Base Class: Jati (Comments Needed) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Base Class: Jati (Comments Needed) [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Robert 22
09-07-07, 02:50 AM This is the second of the classes I am drawing notes up for an Indian campaign. I still need to think about issues of balance, and whether some of the abilities work, I got some great help on the last class, the Brigand:
http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=918673

Jati

The Jati are strongmen; wrestlers, boxers, circus performers, even macabre executioners. They are renowned for their incredible feats of strength, from driving nails into wood with their bare hands to pulling loaded carts. Jati are rare but many take up adventuring looking for opportunities to test their remarkable prowess. The most successful Jati can become so powerful that their strength becomes like a force of nature. Strength is far and away a Jati’s most important characteristic, though dexterity and constitution can matter if they take on a combat role at low levels.

Alignment: Any
Hit Dice: D12
Skill Points: (2+Int)*4 at first level, 2+Int at subsequent levels
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha) Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Swim (Str)
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Proficient in Light and Medium armour, with light mace, heavy mace, quarterstaff, club, light hammer, heavy flail, javelin and bolas.

Lvl Attack Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Incredible Strength, Minor Tricks, Stability
2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Unearthly Might
3 +1 +3 +1 +1 Mighty Blow 2/day, Carry/Lift +4
4 +2 +4 +1 +1 Bonus Feat
5 +2 +4 +1 +1 Unearthly Might
6 +3 +5 +2 +2 Non-Lethal DR 1/-
7 +3 +5 +2 +2 Bonus Feat, Smash 2
8 +4 +6 +2 +2 Unearthly Might
9 +4 +6 +3 +3 Non-Lethal DR 2/-
10 +5 +7 +3 +3 Mighty Blow 3/day
11 +5 +7 +3 +3 Smash 4
12 +6/+1 +8 +4 +4 Bonus Feat
13 +6/+1 +8 +4 +4 Likeness
14 +7/+2 +9 +4 +4 Carry/Lift +8,
15 +7/+2 +9 +5 +5 Non-Lethal DR 3/-
16 +8/+3 +10 +5 +5 Bonus Feat
17 +8/+3 +10 +5 +5 Likeness
18 +9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Mighty Blow 5/day
19 +9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Bonus Feat
20 +10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Likeness

Armour: The Jati is proficient in light or medium armour because of his great strength but the restrictive nature of armour prevents him using many special abilities. Abilities marked with a * cannot be used in any armour.
Note as well Spell-like (Sp) abilities provoke attacks of opportunity.

Incredible Strength: At first level the character gains a permanent +2 to their strength. If they ever have more or equal levels in other classes this bonus is lost and cannot be regained.
Minor Tricks (Ex)*: The character can perform minor feats of strength, such as driving tent-pegs into hard earth with their hands or juggling with heavy stones. Mainly useful for entertaining peasants.
Stability (Ex) Unless caught flatfooted the character gets a +4 bonus against over-runs, bull-rush etc.
Mighty Blow (Su)*: Once per a day the character can declare the next blow that connects will be a mighty blow. When their next blow hits they double their strength bonus for damage (so light weapons get + Str, one-handed + 2*Str, two handed + 3*Str).
Carry/Lift (Ex)*: At third level the weight a Jati can lift or carry is calculated assuming there strength is four points higher than it normally is (as long as they are not wearing armour), at fourteenth level this bonus is increased to 8..
Bonus Feat: At 4th, 7th, 12th, 16th, 19th levels they can choose a bonus feat (even if they do not have the pre-requisite) from this list: Improved Disarm, Improved Critical, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Toughness, Improved Over-run, Stunning Fist.

Unearthly Might
At second, fifth and eighth level the character may choose one ability from the following list:
Fearsome (Sp)*: When using the Intimidate skill to Demoralize Opponent a Jati may effect a number of additional opponents equal to his strength modifier and the effect lasts a number of rounds equal to their Jati level.
Throw Opponent (Sp)*: As a standard action they may throw any medium size or smaller opponent who has been successfully grappled. The range increment is 5ft, medium do 1d6 non-lethal damage, small 1d4 (both to the target and the thrown individual).
Hurled Weapon (Ex)*: The range increment for all thrown weapons used by the Jati is doubled (the maximum range remains five increments). The Jati also receives a +2 [type] bonus to hit with all thrown weapons.
Heroic Grapple (Ex)*: Unless the Jati is flat-footed any opponents size modifier is halved for the purposes of grappling checks.
Intimidating Presence (Ex)*: The Jati may add his strength bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks as a circumstance bonus.

Non-Lethal DR (Ex): At 6th level the character receives damage reduction against non-lethal damage (including fatigue and drowning). This is increased at levels 9 and 15.
Smash (Su)*: The Jati may add +2 to all checks to force doors open, and may ignore 2 points of hardness when breaking objects. At 11th level this is increase to 4.

Likeness
At 13th 17th and 20th level the character’s strength is so great they become like a force of nature. They may select one of the following abilities at each of those levels:
Like the Earth (Su) If the Jati stands immobile and does nothing, including free actions, he cannot be moved or injured by physical attacks. The Jati may maintain this for a number of rounds equal to level but once he stops he cannot use the ability again for an hour.
Like the Elephant (Sp)*: May inflict 10 points of damage per level on any structure ignoring hardness, either by hand or by hurling a large rock up to 200 feet.
Like the Lion (Sp)*: As a full round action the Jati can let a primal roar or cry which will be heard up to his level in miles away. Any friend hearing the cry will instantly know the Jati’s location and the Jati can convey one of these three messages: “Come quickly I need aid”, “Flee, you are in danger” or “I am victorious”. Any enemy of the Jati who hears the cry must make a will save or be affected as per the Fear spell.
Like the Mountains (Su)* Character can lift and carry 10 times their normal heavy load when not fatigued without movement penalty. The Jati cannot make an attack while using this ability.
Like the Monsoon (Su)*: This ability is used as a full attack. A touch attack is made against all adjacent opponents. Any medium sized or smaller creature is thrown 60 feet directly away from the character and takes 3d6 falling damage. Creatures that can fly are thrown but do not take the damage.
Like the Naga (Ex)*: The Jati automatically succeeds all checks to Escape from a Grapple or to a move a Grapple. Any opponent grappled by the Jati who does not have this ability automatically fails all attempts to Escape from the Grapple.
Robert 22
09-07-07, 02:53 AM One of the things I've always found harsh is that as you move to 11th to 20th level the nature of spells really changes. Spell casters no longer get spells that are incremental improvements but can now alter the nature of reality. Whereas non-spell casters don't. With the Jati at high levels I wanted the nature of his powers to change so that like a spell caster he can truly incredible things.
Jeweler
09-07-07, 04:55 PM You know this class almost reminds me of a fantasy noir class, the class is the pinnacle of strength and that is all they focus on. Just like the brigand is the pinnacle of dodgy tactics. I really like your work.

Now after praising I would like to make a few other remarks. For throw opponent you might want to put a maximum range on it, like 10 increments *IE 50ft*. Also I would love to see some gnomish throwing armor which reduces non-lethal damage while being thrown and increases their damage to a D6 : )

For Hurl, by range band do you mean the range of an increment or the maximum amount of increments a weapon can have. I think things have a maximum amount of range increments if they don't then I have no idea where I got it from.

Why does Like the Lion make it so you can't wear armor and Like the Mountain it doesn't matter, I would think it would be the opposite or at least that Like the Mountain would make it impossible to do with any sort of restriction to dex. Also I would say anything that did not give him an armor check penalty would be fine to wear for those abilities. That means padded and leather armor only. And mithral chain shirt I think.

Like the Typhoon seems too powerful, throwing your opponents 120 feet away from you. And the fact that you only deal 2D6 damage to them seems a little unreal if you just sent them flying 120 feet anyways.

Those are just my remarks, I hope to see more cultural classes from you these are really good.
Robert 22
09-08-07, 06:42 AM "Look forward to more classes and other material, would not mind seeing maybe some spells or new unique spellcaster classes instead of the wizard and what not."

Jeweler,
Thanks for the comments. I do need to tighten up some of the descriptions, I'll double check thrown weapons. And your right I suspect some of the high level abilities may need some tweaking to balance.

On other classes I have 8 in total. In addition to the Brigand and Jati:
Kshatriya (a sort of non-spell casting Paladin whose special abilities focus on non-combat elements)
Companion (a Fighter variant)
Devotee (a Bhakti based combat caster emphasising power over endurance)
Monk (a semi-caster emphasising internal discipline)
Brahmins (a wizard variant emphasising learning)
Rishi (an ascetic caster with an emphasis on nature spells)

People have provided really useful feedback so far and I don't wish to test patience by dumping all of the on the board but I will post the rest as I get them worked out in detail.

Robert
fatmonkey
09-08-07, 08:43 AM I think the wording of some abilities could be improved a little...

Hurling*: Double threat range for thrown weapons. This ability does not stack with Improved Critical or Keen. The Character also gets a +2 to hit with thrown weapons.

Like the Monsoon*: As a full attack may make a touch attack against all adjacent enemies. Any medium sized or smaller is instantly thrown 120 feet, and take 2d6 damage falling damage as if they had fallen.

Also Fearsome and Like the Lion should list if they are fear and/or mind affecting effect.
Robert 22
09-08-07, 01:29 PM I've tidied up all the abilities, correctly marked those that are spell-like to stop me having to repeat the AoO warning. I've made Fearsome work from the Intimidate skills combat use and Like the Lion from the Fear spell description, and lowered the distance and increased damage on Like the Monsoon. I'm considering replacing Like the Mountain with a once per a day use of the Iron Body spell. Basically I've tried wherever possible to make the abilities work from existing concepts to keep them easier to follow.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Robert 22 09-07-07, 02:50 AM	This is the second of the classes I am drawing notes up for an Indian campaign. I still need to think about issues of balance, and whether some of the abilities work, I got some great help on the last class, the Brigand: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=918673 Jati The Jati are strongmen; wrestlers, boxers, circus performers, even macabre executioners. They are renowned for their incredible feats of strength, from driving nails into wood with their bare hands to pulling loaded carts. Jati are rare but many take up adventuring looking for opportunities to test their remarkable prowess. The most successful Jati can become so powerful that their strength becomes like a force of nature. Strength is far and away a Jati’s most important characteristic, though dexterity and constitution can matter if they take on a combat role at low levels. Alignment: Any Hit Dice: D12 Skill Points: (2+Int)4 at first level, 2+Int at subsequent levels Class Skills: Climb (Str), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha) Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Swim (Str) Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Proficient in Light and Medium armour, with light mace, heavy mace, quarterstaff, club, light hammer, heavy flail, javelin and bolas. Lvl Attack Fort Ref Will Special 1 +0 +2 +0 +0 Incredible Strength, Minor Tricks, Stability 2 +1 +3 +0 +0 Unearthly Might 3 +1 +3 +1 +1 Mighty Blow 2/day, Carry/Lift +4 4 +2 +4 +1 +1 Bonus Feat 5 +2 +4 +1 +1 Unearthly Might 6 +3 +5 +2 +2 Non-Lethal DR 1/- 7 +3 +5 +2 +2 Bonus Feat, Smash 2 8 +4 +6 +2 +2 Unearthly Might 9 +4 +6 +3 +3 Non-Lethal DR 2/- 10 +5 +7 +3 +3 Mighty Blow 3/day 11 +5 +7 +3 +3 Smash 4 12 +6/+1 +8 +4 +4 Bonus Feat 13 +6/+1 +8 +4 +4 Likeness 14 +7/+2 +9 +4 +4 Carry/Lift +8, 15 +7/+2 +9 +5 +5 Non-Lethal DR 3/- 16 +8/+3 +10 +5 +5 Bonus Feat 17 +8/+3 +10 +5 +5 Likeness 18 +9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Mighty Blow 5/day 19 +9/+4 +11 +6 +6 Bonus Feat 20 +10/+5 +12 +6 +6 Likeness Armour: The Jati is proficient in light or medium armour because of his great strength but the restrictive nature of armour prevents him using many special abilities. Abilities marked with a cannot be used in any armour. Note as well Spell-like (Sp) abilities provoke attacks of opportunity. Incredible Strength: At first level the character gains a permanent +2 to their strength. If they ever have more or equal levels in other classes this bonus is lost and cannot be regained. Minor Tricks (Ex): The character can perform minor feats of strength, such as driving tent-pegs into hard earth with their hands or juggling with heavy stones. Mainly useful for entertaining peasants. Stability (Ex) Unless caught flatfooted the character gets a +4 bonus against over-runs, bull-rush etc. Mighty Blow (Su): Once per a day the character can declare the next blow that connects will be a mighty blow. When their next blow hits they double their strength bonus for damage (so light weapons get + Str, one-handed + 2Str, two handed + 3Str). Carry/Lift (Ex): At third level the weight a Jati can lift or carry is calculated assuming there strength is four points higher than it normally is (as long as they are not wearing armour), at fourteenth level this bonus is increased to 8.. Bonus Feat: At 4th, 7th, 12th, 16th, 19th levels they can choose a bonus feat (even if they do not have the pre-requisite) from this list: Improved Disarm, Improved Critical, Improved Unarmed Strike, Improved Grapple, Power Attack, Improved Bull Rush, Toughness, Improved Over-run, Stunning Fist. Unearthly Might At second, fifth and eighth level the character may choose one ability from the following list: Fearsome (Sp): When using the Intimidate skill to Demoralize Opponent a Jati may effect a number of additional opponents equal to his strength modifier and the effect lasts a number of rounds equal to their Jati level. Throw Opponent (Sp): As a standard action they may throw any medium size or smaller opponent who has been successfully grappled. The range increment is 5ft, medium do 1d6 non-lethal damage, small 1d4 (both to the target and the thrown individual). Hurled Weapon (Ex): The range increment for all thrown weapons used by the Jati is doubled (the maximum range remains five increments). The Jati also receives a +2 [type] bonus to hit with all thrown weapons. Heroic Grapple (Ex): Unless the Jati is flat-footed any opponents size modifier is halved for the purposes of grappling checks. Intimidating Presence (Ex): The Jati may add his strength bonus to Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks as a circumstance bonus. Non-Lethal DR (Ex): At 6th level the character receives damage reduction against non-lethal damage (including fatigue and drowning). This is increased at levels 9 and 15. Smash (Su): The Jati may add +2 to all checks to force doors open, and may ignore 2 points of hardness when breaking objects. At 11th level this is increase to 4. Likeness At 13th 17th and 20th level the character’s strength is so great they become like a force of nature. They may select one of the following abilities at each of those levels: Like the Earth (Su) If the Jati stands immobile and does nothing, including free actions, he cannot be moved or injured by physical attacks. The Jati may maintain this for a number of rounds equal to level but once he stops he cannot use the ability again for an hour. Like the Elephant (Sp): May inflict 10 points of damage per level on any structure ignoring hardness, either by hand or by hurling a large rock up to 200 feet. Like the Lion (Sp): As a full round action the Jati can let a primal roar or cry which will be heard up to his level in miles away. Any friend hearing the cry will instantly know the Jati’s location and the Jati can convey one of these three messages: “Come quickly I need aid”, “Flee, you are in danger” or “I am victorious”. Any enemy of the Jati who hears the cry must make a will save or be affected as per the Fear spell. Like the Mountains (Su) Character can lift and carry 10 times their normal heavy load when not fatigued without movement penalty. The Jati cannot make an attack while using this ability. Like the Monsoon (Su): This ability is used as a full attack. A touch attack is made against all adjacent opponents. Any medium sized or smaller creature is thrown 60 feet directly away from the character and takes 3d6 falling damage. Creatures that can fly are thrown but do not take the damage. Like the Naga (Ex): The Jati automatically succeeds all checks to Escape from a Grapple or to a move a Grapple. Any opponent grappled by the Jati who does not have this ability automatically fails all attempts to Escape from the Grapple.
Robert 22 09-07-07, 02:53 AM	One of the things I've always found harsh is that as you move to 11th to 20th level the nature of spells really changes. Spell casters no longer get spells that are incremental improvements but can now alter the nature of reality. Whereas non-spell casters don't. With the Jati at high levels I wanted the nature of his powers to change so that like a spell caster he can truly incredible things.
Jeweler 09-07-07, 04:55 PM	You know this class almost reminds me of a fantasy noir class, the class is the pinnacle of strength and that is all they focus on. Just like the brigand is the pinnacle of dodgy tactics. I really like your work. Now after praising I would like to make a few other remarks. For throw opponent you might want to put a maximum range on it, like 10 increments IE 50ft. Also I would love to see some gnomish throwing armor which reduces non-lethal damage while being thrown and increases their damage to a D6 : ) For Hurl, by range band do you mean the range of an increment or the maximum amount of increments a weapon can have. I think things have a maximum amount of range increments if they don't then I have no idea where I got it from. Why does Like the Lion make it so you can't wear armor and Like the Mountain it doesn't matter, I would think it would be the opposite or at least that Like the Mountain would make it impossible to do with any sort of restriction to dex. Also I would say anything that did not give him an armor check penalty would be fine to wear for those abilities. That means padded and leather armor only. And mithral chain shirt I think. Like the Typhoon seems too powerful, throwing your opponents 120 feet away from you. And the fact that you only deal 2D6 damage to them seems a little unreal if you just sent them flying 120 feet anyways. Those are just my remarks, I hope to see more cultural classes from you these are really good.
Robert 22 09-08-07, 06:42 AM	"Look forward to more classes and other material, would not mind seeing maybe some spells or new unique spellcaster classes instead of the wizard and what not." Jeweler, Thanks for the comments. I do need to tighten up some of the descriptions, I'll double check thrown weapons. And your right I suspect some of the high level abilities may need some tweaking to balance. On other classes I have 8 in total. In addition to the Brigand and Jati: Kshatriya (a sort of non-spell casting Paladin whose special abilities focus on non-combat elements) Companion (a Fighter variant) Devotee (a Bhakti based combat caster emphasising power over endurance) Monk (a semi-caster emphasising internal discipline) Brahmins (a wizard variant emphasising learning) Rishi (an ascetic caster with an emphasis on nature spells) People have provided really useful feedback so far and I don't wish to test patience by dumping all of the on the board but I will post the rest as I get them worked out in detail. Robert
fatmonkey 09-08-07, 08:43 AM	I think the wording of some abilities could be improved a little... Hurling: Double threat range for thrown weapons. This ability does not stack with Improved Critical or Keen. The Character also gets a +2 to hit with thrown weapons. Like the Monsoon: As a full attack may make a touch attack against all adjacent enemies. Any medium sized or smaller is instantly thrown 120 feet, and take 2d6 damage falling damage as if they had fallen. Also Fearsome and Like the Lion should list if they are fear and/or mind affecting effect.
Robert 22 09-08-07, 01:29 PM	I've tidied up all the abilities, correctly marked those that are spell-like to stop me having to repeat the AoO warning. I've made Fearsome work from the Intimidate skills combat use and Like the Lion from the Fear spell description, and lowered the distance and increased damage on Like the Monsoon. I'm considering replacing Like the Mountain with a once per a day use of the Iron Body spell. Basically I've tried wherever possible to make the abilities work from existing concepts to keep them easier to follow.