Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Xeviat-DM 06-17-05, 05:22 AM	Warning: This class is extremely setting specific. In almost any other setting other than mine (and possibly a setting which uses the Shugenja from OA or CD), this class would have to be a PrC; it's just too non-archetypical and specific. But like the paladin, ranger, and bard, it is a limited class that fits into the setting it was designed for. I made small changes to the class, removing setting specific rules, so that the class could be better understood. I am searching for balance approval/criticism, as well as general thoughts and opinions on the class's design. I eagerly await any replies. CHANNELER The sorcerous mutation can appear in anyone, be it caused by accident of birth, over exposure to a certain type of magic, or simply excessive use of a single chakra. When one with the sorcerous mutation chooses the path of the warrior, a channeler is born. By focusing upon their primary chakra even further than a sorcerer does, channelers are able to create even more elemental energy, allowing them to expel it in violent blasts or to energize their weapons and body with its power. The nature of their power causes them to be quite specialized, but in their area of expertise they are second to none. Adventurers: Many channelers take to adventuring as an excuse to exercise their growing abilities. In the civilized world, most channelers are viewed with fear, but as an adventurer they are able to shape their own reputation. More often then not, channelers adventure for power, and sometimes in order to gain better control of their chaotic power. Characteristics: By virtue of their powers, channelers are formidable warriors, but the exact nature of their style is dependent upon which chakra their sorcerous mutation resides within. Fire channelers are often uncontrollable, and very passionate about their actions, while water channelers try to be able to adapt to any situation presented to them. Earth channelers are powerful and stalwart, which is quite opposed to the quick acting and thinking of air channelers. Most channelers learn early on to augment their ability with variant abilities to combat foes whom are familiar or immune to their skills. Alignment: A chaotic power resides within every channeler, and too much structure causes this power to dissipate. Channelers are never lawful. Background: Many channelers first gain their sorcerous mutation while they are undergoing warrior’s training. During their training, they discover a particular interest in a specific combat style. This interest leads to a focus, and this focus leads to an obsession, abandoning all other techniques. Such a focus requires the strengthening of a specific chakra, and such over use can often lead to the sorcerous mutation. Other times, the mutation is random and spontaneous, but it is up to the possible channeler to exercise their new power to fully realize it. Races: Channelers can come from any race. Many dragon or elemental touched take to the path of the channeler, and it is an especially common path for those living near elemental vortexes on the Spirit Plane. For those races with elemental ties, such as Elves and Orcs, their sorcerous mutation is always on the chakra tied to their race, but non-elemental races may possess the mutation on any chakra. Other Classes: Channelers respect berserkers and sorcerers, who both share their chaotic, often passionate bent. They are often at odds with meditants and monks, who seek balance between their chakras and often look upon those with the sorcerous mutation as unhealthy, dangerous people. They don’t get along with ridged knights, and they are not fond of clerics and templar of lawful deities. Their association with other classes is solely dependent on the individual. Role: Combat is the channeler’s primary focus, but due to their lower hit dice and light armor, they tend to not have the staying power to remain on the front lines for too long. Depending on their spells, a channeler can augment themselves to fit almost any combative role, and their potent elemental attacks make them heavy hitters against foes who are not resistant to their elemental effects. GAME RULE INFORMATION Channelers’s have the following game statistics. Abilities: Channelers require charisma for their spell casting abilities, but as a half caster they can afford to have lower mental scores. High physical ability scores are important for their combative role, depending on their style, though channelers can afford to be weaker than other warriors because of the extra elemental damage they can wield on their attacks. Alignment: Any non-lawful Hit Die: d8 Class Skills The channeler’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are as follows: Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Chakra) (Int), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str). Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier Class Features All of the following are class features of the channeler. Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Channelers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor but not with shields. Unlike other arcane spellcasters, channelers are able to cast arcane spells without risk of failure in light armor, but not when carrying a shield or wearing heavier armor or carrying a load heavier than light. Because of neccessary Sorcerous Mutation (Ex): Due to birthright, accident of birth, overuse, luck, or misfortune, the channeler has an intense affinity for a single element. Many believe this is because they are the descendents of dragons, elementals, genies, or other elemental creatures, but it may also be because creatures are composed of all four of the elements and sometimes the balance is offset. Air's energy type is electricity, Earth's is acid, Fire's is fire, and Water's is cold. Energize Hand (Su): A channeler is able to focus the excess elemental energy in their body and expel it outward. As a move equivalent action, a channeler can surround one of their hands with the energy type associated with their elemental focus. This energy does the channeler no harm and allows them to treat unarmed attacks made with that hand as armed, adding their elemental damage to their unarmed damage, or deliver a touch attack dealing only the elemental damage. Such attacks deal 1d6 points of damage of their associated energy type. Energy Adaptation (Ex): Due to the channeler’s affinity to their element, they begin to grow more and more resistant to its attacks. At 1st level, the channeler gains energy resistance 5 vs. their element’s energy type. Energy Bolt (Su): At 2nd level, the channeler becomes able to fire violent blasts of elemental energy at will. As a standard action that can only be performed while their energize hand, or later energize weapon (see below) ability is active, the channeler can fire a missile of elemental energy as a ranged touch attack at a single target within 60 feet. If successful, the energy missile deals 1d6 damage for every two channeler levels the channeler has attained. Using this ability deactivates the channeler’s energize hand or energize weapon ability, and it must be reactivated with another action. Energy Evolution (Ex): At 4th level, the channeler’s affinity with their element grows stronger. Their resistance to their energy type increases to 10, and they gain a +2 bonus on all saving throws against spells with their element’s descriptor. Summon Elemental: At 4th level, the channeler’s body ejects a tiny mass of elemental material that grows into a tiny elemental over the period of one week. Unlike standard elementals, this elemental is bonded to the channeler who it was birthed from, and it is unusually tough and intelligent. The elemental serves the channeler as a companion and servant. As the channeler increases in level, their familiar also increases in power. Treat the channeler as a sorcerer of three levels lower for determining the elemental’s powers and abilities. If the elemental dies or is dismissed by the channeler, the latter must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means they lose 200 experience points per channeler level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a channeler’s experience total can never go below 0 as the result of an elemental’s demise or dismissal. A slain or dismissed elemental cannot be replaced for a year and a day. A slain elemental can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, but it does not lose a level or a point of Constitution when this happy even occurs. If a character has levels in channeler and sorcerer, they add their sorcerer levels to their channeler levels minus three to determine the powers and abilities of their elemental. Spells: beginning at 4th level, a channeler gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from the channeler spell list (assume it is similar to the shugenja spell list; I will try to post an "official" spell list as soon as I can). They can cast any spell they know without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can. To learn or cast a spell, a channeler must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a channeler's spell is 10 + the spell level + the channeler's Cha modifier. Like other spellcasters, a channeler can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Their base daily spell allotment is given on their class table. In addition, they recieve bonus spells per day if they have a high Charisma score. At levels where the channeler gains 0 spells per day of a given spell level, they gain only the bonus spells they would be entitled to based on their Charisma score for that spell level. The channeler's selection of spells is extremely limited. A channeler begins play knowing no spell,s but gains on or more new spells at certain levels. Upon reaching 12th level, and at every fourth channeler level after that, a channeler can choose to learn a new spell in place of one they already know. In effect, the channeler "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level channeler spell the channeler can cast. A channeler may swap only a single spell at any given level. Through 3rd level, a channeler has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, their caster level is one-half their channeler level. Energize Weapon (Su): At 5th level, the channeler is able to extend their energize hand ability to any single weapon they hold. As a move equivalent action, a channeler can surround one of their weapons with their energy type. This energy does not harm their weapon, and allows the weapon to deal an additional 1d6 points of damage of their associated energy type. If this ability is used on a weapon that has an elemental enhancement, such as flaming or frost, it suppresses the weapon’s magical ability and replaces it with the channelers. A channeler can apply this ability to a ranged weapon but it can only be applied to a single unit of ammunition as a move equivalent action. The ability ends at the end of the channeler’s turn if it is not still in their hand. At 10th level, and every 5 levels there after (15 and 20), the amount of damage dealt by the channeler’s energize hand and energize weapon abilities increase by 1d6. Improved Energy Evolution (Ex): At 8th level, the channeler’s affinity for their element develops further. They become immune to sleep effects, and no longer need to sleep naturally (they still must rest calmly in order to regain their mana). Their resistance to their energy type also increases to 15, and their bonus on all saving throws against spells with their element’s descriptor increases to +4. Nimbus (Su): Beginning at 10th level, the channeler gains the ability to activate this ability once per day as a move-equivalent action. They become engulfed in the energy they are associated with, which neither hurts them or their equipment. While they are surrounded by this energy, their Charisma score increases by 4 and they gain damage reduction 5/magic. If they are struck in melee, the attacker takes 2d6 points of damage of their elemental type. This ability lasts for 3 rounds + rounds equal to their (newly modified) charisma modifier. At 14th level, they may use this ability two times per day, and at 18th level they may use it three times per day. Elemental Movement (Ex): At 11th level, the channeler becomes able to move more like an elemental. Air channelers gain a flight speed equal to their base land speed and a good maneuverability. Earth channelers gain a burrow speed with a speed equal to their base land speed, and are able to breathe while burrowing and can even burrow through solid rock and metallic ore (but not pure metal, such as an iron barrier). Fire channelers ?. Water channelers gain a swim speed equal to their base land speed, and can breathe while swimming. Greater Energy Adaptation (Ex): At 12th level, the channeler’s affinity for their element becomes nearly perfect. They become immune to paralysis effects, just like a true elemental. Their energy resistance also increases to 20, and their bonus on all saving throws against spells with their element’s descriptor increases to +6. Quickened Energize (Su): At 13th level, the channeler can use their energize hand or energize weapon abilities as a free action. This means a channeler could apply their energize weapon ability to every thrown weapon they throw or unit of ammunition they fire, or simply their melee weapon at a moment’s notice. Supreme Energy Adaptation (Ex): At 16th level, the channeler’s affinity for their element becomes nearly perfect. They become immune to the stun condition. Their energy resistance also increases to 25, and their bonus on all saving throws against spells with their element’s descriptor increases to +8. Elemental Mastery (Ex): At 17th level, the channeler becomes more like the elementals they are growing into, gaining incredible connection to the element of their association. Air channelers gain Air Mastery, causing airborne creatures to take a –1 penalty on attack and damage rolls against the channeler. Earth channelers gain Earth Mastery, granting the channeler a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its foe are touching the ground, although if an opponent is airborne or waterborne, the channeler takes a –4 penalty on attack and damage rolls. Fire channelers gain Fire Mastery, ?. Water channelers gain Water Mastery, granting the channeler a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls if both it and its opponent are touching water. Elemental Transformation (Ex): At 20th level, the channeler’s evolution is completed. Their type forever changes to elemental, and they gain the subtype appropriate for their energy type, and they gain their associated element’s subtype. They gain damage reduction 10/magic, and they become immune to the additional damage from critical hits, sneak attacks, or similar effects. Electricity subtype is immune to electricity and is weak to acid. Acid subtype is immune to acid and weak to electricity. Ex-Channelers If a channeler becomes lawful, they loose access to all of their spells, spell-like, and supernatural abilities, and also their familiar. They cannot take further levels in channeler until their alignment returns to a non-lawful alignment. CHANNELER Fort Ref Will Spells per Day Level BAB Save Save Save Special 1 2 3 4 1st +0 +2 +2 +0 Sorcerous Mutation, Energize - - - - Hand, Energy Adaptation 2nd +1 +3 +3 +0 Energy Bolt - - - - 3rd +2 +3 +3 +1 ? - - - - 4th +3 +4 +4 +1 Summon Elemental, 0 - - - Elemental Evolution 0 - - - 5th +3 +4 +4 +1 Energize Weapon (1d6) 1 - - - 6th +4 +5 +5 +2 ? 1 - - - 7th +5 +5 +5 +2 1 - - - 8th +6 +6 +6 +2 Improved Elemental Evolution 1 0 - - 9th +6 +6 +6 +3 1 0 - - 10th +7 +7 +7 +3 Energize Weapon (2d6), 1 1 - - Nimbus 1/day 11th +8 +7 +7 +3 Elemental Movement 1 1 - - 12th +9 +8 +8 +4 Greater Elemental Evolution 1 1 0 - 13th +9 +8 +8 +4 Quickened Energize 2 1 0 - 14th +10 +9 +9 +4 Nimbus 2/day 2 1 1 - 15th +11 +9 +9 +5 Energize Weapon (3d6) 2 2 1 - 16th +12 +10 +10 +5 Supreme Elemental Evolution 2 2 1 0 17th +12 +10 +10 +5 Elemental Mastery 3 2 2 0 18th +13 +11 +11 +6 Nimbus 3/day 3 3 2 1 19th +14 +11 +11 +6 3 3 3 2 20th +15 +12 +12 +6 Elemental Transformation, 3 3 3 3 Energize Weapon (4d6) Spells Known Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 1st - - - - 2nd - - - - 3rd - - - - 4th 2 - - - 5th 2 - - - 6th 3 - - - 7th 3 - - - 8th 3 2 - - 9th 4 2 - - 10th 4 3 - - 11th 4 3 - - 12th 4 3 2 - 13th 4 4 2 - 14th 4 4 3 - 15th 4 4 3 - 16th 4 4 3 2 17th 4 4 4 2 18th 4 4 4 3 19th 4 4 4 3 20th 4 4 4 4 What do you think?
Xeviat-DM 06-18-05, 11:22 PM	:bump:
CaveDemon 06-19-05, 05:22 AM	The water damagetype has bein officially ruled as 'cold' damage, not 'acid'. Exept that, nice class. Elemental movement for Fire guys could be a higher speed, or a Body Blaze (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20050304a&page=5) effect. While they could be able to manipulate fire as a elamental mastery, allowing them to use existing fire sorces to deal extra damage. :mage: You can also check the Elemental Familiar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20011109a) spell, as reference for the summon elemental ability (I'd call it "summon elemental familiar"). Hope I helped :D
Xeviat-DM 06-19-05, 05:59 PM	Heh, you caught, what I hope is, the only typo. I'll fix that. And I did realize that fast movement might be nice for the fire channelers. How about this for the fire channeler's elemental movement: Fire channelers gain +10 to their land speed, and they are no longer slowed by natural terrain effects. I'm currently making some changes to try to even out the class. Currently I'm probably removing nimbus, since it is pretty much 4th level spell that they can learn (energy shield, from the xph). I want to either increase it's BAB to 1, or increase it's casting ability to that of a psychic warrior, but I know I need to remove some things to be able to do that since this class's balance is teeterring as it is.
Xeviat-DM 06-20-05, 01:28 AM	I know the class is a little "unique", but I would like help with balancing it. Sorry for bumping so much.
SnipingRanger07 06-20-05, 09:07 AM	I cannot think of any balance issues, good job. But only one complaint really. It might be a clarifacation, but does the Channel ability damage increase ever as an unarmed attack, or a touch attack, or does it always only deal 1d6? If so, I would say up it at least every three levels or even four levels, otherwise it is too weak as far as normal. Also, for the spell list, why don't you use Wu Jen spells, they are Oriental Elementalists I believe, so it would work even better. You could have one specialty spell, and then a few general, that is just a suggestion.
Dragon Thrall 06-20-05, 09:35 AM	I cannot think of any balance issues, good job. But only one complaint really. It might be a clarifacation, but does the Channel ability damage increase ever as an unarmed attack, or a touch attack, or does it always only deal 1d6? If so, I would say up it at least every three levels or even four levels, otherwise it is too weak as far as normal. Also, for the spell list, why don't you use Wu Jen spells, they are Oriental Elementalists I believe, so it would work even better. You could have one specialty spell, and then a few general, that is just a suggestion. Ya I think that would make it perfect.
CaveDemon 06-20-05, 01:20 PM	And I did realize that fast movement might be nice for the fire channelers. How about this for the fire channeler's elemental movement: Fire channelers gain +10 to their land speed, and they are no longer slowed by natural terrain effects. That could be good, but I'd make it +15. The summon elemental ability bugs me for some reason (maybe it's just the name, reminds me of too many spells). And can they multiclass with themselves, with different elemental specializations????? (I know it sounds dumb, but it could be cool if used rightly) You can also say that the way they look changes according to their chosen elemental.
Xeviat-DM 06-21-05, 12:30 AM	Energize Hand increases in damage every time energize weapon does; I believe it is noted in the description of Energize Weapon. Their spell list will be more similar to Shugenja, not Wu Jen. The summon elemental is a tiny elemental familiar that gains abilties based on the sorcerer's level, just like a familiar or psicrystal. I'll get the progression and spell list up soon. And thanks for the suport, any more?
Solamar 06-21-05, 02:22 AM	This is just the sort of thing I was looking for I thought I would have break down and build it for myself. I have this idea for a campaign the short version is that a big bad was imprisoned by the gods and sealed by 6 elemental champions and now the families of the champions are the guardians of the big bad and every generation a new champion is mysticaly chosen from the families. One champion for each element earth, wind, fire, and water and one champion for postive and negative energy. This class is a perfect template for what I have in mind. You sir are a genius :tiphat: I have one idea for the Channeler the ability to pierce DR of the Channelers chosen element if for example you have fire Channeler it could pierve fire DR. I would make it 1 point of DR pierce every 2 Channeler levels so a Lvl 20 Channeler would only have DR pierce of 10 just a thought. I'm looking forward to seeing the spell lists when you get around to putting them up. Keep up the good work :D
Xeviat-DM 06-21-05, 04:51 AM	Possible changes: I really want the channeler to either have a 1-6 spell level selection like the psychic warrior, or have a full base attack progression; currently I'm not sure which is more appropriate. Also, I have considered moving some of the abilities around. How does this change look: Sorcerous Mutation, Energize Hand, Energy Adaptation Mettle Energy Bolt Elemental Evolution Energize Weapon (1d6) Elemental Mastery - Improved Elemental Evolution Improved Mettle Energize Weapon (2d6) Elemental Movement Greater Elemental Evolution - Quickened Energize Energize Weapon (3d6) Supreme Elemental Evolution Timeless Body ? - Elemental Transformation, Energize Weapon (4d6) I removed the nimbus ability since it is easily reproduced with a spell, but I'd need an ability for 18th level. Again, not sure of its balance; I balanced it compared to a 10 Sorcerer/10 Pyro (from the XPH) to price the majority of the abilities, but that is balanced for 15 BAB and 5th level spells. As far as elemental movement, I'm wanting to balance the speeds for burrow, swim, flight, and land to be equally useful. It's tough since swim speeds can't be used too often, while flight and burrow speeds can severely mess with the game. I just want them all to be equally useful, so what type of speed would you give a swim and a burrow speed which also gave you water/earth breathing as a 3rd level spell (to be even with fly). Fire's might even end up getting double their base land speed as their new land speed, but that might be a bit of a jump. As for elemental piercing, I don't think that would be fair. Part of the balance of the class is that their primary damage abilities are tied up in a single element and thus can be defended against. Against creatures and foes who don't put up a defense for it, they are going to have problems. It is slightly balanced by the channeler's elemental mastery ability, and also because of their resistances; when fighting a blue dragon, an air channeler's energy bolt and energize weapon are worthless to them, but the dragon's breath weapon is also less effective against the channeler. My ideas for the 18th level ability is possibly granting another one of the elemental's abilities; whirlwind, whirlpool, and burn, but the earth elemental doesn't have an appropriate ability (push is weak compared to the others).
Xeviat-DM 06-21-05, 04:54 AM	PS: As for a positive and negative channeler, that would be tough. Does negative energy heal undead, does positive heal living? Does it simply work less on the associated creatures (only 1d4 damage vs. living for pos, but 1d8 vs. undead?). Many of the other abilites, including the masteries, movement, and resistances would be tough to adjucate too. In my setting, Void Channelers will be a PrC. Void channelers are channelers who transfer their sorcerous mutation to their void element, removing all other elements from there existance. They then become beings of Positive or Negative energy over the course of the PrC, becoming undead or fey as a result. Each class will need to be developed to mirror each other, but also to take into account the vast differences of the two elements.
dragonman407 08-01-05, 11:07 AM	Great class Xeviat! it's too bad that they have to unlawfull though. i was thinking of multiclassing fire channeler and monk. energize hands plus even more land speed would be great!
Xeviat-DM 08-01-05, 01:20 PM	They are the exact opposite of Monks in my setting, so no dice. Haha. Been playtesting them; as long as their list doesn't include purely offensive spells, they've been fine with the bardic spell progression. Remember, energize weapon and energy bolt basically duplicate a spell.