Post/Author/DateTime	Post
JulesCARV 02-28-08, 06:38 PM	I'm thinking that, to make terrain masteries other than desert and underground more worthwhile, I'll change the skill bonuses provided by marsh, forest, mountain, hills, plains, and aquatic from competence bonuses (which can be provided by cheap (100 x bonus^2 gp) magic items with higher overlapping bonuses) to untyped bonuses. Thoughts?
dman11235 02-28-08, 07:03 PM	Sure. Sounds good to me.
Jaxgaret 02-28-08, 07:06 PM	Sounds like a good start to fixing the class. I would probably do a lot more, such as: Adding a second (or even third) skill to add a bonus to for each terrain. For example, Hill Terrain Mastery now gives a +4 to Listen and Tumble checks. Mountain Terrain Mastery now gives a +4 to Climb, Use Rope, and Concentration. Plains Terrain Mastery gives +4 to Spot and Ride etc. Boost the other masteries - Aquatic Terrain Mastery gives you a Swim speed equal to half of your land speed. Desert Terrain Mastery makes you Immune to Exhaustion. Underground Terrain Mastery adds +60' to your Darkvision as well as Low-Light Vision. Make Knowledge (Nature) and Knowledge (Dungeoneering) class skills, and make Knowledge (The Planes) a class skill once you hit Planar Terrain Mastery. I mean, duh. Think about adding other Knowledges too, or the option of selecting a few. I'll try to think of some more.
dman11235 02-28-08, 07:10 PM	The only one I don't agree with you on Jax is the desert one. That one is fine at fatigue. EDIT: Oh, and just have knowledge (planes) at level 1. Adding a class skill in the middle of a class is cumbersome.
Jaxgaret 02-28-08, 07:41 PM	The only one I don't agree with you on Jax is the desert one. That one is fine at fatigue. You may be correct. It was just an idea I threw out, and would need to be examined/playtested. EDIT: Oh, and just have knowledge (planes) at level 1. Adding a class skill in the middle of a class is cumbersome. You make it a line under the Special heading, give them Skill Knowledge: Knowledge (The Planes) as a bonus feat at level 6. Bam, done.
JaronK 02-29-08, 01:33 AM	I don't see a problem with this concept. The Horizon Walker isn't exactly overpowered. Just be careful not to give Diplomacy, UMD, Autohypnosis, or Iajuitsu Focus as one of those skills to avoid making it the perfect dip class. JaronK
dman11235 02-29-08, 11:51 AM	It already is the perfect dip class. Immune to fatigue? Yes please! But the real dip is 6 levels, for Dimension Door every 1d4 rounds. That's useful for an archer.
Cayzle 02-29-08, 12:11 PM	The value of the Horizon Walker really varies depending on the level and availability of magic items in the game. Is there a magic shop on the corner at which you can buy any item in the DMG? Then yes, the HW would be improved with unnamed bonuses that will stack, as part and parcel of an inflationary game. But if magic items are scarce, or if PCs are more or less stuck with the items they find, then the HW as written is a fine class. I certainly would not splat it up with bonuses to two or three skills per level, unless your campaign is already so bogused-out with non-core uber-options that the DMG PrCs can't compete as written. I've always had an issue with the problem that an HW can achieve terrain or planar mastery without actually ever visiting that terrain or plain. My solution is to rename it "Dream Walker," with the explanation that the character wanders the multiverse in his or her dreams.
Jaxgaret 02-29-08, 06:18 PM	The value of the Horizon Walker really varies depending on the level and availability of magic items in the game. Is there a magic shop on the corner at which you can buy any item in the DMG? Then yes, the HW would be improved with unnamed bonuses that will stack, as part and parcel of an inflationary game. But if magic items are scarce, or if PCs are more or less stuck with the items they find, then the HW as written is a fine class. Except that non-casters suffer even more in a campaign with limited access to magic items. I certainly would not splat it up with bonuses to two or three skills per level, unless your campaign is already so bogused-out with non-core uber-options that the DMG PrCs can't compete as written. Are you seriously suggesting that an HW with +4 to a couple of skills is an "uber-option" and "bogus"? Newsflash: a Ranger/HW with those modifications would still be underpowered when compared to a straight Ranger, which itself is strictly middle of the road. I've always had an issue with the problem that an HW can achieve terrain or planar mastery without actually ever visiting that terrain or plain. My solution is to rename it "Dream Walker," with the explanation that the character wanders the multiverse in his or her dreams. That's an interesting fluff idea. Cool. Reminds me of the preview of the 4e dream plane.
JaronK 03-01-08, 03:19 AM	It already is the perfect dip class. Immune to fatigue? Yes please! But the real dip is 6 levels, for Dimension Door every 1d4 rounds. That's useful for an archer. Well, it's a solid dip for a Barbarian (or god forbid, an Orc Warlord). But you have to burn one or two feats to get into it, and most fights are going to be over before the Barbarian is done raging anyway. DD is certainly cool, but 6 levels is not a dip... at that point, it's a pretty serious investment for a PrC. Besides, one level of Swordsage could give you Shadow Jaunt, which is very similar in utility, and that doesn't require the feats or the high level investment. JaronK