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Nicktacular
2014-09-12, 11:55 PM
My Dm is starting a new campaign and asked that we each create a new class for it (huge request, I know) anyway this is the class i came up with and was wondering if you fine folks here at the playground could look it over and see if it's balanced enough to use.

here's the url: www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ion_Swordsman_(3.5e_Class)

Greenish
2014-09-13, 12:22 AM
Wrong forum. You'll want to post it here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?15-Homebrew-Design) (or report this thread to be moved).

Notes:


Why does the class get medium armour proficiency at all, when many of its class features only work in light armour?
It gets Imp. Evasion before rogue.
Iaijutsu is sort of boring, doesn't really scale (unless your attack is going to be way, way higher than the enemy AC), and the special crit considerations are clumsy.
Tachyon Jump has quite a bit of fiddling (especially the balance bit) and using free actions to move is a bit strange. Also, D&D combat doesn't work in seconds, so what does it mean for the balance bonus to stick around for three seconds?
Sayajutsu gives you half-BAB as shield bonus, but also mentions that the sheath can be enhanced like a buckler. Does the potential enhancement bonus stack with the shield bonus from the ability?
Is Flying Strike a line attack? For if it only hits one target, it seems mighty weak.
Battojutsu, as alluded above, probably doesn't come up very often if at all (and if it does, you'd have been better off using Power Attack).
Tachyon Slash is interesting. As I read it, if the target fails its save, it doesn't get an AoO, since it's now flat-footed.
Salamandra would've been cool about a dozen levels ago, but when you get it, once-a-combat 2d6 isn't making much of a difference.
Tachyon Frenzy is pretty cool, though that'll be potentially a lot of saves/AoO to roll in one round.
10-Body Blade and Tireless Body are nifty little things.
Naibu Typhoon needs to be written clearer, I'm not sure what it does aside from provoking AoO.



All in all, it's not too bad, but it's kind of one-note. Stretching that one note over 20 levels makes is a bit thin.

Segev
2014-09-13, 12:25 AM
So it's an iaijutsu master with a multijump capability. It looks like you're trying to replicate one or more specific characters' samurai-anime fighting styles. Not a bad goal in and of itself, but much of this is underpowered or needlessly complicated.

I would, before you go back to trying to build your own class, consider looking in the Tome of Battle (also called the Book of Nine Swords). A Warblade focused on Diamond Mind maneuvers and going into Bloodstorm Blade (with the throwing/returning techniques refluffed as your Flying Strike) would accomplish a lot of what you're looking at. There's even a Tiger Claw maneuver that enables a swift-action jump. Given the traits you want for your saya, I would suggest talking to your DM about refluffing a shield to serve its role. Take Shield Bash and Two-Weapon Fighting (or just use the Tiger Claw maneuvers that facilitate two-weapon use). You might be able to custom design some Diamond Mind maneuvers, as well.

There is already a skill in existence for Iaijutsu (http://dndtools.eu/skills/iaijutsu-focus/); it's arguably overpowered, but it scales at a more useful pace.

Which brings us to design in your custom class. I would suggest Iaijutsu be a progression akin to Sneak Attack, rather than waiting until level 10 to give it more dice. It also scales too fast at level 10 and beyond, and quite suddenly.

Your multijump would be better served by using the standard Jump rules, but allowing you to jump in mid-air to continue your motion without needing to land. This obviously prevents falling damage. Rather than fortitude saves, I would have the Jump check have a -5 penalty to the roll for every jump made since last touching the ground; if it fails to provide any distance, the Ion Swordsman falls. (Best to aim to land on purpose, first.)

Overall, this class is honestly rather underpowered. It doesn't do enough and isn't able to dish out or endure enough damage to keep up with most Barbarians, and might struggle to keep up with a Monk. For a class focused on speedy-sounding fluff, it doesn't gain any extra movement speed (though maybe that's why the multijump is so little of an action cost).

I think you would be pleasantly surprised by how well your flavor, though, can be achieved by careful (re)fluffing of Warblade->Bloodstorm Blade. Maneuvers can let you use Concentration checks to do more damage (simulating iaijutsu without needing the skill) and make saving throws, the Warblade gets Int mod to dexterity as an insight bonus, and the Diamond Mind discipline has the katana specifically as a style weapon.

At first level, I would consider Punishing Stance (-2 AC, +1d6 to all melee attacks) and Sapphire Nightmare Blade (a good opening maneuver, makes the foe flat-footed and gives you +1d6 damage on the attack if you make a Concentration check). I'd also recommend getting psionics, either through the Wild Talent feat or a splash of Psychic Warrior, because the ability to expend a psionic focus to take 15 on a Concentration check can make for a heck of a powerful bulwark against effects which allow saving throws, thanks to the Diamond Mind maneuvers that let you make a concentration check in place of saves. (There's a maneuver for each save.)

I'm sure many on the board can offer build advice, or completed builds. I'm a bit loopy as it's after midnight here, though, so I will have to wait until tomorrow or later, if I'm to do it myself.

In any event, good luck! The important thing is to have fun.

Aegis013
2014-09-13, 12:42 AM
Would this be better placed in the homebrew forum?

I don't know what optimization level your group is shooting for but your class isn't especially strong, uses language that could be made more clear (but largely is not too ambiguous), and some of the effects seem like they could benefit from being made a little more simple.

The biggest gaping flaw I presently see is: what is the Hit Die value? Looks like probably a D10 or D8 class to me.

Things I would seriously consider changing would be the dead levels. Eight dead levels is suffering. The class features aren't especially strong, so you can add more without breaking the game. Just be mindful of the power of the classes the other people are creating and try to stay around that level.

On Iaijutsu there is a small problem that either needs to be clarified in the description or addressed otherwise. Even if drawing a weapon is a free action due to Quick Draw feat or otherwise, sheathing a weapon still requires an action. In order to be able to full attack with the Iaijutsu as described (similar in style to Dynasty Warrior's Zhou Tai) the ability needs to explicitly allow that, otherwise, you can do it only once as the first attack in a full attack.

Tachyon Jump should probably specify horizontal jump, specify there is no need for a running start, and instead of being based on Jump ranks for chain jumps, base it on Ion Swordsman levels; maybe 1 Jump at level two, 2 at level 5, 3 at 10, 4 at 15, and 5 at 20 or so. Easier than calculating it based on Jump, and fits the precedents of other class abilities a bit better. It may also be easier to merely change the ability to allow a single jump as a swift or standard action, later allowing chains as fulls, and eventually reducing the action cost to a move action for a chain (without the slash added). Maybe Swift or Standard at 2, Full round chain at 5, Standard action chain at 12, Move action chain at 17.

The Sayajutsu is not game breaking, but AC based on BAB is unprecedented, as are shield bonuses of that size. It may be better simply to have it range from 2-4 AC based on level and potentially apply to touch AC as an added bonus from higher levels. This isn't really a balance issue, it's merely that it doesn't follow similar class abilities particularly well. Alternatively, you could make it apply a shield bonus to AC equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Tachyon Strike, in my opinion, could benefit from being modified to utilize the same language as Paimon Vestige's Dance of Death ability from Tome of Battle rather than its present bizarre implementation. The idea is that you slash enemies as you pass by them, but the same side issue is very bizarre in 3.5's game rules (what's to prevent you from performing a backward Tachyon Jump for example?). It might be better to allow a single attack against every enemy the Ion Swordsman passes. It might also be good to specify that when using this ability the movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity, unless you are designing them to for Karmic Strike/Robilar Gambit purposes. I also wouldn't classify the ability as a charge, largely due to bizarre interactions with Charger Skill Tricks like Twisted Charge (which would allow for mid-air turning). This also applies to Tachyon Frenzy. I would probably roll them into a single skill with progression based on level.

Flying Strike could be made much simpler, making it merely a ranged touch attack with a range of 60ft that deals X sonic damage from the pressure wave. Making it still useful, even able to scale. I would also remove the damage to the user's equipment, it seems unnecessary.

I would add alternate elemental additives for Salamandra. Rename it and allow things like a vein of acid to be slung from the sheath with the pressure draw, or ionization of the air allowing electricity or whatever. Let it be changeable daily, based on what "enhancement" the Ion Swordsman applies to their sheath.

My opinion is 10 Body Blade would still be reasonably balanced if it simply let the the wielder ignore any DR weaker than DR/Epic and ignore hardness due to perfection of the cutting motion with their weapon. At level 16, that's certainly far from overpowered.

The final ability is merely a culmination of old abilities, which is fine, but I still think the damage to your equipment is unnecessary at the very least.

Seerow
2014-09-13, 12:55 AM
For what it's worth, I love the Tachyon Jump ability. It scales beautifully to remain relevant even into high levels (even at level 20 getting to jump ~100ft 5 times in a round as a free action is nothing to scoff at). Though you should clear up what you mean by the action. It is a free action but prevents you from taking a move action after using it. Is it intended for you to be able to take a full attack after multi-jumping? If not, why not just call this a move action?


That said, I agree that the Iajutsu damage just doesn't scale enough, and should probably be a set progression rather than based on your attack roll. Also if you want to go with allowing it to apply to a full attack as long as you have the ability to draw the weapon as a free action, you should probably make that a class feature somewhere down the line, rather than requiring a feat to be burnt on quick draw and convincing your DM that Quick Draw lets you sheathe a weapon as well as draw it. (or force your character into using a gnomish quick razor, which I doubt is the flavor you were going for here).


You get Two Weapon Fighting when fighting with your sheathe as an offhand... but the offhand cannot have the Iajutsu bonus applied to it, and you never get ITWF or GTWFing. It seems like you're just giving yourself a -2 to hit on your mainhand attack for a pitiful bonus. Either the sheathe should get more offensive benefit tied into it, or the two weapon fighting thing should go.


Flying Strike dealing damage to your own weapon with hardness ignored seems... harsh. The ability is flavorful and cool, but not powerful enough to warrant breaking your own gear. And hardness not applying is just weird. An Adamantine Katana should absolutely be better able to stand up to that sort of abuse than one made out of cold iron.


Similarly, Tachyon Slash's drawbacks seem harsh for what it does. Ultimately it is a line attack that also teleports you to where the line ends, but takes a full round action and counts as 5 jumps for the purpose of cooldown despite only letting you make one jump. Personally what I'd do is make the ability come online at level 7 (when you first hit 10 ranks) and make activating the ability count as 2 jumps of your normal jump routine. So at level 7 you can use this to make a single jump and hit everyone in one line. At level 12 you can make 2 jumps, at level 17 you can make 3 jumps.

Tachyon Frenzy can then be an option that eliminates the 2 jump penalty, but makes it harder (count as 5 extra jumps or whatever) to use again the next round.


Salamandra much like Flying Strike doesn't provide much benefit for the drawback incurred. Honestly I'm thinking you need a separate resource you can spend for abilities like this. These abilities are never going to be worth breaking a magical weapon for, and they're not awesome enough that you want to put away a magical weapon to pull out a mundane disposable one to use them.

Tireless Body-Does this mean Tachyon Jump is now usable at will?

Naibu Typhoon-I honestly have no idea what this is saying. Is it letting you attack one person and have that attack trigger a flying strike on a different enemy? Is it triggering a second sonic damage based hit on an enemy you hit with an iajutsu strike? I have no idea. My first read was that it only let you apply Iajutsu damage to your Flying Strike, but now I don't think that's it at all (and would have said that was really weak and something that should have been done when Flying Strike first came online to boot).


Random Thoughts:
-A shadow pounce esque ability would be awesome for this class. Basically if you end your leap next to an enemy, take a full attack against them immediately.
-Air Slash would be kind of awesome if it produced a cone shaped shockwave instead of a single target. Like that was how I visualized it when I read the ability then realized that's not what actually happened.
-Salamandra might be cooler if it caused the fire damage to hit any nearby enemies. So you hit one dude, and the sword explodes in his face and hits the two guys next to him for fire damage as well. Either way, the damage needs to be way higher than 2d6 for such a high level ability

edit:


The Sayajutsu is not game breaking, but AC based on BAB is unprecedented, as are shield bonuses of that size. It may be better simply to have it range from 2-4 AC based on level and potentially apply to touch AC as an added bonus from higher levels. This isn't really a balance issue, it's merely that it doesn't follow similar class abilities particularly well. Alternatively, you could make it apply a shield bonus to AC equal to your Dexterity modifier.


A +5 heavy shield tops out at +7 AC. As long as his 1/2 BAB shield can't be enchanted, it's only a few points better at level 20, and for much of his career will be worse. If you want to make it closer you can go with something like 2+1/4th BAB, but 1/2 BAB should be fine.

Nicktacular
2014-09-13, 01:32 AM
Thanks for the notes guys, for real they are helpful.

I will work on the wording of Naibu Typhoon, because i can see why people are confused.

however i dont know how it got misconstrued but hardness does apply to all the damage being done to the weapon, and im thinking of changing the flying slash so that it targets touch AC

Segev
2014-09-13, 08:15 AM
however i dont know how it got misconstrued but hardness does apply to all the damage being done to the weapon, and im thinking of changing the flying slash so that it targets touch AC

By default, any damage done to an object (other than sonic) has hardness applied to it.

Really, an equipment-damaging class feature is of questionable utility. Is there a reason you want that drawback?

molten_dragon
2014-09-13, 09:36 AM
My Dm is starting a new campaign and asked that we each create a new class for it (huge request, I know) anyway this is the class i came up with and was wondering if you fine folks here at the playground could look it over and see if it's balanced enough to use.

here's the url: www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ion_Swordsman_(3.5e_Class)

My feedback:
- Why the name Ion Swordsman? The name doesn't seem to have much to do with the class fluff or crunch.
- The class has a poor fort save. This doesn't make much sense for a melee class, and even less when you read the class's flavor text: "Through difficult and very straining training the students grow tougher and faster". This sounds to me like the description of a class with good fort reflex saves, not good reflex and will. Although all 3 would probably be fine.
- Why do they not get diplomacy as a class skill? Doesn't make sense when they get all the other social skills.
- Why do they have knowledge (the planes) and slight of hand as class skills? Those don't really seem to fit the flavor of the class.
- There's already an iajutsu focus skill from oriental adventures that deals more damage. Why not just give them that as a class skill, and a class feature that removes the restriction that it only works on flat-footed opponents.
- Powerful legs does a weird mix of things, and it's not very interesting or powerful. I'd replace it with something else.
- The way tachyon jump is written is very confusing. Especially the part about it lasting 3 seconds, I don't even know how you'd rule something that lasted half a round. I'd try to simplify it somehow. Maybe make it a supernatural short-distance teleport and just flavor it as jumping really fast.
- Sayajutsu. Also written a little confusing. Can the sheath be enchanted like a shield?
- Flying strike isn't usable as written. 13 damage that ignores hardness is enough to break pretty much any sword immediately. The ability isn't powerful enough to need that downside. It also doesn't need to provoke attacks of opportunity. I'm assuming it's supposed to deal normal weapon damage, but you should state that, as well as how often it can be used.
- If you use the iajutsu focus skill, you don't need Battojutsu. It's also not very useful as written, since if you can beat your opponents AC by five, you could hit them with an iterative attack, which would (presumably) do more than 1d10 damage.
- Tachyon slash is confusing too. Try to simplify it. I'd just make it so the user could charge (which limits it to a straight line), avoiding attacks of opportunity, and make a single attack against every adjacent opponent during the charge. Maybe give Iajutsu focus damage on there too.
- Salamandra is broken for the same reason Flying strike is, the damage will destroy the weapon. Just remove that part. 2d6 damage and catching fire is also incredibly underpowered for a 12th level ability. I'd make it significantly more powerful.
- Tachyon frenzy is confusing because it relies on Tachyon slash which is confusing. I'd make the improvements I suggested to Tachyon slash, then have this let you move double your normal move speed, and change direction a few times during the charge.
- I'd go a step further with 10-body blade and just let them ignore hardness and DR altogether.
- Naibu typhoon also doesn't work because of the weapon damage, and the way it interacts with the other abilities isn't clear. Remove the weapon damage and simplify it.

If you fix a few of the abilities the class is probably playable, but fairly weak. I'd put it at tier 5, or maybe low tier 4 at the best. Most other classes are going to outshine it.

Nicktacular
2014-09-13, 01:16 PM
Hardness does apply. I don't see how people don't get that, and also I'm changing the fluff of the class after I iron out the classes features and already know what I'm going to do, so the skills will make sense.

Also, for the record, I believe iaijustu to be overpowered because it is basically sneak attack at the cost of one skill point per level, assuming it is a class feature, that scales as fast, on average rolls, with a rouges sneak attack until level 9. And that's assuming you don't anything that boosts the check, in which case it can match it until much higher levels. Plus anyone can take this as a cross skill.

Segev
2014-09-13, 02:09 PM
Hardness does apply. I don't see how people don't get that

Ah, I misread your last comment about that. I thought you had said (rephrased to make it clear how I understood it), "I don't see how everyone is thinking Hardness would apply to this damage to the weapon."

I'm still not sure why you want that drawback on it. Is there a reason?

Greenish
2014-09-13, 02:28 PM
A simple +2 sword (or +1 dwarvencraft sword) is enough to avoid damage from Salamandra. Naibu Typhoon is a bit trickier and probably wants for an adamantine weapon (or Hardening).

Still seems a bit pointless.

Seerow
2014-09-13, 02:41 PM
A simple +2 sword (or +1 dwarvencraft sword) is enough to avoid damage from Salamandra. Naibu Typhoon is a bit trickier and probably wants for an adamantine weapon (or Hardening).

Still seems a bit pointless.

Agreed. It's a drawback that is either completely ignorable, or completely crippling. With exactly no middle ground.




Personally I like the core idea behind the cooldown on Tachyon leap, I think streamlining that and tying the other abilities to a similar cooldown would work better mechanically. I understand there's probably some basis somewhere for using special powers that break your weapon (FFT has a similar mechanic for the Draw Out ability, so I'm guessing there's some mythological or pop culture basis for it I'm just ignorant of, rather than the OP coming up with it spontaneously), but I don't know that it's actually possible to balance in a game like D&D.

Nicktacular
2014-09-13, 03:11 PM
My reason for the damage is to prevent those moves from being spammed at early levels, I know I could come up with a "once per encounter" type thing but I never liked the idea of some one being like "sorry guys I can't stun that guy cuz I can only use my stunning fist once per day". Maybe I'll push the fatigue aspect to those moves as well.

Plus I'm not gonna lie, I think the idea of a guy using a move so strong it breaks weaker weapons is badass

Seerow
2014-09-13, 03:27 PM
My reason for the damage is to prevent those moves from being spammed, I know I could come up with a "once per encounter" type thing but I never liked the idea of some one being like "sorry guys I can't stun that guy cuz I can only use my stunning fist once per day". Maybe I'll push the fatigue aspect to those moves as well.

Plus I'm not gonna lie, I think the idea of a guy using a move so strong it breaks weaker weapons is badass

The problem is, somewhere around level 6-8 you'll pick up an Adamantine Sword, and never worry about damage you take from those abilities again. Once you have that, those abilities can be spammed without worry until level 20, at which point you need a magical adamantine weapon (which you should have easily by that level).


Even if you ignore that, imagine having a 50,000 gold +5 equivalent weapon being broken just so you could get +2d6 on one attack. It's just not worth it, at all. Unless your image for the character is carrying around a golf bag of disposable weapons to use these abilities with... which could work but in that case the abilities are still spammable, it's just annoying to spam it because you gotta keep drawing new katanas.


Like I want to help find a way to make that work for you... but I can't think of any way to actually make weapon breaking a cost that is in any way worthwhile that isn't just silly.

Nicktacular
2014-09-13, 03:43 PM
Repairing items isn't all that hard, I mean if someone doesn't actually do it then I can see that being an issue

Besides, a +5 equivalent weapon has at least 2 more hardness and 10 more hp, and at most 10 more hardness with 50 more hp.

Aegis013
2014-09-13, 05:20 PM
If you want to utilize these abilities several times in a single combat however, you either don't get to, or you gotta spend precious combat actions on items of Repair X Damage or whatever, if those are even available since that particular spell line is from Eberron.

Alternatively have a golf bag of disposable weapons... in which case getting the most bang for your gp with high enhancement values isn't really viable.

molten_dragon
2014-09-13, 05:40 PM
Hardness does apply. I don't see how people don't get that, and also I'm changing the fluff of the class after I iron out the classes features and already know what I'm going to do, so the skills will make sense.

I misread it. Hardness applying makes it better, but it's still an unneeded restriction. The abilities aren't powerful enough that they need that kind of limitation as a balancing measure.


Also, for the record, I believe iaijustu to be overpowered because it is basically sneak attack at the cost of one skill point per level, assuming it is a class feature, that scales as fast, on average rolls, with a rouges sneak attack until level 9. And that's assuming you don't anything that boosts the check, in which case it can match it until much higher levels. Plus anyone can take this as a cross skill.

The class could use a little overpowering to be honest. It's pretty weak as written.


My reason for the damage is to prevent those moves from being spammed

They aren't powerful enough that spamming them is really an issue.

Flying strike is nice, and the fact that it targets touch AC will be really helpful for some monsters (plus it gives the class a nice ranged option), but since it's a standard action to use, you'd probably do more damage by just full attacking.

Salamandra is just a flat 2d6 extra damage, and one of the most resisted types in the game. That's never going to be overpowered, regardless of how often someone can use it. Plus it already has the drawback that it can only be used when drawing the weapon, so it's already limited.

Segev
2014-09-13, 11:39 PM
Your subject line says your DM asked you to create new classes. What is he looking for that he wants new classes, rather than to use existing ones? I ask not because I'm objecting, but because I think we need to know what the goal here is in order to really give you the best advice we can. What is it your DM wants out of this exercise, and what is it you want in the end?

Nicktacular
2014-09-14, 12:40 AM
He challenged us to create a class for his new campaign, the goal was simply a class that can at least be used and keep up with tier three characters without becoming completely irrelevant, and not so strong that it breaks the game.

Reshy
2014-09-14, 01:39 AM
He challenged us to create a class for his new campaign, the goal was simply a class that can at least be used and keep up with tier three characters without becoming completely irrelevant, and not so strong that it breaks the game.

I created some classes that are hitting around T3 in terms of balance, though all but one of them are monster racial progression classes and have a specific race attached to them.

They also aren't fluffed yet.

The Witch-King
2014-09-14, 03:28 AM
He challenged us to create a class for his new campaign, the goal was simply a class that can at least be used and keep up with tier three characters without becoming completely irrelevant, and not so strong that it breaks the game.

I think that's an awesome idea! Helps to make your fantasy campaign unique and gets the players to help out by doing some of the work. Brilliant! Well -- as long as you don't insist they have to play the class they come up with. It should be an option, not forced upon them in case they could come up with idea but aren't especially interested in playing it. Nothing wrong with a NPC from the new class in question in the party or even as an enemy!

Segev
2014-09-14, 02:16 PM
Okay, here's my first draft of a suggested reworking of this class. I've tried to make sure it gets something worthwhile at every level. There are still holes, and several abilities come online late, but it's definitely a massive damage-dealer and has some neat applications of its one major trick.

Ion Swordsman
Starting Gold: 6d4 X 10

Table: The Ion Swordsman

Hit Die: d10

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special

1st +1 +0 + 2 + 2 Ion Sword Mastery (Skill Focus: Craft (weaponsmithing), Skill Focus: Iaijutsu Focus, Weapon Focus: Katana), Powerful Legs
2nd +2 +0 + 3 + 3 Saya (buckler), Sayajutsu (Shield Bash, Two-Weapon Fighting with the saya)
3rd +3 +1 + 3 + 3 Tachyon Jump
4th +4 +1 + 4 + 4 Katana-Cut Evasion, Ion Sword Mastery (Weapon Specialization: Katana)
5th +5 +1 + 4 + 4 Saya (light shield), One-Body Blade
6th +6/+1 +2 + 5 + 5 Shockwave Strike (throwing), Sayajutsu (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting with the saya)
7th +7/+2 +2 + 5 + 5 Graceful Footing
8th +8/+3 +2 + 6 + 6 Saya (heavy shield), Ion Sword Mastery (Greater Weapon Focus: Katana, Improved Critical: Katana)
9th +9/+4 +3 + 6 + 6 Shockwave Strike (Sonic), Seven-Body Blade
10th +10/+5 +3 + 7 + 7 Battojutsu, Tachyon Slash
11th +11/+6/+1 +3 + 7 + 7 Saya (tower shield), Sayajutsu (Greater Two-Weapon Fighting with the saya)
12th +12/+7/+2 +4 + 8 + 8 Salamandra, Ion Sword Mastery (Greater Weapon Specialization: Katana)
13th +13/+8/+3 +4 + 8 + 8 Shockwave Strike (Force), Tachyon Maneuver
14th +14/+9/+4 +4 + 9 + 9 Tachyon Frenzy, Phase-jump
15th +15/+10/+5 +5 + 9 + 9 Tachyon Evasion, Live Faster Than Thought
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +5 +10 +10 10-Body Blade, Sayajutsu (4th attack when benefiting from Sayajutsu's Greater Two-Weapon Fighting)
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +5 +10 +10 Tachyon Time
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +6 +11 +11 Tireless Body
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +6 +11 +11 With a Single Step
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +6 +12 +12 Naibu Typhoon

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Balance(dex), Bluff(cha), Climb(str), Concentration(con), Craft(int), Gather Information(cha), Hide(Dex), Iaijutsu Focus(Cha), Intimidate(cha), Jump(str), Knowledge(Local)(int), Knowledge(Planes)(int), Knowledge(Geography)(int), Listen(wis), Move Silently(dex), Search(wis), Sense Motive(wis), Slight of hand(dex), Spot(wis), Survival(wis), Swim(str), Tumble(dex)
Note: Iaijutsu Focus's rules can be found here: http://dndtools.eu/skills/iaijutsu-focus/

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Ion Swordsmen are proficient in simple weapons, martial slashing weapons, and the Katana (Exotic Bastard Sword). Their techniques can be used with any bladed weapon, so long as they can inflict slashing damage. Ion Swordsmen are proficient in light armor and light shields.

Ion Sword Mastery: Ion Swordsmen are trained to recognize, craft, and wield a weapon of such grace and refinement that it reflects their own speed and skill. They gain Quick Draw, Skill Focus: Craft(weaponsmith) and Skill Focus: Iaijutsu Focus as bonus feats at first level. They also gain Weapon Focus (katana) as a bonus feat. At level 4, he gains Weapon Specialization for the katana. At level 8, he gains Greater Weapon Focus: katana and Improved Critical: Katana. Level 12 brings Greater Weapon Specialization: Katana. His Ion Swordsman level stack with levels of Fighter for purposes of anything related to katanas.

Powerful Legs (Ex): Ion Swordsmen have trained their legs to be both explosive and elegant. An Ion Swordsman is always considered to have had a running start when making a jump. When jumping down, they may reduce the effective distance of the fall by 10 more feet for every 5 by which their roll exceeds the base DC 15 (so they take damage as if they fell 20 fewer feet at DC 20, 30 fewer at DC 25, 40 fewer at DC 30, etc). Their movement speed is increased by 5 ft. for every 4 ranks in the Jump skill they have.

Saya (Ex): The Ion Swordsman's weapon deserves nothing but the most well-constructed of sheathes. The special sheath, called a saya, is usable by the Ion Swordsman as a shield. At level 2, it is the equivalent of a buckler. At level 5, it is the equivalent of a light shield. At level 8, it is the equivalent of a heavy shield, and at level 10, it is the equivalent of a tower shield. Despite the increase in effectiveness, however, it always occupies his off-hand and only his off-hand. He may choose to weild it as a lesser shield for less of an armor check penalty or spell failure chance. It counts as a shield made out of whatever material the saya is made from, and the saya costs the same amount. He is proficient with his saya acting as any sort of shield.

Sayajutsu (Ex): At second level, when using the saya in his off hand as a shield, the Ion Swordsman gains the benefits of the Shield Bash and Two-Weapon Fighting feats. He may treat the saya as a light weapon when using it to shield bash. Through clever construction, he may modify it (or pay to have it modified) to have the equivalent of a shield spike, if he so desires. It costs the same as adding a shield spike to a normal shield of its material. At level 6, he gains the benefits of Improved Two-Weapon Fighting when using the saya in a shield bash. At level 11, he gains Greater Two-Weapon Fighting when using the saya as part of an off-hand shield bash attack. At level 16, he gains a final attack with his saya when benefitting from Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, at a -15 penalty. An Ion Swordsman may count his Ion Swordsman levels as Fighter levels for purposes of feats relating to using the saya as a shield or a weapon.

Tachyon Jump (Ex): Ion Swordsman are known for their speed of their swords and the strength of their legs. At third level, they gain the ability to seemingly push off the air itself. When they start their turn in mid-air from making a jump check (either from jumping up to this height or from being caught mid-jump without movement left last round), they may make a jump check to jump as if standing on solid ground. All jump checks suffers a -5 penalty for every time they have attempted such a mid-air jump check since the last time they were standing on the ground. If the check ever scores less than 5 on the roll, they begin to fall.

Katana-Cut Evasion (Ex): At level 4, the Ion Swordsman's skills are beginning to be sharper than his blade. He may slash at effects to part them around himself, gaining Evasion (like the 2nd level monk ability) when he has his katana readied.

One-Body Blade (Ex): The care in construction and maintenance of an Ion Swordsman's katana shines in its ability to cut cleanly through bodies of his foes. He gains the Power Attack and Cleave feats, but only for use with a katana.

Flash Sheathe (Ex): At level 6, an Ion Swordsman gains the ability to re-sheathe his katana in its saya as a free action, allowing him to draw it for every attack he makes in a round.

Shockwave Strike (Ex): Over time Ion Swordsmen advance their Iaijutsu to the point where they can place so much pressure on the blade that it creates a small shockwave of slashing air. At 6th level, when making attacks with a katana or saya, he may treat them as having the Throwing tag. The attack itself is a pressure front of finely-focused air, however, and so the weapons never leave his hands. This allows him to make all of his allowed attacks even when attacking at range. At 9th level, when using this technique, the Ion Swordsman may choose to deal the damage from these attacks as Sonic energy. At 13th level, he may deal it as Force damage.

Graceful Footing (Ex): Though power and speed are what his movements are best known for, the strength training through which he puts his legs is such that he has tremendous control and grace, able to walk over flypaper without wrinkling or tearing it. Efforts to track the Ion Swordsman gain a penalty equal to his Ion Swordsman level. He gains Skill Focus: Move Silently, and may act as if under the effects of Water Walk as long as he does not stop moving while standing on a surface that could not support him without this effect. So deceptive are his silent footsteps that it can render foes confused: the Ion Swordsman may make a Move Silently check as part of a five-foot step in order to render any foe who fails to match his check with a Listen check flat-footed against the Ion Swordsman's attacks until the Ion Swordsman's turn is over.

Seven-Body Blade (Ex): The Ion Swordsman's skills continue to sharpen along with his blade. At 9th level, he gains the ability to use the Great Cleave feat on any attack made with a katana.

Battojutsu (Ex): Rigorous training and combat experience has made an Ion Swordsman's Iaijutsu strikes deadlier. At level 10 of this class, the extra dice of damage granted by the Iaijutsu skill are d10s instead of d6s.

Tachyon Slash (Ex): Moving swiftly and silently through a line of foes, the Ion Swordsman cuts them each. A level 10 Ion Swordsman who takes a double move while using his Tachyon Jump ability may make an attack against each creature he passes in reach of as he moves. When he makes this jump, he may also make a Move Silently check; any target who fails a Listen check to overcome this is flat-footed against this attack. Movement by this means does provoke attacks of opportunity, but the Ion Swordsman enjoys a +4 dodge bonus to AC against such attacks due to his great speed.

Salamandra (Ex): The speed with which the Ion Swordsman sheathes and unsheathes his katana begins to build up tremendous heat in the saya. Having grown accustomed to this over time, a level 12 Ion Swordsman gains Fire Resistance equal to his level in this class. In addition, when he strikes with his Saya in any round in which he has used Iaijutsu, he deals fire damage equal to the last number of d6s his Iaiajutsu strike dealt.

Tachyon Maneuver (Ex): By level 13, an Ion Swordsman's speed is so great that not even light can fully keep up. As long as he moves at least 5 ft. in a round, the Ion Swordsman's great speed creates phantom after-images, granting him the benefit of the Mirror Image spell as cast by a sorcerer of his Ion Swordsman level. This effect is non-magical, but is an Illusion(Figment) effect.

Tachyon Frenzy (Ex): The after-images left by the Ion Swordsman's passage are charged with static from the speed with which he ripped through the air. Whenever a level 14 or higher Ion Swordsman's Tachyon Maneuver results in an image being stricken in melee instead of the Ion Swordsman himself, the Ion Swordsman may make an immediate attack against the person who struck the image as the image vanishes. The attacker is flat-footed against this attack, and the attack deals electricity damage instead of slashing.

Phase Jump (Su): The Ion Swordsman's speed is so great by level 14 that he gains the Incorporeal subtype when moving, if he chooses.

Tachyon Evasion (Ex): When using Katana-Cut Evasion against an effect, a 15th-level Ion Swordsman may make a Jump check as part of his Reflex save. If the Jump is sufficient to put him outside of the area of effect (or range, if the effect targets him directly), he may immediately move to outside that range and take damage as if he had Improved Evasion.

Live Faster Than Thought (Ex): A 15th level Ion Swordsman may respond to a Mind-Affecting Effect or Death Effect with a Jump check; if the distance the Jump check can move him would put him outside the range or area of the effect, he may immediately move to that distance and become an invalid target.

Ten-Body Blade (Ex): A 16th level Ion Swordsman gains Supreme Cleave as a bonus feat when using a katana, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

Tachyon Time (Su): A 17th-level Ion Swordsman can accelerate to speeds so great that time itself seems distorted. He may use Greater Celerity(Sp) as a Sorcerer of his level a number of times per day equal to the lower of his Dexterity and Constitution modifiers. He is constantly under the effects of a Haste spell, and, for a number of rounds (which need not be continuous) per day equal to his level in this class, he may act as if he is under the effects of a Time Stop effect. Furthermore, he is aware of what any creature enjoying a Time Stop effect is doing within his line of sight. He may expend one of his uses of Greater Celerity to enter that time stop and act immediately at any point during the time stopped creature's actions, acting as if he'd cast Greater Celerity within the Time Stop effect itself (and using existing relative initiative rolls, or rolling a new inititaive, if necessary).

Tireless Body (Ex): Years of battle have led to a body that doesn’t quit. At level 18 an Ion Swordsman cannot become dazed, fatigued, or exhausted.

With a Single Step (Sp): A level 19 Ion Swordsman has come to understand that distance is an illusion, and all things are coterminous to the right perspective. He may expend a use of Greater Celerity to use Greater Teleport or Plane Shift as a Sorcerer of his Ion Swordsman level.

Naibu Typhoon (Ex): The 20th level Ion Swordsman strikes as easily as most people breathe, and faster than they can think. Any creature that is within 100 feet at the start of his turn, comes within 100 feet at any point during its turn, or is within 100 feet of him when he moves on his turn, is subject to an immediate Shockwave Slash, as if it had been a readied action. He must have a katana or saya with which to make it, but neither need be readied. He can choose to refrain from attacking creatures of which he is aware, but his reflexes are so ingrained that he will strike (albeit with a 50% miss chance) against anything of which he is NOT aware that comes within 100 feet of him. If his movement brings any creature into his Typhoon's radius while he travels, such creatures are also subject to this attack as if they had entered his radius. Any creatures which are within this radius at the start of his turn are also subject to these attacks. He may, as a standard action on his turn, concentrate on bringing this instinct under control; if he does, he does not make any of these automatic attacks until he takes a free action on his turn to release his mental self-control.

I do encourage others to go over it carefully; I may have missed some things or made bad assumptions. But it should be a much stronger, but largely still not game-breaking, class. It's probably high T3/low T2.

1pwny
2014-09-14, 04:39 PM
Just say that your username on giantitp.com is Xefas, then use the Teramach (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?286983-3-5-Base-Class-quot-I-want-to-live-inside-a-castle-built-of-your-agony!-quot)!

Or don't because that might be construed as stealing.

But overall, good class! As for weapon damage... personally, I never keep track of that stuff (I know, I'm a horrible person), so having to think about it while playing the character would probably put a dampener on my mood. Just saying.

Nicktacular
2014-09-16, 03:48 AM
Segev, I appreciate the work you put in, it gave me a lot of ideas, but the changes you made change everything i had in mind for the class. I mean if you are pleased with your work, because its a good looking class, i encourage you to use it but id like you to change the names of the class and its features.

Segev
2014-09-16, 09:53 AM
Segev, I appreciate the work you put in, it gave me a lot of ideas, but the changes you made change everything i had in mind for the class. I mean if you are pleased with your work, because its a good looking class, i encourage you to use it but id like you to change the names of the class and its features.

I'm glad it gave you ideas. If you'd like, I would be happy to work with you on redoing it to reflect what you wanted out of the class. This is what I saw in what you built (admittedly ramped up a bit). I don't think I removed anything from the class as I saw what you were trying to do, but obviously you do. This means I'm not seeing what you had in mind for the class. Can you go into some detail on what it is you want to see it doing? In particular, what I've changed that went away from that, but also what it is you DO want it to do.

If I were writing for my own use, I would change the name of the class features and the class; they're not my style. Though I do appreciate the use of Tachyon on fast-themed abilities. (Tachyons are, by definition, particles moving faster than c.) While I am pleased with several of the things I've put into it, the goal of the exercise was to help you make the class stand up well next to others in D&D and to help you express what I thought you were going for. I'm interested to know where I veered off, and where you would like to see it go.

Nicktacular
2014-09-17, 05:34 PM
Like you literally changed everything i had in mind

Segev
2014-09-17, 06:15 PM
Like you literally changed everything i had in mind

Could you give some specifics? I don't know what you had in mind that I changed, as I think everything you had in there is still present. It still multi-jumps, it's still focused on speed (both of movement and of sword strikes), it uses Iaijutsu, it strikes people as it moves...

What is it you had in mind that it used to do that it no longer does? (I'm asking because I do not know what it is that you had in mind.) Tell me what it is you had in mind, and I'll see if I can't either point out how it does that still, or come up with a way to put it back in.

Nicktacular
2014-09-18, 01:42 AM
You changed Tachyon Jump to the point where I'm not even sure if it'd be that useful and by doing so changed most of the class features to being associated by name only, you added Iaijutsu focus even though im against it as a skill, you got rid of the weapon damage, u made "shockwave strike" useable with all attacks making it stupid to even go in close to opponents at all, you gave it the use of spells that make it less of a martial class to a weak mage that has situational attacks. Most of the stuff that was in the class before seemed like you just left it in to pander to my class even though it doesn't make to sense to have on the one you made.

Segev
2014-09-18, 07:43 AM
I'm going to attempt to address these point by point. Thanks for providing them! Each will include either an expanation of how I think it still does what it did before, but better, or some sort of question as to what you want it to have done.


You changed Tachyon Jump to the point where I'm not even sure if it'd be that useful and by doing so changed most of the class features to being associated by name only
Looking at the old one, it seems that the big thing the original Tachyon Jump did was allow you, as a free action, to perform multiple jumps and go the full distance, as well as jump off of the air.

That's actually a little bit overpowered at the levels you first get it, so what I did was give the Ion Swordsman a +5 movement speed for every 4 ranks of Jump he has. Assuming Jump is being kept maximized, that's +5 ft. to his speed at level 1, +10 (total) at level 5, +15 by level 9, +20 by level 13, +25 by level 17. That's just shy of the monk's progression, and technically stacks with any other speed-increasing feats and class features.

Still, I can see why +25 might feel a bit slow. We can take a look at putting back "move the full distance of a jump as a swift action" or something; there's precedent in ToB under the Tiger Claw discipline.


you added Iaijutsu focus even though im against it as a skill
Ah. Any particular reason you don't like it as a skill? It does, mechanically, what you were looking for. We could rewrite it to be a steady class-based progression if you like. I'd still use the skill's damage progression as a rough guide, and leave Battojutsu as the "improve from d6s to d10s" class feature. Having it go from +1d10 at level 9 to +Xd10 at level 10 is a weird jump in power.


you got rid of the weapon damageThis was deliberate; the weapon damage is either way, way too much to pay for a mediocre effect, or it's a non-cost on a still mediocre effect. You will be better off using a bow; you're more effective at range with it even with the original version of the class feature.


u made "shockwave strike" useable with all attacks making it stupid to even go in close to opponents at allYou do have a bit of a point here. Though there is at least one big reason to close to melee: Tachyon Slash only works in melee. Also, the shockwave strikes are ranged attacks that use thrown weapon rules. If you are Str-heavy, you will hit more easily in melee, because you have to use Dex to hit with Shockwave Strikes.

Before, the only thing that limited these strikes was that the sword could be damaged. That would either be a non-cost or would be too expensive for the effect, as I noted before.

We could provide another reason to close to melee by not allowing the saya to be used with shockwave strikes. You would thus get more attacks in melee. Would that help?


you gave it the use of spells that make it less of a martial class to a weak mage that has situational attacks.Not at all! Each of the spell-like effects are there because they fit the themes you seemed to be going for. The monk isn't a "weak mage" because he can go ethereal; the ninja isn't a "weak mage" because he has limited teleportation.

Note that most of these, despite their high-end power, are extraordinary abilities, not spell-like or supernatural. This is because they're just mechanical ways to represent just how fast the ion swordsman is.

Part of the reason they're weighted up towards the top is to give the higher levels more things. Being a non-mage, it's very behind in power to keep up with mages. The classic tier-3 classes are the martial adepts (crusader, swordsage, warblade), and they not only get class features all the way up the levels, but get a whole maneuver progression.

Ion Swordsman is actually very narrowly defined, even in my rendition, but he now gets things suitably impressive for his level at higher levels. Don't think of them as spells. I only referenced spells because those spells have the effects that a high-level, speed-focused character might pull off. And these allow him to tell mages where to shove it when they try to out-do him at his own schtick using their cheating magic.


Most of the stuff that was in the class before seemed like you just left it in to pander to my class even though it doesn't make to sense to have on the one you made.I'm afraid you'll have to elaborate more on this point. I was very focused on taking what you had and making the mechanics either have a smoother progression or utilize more of the existing D&D 3.5e system's resources to integrate it better with the game as it stands.

To me, what seemed to be key class features were the ability to multi-jump (covered in Tachyon Jump in both versions), to move faster than normal (covered before in Tachyon Jump, now covered in Powerful Legs but related to Jump), the ability to strike at a distance (shockwave strike), the ability to attack multiple people by passing them or cutting straight through them (Tachyon Strike and [1/7/10] Body Blade), iaijutsu (I just shifted to using the existing skill, because it already exists and does what you want and lets me pump it up with a bonus Skill Focus; it could as easily be a class feature like sneak attack, but it still needs a smoother progression than it originally had), and the employment of the saya as a shield and off-hand weapon (for which rules already exist, so I referenced them directly).

What, to you, were the key features and elements of the class?

I did, definitely, add a lot, especially at the higher levels; the purpose there is to bulk out the class with more features to play into the themes I thought you were going for, centered around speed of movement and speed of sword. But I wasn't "pandering" by leaving in abilities that make no sense. The only one that is even a stretch that I deliberately left because it was in the original is Salamandra, which seemed redundant to shockwaves strike's natural upgrades and wasn't quite in line with the "speed of sword" theme. That's why its fluff is now friction-based and focuses on the saya. Off-hand weapon with fire damage bonus is a nice touch, I think, but is not all that overwhelming. Make the saya inelegible for shockwave strikes, and it becomes another reason to close to melee, if you want that extra damage.

But I assure you, my focus was on taking what you had and refining it to a smoother, sometimes more powerful progression, and adding features to fit with the themes (mostly speed-related).

jqavins
2014-09-18, 12:13 PM
My Dm is starting a new campaign and asked that we each create a new class for it (huge request, I know) anyway this is the class i came up with and was wondering if you fine folks here at the playground could look it over and see if it's balanced enough to use.

here's the url: www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ion_Swordsman_(3.5e_Class) (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Ion_Swordsman_(3.5e_Class))
Coming in late.

First and foremost, judging balance is impossible without considering what the other players are coming up with and the DM accepting, since balance is inherently, fundementally a relative thing. You did clarify to say that the DM wants tier three or better but not game-braking, but even the question of what's game-braking depends on what else the DM is doing with the game, and tiers are sufficiently subjective that his tier three may not be mine or yours.

Why Ion Swordsman? Why Tachyon Jump/Slash/Frenzy? What does any of this have to do with ions or tachyons? What does 10-Body Blade mean? Robust is a single word. There's a lot more proofreading and editing for grammer and usage needed.

Sayajutsu's description starts with "While her weapon is drawn a 3rd level Ion Swordsman can hold it in her off hand and use it in battle. While used in this fashion the Ion Swordsman gains a shield bonus..." but ends up talking a lot about the the sheath*. Did you mean to say the Ion Swordsman hold the sheath in her off hand, or hold the sword in her off hand and the sheath in her primary? 'Cause it doesn't actually say either one.

* "Sheath" in this context is not incorrect, but it is unconventional. The (typically rigid) container for s sword is usually called a "scabbard," while "sheath" is more often used for knives and non-rigid (e.g. leather) blade holders.

10-Body Blade's description says that it increases at every odd level, but the table does not show this. The table has it increasing at 12th and 14th levels and not at 13th or 15th.

Nicktacular
2014-09-18, 04:07 PM
so u have a problem with the names? legit i havent reworked the fluff since the first draft and i plan to rework the fluff.
Just saying I'd like your opinion on the class and not on my spelling.

Seerow
2014-09-20, 10:17 AM
For the weapon damage maybe something like this?



Some Ion Swordsman abilities place great stress on the blade of the sword. Such abilities are limited in terms of how often they may be used in succession without breaking the blade. Any ability noted as an "Ion Strike" ability may be used twice safely before the Ion Swordsman must spend a few minutes letting the blade rest, or risk damaging the blade permanently. The weapon may still be used normally, however the Ion Swordsman may not use any additional Ion Strikes with the weapon. If the Ion Swordsman uses an Ion Strike ability one additional time beyond this limit, it has a 50% chance of breaking the blade. Using an ability a second time beyond this limit is guaranteed to break the blade. A blade broken in this way is rendered unusable until the Ion Swordsman is able to take the time to reforge the weapon anew. Reforging the weapon costs 1/3rd the gp value of the weapon (excluding any magic properties), and takes the same time as crafting the weapon normally. Any weapon reforged after being broken by an Ion Strike maintains its magical weapon properties.

Some weapons are more durable, and are more capable of taking the punishment caused by Ion Strikes. A weapon with an Enhancement bonus may use Ion Strikes a number of additional times equal to the Enhancement bonus before it must be allowed to rest. A weapon made out of a particularly durable material, such as Adamantine or Riverine, may be used two additional times before needing to rest.



I'm about to head out to a game session and will be out for the rest of the day, but if you like that, I can take my shot at the rest of the class late tonight/tomorrow.