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View Full Version : ORACLE BASE CLASS!! (revised)



Jangoose
2008-03-27, 10:28 PM
"The Oracle is endowed with knowledge and power over time and space, bending it to their will to learn learn the secrets of the past and future, of memory and of mystery. The oracle brings a new level to divination magic, one that will bring it the recognition it deserves" DIVINERS ARE AWESOME!!!

This is a new base class in the campaign I run, tell me what you think

BAB: Poor
Fort: Poor
Ref: Poor
Will: Good

1st: Unlock, Trace Visions (Contact), Spells
2nd: Mind Blast (1d6)
3rd:
4th: Mind Blast (2d6),
5th: Psychic Link
6th:
7th: Mind Blast (3d6), Telepathy
8th:
9th: Trace Visions (Area)
10th: Mind Blast (4d6)*, Secret (1/day)
11th: Trace Visions (Death)
12th: Improved Scrying,
13th: Mind Blast (5d6), Dream Vision
14th: Premonition,
15th: Of the Past and of the Future, Detect Thoughts
16th: Mind Blast (6d6),
17th: Trace Visions (Verbal)
18th: Feel the Flow
19th:
20th: Mind Blast (7d6), Secret (3/day)

Unlock: at first level, the oracle gets their first taste of their power. With the knowledge of ages on their shoulders, their bodies are visibly altered. Oracles aparently advance to the next age category (not actually, just in looks), and appear to age 2 times as fast. (Actual Age Remains Unchanged). An oracle no longer needs to sleep, instead they meditate. An oracle must rest for 8 hours regardless of race in order to replenish spells etc.

Trace Visions: Trace visions are subtle forces left behind in people, objects, even the very air. To the untrained, this just brings to mind the feeling of deja vu. An oracle can attempt to tap into something's past, present, or possible future. At first level, the Oracle gains access to the Trace Skill. An oracle uses this skill to intercept traces of the past or possible future. The DM determines the DC based on the importance of the object, person, place, etc. to the timeline. The higher the result of the check is above the DC, the more detailed the ensuing vision.

TIME SINCE / DC MOD
Per 100 years +2

EVENT'S IMPORTANCE TO TIMELINE / DC MOD
Personal Scale -0
Local Scale -1
Regional Scale -2
National Scale -3
Continental Scale -4
Global Scale -5

Visions can be attained through the following ways.
- Contact - At first level, the oracle can barely control the trace skill. It functions similarly to the listen skill, the DM rolls for the character if necessary if they are touching an object of significance. The Character can attempt to force a vision, but this adds 3 to the DC
- Emotion - The Oracle can beginning at 7th level intercept trace emotions from the people around her. She can substitute Trace Checks for Sense Motive checks at any time.
- Area - Beginning at 9th level, the Oracle can intercept trace from simply being in an area. As such, the uncontrolled traces will become more frequent. Controlled Traces however only suffer +1 to DC
- Death - One of the Most traumatic or emotional moments in a persons life is often their death. With a successful Trace check, an oracle can attempt to glean information about the death of the subject (how they died, the murderer?? etc.)
- Thought - The Oracle can at 17th level listen to the voices and thoughts of people that stood in the area. Because there are invariably many people who have spoken there, the oracle must be very specific as to their intentions (eg. what they intend to find out, who's thoughts)

Spells: They should have 4 or maybe 6 spell levels, devoted entirely to diviniation magic, with maybe a few illusion and or teleportation spells acouple memory spells, and that's pretty much all.

Mind Blast (ND6): the oracle can lash out at people with mental force. this deals non-lethal damage equal to the ammount stated (15 ft cone) (at will).
*Starting at 10th level, the force of the oracle's mind blast can bend space, and can deal lethal damage, but when dealing lethal damage the damage dealt is ND4 (rather than ND6)

Psychic Link: The Oracle can attempt to view a subjects memories. Add the targets INT and WIS modifiers together, and add them to the base DC of 10. If the target is unwilling, add an additional +3 to the DC. If the desired memories have been magically tampered with, add the spell's level to the DC. In addition, the DC should be modified to represent the target's emotional state at the time of the memory.

(No emotional stress [+0] ==> Severe Emotional Trauma [+10])

If a target didn't see something, neither does the oracle. (if they did see something, but the trauma caused them to forget, or another mage has covered the memory, the oracle may attempt to either erase the memory completely when they are done, or reveal the memory to the target with no additional checks)

Telepathy: The Oracle gains Telepathy with a base range of 100ft. If the target is well known to the oracle, the range is doubled.

Secret: At tenth level; As the Spell Terrible Secret (as listed by Rich Burlew in the Gaming section of this site), the Oracle summons forth a terrible secret of the world, to horrible for a mortal mind to comprehend. But, they do not inflict it upon themselves, instead whispering it into the ear of a target (This is negated in magical silence). The simple knowledge of the secret harms the body of the listener, and the target takes 1d6 damage per oracle level (max 20). In addition, in the following round, the target cannot take any action, and instead makes a willsave. If they fail, they are dazed for 2 rounds.

Scrying Mastery: The caster gets a +5 to any and all checks related to scrying

Dream Vision: The Oracle can enter a target's dream with a DC 30 Trace check. There, they can leave a subliminal message, speak directly with the target, or plague the target with violent nightmares (These prevent the target from preparing 1 spell per spell-level, and they awaken fatigued)

Premonition: The Oracle feels a split second into the future at all times, granting a +2 on reflex saves, and a +1 to AC

Of the Past and of the Future: two uses
- view - The oracle summons a shimmering field of force. on it they can effectively look as if through a window to another time. they can rewind, and fast foreward. (no sound). Obviously, checking every hour from your time to the desired information would be impractical, and by the time it would be found, the time limit of 1 minute per 4 levels has long since passed, so the oracle must have a rough estimate (preferably to the day) of the time they wish to see.
- travel - This use takes roughly a week to perfom. it requires the drawing of a large magical circle, and a collection of seven items of significance to the time to be traveled to. Then, you summon a portal through which you can step to another time (past only). the items can only be used once, and once used, lose their connection to the time, and cannot even be used for trace visions. (this particular use can be used a maximum of once per month)

Detect Thoughts (At will), as the spell. (not always on, you have to actively concentrate) (you cannot be engaging in any activity while reading thoughts in this manner)

Feel The Flow: The oracle at 18th level can feel the trace forces of all around her. The oracle can feel the location and position of everything within 40 ft. as if she were seeing it. This is similar to blind-sense, but more advanced. Completely blindfolded, an oracle could function completely normally, and even read etc. the oracle effectively no longer needs to rely on her eyes, and is immune to gaze attacks, or effects that require sight.




So, what do you think?? its a little overpowered right??,

my theory is to think of all the cool ideas first, and then cut it down from there, so slice away, what is to powerful? what needs to go? etc.

Hazkali
2008-03-28, 09:09 AM
Gah. Another block of text with no redeeming use of formatting. Please, use bold, italic and underlined text to break up the sheer wall of words.There's a sticky to help you make a class table, which is imperative for ease of evaluation.

You have also neglected skill points per level, a list of class skills and hit dice. There are no ability types (Su, Ex, Sp) or action types that I can see for any of the abilities.

Is "Trace" a true skill, that has skill ranks? If so, for one thing, class-specific skills have dissappeared with v3.5, and also you have not given a governing attribute for it. However, as most of the abilities for this class are predicated on taking this skill, why have it as a skill at all? No build could or would ever take less than full ranks in it.

Personally, I dislike the idea of the PCs as oracles, because I prefer fantasy in which oracular ability is uncontrollable, at the will of the Gods or darker powers, and so isn't a usable class ability, but that is neither here nor there.

Jangoose
2008-03-28, 10:34 AM
ok,

skills per level: 2 + int mod
Class Skills: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (All), Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device

HD: d4

yes it is a skill, because with a feat, the trace skill can be used by non-oracles, but for lesser results. rather than having distinct visions, they can attempt to feel presences or emotions in their vicinity (useful for trackers etc.)

Spells (obviously), Of the past and of the future, and "Secret": are SP

Trace, Mind Blast, Psychic Link, Telepathy, Dream Vision, and Detect Thoughts: are SU

Premonition and Feel the Flow: are EX


Obviously I disagree over the final statement, or I wouldn't have made the class. This class is really a boosted up diviner. They don't actually have to call themselves oracles and read a crystal ball all day long.

This class brings some power back to the diviner, and opens up new methods of discovery and adventure. Now rather than going into the random dungeon to kill the monster that happens to have the plans to the fortress we are about to be invading, you can go back in time amongst the people by whom it was built. By having an oracle, you have opened a whole new frontier for dnd. We could already travel space through the planes. now, the oracle lets us go through time as well.

The common problem with messing with time is that even a small event in the past can change the future, so let the characters try it if they need to. who says mistakes have to be permanent, and if they do do something bad, who knows they could end up with a cult of oracles on their asses for messing up the timeline.

Hazkali
2008-03-28, 10:47 AM
ok,

skills per level: 2 + int mod
Class Skills: Appraise, Autohypnosis, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (All), Profession, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spellcraft, and Use Magic Device

HD: d4


Looks good.


yes it is a skill, because with a feat, the trace skill can be used by non-oracles, but for lesser results. rather than having distinct visions, they can attempt to feel presences or emotions in their vicinity (useful for trackers etc.)


I would explicitly write out the rules for this feat (as well as the skill) separately if you intend other classes to be able to use the skill. However in that case, I would lower its dominance over the abilities of this class- class specific skills have gone the way of the dodo.



Spells (obviously), Of the past and of the future, and "Secret": are SP


Nitpick- spells are not (Sp), they are just spells. (Sp) indicates "spell-like", which are different to regular spells.



Trace, Mind Blast, Psychic Link, Telepathy, Dream Vision, and Detect Thoughts: are SU

Premonition and Feel the Flow: are EX


If Premonition and Feel the Flow are based on the sensing of magical forces, then I'd suggest they were (Su) also. Certainly I'd suggest this for Feel the Flow; the floor is more open to debate over Premonition.

Jangoose
2008-04-01, 05:03 PM
If Premonition and Feel the Flow are based on the sensing of magical forces, then I'd suggest they were (Su) also. Certainly I'd suggest this for Feel the Flow; the floor is more open to debate over Premonition.

I don't know, Premonition I definately want to keep as EX, because, it is really more of an uncanny dodge type thing. Still, I understand what you're saying about feel the flow... I guess I was thinking of it almost more as a natural extension of your senses, but you're probably right...

Jangoose
2008-04-01, 05:39 PM
I would explicitly write out the rules for this feat (as well as the skill) separately if you intend other classes to be able to use the skill. However in that case, I would lower its dominance over the abilities of this class- class specific skills have gone the way of the dodo.

ok, here is the skill and the feat.

TRACE [FEAT]
PREREQUISITES: Concentration +4, Ch. Lv. 3
You may begin to take ranks in the Trace skill as if it were a class skill, although the max ranks for the trace skill for you are 3 less than normal for a class skill at your level

TRACE [SKILL]
Trace is the term for the psychic impressions that life has on the world. Trace shows what was, what is, and even, what may yet be. The subtle feeling of dejá vu, feelings of dread at what is to come, these are all mundane uses of the trace skill. When unrefined, it is nothing more then a faint sensory tickle, but when trained, a character can pick up trace, and comprehend its meaning.
Technically, the skill functions similarly to the listen skill. Even if not attempting to listen, strong traces may still be felt, but only while concentrating can more subtle things can be felt.
The DC to pick up a trace is modified by what you are attempting to pick up, importance to the timeline, and time since it was created (or will be created) as shown below:

BASE DC's
Presence of a Person Nearby: 10 + 1/5ft.
Track: 15
Emotions / Alignments associated with an object or person: 10
Tell Time since last presence in the area: 15
or other by DM's consent...

DC MODS
If not intentionally concentrating: +3
Time since made: +1 / 10 yrs
Subtract subject creature's highest mental stat from DC (smarter or more charismatic people leave more trace)
Importance to timeline: (-1 [local] ==> -5 [Global])

SYNERGIES:
If 5 ranks in Trace, + 2 to Survival checks to track
If 5 ranks in Trace, + 2 to Sense Motive

did I forget anything??... I'm not sure, what do you think:smallconfused: