Author Topic: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"  (Read 2576 times)

Offline Garryl

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Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« on: May 06, 2020, 08:02:49 PM »
Temple Raider base class (optionally, of Olidammara)
A divine "skillmonkey" class (by which I mean has decent skills supplemented or exceeded by the spells it also has access to). Think divine Beguiler, but with Divination and Abjuration rather than Illusion and Enchantment.

In the original concept, many common skillmonkey things would just get replaced by the appropriate spell, permanently active or usable at will. Find traps instead of trapfinding, dispel magic and shatter instead of Disable Device, knock instead of Open Lock, hunter's eye instead of sneak attack, freedom of movement instead of Escape Artist, mind blank (or at least protection from evil) instead of slippery mind. It wound up not feeling very good, so while the framework of that is still present in the first few levels, the higher levels wound up evolving into their own thing, with the lower level features merely aping the feel of common spells, rather than reproducing them exactly.

Creating a Temple Raider
(click to show/hide)

Hit Die: d6

Table: The Temple Raider

Level
Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save

Special
Spells Per Day
01st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1+0+0+2+2Antiquarian, Dispel Wards, Find Traps53----------------
2+1+0+3+3Hunter's Eye +1d664----------------
3+2+1+3+3Protection From Traps +265----------------
4+3+1+4+4Advanced Learning663--------------
5+3+1+4+4Hunter's Eye +2d6664--------------
6+4+2+5+5Protection From Traps +36653------------
7+5+2+5+5Curse Sense6664------------
8+6/+1+2+6+6Advanced Learning, Hunter's Eye +3d666653----------
9+6/+1+3+6+6Protection From Traps +466664----------
10+7/+2+3+7+7Evasion666653--------
11+8/+3+3+7+7Hunter's Eye +4d6666664--------
12+9/+4+4+8+8Advanced Learning, Protection From Traps +56666653------
13+9/+4+4+8+8Persistent Detection6666664------
14+10/+5+4+9+9Hunter's Eye +4d666666653----
15+11/+6/+1+5+9+9Dispel Mastery, Protection From Traps +666666664----
16+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Advanced Learning666666653--
17+12/+7/+2+5+10+10Hunter's Eye +5d6666666664--
18+13/+8/+3+6+11+11Protection From Traps +76666666653
19+14/+9/+4+6+11+11Persistent Protection6666666664
20+15/+10/+5+6+12+12Advanced Learning, Hunter's Eye +6d6, Temple Raider's Grace6666666666

Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Appraise, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Disable Device, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Forgery, Gather Information, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Move Silently, Open Lock, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Use Magic Device, and Use Rope.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: As a temple raider, you are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the whip. You are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.

Antiquarian (Ex): As a temple raider, you learn a great deal about religious artifacts and relics of all sorts. You can make a Knowledge (religion) check in place of an Appraise check when examining an item with a divine or religious connection, and you can make an Appraise check in place of a Knowledge (religion) check to recall information about such an item. Regardless of whether you use Appraise or Knowledge (religion), you gain a bonus on the check equal to your Wisdom bonus (if any).

Dispel Wards (Sp): As a standard action, you can produce a dispelling effect to disable magical traps and wards. You can use dispel wards as a targeted effect or an area effect.

As a targeted effect, dispel wards targets a single object. You make a dispel check (1d20 + your caster level) against each abjuration spell upon the object (DC 11 + the spell's caster level). Each success dispels that spell, as per dispel magic. If the object is a magical trap or is warded by one, you also make a dispel check against the trap itself (DC 11 + the trap's caster level), with a success disabling it for 1 minute. If you succeed by 5 or more against the magical trap, you can instead choose to disable it permanently. This only disables the magical components of the trap. A trap that combines both magical and mundane components (for example, a trap that launches both a volley of darts and a fireball) must still have its mundane components be disabled manually using the Disable Device skill.

Alternatively, you can use dispel wards as an area effect to dispel a 5-foot cube. This allows you to make a dispel check (as described above) to dispel any abjurations whose areas include that space (even if they emanate from elsewhere). This does not affect abjurations whose effects are constrained to a specific creature or object in the area. Like with a targeted dispel wards, this can also disable a magical trap tied to the area, rather than to a specific object.

Unlike dispel magic, you do not automatically dispel your own spells with dispel wards.

Dispel wards has a range of 5 feet. It is the equivalent of a 0-level spell.

By repeatedly using dispel wards, you can take 20 on your dispel check.

Find Traps (Su): You gain intuitive insight into the workings of traps. You can use the Search skill to detect traps just as a rogue with trapfinding can. Note that unlike trapfinding, this ability grants no ability to disable the magical traps that you may find (but see dispel wards, above).

Spells: As a temple raider, you cast divine spells, which are drawn from the temple raider spell list. However, your alignment may restrict you from casting certain spells opposed to your moral or ethical beliefs; see Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells, below. As a temple raider, you cast your spells spontaneously, like a bard or a sorcerer, and need not choose and prepare your spells in advance.

To learn or cast a spell, you must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your spell is 10 + the spell level + your Wisdom modifier. You automatically know all spells on your temple raider spell list.

Like other spellcasters, you can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. Your base daily spell allotment is given on the table above. In addition, you receive bonus spells per day if you have a high Wisdom score.

As a temple raider, you meditate or pray for your spells like a cleric. Unlike a wizard or a cleric, you need not prepare your spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that spell level. You do not have to decide ahead of time which spells you’ll cast.

Chaotic, Evil, Good, and Lawful Spells: As a temple raider, you can’t cast spells of an alignment opposed to your own or your deity’s (if you have one). Spells associated with particular alignments are indicated by the chaos, evil, good, and law descriptors in their spell descriptions.

Hunter's Eye (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you gain insight into the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of your enemies' defenses. This functions as the rogue's sneak attack ability. The extra damage is 1d6 at 2nd level, plus an additional 1d6 every 3 levels thereafter.

Hunter's eye does not stack with the hunter's eye spell.

Protection From Traps (Su): Starting at 3rd level, you are warded against traps. You gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC and a +2 resistance bonus on saves. These bonuses increase by +1 every 3 levels thereafter. Both these bonuses apply only against attacks made by traps, spells and effects created by traps, and creatures summoned by traps.

Creatures summoned by traps are also prevented from making bodily contact with you. This causes the natural weapon attacks of such creatures to fail and the creatures to recoil if such attacks require touching you. If you make an attack against or try to force yourself against the blocked creature, you lose the protection against contact by that summoned creatures for 10 minutes. Each time a creature with spell resistance comes up against this warding, make a level check (1d20 + your temple raider level) against a DC equal to the creature's spell resistance. If you succeed, the warding holds repulses the creature's contact, but if you fail the creature is able to bypass it and touch you. You still gain the deflection and resistance bonuses against their attacks, even if they bypass this additional protection.

You can suppress or resume this ability as a standard action.

Advanced Learning: At 4th and every 4 levels thereafter, you may choose a single spell of a level no greater than the highest level temple raider spell you know. This can come from the Bard, Cleric, or Sor/Wiz spell lists, but must be either a spell from the Abjuration or Divination schools. Add this spell to your temple raider spell list and your temple raider spells known. Once selected, this choice cannot be changed except through effects that allow you to change which spells you know. You do not gain additional spells known through advanced learning for classes and abilities that increase your effective temple raider level for spells known unless they also improve your effective temple raider level for this class feature. You may still be allowed to select higher level spells when you gain this ability due to your increased temple raider spellcaster level.

Curse Sense (Su): Beginning at 7th level, you become sensitive to the subtle magical signs of curses. Whenever you are subjected to a curse, you immediately become aware that you are cursed and of the nature of the curse's effects upon you.

Additionally, the first time you inspect or handle a cursed magic item, the DM secretly rolls a Spellcraft check on your behalf against a DC of 15 + the item's caster level. If you succeed, you automatically realize that the item is cursed. You only gain this one opportunity to detect the curse, no matter how many times you inspect the same item.

Evasion (Ex): At 10th level and higher, you receive flashes of insight that allow you to avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If you make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, you instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if you are wearing light armor or no armor. You do not gain the benefit of evasion while helpless.

Persistent Detection (Ex): Beginning at 13th level, once per day, you can cast a single spell in such a way that its duration is 1 day. This can only be a divination spell of no higher level than 1st. The spell must have a personal range and target only you or must have a fixed range and have an emanation centered on or originating from you (including cone and line-shaped emanations). The spell may also have a range of touch, as long as it targets only a single creature and you target yourself and only yourself with it. The spell must have a timed duration or a duration of concentration (or a combination of the two). The spell may not be one whose effects are discharged.

You need not concentrate on spells with a normal duration of concentration. Spells whose effects depend on how long you have maintained concentration, such as detect magic or detect thoughts, act as though you have only concentrated for the current round while you are not actively concentrating on them. While you are concentrating on such a spell, the spell counts only the time since you most recently started to concentrate on it when determining its concentration time-related effects, not the total amount of time you have spent concentrating on the spell since you cast it. If your concentration is broken, such as by damage or incapacitation, you stop concentrating on the spell, but the spell does not end and you can start concentrating again on your next action. A spell whose normal duration is concentration is dismissible when modified by this ability, and can be dismissed as a free action.

Dispel Mastery (Ex): Starting at 15th level, you become so certain and practiced at breaking wards that you can do so reliably even under adverse circumstances. When making a dispel check or a caster level check to remove, dispel, or otherwise undo curses and other magical effects, you may take 10 even if stress and distractions would prevent you from doing so.

Persistent Protection (Ex): Beginning at 19th level, once per day, you can cast a single spell in such a way that its duration is 1 day. This functions just like persistent detection, except that it applies to abjuration spells instead of divination spells.

Temple Raider's Grace (Su): Beginning at 20th level, you no longer trigger traps unless you wish to. Whenever you perform an action that would trigger a trap, you automatically become aware that a trap would have been triggered as a result of your action, although not what the trap's effects would have been, where the trap is, or how to disarm it.

Temple Raider Spell List
(click to show/hide)

Change Log
(click to show/hide)

Notes:
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: May 22, 2022, 11:05:21 PM by Garryl »

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #1 on: May 06, 2020, 09:05:04 PM »
Maybe it's just me, but it feels like there are a lot of spells here for a knows everything caster. Especially given a good chunk at each level are solid staple spells and not the kind of limited use fodder that would support having an expanded list. The higher up the levels it goes the more it feels like a Tier 2 class, topping out with some classic game breakers like Time Stop and Mordenkainen's, etc.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #2 on: May 06, 2020, 09:55:04 PM »
Definitely need to pare down the spell list, then. Any suggestions? I wrote up the spell list years ago with a note to trim it, but I've been away from the game long enough that I don't have a solid sense of what's what with spells any more, especially the higher-level spells.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #3 on: May 07, 2020, 07:02:37 AM »
Offensive spells seem like the first point of call for me.
1: Magic Weapon
2: Desecrate, Consecrate, hold person
3: Bestow Curse, Explosive Runes, Magic Vestment
4: Antiplant Shell, Greater Magic Weapon
5: Baleful Poly, Hold Monster, Wall of Force
6: Antilife Shell, Blade Barrier, Raise Dead
7:
8:
9: Mass Hold Monster

I'd also seriously consider ditching the Cure X and Restore lines, as well as the animal set (Owl's Wisdom, etc.) and go splat diving, especially in Complete Adventurer, Dungeonscape, and Cityscape

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #4 on: May 15, 2020, 12:47:39 PM »
Okay, I need to actually review this.

Why no bluff?

Why is Hunter's Eye not just Sneak Attack?  I know you had a reason, curious as to what it is.  Is it just to stop potential abuse from the Hunter's Eye spell?

Offline Garryl

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #5 on: May 15, 2020, 10:15:53 PM »
Offensive spells seem like the first point of call for me.
1: Magic Weapon
2: Desecrate, Consecrate, hold person
3: Bestow Curse, Explosive Runes, Magic Vestment
4: Antiplant Shell, Greater Magic Weapon
5: Baleful Poly, Hold Monster, Wall of Force
6: Antilife Shell, Blade Barrier, Raise Dead
7:
8:
9: Mass Hold Monster

I'd also seriously consider ditching the Cure X and Restore lines, as well as the animal set (Owl's Wisdom, etc.) and go splat diving, especially in Complete Adventurer, Dungeonscape, and Cityscape

I agree with you on most of that. I was on the fence about the Hold Person spells, but with the way it wound up, they'd be the only direct offensive combat spells on the list, and thus out of place. Animal set will get pared down, but I want to keep the ones for the class's primary focus stats (Dex, Int, Wis), just like every other caster class.

Healing spells are a funny thing. I feel contractually obligated to at least have some cure spells, as its a divine spellcasting class. However, while I wanted it on the weaker side of healing, like the druid or even a bit worse, cure spells already feel weakish and raising them by a level like even druids do feels kind of terrible.

Here are the spells I'm currently planning to remove:
0th:
1st:
2nd: bear's endurance, consecrate, desecrate, eagle's splendor, false life, hold person, rope trick
3rd: explosive runes, slow, tiny hut
4th: fire shield, resilient sphere, secure shelter
5th: baleful polymorph, hold monster, raise dead, restoration, mage's private sanctum, wall of force
6th: antimagic field (possibly just move to 8th, but it's problematic enough I don't think anyone minds removing it entirely), blade barrier, mass bear's endurance, mass eagle's splendor
7th: forcecage, mage's magnificent mansion, reverse gravity
8th: greater restoration, maze, telekinetic sphere, temporal stasis
9th: imprisonment, mass hold monster, miracle, time stop

Any suggestions for splatbook spells to look at? My non-core library is fairly thin.

Okay, I need to actually review this.

Why no bluff?

At some point, the roguish side of the idea shifted from thief with all the spells that do thief things better to magical Indiana Jones. Bluff was among the casualties of that shift.

Quote
Why is Hunter's Eye not just Sneak Attack?  I know you had a reason, curious as to what it is.  Is it just to stop potential abuse from the Hunter's Eye spell?

Originally, Hunter's Eye was supposed to just give you a permanent Hunter's Eye spell. It felt clearer just writing it out instead of referencing a splatbook spell (especially one from a splatbook I don't even own), doubly so when I decided I wanted a slightly different progression rate. However it wound up, the divination-based sneak attacker was not intended to supplement their regular sneak attack from the class with with sneak attack the divination spell cast from the same class.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #6 on: May 15, 2020, 10:46:27 PM »
I'm still confused, you have every thief skill except bluff.

The sneaking and disable device and open lock and forgery even.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #7 on: May 15, 2020, 11:13:35 PM »
I may have failed to rejigger the skill list correctly. Although Forgery is both the skill for making forgeries and detecting them, so /shrug.

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #8 on: May 16, 2020, 12:26:32 AM »
I just compared the Temple Raider skill list to the Rogue skill list.

Rogue only skills: Bluff, Disguise, Intimidate, Perform, Slight of Hand

Temple Raider only skills: Heal, all Knowledges except Local

I see your point, but for actually rogue-y skills there's a lot of overlap. 

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Temple Raider, a divine "relic acquisition specialist"
« Reply #9 on: May 16, 2020, 08:05:08 AM »
Spell ideas:
Secret Weapon
Easy Climb
Easy Trail
Hindsight
Improvisation
Instant Locksmith
Instant Search
Listening Coin
Shadowform
Speechlink

That's the ones that really strike me from Cityscape and Complete Adventurer. Dungeonscape apparently has no spells?