(Proposal) Learner Prestige Class

[Arken]

Just throwing an idea out there...

Could the Lore ability be turned into a knowledge skill: monsterlore so that others could take it. Then the Learner could still automatically get 1 point in it per level 'free' but others (druids, wizards and possibly rangers) could also attempt to work it out. I think it's a knowledge skill which is more fun to use than normal and in addition it might solve some problems that have been encountered such as (in my first adventure) we didn't have a way of determining if people knew what a werewolf was or not.

what do people think?

P.S. Really cool class GnomeWorks, if it gets accepted than I may just know what I want my second PC to be

 

[GnomeWorks]

I'd advise spreading the resistance effects, it is very good right now. Perhaps giving the +4 bonus to one of the effects in the list at level (say) 8, and then adding resisted effects by choice every 2 levels thereafter? True, the character will not have every resistance at lvl 20, but then the flavor of the class is to be unique individuals with wildly differing abilities anyway.

Hof.

That sounds like a good idea... and it would fit the flavor of the class, as you point out.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Could the Lore ability be turned into a knowledge skill: monsterlore so that others could take it. Then the Learner could still automatically get 1 point in it per level 'free' but others (druids, wizards and possibly rangers) could also attempt to work it out. I think it's a knowledge skill which is more fun to use than normal and in addition it might solve some problems that have been encountered such as (in my first adventure) we didn't have a way of determining if people knew what a werewolf was or not.

I don't know if I like this idea. It is based loosely off of the bard's bardic lore ability, and no one else can use that. Admittedly, this is mildly different...

I suppose I don't really see a problem with it. A Knowledge (Monsters) skill would be useful in many situations. I don't know if it would be balanced, though...

 

[GnomeWorks]

Learner, v2

Taking the changes suggested above, as well as a few modifications to things that I don't think are really necessary for the class, I've come up with the following...

Note that only things that have changed are reposted below. The rest remains unchanged.

THE LEARNER (BLUE MAGE)

GAME RULE INFORMATION
Learners (Ler) have the following game rule statistics.
Hit Die: d6
Saves: High Will, Low Fort, Low Ref

[color=white][b]Level	Ability[/b]				
1	Observation, Lore	
2	Peep
3 
4 
5	
6	Conversion
7 
8	Scan, Resistance
9 
10	Resistance
11 
12	Resistance
13 
14	Continual Observation, Resistance
15	
16 	Resistance
17 
18 	Resistance
19 
20	Resistance

[b]Level	Spells Known
	1/2/3/4/5/6[/b]
1	2/-/-/-/-/-
2	3/-/-/-/-/-
3	3/1/-/-/-/-
4	4/2/-/-/-/-
5	4/2/-/-/-/-
6	4/3/1/-/-/-
7	5/3/2/-/-/-
8	5/3/2/-/-/-
9	5/4/3/1/-/-
10	5/4/3/2/-/-
11	5/4/3/2/-/-
12	5/4/4/3/1/-
13	5/4/4/3/2/-
14	5/4/4/3/2/-
15	5/4/4/4/3/1
16	5/4/4/4/3/2
17	5/4/4/4/3/2
18	5/4/4/4/4/3
19	5/4/4/4/4/3
20	5/4/4/4/4/3[/color]

CLASS FEATURES
Lancelet: This ability has been removed.

Conversion (6th level): At 6th level, the learner has mastered the art of converting his arcane energy into a shield of sorts to help him survive attacks of monsters. Whenever he is dealt damage, he may make a Will save against a DC equal to the damage dealt. If successful, he can reduce the amount of damage dealt by his learner level + wisdom modifier, and instead take that amount as MP damage. You can't use this ability if you have 0 MPs.

A learner suffers no adverse effects from losing magic points in this way. If he was casting a spell, however, he must make a Concentration check to retain it as though the damage were normal damage. A learner cannot have less than 0 magic points.

Resistance (8th/10th/12th/14th/16th/18th/20th level): At 8th level and every two levels after, the learner has gained a natural resistance to some effects that hinder him. At each listed level, the learner gains a +4 resistance bonus on saving throws against one of the following: ability damage, blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, feebleminded, insanity, nauseated, sickened, stunned, and poisoned.

-----

NEW FEATS

QUICK [General]
You are deft and light on your feet.
Benefit: You receive a +2 bonus to Initiative checks and a +1 bonus on all Reflex saves.
Special: This bonus does not stack with Improved Initiative.

LEVEL-DEPENDENT [Metamagic]
This feat has been removed.

SPELL DISPERSAL [Metamagic]
This feat has been removed.

-----

I removed Lancelet because it really did seem like a broken ability. At 20th level, assuming the creature fails the Fort save each round, it would take 20 points of damage every round, which seemed a bit drastic.

I noted that both Spell Dispersal and Level-Dependent have been removed. Spell Dispersal was too messed up to make work, and Level-Dependent was also a little broken and "meta-gamey", as noted earlier in the thread.

I noted that Quick doesn't stack with Improved Initiative.

For Conversion, I wanted to keep it... however, I did put a major limitation on it, being that you can't convert more damage than your learner level + wisdom modifier. So while it has an effect on combat, it's not nearly as broken as it was.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Anybody want to comment?

 

[Pyrex]

I like the v2 quite a bit, but I'd like to see Conversion streamlined a bit to remove the extra roll each time the character is damaged.

How about something like this?

Conversion
blah, blah, manashield, blah,
As long as the Blue Mage has at least 20(?)MP in reserve he gains DR 2/-.

Feat: Improved Conversion
PreReq: Conversion, Iron Will
As long as the Blue Mage has at least 35(?)MP in reserve he gains DR 5/-.

Note: I'm not sure whether the DR should be /- or /ColdIron. Either works.

 

[GnomeWorks]

I like the v2 quite a bit, but I'd like to see Conversion streamlined a bit to remove the extra roll each time the character is damaged.

How about something like this?

<snip>

Hmm... that could work, but IMO, it loses a lot of the flavor of the ability.

Instead, how about this... you gain DR equal to your Wisdom modifier/-. Any damage that this DR prevents, however, is subtracted from his magic points. If the learner has no magic points remaining, he loses this DR. Each time he is dealt damage, the learner chooses whether or not to activate this ability.

 

[Pyrex]

Works for me.

 

[GnomeWorks]

Anybody else?

I would really like to get this thing approved... did I not change enough things? What are people's thoughts?

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

My gut reaction, upon reading the class, was that it didn't seem like a core class. Core class are fairly general (or at least iconic/stereotypical), whereas this is very specialized and "out there." No reason this couldn't be a PrC (and I don't see anything wrong with a 15-level one), but I really don't like it as a core class. Just my opinion, of course.