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Gideon Falcon
2011-05-19, 04:00 PM
The Duskblade as presented in PHBII had the concept down perfectly of a true gish, but I still think it might be able to do with a bit more crunch. I am having trouble figuring out the class features, though, so any help would be appreciated.

HD: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|0|1|2|3|4|5

1st|+1|+2|+0|+2|Arcane Attunement, Somatic Weaponry, Armored Mage (Medium), Combat Casting|3|2

2nd|+2|+3|+0|+3|Arcane Channeling|4|3

3rd|+3|+3|+1|+3|Armored Mage (Heavy)|5|4

4th|+4|+4|+1|+4|Spell-carved Armor|6|5

5th|+5|+4|+1|+4|Quick Cast Int/day|6|5|2

6th|+6/+1|+5|+2|+5|Spell Power +2, Bonus Feat|6|6|3

7th|+7/+2|+5|+2|+5|Arcane Channeling (Full Attack)|6|6|5

8th|+8/+3|+6|+2|+6|Spell-carved Blade|6|7|6

9th|+9/+4|+6|+3|+6|Arcane Raystrike, Armor Mastery(Medium)|6|7|6|2

10th|+10/+5|+7|+3|+7|Quick Cast 1+Int/day, Focused Blast|6|8|7|3

11th|+11/+6/+1|+7|+3|+7|Arcane Channeling (Full Round), Spell Power +4|6|8|7|5

12th|+12/+7/+2|+8|+4|+8|Spell-carved Skin, Armor Mastery (Heavy)|6|8|8|6

13th|+13/+8/+3|+8|+4|+8|Bonus Feat, Arcane Blast 2/day|6|9|8|6|2

14th|+14/+9/+4|+9|+4|+9|Spell-carved Soul|6|9|8|7|3

15th|+15/+10/+5|+9|+5|+9|Quick Cast 2+Int/day|6|9|8|7|5

16th|+16/+11/+6/+1|+10|+5|+10|Spell Power +6, Arcane Blast 4/day|6|9|9|8|6

17th|+17/+12/+7/+2|+10|+5|+10|Bonus Feat, Spell-carved Heart|6|10|9|8|6|2

18th|+18/+13/+8/+3|+11|+6|+11|Spell Parry|6|10|9|8|7|3

19th|+19/+14/+9/+4|+11|+6|+11|Arcane Blast 6/day|6|10|10|9|7|5

20th|+20/+15/+10/+5|+12|+6|+12|Quick Cast 3+Int/day, Spell Power +8, Spell-carved Mirror|6|10|10|10|8|6[/table]

Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at 1st level): Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Swim.

CLASS FEATURES

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Duskblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, as well as all armors and shields (but not tower shields)

Spells: You may cast arcane spells drawn from the duskblade spell list. These are cast spontaneously, without preparation.
Your primary casting ability is Intelligence, which governs bonus spells per day and save DCs, as well as how powerful of spells you may cast. The base allotment of spells each day is given in the above table.

Spells Known: You begin play knowing two 1st-level Dusblade spells and a number of 0-level spells equal to your Intelligence modifier plus two. At each level, you gain an additional duskblade spell known of any level you can cast. In addition, you gain an additional spell known (which may be from any arcane spell list) at each level divisible by four (4, 8, etc.).
At 5th level, and at every other level afterward, you may lose a single spell known in exchange for a new duskblade spell of the same or lower level. You may not exchange spells of the highest level you may cast.

Duskblade class spell list:
*: not originally found on class list, or at a lower level.
**: Updated spell, see below.

0-level: acid splash, disrupt undead, ray of frost, touch of fatigue, prestidigitation*, mage hand*, message*, resistance*, daze*, arcane mark*, open/close*
1st-level: tripping hand, shield* lesser orb of electricity*, lesser orb of fire*, lesser orb of acid*, lesser orb of cold*, lesser orb of sound*, blade of blood, burning hands, cause fear, chill touch, color spray, jump, fire bolt(PHBII), lesser deflect, magic weapon, obscuring mist, ray of enfeeblement, resist energy, rouse, shocking grasp, stand, swift expeditious retreat, true strike, expeditious retreat*, magic missile*, enlarge person*

2nd-level: animalistic power, bear's endurance, striking fist, bull's strength, cat's grace, darkvision, deflect, dimension hop, ghoul touch, acid arrow, scorching ray, see invisibility, seeking ray, spider climb, stretch weapon, sure strike, swift fly, swift invisibility, touch of idiocy, daze monster* fog cloud*, protection from arrows*, keen edge*, flaming sphere*, shatter*, gust of wind*, darkness*, invisibility*, false life*, blur*, scare*

3rd-level: crown of might, crown of protection, dispelling touch, doom scarabs, energy aegis, energy surge, greater magic weapon, halt, protection from energy, ray of exhaustion, regroup, vampiric touch, channeled pyroburst*;**, flame arrow*, displacement*, fly*, haste*, lightning bolt*, arcane sight*, dispel magic*, hold person* stoneskin*

4th-level: interposing hand, dimension door, enervate, fire shield, phantasmal killer, shout, toxic weapon, ice storm*, cone of cold*, hold monster*, wall if fire*, waves of fatigue*, fear*, greater invisibility*, solid fog*, telekinesis*

5th-level: clenched fist, grasping hand*, chain lightning, disintigrate, hold monster, polar ray, slashing dispel, sonic shield, lightning ring(SpC)*, body of war(SpC)*, greater dispel magic*, true seeing*, acid fog*, antimagic field*, repulsion*, freezing sphere*, transformation*, delayed blast fireball*, mass hold person*, greater arcane sight*, ethereal jaunt*, reverse gravity*, statue*, incendiary cloud*, greater shout*, sunburst*
Yes, that's right. you get five extra spells known over the course of your 20 levels. In addition, there are quite a few new spells on the class list, especially 0-level ones. I've also fixed one or two of them, shown here.

Channeled Pyroburst
Level: Duskblade 3, Sor/Wiz 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: See text
Area: See text

This spell works as Fireball, except as noted here. It works as normal if cast as a standard action, but the casting time may be reduced to that of a swift action. If cast as a swift action, you deal only 1d4 damage per caster level in a 5 ft. radius burst.
In addition, you may cast this spell as a full round action, in which case it deals 1d8 damage per caster level in a 30-ft. radius burst.
If you spend 2 full rounds casting this spell, it instead deals 1d10 damage per caster level in a 50-ft. radius burst.
No matter which version of this spell you cast, you cannot deal more than 10 dice of damage.

Arcane Attunement (Sp): You may use the spell-like abilities dancing lights, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, and read magic a combined number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier. These do not count against spells per day or spells known.

Armored Mage (Ex): Your special training allows you to ignore the arcane spell failure chance of any light or medium armor, or with any light shield. This only applies to Duskblade spells, not spells from other classes you may take.
At 3rd level, you also ignore the spell failure chances of heavy armor and shields.

Combat Casting (Ex): You gain Combat Casting as a bonus feat.

Somatic Weaponry (Ex): Due to your special training, you may make the somatic components of spells with your weaponry. So long as you wield at least one weapon in a hand, you need not have any free hands to cast spells.

Arcane Channeling (Su): At 2nd level and onwards, you may use a standard action to cast any touch range spell with a 1 standard action or less casting time, and deliver it through your weapon with a successful melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and may be used to make attacks of opportunity. If the attack is successful, then the weapon deals damage normally and the spell effect is resolved immediately afterward.
Beginning at 7th level, you may use Arcane Channeling as part of a full attack action, in which case all creatures you successfully attack during the action are affected by the spell. This discharges the spell at the end of the round, even if the spell would normally have additional uses.
Beginning at 11th level, any use of Arcane Channeling may affect all targets you successfully strike over the next round, then discharging the spell as if used in a full attack as above.

Spell-carved Armor (Su): Beginning at 4th level, any suit of armor you don gains the abilities of a minor ring of spell-storing until it leaves your possession. Only one suit of armor may be so affected at one time, and any new armors affected replace the previous. At 10th level, it mimics a normal ring of spell storing, and at 16th level it mimics a major ring of spell storing.

Quick Cast: Beginning at 5th level, you may cast a spell with a casting time of no longer than one standard action as a swift action a number of times per day equal to your intelligence modifier. You may use this ability an additional time each encounter for every five levels afterward (10, 15, etc.).

Spell Power (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you gain a +2 bonus on spell penetration checks against creatures that you have damaged with a melee attack. This benefit lasts until the end of the encounter. The bonus increases to +4 at 11th level, +6 at 16th level, and +8 at 20th level.

Bonus Feat (Ex): At 6th level, and again at 13th and 17th levels, you gain a bonus feat from either the list of fighter bonus feats or any metamagic feat. You must fulfill the prerequisites as normal.

Spell-carved Blade (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you may grant a single weapon in your possession the spell-storing special quality. If you apply this to a second weapon, the first loses its quality. This ends once the weapon leaves your possession.

Arcane Raystrike (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you may cast any duskblade spell that requires a ranged touch attack as a melee touch attack instead. This allows you to channel it through your Arcane Channeling ability as normal.

Armor Mastery (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, you ignore the speed reduction penalty for wearing medium armor. At 12th level, this extends to Heavy armor as well. This is otherwise identical to the Knight class feature.

Focused Blast (Su): Starting at 10th level, you may cast any spell with a duration of instantaneous, excluding ongoing damage or conditions from the initial strike, as a melee touch attack. For example, Fear could be affected by this ability, but not Flaming Sphere. This may be channeled through Arcane Channeling as normal.
If the spell offered a reflex save for half or negation, then that save is no longer given. Fortitude and Will saves, however, remain.
If the original spell affected several targets, such as an area spell, then it deals an extra +1 damage per die (if applicable) as the energies are compressed.

Spell-carved Skin (Su): At 12th level, you gain DR 10/magic and adamantine.

Arcane Blast (Su): Starting at 13th level, you may, twice per day, cast a touch range spell so that it affects all targets in a twenty-foot radius burst. You make a touch attack against all targets, using your Intelligence modifier instead of your Strength or Dexterity modifiers. This stacks with the bonus from Spell-carved Heart (see below). You may use this ability four times per day at 16th level, at which point the burst extends to 30 feet. At 19th level, you may use this ability six times per day, and it extends to 40 feet.
Alternatively, you may use this ability to make a single melee attack against every enemy within the area of a duskblade spell you cast. This spell must affect an area. This is part of the casting, and Arcane Channeling may not affect the attacks.

Spell-carved Soul (Su): Starting at 14th level, you gain Spell resistance equal to your Duskblade level plus 10. In addition, you gain a number of spell parrying points each day equal to 3 + your intelligence modifier. When a spell fails to overcome your spell resistance, you may expend a number of points equal to the spell's level. If you do, you gain a single use of the spell through Arcane Channeling as if you cast it.

Spell-carved Heart (Su): Starting at 17th level, you add your Intelligence modifier to damage rolls. In addition, you add your intelligence modifier times twice the spell's level on damage rolls for duskblade spells. You also add half your intelligence modifier on attack rolls.

Spell Parry (Su): Starting at 18th level, you gain the ability to parry spells that require attack rolls. As an immediate action, when targeted by such a spell, you may make a caster level check with a bonus equal to your Intelligence modifier. If Spell Power would apply against the caster, then you apply it to the check. If this check exceeds the attack roll of the spell, then the spell fails to affect you.

Spell-carved Mirror (Su): At 20th level, you may use Spell Reflection points to use spells that you successfully Parry. You also gain 3 additional Spell Reflection points. You may also use Spell Reflection, as the spell, as a supernatural ability on yourself three times per day.


So, thoughts? I myself am most concerned about the capstone, the complete arcane channeling. I don't know if it is overpowered, or if it needs more uses, or what.

Agent_0042
2011-05-19, 05:22 PM
Not sure what you mean by "more crunch". What direction do you want to take the class?

Gideon Falcon
2011-05-19, 06:30 PM
Well, just more powerful in general. Specifically, however, I would like it to be the gish that blasts rather than just boosts. That's the idea behind Arcane Blast and such.

Gideon Falcon
2011-05-23, 05:00 PM
I thought this would get at least a bit more attention than the Soulborn...

Quellian-dyrae
2011-05-23, 05:16 PM
Overall I think it looks good. The raystrike is quite useful, expanding the options for channeling, the spell-storing armor and weapon are flavorful, and Arcane Blast is pretty nice for a gish.

But yeah, that 20th level ability is probably too much, even for a capstone. Especially with ray spells on the table (Disintegrate comes immediately to mind). If you want to improve arcane channeling further at 20th, maybe expand it so you can channel any spell into your attack, or give them some ability to absorb a hostile spell into their weapon and channel it, or apply the effects of metamagic feats that alter a spell's damage to the weapon damage as well?

Gideon Falcon
2011-05-23, 05:20 PM
That second one actually sounds like a good idea... and inspires some more class features.

Andre
2011-05-23, 05:22 PM
Hum... it probably progresses a tad too fast at the beginning, and a tad too slow later.
I'd scrap Arcane Channeling (Complete) and scale the other three Channeling feats instead through the levels; with Complete you'd have more and more touch spells based damage dealt with each round passing and that's seriously a pain in the ass to keep track of, and likely too powerful.
Somatic Weaponry and the Spellcarved Armor/Weapon fit in a excellent way. (I don't get the point of Skin... and you forgot Soul)
Arcane Raystrike should probably the capstone as it allows you to channel ranged spells, which is powerful. Channeled Disintegrate? Can I have an hell yes? :smallamused:
And that's about it... maybe scale the Bonus Feats better through or get rid of them, dead levels are not a sin despite what other people will surely tell you!

Agent_0042
2011-05-23, 05:40 PM
I realize Arcane Attunement is a holdover from the original duskblade, but I never liked how these were differentiated from the other cantrips rather than just say, "You automatically know dancing lights, detect magic, etc." If you want to keep this ability, you can make this at-will with little impact on the power level.

I don't quite understand the 11th level upgrade to Arcane Channeling. Either it needs to be better worded, or I'm just being dumb.

Spellcarved Skin is almost negligible at the level they get it, increasingly so at higher levels. It either needs to be bumped up and scale, or to be removed. You also didn't write out Spellcarved Soul.

I'm not sure I like Arcane Blast. It's not that it's bad, it just doesn't seem like it would be used often. AC generally scales worse than saving throws, so most of the time the duskblade would be better off wielding a reach weapon and full-channeling.

Suggestions:

Arcane Raystrike is cool. I think you can expand from that, have them learn how to channel other types of spells, Maybe just "cast Lightning Bolt as part of your attack action," maybe "cast Lightning Bolt, and make an attack against each affected target."

I notice the spell list draws mostly from core, with a dash of Spell Compendium. Instead of having them learn an additional spell every fourth level, why not give them some sort of Expanded Knowledge class feature at those levels to let them pull from other sources?

Gideon Falcon
2011-05-23, 06:19 PM
I don't quite understand the 11th level upgrade to Arcane Channeling. Either it needs to be better worded, or I'm just being dumb.

Well, the 7th level ability only applies to attacks made during the full attack action. The 11th level upgrade means that whenever you use Arcane Channeling, it applies to all attack during the entire round, including attacks of opportunity. It also does not need to be used as a full attack.


AC generally scales worse than saving throws...

Good point. That is now taken into consideration.


maybe "cast Lightning Bolt, and make an attack against each affected target."

:evilgrin: Awesome. That is now incorporated into Arcane Blast, which also has double the uses.


I notice the spell list draws mostly from core, with a dash of Spell Compendium. Instead of having them learn an additional spell every fourth level, why not give them some sort of Expanded Knowledge class feature at those levels to let them pull from other sources?

That's an interesting idea. I'll add that in.