(Homebrew class) Hanged Man

This class is kind of a modified Gunslinger/Battlemind cross. He uses semi-psychic powers to wield guns. I tried to make it cool without really stepping on other classes' toes. Kind of inspired by some magic guns from the defunct Rokugan 2000 series by Rich Wulf.

Hanged Man

Requirements:
BAB: +3
Feats: Personal Firearms Proficiency, Wild Talent
Skills: Concentration 3 ranks

Class Information:
Hit die: d10
Action Points: 7+1/2 character level per level
Class Skills: As Fast Hero, plus Concentration as class skill
BAB: 3/4 * Class level (Medium progression, as Fast Hero)
Fort Save: 1/3 * Class level (Poor progression)
Ref Save: 2 + 1/2 * Class level (Good progression)
Will Save: 1/3 * Class level (Poor progression)
Defense: Good (see Martial Artist p. 167)
Reputation: Poor (see Martial Artist p. 167)

Class Features:
1: Close Combat Shot
2: Weapon Focus
3: Chi Shot
4: Bonus Feat
5: Dodge Fire
6: Weapon Specialization
7: Soul Shot
8: Absorb Bullet
9: Bonus Feat
10: Ignore Cover

Close Combat Shot: See Gunslinger p. 169

Weapon Focus: See Gunslinger p. 169

Chi Shot: The Hanged Man may sacrifice his own life force to increase the destructive power of his bullets. If a bullet is chambered in the gun, he sacrifices 1 hp and adds an extra die of damage to his bullet. The bullet's damage also gains the same subtypes as any allegiances the Hanged Man possesses. If no bullet it chambered, the Hanged Man may sacrifice 2 hp to create a spirit bullet. This bullet does 2d10 damage (this damage has no type and cannot normally be resisted) and also has the Hanged Man's allegiances as subtypes.

Bonus Feat: At levels 4 and 9 the Hanged Man gets a bonus fear from the list: Advanced Firearms Proficiency, Dead Aim, Defensive Martial Arts, Double Tap, Elusive Target, Heroic Surge, Far Shot, Point-Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Quick Draw, Shot on the Run

Dodge Fire: Once per day, the Hanged Man may automatically avoid all ranged fire for one round. This is special full-round action during which he can make no attacks, but can move up to double his movement.

Weapon Specialization: See Soldier p. 165

Soul Shot: The Hanged Man's Chi Shot ability improves. To add his spirit energy to a normal bullet now costs no hit points, and firing a pure spirit bullet costs only 1 hp. An improved spirit bullet also ignores hits as a ranged touch attack, ignoring armor and natural armor bonuses.

Absorb Bullet: Once per day, the Hanged Man may absorb a single ballistic attack (one bullet or volley) and negate all damage from that attack. This requires no roll, but the Hanged Man must make a Fort Save DC 15 or be dazed by the exertion (and lose his next action).

Ignore Cover: The Hanged Man's insight improves once again, as he understands that his spirit bullets have no physical reality, and his normal bullets blur the lines between material and immaterial. Normal bullets gain +2 to hit against targets with any form of cover, and his spirit bullets ignore cover bonuses altogether.
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So there you go. Sorry about the sloppiness of the Class Information stuff, but I never got the hang of EN World's table system. So, what do you guys think?

I didn't really want to bump this, but I'd just like to know if the class looks balanced. I think it's a pretty fair class (maybe the name could use some work), but just a quick "too weak" "too strong" or "just right" is all I'm looking for.

Very flavorfull, but I'd like to see the flavor text on why you chose Hanged Man. I like the name, I'm just curious.

It seems very interesting to me, but I do have some questions.

Why do the spirit bullets have alleigences? I don't know why this is noted, which is probably due to a lack of knowledge of d20 Modern.

Dodge fire seems a little powerful to me. Perhaps if it were to involve some sort of reflex save, saving for half, and if he has improved evasion its nill.

I would think about changing the spirit bullets to force, that way they effect incorporeal creatures too.

This is really the first time I've made my own mechanics in d20 Modern (I'm a veteran in D&D though).

I chose Hanged Man because I see this as being kind of the "I'm damned anyways" type who knows that he's hurting himself, but does it anyways. It just evokes the right emotion for me, at least.

The allegiances thing is kind of an interesting story. I was originally gonna make the spirit bullets [holy], but I figured that it was needlessly limiting the class. If the bullets reflect the essence of whoever fires them, they could be [unholy] or [lawful] also. It only matters against some supernaturals anyway, perhaps demons whose regeneration or DR is penetrated by special damage types. Since the allegiance system is so broad, I thought it might be a good way to let characters with the proper motivations have different effects. If I don't understand the system, then maybe that part should get axed.

For Dodge Fire, I think it's fairly powerful, but not all that abusable. It works for one round, once a day, and the Hanged Man doesn't get to return fire.

Finally, giving the bullets a [force] descriptor might make sense, but I don't think it's necessary to make the class tick. It's not so much a mystic as someone who sacrifices some of his own soul to power his attacks. Killing ghosts doesn't seem like it's part of the job description...

nameless said:

1) Since the allegiance system is so broad, I thought it might be a good way to let characters with the proper motivations have different effects. If I don't understand the system, then maybe that part should get axed.

2) For Dodge Fire, I think it's fairly powerful, but not all that abusable. It works for one round, once a day, and the Hanged Man doesn't get to return fire.

3) Finally, giving the bullets a [force] descriptor might make sense...Killing ghosts doesn't seem like it's part of the job description...

Click to expand...

Please forgive the prarphrasing. I do really like the name, and it does fit. I was more or less wondering if the name had a story reason in your campaign, or was related to Judas myths, etc. It's cool without all that, so don't worry. The name is good, as is the concept of the class.

1) I like this idea. I just don't know if allegiance is the way to go to get this effect. Allegiance as it stands may confer a +2 circumstance bonus to CHA based skill checks with someone of the same allegiance, and then only when you have ascertained that they have the same allegiance. I think reworking it slightly, offering a choice of descriptors might be appropraite. Say you have a fire oriented psi character, they choose fire as the descriptor. Others may choose good, evil, force, cold, or sonic based on their nature. Once chosen this cannot be changed, unless you add it into the progression, similar to a rangers favored enemies.

2) The ability is not game breaking, you're right. Maybe it should swap places with Absorb Bullet though, which is very useful, but doesn't seem to be quite as powerful as Dodge Fire.

3) It's not necessary to the class, and if you like the option I mentioned in bullet 1, its irrelevant. i like it though, and it would not unbalance the class to add it I think.

One more thought. Concentration is a class skill, and is used in the prerequisites, but what do they use concentration for in their class abilities?

BTW, I had never heard of Rokugan 2000. What is this?

Interesting. I'm not super-familiar with D20 modern, but some of the class abilities look overpowered to me. Especially soul shot: the character can now add 1 die of damage to any attack at no cost. Because of the low massive damage threshhold in D20 modern, this looks extremely powerful to me.

Here's my suggestions:
-Change the cost of soul shot to 1 point of CON (for a regular bullet) and one point each of CON and CHA (for a spirit bullet). Make it hurt -- it's a cool ability, and it should have a cost.
-Replace chi shot's ability description with one that allows a PC to sacrifice a number of hit points equal to class level in order to gain an equivalent bonus on an attack roll.
-Ignore Cover should require an action point, as should Dodge Fire; Dodge Fire might be a better 10th level ability.
-Get rid of some of the special abilities (especially absorb bullet and dodge fire, which don't really match the concept of a self-sacrificing gunsman, IMO) and replace them with bonus feats.

Daniel

Skade: You probably are right with the extra descriptor thing. I'll probably just drop the allegiance part and let the player pick the subtype when he gains the class. Pielorhino and you both think that Dodge Fire and Absorb Bullet would be better switched, so I think I'll do that. I'll also make Dodge fire cost an action point and remove the times/day limitation.

EDIT: Oh yeah, and here's the link to Rokugan 2000: http://www.cowell.org/~r2k/ . Hopefully you're familiar with Legend of the 5 Rings, otherwise you might be a little lost. There's a lot of material there, but I say it's top notch.

Pielorhino: I think a point of Con is too much. 2 points of ability damage is definitely too much, with no way to heal ability damage in d20M. HP tend to be low enough that the Hanged Man probably won't waste it on every shot. The way I envision the class, he should be able to shoot a few bullets and not feel it too much, but if he gets in a tough spot, it's a hard choice.

Like I said to Skade, I'll swap the two defensive abilities and make them cost action points. I don't think Ignore Cover should cost an AP, since it's already being paid for with HP. Maybe if you could trigger Ignore Cover with an AP after seeing the roll result; that seems possible.

The concept is kind of a self-sacrificing gunman, but there is a definite mystical quality to the concept. He might walk through a crowded gunfight and come away without a scratch (think of 'Tombstone' at the river). His will is so strong that he can literally shrug off the effects of being shot. He isn't a berzerk warrior, he's a lone ranger.

As far as balance with the damage of the gun, I don't think it's a grave issue. I would like to restrict the Hanged Man to pistols, so maybe I'll make that explicit. An assault rifle does 2d10, which averages 11 damage. The average pistol with a soul bullet will do 3d6, which averages 10.5. Anybody can double tap, that would increase the rifle to 3d10 and the soul bullet to 4d6 and more hp sacrificed. My point is, getting the extra damage isn't that tough if someone wants to maximize that. With one of the big pistols, damage will be higher, but still not more than with a rifle bursting or double tapping.