I always wanted to make a character that fought like the Lord Marshal in Chronicles of Riddick, ghosty moving around and avoiding attacks.
So I designed a 5 level prestige class that specialized in casting Dimension Hop. I don't know if the text will appear correctly as there's no fixed-font tag.
Fluxblade
HD: D6
Base Attack Bonus: +3.
Skills: Concentration 3 ranks, Spellcraft 3 ranks.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast dimension hop.
Feats: Dodge, Mobility.
Weapon Proficiency: Must be proficient with at least one martial weapon.
Special: Must have spent the entire previous level using all 2nd level spell slots to exclusively cast dimension hop.
LVL BAB FS RS WS Special - Spells per Day
1st +1 +0 +2 +2 Spring Attack - +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
2nd +2 +0 +3 +3 Probable cause; Dimensional shift - -
3rd +3 +1 +4 +4 Improved Feint - +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
4th +4 +1 +4 +4 Dimensional flux; Relative certainty - -
5th +5 +2 +5 +5 Greater Feint - +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level) -- Acrobatics, Craft, Diplomacy, Knowledge (arcana), Perception, Profession, Spellcraft, Swim.
As they advance in level, fluxblades gain increased spellcasting abilities, heightened teleportation, and unparalleled understanding of the dimension hop spell. They eventually learn how to reflexively cast dimension hop spell in higher level spell slots to powerful effect.
Spellcasting: At each level indicated on the fluxblade table, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming a fluxblade, they must decide which class gains each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
Spring Attack: Beginning at 1st level, you gain Spring Attack (see page 134 of the Core Rulebook) as a bonus feat. If you already have Spring Attack, choose a different feat for which you do meet the prerequisites.
Probable Cause (Ex): Casting dimension hop grants one additional attack at the next highest attack bonus. These extra attacks do not stack with haste, speed weapon, or similar spells or spell-like abilities.
Dimensional Shift (Ex): At 2nd level, casting dimension hop comes as naturally to you as walking. You can cast dimension hop as a swift action once per round, as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, but without using up higher-level spell slots.
Improved Feint (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain Improved Feint (see page 127 of the Core Rulebook) as a bonus feat. If you already have Improved Feint, choose a different feat for which you do meet the prerequisites.
Dimensional Flux (Ex): You are able to infuse the energy of dimension hop castings into your natural defenses, keeping you in a constant state of dimensional flux. You gain concealment (20% miss chance) as if under the effects of the blur spell for 1 round per arcane spellcasting level. Multiple castings overlap the duration, but do not extend.
Relative Certainty (Ex): At 4th level, your mastery of the dimension hop spell allows you to seemingly exist in multiple places simultaneously. When prepared at a 3rd level spell slot, you can cast dimension hop as a free action once per round, as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, but without using up higher-level spell slots.
Greater Feint (Ex): At 5th level, you gain Greater Feint (see page 125 of the Core Rulebook) as a bonus feat. If you already have Greater Feint, choose a different feat for which you do meet the prerequisites.
You have "as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat" under both dimensional shift and relative certainty.
This looks pretty similar to the Swiftblade, did you use that as a base?
trednis wrote: You have "as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat" under both dimensional shift and relative certainty. That's on purpose. You'll notice the first ability grants 1 casting as a Swift action, and the second ability grants an additional casting as a Free action (but takes up a 3rd level spell slot.) They're both treated as having the Quicken Spell feat so they do not provoke attacks of opportunity when you cast the spell.
It's designed to make Spring Attack more useful with some added flare, and is similar in concept to a Whirling Dervish.
trednis wrote: This looks pretty similar to the Swiftblade, did you use that as a base? I certainly got the idea from Swiftblade. Swiftblade very quickly became my favorite prestige class, but it doesn't work with Pathfinder, and it's also a 10 level class. Takes a while if you're not playing Gestalt.
I wanted to make a Pathfinder friendly prestige class that's only 5 levels, but uses the same concept of a warrior type class taking advantage of a useful spell.
I intentionally made the Dimension Hop attacks not stack with Speed Weapon or Haste, it's meant to replace those extra attacks.
The advantage is that you get 1 extra attack over being hasted, the disadvantage is that it's at your regular attack bonus. So if your Fluxblade is also hasted, you'll have to make a choice: do I want 1 extra attack at my highest attack bonus, or do I want 2 extra attacks at the regular attack bonus as if apart of my regular attack action? Decisions, decisions. :)
The class works really well against minions and flunkies, and allows for choice positioning against bosses. If paired with a Rogue, it opens up many possibilities for coordinated sneak attacks.
As a side note, I don't know why the forum posted 2 threads. I hit the edit button, then submitted, and it posted a second thread with changes. Tried to delete the old thread and it wouldn't delete it. *shrug*
Anyone have suggestions how I might improve the prestige class?
I've been play testing it with a Blackguard / Sorcerer build. Made a slight change, as I noticed it would grant attacks even after using a standard action. I want it to be similar to haste, so:
Casting dimension hop grants one additional attack at the next highest attack bonus when a part of an attack action.
That should fix it.
Playing the class right now and I think I'm going to take it a different direction.
It's too many attacks as apart of an attack action, even if they're at a lower attack bonus.
I think what I'll do is make it apart of the Spring Attack, so it would essentially take the place of the 3.5 Bounding Assault and Rapid Blitz feats.
This would eliminate conflicts with haste or speed weapon since it's apart of Spring Attack instead of a normal attack action, and also makes more sense with Spring Attack as a bonus feet.
So if you're hasted and you don't move, you get your extra haste attack, or you can change your attack strategy and keep on the move with fewer attacks.
So my new errata:
Dimensional Shift (Ex): At 2nd level, casting dimension hop comes as naturally to you as walking. As a part of your spring attack, you can cast dimension hop as a swift action once per round, as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, but without using up higher-level spell slots.
Relative Certainty (Ex): At 4th level, your mastery of the dimension hop spell allows you to seemingly exist in multiple places simultaneously. As a part of your spring attack, when prepared at a 3rd level spell slot, you can cast dimension hop as a free action once per round, as if augmented by the Quicken Spell metamagic feat, but without using up higher-level spell slots.
The class seems overpowered. That's my first reaction. It's 3/5 casting, full BAB, two good saves, three free feats, good skills, and real good class abilities. All in 5 levels? I would say no.
Also, no such thing as a concentration skill. Get rid of that pre-req.
The other pre-req about must have spent a whole level etc. Is out of place in a game world. You really don't see references to levels for a good reason as levels don't realllly exist in the game world, it's more of an arbitrary measure imposed through the rules. Really, that could mean you cast the spell once if you didn't use spells much.
Now that the APG is out, I would actually redisgn this whole class to be based around being a teleportation specialized conjurer. I would have abilities key off of the Shift ability (from APG) and the Dimensional Steps ability.
I don't know the person you designed this class to be like, but here is how I would do it:
Fluxblade
Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus: +4
Skills: Spellcraft 5 ranks, Knowledge (The Planes) 5 ranks
Feats: Dodge, Mobility
Weapon Proficiency: Must be proficient with at least one martial weapon.
Special: Specialized in Conjuration school and Teleportation focused school
HD: D8
LVL BAB FS RS WS Special - Spells per Day
1st +1 +0 +2 +0 Teleporter; Transdimensional Warrior - -
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 Spring Attack; Blinking Assault- +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
3rd +3 +1 +4 +1 Slipstep- +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
4th +4 +1 +4 +1 Dimensional Flux -
5th +5 +2 +5 +2 BAMF - +1 level of arcane spellcasting class
Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level) -- Acrobatics, Craft, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (The Planes), Perception, Profession, Spellcraft
Teleporter: Class levels in Fluxblade are added to Wizard class levels to determine benefits of and access to the "Shift" and "Dimensional Steps" class features. The Fluxblade loses access to the "Summoner's Charm" wizard ability and instead adds half of his arcane spellcaster level to the amount of times per day he can use the "Shift" ability.
Transdimensional Warrior (Ex): A Fluxblade may make attacks or move normally after using the Shift special ability, provided she has actions left to use that turn. This does not allow a Fluxblade to cast spells after using the Shift ability.
Spring Attack: You gain Spring Attack (see page 134 of the Core Rulebook) as a bonus feat. If you already have Spring Attack, choose a different feat for which you do meet the prerequisites.
Blinking Assault (EX): A Fluxblade gains a bonus to damage equal to her Fluxblade class level until the end of any turn in which she uses Shift or Dimensional Steps.
Slipstep: If the Fluxblade has access to the Dimensional Steps ability, it can now be used as a move action instead of a standard action.
Dimensional Flux (Ex): You are able to infuse the energy of your teleportation into your natural defenses, keeping you in a constant state of dimensional flux. Any time you use either Shift or Dimensional Steps you gain concealment (20% miss chance) as if under the effects of the blur spell for 1 round per Fluxblade class level. Multiple uses of Shift or Dimensional Steps cause this duration to overlap.
BAMF (EX): When the Fluxblade uses Shift or Dimensional Steps to teleport adjacent to an enemy, that enemy (or multiple enemies if applicable) loses its Dex bonus to AC on attacks made by the Fluxblade until the end of the Fluxblade's current turn.
Notes:
-Because Shift is based on Dimension Door, it usually does not allow actions after its use. Transdimensional Warrior lifts this ban, but not for spellcasting, which keeps the class functional while making sure it does not become a one level dip for all spellcasters looking to have an imbalanced "escape and cast" mechanism.
-I moved the advance in spellcaster levels to avoid this becoming a dip class for "Gish" builds and to give motivation to go all 5 levels into it.
-Advanced the HD to reflect warrior nature.
-Nothing about this class specifically says "I'm willful!" so I got rid of the good Will save.
-Adapted more to Pathfinder as the 3.5 stuff is gone.
-Granting extra attacks isn't usually a good thing for balance, but this definitely has offensive potential with a bonus to damage and possibility for SA if you can squeeze it in a build.
-Changed skills to be more reflective of the style of the class. Knowledge (Planes) is important because Teleporting involves briefly going through a different plane.
-Ditched Feint stuff considering Bluff wasn't even a class skill. Kept Spring Attack though because it fits and makes the feat pre-reqs feel more useful.
-Fixed requirements to make sure that lowest level into PrC is 6.
I know it's a long post. Sorry. Hope this helps.
Edit: Just a thought on overall builds with this proposed idea.
In the end this leads to a build like:
Fighter 3/Wizard 2/Fluxblade 5/Eldritch Knight 10
or
Rogue 4/Wizard 2/Fluxblade 5/Arcane Trickster 9
Those may be overpowered, which is a problem that would need to be addressed. It may be better to make this a ten level PrC to control overall build potential and balance. It would be easy enough to do. Take out some more caster levels, add some scaling abilities and you're good to go.
I like your balancing proposals, I'll have to make some serious changes. Swiftblade was certainly overpowered, probably why I liked it so much. I did initially model it after that prestige class.
Here's a video so you get an idea of what I was going for, it's from the movie Chronicles of Riddick. Fast forward to about 1:45 and watch the Lord Marshal fighting. The blurring and movement, seeming like he's in two places at the same time, teleporting around... that's what I'm going for.
Video
olePigeon wrote: I like your balancing proposals, I'll have to make some serious changes. Swiftblade was certainly overpowered, probably why I liked it so much. I did initially model it after that prestige class.
Here's a video so you get an idea of what I was going for, it's from the movie Chronicles of Riddick. Fast forward to about 1:45 and watch the Lord Marshal fighting. The blurring and movement, seeming like he's in two places at the same time, teleporting around... that's what I'm going for.
Video
Just remember you're never going to get quite that fast paced combat feel given that d20 by necessity is intitative drawn turn-based combat.
Pathfinder Adventure, Adventure Path, Lost Omens, Rulebook, Starfinder Roleplaying Game, Starfinder Society Subscriber
It's all fun and games until some smart wizard eventually hauls out a Dimensional Anchor.
Soluzar wrote: It's all fun and games until some smart wizard eventually hauls out a Dimensional Anchor. And it's all fun and games being a smart wizard until someone hauls out an Anti-Magic Field.
The class would certainly be hurt by Teleportation restricting conditions, but that's kinda the basis for the class, so without granting some ability to get by those restrictions, there really isn't much way around that.
Just hope yer DM isn't d-bag enough to do that to you consistently, though it would make for a memorable encounter to have it happen at some point. (Keep in mind you have caster levels as well, so you CAN do other things)
As for Balance issues, I would strongly lean towards making this a 10 level PrC. If you did that, as a capstone ability at 10th or so you might even be able to get by conditions that negate Teleportation. That wouldn't be as bad as putting an ability like that in a 5 level class.
I would make casting every even level and keep the full BAB. The rest is up to you on how you handle abilities and where you would insert scaling ones. Suggestions for scaling abilities would be the Blur ability starting at 10 and getting up to possibly 30 or 40%, and/or scaling damage bonus (though I wouldn't go above +5 damage per attack, so maybe scale that to be every odd level you get +1 damage to your attacks on rounds where you 'port)
Edit: For the being in two places at once idea: An ability (Spatial Illusion?) that leaves behind a single Mirror Image or Silent Image when you teleport that lasts rnd/class level could be kinda neat. Enemies would figure it out quickly if they were intelligent. You could do neat things like, teleport (leaving one image behind) attack, then next round teleport back to the first image (leaving a new one where you were) which would start to cause some confusion.
Over a long battle this could get really interesting.
Sylvanite wrote:
I would make casting every even level and keep the full BAB.
Abilities as powerful as this class grants really should keep it down to a 3/4 BAB.
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