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Old 02-10-2012, 04:26 PM   Top  -  End  -  #1
chrisrawr
Troll in the Playground
 
Griffon
 
Join Date: Feb 2011
Gender: Male
Default The Dirge Symphonist [3.X Base Class, WIP, PEACH]

The Dirge Symphonist
A powerful melody beckons, and you find yourself strangely waking from your restful slumber... and unable to scream, as the cold of undeath reaches for you from beyond the grave!

Information on what I'm trying to do here: The basic premise behind this is bard meets dread necromancer, but without casting (though he'll have and use caster level to determine HD of undead he can control - allowing multiclassing between those that use caster levels.) It's a top-down (that is, starting with fluff) attempt at... well, I dunno really. But it looks awesome in my head :I

The base of him will be Performing/concentration with music and standard actions (bone-flutes and skull didgeridoos are all appropriate and encouraged), a skeletal familiar, semi-powerful undead control, and combat viability with combination effects, and eventually, a powerful mixture of the two. Augmentations, where the Symphonist shapes his mortal form with directed soul-grafts, will also perform a small amount of personalization and individual mutability.

If you haven't guessed, this will be an Evil class, full of subversion and the dark seduction of forbidden power. Even in games where necromancy is widely accepted, this class will need some seriously powerful roleplaying to come off as anything but a malicious, cruel sonofa. Perfect for those who want to be the Saruman of the group - Silvered tongue keeping the witless fools from scrutinizing you too closely until it's too late, or worse, luring them to your cause with temptations and deathly promises.

Of course, you could also refluff it into a tribal/worshipful aspect - the spirits of his ancestors / followers of his god / benevolent lesser angels aid at his beckoning, trusting his good-will and judgement to direct them to bring about positive change and honour to his family / glory to his god / good to the world.

Balance-wise, for the early-mid game I'd feel at home around the power level of a fairly optimized 3.x+pf martial class (high t3) or a fairly unoptimized sorcerer or wizard - swarming him with the proper debuffs and minions would eventually wear him down as he cleaves through minions, but a couple decisive hits should be enough to take him out, even when layered with protections. The capstone will pierce the heavens of T2 in power, but it'll come with drawbacks that will literally make you useless, or kill you. So I think that's pretty fair.

I hope you find this as neat as I do, and I look forward to any ideas you might have as I flesh this out, mechanically and fluff-wise.



Game Information:
Perfection - a burning desire and a heart broken. The unattainable made simple by dark whispers and darker deeds.

Madness - a growing darkness where reason once took root. The insane made practical by grim tutelage and the pain of failure.

Power - a spirit bound which once was free. The dead made to dance by tune and tempo, and the Dirge Symphony.

Dirge Symphonists are my attempt at a top-down homebrew - that is, I start with fluff and **** with mechanics as they come. It doesn't really work that well, but you can get some neat things out of it when you kick it enough. I decided to start simple, taking heavily from the Bard and the Dread Necromancer. Dirge Symphonists are intended to be a social class with buffs and debuffs that just happen to apply to combat about as effectively. In roleplay situations, their music literally sets the mood, sending brave men gibbering or draining the wills of the most hardy opposition. In combat, it plays with similar abilities to the Necromancer and Druid from Diablo 2 - A wide array of summons and battlefield control.

Alignment: Almost exclusively Evil. See above for variants and suggestions for refluffing.
Hit Die: D6
Starting Age: As Bard
Starting Gold: As Bard
Table: Dirge SymphonistBase Attack BonusFortRefWillCharacter Abilities
1+0+0+0+2Abysmal Servant, Dirgecasting
2+1+0+0+3Augmentation
3+1+1+1+3Summonings
4+2+1+1+4Augmentation
5+2+1+1+4Dirgecasting, Echoing Orchestra
6+3+2+2+5Augmentation
7+3+2+2+5Possession
8+4+2+2+6Augmentation
9+4+3+3+6Dirgecasting
10+5+3+3+7Augmentation
11+5+3+3+7Howling Concerto
12+6/+1+4+4+8Augmentation
13+6/+1+4+4+8Dirgecasting
14+7/+2+4+4+9Augmentation
15+7/+2+5+5+9Wailing Crescendo
16+8/+3+5+5+10Augmentation
17+8/+3+5+5+10Dirgecasting
18+9/+4+6+6+11Augmentation
19+9/+4+6+6+11Gruesome Instrument
20+10/+5+6+6+12Maestro de la Orquesta Sinfónica de la Muerte

Skill Points: (6 + Int modifier) per level, x4 at first level.

Class Skills: The Dirge Symphonist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Swim (Str), Use Magic Device (Cha).

Proficiencies: Dirge Symphonists gain proficiency with Simple Weapons, Hand Crossbows, Rapiers, Saps, Shortbows, Whips, and a Single Martial Weapon of his choice. Dirge Symphonists gain Proficiency with Light Armour, and Bucklers, but not shields.

Languages: Dirge Symphonists gain access to the secret language of souls and spirits - they may intercept, speak with, and understand verbal and non-verbal communication used by Ghosts, Spirits, Souls, and other undead that are mostly composed of souls within 100 feet. Souls and Spirits with no hostile relations to the Dirge Symphonist are revealed automatically to him, though they may conceal themselves from this ability as a free, immediate action at any time should they choose to.

Caster Level: For effects based off Caster Level, even levels of Dirge Symphonist count as caster levels, despite the Dirge Symphonist not being a Spellcasting class, and this ability not granting any other spellcasting benefits. Saving Throws against a Dirge Symphonist's abilities are taken against DC (10+1/2 Dirge Symphonist Levels+CHA).

Abysmal Servant (Companion): Dirge Symphonists may begin play with a Skeletal Warrior under their command. Based on the Campaign's main setting (Air, Earth, or (Under)Water), the Warrior may begin with an appropriate movement type. The Abysmal Servant is a loyal companion that accompanies the Dirge Symphonist on... its... adventures.

A 1st-level Abysmal Servant is a 1st level Human Skeleton Warrior, with differences noted on the table below. As the Dirge Symphonist advances in level, the Servant's power increases as shown on the table. If the Abysmal Servant is destroyed, the Dirge Symphonist may raise a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of ritual performance, and a fresh cadaver. The Dirge Symphonist may verbally command his Abysmal Servant as a free action during either the Symphonist's or the Servant's turn. The rest of its abilities are described below.

Abysmal Servant progression
Spoiler


Dirgecasting: (Su) Once per day per level of Dirge Symphonist, the Dirge Symphonist may pass his somber music through the pale curtain - Dirgecasting - imbuing it with echoes of death's inhabitants. Dirgecasting may manifest in a variety of forms, but it all originates the same way; the Dirge Symphonist calls the spirits of the dead with a performance, and their immitating echo imbues his music with power. Over the course of the Class, a Dirgecaster will gain the ability to layer up to 5 effects on his music, with each layer increasing the level and performance skill required.

Dirgecasting is initiated by a Standard Action Perform Check. Dirgecastings require a Standard Action Concentration Check each round to maintain them. A Deaf Dirge Symphonist's Dirgecasting has only a chance of failure equal to 20%-1 per Dirge Symphonist level, as he can feel the music through his soul. To begin a Dirgecasting, you must make a Perform check against the DC of the Dirgecasting you've composed - failure wastes the action and the Dirgecasting attempt. Dirgecastings last for up to 10 Rounds, and may be ended before that as a free action any time. Dirgecasting effects, areas, and other information will be listed with the effect.

Layers are the primary determinant of a Dirgecasting's effects, and their power. A layer must be occupied before another layer can be laid on top of it - There must be an effect on layer 1 before the Symphonist can build upon layer 2, etc. No two layers may contain the same Dirgecasting ability, but any unused Dirgecasting ability the Dirge Symphonist knows may be placed on any available layer. Each Dirgecasting ability will list its effects and its DC. Simply add the DCs of each layer in your Dirgecasting together for the final Perform Check DC of your Dirgecasting.

Dirgecasting Effects
Spoiler


Augmentation: (Ex or Su, as listed) Part of a Dirge Symphonist's warped view of artistic perfection is focused on his physical aspect. While lacking the arcane magics and knowledge to become a true Lich, his communion with the underworld provides him with a slow transformation, into yet another warped instrument for his grisly music.

Every even-numbered Dirge Symphonist level except 20, you may gain the benefits of an Augmentation from the following list. Some of these abilities are static, some have requirements, and some can only be gained at great cost. Unless noted, an Augmentation's benefits can only be gained once, and are permanent once chosen (with the usual excpetion of Wish, et. al.).

Augmentations
Spoiler


Summonings: (Su) Much of the Dirge Symphonist's power comes from his command over spirits and souls - forcing them to inhabit and animate corpses poses little problem for him. The Dirge Symphonist gains the ability to animate a number of HD of undead equal to (2+CHA)xCaster Level. If the Dirge Symphonist later gains access to the Animate Dead spell, the max number of HD of undead controllable increases by +2 per Caster Level. Animating a corpse requires time and effort, however - the Dirge Symphonist must have access to at least 1 medium-sized corpse for each medium-sized undead he animates, or 4 medium-sized corpses for each large-sized undead he animates (and it follows this progression up the scale.) He may only create and control undead in this way up to 1 size category smaller than his Abysmal Servant, and each Undead may only have a total number of HD equal to (1/2 Dirge Symphonist Levels+CHA). For each HD of undead created in this way, the Dirge Symphonist must spend 50gp.

Echoing Orchestra: (Su) At 5th level, a Dirge Symphonist's Dirgecastings resonate far and wide throughout the realm of the dead, calling echoes from its denizens even once the performance has finished. For every 5 his Performance result beats the DC of his Dirgecasting, the Dirgecasting's ability may be extnended by one round. Concentration checks normally required are still required, as the Dirge Symphonist must still channel the echoes back into the material plane.

Possession: (Su) At 7th level, a Dirge Symphonist may merge with his Abymsal Servant for 1 round per Dirge Symphonist level per day, but only while it's not using its Astral Travel ability. This possession happens when the Dirge Symphonist and the Abysmal Servant willingly occupy the same sqare, and the Dirge Symphonist wishes to merge as a standard action during either of their turns. While Possessing his Abysmal Servant, the Dirge Symphonists gains the benefits of all its formations and feats, Full BAB, and Good Fort. He assumes his Abysmal Servant's size and bonus Natural Armour, as well as his resistances, immunities, and damage reductions. He gains 2 temporary HP per Dirge Symphonist level, but is destroyed if his health reaches zero. During this time, the Abysmal Servant ceases to exist - when the Possession ends, he reappears adjacent to the Dirge Symphonist (shunting to the nearest opening that will fit him and taking 6d6 damage if there is no opening that will fit him available adjacent to the Dirge Symphonist.) If any Temporary HP granted by this ability were lost by the Dirge Symphonist during the possession, they are removed from the Abysmal Servant's HP when he reappears.

Howling Crescendo: (Su) At 11th level, the power of the Dirge Symphonist's music increases as he pours his own soul into it - As a Swift Action during a Perform or Concentration Check for a Dirgecasting, he may take a -1 penalty to his Charisma, Will, and Constitution scores for the rest of the day, in order to boost the duration in rounds, penalties, and bonuses of his current Dirgecasting by 1. Any Dirgecasting abilities boosted this way have their Perform and Concentration DCs decreased by 1, both for the initial check and for the rest of the day.

Wailing Concerto: (Su) At 15th level, the Penalties and Bonuses of a Dirge Symphonist's Dirgecasting's are improved by the number of Bonus Rounds granted to that Dirgecasting by Echoing Orchestra. The Dirge Symphonist no longer needs to make concentration checks to continue a Dirgecasting during these bonus rounds, and may begin a separate Dirgecasting.

Gruesome Instrument: (Su) At 19th level, the Dirge Symphonist's undead minions become the only instrument he requires. During any perform action the Dirge Symphonist performs, any number of HD of undead under his control within 150 feet may also Perform, as the same action (Swift, Standard, Full-Round, etc.), and continue to do so for the duration of the performance or Dirgecasting. For every 10HD of undead that do so, the Dirge Symphonist's Perform check gains a +1 Dirge bonus. The Dirge Symphonist automatically passes Concentration Checks to continue a Dirgecasting for as long as at least 50HD of undead continue to perform in this manner. The DC of Fear Effects produced by the Dirge Symphonist while Gruesome Instrument is providing at Dirge Bonus is increased by the Dirge Bonus.

Maestro de la Orquesta Sinfónica de la Muerte: Dont look at it yet it's bad and worded poorly.
Spoiler
__________________
Hurr hurr back to Archers. Probably a bit high T3 right now, but some abilities feel T2ish. Anyways, PEACH dat for love <3

Last edited by chrisrawr : 02-16-2012 at 08:22 AM.
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