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Love Conquers All! Magical Girl Class Project, Enhance! [3.5]
Quote:
Just a heads-up, this class is no longer being actively maintained. It is a fun class in its own right, I would like to think, and anyone is of course still welcome to use it, but active development on this version of the magical girl has stopped.
If you'd like to use, comment on, and participate in the construction the Magical Girl, I direct you to the Tome of Radiance project, which makes a lot of changes for the better and runs off of a much smoother base system. While it may not yet have the pile of supporting content that the MG 1.0 has accrued, it is a sounder, more flexible system that I strongly reccommend using for your love-and-justice-enforcing needs!
The Magical Girl
"Well, I guess I am a little demonic, now that you mention it. But that just means I'll have to use my hellish powers get get you to listen to me!"
-Nanoha, a magical girl
A Note for everyone reading this:
Spoiler
Hello, everyone! It's a pleasure to meet you all! This is really my first time homebrewing... well, anything on this scale before. So I'll probably mess things up. Badly. But I really want to make this into a worthwhile project, and I'll greatly appreciate any advice anyone can give me! I'll be rambling on in these little spoilers through this whole document (speaking of which, thanks to T.G. Oskar, from whom I borrowed much of the post format for this presentation), so bear with me, and thank you all for your help!
But I think one topic that I ought to address here is... well, why Magical Girls? The answer is that magical girls are awesome. They don't just fight the bad guys - in many cases, they actually end up redeeming them! Magical girls exemplify the spirit of doing what's right, regardless of whether it ought to be possible. And really, is there anything that defines a band of adventuring heroes more than that?
So, while I can get rather silly from time to time in this class (because face it, it's hard not to), this isn't a 'joke class'. It's light-hearted, yes, but it is intended to be something you could actually drop into a serious fantasy setting without issue.
It is an accepted fact that Good is an actual, tangible force in the world. Many are those who crusade in its name, from the flights of angels to paladins of the mortal worlds. But there are some – a rare, precious few – who are something more. Those possessed of a kindness, mercy, and innocence so strong that it shines forth as a radiant power all its own.
They are the Mahou Shojo – the Magical Girls. And they fight to bring the light to those places where no other thinks it can be brought. The world may laugh at the innocence in their eyes, but their very existence argues that maybe things are not so dark as they seem.
Making a Magical Girl
Spoiler
Abilities: Charisma is important to all magical girls, as it powers their Illuminations and aids them in their efforts to redeem their former foes. Strength helps their capabilities in melee, where they will spend most of their time in combat. Constitution is as desirable for them as it is for any class planning to be on the front line, and Magical Girls are notorious for their stubborn refusal to die. And as a front-line fighter with relatively weak armor, Dexterity could benefit her defensive capabilities greatly.
Races: Magical girls can be of any sentient race – however, the majority comes from those races with complex societies and interpersonal relationships. A notable minority even comes from races most consider to be purely evil, and these are often even more passionate than their ‘pampered’ kin, driven to drag their people back from the brink of darkness. Despite the name, there are in fact male members of this class as well – though ‘Magical Boys’ tend to not be referred to as such. To their face, anyway.
Alignment: All magical girls are good when they awaken their powers, and the vast majority stays that way. Their very essence is tied up in their alignment, and to lose that is to have a fundamental part of their being ripped away.
Starting Gold: As bard
Starting Age: Most magical girls come into their power early, perhaps out of the innocence of childhood. When rolling for age, roll as a Bard - but subtract the total from adult age rather than adding it (to a minimum of half an adult’s age). If rules are in place that would reduce the statistics of child characters, the magical girl is exempt from them.
Class Skill List: Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4. Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Spoiler
Now, a magical girl is by no means a skillmonkey. Actually, she makes an absolutely terrible skillmonkey, most of the time; most magical girls are too young to have picked up on the kind of skill a lot of adventurers would need, and don't really have the patience for learning them if they did.
But magical girls are people-people. They interact well with others - making friends is a snap, and people just seem to trust them easily. So most interaction skills are a breeze for her - her natural charisma just takes over, and she can make an excellent party face. The notable missing link here is Bluff. Duplicity just isn't really in a magical girl's nature; for all that they might try, they never really seem to make better than utterly mediocre liars.
Magical Girl
Hit Dice: d8
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+2
+2
Device, Merciful, Pure of Heart, Illuminations (First Level)
2nd
+1
+0
+3
+3
Costume (Max +1)
3rd
+2
+1
+3
+3
Power of Friendship, Radiant Focus
4th
+3
+1
+4
+4
Not Without Fear
5th
+3
+1
+4
+4
Costume (Max +2)
6th
+4
+2
+5
+5
Illuminations (Second Level)
7th
+5
+2
+5
+5
Shrug it Off
8th
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6
Costume (Max +3)
9th
+6/+1
+3
+6
+6
Stubborn
10th
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7
The Meaning of Courage
11th
+8/+3
+3
+7
+7
Illuminations (Third Level), Costume (Max +4)
12th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Device – Limit Form
13th
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Mettle
14th
+10/+5
+4
+9
+9
Costume (Max +5)
15th
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+9
Voice of Light
16th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Illuminations (Fourth Level)
17th
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Costume (Max +6)
18th
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+11
Font of Life
19th
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+11
Come back!
20th
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
True Illumination
Spoiler
So, the big meaty table here. I had to start by asking myself what exactly magical girls did, before deciding how they went about doing it. Which was tricky - they tend to go it mostly solo in their own medium, and just using their moves as a reference would be terribly unhelpful. So I thought about it in a more thematic sense, and came upon what would eventually drive the class.
Magical girls, at their heart, are fighting to protect their friends. They're stubborn, tough, and always get back up no matter how hard you knock them down. Oddly enough, that sounded like a defender-style class to me. So I made it one. She has a 3/4 BAB progression, two good saves, and a number of abilities that boost her endurance and ability to defend her allies. Some of them (like mettle) are of a pretty general nature, but I'll be going over my reasoning for all of them as we get there.
A d8 HD may seem small for a defender, but a magical girl is probably going to have a fairly high Con score - it directly helps some of her abilities. And further, she can move on and off of the front lines a bit more easily than most 'tanks'.
Class Features:
All of the following are class features of the Magical Girl.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Magical Girls are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light armor.
Spoiler
Now, you may be thinking; "But I thought you said she was a defender! How is she supposed to be a credible threat with only the crudest of weapons, and the flimsiest of armor?". That's actually a good question.
The answer is that, again, the magical girl is inexperienced. She doesn't have the kind of training a fighter or paladin might have, so she has to rely on something a little different for her equipment. Read on!
Device (Su): A Device is the symbol of a Magical Girl’s power – a peerless tool, suffused with the power of light and good. At 1st level, a Magical Girl acquires her device, which appears in the form of a simple or martial melee weapon of her choice. The Device is always of Masterwork quality (and usually appears quite ornate), and otherwise functions as a normal weapon of its type. A Magical Girl is always proficient with her Device, but if it is a martial weapon she is still not proficient with the mundane weapon it is modeled after. A magical girl may convert her device into a small trinket of her own design, and recall it to its weapon form with nothing but a thought. Doing so is an action equivalent to sheathing or drawing a weapon, respectively.
A magical girl may choose her device for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. However, the benefits of such feats apply only when she is wielding her device, not with mundane weapons of its type.
Spoiler
And here's the first half of the answer to that question - so soon, too! In essence, a magical girl picks a single martial weapon to be proficient with. The empathetic weapon that grows with its wielder is a staple of the magical girl genre; she gives up the versatility to change weapons as more martial counterparts might, but gains a potent tool in exchange. Many later abilities involve the device, so one's choice here is a pretty important one.
Merciful (Ex): Whenever a Magical Girl deals damage with a melee attack or an Illumination, she may choose to deal non-lethal damage instead with no penalty to attack or damage rolls.
Spoiler
This is mostly a fluff ability. Seriously, when was the last time you heard of a magical girl actually killing anyone? While nothing stops them from cutting loose with lethal firepower, a magical girl will often prefer to subdue or capture whenever remotely possible.
Pure of Heart (Ex): A Magical Girl is innocent and pure – such is the source of her power. Unlike a paladin, they have no formal code, since those who would be disinclined to follow these tenets would never become a Magical Girl in the first place. However, most have a personal code of some sort, or at the very least certain morals they would never violate.
For the average Magical Girl, the mere thought of breaking their code is horrifying enough and the guilt over minor transgressions to can be punishment in its own right. But should one become jaded enough that she is no longer is of good alignment, or should she knowingly commit an act of great evil, the Magical Girl immediately loses access to her Illuminations, her Power of Friendship, Voice of Light, and Come Back! She retains her other class abilities, and may even continue taking levels in Magical Girl, but that radiant innocence is irrevocably lost to her.
Spoiler
What is this? An alignment-based ability-loss clause? Why yes, it is. Normally, I hate alignment restrictions... but, like the paladin, I think it is justified in this case. A magical girl literally gets many of her powers from the purity of her good alignment. Take that away, and you take away a lot of what she is.
Now, one might note a couple differences from the paladin's ability-loss clause. First is that she actually keeps a good many of her abilities. Losing their purity doesn't mean they've lost their will to fight. In the same vein, she can continue to gain magical girl levels if she wants. This probably isn't the best option, but its there.
The last though, is that there isn't an actual 'atonement' option. A paladin who commits a heinous deed offends her god, and atonement smooths over the transgression. But no quest or deed can regain a magical girl's innocent worldview once it is lost.
Illuminations (Su): The fountain of light within the soul of a Magical Girl is no mere metaphor – they have within them a veritable maelstrom of radiant energy, which they can evoke in powerful techniques called Illuminations. A Magical Girl has knowledge of all Illuminations of any level she is capable of evoking, but can only have a fixed number of them ready to use at any given time (as seen on the table below). Changing her prepared Illuminations requires the Magical Girl spend an hour mulling over good memories, practicing weapon drills with her Device, reading a favorite book, or some other introspective and non-stressful activity.
Evoking Illuminations consumes motes of radiant energy. A Magical Girl has a Mote Pool equal to her class level, and begins each encounter with a number of motes equal to half her Mote Pool (minimum one). At the beginning of each of the Magical Girl's turns, she gains an additional mote. At fifth level, and ever five levels thereafter, a Magical Girl's per-turn mote accumulation increases by one (to a maximum of five motes per turn at level 20). If a Magical Girl would ever accumulate a number of motes greater than her Mote Pool, the excess motes are lost.
Illuminations Ready
Class Level
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
1st
1
-
-
-
2nd
1
-
-
-
3rd
2
-
-
-
4th
2
-
-
-
5th
2
-
-
-
6th
2
1
-
-
7th
3
1
-
-
8th
3
2
-
-
9th
3
2
-
-
10th
3
2
-
-
11th
3
2
1
-
12th
3
3
1
-
13th
3
3
2
-
14th
3
3
2
-
15th
3
3
2
-
16th
3
3
2
1
17th
3
3
3
1
18th
3
3
3
2
19th
3
3
3
2
20th
3
3
3
2
Spoiler
So, Illuminations. These are a magical girl's primary 'active' abilities, and they function a bit like what you get if you put maneuvers, psionics, and prepared spellcasting into a blender. In terms of stopping power, the first of those categories was the one with the most influence. They're a easily readied 'bag of tricks' a magical girl can use to her advantage from encounter to encounter without worry, but they aren't bottomless like a martial adept's are.
Individual lluminations are detailed further in their own section.
Motes now regenerate in-combat.
This is probably the single biggest change in the entire Power of Love update, and it really changes the dynamic of the class. While she starts with less, a magical girl's combat endurance (previously her greatest, and arguably fatal, flaw) is vastly improved by this change. While using her more powerful Illuminations will still eat through Motes extremely quickly, she won't ever run completely dry in the middle of battle. Instead of constantly rationing a finite resource, she now has to balance between building up her supplies by sticking to weaker abilities or mundane attacks and burning through her stored motes with the more powerful ones.
Costume (Su): At second level, luminous energy begins to actually coalesce around the Magical Girl in physical form. With practice, she can learn to direct this energy into attuned items, strengthening her seemingly modest equipment and creating upgrades seemingly out of thin air. These –almost universally flashy and elaborate – costumes border on being synonymous with Magical Girls in the minds of those who have seen them in action.
A Magical Girl may claim a single suit of light armor as a part of her costume by practicing in it for a total of eight hours (which need not be consecutive, but must consist of 1-hour increments). She may attune a new suit of armor any time she likes, but may only ever be attuned to one at a time. If she wishes, she may attune any number of wondrous items to her costume - costume points may not be allocated to wondrous items, but they are summoned and dismissed along with the rest of the costume. A magical girl is still constrained by the normal limits for magical items and body slots.
She gains 1 Costume Point at 2nd level, and gains additional points as shown on the table below. These may be placed in either her costume or her device, and they may be re-allocated whenever she is able to change her prepared Illuminations.
By spending a full round action to dramatically shout some magical words and wave her Device around, a magical girl may immediately change into her costume; this effectively instantly replaces any armor she might have been wearing with the costume. As part of this action, the magical girl may make a disguise check as if she was trained in the skill, with a bonus of [+5 multiplied by the maximum bonus of her costume] to the check. Viewers must overcome this to recognize the magical girl, but the check may not be used to disguise oneself as any specific individual. If someone actually sees the magical girl transform, they automatically succeed their check.
An identical full-round action may be made to dismiss the costume, causing it to vanish from her person and restoring whatever she was wearing beforehand. If a magical girl attunes to a new set of armor while the previous one is dismissed, the prior costume simply materializes at her feet.
Class Level
Costume Points
1st
-
2nd
1
3rd
2
4th
2
5th
3
6th
4
7th
4
8th
5
9th
6
10th
6
11th
7
12th
8
13th
8
14th
9
15th
10
16th
10
17th
11
18th
12
19th
12
20th
13
Spoiler
Much as how the device is a magical girl's answer to the inability to use normal martial weapons, the costume is a partial answer to her weak armor. However, rather than giving her a suit of heavy armor, the costume gives her a series of effects that can be applied and shuffled around as she sees fit. While she will never have the AC of say, a fighter or paladin who can use shields and wear plate, she's got some tricks to make up for that.
The actual costume elements are detailed in their own section further down.
Radiant Focus (Su): The battlefield is a chaotic place, and it's easy to lose touch with oneself when embroiled in open conflict. By taking a moment to catch her breath and refocus, a Magical Girl of third level or higher may call forth an inner surge of spiritual power.
As a move action, the Magical Girl may make a Concentration check with a DC equal to 10 + (the number of motes currently in the magical girl's mote pool). If she is successful, she gains additional motes equal to her per-turn mote income.
Power of Friendship (Ex): At third level, a Magical Girl starts to understand something on a fundamental level that even many of the most zealous evangelists of good sometimes come to doubt. There is good in everyone. Of course, weapons are still nice to have around… how else are you supposed to get those poor misguided villains to sit down and listen? But with time and effort, a Magical Girl may eventually make fierce friends of even her most bitter enemies.
To begin the process, the Magical Girl must spend time talking one-on-one with the creature she wishes to redeem. Few evil creatures are terribly interested in this prospect, and this is usually done while they are in captivity. Any creature without an Int score is immune to this process by virtue of being mindless, and the target must be being taken care of reasonably well – not even a magical girl can get a prisoner to open up if they are being abused or neglected by their captors.
At the end of a session (which must last at least three hours, but can be more), the target creature makes a Will saving throw with a DC equal to that of the Magical Girl’s Illuminations. Mark the success or failure. Each day the Magical Girl continues to visit the prisoner and spends the necessary time with them, repeat the saving throw. If the prisoner accumulates ten failures, their moral alignment shifts one step towards Good. However, if the prisoner ever makes three successful saves in a row, they become immune to the Magical Girl’s Power of Friendship until she gains another level in this class (at which point the process must be begun anew).
Creatures with an alignment subtype (such as many Outsiders) are very difficult to sway with this power. They receive a bonus to their saving throw equal to their Cha modifier.
Spoiler
You probably recognize this as a somewhat slimmed-down version of the redemption rules in the Book of Exalted Deeds. Because that's what it is. This is another fluff ability, but one with some major implications to it. This isn't in any way 'leadership lite', and the magical girl has no authority over those she redeems, but leaving a trail of friends behind her could have some long-term impacts for the campaign.
Not without Fear (Ex): At 4th level, a magical girl will never run or cower as a result of a fear effect. However, any other effects – such as penalties to rolls – still apply.
Spoiler
Magical girls don't run away or abandon their friends. Ever. Partially, this is more fluff, but it definitely has its uses. Because even if fear is washing over hear, setting her hands shaking and knees trembling, a magical girl can find the strength to keep up the fight.
Shrug it off (Ex): At 7th level, the Magical Girl may add her Con modifier as a dodge bonus to AC. Since this relies on a Magical Girl’s ability to brace herself for an inevitable hit, she loses this bonus any time she would lose her Dex bonus to AC.
Spoiler
At this point, most of a magical girl's defender-y friends are bound to have goodies like full plate, fancy enchanted shields, and other such niceties. She thinks that stuff is all silly. In the genre, it isn't uncommon for a a magical girl to get knocked around like a ping-pong ball, and get up almost completely unharmed. Because of the power of love. Or determination. Or awesome. Probably all three.
Stubborn (Ex): At 9th level, the Magical Girl may add her Cha modifier to Will saving throws against mind-affecting abilities.
Spoiler
What's that, mister villain? You want to make her betray her allies? Hahaha. That's a good one!
The Meaning of Courage (Ex): Beginning at 10th level, whenever a magical girl is subject to a fear effect, she draws from her reserves of courage and faces it. A shaken magical girl negates the penalties and actually gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks against the source of fear; a frightened magical girl furthermore ignores the compulsion to run away and ignores difficult terrain and other natural impediments when drawing near the enemy; a panicked magical girl gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class. Penalties to attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks and ability checks still apply on the magical girl for any creature of object that is not the source of fear. If the magical girl manages to defeat or destroy the source of fear, she is healed from the condition.
Spoiler
I stole this particular tasty tidbit from the retooled paladin - which is a totally awesome thing, by the way, and something you should go look at if you haven't seen it already. I love the thematic-ness of this ability so very much, and find it is very fitting for portraying the conquest of fear rather than mundanely ignoring it.
Device – Limit Form (Su): At 12th level, a Magical Girl’s bond with her device becomes so strong that she can push it to perform seemingly impossible feats. As a swift action, a Magical Girl may push her Device to its absolute limit. This causes the Device to temporarily transform into a much more powerful form – aside from being visually impressive, this has the following effects. Entering limit form consumes a number of motes equal to half the magical girl's current mote total, rounded up.
The Device’s damage die increases by two steps, and the size of the damage die of any Blast illuminations the magical girl uses while wielding it are increased by one step. Additionally, whenever the Magical Girl uses a Full Attack or Charge action, she may use a single Strike illumination she has prepared as part of the attack without spending an additional action. She must still pay the mote cost for the illumination, and she may not use this ability in tandem with any illumination possessing an evocation action of greater than 1 standard action.
However, there are notable drawbacks to leaving one's device in limit form. While extremely powerful, the surging power also renders a device extremely unwieldy, and unable to channel more subtle forms of light. So long as her device is in Limit Mode, the magical girl is unable to use Burst illuminations. The Magical Girl’s Device remains in Limit Mode until the end of the encounter, or until she falls unconscious, whichever comes first. Limit Mode can also be dismissed as a swift action.
Spoiler
This is pretty straightforward. Spend some of your resources for the encounter for a buff -and more importantly, the ability to mix potent illuminations into maneuvers they don't normally work with. Spiffy, and it gives her a bit more melee firepower - at the cost of endurance.
As of the Power of Love update, this has been changed from a flat cost to a tax, ala an aura. Five motes is a little too cheap when you're getting three each turn, and anything more would be absurdly unwieldy to deploy. A tax levies a price, and a steep one, but does so in a much more accessible manner.
Mettle (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, if a magical girl makes a successful Will or Fortitude save that would normally reduce the save’s effect, she suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a saving throw entry of “partial” or “half” are affected by this ability, and only for purposes of Will and/or Fortitude saves with these descriptors.
Spoiler
Mettle is mettle. Everyone probably knows what this is. Why this, and not evasion? With the way the class is built so far, magical girls are pretty much the epitome of sheer stubborn endurance - only sissies go jumping out of the way of every measly little fireball.
Voice of Light (Su): Beginning at 15th level, a Magical Girl’s empathy and compassion transcends the limits of language. Her verbal communication is automatically understood by any creature capable of language, so long as it can hear her; this is a purely spoken effect, and does not extend to written communication of any sort.
In addition, a Magical Girl may henceforth take 10 on any Diplomacy, Handle Animal, or Gather Information check (she may still roll normally if she chooses, but must accept the result). Once per day, she may take 20 on such a roll instead, without altering the time it takes to use the skill.
Spoiler
Remember how I said that magical girls are good faces? Because they are. Will they replace a bard, who can convince someone that they need to make a donation to the Critical Brigade for the War on Moon-Terrorists? No. But while they can't get that kind of fantastical result, she can get reliable ones. Most of the time.
Font of Life (Ex): At 18th level, a magical girl lives and breathes luminous energy – it floods her veins, and keeps her standing when anyone else would have been felled by their wounds. She is never considered disabled or staggered, even if she has less than 0 hit points or her nonlethal damage exceeds her current hit point total.
Furthermore, she may continue to fight even if she has less than -10 hit points, but only to an amount of negative hit points equal to 10 plus half her character level plus her Constitution modifier. Instant death effects and attacks that destroy the body still affect the magical girl if successful.
Spoiler
This is the other ability our magical heroine here shares with the retooled paladin - a penchant for being really, really hard to kill. Whatever disadvantage she might have retained from her d8 hit die is pretty much blown out of the water by now.
Come back! (Su): The tears of a magical girl are precious things – wept in the purity of grief, they call out beyond the barriers of life and death. At 19th level and beyond, a magical girl can attempt to restore life to a fallen friend. Once per week, she may mourn over a body and shed tears upon it – this functions as the True Resurrection spell, with the following modifications: an identifiable body is required for the effect to function, no material components are required, and the subject must have been dead for no more 24 hours in order to function. Past that, they have drifted far enough from the mortal world that only powerful magic can reach them.
Spoiler
A good cry can be quite therapeutic. Despite the resurrection being free, this ability is still pretty limited - but far from useless, by a long shot. A once-a-week Get Out of (some) Death Free card is something I'm sure any party would be happy to have.
True Illumination (Su): The barrier between the magical girl and the radiant power she channels has all but dissolved. Her innocence and purity, preserved against all odds in the darkness of the world, beam forth with a fury that angels might envy. At 20th level, a magical girl forevermore becomes a Native Outsider with the Good subtype, with all the traits that implies. Further, she can no longer be aged by any means mundane or magical, and will never die of old age.
However, the most spectacular benefit of her new form lies in her ability to call upon a single True Illumination. Once selected, this cannot be changed and is always considered prepared; otherwise, it functions as an ordinary Illumination in all respects.
Spoiler
I follow the philosophy on capstone of 'if they've come this far, them a cookie, they deserve it'. The agelessness and outsider-ness are really the tasty icing on the capstone cake that is the True Illumination they select. Like the rest of the illuminations, they'll be showing up below. Directly below, in fact - our tour of the class features seems to have come to a close, so Illuminations and Costume elements are next!
__________________
Lovely Rita Mordio avatar by Zefir! Thank you!
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Illuminations
Spoiler
Hello again! Now, I'd like everyone to please pardon the fact that this section is very much under construction. The Illuminations present are only the barest of skeletons, and more will be coming steadily as I evaluate and write them up. Suggestions and help in this regard are greatly appreciated! I won't be going through and commenting on them individually like I did with the class features, but don't hesitate to point out on or another to ask questions about it.
Illuminations are potent effects that a magical girl may evoke in battle by expending motes of radiant energy. Since these motes refresh themselves continuously throughout an encounter, a magical girl has great flexibility in their use. Using an illumination is referred to as ‘evoking’ it, and your evoker level is equal to your level in the magical girl class. To evoke an illumination, you must be able to speak and move. Additionally, she must either have a free hand to make gestures with or be wielding your device to channel energy through.
Whenever an illumination offers a saving throw, unless otherwise noted, the DC is equal to [10 + half the magical girl’s evoker level + her Cha modifier]. Evoking illuminations is a largely instictual process, and while some illuminations provoke attacks of oppertunity, there is no risk of fumbling an illumination if damage is sustained while it is being evoked.
There are five categories of illumination, divided into four levels of power.
Strikes manifest as physical attacks, generally dealing increased damage or having some other effect (such as inflicting a status effect). Most strikes are made as part of a melee attack – if the attack is successful, the target suffers the effects of the strike along with normal melee damage from the attack. Since a strike manifests as a single independent action, it may not be combined with other attacks by the full attack action, even if the strike itself is a full-round action. Nor can a strike be used as part of a special attack (such as a charge or bull rush attempt), though some strikes might allow such attacks as part of their evocation.
Spoiler
Strikes share the most with ToB maneuvers. Generally, they ratchet on effects to attacks - rarely do they actually do extra damage, instead applying buffs to the magical girl or debuffs to her target.
Strikes have been left largely untouched. Aside from being generally more practical for the mote regeneration, like all illuminations are now. By mid-levels, there are pretty good odds a magical girl can use Strikes to largely replace basic melee attacks!
Blasts are ranged attacks channeling various effects. To successfully target a blast, you must succeed on a ranged touch attack (using the magical girl’s Cha modifier for the attack roll instead of her Dex modifier). Using a blast in melee provokes attacks of opportunity.
Spoiler
Blasts really come in two varieties. Some are damage-less, and are usually a smaller action (like swift, or move), generally eating up a chunk of motes for a buff or debuff at a distance. Others actually deal direct damage (and are usually suffixed with 'buster') - these tend to hit hard, but chew up the motes disproportionately fast. Both options give the magical girl options when melee isn't one - or when it simply isn't the best tactical choice.
As of the Power of Love update, Blasts are now universally damage-dealing attacks. They still often have status effects tacked on, but the non-damaging Blasts had so little in common with their cousins that they have been made into an entirely new category.
Bursts are potent special abilities that create unique and unusual effects on behalf of the magical girl evoking them. To successfully target an enemy with a burst, you must succeed on a ranged touch attack (using the magical girl’s Cha modifier for the attack roll instead of her Dex modifier). If a burst does not target an enemy, no such roll is required. Using a burst in melee provokes attacks of opportunity.
Spoiler
Bursts are the fourth, and newest, flavor of Illumination. Sort of. In truth, they're simply a re-coloring of the previously oddball Blasts that had more in common with each other than their shooty counterparts. They never deal direct damage, but they are often among the least expensive illuminations and give a magical girl a great deal of her versatility.
Auras function somewhat differently from other evocations. Rather than being instant effects, for their duration their effect applies to all targets within a radius of the magical girl. Their mote cost is paid when they are evoked (which is always a swift action). At the beginning of each subsequent turn, you may choose to either dismiss them or pay their mote cost again to maintain them for a turn – both options are free actions.
Spoiler
Auras can generate some seriously potent effects, but the price tag is as steep as it is obvious - motes are a precious resource for a magical girl, and keeping an aura (or worse, more than one of them) running can seriously reduce her combat endurance.
While Auras function identically to their original selves, the fact that a magical girl now regenerates Motes in combat buffs them significantly. While difficult to keep up for long periods of time, a magical girl can now manifest auras without horribly hemorrhaging motes.
Barriers manifest specialized objects or zones on the battlefield, allowing a tactically-minded magical girl opportunities to direct combat in favor of her allies. Their mote cost is paid when they are evoked (which is always a swift action). At the beginning of each subsequent turn, you may choose to either dismiss them or pay their mote cost again to maintain them for a turn – both options are free actions. Barriers often have secondary effects that are triggered when they are maintained. Unless otherwise noted, bonuses granted by barriers do not stack - only the highest bonus applies. Barriers dissipate at the end of an encounter.
Level One Illuminations
Spoiler
Beacon of Serenity [Burst]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: One Creature
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
There is a peacefulness in the steady light that cannot be simply shattered by spell or steel. The target creature is girded in a mist-like cloak of faintly shining light, gaining temporary hit points equal to [Evoker Level + Cha modifier]. These temporary hit points do not stack with themselves, but they stack with other sources of temporary hit points. Temporary hit points granted by this illumination vanish at the end of an encounter.
Divine Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
In the simple but reliable ability known as a favorite of magical girls everywhere, you unleash a bullet of raw energy to bombard your foes. Your target takes damage equal to (1d6 + your Cha mod).
Fragile Shell [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Barrier, See text
Focusing you create a brittle wall to hinder your enemies. A shell appears as a semi transparent wall, a quarter inches thick, ten feet tall, and [up to 5 feet per point of your Cha modifier] long. The wall can be any length or shape you desire (including horizontal placement, or being positioned in midair), so long as it forms a continuous unit.
The wall physically present and blocks movement, however it does not block line of sight or line of effect. Instead, any attack or effect that would pass through the wall must attempt to break through. If a damaging effect or attack would attempt to pass through the wall, it rolls its damage when it would first hit the wall. It then deals that damage to the wall, up to the wall's hit point total. If there is damage left over after the walls health is fully depleted, the attack or effect proceeds to hit its target, dealing the remaining damage. If the effect does not deal damage it instead deals twice its caster level (or equivalent) in damage, and the caster level is reduced to half the remaining 'damage' it could deal (rounded up). If the attack or effect does not reduce the wall's health to 0, it is successfully stopped and has no further effect.
Each 5 foot length of the wall has its own hit point total, but if any is reduced to 0, the entire wall is destroyed and the illumination's effect ends. Each segment of the wall has an amount of hp equal to (5 + you Charisma mod + your evoker level). You may as an immediate action spend 1 or more motes to heal the wall. The first mote spent fully heals all segments of the wall, while each additional mote grants each segment temporary hit points equal to the normal maximum of a segment until the start of your next turn.
Glimmering Echo [Strike]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One Creature
Residual energy from your strike hangs around the target of your attack. Until the start of your next turn, whenever the target is hit by an attack, they take additional damage equal to your Cha modifier. The extra damage does not apply to this illumination.
Heartbreaker [Strike]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Full-Round Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One Creature
Saving Throw: See Below
Sometimes, the best defense is just to hit them so hard they can’t hit back effectively. As part of this strike, make a full-attack action. For every successful hit, the target receives a -4 penalty to damage rolls. At the beginning of each of their turns, they may make a Fort save – a successful save reduces the penalty by 2. Multiple uses of this ability do not stack with themselves, but they do refresh the penalty if it has been worn down by saves.
Homing Shot [Blast] Contributed by Owrtho
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Close Range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One or more creatures, see text
Duration: Instantaneous, see text
More complex than a Divine Buster, this blast creates multiple small homing shots that may attack various enemies around the magical girl. You create a number of shots equal to (1/2 you Cha mod + 1 per 3 evoker levels rounded down). Each shot may target a different creature, or more than one shot may target the same creature. For each creature you target, make a single ranged touch attack, regardless of how many shots you are firing. and ignore partial cover and cover. Total cover is ignored if a path could be found such that the target does not have total cover, without leaving the range of Homing shot or moving any objects. Each shot deals 1d3 damage.
In addition, you may withhold a number of shots from firing immediately up to half your evoker level (rounded up). Any number of these held shots may be fired as an immediate action, or during your turn as a free action. At the start of any of your turns during which you are holding shots, you must pay 1 mote or they dissipate harmlessly. If you would use Homing Shot while you still have held shots remaining, the shots you are currently holding count toward your limit of held shots.
If Prismatic Calling is used with this blast, each shot deals +1 damage per die of prismatic damage instead of gaining the dice of prismatic damage.
Luminous Rain [Burst]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: One Creature
Saving Throw: Will negates
The target of your attack is bathed with a pearly radiance by a blast of conjured rain, sharply illuminating critical openings in their fighting style. Allies (including you) receive a bonus against your target until the start of your next turn. You may select any of the following bonuses when you use this ability, but a single creature can only be subjected to one of them at a time.
+3 to attack rolls against the target
+3 to AC against attacks made by the target
+3 to damage rolls against the target
+3 to disarm, grapple, bull rush, or trip attacks made against the target
Spotlight [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Target: 10 ft. radius burst
Duration: Barrier
With a flourish of your device, you call a bright white spotlight down upon the target area. Affected spaces are filled with bright light, regardless of prior lighting conditions and functioning even in magical darkness. Further, the occupants of affected spaces lose the benefit of any concealment, and take a -1 penalty to AC, attack, and damage rolls (if they are enemies) or gain a +1 bonus to AC, attack, and damage rolls (if they are allies). When you pay motes to maintain this illumination, you may reposition its area of effect anywhere within range.
Vigil of Candles [Aura]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 10 ft. radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
At your command, the air fills with semi-tangible pricks of light. With vigilance and quick thinking, you can direct these lights to intercept attacks that might otherwise harm you or your allies. Whenever you or an ally in your aura is targeted by a melee attack, as a free action, you may cause that attack to suffer a -3 penalty to its attack and damage rolls for that attack. You may only inflict this penalty upon a given attack once.
Using this ability counts as an attack of opportunity.
Wandering Waltz [Strike]
Mote Cost: 1
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One Creature
Beauty can be found in the strangest of places - even the midst of battle is compared by some to a graceful dance. As part of this illumination you may move up to half your speed. During this movement, and for the remainder of your turn, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Cha modifier against attacks of opportunity.
Level Two Illuminations
Spoiler
Angel Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
While no light can really be called ordinary in the hands of a magical girl, this particular technique allows one to tap into the radiance of the Upper Planes themselves. Your target takes [6d6 + Cha modifier] damage. If the target is evil, and has the Aberration, Dragon, Outsider [evil], or Undead type, the variable damage from the illumination is maximized.
Blinding Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
You assault your foes with a torrent of such brightness that it steals away their very sight. Your target takes (6d6 + your Cha mod) damage, and gains the blinded condition for one round. With a successful fortitude save, the target is dazzled rather than blinded.
Borealis [Aura]
Mote Cost: 2
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 30 ft. Radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
Ribbons of soothing light twist and turn through the air around you, gently licking away your wounds as you dance through them in battle. Whenever a creature under the effect of this aura makes a successful attack, they regain health equal to [half your evoker level + your Cha modifier, rounding up].
Chains of Concordance [Burst]
Mote Cost: 2
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Instantaneous
Target: One Creature
Often, a capture is preferable to a kill in the eyes of a magical girl. A foe restrained is a foe that may later be reasoned with. This illumination plays that philosophy to a T, calling upon shackles of light to bind your target. The target must make a grapple check, opposed by the grapple check of the chains. The chains have a grapple modifier of [your evoker level + your Cha modifier + 4], and are immune to all types of damage. If the target frees himself from the grapple, the chains immediately vanish - otherwise, they remain until the end of the encounter.
Rainbow Road [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 2
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Barrier
It is a well-known and oft-cited fact that nothing moves faster than light. Calling upon this peerless alacrity, you may lay forth a twisting banner of shimmering, prismatic hues that allows you to traverse even the roughest terrain with ease. You may designate a number of spaces within range equal to your Cha modifier - the chosen spaces must form a continuous path, but the shape of the path may be chosen freely. If you wish, you may place the spaces in midair, effectively creating a bridge or floating platform solid only to you or those you designate. The spaces are never solid to objects or attacks, and do not provide cover or block lines of sight or effect.
It only costs you or your allies half a point of movement to enter a space affected by this ability. Enemies are unaffected by a rainbow road, and cannot stand upon an airborne road unless you wish to allow them to. When you pay motes to maintain this illumination, you may add an additional number of spaces equal to you Cha modifier - these new spaces must still form a continuous path with the old ones.
Resounding Blow [Strike]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Your zeal allows you to manifest a luminous echo of your weapon, striking at your foe in your wake. If the innate melee attack made as part of this strike hits, immediately make another melee attack with the same weapon at your highest attack bonus, but add her Cha modifier to the attack and damage roll.
Shining Rampart [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 2
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Barrier
Focusing your courage and fortitude along with your luminous energy, you conjure a barrier of pure resolve. A rampart appears as a shimmering wall, three inches thick, ten feet tall, and [up to 5 feet per point of your Cha modifier] long. The wall can be any length or shape you desire (including horizontal placement, or being positioned in midair), so long as it forms a continuous unit.
The wall is not physically present, and does not block line of sight or line of effect, but it greatly weakens any attack passing through it. Any attack or effect that passes through the wall suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and save DCs, and a -4 penalty to damage rolls. When you pay motes to maintain this illumination, you may increase the the penalties to attack rolls and save DCs by an additional 1, and the penalty to damage rolls by an additional 2 (to a maximum of -5 and -10, respectively). Allies are exempt from the effects of this illumination.
Shooting Star [Strike]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Like the nighttime phenomenon for which it is named, your weapon captures the attention of your foe, making it difficult for them to concentrate on anything else. For a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier, the target is considered flat-footed against anyone but you. This effect ends at once if you end your turn without being adjacent to the affected creature.
Sunny Daze [Strike]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
The pain of your blow is overwhelmed by a flood of soothing energy, slackening muscles and filling your target’s vision with a warm glow. Your target is unable to make any attacks for one round, after which they make a fortitude save. If they succeed, the effect ends. Otherwise, they are dazzled until the end of the encounter or until they take a standard action to focus and clear their head.
Level Three Illuminations
Spoiler
Cursebreaker's Anthem [Aura]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 30 ft. radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
Holding your head high, you call on your friends to fight through their pain and fear. Whenever a creature other than you affected by this aura is targeted by an effect that allows a save, both of you may make the appropriate saving throw, with your respective save values, and use the higher of the two totals.
Dance of Lights [Aura]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 30 ft. radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
Filled with the graceful motion of the light, your foes begin to find striking you and your allies to be a task akin to chasing moonbeams – and about as productive. Creatures affected by this aura gain the benefits of Evasion and Mettle. If they already possess either of these abilities, they gain the Improved version instead. If they already possess Improved Evasion or Improved Mettle, they gain no further benefit.
Fountain Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 5
Evocation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
The magical girl taps into the hope and life of the world itself, sending the radiant energy upward in a mighty eruption. The magical girl hurls a beacon of energy at the target creature, dealing (9d6 + double your Cha modifier) damage. Additionally, all enemies within five feet of the target must make a reflex saving throw or be knocked prone by the subsequent geyser of light. The spaces affected by this remain filled with a wide puddle of liquid light for the remainder of the encounter, counting as difficult terrain for any enemies attempting to pass through it.
If Fountain Buster misses its target, it still impacts somewhere - determine where it falls as you would a splash weapon.
Hauling Anchor [Strike]
Mote Cost: 5
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: See below
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Your assault knocks the target clean out of the present, setting their mind adrift in a sea of memories - both good and bad. The target is confused (as the spell) for a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier. However, whenever they roll a result that would let them act normally for a turn, they may make a new Will saving throw to avoid drifting back into memory.
Heartstrings’ Chord [Burst]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Target: One Creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Though they call it by different names, even the most hardened fighters will cede the importance of understanding one’s opponent – and understanding people is something magical girls do very well. You attune yourself to the target of this attack; until you attack a different target, you receive a bonus to attack rolls against the target, and to AC against melee attacks it makes. This bonus is equal to your Cha modifier. This effect may only be placed on one target at a time: if used a second time, the new target supersedes the old one.
Pilot Lights [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Target: 15 ft. radius burst
Duration: Barrier
As you take your next steps, they are mirrored in faintly gleaming glyphs in the area you designate. By following the motions of your battle-dance, allies who spend a swift action within the area of this effect may add your Cha modifier to any single d20 roll they make before the beginning of their next turn. Any given ally can only benefit from this effect once per turn.
Shining Proclamation [Burst]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
You call out to an opponent, your voice full of light, diverting their thoughts to you and possibly disrupting whatever they were trying to accomplish. The target must immediately make a concentration check as if they had just taken damage equal to the [Your evoker level + twice your Cha modifier].
Sound the Bells [Strike]
Mote Cost: 5
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: Melee Attack
Target: See below
Duration: Instantaneous
You strike your foe like a sacred gong, the mighty blow sending a paean of light ringing through the air. All enemies within 30 ft take (3d6 + Cha modifier) damage. For each point of damage dealt, you may heal one point of damage from a nearby ally. You may distribute this healing however you wish among any allies within 30 ft.
Swallow Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 5
Evocation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: One target
Duration: Instantaneous
This ability deals (9d6 + double your Cha mod) to your target. Unlike most blast illuminations, you do not need to make a ranged touch attack to use this effect - a swallow buster strikes unerringly, ignoring all forms of concealment, cover, or miss chance. You may even target locations within range that are blocked from your line of sight, such as around a corner or on the other side of a narrow arrow slit.
You must still aim at the correct square to hit a target that you cannot see.
Vigil of Stars [Aura]
Mote Cost: 3
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 10 ft. radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
At your command, the air fills with blazing pinpoints of light. With vigilance and quick thinking, you can direct these lights to intercept attacks that might otherwise harm you or your allies. Whenever you or an ally in your aura is targeted by a melee attack, as a free action, you may cause that attack to suffer a penalty to its attack and damage rolls equal to [2 + your Cha mod] for that attack. You may only inflict this penalty upon a given attack once.
Using this ability counts as an attack of opportunity.
Level Four Illuminations
Spoiler
Bunker Buster [Blast]
Mote Cost: 6
Evocation Action: 1 Standard Action
Range: 120 ft.
Area: 120 ft. line
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex half
Eschewing discreet bolts of energy, you release radiant power in an implacable flood. Targets caught in the effect take (12d6 + double your Cha modifier) damage. Unlike most Blast Illuminations, this one requires no ranged touch attack.
Hammer it Home [Strike]
Mote Cost: 6
Evocation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
Magical girls are rather infamous for their 'percussive therapy' approach to many problems. Justly deserved or not, this strike is a manifestation of said approach - literally shaking loose memories of past misdeeds in the target's head. The target is nauseated for one round by the abrupt reminder, after which they must make a Will saving throw or be nauseated for a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier. If the target is evil, it receives -3 to its saving throw. If it is good, it receives +3 to its saving throw.
Immaculate Plea [Burst]
Mote Cost: 4
Evocation Action: 1 Immediate action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Even in the heat of battle, the words of a magical girl are difficult to ignore. You may make a simple request, which may take one of two forms. If you command it to Subdue, it will spend its next round doing everything in its power to subdue an enemy of your choosing (though a target cannot be convinced to try and subdue itself), whether through non-lethal damage or other means it may have at its disposal. If you command it to Protect, it will consider an ally of your choosing (which can be you, if you wish) as its own ally for a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier, or until that ally attacks it, whichever comes first.
Light of the Martyr [Aura]
Mote Cost: 4
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 30 ft. Radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
You take on the suffering of others, selflessly enduring what might slay your frailer friends. Whenever a creature under the effects of this aura takes damage, you may choose you may choose to make fortitude save against DC 20. Succeed, and you take half of the damage total, with your ally taking no damage. Fail and you both take half of the damage.
You let your adrenaline sweep you up in the thrill of the fight, numbing you to the feeble strikes of your foes. As part of this strike, make a full-attack action. For every successful hit, you gain DR 5/- until the beginning of your next turn. This stacks with any damage reduction you may already possess from another source.
Shining Phalanx [Burst]
Mote Cost: 4
Evocation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Medium Range (100 + 10/evoker level ft.)
Target: Empty space within range
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
Focusing your spirit, you call into being a radiant duplicate of yourself in the target square. Though of vague features, it bears a clear resemblance to you, and shares your AC, attack bonus, and saves. Whenever you use a move action to move, the duplicate can move using any movement speeds you possess. Whenever you use an attack or strike, the duplicate can make a single basic attack at your highest bonus. The duplicate may not make attacks of opportunity, but it is considered to be threatening adjacent squares and can flank with an ally. If the duplicate is dealt damage, you can either take an equal amount of damage yourself to sustain it or allow it to dissipate.
Starlight Rampart [Barrier]
Mote Cost: 2
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: Short Range (25 + 5/two evoker levels ft.)
Duration: Barrier
With your unshakable resolve at hand, you are capable of calling forth a barrier of absolute protection. A rampart appears as a wall of solid silver light, three inches thick, ten feet tall, and [up to 5 feet per point of your Cha modifier] long. The wall can be any length or shape you desire (including horizontal placement, or being positioned in midair), so long as it forms a continuous unit.
The wall is immune to damage of all kinds, and it is unaffected by most spells, including dispel magic. However, disintegrate immediately destroys it, as does a rod of cancellation, a sphere of annihilation, or a mage’s disjunction spell. Breath weapons and spells cannot pass through the wall in either direction, although dimension door, teleport, and similar effects can bypass the barrier. It blocks ethereal creatures as well as material ones (though ethereal creatures can usually get around the wall by floating under or over it through material floors and ceilings). Gaze attacks can operate through a starlight rampart.
True Illuminations
Spoiler
Megaton Smackdown [Strike]
Mote Cost: 8
Evocation Action: 1 Standard action
Range: Melee attack
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
You infuse your weapon with righteous energy, making it momentarily stronger and sharper than any mortal tool. Also, indecently large, to the point where it would be silly if not the fact it is scarily and illogically effective. If you are wielding your device, it automatically enters Limit Mode for free as part of this strike. Further, all your weapon damage rolls (including those made as part of Strikes) are considered to be maximized until the end of the encounter – rather than rolling, simply assume each die falls on the maximum value. Dice assigned maximum value this way are not actually rolled, and do not trigger any effect that would result from a dice being rolled for its maximum value. If you wish to actually roll some or all of the dice anyway you may, but you must accept the results.
Starlight Breaker [Blast]
Mote Cost: 12
Evocation Action: 1 Full-Round action
Range: 160 ft.
Area: 160 ft. by 15 ft. line
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See below
Some people might say that the key to a successful ranged attack lay in such subtleties as aiming, or precision. Those people do not have the power to conjure a tactical nuke made of love. Targets of the ability take 100 damage. Additionally, they must make a Reflex, Will, and Fortitude save. If they fail the Reflex save, they are dazed for one round. If they fail the Will save, they are blinded and deafened until the end of the encounter. If they fail the fortitude save, they are exhausted until the end of the encounter. If they fail all three, they immediately take sufficient nonlethal damage to fall unconscious, regardless of their current level of health. Unlike most illuminations, Starlight Breaker always deals nonlethal damage, and requires no ranged touch attack.
Symphony of the Light Eternal [Aura]
Mote Cost: 7
Evocation Action: 1 Swift Action
Range: 60 ft. Radius
Target: You
Duration: Aura
There is a light – a great light, true and pure beyond all others. Opening yourself as a beacon, you allow a tiny fragment of that light to shine into the world in all its glory, free of the weights of taint and corruption. Under such radiance, the earth and air themselves sing with joy, and pain and death find no purchase in the hearts of you or your allies. Creatures under the effect of this aura are immune to death effects, may continue fighting with negative hit points as if they had the Diehard feat, and may not have their hit points reduced below -9 by hit point damage. When this aura ends, any creature affected by it automatically stabilizes if they have negative hit points.
Costumes
Spoiler
Finally, onto the costumes. After all, this would hardly be a magical girl class if not for a plethora of lovely costumes to don! This section, like Illuminations, is still under construction. Expect more costume elements to be added regularly as they come to mind.
A magical girl’s costume is very much a part of her. Spun into being less by craftsmanship or careful enchantment than by the whimsical imaginings of their owner, they are often blatantly exotic or impractical in appearance… not that that reduces their true and undeniable effectiveness. While the specifics change frequently, most magical girls keep the same general aesthetic for their costume throughout their career – as a player, you ought to put some thought into this, and put together something suitable. While many costume elements have a common manifestation, these are just guidelines.
Mechanically, a magical girl has 1 costume point for every 2 levels she possesses. These may be spent freely on the following effects – however, the number of points that may be spent on a single effect is limited by the magical girl’s level (1 initially, increasing by 1 on every third level).
If a piece of a magical girl’s costume is somehow lost, she can regain it by spending 1d4+1 hours looking for it. Somehow, no matter how improbable (or outright impossible) it might be, they always turn up eventually.
A magical girl’s costume can be enchanted like a normal piece of weaponry or armor. If an item has an enhancement bonus, the Enhance costume element can stack with the existing bonus – but the total enhancement bonus still cannot be brought above the limit for the magical girl. For example, a 8th level magical girl using a +1 suit of enchanted armor as her costume could spend 2 points on the Enhance costume element – but no more, as this would bring her to her limit of a +3 effect.
Costume Elements
Spoiler
Avenging [Device]
Some Devices are more apt to leap to attack than to defense, often in the hands of wielders who find that good marks in the former are a good way to make up for lax attention to the latter. When she puts points in this costume element, a magical girl chooses a creature type (selecting from Aberration, Dragon, Outsider [evil], and Undead). Each point allocated to this effect causes weapon attacks (including strikes) against creatures of the chosen type to gain +2 to attack and damage rolls. This has no effect against non-evil creatures, even if their type matches. Points spent on the Avenging quality tend to make it look more like an actual weapon and less like the stylized toys many devices resemble.
Brilliant [Device]
Any Device can be said to channel light, but those with this effect go further still. Brilliant devices catch light: they reflect it, magnify it, amplify it into more than it was before. When a magical girl downs an enemy or scores a critical hit, she immediately gains two motes for every point allocated to this costume effect. A device with the Brilliant quality tends to gain lots of reflective surfaces and sparkling embedded stones. At high values, the weapon itself has been known to turn into solid silver or gold - almost invariably, this comes off as incredibly gaudy, but a few magical girls have been known to wield Brilliant devices with class and style.
Discreet [Costume]
Magical girls adore light. The wield it, revel in it, and to an extent, are made of it. But sometimes, flash and glamor are not an options, and recklessness risks more than it can hope to save. Not all magical girls grasp this, but those that do have come to favor this costume effect for its generous utility, bending light around its user that it might never reach the eyes of those who wish them harm. Each point invested in the Discreet costume effect grants the magical girl a +5 bonus on both Hide and Move Silently checks. If at least three points are invested in this effect, whenever the magical girl occupies an area of shadowy illumination enemies treat her as if she were standing in total darkness. Points spent on this effect tend to cause a costume to mute its colors and dial back more vibrant patterns. At high levels, the costume seems to subtly shift hues, ever moving to match its surroundings and the ambient lighting in the air.
Enhanced [Device, Armor]
The most basic of costume elements, each point allocated to the Enhance element gives the weapon or armor a +1 enhancement bonus. This functions like a normal enhancement bonus in all respects. Unlike other effects, points allocated in Enhanced give their benefits to both costume and device simultaneously. Points spent on the Enhanced effect tend to make the item more ornate and flashy – costumes might gain additional frills or bits of jewelry, and devices might become larger or gain engravings or other decorative elements.
Heavy [Armor]
While very straightforward, this costume element is undeniably effective. For every point allocated to this effect, the magical girl gains damage reduction 2/Evil, which stacks with other sources of DR. If at least three points are allocated to this effect, the magical girl gains an additional hit point for each hit die she possesses. These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are. For each point allocated to this effect beyond the third, the magical girl gains an additional hit point per hit die. As the name implies, points spent on the Heavy quality tend to make a costume bulkier and more solid. At high values, it can look much more like a suit of heavy armor than the light ensembles a magical girl typically wears.
Lucky [Costume, Device]
As any adventurer can tell you, luck matters. It may not be a physical thing, something that can be weighed or measured, but it is an undeniable fact that magical girls seem to have rather more than their fair share of it - particularly those who put their trust in this costume effect. Each point allocated to this effect grants the magical girl one special lucky moment per day, beginning with the day after she infuses a costume with this effect (if a magical girl has multiple costumes with the Lucky effect, daily uses are shared between all of them). At any time, the magical girl may spend a lucky moment to roll a relevant check twice, taking the better of the two results. If this effect is applied to her costume, these rerolls may be spent on either saving throws or on skill checks with Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution based skills. If this effect is allocated to a device, the rerolls may be applied to attack rolls or damage rolls. If at least three points are allocated to this effect, the magical girl may roll three dice (or sets of dice) rather than two, choosing the best. If at least six points are allocated to this effect, she may roll four times, rather than two. The cosmetic effects of this costume effect are difficult to generalize, as no two people have exactly the same notions about where luck comes from - each magical girl is likely to adorn her outfit differently, with whatever charms or symbols she thinks most likely to bring her good fortune.
Nimble [Costume]
Magical Girls are rather notorious for their agility, sprinting across rooftops and dancing over enormous gaps with ease. Many of them owe a measure of their success in that field to this costume element. For each point allocated to it, this effect reduces a costume's armor check penalty and increases its maximum dexterity bonus by one each. Further, each point grants the magical girl a +5 bonus to Jump, Swim, Climb, Tumble, and Balance checks. If at least three points are allocated to this effect, she may add her Charisma modifier to her Dexterity modifier to determine her bonus to AC, though she remains limited by her costume's maximum Dexterity bonus. Points allocated to this effect tend to make a costume sleeker and more aerodynamic, hugging closely to its wearer's body and moving with her effortlessly. At high levels, even the bulkiest armor becomes like a second skin, no more a burden to its wearer than the air through which she moves.
Oversized [Device]
Simply put, the ‘business end’ of the magical girl’s weapon is abnormally large – yet somehow, this doesn’t impact its balance in the slightest. Each point allocated to this effect adds +3 to weapon damage rolls (including strikes). The cosmetic effect of this should be fairly obvious, but one should be warned that engaging limit mode (or worse, Megaton Smackdown) when the magical girl’s device is already this big is likely to have some very silly results.
Prismatic [Device]
Along with Thematic, Prismatic is among the oldest costume elements - the world's first magical girls knew to call upon the elements around them long before the races of the world built the gods their mighty temples. A device with this effect deals an additional 1d6 damage for each point invested in it, of a type chosen when she invests points in this effect (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). If sonic is selected, the bonus damage is equal to 1d4, rather than 1d6. If the magical girl's costume possesses the Thematic effect as well, and if it is attuned to the same element as the Prismatic effect, the damage dice become d8s instead (or d6s, if sonic damage is being used). Points invested in this effect tend to style a device after the chosen element, often shifting the color scheme and patterns to something thematically appropriate. At high levels, it is not uncommon for the weapon to become an embodiment of the element itself - a sword of crackling fire, or a flail with dangerous icy spikes.
Protective [Device]
A common costume effect among magical girls with less-than-durable friends, a Protective device is the bane of those who would try and ignore its wielder. Each point allocated to this effect gives the magical girl +1 to the attack roll on attacks of opportunity, and increases the tumble DC to ignore attacks of opportunity from her by 3. Points spent on the Protective quality tend to make a device sleeker and more rounded, better to deflect incoming attacks. At high values, it can easily seem that the entire Device is formed of a single flawlessly crafted piece of whatever it happens to be made of.
Quick [Armor]
Magical girls are not known as the most patient beings in the world; for those that exemplify this, there is the Quick costume effect. Each point allocated to this effect increases the magical girl’s land speed by 10 feet. If at least three points are allocated to this effect, the magical girl gains the benefit of the Run feat. If at least four points have been spent, she gains the benefit of the Mobility feat. If at least five points have been spent on this effect, she gains the benefit of the Spring Attack feat. If at least six points have been spent on this effect, she gains the benefit of the Bounding Assault feat. Points allocated to the Quick effect tend to slim down a costume to the bare essentials, stripping away excess material and resulting in an ensemble with much greater ease of movement. This effect has gained a small amount of infamy for the zeal with which some magical girls designate elements of their attire as ‘excessive’.
Thematic [Armor]
This iconic costume element gives a magical girl a strong affinity for a particular type of energy, letting her shrug it off with ease. When she puts points in this costume element, a magical girl chooses an energy type to theme her costume after (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). This may be changed whenever the magical girl re-allocates the points on her costume. The magical girl gains energy resistance 7 against the chosen type of energy for every point allocated to this costume effect. Points spent on the Thematic quality tend to give it a unifying color scheme to match the chosen element, sometimes with stylized patterns thrown in for good measure. At higher values, actual elemental energy may gather around the costume for purely cosmetic effect (such as gemstones made of ice, or glowing lines of electricity).
Weightless [Armor]
This costume element makes the magical girl so light that the ground itself seems to bounce away from her. She gains a fly speed equal to her base land speed, with clumsy maneuverability. However, the effect is short-lived; she must still end her turn on solid ground, or she will fall. Each point spent on the Weightless effect improves her maneuverability by one step. If at least three points have been spent on the effect, the magical girl no longer needs to end her turn on solid ground, and may fly and hover freely (even if her maneuverability is not good enough to hover under normal circumstances). If four points have been spent on the effect, the magical girl gains the benefit of the Flyby Attack feat. If five points have been spent on the effect, the magical girl gains the benefit of the Improved Flyby Attack feat. If six points have been spent on this effect, the magical girl's fly speed doubles. Points spent on the Weightless quality tend to make a costume appear more billowy and lightweight, with lots of ribbons and other floaty things attached. At higher values, it might appear that the costume is caught up in a perpetual breeze, blowing about in a dramatically appropriate fashion at the slightest provocation.
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Lovely Rita Mordio avatar by Zefir! Thank you!
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Core Feats
Spoiler
Awaken Device [Pathfinder]
You call to the dormant power of your device, awakening it to full consciousness.
Prerequisites: Evoker Level 2 and any one of the Device, Exotic Device, Trinket, or Ranged Device class features Benefits: Your device becomes an Intelligent Item. You may assign mental ability scores and powers to your device freely, so long as the sum of all base price modifiers you add to it does not total more than [500 * your evoker level] gp. Whenever your evoker level increases, you may add further effects up to your new maximum. Special: Upon reaching evoker level 10, the maximum sum of all base price modifiers for your device becomes [1000 * evoker level].
Barely Felt It In an astonishing display of either hardheadedness or sheer willpower, you somehow manage to resist attacks by not noticing them. It's probably best to not think too hard about it.
Prerequisites: Shrug it Off class feature Benefits: You may apply your Con modifier to AC even when flat-footed.
Blazing MistContributed by Serafina Morning reveals all - mist is sheared away, and darkness banished. Calling upon the mystical insights of the dawn, you serve as a surrogate for the rising sun, piercing even the most insidious deceptions with your radiance.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Morning Mist Style, 9 ranks in Sense Motive, Wisdom 17 Benefits: You can always take 10 on Sense Motive checks, even if stress and distractions would normally prevent you from doing so. Further, whenever you line an enemy with mist using the ability of the Morning Mist Style feat, all enemies within 20 feet of that enemy are revealed as if being viewed by a Truesight spell. This benefits anyone who views the affected creatures, and lasts until the end of your next turn.
Cleansing MistContributed by Serafina As the dawn washes away the clinging shadows of night, you have learned to call upon the mists to cleanse your foes of the enchantments shrouding their true self.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Morning Mist Style, 7 ranks in Sense Motive, Wisdom 15 Benefit: You gain a bonus to Sense Motive checks equal to your Charisma modifier. Additionally, whenever you line an enemy with mist using the ability of the Morning Mist Style feat, you can make a targeted dispel against that creature as per the Dispel Magic, using a Sense Motive check instead of a Caster level check.
Echoes of Light At your behest, the energies of your auras can linger on without proper maintenance - but not without consequence to them.
Prerequisites: Ability to evoke level two Illuminations Benefits: If you have sustained an Aura for at least two turns (counting the turn you evoked it), you may choose to sustain it for a turn without paying any motes. However, by doing so you become unable to sustain that aura further. You must choose to allow that aura to fade when given the option on your next turn, and cannot evoke it again for the remainder of the encounter.
Evolved DeviceContributed by LoneMage210 Sensing your proficiency, your device has deigned to unlock another of its forms - one that a lesser magical girl would never be able to use to its fullest effect.
Prerequisites: Device Benefit: Choose one weapon of a type different than your device. As a swift action, you may cause your device to assume the form of that weapon, gaining all the properties of its new design. This transformation lasts indefinitely, and the device may revert to its original form with another swift action.
A magical girl may choose a ranged weapon with this ability, even if she does not possess the ranged device class feature - the inverse also being true for those that do not possess a melee device.
Expanded Wardrobe While most magical girls prefer to stick with one familiar garment, you happily partake in a wider ensemble.
Prerequisites: Stylish, Ability to allocate 3 points to one costume effect Benefits: You may attune to a second costume, independent of the first. Each of these costumes has its own pool of costume points, and you can freely re-arrange both whenever you could re-arrange one. Whenever you change into your costume, you may choose between the two. If you wish, you may also bind yourself to an armor that you have already designated as your costume instead, allowing you to summon the same armor with a different allocation of costume points. Special: Despite the fact that it is not dismissed along with the rest of your costume, your device may still have different costume point allocation for your two costumes. If you are not currently wearing either costume, it uses the point allocation of the costume you wore last.
Heavy CostumeContributed by LoneMage210 You have learned to feel even your bulkier equipment as a part of you, and can begin to channel energy through it no differently than your lighter attire.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Medium Armor Proficiency or Heavy Armor Proficiency Benefit: You may designate as your costume any suit of armor you are proficient with, not just light armor. Medium or Heavy armor designated as a costume counts as one category lighter for all purposes - this stacks with the effect of mithril armor.
Impassioned Gambit You have nerves of steel and the grit of a mountain, ready and willing to put everything on the line to protect your friends - even at risk of your own safety, if need be.
Prerequisites: Protective Reflexes Benefits: When an enemy you threaten targets an ally with an attack, you may make an attack of opportunity against them, hurling yourself into the fray in hopes of drawing their attention. If the enemy wishes, they may immediately change the target of their attack to you - if they do so, the enemy gains a +4 bonus on their attack roll, and may resolve the attack before you resolve your attack of opportunity.
Indignant GlareContributed by Serafina Your fierce protectiveness of your allies rattles enemies to their core
Prerequisites: Protective Reflexes Benefit: You treat Intimidate as a class skill for all present and future classes you take. Further, you may ignore size modifiers on your Intimidate checks, and can attempt to Demoralize enemies that would normally be immune to fear. Such creatures receive a bonus to their saving throw equal to their Cha modifier, however, and mindless creatures remain completely immune.
Additionally, whenever an enemy you threaten targets one of your allies with a hostile action, you can attempt to Demoralize that enemy as an immediate reaction that counts as an attack of opportunity. If you are successful, that enemy does not become shaken, but becomes frightened the next time they target one of your allies. This effect ends if the affected enemy deals damage to you, or at the end of the encounter, whichever comes first.
Luminous SymphonyContributed by Serafina Your performance is laced with radiant power - if you're good, and lucky, maybe even enough to sustain your magic on its own!
Prerequisites: Radiant Focus class feature Benefit: You can make Performance checks instead of Concentration checks when using Radiant Focus. Whenever you successfully use Radiant Focus, the next time you pay the maintenance cost of an aura it is reduced by 1 for every multiple of 10 you succeed on the check. This can reduce the cost of the Aura to 0, but never below.
Further, you can double an auras maintenance cost (before reducing it) to have it affect all allies who hear you perform for one round. Should the Aura have negative effects, you can have it affect all enemies who hear you perform instead. You must choose whether or not to amplify an aura in this manner when you evoke it - the increased cost lasts until the aura is allowed to fade.
Additionally, whenever an enemy you threaten targets one of your allies with a hostile action, you can attempt to Demoralize that enemy as an immediate reaction that counts as an attack of opportunity. If you are successful, that enemy does not become shaken, but becomes frightened the next time they target one of your allies. This effect ends if the affected enemy deals damage to you, or at the end of the encounter, whichever comes first.
Magical Mentor Some mentor animals like to take a more active role in their charge's affairs, using their abilities for more than just advice. Yours is one.
Prerequisites: Mentor Animal class feature, Ability to evoke level two Illuminations Benefits: Your mentor animal may cast spells as an Archivist of a level equal to one-third your magical girl level, rounded down, using your magical girl class level as a caster level.
Martial Evoker Well used to melee combat, you have learned how to weave your evocations into the off-beats and lulls in battle.
Benefit: You gain a bonus to AC equal to your Charisma modifier against attacks of opportunity provoked by evoking your illuminations.
Morning Mist StyleContributed by Serafina The Mist of Self shrouds the soul of every living thing. Most of the time it is invisible, intangible - but like the rosy fingers of dawn, you have learned to wield the ethereal touch that casts the hidden into sharpest focus.
Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, 5 ranks in Sense Motive, Wisdom 13 Benefit: As a free action, you may cause any unarmed attack you make until the beginning of your next turn deal force damage, in addition to their usual damage types. Additionally, all damage dealt by your unarmed attacks is nonlethal damage (as per the Merciful class feature) for the duration of the effect.
While using this style you may, once per round when you hit a single foe with two or more unarmed strikes, line them with softly glowing mist. Creatures encased in such mist treat all targets as having partial concealment, and cannot gain any benefits of concealment when targeted by others. The mist dissipates at the beginning of your next turn.
Prismatic Calling Light is made of many colors - with effort, you can bring forth those you wish from within the radiance of your Illuminations.
Prerequisites: Radiant Focus class feature Benefits: When you use a damaging Blast illumination, you may pay one additional mote before any attack or damage rolls are made. If you do, select an element (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic). The attack's damage is considered to be that damage type. Further, if you are wielding a device with the Prismatic costume effect, you may add the damage of that feature to the damage of the augmented blast. If you possess the Spirit Shot class feature, you may augment it with this ability, but you do not receive any additional dice of damage.
Protective ReflexesContributed by Serafina Your eagerness to leap to your allies' defense invigorates you, substituting agility for stubborn endurance. So long as there are foes who would hurt your friends, you will not let them past without a fight.
Prerequisites: Con 15 Benefits: You may make a number of additional attacks of opportunity per round equal to your Constitution bonus. Additionally, you may make attacks of opportunity even while flat-footed.
Radiant CraftingContributed by Serafina Ordinarily, the proper assembly of the delicate enchantments needed to enhance an item can take years to study. But when the item itself is willing, certain shortcuts can be taken.
Prerequisite: Evoker Level 5, 8 ranks in Use Magic Device Benefit: You can enchant the devices and costumes of Magical Girls (not just your own) as if you had the Craft Magical Weapons and Armor feat. You treat your Evoker level as your Caster Level for this purpose, and may ignore any requirements for specific spells involved in the item's crafting.
Radiant Soul Even beyond most of your compatriots, your soul is a beacon of radiance from which springs a seemingly endless river of energy.
Prerequisites: Illuminations class feature Benefits: Your mote pool increases by four, and the number of motes you begin an encounter with increases accordingly. Additionally, whenever you gain motes by focusing, you gain an additional mote. Special: Upon reaching evoker level 10, this feat increases the size of your mote pool by an additional four motes (for a total of eight), and the bonus to motes gained by focusing increases by one (for a total of two).
Reverberating LightContributed by Serafina The light of your performance spills forth like an echoing cascade, crashing over enemies in a cacophony of radiance.
Prerequisites: Luminous Symphony, Perform 9 ranks Benefits: Whenever you deal damage with an Illumination, you can make a Perform check as a free action by paying one mote. You deal additional sonic damage based on the result of your Perform check, as shown on the table below. This damage is only dealt once per target per illumination, even if that illumination is capable of striking a single target multiple times.
Check Result
Extra Damage
10-20
2D6
21-30
3D6
31-40
4D6
41-50
5D6 (maximum)
Right Makes Might You throw your full effort into every blow you make, letting passion and boldness more than compensate for finesse. Prerequisites: Device, Power Attack, must have a two-handed weapon as a device Benefit: When you make a power attack (including as part of a Strike), you may spend a mote to cancel an amount of power attack penalty equal to your Charisma modifier. This applies to only a single attack, though the cost may be paid for each part of a full attack if you wish to do so.
Shazam!Contributed by Prime32 You and your alter ego are different ages, or even different species.
Prerequisites: Costume +1 Benefit: While in costume, your size increases by one category (if you are Small or smaller) or reduces by one category (if you are Medium or larger). This otherwise functions as enlarge person or reduce person respectively. You cannot don your costume without changing size or vice versa, though if you have multiple costumes you choose which receive this benefit (minimum one).
Shield of LightContributed by Serafina You breathe light, and can sense its presence in the air around you. Though you may lack a measure of monastic discipline, there is a quiet serenity that comes to those who realize that it is never truly dark.
Prerequisites: Costume class feature Benefits: By spending one mote part of an attack, you can choose to take a –1 penalty on melee attack rolls and combat maneuver checks to grant adjacent allies a +1 dodge bonus to their Armor Class and reflex saves. When your base attack bonus reaches +4, and every +4 thereafter, the penalty increases by –1 and the dodge bonus increases by +1. You can only choose to use this feat when you declare that you are making an attack or a full-attack action with a melee weapon, and you must either have a free hand to wield your radiant shield or be wielding a physical shield to reinforce. These bonuses and penalties last until the beginning of your next turn.
Additionally, you can designate a shield (including exotic shields such as Battle Cloaks or Shield Gauntlets) as part of your costume, and you are automatically proficient with it. If you choose to do so, your shield's armor check penalty and maximum dexterity bonus are modified by your costume features, and it benefits from the Oversized costume feature if used as a weapon. While wielding a shield, by spending an additional mote, you may apply the AC bonuses from this feat to all allies within 10 feet of you.
Stylish Whether through meticulous craftsmanship or simple loving care, your costume is notably more elaborate than it used to be.
Prerequisites: Costume class feature Benefits: You gain an additional costume point, which may be allocated normally. Special: Upon reaching evoker level 10, this feat grants an another costume point (for a total of two).
Twinned Device By the whims of fate, you have come into possession of a second device, sibling of your own trusted weapon.
Prerequisites: Device, Two-Weapon fighting, must have a light or one-handed weapon as a device Benefit: You gain a second device, identical to your first in nearly every way. These two devices are assigned costume points collectively - any effect applied to one also applies to the other. Mundane enchantments must still be placed upon each individually.
If you possess the Evolved Device feat and select a one-handed weapon as your device's second form, you may convert one or both of your devices at any time, and with the same swift action if you wish. If you selected a two-handed weapon as your device's second form, your second device vanishes until you return to a one-handed form.
Multiclass Feats
Spoiler
Busou Shoujo [Pathfinder] Contributed by Prime32 You have turned your magical talents towards fighting with weapons.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, and Magus Arcana or Black Blade Benefit: Your Magical Girl and Magus levels stack for determining your costume bonus, caster level with Magus spells and Arcane Pool. Special: If you have the Device and Black Blade class features, you may choose to designate your Device as your Black Blade, even if it is not a weapon of the correct type. Special: If you have the Mentor and Black Blade class features, they are combined into a single entity with the higher mental stats of the two, which can switch between its forms as a move action. Your Magical Girl and Magus levels stack for determining its Bardic Knowledge modifier.
Cerulean IlluminationContributed by Amechra For a moment there, your eyes offer a glimpse to a soul swathed in the souls of others, others who have gone before.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Must have an Essentia pool. Benefit: You gain the ability to invest Essentia into your Illuminations. If you do so, you gain a bonus to the damage dealt by that Illumination equal to twice the essentia invested into that Illumination. This does not allow non-damaging illuminations to deal damage.
In addition, you may now power essentia receptacles with your Motes; if you do so, your investiture limit is equal to your Costume bonus, and you must pay the amount "invested" in motes each round, or else no longer be able to use that essentia receptacle for the rest of the encounter.
Demonic DelinquentContributed by Prime32 You've perverted your nefariously evil powers through your excessive good nature - your infernal ancestors would be terribly ashamed of you, you know.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Eldritch Blast 2d6 Benefit: Your magical girl and warlock levels stack for determining your costume bonus and damage reduction. Your Blast illuminations deal additional damage equal to your eldritch blast damage. Additionally, your Merciful class feature applies to your invocations and Eldritch Blast.
Heart's BladeContributed by Amechra Everyone has a blade in their heart!
Prerequisites: Psychic Strike +1d8, Costume +1 Benefit: Your Soulknife and Magical Girl levels stack for the purpose of determining your Costume Bonus and your Psychic Strike damage.
In addition, you may designate your Device as your Mind Blade; if you do so, it gains the benefit of any feats that improve either your Device or your Mind Blade.
Illuminated Crafter [External Homebrew] Contributed by Owrtho Your soul shows its light in the things you make.
Prerequisites: Illuminations, Evoker Level 2, Soulcrafting Benefit: Half your levels in Soulcrafter stack with you magical girl levels for determining evoker level as well as your mote pool and readied illuminations. In turn, half your levels in Magical girl stack with your levels in soulcrafter for determining your manifester level including number of soulcrafts and augments, as well as available augments. If levels in another class would advance your manifestor level or evoker level for either the soulcrafter or magical girl, they count as levels in said class for the purposes of this feat.
Additionally, you gain the benefits of Soulcraft Form even if you don't meet the prerequisites, except that it is permanently designated to your device. This does not actually grant the feat, and as such cannot be used to qualify for anything else. Special: If you have the Mistbreaker Archetype, you gain the benefits of the Soulcraft Talisman feat instead of the Soulcraft Form feat, and it permanently designates your unarmed strike.
If you take the evolved device feat, you may soulcraft your device in either form, but may still only have one instance of it soulcrafted at a time.
If you take the twinned device feat, you may soulcraft two copies of your device so long as they fit requirements of the twinned device feat. You may choose to soulcraft both as a single soulcraft, but if you do so any augments you apply only apply to one of them (though not all augments need to be applied to the same one).
Illuminating SongContributed by Amechra The flow of sound through your heart mimics the flow of light through your soul.
Prerequisites: Inspire Competence, Costume class feature. Benefits: Your levels in Magical Girl and Bard stack when determining the size of your mote pool, your evoker level, and the bonus granted your Inspire Courage ability.
Life Unbound [Pathfinder] Contributed by Prime32 Tapping into your magical girl powers relieves you from your body's normal limitations.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Oracle's Curse class feature, ability to cast 2nd-level divine spells Benefit: Your magical girl and oracle levels stack for determining your costume bonus, caster level with oracle spells and the effects of your oracle's curse. You do not suffer the negative effects of your Oracle's Curse while in costume.
Luminous Ally [Pathfinder]Contributed by Serafina Tied so closely to your essence, your Eidolon has begun to share your connection with the forces of light.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Summon Monster II spell-like ability, Eidolon class feature Benefits: Your Summoner and Magical Girl levels stack to determine your Motes and everything but the Evolution Pool and Maximum Attacks of your Eidolon. You can no longer evoke Blast or Strike Illuminations. Instead, your Eidolon can evoke Blast and Strike Illuminations using your Mote Pool.
Luminous Bloodline [Pathfinder] Contributed by Serafina Regardless of your Ancestry, your good nature suffuses your blood.
Prerequisites: Radiant Focus, two Bloodline Powers Benefits: Your Magical Girl and Sorcerer levels stack to determine your amount of Motes and your Bloodline class feature.You can activate any Bloodline Power by paying a number of Motes equal to half the level where you received it (rounded up, minimum 1).
Luminous Champion [Pathfinder] Contributed by Serafina The gods of good recognize your crusade as their own. Though you may not offer them devotions so regularly as their other followers, they lend their aid to you regardless.
Prerequisites: Aura of Courage, Mercy Benefits: Your Paladin and Magical Girl levels stack to determine your Costume Bonus and your Lay on Hands class features. You also add your Magical Girl levels to determine which Mercies you can take, as well as your effective Cleric level for Channeling Energy. You can spend a Standard Action to use Lay on Hands and Mercies on anyone within your Aura-Illuminations or whom you have targeted with a Burst-Illumination this round.
Luminous Shadow You realize that just because it might hide in the dark, the light is no less bright; with practice, perhaps you can even learn to find it there.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, Ghost Step class feature Benefit: Your ninja and magical girl levels stack to determine the number of motes you receive each encounter, as well as your daily pool of ki points. Additionally, you may wear your costume and still count as unarmored for the purpose of ninja class features.
Luminous Shadow [Pathfinder] Contributed by Serafina You realize that just because it might hide in the dark, the light is no less bright; with practice, perhaps you can even learn to find it there.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, No Trace +1 Benefits: Your Ninja and Magical Girl levels stack to determine your Motes, your Ki Pool and No Trace class features as well as any level prerequisites and effects of your Ninja Tricks.
Magitech Costume [External Homebrew] Your Costume is not just an expression of your personality, but also of your ingenuity Prerequisites: Costume +1, 1 Magitech Upgrade Benefits: Your Magitech Crusader and Magical Girl Class levels stack to determine the enhancement bonus of your Magitech Armor, as well as your Armor Sentience and Armor Sense class features and the save DCs of your magitech upgrades. You may designate your Magitech Armor as your Costume, even if it is not light armor.
Additionally, you gain access to the following Upgrade (it must still be acquired normally if you wish to benefit from it).
Radiant Core: Your armor has adapted to use your own luminous energy as a power source, channeling the power of your spirit effortlessly. Whenever you assign costume points, you may assign an additional costume point. This costume point is purely artifical in nature, and as such is not constrained by costume limits. Thus, it can be used to bring the number of points allocated to an effect over a magical girl's usual maximum. Unlike most upgrades, this upgrade may be taken a second time - its effects stack.
Radiant Mind, Luminous BodyContributed by Serafina You breathe light, and can sense its presence in the air around you. Though you may lack a measure of monastic discipline, there is a quiet serenity that comes to those who realize that it is never truly dark.
Prerequisites: Costume, Still Mind Benefits: You gain your Bonus to AC while wearing your Costume, despite being armored. Further, you can replace a single melee attack with a standard action Strike Illumination (but not a Blast you prepared with the Mistbreaker archetype) when executing a Flurry of Blows. If you do so, any save DC of the Strike is reduced by two.
Additionally, you may add your Magical Girl class levels to your Monk class levels to determine your AC Bonus, Fast Movement, Slow Fall, High Jump, Wholeness of Body and Diamond Soul class features, if you have them (though you do not gain these features if you do not already possess them). You may add your Monk class levels to your Magical Girl class levels to determine the size of your Mote pool and your Evoker level for illuminations.
Radiant Wind Contributed by Serafina There is fury in the shifting sands and burning steppes, true. But for those who know how to look, the same power lies in every leaf, raindrop, and thunderbolt.
Prerequisite: One Desert Wind Maneuver, Prismatic Calling feat Benefit: When you deal energy damage with a martial maneuver, you may use your Prismatic Calling feat with it as if it were a Blast. Special: If you have the Prism class feature, you can apply any Prism that applies to a Strike Illumination to a Strike Maneuver that you have already enhanced with Radiant Wind.
Rider of Light [Pathfinder] Contributed by Serafina Your mount is more than a mere vehicle for battle - you have attuned to it with your very soul, granting it a portion of your radiant power.
Prerequisites: Mount or Divine Bond (Mount) class feature, Costume +1 Benefit: Your Magical Girl levels stack with your Cavalier-levels to determine the effect of your Mount class feature and your Expert Trainer class feature. Further, while you are mounted, your mount gains the benefits of any of the following costume elements you have assigned: Avenging, Discreet, Nimble, Oversize, Prismatic, Quick, Weightless.
You can summon or dismiss your mount whenever you summon or dismiss your Costume. Your Mount always returns to full hitpoints at the end of the day, even when slain. If you have a Divine Bond with a Mount, your Paladin levels stack with your Magical Girl levels to determine its effects. You can summon and dismiss your Mount whenever you summon or dismiss your costume. Damage to your Mount only vanishes at the end of the day, instead with every summoning. Special: If appropriate to your setting, your Mount can take a fantastic form, such as that of a Magical Beast or even that of a machine. This does not grant it any special features or alters its statistics in any way, and it remains its original type of creature. Special: If you have the Mentor Animal Archetype, your Mount can be your Mentor Animal.
Sacred ChampionContributed by Prime32 Some benevolent deity has taken you under their wing, sharing a little of the light of divinity with your own more mortal radiance.
Prerequisites: Ability to cast 2nd-level divine spells and ready 2 illuminations per encounter, Turn Undead Benefit: Your cleric and magical girl levels stack to determine your effective cleric level when turning undead and your number of motes per encounter. Paladins count as clerics of their class level -3.
Soulcraft Costume [External Homebrew] Contributed by Owrtho You've learned to combine your soulcrafting with your costume abilities.
Prerequisites: Illuminated Crafter, Costume +1 Benefit: You gain access to the Augmented and Soulcrafted costume elements. Note they only apply to armor if you have made the armor a soulcraft talisman or a soulcraft form with the feat of the same name. Their effects are as follows:
Augmented [Device, Armor]
Your device and if applicable armor may have an additional augment applied to it when you soulcraft it. Each time you take this costume element, an additional augment may be applied to the device or armor.
Soulcrafted [Device, Armor]
Your device and and if applicable armor are treated as being +1. This does not stack with the Enhanced costume element. You may spend an augment when soulcrafting the device or armor to change this costume element to any one other that you do not have the maximum amount of points in. This only applies to the specific device or armor soulcrafted, thus you may not put an armor costume element on a device or vice versa, and the points applied this way do not count toward the maximum that may be applied for other devices or armor. This change lasts for as long as the device or armor remains soulcrafted.
Sunflower Disciple Nature is harsh at times - but like many harsh things, it can be mellowed with kindness and sincerity as truly as with force of will.
Prerequisites: Costume +1, ability to prepare 2nd level druid spells Benefit: Your magical girl and druid levels stack for determining your mote pool, your wild empathy bonus, your animal companion class feature, and your caster level for druid spells. Special: If you have the Mentor Animal and Animal Companion class features you can designate your mentor animal as your animal companion; in this case your druid and magical girl levels also stack for determining its Bardic Knowledge modifier. While you cannot normally change your mentor animal, you may choose to have it permanently assume the form of one of the possible druid animal companions upon taking this feat.
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Your costume idea is awesome, I was wondering if you will make a PrC or chain of feats themed around switching the weapon and/or armor like Erza Scarlet in Fairy Tail?
Last edited by DualShadow : 10-16-2011 at 11:01 AM.
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
What formula did you use for mote costs?
And could you please consider a mote recharge method? 20 uses IN ALL at 20th level is rather scarce, especially since your Illuminations are your strongest class features...
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amechra
What formula did you use for mote costs?
And could you please consider a mote recharge method? 20 uses IN ALL at 20th level is rather scarce, especially since your Illuminations are your strongest class features...
My formula for the illuminations' costs was mostly gut instinct. I haven't really done this before, and wasn't exactly sure what to use. Advice on this would be appreciated, and its what I felt weakest on from a balance standpoint.
As for a recharge method, I'm... not really sure. I strongly considered implementing one, at least at higher levels (one that stuck around for a while was a simple 'regain one mote/round from lvl 11 onwards'). The idea is supposed to be that a magical girl should be able to use her illuminations found-to-round for most of a fight if she uses lower-cost ones, but will probably run out if she relies only on her most recent acquisitions.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DualShadow
Your costume idea is awesome, I was wondering if you will make a PrC or chain of feats themed around switching the weapon and/or armor like Erza Scarlet in Fairy Tail?
The magical girl can already switch her costume around with only a half-hour of preparation, and most of them are general enough that I'm not entirely sure if 'combat re-tailoring' would be a viable PrC concept on its own. Perhaps a more general costume-based PrC, giving up some illuminations and class abilities for quickly swappable passive buffs.
Its a thought. The first PrC I'll be making is the Dark Magical Girl though, so that they have something to resort to if they lose their purity of heart. And before that, I need to put meat on the bones of the skeleton that is my illumination list. But the idea shall not be forgotten!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elfstone
Nice. Very nice. I love the T.J. Oskar Style as well.
Since this sin't complete, I will reserve judgement on the class as a whole, but I like what I see.
Minor nitpick, you forgot to change "paladin" to "magic girl" in the 18th level ability Font of Life (Ex).
HOW DARE YOU STEAL MY MIND-THOUGHTS! AND DO A BETTER JOB THAN WHAT I WAS PLANNING!
In other words, welcome to 'brewing; hope you stay around.
YOUR MIND-THOUGHTS, I AM SORRY FOR STEALING THEM.
In other words, thank you. And thanks to everyone commenting so far, the support is loveliness. Also, two feats have been added to the Feat section - they're kind of lonely right now, but they're pretty basic concepts. Most power sources have a feat or two that gives them more of whatever resource the class uses (be it maneuvers, spells/day, or whatever), so it seemed a fairly safe bet to have a couple that did a similar thing.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Whoops, I misread motes as being per day; if they are per encounter, they don't need a recharge.
Oh, and may I make a suggestion for Dark Magical Girl? Rage, or some form thereof, or replace the Illuminations with carefully altered shadowcasting...
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
So, the big meaty table here. I had to start by asking myself what exactly magical girls did, before deciding how they went about doing it. Which was tricky - they tend to go it mostly solo in their own medium, and just using their moves as a reference would be terribly unhelpful. So I thought about it in a more thematic sense, and came upon what would eventually drive the class.
Magical girls, at their heart, are fighting to protect their friends. They're stubborn, tough, and always get back up no matter how hard you knock them down. Oddly enough, that sounded like a defender-style class to me. So I made it one. She has a 3/4 BAB progression, two good saves, and a number of abilities that boost her endurance and ability to defend her allies. Some of them (like mettle) are of a pretty general nature, but I'll be going over my reasoning for all of them as we get there.
"Fighting to protect their friends" is a rather limited subset of Magical Girl shows, and those series usually involve a team. Plenty of MGs don't do any fighting at all, and just use magic to solve (and create) everyday problems, and/or become celebrities. I suppose those cases could be mostly wizards/bards with weird fluff though.
For one thing, magical girls tend to have vaguely-defined powers that do whatever the plot demands. Sailor Moon shoots a beam of light with a cheesy name and it might disintegrate an enemy, or turn a demon into a human, or break a curse, or erase someone's memories (seems like Turn Undead and a few abilities powered by it to me). Story climaxes are usually resolved by the protagonist doing something which could only be statted as a miracle spell, so they should get the ability to cast it at high levels.
For another, they tend to have cute mascots as power sources and/or advisors. So a variant familiar which trades Share Spells for bardic knowledge and the ability to talk.
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amechra
Whoops, I misread motes as being per day; if they are per encounter, they don't need a recharge.
Oh, and may I make a suggestion for Dark Magical Girl? Rage, or some form thereof, or replace the Illuminations with carefully altered shadowcasting...
I like this idea. A variant Rage could prove quite interesting - possibly using rounds as fuel for her other abilities. And converting the motes one loses by losing Pure of Heart into rounds of the new effect, the entrant would be somewhat compensated for the ability she had to give up to qualify.
"Fighting to protect their friends" is a rather limited subset of Magical Girl shows, and those series usually involve a team. Plenty of MGs don't do any fighting at all, and just use magic to solve (and create) everyday problems, and/or become celebrities. I suppose those cases could be mostly wizards/bards with weird fluff though.
For one thing, magical girls tend to have vaguely-defined powers that do whatever the plot demands. Sailor Moon shoots a beam of light with a cheesy name and it might disintegrate an enemy, or turn a demon into a human, or break a curse, or erase someone's memories (seems like Turn Undead and a few abilities powered by it to me). Story climaxes are usually resolved by the protagonist doing something which could only be statted as a miracle spell, so they should get the ability to cast it at high levels.
For another, they tend to have cute mascots as power sources and/or advisors. So a variant familiar which can always talk and has bardic knowledge.
Nanoha may be a good bit different than most magical girl shows, but she is also a lot closer to someone who would be on an adventuring party in a fantasy setting. Thus, Nanoha (well, to be precise, more along the lines of Fate or the Wolkenritter - Nanoha is more range-based) is the baseline from which I extrapolated the class. Solving everyday problems is well and good for a show, but a D&D base class has to have the firepower to pull their weight in (and preferably, out of) combat.
The 'vaguely-defined powers' are Illuminations, because for all fluff is nice, vagueness is something you don't want in rules. They can easily be different from one battle to the next, and something she can do today might be mysteriously impossible in a later 'episode'. A talking familiar/companion is on my to-do list, either as a ACF or a full PrC. Some manner of Miracle-like effect could be interesting, and I will look into it.
I guess the short version is, I was working with the combat-oriented subgenre of MGs in the first place, because D&D is a pretty combat-oriented game. If one wanted to make a more strictly accurate magical girl, they'd probably want to use another system.
EDIT: To address the following points, which I missed replying the first time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime32
I don't see anything saying that you need a trinket to transform and activate your powers. You can't just leave that part out!
Many magical girls are completely unrecognisable when in costume, even if their appearance doesn't change in any way - that should be an option.
Doh. I feel silly for forgetting about these now. I'll be heading back momentarily to cover these most vital of issues.
I'm thinking just allowing a magical girl to don her costume as a full-round action by waving her Device around and saying the magic words. If she wishes, she can make a Disguise check as part of the process, with a bonus of [5 times the maximum bonus of her device] and treating it like a class skill for this one purpose. If she does, someone has to beat the disguise check to recognize her (no matter how flimsy her 'disguise' might be).
EDITEDIT: This has been added to the costume feature, albeit with clumsier wording than I'd like. I'll probably polish that up later.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime32
The Diplomacy stuff works, albeit most girls aren't as sadistic about it as Nanoha.
Nothing says you have to beat someone up to redeemify them. You just have to keep them in one place. Why, there's all sorts of ways to get someone to listen to you... like... umm...
...maybe you could drug them?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Prime32
I'd suggest giving a monk-style AC bonus while in costume, but based on Cha. Otherwise you'll see a lot of monk/swordsage dips.
She actually has this at 7th level (albeit, keyed off of Con instead of Cha). I might have undershot things though, and switching it to Cha, or even adding a scaling bonus, is something I'm very much considering. Either way, I don't think dips are too much of an issue, as anything 'dipping' seven levels is either a magical girl dipping something else, or a rather high-level character.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Small update:
Added Shooting Star as a second-level Illumination. Largely shutting down a foe's ability to make AoOs could be quite helpful in a melee-heavy party.
Added Shining Proclamation as a third-level Illumination. Rather situational, but potentially life-saving against enemy casters. Gets better if you have a Arcana-savvy buddy who can let you know which spells are most worth countering.
Added Hammer it Home as a fourth-level Illumination. Making your opponent sit back and think about what he's done has never been quite this forceful before.
Currently working on:
Devising a more standard formula for Illuminations. I feel like I'm shooting a little blind here, and getting a base to work from will help me make more of them, quicker.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
What about a feat to give you multiple Costumes? That's pretty common. Heck, maybe even a PrC which gives you lots of them, and gives each one an SLA. (or you could associate some illuminations with the costume)
And Illuminations needs moar curse-breaking/undead-turning/demon-censuring/memories-of-evil-actions-erasing. Maybe an attack that's more effective against one type chosen from the Favoured Enemy list? (allowing for Dark Magical Girls to use anti-human magic or whatever)
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Well, this is dreadfully embarrassing.
I could have sworn I put in her Hit Die! I even reference it in one of my commentary boxes. But yes, she has a d8. Small for a defender, but she has abilities to back it up.
Also, another small update:
Added Angel Buster as a second-level Illumination, and...
Added Avenging as a costume effect that can be slapped on a device. The two, separately or in tandem, give the aspiring demon-exorcising magical girl some potent tricks.
Added Cursebreaker's Anthem as a third-level Illumination. This... is probably actually overpowered. It'll probably either get bumped to fourth level or nerfed. Balance thought on this one are very welcome.
Added the Expanded Wardrobe feat, which gives the fashion-conscious magical girl a bit more variety in her attire. I like the idea of a costume-based character enough that I'll likely be making a PrC of it. As soon as I get through the stuff in front of it.
Tweaked illumination costs - they now operate on a simple, standard scale. Auras and 'utility' Blasts cost [Illumination level] motes, and Strikes and 'attack' Blasts cost [Illumination level*1.5] motes.
Currently working on:
More illuminations.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
If Devoted Spirit Amulets allow you to use stances, then Megaton Hammer is infinite damage in combination with the middle level one for a Chaotic(or neutral??) aligned magical girl ... then again, one can't close all the loop holes.
Incidentally, this isn't the first try at such a thing on these boards, but I think I like yours more... can't remember enough to easily find the other one I don't think...
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by DracoDei
Incidentally, this isn't the first try at such a thing on these boards, but I think I like yours more... can't remember enough to easily find the other one I don't think...
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by DracoDei
If Devoted Spirit Amulets allow you to use stances, then Megaton Hammer is infinite damage in combination with the middle level one for a Chaotic(or neutral??) aligned magical girl ... then again, one can't close all the loop holes.
Ah, that slipped past me. May not be able to close all the loopholes. In this case, it should be simple enough to clarify that the dice are not rolled, and do not trigger any effect that would trigger upon rolling maximum damage on a dice. It may not be possible to close all the loopholes, but there's no sense in letting them go once they've been spotted. Thanks for pointing that out.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DracoDei
Incidentally, this isn't the first try at such a thing on these boards, but I think I like yours more... can't remember enough to easily find the other one I don't think...
Ah, that is interesting. I did quite a bit of searching through the boards for a magical girl class, and came up with nothing, but I hadn't thought to look at senshi. While the mahou shojo in that thread is woefully unfinished, the senshi itself actually seems like it could have some interesting synergy with my version of the magical girl. Again, thanks for showing me this.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Selinia
Ah, that is interesting. I did quite a bit of searching through the boards for a magical girl class, and came up with nothing, but I hadn't thought to look at senshi. While the mahou shojo in that thread is woefully unfinished, the senshi itself actually seems like it could have some interesting synergy with my version of the magical girl. Again, thanks for showing me this.
Senshi? You mean Sentai? Indeed it seems to be able to synergize well with this...
Hm...
Party of Sentai and Magical Girls?
Anyway, not a problem. Awesome homebrew must be spread around, no?
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Lord_Gareth
The Next Round: Hundreds of the Guardians of Time show up and one of them screams out, "THIS IS AN UNSANCTIONED VIOLATION OF SPACE-TIME."
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Oops. That was silly of me - somehow the 'magical girl' and 'super sentai' wires in my brain crossed in a manner that resulted in me thinking (and apparently typing) about Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi.
Also, another update:
Added Wandering Waltz as a first-level Illumination. Mobility is always nice, and the level-one illuminations tend to have nice, rounded effects.
Added Chains of Concordance as a second-level Illumination. I've gotten much more of a feeling by now that the magical girl defends through debuffs and status effects as much as actual defensive prowess or AoOs. This gives them a nifty new snatchy-effect to help them out with that.
Added Hauling Anchor as a third-level Illumination. Confusion seems to synergize well with a defender to me - the 'bad' option of the target attacking you is actually something you were kind of going for anyway, and most of the others still reduce the amount of damage the target is putting out.
Added Immaculate Plea as a fourth-level Illumination. Because magical girls can make the strangest things seem like a good idea at the time.
Also, Tweaked Borealis to buff it slightly. Its cost was bumped up a point when I standardized the Illuminations' costs, and it was just lackluster compared to everything else at the level (particularly its direct competition Cursebreaker's Anthem).
As of now, I'm actually pretty happy with the volume of Illuminations the class has - there's finally a representative of each of the four categories in each level, and six or seven choices at each level still means a magical girl can only take half of her options with her at most. More illuminations are almost certainly going to be added as I think of them (or if someone presents a good idea for one), but I won't be actively brainstorming them just to fill the lists up anymore.
Currently Working On:
The Mentor alternate class feature. Also, feats.
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by The-Mage-King
Senshi? You mean Sentai? Indeed it seems to be able to synergize well with this...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Selinia
Oops. That was silly of me - somehow the 'magical girl' and 'super sentai' wires in my brain crossed in a manner that resulted in me thinking (and apparently typing) about Sailor Moon and the Sailor Senshi.
Well technically senshi is "warrior(s)", and sentai is "team(s) of warriors" (with senshi used to refer to individual members)...
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Ooohhh, shiny. Many thanks, some of that stuff seems like it could be adapted for great useful justice. Also, I hate Tuesdays.
Also-also, an update!
Added the Mentor Animal Alternate Class Feature! These little creatures give all manner of helpful advice - valuable, given that magical girls are hardly known for their ironclad common sense.
Added the Echos of Light feat. Auras have some interesting effects, and this provides some interesting flexibility in their use.
Added the Barely Felt It feat. Because attacking someone from off-screen just isn't fair.
Tweaked the Symphony of the Light Eternal True Illumination - it now provides protection against death by hit-point loss, not just death effects. While not quite invulnerability, it comes pretty close - and targets your entire team to boot. That should bring it up into the league of its Strike and Blast counterparts.
Currently working on:
The Dark Magical Girl PrC. Also, feats.
As always, if you have an idea for additions in any section, suggest away!
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
Quote:
Originally Posted by Selinia
Added the Mentor Animal Alternate Class Feature! These little creatures give all manner of helpful advice - valuable, given that magical girls are hardly known for their ironclad common sense.
Quote:
A mentor animal may never have the form of any familiar which would require a minimum caster level.
First, there are no familiars which require that unless you take the Improved Familiar feat, so it would make more sense to ban Improved Familiar. Second, there are MGs with more powerful companions, though many of them need to stay in a weaker form most of the time. Maybe Improved Familiar can be used for 1 minute/level/day, but also grants some other bonus? Maybe a feat which lets the mentor cast spells as a wizard of one-third your class level (caster level = your class level), but only while in this powered-up state?
Quote:
A mentor animal's Hit Dice, Hit Points, Attacks, Saving Throws, and Skills are all calculated identically to those of a familiar.
I don't think this part is necessary. *shrug*
Quote:
Starting at 1st level, the mentor animal will share some of its vast collection of knowledge with the magical girl. If asked, the mentor can make a knowledge check on the behalf of the magical girl, with a bonus equal to [its Int score + the magical girl's class level]. The information this can retrieve is very similar in nature to bardic knowledge, and the DC for a given fact should be roughly the same.
"Roughly" isn't very useful. It would be easier just to say "The mentor gains Bardic Knowledge as a bard of its master's class level."
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Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
I read the title and I knew I had to read this. It looks great, really fits the flavor well, and gives a lot of utility. A good excuse to play a good guy.
However, I would like to add that divine buster seems a tad over powered. 3d6+ damage at lvl 1 is too much.
Fatigue makes me wax philosophic and/or babble. If I've posted something strange and tangential, that is probably the cause. This entry would be an example.
Re: Friendship Through Superior Firepower! Magical Girl Base Class, Set Up! [3.5]
The group I usually play with doesn't usually allow homebrew, but I am prepared to beg in order to play this class. This is just ... magnitudes of awesome.
(Also, OP, is that a Princess Waltz avatar? You may be my new favorite person.)
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KKL
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Love Conquers All! Magical Girl Class Project, Enhance! [3.5]
