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So a while back we put together the Sorcerer's Aid Project: Sigils and Talents.
I would like to work on a follow up project: The Sorcerer's Aid Project: Mutations.
A mutation replaces the sorcerer's arcana ability with an ability that is always active generally passive and has no effect on the sorcerer's casting. Instead it's more tied into their physical being. Each mutation should generally be limited to bloodlines that would have a tie in to what that mutation does.
Example:
Positive Energy Conduit
Available to: Celestial, Fey, Verdant
Benefit: Your body is a raw conduit to the positive energy plane. As such you gain 1 temporary hit point every round to a maximum equal to your level. As a melee touch attack you can deal 1d4+1 per level damage to undead. At level 3 you gain a +1 bonus on saves versus death, ability drain and energy drain increasing by +1 every three class levels.
Savage Form
Available to: Demonic, Draconic, Orc
Benefit: You gain two natural attacks from the following list: Gore, Hoof, Bite, Tail slap, Tentacle, Claw (maybe taken twice). These gain a +1 bonus on damage every 4 class levels you have. At level 3 you gain a +1 bonus to natural armor that increases by +1 every three class levels.
Elemental Nature
Available to: Djinni, Efreet, Shaitan, Elemental, Marid, and Draconci
Benefit: You gain energy resistance to your element equal to your class level that stacks with any other resistance to that element you might have. At level 3 once a day if your resistance to that element is not overcome or you have immunity to that element you are instead healed an amount of damage equal to 1/2 your class level when you are exposed a damaging effect from that element. You can use this ability 1 extra time per day at level 6 and every 3 class levels after that.
The mutations do not have to be limited to a specific number of bloodlines but shouldn't be so generic any sorcerer can take them. More suggestions are of course welcome.
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Unnerving Eyes
Available to: Accursed, Abyssal, Shadow
Benefit: You have a gaze attack that shakens people. This will not stack with itself or other fear effects. The DC for your gaze attack is 10+1/2 your sorcerer level + cha mod. In addition you have low light vision, at level 3 you gain darkvision to 30 ft. This increases to 60 feet at 6th level and you may see in magical darkness (as the devil ability see in darkness) at level 9.
Warped Lungs
Available to: Aberrant, Draconic, Impossible
Benefit: Your lungs are such that you are immune to inhaled poisons and anything that would make you choke or cough (including smoke inhalation and the like). High altitude is not a problem for you. In addition you gain a breath weapon. This breath weapon does 1d6 points of damage either fire, cold, electric, or acid damage (your choice at level 1 and it doesn't change after that) in either a 15 foot cone or 20 foot line (again your choice at level 1 and doesn't change after that). The DC for your breath weapon is 10+1/2 your sorcerer level+your Con Modifier. At level 3 and every 3 levels after that the damage increases by 1d6 and the cone increase by 5 feet or the line increases by 10 feet.
Dangerous Flesh
Available to: Abyssal, Aberrant, Infernal
Benefit: Your very flesh is dangerous to those around you, pick one of the following:
Poisonous -- You are poisonous to the touch: Contact DC (10+1/2 sorcerer level+Con Mod) Onset 1 round, Frequency 1 round every 1/3 sorcerer levels (minimum 1) Effect 1d2 Dex damage Saves 1 (increases to 2 consecutive at level 10)
Slime -- You are covered in a protective slime, anyone that attacks you with a non-reach weapon must make a reflex save (DC 10+1/2 sorcerer level + Dex Mod) or take 1d4 acid damage. Weapons that strike you automatically take this damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at level 3 and 1d8 at level 6. After this acid gains +1 damage at level 9 and every 3 levels after that.
Fiery Flesh -- You gain the burn universal rule. This damage is the same as the slime damage above.
Placeholder for four more ideas.
Negative energy conduit, armored shell, unstable mutation, font of ki.
I would help but these days I am just too tired and miserable.
I really like some of these. I have more than a few ideas myself, but I would like to iron them out before I post them. I do think that it would be ok if they did modify spells in certain ways though.
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Armored Shell
Available to: Draconic, Impossible, Aberrant
Benefit: You gain a +2 armor bonus to AC. At level 3 and every three levels after this bonus increases by 1. However you also take an armor check penalty equal to 1/4 your armor bonus, and at +5 armor bonus you move as if in medium armor. The armored shell has a hardness of 5+1/2 your class level and HP equal to 1/2 your hit points. If an enemy confirms a critical hit against you then you may shatter your armored shell to negate the critical though you still take the normal attack. You may also choose to shatter your armor dealing 1d6 per point of armor bonus to those adjacent to you of slashing and piercing damage. A shattered or sundered armored shell grows back at a rate of +1 armor bonus per hour.
Unstable Mutation
Available to: Aberrant, Abyssal, Arcane
Benefit: You gain 1 evolution point to spend on a 1 point evolution from the eidolon abilities list. All evolution abilities randomly change every morning when you ready your spells. At level 9 you also gain a random evolution from the 2 point evolution list. You now choose which 1 point evolution you benefit from each morning. At level 15 you gain a random evolution from the 3 point evolution list and you may now choose which 2 point evolution you benefit from each morning.
Font of Ki
Available to: Destined, Arcane, Oni
Benefit: You gain a Ki pool of 1 point. This pool increases by 1 at level 3 and every three levels there after. At level 1 you may as a swift action spend ki to increase your movement speed by 10 ft for 1 round or to gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks when you cast a spell defensively. At level 6 you may spend ki as a swift action to increase your caster level by 1 for 1 round or grant yourself a +4 dodge bonus for 1 round.
Dimensional Phasing
Available to: Arcane, Dreamspun, Fey, Shadow
Benefit: You may teleport 5 ft per 1/2 sorcerer levels you have as a standard action otherwise this ability acts like and is affect by feats and other abilities as the dimension door spell. Once you use this ability you may not use it again for 1d4 rounds. At level 6 using this ability becomes a move action. At level 11 using this ability becomes a swift action.
Haven't quite figured out how I want Negative energy Conduit to work yet.
I'm curious to see what else shows up!
Font of Ki might want some text explaining how it interacts with a multiclassed character that attains Ki from another class feature (Monk, Ninja).
Dotted for interest.
Font of Ki might want some text explaining how it interacts with a multiclassed character that attains Ki from another class feature (Monk, Ninja).
Yeah for the final I will include text on that thank you Adam. The current intent is these points will simply be added on to any other ki pool you have.
Need some help with the Negative Energy Conduit. I'm kind of thinking it should give a touch attack that gives a penalty to the target and a short term bonus to the sorcerer much like an undead that has energy drained someone but I of course do not want it to be that powerful. Should it do one of the following?
1. -1 Penalty to the target +1 bonus on d20 rolls for the sorcerer, stackable once at level 6 and again at level 11. Lasts a minute per level.
OR
2. Non-lethal damage to the target and temporary hit points for the sorcerer? Lasts a minute per level
OR
3. Some combination of the two but if you haven't 'fed' in the pass hour you become fatigued followed by exhausted at a later time, with an exception for when you are resting?
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So a while back we put together the Sorcerer's Aid Project: Sigils and Talents.
I would like to work on a follow up project: The Sorcerer's Aid Project: Mutations.
A mutation replaces the sorcerer's arcana ability with an ability that is always active generally passive and has no effect on the sorcerer's casting. Instead it's more tied into their physical being. Each mutation should generally be limited to bloodlines that would have a tie in to what that mutation does.
Example:
<text removed>The mutations do not have to be limited to a specific number of bloodlines but shouldn't be so generic any sorcerer can take them. More suggestions are of course welcome.
I like the idea though I think your suggestions are a little over the mark in terms of balance. It would be easier to replace the bloodline in total and produce something that is internally balanced. By trying to replace the arcana for several bloodlines it becomes more difficult to balance. You need to consider what the arcana the player is giving up has and then what synergy your proposed arcana has with the remainder of the bloodline. For several, I noted abilities that seem more appropriate as separate bloodline power (e.g., the scaling save for Positive Energy Conduit). Below are some suggested revisions to bring down the power level of these arcana.
Positive Energy Conduit
Available to: Celestial, Fey, Verdant
Benefit: Your body is a raw conduit to the positive energy plane. As such you gain 1 temporary hit point every round to a maximum equal to your level. As a melee touch attack you may discharge your entire current buildup of positive energy to harm undead for 1d4 plus 1 additional point of damage per temporary hit point discharged.
Savage Form
Available to: Demonic, Draconic, Orc
Benefit: You body develops unnaturally for your race gaining a natural attack from the following list (as well as any requisite appendage): Gore, Hoof, Bite, Tail slap, Tentacle, or two Claw attacks. The claw attacks do damage as a creature one size category lower. At 3rd level, this natural attack is infused with the arcane power of your bloodline and treated as a magic attack. If you would gain a bloodline power granting a natural attack, you instead gain a +2 to attack and damage for the natural attack gained through this arcana.
Elemental Energy Conduit (formerly Savage Form)
Available to: Djinni, Efreet, Shaitan, Elemental, Marid, and Draconci
Benefit: You gain energy resistance to your element equal to your class level. At level 3, anytime you resist energy of your element you heal half the amount resisted to a maximum of half your level. This ability also replaces your 3rd level bloodline power.
Yeah got to say I like the clean up on those. Much closer to what I was going for and (again) cleaner and simpler.
Are you needing any mutations created for specific bloodlines? I'd be happy to come up with some if you were at a loss for ideas.
Yeah actually -- the 11 we have so far is good, but I feel there are more needed if it's to be at the same point that the original SAP was at.
Dot for much interest. Also can I get a link to the original thread? I either missed it when it came out or lost it. =)
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Dangerous Flesh
Available to: Abyssal, Aberrant, Infernal
Benefit: Your very flesh is dangerous to those around you, pick one of the following:Poisonous -- You are poisonous to the touch: Contact DC (10+1/2 sorcerer level+Con Mod) Onset 1 round, Frequency 1 round every 1/3 sorcerer levels (minimum 1) Effect 1d2 Dex damage Saves 1 (increases to 2 consecutive at level 10)
Slime -- You are covered in a protective slime, anyone that attacks you with a non-reach weapon must make a reflex save (DC 10+1/2 sorcerer level + Dex Mod) or take 1d4 acid damage. Weapons that strike you automatically take this damage. This damage increases to 1d6 at level 3 and 1d8 at level 6. After this acid gains +1 damage at level 9 and every 3 levels after that.
Fiery Flesh -- You gain the burn universal...
I reworked these as separate abilities and reworked the abilities slightly.
Toxic Flesh
Available to: Abyssal, Aberrant, Infernal
Benefit: Any creature that touches you risks being poisoned from your toxic flesh. Creatures making contact with you must make a Fortitude Save (DC 10+1/2 sorcerer level+Con Mod) or become poisoned taking 1d2 Dex damage and becoming sickened for 1 round per sorcerer level. Creatures that succeed at the Fortitude save are sickened for 1 round and take no Dex damage.
Oozing Flesh
Available to: Abyssal, Aberrant, Infernal
Benefit: Your skin oozes an unnatural slime. Anyone that attacks you with a non-reach weapon must make a reflex save (DC 10+1/2 sorcerer level + Con Mod) 1d4 + Con mod acid damage from you corrosive flesh. Weapons automatically take minimum damage. Creatures using natural weapons take minimum damage on a successful save and normal damage on a failed save.
Fiery Flesh
Available to: Abyssal, Aberrant, Infernal
Benefit: Your flesh glows with an unnatural heat that sears you as well as those you touch. You gain resist cold 20 and vulnerability to fire. Anytime you are engaged in a grapple, all creatures involved in the grapple must make a DC (10 + 1/2 Sorcerer level + Con mod) Reflex save or take 1d4 plus 1 per sorcerer level fire damage every round. You automatically fail this save. At 20th level, you burst into flames gaining immunity to fire and the burn special quality with damage and save DC the same as above.
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This mutation was inspired by the Warped Lungs mutation above.
Swollen Lungs
Available to: Aberrant, Pestilence, Undead
Benefit: Your lungs are enlarged, but are continually filling with tainted blood. You are prone to wracking coughing fits that prevent you from taking more than a move action in the following round. There is a 10% chance per round during any strenuous activity including moving more than your speed in a round or any action that would require an endurance check. Multiple concurrent actions stack; each strenuous activity beyond the first increases the chance by 10%. As a full round ction, you may expel the full contents of your lungs causing yourself to begin coughing and creating a noxious cloud with a radius of 5 feet centered on you. Any creature inhaling the noxious fumes within the cloud must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 sorcerer level + Con mod) or become nauseated. Creatures that succeed at the Fortitude save are instead sickened. The cloud lasts for 1 round per sorcerer level before dispersing harmlessly. The cloud may be dispersed sooner by an effect such as a gust spell. At 5th level and every 5 levels after 5th, the radius of the cloud increases by 5 feet.
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Unnerving Eyes
Available to: Accursed, Abyssal, Shadow
Benefit: You have a gaze attack that shakens people. This will not stack with itself or other fear effects. The DC for your gaze attack is 10+1/2 your sorcerer level + cha mod. In addition you have low light vision, at level 3 you gain darkvision to 30 ft. This increases to 60 feet at 6th level and you may see in magical darkness (as the devil ability see in darkness) at level 9.
Last one for tonight. I simplified this ability quite a bit. Gaze attacks (especially one that stacks with itself) are very powerful and dangerous. I encourage those not familiar with gaze attacks to read over the rules (gaze attack rules). Especially consider the section about affecting your allies (and barmaids and shopkeepers and your employer...)
Unnerving Eyes
Available to: Accursed, Abyssal, Shadow
Benefit: Your queer gaze can shake even the most stalwart creatures. You gain a gaze attack. Those affected by your gaze attack must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 sorcerer level + CHA mod) or become shaken.
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This ability could be a bit abusable to get a significant armor bonus. Especially considering the natural armor bonuses from draconic bloodline and dragon disciple. I would alter it to start at 6 ac and not stack with natural armor bonus. I also dropped the hp to 1/4 your total to bring it more in line with magic armor and the armor is treated as magic at 4th level. I would also note that this would synergize well with a bracers of armor with armor special qualities. Finally, I removed the shatter damage and added a sentence indicating how you can regain your shell.
Armored Shell
Available to: Draconic, Impossible, Aberrant
Benefit: You gain a +6 armor bonus to AC. At level 3 and every three levels after this bonus increases by 1. This armor bonus does not stack with natural armor bonuses. However you also take an armor check penalty equal to 1/4 your armor bonus, and at +5 armor bonus you move as if in medium armor. The armored shell has a hardness of 5+1/2 your class level and HP equal to 1/4 your hit points. If an enemy confirms a critical hit against you then you may shatter your armored shell to negate the critical though you still take the normal attack. You may regrow your armor after 8 hours of rest.
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I really like Unstable Mutation. I think it deserves some flavor text at the beginning. Something like "Your natural form is a fluid thing constantly evolving." Before introducing the ability to select your evolution, you could add "Over time as your evolutions become more severe you begin to gain a measure of control." I also added a few bloodlines to the list.
Available to: Aberrant, Abyssal, Accursed, Daemon, Dreamspun, Protean
Benefit: Your natural form is a fluid thing constantly evolving. You gain 1 evolution point to spend on a 1 point evolution from the eidolon abilities list. All evolution abilities randomly change every morning when you ready your spells. Over time your evolutions become more severe, but you begin to gain a measure of control At level 9, you also gain a random evolution from the 2 point evolution list. You now choose which 1 point evolution you benefit from each morning. At level 18 you gain a random evolution from the 3 point evolution list and you may now choose which 2 point evolution you benefit from each morning.
For Font of Ki, I added some flavor text and a few additional bloodlines to the list. I felt this ability gave some very interesting abilities and warranted giving up a bloodline power. The caster level increase was bumped up a few levels, but I also increased the movement speed at this level.
Available to: Destined, Arcane, Oni, Starsoul, Impossible, Rakshasa
Benefit: Through a natural gift of your bloodline you have learned to draw from a font of power that typically requires dedicated training and study. You gain a Ki pool of 1 point. This pool increases by 1 at level 3 and every three levels there after. At level 1, you may as a swift action spend ki to increase your movement speed by 10 ft for 1 round or to gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks when you cast a spell defensively. At level 6, you may spend ki as a swift action to grant yourself a +4 dodge bonus to armor for 1 round. At 10th level, you may spend ki to increase your caster level by 1 for 1 round, and your speed increases by 20 feet when you spend ki to increase your movement speed. This ability also replaces your 3rd level bloodline power.
Again, I added some flavor text to Dimensional Phasing. I also reworked things a bit. This ability felt too much like gaining a 4th level spell for free that could potentially be used multiples timer per combat and at least once every combat. Outside of combat scenarios, the ability is essentially unlimited use.
Available to: Arcane, Dreamspun, Fey, Shadow
Benefit: You have always seen the weakness in the boundaries of dimensions. As a standard action, you may briefly slip through these boundaries teleporting 5 ft per sorcerer level this is treated for all purposes except distance traveled as casting dimension door using your sorcerer level as your caster level. Once you use this ability, you may not use it again for 2d4 rounds. At level 7, using this ability becomes a move action.
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I am adding two new mutations inspired from Positive Energy Conduit and the not yet defined Negative Energy Conduit. I am a bit unsure how to write up the "Available to" since each of these covers both positive and negative energy which would require separate lists. It would be easier if positive and negative energy were split, but would also double a lot of word count needlessly.
Available to: ...
Benefit: Your body is a raw conduit to the positive or negative energy plane. If you are a conduit to the negative energy plane, you are affected by positive and negative energy as though you were undead. Every round you are infused with raw power from your plane, gaining 1 temporary hitpoint. These temporary hitpoints stack to a maximum equal to your level. As a melee touch attack, you may discharge your entire current buildup of energy (minimum 1 temporary hitpoint) to harm or debilitate creatures damaged by your energy type. You may choose one of the following effects.
- *Harm: You deal 1d4 energy damage plus 1 point per temporary hit point discharged.
*Disrupt Power: You use the raw power of your energy to disrupt the offensive capability of the creature. This effect grants the creature a -1 penalty to attack and damage rolls for 1 round per 2 temporary hitpoints expended.
*Disrupt defenses: You afflict the creature with a temporary shell of warped energy. This effect grants the creature a +2 sacred or profane armor bonus for 1 round per 2 hitpoints expended.
This ability also replaces the 1st level bloodline power.
Available to: ...
Benefit: Your body is a raw conduit to either the positive or negative energy plane. If you are a conduit to the negative energy plane, you are affected by positive and negative energy as though you were undead. Every round you are infused with raw power from your plane, gaining 1 temporary hitpoint. These temporary hitpoints stack to a maximum equal to your level. As a melee touch attack, you may discharge your entire current buildup of energy (minimum 1 temporary hitpoint) to bolster other creatures healed by your energy type. You may choose one of the following effects.
- *Heal: You heal one point of damage per 2 temporary hitpoint expended.
*Infuse Power: You infuse the raw power of your energy into the creature granting improved combat ability. This effect grants the creature a +1 bonus to attack and damage rolls for 1 round per 2 temporary hitpoints expended.
*Bolster defenses: You bolster the creatures defenses granting a temporary shield of raw energy. This effect grants the creature a +2 sacred or profane armor bonus for 1 round per 2 hitpoints expended.
This ability also replaces the 1st level bloodline power.
Cool, but can I like, have this in some sort of document that I can print out and they're in like, alphebetical order and maybe a table...
Armored shell and font of ki are the only two I think we have differences over.
At +2 going up to + 8 armor bonus even if you have natural armor you aren't actually going to get anywhere abusive. After all with the original you are still better off with mage armor until level 6. Also it's not a big deal since even by +8 you aren't that much over bracers of armor and the armored shell isn't enchantable. Indeed you are actually at a worse spot since you are slowed down by the armor. I agree with the 1/4 hp though -- that part is a solid idea.
Font of Ki has the unusual (for these abilities) fact that it isn't constant to hurt it -- I don't think it needs to pull off the 3rd level ability as well. However I like the rest of the changes on it.
Wrathful energy is weird on the defense bonus -- I think you meant for it to be a penalty.
@ Malwing -- the end idea is a pdf, we aren't to that point yet but it should be fully developed like the last one was.
Cool, but can I like, have this in some sort of document that I can print out and they're in like, alphebetical order and maybe a table...
I compiled the last pdf together to have this in a pdf format and because sorcerer is my favoirrite class. Once this thread gains more traction (which is happening now) and once we get a lot of good mutations for a large number of bloodlines, I will compile these into a pdf and post it, crediting the contributors as always.
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At +2 going up to + 8 armor bonus even if you have natural armor you aren't actually going to get anywhere abusive. After all with the original you are still better off with mage armor until level 6. Also it's not a big deal since even by +8 you aren't that much over bracers of armor and the armored shell isn't enchantable. Indeed you are actually at a worse spot since you are slowed down by the armor. I agree with the 1/4 hp though -- that part is a solid idea.
This armor is superior to just bracers of armor as it stacks with the special abilities granted by bracers of armor, and it surpasses mage armor in both iterations. It also grants the ability to negate a critical hit at cost of your armor bonus which is a pretty even trade off. If the ability is allowed to stack with natural armor bonuses you could get up to a +14 natural armor bonus (+1 feat, +4 bloodline, +4 dragon disciple, and +5 amulet) in addition to the +8 from the shell. That allows a 32 AC just from these two sources, and with other sources you could easily break 40 AC (+5 ring, +1 ioun stone, +1 dodge, 2+ dex mod). This armor bonus scales better than bracers of armor and does not cost any gold. It would also stack with dips into classes that grant WIS bonus to AC with the current wording.
All that said, I am fine with letting it stack with natural if it is expressly not allowed to stack with any other armor/armor special abilities from other sources and it should top out at +6 AC (to avoid replacing a magic item with something free).
Font of Ki has the unusual (for these abilities) fact that it isn't constant to hurt it -- I don't think it needs to pull off the 3rd level ability as well. However I like the rest of the changes on it.
How about we add WIS to AC, change the pool to 3+WIS, and trade out the third level bloodline power. This makes the sorcerer a bit more MAD granting a nice (always active) defensive boost, and trades what is generally a passive defensive boost for an active defensive/utility boost.
Wrathful energy is weird on the defense bonus -- I think you meant for it to be a penalty.
You are right. Disrupt defenses should read as follows.
Disrupt defenses: You afflict the creature with a temporary shell of warped energy. This effect grants the creature a -2 penalty to armor bonus for 1 round per 2 hitpoints expended.
Re: Armored Shell. There are a handful of classes, though admittedly some are 3pp, that already replace an AC-booster slot with a class ability "for free" - for example, the Paladin gets a deflection bonus to AC whenever they smite, and Kobold Press's Battle Scion gets a permanent scaling-up deflection aura as a class ability at level 3. And that's not even counting those casters who can use divine shield to replace their ring of protection or barkskin instead of an amulet of natural armor.
I think of it less as "getting something for free" but rather more "spending a class ability to free up an item slot that might have been used on something else instead". Those casters could have gotten a different buff or an attack spell out of those spell slots; likewise, this sorcerer could have chosen a different bloodline and gotten something more offensive in the place of Armored Shell. And of all the armor types to boost, I think Natural is the least game-breaking - it doesn't add to Touch AC like Deflection does, and most mages won't have the all-together high AC to make themselves nearly unhittable, and will be relying on other methods (miss chance, DR, mirror image, etc.) to avoid harm. It's a nice boost that might be a lifesaver a few times at low levels, but once you hit the midrange will be relatively unimportant in the big scheme of things.
That said, if you're going to have it not stack with Natural Armor boosts/items, why not just give it the Natural Armor type in the first place, rather than make it untyped?
@ Armor Of course in the long term it is better than both bracers and mage armor, but it wasn't supposed to pass it early on. It doesn't stack with bracers in the same way bracers don't stack with armor -- that problem is already has its solution built into bracers, and very importantly, it scales off of class level not caster level, so you won't get the full benefit if you go into dragon disciple as it isn't a bloodline ability that would be increased (part of the reason we call them mutations is to make them not part of the standard bloodline ability package). You can already get that +14 natural armor bonus with a +6 armor bonus (bracers, or the enchanted armored skirt/ceremonial robes) or higher (mithral chain shirt for example). What this saves you is gold, but it saves it at the high cost of a class feature. Armor bonuses are a dime a dozen, especially without the problems of encumbrance. The encumbrance factor and the fact that armor bonuses don't stack, the fact that it scales but slowly means it is a trade off but one that does pay in late game (though not too much).
@ font of ki The of font of ki was to provide some ki abilities (and ki) without it actually being something scaled to an ability. I would rather reduce the power of the font of ki, than introduce an one off mechanic to have it hit another bloodline power. The over all idea was that if you multiclassed into something with a ki pool you would gain something for your trouble (the concentration check and caster level choices as well as a few ki points... about as many as a feat) without giving the sorcerer the full range of choices other classes get. I really don't like the idea of the wisdom to ac choice. That matches the monk's abilities but not ki abilities.
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@ Armor Of course in the long term it is better than both bracers and mage armor, but it wasn't supposed to pass it early on. It doesn't stack with bracers in the same way bracers don't stack with armor -- that problem is already has its solution built into bracers, and very importantly, it scales off of class level not caster level, so you won't get the full benefit if you go into dragon disciple as it isn't a bloodline ability that would be increased (part of the reason we call them mutations is to make them not part of the standard bloodline ability package). You can already get that +14 natural armor bonus with a +6 armor bonus (bracers, or the enchanted armored skirt/ceremonial robes) or higher (mithral chain shirt for example). What this saves you is gold, but it saves it at the high cost of a class feature. Armor bonuses are a dime a dozen, especially without the problems of encumbrance. The encumbrance factor and the fact that armor bonuses don't stack, the fact that it scales but slowly means it is a trade off but one that does pay in late game (though not too much).
Ok, my concern was that it was a bit too much for an arcana, but I think that I am in the minority here. It won't change anything other than freeing up some gold for gish-types, and that isn't a type typically discussed when bringing up balance concerns.
@ font of ki The of font of ki was to provide some ki abilities (and ki) without it actually being something scaled to an ability. I would rather reduce the power of the font of ki, than introduce an one off mechanic to have it hit another bloodline power. The over all idea was that if you multiclassed into something with a ki pool you would gain something for your trouble (the concentration check and caster level choices as well as a few ki points... about as many as a feat) without giving the sorcerer the full range of choices other classes get. I really don't like the idea of the wisdom to ac choice. That matches the monk's abilities but not ki abilities.
Perhaps restrict the options to concentration, movement, and caster level? With the severe limitations per day, we could probably allow all of these options to be used at 1st level (I have been considering the Arcanist abilities here). How about revise to the following.
Available to: Destined, Arcane, Oni, Starsoul, Impossible, Rakshasa
Benefit: Through a natural gift of your bloodline you have learned to draw from a font of power that typically requires dedicated training and study. You gain a Ki pool of 1 point. This pool increases by 1 at 3rd level and again every three levels after 3rd. As a swift action, you may spend 1 point of ki to increase your movement speed by 20 ft for 1 round, gain a +2 bonus on concentration checks when you cast a spell defensively, or increase your caster level by 1 for 1 round.
Yeah I like that on the Font of Ki. Solid.