[d20r, PrC] Radiant Pyrearch

[Fax Celestis]

Radiant pyrearchs are combat leaders and tacticians who call upon their fiery ancestry to aid them. Radiant pyrearchs are generally energetic, proactive leaders who fight in the heat of battle rather than remaining at the rear and directing their allies. Most radiant pyrearchs are warlords, but there are also radiant pyrearchs who start as paladins.

Prerequisites

• Phoe-Kun or Fire subtype
• Journeyman of either Diplomacy or Intimidate, and Apprentice of the other
• Pyrrhic Victory feat
• Tactical Leadership +2 or Smite 2/day
• BAB +7

Class Progression

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special	Auras
1st	+0	+0	+2	+1	Pyrearch Presence	-
2nd	+1	+0	+3	+1	Imbued Flame	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
3rd	+2	+1	+3	+2	-	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
4th	+3	+1	+4	+2	Heroism	-
5th	+3	+1	+4	+3	Body of Fire	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
6th	+4	+2	+5	+3	Broaden Aura	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
7th	+5	+2	+5	+3	Legendary Hero	-
8th	+6	+2	+6	+4	Lead by Example	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
9th	+6	+3	+6	+4	Phoenixflame Retribution	+1 level of existing aura-granting class
10th	+7	+3	+7	+5	Pyrearch Form	+1 level of existing aura-granting class

Class Features
HD: d8

Proficiencies: A radiant pyrearch gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Skills: A radiant pyrearch is trained in the Noble skill set and any one of the following skill sets: Adventurer, Courtesan, Diplomat, Guard, Knight, Merchant, Proselytizer, Socialite, Thug, or Warrior.

Prowess: A radiant pyrearch gains 4 prowess per level.

Auras: At every level except 1st, 4th, and 7th, a radiant pyrearch gains new auras as if she had also gained a level in a aura-emanating class (such as a warlord or a paladin) she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level for her auras. If she had more than one aura-emanating class before becoming a radiant pyrearch, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining auras known and their effectiveness.

Pyrearch Presence (Su): A radiant pyrearch's Pyrrhic Victory aura is continually active and does not impede her ability to have other auras of command active. In addition, a radian pyrearch adds her Charisma modifier to damage dealt by her Pyrrhic Victory aura.

Imbued Flame (Su): Starting at second level, when you target an ally with your Alacrity, Motivation, or Mercurial Action abilities (or include them in the Legion's versions, where applicable), that ally deals extra fire damage equal to your hero value on weapon and spell damage rolls until the end of your next turn.

Heroism (Sp): Starting at fourth level, a radiant pyrearch increases her hero value by one. In addition, she gains the ability to cast heroism as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier. She substitutes her hero value for her caster level.

Body of Fire (Ex): Starting at fifth level, a radiant pyrearch gains the Fire subtype and all effects that go along with it. Should the radiant pyrearch already possess the Fire subtype when gaining this ability, they instead gain Resist (Cold) 20.

Broaden Aura (Su): Starting at sixth level, a radiant pyrearch may designate one aura effect she is currently generating as a broadened aura: double the radius of this aura. Switching which aura is broadened is a move action.

Legendary Hero (Ex): Starting at seventh level, a radiant pyrearch adds her Charisma modifier to her hero value.

Lead by Example (Su): Starting at eighth level, a radiant pyrearch's ability to lead magnifies: allies affected by one of her auras of leadership may substitute her hero value for theirs if it would be beneficial to do so.

Phoenixflame Retribution (Su): Starting at ninth level, a radiant pyrearch gains the ability to be reborn similar to a phoenix. Once per week, when killed, the radiant pyrearch can instead choose to explode, dealing 15d8 fire to all creatures in 60' radius (Reflex half, DC 10 + the radiant pyrearch's hero value + her Charisma modifier). The radiant pyrearch reforms in 1 minute in the location she exploded, cleansed of any status conditions or ongoing spell effects (even beneficial ones), but still with her equipment. She is also restored to half her maximum hit points.

Pyrearch Form (Su): At tenth level, a radiant pyrearch reaches her fiery apotheosis. As a move action, she may assume form of a phoenix. While in this form, she loses her physical ability scores. Instead, she uses the physical statistics and racial abilities of a phoenix. She gains the natural and preternatural abilities of a phoenix, but does not gain a phoenix's extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like abilities. She retains all feats, racial features, and class features of her original form. Any non-weapon equipment she carries molds to fit her new form: weapons instead mold into her new form, and she may choose one such weapon to imbue her new natural attacks with its properties.

[OzymandiasVolt]

I am viewing your PrC, but not commenting on it! BWAHAHAHAHAHAoh wait fff.

I like how it gets SOMETHING every level. Dead levels are terrible.
I am a sucker for any fire-themed class.
Being able to recover from death, even if it's only once a week, is pretty sweet and encourages more focus on teammates at the expense of one's self.
Overall I like the way it amplifies the team-buffing aura leader role.

[MammonAzrael]

I'm going to keep reading the class, but right off the bat, the prereqs demand that you have at least a level in Warlord. A straight Paladin cannot get into this PrC, because one would not qualify for the Pyrrhic Victory feat. I'm assuming this was not intentional. Nevermind, it looks like its intentionally a Warlord specific PrC...I guess the Paladin nod was just a bit confusing then.

• It feels a little odd that it only grants 4 Prowess since the Warlord (and the Paladin) grants 6. Oversight, or just an extra focus on the team more than individual martial skills?
• Right now Pyrrhic Victory is not optional, nor would you have a way to turn it off. So if you're in a tavern and some lv 1 drunken commoner punches your friend they'd be immolated without warning!
• I like Heroism, but I feel like you should gain the ability to cast Greater Heroism at some point.
• Legendary Hero seems really strong. Not broken, but an ability that will just grow more powerful as more things use your Hero Value. Good that it is so late in the progression.
• Lead by Example will be awesome with Legendary Hero. Pho-kun armies with these for captains will be scary.
• This is quite the friendly-fire. It fits with the phoenix theme, but its quite jarring with the rest of the class being so team-focused.
• What are preternatural abilities? Do weapon properties include enhancement bonuses?

[Fax Celestis]

I'm going to keep reading the class, but right off the bat, the prereqs demand that you have at least a level in Warlord. A straight Paladin cannot get into this PrC, because one would not qualify for the Pyrrhic Victory feat. I'm assuming this was not intentional. Nevermind, it looks like its intentionally a Warlord specific PrC...I guess the Paladin nod was just a bit confusing then.

Yeah. The option for a Phoe-Kun Warlord 1/Paladin 7 is there, though.

It feels a little odd that it only grants 4 Prowess since the Warlord (and the Paladin) grants 6. Oversight, or just an extra focus on the team more than individual martial skills?

The latter.

Right now Pyrrhic Victory is not optional, nor would you have a way to turn it off. So if you're in a tavern and some lv 1 drunken commoner punches your friend they'd be immolated without warning!

Aura effects will have a switch-off clause, like gaze attacks.

I like Heroism, but I feel like you should gain the ability to cast Greater Heroism at some point.

Isn't that one not OGL?

Legendary Hero seems really strong. Not broken, but an ability that will just grow more powerful as more things use your Hero Value. Good that it is so late in the progression.

Yeah. It's like a 15th level ability, but it is REALLY good.

Lead by Example will be awesome with Legendary Hero. Pho-kun armies with these for captains will be scary.

Yes.

This is quite the friendly-fire. It fits with the phoenix theme, but its quite jarring with the rest of the class being so team-focused.

Well, you can opt to not use it. Or, if your allies are fire-immune or resistant (like phoe-kun, their pet fire elementals/phoenices, etc), it matters less.

What are preternatural abilities?

Preternatural abilities are a new ability type, like Extraordinary or Supernatural. Preternatural abilities explicitly come from the form of a being, whereas Extraordinary comes from being a being. A dragon's Fearsome Presence is (Ex); a dragon's breath weapon is (Pr).

Do weapon properties include enhancement bonuses?

Yeah.

[MammonAzrael]

Aura effects will have a switch-off clause, like gaze attacks.

Ok. Just saying as of right now Pyrearch Presence doesn't let you shut it off. Could be a good way to keep taverns in order though...

Isn't that one not OGL?

Well, its in the SRD.

Preternatural abilities are a new ability type, like Extraordinary or Supernatural. Preternatural abilities explicitly come from the form of a being, whereas Extraordinary comes from being a being. A dragon's Fearsome Presence is (Ex); a dragon's breath weapon is (Pr).

Ahh. Nifty.

[thegurullamen]

Ok. Just saying as of right now Pyrearch Presence doesn't let you shut it off. Could be a good way to keep taverns in order though...

Well, yeah, because who's going to screw with the armored dude surrounded by air so hot, it's rippling?

Good PrC. Only problem I have with it is that it uses a 1/week mechanic, which I find annoying, but it's a strongly-phoenix-flavored PrC, so all is forgiven.

[Thinker]

I'm going to look at the class abilities, trusting that your BAB, skills, etc. fit in pretty well with the rest of d20r. For the most part those are secondary to actual class features anyway.

Prowess: A radiant pyrearch gains 4 prowess per level.

I do find it odd that characters lose a powerful feature in exchange for going into a PrC. Maybe I'm just overestimating Prowess's usefulness.

Auras: At every level except 1st, 4th, and 7th, a radiant pyrearch gains new auras as if she had also gained a level in an aura-emanating class (such as a warlord or a paladin) she belonged to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level for her auras. If she had more than one aura-emanating class before becoming a radiant pyrearch, she must decide to which class she adds the new level for purposes of determining auras known and their effectiveness.

So you get auras as a level 16 paladin or a level 17 Warlord. That means you lose one Aura of Leadership and two Auras of Command. Since the aura's power scales with level, by the time a player begins taking levels in a class he will probably have many of the auras he cares about anyway.

The way this is worded, I could see it being open to interpretation (albeit very loosely) that it affects multiple aura progressions (i.e. +1 warlord and +1 paladin aura). I also think that players could mix it up another way and choose which class to progress at certain levels.

Pyrearch Presence (Su): A radiant pyrearch's Pyrrhic Victory aura is continually active and does not impede her ability to have other auras of command active. In addition, a radiant pyrearch adds her Charisma modifier to damage dealt by her Pyrrhic Victory aura.

Is there intentionally no way to suppress this aura? This could lead to a lot of unintentional effects.

Imbued Flame (Su): Starting at second level, when you target an ally with your Alacrity, Motivation, or Mercurial Action abilities (or include them in the Legion's versions, where applicable), that ally deals extra fire damage equal to your hero value on weapon and spell damage rolls until the end of your next turn.

This is handy and doesn't seem open to abuse. The Motivation aspect might not see much use since that only grants a Move action.

Heroism (Sp): Starting at fourth level, a radiant pyrearch increases her hero value by one. In addition, she gains the ability to cast heroism as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to her Charisma modifier. She substitutes her hero value for her caster level.

Why limit this per day? Wouldn't it be easier to simply say "once per encounter"? Charisma is a primary attribute for radiant pyrearchs and for warlords so it is unlikely it would be used more than that, but in long days keeps the character's usefulness going. Also, isn't hero level equal to half the character level? That seems like a somewhat short duration for the spell.

Body of Fire (Ex): Starting at fifth level, a radiant pyrearch gains the Fire subtype and all effects that go along with it. Should the radiant pyrearch already possess the Fire subtype when gaining this ability, they instead gain Resist (Cold) 20.

What are the effects of the fire subtype?

Broaden Aura (Su): Starting at sixth level, a radiant pyrearch may designate one aura effect she is currently generating as a broadened aura: double the radius of this aura. Switching which aura is broadened is a move action.

That's nice. Most combats won't have players more than 60' apart so it effectively grants auras to everyone in the group for most of the time.

Legendary Hero (Ex): Starting at seventh level, a radiant pyrearch adds her Charisma modifier to her hero value.

This seems like it could make radiant pyrearchs overpowered, especially once you consider heroic feats. You may want to review this.

Lead by Example (Su): Starting at eighth level, a radiant pyrearch's ability to lead magnifies: allies affected by one of her auras of leadership may substitute her hero value for theirs if it would be beneficial to do so.

This could also make an entire group's heroic feats very powerful. Depending on relative power, I could see this multiplying a party's effective power.

Phoenixflame Retribution (Su): Starting at ninth level, a radiant pyrearch gains the ability to be reborn similar to a phoenix. Once per week, when killed, the radiant pyrearch can instead choose to explode, dealing 15d8 fire to all creatures in 60' radius (Reflex half, DC 10 + the radiant pyrearch's hero value + her Charisma modifier). The radiant pyrearch reforms in 1 minute in the location she exploded, cleansed of any status conditions or ongoing spell effects (even beneficial ones), but still with her equipment. She is also restored to half her maximum hit points.

Radiant pyrearchs are typically going to be in melee combat, often with other members of their party. With a 60' radius, this results in nearly everyone in the party being hit. What good is returning to life if the rest of your group is dead? I'd guess that when you would use this, things are looking pretty grim already, otherwise you could just take the death and get resurrected later by the rest of your group. I think that this ability is in serious need of redesign.

Pyrearch Form (Su): At tenth level, a radiant pyrearch reaches her fiery apotheosis. As a move action, she may assume form of a phoenix. While in this form, she loses her physical ability scores. Instead, she uses the physical statistics and racial abilities of a phoenix. She gains the natural and preternatural abilities of a phoenix, but does not gain a phoenix's extraordinary, supernatural, or spell-like abilities. She retains all feats, racial features, and class features of her original form. Any non-weapon equipment she carries molds to fit her new form: weapons instead mold into her new form, and she may choose one such weapon to imbue her new natural attacks with its properties.

This is a pretty cool capstone. I think that I would rather see a static block of what the character gains and loses to avoid confusion with later effects. For example, if, when you are building the phoenix you decide "Wouldn't it be cool if there were a phoenix with the ice subtype" and make different types that disagree with the flavor of the class.

[Fax Celestis]

I do find it odd that characters lose a powerful feature in exchange for going into a PrC. Maybe I'm just overestimating Prowess's usefulness.

It's a good PrC.

So you get auras as a level 16 paladin or a level 17 Warlord. That means you lose one Aura of Leadership and two Auras of Command. Since the aura's power scales with level, by the time a player begins taking levels in a class he will probably have many of the auras he cares about anyway.

Probably.

The way this is worded, I could see it being open to interpretation (albeit very loosely) that it affects multiple aura progressions (i.e. +1 warlord and +1 paladin aura). I also think that players could mix it up another way and choose which class to progress at certain levels.

The former is not the intention, the latter is.

Is there intentionally no way to suppress this aura? This could lead to a lot of unintentional effects.

I haven't posted the description of Aura effects. Sufficient to say, they contain an off-clause like gaze attacks do.

Why limit this per day? Wouldn't it be easier to simply say "once per encounter"? Charisma is a primary attribute for radiant pyrearchs and for warlords so it is unlikely it would be used more than that, but in long days keeps the character's usefulness going. Also, isn't hero level equal to half the character level? That seems like a somewhat short duration for the spell.

A pyrearch's HV, boosted with Heroism and Legendary Hero, is probably going to be closer to their level.

This seems like it could make radiant pyrearchs overpowered, especially once you consider heroic feats. You may want to review this.

What if I made it a different stat?

This could also make an entire group's heroic feats very powerful. Depending on relative power, I could see this multiplying a party's effective power.

It is also a seventeenth level ability. Seventeenth level abilities should be good.

Radiant pyrearchs are typically going to be in melee combat, often with other members of their party. With a 60' radius, this results in nearly everyone in the party being hit. What good is returning to life if the rest of your group is dead? I'd guess that when you would use this, things are looking pretty grim already, otherwise you could just take the death and get resurrected later by the rest of your group. I think that this ability is in serious need of redesign.

Yeah, people keep saying that. I could make it include 'allies within your largest aura gain fire immunity for one round when you activate this ability' or something.

This is a pretty cool capstone. I think that I would rather see a static block of what the character gains and loses to avoid confusion with later effects. For example, if, when you are building the phoenix you decide "Wouldn't it be cool if there were a phoenix with the ice subtype" and make different types that disagree with the flavor of the class.

I hadn't thought of that. I may have to be more specific.

[Thinker]

A pyrearch's HV, boosted with Heroism and Legendary Hero, is probably going to be closer to their level.

Alright. I haven't seen your new Heroism spell (if it is changing), which makes it hard to gauge the power of spell-like abilities.

What if I made it a different stat?

Making it a different stat would just add MAD to the character class and would be a fairly significant ability. I don't think it necessarily needs to be nerfed, you should just keep in mind that any time you make an awesome heroic feat, you are giving a nice buff to any radiant pyrearch and to any parties that have one.

It is also a seventeenth level ability. Seventeenth level abilities should be good.

15th by my count (you can enter as your 8th level and finish the class as your 17th), but I can see your point. I may be overestimating the usefulness of heroic feats. I haven't looked at them in a while now.

Yeah, people keep saying that. I could make it include 'allies within your largest aura gain fire immunity for one round when you activate this ability' or something.

Another option is to just exclude allies or make it only affect enemies and play up the retribution or vengeance aspect of the ability. I like the idea of bringing pain to those who would cause you harm. I'm not keen on 1/week abilities usually, since they're harder to track. This one is also a level 17 ability and, like you say, should be strong so maybe improve how often this can be used?

I had another thought about the class as a whole. Is there another feat that can grant the fire subtype? For example, a feat requiring Pyrrhic Victory to gain it so that it is still most useful for Phoe-Kun (because they don't need the second feat), but accessible by others as well?

[Fax Celestis]

I had another thought about the class as a whole. Is there another feat that can grant the fire subtype? For example, a feat requiring Pyrrhic Victory to gain it so that it is still most useful for Phoe-Kun (because they don't need the second feat), but accessible by others as well?

No, but that's an excellent idea.

[Draz74]

Question: Isn't the Phoenix itself, not OGC?

I like the loss of Prowess for the PrC. I do think there are some potential balance issues with a whole party that focuses on Heroic Feats, with a Radiant Pyrearch who focuses on very high Charisma.

I may have to copy the Lead by Example class feature, in some adapted form, as a capstone ability in my CRE8 system ...

[Fax Celestis]

Question: Isn't the Phoenix itself, not OGC?

The version made by WotC, yes. But in the case of a mythological creature that predates D&D by millennia, I don't think you can copyright that.

I like the loss of Prowess for the PrC. I do think there are some potential balance issues with a whole party that focuses on Heroic Feats, with a Radiant Pyrearch who focuses on very high Charisma.

Possibly. I doubt it, really, but we'll see.

[Lord_Gareth]

Question - how common is energy resistance in D20r? Immunity? Because, assuming 3.5-level availability, all this fire damage is looking kinda meh.

[the humanity]

these are going to be the most awful BBEG's if you aren't expecting it.

just because they blow up.

that was my first thought.

the second was they are really damn cool BBEG's if you're the DM.

just because they blow up.

[Tael]

Is Legendary Hero supposed to add your charisma to all skills?

[Fax Celestis]

Question - how common is energy resistance in D20r? Immunity? Because, assuming 3.5-level availability, all this fire damage is looking kinda meh.

The fire damage is supposed to be a free extra. Frontloading it into the class makes it so that the class is a choice instead of a given. In short, by taking the class, you get Heroism, Legendary Hero, Lead by Example, and Pyrearch Form, but you miss out on Mercurial Action and Triple Aura, your BAB slows, your prowess slows, and your saves swap.

Is Legendary Hero supposed to add your charisma to all skills?

Yup.

[Lord_Gareth]

This strikes me as a bad idea. Fire is cool. Everyone loves fire, and yet, it's useless in D&D. Utterly and completely without worth. Throwing around resist I can get behind, at times, but why take one of the most flavorful aspects of your class and make it mechanically useless?

[Fax Celestis]

This strikes me as a bad idea. Fire is cool. Everyone loves fire, and yet, it's useless in D&D. Utterly and completely without worth. Throwing around resist I can get behind, at times, but why take one of the most flavorful aspects of your class and make it mechanically useless?

Well, I have been thinking about making a 'phoe-kun or Fire subtype' (basically, anyone who's got access to this class anyway) feat that lets you pierce fire resist at half rate and/or break immunity to resist 30. Probably do one for each element, with a different race/subtype entry.

[Lord_Gareth]

That seems like it's worth exploring, though for some reason I can't name it does make me uneasy. I dunno, maybe it's 'cause I don't like must-have feats for concepts, but you already TOOK a feat to even get to this point, so it's not like you wouldn't WANT the pierce anyway :p

(That reminds me - even worse than invalidating a cool class feature is kicking one of your players' feat choices right in the 'nads. Keep that in mind when you're writing up monsters, spells, resistances et all; someone blew a feat to burn their enemies, and feats are irreplaceable)