Olaf the Stout
Hero
I'll have to take a look at the classes in my AE book tonight and get back to you.
Olaf the Stout
Olaf the Stout
(AU/AE) The 7th Age - The Age of Worms
Cyincal Lurker
First Post
Quickling Fean Bear Totem Warrior?
You've just blown my mind.
All good concepts, though the Mind Witch may, potentialy, have the highest degree of plot-synergy, just FYI.
You've just blown my mind.
All good concepts, though the Mind Witch may, potentialy, have the highest degree of plot-synergy, just FYI.
Olaf the Stout
Hero
CL, real life keeps intervening and stopping me from being able to sit down and read through my copy of AE. I am still interested but I might not be able to come up with a character until next weekend.
Olaf the Stout
Olaf the Stout
Olaf the Stout
Hero
Still here and interested, but still haven't had the free time to sit down at home and read through the AE book. I'll see how I go in the next few days. Sorry. 
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Olaf the Stout
:\ Olaf the Stout
Arkhandus
First Post
A very quick rundown of the races (excluding mojh and dracha; the former were altered in AE to be more caster-centric and, IIRC, less effective in other or hybrid roles, so I dunno what exactly changed with them; the latter were added in AE and weren't present in AU, so I don't know much about them, other than they're more brutish than mojh and were created by the dragons or dramojh, and that dracha gain wings at some point if they pursue their racial class, IIRC):
[sblock=Races]Some races in AU/AE have a racial class they can choose to advance in, which functions just like a normal class except that it's very short (3 levels or so, I think AE expanded them to 5 or 6 levels?), and like a normal class they aren't required to take any levels in it, nor take them all at once if they choose to take any levels at all in their racial class.
Humans: Basically the same as in 3E/3.5E D&D. Note that AU/AE doesn't use favored classes or multiclassing penalties, though, so humans lose their bit of favored class advantage in this. Humans have no racial class available in AU (that may have changed in AE, for all I know). On the other hand, humans have a minor advantage when it comes to Talent feats; a human character with a Truename gets 1 Ceremonial feat, 1 Talent or regular feat, and 1 other regular feat; an Unbound human character, that is, one without a Truename, gets 1 Talent feat, 1 regular feat, and 1 other regular or Talent feat. Considering the likely dangers of an Adventure Path, though, Unbound is probably not the right way to go for us (given that Unbound characters can't be brought back to life if they die, generally).
Faen: Short, lithe people with some kind of connection to nature and an affinity for excitement. Kind of a halfling, (toned-down) kender, gnome, and elf mix in theme/personality. Faen are energetic but very small and thin compared to the other common races in Dor-Erthenos, the Land of the Diamond Throne. Faen tend to live in isolated woodland communities, generally with a mix of different faen subraces together in each community. They are divided into quickling fae, loresong faen, and sprytes. Quicklings are more athletic and nimble, but also a bit thinner than loresong faen. Loresong faen are smarter and more magically gifted, while sprytes are much tinier and have wings to fly, as well as more cautious due to their stature.
Sprytes are actually quickling or loresong faen that have chosen to undergo a natural metamorphosis into sprytes, which cannot be done until at least their 3rd character level (and requires forgoing a feat at the level they make the change, so it has to be done at a level where they would gain a feat or bonus feat). Sprytes have a racial class that improves their flight, Dexterity, and magical talents, and levels in the spryte racial class stack with a spellcasting class (if they've taken any such class before) for purposes of spellcasting advancement. Quickling faen and loresong faen have no such racial class (so they either undergo metamorphosis and thereby gain access to the spryte class, or they just stick with normal classes).
Faen and sprytes all have low-light vision. Quicklings and loresongs are Small, sprytes are Tiny, with speeds of 20 feet and 10 feet, respectively. Sprytes of course also get a flight speed, and they lose many of their former qualities as quicklings or loresongs. Quicklings get Run as a bonus feat along with some sneaky and initiative benefits, while getting a Dex boost and Str penalty. Loresongs are also kinda sneaky and get a Spellcraft bonus instead of an initiative bonus, as well as having minor spell-like abilities, while getting an Int boost and Str penalty. Sprytes get an extra Dex boost and Str penalty, and change to having the Fey type.
Giants: Tall, often burly people that closely resemble humans, with strong values and civilized attitude, usually. Current stewards of the lands they call Dor-Erthenos, in which they built the Diamond Throne and took over rebuilding humanoid societies after fighting off the dragons and dramojh to free the enslaved humanoids. Giants originate in a land across the sea, and since defeating their foes in Dor-Erthenos the resident giants used ceremonial rituals to reduce their size and interact with local humanoids on a less threatening level. They still have greater strength than humans, but are less dextrous due to their large size and muscular physique. They have the Giant type (even though they're Medium-size now, at least until they choose to advance a few levels in their racial class to become Large again). They have some social skills and are good craftsmen. Their racial class makes them stronger, tougher, and wiser, as well as larger.
Litorians: Nimble lion-folk who generally live in tribes and rarely interact with other races. They are great hunters and possess strong conviction. They are more agile than humans but less wise. Litorians possess various useful skills for hunting, and Low-Light Vision as well. Their racial class improves their Str, Dex, and Con a bit, as well as making them faster and better hunters.
Runechildren: Individuals who develop a mysterious rune upon their person and exhibit strange powers and talents, often seen as having an important impact on history or their surroundings. I won't go into runechildren here, as they're basically a template that incurs a level adjustment of sorts, and characters can only become runechildren after 5th-level or so.
Sibeccai: Unusual folks with a vague resemblance to jackals, with dark fur and a slightly odd disposition. They were beasts until the giants transformed them, so sibeccai feel indebted to giantkind and feel duty-bound to serve the giants, while looking down their noses at the other, non-giant, non-sibeccai races. They're still less intelligent than humans and prefer simple, physical pursuits rather than academic or otherwise intellectual matters. Sibeccai tend to have a serious, no-nonsense, get-stuff-done attitude, with an affinity towards fighting and hunting. They're tough and have more stamina than humans, as well as possessing Low-Light Vision and a few bonuses to social and sneaky skills. The sibeccai racial class improves their physical stats and develops their hunting prowess a bit (annoyingly too-similar to the litorian racial class, in my opinion).
Verrik: Mysterious strangers from another land who tend to keep to themselves and don't speak much of their own kind, but possess unusual mental and magical talents along with being the originators of witchcraft and akashic studies. Verrik look human but have wine-red skin and either white or black hair, with no facial hair. They have unusual, short names and little in the way of any kind of religious concepts, with more of a personal, introspective, contemplative bent. Verrik tend to think of matters in relation to the bigger picture, rather than thinking of each moment or event as individually significant, so they are much less brash than most of the other common races. They are wise but not very personable, with an unusual ability to shut off their senses when needed, such as turning off their vision in order to avoid the danger of gaze attacks. Verrik possess a few minor spell-like abilities that involve the power of their mind, and have access to more psionic spells when they advance in any spellcasting classes. The verrik racial class expands upon their spell-like abilities, improves their Int or Wis at some point, and levels in their racial class stack with levels in a spellcasting class (if they have any beforehand) for purposes of spellcasting advancement.[/sblock]
A brief rundown of the classes, though not as brief as I'd have liked (and leaving out Ritual Warriors, as I only have AU and they were added in AE; my limited knowledge of Ritual Warriors is that they're kinda like the martial adepts from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, in that they use combat rituals for temporary boosts in every battle):
[sblock=A to G]Akashic:They sift through the akashic memory shared by all people, to supplement their own skills and knowledge. A blend of rogue, fighter, and bard. d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, Will as their strong save, 8 + Int mod skill points per level, all skills as class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter. Int is the main score for their few abilities that require anything in particular.
1st-level they get a +2 bonus on any skill check once per day; useable 1/day/2 levels later on, and improves to a +6 bonus over time. 2nd-level their Int bonus to some skills is doubled. 3rd-level an ability similar to bardic knowledge. 4th-level onward they get special abilities chosen from lists, stuff like bonus feats (any feat, and no need for expensive ceremonies if choosing Ceremonial feats that way), sneak attack (only up to +3d6), skill focus (+4 though), temporary bonuses to attack/damage/AC, improved Disguise checks, and duplication of certain spells 1/day or so (generally divinations and memory-manipulation or memory-delving stuff). At 12th or so they can duplicate a feat once per day, for something like 1 round/level. At 20th they can duplicate any simple spell up to 7th-level once per day.
Champion: Warriors who are highly devoted to a particular cause or philosophy and gain limited magical abilities from that devotion. A fighter/paladin blend, they sadly get no bonus feats but are pretty tough and get some small variation in their abilities. d10 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and Will, average (not poor) Reflex, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a few class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter. Constitution is the primary score, though a few causes grant minor Charisma-based stuff.
They select a cause to champion (AU/AE has Light, Darkness, Life, Death, Magic, and Freedom as choices, and AE added one more cause but I forget which), and gain a few abilities over time that reflect it. 1st-level they get the minor ability, such as Life's Healing for a champion of life (similar to lay on hands, but Con-based). They get another ability every 5 levels in champion, each one predetermined by the cause they serve. At 10th they can change their devotion to be a particular person, race, or location, which gives some different abilities. Regardless, the champion's other abilities are also predetermined; at 2nd they can call a magic shield briefly, 1/day, and later they can call a magic weapon, each of which grows in enhancement over time. Gradually they gain the ability to boost their physical power for short periods, and also a Charisma boost with it at middle and upper levels, along with temporary DR and SR.
Greenbond: They develop an affinity for nature and its spirits, receiving magical power from their association with nature spirits and "the Green", their name for the force of life/nature (positive energy). A combination druid/cleric/sorcerer, of sorts, with less combat prowess than druids but more healing power. d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, average (not poor) Fortitude, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, proficiency in simple weapons and light armor. Wisdom is their key ability score, though Charisma may be helpful for the Diplomacy checks they'll occasionally need to make for getting info from nature spirits.
They get full spellcasting progression, with access to simple spells and all plant/positive energy spells. Only verbal and mental spell components, so no spell failure from armor/shields. 1st-level they get Nature Sense, similar to a druid, and a special ability to heal by touch. The healing starts out at 1d8 + greenbond level, useable 1/day per point of Wis bonus. Over the course of further levels it improves in the number of dice for healing, eventually up to 10d8 + level in HP healed. They get Trackless Step at 3rd-level like a druid, but the rest of their abilities aren't copied from the druid. Over time they gain the ability to see nature spirits, ask them questions (with a Diplomacy check, until 20th-level where they no longer need the check), sense the health of nature around them or the presence of disturbances/harm to nature, change his own creature type to Plant (but without the standard plant immunity to crits, sneak attacks, and mind-affecting stuff), and eventually become incorporeal for several minutes a day.[/sblock]
[sblock=M to R]Mage Blade: A warrior who studies magic and blends it to some extent with swordsmanship or some other fighting style, using a key weapon or "athame" that they mentally bond with and use as a focus for their spells. d8 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, average base saves all around, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, and proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, light armors, and shields. Charisma is their key ability score, though Dexterity and/or Strength is also important for attack rolls and/or defense (and Constitution of course, to a lesser extent).
They get spellcasting a tad better than a bard's (up to 7th-level spells, and at 1st-level they get 1st-level spells if they have any bonus slots from Cha). Verbal and somatic components for their spells, but holding their 'athame' allows ignoring spell failure from armor/shields by substituting simple motions of the key weapon in place of complicated hand gestures. Only access to simple spells, normally. At 1st-level they bond with an athame (can be any bladed weapon) and it gains a free +1 enhancement in their hands. The enhancement grows over the course of further levels, and after a while it gains a defensive strike against anyone else who tries to pick it up, then later it can be summoned to hand by the mage blade at will. At 4th they can gain a deflection bonus to AC once per day, lasting 1 round/level, with the bonus dependant on their class level (starts at +2, eventually reaches +10). Later they gain a few bonus feats from a decent list, get the ability to move full speed in medium armor, can ignore magical defense for 1 strike/level with the athame, and gain a few additional defenses against magic.
Magister: A dedicated spellcaster and scholar, known for wielding a staff that focuses their magical power. Essentially a wizard equivalent, though with a broader variety of spells (since they can learn healing and revivification magic, etc.). d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, and proficiency with staves (quarterstaff, etc.), as well as proficiency in the sword-stave at 5th-level. Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and such, but Dexterity can be very important too since many offensive spells in AU/AE require ranged attack rolls or ranged touch attacks.
Full spellcasting progression, with access to simple and complex spells. Spells use verbal and somatic components, so armor/shields impose spell failure chances. If not holding their magister's staff, the spells are a bit weaker and take longer to cast. At 1st-level they gain a magister's staff, crafting it to be attuned to themselves and fairly resilient (it also grows in resilience as they gain further levels of magister, getting more HP and stuff). They don't need a spellbook or anything, unlike wizards. Magisters get a bonus feat every 5 levels, chosen from a small list. Over time they gain a minor defense against enemy magic, a minor magical effect from their constant use of magic (nothing significant though), the ability to substitute Intelligence checks for Strength checks (and those to resist being grappled), and another minor magical boon (but one that has actual, albeit minor, game effects).
Oathsworn: A determined warrior who disdains the tools and armaments of less self-assured warriors, relying on their own strength and the subtle power that comes from devoting themselves to fulfilling important oaths. A monk/fighter hybrid of sorts, using no weapons, armor, or shields, and wielding no overtly mystical powers (no teleportation or whatnot; just performing physical deeds that seem impossible for a normal person; which is because their oaths lend an unseen mystical power to their actions and bodies, one the oathsworn don't really tap into, so much as just incidentally acquire, from their extreme focus, dedication, and physical effort).
d10 hit dice, 3/4 base attack (but with iterative attacks from every 4 points of BAB, like the 3.0E monk), strong saves all around, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, and no proficiencies except unarmed strikes. Strength is most important to them, though Dexterity and Constitution are secondary in importance for defense (their only AC is likely to come from Dex and their oathsworn insight bonus, which is half their oathsworn level rounded up). They get unarmed damage like a monk, and flurry of blows at 1st-level allows them to get an extra unarmed attack with any full-attack action by taking a -2 penalty on all attack rolls (akin to the 3.0E monk, again). They get fast movement similarly to a monk.
They have to swear oaths though to make use of just about any of their class features; if they fail to fulfill their oath within a year or if they don't swear a new one upon finishing the previous oath, they basically lose all oathsworn abilities until swearing a new oath (and can only regain their abilities up to three times, ever). Some oaths can just be renewed each year, if they're ongoing things rather than a goal. Since they have to forswear weapons and armor and such, they don't multiclass well in most cases, although there is nothing preventing them from multiclassing (they just have that pesky 'no weapons/armor/tools/etc.' restriction; violating it makes them lose their oathsworn abilities). They can use tools, weapons and such only in very limited circumstances (and cannot even carry them otherwise); after a few levels they gain the ability to throw objects effectively or (later) use them in melee (with the oathsworn's unarmed damage value), but only when necessary.
At 2nd-level they no longer need food, and can make an attack as a full-round action that ignores some amount of hardness/damage reduction. Those abilities improve over further levels, so they gradually abandon the need for water, air, and sleep, as well as improving their ability to ignore hardness/DR (such as no longer needing a full-round action for a single such attack, and eventually ignoring even more hardness/DR than previously). Similarly, over time they gain various immunities and resistances, such as immunity to poison, disease, fatigue, fear, aging ability score penalties, and various other things, and eventually gaining Spell Resistance. They gain some minor recuperative, athletic, and environment adapatation benefits. They become outsiders with DR 20/+1 at 20th-level too, like monks.
Runethane: Scholars who study magical runes and learn to harness their power, engraving or gesturing runes of power upon items and creatures for long-lasting or triggered effects. Another sort of wizard-equivalent but more different than the magister, with reduced spellcasting and a variety of magical runes at their disposal. d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (they can even handle traps and locks, though Search isn't a class skill, so a bit of multiclassing into akashic or magister for more Search ranks would help), and proficiency in simple weapons.
Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and other class features, though Strength or Dexterity may be useful if they want to focus on certain attack spells (and the rune of affliction or similar, which at upper levels can be used on a weapon to strike foes without triggering on the runethane himself). They get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but runethanes don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, runethanes suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they use. They get access to simple spells.
The runethane also learns a rune each level, except they learn 2 at 1st-level; initially just lesser runes, then after a while they start to learn advanced runes, then greater runes, then runes of power, and finally the ultimate rune at 20th-level (which functions similarly to the akashic class' Spell Memory of 20th-level, duplicating a spell of 7th-level or lower, except it can be any spell below 8th-level, and takes longer to inscribe whereas akashics use their ability at the spur of the moment, though the ultimate rune can be triggered any time after it is inscribed). Each rune has some kind of magical effect, which resembles spell effects but few of them actually duplicate any particular spell. There are half a dozen or more runes of each type (except the ultimate rune), ranging from summonings to blasting to armoring to sustenance to utility, etc.
The runethane can only have one rune per runethane level inscribed though, at any given time (so they can't just scribe a rune onto everything around them). Each rune can only be used once per hour. Lesser runes, the kind available at 1st-level, are similar to 1st-level spells in effectiveness. At 1st-level the runethane also learns the Erase Rune ability, allowing them to attempt removing any magical rune with a caster power check (no check needed to erase their own runes, though; and distance is not a factor, they just need to know the rune's location). Later on they gain the ability to sense runes, invest runes with more power, use a password to keep themselves or allies safe from triggering their runes, and the ability to make runes permanent with some investment of money and extra time.[/sblock]
[sblock=T to W]Totem Warrior: Wilderness-savvy fighters and hunters who derive blessings from veneration of an animal totem, using their animal spirits' guidance and boons to augment their own prowess in combat and survival. They're reasonably simple, but have several features determined by their choice of totem, which makes them seem more complicated just by virtue of their choice of theme; totem warriors are basically fighter-ranger hybrids or barbarian-fighter-ranger hybrids, depending on totem. d8/d10/d12 hit dice (bear totem: d12; hawk or snake totem: d8; shark or wolf or wolverine totem: d10), full base attack, strong Fortitude, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent selection of class skills (and some totems add a few extra), and proficiencies are determined by totem (bear or hawk or shark totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; snake totem: simple and martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; wolf or wolverine totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium and heavy armors, and shields).
As primary combatants, Strength is usually their most important ability score, but Dexterity is often of similar or secondary importance, and certain totem warriors rely more heavily on Dexterity than Strength (hawk and snake totems; wolverine totem is kinda half-n-half), while Charisma is of limited importance to a few totem warriors (snake totems gain a hypnotic ability at 12th-level with a Cha-based save DC; otherwise basically for Handle Animal checks, to make similar animals back down from a fight, which they get a bonus on when their animal companion is present). Each totem warrior chooses a single animal totem to be their spiritual focus, providing a handful of benefits over time as well as an animal companion of that type; the default selection of totems (there are vague guidelines for devising additional totems) are bear, hawk, shark, snake, wolf, and wolverine, plus I think Arcana Evolved added another totem (I just don't remember what it is).
At some point in their advancement, each totem warrior gains the ability to assume the form of their totem creature for a short time each day. Over time, the totem warrior even starts to look a bit like their totem animal while in their own, normal form. At 3rd-level they acquire their totem animal companion, who advances in hit dice alongside the totem warrior, as well as gaining ability increases and Intelligence increases over time. At later levels they strengthen the bond with their animal companion and their totem, gaining some more communicative abilities with them. The totem warrior gains a totem power at 1st-level, and another every four levels, each one determined by their initial choice of totem animal. The 1st-level abilities are, basically: bear totem - a natural armor bonus; hawk totem - a dodge bonus and Point Blank Shot; shark totem - a natural armor bonus and a Swim bonus; snake totem - a dodge and Reflex and Initiative bonus; wolf totem - a Will save bonus and a land speed bonus; wolverine totem - a Reflex bonus and the ability to grow claws on both hands at will.
Besides their totem powers, a totem warrior (they usually replace 'totem' in their name with the animal they venerate, like 'bear warrior' or 'wolf warrior') just gains a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a good list of varied combat feats. Each totem has different advantages and foci; bear warriors are especially strong and tough, with a melee combat focus and some extra reach at 8th-level; hawk warriors are especially dextrous, fast, and keen-eyed, with a focus on ranged combat and mobility, even gaining speedy flight for a few hours each day at 12th-level; shark warriors are very fierce and fairly tough, with a focus on aquatic combat and bloodletting, also gaining Scent at 12th-level; snake warriors are very nimble and quick to react, with a focus on being tricky and difficult to hit, eventually gaining immunity to poison as well; wolf warriors are swift-moving and wise, with a focus on keen senses, a bit of cleverness, and some teamwork, eventually gaining Scent and Low-Light Vision, as well as being able to summon a pack of dire wolves at 20th-level; wolverine warriors are fairly nimble, sneaky, tenacious, and savage, with a focus on melee combat and quickness, eventually gaining a tenacity like that of boars and wolverines to fight on when others would have fallen unconscious.
Unfettered: A nimble and clever fighter who uses his or her wit to help dodge attacks and strike at the opponent's weak points, relying on agility moreso than armor for defense. Unfettered are basically a very simple mix of fighter and rogue, with some of a fighter's combat flexibility and all of their accuracy, but a rogue's agility and broad range of skills, though fewer skill points and less Sneak Attack. d8 hit dice, full base attack, strong Reflex, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills, and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light armors, and shields. As a primary warrior, Strength is important but their emphasis on light armor (their AC bonuses and evasion don't work in medium or heavy armor) and access to agile exotic weapons makes the unfettered more inclined toward using Dexterity and taking Weapon Finesse at some point, while Intelligence is also important for their AC bonuses and skill points.
The unfettered gets a +1 AC bonus at 1st-level and it improves every few levels, while also getting their Intelligence bonus added to AC against one opponent's melee attacks (but only up to 1 point of Int bonus per two unfettered levels can be added to AC, to a minimum of adding 1 point of Int bonus to AC). They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, from a list of feats for swashbuckling, ranged combat, and crippling/tricky attacks like Low Blow and Bloody Strike. Unfettered gain Sneak Attack of 1d6 per four levels or so, and eventually gain Evasion along with a few other defenses.
Warmain: A very strong and durable warrior, focused exclusively on combat prowess and sheer toughness, able to use hefty weapons and deliver powerful strikes. Essentially a fighter with fewer feats, more hit points, and a focus on making better use of armor and melee weapons. d12 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and average (not poor) Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a small number of class skills (though including a handful of knowledges), and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, light armors, medium armors, heavy armors, and shields. Strength is their most important ability score, and warmains have a strong focus on well-armored melee combat, so Constitution is second-most important, and Intelligence would be helpful only for boosting their meager skill points.
At 1st-level the warmain gains Sturdy as a bonus feat, which doubles their Constitution bonus to AC from that level (so if their Con is 16, they'd get +3 HP from Sturdy, while a warmain with 20 Con would instead get +5 HP). They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a list of offensive and defensive melee-combat feats, as well as armor-, shield-, and weapon-specific feats. They get Weapon Specialization once for free later on, then eventually develop Armor Specialization and Weapon Mastery, while also gaining the ability to deliver a melee attack a few times per day that does critical hit damage automatically. The warmain also gains the capacity to use larger weapons than normal, at upper levels in the class.
Witch: One who develops an innate talent for magic, partially tied to a particular element or force, improving that magical power alongside mediocre spellcasting and a bit of personal fighting skill. Sort of the AU/AE equivalent of the bard, with witchery abilities in place of bardic music and such, though possessed of mildly better spellcasting like a mage blade. d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (and two extra class skills determined by their witchery focus), and proficiency in simple weapons, light armors, and shields.
Wisdom is the key ability score for many of their witchery powers and their spellcasting, but witches also need Strength or Dexterity in order to make any effective attacks (short of spending every feat on getting and improving decent offensive spells that don't rely on attack rolls), since many of their spells or witchery powers rely on making melee or ranged attacks, while Constitution will also be important for any witch that plans to enter melee with an attack spell or a witchery-manifested sword. They choose one type of witch to be, either an iron witch, mind witch, sea witch, wind witch, winter witch, or wood witch (I think AE also added one more type of which, but I don't remember what kind). This determines their witchery abilities, but does not affect their spell selection (though it does boost related subtypes of spells, at later levels).
Witches get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but witches don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, witches suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they us. Witches also have to use material components, most of which at least are normally assumed to be in their witchbag (essentially a spell component pouch). However, witches have the capacity to cast their spells without using all normal components, by extending the casting time for their spells. If they forgo all the normal components, then they just cast the spell with the requisite mental component, and the spell is treated as having the Psionic descriptor when cast in that manner. Witches get access to simple spells.
At 1st-level and every four or five levels afterward, the witch develops one form of manifestation for their witchery powers, chosen from amongst the blade, fire, song, storm, and word manifestations (the exact effect depends on the type of witch and the choice of form as I just mentioned). So a mind witch might choose at 1st-level to gain the capacity to manifest a mind blade, or a mind cloud, or a thought chord, or a word of command, or mindfire, for example. Most witchery manifestations have a limit on uses per day, or a similar limit, that is equal to their Wisdom bonus. They tend to grow stronger as the witch gains more levels in the class, accumulating more damage dice, a better enhancement bonus, a longer duration, or whatever else is most relevant to the ability (frex, iron blade gets an enhancement bonus for every few witch levels, while ice song has a save DC based on witch level, while gust is useable once per day per witch level, while fire shield lasts one round per witch level, etc.).
The witch also gains one minor benefit from their witchery focus, at 1st-level, in addition to choosing a single manifestation to learn at that time. That benefit is basically: iron witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some iron; mind witch - half duration for any mind-affecting stuff that is used against them; sea witch - breathe water for a few minutes or hours each day; wind witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the air subtype; winter witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the cold subtype; wood witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some wood. Besides their witchery, they get a minor defensive boost against magic after a while, and the ability to read people's auras in a limited sense, determining what classes and levels other people possess.
Each kind of witch has a particular theme and focus to their witchery powers; iron witches manifest temporary items forged of iron, from weapons to (weightless, magical) armor to a blast of metal shards, and can repair objects with their witchery, as well as create tougher objects through magic and do more damage with earth-based spells, so they're primarily effective in melee combat and utility stuff; mind witches manifest emanations of mental power, communicating thoughts or minor compulsions to others, and blasting or slicing through foes with mental force, mostly dealing subdual damage, as well as dazing foes occasionally, while eventually tapping into all kinds of Psionic spell and becoming more resistant to mental influence; sea witches manifest masses of water and powers of the sea, blasting foes with acid, quelling or worsening hostile waters, creating mist, and cutting through foes and rusting objects with a blade of water; wind witches manifest bursts of wind and noise, using the wind to create gusts, deliver messages, cut through stuff, and create burning shields (how? I dunno, they're witches, so they make fire...), eventually gaining various air spells and occasional flight; winter witches manifest temporary items of ice and bursts of freezing air, unleashing hail and icy blades, or freezing stuff in place, as well as harnessing all kinds of cold spell and influencing cold-related creatures; wood witches manifest items and shards of wood, as well as bursts of life energy, healing the living or harming the unliving, along with utilizing various plant spells and toughening themselves with bark.[/sblock]
[sblock=Races]Some races in AU/AE have a racial class they can choose to advance in, which functions just like a normal class except that it's very short (3 levels or so, I think AE expanded them to 5 or 6 levels?), and like a normal class they aren't required to take any levels in it, nor take them all at once if they choose to take any levels at all in their racial class.
Humans: Basically the same as in 3E/3.5E D&D. Note that AU/AE doesn't use favored classes or multiclassing penalties, though, so humans lose their bit of favored class advantage in this. Humans have no racial class available in AU (that may have changed in AE, for all I know). On the other hand, humans have a minor advantage when it comes to Talent feats; a human character with a Truename gets 1 Ceremonial feat, 1 Talent or regular feat, and 1 other regular feat; an Unbound human character, that is, one without a Truename, gets 1 Talent feat, 1 regular feat, and 1 other regular or Talent feat. Considering the likely dangers of an Adventure Path, though, Unbound is probably not the right way to go for us (given that Unbound characters can't be brought back to life if they die, generally).
Faen: Short, lithe people with some kind of connection to nature and an affinity for excitement. Kind of a halfling, (toned-down) kender, gnome, and elf mix in theme/personality. Faen are energetic but very small and thin compared to the other common races in Dor-Erthenos, the Land of the Diamond Throne. Faen tend to live in isolated woodland communities, generally with a mix of different faen subraces together in each community. They are divided into quickling fae, loresong faen, and sprytes. Quicklings are more athletic and nimble, but also a bit thinner than loresong faen. Loresong faen are smarter and more magically gifted, while sprytes are much tinier and have wings to fly, as well as more cautious due to their stature.
Sprytes are actually quickling or loresong faen that have chosen to undergo a natural metamorphosis into sprytes, which cannot be done until at least their 3rd character level (and requires forgoing a feat at the level they make the change, so it has to be done at a level where they would gain a feat or bonus feat). Sprytes have a racial class that improves their flight, Dexterity, and magical talents, and levels in the spryte racial class stack with a spellcasting class (if they've taken any such class before) for purposes of spellcasting advancement. Quickling faen and loresong faen have no such racial class (so they either undergo metamorphosis and thereby gain access to the spryte class, or they just stick with normal classes).
Faen and sprytes all have low-light vision. Quicklings and loresongs are Small, sprytes are Tiny, with speeds of 20 feet and 10 feet, respectively. Sprytes of course also get a flight speed, and they lose many of their former qualities as quicklings or loresongs. Quicklings get Run as a bonus feat along with some sneaky and initiative benefits, while getting a Dex boost and Str penalty. Loresongs are also kinda sneaky and get a Spellcraft bonus instead of an initiative bonus, as well as having minor spell-like abilities, while getting an Int boost and Str penalty. Sprytes get an extra Dex boost and Str penalty, and change to having the Fey type.
Giants: Tall, often burly people that closely resemble humans, with strong values and civilized attitude, usually. Current stewards of the lands they call Dor-Erthenos, in which they built the Diamond Throne and took over rebuilding humanoid societies after fighting off the dragons and dramojh to free the enslaved humanoids. Giants originate in a land across the sea, and since defeating their foes in Dor-Erthenos the resident giants used ceremonial rituals to reduce their size and interact with local humanoids on a less threatening level. They still have greater strength than humans, but are less dextrous due to their large size and muscular physique. They have the Giant type (even though they're Medium-size now, at least until they choose to advance a few levels in their racial class to become Large again). They have some social skills and are good craftsmen. Their racial class makes them stronger, tougher, and wiser, as well as larger.
Litorians: Nimble lion-folk who generally live in tribes and rarely interact with other races. They are great hunters and possess strong conviction. They are more agile than humans but less wise. Litorians possess various useful skills for hunting, and Low-Light Vision as well. Their racial class improves their Str, Dex, and Con a bit, as well as making them faster and better hunters.
Runechildren: Individuals who develop a mysterious rune upon their person and exhibit strange powers and talents, often seen as having an important impact on history or their surroundings. I won't go into runechildren here, as they're basically a template that incurs a level adjustment of sorts, and characters can only become runechildren after 5th-level or so.
Sibeccai: Unusual folks with a vague resemblance to jackals, with dark fur and a slightly odd disposition. They were beasts until the giants transformed them, so sibeccai feel indebted to giantkind and feel duty-bound to serve the giants, while looking down their noses at the other, non-giant, non-sibeccai races. They're still less intelligent than humans and prefer simple, physical pursuits rather than academic or otherwise intellectual matters. Sibeccai tend to have a serious, no-nonsense, get-stuff-done attitude, with an affinity towards fighting and hunting. They're tough and have more stamina than humans, as well as possessing Low-Light Vision and a few bonuses to social and sneaky skills. The sibeccai racial class improves their physical stats and develops their hunting prowess a bit (annoyingly too-similar to the litorian racial class, in my opinion).
Verrik: Mysterious strangers from another land who tend to keep to themselves and don't speak much of their own kind, but possess unusual mental and magical talents along with being the originators of witchcraft and akashic studies. Verrik look human but have wine-red skin and either white or black hair, with no facial hair. They have unusual, short names and little in the way of any kind of religious concepts, with more of a personal, introspective, contemplative bent. Verrik tend to think of matters in relation to the bigger picture, rather than thinking of each moment or event as individually significant, so they are much less brash than most of the other common races. They are wise but not very personable, with an unusual ability to shut off their senses when needed, such as turning off their vision in order to avoid the danger of gaze attacks. Verrik possess a few minor spell-like abilities that involve the power of their mind, and have access to more psionic spells when they advance in any spellcasting classes. The verrik racial class expands upon their spell-like abilities, improves their Int or Wis at some point, and levels in their racial class stack with levels in a spellcasting class (if they have any beforehand) for purposes of spellcasting advancement.[/sblock]
A brief rundown of the classes, though not as brief as I'd have liked (and leaving out Ritual Warriors, as I only have AU and they were added in AE; my limited knowledge of Ritual Warriors is that they're kinda like the martial adepts from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords, in that they use combat rituals for temporary boosts in every battle):
[sblock=A to G]Akashic:They sift through the akashic memory shared by all people, to supplement their own skills and knowledge. A blend of rogue, fighter, and bard. d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, Will as their strong save, 8 + Int mod skill points per level, all skills as class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter. Int is the main score for their few abilities that require anything in particular.
1st-level they get a +2 bonus on any skill check once per day; useable 1/day/2 levels later on, and improves to a +6 bonus over time. 2nd-level their Int bonus to some skills is doubled. 3rd-level an ability similar to bardic knowledge. 4th-level onward they get special abilities chosen from lists, stuff like bonus feats (any feat, and no need for expensive ceremonies if choosing Ceremonial feats that way), sneak attack (only up to +3d6), skill focus (+4 though), temporary bonuses to attack/damage/AC, improved Disguise checks, and duplication of certain spells 1/day or so (generally divinations and memory-manipulation or memory-delving stuff). At 12th or so they can duplicate a feat once per day, for something like 1 round/level. At 20th they can duplicate any simple spell up to 7th-level once per day.
Champion: Warriors who are highly devoted to a particular cause or philosophy and gain limited magical abilities from that devotion. A fighter/paladin blend, they sadly get no bonus feats but are pretty tough and get some small variation in their abilities. d10 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and Will, average (not poor) Reflex, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a few class skills, and the same proficiencies as a fighter. Constitution is the primary score, though a few causes grant minor Charisma-based stuff.
They select a cause to champion (AU/AE has Light, Darkness, Life, Death, Magic, and Freedom as choices, and AE added one more cause but I forget which), and gain a few abilities over time that reflect it. 1st-level they get the minor ability, such as Life's Healing for a champion of life (similar to lay on hands, but Con-based). They get another ability every 5 levels in champion, each one predetermined by the cause they serve. At 10th they can change their devotion to be a particular person, race, or location, which gives some different abilities. Regardless, the champion's other abilities are also predetermined; at 2nd they can call a magic shield briefly, 1/day, and later they can call a magic weapon, each of which grows in enhancement over time. Gradually they gain the ability to boost their physical power for short periods, and also a Charisma boost with it at middle and upper levels, along with temporary DR and SR.
Greenbond: They develop an affinity for nature and its spirits, receiving magical power from their association with nature spirits and "the Green", their name for the force of life/nature (positive energy). A combination druid/cleric/sorcerer, of sorts, with less combat prowess than druids but more healing power. d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, average (not poor) Fortitude, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, proficiency in simple weapons and light armor. Wisdom is their key ability score, though Charisma may be helpful for the Diplomacy checks they'll occasionally need to make for getting info from nature spirits.
They get full spellcasting progression, with access to simple spells and all plant/positive energy spells. Only verbal and mental spell components, so no spell failure from armor/shields. 1st-level they get Nature Sense, similar to a druid, and a special ability to heal by touch. The healing starts out at 1d8 + greenbond level, useable 1/day per point of Wis bonus. Over the course of further levels it improves in the number of dice for healing, eventually up to 10d8 + level in HP healed. They get Trackless Step at 3rd-level like a druid, but the rest of their abilities aren't copied from the druid. Over time they gain the ability to see nature spirits, ask them questions (with a Diplomacy check, until 20th-level where they no longer need the check), sense the health of nature around them or the presence of disturbances/harm to nature, change his own creature type to Plant (but without the standard plant immunity to crits, sneak attacks, and mind-affecting stuff), and eventually become incorporeal for several minutes a day.[/sblock]
[sblock=M to R]Mage Blade: A warrior who studies magic and blends it to some extent with swordsmanship or some other fighting style, using a key weapon or "athame" that they mentally bond with and use as a focus for their spells. d8 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, average base saves all around, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, and proficiency in all simple and martial weapons, light armors, and shields. Charisma is their key ability score, though Dexterity and/or Strength is also important for attack rolls and/or defense (and Constitution of course, to a lesser extent).
They get spellcasting a tad better than a bard's (up to 7th-level spells, and at 1st-level they get 1st-level spells if they have any bonus slots from Cha). Verbal and somatic components for their spells, but holding their 'athame' allows ignoring spell failure from armor/shields by substituting simple motions of the key weapon in place of complicated hand gestures. Only access to simple spells, normally. At 1st-level they bond with an athame (can be any bladed weapon) and it gains a free +1 enhancement in their hands. The enhancement grows over the course of further levels, and after a while it gains a defensive strike against anyone else who tries to pick it up, then later it can be summoned to hand by the mage blade at will. At 4th they can gain a deflection bonus to AC once per day, lasting 1 round/level, with the bonus dependant on their class level (starts at +2, eventually reaches +10). Later they gain a few bonus feats from a decent list, get the ability to move full speed in medium armor, can ignore magical defense for 1 strike/level with the athame, and gain a few additional defenses against magic.
Magister: A dedicated spellcaster and scholar, known for wielding a staff that focuses their magical power. Essentially a wizard equivalent, though with a broader variety of spells (since they can learn healing and revivification magic, etc.). d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent number of class skills, and proficiency with staves (quarterstaff, etc.), as well as proficiency in the sword-stave at 5th-level. Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and such, but Dexterity can be very important too since many offensive spells in AU/AE require ranged attack rolls or ranged touch attacks.
Full spellcasting progression, with access to simple and complex spells. Spells use verbal and somatic components, so armor/shields impose spell failure chances. If not holding their magister's staff, the spells are a bit weaker and take longer to cast. At 1st-level they gain a magister's staff, crafting it to be attuned to themselves and fairly resilient (it also grows in resilience as they gain further levels of magister, getting more HP and stuff). They don't need a spellbook or anything, unlike wizards. Magisters get a bonus feat every 5 levels, chosen from a small list. Over time they gain a minor defense against enemy magic, a minor magical effect from their constant use of magic (nothing significant though), the ability to substitute Intelligence checks for Strength checks (and those to resist being grappled), and another minor magical boon (but one that has actual, albeit minor, game effects).
Oathsworn: A determined warrior who disdains the tools and armaments of less self-assured warriors, relying on their own strength and the subtle power that comes from devoting themselves to fulfilling important oaths. A monk/fighter hybrid of sorts, using no weapons, armor, or shields, and wielding no overtly mystical powers (no teleportation or whatnot; just performing physical deeds that seem impossible for a normal person; which is because their oaths lend an unseen mystical power to their actions and bodies, one the oathsworn don't really tap into, so much as just incidentally acquire, from their extreme focus, dedication, and physical effort).
d10 hit dice, 3/4 base attack (but with iterative attacks from every 4 points of BAB, like the 3.0E monk), strong saves all around, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, and no proficiencies except unarmed strikes. Strength is most important to them, though Dexterity and Constitution are secondary in importance for defense (their only AC is likely to come from Dex and their oathsworn insight bonus, which is half their oathsworn level rounded up). They get unarmed damage like a monk, and flurry of blows at 1st-level allows them to get an extra unarmed attack with any full-attack action by taking a -2 penalty on all attack rolls (akin to the 3.0E monk, again). They get fast movement similarly to a monk.
They have to swear oaths though to make use of just about any of their class features; if they fail to fulfill their oath within a year or if they don't swear a new one upon finishing the previous oath, they basically lose all oathsworn abilities until swearing a new oath (and can only regain their abilities up to three times, ever). Some oaths can just be renewed each year, if they're ongoing things rather than a goal. Since they have to forswear weapons and armor and such, they don't multiclass well in most cases, although there is nothing preventing them from multiclassing (they just have that pesky 'no weapons/armor/tools/etc.' restriction; violating it makes them lose their oathsworn abilities). They can use tools, weapons and such only in very limited circumstances (and cannot even carry them otherwise); after a few levels they gain the ability to throw objects effectively or (later) use them in melee (with the oathsworn's unarmed damage value), but only when necessary.
At 2nd-level they no longer need food, and can make an attack as a full-round action that ignores some amount of hardness/damage reduction. Those abilities improve over further levels, so they gradually abandon the need for water, air, and sleep, as well as improving their ability to ignore hardness/DR (such as no longer needing a full-round action for a single such attack, and eventually ignoring even more hardness/DR than previously). Similarly, over time they gain various immunities and resistances, such as immunity to poison, disease, fatigue, fear, aging ability score penalties, and various other things, and eventually gaining Spell Resistance. They gain some minor recuperative, athletic, and environment adapatation benefits. They become outsiders with DR 20/+1 at 20th-level too, like monks.
Runethane: Scholars who study magical runes and learn to harness their power, engraving or gesturing runes of power upon items and creatures for long-lasting or triggered effects. Another sort of wizard-equivalent but more different than the magister, with reduced spellcasting and a variety of magical runes at their disposal. d6 hit dice, 1/2 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (they can even handle traps and locks, though Search isn't a class skill, so a bit of multiclassing into akashic or magister for more Search ranks would help), and proficiency in simple weapons.
Intelligence is their key ability score for spells and other class features, though Strength or Dexterity may be useful if they want to focus on certain attack spells (and the rune of affliction or similar, which at upper levels can be used on a weapon to strike foes without triggering on the runethane himself). They get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but runethanes don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, runethanes suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they use. They get access to simple spells.
The runethane also learns a rune each level, except they learn 2 at 1st-level; initially just lesser runes, then after a while they start to learn advanced runes, then greater runes, then runes of power, and finally the ultimate rune at 20th-level (which functions similarly to the akashic class' Spell Memory of 20th-level, duplicating a spell of 7th-level or lower, except it can be any spell below 8th-level, and takes longer to inscribe whereas akashics use their ability at the spur of the moment, though the ultimate rune can be triggered any time after it is inscribed). Each rune has some kind of magical effect, which resembles spell effects but few of them actually duplicate any particular spell. There are half a dozen or more runes of each type (except the ultimate rune), ranging from summonings to blasting to armoring to sustenance to utility, etc.
The runethane can only have one rune per runethane level inscribed though, at any given time (so they can't just scribe a rune onto everything around them). Each rune can only be used once per hour. Lesser runes, the kind available at 1st-level, are similar to 1st-level spells in effectiveness. At 1st-level the runethane also learns the Erase Rune ability, allowing them to attempt removing any magical rune with a caster power check (no check needed to erase their own runes, though; and distance is not a factor, they just need to know the rune's location). Later on they gain the ability to sense runes, invest runes with more power, use a password to keep themselves or allies safe from triggering their runes, and the ability to make runes permanent with some investment of money and extra time.[/sblock]
[sblock=T to W]Totem Warrior: Wilderness-savvy fighters and hunters who derive blessings from veneration of an animal totem, using their animal spirits' guidance and boons to augment their own prowess in combat and survival. They're reasonably simple, but have several features determined by their choice of totem, which makes them seem more complicated just by virtue of their choice of theme; totem warriors are basically fighter-ranger hybrids or barbarian-fighter-ranger hybrids, depending on totem. d8/d10/d12 hit dice (bear totem: d12; hawk or snake totem: d8; shark or wolf or wolverine totem: d10), full base attack, strong Fortitude, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a decent selection of class skills (and some totems add a few extra), and proficiencies are determined by totem (bear or hawk or shark totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; snake totem: simple and martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light and medium armors, and shields; wolf or wolverine totem: simple and martial weapons, light and medium and heavy armors, and shields).
As primary combatants, Strength is usually their most important ability score, but Dexterity is often of similar or secondary importance, and certain totem warriors rely more heavily on Dexterity than Strength (hawk and snake totems; wolverine totem is kinda half-n-half), while Charisma is of limited importance to a few totem warriors (snake totems gain a hypnotic ability at 12th-level with a Cha-based save DC; otherwise basically for Handle Animal checks, to make similar animals back down from a fight, which they get a bonus on when their animal companion is present). Each totem warrior chooses a single animal totem to be their spiritual focus, providing a handful of benefits over time as well as an animal companion of that type; the default selection of totems (there are vague guidelines for devising additional totems) are bear, hawk, shark, snake, wolf, and wolverine, plus I think Arcana Evolved added another totem (I just don't remember what it is).
At some point in their advancement, each totem warrior gains the ability to assume the form of their totem creature for a short time each day. Over time, the totem warrior even starts to look a bit like their totem animal while in their own, normal form. At 3rd-level they acquire their totem animal companion, who advances in hit dice alongside the totem warrior, as well as gaining ability increases and Intelligence increases over time. At later levels they strengthen the bond with their animal companion and their totem, gaining some more communicative abilities with them. The totem warrior gains a totem power at 1st-level, and another every four levels, each one determined by their initial choice of totem animal. The 1st-level abilities are, basically: bear totem - a natural armor bonus; hawk totem - a dodge bonus and Point Blank Shot; shark totem - a natural armor bonus and a Swim bonus; snake totem - a dodge and Reflex and Initiative bonus; wolf totem - a Will save bonus and a land speed bonus; wolverine totem - a Reflex bonus and the ability to grow claws on both hands at will.
Besides their totem powers, a totem warrior (they usually replace 'totem' in their name with the animal they venerate, like 'bear warrior' or 'wolf warrior') just gains a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a good list of varied combat feats. Each totem has different advantages and foci; bear warriors are especially strong and tough, with a melee combat focus and some extra reach at 8th-level; hawk warriors are especially dextrous, fast, and keen-eyed, with a focus on ranged combat and mobility, even gaining speedy flight for a few hours each day at 12th-level; shark warriors are very fierce and fairly tough, with a focus on aquatic combat and bloodletting, also gaining Scent at 12th-level; snake warriors are very nimble and quick to react, with a focus on being tricky and difficult to hit, eventually gaining immunity to poison as well; wolf warriors are swift-moving and wise, with a focus on keen senses, a bit of cleverness, and some teamwork, eventually gaining Scent and Low-Light Vision, as well as being able to summon a pack of dire wolves at 20th-level; wolverine warriors are fairly nimble, sneaky, tenacious, and savage, with a focus on melee combat and quickness, eventually gaining a tenacity like that of boars and wolverines to fight on when others would have fallen unconscious.
Unfettered: A nimble and clever fighter who uses his or her wit to help dodge attacks and strike at the opponent's weak points, relying on agility moreso than armor for defense. Unfettered are basically a very simple mix of fighter and rogue, with some of a fighter's combat flexibility and all of their accuracy, but a rogue's agility and broad range of skills, though fewer skill points and less Sneak Attack. d8 hit dice, full base attack, strong Reflex, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills, and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, agile exotic weapons, light armors, and shields. As a primary warrior, Strength is important but their emphasis on light armor (their AC bonuses and evasion don't work in medium or heavy armor) and access to agile exotic weapons makes the unfettered more inclined toward using Dexterity and taking Weapon Finesse at some point, while Intelligence is also important for their AC bonuses and skill points.
The unfettered gets a +1 AC bonus at 1st-level and it improves every few levels, while also getting their Intelligence bonus added to AC against one opponent's melee attacks (but only up to 1 point of Int bonus per two unfettered levels can be added to AC, to a minimum of adding 1 point of Int bonus to AC). They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, from a list of feats for swashbuckling, ranged combat, and crippling/tricky attacks like Low Blow and Bloody Strike. Unfettered gain Sneak Attack of 1d6 per four levels or so, and eventually gain Evasion along with a few other defenses.
Warmain: A very strong and durable warrior, focused exclusively on combat prowess and sheer toughness, able to use hefty weapons and deliver powerful strikes. Essentially a fighter with fewer feats, more hit points, and a focus on making better use of armor and melee weapons. d12 hit dice, full base attack, strong Fortitude and average (not poor) Will, 2 + Int mod skill points per level, a small number of class skills (though including a handful of knowledges), and proficiency in simple weapons, martial weapons, light armors, medium armors, heavy armors, and shields. Strength is their most important ability score, and warmains have a strong focus on well-armored melee combat, so Constitution is second-most important, and Intelligence would be helpful only for boosting their meager skill points.
At 1st-level the warmain gains Sturdy as a bonus feat, which doubles their Constitution bonus to AC from that level (so if their Con is 16, they'd get +3 HP from Sturdy, while a warmain with 20 Con would instead get +5 HP). They get a bonus feat at 2nd-level and every four or five levels thereafter, chosen from a list of offensive and defensive melee-combat feats, as well as armor-, shield-, and weapon-specific feats. They get Weapon Specialization once for free later on, then eventually develop Armor Specialization and Weapon Mastery, while also gaining the ability to deliver a melee attack a few times per day that does critical hit damage automatically. The warmain also gains the capacity to use larger weapons than normal, at upper levels in the class.
Witch: One who develops an innate talent for magic, partially tied to a particular element or force, improving that magical power alongside mediocre spellcasting and a bit of personal fighting skill. Sort of the AU/AE equivalent of the bard, with witchery abilities in place of bardic music and such, though possessed of mildly better spellcasting like a mage blade. d6 hit dice, 3/4 base attack, strong Will, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, a good selection of class skills (and two extra class skills determined by their witchery focus), and proficiency in simple weapons, light armors, and shields.
Wisdom is the key ability score for many of their witchery powers and their spellcasting, but witches also need Strength or Dexterity in order to make any effective attacks (short of spending every feat on getting and improving decent offensive spells that don't rely on attack rolls), since many of their spells or witchery powers rely on making melee or ranged attacks, while Constitution will also be important for any witch that plans to enter melee with an attack spell or a witchery-manifested sword. They choose one type of witch to be, either an iron witch, mind witch, sea witch, wind witch, winter witch, or wood witch (I think AE also added one more type of which, but I don't remember what kind). This determines their witchery abilities, but does not affect their spell selection (though it does boost related subtypes of spells, at later levels).
Witches get spellcasting like a mage blade's, so slightly better than a bard's, but witches don't get to use an athame to bypass somatic spell components; as such, witches suffer spell failure from any armor or shields they us. Witches also have to use material components, most of which at least are normally assumed to be in their witchbag (essentially a spell component pouch). However, witches have the capacity to cast their spells without using all normal components, by extending the casting time for their spells. If they forgo all the normal components, then they just cast the spell with the requisite mental component, and the spell is treated as having the Psionic descriptor when cast in that manner. Witches get access to simple spells.
At 1st-level and every four or five levels afterward, the witch develops one form of manifestation for their witchery powers, chosen from amongst the blade, fire, song, storm, and word manifestations (the exact effect depends on the type of witch and the choice of form as I just mentioned). So a mind witch might choose at 1st-level to gain the capacity to manifest a mind blade, or a mind cloud, or a thought chord, or a word of command, or mindfire, for example. Most witchery manifestations have a limit on uses per day, or a similar limit, that is equal to their Wisdom bonus. They tend to grow stronger as the witch gains more levels in the class, accumulating more damage dice, a better enhancement bonus, a longer duration, or whatever else is most relevant to the ability (frex, iron blade gets an enhancement bonus for every few witch levels, while ice song has a save DC based on witch level, while gust is useable once per day per witch level, while fire shield lasts one round per witch level, etc.).
The witch also gains one minor benefit from their witchery focus, at 1st-level, in addition to choosing a single manifestation to learn at that time. That benefit is basically: iron witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some iron; mind witch - half duration for any mind-affecting stuff that is used against them; sea witch - breathe water for a few minutes or hours each day; wind witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the air subtype; winter witch - takes less damage from spells and effects with the cold subtype; wood witch - +1 AC versus weapons made with some wood. Besides their witchery, they get a minor defensive boost against magic after a while, and the ability to read people's auras in a limited sense, determining what classes and levels other people possess.
Each kind of witch has a particular theme and focus to their witchery powers; iron witches manifest temporary items forged of iron, from weapons to (weightless, magical) armor to a blast of metal shards, and can repair objects with their witchery, as well as create tougher objects through magic and do more damage with earth-based spells, so they're primarily effective in melee combat and utility stuff; mind witches manifest emanations of mental power, communicating thoughts or minor compulsions to others, and blasting or slicing through foes with mental force, mostly dealing subdual damage, as well as dazing foes occasionally, while eventually tapping into all kinds of Psionic spell and becoming more resistant to mental influence; sea witches manifest masses of water and powers of the sea, blasting foes with acid, quelling or worsening hostile waters, creating mist, and cutting through foes and rusting objects with a blade of water; wind witches manifest bursts of wind and noise, using the wind to create gusts, deliver messages, cut through stuff, and create burning shields (how? I dunno, they're witches, so they make fire...
), eventually gaining various air spells and occasional flight; winter witches manifest temporary items of ice and bursts of freezing air, unleashing hail and icy blades, or freezing stuff in place, as well as harnessing all kinds of cold spell and influencing cold-related creatures; wood witches manifest items and shards of wood, as well as bursts of life energy, healing the living or harming the unliving, along with utilizing various plant spells and toughening themselves with bark.[/sblock]
Olaf the Stout
Hero
Arkhandus said:
Well, I'll see about posting a short summary of the classes and such. I got started on it last week but then figured you'd probably just finish boning up on the class basics soon anyway.
Thanks for that Arkhandus! Much appreciated.
I've printed it out and will give it a read on the train ride home tonight. One of the down sides to the beautiful AE book is that it is a little large to lug to work with me each day to read on the train. :\
Olaf the Stout
Lobo Lurker
First Post
If there's any room still... maybe a verrik eagle warrior or greenbond. A mojh oathsworn ot akashic also appeals to me.
Olaf the Stout
Hero
Looking through the AE classes, what class is closest to filling the Cleric role? From what I have heard, AoW is relatively undead heavy so a Cleric type role would definitely be needed. Reading throught the classes I couldn't really see one class that stood out as a Cleric equivalent. Also, is there still a Turn Undead mechanic in AE?
At the moment I am leaning towards the following characters:
Litorian or Sibeccai Unfettered
Giant Wolverine Totem Warrior
Human Akashic
Loresong Fen Magister or Witch (don't know which type)
Olaf the Stout
At the moment I am leaning towards the following characters:
Litorian or Sibeccai Unfettered
Giant Wolverine Totem Warrior
Human Akashic
Loresong Fen Magister or Witch (don't know which type)
Olaf the Stout
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