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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 3469098" data-attributes="member: 3051">CHAPTER 5: Advanced ClassesTerminology issue: "Prestige Classes" refers to mundane classes that base off of the Basic classes, and generally require a half-dozen Basic levels before entry, while the "Advanced Classes" are purely magical and require only a single Feat to enter.  I'm not going to list Prestige Classes, because no one's ever wanted one IMC; we designed the system such that most people went at least semi-mage, and the only guy who stayed purely mundane just mixed up the Basic Classes into a high-skill high-feat hodgepodge.There are three Advanced Classes, one for each magical style (Innate, Freeform, and Ritual).  All are only given up to class level 18, since that's the most a level 20 character can have (he needs at least 1 racial level and one basic level).  To go "Epic" in any class, you only need 10 class levels (but we've never actually worked out the Epic rules for these classes).We added two magic-related skills, Focus and Manifestation.  Focus effectively replaces Caster Level, and isn't tied to any stat.  Manifestation checks replace attack rolls and caster level checks on rays, opposed psionics, dispelling, etc., and is a CHA-based skill.  Each also has other minor effects on the magic classes, although it varies with each class.I'll put one Advanced Class per post.MutantThe Innate magical class, mostly CHA-based.  Think X-men.  Mechanics inspired by 4 Colors to Fantasy's "Hero" class, among others.  In D&D terms, cross a Barbarian, Monk, Dragon Disciple, and Psychic Warrior.Prerequisite: Affinity(Innate)BAB +1/2, d6 HD, no good saves, 4+INT skill pointsAdditional Class Skills: Autohypnosis, Focus, Manifestation, Stabilize Self, Use Magic Device.Armor: Light, ShieldsNWP at 1; (MWP OR Talent) at 7 and 13At 5th, 11th, and 17th levels the Mutant may select a Bonus Feat; this can be any Psionic Feat, Mutant-specific Feat, or Feat from his Primary basic class.  The Mutant can also select Psionic Feats with his general Feat slots.  Mutants gain Psionic Focus (as per the XPH) and are considered to be inherently magical, although they can't be dispelled and retain all abilities in an anti-magic zone (other than Spell-Like Abilities).At class levels 1-6, each Mutant gains 6 Mutant Points (MPs) per level.  From 7-12 he gains 7, and from 13 on he gains 8; a level 18 character will have 126 MPs.  These can be spent on abilities which fall into two categories: Bioenhancements (permanent ability boosts) and at-will Spell-Like Abilities.  No single power may cost more points than your Focus skill rank, and you can't have a number of distinct powers higher than your Manifestation skill rank.  (These tend to keep it all balanced.)We've got a LONG list of what abilities you can get and what they cost.  Here's a short list:For 2 MP, you can increase any one stat or save by +1, or add 1 point of Deflection or Natural Armor AC.  You could also boost BAB by +1, but only to a max of (BAB=character level)For 1 MP, you can also increase initiative by 1, add 2 ranks to a class skill or 1 to a cross-class skill, or add 3 HP.  Skills still cap at the usual amount, and the base HP can't be boosted above (10*level) this way.Adding x2 low-light vision costs 2 MPs, and increasing it by x1 adds 1 MP, and you can do this as many times as you want.  Likewise, Darkvision 30' costs 4 MPs, and adding each +30' costs 2 more.2 points of damage reduction costs 2 MPs for 1/magic, 3 for silver or cold iron, 4 for adamantium, 5 for 2/-, and 6 for Hardness 2.  You can only have one kind of DR from Bioenhancement (although you can pick up other kinds from spells, racial abilities, etc., in which case they all stack).+5' land speed costs 2 MPs, adding gills costs 3 MPs, a swim speed of (land /2) costs 2, while a swim speed equal to your land speed costs 4.  A climb speed of (land/2) also costs 2.A 30' speed for winged flight with Clumsy maneuvering costs 5.  Each +10' costs another 2, each maneuver class costs another 4.  If you want wingless flight, get fly as a spell-like ability and hope no one dispels you.A basic natural attack (1d4 damage of slashing/bludgeoning/piercing) costs 2 MPs.  Each increase in die size costs another 2, if you want to be able to deal Subdual without penalty it's another 2, if the weapon is retractable or concealable it's another 2.  If you want it magical, it's +4 per Market Price modifier.  And if you want dual attacks (like claws), it's 150% of the single-attack cost.Fast Healing of 1 HP per minute costs 4; for an additional 3 this increases to 1 HP per round, and each additional 3 increases this by another 1 (so Fast Healing 4 costs 4 + 3*4 = 16).If your race already has these abilities, you can improve them in the same way.  (A Darkvision race extending the range, a winged race getting better flight, a race with claw attacks making them stronger.)  It's actually very cost-effective to do so.Spell-Like Abilities are a bit different.  They're actually spells, but can be used at will, can't be interrupted, don't draw AoOs, and don't use components.  (It's closer to the Warlock invocations than anything else).  Spells that require expensive components or XP can't be turned into SLAs.  However, all SLAs have a flashy Display when activated.The cost of an SLA is N * (spell level + 1) MPs.  The value of N depends on the type of spell and some options:Basic Elements are N=3, Advanced Elements are N=4, Astral or Psionic magic are N=5, Time magic is N=6.  (The ability to cast fireballs at will would require 12 MPs.)If the SLA can trigger involuntarily, subtract 1 from N; the character can usually find an item that keeps this from happening (Cyclops' visor, Rogue's gloves, etc.), but wearing or removing the item requires a Full-Round Action.If the SLA has no displays, add 1 to N.  For some SLAs this would be pointless, but for others (especially psionic stuff) it can make a huge difference."Proc" SLAs activate whenever a successful melee attack is made; no saving throw or separate attack roll is needed (but the spell doesn't gain any benefits from Focus skill or caster level, which tends to keep it weaker).  An SLA that can only be used as a Proc costs the same as one that can only be used the normal way, but if you increase N by 2 you can choose to use it EITHER way.You can use metamagic on non-Proc SLAs.  Using a level N metaform simply disables the spell-like ability for the following 1dN rounds (so Empowering your blast would disable it for 1d2 rounds).  If you use multiple metaforms at once, add their levels (so Still, Silent is also 1d2, not 1d1+1d1).  All level 2 Mutants get the "Quicken I" metaform for free (which simply reduces Full-Round Action spells to a Standard Action, nothing more).At 3rd level, a Mutant gains the ability to enter a short-duration "Trance" for extra benefits.  (i.e., Barbarian Rage, but with no downsides and weaker benefits.).  He can enter the Trance as a Free Action, once per day (plus one additional activation per 6 class levels), and the Trance lasts 3 rounds plus his Innate CHA modifier (Innate means no benefit for +CHA items or spells, and if the Trance boosts CHA it doesn't effect duration).The Trance is made up of Bioenhancement (not SLA) abilities with a total cost equal to his Innate CHA.  (That is, a CHA of 18 gives you 18 extra MPs to play with).  These abilities can exceed any of the usual level-dependent caps (like if you want a REALLY high BAB), including the Focus and Manifestation limits.  You decide what abilities make up the Trance every time your CHA changes, and the only way to remove an ability from your Trance would be to take that ability with your general MPs, in which case you select new abilities with the same cost for the Trance.In general, the Mutant class ends up being for those people who want to be fighter-type characters but still be magical.</blockquote>

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