Shaper of the Way (3.5, ToB, Spellshaping) (PEACH)

Shaper of the Way


A warrior who has dabbled in the art of spellshaping, a Shaper of the Way is adept in the use of both sword and spell, and can supplement either with the other. Typically, any character with levels in both a martial adept class and a spellshaper class can take levels in this prestige class with minor effort.


Prerequisites:
Skills: Martial Lore 8 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks
Maneuvers: Must know at least three maneuvers, including at least one of 2nd level or higher.
Formulae: Must know at least three formulae, including at least one of 2nd level or higher.

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills (4+Int Skill Points per level): Balance, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Martial Lore, Spellcraft, Sense Motive, Tumble.

Level	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+0	+2	+0	+2	Sword and Spell
2	+1	+3	+0	+3	Martial Shaper Stance
3	+2	+3	+1	+3	Combined Recovery
4	+3	+4	+1	+4
5	+3	+4	+1	+4	Spellblade
6	+4	+5	+2	+5	Shaped Maneuver Stance
7	+5	+5	+2	+5
8	+6	+6	+2	+6
9	+6	+6	+3	+6	Armed Formulae Stance
10	+7	+7	+3	+7	True Spellblade

Level	Formulae Known	Formulae Prepared	Maneuvers Known	Maneuvers Readied
1	1	0	1	0
2	0	1	0	1
3	0	0	0	0
4	1	0	1	0
5	0	1	0	1
6	0	0	0	0
7	1	0	1	0
8	0	1	0	1
9	0	0	0	0
10	1	0	1	0

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Shaper of the Way gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.


Formulae: At each first level and every three levels thereafter, you gain a new formula known from any circle you had access to prior to taking levels in this class. In addition to meeting the formula’s prerequisite, your spellshaping ability score must be equal to at least 10 + the formula’s level in order to learn it. You add your full Shaper of the Way levels to your shaper level to determine your total shaper level and your highest-level formulae known.

At 2nd level and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain an additional formula prepared per day.


Maneuvers: At each even-numbered level, you gain a new maneuver known from any discipline you had access to prior to taking levels in this class. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite in order to learn it. You add your full Shaper of the Way levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.

At 2nd level and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.


Sword and Spell (Ex): With their dual training in the Sublime Way and the Spellshaper's arts, a Shaper of the Way has learned the proper techniques to keep their mobility while maintaining the protection of armor. Choose a Spellshaper class you had levels in prior to taking this level. You may ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor and light shields when using formula or spellshape attacks of that class.


Martial Shaper Stance (Su): An important technique of the Shaper of the Way, Martial Shaper Stance allows you to gain some benefits of your spellshape attacks while in melee. Beginning at 2nd level, when you are in any martial stance, you may forego its benefits as a swift action in order to gain this stance's benefits. Select a spellshape attack you know. All melee attacks you make while in this stance are treated as that spellshape attack for damage type and the purposes of formulae use. Furthermore, all melee attacks you make in this stance deal bonus damage equal to your Shaper level, of the same type as the selected Spellshape attack. For all intents and purposes, this is the same as channeling a spellshape attack.


Combined Recovery: At 3rd level, a Shaper of the Way has learned how to properly file techniques of both types to quicken his refreshing of them. As a full round action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, you may recover all maneuvers and formula you have expended by making a concentration check with a DC equal to 10+ the number of maneuvers and formula expended.


Spellblade (Su): With their imperfect mastery of the combination of their arts, a Shaper of the Way can only combine weaker abilities. From 5th level onwards, once per round, when you initiate a boost maneuver, you may shape a minor formula as part of the same action, gaining the benefits of both.


Shaped Maneuver Stance (Su): Eventually, a Shaper of the Way learns a technique that improves their methods of enhancing their martial skills with arcane formulae. Beginning at 6th level, when you are in any martial stance, you may forego its benefits as a swift action in order to gain this stance's benefits. When you activate a formula with a duration listed in rounds, you may expend a maneuver readied of equal or greater level to double the duration of that formula. You may not Extend a formula affected by this stance.


Armed Formulae Stance (Su): By this point, a Shaper of the Way has almost completely mastered their art. Beginning at 9th level, when you are in any martial stance, you may forego its benefits as a swift action in order to gain this stance's benefits. Choose one active formula with a personal range or effect centered on you, of at least two levels below the highest level of formula you can shape. You gain that formula's benefits until you change your stance, but cannot recover that formula by any means until then.


True Spellblade (Su): Finally reaching mastery of their arts, a Shaper of the Way has blended both spellshapes and maneuvers into one form. Once per round, when you initiate a strike maneuver while channeling a spellshape attack, you may activate a major formula as part of the strike. If the formula requires an attack roll, it is added to the effects of the strike, and uses the same attack roll as the strike does. If it does not require an attack roll, it takes effect immediately after the strike resolves. If the strike requires multiple attack rolls (such as Wolf Fang Strike), you may choose which one to add the major formula's effect to after determining the success or failure of the attacks.

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Threw this together over the past couple of days. Not entirely sure of the two stances, and I think True Spellblade might be a bit weak.

It's intended to be a fairly generic Gish PrC for ToB and Spellshaping.

Name could use some work, too. :smalltongue:

True Spellblade has a bit of a wonky moment with its wording--"If the strike requires an attack roll, it is added to the effects of the strike, and uses the same attack roll as the strike does." I think the first "strike" was supposed to be "formula," but I'm not sure.

I wouldn't say that True Spellblade is weak, incidentally, since I see no provision preventing you from adding the damage from both formula and maneuver. Just the damage boost alone is decent on that one, and you're doing this every round. Nothing wrong there.

Really, the main thing that stands out to me is that, 60% of the time, you don't even gain a token feature for leveling up. Maybe it's just me, but I like having interesting things at new levels--not necessarily powerful ones, mind you, but something new. The main adjective that springs to mind right now is "Spartan."

'Course, that's just me.

Hm... I figured IL/SL would be decent, and the progression of maneuvers and formulae would make up for the spartan design... Maybe something is needed for 3rd, 6th, and 9th levels?


The first "Strike" was meant to be Formula, yes. Good to know about it's power, at least. Will edit that in a second.

So, to return to this, I feel like Combined Recovery might be something that you'll want earlier. Thing is, the most "supernatural" of the martial adepts is the swordsage--and, let's call a spade a spade, recovering maneuvers as a swordsage is terrible.

In terms of filling up dead levels, two ideas have been had! First, some kind of synergy between boosts and minor formulae would be nice. They both eat up your swift actions, and such a feature would really set this apart from the sublime shaper, which has to juggle both.

Secondly, it would be really interesting to be able to adopt certain formulae as stances. I'm thinking that the requirements of the Persistent Formula metashaping feat would be a good guideline on that one.

I'll keep thinking. It's a good idea to have a generalist prestige class for this, and I want to make sure that it doesn't feel like Sublime Shaper Lite.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DonQuixote

So, to return to this, I feel like Combined Recovery might be something that you'll want earlier. Thing is, the most "supernatural" of the martial adepts is the swordsage--and, let's call a spade a spade, recovering maneuvers as a swordsage is terrible.

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Hm... Maybe to level 3...

Quote:

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In terms of filling up dead levels, two ideas have been had! First, some kind of synergy between boosts and minor formulae would be nice. They both eat up your swift actions, and such a feature would really set this apart from the sublime shaper, which has to juggle both.

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Level 6...

Quote:

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Secondly, it would be really interesting to be able to adopt certain formulae as stances. I'm thinking that the requirements of the Persistent Formula metashaping feat would be a good guideline on that one.

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And level 9...

Quote:

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I'll keep thinking. It's a good idea to have a generalist prestige class for this, and I want to make sure that it doesn't feel like Sublime Shaper Lite.

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Well, most likely with these ideas alone, it won't feel like Shaper Lite.


Yeah, I'll write up a revision using those ideas. That should be just about right for this as a generic class.

FINALLY got around to making the suggested changes. Thoughts?

Glorious, my good man.