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Admiral Squish
2008-03-31, 02:13 AM
The hero: the endless ideal. The common man, or woman, gifted with extraordinary power and thrust into a world of adventure and peril. Dangerous foes, powerful allies, and heart-pumping action are the staples of a hero's life. Unlike some heroic characters, who must slave and toil to gain power, the hero is gifted his powers by a powerful patron. Sometimes divine, but more often earthly. Magic, alchemical accident, spirits, powerful extraplanar beings, all of these can be the force behind a hero. Some serve good, others are bound with infernal contracts to servants of evil.

HD: d8
Skills: 6+int modifier (X 4 for first level)
Class skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Diplomacy, Disguise, Escape Artist, Gather Information, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (any one), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim.
Alignment: Any good, or any evil.

Hero
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|1|2|0|0|Talisman, Transformation, Signature Weapon
2nd|2|3|0|0| Gaurdian Animal, Signature weapon (masterwork)
3rd|3|3|1|1|Signature weapon (+1), Evasion
4th|4|4|1|1| Uncanny Dodge
5th|5|4|1|1| Fly (30)
6th|6/1|5|2|2|Signature Weapon (Ability)
7th|7/2|5|2|2|Improved Uncanny Dodge
8th|8/3|6|2|2|
9th|9/4|6|3|3|Signature Weapon (Ability)
10th|10/5|7|3|3|Improved Transformation
11th|11/6/1|7|3|3|Improved Evasion
12th|12/7/2|8|4|4|Signature Weapon (Ability)
13th|13/8/3|8|4|4|Fly (60)
14th|14/9/4|9|4|4|
15th|15/10/5|9|5|5|Signature Weapon (Ability)
16th|16/11/6/1|10|5|5|
17th|17/12/7/2|10|5|5|
18th|18/13/8/3|11|6|6|Signature Weapon (Ability)
19th|19/14/9/4|11|12|12| Fly (90)
20th|20/15/10/5|6|12|12|Perfect transformation[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The hero is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and shields (except tower shields). The hero is proficient with no armor.


Talisman: The Hero has some sort of talisman she carries, gifted to her by her patron, a way to focus her power. This object weighs almost nothing but takes up space on the body in at least one body slot. It can be in any form, from a hair-ribbon to a belt to a cape or even a headband, though most are simply amulets, but once the form is chosen, it cannot be changed. This item is unbreakable and useless anyone but the hero it belongs to. A creature of the opposite alignment from the hero takes one negative level as long as they hold, touch or carry the talisman.

Transformation: The hero transforms themselves into an alter-ego, a form more fitting for a hero. This transformation takes a full-round action, which provokes attacks of opportunities, the ought the attack is effectively made against the fully-transformed hero. The hero gains a dodge bonus to Armor Class equal to 2+character’s charisma modifier while transformed. She also gains a +10 bonus to base land speed, and a bonus to all attack and damage rolls, saves, and strength- and dexterity- based skills equal to her charisma modifier. A character that has seen the hero in this transformed state and in their normal cannot recognize the two as the same without making a spot check against the hero‘s hide check. The hero has a +10 bonus on this check. However, any character who witnesses the transformation can automatically make the connection. The hero can use this ability once per encounter, and the transformation lasts a number of rounds equal to 3 + charisma modifier

Signature Weapon: The hero’s transformation also grants a weapon to aid in the hero’s battles. This weapon must be one the hero is proficient with, and when chosen cannot be changed. A hero may even choose unarmed strike, though they must have the improved unarmed strike feat. It appears in the her hand when she transforms, and disappears when the transformation ends. This weapon is a nonmagical example of the weapon at first level. At second level, it becomes masterwork, and at third it gains a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls, and is treated as a magic weapon for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. Every three levels thereafter, she can add any one of the weapon special abilities with an enhancement bonus of one. Every time she gains another special ability, she can choose to cancel any number of the old abilities and add a new ability, of an enhancement value equal to the number of features removed. The hero can also use one of these abilities to make the weapon a special sort of material. It’s one ability to make it cold iron or silver, but it takes two abilities to make it adamantine.

Guardian Animal: The hero is often assigned some sort of animal accompaniment by their patron. At second level, the hero can choose from The following list of available guardians: Bat, Cat, Dog, Hawk, Lizard, Owl, Rat, Raven, Weasel, or Tiny Viper. This animal gains special abilities based on the level of the hero, as detailed on the table at the bottom. If the gaurdian animal is killed or dies, the hero Must make a DC 20 will save, or takes 2d10 points of damage, loses 500xp for each HD of the guardian, and is shaken for 24 hours after it’s demise. The hero may be granted a new guardian by their patron after a period of no less than a month.

Fly: The hero gains a fly speed of 30 feet with average maneuverability at fifth level. At 13th level, this speed increases to 60 feet with good maneuverability, and at 19th, it becomes 9o feet with perfect maneuverability.

Improved Transformation: The bonuses to skills, saves, and attack and damage rolls from the hero’s transformation become equal to the heroes charisma modifier X 2. The Dodge Bonus to AC increases to 4+(hero’s charisma modifier X 2). The disguise modifier increases to +20, and the speed bonus becomes +20. Often, the transformed state’s appearance changes subtly at this time. It remains much like it was, but the features become more enhanced and emphasized.

Perfect Transformation: The hero's transformation becomes even more powerful. The bonuses to skills, saves, and attack and damage rolls from the hero’s transformation become equal to the heroes charisma modifier X 4. The Dodge Bonus to AC increases to 6+(hero’s charisma modifier X 3). The disguise modifier increases to +30, and the speed bonus becomes +30.

The Guardian Animal
{table=head]Hero Class Level|Intelligence|Natural Armor Adjustment|Bonus HD|Special
2nd-3rd|10|+2|+1|Empathic Link, Evasion, Share Transformation (Small)
4th-5th|11|+4|+3|Speak with Master, Knowledgable
6th-7th|12|+5|+5|Medic (Light), Improved Evasion
8th-9th|13|+6|+7|Share Transformation (Medium)
10th-11th|14|+7|+9|Medic (Moderate), Speak Language
12th-13th|15|+8|+11|Patron’s Will
14th-15th|16|+9|+13|Share Transformation (Large)
16th-17th|17|+10|+15|Medic (Critical)
18th-19th|18|+11|+17|Gift of Life
20th|20|+12|+19|[/table]

Share Transformation: The Guardian Animal must be within ten feet of the hero when she transforms to use this ability. The guardian animal benefits differently from the transformation. They go up to size small, gaining bonuses and penalties as needed. They also gain a bonus to strength, dexterity and constitution equal to the Hero’s charisma bonus. When the hero gains the improved transformation class feature, these bonuses are doubled, and tripled when the hero gets the perfect transformation class feature. As the hero levels up, the size gain of the guardian animal also increases to medium at 8th, and large at 14th.

Knowledgable: The guardian animal can make a special check to determine if it knows anything about a specific person, place, item, or creature. The DC is determined by how obscure the knowledge is, and how relevant it is to the hero’s quest. The check is to roll 1d20 and add in the guardian’s intelligence modifier.

Medic: The Guardian Animal gains a limited ability to seal the wounds of it’s hero. At 6th level, they can use cure light wounds 3/day, but can only target the hero with this ability. At 10th, they also gain cure moderate wounds 3/day, and at 16th, they gain cure critical wounds 3/day. The Guardian animal is treated as having a caster level equal to ½ it’s HD.

Patron’s will: The Guardian Animal can cast the equivalent of the commune spell to communicate with the hero’s patron once per day. Treat it’s caster level for this ability as equal to it’s HD.

Gift of Life: If the hero dies, the guardian animal can transfer it’s life energy into her soul through their empathic link, effectively acting as a true resurrection spell that can only target the hero. Doing this kills the Guardian Animal instantly. This ability can be activated as an immediate action on the hero’s demise as long as the Guardian Animal is within one mile of the hero and on the same plane. The hero is not granted another Guardian animal for one full year after the use of this ability.
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I've been working on this project for a few days, and I've come to an impasse. I was trying to create a class that has all the features heroes from the TV shows have. Everyone from sailor moon, to he-man, to Aang, and even their villianous/evil counterparts. Of course, there had to be some concessions to make it even vaguely playable. The thing is we have a LOT of dead levels, and a lot of questionably-powered abilities, including the Guardian Animal. I need some help from the more experienced homebrewers and players of the playground.

Level20Commoner
2008-03-31, 05:48 AM
However, any character who witnesses the transformation can automatically make the connection.

Don't forget to mention that any character who witnesses the transformation must make a Will save or delay until the round immediately following the end of the transformation. (Sorry for the silly reply, but I couldn't help myself, what with you mentioning Sailor Moon and all :smallsmile:)

Adumbration
2008-03-31, 06:44 AM
Just a couple of things.

What's the point of talisman? At the moment it seems like its only use is to be tossed at creatures of opposite alignment. There's some potential there, use it, you have a plenty of dead levels. Maybe make it a magic item, or something, like the Signature Weapon.

I personally don't like the transformation thing, but hey, it's just my opinion: it's too super-heroish. When I first took a look at the description of the class, I thought that it would be more... fantasy heroish, you know? Taking the pig-shepherd/farmer/etc. and making him the Sword of Truth/The One Ring/Staff of Power wielding hero.

By the way, you forgot weapon proficiencys. At the moment Signature Weapon is pretty much useless, since the class isn't proficient with any weapons. :smallwink:

You might also make the Guardian animal more powerful, since, you know, it's supposed to be the guardian animal, not the guarded animal. Guardian animals are traditionally the more powerful ones in the beginning, not the other way around. More along the lines of the polar bear or a griffon, not a bat.

Maybe the class could advance the hero with racial paragon classes at some of the dead levels?

Overlord
2008-03-31, 10:19 AM
I like the idea, and I've looked at making an "Ancient Hero" class myself. But I think that if you're going the heroic transformation route, you should look at what our very own Giant wrote for the site: the Champion class (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/mYkD5jL8N9SAcClN3pZ.html). It doesn't have all of the abilities you have in your class, but I think Rich handled the transformation ability quite well, and you could borrow parts of the class for your own use. Maybe you could take out the spellcasting and add in an Animal Companion?

Admiral Squish
2008-03-31, 11:55 AM
Just a couple of things.

What's the point of talisman? At the moment it seems like its only use is to be tossed at creatures of opposite alignment. There's some potential there, use it, you have a plenty of dead levels. Maybe make it a magic item, or something, like the Signature Weapon.

I personally don't like the transformation thing, but hey, it's just my opinion: it's too super-heroish. When I first took a look at the description of the class, I thought that it would be more... fantasy heroish, you know? Taking the pig-shepherd/farmer/etc. and making him the Sword of Truth/The One Ring/Staff of Power wielding hero.

By the way, you forgot weapon proficiencys. At the moment Signature Weapon is pretty much useless, since the class isn't proficient with any weapons. :smallwink:

You might also make the Guardian animal more powerful, since, you know, it's supposed to be the guardian animal, not the guarded animal. Guardian animals are traditionally the more powerful ones in the beginning, not the other way around. More along the lines of the polar bear or a griffon, not a bat.

Maybe the class could advance the hero with racial paragon classes at some of the dead levels?

The talisman works sort of like a holy symbol to a cleric. You gotta have it to transform, but there's not much else for it.

Well, to tell the truth, the idea started a the 'magical girl' class. But it evolved as it went on and I realized I could include a lot more kinds of hero with little effort.

Well, poop. I suppose I'll have to fix that.

The 'Guardian' animal is more aimed for support and information for the hero than tank. I was trying to keep it from being horrifically broken like the infamous animal companion, which is why they're all tiny.

I'm not at all sure how that would work.


I like the idea, and I've looked at making an "Ancient Hero" class myself. But I think that if you're going the heroic transformation route, you should look at what our very own Giant wrote for the site: the Champion class. It doesn't have all of the abilities you have in your class, but I think Rich handled the transformation ability quite well, and you could borrow parts of the class for your own use. Maybe you could take out the spellcasting and add in an Animal Companion?

Man, I knew I shouldn't have waited this long to put it up... Not only am I late to the party, but he's done it better, too. Poo.

Overlord
2008-03-31, 09:48 PM
Well, I think you had a good idea here, and one that is slightly different than what Mr. Burlew had in mind with the Champion.

I think if you modify the Champion a bit, you could make a class that might be very interesting and more suited to your desires while still being more balanced. You might want to look at taking the Champion, removing the spells and that one bonus feat, and adding a familiar/animal companion as well as possibly adding to the number of class skills and skill points (maybe 6 per level?). You might want to look at the Pathfinder RPG's (http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG) new Fighter class. The Weapon Mastery ability looks like it could be a possible replacement for your Signature Weapon ability.