Benly's Monster Classes

[Benly]

I did a couple of monster classes in the old threads. Since the old threads are dead, I figured I'd move them to their own thread as that seems to be The Thing To Do. Please enjoy a couple of eladrin.

[Benly]

Coure Eladrin
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/bensanaz/Eladrin_coure.jpg
Book of Exalted Deeds

Class:



HD: D6

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|
Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+0|Joyous Body, Divine Tricks, +1 Dexterity

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+0|Eladrin Resistances, Trapfinding, Radiant Form, Magic Circle Against Evil, +1 Dexterity[/table]


Skills Points: (8+Intelligence Modifier) x 4
Class Skills: The Coure Eladrin’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Wis) Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Use Rope (Dex).

Proficiencies: The Coure Eladrin is proficient with simple weapons and light martial weapons, plus the shortbow and longbow. It is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Joyous Body: The Coure Eladrin loses all other racial bonuses and gains outsider traits and the good, chaotic, and eladrin subtypes, granting it darkvision out to 60 feet. Coure Eladrin are initially Tiny sized creatures with a base movement speed of 20' and a flight speed of 30' with average maneuverability; a flying Coure Eladrin must end its movement for each round on a solid surface. If the Coure Eladrin does not deliberately land, she flitters to the ground without taking falling damage as if under the effects of feather fall; the same occurs when falling for any other reason. A Coure Eladrin has Common and Celestial as starting languages, with additional languages for a high intelligence score as normal.
At 3 HD, the Coure Eladrin's flight speed improves to 40' with good maneuverability. At 5 HD it improves again to 60' with perfect maneuverability, and the Coure Eladrin need not end its movement on a solid surface.
Coure eladrin do not gain the normal benefits of the eladrin subtype, instead gaining the Eladrin Resistances ability at level 2.


Attribute Bonus: The Coure Eladrin gains +1 to Dexterity at each class level, for a total bonus of +2 Dexterity at second level.

Divine Tricks (Sp): As the embodiment of carefree cheer and joyous curiosity, Coure Eladrin receive a number of abilities that let them spread light and joy or sate their curiosity. Starting at first level, the Coure Eladrin gains a number of spell-like abilities, each usable once per day per hit die: dancing lights, detect evil, detect magic, faerie fire, magic missile, comprehend languages, and sleep. Each of these abilities has a caster level equal to the Coure Eladrin's hit dice and a save DC (where applicable) of 10 + 1/2 the eladrin's hit dice + the eladrin's Charisma bonus.
At 3 HD, the Coure Eladrin's Sleep ability improves. Instead of affecting up to 4 HD of creatures, the eladrin may choose to target a single creature with HD up to her own HD plus her Charisma modifier.
At 5 HD, the Coure Eladrin's Comprehend Languages ability may be used to cast Tongues instead.
At 9 HD, the Tongues ability becomes a permanent effect and is treated as a supernatural ability.

Eladrin Resistances (Ex): Eladrin are resistant to certain sorts of harm. A second-level firre eladrin gains resistance to acid, cold, and electricity equal to her HD, to a maximum of 10. Also at second level, she becomes immune to petrification, and at 10 HD she becomes immune to electricity.

Trapfinding: The Coure Eladrin's curiosity and love of exploration lets it uncover well-hidden secrets. At second level she gains trapfinding as a rogue.

Radiant Form (Su): Being a creature of light and joy is more than metaphorical. Starting at second level, the coure eladrin learns to transform into a form composed of that and little else. As a standard action, the Coure Eladrin may assume the form of a semi-substantial ball of light. She may remain in this form for up to one minute per day per hit die; this time may be divided up as she sees fit, but increments shorter than one minute count as a full minute transformed. Reverting to her normal form is a free action. In this form, the Coure Eladrin makes no noise and cannot be heard with Listen checks if it doesn't wish to be. She can choose how much light to shed, from the equivalent of a torch down to a barely-shimmering outline that casts no light radius, changing how much light she sheds as a free action once per round. In this form, it is only possible to hide if the coure's light radius is reduced to nothing; otherwise her bright glow will give her away. She may perform any activities in this form which she could normally perform despite her transformed state, subject to the limitations mentioned below. Other properties of the form depend on the coure's HD.
At 2 HD, she is misty but still tangible. All attacks other than force effects, effects with the ghost touch property, or other attacks that normally affect incorporeal creatures suffer a 10% miss chance per HD to a maximum of 50% at 5 HD. Any attacks made by the coure which are not themselves of these types suffer a 20% miss chance, which does not increase. She may move through openings smaller than herself - any opening large enough to shine a light through, although not sealed openings or solid surfaces.
At 5 HD, she becomes semi-intangible. She may now pass through solid objects no thicker than 5 feet.
At 12 HD, her alternate form becomes fully incorporeal. She cannot be harmed by nonmagical attacks, nor can she exert physical force on corporeal objects. Magical attacks other than force effects or ghost touch weapons have a 50% chance to fail to affect her. She is immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, her attacks ignore material armor, and she can pass freely through solid matter. This supersedes and replaces the previous miss chances and semi-intangibility.
At 16 HD, she may assume her alternate form at will with no daily time limit.

Magic Circle Against Evil (Su): The very presence of such a being as an eladrin deters evil. As a swift action, the Coure Eladrin may project a magic circle against evil with a caster level equal to her HD. She may maintain the magic circle for up to one round per HD per day. Dismissing the circle is a free action. At 10 HD, she may project the magic circle for as long as she wishes.



Comments

So I decided to actually get involved in all the nonsense instead of just arguing from the sidelines. Oh boy.

My first monster class, so I decided to lowball with a CR 2 creature. The coure eladrin embodies carefree wandering, good-natured pranks, and a joyous lifestyle, and serves as a messenger and scout for higher powers, so it seemed natural (together with its existing abilities) to make it a rogueish sneaking class. That said, I didn't change much from the base monster - I scaled down its stronger abilities so they could be built up to, made its Sleep scale better, and gave it trapfinding and a somewhat rogueish skill list so it could serve that role more effectively.

It's a lot in two levels, though - in addition to its spell-like abilities, it's Tiny and flies. The big problem I have in that regard is that I couldn't really wrap my brain around the image of this creature being unable to fly, so I restricted it to flitting from place to place - it's still good mobility, but the coure can't hover above an enemy and rain down tiny arrows. Likewise, it seems really baffling to have something shrink down to Tiny, and Coure are supposed to be 2 feet tall tops, so... it's tiny. I'm waffling on the resistances, since they're not really central to the coure eladrin. Tongues is also a general eladrin trait, but seems to fit well with the coure's theme of curiosity and wandering.


Changelog

3/2/11: Initial post.
3/2/11 (2): Added ability types, clarified actions required in some cases, added lack of armor proficiency, added falling-damage clarification.
3/3/11: HD changed from d4 to d6, light armor proficiency added. Both are in response to concern from an off-MB reader about excessive squishiness even for a tiny angelfairy thing.
3/5/11: Joyous Body changed to Coure Body. Clarified falling further. Miss chance from insubstantiality changed from 20% to 10% per hit die. Clarified hiding in alternate form.
3/16/11: Made several clarifications to Alternate Form.
3/23/11: Alternate Form renamed Radiant Form as it no longer matches the canonical Alternate Form ability.
3/24/11: Level 3 Sleep upgrade modified from "twice coure's HD" to "coure's HD plus Charisma modifier"
4/2/11: Eladrin Resistances renamed "Eladrin". It now grants subtypes as well. The "Eladrin" ability was not copied from previous eladrin because the previously-existing ability does not actually reflect eladrin's normal resistances.
4/7/11: Eladrin Resistances ability returned to previous name and moved to second level; subtypes subsumed into Coure Body with note on eladrin benefits. Hopefully this will be considered an acceptable standard for eladrin.
6/8/11: Moved to new thread. Joyous Body is Joyous Body again because why not.

[Benly]

Firre Eladrin
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v602/bensanaz/Eladrin_firre.jpg
Monster Class
Book of Exalted Deeds

Class:


HD: d6

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|
Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Body of Song, Versatile Artist, Bardic Music (Song of Fiery Battle, Song of Blazing Hearts)

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Fiery Gaze (1d4, dazzling), Eladrin resistances, +1 Cha

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Bardic Music (Song of the Joined Bonfire), spellcasting

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Fiery Gaze (1d6), +1 Cha

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Blazing Form

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Bardic Music (Song of the Comforting Hearth), +1 Cha

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Fiery Gaze (2d6, swiftened)

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|Blazing Stance, +1 Cha

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6|Fiery Gaze (blinding)

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7|Endless Song[/table]

Skill Points: (4 + Int modifier) per level, x4 at first level.
Class Skills: The firre eladrin's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).


Proficiencies: The firre eladrin gains proficiency with light armor, shields (except tower shields), all simple weapons, and one martial weapon of her choice. A firre eladrin is also proficient with her blazing form's slam attacks.

Body of Song: The firre eladrin loses all other racial bonuses and becomes an outsider with the chaotic, good, and eladrin subtypes. It gains outsider traits, granting it darkvision out to 60'. Firre eladrin are medium sized creatures with a base land speed of 30'. A firre eladrin has Celestial and Common as starting languages, with additional languages for a high Int score as normal. Firre eladrin do not gain the normal benefits of the eladrin subtype, instead gaining the Eladrin Resistances ability at level 2.

Attribute Increase: The firre eladrin gains +1 to Charisma at levels 2, 4, 6 and 8, for a total increase of +4 at 10th level.

Versatile Artist (Ex): Firre are the living embodiment of the joy of art and performance. A firre with ranks in any Perform skill is considered to have ranks in Perform (Sing) and Perform (Dance) equal to her highest ranks in any Perform skill. A firre with ranks in any Craft skill is considered to have ranks in her choice of Craft (Sculpture), Craft (Painting), Craft (Calligraphy) or Craft (Jewelrymaking) equal to her highest ranks in any Craft skill. A firre who buys ranks in multiple Craft skills may select an additional artistic Craft skill for each distinct Craft skill she buys with skill points; at the DM's discretion, other Craft skills with an artistic nature may be selected with this ability. A firre with ranks in Appraise or Knowledge (history) may use one of those skills instead of Forgery to detect forgeries and may detect forgeries even in languages she does not understand as the touch of plagiarism alerts her artistic sensibility. A firre with ranks in Appraise, Knowledge (history), or Decipher Script may use any of those three skills in place of either of the others, but only when making checks related to pieces of artwork or art history.


Bardic Music: Firre eladrin are the patrons and defenders of songs and art. Starting from first level, a firre gains the ability of bardic music. This works like the bard class ability in many ways, except that the firre learns different songs from a bard as it gains levels. A firre with levels in another class that grants bardic music may add together her class levels in classes that grant the ability for the purposes of calculating her songs' effectiveness and uses per day, although not for the purposes of songs known or other benefits. Because it is thus possible to continue advancing bardic music's effects past the 10 levels of the firre eladrin class, songs may list continuing effects for levels higher than 10. Unlike bards, firre must use a Perform skill that creates audible sound for their bardic music (such as song, poetry, or a musical instrument), as the firre are creatures of unrestrained joyful noise.
Song of Fiery Battle (Su): Firre are warriors as much as they are artists, and the first song they learn combines the two. A firre eladrin with 3 or more ranks in an audible Perform skill may fill her allies' blades with the heat of her joy in battle. All allies who can hear the firre perform deal an additional 1d6 fire damage with their weapons for as long as the firre continues to play and five rounds thereafter. At eighth level, and every six levels thereafter, an additional 1d6 fire damage is added. At level 9, the firre may choose to expend an extra usage of bardic music as a free action at any time during the Song of Fiery Battle to cause half the bonus damage added to become sacred damage rather than fire damage. At level 15, expending an extra usage of bardic music in this way causes all the bonus damage from Song of Fiery Battle to become sacred damage.
This song counts as Inspire Courage for purposes of feat and class prerequisites, and any spell, feat, or item that increases the effects of Inspire Courage may instead be used to increase the effects of the Song of Fiery Battle by an extra 1d6 for every +1 it would normally add to Inspire Courage.
Song of Blazing Hearts (Su): The love of freedom burns like a pyre within the firre eladrin. A firre with 3 or more ranks in an audible Perform skill may use this song to light that pyre within her allies. The firre makes a Perform check every round that she maintains this song. Any creature within 30 feet of the firre (including the firre herself) who can hear the song and is subjected to a magical attack with the charm, compulsion, or evil descriptors or any magical attack from an evil summoned creature may use the firre's Perform check in place of its saving throw against such attacks if, after the saving throw is rolled, the Perform check is higher. A creature already under the noninstantaneous effect of such an attack gains another saving throw against the effect each round it hears the Song of Burning Hearts, but must use the firre's Perform check result for the save. This song has no effect against effects that don't allow saves. The song may be sustained for a maximum of ten rounds.
This song counts as Countersong for purposes of feat and class prerequisites, and any spell, feat or item that improves the effectiveness of Countersong may be used to improve the effectiveness of the Song of Blazing Hearts instead.
Song of the Joined Bonfire (Su): Many small flames can become an inferno, and many hearts working as one can overcome great obstacles. A firre of third level or higher with 6 or more ranks in an audible Perform skill can use this song to encourage cooperation towards a common goal. Allies within 30 feet who can hear the firre's song may Aid Another even on skill checks they would not normally be able to aid their ally with, such as untrained allies assisting with trained-only skills. They still must actively contribute to the effort in some manner; this song only ensures that such efforts can be constructive.
This song counts as Inspire Competence for purposes of feat and class prerequisites.
Song of the Comforting Hearth (Sp): While an unchecked fire rages out of control, a warm hearth brings comfort and contentment. A firre of sixth level or higher with 9 or more ranks in an audible Perform skill can use this song, which is just as soothing. The firre makes a Perform check. All creatures within 30 feet that can hear the firre perform must make a Will save with DC equal to the firre's Perform check. Those which fail the save are affected as by calm emotions as long as the firre continues to perform. Maintaining this song requires concentration and may be continued for up to one round per level. If the firre stops performing before then, the effect continues for an additional three rounds, until the maximum duration is reached, or until the subjects see an aggressive action being taken, whichever comes first.
This song counts as a bard's Fascinate and Suggestion abilities for purposes of feat and class prerequisites. Items, spells or feats that increase the DC of the Fascinate or Suggestion bard abilities may instead be used to increase the DC of this effect by an equal amount if the firre so chooses.

Fiery Gaze (Su): The divine fire that burns within a firre can scorch an enemy who meets her gaze. Once per round, as a move action, a firre of second level or higher can unleash her inner fires on an enemy within 60 feet. This deals 1d4 fire damage to that enemy and dazzles it for one minute. The targeted enemy may make a Reflex save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the firre's HD + the firre's Charisma bonus to halve the damage and prevent the dazzling. Fiery Gaze is ineffective against a blind enemy or one who successfully averts his eyes, as if against a gaze attack (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#gazeAttacks).
This ability improves as the firre eladrin gains levels. At fourth level, Fiery Gaze deals 1d6 damage. At seventh level, it deals 2d6 damage; also at seventh level, Fiery Gaze may be used as a swift action rather than a move action but deals only 1d6 damage if used as a swift action. At ninth level, Fiery Gaze deals 2d6 damage as either a swift or move action, and the firre may choose to blind enemies rather than dazzling them. An enemy blinded by Fiery Gaze is blind for one round plus an additional round for every HD the firre eladrin has above 9 (so that a firre eladrin with 11 HD, for example, will blind an enemy for three rounds.) A successful saving throw against a blinding Fiery Gaze will prevent the blindness effect just as it would prevent the dazzling effect.

Eladrin Resistances (Ex): Eladrin are resistant to certain sorts of harm. A second-level firre eladrin gains resistance to acid, cold, and electricity equal to her HD, to a maximum of 10. Also at second level, she becomes immune to petrification, and at 10 HD she becomes immune to electricity.

Spellcasting: A firre eladrin casts spells as a bard two levels lower than her firre eladrin level. A firre eladrin's spells are divine spells, and she uses the divine bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantDivineBard) spell list and the Fire domain. However, Charisma is still used to determine available spells, bonus spells, and save DCs. A firre eladrin may not cast any spells with the cold descriptor, but gains +1 caster level for spells with the fire descriptor. A firre who multiclasses as a bard may choose to continue this casting progression instead of beginning the bard casting progression from level 1.
The firre's spellcasting may be considered arcane spellcasting for the purposes of feats and prestige classes that either require bardic music as a prerequisite or improve bardic music.

Blazing Form (Su): The firre is a creature of fire and song. At fifth level, the firre can externalize the flames burning within her. As a move action, the firre transforms into the form of a dazzling pillar of fire. She may revert to humanoid form at any time as a move action. A firre eladrin's humanoid form and blazing form are both considered her "true form"; True Seeing or similar effects will reveal both forms at once, and she does not revert when losing consciousness. She also does not revert to humanoid form in an antimagic field; the act of transforming is supernatural, but both forms are entirely natural to the firre.
In blazing form, the firre gains a fly speed of 30 feet with perfect maneuverability. The firre gains two slam attacks, each dealing 1d6 damage + 1d6 fire damage. A firre in blazing form may not wield weapons or shields. However, any melee weapon wielded during the transformation is temporarily subsumed into the pillar of flames; its enchantment, if any, is transferred to the firre's slam attacks for the duration. If the firre is wielding two weapons when she transforms, she may choose to either apply one weapon's enchantments to both slams or apply the two different weapon's enchantments to her two slams separately. Magic items and armor other than weapons or shields worn by the firre are subsumed into the pillar of flames; they have no visible presence, but continue to confer their normal benefits and penalties. An eladrin in blazing form loses her natural cold resistance and gains fire resistance equal to her HD. An eladrin in blazing form sheds light as a bonfire. It is impossible to hide in blazing form except in circumstances where a six-foot-tall pillar of fire does not stand out (such as on the Elemental Plane of Fire or, perhaps, inside a volcano or burning building.)
A firre in blazing form may not cast spells, use her Fiery Gaze, or use bardic music. However, she gains certain abilities which may only be used in blazing form. A firre eladrin in blazing form who takes the full attack action may charge her slam attacks for one round with the power of her Fiery Gaze, adding fire damage to each slam attack equal to the fire damage dealt by her Fiery Gaze. As a swift action, she may expend a use of bardic music and empower her slam attacks for one round as if she were under the effects of her own Song of Fiery Battle for one round. She may extend this effect by expending an additional use of bardic music as a free action each subsequent round.
At eighth level, the blazing form's fly speed increases to sixty feet with perfect maneuverability. Additionally, the firre eladrin develops certain fighting stances called "blazing stances" which can be used only in blazing form. The firre selects one stance to enter when she assumes blazing form; she may subsequently change her active stance as a swift action. If she knows other stances (such as via the Martial Stance feat), she may not use them at the same time as a blazing stance.
At tenth level, the blazing form's fly speed increases to ninety feet with perfect maneuverability.

Blazing Stances:
Dancing Ember Stance: The firre eladrin's movements become as light as an ember carried on the air currents, propelled by the turbulence of battle. Whenever the firre eladrin is attacked while in this stance, whether the attack hits or misses, she may make a 5-foot step for each attack made against her. The space into which she steps must be one threatened by or adjacent to the enemy that attacked her if the attack was a melee attack. If the attack was a ranged attack, the step must be into another space within range of the attack and may not be into a space adjacent to the attacker unless the firre was already adjacent to her attacker at the beginning of the attack. The firre may choose to delay any or all of the 5' steps granted by this ability until just after the end of the attacker's turn, or the end of the attacker's action if the attacker is acting out of turn. Any 5' steps that the firre delays in this manner ignore the previous restriction on what spaces may be stepped into, and instead may be taken into any unoccupied adjacent space.
Menacing Pyre Stance: The firre becomes as dangerous to the touch as a blazing inferno. Whenever she is attacked in melee, the attacker is affected as if the firre had used her Fiery Gaze on it, replacing the usual Reflex save with a Will save. Any given enemy may only be thus affected once per round, although any number of enemies per round may be affected by this stance as long as they all attack the firre in melee.
Leaping Flames Stance: The firre moves as gleefully and unpredictably as crackling flames. While in this stance, the firre does not need to move in a straight line to charge and may use both her slam attacks at the end of a charge. In addition, when an enemy attempts to strike her with an attack of opportunity made for moving through its threatened area during a charge, she may make a Perform (Dance) check. If the result of the check is higher than the enemy's attack roll, the attack is considered not to have been made and no attack of opportunity is provoked by the firre's movement through that enemy's threatened space during that charge.

Endless Song (Ex): The firre eladrin eventually becomes a perfect incarnation of the joy of music. A firre eladrin of tenth level or higher does not need to expend daily bardic music uses to perform bardic music. Other abilities which require the expenditure of bardic music uses (such as converting the Song of Fiery Battle's damage to sacred damage, empowering her Blazing Form's slam attacks, or activating bardic music feats) still require their normal expenditures.




Comments

Firre eladrin, bards of the upper planes! There's a lot of different stuff here. Their bardic music abilities parallel actual bard abilities, although I tried to give them a distinct feel. Compared to bards, they lose some spellcasting, bardic knowledge, and most of the sneaky or sagacious stuff off the skill list. In return, they get Fiery Gaze for a little added damage and a debuff, and Blazing Form, which provides an alternate mode that turns off their buffing and spellcasting and turns them into fast, flying melee types with significant striker potential if built towards that purpose. I might drop the spellcasting further - I feel like it's important that they have some, but it isn't their main deal.


Changelog

4/7/11: Initial post.
4/8/11: Text clarification regarding TWF and Blazing Form.
4/8/11 (2): Removed cost to transform to Blazing Form. Added text regarding both forms being true forms (it's in the original creature, and it's charmingly weird).
4/9/11: Realized the fiery gaze chargeup in blazing form was broken as written. Ability rewritten to actually work.
4/9/11 (2): Increased overall cha bonus from +3 to +4. Added post-durations to music abilities. Added Fire domain to class spell list. Added delay option to Dancing Ember Stance. Added optimization compatibility to Song of the Comforting Hearth.
4/9/11 (3): Added Appraise, Decipher Script, and K (history) to class skill list. Expanded Versatile Performer into Versatile Artist. Now they're skillmonkeys, but only about art!
6/8/11: Moved to new thread.