Ximenes088
First Post
One of the things I like best about 4e's new class design model is that it's so remarkably easy to reflavor. Simply by shuffling the fluff around in a class, I can turn out a huge range of concepts while still being confident that the combat balance is right. As something of a thought experiment, I decided to see if I could turn the Fighter into a psychokinetic combatant. The end result was something that was almost mechanically identical to the fighter, yet with a completely different flavor.
Axial Adept : Psionic Defender
The Axial Adept is a gifted channeler of psychokinetic force. By concentration and discipline, the adept is capable of surrounding himself with a shroud of razor-sharp kinetic force, a nimbus that both deflects attacks and serves as a weapon against those who draw too near. They shun conventional arms and armor, preferring instead to use their mind as shield and sword alike. In combat, they tend to remain perfectly motionless, suspended within the cocoon of their mental prowess, drifting slowly across the battlefield as they tear their enemies to pieces. While axial adepts may not be physically imposing, it takes a great deal of effort to break through their shroud nimbus.
Class Traits:
Starting HP, Healing Surges, and defense modifiers: As Fighter. Design note: Hit Points for the adept are represented almost entirely as their shroud armor. They tend to simply float there as people hack on it, concentrating on maintaining its integrity. Successful Reflex defenses simply represent the shroud deflecting rays or other precise impacts rather than bodily dodging.
Proficiencies: Shroud armor and shroud weapons only. Design note: Here, I'm subtracting conventional weapon and armor proficiencies as a balance to the Shroud abilities below. Note that the net result of this is minimal- fighters are almost never unarmed or unarmored unless they've been captured, and all the shroud weapon and armor does is let them fight effectively while unarmored and unarmed.
Trained skills: As Fighter
Class Features:
Shroud Armor: On character creation, pick one type of armor. With one minute's uninterrupted focus, the adept can sheath himself in a swirling cloud of telekinetic shards that lifts him several inches above the ground. These shards have the same properties as the armor type chosen. While so shrouded, the adept can telekinetically move at a movement rate normal for the armor type in question. No actual walking is necessary- most axial adepts remain perfectly motionless within their shrouds, drifting over the ground at a sedate pace while their shroud blades tear apart their enemies. The shroud can be damped to a low gleam or expanded to a torch-bright cloud of refractive colors. While the adept is suspended several inches above the ground, a solid surface is required for motion, and the adept is susceptible to all the usual effects of difficult or nonexistent terrain. The shroud can be unwoven with thirty seconds of concentration. This shroud armor gains +1 magical bonus per 4 full character levels.Design Notes: Functionally, this is completely identical to simply buying a suit of armor and wearing it, including finding new magical armor at appropriate 4-level intervals. You move at the same rate, suffer the same maneuverability penalties, and take about the same amount of time to put it on or take it off. It's simply a reskinning.
Shroud Weapons: On character creation, pick either a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon plus a shield. As a minor action, the adept may summon ragged shards of force that have the same weapon traits as the chosen option. If the shard is "thrown", it requires a minor action to reform it. Shroud weapons and shields gain +1 magical bonus per 4 levels. Damage done by shroud weapons counts as normal weapon damage.Design Notes: Pick a favored weapon or sword-and-board and stick with it. Again, this is functionally identical to simply carrying around a favorite weapon and trading it out for a magical version at the usual levels.
Shrouded Limbs: The adept can manipulate objects within arm's reach as if with his own hands, provided he has line of effect and remains motionless while he does so. The kinetic flux is highly sensitive, and any damaging effect that comes of manipulating objects is applied as if the adept was physically holding the objects. Design Notes: This is, unsurprisingly, completely the same as just reaching over and picking something up. The adept just happens to do this with his brain instead of his hands.
Combat Superiority: Getting too close to an axial adept is dangerous. When an enemy moves while adjacent to them, the adept can resonate with the kinetic forces of their movement and cause them to literally tear themselves apart. Affected victims become incapable of moving further that round. Design Notes: The usual Combat Superiority with a changed explanation for where the damage comes from.
Combat Challenge: When an adept hits a target, they briefly resonate with the flow of forces within them, and become capable of hindering their attacks through subtle modulations. Their powers of kinetic control are so advanced that even the most careful movement around them can result in self-destructive force harmonics- those who shift while adjacent to an adept suffer an opportunity attack.Design notes: The exact same Fighter ability, just reflavored.
Axial Adept Powers:
Cleave: As per Fighter, with the damage coming from a slash of the shroud weapon.
Tide of Iron: Focused psychokinetic burst knocking a victim back.
Brutal Strike: Duplicated shroud shards crashing into the victim.
Axial Adept : Psionic Defender
The Axial Adept is a gifted channeler of psychokinetic force. By concentration and discipline, the adept is capable of surrounding himself with a shroud of razor-sharp kinetic force, a nimbus that both deflects attacks and serves as a weapon against those who draw too near. They shun conventional arms and armor, preferring instead to use their mind as shield and sword alike. In combat, they tend to remain perfectly motionless, suspended within the cocoon of their mental prowess, drifting slowly across the battlefield as they tear their enemies to pieces. While axial adepts may not be physically imposing, it takes a great deal of effort to break through their shroud nimbus.
Class Traits:
Starting HP, Healing Surges, and defense modifiers: As Fighter. Design note: Hit Points for the adept are represented almost entirely as their shroud armor. They tend to simply float there as people hack on it, concentrating on maintaining its integrity. Successful Reflex defenses simply represent the shroud deflecting rays or other precise impacts rather than bodily dodging.
Proficiencies: Shroud armor and shroud weapons only. Design note: Here, I'm subtracting conventional weapon and armor proficiencies as a balance to the Shroud abilities below. Note that the net result of this is minimal- fighters are almost never unarmed or unarmored unless they've been captured, and all the shroud weapon and armor does is let them fight effectively while unarmored and unarmed.
Trained skills: As Fighter
Class Features:
Shroud Armor: On character creation, pick one type of armor. With one minute's uninterrupted focus, the adept can sheath himself in a swirling cloud of telekinetic shards that lifts him several inches above the ground. These shards have the same properties as the armor type chosen. While so shrouded, the adept can telekinetically move at a movement rate normal for the armor type in question. No actual walking is necessary- most axial adepts remain perfectly motionless within their shrouds, drifting over the ground at a sedate pace while their shroud blades tear apart their enemies. The shroud can be damped to a low gleam or expanded to a torch-bright cloud of refractive colors. While the adept is suspended several inches above the ground, a solid surface is required for motion, and the adept is susceptible to all the usual effects of difficult or nonexistent terrain. The shroud can be unwoven with thirty seconds of concentration. This shroud armor gains +1 magical bonus per 4 full character levels.Design Notes: Functionally, this is completely identical to simply buying a suit of armor and wearing it, including finding new magical armor at appropriate 4-level intervals. You move at the same rate, suffer the same maneuverability penalties, and take about the same amount of time to put it on or take it off. It's simply a reskinning.
Shroud Weapons: On character creation, pick either a two-handed weapon or a one-handed weapon plus a shield. As a minor action, the adept may summon ragged shards of force that have the same weapon traits as the chosen option. If the shard is "thrown", it requires a minor action to reform it. Shroud weapons and shields gain +1 magical bonus per 4 levels. Damage done by shroud weapons counts as normal weapon damage.Design Notes: Pick a favored weapon or sword-and-board and stick with it. Again, this is functionally identical to simply carrying around a favorite weapon and trading it out for a magical version at the usual levels.
Shrouded Limbs: The adept can manipulate objects within arm's reach as if with his own hands, provided he has line of effect and remains motionless while he does so. The kinetic flux is highly sensitive, and any damaging effect that comes of manipulating objects is applied as if the adept was physically holding the objects. Design Notes: This is, unsurprisingly, completely the same as just reaching over and picking something up. The adept just happens to do this with his brain instead of his hands.
Combat Superiority: Getting too close to an axial adept is dangerous. When an enemy moves while adjacent to them, the adept can resonate with the kinetic forces of their movement and cause them to literally tear themselves apart. Affected victims become incapable of moving further that round. Design Notes: The usual Combat Superiority with a changed explanation for where the damage comes from.
Combat Challenge: When an adept hits a target, they briefly resonate with the flow of forces within them, and become capable of hindering their attacks through subtle modulations. Their powers of kinetic control are so advanced that even the most careful movement around them can result in self-destructive force harmonics- those who shift while adjacent to an adept suffer an opportunity attack.Design notes: The exact same Fighter ability, just reflavored.
Axial Adept Powers:
Cleave: As per Fighter, with the damage coming from a slash of the shroud weapon.
Tide of Iron: Focused psychokinetic burst knocking a victim back.
Brutal Strike: Duplicated shroud shards crashing into the victim.
