Sivartius
2014-11-29, 11:54 PM
Riftwalker Prestige Class from DragonMech
Is anyone familiar with this class? What did you think? What tier do you think it belongs in?
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a riftwalker, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Search 5 ranks, Spot 5 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd-level spells or use ki strike (magic)
Class Skills
The riftwalker’s class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Additional Level:
4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the riftwalker.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As previous class. No additional proficiencies are gained.
Spells: Riftwalkers can cast spells. Their spell choices are very limited, focusing on spells designed to travel the planes or prevent detection. The primary use for their spellcasting is not even the casting of spells, but instead the channeling of magical energy to open dimensional rifts (see the riftwalk ability, below). Riftwalker spells are memorized from a spellbook as a wizard’s are. In all other respects, they are like a wizard’s spells, requiring a sufficient Intelligence score to learn. The riftwalker spell list appears on page 48.
Rift Sensitivity (Su): The riftwalker’s greatest ability is a knack for finding shortcuts in the fabric of reality. The material plane is filled with minute rifts to other planes. These rifts are formed from natural stresses or ambient magical energy released after planar travel spells. The riftwalker learns to locate and exploit them.
A riftwalker has a natural sensitivity to these rifts. A riftwalker (and only a riftwalker) can search an area to attempt to discover planar rifts. Locating a rift requires a Search check against a DC based on the plane’s proximity to the riftwalker. Within the context of the four groups of planes (material, transitive, inner, and outer), the DC is 20 to go one increment, 25 to go two, and 30 to go three. Traveling between planes in the same group (such as from the astral to ethereal plane) is DC 20.
For example, finding a rift to a transitive plane (ethereal, shadow, or astral) from the material plane would be DC 20, whereas finding a rift to an outer plane would be DC 30. Once the riftwalker travels to the ethereal plane, it’s DC 20 again to find a rift back to the material, or DC 25 to find a rift to the outer planes from the ethereal plane (since they’re now closer).
Note that this ability doesn’t let the riftwalker use the rift to travel the planes (yet). It simply lets him find them. It also doesn’t let him look through the rift to see what’s on the other side. Travel through such rifts is generally safe, but not always.
Searching takes one minute per five feet searched. A failure does not get a retry, and the riftwalker cannot take 10 or 20 on this roll. In general, as long as the riftwalker passes the check, it’s safe to assume a rift is around. Most planes are tattered by such rifts; they’re just hard to locate for normal people.
Riftwalk (Sp): At 2nd level, a riftwalker can use these rifts to transport himself between planes. Doing so requires locating the appropriate portal, then expending spell energy to shift through it. A shift of one increment (such as material to transitive, or transitive to inner) requires two spell levels, two increments requires four spell levels, and three increments requires eight spell levels. The riftwalker must have the requisite spell energy available and sacrifice it. A spell counts toward levels as its spell level. For example, magic missile is a 1st-level spell. A riftwalker with magic missile memorized twice (or otherwise available twice) could surrender two castings of it to riftwalk one increment. Or he could sacrifice two castings of it, plus web (a 2nd-level spell), to surrender four spell levels and travel two increments.
At this level, the riftwalker can transport only himself through the rifts. Riftwalking is a full-round action (one standard action to expend the spell energy, then one movement action to move through). Other creatures see the riftwalker seemingly step into an invisible door, then disappear.
Distances traveled on other planes often cover much greater distances on the material plane. A riftwalker may be able to riftwalk to the astral plane, travel for a few rounds on the astral plane, and then riftwalk back to appear miles away from his former material location.
The riftwalker has a 1% noncumulative chance per riftwalk that he will step through the rift into a dangerous area (that is, even more dangerous than the usual state of planar travel). This could include walking into a solid object, entering a lava flow, or appearing inside the acidic belly of a great astral whale. If this occurs, the riftwalker takes 1d6 damage per increment traveled and is immediately shunted back to the plane he was attempting to leave.
Riftdoor (Sp): At 4th level, the riftwalker can make the rifts large enough for other creatures to travel with him. By expending as much spell energy as for his initial riftwalk, the riftwalker can hold open the rift long enough for someone else of up to Medium size to pass. Expending double the spell energy lets a Large creature walk through,
quadruple lets a Huge creature go through, and so on. The rift automatically closes when the riftwalker goes through, so he must be the last to exit.
For example, a riftwalker opens a rift from the material to the astral plane at a cost of two spell levels. He can hold it open for another Medium creature at a cost of two additional spell levels. By expending six more spell
levels he could let three more creatures pass before he finally steps through. Other creatures who riftwalk must use a move action to reach the portal and walk through it. The riftwalker may also use a standard action to concentrate and move the rift itself. This requires a Concentration check each round (DC 10). If successful, the rift can move by up to 20 ft. Riftwalkers can use this ability to make a rift envelop an entire house or tower, sending it to another plane.
Rapid Shift (Su): At 5th level, the time required for the riftwalker to locate a portal is reduced to one round per 5-foot square. If the Search check beats the DC by 5 or more, he finds the portal fast enough to step through immediately on the same round he searched.
Ghostwalk (Sp): A 7th-level riftwalker is so attuned to planar rifts that he can seemingly walk through solid objects. As a free action, he may make a Spot check to detect rifts within his intended path of movement. (Up until this time he has used Search; this is the first level at which he can locate rifts so casually.) The DC is the same as the Search check for rift sensitivity.
If the riftwalker passes the Spot check, he has found the necessary rifts to perform a ghostwalk. By expending one spell level, he can travel up to ten times his usual speed in a single movement action and step through solid objects while doing so, as long as his movement remains within the visual range of his starting position. He can charge up to twenty times his usual speed. Observers see him constantly flickering in and out of existence as he moves, seemingly jumping ten or twenty paces between flickers. He is stepping through one rift after another to cover ground rapidly, effectively teleporting himself multiple times over the course of a single move.
The riftwalker must physically touch at least one fourth of the distance of his travel. He can use this ability to bypass squares threatened by enemy attacks of opportunity, move through intervening opponents, step through solid objects that would block his path, and bypass obstacles (such as pits or lava flows).
Additionally, a 7th-level riftwalker has the spell level cost of the riftwalk and riftdoor abilities reduced by half. At this level the riftwalkers of legend truly escaped the lunar rain, for they were able to begin shifting entire houses or even mansions onto other planes for merely an evening.
Evasion (Su): At 8th level, the riftwalker has developed the habit of subconsciously identifying nearby rifts and using them to constantly flicker in and out of existence on the material plane. He gains the rogue’s evasion ability as a supernatural ability, not as a result of terrific reflexes, but because he has a good chance of not being present at the instant of any area effect. This works even against opponents from another plane — the riftwalker can always choose another plane to retreat to.
Additionally, an 8th-level riftwalker gains a constant +2 dodge bonus to AC, to reflect the fact that he’s often not present when enemy attacks come swinging through. This dodge bonus is not lost when the riftwalker is flat-footed (he’s still flickering on and off), but it is lost when he is asleep or unconscious. When fighting defensively, he can concentrate on his flickering to coordinate it with enemy attacks, raising his dodge bonus to +4. This stacks with the normal benefits of fighting defensively.
Improved Evasion (Su): At 10th level, the riftwalker gains improved evasion, as the rogue ability.
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Rift Sensitivity 1 — — — — — — —
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Riftwalk 2 1 — — — — — —
3 +2 +1 +1 +3 2 2 1 — — — — —
4 +3 +1 +1 +4 Riftdoor 3 2 2 1 — — — —
5 +3 +1 +1 +4 Rapid Shift 3 3 2 2 1 — — —
6 +4 +2 +2 +5 3 3 3 2 2 1 — —
7 +5 +2 +2 +5 Ghostwalk 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 —
8 +6 +2 +2 +6 Evasion, +2 Dodge AC 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 1
9 +6 +3 +3 +6 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
10 +7 +3 +3 +7 Improved Evasion 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2
Is anyone familiar with this class? What did you think? What tier do you think it belongs in?
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a riftwalker, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 5 ranks, Search 5 ranks, Spot 5 ranks, Survival 5 ranks
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd-level spells or use ki strike (magic)
Class Skills
The riftwalker’s class skills (and the key abilities for each skill) are
Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Additional Level:
4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
The following are class features of the riftwalker.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As previous class. No additional proficiencies are gained.
Spells: Riftwalkers can cast spells. Their spell choices are very limited, focusing on spells designed to travel the planes or prevent detection. The primary use for their spellcasting is not even the casting of spells, but instead the channeling of magical energy to open dimensional rifts (see the riftwalk ability, below). Riftwalker spells are memorized from a spellbook as a wizard’s are. In all other respects, they are like a wizard’s spells, requiring a sufficient Intelligence score to learn. The riftwalker spell list appears on page 48.
Rift Sensitivity (Su): The riftwalker’s greatest ability is a knack for finding shortcuts in the fabric of reality. The material plane is filled with minute rifts to other planes. These rifts are formed from natural stresses or ambient magical energy released after planar travel spells. The riftwalker learns to locate and exploit them.
A riftwalker has a natural sensitivity to these rifts. A riftwalker (and only a riftwalker) can search an area to attempt to discover planar rifts. Locating a rift requires a Search check against a DC based on the plane’s proximity to the riftwalker. Within the context of the four groups of planes (material, transitive, inner, and outer), the DC is 20 to go one increment, 25 to go two, and 30 to go three. Traveling between planes in the same group (such as from the astral to ethereal plane) is DC 20.
For example, finding a rift to a transitive plane (ethereal, shadow, or astral) from the material plane would be DC 20, whereas finding a rift to an outer plane would be DC 30. Once the riftwalker travels to the ethereal plane, it’s DC 20 again to find a rift back to the material, or DC 25 to find a rift to the outer planes from the ethereal plane (since they’re now closer).
Note that this ability doesn’t let the riftwalker use the rift to travel the planes (yet). It simply lets him find them. It also doesn’t let him look through the rift to see what’s on the other side. Travel through such rifts is generally safe, but not always.
Searching takes one minute per five feet searched. A failure does not get a retry, and the riftwalker cannot take 10 or 20 on this roll. In general, as long as the riftwalker passes the check, it’s safe to assume a rift is around. Most planes are tattered by such rifts; they’re just hard to locate for normal people.
Riftwalk (Sp): At 2nd level, a riftwalker can use these rifts to transport himself between planes. Doing so requires locating the appropriate portal, then expending spell energy to shift through it. A shift of one increment (such as material to transitive, or transitive to inner) requires two spell levels, two increments requires four spell levels, and three increments requires eight spell levels. The riftwalker must have the requisite spell energy available and sacrifice it. A spell counts toward levels as its spell level. For example, magic missile is a 1st-level spell. A riftwalker with magic missile memorized twice (or otherwise available twice) could surrender two castings of it to riftwalk one increment. Or he could sacrifice two castings of it, plus web (a 2nd-level spell), to surrender four spell levels and travel two increments.
At this level, the riftwalker can transport only himself through the rifts. Riftwalking is a full-round action (one standard action to expend the spell energy, then one movement action to move through). Other creatures see the riftwalker seemingly step into an invisible door, then disappear.
Distances traveled on other planes often cover much greater distances on the material plane. A riftwalker may be able to riftwalk to the astral plane, travel for a few rounds on the astral plane, and then riftwalk back to appear miles away from his former material location.
The riftwalker has a 1% noncumulative chance per riftwalk that he will step through the rift into a dangerous area (that is, even more dangerous than the usual state of planar travel). This could include walking into a solid object, entering a lava flow, or appearing inside the acidic belly of a great astral whale. If this occurs, the riftwalker takes 1d6 damage per increment traveled and is immediately shunted back to the plane he was attempting to leave.
Riftdoor (Sp): At 4th level, the riftwalker can make the rifts large enough for other creatures to travel with him. By expending as much spell energy as for his initial riftwalk, the riftwalker can hold open the rift long enough for someone else of up to Medium size to pass. Expending double the spell energy lets a Large creature walk through,
quadruple lets a Huge creature go through, and so on. The rift automatically closes when the riftwalker goes through, so he must be the last to exit.
For example, a riftwalker opens a rift from the material to the astral plane at a cost of two spell levels. He can hold it open for another Medium creature at a cost of two additional spell levels. By expending six more spell
levels he could let three more creatures pass before he finally steps through. Other creatures who riftwalk must use a move action to reach the portal and walk through it. The riftwalker may also use a standard action to concentrate and move the rift itself. This requires a Concentration check each round (DC 10). If successful, the rift can move by up to 20 ft. Riftwalkers can use this ability to make a rift envelop an entire house or tower, sending it to another plane.
Rapid Shift (Su): At 5th level, the time required for the riftwalker to locate a portal is reduced to one round per 5-foot square. If the Search check beats the DC by 5 or more, he finds the portal fast enough to step through immediately on the same round he searched.
Ghostwalk (Sp): A 7th-level riftwalker is so attuned to planar rifts that he can seemingly walk through solid objects. As a free action, he may make a Spot check to detect rifts within his intended path of movement. (Up until this time he has used Search; this is the first level at which he can locate rifts so casually.) The DC is the same as the Search check for rift sensitivity.
If the riftwalker passes the Spot check, he has found the necessary rifts to perform a ghostwalk. By expending one spell level, he can travel up to ten times his usual speed in a single movement action and step through solid objects while doing so, as long as his movement remains within the visual range of his starting position. He can charge up to twenty times his usual speed. Observers see him constantly flickering in and out of existence as he moves, seemingly jumping ten or twenty paces between flickers. He is stepping through one rift after another to cover ground rapidly, effectively teleporting himself multiple times over the course of a single move.
The riftwalker must physically touch at least one fourth of the distance of his travel. He can use this ability to bypass squares threatened by enemy attacks of opportunity, move through intervening opponents, step through solid objects that would block his path, and bypass obstacles (such as pits or lava flows).
Additionally, a 7th-level riftwalker has the spell level cost of the riftwalk and riftdoor abilities reduced by half. At this level the riftwalkers of legend truly escaped the lunar rain, for they were able to begin shifting entire houses or even mansions onto other planes for merely an evening.
Evasion (Su): At 8th level, the riftwalker has developed the habit of subconsciously identifying nearby rifts and using them to constantly flicker in and out of existence on the material plane. He gains the rogue’s evasion ability as a supernatural ability, not as a result of terrific reflexes, but because he has a good chance of not being present at the instant of any area effect. This works even against opponents from another plane — the riftwalker can always choose another plane to retreat to.
Additionally, an 8th-level riftwalker gains a constant +2 dodge bonus to AC, to reflect the fact that he’s often not present when enemy attacks come swinging through. This dodge bonus is not lost when the riftwalker is flat-footed (he’s still flickering on and off), but it is lost when he is asleep or unconscious. When fighting defensively, he can concentrate on his flickering to coordinate it with enemy attacks, raising his dodge bonus to +4. This stacks with the normal benefits of fighting defensively.
Improved Evasion (Su): At 10th level, the riftwalker gains improved evasion, as the rogue ability.
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Rift Sensitivity 1 — — — — — — —
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Riftwalk 2 1 — — — — — —
3 +2 +1 +1 +3 2 2 1 — — — — —
4 +3 +1 +1 +4 Riftdoor 3 2 2 1 — — — —
5 +3 +1 +1 +4 Rapid Shift 3 3 2 2 1 — — —
6 +4 +2 +2 +5 3 3 3 2 2 1 — —
7 +5 +2 +2 +5 Ghostwalk 4 3 3 3 2 2 1 —
8 +6 +2 +2 +6 Evasion, +2 Dodge AC 4 4 3 3 3 2 2 1
9 +6 +3 +3 +6 4 4 4 3 3 3 2 2
10 +7 +3 +3 +7 Improved Evasion 5 4 4 4 3 3 3 2