rounds. Essentia invested in this must exceed the spell level of the illusion to be suppressed.

L6 Merged Diadem(Ex): Your Diadem of Purelight now seems to completely merge into your forehead. The diadem is now considered a supernatural effect meaning it can not be dispelled. Effects that specifically unshape soulmelds now only function as a normal dispel. You also gain its crown bind effect permanently however this does not count as a bound soulmeld. If you know other soulmelds you can open your brow chakra. If you already have your brow chakra opened you may open any other lesser chakra.

Unbearable Countenance(Su): You gain a limited form of a gaze attack. As a standard action you transform your eyes into flashing yellow orbs and last for rounds equal to half your class level. Creatures with in the full light area of your diadem must make a will save(charisma based) or become staggered for 1+1/essentia rounds. Those sensitive to full light suffer a penalty to attacks, skills, saves and AC equal to 1/4 meldshaper level. If they save they do not become staggered but the penalty is halved for half the amount of time. Those who are harmed by full light or blinded by it become nauseated. If they succeed they become staggered for half duration and suffer the penalty the same way as those who are light-sensitive. Those who successfully save against this can not be affected by it for one hour. This is a mind-affecting ability but those sensitive to the light are not immune to this.

L7 Guiding Light(Ex): Your crown bind effect may now reduce total concealment down to regular concealment. You can sacrifice a turn the dark attempt to outline all targets in a golden haze suffering a penalty to hide checks equal to 10+meldshaper level for 1+cha modifier rounds. Additionally the haze in the full light area seems to guide attack rolls negating cover and reducing total cover to regular cover of enemies.

L8 Incarnum Overload(Su): You can sacrifice a turn the dark attempt as part of the swift action to reallocate essentia in order to expand an essentia recepticle by your charisma modifier. This lasts for 1+1/2(round down) con. modifier rounds, multiple uses do not stack. After the effect ends all essentia invested in that recepticle returns to your pool and it can not be invested in for an equal amount of time.

L9 Presence of the Corona(Su): Your diadem's aura can damage those who enter. Targets in the full light area take damage equal to 1d6 per point of essentia and treat it as difficult terrain as long as there is one point of essentia invested. In the outer area targets only take half damage. Targets are allowed are reflex save(charisma based) for half damage or no damage if it is in the partial light area. Light-senstive creatures take a -2 penalty to the save. Creatures harmed by light take double damage.

L10 Incandescent Transcendence(Ex): You become one with the light and shed your dark mortality. You become an outsider with native and good subtyes. You also do not age and only needs two hours of direct sunlight to obtain sustenance for the day.
Additionally for times equal to 1+con. modifier times a day as a standard action you can become a being of pure light. Your diadem is treated at maximum investment for essentia. You gain the incoporeal subtype except that your deflection bonus is equal to any armor and shield bonus you possess, not your charisma modifier. Additionally you are immune to and ignore stunning, critical hits, darkness, and death effects. However all your items are meld in this new form becoming inert and you may not make physical attacks but you may use your Incandescent Champion abilities and auras normally. This lasts for rounds equal to half your class level.

Amnoriath
2013-09-23, 03:33 PM
Could someone tell me how to upload a picture properly? Apparently, opening a tab for it and putting in the address of the tab doesn't work.

Amnoriath
2013-09-23, 11:48 PM
Help anyone?

Fako
2013-09-24, 12:43 AM
The problem with the image is due to the fact that your link still points to your search results, instead of the open image. Click on the "view original image" button on that page, and use the address from that instead.

Sadly, this is about all the help I can provide for the class, as Incarnum is one of the systems I do not know very well...

Amnoriath
2013-09-24, 04:48 PM
Fixed the image now does anyone want to critique this?

THEChanger
2013-09-24, 10:06 PM
Well, while I have no eye for balance, a few things immediately strike me.

First, you should state that the class gains Marshall Auras. You allude to it in your description, and the table has a progression of Auras. But unless you specifically give the class an ability which states they can use them, the table is meaningless. I didn't even register that the Invest Aura ability was supposed to refer to the Marshall Auras until my second read-through, and thought that perhaps it was referring to some of the other abilities the PrC gained.

Second, the Permanent and Merged Diadem abilities are...odd. There's no precedence in MoI for it, and Merged Diadem specifically feels like it is worded poorly. I have no idea if the abilities are a good idea or not. It makes sense for a class specifically devoted to a certain Soulmeld, but it also does away with some of the base assumptions of the Incarnum system. I dunno.

Third, Exalted Feat as a perquisite? That's 3.0 material and severely restricts the potential pool of applicants. I know I personally as a DM dislike involving Exalted material in my games, because it places such a ridiculous code on the players. That may be my personal bias showing through, but consider a different requirement. On the subject of requirements, you state that all Incandescent Champions start out as Marshalls, and use the various Incarnum classes as means to reach the light. Yet, no Marshall abilities are required as a perquisite. This seems at odds with itself.

Fourth, and this just hit me, you may wish to decide whether Turn The Dark counts as Turning/Rebuking attempts for things like Devotion Feats and DMM, and whether it benefits from items which boost Turning and Rebuking. It could go either way, but it could be useful to say outright if the abilities are interchangeable or no.

Amnoriath
2013-09-24, 10:41 PM
Well, while I have no eye for balance, a few things immediately strike me.

First, you should state that the class gains Marshall Auras. You allude to it in your description, and the table has a progression of Auras. But unless you specifically give the class an ability which states they can use them, the table is meaningless. I didn't even register that the Invest Aura ability was supposed to refer to the Marshall Auras until my second read-through, and thought that perhaps it was referring to some of the other abilities the PrC gained.

Second, the Permanent and Merged Diadem abilities are...odd. There's no precedence in MoI for it, and Merged Diadem specifically feels like it is worded poorly. I have no idea if the abilities are a good idea or not. It makes sense for a class specifically devoted to a certain Soulmeld, but it also does away with some of the base assumptions of the Incarnum system. I dunno.

Third, Exalted Feat as a perquisite? That's 3.0 material and severely restricts the potential pool of applicants. I know I personally as a DM dislike involving Exalted material in my games, because it places such a ridiculous code on the players. That may be my personal bias showing through, but consider a different requirement. On the subject of requirements, you state that all Incandescent Champions start out as Marshalls, and use the various Incarnum classes as means to reach the light. Yet, no Marshall abilities are required as a perquisite. This seems at odds with itself.

Fourth, and this just hit me, you may wish to decide whether Turn The Dark counts as Turning/Rebuking attempts for things like Devotion Feats and DMM, and whether it benefits from items which boost Turning and Rebuking. It could go either way, but it could be useful to say outright if the abilities are interchangeable or no.

1. I maybe should mention in the specials description but I thought the requirement special saying you must know a major aura was a good hint.
2. No, there really isn't. Those two abilities are mostly a mechanical choice because so many abilities depend on the Diadem. It only made sense that they didn't count against any soulmelds made and eventually become supernatural gaining the full effect as it is inherent of the PrC. Otherwise a simple dispel could take out more than half of its abilities. It also made sense from a flavor stand point as being a specialist of light.
3. If you are talking about vows but there are plenty of no catch 22's such as nymph's kiss, sanctify x,..etc. I did it to fit the flavor of a good champion of light. Unfortunately there are no marshal specific feats and almost all of the Incarnum feats either require something else or don't make much sense. Also look in the special category of the requirments.
4. I do actually, "This otherwise functions as the turn undead class feature," While it doesn't explain it all outright but it does mean you have just as much precedent in taking those feat as someone who actually does have turn undead. However it would make sense to exclude items as you aren't actually turning undead so you wouldn't use items that boost or contingent with it.

Amnoriath
2013-09-24, 10:55 PM
Well, while I have no eye for balance, a few things immediately strike me.

First, you should state that the class gains Marshall Auras. You allude to it in your description, and the table has a progression of Auras. But unless you specifically give the class an ability which states they can use them, the table is meaningless. I didn't even register that the Invest Aura ability was supposed to refer to the Marshall Auras until my second read-through, and thought that perhaps it was referring to some of the other abilities the PrC gained.

Fourth, and this just hit me, you may wish to decide whether Turn The Dark counts as Turning/Rebuking attempts for things like Devotion Feats and DMM, and whether it benefits from items which boost Turning and Rebuking. It could go either way, but it could be useful to say outright if the abilities are interchangeable or no.

Fixed these things, anything else?

Xuldarinar
2013-09-24, 11:35 PM
Fluff-wise, i'd say this is a beautiful class.

The abilities certainly look interesting, something that I'd find tempting to bring to the table and play.

In terms of balance, I'm afraid I'm not a very good judge on that. It doesn't look broken, in either sense. But I've not further input on that regard.

Amnoriath
2013-09-25, 12:20 PM
Fluff-wise, i'd say this is a beautiful class.

The abilities certainly look interesting, something that I'd find tempting to bring to the table and play.

In terms of balance, I'm afraid I'm not a very good judge on that. It doesn't look broken, in either sense. But I've not further input on that regard.

Thank you, well all I did was focus on a single soulmeld, modify the original features, and then added a bit of the Marshal because it does lend well to being a leader. The original PrC was very odd. Despites its name it had very little to do with actual light other than a side effect of a feature. It tried to be metaphorical equating light with Incarnum but the only significant incarnum feature was the overload feature. Though I found the metaphor not very well supported when it didn't advance any meldshaping nor did it actually do much with light, only amounted to typical good behavior. Ironically the Diadem was better at "being light" than the entire PrC, hence why I used it.

THEChanger
2013-09-25, 08:55 PM
1. I maybe should mention in the specials description but I thought the requirement special saying you must know a major aura was a good hint.

Mmmmhhhmmm. I missed that. Still, it would be a good idea to mention it in the list of special abilities.


2. No, there really isn't. Those two abilities are mostly a mechanical choice because so many abilities depend on the Diadem. It only made sense that they didn't count against any soulmelds made and eventually become supernatural gaining the full effect as it is inherent of the PrC. Otherwise a simple dispel could take out more than half of its abilities. It also made sense from a flavor stand point as being a specialist of light.

True. But I figured I'd mention it. I can't think of any particularly large abuses that can be made of it.


3. If you are talking about vows but there are plenty of no catch 22's such as nymph's kiss, sanctify x,..etc. I did it to fit the flavor of a good champion of light. Unfortunately there are no marshal specific feats and almost all of the Incarnum feats either require something else or don't make much sense. Also look in the special category of the requirments.

Well, even if you don't take the Vows, by RAW, not only does a PC need the DM's explicit permission to take an Exalted Feat, but if they commit even a single Evil act, they lose benefits of their Exalted Feats-and therefore all the benefits of this class, since they no longer qualify for it. Granted there are ways to atone, but it isn't easy, and I personally as a player don't like things that take my abilities away for making a mistake. Still, it's your prerogative to design the class how you like. If I were to make a suggestion as to what to replace it with, I might put forward Soulsight from MoI.
And yeah. Missed that. :smallredface:


4. I do actually, "This otherwise functions as the turn undead class feature," While it doesn't explain it all outright but it does mean you have just as much precedent in taking those feat as someone who actually does have turn undead. However it would make sense to exclude items as you aren't actually turning undead so you wouldn't use items that boost or contingent with it.

Well, my thought was maybe it shouldn't, which is why I brought it up. But it's a fair amount of investment for another pool of Turning, so it's probably not as big a deal as I thought.

In any case, it is a very cool class.

Amnoriath
2013-09-25, 11:55 PM
Well, even if you don't take the Vows, by RAW, not only does a PC need the DM's explicit permission to take an Exalted Feat, but if they commit even a single Evil act, they lose benefits of their Exalted Feats-and therefore all the benefits of this class, since they no longer qualify for it. Granted there are ways to atone, but it isn't easy, and I personally as a player don't like things that take my abilities away for making a mistake. Still, it's your prerogative to design the class how you like. If I were to make a suggestion as to what to replace it with, I might put forward Soulsight from MoI.
And yeah. Missed that. :smallredface:



Well, my thought was maybe it shouldn't, which is why I brought it up. But it's a fair amount of investment for another pool of Turning, so it's probably not as big a deal as I thought.

In any case, it is a very cool class.

1. Well, the PC would need to have permission for using homebrew more than getting a Exalted feat. Well, that is the thing you know, it specifically says "A character who willingly and willfully commits an evil act loses all benefits from all his exalted feats." The words willingly and willfully solidify the idea it must be an active choice to which they are not forced to make. Also an evil act should be fairly obvious, if the DM is trying to interpret an evil act on you as a bad thing happens because you did x and another guy does y than they are fishing for ways to get you. I thought about Soulsight but the way I figure it is either you put down a prerequisite that makes sense in flavor and/or it is part of the mechanics of the class. Soulsight technically doesn't have anything to do with light and seeing that it is an Incarnum feat it would need a lot of work to apply. However I already had 2 outside mechanics going on that make perfect sense, another in the PrC itself, and a fair amount of abilities linked to them so I decided flavor would be the angle. An exalted feat fits the flavor of the devotion and seemed simple enough to justify.
2. Yeah, at the very least they would be losing 3 caster levels in getting another set here. This way though a non-caster could play with the divine, which is nice to give options outside of the PrC itself.
3. Well, thank you for response.
P.S. I did add the Minor and Major Auras in the Special Descriptions now.