Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Phasics 07-12-06, 11:13 AM	Chance Jester of Deus So named for their true absurdity as they must have been created by the gods for their own personal amusement. Chance Jesters let fate decided their path both figuratively and literally, resulting in often wacky and bizarre combinations of skills and behaviors Not for the faint hearted, please keep an open mind this is not about power gamming in fact its entirely possible to end up with a heavily mismatched character. Also player must be willing to play true RP to a forever shifting alignment. Run down of the Class features: Chance Chance and more Chance , in fact your initial hit die, saves and skills are based on the roll of the dice. This class has very few class specific bonus expect for the following Lucky Bastard : At Lv 1 Any dice rolled can be re-rolled with the 2nd result taken (even if its worse) At Lv 5 Any dice result below 25% of the value of the die rounded down may be re-rolled (if the lowest score was required the its 25% off the top) At Lv 10 for every single dice to be rolled roll the player rolls 2 dice and drops the worst result or the player can take ½ the value of the die for any roll (choice made with DM) At Lv 15 For every single dice to be rolled the player rolls 3 dice and drops the 2 worst results Or the player can take ¾ of the value of the die rounded down (choice made with DM) At Lv 20 The player can take the full value of the die for any roll (this still does not save him from a natural 20 hit or a spell with no save) although the player can take a 20 to hit they do not get the dmg multiplier bonus when doing this. Player can still choose to roll as per lv 15 ability. Crisis of Conscious: Chance Jesters are by definition Neutrals and thus must be at least neutral on one axis at all times (with Crisis exception). Chance jesters are most commonly Chaotic Neutral or True Neutrals. DM can ask this once per day/playing session at his lesuire. effect lasts for 1d4 minute at level 1 roll 1d4 for each alignment axis (note lucky bastard extra rolls don’t apply here, this is purely random) 1 Good / Lawful 2 Neutral / Neutral 3 Evil / Chaotic 4 Reroll e.g. 1d4 + 1d4 result 3 and 2 Thus Evil Neutral. For the duration of the time be it a conversation or battle the character must act true to this alignment. In this case instead of helping a wounded comrade in battle (as player wants to) this char might retreat to the rear to avoid damage (or duck around looting corpses while other still fight), and once the crisis wears off, he can follow his more neutral path and possibly help in the battle again. This Occurrence increases per level 1-3 1d4 min 1per day 4-6 1d10mins 1 per day 7-10 1d20mins 1d4 per day 11-14 1d20mins 1d4 per day 15-17 1d4 hrs 1d4 per day 18-20 1d6 hrs 1d4 per day (i.e. at 6 and 4 the entire days actions are ruled by chance) Finally class progression Character rolls 1d12 with the following effect 1 Barbarian 2 Bard 3 Cleric 4 Druid 5 Fighter 6 Monk 7 Paladin 8 Ranger 9 Rouge 10 Sorcerer 11 Wizard 12 Re-roll once the die is cast your characters fate begins to unfold character assumes all skills attributes and abilities of that class, including any core features such a familiars animal companions auras supernatural abilities etc . At each new character level a d12 is rolled and the character than gains the appropriate abilities skills etc for that new class level. E.g. they get any attribute/skill/spell/saves increase between the two levels. They however DO NOT get any previous bonuses retroactively that a normal member of the class would already have. Skill point can be carried over after being aquaired however they are spent according to the class and cross-class skills costs of the new level being taken thus fighter class skills are only treated as such when you’ve rolled a 5 on d12 , skill costs will be different if next level you roll a 6 Example Chance Jester (btw I was rolling a d12 as I wrote this and this is the combination as it happened) STR12 DEX10 CON13 INT12 WIS 14 CHA 10 First class D12 = 5 Fighter Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4 D10 HP +1 BAB, +2Fort +0Will +0Reflx Bonus Fighter feat Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A fighter is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with all armor (heavy, medium, and light) and shields (including tower shields). 2nd class d12 = 3 Cleric Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. D8 HP +1 BAB, +1Fort +1Will +0Reflx Clerics get a new 1st lv spell slot at lv 2. this char has a WIS of 14 thus gets an extra 1st lv cleric spell. Character however does NOT get the clerics turning abilities or domain spells as these are granted at first level. NOR does the char get the Cleric Weapon and Armor Proficiency. 3rd Class d12 = 6 Monk D8 HP +1 BAB, +1Fort +1Will +1Reflx Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. Again only new thing granted from 2 to 3lv Monk are gained. (monks unarmed dmg has not changed from lv 2 to lv3 thus this character does not even get the 1d6 bonus nor the wis bonus to ac or flurry or any of the good monk attributes gained at first level) Character does however get the Still Mind ability 4th Class d12 = 6 Monk D8 HP +1 BAB, +1Fort +1Will +1Reflx Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier. This time however 3 to 4 monk gets a damage increase so this character now has a 1d8 unarmed strike (BUT NOTE does not have the improved unarmed strike ! thus still provoke an attack of opportunity unless character used a normal character level feat to acquire this) also gets Ki strike (magic) and slow fall 20 ft 5th Class d12 = 11 Wizard D4 HP +0 BAB, +0Fort +0Will +0Reflx Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier. Gets 1 3rd level wizard spell slot and a bonus wizard feat (for the purposes of this class and INT of 13 is not required to cast 3rd level spells) (NB gets no familiar , cannot scribe scrolls unless char used a normal or bonus wizard feat to take it) So now we have a this odd lil char 4-34 HP (depending on rolling) +4 BAB, +5Fort +3Will +2Reflx (not including stat bonuses) 25 skill points Has normal feat progression Has one bonus fighter feat at lv 1 Has 2 1st level cleric spell slots ( e.g. 2 cure light wounds) Has Still Mind Ability, Ki Strike and Slow Fall 20ft Has 1 3rd lv wizard spell slot (e.g. 1 fireball thankyou) So here we have a char who can do some minor healing, fights nearly as well as a fighter of the same level , has a damn nice right hook that can beat a small amount of magic dmg reduction, can safely fall 20ft, and can throw a fireball as a first strike or last resort weapon. Just remember character only gets class abilities which have changed since the previous level, are consider to always meet the prerequisites and never get the class abilities of lower levels retroactively Final note: the initial class ability Lucky Bastard could quite easily be made into a empty class with mediocre BAB saves and skill progression and no other class abilities, and would just be a plain character who rolls really well a lot of the time and thus succeeds at doing near impossible things on a regular basis. (NO MULTICLASSING !!!!)
Jovknee 07-12-06, 11:55 AM	So if I read that right, at level 20 they can take the highest number of the current die they are rolling. As take 20 on rolling to hit (however this does not constitute a critical hit or threat). Now that means that they always hit, as a 20 always hits (just as a 1 always misses). Now they roll damage say a d10, and they can just take 10 on the damage plus any bonuses. So at level 20 they always hit for max damage? Lets say you also get wizard level five allowing you to cast 3rd level spells. Thus fireball. You can at level 20 say all the d6's are in fact 6's. Just as in the Maximize spell feat, without the feat or the higher spell level. Albeit at the actual caster level. This is only one class ability and not looking at the others. I am curious on how you see this as balanced. At level 20 they can't fail at anything. You win game over.
Phasics 07-13-06, 05:24 AM	So if I read that right, at level 20 they can take the highest number of the current die they are rolling. As take 20 on rolling to hit (however this does not constitute a critical hit or threat). Now that means that they always hit, as a 20 always hits (just as a 1 always misses). Now they roll damage say a d10, and they can just take 10 on the damage plus any bonuses. So at level 20 they always hit for max damage? Lets say you also get wizard level five allowing you to cast 3rd level spells. Thus fireball. You can at level 20 say all the d6's are in fact 6's. Just as in the Maximize spell feat, without the feat or the higher spell level. Albeit at the actual caster level. This is only one class ability and not looking at the others. I am curious on how you see this as balanced. At level 20 they can't fail at anything. You win game over. Good question the ability to take a 20 does not infer that it is a natural 20 i.e. instant sucess. It is merely the maximum number atianable. e.g should the DC check be 35 and the character bonus for the check only amounts to 10 then taking a 20 =30 and check is failed, thus in this instance it would be better to try your luck using the lv15 skill hoping to roll a true natural 20. Similarly many saves are only for half damage and some have no save at all. if you have 90 HP and get blasted by an insane force for 200DMG and can auto save for half , you still die. Also many of higher class abilites while powerful at not nearly as powerful without the supporting abilites from lower levels. e.g. you might snag improved rage from barbarian at a high level but you can still only perform it once per day having not gained additonal uses from lower levels. some high level monk abilites are really nice but if you cant wear armour to use them and dont have the benefit of the unarmored bonuses all monks get at lower levels then if not really as useful or safe to employ. Hell in my example a Ki strike would result in an attack of oportunity hehehe. However Like I said this could easily be split into two sepearte classes one with lucky bastard and the other with the borrowed class progression. I also consider that this is more intersting from a roleplay aspect and espically with the Crisis of concious making the player think more carefully about his actions when it occurs, resulting in some very intersting situations for the party. I would find it quite amusing to DM such a character ending up pitting some insanly powerful foe's against him and having them fail again and again I think the rest of the party may come up with some intersting tactics such as get behind the Chance Jester formation, forever the point man hehehe. until get turn chaotic evil for a few mins and hangs the party out to dry for putting him in that situtaion mwhahaha and just quietly lv20 is retirment time for charcters and is not where they spend the majority of thier time. If you can show that at level 7 this charcter class would be overpowered then I would be concerned, but if you can only find it overpowered at lv20 then its not a problem, hell everything is overpowered at lv20 hehehe
Sik 07-13-06, 06:48 AM	I think you should add in something about getting the class progression of casting classes. In your example, you get the spellcasting abilities of a 2nd level Cleric, yet it's only one level, so you should still only cast them as a 1st level Cleric. Same for the Wizard part of your example. your Caster Level is equal to the number of actual "levels" gained as that class. Oh, and another small addition. You have to meet prerequisites, such as if you're chaotic at the time you level and you roll Monk, you have to reroll.
Phasics 07-13-06, 08:54 AM	I think you should add in something about getting the class progression of casting classes. In your example, you get the spellcasting abilities of a 2nd level Cleric, yet it's only one level, so you should still only cast them as a 1st level Cleric. Same for the Wizard part of your example. your Caster Level is equal to the number of actual "levels" gained as that class. Oh, and another small addition. You have to meet prerequisites, such as if you're chaotic at the time you level and you roll Monk, you have to reroll. mmm I have considered this also after reading over it and the actually make the class playable I have come up with this simply becuase there are too many instances where prereqs become and issue especially since if you got your first wizard lv at lv 13 thus resulting in one 4th and one 7th level spell slot and you only had an INT of 12 you couldnt normally cast them. And if you then reroll for another class then all Chance Jester would tend to end up with clasess with low or no prereqs ergo not random at all. So here my explanation. As the Jesters exist to amuse all gods they have the potential to tap into the energies of any of the deities thus are able to mimic the ability requirments of other devoted classes. They are never truely part of any class instead aquiring odd abilites which they shouldnt techinally be able to perform but they do. And since thier alignment is forever shifting they may find some of thier abilites only aviable part of the time. Thus new conditions for the class Any spells gained at a level-up are considered to be cast such that charcter level = caster level. (however caster level increses at half charcter level past this point until the same class is picked again then caster level reset to charcter level) e.g. Char get cleric at lv 3 , gets 2nd lv spell and casts as a lv 3 cleric, progresses to level 7 having not rolled any further cleric levels his cleric caster level is now 3 + (half new level = 4 ) so 3+2 = 5 , however if he then gets cleric again at level 8 caster level becomes 8 and so on. INT WIS or CHA minimum spell casting requirments are not required to cast spells above what would otherwise be thier normal maximum. Armour interferes normally with archane spells Alignment restrictions for class abilites is applicable when under the influence of Crisis of Concious. When acting under the base neutral alginment the restrictions do not apply. e.g. True Neutral Jester can use Ki strike even though he has a non-lawful alignment, however if under Crisis of Concious he is non-lawful then monk abilites are not avialble to him for the duration. e.g.2 Jester gains ability to wildshape, during a wildshape a Crisis of concious occurs and Jester becomes lawful good the wildshape immediatly ends and cannot be used until the effect terminates. My aim is that espically at higher levels where CoC lasts longer that the player will be challenged to use his availble abilites under the new aligment and then quickly change tactics should the CoC change. thus the potency of abilites cannot be diluted lest the charcter be left with a large portion of his abilites unable to be used 90% of the time. I make no illusion about it, this is a HIGH MAINTENACE CLASS requiring a vigalent DM to make house rulings on such things on the fly as he see's fit. being such an absurd class I think it would be diffcult to define a rigid set of rules without considerable playtesting, (any volenteers :) ).
Jovknee 07-13-06, 10:46 AM	The Crisis of Conscious and the radom class each level is very entertaining and would be interesting to see someone play. However IMHO the class abilities are to much.
Phasics 07-16-06, 08:49 AM	The Crisis of Conscious and the radom class each level is very entertaining and would be interesting to see someone play. However IMHO the class abilities are to much. point taken , I think the Dice Luck is a bit much , I think I'll do some playtesting just with the CoC and random class and see how it handels, obviously cant test every possibility but I'll work out a few metagamming combo's and see if it ends up being too overpowered although at level 10 there is only a one in 26 million chance that a player will end up with that exact combination of random clases. hehehe DM discression advised