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View Full Version : Pathfinder The Psyker, a Champion Archetype for the SoM Striker



Khosan
2018-08-14, 01:29 PM
Psyker

https://img00.deviantart.net/3e05/i/2014/324/4/2/sierra_by_nikolayasparuhov-d8721lp.jpg

Psykers are magically enhanced brawlers who use their mystical prowess to enhance themselves beyond the limits of other mortals.

Casting:
At 1st level, a psyker gains her choice of the Alteration, Destruction, or Warp spheres as a bonus sphere. If she already possesses these spheres, she may choose a talent from one of them as a bonus talent. The psyker is considered a Low-Caster. She may choose either Intelligence or Charisma as her casting ability modifier but cannot change this choice once it is made. (Note: All casters gain 2 bonus talents and may select a casting tradition the first time they gain the casting class feature.)

In addition, the psyker gains a pool of spell points equal to her psyker level + her casting ability modifier. If the psyker gains spell points from another source, she gains only the larger of the two pools; she does not add them together. This pool replenishes once per day after 8 hours of rest.

Blended Training:
A psyker is an Adept practioner using her casting ability modifier as her practitioner modifier. Whenever the psyker gains an additional combat talent, she may choose to take a magic talent instead.

This ability replaces Combat Training.

Psychic Shielding (Su):
After using any sphere effect with a spell point cost and when wearing light armor or no armor, not carrying a shield, and unencumbered, the psyker adds her casting ability modifier to her AC and CMD until the beginning of her next turn; this bonus cannot exceed her class level. This AC bonus does not stack with any class features listed as an AC bonus. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when the striker is flat-footed.

This ability replaces the AC Bonus normally granted at 1st level.

Tension:
A psyker uses her casting ability modifier to determine her maximum tension.

This ability alters tension.

Tension Techniques:
1 Tension

Motivated Magic (Su) - For each tension a psyker spends on this tension technique, she gains a +1 bonus to CL and an additional +1 to Destruction sphere effects, up to a maximum of half her Psyker level for the first sphere effect she casts this turn. This replaces the Fiery Offense tension technique.
3 Tension

Expansive Power (Su) - The psyker can spend a swift action to double her reach for one round or double the range or area of effect of the next sphere effect she casts. This replaces the Rapid Pummel tension technique.

Striker Arts (Ex):
Beginning at 2nd level, a psyker may select any of the following striker arts:

Galvanized Magic (Su, Tension, Requires Striker 5) - Whenever the psyker uses her Motivated Magic tension technique, she gains an additional +1 to CL. At 11th level and again at 17th level, the psyker can select this striker art an additional time.
Lasting Magic (Su, Tension) - The caster level bonus granted by the psyker's Motivated Magic tension technique now lasts until the beginning of her next turn.
Resonant Shielding (Su) - Psychic Shielding now lasts an additional round.

ESP (Ex):
Beginning at 2nd level, a psyker gains ESP, as the Symbiat ability of the same name.

This replaces Drill Knuckle.

Tension Training:
Beginning at 5th level, a psyker may select the following tension training:

Psychic Offense (Su) - Whenever an enemy takes damage from or fails a save against one of the psyker's sphere effects, she gains 1 tension. She can only gain 1 tension from this per round.

Augery (Su):
At 7th level, a psyker may spend a spell point as a free action to cause their attacks and sphere effects to ignore half of the target's damage reduction and energy resistance for one round. If the target(s) normally has immunity to the damage type being inflicted, they take half damage from the attack.

This replaces Pummeling Punisher.


My first actual bit of homebrew. I wanted to make something gishy and the Striker seemed like a pretty solid framework to base it off of.

The thing I'd be most worried about this in play is the 'free' spell points for tension. While I like the framework of Striker, I have to admit I haven't actually been able to give it much playtime yet, so I'm not entirely sure how much to make Energy from Within cost to make sure it's balanced. It also poses a potential problem with dipping, where other spherecasters might feel incentivized to grab a level of psyker to take advantage of its tension-spell points. At the least, because tension can only be used in combat and the spell points can only be used on things that target the psyker, the applications are limited.

Tell me what you think!

EDIT: Made some changes following feedback.

EDIT: More changes! Stuff I forgot and some extra options.

FlameUser64
2018-08-18, 02:06 AM
This archetype does not note whether it is a low-caster, mid-caster, or high-caster. Based on the existence of Motivated Magic, I somewhat expect the class to be a low-caster. It should be noted that the Destruction Sphere is one of the ones most hurt by having less than high-caster scaling, though Energy Blade can still be effective (especially in conjunction with the feat Spell Attack, which makes Energy Blade count as a Special Attack Action).

Other than that, it seems fairly solid, especially now that you've made its spell pool scale with level and removed Energy From Within.

khadgar567
2018-08-18, 02:58 AM
class is mid caster due blended training and adept proficency. You know sage is doing the same thing you want to make it.

Khosan
2018-08-19, 02:50 AM
This archetype does not note whether it is a low-caster, mid-caster, or high-caster. Based on the existence of Motivated Magic, I somewhat expect the class to be a low-caster. It should be noted that the Destruction Sphere is one of the ones most hurt by having less than high-caster scaling, though Energy Blade can still be effective (especially in conjunction with the feat Spell Attack, which makes Energy Blade count as a Special Attack Action).

Other than that, it seems fairly solid, especially now that you've made its spell pool scale with level and removed Energy From Within.

Oh crap, I accidentally edited out the type of caster. Yes, it's intended to be a low-caster and I'll stick that back in right now.

EDIT: Fixed that.

As far as Destruction is concerned, I'll admit I didn't have much in mind for it within the archetype when I added it in as a potential bonus - it just seemed thematically appropriate. Perhaps adding additional CL buffs to Motivated Magic for Destruction would work? Something in the neighborhood of getting twice the caster level bonus you normally would specifically for Destruction effects. Alternatively, a Striker Art that bumps them up to Mid-Caster for Destruction. Either one of those could be implemented as Striker Arts, thinking on it. I'd lean more towards the former than the latter (Mid-Caster has a higher base power level, but doubling the MM bonus makes it feel nicer especially with Galvanized Magic, +4 CL for 1 tension looks nice), but I'm gonna sleep on it.

And Sages are...weird. I'm not a terribly big fan of the class - it's basically a magic monk with more emphasis on magic than monk. Not that it's not a good class (I haven't given it a fair shake - I struggle with Wis casters as a weird general rule), I just personally don't see much that's inherently 'fun' about it. For a point of comparison, I'm a fan of both the Striker and the Prodigy for their resource systems. The feeling of building up resources in combat and unleashing bigger, beefier attacks is something I find really satisfying, which is why I wanted to make something like this. Having to manage tension to keep your casting effective in support of your melee just seems like a really fun little minigame to play.

EDIT: Bonus thought, apropos of nothing: thoughts on being able to take Galvanized Magic more than once? Barriers at 5th, 11th, and 17th like Extra Boost. I originally had this written in, but decided to bump it just before I posted it. There's a 'danger' of this being too good in combination with possible 2x CL bonus to Destruction (3x GM + 2x Bonus = +8 CL for 1 tension, which you get 2 of per round passively without effort at 17th), but I figured I'd ask.

FlameUser64
2018-08-19, 04:02 AM
Oh crap, I accidentally edited out the type of caster. Yes, it's intended to be a low-caster and I'll stick that back in right now.

EDIT: Fixed that.

As far as Destruction is concerned, I'll admit I didn't have much in mind for it within the archetype when I added it in as a potential bonus - it just seemed thematically appropriate. Perhaps adding additional CL buffs to Motivated Magic for Destruction would work? Something in the neighborhood of getting twice the caster level bonus you normally would specifically for Destruction effects. Alternatively, a Striker Art that bumps them up to Mid-Caster for Destruction. Either one of those could be implemented as Striker Arts, thinking on it. I'd lean more towards the former than the latter (Mid-Caster has a higher base power level, but doubling the MM bonus makes it feel nicer especially with Galvanized Magic, +4 CL for 1 tension looks nice), but I'm gonna sleep on it.

And Sages are...weird. I'm not a terribly big fan of the class - it's basically a magic monk with more emphasis on magic than monk. Not that it's not a good class (I haven't given it a fair shake - I struggle with Wis casters as a weird general rule), I just personally don't see much that's inherently 'fun' about it. For a point of comparison, I'm a fan of both the Striker and the Prodigy for their resource systems. The feeling of building up resources in combat and unleashing bigger, beefier attacks is something I find really satisfying, which is why I wanted to make something like this. Having to manage tension to keep your casting effective in support of your melee just seems like a really fun little minigame to play.

EDIT: Bonus thought, apropos of nothing: thoughts on being able to take Galvanized Magic more than once? Barriers at 5th, 11th, and 17th like Extra Boost. I originally had this written in, but decided to bump it just before I posted it. There's a 'danger' of this being too good in combination with possible 2x CL bonus to Destruction (3x GM + 2x Bonus = +8 CL for 1 tension, which you get 2 of per round passively without effort at 17th), but I figured I'd ask.

The way I personally read Galvanized Magic was that it only applies once after each Motivated Magic activation? So if you activate Motivated Magic for 2 tension, you get +2 CL, at which point Galvanized Magic kicks in its extra +1 to make it +3 CL. By that logic, you could word it such that specifically Motivated Magic and not Galvanized Magic has its effects doubled for the Destruction sphere. Thus, a 1 tension Motivated Magic + Galvanized Magic gets you +3 CL for the Destruction sphere, 2 tension gets you +5 CL, etc. That way, I think you could more easily allow multiple Galvanized Magic selections without having to worry about the possibility of +8 CL for 1 tension, especially since I think as written Galvanized Magic allows you to exceed the normal Motivated Magic CL boost limit of 1/2 class level.