Author Topic: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]  (Read 10611 times)

Offline sirpercival

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Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« on: September 10, 2012, 09:58:42 PM »
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Cycle Warden



"By Winter's frost and Summer's heat, by the decay of Autumn and the rebirth of Spring, I pledge my life to defend this land.  May the Moon fall and Sun go black before I fail in my duty!"

From Summer to Autumn, Winter to Spring, the Cycle turns endlessly, day after day and year after year.  A Cycle Warden is a warrior attuned to this circular progression, who taps into the fundamental natural forces and mystical energies of the Cycle in a profound way.

Adventures: A Cycle Warden's reasons for adventuring are as varied as the seasons.  However, almost every Cycle Warden spends some time adventuring due to wanderlust, wanting to be away from civilization among the wilderness.

Characteristics: As a Cycle Warden, you are primarily a melee combatant.  However, your abilities reward mid-combat tactics and planning, as you can tune the particular benefits you gain by the actions you take.

Alignment: As the seasons change, so does a Cycle Warden's personality.  However, the Cycle orbits a center of dynamic stability and balance, and as such there is a measure of neutrality in every Cycle Warden's philosophy.

Religion: Like a druid or ranger, a Cycle Warden reveres nature above the devotion to a particular deity.  Some feel strong connections to divine patrons of the natural world, such as Ehlonna or Obad-Hai, but most are more nonspecific in their faith.

Background: Some Cycle Wardens begin as warriors associated to a particular druidic order; others work with rangers to protect and explore the natural world.  Some, particularly those of races who traditionally work closely with nature, such as elves and halflings, simply feel drawn to the Cycle and its contemplation.

Cycle Wardens most often come from small towns or enclaves embedded in the wilderness, mining villages perched on the slopes of forbidding mountains, or other communities with strong ties to nature and exposure to the Cycle.  However, even in big cities and metropolitan areas, there are those who feel the pull of the seasons more strongly than their peers.

Races: Those with bonds to nature are most likely to become Cycle Wardens.  Elves, halflings, humans, and half-elves in particular can find the Cycle compelling.  Those races that live underground, sheltered from the seasons (dwarves, some gnomes, goblins), are very unlikely to become Cycle Wardens.

Other Classes: Cycle Wardens have few negative relations with other classes, as the Cycle is difficult to disrupt and few classes are actively against nature.  On the other hand, druids, rangers, and other classes focused on the mystic primal energy of nature often get along with Cycle Wardens very well, though they will sometimes find Cycle Wardens' fickle and ever-changing nature somewhat baffling.

Role: Cycle Wardens are primarily melee characters; however, rather than being forced to simply deal damage, they have a large number of abilities which either grant them a measure of battlefield control, or allow them to debuff their enemies significantly.  Their tunable defensive and offensive abilities make Cycle Wardens extremely versatile and skilled combatants.

Adaptation: As long as there are seasons in a particular campaign's climate, Cycle Warden as a class could theoretically replace the ranger in the normal array of character archetypes.  However, the two are sufficiently dissimilar in abilities and theme that they could easily coexist (similar to the overlapping concept space of Wizard and Sorcerer). 

In campaigns which take place primarily underground, a Cycle Warden could be tied to the life cycle of a glow-worm or mushroom which is used to keep time.  Other cyclical progressions which a Cycle Warden could be associated with include the slow wheel of the constellations through the sky, the changing tides, or waxing and waning phases of the moon.

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Cycle Wardens have the following game statistics.
Abilities: As a melee class, a cycle warden relies on her Strength and Constitution scores.  Wisdom is also of secondary importance.
Alignment: Any neutral.  Though seasons change, the core of balance and renewal remains constant.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Age: As ranger.
Starting Gold: As ranger.

Class Skills
The Cycle Warden's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (geography, nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

CYCLE WARDEN


Level
Base
Attack
Bonus

Fort
Save

Ref
Save

Will
Save


Special

Maneuvers
Known

Maneuvers
Readied

Stances
Known
1st +1+2+2+0Changing seasons531
2nd +2+3+3+0Epoch 1532
3rd +3+3+3+1Eternal gift +2632
4th +4+4+4+1Rise and fall632
5th +5+4+4+1Renewal733
6th +6/+1+5+5+2Skill mastery743
7th +7/+2+5+5+2Wax and wane843
8th +8/+3+6+6+2Eternal gift +4843
9th +9/+4+6+6+3Second epoch944
10th+10/+5+7+7+3Bloom and wither944
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+3Call of the cycle1054
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+4Improved renewal1054
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+4Eternal gift +61154
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+4Improved rise and fall1154
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+5Cyclic knowledge1255
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+5Epoch 21265
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+5Improved wax and wane1365
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+6Eternal gift +81365
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+6Greater renewal1465
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+6Improved bloom and wither, verdigris1476

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cycle Warden.

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A cycle warden is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.  Though there is no specific restriction, most cycle wardens prefer wooden equipment to that made of metal.

Maneuvers: A cycle warden begins her career with knowledge of five martial maneuvers.  She learns two maneuvers from the Solstice discipline, two from the Equinox discipline, and one maneuver from the Revolution discipline. Once she knows a maneuver, a cycle warden must ready it before she can use it (see Maneuvers Readied, below). A maneuver usable by cycle wardens is considered a supernatural ability unless otherwise noted in its description. A cycle warden's maneuvers are not affected by spell resistance, and she does not provoke attacks of opportunity when she initiates one.

A cycle warden learns additional maneuvers at higher levels, as shown on the above table. She must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. The highest-level maneuvers she can learn are based on her initiator level, as normal. Upon reaching 4th level, and at every even-numbered cycle warden level after that (6th, 8th, 10th, and so on), a cycle warden can choose to learn a new maneuver in place of one she already knows. In effect, she loses the old maneuver in exchange for the new one. She can choose a new maneuver of any level she likes, as long as she meets the prerequisites and observes her restriction on the highest-level maneuvers she can learn; she need not replace the old maneuver with a maneuver of the same level.

Maneuvers readied: A cycle warden can ready three of her five maneuvers per encounter at level 1, and as she advances in level and learns more maneuvers, she must choose which maneuvers to ready.  A cycle warden readies maneuvers by meditating and practicing for 5 minutes; once readied, the maneuvers remain so until she spends 5 minutes to ready new ones.  A cycle warden begins an encounter with all her maneuvers unexpended, regardless of how many times she might have already used them since she readied them.  When she initiates a maneuver, she expends it for the current encounter, so each of her maneuvers can be used once per encounter unless she recovers them.  Whenever the cycle warden initiates a maneuver from the Solstice or Equinox disciplines, she may recover a single expended Revolution maneuver, and whenever she initiates a Revolution maneuver, she may recover a single expended Solstice or Equinox maneuver.  A cycle warden can recover a maximum of 1 manuever per round this way, and she cannot initiate a maneuver in the same round she recovers it; nor can she recover an expended maneuver in the same round she initiates it.

Stances known: A cycle warden begins play with knowledge of one 1st-level stance from any discipline open to her. At 2nd, 5th, 9th, 15th, and 20th level, she can choose additional stances. Unlike maneuvers, stances are not expended, and she does not have to ready them. All the stances she knows are available to her at all times, and she can change the stance she currently uses as a swift action. A stance is an extraordinary ability unless otherwise stated in the stance description. Unlike with maneuvers, a cycle warden cannot learn a new stance at higher levels in place of one she already knows.

Changing seasons (Ex): The connection between a cycle warden and the Cycle itself is both fundamental and profound.  The cycle warden's fighting techniques, defenses, and even her physical appearance reflect the changing Cycle and her place within it.  To represent this give and take, a cycle warden has two sets of Season Ratings, one for the Solstice axis (a Summer rating and a Winter rating), and one for the Equinox axis (an Autumn rating and a Spring rating).  The total rating for each of Equinox and Solstice is always 4 (for example, a cycle warden could have a Winter rating of 3 and a Summer rating of 1, as well as an Autumn rating of 0 and a Spring rating of 4). 

At any given time, a cycle warden is associated with either the Equinox or Solstice axis, but not both; any time the cycle warden initiates a maneuver from the Revolution discipline, the axis she is associated with changes, and her appearance and abilities alter accordingly.  Each time a cycle warden initiates an Equinox or Solstice maneuver, her rating for the season associated with that maneuver increases, and her rating for the opposing season decreases (for example, a cycle warden with Winter 3 and Summer 1 who initiated a Summer maneuver would then have Winter 2 and Summer 2).

A number of the cycle warden's class features are determined by her current axis and season ratings, as described below.  In addition, a cycle warden gains an insight bonus to damage rolls with maneuvers equal to the rating of the appropriate season whenever she is associated with that axis (i.e., a cycle warden associated with Equinox with ratings of Autumn 1 and Spring 3 would gain a +1 bonus to damage rolls with Autumn maneuvers and a +3 bonus to damage rolls with Spring maneuvers).  Finally, as a cycle warden's season ratings and associated axis change, so does her physical appearance.  Her skin, eye, and hair color reflect the seasons to which she is attuned most strongly.  An autumn cycle warden is a study in oranges and reds; spring brings hues of light green and brown; a summer cycle warden displays dark green and gold; and winter dusts the cycle warden in white, silver, and black.  A cycle warden who has equal ratings in both seasons she is associated with shows a mix of colors between the two.  Additionally, any equipment made of plant material that the cycle warden is wielding or wearing (including wooden armor, shields, or weapons, and linen or cotton clothing) changes appropriately as well.

Epoch (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a cycle warden can choose a particular season to which she can attune more strongly, called an Epoch.  The cycle warden chooses one season to be her Epoch at the beginning of each day; she may not choose the same season two days in a row.  A cycle warden's maximum and minimum rating for her Epoch increases by 1 (becoming a range of 1 to 5; the other season on the same axis is still limited to the range of 0 to 4 for its ratings).  For example, a cycle warden with the Spring Epoch could have a Spring rating of 5, at which point her Autumn rating would be 0.   At 16th level, the maximum and minimum rating of her Epoch increases by an additional 1 (becoming a range of 2 to 6); if she is attuned to two Epochs with her Second Epoch ability (see below), both Epochs gain the increase.

Eternal gift (Ex): Upon reaching 3rd level, a cycle warden understands how the Cycle's constant change affects the world around her.  She gains a +2 insight bonus to Wisdom-based skill checks, which increase by +2 at 8th level and every 5 levels after.

Rise and fall (Su): At 4th level, a cycle warden's ties to the Cycle begin to show more strongly.  Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains resistance to Acid and Electricity equal to 5 times her Autumn and Spring ratings, respectively.  When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains resistance to Fire and Cold equal to 5 times her Summer and Winter ratings, respectively.

Renewal (Ex): A cycle warden learns to reinvent herself, growing anew from the remains of what she was before.  Whenever a cycle warden of 5th level or higher switches into an Equinox or Solstice stance, she may ready one maneuver she knows from the same discipline as her new stance in place of any readied and unexpended maneuver.

Skill mastery (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, a cycle warden can draw on the Cycle to provide focus in otherwise trying times.  She can take 10 on Wisdom-based skill checks even if stress and distractions would normally prevent her from doing so.

Wax and wane (Su): Starting at 7th level, a cycle warden's connection to the Cycle strengthens once again.  Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains an enhancement bonus to Wisdom and Constitution equal to her Autumn and Spring ratings, respectively.  When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains an enhancement bonus to Dexterity and Strength equal to her Summer and Winter ratings, respectively.

Second epoch (Ex): Upon reaching at 9th level, a cycle warden can attune to two Epochs simultaneously, one for each axis, at the beginning of each day.  She still may not attune to the same season on consecutive days. 

Bloom and wither (Su): At 10th level, a cycle warden manifests the next aspect of her connection to the Cycle.  Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, she gains fast healing equal to her Spring rating, and an insight bonus to Initiative checks equal to her Autumn rating.  When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, she gains an insight bonus on Fortitude saves equal to her Winter rating, and any creature that attacks her with a natural weapon or non-reach melee weapon takes 1d8 fire damage times her Summer rating.

Call of the Cycle (Su): Beginning at 11th level, a cycle warden can draw upon her connection to the Cycle to grant her incredible resiliency for a short period of time.  A number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier, a cycle warden can gain the Plant type (with all associated immunities) as a swift action on her turn.  She retains the benefit for 1 round per class level.

Improved renewal (Ex): At 12th level, a cycle warden learns that change need not be slow.  Whenever she uses her Renewal ability, she may exchange an additional readied and unexpended maneuver for a readied maneuver from the other season associated with that discipline.  For example, a cycle warden switching into an Equinox stance could exchange two readied and unexpended maneuvers to ready one Autumn maneuver and one Spring maneuver.

Improved rise and fall: The energy resistance granted to a cycle warden of 14th level or higher by her Rise and Fall ability increases to 10 times the appropriate season rating.

Cyclic knowledge (Su): Beginning at 15th level, a cycle warden can meditate on the Cycle itself and the knowledge contained within, sensory experience of the world around her.  By spending 10 minutes in concentration, she may use commune with nature as a supernatural ability once per day per 5 class levels, with a caster level equal to her class level.

Improved wax and wane: At 17 level, the enhancement bonus to ability scores granted by a cycle warden's Wax and Wane ability increases to twice the appropriate season rating (to a maximum of +8).

Greater renewal (Ex): Upon reaching 19th level, a cycle warden can alter her techniques with barely a thought.  Whenever she makes use of her Improved Renewal ability, the cycle warden may exchange a third readied maneuver, readying a Revolution maneuver in addition to the two seasonal maneuvers.

Improved bloom and wither (Su): A 20th level cycle warden gains increased benefit from her Bloom and Wither ability.  Whenever she is associated with the Equinox axis, her fast healing becomes equal to twice her Spring rating, her bonus to Initiative increases to twice her Autumn rating, and she additionally gains an insight bonus to Reflex saves equal to twice her Autumn rating.  When the cycle warden is associated with the Solstice axis, her bonus on Fortitude saves increases to twice her Winter rating, she gains an insight bonus to Will saves equal to twice her Winter rating, and the damage dealt by her Summer aura increases to 3d8 fire damage times her Summer rating.

Verdigris (Su): At 20th level, a cycle warden's connection to the Cycle is complete.  She permanently gains the Plant type (as per her Call of the Cycle ability), but still counts as her original type whenever it would be beneficial to her.
« Last Edit: October 30, 2012, 03:39:01 PM by sirpercival »
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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2012, 09:59:04 PM »
Equinox Martial Discipline
Associated Skill: Heal.
Discipline Weapons: Polearms, scythe, sickle, spears.

Equinox Level 1
  • Brittle Branches: Autumn stance. Attacks you make reduce opponents' damage reduction.
  • First Harvest: Autumn strike. Make an attack which deals +1d6 acid damage.
  • Growing Season: Spring counter. Heal a dying ally for 1d4 + half your Heal check result.
  • Sapling Strike: Spring strike. Grow weapon by 1 size category for 1 attack.
(click to show/hide)

Equinox Level 2
  • As the Leaf Falls: Autumn strike. Make an attack which saps your opponent's strength.
  • Early Frost: Autumn boost. An ally's attacks deal +1d4+IL cold damage for 1 round.
  • Floral Bloom: Spring strike. Your attack causes flowers to grow on your opponent, hampering their movement.
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Equinox Level 3
  • Gentle Rain: Spring stance. Take some damage as nonlethal damage each round.
  • Season of Plenty: Spring counter. Heal a dying ally for 3d4 + half your Heal check result.
  • Second Harvest: Autumn strike. Make an attack which deals +3d6 acid damage, can sicken your opponent.
(click to show/hide)

Equinox Level 4
  • Bitter Creep: Autumn strike. Make an attack which also does Constitution damage.
  • Leafmould: Autumn counter. An opponent trying to attack you takes a penalty to Strength.
  • Willow Strike: Spring strike. Grow weapon by 2 size categories for 1 attack.
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Equinox Level 5
  • Heavy Clouds: Autumn stance. Enemies who attack you become exhausted.
  • Late Harvest: Autumn strike. Make an attack which deals +3d6 acid damage, can nauseate your opponent.
  • Surge of Life: Spring boost. Your attacks deal +1d6+IL electricity damage, may cause opponent to provoke AoO.
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Equinox Level 6
  • Cornucopia: Spring counter. Heal a dying ally for 8d4 + half your Heal check result.
  • Early Thaw: Spring boost. Allies within 30 feet benefit from freedom of movement for 1 round.
  • Slow Rot: Autumn boost. Your attacks cause successive penalties.
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Equinox Level 7
  • Bitter Cringe: Autumn strike. Make an attack at +5d6 damage which causes paralysis.
  • Broken Branches: Autumn boost. Allies within 30 feet make touch attacks for 1 round.
  • Redwood Strike: Spring strike. Grow weapon by 4 size categories for 1 attack.
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Equinox Level 8
  • Bare Earth: Autumn counter. An opponent trying to attack you has its Strength reduced to 1.
  • Primal Surge: Spring strike. Your full attack deals +5d6 electricity damage, all opponents provoke AoOs.
  • Unbridled Growth: Spring stance. Each round, heal allies within 30 feet based on your Heal check.
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Equinox Level 9
  • Endless Bloom: Spring strike. Make an attack which causes your opponent to permanently sprout flowers.
  • Final Harvest: Autumn strike. Make an attack which deals +10d6 acid damage, can kill opponent.
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« Last Edit: September 10, 2012, 10:21:19 PM by sirpercival »
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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2012, 09:59:20 PM »
Solstice Martial Discipline
Associated Skill: Survival.
Discipline Weapons: Axes, swords.

Solstice Level 1
  • Flurry: Winter strike. Make an attack which deals +1d3 cold and +1d3 negative energy damage.
  • Frozen Trail: Winter boost. The path you move becomes slick and difficult to move on.
  • High Noon: Summer strike. Make an attack which deals +1d8 fire damage.
  • Mild Climate: Summer stance. You are continuously protected as the endure elements spell.
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Solstice Level 2
  • Deep Chill: Winter strike. Make an attack which slows an opponent for 1 round.
  • Long Night: Winter counter. Shroud your opponent in darkness.
  • Parching Strike: Summer strike. Your attack does nonlethal damage, causes dehydration.
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Solstice Level 3
  • Heat Haze: Summer boost. Ripples in the air grant you total concealment.
  • Scorcher: Summer strike. Make an attack which deals +2d8 fire damage, can daze your opponent.
  • Tamed Blizzard: Winter stance. Create an area of wintry weather around you.
(click to show/hide)

Solstice Level 4
  • Dawn Riposte: Summer counter. Opponent which attacks you takes damage equal to your Survival check.
  • Frostbite: Winter boost. Your attacks freeze your opponents' extremities.
  • Snowfall: Winter strike. Make an attack which deals +2d6 cold and +2d6 negative energy damage.
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Solstice Level 5
  • Heatwave: Summer stance. Nearby enemies take nonlethal damage, which converts over time to lethal damage.
  • Permafrost: Winter strike. Your attack deals +3d8 cold damage, fills surrounding squares with snow and ice.
  • Sunstroke: Summer strike. Make an attack which deals +4d8 fire damage, may stun opponent.
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Solstice Level 6
  • Bloodfreeze: Winter strike. Make an attack which can freeze your opponent's blood.
  • Nightfall: Winter counter. Your attacker is surrounded by hungry darkness which deals negative energy damage.
  • Overabundance: Summer boost. Allies within 30 feet gain combat benefits for 1 round.
(click to show/hide)

Solstice Level 7
  • Blinding Snow: Winter strike. Make an attack which deals +3d8 cold and +3d8 negative energy damage, may blind your opponent.
  • Flash Step: Summer counter. Take a 5-foot step as an immediate action.
  • Heatstroke: Summer strike. Make an attack which deals +6d8 fire damage, may cause your opponent to lose actions.
(click to show/hide)

Solstice Level 8
  • Glacierstrike: Winter strike. Your attack does +6d6 cold damage, may encase your opponent in ice.
  • Hungry Night: Winter stance. The area around you is covered in darkness you can see through, which drains the life force from nearby enemies to heal you.
  • Sunburn: Summer strike. Make an attack at +8d6 fire damage which hampers your opponent's subsequent actions.
(click to show/hide)

Solstice Level 9
  • Dog Days: Summer boost. Energy damage you deal is doubled, bypasses resistance.
  • Untamed Blizzard: Winter strike. Create a short-lived blizzard over a large area.
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: September 10, 2012, 10:01:58 PM by sirpercival »
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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2012, 09:59:30 PM »
Revolution Martial Discipline
Associated Skill: Martial Lore.
Discipline Weapons: None.

Revolution Level 1
  • Cycle's March: Stance. You gain benefits from changing your targets.
  • Transient Thoughts: Strike. Make an attack which may force your enemy to try and predict others' actions.
  • Turnabout: Counter. Your enemy's attack is turned back on them as well.
(click to show/hide)

Revolution Level 2
  • Changing Times: Boost. Change your equipment as a swift action.
  • Rapid Adaptation: Counter. Gain DR after an opponent strikes you.
  • Tempered Distortion: Strike. Your attack deals +1d6 damage and warps your opponent's equipment, making it difficult to use.
(click to show/hide)

Revolution Level 3
  • Migration: Stance. You can move twice your speed with a move action.
  • Subtle Twist: Strike. Make an attack which can automatically threaten a critical hit.
(click to show/hide)

Revolution Level 4
  • Ephemeral Thoughts: Strike. Make an attack which forces your opponent to delay.
  • New Sprout: Boost. Use Martial Lore checks in place of attack rolls for 1 round.
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Revolution Level 5
  • Manifest Diversity: Stance. You gain various natural weapons.
  • Winds of Change: Strike. Your attack deals +3d6 damage, removes your opponent's equipment.
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Revolution Level 6
  • Rapid Evolution: Counter. You gain immunity to a particular type of damage for 3 rounds.
  • Subtle Modulation: Strike. Make an attack at +5d6 damage which can baffle your opponent's later attacks.
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Revolution Level 7
  • Evanescent Thoughts: Strike. Your attack causes your opponent to lose track of the battle.
  • Novel Advance: Boost. Make a charge attack as a swift action.
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Revolution Level 8
  • Perennial Bloom: Stance.  Each round, you may substitute a Martial Lore check for one type of roll.
  • Tidal Flow: Strike. Make an attack with +6d6 bonus damage which causes your opponent's combat prowess to slowly ebb away.
(click to show/hide)

Revolution Level 9
  • Fractured Metamorphosis: Boost.  You split yourself in half for 1 round.
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: July 10, 2014, 09:43:07 AM by sirpercival »
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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2012, 09:59:46 PM »
Player Aid:
(click to show/hide)

Feats

Balanced Cycle [Tactical]
Prerequisites: One Autumn maneuver, one Spring maneuver, base attack bonus +6, and one of Convalescent Warmth, Harvest Hunter, Meditative Jolt, or Subtle Erosion.
Benefit: The Balanced Cycle feat enables the use of two tactical options:
  • New Bud: To use this option, you must make a DC 20 Heal check as a free action after hitting your target with a melee attack while wielding an Equinox discipline weapon.  If you succeed, you gain damage reduction /– equal to your Wisdom modifier against your target's next attack against you.
  • Old Growth: If you hit an opponent with a melee attack while wielding an Equinox discipline weapon, and then hit the same opponent with a melee attack on the following round with the same weapon, you bypass an amount of that opponent's damage reduction equal to your Wisdom modifier on that attack.
Burning Rage
Prerequisites: One Summer strike, Rage class feature, Wis 13.
Benefit: Whenever you are in a Summer stance and fly into a rage, you may initiate Summer strikes with no difficulty, and you deal extra fire damage with every successful attack equal to your Wisdom modifier.  In addition, if you have levels in Cycle Warden and Barbarian, those levels stack to determine the number of times per day you can enter a rage.

Convalescent Warmth
Prerequisites: One Spring strike, Heal 4 ranks.
Benefit: Whenever you successfully damage an opponent with a Spring strike, you heal 2 points of damage per level of the strike.

Cycle Awareness
Prerequisites: One Revolution stance, Martial Lore 4 ranks, Wis 13.
Benefit: You may use your Wisdom modifier in place of your Intelligence modifier for the Martial Lore skill.  In addition, while you are in a Revolution stance, you may make Martial Lore checks in place of Spot and Listen checks.

First Snow
Prerequisites: One Winter strike.
Benefit: The first time you initiate a Winter strike against a given opponent in an encounter, you deal additional cold damage equal to your Initiator level.

Frozen Earth
Prerequisites: One Winter stance.
Benefit: As long as you are in a Winter stance and touching the ground, any creature who attempts to bull rush, grapple, overrun, or trip you suffers cold damage equal to your Initiator level.  In the case of a grapple which lasts for more than one roll, the cold damage only applies when the initial attempt is made.

Harvest Hunter
Prerequisites: One Autumn strike, Favored Enemy class feature.
Benefit: If you have levels in Ranger and Cycle Warden, those levels stack for the purpose of determining when you select additional favored enemies, as well as the total bonus granted against your favored enemies.  In addition, whenever you initiate an Autumn strike against a favored enemy, you deal maximum damage.

Heat of Battle
Prerequisites: One Summer stance, base Will save +1
Benefit: Whenever you are in a Summer stance, on your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all your saving throws for the round to gain bonus fire damage equal to twice that number on all damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base Will save bonus. The penalty on saves and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.
Special: Heat of Battle can be used in place of Power Attack to qualify for a feat, prestige class, or other special ability. You can take both this feat and Power Attack.

Long Days, Long Nights [Tactical]
Prerequisites: One Summer maneuver, one Winter maneuver, base attack bonus +6, and one of Burning Rage, First Snow, Frozen Earth, or Heat of Battle.
Benefit: The Long Days, Long Nights feat enables the use of two tactical options:
  • Afternoon Blaze: To use this option, you must hit an opponent with a melee attack which drops that opponent to 0 or fewer hit points, while wielding a Solstice discipline weapon.  The next melee attack you make, if successful, automatically threatens a critical hit, and you gain a bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier on the critical confirmation roll.
  • Morning Chill: To use this option, you must deal damage to an opponent with a Solstice discipline weapon, the damage you deal must be the first damage that opponent has taken in the combat, and you must make a DC 20 Survival check as a move action immediately afterward.  If you succeed, each other attack made against that opponent by your allies until the end of combat deals extra cold damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Meditative Jolt
Prerequisites: One Spring stance, Flurry of Blows class feature.
Benefit: If you have levels in Monk and Cycle Warden, those levels stack for determining your unarmed strike damage and AC bonus.  In addition, whenever you are in a Spring stance and use your Flurry of Blows ability, all your unarmed strikes deal additional electricity damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Subtle Erosion
Prerequisites: One Autumn stance, Weapon Finesse
Benefit: Whenever you are in an Autumn stance, you may gain the benefit of the Weapon Finesse feat while wielding any Equinox discipline weapon.

Time Marches On [Tactical]
Prerequisites: Two Revolution maneuvers, base attack bonus +6, Martial Lore 9 ranks, Cycle Awareness.
Benefit: The Time Marches On feat enables the use of three tactical options:
  • Changing Tactics: To use this option, you must succeed at an attempt to bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, or trip an opponent, and then make a melee attack against the same opponent the following round.  You receive a bonus on the attack roll equal to your Wisdom modifier, and a bonus on the damage roll equal to your Initiator level.  These bonuses only apply to the first attack you make against that opponent in the round.
  • Inexorable Progression: To use this option, you must initiate a strike maneuver from a different season against the same opponent each round in four consecutive rounds (each season must be represented once).  On the fourth round, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your initiator level + your Wisdom modifier) or fall unconscious for 1d4 rounds.
  • Unusual Motion: To use this option, you must hit an opponent with a melee attack and deal damage.  Until the end of your next turn, you may use Martial Lore instead of Tumble to avoid provoking attacks of opportunity from that opponent due to moving through squares it threatens.
Wild Recovery [Wild]
Prerequisites: One Revolution maneuver, Wild Shape class feature.
Benefit: You may spend a use of your Wild Shape ability as a swift action to recover an expended maneuver of your choice.  In addition, if you have levels in Cycle Warden and Druid, those levels stack for determining the uses per day, duration, and max Hit Dice of your Wild Shape ability.
« Last Edit: February 08, 2014, 11:21:12 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2012, 10:04:19 PM »
Done porting, if you'd like to comment (please do!!).  Also, go vote for me.  Lol.
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Offline Nanshork

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2012, 11:08:56 PM »
My goodness this looks complicated.  You obviously have too much free time on your hands.   :P

Too sleepy/lazy to give it a proper look tonight, I'll get to that soon (hopefully).

Offline Garryl

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2012, 11:34:39 PM »
Maneuver recovery: Are stances included for the recovery? They probably should be, otherwise you'll run out of maneuvers over time when you initiate maneuvers more than one per round.

I'm not sure maneuvers are necessarily the best mechanic to use for this class. Too many of the class features are tied so closely to using maneuvers of the 3 disciplines, it doesn't actually function with maneuvers from other disciplines (such as through PrCs or Martial Study).

Epoch: This needs to actually increase the total rating along an axis, otherwise you wind up with 1/3 to 5/-1 instead of 1/4 to 5/0.

Will look at maneuvers another time. All of the other class features seem alright.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2012, 07:58:07 AM »
My goodness this looks complicated.  You obviously have too much free time on your hands.   :P

Too sleepy/lazy to give it a proper look tonight, I'll get to that soon (hopefully).
Haha I did this over the past couple weeks; I just had it over there, and I was allowed to port it over here when the voting started.

I look forward to your comments!

Maneuver recovery: Are stances included for the recovery? They probably should be, otherwise you'll run out of maneuvers over time when you initiate maneuvers more than one per round.
This is true, and a known problem, but I figured it was okay since most combats won't last that long.  I can add stances too, though I wonder how that interacts with Renewal et al.

Quote
I'm not sure maneuvers are necessarily the best mechanic to use for this class. Too many of the class features are tied so closely to using maneuvers of the 3 disciplines, it doesn't actually function with maneuvers from other disciplines (such as through PrCs or Martial Study).
Well, I've been thinking about that.  My thought was to maybe change the wording of how the recovery works slightly, and then to take other disciplines and assign them a season.

My original thought had been invocations, but maneuvers seemed (a) to fit the melee flavor of the class very nicely, (b) to give you a good number of options in character building and in play, and (b) to qualify as a renewable resource that still allows for management and tuning.

Quote
Epoch: This needs to actually increase the total rating along an axis, otherwise you wind up with 1/3 to 5/-1 instead of 1/4 to 5/0.
Ah yes, I missed that part.  Good catch.

Quote
Will look at maneuvers another time. All of the other class features seem alright.
Good, thanks!
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Offline Concerned Ninja Citizen

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #9 on: September 29, 2012, 03:57:01 PM »
Is it possible to be an undead Cycle Warden?

If you were, would the Gentle Rain stance prevent you from taking damage ever?

Is this a bug or a feature?

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Cycle Warden [3.5 base]
« Reply #10 on: September 29, 2012, 04:15:51 PM »
Is it possible to be an undead Cycle Warden?

If you were, would the Gentle Rain stance prevent you from taking damage ever?

Is this a bug or a feature?
Nah, it only converts up to your IL in damage per round.  So it's basically DR that can't be ignored, for an undead.
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