Critique My Cleric Prestige Class

[cutup]

Hey All

I am trying to design a prestige class for my Cleric of Brandobaris (Planescape setting, Faerunian Deity). I have largely based the class on the Thamautaragist (sp?). The main thing I want in this class is full spellcasting progression and Evasion. I haven't given everything a flavorful name yet, this is purely a mechanical question. Let me know what you think.

Hand of Misadventure
Prereq: Ability to cast 7th level Divine Spells
Domains: Luck or Travel

HD: d4
Skills and Skill points: Same as cleric

Class     BAB       F      R       W        Special                                    Spells
Level 1    0         0      0       2        Fast Movement                  +1 Caster Level
Level 2    1         0      0       3        Endurance                         +1 Caster Level
Level 3    1         1      1       3        Spectral Hand 1/day            +1 Caster Level
Level 4    2         1      1       4        +1 on all Cha based skill Checks       +1 Caster Level
Level 5    2         1      1       4        Evasion                             +1 Caster Level

 

[smootrk]

Nice idea, but full caster progression leaves little room for another special feature at every level. I would be more inclined to having extra abilities at 1st, 3rd, and 5th level, than every level. With that, I would drop the CHA skill check thing, and possibly the Spectral Hand, and move the Endurance to Third level.

But that is just me, trying to think conservatively for balance. I can see the Travel connection in the abilities, but I don't see your connection to Luck (aside from Evasion). Maybe if you bring up some sort of Save Bonus based on Level to make that connection.

Soooo.... here is how I would break it up using the above suggestions.

1 Fast Movement & Luck of Brandbaris, +1CL
2 +1 CL
3 Endurance, +1 CL
4 +1 CL
5 Evasion, +1 CL

If you are looking for an alternative that includes the Spectral Hand, then I would swap that ability with the Endurance.

Anyway, just suggestions. Good Luck with your endeavor.

 

[Quartz]

Apart from the loss of spellcasting progression, what's wrong with taking two levels of Rogue and getting a Ring of Telekinesis?

 

[starwed]

If you want a full casting progression, and also extra abilities that the cleric does not get, you're going to have to sacrifice some other sort of power.

Either you can do this directly (the special abilities come at the cost of spell slots), or as is more commonly done with prestige classes, make the prerequisites something unoptimal.

In this case, making the Run feat a prerequisite would work well; it's something that's rarely taken, yet it seems to make sense for the concept.

 

[CRGreathouse]

Fast movement, evasion, and full caster level are all powerful. The class gives up only turning (well, and trades a point of Fort and Base Attack for a few extra points of Will) and gains a lot. I'd sooner add another cool ability to the class on 3rd level, take away caster level on 3, and change the good save to Ref (or perhaps saves as bard?) -- pay a little, but get more neat abilities.

 

[starwed]

Fast movement, evasion, and full caster level are all powerful.

Full caster level isn't an extra bonus to the class though; it's what you'd get as a normal cleric.

Evasion is the best ability granted (at no sooner than 18th level) and it isn't as good for clerics (who don't normally have good reflex saves) as it is for rogues. The rest are pretty insignificant at the power level you need to get into this class. I think simply introducing more meaninful prerequisites is better than cutting abilities. (I'm not quite sure how these rather disparate abilities all tie to Brandobaris, but I assume that better knowledge of the deity would make things clearer.)

 

[Quartz]

Full caster level isn't an extra bonus to the class though; it's what you'd get as a normal cleric.

That doesn't stop it being a powerful ability.

 

[szilard]

Prerequisites: should include some feats: Lightning reflexes? Run? Endurance (removing it as something you get)?


Fast Movement: What about making this cost a spell? As a swift action, the character can burn a spell and gain fast movement for a number of rounds equal to 2 x the spell level - or make it 1 round, but 10' per spell level...

- Stuart

 

[CRGreathouse]

Full caster level isn't an extra bonus to the class though; it's what you'd get as a normal cleric.

Just about anything other than full caster level is an extra bonus beyond what the normal cleric gets, though.

 

[Nifft]

Here's my thoughts:

Prereqs:
Feats: Endurance, Run
Skills: 8 ranks of any two: Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, Knowledge (Geography), Survival, Bluff
Spellcasting: Able to cast 3rd level Clerical spells

Benefits:
HD: d6
Saves: good Reflex, bad Will & Fort
Skills: 4 + Int / level -- Appraise, Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Climb, Escape Artist, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana, Geography, Local, Religion), Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Survival
Spellcasting: Full Cleric spellcasting

[u]
Level   BAB   F/R/W    Special Abilities [/u]
1       +0   +0/2/0    Skills of Brandobaris
2       +1   +0/3/0    Fast Movement
3       +1   +1/3/1    Insight of Brandobaris
4       +1   +1/4/1    Evasion

• Skills of Brandobaris (Ex): Your XXX levels stack with other class levels for the purpose of the following abilities. (Note that XXX does not grant these abilities in and of itself, it merely improves bonuses provided by other classes.)
  - Uncanny Dodge
  - Trap Sense
  - ... ?
• Fast Movement (Ex): While unencumbered and wearing or no light armor, you gain a +10 ft. bonus to your movement speed.
• Insight of Brandobaris (Su): You gain a +2 bonus to Bluff and Sense Motive checks.
• Evasion (Ex): As the Rogue class feature.

What it gives: evasion, fast movement.
What it secretly steals: heavy armor. mua-ha-ha!

Spectral hand? Just take a level of Heirophant for Reach Spell. (Clerics have a lot more touch spells... so their access to remote touching should be limited.)

Cheers, -- N