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View Full Version : WiP: Adept and Mage variant class (psionic, E10)



Yora
2010-02-16, 06:20 PM
I really like "old-school" D&D, and like my game to be very light on fancy rules and special abilities, and free of of loads of etra classes and prestige classes. But the basic concept of the Cleric of being a decent warrior who can cast all his buffs on himself while being the best healer in the game at the same time, seem allready quite broken to me and the druid suffers from the same problem. Also, I think the psionic rules are so much more fun and logical than the good old spell slots, that I decided to create an arcane and divine variant class of the psion.
The campaign I'm creating these classes for has all mortals capped at 10th level like an E10 game, so I only present them up to that level and I'm not concerned if balance would completely break down at higher levels.

Please tell me your thoughts and ideas:

Adept
Hit Dice: d6.
BAB: 3/4 class level.
Saves: As Cleric.
Skills: As Cleric or Druid.
Spells: Spells known and spell points are exactly like Psion. The Adepts spellcasting ability is Wisdom.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Adepts are proficient with simple weapons, light armor, and with sheilds.
Domains: Adepts start with two domains. Each domain adds additional spells to the characters divine spell list as the Psion's diciplines. Each domain also grants one special domain power to the character.
Beasts: The adept gains access to spells that can control and transform animals or turn himself into an animal. He also gains the Druid's Wild Empathy ability.
Elements: The adept gains access to spells that can control wind, water, earth and nonmagical fires. (I'm still at a loss for a special ability.)
Influence: The adept gains access to spells that manipulate and control the minds of allies or enemies. He also gains the Paladin's Aura of Courage ability.
Plants: The adept gains access to spells that can control and transform plants. He also gains the Druids Woodland Stride ability.
Purification: The adept gains access to spells that harm and defend against undead and evil outsiders. He also gains the Paladin's Divine Health ability.
Spirits: The adept gains access to spells that summon and control spirits (fey and outsiders). He also gains the Bard's Bardic Knowledge ability (the adept gains the special knowledge from helpful spirits).
Special Abilities: At 1st, 5th, and 10th level, an adept can learn one special ability. (This replaces the Psion's bonus feat.)
Metamagic Feat: The character can learn one metamagic feat.
Divine Favor: The character adds his Charisma bonus to all his saves (like the Paladin's ability of the same name)
Turning: The adept can turn creatures depending on his domains.
Beast: Animals and Vermin.
Elements: Elementals and Outsiders with elemental subtypes.
Influence: Does not grant any special turning powers.
Plants: Plants and Oozes.
Purification: Undead and evil Outsiders.
Spirits Fey and Outsiders
Extra Domain: The adept gains an extra domain, immediately adding the domain spells to his divine spell list and gaining the domains special ability and the additional creatures that can be turned, if he has the Turning ability.

Mage
Hit Dice: d4.
BAB: 1/2 class level.
Saves: As Wizard.
Skills: As Wizard.
Spells: Spell points are exactly like Psion. However, a mage gets three spells known at first level and only one additional spell at every following level. A Mages spellcasting ability is either Intelligence or Charisma (depending on the campaign). Mages suffer an arcane spell failure chance when wearing armor.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Mages are proficient with simple weapons only.
Special Abilities: At 1st, 5th, and 10th level, an adept can learn one special ability. (This replaces the Psion's bonus feat.)
Wild Surge: This ability works exactly like the Wilder's ability of the same name. It does not automatically increase with additional level, but only of the ability is selected additional times.
Extra Spells The mage learns two extra spells of any level he can cast, in addition to the one spell he can learn at each new level.
Metamagic Feat: The character can learn one metamagic feat.
Familiar: The character can get a familiar exactly like a Wizard. The familiar abilities depends on the characters Mage level. It makes no difference at which level the ability is selected.

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I think these classes appear to be ready to go. Of course, as full casters it all depends a lot on the spells the character has access to. All spells have to be converted into the format of psionic powers so they can be augmented and the very limited number of spells known can be more flexibly used be the characters.
The divine spell list includes all Cleric and Druid spells, excluding spells that belong to the six domains.
The arcane spell list is the same as the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list.
As I plan my campaign as an E10 game, there are no spells of 6th to 9th level in the setting.

Please tell me what you think. Both regarding balance and ideas for additional special abilties.