Post by Accomplice on Apr 27, 2011 17:49:04 GMT -7
This class is a hybridization of Raistlin's shadowsoul class and fighter, and is to the hexblade what the shadowsoul is to the warlock.
PEACH (Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly), my notes and concerns are at the end of this post.
The Shardblade
A warrior of misfortune.
Shardblades are warriors who augment their martial abilities with the powers of misfortune, in the form of hexes and curses. Drawing on the power of souls, their unique abilities allow them to turn an opponent's fate against him, possibly ending a fight before he even draws his blade.
Adventures: Shardblades are rarely welcome in society, and are often forced to travel for their own safety. As true understanding comes with experience, and a conflict-filled life brings with it many opportunities to harvest soul shards, shardblades are often drawn to an adventurer's lifestyle.
Characteristics: Unfortunately, the short range of many of the shardblade's abilities, close combat is a necessity. With decent training in weapons and the ability to wear light armor backing up their magic, however, many shardblades find themselves quite capable of holding their own in the chaos of melee.
Alignment: A shardblade's hexes are powered by fragments of soul ripped from the body of a dying sentient being. Few people of conscience can follow this path to any degree.
Religion: Gods of calamity and death are favored by shardblades. Trickster gods and gods of travel also have strong, if not as pronounced, followings.
Background: Using hexes requires both innate skill and the discipline to develop it, but otherwise shardblades can be drawn from any walk of life. Those who do not have formal training in defense soon learn as they fight to survive.
Races: Half-elves take well to the wandering lifestyle of the shardblade, as do humans. Among the elves, the use of these skills is rare, except among the drow. Savage humanoids almost never develop shard powers to any appreciable extent. Among dwarves and halflings it is almost unheard of.
Game Rule Information
Shardblades have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is important for the lightly armored shardblade. A shardblade's spellcasting is based on Charisma.
Alignment: Any non-good.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: 5d4x10 gp
Starting Age: Medium (as fighter)
Class skills
A shardblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are bluff (cha), climb (str), intimidate (cha), knowledge (any) (int), profession (wis), ride (dex), sense motive (wis), spellcraft (int), and survival (wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Shardblade
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shardblade.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shardblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor but not with shields. Because the somatic components required for shardblade spells are simple, a shardblade can cast shardblade spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a shardblade wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (and most do). A multiclass shardblade still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells derived from other classes.
Gather Soul Shard (Su): With a move action, a shardblade can gather soul shards from a recently deceased sentient being. This ability only works if the creature has been dead for one round or less, and can only target an adjacent creature. A successful use of this ability harvests 1d3 soul shards.
A shardblade can only store a certain number of soul shards in his body at one time. At first level, a shardblade has two soul shard slots. This number increases by one every even-numbered level, to a maximum of 12 at 20th level.
Hex (Su): As an immediate action, a shardblade can spend one or more soul shards to place a hex upon an opponent. This ability has a range of 25 feet + 5 feet / 2 levels. A list of hexes follows.
These hexes must be cast in response to the event to be re-rolled.
The normal use of a hex costs one soul shard, which is expended in its casting. The shardblade may spend an additional soul shard to give the target a -2 penalty on the re-roll, and may spend an additional two shards to increase this penalty to -4.
Devil's Luck: At the indicated levels, a shardblade gains one bonus luck feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
Summon Familiar: Beginning at 4th level, a shardblade can obtain a familiar. Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. A familiar is a magical beast that resembles a small animal and is unusually tough and intelligent. The creature serves as a companion and servant.
The shardblade chooses the kind of familiar he gets. As the shardblade advances in level, his familiar also increases in power. Treat the shardblade as a sorcerer of three levels lower for determining the familiar's powers and abilities (see the Familiars sidebar on page 52 of the Player's Handbook).
If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the shardblade, the latter must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses 200 experience points per shardblade level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a shardblade's experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar's demise or dismissal. A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and a day. A slain familiar can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, but it does not lose a level or a point of Constitution when this happy even occurs.
Multiple classes that grant a familiar stack for determining the familiar's abilities.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a shardblade gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from a subset of the shadowsoul spell list, with several additions. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can (see page 54 of the Player's Handbook).
To learn or cast a spell, a shardblade must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The DC for a saving throw against a shardblade's spell is 10 + spell level + the shardblade's Cha modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a shardblade can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 2: Shardblade Spells. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook). When table 1 indicates that a shardblade gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.
A shardblade's selection of spells is extremely limited. A shardblade begins play knowing no spells but gains one or more spells at certain levels, as indicated on Table 3: Shardblade Spells Known. The shardblade spell list consists of shadowsoul spells from the curses subschool, with the following additions:
1st level: Augment Familiar*, Phantom Threat*
2nd level: Eagle's Splendor, Touch of Idiocy
3rd level: Confusion, Hound of Doom*, Vampiric Touch
4th level: Cursed Blade*
An asterisk indicates a spell taken from the Complete Warrior supplement.
Upon reaching 12th level, and at every third shardblade level after that, a shardblade can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the shardblade “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level shardblade spell that the shardblade can cast. A shardblade can swap only a single spell at any given level, and he must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
At 4th level and higher, a shardblade's caster level for spells is one-half his shardblade level. Before 4th level, a shardblade has no caster level.
Table 2: Shardblade Spells
Table 3: Shardblade Spells Known
*Provided the shardblade has a high enough charisma score to recieve a bonus spell of this level.
Blade Affinity (Ex): Certain types of magical weapons feel natural in the hands of a shardblade.
At the indicated levels, the shardblade may choose a weapon special ability from the following list, and gains a special benefit when wielding a weapon with that ability.
Despite this ability's name, these bonuses are not exclusive to bladed weapons. Any magical weapon with the ability can be used and will grant the bonus.
Shadow's Sight (Su): As long as he has at least one soul shard available, a shardblade of tenth level or higher gains darkvision out to a distance of 30 ft.
Shadow's Servants (Sp): As long as the he has at least four Soul Shards available, a shardblade of fifteenth level or higher can summon 1d4+1 bats or 1d3 wolves to act as servants, spies, or for whatever other use he sees fit. He can converse with these animals as if he were under the effects of a Speak with Animals spell, and they have human intelligence. These summons last for up to one hour per two shardblade levels or until dismissed, and a shardblade may have only one set of summons at a time. This otherwise acts as a Summon Nature's Ally V spell.
Dread Hex (Su): At 20th level, a shardblade's curse becomes so potent it strikes terror into the hearts of any who feel its presence.
Any creature within 20 feet of the target of a shardblade's Hex ability (including the target itself) may have to make a Will save (DC 20 + the shardblade's Cha modifier) or be subject to an effect based on their hit dice total:
1-10 HD: Panicked for 2d6 rounds
11-15 HD: Frightened for 1 round and Shaken for 2d6 rounds
16-20 HD: Shaken for 1d6 rounds
Creatures with more than 20 Hit Dice are not affected. This is a mind-affecting ability.
My main concerns with this class are the Gather Soul Shard and Dread Hex abilities, and the Hex ability to a less extent.
With Gather Soul Shard, I made it usable without a spell and a quicker action to perform, but at the cost of decreased efficiency, closer range, lower storage capacity, and lack of damage. Was it a fair trade off? (I don't think it is less useful, if anything I think it is too good)
What about the Dread Hex? I was looking for an interesting ability for twentieth level, and modified the CW samurai's capstone ability (I made the fear effects weaker, but perhaps easier to activate).
With Hex, are the penalties fair considering the cost of giving them?
Additionally, what other spells do you think fit the class (please provide a source if you suggest one not in the PHB), and what other weapon abilities would work for Blade Affinity? (again, please cite any non-core sources)
PEACH (Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly), my notes and concerns are at the end of this post.
The Shardblade
A warrior of misfortune.
Shardblades are warriors who augment their martial abilities with the powers of misfortune, in the form of hexes and curses. Drawing on the power of souls, their unique abilities allow them to turn an opponent's fate against him, possibly ending a fight before he even draws his blade.
Adventures: Shardblades are rarely welcome in society, and are often forced to travel for their own safety. As true understanding comes with experience, and a conflict-filled life brings with it many opportunities to harvest soul shards, shardblades are often drawn to an adventurer's lifestyle.
Characteristics: Unfortunately, the short range of many of the shardblade's abilities, close combat is a necessity. With decent training in weapons and the ability to wear light armor backing up their magic, however, many shardblades find themselves quite capable of holding their own in the chaos of melee.
Alignment: A shardblade's hexes are powered by fragments of soul ripped from the body of a dying sentient being. Few people of conscience can follow this path to any degree.
Religion: Gods of calamity and death are favored by shardblades. Trickster gods and gods of travel also have strong, if not as pronounced, followings.
Background: Using hexes requires both innate skill and the discipline to develop it, but otherwise shardblades can be drawn from any walk of life. Those who do not have formal training in defense soon learn as they fight to survive.
Races: Half-elves take well to the wandering lifestyle of the shardblade, as do humans. Among the elves, the use of these skills is rare, except among the drow. Savage humanoids almost never develop shard powers to any appreciable extent. Among dwarves and halflings it is almost unheard of.
Game Rule Information
Shardblades have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is important for the lightly armored shardblade. A shardblade's spellcasting is based on Charisma.
Alignment: Any non-good.
Hit Die: d8
Starting Gold: 5d4x10 gp
Starting Age: Medium (as fighter)
Class skills
A shardblade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are bluff (cha), climb (str), intimidate (cha), knowledge (any) (int), profession (wis), ride (dex), sense motive (wis), spellcraft (int), and survival (wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table 1: The Shardblade
| Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special |
| 1 | +1 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Gather Soul Shard, Hex |
| 2 | +2 | +0 | +0 | +3 | |
| 3 | +3 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Devil's Luck |
| 4 | +4 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Summon Familiar |
| 5 | +5 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Blade Affinity |
| 6 | +6/+1 | +2 | +2 | +5 | |
| 7 | +7/+2 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Devil's Luck |
| 8 | +8/+3 | +2 | +2 | +6 | |
| 9 | +9/+4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Blade Affinity |
| 10 | +10/+5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Shadow's Sight |
| 11 | +11/+6/+1 | +3 | +3 | +7 | |
| 12 | +12/+7/+2 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Devil's Luck |
| 13 | +13/+8/+3 | +4 | +4 | +8 | Blade Affinity |
| 14 | +14/+9/+4 | +4 | +4 | +9 | |
| 15 | +15/+10/+5 | +5 | +5 | +9 | Shadow's Servants |
| 16 | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Devil's Luck |
| 17 | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +10 | Blade Affinity |
| 18 | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +11 | |
| 19 | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +11 | |
| 20 | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +6 | +6 | +12 | Dread Hex |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shardblade.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shardblades are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor but not with shields. Because the somatic components required for shardblade spells are simple, a shardblade can cast shardblade spells while wearing light armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. However, like any other arcane spellcaster, a shardblade wearing medium or heavy armor or using a shield incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component (and most do). A multiclass shardblade still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells derived from other classes.
Gather Soul Shard (Su): With a move action, a shardblade can gather soul shards from a recently deceased sentient being. This ability only works if the creature has been dead for one round or less, and can only target an adjacent creature. A successful use of this ability harvests 1d3 soul shards.
A shardblade can only store a certain number of soul shards in his body at one time. At first level, a shardblade has two soul shard slots. This number increases by one every even-numbered level, to a maximum of 12 at 20th level.
Hex (Su): As an immediate action, a shardblade can spend one or more soul shards to place a hex upon an opponent. This ability has a range of 25 feet + 5 feet / 2 levels. A list of hexes follows.
- Vex Hex: Target must re-roll one successful attack roll
- Daft Hex: Target must re-roll one successful skill check
- Fate Hex: Target must re-roll one successful saving throw
- Soul Hex: Target must re-roll one successful caster level check
These hexes must be cast in response to the event to be re-rolled.
The normal use of a hex costs one soul shard, which is expended in its casting. The shardblade may spend an additional soul shard to give the target a -2 penalty on the re-roll, and may spend an additional two shards to increase this penalty to -4.
Devil's Luck: At the indicated levels, a shardblade gains one bonus luck feat for which he meets the prerequisites.
Summon Familiar: Beginning at 4th level, a shardblade can obtain a familiar. Doing so takes 24 hours and uses up magical materials that cost 100 gp. A familiar is a magical beast that resembles a small animal and is unusually tough and intelligent. The creature serves as a companion and servant.
The shardblade chooses the kind of familiar he gets. As the shardblade advances in level, his familiar also increases in power. Treat the shardblade as a sorcerer of three levels lower for determining the familiar's powers and abilities (see the Familiars sidebar on page 52 of the Player's Handbook).
If the familiar dies or is dismissed by the shardblade, the latter must attempt a DC 15 Fortitude saving throw. Failure means he loses 200 experience points per shardblade level; success reduces the loss to one-half that amount. However, a shardblade's experience point total can never go below 0 as the result of a familiar's demise or dismissal. A slain or dismissed familiar cannot be replaced for a year and a day. A slain familiar can be raised from the dead just as a character can be, but it does not lose a level or a point of Constitution when this happy even occurs.
Multiple classes that grant a familiar stack for determining the familiar's abilities.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a shardblade gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells, which are drawn from a subset of the shadowsoul spell list, with several additions. He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, just as a sorcerer can (see page 54 of the Player's Handbook).
To learn or cast a spell, a shardblade must have a Charisma score equal to at least 10 + the spell's level. The DC for a saving throw against a shardblade's spell is 10 + spell level + the shardblade's Cha modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a shardblade can only cast a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on Table 2: Shardblade Spells. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Charisma score (see Table 1, page 8 of the Player's Handbook). When table 1 indicates that a shardblade gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Charisma score for that spell level.
A shardblade's selection of spells is extremely limited. A shardblade begins play knowing no spells but gains one or more spells at certain levels, as indicated on Table 3: Shardblade Spells Known. The shardblade spell list consists of shadowsoul spells from the curses subschool, with the following additions:
1st level: Augment Familiar*, Phantom Threat*
2nd level: Eagle's Splendor, Touch of Idiocy
3rd level: Confusion, Hound of Doom*, Vampiric Touch
4th level: Cursed Blade*
An asterisk indicates a spell taken from the Complete Warrior supplement.
Upon reaching 12th level, and at every third shardblade level after that, a shardblade can choose to learn a new spell in place of one he already knows. In effect, the shardblade “loses” the old spell in exchange for the new one. The new spell's level must be the same as that of the spell being exchanged, and it must be at least two levels lower than the highest-level shardblade spell that the shardblade can cast. A shardblade can swap only a single spell at any given level, and he must choose whether or not to swap the spell at the same time that he gains new spells known for the level.
At 4th level and higher, a shardblade's caster level for spells is one-half his shardblade level. Before 4th level, a shardblade has no caster level.
Table 2: Shardblade Spells
| Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 5 | 0 | - | - | - |
| 6 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 7 | 1 | - | - | - |
| 8 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 9 | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 10 | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
| 12 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 13 | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 14 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Table 3: Shardblade Spells Known
| Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 2* | - | - | - |
| 5 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 6 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 7 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 2* | - | - |
| 9 | 4 | 2 | - | - |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | - | - |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 2* | - |
| 12 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
| 13 | 4 | 4 | 3 | - |
| 14 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 2* |
| 15 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 16 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 |
| 17 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 18 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
| 19 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| 20 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
Blade Affinity (Ex): Certain types of magical weapons feel natural in the hands of a shardblade.
At the indicated levels, the shardblade may choose a weapon special ability from the following list, and gains a special benefit when wielding a weapon with that ability.
- Bane: The enhancement bonus of the weapon is doubled (before the +2 is added) when fighting its chosen bane
- Keen: The threat range is increased by one after being doubled
- Unholy: Upon striking a good-aligned creature, the shardblade gets temporary hit points equal to half the bonus damage dealt. These hit points last for one minute
- Vicious: At the shardblade's option and before damage is rolled, he may choose to double the bonus damage to both his opponent and himself
- Vorpal: The shardblade gets a +4 bonus on the roll to confirm a natural 20 with the weapon
- Wounding: The wounding weapon can deal critical hits to creatures normally immune to criticals, though the constitution damage still doesn’t apply
Despite this ability's name, these bonuses are not exclusive to bladed weapons. Any magical weapon with the ability can be used and will grant the bonus.
Shadow's Sight (Su): As long as he has at least one soul shard available, a shardblade of tenth level or higher gains darkvision out to a distance of 30 ft.
Shadow's Servants (Sp): As long as the he has at least four Soul Shards available, a shardblade of fifteenth level or higher can summon 1d4+1 bats or 1d3 wolves to act as servants, spies, or for whatever other use he sees fit. He can converse with these animals as if he were under the effects of a Speak with Animals spell, and they have human intelligence. These summons last for up to one hour per two shardblade levels or until dismissed, and a shardblade may have only one set of summons at a time. This otherwise acts as a Summon Nature's Ally V spell.
Dread Hex (Su): At 20th level, a shardblade's curse becomes so potent it strikes terror into the hearts of any who feel its presence.
Any creature within 20 feet of the target of a shardblade's Hex ability (including the target itself) may have to make a Will save (DC 20 + the shardblade's Cha modifier) or be subject to an effect based on their hit dice total:
1-10 HD: Panicked for 2d6 rounds
11-15 HD: Frightened for 1 round and Shaken for 2d6 rounds
16-20 HD: Shaken for 1d6 rounds
Creatures with more than 20 Hit Dice are not affected. This is a mind-affecting ability.
My main concerns with this class are the Gather Soul Shard and Dread Hex abilities, and the Hex ability to a less extent.
With Gather Soul Shard, I made it usable without a spell and a quicker action to perform, but at the cost of decreased efficiency, closer range, lower storage capacity, and lack of damage. Was it a fair trade off? (I don't think it is less useful, if anything I think it is too good)
What about the Dread Hex? I was looking for an interesting ability for twentieth level, and modified the CW samurai's capstone ability (I made the fear effects weaker, but perhaps easier to activate).
With Hex, are the penalties fair considering the cost of giving them?
Additionally, what other spells do you think fit the class (please provide a source if you suggest one not in the PHB), and what other weapon abilities would work for Blade Affinity? (again, please cite any non-core sources)
