base class or prestige class [Archive] - Wizards Community

base class or prestige class [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
buckeyefan
12-07-04, 12:57 AM for a campaign that I"m designing I got an idea for a summoning class from playing FFIX. What I was thinking of doing is basing in on a point system similar to psion power points, and the class would be able to summon creatures like bahamut (but not until higher levels obviously). I'm currently deciding whether or not it would be a better base class or to make it a prestige class, what do ya'll think.

How do you prove you exist? Maybe we don't exist... -Vivi Orunitia Final Fantasy IX
strenoth
12-07-04, 01:06 AM anything remotly resembling the SMN class is going to be very powerful, and since the part is probably nto going to want to have to go harrying off to remote regions to be able to collect all the summonable monsters, you are best off makign them class features. But you still want summoners to EARN the ability to summon.. so I say a Prc.. One fo the prerequisites shoudl be Augment Summons feat.
SD
12-07-04, 01:50 AM I built my caller about a year ago, and I based it on an in-class ability called Call. Basically, the caller got a number of Calls based on her class level as a full-round action, and the calls that could be used got niftier as levels in the PrC went up. To balance, Calls had a cumulative failure percentage and no creature could be called more than once per day. Even-level spell progression, Prereqs SF (conj), Augment Summoning, and 4th-level arcane.

Siren: A tall elven woman with blond hair and a golden harp. When she is called, she casts sleep, except that she affects 4d4 HD of creatures.
Kirin: A large elk with a thick green mane. When he is called, he casts regenerate moderate wounds on all allies (including the caster) within a 30-ft. radius centered on the caster.
Sylph: A small fairy with curly blond hair. When she is called, she casts vampiric touch for 2d6 damage (as a 5th-level wizard), except that it affects all enemies within a 20-ft. radius centered on the caster and cures all allies (within the same radius) of an amount equal to the dealt damage divided by the number of allies (rounded down).
Ifrit: A minotaur wreathed in flames. When he is called, he casts fireball (as a 7th-level wizard) centered on the caster, except that the area is a 30-ft.-radius spread and the blast does not harm the caster.
Shiva: An ice elemental in the shape of a young woman. When she is called, she casts cone of cold (as a 6th-level wizard) starting at the caster, except that the area is a 40-ft. cone.
Bomb: A small, two-eyed beholder without eye stalks. When it is called, it flies at the target and explodes. Both the target and the caster take damage equal to the caster’s current hit points + 10. This called effect has no save.
Phantom: A spectre that gives off gray light. When it is called, it casts invisibility on all allies within 10 ft. of the caster.
Maudin: A grey-skinned, muscular man. When he is called, he shoots energy out in a 20-ft. radius centered on the caster. The blast deals 2d6 each of fire, cold, electricity, and acid damage.
Carbunkle: A small, glowing blue lizard with a red gem in its forehead. When it is called, it casts spell turning on two allies within 40 ft., except that it turns 2d4+2 levels of spells.
Titan: A heavily muscled giant in a loincloth. When he is called, he casts earthquake except that the spell is centered on the caster.
Ragnarok: A huge, glowing greatsword. When it is called, it casts polymorph any object on a random enemy, turning them into a mundane item (Table 7-7 in the 3.0 DMG). This effect lasts 20 minutes.
Alexander: A gargantuan iron golem with ornate designs. When it is called, it shoots a beam of positive energy in a 60-ft. radius around the caster. All nongood creatures in the radius (including the caster) take 15d6 damage (Will half)
Bahamut: A gargantuan grayish-silver dragon. When he is called, he shoots a beam of negative energy in a 60-ft. radius around the caster. All nonevil creatures in the radius (including the caster) take 15d6 damage (Will half)

We playtested it, but I haven't looked at it in nearly a year; this was back before I had converted over to 3.5 (as evidenced by spell names like regenerate moderate wounds and polymorph any object). I also understand that you kinds with your crazy new-fangled stuff won't appreciate that all of the summon effects are from FFIV and FFIV, but I thought I'd show you what I'd done to maybe lay some groundwork or even present a terrible example that you can avoid like the plague.

I should update some of my old PrCs and try them around here...
Arcane Guyver
12-07-04, 01:50 AM If this is based off of FF9, the summoner would probably be best emulated by a Cloistered Cleric (Unearthed Arcana) with Augment Summons feat. I think Unearthed Arcana also has variant rules for customizing Summon Monster spells - instead of having a spell that summons a variety of creatures, you can only summon one, but it's got more personality (and power, IIRC).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
buckeyefan 12-07-04, 12:57 AM	for a campaign that I"m designing I got an idea for a summoning class from playing FFIX. What I was thinking of doing is basing in on a point system similar to psion power points, and the class would be able to summon creatures like bahamut (but not until higher levels obviously). I'm currently deciding whether or not it would be a better base class or to make it a prestige class, what do ya'll think. How do you prove you exist? Maybe we don't exist... -Vivi Orunitia Final Fantasy IX
strenoth 12-07-04, 01:06 AM	anything remotly resembling the SMN class is going to be very powerful, and since the part is probably nto going to want to have to go harrying off to remote regions to be able to collect all the summonable monsters, you are best off makign them class features. But you still want summoners to EARN the ability to summon.. so I say a Prc.. One fo the prerequisites shoudl be Augment Summons feat.
SD 12-07-04, 01:50 AM	I built my caller about a year ago, and I based it on an in-class ability called Call. Basically, the caller got a number of Calls based on her class level as a full-round action, and the calls that could be used got niftier as levels in the PrC went up. To balance, Calls had a cumulative failure percentage and no creature could be called more than once per day. Even-level spell progression, Prereqs SF (conj), Augment Summoning, and 4th-level arcane. Siren: A tall elven woman with blond hair and a golden harp. When she is called, she casts sleep, except that she affects 4d4 HD of creatures. Kirin: A large elk with a thick green mane. When he is called, he casts regenerate moderate wounds on all allies (including the caster) within a 30-ft. radius centered on the caster. Sylph: A small fairy with curly blond hair. When she is called, she casts vampiric touch for 2d6 damage (as a 5th-level wizard), except that it affects all enemies within a 20-ft. radius centered on the caster and cures all allies (within the same radius) of an amount equal to the dealt damage divided by the number of allies (rounded down). Ifrit: A minotaur wreathed in flames. When he is called, he casts fireball (as a 7th-level wizard) centered on the caster, except that the area is a 30-ft.-radius spread and the blast does not harm the caster. Shiva: An ice elemental in the shape of a young woman. When she is called, she casts cone of cold (as a 6th-level wizard) starting at the caster, except that the area is a 40-ft. cone. Bomb: A small, two-eyed beholder without eye stalks. When it is called, it flies at the target and explodes. Both the target and the caster take damage equal to the caster’s current hit points + 10. This called effect has no save. Phantom: A spectre that gives off gray light. When it is called, it casts invisibility on all allies within 10 ft. of the caster. Maudin: A grey-skinned, muscular man. When he is called, he shoots energy out in a 20-ft. radius centered on the caster. The blast deals 2d6 each of fire, cold, electricity, and acid damage. Carbunkle: A small, glowing blue lizard with a red gem in its forehead. When it is called, it casts spell turning on two allies within 40 ft., except that it turns 2d4+2 levels of spells. Titan: A heavily muscled giant in a loincloth. When he is called, he casts earthquake except that the spell is centered on the caster. Ragnarok: A huge, glowing greatsword. When it is called, it casts polymorph any object on a random enemy, turning them into a mundane item (Table 7-7 in the 3.0 DMG). This effect lasts 20 minutes. Alexander: A gargantuan iron golem with ornate designs. When it is called, it shoots a beam of positive energy in a 60-ft. radius around the caster. All nongood creatures in the radius (including the caster) take 15d6 damage (Will half) Bahamut: A gargantuan grayish-silver dragon. When he is called, he shoots a beam of negative energy in a 60-ft. radius around the caster. All nonevil creatures in the radius (including the caster) take 15d6 damage (Will half) We playtested it, but I haven't looked at it in nearly a year; this was back before I had converted over to 3.5 (as evidenced by spell names like regenerate moderate wounds and polymorph any object). I also understand that you kinds with your crazy new-fangled stuff won't appreciate that all of the summon effects are from FFIV and FFIV, but I thought I'd show you what I'd done to maybe lay some groundwork or even present a terrible example that you can avoid like the plague. I should update some of my old PrCs and try them around here...
Arcane Guyver 12-07-04, 01:50 AM	If this is based off of FF9, the summoner would probably be best emulated by a Cloistered Cleric (Unearthed Arcana) with Augment Summons feat. I think Unearthed Arcana also has variant rules for customizing Summon Monster spells - instead of having a spell that summons a variety of creatures, you can only summon one, but it's got more personality (and power, IIRC).