Author Topic: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)  (Read 24225 times)

Offline sirpercival

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Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« on: January 05, 2012, 09:44:24 PM »
Probably the second-to-last base class (still need to do Magitechnician).  WIP.

PLANESWALKER


Picture Credit: Google Image Search
   
"I have become every universe that mankind ever imagined."
-Sarullia, planeswalker pioneer

The Planes are a series of virtual locations which collectively make up the Metaverse, a magical construction of alternate consciousness.  The Oracle is a manifestation of the Metaverse -- more specifically, the arcane machinery which makes it run -- which DivHeads take a great interest in, but there is much more to the Metaverse than that.  A Planeswalker is a character who takes on characteristics of the particular planes she is attuned to.

MAKING A PLANESWALKER
Short description of play style.
Abilities: The important abilities and why they are important.
Races: Any.
Alignment: Any, but usually true neutral.  Most characters with extreme alignments feel uncomfortable taking on aspects of opposing planes.
Starting Gold: 5d4x10(125 gp)
Starting Age: As cleric.

Class Skills
The Planeswalker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Arcana (Int), Concentration (Wis), Gather Information (Cha), Natural Lore (Wis), Negotiation (Cha), Persuasion (Cha), and Scholarship (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int) x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int

Table: The PlaneswalkerHD: d8


Level
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Base
Attack
Bonus
+0
+1
+2
+3
+3
+4
+5
+6/+1
+6/+1
+7/+2
+8/+3
+9/+4
+9/+4
+10/+5
+11/+6/+1
+12/+7/+2
+12/+7/+2
+13/+8/+3
+14/+9/+4
+15/+10/+5

Fort
Save
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
+5
+6
+6
+7
+7
+8
+8
+9
+9
+10
+10
+11
+11
+12

Ref
Save
+0
+0
+1
+1
+1
+2
+2
+2
+3
+3
+3
+4
+4
+4
+5
+5
+5
+6
+6
+6

Will
Save
+2
+3
+3
+4
+4
+5
+5
+6
+6
+7
+7
+8
+8
+9
+9
+10
+10
+11
+11
+12


Special
Meta-path, planar attunement (1 node)
Planar augmentation (1 ability)
--
Suppress aura
Meta-essence
Bonus feat
Planar augmentation (2 abilities)
Planar attunement (2 nodes)
Access plane 1/day
Manifest virtuality
Bonus feat
Planar augmentation (3 abilities)
--
Access plane 2/day, planar attunement (3 nodes)
Assumption
Bonus feat
Planar augmentation (4 abilities)
--
Access plane 3/day
Font of worlds, planar attunement (4 nodes)


Nodes
3
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
8
8
9
9
10
10
11
11
12
12
13
13

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A planeswalker is proficient with simple weapons, and with light and medium armor and shields (but not tower shields).

Meta-path: When beginning this class, a planeswalker chooses one of two paths: that of the Inner Planes, or that of the Outer Planes.  The chosen path determines which nodes a planeswalker can acquire (see Planar Attunement).

Planar attunement (Su): A planeswalker learns to attune herself with particular planes, gaining benefits depending on the chosen plane.  To do so, she codifies the essence of a plane into a planar node, which she can activate and attune at the beginning of the day.  The attunement process requires 1 minute of concentration; a planeswalker may make a rushed attunement as a full-round action, but then she suffers a -5 penalty on all attunement checks made for that node (see Node abilities, below).  While attuned to a planar node, a planeswalker is immune to the negative effects of that plane, as per the avoid planar effects spell.

If she attunes to an outer-planar node, a planeswalker is treated as having the alignment associated with that plane, for the purpose of spells and effects that depend on alignment (such as detect evil, protection from evil, etc.).  If the planeswalker is of a high enough level to attune to more than one node, she chooses which alignment to manifest.  For example, an 8th-level planeswalker that attuned to both Gehenna and Arboria could choose to detect as Lawful Evil, Neutral Evil, or Chaotic Good.  The manifested alignment has no bearing on the planeswalker's actions or actual alignment. 

If she attunes to an inner-planar node, a planeswalker is treated as having the elemental subtype associated with that plane, for the purpose of spells and effects that depend on subtype (such as glyph of warding).  If the planeswalker is of a high enough level to attune to more than one node, she chooses which subtype to manifest.  For example, an 8th-level planeswalker that attuned to both Smoke and Water could choose to manifest the Fire, Air, or Water subtype.

A planeswalker who gains access to a planar node which is neither Inner or Outer (for example the Shadow Node) displays neither an alignment or a subtype.

At first level, a planeswalker has acquired 3 planar nodes chosen from her selected track, and can attune herself with one node at a time; at higher levels, she prepares more nodes, and can attune herself with multiple nodes, as shown on the table above.  She must attune with each node individually.  An attuned planeswalker remains attuned to a given node for 24 hours.  The node cannot be targeted or deactivated by any means except for the Deactivate Node feat, nor can the effects be suppressed except by an antimagic field or similar effects.  The DC for any effect granted by a node is equal to 10 + 1/2 planeswalker level + Intelligence modifier.

Node abilities (Su): A planeswalker gains abilities based on her level and the nodes she attunes, as detailed in the node descriptions below.  Each ability a planeswalker gains from a node has a condition which, when met, requires an attunement check.  To make an attunement check, a planeswalker rolls 1d20 + her planeswalker level + her Intelligence modifier against an attunement DC based on the particular ability; if she fails, she suffers the penalty detailed in the node ability description.  Making an attunement check does not require an action.  A planeswalker may choose any tier of an ability for which she meets the level prerequisite; once chosen, she may not switch her choice until she deactivates and re-attunes to a node (see above), unless she has the Metanode feat.

Planar augmentation (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, a planeswalker can bolster her body by attuning closely to a node.  Whenever she rolls a 15 or above on an attunement check, but no more than once per round, she gains the benefit of one ability of her choice from the following list for one round; if she rolls a natural 20, the benefit lasts for 1 round per planeswalker level.   As a planeswalker attains higher levels, she can make additional selections from the list. She gains one additional ability at 7th, 12th,  and 17th level (to a maximum of four selections at 17th level). She can choose a single ability multiple times, and their effects stack.

Planar Augmentation Abilities
  • 5 temporary hit points
  • Energy resistance 5 (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic)
  • +1 insight bonus on saving throws
  • Damage reduction 1/—
  • +1 insight bonus to Armor Class
  • +1 insight bonus on attack rolls
  • +1 insight bonus on damage rolls
  • +2 insight bonus on initiative checks

Suppress aura (Ex): At 4th level, a planeswalker can choose not to manifest the alignment or subtype that normally accompanies an attuned node.  She can suppress or reveal the alignment or subtype as a swift action.  However, on any round in which she fails an attunement check, she must display the alignment or subtype.

Meta-essence: A planeswalker of 5th level or higher has attuned herself to the planes so often that the essence of her being is permanently altered.  Her type changes to outsider (native), and she gains darkvision 60 ft (if she didn't have it already) and DR 5/magic.

Bonus feat: Beginning at 6th level, a planeswalker gains a bonus planeswalker feat for which she meets the prerequisites.  She gains an additional planeswalker feat at 11th and 16th level.

Access plane (Su): At 9th level, a planeswalker can travel freely between the Material plane and any one plane she is attuned to once per day (i.e., one trip there, one trip back).  She can bring up to 8 other willing creatures with her, provided all link hands with her.  This ability otherwise works like the plane shift spell.  A planeswalker gains an additional daily use of this ability at 14th and 19th level.

Manifest virtuality (Su): Beginning at 10th level, a planeswalker learns to impose the environment of her attuned planes on the world around her.  The planeswalker can create a 20-foot-radius area that emulates the environment of any plane to which she is currently attuned.  This area mimics all traits of the chosen plane, including physical traits, elemental and energy traits, alignment traits, and magic traits (but not time traits).

Activating this ability is a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, and dismissing the bubble is a swift action.  While a planar bubble is active, the planeswalker loses access to the other abilities of that node.  A planeswalker can have only one planar bubble active at a time; she can maintain a planar bubble for a total of two rounds per planeswalker level per day, divided up into one-round increments.

Assumption (Su): A planeswalker of 15th level or higher can completely infuse her being with the essence of a plane for which she succeeded on her attunement check.  This functions as the alternate form special ability, except as noted here.  The planeswalker can assume the form of any type of outsider or elemental that is native to one of her currently attuned planes.  The maximum hit dice of a creature whose form she can assume is equal to her planeswalker level, and she cannot assume the form of templated creatures.  In addition to the normal effects of alternate form, the planeswalker gains all the outsider's extraordinary, supernatural, and spell-like abilities, but not any spellcasting ability.  Use the planar encounter tables beginning on page 187 of the Planar Handbook as a guide to the native outsiders of each plane.

Activating this ability is a full-round action, and dismissing it is a move action.  While the planeswalker is using this ability, all other abilities granted by her attuned nodes (except the immunity to planar effects and the consequences for failing an attunement check) are suppressed.  A planeswalker may use this ability once per day per attuned node, and it lasts for up to 10 minutes per planeswalker level.

Font of worlds: At 20th level, a planeswalker's familiarity and intuitive understanding of the outer planes are unparalleled.  Whenever the planeswalker uses her manifest virtuality ability, she may manifest any combination of the appropriate traits she pleases (again excluding time traits).  She is immune to the negative effects of this bubble as she chooses, as if she had attuned a planar node.
 
PLAYING A PLANESWALKER
 Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
 Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
 Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
 Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

PLANESWALKER IN THE WORLD
"A quote of somebody else talking about your class!"
-name of quote originator
A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
 Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
 Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
 Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
 This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

PLANESWALKER IN THE GAME
 This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
 Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
 Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.


EPIC PLANESWALKER

Hit Die: d8
Skills Points at Each  Level : 4 + Int
Class Ability
Class Ability.
Bonus Feats: The Epic Class Name gains a Bonus Feat every x levels higher than 20th
« Last Edit: January 31, 2013, 07:27:42 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2012, 09:44:36 PM »
Outer Planar Nodes (Part I)


The Abyss
(click to show/hide)

Acheron
(click to show/hide)

Arborea
(click to show/hide)

Arcadia
(click to show/hide)

Baator
(click to show/hide)

The Beastlands
(click to show/hide)

Bytopia
(click to show/hide)

Carceri
(click to show/hide)

Celestia
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: January 31, 2013, 07:30:34 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2012, 09:44:49 PM »
Outer Planar Nodes (Part II)

Elysium
(click to show/hide)

Gehenna
(click to show/hide)

Hades
(click to show/hide)

Limbo
(click to show/hide)

Mechanus
(click to show/hide)

The Outlands
(click to show/hide)

Pandemonium
(click to show/hide)

Ysgard
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: January 31, 2013, 07:31:18 AM by sirpercival »
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #3 on: January 05, 2012, 09:44:57 PM »
Inner Planar Nodes (Part I)

Air
(click to show/hide)

Ash
(click to show/hide)

Dust
(click to show/hide)

Earth
(click to show/hide)

Fire
(click to show/hide)

Ice
(click to show/hide)

Lightning
(click to show/hide)

Magma
(click to show/hide)

Mineral
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 07, 2014, 04:28:06 PM by sirpercival »
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Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #4 on: January 05, 2012, 09:45:04 PM »
Inner Planar Nodes (Part II)

Negative
(click to show/hide)

Ooze
(click to show/hide)

Positive
(click to show/hide)

Radiance
(click to show/hide)

Salt
(click to show/hide)

Smoke
(click to show/hide)

Steam
(click to show/hide)

Vacuum
(click to show/hide)

Water
(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: August 10, 2014, 10:59:22 AM by sirpercival »
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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #5 on: January 06, 2012, 12:23:54 PM »
Planeswalker Feats

Attune Node
You learn to attune to a particular planar node.
Benefit: You prepare a single planar node of your choice; you gain access to one ability, chosen when you select this feat.  Your effective planeswalker level is equal to 1/4 your character level (rounded up) for the purposes of determining what tier you qualify for and for calculating your bonus on attunement checks.  You manifest the associated alignment or subtype as normal.
Special: Characters who have the ability to attune to nodes through other means (such as the planar attunement class feature) cannot take this feat. If you become a planeswalker after taking the feat, you lose its benefit.

Attune Node, Improved
You learn to attune more fully to your chosen node.
Prerequisite: Attune Node
Benefit: When you attune to your chosen node, your effective planeswalker level is equal to half your character level (rounded up) for the purposes of determining what tier you qualify for and for calculating your bonus on attunement checks.

Deactivate Node
You can deactivate a node before the duration of the attunement has expired.
Prerequisites: Planar attunement
Benefit: Once per day, you can attempt to prematurely deactivate one of your attuned nodes.  To do so, you must go through the entire process of attuning it again, and then make a DC 20 attunement check. If you succeed on the attunement check, the node deactivates before it would normally end, and you can attune to a different one to replace it if you wish. Regardless of your success or failure in deactivating the node, you take a –10 penalty on your next attunement check with any node, and apply the same penalty on your attunement check the next time you use an ability from the node you deactivated.
Normal: An attuned node does not deactivate until 24 hours have passed since its activation.

Extra Node
You have more nodes available to you than other Planeswalkers.
Prerequisites: Planar attunement, Int 15, character level 6th.
Benefit: You gain an additional node, which you can attune to as normal.
Special: This feat may be used to grant access to nodes you wouldn't normally have access to, such as the Astral, Ethereal, or Shadow nodes for a non-half elf.

Fast Recharge
The abilities from your integrated nodes recharge more quickly than normal.
Prerequisites: Integrated Nodes.
Benefit: Whenever you attune to one of your integrated nodes, choose one ability granted to you by that node which has a recharge time.  Reduce the recharge time for that ability by 1 round.

Integrated Nodes
You are more familiar with the workings of some nodes than others.
Prerequisites: Node abilities, Planar attunement, access to 4 nodes.
Benefit: Choose a number of planar nodes that you have access to equal to your Intelligence modifier.  Treat your effective planeswalker level as two higher for the purposes of qualifying for abilities from those nodes.  The chosen nodes are fixed at the time you select this feat, and do not change even if your Intelligence modifier changes.

Metanode
You can change the abilities granted by an attuned node.
Prerequisites: Node abilities, Planar attunement.
Benefit: Once per day, you can exchange the abilities granted to you by an attuned node for other abilities from that same node for which you meet the level prerequisite. 
Normal: You choose the abilities granted to you by a node when you attune it.

Practiced Attunement
You are particularly skilled at attuning yourself to your chosen node
Prerequisites: Attune Node.
Benefit: Choose a second ability tree from your chosen node.  You gain access to that ability as well when you attune to your chosen node.

Skilled Attunement
You are particularly skilled at attuning yourself to planar nodes
Prerequisites: Planar attunement, access to 6 nodes.
Benefit: You gain a +4 bonus on all attunement checks. 
« Last Edit: February 01, 2012, 08:32:13 PM by sirpercival »
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #6 on: January 06, 2012, 03:09:51 PM »
Since you're not using MaI/PoC mechanics, but are designing for a world that explicitly has them (albeit under a different name), can I ask that you use different terminology than "modules" so as to avoid confusion? Perhaps nodes, uplinks, associations, etc.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #7 on: January 06, 2012, 03:55:59 PM »
Sure!  I'll switch to nodes.

As an update... I'll be editing the failure text for the attunement roll, there needs to be more of a penalty for failure (since if you're good you can just attune good planes and you'll be fine).  So there will almost certainly be plane-specific penalties.
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Offline Ziegander

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #8 on: January 06, 2012, 04:27:34 PM »
So are we looking at a refluffed Binder here?

Also, if you fail your attunement check you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane, but if you succeed your attunement check, then you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane... Huh. See, I like it as a price for failure, sort of being "influenced by your Vestige," but I don't like it as part of the normal effect.

The class features here make a very intriguing combination of the Planeswalker PrC, a less broken Planar Shepherd, and the Binder class. I'm enjoying what I'm seeing here, I just hope the final mechanics for Nodes are something more original than a re-skin of Vestiges.

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #9 on: January 06, 2012, 05:28:15 PM »
So are we looking at a refluffed Binder here?

Also, if you fail your attunement check you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane, but if you succeed your attunement check, then you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane... Huh. See, I like it as a price for failure, sort of being "influenced by your Vestige," but I don't like it as part of the normal effect.

The class features here make a very intriguing combination of the Planeswalker PrC, a less broken Planar Shepherd, and the Binder class. I'm enjoying what I'm seeing here, I just hope the final mechanics for Nodes are something more original than a re-skin of Vestiges.

Failure is more than just being treated as that alignment, it is being treated as a summoned creature from that aligned plane as well.  You can't even touch people who are under the effects of a Protection spell.

And at fourth level you can negate the change from passing.

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #10 on: January 06, 2012, 06:46:21 PM »
So are we looking at a refluffed Binder here?

Also, if you fail your attunement check you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane, but if you succeed your attunement check, then you are affected by Protection From X spells as if you were of the alignment associated with the plane... Huh. See, I like it as a price for failure, sort of being "influenced by your Vestige," but I don't like it as part of the normal effect.

The class features here make a very intriguing combination of the Planeswalker PrC, a less broken Planar Shepherd, and the Binder class. I'm enjoying what I'm seeing here, I just hope the final mechanics for Nodes are something more original than a re-skin of Vestiges.

Yes, I modeled the mechanics after binder.  However, the way attuning to nodes works is definitely different -- you don't automatically get the abilities of the node, it depends on the result of your attunement check.  And, I'm not going to pay any attention to what the actual benefits of any of the vestiges are (maybe subconsciously since they're in my mind), I'm making all-new nodes.  (I'd love some help, actually, if anyone wants to suggest them).

And yes, as Nanshork said the price for failure is being completely hedged out by the Prot spells.  However, there do need to be more specific penalties... unless I force the class alignment to be TN.

EDIT: And, the "influenced by your vestige thing" is more explicitly included, because you get -1 penalties if you act against the alignment.  That's fun... fail against two opposing alignments and you're going to get penalties no matter what you do!  Haha.

EDIT2: I'll be posting the first node in a little while.
« Last Edit: January 06, 2012, 07:23:24 PM by sirpercival »
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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #11 on: January 06, 2012, 11:52:22 PM »
Alright, I posted the first node.  I'm very uncertain as to:

(a) The spacing of the abilities vis a vis the attunement DCs.
(b) The power level of the abilities, given recharge times instead of spell slots or uses/day.
(c) Whether the abilities are too homogeneous... I went with SLAs instead of spending time on writing more unique abilities.  Is that boring or flavorless?
(d) The penalty for a poor attunement.  It's pretty lackluster... but I couldn't think of anything else and I'm not sure what to model it on.
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Offline phaedrusxy

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #12 on: January 07, 2012, 12:04:53 AM »
I must be missing something but... I don't see anything preventing a level 1 Planeswalker from attempting to make the highest DC possible (knowing he will fail). He will get Implosion at will and all the other benefits, and the only drawback is he's treated as a CE summoned creature, and gets a -4 penalty on some interactions?
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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #13 on: January 07, 2012, 03:00:22 AM »
I must be missing something but... I don't see anything preventing a level 1 Planeswalker from attempting to make the highest DC possible (knowing he will fail). He will get Implosion at will and all the other benefits, and the only drawback is he's treated as a CE summoned creature, and gets a -4 penalty on some interactions?

If the attunement check fails, the planeswalker is still attuned to the node and gains access to all abilities for which she would have succeeded (with a minimum of at least the lowest-DC ability);

If you roll for the highest and get a fifteen you only get the abilities for fifteen and below and you suffer the penalties of failing.

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #14 on: January 07, 2012, 08:12:11 AM »
The abilities shouldn't be based on the attunement check. At level 1, you have a ~1/4 chance of getting no abilities for the day, and a ~1/4 chance of getting the abilities of a level 5+ character for the day. At higher levels, the abilities you can get still vary wildly based on a good or bad attunement roll, sometimes making you too weak for your level, other times making you far too strong.

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #15 on: January 07, 2012, 08:36:11 AM »
Well, a 1st-level character should take heart that they get at minimum the lowest ability, even if they fail everything.

My reasoning behind the current system:

~I wanted some mechanical difference from soul binding.
~I didn't want to apply "levels" to the nodes, I wanted more organic differences between characters (so not all 1st-level binders would have Naberius, for example).
~I needed some way of determining a DC for the attunement check.
~I wanted the abilities you get from each node to scale with level.

But I understand not liking the randomness of it... do you have any suggestions?
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Offline Ziegander

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #16 on: January 07, 2012, 12:36:26 PM »
I don't like it. It's really clunky. It's clunky both because the abilities are granted based on a level check, but also because it grants SO MANY abilities that it's ridiculous to track all of them. Characters are either not powerful enough if they roll poorly or too powerful if they roll well and there's no way for the player to have any control over it except through the exceedingly rare "reroll any d20 roll" abilities hidden throughout D&D. I hate to say it, but I'd advise scrapping this design for nodes entirely and going back to the drawing board.
« Last Edit: January 07, 2012, 03:48:08 PM by Ziegander »

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #17 on: January 07, 2012, 01:22:57 PM »
Yeah... I'm not happy with it either.  I agree it's way too much... but I'm not sure how to make it scale properly.

So based on the above criteria for a node design, what do you suggest?  Here's some random brainstorming.

The second and fourth criteria require that each of the nodes be roughly the same in terms of power level, and they would scale, so that 1st-level planeswalkers who chose nodes a, b, and c would be on the same level as those who chose d, e, and f.  However, the theme of the abilities would be quite different.

I could simply give out abilities that scale with level... that would be the easiest, indeed.  However, how do I then determine the DC for the attunement check?  Or... do we want to remove the chance for penalties entirely?  Not require an attunement check at all?  I really like the idea of the alignment of the plane influencing you, though... so that would require a check.

Sigh... help!
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Offline Garryl

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #18 on: January 07, 2012, 03:30:42 PM »
First, when using a node, give out a few abilities. You always get these. Then, give the option for more abilities, or simply greater power to the existing ones. Whatever abilities you try to get, you always get, although the more you take the higher the association DC. Then add a limiting factor preventing people from grabbing everything of the highest level all at once. For instance, you could have a number of node points (or something with a better name) to spend on your nodes each day, with greater effect granted based on the points spent. You can't spend more node points on a single node than some amount based on your level, and either you don't have enough node points to max everything out or you have enough node points, but some of the more interesting and powerful abilities require you to spend node points when you use them so you'll want to keep some points in reserve.

... and since I love to push my own stuff, I already tried something similar to what I just described a while back (never finished though).

Offline sirpercival

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Re: Planeswalker [base] (Magipunk)
« Reply #19 on: January 07, 2012, 04:28:28 PM »
I had wanted to stay away from a points structure... too many different kinds of "points" can drive a man mad!  Lol.

What about something like... each node has a set of abilities which scale with your level, but not automatically (and the spacings can be different for different nodes).  You can aim for any tier of abilities for which you meet the level prereq, and you'll always get the abilities you try for; however, each tier has a higher attunement DC.

I'm not sure whether this method would require more or less penalty on a failed attunement check...



And an alternative mechanic that uses points and no attunement DC:

You get the abilities for a node, which autoscale with level (see above about non-homogeneous spacing).  When attuning, you make a check, the result of which gives you attunement points (or node points or whatever) in a common pool, which you can spend like (fate)spin to improve your abilities for any node you're attuned to.  However, in any round where you use the points to adjust an ability, you have to make a Will save or suffer the influence.



Alternative mechanic #2, no points:

You get autoscaling level-based abilities from a node when you attune.  However, whenever you use an ability from that node, you have to make an attunement check (set by the ability), or suffer X.
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