Kategeeper
2021-12-25, 01:24 PM
Introduction
Maven Maw is a class that I’ve been working on for some months. Its history is a bit… funky. I ended up wanting to make something that didn’t quite exist in dnd 3.5e or PF and the DM encouraged me to make up a new class and helped me along the way (mainly with balancing and some ideas). This being a P.E.A.C.H. I'm open to all kinds of feedback. I will only show the core class and provide a link to the class's document. The alternate classes are there. Since I cannot post hyperlinks yet, you will need to copy the link and paste it in your browser.
The Almighty Fluff
“…The bandit leader clenched his grip at his longsword’s hilt. Why? Why did it have to go so wrong? They were sure it was going to be just another easy target, a lone traveler with no way to call for help, in an isolated road in the middle of bloody nowhere. And yet there they were, just a couple of minutes later, reduced to nothing but corpses on the ground. The same group he’d been in for the majority of his life… wasn’t honest work, but he’d grown attached to them.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at the threat looming in front of him… what the hell even was it? It seemed so… animalistic. Yet it was clearly human. Still, the enemy may have sliced through his companions, but he was stronger, and better equipped. He might have had a chance at this. After all, his thick plates of steel armor were guarding him.
And just as this thought danced across his head, he found himself on the ground, bleeding profusely. His armor had been sundered effortlessly, like a knife through butter, and with bleeding so severe, an artery was sure to have been ruptured. He knew his time was up, and that he was going to bleed out soon. However… there was no trace of the target. To do such a thing and then vanish into thin air… Just… what the hell… was it…”
Maven Maws are but one of the endless products of the chaotic swirling vortex that is mutagenic wild magic. However, be it by chance, or by the will of a higher power, they possess abilities that are far greater than those of an average magical mutant. A Maven Maw is made by chance, when an individual is exposed to wild magic, and they remain very susceptible to particular kinds of it. This means that, if exposed to a certain type of “background” magic for long enough, they might develop features that more closely resemble its origin.
Maven Maw
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2
Blessing of the Wilds, Bonus feat, expert forager, Lustruous Salve
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Primal State, Exsanguinate(1d6), Devour, Heightened Metabolism
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Evasion
4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Grievous Wounds, Improved Salve, Ever Evolving
5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Exsanguinate(2d6), Uncanny Dodge
6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Primal Paths, Stance of the Salamander
7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Quickened Healing
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Exsanguinate(3d6), Greater Salve, Stance of the Bullette
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Honed Body
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Stance of the Sahuagin
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Exsanguinate(4d6)
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Stance of the Manticore, Genetic Reshuffling
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Furious Finish Redux
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Exsanguinate(5d6), Advanced Quickened Healing
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Advanced Paths
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Tireless pursuer
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Exsanguinate(6d6)
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Frenzied flash
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Delayed Hemorrhaging
Hit Die: D8
Alignment: Any
Class Skills:
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha),
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),
Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha),
Escape Artist (Dex),Gather Information (Cha),
Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis),
Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex),
Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int),
Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex),
Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str),
Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha),
and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level:
(8 + int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at any other Level
8 + int modifier
At any Level: Alternate Class Paths (see document)
Class Abilities:
At 1st level: Armor and weapon training
Maven Maws are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Maven Maws are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
At 1st level: Blessing of the wilds
The forces of nature have chosen you as a worthy champion. Be it the blessing of the dark fey, or a bestial god, or yet another entity’s influence, you are now neither man or beast, but something more. At level one, Maven Maws that don’t already possess natural weapons grow a pair of claws which deal 1d4 damage each. They use your dexterity modifier to calculate attack and damage rolls. Additionally, these claws count as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance, and gain the benefit of the masterwork property.
At 1st level: Bonus feat
At 1st level, Maven Maws gain access to the Martial Versatility feat, even if they don’t meet the prerequisites necessary. At 1st level: Expert forager Your life in the wilds has made you grow accustomed to foraging for food and resources. When you wish to do so, instead of rolling for survival, roll a d4. That will be the number of hours it will take you to gather 10 rations worth of food and any other resource, provided you can carry them and they’re available in the environment you’re in. Your DM may still prompt a survival roll if you’re looking for rare materials or creatures.
At 1st level: Lustrous salve
Your affinity with nature has led you to discover a miraculous ointment that can quell the turmoil of the mind. You’re able to acquire lustrous salve once a day by boiling materials such as tree bark, mushrooms, etc., in a pot of any size. You gain a maximum of 10 doses of this salve after utilizing the Expert forager feature. The number of doses in your inventory cannot exceed 10. It functions as a spell with a range of touch and a casting time of one swift action. The target instantly loses the shaken or sickened debuffs if they are affected by them. Lustrous salve cannot be counterspelled, nor can it be turned into regular ointment by a casting of dispel magic
At 2nd level: Primal State
The energy of the wilds courses through you, enabling you to attain a heightened state of mind. As a swift action, you can accelerate your metabolism by up to nine times, over time. Upon entering Primal state, you gain access to the Devour and Exsanguinate class features, gain a morale bonus of +4 to dexterity and are unable to make any skill checks relating to charisma. This state lasts for 3 rounds, after which, your metabolism will return to normality. Upon landing the Devour bite attack during this period, you are transported to the second stage of primal path, likewise for the third one. The third stage can be prolonged indefinitely. Provided that the bite attack from Devour lands. Once Primal state ends, you revert to your original form and take 1d10 x (times Devour bite attack landed -5) nonlethal damage (cannot be negative). If you end your Primal state at stages 2 or 3 you become respectively fatigued or exhausted. At level 4 (Improved salve) you can apply a dose of Lustrous salve as a swift action to either reduce exhaustion to fatigue or cure fatigue. At level 8 (Greater salve) a dose of lustrous salve cures either exhaustion or fatigue.
Stage
Morale Bonus
Duration
1st
+4 Dex
3 rounds
2nd
+6 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Con
2 rounds
3rd
+8 Dex, +4 Wis, +4 Con
1 round
At 2nd level: Devour
As a swift action, when in Primal state, you can choose to land a bite attack utilizing your dexterity modifier to calculate attack and damage rolls. It deals 1d8 piercing damage, counting as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistances. It does not benefit from the extra damage from the Exsanguinate feature.
At 2nd level: Exsanguinate
The wilds have blessed your weapons with the ability to deal devastating internal damage to your foes. When in Primal state, any attack you make with a slashing or piercing weapon deals an additional 1d6 rending damage. This rending damage counts as bonus damage and isn’t affected by damage multipliers such as critical hits or vital strike, outside of Furious finish redux (13th level) and Delayed hemorrhaging (20th level). This damage increases to 2d6 at level 5 and by 1d6 every three levels thereafter. Exsanguinate dice count as sneak attack dice for the purpose of determining prerequisites for sneak attack-related feats. Additionally, if any feats are taken which grant extra sneak attack dice, they are converted to exsanguinate dice.
At 2nd level: heightened metabolism
Your long permanence in the wilds blessed your body with an incredibly optimized metabolism, able to minimize waste. You only need to consume a third of the regular food and water intake to stave off the effects of starvation, and heal twice as much damage from resting.
At 3rd level: evasion
At 3rd level and higher, a Maven Maw can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Maven Maw is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Maven Maw does not gain the benefit of evasion.
At 4th level: Grievous wounds
The wounds inflicted by an experienced Maven Maw are difficult to heal and often, if major, affect a person for their whole life, granted they’re able to survive the encounter. Upon hitting a creature with a weapon attack, every subsequent physical attack that hits said creature and doesn’t innately deal rending damage, will deal two extra points of rending damage for every exsanguinate die at your disposal. This effect lasts for the entire encounter. Additionally, wounds inflicted by a Maven Maw of 4th level or higher take double the time to heal without the use of magic.
At 4th level: Ever evolving
Your constant struggle through battle has left deep scars on your body. However, your peculiar biology causes you to become stronger after each failure. If you are knocked out and survive or are resurrected, choose one of the bonuses below (you can’t choose the same one twice)
You broke your arm. A new, sturdier bone grows in place of the shattered one, while the bone fragments form blades that jut out of your skin once you enter your Primal state. Your exsanguinate damage is permanently increased by 1d6
Your eyes were gouged out. You grow a new pair, better suited to low light, so that you may not be taken off guard again. Gain 60ft of low-light vision. Should you already have any amount of low-light vision, your low-light vision will be capped at 60ft, and you’ll be given one foot of dark vision for each foot of low light vision exceeding 60ft
Your legs were pulverized. Your new leg structure is more efficient than before, allowing you to outrun danger. Gain +10ft of movement speed
Your skin was partially or completely torn off. You’ve grown a new layer of skin, thicker than the one you previously had, granting you +1 natural armor.
Gain the benefits of the improved rapidstrike feat
Gain the benefits of the reach bite feat
Gain the benefits of the endure blows feat
At 5th level: uncanny dodge
Starting at 5th level, a Maven Maw can react to danger before her senses would normally allow them to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
At 6th level: primal paths
The magic of the wilderness has manifested into you more violently than ever before. From 6th level onwards, when entering your Primal state, choose one of the following:
Path of the Salamander: gain 20 feet of climbing/crawling speed and +1d6 fire damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Bullette: gain 20 feet of burrowing speed and +1d6 acid damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Sahuagin: gain 20 feet of swimming speed and +1d6 water damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Manticore: gain 20 feet of flying speed and +1d6 electricity damage to all your melee attacks
Additionally, each path has access to a respective ranged attack that it can utilize an unlimited number of times as an action. Said ranged attacks are:
Salamander: you weave a web of fiery threads, casting it in an area with a 5-foot radius, centered on a point within 60 feet of you that you can see. Each creature in the affected area must succeed a DC (10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save or be restrained for one round
Bullette: You barf a projectile of potent acid on a 10 foot-radius area centered on a point within 30 feet of you that you can see. Each creature within the area must succeed a DC (10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save or take a number of d4’s of acid damage equivalent to your amount of exsanguinate dice. The affected area also becomes difficult terrain.
Sahuagin: You release a high-pressure jet of water with a range of 120 feet that magically saps the energies of the target. The target must succeed on a DC(10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) Fortitude save or become exhausted.
Manticore: You discharge a bolt of electric energy from your claw tips, with a range of 120 feet that aims to disrupt the target’s nervous system. The target must succeed on a DC(10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) Fortitude save or be paralyzed for one round.
At 6th level: stance of the Salamander
Stances are specific fighting styles that allow you to perform maneuvers that you wouldn’t be otherwise capable of mustering. You can enter a stance, switch from one to another, or exit one as an immediate action. While Primal state is active, you can exclusively utilize the stance associated to your Primal path. Entering the stance of the Salamander grants you a +15 bonus to CMB and CMD, as your joints become extraordinarily flexible. Additionally, if a creature fails to grapple you, you can choose to grapple them instead, expending a reaction.
At 7th level: quickened healing
Your body’s healing factor has become more and more refined to help you in battle. At 7th level, while in your Primal state, you heal 2 hit points per round. This amount increases to 4 hit points once you reach 14th level or higher (Advanced quickened healing)
At 8th level: stance of the Bullette
Entering the stance of the Bullette enables you to perform a seismic stomp as an action to trip your opponents. Every creature in your choice in a 20ft radius from you has to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Reflex save or be tripped
At 9th level: honed body
Some of the power of the wilds has bled into your normal human form. At 9th level, you gain a swimming, crawling, climbing speed of 20ft, your normal speed increases by 10ft, your jump height is increased by 15ft, and you negate fall damage if the distance you fell is 40ft or lower. The increase in swimming, crawling and climbing speeds stack with the ones granted by the various primal paths
At 10th level: stance of the Sahuagin
Entering the stance of the Sahuagin enables you to make a claw attack, as an action, utilizing your highest base attack bonus, aimed to a creature’s lungs. On a hit, the creature is forced to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Fortitude save or suffer the effects of exhaustion, as their lungs rupture and water/blood magically fills them.
At 12th level: stance of the Manticore
Entering the stance of the Manticore enables you to make a claw attack, as an action, aimed at a cluster of nerves on the target’s body. This attack does not benefit from Exsanguinate rending damage if performed while in Primal state, and has a -10 penalty to hit. On a hit, the target is forced to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Fortitude save or be paralyzed for a round.
At 12th level: Genetic reshuffling
Upon entering Primal state and choosing a primal path, the bonus elemental damage to melee attacks you receive is no longer tied to the path of your choosing and is instead decided entirely by you (as long as it is either fire, acid, water or electricity).
At 13th level: furious finish redux
While in Primal state, you can choose to make a single claw attack as an action. Upon doing so, instead of rolling Exsanguinate damage as usual, roll maximum Exsanguinate damage and multiply it by 2. Doing so ends your Primal state prematurely, regardless of whether or not you landed the Devour bite attack.
At 15th level: Advanced Primal paths
Your proficiency with your feral half has increased substantially, and you can now maneuver yourself much more expertly than you could before. The bonus movement from all Primal paths is doubled (making it 40ft crawling/climbing/burrowing/swimming/flying. Additionally, the extra damage dice tied to each Primal path are doubled (making them 2d6 fire/acid/water/electricity).
At 16th level: Tireless pursuer
You have trained your normal state strenuously through constant struggle and achieved a level of skill only few maven maws can boast. Your crawling, climbing, and swimming speeds are increased by 20ft, to a maximum of 40ft, and your movement speed is increased by 10ft, to a maximum of 50ft. The boost to your jump height is increased to 30ft, and you no longer take any fall damage if the distance you fell is 80ft or lower. Once again, these speed increases stack with the ones granted by the various advanced primal paths
At 18th level: Frenzied flash
Once per activation of primal state you can unleash your feral side completely as a full round action. Upon doing so, you must move as far as your current movement speed allows you to. While moving in this way you’re freely able to pass through squares occupied by creatures, however you cannot end your movement in one of them. Any creature that occupied a position through which you have moved must succeed on a DC (10 + your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save, or take damage equal to your claw damage + your exsanguinate damage + your extra elemental damage of choice. Utilizing this feature advances your primal state stage to the third level and acts a Devour bite attack, refreshing its duration.
At 20th level: Delayed hemorrhaging
You have reached the pinnacle of your skill as a Maven Maw, enabling you to deal subtle wounds that immediately open and gush out with blood whenever you desire. When a creature is dealt any kind of rending damage by you, you can choose to forego dealing said damage. Instead, roll the damage, multiply it by 2, and add it to the creature’s own Hemorrhage pool. Once a day, as a free action, you can choose to expend all hemorrhage pools to deal rending damage to the affected creatures, equal to the amount of points present in each creature’s pool. If a creature is killed by Delayed hemorrhaging, they explode in a 20ft radius. All creatures in said radius must roll a (1d10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Reflex save or take damage equal to twice your amount of Exsanguinate dice.
Talk about a complete overhaul of the original post. Anyway, here is the link to the document
LINK IS DOWN HERE\/(copy paste into browser)
drive.google.com/file/d/1fQDpSDvz08nrdOxf_2CIujMtp8yd7ccO/view?usp=sharing
LINK IS UP HERE/\(copy paste into browser)
Part of the credits go to Hexeract (the DM mentioned above) who helped me with balancing a lot of the abilities and in general provided me with ample feedback. He too has a forum post here detailing a class, the Mage Blade, I suggest checking it out. Here's the link.
Link to Mage Blade:forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?640706-Mage-Blade-Knowledge-is-power-(Second-Wind)-D-amp-D-3-5-PF-P-E-A-C-H[/url]
As I've already stated, I'd love feedback of any kind. And that's all.
-Kategeeper
Maven Maw is a class that I’ve been working on for some months. Its history is a bit… funky. I ended up wanting to make something that didn’t quite exist in dnd 3.5e or PF and the DM encouraged me to make up a new class and helped me along the way (mainly with balancing and some ideas). This being a P.E.A.C.H. I'm open to all kinds of feedback. I will only show the core class and provide a link to the class's document. The alternate classes are there. Since I cannot post hyperlinks yet, you will need to copy the link and paste it in your browser.
The Almighty Fluff
“…The bandit leader clenched his grip at his longsword’s hilt. Why? Why did it have to go so wrong? They were sure it was going to be just another easy target, a lone traveler with no way to call for help, in an isolated road in the middle of bloody nowhere. And yet there they were, just a couple of minutes later, reduced to nothing but corpses on the ground. The same group he’d been in for the majority of his life… wasn’t honest work, but he’d grown attached to them.
Snapping out of his thoughts, he looked at the threat looming in front of him… what the hell even was it? It seemed so… animalistic. Yet it was clearly human. Still, the enemy may have sliced through his companions, but he was stronger, and better equipped. He might have had a chance at this. After all, his thick plates of steel armor were guarding him.
And just as this thought danced across his head, he found himself on the ground, bleeding profusely. His armor had been sundered effortlessly, like a knife through butter, and with bleeding so severe, an artery was sure to have been ruptured. He knew his time was up, and that he was going to bleed out soon. However… there was no trace of the target. To do such a thing and then vanish into thin air… Just… what the hell… was it…”
Maven Maws are but one of the endless products of the chaotic swirling vortex that is mutagenic wild magic. However, be it by chance, or by the will of a higher power, they possess abilities that are far greater than those of an average magical mutant. A Maven Maw is made by chance, when an individual is exposed to wild magic, and they remain very susceptible to particular kinds of it. This means that, if exposed to a certain type of “background” magic for long enough, they might develop features that more closely resemble its origin.
Maven Maw
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2
Blessing of the Wilds, Bonus feat, expert forager, Lustruous Salve
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+0
Primal State, Exsanguinate(1d6), Devour, Heightened Metabolism
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+1
Evasion
4th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Grievous Wounds, Improved Salve, Ever Evolving
5th
+3
+1
+4
+1
Exsanguinate(2d6), Uncanny Dodge
6th
+4
+2
+5
+2
Primal Paths, Stance of the Salamander
7th
+5
+2
+5
+2
Quickened Healing
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+2
Exsanguinate(3d6), Greater Salve, Stance of the Bullette
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+3
Honed Body
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+3
Stance of the Sahuagin
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+3
Exsanguinate(4d6)
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Stance of the Manticore, Genetic Reshuffling
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+4
Furious Finish Redux
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+4
Exsanguinate(5d6), Advanced Quickened Healing
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+5
Advanced Paths
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Tireless pursuer
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+5
Exsanguinate(6d6)
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+6
Frenzied flash
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+6
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+6
Delayed Hemorrhaging
Hit Die: D8
Alignment: Any
Class Skills:
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha),
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha),
Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha),
Escape Artist (Dex),Gather Information (Cha),
Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str),
Knowledge (local) (Int), Listen (Wis),
Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex),
Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int),
Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex),
Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str),
Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha),
and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level:
(8 + int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at any other Level
8 + int modifier
At any Level: Alternate Class Paths (see document)
Class Abilities:
At 1st level: Armor and weapon training
Maven Maws are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. Maven Maws are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
At 1st level: Blessing of the wilds
The forces of nature have chosen you as a worthy champion. Be it the blessing of the dark fey, or a bestial god, or yet another entity’s influence, you are now neither man or beast, but something more. At level one, Maven Maws that don’t already possess natural weapons grow a pair of claws which deal 1d4 damage each. They use your dexterity modifier to calculate attack and damage rolls. Additionally, these claws count as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance, and gain the benefit of the masterwork property.
At 1st level: Bonus feat
At 1st level, Maven Maws gain access to the Martial Versatility feat, even if they don’t meet the prerequisites necessary. At 1st level: Expert forager Your life in the wilds has made you grow accustomed to foraging for food and resources. When you wish to do so, instead of rolling for survival, roll a d4. That will be the number of hours it will take you to gather 10 rations worth of food and any other resource, provided you can carry them and they’re available in the environment you’re in. Your DM may still prompt a survival roll if you’re looking for rare materials or creatures.
At 1st level: Lustrous salve
Your affinity with nature has led you to discover a miraculous ointment that can quell the turmoil of the mind. You’re able to acquire lustrous salve once a day by boiling materials such as tree bark, mushrooms, etc., in a pot of any size. You gain a maximum of 10 doses of this salve after utilizing the Expert forager feature. The number of doses in your inventory cannot exceed 10. It functions as a spell with a range of touch and a casting time of one swift action. The target instantly loses the shaken or sickened debuffs if they are affected by them. Lustrous salve cannot be counterspelled, nor can it be turned into regular ointment by a casting of dispel magic
At 2nd level: Primal State
The energy of the wilds courses through you, enabling you to attain a heightened state of mind. As a swift action, you can accelerate your metabolism by up to nine times, over time. Upon entering Primal state, you gain access to the Devour and Exsanguinate class features, gain a morale bonus of +4 to dexterity and are unable to make any skill checks relating to charisma. This state lasts for 3 rounds, after which, your metabolism will return to normality. Upon landing the Devour bite attack during this period, you are transported to the second stage of primal path, likewise for the third one. The third stage can be prolonged indefinitely. Provided that the bite attack from Devour lands. Once Primal state ends, you revert to your original form and take 1d10 x (times Devour bite attack landed -5) nonlethal damage (cannot be negative). If you end your Primal state at stages 2 or 3 you become respectively fatigued or exhausted. At level 4 (Improved salve) you can apply a dose of Lustrous salve as a swift action to either reduce exhaustion to fatigue or cure fatigue. At level 8 (Greater salve) a dose of lustrous salve cures either exhaustion or fatigue.
Stage
Morale Bonus
Duration
1st
+4 Dex
3 rounds
2nd
+6 Dex, +2 Wis, +2 Con
2 rounds
3rd
+8 Dex, +4 Wis, +4 Con
1 round
At 2nd level: Devour
As a swift action, when in Primal state, you can choose to land a bite attack utilizing your dexterity modifier to calculate attack and damage rolls. It deals 1d8 piercing damage, counting as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistances. It does not benefit from the extra damage from the Exsanguinate feature.
At 2nd level: Exsanguinate
The wilds have blessed your weapons with the ability to deal devastating internal damage to your foes. When in Primal state, any attack you make with a slashing or piercing weapon deals an additional 1d6 rending damage. This rending damage counts as bonus damage and isn’t affected by damage multipliers such as critical hits or vital strike, outside of Furious finish redux (13th level) and Delayed hemorrhaging (20th level). This damage increases to 2d6 at level 5 and by 1d6 every three levels thereafter. Exsanguinate dice count as sneak attack dice for the purpose of determining prerequisites for sneak attack-related feats. Additionally, if any feats are taken which grant extra sneak attack dice, they are converted to exsanguinate dice.
At 2nd level: heightened metabolism
Your long permanence in the wilds blessed your body with an incredibly optimized metabolism, able to minimize waste. You only need to consume a third of the regular food and water intake to stave off the effects of starvation, and heal twice as much damage from resting.
At 3rd level: evasion
At 3rd level and higher, a Maven Maw can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Maven Maw is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Maven Maw does not gain the benefit of evasion.
At 4th level: Grievous wounds
The wounds inflicted by an experienced Maven Maw are difficult to heal and often, if major, affect a person for their whole life, granted they’re able to survive the encounter. Upon hitting a creature with a weapon attack, every subsequent physical attack that hits said creature and doesn’t innately deal rending damage, will deal two extra points of rending damage for every exsanguinate die at your disposal. This effect lasts for the entire encounter. Additionally, wounds inflicted by a Maven Maw of 4th level or higher take double the time to heal without the use of magic.
At 4th level: Ever evolving
Your constant struggle through battle has left deep scars on your body. However, your peculiar biology causes you to become stronger after each failure. If you are knocked out and survive or are resurrected, choose one of the bonuses below (you can’t choose the same one twice)
You broke your arm. A new, sturdier bone grows in place of the shattered one, while the bone fragments form blades that jut out of your skin once you enter your Primal state. Your exsanguinate damage is permanently increased by 1d6
Your eyes were gouged out. You grow a new pair, better suited to low light, so that you may not be taken off guard again. Gain 60ft of low-light vision. Should you already have any amount of low-light vision, your low-light vision will be capped at 60ft, and you’ll be given one foot of dark vision for each foot of low light vision exceeding 60ft
Your legs were pulverized. Your new leg structure is more efficient than before, allowing you to outrun danger. Gain +10ft of movement speed
Your skin was partially or completely torn off. You’ve grown a new layer of skin, thicker than the one you previously had, granting you +1 natural armor.
Gain the benefits of the improved rapidstrike feat
Gain the benefits of the reach bite feat
Gain the benefits of the endure blows feat
At 5th level: uncanny dodge
Starting at 5th level, a Maven Maw can react to danger before her senses would normally allow them to do so. You retain your Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if you are caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, you still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
At 6th level: primal paths
The magic of the wilderness has manifested into you more violently than ever before. From 6th level onwards, when entering your Primal state, choose one of the following:
Path of the Salamander: gain 20 feet of climbing/crawling speed and +1d6 fire damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Bullette: gain 20 feet of burrowing speed and +1d6 acid damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Sahuagin: gain 20 feet of swimming speed and +1d6 water damage to all your melee attacks.
Path of the Manticore: gain 20 feet of flying speed and +1d6 electricity damage to all your melee attacks
Additionally, each path has access to a respective ranged attack that it can utilize an unlimited number of times as an action. Said ranged attacks are:
Salamander: you weave a web of fiery threads, casting it in an area with a 5-foot radius, centered on a point within 60 feet of you that you can see. Each creature in the affected area must succeed a DC (10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save or be restrained for one round
Bullette: You barf a projectile of potent acid on a 10 foot-radius area centered on a point within 30 feet of you that you can see. Each creature within the area must succeed a DC (10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save or take a number of d4’s of acid damage equivalent to your amount of exsanguinate dice. The affected area also becomes difficult terrain.
Sahuagin: You release a high-pressure jet of water with a range of 120 feet that magically saps the energies of the target. The target must succeed on a DC(10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) Fortitude save or become exhausted.
Manticore: You discharge a bolt of electric energy from your claw tips, with a range of 120 feet that aims to disrupt the target’s nervous system. The target must succeed on a DC(10+ your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) Fortitude save or be paralyzed for one round.
At 6th level: stance of the Salamander
Stances are specific fighting styles that allow you to perform maneuvers that you wouldn’t be otherwise capable of mustering. You can enter a stance, switch from one to another, or exit one as an immediate action. While Primal state is active, you can exclusively utilize the stance associated to your Primal path. Entering the stance of the Salamander grants you a +15 bonus to CMB and CMD, as your joints become extraordinarily flexible. Additionally, if a creature fails to grapple you, you can choose to grapple them instead, expending a reaction.
At 7th level: quickened healing
Your body’s healing factor has become more and more refined to help you in battle. At 7th level, while in your Primal state, you heal 2 hit points per round. This amount increases to 4 hit points once you reach 14th level or higher (Advanced quickened healing)
At 8th level: stance of the Bullette
Entering the stance of the Bullette enables you to perform a seismic stomp as an action to trip your opponents. Every creature in your choice in a 20ft radius from you has to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Reflex save or be tripped
At 9th level: honed body
Some of the power of the wilds has bled into your normal human form. At 9th level, you gain a swimming, crawling, climbing speed of 20ft, your normal speed increases by 10ft, your jump height is increased by 15ft, and you negate fall damage if the distance you fell is 40ft or lower. The increase in swimming, crawling and climbing speeds stack with the ones granted by the various primal paths
At 10th level: stance of the Sahuagin
Entering the stance of the Sahuagin enables you to make a claw attack, as an action, utilizing your highest base attack bonus, aimed to a creature’s lungs. On a hit, the creature is forced to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Fortitude save or suffer the effects of exhaustion, as their lungs rupture and water/blood magically fills them.
At 12th level: stance of the Manticore
Entering the stance of the Manticore enables you to make a claw attack, as an action, aimed at a cluster of nerves on the target’s body. This attack does not benefit from Exsanguinate rending damage if performed while in Primal state, and has a -10 penalty to hit. On a hit, the target is forced to make a DC (10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Fortitude save or be paralyzed for a round.
At 12th level: Genetic reshuffling
Upon entering Primal state and choosing a primal path, the bonus elemental damage to melee attacks you receive is no longer tied to the path of your choosing and is instead decided entirely by you (as long as it is either fire, acid, water or electricity).
At 13th level: furious finish redux
While in Primal state, you can choose to make a single claw attack as an action. Upon doing so, instead of rolling Exsanguinate damage as usual, roll maximum Exsanguinate damage and multiply it by 2. Doing so ends your Primal state prematurely, regardless of whether or not you landed the Devour bite attack.
At 15th level: Advanced Primal paths
Your proficiency with your feral half has increased substantially, and you can now maneuver yourself much more expertly than you could before. The bonus movement from all Primal paths is doubled (making it 40ft crawling/climbing/burrowing/swimming/flying. Additionally, the extra damage dice tied to each Primal path are doubled (making them 2d6 fire/acid/water/electricity).
At 16th level: Tireless pursuer
You have trained your normal state strenuously through constant struggle and achieved a level of skill only few maven maws can boast. Your crawling, climbing, and swimming speeds are increased by 20ft, to a maximum of 40ft, and your movement speed is increased by 10ft, to a maximum of 50ft. The boost to your jump height is increased to 30ft, and you no longer take any fall damage if the distance you fell is 80ft or lower. Once again, these speed increases stack with the ones granted by the various advanced primal paths
At 18th level: Frenzied flash
Once per activation of primal state you can unleash your feral side completely as a full round action. Upon doing so, you must move as far as your current movement speed allows you to. While moving in this way you’re freely able to pass through squares occupied by creatures, however you cannot end your movement in one of them. Any creature that occupied a position through which you have moved must succeed on a DC (10 + your dexterity modifier + half your maven maw level) reflex save, or take damage equal to your claw damage + your exsanguinate damage + your extra elemental damage of choice. Utilizing this feature advances your primal state stage to the third level and acts a Devour bite attack, refreshing its duration.
At 20th level: Delayed hemorrhaging
You have reached the pinnacle of your skill as a Maven Maw, enabling you to deal subtle wounds that immediately open and gush out with blood whenever you desire. When a creature is dealt any kind of rending damage by you, you can choose to forego dealing said damage. Instead, roll the damage, multiply it by 2, and add it to the creature’s own Hemorrhage pool. Once a day, as a free action, you can choose to expend all hemorrhage pools to deal rending damage to the affected creatures, equal to the amount of points present in each creature’s pool. If a creature is killed by Delayed hemorrhaging, they explode in a 20ft radius. All creatures in said radius must roll a (1d10+1/2 your Maven Maw level + your Dexterity modifier) Reflex save or take damage equal to twice your amount of Exsanguinate dice.
Talk about a complete overhaul of the original post. Anyway, here is the link to the document
LINK IS DOWN HERE\/(copy paste into browser)
drive.google.com/file/d/1fQDpSDvz08nrdOxf_2CIujMtp8yd7ccO/view?usp=sharing
LINK IS UP HERE/\(copy paste into browser)
Part of the credits go to Hexeract (the DM mentioned above) who helped me with balancing a lot of the abilities and in general provided me with ample feedback. He too has a forum post here detailing a class, the Mage Blade, I suggest checking it out. Here's the link.
Link to Mage Blade:forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?640706-Mage-Blade-Knowledge-is-power-(Second-Wind)-D-amp-D-3-5-PF-P-E-A-C-H[/url]
As I've already stated, I'd love feedback of any kind. And that's all.
-Kategeeper