Zantumall
2013-02-13, 01:49 AM
I was working on this a while ago, found it lying around the other day, and thought I'd post it here for feedback and such. It doesn't fit the flavor behind bloodlines (honestly, I'm not entirely sure what my conception of the flavor behind it even was), but I thought the easiest way to balance it would be to set it up in the same format as one. In fact it seems like the only way to really get it balanced would be to playtest it, as it's a pretty difficult mechanic to judge accurately just from description, at least to my mind.
Honestly, it's kind of a random, janky idea I had one day and decided to run with, so you might hate it.
Taking this class feature alters your sorcerer hit dice from d6 to d8, inflicts a permanent -2 penalty to Wisdom, and changes the sorcerer Fortitude save progression from "bad" to "good" (i.e. same as Will saves). This class feature can only be selected at level 1, and for all intents and purposes functions as a bloodline.
-Class skill: Heal- (Wasn't sure where to go here, but Heal seemed like the only one that made even a tiny bit of sense.)
-Bonus Spells-
Entropic Shield (D) (3rd level), False Life (5th level), Protection from Energy (7th level), Fire Shield (9th level), Flame Strike (D) (11th level), Contingency (13th level), Delayed Blast Fireball (15th level), Iron Body (17th level), Wail of the Banshee (19th level). (I picked these with the assumption that most players would pick up the damage spells they wanted on their own and tried to make the bonus spells mostly utility; a couple damage spells that seem like the most obvious ones are in there too. Flame Strike was a completely random pick.)
(Bonus spells marked (D) are from the cleric spell list, but are cast as normal sorcerer spells in this context.)
-Bonus feats-
Toughness, Diehard (Endurance is not a prerequisite), Arcane Armor Training, Arcane Armor Mastery, Combat Casting, Widen Spell. (Considered putting armor proficencies in here too, but decided against it.)
-Bloodline Arcana:-
If you cast an offensive spell that would deal enough damage to you (whether through area damage or a bloodline power, but not due to any other costs of the spell) to leave you at zero or fewer hitpoints, you may choose to prevent enough of that damage to leave you at 1 hitpoint. Damage prevented in this way is not considered to have been dealt to you.
In addition, healing magic that targets you is less effective than normal. Whenever you are the target of a magical healing effect, decrease the number of dice rolled by one (this does not affect any other targets the spell may have).
-Bloodline Powers-
Adrenaline Rush:
At 1st level, whenever you take damage from a spell you cast, you may add half that amount of damage to the next offensive spell you cast. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifer plus 3. Damage prevented by your bloodline arcana doesn't count.
Masochism:
At 3rd level, whenever you cast an offensive area spell that deals damage, you may redirect a total amount of damage equal to or less than twice your sorcerer level from any number of creatures (such as your allies) in the area to yourself.
This damage counts towards Adrenaline Rush. Your Bloodline Arcana cannot prevent damage redirected in this way.
Channel Pain:
At 9th level, whenever you cast an offensive spell with one or more targets, you may choose to add yourself to the spell's targets (this doesn't count against the number of targets permitted by the spell).
If you do, you automatically fail any and all saving throws related to the spell, but the spell is not removed from your list of memorized spells.
You can also use this ability when you cast an offensive area spell with yourself inside the area; you still fail all relevant saving throws if you choose to use this ability. Your bloodline arcana and Adrenaline Rush both apply to any damage caused by the spell.
You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your sorcerer level, but each spell retained in this way costs a number of uses equal to the spell's level.
Unending Pain:
At 15th level, you can use Adrenaline Rush any number of times per day. In addition, whenever you cast a spell, you may choose to take damage equal to the spell's level. (I hate everything about this ability, including its name. It's extremely boring. Suggestions for replacing it entirely are welcome.)
On the Edge:
At 20th level, taking damage from any spell grants you Fast Healing X (where X is the spell's level) for two turns. In addition, any spell you cast while below 20% of your maximum health consumes a spell slot one level lower than normal. This ability cannot reduce a spell's slot below first level.
Honestly, it's kind of a random, janky idea I had one day and decided to run with, so you might hate it.
Taking this class feature alters your sorcerer hit dice from d6 to d8, inflicts a permanent -2 penalty to Wisdom, and changes the sorcerer Fortitude save progression from "bad" to "good" (i.e. same as Will saves). This class feature can only be selected at level 1, and for all intents and purposes functions as a bloodline.
-Class skill: Heal- (Wasn't sure where to go here, but Heal seemed like the only one that made even a tiny bit of sense.)
-Bonus Spells-
Entropic Shield (D) (3rd level), False Life (5th level), Protection from Energy (7th level), Fire Shield (9th level), Flame Strike (D) (11th level), Contingency (13th level), Delayed Blast Fireball (15th level), Iron Body (17th level), Wail of the Banshee (19th level). (I picked these with the assumption that most players would pick up the damage spells they wanted on their own and tried to make the bonus spells mostly utility; a couple damage spells that seem like the most obvious ones are in there too. Flame Strike was a completely random pick.)
(Bonus spells marked (D) are from the cleric spell list, but are cast as normal sorcerer spells in this context.)
-Bonus feats-
Toughness, Diehard (Endurance is not a prerequisite), Arcane Armor Training, Arcane Armor Mastery, Combat Casting, Widen Spell. (Considered putting armor proficencies in here too, but decided against it.)
-Bloodline Arcana:-
If you cast an offensive spell that would deal enough damage to you (whether through area damage or a bloodline power, but not due to any other costs of the spell) to leave you at zero or fewer hitpoints, you may choose to prevent enough of that damage to leave you at 1 hitpoint. Damage prevented in this way is not considered to have been dealt to you.
In addition, healing magic that targets you is less effective than normal. Whenever you are the target of a magical healing effect, decrease the number of dice rolled by one (this does not affect any other targets the spell may have).
-Bloodline Powers-
Adrenaline Rush:
At 1st level, whenever you take damage from a spell you cast, you may add half that amount of damage to the next offensive spell you cast. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifer plus 3. Damage prevented by your bloodline arcana doesn't count.
Masochism:
At 3rd level, whenever you cast an offensive area spell that deals damage, you may redirect a total amount of damage equal to or less than twice your sorcerer level from any number of creatures (such as your allies) in the area to yourself.
This damage counts towards Adrenaline Rush. Your Bloodline Arcana cannot prevent damage redirected in this way.
Channel Pain:
At 9th level, whenever you cast an offensive spell with one or more targets, you may choose to add yourself to the spell's targets (this doesn't count against the number of targets permitted by the spell).
If you do, you automatically fail any and all saving throws related to the spell, but the spell is not removed from your list of memorized spells.
You can also use this ability when you cast an offensive area spell with yourself inside the area; you still fail all relevant saving throws if you choose to use this ability. Your bloodline arcana and Adrenaline Rush both apply to any damage caused by the spell.
You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to your sorcerer level, but each spell retained in this way costs a number of uses equal to the spell's level.
Unending Pain:
At 15th level, you can use Adrenaline Rush any number of times per day. In addition, whenever you cast a spell, you may choose to take damage equal to the spell's level. (I hate everything about this ability, including its name. It's extremely boring. Suggestions for replacing it entirely are welcome.)
On the Edge:
At 20th level, taking damage from any spell grants you Fast Healing X (where X is the spell's level) for two turns. In addition, any spell you cast while below 20% of your maximum health consumes a spell slot one level lower than normal. This ability cannot reduce a spell's slot below first level.