[3.5 Base Class] The Solar Ascendant [PEACH!]

[Jarian]

Solar Ascendant


Fiana Llathel, a Human Solar Ascendant, combats a demon ravaging the Material Plane.

Class Skills
The Solar Ascendant's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str)
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Alignment: Any good.

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spell Level

1st| +1 | +2 | +0 | +2 |Heavenly Bond, Turn Undead| 1

2nd| +2 | +3| +0 | +3 |Bow of the Solar (masterwork)|1

3rd| +3 | +3 | +1 | +3 |Bonus Feat, Divine Weapon (Called)|1

4th| +4 | +4 | +1 | +4 |Damage Reduction (2/evil), First Ascendancy|2

5th| +5 | +4 | +1| +4 |Protective Aura (Lesser)| 2

6th| +6/+1 | +5 | +2 | +5 |Flight (30ft., average)|2

7th| +7/+2 | +5 | +2 | +5 |Bow of the Solar (+1), Resistances|3

8th| +8/+3 | +6 | +2 | +6 |Divine Weapon (+1), Flight (60 ft.), Second Ascendancy |3

9th| +9/+4 | +6 | +3 | +6 |Damage Reduction (5/evil), Protective Aura (Major)|3

10th| +10/+5 | +7 | +3 | +7 |Flight (80 ft.)| 4

11th| +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +3 | +7 |Bonus Feat, Tongues|4

12th| +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +4 | +8 |Bow of the Solar (+2, Force), Flight (Good), Third Ascendancy |4

13th| +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +4 | +8 |Divine Weapon (Holy), Protective Aura (Complete)|5

14th| +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +4 | +9 |Damage Reduction (10/evil), Flight (100 ft.)|5

15th| +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +5 | +9 |Immunities|5

16th| +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +5 | +10 |Flight (120 ft.), Fourth Ascendancy |6

17th| +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +5 | +10 |Bow of the Solar (Slaying)|6

18th| +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +6 | +11 |Divine Weapon (Dancing), Flight (150 ft.)|6

19th| +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +6 | +11 |Bonus Feat, Damage Reduction (15/evil)|7

20th| +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +6 | +12 |Final Ascendancy, Regeneration| 7[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Solar Ascendants are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all forms of armor, and with light and heavy shields (but not tower shields).

Spell-Like Abilities: Throughout a Solar Ascendant's journey to true ascendance, she gains a number of spell-like abilities. At each level, the Solar Ascendant gains a single spell-like ability from the cleric spell list, usable once per day. The spell level of the chosen spell-like ability cannot exceed the maximum spell level available to her, as shown on the table above.

The Solar Ascendant may select the same spell-like ability multiple times, gaining an additional daily use of that ability each time. If she selects a spell of a level lower than her maximum, she instead gains two daily uses of that spell-like ability. If she selects a spell of two or more levels lower than her maximum, she instead gains three daily uses of that spell-like ability.

To use a given spell-like ability, the Ascendant must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the effective spell level of the spell-like ability (Wis 11 for 1st level spell-like abilities, Wis 12 for 2nd, and so on). The saving throw, if any, for a Solar Ascendant's spell-like abilities are 10 + effective spell level + her Wisdom modifier.

The Solar Ascendant may ignore any materials or foci normally required for the spells she selects as spell-like abilities, provided they cost no more than 100 gp each. If the material or focal component for a spell exceeds this price, she must supply it or lose experience points equal to one-fifth the total gp cost of the missing foci and components to use the spell-like ability. The Solar Ascendant must pay any experience point cost a selected spell would normally have to use it as a spell-like ability.

Heavenly Bond: The first, and the most important, ability a Solar Ascendant gains is the bond between herself and a Solar. Only with complete devotion and fervent prayer to a god can a mortal hope to obtain the notice of a Solar, and even then they are often met first by lesser celestial creatures, to gauge their worth. Obtaining the bond with a Solar is often a long, arduous process, by necessity. Only the most devoted of mortals possess the requisite fervor needed for the bond to be successful. Once they obtain the bond however, the effects are immediate.

To maintain the bond, the Solar Ascendant must always have a good alignment. If her alignment slips to neutral, her bond with the Solar becomes tenuous - the Solar will no longer take any of the actions described in this ability, and the Solar Ascendant cannot take further levels in this class. If the Ascendant regains a good alignment, receives the effects of an atonement spell, and undergoes an appropriate quest given by her bonded Solar as penance, these penalties go away. A Solar Ascendant who gains an evil alignment at any point immediately and irrevocably loses all class features of this class.

At 1st level, the Solar's stake in the Ascendant's future is minimal. It gauges her worth, not intervening directly, and borrowing her only a trickle of its power. Once per day, the Ascendant may treat the result of any natural 1 on a d20 or d100 as a natural 2 instead.

At 5th level, the Solar takes a greater stake in the Ascendant's wellbeing. Once per day, the Ascendant may draw upon the Solar's power to use augury as a spell-like ability. In addition, once per week the Solar will answer a single question, as per the commune spell.

At 10th level, the Solar's investment in the Ascendant is great enough that it will intervene on her behalf, preventing an untimely death - but only rarely. Once per year, when the Ascendant would be reduced to -10 or fewer hitpoints, the Solar will appear at her location and cast a revivify ^{(SpC, p. 176)} spell upon her, restoring life to her body. If the situation is too dangerous for this to be an effective means of restoring life, of if the Ascendant's body is completely destroyed (such as from a disintegrate spell) the Solar will instead cast resurrection upon her remains at the first safe opportunity. This method of raising the Ascendant from the dead is less favored, as she loses a small measure of the power bestowed upon her when she loses a level.

At 15th level, as the Ascendant's power truly begins to blossom, the Solar takes a more vested interest in her safety. Once per day, the Ascendant may reroll a single saving throw made to resist an incapacitating effect (such as any effect that nauseates, or a flesh to stone spell). In addition, if the Ascendant should succumb to any permanently incapacitating effect, such as feeblemind or flesh to stone, once per month the Solar will use its wish spell-like ability to cleanse the effect from the Ascendant (or a lesser spell or spell-like ability, if the effect could be purged by such).

At 20th level, as the Ascendant perches upon the cusp of true divinity, the Solar no longer restrains itself from interfering in her growth. Once per day, the Ascendant may, as a standard action, summon the Solar to fight alongside her for up to one minute. The Solar is not under the Ascendant's direct command, but it will aid her to the best of its ability and will generally ascede to requests, so long as they are not for personal gain (that is, the Solar will generally have no qualms about using its heal spell-like ability on an ally of the Ascendant, but it will not use its wish spell-like ability to create an item or gold for the Ascendant.) While fighting alongside the Ascendant, the Solar will do everything in its power to ensure her safety, including healing her or raising her from the dead, if necessary.

Turn Undead (Su): A Solar Ascendant can turn undead creatures, just as a cleric can. See the cleric class feature of the same name for more details.

Bow of the Solar: At 2nd level, the Solar bestows a gift upon the Ascendant: a composite longbow with the capability to rival its own. The bow may be called to hand as a move action, regardless of the distance between it and the Ascendant, and even across planes. The bow never requires ammunition, instead creating its own as it is drawn, though the Ascendant may use her own ammunition if she desires. The bow always has a strength rating exactly equaling the Ascendant's own strength modifier. Even if the bow is broken or utterly destroyed, the Ascendant may reform it as a move action.

In the hands of anyone else except the Solar that created it, the Ascendant's bow is simply an utterly mundane longbow.

When the Solar Ascendant first obtains the bow, aside from the above special abilities, it possesses no more than a masterwork bonus. However, as she gains levels in this class, the bow's abilities improve. The bonuses granted to the bow never count against the normal pre-epic limit of effective enhancement bonuses, and are not counted when determining whether the bow bypasses DR/epic.

At 7th level, the bow's enhancement bonus increases by 1.

At 12th level, the bow's enhancement bonus increases by an additional point, and any ammunition fired from it deals force damage (and, appropriately, is treated as a force effect) instead of its normal damage type.

At 17th level, the Ascendant may will the bow to create a greater slaying arrow instead of its normal ammunition a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Wisdom modifier. The slaying arrow is always attuned to the creature type of the Ascendant's target, even if she does not know its type.

Bonus Feats: At 3rd level, and again at 11th and 19th, the Solar Ascendant gains a bonus feat. These feats must come from the Fighter bonus feat list or be a [Divine] or [Domain] feat.

Divine Weapon (Su): At 3rd level, the Solar Ascendant gains the ability to place a small fragment of her own being into a melee weapon, granting it additional abilities. To do so, the Ascendant must meditate uninterrupted for eight hours, after which she becomes attuned to the weapon. Even if the weapon looks precisely the same as a hundred others in a pile, the Ascendant can always choose which is hers without a thought. The Ascendant may choose to attune herself to a different melee weapon by meditating for another eight hours, at which point she loses her bond with the first weapon and instead gains one with the new weapon.

When she first obtains this ability, a weapon to which the Ascendant is attuned may be called to hand as a move action, regardless of the distance between it and the Ascendant, and even across planes. However, as she gains levels, the Ascendant's attuned weapon gains additional bonus properties. In the hands of anyone but the Ascendant, the attuned weapon is nothing more than the base weapon. The bonuses granted to a weapon never count against the normal pre-epic limit of effective enhancement bonuses, and are not counted when determining whether a weapon bypasses DR/epic.

At 8th level, the Divine Weapon's enhancement bonus is treated in all respects as if it were 1 higher.

At 13th level, the Divine Weapon gains the holy weapon property.

At 18th level, the Divine Weapon gains the dancing weapon property.

Ascendancy (Ex): At 4th level, and again every four levels thereafter, the Solar Ascendant takes a step toward true divinity, gaining a deeper understanding of the universe and her place in it.

At 4th level, the Ascendant gains a +2 inherent bonus to Charisma.

At 8th level, the Ascendant gains a +2 inherent bonus to Wisdom.

At 12th level, the Ascendant gains a +2 inherent bonus to Strength.

At 16th level, the Ascendant gains a +2 inherent bonus to Constitution.

At 20th level, the Ascendant reaches a state of near-perfection, gaining an additional +2 inherent bonus to each of the above ability scores. In addition, she gains the outsider type. The Ascendant is considered native to the material plane, any good-aligned plane, and any neutral plane.

Damage Reduction (Su): Starting at 4th level, the Solar Ascendant's body becomes more resistant to physical attacks. She gains damage reduction 2/evil.

At 9th level, her damage reduction increases to 5/evil.

At 14th level, her damage reduction increases to 10/evil.

At 19th level, her damage reduction increases to 15/evil.

Protective Aura (Su): Starting at 5th level, the Solar Ascendant gains some measure of the protection inherent to all angels. The Ascendant gains a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 bonus to saving throws against attacks and abilities used by evil creatures.

At 9th level, this protection increases, granting the Ascendant the effect of a continuous protection from evil spell.

At 13th level, this protection increases again. The deflection and save bonuses increase to +4, they extend to allies of the Ascendant within 20 feet, and the Ascendant gains the effect of a continuous magic circle against evil and lesser globe of invulnerability, both with a radius of 20 feet.

Flight (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, the Solar Ascendant may sprout a pair of glorious, white feathered wings as a swift action. These wings allow her to fly with a speed of 30 feet and average maneueverability. The wings may be retracted as a second swift action.

At 8th level, the Ascendant's flight speed increases to 60 feet. At 10th, it increases to 80 feet. At 12th, her maneuverability improves to good. At 14th, her flight speed increases to 100 feet. At 16th, it increases to 120 feet. At 18th, it increases to 150 feet.

Resistances (Ex): At 7th level, the Ascendant gains some of the resistances inherent to angelic creatures. She gains resistance 10 to acid and cold damage, and resistance 5 to electric and fire damage.

At 15th level, these resistances improve. The Ascendant gains immunity to petrification, acid and cold damage, and her resistance to electric and fire damage increases to 10.

Tongues (Su): A Solar Ascendant of 11th level or higher can speak with any creature that has a language, as though using a tongues spell (caster level equal to the Ascendant's class level). This ability is always active.

Regeneration (Ex): At 20th level, an Ascendant gains a tiny fragment of a Solar's divine durability. She gains regeneration 1. This regeneration is bypassed by evil-aligned weapons, profane and vile damage, and spells with the evil descriptor.

[Amnestic]

This looks like quite an interesting class. Get the feeling the Zen Archery feat is pretty much a given though Can you add additional magic effects to the Bow of the Solar as per MIC? I would assume yes, but I thought I'd still ask.

Also, typo here:

Resistances (Ex): At 7th level, the Ascendant gains some of the resistances inherent to angelic creatures. She gains resistance 10 to acid and cold damage, and resistance 5 to electric and fire damage.

At 15th level, these resistances improve. The Ascendant gains immunity to pretrification, acid and cold damage, and her resistance to electric and fire damage increases to 10.

[Jarian]

Can you add additional magic effects to the Bow of the Solar as per MIC? I would assume yes, but I thought I'd still ask.

Of course. I didn't want most of the class features to be "you have a weapon" though, so I only went so far as the base features of a solar's weapons (though, admittedly, they don't usually have the holy or force properties).

Also, typo here:

Fixed.

[Ernir]

Interesting. A full-fledged divine class that doesn't come with a whole lot of spellcasting.

What was your intended balance level, here? I see this as noticeably weaker than most of your creations - there is a bunch of abilities here, but they don't have a lot to do with one another, and are difficult to enhance using pre-existing mechanics.

I'm mostly worried about the feats. You're getting a bow and a melee weapon, and not enough bonus feats to support both of them. =/

[Jarian]

Interesting. A full-fledged divine class that doesn't come with a whole lot of spellcasting.

In my mind, it's more of a Paladin than a Cleric.

What was your intended balance level, here? I see this as noticeably weaker than most of your creations - there is a bunch of abilities here, but they don't have a lot to do with one another, and are difficult to enhance using pre-existing mechanics.

With access to 7th level SLAs, the lowest I could in good conscience peg it would be mid tier 3.

This completely ignores the ability to essentially gate in a Solar to beat the BBEG up for you, too.

I'm mostly worried about the feats. You're getting a bow and a melee weapon, and not enough bonus feats to support both of them. =/

That depends entirely on what you do with your spells, I would think. Even so, the bow is not intended to be the primary weapon unless you specialize in it, likewise with the divine weapon. You can choose one and excel with it, and have the other for backup (force damage sez hi), or be okay with both and still be the next closest thing to a full caster.

Edit: Upon consideration, three bonus feats have been added to the class progression.

[A Weeping Angel]

I have no homebrewing exp so can't comment on that. I do really like your class description and was wondering where you found the awesome image?

[Jarian]

I don't recall. Somewhere between deviantArt and a google image search, though.

[togapika]

I like the class, though I'm wondering if the class applies to all celestial or just solars?

The picture is copyright www.hgjart.com (NetDragon Websoft Inc)

[Realms of Chaos]

Should we expect a Pit Ascendant (or Descendant) sometime in the future?

[Jarian]

Should we expect a Pit Ascendant (or Descendant) sometime in the future?

Like so?

[Elfstone]

Like so?

I think he meant something like the solar, but reversed. With Fiend abilities, like having a Pit fiend watching over you... Mirror opposite of the solar.

[Jarian]

Mm, no, no plans to do so. I think I already covered Lawful Evil pretty well.

[Keld Denar]

Bonus Feats: At 3rd level, and again at 11th and 19th, the Solar Ascendant gains a bonus feat. These feats must come from the Fighter bonus feat list or be a [Divine] or [Domain] feat.

So...assuming you mean for this class to be primarily single classed, 1-20, its worth noting that gaining a [Divine] feat is absolutely worthless. ALL [Divine] feats and all but 1 [Domain] feats require TU to power them (granted, the devotion feats still get 1/day useage even without TU, but still). That means a Cleric1 or Paladin4 or Sacred Exorcist1 (assuming you get Dismissal or Banishment as an SLA) dip.

I dunno, it just seems kinda out of place, if you ask me.

Otherwise, cool class. I'm gonna allow one of these in my high level PbP game to replace one of the two characters I killed off in the last battle.

[jiriku]

Nice. I had a player in my last campaign who wanted to play a solar, and I wrote up a 30-level solar monster class for him, but this would accomplish the same style and feel without all the balance headaches that came from trying to turn an epic monster into a playable PC monster class. Wish I'd had this around back then.

I have no recommendations for the class, but to improve readability of the table, you might en-brief-enate the labels to reduce text wrapping. So, for example, "Damage Reduction (2/evil)" could become "DR 2/evil", and "First Ascendancy" could become "1st Ascendancy".

[Jarian]

So...assuming you mean for this class to be primarily single classed, 1-20, its worth noting that gaining a [Divine] feat is absolutely worthless. ALL [Divine] feats and all but 1 [Domain] feats require TU to power them (granted, the devotion feats still get 1/day useage even without TU, but still). That means a Cleric1 or Paladin4 or Sacred Exorcist1 (assuming you get Dismissal or Banishment as an SLA) dip.

The Divine feat thing is intentional, and Domain feats can be used without TU - they just require TU uses to use them more often. I wanted to do more than just give them Fighter bonus feats.

Otherwise, cool class. I'm gonna allow one of these in my high level PbP game to replace one of the two characters I killed off in the last battle.

Neat.

Nice. I had a player in my last campaign who wanted to play a solar, and I wrote up a 30-level solar monster class for him, but this would accomplish the same style and feel without all the balance headaches that came from trying to turn an epic monster into a playable PC monster class. Wish I'd had this around back then.

That's the intent, yep.

I have no recommendations for the class, but to improve readability of the table, you might en-brief-enate the labels to reduce text wrapping. So, for example, "Damage Reduction (2/evil)" could become "DR 2/evil", and "First Ascendancy" could become "1st Ascendancy".

Hm. I didn't see any text wrapping on any computers I used, and some of their monitors are quite small, but I'll look into changing it.

[radmelon]

The enchantments for bow of the solar seem pretty weak. a slightly higher bonus would not be out of place.

[Jarian]

The enchantments for bow of the solar seem pretty weak. a slightly higher bonus would not be out of place.

Considering that they're in addition to whatever you decide to put on the weapon, I'm happy with the current progression of bow abilities.

[Benly]

Considering that they're in addition to whatever you decide to put on the weapon, I'm happy with the current progression of bow abilities.

Not as currently worded. As currently worded, it gains a +1 enhancement bonus (or whatnot), which then is overridden by the +3 enhancement bonus already on the bow.

If you want them to stack, the wording should be "the bow's enhancement bonus increases by +1" or something similar.

[Jarian]

That was an oversight. It was brought up before, and I thought I fixed it, but apparently the save didn't go through.

Fixed now.

[silphael]

May I ask why not add exalted feats to the bonus feats?

I mean, you put Divine and Devotion feats. Adding exalted feats would follow the flavor of the class without being utterly useless without some dip elsewhere.

[Jarian]

Minor update: Solar Ascendants now have Turn Undead as a class feature, both helping to fulfill their intended role and allowing [Divine] feats to not be a worthless addition to the bonus feat list.

[kingofportland]

Very nice!