Unchained Chameleon: Rebuilt for less cheese and more fun PEACH

[Jervis]

Why don't people believe me when I say I'm a Fighter Psion Cleric Barbarian Rogue Wizard?

Chameleon... Yeah this is my favorite class bar none but it has issues. I'm not concerned with power so much, after all i see 3.pf as an excuse to throw overpowered things at each other and see what explodes first. The class itself, for all it's questionable design choices, is fun and fills a interesting niche of being a generalist capable of doing just about anything but can't specialize, which is what gives the best classes in 3.5 their power. It needs a redesign. Most of my issues can be summed up with a few sentences. Feel Free to skip this part if you don't want to see a person whos spent WAYYYY too much time theorycrafting a series of Chameleon builds talk about it's design and why i decided to make a rework of a class for a game that's been out of print for over a decade. And regardless of what you think, i'd love to hear what people think of this.

Spoiler: Design Theory

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Here are my issues.

First off, it has no follow up. There's nothing more sad then a level 15 Chameleon in a game that ends around 20. You reach level 10 in the class and there's not much to do until epic, at least not without cheese (I'll get to that next). I don't consider a lack of late game options to be a balancing factor, it's why i don't like mystic ranger. It means your power is front loaded in the part of the game people actually play most often while the rarely seen later levels have very little to offer. You end up needing high octane cheese to keep up or just have to accept the thing you were working towards for 15 levels just stops before everyone else.

And on the note of Mystic Ranger, they have the same problem, almost exactly the same actually. SotAO Mystic Rangers can keep up so long as they use cheese like Dragon Disciple combined with Extra Slot and spell level boosters to cheese their way into 8th and 9th level spells, making them a a wizard effectively. Chameleons do the same typically, most Chameleons use the same to get to 9th level spell slots around 18th level. It's powerful but extremely feat intensive. I don't have an issue with that per se but again it means you need to invest a lot of resources early on and late in the game to keep up while a mid level game doesn't have any issues. Yeah builds change based on how long you play but it creates problems. The class suffers heavily from 10 level syndrome like Mystic Theurge, where any game over 15 requires you to meet a whole different list of prerequisites to just keep going because the writers for some reason didn't want to make it 15 levels long.

And my last issue is that it has two good options and every other focus is trash. Every player will use Divine focus until level 7 where they use Arcane in addition. While i know that objectively it's better to nerf those, that's boring. Improving the other existing Foci to not be an objective trap option is pretty important. Yeah they won't be caster focus good but they can at least be decent.

Now the stuff that isn't a problem. I actually like the fact that you can't use mimiced abilities and focues to qualify for things. You can't specialize like normal casters can. That's why i don't consider Chameleon to be as good as Wizards or Clerics despite the much better spell access, they don't have the caster PrC and Feat access that improves them so much, at least not natively. They also probably can't be progressed by them either.

Requirments
Race: Human, Doppelganger, or Changeling
Skill Ranks: Bluff 8, Disguise 8, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Feats: Able Learner

Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 4 + Int
Class Skills: Irrelevant All skills you previously possessed as class skills are class skills for this class.

Level	BAB	Fort	Ref	Will	Special
1st	+0	+0	+0	+0	Aptitude focus 1/day (+2)
2nd	+1	+0	+0	+0	Mimic Class Feature
3rd	+2	+1	+1	+1	Floating Feat
4th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Ability boon +2
5th	+3	+1	+1	+1	Aptitude focus 2/day (+4)
6th	+4	+2	+2	+2	Mimic class feature
7th	+5	+2	+2	+2	Ability boon +4, Double Aptitude
8th	+6/+1	+2	+2	+2	Rapid Refocus, Mimic Class feature
9th	+6/+1	+3	+3	+3	Floating Feat
10th	+7/+2	+3	+3	+3	Ability boon +6, Aptitude focus 3/day (+4)
11th	+8/+3	+3	+3	+3	Mimic Class Feature
12th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+4	Floating Feat
13th	+9/+4	+4	+4	+4	Spontaneous Refocus, Ability Boon +6/6
14th	+10/+5	+4	+4	+4	Triple Aptitude
15th	+11/+6/+1	+5	+5	+5	Aptitude focus 4/day (+6)

Proficiency: You have proficiency in all armor and with all shield, except tower shields, and all simple weapons.

Aptitude Focus (EX): Once per day, you can select one of five areas upon which to focus your ever-shifting talents. After meditating for 1 hour, you gain the chosen abilities for 24 hours or until you change your aptitude focus. An aptitude focus ability is usable once per day at 1st level, twice per day at 5th level, three times per day at 10th level, and four times per day at 15th. At 5th level, you can change your aptitude focus one time per day, at 10th level you can change your aptitude focus two times per day, at 15th level you can change your aptitude focus three times per day. Abilities gained from your Aptitude Focus class feature cannot be used to qualify for feats or prestige classes.

Spoiler: Aptitude Foci

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			Spells Per Day								Powers				Manuvers
Level	Focus Bonus	0th	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	9th	Power Points	Powers Copied	Maximum power level	Maneuvers Copied	Stances Copied
1st	+2	4	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	2	2nd	3	1
2nd	+2	4	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	17	3	2nd	4	2
3rd	+2	4	3	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	-	25	3	3rd	4	2
4th	+2	4	4	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	35	5	3rd	4	2
5th	+4	4	4	3	2	0	-	-	-	-	-	46	5	4th	4	2
6th	+4	4	4	4	3	1	-	-	-	-	-	58	6	4th	4	2
7th	+4	4	4	4	3	2	0	-	-	-	-	72	6	5th	4	2
8th	+4	4	4	4	4	3	1	-	-	-	-	88	7	5th	5	3
9th	+4	4	4	4	4	3	2	0	-	-	-	106	7	6th	5	3
10th	+4	4	4	4	4	4	3	1	-	-	-	126	8	6th	5	3
11th	+4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	0	-	-	147	8	7th	5	3
12th	+4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	1	-	-	170	9	7th	5	3
13th	+4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	0	-	195	9	8th	6	3
14th	+4	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	1	-	221	10	8th	6	4
15th	+6	4	4	4	4	4	4	4	3	2	1	250	10	9th	6	4

Note on Spellcasting and Manifesting Focuses
A Chameleon's number of spells per day does not change regardless of how many times the Chameleon changes their ability focus or what focus they are using. If a Chameleon is using Arcane and Divine focus then they may divide their spells per day between the two. They will still not have more than 4 spells prepared of any given level before factoring in bonus spells. They do however gain bonus spells from both foci. Spells are prepared when assuming the focus and take that duration of time to prepare regardless of how long it takes to assume a focus, and unused spells prepared are lost if the Chameleon changes to a different focus. Your Caster Level and Manifester level are equal to your ranks in the Disguise skill - 3, all spells and powers have a minimum caster level/ manifester level equal to twice it's level - 1. Regardless of any encounters you have, you always have identified one Divine Cleric or Druid spell, one Arcane Wizard spell, and one non-discipline Psion power of your choice per Chameleon level. A Chameleon can make a Gather Information check (DC 15 + Spell level) to find a spellcaster or manifester capable of casting/manifesting a power they are interested in finding should they exist, this takes 1 week and must be done in a urban environment. Casters/Manifesters typically charge the cost of a spellcasting service for doing so, should they be willing to show you.

Note on Initiator level
This designer is of the opinion that, by RAW, all prcs fully progress Initiator level unless otherwise stated, which none do. However for our purposes this PrC fully progresses Initiator level.

Focus Bonus: You gain a Competence bonus on certain rolls based on your assumed Aptitude Focus, this bonus is +2 at level 1, +4 at level 5, and +6 at level 15.

Arcane Focus
You gain the ability to prepare and cast arcane spells, which may be chosen from the spell list of any arcane spellcasting class. To prepare a Spell you must have seen the spell cast and identified it with a spellcraft check and make a Disguise Check (DC 15 + double the spell level for Wizard, Sorcerer, and Bard spells, or DC 20 + double spell level for all other Arcane Spells). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to prepare a spell you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to prepare the spell again that day. You gain bonus spells based on your Intelligence and the save DCs of your spells are 10 + spell level + your Intelligence modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft checks and to Will saves.

Battle Focus
You gain the ability to initiate martial maneuvers. Select one Martial Discipline, you know all maneuvers from that discipline. Charisma is your Initiating modifier and you can substitute Disguise for any skill checks or effects dependent on skill ranks for that discipline until you change your focus. When you assume that focus you select a number of Maneuvers and Stances determined by your Chameleon level, those are your readied maneuvers and known stances until you change your Focus. You may recover all used maneuvers by taking a standard action to Fient. You add your Focus Bonus to Martial Lore checks and to Fort and Reflex saves.

Combat Focus
You gain proficiency in Martial weapons and with one Exotic weapon of your choice. Treat your BaB as being equal to your ranks in Disguise - 3. Your add your Focus Bonus to weapon attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, trip, disarm, bullrush, sunder, and grapple checks, and to Fort saving throws.

Divine Focus
You gain the ability to prepare and cast divine spells, which may be chosen from the spell list of any divine spellcasting class. To prepare a Spell you must have seen the spell cast and identified it with a spellcraft check and make a Disguise Check (DC 15 + double the spell level for Cleric and Druid spells, or DC 20 + double spell level for all other Divine Spells). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to prepare a spell you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to prepare the spell again that day. You gain bonus spells based on your Wisdom and the save DCs of your spells are 10 + spell level + your Wisdom modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Religion) checks and to Fort and Will saves.

Enlightened Focus
You gain the ability to Manifest psionic powers, which may be chosen from the power list of any psionic class or any discipline power list. You do not prepare powers, you instead choose a number of powers to copy and use as your powers known. To copy a power you must have seen someone use it and identified it with a psicraft check and make a Disguise check (DC 15 + double the power's level for Psion/Wilder powers or DC 20 + double the power's level for all other powers). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to copy a power you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to copy that power again that day. You gain bonus power points based on your Charisma and the save DCs of your powers are 10 + spell level + your Charisma modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Psionics) and Concentration checks and to Will saves.

Monastic Focus
You gain a still and calm mind like a Monk. When unarmored and unencumbered you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Wisdom modifier. You gain the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat as well as a bonus to your movement speed and the unarmed strike damage of a Monk with a level equal to your Chameleon level. If you have levels in Monk, your levels in Chameleon stack with your Monk levels for determining Monk level dependent abilities (AC bonus, Flurry of Blows, etc.) while using this Focus. You add your Focus Bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks as well as all saving throws.

Stealth Focus
You gain Trapfinding and Uncanny Dodge as the rogue feature of a rogue of a level equal to your Chameleon level. You add your Focus Bonus to Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Use Magic Device checks, Initiative checks, and to Reflex saves.

Wild Focus
You gain the Wild Empathy, Woodland Strike, and Trackless abilities as a Druid of a level equal to your Chameleon level. You gain the benefits of the Track feat. You add your Focus Bonus to Climb, Handle Animal, Jump, Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks, and to Fortitude and Reflex saves.

Mimic Class feature (EX): At 2nd level you gain the ability to copy the abilities of other characters. You choose three of the class feature options below, once per encounter you can choose one of the class feature options you know to use. You choose an additional class feature to learn at 6th, 8th, and 11th level. Outside of combat you can use one of the mimic class feature options once every minute. You cannot use your Mimic Class Feature abilities to qualify for feats or prestige classes.

Spoiler: Mimic Class Feature options

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Evasion(EX)
As an immediate action, you can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save. You can activate this ability after you have rolled a successful Reflex save, but before you have taken damage. This ability lasts for 1 minute. This works as the rogue feature.

Flurry of Blows(EX)
You can use Flurry of Blows as a monk of your class level.

Rage(EX)
You can fly into a screaming blood frenzy. See the barbarian class feature, except that the duration of the rage is 1 round + 1 round per point of your (newly improved) Constitution modifier.

Mettle(EX)
As an immediate action, you can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Will or Fortitude save. You can activate this ability after you have rolled a successful Will or Fortitude save, but before you have taken damage. This ability lasts for 1 minute. This works as the Hexblade feature.

Overchannle(SU)
When casting a spell or manifesting a power you can use an immediate action to increase that spell or power's caster or manifester level by 1. If you increase it's manifester level that power is also manifested as if you had spent an additional power point. At 3rd level you can increase it by two caster/manifester levels, at 10th you can increase it by three. You an amount of d6 damage equal to twice the caster level increase minus 1, this damage cannot be reduced or avoided in any way.

Smite(EX)
You can smite a foe with a normal melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per class level.

Sneak Attack (EX)
You can deal an extra 1d6 points of damage per three class levels when flanking an opponent or any time the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus (except on ranged attacks, which must be point-blank to deliver the extra damage).

Turn/Rebuke Undead(SU)
You can turn or rebuke undead creatures (your choice when activating the ability) by channeling the power of your faith through a holy symbol as a Cleric of a level equal to your class level.

Floating Feat (EX): At 3rd level you gain any one feat you qualify for as a bonus feat. Unlike normal bonus feats you may change the feats gained from this feature once per day when assuming a Aptitude Focus. You gain an addition floating feat at 9th and again at 12th level.

Ability Boon (EX): At 4th level, when choosing an aptitude focus, you also gain a +2 competence bonus to an ability score of your choice. This bonus lasts until you change your aptitude focus. At 7th level this bonus improves to +4, and at 10th level to +6. At 13th level you can apply this competence bonus to any other ability score.

Multi-aptitude (EX): At 7th level, you can adopt two aptitude focuses in the same amount of time it previously took for you to adopt one. For example, you could adopt both the combat focus and the wild focus to mimic a ranger, or the divine focus and arcane focus to mimic a mystic theurge. You can't adopt the same aptitude focus twice simultaneously. You can still only adopt as many focuses per day as indicated by your aptitude focus ability. At 14th level you adopt three aptitude focuses at once.

Rapid Refocus (EX): At 8th level, you gain the power to change your aptitude focus in only 10 minutes.

Spontaneous Refocus (EX): At 13th level, you gain the ability to change your aptitude focus as a full round action.

Spoiler: Chameleon Feats

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Extra Mimiced Class Feature
Requirment: Chameleon level 2
Benefit: You select another Mimic Class Feature option to add to your list of known class features. This feat can be selected more than once.

Extra Aptitude Focus
Requirment: Chameleon Class
Benefit: You can assume an Aptitude one more time per day. This feat can be selected more than once.

Split Ability Boon
Requirment: Ability Boon class feature
Benefit: You can apply a competence bonus equal to half your Ability Boon bonus to any other ability score, you can change this choice when changing which stat your Ability Boon applies too.

False Theurgy(EX)
Requirement: Chameleon level 3, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: As an immediate action when casting a spell or manifesting a power you can choose to make a Disguise check as part of the casting or manifesting to alter it's appearance. Any creature that tries to identify the spell or power must make a spellcraft or psicraft check, if they roll lower than your Disguise check you can make them believe that is was another spell or power of any level equal to or lower than the spell or power you actually used. This makes the spell or power effectively impossible to counterspell successfully unless the creature succeeds on their initial spellcraft or psicraft check.

Eldritch Blade
Requirement: Chameleon level 7, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Battle Focus or Combat Focus, and either Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: When casting a spell or manifesting a power with a casting or manifesting time of one action defensively, you can make one weapon attack as part of the action used to cast the spell.

False Casting
Requirement: Chameleon level 14, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Stealth Focus and any two of Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: As an immediate action when casting a spell or manifesting a power, you can add a material component of specialized alchemical reagents with a value equal to 100 GP per level of the spell or power, which the spell or power consumes. If you do the Spell or Power is rendered for all effects nonmagical, allowing it to ignore spell resistance, work in a anti-magic field, etc. It's effects are calculated as if it's caster level was equal to your ranks in the Disguise skill. To do this you must succeed on a Sleight of Hand check (DC 25 + spell or power level), on a failure the spell fails and the slot and material components are consumed.

Psycho-Theurgy
Requirement: Chameleon level 3, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed any Enlightened Focus
Benefit: When selecting your copied powers for your Enlightened Focus you can add spells you have identified and prepared at least once from either your Arcane Focus or Divine Focus in place of psionic powers. Spells with costly material components cannot be selected. Spells ignore their Verbal, Somatic, and non-costly material components. Spells have a power point cost equal to double their level -1. See spell to power Erudite for other rules on how spells converted to psionic powers behave such as caster level dependent effects.

[Jervis]

Reserved for changelog and maybe some other things. I know this is broken but my goal was to rebalance the chameleon in accordance with the theme that was presented and give some follow up that doesn't rely on jank. Objectively a factotumesque 0-7 progression is probably better but i wanted to make something that fills the role of a traditional chameleon. Terrible, terrible brokenness asside, id like to here what people think

[Thrice Dead Cat]

Sorry this took me a little longer to get to than I originally planned.

Chameleon... Yeah this is my favorite class bar none but it has issues. I'm not concerned with power so much, after all i see 3.pf as an excuse to throw overpowered things at each other and see what explodes first. The class itself, for all it's questionable design choices, is fun and fills a interesting niche of being a generalist capable of doing just about anything but can't specialize, which is what gives the best classes in 3.5 their power. It needs a redesign. Most of my issues can be summed up with a few sentences. Feel Free to skip this part if you don't want to see a person whos spent WAYYYY too much time theorycrafting a series of Chameleon builds talk about it's design and why i decided to make a rework of a class for a game that's been out of print for over a decade. And regardless of what you think, i'd love to hear what people think of this.

Spoiler: Design Theory

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*snip*

I appreciate these ramblings. Personally, I have a love/hate relationship with 3.X's rocket tag. I like that the system is so crunchy and maleable that you can have silly builds with a dozen different classes (only slightly exagerrating) but have grown to detest the numerous "I'm immune to X, Y, and/or Z" type abilities it has. So while I may not agree with you on where this should land, I do appreciate your preamble to what you wrote.

I don't entirely agree that SotAO Myster Rangers and Chameleons have the same problem. They both have cheesy options to get to higher level spell slots than what their default tables would allow and I think the Mystic Rangers is a worse offender if only because it is so heavily frontloaded in the first 11 levels. I feel like Chameleon at least reasonably can slide into Legacy Champion, Uncanny Trickster, Mythic Exemplar, Squire of Legend, or even just (more) Factotum for levels 16-20. That's four prestige classes and one base class that exist at least somewhat in the same design space of "weird generalist" or "mimic."

Requirments
Race: Human, Doppelganger, or Changeling
Skill Ranks: Bluff 8, Disguise 8, Sense Motive 4, Spellcraft 4
Feats: Able Learner

Hit Die: d8
Skill Points: 4 + Int
Class Skills: Irrelevant All skills you previously possessed as class skills are class skills for this class.

*Table*

Proficiency: You have proficiency in all armor and with all shield, except tower shields, and all simple weapons.

Maybe it's just because they already have Able Learner the designers didn't do this, but I honestly don't see the problem with just giving them all skills as class skills I mean, if they started as a factotum, that'd be true anyhow. I do like explicitly calling out Changeling as a racial option though.

I don't like seeing the class extended out to 15 levels. I know you added additional focuses, want to give them room to be a triple threat, and rebalance the focuses so that they don't just go casting/casting/casting, but I still feel 15 levels is inelegant.

Aptitude Focus (EX): Once per day, you can select one of five areas upon which to focus your ever-shifting talents. After meditating for 1 hour, you gain the chosen abilities for 24 hours or until you change your aptitude focus. An aptitude focus ability is usable once per day at 1st level, twice per day at 5th level, three times per day at 10th level, and four times per day at 15th. At 5th level, you can change your aptitude focus one time per day, at 10th level you can change your aptitude focus two times per day, at 15th level you can change your aptitude focus three times per day. Abilities gained from your Aptitude Focus class feature cannot be used to qualify for feats or prestige classes.

*Table*

Note on Spellcasting and Manifesting Focuses
A Chameleon's number of spells per day does not change regardless of how many times the Chameleon changes their ability focus or what focus they are using. If a Chameleon is using Arcane and Divine focus then they may divide their spells per day between the two. They will still not have more than 4 spells prepared of any given level before factoring in bonus spells. They do however gain bonus spells from both foci. Spells are prepared when assuming the focus and take that duration of time to prepare regardless of how long it takes to assume a focus, and unused spells prepared are lost if the Chameleon changes to a different focus. Your Caster Level and Manifester level are equal to your ranks in the Disguise skill - 3, all spells and powers have a minimum caster level/ manifester level equal to twice it's level - 1. Regardless of any encounters you have, you always have identified one Divine Cleric or Druid spell, one Arcane Wizard spell, and one non-discipline Psion power of your choice per Chameleon level. A Chameleon can make a Gather Information check (DC 15 + Spell level) to find a spellcaster or manifester capable of casting/manifesting a power they are interested in finding should they exist, this takes 1 week and must be done in a urban environment. Casters/Manifesters typically charge the cost of a spellcasting service for doing so, should they be willing to show you.

Note on Initiator level
This designer is of the opinion that, by RAW, all prcs fully progress Initiator level unless otherwise stated, which none do. However for our purposes this PrC fully progresses Initiator level.

Focus Bonus: You gain a Competence bonus on certain rolls based on your assumed Aptitude Focus, this bonus is +2 at level 1, +4 at level 5, and +6 at level 15.

While I dislike this being fifteen levels long, I do like seeing the chameleon eventually get three focuses in a day. Tying their caster level to Disguise ranks also means you don't have the problem with the RAW Chameleon's accelerated caster levels quickly beating out the usual HD=CL of other characters. There are still some shenanigans that could get you extra ranks in Disguise above and beyond what your levels would (from least amount to most amount of cheese, Favored/Primary Contact, Inspire Greatness with Psychic Reformation, Shapechange shenanigans via Dusk Giant/Barghest with Psychic Reformation). I'm of mixed opinions regarding limiting the Spell Per Day as one lump sum total rather a "per focus" like RAW has it. It really just means that instead of going Arcane/Divine, you go Arcane/Enlightened or Divine/Enlightened and end up more or less in the same spot as you did before. Getting bonus spells for both at least helps somewhat, and I realize this was likely done to avoid making your 15 level long Chameleon a better Mystic Theurge than a hypothetical Cleric 3/Wizard 3/Mystic Theurge 14 with similar adjustments to Mystic Theurge scaling.

Also, thank you for the explicit IL progression. It is a little weird that a Chameleon could have effectively full IL progression without ever taking the Battle Focus, but it's really no less weird than the RAW rules glossing over themselves.

The Aptitude focus is pretty much the same as what's in RoD. I would make it clear that if you have multiple Aptitude Focuses that give the bonus the same saves whether or not they stack (e.g., Enlightened and Arcane both boost Will saves). The default is bonuses from the same source don't stack, so I'm inclined to say "no." Now on to the focuses!

Arcane Focus
You gain the ability to prepare and cast arcane spells, which may be chosen from the spell list of any arcane spellcasting class. To prepare a Spell you must have seen the spell cast and identified it with a spellcraft check and make a Disguise Check (DC 15 + double the spell level for Wizard, Sorcerer, and Bard spells, or DC 20 + double spell level for all other Arcane Spells). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to prepare a spell you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to prepare the spell again that day. You gain bonus spells based on your Intelligence and the save DCs of your spells are 10 + spell level + your Intelligence modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft checks and to Will saves.

Using Disguise to prepare is fine, but it means that you'll be making a lot of Disguise checks when you start preparing your spells. The spellbook approach of the original is a little easier on the bookkeeping side of things but harder to get new spells and means you're unlikely to ever get non-wizard or non-wujen spells. I'd keep the option to use disguise for "random" spells but then also let them spend money on ink to make their own spellbook. You already give them a free spell of each level anyhow, and I like the Gather Information rules above. But 3.5 is all about dropping cash to get more magic, so why not include that as another option?

Battle Focus
You gain the ability to initiate martial maneuvers. Select one Martial Discipline, you know all maneuvers from that discipline. Charisma is your Initiating modifier and you can substitute Disguise for any skill checks or effects dependent on skill ranks for that discipline until you change your focus. When you assume that focus you select a number of Maneuvers and Stances determined by your Chameleon level, those are your readied maneuvers and known stances until you change your Focus. You may recover all used maneuvers by taking a standard action to Fient. You add your Focus Bonus to Martial Lore checks and to Fort and Reflex saves.

Honestly, this is what the original's Combat Focus should have been from the start. And no, I will not respect the fact that ToB came out after RoD here. You actually don't need to tell them what their Initiating modifier is either: ToB already says what that is for each Discipline (or rather, what it is whenever a maneuver calls for a save). I do like being able to use Disguise in place of Tumble or Concentration - although part of me feels as though there either should be a penalty to using Disguise in place of the regular skill or maybe just give Chameleons 6+Int or even 8+Int skill points instead. On the one hand, Disguise for everything is more powerful and simpler. On the other, extra skill points mean they'll be able to actually spread out their skills and actually make skill checks when required.

Combat Focus
You gain proficiency in Martial weapons and with one Exotic weapon of your choice. Treat your BaB as being equal to your ranks in Disguise - 3. Your add your Focus Bonus to weapon attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, trip, disarm, bullrush, sunder, and grapple checks, and to Fort saving throws.

I think you're missing "all" for the martial weapon proficiencies. Limiting it to one exotic weapon isn't bad (as an aside, the Master of Masks class has an option to give proficiency in all martial and all exotic weapons, too). You need to explain what Disguise -3 ranks is doing here: is it just for number of attacks you get to make based on BAB, is it in place of BAB when you make an attack, both? I'm assuming it's both, but extra words won't hurt.

Divine Focus
You gain the ability to prepare and cast divine spells, which may be chosen from the spell list of any divine spellcasting class. To prepare a Spell you must have seen the spell cast and identified it with a spellcraft check and make a Disguise Check (DC 15 + double the spell level for Cleric and Druid spells, or DC 20 + double spell level for all other Divine Spells). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to prepare a spell you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to prepare the spell again that day. You gain bonus spells based on your Wisdom and the save DCs of your spells are 10 + spell level + your Wisdom modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Religion) checks and to Fort and Will saves.

Pretty much same comments here as I had under the Arcane Focus. Archivists exist, so that means there should be some spell prayer books out there.

Enlightened Focus
You gain the ability to Manifest psionic powers, which may be chosen from the power list of any psionic class or any discipline power list. You do not prepare powers, you instead choose a number of powers to copy and use as your powers known. To copy a power you must have seen someone use it and identified it with a psicraft check and make a Disguise check (DC 15 + double the power's level for Psion/Wilder powers or DC 20 + double the power's level for all other powers). Once you have succeeded on a Disguise check to copy a power you may do so without making another one for the rest of the day, if you fail twice then you may not attempt to copy that power again that day. You gain bonus power points based on your Charisma and the save DCs of your powers are 10 + spell level + your Charisma modifier. You add your Focus Bonus to Knowledge (Psionics) and Concentration checks and to Will saves.

Psionic characters don't really have a spellbook analog, so Chameleons who take this option are more or less stuck with the rules you have above. I like that of the three casting options, you used a different mental stat. This is less a mark against your version of the Chameleon and more one against the Wilder, but the fact that Chameleons get a minimum of 9 powers known compared to a Wilder's 11 at 20th level hurts.

Monastic Focus
You gain a still and calm mind like a Monk. When unarmored and unencumbered you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Wisdom modifier. You gain the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat as well as a bonus to your movement speed and the unarmed strike damage of a Monk with a level equal to your Chameleon level. If you have levels in Monk, your levels in Chameleon stack with your Monk levels for determining Monk level dependent abilities (AC bonus, Flurry of Blows, etc.) while using this Focus. You add your Focus Bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump, and Tumble checks as well as all saving throws.

Monastic Focus is tempting simply for all of the boosts to different skills and saves. I could see a Wisdom focused Chameleon take this as their second option after Divine Focus.

Stealth Focus
You gain Trapfinding and Uncanny Dodge as the rogue feature of a rogue of a level equal to your Chameleon level. You add your Focus Bonus to Bluff, Disable Device, Disguise, Diplomacy, Hide, Move Silently, Open Lock, Search, Use Magic Device checks, Initiative checks, and to Reflex saves.

Trapfinding is one of those things that I wish wasn't a class feature but that's neither here nor there. Having the Focus Bonus apply to Initiative makes this a tempting option. Having this apply to Disguise checks makes it tempting for all of the other Focuses that require you make Disguise checks, too. Skills are easy to boost in general, but an extra +2 to +6 competence bonus is still nice to have.

Wild Focus
You gain the Wild Empathy, Woodland Strike, and Trackless abilities as a Druid of a level equal to your Chameleon level. You gain the benefits of the Track feat. You add your Focus Bonus to Climb, Handle Animal, Jump, Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks, and to Fortitude and Reflex saves.

This feels like the weakest of the focus options. You get two saves, but the features and skill bonuses gained just don't seem worth it to me compared to either Combat or Stealth. It doesn't really make sense to have a revolving door of animal companions or to get Wild Shape, but those are really the only two other features that you could mimic here.

Mimic Class feature (EX): At 2nd level you gain the ability to copy the abilities of other characters. You choose three of the class feature options below, once per encounter you can choose one of the class feature options you know to use. You choose an additional class feature to learn at 6th, 8th, and 11th level. Outside of combat you can use one of the mimic class feature options once every minute. You cannot use your Mimic Class Feature abilities to qualify for feats or prestige classes.

Spoiler: Mimic Class Feature options

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Evasion(EX)
As an immediate action, you can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Reflex save. You can activate this ability after you have rolled a successful Reflex save, but before you have taken damage. This ability lasts for 1 minute. This works as the rogue feature.

Flurry of Blows(EX)
You can use Flurry of Blows as a monk of your class level.

Rage(EX)
You can fly into a screaming blood frenzy. See the barbarian class feature, except that the duration of the rage is 1 round + 1 round per point of your (newly improved) Constitution modifier.

Mettle(EX)
As an immediate action, you can avoid damage from certain attacks with a successful Will or Fortitude save. You can activate this ability after you have rolled a successful Will or Fortitude save, but before you have taken damage. This ability lasts for 1 minute. This works as the Hexblade feature.

Overchannle(SU)
When casting a spell or manifesting a power you can use an immediate action to increase that spell or power's caster or manifester level by 1. If you increase it's manifester level that power is also manifested as if you had spent an additional power point. At 3rd level you can increase it by two caster/manifester levels, at 10th you can increase it by three. You an amount of d6 damage equal to twice the caster level increase minus 1, this damage cannot be reduced or avoided in any way.

Smite(EX)
You can smite a foe with a normal melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to the attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per class level.

Sneak Attack (EX)
You can deal an extra 1d6 points of damage per three class levels when flanking an opponent or any time the target would be denied its Dexterity bonus (except on ranged attacks, which must be point-blank to deliver the extra damage).

Turn/Rebuke Undead(SU)
You can turn or rebuke undead creatures (your choice when activating the ability) by channeling the power of your faith through a holy symbol as a Cleric of a level equal to your class level.

At 2nd level, you've got 3/8 of the below options. You can eventually get 6/8 at ECL 16, but because you can't use these to qualify for feats or other prestige classes, you all but require having another source of whatever it is you did select in order to get extra benefits out of it. As written, it sounds like you only get to use one of the three (or six) of the abilities in a given encounter. So if you use Evasion to avoid a fireball, you can't then turn around and rage. That feels "unfun" to me if I was a player, but is likely fair given how much "value" this class feature represents. Still, it's better than the OG Chameleon's per day restrictions on this ability.

Evasion requiring an immediate action to turn hurts when compared to "regular" Evasion, but at least it lasts for a minute after that once you use it in an encounter. Same goes for Mettle. Mettle is probably stronger of the two options here, but that's just because Mettle is stronger than Evasion in general.

Flurry of Blows obviously is meant to go with the Monastic Focus to be roughly a 3/4 Monk without any of those nasty Monk levels (I kid, I kid).

Rage lasting for fewer rounds is fair. It won't ever get better than the standard +4 Str, +4 Con, etc. Even so, like Evasion and Mettle, it is probably enough to last the entire encounter.

Overchannel is either a once per minute boost to caster/manifester level or a once per combat boost. Free boosts are still free boost. You have a few typos here and looks like you missed the word "take" in "You take damage to use this" in the last sentence.

Smite is a boost to only one attack. It's better than the "normal" feature it mimics if only because it doesn't have a restriction on who you can smite, but it's still a weak option because smite is a weak ability.

Sneak Attack needs to say that it gives a minimum of 1d6 damage. If you took this at level 2, then RAW, you'd round down and get nothing. You should also refer back to the Rogue class feature as the mimicked version is extra restrictive on when you get it. (Plus, it's only for one attack per the rules on Mimic Class Feature). It does get better with levels (i.e., more dice is more damage), but I think of the three "do more damage abilities" of Rage, Smite, and Sneak Attack, Rage is the best of the bunch.

Turn/Rebuke is nice in that you get to select which of the two options you use each time. That said, it's gotta be the worst of the eight options here. I guess you started as a Cleric or otherwise had Turn/Rebuke uses before becoming a Chameleon, you could argue about using the 1/encounter use you gain from this class feature to fuel Devotion feats. But even then, it just feels weak.

Floating Feat (EX): At 3rd level you gain any one feat you qualify for as a bonus feat. Unlike normal bonus feats you may change the feats gained from this feature once per day when assuming a Aptitude Focus. You gain an addition floating feat at 9th and again at 12th level.

I like seeing more floating bonus feats. These still lead to some shenanigans, but really that's only because the same is true of the floating feat that the original PrC gave.

Ability Boon (EX): At 4th level, when choosing an aptitude focus, you also gain a +2 competence bonus to an ability score of your choice. This bonus lasts until you change your aptitude focus. At 7th level this bonus improves to +4, and at 10th level to +6. At 13th level you can apply this competence bonus to any other ability score.

Pretty much the same as the original ability up until level 13 (ECL 18). I'd change the wording there to "At 13th level, you can apply this competence bonus to a second ability score. So a Rogue 15/Chamelon 13 could boost both his Dexterity and Constitution scores by +6 one day and switch those bonuses to Intelligence and Wisdom the next."

Multi-aptitude (EX): At 7th level, you can adopt two aptitude focuses in the same amount of time it previously took for you to adopt one. For example, you could adopt both the combat focus and the wild focus to mimic a ranger, or the divine focus and arcane focus to mimic a mystic theurge. You can't adopt the same aptitude focus twice simultaneously. You can still only adopt as many focuses per day as indicated by your aptitude focus ability. At 14th level you adopt three aptitude focuses at once.

This is pretty much the same as the original double aptitude, except rename for the eventual three separate abilities at once. Arguably, your changes to how the Spells per Day work mean you're less like a Mystic Theurge compared to original Chameleon, but that's me picking nits.

Rapid Refocus (EX): At 8th level, you gain the power to change your aptitude focus in only 10 minutes.

Spontaneous Refocus (EX): At 13th level, you gain the ability to change your aptitude focus as a full round action.

Rapid Refocus is pretty much the same as the original class feature. Spontaneous Refocus is an obvious extension of that. I don't know how often I'd spend a full round action to change my focuses, but I like that I could do that if I needed to once it becomes available.

Spoiler: Chameleon Feats

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Extra Mimiced Class Feature
Requirment: Chameleon level 2
Benefit: You select another Mimic Class Feature option to add to your list of known class features. This feat can be selected more than once.

Extra Aptitude Focus
Requirment: Chameleon Class
Benefit: You can assume an Aptitude one more time per day. This feat can be selected more than once.

Split Ability Boon
Requirment: Ability Boon class feature
Benefit: You can apply a competence bonus equal to half your Ability Boon bonus to any other ability score, you can change this choice when changing which stat your Ability Boon applies too.

False Theurgy(EX)
Requirement: Chameleon level 3, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: As an immediate action when casting a spell or manifesting a power you can choose to make a Disguise check as part of the casting or manifesting to alter it's appearance. Any creature that tries to identify the spell or power must make a spellcraft or psicraft check, if they roll lower than your Disguise check you can make them believe that is was another spell or power of any level equal to or lower than the spell or power you actually used. This makes the spell or power effectively impossible to counterspell successfully unless the creature succeeds on their initial spellcraft or psicraft check.

Eldritch Blade
Requirement: Chameleon level 7, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Battle Focus or Combat Focus, and either Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: When casting a spell or manifesting a power with a casting or manifesting time of one action defensively, you can make one weapon attack as part of the action used to cast the spell.

False Casting
Requirement: Chameleon level 14, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed Stealth Focus and any two of Arcane Focus, Divine Focus, or Enlightened Focus
Benefit: As an immediate action when casting a spell or manifesting a power, you can add a material component of specialized alchemical reagents with a value equal to 100 GP per level of the spell or power, which the spell or power consumes. If you do the Spell or Power is rendered for all effects nonmagical, allowing it to ignore spell resistance, work in a anti-magic field, etc. It's effects are calculated as if it's caster level was equal to your ranks in the Disguise skill. To do this you must succeed on a Sleight of Hand check (DC 25 + spell or power level), on a failure the spell fails and the slot and material components are consumed.

Psycho-Theurgy
Requirement: Chameleon level 3, must be selected with a Chameleon's Floating Feat, Chameleon must have assumed any Enlightened Focus
Benefit: When selecting your copied powers for your Enlightened Focus you can add spells you have identified and prepared at least once from either your Arcane Focus or Divine Focus in place of psionic powers. Spells with costly material components cannot be selected. Spells ignore their Verbal, Somatic, and non-costly material components. Spells have a power point cost equal to double their level -1. See spell to power Erudite for other rules on how spells converted to psionic powers behave such as caster level dependent effects.

Extra Mimicked Class Feature is missing the "k." I could see a Chameleon use their floating bonus feat to grab an extra option, but eventually you're getting 6/8 of them anyhow. So this just feels like a filler feat and not something I'd ever really take.

Extra Aptitude Focus is nice if you have a bad case of FOMO or just want to make sure you can switch your kit around in the middle of the day. I like it.

Split Ability Boon is spending a feat on an extra +1/+2/+3 to a second (or third) stat. I don't think that's worth a full feat, but you are a Chameleon and that's probably worth a floating feat for when you're trying to be a double or triple caster.

False Theurgy is similar to other abilities of the same name. Unfortunately, (Greater) Dispel Magic still exist as counterspelling options. Still, it's a cute option for the floating feat.

Casting Defensively is all but certain when in combat, but Eldritch Blade is a weird way to get an extra ranged attack, too. It's weird and I like it.

False Casting is just asking for abuse. You could have nonmagical contigencies, teleports, and a slew of other options that just don't make sense. You can't take this until ECL 19, but it's like Invoke Magic on steroids. By the time you can take it, the extra 100 to 900 GP cost is negligible to spend.

Psycho-Theurgy is pretty much StP Erudite with all the issues therein.

Overall, this is going to be stronger than a regular Chameleon. I know the "Unchained" versions generally are, so I guess that's fine. My problem here is that you're pretty much a mini-gestalt with this version of Chameleon. It'll be better than the original version at pretty much every point, but I think it gets worse from 16-20. The only saving grace is that the regular "You can't use your Chameleon abilities to qualify for other stuff" means you're locked into more Chameleon levels.

[Morphic tide]

Sha'ir and Artificer exist, the hoops being used are *not* a crippling issue to shenanigans, and even besides that it becomes quite trivial to get a rather disturbingly large set of options from lower level spells. Even in low-splat conditions. DC 17 for 1st and +2 for each spell level after caps at only DC 33 for 9th level spells, which you are meeting 50/50 with raw skill ranks if I understand it correctly. Grab-bags like this need to have bluntly lower peaks, not as a result of being denied ancillary mechanics or easily-solved reliability issues or technically being delayed.

With the breadth this has, being 3 levels casting behind if you fail to reach the score needed to get the bonus slot from start to finish isn't really an issue. There's enough breadth of answers to horribly mangle things if there's any kind of ready supply of things to copy. Like having a typical Divine caster on hand running down their spell list for you to furnish your Divine Focus. Having it emulate the Bard's progression as if it were from 1st and this started at 6 (which would put 3rd level spells at Chameleon 2/ECL 7) would do a lot for this issue.

Seriously, this is not far from StP Erudite levels of horrifying degeneracy.

[Jervis]

*snip*

Thanks for the in depth analysis, it’s stuff like this that keeps me coming back to the homebrew scene. I’m gonna to a bit do a rework on this (plus spelling and grammar fix) soon enough so it’s nice to have some feedback to work on. Psycho-theurgy and false casting are gonna need a rework and I need to figure out something for the weird 15 level thing, I wasn’t the biggest fan when I worked on it either. Something I considered was condensing the changes I made to the base chameleon into the standard 10 level class and leverage the organizational ties present in the RoD lore to make a “high chameleon” that’s 5 levels long and does the same thing that weird bard sorcerer PrC does by having casting/manifesting start at 6-7th level stuff and hits 9s by the end along with the 3rd ability focus and floating feat. Having some kind of esoteric requirements to get in like “must have impersonated the headmaster of (insert organization name here) for at least a day without being found out” and maybe some weird other miscellaneous thing. I als considered maybe just making the class cast spells Psionically (minus the ignoring costly material components because that’s stupid) so all three powerful focuses shared a resource pool and having two would just add more bonus points. Has the problem of psionic caster for spells but with some decheesing that might end up being weaker than standard just because you have a smaller list of “prepared” spells/powers to work with. I don’t know, probably cause more problems than it would solve.

Sha'ir and Artificer exist, the hoops being used are *not* a crippling issue to shenanigans, and even besides that it becomes quite trivial to get a rather disturbingly large set of options from lower level spells. Even in low-splat conditions. DC 17 for 1st and +2 for each spell level after caps at only DC 33 for 9th level spells, which you are meeting 50/50 with raw skill ranks if I understand it correctly. Grab-bags like this need to have bluntly lower peaks, not as a result of being denied ancillary mechanics or easily-solved reliability issues or technically being delayed.

With the breadth this has, being 3 levels casting behind if you fail to reach the score needed to get the bonus slot from start to finish isn't really an issue. There's enough breadth of answers to horribly mangle things if there's any kind of ready supply of things to copy. Like having a typical Divine caster on hand running down their spell list for you to furnish your Divine Focus. Having it emulate the Bard's progression as if it were from 1st and this started at 6 (which would put 3rd level spells at Chameleon 2/ECL 7) would do a lot for this issue.

Seriously, this is not far from StP Erudite levels of horrifying degeneracy.

Yeah I should tweak the DC, it’s based off a Sha’ir rework I was working on at the time. The change in base DC was meant to make the early game easier for them… but Sha’ir usually has no trouble hitting a DC after level 5 which is where the class starts. And disguise can be easier to buff, even assuming your DM doesn’t let you apply a +10 from transformation magic, which logically shouldn’t work here. Thanks for that.

As for the spell level progression. I actually agree that base chameleon is kinda poorly designed and realistically would be better with bard spell progression but i usually don’t like to take away from a part of a class that draws people too it when I Homebrew changes. This is less a buff, nerf, fix and more a decheesing and improvement and seldom used features. This finishes the progression the original class started, removing the need for things like earth spell dragon disciple to get stuff for higher levels, and removed some of the really big bits of degeneracy from the original. Can’t double fill spell slots so Arcane and Divine focus isn’t how every chameleon plays at 7 (granted now it’s Caster + Psion but i’m working on a fix for that). No more double scaling CL that let you easily get CL 30 pre epic. And you can’t use you floating feat to yoink any spell into your spell book from any arcane list every day to fill it up at no cost. (That’s actually the logic behind nixing the spell book, with extra spell + feat loss rules you can fill it up for free without looking for anything) Also obviously removing the ability for divine focus to just yoink everything. I hope this doesn’t come off as combative or anything, I appreciate negative criticism, I just like explaining my headspace for design choices. Thanks

[Morphic tide]

As for the spell level progression. I actually agree that base chameleon is kinda poorly designed and realistically would be better with bard spell progression but i usually don’t like to take away from a part of a class that draws people too it when I Homebrew changes. This is less a buff, nerf, fix and more a decheesing and improvement and seldom used features. This finishes the progression the original class started, removing the need for things like earth spell dragon disciple to get stuff for higher levels, and removed some of the really big bits of degeneracy from the original.

Perfectly understandable reasoning, and there is a lot to do with this still since it just doesn't self-qualify for the auxiliary mechanics. You still have the five levels previous to work with for such qualification, after all, so if you really want to cheese then StP Erudite 4/Beguiler 1 or Sha'ir 4/Psychic Rogue 1 (or a 3/2 split) can get you basic qualifications and a bank of low-level uses.

Although another way to fix the progression that comes to mind would be having it described as "Spell slots of of a Wizard of your Chameleon level +2", thereby making it so that any casting progression PRC can improve it beyond the native table, so after the first 10, or even in the middle, you can apply other PRCs to expand the single allotment of slots. Though that does bring back single-entry theurge problems.