Water, Earth, Fire, and Air [class]

[Mephibosheth]

Just letting everyone know that I've updated the base classes with the new forms that have been proposed so far. Let me know what you think. Also, check out the:

Badger-Mole

Large Magical Beast (Earth)
HD: 7d10+35 (75 HP)
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares); Burrow 30 ft
Init: +5
AC: 16 (-1 size, +1 Dex, +6 Natural Armor); touch 10; flat-footed 15
BAB: +7; Grp: +18
Attack: Claw +14 (1d10+7)
Full-Attack: 2 Claws +14 (1d10+7)
Space: 10 ft.; Reach: 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Move a Rock, Earthquake
Special Qualities: Tremorsense (60 ft), Blindsight (60 ft), immunity to gaze attacks, Music Lover
Saves: Fort +10 Ref +6 Will +4
Abilities: Str 24, Dex 12, Con 20, Int 7, Wis 14, Cha 6
Skills: Listen +18, Hide +1 (+5 underground), Move Silently +1 (+5 underground)
Feats: Ability Focus (Earthquake), Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus (Claw)
Environment: Any Underground
Organization: Single, Pair, Troop (3-6)
Challenge Rating: 6
Treasure: None
Alignment: Always Neutral
Advancement: 7-10 HD (large), 11-14 HD (huge)
Level Adjustment: –

Badger-Moles are powerful subterranean creatures capable of impressive displays of Earthbending. They are large creatures with powerful digging claws on all four paws. Their fur is typically brown with black and white stripes running from the tip of their nose to the end of their short tail. They are largely blind, but are able to sense the location of creatures through a variety of other senses, including their keen hearing and their ability to sense tremors in the earth.

Combat
Badger-Moles are territorial creatures that will attack aggressively when their territory is invaded. They try to ambush their foes, digging stealthily through solid earth before bursting out of the ground. Their claws are powerful weapons, and they often employ their Earthbending abilities to control the battlefield.
Move a Rock – A Badger-Mole can use the Move a Rock ability at will. Their Earthbending level is equal to their hit dice for the purpose of this ability.
Earthquake – A Badger-Mole can use the Earthquake ability at will, as the Moderate Earthbending Form. Their Earthbending level is equal to their hit dice for the purpose of this ability.
Music Lover – Badger-Moles love music, and can be calmed by playing music of any sort. This functions exactly as a Bard’s Fascinate ability, except that any character with ranks in Perform can calm a Badger-Mole.
Skills – Badger-Moles have a +6 racial bonus on Listen checks, and a +4 racial bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks made underground.

What do you think?

Mephibosheth

[Mephibosheth]

And a new (pretty blatantly stolen) feat:

Still Bending
Prerequisite: Ability to use Moderate Bending Forms
Benefit: You can use Lesser and Moderate Bending Forms as well as Play with Fire, Manipulate, Move a Rock, or Air Grab without somatic components.
Normal: All bending abilities require somatic components.

Mephibosheth

[Yuki Akuma]

And a new (pretty blatantly stolen) feat:

Still Bending
Prerequisite: Ability to use Moderate Bending Forms
Benefit: You can use Lesser and Moderate Bending Forms as well as Play with Fire, Manipulate, Move a Rock, or Air Grab without somatic components.
Normal: All bending abilities require somatic components.

Mephibosheth

That doesn't fit the show at all. All bending forms (except a couple of Air and Fire ones) have 'somatic components'; bending is as much about moving your body as it is about focusing your mind.

[Callos_DeTerran]

I'm in agreement with Yuki on this. Unless it was very minor bending (Like Iroh heating his tea) they always had to do some kind of motion to bend, with the exception of Aang in the Avatar State and he still had to use motions a lot. If this feat is kept it would probably have to have much higher requirements as well. Like knowledge of the highest forms.

[averagejoe]

Speaking of which, what about the minor bendings? With the classes as written if, for example, Kitara tried to give everyone a bit of water in the desert she would probably KILL them instead. Aang wouldn't be able to cool Toph's soup or do that thing where he makes the marbles whirl around. I supposed those things could be RPed, but I wonder if it should be spelled out a bit more.

[Yuki Akuma]

Speaking of which, what about the minor bendings? With the classes as written if, for example, Kitara tried to give everyone a bit of water in the desert she would probably KILL them instead. Aang wouldn't be able to cool Toph's soup or do that thing where he makes the marbles whirl around. I supposed those things could be RPed, but I wonder if it should be spelled out a bit more.

Manipulate can do the 'give people water in the desert' thing!

[averagejoe]

Well, whatever, I was just pulling random examples from the show. My point is there's a bunch of minor effects shown that have little rules support or mention. I was just wondering whether this is big enough for such rules/support is warrented.

[Thistle]

Certain benders have shown that bending can be accomplished with very little movement. Bommi was able to do it with only his face. Iroh did some bending while tied up and in cuffs. Katara froze Jet simply by breathing and her healing takes little movement. Aang has his "sneeze" air bending.
I don't think complete removal of somatic components is a good idea but there is stuff on the show that has them bend with very little movement. I say up the requiments and don't allow it if the person is completely immobile, bending can never be a completely mental action.

[Callos_DeTerran]

Certain benders have shown that bending can be accomplished with very little movement. Bommi was able to do it with only his face. Iroh did some bending while tied up and in cuffs. Katara froze Jet simply by breathing and her healing takes little movement. Aang has his "sneeze" air bending.

I don't think Bommi was a good example. He probably had a good deal of room in that coffin thing so he might have been moving the entire time. And Aang just fired an airblast out of his nose pretty much...thats kinda funny actually.

I don't think complete removal of somatic components is a good idea but there is stuff on the show that has them bend with very little movement. I say up the requiments and don't allow it if the person is completely immobile, bending can never be a completely mental action.

Ditto.

[Ing]

I don't think Bommi was a good example. He probably had a good deal of room in that coffin thing so he might have been moving the entire time. And Aang just fired an airblast out of his nose pretty much...thats kinda funny actually.


Ditto.

Bommi's not a good example...He's amoungst the most powerful benders seen on the show.

[Siberys]

... and I distinctly remember him talking about still being able to move his head...

[Ing]

well he is able to bend with seemingly minimal effort, able to throw massive rocks from the ground just by pacing.

[Mephibosheth]

Ok, how 'bout this as a revision:

Still Bending
Prerequisite: Ability to use Greater Bending Forms
Benefit: You can use Bending Forms without the dramatic somatic components normally required. As long as you retain some movement with some part of your body, you can use Lesser Bending as well as Play with Fire, Manipulate, Move a Rock, or Air Grab. If you are completely immobilized, you cannot bend, even with this feat. This feat allows things like bending while tied up or grappled.
Normal: All bending abilities require somatic components.

My intention was to allow things like Bumi's bending while in the metal cage. You guys are right that bending should be impossible when completely immobilized. I guess I was just too hasty in posting this. Incidentally, if you want to watch any of the episodes, you can find them at The Avatar Portal. They're in 3 parts and of only decent quality, but it's enjoyable nonetheless.

My intention was for abilities like Manipulate to cover minor tricks. However, if people think that we need a specific "Prestidigitation for benders" ability, I'm open to the idea.

Any comments on the Sky Bison or the Badger-Mole? Do the CR's look alright?

Mephibosheth

[Collin152]

Regarding things that dont fit the show: Just because these were meant for an Avatar game, dosent mean they will always be used in one.

[Yuki Akuma]

Uh... what?

What does that have to do with anything?

[Collin152]

Note that thing at the top... that... still bending thing? The thing you shot down? Peol just using these classes as a generic elemntal controlling class could use that. Just not you guys in a Avatar trance.
Note that this is ignoring the revisions, as I dislike perfectly good feats being manpiulated for a non mechanical cause.

[averagejoe]

That's great, but not extraordinarily productive.

[Yuki Akuma]

I'm sorry, but this little project is based on Avatar. It's in no way supposed to be a bunch of generic elementalist classes; if it was, they'd probably actually be spellcasters, and wouldn't have the frankly stupid "bending" name.

The flavour is very important when turning a TV show into a D20 product. That's why most of them suck so much.

[katarl]

A few things my group and I have been mulling over, and changes we made in the planning of the campaign:

Airbenders, they have very few bending techniques known, yet an enormous range to choose from, and gain them at different levels to every other class. They get more class features, though, so we're unsure what to do.

For our game, we ruled that bending is a form of supernatural martial arts, so all benders are given improved unarmed strike for free.

Would rapid shot allow you to use more bending attacks (not techniques) per round? The dm ruled that they were more similar to ranged weapons, and not stemming from a purely supernatural source (like a warlocks eldritch blast), so yes, rapid shot works, same with [] Bending.

Airbenders +5 to jump is barely worth a class feature, allowing you to jump 1.25 foot higher at level 20. We instead changed it to a technique, similar to jump, involving +10/20/30. Aang can jump at least 20ft into the air, you see.

Since none of the characters in the show combine bending (not even the avatar), we didn't allow any PrCs that combine two elements. The avatar can't bend earth and air at the same time, he does it seperately (so far, at least). The only exception i can think of were sandbenders, which we decided bend earth only, in a water/air kinda way.

Airbending techniques are quite wierd, since many of the 1st level ones are quite weak (+10ft speed?), they get so few, there are so many to choose from, and the highest level ones are all offensive.

[Emperor Demonking]

This is my fire try on making a class any way, so I'll see how it is.

Kyoshi Island Warriors

Kyoshi Island Warriors are mostly female with only a few males knowing the style, though none are part of the group. They are traned in the use of the warfan and learn their style from the style of avatar Kyoshi, though they do not bend.

Requirements:
+5 bab
Exotic weapon proficincy: Warfan.
Special: Must have been taught by a Kyoshi Island Warrior.

Skills: Craft, proffesion, heal, swim, balance and jump. Knowledge (history)
Skill points per level: 2 + int.
D10

Kyoshi Island Warrior gain proficency with the Katana if they lack it.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack|[/table]{table=head]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special[/table]{table=head]

1st|

+1

|

+2

|

+2

|

+0

|
Wait for the opportunity,

2nd|

+2

|

+3

|

+3

|

+0

|
+1 on attack and damage rolls with the warfan, use strength 1/day.

3rd|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|

+1

|
Use strength 2/day [/table]

Wait for opportunity:At level 1, if a Kyoshi Island warrior readies an action to attack or trip if a chosen foe attacked her, if that foe attacks her or allows for her to make an attack of opportunity against the foe, she attacks the foe before the foe can attack with a +2 on attack rolls or trip rolls.

Use strength: Once a day when attacking a foe at level 2she can add half the foes strength bonus to her attack roll, at level three she can use it twice a day.

[Rama_Lei]

This is just a thought, but I think water healing should be a prestige class. Or is that just me? since as I remember, it was a very rare thing.

[Thistle]

This is just a thought, but I think water healing should be a prestige class. Or is that just me? since as I remember, it was a very rare thing.

All women in the Northern water tribe were healers. Some might have an inate talent (feat?) but it seems like anyone with training could do it.

[averagejoe]

But the women of the northern tribe specifically focused less on combat and more on healing, so a PrC might be appropriate to reflect that. Maybe not, though. This one I could see either way.

[Ing]

But the women of the northern tribe specifically focused less on combat and more on healing, so a PrC might be appropriate to reflect that. Maybe not, though. This one I could see either way.

Katara was able to learn how to heal on her own by sheer accident. ((healing her own burn wounds by soaking them)) I'd say its standard issue water bending...but some focus on healing more than assault.

[Renloth]

The problem is that from the source, we only have knowledge of a single water-bender, and one water-bending culture. It seems the southern tribe was much more open to teaching whichever style to whichever benders.

Additionally, though, in "The Deserter" (I think) we learned that healing water is apparently a rare water-bending gift. (The source of this information however, is dubious, as he was not of a water-bending tribe. Also, the information is directly opposed by the scenes in the north where almost all the students at the healing lesson are very young.)

Lastly, though, is the balance between the classes to consider. Unless I've missed something, Water has the only access to healing. As it stands, a party will almost always include a water-bender, but how would a party survive without any healing at all?

[Ing]

The problem is that from the source, we only have knowledge of a single water-bender, and one water-bending culture. It seems the southern tribe was much more open to teaching whichever style to whichever benders.

Additionally, though, in "The Deserter" (I think) we learned that healing water is apparently a rare water-bending gift. (The source of this information however, is dubious, as he was not of a water-bending tribe. Also, the information is directly opposed by the scenes in the north where almost all the students at the healing lesson are very young.)

Lastly, though, is the balance between the classes to consider. Unless I've missed something, Water has the only access to healing. As it stands, a party will almost always include a water-bender, but how would a party survive without any healing at all?

No the deserted stated that healing is simply unique to Water Bending. The Deserter of the title expressed his wish that his element had more noble uses rather than pure destruction.

[Renloth]

The line I was thinking of was this:

"You have healing abilities. The great benders of the Water Tribe sometimes have this ability."

I place emphasis on the phrase, "great benders" and the word "sometimes". This would seem to indicate that it was a rare gift that even some masters did not have.

Though again, this is in conflict with what Katara actually saw at the healing lesson in the North.

[Yuki Akuma]

We don't know if those girls in the healing lesson were the entirety of female novice benders in the city, or just the ones able to heal.

There could have been ten times that number who just couldn't heal, so weren't allowed lessons at all.

But, really, why does it matter? Those without the 'gift' don't take healing forms, or when they do take them, they discover their gift! It's like psionic classes, or the sorcerer. Some people have the gift, most don't. People who start as something else and gain a level in sorcerer later on had the gift all along, but only recently discovered it. People who never become sorcerers never had the gift, or it was never brought to the surface.

[Renloth]

I was really just playing the advocate, as I think it really doesn't matter at all.

[CaelCyndar1993]

Done with M.o.t.H., though still open to changes.

Master of the Hurricane

Requirements: To become a Master of the Hurricane, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria:
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Swim 8 ranks
Class abilities: Air Blast, Manipulate

Class Skills: The following are the class skills of the Master of the Hurricane: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, Use Rope

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+1

|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|Hurricane Bending, Vortex, Manipulator of the Storm

2nd|

+2

|

+0

|

+3

|

+0

|Storm Slam 1d8

3rd|

+3

|

+1

|

+3

|

+1

|Lesser Hurricane Form

4th|

+4

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Cycling Lungs, Storm Slam 2d8

5th|

+5

|

+1

|

+4

|

+1

|Eye of the Implosion

6th|

+6

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Lesser Hurricane Form, Storm Slam 3d8

7th|

+7

|

+2

|

+5

|

+2

|Great Vortex

8th|

+8

|

+2

|

+6

|

+2

|Storm Slam 4d8

9th|

+9

|

+3

|

+6

|

+3

|Moderate Hurricane Form

10th|

+10

|

+3

|

+7

|

+3

|Hurricane's Essence, Storm Slam 5d8[/table]

Hurricanebending: A Master of the Hurricane adds his levels in Air Bender, Water Bender, and Master of the Hurricane together to determine the effectiveness of his bending forms and the power of his Air Blast and Water Blast abilities.

Vortex (Su): With the strength of water and air, a Master of Hurricane may begin to create the force that defines them. While less than 20ft away from a body of water at least 30 ft. long, 30 ft. wide, and 50 ft. deep, the Master may use Airbending and Waterbending to simultaneously raise and spin water and air together. This requires a Concentration check (DC 18.) If the water temperature is above 80 degrees farenheit, -2 from the DC. -1 from the DC for every 10ft. that the body of water exceeds the size needed per Master of the Hurricane level. (I.E. the maximum subtraction a 3rd level M.o.t.H. can get is 3 if the body of water is 30ft larger than need be.) On a succeeded concentration check, a large (By monster standards) hurricane is formed. Creating a hurricane in such a way requires 2 rounds, though only one concentration check is necessary. The hurricane is self sufficient though it will collapse if it is not maintained (See below.)

Manipulator of the Storm (Su): Controlling a hurricane requires great focus, skill, and determination. Luckily, the Master of the Hurricane possesses all three. To control a hurricane, a Master must be unarmed in at least one hand and succeed on a concentration check of which the DC varies. Controlling a hurricane requires a move action.

Move the Hurricane (DC 8 for 5ft) +2 per extra 5ft. +2 per 5ft on land.
Bend the Hurricane (DC 10 for 10 degrees) +1 per 5 degrees
Enlarge Hurricane (DC 16 per 5 sq. ft.)
Maintain Hurricane (DC 10 + turns since the hurricane has been created.)
+5 to all DC if only one hand is free.


Storm Slam (Su): The force of a hurricane is great, and the Master of the Hurricane uses this to his advantage. Starting at 2nd level, if the Master of the Hurricane has created a hurricane, he may use it to attack his opponent. Using a Storm Slam is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity. The storm buffets around the target, dealing 1d8 damage + Master of the Hurricane level, as well as moving the target 5ft away from the hurricane per 5 damage. After slamming an opponent, a concentration check (DC 15 + number of rounds since the hurricane has been created.) must be performed, or the storm will dissapate. The damage a Storm Slam deals increases to 2d8 at 4th level, 3d8 at 6th, 4d8 at 8th, and 5d8 at 10th.

Lesser Hurricane Form: At 3rd level and once again at 6th level, a Master of the Hurricane may take one Airbending or Waterbending form.

Cycling Lungs (Su): A Master of the Hurricane's ability to control wind and water together becomes uncanny. Starting at 4th level, a Master gains the ability to breath indefinitely in water, siphoning the needed oxygen from the liquid. He also gains the ability to survive in a vacuum for a number of rounds equal to his Master of the Hurricane levels + his Airbender levels + his Constitution modifier * 2.

Eye of the Implosion (Su): Starting at 5th level, a Master of the Hurricane's fury begins to unleash. Using a full round action, he may surround himself with a hurricane he created and shape it into a dome around him with a concentration check (DC 18.) Using another full-round action, he may make the dome explode, blasting everyone around him. Anyone within 5ft per Master of the Hurricane level when he makes the hurricane explode will receive 5d12 damage and be buffetted back 20ft.

Great Vortex (Su): Practice makes perfect, and there is no exception when it comes to the ability to make a hurricane. Starting at 7th level, a Master of Hurricane requires no concentration check when performing his Vortex ability, and the size of the body of water required is dropped to 15ft long, 15ft wide, and 25ft deep.

Moderate Hurricane Form: At 9th level, a Master of the Hurricane may take one moderate Airbending or Waterbending form.

Hurricane's Essence (Su): Words cannot begin to define a Master of the Hurricane's skill. At 10th level, a Master of the Hurricane may create a hurricane around him without requiring a body of water with a move action. All concentration checks meant to create and control a hurricane become free actions (Limited to 1 per round), as well as all DC required for such checks are reduced by 5. The time it takes to create a hurricane is reduced to a move action, and a Master of the Hurricane may be completely armed while manipulating a hurricane.