NigelWalmsley
2020-10-30, 10:30 PM
It can be generally acknowledged at this point that the martial classes in 3e kind of suck. The Fighters, Barbarians, and Rangers of the world not only don't keep up with spellcasters at high levels, they fail to keep up with the challenges they can expect to face, or the basic standards of character competence we might expect from them. But there are a lot of characters we'd like to be able to play that are recognizably martial and are entirely able to rise to these standards. The PrCs in this thread are an effort to bridge that gap by creating things that take a standard martial character and allow them to keep pace with spellcasters (at reasonable levels of optimization, at least) into the mid and high levels, just as they do at low levels.
A note on power level: my goal here is to create PrCs, and by extension characters, that can be played at the level of a competent spellcaster without rules-lawyering or dumpster-diving. As such, these things are almost certainly overpowered when compared to existing PrCs, or existing martial characters. That's the point. That said, my design process is not as rigorous as it could be, or like even as it should be. So it's possible that these classes will overshoot that mark and need to be toned down. But please try to keep in my the expected power targets.
Prelude concluded, here are the first two I've written up:
Dragon Aspirant
It's a killing machine the size of a house. Why wouldn't I want to learn its secrets?
Dragons are among the most powerful creatures in the world. It is no surprise that many among the moral races aspire to emulate their power. Among them are warriors who bind themselves to draconic mentors, gaining potent draconic magics. Some work as servants of the dragons who teach them, while others bend their draconic knowledge to their own ends.
BAB: +4
Skill: Knowledge (Arcana) 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks
Special: Must speak Draconic
Special: Must be proficient with a martial weapon
Special: Must have made friendly contact with a dragon of the type she chooses as her patron
Hit Die: d12
Class Skills: The dragon aspirant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence bonus
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialSpellcasting
1+1+2+2+2Draconic Patron, Sphere, Armored Mage+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
2+2+3+3+3Draconic Attributes +2+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
3+3+3+3+3Draconic Scales+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
4+4+4+4+4Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
5+5+4+4+4Improved Sphere Access+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
6+6/+1+5+5+5Draconic Attributes +4+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
7+7/+2+5+5+5Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
8+8/+3+6+6+6Draconic Durability+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
9+9/+4+6+6+6Improved Sphere Access+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
10+10/+5+7+7+7Draconic Attributes +6, Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The dragon aspirant gains proficiency with medium armor and all martial weapons.
Spellcasting: Every level, the dragon aspirant casts spells (including gaining any new spell slots and spell knowledge) as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she had previous to gaining that level. If the character does not have any levels in any arcane spellcasting classes when she takes her first level of dragon aspirant, this class feature gives her levels in sorcerer spellcasting.
Draconic Patron: The dragon aspirant devotes herself to the study of one type of dragon. At 1st level, she chooses one type of chromantic dragon (black, blue, green, red, or white) as her draconic patron. This determines what spheres she has access to. She gains each of the class skills her patron dragon has access to as a class skill. If she would gain a class skill she already has, she instead gains Skill Focus in that skill as a bonus feat.
Sphere: The dragon aspirant gains basic access to a Sphere (https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Tome_of_Fiends_(3.5e_Sourcebook)/Spheres_and_Feats#Fiendish_Spheres) at 1st level and every three levels thereafter. If the dragon aspirant selects a sphere that she already has basic access to, she upgrades it to advanced access. If she already had advanced access, she gains expert access. The set of spheres the aspirant can select from is determined by her draconic patron. All aspirants can choose the Dragon* or Terror spheres.
A black dragon aspirant can also choose from the Acid*, Corruption*, and Venom spheres.
A blue dragon aspirant can also choose from the Electricity*, Illusion*, and Weather* spheres.
A green dragon aspirant can also choose from the Acid*, Plant*, and Seduction spheres.
A red dragon aspirant can also choose from the Fire, Pyre, and Seduction spheres.
A white dragon aspirant can also choose from the Cold, Frost, and Weather* spheres.
*: New Sphere.
Armored Mage: The dragon aspirant ignores the arcane spell failure chance of any armor or shield with which she is proficient.
Draconic Attributes: At 4th level, the dragon aspirant gets a +2 racial bonus to strength, constitution, and charisma. At 6th level, this improves to a +4 bonus. At 10th level, it improves again to a +6 bonus.
Draconic Scales: At 3rd level, the dragon aspirant's skin begins to turn into scales. she gains a +1 natural armor bonus. This bonus increases by one for each dragon aspirant level she gains thereafter (so a 7th level dragon aspirant would have a +5 natural armor bonus).
Improved Sphere Access: At 5th level, the dragon aspirant's access to her spheres improves. she can choose a sphere she has basic access to and upgrade it to advanced access, or a sphere she has advanced access to and upgrade it to expert access. she cannot use this ability to gain access to a new sphere. At 9th level, she can upgrade her access to another sphere in this way.
Draconic Durability: At 8th level, the dragon aspirant gains the durability of a dragon. she gains DR 15/magic. If she ever becomes an epic character, this DR improves to 15/epic.
New Spheres
Acid
Special: You gain Immunity to Acid.
1st: acid arrow
3rd: acid storm (SpC)
5th: dispel magic
7th: orb of acid (SpC)
9th: acid sheath (SpC)
11th: acid fog
13th: Persistent Maximized acid arrow
15th: Quickened orb of acid (SpC)
17th: acid fog, each creature in the fog is subjected to a targeted greater dispel magic when it takes damage
19th: disjunction
Corruption
Special: You gain immunity to disease.
1st: darkness
3rd: ghoul touch
5th: stinking cloud
7th: black tentacles
9th: Quickened fengut
11th: eyebite
13th: creeping doom
15th: avascular mass (SpC)
17th: Empowered horrid wilting
19th: Quickened cloudkill
Dragon
Special: You can use detect magic at will. This effect also detects mundane wealth as if it was a magic item with a caster level of 1 per 1,000 GP.
1st: blood wind (SpC)
3rd: dragon's breath*
5th: greater magic fang (Dra)
7th: wings of flurry (RoD)
9th: lesser dragon ally (Dra)
11th: primal hunter, primal instinct, primal senses, and primal speed, cast separately (DM)
13th: hiss of sleep (Dra)
15th: animate breath, treats your size as colossal (Dra)
17th: shapechange, dragons and reptiles only
19th: greater dragon ally (Dra)
Electricity
Special: You gain Immunity to Electricity.
1st: lightning bolt
3rd: seeking ray (PHBII)
5th: chain lightning
7th: orb of electricity (SpC)
9th: ball lightning (SpC)
11th: call lightning storm
13th: stun ray (SpC)
15th: stormrage (SpC)
17th: Directing your ball lighting, calling lightning with call lightning storm, and launching bolts from stormrage are free actions that can be taken once each per round
19th: Quickened Maximized chain lightning
Illusion
Special: You can use ventriloquism and ghost sound at will.
1st: silent image
3rd: mirror image
5th: major image
7th: phantasmal killer
9th: mirage arcana
11th: permanent image
13th:project image
15th: simulacrum, you must still have a piece of the creature
17th: wierd
19th: Quickened phantasmal killer
Plant
Special: You can speak with plants as if under the effect of speak with plants.
1st: entangle
3rd: kelpstrand (SpC)
5th: plant growth
7th: command plants
9th: wall of thorns
11th: minor creation (as a standard action)
13th: Greenbound summon monster VII (animals only)
15th: control plants
17th: deadfall
19th: shambler
Weather
Special: You can use gust of wind at will.
1st: obscuring mist
3rd: sleet storm
5th: great thunderclap (SpC)
7th: solid fog
9th: control winds
11th: whirlwind
13th: control weather
15th: Quickened telekinesis
17th: meteor swarm
19th: storm of vengeance
*: New Spell.
Sources Used
Dra: Draconomicon
DM: Dragon Magic
SpC: Spell Compendium
RoD: Races of the Dragon
New Spell
Dragon's Breath
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: See text
Area: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
You breath out a blast of energy. You deal 1d6 damage per caster level (no cap) of your choice of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage. You can choose to have this spell effect a cone (in which case it has an area of 5ft per caster level) or a line (in which case its area is 5ft wide and 10ft long per caster level).
This class is influenced heavily by the Conduit of the Lower Planes from the Tome of Fiends (http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=28828). Obviously it uses the same Spheres mechanic, and it also has a similar life path of transitioning you out to other PrCs by granting Sorcerer casting. Honestly, you could refigure it to be a base class pretty easily (though in that case you'd want to give it Magical Training as a capstone, rather than have it advance Sorcerer casting). Compared to the Conduit, you get slightly more spheres, but with a much tighter focus (and less use of low-level SLAs). Since the class features are overall stronger, I think it works out okay. Especially because you're expected to have sunk four levels into Fighter or Barbarian or something.
The basic idea of the class is that it transitions you from being a fighter-type to being something more caster-ish. Your spheres give you level-appropriate abilities, and you get casting that's hopefully good enough to fill in some gaps. You also get a full Dragon-equivalent chassis, which might be a bit much. It's possible the class should get knocked down somewhere (probably d10 Hit Die and bad Reflex saves).
There are a variety of different entry paths available. Straight martial is obviously the default, but you can also get in with Gish builds (the pre-reqs are specifically designed to work with Battle Sorcerer, because Battle Sorcerer deserves a leg up). The one thing I'm not sure about is the fact that you can get in as a Sorcerer 8 or similar if you can swing a martial weapon proficiency. Hopefully the fact that doing so delays your progression by a lot mitigates that.
Tartarian Keeper
What is locked must remain locked. What is sealed must remain sealed. What is bound must remain bound.
Sometimes, what has been defeated cannot be killed. Liches whose phylacteries cannot be founded and destroyed, monsters that can only be slain in circumstances not due for millenna, and most famously the titans that birthed the gods. These creatures are bound by chains of steel and magic, trapped beneath the earth or on other worlds. Most would like to forget the things that have been sealed away in such places. But no prison can be left unguarded, and the wardens of such monsters must be formidable in their own right.
BAB: +5
Feat: Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip
Skill: Knowledge (the Planes) 4 ranks
Special: Must be proficient with the spiked chain
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills: The tartarian keeper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Wis), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points: 4 + Intelligence bonus
1: Tartarian Chain, Improved Reflexes, Tartarian Seal
2: Extended Reach +10, Trip Mastery
3: The Bigger They Are, Warden's Accomodations
4: Extended Reach +20, Dimensional Anchor
5: Tangling Chains, Plane Shift
6: Extended Reach +30, Aura of Chains
7: Lockdown, Whispers of the Inmates
8: Graps of Chains +40, Strangling Chains
9: Opportunist, Animate Chains
10: Extended Reach +50, Imprison
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The tartarian keeper gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Tartarian Chain: The tartarian keeper gains the ability to call forth the binding chains of tartarus as a weapon. This is a ghost touch spiked chain made of thinaun with an enhancement bonus equal to one half his class level (round up), any any creature tripped by it is entangled (as the spell). Calling it takes one hour. He may only have one such chain at any given time (summoning another destroys any existing one).
Improved Reflexes: The tartarian keeper gains a number of extra attacks of opportunity equal to his class level, beyond those he gains from Combat Reflexes.
Tartarian Seal (Sp): The tartarian keeper can place the seal of tartarus on things. This is like an arcane lock spell, except that knock only bypasses it on a successful opposed caster level check. The keeper is aware when this happens, or if the seal is on is broken, though he does not gain any special awareness of the circumstances in which the seal was bypassed. Caster level equals character level.
Extended Reach: Beginning at 2nd level, the tartarian keeper's finds that he is able to strike foes at a much greater distance. He gains a +10ft bonus to his reach. This bonus increases by 10ft for every two additional levels he gains.
Trip Mastery: At 2nd level, the tartarian keeper adds his class level on checks to trip or resist tripping.
The Bigger They Are: At 3rd level, the tartarian keeper ignores his opponent's size bonus when making a trip attempt.
Warden's Accomodations (Sp): At 3rd level, tartarian keeper gains access to an extradimensional residence. This effect can be used at will, and is like a magnificent mansion, except that the space accessed persists when the duration ends. Creatures or objects left within it will remain there when he returns, though planar travel magic allows them to depart. Caster level equals character level (though the duration applies only to the entrance).
Dimensional Anchor (Su): At 4th level, the tartarian keeper's attacks bind targets to the world. Whenever he successfully trips a creature with his tartarian chain, that creature is effected as by a dimensional anchor. Caster level equals character level.
Tangling Chains (Su): At 5th level, the tartarian keeper can make chains errupt from the ground, binding an enemy to the earth. As a full round action, he can make a melee attack with his tartarian chain against a single target. If the target takes any damage, their movement speed (all modes) drops to 0ft for one round per class level. If they are flying, they fall to the earth. The target can break out of the chains with a strength or Escape Artist check (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Strength modifier).
Plane Shift (Sp): At 5th level, the tartarian keeper is charged with pursuing escapees across the planes. To facilitate this, he can use plane shift three times per day. Caster level equals character level.
Aura of Chains (Su): At 6th level, the tartarian keeper is surrounded by a field of twisting and grasping chains. This is mechanically equivalent to black tentacles, except that the area an emanation centered on him with a radius equal to twice his reach, the strength score of the chains is equal to his own, and he may have the chains ignore creatures at his option. Caster level equals character level.
Lockdown: At 7th level, any target that takes damage from an attack of opportunity by the tartarian keeper's tartarian chain must make a fortitute save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Strength modifier) or be dazed for one round.
Whispers of the Inmates (Sp): At 7th level, the tartarian keeper begins to hear the ramblings of the creatures he is tasked with containing. He can use contact other plane once per day. He automatically makes his save against ability score decrease. Caster level equals character level.
Strangling Chains (Su): At 8th level, when the tartarian keeper uses his Tangling Chains ability, the chains also attempt to suffocate the target. If the target fails a fortitude save, they begin to drown. Breaking out of the chains ends this effect.
Opportunist: At 9th level, the tartarian keeper's reflexes become finely attuned any weakness in his opponents' defenses. Whenever he takes an attack of opportunity, he may take a second attack of opportunity against the same target.
Animate Chains (Sp): At 9th level, the tartarian keeper can bring other chains to life to serve him. He can use animate objects at will, though effect is permanent and the target must be a mass of chains. Animated chains have the constrict ability, a +20ft bonus to their speed, and a climb speed equal to half their speed. He can command 4 HD of animate chains per character level, but chains ordered to guard a specific location do not count against this limit. Caster level equals character level.
Imprison (Su): At 10th level, the tartarian keeper can seal away his enemies alongside his other charges. As a full round action, he can make a melee attack with his tartarian chain against a single target. If the target takes any damage, they are effected as by imprison. They still get a save, and the DC is based on the keeper's strength score.
It's a PrC for Tripstars. You get abilities that make you better at tripping and allow tripping to disable high-level movement (e.g. Teleport). Then you gain some utility abilities that hopefully make you slightly more interesting than a normal Tripstar. Not a whole lot to say here. I will say that I'm not satisfied with Animate Chains as an ability. The animated chains it makes aren't very good in combat when you get it, and don't offer any real utility. Also, a lot of the abilities are eyeballed, and I haven't run the math as well as I should on how effective the class actually is at tripping. It's possible one or both of Trip Mastery or The Bigger They Are needs to go.
A note on power level: my goal here is to create PrCs, and by extension characters, that can be played at the level of a competent spellcaster without rules-lawyering or dumpster-diving. As such, these things are almost certainly overpowered when compared to existing PrCs, or existing martial characters. That's the point. That said, my design process is not as rigorous as it could be, or like even as it should be. So it's possible that these classes will overshoot that mark and need to be toned down. But please try to keep in my the expected power targets.
Prelude concluded, here are the first two I've written up:
Dragon Aspirant
It's a killing machine the size of a house. Why wouldn't I want to learn its secrets?
Dragons are among the most powerful creatures in the world. It is no surprise that many among the moral races aspire to emulate their power. Among them are warriors who bind themselves to draconic mentors, gaining potent draconic magics. Some work as servants of the dragons who teach them, while others bend their draconic knowledge to their own ends.
BAB: +4
Skill: Knowledge (Arcana) 7 ranks, Intimidate 7 ranks
Special: Must speak Draconic
Special: Must be proficient with a martial weapon
Special: Must have made friendly contact with a dragon of the type she chooses as her patron
Hit Die: d12
Class Skills: The dragon aspirant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence bonus
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialSpellcasting
1+1+2+2+2Draconic Patron, Sphere, Armored Mage+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
2+2+3+3+3Draconic Attributes +2+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
3+3+3+3+3Draconic Scales+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
4+4+4+4+4Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
5+5+4+4+4Improved Sphere Access+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
6+6/+1+5+5+5Draconic Attributes +4+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
7+7/+2+5+5+5Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
8+8/+3+6+6+6Draconic Durability+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
9+9/+4+6+6+6Improved Sphere Access+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
10+10/+5+7+7+7Draconic Attributes +6, Sphere+1 level of arcane spellcasting class
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The dragon aspirant gains proficiency with medium armor and all martial weapons.
Spellcasting: Every level, the dragon aspirant casts spells (including gaining any new spell slots and spell knowledge) as if she had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class she had previous to gaining that level. If the character does not have any levels in any arcane spellcasting classes when she takes her first level of dragon aspirant, this class feature gives her levels in sorcerer spellcasting.
Draconic Patron: The dragon aspirant devotes herself to the study of one type of dragon. At 1st level, she chooses one type of chromantic dragon (black, blue, green, red, or white) as her draconic patron. This determines what spheres she has access to. She gains each of the class skills her patron dragon has access to as a class skill. If she would gain a class skill she already has, she instead gains Skill Focus in that skill as a bonus feat.
Sphere: The dragon aspirant gains basic access to a Sphere (https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Tome_of_Fiends_(3.5e_Sourcebook)/Spheres_and_Feats#Fiendish_Spheres) at 1st level and every three levels thereafter. If the dragon aspirant selects a sphere that she already has basic access to, she upgrades it to advanced access. If she already had advanced access, she gains expert access. The set of spheres the aspirant can select from is determined by her draconic patron. All aspirants can choose the Dragon* or Terror spheres.
A black dragon aspirant can also choose from the Acid*, Corruption*, and Venom spheres.
A blue dragon aspirant can also choose from the Electricity*, Illusion*, and Weather* spheres.
A green dragon aspirant can also choose from the Acid*, Plant*, and Seduction spheres.
A red dragon aspirant can also choose from the Fire, Pyre, and Seduction spheres.
A white dragon aspirant can also choose from the Cold, Frost, and Weather* spheres.
*: New Sphere.
Armored Mage: The dragon aspirant ignores the arcane spell failure chance of any armor or shield with which she is proficient.
Draconic Attributes: At 4th level, the dragon aspirant gets a +2 racial bonus to strength, constitution, and charisma. At 6th level, this improves to a +4 bonus. At 10th level, it improves again to a +6 bonus.
Draconic Scales: At 3rd level, the dragon aspirant's skin begins to turn into scales. she gains a +1 natural armor bonus. This bonus increases by one for each dragon aspirant level she gains thereafter (so a 7th level dragon aspirant would have a +5 natural armor bonus).
Improved Sphere Access: At 5th level, the dragon aspirant's access to her spheres improves. she can choose a sphere she has basic access to and upgrade it to advanced access, or a sphere she has advanced access to and upgrade it to expert access. she cannot use this ability to gain access to a new sphere. At 9th level, she can upgrade her access to another sphere in this way.
Draconic Durability: At 8th level, the dragon aspirant gains the durability of a dragon. she gains DR 15/magic. If she ever becomes an epic character, this DR improves to 15/epic.
New Spheres
Acid
Special: You gain Immunity to Acid.
1st: acid arrow
3rd: acid storm (SpC)
5th: dispel magic
7th: orb of acid (SpC)
9th: acid sheath (SpC)
11th: acid fog
13th: Persistent Maximized acid arrow
15th: Quickened orb of acid (SpC)
17th: acid fog, each creature in the fog is subjected to a targeted greater dispel magic when it takes damage
19th: disjunction
Corruption
Special: You gain immunity to disease.
1st: darkness
3rd: ghoul touch
5th: stinking cloud
7th: black tentacles
9th: Quickened fengut
11th: eyebite
13th: creeping doom
15th: avascular mass (SpC)
17th: Empowered horrid wilting
19th: Quickened cloudkill
Dragon
Special: You can use detect magic at will. This effect also detects mundane wealth as if it was a magic item with a caster level of 1 per 1,000 GP.
1st: blood wind (SpC)
3rd: dragon's breath*
5th: greater magic fang (Dra)
7th: wings of flurry (RoD)
9th: lesser dragon ally (Dra)
11th: primal hunter, primal instinct, primal senses, and primal speed, cast separately (DM)
13th: hiss of sleep (Dra)
15th: animate breath, treats your size as colossal (Dra)
17th: shapechange, dragons and reptiles only
19th: greater dragon ally (Dra)
Electricity
Special: You gain Immunity to Electricity.
1st: lightning bolt
3rd: seeking ray (PHBII)
5th: chain lightning
7th: orb of electricity (SpC)
9th: ball lightning (SpC)
11th: call lightning storm
13th: stun ray (SpC)
15th: stormrage (SpC)
17th: Directing your ball lighting, calling lightning with call lightning storm, and launching bolts from stormrage are free actions that can be taken once each per round
19th: Quickened Maximized chain lightning
Illusion
Special: You can use ventriloquism and ghost sound at will.
1st: silent image
3rd: mirror image
5th: major image
7th: phantasmal killer
9th: mirage arcana
11th: permanent image
13th:project image
15th: simulacrum, you must still have a piece of the creature
17th: wierd
19th: Quickened phantasmal killer
Plant
Special: You can speak with plants as if under the effect of speak with plants.
1st: entangle
3rd: kelpstrand (SpC)
5th: plant growth
7th: command plants
9th: wall of thorns
11th: minor creation (as a standard action)
13th: Greenbound summon monster VII (animals only)
15th: control plants
17th: deadfall
19th: shambler
Weather
Special: You can use gust of wind at will.
1st: obscuring mist
3rd: sleet storm
5th: great thunderclap (SpC)
7th: solid fog
9th: control winds
11th: whirlwind
13th: control weather
15th: Quickened telekinesis
17th: meteor swarm
19th: storm of vengeance
*: New Spell.
Sources Used
Dra: Draconomicon
DM: Dragon Magic
SpC: Spell Compendium
RoD: Races of the Dragon
New Spell
Dragon's Breath
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: See text
Area: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Spell Resistance: Yes
You breath out a blast of energy. You deal 1d6 damage per caster level (no cap) of your choice of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage. You can choose to have this spell effect a cone (in which case it has an area of 5ft per caster level) or a line (in which case its area is 5ft wide and 10ft long per caster level).
This class is influenced heavily by the Conduit of the Lower Planes from the Tome of Fiends (http://www.tgdmb.com/viewtopic.php?t=28828). Obviously it uses the same Spheres mechanic, and it also has a similar life path of transitioning you out to other PrCs by granting Sorcerer casting. Honestly, you could refigure it to be a base class pretty easily (though in that case you'd want to give it Magical Training as a capstone, rather than have it advance Sorcerer casting). Compared to the Conduit, you get slightly more spheres, but with a much tighter focus (and less use of low-level SLAs). Since the class features are overall stronger, I think it works out okay. Especially because you're expected to have sunk four levels into Fighter or Barbarian or something.
The basic idea of the class is that it transitions you from being a fighter-type to being something more caster-ish. Your spheres give you level-appropriate abilities, and you get casting that's hopefully good enough to fill in some gaps. You also get a full Dragon-equivalent chassis, which might be a bit much. It's possible the class should get knocked down somewhere (probably d10 Hit Die and bad Reflex saves).
There are a variety of different entry paths available. Straight martial is obviously the default, but you can also get in with Gish builds (the pre-reqs are specifically designed to work with Battle Sorcerer, because Battle Sorcerer deserves a leg up). The one thing I'm not sure about is the fact that you can get in as a Sorcerer 8 or similar if you can swing a martial weapon proficiency. Hopefully the fact that doing so delays your progression by a lot mitigates that.
Tartarian Keeper
What is locked must remain locked. What is sealed must remain sealed. What is bound must remain bound.
Sometimes, what has been defeated cannot be killed. Liches whose phylacteries cannot be founded and destroyed, monsters that can only be slain in circumstances not due for millenna, and most famously the titans that birthed the gods. These creatures are bound by chains of steel and magic, trapped beneath the earth or on other worlds. Most would like to forget the things that have been sealed away in such places. But no prison can be left unguarded, and the wardens of such monsters must be formidable in their own right.
BAB: +5
Feat: Combat Reflexes, Improved Trip
Skill: Knowledge (the Planes) 4 ranks
Special: Must be proficient with the spiked chain
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills: The tartarian keeper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Wis), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points: 4 + Intelligence bonus
1: Tartarian Chain, Improved Reflexes, Tartarian Seal
2: Extended Reach +10, Trip Mastery
3: The Bigger They Are, Warden's Accomodations
4: Extended Reach +20, Dimensional Anchor
5: Tangling Chains, Plane Shift
6: Extended Reach +30, Aura of Chains
7: Lockdown, Whispers of the Inmates
8: Graps of Chains +40, Strangling Chains
9: Opportunist, Animate Chains
10: Extended Reach +50, Imprison
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The tartarian keeper gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Tartarian Chain: The tartarian keeper gains the ability to call forth the binding chains of tartarus as a weapon. This is a ghost touch spiked chain made of thinaun with an enhancement bonus equal to one half his class level (round up), any any creature tripped by it is entangled (as the spell). Calling it takes one hour. He may only have one such chain at any given time (summoning another destroys any existing one).
Improved Reflexes: The tartarian keeper gains a number of extra attacks of opportunity equal to his class level, beyond those he gains from Combat Reflexes.
Tartarian Seal (Sp): The tartarian keeper can place the seal of tartarus on things. This is like an arcane lock spell, except that knock only bypasses it on a successful opposed caster level check. The keeper is aware when this happens, or if the seal is on is broken, though he does not gain any special awareness of the circumstances in which the seal was bypassed. Caster level equals character level.
Extended Reach: Beginning at 2nd level, the tartarian keeper's finds that he is able to strike foes at a much greater distance. He gains a +10ft bonus to his reach. This bonus increases by 10ft for every two additional levels he gains.
Trip Mastery: At 2nd level, the tartarian keeper adds his class level on checks to trip or resist tripping.
The Bigger They Are: At 3rd level, the tartarian keeper ignores his opponent's size bonus when making a trip attempt.
Warden's Accomodations (Sp): At 3rd level, tartarian keeper gains access to an extradimensional residence. This effect can be used at will, and is like a magnificent mansion, except that the space accessed persists when the duration ends. Creatures or objects left within it will remain there when he returns, though planar travel magic allows them to depart. Caster level equals character level (though the duration applies only to the entrance).
Dimensional Anchor (Su): At 4th level, the tartarian keeper's attacks bind targets to the world. Whenever he successfully trips a creature with his tartarian chain, that creature is effected as by a dimensional anchor. Caster level equals character level.
Tangling Chains (Su): At 5th level, the tartarian keeper can make chains errupt from the ground, binding an enemy to the earth. As a full round action, he can make a melee attack with his tartarian chain against a single target. If the target takes any damage, their movement speed (all modes) drops to 0ft for one round per class level. If they are flying, they fall to the earth. The target can break out of the chains with a strength or Escape Artist check (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Strength modifier).
Plane Shift (Sp): At 5th level, the tartarian keeper is charged with pursuing escapees across the planes. To facilitate this, he can use plane shift three times per day. Caster level equals character level.
Aura of Chains (Su): At 6th level, the tartarian keeper is surrounded by a field of twisting and grasping chains. This is mechanically equivalent to black tentacles, except that the area an emanation centered on him with a radius equal to twice his reach, the strength score of the chains is equal to his own, and he may have the chains ignore creatures at his option. Caster level equals character level.
Lockdown: At 7th level, any target that takes damage from an attack of opportunity by the tartarian keeper's tartarian chain must make a fortitute save (DC 10 + 1/2 character level + Strength modifier) or be dazed for one round.
Whispers of the Inmates (Sp): At 7th level, the tartarian keeper begins to hear the ramblings of the creatures he is tasked with containing. He can use contact other plane once per day. He automatically makes his save against ability score decrease. Caster level equals character level.
Strangling Chains (Su): At 8th level, when the tartarian keeper uses his Tangling Chains ability, the chains also attempt to suffocate the target. If the target fails a fortitude save, they begin to drown. Breaking out of the chains ends this effect.
Opportunist: At 9th level, the tartarian keeper's reflexes become finely attuned any weakness in his opponents' defenses. Whenever he takes an attack of opportunity, he may take a second attack of opportunity against the same target.
Animate Chains (Sp): At 9th level, the tartarian keeper can bring other chains to life to serve him. He can use animate objects at will, though effect is permanent and the target must be a mass of chains. Animated chains have the constrict ability, a +20ft bonus to their speed, and a climb speed equal to half their speed. He can command 4 HD of animate chains per character level, but chains ordered to guard a specific location do not count against this limit. Caster level equals character level.
Imprison (Su): At 10th level, the tartarian keeper can seal away his enemies alongside his other charges. As a full round action, he can make a melee attack with his tartarian chain against a single target. If the target takes any damage, they are effected as by imprison. They still get a save, and the DC is based on the keeper's strength score.
It's a PrC for Tripstars. You get abilities that make you better at tripping and allow tripping to disable high-level movement (e.g. Teleport). Then you gain some utility abilities that hopefully make you slightly more interesting than a normal Tripstar. Not a whole lot to say here. I will say that I'm not satisfied with Animate Chains as an ability. The animated chains it makes aren't very good in combat when you get it, and don't offer any real utility. Also, a lot of the abilities are eyeballed, and I haven't run the math as well as I should on how effective the class actually is at tripping. It's possible one or both of Trip Mastery or The Bigger They Are needs to go.