I'm working on a homebrew class that takes the concept of a Warlock and advances it. Because the first trial concept of the class had a glowing light shield and fired light beams for damage, I named them Lanterns.
No need to panic however, they do not have magic rings, their powers come from a Patron.
It's still in the dev stages, but here's a run down. Unlike Warlocks, Lanterns can also take Domain abilities as well as arcane school abilities. This lets you created one Lantern that can heal or even "channel energy", while another could use transformation like abilities.
What I have so far....
Lantern
A Lantern is a person bound by a mystic Oath. An Oath so powerful it fills the Lantern with mystic energy known as *Light*. People become Lanterns for many reasons, some to avenge wrongs, some to protect others, and some just for the pure power. The Lantern Oath also binds the Lantern to an Order, like the Cavalier Orders.
Lanterns are chosen by powerful beings known as Patrons. Patrons can be Gods, spirits, or perhaps the force of magic itself. The Patron is the one that gives the Lantern their Oath, and the Patron can also revoke the Oath. At a crucial moment in the Lantern’s life, the Patron will offer the powers of a Lantern in exchange for the Lantern’s dedication to the Oath.
Whenever Lantern’s use their powers, their eyes and hands glow with colored Light, and the item or effect they create also seem to be made of the same colored Light.
Role: Lanterns are a support class. They have a limited amount of powers but they can use those powers over and over, providing a good supplement to any party.
Alignment: Lawful. Any Lantern that deviates from Lawful risks having the Patron track the Lantern down and remove their powers.
Hit Die: D8
Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Craft Construct (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (The Planes), Knowledge (Religion), Knowledge (Arcana), Linguistics, Profession, Sense Motive.
Skill Points per level: 4
Level BAB FORT REF WILL Special Invocations
1 2 3 4
1 +0 +0 +0 +2 Oath, Cantrips, Invocations, Shield (AC1/DR1) 1
2 +1 +0 +0 +3 2 School or Domain Abilities 2
3 +2 +1 +1 +3 Shield(AC2/DR2) 2
4 +3 +1 +1 +4 School Ability 3 1
5 +3 +1 +1 +4 Enhanced Ability (+1) 3 1 1
6 +4 +2 +2 +5 School Ability 3 2 1
7 +5 +2 +2 +5 Shield(AC4/DR4) 4 2 2
8 +6/+1 +2 +2 +6 School Ability 4 3 2
9 +6/+1 +3 +3 +6 Enhanced Ability (+2) 4 3 3
10 +7/+2 +3 +3 +7 School Ability 4 3 3 1
11 +8/+3 +3 +3 +7 Shield(AC4/DR8) 5 4 3 1
12 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 School Ability 5 4 4 1
13 +9/+4 +4 +4 +8 Enhanced Ability (+3) 5 4 4 2
14 +10/+5 +4 +4 +9 School Ability 6 5 4 2
15 +11/+6/+1 +5 +5 +9 Shield(AC5/DR10) 6 5 4 3
16 +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 School Ability 6 6 5 3
17 +12/+7/+2 +5 +5 +10 Enhanced Ability (+4) 6 6 5 4
18 +13/+8/+3 +6 +6 +11 School Ability 6 6 5 4
19 +14/+9/+4 +6 +6 +11 Shield(AC5/DR15) 6 6 6 5
20 +15/+10/+5 +6 +6 +12 School Ability 6 6 6 5
Class Features
Cantrips: A Lantern gains access to a number of cantrips, or 0-Level spells equal to his Wisdom Mod
Enhanced Ability: At lvl 5, and every 4 levels after that, the Lantern gains the ability to add an enchantment equivalent to the School Abilities and Invocations they know. At lvl 5 this bonus is +1, but this can be used to purchase enchantments as if there was already a +1 enhancement.
Invocations: Invocations are spell like abilities a Lantern learns. These abilities duplicate the effect of a spell, either arcane or divine. Invocations are usable a number of times per day equal to 1 plus half the class level of the Lantern, rounded up. To push himself, a Lantern can continue to try to use the Invocation, but that requires a Spellcraft check starting at DC 20 and rising by one every additional time the Invocation is used. Invocations use the Lantern’s Class level as Caster level for spell effects, duration, etc, but the spell seems to be generated in whatever Light the Lantern uses. Lantern’s gain bonus Invocations based on their Wisdom score.
Oath:
School Abilities: School abilities come from either the Arcane School Lists, or the Domain abilities list. In addition, the Lantern may learn additional school abilities listed in this section. The Lantern may only take a school ability less than or equal to his Lantern level. He may also take a cantrip in place of a school ability. For example, a 2nd level Lantern gets a new school ability. Since he is not yet fourth level, he must select a 1st level ability or cantrip.
The Lantern does not need to take a lower level school ability in order to select a higher one. For example, a 4th level Lantern can select summon monster even if he doesn’t have acid dart. In addition, the Lantern may swap school abilities whenever he is able to take a new school ability, but he must replace the old one with a school ability of equal or lesser value (cantrips can only be swapped for other cantrips).
The Lantern’s level is used to determine the caster level for school abilities. The DC for any save is equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the caster’s Wisdom modifier. School abilities are not spells and thus cannot be affected by metamagic Feats. Using a school ability is a standard action.
Abjuration School
CL Ability
4th Arcane Grip (Su): Any door, window, chest, or other opening with a lid that you touch remains locked as per the arcane lock spell. You must continue to touch the object in order for this effect to remain in place. Anything that can open an arcane lock can also foil this ability.
12th Break Enchantment (Su): This ability works exactly as the spell of the same name. You can only use this ability on a single person or object once per day.
16th Mind Veil (Su): Your mind is shielded from scrying or manipulation as per the mind blank spell.
Conjuration School
CL Ability
4th Summon Monster (Su): You can summon monsters to aid you as per the summon monster II spell. The duration lasts a day. Creatures summoned always have maximum hit points.
12th Combat Teleport (Su): You can instantly teleport anywhere that you can see. Roll a d20. On a 6-20, you end up exactly where you want to be. On a 2-5, you appear close to it. Roll a d8 to determine the direction (N, NE, E, etc) and then roll a 1d4 to determine the number of 5-foot squares in that direction you’ve moved. If this is impossible (e.g. you were trying to teleport near a wall), then you appear as close as you can in that direction. On a roll of 1, you suffer a mishap. You take 1d10 points of damage and roll again (perhaps changing directions and/or suffering mishaps again). You keep rerolling as long as you suffer mishaps. In addition, you are dazed for 1d4 rounds.
16th Phase Self (Su): You can create an ethereal door that only you can pass through. This functions as the phase door spell except that you cannot take or allow anyone else through the passage. The ethereal door only opens as you pass through it and closes as soon as you leave. It is possible for an opponent to target you through the door before your next turn.
20th Summoning Master (Su): You may use any summon monster spell for this ability.
Divination School
CL Ability
4th See Invisible (Su): You see invisible creatures or objects as per the see invisibility spell.
12th Analyze Magic (Su): You discern the properties of any magic item as per the analyze dweomer spell.
16th Find Person (Su): You can locate a person no matter where she is. You can only concentrate on a single individual at a time and, once you change people, you can no longer use this ability for the previous target for the rest of the day.
Enchantment School
CL Ability
4th Heroic Touch (Su): You gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saves, and skill checks. You can transfer this ability to another creature with a touch, but you lose the benefits while the other creature is affected. You can take back the bonus at any time.
12th Hypnotic Presence (Su): You can influence anyone within 10 feet with as per a suggestion spell.
16th Trembling Presence (Su): Any creature that gets within 30 feet of you gets the shaken condition. You may select which creatures within range are affected. There is no saving throw, but magic resistance applies.
Evocation School
CL Ability
1st Arcane Bolt (Su): You can make a ranged touch attack that does 1d6 points of damage, +1d6 for every two warlock levels. The warlock may choose whether the damage is acid, cold, electricity, or fire. The range on an Arcane Bolt is 100ft. + 10ft./level.
Errata
The range on an Arcane Bolt is 100ft. + 10ft./level.
[Source]
4th Arcane Burst (Su): You can use his arcane bolt as a burst effect with a 20 foot radius.
12th Arcane Flurry (Su): You can divide your arcane bolts into multiple bolts that do half damage. You may manifest a number of bolts equal to your caster level/4 (so three at 12th, four at 16th). These bolts require separate ranged touch attacks and cannot manifest a burst effect.
16th Arcane Eruption (Su): You can now use your flurry bolts for burst effects. Each bolt has a burst effect with a 40 foot radius.
Illusion School
CL Ability
4th Blurry Form (Su): Attacks miss you 20% of the time when you use this ability. Your attacks also have a 20% miss chance while you are in blurry form.
12th Phantasmal Demon (Su): You can create a phantom fear that attacks the target. This operates as per phantasmal killer, except that the target is not subject to immediate death and takes 1d6 damage for every 3 warlock levels (4d6 at 12th level, 5d6 at 15th level, 6d6 at 18th level).
16th Phantasmal Dance (Su): You can affect multiple targets, as per the weird spell. This ability still does not cause death, nor does it cause the Strength damage.
Necromancy School
CL Ability
4th Draining Touch (Su): You can make a melee touch attack. If you succeed then the target is shaken for 1d4 rounds.
12th Touch of Fatigue (Su): Your draining touch now causes a target to become fatigued if he fails a Fortitude save.
16th Astral Travel (Su): You may travel into the astral plane at will, as per astral projection. Unlike the spell, however, you cannot take anyone else with you.
Transmutation School
CL Ability
4th Levitate (Su): You can levitate as per the levitate spell.
12th Physically Fit (Su): You can add a +2 bonus to one of his ability scores. You may change the ability score affected from round to round.
16th Iron Skin (Su): You can turn your body into living iron, as per the iron body spell.
Shield: A Lantern can use his Light energy to create a glowing shield around him, or even project the shield around others. At lvl 1, the Shield is AC 1 DR 1, but increases as the lantern gains abilities. When the Lantern learns Enhancement abilities, any Armor or Shield enhancements can be added to the Shield.
It should be noted that a Lantern can never wear armor or magic items that grant armor/dr bonuses