[D&D3.5] Quest for the Sunblade

[CattyNebulart]

Heh, glad to have you.

So does anyone have good crafting rules? If not I'll likely just replace xp cost with x5 that in gold. You can recover xp and half gold from magic items including sundered ones.

And where did lolth touch you, and why are you traveling with some goody two shoes?

[Gazzien]

Heh, glad to have you.

So does anyone have good crafting rules? If not I'll likely just replace xp cost with x5 that in gold. You can recover xp and half gold from magic items including sundered ones.

And where did lolth touch you, and why are you traveling with some goody two shoes?

Eh, Pathfinder just nixes the XP cost and seems to work fine. Recovering xp/gold from sundered stuff is nice.

Well, don't you think that question's a little personal? Hjalmur's traveling because of a self-serving need to improve his craft. If it's a good enough piece of armor, he'll take it off the enemy's corpse so he can learn from it... and if it's not good enough, he'll break it off them so he doesn't risk blunting his claws on something ugly. He's not stupid, though, and so he'll travel with others if needed - and a twenty-year-old trail that vanished a legendary hero certainly would be nice to have meatshields allies on.

[Nanshork]

Settle on which one you want and I can take a more detailed look.

Elemental Adept or Dragonheart Adept

Dragonheart Adept just seems to get too much stuff, still lookign in more detail at Elemental Adept, but it seems alright.

For Elemental Adept nix the elemental companion and it is acceptable. At low levels it just gives too many exotic options and at high level you have other summon options. It's also like animal companion a class feature that is better than many classes, just even more so. Still a little worried since many of the spellshapes read like better martial manuvers, but we'll see how it works in practice.

If you're concerned about the balance i can just go with one of my other options.  It's not like I'm dead set on Spellshaping.  In fact, I'll just nix it now from my list.

Warning: Stream of conciousness ahead!

So, Wild Hunt or Gambler.  It looks like we've got plenty of frontliners so I'm leaning towards Wild Hunt....

Give me a minute as I dig through the homebrew that I linked in my signature as stuff I like for just this kind of occasion.

Hmm, man I like a bunch of complicated systems.  Something that's not a frontliner, something that's not a frontliner....


Got it!  I know what I would like to play.  The Dragon Shaman rewrite (and relevant aura class rules changes) found here.  We could use a buffer and healer, this is perfect. 

(Sorry for asking you to read a bunch of homebrew.)

[CattyNebulart]

Dragon shaman is fine. And I now have 6 applications. Closing the door to more for now. People can still post interest in case people drop out.

[Nanshork]

Morjhan (WIP)

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Race: Dragonborn Lesser Aasimar
Type/Subtype: Humanoid (Dragonblood, Planetouched)

Align: CG
Size: Medium
Speed: 20ft (30 ft unarmored), Climb 20 ft

Classes: Dragon Shaman 3
ACF: Shamanic Invocation
XP Have: 3,000     Need: 6,000

HD: 3d10+15+1 (hd are maximized)
HP: 46 / 46

Draconic Vitality: 54 / 54 (30 + 24)

Active Auras (Range 90 ft):
Motivate Dexterity: Allies gain a +4 bonus on Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and initiative checks.
Energy Surge: Allies deal 1d4 additional sonic energy damage on each damaging weapon attack.

Stats

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Ability Scores                  Saving Throws
   Score Mod    Temp Mod            Total = Base + Mod + Magic + Misc     Other
Str: 10  +0      10  +0         Fort:  0  =   3  +  5  +   0   +  0       
Dex: 12  +1      12  +1         Ref:   0  =   1  +  1  +   0   +  0      
Con: 20  +5      20  +5         Will:  0  =   3  +  0  +   0   +  0     
Int: 10  +0      10  +0         Initiative
Wis: 10  +0      10  +0             Total = Dex + Misc
Cha: 18  +4      18  +4                0  =  1  +  0  

Special:
Darkvision 30 ft
Low-light vision
Immunities: Frightful Presence ability of dragons; Paralysis; Magic sleep effects
Under a constant Spider Climb effect.


Combat

    Total      Armor Shield Dex  Size   Nat  Defl  Misc
AC :  10 = 10 +  0  +  0  +  1  +  0  +  0  +  0  +  0    
Touch: 11    Flat-Footed: 10    
*+2 dodge bonus to AC vs Dragons; +2 AC vs Ranged Attacks

       Total  Base  Str  Misc             Total  Base   Dex  Misc
Melee :   2 =  2  +  0  +  0       Ranged :  3  =  2  +  1  +  0

WEAPON             AB    DAM      CRIT     RNG   WGHT   SIZE  TYPE  PROPERTIES
Club               +2    1d6       X2       -    3lb    1-H    B

Breath Weapon: 15 ft line or 30 ft cone, 2d6 acid damage, Reflex DC 15 negates.  Can spend DV to increase damage
*Entangling Exhalation Feat

                                    ARMOR   CHECK   MAX  SPELL
ARMOR                       TYPE    BONUS  PENALTY  DEX  FAIL  SPEED  WGHT   PROPERTIES
+1 Breastplate              Med      +6      -3     +3   25%    20ft  30lb  
  - Restful Crystal - can sleep in armor without ill effects
+1 Heavy Steel Shield       Sh       +3      -1      -   15%     -    15lb
  - Crystal of Arrow Deflection, Least - +2 AC vs Ranged Attack

Notes:

Languages

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  Common
  Celestial
  Draconic

Feats

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  1) Entangling Exhalation - Breath weapon does 1/2 damage but entangles all targets that took damage for 1d4 rounds, while entangled they take 1d6 damage per round
  1) Ability Focus: Breath Weapon (bonus from houserule)
  1) Dragontouched (bonus) - Dragonblood subtype; +1 hp; +1 Listen, Search, and Spot ; +1 on saves vs paralysis and sleep effects
  2) Touch of Vitality (bonus)
  3) xxx

Racial Features

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  (Starting Stats: Str 10, Dex 14, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 16)
  +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity,+2 Wisdom, +2 Charisma
  +2 dodge bonus to AC vs. creatures of the dragon type
  Immunity to frightful presence ability of dragons
  Mind Draconic Aspect: Gain immunity to paralysis and magic sleep effects, darkvision 30 ft and low-light vision, plus a +2 racial bonus on Listen,
Search, and Spot checks.
  6 HD, darkvision 60 ft.
  9 HD, darkvision 90 ft, low-light vision three times as far as a human in shadowy illumination.
  12 HD, darkvision 120 ft, low-light vision four times as far as a human in shadowy illumination.
  15 HD, blindsense 30 ft.
  Automatic Languages: Common, Celestial, Draconic

Class Features

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  Proficient with all simple weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.

  Draconic as bonus language.

  Totem Dragon: Copper Dragon

  Draconic Vitality: Gain a pool of Draconic Vitality points based on class level with a bonus of (2xlvl + cha mod).  Changes to Cha mod modify the pool and remaining vitality by an equal amount.  Whenever you get a full night's rest, you recover all lost or expended draconic vitality, restoring your pool to full.

  Breath Weapon: 1/rd as a std action, breath a 15-foot cone or a 30-foot line. Deals 1d6 acid damage plus (1d6 / 2 levels); a successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your class level + your Con modifier) halves the damage. 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.

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.

  Draconic Adaptation: Under a constant Spider Climb effect.

Draconic Vitality

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Whenever you get a full night's rest, you recover all lost or expended draconic vitality, restoring your pool to full.  See class features section for more information.

Uses
Most draconic auras have a boost effect that costs DV.  See auras.

Touch of Vitality feat: 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.

Auras

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Rules

Range: 90 feet (requires line of effect)

Allies need not have an Intelligence score to gain the bonus.  Your aura is dismissed if you become unconscious or are slain, but otherwise it remains in effect even if you are incapable of acting.

Can project 1 minor aura and 1 draconic aura at a time (simultaneously).  Activating an aura is a swift action.

Minor Auras  Bonus = +4 ^{Cha Mod}
Art of War: Allies gain a bonus on disarm, trip, bull rush, and sunder attempts.

Force of Will: Allies gain a bonus on Will saves.

Master of Tactics: Allies gain a bonus on damage rolls when flanking.

Motivate Dexterity: Allies gain a bonus on Dexterity checks, Dexterity-based skill checks, and initiative checks.

Draconic Auras Bonus = +1
Energy Surge: Allies deal additional energy damage on each damaging weapon attack equal to 1d4 per point of aura bonus. This damage can be either acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic, chosen when the aura is activated. You can change this selection as the same type of action as activating an aura.
Boost: Allies gain a bonus equal to half your aura bonus (rounded up) to the save DCs of their abilities that they use for 1 round. This bonus only applies to effects that deal damage of this aura's chosen energy type or that have that descriptor.
Boost Cost: 15 DV

Vigor: Allies gain fast healing equal to twice your aura bonus. This fast healing cannot heal any creature above half its maximum hit points.
Boost: Each ally can make a second attempt to save against an ongoing effect affecting them against which they failed their initial saving throw. If an ally is affected by more than one ongoing effect, she chooses one of them to retry the save against. If the ally succeeds on the saving throw on the second attempt, the effect's effects are reduced to what the ally would have suffered had she succeeded on her initial saving throw. This effect never restores hit points, ability score damage, or other instantaneous effects, but it does eliminate any conditions and continuous effects that were directly caused by failing the initial save against the effect. If an effect doesn't allow a save (such as power word stun), then this effect won't help the ally recover.
Boost Cost: 15 DV

*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.

Invocations

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Invocations are spell-like abilities usable at-will as a standard action.

DC = 10 + equivalent spell lvl + Cha mod

Subject to ASF.

Least
Endure Exposure - With a touch grant target the Endure Elements spell and immunity to any effects of your breath weapon for 24 hours.  Equivalent to a 3rd level spell.

Skills

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SKILLS                   ACP(-4) 

                       Key     Skill Ability       Misc
   Name               Ability   Mod   Mod   Ranks  Mod                    
   Balance*             Dex     -3  =  1  +   0   - 4 ACP
   Bluff                Cha      8  =  4  +   1   + 3 trained
   Climb*               Str     -4  =  0  +   0   - 4 ACP  
   Concentration        Con      5  =  5  +   0   + 0
   Diplomacy            Cha      8  =  4  +   1   + 3 trained
   Hide*                Dex     -3  =  1  +   0   - 4 ACP 
   Intimidate           Cha      8  =  4  +   1   + 3 trained
   Jump*                Str      6  =  0  +   0   + 10 racial - 4 ACP
   Listen               Wis      7  =  0  +   1   + 3 trained + 2 racial + 1 feat
   Move Silently*       Dex     -3  =  1  +   0   - 4 ACP
   Search               Int      3  =  0  +   0   + 2 racial + 1 feat
   Sense Motive         Wis      4  =  0  +   1   + 3 trained 
   Spot                 Wis      7  =  0  +   1   + 3 trained + 2 racial + 1 feat 
   Swim*                Str     -8  =  0  +   0   - 8 ACP

^{*Skill suffers armor check penalty (Penalty is doubled for Swim)}

Note: PF style skills (max ranks = lvl, +3 trained bonus)

Equipment

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Mundane Gear


Magical Gear
+1 Breastplate
  - Restful Crystal - can sleep in armor without issues
+1 Heavy Steel Shield
  - Crystal of Arrow Deflection, Least
Everlasting Rations - creates food for just me for a day, 1/day
Replenishing Skin - refills in 1d4 hours
Healing Belt

Valuables
65gp

Backstory

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Morjhan did stuff.

To Do

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Gear for reference:
+1 Breastplate - 675gp
Restful Crystal - 250gp
+1 Heavy Steel Shield - 585gp
Crystal of Arrow Deflection, Least - 250gp
Everlasting Rations - 175gp
Replenishing Skin - 500gp
Healing Belt - 500gp

Feat (1 to go)
Backstory

[Nanshork]

Since they weren't mentioned I assume no flaws and no traits?

[Gazzien]

Since they weren't mentioned I assume no flaws and no traits?

I used one flaw, split the difference between none and two. I wanted a greathammer. If they're not allowed, I'll take it out.

[CattyNebulart]

Since they weren't mentioned I assume no flaws and no traits?

I really havn;t decided I might go with no flaws and traits but a second feat at first level. Depends how players feel about that.

Eh, Pathfinder just nixes the XP cost and seems to work fine. Recovering xp/gold from sundered stuff is nice.

Well, don't you think that question's a little personal? Hjalmur's traveling because of a self-serving need to improve his craft. If it's a good enough piece of armor, he'll take it off the enemy's corpse so he can learn from it... and if it's not good enough, he'll break it off them so he doesn't risk blunting his claws on something ugly. He's not stupid, though, and so he'll travel with others if needed - and a twenty-year-old trail that vanished a legendary hero certainly would be nice to have meatshields allies on.

Hmm might nix the xp cost then. Will nix it for pregame stuff at least and see how that goes. ingame recovering it from items should be enough I think.

as for the fluff. meh there are better ways, like say of a different deity, the lolth touched template mentions fury gods which meshes well with the rages the urskan get. Or maybe you where in service of evil got promoted with lolth-touched and decided to repent. There are lots of ways to make the fluff mesh well, which is somethign I will insist on. What you have now is workable enoguh but a little bland.



nitpicking the cat celebrant, flirtation is not technicaly bardic music Also how is the damage so high? you shoudl be takign -2 from strength, so no clue why you have +4 damage.

[Nanshork]

Since they weren't mentioned I assume no flaws and no traits?

I really havn;t decided I might go with no flaws and traits but a second feat at first level. Depends how players feel about that.

I'm always happy with more feats but I can live with whatever. 

[Gazzien]

Always happy with more feats

I was wondering about the Fury Gods, but didn't know if that was just in the Eberron setting (I know absolutely nothing about the proposed adventure, and as such am trying to stay away from spoilers for it...  ), but they really would fit a lot better (perhaps as CN? Man, I know nothing about Eberron). Repentance was an option I considered, but thought of as being too cliche - but if it seems fine to you, then I'd rather go that route.

[oslecamo]

Since they weren't mentioned I assume no flaws and no traits?

I really havn;t decided I might go with no flaws and traits but a second feat at first level. Depends how players feel about that.

Never enough feats.

Hmm might nix the xp cost then. Will nix it for pregame stuff at least and see how that goes. ingame recovering it from items should be enough I think.

Sooo, do we all get to start with double WBL?

nitpicking the cat celebrant, flirtation is not technicaly bardic music

You should check the class again. Flirtation can totally be used to sub for bardic music for prerequisites and costs.

Also how is the damage so high? you shoudl be takign -2 from strength, so no clue why you have +4 damage.

Many DMs rule that the way Shadow Blade works is by allowing you to add Dex to damage instead of Str to make Dex based melee builds viable, instead of adding two ability scores to damage. I could've sworn you had said the same once. If you say that it adds both Str and Dex to damage, I'll have to rethink my build a bit.

[Gazzien]

Sooo, do we all get to start with double WBL?

Basically, yeah. Phaedrus is playing a Midgard Dwarf, so if it's a Wondrous Item or Arms&Armor, it's half-cost. (But don't forget the +500gp for things that are market 1k+; it's still halved, but it's important to remember)

Many DMs rule that the way Shadow Blade works is by allowing you to add Dex to damage instead of Str to make Dex based melee builds viable, instead of adding two ability scores to damage. I could've sworn you had said the same once. If you say that it adds both Str and Dex to damage, I'll have to rethink my build a bit.

Huh, I've never seen this ruling. I've always seen it as adding both, because usually it's not a concern (there are better feats to take if you have the STR for damage).

[CattyNebulart]

Many DMs rule that the way Shadow Blade works is by allowing you to add Dex to damage instead of Str to make Dex based melee builds viable, instead of adding two ability scores to damage. I could've sworn you had said the same once. If you say that it adds both Str and Dex to damage, I'll have to rethink my build a bit.

hmm instead is probably more balanced, tough it removes a balance factor with instead of the Cat Celebrant having to care about STR too for more than carrying, to not having to care at all. I might let you keep it as is and buff the DH a bit to compensate because it does make the CC definitely stronger than the DH.

I'll let you know this evening, but I will probably let you keep it.

Sooo, do we all get to start with double WBL?

Basically, yeah. Phaedrus is playing a Midgard Dwarf, so if it's a Wondrous Item or Arms&Armor, it's half-cost. (But don't forget the +500gp for things that are market 1k+; it's still halved, but it's important to remember)

Well if Phaederous feels like crafting said item anyway

Anyway usual rule about Manuver prerequs, level/3 rounded down, so Level 1 and 2 have none, level 3 require one manoeuvre from the same school and level 9 require 3 other manuvers from the same school. Simpler than the official prerequs which are all over the place.

Appraise can identify magic items, etc.

[oslecamo]

Many DMs rule that the way Shadow Blade works is by allowing you to add Dex to damage instead of Str to make Dex based melee builds viable, instead of adding two ability scores to damage. I could've sworn you had said the same once. If you say that it adds both Str and Dex to damage, I'll have to rethink my build a bit.

hmm instead is probably more balanced, tough it removes a balance factor with instead of the Cat Celebrant having to care about STR too for more than carrying, to not having to care at all. I might let you keep it as is and buff the DH a bit to compensate because it does make the CC definitely stronger than the DH.

I'll let you know this evening, but I will probably let you keep it.

I thank you for considering it, but I must ask if the DH really needs a buff. Shadow Blade+Weapon Finesse sets two  feats on fire and demands me to remain in a Shadow Hand stance and only use Shadow Hand favored weapons meaning no claw bracers nor the other exotic stuff. The DH gets the effect for free with any weapon (Dex based Greatsword go!) in any stance. And full Bab. The only advantage the Cat Celebrant has in this equation is Snowflake Wardance, but that costs yet another feat. And the DH also has better AC due to having Armor+Cha+Dex.

EDIT: If anything, move the Turn Undead to earlier, and there, the DH now can spend feats on the Divine line to also add Cha to a bunch of stuff.

[phaedrusxy]

Umm... sorry guys, but I'm trying to follow your conversation and can't figure out what DH is...

[Nanshork]

Umm... sorry guys, but I'm trying to follow your conversation and can't figure out what DH is...

I believe that it's Demon Hunter, a homebrew class that Catty made.  (I could be wrong.)

[Nanshork]

Do we have anybody in the party who can identify magic items?

Edit: Lesser Assimar as a race (for Dragonborn Lesser Assimar), yea or nay?

[phaedrusxy]

Do we have anybody in the party who can identify magic items?

Hmm... that sure seems like something the Midguard Dwarf should be able to do... I saw some house rules on using Spellcraft and/or Appraise to ID magic items which looked pretty sensible. I'll see if I can dig them up. Also, Pathfinder has rules on this.

[Nanshork]

Do we have anybody in the party who can identify magic items?

Hmm... that sure seems like something the Midguard Dwarf should be able to do... I saw some house rules on using Spellcraft and/or Appraise to ID magic items which looked pretty sensible. I'll see if I can dig them up. Also, Pathfinder has rules on this.

If nobody has the ability (and we're not using the PF rules for using Spellcraft (which still requires Detect Magic), I can gain the ability.  This will require me to be CN alignment however (or evil but I'm assuming that's a no go).

[phaedrusxy]

I guess an Artificer's Monocle and wand of Detect Magic could solve the problem also... but it would basically eat someone's starting wealth (unless we all pitched in on it...). If someone can cast Detect Magic, just the Monocle would be enough.

Edit: AHA! Here we go! It was actually an optional ruleset from WotC!