Asmor
First Post
I know I've seen at least a couple other people with a desire for a healer class which can do the "warlock" thing of never running out of spells... So I took it upon myself to create this class!
The main idea to try and balance the whole "unlimited healing" thing is a slight tweak to the nonlethal damage system, and the ability to turn lethal damage into nonlethal. Specifically, absolvers (as I'm currently calling this class, although I'm very open to better suggestions!) can make it so that you don't go unconscious until you've taken twice as much nonlethal damage as lethal.
To put it into perspective, let's say you've got 100 HP. You take 50 damage. The absolver turns that into nonlethal damage, so you've still got 100 HP, but now have 50 nonlethal damage as well. If you took 50 more damage, normally you'd be knocked out. However, if the absolver has cast toughen on you, you could still stand to take another 25 points of lethal damage! If that 50 points get converted to nonlethal, you'd then have 100 HP and 100 nonlethal damage, and would be good until you dropped down to 50 again, and so on.
It's a little confusing to think about, but it works. Not sure how well it works in actual play, but it seems like it should be fairly balanced.
Anywhoo, here's a pretty version: http://www.asmor.com/misc/D&D/classes/absolver/Warlock_Healer.html
And I'll copy paste it below for those too lazy to click the link, but I think it'll be a lot easier to read that version.
[sblock]
Absolver
Absolvers are people with a knack for helping to bring out the inner strength which already exists in others. They do not heal their wounds as a cleric might, but rather help the body to heal wounds on its own, and they do not cast protective magics but rather stimulate the body to protect itself.
Alignment: Given that their talent naturally lends itself to helping others, Absolvers are often of a good alignment. Neutral absolvers are not uncommon, but evil ones are rare. Absolvers tend slightly more towards chaos than law, although this is just a small tendency.
Religion: Absolvers are uniquely humanistic in their outlook. While some might worship Gods, often it is more out of respect or belief in common ideals. By and large absolvers believe that true strength comes from within, not from without, and so do not feel a strong desire to worship deities.
Background: Often, absolvers come from a tribal or rural background, as opposed to a more metropolitan one. Living out in the wilderness, it is important to be able to find strength in yourself and others.
Races: Absolvers are most common among tribal and nomadic peoples, regardless of race.
Role: An absolver serves essentially the same role in a party as a cleric, offering healing (of a sort) and minor buffs. They can also be quite decent in melee combat.
Game Rule Information
Absolvers have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Wisdom and Constitution are of equal import to an Absolver. The Absolver's abilities are linked to both, and a poor score in either could yield bad results.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills
Skill points at first level: ( + Int modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: + Int modifier
Class Features
Base Attack Bonus: As cleric
Saves: Good fortitude, poor reflex and will
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Absolvers are proficient with all simple weapons as well as the light hammer, flail, greatclub and heavy flail. They are proficient with light and medium armor and with light shields and bucklers.
Invocations: Absolvers gain access to invocations, just like Warlocks and Dragonbreath Adepts. See the descriptions of either of those classes for specifics. Absolvers do not have to pick out invocations, they know all invocations which they qualify for (i.e. a first level absolver knows all least invocations, at level 6 they learn all lesser invocations, at level 11 they learn all greater invocations, and at level 16 they learn all dark invocations.
Note: Give them combat ability, like eldritch blast and breath weapon. Use bludgeoning weapons.
Invocations
Least
Invigorate, Least: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 2 temporary hit points. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Least: Instant. Creature touched. 1d6+1 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Toughen: 24 hours. Creature touched. The target may take twice as much nonlethal damage as they have hit points before being staggered, and will become when they have more than twice as much nonlethal damage than they do hit points. For example, a creature with 6 hit points would be staggered when it had 12 nonlethal damage and unconscious when it had 13 or more.
Lesser
Invigorate, Lesser: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point, plus 1 temporary hit point per 2 hit dice it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Metabolize: Instant. Creature touched. 1 minute cast. The target is healed of one poison or disease effect. It takes nonlethal damage equal to the effect's DC.
Reduce Injury, Lesser: Instant. Creature touched. 2d6+3 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Greater
Invigorate, Greater: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point per hit die it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Greater: Instant. Creature touched. 3d6+5 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Restore: Instant. Creature touched. 1 minute cast. The target heals up to 5 points of ability damage, divided as you choose. For each point of ability damage healed, the target takes 20 nonlethal damage.
Dark
Toughness, Greater: 24 hours. Creature touched. As toughness, except the target may have 3 times as much nonlethal damage as it has hit points before becoming staggered and goes unconscious after that.
Invigorate, Dark: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point, plus 1 temporary hit point per 2 hit dice it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Dark: Instant. Creature touched. 4d6+7 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.[/sblock]
Anyways, what do you all think? Any ideas for some abilities I could give it? I might model it after the barbarian, with fast movement and DR. I'm going to give them the ability to make enhanced attacks with bludgeoning weapons, their equivelent to the warlock's eldritch blast and the dragonbreath adept's breath attack, but not too sure on the specifics yet.
The main idea to try and balance the whole "unlimited healing" thing is a slight tweak to the nonlethal damage system, and the ability to turn lethal damage into nonlethal. Specifically, absolvers (as I'm currently calling this class, although I'm very open to better suggestions!) can make it so that you don't go unconscious until you've taken twice as much nonlethal damage as lethal.
To put it into perspective, let's say you've got 100 HP. You take 50 damage. The absolver turns that into nonlethal damage, so you've still got 100 HP, but now have 50 nonlethal damage as well. If you took 50 more damage, normally you'd be knocked out. However, if the absolver has cast toughen on you, you could still stand to take another 25 points of lethal damage! If that 50 points get converted to nonlethal, you'd then have 100 HP and 100 nonlethal damage, and would be good until you dropped down to 50 again, and so on.
It's a little confusing to think about, but it works. Not sure how well it works in actual play, but it seems like it should be fairly balanced.
Anywhoo, here's a pretty version: http://www.asmor.com/misc/D&D/classes/absolver/Warlock_Healer.html
And I'll copy paste it below for those too lazy to click the link, but I think it'll be a lot easier to read that version.
[sblock]
Absolver
Absolvers are people with a knack for helping to bring out the inner strength which already exists in others. They do not heal their wounds as a cleric might, but rather help the body to heal wounds on its own, and they do not cast protective magics but rather stimulate the body to protect itself.
Alignment: Given that their talent naturally lends itself to helping others, Absolvers are often of a good alignment. Neutral absolvers are not uncommon, but evil ones are rare. Absolvers tend slightly more towards chaos than law, although this is just a small tendency.
Religion: Absolvers are uniquely humanistic in their outlook. While some might worship Gods, often it is more out of respect or belief in common ideals. By and large absolvers believe that true strength comes from within, not from without, and so do not feel a strong desire to worship deities.
Background: Often, absolvers come from a tribal or rural background, as opposed to a more metropolitan one. Living out in the wilderness, it is important to be able to find strength in yourself and others.
Races: Absolvers are most common among tribal and nomadic peoples, regardless of race.
Role: An absolver serves essentially the same role in a party as a cleric, offering healing (of a sort) and minor buffs. They can also be quite decent in melee combat.
Game Rule Information
Absolvers have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Wisdom and Constitution are of equal import to an Absolver. The Absolver's abilities are linked to both, and a poor score in either could yield bad results.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d10
Class Skills
Skill points at first level: ( + Int modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: + Int modifier
Class Features
Base Attack Bonus: As cleric
Saves: Good fortitude, poor reflex and will
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Absolvers are proficient with all simple weapons as well as the light hammer, flail, greatclub and heavy flail. They are proficient with light and medium armor and with light shields and bucklers.
Invocations: Absolvers gain access to invocations, just like Warlocks and Dragonbreath Adepts. See the descriptions of either of those classes for specifics. Absolvers do not have to pick out invocations, they know all invocations which they qualify for (i.e. a first level absolver knows all least invocations, at level 6 they learn all lesser invocations, at level 11 they learn all greater invocations, and at level 16 they learn all dark invocations.
Note: Give them combat ability, like eldritch blast and breath weapon. Use bludgeoning weapons.
Invocations
Least
Invigorate, Least: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 2 temporary hit points. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Least: Instant. Creature touched. 1d6+1 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Toughen: 24 hours. Creature touched. The target may take twice as much nonlethal damage as they have hit points before being staggered, and will become when they have more than twice as much nonlethal damage than they do hit points. For example, a creature with 6 hit points would be staggered when it had 12 nonlethal damage and unconscious when it had 13 or more.
Lesser
Invigorate, Lesser: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point, plus 1 temporary hit point per 2 hit dice it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Metabolize: Instant. Creature touched. 1 minute cast. The target is healed of one poison or disease effect. It takes nonlethal damage equal to the effect's DC.
Reduce Injury, Lesser: Instant. Creature touched. 2d6+3 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Greater
Invigorate, Greater: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point per hit die it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Greater: Instant. Creature touched. 3d6+5 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.
Restore: Instant. Creature touched. 1 minute cast. The target heals up to 5 points of ability damage, divided as you choose. For each point of ability damage healed, the target takes 20 nonlethal damage.
Dark
Toughness, Greater: 24 hours. Creature touched. As toughness, except the target may have 3 times as much nonlethal damage as it has hit points before becoming staggered and goes unconscious after that.
Invigorate, Dark: Instant. Creature touched. The target gains 1 temporary hit point, plus 1 temporary hit point per 2 hit dice it possesses. If subjected to another invigorate spell, the target either keeps its current pool of temporary hit points or takes the value granted by the new spell, whichever is greater.
Reduce Injury, Dark: Instant. Creature touched. 4d6+7 lethal damage the target has taken is converted into nonlethal damage.[/sblock]
Anyways, what do you all think? Any ideas for some abilities I could give it? I might model it after the barbarian, with fast movement and DR. I'm going to give them the ability to make enhanced attacks with bludgeoning weapons, their equivelent to the warlock's eldritch blast and the dragonbreath adept's breath attack, but not too sure on the specifics yet.
.
