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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    Stormlord Blade


    Combat is not a matter of strikes and parries, but one of an ever flowing stream of motion. You seek to loose the ever-raging storm within yourself, driving blow after blow into your enemies with the fury of the storm.

    History:
    Stormlord Blades have existed at the fringes of society for centuries. The first Stormlord, a Wood Elf by the name of Serrelin. She formed a pact with a wind spirit, granting her power in return for a rather odd request. The spirit requested that the power Serrelin gained would be passed on, from master to student so the teachings of the wind would live on among the inhabitants of the world.

    Serrelin used this power to overthrow the oppressive high elven Alvorian Syndicate that had taken over the wood elf homeland of Aren Teres. She led the rebellion, showing the high elves the wood elves were a force to be reckoned with.

    After taking back her homeland and reinstating the old government, Serrelin left, taking four select students with her to Mount Velenor, a high, windy peak in the northern reaches of Aren Teres. There she built a monastery and temple called Skyhaven, dedicated to the wind.

    For decades Skyhaven's doors were open to any and all who wanted to learn the path of skies. Serrelin served as elder of the monastery, but spent most of her time meditating atop the peak of Velenor, listening to "the breath of the World".

    Nearly a century after Skyhaven's founding, the fragmented Alvorian forces had recovered, and set out for revenge on the warrior responsible for their downfall: Serrelin. They tracked her down, and attacked Skyhaven.

    For days the hundred defenders of Skyhaven fought back the thousands of Alvorian troops marching up the slopes of Velenor, demonstrating the power the wind had granted them. Ultimately, they could not fend off an army alone. So the Stormlords retreated.

    Serrelin, with the power of several powerful wind spirits, severed Skyhaven from the face of Velenor, and lifted it into the skies.

    Legend holds that Skyhaven still drifts through the skies above, and that the students there continue to practice the Path of Skies.

    Today, the Path of Skies is still taught by the decendants and students of the few Stormlord Blades absent from the attack on Skyhaven. Every Stormlord was taught the path of Skies by a mentor, and is in turn expected to one day find a student and pass on the power of the wind, as Serrelin swore centuries ago.

    Spoiler
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    This is my first prestige class I've made, so any feedback would be appreciated!


    Class requirements
    Alignment: Any non-lawful. Strong, rigid discipline prevents the storm from building.
    Base Attack Bonus: +6
    Skills: Tumble 4 ranks, jump 8 ranks
    Feats: Improved initiative, combat reflexes

    Hit Die: d10

    The Stormlord Blade’s class skills are Balance, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Profession, Ride, Spot, Swim, and Tumble.
    Skill Points at 1st level: (4 + Int modifier) x4
    Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier

    {table=head]Level |Base Attack |Fort |Ref |Will |Special|Persistent wind
    1st|+1|+2|+2|+0|The Building Storm, Path of Skies|-
    2nd|+2|+3|+3|+0|Stormwalker, persistent wind|1
    3rd|+3|+3|+3|+1|Path of Skies, Evasion, Wind Walk|1
    4th|+4|+4|+4|+1|Storm cloak, One with the Storm|2
    5th|+5|+4|+4|+1|Path of Skies, Tornado of Steel|2
    6th|+6|+5|+5|+2|Skyborne charger, Wind Stride|3
    7th|+7|+5|+5|+2|Path of Skies, Cyclic blade|3
    8th|+8|+6|+6|+2|Greater Storm cloak, Sky walker|4
    9th|+9|+6|+6|+3|Path of Skies, Wind leap|4
    10th|+10|+7|+7|+3|Stormlord|5[/table]

    The Building Storm (Ex): Strike after Strike your assault builds like a storm on the horizon. Your blows hit with gradually increasing force, cutting through flesh and steel alike.

    Every successful melee attack you make grants one mark of storm, to a maximum of 2x your Stormlord Blade level. You bypass 1 point of DR/hardness for every mark of storm you possess, and gain a +1 bonus to hit and weapon damage for every 2 marks of storm you possess.
    Every missed attack removes one mark, and not attacking in a round removes 3 marks. You can only gain marks of storm if you attack an opponent who posses a clear threat to you or your allies.

    Path of Skies: As a Stormlord Blade increases in power, he gains a number of abilities as a result of his training. These abilities vary widely from Blade to Blade; no two walk the same path. At 1st level and every odd level after, you gain a special ability from the list below. If an ability has prerequisites, you must meet them.



    Cyclic blade (Ex): Your weapon spins constantly as you attack, lending extra force to your blows. When wielding a two handed polearm-like weapon (see below), you add 2x your str modifier to melee damage rolls instead of 1.5x your str modifier.

    When dual wielding, you add 1x your str modifier to damage with off hand attacks instead of 1/2x str.

    Spoiler
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    A "polearm like weapon" is basically anything with a long enough shaft to allow the weapon to be spun about its center. Weapons like this in the PH are: longspear, spear, quarterstaff, glaive, greataxe, guisarme, halberd, ransuer, scythe, orc double axe, gnome hooked hammer, and dwarven urgosh




    Persistent Wind (Ex): The power of the storm never truly leaves you. Beginning at level 2, you always have marks of storm equal to half your Stormlord Blade level or more. Your number of marks of storm never goes below this number.

    Stormwalker (Ex): You move like a raging storm, swift and powerful. Your base land speed increases by 10ft, and you gain a bonus to initiative checks equal to half your Stormlord blade level.

    evasion (Ex): You gain evasion, as the rogue ability. When you make a save against a spell or effect that allows a reflex save for half damage, you instead take no damage on successful save.

    Tornado of Steel (Ex): You attack like a whirling storm, delivering countless blows before your opponents can react. Whenever you make a full attack, you may make an extra attack at your highest attack bonus, but all attacks made this round take a -2 penalty to hit.

    Skyborne Charger (Ex): You leap into battle like a typhoon of furious steel, moving faster than most would consider possible. You gain the pounce ability, but in order to use it you must jump a distance of at least 20 feet as part of the charge.

    Wind Walk (Su): Before you lies a massive chasm While your allies squabble at how to cross, you empty your mind, allow the wind to sweep through you and carry you across. You call to your companions from the other side of the chasm..."Are you coming or what?"

    A Stormlord blade gains the ability to slip into the currents of wind, dissipating into the air before reappearing nearby. When you use this ability, you teleport 50+10 feet per Stormlord Blade level with no chance of error. This ability can be used once per minute as a standard action. You do not need to have line of sight or effect to the...

    At levels 6 and 9, this ability improves, reducing the action required to a move action at 6 and a swift action at 9. The cooldown period also decreases, to once every 1d6 rounds at 6 and once per round at 9.

    Sky Walker (Su): Your mastery of both your inner storm and the wind around you have surpassed the bounds of conventional reality, enabling you to soar through the air, carried by the wind. You gain a fly speed (good maneuverability) equal to 1.5x your land speed.

    One with the storm (Ex): You are so tuned with the working of the air that you can ignore the effects of any wind effect, whether magical or mundane.

    Storm cloak (Ex): By channeling your inner storm, you become more resilient to thunder and lightning. Beginning at 4th level, you gain electricity and sonic resistance 5. At 8th level, this resistance improves to 10.

    Stormlord (Su):You have mastered your inner storm, and can call upon it in battle, unleashing its fury upon your enemies in a storm of wind, thunder, lightning and steel.

    Once per day, as a standard action, you may channel your inner storm. All enemies within 60 foot radius take 6d6 lightning and 6d6 sonic damage with reflex save for half damage (save DC=10+1/2 ECL+Str mod). A fierce blast of wind emanating from you forces all creatures of large of smaller to make a fortitude save or be knocked down (DC=10+1/2 ECL+Str mod). Each round after the first, at the beginning of your turn, all enemies within 60 feet take 3d6 lightning and 3d6 sonic damage, with a reflex save for half damage (DC=10+1/2 ECL+Str mod). Powerful winds continue to blow from your location, affecting all creatures within 60 ft as though in severe wind conditions (the DC against these wind effects is either 10+1/2 ECL+Str mod or 20, whichever is less). You gain 15 marks of storm upon use of this ability, and while its effects lasts you cannot lose marks of storm for any reason. The storm lasts for 5+con mod rounds. Upon ending, you are exhausted for 5 minutes.
    Last edited by Erberor; 2014-02-02 at 10:36 PM. Reason: Not Enough Lore. Added much Lore.
    "Bro, don't you even cast?" Azar, Dwarven Cleric

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  2. - Top - End - #2
    Pixie in the Playground
     
    DruidGuy

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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    I think it has too much power packed into 5 levels, just too much for a small investment. I could see most melee characters gladly giving up two feats just to take the first level of this class as a dip, many going to 3, and a good number going all the way.

    Might I suggest expanding it to 10 levels and spreading the abilities out more and rearranging them in terms of power? Persistent wind could easily be changed to 1/2 your level with 10 levels and keep the same power progression. Cyclic Blade should definitely be moved to the middle or top levels of the class while One with the Storm should be at the beginning of the class.

    Its a good class concept with a high amount of power, probably too much for a 5 level class, and would be more balanced at 10 levels with the power spread out more.

  3. - Top - End - #3
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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    Welcome
    Very solid start, with some nice fluff as well. It is rather powerful though, not including the fact that it's easy to get into and only 5 levels long, and the Marks of the Storm idea is great even if it takes a minute to get your head around in play.

    For initial thoughts, might I suggest:
    - Change cyclic blade to any time you are using a polearm or two weapon fighting.
    Then move the str to damage changes to its own ability or just removing them altogether, since you already have a source of bonus damage present.

    - Alter the way Storm Marks work to be a bit more intuitive and easy to remember. How about negate 1 point of DR per Mark of the Storm and +1 to attack and damage per 2 Marks of the Storm.
    Then say you gain one on a successful attack, lose one on a missed attack and lose 2 per round spent not making an attack. Don't worry about the minimum amount at any given time, and make the maximum either twice Stormlord Blade level or better yet equal to your ECL.

    - Take the +2 to saves out of stormwalker. +10' speed and a straight +2 to initiative would be plenty good enough.

    - Expand the class over a few more levels to spread out abilities, or simply take some out. Building Storm seems like the important ability here, so just work on that and leave other things as nice side-benefits, like evasion and Wind Walker.
    Going through your abilities, may i recommend:
    Keep Cyclic Blade (altered as above), Building Storm/Persistent Wind (Altered as above), Evasion (at level 2), Stormwalker (altered as above), one of tornado of steel, pounce, wind walker or One with the Storm at levels 3 and 4 and Stormlord as the capstone at level 5. Might want to nerf stormlord a touch though.
    Toss the rest to keep your power level down for a 5-level PrC with easy requirements.

    - If you do intend on making this a 10 level PrC you might want to add soem small resistance to electrical/sonic damage as filler for any dead levels you end up with.

    Sidenote: Good work on The Building Storm, it strikes me as what the monk's flurry of blows ought to have looked like.
    Last edited by Kane0; 2013-12-31 at 08:12 PM.
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  4. - Top - End - #4
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    I could re-work it some. You're right, it definitely is a very potent class. I'll spread it out. I admit to not having a terribly good understanding of what is particularly powerful and what isn't
    "Bro, don't you even cast?" Azar, Dwarven Cleric

    "There is a treasure chest ahead. It behooves us to investigate it thoroughly" -Tear

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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    There. I spread out the class some, and simplified the rules for The Building Storm.

    Thanks for your input, I really appreciate it! And thanks for the compliments too!
    "Bro, don't you even cast?" Azar, Dwarven Cleric

    "There is a treasure chest ahead. It behooves us to investigate it thoroughly" -Tear

    "I can't even understand this boat" -PBG

    "It seems that potatoes are beyond my ability to comprehend..." -Me

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    Amechra's Avatar

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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    I want to dip Bloodstorm Blade and take this class up to 3rd level.

    Because immunity to Wind Effects should negate any penalty/problem with using ranged weapons in a storm, right?
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    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    Building Storm marks should all fall off at the end of a combat, else this becomes a crazy huge boost And letting somebody ignroe DR and giving them 1 extra damage is the same thing mechanically ignroing 1 DR is the same as getting 1 extra damage, Im not sure why you give both.


    You capstone is a bit crazy, 4 saves with 1 ability is excessive, as is the crazy exhausted period. You need to tone it down on both accounts


    I can not get behind cyclic blade at all It feels completely out fo place to me


    Other than those 3 things, it feels like a solid class.

    though I guess some could image bineg able to walk into a hurricane or tornado and be like " eh, its nothing" might be a bit too much.

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Barbarian in the Playground
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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    [QUOTE=ngilop;16732723]Building Storm marks should all fall off at the end of a combat, else this becomes a crazy huge boost And letting somebody ignroe DR and giving them 1 extra damage is the same thing mechanically ignroing 1 DR is the same as getting 1 extra damage, Im not sure why you give both./[QUOTE]

    Actually, not attacking for a round removes 3 marks. While it would be possible to continue attacking the walls or something similar to maintain marks, there are a number of drawbacks to that, namely the noise caused. I could tone down the extra damage; it was originally part of it, when the DR bypass was a percentage based on the marks of storm.


    Quote Originally Posted by ngilop View Post
    You capstone is a bit crazy, 4 saves with 1 ability is excessive, as is the crazy exhausted period. You need to tone it down on both accounts
    I'll definitely look at toning that down. I'll probably remove the initial knockdown, or maybe remove the lightning/sonic damage from subsequent rounds.

    Quote Originally Posted by ngilop View Post
    I can not get behind cyclic blade at all It feels completely out of place to me

    though I guess some could image being able to walk into a hurricane or tornado and be like " eh, its nothing" might be a bit too much.
    These are mostly drawn from the character of mine who inspired the class. His name is Falor Skyblade, and he is one of seven warriors who embody the elements, and as can be imagined, his element is wind. Cyclic blade is drawn from my visualization of his fighting, which always involved a rapidly spinning glaive. The wind thing is something I very easily see him doing, and I think it fits in pretty well with the class's concept, which is a warrior who channels his inner storm in battle.

    Thanks for the input!
    "Bro, don't you even cast?" Azar, Dwarven Cleric

    "There is a treasure chest ahead. It behooves us to investigate it thoroughly" -Tear

    "I can't even understand this boat" -PBG

    "It seems that potatoes are beyond my ability to comprehend..." -Me

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    Default Re: The Stormlord Blade (3.5 prestige Class)

    First glance comments (I haven't even read all the abilities):

    I'd put the abilities in order of the level you get access to them.

    "Persistant Wind" seems to remove a lot of the interest from the class, even it it only keeps you at 25%.

    The first level ability is comparable to the "Avalanche of Blades" stance (EDIT:Blood in the Water is actually the closest one, and that gives +1/+1 on a crit, resetting after 1 minute of no crits although it IS only a 1st level stance) from Tome of Battle. I'm mostly saying this to remind myself to do a head-to-head comparison of the two when I have more time to devote to the effort.

    EDIT: Ok, I'm still far from finished with examining this, but a few more comments:
    Attacking walls sounds like cheese to me, especially building up points that way. The noise is a minor drawback in many situations.

    This class is pretty boring until the capstone really... its nice, but so much of it boils down to "bigger numbers".
    Last edited by DracoDei; 2014-02-02 at 03:39 PM.
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