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Baron Corm
2007-06-17, 08:04 PM
The vivifont is a despicable sort of creature who makes his way through life lieing and deceiving. He attunes himself to the ambient life force - similar to how a druid gains his powers from nature - and uses it to heal himself and others. However, the vivifont takes it a step further; his healing deals Constitution damage, and heals too much, killing the creature before they know what is happening. He gains a powerful animal companion which makes him seem even more kind and gentle, but is often put to malicious use, such as killing nonliving creatures.



Vivifont

Table:

Level 1: Fountain of life
Level 2: Soothing touch
Level 3: Positive energy burst 1/day
Level 4: Bask +2, vivified +2
Level 5: Benevolence aura
Level 6: Restoring touch 1/day
Level 7: Attract companion
Level 8: Positive energy burst 2/day, bask +4, share liveliness
Level 9: Negative energy resistance
Level 10: Light fortification 25%
Level 11: Restoring touch 2/day
Level 12: Bask +6, charging touch
Level 13: Positive energy burst 3/day
Level 14: Vivified +4
Level 15: (fountain of life +8)
Level 16: Bask +8, restoring touch 3/day
Level 17: Charging touch, light fortification 50%
Level 18: Positive energy burst 4/day
Level 19: Craft Wonderous Item
Level 20: Purity, bask +10

Hit Die: d4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Base Attack Bonus: 1/2
Base Saves: High Fortitude, Low Reflex, High Will
Class Skills: Concentration, Decipher Script, Disguise, Handle Animal, Ride, Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes), Spellcraft, Bluff, Sense Motive, Diplomacy


Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

Vivifonts are proficient with all simple weapons.

Spells

The vivifont casts divine spells, which are drawn from the vivifont spell list (see below). He knows all spells of a given spell level, and can cast spells spontaneously. His save DCs are based off of Wisdom, and his spells per day are based off of Constitution. He gains spells per day as a bard.

Fountain of Life (Su)

A vivifont constantly has fast healing 1. At every odd level after first this increases by 1.

Soothing Touch (Su)

At second level, the vivifont gains the ability to bestow his abundant life energy upon another creature (not himself) with a touch, healing it for 1d8 hit points, +1 per level. At levels 4, 6, 8, and 10, this increases by 1d8. At level 12, this heals 10 damage/level instead of the previous amounts. When used on an undead creature, this deals an equal amount of damage. If the amount healed is greater than the creature's hit points, it is gained as temporary hit points. An unwilling creature can attempt a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 level + Wisdom modifier) to reduce the healing or damage by half.

A vivifont deals 1 point of Constitution damage with his soothing touch regardless of level. A Fortitude save at the same DC negates this damage, which can be made independently of the save for half damage, but a creature may attempt both.

If a creature has temporary hit points greater than its normal hit points, it must make a DC 20 Fortitude save every round or explode in a burst of positive energy. This DC increases by 1 for every 5 temporary hit points in excess it has. For example, if Jafar the sorceror had 7 hit points and 12 temporary hit points, he would need to make a DC 21 save every round. A creature who needs to make these saves is in unspeakable pain - he takes a -4 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks, and ability checks, has his movement speeds halved, and must make a DC 20 Concentration check to cast a spell until he no longer has to make these saves.

The vivifont may use this abilty at will, but not more than once per round. In any round in which this ability is used, the vivifont does not heal from the Fountain of Life ability.

Positive Energy Burst (Su)

At third level, the vivifont gains the ability to expel enormous amounts of life energy from his body at once, dealing 1 Constitution damage per 4 levels to all creatures within 5 feet of him (not including himself) and healing them for 1d4 damage per level. If the amount healed is more than the creature's maximum hit points, it is gained as temporary hit points. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 level + Wis mod) halves the damage and the healing. Undead creatures damaged by this attack take 1d4 points of positive energy damage per level (same save). A vivifont can use this ability once per day, plus an additional time per day for every 5 levels after 3rd.

In any round in which this ability is used, the vivifont does not heal from the Fountain of Life ability.

Bask

At fourth level, constant contact with life-giving energies grants the vivifont a +2 permanent bonus to Constitution. This increases by +2 every four levels after fourth.

Vivified

At 4th level, a vivifont also gains a +2 bonus to Strength and Dexterity. This bonus increases to +4 at 14th level.

Benevolence Aura (Su)

Beginning at 5th level, the vivifont radiates an aura of benevolence that makes all living creatures one step friendlier to him upon meeting him. This only functions if the creatures come within 5 feet of him. At level 20, the radius is changed to 60 feet.

Restoring Touch (Su)

Starting at 6th level, the vivifont can cure sickness, purge poison, and erase negative levels with his soothing touch. Activating this ability is a free action which can be used as part of a soothing touch. It is usable once per day at 6th level, twice per day at 11th level, and three times per day at 16th level. Beginning at level 12, this cures anything listed under the heal spell, and also removes negative levels. Thus, when used with a soothing touch, the soothing touch does not deal Constitution damage.

Attract Companion

At 7th level or any time after, the vivifont can gain an animal companion which is attracted to him by his radiant life force. He may choose any animal from the druid animal companion list up to 7th level with no penalty to the abilities it gets. He may later on choose one from a higher level list, but reduces the penalty by 6; at 16th level, he could get a dire tiger with a -9 penalty on its level for determining special abilities. This ability otherwise functions just as the druid's.

If the vivifont chooses an animal companion on the 4th level list, it instantly receives +2 HD and natural armor, 1 bonus trick, and a +1 bonus to Strength and Dexterity. If the vivifont chooses an animal companion on the normal list, it instantly receives +4 HD and natural armor, 2 bonus tricks, and a +2 bonus to Strength and Dexterity.

Share Liveliness

Starting at 8th level, the vivifont's animal companion receives the normal bonus to Strength and Dexterity to Constitution as well.

Negative Energy Resistance

At 9th level, a vivifont gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made to resist negative energy effects, including energy drain, some ability drain, and inflict spells.

Light Fortification

At 10th level, a vivifont gains 25% fortification. At 17th level this increases to 50% fortification.

Charging Touch (Su)

When a vivifont reaches 12th level, he gains the ability to bestow positive levels when he uses his soothing touch ability. Each day, he can bestow a number of positive levels equal to half his class level, but no more than two positive levels with a single use of the ability. If a creature has more than its Constitution modifier in positive levels, it must make a DC 20 Fortitude save every round or explode in a burst of positive energy. This DC increases by 1 for every positive level above its Constitution modifier.

Beginning at 17th level, the number of positive levels the vivifont can bestow each day increases to equal his class level.

Craft Wonderous Item

At 19th level, the vivifont receives Craft Wonderous Item as a bonus feat. This helps him prepare the mojo required to become a radiant.

Purity

At 20th level, the vivifont becomes a radiant. He becomes immune to negative energy damage and effects, critical hits, mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, and no longer needs to breathe, eat, or sleep. He no longer ages, and any physical penalties from aging disappear, though bonuses still accrue. Though he retains his form and personality, beneath his skin is only a nimbus of positive energy. Creatures adjacent to the vivifont when he is damaged are healed for damage equal to his fast healing amount (undead are damaged).

All of the vivifont's class features (except for his spellcasting) become (Ex) instead of (Su). The vivifont's type changes to Outsider. On being reduced to 0 hit points, he is immediately destroyed, and he cannot be ressurected in any way other than revive outsider. The vivifont receives a +8 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Bluff, and Spot checks


Ex-Vivifonts

A vivifont who is or becomes able to be damaged by positive energy and/or healed by negative energy loses all class features, though can still advance in the vivifont class. A vivifont's class features are all unspeakably painful - using them makes one evil if he wasn't before.


Spell List

Level 0 - resistance, detect poison, detect magic, read magic, dancing lights, flare, light, mending

Level 1 - protection from good, unseen servant, detect undead, charm person, disguise self, magic aura, silent image, ventriloquism, jump, enlarge person, longstrider, speak with animals, magic fang, deathwatch, obscuring mist, sanctuary

Level 2 - continual flame, minor image, bear's endurance, bull's strength, cat's grace, eagle's splendor, fox's cunning, owl's wisdom, pyrotechnics, animal messenger, make whole, shield other, status, undetectable alignment

Level 3 - magic circle against good, nondetection, daylight, major image, gentle repose, halt undead, haste, water breathing, suggestion, greater magic fang, plant growth, obscure object

Level 4 - remove curse, charm monster, mass enlarge person, raise dead, regenerate

Level 5 - break enchantment, false vision, persistent image, seeming, animal growth, commune with nature, death ward, animate objects, ressurection

Level 6 - repulsion, mass suggestion, veil, permanent image, programmed image, mass bear's endurance, mass bull's strength, mass cat's grace, mass eagle's splendor, mass fox's cunning, mass owl's wisdom, true ressurection


Radiant Template

A radiant is not quite the opposite of a lich, but is in fact similar. A creature who becomes a radiant replaces his soul with positive energy instead of negative energy. The positive energy negates the need for him to breathe, eat, sleep, or have any internal organs at all, though the creature can still think and retains his ability scores. The method for becoming a radiant is just as evil as the one for becoming a lich. He must make a phylactery, called a mojo, in which he puts his true soul. His mojo functions just as a lich's phylactery does. Contrary to a lich, a radiant appears just as he did before becoming a radiant. Only his spirit and his insides have changed. Radiants often use this to take advantage of those who do not realize their evil and are awed by their positive energy powers.


Size and Type

The creature’s type changes to outsider. Do not recalculate base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. Size is unchanged.

Hit Dice

Hit dice remain unchanged.

Armor Class

Use the creature's natural armor bonus.

Attack

A radiant as a touch attack that it can use once per round. If the base creature can use weapons, the radiant retains this ability. A creature with natural weapons retains those natural weapons. A radiant fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack or its primary natural weapon (if it has any). A radiant armed with a weapon uses its touch or a weapon, as it desires.

Full Attack

A radiant fighting without weapons uses either its touch attack (see above) or its natural weapons (if it has any). If armed with a weapon, it usually uses the weapon as its primary attack along with a touch as a natural secondary attack, provided it has a way to make that attack (either a free hand or a natural weapon that it can use as a secondary attack).

Damage

A radiant's touch attack deals 10 positive energy damage per hit dice of the radiant. This heals living creatures and damages undead creatures. Unwilling creatures can make a Will save to halve the damage. It also deals 1 point of Constitution damage, which the Will save negates.

Special Attacks

A radiant retains all the base creature’s special attacks and gains those described below.

Benevolence Aura (Ex)

A radiant radiates an aura of benevolence that makes all living creatures one step friendlier to him upon meeting him. This only functions if the creatures come within 60 feet of him.

Special Qualities

A radiant retains all the base creature’s special qualities and gains those described below.

Fast Healing (Ex)

A radiant has fast healing 10.

Posicorpse (Ex)

Creatures adjacent to the radiant when he is damaged are healed for 10 damage (undead are damaged).

Immunities

Radiants are immune to negative energy damage and effects, critical hits, mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, and no longer need to breathe, eat, or sleep. They no longer age, and any physical penalties from aging disappear, though bonuses still accrue.

Abilities

Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +4, Con +10.

Skills

Radiants have a +8 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Bluff, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.

Challenge Rating

Same as base creature +3

Alignment

Any evil.

Level Adjustment

Same as the base creature +5

Mr. Moogle
2007-06-17, 08:15 PM
How the **** could this class be evil? its a welspring of healing goodness, and the Radiant? You have to be evil to be an uber-undead-killing machine. It just dose not make sense.
Also the class is OverPowered to the MAX. Fast healing at level 1 ? its way to dipworthy. I can understand how overchanneling positive energy could be painfull but it wouldnt make you instantly evil.

D Knight
2007-06-17, 09:33 PM
i have to agree with Mr. moogle on this. it is way to overpowering even if you took a level or two its still is overpowered. but i like the flavor because you are the healer and a fight rolled into one. my suggestion is to give more space between fast healing and pluse to Con also take away Fortification or water it down alot. there is 1 thing i do not get is that by healing someone ,which is a good act, trun you pure evil there is no way that would ever happen not ever in lv 9 of the abyss.

JackMage666
2007-06-17, 10:34 PM
I'll start by saying - Make a table, it's easier to read!


...but is often put to malicious use, such as killing nonliving creatures.
Sorry, this is a nit-pick... But how is that malicious? Or possible.


Spells

The vivifont casts divine spells, which are drawn from the vivifont spell list (see below). He knows all spells of a given spell level, and can cast spells spontaneously. His save DCs are based off of Wisdom, and his spells per day are based off of Constitution. He gains spells per day as a bard.
With the spell list, it's not inherently bad. Needs the cure or inflict spells, though, if you want it be flufftastically acurate.


Fountain of Life (Su)

A vivifont constantly has fast healing 1. At every odd level after first this increases by 1.
No. Just no. Too powerful, especially for first level. They heal automatically to full in between any battle, and it's too strong. Period.


Soothing Touch (Su)

Lalala, stuff...
No. They can kill bit a DC 20 save at 2nd level. At will, no less. Imagine a Warlock with a least invocation that emulates Finger of Death. That's kinda what you have here.

At very least, increase the cap on Temporary damage todouble regular HP. That way, someone doesn't die for being 1 HP over normal.

In addition, the damage/healing scales too greatly. If anything, it should be 1d8 at 2nd level, +1d8 at 5th level, and every five levels therafter. 5d8 at 20th level. Not 200 at 20th level. Heal/Harm at will at 20th level screams too powerful.


Positive Energy Burst (Su)

Stuffy stuff Mcstuff...
Don't increase Con damage with levels. Keep it with one (same as the Soothing Touch). They lose HP due to reduced Con already, no sense in quickening the death.


Bask

At fourth level, constant contact with life-giving energies grants the vivifont a +2 permanent bonus to Constitution. This increases by +2 every four levels after fourth.
This is too powerful. +10 unamed bonus to Con, permanent, is not something that should be gained by any class.


Vivified

At 4th level, a vivifont also gains a +2 bonus to Strength and Dexterity. This bonus increases to +4 at 14th level.
See above, and still too powerful.


Restoring Touch (Su)

Starting at 6th level, the vivifont can cure sickness, purge poison, and erase negative levels with his soothing touch. Activating this ability is a free action which can be used as part of a soothing touch. It is usable once per day at 6th level, twice per day at 11th level, and three times per day at 16th level. Beginning at level 12, this cures anything listed under the heal spell, and also removes negative levels. Thus, when used with a soothing touch, the soothing touch does not deal Constitution damage.
This... Actually doesn't look all that bad. Comparitively.


Attract Companion

At 7th level or any time after, the vivifont can gain an animal companion which is attracted to him by his radiant life force. He may choose any animal from the druid animal companion list up to 7th level with no penalty to the abilities it gets. He may later on choose one from a higher level list, but reduces the penalty by 6; at 16th level, he could get a dire tiger with a -9 penalty on its level for determining special abilities. This ability otherwise functions just as the druid's.

If the vivifont chooses an animal companion on the 4th level list, it instantly receives +2 HD and natural armor, 1 bonus trick, and a +1 bonus to Strength and Dexterity. If the vivifont chooses an animal companion on the normal list, it instantly receives +4 HD and natural armor, 2 bonus tricks, and a +2 bonus to Strength and Dexterity.

Share Liveliness

Starting at 8th level, the vivifont's animal companion receives the normal bonus to Strength and Dexterity to Constitution as well.
No. It overpowers the Druid here, and that's no good. That's your first sign something's wrong.


Negative Energy Resistance

At 9th level, a vivifont gains a +4 bonus on saving throws made to resist negative energy effects, including energy drain, some ability drain, and inflict spells.

Light Fortification

At 10th level, a vivifont gains 25% fortification. At 17th level this increases to 50% fortification.
Dread Necro gets it. This isn't bad.


Charging Touch (Su)

When a vivifont reaches 12th level, he gains the ability to bestow positive levels when he uses his soothing touch ability. Each day, he can bestow a number of positive levels equal to half his class level, but no more than two positive levels with a single use of the ability. If a creature has more than its Constitution modifier in positive levels, it must make a DC 20 Fortitude save every round or explode in a burst of positive energy. This DC increases by 1 for every positive level above its Constitution modifier.

Beginning at 17th level, the number of positive levels the vivifont can bestow each day increases to equal his class level.
Not only is it too powerful for the evil Vivifont, it boosts the Good Vivfont's allies unmercilessly! Too potent.

Craft Wonderous Item


At 19th level, the vivifont receives Craft Wonderous Item as a bonus feat. This helps him prepare the mojo required to become a radiant.

Purity

At 20th level, the vivifont becomes a radiant. He becomes immune to negative energy damage and effects, critical hits, mind-affecting effects, poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, and no longer needs to breathe, eat, or sleep. He no longer ages, and any physical penalties from aging disappear, though bonuses still accrue. Though he retains his form and personality, beneath his skin is only a nimbus of positive energy. Creatures adjacent to the vivifont when he is damaged are healed for damage equal to his fast healing amount (undead are damaged).

All of the vivifont's class features (except for his spellcasting) become (Ex) instead of (Su). The vivifont's type changes to Outsider. On being reduced to 0 hit points, he is immediately destroyed, and he cannot be ressurected in any way other than revive outsider. The vivifont receives a +8 racial bonus on Diplomacy, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Bluff, and Spot checks
Kinda Dread Necro'est, again, so nothing really wrong.


Template
So, you could either take the +5 LA, or go through all the levels in the class... Either way, the +5 LA is too low.


The class is about as overpowered as you can get. Seriously.
The Death Attack at level 2 gave that away perfectly.

Baron Corm
2007-06-18, 12:02 AM
how is that malicious?

its strange how this killing game desensitizes you to these things, but i consider killing to be malicious. the class in general is considered evil because they fool people into thinking they are healing them and then kill them in an extremely painful manner.



With the spell list, it's not inherently bad. Needs the cure or inflict spells, though, if you want it be flufftastically acurate.

his soothing touch emulates the cure spells at one level later than the cleric gets them (unless i got it wrong)


No. Just no. Too powerful, especially for first level. They heal automatically to full in between any battle, and it's too strong. Period.

based off of dread necromancer. he has the same thing. take tomb-tainted soul and heal yourself at will...



At very least, increase the cap on Temporary damage todouble regular HP. That way, someone doesn't die for being 1 HP over normal.

if you read the example, that is exactly how it works. so you have the same exact requirements to kill a creature as dealing damage.


In addition, the damage/healing scales too greatly. If anything, it should be 1d8 at 2nd level, +1d8 at 5th level, and every five levels therafter. 5d8 at 20th level. Not 200 at 20th level. Heal/Harm at will at 20th level screams too powerful.

these emulate the cure spells at a level later than a cleric gets them (if i did it right). a cleric can cast heal many times per day, so is it so bad to have a class which can do something better than a cleric as its main class feature? the vivifont doesn't even get mass heal. how does that "scream" too powerful?



Don't increase Con damage with levels. Keep it with one (same as the Soothing Touch). They lose HP due to reduced Con already, no sense in quickening the death.

:(

classes get abilities which help them to kill monsters...



This is too powerful. +10 unamed bonus to Con, permanent, is not something that should be gained by any class.

i'm not sure i agree with that... if a rogue got +10 to dex or a wizard got +10 to int i would say that's overpowered, but Con just keeps you alive, and has no game effects until you die... if that makes sense? it just seems like no real big deal to me. if you all agree i could lower it to +1 at each of those levels for a total of +5. this replaces, by the way, the damage reduction 8/bludgeoning and magic of the dread necromancer, which potentially could save him many more hit points over time.



See above, and still too powerful.

+4 to strength and dex is too powerful?? that's like nothing, it's mostly just flavor. this guy has 1/2 BaB, he's not going to be using either of those really. also see dragon disciple and similar classes.



No. It overpowers the Druid here, and that's no good. That's your first sign something's wrong.

i guess you're referring to CoD being overpowered. but i'm modelling this after the dread necromancer who gets a familiar which is more powerful than the wizard's. without this feature the vivifont has nothing he can do against constructs and maybe some other stuff. maybe i should just make it like a regular animal companion?


Not only is it too powerful for the evil Vivifont, it boosts the Good Vivfont's allies unmercilessly! Too potent.

dread necromancer gets it. if he has undead allies it does the same thing. so there can not possibly be any issue here at all.


So, you could either take the +5 LA, or go through all the levels in the class... Either way, the +5 LA is too low.

once again, modelled after dread necro. but i have no idea what the LA should be since this type of thing has never been done before.


The class is about as overpowered as you can get. Seriously.

overreacting a liiiitle bit :smalltongue:

Poppatomus
2007-06-18, 12:30 AM
its strange how this killing game desensitizes you to these things, but i consider killing to be malicious. the class in general is considered evil because they fool people into thinking they are healing them and then kill them in an extremely painful manner.



I haven't really reviewed it closely enough to comment on the rest of it, but I believe the statement you are responding to here was referring to the fact that you say:

" but [the vivifont's power] is often put to malicious use, such as killing nonliving creatures."

He was making light of the odd phrasing of killing a non-living creature, which seems impossible, and certainly not malicious. Even if you meant non-living to mean undead, since undead are almost always evil it makes such an action seem the opposite of malicious.

Great name for the class by the way.

JackMage666
2007-06-18, 01:06 AM
its strange how this killing game desensitizes you to these things, but i consider killing to be malicious. the class in general is considered evil because they fool people into thinking they are healing them and then kill them in an extremely painful manner.
I'll quote it again, so you can see the typo.

...but is often put to malicious use, such as killing nonliving creatures.
You can't kill a nonliving creature. Unless they're undead, and then it's hardly considered malicious. Told ya, it was nitpicking.
Totally ninja'd here. He actually almost copied me word for word, too!


his soothing touch emulates the cure spells at one level later than the cleric gets them (unless i got it wrong)
True, but he also gets Ressurection and True Ressurection as low level spells (Archivists would love this), so it makes sense he'd get Cure spells too.


based off of dread necromancer. he has the same thing. take tomb-tainted soul and heal yourself at will...
Fast Healing is quite unlike the Tomb-Tainted Soul/Dread Necromancer Thing. They have to take a Standard Action to heal themselves 1 point, Fast Healing is automatic. The Dread Necromancer can't do it nearly as easily in combat. Also, it doesn't increase every other level (I could be wrong here, as I don't have the book on hand.)


if you read the example, that is exactly how it works. so you have the same exact requirements to kill a creature as dealing damage.
My mistake, I read that wrong. I'll touch back on this later.


these emulate the cure spells at a level later than a cleric gets them (if i did it right). a cleric can cast heal many times per day, so is it so bad to have a class which can do something better than a cleric as its main class feature? the vivifont doesn't even get mass heal. how does that "scream" too powerful?
The problem is not that it can do them, it's that it can do them at will. That means that, while a Cleric 20 has to give up other spells to cast Heal, he can do, let's say 24 times total in a day (but doesn't get ANY other 6th-9th level spells). The Vivifont 20 can do this in Less than 3 minutes. Doubles it in 5. And still has all it's spells per day. You do more damage than most martial classes (I know, not say all that much), and hit more often due to it being a Touch attack rather than a Melee Attack. The DC's high (higher than a spell of equivilant level), and can either heal or damage, depending on the subjects current HP. As well, each touch is considered a Wounding Attack, decreasing Con every hit, too. The free wounding itself makes this really powerful (imagine if a Fighter did 1 Con damage with every hit as well)


:(

classes get abilities which help them to kill monsters...
You already get that with the Temporary HP bit. The Con damage only makes it more powerful than it already is.


i'm not sure i agree with that... if a rogue got +10 to dex or a wizard got +10 to int i would say that's overpowered, but Con just keeps you alive, and has no game effects until you die... if that makes sense? it just seems like no real big deal to me. if you all agree i could lower it to +1 at each of those levels for a total of +5. this replaces, by the way, the damage reduction 8/bludgeoning and magic of the dread necromancer, which potentially could save him many more hit points over time.
By 20th level, you'll gain up to 100 HP, as well as +5 on Fort Saves, Concentrate Checks, several checks that increase survivability (holding breath, ect.).
Also, if you notice, you have to give up things to gein those ability increases. A Dragon Devotee loses spellcasting progression. A War Hulk loses BAB and the ability to use ranks in any mental skills. The Con increase here comes at no cost.


+4 to strength and dex is too powerful?? that's like nothing, it's mostly just flavor. this guy has 1/2 BaB, he's not going to be using either of those really. also see dragon disciple and similar classes.
That's +2 Attack and Damage, +2 AC, +2 to alot of skill checks, +2 to break down doors, +2 initiative, and so on. Also, +2 to hit with your already potent touch attack.


i guess you're referring to CoD being overpowered. but i'm modelling this after the dread necromancer who gets a familiar which is more powerful than the wizard's. without this feature the vivifont has nothing he can do against constructs and maybe some other stuff. maybe i should just make it like a regular animal companion?
The stories of a Familiar being useful in battle are much fewer than the Animal Companion taking over the Fighter's role. You're giving an animal companion with greater combat abilities than a martial character of your ECL.
Also, familiars make you lose EXP if it dies. Animal Companions make you pray for 24 hours.
Animal Companions already are far better than Familiars.
Maybe it's alright if this guy has a weakness, though. I mean, Wizards are useless in an Antimagic Zone. Cleric can't do anything without a Holy Symbol. Rogues can't sneak attack a number of enemies. Beguilers have similar issues as the Vivifont with constructs and undead. Weaknesses sometimes help balance a class.


dread necromancer gets it. if he has undead allies it does the same thing. so there can not possibly be any issue here at all.
Undead allies are far rarer than living allies. Even in an Evil party, chances are they're still alive. Most undead allies are mindless, and I fear them far less than the Barbarian friend with Six Positive Levels. There's a bid difference between a class feature most friendly with Undead, and a class feature most friendly with practically every other monster type.


once again, modelled after dread necro. but i have no idea what the LA should be since this type of thing has never been done before.
Dread Necros get a number of things that a plain Lich doesn't. Rebuke Undead, 9th level spells, don't have to pay for philactery, ect.. The Vivifont gets up to 6th level spells, and the animal companion, but that's it (I may be wrong, but that's about all I see).


overreacting a liiiitle bit
Possibly, but unlikely.

I keep imagining a 20th level Vivifont with leadership, and a Co-hort with a high Fort save and the Steadfast Determination feat. They basically go around and slaughter everything, the co-hort a ni-invincible tank because he hardly ever would fail a fort save, and the Vivifont always keeps him above Temporary HP limit just barely. Not to mention, he as the Soulmeld that relieves 1 point of ability damage. If he dies, or is killed in some way (difficult feat at that), the Vivifont just casts True Ressurection later. Back to pointless slaughter!

Baron Corm
2007-06-18, 05:02 PM
alright haha i tried... this is maybe the third time i tried to make a class which heals damage to kill dudes instead of dealing it, but the consensus always seems to say it's overpowered. now that i think about it, it wouldn't mesh well with a party which deals damage in the other direction anyway, and the fact that it can heal its companions with this damage just makes it twice as effective as a normal character... gg reality

firepup
2007-06-18, 09:07 PM
it seems really overpowered. I might wanna make any person roll a fort roll to see if they explode from excessive positive energy being channeled each level to balance it out and remove the con gain. He still is overpowered up until the point that he fails his roll to not explode... I might mutilate this for my own campaigns.