Lapak
2007-02-24, 10:44 PM
Hey, folks.
I'm putting together a prestige class for my campaign, and it's the first time I've ever put a class together. I'd appreciate any feedback you have to give me.
My main concerns are:
- Is the class too good? Does it get powers too quickly, or get too many?
- Is the class too weak? Would anyone bother taking it, potentially giving up major or capstone abilites from their standard class?
- Are there any elements that are totally off-flavor, or anything missing that would fit the theme? We're looking at a group of monk-ish martial artists who are obsessed with order in general and protecting a major Lawful artifact in particular.
- Do the entry requirements make any sense? Is there a loophole I'm missing that would let someone in too early?
You can tell from the first two concerns that I'm really not sure how well I've balanced the thing. So, with no further ado:
Brother of the Orderguard
Eight hundred years ago, the mad lich Ion tore a wound in the fabric of reality in an attempt to end his undead existence and take the rest of the world with him. Though he was destroyed by a band of adventurers before he could complete his ritual, the damage he had already done was irreversible – and worse, it was spreading: a destructive leak of raw disorder that transmuted everything it touched into pure chaos as it slowly grew outward from its point of origin.
Josean the Scholar, the leader of the adventuring company that defeated Ion, spent several years researching the problem. Eventually, he recruited the greatest engineers and mages that he could gather to construct the Orderward – a miles-wide ring of stones that created a barrier of absolute Law and imposed total stasis on everything within.
Though the stones are nearly indestructible, being constructed of adamantine and warded by powerful enchantments, they are still vulnerable. Though it would have protected them to place the stones within the Ward that they create, the final completion of the ring would have been impossible within a space where nothing can be altered. To ensure that no one could complete what Ion had begun, an order of warrior-monks was founded who devoted their lives to the protection of the Orderward and the elimination of any potential threats to it.
The members of this order of martial artists have devoted their lives to safeguarding the Orderward created to shield the world from the effects of the Well of Chaos. Though most of the Brothers reside at one of the order’s four monastery-strongholds near the Well, some are sent out on quest to assure that any artifacts or entities that pose a potential threat are either captured or eliminated. The members of this class are usually lawful neutral, but lawful good and lawful evil Brothers are also possible; the current master of the order often selects these mavericks for missions that will carry them outside the monastery walls.
Most Brothers come from the ranks of Monks and Paladins, but on occasion a knowledgeable Fighter or Ranger will join the ranks as well. Wizards are far more rare in the order, but not completely unknown. Barbarians and bards usually find the unrelenting organization of the Orderguard to be far too oppressive, and clerics often find the demands on their allegiance to be in conflict with their devotion to their deity.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
To join the Orderguard, a character must fulfill the following:
Alignment: Any Lawful
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks.
Feats: Stunning Fist
Special: Must spend at least three months training at one of the Order’s monasteries within five miles of the Orderward.
Class Skills
The class skills of a Brother of the Orderguard are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: As Monk.
{table]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1|+0|+2|+2|+2|Detect Chaos, Monk Equivalency, Structured Assault 1/day
2|+1|+2|+2|+2|Touch of Stasis
3|+2|+3|+3|+3|Structured Assault2/day
4|+3|+3|+3|+3|Invoke the Circle3/day
5|+3|+4|+4|+4|Unyielding Form, Structured Assault3/day[/table]
Detect Chaos
This power functions exactly as the Paladin ability of the same name, but detects Chaotic auras in place of Evil ones. This is a supernatural ability.
Monk Equivalency
The Brother’s class levels are treated as and stack with any Monk levels she may have for purposes of determining AC bonus and unarmed attack damage, but not speed or flurry bonuses. The same limitations apply to these abilities as they do for a Monk.
Structured Assault
Through intense concentration, the Brother can perfect his focus and remove all disorder from a single attack. Once per day, Structured Assault allows the Brother to take 20 on a single melee attack as a full-round action, though this attack does not cause a critical threat or automatically hit if the final result is below the target’s AC. The Brother gains an additional use/day of this ability at level three and again at level five. This is an extraordinary ability.
Touch of Stasis
The Brother can opt to use the Touch of Stasis in place of a normal Stunning Fist attack. A foe struck by this unarmed attack must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the Brother’s character level + Wisdom modifier) or be put into a magical stasis for a number of rounds equal to the Brother’s class level, but suffers no melee damage. While in stasis, the affected character cannot take any actions and loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, but is nearly immune to any further harm, gaining DR 20/- and an SR rating of 30. The character can be picked up and moved, but counts as 1.5 times their normal weight for purposes of encumbrance. Using Touch of Stasis consumes two uses of Stunning Fist for the day, but a Brother’s class levels count as Monk levels for purposes of determining the number of uses of Stunning Fist per day she may attempt. This is a supernatural ability and can affect creatures immune to critical hits, paralysis or stunning.
Invoke the Circle
Upon reaching fourth level, the Brother’s intense study of the Orderward allows him to create a lesser form of the protective circle that it creates. Three times per day, the Brother can use Magic Circle against Chaos as a spell-like ability three times per day. (For purposes of spell resistance, use the Brother’s character level as the caster level.)
Unyielding Form
Once per day, a Brother of the Orderguard can impose a lesser form of stasis on their own body in order to protect its structure. This power requires one move-equivalent action to invoke. The Brother gains DR 5/- and SR equal to 10 + ½ his HD, and can continue to move and act normally. This effect lasts for 3 rounds + the Brother’s CHA modifier. This is a supernatural ability.
I'm putting together a prestige class for my campaign, and it's the first time I've ever put a class together. I'd appreciate any feedback you have to give me.
My main concerns are:
- Is the class too good? Does it get powers too quickly, or get too many?
- Is the class too weak? Would anyone bother taking it, potentially giving up major or capstone abilites from their standard class?
- Are there any elements that are totally off-flavor, or anything missing that would fit the theme? We're looking at a group of monk-ish martial artists who are obsessed with order in general and protecting a major Lawful artifact in particular.
- Do the entry requirements make any sense? Is there a loophole I'm missing that would let someone in too early?
You can tell from the first two concerns that I'm really not sure how well I've balanced the thing. So, with no further ado:
Brother of the Orderguard
Eight hundred years ago, the mad lich Ion tore a wound in the fabric of reality in an attempt to end his undead existence and take the rest of the world with him. Though he was destroyed by a band of adventurers before he could complete his ritual, the damage he had already done was irreversible – and worse, it was spreading: a destructive leak of raw disorder that transmuted everything it touched into pure chaos as it slowly grew outward from its point of origin.
Josean the Scholar, the leader of the adventuring company that defeated Ion, spent several years researching the problem. Eventually, he recruited the greatest engineers and mages that he could gather to construct the Orderward – a miles-wide ring of stones that created a barrier of absolute Law and imposed total stasis on everything within.
Though the stones are nearly indestructible, being constructed of adamantine and warded by powerful enchantments, they are still vulnerable. Though it would have protected them to place the stones within the Ward that they create, the final completion of the ring would have been impossible within a space where nothing can be altered. To ensure that no one could complete what Ion had begun, an order of warrior-monks was founded who devoted their lives to the protection of the Orderward and the elimination of any potential threats to it.
The members of this order of martial artists have devoted their lives to safeguarding the Orderward created to shield the world from the effects of the Well of Chaos. Though most of the Brothers reside at one of the order’s four monastery-strongholds near the Well, some are sent out on quest to assure that any artifacts or entities that pose a potential threat are either captured or eliminated. The members of this class are usually lawful neutral, but lawful good and lawful evil Brothers are also possible; the current master of the order often selects these mavericks for missions that will carry them outside the monastery walls.
Most Brothers come from the ranks of Monks and Paladins, but on occasion a knowledgeable Fighter or Ranger will join the ranks as well. Wizards are far more rare in the order, but not completely unknown. Barbarians and bards usually find the unrelenting organization of the Orderguard to be far too oppressive, and clerics often find the demands on their allegiance to be in conflict with their devotion to their deity.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
To join the Orderguard, a character must fulfill the following:
Alignment: Any Lawful
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks, Concentration 4 ranks.
Feats: Stunning Fist
Special: Must spend at least three months training at one of the Order’s monasteries within five miles of the Orderward.
Class Skills
The class skills of a Brother of the Orderguard are Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Architecture and Engineering) Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble.
Skill Points: 4 + Int Modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: As Monk.
{table]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1|+0|+2|+2|+2|Detect Chaos, Monk Equivalency, Structured Assault 1/day
2|+1|+2|+2|+2|Touch of Stasis
3|+2|+3|+3|+3|Structured Assault2/day
4|+3|+3|+3|+3|Invoke the Circle3/day
5|+3|+4|+4|+4|Unyielding Form, Structured Assault3/day[/table]
Detect Chaos
This power functions exactly as the Paladin ability of the same name, but detects Chaotic auras in place of Evil ones. This is a supernatural ability.
Monk Equivalency
The Brother’s class levels are treated as and stack with any Monk levels she may have for purposes of determining AC bonus and unarmed attack damage, but not speed or flurry bonuses. The same limitations apply to these abilities as they do for a Monk.
Structured Assault
Through intense concentration, the Brother can perfect his focus and remove all disorder from a single attack. Once per day, Structured Assault allows the Brother to take 20 on a single melee attack as a full-round action, though this attack does not cause a critical threat or automatically hit if the final result is below the target’s AC. The Brother gains an additional use/day of this ability at level three and again at level five. This is an extraordinary ability.
Touch of Stasis
The Brother can opt to use the Touch of Stasis in place of a normal Stunning Fist attack. A foe struck by this unarmed attack must make a Will saving throw (DC 10 + ½ the Brother’s character level + Wisdom modifier) or be put into a magical stasis for a number of rounds equal to the Brother’s class level, but suffers no melee damage. While in stasis, the affected character cannot take any actions and loses any Dexterity bonus to AC, but is nearly immune to any further harm, gaining DR 20/- and an SR rating of 30. The character can be picked up and moved, but counts as 1.5 times their normal weight for purposes of encumbrance. Using Touch of Stasis consumes two uses of Stunning Fist for the day, but a Brother’s class levels count as Monk levels for purposes of determining the number of uses of Stunning Fist per day she may attempt. This is a supernatural ability and can affect creatures immune to critical hits, paralysis or stunning.
Invoke the Circle
Upon reaching fourth level, the Brother’s intense study of the Orderward allows him to create a lesser form of the protective circle that it creates. Three times per day, the Brother can use Magic Circle against Chaos as a spell-like ability three times per day. (For purposes of spell resistance, use the Brother’s character level as the caster level.)
Unyielding Form
Once per day, a Brother of the Orderguard can impose a lesser form of stasis on their own body in order to protect its structure. This power requires one move-equivalent action to invoke. The Brother gains DR 5/- and SR equal to 10 + ½ his HD, and can continue to move and act normally. This effect lasts for 3 rounds + the Brother’s CHA modifier. This is a supernatural ability.