I'm working on cross campaign house rules for my future campaigns. I worked on feats now I'm attempting to identify archetypes and class features.
So what archetypes or class features are broken?
Not what is overpowered and whatnot; what flat out doesn't work right and need to change? The ones that I have already identified and wanted to sort out:
Titan Mauler. When looking at the archetype you expect it to do one thing but it doesn't do it. I want to replace it's Jotun Grip with an ability that simply says that the titan mauler may be treated as a size category larger for the purposes of wielding weapons. Bugs still need to be worked out because I'm also thinking over another rule where size penalties only apply per step beyond your range to wield. (for example: a halfling can wield a medium sized longsword but it's considered a two handed weapon and the penalties apply when the halfing starts wielding a medium sized greatsword.)
I noticed that Brawler's Flurry has a clause that causes it to count as TWF for the purposes of feat prerequisites but Flurry of Blows does not. I want to add that clause to Flurry of Blows.
What other archetypes are broken?
Strangler, Brawler Archetype. There's also a Slayer archetype that replaces weapon and armor proficiency with just armor proficiency (Stygian Slayer), so that if you take those rules at face value your character isn't proficient in anything.
Strangler, Brawler Archetype. There's also a Slayer archetype that replaces weapon and armor proficiency with just armor proficiency (Stygian Slayer), so that if you take those rules at face value your character isn't proficient in anything.
What specifically is wrong with the Strangler Archetype?
Technically the Myrmidarch, according to a very hard reading for RAW.
RAI, it's pretty obvious that Ranged Spellstrike is designed to allow Spell Combat to be used at range in conjunction with the ability.
Houserule a single sentence in there, and you're set.
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Strangler, Brawler Archetype. There's also a Slayer archetype that replaces weapon and armor proficiency with just armor proficiency (Stygian Slayer), so that if you take those rules at face value your character isn't proficient in anything.What specifically is wrong with the Strangler Archetype?
Sneak Attack replaces Unarmed Strike and Brawler's Flurry, so the archetype has to take Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple just to be able to do what the archetype sets out to do in the first place. It's a grappling archetype that removes a prereq. for grappling that the class inherently has.
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The Bolt Ace still gets a Battered Firearm and the Gunsmith feat. Not broken, but not what you'd expect a crossbow based class to have going on.
Then again, I expect a crossbow would look like a good option to a guy with a broken gun. :D
I'd also like to maybe put this up for consideration:
Crossblooded Sorcerer and Wildblooded.
Wildblooded are pretty much exactly like Subdomains and Subschools, yet are an Archetype because of... reasons.
I'd suggest making Wildblooded Bloodlines simply sub-Bloodlines like they really are, and remove the whole "archetype" BS.
Crossblooded, as well, not working with other Archetypes because "it affects bloodlines" is a pretty weak argument - it only affects Bloodlines in a very broad spectrum, and the cost of diminished spellcasting (which basically puts you TWO levels behind a Wizard now in terms of casting potential), for the ability to zig-zag between 2 Bloodlines is more than enough - it's not OP to allow another Archetype which officially targets a SPECIFIC part of the Bloodline to be stacked on top of Crossblooded.
I have a player who officially is a Wildblooded Crossblooded Eldritch Scapper, and I can say that he's perfectly balanced. Even if the Archetypes don't officially stack, it functions perfectly fine, and he's no stronger than a normal Sorcerer of the same level (he's just better at melee, while weaker at casting).
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Ki Mystic doesn't replace the Ki Pool, but also grants a Ki Pool. This gives the archetype two ki pools at once from the same class.
Original print of Sohei gains light armor proficiency, but can't actually use it in conjunction with flurry or the AC bonus features. A FAQ indicated that they can flurry while wearing armor, but not use their AC bonus. This is actually eratta but I'm not sure if it made it to print yet, and it contradicts the authors intentions (though, IMO, it's silly to give 2 class features that contradict each-other directly). Class should probably just swap out AC bonus for another useful feature rather than leaving 2 features in conflict, or use the brawler's version (no +wis, but still the scaling portion).
Myrmidarch definitely. I still don't understand why they haven't eratta'd that.
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Standard Bearer as an archetype; making it a replacement rather than a part of the cavalier's core rules makes it so that you can't combine Standard Bearer with things like Musketeer or Beast Rider. Being able to start with either the standard or the mount should be a core cavalier feature.
Scarred Witch; I understand the sentiment, but a caster who draws his or her powers from constitution just seems broken. I like the idea, but I'd prefer a class that's build around that concept than an archetype that is in all respects better than the core class.
Scarred Witch; I understand the sentiment, but a caster who draws his or her powers from constitution just seems broken. I like the idea, but I'd prefer a class that's build around that concept than an archetype that is in all respects better than the core class.
- Has less than half the skills ranks of a normal Witch.
- Bonus spells per day is still determined by Intelligence.I don't know about you, but skills are one of the most important things to have in my games, and spells per day are a caster's bread and butter.
Totem Warrior.
It literally does nothing. It has no features either added or subtracted.
Did they fix the sensei archetype yet? It replaces a nonexistent bonus feat, if I recall correctly.
Awesome. I'm currently working on my houserules for future campaigns as well, but I started in the classes and archetypes section. Now I'm going to have to go back through and make sure everything works right.
Did they fix the sensei archetype yet? It replaces a nonexistent bonus feat, if I recall correctly.
It replaces a Bonus Feat at "12th" level, but the Monk gains a Bonus Feat at 10th level, not 12th. You can either take this as it loses that 10th level, or you can take it at face value and it just loses its bonus feats at 6th and 18th levels, and that's it.
Still works fine, either way.