New Core Class: Changeling (long)

[Jeph]

Okay, I am designing a new core class for a friend's camapaign. Basically, the theme behind this class is take the druid's wild shape, and multiply it's kewlness and adaptability by about 10.

The basics:

HD: d8
Proficiencies: all simple weapons and light armor.
Skill Points / Level: 4 + int modifier per level.
Class Skills: Animal Empathy, Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Intuid Direction, Jump, Knowledge (nature, herbs, other related topics), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Speak Language (note: this is not a class skill when being used to learn humanoid languages, it is here for the changeling to learn stuff like Feline, Ursane, and Equine), Spot, Swim, Wilderness Lore.

Attack Bonus: As cleric
Fortitude: High
Reflex: High
Will: Low

Special:
1 Nature's Child, 3 Shift Point
2 5 Shift Points
3 7 Shift Points
4 Nature's Child, 10 Shift Points
5 12 Shift Points
6 14 Shift Points
7 Nature's Child, 17 Shift Points
8 19 Shift Points
9 21 Shift Points
10 Nature's Child, 24 Shift Points
11 26 Shift Points
12 28 Shift Points
13 Nature's Child, 31 Shift Points
14 33 Shift Points
15 35 Shift Points
16 Nature's Child, 38 Shift Points
17 40 Shift Points
18 42 Shift Points
19 Nature's Child, 45 Shift Points
20 47 Shift Points

Shift Points: The Changeling has an amazingly flexable ability to shapeshift into animals, beasts, and magical beasts. When he wants to shift, he must first have the required amount of shift points. A shift costs the desired form's HD in Shift Points, +1 per size category off from the changeling. Thus, a human shifting into a Medium Shark would cost 3 SP (3 HD), and a Halfling doing so would cost 4 SP (3 HD +1 size category off). If the desired form is a beast, multiply the SP cost by 1.5. Multiply the SP cost by 2 for Magical Beasts and Dragons. The Changeling may only shift into Animals, Vermin, Beasts, Magical Beasts, and Dragons.

When a Changeling shifts, keep their own base attack and save bonuses, hit points, feats, skills, and mental abilit scores, as well as any class benefits from the Shifter class. They have their speed(s), physical ability scores, size (face and reach), general appearance, Natural Armor, Damage Reduction, and natural weapons replaced by the creature they morph into. All wepons, armor, clothing, and other such items on the changeling's person at the time of shifting meld into their new form, apparent only as fur, feather, or whatever patterns. The character gains all feats, extraordinary abilities, and supernatural abilities that can be rationally explained by modern physics of their new form. (example: A dragon's breath is a result of stomach gasses, but a Blink Dog's Blink and Dimension Door abilities are obviously magical.)

A shift lasts for thirty minutes per level. When this duration is up, the Changeling must make a fortitued save DC 15 or return to their original form. If they succeed, they must make a Fortitude save (DC last save's +2) every ten minutes or return to their original form.

The Changeling regains their Shift Points after their full allotment of sleep (or Trance) for the day. If they only got a portion of their sleep, they only recieve the same portion of their SP. For instance, if an 11th level Changeling gets 6 hours of sleep, they will only have (26 x 3/4 = 19.75, round down) 19 SP until they get to rest for a full 8 hours.

Nature's Child: The changeling develops animal aspects that they can aquire without completely morphing into animal form. Some of these are constantly operative, some of them require Shift Points to use. they are all read in the following format:

Name
Duration:
SP cost:
Prerequisites (if aplicable):

--Description--

They are as follows:

Natural Weapon
Duration: 10 minutes / level
SP cost: 1 for 1d6, 2 for 1d8, 3 for 1d10, 4 for 1d12, 5 for 2d8, 6 for 3d6......
Prerequisites: Con 13+

You can morph an appropriate part of your body into a natural weapon by paying the given SP cost. All natural weapons have a size category 2 smaller than you, and deal the listed damage. Choose a specific type of natural wepon when taking this ability, you may only aquire that weapon. A few weapons have specific rules....
Horns: Horns cost 1 more SP to create, but deal double damage on a charge.
Rake: You get two rake attacks for the SP cost of one, but they may only be used if the target is Pinned.

Spike Volley
Duration: At Will
SP Cost: 1 per Spike
Prerequisites: Dex 13+

You may release 1 Spike per attack. You have the option of releasing extra spikes, but this counts as a full attack action, and each extra Spike incurs a -2 penalty to all attacks in the round. Additional spikes use your primary attack bonus. A Spike has a range increment of 50 feet, threatens a critical (x2) on a natural 20, and deals 1d6+your strength modifier in damage.

Trackless Step
Duration: Continuous
SP cost: none
Prerequisites: 4+ ranks in Wilderness Lore

As the Druid ability

Venom
Duration: ten minutes or until discharged
SP Cost: base 1, +1 for +2 DC, +1 for +1d6 ability damage
Prerequisites: Con 13+

Your body gains the ability to make a specifiec, custom poison. the poison has a base DC of 13, and deals 1d6 ability primary and secondary damage. Decide what type of poison you can make at the time of choosing this ability. For instance, a poison that deals 2d6 Str primary and 1d6 Con secondary damage, and has a DC of 17, would cost 5 SP every time the Changeling used it. Declare your body is manufacturing the poison and spend the cost; 5 rounds later, the poison is ready to be transmitted. (if you have a natural weapon attack that deals piercing or slashing damage, the poison is transmitted through it, otherwise, you must coat a weapon with it or something.) The poison wears off after 10 minutes or after it has been sucsesfully used once. You are immune to your own venom (and any venom exactly like it, if it exists).

Venom Immunity
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisites: Con 17+, Venom

You become immune to all poisons, natural or otherwize.

Nature's Synch
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisites: None

You gain a +2 bonus on all Listen, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks.

Animal Affinity
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisites: has had close contact with chosen animal for a long time.

Choose a specific animal or type of animal (such as sharks, birds, or felines.) When Shifting into this animal, the shift costs 3 less SP and you have 3 points to add on top of the form's average ability score.

Shifting Tallent
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisites: None

When shifting into a creature, the shift costs 2 less than usual (minimum 1).

Feat
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisite: As feat

You may gain any of the following feats, providing you already meet the prerequisites: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Critical (natural weapons only), Improved Unarmed Strike, Lightning Reflexes, Run, Toughness, Track, Weapon Finesse (natural weapons only), or Weapon Focus (natural weapons only), Multiattack, Flyby attack, or any of those other monster-specific feats that you could qualify for when morphed. Your GM may have other feats that you can take.

Natural Armor
Duration: Permanent
SP Cost: None
Prerequisites: Con 13+

You gain +1 natural armor

Nature's Fury
Duration: 3+Con modifier rounds
SP Cost: 2
Prerequisites: None

You gain the ability to Rage once per day. Doing so has all the same affects as a barbarian's rage, and costs 2 SP.

The following abilities may be taken more than once, their affects stacking:
Nature's Fury
Natural Armor
Nature's Synch

The following abilities may be taken more than once, their benefits not stacking, but the character choosing a different benefit each time:
Feat
Animal Affinity
Natural Weapon
Venom


Does anyone have questions? Comments? advice? a desire to tell the world that they actually READ this far? Post a reply, I want to hear from you.

-Jeph

 

[Corlon Lemur God]

hmmm

Sounds pretty good. It might be unbalanced but I can't tell until I actually try it out.

 

[Corlon Lemur God]

heres an idea

oh yeah, one thing I just thought of, in the venom special ability, some poisons don't have just ability damage, what about paralysis, sleep... death?

 

[Corlon]

wait, wait, its all wrong.

A lot of the nature's gifts kinda suck. Such as nature's synch, who would rather have that than spikes, venom, or awsome natural weapons. There should be more things such as size category changing, and why is natural weapon so restrictive. This guy can morph into many different animals, but he can't get more than one natural weapon per nature's gift?? cmon! and the prerequisites shouldn't have dex and stuff. I think most of the non-poison things should have wisdom for prerequisites (thats why rangers and druids use wisdom), and all the poison/poison immunity should have con as a prerequisite.

And wouldn't it be better if they couldn't morph everything into themselves, just mabye light clothes, and very small weapons.
And there should be a nature's gift something like this.

Meld Objects:
Duration: as long as in animal morph (for animal) or 10 minutes per level.
SP cost: As animal +2 or 1 per size category of melded object.
Prerequisites: Wis 15+ Con 15+, Changeling level 4+ or 7+
(not quite sure yet)
The Changeling can morph all objects on his person into his animal form when morphing into animals, beasts, and magical beasts. Or the changeling can choose to morph objects onto his person (great for stealing things).

I got a bunch more on the way...

 

[Jeph]

maybe Spike Volley should be changed to con, too.

everything that has to do with morphing part ofthe body has Con as a requirement becasue Con is how stable and strong your body is. Without the Con requirement, the morph could rupture vital nerves and arteries, or leave bloody scars. With the con prerequisite, the person's body can handle that type of partial transformation without damage.

Doesn't this make sense to you?

And, if you'l check, all the Psionic powers with similar affects are Psychometabolism, with the Constitution modifier.

-Jeph

 

[Corlon]

think abou this

well... you kind of have a point, but couldn't wisdom also be used so that you could morph without harming yourself. Mabye there should be a druid kind of changeling and a ranger kind of changeling. I think wisdom is better than constitution, mabye not for spikes or venom, but natural weapons don't really hurt you at all. The phsycic warrior may need constitution, but then again he isn't really what you would call an experienced shape shifter either. I still think it should be mainly wisdom.

On another note: I guess letting the changeling have all the natural weapons would be a bit unbalancing, but how about different parts of the body, such as head (which would give you horns and bite), or arms (tentacles and claws) or feet (claws and rake), etc.

you should also incorporate the points it takes for reach if you had tentacles (or possibly really long horns).

oh yeah, Jeph, I already typed up a prototype changeling, and robin and I are changing it around.

Movement of the Animals:
SP cost: base: 3(swim or burrow) 6(fly)
Duration: 10 minutes/level
Prerequisites: Wis 13+, having studied an animal with that movement type for a week or more.
Description: The changeling may get this type of speed. Base speed is (20ft. swim) (10ft. burrow soil) (40ft. average fly) By adding SP you can upgrade the speed, burrow power (soil to clay, clay to rock, rock to iron, things like this) and manuever ability.

 

[Jeph]

Really, I do think that Constitution is the right ability.

Good idea on Movement of Animals! but, how much does it cost to upgrade the speed, power, or manueverability?

And shouldn't you be able to get land at 2 sp (20) if you don't already have it, you know, for like an awakened shark or something?

And what if you already have the listed type of speed? maybe then you get a +10' bonus to it and +1 manueverability/power for the duration.

Yeah, I agree this one should be wisdom, for the studying part.\

Oh yeah, for paralysis, sleep......Death? poisons:

+3 sp for paralysis

+2 sp for sleep

+7 sp for death

and a bit of clarification to Natural Armor: the bonus applies both while in animal and natural form.

And a basic edit: the Changeling may end his morph voluntarily, with a Will check DC 15. This may be tried once per minute. If the check is failed thrice in five minute's time, the Changeling temporarily loses their sense of humanity. this doubles the morph's duration, but the Changeling forgets all about his human (or whatever) side and goes to run with his true companions. if the PC won't roleplay this well, change this rule.

Oh, and a little tidbit that makes the Changeling underpowered: What about damage reduction against his poor little unenhanced natural weapons. I have added an ability exactly the same as the monk's Ki Strike, except it applies only to natural weapons and is called Nature's Strike.

Special:
7 Nature's Strike +1
11 Nature's Strike +2
15 Nature's Strike +3
19 Nature's Strike +4

 

[Corlon]

I was thinking the same thing about nature's strike.

I was always thinking of how powerful the shift points could make them, but thats only for mabye one or two encounters.

With all this stuff how about 3 shift points per level, or 3332333233323332?

And a bit more nature's gifts? Add more prerequisites, but make it every other level or somethin, and not fort and ref, fort and will.

They should be a lot like druids, because what they sound like is specialized druids.

Curran was thinking pay the SP, and the duration for natural weapon lasts for the day on and off, i thought that was stupid, what do you think?

And about natural weapons, I think i've come up with a way for all of them to be special

Bite: Can inject the bulit up venom during the bite attack.
Bear Claw (or tiger paw, or whatever): The character gets the improved grab feat while using this weapon.
Wolverine (X-men) type claws: 18-20/X2 crit
Horns: Double damage on a charge
Rake: two attacks but must be pinned
Tentacles: Have 10ft. reach

If the nature's gifts were everyother level, then only one per natures gift would be neat.

Spikes: Should the spikes be aloud in animal for??
perfect assasin: rouge changeling in cockroach form, with venom on a spike... sneak attack, venom and spike damage, and who would suspect a cockroach, just have to be careful about being stepped on.

Some more natures gifts

Acid spit (like a spitting adder): Blinds people or does acid damage

Animals abilities (Bulls strenth, Cats grace, Camels Constitution, etc.
the character gets 1d4+1 of any ability (chosen when natures gift is gotten) this should have a fairly high SP cost.

I had one, what was it, grrr ah well, i'll think of it later.

 

[Jeph]

Yes, you're right: currin is WRONG!

good ideas, all of them, except for getting Nature's Chinld EVERY OTHER LEVEL!! that's just too much, now.

 

[Corlon]

Yeah but with only one natural weapon per nature's gift, and only 7 nature's gifts by 20th level, isn't that a bit underpowering the changeling? You're right about the every other level thing though.


SOMEONE ELSE TALK IN THIS FORUM, THERE ARE SO MANY VIEWS BUT NO REPLIES, LETS GET MORE THAN TWO PEOPLE CMON!!!!!!