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Nifft
2015-08-24, 06:28 AM
5e Chameleon

"Someone called for a cleric? Oh, you needed a fighter instead? I'm sorry -- I meant to say that the cleric is on his way. I'm the fighter." -- Jonata Quimbel

Sometimes it's good to be a fighter, able to wield any weapon. Other times, you'd be better off as a rogue, with stealth and the ability to backstab foes. And sometimes, nothing but spells will do the trick. When these situations collide and you need one answer, you need a chameleon.

Chameleons are dilettantes in every class and masters of none. They know enough of each class's skills and abilities to mimic that class effectively. You can masquerade as a fighter, a rogue, or even a wizard or a cleric. Part of it is power, of course — you learn to harness your own natural energy, shaping it into whichever class you require that day. But the rest is pure attitude — you are a talented performer, and when you walk into a room with a holy symbol around your neck, people believe you have true faith.

http://i.imgur.com/JxgUicg.jpg
Image Source (http://dnd4.wikia.com/wiki/File:Multiclass.jpg)

Class Features
As a Chameleon, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per chameleon level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per chameleon level after 1st

Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor
Weapons: Simple weapons
Tools: Choose one from Disguise Kit, Forgery Kit, Gaming Set (one type), or Musical Instrument (one type).

Saving Throws: Charisma
Skills: Choose one from Acrobatics, Insight, Investigation, Performance, Persuasion, or Sleight of Hand.

Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
* (a) a light crossbow and 20 bolts or (b) any simple weapon
* (a) a component pouch or (b) an arcane focus
* (a) thieves' tools, (b) a disguise kit, or (c) an herbalism kit
* (a) a burglar’s pack or (b) a dungeoneer’s pack
* Leather armor and any simple weapon





Level
Proficiency Bonus
Features
Persona Points
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th


1st
+2
Persona Points, Split Personas
3







2nd
+2
Persona features
4
2






3rd
+2
Diverging Paths
4
3






4th
+2
Persona Ability Score Improvement
4
3






5th
+3
Persona Features
5
4
2





6th
+3
Path Feature
5
4
2





7th
+3
Compartmentalization
5
4
3





8th
+3
Flexible Feat
5
4
3





9th
+4
Persona Features
6
4
3
2




10th
+4
Path Feature
6
4
3
2




11th
+4
Dual Focus
6
4
3
3




12th
+4
Persona Ability Score Improvement
6
4
3
3




13th
+5
Dual Focus
7
4
3
3
1



14th
+5
Path Feature
7
4
3
3
1



15th
+5
Dual Focus
7
4
3
3
2



16th
+5
Ability Score Improvement
7
4
3
3
2



17th
+6
Dual Focus
8
4
3
3
2
1


18th
+6
Path Feature
8
4
3
3
2
1


19th
+6
Persona Ability Score Improvement
8
4
3
3
2
2


20th
+6
Persona Mastery
8
4
3
3
2
2






Persona Points
You gain a number of persona points, as indicated on the table. You use these points to power some of your abilities. These points refresh when you complete a short rest or a long rest.

You can spend one persona point as an action to gain proficiency with any one skill or tool for one hour.


Split Personas
You partition your mind and your magical ability into four distinct personas. Each persona has a different set of abilities, which you can only use while that persona has focus. At the end of a short rest or a long rest, you can choose to allocate focus to one of your personas, and you gain the abilities associated with that persona.

You can shift focus from your current persona to another persona by meditating for 5 minutes, or you can spend one persona point and use a bonus action to shift your focus into a different persona.

Create one persona character sheet for each of the following archetypes:
- Arcane
- Combat
- Divine
- Stealth


Persona Features
Each of your personas gains a different benefit. You only have access to that benefit while the appropriate persona has focus.


Diverging Paths
At third level, you specialize as a particular type of generalist. Choose one of the following Chameleon Paths:
- Hybrid Tactician: With great flexibility comes even greater power.
- Infiltrator: You are the right tool for a nasty kind of work.
- Seeker: The truth is seldom skin-deep, but you'll find it.


Persona Ability Score Improvement
Unlike a regular Ability Score Improvement, your Persona Ability Score Improvement only applies to a persona that has focus, and each persona gains a boost to a different ability score.
- Arcane: Intelligence
- Combat: Strength
- Divine: Wisdom
- Stealth: Dexterity
You gain +2 to the indicated score at 4th level, and again at levels 12 and 19 (to a total of +6). As usual, these boosts can't take your ability score above 20. If an improvement would do that, you may choose to allocate the leftover points to a different ability score of your choice.

Unlike a regular Ability Score Improvement, you can't trade a Persona Ability Score Improvement for a feat.


Compartmentalization
At level 7, your personas take on a life of their own. Invent up to three facts about each persona. While you are in a persona, all magical effects will reveal that those invented facts are true. You can change these facts whenever you complete a long rest.

Furthermore, if you are subject to a mental effect which you dislike, you can use a bonus action and spend two persona points to shift your focus to a new persona and force the mental effect to affect only the persona which you just un-focused, instead of you. The affected persona becomes unavailable to you until you complete a short rest or a long rest.


Flexible Feat
When you complete a long rest, you gain the benefit of one feat for which you qualify. This feat is yours until you finish a long rest, at which point you may choose a different feat or the same feat again.


Dual Focus
You create a new composite persona which combines the benefits of two of your original four personas (Arcane, Combat, Divine, or Stealth). Name this new persona.

Composite personas have no benefits of their own, merely access to the benefits of their constituent personas, except as follows:

Compartmentalization applies to composite personas. Each composite persona has its own three facts which detect as true (not six facts). These facts can be the same as or different from either constituent personas' facts.

You may create another composite persona at level 13, 15, and 17. Each composite persona must use a unique pair of constituent personas.



Persona Mastery
When you roll initiative, you may change your focus to a different persona without spending a persona point.




Arcane Persona

While this persona has focus, you gain proficiency on Intelligence (Arcana) checks and Intelligence saving throws.
At level 5, you gain training in a new Intelligence or Wisdom skill.
At level 9, you gain training in a new Intelligence or Wisdom skill.

You gain a spell book which you can use to record Wizard spells you find along your journeys, just like a Wizard, paying the GP cost for transcription as usual. Spells learned through this persona use Intelligence for their casting stat. While you have the spell book, you can cast spells from it as Rituals.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier

At level 1, you learn three Cantrips from the Wizard list.

At level 2, you may add two 1st level spells from the Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard list to your spell book. Every time you gain a new level of Chameleon, you add one more spell of a level you can cast from the Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock or Wizard list. The spells you learn in this way are always cast as Arcane Persona spells, using your Intelligence as your casting stat.

You prepare the list of spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of spells from your spell book equal to your Chameleon level. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of Arcane Persona spells requires time spent studying your spell book and memorizing the incantations and gestures you must make to cast the spell: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Choose which spells you have readied even if you are not focused on this persona after your long rest.

At level 5, you learn a new Cantrip from the Wizard list, and you may choose two of these Wizard school features:
- Minor Alchemy
- Sculpt Spells
- Hypnotic Gaze
- Minor Conjuration
You can use either of your chosen features by spending a persona point and taking the required action, if any, using your Chameleon level in place of the ability's Wizard level.

At level 9, you learn a new Cantrip from the Wizard list, and choose one of the following abilities:
- Arcane Recovery: When you begin a short rest, you may cash in any unspent persona points to regain expended spell slots. Each recovered spell slot costs one persona point per spell slot level. You can cash in a total number of persona points up to half your Chameleon level — after that, you must complete a long rest before you can cash in any more.
- Arcane Metamagic: You can spend persona points to emulate a Sorcerer's metamagic. You can spend one persona point to Empower a spell (allowing you to re-roll a number of damage dice equal to your Charisma bonus), one point to make a spell Subtle (to cast it without any somatic or verbal components), or two points to Quicken a spell (and cast a spell which normally costs 1 action to cast as a bonus action instead).


Combat Persona

While this persona has focus, you gain proficiency on Strength (Athletics) checks and Strength saving throws.

At level 1, you gain proficiency with all martial weapons, with medium and heavy armor, and with shields.

At level 2, you gain one Fighting Style from the Fighter list.

At level 5, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

At level 9, you gain another Fighting Style from the Fighter list, and when you roll an 18 or 19 on a weapon attack roll, you can spend a persona point to make that attack a critical hit instead of a normal hit.



Divine Persona

While this persona has focus, you gain proficiency on Wisdom (Medicine) checks and Wisdom saving throws.
At level 5, you gain training in a new Intelligence or Wisdom skill.

At level 1, you learn two Cantrips from the Cleric or Druid lists.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

At level 2, when you finish a long rest, you can choose a number of spells from the Cleric list or Druid list equal to your Chameleon level plus your Charisma bonus. Choose which spells you have prepared even if you are not focused on this persona after your long rest. Spells gained through this persona use Wisdom for their casting stat.

At level 5, you learn a new Cantrip from the Cleric or Druid list, and you may choose two of these class features:
- Channel Divinity: Turn Undead
- Channel Divinity: Preserve Life
- Channel Divinity: Charm Animals and Plants
- Channel Divinity: Destructive Wrath
- Channel Divinity: Invoke Duplicity
You can use either of your chosen features by spending a persona point and taking the required action, if any, using your Chameleon level in place of the ability's Cleric level (or in addition to your Cleric level, if you have one). You can't use this ability again until you've completed a short rest or a long rest.

At level 9, you learn a new Cantrip from the Cleric or Druid list, and choose one of the following abilities:
- Wild Shape: You can spend persona points to emulate the Druid class feature of the same name, with the following limits:
1 point — CR 1/4 — no flying or swimming speed — (Example: Wolf)
2 points — CR 1/2 — no flying speed — (Example: Crocodile)
4 points — CR 1 — (Example: Giant Eagle)

- Divine Smite: When you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal radiant damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's damage. The extra damage is 2d8 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d8 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d8. The damage increases by 1d8 if the target is an undead or a fiend.
- Expanded Spell Access: When you prepare Divine Persona spells, you may choose spells from the Cleric, Druid, Paladin and Ranger lists instead of only the Cleric and Druid lists.


Stealth Persona

While this persona has focus, you gain proficiency on Dexterity (Stealth) checks, Wisdom (Perception) checks, and Dexterity saving throws.
At level 5, you gain training in a new Dexterity or Charisma skill.
At level 9, you gain training in a new Dexterity or Charisma skill.

At level 1, you gain Sneak Attack +1d6. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

You don’t need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn’t incapacitated, and you don’t have disadvantage on the attack roll.

At level 2, you can spend a persona point to double your proficiency bonus on a Dexterity or Charisma skill check in which you already have proficiency, or on a check using thieves' tools.

At level 5, you deal +2d6 sneak attack damage, and you can spend a persona point to take a bonus action. This action can be used only to take the Dash, Disengage, or Hide action.

At level 9, you deal +3d6 sneak attack damage, and you may choose one of the following:
- Evasion: You can spend a persona point and use your reaction to dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a blue dragon's lightning breath or a fireball spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
- Shadow Step: When you are in dim light or darkness, you can spend a persona point and use a bonus action to teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see that is also in dim light or darkness. You then have advantage on the first melee attack you make before the end of the turn.




Chameleon Paths

Hybrid Tactician
Every specialist has a weakness. Your ability to become any of them means you can more easily see these weaknesses, and compensate for them — or exploit them.

Level 3: Hybrid Training: You gain proficiency with medium armor and shields. Any time you make a skill check to which your proficiency bonus does not apply, add half your proficiency bonus anyway.

Level 6: Hybrid Vigor: You gain proficiency on Constitution saving throws. Also, when you spend a persona point to focus on a different persona as a bonus action, you regain hit points equal to your Charisma bonus + your Chameleon level, and you regain one expended spell slot of any level. You can't use this feature again until you've completed a short rest or a long rest.

Level 10: Ability Score Improvement

Level 14: Choose one of the following benefits:
- Spellblade: You have mastered the art of weaving spellcasting and weapon use into a single harmonious act. When you use your action to cast an Arcane Persona or Divine Persona spell, you can make one weapon attack as a bonus action.
- Runehammer: You have woven brutality into your spells, and magic into your weapon use. You can add your Strength bonus to the damage of any spell with a melee spell attack. You can add your Dexterity bonus to the damage of any spell with a ranged spell attack. Your weapon attacks deal +1d4 force damage.
- Magical Ambush: If you are hidden from a creature when you cast a spell on it, the creature has disadvantage on any saving throw it makes against the spell this turn.

Level 18: If you have one or zero persona points when you roll initiative, you instead have two persona points.


Infiltrator
The easiest way to get inside a fortress protected by thick walls is to walk through the front door wearing a friendly face. If they don't trust outsiders, you'll just become an insider.

Level 3: Mental Infiltration: You can spend a persona point to read a creature's thoughts. You can then use your access to the creature's mind to command it. As an action, choose one creature that you can see within 60 feet of you. That creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If the creature succeeds on the saving throw, you can’t use this feature on it again until you finish a long rest.

If the creature fails its save, you can read its surface thoughts (those foremost in its mind, reflecting its current emotions and what it is actively thinking about) when it is within 60 feet of you. This effect lasts for 1 minute.
During that time, you can use your action to end this effect and cast the suggestion spell on the creature without expending a spell slot. The target automatically fails its saving throw against the spell.

Level 6: Body Double: You gain the ability to unerringly mimic another person's speech, writing, and behavior. You must either spend at least three hours studying these three components of the person's behavior, listening to speech, examining handwriting, and observing mannerisms, or you must read the person's thoughts for a full minute (forgoing your option to implant a suggestion).

Your ruse is indiscernible to the casual observer. If a wary creature suspects something is amiss, you have advantage on any Charisma (Deception) check you make to avoid detection.

Level 10: Real-Time Reading: While you are reading a creature's mind, you have advantage on all checks and attacks against that creature, and the creature has disadvantage on all checks and attacks made against you.

Level 14: Shapechanger: You can cast alter self at-will without using a spell slot or any components.

Level 18: You can cast glibness without spending a spell slot. You can't use this ability again until you complete a short rest or a long rest.


Seeker
The truth of the world may be hidden, but hidden things are your area of expertise. You can and will find any answers that you seek.

Level 3: You can cast detect magic at will without spending a spell slot or using any components. Also, you can telepathically communicate with any creature you can see within 30 feet, if that creature knows at least one language.

Level 6: Aura Vision: You can cast detect good and evil at will without spending a spell slot or using any components. Also, you always know when someone is lying to you.

Level 10: You are immune to being charmed. You can see the true form of any shapechanger or creature concealed by illusion or transmutation magic while the creature is within 30 feet of you and within line of sight.

Level 14:
- Blindsense: If you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any hidden or invisible creature within 30 feet of you.
- Uncanny Awareness: When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
- Third Eye: You gain the benefits of the 10th level Wizard(Diviner) class feature of the same name. Activating this feature costs one persona point.

Level 18: You can cast one of the following spells without spending a spell slot or any components: legend lore, scrying, true seeing, or contact other plane. Once you've used this feature, you can't use it again until you've completed a short rest or a long rest.

ImSAMazing
2015-08-24, 08:55 AM
Sounds a bit as the Pactotum, I really really like this class!

Gr7mm Bobb
2015-08-24, 09:33 AM
Yeah, the factorum was wizards 'committed' jack of all trades without the weird assassin subtext and game breaking wording of AWESOME. . . . I may or may not love the chameleon prestige from 3.5. . .

Ziegander
2015-08-24, 02:35 PM
This is kinda beautiful. You almost lost me at "write a separate character sheet for each of the following," but I kept reading. Really great class that seems well-balanced against the Bard, despite its massive versatility. Loving it.

Nifft
2015-08-25, 02:49 AM
This is kinda beautiful. You almost lost me at "write a separate character sheet for each of the following," but I kept reading. Really great class that seems well-balanced against the Bard, despite its massive versatility. Loving it.

Heh, yeah, it might not be the most elegant mechanic, but I can't really see a better way to do it than the four character sheets (plus another sheet per composite persona). Open to suggestions, but the fact that your stats change based on the focus means... yeah.

Is it clear what's shared (HP, spell slots, some skills) vs. what's not shared?

- - -

One thing I'm thinking is that you might get 4 personas, but from a larger list. Anyone have ideas on what the larger list might contain, other than the core four?

Archonitp
2015-08-25, 08:13 AM
Heh, yeah, it might not be the most elegant mechanic, but I can't really see a better way to do it than the four character sheets (plus another sheet per composite persona). Open to suggestions, but the fact that your stats change based on the focus means... yeah.

Is it clear what's shared (HP, spell slots, some skills) vs. what's not shared?

- - -

One thing I'm thinking is that you might get 4 personas, but from a larger list. Anyone have ideas on what the larger list might contain, other than the core four?

Dude, this class looks awesome and makes me wish I had a 5.0 campaign to play in to try it out b/c it would be so fun to do this.

I think anyone with enough in-system knowledge to be trying out a home-brewed character like this could figure out what is shared and what's not.


Just a few things to think about:
4 Personas from a larger list... Well, eventually "Psionic" might be a persona adition. You could also have a persona that is more Bardic in nature (the "arcane" person seems much more Wizard-friendly than Bardic). Also, would it be possible to allow the "Martial" persona to have the option to rage like a barbarian or would that be a different persona? (same as last question, but Monk persona)

Nifft
2015-08-28, 07:36 AM
Dude, this class looks awesome and makes me wish I had a 5.0 campaign to play in to try it out b/c it would be so fun to do this.

I think anyone with enough in-system knowledge to be trying out a home-brewed character like this could figure out what is shared and what's not.


Just a few things to think about:
4 Personas from a larger list... Well, eventually "Psionic" might be a persona adition. You could also have a persona that is more Bardic in nature (the "arcane" person seems much more Wizard-friendly than Bardic). Also, would it be possible to allow the "Martial" persona to have the option to rage like a barbarian or would that be a different persona? (same as last question, but Monk persona)

Thanks!

Yeah, I think a Monk could be cool. I was wondering if I should make "Unarmed" one of the Paths -- a theme of self-sufficiency, with stuff like how you don't need tools or weapons to get the job done. Not sure it should be a focus of its own, though.

For Psionic, I guess that would work best if the whole class were spell-point based. Which is probably fine. I'm going to wait and see what WotC drops in terms of psionics, since they're apparently doing something.

The other focus I was considering is Leadership -- it would get some of the more leader-ish Maneuvers, plus maybe some stuff from the Bard -- but I can't really see enough to steal to justify a whole focus.

Gr7mm Bobb
2015-08-28, 10:22 AM
I would look at the UA that WotC released on the new 5e psionic system for guidance. It would look right at home here. Looking at what you have for your 'everyman' I think a no-tools for the trade path would make sense. It might be weaker than the others get, but its would fall under the same power as the monk and 5e psionics (maybe combine the 2?)

MinaBee
2015-09-18, 03:22 PM
Persona Points
You gain a number of persona points, as indicated on the table. You use these points to power some of your abilities. These points refresh when you complete a short rest or a long rest.

You can spend one persona point gain proficiency with any one skill or tool for one hour.

Is spending a persona point to gain an hour of proficiency a free action?

Would the feature work just as well with a lessened duration?

For comparison's sake, Knowledge Domain clerics have to spend an action to gain ten minutes of proficiency with a skill or tool.

Nifft
2015-09-19, 10:11 PM
I would look at the UA that WotC released on the new 5e psionic system for guidance. It would look right at home here. Looking at what you have for your 'everyman' I think a no-tools for the trade path would make sense. It might be weaker than the others get, but its would fall under the same power as the monk and 5e psionics (maybe combine the 2?)

I'll probably steal from the final 5e Psionics -- the UA prerelease has some issues, but they seem to be aware of the issues, and the latest info says they're looking into all the stuff I wanted to see fixed.



Is spending a persona point to gain an hour of proficiency a free action? Should cost an action. I'll make that explicit.


Would the feature work just as well with a lessened duration?

For comparison's sake, Knowledge Domain clerics have to spend an action to gain ten minutes of proficiency with a skill or tool. Yeah, the longer duration is intentional. This class is for an infiltrator, and (for example) if you're disguised as an entertainer, you might need to play a night's worth of music.

Also, up at lower levels, you might want to try out proficiency in various skills so you know what you want to gain proficiency in at levels 5 and 9.

JNAProductions
2016-02-21, 03:40 PM
First off, love the picture. Looks great.

Second off, you only have one saving throw. Classes get two.

Persona Ability Score Improvement-It's not bad, but narrows you a lot. Part of 5E is being able to be flexible with concepts, and this doesn't allow that.

Ah, that's why you only have one saving throw. Make sure the other one is Strong, since Charisma is Weak. Arcane should be Wisdom and Combat Constitution.

Arcane Persona is, in a few words, REALLY DAMN POWERFUL. Access to many spell lists, metamagic Sculpt Spells... Even with limited slots, this might need to be toned down.

Combat Persona seems fine.

Divine Persona seems fine.

Stealth Persona seems fine.

Good job on making three out of four personas very well done! I just have concerns on the Arcane one.

Hybrid Tactician seems fine, but I would make it Strength saving throws since Combat Persona should have Constitution.

Mental Infiltration is worded oddly. By its wording, if you succeed, you can keep on using it without needing to rest. Is that intended?

Real-Time Reading is too powerful. For the cost of an action and one-just one-failed saving throw, advantage for a whole minute and they have disadvantage for a whole minute against you. Too powerful. It should really allow a new save every turn when you use it.

Rest of Infiltrator is good.

Seeker seems good.

Overall, needs a bit of work, but is very nice. I like it!

Nifft
2016-02-21, 07:33 PM
Arcane Persona is, in a few words, REALLY DAMN POWERFUL. Access to many spell lists, metamagic Sculpt Spells... Even with limited slots, this might need to be toned down. Unlike the Wizard and Sorcerer, these effects are more limited since the Chameleon has to spend Persona Points to activate each of them.

Also, note that unlike a Sorcerer, the Chameleon can't trade spell slots for more points.

Sculpt Spell really isn't that big a deal, it just allows you to Fireball your friends and still have friends afterwards.

You do get access to several spell lists, but only 20 such spells total. All other spells you learn must come from the Wizard list. You can only cast spells up to 5th level, too.

I don't think it's game-breaking -- but if you have a demonstration to the contrary, I'd be really interested in seeing it!


Mental Infiltration is worded oddly. By its wording, if you succeed, you can keep on using it without needing to rest. Is that intended? Nope. It lasts for one minute if you succeed, and trying to use the ability had already cost you a Persona Point. It's intended to be limited, and AFAICT by the wording it is limited. If there's a bug in the wording, could you point it out in specific?

(The wording is identical to the Knowledge Domain 6th level feature. It should be mechanically correct. If it's not, then I can fix it.)


Real-Time Reading is too powerful. For the cost of an action and one-just one-failed saving throw, advantage for a whole minute and they have disadvantage for a whole minute against you. Too powerful. It should really allow a new save every turn when you use it. Things that grant a save every turn are generally much stronger -- like, this is NOT as good as Poisoned or Stunned or Paralyzed.

Note that even those effects don't always grant an extra save every turn.

This effect should be mechanically similar to Bestow Curse, which is a 3rd level spell -- except that it's limited to only one effect, and you can't spend a higher slot to make the effect longer.

- - -

Anyway, thanks for the thoughtful review!

Cerefel
2016-10-27, 12:43 PM
Overall it's done pretty well, but my main gripe is that you can only be 4 different characters. In 3.5 you could mix and match features every day to make something new, but this one pigeonholes the player to an extent

Nifft
2016-10-27, 04:58 PM
Overall it's done pretty well, but my main gripe is that you can only be 4 different characters. In 3.5 you could mix and match features every day to make something new, but this one pigeonholes the player to an extent

In 3.5e, you can be anything you want, as long as what you want is either (Arcane casting + Divine casting) or (underpowered).

What I've tried to do is make more than one valid configuration, so people will actually feel rewarded for playing something other than the One True Chameleonfiguration™.

The other thing is: I want you to play this class more than once. Therefore, there are build choices, and you can't have everything on every character. Just like you can't be an Abjurer and an Evoker at the same time -- you have to pick one, and that choice impacts your play.

It's supposed to impact your play. You're supposed to get more fun than just one play-through.

Cheers, -N

meesken
2017-08-10, 04:11 PM
Heh, yeah, it might not be the most elegant mechanic, but I can't really see a better way to do it than the four character sheets (plus another sheet per composite persona). Open to suggestions, but the fact that your stats change based on the focus means... yeah.

Is it clear what's shared (HP, spell slots, some skills) vs. what's not shared?

- - -

One thing I'm thinking is that you might get 4 personas, but from a larger list. Anyone have ideas on what the larger list might contain, other than the core four?

I am but a mere dingus, but I was wondering if you could illuminate what is shared vs not shared. I am very very interested in playing this class on a Changeling in my friend's 5e Eberron campaign and I just had to make sure I get it all right but this post has been extremely well written.

I was also wondering if I were to choose this class, would I be rolling 5 character sheets in total? (Base Character+ 4 Personas) or is it just strictly the 4 Persona character sheets? What confuses me is simply do I have 1 set of ability scores or a set of ability scores distinct from each persona etc etc

Nifft
2017-08-11, 11:40 PM
I am but a mere dingus, but I was wondering if you could illuminate what is shared vs not shared. I am very very interested in playing this class on a Changeling in my friend's 5e Eberron campaign and I just had to make sure I get it all right but this post has been extremely well written.

I was also wondering if I were to choose this class, would I be rolling 5 character sheets in total? (Base Character+ 4 Personas) or is it just strictly the 4 Persona character sheets? What confuses me is simply do I have 1 set of ability scores or a set of ability scores distinct from each persona etc etc

Shared:
- Hitpoints
- XP
- Healing Surges-- er, Hit Dice
- Base Skills Known (including from your Background)
- Base Ability Scores (e.g. what you rolled or point-bought)

Each Persona Sheet:
- Extra Skill(s)
- Extra Proficiencies
- Additional Saving Throw Proficiency
- Persona features (e.g. which 3 Cantrips your Arcane Focus knows at level 1)
- When you get a PASI ("Persona Ability Score Improvement"), the increase is tracked separately -- this means your 4 sheets will have the same ability scores at level 1, but different ability scores at level 4.

meesken
2017-08-12, 12:54 AM
Shared:
- Hitpoints
- XP
- Healing Surges-- er, Hit Dice
- Base Skills Known (including from your Background)
- Base Ability Scores (e.g. what you rolled or point-bought)

Each Persona Sheet:
- Extra Skill(s)
- Extra Proficiencies
- Additional Saving Throw Proficiency
- Persona features (e.g. which 3 Cantrips your Arcane Focus knows at level 1)
- When you get a PASI ("Persona Ability Score Improvement"), the increase is tracked separately -- this means your 4 sheets will have the same ability scores at level 1, but different ability scores at level 4.

Much thanks my dude, much thanks. I've been doing the Personas all day and I honestly cannot wait to play this class, my god.

Nifft
2017-08-13, 05:43 PM
Much thanks my dude, much thanks. I've been doing the Personas all day and I honestly cannot wait to play this class, my god.

Glad to help.

Let me know if anything else seems unclear -- I've tried to make it easy-to-use but clearly I need to do a bit more work. :smallsmile:

Also, of course, please let me know how it plays!

idor
2018-04-17, 06:11 PM
Glad to help.

Let me know if anything else seems unclear -- I've tried to make it easy-to-use but clearly I need to do a bit more work. :smallsmile:

Also, of course, please let me know how it plays!

so i see a lot of fun with this but some harder to deal with areas too, the problem i see being the biggest is the dual focus for the first two levels of getting a dual focus, a character who plays this would get all of the benefits from two of them only if they played that combination of personas which goes against the idea of this class being the class change class, as soon as you dual it should likely be at least two combinations that way you can pair them off and include all four, i know this is hard for balancing but when i saw the chameleon class i was stunned by its full ability to change out everything but its base every day. so i do think that the combined needs work otherwise it will be very limiting to the players during especially those two levels

replicating some of the other classes was the whole goal of the chameleon

the original base five
combat
sneak
arcane
divine
nature

ones to be contemplated for adding
primal: rage and or wild shape proficiency(expertise if you already have it) for survival and knowledge nature other natural based effects as well as increased speed


the second part of the chameleon was the ability to surprise someone by pulling off skills that you normally couldn't
rage, sneak attack, turn undead so on

things i would change:

remove the dual type problem by giving them all at once, or giving a combo two where each is half, or make one your primary and make all the other attached to it (say they become so proficient in one that it is always up so all others are added on but the body has a max of two if you do this for the other combos)

after that is done

combat : love it short sweet no nonsense, only thing i could see is having the second fighting style be changeable much like the feat to give the character options to change up their fighting style during a rest, or do something along the lines of bonus action to attack a third time with a single weapon

divine : as i mentioned in the nature one potential moving wild shape to its own thing that leaves the 9th level ability here at a bit of a disadvantage i don't actually have a different idea for this ones capstone yet

stealth : i like it not sure what i would change if anything

arcane : i... actually have no comments for this one, other than this still leaves open the problem of a player changing their feat to take a spell from spell initiate to make it in a scroll to copy it into their spell book giving them more spells every time they have downtime

side note divine gets bonus spells prepared from charisma whereas arcane doesn't get it from anywhere

now to talk about armor, if switching from a heavily armored class like fighter to a spell-casting class quickly (as in the persona mastery for instance) you wouldn't be able to cast spells while the armor was on: i recommend giving the base medium armor and not having different armor per persona to do this means that the fighter class type would need some bonus to make up for that, my recommendation : grant them temp hp = level at the start of each combat this will allow them to properly tank at times

let me know what you think of my ideas but otherwise this was awesome and i hope you edit/add to it in the future