Not sure if something like this is already out there, but was wondering if you cats could take a look at it and let me know if it's stupid, over-powered, under-powered, too similar to other classes, etc. The basic premise of the Avatar is that he may cast arcane spells without a chance for arcane failure due to armor/shields. This is balanced (I think) but a much slower spell progression table. Avatars learn spells more slowly than sorcs and cast fewer spells than wizards. They may not take familiars or have Domain spells, nor do they gain additional metamagic feats. Not sure how this formatting will work, but here goes nothing...
Core Class: Avatar
There are certain individuals, scattered throughout the wide lands of Ostia Prim, who have been touched by the gods. Each of these chosen few is known simply as an avatar, and he or she walks beneath the sun and moon knowing they are within an aura of divinity. Avatars are able to channel the power of their chosen god through themselves. Whereas a cleric is a vessel for his patron deity’s power, an avatar is a conduit from his god to the Material Plane.
Avatars are normally well-traveled individuals who spend equal amounts of time in urban and rural settings. Often, their personal magnetism and confident demeanor allow them to more easily influence people, though some folks label their certainty as arrogance. Avatars are generally comfortable with animals and nature and seem to revel in many mundane aspects of life upon the Material Plane.
Characteristics: An avatar is able to channel divine power through his or her body which is manifested as arcane might. Their magic is intuitive rather than logical, innate rather than learned. Avatars know fewer spells than wizards and cast fewer spells per day than sorcerers. Divine spells remain the exclusive property of priestly orders and as such are forever denied to avatars; avatars do not access to Domain spells. Avatars do not select and prepare spells ahead of time, nor may they specialize in certain schools of magic. Avatars may not have familiars.
Alignment: An avatar must be of the same alignment as his chosen deity. If ever he deviates from this alignment, he loses all spellcasting capabilities until such time as his alignment is once more identical.
Religion: An avatar is the nearest example of divine manifestation existent upon the Material Plane. They must have but one god, and once a deity has been designated the choice is irrevocable, binding, and may not be changed. An avatar who denies his deity, loses his faith, or changes heavenly allegiance loses all spellcasting capabilities until such time as his deity deems him fully repentant.
Background: Like the paladin, no person actively chooses to become an avatar. Rather the choice is made by an immortal who designates the avatar, often before his birth, to be her representative upon the Material Plane. Greater Gods may have dozens of avatars at any one time, yet many deities have but a handful, and some lesser gods have none.
Game Rule Information
Avatars have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Charisma increases the avatar’s ability to channel the power of his deity into arcane manifestation, while also allowing the avatar to capably represent the god when traveling among the creatures of Ostia Prim.
Alignment: Identical to chosen god.
Hit Die: 1d6.
Class Skills
The avatar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Scry (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the avatar.
Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Avatars are proficient with all simple weapons. Avatars are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried. Unlike other arcane caters, avatars suffer no chance of arcane spell failure when wearing armor or using a shield even if the spell in question has a somatic component.
Some deities have favored weapons, and avatars consider it a point of duty to wield them, though they are not required to do so.
Spells: An avatar casts arcane spells according the below table, but these spells – unlike arcane spells cast by wizards, bards, and sorcerers – are not subject to Arcane Failure. An avatar may cast any spell on the avatar spell list, provided he can cast spells of that level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an avatar’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the avatar’s Charisma modifier.
Avatars do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor prepare them through study. Avatars are limited to casting a certain number of spells of each level per day. An avatar, like a sorcerer, need not choose ahead of time which spells he will cast.
An avatar may use a higher level spell slot to cast a lower level spell.
To cast a spell an avatar must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level.
Bonus Languages: An avatar’s list of bonus languages includes Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal, in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of his race or origin.
Table 1-1: The Avatar
[Edit: BAB and Saves identical to Cleric table.]
Table 1-2: Spells per Day
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 3 - - - - - - - - -
2 4 1 - - - - - - - -
3 5 2 - - - - - - - -
4 6 3 - - - - - - - -
5 6 4 1 - - - - - - -
6 6 5 2 - - - - - - -
7 6 5 3 1 - - - - - -
8 6 5 4 2 - - - - - -
9 6 5 5 3 1 - - - - -
10 6 5 5 4 2 - - - - -
11 6 5 5 5 3 1 - - - -
12 6 5 5 5 4 2 - - - -
13 6 5 5 5 5 3 1 - - -
14 6 5 5 5 5 4 2 - - -
15 6 5 5 5 5 5 3 1 - -
16 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 - -
17 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 1 -
18 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 -
19 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 1
20 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2
Table 1-3: Avatar Spells Known
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 3 - - - - - - - - -
2 4 1* - - - - - - - -
3 4 2 - - - - - - - -
4 5 3 - - - - - - - -
5 5 3 1* - - - - - - -
6 6 4 2 - - - - - - -
7 6 4 2 1* - - - - - -
8 7 5 3 2 - - - - - -
9 7 5 3 2 1* - - - - -
10 8 5 4 3 2 - - - - -
11 8 5 4 3 2 1* - - - -
12 8 5 5 4 3 2 - - - -
13 8 5 5 4 3 2 1* - - -
14 8 5 5 4 4 3 2 - - -
15 8 5 5 4 4 3 2 1* - -
16 8 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 - -
17 8 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1* -
18 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 -
19 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 1*
20 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 2
* Provided the avatar has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.
Core Class: Avatar
There are certain individuals, scattered throughout the wide lands of Ostia Prim, who have been touched by the gods. Each of these chosen few is known simply as an avatar, and he or she walks beneath the sun and moon knowing they are within an aura of divinity. Avatars are able to channel the power of their chosen god through themselves. Whereas a cleric is a vessel for his patron deity’s power, an avatar is a conduit from his god to the Material Plane.
Avatars are normally well-traveled individuals who spend equal amounts of time in urban and rural settings. Often, their personal magnetism and confident demeanor allow them to more easily influence people, though some folks label their certainty as arrogance. Avatars are generally comfortable with animals and nature and seem to revel in many mundane aspects of life upon the Material Plane.
Characteristics: An avatar is able to channel divine power through his or her body which is manifested as arcane might. Their magic is intuitive rather than logical, innate rather than learned. Avatars know fewer spells than wizards and cast fewer spells per day than sorcerers. Divine spells remain the exclusive property of priestly orders and as such are forever denied to avatars; avatars do not access to Domain spells. Avatars do not select and prepare spells ahead of time, nor may they specialize in certain schools of magic. Avatars may not have familiars.
Alignment: An avatar must be of the same alignment as his chosen deity. If ever he deviates from this alignment, he loses all spellcasting capabilities until such time as his alignment is once more identical.
Religion: An avatar is the nearest example of divine manifestation existent upon the Material Plane. They must have but one god, and once a deity has been designated the choice is irrevocable, binding, and may not be changed. An avatar who denies his deity, loses his faith, or changes heavenly allegiance loses all spellcasting capabilities until such time as his deity deems him fully repentant.
Background: Like the paladin, no person actively chooses to become an avatar. Rather the choice is made by an immortal who designates the avatar, often before his birth, to be her representative upon the Material Plane. Greater Gods may have dozens of avatars at any one time, yet many deities have but a handful, and some lesser gods have none.
Game Rule Information
Avatars have the following game statistics:
Abilities: Charisma increases the avatar’s ability to channel the power of his deity into arcane manifestation, while also allowing the avatar to capably represent the god when traveling among the creatures of Ostia Prim.
Alignment: Identical to chosen god.
Hit Die: 1d6.
Class Skills
The avatar’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha), Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Perform (Cha), Ride (Dex), Scry (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the avatar.
Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Avatars are proficient with all simple weapons. Avatars are proficient with light armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried. Unlike other arcane caters, avatars suffer no chance of arcane spell failure when wearing armor or using a shield even if the spell in question has a somatic component.
Some deities have favored weapons, and avatars consider it a point of duty to wield them, though they are not required to do so.
Spells: An avatar casts arcane spells according the below table, but these spells – unlike arcane spells cast by wizards, bards, and sorcerers – are not subject to Arcane Failure. An avatar may cast any spell on the avatar spell list, provided he can cast spells of that level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an avatar’s spell is 10 + the spell’s level + the avatar’s Charisma modifier.
Avatars do not acquire their spells from books or scrolls, nor prepare them through study. Avatars are limited to casting a certain number of spells of each level per day. An avatar, like a sorcerer, need not choose ahead of time which spells he will cast.
An avatar may use a higher level spell slot to cast a lower level spell.
To cast a spell an avatar must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level.
Bonus Languages: An avatar’s list of bonus languages includes Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal, in addition to the bonus languages available to the character because of his race or origin.
Table 1-1: The Avatar
[Edit: BAB and Saves identical to Cleric table.]
Table 1-2: Spells per Day
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 3 - - - - - - - - -
2 4 1 - - - - - - - -
3 5 2 - - - - - - - -
4 6 3 - - - - - - - -
5 6 4 1 - - - - - - -
6 6 5 2 - - - - - - -
7 6 5 3 1 - - - - - -
8 6 5 4 2 - - - - - -
9 6 5 5 3 1 - - - - -
10 6 5 5 4 2 - - - - -
11 6 5 5 5 3 1 - - - -
12 6 5 5 5 4 2 - - - -
13 6 5 5 5 5 3 1 - - -
14 6 5 5 5 5 4 2 - - -
15 6 5 5 5 5 5 3 1 - -
16 6 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 - -
17 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 1 -
18 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2 -
19 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 3 1
20 6 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 4 2
Table 1-3: Avatar Spells Known
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
1 3 - - - - - - - - -
2 4 1* - - - - - - - -
3 4 2 - - - - - - - -
4 5 3 - - - - - - - -
5 5 3 1* - - - - - - -
6 6 4 2 - - - - - - -
7 6 4 2 1* - - - - - -
8 7 5 3 2 - - - - - -
9 7 5 3 2 1* - - - - -
10 8 5 4 3 2 - - - - -
11 8 5 4 3 2 1* - - - -
12 8 5 5 4 3 2 - - - -
13 8 5 5 4 3 2 1* - - -
14 8 5 5 4 4 3 2 - - -
15 8 5 5 4 4 3 2 1* - -
16 8 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 - -
17 8 5 5 4 4 4 3 2 1* -
18 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 -
19 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 3 2 1*
20 8 5 5 4 4 4 4 4 3 2
* Provided the avatar has sufficient Charisma to have a bonus spell of this level.
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