Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 avadaba Feb 27, 2009 18:35:26	Like the title says, this is the first draft (of the first level) of my first attempt at a homebrew class. I'm still working on encounter and daily powers, but I figured I'd post what I have thus far to get some input. Some of the language is campaign-specific, but any advice on diction is welcome. Mostly I'd like opinions on balance , though. The two builds I have in mind play very differently (to the extent of having some powers whose primary attack statistic is actually the build's secondary statistic); and I'm worried that I might be inviting min/max exploitation by having secondary ability scores factor so strongly into each build. Class features are also a bit of a worry. Depending on build, I'm aiming for having the class turn into one of two things. A tough (but rather unskilled) frontliner who approaches barbarian-level single target damage while providing short buffs to himself and allies comparable to a toned down warlord (but lacking any true healing abilities), or a tough close to mid-ranged nuker capable of spreading out respectable punishment as well as push, slide, daze, and prone effects - yet who can't match the versatility of a wizard or warlock when it comes to range, massive area spells, breadth of status effects and utility powers. Beyond that, I'd like the class to be unique enough to stand alone and toe to toe with the core classes. It's a long way from that point, but opinions on how it looks at this early stage are appreciated. Sorry for the general lack of formatting, I might edit this later depending on the response. Aukvhar Sest "Mine is the Twofold Path. By weapon or by spell, I will be your end." CLASS TRAITS Role: Striker. Ensconced in heavy armor and bearing the martial prowess of a trained soldier, you blast your enemies with torrents of arcane power before closing to melee where you scythe through their ranks with invocations on your lips and eldritch force on your weapon. Depending on your class feature and power choices, you lean toward either controller or leader as a secondary role. Power Source: Arcane. Riotous magical energies flow through you as easily as breath, and thanks to your extensive training you can combine that power with your mastery of heavy infantry tactics to bring swift defeat to your foes. Key Abilities: Charisma, Strength, Intelligence Armor Proficiencies: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee Implements: Weapons Bonus to Defense: +1 Fortitude, +1 Will Hit Points at 1st Level: 15+ Constitution Score Hit Points per Level Gained: 6 Healing Surges per Day: 6+ Constitution Modifier Trained Skills: Enurance. From the class skills list below, choose 2 more trained skills at first level. Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Athletics (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wisdom), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis) Build Options: Sest of Blasting, Sest of Steel Class Features: Bornmage Warrior Training, Twofold Path Versatility, Twofold Path Specialization The standing army of the primarily Dragonborn-populated city of Bharash has a long history of employing small units of soldiers specially trained in a style of warfare particular to the region. They are typically heavily armored and well-armed bornmages - beings with some innate ability to harness arcane power - who compliment their mastery of shock trooper tactics with elemental blasts and mystical invocations. They are limited in number, and are generally only committed to battles which ordinary troops cannot hope to win alone - although recently some have used their special status to facilitate their hiring as mercenaries to nearby powers or have even left the city completely to pursue their own goals - though such abandonment of duty is naturally dimly viewed by the leadership of the company. You were born or infused at a young age with a natural capacity to shape magic. You lived with this chaotic power until finding training in the ways of the Aukvhar Sest, more commonly known as Eldritch Shock Troopers. You most likely were noticed by a member of Bharash's famed Brothers of the Twofold Path and pressed into their rigorous training so that you might serve the city; or perhaps you found tutelage under a rogue Aukvhar Sest who felt obliged to help a fellow bornmage control the power rampant within. You are girded without by tested steel, within by arcane might. Your mind, body, instincts, spells, weapons and armor are honed toward the singular purpose of swift and terrible victory on the battlefield. CREATING AN AUKVHAR SEST Even within so specialized a cadre, there is room for unique interpretations of the Aukvhar Sest methods of battle; and your choice of powers, class features, and ability scores reflect one of two styles of combat. Charisma is the primary statistic for all builds, as it determines the accuracy and strength of most of your powers. Those who wish to blast multiple foes and send them reeling should make Strength their secondary statistic. Those who tend to lead from the front and wish to confer mystical augmentations to themselves and their allies should instead make Intelligence a priority. Sest of Blasting Drawing on the tactical writings of Calebren Senquist - a renowned Eladrin adventurer who centuries ago spent some decades among the early Brotherhood learning and teaching - you have been trained to shape the tides of power within you into a destructive force you use to buffet your foes from afar. With gouts of flame, clouds of frost, bolts of necrosis, you scour your enemies with inescapable death - weakening their position until you can sweep them from the field. Charisma directs and strengthens your powers and should be your highest ability score. Strength is also necessary to control the unstable powers you draw upon, and lends your spells additional power and effects and thus should be your second-highest ability score. A high Intelligence improves a handful of your techniques as well as the beneficial invocations of the Path of Steel and should be your third highest score. Suggested Class Feature: Path of Blasting Suggested Feat: Suggested Skills: Suggested At-Will Powers: Suggested Encounter Power: Suggested Daily Power: Sest of Steel In the tradition of the first Aukvhar Sest - Dragonborn elite who by their daring exploits rallied their fellows to win countless battles - you are a master of both your chosen weapon and invocations that help you and your allies stand firm and bring swift death to your enemies. You prefer to charge toward your enemies and break their lines with arcane syllables and bloodied weapons. Most of your attacks rely on Charisma, so that should be your highest ability score. You are at your strongest when strengthening yourself and your allies with swift incantations and focused bursts of energy, so Intelligence should be your second-highest score. Your powers also sometimes benefit from a high Strength, or you may wish to select powers normally employed by the Path of Blasting, so that should be your third-highest score. Suggested Class Feature: Path of Steel Suggested Feat: Suggested Skills: Suggested At-Will Powers: Suggested Encounter Power: Suggested Daily Power: AUKVHAR SEST CLASS FEATURES You have the following class features. Bornmage Warrior Training You have learned to direct your spells through your armaments. You may use your weapons as implements and gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus. You also add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll of any power with the Weapon keyword. Additionally, if you wield a gauntlet-type weapon (spiked, clawed, etc), you may add your proficiency bonus with that weapon to any power with the Implement keyword. Shock Trooper's Versatility Your long training in a military doctrine that combines the arcane with the mundane - two typically opposed styles of combat - has provided you with a more flexible arsenal than most. At 1st level, you may choose an additional level 1 At-Will Power that comes from any class (including your own), so long as it has an Arcane or Martial power source. Note that you do not gain any other benefits from the class and as such may not be able to make full use of all powers. (Though you may use your weapons as implements for any powers with the implement keyword as per your Bornmage Warrior Training class feature.) You also do not qualify for any class-restricted feats based on this power. This extra At-Will Power may be retrained as normal in your campaign, but you may never have more than one At-Will Power from another class solely due to this class feature. Twofold Path Specialization All Aukvhar Sest are what the Dragonborn refer to as Aukvhar, or "bornmages". Through some quirk of bloodline or birth, you have an innate bond to powerful eldritch energies. As an Aukvhar Sest, you have learned to harness these energies to enhance your abilities as a heavily-armored combatant. Depending on your choice of either the Path of Blasting or the Path of Steel, you gain further benefits detailed below and bonuses to certain powers, as detailed in those powers. Path of Blasting Forceful Precision: You gain a bonus to attack and damage rolls equal to half your Strength modifier on close, range or area powers with the Arcane keyword. This is in addition to any other bonuses that might be applied to the power based on your Strength. Blast Mastery: You may choose to forego the benefit of your Forceful Precision class feature on any power it would normally affect in order to add an effect beyond any that it might normally have. This is a free action that must be declared before you roll to hit. You may either push tarets hit by the attack a number of squares equal to your Stength modifier or slide them a number of squares equal to half your Strength modifier. If you take an additional -4 attack penalty, you may also either knock them prone or daze them until the end of their next turn. Path of Steel Combat Virtuoso: You gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to your Intelligence modifier on all melee attacks. This is in addition to any other bonuses that might be applied to the power based on your Intelligence. Invocation Mastery: As a minor action, you may choose to forego the benefit of your Combat Virtuoso class feature in order to invoke one of the following benefits until you cancel it as a free action - at which time you regain your Combat Virtuoso class feature. You may wreathe your weapon in energies corresponding to a damage type of your choosing, adding a damage bonus to your melee attacks equal to your Intelligence modifier. Alternatively, you may speed your limbs and reaction times, providing a bonus to speed equal to half your Intelligence modifier, and a bonus to your AC and Reflex defense equal to half your intelligence modifier. ------------ Level 1 At-Will Powers Rimefire Lance Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 Through force of will, you form a spear of opposing elemental energies and launch it at a foe. At-Will * Arcane, Cold, Fire, Implement Standard Action                 Ranged 10 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: Charisma modifier cold damage + Charisma modifier fire damage. Increase damage of each to 1d6 + Charisma modifier at 21st level. Special: This power can be used as a ranged basic attack. Miasmic Bolt Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 After a short incantation, a strange ochre bolt flies from your outstretched hand, speeding toward your target while trailing foul mist. Again and again, they suffer sickening jolts of power. At-Will * Arcane, Lightning, Poison, Implement Standard Action                 Ranged 20 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 1d6 + Charisma modifier lightning and poison damage. Increase damage to 2d6 + Charisma modifier at 21st level. Secondary Target: Primary target Secondary Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude Hit: Target takes lightning and poison damage at the start of their next turn equal to 1d4 + Strength modifier. Increase damage to 1d4 + Strength modifier + Charisma modifier at 21st level. Orb of Detonation Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 With a gesture and a word of power, you create a fist-sized orb composed of the energies you have chosen. You then hurl it toward your enemies and detonate it with a thought. At-Will * Arcane, Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Thunder, Implement Standard Action                 Area burst 1 within 5 squares Target: Each creature in burst Attack: Charisma vs. Reflex Hit: 2d4 + Strength modifier damage of a type chosen from the keywords above. Increase damage to 4d4 + Strength modifier at 21st level. Special: You may increase the range of this power by a number of squares equal to your Strength modifier. Mindwave Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 Tapping the raw force within, you release a focused blast of power in front of you, directing it with your mind to scour foes and shield enemies. At-Will * Arcane, Force, Psychic, Implement Standard Action                 Close blast 2 Target: Each enemy in blast Attack: Intelligence vs. Will Hit: 1d4 + Charisma modifier force damage + Intelligence modifier psychich damage. Increase damage to 2d4 + Charisma modifier force damage + Intelligence modifier psychic damage at 21st level. Effect: Willing allies caught in the blast are enveloped in a nimbus of shimmering force that lasts until the start of your next turn and provides a +2 power bonus to any saving throw they may make. Storm Strike Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 You concentrate on the energies within you, and swing your weapon at a distant enemy, electricity coursing down your arms. A moment later, thunder follows the bolt as your attack is mirrored upon the target in a booming concussion. At-Will * Arcane, Lightning, Thunder, Weapon Standard Action                 Ranged 5 Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. Fortitude Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier thunder damage. Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier at 21st level. Effect: You gain a power bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier as lightning damage on your first melee attack next turn. This bonus dissipates if it is not triggered by the end of your next turn. Special: Magical weapon properties and powers do not affect this attack and cannot be triggered by it; however, due to the nature of the attack, you may add any feat bonuses you may have with the weapon. Siphon Strike Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 With a sudden lunge, you bring your weapon to bear - wreathed in dark energies. Your foe's strength becomes your own. At-Will * Arcane, Necrotic, Weapon Standard Action                 Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage. Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage at 21st level. Special: You may choose to forego the extra damage from your Charisma modifier to instead weaken the target until the end of its next turn and grant yourself temporary hit points equal to your Intelligence modifier. This is a free action that must be declared before you roll to hit, and you must hit for this effect to occur. An enemy immune to necrotic damage is immune to this effect. Versatile Strike Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 As you swing, you utter a word of power, enveloping your weapon in a specific energy type in order to increase the suffering of your target. At-Will * Arcane, Acid, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Poison, Psychic, Thunder, Weapon Standard Action                 Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Charisma vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Charisma modifier damage + Intelligence modifier damage of a type chosen from the keywords above. Increase damage to 2[W] + Charisma modifier damage + Intelligence modifier damage at 21st level. Gate Strike Aukvhar Sest Attack 1 You quickly lay about with your weapon while simultaneously tracing runes of travel through the air. A moment later you disappear and reappear elsewhere. At-Will * Arcane, Teleportation, Implement Standard Action                 Close burst 1 Target: Each enemy in burst Attack: Strength - 2 vs. AC Hit: 1[W] damage. Increase damage to 2[W] at 21st level. Effect: You may take a minor action to teleport a number of squares equal to your Strength modifier.
#2 lady_ishtar Feb 27, 2009 20:42:25	i must say i really like the feel of this class, nice job as far as flavor goes. though i get a sinking suspicion that this concept might be just as well done with a swordmage and a sorcerer. but what do i know. still, i do like the class based on the fluff. as far as mechanics go: you give bonuses to hit too much. of all the current classes only rogues and fighters get bonuses to hit, and only +1 bonus with a weapon restriction. i think at this point this is the biggest problem with your class, as far as balance goes. Key Abilities: Charisma, Strength, Intelligence if i learned anything from PHB1, i would do one of the following things as far as stats go: 1. have one primary stat and 2 secondary ones,one for each path. 2. have 2 different primary stats and one secondary. this one is tricky, as you can easily restrict the player from half of the powers the class has. Hit Points at 1st Level: 15+ Constitution Score Hit Points per Level Gained: 6 Healing Surges per Day: 6+ Constitution Modifier they are a striker with scale armor, so they are already pretty tough. why defender hit points? i would drop that to those of other strikers, except barbarian. Shock Trooper's Versatility interesting take on a gish. seems fine if you do not multiclass, but very overpowered if you multiclass. as it stands now, only way for getting an at-will from another class costs you 4 feats and a paragon path. Twofold Path Specialization see my point above on bonuses to hit. in addition you can forgo an overpower bonus for an overpower ability. the "masteries" should be encounter abilities. Rimefire Lance the damage is weird, leaning on underpowered here. Miasmic Bolt i would make secondary damage static, maybe even without the secondary attack roll. Orb of Detonation seems ok. the Str range increase seems like it should be path specific. thats all ive got for now. other at wills need some work too, but the class abilities need to be fixed first and foremost.
#3 avadaba Feb 28, 2009 2:10:40	Thanks for the reply. I'll keep what you said in mind the next time I work on it. I actually just finished up a play session, and I've got another campaign tomorrow night; but I should get at least a few hours to sit down with this thing in the next few days. I'll have to think about adding some restriction against multiclassing, but I kind of hate to punish a player by taking away an option normally available to any character. I can also understand your worries about the class features being a bit powerful. I was shooting for something comparable to a 'half-strength' sorceror spell source feature as the class does come with some standard features... but maybe I overshot a bit. I'm not quite sure what you mean about the bonuses to hit though. The Bornmage feature is meant to emulate a swordmage's ability to use a weapon as an implement without the swordbond aspect and with the added gauntlet bonus for both flavor and 'realism'. I can see the gauntlet proficiency bonus maybe being a bit much for early game, but in all it doesn't seem to be 'too' bad. I'll leave that one to playtesting I think.
#4 lady_ishtar Feb 28, 2009 8:36:17	... I can also understand your worries about the class features being a bit powerful. I was shooting for something comparable to a 'half-strength' sorceror spell source feature as the class does come with some standard features... but maybe I overshot a bit. I'm not quite sure what you mean about the bonuses to hit though. The Bornmage feature is meant to emulate a swordmage's ability to use a weapon as an implement without the swordbond aspect and with the added gauntlet bonus for both flavor and 'realism'. I can see the gauntlet proficiency bonus maybe being a bit much for early game, but in all it doesn't seem to be 'too' bad. I'll leave that one to playtesting I think. let me show you how i would handle this: You also add your proficiency bonus to the attack roll of any power with the Weapon keyword. it is already assumed that you get weapon's proficiency bonus to Weapon keyword attacks. this sounds like they get that bonus twice Bornmage Warrior Training You have learned to direct your spells through your armaments. You may use your weapons as implements and gain a bonus to attack rolls equal to the weapon's enhancement bonus. You do not gain your weapon's proficiency bonus to attack rolls with implement powers. now you have your weapons as implements part Shock Trooper's Versatility If you wield a gauntlet-type weapon (spiked, clawed, etc), you may add the proficiency bonus of that weapon as bonus to damage with any power with the Implement keyword, and you add +1 to hit bonus to any power with Weapon keyword. now the class specializes in gauntlets. this way you avoid the power trap that is giving out a free at-will from another class, and you focus on the whole arcane power channeled through weapons while being better at punching things. Path of Blasting Forceful Precision: You gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your Strength *i would change this to Int* modifier on close, range or area powers with the Arcane keyword. Blast Mastery: you gain Blast Mastery encounter power. Blast MAstery Aukvhar Sest class feature At-Will * Arcane Free Action Trigger: You may use this power after you hit at least one target with one of your Attack powers. Target: Each creature hit by the triggering attack power. Hit: Target is pushed number of squares equal to your Int modifier and knocked prone. not to sure how to handle Path of Steel. but basically any additional bonuses to hit should be handled on per power basis, not as a blanket to hit bonus.