drothgery

Shortly after SWSE came out -- and before I actually got my hands on the rulebook, in fact -- there were some very heated debates over who could take levels in Jedi, and the approriateness of letting characters without Jedi levels learning to use the Force. I came down strongly enough on the side of 'the Jedi base class is just a set of abilities' that I proposed getting rid of it entirely.

Here's how:

- All characters gain 2 starting feats, not one (humans get three)
- Nobles no longer get the Linguist feat for free
- Scoundrels no longer get the Point Blank Shot feat for free
- Scouts no longer get the Weapon Proficiency (rifles) feat for free
- Soldiers no longer get the Armor Proficiency (medium) feat for free
- The Jedi base class does not exist

The Jedi Consular, Jedi Guardian, and Jedi Sentinel talent trees are available to all memebers of the Jedi tradition, as per other tradition talent trees, and are considered to be 'in chapter 6' for purposes of the 2nd-tier force user classes (Force Disciple, Jedi Master, Sith Lord). At the GM's discretion, one or more of these trees may be available to other traditions that are based on the Jedi arts (Sith, Imperial Knights, etc.).

The Lightsaber Combat talent tree is available to anyone with Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers) and Force Sensitivity.

If you're wondering why I remove a bonus feat from each class, it's actually pretty simple. Everyone needs two starting feats to make starting with Weapon Proficiency (lightsabers) and Force Sensitivity possible, and I wanted nonhumans to be able to start as 'Jedi'. So if I don't want to rejig the system to assume everybody's slightly more powerful, I need to take one starting feat away from the four remaining classes.

When I wanted to upgrade the Healer to one of the major casters available for a psuedo-Victorian game (think Shadow Hearts in Eberron), I here's what I came up with...

alignment: any nonevil
hit dice: d8
skill points: 4/level
class skills: concentration, craft, diplomacy, handle animal,
knowledge(nature), knowledge(religion), profession, sense motive,
spellcraft, survival
weapon and armor proficiency: simple weapons, no armor
spells: healers spontaneously cast any spell on their list, in the
manner of the dread necromancer or warmage

[Code]

healing hands (ex): whenever a healer casts a spell that cures hit point damage,
she adds her Cha modifier to the amount of damage healed. This only applies to
healer spells.
skill focus(heal): if the healer already has this feat, choose a different one.
advanced learning: each time she gains this ability, the healer can add one spell
to her list from the Good, Protection, or Sun domains; this spell can be a level
no higher than the highest-level spell she can cast
effortless healing (ex): casting conjuration[healing] spells does not provoke
an AoO. This only applies to healer spells.
bonus feat: choose one of the following feats - augment healing#, empower turning#,
quicken turning#, disciple of the sun#, sacred boost#, sacred healing#,
extra turning, improved turning, iron will, brew potion, font of life^,
indominatable soul2, ritual blessing2, divine fortune2, divine ward2,
sacred radiance2

# complete divine, ^ Heroes of Horror,2 PHB 2

healer spell list
* spell is in the Mini's handbook (also in Spell Compendium)
0: create water, cure minor wounds, deathwatch, detect magic, detect poision,
light, mending, purify food and drink, read magic
1: bless water, cure light wounds, goodberry, protection from evil, remove fear,
remove paralysis, sanctuary, speak with animals
2: calm emotions, cure moderate wounds, delay poison, gentle repose,
remove blindness/deafness, remove disease, lesser restoration
3: close wounds*, create food and water, cure serious wounds, neutralize poison,
remove curse, restoration, status
4: cure critical wounds, death ward, freedom of movement, mass cure light wounds,
panacea*
5: atonement, break enchantment, mass cure moderate wounds, raise dead,
revivify*, stone to flesh, true seeing
6: greater restoration, heal, heroes' feast, mass cure serious wounds, regenerate
7: mass cure critical wounds, repulsion, resurrection
8: discern location, holy aura, mass heal
9: foresight, gate, true resurrection

This was an effort of mine posted over on the House Rules forum (with some refinements from the other commenters).

After breaking down and picking up a PHB from the local bookstore last night (one of the late-adopter guys at the table will get a present when my Amazon order shows up) and trying to convert an Archivist PC from a PBP game that I rather liked (Khalia ir'Indari, I decided that although I could make a fairly respectable version of her as a Cleric, it wasn't quite right. So here's some hasty early morning scribbling...

Archivist

as cleric, except as noted

Key Abilities: Intelligence, Charisma
Armor profs: cloth, leather
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Con score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4

Trained Skills: Arcana, Religion. From the class skills list below, choose three more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Arcana, Diplomacy, Dungeoneering, Heal, History, Perception, Religion, Streetwise

Class features: Dark Knowledge, Healing Word, Ritual Casting, Prayerbook

Dark Knowledge - once per encouncter, an archivist can draw upon her expansive knowledge of monsters, granting her allies benefits against the creatures they face

Dark Knowledge attacks often are [Knowledge Skill] vs. defense.
[Knowledge Skill] is determined by creature type.
arcana - elemental, fey, shadow
dungeoneering - aberrant
nature - natural
religion - immortal or undead

Dark Knowledge: Tactics Archivist Feature
You draw on your extensive knowledge of creatures of the foe's type in order to advise your allies on how best to defeat it.
Daily * Divine
Standard Action Area: Burst 3 within 10 squares
Attack: [Knowledge Skill] vs. Will
Hit: Until the end of the encounter, your allies gain +1 power bonus to hit members of a specific type of creature within the area of effect
At 11th level, this bonus increases to +2. At 21st level, this bonus increases to +3

Dark Knowledge: Puissance Archivist Feature
With a quick word, you tell your allies you to avoid the foe's attacks.
Encounter * Divine
Minor Action Ranged: 10
Attack: [Knowledge Skill] vs. Will
Hit: Your allies gain +1 power bonus to defenses against a specific type of creature within the area of effect until the end of your next turn. At 11th level, this bonus increases to +2. At 21st level, this bonus increases to +3.

Prayerbook - as per a wizard's spellbook, except that it functions for prayers, not spells; feats and magic items which affect spellbooks affect prayerbooks, and magic items that can be used as spellbooks can be used as prayerbooks (this feature isn't very useful with just PH1; as more divine prayers become available, this will become more useful)

Powers - An archivist can use Intelligence instead of Wisdom for for all Cleric powers, but does not gain access to powers with the weapon keyword. An archivist can also use the wizard's Utility powers, though they count as prayers for an archivist.

New Feats
(heroic tier)
Dark Knowledge: Foe's Weakness
Prerequisite: Dark Knowledge class feature.
You gain the use of Foe's Weakness as a Dark Knowledge ability.

Dark Knowledge: Foe's Weakness
You learn any vulnerabilities the target has and make an immediate attack, exploiting this knowledge.
Prerequisite: You must have Knowledge skill training in the skill corresponding with the creature's type to use this power.
Encounter * Divine
Standard Action Ranged: 10
Target: One creature
Attack: INT vs. AC
Effect: Learn one vulnerability of the target. Until the end of your next turn, any ally exploiting the creature's vulnerability inflicts an addition 1d6 damage.
Hit: 1d10 + INT damage, plus if you exploit the creature's vulnerability with the appropriate damage type, the creature is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Miss: The creature isn't dazed and takes half damage. However, until the end of your next turn, any ally exploiting the creature's vulnerability inflicts an addition 1d6 damage.

(paragon tier)
Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret
Prerequisite: Dark Knowledge class feature.
You gain the use of Dread Secret as a Dark Knowledge ability.

Dark Knowledge: Dread Secret
Every creature has a secret it wishes were known to none. But the Archivist knows.
Prerequisite: You must have Knowledge skill training in the skill corresponding with the creature's type to use this power.
Daily * Divine
Standard Action Ranged: 10
Target: One creature
Attack: INT vs. Will
Effect: Learn the darkest secret of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the target is Stunned.
Hit: 2d8 + INT damage.
Miss: The creature takes half damage.

Dark Knowledge: Foreknowledge
Prerequisite: Dark Knowledge class feature.
You gain the use of Foreknowledge as a Dark Knowledge ability.

Dark Knowledge: Foreknowledge
A master archivist often can predict the moves of her enemies almost perfectly, and act on this information.
Prerequisite: You must have Knowledge skill training in the skill corresponding with the creature's type to use this power.
Daily * Divine
Standard Action Ranged: burst 2 within 10 squares
Target: All creatures of one type in area of effect
Attack: INT vs. Will
Hit: You anticipate the next attacks the target will make. Until the end of the encounter, your allies gain a +3 bonus to AC vs. that target.
Miss: Your knowledge of the target is less complete; you only provide a +1 bonus to AC.