D&D 4E [Fan Creation WIP] Class; The Exorcist

[Lackofname]

So I've always had this class kicking around in the back of my mind, but couldn't get it out of my head today and decided to just throw some words at a page. My 4e books are in storage so all I had to go on was looking at a few Warlock powers as balance, so it looks rough.

The concept is a magic-focused ranged divine striker, a divine warlock if you will. I like the idea of the robe-wearing priest casting out demons and ghosts and otherwise having a contest of wills with one enemy. The class's focus is on single-target punishment. Some of it is direct damage, with a dash of controller debuffing--but rather than just throw the usual Immobilize/daze/ongoing, I like the idea of the Exorcist focusing on denying an enemy the use of abilities, resistances, etc (though only the daily does that, besides the Channel Divinity) or punishing the use of those abilities.

Mechanics wise, I'm stumped for class abilities beyond the obvious, and fleshing out more powers. There's the obvious "radiant (save as)" and "-2 to" toss around, but I'm looking to flesh them out to give that "The Power of x Compels you to stop the thing!" I can't think of the best way to phrase a power that makes an enemy stop an ongoing attack/effect on an ally (i.e. grabbed, ally on fire) but rather than give the ally a save, I sorta like the idea of making the enemy "drop" it. And while the Channel Divinity abilities are really corner case (they need to have x keyword AND y ability), I love the idea of the effect; wraiths et al forced into solidity is just such a cool thought.


Exorcist
Divine Striker

Pariah: Functions as warlock curse. If your Pariah is reduced to 0 hp, you or an ally within 5 squares gains HP equal to your wisdom bonus.

Armor of Faith: You add your Wisdom bonus to AC.

Channel Divinity: May use one per encounter

Radiant Purge
Encounter
Minor Action
Range: Close Blast 3
Target: Enemies in area
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: Any enemy of the undead, demon, devil, spirit or shadow keyword take 5 + Wis bonus Radiant damage and lose incorporeal, phasing, and any resistances until the end of their next turn.

Cleanse
Encounter
Minor Action
Range: Close burst 5
Target: 1 Ally
Effect: If an ally is suffering under an effect with the illusion, charm, mind control, psychic, or necrotic keyword, or is otherwise possessed in some way, they receive an instant saving throw with no penalty for for failure, and may use a healing surge.

Powers
The Guilty's Penance
At-Will
Standard Action
Range 5
Target: 1 Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: 1d8+Wis psychic damage and target's next saving throw receives a -2.

Brightening Star
At-Will
Standard Action
Range 10
Target: 1 Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Reflex
Hit: 1d8+Wis radiant damage, and the next ally to hit the target adds your Wisdom bonus in radiant damage to their attack.

Bind the Wicked
At-Will
Standard Action
Range 5
Target: 1 Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: 1d8+Wis Radiant damage. The first time the target attacks before your next turn, it takes your Wisdom bonus in Radiant damage.

Agony of Light
Encounter
Standard Action
Range 5
Target: 1 Creature
Attack Wisdom vs Reflex
Hit: 2d8+Wis radiant damage and target gains Vulnerability 5 radiant damage (save ends). Your Pariah takes radiant damage equal to your Wis bonus.

Kneel in Judgment
Encounter
Standard Action
Close Blast 3
Target: Enemies in area
Attack: Wisdom vs Reflex
Hit 1d10+Wis Psychic damage and pushed 2. If your Pariah is hit, they are knocked prone.

Shared Sacrifice
Encounter
Reaction
Trigger: When hit by an attack from an enemy that is not your Pariah.
Target: Your Pariah
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: Any damage and effects given by the triggering attack are also applied to your Pariah, as though they were the target of the attack.

Heretic's Brand
Level 1 Daily
Standard Action
Range 10
Target 1 creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: 2d8+Wis Radiant damage
Effect: Target is Branded, and can only use At-Will abilities (save ends).

Shining Cage of Purgatory
You create a binding circle around the target.
Daily * Reliable
Standard Action
Range: Area Burst 1 in 10
Target: 1 Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Reflex
Hit: 1d8+Wis radiant damage, and the target is in the Cage (save ends). As long as they remain in the effected square, they receive -2 to attacks and grant combat advantage. If they voluntarily leave the square, they take ongoing 5 radiant damage and are dazed (save ends both). The target is immune to forced movement.

Ward of Sanctuary
Level 2 Utility
Daily
Standard
Close Burst 7

Effect: For one hour, creatures outside the area cannot see or hear anyone inside the area. Any attack inside the area breaks the illusion.
Special: Undead are unaffected by the illusion but cannot enter the area.

Purifying Flame
Level 3 Encounter
Standard
Range Close blast 3
Target: Creatures in area
Attack: Wisdom vs Reflex
HIt: 2d6+Wis fire damage, and the target loses all resistances until their next turn (including against this attack). If your Pariah is hit, they take -2 to reflex defense until the end of their next turn.

Hammer of Conviction
Level 3 Encounter
Standard
Range 5
Attack: Wisdom vs Will
Hit: 2d8+Wis Psychic damage, and target receives -2 to Will defense (save ends). If your Pariah, they take additional psychic damage equal to your wis bonus and are slid 2.

Dousing Benediction
Level 5 Daily
Standard
Range 5
Target: 1 Creature
Attack: Wisdom vs Fortitude
HIt: 3d8+Wis Radiant damage.
Miss: Half damage
Effect: Any ability the target has that recharges or is renewed by some effect is considered expended. On the target's next recharge roll, they must roll twice and take the lowest result.

Sense Deception
Level 6 Utility
Encounter
Standard
Range Close Burst 5
Target: Creatures in area

Effect: For up to 5 minutes, this power allows any to make a perception check to notice the presence of any ongoing charm, illusion, psychic, or shapeshifting effect. This does not reveal the nature of any ongoing effect, or a shapeshifter's true form. In addition, this power grants a +5 to Insight checks to detect lies.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’d add “your Pariah take wis mod damage if they are hit by this power) to some of the non/less damaging powers.

I love the basic idea, and it’s much closer to what I’d want out of playing a priest than any D&D divine class I’ve seen.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Oh! Maybe an at-will that makes the next ally attack do extra radiant damage?

 

[Lackofname]

Oh! Maybe an at-will that makes the next ally attack do extra radiant damage?

Nice.

I was pondering a daily that would basically lock the two into a struggle of wills, where the Exorcist has to sustain a standard to make an attack, and if it continues, the target has to also hit the Exorcist with the same attack in order to do anything. That feels strong, but I want a way to capture that exact contest feel.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Nice.

I was pondering a daily that would basically lock the two into a struggle of wills, where the Exorcist has to sustain a standard to make an attack, and if it continues, the target has to also hit the Exorcist with the same attack in order to do anything. That feels strong, but I want a way to capture that exact contest feel.

That’s dope as hell, neighbor.

 

[Lackofname]

Added Brightening Star, Shared Sacrifice and Shining Cage of Purgatory.

Shared Sacrifice: I am really tempted to give this as a class ability, as it fits the theme so well, and they are lacking otherwise.

Shining Cage of Purgatory: I was thinking of making this a burst 3, so that multiple targets are in the cage, and would take damage and negatives if they left. But that raises the question of "What happens if you miss one target in the sarea" and "How long would the effect last" and "can allies step into the cage?" If not, then an enemy couldstand in the center of the area and hide from melee attackers, which isn't quite what I was going for.

 

[Lackofname]

So I added a bunch of stuff.

Balance notes

Purifying Flame/Hammer of Conviction: I had trouble deciding which would be the area effect and which would be the single target. Purifying Flame is sort of weaker against anything without resistances, but for both of these, I wanted powers that weakened defenses, to set up other attacks.

Dousing Benediction: This one really requires the target to have recharge powers, and that's a gamble when picking a daily, hence the decen tdamage/miss. Also, I'm not sure if there's a precise term for what I was trying to express about some enemies who have paired powers that work like "When you use power X, you can't use it again until you use power Y". In this case, Power X is considered used and thus needs Y to occur again. Maybe it would be easier if it was an Encounter power that simply didn't let the target use encounter powers until the end of their next turn.

Sense Deception: It would be easier if this was a Personal power, but I sort of was imagining this being like a Zone of Truth type ability that an Exorcist could use; it's giving others evidence, rather than just taking his word for it. I think the wording is ugly though.

 

[Garthanos]

Dousing Benediction does have a pretty high situational factor ... have you checked to see how many cases there are for it?

 

[Lackofname]

Dousing Benediction does have a pretty high situational factor ... have you checked to see how many cases there are for it?

Oh goodness no. All my 4e books are in storage more or less.

But if I recall, all dragons' breath weapons are on a recharge mechanic, and most solos have it as well.

 

[Garthanos]

This started me thinking again about the Confessor (from the Sword of Truth series) for some reason.