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View Full Version : Improving Enlightened Spirit PrC [PEACH]



MammonAzrael
2008-02-17, 06:09 AM
I'm playing a Warlock in a game atm and the flavor of Enlightened Spirit (Complete Mage page 61) is quite appealing for a PrC to jump into, but the crunch is lacking, hence the homebrewing it a bit. What do you all think? Too strong? Still too weak? Comments, concerns, and suggestions welcomed!
((removed content is struck out and homebrewed content is red))

Enlightened Spirit

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Aura of Courage, Aura of Menace, Spirit Blast

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Eldritch Blast +1d6, Spirit Armor (+1 AC)

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Celestial Flight

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Eldritch Blast +2d6, Tounges

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Shape Invocation, Energy Resistance 5

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Eldritch Blast +3d6, Spirit Armor (+2 AC)

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Holy Blast

8th|
+6|
+2|
+2|
+6|Eldritch Blast +4d6

9th|
+6|
+3|
+3|
+6|Transform Magic

10th|
+7|
+3|
+3|
+7|Eldritch Blast +5d6, Death Ward, Spirit Armor (+3 AC)
[/table]

Entry Requirements:
Alignment: Any good
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks
Special: Eldritch Blast 3d6

Hit Die: d6
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier per level (Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana, religion, the planes), Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Use Magic Device)

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: An Enlightened Spirit gains no proficiencies with weapons or armor.

Invoking: At each level, you gain an increase in invoker level as if you had also gained a level in the warlock class. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Aura of Courage (Su): You are immune to fear, and each ally within 10 feet of you gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against fear effects.

Aura of Menace: A righteous aura surrounds you whenever you fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 5-foot radius of you takes a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until it successfully hits you. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect can't be affected again by your aura for 24 hours.
((This ability is nice flavor but seems odd since the ES is not a close combat figure, so it almost never is really useful. I don't know if it should be changed, or edited, or what.))

Spirit Blast (Sp): This invocation (Lesser, 4th; Eldritch Essence) allows you to change your eldritch blast into a spirit blast. The blast deals an extra 1 point of damage per die 1d6 points of Good damage per 2 class levels (minimum 1d6) to undead. Your spirit blast also affects incorporeal creatures without the normal miss chance. Spirit Blast ignores any Spell Resistance of undead.

Eldritch Blast (Sp): At 2nd level and every even-numbered level thereafter, the damage of your eldritch blast improves by 1d6 points.

Spirit Armor (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you gain a +1 sacred bonus to your Armor Class. The bonus improves to +2 at 6th level and +3 at 10th level. Damage reduction you have or may gain in the future from the Warlock class becomes DR X/Silver. At 2nd level, and again at 6th and 10th, this damage reduction improves by 1.

Celestial Flight (Sp): At 3rd level, you gain the celestial flight invocation (Lesser; 3rd). The powers of light bear you aloft as you sprout shimmering spirit wings. You can fly at a speed equal to your land speed with good maneuverability for 24 hours. At 10th level your fly speed increases by 30' and you can fly with perfect maneuverability.
((Modified from Greater Draconic Flight invocation))

Tongues (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can speak any language. This ability works as the tongues spell does, except that it is continuously active. You can suppress or resume the effect as a free action.
((Don't see how this goes with the "Warlock that's seen the light" flavor of the class. Remove, replace, etc?))

Shape Invocation (Sp): At 5th level, you learn any one least, lesser, or greater blast shape invocation.

Energy Resistance (Su): At 5th level you gain resistance 5 to any two of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic. This resistance stacks with any gained from the Warlock class.

Holy Blast (Sp): At 7th level, you gain an invocation (Greater; 6th; Eldritch Essence) that allows you to change your eldritch blast into a holy blast. The blast deals an extra 1 point of damage per die 1d6 points of Holy damage per 2 class levels (minimum 1d6) to evil outsiders. The blast also affects any evil outsider as if you had cast a dimensional anchor spell on it. Holy Blast ignores any Spell Resistance of evil outsiders.

Transform Magic (Sp): Gained at 9th level, this invocation (Greater; 6th) allows you to deliver a targeted greater dispel magic with your touch. You or any ally within 30 feet of you can heal 5 points of damage for each spell level dispelled by this touch (the spell level is determined by its caster's class). For example, if you successfully dispel a wall of ice, you or an ally can heal up to 20 points of damage. You can't transform your own invocations.

Death Ward (Su): At 10th level, you become immune to death spells, magical death effects, energy drain, and negative energy effects as the death ward spell.

jagadaishio
2008-02-17, 09:32 AM
I like it. The new class features are about as powerful as the Warlock's normal ones when at an equivalent level and its damaging abilities are not crazy (like the hellfire warlock). It seems balanced. I think that if you slap some fluff onto the tongues ability, it could really fit the class.

MammonAzrael
2008-02-17, 10:32 PM
No opinions guys? Suggestions or anything?

Caracol
2008-02-18, 10:23 AM
Not familiar with the Warlock and never heard of the Enlightened Spirit PrC. I don't even know how evoking works, so...
I tend to avoid the not-core base classes. I think that their just a mix from two different base classes (the ninja is a monk-rogue, the scout a ranger-rogue, the hexblade a fighter-sorceror, so why just don't playing a multiclass?)

Sorry, can't really help.

Te'Shen
2008-02-18, 09:46 PM
. . .
Aura of Menace: A righteous aura surrounds you whenever you fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 5-foot radius of you takes a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until it successfully hits you. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect can't be affected again by your aura for 24 hours.
((This ability is nice flavor but seems odd since the ES is not a close combat figure, so it almost never is really useful. I don't know if it should be changed, or edited, or what.)). . . Just rename it Righteous fury. You get angry enough to discomfit those around you. It makes sense to me.

If you don't like it, to make it a little more 'enlightened,' you could make it a sanctuary type effect with some other minor boost, like some sort of holy aura.


. . .
Tongues (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can speak any language. This ability works as the tongues spell does, except that it is continuously active. You can suppress or resume the effect as a free action.
((Don't see how this goes with the "Warlock that's seen the light" flavor of the class. Remove, replace, etc?)). . .Tongues is there for two reasons, I think. The first is that the warlock is becoming a celestial, and some of the higher order celestials have tongues as an at will or always active spell-like ability. The other is that how do you talk your way out/around something which is more 'enlightened' than fighting if you can't communicate?

All in all, good job. This prc needed some advancement of 'spellcasting' which your version does. And this version makes some of the abilities fit both the base class and its growth into this prc work better.

Parvum
2008-02-18, 10:26 PM
Aura of Menace: A righteous aura surrounds you whenever you fight or get angry. Any hostile creature within a 5-foot radius of you takes a -2 penalty on attacks, AC, and saves for 24 hours or until it successfully hits you. A creature that has resisted or broken the effect can't be affected again by your aura for 24 hours.
((This ability is nice flavor but seems odd since the ES is not a close combat figure, so it almost never is really useful. I don't know if it should be changed, or edited, or what.))


Hm... this may shift the delicate blance of power too much, but what about an invocation that increases the radius of the aura of menace, but the warlock cannot use other invocations while it is active.

MammonAzrael
2008-02-19, 01:21 AM
Well, Aura of Menace is an Archon trait, which is where I'm assuming the game designers got it. Problem is, it's much more "close combat" than any warlock really wants to be (except maybe a glaivelock, but that's it). The flavor is great, since even though you're good now, you still can generate an intimidating, scary aura. So I'm just unsure if I should get rid of it entirely, alter it, or replace it. *shrug*

And good point about tongues, I had forgotten that.

Kai-Palin
2008-02-19, 09:33 PM
Tongues (Su): Beginning at 4th level, you can speak any language. This ability works as the tongues spell does, except that it is continuously active. You can suppress or resume the effect as a free action.
((Don't see how this goes with the "Warlock that's seen the light" flavor of the class. Remove, replace, etc?))

The gift of tongues has roots in some very common religious beliefs, after all.

Warning, comments of a religious nature below, if you would be offended by this, please do not read.
In the Western religion/Old Testament/Genesis/Pentateuch/whatever else tradition, the entire world spoke the same language, and the people of the generations were considered more divine/holy than the later generations. In Christian tradition as well, the Holy Spirit granted the 'gift of tongues' to several apostles.