behaigo
2011-06-03, 07:37 AM
I've posted this elsewhere, but have gotten few responses. Any input would be much appreciated. :) Also, even if you don't care for pathfinder, try to compare it to regular 3.5 and judge it by those standards.
So, I'm planning on DMing a campaign here in the near future and have been trying to think of a gimmick to make it different from all of our other campaigns. Most of our campaigns have been gestalt lately since, frankly, we all like it that way. I want to get us out of that rut without making us feel like we are being gimped, so I started coming up with the idea of archetype themed templates you could apply to a class instead of a race. I wanted these to add a significant amount of power to the class to which it was applied to give them a chance to survive the ridiculous threats I will be throwing at them without constant character replacement. For this campaign, if I'm not killing off half of them per encounter, I'm not running things right.
I was hoping that the community could help me balance these against each other and maybe help me judge how much more powerful they will make the PCs. I would rather not remove anything and would rather add or modify abilities to balance things out, but if something is especially broken please let me know how to make it better.
This is a Pathfinder campaign with some house rules I'm going to try out:
Spell Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/spellPoints.htm) except characters only receive half (round up) the listed spell points on both the spell points per day and bonus spell points charts and they recharge over the space of an hour.
No spell components.
Abilities that are usable once per day are now usable once per minute. Abilities that are usable multiple times per day are usable once per (10 - [2 x uses per day]) rounds (minimum 1 round).
Any suggestions as to tweaking, phrasing, adding or removing specific abilities or anything else would be nice, as would other archetype ideas. :D
Warrior
Maximum HP per HD
Add HD to strength checks and strength based skill checks.
Weapon feats that make you choose a weapon (such as weapon focus) instead apply to all weapons which the warrior is proficient
May adopt one of two styles. Switching style is a swift action:
Offensive Style: deal +10% damage per 2 HD (maximum +100%), take +50% damage -5% per 2 HD(minimum 0%)
Defensive Style: deal -75% damage +5% per 2 HD damage (maximum -25%), take damage -25% damage -5% per 2 HD (minimum -75%)
Can taunt target enemy within 30ft. Target must approach to melee range and attack you with melee attacks for 5 rounds, can use once per minute (Will DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Str or Cha). The target will not take obviously self destructive actions (such as walking off a cliff) but will do everything in it's power to approach the warrior.
Armor the warrior is proficient with causes no speed loss, arcane spell failure or armor check penalty
May make a full attack as a standard action
Mage
May apply metamagic feat spontaneously by paying 2 mana per level increase as a free action once per round
May increase spell above maximum spell level by paying 4 mana for the first level over, 8 mana for the second, 16 for the third and so on. Only applies to metamagic feats
Full-round action refreshes 1/2 max mana, can be used once per 10 min
Sacrifice 1 mana to prevent 1 damage
May counter a spell even if it is unknown or unprepared by spending an amount of mana equal to the spells cost. May double the mana spent to instead redirect the spell to another legal target(s) or area.
Healer
Healing and buffing (I need a better way of phrasing this) spells maximized and extended
Healing and buffing spells with range of touch increased to 30
True Resurrection as 1st level spell, no components
True Resurrection on self once per day
May cast spells for 5 rounds after death without using any mana. Immune to all attacks and effects, including beneficial and resurrection ones.
Thief
Add HD to stealth, slight of hand, perception and disable device
First attack per encounter, if made with a light weapon and target is flat footed target, paralyzes target for 1d4+1 rounds (Fort DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Dex or Int)
Deal an extra 1 point of damage per HD against flat-footed opponents if made with a light weapon. This is precision-based damage
+2 to attack when attacking with two light weapons
Dex or Int to melee and thrown attack and damage, replaces Str
Pet Master
Gain a companion (identical to a Eidolon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner#TOC-Eidolon) except companion can be of any creature type). This is in addition to any other, similar abilities and pet masters may use abilities normally reserved for their normal companion on the companion granted by this ability (example: a summoner pet master would be able to use Makers Call on either of his eidolon.)
May split damage taken in half with companion (up to 1 mile)
True Resurrection at will on companion as a full-round action once per 10 min
May enter trance, leaving own body helpless but gaining control of companion's body at will as a full-round action. If body takes damage the trance is broken. You may not cast spells or use spell-like, supernatural, or extraordinary abilities while using this ability
Archer
Dex to bow damage
Firing a bow doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity
Threaten out to 15ft with bows
Can perform combat maneuvers and other melee weapon based abilities with a bow
Can channel spell into arrow to use the bow's range instead of the spell's normal range. Using this ability is part of casting the spell; arrows can't be saved for later.
Would using these be fun? Does this make any sense?
This is my first time doing something like this. Please, be brutal. ;)
So, I'm planning on DMing a campaign here in the near future and have been trying to think of a gimmick to make it different from all of our other campaigns. Most of our campaigns have been gestalt lately since, frankly, we all like it that way. I want to get us out of that rut without making us feel like we are being gimped, so I started coming up with the idea of archetype themed templates you could apply to a class instead of a race. I wanted these to add a significant amount of power to the class to which it was applied to give them a chance to survive the ridiculous threats I will be throwing at them without constant character replacement. For this campaign, if I'm not killing off half of them per encounter, I'm not running things right.
I was hoping that the community could help me balance these against each other and maybe help me judge how much more powerful they will make the PCs. I would rather not remove anything and would rather add or modify abilities to balance things out, but if something is especially broken please let me know how to make it better.
This is a Pathfinder campaign with some house rules I'm going to try out:
Spell Points (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/spellPoints.htm) except characters only receive half (round up) the listed spell points on both the spell points per day and bonus spell points charts and they recharge over the space of an hour.
No spell components.
Abilities that are usable once per day are now usable once per minute. Abilities that are usable multiple times per day are usable once per (10 - [2 x uses per day]) rounds (minimum 1 round).
Any suggestions as to tweaking, phrasing, adding or removing specific abilities or anything else would be nice, as would other archetype ideas. :D
Warrior
Maximum HP per HD
Add HD to strength checks and strength based skill checks.
Weapon feats that make you choose a weapon (such as weapon focus) instead apply to all weapons which the warrior is proficient
May adopt one of two styles. Switching style is a swift action:
Offensive Style: deal +10% damage per 2 HD (maximum +100%), take +50% damage -5% per 2 HD(minimum 0%)
Defensive Style: deal -75% damage +5% per 2 HD damage (maximum -25%), take damage -25% damage -5% per 2 HD (minimum -75%)
Can taunt target enemy within 30ft. Target must approach to melee range and attack you with melee attacks for 5 rounds, can use once per minute (Will DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Str or Cha). The target will not take obviously self destructive actions (such as walking off a cliff) but will do everything in it's power to approach the warrior.
Armor the warrior is proficient with causes no speed loss, arcane spell failure or armor check penalty
May make a full attack as a standard action
Mage
May apply metamagic feat spontaneously by paying 2 mana per level increase as a free action once per round
May increase spell above maximum spell level by paying 4 mana for the first level over, 8 mana for the second, 16 for the third and so on. Only applies to metamagic feats
Full-round action refreshes 1/2 max mana, can be used once per 10 min
Sacrifice 1 mana to prevent 1 damage
May counter a spell even if it is unknown or unprepared by spending an amount of mana equal to the spells cost. May double the mana spent to instead redirect the spell to another legal target(s) or area.
Healer
Healing and buffing (I need a better way of phrasing this) spells maximized and extended
Healing and buffing spells with range of touch increased to 30
True Resurrection as 1st level spell, no components
True Resurrection on self once per day
May cast spells for 5 rounds after death without using any mana. Immune to all attacks and effects, including beneficial and resurrection ones.
Thief
Add HD to stealth, slight of hand, perception and disable device
First attack per encounter, if made with a light weapon and target is flat footed target, paralyzes target for 1d4+1 rounds (Fort DC 10 + 1/2 HD + Dex or Int)
Deal an extra 1 point of damage per HD against flat-footed opponents if made with a light weapon. This is precision-based damage
+2 to attack when attacking with two light weapons
Dex or Int to melee and thrown attack and damage, replaces Str
Pet Master
Gain a companion (identical to a Eidolon (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/summoner#TOC-Eidolon) except companion can be of any creature type). This is in addition to any other, similar abilities and pet masters may use abilities normally reserved for their normal companion on the companion granted by this ability (example: a summoner pet master would be able to use Makers Call on either of his eidolon.)
May split damage taken in half with companion (up to 1 mile)
True Resurrection at will on companion as a full-round action once per 10 min
May enter trance, leaving own body helpless but gaining control of companion's body at will as a full-round action. If body takes damage the trance is broken. You may not cast spells or use spell-like, supernatural, or extraordinary abilities while using this ability
Archer
Dex to bow damage
Firing a bow doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity
Threaten out to 15ft with bows
Can perform combat maneuvers and other melee weapon based abilities with a bow
Can channel spell into arrow to use the bow's range instead of the spell's normal range. Using this ability is part of casting the spell; arrows can't be saved for later.
Would using these be fun? Does this make any sense?
This is my first time doing something like this. Please, be brutal. ;)