Green Star Adept Rewrite

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I'm currently playing a Green Star Adept on the forums here, and my DM has asked me to attempt to make it more playable. Here is my go at it. Open to critiques and suggestions.

Changes to build include:
* Skills equal to 4 + int mod
* Knowledge (A&E) replaced with Knowledge (nature)
* Good Fort save
* 1 additional caster level increase
* Spot and Ranged attack bonuses added to otherworldly vision
* Radiance of Alhazarde, Inner Connection, and Anchoring Aura as class features.
* Emerald Perfection turns you into a Living Construct that retains Con score. If con score is reduced to 0 it instead becomes a true Construct with a Con score of -.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Hit Dice: d8

Requirements
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Decipher Script 2 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 2 ranks, Knowledge (geography) 2 ranks, Knowledge (history) 2 ranks
Feat: Combat Casting
Spells: Arcane caster level 1st
Special: Starmetal ingestion as Complete Arcane.


{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|+1 Str/-1 Dex/AC +1, Damage reduction +1, improved caster level, starmetal dependency, starmetal rigor (+1 Str/-1 Dex/AC +1)|-

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|DR 2/Adam, Natural Attack, Unnatural Metabolism +2|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|DR 3/Adam, Fortification 25%, Radiance of Alhazarde|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|DR 4/Adam, Otherworldly Vision, Starmetal Rigor (+2 Str/-1 Dex/AC +2)|-

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|DR 5/Adam, Inner Connection, Unnatural Metabolism +4|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|DR 6/Adam, Anchoring Aura, Fortification 50%|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

7th|

+5

|

+5

|

+2

|

+5

|DR 7/Adam, Null Metabolism, Starmetal Rigor (+4 Str/-2 Dex/AC +4)|-

8th|

+6

|

+6

|

+2

|

+6

|DR 8/Adam, Unnatural Metabolism +6|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

9th|

+6

|

+6

|

+3

|

+6

|DR 9/Adam, Fortification 75%|+1 level of existing arcane casting class

10th|

+7

|

+7

|

+3

|

+7

|DR 10/Adam, Emerald Perfection, Rapid Repair, Starmetal Rigor (+6 Str/-3 Dex/AC +6)|-
[/table]

The GSA's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are same as GSA except replace Knowledge (architecture and engineering) with Knowledge (nature).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Damage Reduction: As GSA.

Improved Caster Level (Ex): As GSA. In addition he also has a sort of 'potential caster level'. He may cast spells above his what he would normally be capable due to his CL.

If he takes 1 point of Constitution *burn he may cast a spell as if his caster level was +2 higher. As such he could cast a higher level spell as if he knew it.
For example, a Sorcerer 4/GSA 4 would have a CL 6, and be able to cast 3rd level spells. If he took 1 point of constitution burn however his caster level would increase to 7 and he could cast a 4th level spell.
He may burn as many Constitution points as he likes, each point of burn increasing the CL by +2, though this can never push his CL higher than his HD. His key ability modifier must also still be sufficient to cast the spell.
He must learn these spells, or know them as if he had gained plus levels in a spellcasting class. As such, once he takes a level in GSA he chooses his spells known as if his CL was equal to his HD.
At 2nd level he may also, in addition to improving his CL for the purpose of casting higher level spells, apply a metamagic feat. He may instead Empower, Enlarge, or Extend any spell through burning Con.
At 6th level he may Maximize or Widen his spell.
None of these effects, separate or combined, may push him past an ECL equal to his HD.

* Ability Burn is a special form of ability damage that cannot be magically or psionically healed. It returns only through natural healing.

Starmetal Dependency: As GSA.

Starmetal Rigor: As GSA.

Otherworldly Vision: As GSA. If you already possess darkvision or low-light vision you can see twice as far as you could before. If you had darkvision out to 60 feet it becomes 120 feet. If you could see twice as far as humans in dim lighting you can see four times as far.

You also gain a +4 perfection bonus to Spot Checks and a +1 to Ranged Attacks. This bonus increases to +5 spot/+2 ranged at 7th level and +6 spot/+3 ranged at 10th level.

Natural Attack: As GSA.

Unnatural Metabolism: As GSA.

Fortification: As GSA.

Radiance of Alhazarde: At 3rd level you have ingested enough starmetal so that your natural attacks are considered to be starmetal for the purpose of affecting creatures with the extraplanar subtype. As such, you deal 1d6 extra points of damage to such creatures. You may also provide dim illumination out to a number of feet equal to 10 x your GSA level.
You also begin to generate a field of strange green energy about yourself. Any non-material creature that enters your space, such as to grapple, must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 + GSA level) or become Nauseated for as long as they remain within your space, minimum 1 round. Even if they make their save they still take 1d6 damage and are sickened until their next turn. This applies to non-material creatures that are normally immune to nausea and sickness. The field and its effects increase to 5 feet at 6th level, and 10 feet at 9th level.
At 9th level you can release a burst of this energy once per day per GSA level. All non-material plane creatures within 60 feet must make the save or be affected, but also automatically take 4d6 damage.
At 10th level you heal yourself a number of points equal to 1/2 that of the damage dealt. If this would grant you excess hit points you gain fast healing 5 each round, 'using up' the excess hit points until none remain.

Inner Connection: At 5th level a Green Star Adept gains a natural connection with the fabric of the Material Plane, alike to starmetal, that when combined with your living tissue produces a unique bond. While on the Material Plane you cannot be teleported to another plane unless you allow it. Once on another plane, you may allow the Material Plane to pull you back to the exact location you were transported from as a movie action without requiring a spell. This is similar to a summoned creature automatically returning at the end of the duration. If another transportational affect takes you back to the material plane however, you appear where you would normally by the use of the spell. If on a non-material plane you may be teleported to another plane, or the Material, and have to make a save as normal.
As well, a Green Star Adept may attach themselves firmly to the underlying fabric of the Material Plane (though not any other planes) as the Immovability psionic power 3/day.
At 10th level you may use this ability at will.

Anchoring Aura (Sp): Those that come within 5 feet of you become anchored to the plane as the Dimensional Anchor spell, CL equal to HD. This distance increases to 10 feet at 9th level. You may burn one point of Constitution to increase the area to 10 feet per GSA level for an equal number of rounds.

Null Metabolism: As GSA.

Emerald Perfection: Gains Living Construct subtype. The GSA still retains the immunities/bonuses provided by Unnatural Metabolism and Null Metabolism in addition.

If the GSA is reduced to 0 Con it does not die, but gains a Con of -. It gains the true Construct type and all of its traits, except you do not gain bonus HP due to being a Construct and for purposes of Fortitude and Con-based saves your Con modifier is -5. It cannot be further lowered. It may still use Rapid Repair and the Constitution may be repaired by spells that heal ability damage. It may also naturally heal Constitution damage as normal. Once it has 1 or more points of Con restored it loses the Construct type and regains the Living Construct subtype.

Rapid Repair: As GSA.

[Eldan]

Probably still not the strongest of classes, but at least now it's viable for a gish. Thumbs up, I like it.

Though, one thing: I've always disliked caster classes that give spell-like abilities. That always seemed a little nonsensical to me, really, as they could just cast the spell, so the ability doesn't give anything new (yes, I know that spell-likes are better than normal spells. Still.) How about making an ability based on dimensional anchor, but not identical? An anchoring aura, perhaps, or a smite-like attack 3/day that anchors or banishes extraplanar creatures?

[gkathellar]

If it doesn't get full BAB, it should at least get 8/10 casting.

Immunity to death by con score drop is super cool, but it feels strange that as your con score goes down, your hit points and fort save would lower, then rise again once you hit 0. Maybe add that you never apply a negative constitution modifier for any purpose?

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Though, one thing: I've always disliked caster classes that give spell-like abilities. That always seemed a little nonsensical to me, really, as they could just cast the spell, so the ability doesn't give anything new (yes, I know that spell-likes are better than normal spells. Still.) How about making an ability based on dimensional anchor, but not identical? An anchoring aura, perhaps, or a smite-like attack 3/day that anchors or banishes extraplanar creatures?

*grins*

I had it originally so that whenever you were in a grapple or touching a creature it couldn't teleport, but DM preferred spell-like. Complain to him. He should be reading this shortly.

Anchoring aura would be interesting. Perhaps within the limit of the Radiance of Alhazarde illumination? Right now it's at 10 feet per GSA level. Could adjust to 5 feet per, so no one within 50 feet by 10th level can teleport without making a save.

Immunity to death by con score drop is super cool, but it feels strange that as your con score goes down, your hit points and fort save would lower, then rise again once you hit 0. Maybe add that you never apply a negative constitution modifier for any purpose?

That's a possibility. Will wait for Stycotl's feedback.

[AugustNights]

Hmmm. I like the living construct bit, and the constitution caveat, however it is pretty readibly exploitable, the player can go from having a -4 Constitution Modifier to effectively having a -0 constitution modifier...

Edit Thoughts Pirated: Which is clearly better than being Ninja'd.

I had it originally so that whenever you were in a grapple or touching a creature it couldn't teleport, but DM preferred spell-like. Complain to him. He should be reading this shortly.

I liked this better...

[Mongoose87]

If it doesn't get full BAB, it should at least get 8/10 casting.

I concur. There are several gish PrCs that advance more CL with higher BaB.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

I concur. There are several gish PrCs that advance more CL with higher BaB.

Maybe, but do they gain as many abilities, or as strong abilities as that here?

[Mongoose87]

Jade Phoenix Mage and Abjurant Champion both get some pretty tasty goodies.

[Yakk]

You should distinguish between GSA and GSAR more. A number of times you use GSA and GSA to mean different things I think.

Your stat modifications are duplicated at level 1.

I'd stuff more of your "features" into levels where you don't get arcane casting levels myself.

A number of GSA-based features aren't in your GSAW advancement table.

For reference:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20041105a
the wizards site has the GSA from an old preview.

GSA seems to have a caster-level bug? I guess RAI is good enough.

What is your aimed balance baseline -- Eldritch Knight? Abjurant Champion? Barbarian? PrC-loaded Wizard?

I am always tempted to throw out new mechanics, than make another random gish class that adds to caster levels while granting full BAB (or in this case, +7/10 BAB while giving you a +6 strength, granting another +3 attack bonus).

Free metamagic. Spells as spell-like abilities. Fueling powers by burning spell slots. Something interesting?

[The Glyphstone]

I think Inner Connection should be usable as a 'move action', not a 'movie action'.

[Yakk]

Oh yes: why use "sickened" and "nauseated" when your power causes the effect even on targets immune to same?

And speaking of which, having a power that applies to "non-material creatures entering your space" seems ridiculously niche.

You don't describe what the burst of energy does in the 9th level ability well. Do you mean to imply the 6th level ability? I cannot tell.

The 10th level seems to implicitly imply it is connected to the 9th, but as written ... all damage? ... is turned into healing or fast healing. I suspect it applies to the 9th level power?

At 5th level a Green Star Adept gains a natural connection with the fabric of the Material Plane, alike to starmetal, that when combined with your living tissue produces a unique bond. While on the Material Plane you cannot be teleported to another plane unless you allow it. Once on another plane, you may allow the Material Plane to pull you back to the exact location you were transported from as a movie action without requiring a spell. This is similar to a summoned creature automatically returning at the end of the duration. If another transportational affect takes you back to the material plane however, you appear where you would normally by the use of the spell. If on a non-material plane you may be teleported to another plane, or the Material, and have to make a save as normal.
As well, a Green Star Adept may attach themselves firmly to the underlying fabric of the Material Plane (though not any other planes) as the Immovability psionic power 3/day.
At 10th level you may use this ability at will.

Awkwardly worded.

At 5th level a Green Star Adept gains a natural connection with the fabric of the Material Plane, alike to starmetal, that when combined with your living tissue produces a unique bond.

Simplify. "At 5th level a Green Star Adept's starmetal-infused body gains a natural connection with the fabric of the Material plane. " for example.

Too many dangling modifiers.

While on the Material Plane you cannot be teleported to another plane unless you allow it.

While on the Prime Material Plane you can choose to teleportation effects that send you to another plane only work if you permit it.

Once on another plane, you may allow the Material Plane to pull you back to the exact location you were transported from as a movie action without requiring a spell.

I'd go with "while on another plane, as a move action you may teleport to the Prime Material Plane. You appear at exactly the location you last left the Prime Material Plane. This is similar to a summoned creature returning home after the spell ends."

As well, a Green Star Adept may attach themselves firmly to the underlying fabric of the Material Plane (though not any other planes) as the Immovability psionic power 3/day.
At 10th level you may use this ability at will.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/po...movability.htm is a useful URL here. :)

I'd put the action at the front:
3 times per day while on the Prime Material Plane, the Green Star Adept may use the Immovability psionic power as a spell-like ability. At level 10, this spell-like ability becomes at-will.

Maybe add a leading-up sentence with inspirational fluff?

Otherworldly Vision: As GSA. If you already possess darkvision or low-light vision you can see twice as far as you could before. If you had darkvision out to 60 feet it becomes 120 feet. If you could see twice as far as humans in dim lighting you can see four times as far.

You also gain a +4 perfection bonus to Spot Checks and a +1 to Ranged Attacks. This bonus increases to +5 spot/+2 ranged at 7th level and +6 spot/+3 ranged at 10th level.

This seems overly complicated?

Why not simply grant darkvision X? (And if you already possessed it, you can instead increase it by X/2)

---

I sort of like the energy thing. But I'd be tempted to run with it.

Strip out some of the increased caster levels. Maybe completely.

Next, have the energy thing grant throw-away points somehow.

Then let the points be spent on boosting the level of spells, either via metamagic or actually morphing them into higher level spells somehow.

Ie, let the character learn spells up to (green star adept/2) levels above normal.

Let the character use lower level spell slots, plus "Emerald Energy", to cast higher level spells from lower level spell slots.

Have a pool of Emerald Energy equal to your level. This pool can be regained at a rate of 1/round normally, or faster if you deal damage.

You can burn 2K points of Emerald Energy to cast a level X spell you know by burning a level X-K spell slot. You can also burn K points of emerald energy (up to half your class level) to add K levels of metamagic to a spell you have.

Tweak that -- the above is basically "full caster via an alternative method" -- and add in a way to learn more spells, and maybe some more spell slots, and you have a gish class that acts like a high level wizard/sorcerer by cheating. They have the spells/day of a level 3 wizard, but can burn emerald energy to cast much higher level spells.

To regain the energy used to fuel the casting, you have to deal melee weapon damage -- and you regain it much faster if you deal it on targets that are non-planar.

Because does the game need another gish? :)

+2 caster level is, effectively, a +1 bonus to all spells known.
Your build is +7/10 caster level. The default one is +5/10.

That is +3.5 spell levels for yours, and +2.5 for the default one.

If up-leveling a spell costs 3 points per level, that is +3.33 spell levels.

Make meta-magic cost 2 points per level, and that places you at +3.333 to +5.0 depending on the balance of meta-magic vs actual spells.

... but that is just me. :)

[Stycotl]

Otherworldly Vision: As GSA. If you already possess darkvision or low-light vision you can see twice as far as you could before. If you had darkvision out to 60 feet it becomes 120 feet. If you could see twice as far as humans in dim lighting you can see four times as far.

You also gain a +4 perfection bonus to Spot Checks and a +1 to Ranged Attacks. This bonus increases to +5 spot/+2 ranged at 7th level and +6 spot/+3 ranged at 10th level.

this doesn't bother me. but if the class ends up needing some trimming anywhere, i'd drop this to the normal 60' darkvision and low-light vision.

At 6th level you begin to generate a field of strange green energy about yourself. Any non-material creature that enters your space, such as to grapple, must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15 + GSA level) or become Nauseated for as long as they remain within your space, minimum 1 round. Even if they make their save they still take 1d6 damage and are sickened until their next turn. This applies to non-material creatures that are normally immune to nausea and sickness.

i don't mind that the gsa can affect creatures normally immune to sickness/nausea.

but i do agree with yak, that only affecting a creature that enters your space is not all that helpful. i'd say that it affects any foe within your space at 3rd level; at 6th level, this increases to a 5' radius; and at 9th level, it increases to a 10' radius.

At 9th level you can release a burst of this energy once per day per GSA level. All non-material plane creatures within 60 feet must make the save or be affected, but also automatically take 4d6 damage.
At 10th level you heal yourself a number of points equal to that of the damage dealt. If this would grant you excess hit points you gain fast healing 5 each round, 'using up' the excess hit points until none remain.

at 10th level, i'd either heal 1/2 of the damage dealt, or cut the range considerably.

Dimensional Anchor (Sp): You gain Dimensional Anchor as a spell-like ability 3/day. CL equal to HD.

Though, one thing: I've always disliked caster classes that give spell-like abilities.

*grins*

I had it originally so that whenever you were in a grapple or touching a creature it couldn't teleport, but DM preferred spell-like. Complain to him. He should be reading this shortly.

i only objected because it was tied only to grappling (if i remember right), and that seemed fairly unrelated to the rest of the class.

though i don't mind spellcasting classes that give (Sp) abilities, dependent upon what the abilities are, if you want to make the grappling thing happen, add in a few more triggering instances aside from grappling.

Anchoring aura would be interesting. Perhaps within the limit of the Radiance of Alhazarde illumination? Right now it's at 10 feet per GSA level. Could adjust to 5 feet per, so no one within 50 feet by 10th level can teleport without making a save.

this sounds very cool.

If it doesn't get full BAB, it should at least get 8/10 casting.

i disagree; for one, it gets a +6 strength. that makes up for it right there (plus, higher strength affects other things beside effective BAB, so it is worth more than BAB alone unless you really need that extra iterive attack or have strict BAB prereqs for something else).

but along with that, it is getting a decent spread of abilities, and with some of the suggestions i have below, i think those could become even more impressive.

Immunity to death by con score drop is super cool, but it feels strange that as your con score goes down, your hit points and fort save would lower, then rise again once you hit 0. Maybe add that you never apply a negative constitution modifier for any purpose?

i agree with this, except that i think the penalty should apply to hit points still. in your last thread, you started with this idea:

Edit
Am thinking of a weirdie little ability. You are both construct and living, ok? You still have a con score and all that it entails, but losing con means nothing to you. You can survive without 'life' as it were. You can even burn it to do certain things. You life force becomes the fuel of your structure. So you get it sucked out, big deal. You lose the HP bonuses and such, but that's mainly it. You gain a Con of - instead of 0.

Still thinking on what you can burn it on however.

...but i don't see any con-burnable abilities in here. i think this class needs some of those.

Hmmm. I like the living construct bit, and the constitution caveat, however it is pretty readibly exploitable, the player can go from having a -4 Constitution Modifier to effectively having a -0 constitution modifier...

i think that it wouldn't be a bad idea to add a constitution prerequisite to the prc to begin with, though this isn't a big issue. then, with gkatherllar's idea about negating con mod penalties, i think this problem is solved.

GSA seems to have a caster-level bug? I guess RAI is good enough.

what bug are you talking about?

Free metamagic. Spells as spell-like abilities. Fueling powers by burning spell slots. Something interesting?

by burning con points, is what i am imagining.

he'll have a limited amount of spell slots, but his con mod should be decent to begin with, and when he hits con –, he converts to a normal construct. so i think that this is what should be burned.

I sort of like the energy thing. But I'd be tempted to run with it.

Strip out some of the increased caster levels. Maybe completely.

i wouldn't cut them completely. in fact, at 7/10, i think it is fine now. depending on what kind of con-burning abilities you want to give it (if any), it could drop another level or two though.

Next, have the energy thing grant throw-away points somehow.

Then let the points be spent on boosting the level of spells, either via metamagic or actually morphing them into higher level spells somehow.

again, my vote goes to doing this with ability sacrifice.

Ie, let the character learn spells up to (green star adept/2) levels above normal.

Let the character use lower level spell slots, plus "Emerald Energy", to cast higher level spells from lower level spell slots.

cool idea. this would be somewhat easy to balance too, if using constitution points to power it.

Have a pool of Emerald Energy equal to your level. This pool can be regained at a rate of 1/round normally, or faster if you deal damage.

You can burn 2K points of Emerald Energy to cast a level X spell you know by burning a level X-K spell slot. You can also burn K points of emerald energy (up to half your class level) to add K levels of metamagic to a spell you have.

i think that it should recharge slower than that. i think that the "full caster" mode should be a nova function that is unleashed only when needed, to support its normal gish abilities, after which, the gsa counts as a nonliving construct until it recharges some.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Ok, have rewritten it with most of the suggestions mentioned here.

Improved Caster Level may still be a little wonky, so just let me know how it looks.

[Cieyrin]

The Improved Caster Level example isn't quite right, as the spells it has access to should be 3rd and 4th, as opposed to 5th and 6th, respectively.

I'm also not sure what Alhazarde is referencing to, if anything. Otherwise, looking pretty good, methinks.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

The Improved Caster Level example isn't quite right, as the spells it has access to should be 3rd and 4th, as opposed to 5th and 6th, respectively.

I don't wanna even explain how I got that, but suffice it to say, you're right. Dyslexia is a *cough*...

I'm also not sure what Alhazarde is referencing to, if anything. Otherwise, looking pretty good, methinks.

"Once each generation, the comet Alhazarde -- the legendary Green Star -- visits the night skies, a portent of great and terrible events. Beneath its emerald light, kings rise or fall, weird monsters and magical plagues appear to scour the land, and strange and ancient secrets are revealed. "

[AugustNights]

Sounds like 'All has read.'

[Cieyrin]

"Once each generation, the comet Alhazarde -- the legendary Green Star -- visits the night skies, a portent of great and terrible events. Beneath its emerald light, kings rise or fall, weird monsters and magical plagues appear to scour the land, and strange and ancient secrets are revealed. "

Huh, tiny fluff reference is tiny. I guess I missed that.

[blackjack217]

Is the con damage reversible once you become a true construct? I would rule that any rez spell casted on you turns you back into a living construct.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

Is the con damage reversible once you become a true construct?

Sure, heals as normal.

[Seerow]

I'm going to echo that the class should either get a bump in BAB, or a bump in casting levels.


Right now judging by the abilities, it seems to have a very clear defensive/tankesque feel to it, I'd recommend bumping BAB up to full, and maybe even increasing the hit die.

[Stycotl]

very cool. i like the con-burning abilities, and i like the -5 mod for –– con score even better than what we had been talking about.

i wanna play one now.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

very cool. i like the con-burning abilities, and i like the -5 mod for –– con score even better than what we had been talking about.

i wanna play one now.

Awesome

6/10 casting look alright?

As you say, who needs BAB bonus when you get Str bonuses and ranged bonuses.

[Stycotl]

Awesome

6/10 casting look alright?

As you say, who needs BAB bonus when you get Str bonuses and ranged bonuses.

yeah, that looks about perfect now.

EDIT: incidentally, for some reason when i clicked on this link, it looked like you had changed your name to vorpelus tribbelus.

i think i need to get some sleep...

[The Vorpal Tribble]

EDIT: incidentally, for some reason when i clicked on this link, it looked like you had changed your name to vorpelus tribbelus.

i think i need to get some sleep...

So when I go to bite into someone I have to call out 'Vorpelus Kedavra!' ?

[Yakk]

Spoiler

Show

Emerald Body
The green star adept's body slowly transforms into starmetal. The green star adept has an enhancement bonus equal to their character level to their strength, natural armor bonus equal to one-half their class level, an armor bonus equal to their class level, a penalty to constitution equal to one-half their class level (except at class level 10: see Emerald Perfection), and a penalty to dexterity equal to one-half their class level. In addition, the Green Star Adept has DR equal to their class level against attacks that are not adamantine.

At level 3 the Green Star adept gains fortification 25%, increasing to 50% at level 5 and 75% at level 7. At level 9, the Green Star Adept has total fortification.

Emerald Energy
The green star adept has a pool of Emerald Energy equal to their class level. This recovers at a rate of one per day plus one third the green star adepts class level. Green star adepts can choose to take 1 point of constitution damage as a free action to regain one point of Emerald Energy, so long as they have a constitution score.

Emerald Metabolism
In order to gain a level in the green star adept class [star metal dependency]. Insert healing here, as well as a bonus to Fort saves against spells that can only target living creatures.

Emerald Imprint
At level 1, the Green Star Adept can select 1 spell of each arcane spell level he can cast. These are called his imprinted spells. The green star adept can spontaneously cast these spells in place of arcane spells known. In exchange for expending 2 points of Emerald Energy, the Green Star Adept can use a spell slot 1 level lower than the imprinted spell to spontaneously cast it, and for 4 points can use a spell slot 2 levels lower. At level X the green star adept can also imprint a spell one higher than the spell levels he can cast (but no higher than 9), and at level Y two levels higher.

Emerald Magic
At level A, B C and D, gain 1 level of an existing caster class. In addition, add 1/2 your level to your effective caster level in an existing caster class you pick when you enter the Green Star Adept prestige class.

More later, perhaps.

[The Vorpal Tribble]

The green star adept's body slowly transforms into starmetal. The green star adept has an enhancement bonus equal to their character level to their strength, natural armor bonus equal to one-half their class level, an armor bonus equal to their class level, a penalty to constitution equal to one-half their class level (except at class level 10: see Emerald Perfection), and a penalty to dexterity equal to one-half their class level. In addition, the Green Star Adept has DR equal to their class level against attacks that are not adamantine.

+5 Str, -5 Con, -5 Dex? How is that an attractive class feature? That's even less strength than it would normally allow, plus a drastic lowering of two other stats. All the bonuses to death effects and all that fortitude check stuff would do absolutely nothing because the con loss would balance it to pretty much nothing.

We're trying to improve the class. With that it'd be even worse than the original unless there's something else you meant to add?

Emerald Energy

Emerald Metabolism

Emerald Imprint

These I like.

Emerald Magic
At level A, B C and D, gain 1 level of an existing caster class. In addition, add 1/2 your level to your effective caster level in an existing caster class you pick when you enter the Green Star Adept prestige class.

But... 4/10 casting is even worse than the original GSA, and so is 1/2 you level.

[absolmorph]

I think Inner Connection should be usable as a 'move action', not a 'movie action'.

You still haven't fixed this, VT.

[Yakk]

+5 Str, -5 Con, -5 Dex? How is that an attractive class feature? That's even less strength than it would normally allow, plus a drastic lowering of two other stats. All the bonuses to death effects and all that fortitude check stuff would do absolutely nothing because the con loss would balance it to pretty much nothing.

+5 str, +7 BaB =~ +9.5 BaB

So that gives you +0.5 BaB worth of "room" to stuff into other power sources.

Making it +6 instead works.

But... 4/10 casting is even worse than the original GSA, and so is 1/2 you level.

+4+5 = +9 caster level / 10 levels for baseline spell power.

+2 spell levels, plus the ability to boost your spells via the imprint mechanics, gives you +4 spells levels =~ +8 caster level/10 levels for the level of spells you can cast.

The goal was to have your spellcasting/BaB go up slower, but be compensated by other class features.

I was also presuming that the full-spellcasting, full-BaB PrCs where "too strong". If your position is that full-spellcasting, full-BaB classes like Abjurant Champion are your target power level, you'd need to pump things up further.

However, now that I'm thinking about it, the mixture of traditional power with the class mechanics is probably a bad idea. I'd be tempted to focus it tighter.

Make it a 5 level class, focused on the body transformation and emerald energy stuff. 1/2 BaB. Automatically boosts the caster level of spells you cast by your PrC level.

To reach level X, you need to have access to level X spells in some existing spellcasting class, and consume the material required.

Each level of the class would then drop your dex/con significantly, boost your str significantly, and grant access to the emerald energy / imprint mechanics which you can use to "overcharge" your spellcasting and melee.

Maybe that is too focused, as it would encourage PrC soup, however.

[ZeroNumerous]

One problem: Improved Caster Level mentions "As GSA" then goes on tp provide an example wherein which a Sorcerer 4/GSA 4 has a CL of 6. Improved Caster Level, as per GSA, is a +1 CL increase per level, as it specifically mentions a GSA "adds his class level to his caster level". So in your example, a Sorcerer 4/GSA 4 would have a CL of 8, even though he only has an effective spell level of Sorcerer 6.

On Radiance: Wouldn't it make more sense to simply grant the extra HP as temporary HP?

Anchoring Aura: Wouldn't this mean you could never Plane Shift, regardless of whether you allow it or not as per Inner Connection? I would suggest adding a caveat that the aura can be suppressed.

[The Glyphstone]

I think Inner Connection should be usable as a 'move action', not a 'movie action'.

You still haven't fixed this, VT.

Maybe he's trying to get Hollywood to fund a feature film based on the class. Naturally, it'd be heavily CGI, and all of the acting would be done in front of a...





green screen.