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Old 05-27-2010, 09:31 AM   Top  -  End  -  #1
Sereg
Barbarian in the Playground
 
Griffon
 
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: 
South Africa
Gender: Male
Default Glowherd (base class, 3.5)

Hi there. I recently participated in Lord Gareth's "The Light Beckons" Base Class challenge. Unfortunately, my entry went unpeached. It did, however, earn some votes. This leads me to believe that some people are nevertheless interested in this class. Therefore, I've started this thread to work on the class, recieve peaches and expand upon it. As it was unpeached, there could be many problems that I am unaware of. I did say in the chat thread that I'm eager for ideas for new radiances and beams and have considered restricting some of them to higher level glowherds for balance purposes. Please let me know what you think. I'd like to end up with something fun and reasonably balanced at the end.

GLOWHERD

"These "glorified reading lights" as you call them, are the things that will ensure our victory!" - Swordfeather Kyrek, illumian glowherd

Glowherds are people whom have a supernatural influence on light. They have practised this influence until they are able to coax light into spheres called glows which they shepherd and cause to give off supernatural effects called radiances and beams. They appear to do this through force of will and mental persuasion.

Abilities: The difficulty class to resist the effect of a glowherd’s radiances and beams are based off Charisma, making that an important ability. With low hit points, constitution is also useful. As most of a glowherd’s attacks are ranged, dexterity could also be useful.

Role: Glowherds are mainly good for support, yet they have some debuffing and minor blasting abilities as well. They are also capable of serving as the party face.

Background: Like sorcerers, glowherds are usually untrained and simply discovered their abilities by accident. Those that were intrigued by their early experiments then proceeded to practice and attempt to control the light that they were influencing. Once s/he could draw out the light, it became instinct to form it into a ball and control it. Some individuals hear about other glowherds and attempt the abilities themselves before discovering that they have the talent.

Organization: As most glowherds are self-trained, there are no academies or similar organizations for them to join. However, glowherds are easily recognized for what they are, especially by other glowherds whom may be interested in joining them to trade advice and cooperate in mutually beneficial undertakings which results in small guilds being formed.

Alignment: Glowherds can be any alignment. Good glowherds are more common due to the associations that many culture’s have with light, their supportive role and the difficulty that glowherd’s have with using their powers for illegal, underhanded activities. Good glowherds wish to use their powers to help and support others. Evil glowherds see light as another thing to be controlled for their own benefit. Lawful glowherds see themselves as bringers of control to the phenomenon of light and often as tacticians like marshals. Chaotic glowherds are fond of trickery and manipulation and see lght as something else to practice these skills on.

Races: Blind races such as grimlocks cannot become glowherds s they cannot sense the light in order to manipulate it. Races that are light sensitive and/or which rely on ambush such as kobolds are rarely glowherds as the light is disadvantageous for them. Races that live below the surface are also unlikely to become glowherds as they are too familiar with darkness. As sun-lovers, humans are one of the races to host many glowherds. Elves are also at home in the open, admiring the sky which gives them many glowherds. Half-elves become glowherds for similar reasons to their parents. Some fey see light as a part of nature, to become one with, by becoming glowherds. Centaurs become glowherds for similar reasons to fey and elves. Lawful good aasimer sometimes see becoming a glowherd as a way of seeming closer to archons due to the similarity in appearance between glows and lantern archons.

Religion: Some glowherds see religion as irrelevant and only concentrate on their own natural talent. Others see their abilities as gifts from the gods that they should be thankful for. Religious glowherds tend to worship gods of light or celestial bodies such as Pelor. Some will instead worship gods of magic due to the supernatural nature of their powers. Many glowherds are attracted to Boccob whom they see as guardian of magic and mainly interested in his own powers, which they identify with.

Other Classes: Glowherds recognize the importance of having someone in armour with a big weapon to protect him/her and someone to heal his/hr wounds. They acknowledge that their powers are not good for being sneaky as well, so even if they find such classes distasteful, they realise that they cannot replace such individuals. Arcane casters are important for doing flashy things even if the glowherd feels that they can be condescending. In fact, as a supporting class, glowherds know the importance of teamwork and are good at it. The biggest rivalry with glowherds comes from bards as they fulfil similar roles while one uses sound and the other light. Rogues and similar classes can also be put off by the fact that light makes sneakiness more difficult.

Adaptation: As currently written, glowherds are rare as the use strange supernatural powers that few people know how to use. Maybe the process was recently discovered. Maybe it was taught and passed down through the generations in a particular tribe. Maybe it is a more literal gift from the gods. One may wish to make the class more-wisdom and less-charisma based in that case. Maybe the glows are spirits, undead or elementals in which case maybe the glowherd should be able to speak to them or give them familiar-like powers. Maybe this is related to psionics and uses power points. Alternatively it could use invocations or spell-like abilities.

Hit Die: d4

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10 (75gp)

Starting Age: as bard.

Class Features

Class Skills: The glowherd's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (wis).

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + int modifier) X 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + int modifier

LevelBase Attack<br>BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial GlowsRadiances Known Beams Known
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Dedication to Sight (Low-light Vision), Illumination Bonus +1 radiance Range 10 ft., Quench/Ignite111
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Deflect112
3rd
+2
+1
+1
+3
Dedication to Sight (Darkvision) 122
4th
+3
+1
+1
+4
Illuminate223
5th
+3
+1
+1
+4
Dedication to Sight (Glare Resistance), Radiance Range 15 ft.224
6th
+4
+2
+2
+5
Favourable Lighting234
7th
+5
+2
+2
+5
Dedication to Sight (Blindness Resistance) 235
8th
+6/+1
+2
+2
+6
Illumination Bonus +2336
9th
+6/+1
+3
+3
+6
Dedication to Sight (Farsight) 346
10th
+7/+2
+3
+3
+7
Radiance Range 20 ft.347
11th
+8/+3
+3
+3
+7
Dedication to Sight (Keen Eyes) 348
12th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+8
Dazzle458
13th
+9/+4
+4
+4
+8
Dedication to Sight (Recognize Figment) 459
14th
+10/+5
+4
+4
+9
Remote Beam4510
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+5
+9
Dedication to Sight (Pierce Concealement) Radiance Range 25 ft.4510
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+10
Illumination Bonus +35511
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+5
+10
Dedication to Sight (See invisibilty) 5512
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+6
+11
Reflect5612
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Dedication to Sight (True seeing) 5613
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+6
+12
Additional Primary, Illumination Bonus +4, Radiance Range 30 ft.6 6 14


Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Glowherds are profficient with all simple weapons, as well as shortbows. They are not profficient with any form of armour or shields.

Glows: Glows are the defining feature of the glowherd. Every morning, the glowherd must spend an hour before a light source (the sun qualifies) and use his/her supernatural powers to draw in the light and coax it into balls of light called glows. The glowherd has full control over his/her glows which follow him/her around. The glows are able to move up to a distance away from the glowherd equal to 5 ft. more than their radiance range as long as they do not break line of effect. The number of glows that a glowherd shapes increases as s/he gains levels as indicated in the table. Each glow provides illumination and penalties to hide checks as if it were a torch. One glow is considered the glowherds primary glow and has an illumination bonus equal to one higher than that of the other glows. The glowherd can alternate which glow is his/her primary glow as a standard action which does not threaten an attack of opportunity. Glows and the effects that they produce are treated as spells of a level equal to their illumination bonus and with a caster level equal to the glowherd’s glowherd level. Dispelled glows are quenched.

Radiances: Each glow produces an effect on the allies or enemies of the glowherd within its radiance range. This effect is known as a radiance. The glowherd can switch the radiance of any of his/her glows to any other radiance that s/he knows as a standard action which does not threaten an attack of opportunity. Everytime that a glowherd learns a new radiance, s/he may replace one of his/her old radiances known in the same manner as a sorcrerer changing spells. The effects produced by radiances do not stack with each other.

Beams: If the glowherd’s primary glow occupies the same space as the glowherd him/herself, then the glowherd may fire any beam that s/he knows from the glow as a ranged touch attack. Doing so quenches the primary glow. Everytime that a glowherd learns a new beam, s/he may replace one of his/her old beams known in the same manner as a sorcrerer changing spells.

Quench/Ignite (su): The glowherd may quench one or more of his/her glows as a free action. Doing so removes all the benefits that the glow provides. While quenched, a glow provides no illumination and is invisible. To those who can see invisible objects, a quenched glow looks like a tiny atmospheric disturbance. The glowherd may ignite a quenched glow, returning all its benefits as a standard action which does not threaten an attack of opportunity.

Dedication to Sight: A glowherd is dependent on light and his ability to see it. If s/he is blinded, all his/her glows are immediately quenched and cannot ignite until the glowherd can see again. However, the glowherd has been rewarded for his/her training with his/her eyes. As a full-round action which provokes an attack of opportunity, the glowherd may cast cure blindness (self only) as a spell-like ability. Also, his/her eyesight improves as s/he gains levels. Unless overwise stated, these are extraordinary abilities.

At first level, the glowherd gains low light vision.

At third level, the glowherd gains darkvision.

At fifth level, the glowherd gains glare resistance, meaning that s/he has a bonus on saving throws versus being dazed or dazzled by a light source equal to his/her illumination bonus.

At seventh level, the glowherd gains blindness resistance, meaning that s/he has a bonus on saving throws versus being blinded equal to his/her illumination bonus.

At ninth level, the glowherd gains farsight. This doubles the distance that the glowherd can see as well as the range increment on all ranged attacks that the glowherd makes.

At eleventh level, the glowherd gains keen eyes meaning that s/he has a bonus on spot and search checks equal to his/her illumination bonus.

At thirteenth level, the glowherd gains recognize figment, meaning that s/he has a bonus on saving throws to disbelieve figments equal to his/her illumination bonus.

At fifteenth level, the glowherd gains pierce concealment. This removes the benefits of concealment for all attacks that the glowherd makes against any individual.

At seventeenth level, the glowherd gains see invisibility as the spell. This is a supernatural ability.

At nineteenth level, the glowherd gains true seeing as a spell-like ability (self only) as the spell.

Deflect (su): From 2nd level, the glowherd gains a deflection bonus to armour class equal to the number of unquenched glows in his/her space.

Illuminate (su): From 4th level, when a glow is in the same space as an enemy. All the glowherd's allies (including the glowherd him/herself) gain a circumstance bonus equal to the glowherd’s illumination bonus on attack rolls against that enemy.

Favourable Lighting (su): When s/he reaches 6th level, a glowherd can arrange his/her glows to make an individual look attractive, impressive or scary. S/he can give any individual a circumstance bonus on charisma based skill checks equal to the number of glows occupying the individual’s space.

Dazzle (su): A glowherd that is at least 12th level can cause a glow that is in the space of an enemy to flare in the enemy’s eyes as a standard action that does not provoke an attack of oppertunity. The enemy will have to make a fortitude save DC (10+glowherd level+charisma modifier) or be dazzled.

Remote Beam (su): At 14th level, the glowherd’s primary glow does not need to be in his/her space to fire a beam from it.

Reflect (su): At 18th level the glowherd can cause a beam that hits an enemy to fire at an additional enemy with a -2 penalty on the second attack roll.

Additional Primary (su): At 20th level, the glowherd may treat 2 of his/her glows as his/her primary glow at once, gaining all associated benefits.

Radiances:
Spoiler


Beams:
Spoiler

Last edited by Sereg : 06-26-2010 at 10:22 AM.
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