Bender Class

[Corporate M]

I know there's avatar d20. But this actually has nothing to do with skillbased casting, and is actually able to compete with other classes in it functions like a buffed warlock. It's almost four classes in one, with alot depending on which element you choose to be a master of. If you were to introduce an avatar into the campaign. It would be assumed he had all elements as mastery and that would symbolize just how powerful and terrible he can actually be. (Cause theoretically the only feesible way to kill an avatar would be poison or disease. Or perhaps some mental effect that makes him forget he's the avatar and lose his immunities. But thats more like star wars knights of the old republic...)

ELEMENTAL BENDER:

Hit Die: d8 Weapon Prof: Simple and martial. Armor Prof: Light and Medium. (But no sheilds)
Class Skills: Climb, Contration, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Spellcraft
Knowledge (Religion), Move Silently
Skillpoints first level: 4+int modifier x4
Skillpoints additional level: 4+int modifier

{table=head]Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will| Special
1 | +1 | +X |+X | +X | Elemental Mastery (Least), 2 Bending Talents (Least, one of which must be chosen element)
2 | +2 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
3 | +3 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
4 | +4 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (Least or Lesser)
5 | +5 | +X | +X | +X | Elemental Mastery (Lesser)
6 | +6/+1 | +X | +X| +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
7 | +7/+2 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
8 | +8/+3 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (Least, Lesser, or Greater)
9 | +9/+4 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
10 | +10/+5 | +X | +X | +X | Elemental Mastery (Greater)
11 | +11/+6/+1 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
12 | +12/+7/+2 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
13 | +13/+8/+3 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
14 | +14/+9/+4 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
15 | +15/+10/+5 | +X | +X | +X | Elemental Mastery (Improved)
16 | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
17 | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
18 | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent
19 | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +X | +X | +X | 1 bending talent (must be chosen element)
20 | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +X | +X | +X | Elemental Mastery (Advanced), 1 bending talent
[/table]


Elemental Mastery Least (Ex) :
At first level you choose a signature element to bend. This becomes your specialized element for the rest of your progressing bender levels. A bender at first level the bender gets two bending talents, one of which must be his favored element. (IE: The one he took elemental mastery in) The element you chose gives you the following mastery benefits.

Earth: Add appraise, climb, and tumble to your class skills. Good fortitude and reflex saves, poor will.
Fire: Add intimidate, bluff, and survival to your class skills. Good reflex and will saves, poor will.
Air: Add escape artist, hide, and move silently to your class skills. Good will and reflex saves, poor fortitude.
Water: Add diplomacy, heal, and swim to your class skills. Good fortitude and will saves, poor reflex.


Bending Talents (Sp) :
At the levels described, you gain a bending talent. Bending talents come in the following categories. They are spell like abilities who's DC and other stat based variables depend largely on the individual talent and the type of elemental bender you are...

Least: Weak talents that can be done at-will.
Lesser: Slightly stronger talents that after done, require 1d4+1 rounds to "recharge". (Unless otherwise noted)
Greater: The strongest talents that can only be executed once per day each. (Unless otherwise noted)

Though there is no sure way to know which bending talent will use what stat, every element tends to draw from two of the six stats.

Earth: Constitution and Charisma
Fire: Dexterity and Charisma
Air: Dexterity and Wisdom
Water: Constitution and Wisdom


Elemental Mastery Lesser (Ex) :
You gain elemental resistance 5 to your chosen element. Typically the damage types of elemental bendings is listed as such, and this is what you can resistance too.

Earth: Force and Normal damage. (Normal meaning weapon type damages such as bludgeon, piercing, and slashing)
Fire: Fire and Negative energy damage.
Air: Sonic and Lightning energy damage.
Water: Cold and Acid energy damage.


Elemental Mastery Greater (Ex) :
Your elemental resistance becomes 10 instead of 5.


Elemental Mastery Improved (Ex) :
You gain a special ability based on the element you chose.

Earth: Tremorsense
Fire: Immunity to fear effects and death attacks
Air: Telepathy
Water: Fast Healing 3


Elemental Mastery Advanced (Ex) :
You gain immunity to the damage sources of your chosen element instead of just resistance.



Some example bending talents...

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Chill Wind (Air Bending / Least)
Effect: A cone shaped 60ft burst deals 2d6 sonic damage and makes all within range make a reflex save DC equal to dexterity score+1 or become prone. Even if they make the save, they are pushed back 5ft as if a bull-rush attempt.


Fire Seed (Fire Bending / Least)
Effect: You make a melee touch attack. (Use your dexterity instead of strength for this melee attack) If you succeed, the opponent must make a fortitude save DC equal to charisma score+1 every round or take 1d6 fire damage. This lasts untill they make a succesful fort save.


Grasping Claws (Earth Bending / Least)
Effect: For a number of rounds equal to your constitution modifier+1, you gain a natural claw attack that deals 1d8+wisdom modifier (slashing) damage. Critical: 19-20. Multiplyer: x2. Use wisdom instead of strength for this melee natural attack.


Storm Spike (Water Bending / Least)
Effect: Any target within 30ft takes 1d8+constitution modifier damage. If the target does not move out of their square on it's next turn, it takes additional damage equal to your wisdom modifier.

And yes, if you noticed. I'm basically trying to introduce 4th edition to 3rd.

[onthetown]

Since they deal with cold and fire and other harsh conditions, I would imagine they would have a good Fort save. As for Will and Reflex, I can't say...

I don't get how you're introducing 4th to 3rd, but I won't look too deeply into it so that I don't get confused.

Other than that, I've never watched Avatar so I can't say if you've gotten the feel right or not, but this is much more creative than other elemental mage type classes I've seen before. I like it.

Edit: Ah, I didn't notice that the different benders had different saves. Neat.

[Knaight]

Its not bad, though there was another Avatar d20 project which is completely different than the skill based casting one here. I would look into it, it worked very elegantly.

[Morph Bark]

For Improved Elemental Mastery, what is the range on the telepathy and tremorsense?

Also, against Fast Healing 3... I think some of those might not be really balanced to one another.

[Niro]

Oh when I saw this thread I thought "AWESOME I can play a construck with the Bender class.. Just like Bender from futurama!" But no .___.

2nd: I always thought that the Earth Kingdom focused more on con and str than con and cha. They don't really seem that charismatic, more loud than anything else... isn't that right Boulder?
"THE BOULDER... agrees!"

I will not deny that there are earthbenders that are more charismatic than others... but then again look at ex. Toph. She is a girl... who grew up in a rich family. You would think she would have some common manners but NOOOOO. She rarely bathes, pick her toes near others (!) and seems to like it when rolling around in the mud.

I hope some of which I said made sense

[Dead_Jester]

Its not bad, though there was another Avatar d20 project which is completely different than the skill based casting one here. I would look into it, it worked very elegantly.

Mephiboshet and a few other designed an almost complete elemental bending system with all four elements as base classes. The original thread is here, but hasn't been active for a long time.

Avatar: the Last Airbender d20 – Bending and Base Classes

[Mephibosheth]

This is an interesting take on bending classes. Nice work. Your 3e/4e hybrid system is intriguing, although you're going to have to come up with a lot of bending talents to make it work. But there are certainly enough examples of bending talents from the show to keep you inspired for a while.

I also approve of choosing to base your benders on the warlock, at least loosely. That was the base I used for the original version of Avatar d20. The warlock's ability to use limited abilities unlimited times per day fits the flavor of the show better than any other chassis, in my opinion.

I do have some specific comments. First and foremost, if you're trying to be true to the show (which you may not be, nor would I criticize you for sacrificing accuracy in favor of balance with more conventional d20 content), non-Avatar benders shouldn't be able to learn bending talents that aren't from their chosen element. The way you have it written, it seems like a waterbender could learn a few firebending talents as well, which the show does not support. Again, that may be your intention, so feel free to disregard this comment.

I also think that Lesser Elemental Mastery and its improvements for earthbenders are too strong in relation to the other bending disciplines. You effectively give the earthbender DR 5/-- and resistance to force energy (usually the one type of energy to which nothing is resistant) at 5th level, which progresses to immunity to all mundane damage (admittedly at level 20). Compare that to the firebender resistances to fire (resistance which can be overcome by multiple methods, off the top of my head) and negative energy (not nearly as common, in my experience, as other energy types). I would give each discipline one resistance at level 5, another at a higher level, and spread improvements out over more levels. And I would definitely give earthbenders a specific type of DR (say, DR 5/bludgeoning or DR 5/magic) instead of blanket resistance to all types of mundane damage.

I also think Improved Elemental Mastery needs a few tweaks. You need to specify the range of earthbender tremorsense and airbender telepathy, for example. Waterbender fast healing also needs a duration, unless your intention is for them to have it all the time. I also think that the firebender abilities could use a bump again. Immunity to death effects is great, but the immunities seem more circumstantial and less fun to use than the air, water and earth abilities. Plus, immunity to fear effects isn't that impressive at 15th level, considering that paladins have the same ability at 3rd level.

Most of your bending talents look pretty good. My only comment would be to give earthbenders a slam attack that deals bludgeoning damage rather than a claw attack that deals slashing damage. Whenever we've seen earthbenders encasing their fists in rock and attacking, they look more like the Thing than Wolverine. I also think it would be a good idea to add some flavor text to your bending talents. Bending abilities are pretty cinematic and a bit of description could add to the avatar flavor. I'm not sure, for example, what Storm Spike actually does.

Those are my comments. I hope they're helpful. Again, great job on a unique take on bending classes.

Mephibosheth

[Arctura42]

I'm confused . . .

Fire: Add intimidate, bluff, and survival to your class skills. Good reflex and will saves, poor will.

So, he would have both good and bad will saves?

Made a comment on content, but it may contain spoilers from the show. You have been warned.

Spoiler

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Also, are there any plans to incorporate the alternative bending derivatives into the scheme? Like the lightning bending the really advanced fire benders could do, the blood bending that the select few were capable of, sand bending, swamp bending, as well as some possible combinations of benders such as mud bending (water+earth), mist bending (water+air), lava bending (earth+fire), or something combining air and fire? That would be really cool - so that if you ever encountered a friendly bender, you could pull off some really cool combo moves! I would ask about an Avatar class, but clearly that would be rather overpowered compared to these other classes - unless you put in some mechanic that merely lets them learn up to a certain level of power, and stop them there. And then you could go one step further and develop a two-element bender avatar hybrid that is capable of learning two different powers, but to a greater extent than the avatar, but a lesser extent than a master of that element. And then you could add quintessence just to be cool . . .

Still reading, get back to you later.