| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Blade of Mourn |
Posted - 01 Jun 2006 : 22:14:38
umm...Hey.
I'm trying to create a new core class for an air genasi character and I could use some help. I was thinking of something with the ranger's combat-oriented abilities (base attack, saves, and the two-handed/archery fighting style) and the rogue's mobility (evasion, uncanny dodge, rogue bonus feats, etc.). I'm also playing with the idea of using a variant like the wizard's staff familiar that showed up in somewhat recent issue of Dragon magazine (don't remember which one) or some ability that would allow the character to use weapon finesse with certain martial/exotic weapons (that the character has Focus feats for).
I'm not really sure on what level to give what abilities or if I'll end up overpowering the character, so if anyone could give me a hand with this I'd be grateful.
And once the class is done I'll post it here for anyone who'd like to try it out or is interested at all. |
| 8 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Blade of Mourn |
Posted - 06 Jun 2006 : 22:16:21
And now, for your viewing pleasure (or displeasure, if you think I screwed up)I present to you The Wanderer!
The name is subject to change (I chose that name because the class was made specifically for an air genasi who is basically a wanderer/traveller with no real home/town of his own, as air genasi don't like to stay in one place long)
OK... it got kinda screwey when I tried to put in the level progression table, so I'll just tell you, the class has a good attack bonus (like the fighter's), and the ranger's saves (good Fort and Ref, poor Will).
The WANDERER
Level: Special Abilities
1 Weapon Affinity, Combat Style, Fast Movement (+10 feet)
2 Skirmish (+1d6 , +1AC)
3 Weapon Familiar, Evasion
4 Uncanny Dodge
5 Skirmish (+2d6 , +2AC)
6 Improved Combat Style
7 ---
8 Skirmish (+3d6 , +3AC)
9 ---
10 Improved Weapon Affinity, Fast Movement (+20 feet)
11 Skirmish (+3d6 , +3AC), Combat Style Mastery
12 Improved Uncanny Dodge
13 Evasive ability
14 Skirmish (+4d6 , +4AC)
15 ---
16 Evasive Ability
17 Skirmish (+4d6 , +4AC)
18 ---
19 Evasive Ability
20 Skirmish (+5d6 , +5AC)
Hit Die – d8
Class Skills – craft, heal, hide, knowledge (geography, local, nature), listen, move silently, spot, survival, tumble, use magic device
Armor Proficiency – light armor only, no shields
Weapon Proficiency – simple weapons, longbow, shortbow, and any (non-exotic) sword
Alignment – any
Starting gp – 6d4 x 10 (150gp)
Skill Points per Level – 6 + Int
Weapon Affinity – At 1st level the wanderer must choose one weapon (can be simple, martial, or exotic). He needs not be previously proficient with the designated weapon.
At his first opportunity, the wanderer forges a masterwork version of his designated weapon. The wanderer will spend as much time as necessary in forging the weapon. After the forging is complete, the wanderer spends a great deal of time training himself in the weapon’s use, in effect gaining proficiency with that weapon (if he was previously not proficient).
Only this weapon is usable with the Combat Style and its improved forms, the Weapon Familiar, and Improved Weapon Affinity.
If this weapon is not a double-ended weapon, then the wanderer can forge two weapons of the same kind (ex. two scimitars) and both will apply to the Combat Styles, Weapon Affinity, and Improved Weapon Affinity; but only one will become a Weapon Familiar.
The wanderer can only create his weapon at first level, and multiple weapons can only be created if he can afford to do so. If this weapon(s) is broken, he must re-forge it at his first given opportunity.
Combat Style – As the ranger’s Combat Style, but applies only to two-weapon fighting. The wanderer is treated as having the Two Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.
This benefit applies only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability while wearing medium or heavy armor.
Fast Movement – The wanderer’s land speed increases by 10 feet. This bonus is lost when wearing medium or heavy armor or carrying a medium or heavy load.
This bonus increases to +20 feet at level 10.
Skirmish – The wanderer relies on mobility to deal extra damage and improve his defense. He deals an extra 1d6 points of damage on all attacks he makes during any round in which he moves at least 10 feet. The extra damage applies only to attacks taken during the wanderer’s turn. The extra damage increases by 1d6 for every three levels gained above second.
This extra damage applies only against living creatures that have a discernable anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, plants, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to extra damage from critical hits are not vulnerable to this additional damage. The wanderer must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. He can apply this extra damage to ranged attacks made while skirmishing, but only if the target is within thirty feet.
At second level, the wanderer gains a +1 competence bonus to Armor Class during any round in which he moves at least ten feet. The bonus applies as soon as the wanderer has moved ten feet, and lasts until the start of his next turn. This bonus improves by +1 for every three levels gained.
The wanderer loses this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load. If he gains the skirmish ability from another class, the bonuses stack.
Weapon Familiar – The wanderer gains the Item Familiar feat (see Unearthed Arcana page 170), but must choose the weapon he created for Weapon Affinity as his Weapon Familiar.
Evasion – As the rogue ability, starting at level 3, the wanderer can avoid magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex save against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a fireball), he instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the wanderer wears light or no armor. A helpless character (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Uncanny Dodge – Starting at 4th level, the wanderer can react to danger before his senses would normally allow him to do so. He retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized.
If the wanderer already has Uncanny Dodge from another class, he automatically gains Improved Uncanny Dodge instead.
Improved Combat Style – The wanderer is treated as having the improved two weapon fighting feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.
The benefits of Improved Combat Style apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Improved Weapon Affinity – Starting at level 10, the wanderer is treated as having the feat Weapon Finesse for his weapon familiar (and any other weapon created for Weapon Affinity), even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat. Weapon Finesse applies to the weapon(s) even if it would not normally affect that kind of weapon (ex. longsword) but only applies to the weapon made for Weapon Affinity.
If the wanderer created a pair of longswords, Improved Weapon Affinity would allow him to attack with these weapons using his Dexterity bonus instead of Strength, but any other longsword he uses would not gain this benefit.
The wanderer loses all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Combat Style Mastery – The wanderer is treated as having the Greater Two Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not meet the normal prerequisites for that feat.
As before, this benefit applies only while wearing light or no armor, and is lost when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Improved Uncanny Dodge – Starting at level 12, the wanderer can no longer be flanked; he can react to opponents on opposite sides of him as easily as he can react to a single attacker. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the wanderer by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least 4more rogue levels than the target has wanderer levels.
If a wanderer already has Uncanny Dodge from a second class, he automatically gains Improved Uncanny Dodge instead, and the levels from the classes that that grant Uncanny Dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the wanderer.
Evasive Ability – At levels 13, 16, and 19, the character gains a special ability from among the following options:
Defensive Roll – The wanderer can roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than he otherwise would. Once per day, when he would be reduced to 0 or fewer HP by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), he can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the wanderer must attempt a Reflex save (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, he takes only half damage from the blow; if it fails, he takes full damage. He must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute his defensive roll – if he is denied his Dexterity bonus to AC, He can’t use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the wanderer’s Evasion ability does not apply to the Defensive Roll.
Improved Evasion – This ability works like Evasion, except that while the wanderer still takes no damage on a successful reflex save against such attacks as a dragon’s breath or a fireball, henceforth he only takes half damage on a failed save. A helpless character (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does no gain the benefit of Improved Evasion.
Opportunist – Once per round, the wanderer can make an attack of opportunity against an opponent who has just been struck for damage in melee by another character. This attack counts against the wanderer’s attacks of opportunity for that round. Even a character with the Combat Reflexes feat can’t use the Opportunist ability more than once per round.
Feat – The wanderer may gain a bonus feat (any feat selectable for a fighter’s bonus feat) in place of a special ability.
Let me know what you think or if any changes should be made.
I'm play-testing him now (the character's name is Kaethevin Silverstorm, for anyone who cares) so I'll let you all know how it works out...
The campeign I'm testing Kaethevin out in started at level 10 a couple nights ago, and the DM threw three dragon eels at the party. Unfortunatly, Kaeth got himself drunk at the tavern beforehand, and had passed out before the encounter, so he missed about half of the battle. But when he woke up, he managed to hit one of the eels a few times (I got bad rolls) while EVERYONE else was fighting the other (the third one having died before he awoke). He got hit twice but didn't quite lose half of his total HP, but he did almost get hit by a lightning bolt (cast by an aasimar warmage in the party). Two of the party members (gray jester and positi werewolf fighter)got swallowed whole.... that was funny. And my sword started talking to (insulting) the aasimar...
...the end. |
| Blade of Mourn |
Posted - 05 Jun 2006 : 00:31:49
Alright, I've almost finished my class and all I have left to is to name it, then I'll post it for you guys. |
| Kaladorm |
Posted - 03 Jun 2006 : 10:40:16
No it's not in there, it was just a suggestion to create one.
The easiest and safest way of creating a new prestige class is to compare it to other similar ones and try to incorporate the abilities you want (or similar ones), and it should be clear whether it's balanced or not.
Also, rather than necessarily making every one of those feats a part of the actual class, you could make it a requirement (such as item familiar) before you can take the prestige class, this ensures that the class follows the same theme as you want without making it too powerful |
| EytanBernstein |
Posted - 02 Jun 2006 : 23:19:48
Sounds to me like your best bet is the Scout class from Complete Adventurer. While it doesn't grant everything, it is probably the best general hybrid of ranger and rogue. |
| Blade of Mourn |
Posted - 02 Jun 2006 : 22:14:29
I feel I should clarify the wizard staff familiar thing above. What I meant was making a variant on that where the weapon the character would primarily use -in the genasi's case a double-bladed sword- basically becomes an item familiar (like in Unearthed Arcana)and grows in power as the character does.
I was thinking of making that a low-level class ability (1st - 3rd) and requiring that the character craft the weapon himself, but I probably could just have him take the Item Familiar feat at 3rd level instead...it probably wouldn't make much of a difference either way.
I should have included that in my initial post and I'm sorry for any confusion this might have caused.
----
Is there a racial paragon class for air genasi? If so, it's not in Unearched Arcana and I'd like to know where it is if you don't mind.
Thanks for your suggestions. |
| warlockco |
Posted - 02 Jun 2006 : 02:13:05
Could swap the Familiar for the Animal Companion. |
| Vainelus |
Posted - 02 Jun 2006 : 02:03:36
Okay this is my best suggestion, and it is not that great.
I think you are going to find that in order to incorporate all of the abilities you want into a prestige class or core class that it will be to powerful. If you want to weapon finesse with martial weapons, you could always use one of the different elf blades in ROTW, they basically have a weapon finesse able version of long sword and Great sword. As far as ranger/rogue stuff that you want to incorporate into your character you might want to try fighter/rogue in some combination, you can use the fighter feats to take two-handed/archery feats and use the rogue levels to get the rogue features you want. If you want to have wizard features, try either using bard or beguiler instead of rogue with fighter.
Here are my ideas if you want to use an existing PrCs to give the abilities you are looking for try: ranger/assassin or ranger/shadow dancer(assassin/shadow dancer provides uncanny dodge and ranger provides evasion). |
| Kaladorm |
Posted - 01 Jun 2006 : 23:05:14
You're probably better off creating a prestige class than a core class, it's far easier to balance and to make unique, it also (in my opinion) fits better since you don't have tons of speicalists straight from the day they start adventuring.
If it's specifically for the air genasi then racial paragon levels would be useful (see unearthed arcana)
To be honest I'm not sure you need to make a class at all. If you're after some particular feel then its usually possible to make it through base classes, feats, and prestige classes.
A prestige class lends itself much better to focusing on one sort of style/theme/organisation, if I knew more about the character in particular I could better help.
Essentially you've just described a multiclass ranger/fighter/wizard/rogue |
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