Dark Sun Conversion - classes

OK, now I've got a draft for the classes in my Dark Sun conversion. And as a pre-emptive strike of sorts (because the issue has been brought up pretty much every time I've posted one of these threads): I know about athas.org's conversion, and I have some issues with choices they've made. That's why I'm doing my own conversion.

Well, on with the show!

Mostly unchanged

First, a bunch of classes that didn't change much in the conversion.

First, these are the classes that only have minimal changes, or none at all.
Barbarian
As in the core rules, but without Medium armor proficiency or Swim as a class skill.

Bard
Bards are removed. If you want to play a character like an Athasian 2e bard, play a rogue and work on the Perform and Craft (poisonmaking) skills.
Alternately, use the bard from athas.org’s conversion. If so, make Alchemy its own skill rather than a subskill of Craft, and make bards the only ones who have access to it.

Fighter
The fighter works pretty much like in the core rules, except Swim is not a class skill, and they don’t get free proficiency in Heavy armor.

Gladiator
With the flexibility of the Fighter class, there is no need for gladiator to be a separate class. Just make a fighter and take appropriate feats. Most of the gladiator abilities will be converted to feats when I get to that.

Preserver
The preserver is the standard D&D wizard, with the difference that they only get one free spell when they gain a new spell level (odd levels up to 17th) rather than two free spells at every level.
I still haven't decided whether to go the Revised DS route of forbidding school specialization. The main advantage of doing so would be to allow some pruning of the Enchantment school (which has rather few spells now) in order to give psions a stronger niche.

Psion
The Psion works as described in the Psionics Handbook augmented by Mindscapes, except that no subclass has Swim as a class skill, but all have Craft and Profession. Psicrystals are also out.
Note: I may decide to revise the psionics system at a later date, but for now the main Dark Sun revision is enough. I'll probably take a look at that skill/feat system Green Ronin(?) is working on.

Psychic Warrior
The Psychic Warrior works as in the Psionics Handbook plus Mindscapes, but without Swim as a class skill or Heavy armor proficiency.
Note: I may decide to revise the psionics system at a later date, but for now the main Dark Sun revision is enough. I'll probably take a look at that skill/feat system Green Ronin(?) is working on.

Ranger
Rangers work like in the core rules. I’d like to find a clean way of dropping spells and replacing them with something else. If not, they get their spells from the regular Ranger list and not any elemental list.

Rogue
Just like in the core rules, except without Swim as a class skill.

How does your conversion compare with the fully-released 3.5E conversion as posted by http://www.athas.org/ ?

Mind you, the basic premises they had to operate under was (1) it had to be as close to the core rulebooks as possible (per WOTC guidelines allowing the "official" status) and (2) when in doubt, the Prism Pentad takes precedence over the previously-released game material (per their own decisions).

Cleric, general stuff

Cleric, general stuff
This section describes traits that clerics of varying elements have in common.
Alignment: Any.
Hit die: d8
Class skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis) and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points: 2+Int modifier.
Class features

Armor and weapon proficiency: All clerics are proficient in light armor and shields. They are also proficient in those simple weapons potentially allowed by their oaths (e.g. Caelum the Fire cleric is proficient with daggers, because they're a simple weapon and could conceivably be made from obsidian, an allowed material. If he finds a bone dagger, he can wield it without a non-proficiency penalty even though his elemental patrons will be angry with him for doing so). In addition, some of the elements provide other proficiencies as well.

Spiritual oaths: Like druids in the core rules, clerics are bound by certain spiritual oaths to not use certain equipment in combat. In the case of the cleric, this is a matter of weapons rather than armor. Exactly what weapons are allowed is described under each element. If the cleric uses a forbidden weapon, he will be unable to cast cleric spells or use supernatural or spell-like class abilities for 24 hours.

Spellcasting: Clerics cast spells like core clerics, except they don't get domain spells. They can cast spells from the general cleric spell list as well as the sphere corresponding to their element.

Turn Undead (Su): Clerics can turn undead just like core clerics. All Athasian clerics turn undead instead of controlling them, due to the dislike the elemental spirits have for the unnaturalness of the undead. This is related to channeling elemental rather than positive energy. Undead that are destroyed by a cleric are usually consumed in a display appropriate to the cleric's element (e.g. burned in fire or swallowed by the earth)

Spontaneous casting: Just like core clerics, Athasian clerics can spontaneously convert prepared spells to cure spells. In addition, they can also be converted to appropriate summon monster spells, but only to summon elementals. This means summon monster III, V, VI, VII, VIII and IX, as well as IV when used to summon 1d3 Small elementals.

Ignore Element (Su): A 5th level cleric can once per day ignore the presence of the element he's allied with for a duration of one round per level. The exact effects depend on the actual element.

Gate element (Su): A 7th level cleric may once per day gate in one cubic foot of elemental material from the plane he worships per level above 6th. This is the element in a pure form – a gust of wind for air, stone for earth, flames for fire and pure water for water. The exact effects depend on the element in question.

Minor granted powers: In addition to the two major granted powers clerics get, they also get minor powers at levels, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 . These are picked from a list depending on the element.

Air Clerics

Cleric of Air

Weapons allowed: Air clerics are allowed to use all manner of ranged weapons, both in missile and melee combat. In addition, they can also use any spear, including those who can be thrown. They get free proficiency with bows, both long and short, and both composite and regular.

Ignore Air (Su): An air cleric using his ability to ignore Air becomes immune to all poison gases (including spells such as stinking cloud), attacks that use wind or air (such as a gust of wind spell), and does not need to breathe.

Gate Air (Su): The cleric gates in a cubic foot of air per level above 6th. This takes the form of a powerful wind that whips about at his command for one round. The wind must start within 50 ft from the cleric, but he can then command it along a path no longer than 3,000 ft. It is, however, limited in the number of targets it can affect: 1d4 targets per level above 6th. Affected targets must roll aReflex save with a DC equal to 10+ half the cleric's levels + the cleric's Charisma modifier or fall prone. It is rather less destructive than gating in some of the other elements, but has a tremendous range in order to compensate.

Minor Granted Powers: At the appropriate levels, a cleric of air gets to choose between these powers:

Clean Air (Su): A cleric of air using this power automatically transforms unhealthy air or vapors into clean air as it enters his mouth. The power has a duration of one round/level and can be invoked once per day.

Refreshing Breeze (Su): Whenever the cleric is outside, he will be caressed by a cool breeze (though this breeze can be overpowered by stronger winds, so it does not provide immunity to storms and the like). This has the mechanical effect of halving the cleric's water consumption. While the power does protect from the sun's heat, it does not help against other effects such as sun burn.

Missile stream (Su): As long as the cleric remains outside, the spirits of the air help his aim. Any attack roll with missiles that could logically be affected by slight winds (most personal ranged weapons, but not ballista bolts or boulders) get a +1 bonus. It does not work indoors.

Missile deflection (Su): Some spirits of the air help defensively rather than offensively. Instead of giving a bonus to missile attacks made by the cleric, they hinder missile attacks against him. Any attacker firing a missile that could be affected by slight winds take a -1 penalty to his attack roll. Like the power before, this does not work indoors.

Protection from wind (Su): The cleric gets a +2 bonus to all saving throws against wind-based attacks.

Feather Fall (Sp): Once per day, the cleric can call upon the spirits of air to protect him while falling. This works just like the feather fall spell.

Cleric of Earth

Clerics of Earth

Weapons allowed: The Lords of Earth allow their champions to fight with any weapon that comes from the earth. This includes weapons made of metal, stone and wood, but not bone. Earth clerics gain no special weapon proficiencies.

Ignore Earth (Su): When ignoring the Earth, the cleric is immune to all attacks made with stone, rock, metal, wood, or other earthen materials. He can choose to walk through earth, and moves at his normal movement rate as long as he's keeping level or descending. If ascending, his movement rate is halved. If he is still inside solid matter when the power runs out, he will be forcefully ejected into the nearest empty space and take 4d8 damage.

Gate Earth (Su): The cleric can gate in 1 cubic foot of stone per level above 6th. This is always relatively generic stone, in a pretty basic shape (round, square, triangular – not carved or anything fancy like that). If gated in above someone's head, the cleric must first make a ranged attack roll with a -2 penalty (due to the difficulty of indirect aiming – note however that cover might be ignored). If the attack roll succeeds, the victim takes 1d6 damage per cubic foot.

Minor granted powers: At the appropriate levels, a cleric of earth gets to choose between these powers:

Eliminate tracks (Su): The earth covers up the cleric's tracks as he passes. This is somewhat similar to the spell pass without trace, but more limited: the cleric still leaves a scent, it only works on earth (for example, not on mud), and the cleric's feet must be bare.

Encasement (Su): The cleric buries himself beneath loose sand, earth or top soil and remains there resting for up to 8 hours. For every two hours spent resting like this, the cleric regains 1 hp/level. Spellcasting is only possible if the spell has no somatic components and the material components or foci can be accessed without moving much. The cleric may not move from the spot where he is hidden without emerging, unless he uses his power to ignore earth. The DC for finding the hiding place is 10+the cleric's level.

Meld into Stone (Sp): Just like the spell, once per day.

Protection from earth (Su): The cleric gets a +2 bonus to all saving throws versus earth-based attacks.

Endure (Su): In order to choose this power, the cleric must be at least 5th level. When within twice the defiling radius of a spell, the cleric can attempt to ease the spell's destructive effect by channeling life force from the surrounding area into the area being defiled. If the cleric succeeds in a Concentration check with a DC equal to the spell's save DC, the defiling radius is halved. The surrounding area will be a little sickly, but nothing they won't recover from.

Clerics of Fire

Weapons allowed: Fire clerics prefer to wield weapons using fire as a direct means of dealing damage. This means that any flaming weapon is allowed. If that's not available, obsidian weapons are also fine, due to their volcanic origins. Metal weapons can also be used, but must be set ablaze using oils or similar substances (doing 1 point extra fire damage and usually burning out in 10 rounds). Fire clerics gain no extra weapon proficiencies.

Ignore Fire (Su): The cleric using this power is immune to fire and heat. He also becomes immune to secondary effects of the fire, such as smoke inhalation. This power extends to his gear. Indirect effects may still harm the cleric, such as falling if a fire burns away the rope bridge he's standing on.

Gate Fire (Su): The cleric gates in one cubic foot of fire per level above 7th. Each cubic foot can affect one target, inflicting 1d6 damage with a Reflex save (DC = 10+cleric level/2+cleric's Cha modifier) for half (multiple flames can be focused on the same opponent, with one save covering all the attacks). If the save fails, the target(s) may also be set on fire (see the DMG). The fire must be summoned within 50 ft of the cleric, and will set fire to combustibles normally. If the fires don't actually set fire on anything, they will expire after one round.

Minor granted powers: At the appropriate levels, a cleric of fire gets to choose between these powers:

Enflame (Su): The cleric can create small flames (about the size of a matchstick) at will, with a range of 5 ft/2 levels. This power does no actual damage, but can ignite torches or other flammable material normally.

Burning hands (Sp): 1/day, as if cast by a wizard of the same level as the cleric. Save DC is equal to 11+the cleric's Cha modifier.

Cleansing Flame (Su): The cleric can channel the powers of fire into purifying himself. Once per day, he can use a fire no smaller than a campfire to clean his body of dirt and filth, heal 1d4 hp, and possibly protect him from poison and disease. If the cleric is poisoned or diseased, he gets an immediate saving throw to throw off the effects. This does not help against magical diseases (e.g. mummy rot). The cleric must actually step into the fire or otherwise be surrounded by it, but it can be used as a free action even when it's not the cleric's turn (which means the cleric can activate the power to protect himself from a fire-based attack). The power has a duration of one round, so it can't be used for long-term protection against fire.

Control flame (Su): The cleric can control the movements of flames the size of a torch-head or smaller within 20 feet. The fires have to mostly remain in contact with combustible materials, but can be made to “leap” up to one foot per two levels. By expanding and catching on some other material.

Protection from fire (Su): The cleric gains a +2 bonus to all saves versus fire or heat.

Clerics of Water

Weapons allowed: Since water is associated with living things, so must their weaponry be. Water clerics may only use weapons made out of the remains of living beings, which usually means wood or bone.

Ignore Water (Su): The cleric can breathe under water, can move freely in or under water, and is immune to water-based attacks.

Gate Water (Su): The cleric can gate in one cubic foot (approximately 7.5 gallons) of pure water within 50 ft. The water may be spread out (e.g. to fill several waterskins), but the cleric must be able to see each location. The water does not arrive under pressure and can't be used to attack anyone, unless the target is vulnerable to the water itself (which may be the case with certain fire-based creatures). If so, the cleric must succeed in a ranged touch attack in order to hit.

Minor granted powers: At the appropriate levels, a cleric of water gets to choose between these powers:

Quench Thirst (Su): The cleric can chew on almost anything and extract moisture. Mud, plant matter, even sand or rock will yield up to one third of the character's daily water requirement.

Healing draught (Su): After carrying around a full waterskin on his person for at least an hour, the cleric can bless the water inside with healing powers. Anyone taking a sip of this is healed for 1d3 hp, and light bleeding is cured. The blessing is enough for ten sips, but no one person can be affected by the healing draught more than once in any 24-hour period. The cleric can only bless one waterskin at a time, and only one per day.

Protection from Water (Su): The cleric gets a +2 bonus on saves versus water-based attacks.

Body of Water (Su): The cleric's body constantly filters out impurities and toxins through his sweat. This gives a +4 bonus to saves versus poisons and diseases. The cleric must be at least 5th level in order to choose this power.

Spark of life (Su): In order to take this power, the cleric must be at least 7th level and have taken the healing draught power earlier. Once per day, the cleric may use his healing draught to restore a dying (-1 to -9 hp) character to consciousness with one hp.