My homebrew's core classes (Alts. for many classes)... Please Critique

Archimago

First Post
So I'm trying to make my own world. After working out a few basics, like the species on the world, societies at large, cosmology and magic, I've decided that a few of the classes needed re-working. In fact, the only classes I didn't change were the fighter and the rogue. Others habe either one or two changes (like the wizard and the druid), have been nigh redone (bard, ranger, and cleric), and three have been dropped (monks, barbarians, sorcerors).
With that said I will now write, as succintly as possible, my changes. (If something like HD or BAB is not posted, assume it is the same as the PHB)
NB. All caster either follow the lesser or greater spell progression table, I will list them at the end.

Bard
Armour Pro: Light, Shields
Weapon Pro: All Simple plus 1 Martial
Lesser Spell Progression
Spontaneous Casting w/ limited spells known (use lesser spell progression chart for spells known)
L1 Bardic Knowledge, Bardic Spellcasting, Bardic Performance (Inspire Courage)
L2 Bardic Performance (Fascinate)
L4 Bardic Performance (Inspire Competence)
L6 Bardic Performance (Suggestion)
L8 Bardic Performance (Defensive Dance)
L10 Bardic Performance (Marksman’s Mantra)
L12 Bardic Performance (Inspire Greatness)
L14 Bardic Performance (Countersong)
L16 Bardic Performance (Inspire Resolve)
L18 Bardic Performance (Compulsion)
L20 Bardic Performance (Song of Spell-Resistance)
Bardic Knowledge – Add (Bard Level/2) to all knowledge checks
Bardic Spellcasting – No spell failure in light armour for bard spells only
Bardic Performance – Learn a new Bardic Son; can perform once per level per day; Bard gains 4 ranks of perform at level 1, and 1 rank every level thereafter
Performance - Affect
Inspire Courage - As PHB
Fascinate - As PHB
Inspire Competence - As PHB
Suggestion - As PHB
Defensive Dance - Add Cha to AC for 10 rounds or till stop
Marksman’s Mantra - Add Cha to Hit for 10 rounds or till stop
Suggestion - As PHB
Inspire Greatness - As PHB, except gain +2 damage as well
Countersong - Bard may attempt a counterspell dispel magic but at half the bard’s caster level; if successful only area of 30ft radius around bard is considered countered
Inspire Resolve Allies with 30ft may use Bard’s Perform score as their saving throw against any mind-affecting effect
Compulsion - Bard can force a subject to commit any non-suicidal act, target must be fascinated and have suggestion implanted to follow Bard’s will, and gets saving throw at DC 13+Bard’s Cha; counts against daily limit
Song of Spell-Resistance - Allies within 30ft gain SR of 11+Bard’s Cha

Cleric
HD: d6
Armour Pro: Light, Shields
Greater Spell Progression plus 1 extra slot per spell level for Domain spells
Planned Casting
L1 Divine Health, Divine Grace, Positive/Negative Channelling, Turn Undead, Domains
L5 Metamagic or Extra Turning
L10 Metamagic or Extra Turning
L15 Metamagic or Extra Turning
L20 Metamagic or Extra Turning
Domain – As PHB
Divine Health – Clerics are immune to disease
Divine Grace – Clerics add their Charisma bonus (if any) to all saving throws
Positive/Negative Channelling – As PHB
Turn Undead – A Cleric may turn undead if a positive channeller or rebuke if a negative channeller 3+CHA times per day.
Metamagic or Extra Turning – Cleric may select any metamagic feat they qualify for or they may take the extra turning an related feats instead. Unlike the wizard’s metamagic feat, cleric may not use it to select item creation feats.

Druid
HD: d6
Weapons: Same plus bows and greatclub

Paladin
HD: d8
Saves (F/R/W): Good/Poor/Good
Skill List: As PHB plus Intimidate (Cha)
Lesser Spell Progression
Planned Casting
L1 Lay on Hands, Battle Casting, Aura of Courage
L2 Smite Foe /1 day
L3 Turn/Rebuke Undead
L8 Smite Foe /2 day
L14 Smite Foe /3 day
L20 Smite Foe /4 day
Lay on Hands – As PHB, but powered by WIS
Battle Casting – Suffer no spell failure in any armour type, may cast spells with somatic components through a hand holding a weapon, for Paladin spells only.*
Aura of Courage – As PHB
Smite Foe – As PHB except WIS not CHA used for any modifiers
Turn Undead – AS PHB
* Divine spells suffer from failure % like arcane spells; all divine casters can cast failure-free in light armour

Ranger
HD: d8
Saves (F/R/W): Good/Good/Good
BAB: Good
Armour Pro: Light, Medium, and Shields
Weapon Pro: All Simple and All Martial
Skills: 4+int
Skill List: As PHB
L1 Track, Favoured Enemy I
L2 Ranger Focus
L3 Uncanny Dodge I
L4 Damage Reduction 1/-
L5 Favoured Enemy II
L6 Uncanny Dodge II
L8 Damage Reduction 2/-
L10 Favoured Enemy III
L12 Damage Reduction 3/-
L15 Favoured Enemy IV
L16 Damage Reduction 4/-
L20 Damage Reduction 5/-, Favoured Enemy V
Track – As PHB
Favoured Enemy X – X refers to number of favoured enemy ranks gained, maximum number of favoured enemies, and maximum number of ranks that can be assigned to any one favoured enemy; effects as PHB; enemy types in Fauna of Alterra (Must pick subtype for intelligent, semi-intelligent, and magical entities)
Ranger Focus – Select one of the following
Hunter - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot
Predator - TWF, Ambidexterity
Stalker - Greater Skill Focus (Hide), Greater Skill Focus (Move Silently)
Survivor - Toughness, Endurance, Luck of Heroes (+1 all saves)
Tracker - Greater Skill Focus* (Wilderness Lore), Greater Skill Focus (Spot)
Tamer - Greater Skill Focus (Animal Empathy), Greater Skill Focus (Handle Animal)
*Greater Skills Focus give +5 to selected skill

Wizard
Weapon Pro: All Simple
Greater Spell Progression
Semi-Spontaneous Casting – Memorize one spell for every spell slot (spells must be of equal or lesser level than slot); cast spontaneously from that more limited group; learn spells as Wizard does in PHB
Specials: As PHB

Lesser Spell Progression Chart

1 2 3 4 5

1 1
2 2
3 3
4 4
5 4 1
6 4 2
7 4 3
8 4 4
9 4 4 1
10 4 4 2
11 4 4 3
12 4 4 4
13 4 4 4 1
14 4 4 4 2
15 4 4 4 3
16 4 4 4 4
17 4 4 4 4 1
18 4 4 4 4 2
19 4 4 4 4 3
20 4 4 4 4 4

Greater Spell Progression Chart

Exactly the same as the wizard's spell progression in the PHB.

PS. One last note, all character start with fewer languages known, and "common" doesn't exist, so Bard's are valuable for being the only class with Speak Language as a class skill.
 
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graydoom

First Post
Bards: Seem to be a bit more powerful, but lesser spellcasting progression probably cancels this out.

Clerics: Very interesting. Better spellcasters now, and with metamagic feats, and a bunch of cool abilities, but a lesser HD and a less ability to wear armor. Stronger spellcasters, weaker fighters. If that was what you intended, it looks fine, though I'd be bit concerned about the power level of clerics being a bit too high.

Druid: Hmm, seems to me druids got screwed. Reduced to a d6 HD like the cleric, but with nothing to show except for two more weapons. Seems underpowered to me.

Paladin: Seems to have the same basic idea behind the changes as the cleric. Less HP, more special abilities and spells. Again, if that is what is you want, this is fine.

Ranger: All good saves is a pretty big benefit. As is the damage reduction, ranger focus ability, and uncanny dodge. And it doesn't say if they lose their spells. If they do lose their spells, I'd say it's balanced, though perhaps a bit on the strong side. If they don't lose their spells, I'd say it's certainly overpowered.

Wizards: Seems to be fine, since sorcerers are gone. Perhaps a bit on the strong side, though.
 

Archimago

First Post
Thanks for the input :)

Let me make a few responses:

Ranger: No spells. Half-nature caster didn't make sense for the role of the ranger. Essentially the equivalent of the fighter class for less developed fighters, or commando-types meant to scout ahead or survive tough spots. This essentially replaces the Barbarian and the Ranger in the regular rules, that's why there is a combination of their abilities. The Ranger Focus helps further flesh out exactly what their role is.

Druid: I wasn't sure about these changes, but I thought that taking away the cleric's d8 meant I should take away the druid's too. Paladins and Ranger have d8s, and only the fighter has a d10, so I thought that d8 would be inappropriate for this reason too. I was hoping bows would be enough, since druids could stay back, but I guess its not fair to push them in the direction of bows if they don't want. What would be a fairer compensation for the HD drop (I'm fairly adamant about keeping the d6)
 

Ace

Adventurer
The ranger Focus is a great idea, if you don't mind I'll snake it for my campaign minus the "greater" on skill focus

I have Animal orders that are very similar and this will flesh them out.

Now to balance out druid let them cast spontaneously that should even the score well enough.

Also I suggest dropping the weapons restriction Give them the listed weapons and simple weapons insead
 

Archimago

First Post
I had an idea for balancing my Druids. Give them a druid domain.
The druid would gain 1 extra slot every spell level like the Cleric, but they only pick one domain, and it has to be one of the nature or elemental domains in the PHB, ie. Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Animal or Plant.

The way the cosmology of my world works is that there are two circles of Gods.

The natural circle (exists outside of societies) and the civilised circle (concepts based on society, like justice, peace, war).

Druids are priests of the natural circle, Clerics the priests of the civilised circle. Clerics worship a single god/goddess, whereas Druid worship the totality and complexity of nature only allowed by the four elemental gods working together to create and sustain it. The domain they choose signifies their focus, but not to the exclusion of the others.

The granted powers and spell lists will be the same except Druids will cast spells that use their chosen element, or plants or animals at +1 caster level.

Also, to address clerics having too much power, maybe they should get only one domain? Or is this too limiting?
 
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