isitolian
2008-01-29, 05:32 PM
I've made a "prestige" class designed for low level characters who want to be very, very, very specialized. By this, I mean VERY specialized. I gave it a d3 hit die, and over 10 levels Base Attack Bonus goes up by 2. I call it the Skillmaster. For the record, a level 10 Expert / level 10 Skillmaster with an intelligence of 18 would have a result of 79 on every craft check (assuming they have maximum ranks in it and it is one of the three chosen Skillmaster skills), and be able to make 1251 longswords, two daggers, and a shuriken in one week if he or she had 30 assistants and materials. I'd like some help determining if it's well enough balanced- and there is no way I'm increasing its power. Ideally used for NPCs, a first level Skillmaster could have started with two levels of Expert, representing a master smith in a city- the one who will finish a three-day job in an afternoon, helping the PCs to get out on their next adventure sooner. I think that Belkar could take a few levels in this, and with them stop failing Jump or Spot checks. So... is it good?
Skillmaster
Prestige Class
The Skillmaster... the specialization of a rogue, the abilities of an expert, and the combat ability of a kobold. Skillmasters are the best in the universe at doing what they do. They devote all of their time to studying skills, and can be better than anyone else of the same level at it. Skill Masters can choose crafting skills and be the one who makes two hundred longswords in only a month, or they can choose combat skills an be an unequaled horseman.
Skillmasters on the battlefield can infallably Concentrate as a Wizard, Tumble through spiked pits to grab a chalice in the dragon's lair as a Rogue, and can make a Heal check without fail as a Druid. The class is very unlikely to fail any skill checks.
NPC Skillmasters are always master craftsmen, though the class is usually reserved for guild leaders and assistants to royalty.
Intelligence is very important to Skillmasters. It must be at least 12 to gain full benefits of their Devoted Learner abilitiy, and gives 3 rather than 1 skill point per level.
Hit Die: 1d3
Requirements
To qualify to become a Skilmaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Any Skill (5 Ranks)
Any Other Skill (5 Ranks)
Any Other Other Skill (5 Ranks)
Feats: Skill Focus(Skill), Skill Focus(Other Skill), Skill Focus(Other Other Skill)
Special: Must have rolled at leat one natural "20" on any skill check for Skill, Other Skill, and Other Other Skill.
Class Skills
The Skillmaster's class skills are all skills which the character has at least 5 ranks and the Skill Focus feat in. Consult the Player's Handbook, chapter 4 for skill descriptions. All other skills the character knows are considered cross-class skills, and all skills which they do not know are prohibited. If the character takes a level in another class and learns the skill, it is no longer considered prohibited for future levels of Skillmaster.
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + (3 * Int modifier)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Skillmaster prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Skillmaster is proficient with the dagger.
Three skills, all of which must be considered Skillmaster class skills for the character and are selected once when the character takes their first level of Skillmaster, are affected by the following abilities. No other skills may be affected.
Devoted Learner: Skillmasters, rather than studying new techniques and spells for combat, spend all of their time improving their skills. Starting at first level, a Skillmaster may spend more than his ordinary limit of skill points on one skill. For every level of Skillmaster, two skill points are added to the maximum total per skill (of the three skills selected) rather than one. At fifth level and every Skillmaster level thereafer, this bonus improves so that 2 + their intelligence modifier (if greater) can be added to the skill, rather than one point or two.
Skill Speed: Starting at third level, a Skillmaster may use any of function of his skills which would normally take a full day in one hour- and skill attempts which would take two days, take two hours, and so forth. This does not affect the length of time required for any other skills or other functions of the same skills. For example, a third level Skillmaster with craft(weaponsmithing) as a class skill could attempt to craft a longsword in only seven hours rather than one week. They would finish still earlier if their check was sufficiently high. This ability improves to 1/2 hour/day at level 5 and 1 hour/week at level 8. At level 6, the bonus to time can apply to any checks taking more than 24 minutes to cast. At level 2, a standard-action skill may be taken as a free action. At level 9, a full-action skill may be taken as a free action. In both cases, only one such free action may be taken per round.
Skill Assistance: This ability starts at fourth level. The Skillmaster may apply their check result to others using on the same skill for the same purpose at the same time and place. They may use this ability on a number of persons up to three times their Skillmaster level.
Skill Perfection: At level 10, the Skillmaster is the best there is at what they do. They can take 20 on any skill check of their selected skills.
Class Abilities:
Level Fort Ref Will Base Attack Bonus Ability
1 0 1 0 0 Devoted Learner(2)
2 0 1 1 0 Skill Speed(Standard Action -> Free Action)
3 1 2 1 0 Skill Speed(1 hour/1 day)
4 1 2 2 0 Skill Assistance
5 2 3 2 1 Devoted Learner(2+INT bonus), Skill Speed(1/2 hour/1 day)
6 2 3 3 1 Skill Speed(1 minute/24 minutes, etc.)
7 3 4 3 1
8 3 4 4 1 Skill Speed(1 hour/1 week)
9 4 5 4 1 Skill Speed(Full Action -> Free Action)
10 5 5 5 2 Skill Perfection
Skillmaster
Prestige Class
The Skillmaster... the specialization of a rogue, the abilities of an expert, and the combat ability of a kobold. Skillmasters are the best in the universe at doing what they do. They devote all of their time to studying skills, and can be better than anyone else of the same level at it. Skill Masters can choose crafting skills and be the one who makes two hundred longswords in only a month, or they can choose combat skills an be an unequaled horseman.
Skillmasters on the battlefield can infallably Concentrate as a Wizard, Tumble through spiked pits to grab a chalice in the dragon's lair as a Rogue, and can make a Heal check without fail as a Druid. The class is very unlikely to fail any skill checks.
NPC Skillmasters are always master craftsmen, though the class is usually reserved for guild leaders and assistants to royalty.
Intelligence is very important to Skillmasters. It must be at least 12 to gain full benefits of their Devoted Learner abilitiy, and gives 3 rather than 1 skill point per level.
Hit Die: 1d3
Requirements
To qualify to become a Skilmaster, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Any Skill (5 Ranks)
Any Other Skill (5 Ranks)
Any Other Other Skill (5 Ranks)
Feats: Skill Focus(Skill), Skill Focus(Other Skill), Skill Focus(Other Other Skill)
Special: Must have rolled at leat one natural "20" on any skill check for Skill, Other Skill, and Other Other Skill.
Class Skills
The Skillmaster's class skills are all skills which the character has at least 5 ranks and the Skill Focus feat in. Consult the Player's Handbook, chapter 4 for skill descriptions. All other skills the character knows are considered cross-class skills, and all skills which they do not know are prohibited. If the character takes a level in another class and learns the skill, it is no longer considered prohibited for future levels of Skillmaster.
Skill Points at Each Level: 3 + (3 * Int modifier)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Skillmaster prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Skillmaster is proficient with the dagger.
Three skills, all of which must be considered Skillmaster class skills for the character and are selected once when the character takes their first level of Skillmaster, are affected by the following abilities. No other skills may be affected.
Devoted Learner: Skillmasters, rather than studying new techniques and spells for combat, spend all of their time improving their skills. Starting at first level, a Skillmaster may spend more than his ordinary limit of skill points on one skill. For every level of Skillmaster, two skill points are added to the maximum total per skill (of the three skills selected) rather than one. At fifth level and every Skillmaster level thereafer, this bonus improves so that 2 + their intelligence modifier (if greater) can be added to the skill, rather than one point or two.
Skill Speed: Starting at third level, a Skillmaster may use any of function of his skills which would normally take a full day in one hour- and skill attempts which would take two days, take two hours, and so forth. This does not affect the length of time required for any other skills or other functions of the same skills. For example, a third level Skillmaster with craft(weaponsmithing) as a class skill could attempt to craft a longsword in only seven hours rather than one week. They would finish still earlier if their check was sufficiently high. This ability improves to 1/2 hour/day at level 5 and 1 hour/week at level 8. At level 6, the bonus to time can apply to any checks taking more than 24 minutes to cast. At level 2, a standard-action skill may be taken as a free action. At level 9, a full-action skill may be taken as a free action. In both cases, only one such free action may be taken per round.
Skill Assistance: This ability starts at fourth level. The Skillmaster may apply their check result to others using on the same skill for the same purpose at the same time and place. They may use this ability on a number of persons up to three times their Skillmaster level.
Skill Perfection: At level 10, the Skillmaster is the best there is at what they do. They can take 20 on any skill check of their selected skills.
Class Abilities:
Level Fort Ref Will Base Attack Bonus Ability
1 0 1 0 0 Devoted Learner(2)
2 0 1 1 0 Skill Speed(Standard Action -> Free Action)
3 1 2 1 0 Skill Speed(1 hour/1 day)
4 1 2 2 0 Skill Assistance
5 2 3 2 1 Devoted Learner(2+INT bonus), Skill Speed(1/2 hour/1 day)
6 2 3 3 1 Skill Speed(1 minute/24 minutes, etc.)
7 3 4 3 1
8 3 4 4 1 Skill Speed(1 hour/1 week)
9 4 5 4 1 Skill Speed(Full Action -> Free Action)
10 5 5 5 2 Skill Perfection