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kinem
2021-01-02, 04:34 PM
Here is the latest revision of my Wooden Avatarist homebrew class. (old version here post 3 (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?603665-Skeletal-Avatarist-and-Necroblade-PEACH))

Edit: Increased HD to d8 and SLAs to 3/day.
Edit: Clarified Avatar rules.

Wooden Avatarist

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Age: As cleric

Starting Gold: 5d4 x 10 gp

Class Skills
The Wooden Avatarist’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana, nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Professon (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Wooden Avatarist

Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
SLA


1st

+0



+0



+0



+2


Conjure Attuned Wooden Soldier, Non-Necro
0th


2nd

+1



+0



+0



+3


Wooden Avatar
0th


3rd

+2



+1



+1



+3


Sudden Strength +2, Repair Construct (1d6) xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
1st


4th

+3



+1



+1



+4


Wooden Soldier Telepathy
1st


5th

+3



+1



+1



+4


Eyes Of Wood
2nd


6th

+4



+2



+2



+5


Sudden Strength +4, Repair Construct (2d6), Medium Wooden Soldier
2nd


7th

+5



+2



+2



+5


Usurp Wooden Soldier
3rd


8th

+6/+1



+2



+2



+6


Distant Avatar
3rd


9th

+6/+1



+3



+3



+6


Sudden Strength +6, Repair Construct (3d6)
4th


10th

+7/+2



+3



+3



+7


Bonus Feat
4th


11th

+8/+3



+3



+3



+7


Large Wooden Soldiers
5th


12th

+9/+4



+4



+4



+8


Sudden Strength +8, Repair Construct (4d6)
5th


13th

+9/+4



+4



+4



+8


Planar Avatar
6th


14th

+10/+5



+4



+4



+9


Bonus Feat
6th


15th

+11/+6/+1



+5



+5



+9


Sudden Strength +10, Repair Construct (5d6)
7th


16th

+12/+7/+2



+5



+5



+10


Huge Wooden Soldiers
7th


17th

+12/+7/+2



+5



+5



+10


Bonus Feat
8th


18th

+13/+8/+3



+6



+6



+11


Sudden Strength +12, Repair Construct (6d6)
8th


19th

+14/+9/+4



+6



+6



+11


Remote Avatar Transfer
9th


20th

+15/+10/+5



+6



+6



+12


Avataric Retreat
9th



Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Wooden Avatarist (WA).

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies
A Wooden Avatarist is proficient with all simple weapons and with longswords and greatswords, with light armor, and with shields (but not tower shields). While inhabiting a Wooden Soldier through his Wooden Avatar ability (see below), he is also proficient with the natural weapons of the Wooden Soldier and with any rocks it is noted as being able to throw.

Conjure Attuned Wooden Soldier (Sp)
Once per day as a standard action, the Wooden Avatarist can conjure a Small Wooden Soldier, which appears with no equipment. He can instead choose a Medium Wooden Soldier at 6th level, a Large one at 11th level, or a Huge one at 16th level. If the Wooden Avatarist's class level exceeds the Soldier's Hit Dice, increase the Hit Dice to equal the class level. For every 2 HD of advancement, add +1 to the construct's Natural Armor and Strength score. If the WA's class level increases, adjust these numbers to match his current class level.

He may have up to two Attuned Wooden Soldiers at a time, but loses the ability to Conjure another while he does. He can release an Attuned Wooden Soldier as a swift action, causing it to vanish.

Non-Necro (Ex)
A Wooden Avatarist can't operate as such and also magically command or control the undead via necromancy, as that interferes with his powers. If he does control undead, he loses all Wooden Avatarist magical abilities until such control is relinquished.

Spell-Like Abilities (Sp)
At each level from 1 through 20, the Wooden Avatarist gains a new spell-like ability which can be used up to 3 times per day. The Wooden Avatarist may choose any Druid spell of the indicated level or lower as the spell-like ability (caster level = class level, save DC = 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier). Once chosen, a spell-like ability can not be changed.

Wooden Avatar (Ex)
At 2nd level, as a full-round action, the Wooden Avatarist may transfer part of his consciousness into an Attuned Wooden Soldier, inhabiting it to control it directly. He must touch the Soldier to use this ability. The ability can be used for up to 1 hour per day per class level; these must be spent in 1 hour increments but they need not be consecutive.

Treat this similarly to a magic jar effect with exceptions given below. Thus, the Avatarist keeps his Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, level, class, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, alignment, and mental abilities. The Soldier retains its Strength, Dexterity, hit points, natural abilities, and automatic abilities. Protection From Evil and similar effects do not interfere with the Avatarist's control of the Avatar.

The effect does not require a receptacle. The Avatarist's consciousness is split between the two bodies and he can use his spell-like abilities and Wooden Avatarist class supernatural abilities. These originate at the inhabited Avatar, as do spells, SLAs, and psionic powers cast by the inhabited Avatar if applicable.

The Avatarist retains control of his own body (in addition to the chosen skeleton) and its senses, but cannot use it to take any actions other than speaking and move actions. His body loses any Dex bonus to AC.

The Avatarist can transfer his full consciousness back into his own body as a standard action. If the Avatarist is ever separated from his body by more than 300 feet or ever on different planes his consciousness instantly returns to his own body. If the Avatar is destroyed it vanishes and the Avatarist must make a DC 5 Will save to return his consciousness to his own body; if this fails he dies. The Will save is made without benefit of spells or effects that target either the Avatar or his own body, so is normally just his base Will save + unadjusted Wisdom bonus + any effects of feats such as Iron Will.

If his own body is slain while he inhabits an Avatar, the Avatarist continues to inhabit it (and can potentially wait for his body to be raised or resurrected before returning to it, with no level or Constitution loss). If the time limit expires while he is waiting in this way, he dies.

Sudden Strength (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, as a swift action the Wooden Avatarist can grant a +2 bonus to Strength that lasts for one round either to his Avatar or to any wooden soldier (even if he does not control it) within his Wooden Soldier Telepathy range. This bonus increases by +2 every three class levels thereafter. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the Avatarist's class level.

Repair Construct (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, the Wooden Avatarist can repair a damaged construct by touch as a standard action. The damage repaired is 1d6 at 3rd level and increases by +1d6 every three class levels. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to the Avatarist's class level.

Wooden Soldier Telepathy (Su)
Starting at 4th level, the Avatarist can issue telepathic commands to any Wooden Soldiers he controls. Treat this as the telepathy special quality (range 20 feet per class level from both the Avatarist and an inhabited Avatar if any), save that it may be used only to give orders to Wooden Soldiers he commands.

Eyes Of Wood (Su) Starting at 5th level, at will the Avatarist can see for one round through the eyes of one of the Wooden Soldiers he controls as a move action. He must be within Wooden Telepathy range but does not need of sight to the Soldier. Unlike inhabiting an Avatar, this does not daze him.

Usurp Wooden Soldier (Sp):
Starting at 7th level, the WA can attempt to take control of a mindless Wooden Soldier within 60’ as a standard action. If the Soldier has HD less than or equal to the SA’s level, and it fails a Will save (DC 10 + ½ WA level + Wisdom modifier) than he takes control of it as if he had Conjured and Attuned it. This has no effect on other types of construct, such as wood golems or animated objects. If he already has two Attuned Soldiers, he must choose which one will vanish, which can be the new one.

Distant Avatar (Ex)
At 8th level the Avatarist may continue to inhabit an Avatar regardless of the distance from his body. If the Avatar is destroyed while more than 300' from his body, he must make a DC 5 Will save and a DC 10 Will save to return his consciousness to his own body; if either fails he dies.

Bonus Feat
At certain levels, the Wooden Avatarist gains a bonus feat, which can be a fighter bonus feat, a feat that affects his spell-like abilities, Craft Construct, Wooden Commander (see below), or Epic Wooden Commander. He must still meet the prerequisites.

Planar Avatar (Ex)
At 13th level a Wooden Avatarist can continue to inhabit an Avatar that is no longer on the same plane as his own body. He can choose to return his consciousness to his own body instead. If the Avatar is destroyed while on another plane, he must make three Will saves at DCs of 5, 10, and 20 to return his consciousness to his own body; if any are failed he dies.

Remote Avatar Transfer (Ex)
At 19th level, the Avatarist can inhabit one of his Attuned Soldiers as an Avatar without having to touch it and regardless of where it is.

Avataric Retreat (Su)
At 20th level, whenever a Wooden Avatarist dies, he can choose for his consciousness to immediately transfer to one of his Attuned Soldiers, inhabiting it as an Avatar with no time limit. Only soul bind, trap the soul, and similar magic can prevent this.


Wooden Soldier Size: Fine Diminutive Tiny
Type: Construct Construct Construct
Hit Dice: Όd10 (1 hp) ½d10 (2 hp) 1d10 (5 hp)
Initiative: +0 +0 +0
Speed: 5 ft. 5 ft. 10 ft.
Armor Class (fine): 20 (+8 size, +2 natural), touch 18, flat-footed 20
Armor Class(diminutive):16 (+4 size, +2 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 16
Armor Class (tiny): 14 (+2 size, +2 natural), touch 12, flat-footed 14
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-18 +0/-14 +0/-9
Attack (fine): slam +6 melee (1d2-2)
Attack (diminutive): Greatsword +2 melee (1d6-2, crit 19/x2) or slam +2 (1d2-2)
Attack (tiny): Greatsword +1 melee (1d8-1, crit 19/x2) or slam +1 (1d3-1)
Space/Reach: 1 ft./0 ft. 1 ft./0 ft. 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: None None None
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, shrinkable
Saves: F +0, R +0, W +0 F +0, R +0, W +0 F +0, R +0, W +0
Abilities (F/D/T): Str 6/6/8, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: - - -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, or troop (3-30)
Challenge Rating: 1/6 1/4 1/2
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Level Adjustment: -

Size: Small Medium Large
Type: Construct Construct Construct
Hit Dice: 1d10+10 (15 hp) 2d10+20 (31 hp) 6d10+30 (63 hp)
Initiative: +0 +0 +0
Speed: 15 ft. 20 ft. 30 ft.
Armor Class (small): 17 (+1 size, +2 nat, +4 armor), touch 11, flat-footed 17
Armor Class (medium): 18 (+4 nat, +4 armor), touch 10, flat-footed 18
Armor Class (large): 19 (-1 size, +6 nat, +4 armor), touch 9, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-3 +1/+4 +4/+15
Attack (small): Greatsword +1 melee (1d10+1, crit 19/x2) or slam +1 (1d4+1)
Attack (medium): Greatsword +4 melee (2d6+4, crit 19/x2) or slam +4 (1d6+4)
Attack (large): Greatsword +10 melee (2d8+10, crit 19/x2) or slam +10 (1d8+10) or rock +3 ranged (2d6+7)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. 5 ft./5 ft. 10 ft./10 ft.
Special Attacks: None None Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, shrinkable
Saves: F +0, R +0, W +0 F +0, R +0, W +0 F +2, R +2, W +2
Abilities (S/M/L): Str 12/16/24, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary, pair, or troop (3-30)
Challenge Rating: 1 3 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Level Adjustment: -

Size: Huge Gargantuan Colossal
Type: Construct Construct Construct
Hit Dice: 16d10+40 (128 hp) 32d10+60 (236 hp) 64d10+80 (432 hp)
Initiative: +0 +0 +0
Speed: 40 ft. 50 ft. 60 ft.
Armor Class (huge): 21 (-2 size, +9 nat, +4 armor), touch 8, flat-footed 21
Armor Class(garganuan): 23 (-4 size, +13 nat, +4 armor), touch 6, flat-footed 23
Armor Class (colossal): 24 (-8 size, +18 nat, +4 armor), touch 2, flat-footed 24
Base Attack/Grapple: +12/+31 +24/+51 +48/+83
Full Attack (huge): Greatsword +21/+16/+11 melee (3d8+16, crit 19/x2) or slam +21 (2d6+16) or rock +10 ranged (3d6+11)
Full Attack(gargantuan): Greatsword +35/+30/+25/+20 melee (6d6+22, crit 19/x2) or slam +35 (3d6+22) or rock +20 ranged (4d6+15)
Full Attack (colossal): Greatsword +59/+54/+49/+44 melee (9d6+28, crit 19/x2) or slam +59 (3d8+28) or rock +40 ranged (6d6+19)
Space/Reach: 15 ft./15 ft. 20 ft./20 ft. 30 ft./30 ft.
Special Attacks: Rock throwing
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, shrinkable
Saves: F +5, R +5, W +5 F+10, R+10, W+10 F+21, R+21, W+21
Abilities (H/G/C): Str 32/40/48, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: -
Environment: Any
Organization: Solitary or pair
Challenge Rating: 9 13 18
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always neutral
Level Adjustment: -

Wooden soldiers are humanoid constructs built of solid wood with rough features and movable joints, often painted, and typically used as tireless guards and soldiers. They will follow simple spoken commands or predetermined visual signals. The creator or controller can verbally transfer control of a wooden soldier to one other individual, but the creator can always take back control. Due to their low cost, small wooden soldiers are the most common. They are proficient with all types of armor, all simple and martial weapons, and shields. The construct can wear normal armor but must be helped into or out of it. The statistics above assume the constructs are outfitted with chain shirts. Small wooden soldiers are 3’ tall and weigh 20 lbs., medium are 6’ tall and weigh 160 lbs., and large are 12’ tall and weigh 1280 lbs.

Self-repair (ex): A wooden soldier heals at a rate of 2 hp per HD per day.

Rock throwing (ex): A wooden soldier of size large or larger can throw a boulder as a standard action. The range increment is 20’ for large, 30’ for huge, 40’ for gargantuan, and 50’ for colossal.

Construct: Immune to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects), poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, necromancy effects, critical hits, nonlethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, energy drain, or any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless). Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.

Shrinkable (Su): A wooden soldier of larger than Fine size can be ordered to shrink to Fine size, or to grow back to full size. Changing size requires a full round action and can not be done in a confined space or inside a creature. The construct's equipment (if any) melds into its form until it returns to full size. The construct's hit points and saving throws don't change, but all other statistics conform to those for a wooden soldier of its current size. If destroyed it does not change size.

Advancement: If the creator has a caster level higher than the base HD for a given size of Wooden Soldier, it can be advanced in HD up to twice the caster's level. For every 2 HD of advancement, add +1 to the construct's Natural Armor and Strength score. Use the table below to determine the price (cost is half of that). For example a 10 HD Medium one would cost 7000 + (10-6) x 4000 = 23000 gp.

Construction: Creating the body requires a DC 20 Craft (woodworking) check. Craft Construct; creator must be of a minimum level determined by the size of the wooden soldier:



Size height weight(lbs) gp cost xp cost price(gp) price(gp) w/equip Minimum Level
F 3/8’ 1/25 10 5 25 25 1
D Ύ’ 0.3 20 10 50 150 2
T 1½’ 2.5 50 20 100 200 3
S 3’ 20 100 50 200 350 4
M 6’ 160 400 100 1000 1150 7
L 12’ 1280 3200 500 7000 7300 10
H 24’ 10000 25000 1000 50000 50600 14
G 48’ 80000 100000 2000 200000 201200 18
C 96’ 640000 250000 4000 500000 502400 24


Advanced HD: price (cost=1/2 price)
1: 500 gp
2 to 5: (HD-1) x 1000 gp
6 to 15: 7000 + (HD-6) x 4000 gp
16 to 31: 50000 + (HD-16) x 9000 gp
32 to 63: 200000 + (HD-32) x 9000 gp
64+: 500000 + (HD-64) x 10000 gp


Example:
Medium Wooden Soldier, 10 HD
Hit Dice: 10d10+20 (75 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: 20 ft.
Armor Class 22 (+8 nat, +4 armor), touch 10, flat-footed 22
Base Attack/Grapple: +7/+12
Attack (medium): Greatsword +12 melee (2d6+7, crit 19/x2) or slam +12 (1d6+7)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: None
Special Qualities: Construct, darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, self-repair, armor proficiency, damage reduction 5/adamantine, Shrinkable
Saves: F +3, R +3, W +3
Abilities: Str 20, Dex 10, Con -, Int -, Wis 10, Cha 1

Feat: Wooden Commander
Prerequisite: Craft Construct, caster level 7
This feat allows cheap construction of wooden soldiers, but they replace the ability to control animated undead. This option is popular among non-evil spellcasters who prefer to avoid dealing with the undead.
The cost of these wooden soldiers is 50 gp per HD and no XP cost. The creator must still be of at least the minimum level for the size of the construct.
Up to 2 HD per caster level can be created at once, and that's also the maximum that can be controlled.
Once the maximum is reached, if additional ones are created using this feat, HD must be freed up by deactivating or destroying the existing ones. The creator can choose which ones to deactivate. Deactivated ones can later be reactivated, either by using this feat if HD are available, or by paying the normal Craft Construct costs.
Wooden soldiers can be advanced in HD up to the caster's level. For every 2 HD of advancement, add +1 to the construct's Natural Armor and Strength score.
Control of these wooden soldiers cannot be verbally transferred to another person.
If a Wooden Avatarist takes this feat, treat his caster level as his class level for purposes of the feat.

Feat: Practiced Wooden Avatarist
Prerequisite: Wooden Avatarist level 4
If the Wooden Avatarist's HD exceeds his Wooden Avatarist level, increase his caster level for SLAs (and for the Wooden Commander feat if applicable) by a maximum of +4 or until it equals his HD. Increase the HD of his Conjured Soldiers by the same amount. This feat can be taken multiple times, and its effects stack.

Epic Feat: Epic Wooden Commander
Prerequisite: Wooden Commander
Increase the maximum number of total HD of "cheap" wooden soldiers that can be created at once and can be controlled by an amount equal to your caster level.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, and its effects stack.

kinem
2021-01-02, 10:07 PM
Epic Progression:
At level 21, and every 3 levels thereafter, the Sudden Strength bonus increases by +2 and the amount of damage repaired by a use of Repair Construct increases by +1d6.

Heightened SLAs: At Level 22, and every 2 levels thereafter, all class SLAs are heighted by an additional +1 spell level. This increases the saving throw DC, as well as any other effects that depend on spell level.

At level 23, and every 3 levels thereafter, the WA gains a Bonus Feat with the same restrictions as noted above, or Epic Wooden Toughness.

At level 32, the WA gains the ability to Conjure and Attune Gargantuan Wooden Soldiers.

At level 64, the WA gains the ability to Conjure and Attune Colossal Wooden Soldiers.

Epic Feat: Epic Wooden Toughness
Prerequisite: Wooden Avatarist class
Benefit: Your Attuned Wooden Soldiers gain +20 hp.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times, ands its effects stack.

nonsi
2021-01-08, 05:08 AM
.
While elegantly designed, I think this class is a bit underpowered.
It relies too much upon utilizing wooden avatars from a distance while offering very little built-in self-enhancement measures.
I normally wouldn't knock 20 SLAs, but notice that the Druid spell list is the most inferior power-wise on most levels and a player would need to surgically handpick the best ones to stay on par.
I'd add the ability to acquire plant traits for short periods of time.


Usurp Wooden Soldier: this seems extremely situational to me. I mean, where is a WA supposed to encounter wooden soldiers with a frequency that'd justify this class ability?

kinem
2021-01-08, 10:17 PM
nonsi, thanks for the comments.

I was worried that the class might be too powerful, as it allows you to basically adventure with little risk to yourself. Good to hear that you don't think it is. I may increase the HD to d8 as in my previous version, and the SLA usage limit to 3/day. Using the Druid list kind of fits the wood theme, and its slightly lower power level was intentional. I don't think it needs much of a power boost.

As for Usurp Wooden Soldier, its main use is probably to have a larger supply of potential avatars, at the cost of having to craft them yourself or purchase them. But in a campaign featuring a Wooden Avatarist PC, it's likely that an enemy Avatarist or other user of Wooden Soldiers could be encountered at some point.

nonsi
2021-01-11, 12:30 AM
I was worried that the class might be too powerful, as it allows you to basically adventure with little risk to yourself. Good to hear that you don't think it is. I may increase the HD to d8 as in my previous version, and the SLA usage limit to 3/day. Using the Druid list kind of fits the wood theme, and its slightly lower power level was intentional. I don't think it needs much of a power boost.

The point I was trying to make is that your opponents are going to take out your wooden avatars from time to time, so you'd probably want to have some means to self-buff.
I'd also replace the three iterations of Bonus Feat with something more potent. It's not like you don't have enough to work with to conjure three decent class features (and I already hinted to one).




As for Usurp Wooden Soldier, its main use is probably to have a larger supply of potential avatars, at the cost of having to craft them yourself or purchase them. But in a campaign featuring a Wooden Avatarist PC, it's likely that an enemy Avatarist or other user of Wooden Soldiers could be encountered at some point.

I'm asking myself how many times this is gonna happen, assuming that your campaign world is not teaming with wooden avatarists.
Is there any probability that this happens more than 5 times in the character's career?