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I was recently motivated by Epic Meepo (and his crazy amount of archetypes) to share with you my measly handful of home-brewed archetypes. There are two Fighter archetypes, one Druid archetype, and a Sorcerer archetype. I've shared the Sorcerer one before, but not the finished product. The others are works in progress, as I have not been able to playtest them or figure out any potential crazy optimizing combinations. I tried to balance them in one way or another, but I'm honestly not 100% sure how well I did. Feel free to point out any glaring oversights or even suggest new names for things. Here we go!
Some people seemed so excited about getting a Final Fantasy-like dragoon in Ultimate Combat's dragoon archetype, that I kind of felt a little disappointed myself when it wasn't what some people hoped it might be. I know that dragoons are a real, separate thing that already exists. Really, it was just lazy translation, and the FF class should have been called dragon knight. Well, this was my attempt to give those people what they were hoping for. It seems pretty powerful, especially when only two-handed weapons are involved, but I tried to take away a lot and limit it in order to make up for that. Also, I got a little lazy and just gave them some abilities straight from the Cavalier's Order of the Dragon. I think it works, though.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A lancer is not proficient with shields (including tower shields).
Lancer Training (Ex): A lancer gains a number of skill points equal to 4 + his Intelligence modifier at each level instead of the usual 2 + Intelligence modifier. He also gains Acrobatics (Dex), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), and Sense Motive (Wis) as class skills. This ability replaces the fighter bonus feat gained at 1st level.
Nimble: At 2nd level, a lancer reduces his armor check penalty by 1 point. The penalty decreases by 1 point every four levels thereafter to a maximum reduction of 5 points (to a minimum armor check penalty of 0) at 18th level. This ability replaces Bravery.
High Jump (Su): At 3rd level, a lancer can jump high into the air, and land on his foes in order to deal heavy damage with a pole weapon. As a full-round action, he may leap up to 20 feet in the air, and remains there for one round. Jumping in this way does not provoke any attacks of opportunity. At the beginning of his next turn, he may land on any one creature within a 5-foot radius of his jumping point, making a single attack at his highest base attack bonus. This attack is treated exactly like attacking on a charge, and any falling damage that he would normally take (1d6 per 10 feet) is instead dealt to the creature. Any creatures immune to critical hits and precision damage are also immune to this extra damage.
If a lancer should happen to miss the target of this attack, or there are no creatures within his radius to land upon, he takes the falling damage instead, but ignores the first 10 feet of falling damage and does not end up prone. He also negates an amount of falling damage equal to his ranks (not including any modifiers) invested in the Acrobatics skill. A lancer cannot use this ability unless he is wielding a pole weapon. This ability replaces Armor Training 1 and the fighter bonus feat gained at 4th level.
Pole Weapon Training (Ex): At 5th level, whenever a lancer attacks with a weapon from either the pole arm or spear weapon groups, he gains a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls. This bonus increases by +1 every four levels to a maximum of +4 at 17th level. This ability replaces Weapon Training 1.
Improved High Jump (Su): At 7th level, a lancer may use his High Jump ability to leap up to 40 feet in the air, and may land on any one creature within a 10-foot radius of his jumping point. If he should happen to miss the target of this attack, or there are no creatures within his radius to land upon, he ignores the first 20 feet of falling damage. This ability replaces Armor Training 2 and the fighter bonus feat gained at 8th level.
Aid Allies (Ex): At 9th level, whenever a lancer uses the aid another action to assist one of his allies, the ally receives a +3 bonus to his Armor Class, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check. This bonus increases by +1 every five levels to a maximum of +5 at 19th level. This ability replaces Weapon Training 2.
Greater High Jump (Su): At 11th level, a lancer may use his High Jump ability to leap up to 60 feet in the air, and may land on any one creature within a 15-foot radius of his jumping point. If he should happen to miss the target of this attack, or there are no creatures within his radius to land upon, he ignores the first 30 feet of falling damage. This ability replaces Armor Training 3 and the fighter bonus feat gained at 12th level.
Strategy (Ex): At 13th level, a lancer may spend a standard action to grant one of a number of bonuses to all allies within 30 feet (including himself). The allies must be able to see or hear the lancer in order to receive this bonus. He can grant a +2 dodge bonus to AC for 1 round, a +2 morale bonus on all attack rolls for 1 round, or the ability to move up to their speed as an immediate action once. He can grant a different bonus to each ally within range, but allies can only benefit from this ability once per combat. This ability replaces Weapon Training 3.
Expert High Jump (Su): At 15th level, a lancer may use his High Jump ability to leap up to 80 feet in the air, and may land on any one creature within a 20-foot radius of his jumping point. If he should happen to miss the target of this attack, or there are no creatures within his radius to land upon, he ignores the first 40 feet of falling damage. This ability replaces Armor Training 4 and the fighter bonus feat gained at 16th level.
Act as One (Ex): At 17th level, a lancer may spend a standard action to move up to his speed and make a melee attack. All allies within 30 feet can also move up to their speed and make a melee attack as an immediate action. This movement and attack can be made as a charge if the movement qualifies. All attacks are made at a +2 bonus (this stacks with the bonus from a charge), and all participants receive a +2 dodge bonus to their AC for 1 round. A lancer can only use this ability once per combat. This replaces Weapon Training 4.
Master High Jump (Su): At 19th level, a lancer reaches the literal peak of his jumping prowess. He may use his High Jump ability to leap up to 100 feet in the air, and may land on any one creature within a 25-foot radius of his jumping point. If he should happen to miss the target of this attack, or there are no creatures within his radius to land upon, he ignores the first 50 feet of falling damage. In addition, his bonus to attacking on a charge while using this ability increases to +4, and he does not take any penalties to his AC afterwards. This ability replaces Armor Mastery and the fighter bonus feat gained at 20th level.
Pole Weapon Mastery (Ex): At 20th level, a lancer chooses one weapon from either the pole arm or spear weapon groups. Any attacks made with this weapon automatically confirm all critical threats and have their damage multiplier increased by 1. In addition, he cannot be disarmed when wielding his chosen weapon. This ability replaces Weapon Mastery.
The Lore Warden seems like a popular archetype, and I was afraid to touch it because of that, but... When I looked at the abilities and what you're giving up in exchange, it really doesn't make sense to me. I mean, trading Bravery +1 for Combat Expertise? Really? No. It's a cool concept that I think had wonky execution. This was my attempt to fix it. I don't know if it's better, but it's at least more balanced and the trade in abilities makes more sense.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A lore warden is not proficient with medium armor, heavy armor, or shields.
Educated (Ex): A lore warden gains all knowledge skills as class skills. He also gains 1 additional skill rank at each level that must be spent exclusively on knowledge skills.
Combat Expertise: At 1st level, a lore warden gains Combat Expertise as a bonus feat, even if he would not normally meet the prerequisites for this feat.
Know Thy Enemy (Ex): At 2nd level, a lore warden gains a +1 bonus on knowledge skill checks made to identify creatures and their special powers or vulnerabilities. This bonus increases by +1 for every four levels beyond 2nd. This ability replaces bravery.
Stratagem Lore (Ex): At 3rd level, a lore warden can study one specific creature within his line of sight as a standard action. He must make a Knowledge check to determine the creature's abilities and weaknesses as part of this action. If successful, the lore warden not only notes the appropriate information (as detailed on page 100 of the Core Rulebook), but also gains a +2 competence bonus on all attack and damage rolls made against that creature. This bonus lasts for the duration of the encounter, or until the lore warden attempts a new Knowledge check to use the ability on a different creature. This ability replaces armor training 1.
Apt Maneuvering (Ex): At 7th level, a lore warden gains a +2 bonus on all combat maneuver rolls and his CMD against creatures studied using his Stratagem Lore ability. This bonus increases by +2 every four levels beyond 7th. This ability replaces armor training 2.
Breadth of Intellect (Ex): At 11th level, a lore warden can use his Stratagem Lore ability on a number of additional creatures per encounter equal to his Intelligence modifier. If any additional creatures are the same type and subtype as the original studied creature (see the ranger's favored enemy table on page 64 of the Core Rulebook), then he does not need to make separate Knowledge checks for each additional creature. However, for any additional creatures that are not of the same type and subtype, he must still make separate Knowledge checks. This ability replaces armor training 3.
Swift Lore (Ex): At 14th level, a lore warden may use his Stratagem Lore ability as a swift action instead of a standard action. He may also use Stratagem Lore again as a standard action in the same round he uses it as a swift action. This ability replaces armor training 4.
Critical Insight (Ex): At 19th level, a lore warden can automatically confirm a critical hit once per round whenever he threatens a critical hit against creatures studied using his Stratagem Lore ability. He also adds his Intelligence modifier on damage rolls for these critical hits. This ability replaces armor mastery.
I love dragons. I love evil, shadowy dragons. (Look at my user pic.) I love sarcastic, cynical beeotches who are Debbie Downers, yet amusing Debbie Downers, on the party. This archetype spawned from my own Dragon Disciple character. None of the dragon choices really fit the bill for her, so my GM and I made one up based on the Umbral Dragon. It's basically an archetype within an archetype. I changed a few things here and there to fit the flavor, but it's basically still the Draconic Sorcerer bloodline.
Class Skill: Stealth.
Bonus Spells: silent image (3rd), darkness (5th), fly (7th), enervation (9th), true seeing (11th), shadow walk (13th), project image (15th), form of the dragon III (17th), shades (19th).
Bonus Feats: Blind-Fight, Dodge, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Silent Spell, Skill Focus (Fly), Stealthy, Toughness.
Bloodline Arcana: Whenever you cast a necromancy spell that deals hit point damage, that spell deals +1 point of damage per die rolled. If the necromancy spell bestows an amount of ability score damage, ability score drain, or negative levels, the amount increases by 1. If the spell deals ability score damage or drain to multiple ability scores, all of the ability scores are affected.
Bloodline Powers: The power of umbral dragons flows through you and manifests in a number of different ways.
Claws (Su): Starting at 1st level, you can grow claws as a free action. These claws are treated as natural weapons allowing you to make two claw attacks as a full attack action using your full base attack bonus. Each of these attacks deal 1d4 points of damage plus your Strength modifier (1d3 if you are Small). At 5th level, these claws are treated as if they have the ghost touch weapon property. At 7th level, the damage increases by one step to 1d6 points of damage (1d4 if you are Small). At 11th level, these claws deal an additional 1d6 points of negative energy damage on a successful hit. This negative energy does not heal undead creatures. You can use your claws for a number of rounds per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier.
Dragon Resistances (Ex): At 3rd level, you gain negative energy resistance 5 and a +1 natural armor bonus. At 9th level, you gain negative energy resistance 10 and your natural armor bonus increases to +2. At 15th level, your natural armor bonus increases to +4.
Breath Weapon (Su): At 9th level, you gain a breath weapon. This breath weapon is a 30-foot cone that deals 1d6 points of negative energy damage per sorcerer level. Those caught in the area of the breath receive a Reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your sorcerer level + your Charisma modifier. At 9th level, you can use this ability once per day. At 17th level, you can use this ability twice per day. At 20th level, you can use this ability three times per day. This negative energy does not heal undead creatures.
Wings (Su): At 15th level, leathery dragon wings grow from your back as a standard action, giving you a fly speed of 60 feet with average maneuverability. You can dismiss them as a free action.
Umbral Scion (Su): At 20th level, your umbral draconic heritage becomes manifest. You gain immunity to negative energy (including associated negative levels, ability damage, ability drain, etc.) and death effects. You also gain blindsense 60 feet.
This is a weird idea I came up with when I told one of my fellow players, "The Druid spell list is awesome, but I hate summoning and wild shape." He told me that I should make an archetype that replaces what I don't like. Well, apparently I don't like anything about Druids except for their spell list, as I replaced or altered every single class ability. This should really be an alternate class, but I'm still calling it an archetype. Also, it is loosely inspired by Eberron's Children of Winter, that reincarnating Druid from Ultimate Magic, and a previous 3.5 Druid character of mine.
Alignment: Any nongood.
Class Skills: Void druids do not gain Fly (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), or Ride (Dex) as class skills. Instead, they gain all knowledge skills as class skills.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Void druids are proficient with the following: club, dagger, dart, longbow, quarterstaff, scimitar, scythe, sickle, shortbow, shortspear, sling and spear. Void druids are proficient with light and medium armor, but are prohibited from wearing metal armor; thus, they must wear only padded, leather, or hide armor. A void druid may also wear any wooden armor that had been altered by the ironwood spell so that it functions as thought it were steel. Void druids are proficient with shields (except tower shields), but must use only those crafted by wood.
Spells: A void druid has a limited spell list. She does not gain access to any spells that cure hit point damage, spells that summon creatures of any kind, or spells that affect plants and animals (unless those spells inflict hit point damage). She also does not gain access to any polymorph spells that turn herself or allies into plants or animals. If she receives any of these spells from a domain or subdomain (such as Decay), she must instead prepare a spell of the same level or lower in an appropriate domain spell slot. However, a spell prepared in this way still cannot be "lost" in order to cast a spell spontaneously. Her spells ability otherwise functions as usual.
Spontaneous Casting: A void druid can channel stored spell energy into negative energy spells that she has not prepared ahead of time. She can "lose" a prepared spell in order to cast any inflict wounds spell of the same level or lower. This replaces the ability to spontaneously cast summon nature's ally spells.
Void Bond (Ex): A void druid may not select an animal companion. Instead, she must choose from the following domains and subdomains rather than those usually available to druids: Blood, Death, Decay, Destruction, Knowledge, Murder, Rage, Repose, or War. Any associated domains and subdomains may not be chosen unless they are already listed here. When determining the powers and bonus spells granted by this domain, the void druid's effective cleric level is equal to her own level. A void druid also receives additional domain spell slots, just like a cleric. She must prepare the spell from her domain in this slot and this spell cannot be used to cast a spell spontaneously.
Killer Instinct (Ex): At 1st level, a void druid gains a bonus equal to 1/2 her level (minimum 1) on all knowledge skill checks made to identify living creatures and their special powers or vulnerabilities. If she fails the check, she may attempt to reroll as an immediate action using her Wisdom modifier as a bonus (as well as her Intelligence modifier) on the reroll. She may attempt to reroll a knowledge skill check in this manner once per day, and one additional time per day at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. This ability replaces nature sense and wild empathy.
Inevitable Restitution: At 2nd level, a void druid gains Step Up as a bonus feat. At 4th level, she gains Following Step as a bonus feat. At 8th level, she gains Step Up and Strike as a bonus feat. She need not meet the prerequisites of these feats, but she is only allowed to follow and attack living creatures in this manner. This ability replaces woodland stride and trackless step.
Death Defiance (Ex): At 4th level, a void druid gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against death effects, energy drain, and other necromancy effects, and on stabilization checks when dying. At 9th level, once per day, a void druid may reroll a save against a death effect, energy drain, or necromancy effect before the result of the roll is revealed, or she may reroll a failed stabilization check while dying. At 15th level, a void druid automatically stabilizes if brought below 0 hit points, and (unless killed) heals 1 hit point per round until she reaches 0 hit points and regains consciousness. This ability replaces resist nature's lure, venom immunity, and timeless body.
Rescinding Burst (Su): At 4th level, a void druid can release a burst of negative energy that affects all living creatures in a 30-foot radius centered on her. The amount of damage dealt is equal to 1d6 points of damage plus 1d6 points of damage for every two void druid levels beyond 4th, to a total of 8d6 points of damage at 18th level. Creatures that take damage from this energy receive a Will save to halve the damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the void druid's level + the void druid's Charisma modifier. A void druid may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 1 + her Charisma modifier. This is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. At 20th level, a void druid may focus this energy inward to heal herself instead of dealing damage. This negative energy does not heal undead creatures. This ability replaces wild shape.
Soul Snuff (Su): At 13th level, a void druid can gain a small boost in power from recently fallen creatures at will, as if using the death knell spell.
Ooph.
Lancer: Fighter is the one class that should not have any magical abilities. Last I checked (a month ago), there wasn't a single (Su) or (Sp) for fighters. I also recall SKR talking about how that's one of the design goals. Originally, I stopped reading the second I saw the (Su).
I'm going back over it now though. Issues with it:
* If he has a reach weapon, he can't attack the creature within 5' of where he jumped.
* Where does he end up anyways?
* You replace weapon training 1 with an ability that automatically scales the to-hit and damage of two weapon groups, mimicing weapon training exactly except for the more weapon groups (which this guy wouldn't be using anyways). You then replace higher level weapon training with other abilities. The net effect is that you give up nothing and gain Aid Allies, Strategy, and Act as One for free. You should rethink that one!
* The Jump abilities are fairly mediocre IMO. I mean, they look cool and all. But really, you're giving up a turn for a few extra d6s to damage, and it's not even guaranteed to work. I don't think it's worth armor training AND a feat.
* It's also weird that he can ignore falling damage when he jumps super high, but if he normally falls from the height, he's SOL.
Lore Warden: No comment.
Umbral Draconic Sorc: I commented on this before, I think. Does the breath weapon heal undead? The umbral dragon's does not, however the restricted uses per day means it's probably fine. I still think the second part of the arcana is on the strongside.
Void Druid: It's weird enough that I have no comment for now. I have no idea how negative energy relates to elemental and nature control that the druid spell list offers.
Some concider void an element (or rather an ultimate lack of elements)
@ Cheapy:
Lancer: Regarding (Su), I made High Jump supernatural at the last second, only because I was trying to balance it and thought that it should be a magic-like effect that can be shut off in an area where magic cannot work. It was more of a limiting factor than giving them something magical. Either way, I'm fine with it being (Ex) as normal. Also, see my last point regarding normal falling without this ability.
Regarding your other points about Lancers:
*There are prices I thought you should have to pay. Being within 5' with a reach weapon at 3rd level is just how the mechanics worked out. Right, you normally can't attack with a reach weapon adjacent to someone, but you will be spending a full-round action to jump on top of them anyway, so it doesn't really matter. Also, as this ability scales and the range increases, it really doesn't matter. At one point I did have it start out at 10' and scale up to 30', but I was trying to limit the range to what a medium humanoid wearing heavy armor would normally be able to move in a round.
*He ends up where ever his range will let him, to a certain extent. I kind of thought that would be obvious. Yes, I know the 5'/reach weapon thing seems like a problem here as well, but that's how it works. If he hits something, he lands in the closest adjacent legal square to the enemy he hit. Wouldn't that be how it works if he just fell like a normal idiot? If there is no one around to hit anymore, he lands where he jumped from, or he can pretty much fall where ever he wants that is a legal square to stand in. Since it's a full-round action anyway, I don't see an issue with it if you basically just wasted it to move around and hurt yourself. That's one of the prices you pay for charging from the air with a two-handed weapon to deal extra damage.
*Have you seen basically any of the other fighter archetypes? Almost all of them do this too, but with one weapon group. And this guy would be using spears and pole arms because he can only use them for one of his major abilities. If it's such an issue, I can limit it to just the pole arm group. And the other archetypes also get replacements for weapon training 2-master on top of the scaling attack/damage with one weapon group. Those other abilities are usually something always on, or regarding their weapon. I just changed this to situational things (like aid another), or things that can only be used ONCE per combat. It doesn't necessarily have to do with pole arms, but doing something once per combat I don't think is gaining too much for giving up too little.
*It starts out as 2d6 damage, but scales up to 10d6 damage if you can jump high enough. 10d6 is more than just a few d6. You're giving up a turn for 2d6-10d6 damage with a two-handed weapon (most likely power attacking) on a charge in which you don't massively hurt yourself in the process, and you get a buffer on that damage just in case you do. I did leave in the fighter bonus feats at one point, except for the 4th level one. I can change it back to that if need be. I'm just trying to turn flavor into rules and mechanics here. If you don't like the archetype, then you don't have to use it. I'm sure the creators/developers would say "no FF in my PF, thank you" anyway, but what can you do?
*Yet another reason why I wanted to make this a (Su) ability. It would make a tinier bit of sense that way if they were influenced by something that works like, but isn't, magic. I also thought that taking out bonus feats would make up for it turning into a (Su) ability. If fighters can give up feats for things like Eldritch Heritage, which gives them (Su) abilities, then why not make High Jump supernatural? Should I also make it somehow based on Charisma? Also, they are spending a full-round action, and basically stuck in the air for a round, in order to prepare for this fall. When you normally fall, it is an accident, not premeditated.
Lore Warden: Yay, I think?
Umbral Draconic: You did comment on this before, with the same question. No, this negative energy does not heal undead. It says so in the Umbral Dragon text, so I made sure to put the same text in these abilities. I tagged it on at the end of the ability, so you may have missed it. It doesn't do anything to undead, heal or harm. As a side note, I recently was able to use this breath weapon for the first time, and it rocks. I just hope I never have to fight evil clerics or hordes of undead. As for the arcana, you'll have to ask my GM about it. That was his idea. I was just going to make it that your shadow conjurations/evocations are +10% or +20% more real. You can replace it with something like that, if you prefer.
Void Druid: I admit this is a weird one. You're right. What does negative energy have to do with anything druidic and their spell list? Well, that's why I altered a lot of stuff. The main point was to keep their spells that destroy, suffocate, corrode, poison, murder, death, kill. It needs work, possibly a different class. It doesn't work as a divine class, honestly, but I basically need to make up a whole new class with a weird combination of arcane and divine spells. This was just my attempt at keeping it "simple."
I appreciate your critiques, Cheapy, but it's hard for me to tell if you're being constructive, or just ripping it apart because you think it's stupid. This is why I was afraid to post them in the first place (hence the title of the thread). I am safe from mean people if I keep this to myself, hidden in the depths of my computer files. (I am not saying you are mean. People in general, including myself, can come off as harsh and abrupt on these messageboards.) If I don't share them, though, then I will never know what I am doing wrong in order to become better at doing stuff like this. I get enjoyment out of doing this, especially if people end up actually using it.
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just throwing my 2 cp into all this, I would change the name of the void druid when I saw the name I thought I was getting a druid focused on aberrations, the dark tapestry, or the stars (as there is a void domain). Now if you have or know of one of those floating around out there though please say so or post it would love to see what you have done or found.
just throwing my 2 cp into all this, I would change the name of the void druid when I saw the name I thought I was getting a druid focused on aberrations, the dark tapestry, or the stars (as there is a void domain). Now if you have or know of one of those floating around out there though please say so or post it would love to see what you have done or found.
Yeah, sorry. I was trying to think of a better name, but the only other thing I could think of was Terminator. Then people would be associating Druids with "the Governator", and that seemed pretty cheesy to me. Feel free to suggest another name yourself.
The stuff you made seems pretty interesting but I really don't have anything to sat about them except for the Void druid.
Just from the name Void bond I would have pictured the void druid forming some sort of bond with a Akata (bestiary 2). That would be pretty cool in my opinion.
I do have one concern however. The Rescinding burst. In my group I have some players who claim that if the burst is centered on you, shouldn't you be affected as well? You are creating a ball of negative energy with you at the center after all.
This is the same group of people who use a similar ability to heal themselves with negative energy and damage those around them so maybe they're just breaking the rules a bit.
However OP, and with mechanical inconsistencies aside, I like what you did with the Lancer. The whole point of homebrew is not to be strait-jacketed by Core canon. So, try and make it balance if you can so those that DO want FF in their PF can have it withou the guilt of ubering out 30' in the air!
If it's a design goal for PF not to have Su abilities in Fighters, well and good for them. No reason someone can't tear off a chunk of archetype cake and make their own Supernatural Fighter. It's your game, your world. If you present it to the boards though be prepared for people to rip into it's mechanics, design, flavor, name etc. As is their right, and as some would see it, a duty to point out balance issues to the designer ( to help further tweak, and later/future designs) and to prospective users.
FWIW I don't think the Lancer's jumping needs to be Supernatural. It seems more super-heroic or legendary, and I could easily see it as Ex.
I wants it. It kinda sounds like the alienist class from 3.5
If your going the follower route perhaps it would gain some minor class buffs depending on the old one it followed?