fbmf's Psy Warrior

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fbmf
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fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

I don't like D&D Psioincs, and I don't like d20 Star Wars, but a fellow player expressed interest in a Jedi type character for an upcoming D&D campaign, so this is my attempt at combining d20 Star Wars into D&D.

fbmf's Psychic Warrior

Flavor Text: I haven't decided on this. Are there any role-playing considerations I need? Alignment restrictions or Code of Honor? Suggestions?

Game Rule Type Stuff
BAB: As a Fighter
Fort Save: As a Fighter
Reflex: As a Fighter
Will: As a Wizard
Hit Die: d10

Class Skills
The Psychic Warrior’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
* - These are the Class Skills available at all times to all Psychic Warriors. After selecting the powers Control (Con), Sense (Wis), and Alter (Cha), these skills will be added to the Psychic Warrior’s skill list.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier.

Class Features:

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[br]1     Psionic Skill, Soul Knife, Power Points, XWP: Soul Knife[br]2     Weapon Focus (Soul Knife), Deflect Arrows[br]3     Psionic Skill, Special Ability[br]4     Psionic Skill, Special Ability[br]5     Special Ability, Weapon Specialization[br]6-20  Special Ability each level[br]


...more to come...






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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

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Weapons and Armor: Psychic warriors are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), with shields (except tower shields), and, of course, with their Soul Knife.

Soul Knife: As a move action, a Psychic Warrior can create a semisolid blade composed of psychic energy distilled from his own mind. The blade is identical in all ways (except visually) to a bastard sword of a size appropriate for its wielder. The Psychic Warrior is considered proficient with the Soul Knife, and gains the usual benefits to his attack roll and damage roll from a high Strength bonus.
The blade can be broken (it has hardness 10 and 5 hit points +1 per class level), but the Psychic Warrior can simply create another on his next move action. The moment he relinquishes his grip on his blade, it dissipates (unless he intends (and has the power to) to throw it; see below).
A Psychic Warrior can use feats such as Power Attack or Combat Expertise in conjunction with the Soul Knife just as if it were a normal weapon. He can also choose “Soul Knife” for feats requiring a specific weapon choice, such as Weapon Specialization (which he gains for free at 5th level). Powers or spells that upgrade weapons can be used on a Soul Knife at the normal costs, if any, with the exception of energy damage, which can not be added.
The Soul Knife improves as the psychic warrior gains levels. At the 3rd class level and every three class levels thereafter, the Soul Knife gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls and does an additional 1d6 points of damage. The extra d6’s are not multiplied on a critical hit. At 11th level, a Psychic Warrior may manifest his Soul Knife as a free action.
Even in places where magic effects do not normally function (such as an Anti-Magic Field), a Psychic Warrior can attempt to sustain his Soul Knife by making a DC 20 Will save. On a successful save, the Psychic Warrior maintains his Soul Knife for a number of rounds equal to his class level before he needs to check again. On an unsuccessful attempt, the Soul Knife vanishes. As a move action on his turn, the Psychic Warrior can attempt a new Will save to rematerialize his Soul Knife while he remains within the Anti-Magic Field (or whatever).

Power Points: A Psychic Warrior fuels his abilities through a pool, or reserve, of Power Points. His base daily allotment of Power Points is equal to his class level multiplied by four.

To regain used daily Power Points, a Psychic Warrior must have a clear mind. To clear his mind, he must first sleep for eight hours. The character does not have to slumber for every minute of the time, but he must refrain from movement, combat, skill use, intense conversation, or any other demanding physical or mental task during the rest period. If his rest is interrupted, each interruption adds one hour to the total amount of time he has to rest to clear his mind, and he must have at least one hour of rest immediately prior to regaining lost Power Points. If the character does not need to sleep for some reason, he still must have eight hours of restful calm before regaining Power Points.

To regain Power Points, a Psychic Warrior must have enough peace, quiet, and comfort to allow for proper concentration. The Psychic Warrior’s surroundings need not be luxurious, but they must be free from overt distractions, such as combat raging nearby or other loud noises. Exposure to inclement weather prevents the necessary concentration, as does any injury or failed saving throw the character might incur while concentrating on regaining Power Points.
Once the character has rested in a suitable environment, it takes only an act of concentration spanning one full round to regain all Power Points of the Psychic Warrior’s daily limit.

Power Choice: At first, third, and fourth level, a psychic warrior gains mastery of one of the three Psionic Skills: Control, Sense, and Alter. The skills may be chosen in any order. Once selected, the relevant skill becomes a class skill for the Psychic Warrior and skill points can be added normally. Prior to being selected, skill points can not be added to these skills, even cross class. If for any reason a Psychic Warrior multi-classes out of Psychic Warrior, skill points can not be added to these skills for any reason. With the exception of Psychic Concentration, bonuses from magic items, spells, and the like may not be added directly to these skills.

The skills allow you abilities as noted below.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

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Control
Control is the Psychic Warrior’s ability to better utilize his own body by focusing Psychic Energy. A Psychic Warrior’s Control skill determines the effectiveness of the following powers:

Battle Mind: By making a DC 15 Control check, a Psychic Warrior gains an Insight bonus on attack rolls equal to half his class level (rounded down, minimum +1) for ten rounds. Activating this power is a free action, and costs 2+(Class Level/2) PP’s regardless of the success or failure of the Control check.

Enhance Ability: A Psychic Warrior can use his Control skill to add a bonus to either his Strength or Dexterity for 10 rounds. The result of the skill check indicates the bonus. Activating this power is a full round action and costs 2 PP’s. You may not use this skill again while the skill is already is in effect, but you may cancel the first use early in order to try for a better roll or apply the bonus to a different ability.

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[br]Result	Bonus[br]15-19	+2[br]20-24	+4[br]25-29	+6[br]30+	+8[br]


Autohypnosis: Autohypnosis has a number of uses, and the DC of a successful check and associated power point cost depends on which of them you want to use.


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[br]Task	         DC	PP Cost[br]Memorize	15	1/50 Words[br]Resist Dying	20	See Below[br]Resist Fear	DC	DC/2[br]Tolerate Poison	DC	DC/2[br]Willpower	20	1/Action[br]

Memorize: You can attempt to memorize a long string of numbers, a long passage of verse, or some other particularly difficult piece of information (but you can’t memorize magical writing or similarly exotic scripts). Each successful check allows you to memorize a single page of text (up to 800 words), numbers, diagrams, or sigils (even if you don’t recognize their meaning). If a document is longer than one page, you can make additional checks for each additional page. You always retain this information; however, you can recall it only with another successful Control check. This is a standard action.
Resist Dying: You can attempt to subconsciously prevent yourself from dying. If you have negative hit points and are losing hit points (at 1 per round, 1 per hour, etc.), you can substitute a DC 15 Autohypnosis check for your d% roll to see if you become stable. If the check is successful, you stop losing hit points (you do not gain any hit points, however, as a result of the check). You can substitute this check for the d% roll in later rounds if you are initially unsuccessful.
Resist Fear: In response to any fear effect, you make a saving throw normally. If you fail the saving throw, you can, as a full round action, make a Control check on your next round even while overcome by fear. If your Control check meets or beats the DC for the fear effect, you shrug off the fear. On a failed check, the fear affects you normally, and you gain no further attempts to shrug off that particular fear effect.
Tolerate Poison: You can choose to substitute an Autohypnosis check for a saving throw against any standard poison’s secondary damage or effect. This skill has no effect on the initial saving throw against poison. This is a full round action.
Willpower: If reduced to 0 hit points (disabled), you can make an Autohypnosis check. If successful, you can take a normal action while at 0 hit points without taking 1 point of damage. You must make a check for each strenuous action you want to take. A failed Autohypnosis check in this circumstance carries no direct penalty—you can choose not to take the strenuous action and thus avoid the hit point loss. If you do so anyway, you drop to –1 hit points, as normal when disabled. This use of the skill is not an action.
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Sense
Sense is the Psychic Warrior’s ability to better sense and prepare for his environment. A Psychic Warrior’s Sense skill determines the effectiveness of the following powers:


Enhance Senses: By making a Sense roll and paying 2 PP’s, a Psychic Warrior is able to add an Insight Bonus to any Listen, Search, Sense Motive, and Spot checks, plus Survival checks made in conjunction with the Track feat. The bonus lasts for one round per class level. The result of the Sense check indicates the bonus.

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[br]Result	Bonus[br]10-14	+2[br]15-19	+4[br]20-24	+6[br]25-29	+8[br]30+	+10[br]


Psychic Resistance: By making a Sense roll and paying 2 PP’s, a PW is able to add an Insight bonus to any saving throws versus mind-affecting magic and abilities. The bonus lasts for one round per class level. The result of the Sense check indicates the bonus.

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[br]Result	Bonus[br]10-14	+2[br]15-19	+4[br]20-24	+6[br]25-29	+8[br]30+	+10[br]


Telepathy: With a successful Sense roll and the cost of 5 PP’s, a Psychic Warrior is able to establish a mental link with a specific target. The subject must be on the same plane, but beyond that distance is not a factor. Through the link, the Psychic Warrior may send a short message of twenty-five words or less to the subject. The subject recognizes the Psychic Warrior if he knows him. It can answer in like manner immediately. A creature with an Intelligence score as low as 1 can understand the message, though the subject’s ability to react is limited as normal by its Intelligence score. Even if the message is received, the subject is not obligated to act upon it in any manner.

For friendly targets, the DC is 10. For hostile targets, the DC is 20 or the targets Will Save, whichever is higher. Using Telepathy is a full round action.
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Alter
Alter is a measure of the Psychic Warrior’s ability to use his Psychic Energy to affect the world around him. A Psychic Warrior’s Alter skill determines the effectiveness of the following powers:


Affect Mind: The result of Alter check sets the DC for the target’s Will Save.

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[br]Result	Will DC[br]1-5	10[br]6-15	15[br]16-25	20[br]26-35	25[br]36+	30[br]


If the target fails his save, the Psychic Warrior can do one of the following:

Alter Perceptions: This creates a simple false stimulus, such as a sound or an image, detected by a single person and lasting no more than a round. This can have the effect of a Feint or Creating a Diversion to Hide as per the Bluff skill (PHB, page 68). The targets receive a +2 on their saves for every target beyond the first that the Psychic Warrior wishes to effect. The Psychic Warrior must have line of sight to all targets he wishes to effect with this ability. This use of Alter costs 2 PP’s, regardless of the success or failure of the saving throw.

Suggestion: This allows the Psychic Warrior to make an otherwise unpalatable suggestion seem totally reasonable. The Psychic Warrior must be able to communicate with the target and the target must be within thirty feet. The suggestion can not obviously and/or directly threaten the target’s life or physical well-being. This use of Alter costs 4 PP’s, regardless of the success or failure of the saving throw.

Psychic Blast: This is a blast of mental energy (considered a force effect) that pommels a single target. The Alter check sets the amount of damage and the Will save DC to remain conscious. On a successful save, the target takes the indicated damage. On a failed save, the target takes the indicated damage and is unconscious for one round per two levels of the Psychic Warrior. This is an attack action that requires line of sight and costs 6 PP’s.

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[br]Result	Damage	Will DC[br]1-15	1d6	10[br]16-25	2d6	15[br]26-35	3d6	20[br]36+	4d6	25[br]


Move Object: With this power, the Psychic Warrior move objects or creatures by concentrating on them. You must have line of sight to the object or creature. With a successful Alter roll the object or creature moves up to twenty feet per round for up to one round per class level. If attempting to move a creature or an object held by a creature, the Alter roll must be greater than the creature’s Spell Resistance, if any, and the creature can attempt a Will save, with success indicating that it does not move and/or neither did the object. The weight can be moved vertically, horizontally, or in both directions. If the Psychic Warrior ceases concentration for any reason, the object falls or stops.

An object can be telekinetically manipulated as if with one hand. For example, a lever or rope can be pulled, a key can be turned, an object rotated, and so on, if the force required is within the weight limitation. The Psychic Warrior might even be able to untie simple knots, though delicate activities such as these require Intelligence checks.

The result of the Alter roll sets the Will save and the maximum weight that can be moved.

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[br]Result	Will DC	Max Weight	PP Cost[br]1-5	10	100 lbs.	      1[br]6-15	15	200 lbs.	      2[br]16-25	20	300 lbs.	      4[br]26-35	25	400 lbs.	      8[br]36+	30	500 lbs.	     16[br]


Bonus Feats: At first level, a Psychic Warrior gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Soul Knife) as a bonus feat whether or not he meets the prerequisites.

At second level, the Psychic Warrior receives Weapon Focus (Soul Knife) and Deflect Arrows as bonus feats. Although he need not meet the prerequisites for either feat, he must have his Soul Knife activated to use Deflect Arrows, in addition to the normal restrictions of being aware of the attack and not flat-footed. (See Deflect Arrows, page 93, PHB).

At fifth level, the Psychic Warrior gains Weapon Specialization (Soul Knife) as a bonus feat whether or not he meets the prerequisites.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

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Special Abilities: At the levels indicated, a Psychic Warrior may choose any of the following Special Abilities that he meets the prerequisites for.

Burst of Speed
Prerequisite: 3 ranks of Control
Benefit: You may increase your base speed up to ten times its normal rate for one round which has the side effect of multiplying your jump distances by five. Use of this special ability requires a full round action and costs five PP’s.

Fighter Feat
Prerequisite: None
Benefit: In lieu of a special ability from this list, you may use any of your Special Ability slots to take any of the fighter bonus feats as outlined in the PHB. You must meet the prerequisites for the feat in order to take it.

Improved Burst of Speed
Prerequisite: 5 ranks of Control, Burst of Speed Special Ability, Dexterity 13+
Benefit: You may increase your base speed up to twenty times its normal rate for one round which has the side effect of multiplying your jump distances by ten. Use of this special ability requires a full round action and costs eight PP’s.

Improved Psychic Defense
Prerequisite: 4 ranks of Sense, Psychic Defense
Benefit: When wielding your Soul Knife, you get a +3 Dodge bonus to Armor Class. This Dodge bonus stacks with the bonus from Psychic Defense. Any condition which makes you lose your Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class also results in the loss of this bonus.

Inner Strength
Prerequisite: 1 rank of Control, 1 rank of Alter
Benefit: For the purposes of calculating Power Points, your level is considered to be two points higher.
Special: You may take this special ability up to three times, each adding a +2 to your effective level for a possible total of +6.

Psychic Attack
Prerequisite: 3 ranks of Alter
Benefit: Your next attack deals an extra 1d6 points of damage when you pay the cost of one Power Point. Although using this ability is a free action, you must decide whether or not to spend the Power Point prior to making the attack. Once activated, the Soul Knife remains charged for a number of rounds equal to your Wisdom modifier or until your next attack, whichever comes first. If your attack misses, the Power Point is wasted. You may only use this ability once per attack.

Psychic Concentration
Prerequisite: 2 ranks of Control
Benefit: Use of this ability requires a full round action, but provides a bonus equal to your Psychic Warrior level to any one skill used the next round provided that using that skill is all you do in that round. This bonus even applies to Psionic skills, provided, once again, that using that skill is all you do for that next round. The power point cost of the skill the bonus is used on is doubled.

Psychic Defense
Prerequisite: 3 ranks of Sense
Benefit: When wielding your Soul Knife, you get a +3 Dodge bonus to Armor Class, but any condition which makes you lose your Dexterity bonus (if any) to Armor Class also results in the loss of this bonus.

Psychic Inquisitor
Prerequisite: 5 ranks of Sense, Charisma 13+
Benefit: When a living humanoid lies to you, you perceive it. You detect a maximum number of lies per day equal to your Charisma modifier. You must declare when and if you are using this special ability.

Psychic Mastery
Prerequisite: 3 ranks of Sense, Alter, and Control
Benefit: You may use this ability once per class level per day. When using a psychic skill or ability in such a way that it requires a full round action, you may accomplish it as a standard action by expending one use per day. When using a psychic skill or ability in such a way that it requires a standard action, you may accomplish it as a free action by expending one use per day You may combine use two uses to reduce a full round action to a free action.

Resist Energy
Prerequisite: 6 ranks of Control
Benefit: You may resist energy damage incurred by your environment or from an attack. Only one type of energy (fire, cold, sonic, negative, positive, or electricity) may be dissipated in a round, and doing so cost four Power Points. Use of this skill is a free action, and it need not be declared during your initiative count. The energy resistance gained is determined by your Control roll.

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[br]Result	Resistance[br]1-15	10[br]16-25	20[br]26-35	30[br]36+	40[br]


Speed of Thought
Prerequisite: 8 ranks of Control, Burst of Speed Special Ability, Dexterity 13+
Benefit: You may increase your base speed up to thirty times its normal rate for one round which has the side effect of multiplying your jump distances by fifteen. Use of this special ability requires a full round action and costs ten PP’s.

Throw Mind Blade
Prerequisite: 3 ranks of Control
Benefit: This allows a Psychic Warrior to throw his Soul Knife as a ranged weapon with a range increment of 30 feet. All game stats remain the same except that you apply your Dexterity modifier to the attack as opposed to your Strength modifier. Throwing a Soul Knife is an attack action, but a Psychic Warrior of 11th level of higher can use his ability to manifest a Soul Knife as a free action to use a full attack action throwing Soul Knives. Whether or not the attack hits, a thrown mind blade dissipates immediately after inflicting damage.

Although the Psychic Warrior need not spend any Power Points to use this Special Ability, he must have six Power Points in his reserve at the time he uses it.

Up the Walls
Prerequisite: Wisdom 13+, Dexterity 13+, 11 ranks of Control, Improved Burst of Speed or Speed of Thought

Benefit: The Psychic Warrior can take part of one of his move actions to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if the he begins and ends the his move on a horizontal surface. The height the Psychic Warrior can achieve on the wall is limited only by this movement restriction. If the Psychic Warrior does not end the his move on a horizontal surface, he falls prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for the distance he fell. Treat the wall as a normal floor for the purpose of measuring the Psychic Warrior’s movement. Passing from floor to wall or wall to floor costs no movement; the Psychic Warrior can change surfaces freely. Opponents on the ground can make attacks of opportunity as the Psychic Warrior moves up the wall.

Although the Psychic Warrior need not spend any Power Points to use this Special Ability, he must have ten Power Points in his reserve at the time he uses it.

Special: The Psychic Warrior can take other move actions in conjunction with moving along a wall. For instance, the Spring Attack feat would allow him to make an attack from the wall against a foe standing on the ground that is within the area he threatens; however, if he is somehow prevented from completing his move, he falls. Likewise, he could tumble along the wall to avoid attacks of opportunity. This Special Ability can be combined with Improved Burst of Speed, Burst of Speed, or Speed of Thought to run along walls for great distances.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

Okay, so this is version 1.0. The campaign is still some time away, so I have plenty of time for revisions. Suggestions?

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by Neeek »

I'm not sure about the saves. This feels like a finesse sort of warrior to me. I'd probably tack on Evasion and do something truly silly for the saves. My suggestion, which is probably a bad idea is this:

1. All bad saves
2. A save bonus equal to 1/2 the number of ranks in the corresponding skill (I was thinking Will/Control, Reflex/Sense, and Fort/Alter). The 1/2 might not be the right number, but I think the idea could work.

I haven't read all the special abilities yet, but it seems pretty cool. I'd play one if they were allowed in a game I was in.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by RandomCasualty »

Well on a quick look through, I don't really like how this ability works.

fbmf at [unixtime wrote:1118702946[/unixtime]]

Battle Mind: By making a DC 15 Control check, a Psychic Warrior gains an Insight bonus on attack rolls equal to half his class level (rounded down, minimum +1) for ten rounds. Activating this power is a free action, and costs 2+(Class Level/2) PP’s regardless of the success or failure of the Control check.


Having buffs that are based on your class level is generally a really bad thing. At low levels they are all but useless, and at high levels they become absurdly huge.

Basically pick a bonus you're happy with, and give him that from the beginning. A standard action to activate is every bit as costly at 1st level that it is at 20th, so the bonus should be the same no matter what.

Mainly I would say, consider doing stuff to make this class reasonably useful at low levels. It is the place where I think the XPH psywarrior fails miserably. The problem with using skill ranks is that it takes a while before skills ever really get good, so the first 5 levels seem like they'll be an exercise in sucking.

Also, if you haven't put it in anywhere, you probably should add in a restriction that you cannot make skill enhancing items, or use skill enhancing spells, for the characters force skills. Otherwise a +10 or +20 skill item would totally break the class.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

RC wrote:
Also, if you haven't put it in anywhere, you probably should add in a restriction that you cannot make skill enhancing items, or use skill enhancing spells, for the characters force skills. Otherwise a +10 or +20 skill item would totally break the class.


Good call. How should that be worded?

As to the Battle Mind Bonus, I specifically want it to be meaningful at every level, so it is based on 1/2 the class level of the PW. This is in addition to whatever he may get from the enhanement bonus to his Soul Knife, high strength, or whatever.

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by RandomCasualty »

fbmf at [unixtime wrote:1118762885[/unixtime]]
Good call. How should that be worded?

Well for magical items, I'd say it'd be easiest just to not allow people to create the item in the first place. As any item created has to be approved by the DM. If you wanted a hard coded wording, something like "bonuses to skill checks from magical items do not apply to any checks made with the following skills..."

For spells, you'd have to simply word it like "skill bonuses that come from spells can't be applied to any of these skills", alternately just ban spells like wieldskill that let you do that, as those spells tend to kick the rogue in the crotch anyway.



As to the Battle Mind Bonus, I specifically want it to be meaningful at every level, so it is based on 1/2 the class level of the PW. This is in addition to whatever he may get from the enhanement bonus to his Soul Knife, high strength, or whatever.


The problem is that it's not very meaningful at every level. At 1st level to 4th it's so weak it's not even worth using. At 20th level, it's an overwhelming +10 "push 'em off the RNG" bonus. At that point, it's probably too meaningful and will make standard fighters cry.

Generally scaling buffs are not a good idea unless they represent replacements for magic items. So unless you routinely allow people to have insight bonus to attack magic items, I would generally balance the bonus as if it were unnamed. Though if you do allow people to be walking around with high end custom insight bonus items, then it might be ok (but still seems very much on the weak side at low levels). But I assumed as a base assumption that you weren't allowing people to craft +5 rings of insight to attack. Therefore any insight bonuses you hand out should probably be balanced as if they were unnamed.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by Username17 »

OK, you need to better define the proficiency they have with the Soul Knife. There are two kinds of proficiency with Bastard Swords available - martial and exotic. The Exotic Proficiency has a prerequisite of Strength 13 and allows you to fight with it one-handed if you want. If you want them to all be able to use it one or two handed, you need to say that they get Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Soul Knife as a bonus feat.

Second, gaining an enhancement bonus based on your level divided by four keeps up with an unmodified GMW, but that's all it does. In reality, Clerics can raise their caster level and Wizards can take advantage of the XP lending mechanics to make weapons with higher enhancement bonuses. The bonus should be based on character and rise at the rate of +1/3 levels. Further, it shouldn't be capped at +5, since having an Epic Weapon at character level 18 isn't all that big a deal, and having an Epic Weapon at level 21 is a god damned requirement.

I understand what you are trying to do with having Skill Ranks in the powers, and it's a dreadful idea. Don't do it. Skill points are one of the methods of power accumulation which are least tied to level in any meaningful fashion. While it is possible for characters to multiclass and still keep their skills up and then passively allow your skill bonus to be Level +3 + Stat Modifier, it's equally possible to have the party Artificer make you a ring of Improvisation that lets you cast Improvisation 5 times every day, or to put your skill points in Knowledge: Dungeoneering instead. There is simply no guarantee that a skill bonus is ever going to be any particular value.

If you want to tie these things to character level - and you do, because that's the only setup that could be balanced for a single or multiclassed character - you'll want to have it instead be something along the lines of manifester levels.

Ex.: "You have a Manifester level equal to your character level. Every four levels of Psywarrior you gain access to a new Discipline. The Disciplines are: Alter, Control, My Ass, Sense, and Mystify"

After all, you want them to actually keep getting disciplines available for all 20 levels to attempt to keep people from just bailing on the class.

Then you'd change the prereqs of the abilities to things like:

"prerequisites: My Ass, Manifester Level 6."

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by User3 »

You should also probably tie save DCs to the usual 10+(0.5*Level)+Ability mod.

Having arbitrary 5-point DC jumps isn't exactly a perfect system.
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

FrankTrollman at [unixtime wrote:1118769465[/unixtime]]OK, you need to better define the proficiency they have with the Soul Knife. There are two kinds of proficiency with Bastard Swords available - martial and exotic. The Exotic Proficiency has a prerequisite of Strength 13 and allows you to fight with it one-handed if you want. If you want them to all be able to use it one or two handed, you need to say that they get Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Soul Knife as a bonus feat.

Second, gaining an enhancement bonus based on your level divided by four keeps up with an unmodified GMW, but that's all it does. In reality, Clerics can raise their caster level and Wizards can take advantage of the XP lending mechanics to make weapons with higher enhancement bonuses. The bonus should be based on character and rise at the rate of +1/3 levels. Further, it shouldn't be capped at +5, since having an Epic Weapon at character level 18 isn't all that big a deal, and having an Epic Weapon at level 21 is a god damned requirement.


Both good calls. Taken care of.

Frank wrote:
I understand what you are trying to do with having Skill Ranks in the powers, and it's a dreadful idea. Don't do it. Skill points are one of the methods of power accumulation which are least tied to level in any meaningful fashion. While it is possible for characters to multiclass and still keep their skills up and then passively allow your skill bonus to be Level +3 + Stat Modifier, it's equally possible to have the party Artificer make you a ring of Improvisation that lets you cast Improvisation 5 times every day, or to put your skill points in Knowledge: Dungeoneering instead. There is simply no guarantee that a skill bonus is ever going to be any particular value.


I have no interest in protecting a player from bad decision making (I trust my group not to do this). If they don't want to put skill points into their Psychic skills, this is not my problem. Also note that if you multiclass out of PW, I say that you can't add points to these skills.

I don't allow skill boosting items to be added to the Psychic skills, per RC's suggestion.

Frank wrote:
If you want to tie these things to character level - and you do, because that's the only setup that could be balanced for a single or multiclassed character - you'll want to have it instead be something along the lines of manifester levels.

Ex.: "You have a Manifester level equal to your character level. Every four levels of Psywarrior you gain access to a new Discipline. The Disciplines are: Alter, Control, My Ass, Sense, and Mystify"

After all, you want them to actually keep getting disciplines available for all 20 levels to attempt to keep people from just bailing on the class.

Then you'd change the prereqs of the abilities to things like:

"prerequisites: My Ass, Manifester Level 6."

-Username17



The point of this class is to be good enough so that once you are there you don't want to multi-class out of it. It was partly inspired by your suggestion elsewhere on these boards to give fighters some quasi-magical abilities so they could begin to do something that maybe could be considered keeping up with their magic-weilding homies.

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

Guest (Unregistered) at [unixtime wrote:1118774962[/unixtime]]You should also probably tie save DCs to the usual 10+(0.5*Level)+Ability mod.

Having arbitrary 5-point DC jumps isn't exactly a perfect system.


I get what you are saying, but our campaigns stop in the early twenties, level wise, so DCs of thirty or so should be sufficient.

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by fbmf »

...and that brings us to version 1.1, with suggestions added as noted in the above three or so posts.

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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

Post by User3 »

Is there any reason you make it so difficult to establish telepathic contact? Most telepathy abilities don't allow any save at all. At the very least, "Will negates (harmless)" should suffice.

You could also lower the PP cost and then make a scaling DC/PP table based on distance and familiarity, up to "anyone, anywhere."
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Re: fbmf's Psy Warrior

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I envisioned it more like the sending spell. Would it help if I renamed it?

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