Nature's Avenger (3.5 Base Class), please help

[tzar1990]

One of my players wants a spellcasty fighter/druid type thingy, so I'm trying to stat one up for him. Unfortunately, I don't really know how to balance spellcasters, so I would really appreciate it if you could lend a hand. It's basically the Duskblade, but with the ability to wear medium & heavy armor without arcane spell failure removed, the ability to quicken spells for free removed, a slowed progression of wildshape, and a different spell list. I was hoping you could give me some ideas how to balance it, and what spells I should put on the list. I'm aiming for tier 3 power-wise.

Natural Avenger

Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: 3d4x10 (75gp)


Class Features

Class Skills: The Natural Avenger's class skills are Climb (Str), Concentraion (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str)

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int mod) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int mod

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort|Ref|Will|Special Qualities|0th|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th
1|+1|+2|+0|+2|Natural Attunement,|3|2|
2|+2|+3|+0|+3|Combat Casting|4|3|
3|+3|+3|+1|+3|Nature's Blade|5|4|
4|+4|+4|+1|+4| |6|5|
5|+5|+4|+1|+4|Wild Shape 1/day|6|5|2|
6|+6/+1|+5|+2|+5|Natural Pierce +2|6|6|3|
7|+7/+2|+5|+2|+5|Wild Shape 2/day|6|6|5|
8|+8/+3|+6|+2|+6| |6|7|6|
9|+9/+4|+6|+3|+6|Wild Shape 3/day|6|7|6|2|
10|+10/+5|+7|+3|+7|Wild Shape 4/day|6|8|7|3|
11|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+7|Natural Pierce +3|6|8|7|5|
12|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+8|Wild Shape (large)|6|8|7|6|
13|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+8|Nature's Blade (full attack)|6|9|8|6|2|
14|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+9|Wild Shape (tiny)|6|9|8|7|3|
15|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+9|Wild Shape 5/day|6|9|8|7|5|
16|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+10|Natural Pierce +4|6|9|9|8|6|
17|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10| |6|10|9|8|6|2|
18|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Natural Pierce +5|6|10|9|8|7|3|
19|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11| |6|10|10|9|7|5|
20|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Wild Shape (Huge)|6|10|10|10|8|6|
[/table]

Weapons and Armor Proficiency:
Nature's Avengers are proficient with all the same weapons and armor as druids. Like a druid, you are forbidden from wearing metal armor.

Spellcasting:
Nature's Avengers each know a limited number of divine spells, which they select from their own unique spell list. They can cast any spell they know without preparation ahead of time. To cast a spell, they must have a wisdom modifier equal to 10 + the spell level. Their spells are, subject to armor failure chance for medium armor, but not for light.

Spells Known: Start with 2 0th level and 2 1st level spells known. Gain one spell every level. At level 5, and every second level after that, can learn one new spell in place of an old one, provided that they are both the same level, and at least two levels below the highest you can cast.

Combat Casting: Nature's Avengers gain combat casting at level 2, even if they don't meet all the requirements.

Natural Attunement: Can use certain druid cantrips 3+Wis modifier times per day. (need to figure out which ones)

Nature's Blade: Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved. At 13th level, you can cast any touch spell you know as part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target you hit in melee combat that round. Doing so discharges the spell at the end of the round, in the case of a touch spell that would otherwise last longer than 1 round.

Wild Shape: As a druid, except you gain the ability to shapeshift 1/day at 5th level, 2/day at 7th level, 3/day at 9th level, 4/day at 10th level, into a large animal at 12th level, into a tiny animal at 14th level, 5/day at 15th level, and into a huge animal at 20th level.

Natural Pierce: Starting at 6th level, you can more easily overcome the spell resistance of any opponent you successfully injure with a melee attack. If you have injured an opponent with a melee attack, you gain a +2 bonus on your caster level check to overcome spell resistance for the remainder of the encounter. This bonus increases to +3 at 11th level, to +4 at 16th level, and to +5 at 18th level.


Spell List

Umm... Yeah, I have no idea what to put on. Ideally it should be more blasty nature-oriented spells, because I already have a ranger, and I want to distinguish him and this guy as much as possible.

[Cidolfas]

Before I get to suggestions for this, I would like to point out that the druid is already capable of kicking most peoples' butts in a fight with Wild Shape and the Natural Spell feat. This makes it a permanent velociraptor/dire bear with full spellcasting, which makes it better in melee combat than most other classes. If your player doesn't want to play that way, I understand, but that's sort of what the druid is ideally for (note the use of the word "ideally" because I am of the opinion that the base ranger kind of sucks).

As for this class, if you really want to separate it from the ranger you should keep the full spellcasting. Casting spells is the druid's thing in my opinion; if he doesn't want to be doing that then the druid isn't for him and he should go find another class. That said, if he wants more of a martial emphasis than a shapeshifter, I can suggest some things.

Nature's Blessing: Starting at 2nd level, natural avenger gains one half her class level as an insight bonus to her Armor Class. In addition, if she fashions a melee weapon out of wood, it functions in the same manner as a metal weapon of the same kind and can be enchanted as a masterwork weapon.

[Note:This could allow you to keep the druid flavor (if you want) and not jeopardize the whole "can't wear metal stuff" bit. It would also make level less crappy, since Combat Casting by itself is pretty horrible.]

If you really want to keep the spellcasting as it is, this may help with the blaster thing:

Nature's Wrath: In return for only receiving a smaller repertoire of spells, the natural avenger vastly increases the potency of each spell she can cast starting at 4th level. The effective spell level of every spell she casts is increased by one and a half and then rounded down (so level 4 is increased to 6, level 5 to 7, etc.) for the purposes of determining save DC's and other spellcasting variables. When she casts a damage-dealing spell, she also deals an additional amount of damage equal to her Wisdom modifier multiplied by the level of the spell. This damage is of the same type as normal, and if a saving throw is given to reduce damage it is also affected by the outcome of the save.

I feel terrible about the naming of those abilities ("Nature's BLANK") but the mechanic is what counts. I hope those help, even though I really think you should just teach your player how to optimize a regular druid and make him kick some ass in bear form before he decides he wants to change over to something different.

[tzar1990]

Before I get to suggestions for this, I would like to point out that the druid is already capable of kicking most peoples' butts in a fight with Wild Shape and the Natural Spell feat. This makes it a permanent velociraptor/dire bear with full spellcasting, which makes it better in melee combat than most other classes. If your player doesn't want to play that way, I understand, but that's sort of what the druid is ideally for (note the use of the word "ideally" because I am of the opinion that the base ranger kind of sucks).

As for this class, if you really want to separate it from the ranger you should keep the full spellcasting. Casting spells is the druid's thing in my opinion; if he doesn't want to be doing that then the druid isn't for him and he should go find another class. That said, if he wants more of a martial emphasis than a shapeshifter, I can suggest some things.

Nature's Blessing: Starting at 2nd level, natural avenger gains one half her class level as an insight bonus to her Armor Class. In addition, if she fashions a melee weapon out of wood, it functions in the same manner as a metal weapon of the same kind and can be enchanted as a masterwork weapon.

[Note:This could allow you to keep the druid flavor (if you want) and not jeopardize the whole "can't wear metal stuff" bit. It would also make level less crappy, since Combat Casting by itself is pretty horrible.]

If you really want to keep the spellcasting as it is, this may help with the blaster thing:

Nature's Wrath: In return for only receiving a smaller repertoire of spells, the natural avenger vastly increases the potency of each spell she can cast starting at 4th level. The effective spell level of every spell she casts is increased by one and a half and then rounded down (so level 4 is increased to 6, level 5 to 7, etc.) for the purposes of determining save DC's and other spellcasting variables. When she casts a damage-dealing spell, she also deals an additional amount of damage equal to her Wisdom modifier multiplied by the level of the spell. This damage is of the same type as normal, and if a saving throw is given to reduce damage it is also affected by the outcome of the save.

I feel terrible about the naming of those abilities ("Nature's BLANK") but the mechanic is what counts. I hope those help, even though I really think you should just teach your player how to optimize a regular druid and make him kick some ass in bear form before he decides he wants to change over to something different.

Well, the thing is, the rest of the party is Ranger, Bard, and Swordsage, so if he just makes an optimized druid, the rest of them will be obsolete. What I was trying to do here is create someone capable of melee (which he likes), transformation (which is a part of the character concept he wants,) and spellcasting (so we can have at least a bit of ranged damage that's not archery), without overpowering everyone.

He's actually not super interested in spellcasting (his second choice was barbarian), but I worry that the party may be really limited in what they can fight without a spellcaster. He did say that he wouldn't mind playing a Spirit Shaman, though. Think I should let him play that, or would that be OP as well?

[monkman]

here
Arcane Channeling (Su):
Beginning at 3rd level, you can
use a standard
action to cast
any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your
weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner
does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must
have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee
attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then
the effect of the spell is resolved.
At 13th level, you can cast any touch spell you know as
part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target
you hit in melee combat that round. Doing so discharges the
spell at the end of the round, in the case of a touch spell that
would otherwise last longer than 1 round.
and here's
Spell Power (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you can more
easily overcome the spell resistance of any opponent you
successfully injure
with a melee attack.
If you have injured
an opponent with a
melee attack, you gain
a +2 bonus on your
caster level check to
overcome spell resistance
for the remainder
of the encounter. This
bonus increases to +3 at
11th level, to +4 at 16th
level, and to +5
at 18th level.
it be best to write it beacuse if someone else uses your class and they might not have the book.

[Dead_Jester]

Ok, this class is like the Duskblade, but on steroids. I mean, wildshape, no matter how you look at it, is tier 2 or 3 (you can get full-casting early with minimal feat investment, and don't get me started on the shenanigans you can pull off with it).

The rest of the class looks decent, and if you limit the shapes you can use, it could be ok.

[Glimbur]

Have you considered Wildshape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger)? It does what you seem to want, and is already mostly made. It wouldn't be ranged damage spellcasting though.... rangers do get some love from the Spell Compendium but it is mostly buffs.

I would re-examine the assumption you have that every party needs every role filled. Ranger, Bard, Swordsage, and Barbarian should be able to fight enemies that don't fly or use other trickery just fine. It will take some careful opponent selection on your part: no cleric means it is harder to fix curses, negative levels, stat drain, etc. No wizard means that buffs and battlefield control won't be quite as prevalent but the bard should be able to pick that up. They should be able to do quite a bit of melee damage, so consider more foes of a smaller CR individually.

[tzar1990]

here
Arcane Channeling (Su):
Beginning at 3rd level, you can
use a standard
action to cast
any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your
weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner
does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must
have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee
attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then
the effect of the spell is resolved.
At 13th level, you can cast any touch spell you know as
part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target
you hit in melee combat that round. Doing so discharges the
spell at the end of the round, in the case of a touch spell that
would otherwise last longer than 1 round.
and here's
Spell Power (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you can more
easily overcome the spell resistance of any opponent you
successfully injure
with a melee attack.
If you have injured
an opponent with a
melee attack, you gain
a +2 bonus on your
caster level check to
overcome spell resistance
for the remainder
of the encounter. This
bonus increases to +3 at
11th level, to +4 at 16th
level, and to +5
at 18th level.
it be best to write it beacuse if someone else uses your class and they might not have the book.

Okay, I'll edit my opening post to have that information.


Have you considered Wildshape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger)? It does what you seem to want, and is already mostly made. It wouldn't be ranged damage spellcasting though.... rangers do get some love from the Spell Compendium but it is mostly buffs.

I would re-examine the assumption you have that every party needs every role filled. Ranger, Bard, Swordsage, and Barbarian should be able to fight enemies that don't fly or use other trickery just fine. It will take some careful opponent selection on your part: no cleric means it is harder to fix curses, negative levels, stat drain, etc. No wizard means that buffs and battlefield control won't be quite as prevalent but the bard should be able to pick that up. They should be able to do quite a bit of melee damage, so consider more foes of a smaller CR individually.

That's a good point. Actually, now that I think of it, they don't really need a wizard plot-wise, and the bard and swordsage can do some healing and utility, and ranged blasting respectively. And hey, if they keep coming back from quests with major injuries or casualties, it would make sense for one of their employers/someone who owes them a favor to send a healer or something to work with them...

I would actually suggest wildshape ranger, except the other ranger told me he was thinking of that before this guy told me what he wanted classwise, and having two of the same build in the party seems a bit redundant.

Ah well, my big monster threat is actually notably landbound (why it hasn't conquered everything, just most of everything) and good at assimilating monsters into itself, so more smaller CR monsters without "get away from the PCs" tricks does fit in with what I want.

[Aran Banks]

CLW wands and Healing Belts are good for every adventurer.

Give those to the players. Healers are obsolete.