The Swordsaint (Recently Edited! PEACH please.)

[Ziegander]

The Swordsaint
EDIT: Let's try these changes on for size.



Hit Dice: d12
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: As Paladin.

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special |

S. Level

|

S. Known

|

S. Granted

1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Attunement, Serenity|

1

|

3

|

2+1

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Combat Casting, Divine Grace|

1

|

4

|

2+2

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|Channel Spell|

1

|

5

|

2+2

4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Saintly Resolve 5, Spell Strike|

1

|

6

|

2+2

5th|+5|+4|+1|+1||

2

|

7

|

3+2

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+2|Quick Cast 1/day|

2

|

8

|

3+2

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+2|Passionate Smite|

2

|

9

|

3+2

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+2|Saintly Resolve 10|

2

|

10

|

3+3

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+3||

3

|

11

|

3+3

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+3|Quick Cast 2/day|

3

|

12

|

3+3

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+3|Zealous Defiance|

3

|

13

|

3+4

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+4|Saintly Resolve 15|

3

|

14

|

3+4

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+4||

4

|

15

|

3+4

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+4|Fervent Denial|

4

|

16

|

3+5

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+5|Quick Cast 3/day|

4

|

17

|

3+5

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+5|Saintly Resolve 20|

4

|

18

|

3+5

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+5||

5

|

19

|

3+6

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+6|Blessed Fanaticism|

5

|

20

|

3+6

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+6|Deathless Saint|

5

|

21

|

3+6

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+6|Saintly Resolve 25, Quick Cast 4/day|

5

|

22

|

3+7

[/table]

Class Skill (4+Int): Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Religion), Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Swim.

Proficiencies: All simple and martial melee weapons. Light and medium armor, and all shields except Tower.

Spells (Read Carefully): A Swordsaint learns and is granted divine spells from the Priest spell list, spending time in study and in meditation to master their power. In order to cast a spell a Swordsaint must have a Wisdom score of at least 10+spell level. The save DCs of a Swordsaint's spells are based on his Wisdom. A Swordsaint's caster level is equal to his class level. Swordsaints do not get bonus spells.

Like a Priest, a Swordsaint may choose two domains and add those domains' spells to his spell list. He follows the same rules as a Priest when determining what spells he is able to cast because of his alignment and whether or not he gets his domains' granted powers.

A Swordsaint's spells do not use spell slots like a normal spellcaster. By spending 15 minutes in prayer/meditation, he is granted spells from his list of spells known. When his spells are granted, some are granted at random and some he may choose himself. The first number in the S.Granted part of the above table is the total spells granted at random. These randomly granted spells are considered to be readied. The second number is the number of spells which the Swordsaint is able to choose for himself. These chosen spells are considered to be withheld.

When his spells are granted he cannot choose any spell he knows more than once, except if done randomly. Swordsaints may re-perform the granting ritual any time they can spend 15 minutes in prayer. A Swordsaint may only cast spells which are readied. After he has cast all of his readied spells, if he has any withheld spells those spells are now readied.

For example, an 11th level Swordsaint is granted 7 spells after spending 15 minutes in prayer. From his spells known, the Swordsaint may choose any four of them but none more than once; these are withheld. The other three spells are granted randomly and are readied.

Despite similarities to the Crusader class, the Swordsaint does not automatically recover his cast spells at the start of each encounter. A Swordsaint is randomly granted a number of readied Orisons at the start of each encounter equal to his Wisdom modifier.

At 5th level, and every three levels thereafter, a Swordsaint may lose a single spell known, to learn a new spell, of any level, up to the highest level of spells he knows.

Attunement (Sp): Swordsaints may substitute any melee weapon for the divine focus component of spells they cast and may cast spells with somatic components even if his hands are full as long as he holds a melee weapon in one of his hands. As long as he holds a melee weapon in one of his hands he ignores material components of spells as if he possessed the Eschew Materials feat.

Though he is automatically granted a number of readied orisons each encounter, he may recover non-orison spells he's cast in the following ways:

• At the end of each of the Swordsaint's turns, if he is below 0 hit points but alive he recovers a single cast spell at random. That spell is readied.

• Whenever an enemy provokes an attack of opportunity from the Swordsaint, rather than take that attack of opportunity he may recover a single cast spell at random. That spell is withheld.

• Whenever the Swordsaint reduces a foe to 0 or fewer hit points with a melee attack, if that foe had more than 0 hit points before the Swordsaint's attack he may spend a swift action to recover all his cast spells. Half of those spells, rounded up and chosen at random, are readied; the others are withheld.

Serenity (Su): When making a melee attack, rather than adding his Strength modifier to the attack roll, he may add his Wisdom modifier if it is higher.

Combat Casting: At 2nd level, a Swordsaint gains Combat Casting as a bonus feat.

Divine Grace (Su): Starting at 2nd level, a Swordsaint adds his Charisma modifier to all saving throws he makes.

Channel Spell (Sp): At 3rd level, a Swordsaint has mastered the ability of combining of melee competence with magical power. As a standard action he may cast a spell and deliver it through a single melee attack without provoking attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less, and regardless of the number of targets it could normally be assigned the spell must target only one creature. Personal spells or spells with an area effect may not be Channeled.

The Swordsaint makes a melee attack roll at his highest attack bonus. If the attack misses his spell is cast but is wasted. If the attack hits, the target of the attack (and only the target of the attack) is subject to the effects of the cast spell as if the Swordsaint had succeeded on any attack rolls or spell penetration checks as the spell would normally require. The target of the attack is permitted any saving throws the spell would ordinarily allow.

Spells that generate multiple touches, or rays, charge the Swordsaint's weapon for multiple attacks. Each time he attacks with the weapon, one of the touches/rays is used until all have been used. Missing with an attack in this manner uses up one of the touches/rays. While the Swordsaint's weapon remains charged in this way if he chooses to cast another spell with his Channel Spell ability any charges currently held in his weapon are lost.

Saintly Resolve (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, a Swordsaint's dedication to the spiritual realm rather than the physical allows him to temporarily set aside pain and injury. You have a delayed damage pool that allows you to forestall the effects of attacks made against you. This pool begins at 0 at the start of each encounter. When you are attacked, any hit point damage you would be dealt is added to your delayed damage pool. At the end of your next turn, you take damage equal to the total stored in your delayed damage pool, which then resets to 0. This damage is reduced as normal by effects such as Damage Reduction or Energy Resistance, and healing effects may, at the Swordsaint's choice, restore hit points currently lost from the hit point total OR reduce the total damage in his delayed damage pool.

Special effects tied to an attack, such as energy drain, stunning, and so forth, still effect you as normal, and such effects are not delayed by this ability. For example, when damaged by a poisonous spider bite, the Swordsaint may delay some or all of the hit point damage, but must immediately make the Fortitude saving throw to avoid being poisoned.

At 4th level, your delayed damage pool can hold up to 5 points of damage. Any damage beyond that is dealt directly to your hitpoints as normal. The maximum damage your pool may hold increases by 5 points at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 20th level.

Spell Strike (Sp): At 4th level, for every 5 points in a Swordsaint's delayed damage pool, a Swordsaint gains a +2 insight bonus bonus on caster level checks, and +1 to the save DCs of spells casts through his Channel Spell ability.

Quick Cast (Sp): Starting at 6th level, a Swordsaint may cast a single spell, once per day, as a swift action. At 10th level and every five levels after a Swordsaint may use this ability an additional time each day.

Passionate Smite (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a Swordsaint adds his Charisma modifier to all damage rolls he makes against any creature with at least one alignment axis opposing one of his alignment axes. When using your Spell Channeling class feature with a spell that deals hit point damage Passionate Smite applies to both the weapon damage roll and to the spell's damage roll.

Zealous Defiance (Ex): Starting at 11th level, a Swordsaint adds his Charisma bonus on any check made to oppose an enemy's bull rush, disarm, feint, overrun, sunder, or trip attempt.

Fervent Denial (Ex): Starting at 14th level, a Swordsaint adds his Charisma bonus to attack rolls made as part of an attack of opportunity and to his AC against attacks of opportunity.

Blessed Fanaticism (Su): Starting at 18th level, a Swordsaint may act normally anytime he would otherwise be disabled, staggered, unconscious, or dead for a number of rounds each day equal to his Charisma bonus. He need not take these rounds in succession. During and after acting in these rounds, the Swordsaint is unaffected by these conditions, but they are not removed.

Deathless Saint (Su): Starting at 19th level, a Swordsaint is immune to ability damage and drain, negative energy and levels, and death effects.

[Ziegander]

Swordsaint Feats

Exchange Spells
Prerequisites: Ability to cast 2nd level spells, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Benefit: You may choose to lose up to three of your spells known to learn an equal number of new spells from your spell list in their place up to the highest level of spells you are able to cast.
Special: This feat may be taken up to two additional times. Each time beyond the first requires 4 additional ranks in Spellcraft.

Expanded Channeling
Prerequisites: Arcane or Spell Channeling class feature, Spellcraft 6 ranks
Benefit: You gain the ability to channel ranged touch spells with your class feature if you didn't already have that ability. Further, you gain the ability to channel Close and even Medium Range spells with your class feature as long as the spell you wish to channel has only single target.

Perfect Channeling
Prerequisites: Arcane or Spell Channeling class feature, Spellcraft 12 ranks, Expanded Channeling
Benefit: You gain the ability to channel any spell with your class feature. Spells channeled in this way effect only the attacked creature regardless of whether it would normally effect an area or multiple creatures. Further, when you use your Arcane or Spell Channeling feature and you miss with the attack your spell is not cast or otherwise wasted.

Saint's Hand
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve class feature, Concentration 4 ranks
Benefit: You are able to channel your resolve into divine power. With a melee touch as a standard action you may subtract any number of points from your delayed damage pool to heal a touched ally, if you are Good, or to damage a touched enemy, if you are Evil. When you do this you lose an equal number of hit points. This loss of hit points is not considered damage and thus isn't reduced by any effect that would normally reduce damage such as Damage Reduction or Energy Resistance.
Special: Neutral characters may benefit from this feat, but they must choose when they take the feat whether they are able to heal allies or damage enemies. This choice is made once and can't be reversed.

Saintly Vitality
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve class feature, Saint's Hand, Concentration 10 ranks
Benefit: When you use the melee touch you gained from your Saint's Hand feat you may remove (Good) or bestow (Evil) negative conditions depending on your alignment and the amount of healing or damage you deal as outlined below (Conditions bestowed in this way last for 1 round.):

15 points - You may remove or bestow the Blinded, Deafened, Fatigued, Shaken or Sickened conditions.

20 points - You may remove or bestow the Confused, Exhausted, Frightened, Poisoned*, or Diseased** conditions.

25 points - You may remove or bestow the Nauseated, Panicked, or Paralyzed conditions.

30 points - You may remove or bestow the Cowering, Dazed, or Stunned conditions.

*This poison deals initial damage of 2 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution and secondary damage of 4 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution five minutes later.
**As the spell Contagion.

Extra Quickening
Prerequisites: Quick Cast 1/day
Benefit: You gain an extra three uses of your Quick Cast feature each day.

Courageous Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +1 morale bonus to saves against Fear and to damage rolls.

Cunning Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +1 morale bonus to Initiative checks and to Touch and Flatfooted AC.

Motivational Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +2 morale bonus to ability checks, but not to skill checks.

Competent Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +2 morale bonus to skill checks.

Tactical Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +2 morale bonus to all Bull Rush, Disarm, Grapple, Overrun, Sunder, and Trip attempts.

Imbued Resolve
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you and allies within 60ft gain a +1 morale bonus to caster level.

Unbreakable Spirit
Prerequisites: Steely or Saintly Resolve
Benefit: For every 5 points in your delayed damage pool you have Damage Reduction 1/-- and Fast Healing 1. These stack with other sources of similar DR and/or Fast Healing you may have.

[pilvento]

looking good, maibe u can separate some spells depending on the Swordsaint alingment.

Good Swordsaint/Paladin casting blades of blood, doom scrabs or rage? not in my campaing mister

[Lord_Gareth]

looking good, maibe u can separate some spells depending on the Swordsaint alingment.

Good Swordsaint/Paladin casting blades of blood, doom scrabs or rage? not in my campaing mister

Why not Rage?

[pilvento]

ok the Good one can, but not the Lawfull one

[Starbuck_II]

So per encounter casting?
So Cleric/Pally ToB version: I like but getting DMs to okay this might be hard to playtest (vancian is very ingrained in DMs).

Does any coup de grace for spell reqacuisution or only full rd action ones? Death blow is a Complete Adventure feat that makes it a standard action.

[Ziegander]

So per encounter casting?
So Cleric/Pally ToB version: I like but getting DMs to okay this might be hard to playtest (vancian is very ingrained in DMs).

Yeah, I know. I tried hard to make the spell list exciting but not outshine maneuvers available to characters of a given level. I just added a clause to clarify that you do not automatically have the spells available at the start of every encounter. They aren't 100% per encounter spells you DO have to recover them to cast them again.

Does any coup de grace for spell reqacuisution or only full rd action ones? Death blow is a Complete Adventure feat that makes it a standard action.

Only full round action coup de graces was my intention. Do you think I should clarify, or do you think I should open it up more so that Death Blow is viable?

looking good, maibe u can separate some spells depending on the Swordsaint alingment.

Good Swordsaint/Paladin casting blades of blood, doom scrabs or rage? not in my campaing mister

I had thought about making separate spell lists for each of the four alignments, but then I decided I didn't want to make it so polarized as the incarnum classes. I want characters playing the class to be able to mix up archetypes if they so choose. I want Grey Guards to be playable with this class. In the end I think it's best to leave DMs up to making that call for their campaigns if they wish.

[A Weeping Angel]

Very cool class and where did you get that kick-ass image?

[Ziegander]

Very cool class and where did you get that kick-ass image?

Thank you. The image is actually a reappropriated WotC artwork for the Soulborn class. It comes up in a google image search for Paladin.

As far as the coup de grace recovery goes, I've nixed it. I built a couple of these guys and the two ways to recover a single spell (5 minutes meditation and dropping a foe with a melee attack) seemed to be the perfect amount of recovery. There have also been flavor concerns with the coup de grace from the beginning.

[hamishspence]

Specifically, it's on page 5 of Magic of Incarnum- and represents the member of the Pentifex Order whom the iconic party (Tordek, Lidda, etc) meet in the introduction to the book.

[A Weeping Angel]

Thank you. The image is actually a reappropriated WotC artwork for the Soulborn class. It comes up in a google image search for Paladin.

Specifically, it's on page 5 of Magic of Incarnum- and represents the member of the Pentifex Order whom the iconic party (Tordek, Lidda, etc) meet in the introduction to the book.

Your welcome and thank you as well hamishspence

[Ziegander]

BUMP!

Just wondering if anyone else has any feedback or criticism.

With the wider spell list, automatic armored casting (due to divine casting), higher hit die, and tweaked spell channeling, I'm aware this is more powerful than a Duskblade. However, its casting mechanics have large limitations. The nova capability of this class is almost non-existent even with the recoverable spells, and the random choosing of spells also prevents spamming "solution" spells and curbs abuses. But are there other concerns I'm not seeing? Problems with wording that allow broken stuff? Things I could have executed better?

[Lix Lorn]

...they can get fourteen level five spells?
...that sounded overpowered in my head, but hey. Level 5.

I love it!

One thing. With Saint's Hand and Saintly Vitalit, I'd much prefer if you had the choice of the two despite your alignment. Good can hurt and evil can heal. Just my thoughts. :)

[Ziegander]

...they can get fourteen level five spells?
...that sounded overpowered in my head, but hey. Level 5.

Wait. I hope not! What are you reading that allows this? I'll need to rewrite some things if you're correct.

I love it!

Thanks!

One thing. With Saint's Hand and Saintly Vitalit, I'd much prefer if you had the choice of the two despite your alignment. Good can hurt and evil can heal. Just my thoughts. :)

This is probably a good call.

[Lix Lorn]

Wait. I hope not! What are you reading that allows this? I'll need to rewrite some things if you're correct.

Oooh, no I'm wrong. I misread spells granted, thought it was eight chosen AND six random, as opposed to eight total, six of which are random.

[Ziegander]

Oooh, no I'm wrong. I misread spells granted, thought it was eight chosen AND six random, as opposed to eight total, six of which are random.

Ah, yes. Phew! I've been thinking that needs to be cleared up a bit, but I'm not sure how. The maximum number of 5th level spells a Swordsaint 20 can even know should only be 4, but yeah, he would then be able to choose any two of his spells when his spells are granted (probably two of his 5th level ones), and six additional spells would be granted to him at random from his 12 spells known.

EDIT: Added a separate clause in the Swordsaint's spellcasting allowing him to persist buffs active on himself when he reduces a foe to 0 or fewer hitpoints rather than recover a cast spell. Because it becomes tedious having to continue spending your standard actions over and over again just to get a nifty spell effect.

I also added in the full description of the Saintly Resolve ability, so that people without the Tome of Battle can enjoy this class.

[Saint Nil]

About Saint's Hand, am I the only one who feel that it might be abused? True, 5 hit points isn't much, but it turns 5 points of delayed damage into DR 5/- on per round.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. It doesn't seem like it would overpower anything in the long run, but felt it wouldn't hurt to mention it. Beyond that, this seems to be an amazing class that I'd love to play.

[Ziegander]

About Saint's Hand, am I the only one who feel that it might be abused? True, 5 hit points isn't much, but it turns 5 points of delayed damage into DR 5/- on per round.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it. It doesn't seem like it would overpower anything in the long run, but felt it wouldn't hurt to mention it. Beyond that, this seems to be an amazing class that I'd love to play.

It turns the delayed into DR only if you're spending your standard action to heal yourself every turn. It seems fine to me. Does anyone else share Saint Nil's concern?

EDIT: Also, if anyone here ever does play this class could you let me know how it goes? I plan on doing some playtesting as soon as I can, but I'd love to hear other reports. The mechanics are a bit difficult for me to judge the balance of.

[Ziegander]

I've been considering redoing the spell list of the Swordsaint a bit, but at least initially only for an Alternate Class Feature. The idea is a Deity focused Swordsaint. So a Swordsaint of Pelor or a Swordsaint of Poseidon, etc. These Swordsaints would have a very small spell list shared by all Deity's Swordsaints which would be supplemented by all spells of 1st - 5th level on the Deity's list of Domains.

So... for example, just putting this together very hastily:

The General List

Spoiler

Show

1st - Bless, Bless Weapon, Cure Light Wounds, Inflict Light Wounds, Lesser Restoration, Magic Weapon, Resurgence

2nd - Cure Moderate Wounds, Divine Insight, Divine Protection, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Zeal

3rd - Cure Serious Wounds, Greater Magic Weapon, Inflict Serious Wounds, Mass Resurgence, Prayer

4th - Cure Critical Wounds, Divine Interdiction, Inflict Critical Wounds, Lesser Visage of the Deity, Restoration

5th - Saint's Sword****, Righteous Aura

And then a Swordsaint of Pelor would add the following to his spell list:

Spoiler

Show

1st - Protection from Evil, Enlarge Person, Endure Elements

2nd - Aid, Bull's Strength, Heat Metal

3rd - Magic Circle Against Evil, Magic Vestment, Searing Light

4th - Holy Smite, Spell Immunity, Fire Shield

5th - Dispel Evil, Mass Cure Light Wounds, Righteous Might, Flame Strike

[Lix Lorn]

Throw in the Inflicts?
...yeah, add the inflicts.

[Ziegander]

Yeah, that works. Thanks!

EDIT: Now what about the deities that don't have four domains? Some only have three, some have five or six.

[ocel]

try this, it might work for this class: "Domain Casting by Stratovarius» I reposted it in [http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...67&postcount=4 "

[Ziegander]

try this, it might work for this class: "Domain Casting by Stratovarius» I reposted it in [http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showp...67&postcount=4 "

Eh, thanks, but I'd already thought of something like that. It doesn't work for the Swordsaint because of how the mechanics of his spellcasting works. That idea would drastically increase his number of spells known, which would paradoxically make the class weaker in play. Because of the random nature at which his spells are granted to him; the more spells he knows, the less likely he is to be granted something that'll end up being useful in any given situation.

[ocel]

Ah, I presumed my suggestion would make it more balanced since lowering the amount of spells he knew would be evened out by regaining them after each encounter, and even if he used up his spells, he could always fall back on his high bab.

Edit: Ah my mistake, system seems to work out on its own.
On an unrelated note, I liked what you did with Blessed Fanaticism.
Tier wise i'm thinking either 3 to 2 give or take how much it can be optimized.

[Yue Ryong]

By spending 5 minutes in meditation, or by dropping a foe to 0 or fewer hitpoints with a melee attack, he may recover a single cast spell.

Cure [X] Wounds

Infinite healing. Might want to fix that.

[Ziegander]

Infinite healing. Might want to fix that.

It somewhat concerns me, but it's less efficient even than at-will Cure Minor Wounds and in normal situations it's less efficient than Crusaders healing with their healing strikes.

[Yue Ryong]

...And at-will Cure Minor is balanced? Also, Crusader's strikes don't work outside of combat.

[Lord_Gareth]

Infinite healing. Might want to fix that.

Not really. Infinite healing has been around out of combat for ages, and isn't really an issue with balance.

[Yue Ryong]

Elimination of the primary form of resource degradation is balanced... how? Also... how is it available? Given that I accept the existence of the Buer Vestige, and utterly reject the balance there-of.

[Lord_Gareth]

Elimination of the primary form of resource degradation is balanced... how? Also... how is it available? Given that I accept the existence of the Buer Vestige, and utterly reject the balance there-of.

Rope Trick is the earliest one, but at higher levels you also get wands & rods, arrows of cure [X] wounds, archon loops, etc, so forth. Even if you spend gold on it, getting infinite out-of-combat healing is so trivial as to be laughable.

Balance in D&D isn't about short-term resource management, but rather versatility and, most importantly, the speed at which you play rocket tag.