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View Full Version : A Draught that Purges the Arcane: The Spelldrinker [Base Class, D&D 3.5, PEACH]



Rolep
2013-12-10, 01:17 PM
A little while back I wrote a class that was designed with defeating mages in mind. It wasn't meant to be perfect (I don't beleive that it is possible to build a class that is both a perfect mage-slayer and fun for all the party), nor was it meant to be mundane, but it was meant to pose a serious challenge to any spellcaster. I'm posting it here so that it can be tested for balance (I worry that it might be too strong), its abilities can be given better, less long-winded wording, and people can point of way to fix any more obvious weaknesses which it has.

Spelldrinker

“I had the power to do anything, but I could not quench his thirst. Please, quench mine.”

- A Forgotten Street Beggar, Grovelling for a Meal

Spells are power. That has been known for eons. No natural force can overcome a skilled mage. This was the doctrine of many an age of men. Then a lone scholar set his mind to finding a force that can overcome their power. He saw a fundamental truth in magic: it alters the world. He found a way to alter the very makeup of his soul to be unchangeable, unaffected by the powers of wizards. He found an alarming side-effect. His soul turned against the very concept of sorcery, draining its puissance from the air about him. In this way, the spelldrinker was born.
A spelldrinker does not have to hate or oppose mages; they may have simply chosen an alternate route to power than magic. However, their presence spells trouble for mages, whether friendly or foreign. They have the ability to drain any spell that tries to affect them, and as they grow they can affect spells that they merely approach. Furthermore, their soul begins to hunger for more than spells, and they begin to drain spell-like and supernatural abilities.

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Spelldrain, Spellstore, Spellsuck
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Resist Spells
3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+3|Mettle, Spellmark
4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Direct Spelldrain
5th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Drain Spell-Like Ability, Spellmark (Detect Thoughts)
6th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Fardrain
7th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Spelldraining Aura, Spellmark (Locate Creature)
8th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
+6|Drain Supernatural Ability
9th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Improved Mettle, Spellmark (Clairaudience & Clairvoyance)
10th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Drain Magic Item
11th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Spellmark (True Seeing & Tongues)
12th|
+6/1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Lingering Drain
13th|
+6/1|
+8|
+4|
+8|Spellmark (Discern Location)
14th|
+7/2|
+9|
+4|
+9|
15th|
+7/2|
+9|
+5|
+9|Spellmark (Willing)
16th|
+8/3|
+10|
+5|
+10|
17th|
+8/3|
+10|
+5|
+10|Drain Instantaneous Effect
18th|
+9/4|
+11|
+6|
+11|
19th|
+9/4|
+11|
+6|
+11|Drain Artifact
20th|
+10/5|
+12|
+6|
+12|Innate Soulspell
[/table]

Hit Die: d6
The Spelldrinker’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int) & Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + intelligence modifier)*4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + intelligence modifier

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A spelldrinker is proficiency with simple weapons and light armour, but not shields.

Spelldrain (Su): A spelldrinker’s soul energy disrupts the form of magical energy, unravelling any spells which affect them. Any spell which includes the spelldrinker as a target, including an area spell which affects the spelldrinker’s space, has a chance to be absorbed. The caster must make a caster level check that may not receive any bonuses from feats, magic items or any other source apart from their caster level. They must equal or beat a spelldrain check made by the spelldrinker. A spelldrain check is equal to 1d20 + spelldrinker class level + constitution modifier. If they succeed, the spell works normally. If they fail, the spell does not affect the spelldrinker, though it may affect any other target of the spell. Any on-going spell that succeeds its caster level check cannot be drained again by the same spelldrinker for 24 hours. Any permanent spell that is successfully drained is merely suppressed for 24 hours.
This effect is difficult to suppress. A spelldrinker who wants a spell to affect them must make a charisma check with a DC equal to 5 + the level of the spell. If they fail, the spell is expended, but it has no effect on the spelldrinker.
Any spell that is successfully absorbed grants the souldrinker a number of soul points equal to the level of the spell absorbed. These soul points last for 24 hours before disappearing, rendering them permanently unusable. A spelldrinker can never have more soul points than their level multiplied by their constitution modifier at any one time (minimum 1). For the effects that they can grant, see Spellstore, below.

Spellstore (Su): A spelldrinker’s soul remembers spells that it disrupts, and can use absorbed puissance to replicate their effect. Every spell that the spelldrinker successfully negates with spelldrain is permanently added to the spellstore. By spending soul points equal to twice the spell’s level, the spelldrinker can cast that spell, using their class level as their caster level and resolving all effects normally. They cannot apply metamagic to the spell, but if they added the spell to the spellstore with metamagic already attached, it may be cast with metamagic normally, spending soul points according to its modified spell level. The DCs for spells cast in this way are Charisma-based, and they are treated as supernatural abilities for all purposes. They also do not have the normal 50% miss chance against incorporeal features, and ignore armour check penalties. Spells cast in this way are neither arcane nor divine, and can only be used to qualify for prestige classes that do not specify arcane or divine as part of the requirements. A spelldrinker cannot drain spells cast from their own spellstore. Spent soul points disappear, and cannot be used again. They may not cast spells in this way if it requires spending a number of soul points greater than the spelldrinker’s class level.

Spellsuck (Su): A spelldrinker can aim their spelldraining powers at a particular target, leeching the spells from them. As a standard action, a spelldrinker may make a ranged touch attack against a single target within 400ft plus an additional 40ft per class level. If it hits, the target loses spell slots/prepared spells with combined spell levels equal to the spelldrinker’s class level. These must come from as many of the highest level slots as possible, before moving onto lower levels (so a nineteenth level spelldrinker targeting a caster with 7th level spells must drain two 7th level spell slots and one 5th level spell slot, if possible). Levels drained in this way provide soul points as if they have been drained by the spelldrain ability. In addition, the target takes ability damage equal to half the spelldrinker’s class level to their spellcasting stat. If they possess multiple spellcasting stats, divide the ability damage between all of their spellcasting stats. Any remainder is converted into damage (see below). If the target’s spellcasting stats are at zero, or they have no spellcasting stat, each remaining point of ability score damage is converted into 1d6 damage.
Spellsuck may also be used to counterspell opposing spells by readying an action to counterspell as normal. Spellsuck may only counter spells of a level equal to or less than half the spelldrinker’s class level (rounded up).

Resist Spells (Su): A spelldrinker’s soul is resistant to magic of any kind. At second level or higher, they gain an untyped bonus equal to their charisma modifier on saving throws & AC against spells and touch attack rolls with their spellsuck ability. In addition, their soul’s path cannot be altered by another. This means that any attempt to change the past of the Spelldrinker automatically fails.

Mettle: A spelldrinker’s soul is exceedingly hardy and difficult to subdue. At third level or higher, if they make a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that would normally have an effect (usually a lesser one) on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), they instead completely negate the effect. Also, the spelldrinker gains a +4 bonus on saves and checks vs. poison, disease, level loss, death effects, starvation and suffocation. An unconscious or sleeping spelldrinker still gains the benefit of mettle.

Spellmark (Su): At third level or higher, a spelldrinker can dissolve a part of their soul and bind it to another person. Anyone within the range of a spelldrinker’s spellsuck ability who can cast spells can be targeted by this ability. The target of this ability must succeed on a fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + one half of the spelldrinker’s class level + the spelldrinker’s constitution modifier or be marked by the spelldrinker. A single spelldrinker may only have a number of marks equal to one greater than one-fifth of their level at any one time, rounded down. A mark lasts until the spelldrinker chooses to dispel it, even if the target leaves the area. No other effect short of deific intervention may dispel the mark. The target does not know that they have been marked, but they can work it out based on its effects. Anyone who is marked is treated as having a caster level equal to three-quarters his normal caster level (rounded down) for all purposes except determining his caster level via this ability.
At fifth level or higher, the spelldrinker is treated as having a continuous detect thoughts effects on the target. The spelldrinker is not stunned if the target’s intelligence score is 26 or higher, nor does the detect thoughts effect end in such a situation, allowing the spelldrinker to move on to the effect of the 3rd round as normal.
At seventh level or higher, the spelldrinker is treated as having a continuous locate creature effect on the target.
At ninth level or higher, the spelldrinker is treated as having continuous clairaudience & clairvoyance effects on the target. These effects are always centred on the target and move with them.
At eleventh level or higher, the spelldrinker is treated as having a continuous true seeing effect through his clairvoyance effect and a continuous tongues effect through his clairaudience effect.
At thirteenth level or higher, the spelldrinker is treated as having a continuous discern location effect on the target.
At fifteenth level or higher, the spelldrinker now influences the target via the impulses of the portion of the spelldrinker’s soul that is bound to them. They are now considered willing for the purposes of spells that require willing targets.

Direct Spelldrain (Su): A spelldrinker of fourth level or higher now drains any spell that directly affects them in some way, even if they are not the target (so if someone with true seeing looks at an invisible spelldrinker, this ability allows them to drain said someone of their true seeing, as long as it is a spell, and not a spell-like, supernatural or extraordinary ability; also, this means that if someone marked by the spellmark ability (see below) tries to use the spell mind blank to mask the discern location effect, they must make an appropriate check or have the mind blank rendered useless; in addition, if the spelldrinker uses their spellstore to cast fireball at someone with spelldrain, they can drain the spelldrain effect; however, if another spelldrinker drains an allied cleric’s only remaining prepared spell, the spelldrinker cannot drain the spellsuck that drained the spell, even if the loss of the cleric’s spell prevents the spelldrinker from healing on the cleric’s next turn). The DC for the charisma check to resist draining these effects is 5 higher. Furthermore, when they drain a spell that has more than just the spelldrinker as a target, they prevent it from affecting any of its other targets, as well.

Drain Spell-Like Ability (Su): A fifth-level-or-higher spelldrinker now drains spell-like abilities, including invocations, as well as spells. Their bonus to saving throws from the resist spells ability now applies to spell-like abilities, and they may place their spellmark on any creature with spell-like abilities, even if the target does not have spells. In addition, they may drain uses of spell-like abilities with their spellsuck ability.

Fardrain (Su): The target of a successful spellsuck performed by a spelldrinker of spelldrinker of sixth level or higher is treated as if, for an instant, every magical effect in their space directly affects the spelldrinker, regardless of whether they actually do. In addition, a spelldrinker can, as a full-round action, treat the target of their spellmark, should they have one, as if, for an instant, all magical effects in their space directly affect the spelldrinker, though doing so weakens the link. Each time that this is done, one of the abilities of the link fades until twenty-four hours after the last time that this ability is used, causing the spelldrinker to lose its effect during the period of time for which the effect has faded. Abilities granted by a higher spelldrinker level are drained first. Should all of these abilities fade, the spelldrinker loses the ability to use this ability in conjunction with the spellmark until they reappear.

Spelldraining Aura (Su): A seventh-level-or-higher spelldrinker now drains any spell within 10 feet per class level, whether it is an on-going effect, has just been cast within the area or has just entered the area. Any on-going spell that succeeds its caster level check cannot be drained again by the same spelldrinker for 24 hours. In addition, the spelldrinker may now drain any inanimate object that was affected by a spell in the past (spelldrinker’s class level) rounds, destroying it. The DC to resist draining these effects is 10 higher.

Drain Supernatural Ability (Su): A spelldrinker of eighth level or higher now drains supernatural abilities as well as spells. Their bonus to saving throws from the resist spells ability now applies to supernatural abilities, and they may place their spellmark on any creature with supernatural abilities, even if the target does not have spells or spell-like abilities. In addition, any supernatural ability that the target of a successful spellsuck attempt that has a number of uses over a period of time loses one use, and any that requires a specified amount of time to recharge is treated as if it has just been used.

Improved Mettle: The soul of a spelldrinker of ninth level or higher becomes unnaturally resilient, and few effects can overcome it. If they make an unsuccessful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that would normally have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), they instead suffer said lesser effect. In addition, the spelldrinker becomes immune to death effects, negative levels, level loss, poison and disease, and no longer needs to eat, sleep or breathe.

Drain Magic Item (Su): A tenth-level-or-higher spelldrinker now drains magic items, golems and unintelligent (but not artifacts) as well as spells. The effective caster level of the item for the purposes of the check is the caster level of the creator at the time of its creation or the character level of the possessor, whichever is higher. A drained magic item has its magical effects suppressed for 24 hours. Draining a magic item provides the Spelldrinker with no soul points, since the magic is too tamed and distilled to be of any use.

Lingering Drain (Su): Anyone who has been spelldrained by a spelldrinker of twelfth level or higher is considered to be within the spelldrinker’s spelldraining aura until the end of their next turn unless they succeed on a fortitude save with a DC equal to 10 + one half of the spelldrinker’s class level + the spelldrinker’s constitution modifier. The target makes their fortitude save after the effects of the spelldrain that instigated this ability have been applied, so they lose any bonuses that were removed by said spelldrain.

Drain Instantaneous Effect (Su): A spelldrinker of seventeenth level or higher now drains effects that are instantaneous and have already been resolved, as long as they are still having a direct effect (so a hallow or unhallow effect can be drained, as can an inherent bonus to an ability score, damage caused by a spell that has not yet been healed, and hit points healed by a spell that have not yet been lost). All effects drained in this way are considered on-going and permanent, regardless of whether the actually are, for the purposes of this ability.

Drain Artifact (Su): A nineteenth-level-or-higher spelldrinker now drains artifacts as they would magic items.

Innate Soulspell (Ex): A twentieth-level-or-higher spelldrinker’s abilities gained from levels in the spelldrinker class now function naturally. Should any effect interact with such a power in a way that would change depending on whether the power is extraordinary or supernatural, the spelldrinker may choose which it is treated as for the purpose of this effect (so an incorporeal foe in an antimagic field can be affected, as the ability can be treated as extraordinary for the purpose of working in the field but supernatural for the purpose of affecting incorporeal foes).

Rolep
2013-12-12, 11:33 AM
Shameless bump.

Rolep
2013-12-14, 03:56 PM
Shameless bump Mk II.

Rolep
2013-12-18, 02:35 PM
Shameless bump cubed.

Rolep
2013-12-21, 03:33 AM
Shameless bump in the fourth dimension...

Just to Browse
2013-12-22, 06:49 AM
OK OK fine review time, your homebrew always seems so sad and empty anyways:

Overall, this class hits a lot of the major problems with antimage stuff and homebrew stuff.

Too Many Moving Parts (Generic Homebrew Problem): From your sig, I can see you don't have too much playtested homebrew experience under your belt, so let me emphasize this: simplicity is greater than balance. A lot of people miss this, and it's a big reason high-text homebrews are so hit-and-miss (take eldan's arcane casting, or aldurin's shadowcasting, in comparison to Kellus' truename fix or the evolutionist and ozodrin).

If it really takes almost two computer screens to write up the abilities your drinker gets at level one, you're going to have a bad time. Even if these abilities were balanced or sensible, I am fighting a sleep-inducing wall of text just to understand them.

The really excessive thing about this class is that it requires you to remember every single spell you've been hit with (spellstore), remember the different-enough-to-trip-you-up class features, keep track of soul points, keep track of spellmark caps and specific targets, and keep a running tally of all creatures affected with abilities so you can make sure to add your temp bonuses.

Refusing to Recycle (Generic Homebrew Problem): New and unique mechanics are cool and such, but new resource management schemes are horrifying for readers because we can't analyze the balance of things based on what we already know--we have to build up our opinions from scratch. This is part of the reason extra subsystems like Magic of Incarnum, Psionics, and everything in Tome of Magic don't catch on. It takes a lot of mental effort just to get over that initial comprehension barrier, and as a DM or a player I don't want to do that.

You fall prey to this in writing your very first class feature. A feature that could easily be written as "You gain SR equal to 10 + Spelldrinker Level + ConMod", which would allow new readers to recycle old knowledge about spell resistance, keep your work simple, and more important afford some counterplay. But let's not get ahead of ourselves, because counterplay is the next thing on the list.

Hard-Countering Casters is Bad (Antimage Problem): You have noticed, as other relatively bright fellows that play D&D have noticed, that caster dominance is common and a potentially easily-resolvable problem. However, the inelegance of your fix makes casters really really suck, which is bad because it makes the game very binary. While the DM can no longer throw casters at you because the drinker will just auto-pwn them all, a caster in the party will still take a dump all over the drinker because casters on the good guy side can still fly, drop SoDs, breath water, teleport long or short distances, and the only thing the spelldrinker can do is be a tool and cancel their spells. He contributes about as much as a fighter, so the caster-drinker disparity is just made more embarrassingly obvious.

Binary Class is Binary (Antimage Problem): In your zealousness to write a class that kills casters, you have run into the problem (and it would seem, even partially identified it) that the spelldrinker can't hurt people who aren't spellcasters. He does really well at killing spellcasters, but just like a fighter with +400 to-hit and +$TEXAS damage still cannot contribute effectively, the spelldrinker will be annoyingly useless in every situation that does not involve the DM tossing them a caster out of pity. You were kind enough to grant them the ability to deal with SLAs at level 5 and Su's at level 8 (which also run into a problem in that they have no spell level), but those come late and the drinker still has no way of dealing with melee brutes, psionics, meldshaping, truenaming, xenotheurgy, maneuvers, high-power shadowcasting, or other weird abilities your group cooks up. For being antimages, they just don't perform well against a wide variety of mages.

Spell Access is Still Broken (Generic Homebrew Problem): In an attempt to give the drinker some power, I see you've given them some huge spell access from spellstore. While it seems like a smart idea, you now have a class stronger than the StP erudite based solely on the fact that he memorizes every spell that fails on him and he can cast all day every day if he invests in some cheap level 1 wands. Remember, casting is a big deal. If you put it somewhere, make sure to control it.

Boring (Generic Homebrew Problem): This is gonna sound unfair, but your class isn't interesting. Good classes have cool flavor but also invoke interesting and dynamic tactical mechancs. Good examples of this are Grod's Beastman and Ziegander's Blade and Bow Warlord, which don't do new things for flavor but add a whole new dimension of gameplay. This class doesn't do that--it gets a passive 70% SR subsitute, and a bunch of abilities that effective amount of "choose X spell, cancel it". That's not innovative or exciting, and this + walls of text is probably what encourages people not to read the class features.

IN CONCLUSION: Your class falls prey to many of the common antimage themes, despite dodging a couple (good job on giving him attack abilities), and is plagued by the worst of the generic homebrew problems. I would recommend a full redesign, just salvaging the flavor and tactical concept, with an emphasis on interesting tactics and contribution outside of smacking casters. Those can get you really far in class design.

One more thing before I go, I'm going to re-post something I wrote a bit ago on designing antimage classes. Maybe it'll help:


I think of three things when I think of anti-mages:
Go to town, Lockdown: He stops people who cast spells. Interrupt abilities, immediate-action dispels, and passive spell failure are good choices. Cool things include forcing casters to roll on spell feedback tables. When not fighting casters, he's an off-tank because some of his abilities can also interrupt advancing enemies.
Merc Treads, the Magi-Tank: Reduce and ignore crowd control effects (stuns, fear, etc.), usually coupled with high defenses of all kinds (including spell /energy/damage resistance). He runs to casters and cuts out their squishy bits because they can't kill him. Cool things include cutting through fireballs. When not fighting casters he's great for standing near high-priority targets and wailing on them (or protecting them!)
A knife through bufftter, The Buff Cutter: He plays the game of rocket-launcher tag with a faster rocket. Usually with low defenses, but high damage output and the ability to ignore or even dispel buffs when he attacks (like without a check). Cool things include smelling magic and ignoring pesky things like invisibility. When not fighting casters he can still hand out damage and ignore cover.

Which one did you have in mind?

EDIT: Holy crap that is a lot of words. I did not intend to write this much. This is almost as long as your class. Actually it's only 1/3 as long, nevermind.

Rolep
2013-12-22, 12:22 PM
/snip/
All noted. Very good points, and I see where you are coming from. This is actually an old class of mine, and I've gotten a little bit better at stepping back and realising what is pointless since then. I'm going to re-write it at some point.