Combining 2 similar prestige classes to make a base class?

[Sapreaver]

In another thread someone had mentioned the master of masks prc and it reminded me a lot of the chameleon.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to possibly combine the two to make a single base class. Or is that just a factorum lol

[ExLibrisMortis]

Well, you can tie Chameleon Aptitude Focuses to Master of Masks Persona Masks (or vice versa, depending on how you look at it), and scale the abilities to improve from level 1 to 20. You'd get something like a binder, but with the ability to switch masks, instead of combining vestiges.

In the execution, I'd be quite generous with combat abilities, because switching very much in-combat is action-consuming. Out of combat, you can expect free switching all over, barring prolonged social sitations (can't take off the Lord mask at the grand ball, can you?) or cases where you need ongoing abilities (overland flight). I'm assuming you're not enforcing the Chameleon's 1/day focus pick. N.B. the spellcasting becomes tricky at that point. I would grant 1 set of spell slots, scaling with character level, that only becomes available once the right mask is worn. So if you wear the Archmage mask, your slots become arcane, and you can prepare spells; if you then switch to High Priest, the same slots become divine, and you can prepare another set of spells. Put it in the 'spellcasting' section that you can prepare both sets in one hour, like a Sun and Moon wizard.

It'd be quite cool to have a class with a commoner chassis (with 8 skill points/level) that gets most of their abilities/saves/hp/bab from masks. For example, instead of granting +X to hit, the gladiator mask actually increases base attack to full, grants +4*class level hp (not temporary hp) and a good fortitude save, and sets your base (point buy + racial + inherent) strength to your base charisma (or intelligence).

You could do something funky like granting a couple of bonus feats that can be picked per mask. So you can pick Power Attack for the gladiator, Empower Spell for the archmage, Darkstalker for the assassin, and so on. Those feats can rely on mask abilities to meet prerequisites.

Oh, and, it wouldn't have a whole lot to do with the factotum. The factotum is an INT-SAD class that gets a little bit of everything (but mostly skillmonkeying) all at once. Chameleons and Masters of Masks must choose sets of abilities ahead of time.

[Nifft]

In another thread someone had mentioned the master of masks prc and it reminded me a lot of the chameleon.

Does anyone have any ideas on how to possibly combine the two to make a single base class. Or is that just a factorum lol

Master of Masks could be turned into a base class.

There's no need to mix in Chameleon (though some base-class versions of Chameleon already exist).

[Sapreaver]

Thanks for the ideas I'll see what I can come up with. :) now for a name lol

[Sapreaver]

Ee......eb

[Grod_The_Giant]

It's not the Factotum. It would be something significantly better than the piece-of-crap generalist that is the Factotum-- they're about doing everything simultaneously, but poorly, while the Chameleon is about picking one thing every day to do decently.

As for turning these PrCs into base classes... it wouldn't be too hard. They're both pretty reasonable about what they give you; if not for the Chamelon's casting starting at 2nd level, you could throw most of the features in from level 1 and be fine. So, start with the Chameleon progression adjusted to stretch properly over 20 levels, like so:



Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
0 lv
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th






1st
+0
+0
+0
+0
Attitude Focus 1/day (+2)
2
—
—
—
—
—
—


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+0

3
0
—
—
—
—
—


3rd
+2
+1
+1
+1
Bonus Feat
3
1
—
—
—
—
—


4th
+3
+1
+1
+1

3
2
0
—
—
—
—


5th
+3
+1
+1
+1
Mimic Class Feature 1/day
3
3
1
—
—
—
—


6th
+4
+2
+2
+2

3
3
2
—
—
—
—


7th
+5
+2
+2
+2
Ability Boon +2
3
3
2
0
—
—
—


8th
+6/+1
+2
+2
+2

3
3
3
1
—
—
—


9th
+6/+1
+3
+3
+3
Attitude Focus 2/day (+4)
3
3
3
2
—
—
—


10th
+7/+2
+3
+3
+3

3
3
3
2
0
—
—


11th
+8/+3
+3
+3
+3
Mimic Class Feature 2/day
3
3
3
3
1
—
—


12th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+4

3
3
3
3
2
—
—


13th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+4
Ability Boon +4, Double Aptitude
3
3
3
3
2
0
—


14th
+10/+5
+4
+4
+4

4
3
3
3
3
1
—


15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Rapid Refocus
4
4
3
3
3
2
—


16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+5

4
4
4
3
3
2
0


17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Mimic Class Feature 3/day
4
4
4
4
3
3
1


18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+6
+6

4
4
4
4
4
3
2


19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Ability Boon +6, Aptitude Focus 3/day (+4)
4
4
4
4
4
4
3


20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+6
+6

4
4
4
4
4
4
4




Then you alternate in the MoM abilities, like so:



Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Masks Known
0 lv
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th


1st
+0
+0
+0
+0
Attitude Focus 1/day (+2)
2
2
—
—
—
—
—
—


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+0
Persona Masks
2
3
0
—
—
—
—
—


3rd
+2
+1
+1
+1
Bonus Feat
2
3
1
—
—
—
—
—


4th
+3
+1
+1
+1

3
3
2
0
—
—
—
—


5th
+3
+1
+1
+1
Mimic Class Feature 1/day
3
3
3
1
—
—
—
—


6th
+4
+2
+2
+2
Mask Specialist
3
3
3
2
—
—
—
—


7th
+5
+2
+2
+2
Ability Boon +2
4
3
3
2
0
—
—
—


8th
+6/+1
+2
+2
+2

4
3
3
3
1
—
—
—


9th
+6/+1
+3
+3
+3
Attitude Focus 2/day (+4)
4
3
3
3
2
—
—
—


10th
+7/+2
+3
+3
+3
Many Faces (2, Move)
5
3
3
3
2
0
—
—


11th
+8/+3
+3
+3
+3
Mimic Class Feature 2/day
5
3
3
3
3
1
—
—


12th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+4
Hidden Mask
5
3
3
3
3
2
—
—


13th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+4
Ability Boon +4, Double Aptitude
6
3
3
3
3
2
0
—


14th
+10/+5
+4
+4
+4

6
4
3
3
3
3
1
—


15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+5
+5
Rapid Refocus
6
4
4
3
3
3
2
—


16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Many Faces (3, swift)
7
4
4
4
3
3
2
0


17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+5
Mimic Class Feature 3/day
7
4
4
4
4
3
3
1


18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+6
+6

7
4
4
4
4
4
3
2


19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+6
+6
Ability Boon +6, Aptitude Focus 3/day (+4)
7
4
4
4
4
4
4
3


20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+6
+6
Many Faces (4, Immediate)
7
4
4
4
4
4
4
4




Then you fiddle with it until it looks good-- adjust the scaling to more smoothly cover 20 levels, combining and dividing similar abilities until you get something that functions elegantly and fits the paradigm you're looking for. Personally, I'm thinking that you'd either want to focus on the mask flavor, and sort of combine masks and focuses into one overarching thing-- so you have an archmage mask giving you spellcasting, a gladiator mask giving you combat skill and physical boosts, that sort of thing-- or break it up more gradually-- have your focus determine your broad combat style that day (arcane casting, divine casting, martial skill, or sneak attack), while your mask(s) determine you skill boosts.

Also, check out the Medium (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/occult-adventures/occult-classes/medium/), from Pathfinder. They're a published base class version of the Chameleon, albiet with a bunch of flavor built-in. A Master of Masks base class would also wind up looking pretty similar to the Incarnate and Totemist, methinks.