| 4 people marked this as a favorite. |
This is my attempt to make a powered armor base class; I know it's a pretty commonly attempted class for people to make, but I've never been too satisfied with the ones I've seen before. I wanted to make it something that you could come in and have a TON of options with which to customize your armor.
I JUST finished it, so I'm not going to claim that it's completely finished. I'm pretty unsure about some of the numbers involved, so I'd like people to come in and look at it, rip it apart. (Also, I'm not completely sold on the name, but it's the best I have at the moment)
Have at it!
First thought: too many dead levels!
Second thought: I'll read this tomorrow!
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I like the concepts...
And there's too many dead levels...
Okay, I DID just change the progression for Upgrade right before uploading it, from every 2 levels to every 4 levels... I maybe should not have second-guessed myself. Maybe every 3 levels would be better? I just worry about it being the same progression as alchemist discoveries.
Awesome Concept. I really like the class.
I think he'd need something more. All full Bab-martials have got some kind of numerical bonus(Rage, Weapon Training, Smite) to push their attacks further.
Also some of the awesome abilities like Powered Hammer should kick in earlier IMO. Shure it's quite strong, but it is also really depressing if one wants to play a Hammer wearing Amourer and has to wait till lvl 10 to get his concept work.
Awesome Concept. I really like the class.
I think he'd need something more. All full Bab-martials have got some kind of numerical bonus(Rage, Weapon Training, Smite) to push their attacks further.
Also some of the awesome abilities like Powered Hammer should kick in earlier IMO. Shure it's quite strong, but it is also really depressing if one wants to play a Hammer wearing Amourer and has to wait till lvl 10 to get his concept work.
Fair enough! Maybe those dead levels can be filled with some sort of increasing bonus to something or other.
seems pretty weak on it's own
however, if you have a cohort who is one of these, handing off this armor to say a caster giving it the casting armor upgrade.... then it suddenly makes the caster much stronger
That... brings up a good point, doesn't it. Nowhere do I specify that the armor only works for the armorer. Definitely not how I intended it.
I've added some very basic abilities to both help round out the table and his basic combat capabilities. I've also put in a clause about the bonded armor only working for the armorer.
There. I've changed it up so that the armorer actually has something interesting to do at first level. :P
Made a few more changes. Trying desperately to get some more flavorful names for the powers he has.
Just bumping this so it gets more eyes on it; I'm very curious what the general consensus is (and am always looking for feedback).
I went ahead and added the two feats that are kinda needed to make a pure armorer viable
Interesting. I had a few concerns.
Skills: I see the list has been streamlined to represent one who builds mundane and magical things. Why did you close not to include and physical skills? Almost every full-BAB, armored character has some.
Bonded Armor/Energy Source: I would combine these into a single class feature, as neither one of them does anything by itself.
Energy Boost: This class supposedly defense based, but your 1st level ability is offensive. Why did you choose that?
Finally: I think that with minimal work, and minimal sacrifice of your vision, this class could be transformed into one that bonds with a single armor or weapon, instead of just armor.
This is a pretty neat class. I wonder out loud if Forbidden still checks it. I think the level 1 ability might be too good later on as it levels up. If we think about level 10, then I think we can maybe expect a pool of 7 or 8 power points. Let us say a fight lasts three or four rounds. So for two fights a day, our man here is running at a +6 to attack rolls and damage, making him more accurate than any other class in the game and probably more damaging too.
I don't think that would be the end of the world (since it is only two fights) but some of the recharge requirements are too easy, perhaps. An hour of down time buys the clockwork suit an additional 6 points so that 10th level character can expect to go super saiyan for around 4 fights a day when he can get an hour of down time. And probably 5 fights with 2 hours of expected down time.
Redline extends this problem much further however. With Redline, you can essentially operate indefinitely with a good healing source.
I say that this combination of class abilities is 2 legit. By level 20, this class is the uncontested golden god of combat.
Minimum solution:
Step down the attack and damage bonus. Have every increase past level 1 only confer an additional +1 (so the total bonuses cap out at +6 which still may be too good; the barbarian attack bonus pretty much only gets up to +3 w/ +6 str).
A lot of these armor upgrades are too good too. Powered melee--for instance--is bananas. It is like the Magus but better and for a full BAB class.
This is a pretty neat class. I wonder out loud if Forbidden still checks it.
I do indeed!
You make a lot of solid points re: high level play. I was way more worried about making the armored viable in the early game when I made energy boost go up by 2. I will absolutely consider your suggestions.
This is why I like opening things up like this, though. I just don't have enough experience with super high level to make the same judgment as I can at early levels. Thank you!
Yeah, I went and took your advice. I changed Energy Boost to increase by +1 instead of +2, and I also made Redline deal a little more damage as you level, since 10 points of damage is just a silly amount to heal at a certain point.
All sounds like good moves to me.
I think redline is a tough nut to crack when it comes to pinning down the damage it should do. Maybe it should do character level in damage and then the extra points afterwards should upgrade it? Regardless, I think you are pretty close to where it needs to be.
I perhaps worry that--with a monk robe--this class eventually out-monks the monk if he takes the twf chain of feats and takes the power fists.
Excaliburproxy, you named powered melee and powered fists as problem upgrades. Any others stick out?
Automated reload might still end up being a problem eventually if only due to dual wielding double barreled pistols.
Powered hammer is also potentially pretty nuts with the right caster buffing you.
I am trying to decide how good injection points is. I am going to say it is fine but does that operate with alchemist infusions? A party built around that synergy might be too good.
On the too weak side:
Storage space is really weird and makes no sense. For a strength build, this is less than worthless. It is a hindrance. For a dex build, does this ability help the armorer carry his own armor somehow? I don't understand that. This upgrade could probably stand to be a bag-of-holding like space that scales up in the amount of weight and volume it can carry as you level.