[Tome] The Hex Blade

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Koumei
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[Tome] The Hex Blade

Post by Koumei »

Because it's a cool enough idea with truly awful implementation by WotC. So let's fix that. Besides, it could be relevant in Souled Out.

The Hex Blade
"I curse you to die by the sword. Here, I'll help fulfil that curse."

Alignment: the vast majority tend to be Evil, but there's no specific requirement of that.
Starting Age: as Fighter
Starting Wealth: as Cleric

Hit Die: d10
Base Attack Bonus: Good
Saving Throws: Good Will to all mankind
Skill Points: 4 + Int
Class Skills: Concentration, Craft (Any), Decipher Script, Gather Information, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (The Planes, Religion), Listen, Ride, Spellcraft, Spot
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: the Hex Blade is proficient with all Simple and Martial Weapons, and with Light, Medium and Heavy Armour. He is not proficient with Shields.
LevelClass FeaturesCurses KnownSpells KnownSpells Per Day
1Lesser Curses, Armoured Mage (Light)13/-/-/-/-1/-/-/-/-
2Arcane Resistance, Corrupted Strike14/-/-/-/-2/-/-/-/-
3Armoured Mage (Medium)25/-/-/-/-3/-/-/-/-
4Dark Pact26/-/-/-/-4/-/-/-/-
5Aura of Misfortune36/3/-/-/-4/1/-/-/-
6Mettle, Swift Cast 1/day36/4/-/-/-4/2/-/-/-
7Greater Curses46/5/-/-/-4/3/-/-/-
8Improved Pact46/6/-/-/-4/4/-/-/-
9Armoured Mage (Heavy)56/6/3/-/-4/4/1/-/-
10Greater Aura of Misfortune56/6/4/-/-4/4/2/-/-
11Dark Curses66/6/5/-/-4/4/3/-/-
12Greater Pact, Swift Cast 2/day66/6/6/-/-4/4/4/-/-
13Bonus Feat76/6/6/3/-4/4/4/1/-
14Improved Mettle76/6/6/4/-4/4/4/2/-
15Fell Curses86/6/6/5/-4/4/4/3/-
16Awesome Pact86/6/6/6/-4/4/4/4/-
17Arcane Retaliation96/6/6/6/34/4/4/4/1
18Greater Mettle, Swift Cast 3/day96/6/6/6/44/4/4/4/2
19Bonus Feat106/6/6/6/54/4/4/4/3
20Greatest Pact, Dire Aura of Misfortune106/6/6/6/64/4/4/4/4

Lesser Curses (Su): at levels one, three and five, the Hex Blade gains access to a special curse which can be used at will. Any Caster Level equals his Character Level, and any Save DC is 10 + half his hit dice + his Charisma Bonus. He may select from the following:
  • Ailing: with a Standard Action, you designate one target in Close Range to suffer from a horrible weakening that generically makes life difficult for them. If the target fails a Fortitude Save, they take a -2 Luck Penalty to all Attack rolls, Damage rolls, Saving Throws, Ability Checks and Skill Checks until the sun next rises or sets.
  • Gnats and Ticks: with a Full Round Action, you conjure up horrible biting insects on a target within Medium Range. They must pass a Fortitude Save or be infested, suffering 1d4 damage (as though by a Swarm attack) each round for a full minute. This damage is considered ongoing, and is doubled for the purpose of Concentration checks. If the target spends a Full Round Action scratching, swiping, or rolling about, they do not suffer the damage on that turn or the next.
  • Haunting: with a Standard Action, you cause a target within Close Range to be haunted by minor spirits or magical effects. Until the next sunrise, the target suffers a -3 penalty on all saving throws and modified level checks against [Fear] effects. Furthermore, any time they would suffer from a [Fear] effect, they treat it as one step worse: Shaken becomes Frightened, Frightened becomes Panicked, Panicked or Cowering becomes Comatose. Roughly once per hour, a Cantrip effect such as Dancing Lights or Mage Hand will briefly occur near them, within their field of vision.
  • Ill Fortune: with a Standard Action, you curse a target within Close Range to suffer badly from their failures. If they fail a Will Save, then until they next rest, failed actions (not including purely mental ones) cause them to drop whatever they are holding and fall Prone.
  • Malady: with a Standard Action, you give someone the sniffles. A target within Close Range must pass a Fortitude Save against Disease, or be vaguely tormented, suffering a -10 Penalty to Spot, Listen and Move Silently checks. Furthermore, they treat everyone else as having Concealment due to their watery eyes, and suffer a -2 Morale Penalty to Armour Class. This lasts until they next rest.
  • Torment: with a Standard Action, you afflict someone to be tormented and distracted by irritating prickles of pain and the heebie-jeebies. If a target within Medium Range fails a Will Save against a [Mind-Affecting] effect, they lose the ability to make Attacks of Opportunity, and must pass a Concentration Check (same DC as the Save DC) each turn they wish to keep concentrating on a spell, nor can they gain any benefits from resting or sleeping in the meantime. This lasts until the next sundown or sunrise.
  • Vulnerability: with a Swift Action, you place a curse on a target within Close Range to weaken their defences. They suffer a -5 Penalty to any Damage Reduction, Hardness, Energy Resistance and Spell Resistance they have. This lasts until the end of your next turn, but there is no save.
Spellcasting: the Hex Blade can cast a small amount of spells, but it's not his main ability - it's just something he does to help tilt the odds in his favour. He only learns spells through gaining levels, not through studying and adding to a spellbook, and casts spells without preparation. His spellcasting is entirely Charisma-based, and his Caster Level equals his Character Level.

Armoured Mage (Ex): the Hex Blade does not suffer Arcane Spell Failure from Light Armour, though only for his Hex Blade spells. Starting at third level, this extends to Medium Armour, and at level nine it also covers Heavy Armour.

Arcane Resistance (Su): starting at second level, the Hex Blade adds his Charisma Bonus as a Resistance Bonus to all Saving Throws, and forever sells any Robe of Resistance he finds.

Corrupted Strike (Su): beginning at level two, the Hex Blade may make a special Corrupted Strike as a Standard Action at will. This can only be used against a target who is suffering the effects of one of his curses. He may add his Charisma Bonus to the attack and damage roll, and increases the Critical Multiplier by one.

Dark Pact (Ex): at level four, the Hex Blade gains special benefits that are typically (but not necessarily always) drawn from a special pact with otherworldly forces. He must choose one of the following:
  • Fiendish Steed: once per day, he may use a Full Round Action to summon a Fiendish Warhorse, complete with a Saddle and Chainmail Barding. The steed is loyal, and lasts until slain or another is summoned.
  • Monstrous Familiar: with a one-hour ritual, the Hex Blade may summon a familiar, gaining the same benefits as a Sorcerer or Wizard. The options available are: Fiendish Medium Monstrous Spider, Fiendish Giant Soldier Ant, Fiendish Wolverine, Fiendish Crocodile, Imp, Quasit, Fiendish Dire Badger, Fiendish Dire Bat. If a familiar dies, he feels grumpy for a few minutes, and can summon another one during the next full moon. Its maximum hit points equals the full maximum HP of the Hex Blade.
  • Shadowy Companion: the Hex Blade has a constant shadowy ally that always remains within Close Range. On his turn, it can move to any place in that area. It cannot physically affect the real world, nor attack, nor be attacked or affected in any way. It doesn't threaten squares, and cannot make Attacks of Opportunity nor Flank. Any foe adjacent to it (or sharing its area) suffers a -2 Luck Penalty on Armour Class and Saving Throws.
Aura of Misfortune (Su): beginning at level five, the Hex Blade gains a special aura he can activate three times per day with a Swift Action. Each time, it lasts for a number of rounds equal to his Character Level, extending out to twenty feet. All in the area except the Hex Blade himself (and the creature of his Pact) find luck turned against them, gaining a 10% Miss Chance on all attacks (which is not caused by Concealment), 10% Spell Failure (not just Arcane, all Spells and Spell-Like Abilities) and losing all Fast Healing while in the area. Furthermore, all in the area have Spell Resistance of 11 + the Hex Blade's Character Level against [Healing] effects. In any case where a character already suffers from Spell Failure or a Miss Chance, simply use the higher one.

Mettle (Ex): at level six, the Hex Blade gains Mettle. Any time he passes a Fort Partial or Will Partial saving throw, he instead suffers no effect, as though it were Fort Negates or Will Negates.

Swift Cast (Ex): starting at level six, the Hex Blade may once per day cast a Hex Blade spell with a Swift Action. This doesn't change the spell slot, and obviously doesn't extend the casting time to a Full Round Action, that would be stupid. At levels twelve and eighteen, he gains an additional daily use.

Greater Curses (Su): at levels seven and nine, the Hex Blade may gain a Greater Curse. These are like Lesser Curses, except better, as the name implies.
  • Apathy: with a Standard Action, you target someone within Close Range with a [Mind Affecting] apathy. If they fail a Will Save, they become Slowed for one minute, and for that duration they suffer a -5 Penalty to any Caster Levels, and to any Spell Resistance. For the duration, they are also immune to other emotion effects such as Rage or Crushing Despair. That might sound good, but they don't care.
  • Curse of Blade Attraction: with a Standard Action, you curse someone within Medium Range. Until the sun next sets or rises, weapons are drawn inexplicably towards them. They never benefit from Cover or Concealment other than Full Cover, and adjacent allies and enemies can each use an Immediate Action to redirect any attack from themselves to the target - other than attacks from the actual target.
  • Hateful Karma: this nasty curse requires a Full Round Action, targeting someone within Close Range. If they fail a Will Save, then until the next time they rest, any time they deal damage to someone, luck bites them in the ass and they suffer untyped, irresistible damage equal to your Charisma Bonus.
  • Illusory Infestation: with a Standard Action, you cause someone in Medium Range to believe they are being attacked by a swarm of spiders. They are first entitled to a Will Save against a [Mind-Affecting] [Phantasm] illusion to disbelieve. If they fail the save, then for the next hour, they believe they are being attacked by a swarm of spiders, suffering damage each round and needing to save against both Distraction and Poison - using the Save DC of the Curse itself. Taking actions that would actually destroy or disperse the swarm will provide relief for as long as the action is kept up (being on fire, going underwater, flying).
  • Natural Curse: you curse someone to no longer be supernatural. With a Full Round Action, you target someone within Medium Range, and they must pass a Fortitude Save, even if they are an object or undead. If they fail, they lose access to all Supernatural Abilities for three rounds.
  • Pain and Suffering: with a Swift Action, you cause someone to be in a lot of pain. One target within Close Range must pass a Fortitude Save or suffer 1d6 points of damage, plus your Charisma Bonus. After that, until the sun next rises or sets, they are constantly distracted, unable to hold concentration on effects and needing to pass Concentration checks for spellcasting and similar actions (the DC is the same as that to ignore this ability in the first place). Each time they fail the Concentration check, they suffer another 1d6+Cha points of damage.
  • Phantasmal Affliction: with a Standard Action, you force a target in Close Range to pass a Will Save against a [Mind-Affecting] [Phantasm] Illusion. If they fail, they believe they have contracted a terrible disease: they instantly contract the disease of your choosing and suffer the ability damage, completely skipping the onset time. Every round thereafter, they need to save again as though a full day has passed, however they are allowed both a Will Save and a Fortitude Save - the former completely ending the effect (but not the ability damage already suffered) and the latter just working as normal for a disease. Each turn you may use a Swift Action to describe the terrible symptoms and change the Disease to a different one, with different effects. This lasts until they pass a Will Save, pass enough consecutive Fortitude Saves, are killed, or are subject to a Remove Disease effect.
  • Swords to Serpents: with a Full Round Action, you may unleash a hilarious curse on a target within Close Range. They must pass a Will Save, and if they fail, then for the next minute, all of their equipped and wielded weapons transform into Vipers. These vipers are of the same rough size as the weapons themselves, and have a Base Attack Bonus equal to your own, using the DC of this Curse for their venom. If they are slain, they remain dead for the duration, but are undamaged when they revert to their natural form. Any weapon enhancements and features that don't require active use still apply to the Bite attacks - a +3 Flaming Falchion turns into a snake with a +3 Flaming Bite, but a Mace of Three Wishes won't turn into a snake that then wastes the Wishes on a pool of water, some nice weather and a mouse to eat.
Improved Pact (Ex): at level eight, the Pact of the Hex Blade improves, with the rewards becoming obviously more special.
  • Fiendish Steed: the steed is more powerful - instead of a Fiendish Warhorse, it may be a Fiendish Rhino, Fiendish Brown Bear, Huge Monstrous Spider, Fiendish Dire Wolf, Fiendish Dire Boar or Megaraptor. It has a saddle and Scale Barding, and grows wings, gaining a 60' Fly Speed (Good).
  • Monstrous Familiar: the creature can now hold concentration for one spell at a time for the Hex Blade. Additionally, its Strength and Dexterity scores each increase by +4. Alternatively, instead of the above benefits, it may be one of the following: Huge Monstrous Spider, Megaraptor, Fiendish Giant Crocodile, Fiendish Dire Wolverine, Winter Wolf.
  • Shadowy Companion: the creature now Flanks and Threatens creatures, and has an incorporeal touch attack using the Hex Blade's BAB, with no other modifiers. It deals non-lethal damage equal to 1d6 + the owner's Charisma Bonus. It may make a single Attack of Opportunity per round.
Greater Aura of Misfortune (Su): at level ten, the Hex Blade's Aura of Misfortune becomes a lot better. The radius extends out to thirty feet, the Miss Chance and Spell Failure worsens to 25%, and the Spell Resistance against [Healing] improves to 15 + his level. Additionally, Dying creatures in the area cannot stabilise.

Dark Curses (Su): at levels eleven and thirteen, the Hex Blade gains access to a mighty Dark Curse. These are extremely powerful, and few ever gain access to these things.
  • Barren Lands: blight land, water, crops in area
  • Blind Panic: with a Full Round Action, you glare at a group of people - up to one per level in a Close Range Cone - and they all have to make a Will Save against a [Fear] effect. Any target that fails the save is rendered Blind and Panicked for one minute. If their blind running about causes them to collide with someone else, they can spread the condition - the person they hit must also save against this or be affected for one minute, and so on.
  • Earthbound: you fix a baleful gaze upon a foe within Long Range, and wish they would fall to the ground. If they fail a Reflex Save, your hatred grasps them and cripples their flight: they lose the ability to Fly (and thus begin falling if they are currently in the air) until the sun next sets or rises.
  • Insect Blight: with a Full Round Action, you begin focusing, and keep Concentrating for 4 rounds. After that, one swarm of Locusts per 2 hit dice heeds your call, summoned anywhere within Long Range. They are all Hasted, and remain as long as you continue to Concentrate. They bypass Damage Reduction as though using Magic Weapons, but this is better for destroying crops than slaying foes.
  • Ordinary Curse: with a Standard Action you condemn a foe within Medium Range, and they risk being completely ordinary. They must attempt a Fortitude Save - the kind that can even affect Constructs and Undead - and if they fail, they lose access to all Extraordinary Abilities until the next sunset or sunrise.
  • Pandemic: with a Standard Action, you release a magical disease that afflicts multiple targets. Select one target per two levels, all within Close Range. They must all pass a Fortitude Save or contract the Disease of your choice. The incubation time is skipped, and they must save every single round as though a day has passed, until either cured or dead. Instead of the normal vector of infection, anyone adjacent to or sharing a square with a contaminated subject must also save against catching it. Any target slain by the disease unleashes a 15' radius burst of pathogens, potentially infecting others with it.
  • Weather Curse: this curse requires focusing for a full ten minutes, and the effects only take place 1d6*10 minutes after that. It changes the weather completely in a radius of one mile per level, raising or lowering the temperature by any number of stages up to your Charisma Bonus, creating or removing cloud cover, rain, fog/mist, hail, snow, lightning storms, and changing the wind direction and intensity at will. This may also be used to create any kind of Evil Weather. The duration lasts for 2d6 hours, but if you are still in the area when the duration ends, it takes only a Standard Action to extend it by another 2d6 hours.
Greater Pact (Ex): at level twelve, the Pact of the Hex Blade becomes even better, with a fantastic benefit.
  • Fiendish Steed: the steed may now be a Nightmare, Wyvern or Half-Fiend Elephant. If it is still one of the previous creatures, it has the Half-Fiend template (replacing the Fiendish template if need be). The steed has as many hit dice as the Hex Blade does. A Nightmare has Barding equivalent to a +1 Breastplate, and a saddle. Anything else has a saddle and Scale Barding.
  • Monstrous Familiar: if still using a Familiar from the first list, it gains a +4 bonus to its Natural Armour, and it may grow one size category larger (with the usual ability score changes) and may summon a lesser version of itself (as the basic Dark Pact version) three times per day as a Spell-Like Ability, for an hour at a time. If from the Improved list, its Strength and Dexterity increase by +4. Alternatively, it may be one of the following creatures: Bulette, Chaos Beast, Chimera, Chuul, Succubus, Vrock, Osyluth, Erinyes, Bezekira, Dire Bear, Dire Tiger, Gorgon, Nessian Warhound, Remorhaz, Shield Guardian.
  • Shadowy Companion: the creature's aura now extends out to a 15' radius from it, not just adjacent. Additionally, it may cast the following Spel-Like Abilities at will: Dancing Lights, Deeper Darkness, Faerie Fire, Ghost Sound, Silent Image. The Save DC is the same as for the Hex Blade's Curses.
Bonus Feat: at levels thirteen and nineteen, the Hex Blade gains a Bonus [Fiend] Feat.

Improved Mettle (Ex): at level fourteen, any time the Hex Blade fails a Fort Partial or Will Partial save, he instead suffers only the Partial effect, the same effect as most people get when they pass the save.

Fell Curses (Su): at levels fifteen, seventeen and nineteen, the Hex Blade gains access to a Fell Curse, the greatest variety of all.
  • Baleful Polymorph: you may cast Baleful Polymorph at will. If you touch the target, they get no Saving Throw.
  • Curse of Animate Animosity: with a Standard Action, you fix your gaze on a foe in Medium Range, and they must then pass a Will Save. If they fail, all of their worn and wielded equipment (but not gear stowed in bags and pouches) stops being attuned to them and becomes animated, retaining any Enhancement Bonuses or special qualities, attacking them. It is up to them to pummel their equipment into submission or at least disrobe and pin it to the ground. Clothing and armour that covers more than just the torso will actively make grapple checks (with a bonus of your BAB + Charisma Bonus) to move them around the place or pin them. If they deal enough damage to an item to reduce it to zero hit points, the item "eats" the magic, undoing all damage and ending the animation. This lasts for one minute, but can also be used on a group of unattended items (one per level) with a duration of one lunar cycle.
  • Disenchantment: you concentrate for a full minute, then unleash a baleful shout that radiates out to one hundred feet. The entire area is reduced to a Dead Magic Zone for one hour, with no magic of any kind having any effect, other than this actual curse of course.
  • Nightmares Made Real: with a Full Round Action you focus your hatred on a target in Long Range, and they must pass a Will Save against a [Mind-Affecting] [Fear] Illusion. If they fail, they are cursed for a year and a day: to them, a Nightmare Terrain spell is in effect in all terrain out to Close Range from them, additionally all creatures they see are treated as having the Fear-based Gaze of a Kyton (using the DC of this curse), and every night they suffer the effects of the Nightmare spell. Worse still, the effects will persist even if they are slain and resurrected - and if they are not brought back, their soul makes its way to the Plane of Nightmares rather than their normal destination.
  • Rapid Wasting: with a Standard Action, you unleash a terrible corruption on a target within Medium Range. They must attempt a Fort Save, and if they fail, they suffer 1d6 points of Ability Damage each round for one minute, to the ability of your choice. If Strength or Dexterity is reduced to zero, they dissolve into a [Ooze] - they are killed and the Ooze is now a wild monster. If their Constitution is reduced to zero, they die and become an uncontrolled Slaughterwight. If their Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma is reduced to zero, they are permanently reduced to a Chaos Beast.
  • Spiritbound Curse: using a Full Round Action, you unleash your malice at a target in Close Range, as long as they have a soul, and they must attempt a Will Save. If they fail, the spirit instantly leaves the body, as though Astrally Projecting, for one minute, and each round they must attempt to save again or be affected as though by Trap the Soul. You merely need a simple clay jar or a worked gem to hold a soul in this manner. A creature that does not have the body-soul division (such as many Outsiders) that fails the initial save is simply Slain and their soul instantly trapped.
  • Wasteland: massive area blight and Necromantic EvilBad Ground
  • Weakness: cause energy vulnerabilities and remove immunities
Awesome Pact (Ex): at level sixteen, the Hex Blade's Pact improves once again. At this stage, even other Hex Blades will comment on how amazing it is, or flee in terror.
  • Fiendish Steed: dragon or Bebilith or Retriever or Cauchemar
  • Monstrous Familiar: bigger and better, share spells out to one mile
  • Shadowy Companion: bigger penalty, Slow creatures with attack
Arcane Retaliation (Su): starting at level seventeen, any time a spell is cast at the Hex Blade, it provokes an Attack of Opportunity from him. If he chooses to make the AoO (assuming he has any remaining to make) and hits an Armour Class of 10 + the Caster Level, he shatters the spell, effectively Counterspelling it. If he confirms a Critical Hit, the spell is instead reflected back at the caster.

Greater Mettle (Ex): whenever the eighteenth-level Hex Blade fully resists a Spell or Spell-Like Ability by using Mettle, he regains lost hit points equal to the Caster Level as he is rejuvenated by the magical forces, and the caster becomes Fatigued until they next rest.

Greatest Pact (Ex): at level twenty, the Pact of the Hex Blade reaches its absolute pinnacle, and even deities get either jealous or scared.
  • Fiendish Steed: share spells, gain a Basic Sphere
  • Monstrous Familiar: even more big and awesome, possess familiar
  • Shadowy Companion: spit negative levels out, summon shadows
Dire Aura of Misfortune (Su): at level twenty, the Hex Blade's Aura of Misfortune becomes a maelstrom of bad luck for everyone. It reaches out to a 50' radius, the Miss Chance and Spell Failure become 50%, and the Spell Resistance against [Healing] becomes 20 + his level. Additionally each round, every creature in the area except for the Hex Blade (and his steed/familiar/companion) loses hit points equal to his Charisma Bonus.

Hex Blade Spell List
1st Level
Bane, Blade of Blood, Blade of Pain and Fear, Bladeweave, Corrupt Weapon, Curse Water, Death Knell, Demonflesh, Doom, Enlarge Person, Expeditious Retreat, Fortify Familiar, Golden Barding, Grease, Investiture of the Spined Devil, Magic Weapon, Obscuring Mist, Protection From Alignment, Secret Weapon
2nd Level
Augment Familiar, Barkskin, Blindness/Deafness, Bull's Strength, Death Knell, Demon Wings, Devil's Eye, False Life, Flame Blade, Haste, Increase Virulence, Investiture of the Bearded Devil, Investiture of the Chain Devil, Invisibility, Master Cavalier, See Invisibility, Summon Swarm
3rd Level
Assay Resistance, Bestow Curse, Contagion, Cursed Blade, Desecrate, Detect Scrying, Diminish Plants, Fly, Greater Magic Weapon, Hound of Doom, Investiture of the Amnizu, Investiture of the Erinyes, Investiture of the Harvester Devil, Investiture of the Steel Devil, Rage, Spectral Weapon, Stinking Cloud, Unhallow, Unluck, War-Mount
4th Level
Bleed, Blight, Create Undead, Eyebite, Fear, Fiendish Clarity, Giant Vermin, Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Invisibility, Insect Plague, Investiture of the Barbed Devil, Investiture of the Malebranche, Investiture of the Narzugon, Investiture of the Orthon, Nightmare, Phantom Charge, Poison, Rusting Grasp, Slime Wave, Solid Fog, Spell Theft, Spiritual Chariot, Touch of Juiblex, Unholy Storm, Unholy Sword, Winged Mount
5th Level
Antipathy, Befoul, Blade Barrier, Break Enchantment, Control Undead, Create Greater Undead, Despoil, Insanity, Investiture of the Hellfire Engine, Investiture of the Horned Devil, Investiture of the Ice Devil, Investiture of the Pit Fiend, Iron Body, Maze, Mind Blank, Repulsion, True Seeing
Last edited by Koumei on Wed Jun 04, 2014 1:32 am, edited 7 times in total.
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Midnight_v
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Post by Midnight_v »

Do you think it'd be okay to add "Spell chance failure" to the Aura of Misfortune. Do unto mages as is done unto mundanes I figure.
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Post by Lokathor »

Dunno about the spells known and spells per day at the current levels. I'd either bump it up to Bard casting (like an Assassin) or just hand out some Spheres.

Also, Torment is just a terrible curse, and needs to be adjusted somehow.

And why 2 skills per level? Should be 4 minimum, probably 6.
Last edited by Lokathor on Sat May 31, 2014 6:36 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Miryafa »

In general:
I like the melee debuffer approach.
The D10 HD is nice.
Why base everything off Charisma? I always felt that was a terrible decision by Wizards because it forces MAD.

Lesser Curses:
What's the purpose of Ailing? It's outclassed by Malady in combat and stealth, and Torment everywhere except for the duration, and I don't really know where else you'd use it.

Greater Curses:
Hateful Karma is definitely the counter to TWF, but sucks against support characters. Illusory Infestation the same vs Rogues and affects everyone. Too bad you can only pick one at a given level and then stick with it.
How do objects/undead make a Fort save against Natural Curse? They take a -5 penalty for having no Con score?
Didn't read below that.

Improved Pact: the fiendish steed still can't fly at this level?

Greater Pact: 1/day abilities are bad bad bad, and at this level 3/day or 5/day wouldn't be unbalanced

Arcane Retaliation: cool.
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Post by Koumei »

Spell Failure in aura: seems fair

Spellcasting: I just wanted to boost it above CArc Hex Blade level without making them a "proper" caster. The idea is for it to support them.

Torment and Ailing: good point, they're really just generic penalty things that are supposed to be worse than specific things used against the right targets, but just having one "long duration -2 to d20 rolls" can work, and then another "specific ailment" one would be better.

Skill Points: I guess it wouldn't hurt if I increased it. Or...

Charisma: because that's the done thing. And at the end of the day, it's going to be a mental ability score, and generally "supernatural crap that isn't a spell" is Charisma-based (such as the +Cha to saves and Curses). I could make it Int-based though, and that way they have a lot of skills the same way Wizards do? Admittedly the casting stat is going to start at like 14 and not be boosted by levels because that's going into Strength, but still.

Hateful Karma: I'm fine with them having curses that are great against some foes and not against others.

Objects/Undead: a Con score of - provides a +0 modifier and is a thing that the rules actually allow (Disintegrate for instance). I specifically wanted them to get curses they can use on Undead and Golems without simply saying "this is a disease that works on undead because fuck them".

Improved Pact: good point, it's level 8, the Wizard was Flying 3 levels ago, "at will until fireballed" is fine now.

Greater Pact: you still have the full-power one, it just gets to summon a weaker thing daily like a fiend does. I could probably make it 3/day though, given they just summon weaker stuff.
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