Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Khaalis" data-source="post: 1736756" data-attributes="member: 2167">Ok, replies…This is one I will have to think on and do some research on. Many PrC have 2 good saves, and do so over 10 levels rather than the 5 levels of this class. A 5 level boost of 2 saves is not that large a bonus in the end.  As I said I will have to compare more PrC’s (no books handy) and compare.Also note that as an example of a similarly designed PrC there is the Oriental Adventures’ Bladedancer.(I will post more on that once I have the book in front of me)1) Arcane spell advancement won’t be leaving the design, so it needs to be balanced with it in. The class is a gish (fighter/caster) and that is a core design concept so it wont be changing.2) Eye of the Storm: This ability is a variant of the “Karmic Strike” feat from Complete Warrior and “Deft Opportunist” feat from Miniature’s Handbook.  However, restricting it from just granting both full feats, even as virtual feats, by limiting how/when it can be used.Karmic Strike: Take a -4 penalty to AC to make AoO against melee opponent that hits you. (Has no added restriction on how many AoO you can make)Deft Opportunist: Gain +4 bonus on attack rolls during attacks of opportunity.Combined as is, this is a nasty combination that can be used at any time with only Combat Reflexes as a limit. However, we are trying to make the stormblade into a constant motion combat style. Thus these benefits are only gained when the stormblade moves in a round, and only AFTER that movement has taken place, and ONLY until their next turn.  It is further restricted by the no or light armor clause.We also removed the -4 AC penalty because the feat is designed to lower your AC to allow you to be hit more to trigger the feat’s “opponent that hits you” clause.  In our variant we wanted it based on those that miss, thus no need for the -4 AC.With that said, how is this?Eye of the Storm (Ex): At 5th level, the stormblade's movement in combat becomes more disorienting against those trying to target them in combat. If the stormblade takes a move action to move their full base speed in a round, they gain the ability to reposte against attacks made on them by their opponents, until the beginning of their next turn. Any opponents who attack them and miss with a melee or natural attack, provokes an attack of opportunity from the stormblade. The attack of opportunity is made with a +4 circumstance bonus to the attack roll. This benefit only applies in light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.3) “Require the caster to know at least 2 or 3 electical spells (for flavor)” We had not gotten quite that far, though originally we were looking for speed and movement oriented spells to require to personify Spring, but there are not many options other than expeditious retreat.  Possibly require expeditious retreat and shocking grasp.4) Fixed incidents of “unnamed” levels.5) Electrical Weapons: This is similar to the Bladedancer’s Enchant Weapon ability (more when I have the book in front of me).Thanks. I think the drop to a d6 HD to offset the arcane spell levels might work but since it only gains +2 levels of arcane caster out of 5 levels, I am not so convinced it is necessary, though it might fit better into the “round down” theory.That’s not a bad idea. Instead of 1/day and 1 minute duration per stormblade level, we might make the following change."The stormblade can temporarily imbue their blades with electric energy as a standard action once per day per stormblade level. To activate this power, the stormblade must sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot.  The lightning blade effect lasts for 1 minute per spell level of the spell sacrificed."Is that more balanced?  Or would simply allowing 3/day be more balanced?Here are the proposed changes:[size=+1]STORMBLADE[/size](Edited: Proposed Changes) Hit Die: d6REQUIREMENTSRace: Elf or Half-Elf (No bloodline or Spring bloodline)Base Attack Bonus: +4Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Perform (Dance) 2 ranks, Balance 2 ranks.Feats: Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Two Weapon Fighting.Spells: Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells.  Must be able to cast expeditious retreat and shocking grasp.CLASS SKILLSThe class skills of the stormblade are: Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Int) (Arcane, History, Nobility), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). Skill Points: 2+INT modifier[Code][b]    BaseClass    Attack        SAVESLevel    Bonus    Fort    Ref    Will    Special[/b]1    +0    +0    +2    +2    Storm Blade Style, Fast Movement +5’2    +1    +0    +3    +3    Lightning Blade, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class3    +2    +1    +3    +3    Fast Movement +10’, Rolling Thunder4    +3    +1    +4    +4    Blossom of Light, +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class5    +3    +1    +4    +4    Fast Movement +15’, Eye of the Storm, Improved Style[/code]CLASS FEATURESAll of the following are class features for the stormblade.Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The stormblade gains proficiency with the scimitar and sickle if they are not already proficient with those weapons, but do not gain any new proficiency with armor or shields.Spells per Day: At 2nd and 4th levels, the stormblade gains new spells per day as if they had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class they belonged to before taking levels in stormblade. They do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained, except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If they had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a stormbade, they must decide to which class they add the new level for the purpose of determining spells per day. Storm Blade Style: When wielding a scimitar in one hand and a sickle in the other, in the storm blade style, the stormblade may use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier on attack rolls. The stormblade also receives a +1 competence bonus on all attack rolls when wielding a scimitar in one hand and a sickle in the other.  Other normal penalties for Two-Weapon Fighting still apply. The benefits of the storm blade style apply only when the stormblade wears light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.Fast Movement (Ex): The stormblade gains an enhancement bonus to their speed, gaining an additional 5’ to their base land speed at 1st level and every odd stormblade level thereafter (for a total of +15’ at 5th level). This benefit applies only when wearing light or no armor and when carrying no more than a light load. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor or when carrying a medium or heavy load.Lightning Blades (Su): At 2nd level, the stormblade can temporarily imbue their blades with electric energy as a standard action once per day per stormblade level. To activate this power, the stormblade must sacrifice a prepared spell or spell slot.  The lightning blade effect lasts for 1 minute per spell level of the spell sacrificed. Once activated, the stormblade's weapons deal an additional +1d6 points of bonus electricity damage on a successful hit, acting just as the shock weapon enhancement. This ability only applies when the stormblade is wielding a scimitar in one hand and a sickle in the other and only when the stormblade wears light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.Rolling Thunder (Ex): At 3rd level when in combat, if the stormblade moves at least 5' during a round, they gain a +1 dodge bonus to their AC until their next turn.  However, if they move their full base land speed during a round, they gain a +4 dodge bonus to their AC until their next turn.  Any time the stormblade would lose their Dexterity bonus to AC, such as when caught flat-footed, they also lose this dodge bonus. The benefit of this ability applies only when the stormblade wears light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.Blossom of Light (Su): At 4th level, the stormblade's lightning blade ability improves to become the blossom of light. This ability remains a standard action usable once per day per stormblade level and lasts for 1 minute per spell level of the spell sacrificed to activate the power. Once activated, the stormblade's weapons deal an additional 1d6 points of bonus electricity damage on a successful hit, and also explodes with electricity upon striking a successful critical hit, dealing an additional +1d10 points of bonus electricity damage on any successful critical hit, acting as a shocking burst weapon enhancement. Subjects dealt a critical hit by a Blossom of Light weapon must also make a Fortitude save (DC 14+ the stormblade’s Intelligence bonus) or be blinded permanently.  This ability only applies when the stormblade is wielding a scimitar in one hand and a sickle in the other and only when the stormblade wears light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.  Eye of the Storm (Ex): At 5th level, the stormblade's movement in combat becomes more disorienting against those trying to target them in combat. If the stormblade takes a move action to move their full base speed in a round, they gain the ability to reposte against attacks made on them by their opponents, until the beginning of their next turn. Any opponents who attack them and miss with a melee or natural attack, provokes an attack of opportunity from the stormblade. The attack of opportunity is made with a +4 circumstance bonus to the attack roll. This benefit only applies in light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this ability when wearing medium or heavy armor.Improved Style: At 5th level, the stormblade improves their skill with the storm blade style. When wielding a scimitar in one hand and a sickle in the other, they are treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting Feat, even if they do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. As before, the benefits of the storm blade style apply only when the stormblade wears light or no armor. They lose all benefits of this combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor. Thoughts, comments?</blockquote>

Verification