PDA

View Full Version : Audiophile (concept) [Base Class]



Hadrian_Emrys
2008-04-05, 10:52 PM
I got to thinking about how much I hate the way bards have been done, and how neat Invocation classes are... -and the chains of thought met in the dark one night and this lovechild was concieved. I like where I am going with this, but I wonder if perhaps I could get a bit of input as to whether or not this has any hope of cleaning up in such a way as to being a viable option for anyone but me.


Audiophile:
Hit die: d6
Skills: 6+Int: Undecided
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Good Reflex and Will
Proficiencies: All types of axes and Light Armor.

Special:
1: Audio Invocations
2:
3:
4: Sound
5:
6:
7:
8: Sound
9:
10:
11:
12: Sound
13:
14:
15:
16: Sound
17:
18:
19:
20: Sound


Audio Invocation: Audio Invocations are broken into groups of Strains separated by the amount of time it takes to perform them. One Strain is learned at every increase of your class level. Strains have a default radius of 30 ft. centered on you. Using a Strain provokes an attack of opportunity. If this attack is successful, the Audiophile makes a Concentration check with the DC equal to the damage dealt, or the Strain fails. The Audio Invocation class feature gives you access to an Inspiration Point pool through which your Strains draw their power. Your Inspiration Point pool equals your class level plus your Charisma bonus.


Strains:
Ditties: Immediate Actions
Disruptive Note, Least: Interrupt an Immediate action within the range of the strain.
Wrenching Tone: The next attack made by a creature within the range of this Strain targets themselves instead of the intended creature or object. This Strain’s cost is a 1 to 1 ratio with the creature’s Base Attack Bonus. Will save DC 10 + total Points spent + Cha. The duration of this effect, in rounds, is equal to the number of Inspiration Points spent and is prematurely ended when an affected creature fails the Will save of this Strain.


Tunes: Swift Actions
Disruptive Note, Lesser: The next Swift or Immediate action made by a creature within the range of this strain, until the beginning of your next turn, is interrupted. Costs 1 Inspiration Point.
Healing Harmony, Lesser: Heal all within the range of this strain for an amount equal to the number of Inspiration Points you recovered this round.
Intermission, Brief: Those within the range of this Strain recover 1 Inspiration Point.
Jiving Beat: For those within the range of this Strain, all movement speeds are increased, for one round, by 5 feet plus 5 feet for every Point spent.


Melodies: Move Actions
Disruptive Note, Minor: The next Move, Swift, or Immediate action made by those within the range of this strain, until the beginning of your next turn, is interrupted. Costs 2 Inspiration Points.
Healing Harmony, Minor: Heal all within the range of this strain for an amount equal to twice the number of Inspiration Points you recovered this round.
Intermission, Short: Those within the range of this Strain recover 2 Inspiration Points.
1: Deafens all within the range of this Strain for 1 round per Point in your pool. Con save 10 + total Inspiration Points in your pool + Cha.
2: Deal sonic damage equal to the number of points spent this turn, divided equally (rounded down) among those within the range of this Strain. Ref save DC 10 + points spent for half.


Ballads: Standard Actions
Disruptive Note: The next Standard, Move, Swift, or Immediate action made by those within the range of this strain, until the beginning of your next turn, is interrupted. Costs 3 Inspiration Points.
Healing Harmony: Heal all within the range of this strain for an amount equal to three times the number of Inspiration Points you recovered this round.
High Note: Shatter, as the spell, one or more objects within the range of this Strain. Each object costs a number of Inspiration Points equal to the total number of objects targeted.
Intermission: Those within the range of this Strain recover 3 Inspiration Points.
1: Dispel target spell within the range of this Strain. This Strain costs a number of Inspiration Points equal to three times the spell’s level.
2: Grant Fast Healing x to all within the range of this Strain for x number of rounds, where x equals 1/4th the number of Inspiration Points spent (rounded down) this turn.


Refrains: Full Round actions
Chorus: Until the end of your next turn, all within the range of this Strain treat your Inspiration Point pool as a part of their own for the purpose of paying for the effects of Strains.
Disruptive Note, Greater: The next Full-Round, Standard, Move, Swift, or Immediate action made by those within the range of this strain, until the beginning of your next turn, is interrupted. Costs 7 Inspiration Points.
Intermission, Long: Those within the range of this Strain recover 5 Inspiration Points.


Sounds: Can be added to individual Strains at will. Strains can be altered this way by multiple Sounds at once. For example: an Audiophile can use Crank It and Playing for the Crowd on a Tune. That same turn, he may also use With a Song in Your Heart on a Melody. Then, as his final action this turn, use Audience of One on a Ballad. Some Sounds cannot be used in conjunction. A Strain using both Playing for the Crowd and With a Song in Your Heart, for example, would result in a wasted action.

Sounds: Free Actions
Audience of One: Change the range of the Strain to a single 5 foot square within 30 ft.
Blow Them Away: Make a special bull rush attempt against all within the range of the Strain that pushes them away from you. This attempt is made rolling a d20 and adding your current number of expended Inspiration Points.
Crank It: Double the range of a Strain.
Draw a Crowd: Make a special bull rush attempt against all within the range of the Strain that pushes them in your direction. This attempt is made rolling a d20 and adding your current number of Inspiration Points.
Playing for the Audience: Make yourself exempt from the range of your own Strain.
Feel The Music: This Strain is silent and does not require creatures to hear it to be effected.
Their Own Little World: Change the range of a Strain to a 30 ft. cone.
With a Song in Your Heart: Change the range of a Strain to personal. Strain at this range require no checks nor require physical activity.



Feats:
Feat: Extra Strain
Prerequisite: Access to the Audio Invocations ability.
Effect: Add an additional Strain to your list of Strains known.
Note: Can be taken multiple times.

Feat: Extra Sound
Prerequisite: Access to the Audio Invocations ability
Effect: Add an additional Sound to your list of Sounds known.
Note: Can be taken multiple times.

dman11235
2008-04-05, 11:06 PM
1: You know the Bard exists, right?

2: Read On the Philosophy of Class Design, linked in my Handy Haversack.

3: Check out the sticky Guide to Homebrewing, to help clean this up. Also check out Fax_Celestis's Class Making Tutorial, linked in the class creation section.

Hadrian_Emrys
2008-04-05, 11:28 PM
1: Yeah, they blow. My first 4 or so characters in DnD were bards, and I dislike per day abilities. They annoy me to no end. I like Bardic Knack though, so I'm thinking I'll swipe that.

2: Will do.

3. We'll see how it applies.

Edit: Also, thanks for taking the time to give it a look.

dman11235
2008-04-05, 11:46 PM
:smallconfused: Bards are weak? What planet have you been living on? They are quite powerful if you know how to use them. It does say a lot that your first 4 were bards.

And if you dislike per day abilities, take a look at the Marshal and Dragon Shaman. Both are bard-esque and have auras instead of music. I should ask what's wrong with per day abilities, since by level 4 you have enough uses of BM to last all day long.

Hadrian_Emrys
2008-04-05, 11:59 PM
*shrug* I never liked the way the abilites worked, and I never managed to get any of my players to play one when I DM'd. (Well, there was the one, but I had to bribe him with a talking marrionete familiar.) The point is to make the concept of a 5th wheel that is flexible enough to appeal to the kind of players I seem to attract. Most are not very mechanically minded, but enjoy being free to create "hollywood" scenes with their abilities. It's a lot a rp with fantasy film dynamics in mind.

I like Marshals a lot, and Dragon Shamans are alright, which is why style of the class tries to avoid following a similar pattern of abilities. However, to my players, the classes are boring. They don't DO anything, stuff just happens around them. The idea was to make a dynamic class that makes full use of one's actions per turn on a mechanical level as well as playfully poking fun at rock nerds in the fluff and details. All in the name of exciting the mindset of those sorts of players.