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Ra_Va
2010-12-19, 04:20 PM
A Prestige class I made for a friend of mine mid-game because she chose to be a Fairy and couldn't do much and the setting was mostly in a desert.

Summary: A class sort of randomly made up on the spot I however kinda liked it. You sommon Desert themed animals for varuis reasons. Originally made as a quick answer to solve the 'Fairies can't to sh*t' problem.

Prereguisites: Cleric 4, or Worlock5, or Wizard 7

Spells and Shiz:

Level One: Summon Two Giant Poisonous Scarabs.

*Scarabs have a health of 250 HP and attacks 20 damage minus enemy armour protection stat each.

* Roll a four sided die, if the die lands on a 1 or a 6 enemy is poisoned and automaticly looses 5 hp each round for 10 rounds.

Level Two: Summon Celestial/Baatorian Firebreathing Giant Desert Tortoise

*Celestial/Baatorian status dependent on Summoners Good(Celestial)/Evil(Baatorian) Alignment and will either breath Celestial Fire or Hellfire depending on that alignment

*When in Water aslong Summoner remains within 5 feet of Tortoise, he/she can breath underwater indefinetly.

*roll a 20 sided die every 5 turns, if lands on 20 you have attracted the attention of a npc of the opposite alignment, roll 20 sided die again for level of NPC.

*Giant Desert Tortoise has HP of 350

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All I curently have due to untimely stoping of campain but I think its a good start. Be free to check in due as edits will be made. Also be free to give constuctive critism.

Zeofar
2010-12-19, 05:25 PM
What system is this? D&D 3.5 (hence the use of the term prestige class)? Something else? One can't really comment on it if he does not know. It uses some terms from 3.5 but most of it is totally different, so I really have no idea what this is.

Ra_Va
2010-12-19, 05:45 PM
3.5 is the system I'm used to so I guess this was made with that in mind. This is the basic sructue of how I had the information of the class. Most of it is totally different from 3.5 due to this being my first REAL atempt to make a functioning class but was however kinda rushed.

radmelon
2010-12-19, 07:23 PM
I don't like to be harsh, but it must be said. :smallfrown:

This is not a class. This is a jumble of half-baked class features.
Quite a few of the terms you use don't seem to be from 3.5 either.
There is no such thing as "Armor protection", PrC prerequisites don't work like that, it needs Hit die size, saves, BaB, and skills, and the summoning stuff is iffy.

Zeofar
2010-12-20, 12:22 AM
Okay, a few basic points:


Prereguisites: Cleric 4, or Worlock5, or Wizard 7


These requirements aren't really standard and make it difficult for a character that is using prestige classes to qualify. Prerequisites should be based on abilities rather than specific class levels (Like, say, "ability to cast 3rd level arcane or divine spells"). Also, the minimum level to qualify for entering a prestige class is supposed to be level 5, so Cleric 4 isn't really "appropriate," Just in case you didn't know. The word is spelled "Warlock", not "Worlock", by the way. (Also, I'd just like to add, if the character meets these prerequisites and "can't do sh*t" based on their race, then I presume that the real problem is either their playing ability or that their LA is far too large and that a prestige class won't really help).

As for the abilities... They don't really work. Are they spells? Are they class abilities? Are these abilities at will? Once a day/encounter, or some number or times per day? Permanent companions? My biggest question is this, though: why not just add these creatures to the Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally list?

More specifically...


Level One: Summon Two Giant Poisonous Scarabs.

*Scarabs have a health of 250 HP and attacks 20 damage minus enemy armour protection stat each.

I'm not really that knowledgeable in D&D balancing, but two 250-hp monsters at level 5 (minimum Cleric entry) seems very, very overpowered. What does 20 damage mean? Is that minimum, average, or maximum damage? As already mentioned, "armour protection" does not exist in D&D 3.5 as far as I know.


* Roll a four sided die, if the die lands on a 1 or a 6 enemy is poisoned and automaticly looses 5 hp each round for 10 rounds.

Poison should have a DC; becoming poisoned should be based on a Fortitude save, not an arbitrary die roll. Also, the method of delivery is not specified, which it should be.

With the tortoise, the HP again seems rather high (350 for level 6). A 100-hp jump in a single level is just too much, even if the first summons were somehow balanced. Attracting an enemy of random level every five minutes seems a little... ridiculous (and basically guarantees a totally overpowering encounter at some point). Most of the other stats for this monster aren't fleshed out enough to comment on.

So, yeah, this class doesn't really work so far. And, frankly, I can't see a way that this will work in D&D 3.5 without scrapping and restarting the mechanics, because only the concept works right now. I would recommend taking a look at the Sandstorm if you want inspiration for some desert-themed classes; perhaps summoning Dustform versions of regularly summoned monsters or something in that vein would be a better way to get a Desert-themed class. Maybe there's something I'm missing or this works under whatever houserules you use, but this doesn't make sense under straight D&D 3.5

Ra_Va
2010-12-21, 01:02 PM
I don't like to be harsh, but it must be said. :smallfrown:

This is not a class. This is a jumble of half-baked class features.

Never stated it was anything else. It was made in a half-baked moment. Your hardly being harsh just stateing fact.


Quite a few of the terms you use don't seem to be from 3.5 either.

Bad mistake on my part on saying I was even used to 3.5. Its more of house rules based on what little I know of the 3.5 system and I use that system as reference.


There is no such thing as "Armor protection", PrC prerequisites don't work like that, it needs Hit die size, saves, BaB, and skills,

Little things like this this I need help with. I'm a noob DM without a core book, rather aweful and scary combo.


and the summoning stuff is iffy.

Meh it happens, why I'm posting it here, to make it less iffy.


Okay, a few basic points:


These requirements aren't really standard and make it difficult for a character that is using prestige classes to qualify. Prerequisites should be based on abilities rather than specific class levels (Like, say, "ability to cast 3rd level arcane or divine spells"). Also, the minimum level to qualify for entering a prestige class is supposed to be level 5, so Cleric 4 isn't really "appropriate," Just in case you didn't know.

All tooken into account and will be edited at a later time, after some reasearch.


The word is spelled "Warlock", not "Worlock", by the way.

Gah thanks for that


(Also, I'd just like to add, if the character meets these prerequisites and "can't do sh*t" based on their race, then I presume that the real problem is either their playing ability or that their LA is far too large and that a prestige class won't really help).

I have a habit of being a habit of being a generous DM gave her made items that helped with leveling. Yes her playing ability was shaky as this was herr first campaign (aswell as my first not-in-a-day campaign). Of course im talking about the small races. Like fairies because they are so small have to be carried in a bottle or something when underwater.


As for the abilities... They don't really work. Are they spells? Are they class abilities? Are these abilities at will? Once a day/encounter, or some number or times per day? Permanent companions?

I guess I had planned for them to be once-a-day spells in mind with the summoned creature being there until 'death' or dismissed.


My biggest question is this, though: why not just add these creatures to the Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally list?

...Less fun? The person I made this for was a cleric so I Made it more intune with that class which i do not believe have the Summon Monster or Summon Nature's Ally opotion unless they have a certain domain


More specifically...

I'm not really that knowledgeable in D&D balancing, but two 250-hp monsters at level 5 (minimum Cleric entry) seems very, very overpowered.

Noted edits to come


What does 20 damage mean? Is that minimum, average, or maximum damage?
I think i meant this to be an avaerage damage


As already mentioned, "armour protection" does not exist in D&D 3.5 as far as I know.


Poison should have a DC; becoming poisoned should be based on a Fortitude save, not an arbitrary die roll. Also, the method of delivery is not specified, which it should be.

Gah I knew I did that wrong. Thanks alot I'll edit when I have more time


With the tortoise, the HP again seems rather high (350 for level 6). A 100-hp jump in a single level is just too much, even if the first summons were somehow balanced.
Noted will be edited. Question. What would be an approapiate HP jump?


Attracting an enemy of random level every five minutes seems a little... ridiculous (and basically guarantees a totally overpowering encounter at some point). Most of the other stats for this monster aren't fleshed out enough to comment on.
Noted and will be edited, and changed to 'the first five 'mimuets' in stead of 'every five mineuts' I just kinda figured summoning a giant alignment based creature would probably not go unnotised.



So, yeah, this class doesn't really work so far. And, frankly, I can't see a way that this will work in D&D 3.5 without scrapping and restarting the mechanics, because only the concept works right now. I would recommend taking a look at the Sandstorm if you want inspiration for some desert-themed classes; perhaps summoning Dustform versions of regularly summoned monsters or something in that vein would be a better way to get a Desert-themed class. Maybe there's something I'm missing or this works under whatever houserules you use, but this doesn't make sense under straight D&D 3.5

heard about this and deffinetly will check it out at earliest chance. I thank you both for your input.

Analytica
2010-12-21, 05:20 PM
Little things like this this I need help with. I'm a noob DM without a core book, rather aweful and scary combo.

The SRD: http://www.d20srd.org/ or the Pathfinder SRD: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/ contains most everything useful you could find in the core books, really. I heartily recommend it. :smallsmile:

If you can find Sandstorm, note that the Sand Shaper class basically is all about taking a relatively weak spontaneously spellcasting character (sorcerer, bard, beguiler etc.) and giving them additional free spells, most dealing with buffing, summoning desert monsters, or blasting with sand. It even gives you caster level bonuses for carrying around a gourd of sand on your back... :smallbiggrin:

Hanuman
2010-12-21, 05:44 PM
Uh, well, all these things exist already. I recommend just giving it Summon Monster as the spell as a class feature x times per day.

If you feel that the selection is limited, expand your books or homebrew different monsters to summon.

I highly recommend using the Sandstorm sourcebook as it contains pretty much all thing desert.

http://pifro.com/dnd/NEW/

Use this link and then set it to GitP and generate, I suggest the reqs be "able to cast x level TYPE spells or x level warlock stuff, could have a BAB req, could have skill rank reqs, and could have additional roleplay complication reqs but the most complicated you make it the less people will want to play.

The golden rule for homebrew is that if there are existing rules for it, use those, if you notice a trend use it as an example as it's designed to work with the maximum amount of options.

So, I totally like the ideas presented, but perhaps instead of Animal X and Animal Y summoned at level X and level Y, just give it a 1/day or 3/day ability to summon any desert creature as Summon Monster X, and then give examples or a list and add a few HB options.