StoryKeeper
2008-12-18, 08:51 AM
This is my second attempt at brewing a melee version of the warlock.
Pact Blade
Pact Blades, like warlocks, make deals with otherworldly beings in exchange for arcane power. While the warlock's abilities are better suited for blasting enemies from a distance, the Pact Blade brings the entirety of his arcane power to bear in melee. He loses the safety of distance warlocks enjoy, but gains even more devastating destructive power.
ADVENTURES:
Pact Blades adventure for many of the same reasons that warlocks do. They sometimes inherit their powers from their ancestors and choose to use them for their own purposes or good causes. Some are the first Pact Blades in their family, having made a deal with otherworldly forces themselves in an effort to gain more power. Some have willingly traded away their souls for causes greater than themselves.
CHARACTERISTICS:
A Pact Blade is able to use invocations like a warlock, and has a special form of attack similar to a warlock's eldritch blast. Where the Warlock has a variety of defenses against magical attacks, a Pact Blade has defenses geared toward the harsh cuts and bangs of melee combat. A Pact Blade is much like a warlock in his lack of versatility, but lacks some of the range which is made up for in sheer melee prowess.
ALIGNMENT:
Most Pact Blades gain their powers from fiends and fey, though other agents have been known to make pacts such as these, and no actual alignment restrictions exist.
RELIGION:
Pact Blades usually have some understanding of the powers of deities, or at least of their agents, and rarely dismiss it entirely (though some do.) They are not, however, especially inclined to worship a specific deity above others. Some have agreed to serve a specific deity in exchange for their abilities, but this is not always the case.
BACKGROUND:
Same as Warlocks, but with more possible otherworldly agents responsible for their powers (such as good being like celestials.)
RACES:
Humans with their thirst for power, and elves with their lust for magic are among the most common Pact Blades. Evil races desiring more strength, and otherwise aligned races with frequent contact with extraplanar are also likely candidates. There is no actual restriction on which races may be Pact Blades.
OTHER CLASSES:
Warlocks are often like siblings to Pact Blades. Melee classes like fighters, barbarians, and some rangers are fellow warriors, shining in the bloody tide of combat. Wizards and clerics may know of ways to augment their abilities or gain leverage over those who gave them their powers. Pact Blades are indifferent toward most other classes.
ROLE:
Warlocks are (hopefully) gifted melee combatants. Their choice of invocation may either make them even better combatants or else give them useful utility powers.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are obvious choices for any melee combatant, though Pact Blades also require a decent Charisma score in order to use more powerful invocations.
d8
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special| Invocations Known |
1st|0|2|0|2| Eldritch Blade 1d6, Invocation (least)| 1
2nd|1|3|0|3| |2
3rd|2|3|1|3|Eldritch Blade 2d6, Infuse Weapon| 2
4th|3|4|1|4| Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+1)|3
5th|3|4|1|4| Eldritch Blast 3d6|3
6th|4|5|2|5|Invocations (Least, Lesser)|4
7th|5|5|2|5|Eldritch Blade 4d6|4
8th|6/1|6|2|6|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+2)|5
9th|6/1|6|3|6|Eldritch Blade 5d6|5
10th|7/2|7|3|7|Damage Reduction 5/cold iron|6
11th|8/3|7|3|7|Eldritch Blade 6d6, Invocations (Least, Lesser, Greater)|7
12th|9/4|8|4|8|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+3)|7
13th|9/4|8|4|8||8
14th|10/5|9|4|9|Eldritch Blade 7d6| 8
15th|11/6/1|9|5|9||9
16th|12/7/2|10|5|10|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+4), Invocations (Least, Lesser, Greater, Dark)| 10
17th|12/7/2|10|5|10|Eldritch Blade 8d6| 10
18th|13/8/3|11|6|11||11
19th|14/9/4|11|6|11| | 11
20th|15/10/5|12|6|12|Damage Reduction 10/cold iron, Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+5), Eldritch Blade 9d6| 12[/table]
Skills at first level: (2+int mod. x 4)
Skills at every level after: (2+ int. mod.)
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Profession, Ride, Tumble, Use Magic Device
CLASS FEATURES:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Pact Blade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with shields (except tower shields.) They are proficient with light and medium armor.
Invocations: A pact blade is capable of using invocations just as a warlock is. He chooses his invocations from the same list as the warlock, except that he may not select Blast Shape Invocations.
Eldritch Blade: A pact blade's primary class feature is his ability to fashion a blade using arcane power and his own spiritual power. The appearance of this blade (also known as a witch-tainted sword) varies greatly from person to person. Some blades appear to be shimmering fields of energy holding a vague sword shape. Others look like weird crosses of steel and flesh (*cough* sould edge *cough*). Still others appear to be completely mundane swords. Whatever their appearance, they are all roughly sword-like, and function in mechanically similar manners.
The blade mutates over time, reflecting its wielders growth as he experiences more and refines his fighting capabilities. This may or may not change the weapon's appearance slightly, but it always causes the weapon to become a more effective weapon.
A pact blade may "draw" his Eldritch Blade as a move action and dismiss it as a move action as many times a day as he/she so chooses. The blade is reformed every time it is drawn, so a sundered Eldritch Blade can be remade by simply drawing it (though the pact blade must wait an hour before doing so in order to give the blade time to heal).
A Pact Blade may choose his Eldritch Blade when taking feats such as weapon focus or similar feats.
An eldritch blade disappears after a single round if it leaves its owner's possession, and will not deal any damage to its Pact Blade.
Infuse Weapon: A pact blade may use a mundane (non-magical) weapon as a medium for his own Eldritch Blade. The weapon mutates and changes to appear somewhat like his Eldritch Blade, though it retains the same general shape.
Mechanically, a Pact Blade may lose a single die of damage from his Eldritch Blade in order to gain the base damage of the mundane medium.
(This is mostly for cool flavor, but I thought I should put on the last requirement to help balance out possibilities such as Eldritch Claymores)
Blade Enhancement: Ok, this part isn't finished yet. I need suggestions on properties or special tricks to add to an eldritch blade in a manner similar to a soulknife's mindblade.
Damage Reduction: In addition to the impressive offensive abilities of a Pact Blade, they receive some defensive abilities as well. At level ten, their powers mature to the point that they can resist attacks more effectively. The Pact Blade gains Damage Reduction 5/ cold iron. This increases to 10 twentieth level.
The exact nature of this damage reduction is as unique as the form of the Pact Blade's Eldritch Blade. They may gain scales, chitinous plates, or even plates of stylized armor that grows from or hovers around their flesh (this does not interfere with armor). They may heal instantaneously or be capable of simply ignoring the damage altogether, as though their bodies did not require proper blood and organ function to move.
(I still need some suggestions for the Blade Enhancements. Please tell me if this looks balanced and/or fun to play.)
Pact Blade
Pact Blades, like warlocks, make deals with otherworldly beings in exchange for arcane power. While the warlock's abilities are better suited for blasting enemies from a distance, the Pact Blade brings the entirety of his arcane power to bear in melee. He loses the safety of distance warlocks enjoy, but gains even more devastating destructive power.
ADVENTURES:
Pact Blades adventure for many of the same reasons that warlocks do. They sometimes inherit their powers from their ancestors and choose to use them for their own purposes or good causes. Some are the first Pact Blades in their family, having made a deal with otherworldly forces themselves in an effort to gain more power. Some have willingly traded away their souls for causes greater than themselves.
CHARACTERISTICS:
A Pact Blade is able to use invocations like a warlock, and has a special form of attack similar to a warlock's eldritch blast. Where the Warlock has a variety of defenses against magical attacks, a Pact Blade has defenses geared toward the harsh cuts and bangs of melee combat. A Pact Blade is much like a warlock in his lack of versatility, but lacks some of the range which is made up for in sheer melee prowess.
ALIGNMENT:
Most Pact Blades gain their powers from fiends and fey, though other agents have been known to make pacts such as these, and no actual alignment restrictions exist.
RELIGION:
Pact Blades usually have some understanding of the powers of deities, or at least of their agents, and rarely dismiss it entirely (though some do.) They are not, however, especially inclined to worship a specific deity above others. Some have agreed to serve a specific deity in exchange for their abilities, but this is not always the case.
BACKGROUND:
Same as Warlocks, but with more possible otherworldly agents responsible for their powers (such as good being like celestials.)
RACES:
Humans with their thirst for power, and elves with their lust for magic are among the most common Pact Blades. Evil races desiring more strength, and otherwise aligned races with frequent contact with extraplanar are also likely candidates. There is no actual restriction on which races may be Pact Blades.
OTHER CLASSES:
Warlocks are often like siblings to Pact Blades. Melee classes like fighters, barbarians, and some rangers are fellow warriors, shining in the bloody tide of combat. Wizards and clerics may know of ways to augment their abilities or gain leverage over those who gave them their powers. Pact Blades are indifferent toward most other classes.
ROLE:
Warlocks are (hopefully) gifted melee combatants. Their choice of invocation may either make them even better combatants or else give them useful utility powers.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Abilities: Strength and Constitution are obvious choices for any melee combatant, though Pact Blades also require a decent Charisma score in order to use more powerful invocations.
d8
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special| Invocations Known |
1st|0|2|0|2| Eldritch Blade 1d6, Invocation (least)| 1
2nd|1|3|0|3| |2
3rd|2|3|1|3|Eldritch Blade 2d6, Infuse Weapon| 2
4th|3|4|1|4| Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+1)|3
5th|3|4|1|4| Eldritch Blast 3d6|3
6th|4|5|2|5|Invocations (Least, Lesser)|4
7th|5|5|2|5|Eldritch Blade 4d6|4
8th|6/1|6|2|6|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+2)|5
9th|6/1|6|3|6|Eldritch Blade 5d6|5
10th|7/2|7|3|7|Damage Reduction 5/cold iron|6
11th|8/3|7|3|7|Eldritch Blade 6d6, Invocations (Least, Lesser, Greater)|7
12th|9/4|8|4|8|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+3)|7
13th|9/4|8|4|8||8
14th|10/5|9|4|9|Eldritch Blade 7d6| 8
15th|11/6/1|9|5|9||9
16th|12/7/2|10|5|10|Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+4), Invocations (Least, Lesser, Greater, Dark)| 10
17th|12/7/2|10|5|10|Eldritch Blade 8d6| 10
18th|13/8/3|11|6|11||11
19th|14/9/4|11|6|11| | 11
20th|15/10/5|12|6|12|Damage Reduction 10/cold iron, Eldritch Blade Enhancement (+5), Eldritch Blade 9d6| 12[/table]
Skills at first level: (2+int mod. x 4)
Skills at every level after: (2+ int. mod.)
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Profession, Ride, Tumble, Use Magic Device
CLASS FEATURES:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Pact Blade is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with shields (except tower shields.) They are proficient with light and medium armor.
Invocations: A pact blade is capable of using invocations just as a warlock is. He chooses his invocations from the same list as the warlock, except that he may not select Blast Shape Invocations.
Eldritch Blade: A pact blade's primary class feature is his ability to fashion a blade using arcane power and his own spiritual power. The appearance of this blade (also known as a witch-tainted sword) varies greatly from person to person. Some blades appear to be shimmering fields of energy holding a vague sword shape. Others look like weird crosses of steel and flesh (*cough* sould edge *cough*). Still others appear to be completely mundane swords. Whatever their appearance, they are all roughly sword-like, and function in mechanically similar manners.
The blade mutates over time, reflecting its wielders growth as he experiences more and refines his fighting capabilities. This may or may not change the weapon's appearance slightly, but it always causes the weapon to become a more effective weapon.
A pact blade may "draw" his Eldritch Blade as a move action and dismiss it as a move action as many times a day as he/she so chooses. The blade is reformed every time it is drawn, so a sundered Eldritch Blade can be remade by simply drawing it (though the pact blade must wait an hour before doing so in order to give the blade time to heal).
A Pact Blade may choose his Eldritch Blade when taking feats such as weapon focus or similar feats.
An eldritch blade disappears after a single round if it leaves its owner's possession, and will not deal any damage to its Pact Blade.
Infuse Weapon: A pact blade may use a mundane (non-magical) weapon as a medium for his own Eldritch Blade. The weapon mutates and changes to appear somewhat like his Eldritch Blade, though it retains the same general shape.
Mechanically, a Pact Blade may lose a single die of damage from his Eldritch Blade in order to gain the base damage of the mundane medium.
(This is mostly for cool flavor, but I thought I should put on the last requirement to help balance out possibilities such as Eldritch Claymores)
Blade Enhancement: Ok, this part isn't finished yet. I need suggestions on properties or special tricks to add to an eldritch blade in a manner similar to a soulknife's mindblade.
Damage Reduction: In addition to the impressive offensive abilities of a Pact Blade, they receive some defensive abilities as well. At level ten, their powers mature to the point that they can resist attacks more effectively. The Pact Blade gains Damage Reduction 5/ cold iron. This increases to 10 twentieth level.
The exact nature of this damage reduction is as unique as the form of the Pact Blade's Eldritch Blade. They may gain scales, chitinous plates, or even plates of stylized armor that grows from or hovers around their flesh (this does not interfere with armor). They may heal instantaneously or be capable of simply ignoring the damage altogether, as though their bodies did not require proper blood and organ function to move.
(I still need some suggestions for the Blade Enhancements. Please tell me if this looks balanced and/or fun to play.)