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View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Ascetic Bladesman (Less Angry Barbarian Identical Refluff)



gooddragon1
2017-01-27, 01:41 AM
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Morphic tide
2017-01-27, 08:33 AM
The best advantage of this I can think of is the Feat AFC, Variant and PRC functions. For example, Casting as a Barbarian while Raging not only isn't allowed by RAW, but also doesn't make proper sense. But this class uses a calm trance, not a semicoherent rage, so feats, PRCs and AFCs that allow for casting during a Trance aren't completely insane. The idea of a skill/feat-based Barbarian is utterly silly, because they are ragemonsters who do not train like normal warriors, but for this class, switching some of the features for Fighter feat access and some bonus feats actually cooperates with it's fluff.

Then there's the fact that this is a different class, so some things that would be broken as hell to stick on a Barbarian due to existing things Barbarians get can be used by this class without issue. Among other things, you lack the various Rage boosting feats to make certain potential AFCs/class variants overpowered as hell or redundant, so you have more options.

For example, you could have a "spell/power trance" PRC for this class, letting you cast while in the Trance with extra bonuses based on what Gishes love most. Like casting/manifesting while attacking, Concentration bonuses, the Duskblade's type of thing and so on.

Another thing that makes sense for this class that doesn't for Barbarian is an Archery focused AFC/Variant class/feat chain. Because while Barbs are ragemonsters, these guys go into a nearly unnatural calm of fighting skill.

You can also solve the problem of "identical refluff" with a variant class that makes this be a borderline merge of Barbarian and Fighter, a Hybrid Class of the two in PF terms, namely replacing the Trap Sense levels with Fighter Bonus Feats and the ability to use Fighter feats. Possibly adding the ability to grab temporary Fighter feats while in a Trance, or other Fighter-type stuff while Trancing.

A thing from Pathfinder's Barbarian that would be really useful is powers active only while Trancing. Possibly a mix of "just numbers" abilities and actual effects, like the above temporary feats option and access to Flurry-type extra attacks while Trancing.

Also, given the different fluff, Feats that remove the disadvantages of the Trance would work out well. Possibly using them as a chain to replace the PRC for casting while Trancing, as far as being able to cast while Trancing is concerned.

And one last thing: Ascetic is a word often used in Monk multiclassing feats. So, this really, really sounds like it needs a Monk mixing variant, replacing the trap sense and maybe DR with Monk defensive abilities and giving access to Flurry of Blows without that annoying unarmed restriction. Or give extra bonuses for Unarmed.

Maybe I'll type up the things I'm mentioning later.

gooddragon1
2017-01-27, 09:13 AM
The best advantage of this I can think of is the Feat AFC, Variant and PRC functions. For example, Casting as a Barbarian while Raging not only isn't allowed by RAW, but also doesn't make proper sense. But this class uses a calm trance, not a semicoherent rage, so feats, PRCs and AFCs that allow for casting during a Trance aren't completely insane. The idea of a skill/feat-based Barbarian is utterly silly, because they are ragemonsters who do not train like normal warriors, but for this class, switching some of the features for Fighter feat access and some bonus feats actually cooperates with it's fluff.

Then there's the fact that this is a different class, so some things that would be broken as hell to stick on a Barbarian due to existing things Barbarians get can be used by this class without issue. Among other things, you lack the various Rage boosting feats to make certain potential AFCs/class variants overpowered as hell or redundant, so you have more options.

For example, you could have a "spell/power trance" PRC for this class, letting you cast while in the Trance with extra bonuses based on what Gishes love most. Like casting/manifesting while attacking, Concentration bonuses, the Duskblade's type of thing and so on.

Another thing that makes sense for this class that doesn't for Barbarian is an Archery focused AFC/Variant class/feat chain. Because while Barbs are ragemonsters, these guys go into a nearly unnatural calm of fighting skill.

You can also solve the problem of "identical refluff" with a variant class that makes this be a borderline merge of Barbarian and Fighter, a Hybrid Class of the two in PF terms, namely replacing the Trap Sense levels with Fighter Bonus Feats and the ability to use Fighter feats. Possibly adding the ability to grab temporary Fighter feats while in a Trance, or other Fighter-type stuff while Trancing.

A thing from Pathfinder's Barbarian that would be really useful is powers active only while Trancing. Possibly a mix of "just numbers" abilities and actual effects, like the above temporary feats option and access to Flurry-type extra attacks while Trancing.

Also, given the different fluff, Feats that remove the disadvantages of the Trance would work out well. Possibly using them as a chain to replace the PRC for casting while Trancing, as far as being able to cast while Trancing is concerned.

And one last thing: Ascetic is a word often used in Monk multiclassing feats. So, this really, really sounds like it needs a Monk mixing variant, replacing the trap sense and maybe DR with Monk defensive abilities and giving access to Flurry of Blows without that annoying unarmed restriction. Or give extra bonuses for Unarmed.

Maybe I'll type up the things I'm mentioning later.

If I have the creative urge/inspiration I'll make something that isn't a refluff, but I asked the question why there isn't a less angry refluff of the barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?513228-Is-there-a-barbarian-rage-refluff-with-less-anger-anywhere) and didn't get a link to any homebrew. So I made this.

As for overlapping causing issues. Anything the barbarian couldn't do, this can't do. It's a refluff. Sure you could justify it, but only if the DM allows it. You also can't take both classes at once. This is purely thematic for people who don't like the idea of their character being angry.

Morphic tide
2017-01-27, 10:46 AM
If I have the creative urge/inspiration I'll make something that isn't a refluff, but I asked the question why there isn't a less angry refluff of the barbarian (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?513228-Is-there-a-barbarian-rage-refluff-with-less-anger-anywhere) and didn't get a link to any homebrew. So I made this.

As for overlapping causing issues. Anything the barbarian couldn't do, this can't do. It's a refluff. Sure you could justify it, but only if the DM allows it. You also can't take both classes at once. This is purely thematic for people who don't like the idea of their character being angry.

Well, if that's the case, you forgot a very important thing. This guy can't take any Rage related feats. Including Extra Rage. Because you forgot to have the Trance count as Rage for anything.

And just because you intend not to have this be made separate from Barbarian mechanically, doesn't mean there's anything that stops people from making this diverge from Barbarian. Like making feats that require Trance instead of Rage.

For example:

Elemental Trance [general]
Prerequisites: Battle Trance class feature
Benefits: Pick a choice from the following list. The choices have the following effects while you are in a Trance:
Fire: Immunity to Fire, Vulnerability to Cold
Water: Immunity to Cold, Vulnerability to Fire
Earth: Immunity to Acid, Vulnerability to Electricity
Air: Immunity to Electricity, Vulnerability to Acid
Life: Immunity to Negative Energy, Vulnerability to Positive Energy
Death: Immunity to Positive Energy, Vulnerability to Negative Energy
Special: This feat may be selected multiple times. Each time it is selected, you must choose an option you haven't chosen yet.

---

It's a differently worded version of Frozen and Blazing Berserker that covers the remaining 4 elementals. Yes, there are positive and negative energy elementals. As for what immunity to Positive Energy does, it means that normal magical healing does nothing to you. Vulnerability to Positive Healing increases healing by 50%.

The reason Life and Death are inverted, granting immunity to their opposite, it's because having boosted healing and negated Negative Energy damage, which includes Inflict Wounds and most level drain, associated with death is silly. As is Life not preventing those things.

As for allowing a 1st level character those effects, it's a matter of all of them only being situationally relevant. Even the Life option only matters if you have a healer using the Cure Wounds spells and similar(fairly common, but not guaranteed) and/or are dealing with lots of undead/evil outsiders(considerably less common). Also, the effects only happen while the Trance is up, so really only combat healing gets boosted, which is one of the worst things a Cleric or Druid can be tied down to.

Granted, this particular feat works perfectly fine for Barbarians with the only change being the name and the prerequisite, but I, personally, would like to have the two use different lists. I'd go with having Barbarian get Fire, Air and Death, personally, with Ascetic Blademaster getting Water, Earth and Life.

Basically, I'm thinking of having the two have almost mechanically identical starting points and then diverge from there due to the prerequisite-based separation.

gooddragon1
2017-01-27, 10:00 PM
Well, if that's the case, you forgot a very important thing. This guy can't take any Rage related feats. Including Extra Rage. Because you forgot to have the Trance count as Rage for anything.

And just because you intend not to have this be made separate from Barbarian mechanically, doesn't mean there's anything that stops people from making this diverge from Barbarian. Like making feats that require Trance instead of Rage.

For example:

Elemental Trance [general]
Prerequisites: Battle Trance class feature
Benefits: Pick a choice from the following list. The choices have the following effects while you are in a Trance:
Fire: Immunity to Fire, Vulnerability to Cold
Water: Immunity to Cold, Vulnerability to Fire
Earth: Immunity to Acid, Vulnerability to Electricity
Air: Immunity to Electricity, Vulnerability to Acid
Life: Immunity to Negative Energy, Vulnerability to Positive Energy
Death: Immunity to Positive Energy, Vulnerability to Negative Energy
Special: This feat may be selected multiple times. Each time it is selected, you must choose an option you haven't chosen yet.

---

It's a differently worded version of Frozen and Blazing Berserker that covers the remaining 4 elementals. Yes, there are positive and negative energy elementals. As for what immunity to Positive Energy does, it means that normal magical healing does nothing to you. Vulnerability to Positive Healing increases healing by 50%.

The reason Life and Death are inverted, granting immunity to their opposite, it's because having boosted healing and negated Negative Energy damage, which includes Inflict Wounds and most level drain, associated with death is silly. As is Life not preventing those things.

As for allowing a 1st level character those effects, it's a matter of all of them only being situationally relevant. Even the Life option only matters if you have a healer using the Cure Wounds spells and similar(fairly common, but not guaranteed) and/or are dealing with lots of undead/evil outsiders(considerably less common). Also, the effects only happen while the Trance is up, so really only combat healing gets boosted, which is one of the worst things a Cleric or Druid can be tied down to.

Granted, this particular feat works perfectly fine for Barbarians with the only change being the name and the prerequisite, but I, personally, would like to have the two use different lists. I'd go with having Barbarian get Fire, Air and Death, personally, with Ascetic Blademaster getting Water, Earth and Life.

Basically, I'm thinking of having the two have almost mechanically identical starting points and then diverge from there due to the prerequisite-based separation.

A reasonable DM will treat the Ascetic Bladesman as just a refluff as the Barbarian for the purposes of feats and anywhere else where it matters. It's just a matter of refluffing. Reckless rage feat becomes Intensified Trance and so on.

However, it's homebrew and if you want to take it in another direction that can work too. I admit I made it for somewhat selfish reasons, but I shared it to let others who feel the same way about rage enjoy the homebrew too.