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Etrivar
2016-09-12, 10:56 PM
Hey all!

I've always been bothered by the presence of a shadow bloodline, but the lack of a balancing force, so I have created a bloodline which goes some way towards redressing the imbalance.

There are some concerns that I already have, and they can be found in the spoiler at the bottom of the post (I don't want to bias anyone before they have the chance to form their own initial impressions).

Luminous Bloodline
There is a radiance in your blood that stems from early exposure to supernatural light. As your magic grows brighter and brighter, so does your blood, forming a bright tracery over your entire body whenever you cast a spell.

Class Skill: Perception

Bonus Spells: color spray (3rd), glitterdust (5th), searing light (7th), wandering star motesAPG (9th), glimpse of truthUI (11th), particulate formMTT (13th), sunbeam (15th), sunburst (17th), prismatic sphere (19th)

Bonus Feats: Alertness, Eagle Eyes, Flaring Spell, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Spell Focus, Widen Spell

Bloodline Arcana: When casting a bloodline spell, or a spell with the [light] descriptor or (pattern) subschool, increase the DC by +1. This ability stacks with other abilities that increase save DC’s, such as the Spell Focus feat.

Bloodline Powers: Your powers can serve as a beacon in the dark, or to go out and eliminate the shadows of the world. How you use your powers is up to you.

Luminous Ray (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can fire a bright beam of light as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. Against undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes this ray deals 1d6 points of damage + 1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. Any other creature hit by the ray is dazzled for 1d4 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Supernal Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain lowlight vision and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against blinding and dazzling effects and against sight-based illusions (all patterns and any figments or glamers that have visual components). If you already poses low-light vision, the distance increases to three times greater than normal, instead of two times greater. If you poses darkvision, the range of your darkvision improves by 30 feet. At 9th level, you become immune to blinding and dazzling effects, and the bonus to saves against sight-based illusions increases to +4.

Shooting Star (Su): At 9th level, you can replace much of the material of your body with light for a number of minutes per day equal to your sorcerer level. While this ability is active you gain a fly speed of 60 feet with good maneuverability and you glow as if you were the target of a daylight spell. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. At level 20 the fly speed improves to 90, and the maneuverability improves to Perfect.

Nimbus of Light (Su): At 15th level, you can emit a 45-foot cone of light for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. This acts as a daylight spell. In addition, undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes within this cone take an amount of damage equal to your sorcerer level each round that they remain inside the cone. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought inside this cone. The cone originates from you, and moves with you, but changing the direction of the cone is a move action. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Radiant Form (Su): At 20th level, your form becomes more luminescence than not, and your mastery over light becomes unparalleled. You are immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and automatically succeed at any saving throw against sight-based illusions. Additionally, you gain unlimited use of your Shooting Star ability.



Changes from previous version
Moved Shooting Star to level 9 and Nimbus of Light to level 15
Changed Nimbus of light to a cone and gave it additional range to make it less risky for a sorcerer to use


Changes from previous version
Corrected the duration of shooting star
Replaced chains of light with particulate form as the 6th level bloodline spell
Removed excess verbiage from the Bloodline Arcana.

Luminous Bloodline
There is a radiance in your blood that stems from early exposure to supernatural light. As your magic grows brighter and brighter, so does your blood, forming a bright tracery over your entire body whenever you cast a spell.

Class Skill: Perception

Bonus Spells: color spray (3rd), glitterdust (5th), searing light (7th), wandering star motesAPG (9th), glimpse of truthUI (11th), particulate formMTT (13th), sunbeam (15th), sunburst (17th), prismatic sphere (19th)

Bonus Feats: Alertness, Eagle Eyes, Flaring Spell, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Spell Focus, Widen Spell

Bloodline Arcana: When casting a bloodline spell, or a spell with the [light] descriptor or (pattern) subschool, increase the DC by +1. This ability stacks with other abilities that increase save DC’s, such as the Spell Focus feat.

Bloodline Powers: Your powers can serve as a beacon in the dark, or to go out and eliminate the shadows of the world. How you use your powers is up to you.

Luminous Ray (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can fire a bright beam of light as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. Against undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes this ray deals 1d6 points of damage + 1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. Any other creature hit by the ray is dazzled for 1d4 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Supernal Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain lowlight vision and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against blinding and dazzling effects and against sight-based illusions (all patterns and any figments or glamers that have visual components). At 9th level, you become immune to blinding and dazzling effects, and the bonus to saves against sight-based illusions increases to +4.

Nimbus of Light (Su): At 9th level, you can emit a 30-foot nimbus of light for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. This acts as a daylight spell. In addition, undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes within this radius take an amount of damage equal to your sorcerer level each round that they remain inside the nimbus. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought inside this nimbus. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Shooting Star (Su): At 15th level, you can replace much of the material of your body with light for a number of minutes per day equal to your sorcerer level. While this ability is active you gain a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability and you glow as if you were the target of a daylight spell. This duration does not need to be consecutive, but it must be used in 1 minute increments. At level 20 the fly speed improves to 90, and the maneuverability improves to Perfect.

Radiant Form (Su): At 20th level, your form becomes more luminescence than not, and your mastery over light becomes unparalleled. You are immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and automatically succeed at any saving throw against sight-based illusions. Additionally, you gain unlimited use of your Shooting Star ability.
Luminous Bloodline
There is a radiance in your blood that stems from early exposure to supernatural light. As your magic grows brighter and brighter, so does your blood, forming a bright tracery over your entire body whenever you cast a spell.

Class Skill: Perception

Bonus Spells: color spray (3rd), glitterdust (5th), searing light (7th), wandering star motesAPG (9th), glimpse of truthUI (11th), chains of lightCoP (13th), sunbeam (15th), sunburst (17th), prismatic sphere (19th)

Bonus Feats: Alertness, Eagle Eyes, Flaring Spell, Improved Initiative, Iron Will, Skill Focus (Perception), Spell Focus, Widen Spell

Bloodline Arcana: When casting a bloodline spell, or a spell with the [light] descriptor or (pattern) subschool, increase the DC by +1. This ability stacks with other abilities that increase save DC’s (like the Spell Focus feat), but not with itself (i.e. a spell of the pattern subschool with the light descriptor does not benefit from this ability twice).

Bloodline Powers: Your powers can serve as a beacon in the dark, or to go out and eliminate the shadows of the world. How you use your powers is up to you.

Luminous Ray (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can fire a bright beam of light as a standard action, targeting any foe within 30 feet as a ranged touch attack. Against undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes this ray deals 1d6 points of damage + 1 for every two sorcerer levels you possess. Any other creature hit by the ray is dazzled for 1d4 rounds. You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.

Supernal Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain lowlight vision and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against blinding and dazzling effects and against sight-based illusions (all patterns and any figments or glamers that have visual components). At 9th level, you become immune to blinding and dazzling effects, and the bonus to saves against sight-based illusions increases to +4.

Nimbus of Light (Su): At 9th level, you can emit a 30-foot nimbus of light for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. This acts as a daylight spell. In addition, undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes within this radius take an amount of damage equal to your sorcerer level each round that they remain inside the nimbus. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought inside this nimbus. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.

Shooting Star (Su): At 15th level, you can replace much of the material of your body with light for a number of minutes per day equal to your sorcerer level. While this ability is active you gain a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability and you glow as if you were the target of a daylight spell. These rounds do not need to be consecutive. At level 20 the fly speed improves to 90, and the maneuverability improves to Perfect.

Radiant Form (Su): At 20th level, your form becomes more luminescence than not, and your mastery over light becomes unparalleled. You are immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and automatically succeed at any saving throw against sight-based illusions. Additionally, you gain unlimited use of your Shooting Star ability.



1: The bloodline feats are leaning pretty heavily on the perception theme, can anyone think of a way to diversify this a touch?

2: Is the bloodline arcana casting a bit too wide a net with the three categories? Should this only include one of these three groups, or two of them? I think that it works, since most other similar DC-boosting abilities apply to categories far more voluminous than any of these three, and even at that there's significant overlap between them. Thoughts?

3: Should Nimbus of Light and Shooting Star switch places? Shooting Star is a flight ability with a 1-minute-per-sorcerer-level duration, which puts it precisely on par with the flight abilities that other bloodlines grant at 9th level. Additionally, putting Nimbus of Light at 15th would allow for a bit more power to it, and would allow for some more interesting, impactful-feeling effects.

4: Nimbus of Light is essentially the 8th level ability from the Sun Domain, except for the following changes: level changed from 8 to 9, all mentions of Cleric Level became Sorcerer Level, and fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes were added to effect. This is designed for a different class, with different progression and different needs. Is this is too much/not enough? Also, it was designed for a class that is designed to be in melee, so being caster-centric isn't a problem for a cleric, but it may be a problem for a sorcerer. Perhaps turn this into an ability usable at range with a duration and number of uses per day?

5: Is 90 feet and Perfect maneuverability too much? Since it's essentially a part of what would be an otherwise (I think) somewhat underwhelming capstone, I think that it evens out, but I'd like to hear opinions.


MTT= Magic Tactics Toolbox
APG= Advanced Player's Guide
UI= Ultimate Intrigue
CoP= Champions of Purity

Thank you for taking the time to read, and I very much appreciate any constructive criticism or ideas that you wonderful people can throw my way!

Latrans Ferrum
2016-09-16, 02:17 AM
First thing that jumped out at me was that Supernatural Sight gives low light vision. What is the benefit for races that already have low light or dark vision?

Glimpse of Truth is okay since revealing falsity seem to be a theme. Burst with Light may be an alternative if you really want one.

I like the nimbus of light, but rather than being centered on the squishy caster perhaps make it a cone instead and increase the range to 45. Changing the cones direction is a move action. This will give the sorcerer a little more ranger to stay out of the melee since they lack the defense clerics have.

I'm also not a fan of chains of light as a bloodline spell. Not only because it is good aligned, but other than being made of light it doesn't match the theme of light, revealing, or pattern based spells since it seems to be more of an imprisonment spell. (It doesn't even have [Light] in the descriptor.) Particulate Form (MTT) may substitute. While not a light spell either, it does remind me you yours capstone. (And the spell doesn't specify what the particles are)

The arcana looks good since it is using three small pools to draw from.

The capstone is almost a one trick pony, fast and maneuverable, but that's pretty much it. While it is great for large areas and can bypass many obstacles, more compact limited areas like narrow halls in a dungeon can pin the sorcerer down limiting its usefulness.

To diversify maybe look into using light to blind opponents or look at a way to implement searing burning might. While a couple bloodline spells feature these, it may balance the capstone without needing to have the extremely mobility but little else. Remember, darkness is not necessary evil, nor is light necessarily good.

Etrivar
2016-09-16, 01:43 PM
Thank you so much for taking the time to think about it and reply!


First thing that jumped out at me was that Supernatural Sight gives low light vision. What is the benefit for races that already have low light or dark vision?

How does this look for Supernal Sight?
Supernal Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain lowlight vision and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against blinding and dazzling effects and against sight-based illusions (all patterns and any figments or glamers that have visual components). If you already poses low-light vision, the distance increases to three times greater than normal, instead of two times greater. If you poses darkvision, the range of your darkvision improves by 30 feet. At 9th level, you become immune to blinding and dazzling effects, and the bonus to saves against sight-based illusions increases to +4.


Glimpse of Truth is okay since revealing falsity seem to be a theme. Burst with Light may be an alternative if you really want one.

I've looked at Burst with Light; I think I'll stick with glimpse of truth. It isn't actually all that redundant, as the capstone only allows you to save automatically against visual illusions. You're still subject to blur/displacement, you can't see the true form of polymorphed things, et cetera. I'm not as down on glimpse of truth as I was a few days ago.


I like the nimbus of light, but rather than being centered on the squishy caster perhaps make it a cone instead and increase the range to 45. Changing the cones direction is a move action. This will give the sorcerer a little more ranger to stay out of the melee since they lack the defense clerics have.

Is something like this what you were thinking of for Nimbus of Light?
Nimbus of Light (Su): At 9th level, you can emit a 45-foot cone of light for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. This acts as a daylight spell. In addition, undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes within this cone take an amount of damage equal to your sorcerer level each round that they remain inside the cone. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought inside this cone. The cone originates from you, and moves with you, but changing the direction of the cone is a move action. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.


I'm also not a fan of chains of light as a bloodline spell. Not only because it is good aligned, but other than being made of light it doesn't match the theme of light, revealing, or pattern based spells since it seems to be more of an imprisonment spell. (It doesn't even have [Light] in the descriptor.) Particulate Form (MTT) may substitute. While not a light spell either, it does remind me you yours capstone. (And the spell doesn't specify what the particles are)

I like Particulate Form a lot more than Chains of Light, I'm definitely going with that one. We can just say that the particles are little motes of light.


I tweaked Shooting Star; I accidentally made it one round per level, when it should be one minute per level, so I changed that and added the appropriate verbiage.

Also, I'm considering switching the position of Shooting Star and Nimbus of Light. As a flight ability with a duration of one minute per level each day, it's commensurate with the flight abilities gained at 9th level from other bloodlines. And moving nimbus of light to 15th would let us put some more power into it and make it an ability usable at range, eliminating some of the risk and making it feel more impactful. I'll need more time than I have at work to put together some possibilities, but they'll be coming this evening.

Lemmy
2016-09-16, 02:58 PM
I like it. I don't think its necessary to say the bonus from the Bloodline Arcana doesn't stack with itself. The general rule is that bonus from the same source don't stack, after all.

Etrivar
2016-09-16, 03:03 PM
I don't think its necessary to say the bonus from the Bloodline Arcana doesn't stack with itself. The general rule is that bonus from the same source don't stack, after all.

That's a good point; we all have plenty to read, and can appreciate a bit of parsimony.

Latrans Ferrum
2016-09-20, 01:44 PM
Thank you so much for taking the time to think about it and reply!



How does this look for Supernal Sight?
Supernal Sight (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain lowlight vision and a +2 racial bonus on saving throws made against blinding and dazzling effects and against sight-based illusions (all patterns and any figments or glamers that have visual components). If you already poses low-light vision, the distance increases to three times greater than normal, instead of two times greater. If you poses darkvision, the range of your darkvision improves by 30 feet. At 9th level, you become immune to blinding and dazzling effects, and the bonus to saves against sight-based illusions increases to +4.


.....

Is something like this what you were thinking of for Nimbus of Light?
Nimbus of Light (Su): At 9th level, you can emit a 45-foot cone of light for a number of rounds per day equal to your sorcerer level. This acts as a daylight spell. In addition, undead, fungi, mold, oozes, and slimes within this cone take an amount of damage equal to your sorcerer level each round that they remain inside the cone. Spells and spell-like abilities with the darkness descriptor are automatically dispelled if brought inside this cone. The cone originates from you, and moves with you, but changing the direction of the cone is a move action. These rounds do not need to be consecutive.


......


I tweaked Shooting Star; I accidentally made it one round per level, when it should be one minute per level, so I changed that and added the appropriate verbiage.

Also, I'm considering switching the position of Shooting Star and Nimbus of Light. As a flight ability with a duration of one minute per level each day, it's commensurate with the flight abilities gained at 9th level from other bloodlines. And moving nimbus of light to 15th would let us put some more power into it and make it an ability usable at range, eliminating some of the risk and making it feel more impactful. I'll need more time than I have at work to put together some possibilities, but they'll be coming this evening.

The additional range for those with lowlight and dark vision the way you did is exactly what I was thinking.

Switching Nimbus and Shooting Star sounds like a good idea. Although I'd decrease the speed and maneuverability a little that increases to what you have at 15th level or so.

I like that you're thinking of increasing the range and utility of the ability. Are you thinking damage, blindness, or a different addition effect on enemies caught inside?

lunaticfringe
2016-09-20, 02:10 PM
My only gripe is a conceptual one with all Light Based Class/Classes/Archetypes/Jobs/Etc from all RPGs. Why would you get abilities that allow to see in the dark? You have Light Powers, you would just make more Light. Yeah I get it's not good for Stealth situations, but with being A Beacon and all Stealthiness & Subtly shouldn't be your strong suit. Good job over all.

Etrivar
2016-10-01, 10:50 AM
Hey, sorry its taken me so long to get back around to this.


...

I like that you're thinking of increasing the range and utility of the ability. Are you thinking damage, blindness, or a different addition effect on enemies caught inside?

I've got a couple of ideas for what to put in here, and I'm not certain which to go with. Blindness on failed save, dazzled on save fits of course. There is a light spell (forget which one at the moment) that grants a bonus to attack rolls against enemies in the area, which could fit here. 3.5 had a spell called deadly sunstroke, which inflicted the Fatigued/Exhausted conditions on those damaged by it. That seems like a good way to add a non-vision based CC, which would help diversify the bloodline a bit, since almost every spell inflicts the blinded/dazzled condition.



My only gripe is a conceptual one with all Light Based Class/Classes/Archetypes/Jobs/Etc from all RPGs. Why would you get abilities that allow to see in the dark? You have Light Powers, you would just make more Light. Yeah I get it's not good for Stealth situations, but with being A Beacon and all Stealthiness & Subtly shouldn't be your strong suit. Good job over all.

Thank you. As for low light vision, you are more capable of putting the light you receive from your environment to use than anyone else, so it makes sense that if any light is available, you would be able to see just fine (at least, it makes sense in my head). But I think you've got a good point when it comes to darkvision; darkvision takes over when there is literally no light available, and it doesn't make much sense that this would help with that.