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View Full Version : Jade Archer [3.5 Base Class PEACH]



gooddragon1
2012-02-15, 04:48 AM
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chrisrawr
2012-02-15, 01:55 PM
Could probably use Balance, Craft, and Jump as class skills, and maybe Ride and Swim.

"Bows" is not defined as a proficiency.

BAB should be full. Iterative attacks with Jade Arrows should be allowed.

I'd strongly suggest altering the arrow to Su, and giving it a 1d6 scaling damage (similar to SA progression). At level 5, I'd tone it down to simply being a touch attack - at those levels, the people who have feats and magical shields invested into having their shield bonus apply to their touch AC deserve it. You're giving up every possible bonus that could come from magical or feat enhancements to both the bow and the arrow for this - make it worth it. It should also get more abilities (maybe splitting, or many-shot, or what have you) at later levels. 9 is too early to cut it off.

Alternatively, you could make this into a 10 level PrC, which might fit the progression you've laid out better.

For the 9th level ability, Critical Hit effects from the bow already don't alter it, because you're only using the arrow for effects. It also means that feats won't affect it. You may want to reconsider how it's worded, or look at the Energy Bow off the wotc site. You might want to consider placing the cap for the jade arrow ability (which basically makes it force damage) at a later level, and also give it the ability to bypass walls of wind, and later on, maybe even AM fields and force effects with a suitable DC check.

A lot of the abilities seem to be Ex... but then you go and remove his biggest class feature if he changes alignment? For a class based on willpower, neither of these fit - in my opinion, it feels like the class was made for PvP against casters. If this is the case, there are a lot of things you need to look at. If not, ignore that. It also, again, seems to give more of a PrC feel.

The spell resistance comes from his willpower, I assume which makes me feel it would be better served by Mettle. He could also gain Spell resistance, but this should come later in the progression, along with improved mettle perhaps - the class is already fairly front-loaded.

With scaling 1d6 damage on the arrow, devastating arrow becomes less necessary. If you want to bump damage, pop it to d8's later on.

Feel the shot wording - "If the Jade Archer is aware of an invisible or concealed target within 10 feet, he may attack that target's square without needing to guess. This does not negate the 50% miss chance." This could also progress to True Seeing later on.

Swifter Arrow, I'd suggest simply lowering the base range and increasing the scaling on the arrows to compensate.

This class doesn't do a whole lot that just grabbing an Energy Bow wouldn't also do at the moment. If you gave his arrows scaling damage (around 1d6 every 3 levels, and bumping it to 1d8 later on - maybe level 19 he deals 7d8 damage per shot?) allowed him to make iteritive attacks, and gave a 'pool' of enhancement bonuses to his arrows (He'd have to burn experience or gold for these, to not break player economy - perhaps he has to sacrifice or donate a certain amount of gold to his order for fluff reasons. Maybe he has to sacrifice magical items to enhance his bow like the samurai - and you could have the bow be the focus for his will). Regardless, I like the feel, I just feel it could either be fit into a PrC, or use something more to be expanded into a full base class. It's very front-loaded, and the benefits after 9th level are minimal.

JackRackham
2012-02-15, 05:36 PM
Really, if you give it full BAB and allow iterative attacks with Jade Arrow, this becones a very solid class. Archery is usually not so, kudos.