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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Trapsmith w/ arcane and soulmeld



Alyka
2015-10-12, 08:57 PM
Proposal to give variant options in order to make a character that can set combat traps that trigger both mundane and magic hazards. My point is to avoid taking and upkeeping caster levels while buffing this trap mechanism to compete around upper T3. Here I allow the rogue to use UMD to trigger scrolls/wands remotely with physical traps. I also play around with buffing these through incarnum. Please criticize for balance and fun worthiness.

Rogue changes: Removed +xd6 sneak attack and replaced with Arcane Trapsmith x/day where Arcane Trapsmith allows the rogue to incorporate a scroll into a mechanical trap with max spell level 1 per 4 ranks of UMD and a max caster level of 1+1/2 HD from Rogue/ironsoul. The per day limit applies to setting the trap. This way I don't need to try to keep up with spell levels or otherwise devote myself to full caster for relevance. Also it means that multiclassing will be difficult to keep ranks up since umd is rare and generally other classes can't come close to the rogue for skill hoarding. For example at level 1 if I make a trap that sprays a poison when triggered by touch, it could also deliver shocking grasp of 1d6 when triggered. or at level 4 it would be 3d6 electric damage.

Ironsoul Forgemaster (MoI 126) changes:Shield bond replaced with Trap bond (can invest essentia into traps, first point is +1DC vs search and disable, 2nd point is +1 caster level to spell effect, alternating). Armor bond and weapon bond replaced with +1 essentia capacity for traps each. Secrets of the forge replace with +1/day Arcane Trapsmith since it's a pretty op feature and would synergize really well as wonderous items but I didn't feel good about it. Added +1/day arcane trapsmith at 7th so progression isn't overly halted and removing secrets warrants it. Forge lore altered for craft trap rather than weapon and armor obviously.

Thoughts: I think that the incarnate class feature for detect opposition should allow for visual trigger based on alignment. Binding a trap to a chakra would give the traps target a debuff similar to the suggested buffs when successfullly hit by any aspect of the trap and add the possibility of remote detonation by unbinding. This makes chains of traps particularly potent. For example at 15th I could make a blade trap with wall of fire (CL8) and improve it with 5 essentia for a CL of 8 on wall of fire, and bind it to my waist chakra to give the target -2 Fortitude vs injury poison til I unbind it. Of course I'd shape the wall to funnel them into a poison tipped spear trap or use feats to open my feet chakra for -2 ref to evocation.

Balance: This class doesn't seem too powerful to me in that its spells are usually far behind and incarnum effects aren't very powerful especially compared to magic items. Using incarnum can certainly eat feats. The class has no bonus to normal combat beyond moderate bab. I do think that the burst of spell and mechanical trap would be plenty of trade off even if only a few times each day. Traps also open up actions in combat to do what little the character can by normal means like wands and bows. I wrote this assuming rogue4/incarnate1/ironsoul forgemaster 10/ then more rogue and incarnate2nd for crown, but it could probably work fine with just altered rogue. Hopefully the incarnum works out to prevent OPness and keep tactics active. I didn't want spell scaling to be too easy without it.

Does this sound fun and reasonably balanced to you?