paigeoliver
2006-12-21, 08:17 AM
I made the following class for my campaign world. It seemed very balanced on paper, but seems to be very weak in play, any suggestions?
I don't know how to put the fancy charts on here, but the class has good will and reflex saves, 3/4 BAB and mirrors the sorceror table for spells per day and spells known.
Feyborn Druid
The Feyborn Druid is a person who was born with a mystical connection to nature. They are not druids in the traditional sense, and few of them are ever members of any actual druidical circles. Their power over nature comes from their force of personality and not from their great wisdom.
The vast majority of Feyborn Druids are female. Sages have all sorts of theories as to why this is the case, but nobody is actually sure why. Most Feyborn Druids will first exhibit their powers during childhood.
Adventures: The abilities of the Feyborn Druid are often seen as strange or unnatural in nature. Often their parents fear that their child has been replaced by a changeling of some sort. Because of this many Feyborn Druids leave home at a young age and wander the world. Many of them take to moving from one community or another and blessing their crops, while others take on roles as animal trainers, and still others become traditional adventurers.
Characteristics: Feyborn Druids often put forth an almost supernatural aura of beauty and purity. They usually stand out in a crowd, and many have trouble attempting to lead normal lives. Small woodland creatures often flock to Feyborn Druids and will often follow them around.
Few Feyborn Druids actually live the rough and tumble life that normal druids are used to. They usually live near the forest, but few of them actually live in the wild.
Alignment: Feyborn Druids are always good in alignment, their powers in some form stem from their purity. Neutral good is the most common alignment amongst Feyborn, but Lawful Good and Chaotic Good are also well represented.
Religion: Feyborn Druids tend to be either extremely religious (many focusing on a local nature god or goddess), or not religious at all. They didn’t choose their powers, their powers chose them. Few Feyborn druids actually consider themselves to be any sort of clergy, not even the most devoutly religious ones.
Other Classes: Feyborn Druids work well with most other classes. They particularly get along well with rangers, many of them respecting the ranger’s superior abilities in the wilderness. They do often tend to clash with true druids, as their personal ethics are often very different.
Game Rule Information: In order to be a Feyborn Druid you must take the class at first level. Feyborn Druids are born, not made, and it is not the kind of thing that you can just turn into later in life.
Abilities: Feyborn druids are best served by an extremely high charisma score. Most Feyborn Druids will have a charisma score of at least 16, even in campaigns where ability scores that high are considered unusual. Dexterity is also very important to the Feyborn Druid, as they are not naturally proficient with any type of armor.
Alignment: Any Good.
Hit Die: D8
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Feyborn druids are proficient with all simple weapons and no armor. Unlike normal druids, Feyborn Druids have no ethical restrictions keeping them from using other armor or weapons, they simply are not proficient with them.
Alignment Restriction: A Feyborn Druid who ceases to have a good alignment loses all class abilities until her former alignment is restored. No atonement spell is needed, as most Feyborn do not even worship specific gods.
Spells
A Feyborn druid casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. She may not cast spells with the Evil descriptor. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a spell, the Feyborn druid must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Feyborn druid’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Feyborn druid’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Feyborn druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the Feyborn Druid class table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.
A Feyborn druid’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A Feyborn druid begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new Feyborn druid level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on the table below.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Feyborn druid level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a Feyborn druid can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the Feyborn druid "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level Feyborn druid spell the Feyborn druid can cast. A Feyborn druid may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Bonus Languages
A Feyborn druid’s bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race. Feyborn druids do not receive druidical as a bonus language and cannot learn it without taking a level in the standard druid class.
Animal Companion (Ex)
A Feyborn druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy, riding or war), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: manta ray, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the Feyborn druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.
A Feyborn druids animal companion uses the standard rules for druid animal companions, including advancement, and selecting of more powerful companions.
Feyborn Druid levels stack with levels of other character classes that provide animal companions from the druid list. Feyborn druids also stack with levels of Paladin and other classes that provide special mounts, although a Feyborn druid may not have an animal companion if she chooses to stack her Feyborn Druid levels in order to advance a special mount.
Beauty of the Fey (Ex)
A Feyborn druid gains a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Diplomacy checks.
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A Feyborn druid can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The Feyborn druid rolls 1d20 and adds her Feyborn druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the Feyborn druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A Feyborn druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Fey Speak (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a Feyborn druid can speak with any natural creatures of the forest (Animals, Dire Animals, and Fey).
Rebuke Animal (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, a Feyborn druid may turn (but not destroy) or rebuke animals as if she was a cleric of equal level.
Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a Feyborn druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of Fey.
Turn Fey (Su)
At 5th level, a Feyborn druid may turn (but not destroy) Fey creatures as if she was a cleric of equal level.
Venom Immunity (Ex)
At 9th level, a druid gains immunity to all poisons.
A Thousand Faces (Su)
At 13th level, a Feyborn druid gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell. This affects the Feyborn druid’s body but not her possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the Feyborn druid’s appearance, within the limits described for the spell.
Timeless Body (Ex)
After attaining 15th level, a Feyborn druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place.
Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.
I don't know how to put the fancy charts on here, but the class has good will and reflex saves, 3/4 BAB and mirrors the sorceror table for spells per day and spells known.
Feyborn Druid
The Feyborn Druid is a person who was born with a mystical connection to nature. They are not druids in the traditional sense, and few of them are ever members of any actual druidical circles. Their power over nature comes from their force of personality and not from their great wisdom.
The vast majority of Feyborn Druids are female. Sages have all sorts of theories as to why this is the case, but nobody is actually sure why. Most Feyborn Druids will first exhibit their powers during childhood.
Adventures: The abilities of the Feyborn Druid are often seen as strange or unnatural in nature. Often their parents fear that their child has been replaced by a changeling of some sort. Because of this many Feyborn Druids leave home at a young age and wander the world. Many of them take to moving from one community or another and blessing their crops, while others take on roles as animal trainers, and still others become traditional adventurers.
Characteristics: Feyborn Druids often put forth an almost supernatural aura of beauty and purity. They usually stand out in a crowd, and many have trouble attempting to lead normal lives. Small woodland creatures often flock to Feyborn Druids and will often follow them around.
Few Feyborn Druids actually live the rough and tumble life that normal druids are used to. They usually live near the forest, but few of them actually live in the wild.
Alignment: Feyborn Druids are always good in alignment, their powers in some form stem from their purity. Neutral good is the most common alignment amongst Feyborn, but Lawful Good and Chaotic Good are also well represented.
Religion: Feyborn Druids tend to be either extremely religious (many focusing on a local nature god or goddess), or not religious at all. They didn’t choose their powers, their powers chose them. Few Feyborn druids actually consider themselves to be any sort of clergy, not even the most devoutly religious ones.
Other Classes: Feyborn Druids work well with most other classes. They particularly get along well with rangers, many of them respecting the ranger’s superior abilities in the wilderness. They do often tend to clash with true druids, as their personal ethics are often very different.
Game Rule Information: In order to be a Feyborn Druid you must take the class at first level. Feyborn Druids are born, not made, and it is not the kind of thing that you can just turn into later in life.
Abilities: Feyborn druids are best served by an extremely high charisma score. Most Feyborn Druids will have a charisma score of at least 16, even in campaigns where ability scores that high are considered unusual. Dexterity is also very important to the Feyborn Druid, as they are not naturally proficient with any type of armor.
Alignment: Any Good.
Hit Die: D8
Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge (Nature), Listen, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Feyborn druids are proficient with all simple weapons and no armor. Unlike normal druids, Feyborn Druids have no ethical restrictions keeping them from using other armor or weapons, they simply are not proficient with them.
Alignment Restriction: A Feyborn Druid who ceases to have a good alignment loses all class abilities until her former alignment is restored. No atonement spell is needed, as most Feyborn do not even worship specific gods.
Spells
A Feyborn druid casts divine spells, which are drawn from the druid spell list. She may not cast spells with the Evil descriptor. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a spell, the Feyborn druid must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a Feyborn druid’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the Feyborn druid’s Charisma modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a Feyborn druid can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Her base daily spell allotment is given on the Feyborn Druid class table. In addition, she receives bonus spells per day if she has a high Charisma score.
A Feyborn druid’s selection of spells is extremely limited. A Feyborn druid begins play knowing four 0-level spells and two 1st-level spells of your choice. At each new Feyborn druid level, he gains one or more new spells, as indicated on the table below.
Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered Feyborn druid level after that (6th, 8th, and so on), a Feyborn druid can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the Feyborn druid "loses" the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell’s level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level Feyborn druid spell the Feyborn druid can cast. A Feyborn druid may swap only a single spell at any given level, and must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
Bonus Languages
A Feyborn druid’s bonus language options include Sylvan, the language of woodland creatures. This choice is in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of her race. Feyborn druids do not receive druidical as a bonus language and cannot learn it without taking a level in the standard druid class.
Animal Companion (Ex)
A Feyborn druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy, riding or war), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: manta ray, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the Feyborn druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.
A Feyborn druids animal companion uses the standard rules for druid animal companions, including advancement, and selecting of more powerful companions.
Feyborn Druid levels stack with levels of other character classes that provide animal companions from the druid list. Feyborn druids also stack with levels of Paladin and other classes that provide special mounts, although a Feyborn druid may not have an animal companion if she chooses to stack her Feyborn Druid levels in order to advance a special mount.
Beauty of the Fey (Ex)
A Feyborn druid gains a +2 bonus on Handle Animal and Diplomacy checks.
Wild Empathy (Ex)
A Feyborn druid can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The Feyborn druid rolls 1d20 and adds her Feyborn druid level and her Charisma modifier to determine the wild empathy check result.
The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the Feyborn druid and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
A Feyborn druid can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but she takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Fey Speak (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a Feyborn druid can speak with any natural creatures of the forest (Animals, Dire Animals, and Fey).
Rebuke Animal (Ex)
Starting at 3rd level, a Feyborn druid may turn (but not destroy) or rebuke animals as if she was a cleric of equal level.
Resist Nature’s Lure (Ex)
Starting at 4th level, a Feyborn druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of Fey.
Turn Fey (Su)
At 5th level, a Feyborn druid may turn (but not destroy) Fey creatures as if she was a cleric of equal level.
Venom Immunity (Ex)
At 9th level, a druid gains immunity to all poisons.
A Thousand Faces (Su)
At 13th level, a Feyborn druid gains the ability to change her appearance at will, as if using the disguise self spell. This affects the Feyborn druid’s body but not her possessions. It is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of the Feyborn druid’s appearance, within the limits described for the spell.
Timeless Body (Ex)
After attaining 15th level, a Feyborn druid no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place.
Bonuses still accrue, and the druid still dies of old age when her time is up.