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Giraffeking
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### The Divine Champion

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Post by Giraffeking » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:15 am

Spiel:
So, I have never made a class before, but I've helped people a couple of times, so I decided to make an attempt at it. Before I go into it though, I'd like to explain the idea and theme behind it.
Firstly, this class is very paladin-esq feeling, but without really any paladin abilities really. I wanted a tanky divine character that didn't bother to worship a god in exchange for power, but instead strong believed in some set of ideals. As such they wouldn't all be alike, and would drawn power from different domains. I was later prompted to change the whole domain business to spheres since they are all within a similar power range, and domains are very variable. Plus spheres just worked better in the end for what I was going for. Anyways.
There where a few powers I wanted them to have, like turning weapons into swords because swords are the weapon/symbol I liked for them to use. I also wanted them to have a gap closing power I had envisioned some time ago, as well as a ton of auras.
I tried to research as many other similar classes as I could to get the feel of power I was handing out at each level, but I'm posting here for some help in fine tuning it to be balanced, thematically correct and what-not.
So without further ado, and no more gilding the lily:
The Divine Champion
"Whatever I do, I do in the name of justice and goodness! Yes, even that!"
Info:
The Divine Champion is a wielder of domains of influence, bent on achieving what he believes is righteous, and good for the world. Fervently they will seek out "evil" and destroy it with any means they deem acceptable.
This means you might see a Divine Champion who fervently adheres to an idea that is actually rather evil. Like murdering orphans to prevent Voldemorts. But usually Divine Champions are a little more vague on what is "good." And occasionally they might seem to be making it up. But they never are of course!
Alignment: Divine Champions are very passionate about whatever it is that they think is important, and as such cannot be true neutral. Unless true neutrality is there whole deal. Then I guess they can be. But they will always consider themselves as good, if not lawful good. Just that their "good" is good and your "good" is dumb.
Race: Any race can be divine champions, but the more headstrong and self-righteous a race is, the more likely it is to have Divine Champions.
Attributes: As a primarily melee fighter, STR is your most important attribute. But since yelling at people, and calling the church of Pelor "a sinful abomination against all that is holy" tend to tick people off, having plenty of CON is good too. You'll probably avoid other stats, so you can be S.A.D.
Starting Gold: As much as the next guy over. If it really matters, the next guy over is probably a paladin.
Starting Age: As Paladin.
Hit Die: D12
Class Skills: Divine Champions value different skills. One Divine Champion's favorite skill might be taboo to another. But all of them have intimidate. Unless they don't which is ok too. If it really matters, pick one knowledge, and 11 others.
Skills/Level: 5 + Int or in ToP: 6
BAB: Full Good Saves: Fort, Will
Abilities:

Level | Class Features
1 | Blessed Blade 1d6; Auramancer: Resistance; Domain
2 | Disk of the Champion; Blessed Armor: Weightless;
3 | Blessed Blade: 2d6; Consecrate
4 | Domain; Auramancer: Dauntless
5 | Divine Bolts; Blessed Armor: Fortified (Medium)
6 | Blessed Blade: 3d6; Blessed Body: Immunities
7 | Domain; Auramancer: Heartiness; Blessed Body: Healthy Radiance
8 | Blessed Armor: Fortified (Heavy); Protection of the Pantheon;
9 | Blessed Blade: 3d6; Nothing Stands in the Way of Justice
10 | Domain; Blessed Armor: Winged
11 | Auramancer: Certainty; Auramancer: Neutrality;
12 | Blessed Blade: 4d6; Nothing Stands in the Way of Justice: Allies
13 | Domain; Auramancer: Resilience
14 | Divine Bulwark; Auramancer: Bastion.
15 | Blessed Blade: 5d6; Domain;

Class Features:
Aura of Goodness: No matter the alignment of the Divine Champion, he is sure he is acting for the good of the world. As such, he radiates an aura of good, and, when targeted by spells or effects, is affected as such. He counts as his own alignment when applying for feats, classes, etc.
Intimidating Diplomacy: Politely telling people the dire consequences of not giving you what you want is diplomacy! Really! As such the Divine Champion can use the result of an intimidate check as the result of a diplomacy or gather information check.
Master of Many Domains: A Divine Champion is a master of many domains of magic, as such he can pick of domain at level 1 and every 3 class levels after. You can use the granted power of your domain more often than usual, a number of times equal to half the domains you possess rounded up. If the granted power is purely a numerical bonus, multiple that bonus by half the domains you possess rounded up. Any reference to a cleric level is replaced by your levels in Divine Champion.
Spells: You gain full castng levels, except the total number of spells you can cast are cut in half (after extra from any bonuses) rounded up. Your gain more spells based on your CHA as normal, except they are added to your total before getting cut in half. You can only cast spells from your domain spell lists.
Auramancer: A Divine Champion has such a forceful personality, that it’s essence leaks from him. The result is a number of auras. Each aura affects allies within 80ft of you. Or something. Some distance.
Auras:
Resistance: 2 + ¼ level (rounded up) resistance bonus to saving throws. Allies gain half.
Dauntlessness: You are immune to fear. Your allies gain your level in bonus to saves vs fear.
Heartiness: You gain half your level in DR. Your allies half your DR, even if higher from a different source, as DR.
Certainty: You are immune to Compulsion and charm effects. Your allies gain your level in bonus to saves vs these effects.
Neutrality: Your elemental resistance equal to twice your level, and your allies gain half as much.
Resilience: You gain SR equal to 10 + your level. Your allies gain SR equal to 5 + your level.
Bastion: You are immune to mind effecting effects, as are your allies.
Ultimate: At Level 20, if you have at least 11 levels of this class you gain the Ultimate Aura. You win the game. Your allies gain half this effect.
Blessed Blade: A Divine Champion is only as good as his sword. As such, they often turn their weapons into swords. After all, being only as good as something you don't have is being useless. After a 1 hour ritual, any melee weapon or set of melee weapons can be turned into either a long sword or great sword, depending on the number of hands it normally takes to hold it. This change is entirely cosmetic. A scythe turned into a great sword is mechanically a scythe, but visually a great sword. Spear and their ilk can still be set against a charge, but you'll look odd doing it. If you just want the blessing and not the cosmetic change that's fine. If you really want your weapon to appear into another form, this is just cosmetic, so it doesn't really matter. You can even run around smacking people with scales. To summarize, your melee weapon can look like a different melee weapon of the same size and category.
Despite the purely cosmetic change, just holding a Blessed Blade allows a Divine Champion to challenge enemies just as Knights do. Should an enemy not attack the Divine Champion, all attacks made by the Divine Champion with a Blessed Blade deal extra damage as shown on the chart. If any Blessed Blades is not touched by a Divine Champion for 48 hours, it reverts into a normal weapon as if it was never Blessed. Blessed Blades can be enchanted normally.
Consecrate: As a standard action, the Divine Champion thrusts his Blessed Blade into the ground, and pours divine energy into it. This causes a “Consecrated Ground” effect within close range that remains stationary, and lasts a number of rounds equal to his BAB over two. Any one the Divine Champion considers an enemy within the effect takes twice his CON mod in damage.
Nothing Stands in the Way of Justice: A Divine Champion is constantly under the effects of Freedom of Movement. Later, as a swift action can grant this effect to everyone within 10ft of him for a number of rounds equal to his BAB once per hour.
Protection of the Pantheon: Once per day, as a swift action the Divine Champion can make himself immune to any effects he wants to be immune to for a number of rounds equal to the number of domains he currently has access to. Higher access counts higher, as would make sense. Domains from other sources can count, why not? While so protected, the Divine Champion cannot deal damage or cast spells on others. He may still move. He may end this effect as a non-action.
Disk of the Champion: As the first attack action of a full-attack, a Divine Champion can hurl his shield at a foe, and then teleport adjacent to that foe. The attack uses the Divine Champion’s ranged total attack bonus, targets touch AC, and deal damage equal to a great sword enchanted with the bonuses granted by his main hand. If the Champion doesn’t have a shield, he can still use this ability, but it deals 2d4 damage and gains no bonuses from his main hand. If the Champion is TWF, the attack can be taken from his total number of off hand or main hand attacks. The same applies multi-weapon fighting. So if you have a dagger in your off-hand and a mace in the other, (which are both obviously going to look like long swords, right?) you can opt for the thrown shield attack to replace one dagger swing, or one mace swing at your option.
Divine Bolts: The Divine Champion can, as an attack action, attack at a range with his Blessed Blade(s) within close range. However, the damage dealt by the weapon is 1 dice smaller for two handed weapons, and 2 dice smaller for one handed weapons. All on hit effects still work normally.
Divine Bulwark: Sometimes dragons try to breathe fire on the just, or an insane wizard hurls fireballs at the wrong team, and in these cases it's nice to call upon a massive shield to stand in the way of such a mishap. As an immediate action, once per encounter, the Divine Champion may cast Wall of Force with caster level equal to his BAB. However, the Wall of Force only lasts a maximum of until the end of his next turn, but can be ended early as a non-action.
Blessed Armor: His armor has cool things. It can still be enchanted normally. The effects of Blessed Armor only apply while the Divine Champion wears them. The Armor also gets really pretty.
Weightless: Weighs nothing when worn by you and has no ACP Has no max dex bonus, and no spell failure.
Winged: You gain flying 60’ average with hover.
Fortified: You gain fortification for free.
Blessed Body: The Divine Champion has a body blessed by the Gods.
Immunities: You are immune to disease and poison.
Healthy Radiance: You glow with healthy vigor, as bright as a lantern in fact, but only when you feel like it. Changing this is a free action. You also gain +4 social skills when interacting with non-chaotic non-evil people.
Sooo, yeah. There is my current draft. I tried the same game test with it, and it didn't do so hot in the level 5 bracket. I haven't done it in any other bracket yet. I would like some help balancing it, and maybe moving when he gets what around. Maybe add to it if it is as weak as it seemed to be when I same game tested it. I'm not the best optimizer sometimes, and I bet I can't break my own creations as well as outsiders can, so maybe it's actually OP.
I'll rundown why each ability is the way it is here:
Class Features:
Aura of Goodness: No matter what, a Divine Champion is "good." Maybe I should switch the effects though? Targeted like his real alignment but can prestige and feat it up like he is good? I just want him to pick up a holy sword of dragon slaying and use it to lop off Puff's head because "ALL DRAGONS are evil! Especially ones that till the crops for us!"
Intimidating Diplomacy: This *could* go, but I like it. "I come here in the name of all that is good and holy! Surrender to me your onions in the name of Mighty Pelor or his wrath will be guided down onto you as it should be! I must destroy your onions, for onions are what is tainting this world, and causing necromancery! Please! Listen and obey! Or else!"
Master of Many Domains: This is his shtick.
Auramancer: I felt like auras are something that every paladin-esq guy needs! Plus, he doesn't do much damage, and doesn't tank all that well. Auras make him useful to his party. And Pelor knows they need a reason to put up with his rants about chipmonks being the balors of the rodent world. Or whatever it is he goes on about. Maybe that vampirism is secretly the next step in human evolution. Just something out-there.
Auras:
Resistance: I took this from someplace else. I needed the numbers for this, and it had the numbers!
Dauntlessness: At level 10, your allies should make their saves more often than not. At level 15 they should always make them, but not quite be "immune."
Heartiness: Well, tanks need DR, and nice people share!
Certainty: Same logic as fear.
Neutrality: This might need nerf'd but you get it kinda late, when people get crazy stuff anyways.
Resilience: 10+ level is about 50% of the time, assuming they dont boost spell pen. 5+level is about 25%. Not that big of a deal. And SR stacks, albeit oddly, right? So this is nice, but not OP, I thinks.
Bastion: Seemed like a good idea at the time!
Ultimate: I just love how most of the time allies get more or less "half" the effect. So they get to half win. This is also something I see a lot in someone else's classes... I like it.
Blessed Blade: A reason for the baddies to hit the champ, other than how annoying he can be.
Consecrate: I want to keep this, for reasons unknown, so tell me if the damage is out of whack. I think all paladins should have this kind of ability.
Nothing Stands in the Way of Justice: I guess I don't have a good reason for giving this out other than thematically with the name.
Protection of the Pantheon: This was actually the first ability I gave the champ beyond having domains. Kind of a "oh shit, I gotta get out of this situation" kinda thing. Promotes reckless play!
Disk of the Champion: This is awesome, and not broken, right? Right? I hope so. It helps the champion stick to the bad guy he wants to fight.
Divine Bolts: Just because the bad guys can fly, doesn't mean they don't need a hearty helping of justice!
Divine Bulwark: An idea I had and liked. It basically protects someone from some aoe once. Or plugs up a choke point from a round so his allies can run. Or whatever. It has uses.
Blessed Armor: His armor has cool things. Because it's cool.
Weightless: I wanted him to be able to cast spells, and the other things just seemed to fit in nicely. I don't think many will be of much use. But if you want to stack dex, good for you.
Winged: Seems like everyone and their cousin learns to fly now. Plus I was inspired a bit by Kayle from League of Legends when I started to run out of ideas.
Fortified: What kind of tanky armor doesn't do this?
Blessed Body:Well, yeah. Why just bless your gear, when you too can be blessed?
Immunities: Blessed bodies always get this sort of stuff.
Healthy Radiance: And the just can always light up the dark!
Well it's like 3am here now. Took me forever to finish up my last draft and post it all here. My first table was too complicated and annoying. I was trying to make one like in the wiki, but soon realized that the table making set up here is too crazy for that shit.
So... I might be posting a bunch of nonsense along with this class, but I hope everything makes sense! Feed back and what not! I'll check back as often as I can (and remember) until this class is satisfactory! Thanks everyone for reading my nonsense.
Last edited by Giraffeking on Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:43 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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Kaelik
  ArchDemon of Rage
  Posts: 14491
  Joined: Fri Mar 07, 2008 7:54 pm

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Post by Kaelik » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:46 am

1) Your sword fetish is weird and stupid, and you should let people use other stuff if they don't want to use swords.
2) Spheres do literally nothing for this character. Actually look at Spheres, like 95% of all sphere spells are attack spells. So 1) You need Cha, 2) Attack spells do nothing for someone who is supposed to be using standard actions for other things. Use Domains, because Domains have utility and buff effects, unlike Spheres.

> DSMatticus wrote:Kaelik gonna kaelik. Whatcha gonna do?

The U.S. isn't a democracy and if you think it is, you are a rube.
That's libertarians for you - anarchists who want police protection from their slaves.
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Giraffeking
  1st Level
  Posts: 48
  Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 5:24 am

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Post by Giraffeking » Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:31 am

1) They can use whatever, they just will end up looking like swords. Because the sword is a symbol of justice. Which is thematic. I guess a maul is also thematic, but a scythe or a dagger is very unthematic. But if they want those stats, there isn't a sword that comes with them.
2) So then is my original idea, as explained, for domains better? I'll change it to that for now.
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sabs
  Duke
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Post by sabs » Fri Sep 14, 2012 12:58 pm

Joy, a tank with spells, and a better sneak attack than sneakattack.
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Whipstitch
  Prince
  Posts: 3657
  Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:23 pm

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Post by Whipstitch » Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:49 pm

> Giraffeking wrote:1) They can use whatever, they just will end up looking like swords. Because the sword is a symbol of justice. Which is thematic. I guess a maul is also thematic, but a scythe or a dagger is very unthematic. But if they want those stats, there isn't a sword that comes with them.

You know what else is unthematic? People running around with bows that are magically disguised as swords just so they can extra d6 people with their swordbow. That's the extreme example, but it still applies for crap like people with their finesse'd spiked chain "great sword" and other reach weapon shenanigans. I think I would make my Divine Champion basically be Ivy from Soul Calibur--she'd wear impractical armor despite being dex driven, talk about punishing people and when people charge her "sword" she'd go "Lol, no" and do a reach weapon AoO trip attack. It all fits.
To top it off, Lady Justice is a statue in the local county courthouse, not D&D Land, so I really don't understand why you're so dead set on inflicting this particular flavor of stupid on the setting.
Last edited by Whipstitch on Fri Sep 14, 2012 2:00 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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shirak
  Knight
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Post by shirak » Fri Sep 14, 2012 8:48 pm

I'm not even sure where you got the idea about swords being a symbol of justice. The SCALES are the symbol in the real world and as for D&D it depends on the god. Sure, all the largely interchangeable 'Justice' gods like Heironeous have Longsword as a favored weapon but what of Mayaheine (Bastard Sword, Mace or Longbow), Hoar (Javelin) or Aventernus (Spear)?
Seriously, drop the sword thing. It is confusing and unnecessary.
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...You Lost Me
  Duke
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Post by ...You Lost Me » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:07 pm

Please make the favored weapon scales. I would love to see someone whacking bad guys with measuring tools.

> DSMatticus wrote:Again, look at this fucking map you moron. Take your finger and trace each country's coast, then trace its claim line. Even you - and I say that as someone who could not think less of your intelligence - should be able to tell that one of these things is not like the other.

> Kaelik wrote:I invented saying mean things about Tussock.

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Giraffeking
  1st Level
  Posts: 48
  Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 5:24 am

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Post by Giraffeking » Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:39 pm

@sabs, No sneak attack. Bonus damage dice is nearly an exact duplicate of similar tanks. And yes spells, but very limited selection and number.
@Whipstitch Bows! Right, I need to adjust it so the weapons have to be melee. However the extra damage is still only if the enemy ignore the challenge. However the chain weapon "issue" isn't an issue. If you build her to be able to zone out meleers and she can, big deal. What wizard, cleric, tome anything can't be built to ruin a single nitch? You know who can still hit you? Anyone with reach. Or a ranged weapon. Or spells. Or monks. Or things that can sneak. Or things that can move without provoking AoA.
And while lady justice has scales, she also has a sword. So that was a pretty shitty counter argument. Maybe not the ones by the court house, but the original ones. And if you look at paladins, who are supposed to be champions of justice, they almost always are depicted with a sword. But if you guys are so dead set on not having a sword, I'll change it. To "whatever."
@Shirak Swords have always been a symbol of justice. Egyptians, Sumerians, pretty much everyone. http://www.ehow.com/about_6623039_symbo ... stice.html This isn't the best of sources, but it does have some evidence. I'm not sure where you guys got the idea the sword WASNT a symbol of justice. I'll modify the sword thing, I won't drop it.
@YLM You could turn scales into a sword. You can even turn a sword into scales if you want too.
Everyone is only seeming to look at one power, and nothing else, so I am guessing everything else is fine, fair and balanced?
Last edited by Giraffeking on Fri Sep 14, 2012 9:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Giraffeking
  1st Level
  Posts: 48
  Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 5:24 am

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Post by Giraffeking » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:04 pm

A quick google image search shows lady justice having a sword in every picture where you can see her full body for as long as I felt like scrolling.
And a quick google image search of paladin -"world of warcraft" to get rid of the wow characters shows 95% of them with a sword.
Half-assed research into "sword as a symbol of justice" bring up many citations of that being the case all over in ancient everywhere.
So, at least in our little earth pocket of the universe, the sword is justice. Maybe not in DnD-land, but I allow for other looks.
Did you guys bother looking into your opinions at all? Or did you just shout down at mine because it wasn't something you already knew and was therefore wrong?
I do appreciate the rest of the feedback though. And I've already been shown a way to break my character and fixed it. That was my main goal of coming to you guys.
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...You Lost Me
  Duke
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  Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2011 5:21 am

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Post by ...You Lost Me » Fri Sep 14, 2012 10:40 pm

No, the reason people are replying only to that power is because they read the class and of all the things that annoy them they choose to correct the worst offender.
That was, and still is, the worst offender.

> DSMatticus wrote:Again, look at this fucking map you moron. Take your finger and trace each country's coast, then trace its claim line. Even you - and I say that as someone who could not think less of your intelligence - should be able to tell that one of these things is not like the other.

> Kaelik wrote:I invented saying mean things about Tussock.

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Giraffeking
  1st Level
  Posts: 48
  Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 5:24 am

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Post by Giraffeking » Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:25 pm

It's been changed so that it can look like any weapon if you really want. What problem is there with it still? All it does is cosmetically make your weapon LOOK different. Functionality is the same. And it only applies to melee weapons now, so you can't have a bow sword.
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Whipstitch
  Prince
  Posts: 3657
  Joined: Fri Apr 29, 2011 10:23 pm

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Post by Whipstitch » Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:49 pm

I don't have any beef with tripstars. I actually like the notion of martial characters with glamoured weapons that don't behave like an outside observer would have expected. But I just don't see how that fits into a Justitia theme and that really made the whole "Rock out like a swordsman or no class feature for you" bit even tougher to swallow than it normally is.
Last edited by Whipstitch on Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Giraffeking
  1st Level
  Posts: 48
  Joined: Sat May 05, 2012 5:24 am

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Post by Giraffeking » Sat Sep 15, 2012 2:27 am

I get that, which is why I sad you can opt to not change the appearance, or even change it to something else if you want. I personally feel sword is the weapon of justice, but if you don't the option is there not to now.
Can you look at the other features now?
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