Liquifactor (3.5, Peach)

[eftexar]

Liquifactor (3.5)

Abilities: No ability in particular is a must have, although strength or dexterity are probably the most useful.

Organization: Liquifactors are quite rare and for them to socialize with one another is uncommon. What other groups they might join is as varied as the individual.

Alignment: A liquifactor may be of any alignment.

Religion: A liquifactor may be of any religion.

Background: A liquifactor is someone who is usually obsessed with water. Many have even lived on boats their whole life and so seeing a pirate liquifactor isn't uncommon.

Races: Any race may become a liquifactor and mixing it with templates or unique races may create some interesting results.

Other Classes: Most people who think it odd that you would wish to become made of water, and some, dependent on their viewpoints of magic or elementals, may even be hostile.

Role: Your roll in a party lies somewhere along the lines of a fighter, but with some increased mobility and a few spell-like abilities.

Other: In order to gain levels in this class you must partake of a ritual in the ocean costing 1000gp.*
*The exception to this is if it is your starting class.

Class Features

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: As Sorcerer

Skills: As rogue, but minus use magic device.

Skill Points: 2 + Int mod (x 4 at first level)

{table=head] Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Maximum Liquifaction Level | Rainy Day Fund
1st | +0 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Liquifactions | 1 | 22
2nd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Water Sense | 1 | 24
3rd | +1 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Aquatic Body | 2 | 26
4th | +2 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Improved Aquatic Body | 2 | 29
5th | +2 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Water Walk | 2 | 32
6th | +3 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Oceanic Anatomy | 2 | 38
7th | +3 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Go with the Flow | 2 | 41
8th | +4 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Body of Water | 2 | 44
9th | +4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Through the Cracks | 3 | 47
10th | +5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Fluid as Water, Drench | 3 | 51
11th | +5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Insubstantial Body | 3 | 55
12th | +6/+1 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Water Slide | 4 | 61
13th | +6/+1 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Improved Oceanic Anatomy | 4 | 70
14th | +7/+2 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Fluid Form | 4 | 77
15th | +7/+2 | +9 | +9 | +5 | Clear Body | 5 | 87
16th | +8/+3 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Improved Body of Water | 5 | 101
17th | +8/+3 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Mind of Water | 5 | 115
18th | +9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | | 6 | 133
19th | +9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Flowing Form | 6 | 153
20th | +10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Osmosis | 6 | 164
[/table]

Weapons and Armor Proficiencies: You are proficient with all simple weapons. You are not proficient with armor or with any shields.

Class Abilities


Liquifactions:
You gain the ability to use liquifications. A liquification is supernatural ability (until higher levels). In order to use a liquifaction you must expend the appropriate total of points from your rainy day fund (which renews itself after 8 hours of rest).
You gain the following liquifactions automatically when you reach the level that you qualify for them.

Level 1

Water Weapon
Casting Time: Standard Action
Cost:2 + 1 per minute
You may form your arms into any melee weapon you can think of. Such a weapon qualifies as a natural weapon and gains a bonus to damage equal to 1/3 your liquifactor levels + 1/5 your other levels. Ending this is a swift action.

Water Disc
Casting Time: Standard Action
Cost:3 + 1 per shuriken
You may throw shuriken made of water and may throw multiple shuriken if your bab allows it. It deals additional damage equal to 1/4 your liquifactor levels + 1/6 your other levels.

Level 2
Alter Current
Casting Time: Standard Action
Cost:6 + 1 per round
You must choose one of two options:
1:You may accelerate or slow down a current. For every 5ft cube you wish to speed up by 5ft and/or every 5ft you wish to speed up a 5ft cube (this stacks) you must have 2 levels of liquifactor or 4 levels of another class. Once you relinquish control (a swift action) it returns to normal, unless the new current had dominated the old current.
2:You may change the direction of a current. For every 5ft cube you wish to rotate 90 degrees you must have 1 level of liquifactor or 3 levels of another class. Once you relinquish control (a swift action) it returns to normal, unless the new current had dominated the old current.

Rushing Rapids
Casting Time: Standard Action
Cost:4
For the next 3 rounds you are subject to an effect equivalent to haste and gain a +1d6 per 3 levels you possess bonus to damage to your unarmed and natural attacks.

Level 3

Engulf
Casting Time: Fullround Action
Cost:8
Make a grapple attempt. If successful you engulf your target into yourself. You may not engulf more targets than a single target of your size (or twice the number of targets for each size smaller (assuming multiple uses of this ability)). Anyone may break out with a Strength check DC 20 + 1 per 6 levels. If you move while you have engulfed a creature(s) they remain engulfed and are carried along with you.

Water Shield
Casting Time: Move Action
Cost:8
For the next 3 round you reduce all damage, other than cold, that you take by 1 point per 4 levels and completely block fire from entering your position. If you use this while over or near (within 20ft) a large body of water this reduction in damage doubles.

Level 4

Tidal Fist
Casting Time: Standard action
Cost:12
You make a single unarmed strike at double your normal range. Upon impact it initiates a bullrush that uses 1 + 1/5 your level (rounded up) instead of your strength modifier. You do not move with this bullrush and automatically push your target as far as possible.

Crushing Falls
Casting Time: Standard action
Cost:12
Special: You may only use this on the round after the round you successfully bullrush someone with tidal fist. You must move within unarmed reach of them on the round you intend to use this before using it. Your target must make a reflex save DC 10 + 1 per 2 levels or become entangled and unable to move. Moving away from your target ends this. A target may attempt a new reflex save each round.

Level 5

Water Barrier
Casting Time: Fullround Action
Cost:16
For the next three rounds you may attempt to block any attack that tries to strike you. You make an attack roll versus your opponents attack roll (if it has one), caster level + d20 (spells), or 4/5 level + d20 (anything not covered).

Whirlpool
Casting Time: See text
Cost:20
You may duplicate the effect of a control winds spell, however you do so with water (instead of air). Wind speeds are translated into water speeds of half the normal speed (see stormwatch for water effects).

Level 6

Tidal Wave
Casting Time: Fullround Action
Cost:20 + 1 per round
With a standard action, you can raise a swell of water with a height in feet equal to up to 5ft per 2 liquifactor levels, and a length not greater than 5ft per liquifactor level. Doing this requires that the water be present to do so. You are limited to raising water within a 20 x liquifactor level ft radius.
You can then move that wave up to 5ft per liquifactor level as a standard action and it lasts until you end it (swift action).
Targets hit by the moving wave, that are smaller than it, must make a Fortitude save DC of 15 + 2 per 3 levels or be brought with it to the end of its movement. A reflex save DC of 10 + 1 per 2 levels is permitted for the target to resist being knocked into a dangerous spot, such as in a whirlpool, slamming into a wall, falling off a cliff, or into another hazard. A successful save stops the target at the edge of that spot or sweeps them around the obstacle instead if possible.
If the wave hits land it crests doubling in height and moves 5ft per liquifactor level before falling apart, dealing 1d10 bludgeoning damage per 3 levels to any creature caught within the land based wave in addition to the waves normal effects.


Lv2 > Water Sense:
You gain blind sight out 5ft + 5ft per 4 levels in this class and blindsense to 10ft + 5ft per 2 levels in this class. This only functions as long as you and whomever you might be able to sense are submerged in at least 2 inches of the same body of water. This ability functions off of vibrations.

Lv3 > Aquatic Body:
You gain the water subtype, including a swim speed equal to 20 faster than your land speed, can move in water without swim checks, and can breath in both air and water.

Lv4 > Improved Aquatic Body:
You gain a 25% weakness to cold damage and fire resistance equal to your level (this progresses and advances by 1 for every 2 levels you possess outside this class).

Lv5 > Water Walk:
You may move on top of water as if it were a solid surface.

Lv6 > Oceanic Anatomy:
You gain immunity to poison, stunning, and sleep effects.

Lv7 > Go with the Flow:
If you are in an area of water or other flowing liquid with a current and you move in the direction of the current, you may choose to use the currents movement speed in place of your normal swim speed.

Lv8 > Body of Water:
Your body becomes entirely made out of water, shedding your previous form, but remains a similar shape with features vaguely the same. All of your liquifactions become extraordinary abilities and you gain the augmented subtype elemental granting you darkvision to 60ft. You no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You no longer heal naturally and are still subject to dehydration from environmental factors.

Lv9 > Through the Cracks:
You may choose to make natural weapon, grapple, and unarmed attacks as touch attacks.

Lv10 > Drench:
Your touch puts out torches, campfires, exposed lanterns, and other open flames of non-magical origin if these are of Medium-size or smaller. Any fires of a larger size are instead reduced by one size category while in contact with, permanently decreasing to that size if you remain in contact for 3 rounds (and thus being subject to drench again). You can dispel magical fire with a touch attack as dispel magic.

Lv10 > Fluid as Water:
You gain a +8 racial bonus on any Swim check to perform some special action or avoid a hazard. You also become immune to any water effect, excluding that pertaining to ice or steam. You, however, treat the temperature band as being one higher for the purposes of dehydration and take a -4 to resist such effects.

Lv11 > Insubstantial Body:
You may not partake in any interaction beyond contact with corporeal creatures or objects that takes more than one round to partake of, with the exception of abilities such as engulf, swallow, or that otherwise create complete containment (so you can’t pass through walls, but would slip out of a grapple without a check). Any ability you are affected by that requires constant physical contact with a completely solid (not an ooze or elemental, or many magical effects for example) subject to continue, is purged or ended at the end of the round.

Lv12 > Water Slide:
You can squeeze through spaces and objects as if your size were two sizes smaller, but you must end outside of such a space within half your levels in this class plus dexterity modifier rounds or be shunted out taking 1d6 nonlethal damage per 5ft you were pushed out.

Lv13 > Improved Oceanic Anatomy:
You gain immunity to paralysis, critical hits, and flanking. You also become immune to any effect that requires a vascular system or flesh. You, however, take an extra 50% damage from cold effects (if you have or gain immunity to cold damage these two effect cancel each other out). This effect supersedes the weakness of Aquatic body.

Lv14 > Fluid Form:
Attacks that are ranged or that deal piercing or slashing damage have a 20% chance of missing you as long as you are not incapacitated. Additionally any natural armor or dodge bonuses (bonus from dexterity is unaffected) you have or gain is instead treated as a deflection bonus. These bonuses stack with any other deflection bonuses you may have.

Lv15 > Clear Body:
You gain concealment against creatures more than 60ft away and total concealment vs creatures more than 120ft away. While within water the distance away at which you gain these concealment is halved.

Lv16 > Improved Body of Water:
You are considered one size smaller for the purposes of lifting and carrying, as well as for squeezing through a restricted space. You cut all fire damage you receive by 50%. This in addition to the bonus granted by aquatic body.

Lv17 > Mind of Water:
You gain immunity to any mind-effect that can only target humanoids.

Lv19 > Flowing Form:
You gain the shapechanger subtype and the ability to change back to your normal form should you be subject to a shapechanging effect. You also become immune to polymorphing.

Lv20 > Osmosis:
When touching a body of water at least twice as large as yourself or within a downpour you gain fast healing 10. If you already possess fast healing 4 or higher, you may instead increase that by 5 in those conditions.


Design Notes:
This class is meant to allow a character to turn into a being made of water. I thought it was sort of cool at first, but now I’m not sure if it might be too powerful.

[Daverin]

Without seeing the liquifactions, this is going to be extremely hard to call no matter what, but the concept of a level adjustment on a base class is... iffy, even if you expect it to be very powerful (which, the liquifactions could potentially give them a lot, although I wonder how they will match up to spells. Ultimately, I doubt you will make anything that broken, but in case you do...) The thing is, the idea that the class itself is making it harder for you to actually advance at all, not only in it, but in every other class they may take, instead of just trying to hit anything that is too powerful, seems to be a much less fun and desirable method of balance.

That said, if you are working on other abilities with this in mind... Well, I could be surprised. Who knows. I'm hardly experienced enough to really know, other than my own intuitive presumption. That said, the rest of this class actually looks very interesting and unique, and I can only hope you have some cool effects in mind for the liquifactions! :smallsmile:

[Arcran]

The +2 LA or permensnt level loss is probably enough to make people avoid this class.

[eftexar]

Alright I finished the liquifactions. As for an LA, I'm just really worried about the power of the class. There are level adjustments tied to many prestige classes, so I didn't think it would be a problem. If anyone has an opinion on whether or not the class needs an adjustment I would like to know, as I am on the edge of whether or not to keep it.

[Dryad]

The requirement is probably too harsh (having drowned is one thing, but expending 1000 gold, losing 2 points of constitution, losing one level, or gaining a +1 level adjustment... Too harsh).

The class itself is not actually all that powerful. A low HD (d6), half BaB (until lvl 14, when your unarmed and natural attacks become touch, you'll most likely miss everything constantly, and even then, the lack of magical modifiers means you'll have to get a real weapon.. Not nice, with half BaB, and a weapon being the only real way of dealing damage). Osmosis is very strong, and this class, overall, might be hard to kill... But doesn't pose much of a threat. It has some awesome grapple things, but with half a BaB, it's not going to succeed on much grappling. The Liquifaction powers are quite weak as well.

The resistance to fire damage strikes me as somewhat odd. Same goes for taking extra damage from cold. While I could see cold damage having a slowing or even petrification effect, fire and water tend to cancel one another out. Fire and water causes steam, and having your character evaporate seems to me to be a lot worse than being scorched. The Liquifactor, however, doesn't seem to evaporate at all, with an eventual fire resistance 20, and the remaining damage being halved. However, freezing over (which does not actually cause any damage whatsoever to water) does cause additional damage to liquifactors. However, this is merely from my own point of view; you need not share it.

One thing this class lacks, in my opinion, is stat scaling. The liquifactions don't scale with a certain stat, which could be seen as good (since its power doesn't depend on a stat) or bad (pretty much the same reason; you can't buff its power actively, and there's no flavour-role for inherent attributes).
It won't be game-breaking, if you ask me, unless you're going to use it to exploit an underwater campaign.
It really doesn't warrant level adjustments.

[eftexar]

I removed the level adjustment and added in more Rainy Day Fund points. As for the scaling, I thought with the lower number of abilities that locking someone into an ability would just be irritating.
I might change the cold weakness to being slowed, but I think I'm going to keep the fire resistance.
On the subject of grappling, I added it could be treated as a touch attack (I just assumed that if unarmed and natural attacks were touch, it included grappling).

[Daverin]

Alright, with the liquifactions in place, my verdict: Get rid of that level adjustment, asap. This is nowhere near powerful enough to warrant it.

Basically, it seems to excel at survival, with some proficiency in melee (although, as Dryad pointed out, the poor BAB hurts that somewhat) and combat actions, as well as some awesome flavorful abilities directly around water, which also are not that powerful in normal considerations, as they have a rather specific requirement as far as base class abilities go. To be honest, that is probably putting it at tier 4 (assuming it does these well, which again, I'm not good at judging crunch.) That said, there is nothing remotely broken going on so far, and that LA is not doing anybody any favors.

Overall, I think Dryad hit the biggest issues pretty well. You need to up the BAB so the liquifactor can actually hit things. You also should explore more liquifactions; I don't have any ideas at the moment, but I will say that some of the effects you have thought up, like tidal wave, are awesome, even if they are not necessarily powerful. Also, despite its many abilities to avoid damage, the d6 still is giving me a bad feeling; maybe bump that up to d8? Your resistances, meanwhile, are weird, in that they seem to allow "water" (cold) to hurt it more, while fire hurts it less. Interpreted that way, it is the opposite of the norm;' for example, angels have DR/evil and whatever else, meaning its opposite hurts it. That said, I think that your choice is fine as is, and can easily be explained in character.

Finally, I will be the one to point this out: much of this could work much better as a PrC, with abilities that seem like they could work much better if they built off of something instead. However, I can completely understand the desire for a base class; after all, making things a prestige class makes it harder to logically roleplay a character who has wielded the powers of water since his beginning, right? :smallwink:

EDIT: GAH, ninja'd by the creator! Obviously then, ignore most of the stuff related to the LA.

[eftexar]

Instead of upping the bab I swapped Through the Cracks with fluid form, granting touch attacks before the bab really starts hurting.
I also upped the hd.
As far as the weakness and resistance thing goes, I was thinking more along the lines that water puts out fire and cold freezes water.

[eftexar]

Instead of adding more liquifactions, I simply made all liquifactions listed as being available. I figure that with the low number of choices it wasn't necessary to allow choice. At some point later I might add in more liquifactions and change it back to choosing them, or I might add additional liquifactions as alternate class features.