Bleh...
I have been devoting a little time to a long buried relic...
The old Knights of Apocalypse setting I had worked on ages ago. I've almost
got enough material ready to run the first session of it.
For those that aren't aware, the Knights of Apocalypse setting is very gloomy
and dismal. It is set in a future earth where an iron-handed government holds reign
over the common people and hoards all technology to itself.
A massive war between the Syndicate (government) and the Vales (magic users) roughly
thirty years before the start of the campaign blasted the landscape and destroyed
countless cities. Now the Syndicate has retreated to the north where they lay in
wait in vast fortified population centers protected by cesium-wave force fields to
keep the scorching ultraviolet rays at bay.
The Vales, intent on restoring the earth's vitality before it is entirely too late,
survive in their own strongholds to the south where they attempt to utilize restorative
powers and terraform the environment. An uneasy truce has held for the past ten years
with mimimal conflict throughout. In between these titanic factions lies a third.
The ferals.
Outcast from the Syndicate at the beginning of (or during) the war and rebellious to the end, the Ferals refuse to ask the Vales for assistance. Instead they live their
lives earning a brutal existance outside of the protected population areas, travelling in
nomadic tribes, surviving in vast ruins of cities destroyed during the war.
Pretty grim eh?
In any case, I had to develop a new core class for the character I'm going to play
since there was nothing that really fit everything I was trying to squeeze in.
It might be overpowered, and I'm definitely not done retooling the Kinetic Cancellation
power. But take a look anyway.
Garrett Rayne - Male Human
Chaotic Neutral
Age: 20
Hair: Dark Brown
Eyes: Blue
Ability Scores:
Str: 16
Dex: 18
Con: 16
Int: 12
Wis: 18
Cha: 14
ARBITER CLASS:
Hit Die: 1d8
Skills: Balance(Dex), Climb(Str), Concentration(Con), Craft(Int), Diplomacy(Cha), Escape Artist(Dex), Hide(Dex), Jump(Str), Listen(Wis), Move Silently(Dex), Perform(Cha), Profession(Wis), Swim(Str), and Tumble(Dex)
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) X 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
1.) Unarmed Strike, Evasion -- Unarmed BaB +0 -- Unarmed Damage 1d6 -- Unarmored Speed 30ft
2.) Deflect Arrows -- Unarmed BaB +1
3.) -- Unarmed BaB +2 -- Unarmored Speed 40ft
4.) +1 Empowered Fist -- Slow Fall (20ft) -- Unarmed BaB +3 -- Unarmed Damage 1d8
5.) -- Unarmed BaB +3
6.) Empowered Fist Enhancement +1 -- Slow Fall (30ft) -- Unarmed BaB +4/+1 -- Unarmored Speed 50ft
7.) Leap of the Clouds -- Unarmed BaB +5/+2
8.) +2 Empowered Fist -- Slow Fall (50ft) -- Unarmed BaB +6/+3 -- Unarmed Damage 1d10
9.) Improved Evasion -- Unarmed BaB +6/+3 -- Unarmored Speed 60ft
10.) Empowered Fist Enhancement +2 -- Unarmed BaB +7/+4/+1
11.) -- Unarmed BaB +8/+5/+2
12.) +3 Empowered Fist -- Unarmed BaB +9/+6/+3 -- Unarmed Damage 1d12 -- Unarmored Speed 70ft
13.) -- Unarmed BaB +9/+6/+3
14.) Empowered Fist Enhancement +3 -- Unarmed BaB +10/+7/+4/+1
15.) -- Unarmed BaB +11/+8/+5/+2 -- Unarmored Speed 80ft
16.) +4 Empowered Fist -- Unarmed BaB +12/+9/+6/+3 -- Unarmed Damage 1d20
17.) -- Unarmed BaB +12/+9/+6/+3
18.) Empowered Fist Enhancement +4 -- Slow Fall (any distance) -- Unarmed BaB
+13/+10/+7/+4/+1 -- Unarmored Speed 90ft
19.) -- Unarmed BaB +14/+11/+8/+5/+2
20.) +5 Empowered Fist -- Unarmed BaB +15/+12/+9/+6/+3
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Arbiters are proficient with basic weapons.
Arbiters are not proficient with armor or shields, but they are highly trained at dodging blows, and they develop a "sixth sense" that lets them avoid even unanticipated attacks. An arbiter adds his Wisdom bonus (if any) to AC, in addition to his normal Dexterity modifier, and his AC improves as he gains levels.
The Wisdom bonus represents a preternatural awareness of danger, and an arbiter does not lose either even in situations when he loses his Dexterity modifier due to being unprepared, ambushed, stunned, and so on. (Arbiters do lose these AC bonuses when immobilized.)
An arbiter's special skills all require freedom of movement. When wearing armor, an arbiter loses his AC bonus for Wisdom, favorable multiple unarmed attacks per round, and heightened movement. Furthermore, his special abilities and powers all face the arcane spell failure chance that the armor type normally imposes.
In addition, wearing armor heavier than leather imposes check penalties to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor or equipment carried.
Unarmed Strike: Arbiters are highly trained in fighting unarmed, giving them considerable advantages when doing so. They deal more damage as normal, as shown in the class progression. An arbiter fighting unarmed gains the benefits of the Improved Unarmed Strike feat and thus does not provoke attacks of opportunity from armed opponents that he attacks.
An arbiter's attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. Making an off-hand attack makes no sense for an arbiter striking unarmed.
The unarmed damage is for Medium-size arbiters. Small arbiters deal less than stated damage with unarmed attacks.
Evasion: An arbiter can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If an arbiter makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save(such as a red dragon's fiery breath or a fireball), the arbiter instead takes no damage. Evasion can only be used if the arbiter is wearing light armor or no armor. It is an extraordinary ability.
Deflect Arrows: At 2nd level, an arbiter gains the Deflect Arrows feat (PHB 81), even if he doesn't have the prerequisite Dexterity score.
Fast Movement: At 3rd level and higher, an arbiter moves faster than normal, as shown in the class progression. An arbiter in armor (even light armor) or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this extra speed. From 9th level on, the arbiters running ability is actually a supernatural ability.
Slow Fall: At 4th level, an arbiter within arm's reach of a wall can use the wall to slow his descent. The arbiter takes damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is. His ability to slow his fall(that is, to reduce the effective height of the fall when next to a wall)improves with his level until, at 18th level, the arbiter can use a nearby wall to slow her descent and fall any distance without harm.
Leap of the Clouds: At 7th level or higher, an arbiter's jumping distance (vertical or horizontal) is not limited according to his height.
Improved Evasion: At 9th level, an arbiter's evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks such as a dragon's breath weapon or a fireball, but henceforth he only takes half damage on a failed save.
Empowered Fist(Su): As the Arbiter continues to gain higher levels, his hands become imbued with power from his very essence. At 4th level, and every four levels thereafter, the Arbiter gains a cumulative +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls (+2 at 8th level, +3 at 12th level, +4 at 16th level, and +5 at 20th level).
Empowered Fist Enhancement(Su): At 6th level, an Arbiter gains the ability to enhance his natural weapons. He can add any one of the weapon special abilities from the list below that has an enhancement bonus value of +1. At every four levels beyond 6th (10th, 14th, and 18th), the value of the enhancement an Arbiter can add to his natural weapons improves to +2, +3, and +4 respectively.
An Arbiter can choose any combination of natural weapon special abilities that does not exceed the total allowed by the Arbiter's level. The weapon ability remains the same (unless he decides to reasssign his abilities).
An Arbiter can reassign the ability or abilities he has added to his natural weapons.
To do so, he must first spend 8 hours in concentration. After that period, the natural weapons become enhanced with the new ability or abilities selected by the Arbiter.
WEAPON SPECIAL ABILITIES:
Defending -- +1
Flaming -- +1
Frost -- +1
Ghost Touch -- +1
Mighty Cleaving -- +1
Shock -- +1
Sundering -- +1
Vicious -- +1
Collision(EXP) -- +2
Disruption -- +2
Flaming Burst -- +2
Icy Burst -- +2
Shocking Burst -- +2
Thundering -- +2
Brilliant Energy -- +4
Speed -- +4
SAVES / POWER POINTS / POWERS:
1.) Fort +0 - Ref +2 - Will +2 -- 0
2.) Fort +0 - Ref +3 - Will +3 -- 1
3.) Fort +1 - Ref +3 - Will +3 -- 3
4.) Fort +1 - Ref +4 - Will +4 -- 5 -- Kinetic Cancellation
5.) Fort +1 - Ref +4 - Will +4 -- 7
6.) Fort +2 - Ref +5 - Will +5 -- 11
7.) Fort +2 - Ref +5 - Will +5 -- 15
8.) Fort +2 - Ref +6 - Will +6 -- 19
9.) Fort +3 - Ref +6 - Will +6 -- 23
10.) Fort +3 - Ref +7 - Will +7 -- 27
11.) Fort +3 - Ref +7 - Will +7 -- 35
12.) Fort +4 - Ref +8 - Will +8 -- 43 -- Inconstant Location
13.) Fort +4 - Ref +8 - Will +8 -- 51
14.) Fort +4 - Ref +9 - Will +9 -- 59
15.) Fort +5 - Ref +9 - Will +9 -- 67
16.) Fort +5 - Ref +10 - Will +10 -- 79 -- Greater Kinetic Cancellation
17.) Fort +5 - Ref +10 - Will +10 -- 91
18.) Fort +6 - Ref +11 - Will +11 -- 103
19.) Fort +6 - Ref +11 - Will +11 -- 115
20.) Fort +6 - Ref +12 - Will +12 -- 127
Kinetic Cancellation:
Leeches all of the kinetic force from an incoming physical attack.
Power cast as an immediate action. This power only cancels the first attack.
The attack is automatically nullified.
DURATION: Instant -- POWER POINTS: 1
Inconstant Location:
The Arbiter calls upon an inner burst of spiritual energy, seemingly blinking out of
sight and reappearing where he chooses. At the beginning of each of the Arbiter's turns,
as a swift action, he may teleport himself to any other space to which he has line of sight,
as long as that space is no farther than he could normally move in one normal move action.
The movement is instantaneous and does not provoke attacks of opportunity. Once he teleports,
he may take his actions for the round normally. He does not have to adjust his location each
round, but the duration for the power counts down just the same.
DURATION: 1 Minute -- POWER POINTS: 10
Greater Kinetic Cancellation:
As Kinetic Cancellation except much more powerful. The enemy is treated
as having critically failed on the attack leading to sometimes severe consequences.
DURATION: Instant -- POWER POINTS: 10
FEAT PROGRESSION:
1.) Weapon Finesse (Unarmed Strike), Extra Finesse (Unarmed Strike)
3.) Combat Reflexes
6.) Karmic Strike (CW)
9.) Double Hit (MiniHB)
12.) Sidestep (MiniHB)
15.) Improved Disarm
18.) Robilar's Gambit
Sometimes I wonder why I actually post all this crazy roleplaying shit to my LJ.
But then I remember that it's because I actually have nothing better or more interesting
to post. Unless of course you would all care to hear me launch into a 30 paragraph dialogue
on the chemical composition and properties of 100% acrylic latex enamel VS. the competing
quality urethane-fortified alkyd enamel... No? I didn't think so. So shutup and tolerate
the D&D shit. kthx.