Masakan
2014-05-09, 05:02 AM
Most of you are probably thinking oh god not another one. But I really Like this concept, at the same time I can see how it could easily be abused. So my aim is to make rules and restrictions so that most DM's will go with it rather than try to negotiate with them all the time.
The main problems I see with most other attempts is people either, try to make it so that they have too much hidden power, or they make it so that you might as well play a dusk blade.
Here's my attempt tell me what you think. Is it still too powerful or god forbid too weak?
Arcane Swordsage
The Arcane swordsage is a variant of the swordsage class depicted from the Tome of Battle: The book of 9 Swords. Similar to a duskblade, the swordsage channels magical energy into his weapon to enhance his abilities, however unlike the duskblade who uses his Blade as a makeshift wand/staff.
The sword sage uses said energy to amplify his damage, requiring him to get up-close and personal. This proved problematic as some swordsages found this approach rather limiting, as a result certain practitioners choose to delve back into their roots of pure magic casting.
Eventually a style was developed that allowed swordsages to utilize both the benefits of maneuvers with the flexibility of Raw spellcasting. Of course practicing both at the same time causes certain swordsages skills in maneuvers to wane and dwindle, but most who take this path will agree, it’s worth it.
The arcane swordsage has the same level progression as a regular swordsage in regards to passive gains, fort, reflex and will gains, Base attack bonuses, passive feats as well as stances known and maneuvers learned and readied.
However certain limitations are put in place to make sure that this variant doesn’t become an overpowering force in every campaign it’s put in as is listed below
Same limitations as presented in that small passage apply here, As well as some other Limitations.
1. Your Hit die is reduced from d8 to d6
2. Your light armor proficiency has been removed
3. You may only learn skills from the abjuration, Evocation and Transmutation schools
4. The total amount of Maneuvers and Spells combined learned cannot exceed the total amount that you are currently able to learn.(EX: At level 20 you can have 13 maneuvers and 12 spells but they can not go beyond that unless you go into a prestige class that allows for more maneuvers to be learned.)
5. When you are about to learn a new maneuver you can then choose to switch it out for a spell learned, if you choose to enter a prestige class that learns maneuvers the same rules apply.
6. Spells can be obtained in place of maneuvers, but must be treated as spells meaning they can only be used once a day and must be reloaded from your spell book and cannot be reloaded by any other means( In other words, adaptive style will work on your maneuvers but they will not work on spells forcing the player to choose wisely and used sparingly) Sudden Recovery is the only exception to this rule.
7. In addition to the school limitations, you may only learn defensive spells, Non-damaging spells, and Damaging spells that have an element of your choosing, once you choose your element you cannot learn any other attack spell that uses any other element.(the upside to this being as long as it is within these rules you can learn any spell you wish)
8. Your initiator level for spells is the same as the initiator level of maneuvers(Example: If you are level 5 as a arcane swordsage, you may learn up to level 3 maneuvers, you may also learn up to level 3 spells as well)
9. Your Arcane Caster level is Linked to your initiator level, meaning that on your own you can not have a caster level higher than 10 on your own whereas most casters will have ones as high as 20. This is so you can’t hit as hard as pure spell casters without the help of certain feats or prestige classes that allow you to get more Arcane caster levels.
I think that's everything anything I'm missing or did i cover all the bases?
The main problems I see with most other attempts is people either, try to make it so that they have too much hidden power, or they make it so that you might as well play a dusk blade.
Here's my attempt tell me what you think. Is it still too powerful or god forbid too weak?
Arcane Swordsage
The Arcane swordsage is a variant of the swordsage class depicted from the Tome of Battle: The book of 9 Swords. Similar to a duskblade, the swordsage channels magical energy into his weapon to enhance his abilities, however unlike the duskblade who uses his Blade as a makeshift wand/staff.
The sword sage uses said energy to amplify his damage, requiring him to get up-close and personal. This proved problematic as some swordsages found this approach rather limiting, as a result certain practitioners choose to delve back into their roots of pure magic casting.
Eventually a style was developed that allowed swordsages to utilize both the benefits of maneuvers with the flexibility of Raw spellcasting. Of course practicing both at the same time causes certain swordsages skills in maneuvers to wane and dwindle, but most who take this path will agree, it’s worth it.
The arcane swordsage has the same level progression as a regular swordsage in regards to passive gains, fort, reflex and will gains, Base attack bonuses, passive feats as well as stances known and maneuvers learned and readied.
However certain limitations are put in place to make sure that this variant doesn’t become an overpowering force in every campaign it’s put in as is listed below
Same limitations as presented in that small passage apply here, As well as some other Limitations.
1. Your Hit die is reduced from d8 to d6
2. Your light armor proficiency has been removed
3. You may only learn skills from the abjuration, Evocation and Transmutation schools
4. The total amount of Maneuvers and Spells combined learned cannot exceed the total amount that you are currently able to learn.(EX: At level 20 you can have 13 maneuvers and 12 spells but they can not go beyond that unless you go into a prestige class that allows for more maneuvers to be learned.)
5. When you are about to learn a new maneuver you can then choose to switch it out for a spell learned, if you choose to enter a prestige class that learns maneuvers the same rules apply.
6. Spells can be obtained in place of maneuvers, but must be treated as spells meaning they can only be used once a day and must be reloaded from your spell book and cannot be reloaded by any other means( In other words, adaptive style will work on your maneuvers but they will not work on spells forcing the player to choose wisely and used sparingly) Sudden Recovery is the only exception to this rule.
7. In addition to the school limitations, you may only learn defensive spells, Non-damaging spells, and Damaging spells that have an element of your choosing, once you choose your element you cannot learn any other attack spell that uses any other element.(the upside to this being as long as it is within these rules you can learn any spell you wish)
8. Your initiator level for spells is the same as the initiator level of maneuvers(Example: If you are level 5 as a arcane swordsage, you may learn up to level 3 maneuvers, you may also learn up to level 3 spells as well)
9. Your Arcane Caster level is Linked to your initiator level, meaning that on your own you can not have a caster level higher than 10 on your own whereas most casters will have ones as high as 20. This is so you can’t hit as hard as pure spell casters without the help of certain feats or prestige classes that allow you to get more Arcane caster levels.
I think that's everything anything I'm missing or did i cover all the bases?