Base Class: The Engineer [3.5; PEACH]

[Lappy9000]

The Mecharmour really, really needs force and anti-magic field generators as high-tier upgrades.

I'm working on it! Keep yer' pants on

[Surrealistik]

Sweet. Can't wait to use this class in a campaign.

[Lappy9000]

Sweet. Can't wait to use this class in a campaign.

The greatest compliment you could ever grace a homebrewer with
I thank you greatly and humbly ask you to tell me how it plays!

*********
Okay! I've added in and swapped out a few things. Changes include:

• Ranged Artillery has an option to give you ROCKET FISTS.
• Magic is just a scientific phenomenon, giving way to the field of Neuroarcanics.
• Pyrometallurgy changed to Thermodynamics and altered slightly.
• Thermal Transfer lets you channel energy through your mecharmor's fists.
• Structural Destabilization added.
• Modified Vitality split into two vocations.
• Cave In changed to Environmental Alteration.
• Heightened Neuroarcanics added.
• Avalanche, Death from Above, Dungeoneer, Dangersense, Sightless accuracy, and a few others were taken out due to changes in fluff.

Phew! Tell me what you guys think!

Next up, I'm working on some awesome weapons that can be created through vocations.

[Eldrys]

Gaurds and Wards was put twice (right next to each other) in the Heightened Neuroarcanics vocation

[Lappy9000]

Gaurds and Wards was put twice (right next to each other) in the Heightened Neuroarcanics vocation

Thanks. I actually mixed up the whole vocation a bit.

Hope I'm not offending any real engineers with my ignorant sense of terminology

[Waspinator]

"Hey, look buddy. I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems."

[Lappy9000]

"Hey, look buddy. I'm an Engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?", because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems."

"Engineers are quite common in the world, their profession being to fix problems, be it a broken siege engine, a disabled construct, or a horde of rampaging orcs." <--The solution is a gun. And if that don't work, use more gun.

[Stormthorn]

This class seems like it flavors together with Techsmith nicely.

[Karma Guard]

Looking at the changes, they're pretty good.

<( ._.)> Still waiting for my ranged-monstrosity chain of Vocations, but it can wait.

Maybe an ability to jerry-rig temporary magical abilities? Flaming or Lawful (or is it Axial? I can never remember) for a few hours/minutes/$UNITOFTIME by blowing some Innovation points.

[DracoDei]

Axiomatic, not axial.

[Lappy9000]

Looking at the changes, they're pretty good.

<( ._.)> Still waiting for my ranged-monstrosity chain of Vocations, but it can wait.

Thanks, I'm actually thinking of how to pull that off (along with the capstone). Making a huge customizable weapon is awesomesauce, I'm just windering how I'm gonna stat it up (especially since the engineer can alread make mundane weapons).

/brainstorm

[Lappy9000]

I introduce: The dynamo cannon. Complete with misused engineering jargon.

Question: This class seems pretty dip-worthy. Good Fort and Will, high skill points, a vocation, lots of innovation, and the ability to heal your construct buddies. Am I just being paranoid, or do I have a minor problem here?

[Eldrys]

I'm not really a homebrewer (or a dipper I usually stick with one or two classes). but I guess you could lower the skill points.

[TengYt]

Well, most non-spellcasting classes can be useful for dips. As long as you can come up with a great capstone, this class will be fine.

[Lappy9000]

I'm not really a homebrewer (or a dipper I usually stick with one or two classes). but I guess you could lower the skill points.

I kinda wanted the class to be a skill-monkey with more martial prowess than the rogue, so I'd prefer not to lower the skills unless completely necessary.

Well, most non-spellcasting classes can be useful for dips. As long as you can come up with a great capstone, this class will be fine.

Well, thanks! I am working on that capstone, hopefully should be done tonight.

Hopefully, noone's found anything horribly wrong with the new vocations...

[DracoDei]

Specify the duration (1 attack, vs 1 round) of the modifications to your dynamo cannon. Also, it should be HALF your Engineer level to the DC for the AoE one.

More thoughts as I find them...

[Eldrys]

Can you have multiple Dynmamo cannons

[Surrealistik]

I've been thinking that maybe the Mecharmour should have its own power source that is tapped into for several of its enhancements and vocations, like an energy beam weapon of some sort, or an integrated force/energy field generator. The power source could be improved and expanded over time to increase its "charge" capacity and to regenerate "charge" faster.

[Owrtho]

Just wondering, but can you use your feats to get vocations? Also, I'd suggest a vocation (or group of them) to increase the size of your mech armor (problematic for if you need to enter a building, but when your outside...).

Also, for a capstone you could make a set of special vocations they could get (maybe something like masterwork vocations of which you can gain 1 a level 20).

Owrtho

[13_CBS]

No comments about a mechanical companion?

[Eldrys]

No comments about a mechanical companion?

OOOh!! OOOH!! you could get a vocation to make your dynamo cannon a mechanical companion with little feet and like a turret for a head and thats all

[13_CBS]

Having a strong companion could give the player at least 2 options on how to play their engineer. They could concentrate all their power on one subject (themselves in a mech armor), or they could split the power between two things, gaining flexibility and versatility.

[TengYt]

A mechanical companion would be awesome, especially if there were various different "Species" and customisation options.

[Bergor Terraf]

How about making it that each vocation gives the possibility to create a new part for the mecharmor?

Dynamo Canon could give the possibility to create one that is mecharmor-sized.

Neuroarcanics could give access to a kind of radar, detecting each magical effects in a certain radius.

Surveyor could give plans for a zooming feature.

Tunneling Mobility could give plans for a drill (insert mandatory Gurren Laggan reference here)

Armor Reinforcement, since it already gives something to the mecharmor, it could also give a bonus to the engineer, maybe give +1 hardness to anything he creates.

Heightened Neuroarcanics could give access to the anti-magic generator people have suggested.

Finally, the capstone could be to make the mecharmor autonomous for a certain period of time.

[cha0s4a11]

One question (nitpick, really) about the dynamo cannon:

If you get the Sapper and get Internal Ballistics upgraded 3 times, does the damage cap out at 1d20 or 1d%? (d10 -> d12 -> d20 -> d%, right?)

[Owrtho]

I think it would be 4d10, but I could be wrong.


Owrtho

[DracoDei]

Actually according to this page of the d20 SRD it almost certainly should go: 1d10 -> 2d8 -> 3d8 -> 4d8. (Look at the line for Bastard Sword, since weapons for a medium sized creature would be the baseline standard I should think, and using the Small sized collumn gives you a choice between the Greataxe and Greatsword row.) Still, an explicit definition in the orginal post couldn't hurt.

In any case, d20's have too many special abilities that allow re-rolling them and other things for them to get used for damage dice.

[Haven]

Reading this over again, I have a question about the speed bonus. Does it apply to all forms of movement, or only to the various modes of movement gained through vocation?

[Lappy9000]

Specify the duration (1 attack, vs 1 round) of the modifications to your dynamo cannon. Also, it should be HALF your Engineer level to the DC for the AoE one.

Fixin's are required. Fixin's shall commence.

Can you have multiple Dynmamo cannons

Not as such, no. If it doesn't say "Special: This vocation can be taken multiple times. It's effects stack." then no. I'll specify.

I've been thinking that maybe the Mecharmour should have its own power source that is tapped into for several of its enhancements and vocations, like an energy beam weapon of some sort, or an integrated force/energy field generator. The power source could be improved and expanded over time to increase its "charge" capacity and to regenerate "charge" faster.

Simplicity is the key. You can already strap your dynamo cannon to your mecharmor, so I figure that's close enough. An engineer already has their Innovation to worry about; putting in another 'point' system is probably gonna end up with a lot of bookwork.

Just wondering, but can you use your feats to get vocations? Also, I'd suggest a vocation (or group of them) to increase the size of your mech armor (problematic for if you need to enter a building, but when your outside...).

You get vocations at the same time as feats, although I'm toying with changing the progression to every 2nd level to both give more vocations and make the class less dip-worthy. But, yeah, no.

Edit: Oh, yeah, size increase. Probably not, 'cause that sort of thing just gets out of hand real quick. At least, not in a non prestige class'd mechanic, that is

Also, for a capstone you could make a set of special vocations they could get (maybe something like masterwork vocations of which you can gain 1 a level 20).

There's a lot of vocations already. Don't wanna swamp players with too many options.

Having a strong companion could give the player at least 2 options on how to play their engineer. They could concentrate all their power on one subject (themselves in a mech armor), or they could split the power between two things, gaining flexibility and versatility.

An engineer hardly needs a companion to be versitile.

Without mecharmor, an engineer can already sub-tank utilizing Precision in place of their BAB, go straight skill-monkey with lots of crafting prowess, pick up some battlefield control with the Vernacular Architecture vocations, and even cancel out magic with the Neuroarcanics vocations. Heck, they could go heal-bot if their party consists of constructs (circa Eberron). So, yeah, I'd argue that an engineer has at least 5 party options, without the use of mecharmor

How about making it that each vocation gives the possibility to create a new part for the mecharmor?

Dynamo Canon could give the possibility to create one that is mecharmor-sized.

Neuroarcanics could give access to a kind of radar, detecting each magical effects in a certain radius.

Surveyor could give plans for a zooming feature.

Tunneling Mobility could give plans for a drill (insert mandatory Gurren Laggan reference here)

Armor Reinforcement, since it already gives something to the mecharmor, it could also give a bonus to the engineer, maybe give +1 hardness to anything he creates.

Heightened Neuroarcanics could give access to the anti-magic generator people have suggested.

Finally, the capstone could be to make the mecharmor autonomous for a certain period of time.

You know you can do just about all of those in the mecharmor anyway, right?

One question (nitpick, really) about the dynamo cannon:

If you get the Sapper and get Internal Ballistics upgraded 3 times, does the damage cap out at 1d20 or 1d%? (d10 -> d12 -> d20 -> d%, right?)

I need to clarify. Thanks for the catch.

Actually according to this page of the d20 SRD it almost certainly should go: 1d10 -> 2d8 -> 3d8 -> 4d8. (Look at the line for Bastard Sword, since weapons for a medium sized creature would be the baseline standard I should think, and using the Small sized collumn gives you a choice between the Greataxe and Greatsword row.) Still, an explicit definition in the orginal post couldn't hurt.

In any case, d20's have too many special abilities that allow re-rolling them and other things for them to get used for damage dice.

Ah, thank you. I'll get to work on tweaking that.

Reading this over again, I have a question about the speed bonus. Does it apply to all forms of movement, or only to the various modes of movement gained through vocation?

The latter. I thought that was standard fare, thar

[Haven]

The latter. I thought that was standard fare, thar

Well, the only other similar chart I've seen was the monk's fast movement, which does apply to all forms of movement. And that part of the table wasn't really explained in the description, so it was unclear.