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  1. - Top - End - #61
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by ivendale View Post
    If you wanted to be a lizard couldn't you just be a Druid and wild shape into one?
    Wait until 5th level to play a chameleon? Laaame.

    Awakened Chameleon
    • Tiny size. +2 bonus to Armor Class, +2 bonus on attack rolls, +8 bonus on Hide checks, -8 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 1/2 those of Medium characters. Space is 2 1/2 feet and reach is 0 feet.
    • Magical Beast type
    • 15ft land speed, 15ft climb speed
    • Low-light vision, blindsense
    • Str -6, Dex +4, Wis +2 Cha -6
    • Blend In (Ex): For each minute a chameleon takes no actions (except 5ft steps), it gains a cumulative +1 racial bonus to its hide check, which is reduced to 0 if it takes any actions (except 5ft steps).
    • Favored class: Chameleon
    • Level adjustment +1


    Last edited by FMArthur; 2009-06-09 at 12:24 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  2. - Top - End - #62
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Changed a couple things today: I put Evasion back into Mimic Class Feature and replaced it in Stealth Focus with Uncanny Dodge. I added a couple of desciptive paragraphs near the beginning (as if it needed more!), changed some of the formatting, clarified some ambiguities I found, etc etc. Small things.

    Mostly, I'm just posting to say that I will not be adding extra aptitude foci to the class like I was considering sometime over the holiday. It's nothing I have against the specific classes and systems suggested, it's only that I've realized why it doesn't fit; the chameleon's foci are all about emulating a generic party role, and the proposed additions are very niche and they all just fit into roles already covered by foci.

    I seriously doubt I'm going to be adding any more to the class (there is such a thing as a 'finished work', and I believe this is it), but I am still listening for suggestions if anyone reading has any. Thanks to everyone who's helped by posting their opinions and ideas here.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  3. - Top - End - #63
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    A mighty fine base class it turns out the Chameleon does make. May I ask if there are perhaps going to be more foci, like perhaps a Psionic Focus?

  4. - Top - End - #64
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Problems with adding more foci:
    • It breaks the common theme of having generic roles represented to have more specialized foci
    • The more options you add, the more power you add
    • The more spellcasting you add, the more grossly complex character building / daily preparation becomes
    • Some (Psionics, specifically) totally go against the theme of the class, going from being multi-skilled to possessing innate psionic talent plus all the rest
    • Psionics is great in its own right, but its role is pretty much entirely fulfilled by Arcane Focus


    Basically, I don't want to add more foci because they are more about replacing roles than classes, and it's pretty much got all bases covered in that regard.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  5. - Top - End - #65
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    How about a pact focus and incarnum focus, both are learned and can be used for slightly more versatility

  6. - Top - End - #66
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by FMArthur View Post
    Wait until 5th level to play a chameleon? Laaame.

    Awakened Chameleon
    • Tiny size. +2 bonus to Armor Class, +2 bonus on attack rolls, +8 bonus on Hide checks, -8 penalty on grapple checks, lifting and carrying limits 1/2 those of Medium characters. Space is 2 1/2 feet and reach is 0 feet.
    • Magical Beast type
    • 15ft land speed, 15ft climb speed
    • Low-light vision, blindsense
    • Str -8, Dex +4, Cha -6
    • Blend In (Ex): For each minute a chameleon takes no actions (except 5ft steps), it gains a cumulative +1 racial bonus to its hide check, which is reduced to 0 if it takes any actions (except 5ft steps).
    • Favored class: Insect Slayer
    • Level adjustment +1
    You should add this to the first post in the thread so that people could see it without having to head to the back to the thread.

  7. - Top - End - #67
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    That was actually a joke. Awakened creatures have hit dice, I don't think the LA is good, and there's no such class as "insect slayer" that I know of...

    Basically, no thought went into that little stat block for playing a chameleon as a race, so I wouldn't feel right putting it in with the class I spent a great deal of time thinking over.

    Edit (June 9): Okay, I'll make an alteration to the little chameleon race at the top of the page. I gave it a real favored class and altered the ability score adjustments a little. Its size contributes the most to the level adjustment but the hiding ability solidifies its standing at LA+1.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2009-06-09 at 12:31 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  8. - Top - End - #68
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    well except for the insect slayer it sounds about right. But the favored class would have to be chameleon since that is what it is. Maybe add in some intelligence or wisdom
    Last edited by iamme2283; 2009-06-04 at 01:26 AM.

  9. - Top - End - #69
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Update (June 10 2009)

    I removed the second level of Rapid Refocus because it's an insignificant upgrade ability, and added Primary Aptitude, which grants you your full bonuses and spell slots on one side of a Double Aptitude (Double Aptitude got nerfed some time ago to give half of Aptitude Focus's bonus and 1 fewer spells per day per level when you adopt two Focii at once).

    More importantly, I've improved the readability of the class and wrote out real descriptions for abilities that used to just refer to other classes that had them. Everything except for Track is explained on-page now. So now my document is even longer than it already was. I'll clean up the closing comments section later on.

    Update (July 15 2009)

    A number of significant changes:
    • BAB is 1/2 now
    • No medium/heavy armor proficiency
    • Aptitude Focus now gives its bonuses as 1/2 your chameleon level, rounded up.
    • Combat Focus is now War Focus, giving weapon/armor proficiencies, tower shield proficiency, and fakes full BAB including iteratives
    • Stealth Focus gets its bonus to strength- and dexterity-based skills (adding just climb, jump and swim), and can make spot checks against enemies' AC to make touch attacks.
    • Wild Focus gains a bonus on Reflex saves now, and its Favored Enemy gives an attack bonus as well


    Basically, I just cleaned up Aptitude Focus's bonuses into something that scales properly with level, and made some other changes to offset problems this could cause.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2009-07-15 at 12:17 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  10. - Top - End - #70
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Here's some food for thought:

    Let the Chameleon switch martial disciplines with his aptitude focus. He knows all maneuvers of the level he can initiate of a single discipline. Maybe at level 12 or so, give him 2 and eventually 3 disciplines at once, but cap him at half initiator level. This means that he can have Time Stands Still OR War Master's Charge OR Tornado Throw, but he can't TSS/Raging Mongoose, then drop his 2 kukri he was Stormguard Warrioring the crap out of someone with and pull out his greatsword and use a Feral Death Blow, Then toss the BBEG all over the map with Tornado Throw.

  11. - Top - End - #71
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    I was thinking of doing something very similar a while ago. Instead of knowing a fixed list and having a Maneuvers Known column in the table, a chameleon could temporarily "learn" as many maneuvers that he can ready from a single discipline every time he switches to Martial Focus. I don't think what he has currently is fair to real martial adepts.

    The problem with changing maneuvers known or knowing all maneuvers is that... it doesn't make sense. It would mean that the chameleon has all the knowledge of every martial discipline in his head that he just has to dig around for when he changes to the focus. The arcane spells he casts are all written down. The divine spells don't even come from him, they come from other divine sources. I really wish I could justify making this change because if I could I would change Martial Focus in a heartbeat. I still might anyway.

    Any ideas on how to justify that for fluff?

    edit: Okay, I did it anyway. It bothered me that an Aptitude Focus feature had a fixed setup. Thank you for your input.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2009-07-24 at 02:12 AM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  12. - Top - End - #72
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    September 9: Reverted the BAB back to 3/4 and got rid of a stupid ability I made last time to compensate for 1/2 BAB. Really, really dumb. Martial and War foci have full BAB and now retain it when in Double Aptitude; Martial Focus loses a maneuver readied and stance known when Doubled Ap'd instead. I'm at a total loss as to why I thought it would be simpler to have 1/2 BAB and add your Aptitude Bonus (1/2 class level) for the two front-line-combatant foci.

    So another revision to the entire class was made.

    December 21: What am I still doing here! Wild Focus ambushed Stealth Focus in the woods and took Spot and Listen from it. Smite and Turn Undead used your chameleon level in the old prestige class, but were weaker than a Paladin and Cleric due to the PrC only having 10 levels. I realized my base class chameleon was actually just as good at these abilities as a Paladin and Cleric (which is not fair to them!) and have changed it to use weaker values of level/2 for Smite damage and level-2 for Turn/Rebuke. Nerfed again! Poor chameleons can't win.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2009-12-22 at 11:06 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  13. - Top - End - #73
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Not sure if this is checked, just had a little confusion on the barbarian rage?

    Once per encounter doesn't break the daily usage thing right? Simply a limiter for how often you can rage?

  14. - Top - End - #74
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Wubs View Post
    Not sure if this is checked, just had a little confusion on the barbarian rage?

    Once per encounter doesn't break the daily usage thing right? Simply a limiter for how often you can rage?
    Yes, that's right. It's not an enabler, it's another limiter in addition to the daily limit.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2010-01-26 at 08:16 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  15. - Top - End - #75
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Stealth Focus grants Trapfinding but not a bonus to Search?

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    I just want to say: If you ever try to make a gestalt character with this, you get scary, scary results. Although that's mostly for the non-spellcasters, which is good, I guess.
    Last edited by Roc Ness; 2010-05-10 at 02:13 AM.

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  17. - Top - End - #77
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by RedMop View Post
    Stealth Focus grants Trapfinding but not a bonus to Search?
    D'Oh! Fixed.

    Quote Originally Posted by Roc Ness View Post
    I just want to say: If you ever try to make a gestalt character with this, you get scary, scary results. Although that's mostly for the non-spellcasters, which is good, I guess.
    Hmm... I don't see any problem except for ridiculous skill checks (my fault; I should not have balanced skill bonuses based on the assumption that those skills will always have cross-class max ranks); this does get pretty nuts just from normal multiclassing, come to think of it. I wouldn't ordinarily have much problem with overpowering gestalt, but this might be bad for regular characters, too.

    I'll have to think of some fix. Suggestions definitely welcome.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2010-05-14 at 11:50 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  18. - Top - End - #78
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by FMArthur View Post
    Hmm... I don't see any problem except for ridiculous skill checks (my fault; I should not have balanced skill bonuses based on the assumption that those skills will always have cross-class max ranks); this does get pretty nuts just from normal multiclassing, come to think of it. I wouldn't ordinarily have much problem with overpowering gestalt, but this might be bad for regular characters, too.

    I'll have to think of some fix. Suggestions definitely welcome.
    Yeah. I guess gestalt is just gestalt, getting a bit wierd is what it does, and in the end a fighter who can be useful out of combat is a pretty good thing.

    For the regular characters... I can't see anything broken yet that doesn't already exist in other forms (like that practised spellthief whatnot). The Chameleon'll probably make a better fighter and barbarian than the normal fighter and barbarian without very much effort thanks to the apt. bonuses to attack and damage and ability bonuses that can match a barbarian's.

    Hmm. I dunno about the apt. bonuses, but maybe you could make it that the dual ability bonuses cannot apply to the same type of stat (eg: Physical/Mental) That might stop making the Chameleon outshining the barbarian entirely, at least. Or it might be pointless.

    Or maybe the Chameleon doesn't need fixing, and its just that the fighter-types are weak. I dunno.
    Last edited by Roc Ness; 2010-05-15 at 08:03 AM.

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  19. - Top - End - #79
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Roc Ness View Post
    I just want to say: If you ever try to make a gestalt character with this, you get scary, scary results. Although that's mostly for the non-spellcasters, which is good, I guess.
    I want to play a gestalt chameleon//champion now.

    Dual aptitude focus + magic belt that lets you change focus faster = this guy. Add champion for this.

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Roc Ness View Post
    Hmm. I dunno about the apt. bonuses, but maybe you could make it that the dual ability bonuses cannot apply to the same type of stat (eg: Physical/Mental) That might stop making the Chameleon outshining the barbarian entirely, at least. Or it might be pointless.
    How about making the ability boon subject to the same restrictions as aptitude focus. When you go Dual Ability Boon, the bonus is halved, when you get Primary Focus, only the secondary stat is halved.

  21. - Top - End - #81
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class [3.5]

    *Cough* I sincerely apologize for bumping this ancient thread. It's not my intention to garner more attention for my homebrew, I just wanted to update an old project I came to feel was unpolished/messy... but while I was updating it according to my more developed understanding of the game, cleaning up the formatting/subcategorization, adding more flavor text and the feats section, I hit the text limit in the OP. Anyway, this is a continuation of the OP containing the Pathfinder adaptation for the class.


    Pathfinder Adaptation

    This is a list of changes to make in order to adapt the chameleon to Pathfinder rules. Only parts that have been changed are mentioned here.

    Skill Points: 4 + Int
    Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int)


    Class Features

    Aptitude Focus


    The skill bonuses provided by your Aptitude Bonus are capped at your level minus your ranks in the skill: thus, ranks above half your character level (rounded up) do not improve your use of these skills in foci that boost them. You gain an additional +1 bonus on these skills that is applied after this consideration.
    • Arcane Focus: 0-level spells are not expended when you cast them.
      `
    • Devotion Focus: 0-level spells are not expended when you cast them.
      `
    • Combat Focus: The skills you get your Aptitude Bonus on are Intimidate and Ride.
      • Warrior's Feat: You select this feat from Combat and Teamwork feats, and Tactical feats as well if your game includes Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 content.
    • Stealth Focus: The skills you get your Aptitude Bonus on are all Dex- and Str-based skills and Perception checks to find traps.
      • Hide in Plain Sight: You can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as you are within 10 feet of an area of darkness, dim light, or some sort of cover, you can hide yourself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind.
      • Trapfinding: You add 1/2 your level to Perception skill checks made to locate traps and to Disable Device skill checks (minimum +1). You can use Disable Device to disarm magic traps.
      • Uncanny Dodge: You cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. You still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. You can still lose your Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against you.
    • Wild Focus: The skills you get your Aptitude Bonus on are Acrobatics, Climb, Handle Animal, Knowledge (Nature), Perception and Survival.
      • Favored Enemy: exchange Intimidate for Knowledge on the list of skills you improve against Favored Enemies, and you gain the ability to make untrained Knowledge checks to identify the creature.
      • Track: You add half your chameleon level to Survival checks made to follow or identify tracks.


    Able Learner

    Remove this class feature (its function is part of the standard Pathfinder rules for learning skills).


    Mimic Class Feature:

    • Rage: While raging, you cannot use any Dexterity-, Intelligence- or Charisma-based skills except Acrobatics, Fly, Intimidate and Ride.
      `
    • Lose Turn/Rebuke Undead
      `
    • Gain Channel Energy (Su): As a standard action, you can choose to release a burst of energy that affects either all living creatures or all undead creatures in a 30-foot radius burst centered on you. This burst is either positive or negative energy, with positive healing living creatures (up to their maximum hit points) and damaging undead, and negative the other way around.

      On your first use of this ability for the day, you choose between negative and positive energy. This choice affects all future uses of this ability for the day. It damages or heals for 1d6 + another d6 for every 3 chameleon levels, and offers a Will save for half damage.



    Flexible Feat

    Remove Forgery from the list of skills that can make DC 11 checks to identify temporary items produced by Flexible Feats.


    Feats

    Eagle-Eyed Study

    Prerequisites: Aptitude Focus, Perception 5 ranks, Intelligence 13+ and Wisdom 13+





    Misc. Notes
    Spoiler
    Show
    It didn't get some of the new toys, such as the better Smite, the rounds-managed Rage and better hit dice. These are partly due to the quantity/day system that MCF is still bound to that doesn't line up as well with the new stuff. Further, while these may be buffs to those classes relative to the mostly unchanged chameleon, this class was never balanced around either of those two to begin with. In effect, their changes were made to help them catch up to stronger classes, but chameleon was already a stronger class. The chameleon didn't receive a better hit die, either. The thing is, d10 is still past the line between frontliners and non-frontliners in PF. The d8 remains sufficient for what the chameleon is.


    On a non-pathfinder-related note: three years after it was asked for, psionics-lovers got some acknowledgement. Check the new Feats section out.

    Also, would Pathfinder users appreciate a repost of the original post with the PF adaptation changes made? It's pretty massive and the changes are few, but it would be easy for me to do and less so for a user.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2014-03-31 at 02:33 PM.

  22. - Top - End - #82
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Uhhh... I hoped you remembered to ask the Gunslinger for permission. I don't wanna see this thread get locked.

    Woah, I love the new format and feats.

    EDIT: Could you also possibly add something Bardic Musical to the Mimic Class Feature section? Or something as a feat?
    Last edited by Roc Ness; 2011-07-01 at 01:18 AM.

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  23. - Top - End - #83
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Roc Ness View Post
    Uhhh... I hoped you remembered to ask the Gunslinger for permission. I don't wanna see this thread get locked.

    Woah, I love the new format and feats.

    EDIT: Could you also possibly add something Bardic Musical to the Mimic Class Feature section? Or something as a feat?
    Oh. Whoops. Well, my intent wasn't to start the thread back up, so a lock wouldn't be horrible. If this thread does get locked, anyone can PM me questions.

    Thanks on the layout. Took a while to get it to something I liked. If I make more homebrew I want this to be the project I use as reference.

    On Bard stuff: I really wanted to give it a bard-like feat, since it does sort of miss that particular role, but it's already better than the bard at casting its own spells. The bard class is carried beyond a chameleon casting bard spells only by its other features and the plethora of wonderful bard-only options available to them. Bardic Music and the like are rare abilities and that helps the bard keep his spotlight. I don't want to subsume whole classes here.

    If you need party support options you'll need to look into divine spell buffs or White Raven maneuvers with Martial Focus. Or just Bard levels. They're quite versatile themselves, you know.
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2011-07-01 at 02:11 AM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by FMArthur View Post
    Oh. Whoops. Well, my intent wasn't to start the thread back up, so a lock wouldn't be horrible. If this thread does get locked, anyone can PM me questions.
    Yay!

    Quote Originally Posted by FMArthur View Post
    Thanks on the layout. Took a while to get it to something I liked. If I make more homebrew I want this to be the project I use as reference.

    On Bard stuff: I really wanted to give it a bard-like feat, since it does sort of miss that particular role, but it's already better than the bard at casting its own spells. The bard class is carried beyond a chameleon casting bard spells only by its other features and the plethora of wonderful bard-only options available to them. Bardic Music and the like are rare abilities and that helps the bard keep his spotlight. I don't want to subsume whole classes here.

    If you need party support options you'll need to look into divine spell buffs or White Raven maneuvers with Martial Focus. Or just Bard levels. They're quite versatile themselves, you know.
    Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Thanks for reminding me about the White Raven Maneuvers, too.

    ...

    How about Invocations?

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Sample Chameleon Encounters


    Wils the Faceless: CR 8

    Wils is a spy for an oppressive government. His personal goals are always the furtherment of the secret agency he works for, which served - as a poor substitute at best - as his trainer, mentor and family. Wils is a diligent and dedicated spy whose job is to simply take the place of people who have some impact on the agency's agenda, carrying out their normal lives and reporting information. Wils doesn't know what happens to them; he is given a name by some stranger, watches that person for somewhere between a week and half a year, and takes his cue to begin life as that person when they disappear in the night. The severity of the mental conditioning drilled into Wils means he is not even curious about the mystery.

    In truth, the victims are typically taken to secret prisons and often tortured for information. Because of the dangerous games the agency plays, the typically scheming agents they employ and the nature of the abilities they trained him with, the agency doesn't actually trust Wils and his "suspicious" devotion to them. If they act against him and he is saved by the people he spies on, Wils may break down for a time while he questions his loyalties and purpose in life. Eventually he may decide to join resistance groups against them in earnest opposition.

    Wils could replace an NPC in the game world at any time; maybe it's an NPC who gives quests, needs help, or even a companion of the PCs. If he must go along with the party because he's taken the role of an adventurer or someone key to a particular adventure, he helps just as much as that NPC would have - even against his agency - unless given instructions to interfere. Wils takes whatever Aptitude Focus best matches his persona. He reports significant people and events at 2 week intervals to a silent raven that comes to him.

    Code:
    ==========================BASICS/DEFENSES=========================
    Male changeling chameleon 8                  LN Medium humanoid (shapechanger)
    HP: [   ] / 48 (8HD)			 AC: 17, Touch: 12, Flat-Footed: 16
    Abilities: 12, 12, 12, 13, 13, 13	       	 Fort: +5, Ref: +5, Will: +5
    
    ===========================ACTIONS/COMBAT=========================
    Initiative: +5,    Speed: 30ft,    Space/Reach: 5ft/10ft,    Grapple: +7
    
    Longspear Attack: +8/+3, 1d8 + 1 damage, x3 critical, coated in sassone
    leaf residue (2d12 dmg, 1d6 Con later; DC 16 contact poison)
    Mimic Class Feature (3/day): Evasion (1 min), Rage (4 rounds), Smite (+1 
    attack and +4 damage), Sneak Attack (1 round only, 4d6)
    Minor Change Shape (Su): Permanent Disguise Self at will (full-round 
    action). Not an illusion, but a real transformation. Clothes are not changed.
    +10 Circumstance bonus to Disguise checks.
    
    =========================SKILLS/FEATS/GEAR=======================
    Skills: Bluff 19, Concentration 12, Disguise 27, Hide 6, Knowledge (Arcana) 2
    Knowledge (Religion) 2, Search 6, Spot 6, Survival 6
    Feats: Honest Fraud, Extra Mimicry, Improved Initiative
    Gear/Treasure: 
         +1 Twilight Mithral Shirt (5100gp)
         +2 Cloak of Resistance (4000gp)
         +1 Greatsword (2350gp)
         +1 Ring of Protection (2000gp)
         Sassone leaf residue poison, 3 doses (900gp)
         Healing Belt (750gp. 3/day charges of 2d8 healing; spend together for 
                       3d8 or 4d8)
         Potion of Fly (750gp, 5 min)
         Masterwork Longspear (305gp)
         Potion of Invisibility (300gp, 3 min)
         Light Crossbow (35gp; +7 att, 1d8 dmg, 19-20 crit)
    
    ===========================APTITUDE FOCUS=========================
    These listed abilities change depending on the current Aptitude Focus. 
    The changes are as follows:
    
     [ ] Arcane Focus: Int 16, Will 9, Knowledge (Arcana) 8, and these spells:
           _ _ _ _ 0th: Detect Magic x2, Ghost Sound, Message 
         _ _ _ _ _ 1st: Grease x2, Enlarge Person, Charm Person, Alarm
           _ _ _ _ 2nd: Web, Glitterdust, Mirror Image, Knock
             _ _ _ 3rd: Stinking Cloud, Slow, Dispel Magic
    
     [ ] Devotion Focus: Wis 16, Fort 9, Will 11, Knowledge (Religion) 6, and 
         these spells:
           _ _ _ _ 0th: Detect Magic x2, Light x2
         _ _ _ _ _ 1st: Divine Favor, Cure Light Wounds x2, Protection from Chaos
           _ _ _ _ 2nd: Cure Moderate Wounds, Calm Emotions, Undetectable 
    		    Alignment, Augury
             _ _ _ 3rd: Cure Serious Wounds, Bestow Curse, Remove Curse
    
     [ ] Combat Focus: Str 16, HP 52, Fort 9, Balance 5, Intimidate 5, Ride 5.
              Greatsword Attack: +12/+7, 2d6 + 5 damage, 19-20 critical, coated
              in sassone leaf residue (2d12 dmg, 1d6 Con later, DC 16 contact
              poison)
              Warrior's Feat: Power Attack
    
     [ ] Stealth Focus: Dex 16, Init 7, Ref 11, AC 19 (Touch 14), Hide 12, 
         Search 10, all other Dex-based skills are '7's, and Str-based skills are 
         '5's. Typically uses the focus's Poison Use ability to apply sassone leaf
         residue to weapons and uses Mimic Class Feature to Sneak Attack from 
         hiding.
    
     [ ] Wild Focus: Str 16, Fort 9, Ref 9, Climb 7, Handle Animal 5, 
         Jump 7, Knowledge (Nature) 5, Listen 5, Spot 10, Survival 10, 
         Swim 3.
              Favored Enemy: If this NPC is used against the party, the most 
              common race of the PCs is selected. If there is no most common race,
              determine at random between them or by their interaction with the
              PCs. If the chameleon does not know the PCs' races, usually 
              Humanoid (Human) is selected. He gains a +4 insight bonus to Bluff,
              Intimidate and Survival checks and +3 to weapon damage against them.
    
    Split Aptitude: When in a Split Aptitude, spells in blue are not prepared,
    and the skills/saves listed decrease by 2. If the same ability score would be 
    improved by both foci, increase Con to 16 instead (improving HP to 64, Fort 
    to 7 (or 9) and Concentration to 14).
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2014-03-31 at 02:39 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

  26. - Top - End - #86
    Ogre in the Playground
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    I like the idea of this class quite a bit. One idea on making skills a bit more versatile: there's a feat from Fantasy Craft (and be warned, its feats are generally a bit more powerful than the 3.5 standard) called I Can Swim, which might work well as a Chameleon feat. It goes as follows:

    I can swim! You don’t have to spend your skill points immediately when you level. Instead, you may ‘reveal’ your skills, spending skill points to purchase ranks at any time during play (not to exceed your maximum rank for each skill). All unspent skill points must be spent before you gain your next level.

    EDIT: Whoops, didn't see Able Learner. This feat may be a bit much...
    Last edited by paddyfool; 2011-07-01 at 10:16 AM.

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Roc Ness View Post
    Uhhh... I hoped you remembered to ask the Gunslinger for permission. I don't wanna see this thread get locked.
    In the rules there is a necromancy exception for bumping threads in Homebrew as long as it is the creator of the thread doing it.
    Homebrewer's Signature | Avatar by Strawberries

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Quote Originally Posted by Morph Bark View Post
    In the rules there is a necromancy exception for bumping threads in Homebrew as long as it is the creator of the thread doing it.
    Oh, that's a relief, then.

    Pokedex #999: Roc Ness
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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    How do you get those "Aside" boxes?

    Also, this looks awesome. Are you going to update the Revolver Mage like this too?
    Quote Originally Posted by jamieth View Post
    ...though Talla does her best to sound objective and impartial, it doesn't cover stuff like "ask a 9-year-old to tank for the party."
    My Homebrew

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    Default Re: Chameleon as a Base Class (PEACH)

    Nah. I didn't really like it after a couple years because it's so clunky and in play I found it absurdly slow (although Glyde, who also tested it, did not). I also felt like its actual class features, both the strong and weak ones, were not at all interesting. I came up with the casting mechanic and it was the entirety of my idea for the class; the actual benefits for its convoluted limitation were things I came up with without much thought. The Revolver Mage was either ludicrously powerful (it did leave a lot of room for shenanigans at higher levels) or complete garbage depending on the moment, and that's just relative to the Sorcerer and Wizard, who already suffer from that. Its removal from my signature was my discontinuation of support. Rereading the thread, I'm surprised it was so liked, actually.

    It's still up and I think it's perfectly readable as it is. Here's a link to it for the curious. Edit: and apparently it's a closed topic, so I can't edit it. Don't know why.

    {table]
    Aside:[br][br]These "aside" boxes are tables. It doesn't work perfectly because it requires at least two cells (look at its right edge) but I liked it well enough. An indent is also used to make the text not go all the way to the edge of the cell, and [b r] (without the space) is used to go to the next line in one cell. Both that and the long separator lines ([h r] with no space) turn into <br> and <hr> and stop working when you next edit or preview the post, which is annoying. At the end of your long line for the one cell, you have to place a separator as if starting a new cell. You can just click Quote on a post to see its code.
    |[/table]
    Last edited by FMArthur; 2011-08-12 at 04:24 PM.
    • Chameleon Base Class [3.5]/[PF]: A versatile, morphic class that mimics one basic party role (warrior, caster, sneak, etc) at a time. If you find yourself getting bored of any class you play too long, the Chameleon is for you!
    • Warlock Power Sources [3.5]: Making Hellfire Warlock part of the base class and providing other similar options for Warlocks whose powers don't come from devils.

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