Whelp, let's get to it.
Thoughts on the Fluff:
Couple things stand out: First off, 'Foolish Fools' is a bit redundant. Chose one.
Secondly, the order of the sections is off, and you're missing some of the sections.
Thoughts on the Mechanics:
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Hit Die: d8
:sniped Table:
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Shade Channelers are proficient with all simple weapons and one martial weapon of their choice (Usually a scythe), chosen at the first level. They are proficient in all light armors and with all shields except for the tower shield.
Main thing I notice here is that it's pretty much the same chassis as the Cleric. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but that can provide a modest boost in power, as it gives full casters more options.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Spells :snip:
Since he is not expending his own energy in casting these spells he is much less impaired if caught in an affect that limits his magic. If the Shade Channeler is under an affect that negates his spell casting but only targets him (Such as a pair of anti magic manacles or an anti magic ray spell) he can still cast spells. If he is under an affect that limits the casting in an area (Such as an anti magic field) his spells are suppressed and unusable like normal.
:snip:
The Shade Channeler's spells are neither arcane or divine, they do not have arcane spell failure though.
The first effect is pretty powerful: might want to tone down or excise it. The secondary effect isn't so much powerful as it is troublesome. Why not just have them be Arcane effects that aren't subject to Spell Failure?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Spirit Channeling: :snip:
The Shade Channeler does not have a spell list like normal casters. Instead whenever he refreshes his spirit energy he calls certain spells that he will have available for the day. For every spell that the Shade Channeler calls for that day he must expend Spirit Points equal to the spell level of the spell. He may never call more spells available per spell level than his charisma modifier. Thus a Shade Channeler with an 18 in charisma would only be able to call 4 spells from each spell level (4 first levels spells, 4 second level spells, etc). The Shade Channeler may call any spell from the necromancy school or any spell from the conjuration or divination school that is on Wizard/Sorcerer spell list. In addition, at first level the Shade Channeler can choose to call spells from an additional school on the Wizard/Sorcerer spell list, either, Evocation Illusion, Enchantment or Abjuration. Once the Shade Channeler makes this choice it can't be changed even with a wish or a miracle. Finally, the Shade Channeler can choose any spell that specifically enhances undead or animation of undead. Thus he could choose desecrate since it helps animating undead but not bull's strength as that can help all creatures not just undead.
Okay, it's a point based caster, with a somewhat limited spell list. A couple edits I made to improve clarity(imo) are made in red.
Personally? I think this is a bit powerful: conjuration is an extremely powerful school, and necromancy has some good stuff as well. Divination tends to be more variable, depending on the DM's rules, but it's still quite good as well. adding another school on top of this? Very, very powerful. Combined with a power point system of casting, as well as an Euridite method of spells prepared, and I think this is horribly overpowered. I'd say you need to reduce some combination of spells known, unique spells per day, and power points.
Oh, and technically right now Spirit points never disipate. That means every time you rest when you aren't exhausted, you're increasing your spirit point pool. This is game breaking and needs to be fixed.
Though, I thought I should ask, did you intend to leave transmutation out of the list of schools available to chose?
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
As a Shade Channeler gains power based on the recently deceased in the world they gain more power when death's are above average and less when deaths are below average. If a Shade Channeler spends significant time in an area of great death he also can harvest more energy if he replenishes his Spirit Points within the next 24 hours. Similarly if he spends significant time in an area of low death his power declines. This is up to a DM to decide but I will make a table to illustrate some guidelines.
Spoiler
Show
{table=head]Event|Spirit Point %
Spending an hour near a recent (Within the week) small scale battlefield|120%
Spending an hour near a recent (Within the week) large scale battlefield|150%
Spending full day in a large country where death is either non existent or very very minimal |25%
Spending a full day in a particular city where death is either non existent or very minimal|80%
A global plague (The Black Death) sweeps across the land|140%
A war starts between two nearby medium sized nations|110%
A war starts between two nearby large nations|120%
A world wide conflict|150%
[/table]
Note: As the Shade Channeler gains power from the souls of the recently departed if something that causes people to die but have their souls not pass on (Invading demons trap the souls of their enemies, or undead apocalypse) the Shade Channeler doesn't gain as much benefit from it.
Interesting, and not too complicated. Though, do the various bonuses and penalties stack?
Also, I feel this makes the power point module even harder to balance.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Death Sense: :snip:
Rebuke Undead: :snip:
Useful and flaverful, and not overpowering.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Soul Harvest (Su):
What about beings without class levels, or those with a mix of class and racial hit dice?
I think it's a pretty powerful ability, especially with the loose limit it has.
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Silva Stormrage
Corpse Crafter:
Bonus feat, not too much to worry about. Not familiar with the feat, so can't say much, though I notice you didn't include the standard 'whether they qualify for it or not'. Is that not a concern for this feat?
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Undead Tactics: :snip:
All tactics are standard actions. A Shade Channeler may use one Horde Tactic, Platoon Tactic and Commander Tactic every 5 rounds.
do you mean that you can only use the undead tactic ability as a whole once every 5 rounds, or that you can only use each type of tactic once every 5 rounds(ie, use a horde tactic and it's 5 rounds before you can use another, but next round you can use a platoon or commander tactic).
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Spirit Boon: At fourth level the Shade Channeler can use his powers to enhance the undead under his control. By spending a number of spirit points indicated by the boon he can enhance an undead with a spirit boon he has available. He starts with 1 spirit boons at 4th level and gains 1 ever other level after, chosen from the list below. A particular undead can only have a single boon at a time. Undead can have an additional boon applied at 10th level and an additional boon every 6 levels after. :snip:
Suggested changes to grammar are in red.
I'm not sure what you mean by the llast two sentences there. Did you change your mind, or did you mean that a given undead can only have 1 boon at 4th, and an additional one every 6 levels after(2 10th, 3 at 16th)?
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Efficient Control: (Ex) Whenever the Shade Channeler attempts to rebuke an undead creature he can treat his HD as a number of HD lower equal to the number indicated by Efficient Control.
That he/his is slightly confusing, as his properly refers back to the same subject as he, which is either the Shade Channeler or the Undead, neither of which makes sense. I think you want to change his to either it or the undead's (I prefer the latter). It's also probably best to switch the order of the last two sentences.
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Horde Empowerment: (Ex) :snip:
I think this ability is largely fine: Undead tend to have inflated numbers of HD. The ability to switch control pool numbers around is more worrisome, especially since it doesn't seem to have an action. I'd suggest removing it, to be honest.
Not really much to say, though you should probably specify that you need to qualify for the feats.
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Form of Death: (Ex)At 12th level the Shade Channeler gains a deflection bonus to ac equal to his charisma modifier. At 18th level the Shade Channeler gains the ability to see in all forms of magical and non magical darkness. In addition the Shade Channeler gains a profane bonus on fort saves equal to his charisma modifier.
These are the two worrisome aspects to me: a charisma based caster getting Charisma to AC and Fort Saves is a pretty good boost. Probably warrents some sort of limit on each ability(max bonus equal to 1/4 level, rounded up or down, perhaps). Also, you need to clarify what level the fort bonus activates on.
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Transfer Target: (Su)
Soul Tether: (Su)
Alternate Source: (Ex)
Yeah, a perfect version of dispel magic? Too strong. Needs some activation check.
Soul Tether seems fine, though.
Alternate Source needs some clarification. Is it instead of the normal double spirit point cost, or in addition to. Basically, is it 3x spell level or 6x spell level?
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Custom Horde: (Ex) At 10th level the Shade Channeler has gained insight on how to animate particular undead. At 10th level he gains the ability to animate an undead creature or template with the create undead or create greater undead spells. The Shade Channeler can choose a custom creature to animate at 13th level and every 3rd level after. The Shade Channeler can choose any undead creature with a CR equal to his class level - 4. Thus at 10th level he can choose to animate a creature with CR 6 or lower, at 13th level he can select a creature with CR 9 or lower, etc. For templates the template selected must have a cr increase of 1/2 of his class level - 6. Thus at level 10 he can select a template that has a cr increase of +1, at level 13 he may select a template that has a cr of +2 or less.
The wording here is odd, and honestly I'm not sure what you're trying to say here: does the ability start at level 13 or level 10? Are the templates limited exactly to that number, or can they be less? And what exactly do you mean by custom undead, and by the fact that he can chose them at certain levels? Are these permanent changes to the afformentioned spells? Why would you ever use Create Greater undead, if you can do everything with the lower level spell?
Needs some cost to balance it, especially since Zombie is one of those scaling templates. Perhaps costing (# of spirit points equal to 1/2 zombies hit dice, round up)?
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Horde Perfection: At 14th level the Shade Channeler becomes more adept at animating undead and can now animate skeletons and zombies with HD higher than 20 with animate dead. In addition he can specialize in either skeletons or zombies. If he specializes in Skeletons they gain a bonus to hit equal to the Shade Channeler's charisma modifier and any Spirit Boons applied to them only costs half as many spirit points. If the Shade Channeler specializes in Zombies, all Zombies created by the Shade Channeler lose their single action only ability and gain 2hp/hd and +4 strength.
Corrected some minor grammar errors. Pretty powerful ability, especially the Zombie part. Not sure how it balances.
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Improved Dread Army: (Su) At 16th level the Shade Channeler's ability to temporarily animate slain foes improves. This ability functions as Dread Army except you can choose to either animate the slain creature as a zombie or you can animate them as a corpse creature. If you animate the creature as a corpse creature the duration is 1 round/5 class levels.
What's a corpse Creature? Still needs some kind of cost, though I have no idea what would be appropriate for this one.
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Embodiment of Death: (Ex)
Probably should specify what the ability bonuses are. I feel the at death revival ability might be a bit much, especially combined with the further increase in undead you can control.
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Improved Spirit Capacity
Flavor text. You are more adept at absorbing the energy of the world's dead.
Prerequisites: Spirit Channeling, Shade Channeler class level 6.
Benefits: You gain an additional Spirit Point per class level whenever you rest and regain Spirit Points.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. It's effects stack.
Yeah, too good with the current mechanic.
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Improved Spell Calling
Flavor text. You are very efficient at calling a particular spell.
Prerequisites: Spirit Channeling, Shade Channeler class level 6.
Benefits: Select one spell the you can cast. When calling that spell you do not have to pay Spirit Points to call the spell. This spell still counts against the number of spells you can have called of a certain level.
Special: This feat can be taken multiple times. Each time you must select a different spell.
This seems fine.
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New Spells
Lesser Animate Dead
Seems perfectly fine.
Thoughts on Tactics and Spirit boons:
Making this it's own section because there are enough of them.
Coordination Tactics: These seem fine.
Bulwark Tactics: Minor issues with Improved Defensive Line and Pawn Shield. The former I'd either make it horde, or more preferably change the bonus to deflection or the like. The latter should probably last more than one round, but also needs to note what happens when the undead is destroyed(yes, somewhat obvious, but the less chance for confusion the better). Also, you should probably just have it be against the Undead's AC: otherwise, what about effects that are normally touch attacks and the like?
Retribution Tactics:Explosive retribution should have a time limit, though multiple turns wouldn't be out of line. For Counter attack, is the cost of the attack one AOO, or do you get to make two attacks(one normal attack, one AOO)? Wordings not clear.
Hampering Tactics:You probably need to specify that these special tactics only last one round. Disabling attack needs a much easier save, and should probably limit the number of saves one target needs to make. Distracting attack needs to specify if the target need to be in the zone the creature threatens. Crippling strike is too strong: speed reduction lasts too long, and -6 to dex is huge, especially since it's not a penalty it appears it can stack. Need to limit the number of saves on target must face because of this ability. Pinning rush seems a bit strong, as with the number of undead you can get this basically is an instant grapple. Probably need to limit the size of the bonus granted, as well as not eliminate AOO's.
Swarming Tactics:The latter 2 seem okay, but the first two have some problems with timing. Essentially, if two undead are effected by this, and both attack a target in the same round sequentially, how do you determine the bonus? And if they do it at the same time?
Spirit Boons:
Enduring Boons: Eternal undead seems a bit strong. Probably should cap the raises given.
Resistance Boons:Good, except there seems to be 1 error: Profane Reflexes gives the mettle ability(I think you want evasion).
Mobility Boons:Perfect Teleporting Bones seems very strong. Probably should be a move action or something.
Mage Slaying Boons:The last effect, the anitmagic sphere? Too Strong, especially for it's cost.
Swarming Boons: Seem good.
Powerful Boons: My main issue is with Profane Size. Seems like it's a bit too much: It's Powerful Blows+Improved Strengthen Flesh+Strengthen Flesh, plus two addition natural weapon size increases, for a total of 3. That's quite a bit extra, and it costs the exact same.
Ranged Boons: The two ranged projectile abilities are kinda odd: the range increment rules don't seem to be followed. You only have one range increment, not 2 different ones.
Final Notes: