So after a long while, I finally got back to working on my custom base classes. The first on the list of update-y goodness is the Engineer, my super-science tinkerer class.
Here's a basic rundown on what the class can do:
For your convenience, I've assembled the whole thing in a handy-dandy pdf, which you can read and download through google docs: The Engineer v3.1
Constructive criticism, praise, and all forms of feedback are appreciated!
...Catch Phrase,
-Chris
Some issues I've noticed:
* Disrupt weapon does sonic damage, which means it'll be doing 1d4/2 per two levels, pre-hardness.
Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.
Might need a revise. This is different from 3.5, as a heads up.
* I'd take a look at Super Genius Game's Spagyric devices from Advanced Options: Extra Alchemist Discoveries. It's a neat way to do what Inventor does. You would need to tone down the class a bit to make it work.
* Speedster got cut?
* You can already make Craft checks untrained (and you can take 10 too)
LPJ design was working on a Machinesmith. The product will be released in the near future, but this is a beta peek Louis linked to the boards.
Some issues I've noticed:
* Disrupt weapon does sonic damage, which means it'll be doing 1d4/2 per two levels, pre-hardness.Energy attacks deal half damage to most objects. Divide the damage by 2 before applying the object's hardness. Some energy types might be particularly effective against certain objects, subject to GM discretion. For example, fire might do full damage against parchment, cloth, and other objects that burn easily. Sonic might do full damage against glass and crystal objects.Might need a revise. This is different from 3.5, as a heads up.
This is an area where I've been conflicted for a while now. Initially, the damage ignored hardness, but then I realized that, at high levels, the engineer would just be shredding equipment like tissue paper. So I took it away, which now makes the ability useless at low levels unless the weapons are made of tissue paper.
* I'd take a look at Super Genius Game's Spagyric devices from Advanced Options: Extra Alchemist Discoveries. It's a neat way to do what Inventor does. You would need to tone down the class a bit to make it work.
Thanks. I'll check it out.
* Speedster got cut?
Mostly for space/formatting reasons. It may come back in a future edition.
* You can already make Craft checks untrained (and you can take 10 too)
Ah. I noted the wording in the machinesmith's similar ability and thought I'd rather be safe than sorry.
LPJ design was working on a Machinesmith. The product will be released in the near future, but this is a beta peek Louis linked to the boards.
Thanks. I'm perfectly aware of the machinesmith, and believe that while it's a nicely-designed class in its own right, our design goals are different. The machinesmith has more of a focus on merging magic and science, while I'm just going for more of a super-science feel (specifically avoiding a prototype/extract system).
...Catch Phrase,
-Chris
Chris,
Every time I see this class, I fall in love with it. Great job again.
One homebrew question, though: I like warjacks, and I want to incorporate them into the engineer. How much would increasing the size of the automaton one category at 8th (medium to large) and again at 16th (large to huge) effect balance? Could I just incorporate that feature, or would I have to sacrifice something else to compensate?
Chris,
Every time I see this class, I fall in love with it. Great job again.One homebrew question, though: I like warjacks, and I want to incorporate them into the engineer. How much would increasing the size of the automaton one category at 8th (medium to large) and again at 16th (large to huge) effect balance? Could I just incorporate that feature, or would I have to sacrifice something else to compensate?
Thanks for the praise. I would say wait a week or so (maybe less) and keep your eyes open. I'm working on an advanced version of the Engineer which should contain just what you're looking for.
...Catch Phrase,
-Chris
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Gotta say, of all the versions of the class, I truly love this one best. Fast Gadgets and all that are cool, but they are nothing compared to the scope and flexibility of Inventor, Cheap Inventions and Quick-Inventing. That really hits the stride of the build and class objectives (IMHO) far better than some of the iterations.
That being said I LOVE the revisions to constructs (and the gadgets ARE cool to see fleshed out to the further extent you did). The archetypes in 4.0 - 4.3 were unexpected icing on the cake.
Perchance do you have an assembled design journal? I checked your listed website and it just didn't have even as many of the versions as you've posted here, let alone the logic behind it (I've combed all your posts to try and get a handle on the whys and wherefores of some of the choices).
I'm currently promoting this to my GM for a campaign where I was using a technology-obsessed mage. 3.1 far better hits the mark than any of the other work I've seen out there including Eberron's artificer conversions.
Especially with your 4.3 archetypes and powers.
Is there a way you can explain your choice re: Inventor, Cheap Inventions and Quick-Inventing vs. the Gadgets in later versions? They just seem ... awfully limiting and humdrum compared to being able to mechanically justify spell effects as scientific inventions. As an "and" I find them cool, but as an "Or" I gotta say the luster really rubs off a bit. Was it a balance issue? The gadgets are cool ... but if that's -all- they can do and futzing with the construct then I kinda have to wonder why the degree of versatility was traded off for what seem to be -very- specific choices.
As a suggestion, perhaps a more "generalist" build with the base-class and make the direction that I've seen from 4.0 to 4.3 be more "specific focus" archetype on the OmniTool and Construct? Just my two pence worth.
In any case, thank you very, very much for the quality work! It is most appreciated.
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Had a supplemental thought
Had another thought that may help this a bit when it comes to build modularity / versatility.
Perhaps my proposed desires may be addressed by this fix below. Replace instances of these abilities with the phrase "Bonus Gadget Feat" for the corresponding levels. (I believe 6th, 10th, 14th and 18th). Extra Function and Extra Artifice Pool should also have the [Gadget] identifier. I've rewritten Extra Upgrade below. The following feats also encompass the powers left out from 3.1 to more recent builds, as well as to some extent the ones that have replaced them. (You may even wish to have them add an ancillary benefit of +1 Artifice pool point). So for clarity's sake, the old name of these class powers in in parenthesis next to the Feat name.
Budget Construction (Cheap Inventions) [Gadget]:
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, one other Gadget Feat
The engineers understanding of real-world application through expands extensive work and jury rigging with his constructs. Thus he only needs to pay 1⁄2 as much to create items with their inventor special ability (1⁄4 the price of mundane items or potions, and 1/8 the price of wondrous items). Whenever he does this, he must spend 1 point from his artifice pool
Inventor Extraordinaire (Inventor) [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, 4th Level
An engineer brings a new meaning to “jury-rigging” by throwing together some spare parts. As a full-round action, the engineer can create any non-magical item worth 10 gp per class level or less by piecing together spare parts and chemicals. To do this, he must immediately spend gp equal to 1⁄2 the price of the item created to represent the materials needed. He must also make a disable device check with a DC equal to the crafting DC required to make the item. If he fails the check, the item is destroyed and he does not gain its use.
Items invented this way are unstable and do not last long. After a number of rounds equal to the engineer’s level, the item crumbles and is destroyed. Weapons created in this way (including alchemical thrown items) are weak and poorly-made and are immediately destroyed if the user rolls a 1 on an attack roll with the weapon.
There is no price limit on wondrous items, but he cannot create a wondrous item with a caster level higher than his class level. In addition, an invented wondrous item cannot have a spell level higher than his intelligence score -10. He still pays 1 ⁄ 4 the price of a wondrous item upon inventing it. He must also spend 1 artifice point per spell level of the item when creating the item, and the disable device DC is equivalent to the spellcraft DC required to create the item (including the +5 to the DC for not possessing the required spell).
Homebrewer Extraordinaire (Inventor - Potion Creation) [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, 4th Level
The engineer has dabbled in enough chemistry to pick up potion-craft. Perhaps this is enhanced by his love of a cool pint after a hard day in the lab. As a full-round action, he brews potions by imparting some of his quasi-magical energy into the scrap and chemicals as he concocts and ferments them (this is instead a supernatural ability). To do this, he must immediately spend gp equal to 1⁄2 the price of the item created to represent the materials needed. He must also make a disable device check with a DC equal to the crafting DC required to make the potion. If he fails the check, the brew is destroyed and he does not gain its use. There is no price limit on invented 'brews but he cannot create a potion with a caster level higher than his class level. In addition, an invented potion cannot have a spell level higher than his intelligence score -10. He pays 1⁄2 the price of the potion in materials before brewing it. He must also spend 1 artifice point per spell level of the potion when creating it, and roll a disable device check equivalent to the spellcraft DC required to brew it (including the +5 to the DC for not possessing the required spell). Potions invented this way are unstable and do not last long. After a number of rounds equal to the engineer’s level, the draft goes unstable and may become unpredictably explosive of toxic.
Speedy Construction (Quick Inventing) [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, Gadgeteer/Magical Talent
Engineer may create an item with the Inventor ability as a standard action instead of a full-round action. If making Gadgets on the pre-existing list, it only takes a half hour. This requires two Artifice Pool Points
Modify Automaton [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, Automaton Class Feature
Benefit: The engineer can modify his automaton’s upgrades. By taking a full day to work on the automaton, he can re-assign a number of upgrades equal to half his intelligence modifier. This requires spending an equal number of Artifice Pool Points.
Additional Clockwork Companion [Gadget] (per the Druid feat Additional Animal Companion)
Prerequisite: Cha 13, Automaton class feature
Benefit: You gain an additional clockwork companion. Your effective engineer level for the purposes of the second companion is your normal level -3.
Möbius Tool [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, Omnitool
Benefit: You may add ONE power from the Tek-Warrior's Möbius Weapon list to your OmniTool. This feat may not be taken more than once. Conversely, Tek-Warriors who take this may add ONE Function from the list for use with (and through) their Möbius Weapon.
Extra Upgrade [Gadget]
Prerequisite: Artifice Pool, Automaton/Singularity class feature
Benefit: You may add ONE additional upgrade to your Automaton, or yourself. If you are applying this to yourself, this requires you to permanently dedicate 2 Artifice Pool points. You may reclaim them if you wish to destroy/undo said upgrade. It will take one week until they are fully recovered.
Uses for your Automaton stack. Uses for yourself do not.
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Darkfire142 - Can you list where to find said resources? I know about NeoExodus but I would be interested to see this class from the World of Aden and the Master class.
Were they mechanically or thematically better than the thread above? If you're just trolling that's fine but I actually would like to read more genuine feedback or suggestions on the OP's work (or my suggestions, for that matter).
If nothing else, it would help to have points of reference to the works you name, or even a fair comparison and contrast.
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I was not trolling you Vedric, I was just revealing the truth. Anyway here is the link to the "Steamwright" class. The Aden book has yet to be released but it is coming out in the next week or two.
As for the Master Class, it was a class in 3/3.5 for Dragonlance. It was detailed in the "War of the Lance" supplement.