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Seiun
2006-11-15, 08:41 AM
When I first started playing DnD, I've always been trying to create a character sensitive to the supernatural who has learned to use meditation to channel energy through himself in order to manipulate energy and achieve mild psychic-like effects. I've never quite been able to do it, so once I got enough experience I tried to make the following class.

As a niche, the character would act as a wandering mystic who seeks to protect others (or gain power from) from spiritual and otherworldly threats, healing (or torturing) the psyches of trapped and angry spirits, and fighting with a large makeshift, atypical natural weapon. His fighting style would be focused on agility and mobility, like the barbarian, monk, or ranger. I've managed to translate a fair bit of it into d20, but the class feels improperly balanced and awkwardly constructed to me, and I'd appreciate any help or insights you have. Thanks in advance!

Etherealist

Alignment: Any nonlawful or nonchaotic.

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills:
The Etherealist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4

Skill Points each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier


Etherealist
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Spirit Weapon, Supernatural Sensitivity

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Uncanny Dodge

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Empathic Sense, Spiritual Surge 1/day

4th|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+3|Detect Hostile Intent 3/day, Intuitive Alignment Detection, Spirit Weapon +1

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Object Reading 3/day, Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions 1/day

6th|
+4|
+2|
+4|
+4|Spirit Sight, Spirit Touch

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Spiritual Healing

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+5|
+5|Spirit Weapon +2

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6|Detect Scrying 1/day Spiritual Surge 2/day

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+6|
+6|Ethereal Storage, Spirit Touch +1d4

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+7|
+7|Improved Supernatural Sensitivity

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+7|
+7|Spirit Weapon +3

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+8|
+8|Improved Spiritual Healing

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+8|
+8|Spirit Touch +1d6

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+9|
+9|Spiritual Surge 3/day

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+9|
+9|Spirit Weapon +4

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+10|
+10|Ethereal Projection 1/day

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+11|
+11|Spirit Touch +1d8

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Ethereal Jaunt 3/day

20th|
+15/+10+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|Spirit Weapon +5, Dimensional Seal 1/week[/table]

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An Etherealist is proficient with all simple weapons and a single martial weapon of the player's choice.

An Etheralist is not proficient with any armor or shields.

When wearing armor or using a shield, an Etherealist's connection to the ethereal plane is dulled. An Etherealist not only loses his wisdom bonus to AC, but his use of his special abilities is restricted. For every cumulative point of non-magical armor bonus provided to him by armor and a shield, an Etherealist's effective class level is reduced by one. For example, a level 10 Etherealist wearing full plate and using a small shield would only have the special abilities of a level 2 Etherealist.

AC Bonus (Ex): A Etherealist gains an insight bonus to AC equal to his wisdom modifier.

Spirit Weapon (Su): Each Etherealist has his own spirit weapon, a mundane natural object through which he channels his spiritual energy. This object can be a part of anything that was once a living creature, such as a tree branch, animal bone, roc's feather, giant ant's mandible, or a spider's web. It takes a week for the Etherealist to find and attune a new weapon to his spiritual energy. When a weapon is first attuned, the Etherealist chooses what kind of weapon he wishes to emulate. He must be proficient with the weapon and the object must be the proper size and an appropriate shape. Complex weapons such as spiked chains, bows, and crossbows need not have the appropriate mechanics; these are emulated by translucent energy that forms over the weapon. Unrecoverable missiles and thrown weapons can be emulated, but it takes a full week to attune each individual weapon and a Etherealist cannot have more than one attuned weapon at any one time. The Spirit Weapon is treated as a normal weapon of the chosen type until it is lost or destroyed. As the Etherealist progresses in levels, the spirit weapon becomes more powerful.

Supernatural Sensitivity (Ex): (Needs some work - feels bloated, unsure of balance.) An Etherealist's heightened senses allows him to intuitively feel if there are any supernatural effects within 60 feet. For the purposes of this ability, supernatural effects include magic, psionics, outsiders, undead, ethereal creatures, planar portals and planar travel. An Etherealist does this by sensing the fluctuation of supernatural auras in the area and while he cannot differentiate between different kinds of auras or tell their location or strength using this ability, he can tell when new auras arrive or depart. If touching an object, the class can tell if the object has an aura in the above categories, but not which category. An Etherealist can also use this ability to sense if he is in a wild magic zone or other unusual areas.

Intuitive Alignment Detection (Ex): (Needs work) An Etherealist can successfully intuit the alignment of a creature by directly communicating with the creature for a number of rounds equal to 1d4 + the number of HD the creaure has above the character's levels in Etherealist. Because it does not directly detect a creature's alignment aura, this ability is not blocked by spells or abilities that prevent alignment from being detected. However, it is blocked by any effect that protect against psionics. Psionic creatures or creatures that understand the nature of an Etherealist receive a savings throw with a DC of 10 + The Etherealist's Class Level, and also can make an opposed bluff check against the Etherealist's sense motive. If the savings throw succeeds, the ability is blocked and the Etherealist is aware of this. If the bluff check succeeds and the creature purposefully fails its savings throw, the creature can make Etherealist believe it is any alignment it wants.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, an Etherealist retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If an Etherealist already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.

Empathic Sense (Su): (Needs work, based on the Psionic power Empathy. Perhaps too strong, but I really dislike how Empathy works) At will an Etherealist can listen to the base desire and emotions of creatures he can both see and are within a 30' radius. This gives him a +2 intuitive bonus on sense motive, bluff, diplomacy and intimidate checks against creatures with minds that are not immune to mind spells or psionics.

Spiritual Surge (Sp): An Etherealist can boost one of his ability scores by 1d4+1. This lasts one minute per level and can be used multiple times for different ability scores.

Detect Hostile Intent (Sp): As the Psionic Power (I want to turn this into a constant effect, but I'm having a great deal of trouble justifying this or finding a way to balance it properly)

Object Reading (Sp): As the Psionic Power

Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions (Sp): As the Psionic Power

Spirit Sight (Su): An Etherealist can see ethereal objects and creatures that would otherwise be invisible because they are on the ethereal plane. If an ethereal creature were to cast invisibility on itself, Spirit sight would not allow a Etherealist to see the creature.

Spirit Touch (Su): As an Etherealist becomes attuned to the ethereal plane, his weapon gains a special ability similar to ghost touch, however instead of affecting incoporeal creatures, it affects creatures that are ethereal, or incorporeal because of a connection to the ethereal plane. As he further gains levels, his Spirit Weapon becomes attuned to the material and ethereal plane, doing extra damage to unnatural creatures such as undead, outsiders, and ethereal creatures.

Spiritual Healing (Sp): An Etherealist can enter a meditative state in a calm environment without distractions. For every full hour spent in this state, the Etherealist can do one of the following; heal a number of hit points equal to his level, heal two points of ability damage, or heal one point of ability drain. If a Etherealist enters this meditative state while in direct contact with an unconscious creature, he can transfer this healing to this creature. The Etherealist can also damage this creature at the same rate he can heal the creature. For every hour, the creature gets a savings throw to negate that hour's damage. If the creature wakes up before the full hour is up, the effect is canceled.

Detect Scrying (Sp): As the Spell

Ethereal Storage (Su): (Needs better name) An Etherealist can store his spirit weapon on the ethereal plane as a move action. It becomes insubstantial and invisible, binding itself to the Etherealist's body. Ethereal creatures or creatures that can see invisible objects see the Spirit weapon as being attached to the Etherealist's body by a virtually indestructible silver spider web.

Improved Spiritual Sensitivity (Su): An Etherealist has learned to differentiate between the different fluctuations of all the different kinds of auras he is sensitive to. He can always identify extraplanar travel, extraplanar portals and ethereal creatures from the noise of the other auras he detects. For these effects, a Etherealist can spend one round of concentration to detect the number of different auras and the power of the most potent aura. Standard detection rules for being overwhelmed apply. By spending a second round in concentration, a Etherealist can detect the strength and location of each aura.

For all other forms of auras he can detect, an Etherealist can differentiate them from the noise by spending two rounds of concentration and passing a DC20 concentration check. Doing so allows a Etherealist to determine all the different kinds of auras he is sensing at that moment. By spending a further two rounds and passing another DC20 concentration check, he can determine the number of different magical auras and the power of the most potent aura. At this point, standard detection rules for being overwhelmed apply. If he spends yet another two rounds and passes a third DC20 concentration check, the Etherealist can detect the strength and location of each aura.

Improved Spiritual Healing (Sp): By meditating and storing positive energy ahead of time, an Etherealist can heal or damage himself or other creatures for as many points as he charged through his meditation, as a Paladin's lay on hands. The charged energy dissipates after 24 hours if it is not used.

Etheral Projection (Sp):[b] As the spell Astral Projection, only the Etherealist's "astral" body is an ethereal one, and explores the ethereal plane. He cannot take any companions, his equipment is not duplicated and he appears as a formless humanoid shape. This spell-like ability also has a time limit of 1 hour/level.

[b]Ethereal Jaunt (Sp): As the spell of the same name

Dimensional Seal(Sp): (Needs Work, especially since Spell Like Abilities are not supposed to have XP costs) Once per week, an Etherealist of 20th level can spend 1,000 GP and 200 XP to close a single static dimensional portal. The portal still exists, but creatures that attempt to access it are barred from using it. This effect lasts for 1d4 weeks.


Optional - Take-it-or-leave-it abilities that make sense, need further development and can be added or removed to further balance the class beyond editing the above skills:

Ability drain or damage by turning the weapon etheral and making a touch attack, similar to a soulknife? Makes sense, but perhaps redundant with Improved Spiritual Healing, and would need to be reconciled.

Further ability to increase AC for a limited time given the lack of armor. Energy shield similar to energy around weapon? Perhaps damage reduction at high levels using class's innate energy?

Some form of minor spell resistance / psionic resistance?

Other abilities that should be represented somehow - empathy or some other supernatural communication with ghosts and ethereal creatures?



The class does need more work, more balancing, and if the spell and psi-like abilities weren't so haphazard and cherry-picked I would consider giving it actual spell and/or psionic progression - Suggestions in this area would be very much appreciated. Thanks again!