Help with Oozemaster

One of my players wants to take the PrC Oozemaster from Masters of the Wild. He's requested a few changes to the class based on what he wants out of it and also our move from 3.0 to 3.5. I've never created or converted a Prestige Class and was looking for some opinions. I'm also curious to hear from anyone who has played/DM'ed this strange class.

The post begins with a breakdown of the changes the player has requested, with details of the class following. I can list original details of the class as well, if that is helpful.

"Oozemaster is more of a combat aimed prestige class since it gives 1d8 per level and the BAB of a cleric. It also gives +4 skill points per level and the good save is Fortitude only. The caster level goes up at 2nd level and every other level after that. The character chooses ooze types and for any ooze type he chooses he can exude acidic slime or whatever that replicates the effect of that ooze and use it as a touch attack. The oozemaster is immune to the types of oozes he chooses.

Prerequisites as written:
Feat: Great fortitude
Skill: Alchemy 4
Skill: Swim 4
3rd level spells

Class Skills: Craft: Alchemy, Concentration, Craft, Disguise, Heal, Know: Nature, Profession, Spellcraft, Swim, Survival

1) Use of Oozy Touch should be a standard action, not a full attack action so the character can move and then make a touch attack. Forcing a caster to take two rounds - 1 to move and then 1 to attack and not be able to move - is too much for a single attack that starts as 1d6+1. In some ways, I think this is actually what they meant, that you cannot use it extra times in a round (two weapon fighting, iterative attacks) but I do not believe limiting movement makes sense

2) Remove Disguise as a class skill and Slithery Face: I have no idea why they thought that a guy who loves oozes would somehow be a great disguise master, especially when the oozemaster takes permanent loss to his Cha at several levels. I think the whole idea should be removed from the Oozemaster.

3) Cha loss: losing Charisma in general seems to me to be the wrong way to go on anything that essentially makes you creepy. It does not seem fair that a sorcerer's spells get weaker or a cleric's undead turning is worse because he has taken this odd class, or any other odd class or ability that is similar. I believe what they really are looking for is a penalty when using skills that have you interacting with people - Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, etc - would all be affected. This is more of a general thought regarding use of Charisma really. The effect should be worse than losing Cha, so instead of -2 to Cha every other level that is only a -1 on related skills, the oozemaster would lose -2 to a list of People Skills that might include Sense Motive, a non Cha skill.

4) Phosphorescent Fungus: this is a neat little extra but is not worth using up a choice of one of the Oozy Touch types. It allows the oozemaster to exude phosphorescent fungus at will that makes a purple light like a light spell. The stuff is organic and can be easily wiped off. I think this should be a first level ability. It is mostly color really as far as I can see. They do not specify much about this so I would say it would take a full round to exude the fungus onto something to create the light.

5) Swim: Swim 4 ranks is one of the prereqrisits but then never comes into play again. I was thinking that a nice addition would be an increasing Swim speed, 5' at 2nd level, 10' at 4th, 15' at 6th and finally 20' at 8th. Swimming would be similar to how aquatic oozes do it.

6) Climb: get a climb speed at the same rate as the swim speed but starting at 3rd level.

7) Knowledge of Dungeoneering: this should be a prerequisite since it gives knowledge of oozes, probably 4 ranks. Also, the class should give the oozemaster a bonus of +2 to this skill. And, of course, be added as a class skill.

8) Oozy Glob 1x day at 2nd, 2 at 4th, 3 at 6th: use any oozy touch as a ranged touch attack, range increment 10'. Making it 1 glob per oozemaster level should make this more useful. It should be considered a thrown weapon so halfling bonus to throw and missile feats would affect it (Point Blank, Far Shot, Rapid Shot).



-Oozemaster Requirements-
-Feat: Great fortitude-Craft: Alchemy, Concentration, Craft, Heal, Knowledge: Dungeoneering, Knowledge: Nature, Profession, Spellcraft, Swim, Survival
-Skill: Alchemy 4-
-Skill: Swim 4-
-Skill: Knowledge: Dungeoneering 4-
-3rd level spells (earliest to take is 6th level)-
-HD: 8-the character becomes immune to any ooze type he chooses. NOTE: each ooze type that can be selected is listed near the end.
-Skills: 4 pts-
-Good Save is Fortitude. BAB 3/4-
1st Level-Minor Ooze Touch 1 (Su): touch attack of selected type, any time-choose 1 of the ooze types and are now immune to it and can use the listed effect with Oozy Touch
-Phosphorescent Fungus-as a full round action, touched area emits violet glow like a light spell until fungus wiped off
- -
2nd Level-Oozy Glob 1x day per Oozemaster level-ranged touch attack with any Ooze Touch, 10' range increment, splash
-+1 spellcaster level-
-Swim Speed 5'-
--2 on People Skills-Bluff, Disguise, Diplomacy, Intimidate, etc (this is double what it used to be, ie, -2 to Cha is only -1 on these skills)
--
3rd Level-Minor Ooze Touch 2-
-Climb Speed 5'-
--
4th Level-Malleability: (Su): compress his body enough to squeeze through an inch-wide crack. He cannot expand in an area that offers resistance, such as an occupied suit of armor.-
-+1 spellcaster level-
-Swim Speed 10'-
--4 on People Skills-
--
5th Level-Major Ooze Touch 1 (Su)-
-Climb Speed 10'-
--
6th Level-Indeterminable Anatomy: critical and sneak attacks as if had armor of Lesser Fortitude-25% chance of negating sneak attack and critical hit damage
-+1 spellcaster level-
-Swim Speed 15'-
--6 on People Skills-
--
7th Level-Climb Speed 15'-
--
8th Level-Slime Wave 1x day as druid 13th-
-+1 spellcaster level-
-Swim Speed 20'-
--8 on People Skills-
--
9th Level-Climb Speed 20'-
--
10th Level- One with the Ooze: Type becomes Ooze. Gets Blindsight. Immune to flanking, critical hits, sneak attacks, poison, sleep, paralysis, stunning and mind altering effects. Immune to Poly Other but retains any shapechange ability.-
-+1 spellcaster level-
--10 on People Skills-
--
-Minor Ooze Touch-
-Brown Mold-1d6+oozemaster level points of cold subdual damage to flesh
-Gray Ooze-1d6+oozemaster level points of acid damage to flesh, metal and wood
-Ochre Jelly-1d4 points of stunning damage and 1d4+oozemaster level points of acid damage to flesh
--
-Major Ooze Touch (at 5th, 7th, 9th)-
-Black Pudding-2d6+oozemaster level points of acid damage to flesh, metal, wood and stone
-Gelatinous Cube-Fort save DC: 15 or paralyzed for a number of round equal to 1d6+oozemaster level
-Green Slime-1d6 temp Con damage to flesh and 1d6+oozemaster level points of acid damage to metal and wood.
-Yellow Mold-2d4 pts of temp Con dam to flesh; Fort save DC: 15 for half

I've played an oozemaster and I construct the epic level progression and many epic feats for the Oozemaster. It is possible my favorite class.

You disguise point: THe disguise ability comes from the oozemaster being able to control his skin and look more like the disguise. It actualyl makes sense.

The charisma loss is not becasue of the creep factor, it becasue oozes don't have charisma nad the person is becoming more ooze like.

Excellent point on the charisma reduction. Thanks!

Did you make any changes to the class when playing it? Do you find that there anything unbalancing about it?

--Z

No, I had lots of fun. I started out as a cleric first, so those spells really came in handy. I do agree with making the acid attack a standard action, as a full round action it really didn't come up that often. But it can be very good since acid resistance is a lot rarer then Damage reduction. Also, one never looses that ability like a weapon can be.

The one thing that might be too strong is the Green Slime greater attack. That con damage can really be devasting.

I think these changes are OK. Oozie is a neat flavor for a prestige class, but it's very weak for a 5 caster level tradeoff. I've only ever seen them used for NPCs.

[EDIT: speling]

*5 years later*

I started playing D&D as a druid and I've choosen the oozemaster as a prestige class, but there's something about the cha penality that still baffles me.

When you're an oozemaster, do you have some sort of "combat form" where you change into an half ooze (or full ooze, depending on the lvl) when you need to use oozemaster-related powers thus gettig penality while in that form, or are you... well... "oozy" all the time?

Martenor said:

*5 years later*

I started playing D&D as a druid and I've choosen the oozemaster as a prestige class, but there's something about the cha penality that still baffles me.

When you're an oozemaster, do you have some sort of "combat form" where you change into an half ooze (or full ooze, depending on the lvl) when you need to use oozemaster-related powers thus gettig penality while in that form, or are you... well... "oozy" all the time?

Click to expand...

I think the intention is that you are getting oozy all the time.

I don't agree with the charisma loss either, and personally would prefer some other set of penalties like:

a) Non-oozes initial reaction is one step lower to you than normal.
b) Penalties on all charisma based skills except when interacting with other oozes.

However I do agree that the penalty should be all the time. You can't become something as alien as an ooze and still relate to easily to something else.