4e Fan Creations and House RulesWorking on variant powers? Statting up a PC race or your version of a monster? Creating or converting an adventure? Put it here!
Design Goal: Create an alternative power source option for each source/class combination. These will maintain the feel of the original class while giving them an exotic appeal with a few changed abilities/features. Each class gives tips and suggestions on how to make the character feel more like the alternate power source without sacrificing (too much) power. Take the psionic barbarian, for example. It suggests that the barbarian character wield a staff to take advantage of it as an implement with the provided powers (which also allow other weapons at a cost). A staff is not usually an optimal weapon for a barbarian, but it functions as one just fine. With the option, you can also use it to greater effect as an implement, which ties in nicely if you multiclass into something like monk, or even wizard.
Why?: Better story tie-ins for some characters. Alternate Power Sources allows better blending into multiclass or hybrid. Alternatively, it gives the character a way to act like a class of a different power source without actually multiclassing/using hybrid.
Rules Clarification: The only way to gain the features/powers explained are half-elf Dilletante or choose the alternate power source class. The class features and traits are balanced against each other. Ultimately, such classes will have their own hybrid and multiclass options which would open up the original class powers while granting the reflavored power/feature. Example: Because you are still a barbarian, you cannot multiclass into psionic barbarian to get the weakened Indomitable Will class feature. Similarly a hybrid barbarian cannot also hybrid psionic barbarian or choose Indomitable Will (hybrid) as a hybrid talent option.
RUNETHANE Runethanes are the champions of wizards. Their unique magic flows through sigils drawn across their body and engraved on their weapons and armor. They can be masters of cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. Strength is just as important for a runethane as for any fighter. The weapon you choose determines what other ability you should focus on and how you use your rune magic. See the chart below for more information.
MODIFIED CLASS TRAITS
Replace the appropriate text from the Fighter Class Traits in the PHB with the following.
Power Source: Arcane. You can harness magic in powerful runes to increase your weapon abilities.
Armor Training: Cloth, leather, hide, chainmail, scale Implements: See Runic Weapon below Bonus to Defenses: +1 Fortitude, +1 Will
Trained Skills: Arcana. From the fighter class skills list, choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Features: Combat Challenge, Runic Weapon, Spell Shield
RUNETHANE CLASS FEATURES
As an arcane fighter, you give up your fighter weapon talent, shield proficiencies, and combat superiority. In exchange for this, you gain the Runic Weapon and Defensive Sigil class features.
Runic Weapon
Choose a weapon group with which you are proficient. You can use weapons from that group as implements with your fighter attacks. You also get a +1 bonus to implement attacks.
As a minor action on your turn, you can spend a healing surge and activate your runic weapon. When you do, any attack you make against a creature’s AC before the end of your next turn becomes an implement attack and targets that creature’s Reflex defense instead. Apply all bonuses you would get, except the proficiency bonus of the weapon, to the attack as if it were a weapon attack. If you hit, the attack’s damage is the type your weapon group deals, instead of any other.
In addition, you gain one of the following effects when you hit a creature with an opportunity attack or an immediate interrupt attack triggered because an adjacent enemy marked by you shifts or makes an attack that does not include you. Cold: The target is slowed until the end of your next turn. Fire: The target takes ongoing fire damage equal to your Constitution modifier (save ends). Lightning: if the target moves further than 3 squares away from you, it grants combat advantage to you and your allies until the end of your next turn. Thunder: The target rolls an immediate save or falls prone at the end of its move.
Spell Shield
When your off-hand is free, you gain a +2 bonus to your AC and Reflex defense. As a minor action, you can change the bonus applied to any two of AC, Fortitude, Reflex, or Will instead.
RUNETHANE POWERS
The arcane fighter has access to all fighter powers. You can also choose the following powers which give you a more distinct identity as an arcane class.
As a good tie-in for the arcane power source, consider choosing fighter powers which focus on close bursts or blasts.
Blackfire Strike Runethane Attack 1 You burn through one enemy and into its allies. At-will • Arcane, Fire, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier fire damage and you deal fire damage equal to your Constitution modifier to all enemies adjacent to the target. Level 21: 2[W] + Strength modifier fire damage
Sly Spell Feint Runethane Attack 1 You are known well by enemies who have tried to get away from you. Encounter • Arcane, Teleportation, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage and you can swap positions with the target. Weapon: If you’re wielding a flail, a light blade, or a spear, until the end of your next turn, when the target grants combat advantage to an attacker, that attacker gains a +4 bonus to the attack roll instead of a +2 bonus.
Arcane Weapon Master Runethane Utility 2 You are able to channel power into your weapon for a short time and control it from a distance. Daily • Arcane Minor Action Close burst 3 Effect: Until the end of your next turn, you can make weapon or implement attacks from any square within the burst. You do not count as flanking a target unless you are actually in the square from which you would flank that creature. Sustain Minor: The effect persists.
Improved Sly Spell Feint Runethane Attack 13 You are known well by enemies who have tried to get away from you. Encounter • Arcane, Teleportation, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage and you can swap places with the target. Effect: Until the end of your next turn, as an immediate interrupt, you can swap places with any creature the target attacks. If the target didn’t include you in its attack, you can make a melee basic attack against it as part of this action. Weapon: If you’re wielding a flail, a light blade, or a spear, until the end of your next turn, when the target grants combat advantage to an attacker, that attacker gains a +4 bonus to the attack roll instead of a +2 bonus.
Greater Sly Spell Feint Runethane Attack 27 You are known well by enemies who have tried to get away from you. Encounter • Arcane, Teleportation, Weapon Standard Action Melee weapon Target: One creature Attack: Strength vs. AC Hit:3[W] + Strength modifier damage and you can swap places with the target. Effect: Until the end of your next turn, as an immediate interrupt, you can swap places with any creature the target attacks. If the target didn’t include you in its attack, you can make a melee basic attack against it as part of this action. Weapon: If you’re wielding a flail, a light blade, or a spear, until the end of your next turn, when the target grants combat advantage to an attacker, that attacker gains a +4 bonus to the attack roll instead of a +2 bonus.
As always, I appreciate any thoughts/feelings on these. I'll post another one tomorrow after I finish formatting. Gonna work through each available power source/class, and I'm willing to take requests.
I thought the same thing. The swordmage's feature is good for him, but I wanted something that wasn't a carbon copy on this class. I'm gonna post the next one here in a moment.
__________________ OP By Stalker0
Neo: "So, what are you trying to tell me? At 30th level I don't get anything?"
Morpheus: "No Neo. I'm telling you that when you're 30th level; you won't need anything."
I am now mildly obsessed with figuring out the best way to build Doctor Strange ;-)... he has a power called Shields of the Seraphim or seraphimic shields along side bolts of bishru and his binding traps (ribbons of raggador/crimson bands of citorak) <-- the only way I can think of doing the latter 2 are as reskinned and mildly changed sleep spells -->
A recent animated movie of the character has these sorcerors ... having conjured blades (functionally the same as that feat which lets wizards and sorcerors use magic missiles and eldrich blasts and similar things as melee attacks)
I had a time figuring it out, but I think it worked out quite well in the end.
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