rrwoods
2017-10-14, 04:31 PM
(I hate the name but I can't think of anything else.) (YES I CAN, it's now named Plague Assassin.)
This is a class based on a character from a game, and anyone that's played it probably knows which character it is. However I'm primarily looking for feedback from people who *haven't* played said game; I don't want to be so blinded by attempts to emulate the character that I get buried in a bad idea (or lose sight of a good one).
It's Twitch, from League of Legends.
That said, the capstone is deliberately not overly strong. The game in question has 18 levels, and I saw this as an opportunity to provide a class with a great number of good breakpoints, but still satisfying to play to 20. As such the capstone is more "this feels cool" rather than "super-powerful level 20 ability".
Without futher ado:
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
Ability point, infectious shot
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
Ability point
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
Ability point
4th
+4
+4
+4
+1
Ability point
5th
+5
+4
+4
+1
Ability point
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
Spray and pray +2
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Ability point
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
Ability point
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
Ability point
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
Ability point
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
Spray and pray +3
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
Ability point
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
Ability point
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
Ability point
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
Ability point
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Spray and pray +4
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
Ability point
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
Ability point
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
True ambush
Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple weapons, martial ranged weapons, and light armor.
Infectious shot (Ex): Whenever you deal damage to an enemy with a ranged weapon, that enemy becomes Afflicted for 6 rounds. Afflicted creatures have a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
Ability Point: The ambush, venom cask, and contaminate abilities require points to use them, and their effectiveness is increased with more points. At each level indicated on the table, choose one of those abilities to gain 1 point. An ability can have a maximum of 5 points, but not more than half your plague rat level rounded up. (For example, at 5th level, an ability can have a maximum of 3 points. At 9th level or higher, the maximum is 5.)
Ambush (Su): Activate this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter. With 3 or more Ambush points, you may activate it as a move action instead. Whenever an Afflicted creature dies, you regain the use of this ability.
At the beginning of your next turn, you are affected as if by an invisibility spell for 1 round per Ambush point, except that you can still be seen by creatures within 10 feet. While under this effect, you gain a 10 foot bonus to your speed, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls for each Ambush point. The bonus on attack rolls lasts for an additional 5 rounds after the invisibility effect ends.
Venom cask (Ex): Activate this ability as a swift action. You may activate it once per encounter per Venom Cask point.
You throw a small cask of venom. Resolve the throw as a Throw Splash Weapon action that targets a grid intersection with a range increment of 5 ft (see the SRD). For 3 rounds, the affected area afflicts any enemy creature that begins their turn there or passes through it, and reduces their speed by 5 feet per Venom Cask point.
Contaminate (Su): Activate this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
Deal acid damage to all Afflicted creatures within 60 feet. The amount of damage is 1d8 per Contaminate point, plus 1d8, plus your Intelligence bonus. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your plague rat level) halves the damage.
Spray and Pray (Ex): Activate this ability as a swift action, and only twice per day.
For 5 rounds, your ranged attacks affect a line whose length is twice your weapon’s range increment. Make a separate attack roll against each enemy in the line, ignoring soft cover from your enemies, but taking a cumulative 2 penalty on the attack roll for each successive enemy past the first. (Missing an enemy does not prevent you from rolling attacks against enemies behind him.)
During these 5 rounds, you also get a +2 bonus on ranged damage rolls. This bonus is increased to +3 at plague rat level 11, and +4 at level 16.
True Ambush (Su): At 20th level, the invisibility effect of your ambush ability has a duration of 15 rounds. In addition, you may activate that ability as a swift action, and you may choose for the invisibility effect to start immediately instead of on your next turn.
Here's a reworked progression, removing the ability point concept and trying to generally streamline the effects and keep things concise.
(no clue why this table is wrapping with so much room to spare on the right...)
PLAGUE ASSASSIN -- hit die: d6
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
Contaminate 1d10
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
Ambush +3
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
Contaminate 2d10, rat’s plague
4th
+4
+4
+4
+1
—
5th
+5
+4
+4
+1
Contaminate 3d10
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
Spray and pray 2
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Contaminate 4d10
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
Ambush +4
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
Contaminate 5d10
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
Swift ambush
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
Spray and pray 3
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
Contaminate 6d10
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
Ambush +5
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
Rapid ambush
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
Contaminate (no save)
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Spray and pray 4
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
Contaminate 7d10
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
—
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Deadly precision
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
Greater ambush
Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope.
Starting Gold: 6d4×10 (150 gp).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple weapons and martial ranged weapons. You are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Contaminate (Su): Use this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
Deal acid damage to each creature within 60 feet that you’ve hit with a ranged weapon during this encounter. This damage is 1d10 at 1st level, and it increases as indicated on the table.
A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your class level) halves the damage. However, at 15th level, this ability no longer allows a save and each affected creature always takes the full damage.
Ambush (Su): At 2nd level, a plague assassin gains the ability to conceal himself from his foes very effectively. Use this ability as a move action, and only once per encounter.
At the beginning of your next turn, you are affected as if by an invisibility spell, with a caster level equal to your class level (duration 1 minute per level or until you attack). The effect is the same as a normal invisibility spell, except as follows: You can still be visually detected by creatures within 10 feet. You gain a 10-foot bonus to your land speed. The attack roll bonus as a result of being invisible is +3 instead of +2, and lasts for 5 rounds after the invisibility ends. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level, and to +5 at 13th.
Whenever a creature dies that you’ve hit with a ranged weapon during this encounter, you regain your per-encounter use of this ability.
At 10th level, you may use this ability as a swift action or move action.
At 14th level, you may have the invisibility take effect immediately instead of waiting until your next turn.
At 20th level, you may have the effect be greater invisibility. (The duration is 20 rounds and it doesn’t end when you attack.)
Rat’s plague (Su): At 3rd level, you can turn the air into a putrid gas, slowing enemies within it. Use this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
You create an area of putrid gas in a 5-foot radius, up to 60 feet away. The gas lingers for 3 rounds, dissipating at the start of your turn on the third round. You can choose to exclude a single 5-foot square from the area. Any creature who begins its turn in the gas or passes through it suffers a one-half reduction to their speed for all forms of movement, which lasts 3 rounds. In addition, whenever you affect a creature this way, it counts as striking that creature with a ranged attack. This allows you to damage the creature with contaminate and to regain your per-encounter use of ambush.
Spray and pray (Ex): At 6th level, a plague assassin gains the ability to strike multiple enemies with his attacks. You can use this ability any time you make a ranged weapon attack. Using this ability does not require an action. You can affect one attack per class level per day. (Each attack in a full attack action counts separately.)
Instead of targeting one enemy with your attack, you can target two. At 11th level, you can target up to three enemies, and at 16th you can target up to four. The enemies must be within 30 feet of one another. Make attack rolls and damage rolls against each target separately.
In addition, you get a bonus on the damage roll against each enemy equal to the total number of enemies targeted.
Deadly precision (Ex): At 19th level, the critical multiplier of any ranged weapon you wield increases by 1. In addition, you gain the Improved Critical and Power Critical feats for all ranged weapons.
This is a class based on a character from a game, and anyone that's played it probably knows which character it is. However I'm primarily looking for feedback from people who *haven't* played said game; I don't want to be so blinded by attempts to emulate the character that I get buried in a bad idea (or lose sight of a good one).
It's Twitch, from League of Legends.
That said, the capstone is deliberately not overly strong. The game in question has 18 levels, and I saw this as an opportunity to provide a class with a great number of good breakpoints, but still satisfying to play to 20. As such the capstone is more "this feels cool" rather than "super-powerful level 20 ability".
Without futher ado:
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
Ability point, infectious shot
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
Ability point
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
Ability point
4th
+4
+4
+4
+1
Ability point
5th
+5
+4
+4
+1
Ability point
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
Spray and pray +2
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Ability point
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
Ability point
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
Ability point
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
Ability point
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
Spray and pray +3
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
Ability point
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
Ability point
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
Ability point
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
Ability point
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Spray and pray +4
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
Ability point
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
Ability point
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
True ambush
Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple weapons, martial ranged weapons, and light armor.
Infectious shot (Ex): Whenever you deal damage to an enemy with a ranged weapon, that enemy becomes Afflicted for 6 rounds. Afflicted creatures have a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
Ability Point: The ambush, venom cask, and contaminate abilities require points to use them, and their effectiveness is increased with more points. At each level indicated on the table, choose one of those abilities to gain 1 point. An ability can have a maximum of 5 points, but not more than half your plague rat level rounded up. (For example, at 5th level, an ability can have a maximum of 3 points. At 9th level or higher, the maximum is 5.)
Ambush (Su): Activate this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter. With 3 or more Ambush points, you may activate it as a move action instead. Whenever an Afflicted creature dies, you regain the use of this ability.
At the beginning of your next turn, you are affected as if by an invisibility spell for 1 round per Ambush point, except that you can still be seen by creatures within 10 feet. While under this effect, you gain a 10 foot bonus to your speed, and a +1 bonus on attack rolls for each Ambush point. The bonus on attack rolls lasts for an additional 5 rounds after the invisibility effect ends.
Venom cask (Ex): Activate this ability as a swift action. You may activate it once per encounter per Venom Cask point.
You throw a small cask of venom. Resolve the throw as a Throw Splash Weapon action that targets a grid intersection with a range increment of 5 ft (see the SRD). For 3 rounds, the affected area afflicts any enemy creature that begins their turn there or passes through it, and reduces their speed by 5 feet per Venom Cask point.
Contaminate (Su): Activate this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
Deal acid damage to all Afflicted creatures within 60 feet. The amount of damage is 1d8 per Contaminate point, plus 1d8, plus your Intelligence bonus. A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your plague rat level) halves the damage.
Spray and Pray (Ex): Activate this ability as a swift action, and only twice per day.
For 5 rounds, your ranged attacks affect a line whose length is twice your weapon’s range increment. Make a separate attack roll against each enemy in the line, ignoring soft cover from your enemies, but taking a cumulative 2 penalty on the attack roll for each successive enemy past the first. (Missing an enemy does not prevent you from rolling attacks against enemies behind him.)
During these 5 rounds, you also get a +2 bonus on ranged damage rolls. This bonus is increased to +3 at plague rat level 11, and +4 at level 16.
True Ambush (Su): At 20th level, the invisibility effect of your ambush ability has a duration of 15 rounds. In addition, you may activate that ability as a swift action, and you may choose for the invisibility effect to start immediately instead of on your next turn.
Here's a reworked progression, removing the ability point concept and trying to generally streamline the effects and keep things concise.
(no clue why this table is wrapping with so much room to spare on the right...)
PLAGUE ASSASSIN -- hit die: d6
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+1
+2
+2
+0
Contaminate 1d10
2nd
+2
+3
+3
+0
Ambush +3
3rd
+3
+3
+3
+1
Contaminate 2d10, rat’s plague
4th
+4
+4
+4
+1
—
5th
+5
+4
+4
+1
Contaminate 3d10
6th
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
Spray and pray 2
7th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Contaminate 4d10
8th
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
Ambush +4
9th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
Contaminate 5d10
10th
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
Swift ambush
11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
Spray and pray 3
12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
Contaminate 6d10
13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
Ambush +5
14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
Rapid ambush
15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
Contaminate (no save)
16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Spray and pray 4
17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
Contaminate 7d10
18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
—
19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Deadly precision
20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
Greater ambush
Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope.
Starting Gold: 6d4×10 (150 gp).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: You are proficient with all simple weapons and martial ranged weapons. You are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Contaminate (Su): Use this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
Deal acid damage to each creature within 60 feet that you’ve hit with a ranged weapon during this encounter. This damage is 1d10 at 1st level, and it increases as indicated on the table.
A successful Fortitude save (DC 10 + your Intelligence modifier + ½ your class level) halves the damage. However, at 15th level, this ability no longer allows a save and each affected creature always takes the full damage.
Ambush (Su): At 2nd level, a plague assassin gains the ability to conceal himself from his foes very effectively. Use this ability as a move action, and only once per encounter.
At the beginning of your next turn, you are affected as if by an invisibility spell, with a caster level equal to your class level (duration 1 minute per level or until you attack). The effect is the same as a normal invisibility spell, except as follows: You can still be visually detected by creatures within 10 feet. You gain a 10-foot bonus to your land speed. The attack roll bonus as a result of being invisible is +3 instead of +2, and lasts for 5 rounds after the invisibility ends. This bonus increases to +4 at 8th level, and to +5 at 13th.
Whenever a creature dies that you’ve hit with a ranged weapon during this encounter, you regain your per-encounter use of this ability.
At 10th level, you may use this ability as a swift action or move action.
At 14th level, you may have the invisibility take effect immediately instead of waiting until your next turn.
At 20th level, you may have the effect be greater invisibility. (The duration is 20 rounds and it doesn’t end when you attack.)
Rat’s plague (Su): At 3rd level, you can turn the air into a putrid gas, slowing enemies within it. Use this ability as a standard action, and only once per encounter.
You create an area of putrid gas in a 5-foot radius, up to 60 feet away. The gas lingers for 3 rounds, dissipating at the start of your turn on the third round. You can choose to exclude a single 5-foot square from the area. Any creature who begins its turn in the gas or passes through it suffers a one-half reduction to their speed for all forms of movement, which lasts 3 rounds. In addition, whenever you affect a creature this way, it counts as striking that creature with a ranged attack. This allows you to damage the creature with contaminate and to regain your per-encounter use of ambush.
Spray and pray (Ex): At 6th level, a plague assassin gains the ability to strike multiple enemies with his attacks. You can use this ability any time you make a ranged weapon attack. Using this ability does not require an action. You can affect one attack per class level per day. (Each attack in a full attack action counts separately.)
Instead of targeting one enemy with your attack, you can target two. At 11th level, you can target up to three enemies, and at 16th you can target up to four. The enemies must be within 30 feet of one another. Make attack rolls and damage rolls against each target separately.
In addition, you get a bonus on the damage roll against each enemy equal to the total number of enemies targeted.
Deadly precision (Ex): At 19th level, the critical multiplier of any ranged weapon you wield increases by 1. In addition, you gain the Improved Critical and Power Critical feats for all ranged weapons.