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Little_Rudo
2008-02-05, 08:02 PM
This isn't actually a homebrew, but a request for suggestions for altering a base class for a character. In one of my games, I'm playing a "nun", a level 5 Cloistered Cleric who effectively has a Vow of Non-Violence. (She hasn't taken the feat, it's just role-played.) The setting doesn't draw a connection between divine casters and undead, so she doesn't have the ability to use Turn Undead. At the beginning of the game, the DM and I decided to replace her Turn Undead ability with Lay on Hands (as per the Paladin ability), which worked well... for awhile.

Unfortunately, the Lay on Hands ability just doesn't seem that wonderful at level 5. The character focuses on healing and buffing, so she has no shortage of healing spells at this point. Because of this, Lay on Hands feels very redundant, and it also means I can't take feats that require Turning attempts (since they don't scale the same as Turn Undead attempts do). Currently, due to plot events, my character has to go without her spells for awhile, so the DM and I are brainstorming for alternatives.

What I need is something that isn't too strong, but fits her flavor (a pacifist healer of a Pelor-like deity) and isn't entirely redundant (like Lay on Hands currently is). The DM is very welcoming of homebrew content, but he lives by the "Reverse Rule": If a power is something he wouldn't have an opponent do to the NPC's, we cannot do it. If anyone knows some good, not-too-powerful alternatives to Turning, I'd appreciate it!

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-02-05, 08:17 PM
One variant I've come up with for the alignment domains is the ability to do what clerics with the elemental domains do; The ability to rebuke creatures with your alignment subtype and turn creatures of the opposing alignment. This is of course just if you're picking the good domain, if you're a nun-like character.

Little_Rudo
2008-02-05, 08:23 PM
One variant I've come up with for the alignment domains is the ability to do what clerics with the elemental domains do; The ability to rebuke creatures with your alignment subtype and turn creatures of the opposing alignment. This is of course just if you're picking the good domain, if you're a nun-like character.

I do like this idea, but the DM plays in an alignment-less game. We're still small potatoes as far as the world goes, and although my cleric does indeed have the Good domain, she and everyone else is largely unaligned. (She might ping on the Detect Good radar, but only because she's a divine caster and channeling powers far greater than she.) I suppose Turning might work if we ever encounter creatures like demons or devils, but for the most part, the aligntment-less game means she won't be able to turn people based on alignment alone.

Thank you for the suggestion, though!

Ascension
2008-02-05, 09:52 PM
I would suggest a pacifistic turning variant... something like "Turn Violent"... as it would fit the flavor, but you'd probably end up turning your entire party along with the enemies, so that wouldn't be such a good idea...

Little_Rudo
2008-02-05, 10:38 PM
True, last thing I need is to turn the allies by mistake. Actually, the alternative doesn't necessarily need to actually be "Turn X", so I edited the title. Sorry for that!

Kellus
2008-02-05, 11:18 PM
Hmm... I've toyed with a few ways to replace or subsume turning undead. I've got a half-finished 'faithkeeper' class intended to replace the cleric, which instead of gaining straight turn undead, gets 'gifts of the divine'. This is actually a broad range of abilities, and the (cleric) can pick the gifts that appeal to him. These are all activated with the same kind of 'turn' attempt, so 3 + Cha/day, divided between the different gifts that the character picks. Some examples of gifts pulled straight from my rough draft:

• Turn Heretic: A much simpler mechanic than normal turning. Pick a hated enemy of your god. You can spend a daily 'turn' attempt to force a Will save on any of these creatures nearby or they become frightened for 1 round/level, even if they are normally immune to fear.

• Armor of God: Spend a daily 'turn' attempt to gain a +2 perfection bonus to AC for 1 round/level.

• Sacred Hymn: Spend a daily 'turn' attempt to double all morale bonuses affecting your allies for 1 round/level, or until you stop concentrating.

• Smite Heretic: Pick a hated enemy of your god. Spend a daily 'turn' attempt as a swift action to gain a +2 caster level on a spell cast in the same turn against one of these creatures.

• Grace of God: Spend a daily 'turn' attempt as an immediate action to allow an ally who worships your god to reroll a saving throw, with your Cha modifier added to his new roll.

• Righteous Fury: Spend a daily 'turn' attempt as a swift action to grant all allies who worship your god a bonus on attack rolls equal to your Cha modifier for 1 round.

No idea how helpful these might be, but maybe one of them will appeal to you. :smallsmile: