and since with the whole "Points of light in a world of darkness" that WotC is going with, I think it'll be awhile before we see anything like Book of Vile Darkness anytime soon.
I'm looking for advice on how to "Evil Up" a cleric. Here's what i have thus far.
Change all instances of Radiant to Necrotic
CD: Turn Undead: Rewrite as CD: Command Undead
Target: 3 undead creatures in burst.
Hit: The creatures hit are now dominated. (save ends).
Miss: Targets are compelled to attack you on their next turn, unless marked.
Increase number of targets by 1 at levels 5, 11, 15, 21 and 25
(From Brian Bors) Dominate souls. Evil Cleric feature (substitutes healing word)
You whisper to the lingering souls and command them with his/her voice to empower you or your ally.
Encounter (Special), Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once per round and only if a participant of the battle died since your last turn, or at the end of a battle encounter. At 16th level, you can use this power three times per encounter.
Minor Action Close Burst 5 (10 at 11 level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: You or one ally.
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d10 hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hit points regained to 2d10 at 6th level, 3d10 at 11th level, 4d10 at 16th level, 5d10 at 21st level and 6d10 at 26th level.
Then just add CD feats for all the evil gods. These will follow. Suggestions thus far?
For Command Undead, make it single target or maybe 2 or 3 targets in the burst, otherwise an entire encounter of undead can be dominated pretty easy at later levels. And just make it dominated (save ends). Timed durations are extra, unnecessary bookeeping.
Draining Word is bad, and horribly horrible broken. Take the lowest level solo in the book, say the Young White Dragon on page 84 ofg the MM. Your Draining Word would deal 50 automatic damage to it, and he could do it twice in one encounter. 2 level 1 clerics could solo a white dragon in two turns. Heck, as worded, it can smash Orcus for 381 a shot. It those clerics could survive him for 2 rouns, they'll kill him too.
I suggest just leaving Healing Sowrd alone. Even evil clerics need to heal their allies.
No need to switch Radiant and Necrotic.
That is actually a suggestion from the DM guide for evil clerics and paladins. I frowned to when I first read it. It is on page 163. Still not sure what to think about it.
I suggest just leaving Healing Sowrd alone. Even evil clerics need to heal their allies.
True. Keep the meat shield alive and you are less likely to get hurt yourself. Healing isn't inherently good or evil.... but you can heal in an evil way:
Dominate souls. Evil Cleric feature (substitutes healing word)
You whisper to the lingering souls and command them with his/her voice to empower you or your ally.
Encounter (Special), Divine, Healing
Special: You can use this power twice per encounter, but only once per round and only if a participant of the battle died since your last turn, or at the end of a battle encounter. At 16th level, you can use this power three times per encounter.
Minor Action Close Burst 5 (10 at 11 level, 15 at 21st level)
Target: You or one ally.
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge and regain an additional 1d10 hit points.
Increase the amount of additional hit points regained to 2d10 at 6th level, 3d10 at 11th level, 4d10 at 16th level, 5d10 at 21st level and 6d10 at 26th level.
You pledge a little of your soul to Asmodeus and he in turn gives you power to continue on.
Encounter: Divine, Personal Range
Minor Action
Target: Self
Special: Sacrifice a healing surge.
Effect: You may end any number of effects that a save could end that are affecting you. Healing surges sacrificed to fuel this power are lost permanently and not regained from an extended rest.
thoughts?
Channel Divinity: Asmodeus's Deal
You pledge a little of your soul to Asmodeus and he in turn gives you power to continue on.
Encounter: Divine, Personal Range
Minor Action
Target: Self
Special: Sacrifice a healing surge.
Effect: You may end any number of effects that a save could end that are affecting you. Healing surges sacrificed to fuel this power are lost permanently and not regained from an extended rest.
thoughts?
I would really suggest against losing a healing surge permanently. :[ It turns it from an encounter power to a six or seven times per campaign power.
I like the feel of that. It's adding a few restrictions but it's good.
Be careful. It's weak against solo monsters, but their are ways around that. Take an enemy captive and release him during combat, only to kill him and misuse his lingering soul... hehehe.
Also [PEACH]:
Summon Imp Cleric Attack 1
A small flame appears before you, and from it creeps a bound imp ready to do your bidding.
Daily ✦ Divine, Fire, Implement, Summoning
Minor Action Ranged 5
Effect: You summon a tiny imp in an unoccupied square within range. The imp has speed 4 and fly 6 (hover). You can give the angel the following
special commands.
Standard Action: Melee 1; targets one creature;
Wisdom vs. Reflex; 1d6 + Wisdom modifier damage.
Standard Action: Vanish; The imp becomes invisible until the end of its next turn or until it attacks.
Standard Action: melee 1 ; targets one creature, can only be used once during the encounter. Recharges when the imp uses vanish.
adjacent; Wisdom+2 vs. AC; 1d8 + Wisdom modifier damage, and the imp makes a secondary attack against the same target. Secondary attack: Wisdom vs. Fortitude; the target takes ongoing 5 poison damage and a -2 penalty to will defense (safe ends both).
Opportunity Attack: Melee 1; targets one creature;
Wisdom vs. Reflex; 1d8 + Wisdom modifier fire damage.
Channel Divinity: Asmodeus's Deal
You pledge a little of your soul to Asmodeus and he in turn gives you power to continue on.
Encounter: Divine, Personal Range
Minor Action
Target: Self
Special: Sacrifice a healing surge.
Effect: You may end any number of effects that a save could end that are affecting you. Healing surges sacrificed to fuel this power are lost permanently and not regained from an extended rest.
I like adding permanent sacrifices. But a healing surge is way to much. Maybe a single HP or 2? Or a HP per two effects? Thoughts on permanent sacrifices anyone?
I might think of something tomorrow. But I am of to sleep now.
There are a million ways to do it, but requiring a character to permanently hamstring themselves for a momentary tactical advantage is bad game design, and basically isn't fun.
Channel Divinity: Asmodeus's Deal
You pledge a little of your soul to Asmodeus and he in turn gives you power to continue on.
Encounter: Divine, Personal Range
Minor Action
Target: Self
Special: Sacrifice a healing surge.
Effect: You may end any number of effects that a save could end that are affecting you. Healing surges sacrificed to fuel this power are lost permanently and not regained from an extended rest.
thoughts?
No. Hell no. Permanent sacrifice = bad.
2. I dont think you should do the intimidate/diplomac switch, a cleric of the evil gods talks people into their service, promising power and rewards (aka diplomacy), if the evil gods want to scare folk into it they will send an evil palidin or avenger to do it, in the same way good gods send good paladin/avenger to scare folk Despite serving a different diety, you are still serving the same purpose.
3. the asmodias chanel divenity thing is actualy a good way to go, just dont sacrifice them perminatly. I would do it as follows
Channel Divinity: Asmodeus's Deal
You pledge a little of your soul to Asmodeus and he in turn gives you power to continue on.
Encounter: Divine, Personal Range
Minor Action
Target: Self
Special: expend any number of healing surges.
Effect: You may end 2 effects that a save could end that are affecting you for each surge expended.
alright alright... everyone says no to the surges thing... what about... losing your bloodied value in HP. That can easily be gotten back? Half of it can be gotten back by second winding and if you need more help in getting the rest of it back you must be doing really bad as a cleric. Or maybe just allowing that they come back?
Yeah, that's the thing. The problem wasn't using the healing surges, the problem was using the healing surges PERMANENTLY. :D Ridding yourself of a status effect or two is a perfectly valid use for a surge... Just make sure you're not crippling yourself doing it ;)
Makes it feel more evil.
@ff6shadow.. those are awesome. I really need to start trolling (not as in troll annoy but troll as in what you do when you're looking for fish) the ENWorld forums more.
Trawl, in that context.
I'm not much for the permanent loss of a healing surge for somethings a save could end. Death save or petrification or something like that maybe, but there are other powers that just give you another 50 50 shot with no penalty. A sure thing's a sure thing but I'd only deal with the devil for more than a sure thing.
Grant double bloodied in temp hp as well?
bah. permanent sacrifice leaves a bad taste unless it's a cinematic element...