Tweekinator
2007-04-03, 12:24 PM
I am helping a friend who is making a custom campaign world by adapting/improving prestige classes and was wondering what you guys all thought of the blackguard overhaul I did.
Just so you know, he's using the allegiance and class AC systems/variants from d20 modern. Plus the armor as DR, as well as developing a damage save system for use instead of hitpoints. Plus, in this world, the only magic is Pact magic, and there are plenty of classes with maneuvers, though not the classes from ToB. Pretty much custom classes.
He asked me to redo the blackguard in a way that would allow to stand toe to toe with other melee types and also make them an anti-allegiance type, with abilities that could turn others away from their loyalties or use those loyalties against them.
I realize that with so homebrewed content, asking you to judge versus stuff you haven't seen is kind of dumb, so I'm just asking if it looks like a class that you would like to play from your perspective and the quick rules/variants summary I've outlined. Does it seem over/underpowered? I would really appreciate feedback.
Requirements
To become a blackguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Knowledge (planar) 2 ranks.
Special: The blackguard must have forsaken at least one allegiance.
Haven't discovered the secret of tables yet so I'll summarize for the time being.
Full BAB, Good Fort and Will saves. Equivalent of d12 HD and fullplate. 10 levels of progression.
Class Features
Aura of Allegiance (Ex): The power of a blackguard’s aura of allegiance(if he has one) is equal to his blackguard level.
Detect Allegiance (Sp): At will, a blackguard can use detect allegiance, as the spell.
Command Undead (Su): A blackguard gains the supernatural ability to command and rebuke undead. He uses his blackguard levels for these checks.
Dark Blessing (Su): A blackguard applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.
Smite (Su): Once a day, a blackguard of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per blackguard level.This increases to 2/day at level 5 and 3/day at level 8.
Aura of Despair (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This ability grows to encompass attack rolls at level 6, damage rolls at level 9, and increases the penalty to –6 at level 10.
Aura of Obedience (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a compelling aura that causes allies within 10 feet of him to take a +2 bonus on all saving throws. This ability grows to encompass attack rolls at level 6, damage rolls at level 9, and increases the bonus to +6 at level 10.
Forceful Strikes (Ex): At fourth level, the blackguard gains the ability to focus his hatred and his will on smashing through a foe’s defenses. He gains a bonus equal to his Cha modifier (if positive) on all attack rolls. This ability expands to include damage rolls at level 7. Forceful Strikes stacks with the bonuses from any smite ability.
Blasphemer (Su): A blackguard gains the supernatural ability to turn those with an allegiance as a cleric turns undead. Turned opponents cannot be destroyed. He uses his blackguard levels for these checks.
Fiendish Cohort (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, a blackguard gains the ability to summon servants of Mephistopheles. He can summon any demon or devil who’s HD are not greater than his own and he must be able to either force it to submit to his will (have a higher CHA) or manipulate it into doing his bidding (have a higher INT). The summoning takes 1min and lasts for a number hours equal to one half of the blackguard’s levels. The fiend obeys the blackguard unquestioningly for the duration of the ability. At level 10, the blackguard can force the fiend to remain with him until dismissed.
Dominate (Sp): At level 10 a blackguard may use as a spell-like ability the spell Dominate Person 1/day. The save DC is equal to (10 + blackguard level + Cha bonus).
Just so you know, he's using the allegiance and class AC systems/variants from d20 modern. Plus the armor as DR, as well as developing a damage save system for use instead of hitpoints. Plus, in this world, the only magic is Pact magic, and there are plenty of classes with maneuvers, though not the classes from ToB. Pretty much custom classes.
He asked me to redo the blackguard in a way that would allow to stand toe to toe with other melee types and also make them an anti-allegiance type, with abilities that could turn others away from their loyalties or use those loyalties against them.
I realize that with so homebrewed content, asking you to judge versus stuff you haven't seen is kind of dumb, so I'm just asking if it looks like a class that you would like to play from your perspective and the quick rules/variants summary I've outlined. Does it seem over/underpowered? I would really appreciate feedback.
Requirements
To become a blackguard, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Knowledge (planar) 2 ranks.
Special: The blackguard must have forsaken at least one allegiance.
Haven't discovered the secret of tables yet so I'll summarize for the time being.
Full BAB, Good Fort and Will saves. Equivalent of d12 HD and fullplate. 10 levels of progression.
Class Features
Aura of Allegiance (Ex): The power of a blackguard’s aura of allegiance(if he has one) is equal to his blackguard level.
Detect Allegiance (Sp): At will, a blackguard can use detect allegiance, as the spell.
Command Undead (Su): A blackguard gains the supernatural ability to command and rebuke undead. He uses his blackguard levels for these checks.
Dark Blessing (Su): A blackguard applies his Charisma modifier (if positive) as a bonus on all saving throws.
Smite (Su): Once a day, a blackguard of 2nd level or higher may attempt to smite with one normal melee attack. He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per blackguard level.This increases to 2/day at level 5 and 3/day at level 8.
Aura of Despair (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a malign aura that causes enemies within 10 feet of him to take a –2 penalty on all saving throws. This ability grows to encompass attack rolls at level 6, damage rolls at level 9, and increases the penalty to –6 at level 10.
Aura of Obedience (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, the blackguard radiates a compelling aura that causes allies within 10 feet of him to take a +2 bonus on all saving throws. This ability grows to encompass attack rolls at level 6, damage rolls at level 9, and increases the bonus to +6 at level 10.
Forceful Strikes (Ex): At fourth level, the blackguard gains the ability to focus his hatred and his will on smashing through a foe’s defenses. He gains a bonus equal to his Cha modifier (if positive) on all attack rolls. This ability expands to include damage rolls at level 7. Forceful Strikes stacks with the bonuses from any smite ability.
Blasphemer (Su): A blackguard gains the supernatural ability to turn those with an allegiance as a cleric turns undead. Turned opponents cannot be destroyed. He uses his blackguard levels for these checks.
Fiendish Cohort (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, a blackguard gains the ability to summon servants of Mephistopheles. He can summon any demon or devil who’s HD are not greater than his own and he must be able to either force it to submit to his will (have a higher CHA) or manipulate it into doing his bidding (have a higher INT). The summoning takes 1min and lasts for a number hours equal to one half of the blackguard’s levels. The fiend obeys the blackguard unquestioningly for the duration of the ability. At level 10, the blackguard can force the fiend to remain with him until dismissed.
Dominate (Sp): At level 10 a blackguard may use as a spell-like ability the spell Dominate Person 1/day. The save DC is equal to (10 + blackguard level + Cha bonus).