Legacies of Murder Kit Set - Ideas and Feedback
LaughingMan
Member Posts: 65
So I'm working on a set of kits built along the same theme as http://www.shsforums.net/files/file/1023-cleric-class-kit-scion-of-murder/ for the rest of the major classes. Currently I only have a rough set of ideas for what I want to do, and I was wondering what people might think and see if anyone might have some good suggestions or feedback.
I'm not kitting any of the "unkitable" classes, nor do I currently have an idea for bards. Paladins have the blackguard, which is close enough that I don't see it being worthwhile to create a kit for them (and no paladin other than a blackguard would cultivate their connection to Bhaal anyway). Same goes for rangers and the stalker. So here's what I have so far:
----------------------------------------------------
Reaper (Fighter)
Advantages:
Fog of War - 1/day, one additional use every 4 levels. Invoking the madness and confusion of the battlefield, the Reaper unleashes a small storm of dirt, mud, blood, and rock at his enemies. This can blind, impair, and prevent any sort of invisibility if the targets fail their save.
Marked for Death - Once per day every 5 levels. Calling on their connection to the portfolio of death and murder, the reaper marks their target for death, stripping them of their defenses and protections. Most magical protections and immunities are stripped or temporarily suppressed. (Currently this is just a breach effect, though I'd like to find a way to temporarily negate innate weapon immunities as well)
Disadvantages:
Presence of Death - The reaper carries their connection to the dead god of murder openly, leaving those around them ill at ease. -2 CHA.
Relentless Offense - Reapers are focused on offense and can not train in the sword and shield style (I'd like to make them unable to use shields, but there's no efficient way to do this without screwing with unavailability kit-bit slots, which I feel is a bad idea due to near-certain conflict with other mods)
----------------------------------------------------
Hand of Death (Rogue)
Advantages:
Living Shadow - Neither fully mortal nor divine, the Hand has cultivated a innate blind spot in the awareness of others. While the Hand must still rely on mundane (or magical) stealth to fool the base senses, divination utterly fails to recognize them. The Hand is effectively under the Non-Detection effect at all times.
Assassination - The Hand's mundane talents are very similar to that of an assassin. The Hand's backstab multiplier advances identically to the assassin.
Memento Mori - Death comes to everyone and everything in time; even gods can be murdered. While the Hand's power is not enough to challenge such lofty foes, their connection to the portfolio of murder has allowed them to kill in ways generally thought impossible. Once per day (and an additional time every 4 levels) the Hand may take a moment to prepare in order to make their target susceptible to backstab, regardless of their nature. This power does not break invisibility or stealth, and removes any immunity to backstabbing that the target may possess.
Disadvantages:
Specialized - The Hand has focused all of their abilities on the art of murder and their other skills have suffered as a result. Pick Pockets, set Traps, and Detect Illusion start at a lower percentage. Additionally, their focus results in only gaining 20 points per level to spend on thief skills.
Bloody Hands - Murder is personal, and the Hand does not favor methods that kill without using their own hands to do the deed. The Hand never gains the ability to set traps.
----------------------------------------------------
Dread Master* (Mage**)
Advantages:
Necromancy Specialist - In effect, the master is an exceptional example of a Necromancy Specialist Wizard
Master of Death - The divine spark within the Dread Master has empowered their arcane ability, granting access to a number of divine necromancy spells.
1st level - Armor of Bone (Necromantic version of Armor)
2nd level - Fog of Death (Necromantic version of Glitterdust)
3rd level - Animate Dead, Spectral Armor (Necromantic version of Ghost Armor)
4th level - Death Ward
5th level - Create Undead (Ghast?)
6th level - Dolorous Decay
7th level - Symbol of Death
8th level - Create Greater Undead (Vampire/Mummy?)
9th level - Dread Bargain (Necromantic Wish)
Disadvantages:
Focused Magic - The enhanced power of the Dread Master comes from cultivating their divine spark, rather than relentless, specialized study. Rather than losing access to Illusion, the inward focus of the Dread Master's magic cuts them off from Conjuration. This is further mitigated by the development of alternative versions of the more central conjuration spells powered by necromancy.
Dread Presence - As a living channel for the power of death, the Dread Master is deeply unsettling to those around them. Starting Reputation and Charisma both suffer a -2 penalty.
* I really need a better name than this
** Ideally replaces necromancers position on the kit list (thus pushing necromancer off the bottom of the list at character creation, but not affecting NPC necromancers).
----------------------------------------------------
Death's Warden (Druid)
Advantages:
Of Two Worlds - The Warden's tie to the realm of the dead renders them immune to most of its effects. Wardens are immune to Death Magic and Level Drain.
Judgement - Once per day (with additional uses every 10 levels) the Warden may pass judgement on those beings that have perverted the cycle of life and death by holding on well past their time. Any undead creature targeted by this power must save vs. death at -4 or be destroyed. This does not work on creatures with More Hit Dice than twice the Warden's level (not sure if there's an easy way to do this yet, if not some similar constraint will be put in place).
Keeper of Death - At 6th level, the Warden gains more power over the cycle of life and death, and can pass judgement over the living as well as the dead. Now when a living victim is targeted by the Warden's Judgement they are rapidly pushed to the end of their natural life. (Effect identical to Dolorous Decay, but target must save vs. Death at -4).
Disadvantages:
A World Apart - The Warden watches over and preserves the natural order, but unlike most druids is not truly a part of it themselves. Without that fundamental tie to the natural world, the Warden can not Shapeshift.
----------------------------------------------------
This is really still at the "throwing ideas out there" stage, so I expect to heavily alter these kits as I continue to think about them and get suggestions from others.
I'm not kitting any of the "unkitable" classes, nor do I currently have an idea for bards. Paladins have the blackguard, which is close enough that I don't see it being worthwhile to create a kit for them (and no paladin other than a blackguard would cultivate their connection to Bhaal anyway). Same goes for rangers and the stalker. So here's what I have so far:
----------------------------------------------------
Reaper (Fighter)
Advantages:
Fog of War - 1/day, one additional use every 4 levels. Invoking the madness and confusion of the battlefield, the Reaper unleashes a small storm of dirt, mud, blood, and rock at his enemies. This can blind, impair, and prevent any sort of invisibility if the targets fail their save.
Marked for Death - Once per day every 5 levels. Calling on their connection to the portfolio of death and murder, the reaper marks their target for death, stripping them of their defenses and protections. Most magical protections and immunities are stripped or temporarily suppressed. (Currently this is just a breach effect, though I'd like to find a way to temporarily negate innate weapon immunities as well)
Disadvantages:
Presence of Death - The reaper carries their connection to the dead god of murder openly, leaving those around them ill at ease. -2 CHA.
Relentless Offense - Reapers are focused on offense and can not train in the sword and shield style (I'd like to make them unable to use shields, but there's no efficient way to do this without screwing with unavailability kit-bit slots, which I feel is a bad idea due to near-certain conflict with other mods)
----------------------------------------------------
Hand of Death (Rogue)
Advantages:
Living Shadow - Neither fully mortal nor divine, the Hand has cultivated a innate blind spot in the awareness of others. While the Hand must still rely on mundane (or magical) stealth to fool the base senses, divination utterly fails to recognize them. The Hand is effectively under the Non-Detection effect at all times.
Assassination - The Hand's mundane talents are very similar to that of an assassin. The Hand's backstab multiplier advances identically to the assassin.
Memento Mori - Death comes to everyone and everything in time; even gods can be murdered. While the Hand's power is not enough to challenge such lofty foes, their connection to the portfolio of murder has allowed them to kill in ways generally thought impossible. Once per day (and an additional time every 4 levels) the Hand may take a moment to prepare in order to make their target susceptible to backstab, regardless of their nature. This power does not break invisibility or stealth, and removes any immunity to backstabbing that the target may possess.
Disadvantages:
Specialized - The Hand has focused all of their abilities on the art of murder and their other skills have suffered as a result. Pick Pockets, set Traps, and Detect Illusion start at a lower percentage. Additionally, their focus results in only gaining 20 points per level to spend on thief skills.
Bloody Hands - Murder is personal, and the Hand does not favor methods that kill without using their own hands to do the deed. The Hand never gains the ability to set traps.
----------------------------------------------------
Dread Master* (Mage**)
Advantages:
Necromancy Specialist - In effect, the master is an exceptional example of a Necromancy Specialist Wizard
Master of Death - The divine spark within the Dread Master has empowered their arcane ability, granting access to a number of divine necromancy spells.
1st level - Armor of Bone (Necromantic version of Armor)
2nd level - Fog of Death (Necromantic version of Glitterdust)
3rd level - Animate Dead, Spectral Armor (Necromantic version of Ghost Armor)
4th level - Death Ward
5th level - Create Undead (Ghast?)
6th level - Dolorous Decay
7th level - Symbol of Death
8th level - Create Greater Undead (Vampire/Mummy?)
9th level - Dread Bargain (Necromantic Wish)
Disadvantages:
Focused Magic - The enhanced power of the Dread Master comes from cultivating their divine spark, rather than relentless, specialized study. Rather than losing access to Illusion, the inward focus of the Dread Master's magic cuts them off from Conjuration. This is further mitigated by the development of alternative versions of the more central conjuration spells powered by necromancy.
Dread Presence - As a living channel for the power of death, the Dread Master is deeply unsettling to those around them. Starting Reputation and Charisma both suffer a -2 penalty.
* I really need a better name than this
** Ideally replaces necromancers position on the kit list (thus pushing necromancer off the bottom of the list at character creation, but not affecting NPC necromancers).
----------------------------------------------------
Death's Warden (Druid)
Advantages:
Of Two Worlds - The Warden's tie to the realm of the dead renders them immune to most of its effects. Wardens are immune to Death Magic and Level Drain.
Judgement - Once per day (with additional uses every 10 levels) the Warden may pass judgement on those beings that have perverted the cycle of life and death by holding on well past their time. Any undead creature targeted by this power must save vs. death at -4 or be destroyed. This does not work on creatures with More Hit Dice than twice the Warden's level (not sure if there's an easy way to do this yet, if not some similar constraint will be put in place).
Keeper of Death - At 6th level, the Warden gains more power over the cycle of life and death, and can pass judgement over the living as well as the dead. Now when a living victim is targeted by the Warden's Judgement they are rapidly pushed to the end of their natural life. (Effect identical to Dolorous Decay, but target must save vs. Death at -4).
Disadvantages:
A World Apart - The Warden watches over and preserves the natural order, but unlike most druids is not truly a part of it themselves. Without that fundamental tie to the natural world, the Warden can not Shapeshift.
----------------------------------------------------
This is really still at the "throwing ideas out there" stage, so I expect to heavily alter these kits as I continue to think about them and get suggestions from others.
0
Comments
Rogues already have the Assassin, so I don't really feel the need of another murderer labeled thief kit imvho.
A better name for Dread Master would be Dread Necromancer imho. This is also the name of a existing 3.5 base class from Heroes of Horror, which gradually transforms the character into a lich at 20th level. Its spellbook makes it more similar to an sorcerer than a mage though.
Other alternative names for the Dread Master would be True Necromancer (name of an existing 3.5 PrC) Flesh Warper or Bone Sculptor.
Not sure how to feel about the Death's Warden though. It's basically a Doomguide of Kelemvor in Druid clothes. I think the Blighter PrC would fit in better with your murder theme.
Bards could very well have the Dirgesinger or some sort of Banshee-like kit as an Bhaalspawn representative I image.
The Dread Master is not such a bad name, but feels too much like star wars... I'll check my books to see if something interesting comes up.
I'm not so thrilled about the druid... I'll tend to suggest a Druid specialized in sacrificial rituals implying a LOT of blood. Blood is "the flow of life" and can be viewed as a natural power to exploit, keeping the Druid kit close to the nature, yet exploiting the power of the bhaal's essence via the dark (and messy) rituals =p
a mysterious name like "Shade of Blood" or just simple yet explicit: "Blood Ritualist"
And while on the topic, what exactly would differentiate the necrotic versions of the spells from the originals? Dread Bargain could be fun. ^__^
Also, I think neoesprit's idea for a "Blood Ritualist" sounds really grand! There are a lot of possibilities there; it could allow for a very unique playing-experience. Oh, and sacrificing a bit of your own blood in exchange for boosted spell-power is always fun!
~ai64
P.S: The Hand of Death sounds like a fun class as well; that Memento Mori would be awesome in ToB.
P.P.S: Isn't Ghost Armour already a necrotic spell? My memory's a tad fuzzy. :d