Chaplain V 2.0

[MeklorIlavator]

I am still working on the class in the spoilers below, but now what I really need are suggestions for Litanies, Auras, or Spells that have not been added to the spell list.

Not all those devoted to the gods become clerics. Some take on a more martial aspect and become champions for their cause, spreading his faith and protecting his flock. Though paladins sometimes serve as these champions, many find that a paladin is more devoted to what they call a higher cause instead of the deities will. Therefore many churches train chaplains to serve in the place of Paladins. These holy warriors serve only their god, and will zealously give their lives for him if needed.
Adventurers
Most Chaplains become adventurers to spread the word of their god and further his gods agenda. A chaplain gathers allies so as to be able to take on greater challenges, and in the hope that he can one day fully introduce his allies into his deities religion.
Role
The Chaplain is a primarily a support character, using his litanies, auras and spells to strengthen his allies or weaken his enemies, though he does have some powerful offensive spells in later levels.
Alignment
A Chaplain must be devoted to his deity path, and therefore must share his deities alignment.
Characteristics
Chaplains often exhibit the personalities of their deity's personality, but they are no more limited in personality than the Clerics that head the worship of their deity. Most enjoy the company of others, especially if they are preparing for a momentous undertaking.
Other Classes
Chaplains and Clerics get along very well if they serve if they serve similar deities, or extremely well if they serve the same deity. If the cleric and Chaplain serve very different deities, conflicts within the party will occur often. Chaplains and paladins get along reasonably well, but paladins wonder why the chaplains does not realize the greater truth and serve it, while chaplains wonder why the paladins do not serve a god, instead choosing some abstract cause. With other classes, relations depend on the deity of the chaplain's deity, for instance a chaplain of St. Cuthbert will have good relations with a monk, but poor ones with the rogue
Stats
A Chaplains most important stat is Charisma, followed by Wisdom and Constitution

The Chaplain HD=1d8

Spoiler

Show

The Chaplain
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|0lvl|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2| Litany,Litany power 1 |2|-
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3| Alignment Aura, Detect opposing alignments |3|0|-
3rd|+2|+1|+1|+3| Aura, aura power 1 |3|1|-|-
4th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Litany|3|2|0|-|-
5th|+3|+1|+1|+4|Litany power 2, Wisdom of War |3|3|1|-|-|-
6th|+4|+2|+2|+5||3|3|2|-|-|-|-
7th|+5|+2|+2|+5|Unbreakable Will, Litany, Aura, aura power 2 |3|3|2|0|-|-|-
8th|+6|+2|+2|+6| |3|3|3|1|-|-|-
9th|+6|+3|+3|+6|Litany power 3 |3|3|3|2|-|-|-
10th|+7|+3|+3|+7|Litany|3|3|3|2|0|-|-
11th|+8|+3|+3|+7| Aura, aura power 3 |3|3|3|3|1|-|-
12th|+9|+4|+4|+8||3|3|3|3|2|-|-
13th|+9|+4|+4|+8|Litany power 4, Litany |3|3|3|3|2|0|-
14th|+10|+4|+4|+9||4|3|3|3|3|1|-
15th|+11|+5|+5|+9|Litany, Aura, aura power 4 |4|4|3|3|3|2|-
16th|+12|+5|+5|+10|Litany|4|4|4|3|3|2|0
17th|+12|+5|+5|+10|Litany power 5 |4|4|4|4|3|3|1
18th|+13|+6|+6|+11||4|4|4|4|4|3|2
19th|+14|+6|+6|+11|Aura, aura power 5 |4|4|4|4|4|4|3
20th|+15|+6|+6|+12|Litany|4|4|4|4|4|4|4[/table]


Weapon/Armor Prof- All simple and the deities favored weapon, all shields(not tower), Light and Medium armors
Skills-(2+Int),Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidation, Knowledge(religion, noblity/rolalty), Listen, Profession, Sense Motive, and Spot, spellcraft
Spellcasting- The chaplain casts spells with his Wis modifier, and does not need to prepare a spell to cast it. Instead, he may spontaneously cast spells until he reaches his daily limit, which is replenished like normal for casters. If he moves to far away from his deity's alignment(like a cleric), he loses all spell casting ability. Also, a good chaplain casts all cure spells at +1 caster level, and all inflict spells at -1 caste level, vice versa for evil chaplains.
Spells Known- The Chaplain learns spells as a bard, except all spells must be chosen from the chaplains spell list, or their chosen domain.
Domain-Chaplians my chose 1 domain from thier diety and add the spells from that domain to thier spell list, not including 7th, 8th, or 9th level spells.
Alignment-The Chaplain must have the same alignment as his diety.
Alignment Aura- as cleric
Detect opposing alignments- as detect(good, evil, lawful, chaotic), usable 1 per day per point of Wis mod.
Unbreakable Will- The Chaplain is immune to fear effects
Wisdom of War-the Chaplain adds his wisdom bonus to his AC
Litany-At 1st Level and every 3 levels thereafter the Chaplain learns one litany. He can activate it as a standard action. These litanies affect everyone within 30 feet+ 10feet/5 levels, as a sonic, mind effecting ability (silence centered on Chaplin prevents any effects). This ability is usable (CHA modifier+CON modifier+Chaplain levels) rounds per day, due to the strain it puts on a Chaplain’s vocal cords. He can split up the uses per day any way he wishes, but he must make a concentration check to continue his sermon if adverse conditions would effect him, as casting a spell. The check DC is (10+ litany power+ modifier as specified by the table in the PHB). The save DC for a litany is 10+litany power+ Cha modifier.
Litany Level- this is the Litany Level for DC(non cumulative, it replaces a lower value)
Auras-Effect all allies or enemies within 30ft, as long as you have less than total concealment and they can see you. He gains one at first level and one every five levels afterward. He can only have 1 aura active at one time(not counting the Alignment aura, which is always active and may not be switched out)Any x in the aura is defined by the Aura power. Spells assume caster level= the chaplain's level, and the DC for all Aura's is determined with Cha as the main casting stat.
Litanies

• Litany of Courage-+1 morale bonus to allies saves, double for fear effects(doesn’t stack with Steadfast Visage). For every 4lvs above 1st, this bonus increases by 1.
• Litany of Fear- -1 morale penalty to enemy saves, double for saves against fear effects. For every 4lvs above 1st this penalty increases by 1.
• Litany of Prowess- +1 morale bonus to enemy attack and damage rolls. For every 6lvs above 1st, this bonus increases by 1
• Litany of Weakness- -1 morale penalty to enemy attack and damage rolls. For every 6lvs above 1st, this penalty increases by 1
• Litany of Divine Presence- +1 bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Bluff checks. For every 4lvs above 1st this penalty increases by 1.

Auras

• Divine Protection-the Chaplain grants a sacred or profane bonus of X to AC, as appropriate alignment.
• Steadfast Visage -gives a +X (sacred/profane)bonus to saves vs. fear effects to Chaplain and all allies within 30ft. Also, it gives a X (sacred/ Profane)bonus to all saves
• Aura of Sacrifice-Chaplain gains fast healing 2X, takes all damage dealt to allies
• Aura of Fear- as Fear spell
• Retributive Aura- deals X damage to any enemy who damages the Chaplain or his allies who is within 30 feet. The damage is any type the Chaplain wishes as he activates the aura.
• Vigor-allies gain fast healing X, up to 1/2 their maximum Hp.

Spell list-

• 0 level spells
  • Protection(alignment)
  • Cure light wounds
  • Inflict light wounds
  • Detect Magic
  • Read magic
  • Resistance
  • Guidance
  • Bless water
  • Bless
  • Doom
  • Hold person
• 1st level spells
  • Cure/inflict moderate
  • Shield of faith
  • Cause fear
  • Magic weapon
  • Divine favor
  • Owls wisdom
  • Cats grace
  • Eagles splendor
  • Bears endurance
  • Fox's cunning
  • Bull’s strength
  • Restoration, lesser
  • Shield other
• 2nd level spells
  1. Cure/inflict serious
  2. Mass cure light
  3. protection from energy
  4. remove curse remove disease
  5. magic circle X
  6. Blindness/deafness
  7. Shatter
  8. resist energy
  9. scorching ray
  10. Glitterdust
  11. align weapon
• 3rd level spells
  1. cure/inflict critical
  2. Mass cure Moderate
  3. Remove curse
  4. Remove Blindness/Deafness
  5. Remove Disease
  6. Create food or water
  7. Searing light
  8. Restoration
  9. Remove Curse
  10. Bestow curse
  11. Remove disease
  12. protection from energy
• 4th level spells
  1. Heal/harm
  2. Mass cure Serious
  3. Breack enchantment
  4. Flamestrike
  5. dispel (alignment)
  6. wall of stone
  7. Hero's feast
  8. rightious might
  9. Resist enregy mass
  10. Blade barrier
  11. Bigby's interposing hand*
• 5th level spells
  1. spell resistance
  2. Mass cure critical
  3. Attonement
  4. Repulsion
  5. Resserection
  6. Greater restoration
  7. Regenerate
  8. symbol of stunning
  9. Glyphof warding
  10. Owls wisdom, mass
  11. Cats grace, mass
  12. Eagles splendor, mass
  13. Bears endurance, mass
  14. Fox's cunning, mass
  15. Bull’s strength, mass
• 6th level spells
  1. Mass heal
  2. dispel magic greater
  3. True Resurrection
  4. Bigby's clenched fist*
  5. sunburst
  6. Cloak of chaos/Shield of law/Holy aura/unholy aura
  7. Miracle
  8. Fire storm

[crazedloon]

Looks interesting. Much like a casting dragon shaman however what is X in the auras? If you ask me it could be the number of auras that the chaplain has available not including the one that is always on.

[MeklorIlavator]

Some thing weird happened to the table(the second time for this class, too, but it is fixed).
The X is the Aura aura power(similar to how the dragon shaman auras have variable components).

It is based off the Dragon Shaman/Bard/Horrible Mangling of the WH 40k Chaplain I made for a friend. It is basically a party buffer.

[crazedloon]

Some thing weird happened to the table(the second time for this class, too, but it is fixed).
The X is the Aura aura power(similar to how the dragon shaman auras have variable components).

It is based off the Dragon Shaman/Bard/Horrible Mangling of the WH 40k Chaplain I made for a friend. It is basically a party buffer.

I recognized it as based off the 40k chaplain (but then If it was strict it shouldnt have any magic at all or if you insist it should be psionic but then I am just picky)

What sort of spell list does this guy have I am a little confused. Does it draw from bard or cleric?

[MeklorIlavator]

Ohh, I should clarify that. He casts as a divine spell caster, and I am working on a spell list.

The WH 40K reference is only retained in the buffing aspect, and even that isn't fully from that. This is my idea now. And, yeah it shouldn't have magic, but things don't fully translate(i mean, magic/psionics) is much weaker, and fighters are much stronger.

[MeklorIlavator]

There, I think that does it for the spell list. Could someone please critique?
Anyone with suggestions of auras/ litanies would be apperciated.

[MeklorIlavator]

bump.

Still looking for Ideas.

[ZOMGoubeaux]

Quick question about fluff: How does the Chaplain regard Arcanists? And Psionics users? Personally, if this was based off of the 40K Chaplain, as it seems to be, he would abhor any and all Psions and Arcanists, if Magic and Psionics are interchangeable in your campaign.

Other than backround info, this class looks like its coming along, and should look quite nicely when it is done.

Good Job!
ZOMG

[MeklorIlavator]

Hey ZOMG, nice to see you decided to post. I would have to say that there is no special animosity between the Chaplain and the divine, just the ordinary amount that exists between the divine and arcane.

As 40K and Greyhawk/Eberron/FR are significantly different from each other, there cannot be a true translation of one to the other. I mean, the whole arcanists/psionics are evil makes sense in 40K where these powers come from the ultimate evil, but in regular DnD these powers are a fact of life. Of course, if you are playing in a more 40K like setting, changes in all classes must be made to reflect that change.

[ZOMGoubeaux]

Chaplains abhoring Divine? I don't remember asking that, and I wouldn't have, seeing as he is a Divine caster. Chaplains, IIRC from 40k, would inspire their allies, and also "purge the unclean", so to speak. This applied to psykers in that game, and most likely psionics users and maybe arcanists in this game. I also see the chaplain as a zealot in all forms of the word, rivalling that of how most people play paladins nowadays...

Maybe an alignment requirement of Lawful *******?

All jokes aside, this does look like an interesting class to play as, although I would like to hear how it is playtested. That would most likely prove to be the best way to find out whether or not it is balanced, and then see what to improve or hammer out...

Anxiously awaiting the results of your playtesting,
Zach

[MeklorIlavator]

Hey, I was origanally making this class for you to playtest, but I might get someone else to do it. I never said they hated divine, only arcane and a slight distaste for psionics. Any way, this is also an adaption. 40K does not translate into DND well at all because the systems are sodifferent.

I also think that the divine flavor of this game meshs the best with the flavor of 40K Chaplains.

Thanks for the imput, though

[ZOMGoubeaux]

Hey, I was origanally making this class for you to playtest, but I might get someone else to do it. I never said they hated divine, only arcane and a slight distaste for psionics. Any way, this is also an adaption. 40K does not translate into DND well at all because the systems are sodifferent.

I also think that the divine flavor of this game meshs the best with the flavor of 40K Chaplains.

Thanks for the imput, though

This:

"Hey ZOMG, nice to see you decided to post. I would have to say that there is no special animosity between the Chaplain and the divine, just the ordinary amount that exists between the arcane and divine."

Why would that be necessary to say unless there was some form of miscommunication due to the way you replied the first time...it was simply your wording that made it a problem.

Also, concerning the "conversion" element to this...of course they don't translate well...Chaplains had weapons that tore through armor, killing pretty much every time they swung, and had guns with ammunition the size of most coffee mugs...there's bound to be some things that need to be changed in order for the concept to even seem possible.

Now, as far as improving the class goes...you may want to make a requirement that instead of using a divine focus in the form of a holy symbol, they use the favored weapon of their deity...as a nice touch/twist on the usual cleric.

I'll try to think up some new auras or litanies for the Chaplain, but as I'm tired, I won't be able to post anything more tonight.

ZOMG

[MeklorIlavator]

Wow, i really missed that, but its fixed now. Your idea about the divine focus makes perfect sense, so I am adding it. Maybe something like this:

Divine Weapon-Because of their more warlike nature, Chaplains use their deities favored weapon instead of its holy symbol.

[ZOMGoubeaux]

Alright, so I played an adventure using the Chaplain, and I have an...interesting experience for you.

The main focal point of the issue, as of now, and why the Chaplain was nigh indestructable, was that Wisdom of War's bonus to AC wasn't typed...

Therefore, it stacked with the bonus to AC from the Saint template...

To go along with his Fast Healing...

So, with an ECL of 7, AC of 28, Fast Healing 2, and DR 5/magic, the Chaplain was way too powerful...it took a bebilith (CR 10) to hit him...

Also, the litanies and auras were kinda...well...meh, to say the least...I used his divine spells more than the litanies, because I made him a militant chaplain, and enlarge person was amazing for that...

Basically, this class, in the playtesting stage, was overpowered in some aspects, and underpowered in others...

I think if there were better choices for litanies, they'd be usable. Also, there aren't nearly enough to be considered helpful. Since this class is basically a Divine Bard, why not make his litanies be more like how the bard uses his instruments?

All in all, I'll most likely stick with the good ol' Cleric than play this class, seeing as they can basically do what the Chaplain tries to do, but much, much better.

ZOMG

[MeklorIlavator]

All in all, I'll most likely stick with the good ol' Cleric than play this class, seeing as they can basically do what the Chaplain tries to do, but much, much better.

ZOMG

Remeber, this is for campaigns without regular clerics, only the cloistered variety(which severly limits their effectiveness.)

Also, having both the litanies and auars is getting to be too much, so I'm thinking of cutting out the litanies, but keeping the auras, plus then upping the BAB, or giving heavy armor.

[Matthew]

So this revision looks okay to me. Just to be clear, why did you create this as an alternative to the Cleric Base Class? I just want to more easily judge the changes.

[MeklorIlavator]

So this revision looks okay to me. Just to be clear, why did you create this as an alternative to the Cleric Base Class? I just want to more easily judge the changes.

This is suposed to repersent the martial menbers of a faith, as I would be using the cloistered cleric variant, and Paladins will most likely not be allowed(though if they are allowed, I am definatly using Fax's variant).

I haven't updated this in awhile. Things have been kinda busy.

Here's that main question I have. Is the class to busy? I mean, is it doing too many things, none particularly well? I think I might have to drop either the auras or the Litanies, as I don't have enough ideas for both, and if it comes to that I think I might drop the Litanies, as it is the most confusing of the abilities, but then does the class deserve more casing power? Opinions would most definably be appreciated.

[Matthew]

Nah, I don't think it's too busy. I think it strikes a good balance. The reason I asked about the dropping of the Cleric in favour of this Class is because the Cleric strikes me as the Martial version of the Cleric, if you see what I mean. Still, I can see what you're aiming at.

The way I'm currently thinking about things is to have Clerics with 1/2 Base Attack Bonus have Full Spell Casting, with 3/4 Base Attack Bonus have 2/3 Spell Casting and with Full Base Attack Bonus have 1/3 Spell Casting. I'm going to ditch all Turning and 'Special Ability' stuff in favour of using Magic Points to power everything of a supernatural nature. Also, Spontaneous Casting and limited Spells Known.

[Armads]

Wait, they DO get Miracle as a 6th level spell, right? And True Ressurection too, and Heal/Harm as a 4th level spell?

Archivists just got a buff!