Grand Vivimancer (Deathless-based caster, PEACH)

[Jormengand]

The Grand Vivimancer
http://img07.deviantart.net/29e0/i/2013/031/2/9/immortal_servitude_by_seb_m-d5te3nm.jpg
Immortal Servitude by Seb M.
"I do not create abominations, but champions of the light, loyal beyond death."

LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial 0lvl1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1st+0+2+0+2Turn Undead, Rebuke or Command Deathless31+1————————
2nd+1+3+0+3Deathless Companion42+1————————
3rd+1+3+1+3Undying Transition (Physical ability damage immunity)42+11+1———————
4th+2+4+1+453+12+1———————
5th+2+4+1+453+12+11+1——————
6th+3+5+2+5Undying Transition (Poison and Critical Immunity)53+13+12+1——————
7th+3+5+2+564+13+12+11+1—————
8th+4+6+2+664+13+13+12+1—————
9th+4+6+3+6Undying Transition (Remaining Immunities)64+14+13+12+11+1————
10th+5+7+3+764+14+13+13+12+1————
11th+5+7+3+765+14+14+13+12+11+1———
12th+6/+1+8+4+8Undying Transition (Do not breathe/Eat/Sleep)65+14+14+13+13+12+1———
13th+6/+1+8+4+865+15+14+14+13+12+11+1——
14th+7/+2+9+4+965+15+14+14+13+13+12+1——
15th+7/+2+9+5+9Undying Transition (D12 hit dice)65+15+15+14+14+13+12+11+1—
16th+8/+3+10+5+1065+15+15+14+14+13+13+12+1—
17th+8/+3+10+5+1065+15+15+15+14+14+13+12+11+1
18th+9/+4+11+6+11Deathless Apotheosis65+15+15+15+14+14+13+13+12+1
19th+9/+4+11+6+1165+15+15+15+15+14+14+13+13+1
20th+10/+5+12+6+1265+15+15+15+15+14+14+14+14+1

Alignment: Must be within 1 step of the Undying Court (LG, NG, CG, or TN).
Hit Die: 1d8

Class Skills:
The grand vivimancer’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon and Armour Proficiency
Grand vivimancers are proficient with simple weapons, all types of armour and shields except tower shields, and the scimitar.

Spellcasting
Grand vivimancers cast spells just like spontaneous (UA) clerics with the Deathless Domain (ECS), though they use their own spell list and know every spell on it (including the domain spells, which can be prepared in normal slots as well as their domain slot). Spells which would normally create undead create the same creatures they normally would, but they are always good instead of evil (their law/chaos alignment remains unchanged) and have the deathless type, not the undead type. Spells which directly aid undead instead do the same to deathless instead, and spells which directly harm them still do so. Otherwise, spells which you cast to affect undead also affect deathless, but still affect undead. Spells with the [Evil] descriptor are [Good] instead in the hands of a grand vivimancer.

Turn Undead (Su)
You can turn undead just like a good cleric does.

Rebuke and Command Deathless (Ex)
Not only can you rebuke and command deathless like an evil cleric does to undead, you can perform a greater rebuking just like the Deathless Domain ability (though this actually uses a Turn Undead use as normal).

Deathless Companion (Ex)
At second level, a grand vivimancer can call a Deathless Companion just as a druid can call upon an animal companion, and it gains the same abilities at the same grand vivimancer levels. The Deathless Companion starts off as an Undying Soldier (ECS), but by reducing her effective level by 6 she may choose to call upon a Crypt Warden (BoED) or an Undying Councilor (ECS). She can call upon a Sacred Watcher (ECS) of any creature by reducing her effective level by the base creature's challenge rating. She is automatically considered the Sacred Watcher's Ward if she does so. By reducing her effective level by 15 she can call upon an Ascendant Councilor (ECS).

Undying Transition/Deathless Apotheosis (Na)
Every third level, the Grand Vivimancer slowly becomes more and more like the deathless (ECS, BoED), and gains those of their abilities given on Table: The Grand Vivimancer. That is, at 3rd level immunity to physical abilities is gained, at sixth level this extends to poisons and critical hits, and at ninth level they gain the remaining immunities. At twelfth level they needn't breathe, eat or sleep, and at 15th level, all current and future hit dice become d12s.

At eighteenth level, they actually take on the deathless type.


Grand Vivimancer Spell List

0lvl: Cure Minor Wounds, Candlelight (GW), Detect Ghost (GW), Summon Holy Symbol.
1st: Burial Blessing (DotF), Cure Light Wounds, Deathwatch, Detect UndeadD, Painless Death (GW)
2nd: ConsecrateD, Cure Moderate Wounds, Death Knell, Gentle Repose, Living Undeath (SpC), Undead Eyes (SotLW)
3rd: Animate Dead, Crown of the Grave (PH2), Cure Serious Wounds, Death Lock (GW), Halt DeathlessD (ECS), Speak With Dead, Unliving Weapon.
4th: Animate Legion (HoB), Cure Critical Wounds, Seed of Undeath (CM) Spirit SteedD (ECS)
5th: Mass Cure Light Wounds, HallowD, Manifest Life (tFoW), Raise Dead
6th: Create DeathlessD (ECS), Mass Cure Moderate Wounds, Heal, Secure Corpse (BoED), Undeath to Death
7th: Control DeathlessD (ECS), Mass Cure Serious Wounds, Holy Word, Leech Undeath (MoE), Regenerate, Resurrection, Spark of Life (LM), Greater Seed of Undeath (CM)
8th Create Greater DeathlessD (ECS), Mass Cure Critical Wounds, General of Undeath (SpC)
9th: Mass Heal, Hero's BladeD (ECS), Miracle, True Resurrection, Undeath's Eternal Foe

[Stratovarius]

Turn Undead / Rebuke Deathless - Uses per day? Combined with one another or separate?

Spellcasting stat? I'm assuming Wisdom...

Undying Transition - This needs to be spelled out in text, especially whether the d12 change is a reroll for all previous levels or not.

You also need to expand the spell list - it's too narrow. Try and match the number of spells that other limited list casters (Dread Necro, Beguiler, etc.) give. As well as possibly give Advanced Learning class feature they have, so a player can customize it a little bit.

And give the class a capstone. Otherwise the player will just bail at 18th level. In fact, looking at the class, I'd recommend bailing after 9th level, if not earlier. There's nothing that the class gives that can't be replaced by spells, which needs to be changed. I'd recommend looking at something like the Summoner (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15906.0) by RobbyPants with its fairly packed class levels as an example.

[Jormengand]

Turn Undead / Rebuke Deathless - Uses per day? Combined with one another or separate?
As a cleric and they're combined.

You can turn undead just like a good cleric does... rebuke and command deathless like an evil cleric does to undead... (though this actually uses a Turn Undead use as normal)


Spellcasting stat? I'm assuming Wisdom...
Yes.

Grand vivimancers cast spells just like... clerics


Undying Transition - This needs to be spelled out in text, especially whether the d12 change is a reroll for all previous levels or not.

Yeah, this is true.


You also need to expand the spell list - it's too narrow. Try and match the number of spells that other limited list casters (Dread Necro, Beguiler, etc.) give. As well as possibly give Advanced Learning class feature they have, so a player can customize it a little bit.

And give the class a capstone. Otherwise the player will just bail at 18th level. In fact, looking at the class, I'd recommend bailing after 9th level, if not earlier. There's nothing that the class gives that can't be replaced by spells, which needs to be changed. I'd recommend looking at something like the Summoner (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=15906.0) by RobbyPants with its fairly packed class levels as an example.

Mm... yeah, I'm just not actually sure what to give them.

[Stratovarius]

I'd recommend writing the upper bits into the class, just so that they're clear.

On the class abilities, since this appears to be a bit of a horde style leader, I'd look at the classes that already provide something of the sort: Dragon Shaman, Warrior Skald, Marshal, Warchief, etc. There tends to be a lot of auras and bardic music type effects scattered between them. I'd also recommend the Overlord (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=13516.0), which is a class of my own design that does the same thing (ignore the magic system, it's not really relevant to this discussion).

On another note, I'd look into the Beastmaster class and how it deals with granting extra companions. It'd give you more allies to use your spells on. Likewise, I'd consider granting Animate Dead and the other ones as a SLA or Su, mostly to avoid the hellishly expensive animating costs.