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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Changeling Paragon (3 level racial paragon class)



Zaydos
2016-09-04, 01:36 AM
Changeling Paragon

With no society of their own changelings are always outsiders. Scattered and suspected by other races, the life of a changeling is usually one of deception, even reality seekers must choose to balance their hatred of deceit with movement through other races and their natural ability to shapeshift. Even so changelings are naturally adaptable, even perhaps to an extent greater than humans, after all no human is as morphic in their roles as a changeling who tries on identities like shirts. A changeling paragon takes this morphic nature to its limits, even if they choose to focus on a single identity.

Adventures: Most changeling paragons adventure due to not quite fitting into a world that suspects and distrusts them. Even changelings often distrust each other. Some changeling paragons, reality seekers mostly, adventure to try and carve a place in the world for changelings. Becomers might adventure to experience the myriad forms that one might need in the course of the dangers of the task. A passer might adventure to carve a place in the world for their assumed identity, or simply for the wealth to set up a new one for life.

Characteristics: Changeling paragons are adaptation in motion. They are always looking for their perfect role, the little leverage they need to make use of whether social or physical. They are typically quick thinkers, with a bag of tricks ready for any situation.

Alignment: Changeling paragons may be of any alignment, although many gravitate towards neutrality, minding their own business and not causing harm unless threatened with it first. Still changeling paragons of every alignment exist. While many revel in freedom and Chaos in all its shifting forms, others have strong codes and a respect for law and order, refusing to risk its disruption.

Religion: Changeling paragons are more religious on the whole than others of their species. Many regard their ease at changing forms as a blessing from the Traveler, seeing themselves as marked for something, whether weal or woe unknown even to them. Others are devout practitioners of the philosophy of the perfect form, their growing self-transmutations simply steps on the path it leads them.

Background: Most changeling paragons are Becomers or Reality Seekers, and most were raised as such. While Passers can become Changeling Paragons, the morphic nature of their abilities is more likely to be fostered by the heavy use of such abilities. All changeling paragons have some history of attempting to perfect their shapeshifting whether it was simply to pass as a human better or to seek the perfect form. Beyond that their background can be as varied as their powers.

Races: Changelings know the distrust of other races, of course most members of other races may never know that their companion is a changeling paragon. Changeling paragons get along best with halflings whose tendencies towards both tolerance and less than reputable activities aligns well with those of a changeling paragon and the two can often make for an excellent team in cons and other criminal activities.

Game Rule Information:
Changeling Paragons have the following game statistics.
Ability Scores: Intelligence determines a changeling paragon's skill points and spellcasting if they pursue it, while Charisma aids in their social skills. Changeling paragons also typically need Strength or Dexterity to engage in combat if they do not pursue magic.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Dice: d6.
Starting Wealth: As rogue.
Starting Age: As fighter.

Class Skills:
The changeling paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Speak Language (na). In addition at each level of changeling paragon you may select one skill and permanently add it to your changeling paragon class skills.

Skill Points at First Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

CHANGELING PARAGON


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special


1st

+0

+0

+2

+2
Adept Learner, Born Linguist, Social Chameleon


2nd

+1

+0

+3

+3
Becomer or Skillful; and Magical Talent or both of Shifting Skills and Shrouded Mind


3rd

+2

+1

+3

+3
Physical Shift or Passer; and Magical Talent or both of Shifting Skills and Master Changeling


The following are all class features of the Changeling Paragon:

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Changeling paragons dabble in arms and armor, but find no true mastery there. A changeling paragon is proficient in simple weapons and light martial weapons, as well shortbows, and are proficient in light armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Adept Learner (Ex): A changeling naturally learns to play many roles and to take on many aspects even passers and reality seekers. You gain the Adept Learner feat (Races of Destiny) as a bonus feat even if you do not fulfill the prerequisites.

Born Linguist (Ex): All changelings have a natural talent for languages, picking them up with surprising ease. You learn 3 languages of your choice, in addition you gain a +2 racial bonus to Forgery and Decipher Script checks.

Social Chameleon (Ex): A changeling paragon is naturally adept at social interactions and blending with those they deal with whether it is settling ruffled feathers or slipping past deceptions. A changeling paragon's racial bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks increases by +2 and they gain a +2 bonus to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks.

Becomer or Skillful (Ex): A changeling paragon must choose between focusing on their natural shapeshifting or diving instead into the flexibility of their minds; while the choice of the former is named for the changeling philosophy of the becomer, it is not necessarily unique to them nor is it required of them; after all the ability to emulate perfection of a talent is a wonderful tool for delving into a persona.

If you select Becomer you suffer no penalty on disguise checks for disguising yourself as a member of another race, gender, or age category within 1 age category of your actual age. In addition you gain the Quick Change feat (Races of Eberron) as a bonus feat.

If you select Skillful you gain Skill Focus in the skill of your choice (if Skill Focus is houseruled to add a skill to your class skill list this skill focus does not). Once per day you may change what skill this Skill Focus feat applies to. If you use this skill focus feat to fulfill the prerequisite for a Prestige Class you may no longer change what skill it applies to. At the DM's discretion this ability may emulate Commander's Skill Focus, Emergency Skill Focus, Fighter's Skill Focus, Peaceful Skill Focus, Practiced Skill Focus, or Psionic Skill Focus (all found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?449056-Variations-on-a-Theme-Skill-Focus)) if so, however, the variation must be chosen when this ability is gained, they cannot change between Emergency Skill Focus and Practiced Skill Focus for example.

Magical Talent or Shifting Skills and Shrouded Mind: At 2nd level a changeling paragon must make a choice between diving into skills of magic or focusing on their natural powers. If they choose to focus on magical skill they gain spellcasting as if they had gained a level in Beguiler including for the purposes of the Advanced Learning class feature (if they have no levels in Beguiler already they gain spellcasting as a 1st level beguiler, if they have Beguiler levels they advance it as if they had gained a level in Beguiler).

If they choose to focus on their racial talents they instead gain Shifting Skills and Shrouded Mind (described below).

Shifting Skills (Ex): You gain 3 shifting skill points. You may assign these skill points as normal, but as a free action you may reassign one or more of these skill points, these skill points are always assigned 1 for 1 as long as the skill is a class skill for you even if not in the class of your current level. Each shifting skill point may be changed this way only once per day. These shifting skill points may not be used to raise a skill to above its max ranks, nor can these shifting skill points be used to qualify for Prestige Class prerequisites.

If at 3rd level you select Shifting Skills a second time not only do you gain 3 more shifting skill points but each point may now be changed twice per day.

Shrouded Mind (Ex):[/b] Your mind is protected from easy viewing. You gain the Persona Immersion feat (Races of Eberron) as a bonus feat, but it functions on spells 1 level higher per Changeling Paragon level you possess. In addition when you use Minor Shapechange you may select an alignment and you show up to magical detection as that alignment instead of your own until you use Minor Shapechange again or revert to your natural form; if you have an Aura of [Alignment] class feature, the Undead type, or an Alignment subtype you still radiate as that alignment as well as the one chosen, or in the case undead evil, you do not use the stronger aura from type or aura of alignment feature for the assumed alignment (so if you have a level in Cleric and the Good domain and choose to show up as Lawful Evil you'd still show up more strongly to Detect Good then Detect Evil, at which point you play it off as being a fallen archon).

Physical Shifter or Passer (Ex): A changeling paragon is a master of shapeshifting. Even those that follow the philosophy of a passer are a true master of it, entering their persona more deeply than any other might dream. At 3rd level they must choose whether they focus on the varied nature of their ability, or perfecting a single persona. Although the latter ability is called Passer, it is available to Becomers and Reality Seekers as well, it simply has special appeal to a Passer.

If you select Physical Shifter your body is a fluid and shifting thing, and you learn to reinforce certain physical gifts when you re-work and shift your body. When you use Minor Shapechange you may choose one of the three bonuses below, this bonus applies until you use Minor Shapechange once more or you are forced back into your natural form (you may use Minor Shapechange to appear as your natural form to gain bonuses in it, but an effect which forces you to your natural form will still end these bonuses)

Enhanced Musculature: +2 Strength and an additional +2 bonus on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks.
Enhanced Coordination: +2 Dexterity and a +10-ft bonus to your land speed and any swim or fly speed you possess, +5-ft bonus to any climb speed you possess.
Enhanced Endurance: +2 Constitution and +2 natural armor.


If you select Passer select a medium-sized humanoid with no LA or racial hit dice. You are considered to be a member of that race in addition to changeling, you gain its racial subtype and all its racial features except ability score modifiers in addition to those of changeling. If features are mutually exclusive (for example its base speed is different) use the better of the two. You may take levels in the racial paragon class (if any) for the chosen race even though you have Changeling Paragon levels, and you may craft a single form in that race which is considered to be your true form and is revealed with True Seeing or upon your death. Finally you may select one ability score that the chosen race gets +2 or more to and you gain +2 to that ability score; if the race does not gain +2 (or more) to any ability score (such as human) you do not gain a bonus to any ability score. If you select human you gain bonus skill points retroactively. Note that these abilities are still considered racial abilities and are potentially lost when using polymorph spells or wild shape.

Magical Talent or Shifting Skills and Master Changeling: As at 2nd level at 3rd level a Changeling Paragon must again choose between magical might and a focus on racial abilities; they do not have to make the same choice as at the previous level. If they choose Magical Talent it functions as above (they may have 2nd level beguiler casting without levels in beguiler), if they choose Shifting Skills and Master Changeling they gain Shifting Skills as described above and Master Changeling as described below.

Master Changeling (Su): You gain a pair of abilities related to delving deeper into your changeling heritage. First once per day per 3 character levels you may use Detect Thoughts (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectThoughts.htm) as a supernatural ability with a DC of 13 + 1/2 your levels in classes other than Changeling Paragon + your Charisma modifier, it lasts for up to 3 + character level minutes (if caster level is needed it is 3 + character level). Second you gain the limited ability to perform a more powerful shapechange. For 3 + character level minutes each day you may use Minor Shapechange to emulate the spell Alter Self (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/alterSelf.htm), doing so is the same action as using Minor Shapechange and any abilities triggered by Minor Shapechange are still triggered, however instead of its normal effect it copies Alter Self except that you do not use average ability scores for the assumed race but apply its racial ability score modifiers to your abilities (if you selected Passer you lose the bonus to any physical ability score it gave you). You do not have to use this ability's entire duration at once but you may not use it in increments less than 1 minute, any time spent under its effect is rounded up to the next minute (so 1-10 rounds 1 minute, 11-20 rounds 2 minutes, etc). If your character level is 5 or higher this ability is considered Wild Shape for the purposes of prerequisites (this does not allow you to take PrCs which require Wild Shape until 6th level however), and if you have Wild Shape from another source you may add your Changeling Paragon levels to determine the maximum hit dice of forms you may assume with Wild Shape and its duration, if you use this ability to qualify for Master of Many Forms you may assume the forms of animals as well as those unlocked by that PrC. If your character level is 10 or higher you may use this ability to emulate polymorph (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/polymorph.htm) but each round it is used to do so counts as 1 minute for determining how much of the duration is spent, like with emulating Alter Self you do not assume average abilities but apply their racial ability score modifiers to your ability scores. If your character level is 16 or higher you gain +8 to Strength and +2 to Constitution when emulating polymorph this way and may assume forms with up to 20 HD (or your character level whichever is less).

nonsi
2016-09-05, 03:59 PM
This Changeling Paragon seems like several classes rolled into one.
Mechanically speaking this class is great, however it sends a message of "haven't decided what I wanna be when I grow up".
You're spamming "either-or"s all over the place when someone who's a racial paragon - in concept - is supposed to be the epitome of that race. You can't be the epitome of anything if the class abilities themselves can pull you into different routs.
Somehow, the spellcasting seems forced upon this class. From where I'm standing, I'd remove spellcasting and let it keep everything else.

[EDIT]

Btw, it's a bold and worthy decision to settle for 6 skill points per level. Anything beyond that would be too much.

Zaydos
2016-09-05, 04:27 PM
The reason for the either-ors was because when I read Races of Eberron to make the class instead of presenting 'this is the norm for the race' like the Races series does for dwarves, gnomes, goliaths, elves, halflings, illumians, (I can't remember how RotD does things since the only things in that book I like are the feats and Dragonborn) it presents changelings with 3 life philosophies which are distinct and in some cases opposed. So I was trying to keep some of the lack of single focus that changelings had and make the class work for Passers (who actively suppress their shapeshifting) as well as Becomers (who revel in it) and Reality Seekers (who philosophize about it).

And to clarify not saying you're wrong, in fact I'm quite glad you said something and will keep it in mind especially if more people comment on it, just explaining the reasoning that made me go for that approach.

And thanks with the skills, when I started thinking about it I had it as high as 10 (because changeling rogue) but I whittled it down when I gave them shifting skills (the first ability I actually thought of for them).

nonsi
2016-09-05, 04:50 PM
And to clarify not saying you're wrong, in fact I'm quite glad you said something and will keep it in mind especially if more people comment on it, just explaining the reasoning that made me go for that approach.


Proper disclosure - to me, your strive and success in staying true to the spirit of things is nothing short of remarkable.
It's just that to me the word "Paragon" spells out "This is what it means to be <SOMETHNG>", whereas in the case of this Changeling, putting the finger on "this" is like playing whack a mole when the game goes into overdrive :smallbiggrin: