Gnorman
2016-03-28, 10:07 PM
The Cleric (E6)
Designer's Notes:
I struggled with a signature ability for the Cleric for a very long time. The Cleric initially had one of the least interesting spell lists, being mostly a healbot/buffbot, and so I struggled with how to add variety to the class. I toyed with the idea of giving them a "pantheon" ability and letting them gain abilities and bonus spells based on which deities they chose to venerate in the morning, but that ended up being incredibly clunky. So here I am, trying out a signature ability that's, well, a buff. It's a very nice buff, and I imagine any other member of the party would be happy to be on the receiving end of it. It's basically a heroism spell, but it increases by +1 each round that it's in effect, and it gives temporary hit points. Given enough time to concentrate, she can turn any party member into a force to be reckoned with. But there's the kicker - the bonuses start low, and she needs to concentrate on them to reach the full effect. She can't cast many spells or attack while doing so (unless she's a warpriest, or has the Pinnacle of Faith ability).
There's a bit of a price to be paid for this, though. The Cleric no longer gets heavy armor, and her hit die is reduced to a d6. She's not quite the frontliner that she once was. But she still has the best selection of healing and buffing spells, with a few utility ones as well. Any party would be lucky to have her.
Archetypes: the Inquisitor specializes in guile, rooting out lies and burning witches, the Thaumaturgist summons powerful celestial allies, and the Warpriest smashes a bunch of face after 'roiding herself up with divine power.
HD: d6
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft
Skill Points: 2 + Int per level (4x at 1st)
Level
BAB
Saves
Special
Spells Per Day
Fort
Ref
Will
0
1
2
3
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2
Archetype Power (Lesser), Spellcasting, Turn Undead
5
4
-
-
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3
Advanced Learning, Benediction
6
5
-
-
3rd
+2
+3
+1
+3
Archetype Power (Moderate), Enemy of the Faith
6
6
3
-
4th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Advanced Learning, Expert Healer
6
6
4
-
5th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Consecration
6
6
5
3
6th
+4
+5
+2
+5
Archetype Power (Greater), Advanced Learning, Pinnacle of Faith
6
6
6
4
Proficiencies: The Cleric is proficient with simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Spellcasting: The Cleric casts divine spells from a specialized list, which is included below. The Cleric need not prepare spells ahead of time - she may spontaneously cast any spell on her list from the appropriate slot. She still requires eight hours of rest to refresh her spells. Her sole casting attribute is Wisdom, which dictates both the DC of her spells and her bonus spell slots. To cast a spell, the Cleric must have a Widom score equal to 10 + the level of spell in question.
Archetype Power: At 1st level, the Cleric chooses an archetype from the following list. Once made, the choice is final. Each archetype offers the Cleric a different set of abilities at levels 1, 3, and 6, as noted below.
Turn Undead: The Cleric may turn undead as a base cleric of her own class level.
Advanced Learning: At 2nd level, the Cleric may add one spell to her list of spells known. This spell may not be of a higher level than she is capable of casting at the time, and in any case no higher than 3rd level. This spell may be any spell on the cleric list. She may add one more spell to her list of spells known at 4th level, and again at 6th.
Benediction: As a standard action, the Cleric may imbue one ally (except herself) within 30' divine power. That ally gains a +1 sacred bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and all saving throws for one round. The ally also gains temporary hit points equal to twice this number; these temporary hit points are refreshed each round that Benediction is in effect. The Cleric may continue to concentrate on this ability as a standard action each round - if she does so, the bonuses increase by +1 for each subsequent round in which she concentrates on the ability, to a maximum equal to her class level. For example, if she has concentrated for three rounds, the ally would gain a +3 bonus, and six temporary hit points (provided that she is at least a level 3 Cleric). If she breaks her concentration, or the ally travels more than 30' away from her, however, the effect ends and she must start over again at a +1 bonus. The temporary hit points offered by this ability do not stack - only the highest total applies. The Cleric may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma bonus.
While using this ability, the target glows with divine light, emitting light as per the light spell.
Enemy of the Faith: The Cleric picks one of the following groups. She gains a bonus on equal to her Charisma bonus on saves against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by the creature type(s) listed in that group.
Fiends: Outsiders with the [evil] subtype.
Living Dead: Undead.
Witches: Arcane spellcasters.
Expert Healer: The Cleric may cast any spell of the conjuration (healing) subschool with a range of Touch at a range of Close instead. All other parameters of the spell are unchanged.
Consecration: The bonuses conferred by the Cleric's Benediction ability now start at +2 (and two temporary hit points). In addition, as a swift action, she may switch the target of her Benediction ability without resetting the bonus counter.
Pinnacle of Faith: The Cleric may now cast spells of the conjuration (healing) subschool as a swift action, provided that the original casting time was one standard action.
Archetypes:
Inquisitor
Lesser Archetype Power: An inquisitor gains Bluff, Disguise, Intimidate, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot as class skills. She also gains 6 skill points per level, instead of 2 (x4 at first level).
Moderate Archetype Power: An inquisitor may reverse the effects of her Benediction ability, using it on an opponent instead of an ally. If she does so, that enemy takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and all saving throws, and is dealt an amount of damage each round equal to twice that penalty. These penalties, like the bonuses of her Benediction ability, increase by +1 each round. If the inquisitor so chooses, the damage dealt by this ability may be non-lethal.
Greater Archetype Power: An inquisitor gains certain benefits based on the targeted type of her Enemy of the Faith ability, as listed below.
Fiends: The inquisitor gains resistance 10 to fire and acid. In addition, any outsider struck by her weapons must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus) or be unable to use any form of extradimensional travel, as per the dimensional anchor spell, for one minute.
Living Dead: The inquisitor becomes immune to paralysis, ability drain, and energy drain. In addition, any bludgeoning weapon held by the inquisitor is a disruption weapon. The DC to prevent being destroyed is equal to 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus.
Witches: The inquisitor gains spell resistance equal to 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus. This spell resistance only applies against arcane spells. In addition, any arcane spellcaster struck by the inquisitor's weapons must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus) or suffer a 20% spell failure chance for one minute. This spell failure chance is cumulative.
Thaumaturgist
Lesser Archetype Power: Once per day, when casting a summon monster spell, a thaumaturgist may extend the duration of the spell to 24 hours.
Moderate Archetype Power: When casting a spell of the conjuration (healing) subschool on her summoned allies, a thaumaturgist may choose to affect a number of additional summoned allies equal to half her Charisma modifier. This ability can only affect creatures summoned by summon monster spells.
Greater Archetype Power: Once per day, a thaumaturgist may cast a summon monster spell as an immediate action.
Warpriest
Lesser Archetype Power: A warpriest is proficient with heavy armor, and rolls a d8 for HD rather than a d6. She may choose one martial weapon, and becomes proficient with it. She also gains the Weapon Focus feat for that weapon as a bonus feat.
Moderate Archetype Power: The warpriest gains a single bonus feat. She must qualify for the feat, and it must be drawn from the list of feats noted as fighter feats. Once per day, the warpriest may spend five minutes in meditation to change this bonus feat to any other fighter feat that she qualifies for. For the purposes of this ability, treat the warpriest as if she had a fighter level equal to her class level -2.
In addition, she may sacrifice spell slots to imbue her weapon attacks with divine might as a swift action. She gains a sacred bonus on attack rolls equal to the level of the spell sacrificed. For every level of the spell sacrificed, she deals an additional 1d6 divine damage with her weapon attacks. These bonuses last for a number of rounds equal to her Strength bonus.
Greater Archetype Power: A warpriest may activate and concentrate on her Benediction ability as a move action. She may also use the ability on herself.
Cleric Spell List:
0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue
1: Bless, Bless Water, Command, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Alignment, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Endure Elements, Hide from Undead, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon, Protection from Alignment, Remove Fear, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith, Summon Monster I
2: Aid, Align Weapon, Augury, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Calm Emotions, Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Eagle's Splendor, Find Traps, Gentle Repose, Hold Person, Make Whole, Owl's Wisdom, Protection from Arrows, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Restoration (Lesser), Shield Other, Silence, Sound Burst, Status, Summon Monster II, Zone of Truth
3: Create Food and Water, Continual Flame, Cure Serious Wounds, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding, Good Hope, Helping Hand, Invisibility Purge, Locate Object, Magic Circle Against Alignment, Magic Vestment, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Stone Shape, Summon Monster III, Tongues, Water Walk
Changelog:
3/28/16: Class originally posted.
Designer's Notes:
I struggled with a signature ability for the Cleric for a very long time. The Cleric initially had one of the least interesting spell lists, being mostly a healbot/buffbot, and so I struggled with how to add variety to the class. I toyed with the idea of giving them a "pantheon" ability and letting them gain abilities and bonus spells based on which deities they chose to venerate in the morning, but that ended up being incredibly clunky. So here I am, trying out a signature ability that's, well, a buff. It's a very nice buff, and I imagine any other member of the party would be happy to be on the receiving end of it. It's basically a heroism spell, but it increases by +1 each round that it's in effect, and it gives temporary hit points. Given enough time to concentrate, she can turn any party member into a force to be reckoned with. But there's the kicker - the bonuses start low, and she needs to concentrate on them to reach the full effect. She can't cast many spells or attack while doing so (unless she's a warpriest, or has the Pinnacle of Faith ability).
There's a bit of a price to be paid for this, though. The Cleric no longer gets heavy armor, and her hit die is reduced to a d6. She's not quite the frontliner that she once was. But she still has the best selection of healing and buffing spells, with a few utility ones as well. Any party would be lucky to have her.
Archetypes: the Inquisitor specializes in guile, rooting out lies and burning witches, the Thaumaturgist summons powerful celestial allies, and the Warpriest smashes a bunch of face after 'roiding herself up with divine power.
HD: d6
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (nobility and royalty), Knowledge (religion), Knowledge (the planes), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft
Skill Points: 2 + Int per level (4x at 1st)
Level
BAB
Saves
Special
Spells Per Day
Fort
Ref
Will
0
1
2
3
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2
Archetype Power (Lesser), Spellcasting, Turn Undead
5
4
-
-
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3
Advanced Learning, Benediction
6
5
-
-
3rd
+2
+3
+1
+3
Archetype Power (Moderate), Enemy of the Faith
6
6
3
-
4th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Advanced Learning, Expert Healer
6
6
4
-
5th
+3
+4
+1
+4
Consecration
6
6
5
3
6th
+4
+5
+2
+5
Archetype Power (Greater), Advanced Learning, Pinnacle of Faith
6
6
6
4
Proficiencies: The Cleric is proficient with simple weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).
Spellcasting: The Cleric casts divine spells from a specialized list, which is included below. The Cleric need not prepare spells ahead of time - she may spontaneously cast any spell on her list from the appropriate slot. She still requires eight hours of rest to refresh her spells. Her sole casting attribute is Wisdom, which dictates both the DC of her spells and her bonus spell slots. To cast a spell, the Cleric must have a Widom score equal to 10 + the level of spell in question.
Archetype Power: At 1st level, the Cleric chooses an archetype from the following list. Once made, the choice is final. Each archetype offers the Cleric a different set of abilities at levels 1, 3, and 6, as noted below.
Turn Undead: The Cleric may turn undead as a base cleric of her own class level.
Advanced Learning: At 2nd level, the Cleric may add one spell to her list of spells known. This spell may not be of a higher level than she is capable of casting at the time, and in any case no higher than 3rd level. This spell may be any spell on the cleric list. She may add one more spell to her list of spells known at 4th level, and again at 6th.
Benediction: As a standard action, the Cleric may imbue one ally (except herself) within 30' divine power. That ally gains a +1 sacred bonus to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and all saving throws for one round. The ally also gains temporary hit points equal to twice this number; these temporary hit points are refreshed each round that Benediction is in effect. The Cleric may continue to concentrate on this ability as a standard action each round - if she does so, the bonuses increase by +1 for each subsequent round in which she concentrates on the ability, to a maximum equal to her class level. For example, if she has concentrated for three rounds, the ally would gain a +3 bonus, and six temporary hit points (provided that she is at least a level 3 Cleric). If she breaks her concentration, or the ally travels more than 30' away from her, however, the effect ends and she must start over again at a +1 bonus. The temporary hit points offered by this ability do not stack - only the highest total applies. The Cleric may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma bonus.
While using this ability, the target glows with divine light, emitting light as per the light spell.
Enemy of the Faith: The Cleric picks one of the following groups. She gains a bonus on equal to her Charisma bonus on saves against spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by the creature type(s) listed in that group.
Fiends: Outsiders with the [evil] subtype.
Living Dead: Undead.
Witches: Arcane spellcasters.
Expert Healer: The Cleric may cast any spell of the conjuration (healing) subschool with a range of Touch at a range of Close instead. All other parameters of the spell are unchanged.
Consecration: The bonuses conferred by the Cleric's Benediction ability now start at +2 (and two temporary hit points). In addition, as a swift action, she may switch the target of her Benediction ability without resetting the bonus counter.
Pinnacle of Faith: The Cleric may now cast spells of the conjuration (healing) subschool as a swift action, provided that the original casting time was one standard action.
Archetypes:
Inquisitor
Lesser Archetype Power: An inquisitor gains Bluff, Disguise, Intimidate, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Search, and Spot as class skills. She also gains 6 skill points per level, instead of 2 (x4 at first level).
Moderate Archetype Power: An inquisitor may reverse the effects of her Benediction ability, using it on an opponent instead of an ally. If she does so, that enemy takes a -1 penalty to attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, skill checks, and all saving throws, and is dealt an amount of damage each round equal to twice that penalty. These penalties, like the bonuses of her Benediction ability, increase by +1 each round. If the inquisitor so chooses, the damage dealt by this ability may be non-lethal.
Greater Archetype Power: An inquisitor gains certain benefits based on the targeted type of her Enemy of the Faith ability, as listed below.
Fiends: The inquisitor gains resistance 10 to fire and acid. In addition, any outsider struck by her weapons must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus) or be unable to use any form of extradimensional travel, as per the dimensional anchor spell, for one minute.
Living Dead: The inquisitor becomes immune to paralysis, ability drain, and energy drain. In addition, any bludgeoning weapon held by the inquisitor is a disruption weapon. The DC to prevent being destroyed is equal to 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus.
Witches: The inquisitor gains spell resistance equal to 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus. This spell resistance only applies against arcane spells. In addition, any arcane spellcaster struck by the inquisitor's weapons must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 her level + her Intelligence bonus) or suffer a 20% spell failure chance for one minute. This spell failure chance is cumulative.
Thaumaturgist
Lesser Archetype Power: Once per day, when casting a summon monster spell, a thaumaturgist may extend the duration of the spell to 24 hours.
Moderate Archetype Power: When casting a spell of the conjuration (healing) subschool on her summoned allies, a thaumaturgist may choose to affect a number of additional summoned allies equal to half her Charisma modifier. This ability can only affect creatures summoned by summon monster spells.
Greater Archetype Power: Once per day, a thaumaturgist may cast a summon monster spell as an immediate action.
Warpriest
Lesser Archetype Power: A warpriest is proficient with heavy armor, and rolls a d8 for HD rather than a d6. She may choose one martial weapon, and becomes proficient with it. She also gains the Weapon Focus feat for that weapon as a bonus feat.
Moderate Archetype Power: The warpriest gains a single bonus feat. She must qualify for the feat, and it must be drawn from the list of feats noted as fighter feats. Once per day, the warpriest may spend five minutes in meditation to change this bonus feat to any other fighter feat that she qualifies for. For the purposes of this ability, treat the warpriest as if she had a fighter level equal to her class level -2.
In addition, she may sacrifice spell slots to imbue her weapon attacks with divine might as a swift action. She gains a sacred bonus on attack rolls equal to the level of the spell sacrificed. For every level of the spell sacrificed, she deals an additional 1d6 divine damage with her weapon attacks. These bonuses last for a number of rounds equal to her Strength bonus.
Greater Archetype Power: A warpriest may activate and concentrate on her Benediction ability as a move action. She may also use the ability on herself.
Cleric Spell List:
0: Create Water, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Flare, Guidance, Know Direction, Light, Mending, Purify Food and Drink, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue
1: Bless, Bless Water, Command, Cure Light Wounds, Detect Alignment, Detect Undead, Divine Favor, Endure Elements, Hide from Undead, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon, Protection from Alignment, Remove Fear, Sanctuary, Shield of Faith, Summon Monster I
2: Aid, Align Weapon, Augury, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Calm Emotions, Consecrate, Cure Moderate Wounds, Delay Poison, Eagle's Splendor, Find Traps, Gentle Repose, Hold Person, Make Whole, Owl's Wisdom, Protection from Arrows, Remove Paralysis, Resist Energy, Restoration (Lesser), Shield Other, Silence, Sound Burst, Status, Summon Monster II, Zone of Truth
3: Create Food and Water, Continual Flame, Cure Serious Wounds, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Glyph of Warding, Good Hope, Helping Hand, Invisibility Purge, Locate Object, Magic Circle Against Alignment, Magic Vestment, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Stone Shape, Summon Monster III, Tongues, Water Walk
Changelog:
3/28/16: Class originally posted.