Fawsto
2008-02-22, 11:57 PM
Sup everybody,
I have been around for a while, so I have obviously noticed the lack of balance some D&D classes have, so in this post I will do 2 things: First I will preset a small idea of extra rules that does not have anything to do to class balance; second I will post my rebalanced Paladin. I am asking for consistent opinions on my following ideas/works. Thanks in advance for the attention. Here it goes:
This Idea that I will present right now is the work of the inspiration I got when I finished playing the Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Down of Sorrow games. I am planning right now to take the idea of soul gathering and absorption to the D&D play. I know that in the Tome of Magic there are a few rules for binding spirits. Well I personally think that the ToM is a little foggy... I am not quite interested in it...
Well then, what you think? Something like every monster you kill you have 1 to 5% to release a fragment of it soul and obtain a little power with it, with 3 kinds of souls that you can use only one of each type every day. The power you'd obtain would represent the creatures most marcant characteristic.
Do you think it is a good idea? Would it be interesting? I am planning to take only MMI for a play test, would you give me some ideas?
Now, for the second part of my post:
My version of the Paladin. I know, there are other rebalanced pallys around. But I have yet failed to like them entirely, so I decided to work on it myself. The Paladin mostly remains the same. The differences are in the Smite Ability, Lay on Hands, Remove disease and Turn Undead. This is a compilation from several books and some pieces of information from this forum and others, so it is possible that I am using common information in this thing I call mine, please, excuse me, ok? :smalltongue: I am mostly concerned into giving the Paladin a better combat prowess and more versatility and a nicer place in the party.
First, I am removing the Turn Undead class feature. At least I am removing it as it is. Instead I am giving the Paladin in lvl 1 the ability Battle Channeling (name of my own). What it does? Well, it is quite the same principle of the Smite Class Feature from the Ordained Champion (Complete Champion) that allow the character to use Turn Undead to fuel Smites. It sounded overpowered at the beginning, but I noticed that 3 + cha smites at the first level are ok to the Paladin. He will probably suffer from MAD, so I am not quite expecting to a Paladin to have more than a 16 Charisma at the first levels, making it 6 smites per day. Remembering that is is still Smite Evil, so it will only work in a % of the times, not every single battle. A smite still takes a standard action (I think it is standard) to come out, so no Full Attack smites.
But wait isn’t 6 smites a lot? Well, it would start to make a difference after level 4, I guess. So here it comes my second modification. At level 4 a Paladin's Battle Channeling Class Feature would be considered for the purposes of Turning Undead and fueling Divine Feats as the Turn Undead of a Cleric 3 levels bellow. For instance at level 4 Battle Channeling is Turn Undead (3 levels lower) that can be used to Smite Evil. But now I will give the Pally something to improve his versatility, at level 4 and every 4 levels after, the Paladin will receive an Extra Divine Feat. As it says, the Paladin may only choose feats with the [Divine] descriptor. These feats will be also fueled by the Paladin's Battle Channeling.
A little more Versatility: I am giving the Paladin's Lay on Hands the same powers given to the Dragon Shaman's Healing Touch. Meaning that the Paladin will be able to cure status in a more freely manner than the Cleric. Although it is still Level x Cha, not (Lvl x 2) x Cha like the Dragon Shaman's.
Now, the new role besides frontliner: I present you the Aura of Channeling Class feature, also at level 4. The Paladin is capable to affect his allies with the benefits of his Divine Feats. The Aura's reach is 10 feet larger than his Aura of Courage and has the following effects. Whenever the Paladin uses a Divine feat, half of it's benefit will affect his nearby allies for a duration not smaller than the time needed to reach the Paladin's next initiative. It means this: If a Paladin of lvl 4 uses Divine Vigor every ally in the affected area would receive and extra 5 feet move increment and + 4 temporary HP (the Paladin still benefits from his Feat entirely, meaning + 10 feet move and + 2 HP per character level) for up to 1 + Paladin's Cha minutes. Or something like this: Paladin with 14 Cha uses Divine Might (or Power) so he will get + 2 in his damage rolls during this round, every ally within the affected area will get a + 1 in their damage rolls until the Paladin's next round. The Allies are only affected if they remain inside the Paladin's Aura range.
Later (perhaps at level 8) the Paladin would receive Improved Aura of Channeling, providing full benefits from his Divine Feats for his allies.
And even Later (at level 12) he'd receive Greater Aura of Channeling. It would now affect enemies in a negative way. If the same Paladin from above used his Divine Might (or Power) feat, he'd buff his allies and debuff the enemies making them take - 2 on their damage rolls until the Paladin's next turn.
What you guys think? Overpowered? Cheesy? I am taking suggestions and advice.
I have been around for a while, so I have obviously noticed the lack of balance some D&D classes have, so in this post I will do 2 things: First I will preset a small idea of extra rules that does not have anything to do to class balance; second I will post my rebalanced Paladin. I am asking for consistent opinions on my following ideas/works. Thanks in advance for the attention. Here it goes:
This Idea that I will present right now is the work of the inspiration I got when I finished playing the Castlevania: Aria of Sorrow and Castlevania: Down of Sorrow games. I am planning right now to take the idea of soul gathering and absorption to the D&D play. I know that in the Tome of Magic there are a few rules for binding spirits. Well I personally think that the ToM is a little foggy... I am not quite interested in it...
Well then, what you think? Something like every monster you kill you have 1 to 5% to release a fragment of it soul and obtain a little power with it, with 3 kinds of souls that you can use only one of each type every day. The power you'd obtain would represent the creatures most marcant characteristic.
Do you think it is a good idea? Would it be interesting? I am planning to take only MMI for a play test, would you give me some ideas?
Now, for the second part of my post:
My version of the Paladin. I know, there are other rebalanced pallys around. But I have yet failed to like them entirely, so I decided to work on it myself. The Paladin mostly remains the same. The differences are in the Smite Ability, Lay on Hands, Remove disease and Turn Undead. This is a compilation from several books and some pieces of information from this forum and others, so it is possible that I am using common information in this thing I call mine, please, excuse me, ok? :smalltongue: I am mostly concerned into giving the Paladin a better combat prowess and more versatility and a nicer place in the party.
First, I am removing the Turn Undead class feature. At least I am removing it as it is. Instead I am giving the Paladin in lvl 1 the ability Battle Channeling (name of my own). What it does? Well, it is quite the same principle of the Smite Class Feature from the Ordained Champion (Complete Champion) that allow the character to use Turn Undead to fuel Smites. It sounded overpowered at the beginning, but I noticed that 3 + cha smites at the first level are ok to the Paladin. He will probably suffer from MAD, so I am not quite expecting to a Paladin to have more than a 16 Charisma at the first levels, making it 6 smites per day. Remembering that is is still Smite Evil, so it will only work in a % of the times, not every single battle. A smite still takes a standard action (I think it is standard) to come out, so no Full Attack smites.
But wait isn’t 6 smites a lot? Well, it would start to make a difference after level 4, I guess. So here it comes my second modification. At level 4 a Paladin's Battle Channeling Class Feature would be considered for the purposes of Turning Undead and fueling Divine Feats as the Turn Undead of a Cleric 3 levels bellow. For instance at level 4 Battle Channeling is Turn Undead (3 levels lower) that can be used to Smite Evil. But now I will give the Pally something to improve his versatility, at level 4 and every 4 levels after, the Paladin will receive an Extra Divine Feat. As it says, the Paladin may only choose feats with the [Divine] descriptor. These feats will be also fueled by the Paladin's Battle Channeling.
A little more Versatility: I am giving the Paladin's Lay on Hands the same powers given to the Dragon Shaman's Healing Touch. Meaning that the Paladin will be able to cure status in a more freely manner than the Cleric. Although it is still Level x Cha, not (Lvl x 2) x Cha like the Dragon Shaman's.
Now, the new role besides frontliner: I present you the Aura of Channeling Class feature, also at level 4. The Paladin is capable to affect his allies with the benefits of his Divine Feats. The Aura's reach is 10 feet larger than his Aura of Courage and has the following effects. Whenever the Paladin uses a Divine feat, half of it's benefit will affect his nearby allies for a duration not smaller than the time needed to reach the Paladin's next initiative. It means this: If a Paladin of lvl 4 uses Divine Vigor every ally in the affected area would receive and extra 5 feet move increment and + 4 temporary HP (the Paladin still benefits from his Feat entirely, meaning + 10 feet move and + 2 HP per character level) for up to 1 + Paladin's Cha minutes. Or something like this: Paladin with 14 Cha uses Divine Might (or Power) so he will get + 2 in his damage rolls during this round, every ally within the affected area will get a + 1 in their damage rolls until the Paladin's next round. The Allies are only affected if they remain inside the Paladin's Aura range.
Later (perhaps at level 8) the Paladin would receive Improved Aura of Channeling, providing full benefits from his Divine Feats for his allies.
And even Later (at level 12) he'd receive Greater Aura of Channeling. It would now affect enemies in a negative way. If the same Paladin from above used his Divine Might (or Power) feat, he'd buff his allies and debuff the enemies making them take - 2 on their damage rolls until the Paladin's next turn.
What you guys think? Overpowered? Cheesy? I am taking suggestions and advice.