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Maryring
2007-10-11, 03:16 PM
One again, I put forth the Vitae class for you to mock and make fun of. Have fun with this old class of mine. Hopefully it has at least aged well.



Class name: Vitae,

Class nature: The Vitae protects guards and heals all life, regardless of who or what they are. She is a warrior of peace. A protector of purity. The Vitae spins her powers of life itself and uses it to soothe the pain of others, heal physical and mental damage, bring peace and understanding, and act as a beacon of safety. The Vitae is so in tune with life around her that death damages her body, though that same link grants her a number of useful abilities to better understand those around her.

Role: The Vitae has a poor physical health and an inability to deal lethal damage. She can deal slight nonlethal damage and change lethal attacks to nonlethal attacks, but she truly shines when she tends to the wounded. The Vitae rarely enters combat willingly, prefering to prevent violence to the best of her abilities, but when combat does break out, she truly shines when she can heal and defend others.

Alignment: A Vitae must be of good alignment, as only a good person is capable of committing the sacrifices a Vitae must go through. The training a Vitae goes through and the principles she has to live by are very strict, so few of chaotic alignment find this path compelling.

Relationships: Vitaes get along with all those who hold life as something sacred.

Religion: A Vitae does not necessarily worship a god or goddess. To them, life is the only thing to worship and they find life in the animals of the forest, the children playing on the street and the plants that twist and grow. Those who do worship a god tend to go towards Pelor. There are also a few who worship the Vitae founder as a goddess, but they are few and far between.

Skills: The Vitae’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration,(con) Craft,(int) Diplomacy,(cha) Gather Information,(cha) Handle animal,(cha) Heal,(wis) Knowledge: Arcana,(int) Knowledge: History,(int) Knowledge: Nature,(int) Knowledge: Religion,(int) Knowledge: The planes,(int) Listen,(wis) Perform,(cha) Profession,(wis) Sense Motive,(wis) Spellcraft,(int) Spot(wis)

Skill points at first level: (4+Int modifier) x 4

Skill points at each additional level: 4+Int modifier

Key abilities: The Vitae needs all the mental skills she can acquire. Intelligence is used to determine what level of spells she can cast, as well as for bonus spells and for extra skill points. Wisdom determines the durability of some of her abilities as well as it improves the power of her spells. Charisma is used for most of her special abilities. Strength, Dexterity and Constitution is rarely needed.

Hit die: d4

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Shield of the soul 1, Part of life; Murderous Foe, Sacred Vow
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 Knowledge about life, Grace of life.
3 +1 +1 +1 +3 Willing sacrifice
4 +2 +1 +1 +4 Aura of kindness
5 +2 +1 +1 +4 Shield of the soul 2, heart of understanding, learning from life
6 +3 +2 +2 +5 Unity of life 1
7 +3 +2 +2 +5 Speak with animals
8 +4 +2 +2 +6 Knowledge from life
9 +4 +3 +3 +6 Shield of the soul 3
10 +4 +3 +3 +6 Lingering life, learning from life
11 +5 +3 +3 +7 Knowing me is knowing you, Greater Aura of Kindness
12 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Unity of life 2
13 +6/+1 +4 +4 +8 Shield of the soul 4
14 +7/+2 +4 +4 +9 Tongue of the Sun and Moon
15 +7/+2 +5 +5 +9 Learning from life
16 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Not dead yet, Strong Healer
17 +8/+3 +5 +5 +10 Shield of the soul 5
18 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Unity of life 3
19 +9/+4 +6 +6 +11
20 +10/+5 +6 +6 +12 One with life, Indestructible soul, Empowered life, Learning from life, Soul of Good

——–——————— Spells per Day —–———————
0 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th
3 2 — — — — — — — —
4 3 — — — — — — — —
4 3 2 — — — — — — —
4 4 3 — — — — — — —
4 4 3 2 — — — — — —
4 4 4 3 — — — — — —
4 5 4 3 2 — — — — —
4 5 4 4 3 — — — — —
4 5 5 4 3 2 — — — —
4 5 5 4 4 3 — — — —
4 5 5 5 4 3 2 — — —
4 5 5 5 4 4 3 — — —
4 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 — —
4 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 — —
4 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2 —
4 5 5 5 5 5 4 4 3 —
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3 2
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 3
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 4
4 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5


Class features: All of the following are features of the Vitae class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Vitaes are proficient with the sap, the club and the quarterstaff and no armour or shields. The Vitae may deal nonlethal damage with the club and the quarterstaff with no penalty to the attack roll. While a Vitae wears armour of any kind she loses all her spells and abilities except for Part of Life, Heart of Understanding, Speak with Animals and Willing Sacrifice.

Spells: A Vitae cast arcane and divine spells drawn from the life around her. To learn or cast a spell, a Vitae must have an intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the level of the spell. The DC for the saving throw against a Vitaes spell is 10 + the spell level + her intelligence. A Vitae knows all the spells on her spell list as soon as she is able to cast them, but has to prepare them ahead of time. A Vitae prepares her spells by meditating for one hour. In order to cast spells with somatic or verbal components the Vitae must have a focus created by her. The process of crafting this focus takes one hour. This focus overrules the need of other focuses, but it still needs material components if the components are non organic. A Vitae does not need organic material components. Owning a focus does not break the Vow of Poverty.

Shield of the soul: (Su) At first level the Vitae can call on the power of life to form a shield around her once each day. All damage done to the Vitae while this shield is activated change to nonlethal damage. The duration of this ability is equal to 2 + the Vitaes charisma bonus. At level five and every four levels after that, the times you can use this ability increase by one.

Murderous Foe: (Ex) If a creature shows murderous intent beyond reasoning, the Vitae can designate that creature as a Murderous Foe. The following abilities may not be used on, or is not triggered by, a Murderous Foe : Part of Life, Willing Sacrifice, Aura of Life, Cleanse Poison, Cleanse Disease, Positive Energy Burst (if the Murderous Foe is a living creature), Not Dead Yet. In addition, creatures within the Aura of Kindness need not make a will save in order to attack the Murderous Foe.

Sacred Vow: (Ex/Su) The Vitae gains “Sacred Vow” as a bonus feat.

Part of Life: (Ex) Whenever a creature is killed within 100 feet of a Vitae, she will take nonlethal damage equal to that creature’s HD. Natural deaths such as those from disease or age has no effect on the Vitae.

Knowledge about life: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level two she gains a +2 bonus on all her Heal, Knowledge: History and Knowledge: The Planes checks.

Grace of Life: (Su) When the Vitae reaches level 2 she can add her intelligence bonus to all her saving throws.

Willing Sacrifice: (Su) When a Vitae reaches level three she can take the damage of someone else as a swift action. Any further damage to that creature that round may also be transferred to the Vitae, at her option. However, she has to be aware of the attack and within thirty feet of the one attacked. The damage is calculated normally for the original target before it is transferred. She may also absorb poison or disease with this ability, but only if it is actuated

Aura of Kindness: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level four, she gains an aura that forces everyone within thirty feet of her to make a will save equal to 10 + ½ her level + her wisdom modifier in order to attack somebody else inside the radius of the aura. Others can still attack those inside the aura without having to roll the will save. If someone tries to attack the Vitae then the DC for the will save is 10+ ½ her level + charisma modifier + wisdom modifier. All creatures who fail their will save treats the Vitae as friendly unless she performs an offensive action against them. If the Vitae use a weapon of any kind to strike a living creature, the Aura of Kindness ceases to function for 10 minutes.

Heart of understanding: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level five she gains the ability to understand all other beings that can communicate. She must be able to hear and see the creature in order to understand. This does not give her the ability to communicate back. This ability allows the Vitae to understand body and sign language as well, but does not allow her to decipher hidden messages.

Learning from life: When a Vitae reaches level five and every five levels after that the Vitae reaches a point where her own life gets so in tune with the life around her that she can choose to add different skills to her class abilities. These abilities are:

Aura of Life: (Su) Once per day, the Vitae may activate the Aura of Life as a free action. All living creatures within 50 feet gain Fast Healing equal to the Vitae’s charisma modifier (minimum 1). The Aura lasts for 1 round per class level.

Cleanse Poison: (Su) The Vitae may absorb poison from others within 30 feet of her even after the poison has entered their system. The Vitae makes an immediate save vs. the poison when absorbing it, and if successful, the poison is destroyed. She may add her wisdom bonus to this save. This ability may be invoked as part of the Willing Sacrifice ability.

Cleanse Disease: (Su) The Vitae may absorb disease from others within 30 feet of her even after the disease has entered their system. The Vitae makes an immediate save vs. the disease when absorbing it, and if successful, the disease is cured. She may add her wisdom bonus to this save. This ability may be invoked as part of the Willing Sacrifice ability.

Positive Energy Burst: (Su) The Vitae may release a bolt of positive energy. To hit a target in combat, the Vitae must make a ranged touch attack. Outside of combat, it will automatically hit a friendly target. The burst heals a living creature of 1d6 hp per point of charisma bonus (minimum 1d6). An undead hit by the burst take the same amount in damage, and must make a will save vs. a DC of 10 + ½ the Vitae’s class level + charisma modifier or flee. If it is unable to flee, it will cower instead. The ability may be used a number of times each day equal to the Vitae’s wisdom modifier

Aura Focus: (Ex) The Vitae may focus power into the Aura of Kindness, increasing its range from thirty to fifty feet. The Vitae has to focus a lot on this ability and can therefore only take a partial action. The Vitae can also choose to forego an entire round, increasing the range of the aura to 100 feet. Each round, the Vitae must make a concentration check of DC 10.

Deflect blow: (Su) The Vitae may use this ability to ignore all damage dealt to her by the attacks of one creature she can see. The effects last one round and can be used a number of times each day equal to 1 + her intelligence modifier. This ability can only deflect physical blows and not magical attacks. Enchanted weapons count as physical blows.

Servant of life: (Su) The Vitae can change herself into a diminutive, tiny, small or medium animal and back as many times she wants each day and can stay in any one form indefinietly. The transformation takes one minute. The ability functions otherwise just like the Alter Self spell.

Unity of life: (Su) At level six the Vitae gains the ability to copy a defensive ability of a creature within 100 feet of her once each day. Once copied, that defensive ability lasts for 3 rounds, + the Vitae's Charisma modifier. At level twelve, and every six levels after that, she can use it one more time per day.

Speak with animals: (Ex) When the Vitae reaches level seven she can speak with all animals that have a language, primitive it though may be. This ability does not let her speak with magical creatures with an intelligence of 1 or 2.

Knowledge from life: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level eight she gains a +2 bonus on all her Heal, Knowledge: Religion and Knowledge: Nature checks.

Lingering life: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level ten she can add her wisdom modifier to her caster level for the purpose of determining the duration of her spells.

Knowing me is knowing you: (Ex) When the Vitae reaches level eleven she gains the ability to monitor the status of any creature she can see, as if she had cast the spell status on them.

Greater Aura of Kindness: (Ex) This ability functions exactly like the Aura of Kindness, except that the Vitae adds her Intelligence bonus to the DC when she is attacked directly. In addition, any creature watching the Vitae has to make the will save in order to harm her. That means, the Vitae does not need to be within thirty feet of her attacker to be protected by her gentle aura.

Tongue of the Sun and Moon: (Ex) A Vitae of level fourteen or higher can speak with any living creature.

Not dead yet: (Su) When a Vitae reaches level sixteen she can prevent the death of a creature within fifty feet of her. When the Vitae use this ability, the creature is not killed, but reduced to -9 hp and stabilized. All damage dealt to the creature is also changed to nonlethal damage. This ability can be used as many times each week equal to her intelligence, wisdom and charisma modifier /3.

Strong Healer: (Ex) A Vitae has no maximum caster level bonus on any spell she can cast that is also found in the healing domain.

One with life: (Ex) When a Vitae reaches level twenty, her body, mind and soul are so in tune with the life around her that she undergoes changes. Her type changes to Outsider, with the Good subtype. She no longer ages. The Vitae can no longer be brought back to life by the spells Raise Dead, Reincarnate and Resurrection. Only the spells True Resurrection, Miracle, or Wish, or Divine intervention can bring her back, and she will have to be brought back before two months pass. When the second month pass, the Vitae’s body turns to nothingness, even if she has been turned into an undead, and the Vitae’s mind and soul moves to a new body. This happens even if the Vitae dies of old age. When the Vitae is reborn, she will have lost all her Hit dice, abilities, saves and Base Attack Bonus. She will only retain her alignment, mental stats and the “One with life” ability until subjected to an awakening spell or similar magical effects.

Indestructible soul: (Ex) The Vitae can nevermore be affected by spells and abilities that affect her soul.

Empowered life: (Ex) The Vitae can add her wisdom modifier to her caster level for determining the effect of the spell.

Soul of good: (Ex) The Vitae’s soul has tuned itself so much to the goodness around her that the effects of spells with the good descriptor are twice as effective when cast on her or by her.

Spell list:

0 level spells:
Arcane Mark
Create Water
Cure Minor Wounds
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Guidance
Know Direction
Light
Mage Armour
Mending
Message
Open/Close
Prestidignation
Purify Food and Drink
Read Magic
Resistance
Sanctuary
Virtue

1 level spells:
Calm Animals
Comprehend Languages
Cure Light Wounds
Detect Animals or Plants
Detect Chaos
Detect Evil
Detect Good
Detect Law
Detect Secret Doors
Detect Snares and Pits
Detect Undead
Disguise Self
Endure Elements
Expeditious Retreat
Feather Fall
Identify
Longstrider
Remove Fear
Sanctuary
Shield
Silent Image

2 level spells:
Aid
Alter Self
Augury
Bear's Endurance
Calm emotions
Cat's Grace
Cure Moderate Wounds
Delay Poison
Detect Thoughts
Eagle's Splendor
Find Traps
Fox's Cunning
Gentle Repose
Heroism
Invisibility
Levitate
Minor image
Mirror image
Owl's Wisdom
Protection from arrows
Remove Paralysis
Restoration, Lesser
Shield Others
Status
Tongues
Undetectable Alignment
Whispering Wind

3 Level spells:
Arcane Sight
Clairvoyance
Create Food and Water
Cure Serious Wounds
Daylight
Deep Slumber
Dispel Magic
Good Hope
Haste
Locate Object
Major Image
Obscure Object
Protection from Energy
Quench
Remove Blindness
Remove Curse
Remove Deafness
Remove Disease
Resist Energy
Scrying
Speak with Animals
Tiny Hut
Water Breathing
Water Walk

4 level spells:
Air Walk
Cure Critical Wounds
Death Ward
Detect Scrying
Dimension Door
Discern Lies
Divination
Freedom of Movement
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
Illusory Wall
Locate Creature
Minor Creation
Neutralize Poison
Polymorph
Rainbow Pattern
Reincarnate
Resilient Sphere
Restoration
Secure Shelter
Speak with Plants
Spell Immunity

5 level spells:
Atonement
Break Enchantment
Cure Light Wounds, Mass
Commune
Commune with Nature
Contact other Plane
Dispel Evil
Dispel Magic, Greater
Heroism, Greater
Permanency
Persistant Image
Raise Dead
Scrying
Spell Resistance
Seeming
Telepathic Bond
Teleport
True Seeing

6 level spells:
Analyze Dweomer
Bear's Endurance, Mass
Cat's Grace, Mass
Cure Moderate Wounds, Mass
Eagle's Splendor, Mass
Find the Path
Fox's Cunning, Mass
Globe of Invulnerability
Guards and Wards
Heal
Heroes' Feast
Legend Lore
Owl's Wisdom, Mass
Permanent Image
Plane Shift
Programmed Image
Project Image
Stoneskin
Stone Tell
Stone to Flesh
Veil
Word of Recall

7 level spells
Arcane Sight, Greater
Cure Serious Wounds, Mass
Instant Summons
Invisibility, Mass
Regenerate
Restoration, Greater
Resurrection
Scrying Greater
Teleport, Greater
Teleport Object
Vision

8 level spells
Animal Shapes
Antimagic Field
Awakening
Cure Critical Wounds, Mass
Dimensional Lock
Discern Location
Holy Aura
Mind Blank
Moment of Prescience
Polymorph Any Object
Protection from Spells
Spell Immunity, Greater
Temporal Stasis

9 level spells
Astral Projection
Etheralness
Foresight
Freedom
Gate
Heal, Mass
Miracle
Refuge
Shapechange
Teleportation Circle
Time Stop
True Resurrection


Multiclassing: A character who multiclasses from a Vitae to any other class loses all her class abilities except for part of life knowledge about life, knowledge from life, hearth of understanding, speak with animals and tongue of the sun and moon and she can no longer gain levels in the Vitae class.

Ex Vitaes: If a Vitae ever willingly kills another living being, falls from good alignment or uses magic to harm living beings then she loses all her abilities and spells and cannot gain new levels before she atones and brings the creature she slew back to life. If she kills a Murderous Foe, she must still atone, but does not need to bring the creature back to life.

Hazkali
2007-10-11, 04:25 PM
I swiftly direct you here (http://www.pifro.com/dnd) to make up the tables for your class, which should make this easier to read. Plus a bit of Bold would help pick out the ability headings.

Darn, now I feel the need to say something constructive...

An ability at level 19 would be good.

As for the rest, just going on the basics (4 skill points per level but having to split bonuses between Int and Cha, full casting but limited spell list, plenty of other abilities) it's difficult to say precisely whether it's overpowered without critiquing each of the other abilities in turn, which I haven't the time at the moment (sorry!).

Maryring
2007-10-11, 04:33 PM
I know about that but... right now I'm too tired to fix it. I'll see if I can't fix it when I have more time.

Okay, added the bolding. I can do that. As for an ability at level 19, I really want to have one there but... I don't know what. :smallfrown:

Assasinater
2007-10-12, 05:47 PM
Nice class. As a level 19 ability, I may have several ideas:

-Suppress Death: Any ally of the Vitae within 30' is immune to all death spells, magical death effects, and negative levels (as the Death Ward). If it's too powerful, limit it only to the Vitae, while all within 30' may gain a +4 bonus to saving throws against such attacks.

-Rekindle the Spark: Resurrection 1/week, but permanent con damage to the Vitae.

-Saint's Touch: Vitae's touch can cure all nonmagical diseases and poisons. Unlimited uses per day.

Maryring
2007-10-14, 02:34 PM
Hmm... I think I'll go for your "Suppress Death" ability, as the other two are relatively useless with her (vast) amount of spells.

Thanks for the feedback though.

Mewtarthio
2007-10-14, 03:29 PM
Three quick questions:

1) What's with all the (Ex) abilities? Everything except the knowledge bonuses strikes me as (Su) at least.

2) Why the harsh multiclassing penalties?

3) How long does the charm effect of Aura of Kindness last? On that note, do you have to save every time you try to attack someone, or is this a "save once every twenty-four hours" effect?

Maryring
2007-10-23, 02:34 AM
Sorry for the late response. Let me give you some quick answers.

1: Well... let me take it ability for ability.

Murderous foe: There's no mystic mumbo jumbo involved in recognizing a creature as nothing more than a murderous beast, and the only mechanical benefit is the removal of the Part of Life damage, which is also an Ex ability.

Part of Life: The damage is empathical. Sensing the death of a creature shakes the spirit of the Vitae so much that she is weakened by it, even in an Anti-Magic field.

Aura of Kindness: The reason for making this aura Extraordinary is because again, there isn't magic involved. Instead, the Vitae has gained such a serene spirit that merely her presence has a calming effect.

Heart of Understanding: It's part of her training. If you don't understand how or why someone suffers, you can't administer the proper aid. Thus, she has learned how to look for signs, tones, sounds, all sorts of tools used in communication, and she has learned how to properly dechiper and understand them.

Aura Focus: See Aura of Kindness.

Speak with animals: See Heart of Understanding.

Lingering Life: I felt it fit better as an Ex ability. Mechanically speaking, there's no difference.

Knowing me is Knowing you: Was... supposed to be a Su ability. I'll change it.

Tounge of Sun and Moon: See Heart of Understanding.

Strong Healer: See Lingering Life.

One with Life: The Vitae isn't going to change into a mortal just because she steps into an Anti-Magic field. While the actual ascending may be Su, everything in it is Ex afterwards. It's like a spell with an Instantaneous effect.

Indestructible soul: That ability is derived from her spiritual strength, which is not supernatural, but pure, extraordinary strength.

Empowered life: See Lingering life.

Soul of Good: See Lingering life.

2nd. To avoid cherrypicking an int bonus to saves.

3rd. I'll... answer later. Gotta run to class now.

Hope that clarified some.