There have been a few different threads covering this type of class. I have been kicking around a few ideas, myself.
Basically, it's built similarly to the Paladin/Ranger style, but with an Arcane flavor. Full BAB, good Will and Fort. Spells are gained at the same rate as Paladin/Ranger. I haven't built the spell list yet, but it will probably be a very refined, pared-down version of the Wizard/Sorcerer list.
I have never done this before, so criticism is welcome.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.
The aether guard’s class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcane) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), and Swim (Str).
Skill Ranks per Level: 2 + Int modifier.
All of the following are class features of the aether guard.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Aether Guards are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), and with shields (except tower shields).
Incendiary (Ex): An aether guard can summon the power of the elements to greatly empower his physical attacks. As a swift action, the aether guard chooses one type of elemental damage (acid, cold, electricity, or fire) and adds damage of that type equal to his aether guard level to all melee attacks. Starting at 1st level, he can add this damage for a number of rounds per day equal to 4 + his Intelligence modifier. At each level after 1st, he can summon this power for 2 additional rounds. Temporary increases to Intelligence, such as those gained from spells like fox’s cunning, do not increase the total number of rounds an aether guard can use this power. An aether guard can end this power as a free action.
Fluid (Ex): At 2nd level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing light armor or wielding a light shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. At 8th level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing medium armor without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. At 14th level, an aether guard can cast arcane spells while wearing heavy armor or wielding a heavy shield without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Spells with a somatic component still require the aether guard to have at least one free hand.
Solid (Ex): At 3rd level, an aether guard gains a +1 bonus to saves and CMD. At 10th level, this bonus increases to +2. At 17th level, this bonus increases to +3.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, an aether guard gains the ability to cast a small number of arcane spells which are drawn from the aether guard spell list. An aether guard must choose and prepare his spells in advance.
To learn, prepare, or cast a spell, an aether guard must have an Intelligence score equal to at least 10 + the spell level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against an aether guard’s spell is 10 + the spell level + the aether guard’s Intelligence modifier.
An aether guard can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Intelligence score. An aether guard may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting 8 hours of sleep and spending 1 hour communing with the elements while contemplating his brands. While communing, the aether guard decides which spells to prepare.
Through 3rd level, an aether guard has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is equal to his aether guard level – 3.
Branding (Ex): An aether guard must commune with the elements while contemplating his brands each day to prepare his spells. He cannot prepare any spell which he has not branded upon his body.
To learn a new spell, the aether guard must perform a ritual combining the four elements with the arcane power of the spell. By shaping stone ore with lightning and fire, and tempering it with pure water, he creates a unique brand charged with the power of the spell. When the brand is heated and applied to his skin, he permanently adds that spell to the list of spells he can prepare each day. Despite the process, branding does not cause injury to the aether guard or significantly alter his appearance. There is no limit to the number of spells the aether guard can learn this way. The time and cost of this ritual is the same as a wizard adding spells to his spellbook.
At 4th level, the aether guard gains knowledge of one 1st-level spell at no cost. At each new aether guard level after 4th, he adds one spell of any spell level he can cast (based on his new aether guard level) to his repertoire.
Elemental Bond (Sp): Upon reaching 5th level, an aether guard forms a powerful bond with the elements allowing him to summon aid from the elemental planes.
Once per day, as a full-round action, an aether guard can summon a small elemental. This is the equivalent of casting summon monster II as a spell-like ability. The caster level for this effect is equal to the aether guard’s class level. At 9th level, the aether guard can instead summon a medium elemental. At 13th level, he can instead summon a large elemental. At 17th level, he can instead summon a huge elemental.
Insubstantial (Sp): At 6th level, an aether guard may cast feather fall at will, as a spell-like ability. At 12th level, the aether guard can cast levitate, three times per day, as a spell-like ability. At 18th level, the aether guard can cast fly, once per day, as a spell-like ability.
Caustic (Ex): At 7th level, while Incendiary is active, whenever a creature successfully deals damage to the aether guard with a non-reach melee weapon or natural weapon, or otherwise touches the aether guard, including combat maneuvers and melee touch-attacks, that creature takes 2 points of energy damage from the aether guard. This energy is of the same type selected for incendiary. At 11th level, this damage increases to 4 points. At 15th level, this damage increases to 6 points. At 19th level, this damage increases to 8 points.
Charged (Su): At 16th level, while Incendiary is active, the aether guard gains the benefits of the haste spell.
Quintessence (Ex, Sp): At 20th level, the aether guard becomes a pure conduit for the elements. He no longer chooses a single type of energy when activating Incendiary. The bonus damage counts as all four energy types. Also, the bonuses from Solid increase to +4, and the aether guard becomes immune to knockdown effects. Lastly, the aether guard ignores the maximum weight limits while using the fly spell-like ability from Insubstantial. This ability does not apply to other castings of the spell fly.
I like it. An elemental champion of sorts. Now it just needs backround flavor and cultural origins. Can sonic energy be included as an element in an archetype perhaps?
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Not bad. Needs a little more... I dunno... pizzazz?
First: I don't like the arcane spell failure thing. Why get it at 2nd level when you can't even cast spells at that level? A knightly class like this probably should start off with at least the ability to ignore medium armor and shield arcane spell failure right off the bat.
Second: Incendiary actually seems like a bit much. It works like a Cavalier's Challenge crossed with Barbarian Rage... The limiting factor on challenge is on how, well, limited it is in its usage. I realize that you don't gain any secondary benefits or disadvantages, but it still seems like a bit much for how versatile it is. Maybe +1/2 level (minimum +1)?
Third: Insubstantial -- I like it, but it seems kind of... I dunno, out of place. I could see a rogueish hybrid character with it, but on a tanky, heavy plate kinda guy it doesn't make much thematic sense (though it is, of course, especially useful).
Fourth: Charged and Caustic -- I see what you did there, and I like the basic concept, but again, it's a bit much in regards to Charged, and too little for Caustic. I'd make Caustic a 1/2 level thing, or maybe even 5+1/2 Aether Guard level, and have charged maybe increase the damage dealt by Incendiary to full level. At 16th level, it wouldn't be... as bad, but I'm at a loss for alternatives atm.
Overall, I like the flavor of the class, and the execution isn't bad. I think a few abilities could be tweaked, and I'd like to see a Rage Power - like progression associated with Incendiary (perhaps special benefits with specific elements? maybe a bonus that ignores certain amounts of elemental resistance? makes enemies weaker against certain elements on hit?), but still a solid concept.
*Edit: I actually really like this guy as the sort of Damage Dealing twin to my Sentinel homebrew class. A few tweaks here or there and he'd be spot on (Though now I'm picturing him in light or medium armor).
Not bad. Needs a little more... I dunno... pizzazz?
Definitely. I left out pretty much all the fluff and flavor.
First: I don't like the arcane spell failure thing. Why get it at 2nd level when you can't even cast spells at that level? A knightly class like this probably should start off with at least the ability to ignore medium armor and shield arcane spell failure right off the bat.
I went back and forth on this, a bit. If it starts with medium, and you get it at 1st level, this makes level-dipping your arcane caster pretty much a no-brainer. If you don't get it until 4th, it makes multi-classing with a arcane caster impossible/pointless. I would like the class to stand alone, and balance in multi-class.
Second: Incendiary actually seems like a bit much. It works like a Cavalier's Challenge crossed with Barbarian Rage... The limiting factor on challenge is on how, well, limited it is in its usage. I realize that you don't gain any secondary benefits or disadvantages, but it still seems like a bit much for how versatile it is. Maybe +1/2 level (minimum +1)?
I kind of agree. Unfortunately, I feel like 1/2 per level is probably a little too low. Any ideas on what could be added that wouldn't just make it a Challenge/Smite clone?
Third: Insubstantial -- I like it, but it seems kind of... I dunno, out of place. I could see a rogueish hybrid character with it, but on a tanky, heavy plate kinda guy it doesn't make much thematic sense (though it is, of course, especially useful).
Yeah. I was kind of casting around for something to represent "Wind" as an element. My other thought was a scaling percentage miss chance for ranged attacks against the aether guard.
Fourth: Charged and Caustic -- I see what you did there, and I like the basic concept, but again, it's a bit much in regards to Charged, and too little for Caustic. I'd make Caustic a 1/2 level thing, or maybe even 5+1/2 Aether Guard level, and have charged maybe increase the damage dealt by Incendiary to full level. At 16th level, it wouldn't be... as bad, but I'm at a loss for alternatives atm.
I didn't want to go too high on Caustic. This may be shaped a bit too heavily by my own personal experience, though. I was concerned that a DM, having once been burned by Caustic, would start avoiding attacking the aether guard PC. Also, if it is too high damage, becoming a full-time grappler becomes a no-brainer.
Overall, I like the flavor of the class, and the execution isn't bad. I think a few abilities could be tweaked, and I'd like to see a Rage Power - like progression associated with Incendiary (perhaps special benefits with specific elements? maybe a bonus that ignores certain amounts of elemental resistance? makes enemies weaker against certain elements on hit?), but still a solid concept.
*Edit: I actually really like this guy as the sort of Damage Dealing twin to my Sentinel homebrew class. A few tweaks here or there and he'd be spot on (Though now I'm picturing him in light or medium armor).
Excellent! Thanks for the feedback!
I like it. An elemental champion of sorts. Now it just needs backround flavor and cultural origins. Can sonic energy be included as an element in an archetype perhaps?
Thank you! It definitely still needs flavor. I avoided sonic, since it doesn't really fall into the four "classical elements". But, I'm still searching for a way to really incorporate "Wind" as an element. So, maybe there's something there.
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First: I don't like the arcane spell failure thing. Why get it at 2nd level when you can't even cast spells at that level? A knightly class like this probably should start off with at least the ability to ignore medium armor and shield arcane spell failure right off the bat.I went back and forth on this, a bit. If it starts with medium, and you get it at 1st level, this makes level-dipping your arcane caster pretty much a no-brainer. If you don't get it until 4th, it makes multi-classing with a arcane caster impossible/pointless. I would like the class to stand alone, and balance in multi-class.
Check out the language for Bard spellcasting. Their spells section specifically states that the ignoring of Arcane Spell Failure only applies to bard spells. Pillage that, replace Bard with Aether Guard, and voila. Write it into the Spells section, though, instead of making it a bonus ability. If you wish to add armor proficiencies later, add those abilities in (see Magus).
Second: Incendiary actually seems like a bit much. It works like a Cavalier's Challenge crossed with Barbarian Rage... The limiting factor on challenge is on how, well, limited it is in its usage. I realize that you don't gain any secondary benefits or disadvantages, but it still seems like a bit much for how versatile it is. Maybe +1/2 level (minimum +1)?I kind of agree. Unfortunately, I feel like 1/2 per level is probably a little too low. Any ideas on what could be added that wouldn't just make it a Challenge/Smite clone?
Hm... If you wanted to make it more like smite/challenge, I would have the ability be usable a fixed number of times per day (say, Smite Evil/Challenge daily use progression), but lasting a number of rounds equal to 1/2 your Aether Guard level + your Intelligence modifier. This gives you added longevity in the long run, justifies having full level damage progression, and makes the ability seem more influential, which is a good thing, imo.
I didn't want to go too high on Caustic. This may be shaped a bit too heavily by my own personal experience, though. I was concerned that a DM, having once been burned by Caustic, would start avoiding attacking the aether guard PC. Also, if it is too high damage, becoming a full-time grappler becomes a no-brainer.
Well, here's the issue: Any DM, upon being burned by caustic, will have that knee jerk reaction to just stop attacking you, no matter what the damage is. Remember, if we limit the number of uses of Incendiary per day, like Smite/Challenge, this effectively turns you into an awesome grappler... for a few times per day. You still need to specialize in grappling to become effective at it, and having a little extra oomph added to it hardly seems overbearing, especially if this guy is intended to be a damage dealer. I actually see this ability synergizing with Crane style really well... Anyways, the point is, don't worry too much about the damage. At level 7, when you get it, it'd add about 8 damage on being hit (5+ 1/2 level), which is pretty sweet, but considering that, aside from Incendiary, you don't have any other ways of increasing your damage dealt, I still don't see it as much of an issue.
If you decide to go with the suggested changes to Incendiary, you could have Charged instead add extra dice of damage (1d6, 1d8), or you could have a cool expenditure effect. Perhaps Charged allows you to sacrifice a two uses of Incendiary to deal 1d6 damage per level on all melee attacks for one round. That's the equivalent of about 3 hits of normal incendiary per hit, and at that high of a level, it'd be a pretty cool spike effect, which could, imo, easily be justified by the expenditure.
Just a few things to mention. I'd like to see more on him, including spell selection, and maybe an Aether Guard 2.0.
If you decide to go with the suggested changes to Incendiary, you could have Charged instead add extra dice of damage (1d6, 1d8), or you could have a cool expenditure effect. Perhaps Charged allows you to sacrifice a two uses of Incendiary to deal 1d6 damage per level on all melee attacks for one round. That's the equivalent of about 3 hits of normal incendiary per hit, and at that high of a level, it'd be a pretty cool spike effect, which could, imo, easily be justified by the expenditure.
That's an excellent suggestion. I think lowering the normal damage for Incendiary, then adding a spike effect for a greater expenditure is the perfect solution. I think it means having to move Charged to a much lower level, though. Probably 10th at the latest.
Just a few things to mention. I'd like to see more on him, including spell selection, and maybe an Aether Guard 2.0.
I was looking for some idea of where I was at with the bare-bones class abilities. I've got some great ideas for revisions, now. So, I'll kick it around some more and get a revised version up soon. Flavor, spell list, etc. included.