Ah, the shadowdancer. A class I've always drooled over when it comes to flavor, but have always been let down by the mechanics that back it all up. I've been doing a lot of thinking about this lately and decided to give it a bit of a make-over. Below I have provided to you the results. I'd love any feedback you may have, but keep in mind that I'd like it to be constructive.
That is, if you have any comments about how well you think something may or may not work or any questions about some of my decisions, those are the sorts of things I like.
Thanks!
Shadowdancer:
SHADOWDANCER
Civilized folk have always feared the night, barring themselves behind doors or comforting themselves with bonfires when the shadows grow long, rightfully wary of the creatures that prowl the darkness. Yet long ago, some learned that the best way to conquer an enemy is to embrace it. These were the first shadowdancers.
Shadowdancers exist in the boundary between light and darkness, where they weave together the shadows to become half-seen artists of deception. Unbound by any specified morality or traditional code, shadowdancers encompass a wide variety of adventuring types who have seen the value of the dark. Spellcasters use their abilities to safely cast spells from hiding and then move quickly away, while classes devoted to hand-to-hand combat enjoy the ability to attack foes with the element of surprise. Some even take the name of their kind quite literally, becoming eerie and mysterious performers and dancers, though more often the temptation presented by their talents with deception and infiltration causes shadowdancers to turn to lives of thievery.
Role: Shadowdancers adventure for a wide variety of reasons. Many adventuring parties find shadowdancers valuable members of their teams due to their incredible stealth and ability to surprise enemies with lightning-quick attacks where they're least expected. For this reason, their services are often sought out by those groups in need of scouts or spies.
Alignment: Because of their nature as visually duplicitous tricksters, shadowdancers do not fit comfortably into the lawful category, as many use their talents to avoid the eyes of legitimate authority. Yet though they are allies of darkness, shadowdancers are neither inherently evil nor predisposed to good. To them, the darkness is simply the darkness, without any of the usual moral connotations made by the unenlightened.
Hit Die: d8.
Base Attack Progression: Medium
Fortitude Progression: Poor
Reflex Progression: Good
Will Progression: Good
Requirements
To qualify to become a shadowdancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Stealth 5 ranks, Perform (dance) 5 ranks.
Feats: Dodge, Mobility.
Class Skills
The shadowdancer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex),Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are features of the shadowdancer prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Shadowdancers are proficient with the club, crossbow (hand, light, or heavy), dagger (any type), dart, mace, morningstar, quarterstaff, rapier, sap, shortbow (normal and composite), and short sword. Shadowdancers are proficient with light armor but not with shields.
Darkvision (Ex): A shadowdancer gains darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If she already has darkvision, the range increases by 30 feet.
Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 at 1st level and every three levels thereafter (4th, 7th, and 10th). If a shadowdancer gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the bonuses on damage stack.
Shadow Jump (Su): A shadowdancer can teleport to a nearby space as a move action as if using dimension door provided both the starting and ending locations are areas of dim light (her own shadow does not count as an area of dim light). The shadowdancer may still take actions after this movement. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. The shadowdancer must be able to see the space she is moving into. The shadowdancer may not take other creatures with her when she uses this ability. The shadowdancer may move 5 feet for every class level she possesses each time she uses this ability. The shadowdancer may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + her charisma modifier. At 5th level, the shadowdancer may use this ability as a swift action.
Dancing Shadow (Ex): A shadowdancer adds half her class level (minimum 1) on all stealth and perform (dance) checks and may make perform (dance) checks in place of acrobatics checks.
Shadow’s Grace (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, a shadowdancer may make a perform (dance) check to replace a saving throw or her AC as an immediate action, even after the results of her original saving throw or the enemy’s attack roll have been revealed. She may use this ability once per day at second level and an additional time per day every four levels thereafter (for a maximum of three times per day at 10th level).
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level, a shadowdancer gains evasion. If exposed to any effect that normally allows her to attempt a Reflex saving throw for half damage, she takes no damage with a successful saving throw. The evasion ability can only be used if the shadowdancer is wearing light armor or no armor.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 2nd level, a shadowdancer cannot be caught flat-footed, even if the attacker is invisible. He still loses her Dexterity bonus to ACif immobilized. An shadowdancer with this ability can still lose his Dexterity bonus to AC if an opponent successfully uses the feint action against him.
If a shadowdancer already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Hide in Plain Sight (Su): At 3rd level, a shadowdancer can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. As long as she is within 10 feet of an area of dim light, a shadowdancer can hide herself from view in the open without anything to actually hide behind. She cannot, however, hide in her own shadow.
Shadow Illusion (Sp): When a shadowdancer reaches 3rd level, she can create visual illusions. This ability functions as silent image, using the shadowdancer's level as the caster level. A shadowdancer can use this ability once per day for every two shadowdancer levels she has attained. The DC for this ability is equal to ½ the shadowdancer’s class level + her charisma modifier.
Rogue Talent: At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, a shadowdancer gains a special ability that allows her to confound her foes. This functions as the rogue talent class feature. A shadowdancer cannot select an individual talent more than once. If a shadowdancer has the advanced talents rogue class feature, she can chose from the advanced talents list instead.
Shadow Call (Sp): At 4th level, a shadowdancer can create creatures and effects out of raw shadow. This ability functions as shadow conjuration, using the shadowdancer's level as the caster level. A shadowdancer can use this ability once per day at 4th level, plus one additional time per day for every two levels attained beyond 4th (2/day at 6th level, 3/day at 8th level, and 4/day at 10th level). Upon reaching 10th level, this ability functions as greater shadow conjuration. The DC for this ability is Charisma-based.
Shadow Dancing: At 4th level, a shadowdancer gains the ability to use bardic performances as if her bard level were equal to her class level–3. Levels in this ability stack with levels in any other class that grants a similar ability to determine her bard level. The shadowdancer also gains one additional performance type.
Inspire Cowardice (Su): A shadowdancer can use her performance to inspire fear in her enemies, deteriorating their will and weakening their morale. To be affected, an enemy must be within 30 feet of the shadowdancer and be aware of the shadowdancer’s presence but not necessarily be able to see her. An affected enemy takes a -1 penalty on saving throws against fear and figment illusions, attack rolls, and damage rolls. This penalty increases by -1 when the shadowdancer reaches an effective bard level of 5 and every 6 levels thereafter, to a maximum of -4 at 17th level. Inspire Cowardice is a mind-affecting ability. Inspire Cowardice can only use visual components.
Defensive Roll (Ex): Starting at 5th level, once per day, a shadowdancer can attempt to avoid a lethal blow. This functions as the rogue's advanced talent of the same name.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level and higher, shadowdancer can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attackthe assassin by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has assassin levels.
If a character already has uncanny dodge from another class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum roguelevel required to flank the character.
Slippery Mind (Ex): At 6th level, a shadowdancer becomes resilient to enchantment spells. This functions as the rogue's advanced talent of the same name.
Shadow Walker (Sp): At 7th level, a shadowdancer gains the ability to cast Shadow Walk as a spell-like ability once per day, treating her class level as her caster level.
Improved Evasion (Ex): This ability, gained at 9th level, works like evasion (see above). A shadowdancer takes no damage at all on successful saving throws against attacks that allow a Reflex saving throw for half damage. What's more, she takes only half damage even if she fails her saving throw.
Shadow Master (Su): At 10th level, whenever a shadowdancer is in an area of dim light, she gains DR 10/— and a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws. In addition, whenever she successfully scores a critical hit against a foe who is in an area of dim light, that foe is blinded for 1d6 rounds.
Design Notes:
So one approach I took with this reconstruction was a slightly unorthodox look at the Shadowdancer. Most people view the prestige class as a kind of extension of the rogue, but I've always thought of it as thematically more of a combination of rogue and bard. That being said:
Sneak Attack and Performances So, one thing this concept begged for was sneak attack, but what the concept focuses on is more than just rogue-like backstabbing. The decision to make the class integrate dancing as an important mechanic lead me to create a slightly weaker progression of both the bardic ability and the rogue ability.
Hide in Plain Sight at 3rd level I'm actually actively making an attempt to make the class a full commitment rather than a one level dip. Deciding to move Hide in Plain Sight to 3rd level was a big part of this. Moving Darkvision to level one as well as giving them their signature ability - Shadow Jump - out of the gate helps remedy this loss. Which leads me to my next note.
Shadow Jump I completely overhauled this ability. Moving it to level one required that I make it grow much more gradually but pack the same punch at mid levels and more at later levels. Dipping a level in Shadowdancer yields you a move action dimension door 3+stat times per day that you can act after of only 5 feet, something you can dip into wizard for with no movement restrictions as a swift action (albeit without the ability to act afterward). If you can get your charisma modifier to +5 at 15th level (not a difficult task), you can use it to move up to 50 feet per use 8 times per day. Comparable to the original 320 feet of the class.
Bardic Spells I was tempted to progress spell-casting, but ultimately it seemed in poor taste since the class was designed as a bit of a mesh of bards and rogues. I completely nixed the shadow companion (since it was always either a pain or completely overpowered depending on the encounter), but I added some handy spell-like abilities and bardic performance to keep the feel of a dancer. In theory, I believe this balances the loss of the shadow companion and adds some nice flavor to the class.
Hello all! I am the one player DM Connor spoke of. Right now I'm looking pretty dead-set on a swashbuckler built to be nigh-untouchable in combat. (First 5 levels are looking like 3 levels of swashbuckler and 2 levels of monk)
I haven't an alias or details worked out, but this is my plan of attack at the moment.
It's logical, but it isn't stated. If I have a buckler that deflects arrows and another that grants light fortification, I only get the shield bonus from the higher one but get light fortification and the ability to deflect arrows. Why? Nothing is stacking and no where does it say I can't do that. The bonus is never even equivalated to an enhancement bonus (other than by cost), so that argument can't be made.
Further, if you're using a shield as a weapon, you still get its defensive properties. I am therefore lead to believe that the concept of a 'shield slot' is irrelevant. If I hold a dagger in my shield slot, can I enchant it with light fortification? Nah, man. It's just a right and left hand slot. Or more if you're crazy.
Spell Trigger: Spell trigger activation is similar to spell completion, but it's even simpler. No gestures or spell finishing is needed, just a special knowledge of spellcasting that an appropriate character would know, and a single word that must be spoken. Spell trigger items can be used by anyone whose class can cast the corresponding spell. This is the case even for a character who can't actually cast spells, such as a 3rd-level paladin. The user must still determine what spell is stored in the item before she can activate it. Activating a spell trigger item is a standard action and does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Exception: Precision damage (such as from a rogue's sneak attack class feature) and additional damage dice from special weapon qualities (such as flaming) are not multiplied when you score a critical hit.
Those are the only bonuses not multiplied on a critical hit. Assuming the way the spell is worded is meant to say 'you do double damage', this is all you need. Smite is doubled in this case. Since nothing about the spell implies smite doesn't get doubled, it does.
If you read it as 'the target takes double damage' (which implied figuring up damage, then doubling it), then everything gets doubled. I'm sure we can all agree that is not the way it was meant to be interpreted though.
You would take the doubled damage from the Litany first and then apply the Smite to it. The Litany doubles normal damage, it does not double smite, nor elemental enchants on weapons, etc.. etc.
Smite damage is a flat bonus and, as I pointed out before, is added in the same fashion a strength bonus is (multiplies on crits, for example). Why wouldn't it get multiplied? Nothing about the spell says it wouldn't.
Nothing in the spell says it would.... and that's what counts. The Litany doesn't let sorcerers get double damage on magic missile, or fireball, smite is essentially a magical effect for this purpose.
So, if I cast Litany of Righteousness and I attack an evil creature with a +5 scythe, does the +5 to damage not get multiplied?
You would take the doubled damage from the Litany first and then apply the Smite to it. The Litany doubles normal damage, it does not double smite, nor elemental enchants on weapons, etc.. etc.
Smite damage is a flat bonus and, as I pointed out before, is added in the same fashion a strength bonus is (multiplies on crits, for example). Why wouldn't it get multiplied? Nothing about the spell says it wouldn't.
I think I understand the question, so bear with me.
So, if you're a wizard and you want to cast conjuration spells, you have access to all of the subschools of conjuration. I don't believe there is an explanation on how they work because they all work just like the school as a whole, there are just abilities and such that affect specific subschools rather than the whole school (and those would be specified within the ability itself).
I'm not sure how much that helped, but maybe it'll clear up enough to get to the issue you are having.
Wait, wait. So you would do smite damage x3 and weapon damage x2?
Why wouldn't you do (weapon damage + smite damage*2)*2? (Thus 2*weapon damage + 4*smite damage)?
The bonus damage from smiting is tacked onto weapon damage (and multiplies on a crit, and all that fun stuff just like it was a bonus from something like strength), so would it not be multiplied as part of the weapon damage just like it was a crit?
I'm seeing it as doing this and critting would net you 8*weapon damage + smite damage*16 (4 for crit, 2 for first attack, and 2 for the spell).
Edit: Though I guess it'd be *10 since double quadruple is quintuple. But my point remains.
Basically, why is the bonus damage from a smite multiplied separately? Smite evil doesn't explicitly say anything is being multiplied at all, just that the 'bonus damage increases to 2 points of damage per level'.
I can't think of an instance where a person would do it (maybe trying to 'pull your punch' so you don't outright kill someone?), but it means you can treat the bow as if it had a lower strength bonus than you.
So if you have 18 strength, you can choose to fire it as if you had 14 strength instead, dealing only +2 strength damage instead of +4.
I would like to point out, though, that the double damage dealt by a paladin smiting undead, a dragon, or an outsider applies only to smite damage. So Litany of Righteousness and Smite Evil don't even do the same thing.
A level 10 paladin's attack might do 2d6 + 20 (or something), which goes up to 2d6 + 30 while smiting. The first attack of the smite will do 2d6 + 40. This is what would be doubled by the spell.
If you have DR 3/- and DR 5/alignment, it means you have DR 5 against all attacks that are not of that alignment and DR 3 against attacks of that alignment.
So if you have DR 3/- and DR 5/good, then all non-good attacks do 5 less damage to you and all good attacks do 3 less damage to you.
An adaptive bow responds to the strength of its wielder, acting as a bow with a strength rating equal to its wielder's Strength bonus. The wielder can fire it with a lesser Strength bonus (and cause less damage) if desired.
I believe this clearly means that the bow no longer adheres to anything but your strength, whether that strength be 2 or 22. You get to avoid having to tote around a bunch of various strength-rating bows and never have to worry about eating a -2 to attack for using a bow too strong for you. Nice.
Considering the requirement is simply "This ability can only be placed on composite bows.", you don't need it to have a strength rating.
I'm with Howie, though. It seems like maybe there's a miscommunication since the bow definitely has to be a +1 weapon before any enchentment is placed on it.
Question while I throw something together; I'm considering Dervish Dancing. How do you feel about using a cutlass instead of a scimitar (as they are identical in stats and damage type) and flavoring as more of an... Outlaw's jig or something.
Is "divine" even a bonus type these days? I thought that was covered by sacred/profane.
Also, I'm not sure Morale and Insight are bonus types that apply to AC. They're bonus types, but not all bonus types can be applied to AC.
I think there is an Ioun stone in Seeker of Secrets that grants an insight bonus to AC.
Ghost Rager (Rage Power) adds a morale bonus to touch AC as well.
Another source of dodge bonus is duelist/kensai. You can get up to about +25 dodge bonus to AC if you use combat expertise, offensive defense, dodge, and mobility at the same time. Rogue 10/Duelist 10 with 30 int.
Specific trumps general doesn't apply to my question. Morale bonuses to AC are bonuses to AC. Saying they're not is like saying the statement 'All dogs love fisbee' doesn't apply to red dogs simply because you specified the color of the dog.
Ghost Rager gives you a morale bonus to AC. Specifically touch AC, but AC nonetheless.
Yeah, that's always been a somewhat brokenly OP trait, many GM's ban it for just that reason.
If it's OP, then evidently witches should be banned as a whole.
Literally the difference in the wording is 'class feature'. If you say 'Fighter's weapon training' instead of 'Fighter's weapon training class feature', what does that mean? And since it's been shown that Increased DR works with Invulnerability, it's safe to say it works with anything that says 'barbarian DR'
As a side note, if it worked by just adding to the barbarian's DR, would it also add to my DR/silver I have for whatever reason? I'm a barbarian and it is DR, right?
Also, I never got around to responding to the fact that I'm 1 Con from meeting the prereq for Raging Vitality. I can make my Cha 10 and my Con 15, but that would make me sad.
In a normal game I would take the Defensive Strategist trait probably then.
Defensive Strategist wrote:
You aren't flat-footed during a surprise round that you don't get to act in or before you get to act at the start of a battle.
Also fits with religious flavor. I like the trait, it's a shame I can't have it in this homebrew.
Increased DR wrote:
The barbarian's damage reduction increases by 1/—. This increase is always active while the barbarian is raging.
Dragon Totem Resilience wrote:
While raging, the barbarian gains resistance to the energy type that is associated with her dragon totem—acid (black, copper, green), cold (silver, white), electricity (blue, bronze), or fire (brass, gold, red). This resistance equals double her current DR/— from her barbarian damage reduction class feature; this DR increases by 2 for each dragon totem rage power she possesses, including this one.
Emphasis mine. If it counts for one, it counts for the other. That's all I'm saying.
Appreciated. I've appreciate the criticism so far. Should be one of the more fun martial characters I've had. I wasn't trying to say that I was literally built simply to kill witches. I called myself a Witch Slayer for flavor reasons anyway.
Oh, also (Because you mentioned it, Kiinyan) this will probably be in my headband slot.
Headband of Havoc:
This band of raggedly stitched animal skins and teeth focuses a barbarian wearer’s bloodlust. When the wearer enters a rage, she selects one of her rage powers. For the duration of the rage, that power functions as if the wearer’s barbarian level were four levels higher.
Once per day when the wearer is attacked or has to make a saving throw against a hostile effect, she may spend 2 rounds of rage to begin a rage as an immediate action.
This rage becomes active prior to resolving the attack that triggered it and lasts until the start of her next turn (at which time she may continue to rage as if she had begun the rage in the normal manner).
You take only a –2 penalty on attack rolls for fighting defensively. While using this style and fighting defensively or using the total defense action, you gain an additional +1 dodge bonus to your Armor Class.
Where does it say I have to have a hand free?
Stalwart wrote:
While using the total defense action, fighting defensively action, or Combat Expertise, you can forgo the dodge bonus to AC you would normally gain to instead gain an equivalent amount of DR, to a maximum of DR 5/—, until the start of your next turn. This damage reduction stacks with DR you gain from class features, such as the barbarian's, but not with DR from any other source. If you are denied your Dexterity bonus to AC, you are also denied this DR.
This is why Crane Style adds to DR.
Also, there have been rulings that abilities can still be treated as their standard version. Like the dragoon's spear training that is treated as weapon training for effects that modify it. Like the duelist gloves. Seems applicable to me here. It changes the power and the name but it is still similar enough in what it does that it can be treated as the original ability.
And...
Invulnerable Rager wrote:
The following rage powers complement the invulnerable rager archetype: come and get me, guarded life, increased damage reduction*, inspire ferocity, reckless abandon, and renewed vigor*.
Emphasis mine.
Aaaaand I posted here to have people help me pick apart the build, not so everyone can praise me about how awesome I did at making a Witch Hunter.
Base should be right. I didn't include any items besides the cloak of resistance to sort of illustrate my point. Also, I don't care about AoOs with my 26/- DR. Especially from any witch.
My saves at level 20 will be Fort: +40 = 14 + 6 + 5 + 15, Ref: +29 = 8 + 1 + 5 + 15, Will: +33 = 8 + 2 + 5 + 15 + 3. I can rage cycle, so I get to roll again if I fail and get temporary HP every round. And even if I still fail a reflex save, my weakest, I have fire resistance 52 and 300ish HP. All with no stat boosting items.
I find that interesting. I feel the same way about it RAW, but I feel like the purpose of Dodge, Deflection, etc bonuses increasing CMD is to reflect the difficulty of actually connecting with them to do the combat maneuver. It's Pathfinder streamlining the whole 'touch attack then trip' thing into just adding whatever increases touch AC to CMD.
Buy a ring of evasion, my level 12 barbarian did, and he's only failed one reflex save since buying it (he's 14 now). With your stupid high saves, evasion>resistance, especially since it's not restricted to fire only.
An excellent point, I briefly forgot those exist. That'll definitely be on my list of things to get. Also Boots of Speed. I'm not even sure if I'll invest in cloak of resistance past +1, and even that will end up going to pick up something else for that slot.
It's also worth pointing out that there's another martial that is going to be in the party that might go the beast totem route. That'll heavily influence my decision. I love the sound of Dragon Totem adding more to my saves, giving me lots and lots of Fire Resistance, and tacking on 6 DR. I'm not sure the entire Beast line is particularly attractive to me beyond pounce.
In the first post I said "It's also worth noting that alignment restrictions were houseruled to allow monks to be neutral, but my build works anyway provided that you start lawful and become neutral before level 3."
Is there any way to make this build tankier or better at killing the weavers of the black arts?
AKA shameless self bump.
Edit: Ah, thanks. The courageous bit I did not know about. That's pretty massive, especially since Ghost Rager is also morale.
I thought really hard about Beast vs Dragon. The extra two slots are what have me on the fence. Pounce is huge, but flight is pretty big too. 26 DR down to 20 DR feels like a big hit to me mostly just to pick up pounce and lose flight in the process. The fire resistance mixed with my +stupid high reflex saves would make me night invincible to the most common energy type in the game, and even if I fail the reflex save, I can try again for temp HP with Eater of Magic and still probably take no damage.
But the two freed slots are what's tempting me. I appreciate the input!
So my question involves the rage power 'Ghost Rager':
PFSRD wrote:
Benefit: While raging, the barbarian deals normal damage to incorporeal creatures even when using nonmagical weapons. She also gains a morale bonus to touch AC equal to her saving throw bonus from her superstition rage power.
My issue is with the morale bonus to AC and how it interacts with CMD. Does the barbarian get this morale bonus to CMD as well since the power specifies it applies to touch AC and not just AC?
PFSRD wrote:
A creature can also add any circumstance, deflection, dodge, insight, luck, morale, profane, and sacred bonuses to AC to its CMD. Any penalties to a creature's AC also apply to its CMD. A flat-footed creature does not add its Dexterity bonus to its CMD.
I'm also having issues with the idea that my touch AC can be higher than my normal AC, but that's more of a fluff issue than a rules question.
Oh, and my role: put out enough damage to make things hate me and take it well enough to never die. You know, the normal stuff. I excel at fighting wizards and such too.
Dragon totem Resilience will give me 52 fire resistance at level 20 for whatever it's worth.
I have thought this build out quite a bit and wanted to see if I could get some thoughts or tips on it.
The game is starting at level 5, but I have the build planned to level 19 or so. It's also worth noting that alignment restrictions were houseruled to allow monks to be neutral, but my build works anyway provided that you start lawful and become neutral before level 3.
Right now I'm Master of Many Styles 1/Unbreakable Fighter 1/Invulnerable Rager 3. I plan on staying Invulnerable Rager until level 20.
Human favored class barbarian (+1/2 level to superstition)
25 point buy:
Str: 20 (17 base, +2 race, +1 level)
Dex: 12
Con: 14
Int: 8
Wis: 14
Cha: 12
(The charisma is mainly for roleplay purposes. Normally I would make both cha and int 10 or make int 12... Or make cha 9 and int 10 and grab 14 dex. Or 7 cha and 9 int and 16 wis. Anyhow, I digress.)
Feats/Rage Powers:
1: Power Attack, Raging Vitality (has been retrained)
Monk: Stunning Fist, Crane Style
2: Fighter: Die Hard, Endurance
3: Stalwart
4: Superstition (Rage Power)
5: Extra Rage Power (Witch Hunter)
-----What I plan to take-----
6: Intimidating Glare (Rage Power)
7: Extra Rage Power (Animal Fury)
8: Ghost Rager (Rage Power)
9: Extra Rage Power (Spell Sunder)
10: Dragon Totem (Rage Power)
11: Improved Stalwart
12: Dragon Totem Resilience (Rage Power)
13: Extra Rage Power (Eater of Magic)
14: Dragon Totem Wings (Rage Power)
15: Extra Rage Power (Strength Surge)
16: Increased DR (Rage Power)
17: Extra Rage Power (Increased DR)
18: Increased DR (Rage Power)
19: Toughness?
20: ?
So this actually yields 26/- DR at level 20 (9 from Invulnerable Rager, 8 from fighting defensively with Crane Style and 3 ranks in acrobatics and using improved stalwart and taking a -2 to attack, 6 from dragon totem resilience, and 3 from increased DR) and the way HP is done, by level 20 (assuming no raging or items) I will have 256 HP.
I also get a +15 to all saves against spells and touch AC while raging (+6 for superstition and +9 from favored class; ghost rager applies this to touch AC while raging).
I plan on not wearing armor and only caring about my strength, wisdom, and constitution (in that order). I'm going to be using a scythe (+5 furious keen scythe of kill everything ever or something by level 20).
Right now at 5 I have 15 AC not raging, about 56 HP not raging, 5/- DR when fighting defensively, and I put out around 2d4+17 with a +8 to attack with full power attack and fighting defensively.
In Case You're Curious About Flavor:
I'm taking level 1 in monk. This is not negotiable. My character's parents were killed by witches, or at least that's what she (yes, she) has been told. She was found hiding under a bed by some monks who raised her. She had a more chaotic nature than most monks, but she managed. They told her they think her parents were killed by a magic-user of some sort and refused to let her seek revenge, so she naturally snuck out and is doing that anyway. She has since been a conduit of good, hunting undead and evil magic-users hoping to find a clue about her parents' murderer.
One of her most telling quotes is 'To any evil-doers I might encounter, remember this; the only difference between me and a paladin is that I don’t have a silly code holding me back from killing every last one of you.'
There is only one trait allowed by the DM and they are predetermined ones. They basically allow you to pick a skill to become a class skill for you, gives you a +2 with it, and allows a reroll once per day. I picked perception.
So my question involves the rage power 'Ghost Rager':
PFSRD wrote:
Benefit: While raging, the barbarian deals normal damage to incorporeal creatures even when using nonmagical weapons. She also gains a morale bonus to touch AC equal to her saving throw bonus from her superstition rage power.
My issue is with the moral bonus to AC and how it interacts with CMD. Does the barbarian get this moral bonus to CMD as well since the power specifies it applies to touch AC and not just AC?
PFSRD wrote:
A creature can also add any circumstance, deflection, dodge, insight, luck, morale, profane, and sacred bonuses to AC to its CMD. Any penalties to a creature's AC also apply to its CMD. A flat-footed creature does not add its Dexterity bonus to its CMD.
I'm also having issues with the idea that my touch AC can be higher than my normal AC, but that's more of a fluff issue than a rules question.
Yeah, it would have worked with or without mythic, but I had to houserule encounters too. The first thing I sent them against was a 3 headed hydra with fast healing on the heads and the body had DR 5/-. I also made a Dragon's Dogma-esque cinematic fighting approach attractive$ climbing on the heads, lopping them off, and cauterizing the wounds. I mean, naturally it was set in a fantasy setting and actual superheroes from comics existed so that the group could make their own heroes and grow together without having to worry about Superman doing all the fighting while Batman avoids feeling inadequate.
The funny part is, I've actually done this before, but the way I did it was super high-powered and had houserule all over it. It was 30 point-buy, gestalt, mythic, create your own race 15 or less RP (but I still made sure it wasn't stupid broken), and everyone got to choose a power that was uniquely theirs that grew with them (like Rogue's power thieving or Superman's DR and flight). I also scaled stats way differently. Maximum human ability was set at 14. Having a 20 was incredibly amazing lifting 50 tons or building an Iron Man suit kind of stuff.
I could see Rogue being able to apply negative levels and grabbing bonuses to attacks, saves, and temp HP for doing it. Maybe even having the option to, x/day, take a racial or class power from an enemy and use it as her own for the encounter.
I'd be hard pressed to say she actually TAKES it from the enemy though. Stealing a barbarian's rage while he's raging would be a bit too strong for a not-class related ability.
@Spooky I can see that. It's a little rough because I wanted to work in that a Kryptonian didn't need to eat, drink, or sleep as long as he had been exposed to sunlight in the past 24 hours, so you could make it like you said and make it a 0 or 1 RP ability that says they don't need to eat, drink, or sleep as long as they've been exposed to sunlight for at least x hours of the last 24 hours. If they haven't, they become fatigued and cannot become rested for the purposes of daily allotments until they have been exposed to sunlight for at least y hours.
Or something. There's a prettier way to word that I'm sure.
Here's what I could whip up for a race given just a few minutes. I would rather the DR increase with level (DR 1/2 level/magic) and flight to be dependent on land speed, but here's what I got. It's 13 RP the way I have it designed, but it's a place to start.
Kryptonian:
Stats: +2 Str, +2 Cha, -2 Wis (Or Human Heritage)
Blindsense 30ft (4 RP)
Fast (1 RP)
Damage Reduction 10/magic (6 RP)
Flight (40ft, average) (6 RP)
Red-Light Powerlessness (-1 RP) - This I took from the Sunlight Powerlessness racial weakness, only it's limited to red sunlight so I only took a -1 RP instead of -2. It would just mean that, in red sunlight, a Kryptonian is staggered and cannot attack. I imagine they'd also lose all racial abilities except for this one and Vulnerability to Kryptonite.
Sun-light Dependence (-1 RP) - This seems fair, after two hours out of sunlight, a Kryptonian becomes fatigued.
Fire Resistance 5 (1 RP)
Vulnerability to Kryptonite (-3 RP) - This is one that you might can help me on, but it's a mixture of Vulnerable to Sunlight, Sunlight Powerlessness, and some added stuff, but it's all specific to Kryptonite.
Basically: Within the effect radius of Kryptonite, a Kryptonian loses all racial abilities besides this one. Additionally, they lose one point of constitution and strength for every round of exposure inside of this radius, cannot attack and are staggered, and cannot use any class abilities. This effect persists for one round after leaving the radius, at which point the Kryptonian's stats and abilities return to normal.
@Spooky Yeah, Superman is a bit of a god compared to many superheroes and I would be fine flavoring his power down for obvious balance reasons. I just want to try to emulate his powers and what-not.
I'll make the race real quick and have you have a look-see.
Okay, people might dislike the suggestion, but seeing as how Superman is my favorite superhero, I would be all sorts of game to play him.
I would probably be a human Paladin/Sorcerer (Maybe elemental blooded to make fire spells double as cold spells to represent heat-vision and freeze breath)
The only thing I might have trouble with is the whole DR/magic thing. Flight should be reasonably easy to attain. I would also be forced to use a melee weapon instead of punching stuff.
I'd just like to point out that I made two tiny changes to Rose's build. The first is I changed her base stats from (Str 18 (+2 race), Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 13 (+1 level), Cha 10) to (Str 17 (+2 race, +1 level), Dex 12, Con 14, Int 8, Wis 14, Cha 12). It's a little more efficient as far as spending points and the slight boost to charisma should fit her personality a little better.
I also noticed that I had spent two too many skill points (from multiclassing into fighter), so I rectified that problem.
If any of this is a problem, let me know. Otherwise, let the roleplaying continue!
I have a pile of these, but here's one I still remember from about 7 years ago.
Prologue: So there's a half-orc (3.5) in the party being played by my friend Ed. He's about 7'0" tall has around 22 strength and somewhere around 5 intelligence. Yeah, he's that guy. His name is Goober and he decided to buy a guard dog also named Goober. So we borrow some horses from a local stable so we can go to the mountains to [quest objective] for the good of the town or some nonsense. When we make it to the foot of the mountain, it becomes clear that the mountains are going to be too much for the horses so we leave the dog to guard them while we [quest objective]. When we return to the horses, there are only 2 when there was originally 3, and one of the two is dead and being gnawed on by the dog.
When we returned, the stable-hand asked what had happened to the other two horses, we told him Goober had eaten them. The stable-hand looks up to our half-orc who had this to say:
Goober: You got a problem with Goober eating horses?
We all died of laughter right there.
Stable-hand: N-no... Goober can eat whatever Goober wants...
