Prestige Class - The Frostblade

[DancingFish]

One of my players wanted to have some magic-y class that is primarily a fighter. I gave it some thought and patched up this. I'd like it to be evaluated.

The Frostblade


The Frostblades are those martial adepts who choose to enhance their fighting abilities with frost-based magic, eventually changing into creatures of frost themselves.

BECOMING A FROSTBLADE
To become a frostblade, one typically seeks out either a high enough level member of this class to infuse themselves with that frostblade's body, or an elemental creature to take a part of their body instead. Infusing requires a special, obscure ritual.

Entry Requirements
   Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Martial Lore 8 ranks
   Maneuvers: Ability to initiate 3rd level maneuvers, must know at least one 3rd level maneuver.
   Special: Must have contacted an outsider with cold subtype and bound a part of their body within self.



Class Skills
The Frostblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb(Str), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Handle Animal(Cha), Intimidate(Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (arcana)(Int), Ride(Dex), Spellcraft(Int), Swim(Str), Martial Lore (Int), Intimidate (Cha)
Skills Points at Each  Level 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

Level	BAB	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	M. Known	M. Readied	Stances	F. Readied	F. Known
1st	+1	+2	+0	+2	Spellshape Channel, Frostblade, Icy Skin (+1)	1	0	0	3	3
2nd	+2	+3	+0	+3	Icy Glare, Frozen Step	0	0	0	4	4
3rd	+3	+4	+1	+3	Hoarfrost Stance	1	1	0	4	5
4th	+4	+4	+1	+4	Icy Skin (+2), Crystallize	0	0	0	5	6
5th	+5	+4	+1	+4	Body Of Frost	1	0	1	5	7
6th	+6	+5	+2	+5	Piercing Chill	0	1	0	6	8
7th	+7	+5	+2	+5	icy Skin (+3)	1	0	0	6	9
8th	+8	+6	+2	+6	Residual Cold	0	0	0	7	10
9th	+9	+6	+3	+6	Numbing Cold	1	1	0	7	11
10th	+10	+7	+3	+7	One With The Cold, Icy Skin (+4)	0	0	1	8	12

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Frostblade gains no weapon or armor proficiencies. You can shape formulae while wearing any armor or while carrying a shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. This only applies to the formulae you know as a Frostblade, and you might incur arcane spell failure chance for formulae received from other spellshaper classes.

Maneuvers and stances: Every odd level you learn a maneuver from the following disciplines: Frozen Zephyr, Iron Heart, Bitter Edge.
On levels 3, 6 and 9 you gain new maneuver readied. On 5th and 10th you gain a new stance, which must be chosen from the disciplines available to you.

Spellshape Channel(Sp): You learn the Frostray spellshape attack. However, you cannot use it to blast from afar. Instead, you may channel it through your unarmed strikes, natural attacks or melee weapons as a free action. If you do so, all the damage they deal becomes cold damage. For all purposes (including shaping formulae and qualifying for feats), this is treated as a spellshape attack ability.

Frostblade (Su): At 1st level, you learn your signature skill. You gain the ability to channel your cold energies into the form of a weapon.  As a move action, you can conjure a blade composed of swirling ice crystals.  You wield this blade as a scimitar made for your size, and it deals damage equal to that dealt by your frostray attack on a successful melee attack (including extra damage or effects from class features or feats), though it is not subject to spell resistance.  In addition, you can treat your frostblade as your frostray attack for the purpose of shaping major and minor arcane formulae, and it counts as a Frozen Zephyr weapon.  A formula shaped with a frostblade attack does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and you are immune to the harmful effects of formulae that you shape with your frostblade.

A frostblade is treated as a magic weapon, and it has an enhancement bonus on attack rolls equal to ¼ your shaper level.
The moment you relinquish your grip on your frostblade, it dissipates. 

Once per round, as a free action you may choose to solidify your blade into a crystalline ice or have it reassume it's original fluid, gaseous form.

   The attacks you make with the solid Frostblade are normal melee attacks and you add your strength bonus to them.
   The solid blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 10 hit points); however, you can simply create another on your next move action. 
   You can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the solid frostblade just as if it were a normal weapon.  You treat it as a scimitar for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization. You can use weapon-enhancing spells on it, but you cannot enchant it permanently.

The attacks with the fluid frostblade are treated as melee touch attacks. It has a reach of 10ft. You do not add your strength bonus to damage and cannot use Power Attack or similar feats in conjunction with it. If a weapon-enhancing spell is cast on it, it works only with the solid form.
Half damage it deals is piercing, the other half cold.

   Even in places where magical effects do not function, you can attempt to sustain your blade by making a DC 20 Will save.  On a successful save, you maintain it for a number of rounds equal to your shaper level.  On an unsuccessful attempt, the weapon vanishes.  As a move action on your next turn, you can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize it while you remain within the magic-negating effect.

Formulae: Upon entering this class, you gain knowledge of three Perfect Freeze formulae and as you advance in this class, you learn more.

Once you know a formula, you must prepare it before you can use it (see Formulae Prepared below) A formula usable by a frostblade is considered a spell-like ability unless otherwise noted in its description. Unlike most other spell-like abilities, arcane formulae are subject to arcane spell failure chance, as described in Weapon and Armor Proficiency above. The save DC for a formula that allows a save is 10 + formula level + your Charisma modifier.
To shape a formula, you must have a Constitution score equal to at least 10 + the formula level.
Your Shaper level in this class equals your Initiator level.

Formulae Prepared: You can prepare four of your formulae at 1st level, and as you advance in level and learn more formulae, you are able to prepare more. You prepare your formulae by meditating for 5 minutes. The formulae that you choose remain prepared until you decide to meditate again and change them. You need not sleep or rest for any long period of time to prepare your abilities: any time you spend 5 minutes in meditation, you can change your prepared formulae.
You begin an encounter with all your prepared formulae unexpended, regardless of how many times you might have already used them since you chose them. When you shape a formula, you expend it for the current encounter, so each of your prepared abilities can be used once per encounter (unless you recover them, as described below).
Whenever you initiate a maneuver, you can choose one expended formula to recover, which is then available for use in a subsequent round. However, whenever you make a full attack, you may choose two expended abilities to recover.
 In addition, once per encounter, you can change your prepared formulae as a swift action. However, changing your prepared abilities in this way leaves all of your formulae expended--even those that had already been prepared.

Icy Skin(Ex): Your body becomes more like ice. Your skin turns whiter and colder to the touch as the permanent layer of frost grows deeper. You gain a natural armor increase on 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th level. In warm temperatures, the frost continually evaporates and replenishes itself, enshrouding you in a wispy vapor.

Frozen Step(Su): At 2nd level you learn the Perfect Freeze Numen. It's always active for you.

Icy Glare(Ex):  Beginning at 2nd level, your unnatural and cold stare makes people around you uneasy. You add ½ your level (rounded down) to your Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.

Hoarfrost Stance: At 3rd level you learn the Hoarfrost stance. As a swift action, you can forgo the benefits of your current stance to enter the Soaring Frost Stance. While in it, the area under your feet and in squares adjacent to you is covered by a thin layer of ice. It functions as a Grease spell cast by you. It dissipates and crystallizes aroun you as soon as you move. You are immune to the Grease effect yourself.
Furthermore, upon entering the stance, you may choose to forgo one of your prepared Perfect Freeze formulae to gain ability to gracefully skate along the ground, turn, or stop suddenly as desired. Your land speed increases by 10ft per level of the formula expended (This is an untyped bonus). You cannot refresh or change this formula as long as you remain in this stance.
This is a supernatural ability.

Crystallize(Su): Beginning at 4th level, as an immediate action you may choose to expend a Perfect Freeze formula to gain DR/piercing AND magic equal to twice the formula level until the beginning of your next turn.
 
Body of Ice(Ex): Upon reaching fifth level, it becomes apparent that you have become something more than before. You gain the cold subtype, granting you immunity to cold. Your oneness with cold, however, makes you more susceptible to flame. Just like any other creature with the cold subtype, you gain vulnerability to fire, which means you take half again as much (+50%) damage as normal from fire, regardless of whether or not a saving throw is allowed, or if the save is a success or a failure.

Piercing Chill(Ex): The understanding of nature of the cold allows you to deepen its intensivity highly. Beginning at 6th level you ignore cold resistance up to twice your class level and deal half the normal cold damage to the creatures immune.

Creatures with the cold subtype can tell that this is colder than normal, but they remain undamaged by the attack.

Creatures with the fire subtype damaged by you take double normal cold damage instead of the usual +50%.

Residual Cold(Ex): At 8th level your ability to channel your frost abilities allows you to do so with more ferocity. Whenever you deal cold damage with a formula or a spellshape attack, the target is dealt ½ the damage next round.

Numbing Cold(Su):Beginning at 9th level, whenever you deal cold damage with a formula or maneuver, your target must make a fortitude save equal to 15+your constitution modifier or be slowed for a round.

One with the Cold (Ex): At 10th level, your body has become perfectly fused with the elemental essence inside him. Your type changes to elemental with cold subtype. You no longer need to eat, sleep, or breathe. You gain an elemental creature’s immunity to stunning, and you no longer are subject to extra damage from critical hits or flanking. You no longer age.
Unlike a normal elemental, you retain a soul separate from her body. You can be raised from the dead as normal for a creature of your previous type.
Furthermore, for every 2 points of cold damage that would have otherwise been dealt to you, you heal 1 point of damage.
 

[Bauglir]

This post might seem a little on the harsh side, but I want you to know that I like the idea and you're in a decent place conceptually. So even though I'm going to spend the rest of my time criticizing things, know that it's mostly because I'm too tired to explicitly highlight the good stuff.

Format-wise, add links to the homebrew disciplines you're using, to help out readers. Including a "At level X" type of opening for each ability also helps somebody figure out what's going on without having to scroll back up to the table.

Consider changing the entry requirements to 2nd level maneuvers, 1st level arcane formulae, and knowledge of the frostray spellshape attack, but keep the skill requirements. Opens up more options, considering the limits imposed by Knowledge (arcana) and 3rd level maneuvers*, and it spares you writing your own formula rules for the class. It also means you don't have to allow a fast progression that breaks the standard spellshaper rules, which is a significant problem. It sounds like a minor thing, but when you get deep into design you start to realize that it breaks a lot of stuff with a system that's so heavily built on the fixed progression. Consider letting your player retrain the levels necessary to make this happen in their case.

Consider replacing Spellshape Infuse with a version of the Spellshape Champion's Spellshape Channeling, which is a bit better balanced than the significant damage bonus you pick up from the current wording. Just specify that it applies only to your frostray, if you don't already have this ability, and let them keep the ability to shape the ray if they want.

Hoarfrost Stance is an interesting ability, but you need to specify that you don't slip on your own ice, and probably define a skate speed. It might be an existing rule somewhere in a source like Frostburn, but I've never heard of it, which suggests that it's probably obscure enough to warrant explicit definition here. You might consider replacing the skate speed with a Lightning Step-style ability (or whatever spell lets you turn into a lightning bolt), granting some movement and dropping your grease effect and some lingering cold damage on the area you travel through.

Uncap Crystallize. Very high DR might sound gamebreaking, but in reality it's still scaling more slowly than damage, and arbitrary caps aren't very elegant design if you can avoid them. If somebody wants to dump a 9th level formula from a particular circle on DR 18 that can be overcome fairly easily at that level, by all means let them.

Frozen Step is kind of weird. It gives you an incentive not to learn the actual Numen, in a sense, by reducing its value to you. I'd suggest either just giving you the Numen and dropping a class feature somewhere (probably Cool Story, which feels a little out of place, especially considering it gives you a bonus to a skill that isn't a class skill), or else axing the ability entirely and replacing it with something a little more interesting. Still, free Numens are a hallmark of circle-focused prestige classes, so you might want to go with the first option.

Numbing Cold is insane. You need to attach a cost here, and you should probably specify that it needs to be with a formula or spellshape attack. Something like an effective metashaping feat, or requiring an action expenditure, or something. Action denial is a devastating tactic, so allowing a save isn't good enough when forcing that save doesn't cost you anything.

*Mandatory Swordsages getting full BAB is kind of weird, too. Houserules might make this comment irrelevant, but it's always good to minimize the reliance on them for your homebrew. The chassis is pretty sweet, too; d10 hit die, 2 good saves, full BAB, 4 skill point base, but I'm not sure if it's too good for what the class gives you. A lot of it is just basic utility that you need to function as an energy specialist or fluff-appropriate numbers boosts, so you might consider working in a few more things like Hoarfrost Stance that do unique stuff.

[DancingFish]

Thank you for input.

Uncapped the DR.
The skate speed should be actually base speed + 10ft/level of formula expended, and I should add that you are immune to your own Grease.
So Frozen Step should just give you free Perfect Freeze numen, straight and forward? Probably I'll word it so it's working all the time.

I explicitly DO NOT want to require the Frostray attack knowledge - I want it to be a quasi-suel arcanamach style class, which gives its own casting ability instead of advancing other - also, this allows me to have the shaping go off the constitution.

I DO NOT know what the swordsage comment is about, really.

Is Numbing Cold really insane? It's an ability that you get when wizards can reshape reality as they wish with their 8th level spells, a step from getting the 9s.
Since every melee attack applies your frostray, the slow still is there. I might change it so instead of slowing as the spell, the target gets one less attack/round, has stacking (with other sources, not itself) -2 to reflex saves and attack rolls.
Well, I might instead switch it to formulae and maneuvers only.

As for the Spellshape Infuse, I don't see how it is really OP. It gives a damage steroid, but mind that it's just straight damage. Wizard's Weapon Of Energy or some Cleric buffs very well make your weapons deal more damage. I might change the die on this particular Frostray to d4 instead or d6 if it really seems so overpowering.

EDIT: Some changes to Frozen Step and Numbing Cold.

[Bauglir]

It's fine if it grants its own casting ability, in theory, but you're very solidly locked out of giving a fast progression by the nature of the system. You don't want 9th level formulae at level 15 and 1st level formulae at level 5. What you can do is add a clause allowing you to choose an initiator class to count fully toward your shaper level.

The swordsage comment is because the only martial adept with access to Knowledge (arcana) is a swordsage. That strongly implies that the class is built specifically for them, so giving a BAB upgrade is a little weird. It's not necessarily bad, though.

Numbing cold is definitely too powerful. It's not that the effect is too powerful, it's that it's free. You're encouraged to drop as many little attacks as possible to force as many saves as possible, in the hopes that they'll fail one. Action denial is too powerful an effect to allow on the kind of attack spam that sort of mechanic encourages. 9th level spells aren't the balance point here, other high level spellshapers are.

Similarly, just stacking the cold damage on attacks is too good given that balance point. I did write a class that can kind of add a free spellshape attack when you hit things, but it forces you to make some very specific strategic decisions and has significant costs (the action needs to be spent by your mount, which prevents it from doing other things, and you can't shape your highest level formulae this way so it's behind the damage curve on its own). If you are sure you want to go this way, you need to look at what drawbacks you can apply to the ability so they don't pull ahead of the other martial spellshapers' damage output. Those drawbacks should be specifically aimed at ruling out other potential sources of damage.

The changes you've made are good, but I don't know what a skate speed is. That's what I meant when I said it should be defined. I should say that I very much like Hoarfrost Stance's concept. BFC is a handy tool, and this is an effective, but entirely reasonable, way of doing it.

[DancingFish]

Swapped the "skate speed' to a straight movement enhancement; Lessened the requirements so it can be entered as I intended initially - by all the martial classes (Been playing too much Pathfinder lately and this just eluded me while I was proofreading )

Now I'm wondering how to change Numbing Cold. This class exists also in spellcasting version and it initially slowed when dealing spell damage. Spammability of formulae is a great balance problem here.
Should I move around abilities, add another +1 to natural armor (every even/odd level?) and just straight delete the Numbing Cold?
The second option is changing it to -2 to reflex saves and attack rolls (maybe Armor Class also) and taking away one attack/round.
Third option is a complete rework of this ability so it does completely different things. Remember that the class is MAD as it is, with Wisdom the only useless stat.

As for the spellshape infuse - this is something I knew would be powerful, but remember this class' shaper level doesn't get in any way enhanced by the first 5 character level (you lose 3 levels just there). I can chance it to 1d3 (Avg 2 dmg) or 1d4 (avg 2.5dmg) instead of 1d6 (avg 3.5 dmg)...
OR let the ability work as the Champion's channel, but also allow to use up a move action to add the spellshape attack damage on top of it.

[Bauglir]

I wouldn't delete Numbing Cold. I like the idea. I'd add an action requirement ("You can spend a move action to imbue your attacks with freezing energy. If you do, your next frostray attack yadda yadda yadda"), or allow members of the class to expend a prepared formula, setting the save DC and duration by the level of the formula expended. It's a handy ability, and more interesting than just giving them more numbers.

Changing the damage of the spellshape attack as part of the core mechanic probably isn't the most elegant choice, and a move action is at once too harsh and not harsh enough. I'd prefer a swift action, since it still allows you to choose between full attacking or using a major formula, but at this point we're basically talking about a minor formula, and one that isn't particularly interesting. You might consider instead letting them make their frostray attacks as melee attacks with the standard boost to d8s and ignoring SR that non-touch spellshape attacks benefit from. This option probably wouldn't require any costs to be used. Any other ideas?

Remember, the accelerated formula progression is a non-starter. You'll need an alternative strategy for keeping your player's known formulae level-appropriate. Also, I've just noticed the progression works this way, but you definitely do not want to hand out knowledge of the entire circle. Make them choose what they want - this forces characters to be a bit more unique, and can serve as a foil against your strategy for keeping their shaper level high enough, whatever you decide on. It also encourages going on to take more spellshaper levels.

[DancingFish]

I'll start from the bottom - I knew about it, and made this disclaimer: " You still need to have an appropriate shaper level to shape them."
So it's not you're able to shape it anyway. But I should change it to "prepare and shape them" to avoid Crystallize shenanigans.
The knowledge of entire circle I want to keep for flavor purposes, as it is the only circle they know.
Finally, this brings me about to the Shaper Level calculation change which is also tied to the Infuse problem.


So... How about I break the infuse into two: Channeling, working just as Champion's, and Frostblade, reading:

Frostblade - As a move action you may create a blade made of pure cold. It is a bastard sword you're automatically proficient with. The damage it deals equals your Frostray damage and you add your strength bonus to it. It benefits from all appropriate weapon feats you posses.
All attacks made with this blade are melee touch attacks. For all purposes this is treated as your Frostray attack. As soon as you relinquish your grip on the blade, it dissipates.

Since the Infuse will no more give a significant bonus to damage on top of normal weapon damage, it might be fair to enable this class bring out some bigger guns sooner. Meaning, I'll go with the SL=IL. But then the knowledge of an entire circle may really be too much.


Numbing Cold I have no real idea how to work out. I could make it apply the NWN2's version of slow:

All enemy creatures within the area of effect have their speed lowered by 50% and lose a single attack per round. Affected creatures also suffer a -1 penalty to AC, attack rolls, and Reflex saves.

Finally, Cool Story is an effect of my bet with a friend and I'd like it to stay, as it gives a little out of combat utility.

[Bauglir]

I'll start from the bottom - I knew about it, and made this disclaimer: " You still need to have an appropriate shaper level to shape them."
So it's not you're able to shape it anyway. But I should change it to "prepare and shape them" to avoid Crystallize shenanigans.
The knowledge of entire circle I want to keep for flavor purposes, as it is the only circle they know.
Finally, this brings me about to the Shaper Level calculation change which is also tied to the Infuse problem.

Then there's no difference between the standard progression and this, and you don't need to include special rules for it. I don't understand the value in including these rules if they can't affect your game.

I'm also not sure what flavor purposes are being served here. There are other PrCs for specific circles, and they don't get to learn the entire circle automatically either. You can disregard my advice, to be sure, but I'm still not going to stop saying that it needs to follow the general rules for determining the highest level of formula that can be learned, and for learning new formulae (which is to say, it should learn them piecemeal). The only reason for breaking with that standard is if the class, for whatever reason, is absolutely dependent on different rules for its mechanics.

Splitting the ability isn't necessarily a bad idea, but you might check the Flamedancer for a good way of constructing the ability if you want to go that route. Protip: Don't let it be a touch attack if you get Str to damage and the ability to use melee feats with it. That way lies madness.

I'd recommend dropping the loss of an attack per round on Numbing Cold, at which point it would be fine. That way, you aren't asymmetrically affecting spellcasters. Remember to include a note that it doesn't stack with itself. Such a note is technically unnecessary, but it's a good reminder of the stacking rules.

Cool Story is fine, but make Sense Motive a class skill if you want to keep it. You may also want to change it from a skill bonus to some more interesting ability, since More Numbers isn't always good class design. However, it's not exactly a huge sticking point.

[DancingFish]

You're right. I'll change the shaper level to equal initiator level and give the class normal F. known progression. Should I add Roaring Tide and Blustering Gale or keep just the Perfect Freeze?
 
I don't really know why I let the Frostblade benefit from str bonus to damage. This could get ridiculous pretty fast with Power attack. The question is, do I take away the strength bonus or do I take away the melee touch attack. I'll probably add the enhancement bonus like the Flamedancer's one. Straight copying this ability I am also considering.

Numbing Cold I'd word like this:

whenever you deal cold damage with a formula or maneuver, your target must make a fortitude save equal to 15+your constitution modifier or suffer a -2 penalty to AC, attack rolls and reflex saves. This ability does not stack with itself

.
This should be balanced.

I have mixed feelings about giving Sense Motive as a class skill.

[Bauglir]

That all sounds pretty good. Deciding whether to allow Blustering Gale and Roaring Tide is up to you, I think. That's certainly got a lot of flavor implications to it, and you can pick pretty much whatever you want and it'll work out. You can give both, none, or force characters to choose one on entry, or anything else you can come up with. Sense Motive isn't exactly mandatory, it just feels a bit weird with Cool Story granting a bonus to it. Whether that needs changing is up to you.

[DancingFish]

I've broken up the Infuse into Channel and Frostblade and gave some options to the latter. I think the wording needs improvement. I wanted to give some semi-ranged options, but I fear I overdid something again...

Changed Numbing Cold. I'm wondering if making the numerical penalty into "half the maneuver/formula level" is too much.
Made it so the Formulae Known are chosen instead of being known automatically.
Equaled Shaper Level to the Initiator Level.

[Bauglir]

Hm, you'll need to specify that you choose an initiator level. It took me a while to figure out, but you don't just have one. You have one for every martial adept class you take levels in, so that a Warblade 2/Swordsage 2 has Warblade IL 3 and Swordsage IL 3.

[DancingFish]

Yes, but prestige classes progress ALL the initiator levels.
Swordsage3/Warblade2/something initiator-y 5 has Swordsage IL=9 and Warblade IL=8.
Since it is like that, it's a rule of thumb that the Initiator Level is the highest possible.
I can specify it, but I haven't seen it being done anywhere.
Is everything else balanced now?