GitP PrC Contest XIV Voting Thread!

[ErrantX]

Alright, here is the voting thread! Some tough competition in here. Really, I think I hit a good contest on this idea. Got some really good classes in here, definitely worth saving. Unfortunately I had to disqualify Makahl's Tenshyougai due to it being unfinished, sorry man.

But on to the votes! I will be running votes until... November 9th! That should give us plenty of time to get votes and give me the time to get the next contest up on Monday the 9th. Alright, on to the voting!

Here are our entries for PrC Contest XIV: Hybrid Theory (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=126592)

{table=head]Author|Entry|Votes
Violet Octopus|Psychic Tempest|2
Krimm_Blackleaf|Thalassic Witch|4
Djinn_in_Tonic|Warden of the Hedge|5
T.G. Oskar|Initiate of the Diamond Blade|2
Arbitrarious|Psycarnate|2
The Witchking|Witch Knight|1
Arcane Snowman|Soulfuser|0
PairO'Dice Lost|Tripartite Mentalist|2
Xallace|Primal Catalyst|0[/table]

Let the voting commence!

And the winner is, Djinn_In_Tonic's Warden of the Hedge! Congrats Djinn!
-X

[The Tygre]

This isn't even tough for me;

Thalassic Witch. Because Krimm is that special sort of crazy awesome, like Tesla.

[Mulletmanalive]

krimms is damn nice but i'm going with Warden of the Hedge because any bard friendly class wins point in my book. [unintentional though it may be in this case]

[Arbitrarious]

Psychic Temptest: It's more then 2 classes progressing at once, it is 2 classes blending toghether well. Rock on Violet Octopus.

It was a real tough call though. There were a lot of great classes.

[Dante & Vergil]

I'm voting for the Witch Knight. Love it, love YOU!
Also, is the woman in the picture for the Thalassic Witch naked?

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Also, is the woman in the picture for the Thalassic Witch naked?

...Kind of.

[KaganMonk]

For a brilliant and flavorful blend and synergy of psychic classes:
Tripartite Mentalist

[Xzoltar]

Even if I love Warden of the Hedge and Initiate of the Diamond Blade

I had to made a choice so its goes for Psycarnate from Arbitrarious

[Violet Octopus]

Thanks Arbitrarious, I thought your class was brilliant. However, my vote goes to the Tripartite Mentalist.

It was hard to choose between the Warden of the Hedge, the Psycarnate and the Tripartite Mentalist. The Warden had the most interesting flavour of the three, but the others fulfilled the "synergising 2 base classes" requirement the best. The Tripartite Mentalist wins out slightly because it's easier to understand how it works, seems a little more balanced, but most importantly, mechanically encourages a mix-it-up fighting style (which the Warden also does, and I wish mine did better).

More feedback under spoiler.
Thalassic Witch: While I love this class, and will definitely use it for a villain if my game goes anywhere near an ocean, none of the class abilities alter/expand how invocations and spells interact with each other. They're still awesome abilities, but no attempt at synergy as with the Eldritch Theurge or your Occult Spellmaster.

Warden of the Hedge: The Fey Beast abilities are great - as I said in the discussion thread, it's the first time I want to play a class with a pet. If I wasn't clear in the discussion thread, I think a gish class that forces you into knowing entirely enchantment/illusion even before you enter is fine, I just wasn't sure that was your intent. Great reinterpretation of paladin and sorcerer.

Initiate of the Diamond Blade: I like how you've gone in a direction away from alignment and towards the different schools, though I wish you'd gone further (or am I completely misinterpreting?) Diamond Blade Enhancement is an interesting ability, I wish there was another like it in the class. Midnight Resurgence is elegant, and while it took me a while to understand the relationship between the flavour and crunch of Blooming the Spirit Flower, binding chakras that will only open in the future is a cool idea.

Psycarnate:Wow, I really love this class. It has the most intricate class feature interaction out of any of the entries. I have some questions about how some of it works (e.g. the difference between persisted and enduring psycarnum), and eyeballing it, it looks rather powerful, even for a hybrid class. I raised an eyebrow at the comment that it's a good way to introduce one unfamiliar system, as it's almost overly complicated. Almost. Will definitely have to look more carefully through it and note specific concerns.

Witchknight: Sorry I didn't get around to feedback earlier. Overall, the class gives some paladin abilities, something that looks like the hexblade's curse, and a few other class abilities, which I'll address. Implements are a neat idea, but seem too broken (up to +5 on spell DCs?). Perhaps a bonus to spell penetration checks instead, or a lesser bonus? Parry Magic is an interesting approach to the idea of blocking spells, but an attack roll vs a DC is too easy to make (1d20 + Str + near full BAB + weapon enhancement bonus vs. 10 + Int + approx 1/2 level, assuming strongest spells). The bodyguard abilities are fine, as is the capstone.

Soulfuser: I wish you'd had the chance to finish this. The flavour was a cool take on binding/soulmelding. I hope you decide to finish it after the competition.

Tripartite Mentalist: Interesting idea, the Tripartite Unity abilities are very nice (I wish I'd thought of similar things to encourage my entry to interleave manifesting and attacking). I like how Distributed Psyche makes the different facets wax and wane, mildly shuffling up combat style between/during encounters. Overall, I like the class's structure. Amusing pseudo-Freudian flavour, to go with the XPH. Perhaps a Jungian PrC?

Primal Catalyst: You've taken a bizarre combination and turned it into something really evocative. Sure, there's a lot of SLAs, but the capstone is cool, and I wish I could rite flavour like that. Short and sweet. Thankyou for moving truenaming beyond the awful Dumbledore image in the ToM.
Uh, not that I don't like Dumbledore, just that truename magic should be distinct from wizardry.

[Stycotl]

psycarnate.

[Broccoli21]

Psychic Tempest definitely. Love the augment system and the combination of magic/psionics with rage (way better than rage mage). There were a ton of great classes though.

[ErrantX]

Bump! Let's get some more voting!

-X

[JoshuaZ]

Close choice between the Tripartite Mentalist and Thalassic Witch. I'm going to go with Thalassic Witch.

[Doc Roc]

A polyphony of yes for Initiate of the Diamond Blade.

[ex cathedra]

I'm quite fond of both the IotDB and the Psycarnum, but my vote is Initiate of the Diamond Blade.

[Gossipmonger]

I really, reeeaaaalllllllllllyyyyyyy like Warden of the Hedge.

[Bhu]

Thallasic Witch

[Lord_Gareth]

Warden of the Hedge.

Go go faeries.

[ErrantX]

Keep the votes coming in, we're very close so I'll extend voting a little longer. Tied between Djinn and Krimm!

-X

[Realms of Chaos]

I vote for the Thalassic Witch.

It isn't because one of my templates is used (though it's nice that someone remembers it :smallsmile:) but because this thing is the most awesome villain idea that I have ever seen. The capstone is awesome as this crazy, seemingly unkillable person pulls you underwater, screaming in some fould language as it tries to drown you.

[Lvl45DM!]

Warden of the Hedge for the fluff more than the synergy though i like the way youve put the sorceror with the paladin

[ErrantX]

I decided to count the last two votes because hey, why not, they just contributed to the tie. So here we go:

As we have a tie, I am the tie-breaking vote. Now, I will say that while I enjoyed everyone's entries immensely, there was some seriously good work in this contest let me tell you, I personally would vote for Violet Octopus' Psychic Tempest because I believe it has the most synergy between classes and fits the Hybrid Theory idea best.

However, in a tie, I must cast a vote for one of the two tied entries. I am casting my vote for Djinn_In_Tonic's Warden of the Hedge. My reasoning is because I see more synergy between sorcerer (or more so a bard or a beguiler!) and paladin in this class than I do between an open ended spellcaster and a warlock. While I love the flavor of both classes (I really love the Thalassic Witch's flavor, it's like a Far Realm pickle! So briny!) I think that the Warden captures more of what I was looking for in this contest. The synergy of enchantments with smiting, the fey heritage feats (which would be a must!) with the sorc/paladin, I feel that it best captures the spirit of Hybrid Theory I.

So regretfully to you Krimm, I must give the difficult victory to Djinn_In_Tonic for his most excellent Warden of the Hedge class.

Congrats Djinn!

-X

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Really, I got far more votes than I was expecting.

[Schylerwalker]

Witch Knight. My vote goes for Witch Knight. Though I did like Warden of the Hedge.