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Seerow
2014-04-01, 09:41 PM
The Fortune Blessed


Fortune Blessed characters come from all walks of life, from small town boys to rogues living on the streets of a big city. They tend to be, but are not always, skilled individuals, and often live by the mantra of "Better Lucky than Good". Wherever they originate from, most inevitably find themselves in a position of some power and affluence whether they want it or not. It's unclear if these individuals gain their luck because they have the potential for greatness, or if it is the luck that makes them great. Regardless, the world seems to often bend itself to their whims, making the improbably nearly certain when they are around.

Becoming a Fortune Blessed
Entry Requirements
Skills: Sense Motive 8 Ranks, Profession(Gambling) 4 ranks
Feats: Any 3 Luck Feats (Complete Scoundrel)





Fortune Blessed


LevelBABFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial

1st+0+0+2+2Luck Feats, Siphon Luck

2nd+1+0+3+3Fortunate Soul

3rd+2+1+3+3Twist Fate

4th+3+1+4+4Neverending Luck

5th+3+1+4+4Right Tool for the Job

6th+4+2+5+5Ask the Dice

7th+5+2+5+5Gambler's Edge

8th+6+2+6+6Neverending Luck

9th+6+3+6+6Luck Favors the Bold

10th+7+3+7+7Lucky Break


Hit Die: d8
Skill Points per Level: 6+int modifier per level
Class Skills: Appraise(Int), Balance(Dex), Bluff(Cha), Craft(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Disable Device(Int), Disguise(Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Forgery(Int), Gather Information(Cha), Handle Animal(Cha), Hide(Dex), Intimidate(Cha), Knowledge(Local), Knowleldge(Nobility and Royalty), Listen(Wis), Move Silently(Dex), Open Lock(Dex), Perform(Cha), Search(Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Sleight of Hand(Dex), Spot(Wis), Tumble(Dex), Use Magic Device(Cha), Use Rope(Cha)

Luck Feats: At every level, the Fortune Blessed gains one new luck feat as a bonus feat. He must meet any prerequisites for that feat.

Siphon Luck: A first level Fortune Blessed knows that he will be luckier than any foe he comes up against. Any time an enemy within line of sight rolls a natural 20 on any d20 roll, the Fortune Blessed gains 1 additional luck reroll.

Fortunate Soul: Starting at 2nd level, the Fortune Blessed has been infused with luck, such that it impacts every action they undertake. They gain a luck bonus to all d20 rolls equal to +1 for every 2 Fortune Blessed levels posessed (so +1 at level 2, +2 at level 4, and so on).

Twist Fate: A 3rd level Fortune Blessed's mere presence can make the impossible plausible. By expending a luck reroll, the Fortune Blessed may cause a single extremely unlikely event to occur. This should generally not have any direct mechanical reprecussions, and may be something like rolling a die and it getting stuck on a corner, or throwing up 1000 coins simultaneously and every one showing up heads.

Neverending Luck: At 4th level, the Fortune Blessed always has a reserve of luck he can draw on. He gains an extra luck reroll that refreshes automatically 5 rounds after being used. At 8th level, he gains a second reroll that recharges in the same manner.

Right Tool for the Job: A 5th level Fortune Blessed knows the advantage of carrying the right equipment, and frequently has dozens of minor items on his person at any given time. By spending two luck rerolls, the Fortune Blessed can be assumed to have previously acquired an item worth up to his level squared times 5 gold pieces (So 125gp at level 5, 180gp at level 6, 245gp at level 7, 320gp at level 8, 405gp at level 9, and 500gp at level 10).

Ask the Dice: At 6th level, the Fortune Blessed implicitly trusts his luck, and will often turn to it for answers. He can ask any question with a set number of answers (typically yes or no, but more options are possible), and flip a coin, roll a die, or use some other form of randomization, and spend one luck reroll to gain an answer to that question.

Gambler's Edge: Starting at 7th level, the Fortune Blessed's passive infusion of luck deepens. Any time he makes a d20 roll, he may roll twice, and choose the better result. If he chooses to use a luck reroll he rolls only a single d20, not both.

Luck Favors the Bold: A 9th level Fortune Blessed may opt to spend 2 luck rerolls any time he uses a [Luck] Feat that allows him to reroll a d20 roll. If he does so, the result of that roll is automatically considered a Natural 20.

Lucky Break: Upon reaching 10th level, a Fortune Blessed is effectively luck incarnate, and their luck causes probability to shift on a much larger scale than normal. They are capable of creating implausible plans that succeed against all odds; alter the flow of a major battle; and change Fate itself. The character may choose to spend a single luck reroll and some event will occur within the next 1d10 rounds that is beneficial to the character's immediate goals. It might be a lucky break, an ally suddenly showing up, an impassable trap miraculously breaking, and so on. By spending a second luck reroll the player can choose the nature of the event they wish to occur.

Amnoriath
2014-04-02, 05:31 PM
It has a couple of interesting features however there are a couple of obvious issues here that call into question of its balance.
Good
1. Twist the Fate and Ask the dice. I really like these abilities flavorful and useful without being an upfront success.
2. Right tool for the job, one could always use some single use stuff. However, better worry about custom item rules.
3. You have some decent ways to keep rerolls.
Bad
1. Fortunate soul is asking for nasty numbers in all departments. When a single prestige class can simultaneously replicate about 10 spells at the same time that can still stack he isn't simply lucky any more he becomes good at every thing.
2. Gambler's edge, you effectively rendered useless the luck feats while directing them towards your auto-success abilities. Also see 1
3. Luck Favors the Bold, auto-success, see 2. Possibly auto-vorpal with the right feats
4. Lucky Break, 6 free miracle-like abilities a day as well as 1 every 30 seconds one level before Clerics and Wizards get one. That is a problem.
5. I understand to a point you are expecting lucky characters but most entering this won't get to use their feats to help their strategy which really hurts the feat starved tier 4's or some 3's in play.

Seerow
2014-04-02, 06:24 PM
1. Fortunate soul is asking for nasty numbers in all departments. When a single prestige class can simultaneously replicate about 10 spells at the same time that can still stack he isn't simply lucky any more he becomes good at every thing.


I was kind of worried about this, but I'm not really sure it's problematic. Yes it's a bonus to everything, which makes him decent at everything, but I don't think it's particularly overpowered (by level 15 a +5 bonus is pretty minor all things considered). I can see flavor arguments, where it's not luck anymore because it's a static bonus, but I'm not sure I buy it.


2. Gambler's edge, you effectively rendered useless the luck feats while directing them towards your auto-success abilities. Also see 1
3. Luck Favors the Bold, auto-success, see 2. Possibly auto-vorpal with the right feats


Note that to use the auto success, you have to already have a feat that lets you reroll that ability. Basically, Luck Favors the Bold augments those feats to keep them useful even when you have other passive abilities to make you better when you aren't spending resources.

On Gambler's Edge, it's basically the polar opposite of the "Unluck" spell. I figured that was pretty fitting. And luck rerolls are still useful in addition with it. Would you feel better about it if with gambler's edge using a reroll lets you reroll both dice, to keep the luck rerolls generally useful?

Also given how many things are straight up immune to Vorpal, I'm not concerned about someone with a 70k+ sword being able to spend a separate resource and several feats (as a class that you noted is feat starved) to auto-kill an enemy even on a fairly regular basis.


4. Lucky Break, 6 free miracle-like abilities a day one level before Clerics and Wizards get one. That is a problem.

Worth noting that while it is strong narrative control and miracle-like, Miracle has a number of uses this can't recreate. Miracle can in theory cause anything to happen that a deity could make happen. Lucky Break can cause a large scale event to happen, but it would be one that could in theory happen without intervention. It's a fine distinction, but it is a major difference in what the abilities are capable of.

I could see maybe bumping the cost up to 2/4 instead of 1/2. Also potentially more narrowly defining what is possible, if you have any suggestions on how to do that without cutting out the heart of the ability.


5. I understand to a point you are expecting lucky characters but most entering this won't get to use their feats to help their strategy which really hurts the feat starved tier 4's or some 3's in play.

What would you suggest here? I want to keep the class open to just about anyone, but there should be some barrier to entry. The skill requirement is mostly just there to give a minimum level, the feats are there to make an actual investment. I was actually originally going to make the feat requirement "Better Lucky than Good", which requires 2 luck feats anyway, I figured this was a little more open. I couldn't honestly see dropping it below 2 luck feats required to enter.



Anyway, the fact that you are devoting 10 levels to it and you're still going generally be attacking as your round-to-round go-to tactic is why the class gets the passive bonuses, so you don't end up sucking horribly on rounds when you don't have a luck reroll to spare. Because even with all of the extra toys, you will be rolling a lot of dice, so that will occur quite often. It needs some passive abilities to remain useful on those rounds.



Good
1. Twist the Fate and Ask the dice. I really like these abilities flavorful and useful without being an upfront success.
2. Right tool for the job, one could always use some single use stuff. However, better worry about custom item rules.
3. You have some decent ways to keep rerolls.

1) Yeah, I really liked these and were a large part of the reason for the class existing (besides there being a disappointing lack of ways to get a ton of luck feats on one character)
2) Yeah, the idea is to have basically any mundane item and low level potions available. I went with the formula I did specifically to avoid crossing the 750gp threshold where wands come online, and any permanent magic item cheap enough to fall under 500 gold probably isn't going to upset balance any. Biggest concern is a character using all of his rerolls on this during downtime to get a bunch of free items to sell, I'd like to tighten up the wording to avoid that.
3) I considered giving more things along those lines, to the point where by level 10 you have an effectively endless supply of rerolls. I decided against that and added the more passive abilities instead.

Just to Browse
2014-04-02, 06:35 PM
1. The Fortune Blessed declares one of his party members as his enemy
2. The party member tries to juggle while the fortune blessed watches him.
3. ???
4. Unlimited re-rolls.

Seerow
2014-04-02, 06:40 PM
1. The Fortune Blessed declares one of his party members as his enemy
2. The party member tries to juggle while the fortune blessed watches him.
3. ???
4. Unlimited re-rolls.

Declaring enemies doesn't work like that.



Or for a more functional solution I can try to find a way to narrow down the definition. Since in theory you could go spy on someone who is actually an enemy attacking a training dummy for a few minutes and get similar results. Maybe restrict it to combat only and define it as a creature engaged in combat with you and your allies?

Amnoriath
2014-04-02, 10:09 PM
I was kind of worried about this, but I'm not really sure it's problematic. Yes it's a bonus to everything, which makes him decent at everything, but I don't think it's particularly overpowered (by level 15 a +5 bonus is pretty minor all things considered). I can see flavor arguments, where it's not luck anymore because it's a static bonus, but I'm not sure I buy it.



Note that to use the auto success, you have to already have a feat that lets you reroll that ability. Basically, Luck Favors the Bold augments those feats to keep them useful even when you have other passive abilities to make you better when you aren't spending resources.

On Gambler's Edge, it's basically the polar opposite of the "Unluck" spell. I figured that was pretty fitting. And luck rerolls are still useful in addition with it. Would you feel better about it if with gambler's edge using a reroll lets you reroll both dice, to keep the luck rerolls generally useful?

Also given how many things are straight up immune to Vorpal, I'm not concerned about someone with a 70k+ sword being able to spend a separate resource and several feats (as a class that you noted is feat starved) to auto-kill an enemy even on a fairly regular basis.



Worth noting that while it is strong narrative control and miracle-like, Miracle has a number of uses this can't recreate. Miracle can in theory cause anything to happen that a deity could make happen. Lucky Break can cause a large scale event to happen, but it would be one that could in theory happen without intervention. It's a fine distinction, but it is a major difference in what the abilities are capable of.

I could see maybe bumping the cost up to 2/4 instead of 1/2. Also potentially more narrowly defining what is possible, if you have any suggestions on how to do that without cutting out the heart of the ability.



What would you suggest here? I want to keep the class open to just about anyone, but there should be some barrier to entry. The skill requirement is mostly just there to give a minimum level, the feats are there to make an actual investment. I was actually originally going to make the feat requirement "Better Lucky than Good", which requires 2 luck feats anyway, I figured this was a little more open. I couldn't honestly see dropping it below 2 luck feats required to enter.



Anyway, the fact that you are devoting 10 levels to it and you're still going generally be attacking as your round-to-round go-to tactic is why the class gets the passive bonuses, so you don't end up sucking horribly on rounds when you don't have a luck reroll to spare. Because even with all of the extra toys, you will be rolling a lot of dice, so that will occur quite often. It needs some passive abilities to remain useful on those rounds.





1. But they are numbers to everything at all times. Your standard bread and butter buff spells actually cap later and provide less benefit than you can finishing this class. Also, people complain how the Marshal is a number's hog yet it needs about all of its auras known active to compare what this does for you. Luck ought to be momentary and/or in certain instances. When playing the character I know it seems planned but there needs to be some balance and some resemblance of instances.
2. Yes, but you get 10 luck feats in the PrC alone is that really going to be an issue to acquire?
3. No, the problem is you passed the Soulbow lucky arrow trick to all of its d20 rolls exacerbating the problem of number 1 you will ever make while confining your rerolls to only fueling your Fortune's Blessed abilities.
4. I did not at all refer to this class as feat starved only certain entry classes. Also it really only takes a dip in Fortune's friend and 4(only 2 need to be paid) rerolls or psionic race, Power Attack, Cleave, Instinctive Consummator to pull it off. Also bypassing precision damage immunity isn't hard. I really don't think an automatic kill without meeting requirements is balanced against any reasonable opponent.
5. Ah, but it is precisely the scope the fully justifies the reigning in of miracle which ironically makes it less useful than this. Even the most permissive of DM's would realize a god would not intervene or at least condone so many of the matters this ability would be used for. With all of the natural 20 stuff going around in this class it is difficult to say but I have 2 luck themed homebrews of my own if you wish to borrow.
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?327670-Halflings-the-little-the-race-that-could-(3-5-Mythos-Paragon-PEACH)
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?326294-What-is-the-most-precious-resource-Luck(3-5-PrC-fix-PEACH)&highlight=Luck
6. But these passive abilities are up ending many other dedicated fighters and/or skill monkeys at the same time with no real massive strategy investment.
7. Two luck feats should be fine especially when you are effectively dumping 8 skill points for Profession(Gambling).

Just to Browse
2014-04-04, 08:46 PM
Declaring enemies doesn't work like that.I encourage you to find the rules telling me I'm wrong.

Alternatively, I can get up in the morning an have a one-hour sparring practice where an ally and I put on blindfolds and spar using TWF with pieces of felt used as improvised weapons. Even your current fix doesn't solve this abuse.

The optimal playstyle should not encourage people to willingly fail as hard as possible in order to get bonus points a la FATE. There is no real benefit to only allowing people to recharge their free rolls off 20s--either let people recharge out of combat (and keep the charge on 20s just for flavor) or don't let them recharge.