The Dabbler tries to live up to its name sake. Dabblers have varied and diverse interests, they can even become single subject experts. There is always a risk that a Dabbler will lose interest in their specialty and change their focus to other areas...
Dabbler have D8 hit points per level. A Dabbler may be any alignment. Dabbler have a starting wealth of 4d6x10.
All skills are considered a class skill for Dabbler. Dabbler receive 6+int bonus skill points per level.
Dabbler are 3/4 BAB progression characters. Dabbler have a good Fortitude save, and poor Will and Reflex.
Dabbler are proficient in all simple weapons, light armor, and all shields except for Tower Shields.
Class Abilities: Extra Feat. At each level the Dabbler gets 1 bonus feat.
Fickle Interest: Each time the Dabbler levels up the Dabbler may select a feat to exchange for a new feat. The Dabbler may not select a feat that is a prerequisite for another feat to exchange.
Spell Casting: Dabblers cast spells as a divine caster. Dabblers may use the holy symbol of their chosen deity or a diary the Dabbler writes as a divine focus. Dabblers receive no spells or casting ability when they level up. Rather they must spend a feat on "Dabbler's Casting" to cast spells. Dabblers are spontaneous casters. A Dabbler may choose between Int, Wis and Cha to base their casting ability on. This choice is made at 1st level and may be changed each time the Dabbler increases his Dabbler level.
"Dabbler's Casting" is a feat that only Dabblers may take. This feat may be selected multiple times. Each time this feat is selected, the Dabbler chooses a 1st level spell from the Cleric, Wizard, Witch, Psychic, Druid or Shaman spell list. They gain knowledge of that spell and the ability to cast 1 time a day plus any bonus casting from primary casting stat selected.
If the Dabbler selects this feat again, they gain knowledge of another first level spell from the approved spell lists and can cast 1 additional spell of that level per day.
Every time the dabbler selects 3 spell of the same level, he may choose to spend future feats to select spells 1 level higher. The Dabbler gains the ability to cast 1 spell of the new level plus bonus spells as appropriate for the chosen primary casting stat. All feats spent on lower level spells are considered prerequisites for the higher level spells. The dabbler is allowed to exchange 2 spells each time he levels, forgetting each spell and replacing them with spells of the same level.
Example: Ted has spend 4 feats to learn 4 1st level spells. He selected his 18 Charisma to be his casting stat. He can cast 4 spells + 1 bonus due to his 18 charisma. He also has 3 feats spent to learn 3 2nd level spells which allows him to cast 3+1 2nd level spells. He also has 2 feats spent on 3rd level spells which allows him to cast 2+1 3rd level spells. The next time he selects Dabbler's Casting he may choose a 1st, 2nd or 3rd level feat. He may not choose a 4th level spell until he has selected 3 or more 3rd level spells.
Martial Dabbling: Dabblers may select this feat which gives +1 BAB. Dabblers may take this feat any time their BAB is lower than their total level.
Dabbler Weapon Training(feat): Prerequisite: Martial Weapon Proficiency. The dabbler becomes proficient with all martial weapons.
Dabbler's Obsession: Dabblers make take feats that have a class ability that is usable a limited a day as a prerequisite. For the purpose of that feat, the Dabbler is treated as if he was a member of the class (choose 1 if there are multiple classes that qualify) that has the ability equal to his Dabbler level. The dabbler gains zero uses of that ability plus any granted by feats. The Dabbler is allowed to select feats that grant more use of such class abilities multiple times and the ability to use the class ability additional times per day stack.
Example: Ted is a 12th level Dabbler and spends a feat to pick up Extra Lay On Hands. Ted is now able to Lay On Hands as a 12 level Paladin (6d6), but only 2 times per day. Ted also receives no mercies because he doesn't have that class feature, just Lay On Hands. If Ted wishes for more uses of Lay on Hands he can select Extra Lay On Hands multiple times.
===================================
Anyways, this is just a rough idea that I kind of dreamed about last night...
I hope someone likes it.
Meirril wrote: The Dabbler tries to live up to its name sake. It's a duck?
If they spend every feat they can on spellcasting a human dabbler gets 1st level spells at level 1, 2nd at level 2, 3rd at level 4, 4th at level 6, 5th at level 8, on to 9th at level 16. Better than full spellcasting with spells of your choice off 6 different spell lists, albeit making you lose out on general feats. I'd change that - perhaps make it feats from the class only.
I suspect there's something awesome you can do with extra performance, extra panache, extra smite and the like instead. I'm not sure that's a problem.
It sounds like the 3.5 Factotem Class.
A player can do this just by multiclassing. I've played a character like this.
avr wrote: If they spend every feat they can on spellcasting a human dabbler gets 1st level spells at level 1, 2nd at level 2, 3rd at level 4, 4th at level 6, 5th at level 8, on to 9th at level 16. Better than full spellcasting with spells of your choice off 6 different spell lists, albeit making you lose out on general feats. I'd change that - perhaps make it feats from the class only.
I suspect there's something awesome you can do with extra performance, extra panache, extra smite and the like instead. I'm not sure that's a problem.
Ugh. Yeah that is a huge problem. Making it every 4 feats slows things down too much. Not allowing the human feat is one thing, but making players track feats from other classes in case they dip and retrain is going to be ... normal?
I wanted to keep that system simple, but the result isn't good. Is it too powerful to let the spell level access scale with the class level, independent of feat investment?
"Dabbler's Casting X" where X is the spell level. Prerequisite is Y levels of Dabbler class. At 1st level you can select 1st level spells and gain 1 spell slot for 1st level spells. At 4th level 2nd level spells. At 6th level 3rd level spells. And every 2 class levels you gain access to the next spell level.
Should it be a requirement to have the previous level of Dabbler's Casting or not?
|
1 person marked this as a favorite.
|
Mudfoot wrote: Meirril wrote: The Dabbler tries to live up to its name sake. It's a duck? Yes, it is a duck.
1 feat per spell level means the dabbler is a full spellcaster with 11 extra feats over 20 levels, the same as a fighter. 3/4 BAB base unlike a fighter but that still seems off. I wonder if it shouldn't be limited to 6-level spellcasting, at the same levels as a bard? Maybe with 2 spells per feat if you go that way.
On the class features you can steal, here's the list of feats starting with 'extra', about half of which qualify:
Quote: Extra Amplification, Extra Arcana, Extra Arcane Pool, Extra Arcanist Exploit, Extra Bane, Extra Blood Hex, Extra Bombs, Extra Cantrips or Orisons, Extra Channel, Extra Contingency, Extra Croaking, Extra Crystalline Dust, Extra Death Vow, Extra Discovery, Extra Elemental Assault, Extra Evolution, Extra Feature, Extra Focus Power, Extra Gnome Magic, Extra Grit, Extra Hail of Arrows, Extra Hex, Extra Impromptu Sneak Attack, Extra Inspiration, Extra Investigator Talent, Extra Investiture Points, Extra Item Slot, Extra Ki, Extra Lay on Hands, Extra Light and Dark, Extra Martial Flexibility, Extra Mental Focus, Extra Mercy, Extra Mesmerist Tricks, Extra Ninja Trick, Extra Panache, Extra Performance, Extra Rage, Extra Rage Power, Extra Ranger Trap, Extra Reservoir, Extra Revelation, Extra Rogue Talent, Extra Shadow Jump, Extra Slayer Talent, Extra Spell Synthesis, Extra Spontaneous Spell Mastery, Extra Stamina, Extra Summons, Extra Surge, Extra Touch Treatment, Extra Variance, Extra Vested Power, Extra Wild Talent, Extra Word Glancing thru them it looks like it would be easy to make a dabbler who is amazing for ~2-3 rounds per day. Which could be an extreme version of the 15 minute workday.
Scott Wilhelm wrote: It sounds like the 3.5 Factotem Class.
I indeed suggest looking at that class for ideas and balance. It's the Factotum from Dungeonscape, IIRC.
avr wrote: 1 feat per spell level means the dabbler is a full spellcaster with 11 extra feats over 20 levels, the same as a fighter. 3/4 BAB base unlike a fighter but that still seems off. I wonder if it shouldn't be limited to 6-level spellcasting, at the same levels as a bard? Maybe with 2 spells per feat if you go that way.
You're a 9 level spell caster, with no spells on your class list other than the ones you know how to cast. Dabbler also casts as many spells per day as the number of spells they know of that level, plus stat bonus. That isn't too impressive...unless someone really likes spells of a particular level.
Like 3rd level spells are generally nice. If someone takes Dispel Magic, Haste and Fireball it isn't a waste to take Lightning Bolt. After all, even if you never cast Lightning Bolt it means you can cast one more 3rd level spell per day. In a very odd way of thinking, you could make a versatile caster out of a dabbler by over investing in a single level of spell.
And ultimately, a 20th level Dabbler might be a little frighting. You invest 8 feats into getting access to 9th level spells. Starting at 18th level you begin converting your feats into 9th level spells. You gain 4 feats over those 3 levels, and you can exchange 3 more feats from class ability. 20th level caster than can throw 7 miracles in a day sounds kinda good...though the dabbler would mostly throw a miracle to copy a lower level spell... right?
hmm..maybe changing it to be 6th level caster lists is a better idea. Then requiring 4 feats to go up a caster level...is still too fast.
Or keep the 9 level casting and require that you have 2 feats spent per spell level to go up to the next? Hmm...
Meirril wrote: Mudfoot wrote: Meirril wrote: The Dabbler tries to live up to its name sake. It's a duck? Yes, it is a duck. I call it a Jack, as in Jack of all Trades.
Recent threads in Homebrew and House Rules
|
