| grudgekeyper |
I wanted to create a oracle that has access to multiple mysteries and this is what I came up with. It is heavily based on the crossblooded sorcerer with a bit of dual-cursed oracle thrown in.
A twice-blessed oracle combines the powers of two distinct mysteries.
A twice-blessed oracle sorcerer selects two different mysteries. The oracle may gain access to the skills, spells, revelations she is bless with, but with extra blessings comes extra curses and less choice in her spells.
Oracle’s Curse
A twice-blessed oracle must choose two curses at 1st level. One of these curses (oracle’s choice) never changes its abilities as the oracle gains levels; for example, an oracle with clouded vision never gains darkvision 60 feet, blindsense, or blindsight. The other curse comes with its normal benefits.
Class Skill
A twice-blessed oracle receives the bonus class skill from both of her mysteries. If these are the same skill, this does not grant any additional benefit.
Bonus Spells
A twice-blessed oracle may select her bonus spells from either of her mysteries. The oracle also has the choice to learn a lower-level bonus spell she did not choose in place of the higher-level bonus spell she would normally gain. Lower-level bonus spells learned this way always use the spell level that they would be if the oracle had learned them with the appropriate bonus spell.
Revelations
When a twice-blessed oracle gains a new revelation she can choose to gain a revelation from either of her mysteries.
Final Revelation
Upon achieving 20th level. You gain the final revelation of both of your mysteries. If your mysteries final revelations are incompatible choose one final revelation to gain and gain a bonus revelation from your other mystery.
The twice-blessed oracle loses the revelation gained at 19th level in preparation for their final revelation
Drawbacks
A twice-blessed oracle has one fewer spell known at each level (including orisons) than is presented on Table: Oracle Spells Known.
Furthermore, the conflicting blessings and curses level the twice-blessed oracle with less ability to resist additional curses. A twice-blessed oracle always takes -2 penalty on saves against curse effects.
Recommended Mysteries: Any.
Notes:
Not as concerned with final revelation int terms of game balance as games rarely get to 19th/20th level but want to do something beside choose one of the two final revelations. But if someone has an alternative that works better I would be interested.
I am a bit concerned that the crossblooded drawback isn't as significant for an oracle due to gaining two spells known automatically when they gain a spell level in addition to the spells known table. Where a sorcerer would only be able to use the spell slots for meta-magic until they gained another level. My other thought for a drawback was to remove cure/inflict and mystery bonus spells but add the mystery spells to the oracles class list.
I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions.
| Shiroi |
I would make the weakness to Curses a stronger problem, if you're counting it as a balancing effect. They take a -4 to saves against curses, and any attempt to remove a curse on them takes a -4 to the caster level check.
Curses are fairly rare, and usually not particularly difficult to remove after combat. This means you have a really good chance of being affected by a curse even with your will save being decent, and it might eat a few spell slots to remove it later. A real inconvenience when they happen, since they happen rarely enough.
| My Self |
You could turn it into more of a Crossblooded deal: -2 to will saves in general. Also consider giving some other sort of penalty, such as -2 or -4 to the effective Oracle level, because access to multiple revelation lists is very strong.
Instead of double curses, perhaps you just make it compatible with the Dual Cursed archetype?
| grudgekeyper |
I would make the weakness to Curses a stronger problem, if you're counting it as a balancing effect. They take a -4 to saves against curses, and any attempt to remove a curse on them takes a -4 to the caster level check.
Curses are fairly rare, and usually not particularly difficult to remove after combat. This means you have a really good chance of being affected by a curse even with your will save being decent, and it might eat a few spell slots to remove it later. A real inconvenience when they happen, since they happen rarely enough.
I agree that increase the curse weakness makes sense and I will increase it as suggested. Although as curses can also target Fort saves (Mummy Rot, Blindness/Deafness) I wasn't counting on my Will saves preventing curses from affecting the character
You could turn it into more of a Crossblooded deal: -2 to will saves in general.
I choose to change that into the dual-cursed with a curse penalty because I thought it would be more thematic.
Also consider giving some other sort of penalty, such as -2 or -4 to the effective Oracle level, because access to multiple revelation lists is very strong.
I'm assuming you are looking at penalty would apply to the effect of revelation, if that's the case I'm not the biggest fan as it would have a highly variable effect based on the revelations chosen and some of the stronger revelations aren't level dependent (Sidestep Secret) while it makes other options nearly worthless (Channel).
Instead of double curses, perhaps you just make it compatible with the Dual Cursed archetype?
Unfortunately Oracle Archetypes are not generally compatible with each other and there would be no way to make this compatible with the Dual Cursed archetype as Dual Cursed affects spells/skills and revelations all of which this archetype has to address. While I could have rewrote the Dual Cursed archetype to only change the oracle curse so that it would be compatible with more archetypes I thought that twice-blessed, twice-cursed worked fairly thematically.
| My Self |
Hm.
How about -2 spells known/level, but you get both of your mystery spells instead of having to choose? It cuts into your versatility, but it seems like a decent tradeoff. Alternatively, losing the free Cure/Inflict spells might be appropriate.
I'm suggesting disincorporating it from Dual Cursed so that you have options. Having Dual Curse bundled in is like having Ki Mystic with Qinggong Monk written in to it. Sure, it's awfully thematic, works fairly well, and makes a lot of sense, but for those people who want to play Ki Mystics who don't have special ki powers, there's this option. Additionally, the Dual Cursed archetype already exists, you don't need to rewrite it. Just add a little thing at the end that says this can function with the Dual Cursed archetype, replacing different things.
| Felyndiira |
To be honest, having both Dual-Cursed and Diminished Spellcasting is already a pretty big restriction. While Oracles do get their free cure/inflict spells, they aren't really enough to make up for losing a spell/level.
Cross-blooded sorcerers aren't very often played except in one specific case, and that's only due to getting the arcana from both bloodlines. As is, I would be very hesitant to pursue this archetype with an extra non-advancing curse AND cuts to my meager spells per level, especially when the archetype doesn't even grant any bonus revelations.