Sorcerer Bloodline (Animal)

[Me'mori]

Friends came up with this, figured I'd put it up here to share and evaluate.

Sorcerer (Animal Bloodline)
In your blood is a primal, animalistic force. You can see the world as only an animal can. Your heritage stems from having many druids or lycanthropes in your family tree or perhaps even an awakened or polymorphed animal.

Class skill: Survival (wis)

Bonus spells: Expeditious Retreat (3rd), Hold Animal (5th), Greater Magic Fang (7th), Beast Shape II (9th), Animal Growth (11th), Mass _______ * (13th), Summon Nature's Ally VII (animals only), (15th), Animal Shapes (17th), Shape change (19th)
*Character may choose from Bears Endurance, Bulls Strength, Cats Grace, Owls Wisdom, Fox’s Cunning, or Eagles Splendor. Once the choice is made it may not be changed.

Bonus Feats: Dodge, Endurance, Power Attack, *Multiattack *, Skill focus (survival), Toughness, Great Fortitude, Fleet
*You may take this feat (as a bloodline feat) without meeting the normal requirement of having 3 or more natural attacks

Bloodline Arcana: Wild Empathy using your sorcerer level as effective druid level. You get a +2 bonus to wild empathy checks when used on animals of your specific animal type (not group). (See bloodline powers)

Bloodline Powers: You must choose an animal bloodline that your powers derive from. While you choose a specific animal, the powers you choose are from broad groups that the animal will fall under as follows:
Predator: ex. wolves, cats, alligators, bears, wolverines, boars
Avian: ex. raptors, owls, fishing birds, songbirds
Herd/Prey: ex. deer, oxen, rabbits, squirrels, bison, kangaroo

These categories are intentionally broad and unspecific; the player and DM can decide which category an animal will fall under if there is a question or doubt.

1st Level:
Natural Attacks: Choose 1 of the following based on your animal type (see table 1). All of the powers are activated as a free action and may be used for a number of rounds per day equal to 3+ Charisma modifiers.

Claws:

Spoiler:

You may grow claws on each hand as a free action and make 2 attacks at your full base attack. You may make 1 claw attack as a secondary attack (-5 to attack and +1/2 strength bonus) if wielding a 1 handed or light weapon. The claws do normal damage for their size d3 for small size, d4 for medium size + strength modifier. At 5th level the claws count as magic weapons for the purposes of overcoming DR. At 7th Level the claws damage die goes up by one (d4 for small, d6 for medium). At 11th level the claws deal an additional d4 bleed damage. This damage stacks with itself, so 2 claw hits will deal 2d4 bleed damage. This lasts until the target receives healing or a DC 15 heal check.

Bite or Beak:

Spoiler:

Your head transforms to grow a sharp beak or teeth appropriate to your spirit animal and you gain a bite attack at your full base attack. You may make a bite attack as a secondary attack if wielding a weapon. The bite does normal damage for its size d4 for small size, d6 for medium size +1.5 times strength modifier. At 5th level the bite count as a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming DR. At 7th Level the bite's damage die goes up by one (d6 for small, d8 for medium). At 11th level the bite gains a limited form of the powerful bite ability. This means you still add 1.5 times your strength modifier on a primary attack, but when making a bite as a secondary attack you add your normal strength modifier instead of 1/2.

Talons:

Spoiler:

Your legs and feet transform in to sharp hooked talons and you gain a talon attack at your full base attack. Even though you have 2 talons, in you may only attack with one of them if you’re standing on the ground. If flying you may attack with both of them if you make the necessary fly skill check to hover. You may make a talon attack (or attacks) as a secondary attack if wielding a weapon. The talons do normal damage for their size d3 for small size, d4 for medium size + strength modifier. At 5th level the talons count as magic weapons for the purposes of overcoming DR. At 7th level you gain the pounce ability with your talons. You may make 2 talon attacks when you charge whether you are flying or grounded. At 11th Level the talons damage die goes up by one (d4 for small, d6 for medium).

Hooves/Jumping legs:

Spoiler:

Your legs and feet transform in to either strong hooves or jumping legs (similar to rabbit or kangaroo) and you gain a hoof/kick attack as a secondary natural attack. You may also attack with the hoof as a secondary attack if wielding a weapon. The hoof/kick does normal damage for their size d3 for small size, d4 for medium size + 1/2 strength modifier. Additionally while this power is active your land speed is increased by +10 at 5th level the hoof/kick counts as a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming DR. At 7th level the damage die for your hoof/kick goes up by one (d4 for small, d6 for medium) and your land speed bonus improves to +15. At 11th level a target hit with your hoof/kick may be subjected to a free bullrush attempt. You use your sorcerer level as your CMB and add your strength bonus and normal modifiers (in this instance only). There is no penalty if this is unsuccessful.

Table 1
Choice options for animal bloodline groups:
Predator: Claws or Bite
Avian: Talons or Beak
Herd/Prey: Hoof/Kick

3rd Level
Nature's Gifts: You gain a +1 natural armour bonus and lowlight vision. At 9th level this increases to +2 natural armour and you gain the scent ability if you are a predator/herd/prey or a +4 bonus to perception if you are an avian. At 15th it becomes +4 natural armour and you gain a +2 bonus on perception checks (+6 if you’re an avian).

9th level
Hybrid Form: You may change your form similar to a lycanthrope. This form is an anthropomorphic version of your spirit animal. While in hybrid form you gain a +2 bonus to your Str, Dex, Con, and Natural armour as well as unlimited use of your Natural attack ability. Any gear you wear or carry is unchanged in its function and undamaged by the shift (although it may change slightly to accommodate). You may use this ability 1 time per day at level 9 and 2 times per day at level 17.

15th level
Animal Movement:Choose one movement mode based on your animal bloodline (see table 2).
Wings - You may grow wings at will and fly at a speed of 60 (average)
Swim- speed of 30
Climb -speed of 30
Burrow- speed of 15
Swift - +15 to land speed

Table 2
Choice options for animal bloodline groups.
Predator: Swim, climb, swift
Avian: Wings, swim
Herd/Prey: Climb, swift, burrow

20th level
Metamorphosis: The primal force surges in your blood. You may speak with animals (as per the spell) at will, your perception bonus increases to +4 (+8 for avians), you gain a +4 bonus to saving throws vs disease and you gain unlimited use of your Hybrid Form. You also gain the shapechanger subtype.

[StabbittyDoom]

Interesting bloodline... Could definitely see cool characters coming out of this.
A few random comments:
* The 9th level ability. Does it last until you decide to shift back? If so, what action is shifting back? (Presumably free.) For that matter, what action is it to shift in the first place? (Presumably standard.)
* The 15th level movement modes: It'd probably be more fair to change the speeds to more closely match what the elemental bloodline gives (fly speed is fine, but up the swim speed to 60, burrow to 30 and the swift to a +30).

All-in-all looks playable and flavorful. Nice job!

[FiddlersGreen]

Me'mori wrote:

Friends came up with this, figured I'd put it up here to share and evaluate.

Sorcerer (Animal Bloodline)
In your blood is a primal, animalistic force. You can see the world as only an animal can. Your heritage stems from having many druids or lycanthropes in your family tree or perhaps even an awakened or polymorphed animal.

Class skill: Survival (wis)

Bonus spells: Expeditious Retreat (3rd), Hold Animal (5th), Greater Magic Fang (7th), Beast Shape II (9th), Animal Growth (11th), Mass _______ * (13th), Summon Nature's Ally VII (animals only), (15th), Animal Shapes (17th), Shape change (19th)
*Character may choose from Bears Endurance, Bulls Strength, Cats Grace, Owls Wisdom, Fox’s Cunning, or Eagles Splendor. Once the choice is made it may not be changed.

Bonus Feats: Dodge, Endurance, Power Attack, *Multiattack *, Skill focus (survival), Toughness, Great Fortitude, Fleet
*You may take this feat (as a bloodline feat) without meeting the normal requirement of having 3 or more natural attacks

Bloodline Arcana: Wild Empathy using your sorcerer level as effective druid level. You get a +2 bonus to wild empathy checks when used on animals of your specific animal type (not group). (See bloodline powers)

Bloodline Powers: You must choose an animal bloodline that your powers derive from. While you choose a specific animal, the powers you choose are from broad groups that the animal will fall under as follows:
Predator: ex. wolves, cats, alligators, bears, wolverines, boars
Avian: ex. raptors, owls, fishing birds, songbirds
Herd/Prey: ex. deer, oxen, rabbits, squirrels, bison, kangaroo

These categories are intentionally broad and unspecific; the player and DM can decide which category an animal will fall under if there is a question or doubt.

1st Level:
Natural Attacks: Choose 1 of the following based on your animal type (see table 1). All of the powers are activated as a free action and may be...

+1

I like this. How do we go about recommending this for the next splat book?

[Madcap Storm King]

Not bad at all. The abilities are standardized with the normal sorcerer, with each animal giving something a bit different, making it a fairly interesting choice as to what to take.

The one issue I see is the 9th level ability does not have a duration.

Still, it's very good and well presented. Great job!

[magnuskn]

Am I the only one who wonders how exactly the ancestry of an animal bloodline originated? :D

[Dragonborn3]

magnuskn wrote:

Am I the only one who wonders how exactly the ancestry of an animal bloodline originated? :D

He said druids, lycans, and awakened/polymorphed animals..

Or you could have been raised by animals.

Of course, bloodline doesn't have to mean you are related... you have to scroll down a bit, but it's there.

[Lyingbastard]

There's a similar bloodline in the 'Book of Arcane Magic' by 4 Winds Fantasy Gaming, the 'Bestial' bloodline for those whose arcane spark originates from some magical beast. There's also a separate Lycanthrope bloodline, as well as Divine, Genie, Mixed, and a few others.