Tome of Radiance: Mastering the Power of Love and Justice

[kestrel404]

Typos found in Empath:
Races: Members of any race can take up the mantle of a stargazer (copy/paste error)

Other comments:
Overall an interesting class, but unbalanced (in comparison to the other two).
First, while the class starts out with 2 illuminations (painfully few), it ends up with 42 (effectively readied!). This is almost twice as many readied illuminations as a Stargazer has known.
The personas themselves are underpowered, having only a single ability (besides BAB/Save buffs, which are kind of a pain to track in combat if you're switching madly between them).

To balance the class, I'd change the Persona Capacity as follows:
Starts at 2, +1 at level 8 & 16. You start with as many 'readied' illuminations as a Champion, and in the end you know fewer Illuminations total than the Stargazer (24 vs 25 @ level 20), but you can acces any of them with a swift action.

Then I'd add a bit more to some of the aspects to make your 'class feature' more interesting. Balance them along the lines of Vestiges (Binder, Tome of Magic) - while you end up getting more at once in the long term (6 vs 4) and you get Illuminations besides, the ones you choose are permanent and you don't get any more. So, each one should really be a bit less powerful than a Vestige.

I'll add suggestions on the aspects themselves in a bit.

Here's how I'd add to the aspects:

Least

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These should get some abilities that either level up well or else remain relevant regardless of level, so that the least aspects actually see use beyond illumination capacity at later levels.

The Fool - Add evasion & weapon finesse.

The Magician - This is a creater of things, not a wielder of magic (at least no more so than any other aspect). Add Trapfinding and grant a bonus to search and knowledge(architecture & eng) checks as well - creating mundane items is nice and all, but Shapesand is better and only costs GP.

The High Priestess - Since this is a defensive aspect have all good saves, and change skill bonus from Balance (?) to Spellcraft (for identifying the spell to be countered, which is step one of counterspelling). Otherwise great.

The Empress - Add status effect removal (see Pathfinder's Paladin).

The Emperor - Nice, I like the mind-effect reversal! I'd add Combat Expertise, with a note that you qualify as having Combat Expertise (and 13 int) at all times when qualifying for feats when you take this mantle.

The Hierophant - I like it, but I'd add a mass fascinate at level 12 (fascinate up to class level targets at once), and add bonuses to Bluff skill as well.

Lesser

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You only ever get one lesser aspect, and it comes at the level where most heroes grow up from 'gawky' to 'heroic'. This is when your people should start to become capable of things like flight and +Stat to damage and creating zombie minions.

Lovers - Grants proficiency with all martial ranged weapons, and the ability to deal non-lethal damage at range with weapons. May also spend up to 1/2 class level (round up) in motes when using a ranged weapon to add 1d6 non-lethal damage per mote.

Chariot - While awesome, this is a 'combat aspect' with no combat abilities. Add a fly speed equal to base land speed with Perfect maneuverability, fly speed doubles at level 12. Also add the Flyby attack feat.

Strength - I expected this to be in some way related to combat, but leadership/fortitude is also appropriate. However, the aspect is far too situational and rather underpowered in comparison (aside from healing ability burn, you can accomplish the same with scrolls/wands easily). All good saves, full BAB, add in a 30' aura of Death Ward (constant), and an advancing DR N/- (1/4 levels should do).

The Hermit - I'm tempted not to mess with this, as it's a VERY handy utility/divination aspect. However, since I'm boosting all the other aspects, give this aspect Knowledge Devotion.

The Wheel of Fortune - OK, that's unique. And potent. And as a PC I'd love it and hate it. ...And it still needs a bit more to be on par with the others. How about 1/encounter (i.e. 5 minute rest), after rolling a D20 but before finding out if you succeeded or failed, you may immediately re-roll (like having a 1/encounter luck blade). This is not quite as potent as Balam's (5th level vestige) re-roll ability so should be good for a Lesser aspect.