3.5 Custom Class - Innovator

[Itakai]

I was working on an idea for a custom class that heavily focuses on using items from an inventory, and creating new items by slowly learning chemistry. The DM of my current campaign likes the idea (Not playing this class currently as I already have another character taking an entirely different approach) but wanted to get some other opinions as to the balance of it.

I am honestly wanting to make the class as balanced as possible or even slightly underpowered, but desirable to due flavor, and was hoping to get opinions of fellow giants.

Innovator
Hit Dice: d6

Class Skills
The innovator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise(Int), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Int), Decipher Script(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Knowledge[Arcana](Int), Knowledge[Architecture and Engineering](Int), Listen(Wis), Profession(Wis), Search(Int) and Spot(Wis).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier)x4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier

Table: The Innovator

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Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+0	+2	+2	+0	High Risk High Reward, Skill Focus[Craft]
2nd	+1	+3	+3	+0	Vocational Efficiency
3rd	+1	+3	+3	+1
4th	+2	+4	+4	+1	Alchemical Research
5th	+2	+4	+4	+1
6th	+3	+5	+5	+2	Careful Construction(5%)
7th	+3	+5	+5	+2
8th	+4	+6	+6	+2	Skill Focus[Craft]
9th	+4	+6	+6	+3
10th	+5	+7	+7	+3	Skill Focus[Diplomacy]
11th	+5	+7	+7	+3
12th	+6/+1	+8	+8	+4	Careful Construction(15%)
13th	+6/+1	+8	+8	+4
14th	+7/+2	+9	+9	+4	Rapid Prototyping
15th	+7/+2	+9	+9	+5
16th	+8/+3	+10	+10	+5	Skill Focus[Craft]
17th	+8/+3	+10	+10	+5
18th	+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Less is More
19th	+9/+4	+11	+11	+6
20th	+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Careful Construction(25%)

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the innovator.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An innovator is proficient with all simple weapons, light hammer, and light armor.

High Risk High Reward: At 1st level, failing a craft check by 9 or less results in no progress. Failing a craft check by 10 or more results in ruining 75% of the raw materials, and having to pay the original raw material cost again.

Skill Focus[Craft]: Starting at 1st level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Craft] in Alchemy, Trap Making or Light Smithing as a bonus feat. At 8th and 16th levels they gain an additional Skill Focus[Craft] from the above list.

Vocational Efficiency: Starting 2nd level, an innovator becomes more efficient while crafting, reducing the raw material cost by 10%.

Alchemical Research: Starting at 4th level, an innovator can begin studying alchemical properties of mundane materials to replicate arcane spell effects. The research to do this requires access to an alchemy lab. Research requires an expenditure of 100gp per week to reproduce a general effect of a spell or 1000gp per week to fully replicate a spell. The time taken to research is one week per level of the spell being studied. This money goes into material component experimentation, and other miscellaneous expenditures. At the end of that time, the innovator makes a Craft[Alchemy] check (DC 15 + spell level). If that roll succeeds the innovator learns how to reproduce the a general effect, or replicate the spell if her research produced a viable result. If the roll fails, the innovator must go through the research process again if they want to continue trying.

A viable result is one that is allowed into the game. As per the nature of this feature, it heavily relies on the DM to determine what is and is not viable.

Careful Construction: Starting at 6th level, an innovator becomes more careful when crafting. When failing a craft check, they reduce the material ruined by 5%. This bonus increases at 12th level to 15% and 20th level to 25%.

Skill Focus[Diplomacy]: At 10th level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Diplomacy] as a bonus feat.

Rapid Prototyping: Starting at 14th level, when a craft check is successful in making an innovated item, treat the progress at a DC that is 5 higher.

Less is More: Starting at 18th level, when crafting multiple copies of the same item, reduce the resource cost of all copies after the first item by 20% of the original resource cost.

[Knitifine]

This seems terribly underpowered.
Any reason why you're not just using the Artificer?

[Itakai]

This seems terribly underpowered.
Any reason why you're not just using the Artificer?

Because Artificer heavily focuses on the concept of imbuing items with arcane energy, while my class idea was to focus on learning chemistry.

Also what about this seems underpowered, for me to try and balance.

[sirpercival]

There are other science-based homebrew classes that might interest you, or maybe something based on classical alchemy? There's also my Warcrafter base class, which is a martial adept artificer.

[Itakai]

There are other science-based homebrew classes that might interest you, or maybe something based on classical alchemy? There's also my Warcrafter base class, which is a martial adept artificer.

Its not so much I am looking for a homebrew class to use, but in my group, unless we make the homebrew, we can't use it. So using someone else's base class is really out of the question. I just want to get this homebrew to be fairly balanced, or slightly underbalanced to not make a mountain from the sky land on my head.

EDIT: I'm stupid and didn't read everything on this post apparently. Something based on classical alchemy...? How do you figure?

[Zakier]

I like the idea. I understand why you are not using the artifice class as its based more on magical crafting. I assume with yours you are going to be making potions that produce the Magical effects? Maybe something other than potions?

Couple things I can see that might be better considered.

Potions might not make sense for some spells. However making a delivery system like a grenade might be more useful.

Some spells have to be aimed and have far greater ranges. Perhaps a special to be able to make wands of a higher spell level.

It's not a bad class but I do see why others would suggest artificer. You can do everything you want as an arty and more.

[Itakai]

I like the idea. I understand why you are not using the artifice class as its based more on magical crafting. I assume with yours you are going to be making potions that produce the Magical effects? Maybe something other than potions?

Couple things I can see that might be better considered.

Potions might not make sense for some spells. However making a delivery system like a grenade might be more useful.

Some spells have to be aimed and have far greater ranges. Perhaps a special to be able to make wands of a higher spell level.

It's not a bad class but I do see why others would suggest artificer. You can do everything you want as an arty and more.

Well the idea of chemistry over alchemy... if that makes sense. A couple examples off the top of my head-

1 - Studying fireball to understand the basic concept of combustion, to allow the making of gunpowder, for use with custom made firearms.

2 - Creation of more specialized acids.

[Morphic tide]

One gripe I have: The Fort save. That should be a Will save. Mentally-based classes almost always get Will saves, even the NPC classes with a high focus on metal things, namely the Expert and Adept, get a strong Will save. Fort saves typically go to melee classes.

Furthermore, there's so little to be gotten from mundane crafting that you might as well just be a PF Alchemist. Of course, the other option there is to make a bunch of new mundane craftables, like ripping off the PF Alchemist stuff as things for a 'build your own consumable!' setup. As is, the most useful thing this class can be is discounts on poison and weapons.

Basically, to be useful it needs a crafting system that makes the mundane crafters compare to potions and scrolls, which means making a new book worth of craftables.

[Zakier]

Understanding combustion from a fireball works. Though I don't see how a fireball gives knowledge of gunpowder.

[Itakai]

One gripe I have: The Fort save. That should be a Will save. Mentally-based classes almost always get Will saves, even the NPC classes with a high focus on metal things, namely the Expert and Adept, get a strong Will save. Fort saves typically go to melee classes.

The Fort save I can understand. This was a very quick rough draft on a class concept and was looking for input from multiple people.

Furthermore, there's so little to be gotten from mundane crafting that you might as well just be a PF Alchemist. Of course, the other option there is to make a bunch of new mundane craftables, like ripping off the PF Alchemist stuff as things for a 'build your own consumable!' setup. As is, the most useful thing this class can be is discounts on poison and weapons.

Basically, to be useful it needs a crafting system that makes the mundane crafters compare to potions and scrolls, which means making a new book worth of craftables.

Well, almost everything of these items would be limited by the DM and would all be homebrew from then on. So the limit of how effective things are are simply up to the minds of the player and DM.

Understanding combustion from a fireball works. Though I don't see how a fireball gives knowledge of gunpowder.

This was an idea on the spot, in my mind fireball doesn't directly translate to gunpowder, but is an aspect of gunpowder, specifically the combustion aspect of it. With this in mind, it would require studies of multiple spells to understand gunpowder. Using this class concept what would you propose for the idea of gunpowder?