A Simpler World [Suggestions Requested]

[Ruethgar]

I tend to use my system mastery to find just the right fit for character concepts, but I fully realize that (especially on these forms) others may use it to abuse the rules and furthermore, new players often find the wealth of material intimidating. My inquiry to the playground is how few allowed materials would be able to cover most any character concept while removing as many of the overempowered aspects of the game as able?

So far I'm thinking E6 with Spheres of Power(spell replacement) and Tome of Battle. But the real kicker in maintaining versatility with fewer sources is the issue of races. I could use a generic life shaped creature to cover any form, however only small ones are near balanced, smaller and larger get far too many stat boosts and they all get horrid mentals.

[Ruethgar]

One bump and alternate suggestion from an old thread of mine. What if one still allowed all sources(Sans things like Lesser Fey'Ri, Awakened Animals, and Half- Minotaur), but only allowed a short list of archetypes tied to the Generic Classed(minus spellcasting of course). I originally made them as Prestige Races, but rolling them into their own classes wouldn't be too much trouble. I can still see the priest being too powerful because of the support for spells available, but what does the playground think of the balance of the others against one another?

Disciple:Expert
Requirement: Two Weapon Fighting

1000xp: Sound of Body

Superior Unarmed Strike: You gain the feat Superior Unarmed Strike
Improved Unarmed Strike: You gain the feat Improved Unarmed Strike

1000xp: Sound of Mind

Wrathful Healing(Su): You heal 50% of your unarmed damage done.
Martial Spirit Stance(Su): Your successful melee attacks heal one friendly target within 30ft for 2HP.
Pious Tithe(Su): Your Wis bonus in targets receive 50% of the healing you would have received.


Set Bonus: Healing Aura(Su): You heal 1 HP/round to all creatures within a 30ft radius with concentration.

Magician:Commoner
Requirement: Magical Training

1000xp: Arcane Blaze

Magic Charge: You have a mana pool equal to your level plus charisma bonus that regenerates one every 1d4 rounds.
Detect Magic(Sp): You can expend one mana to cast detect magic, caster level equal to your current mana.
Spellfire Wielder: You gain the effects of the Spelfire Wielder feat. You may use your mana to power it.

1000xp: Dancing Fire

Dancing Lights(Sp): You can expend one mana per round to cast or sustain Dancing Lights that cause one 1d4 per two levels line of spellfire along the path of its 100ft movement, reflex for half(DC 10+1/2 Character Level + Charisma). A target can only be hit once per round by dancing lights.


Set Bonus: Prestidigitation: You can generate the effect of a prestidigitation spell at will.

Acrobat:Expert
Requirement: Athletic

1000xp: Movement Mastery

Energy: You have a pool of energy equal to your character level plus Constitution modifier that you can expend on various effects as free actions. All costs doubled per encumbrance or armor level above light. You may regenerate one point as a move action and may gain Psionic Focus as though this pool were power points.
Freerunner: You gain the Freerunner feat. You may use each of your movement skill tricks more than once per encounter at the cost of one energy per use.
Extraordinary Agility: You gain the feats Unarmored Defense(Beginner), Psionic Charge, Up the Walls, and Speed of Thought.

1000xp: Mobile Striker

Double Jump(Ex): You may manifest Wild Leap at the expense of one energy.
Skirmish(Ex): You may expend one energy to gain Skirmish as a Scout of your half your level for 1d4+Dex rounds.
Pounce(Ex): You may expend one energy to gain the Pounce ability for one round.

Set Bonus: You gain 2*Int skill points that you can assign to any physical skills or Skill Tricks(Dex, Str, or Con) as a free action. You may reset these points after 8hr rest.

Savage:Warrior
Requirement: Power Attack

1000xp: Savage Strikes

Primordial Giant: You gain the Jotunbrud feat.
Supreme Cleave: You gain Cleave and Great Cleave but may move 5ft between attacks at the cost of 10ft of your movement speed for the round.
Wolf and Lion: You gain the Improved Trip feat and the Pounce ability.

1000xp: Brutal Offense

Reckless Offense: You gain the Reckless Offense feat.
Bash: You gain the Knockdown and Knockback feats.
Rage: You may Rage as a Cleric of Passion of your level.
Intimidating Presence: In Light armor or less, you add one fourth of your ranks in Intimidate to your AC.


Set Bonus: Intimidate is always a class skill and you may use the Never Outnumbered Skill Trick(if you have it) once more per encounter for every six character levels.

Guardian:Warrior
Requirement: Combat Reflexes

1000xp: Stalwart Stance

Superior Toughness: You gain Steely Resolve 5 and the Stone Power feat.
Parry: You gain the Parry, Expert Parry, and Improved Parry Feats
Combat Expertise: You gain the Combat Expertise feat.

1000xp: Selfless Defense

Protective: You gain the Protective Parry and Allied Defense feats.
Iron Guard's Glare: Opponents you threaten take -4 to hit allies.
Shield Other(Ex): You can cast Shield Other at will active on one adjacent ally at a time.


Set Bonus: You gain all, non-exotic, armor proficiencies and increase the maximum Dex and decrease the armor check penalty by 1 per five levels(min 0).

Militia:Warrior
Requirement: Martial Study(Chosen Discipline)

1000xp: Way of the One Sword

Adaptive Style: You gain the feat Adaptive style to refresh your maneuvers as a full round action.
Martial Training: Pick one discipline. You gain two level one maneuvers known and readied from that discipline. You gain an additional known and readied maneuver every five levels as appropriate to your initiator level.

1000xp: Imposing Presence

Martial Stance: You gain one level one stance known from your chosen discipline. You gain a second stance at level 10 and a third at level 20.
Marshal Aura: You gain one major Marshal aura at a +1 bonus +1 per ten levels.

Set Bonus: +1 bonus to attack with any discipline weapon.

Thief:Expert
Requirement: Stealthy

1000xp: Hidden Blade

Automatic Stealth: You are always treated as if you had taken 5 on Hide and Move Silently. You can supersede this with the proper actions and rolls as you desire.
Sneak Attack: You gain sneak attack of a rogue half your level.
Guile: You gain the Improved Feint feat. You treat opponents as one step nearer humanoid for the purposes of feint.

1000xp: Hidden Hand

Disguise on the Run: You may disguise yourself as a standard action at a -10 penalty. You may spend additional consecutive standard actions for a +1 bonus to the initial check each up to a net +0 from this ability.
Pick Pocket: You may treat objects as a size category smaller for the Slight of Hand skill.
Shadows: You gain Hide in Plain Sight as a 13th level Ranger and may Feint to become unobserved.

Set Bonus: Hide and Bluff are always class skills and you gain a +1 competence bonus to both per three character levels.

Archer:Warrior
Requirement: Point Blank Shot

1000xp: Eyes of the Hunter

Eagle Eye: Spot is always a class skill. You gain a competence bonus to Spot checks equal to one half of your level(rounded up).
Precise Shot: You gain the precise shot feat.
Fast Aim: You may make a Spot check(DC=target's AC+2) as a swift action to get +2 insight bonus on ranged attacks against one target for your level in rounds. This bonus can only apply to one target at a time.
Woodland Archer: You gain the Woodland Archer feat.

1000xp: Trueflight Arrows

Adjustable Strength: You can add or adjust the Mighty Composite quality on any bow by using Craft(Fletcher) DC 20 to craft the cost of the difference(100*the Strength bonus).
Power Shot: You may choose to subtract up to your base attack bonus from all ranged attack rolls and add it to all ranged damage rolls. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.

Set Bonus: You gain either Martial or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat for one bow of your choice.

Psychic:Expert
Requirement: Spell Hand

1000xp: Psychic Power

Mental Drain: The casting of any of the Psychic's abilities causes fatigue. This is upgraded to exhaustion on the second cast and finally deals 1+1/5 levels non-lethal damage to the Psychic on subsequent casts.
Minor Telekinesis(Ps): You may now cast Unseen Servant and Mage Hand at will with a caster level equal to your character level and concentrate on Mage Hand as a swift action.
Psychic Perception(Ps): You gain Detect Thoughts at will(DC 10+1/2 Character Level +Wisdom)

1000xp: Enlightenment

Precognition(Su): You are never flat footed and cannot be flanked. You gain an insight bonus to attacks and armor class equal to your wisdom modifier.
Telekinesis(Ps): You may cast Telekinesis at will with a caster level of half your character level.

Set Bonus: You gain a +1 insight bonus per three levels to Wis modifier number of skills. You may alter your skill choice after 8hr rest.

Cultist:Commoner
Requirement: Tomb Tainted Soul

1000xp: Grave Robber

Skeletal Minion: You gain a Skeletal Minion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#necromancerVariants) using your character level instead of class level.
Graveborn Expert: Your skeletal minion acts as though the Graveborn Expert feat were applied in creation.DM 312 p38
Graveborn Warrior: Your skeletal minion acts as though the Graveborn Warrior feat were applied in creation.DM 312 p38
Desecrated Hands: Your skeletal minion is treated as though they were raised in a Desecrated temple.
Enduring Life: You gain the Enduring Life feat.

1000xp: For the Horde

Enhanced Undead: You gain the Enhanced Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#necromancerVariants) ability.
Undead Followers: You may command or bolster undead 3+Cha times per day as an evil cleric of half your level.
Lasting Life: You gain the Lasting Life feat.

Set Bonus: You gain the knowledge of how to create necropolitians and have access to a Whispering Way spell pool if you have spellcasting ability.

Commander:Expert
Requirement: Powerful Voice

1000xp: Voice of Command

Superior Command: You may Aid Other from 60ft away and gain the Improved Aid Other feat.
Rousing Performance: You gain the Bardic Music: Inspire Courage ability as a Bard of half your character level(requires Perform: Oratory or Martial Drill) and gain the Courageous Rally feat.
Silver Tongue: You may add one fourth of your Diplomacy ranks to your Rally checks.

1000xp: Inspiring Presence

Tactics: You gain the Veteran Knowledge feat and can spend an hour to train Cha number of allies with any one [General] or Fighter feat for which they qualify.
Followers: You gain a level of Expert followers equal to your Charisma modifier as though through the Leadership feat.
Commanding Aura: You gain a single Minor Marshal Aura and a rank 1 Commander Aura.

Set Bonus: Diplomacy and Intimidate are always class skills for you and gain a +1 morale bonus to all Rally and Aid Other checks per four levels.

Beast:Warrior
Requirement: Skill Focus(Handle Animal)

1000xp: Wilderness Dweller

Wild Companion: You gain a Druid Companion as a druid of your level(typically animal).
Wilds Walker: You gain the Woodland Stride ability.

1000xp: The Beast Within

Aspect of the Beast(Su): Wisdom times per day you can make a standard action Control Shape check DC 15 to activate the Shapeshift druid ability as a druid of half of your level(minimum 1).
Beastial Tongues: You can speak to animals on a basic level as a Forest Gnome can.

Set Bonus: You gain the Wild Empathy ability as a druid of your level.

Witch:Commoner
Requirement: Skill Focus(Lucid Dreaming)

1000xp: An Emerald Dream
Whispers of the Forest: Lucid Dreaming, Survival and Knowledge(Nature) are always class skills and you gain a +1 insight bonus to them every fourth level.
Rampant Growth(Su): You can make a standard action Lucid Dreaming check DC 15+1 per round every round for up to your level plus wisdom rounds. Failure ends the effect. Once you have reached the maximum time or failed a role, you release a burst of natural power. The area is two 5ft squares per round dreamed and must be a continuous line(or lines) of adjacent squares starting at the caster. This growth causes one of two effects in the area:



Overgrowth: Mundane plants grow thick over the area. Speed drops to 5 feet, or 10 feet for Large or larger creatures.
Nature's Rampart: As the Spell. You create a barricade against foes depending on the terrain.


1000xp: A Dream of Storms

Storm(Su): You can make a standard action Lucid Dreaming check DC 15+1 per round every round for up to your level plus wisdom rounds. Failure ends the effect. Once you have reached the maximum time or failed a role, you release a storm cloud with a 10ft radius per round dreamed area around yourself. The storm lasts as long as you dreamed. You may choose one of three effects to take place within the area.




Lightning: As a swift action, up to half of your level targets per round take 1d6 electric damage, reflex for half(DC 10+1/2 Character level+Wisdom). After ten rounds of the storm the lightning gets 1d3 sonic splash damage as well.
Whirlwind: As a move action you can mimic the effects of a Battering Ram spell, the maximum distance is the edge of the storm. After ten rounds of the storm the entire area is enveloped in severe wind circling you.
Rain: A downpour covers the area. After five rounds of the storm the area is difficult terrain. After ten rounds of the storm you cause a flood.


Set Bonus: You become immune to the effects of your own Storm and Rampant Growth.

Priest:Commoner
Requirement: God Touched

1000xp: By the Grace of God

Divine Channeler: You gain the Divine Channeler feat. You must tithe 10% of your wealth to the church.
Minor Divine Spellcaster: You gain the Minor Divine Spellcaster feat keyed off of Wisdom. You also gain 0 divine spells per day in spell levels of half of your character level. Bonus spells from Wisdom apply.
Domain of the Gods: You gain spells known from one of your god's domains.

1000xp: Inner Divinity

Magical Training(Wizard): You gain the Magical Training(Wizard) feat. You also gain 0 arcane spells per day in spell levels of half of your character level. Bonus spells from Intellect apply.
Divine Spark(Su): You add an additional domain of your choice, and its granted power, to your list of spells known. You may grant one of your spells known to anyone who successfully prays to you or your god(Knowledge Religion DC 10+1/2 Character Level+Charisma). They cast this spell as a cleric of half of their level. They can pray for only one spell per day per person and only spell levels available to a cleric of half their level.

Set Bonus: You gain bonus cantrips and orisons in Minor Divine Spellcaster and Magical Training as though they were level one spells.

Elementalist:Commoner
Requirement: Skill Focus(Knowledge Planes)

1000xp: Elemental Power

Elemental Resilience: You gain elemental resistance 10.
Bombardment of the Elements(Sp): You may cast Produce Flame at will caster level equal to your character level with any one of the following elemental packages applied.

Fire: Elemalific, Heightened by one per three character levels.
Air: Energy Substitution Electric, with 1d4 sonic splash. May Chain Spell to one additional target per five character levels.
Earth: Concussive, made Conjuration(Creation), no spell resistance, physical damage, may benefit from strength to damage, normal non-touch attacks.
Water: Energy Substitution Cold, Extended 5ft splash Flash Frost, Heightened by one per three character levels.

1000xp: Elemental Genesis

Elemental Familiar: You may obtain a tiny elemental as a familiar that advances by your character level. Modify the effect of Elemental Creation depending on your familiar's element.
Air: Severe and Moderate wind instead of Moderate and Light. Earth creation is one 5ft cube per two rounds.
Fire: Deals double damage and has twice the duration. Water creation is one 5ft cube per two rounds.
Water: May make ice. Fire creation is one 5ft cube per two rounds.
Earth: Double amount or earth or stone created. Air creation is one 5ft cube per two rounds.
Elemental Creation(Sp): You can create elements at will. You can create one 5 foot cube per round concentrated up to your character level rounds. The fire is mundane, but burns for 1d4 rounds per 5 character levels regardless of fuel. The air causes a Moderate Wind in the area and Light Wind in adjacent squares and is breathable(10 min of air per cube for a medium creature, half required air per category smaller, double per category larger).

Set Bonus: You gain the elemental languages as bonus languages. Furthermore, you gain a +4 bonus to saves against elemental attacks with the Fire, Cold, Acid, and Electric subtypes.