Author Topic: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes  (Read 40469 times)

Offline Garryl

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Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« on: May 21, 2014, 01:42:29 AM »
Index
The classes described here are connected by their use of auras. The exact nature of an aura can vary wildly. For some classes, they are spheres of power surrounding the character that can enhance allies and hinder enemies. For others, auras represent the distance at which the character can effectively lead his or her companions and inspire them to greater heroics.

The base radius of an aura is 60 feet. Except where noted, an aura is an emanation that fills the projecting character's space and extends outwards to its radius beyond that in all directions. Auras require line of effect, but most do not need line of sight.

Auras (Ex/Su): As a projector, you can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one aura of each type that you have access to at a time, usually a minor aura plus a special aura based on your class. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a Dragon Shaman 2/Marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a draconic aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind. You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

Activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) with line of effect to you. The exact nature of what creatures can be affected by your auras and what conditions and injuries may forcibly dismiss your auras and prevent you from projecting them varies from class to class.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. For most classes that grant access to minor auras, your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1).
  • Accurate Strike: Allies gain a bonus on rolls made to confirm critical hits.
  • Art of War: Allies gain a bonus on disarm, trip, bull rush, and sunder attempts.
  • Blitz: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls against flat-footed opponents.
  • Combat Tactics: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls on attacks of opportunity.
  • Demand Fortitude: Allies gain a bonus on Fortitude saves.
  • Determined Caster: Allies gain a bonus on rolls to overcome spell resistance.
  • Determined Manifester: Allies gain a bonus on rolls to overcome power resistance.
  • Distant Aim: Allies gain a bonus on ranged attack rolls. This cannot raise a character's ranged attack modifier above his or her normal ranged attack modifier within the first range increment.
  • Force of Will: Allies gain a bonus on Will saves.
  • Lethal Strike: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls for confirmed critical hits. This damage bonus is multiplied, as normal.
  • Long Haul: Allies gain a bonus to Strength for the purpose of carrying capacity and a bonus on checks and rolls modified by the Endurance feat.
  • Master of Opportunity: Allies gain a bonus to Armor Class against attacks of opportunity.
  • Master of Tactics: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls when flanking.
  • Motivate Charisma: Allies gain a bonus on Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks.
  • Motivate Constitution: Allies gain a bonus on Constitution checks and Constitution-based skill checks.
  • Motivate Dexterity: Allies gain a bonus on Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and initiative checks.
  • Motivate Intelligence: Allies gain a bonus on Intelligence checks and Intelligence-based skill checks.
  • Motivate Strength: Allies gain a bonus on Strength checks and Strength-based skill checks.
  • Motivate Wisdom: Allies gain a bonus on Wisdom checks and Wisdom-based skill checks.
  • Over the Top: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls when charging.
  • Reliable Strike: Allies gain a bonus on percentile miss chance rolls equal to twice your aura bonus.
  • Sublime Focus: Allies gain a bonus on skill checks made as part of maneuvers.
  • Tough It Out: Allies gain a bonus to current and maximum hit points equal to twice your aura bonus. These hit points are not lost first like temporary hit points, and disappear when the aura is lost.
  • Warning Shout: Allies gain a bonus to Armor Class while denied Dexterity to AC. This cannot raise a character's Armor Class above his or her normal Armor Class. This does not change whether or not a character is considered denied Dex to AC, even if it raises his or her AC to its normal value.
  • Watchful Eye: Allies gain a bonus on Reflex saves.


Auras By Effect
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« Last Edit: June 24, 2022, 03:01:01 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2014, 01:42:44 AM »
Divine Mind base class
A divine mind fix. It sort of mixes with an improved marshal, upgrades to psychic warrior power progression, and stirs until it thickens.

Hit Die: d8

Table: The Divine Mind


Level
Base
Attack
Bonus

Fort
Save

Ref
Save

Will
Save


Special
Power
Points
Per Day

Powers
Known
Maximum
Power
Level
Auras
Known
Minor
1+0+2+0+2Mantle (1st, 2nd), Minor Aura211st2
2+1+3+0+3Mantle (3rd), Mantle Aura +1321st3
3+2+3+1+3Dilate Aura (90 feet)431st4
4+3+4+1+4--542nd4
5+3+4+1+4Mantle (4th)752nd5
6+4+5+2+5Mantle Aura +21162nd5
7+5+5+2+5Dilate Aura (120 feet)1573rd6
8+6/+1+6+2+6Aura Shift (immediate)1983rd6
9+6/+1+6+3+6--2393rd7
10+7/+2+7+3+7Mantle (5th), Mantle Aura +327104th7
11+8/+3+7+3+7Dilate Aura (150 feet)35114th8
12+9/+4+8+4+8Extra Aura43124th8
13+9/+4+8+4+8--51135th9
14+10/+5+9+4+9Mantle Aura +459145th9
15+11/+6/+1+9+5+9Mantle (6th)67155th10
16+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Dilate Aura (180 feet)79166th10
17+12/+7/+2+10+5+10--91176th11
18+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Mantle Aura +5103186th11
19+14/+9/+4+11+6+11--115196th12
20+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Allied Victory, Mantle (7th)127206th12

Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Autohypnosis, Bluff, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Psicraft, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a divine mind, you are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Power Points/Day: As a divine mind, your ability to manifest powers is limited by the power points you have available. Your base daily allotment of power points is given on the table above. In addition, you receive bonus power points per day if you have a high Charisma score. Your race may also provide bonus power points per day, as may certain feats and items.

Powers Known: As a divine mind, you begin play knowing one power of your choice. At every class level after 1st, you unlock the knowledge of new powers.

Choose the powers known from your divine mind power list, which consists of the powers on all of the mantles you have. (Exception: The feats Expanded Knowledge and Epic Expanded Knowledge do allow you to learn powers from the lists of other classes.) You can manifest any power that has a power point cost equal to or lower than your manifester level.

The total number of powers you can manifest in a day is limited only by your daily power points.

You simply know your powers; they are ingrained in your mind. You do not need to prepare them (in the way that some spellcasters prepare their spells), though you must get a good night’s sleep each day to regain all your spent power points.

The Difficulty Class for saving throws against your divine mind powers is 10 + the power’s level + the your Charisma modifier.

Maximum Power Level Known: As a divine mind, you begin play with the ability to learn 1st-level powers. As you attain higher levels, you may gain the ability to master more complex powers.

To learn or manifest a power, you must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the power’s level.

Auras (Su): As a divine mind, your conviction and force of will exerts an effect on creatures in your vicinity. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and (starting at 2nd level) one mantle aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a divine mind 2/marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a mantle aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (mantle or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

As a divine mind, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) with line of effect to you. A creature must have an Intelligence score to be subjected to an aura (mindless creatures cannot be directly affected by your auras). Your aura is dismissed and you cannot project an aura while you are unable to gain your psionic focus (such as due to having no power points remaining) or while you are unconscious, confused, dominated, brain locked, or otherwise unable to think your own thoughts. Your aura is also dismissed if you unwillingly lose your psionic focus (such as due to the Psionic Hole feat) although you can still project it again on your next turn.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your divine mind level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Mantle Aura: Beginning at 2nd level, you can project a mantle aura in addition to your minor aura. A mantle aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your mantle auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter. You know and can project the auras of every mantle you possess.

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Mantle: You gain two mantles of your choice at 1st level, and another mantle of your choice at 2nd level, 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter. You gain the granted powers of your chosen mantles and you add their powers to your divine mind power list.

Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the range of your auras increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again at each of 7th, 11th, and 16th level.

Aura Shift (Su): Starting at 8th level, you can dismiss an aura and activate a new one of the same type in its place as an immediate action.

Extra Aura: At 12th level, you gain Extra Aura (mantle aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more mantle aura at once than normal (for a total of 2). You must activate or dismiss your auras separately.

Allied Victory (Su): Starting at 20th level, if any ally subject to your mantle auras has one of the following bonuses, all allies subject to your mantle auras gain them. Only competence, insight, luck, morale, sacred, and profane bonuses are shared this way.
  • Ability scores
  • Attack rolls, including critical confirmation rolls
  • Damage rolls
  • Armor Class
  • Saving throws
  • Caster and manifester level
  • Save DCs
  • Skill checks
  • Ability checks, including initiative checks
  • Level checks, including dispel checks and caster and manifester level checks to bypass spell resistance
The shared bonuses retain their type, magnitude, and any restrictions that they may have (such as bonuses to only melee attack rolls). Bonuses that apply only until they have been used a certain number of times (such as the attack roll bonus from a true strike spell) are not shared this way, nor are bonuses that must be applied to only a singular roll or event (such as the assignable bonus from the Fate mantle aura). Bonuses that apply to only a specific weapon or ability are shared, but since their restrictions are maintained, they only apply if the ally also uses the same weapon or ability.



Alternative Class Features
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« Last Edit: June 04, 2022, 05:27:30 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2014, 01:42:57 AM »
Dragon Shaman base class
A remake of the original dragon shaman with some fancy new aura features that build on what was once touch of vitality's healing pool.

Hit Die: d10

Table: The Dragon Shaman

Level
Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save

Special
Draconic
Vitality
Auras Known
MinorDraconic
1+0+2+0+2Breath Weapon, Dragontouched, Minor Aura, Totem Dragon102--
2+1+3+0+3Bonus Feat, Draconic Aura +12033
3+2+3+1+3Dilate Aura (90 feet), Draconic Adaptation3043
4+3+4+1+4Draconic Resolve4043
5+3+4+1+4Scales +25054
6+4+5+2+5Draconic Aura +27054
7+5+5+2+5Bonus Feat, Dilate Aura (120 feet)9064
8+6/+1+6+2+6Share Draconic Adaptation11064
9+6/+1+6+3+6Totem Immunity13074
10+7/+2+7+3+7Breath Weapon (double range), Draconic Aura +315075
11+8/+3+7+3+7Dilate Aura (150 feet), Scales +318085
12+9/+4+8+4+8Extra Aura21085
13+9/+4+8+4+8Bonus Feat24095
14+10/+5+9+4+9Commune with Dragon Spirit, Draconic Aura +427095
15+11/+6/+1+9+5+9Share Totem Immunity300106
16+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Dilate Aura (180 feet), Draconic Longevity340106
17+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Draconic Infusion, Scales +4380116
18+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Draconic Aura +5420116
19+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Bonus Feat460126
20+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Breath Weapon (quadruple range), Dragonshape500127

Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Profession, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, and Use Magic Device. In addition, a dragon shaman gains access to additional class skills based on her totem dragon (see below).

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a dragon shaman, you are proficient with all simple weapons, with medium and light armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Languages: As a dragon shaman, you learn to speak Draconic. Draconic is a free language for you; that is, you know it in addition to your regular allotment of languages and it doesn’t take up a language slot.

Totem Dragon: You must choose a totem dragon from among the true dragons listed in the table below. At least one component of your alignment must be the same as your totem dragon's alignment, and no component of your alignment may be opposed to your totem dragon's alignment. For example, a gold dragon shaman (LG) could be lawful good, neutral good, or lawful neutral, while an amethyst dragon shaman (TN) could be neutral good, neutral evil, lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or true neutral. You gain additional class skills and a particular sort of breath weapon based on the dragon you select as your totem. Your choice of totem dragon also influences the draconic adaptation and totem immunity abilities you gain at later levels.

Table: Dragon Shaman Totem Dragons
Chromatic
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
BlackCEHide, Move Silently, SwimAcidWater BreathingAcid
BlueLEBluff, Hide, SpellcraftElectricityVentriloquismElectricity
GreenLEBluff, Hide, Move SilentlyAcidWater BreathingAcid
RedCEAppraise, Bluff, JumpFireTreasure SeekerFire
WhiteCEHide, Move Silently, SwimColdIcewalkerCold
Metallic
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
BrassCGBluff, Gather Information, SurvivalFireWild BoonFire
BronzeLGDisguise, Survival, SwimElectricityWater BreathingElectricity
CopperCGBluff, Hide, JumpAcidSpider ClimbAcid
GoldLGDisguise, Heal, SwimFireWater BreathingFire
SilverLGBluff, Disguise, JumpColdCloud StriderCold
Gem
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
AmethystTNBluff, Hide, Move SilentlyNonlethal untyped damageBody EquilibriumImmune to poison, +4 bonus on saves against force effects
CrystalCNGather Information, Jump, SwimUntyped damage from a light effectCloud StriderCold
EmeraldLNGather Information, Hide, SwimSonicObject ReadingSonic
SapphireLNClimb, Jump, Move SilentlySonicSpider ClimbElectricity
TopazCNHide, Survival, SwimUntypedWater BreathingCold
Ferrous
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
ChromiumLEAppraise, Bluff, JumpColdIcewalkerCold
CobaltLEDisable Device, Hide, JumpElectricityWater BreathingElectricity
IronLNDisguise, Gather Information, JumpHalf electricity, half fireMinor Shape ChangeFire
NickelLEBluff, Hide, SwimAcidWater BreathingAcid
TungstenLGGather Information, Spellcraft, SurvivalHalf bludgeoning1, half fireDesert AdaptationFire
Faerunian
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
BrownNEClimb, Hide, SurvivalAcidDesert AdaptationAcid
DeepCEDisguise, Survival, SwimAcidIllusion SenseImmune to charms, compulsions, and phantasms
MercuryCGBluff, Disguise, Jump, Sense Motive, SurvivalFireBrilliance, Protected SightFire
MistTNBluff, Sense Motive, Swim, SurvivalFireWater BreathingAcid
RattlyrLEClimb, Hide, Jump, Move SilentlyFireDisturbing PresenceFire
SongCGBluff, Disguise, Jump, Speak LanguageElectricityTonguesElectricity
SteelLNBluff, Craft, Disguise, Profession, SpellcraftAcidMinor Change ShapeSR 15 + class level against arcane spells
Planar
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
AdamantineNGHeal, Swim, TumbleFireRetain EssenceFire
ArborealCGClimb, Spellcraft, SurvivalPiercing1Minor Change ShapeSonic
EtherealTNHide, Lucid Dreaming, SpellcraftUntyped damage from a force effectEthereal VisionImmune to damage from force effects, +4 bonus on saves against force effects
RustLEDisable Device, Open Lock, SurvivalAcidRetain EssenceDR/non-metal equal to your class level
ShadowCEBluff, Hide, Move SilentlyNegative energyDraining Breath, Illusion SenseEnergy drain and negative energy
Other
Totem Dragons
Dragon
Alignment

Class Skills
Breath Weapon
Damage Type
Draconic
Adaptation
Totem
Immunity
BrainstealerLEBluff, Gather Information, SurvivalUntyped damage from a mind-affecting effectTelepathyAcid
EctoplasmicCNDisguise, Gather Information, HideFirePlanar AdaptationFire
ObsidianNEAppraise, Gather Information, SurvivalFirePlanar AdaptationFire
SandCNHide, Move Silently, SurvivalPiercing1Desert AdaptationFire
Notes and Superscripts
1. The breath weapon's damage is affected by damage reduction. It bypasses damage reduction as though it was from a magical weapon.

Draconic Vitality: As a result of your studies and devotion to your totem dragon, you have learned to emulate the enduring magical might of dragons. You gain a pool of draconic vitality points, or DV, that you can spend to enhance some of your dragon shaman abilities. The base size of your pool is based on your class level, as indicated on the table above. If you have a positive Charisma modifier, you also gain additional points equal to 2 x class level x your Charisma bonus (if any). For example, a 7th-level dragon shaman with a Charisma score of 14 (+2 bonus) would have a pool of 118 DV. Whenever you get a full night's rest, you recover all lost or expended draconic vitality, restoring your pool to full.

Changes to the size of your pool also increase or decrease the amount of remaining draconic vitality you have by the same amount. While you cannot spend more draconic vitality than you have remaining in your pool, a reduction to your pool size (such as due to a penalty to your Charisma score) can reduce your remaining draconic vitality to a negative amount.

Some feats and other options also grant you a pool of draconic vitality. Regardless of the source, they all combine into a single pool of draconic vitality that you can expend for all of the abilities that use it.

Auras (Su): As a dragon shaman, you can channel the mighty powers of dragonkind to project auras that grant you and nearby allies special benefits or that awe and impede nearby enemies. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and (starting at 2nd level) one draconic aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a dragon shaman 2/marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a draconic aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (draconic or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

As a dragon shaman, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) with line of effect to you. Unlike the auras of divine minds, marshals, and paladins, creatures need not have an Intelligence score to be subjected to your auras (mindless creatures can benefit from or be hindered by your dragon shaman auras as much as intelligent creatures). Your aura is dismissed and you cannot project an aura while you are unconscious or are slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if you are incapable of acting.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your dragon shaman level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Draconic Aura: Beginning at 2nd level, you can project a draconic aura in addition to your minor aura. A draconic aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your draconic auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 6th level and every 4 levels thereafter. You learn three draconic auras of your choice at 2nd level. As your dragon shaman level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Most draconic auras have a boost effect. As a swift action, you can spend some of your remaining draconic vitality (or DV) to improve the aura's effects temporarily. If you dismiss an aura, its boost's duration immediately ends and the boost effect is lost, even if you activate the aura again before the boost's duration would normally end. In the case of boosts that have a specific target, should the target cease being affected by the aura, the boost effect ends on that target just like you had dismissed the aura.

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Breath Weapon (Su): At 1st level, you gain a breath weapon that you can use once per round as a standard action. Each time you use your breath weapon, you can choose whether it takes the form of a 15-foot cone or a 30-foot line. This breath weapon deals 1d6 points of damage of the type corresponding to your totem dragon, plus an additional 1d6 damage for every 2 class levels; a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Con modifier) halves the damage. Additionally, whenever you use your breath weapon, you can spend some of your draconic vitality to improve its potency. For every 3 points of draconic vitality (or DV) that you spend, you add an additional 1d6 damage to it, to a maximum number of additional damage dice equal to half your class level, rounded up.

Some totem dragons specify additional characteristics about their breath weapon's damage, such as counting as a certain type of effect, being affected by damage reduction, or using a different saving throw. These characteristics apply only if your breath weapon deals its normal type of damage. Any effect that replaces the breath weapon's damage with another type entirely, such as with the breath weapon substitution spell, also removes those additional characteristics.

You are immune to the effect of your own breath weapon (but not to other breath weapons that produce similar effects, even those of other dragon shamans).

At 10th level, your cone-shaped breath weapon's range doubles to 30 feet, and your line-shaped breath weapon's range doubles to 60 feet. At 20th level, these ranges double again, to 60 feet and 120 feet, respectively.

Dragontouched: At 1st level, you gain Dragontouched as a bonus feat, even if you don't qualify for it. This grants you the dragonblood subtype, 1 extra hit point, a +1 bonus on Listen, Search, and Spot checks, and a +1 bonus on saving throws against paralysis and sleep effects. In addition, you can select draconic feats as if you were a sorcerer of your character level.

Bonus Feats: At 2nd level, 7th level, and every 6 levels thereafter, you gain a bonus breath, metabreath, or draconic feat of your choice. You can also select the Dragon Wings feat, even though your character level is beyond 1st, or the Improved Dragon Wings, Reinforced Wings, and Heavyweight Wings feats.

Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the range of your auras increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again at each of 7th, 11th, and 16th level.

Draconic Adaptation: At 3rd level, you take on an aspect of your totem dragon. Some adaptations are extraordinary or supernatural abilities that are always active; others are spell-like abilities that you can activate at will. Spell-like abilities have a caster level equal to your class level and a save DC equal to 10 + spell level + Cha modifier. Psi-like abilities have a manifester level equal to your class level and a save DC equal to 10 + power level + Cha modifier. While most totems grant only a single adaptation, some totems grant multiple adaptations, as noted in their descriptions.
  • Body Equilibrium (Su): You gain the benefits of the body equilibrium power, allowing you to adjust your body’s equilibrium to correspond with any solid or liquid that you stand on, and halving the damage you take from falling.
  • Brilliance (Su): You can create a light as bright as a daylight spell in a cone-shaped emanation up to 60 feet long. Each round, you can turn the light in a new area. Activating or suppressing this ability is a standard action.
  • Cloud Strider (Su): You can tread on clouds or fog as though on solid ground. Additionally, you fall slowly, as per the feather fall spell. Either or both of these effects can be suppressed or resumed as a free action.
  • Desert Adaptation (Ex): You are constantly protected from extreme heat (although not extreme cold), as per the endure elements spell. You can walk across sandy surfaces without reducing your speed or making Balance checks. You can walk on the surface of even very loose sand or quicksand without sinking or breaking through. Further, you can go without drinking twice as long as normal (2 days plus a number of hours equal to twice your Constitution score, and making Con checks every 2 hours) and you need to drink only half as much water as normal (one gallon of water per two days as a medium creature).
  • Disturbing Presence (Su): Your presence unnerves creatures within 30 feet of you. Intelligent creatures with an attitude of indifferent, friendly, or helpful will typically interact with you as if their attitude was one step worse. Creatures on animal intelligence (Intelligence scores of 1 or 2) will typically avoid trying to approach you without good reason; a mother bear will still move to defend her cubs or den, but a hunting wolf pack will usually try to find easier prey unless they are truly starving. Those that do get close are shaken while within this ability's range. Any creature exposed to this ability is allowed a Will save to negate its effects. The results of a saving throw stand for 5 minutes, even if the creature leaves your presence and returns or if you suppress and reactivate this ability. Activating or suppressing this ability is a standard action. This is a mind-affecting effect.
  • Draining Breath (Su): When you spend draconic vitality (DV) to enhance your dragon shaman breath weapon, you can choose to add an energy drain to its effect instead of additional damage. When you use this ability, you do not add any extra damage dice due to spending DV. Instead, for every 2 additional damage dice you would have added, your breath weapon causes any creature damaged by it to gain 1 negative level. A successful save against the breath weapon also halves the number of negative levels gained. Negative levels gained this way last 1 hour. This is an energy drain effect.
  • Ethereal Vision (Su): You can see across the boundaries between the Material and Ethereal planes. While on the Material Plane, you can see into the Ethereal Plane out to a distance of 60 feet. While on the Ethereal Plane, you can see into the Material Plane out to a distance of 60 feet without any of the normal visual distortions. Additionally, while on either the Material Plane or the Ethereal Plane, you can hear sounds from the other plane out to the same distance. You can always tell which of the two planes anything you see or hear this way is on.
  • Icewalker (Ex): You are constantly protected from extreme cold (although not extreme heat), as per the endure elements spell. You can walk across icy surfaces without reducing your speed or making Balance checks. Further, you can cling to and walk upon sheer surfaces, as per the spider climb spell, as long as they are icy.
  • Illusion Sense (Ex): You are entitled to a Will save to disbelieve an illusion as soon as you observe it for the first time. You are only entitled to one such disbelief save for mere observation the first time you observe any given disbelievable illusion, but you can still make additional saves if you study it closely or interact with it, as normal.
  • Minor Change Shape (Su): As the changeling racial ability. You can alter your appearance as though using a disguise self spell that affects your body but not your possessions. This ability is not an illusory effect, but a minor physical alteration of your facial features, skin color and texture, and size, within the limits described for the spell. You can use this ability at will, and the alteration lasts until you change shape again. You revert to your natural form when killed. A true seeing spell reveals your natural form. When using this ability to create a disguise, you receive a +10 circumstance bonus on Disguise checks. Using this ability is a full-round action.
  • Object Reading (Ps): As the power, usable at will.
  • Planar Adaptation (Su): You are at ease on other planes. You can ignore the effects of most extraplanar environments, as per the avoid planar effects spell.
  • Protected Sight (Ex): You cannot be dazzled or blinded by light effects or exposure to light.
  • Retain Essence (Su): You gain a craft reserve, which is a pool of points that can be spent in place of experience points when crafting a magic item. If your dragon shaman level is greater than or equal to its caster level or if you are able to craft it, you can consume a magic item in a 24-hour ritual in order to add the XP spent to craft it to your craft reserve. Your craft reserve can store a maximum of 100 XP per dragon shaman level; any excess points are lost. Unlike an artificer's craft reserve, points in this reserve are not lost when you gain a level, but neither do you inherently gain any points in it. Additionally, you can produce a transference effect at will, as per the spell. You can use this to transfer XP stored in your craft reserve from this ability in addition to XP that you directly possess. If you share this draconic adaptation, other affected creatures do not gain a craft reserve. The XP from items that other creatures consume is also placed in your craft reserve, allowing you to use it even after you cease sharing the draconic adaptation with the ally.
  • Spider Climb (Su): You can cling to and walk along sheer surfaces, as per the spider climb spell.
  • Telepathy (Su): You can communicate telepathically with any other creature within 60 feet that has a language.
  • Tongues (Su): You can speak and understand any language, as per the tongues spell.
  • Treasure Seeker (Sp): You can use the detect magic and identify spells at will. You need not provide expensive material components for identify, but the casting time is the same as when cast as a spell.
  • Ventriloquism (Sp): As the spell, usable at will. You can also use this spell-like ability to mimic any voice or sound you have heard. Listeners are automatically allowed a disbelief save to detect the ruse when you use it this way.
  • Water Breathing (Ex): You can breathe underwater indefinitely and can freely use spells and other abilities underwater.
  • Wild Boon (Su): You are constantly protected from extreme temperatures, as per the endure elements spell. Additionally, you can comprehend and communicate with animals, as per the speak with animals spell.
Draconic Resolve (Ex): At 4th level, you gain immunity to paralysis and sleep effects. You also become immune to the frightful presence of dragons.

Scales (Ex): As your devotion to your totem dragon grows, your skin thickens, developing faint scales. Beginning at 5th level, you gain a +2 natural armor bonus to your Armor Class. If you already have a natural armor bonus from other sources, instead increase your existing bonus by this amount. This bonus increases by 1 for every 6 levels beyond 5th level, for a total bonus of +4 at level 17.

Share Draconic Adaptation (Su): Beginning at 8th level, you can have any ally affected by your draconic auras also gain the effects of your draconic adaptation.

Totem Immunity (Ex): Beginning at 9th level, you become immune to your totem dragon's associated energy type. Some totems grant a different benefit instead of immunity to an energy type, as noted in their descriptions.

Extra Aura: At 12th level, you gain Extra Aura (draconic aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more draconic aura at once than normal (for a total of 2). You must activate or dismiss your auras separately.

Commune with Dragon Spirit (Sp): At 14th level, you gain the ability to contact your totem dragon directly to ask questions of it. This is the equivalent of casting a commune spell, except that it has no material component, focus, or XP cost and allows only one question per three class levels. After using this ability, you cannot use it again for seven days.

Share Totem Immunity (Su): Beginning at 15th level, you can have any ally affected by your draconic auras also gain the effects of your totem immunity.

Draconic Longevity (Ex): At 16th level and onward, you no longer take penalties to your ability scores for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any such penalties that you have already taken, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and you still die of old age when your time is up. However, like your draconic patron, you become extraordinarily long-lived. Your maximum age is double normal.

Draconic Infusion (Su): When you reach 17th level, choose a single draconic aura you know and can project. Once selected, this cannot be changed. You continuously project that aura with a personal range; it affects you and only you at any and all times that you can project a draconic aura. Your ability to project this aura in this way is in addition to your normal ability to project draconic auras; it does not count against the number of draconic aura you can project at once. Further, you can still project this aura normally, counting against the number of draconic auras you can project at once but affecting more than just yourself like a normal aura. When you do so, you treat its aura bonus a +2 higher than normal with respect to yourself.

Dragonshape (Su): Beginning at 20th level, you can take on the full might of your totem dragon for a short while. You assume the form of a typical mature adult dragon of your totem dragon's type. Your type and subtype (if applicable) change to match the new form. You gain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scores of the new form but retain your own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. You also gain all special abilities possessed by the form (such as blindsense, breath weapon, crush, damage reduction, frightful presence, keen senses, spell resistance, tail sweep, and spell-like abilities) but do not gain the spellcasting or manifesting ability of your new form. Limitations on the use of abilities gained through this transformation remain regardless of how many times you switch between normal and draconic form.

You retain all supernatural and spell-like abilities of your normal form, except for those requiring a body part that the new form does not have, if any. You keep all extraordinary abilities derived from class levels, but you lose any benefits of the racial traits of your normal form. If you have a template, special abilities it provides are likewise not retained.

You acquire the physical qualities of the new form while retaining your own mind. Physical qualities include natural size, mundane movement capabilities (such as burrowing, climbing, walking, swimming, and flight with wings), natural armor bonus, natural weapons (such as claw, bite, wing, and tail slap attacks), racial bonuses on skill checks, racial bonus feats, and any anatomical qualities (presence or absence of wings, number of extremities, and so forth).

You can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as scale color, scale texture, and eye color) within the normal ranges for a creature of that type. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under your control, but they must fall within the norms for the new form’s species. You are effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s race. If you use this ability to create a disguise, you get a +10 bonus on your Disguise check.

When the change occurs, your equipment either remains worn or held by the new form (if it is capable of wearing or holding the item in question) or melds into the new form and becomes nonfunctional. When you revert to your normal form, any objects previously melded into the new form reappear in the same location on your body they previously occupied and are once again functional. Any new items you wore in the assumed form and can’t wear in your normal form fall off and land at your feet; any that you could wear in either form or carry in a body part common to both forms (mouth, hands, or the like) at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. Any part of the body or piece of equipment that is separated from the whole reverts to its normal form.

While under this effect, your remaining draconic vitality directly bolsters your life force, functioning similarly to temporary hit points. Any damage you take is subtracted from your remaining draconic vitality before your normal hit points, but after temporary hit points. Just like real temporary hit points, you add your draconic vitality to your hit point total to determine the effects of hit point-dependent effects, such as nonlethal damage and power word spells.

If you are slain while under the effect of this ability, you revert to your original form, though you remain dead.

You can activate this ability as a swift action and deactivate it as a free action. You must spend 5 DV each round that this ability remains in effect, starting when you activate it. If you cannot or choose not to, the effects end and the ability is deactivated. As long as you continue to spend draconic vitality, there is no limit to the amount of time you can spend in dragon form.

Ex-Dragon Shamans: If your alignment changes such that it is now inappropriate for your totem dragon, you temporarily lose access to your breath weapon, draconic adaptation, share draconic adaptation, totem immunity, share totem immunity, commune with dragon spirit, and dragonshape abilities. You regain the use of those abilities should your alignment change back to an appropriate alignment for your totem. Alternatively, you can change your totem dragon.

Changing Totem Dragons: While most dragon shamans remain devoted to a single totem dragon for the entirety of their careers, it is not unheard of for a shaman to change their spiritual inclinations. Through a process of ritual meditation and fasting lasting for 24 hours, you can select a new totem dragon. Your alignment must be appropriate for your new totem. The effects of your breath weapon, draconic adaptation, totem immunity, and dragonshape class features change in accordance with your new totem dragon. However, your additional class skills remain the same until you gain a new character level, at which point you must retrain (PHB2) any skill points that you have invested in your former dragon shaman class skills that are not granted by your new totem. Additionally, the spirit of your new totem dragon may ask a quest of you, one appropriate to your talents and abilities, to prove your new devotion. Failure to undertake the quest within a reasonable time frame (partially dependent on the importance and urgency of your current quests) will result of the revocation of your totem-granted abilities, as described under the ex-dragon shamans heading above. Dragon shamans who repeatedly change which totem dragon they are devoted to may find that the totem dragons' quests become more dangerous and petty as the spirits express their disdain for such fickle devotion.



Alternative Class Features
Note: Due to post size constraints, these have been moved to a separate post.



Change Log
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« Last Edit: June 09, 2022, 06:15:08 PM by Garryl »

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #3 on: May 21, 2014, 01:43:09 AM »
Marshal base class
This version of the marshal is a bit more active than the original. In addition to auras (which should be a bit more interesting and useful now), the marshal has a variety of commands to use which provide a variety of temporary buffs and debuffs. This marshal uses a new mechanic, presence, which ebbs and flows based on how much you use your abilities. The more you shout about, the less effect each command will have, but if you take the time to make every command count, they'll keep their prime potency.

Hit Die: d8

Table: The Marshal

Level
Base
Attack Bonus
Fort
Save
Ref
Save
Will
Save

Special
Maximum
Presence
Auras Known
MinorMajor
1+0+2+0+2Major Aura +1, Minor Aura, Skill Focus (Diplomacy)--22
2+1+3+0+3Aura Shift (2 auras), Commands (momentary)233
3+2+3+1+3Dilate Aura (90 feet)343
4+3+4+1+4Major Aura +2, Voice of the People443
5+3+4+1+4Extra Aura (Minor)554
6+4+5+2+5Commands (tactical), Dilate Aura (120 feet), Leadership654
7+5+5+2+5Aura Shift (2 auras, 1 immediate)764
8+6/+1+6+2+6Major Aura +3864
9+6/+1+6+3+6Dilate Aura (150 feet)974
10+7/+2+7+3+7Commands (strategic), Extra Aura (Major)1075
11+8/+3+7+3+7Fearless Leader1185
12+9/+4+8+4+8Dilate Aura (180 feet), Major Aura +41285
13+9/+4+8+4+8Aura Shift (3 auras, 1 immediate)1395
14+10/+5+9+4+9Commands (warmaster), Contingent Command1495
15+11/+6/+1+9+5+9Dilate Aura (210 feet)15106
16+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Major Aura +516106
17+12/+7/+2+10+5+10--17116
18+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Commands (overlord), Dilate Aura (240 feet)18116
19+14/+9/+4+11+6+11Aura Shift (3 auras, 2 immediate)19126
20+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Aura Mastery, Aura Shift (all auras, 2 immediate), Major Aura +620127

Class skills (6 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Listen, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a marshal, you are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Auras (Ex): As a marshal, your presence and leadership exerts an effect on creatures in your vicinity. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and one major aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a divine mind 2/marshal 2 would be able to project both a major aura and a mantle aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (major or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

As a marshal, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) that you can communicate with, even if you don't share a language. A creature must have an Intelligence score to be subjected to an aura (mindless creatures cannot be directly affected by your auras). Your aura is dismissed and you cannot project an aura while you are dazed, unconscious, stunned, paralyzed, or otherwise unable to communicate.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your marshal level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Major Aura: You can project a major aura in addition to your minor aura. A major aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your major auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter. You begin play knowing two major auras of your choice. As your marshal level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.
(click to show/hide)

Skill Focus (Diplomacy): Because you have a way with people, you gain Skill Focus (Diplomacy) as a bonus feat. If you already have that feat, you can choose a different one that you qualify for.

Aura Shift (Ex): You can activate multiple auras at once. Beginning at 2nd level, you can activate two auras as part of the same swift action. At 13th level, this improves to three auras at once. Once you reach 20th level, you can activate any number of auras at once.

In addition, starting at 7th level, you can dismiss a single aura and activate a new one of the same type in its place as an immediate action. Beginning at 19th level, you can do so with two auras as an immediate action.

Commands: Beginning at 2nd level, you learn to use commands.

Commands have the same range as your auras. The save DC of a command is 10 + 1/2 your current presence score + your Charisma modifier.

Commands are mind-affecting compulsion effects (although many have additional descriptors) and have no effect on creatures that are unaware of your presence or with which you cannot communicate (body language is usually sufficient, even if spoken language is impossible).

You are never affected by your own commands except where explicitly indicated. You cannot target yourself with your own command.

Commands are normally extraordinary abilities. The few supernatural commands have an effective caster level equal to your presence score.

You know and can use every marshal command of the ranks available to you. Initially, you can only use momentary commands. You gain access to tactical commands at 6th level, strategic commands at 10th level, warmaster commands at 14th level, and overlord commands at 18th level.

Most commands grow stronger or weaker with higher or lower presence scores. Determine a command's effect using your presence at the time you used it, before applying its presence cost. Any changes to your presence score after you use the command do not affect it.

In order to use a command, you must have a presence score of at least 1. After using a command, your presence score decreases by the command's presence cost. You need not have as much presence as the command's presence cost, but if you do not, you will have a negative presence score afterwards as a result.

Presence: Your presence score is a numerical representation of ability to lead in the heat of battle. You use your presence to determine the potency and effects of your commands. Each time you use a command, your presence decreases after resolving that ability's effects, which may reduce it below 0. The amount decreased depends on the command used. If your presence is 0 or lower, you cannot use commands.

Beginning at 2nd level, your maximum presence is equal to your marshal level. Lost presence returns at a rate of 1 point per round. You can also spend a full-round action to take stock of the battlefield in order to restore your presence to its maximum value.

Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 3rd level, the range of your auras and commands increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again every 3 levels thereafter.

Voice of the People (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, you learn to communicate across language barriers. Through a combination of body language, tone, and expression, you can make yourself understood by those who do not speak your language, and you can interpret their meaning the same way. Simple concepts that can be conveyed in a few words (such as "Help!" or "Drop your weapon!") can be conveyed automatically. More complex concepts require you to make a modified level check: d20 + your class level + either your Wisdom modifier (if trying to understand someone else) or Charisma modifier (if trying to make someone else understand you). Roll each only once per conversation. If you fail, you cannot try to communicate with that specific individual via this ability until you have gained a level. (Thus, it is possible, if you succeed in one roll but fail in the other, to hold a conversation where you can understand the other speaker but he cannot understand you, or vice-versa.)

The DC of the roll depends on creature type and how closely the individual's language is related to any of your own. The base DC for this roll is 20, and it increases or decreases based on how compatible your linguistic and nonverbal communication methods are with the individual. The ability works most effectively with other creatures of your type who speak a language that uses the same alphabet as a language you speak. (See Speak Language, PH 82, for this information.) Use the best modifier from each category to determine the DC of the check.

Table: Voice of the People
Creature's TypeDC Modifier
Same as yours+0
Humanoid+2
Fey, Giant, or Monstrous Humanoid+5
Deathless, Dragon, Elemental, Outsider, or Undead+10
Other creature type+20
Creature's LanguagesDC Modifier
Knows a language that uses the same alphabet as a language you know+0
Knows at least 5 languages+5
Knows at least one language+10
Knows no languages, Int 3 or higher+20
Knows no languages, Int 2 or less+30
Mindless+40

If the individual is deliberately trying to make himself understood, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on this roll. If you are attempting to interpret his speech from outside normal conversational distance (such as eavesdropping), you take a -4 penalty on this roll.

You can employ this ability with your commands in order to affect creatures that do not share a language with you. For the purpose of this ability, commands count as simple concepts and do not require a check.

If you have 5 or more ranks in Diplomacy, you gain a +2 bonus on this check for the purpose of making yourself understood. If you have 5 or more ranks in Sense Motive, you gain a +2 bonus on this check for the purpose of understanding another creature.

Extra Aura: At 5th level, you gain Extra Aura (minor aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more minor aura at once than normal (for a total of 2 minor auras and 1 major aura). At 10th level, you also gain Extra Aura (major aura) as a bonus feat, allowing you to project one more major aura at once than normal (for a total of 2 minor auras and 2 major auras). You must activate or dismiss your auras separately. You need not meet the prerequisites of these feats.

Leadership (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, you gain a Leadership score and you can attract followers as though you had the Leadership feat. This ability counts as the Leadership feat for the purposes of meeting the prerequisites of feats and other options. Consequently, this allows you to select most Leader feats. This does not grant any other benefits of the Leadership feat, however, such as the ability to attract a cohort.

If you ever take the Leadership feat, you gain a +2 bonus to your Leadership score and can use your Leadership score in place of your presence score when determining the effects of your commands on your followers (this doesn't let you use commands if you have an insufficient presence).

Fearless Leader (Ex): Beginning at 11th level, whenever you make a saving throw against a fear effect, you can elect to use your presence score (maximum 20) in place of the d20 roll. You do not automatically fail your saving throw if you use this ability with a presence of 1, nor do you automatically succeed with a presence of 20 or higher. This otherwise works just like a normal saving throw where you had rolled the indicated value, similar to taking 10 on a check. You must have at least 1 point of presence to use this ability. You can decide whether or not to use this ability after rolling your saving throw but before determining the results of the save.

Contingent Command (Ex): Starting at 14th level, you can prepare a plan of action with your allies. Select a single command you can use each time you use this ability. You must designate the targets of your command beforehand when you prepare it as a contingent command, all of whom must be willing and all of whom must be valid targets throughout the preparation time. This process takes at least 10 minutes to complete. If the command takes longer than 10 minutes, use that instead.

At any time, with no action, any of the targets of the command can will it to immediately come into effect. If the command targets multiple allies, any of them electing to use it causes the command to come into effect on all of them. Allies that are no longer in range are still affected by the command, although allies that are no longer valid targets of the command for other reasons are unaffected.

You can have only one contingent command at a time; if a second is prepared, the first one (if still active) is cancelled.

A command used this way does not reduce your presence score by its cost and its effects are determined as though you had your normal maximum presence, regardless of your presence score at the time.

Aura Mastery (Ex): Beginning at 20th level, once per day as a swift action, you can project any number of minor auras and major auras at once for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). You can change which major and minor auras you are projecting and activate new ones as part of this action.



Marshal Command List
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Command Descriptions
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Change Log
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« Last Edit: June 16, 2022, 10:16:39 PM by Garryl »

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #4 on: May 21, 2014, 01:43:27 AM »
Paladin base class
A re-envisioning of the original paladin with some fancy new aura features. Many of the class's auras draw conceptually from the Diablo 2 paladin.

Paladin auras are more personal than those of other projectors. The paladin's faith and conviction powers her auras, and while a strong faith can be inspiring to others, the greatest heroics are inspired within the one with the faith itself. The effective radius for most auras is 1/6th the normal radius, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 feet. In exchange, paladin auras grant greater benefits to the projector herself, as noted under the "Personal" entry of the aura. A paladin still benefits from the normal benefits of her auras, although the normal and personal benefits of a given aura do not stack; where they both apply to the same statistic or otherwise provide similar benefits, only the strongest applies.

Alignment: Any good

Hit Die: d10

Table: The Paladin


Level
Base
Attack
Bonus

Fort
Save

Ref
Save

Will
Save


Special

Auras Known

Spells Per Day
MinorDivine01st2nd3rd4th5th6th
1+1+2+0+2Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Minor Aura, Smite Evil 1/day2--2------------
2+2+3+0+3Lay on Hands3--30----------
3+3+3+1+3Divine Aura +1, Divine Health3231----------
4+4+4+1+4Turn Undead42320--------
5+5+4+1+4Smite Evil 2/day, Special Mount43331--------
6+6/+1+5+2+5Multismite (2 spells), Remove Disease 1/week43332--------
7+7/+2+5+2+5Dilate Aura (90 feet/15 feet)533320------
8+8/+3+6+2+6Divine Aura +2533331------
9+9/+4+6+3+6Mettle of Fortitude, Remove Disease 2/week633332------
10+10/+5+7+3+7Smite Evil 3/day6433320----
11+11/+6/+1+7+3+7Multismite (3 spells)6433331----
12+12/+7/+2+8+4+8Dilate Aura (120 feet/20 feet), Remove Disease 3/week, Share Personal Aura7433332----
13+13/+8/+3+8+4+8Divine Aura +374333320--
14+14/+9/+4+9+4+9Mettle of Will84433331--
15+15/+10/+5+9+5+9Remove Disease 4/week, Smite Evil 4/day85443332--
16+16/+11/+6/+1+10+5+10Multismite (4 spells)854443320
17+17/+12/+7/+2+10+5+10Dilate Aura (150 feet/25 feet)954444331
18+18/+13/+8/+3+11+6+11Divine Aura +4, Remove Disease 5/week954444432
19+19/+14/+9/+4+11+6+11--1054444443
20+20/+15/+10/+5+12+6+12Champion of Good, Smite Evil 5/day1064444444

Class skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, and Swim.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: As a paladin, you are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).

Aura of Good (Ex): The power of your aura of good (see the detect good spell) is equal to your paladin level.

Auras (Su): As a paladin, your faith and conviction power your auras. You can learn to produce different effects, or auras, over the course of your career. You may project one minor aura and (starting at 3rd level) one divine aura at a time. If you possess the ability to project auras from multiple sources, the number of auras of any given type that you can project at once does not stack. For instance, a dragon shaman 2/paladin 3 would be able to project both a divine aura and a draconic aura at the same time, but only a single minor aura.

Activating an aura is a swift action. The aura remains in effect until you use a free action to dismiss it or you activate another aura of the same kind (divine or minor). You can have an aura active continually; thus, an aura can be in effect at the start of a combat encounter even before you take your first turn.

As a paladin, activating an aura is a purely mental action. Unless otherwise noted, your auras affect all creatures within 60 feet (including yourself) with line of effect to you. A creature must have an Intelligence score to be subjected to an aura (mindless creatures cannot be directly affected by your auras). Your aura is dismissed and you cannot project an aura while you are unconscious or are slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if you are incapable of acting.

Some auras affect your enemies instead of, or in addition to, your allies. Unless otherwise stated, the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Charisma modifier.

Except where otherwise noted, all modifiers granted by your auras are morale bonuses (or penalties) with a magnitude equal to your aura bonus (bonuses add your aura bonus, penalties subtract it). These morale bonuses and penalties still affect targets immune to mind-affecting effects that are otherwise subject to your aura.

Minor Aura: A minor aura grants allies a bonus to certain rolls equal to your minor aura bonus. Your minor aura bonus is equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum +1). You begin play knowing two minor auras of your choice. As your paladin level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Divine Auras: Beginning at 3rd level, you can project a divine aura in addition to your minor aura. A divine aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your divine auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 8th level and every 5 levels thereafter. You learn two divine auras of your choice at 3rd level. As your paladin level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.

Faith powers your divine auras, and while a strong faith may inspire others to better themselves, the greatest changes are in the faithful individual himself. Most divine auras have a personal effect. This personal effect applies to you and only you while you project the aura. You, alongside your allies, still benefit from the normal effects of the aura, but the full effects of the aura are reserved for you and you alone. Where an aura grants the same or similar bonuses for both its normal effect and its personal effect, they do not stack; only the strongest applies to you.

As the powers of your auras are focused more heavily into you, they cannot as easily affect your allies. All divine auras with a personal effect have a reduced area of effect. Such auras have only one sixth the normal radius, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 feet. Thus, their effective base radius is only 10 feet, and increasing by 5 feet each time your dilate aura ability would normally increase your aura radius by 30 feet. Divine auras with no specific additional personal effect and auras of other types still use your full normal aura radius.

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Detect Evil (Sp): At will, you can use detect evil, as the spell.

Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, you may attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack. You add your Charisma bonus (if any) to your attack roll and deal 1 extra point of damage per paladin level. If you accidentally smite a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. At 5th level, and at every five levels thereafter, you may smite evil one additional time per day, as indicated on the table above, to a maximum of five times per day at 20th level.

Spells: As a paladin, you gain the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the paladin spell list. You must choose and prepare your spells in advance.

To prepare 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.

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. When the table above indicates that you get 0 spells per day of a given spell level, you gain only the bonus spells you would be entitled to based on your Wisdom score for that spell level.

You prepare and cast spells the way a cleric does, though you cannot lose a prepared spell to spontaneously cast a cure spell in its place. You may prepare and cast any spell on the paladin spell list, provided that you can cast spells of that level, but you must choose which spells to prepare during your daily meditation.

Lay on Hands (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, you can heal wounds (your own or those of others) by touch. Each day you can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to your paladin level × your Charisma bonus (minimum +1). You may choose to divide your healing among multiple recipients, and you don’t have to use it all at once. Using this ability is a standard action.

Alternatively, you can use any or all of this healing power to deal damage to undead creatures. Using this ability in this way requires a successful melee touch attack and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. You decide how many of your daily allotment of points to use as damage after successfully touching an undead creature.

Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Turn Undead (Su): When you reach 4th level, you gain the supernatural ability to turn undead. You may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier (minimum 1/day). You turn undead as a cleric of your level would.

Special Mount (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, you gain the service of an unusually intelligent, strong, and loyal steed to serve you in your crusade against evil. This mount is usually a heavy warhorse (for a Medium paladin) or a warpony (for a Small paladin).

Once per day, as a full-round action, you may magically call your mount from the celestial realms in which it resides. This ability is the equivalent of a spell of a level equal to one-third your level. The mount immediately appears adjacent to you and remains for 2 hours per paladin level; it may be dismissed at any time as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is called, though you may release a particular mount from service.

Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.

Should your mount die, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it was carrying. You may not summon another mount for thirty days or until you gain you level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, you take a -1 penalty on attack and weapon damage rolls.

Multismite (Ex): Beginning at 6th level, you learn to channel even more power into a single smite attack. You can cast multiple personal smite spells (spells that target your own smite attack) as part of the same action. The casting time becomes equal to the longest casting time of all such spells, and all spells cast must target the same smite attack. If one or more of the spells would provoke an attack of opportunity, you only provoke a single attack of opportunity for this action. The total spell level of the spells you cast this way cannot exceed 1/3 your paladin level. A 0-level spell is considered to have a spell level of 1/2 for the purpose of this calculation.

Starting at 6th level, you can cast up to two spells at once this way. This improves to three spells at 11th level and four spells at 16th level.

Remove Disease (Sp): At 6th level, you can produce a remove disease effect, as the spell, once per week. You can use this ability one additional time per week for every three levels after 6th (twice per week at 9th, three times at 12th, and so forth).

Dilate Aura (Ex): Starting at 7th level, the range of your auras increases by 30 feet (to a total of 90 feet). Their range increases by 30 feet again at each of 12th and 17th level. As the range of most of your divine auras is only 1/6th the normal range, their range effectively only increases by 5 feet at each of these levels.

Mettle of Fortitude (Ex): Starting at 9th level, your faith fortifies your body. Whenever you make a successful Fortitude saving throw against an effect that would normally have a lesser effect on a successful save, you may choose to instead completely negate the effect. If you also possess the mettle of will ability, the two abilities together also count as the mettle ability for the purposes of meeting prerequisites and other options.

Share Personal Aura (Ex): Beginning at 12th level, adjacent allies also gain the personal benefits of the divine aura you project. If you have the ability to project multiple divine auras, you must choose which one aura to share each time you change which divine auras you are projecting.

Mettle of Will (Ex): Starting at 14th level, your faith fortifies your mind. Whenever you make a successful Will saving throw against an effect that would normally have a lesser effect on a successful save, you may choose to instead completely negate the effect. If you also possess the mettle of fortitude ability, the two abilities together also count as the mettle ability for the purposes of meeting prerequisites and other options.

Champion of Good (Ex): Beginning at 20th level, you become one with the concept and power of good. You gain the half-celestial template, even if you would not normally be eligible, and with no level adjustment or challenge rating modification.

Further, your alignment can never unwillingly be changed from good. Effects that would alter your alignment away from good fail to do so. Such effects may still alter your alignment on the lawful to chaotic axis. You cannot be charmed or compelled to commit evil acts, and you automatically recognize any sort of trickery or illusion, be it mundane, magical, or otherwise, intended to convince you to commit an evil act. These protections are effective even against epic-, deity-, or artifact-level effects.

Code of Conduct: A paladin must be of good alignment and loses all class abilities if she ever willingly and intentionally commits an evil act.

Additionally, a typical paladin’s code requires that she act with honor, help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil ends or other purposes opposed to the paladin's ideals), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents. What acting with honor means exactly varies from paladin to paladin. For lawful paladins, it frequently involves some variation of not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth. For chaotic paladins, acting with honor instead might mean holding oneself to higher standards of helping the powerless and downtrodden, holding to one's ideals regardless of social custom, and so forth. Specific deities or paladin organizations may have their own specific codes of conduct that their worshippers or members follow.

Ex-Paladins: A paladin who ceases to be good, who willfully commits an evil act, or who grossly and repeatedly violates her code of conduct loses all paladin spells and class features (including the service of the paladin’s mount, but not weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). She may not progress any farther in levels as a paladin. She regains her abilities and advancement potential if she atones for her violations (see the atonement spell description), as appropriate.

Paladin Spell List
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The Paladin’s Special Mount
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Alternative Special Mounts
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Alternative Class Features
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Change Log
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« Last Edit: June 24, 2022, 03:37:03 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #5 on: May 21, 2014, 01:43:55 AM »
New Feats
This section contains a number of new feats. While most of them are designed primarily for use with the classes presented here, characters of other classes can frequently benefit from them, too.

Table: New Feats
General FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
Aura FocusAbility to project an auraGet +1 aura bonus and +2 DC with an aura
Aura KnowledgeAbility to project an auraLearn a new aura or two minor auras
Backup PlanPresence, ability to use tactical commandsRecover marshal level in presence a few times per day.
Command PresenceDiplomacy 6 ranks, ability to project an auraLearn and use two momentary commands.
Extra Aura12 HD, two or more auras of the same typeProject two auras of the same type simultaneously
Master CommanderSkill Focus, presenceAdd presence score as a bonus on focused skills.
Veteran CommanderCha 13, Diplomacy 4 ranks, presence+2 maximum presence score.
   Improved Veteran CommanderCha 15, Diplomacy 9 ranks, Veteran Commander, presence+4 maximum presence score.
      Greater Veteran CommanderCha 17, Diplomacy 14 ranks, Improved Veteran Commander, Veteran Commander, presence+6 maximum presence score.
Breath FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
Vitalizing BreathCon 13, Cha 13, Touch of Vitality, breath weapon, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeYour breath weapon heals instead of harming
Draconic FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
Draconic RecoveryCon 13, Cha 11, dragonblood subtypeGain a pool of draconic vitality with which to heal your wounds
Persistent Aura BoostCha 13, draconic aura, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeMake draconic aura boosts last 24 hours
Project Draconic AuraCha 13, 3 HD, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeLearn to project a draconic aura
Projection BoostCha 13, draconic aura, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeBoost draconic auras as you activate them
Touch of VitalityCha 13, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeHeal wounds by touch
   Rejuvenating VitalityCha 15, Touch of Vitality, 6 HD, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeRemove conditions with Touch of Vitality
   Vitalizing BreathCon 13, Cha 13, Touch of Vitality, breath weapon, draconic vitality, dragonblood subtypeYour breath weapon heals instead of harming
Leader FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
March of NationsCha 13, Leadership, knowledge (geography) 8 ranks, survival 4 ranksLead groups on a journey to distant locations
   March of WorldsCha 13, Leadership, March of Nations, knowledge (geography) 12 ranks, knowledge (the planes) 12 ranks, survival 4 ranksLead groups on a journey to other planes
Metabreath FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
Breath Energy SubstitutionCon 13, breath weaponYour breath weapon deals damage of a different energy type
Psionic FeatsPrerequisitesBenefit
Share Mantle Granted PowerCha 13, mantle auraExpend your psionic focus to share mantle granted powers



Aura Focus [General]
Prerequisite: Ability to project an aura.
Benefit: Choose a single aura that can project. You gain a +1 bonus to your aura bonus with this aura, and a +2 bonus to its save DC.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time, choose a different aura.



Aura Knowledge [General]
Prerequisite: Ability to project an aura.
Benefit: Choose a type of aura that you can project (draconic, divine, major, mantle, minor, etc.), then choose a single aura of that type that you don't already know. If you chose minor auras, instead choose up to two minor auras that you don't already know. You learn to project the chosen aura. This functions as another aura of the chosen type that you know, and you can project it as per your existing abilities.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time, choose a different aura (or auras, in the case of minor auras) that you don't already know. You can choose from the same or different types of auras each time.



Backup Plan [General]
Prerequisite: Presence, ability to use tactical commands.
Benefit: Once per day per 3 marshal levels, you can regain presence equal to your marshal level as a swift action.



Breath Energy Substitution [Metabreath]
Prerequisite: Con 13, breath weapon.
Benefit: Your breath weapon has its normal effect, but deals damage of a different type. When you use this feat, choose from among acid, cold, electricity, or fire. Your breath weapon deals that type of damage instead of its normal type. If your breath weapon normally deals nonlethal damage, it instead deals lethal damage. If your breath weapon normally counts as having a special descriptor relating to how it deals damage (such as the breath of a crystal dragon shaman), it loses that descriptor.

This feat only works on a breath weapon that deals hit point damage, such as energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic), physical damage (bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing), or even untyped damage.

When you use this feat, add +1 to the number of rounds you must wait before using your breath weapon again.



Command Presence [General]
Prerequisite: Diplomacy 6 ranks, ability to project an aura.
Benefit: Choose two momentary commands. You gain the ability to use them as a marshal of 1/2 your character level. You have a maximum presence score of 2. If you already have a presence score, your maximum presence instead increases by 1.



Draconic Recovery [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Con 13, Cha 11, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: You gain a pool of draconic vitality, as per the dragon shaman ability. The size of this pool is equal to twice your character level. If you already have a pool of draconic vitality, the two pools stack into a single combined pool. You can draw upon your draconic vitality to heal your wounds. Using this ability is a swift action. You heal a number of hit points equal to half the amount of DV you expend. Without any other abilities that modify your draconic vitality pool or provide other uses for it, this effectively allows you to heal a number of hit points equal to your character level each day as a swift action, divided among however many uses as you choose.



Extra Aura [General]
Prerequisite: 12 HD, ability to project two different auras of the same type.
Benefit: Choose a type of aura (minor, major, draconic, etc.) for which you can project at least two different auras. You can project one more aura of that type at a time than normal (usually for a total of 2 auras of that type). You must still activate or dismiss your auras separately.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time, choose a different type of aura.
Note: This feat is intended to replace the Double Draconic Aura feat printed in Dragon Magic.



Greater Veteran Commander [General]
Prerequisite: Cha 17, Diplomacy 14 ranks, Improved Veteran Commander, Veteran Commander, presence.
Benefit: Your maximum presence increases by 2. This stacks with Veteran Commander and Improved Veteran Commander, for a total increase of 6.



Improved Veteran Commander [General]
Prerequisite: Cha 15, Diplomacy 9 ranks, Veteran Commander, presence.
Benefit: Your maximum presence increases by 2. This stacks with Veteran Commander, for a total increase of 4.



March of Nations [Leader]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, Leadership, knowledge (geography) 8 ranks, survival 4 ranks.
Benefit: You can lead yourself or a group of followers and allies into an impossible, meandering journey. A journey can lead from anywhere to anywhere, but only if you know your way (see below). You and your fellow travelers need no special tools to undertake this journey, although those who are unprepared for the environments they may traverse are not protected from them. While you decide the starting point your intended ending point of a journey, the path you take along your journey is not under your control. It can be a straight line, a wandering path, or even a series of discontinuous, nonsensical jaunts. You might find yourself traveling through equatorial jungles, only to step out of them and into a frozen tundra in the polar regions.

You can bring other willing creatures with you, provided that these subjects are present and are able to follow you at the time you set out on your journey. These fellow travelers are dependent upon you and must accompany you at all times. If something happens to you during the journey that causes you to break line of sight for more than a short time, your companions are stranded wherever you leave them. You need not personally maintain line of sight with all of your fellow travelers; travelers can follow other travelers in a sequence leading up to you.

Beginning a journey always takes at least 1 hour. This can include time spent organizing your group, checking supplies, confirming your destination, and other preparations. Even if none of these are necessary (for example, you are traveling alone to a location you know by heart), it still takes 1 hour to get underway.

The journey lasts while you and your fellow travelers continue to travel together, until either (1) you reach your intended destination, (2) you desire to end the journey while still traveling, (3) you or anyone traveling with you breaks the line of sight chain connecting the travelers for more than 2 rounds, or (4) the journey is terminated by some outside means. When the journey ends, you and your fellow travelers halt in whatever portion of the land or plane you happen to be traversing. You immediately know when the journey ends.

Table: March of Nations
Destination
Knowledge
Knowledge (geography)
Check Modifier
None1n/a
Secondhand (you have heard of the destination)-10
Firsthand (you have visited before)+0
Familiar (you have visited three or more times)+5
1. If you have no direct knowledge of your destination, you must
have some connection to it in order to travel there; see below.

Connection
Knowledge (geography)
Check Modifier
Likeness or picture of destination+2
Object from destination+4
Cartographer’s map of destination+10
Journey
Distance
Journey
Complexity
Arrival
Distance
Same country32-40 (2d20) miles
Same continent45-100 (5d20) miles
Same planet510-200 (10d20) miles

Depending on your knowledge of geography, your journey may take a longer or shorter period of time. For each 24 hours you travel, make a Knowledge (geography) check. Unless a location is particularly hard to find and well guarded, or conversely easy to find and well advertised, the average DC for a journey should be set at 20. Hidden, obscure, or particularly inaccessible locations can have DCs of 25, 30, or higher. You cannot take 20 on this check, though you can take 10. Each check may be modified by your degree of familiarity with the destination or by some connection you have with the place; see the associated tables.

Each successful check indicates that you are one step closer to your goal. To finally arrive at your location, you must succeed on a number of checks equal to or greater than the journey's complexity within a span of 12 days. (If you fail to make enough successful checks within the first 12 days, you can continue to make one check per day until you get the requisite successes within a span of 12 consecutive days). When you successfully make the requisite number of checks, the journey ends, and you appear within the indicated distance of your intended destination.



March of Worlds [Leader]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, Leadership, March of Nations, knowledge (geography) 12 ranks, knowledge (the planes) 12 ranks, survival 4 ranks.
Benefit: Your journeys can lead further than before, even to other planes of existence. You gain the following additional options when making a journey with March of Nations:

Table: March of Worlds
Journey
Distance
Journey
Complexity
Arrival
Distance
Same plane, different planet610-1000 (10d%) miles
Coterminous or coexistent plane610-1000 (10d%) miles
Non-coterminous plane810-1000 (10d%) miles
Alternate Prime Material plane1010-1000 (10d%) miles
Dimensionally locked or otherwise inaccessible plane12100-10000 (10d% x10) miles

When journeying to another plane, you must make Knowledge (the planes) checks instead of Knowledge (geography) checks. The same special modifiers due to your knowledge of and connection to the destination apply to your Knowledge (the planes) skill check.



Master Commander [General]
Prerequisite: Skill Focus, presence.
Benefit: As long as your presence is greater than 0, you add your presence score as an enhancement bonus on all skill checks for skills with which you have the Skill Focus feat.



Persistent Aura Boost [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, ability to project a draconic aura, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: Whenever you boost a draconic aura, you can you can spend ten times the normal amount of draconic vitality and an additional 1 minute of concentration. If you do, the boost's duration becomes 24 hours. The boost still ends early if the aura is dismissed or the target ceases to be affected, as normal. You can only apply this feat to boost effects with predetermined durations of at least 1 round. Instantaneous boosts (such as that of the Stamina aura), dischargeable boosts (such as that of the Resistance aura), and boosts with random durations cannot be used with this feat.



Project Draconic Aura [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, 3 HD, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: Choose a single draconic aura that you don't already know. You learn to project this aura. If you can already project draconic auras, this functions as another draconic aura you know, and you can project it as per your existing abilities. If you cannot yet project draconic auras, you learn to project it as a dragon shaman projects auras. Your draconic aura bonus is +1, and the save DC of your aura is equal to 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifier, and your effective dragon shaman level is equal to your character level.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time, choose a different draconic aura that you don't already know.
Note: This feat is intended to replace the Draconic Aura feat printed in Dragon Magic.



Projection Boost [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, ability to project a draconic aura, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: Whenever you activate a draconic aura, you can also boost it as part of the same action.



Rejuvenating Vitality [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Cha 15, Touch of Vitality, 6 HD, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: When you use Touch of Vitality, you can choose to spend some of your draconic vitality to remove other harmful conditions affecting the target.
  • For every 5 DV you expend, you can cure 1 point of ability damage or remove one of the dazed, fatigued, or sickened conditions from one individual.
  • For every 10 DV you expend, you can remove one of the exhausted, nauseated, poisoned, or stunned conditions from one individual.
  • For every 20 DV you expend, you can remove a negative level, cure all diseases (as the remove disease spell), or remove one of the blinded or deafened conditions from one individual.
You can remove a condition (or more than one condition) and heal damage with the same touch, so long as you expend the required number of points. For example, if you wanted to heal 12 points of damage and remove the blinded and exhausted conditions from a target, you would have to expend 42 DV (12 hit points restored plus 20 DV for blinded plus 10 DV for exhausted).



Share Mantle Granted Power [Psionic]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, ability to project a mantle aura.
Benefit: Whenever you activate a mantle aura, you can expend your psionic focus in order to more fully share the power of that mantle. If you do, your mantle aura also grants that mantle's granted power to your allies, in addition to the aura's normal effects. This feat has no effect if you do not have the granted power of the mantle whose aura you project; you can only share granted powers that you yourself have. Even if you can project multiple mantle auras at once, you can only apply this feat's benefit to one mantle at a time.

When you share a mantle's granted power, it still draws upon the power of your own possession of that mantle. If the mantle's granted power has a limited number of uses, those uses are shared between you and each affected ally. If the mantle's granted power only functions while you are psionically focused, affected allies benefit from it based on whether you are psionically focused, not them. If the mantle's granted power requires expending your psionic focus, affected allies cannot expend their own psionic focus for it; instead, you can expend your psionic focus as an immediate action to allow one of your affected allies to act as though they were expending their psionic focus for the mantle granted power (even if the ally is not psionic and is thus unable to become psionically focused to begin with).



Touch of Vitality [Draconic]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: You can heal the wounds of living creatures (your own or those of others) by touch. Using Touch of Vitality is a standard action. You heal the subject that you touch for a number of hit points equal to the amount of DV you expend. This is not a positive energy effect, so living constructs and living creatures that are harmed instead of healed by positive energy still receive the full effect of this feat's healing. However, nonliving creatures are not affected by this ability, being neither healed nor harmed. This is a supernatural ability.



Veteran Commander [General]
Prerequisite: Cha 13, Diplomacy 4 ranks, presence.
Benefit: Your maximum presence increases by 2.



Vitalizing Breath [Breath, Draconic]
Prerequisite: Con 13, Cha 13, Touch of Vitality, breath weapon, draconic vitality pool, dragonblood subtype.
Benefit: When you use your breath weapon, you can choose to charge it with restorative energies. You must expend 5 DV for every die of damage your breath weapon deals. If you do, your breath weapon does not deal damage. Instead, all living creatures other than yourself within the area of your breath weapon are healed. Subjects heal an amount of hit points equal to the full normal damage your breath weapon would normally do, excluding resistances, immunities, and vulnerabilities. This is not a positive energy effect, so living constructs and living creatures that are harmed instead of healed by positive energy still receive the full effect of your breath weapon's healing. However, nonliving creatures are not affected by this ability, being neither healed nor harmed.



Change Log
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« Last Edit: June 05, 2022, 01:48:08 AM by Garryl »

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(Continued) Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #6 on: May 21, 2014, 01:44:07 AM »
New Spells
Many of the new spells here are designed to enhance a paladin's smiting ability. However, any spellcaster who can cast these spells can use them with any smiting abilities they may have, such as the granted power of the Destruction domain or the smite good ability of a blackguard. These new smite spells share certain things in common. They all have a casting time of 1 swift action, a range of personal, and a target entry of "your smite attack". They affect a single smite attack made immediately after casting.

Sidebar: Smite Spells
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New Blackguard Spells
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New Cleric Spells
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New Paladin Spells
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Admixtured Smite
Evocation [See Text]
Level: Blackguard 2, Cleric 2, Paladin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Choose two of the following energy types: cold, electricity, or fire. Your smite's bonus damage applies twice, once as each of the two chosen energy types instead of its normal type. This spell's descriptor is the same as the two types of energy you choose (for example, if you chose both cold and fire, this would be an Evocation [Cold, Fire] spell).

Admixtured smite, elemental smite, and energized smite do not stack with each other. Only the most powerful one applies.



Anchoring Smite
Abjuration
Level: Blackguard 4, Paladin 5
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject's movements, both physical and metaphysical, become impeded. On a failed save, the subject is entangled and held fast and is blocked from extradimensional travel, as per the dimensional anchor spell. On a successful saving throw, the subject is still entangled, but can move at half speed and is not blocked from extradimensional travel.



Awesome Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 2, Paladin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject must make a saving throw. On a failure, the subject is knocked flying 10 feet in a direction of your choice and falls prone. You can only push the subject in a straight line, and the subject can’t move closer to you than the square it started in. If an obstacle prevents the completion of the subject’s move, the subject and the obstacle each take 1d6 points of damage, and the subject stops in the space adjacent to the obstacle. The subject's movement in this way does not provoke attacks of opportunity from you, although it may from other creatures.



Banishing Smite
Abjuration
Level: Blackguard 4, Paladin 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject and that subject is an extraplanar creature, it may be sent back to its home plane. The subject must make a special Will save (DC = spell's save DC - subject's HD + your caster level) or be instantly whisked away, as per the dismissal spell. Just like dismissal, there is a 20% chance of actually sending the subject to a plane other than its own.



Blinding Smite
Necromancy
Level: Blackguard 2, Cleric 3, Paladin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fort negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject is blinded.



Dazzling Smite
Evocation
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 0, Paladin 0
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fort negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject is dazzled.



Dispelling Smite
Abjuration
Level: Blackguard 3, Cleric 3, Paladin 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, any magical auras affecting the subject are at risk of being dispelled. This functions as a targeted dispel magic spell against the subject.



Dispelling Smite, Greater
Level: Cleric 6, Paladin 5

This spell functions as dispelling smite, except that functions as a targeted greater dispel magic spell against the subject instead.



Disrupting Smite
Necromancy
Level: Cleric 4, Paladin 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject and that subject is an undead creature, the subject is destroyed on a failed save.



Distant Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 2, Paladin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your melee smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make as a melee attack. Your reach is tripled.



Efficient Smite
Evocation
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 1, Paladin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Your smite attempt does not count against your limited daily number of smite attempts. This spell does not apply to forms of smiting that do not have a daily limit.



Elemental Smite
Evocation [Cold, Electricity, Fire]
Level: Blackguard 4, Paladin 4
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Your smite's bonus damage applies three times, once as each of cold, electricity, and fire damage.

Admixtured smite, elemental smite, and energized smite do not stack with each other. Only the most powerful one applies.



Empowered Smite
Evocation
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 1, Paladin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. The bonus on your attack roll is increased by +2 and the bonus damage is increased by +50%. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Energized Smite
Evocation [See Text]
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 0, Paladin 0
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Choose one of the following energy types: cold, electricity, or fire. Your smite's bonus damage is of the chosen energy type, instead of its normal type. This spell's descriptor is the same as the type of energy you choose.

Admixtured smite, elemental smite, and energized smite do not stack with each other. Only the most powerful one applies.



Extended Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 3, Paladin 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. After resolving your smite attack, each subsequent attack that you make against the same subject to which you could apply your smite ability counts as a smite attack, using the same smite ability as the original, although they do not count against your limited of uses of your smite ability. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Far Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 1, Cleric 0, Paladin 0
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. You can smite with a ranged attack, instead of only a melee attack.



Heal Planar Servant
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Paladin (Celestial Servant ACF) 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Your planar servant touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
This spell functions like heal, but it affects only the caster’s planar servant, and it heals it regardless of whether it is healed or harmed by cure spells and positive energy. This spell even fully affects creatures that normally cannot be healed (such as Constructs) and creatures that normally receive a reduced effect from healing spells (such as creatures with the Living Construct subtype). In addition, the planar servant can lower its spell resistance with respect to this spell and immediately raise it afterwards without an action, even if it is unconscious or unaware or this spell.



Merciful Smite
Abjuration [Good]
Level: Cleric 0, Paladin 0
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Your smite attack deals all of its damage as nonlethal damage instead of lethal. This includes both the bonus damage from your smite ability, and the normal damage of the attack, including any bonus damage dice such as Sneak Attack or a Flaming weapon. This benefit only applies if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Persistent Smite
Transmutation
Level: Paladin 6
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 24 hours (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. After resolving your smite attack, each subsequent attack that you make against the same subject to which you could apply your smite ability counts as a smite attack, using the same smite ability as the original, although they do not count against your limited of uses of your smite ability. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Piercing Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 1, Paladin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. Your smite attack's damage ignores all damage reduction, resistances, and hardness. Immunities still apply normally. This includes both the bonus damage from your smite ability, and the normal damage of the attack, including any bonus damage dice such as Sneak Attack or a Flaming weapon. This benefit only applies if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Piercing Smite, Greater
Level: Blackguard 3, Paladin 3

This spell functions as piercing smite, except that your smite's damage also ignores all immunities and regeneration. Effects that have a chance of negating the extra damage from critical hits and precision damage do not apply against your smite attack. Consequently, this may allow you to deal precision damage to creatures that are normally have an immunity that would prevent it, although creatures that are unaffected by precision damage without being specifically immune to it or to critical hits (such as creatures without discernible anatomies) remain unaffected. Immunities still apply to any additional, non-damage effects of your smite attack.



Punishing Smite
Necromancy
Level: Blackguard 1, Paladin 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject is sickened.



Ravaging Smite
Necromancy [Evil]
Level: Blackguard 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject is infected with a disease, as per the contagion spell. Just like contagion, the disease strikes with no incubation time, dealing its damage immediately.



Reckoning Smite
Necromancy [Death]
Level: Paladin 6
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject dies.



Seeking Smite
Divination
Level: Blackguard 2, Cleric 2, Paladin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. You gain an additional +20 insight bonus on your attack roll and you ignore the miss chance imposed by any form of concealment. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Shielding Smite
Abjuration
Level: Cleric 2, Paladin 2
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: None (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. You gain a deflection bonus to your Armor Class equal to the bonus your smite ability granted on your attack roll and you gain DR /- equal to the bonus it granted on your damage roll. These benefits only apply against the attacks of the subject of your smite attack. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



Stunning Smite
Evocation
Level: Blackguard 3, Cleric 4, Paladin 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Fort negates
Spell Resistance: No

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. If your smite attack hits a valid subject, the subject is stunned.



Twin Smite
Transmutation
Level: Blackguard 3, Paladin 3
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: Your smite attack

This spell enhances a smite attack that you make. After resolving your smite attack, you may make an extra attack at the same attack bonus against the same subject using the same weapon. This extra attack also counts as a smite attack, using the same smite ability as the original, although it does not count against your limit of uses of your smite ability. These benefits only apply if you attempt to smite a valid subject.



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« Last Edit: July 06, 2017, 12:05:20 PM by Garryl »

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2014, 02:28:31 AM »
Dragon Shaman Alternative Class Features
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Ideas to consider adding. With all 4 classes now done, I'm calling this project complete.
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« Last Edit: June 09, 2022, 06:38:15 PM by Garryl »

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2014, 10:04:11 AM »
I don't have time to go over your classes right now, but if you're looking for ideas with the Marshal and Paladin this and this are respectively one of my favorite rewrites of those classes based around auras that I've gone over.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2014, 03:09:26 PM »
Thanks for the links. I'll look into them. Marshal in particular is giving me trouble. I've been trying to give some "mundane" buffing and debuffing effects (fluffed around giving orders and stuff), but I just can't get it to feel right. You can see what I've been trying here. And as for the Paladin, all I have so far is the auras, and nothing for the rest of the class.

Added a couple of new feats (March of Nations, March of Worlds).

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #10 on: May 22, 2014, 03:18:31 PM »
The marshal was mostly buffed using maneuvers so I don't know how helpful it will be but the paladin has some decent class abilities.

Edit: After looking over everything I like the direction you're taking.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #11 on: May 22, 2014, 04:03:34 PM »
I'll take a look at these when I get home from work, but wanted to mention that I do have an aura based class kicking around, if you want to raid it for ideas. Unraveller

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2014, 07:47:04 PM »
Here's a preliminary list of Paladin auras. They also get minor auras, same as everyone else, although at a slightly slower rate.

Divine Auras: Beginning at 3rd level, you can project a divine aura in addition to your minor aura. A divine aura grants allies bonuses or harms enemies. The magnitude of the bonus granted by your divine auras is initially +1, and it improves by 1 at 8th level and every 5 levels thereafter. You learn two divine auras of your choice at 3rd level. As your Paladin level increases, you gain access to new auras, as indicated on the table above.
   Faith powers your divine auras, and while a strong faith may inspire others to better themselves, the greatest changes are in the faithful individual himself. Most divine auras have a personal effect. This personal effect applies to you and only you while you project the aura. You, alongside your allies, still benefit from the normal effects of the aura, but the full effects of the aura are reserved for you and you alone. Where an aura grants the same or similar bonuses for both its normal effect and its personal effect, they do not stack; only the strongest applies to you.
   As the powers of your auras are focused more heavily into you, they cannot as easily affect your allies. All divine auras with a personal effect have a reduced area of effect. Such auras have only one sixth the normal radius, rounded up to the nearest multiple of 5 feet. Thus, their effective base radius is only 10 feet, and increasing by 5 feet each time your Dilate Aura ability would normally increase your aura radius by 30 feet. Divine auras with no specific additional personal effect and auras of other types still use your full normal aura radius.
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #13 on: May 28, 2014, 03:44:07 PM »
Added the Persistent Aura Boost feat so that Dragon Shamans can make their boosts last all day, although it makes it difficult to switch auras as freely.

Also added Share Totem Immunity to Dragon Shamans. That dead level at 15th was taunting me.

Do Dragon Shamans need some more higher-level options? For the most part, what they can do at high levels is the same as what they can do at low levels. They just get more of it (more damage, bigger/stronger auras, greater amount of DV for boosting things). Aura boost abilities do extend into mid-level abilities, though, so they're not completely out of the loop. Any thoughts?

Offline Arz

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #14 on: May 28, 2014, 06:35:59 PM »
Divine Mind

Wild Talent seems superfulous now that the class has pp at first level. Other than for the originals ACF.

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #15 on: May 29, 2014, 12:10:48 AM »
Divine Mind

Wild Talent seems superfulous now that the class has pp at first level. Other than for the originals ACF.

That was the intent, that and keeping with the Psychic Warrior PP progression. It might be simpler to just bake in the extra PP and save people the extra step of adding +2 as I need to rewrite the ACFs anyways.

Offline gabrion

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #16 on: June 01, 2014, 11:43:15 AM »
First, I really love these. Great work.  I'm actually going to be playing this Divine Mind fix if I get into a pbp game I'm currently applying for.  I do have a few thoughts concerns though, mostly related to the Mantle Auras, as those are what I've looked at mostly closely.

1) Creation - this seems really strong.  Basically if a Divine Mind makes this his "go-to" aura, enemies almost always are stuck in difficult terrain.  Starting at level 1.  I don't know if this is necessarily overpowered, but it's very strong (the scaling portion, ac bonus vs ranged, seems less important than the hindered movement portion).

2) Am I missing something regarding Deception Aura?  It says max 50% miss, but it's base 10% +5%/point of aura, which seems to cap at +5.  10% base plus 25% (max aura) = max 35%, no?  Either way, I personally would reword it, possibly just getting rid of the "maximum" claus, unless it's preventing abuse that I've missed.

3) Fate - I guess it just bothers me having an aura that instead of a continual effect, gives a sort of "per encounter" mechanic, especially one fueled by the divine mind's action economy.  It becomes an aura that gets "used up," which I guess I just don't like.  I would love to see a constant aura that provides a chance to reroll after an failed roll, but implementation would be very tricky.  Possibly something like, "Allies who fail any d20 roll have a 10% chance, plus 2% per point of aura bonus, to reroll.  This effect can only occur once per round per point of aura bonus and cannot affect the same ally more than once per round."  That's an always on benefit that fits thematically and could lead to some very awesome campaign moments.  May have to play with the numbers some though, since any chance to reroll is very powerful.  I do think the limiting verbage I added helps some though.

4)  Guardian - This may simply be me not fully understanding DR mechanics, but it seem like if the DR stacks with any DR, it needs to specify which type it becomes.  Or does it only stack if the other DR is X/-?  Right now it looks like a character with DR 5/magic affected by a +1 guardian aura would have DR 7, but I'm not sure what type.

5)  Life - The "can't heal past half" is pretty standard I guess to avoid free out of combat healing to full, but I don't see why, with that limitation in place, it wouldn't be fine to make this 2x aura bonus.  In a very large majority of cases, I would say DR 2x aura bonus (Guardian) will be better than fast healing 1x aura bonus, especially if it only works under half health.

6) Physical Power - It already looks like this damage is untyped, but I would go even further and specify that it is a bonus to base damage on weapon attacks (ie multiplied on crits).

7) Pain and Suffering/Repose - Thematically I would switch these two.  It seems like repose would be more likely to preserve an ally's life, while pain and suffering would be more likely to cause a backlash to attackers.  Just a thought.

__________

Those are all my comments on the particular auras.  One more general thing though, I do think that between lvl 12 (Extra Aura) and lvl 20 (Aura Mastery) is a bit weak.  This is the range when T1 classes will start to blossom.  Of course power selection will somewhat help with this.  I don't have a great suggestion, this part is just an observation.

Edit: Maybe I do have a suggestion after all.  Since the tiered class concept is based largely on a) how good a class is doing something and b) how versatile that class is, maybe something versatility related would help at high levels.  Maybe the Divine Mind could, once per day, make a plea to the gods (or whatever) to help them overcome an obstacle that their powers simply aren't conducive to dealing with.  This ability would allow them to temporarily sub out any chosen mantle for any other mantle, and also temporarily add a number of known psionic powers from the new mantle equal to the number they lost from the mantle they swapped out (they wouldn't have access to any powers from the mantle they swapped out).  Adding something like this at level 17 could rarely hurt a game, since T1 classes will be throwing around 9th level spells at that point.  Versatility contributes a lot to class power though (especially spontaneous versatility), so this would be pretty awesome.  The biggest potential problem I see is if using the substitute powers ACP, players might abuse this to pick a mantle and add different powers to it each time they do so.  That ACP pretty much requires DM approval on a case by case basis anyway though, so not sure how much of a problem this would be.

FWIW, please don't take any of my critique above as negative criticism.  I think you've made some awesome stuff here, I'm just typing up some thoughts I had when going through it.  Throw them in the trash if they don't make sense!
« Last Edit: June 01, 2014, 12:01:12 PM by gabrion »

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #17 on: June 01, 2014, 01:29:14 PM »
First, I really love these. Great work.  I'm actually going to be playing this Divine Mind fix if I get into a pbp game I'm currently applying for.  I do have a few thoughts concerns though, mostly related to the Mantle Auras, as those are what I've looked at mostly closely.

1) Creation - this seems really strong.  Basically if a Divine Mind makes this his "go-to" aura, enemies almost always are stuck in difficult terrain.  Starting at level 1.  I don't know if this is necessarily overpowered, but it's very strong (the scaling portion, ac bonus vs ranged, seems less important than the hindered movement portion).

Maybe change it to setting a number of 5' cubes equal to twice your aura bonus as difficult terrain as long as they're in your aura, and you can change it as a free action during your turn? This aura was based on the Knight's Bulwark of Defense ability, but I never stopped to think what about the huge difference between affecting the 5-20 feet of your reach and the 60-180 feet of an aura. Thanks for bringing this up.

Quote
2) Am I missing something regarding Deception Aura?  It says max 50% miss, but it's base 10% +5%/point of aura, which seems to cap at +5.  10% base plus 25% (max aura) = max 35%, no?  Either way, I personally would reword it, possibly just getting rid of the "maximum" claus, unless it's preventing abuse that I've missed.

It's to stop it from scaling up too high in epic levels (aura bonus will continue increasing by 1 every 4 levels, so +8 at level 34 30), or if I or anyone else adds some more homebrew that increases your aura bonus.

Quote
3) Fate - I guess it just bothers me having an aura that instead of a continual effect, gives a sort of "per encounter" mechanic, especially one fueled by the divine mind's action economy.  It becomes an aura that gets "used up," which I guess I just don't like.  I would love to see a constant aura that provides a chance to reroll after an failed roll, but implementation would be very tricky.  Possibly something like, "Allies who fail any d20 roll have a 10% chance, plus 2% per point of aura bonus, to reroll.  This effect can only occur once per round per point of aura bonus and cannot affect the same ally more than once per round."  That's an always on benefit that fits thematically and could lead to some very awesome campaign moments.  May have to play with the numbers some though, since any chance to reroll is very powerful.  I do think the limiting verbage I added helps some though.

I hear you. Having a percentage chance to reroll failures is no good, because it makes everything take up to 3 times as long (you roll and fail, then you roll to see if you reroll, then you actually reroll). Maybe instead letting allies add your aura bonus to (nearly) any d20 roll 1/round?

Quote
4)  Guardian - This may simply be me not fully understanding DR mechanics, but it seem like if the DR stacks with any DR, it needs to specify which type it becomes.  Or does it only stack if the other DR is X/-?  Right now it looks like a character with DR 5/magic affected by a +1 guardian aura would have DR 7, but I'm not sure what type.

I'll tweak the verbiage. It'll be something like "Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any DR they may have. Allies that do not already have DR /- are treated as having DR 0/- before applying this aura's bonus." That should get rid of stacking DR as an issue entirely, and since it's a bonus there's no issue of multiple auras that grant DR adding to each others' DRs.

In your example, using the original wording, the character would have DR 5/magic and DR 2/-, both of which apply rather than only the strongest (DR normally overlaps instead of stacking), thus reducing the damage of a nonmagical weapon by a total of 7. With the new wording, it's a straight DR 7/magic and DR 2/-.

Quote
5)  Life - The "can't heal past half" is pretty standard I guess to avoid free out of combat healing to full, but I don't see why, with that limitation in place, it wouldn't be fine to make this 2x aura bonus.  In a very large majority of cases, I would say DR 2x aura bonus (Guardian) will be better than fast healing 1x aura bonus, especially if it only works under half health.

Doubling the fast healing is not unreasonable. The first point of fast healing is by far the most valuable (infinite out of combat healing, automatic stabilizing at negative hp, stops some types of bleeding wounds, etc.), so it definitely needs to scale high enough for you to care beyond that at the higher aura bonuses, or grant a secondary effect or something.

Quote
6) Physical Power - It already looks like this damage is untyped, but I would go even further and specify that it is a bonus to base damage on weapon attacks (ie multiplied on crits).

It's bonus damage dice, just like Sneak Attack. It's not an extra damage source, like with a flaming weapon 1d6 fire damage, it just adds on to whatever bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage your weapon is already doing, same as a high Strength score or an enhancement bonus (although as bonus damage dice, crits don't multiply it).

Quote
7) Pain and Suffering/Repose - Thematically I would switch these two.  It seems like repose would be more likely to preserve an ally's life, while pain and suffering would be more likely to cause a backlash to attackers.  Just a thought.

I will take this under advisement. I can see it both ways.

Quote
Those are all my comments on the particular auras.  One more general thing though, I do think that between lvl 12 (Extra Aura) and lvl 20 (Aura Mastery) is a bit weak.  This is the range when T1 classes will start to blossom.  Of course power selection will somewhat help with this.  I don't have a great suggestion, this part is just an observation.

Edit: Maybe I do have a suggestion after all.  Since the tiered class concept is based largely on a) how good a class is doing something and b) how versatile that class is, maybe something versatility related would help at high levels.  Maybe the Divine Mind could, once per day, make a plea to the gods (or whatever) to help them overcome an obstacle that their powers simply aren't conducive to dealing with.  This ability would allow them to temporarily sub out any chosen mantle for any other mantle, and also temporarily add a number of known psionic powers from the new mantle equal to the number they lost from the mantle they swapped out (they wouldn't have access to any powers from the mantle they swapped out).  Adding something like this at level 17 could rarely hurt a game, since T1 classes will be throwing around 9th level spells at that point.  Versatility contributes a lot to class power though (especially spontaneous versatility), so this would be pretty awesome.  The biggest potential problem I see is if using the substitute powers ACP, players might abuse this to pick a mantle and add different powers to it each time they do so.  That ACP pretty much requires DM approval on a case by case basis anyway though, so not sure how much of a problem this would be.

I'm kind of okay with keeping the Divine Mind a little light on non-aura class features. The Psychic Warrior is a well-respected Tier 3 class with only its powers and bonus feats. This Divine Mind trades the bonus feats for its auras and mantle granted powers, but the manifesting is the same and from a far wider list. With Substitute Powers, you can have acccess to nearly any power from one mantle or another, not just the Psy War list. I don't mind adding in a few minor features to fill up the dead levels on the table, but I'm not convinced the Divine Mind needs anything major added.

BTW, the mantle/power switching thing is already an option. Just use the Psychic Reformation power. It can probably fit on the Corruption and Madness, Knowledge, or Mental Power mantles quite easily.

Quote
FWIW, please don't take any of my critique above as negative criticism.  I think you've made some awesome stuff here, I'm just typing up some thoughts I had when going through it.  Throw them in the trash if they don't make sense!

Why would I take this as negative criticism? It's all very constructive, exactly the kind of feedback I love. Please keep it up!
« Last Edit: June 02, 2014, 09:37:05 AM by Garryl »

Offline gabrion

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #18 on: June 01, 2014, 02:47:55 PM »
Maybe change it to setting a number of 5' cubes equal to twice your aura bonus as difficult terrain as long as they're in your aura, and you can change it as a free action during your turn? This aura was based on the Knight's Bulwark of Defense ability, but I never stopped to think what about the huge difference between affecting the 5-20 feet of your reach and the 60-180 feet of an aura. Thanks for bringing this up.

Dunno the right answer here, but that may be fairly extreme in the other direction (though still handy for sure).  Maybe it isn't a huge deal, but I think one of the "problems" with it making difficult terrain is that it prevents charging or running, and what DM doesn't use some low level orc barbarians who love to charge party members?  :)  Maybe instead of limiting it to a set of squares (which sort of breaks the idea of it truly being an aura), enemies could make some sort of reflex save each time they move in order to avoid the effect?

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It's to stop it from scaling up too high in epic levels (aura bonus will continue increasing by 1 every 4 levels, so +8 at level 34), or if I or anyone else adds some more homebrew that increases your aura bonus.

Gotcha

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I hear you. Having a percentage chance to reroll failures is no good, because it makes everything take up to 3 times as long (you roll and fail, then you roll to see if you reroll, then you actually reroll). Maybe instead letting allies add your aura bonus to (nearly) any d20 roll 1/round?

Ya, it depends on the situation, but I can see what you mean.  At a tabletop game I actually thing that series of rolls could be really cool.  Character fails vs save or die spell...table holds its collective breath as he grabs the d100 to see if he gets another chance...cheers when he does, then another long pause when everyone remembers he still needs to make the save.  For pbp it could be a hassle, but if a game is used to the mechanic, people could just post three rolls at a time.

Anyway, I do get your point that it could be more hassle than it's worth.  I like your idea though.  Initially I want to compare it to inspire courage, but the application is more versatile, so that doesn't really work.  In any case, I do think it would be nice to be an ever-present aura rather than one that gets used up.

Hmm sort of back to another version of my idea, what if it gave a chance for any action to be an auto-success (maybe 5%+1%/aura point)?  Doesn't entirely limit extra rolling, but cuts it down to 2x for an action rather than 3x (you would roll the % chance first, and if it succeeded, wouldn't need to make the other roll).  Maybe I just like the random potential for awesomeness this sort of mechanic would add to a game.  Plus the totally crazy things it could potentially allow players to pull off through sheer luck (DM: "what do you mean you're trying to grapple the dragon?")

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I'll tweak the verbiage. It'll be something like "Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any DR they may have. Allies that do not already have DR /- are treated as having DR 0/- before applying this aura's bonus." That should get rid of stacking DR as an issue entirely, and since it's a bonus there's no issue of multiple auras that grant DR adding to each others' DRs.

In your example, using the original wording, the character would have DR 5/magic and DR 2/-, both of which apply rather than only the strongest (DR normally overlaps instead of stacking), thus reducing the damage of a nonmagical weapon by a total of 7. With the new wording, it's a straight DR 7/magic and DR 2/-.

That works, though I think the wording would be even more straightforward if you just said, "Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any DR they may have or DR /- equal to twice your aura bonus if they do not currently have damage reduction."

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Doubling the fast healing is not unreasonable. The first point of fast healing is by far the most valuable (infinite out of combat healing, automatic stabilizing at negative hp, stops some types of bleeding wounds, etc.), so it definitely needs to scale high enough for you to care beyond that at the higher aura bonuses, or grant a secondary effect or something.

If you're considering a secondary effect, you could make this one unique in that it applies an effect that lingers for a period of time even after you switch auras (maybe number of rounds equal to aura bonus?).  Dunno, just making up ideas here.  :)

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It's bonus damage dice, just like Sneak Attack. It's not an extra damage source, like with a flaming weapon 1d6 fire damage, it just adds on to whatever bludgeoning/piercing/slashing damage your weapon is already doing, same as a high Strength score or an enhancement bonus (although as bonus damage dice, crits don't multiply it).

Yup, I understand it's bonus damage dice, but I was actually suggesting you make it even a little bit better.  Not a big deal though.

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I will take this under advisement. I can see it both ways.

Ya I can too.  And ultimately I would say this was the least inspired of my comments, just something flavor wise.  It does work either way though, depending how you look at it.

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I'm kind of okay with keeping the Divine Mind a little light on non-aura class features. The Psychic Warrior is a well-respected Tier 3 class with only its powers and bonus feats. This Divine Mind trades the bonus feats for its auras and mantle granted powers, but the manifesting is the same and from a far wider list. With Substitute Powers, you can have acccess to nearly any power from one mantle or another, not just the Psy War list. I don't mind adding in a few minor features to fill up the dead levels on the table, but I'm not convinced the Divine Mind needs anything major added.

Well maybe I should have asked for a clarification first.  In Complete Psionic it spells out that Divine Minds have a deity and they have to choose mantles based on that deity.  I didn't know with this fix if "You gain two mantles of your choice at 1st level, and another mantle of your choice at 2nd level, 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter," was an explicit change from Complete Psionic (basically lifting all restrictions on mantle choices), or if the whole diety thing wasn't mentioned in the fix because it was implied to be the same.  If it's the former, then you're probably right...a Divine Mind can have access to pretty much any power by picking certain mantles and tailoring their powers.  If they are limited to mantles in their deity's portfolio though, I would challenge the notion that they have anywhere near as good a power list as the psychic warrior and would still suggest they need a power boost when it comes to the manifester side.

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BTW, the mantle/power switching thing is already an option. Just use the Psychic Reformation power. It can probably fit on the Corruption and Madness, Knowledge, or Mental Power mantles quite easily.

Of course always an option for (most) manifesters, but wouldn't really be the same as my suggestion.  Versatility has two components, one is theoretical and the other is in application.  Wizards are theoretically extremely versatile, but it's still possible (ok, it would take some bad decisions) for them to be SOL based on what spells they've prepped.  Truly powerful versatility is being able to do something nifty right when it's most needed (ie when you are mostly likely not to have prepared for it).  That's more of a rabbit hole of me explaining why I suggested what I did.  Though it's mostly moot if your answer to my inquiry above is that this Divine Mind fix has no restrictions to mantle selection.

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Why would I take this as negative criticism? It's all very constructive, exactly the kind of feedback I love. Please keep it up!

Hey, I can't know if someone's ability to create cool homebrew correlates to them being a reasonable person!  :)

Offline Garryl

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Re: Leaders of Men - Aura Classes
« Reply #19 on: June 01, 2014, 08:27:21 PM »
Maybe change it to setting a number of 5' cubes equal to twice your aura bonus as difficult terrain as long as they're in your aura, and you can change it as a free action during your turn? This aura was based on the Knight's Bulwark of Defense ability, but I never stopped to think what about the huge difference between affecting the 5-20 feet of your reach and the 60-180 feet of an aura. Thanks for bringing this up.

Dunno the right answer here, but that may be fairly extreme in the other direction (though still handy for sure).  Maybe it isn't a huge deal, but I think one of the "problems" with it making difficult terrain is that it prevents charging or running, and what DM doesn't use some low level orc barbarians who love to charge party members?  :)  Maybe instead of limiting it to a set of squares (which sort of breaks the idea of it truly being an aura), enemies could make some sort of reflex save each time they move in order to avoid the effect?

So like an aura of Lesser Entangle?

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I'll tweak the verbiage. It'll be something like "Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any DR they may have. Allies that do not already have DR /- are treated as having DR 0/- before applying this aura's bonus." That should get rid of stacking DR as an issue entirely, and since it's a bonus there's no issue of multiple auras that grant DR adding to each others' DRs.

In your example, using the original wording, the character would have DR 5/magic and DR 2/-, both of which apply rather than only the strongest (DR normally overlaps instead of stacking), thus reducing the damage of a nonmagical weapon by a total of 7. With the new wording, it's a straight DR 7/magic and DR 2/-.

That works, though I think the wording would be even more straightforward if you just said, "Allies gain a bonus equal to twice your aura bonus to any DR they may have or DR /- equal to twice your aura bonus if they do not currently have damage reduction."

The problem with that wording is twofold. First that a character with only some sort of useless DR (such as DR 2/lethal) doesn't get any protection from anything that DR doesn't cover already since it won't add a new DR /-. Second, two instances of the aura would effectively stack on a character with no DR (the first gives DR 2*bonus/-, and the second would add 2*bonus to that).

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I'm kind of okay with keeping the Divine Mind a little light on non-aura class features. The Psychic Warrior is a well-respected Tier 3 class with only its powers and bonus feats. This Divine Mind trades the bonus feats for its auras and mantle granted powers, but the manifesting is the same and from a far wider list. With Substitute Powers, you can have acccess to nearly any power from one mantle or another, not just the Psy War list. I don't mind adding in a few minor features to fill up the dead levels on the table, but I'm not convinced the Divine Mind needs anything major added.

Well maybe I should have asked for a clarification first.  In Complete Psionic it spells out that Divine Minds have a deity and they have to choose mantles based on that deity.  I didn't know with this fix if "You gain two mantles of your choice at 1st level, and another mantle of your choice at 2nd level, 5th level, and every 5 levels thereafter," was an explicit change from Complete Psionic (basically lifting all restrictions on mantle choices), or if the whole diety thing wasn't mentioned in the fix because it was implied to be the same.  If it's the former, then you're probably right...a Divine Mind can have access to pretty much any power by picking certain mantles and tailoring their powers.  If they are limited to mantles in their deity's portfolio though, I would challenge the notion that they have anywhere near as good a power list as the psychic warrior and would still suggest they need a power boost when it comes to the manifester side.

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BTW, the mantle/power switching thing is already an option. Just use the Psychic Reformation power. It can probably fit on the Corruption and Madness, Knowledge, or Mental Power mantles quite easily.

Of course always an option for (most) manifesters, but wouldn't really be the same as my suggestion.  Versatility has two components, one is theoretical and the other is in application.  Wizards are theoretically extremely versatile, but it's still possible (ok, it would take some bad decisions) for them to be SOL based on what spells they've prepped.  Truly powerful versatility is being able to do something nifty right when it's most needed (ie when you are mostly likely not to have prepared for it).  That's more of a rabbit hole of me explaining why I suggested what I did.  Though it's mostly moot if your answer to my inquiry above is that this Divine Mind fix has no restrictions to mantle selection.

The intent was not for the Divine Mind to be restricted in mantle choices. I wasn't even aware that the original Divine Mind was restricted at all, actually.