Aberrant Scion (PEACH)

[BelGareth]

Aberrant Scion

Class skills (4 + Int Modifier per level): Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Wis), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).

Hit Dice: d8


LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1st +0+2+0+2 Bonus Aberrant Feat, Aberrant blood
2nd +1+3+0+3 Form shift
3rd +2+3+1+3 Bonus Aberrant Feat
4th +3+4+1+4 Transmogrify(1)
5th +3+4+1+4 Bonus Aberrant Feat
6th +4+5+2+5 Pseudonatural companion 1
7th +5+5+2+5 Bonus Aberrant Feat
8th +6/+1 +6+2+6 Transmogrify(2)
9th +6/+1 +6+3+6 Bonus Aberrant Feat
10th +7/+2 +7+3+7 Pseudonatural companion 2
11th +8/+3 +7+3+7 Bonus Aberrant Feat
12th +9/+4 +8+4+8 Transmogrify(3)
13th +9/+4 +8+4+8 Bonus Aberrant Feat
14th +10/+5 +9+4+9 Pseudonatural companion 3
15th +11/+6/+1 +9+5+9 Bonus Aberrant Feat
16th +12/+7/+2 +10+5+10 Transmogrify(4)
17th +12/+7/+2 +10+5+10 Bonus Aberrant Feat
18th +13/+8/+3 +11+6+11 Pseudonatural companion 4
19th +14/+9/+4 +11+6+11 Bonus Aberrant Feat
20th +15/+10/+5 +12+6+12 Transmogrify(5), Starchild


Proficiencies: An Aberrant Scion is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields). It also gains proficiency with its natural weapons (if any).

Aberrant blood (Ex): At first level, the aberrant Scion gains the Aberration blood feat as a bonus feat. Additionally, any class features derived from these feats that reference meld shaping level, manifester level, initiator levels, spellcasting level, or any other system, has a maximum amount limited to half the aberrant scions class levels.

Bonus Aberrant Feat: At 1st level and every other level thereafter, the aberrant Scion gains a bonus aberrant feat (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155474).

Form shift (Su): At 2nd level, an aberrant Scion gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell, but only while in her normal form. This affects the aberrant Scions body but not her possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the aberrant Scions appearance, within the limits described for the spell.

Transmogrify (Ex): At 4th level, an aberrant Scion may shift her form to adapt as needed. At the start of each day, you can choose to change a bonus aberrant feat to any other aberrant feat for which you meet the prerequisites. At 4th level, you may shuffle one bonus aberrant feat and an additional bonus aberrant feat every additional 4 levels.

Pseudonatural companion (Sp): At 6th level, an aberrant Scion may summon a pseudonatural companion to aid her, this companion is an animal called from the far realms, and may take any form you desire. The aberrant Scion can cast Summon Nature's Ally I as a spell like ability a number of times per day equal to half her class level, the creatures summoned have the pseudonatural template applied to them.

At 10th level, the aberrant Scion may summon an animal from the Summon Nature's Ally II list, at 14th, she may choose from the Summon Nature's Ally III list, and at 18th she may choose from the Summon Nature's Ally IV list.

Starchild (Ex): At 20th level, the aberrant Scion realizes her true potential and her form translates to that of her true self. The aberrant Scion gains the aberration type, fast healing 5 and the pseudonatural template.


2/11/14, 11:52 - Created
2/11/14, 12:49 - Changed name from Aberrant Incarnate to Aberrant Scion



I think Aberrant Scion is a better name.

[BelGareth]

I realize the class is a little vanilla, and it's supposed to be.

The real crunch is from the Aberration feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155474) by EdroGrimshell, this is merely the framework to allow those feats a body, so to speak.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[Just to Browse]

Transmogrification lets you switch feats around that you used as prerequisites (like Aberrant Blood). What happens when you do that? Do you lose the benefits of a feat you no longer qualify for like in Complete Warrior?

I'm not a fan of the pseudonatural companion. I'm assuming this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/pseudonaturalCreature.htm) is the pseudonatural template you're including? The monsters that it makes don't get enough of an HP boost from the constitution modifier (the psuedonatural wolf will have DR 5 and only 24 HP), but +22 strength is pretty crazy, so they end up as glass cannons. Couple that with the per-day limitations, and the painfully short duration, and the ability pretty strongly lends itself towards nuking enemies with as many SNA's as possible once a day.

I'd prefer a constant companion, or at least something with a decent HD/HP progression.

[BelGareth]

Transmogrification lets you switch feats around that you used as prerequisites (like Aberrant Blood). What happens when you do that? Do you lose the benefits of a feat you no longer qualify for like in Complete Warrior?


Yes, like Complete warrior.


I'm not a fan of the pseudonatural companion. I'm assuming this (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/pseudonaturalCreature.htm) is the pseudonatural template you're including? The monsters that it makes don't get enough of an HP boost from the constitution modifier (the psuedonatural wolf will have DR 5 and only 24 HP), but +22 strength is pretty crazy, so they end up as glass cannons. Couple that with the per-day limitations, and the painfully short duration, and the ability pretty strongly lends itself towards nuking enemies with as many SNA's as possible once a day.

I'd prefer a constant companion, or at least something with a decent HD/HP progression.

No, it's the template (http://www.realmshelps.net/monsters/templates/pseudonatural.shtml) listed in Complete arcane, which is non epic, making it much weaker, more of a utility ability than anything.

If you want a constant companion, wild cohort (https://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) would suit your needs. I'm sure most DM's would allow a modified animal as a cohort.

Maybe I could strum up a feat for an alternative....

[AmberVael]

I think he's referring to the far more sane template in Complete Arcane (which is also used by the Alienist).

Anyway, the problem of this class is the sheer power in some of those aberrant feats in conjunction the number of bonus feats the class gets. If you make the character right you can basically be a super gestalt- With only half of the feats here you could get a substantial number of maneuvers, vestiges, invocations, and soulmelds. You could probably get divine spellcasting and psionic powers too. It's too much.

[BelGareth]

I think he's referring to the far more sane template in Complete Arcane (which is also used by the Alienist).

Anyway, the problem of this class is the sheer power in some of those aberrant feats in conjunction the number of bonus feats the class gets. If you make the character right you can basically be a super gestalt- With only half of the feats here you could get a substantial number of maneuvers, vestiges, invocations, and soulmelds. You could probably get divine spellcasting and psionic powers too. It's too much.

Agreed, some of the feats are a little overkill, but I don't think they step over the line too much. By focusing on this class, you can never max out your spellcasting, and can only get a max power/spell of 5th.

When compared to straight casters, clerics, etc, it doesn't match up.

Do they have options? indeed, a veritable ton of them, but are they overmuch powerful?

I don't think so, and because a few of the feats are a little OP, doesn't mean it wouldn't be a fun class to play with a little DM fiat.

[AmberVael]

Allow me to elaborate.

By spending three feats, you can gain 21 maneuvers, 12 readied, and 7 stances by level 20. (Swordsage has 25/12/6, Warblade has 13/7/4).
By spending two feats, you can bind any three vestiges with full binding level, by level 20. (A binder can bind 4 exactly at level 20).


With these two things alone you can rival, if not best, two tier 3 classes in their own areas of competence. With Transmogrify, you can also change your features every day- imagine being a swordsage that can completely swap out all of their maneuvers each day and then also decide they might like to be an incarnate or a warlock at the same time.

Yes, not all feats are this bad, but there are a significant number that are. Bishop of the Far Realms, Scion of the Aberrant Mark, Voidspawn, Mad Disciple, Soul of the Far Realms, Twisted Mind, Breachspawn, Twisted Form... you get significant portions of class features, and you can gain multiple of these, and with this class you can get enough aberrant feats to get all of them at significant power and then swap them out as you please. It's too much.

And if you limited it to the not broken ones? It'd probably drop down to Fighter level of competence.

[BelGareth]

Allow me to elaborate.

By spending three feats, you can gain 21 maneuvers, 12 readied, and 7 stances by level 20. (Swordsage has 25/12/6, Warblade has 13/7/4).
By spending two feats, you can bind any three vestiges with full binding level, by level 20. (A binder can bind 4 exactly at level 20).


With these two things alone you can rival, if not best, two tier 3 classes in their own areas of competence. With Transmogrify, you can also change your features every day- imagine being a swordsage that can completely swap out all of their maneuvers each day and then also decide they might like to be an incarnate or a warlock at the same time.

Yes, not all feats are this bad, but there are a significant number that are. Bishop of the Far Realms, Scion of the Aberrant Mark, Voidspawn, Mad Disciple, Soul of the Far Realms, Twisted Mind, Breachspawn, Twisted Form... you get significant portions of class features, and you can gain multiple of these, and with this class you can get enough aberrant feats to get all of them at significant power and then swap them out as you please. It's too much.

And if you limited it to the not broken ones? It'd probably drop down to Fighter level of competence.

You bring up a great point, at full Manifester/binder/caster/Initator/etc level, it gets a little crazy.

As I have no power over the feats, and the thread is too old to post on, I can add something to the class, limiting Manifester/binder/caster/Initator/etc level to half the class level. That would retard the power creep somewhat, but still give the toolkit feeling the feats provide.

[Coidzor]

I realize the class is a little vanilla, and it's supposed to be.

The real crunch is from the Aberration feats (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=155474) by EdroGrimshell, this is merely the framework to allow those feats a body, so to speak.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Well, I love the idea, partially because I had a similar idea myself from looking over that thread and those feats. :smallbiggrin:

Though I believe I made the mistake of trying to rig it up so that the class made the WOTC-published aberrant feats more powerful. Also, I started out with a template and haven't actually translated any of that work into the class format/framework and I envisioned it as more of a 3-5 level "Paragon" class. I'm currently in development hell and want to check on the Dragon Magazine "Aberrant Paragon" (Aberration Paragon?) class before I go further,. anyway. If you're interested, I'll PM you a link to some of my musings and notes on the subject though, if for no other reason than to look at how you don't want to handle it. XD

I can't recall it perfectly offhand, but you might double-check the Summoner's Summon Monster SLA class feature from Pathfinder for comparison with the Pseudonatural Companion. I can definitely see potential for an ACF that gives something like the Summoner's Eidolon, come to think of it. Potentially tapping into their own aberrant connection to manifest something from the far realm/themselves as a separate entity, possibly losing some or all of certain abilities while they do so but gaining a second set of actions.

[BelGareth]

Would love to see your notes, and also...which dragon magazine is this paragon class in?

EDIT: found it, Dragon magazine 332 pg 45. Its eberron based, but pretty cool.

[Amechra]

I am reminded of when I made this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13257849&postcount=12). Feel free to pillage it for ideas.

[OblivionBlade]

I myself made a class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328255) extremely similar to this myself: feel free to use it as ideas as well. (Edit: its lore is ebberon based)

[BelGareth]

I am reminded of when I made this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13257849&postcount=12). Feel free to pillage it for ideas.

Ah yes, the Pariah, that was a good one, I'll take a closer look for some ideas. Thanks!


I myself made a class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=328255) extremely similar to this myself: feel free to use it as ideas as well. (Edit: its lore is ebberon based)

As above, thanks, I'll take a looksee.