DominusMegadeus's page

I'm gonna cut right to the point here, and then explain my case. I want to make a full BAB class with Wildshape at 1st level.

My argument for this being okay:

Druids are not exactly balanced, but we're accepting the fact that they exist in the game and people play them without serious issues, yes? They have 3/4ths BAB, Wild Shape, an animal companion and 9 levels of spellcasting. I'm willing to give up:

9th Level Spellcasting and a Full Progression Animal Companion

For:

Full BAB and at will Wild Shape at some point before 20.

That 'at will', I know it sounds scary. Wildshape isn't just a stat boost or a pounce generator. It has the utility of swim speeds, flight, burrowing, earthglide, size changing, stealth mods, the list goes on. I figure that's probably not okay all day at 1st level. Even more so if it means people can dip one level and cause the same problems with another class. Any ideas on a level it would be balanced at? What sort of progression would be good if he's getting it 3 levels before Druids?

The basic idea is a martial class that is obviously magical (turning into giraffes and s*%&) and versatile (see my wildshape utility list) without actually casting any spells. No access to scrolls or wands or such, but still able to solve generally magical problems most of the day, and all day eventually.

Saves and HD are on the table, but I expect this to be a frontliner, so there is a bare minimum required. d8? d10? Reflex and Fort sounds fine.
Skills, I'm willing to concede to even the lowest point. If I have to put up with 2 + int, I will, but I think 4 + Int is justified for all non-caster classes.

Is the idea balanced? If not, why not? How do we balance it? Thanks for your help in advance.

School transmutation; Level alchemist 6, magus 6, sorcerer/wizard 6, witch 6; Bloodline abyssal 6, boreal 6

CASTING
Casting Time 1 standard action
Components V, S, M (a potion of bull's strength, which you drink and whose effects are subsumed by the spell effects)

EFFECT
Range personal
Target you
Duration 1 round/level

DESCRIPTION
You become a fighting machine - stronger, tougher, faster, and more skilled in combat. Your mindset changes so that you relish combat and you can't cast spells, even from magic items.

You gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution, a +4 natural armor bonus to AC, a +5 competence bonus on Fortitude saves, and proficiency with all simple and martial weapons. Your base attack bonus equals your character level (which may give you multiple attacks).

You lose your spellcasting ability, including your ability to use spell activation or spell completion magic items, just as if the spells were no longer on your class list.

When 6th level spells give you stuff like Beast Shape IV, Elemental Body III, Form of the Dragon I, Monstrous Physique IV and Undead Anatomy III, it's hard to justify ever using this for any reason. Especially since you can take Eschew Materials and then cast while in Dragon Form. Even if you get full BAB for 1/round per level, you're not likely going to have any combat feats or the stats to frontline and if you do, it's at the expense of being a good wizard the other 99% of the time. This a last resort, except you can do better with other spells if you want to melee.

If you are a specialized Transmuter who has the stats to fight while polymorphed better... then Form of the Dragon I, Monstrous Physique IV and Beast Shape IV are still much better options.

Besides the lack of special abilities that monster forms give, the inability to use spell activation/completion items stings. Giving up spellcasting is just too high a cost for what you get back.

I was thinking about it, and while it's totally mad science in PF, alchemy is still just bizarre, fantasy chemistry. Shouldn't all the Alchemist's class abilities be (Ex)? Obviously making them immune to dispel magic and all that is kind of unbalancing when people seem to agree the Alchemist is a bit powerful already.

I just think it'd make more sense to me that all their stuff was purely chemical reactions and separate from magic. A personal gripe/nitpick that I thought I'd share. It'd make extracts and mutagens not working for anyone but the Alchemist even more weird, admittedly. I just don't think it's right that steroids and bombs cease to function in an Antimagic Field.

Pharasma, The Lady of Graves, hates undead with a passion. It's one of her defining features as the goddess of birth and death.

The Souls subdomain that she grants her clerics has animate dead as a domain spell.

See the disconnect?

Do you guys know of any other domain powers that are so diametrically opposed to the deities that grant them?

I feel like it's a bit of a waste that these spells have no effect on Plant creatures. They could be analogous to Enlarge and Reduce Person for them. Now, I know Plant creatures are not very popular or prominent in almost any campaign, but I like the playable Ghoran, and I'm sure someone else somewhere out there does too.

Would these spells operating like the equivalent humanoid versions for plant types break anything, or is this a harmless change to the spell?

I mostly love the variation and adaptability of a Bard. They're the prototypical face, useful and strong to boot.

The problem I have is that no archetype exists that gets rid of spells. I'm not saying Bard Spells are bad or anything, but sometimes I want the performance aspect without also being a sorcerer for no reason.

Rather than spells, Masterpieces should be the bread and butter of this Bard. They should be the quasi-magical avenue that this bard focuses their power into. You can trade out spells known for them, but sadly for all their flavor and potential, they are mostly a waste of good performance rounds, and you're still left with the abilities and penalties of being a spellcaster.

What I'm asking is what archetype could be formed without spells? Could a theoretical 'Maestro' reduce Masterpiece bardic performance costs or something? As much as I want to trade out spellcasting, it's hard to find something as a suitable replacement without rewriting Masterpieces entirely.

Monk: Reduce the Hardness of any object made of clay, stone, or metal by 1 whenever the object is struck by the monk's unarmed strike (minimum of 0).

As far as I can tell, this lasts forever and has no save or ability to negate besides not being hit.

You could lightly tap a castle wall until it's jelly and then knock it down. Any adamantine structure or door is just a few rounds away from wooden.

Am I the only who finds this hilarious and exploitative? Dwarves even make decent Monks from the stat bonus they get.