Dr. Strangemonkey
First Post
Ok, you've really set my wheels spinning now. I'm going to reread the Land of Fate boxed set to get a feel for the direction Jeff Grubb/Steve Kurtz and the rest were taking Zakhara. I'll save a more meaty response for later.
Much obliged
And now for something completely different...here is my take on the Hakima cleric build! Anythingwith an asterisk* is new content. Still have to develop a couple new powers & rituals, but here it is for now.
Hakima [Cleric]
Gifted with insight, the hakima is a wise woman whose advice strengthens the meek and whose prophetic warnings bring down the mighty.
Hakima Class Features: Channel Divinity: Divine Fortune, Channel Divinity: Truth Sense*, Healing Word, Wisdom’s Lore*, Ritual Casting
Suggested Feat: Acumen*
Suggested Skills: Heal, Insight, Perception, Religion
Suggested At-Will Powers: Perjury’s Bane*, Priest’s Shield
Suggested Encounter Power: Cause Fear
Suggested Daily Power: Guardian of Faith
Suggested Paragon Path: Divine Oracle
Ritual Casting
You gain Ritual Caster as a bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals. You possess a ritual book with two rituals you have mastered: Avert Evil Eye* and one other of your choice.
Wisdom’s Lore
Your insights into men’s souls allow you to maximize your divine powers to your allies’ benefit. Add half your Wisdom modifier to any power bonus you provide your allies, though if the power bonus lists a different ability modifier, replace it with Wisdom instead (e.g. “+ Charisma modifier” becomes “+Wisdom modifier”).
Channel Divinity: Truth Sense
Alternate Cleric Class Feature
Your penetrating glare pierces deception and shakes the resolve of the most hardened criminals, providing you insight into their character.
Encounter * Divine
Standard Action Close burst 2 (5 at 11th level, 8 at 21st level)
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Wisdom vs. Will
Hit: You learn whether the target(s) is disguised or lying; you may learn their true class, level, race, alignment or station (pick one). Deceitful creatures take 1d6 + Wisdom psychic damage unless they reveal the truth.
Increase damage to 1d6 + Wisdom modifier at 5th level, 3d6 + Wisdom modifier at 11th level, 4d6 + Wisdom modifier at 15th level, 5d6 + Wisdom modifier at 21st level, and 6d6 + Wisdom modifier at 25th level.
Miss: You learn whether the target(s) is disguised or lying, and deal half damage.
Acumen [Heroic feat]
Benefit: Anytime you succeed an Insight check by 5 or more than the target number, you also learn what lies underneath or causes the motive, outside influence, or illusion. For example, you could learn a rebel’s wrath at the duke is driven by the death of a loved one, or that the king is under his vizier’s charm, or that the illusion conceals a pit trap.
You also gain a +2 feat bonus to Insight checks.
Some really good stuff here. I think that going with alternate versions of the base class features and builds is an excellent approach for our purposes.
Wisdom's Lore is a very interesting feature. It'd have to be playtested to ensure balance, particularly the bit where the Kakima can replace all the str buffs with wis buffs.
I think the 'Turn Untruthful' power ought to apply against stealthed opponents as well. It'll make the Hakima the anti-gnome, but I'm pretty comfortable with that.
Maybe Acumen could aid perception checks as well? There's a decent amount of Hakima abilities that apply to perception as well as the apply to insight.
