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randomproblem
2007-12-11, 09:42 PM
The Child Prodigy / The young hero

http://www.mwart.com/images/t/Medieval_Child_Costumes_Warrior__RU38806C_7350.jpg

The child prodigy is a class representing the typical hero of minor age from popular film and book culture. Where other heroes are strong or experienced, the child prodigy is the unknowing protector of some ancient secret or a mechanic of an ancient prophecy about to come true, and draw their powers and feats from this heritage. They are the young forced into the role and responsibilities of an adult. If their calling so demands of them, they will strike down their enemies and strive to complete the task whom they have been appointed with. This is a inherently good class and only chaotic good / lawful good characters can take it.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+0|Child Prodigy Feat 1, No Threat
2nd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+1| Child Prodigy Feat 2
3rd|
+2|
+2|
+2|
+2| Child Prodigy Feat 3
4th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+2| Child Prodigy Feat 4
5th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+3| Child Prodigy Feat 5, Hardened youth [/table]

Requirements
- The child prodigy must be a descendant of a great bloodline or the guardian of a great secret.
- The child prodigy must be a person with a great personal task for them assume responsibility of. (Reclaim kingdom, ascend to previously lost stewardship of great power)
- The child prodigy must be chaotic good or lawful good.
- The child prodigy cannot go for long time without pursuing their task without losing their mind or slowly reverting to something lesser. This is the responsibility of the DM to manifest.
- The Child Prodigy is considered the lowest possible age for a young adult although in reality being several years below. A human child prodigy would be no more than 13 years, although his maturity and sense of responsiblity is great.

Features

Hit Die: 1d8 (+1 for every level after the first)

Ability Scores: After rolling its ability scores, the Child Prodigy receives a -4 penalty to strength for being a child. The highest ability roll must always be chosen for strength. Thus a human Child Prodigy can never have more than 14 strength at first level. A Child Prodigy also receives a -2 penalty to wisdom, reflecting the folly of youth.

Skills: The Child prodigy may treat a total of four skills as their class skills. They cannot take skills which involves a profession or a similar assumed experience. The DM decides what skills are deemed natural for this purpose.

Profiencies: The Child Prodigy is familiar with all simple weapons. Although not familar with armor in general or hardened enough to wear it, a Child Prodigy may have a suit of armor or similiar protection especially created or tailored to them for a +15% increase in the original items cost. It takes the child prodigy two hours per single unit of armor class or ability the item confers to famliarize him or herself with the armor. During this period the Child Prodigy must be wearing the item and only receives half bonus and no abilities from the armor.

Although this class is only proficient with simple weapons, it has a similar ability to adapt to need with martial or exotic weapons. The Child Prodigy may thus pick up one handed weapons of martial origin. After a familarizing process which takes 24 hours, the Child Prodigy takes no penalities for using this weapon. During this period she/he takes no penalty for attacking but only deals 3/4 damage, rounded down. If the martial weapon is a weapon of importance to the Child Prodigy's quest or important mission, it can be used immediatly without any penalities.

(Ex):No Threat

The Child Prodigy is a frail and fearful person, forced into a world demanding responsibilties from them much too early. This lack of strength is communicated easily through their uncertain body language and lack of real-life knowledge. This makes their enemies underestimate them as a weak child. Any attempts to strike at the child with a melee weapon, ranged attack or a spell takes a -1 penalty to succeed. If a creature strikes the CP while it is first level, that creature is forever marked and will always take -1 to any opposing roll or attack roll against the child. Once the Child Prodigy reaches their second level, this protection does not longer apply, but any enemy cursed in this manner during it's first level keeps their disability against the child.

Child Prodigy Feats 1

The child prodigy chooses one of these feats for their first level:

Defended by old magic Once during any encounter, a magic bubble of transparent energy will manifest to shield the Child Prodigy from a would-be lethal blow. The bubble will absorb a total of ten points of damage. Anything superceding this will be dealt to the Child Prodigy. This bubble will only manifest once per encounter, and only if the spell/blow would reduce the Child Prodigy's HP below 0. Once activated, it cannot be used for 24 hours. It will neither shield the Child Prodigy from the same foe twice. Thus, if the same foe attempts to deal a blow to the Child Prodigy after 24 hours when the shield would normally activate, it will not activate and let the blow through. If a creature strikes a CP with 1 hp remaning dealing eleven points of damage, the shield is expended and leaves the CP with 0 hp.

Servant of Great Magic
The Child Prodigy may pick any first level spell from the cleric/mage list. This spell is now considered a spell-like ability. It is usable once per encounter for each level of the child prodigy. When the CP casts this spell, no armour check penalities apply. If there is a ability check involved with the spell, the Child Prodigy receives twice the bonus from this ability, to a minimum of +1.

Strong destiny
The Child Prodigy draws strength from growing closer to their target and will not be slowed. She can reroll any failed roll once per day and adds a +1 bonus on this reroll for each her CP levels. She can never opt to take the first roll after rolling the second. She can not use this ability in conjunction with taking 20 but she can use it when taking 10.

Child Prodigy Feats 2

The Child Prodigy chooses one of these feats for her second level:

Penance
The Child prodigy is the heir to a station with relevance to a realm of positive energy. It can use this connection to heal a ally or friend. A person with less than zero hitpoints is restored to 50% health rounded down and all diseases are cured from the target. This ability cannot be used on persons with hp above -1 or dead persons. Channeling power this way greatly fatigues the Child Prodigy and it requires a hour of immediate sleep. It is considered fatigued for three hours following sleep. It is usable once a day. Not usable during combat, but usable directly after it has ended.

Growth
Flexible as she is, the child prodigy has grown in strength in her chosen ability. When she reaches her third level she can add one point to any ability, and it is considered a permanent increase.

Bound to the child
The Child Prodigy is a child touched by fate indeed. All undead creatures fear one who has the eyes of the powers on them. No undead creature may touch the CP without taking 1d6 of unnamed damage. Undead creatures may still strike the child with weapons or magic. A child prodigy will never rise as an undead creature if killed, nor will its corpse decay naturally. Hair and nails will continue to grow on the corpse. Any attempts to capture the soul of the CP will have to succeed against a caster check of 15 + 3 x CP's level.

Child Prodigy Feats 3

Defended by ancient magic
The bubble of energy that will attempt to preserve the Child Prodigy now absorbs a total 20 of damage. To take this feat you will need the "Defended by old magic"-feat. All normal limitations of this feat still apply.

Servant of Greater Magic
The Child Prodigy may pick any second level spell from the cleric/mage list. This spell is now considered a spell-like ability. It is usable once per encounter for each level of the child prodigy. The caster level of the spell is considered the level of the CP x 1.5. This now applies to CP's first level spells as well. The CP must have the "Servant of great magic"-feat to take this.

I will have what is mine!
The CP may designate a foe which she will strive to bring down or defeat. For the entirety of this day, she will deal +1d6 damage to this foe with her spell-like abilities or blows. The damage is only applied once per round but continues to be in effect during the entire day. She may not designate a particular group of foes or a race, but only a specific individual.

Child Prodigy Feats 4

Greater Penance
The Child Prodigy can channel greater amounts of positive energy. If a friend dies while protecting the Child Prodigy or otherwise in her service she can with a great exertion of strength ressurect her ally. This effect is similar to a true ressurection, except no material cost is needed at all. She can never ressurect the same friend twice nor can she use this ability more than once per week.

Greater growth
The Child prodigy is growing to assume their rightful position, and can receive one of the following benefits of their heirdom:

- CP adds another 1d8 +1 hp to her total.
- CP can use all martial weapons, shields and armours. She also receives +1 to her base attack and +1 to her natural AC.
- CP adds another ability point to her previously chosen ability.
- CP receives damage resistance 10 to either cold or fire. She gains a one-day per level use of either cone of cold or fireball with this resistance.

Spell resistance
The Child Prodigy is considered to have spell resistance 10 + CP level against spells cast by from an evil or neutral source.

Child Prodigy Feats 5

Light of my kingdom
The Child Prodigy is set on her task. She has a permanent light-spell around her which she can remove at will. The touch of the child will heal any good-aligned creature of her choosing. With this ability, she can heal a total of 100 points of damage per day but no more than ten points per person in the same day. If CP chose Penance and Greater Penance as her second and fourth level feat, her total amount of points is raised to 200 and each person can receive 20. She can also make one of these persons herself.

The long awaited prince
Any allies or friends in presence of the child prodigy, who shares her cause, receives the following bonuses:

+5 to any craft check related to the quest of the Child
+1 to any attack rolls against enemies of the child
+1 to their armour class
+4 to save against any mind-affecting effects

If the Child Prodigy is fighting physically with a weapon in the presence of her allies, any damage resistance of undead, demons or evil creatures is strongly negated. Even a simple pitchfork will slay the greatest demon in the presence of the Child Prodigy. All damage resistances are reduced to zero. If the child prodigy is slain during a conflict where this bonuses come into play, the followers of the CP must make a will save against DC 20 or become instantly panicked. If the Child Prodigy has taken the feat "I will have what is mine" and
the designated foe is in the presence of the CP and her allies, each ally may receive the 1d6 bonus to damage against the designated foe.

The defender has returned!

The child prodigy receives +1 to all her saves. If the child has taken the feat "defended by greater magic" she is considered to have a permanent bubble of
protection around her, a result of tapping into her powers as a heir. This bubble distrupts any blow or spell less than 10 points of damage into zero. All damage beyond 10 points is received as normal. The child prodigy may three times a day choose to strengthen her defensive bubble for three rounds. During this time, no blow weaker than 20 points goes through her defense. The bubble can be dispelled for a day against a caster check of 15 + 2 x CP's level. If the child prodigy has the "servant of greater magic"-feat, she can choose a single spell from the cleric/mage list which she can cast once per CP level. The caster level of this spell is considered to be 1.5 x CP's level.

(ex) Hardened Youth
Through hard work and overcoming challenges far greater than a child of their age should ever face, the Child Prodigy is far on his way to becoming an adult, both physically and emotionally. His -4 penalty to strength is removed, reflecting the muscles he have built during his journey. Although his demeanor is darkened by heavy responsibility, he has rolled with it and grown in wisdom.
His -2 penalty to wisdom is removed as well-

What do people think? It is mainly considered to be a quest character.

Looking forward to any review!

Xyk
2007-12-11, 11:24 PM
It looks really interesting. Is it still a normal class like with feats at 1st and 3rd? and another stat at 4th?
Did you mean to go BAB 0,2,3,4,5?

I think it is about as powerful as the bard but with self-centered abilities. I do really like it for the flavor but about any other pc class can whip it. That being said, it looks like a perfect set-up for alot of prestige classes. 4 class skills is about as much as it needs, though is still less than even the fighter and wizard who don't use skills. I suggest adding some class skills.

randomproblem
2007-12-11, 11:34 PM
It is a normal class to be taken by "teenagers" on their way to be coming heroes. I was thinking of letting it advance into a spellcaster class but then it would be way too strong, I think. It gets ability increases at 4th level but I haven't considered the feats yet.

The BAB increases +1 with each level of CP, except the first because it is considered a turning point in the CP's development.

As for the class being underpowered.. well, I can't say I agree. It's made for low-magic environments. Maybe it should be made even more powerful. It's meant to be played by a single player who is the center of the history or an important NPC. I bet it would wipe the floor with any bard, though.

Fiery Diamond
2007-12-12, 02:03 AM
Very...odd. I like the flavor, but doesn't a 5 level base class that has requirements reminiscent of PrC "special" prerequisites seem a little weird? The BAB doesn't progress normally either. Also, what do you mean by cleric/mage spell list? Do you mean that you can pick from either the cleric spell list or the wizard/sorcerer spell list?

That aside, I really like the concept. It is great, as it values role-playing over ordinary mechanics. I also like a number of the feat choices. However, many of them are very overpowered. Some of them only because you get them at such a low level.

The broken feats are as follows(and a brief explanation):

All Level 2 Feats
-penance- the concept is nice, but it is way too easy to abuse. Think about it - at second level, the child prodigy can heal all diseases. Who needs a high-level cleric when you've got a 2nd level kid? The problem is that your restriction on not using it in combat won't make a difference: wait until after combat, attack your sick comrade until he's in the negatives, and use the ability.
-growth- Ow. Check out the cost of those tomes in the DMG that increase an ability score. And then realize that you're doing this at a very low level. And letting it stack with another feat, later on. Not good.
-bound to the child- there are four parts to this. The only broken parts are the "never rise as undead" (because you're getting this at second level) and the caster level check for trapping the soul. This won't be that hard to overcome for someone with the ability to trap your soul, you might think, but - they'll end up with around a 50-50 chance of success. Way too close to immunity.

All level 4 feats(with the possible exception of the last one)
-Greater penance- NO. A fourth level character should NOT be able to true rez. Period.
-Greater growth- part 1 is fine. part 2 is okay, but powerful, because it mainly is replacing the adjustment to equipment ability and fixing the full-BAB -1; the powerful part is the nat armor bonus, but I don't think that is broken. part 3 is bad for the same as its counterpart above. part 4 - no, energy resistance and use of fireball/cone of cold as level four class abilities is too strong.
-spell resistance- if you put this at fifth level, it wouldn't be broken

The defender has returned - for one thing, this is worded confusingly. However, if I understand it correctly, it is broken, mainly because it happens at fifth level. Happening at tenth-ish level might be okay, but this early is too powerful. I realize that this only goes up to fifth level, but it still is too powerful.

Respectfully, and I hope helpfully, yours,

- Fiery Diamond

randomproblem
2007-12-12, 05:00 AM
Thanks for your input, Fiery Diamond.. if you were to consider it only from a fluff/roleplaying perspective, would you consider it less imbalanced?

The BAB progresses almost normally. +1 BAB for each level after the first. In actuality, there are feats which equalize this if the Child Prodigy wants to further their BAB. If you have looked at the table you see that the Child is quite weak at level 1 and the following levels cannot be compared to the first.

I can see how some of the abilities of the Child Prodigy would be imbalanced if you considered it a class to build upon after attaining the fifth level. It is not meant to work that way. It is a plot class. During the campaign, the Child Prodigy advances from level 1 to 5 gradually becoming the hero of a climactic end. As the Child Prodigy assumes the position or solves the quest it's class levels should be turned into something else, reflecting their maturing.

The cleric/mage thing is a typo. It is meant to be the Cleric/Wizard list.

Try to see the abilities in the context of a story, not as mere mechanical benefits. True rez once per each party member for the entirety of the campaign really so broken in a fifth level character? If I played the Child Prodigy I would definitely be careful with when I used it on my own party members.

I added this:
Ability Scores: After rolling its ability scores, the Child Prodigy receives a -4 penalty to strength for being a child. The highest ability roll must always be chosen for strength. Thus a human Child Prodigy can never have more than 14 strength at first level. A Child Prodigy also receives a -2 penalty to wisdom, reflecting the folly of youth.

Xyk
2007-12-12, 08:13 AM
there are stats for children, though I cannot remember where. I searched the srd with no quick results. maybe in the dmg...i dunno.

ronnyfire
2007-12-12, 02:34 PM
she can choose a single spell from the cleric/mage list which she can cast once per CP level.

so much potential brokenness

osyluth
2007-12-12, 03:10 PM
there are stats for children, though I cannot remember where. I searched the srd with no quick results. maybe in the dmg...i dunno.

I think someone on our very own GitP made some pretty decent rules for children.

DracoDei
2007-12-12, 04:25 PM
I see this as an NPC class for the most part. Thus the balance of it becomes much less an issue, especially if (as should be in my opinion) the leveling up is done purely based on plot necessity rather than by the XP system. Thus a 2nd level CP might be running around with a 5th level party... if that is what makes sense and the GM deems balanced for his campaign... it depends on how much the CP is supposed to be protected, and how much they can stand in the second rank (few of their abilities make them first rank) and boldly face the enemy.

randomproblem
2007-12-13, 12:09 PM
I see this as an NPC class for the most part. Thus the balance of it becomes much less an issue, especially if (as should be in my opinion) the leveling up is done purely based on plot necessity rather than by the XP system. Thus a 2nd level CP might be running around with a 5th level party... if that is what makes sense and the GM deems balanced for his campaign... it depends on how much the CP is supposed to be protected, and how much they can stand in the second rank (few of their abilities make them first rank) and boldly face the enemy.

You have captured my intents nicely. The Child Prodigy is not supposed to go over level five or be multiclassed. If it's not a npc or played by the DM, it is played by a player who must be prepared to let the charachter "go" as it fulfills its prophecy.

{table]
LvL CP --- Protecting party's
--1--------- 2
--2--------- 2-3
--3--------- 4
--4--------- 4-5
--5--------- 5
[/table]