Itakai
2016-12-07, 06:00 PM
I was working on an idea for a custom class that heavily focuses on using items from an inventory, and creating new items by slowly learning chemistry. The DM of my current campaign likes the idea (Not playing this class currently as I already have another character taking an entirely different approach) but wanted to get some other opinions as to the balance of it.
I am honestly wanting to make the class as balanced as possible or even slightly underpowered, but desirable to due flavor, and was hoping to get opinions of fellow giants.
Innovator
Hit Dice: d6
Class Skills
The innovator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise(Int), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Int), Decipher Script(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Knowledge[Arcana](Int), Knowledge[Architecture and Engineering](Int), Listen(Wis), Profession(Wis), Search(Int) and Spot(Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier)x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
Table: The Innovator
Level
Base
Attack
Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+2
+2
+0
High Risk High Reward, Skill Focus[Craft]
2nd
+1
+3
+3
+0
Vocational Efficiency
3rd
+1
+3
+3
+1
4th
+2
+4
+4
+1
Alchemical Research
5th
+2
+4
+4
+1
6th
+3
+5
+5
+2
Careful Construction(5%)
7th
+3
+5
+5
+2
8th
+4
+6
+6
+2
Skill Focus[Craft]
9th
+4
+6
+6
+3
10th
+5
+7
+7
+3
Skill Focus[Diplomacy]
11th
+5
+7
+7
+3
12th
+6/+1
+8
+8
+4
Careful Construction(15%)
13th
+6/+1
+8
+8
+4
14th
+7/+2
+9
+9
+4
Rapid Prototyping
15th
+7/+2
+9
+9
+5
16th
+8/+3
+10
+10
+5
Skill Focus[Craft]
17th
+8/+3
+10
+10
+5
18th
+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Less is More
19th
+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
20th
+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
Careful Construction(25%)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the innovator.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An innovator is proficient with all simple weapons, light hammer, and light armor.
High Risk High Reward: At 1st level, failing a craft check by 9 or less results in no progress. Failing a craft check by 10 or more results in ruining 75% of the raw materials, and having to pay the original raw material cost again.
Skill Focus[Craft]: Starting at 1st level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Craft] in Alchemy, Trap Making or Light Smithing as a bonus feat. At 8th and 16th levels they gain an additional Skill Focus[Craft] from the above list.
Vocational Efficiency: Starting 2nd level, an innovator becomes more efficient while crafting, reducing the raw material cost by 10%.
Alchemical Research: Starting at 4th level, an innovator can begin studying alchemical properties of mundane materials to replicate arcane spell effects. The research to do this requires access to an alchemy lab. Research requires an expenditure of 100gp per week to reproduce a general effect of a spell or 1000gp per week to fully replicate a spell. The time taken to research is one week per level of the spell being studied. This money goes into material component experimentation, and other miscellaneous expenditures. At the end of that time, the innovator makes a Craft[Alchemy] check (DC 15 + spell level). If that roll succeeds the innovator learns how to reproduce the a general effect, or replicate the spell if her research produced a viable result. If the roll fails, the innovator must go through the research process again if they want to continue trying.
A viable result is one that is allowed into the game. As per the nature of this feature, it heavily relies on the DM to determine what is and is not viable.
Careful Construction: Starting at 6th level, an innovator becomes more careful when crafting. When failing a craft check, they reduce the material ruined by 5%. This bonus increases at 12th level to 15% and 20th level to 25%.
Skill Focus[Diplomacy]: At 10th level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Diplomacy] as a bonus feat.
Rapid Prototyping: Starting at 14th level, when a craft check is successful in making an innovated item, treat the progress at a DC that is 5 higher.
Less is More: Starting at 18th level, when crafting multiple copies of the same item, reduce the resource cost of all copies after the first item by 20% of the original resource cost.
I am honestly wanting to make the class as balanced as possible or even slightly underpowered, but desirable to due flavor, and was hoping to get opinions of fellow giants.
Innovator
Hit Dice: d6
Class Skills
The innovator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise(Int), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Disable Device(Int), Decipher Script(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Knowledge[Arcana](Int), Knowledge[Architecture and Engineering](Int), Listen(Wis), Profession(Wis), Search(Int) and Spot(Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier)x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier
Table: The Innovator
Level
Base
Attack
Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+2
+2
+0
High Risk High Reward, Skill Focus[Craft]
2nd
+1
+3
+3
+0
Vocational Efficiency
3rd
+1
+3
+3
+1
4th
+2
+4
+4
+1
Alchemical Research
5th
+2
+4
+4
+1
6th
+3
+5
+5
+2
Careful Construction(5%)
7th
+3
+5
+5
+2
8th
+4
+6
+6
+2
Skill Focus[Craft]
9th
+4
+6
+6
+3
10th
+5
+7
+7
+3
Skill Focus[Diplomacy]
11th
+5
+7
+7
+3
12th
+6/+1
+8
+8
+4
Careful Construction(15%)
13th
+6/+1
+8
+8
+4
14th
+7/+2
+9
+9
+4
Rapid Prototyping
15th
+7/+2
+9
+9
+5
16th
+8/+3
+10
+10
+5
Skill Focus[Craft]
17th
+8/+3
+10
+10
+5
18th
+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Less is More
19th
+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
20th
+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
Careful Construction(25%)
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the innovator.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: An innovator is proficient with all simple weapons, light hammer, and light armor.
High Risk High Reward: At 1st level, failing a craft check by 9 or less results in no progress. Failing a craft check by 10 or more results in ruining 75% of the raw materials, and having to pay the original raw material cost again.
Skill Focus[Craft]: Starting at 1st level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Craft] in Alchemy, Trap Making or Light Smithing as a bonus feat. At 8th and 16th levels they gain an additional Skill Focus[Craft] from the above list.
Vocational Efficiency: Starting 2nd level, an innovator becomes more efficient while crafting, reducing the raw material cost by 10%.
Alchemical Research: Starting at 4th level, an innovator can begin studying alchemical properties of mundane materials to replicate arcane spell effects. The research to do this requires access to an alchemy lab. Research requires an expenditure of 100gp per week to reproduce a general effect of a spell or 1000gp per week to fully replicate a spell. The time taken to research is one week per level of the spell being studied. This money goes into material component experimentation, and other miscellaneous expenditures. At the end of that time, the innovator makes a Craft[Alchemy] check (DC 15 + spell level). If that roll succeeds the innovator learns how to reproduce the a general effect, or replicate the spell if her research produced a viable result. If the roll fails, the innovator must go through the research process again if they want to continue trying.
A viable result is one that is allowed into the game. As per the nature of this feature, it heavily relies on the DM to determine what is and is not viable.
Careful Construction: Starting at 6th level, an innovator becomes more careful when crafting. When failing a craft check, they reduce the material ruined by 5%. This bonus increases at 12th level to 15% and 20th level to 25%.
Skill Focus[Diplomacy]: At 10th level, an innovator gains Skill Focus[Diplomacy] as a bonus feat.
Rapid Prototyping: Starting at 14th level, when a craft check is successful in making an innovated item, treat the progress at a DC that is 5 higher.
Less is More: Starting at 18th level, when crafting multiple copies of the same item, reduce the resource cost of all copies after the first item by 20% of the original resource cost.