Fixing the Impossible: Dandwiki [D&D 3.5]

[Ziegander]

Esteemed poster roko10 posed a question in the D&D 3.5 boards, "So, can anybody explain why the D&D Wiki's Homebrew sucks?" We had an entertaining and spirited discussion of the homebrew to be found over at dandwiki.com, and most all agreed that it is all junk. But another esteemed poster, by the name of Roncorps, suggested, "Everyone here should do good deed and take one thing from Dandiwiki and turn it into gold. After a year, no more problem hehe." What a grand idea! If you're interested in helping, you can find the list dandwiki homebrew classes HERE!

The Mod Wonder: Unless the material has been explicitly placed under the OGL, it is not your material to modify. Do not continue this project at the Playground.

[Snowbluff]

I'll take a hand at this.

[Adam1949]

Sure, I can give this one a shot! There are actually 2 classes that that have piqued my interest; the Einherjar and the Gypsy (there is a third class that interested me, one called the Weapon Summoner, but I don't think I could do it proper justice; maybe someone else could).
My main issue with these classes is that they sound, just from the names, really cool; the Einherjar would be a barbarian focused on toughness as opposed to strength, and the gypsy would make an excellent bard-substitute. Instead, what is presented are... a worse fighter and a MAD-er rogue with a weird spell list. This depresses me, and so I think I'll try working on at least one of them to make them something actually worthy of play (though not of name; they'll probably get changed to things a bit more generic like Dreadnought and Wanderer, or something.)

[Xerlith]

Weapon Summoner? Fax did a similar class long ago, and did it splendidly.


That aside, I'll participate in this. Sounds like fun.

[Nevershutup]

I'm game. If anyone knows of a good class concept, UNLIKE the Mary-Sue, I'd be willing to try my hand at that.

[Seerow]

I'll take a crack at something off there next time I have some free time. No guarantees when that will happen.

[Just to Browse]

With permission, I'll do the formatting and put these back up in the new wiki for those interested.

Ziegander: You should include a link in the OP to dandwiki.

[Ninjadeadbeard]

I think I'll just lurk around the DNDWiki Homebrew section (chills!) and see if anything piques my interest.

[Nevershutup]

With permission, I'll do the formatting and put these back up in the new wiki for those interested.

Ziegander: You should include a link in the OP to dandwiki.

I'm taking the Fauxfire Ninja Twinblade and I'm game for a wiki. Also, Ziegander did include a link.

[Snowbluff]

I'll take requests. I don't want to do this if it's a class no one wants done.

[Adam1949]

I'll take requests. I don't want to do this if it's a class no one wants done.

It would be a bit of work, but if I may request, could you improve upon the Empusar class? It appears to be a case of 'nice idea, bad execution' like the monk... in fact, it kinda looks like they used the monk chassis and idea, which is not something to ever be proud of. If at possible, perhaps extending it to simply being a sort of 'race-class' which grants you abilities based on an Outsider heritage, I don't know. I just know that it looks fun, but probably isn't actually all the good.

[Snowbluff]

It would be a bit of work, but if I may request, could you improve upon the Empusar class? It appears to be a case of 'nice idea, bad execution' like the monk... in fact, it kinda looks like they used the monk chassis and idea, which is not something to ever be proud of. If at possible, perhaps extending it to simply being a sort of 'race-class' which grants you abilities based on an Outsider heritage, I don't know. I just know that it looks fun, but probably isn't actually all the good.

Yeah, I can fix this. The obvious way would be to move some of the abilities onto spellcasting or invocations...

[Ziegander]

With permission, I'll do the formatting and put these back up in the new wiki for those interested.

Ziegander: You should include a link in the OP to dandwiki.

I can't believe I didn't do that already. *facepalm*

I'm taking the Fauxfire Ninja Twinblade and I'm game for a wiki. Also, Ziegander did include a link.

And, yeah, Just to Browse, a new wiki just for these would be grand. I did sort of provide a link, but it was just to Andellian Warrior, and I really should have a direct link to the list of homebrew classes (which has been implemented).

Any feedback on the class I created? Any criticism? I'll do more if there's any interest. Anyone got any suggestions?

[Tacitus]

The Self-Telekinetecist or Ochremancer would be wonderful, if you'd like to try your hand at them.

[Ziegander]

The Self-Telekinetecist or Ochremancer would be wonderful, if you'd like to try your hand at them.

Hrmm... those are both very cool... I might try my hand at the Ochremancer... interesting concept that I think I could probably make really powerful if I wanted.

[Milo v3]

Looks like a decent idea, wonder what I could fix. Soo many options

[Ziegander]

Hrmm... those are both very cool... I might try my hand at the Ochremancer... interesting concept that I think I could probably make really powerful if I wanted.

Well, now that I started working with it, I really wanted to try and do a sort of "Yellow Mage," that gains powers by eating creatures... yeah... but it started to lose the spirit of "ooze guy," and then I don't know how much it works as a "fix."

[T.G. Oskar]

Ugh...just hearing about it made my stomach stir, but it is a challenge, and by GOSH, I must comply!

After wading through the rank mush of...stuff...over there, including horrible attempts to form an idealized version of a typical shounen anime protagonist into a base class, yet another reworking of a class, whatever people could scavenge from Frank & K, incomplete work, and other stuff that makes me cringe, I have settled on four nicely named archetypes that could be retooled. Even I doubt I can save one of these four, but it is a challenge and I cannot back down, stomach be darned!

The Infiltrator: meant to be a "tactical combat class[...]They pride themselves with their ability to get behind enemy lines and effectively catch them off guard with a flanking attack." The result...is pretty much someone with full BAB and some flanking skills, but so many dead levels it feels like a dead class. It reeks of CW Samurai's building methodology, and it desperately needs to find a purpose. It can't even hide properly, so how do you expect it to infiltrate somewhere (true, it has HiPS...at 19th level. Why so late!?), much less make it a suitable warrior? Urrgh!
The Myrmidon: another class with great name but poor execution. Here's the deal; this guy is supposed to "walk in and out of battle with the same comfort a bird flies through a clear sky". You read this, and you think, "man, this guy must be one heck of a badass!" Then you read the class... Dead levels, forced WF/WS line, and an increasing bonus to damage rolls that caps at +4 because the 'brewer didn't want the feature to stack! However, it seems to have a clear focus on Wisdom OR Intelligence, and it's a melee class, so there was a good idea there somewhere. Good chassis though.
The Privateer: this class has some promise just by the name - a "legal" Pirate, with all that entails. That'd be nice, though awfully limited; however, it could work. But, the idea isn't always tied with the execution: the class has LOADS of fluffy bits, but very little crunch. Well...it doesn't have much crunch, but some stinky cheese. Leadership AND Animal Companion (the latter as a Ranger, tho)? And you get a nice bonus to Leadership? You also get free ships and loads of bonuses...on ships. But what happens when a Privateer is, for some strange and odd reason, on land? Then it hits: this was meant to be a Prestige Class, not a base class! So much promise, down the drain...
The Vanguard: the first thing that comes to mind when hearing about this class is definitely tank, and it's meant to be that. I mean, its class description is "A highly-focused front-line defender, meant more to act as a defensive barrier than to hit particularly hard". You know, just by reading about it, that the class' gonna suck at fighting, but it'll survive like a BAWWWSS!! ...And yet, reading it makes someone who loves the archetype of the "tank" weep tears of blood: dead levels, poor Fortitude, thinking that a bonus to AC is enough...and not even Defensive Stance to make it worthwhile! It has promise, because at least it has Bulwark of Defense and Shield Ally, but the Knight is just eons better! I mean, it's basically the Knight, but you file off the Knight's Challenge, the bonus feats, and stack an arbitrary AC bonus on top of it, plus some abilities here and there!

...So yeah, one of these four lucky ba...dly 'brewed classes will have the HONOR of being retooled by yours truly. You'll graciously allow this excessive show of pride just for this once, yes? Now, I don't know exactly WHICH, but I'll ask the Muses to see which one works. Note, though, that I fully and wholeheartedly support the Good and Proper D&D Wiki, so I'd gladly prefer to see any of my retools from the other wiki placed here, s'il vous plait. I recommend the project do the same, in fear that our challenge for quality becomes muddled between the remaining pieces of work.

Now, if you'll excuse me, my digestive system has an appointment with Dr. P. Throne...

[Milo v3]

I recommend the project do the same, in fear that our challenge for quality becomes muddled between the remaining pieces of work.

... Isn't the point of this to try and make DanD wiki abit better (or at least *slightly* less horrible)? That sorta doesn't work if you don't put the decent version of the class on a different site.

[Ziegander]

I have added a list of "Prime Candidates" to the OP for base classes in dire need of being revamped, and also a list of surprisingly decent pieces of work. Both are ongoing.

[Xerlith]

Dibs on Biotic Vanguard.

[CryWolfCorrupt]

I've been thinking of doing a judge character (based more on the mythic-knight template of the Final Fantasy Tactics games than, say, Judge Dredd) but this Justice PrC looks like something I could trick up.

[XionUnborn01]

One class that I'd love to see put together better would be the Autoplate Pilot. I love the Iron Man kind of idea and I had toyed with it before but I couldn't make anything that I liked happen.

[Seerow]

One class that I'd love to see put together better would be the Autoplate Pilot. I love the Iron Man kind of idea and I had toyed with it before but I couldn't make anything that I liked happen.

Honestly for the Iron Man thing, I'd start with a basis of the Aegis and modify from there. Aegis already has a lot of the stuff you're going to want, make some improved laser blast abilities and you're set.

[XionUnborn01]

Honestly for the Iron Man thing, I'd start with a basis of the Aegis and modify from there. Aegis already has a lot of the stuff you're going to want, make some improved laser blast abilities and you're set.

Wait, where is this Aegis found? I'm not sure if I've heard of it.

[Seerow]

Wait, where is this Aegis found? I'm not sure if I've heard of it.

It's a Pathfinder Psionic class. It gets a suit of psionic armor with a bunch of customization points that give you stuff like fly all day, freedom of movement, use unarmed strikes without killing yourself, shoot psicrystals as a ranged attack, grow extra arms, get bigger and so on. You can change these out every day, and can also at mid-high levels change some of them out on the fly.

It's a cool class, and to me screams "Iron Man" right down to getting a bonus to a craft skill, being int based, and getting the "Craft magic items as a mundane" feat for free. A few modifications to customizations or adding a few new ones would make it just about perfect.