The pilot Class

[BlackJaw]

Back to an old topic.

1) I don't really think it something the game needs, rogues & fighters could fit this bill 9 times out of 10.
2) I don't think most Pilot Classes out there are all that fun or well made. Most are Rogues without rogue abilities or sneak attack, and their class features only work in vehicles. In a standard or quasi-standard game (one where stuff does happen outside a vehicle) the classes are little better then running the NPC class "expert."
3) Most pilot classes are only geared toward flying a vehicle, with little thought to other meathods of flight that some games might have... flying carpets, fly spells, wildshape/polymorph, and flying mounts.
4) People will expect a flight product to have a good pilot (or otherwise flight based) core class, so despite my objections above I do think we need to at least try to come up with one.


>> It will need to be functional outside of flying a vehicle and have at least some class features that you can use regularly even if you happen to be underground for the current adventure. Not all class features mind you, but enough that he class isn't useless outside a vessel.

>> I'd also want many if not all the flight based benefits to work with flight spells (including polymorphing), riding a flying mount, and using flying magic items (like broomsticks and carpets) as well as vehicles.

>> The easy part: Reflex saves are good, acess to a number of skills (I'll wait for 3.5 before making a full list) but incluidng navigation related skills (Now "survivial?") Ride, Pilot, Balance, and a number of other Dex based skills. Decent skill points because, like a rogue, he is dependant on skills for many of his functions. Either a rogue like BAB, or a Fighter like BAB, depending on balence of other class features. Hit Dice at d6, although d8 might work well if we need to up his power a tad for balence.

>> It would be easy to tack on the rogue like "reflex save" benefits, then add in some bonus feats limited to mostly flight related feats + some skill focus and a handful or others... but that wouldn't have nearly enough flavor to it in my opinion. We need some unique, or impressive, class features to make the class come alive.

>> I don't have many ideas on what those other features would be. Given the class is a Dexterity & Inteligence focued class, witha strong combat lean (because non-adventuring pilots would be simply NPC experts) Maybe INT bonus to AC might work out well, as might some sort of "in the zone" type thing that boosts dexterity for a short term (think dexterity rage).. but now I'm just rehashing features of known core classes. A minor spellcasting progression simply does not fit... anyone got any some other ideas?

 

[BlackJaw]

Now that I think about it, the INT bonus to AC is to good and its a sort of all at once thing (good for PrCs though, Duelist has it I think)

Maybe a growing AC bonus with the Dodge type. Give it a name like "Intutive Dodge" or something like that.

I am happy in concept with the so called "dexterity rage." Basicaly I can see the ability become extreamly Dextrious being very useful for a daring pilot. (pull out of those massive death spirals, complete extreamly hard stunts, etc) but also useful in other situations (IE: any combat with a Dex bonus to AC and ranged weapons or Finesse melee).

Only maybe we shouldn't model it on rage so much. Instead of having it last for X number of rounds, it should last only 1 round but have no Fatigue etc. You declare its use on the start of your action one round (as a free action, or non-action much like dodge) and for that entire round your Dex is boosted through incredible focus. By the entire round I mean until your next action, so even latter AoO you make with a finessed weapon would benefit, as would Reflex saves, your AC, etc. Focus is a good word. the name for that class feature should include "focus" somewhere in it. Agilty Focus, Focused Nimbleness, Dextrous Focus, Focused Cordination? something like that might work. We also need to know what type of bonus it is as I dislike unamed bonuses, and the "rage" type doesn't seem right.

ok, so class features:

Growing Dodge bonus to AC?
Focused Cordination (Dexterity rage)?
a few of those rogue like reflex add-ons for taking half damage etc?
Bonus feats with a dexterity & flight focus?
A couple of flight focused powers so this doesn't end up being a dexterity based fighter core class?!

Flight spicific powers?)
>> ability to take 10 on pilot/ride(flying mount) checks for certain stunts or uses? Call it mastered stunt/manuver, and you are able to 10 on it even in combat.
>> Bonuses to your turns and/or speed when flying anything, so you can do stuff with vessels and mounts that in the hands of normal people/pilots isn't even possible.
>> as a high level power something like "free stunt" which lets you make a stunt as a free action? Maybe you have to pick the stunt to get for free, or maybe you take a penalty when using, but with that feature you could make 3 stunts with a double move action, or 1 stunt while making a full attack!

Things I'm againts: "favored vessels." where the pilot gets bonuses or special class benefits but only when using his selected vessel/vehicle type, speicies, or god forbid, spcific bonded vehicle. "Bonded Vessels" is another one. Its a great idea for some interesting PrCs, but its not my idea of a generic core class.

Speaking of PrCs:
We will need a Fighter Pilot Ace type PrC. This class would have a better Hit Dice then the Pilot Core class, a full Fighter Bab (I'm leaning toward rogue like for the pilot core class) and focus more on making it easier for the pilot to both shoot and fly at the same time. as a 10 or 5 level class it wouldn't be to hard to put togeather. Class concept: WW2 fighter pilot with a little top gun thrown in. powers with names like "combat stunt" (which some how makes a stunt more useful or easier to do in combat). While this class would be mostly taken by pilots, It should all work with those taht can fly "naturaly" such as mosnters with wings, characters with flight spells/items, and shapeshifters that take winged forms. everythign that uses the pilot skill instead of ride.

Another PrC Idea I brought up before:
Familiar Rider... its a PrC for wizards, sorcerers, paladins, blackguards, or any ohter spellcasting class with a companion creature whos powers increase with levels. Basicaly it lets you turn that companion creature into one large enough to ride and provide benefits to riding it. (providing it with wings if it doesn't have them already) Short class, say 5 levels, with a few spellcasting bonuses thrown in, but you companion increase as if you had taken the orignal class, pluss it gains some other features. Go from having a bat familiar to riding bat for a familiar at the expense of 2 caster levels, etc. Now does it add wings to the creature, or the does the creature need to be able to fly to begin with? I'd also recomend it adding Hit Dice (and hit points due to that nasty familiar rule about 1/2 your hitpoints!) Wizard/Sorc Bab bonus with a nearly full caster progression or a rogue like bonus with only 2 our of 5 levels including bonus caster levels? It would also give you the ride skill if you don't have it already, maybe a nice fat bonus when using the ride skill with your bonded mount, and have both Will and Ref as good saves? At first level the mount grows in size if nesisary, including stat boosts and damage increases for natural weapons. Maybe it only grows to the same size as you, but has the magic power to be bigger when in contact with you (not under normal circmstances but when riding it your incontact suitbly enough) hmmm. That size increase is one of hte primary benefits of the class. I do like the idea of it growing and shrinking a bit so you can still have your owl inside your tower with you at all times then have it increase in size and fly off on it... Oh and some sort os a system for making sure druids can use this would also be important... and if druids can use it with animal companions then theoreticaly so could rangers and even Clerics with the animal domain. Maybe with your bonded mount, if its big enough to ride already, the class provides it with wings (paladins making their horses grow wings) while it is already flys but isn't large enough to ride, it grows in size (wizards with Owls or bats)?

Maybe another rider based PrC, but this one focusing more on character that will ride already suitable mounts instead of spellcasters that use their mystic link to an animal to make it their mount. Requirements would include ride (flying mount) and one or more mounted combat feats. IE: fighters and the like with Griffons and the ride skill. No bonded mounts, but benefits when riding any flying mount, of course most people will stick those they have the skills for. Full 10 level class. I could imagine some one with a wizard PC taking the bonded class above, then taking this class to make a dangerous sorcerer-owl riding bad-ass... etc.

Myabe one more PrC with a name like "ship's avatar" its a character with a mystic bond to spicific vehicle (not just a type). Focus it on the old concept of every ship having a name, a personality, and a soul despite thechnicaly being an inanimate machine. This class is unique in that it provides benefits to both the character and the vessel when they are near each other. A vessel can only have one avatar though... although he doesn't have to be the pilot (although he would get benefits to pilot his ship) he might just as easliy be the "engineer" on a large vessel, etc. I imagine the power to take mental damage/strain to heal the vehicle (wis damage to generate hit points for the vessel via touch) among other things.

 

[BlackJaw]

If you can't tell, I've decided that my immediate job is to make the classes for the book, as well as probably pull togeather some feats etc to go with them... the character/player's chapter we could call it.

 

[BlackJaw]

Ok, we can NOT call this core class the Pilot. The problem is the old D&D design rule not to have game information named the same thing as a game term. The problem: "pilot" is a game term we use for who ever is in control of a vessel. It would be confusing if we also then started talking about a class whos name is pilot. Thus we need a diffrent name for the Pilot class, or we have to rewrite the entire contents of our work with a new term for some one who is control of a vessel.

(renaming a class we havent' done yet is far easier, although I'm not sure what to use) a little Dictonary.com work:
Synonyms: ace, aerialist, aeronaut, airman, aviator, bellwether, bird legs, birdman, bush pilot, captain, conductor, coxswain, dean, director, doyen, eagle, flier, fly-boy, flyer, guide, helmsman, jet jockey, jockey, lead, leader, navigator, scout, steersman, wheelman

The Aviator class works for me.