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TheOOB
2007-01-07, 11:44 PM
Wind Dragon Master

"Trying to fight a master of of the Wind Dragon style is like trying to fight a hurricane, if you don't die you'll end up embaressed and defeated on your back. Only a fool challeneges one who commands the wind with the same proficiency that a great warrior commands a blade"

--Zepher Highfolk, Wind Dragon Master

There are many different styles of martial arts in the world, but few possess the grace and power of the Wind Dragon Style. Masters of the Wind Dragon not only are skilled unarmed combatants, but they also possess the ability to manipulate the power of wind and storms to aid them in combat, making them quick and fearsome opponents that few can match in battle.

Virtually all Wind Dragon Masters where monks at one point in their career, though occasionally a fighter or ranger trains in the Wind Dragon Style. Rogues rarely become Wind Dragon Masters, but those who do are some of the most powerful masters of this style around.

Hit Die: d8

Requirements
To qualify to become a wind dragon master, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +3.
Skills: Jump 8 ranks, Knowledge(arcana) 5 ranks.
Feats: Acrobatic, Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Strike, Stunning Fist.
Special: Evasion ability.

Class Skills
The wind dragon master's class skills(and the key ability for each skill) are Balance(Dex), Climb(Str), Craft(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Heal(Wis), Hide(Dex), Jump(Str), Knowledge(arcana)(Int), Knowledge(nature), Knowledge(religion)(Int), Move Silently(Dex), Profession(Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Survival(Wis), Swim(Str), Tumble(Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Wind Dragon Master
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Dragon's Claw, Monk Abilities
2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Electricity Resistance 5, Feather Fall
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Air Leap, Storm Fist
4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Air Step, Electricity Resistance 10, Second Wind
5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Air Recovery, Storm Lance, Wind Fury
6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Dragon's Breath, Electricity Resistance 15
7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Downward Strike, Dragon's Wings
8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+6|Control Weather, Dragon's Tail, Electricity Resistance 20
9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+6|Dragon's Maw
10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+7|Electricity Immunity, Rising Dragon[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are class feature of the wind dragon master prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Wind dragon gain no additional proficiencies with any weapons or armor.

Monk Abilities: A wind dragon master's class levels stack with monk levels for determining their unarmed damage, AC bonus, unarmored movement speed, and the number of times they can use their Stunning Fist feat per day.

Dragon's Claw(Su): One of the first techniques any wind dragon master learns is the Dragon's Claw which empowers their strikes with the power of wind to knock their enemies to the ground. You must declare your use of this ability before making your attack roll (thus a failed roll ruins the attempt). Dragon's Claw forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a reflex saving throw (DC 10 + your wind dragon master level + you Wis modifier) in addition to dealing damage normally. A defender who fails their save is knocked prone and denied their Dexterity bonus to AC until their next action. Using this ability requires one of your Stunning Fist attempts for the day.

Electricity Resistance(Ex): A wind dragon masters power comes from the energy of winds and storms, and over time they become resistant to this energy. Starting at 2nd level a wind dragon master gains Electricity Resistance 5. This resistance increases to 10 at level 4, 15 at level 6, and 20 at level 8.

Feather Fall(Sp): Even young wind dragon masters learn the basic technique of how to use the wind to cushion themselves from a fall, emerging unharmed from any height. Starting at 2nd level a wind dragon master can use feather fall as a spell-like ability at will with a caster level equal to their character level. This ability only targets the wind dragon master.

Air Leap(Su): Early in their career wind dragon masters learn to use the wind to improved their jumping ability. Starting at 3rd level a wind dragon master gains a +4 bonus to all jump checks and may take 10 on a jump check even when stress or distractions would otherwise prevent them from being able to. A wind dragon master gains no benefit from this ability for the jump check to use their Dragon's Wings ability(see below).

Storm Fist(Su): Wind dragon masters can call upon the power of storms to wreath their hands in crackling energy. As a swift action a wind dragon master of 3rd level or higher can imbue his attacks with electricity, granting his unarmed strikes the shocking quality for one round for every two wind dragon master levels, rounded down. Using this ability requires one of your Stunning Fist attempts for the day.

Air Step(Su): By manipulating the winds around them a wind dragon master can make short leaps across the battlefield to better position themselves. A wind dragon master of 4th level or higher can move 10 feet as a free action without provoking attacks of opportunity for movement so long as they make no other movement in their turn. This ability follows all rules for making a 5 foot step except for the distance traveled. You may not make take an Air Step and a 5 foot step in the same turn.

Second Wind(Su): A wind dragon master can called upon the winds to bind their wounds and allow them to continue fighting. As a swift action a wind dragon master of 4th level or higher can spend 1 or more of their daily Stunning Fist attempts (to a maximum of 1 per 2 class levels, rounded down.) to heal their wounds. This ability heals 2d6 damage for every Stunning Fist attempt used.

Air Recovery(Su): By using the wind to boost themselves a wind dragon master can quickly stand up and be ready to fight. Starting at 5th level a wind dragon master can stand up from being prone as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opperunity.

Storm Lance(Su): By unleashing the energy of a storm a wind dragon master can shoot a bolt of lightning out to smite their foes. Starting at 5th level a wind dragon master can make a ranged touch attack agienst a target within 60 feet as a standard action. This attack deals 1d8 electricity damage for every two wind dragon master levels they have. Using this ability requires two of your Stunning Fist attempts for the day.

Wind Fury(Su): Skilled masters of the wind dragon style can channel wind into their attacks with such force that it flings their foes backwards. A wind dragon master of 5th level or higher can spend up to one additional stunning fist attempts per two wind dragon master levels, rounded down, when using their Dragon's Claw or Dragon's Tail abilities. A target who fails their save agienst either of these moves is pushed back 5 feet per additional stunning fist attempt spent in this way in addition to suffering the normal affects of the ability. A wind dragon master must declare the use of Wind Fury to augment their Dragon's Claw or Dragon's Tail abilities before making the attack rolls for those abilitys (thus a failed roll ruins the attempt).

Dragon's Breath(Sp): A talented wind dragon master can cause great flurries of wind with their breath. A wind dragon master of 6th level or higher can use Gust of Wind as a spell-like ability at a caster level equal to their character level(Save DC equal to 10 + wind dragon master level + Wis modifier). All targets caught in the area of the gust are treated as one size category smaller for the purposes of it's effects. After using this ability a wind dragon master may not use it again for 1d4 minutes.

Dragon's Wings(Su): Experienced wind dragon masters can even manipulate the winds around them to take to the skys for short periods of times. A 7th level or higher wind dragon master can make a DC 10 jump check as a swift action, if they succeed they gain a fly speed equal to their land speed(perfect maneuverability) for a number of rounds equal to half their class levels, rounded down. Every time a they use this ability the jump DC for all future uses of Dragon's Wings in the same day increases by 5.

Downward Strike(Ex): Wind dragon masters often find themselves above their opponents and have learned how to press that advantage. A wind dragon master of 7th level or higher gains +2 to all unarmed attack and damage rolls agienst a prone target or a target who is at least 5 feet below them.

Control Weather(Sp): Wind dragon masters are attuned to the natural cycle of wind and weather, and are able to alter those cycles as they see fit. Starting at 8th level a wind dragon master may use Control Weather once per day as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to their character level.

Dragon's Tail(Su):Masters of the wind dragon style can mimick the movements of a dragon's tail by knocking their opponents on the ground with a quick burst of wind. As a Full-Round Action, a wind dragon master of 8th level or higher can make a single unarmed strike agienst every opponent they threaten. Anyone hit by one of these attacks must make a reflex save(DC 10 + wind dragon master level + Wis modifier), or be knocked prone. Using this ability requires two daily Stunning Fist attempts.

Dragon's Maw(Sp): One of the most advanced techniques a wind dragon master learns is the Dragon's Maw which ensnars their enemies in a powerful torrent of wind. Once per day a wind dragon master of 9th level or higher may use Bigby's Grasping Hand as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to their character level(use Wisdom to determine the attack and grapple bonus of this ability). This ability takes the form of a fierce torrent of wind rather then a large hand.

Electricity Immunity(Ex): The most powerful wind dragon masters have drawn so deeply into the power of storms that such energy no longer has any affect on them. After reaching 10th level a wind dragon master becomes immune to all electricity damage.

Rising Dragon(Su): The final technique any wind dragon master learns is the mighty Rising Dragon technique. With this technique the wind dragon master of at least 10th level launches their enemies far into the air with mighty winds. You must declare your use of this ability before making your attack roll (thus a failed roll ruins the attempt). Rising Dragon forces a foe damaged by your unarmed attack to make a reflex saving throw (DC 10 + your wind dragon master level + you Wis modifier) in addition to dealing damage normally. A target who fails their save is launched 10 feet in the air for every wind dragon master level you have. If this movement is stopped by some sort of barrier (such as a roof), the target suffers falling damage appropriate for half the distance traveled upwards. At the beginning of the targets next turn they start falling normally. Using this ability requires three of your daily Stunning Fist attempts.

Caewil
2007-01-08, 12:50 AM
Very nice. :smallsmile: I'm not sure about balance, but it seems well thought out and the flavour is brilliant.

icke
2007-01-08, 02:07 PM
A very good one. But.

1) Storm Fist:
should have a duration of one round, or one round per point of wisdom modifier. The one minute duration is too hefty to pay just one Stunning Fist attempt.


2) Second Wind:
Why not handle it like the Wholeness of Body monk ability? Make Wind Dragon Master and monk levels stack for it's purpose and everything should be fine.

3) Sorm Lance:
should require one use of Stunning Fist per bolt, or its usage should be limited to once per day per class level.

4) Dragons Breath:
Same as 3), a limit is needed.

5) Control Weather:
doesn't quite seem to fit. Why did You add it?

6) Cyclones Fury:
should be decoupled from attacks of opportunity. Let it be a full-round attack action and remove the costs.

TheOOB
2007-01-08, 05:05 PM
I tried to make the class a little on the powerful side, as monks are generally a little on the weak side.

I'll go over Ickes evaulation to see what needs to be changed

1) I think storm fist is a little powerful, after all the flaming fist feat only lasts one round. I'll cut it down to one round 2/levels.

2) At first it did work like wholeness of body, but end the end I wanted the ability to be unique and follow the stunning fist attempt theme of the class. It's acually a really good healing ability, but in order to make good use of it you need to use a lot of stunning fist attempts which are really valuable for this class. I think it balances.

3) I don't really see storm lance as being powerful, even at level 10 (character level 15) it's damage is barely more then a first level spell, plus monks need a reliable ranged attack. I made the ability cost two attempts simply to emphasis that this is a melee class, not a ranged one. You'll always do more melee damage then ranged, so i can't see this class being broken by being able to use a weak ray a lot, especially since it uses stunning fist attempts that could be used for other things.

4) Gust of wind really isn't that powerful of a spell, even with the size reduction in place. A medium sized foe is simply knocked prone if they fail their save which a wind dragonmaster can do just as well with dragon's claw. The ability allready has a limit which essentially makes you able to only use it once per an encounter, and the limit in place keeps the dragons breath flavor without it acually being a breath weapon.

5) This class is all about winds and storms, how can manipulating those be out of flavor? I added the ability mainly for flavor standpoints, one to emphasis the mastery over winds the master has obtained, and to help give this class a place in the world. It wouldn't be unusal for a wind dragon master to help farmers by summoning rain, or surrond their monestaries in fierce winds so only the bravest may enter.

6) It you could use this at will it would be very similar to a whirlwind attack/improved trip combo, which is kinda boring. I like the idea of a class that has a focus around speed and grace being able to react to their oppents with gusts of wind. That said, if any ability could use a redesign, its this one.

icke
2007-01-09, 05:49 AM
I tried to make the class a little on the powerful side, as monks are generally a little on the weak side.

I'll go over Ickes evaulation to see what needs to be changed

1) I think storm fist is a little powerful, after all the flaming fist feat only lasts one round. I'll cut it down to one round 2/levels.

2) At first it did work like wholeness of body, but end the end I wanted the ability to be unique and follow the stunning fist attempt theme of the class. It's acually a really good healing ability, but in order to make good use of it you need to use a lot of stunning fist attempts which are really valuable for this class. I think it balances.

3) I don't really see storm lance as being powerful, even at level 10 (character level 15) it's damage is barely more then a first level spell, plus monks need a reliable ranged attack. I made the ability cost two attempts simply to emphasis that this is a melee class, not a ranged one. You'll always do more melee damage then ranged, so i can't see this class being broken by being able to use a weak ray a lot, especially since it uses stunning fist attempts that could be used for other things.

4) Gust of wind really isn't that powerful of a spell, even with the size reduction in place. A medium sized foe is simply knocked prone if they fail their save which a wind dragonmaster can do just as well with dragon's claw. The ability allready has a limit which essentially makes you able to only use it once per an encounter, and the limit in place keeps the dragons breath flavor without it acually being a breath weapon.

5) This class is all about winds and storms, how can manipulating those be out of flavor? I added the ability mainly for flavor standpoints, one to emphasis the mastery over winds the master has obtained, and to help give this class a place in the world. It wouldn't be unusal for a wind dragon master to help farmers by summoning rain, or surrond their monestaries in fierce winds so only the bravest may enter.

6) It you could use this at will it would be very similar to a whirlwind attack/improved trip combo, which is kinda boring. I like the idea of a class that has a focus around speed and grace being able to react to their oppents with gusts of wind. That said, if any ability could use a redesign, its this one.

General: Monks are by no means "generally on the weak side", but that discussion is old and doesn't belong here.

2) Just proposed it for simplicity, and also to let the Wind Dragon Master 'save' some of her valuable Stunning Fist uses.

3) Did I overlook the Stunning Fist requirement while I read this post the first time? I just wanted the ability to have some limit and not to be useable at will a thousand times per day.

4) 1d4 rounds = once per encounter? Wow, You're a speedfighter. No, really, give it a limit. Otherwise some munchkins might come up with powering a boat by using this ability on its sail or something even more silly. Make it one stunning fist attempt, if You like them so much, or once per class level, one of these should be fine.

5) I just wanted to know Your specific reasons to implement this specific ability. As You describe it, it's fine.

6) Why is the whirlwind/trip combo boring? It's both powerfull and fits to the class if You flavor it with a literal whirlwind. Also You shouldn't blame every adjacent foe for the mistake one of them makes, that's not fair and not logical. While we're at logic: Why should the character be able to use this thing as a reaction(aka attack of opportunity), but not as a willing action(regular attack)?

TheOOB
2007-01-09, 09:44 PM
Dragon's Breath is usable once every 1d4 minutes, not 1d4 rounds...

icke
2007-01-10, 07:36 AM
Mea maxima culpa, I seem to be blind...
1d4 minutes is fine, not often enough to abuse it really bad.

TheOOB
2007-01-10, 03:14 PM
It happens to the best of us. I took another look at cyclones fury, and decided to make it usable as a full-round action. I figure if you really want to knock someone down as an AoO you can just use dragon's claw. Also renamed cyclone's fury to dragon's tail, to keep it more theamatic with the rest of the class.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-10, 07:32 PM
Knowledge (Arcana) and Profession don't really fit as class skills, I don't think.

If you want monks to take levels in this, you might want full BAB. To balance that, maybe you could reduce Fort saves to poor. Probably fits better anyway.

Some of these abilities use one's character level for numerical values where class level might fit better.

How about a special quality which gives Wind Dragon Masters bonuses to Con checks against suffocation/drowning, and/or some resistance to inhaled poisons?

Pretty cool class all in all, aside from those minor things.

TheOOB
2007-01-10, 10:03 PM
Knowledge(arcana) contains information on dragons and magic, both of which this class deals with.

The monk class and monk abilities are specifically balanced for 3/4BAB, as are most PrCs, i didn't feel it neccesary to mess with those trends.

I though about giving the class bonuses agients inhaled poisons and whatnot, but the class allready has enough good abilities as it is, and with all good saves those abilities would be a little redundant anyways.

icke
2007-01-11, 05:23 AM
Some of these abilities use one's character level for numerical values where class level might fit better.


The only time where this might actually become a problem is with the Rising Dragon, there class levels should be used.

The others are spell-like abilities, character level is the standard caster level for those. Also, it doesn't pose much of a problem as far as I see(which, as we have already found out, is not far...)

Ultimatum479
2007-01-11, 06:30 AM
I was mainly talking about Rising Dragon.

icke
2007-01-11, 06:35 AM
I was mainly talking about Rising Dragon.

Do say that beforehand, so everyone knows what You're talking about. That said, yes, Rising Dragon should be limited by class levels, especially since it's a supernatural ability only granted by this class.
On the same note, Feather Fall should have a caster level equal to the character level instead of class level.

TheOOB
2007-01-11, 10:09 AM
The ability rising dragon was based off of the master of the unseen hands (CW) final ability which is based off of caster level, which for them is essentially character level.

I figured the final capstone ability of the class should be at least as good as good as the final ability of a 5-level class. Besides at character level 15 will have some method of flight readily avaible so this ability isn't that deadly.

As for the other abilities, Dragon's Maw is useless without a good CL, and dragon's breath and control weather don't care too much about caster level.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-11, 06:42 PM
...You realize that, if it's based on character level, even a pre-Epic character can launch someone 200 feet into the air? That's pretty much death.

TheOOB
2007-01-11, 09:44 PM
200ft in the air is about 20d6 damage, assuming the creature has absolutly no method of slowing their fall and/or flying (which is a big assumition at level 20). Plus, the move only gets it's full usefulness in the outdoors, or a room with a very, very high ceiling(when it's acually better). I might restrict it to class levels though, I'll look into it.

EDIT: I turned rising dragon back into a normal attack like dragon's claw and stunning fist, but shorted it to 10ft class level and reduced the extra damage from hitting the ceiling.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-11, 09:50 PM
It's not the 20d6 damage which worries me.

It's the 20d6+4d10+Str mod damage (Rising Dragon at level 20 if the other 10 levels are Monk levels), SIX TIMES PER DAY.

TheOOB
2007-01-11, 10:12 PM
I weakened the ability, I want the ability to be good, after all it is the capstone ability of the class that you don't get until level 15, but I want it to be balanced as well.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-11, 11:16 PM
Well, it's not as if the class isn't already really, really good. They get every Monk progressive feature except unarmed damage and Ki Strike, basically.

TheOOB
2007-01-11, 11:25 PM
And greater flurry, and diamond body, and quivering palm, and abundant step, and spell resistance...Unarmed damage is one of the monk features they do get.

Really though, monks are fairly weak offensivly, and this class works to fix that alittle, and allow a monk to work as the parties battlefield controller a bit.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-12, 12:01 AM
I meant Flurry of Blows, sorry, not unarmed damage.

icke
2007-01-13, 08:42 AM
10 feet per caster level is fine, it's a definite 9d6 of damage if the initial save fails and the victim's tumbling check succeeds.

Also, I don't worry about how often it can be used, since it eats up a whole lot of stunning fist attempts - the main power source of this class.

Ultimatum479
2007-01-13, 09:34 AM
That's what I meant when I said it could be used 6 times per day at that level.

TheOOB
2007-01-13, 03:31 PM
As much as I don't think the class needs to have any more abilities then it allready has, I felt it neccesary to add the wind fury ability. The class suffers from no lack of ability to knock an enemy down, but it had no way to knock an enemy back, which wasn't very much in the flavor of the class at all.

Hopefully the steep cost (1 stunning fist attempt fer 5') will keep it from being overpowering.

icke
2007-01-14, 04:58 AM
That's what I meant when I said it could be used 6 times per day at that level.

Yes he can, but then he can't use anything else, so that's fine with me.

OOB: Clarify the Wind Fury ability, does the target have to make two or more saves and is knocked back the whole distance if he fails any of them? Or is the target knocked back five feet for each save it fails.

Here's an alternative mechanics: As part of a regular Stunning Fist attempt, the Wind Dragon Master can use this ability without spending extra Stunning uses. Both participants make a grapple check and for every five feet the check of the Wind Dragon Master exceeds the check of his victim, the victim is pushed back five feet. After(and only if) being pushed, the victim must succeed on a reflex save against DC 10 + Wind Dragon Master level + wisdom bonus of the Wind Dragon Master or land prone. All feats that usually apply bonuses to grapple checks are negated for the purpose of this attack, no bonus is applied. Size bonuses and penalties are applied normally. For every additional Stunning Fist uses a Wind Dragon Master spends, his attack gets a bonus of +5.

This one does essentially the same for two creatures of equal size but takes into account different sizes, a Giant isn't pushed back as easy as a halfling. You also might want to apply a - 4 penalty to the grappling check for flying creatures.

Wind Fury can become EXTREMELY powerfull if Your game takes place in a region of interesting geography, i.e. cliffs, high buildings, deep canyons etc., so You should allow anyone pushed into an abyss a fixed(DC 15) reflex save to catch the brink of the cliff.