Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 mileshendon Jul 29, 2008 15:28:37	I tried to keep it as close and balanced to other classes as possible while still trying to create a fresh new playstyle. Shapeshifting might seem overwhelming, but I think it's pretty balanced. Basically if you're shapeshifted you only have a move and standard and can't use items or powers. The offense and defense for the bear and wolf are a little bit below the roles they are mimicking (defender and striker, respectively). Bear and wolf both attack off of a different stat (str or dex) so it's impossible to be good at both without sacrificing wisdom, which is definitely the prime stat of the druid which I will show later on when I draw up encounters, utilities, and dailies (using 3.5e druid spell names and similar effects). I like the concept for the bear so far, but the wolf definitely needs a little more flair. I was thinking of making his at-will vs reflex similar to the rogue's piercing strike at-will to make it a more reliable hitter to make up for the wolf's lighter damage, but that's treading on sacred ground and I want to keep this class as balanced as possible. So read over it and tell me what you think. CLASS TRAITS Role: Shifter. Your class features allow you to shift roles on the fly in battle in exchange for your own health. Power Source: Divine. You are the living instrument of nature's will and a true embodiment of its savage fury. Key Abilities: Wisdom, Strength, Dexterity Armor Proficiency: Cloth, Leather, Hide Weapon Proficiency: Simple melee, simple ranged Implements: Holy symbol Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Will Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score Hit Points per Level Gained: 5 Healing Surges per Day: 7 + Constitution modifier Trained Skills: Nature. From the class skills list below, choose four more trained skills at 1st level. Class Skills: Athletics (Str), Arcana (Int), Endurance (Con), Heal (Wis), Perception (Wis), Religion (Int), Stealth (Dex) Build Options: Class Features: Shapeshifting, healing touch, Nature's Bond, Ritual Casting Shapeshifting The divine power bestowed upon you from your deity, coupled with your innate connection to the wild, allows you to transform into one of nature's great beasts. Powers, items, and weapons cannot be used or activated while shapeshifted unless specifically noted in their description. You receive a +2 weapon proficiency bonus to attacks made with your natural weapons while shapeshifted. Bonuses and penalties from any effect active on you before you shapeshift remain afterward. If knocked unconscious you immediately return to your normal state. Additionally, while shapeshifted you may not speak. You receive the following powers for free at level one: Shapeshift: Bear Druid Class Feature Flavor text Encounter Divine Minor Action, Personal Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. Instead, you shapeshift into a bear of your imagining until the beginning of your next turn. Gain temporary hit points equal to twice your level. In addition, while shapeshifted you receive a +1 bonus to AC and a +1 to saving throws. Sustain Minor: You spend a minor action at the beginning of your turn to sustain this power for this turn. If you choose not to spend a minor action then this power ends immediately and all bonuses and temporary hit points granted from it are lost. If you are unable to take any action due to a stun effect then your shapeshift is automatically sustained for this round. Special: While shapeshifted, you retain your armor bonus from wearing armor. If wearing light armor, you may add your wisdom bonus to AC instead of dexterity or intelligence while shifted. You can use this power once per encounter. At 11th and 21st level you receive an additional usage of this power. Brutal Maul At-Will Martial, Implement Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 1d10 + Strength modifier damage Increase damage to 2d10 + Strength modifier at 21st level. Special: You may push the target 1 square except on opportunity attacks. You must be using shapeshift: bear to use this attack. This power counts as a melee basic attack. When a power allows you to make a melee basic attack you use this power instead. Shapeshift: Wolf Druid Class Feature Flavor text Encounter Divine Minor Action, Personal Effect: You spend a healing surge but regain no hit points. Instead, you shapeshift into a wolf of your imagining until the beginning of your next turn. Once per round when you have combat advantage against a target and are shapeshifted, you may deal extra damage on a successful melee attack. As you advance in level your extra damage increases. Level 1st-10th +1d6 11th-20th +2d6 21st-30th +3d6 In addition, while shapeshifted you receive a bonus to AC against opportunity attacks equal to your dexterity modifier and a +1 bonus to movement speed. Sustain Minor: You spend a minor action at the beginning of your turn to sustain this power for this turn. If you choose not to spend a minor action then this power ends immediately and all bonuses granted from it are lost. If you are unable to take any action due to a stun effect then your shapeshift is automatically sustained for this round. Special: While shapeshifted, you retain your armor bonus from wearing armor. If wearing light armor, you may add your wisdom bonus to AC instead of dexterity or intelligence. You can use this power once per encounter. At 11th and 21st level you receive an additional usage of this power. Piercing Fang At-Will Martial, Implement Standard Action Melee Target: One creature Attack: Dexterity vs. AC Hit: 1d8 + Dexterity modifier damage. Increase damage to 2d8 + Dexterity modifier at 21st level. Special: You may shift 1 square before or after this attack except on opportunity attacks. You must be using shapeshift: wolf to use this power. This power counts as a melee basic attack. When a power allows you to make a melee basic attack you use this power instead. Healing Touch Using the healing touch power, druids can grant their comrades additional resilience with nothing more than a short prayer. Healing Touch Druid Class Feature Flavor text Encounter (Special) Nature, Healing Minor Action Close burst 5 (10 at 11th level, 15 at 21st level) Target: You or one ally in burst Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d6 hit points. Increase the amount of additional hit points regained to 2d6 at 6th level, 3d6 at 11th level, 4d6 at 16th level, 5d6 at 21st level, and 6d6 at 26th level. Special: You can use healing touch twice per encounter, but only once per round. At 16th level, you can use healing touch three times per encounter, but only once per round. Nature's Bond When you fight outdoors or underground, you receive a +1 bonus to attack rolls. You do not receive this bonus when fighting in artificial terrain. Ritual Casting You gain the Ritual Caster feat (page 200) as a bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals (see Chapter 10). You possess a ritual book, and it contains two rituals you have mastered: the Animal Messenger ritual and one other 1st-level ritual of your choice. Edit/Delete Message
#2 machmoth Jul 29, 2008 16:44:50	Spending healing surges is definitely costly, but thematically appropriate, and I like it. I'm not sure the shape changes really need to be maintained, and makes for slightly more book keeping/action management. It would probably be sufficient to say "until end of encounter", which would allow shape-changing for 5 minute durations out of battle. I don't really see a huge problem with it as is, but I like to err on the side of simple. The bear looks like he's definitely a defender, but rather than just having all of those temporary hitpoints (which do offset the healing surge cost some), I'd personally prefer some sort of marking technique like the other defenders have to encourage me to be an actual target. Maybe have Brutal Maul look something like:
#3 mileshendon Jul 29, 2008 17:38:01	Hey thanks for replying! The shapechanges are maintained to take away the druid's minor action. I didn't want an animal to have a minor action... it just didn't seem right. Though it's not like he has a whole lot of access to minors without items or powers anyway. I didn't want to keep armor either, but I found the scaling got really messy. The reason for allowing the wis bonus instead of dex for wearing light armor is because I don't want to encourage heavy armor druids. Since a strength druid is probably going bear he will be squishy in caster form with his low dex, but in bear form he gets to use wis instead so that will put him back on par with the dex druid (and that nice little extra +1 for being a bear). The powers will mostly be direct ports from 3e--buffs and ranged attacks and the occasional heal outside of his class feature (but nowhere near what the cleric has).