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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Arkhandus" data-source="post: 1744529" data-attributes="member: 13966">A detailed and reasonable critiqueI'll give my advice and critique, but unlike other folks, I'll actually bother to give my measuring stick and reasoning.  Firstly, I judge the balance of classes on a modified Fighter with d12 HD, 4 + Int mod skill points per level, and a few extra class skills.  This is my yardstick for normal 20-level classes, something versatile in battle, tough, very proficient, and mildly useful outside of combat.  For prestige classes, I figure they should have the equivalent of another 2 skill points per level if 5 levels or less, or 4 more per level instead if greater than 5 levels, since 10-level prestige classes and such are move of an investment and commitment that define the character, and they (should, anyway) have serious but fair restrictions on entering/continuing the prestige class. Now, I'll break down Khaalis' original Storm Blade class down by level.  BTW, I have Oriental Adventures, Sword & Fist, etc. but not Complete Warrior, so I do have some context of what Khaalis was using as a baseline. Requirements: Somewhat tight, more or less similar to Arcane Archer requirements but a little different. Level 1: d8 HD, +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +2 Ref, +2 Will, 4 + Int mod SP, decent skill list with a moderate number of class skills, two proficiencies, Storm Blade Style, Rolling Thunder.  Good Ref save makes up for lack of modified Fighter's good Fort save.  Good Will save makes up for lack of modified Fighter's superior hit die.  Base attack, skill points, and class skills on par with modified Fighter's.  None of the modified Fighter's five non-weapon proficiencies, only one of the modified Fighter's Martial Weapon Proficiencies, only one part of the modified Fighter's general Simple Weapon Proficiency.  Short by about seven or eight proficiency feats, basically, made up for in part by Storm Blade Style (one pseudo-feat for +1 attack with both weapons, often to be less important because of two-weapon fighting, one psuedo-feat for a sort of weapon finesse, essentially like two bonus feats due to their restrictions) and Rolling Thunder (+1 dodge is like a bonus feat, since it will be active most of the time and the Dodge feat itself is rather weak with its limitation of 1 enemy per round, the extra +3 dodge when moving full speed is maybe two more feats in equivalency because of its restrictions and how it prevents the use of two-weapon fighting in the same round, while two-weapon fighting is important to the class).  Storm Blade lacks the extra 2 skill points at 1st-level in potency/versatility that I would expect of a 5-level prestige class.  It also lacks the bonus feat of choice for 1st-level that a Fighter would get.  Well-focused and useful, but a bit less potent than gaining 1st-level in the theoretical modified Fighter.  1st-level leaves the Storm Blade about 4 feats short in terms of power and versatility. Level 2: d8 HD, +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will, 4 + Int mod SP, decent skill list with a moderate number of class skills, +1 effective caster level with one arcane spellcasting class, Fast Movement, Lightning Blades.  Ref save boost makes up for lack of modified Fighter's Fort save boost.  Will save boost halfway makes up for lack of modified Fighter's superior hit die.  Base attack, skill points, and class skills on par with modified Fighter's.  Fast Movement bonus at 2nd-level is rather weak and, with its limitations, not as good as a feat where I'm concerned, so it just helps make up for the lack of a superior hit die.  Increased caster level and spells per day is about equivalent to one-and-a-half feats, as it will grant between 1 and 3 more spells per day with the chosen class (assuming a maximum character level of 20, a 5th-level Storm Blade, 3rd-level Ranger, 12th-level Sorcerer for example will have access to 7th-level spells at best, though they're more likely to have a balance of levels like SB 5/Rgr 8/Sor 7, so more likely to have spells of only 4th or 5th-level, which are likely equal to 1/2 a feat per spell per day, at most, considering certain factors, such as the usefulness of a 5th-level spell to a 20th-level character fighting CR 20 critters....).  Thus, the spellcasting boost at 2nd-level makes up for the bonus feat a Fighter would get to choose at 2nd-level, as well as making up for the 2 extra skill points (in equivalency) a 5-level prestige class should get at this level.  Lightning Blades grants the equivalent of an ability worth a +1 enhancement in equivalency, but to two weapons at a time, and it's more potent than the Magic Weapon spell but less so than 2nd-level spell for each weapon, so I figure each daily use of Lightning Blades to be equivalent to a 2nd-level spell (given the ability's limitations, short duration, etc.); the Storm Blade gains 2 uses at 2nd-level, so I consider it worthy of 2 feats then, +1 feat per additional Storm Blade level gained.  This makes up for 2 of the feats previously shortchanged on, leaving the 2nd-level Storm Blade about 2 feats weak in terms of overall power and versatility. Level 3: d8 HD, +1 BAB, +1 Fort, +0 Ref, +0 Will, 4 + Int mod SP, decent skill list with a moderate number of class skills, Fast Movement, Improved Style.  Fort save boost makes up for lack of modified Fighter's Ref save boost.  Base attack, skill points, and class skills on par with modified Fighter's.  Fast Movement bonus at 3rd-level makes up for the 2 extra skill points (in equivalency) a 5-level prestige class should get at this level.  Extra daily use of Lightning Blades at this level makes up for one of the feats shortchanged on previously.  Improved Style grants a virtual feat, so is slightly less potent than a regular bonus feat, halfway making up for the lack of a superior hit die.  The 3rd-level Storm Blade has nothing to make up for the +1 Will a Fighter would get at this level, nor anything to make up for the rest of the modified Fighter's superior hit die, so this is about equivalent to being 1 feat short.  This leaves the 3rd-level Storm Blade about 2 feats weak in terms of overall power and versatility. Level 4: d8 HD, +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +1 Ref, +1 Will, 4 + Int mod SP, decent skill list with a moderate number of class skills, +1 effective caster level with one arcane spellcasting class, Fast Movement, Blossom of Light.  Ref save boost makes up for lack of modified Fighter's Fort save boost.  Will save boost halfway makes up for the lack of a superior hit die.  Base attack, skill points, and class skills on par with modified Fighter's.  Fast Movement bonus at 4th-level makes up for the 2 extra skill points (in equivalency) a 5-level prestige class should get at this level.  Extra effective caster level is again equivalent to about 1-1/2 feats, so makes up for the rest of the inferior hit die and the bonus feat a Fighter would get to choose at this level.  Extra daily use of Lightning Blades at this level makes up for one of the feats shortchanged on previously.  Blossom of Light is an improvement to Lightning Blades, granting benefits of similar potency but without any increase in duration or uses per day, but Blossom of Light only works with critical hits, so is probably equivalent to half a feat per Storm Blade level, maybe a little better.  At 4th-level this is equivalent to at least 2 bonus feats.  This makes the 4th-level Storm Blade actually about 1 feat more powerful than it should be, in terms of overall power and versatility, but this is probably balanced out by the first 3 levels being just a bit weak. Level 5: d8 HD, +1 BAB, +0 Fort, +0 Ref, +0 Will, 4 + Int mod SP, decent skill list with a moderate number of class skills, Fast Movement, Eye of the Storm, Style Mastery.  Base saving throws, base attack, skill points, and class skills on par with modified Fighter's at this level.  Fast Movement bonus at 5th-level makes up for the 2 extra skill points (in equivalency) a 5-level prestige class should get at this level.  Extra daily use of Lightning Blades at this level makes up for the lack of a superior hit die, for the most part.  Blossom of Light benefits are equivalent to an extra half-feat or so at this level, making up for the inferior hit die and then some.  Eye of the Storm allows the Storm Blade to use one of their attacks of opportunity each time a foe misses them in melee, any round that the Storm Blade moves, which means practically every round.  It also grants a +1 or +4 bonus on the attack roll with these particular attacks of opportunity.  The AoO part is worth at least a feat, if not close to 2 feats, and the AoO attack bonus is likewise worth at least a feat.  Style Mastery grants another virtual feat, a bit weaker than a regular bonus feat.  This makes the 5th-level Storm Blade about 4 feats more powerful than it ought to be, in total, after considering that the class features up to 4th-level make up for the class' early weakness. Summary: In the end, I suggest you stretch the class out to a 7-level PrC, at least.  Give another effective caster level at 6th-level, move Style Mastery to 6th-level, and move Eye of the Storm to 7th-level.  Don't give any further improvements to Fast Movement at 6th and 7th-level.  Maybe remove the 5th-level improvement to Fast Movement as well, in which case you should keep Style Mastery at 5th-level.  This may balance the class out.  Also, Blossom of Light should probably only blind a foe for 1 minute on a successful critical hit, followed by being dazzled 1 minute after that (I mean, in addition to Blossom of Light counting as Shocking Burst; or does Shocking Burst in 3.5 do that blinding effect?  hrmm).</blockquote>

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