A:PC/Mauritius val'Emman/Occisor

Discussion

Discussion of changes that people are proposing to the Occisor class.

• Even out the sneak attack damage to 1d6 every odd level starting at 3rd as opposed to the +2d6 SA damage every 4 levels. It will prevent huge power spikes at levels 7, 11, 15, and 19. --Askewnotion 03:16, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

• It was off-hand suggested to increase the hit die by one size. --Mqs 17:54, 8 June 2009 (UTC)

• Shadow sclupted items need more options. Who wants to carry around bulky shadow stuff armor when you can easily buy materials that have things weight half as much. Mimic materials? General modifications? Greater than MW quality? --Askewnotion 23:36, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

• Though we will never reach 20th, doesn't Into the Darkness seem pretty awful? -4 is pretty drastic. --Askewnotion 23:36, 9 June 2009 (UTC)

• At first I thought a mathematical band-aid might do for this class. Looking the abilities over, I found some really potent stuff with poor implementation and too rigid design. First off change the sneak attack so it’s not strictly limited to melee and acts like a rogue sneak attack in all regards. Secondly, shadow sculpting could be more similar to shape mind blade.

Shadow Sculpting (Su): At 5th level, the Occisor gains the ability to control the primal forces of darkness. She may shape nearby shadows into solid objects that she can use and wield.

The Occisor may control a number of units of shadow material equal to double her class level. These units may be used to craft weapons, armor or other minor items. The latter may mimic anything that the minor creation spell can create and cost 1 unit each. All shadow-sculpted items dissipate immediately upon leaving the Occisor’s person. Sculpting a shadow object requires one full-round per unit of shadow material used to create the item.

The Occisor may create the following weapons and armor (with the number of units needed): drusus (5), gladius (4), longsword (5), bastard sword (6), lorica segmentata (8), tower shield (8) and pila (light-5 or heavy-6). Weapons and armor benefit from all enhancement bonuses to the shadow blade and occisors always have 4 free units to shape a shadow blade. If the weapon requires more than the free units it requires the same one full round per extra unit invested to create the shadow blade. Pila that are sculpted shadow blades do not dissipate until after striking there target. If no more than 5 units are used in creating the shadow blade it may be free drawn. Tower shields still impose the same -2 penalty to attack. Shadow-sculpted weapons and armor are considered to be weapons and armor for the purposes of spells, powers, and other effects that target weapons and armor (such as the greater magic weapon spell). All shadow-sculpted items have hardness 10, and 2 hit points per unit used to create the item. Shadow-sculpted armor has no armor check penalty, and no maximum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. Shadow-sculpted items weight the same as their normal counterparts.

Shadow-sculpted items may be carried into areas where magic and psionics work; however, they follow the same rules as the shadow blade does.

Lastly change shadow loving embrace to act more like mind blade enhancement. You may choose two enhancements of +1 value from the following list and apply them to two of the three shaped shadow items. Both abilities may not be placed on the same armor, shield, or weapon. Shadow, silent, slick, quickness, landing, floating, and sundering would okay +1 abilities. The list would be mainly utility and dirty deeds.

All of the changes should increase the class’s’ flexibility and utility enough that saves, hit die, and skills should remain the same. You could remove Wild talent since I can't see how this is a psionic class. --Arz 13:47, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

• The 1st level ability to create a shadow blade is only listed as Su for the purpose of Living Arcanis, IMO. I believe otherwise it is intended to be a psi-like ability.

Interesting change to shadows loving embrace. I'm assuming that as the +5, +10, and +15 increase, it would transfer to +1, +2, and +3 by your suggestion?

Also, I'm not sure about the 4 free points given. The first level ability of the class encompasses the ability to manifest the blade to begin with. --Askewnotion 17:24, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

• Shadow's loving embrace I noticed was a fixed bonus somewhat similar to mind blade enhancement. A little looser wording could be used to make it adaptable and fun.

My intent w/ the 4 freebies was to make the shadow blade shapeable like a mindblade yet retain the abilities wording/framework. No good?

The other big boost which you might have missed was adding the shadow blade enhancement bonuses, corrected from bonuses, to shadow sculpted weapons and armor. I might have miswrote that such that you could sculpt a ladder+1. If so, oops. --Arz 21:10, 10 June 2009 (UTC)

Changes

• Change the sneak attack to 1d6 every 2 levels after 3rd
• Shadow Sculpting (Su): At 5th level, the Occisor gains the ability to control the primal forces of darkness. She may shape nearby shadows into solid objects that she can use and wield.

The Occisor may control a number of units of shadow material equal to double her class level. These units may be used to craft weapons, armor or other minor items. The latter may mimic anything that the minor creation spell can create and cost 1 unit each. All shadow-sculpted items dissipate immediately upon leaving the Occisor’s person. Sculpting a shadow object requires one full-round per unit of shadow material used to create the item.

The Occisor may create the following weapons and armor (with the number of units needed): drusus (5), gladius (4), longsword (5), bastard sword (6), lorica segmentata (8), tower shield (8) and pila (light-5 or heavy-6). Weapons and armor benefit from all enhancement bonuses to the shadow blade. Pila that are sculpted shadow blades do not dissipate until after striking there target. Tower shields still impose the same -2 penalty to attack. Shadow-sculpted weapons and armor are considered to be weapons and armor for the purposes of spells, powers, and other effects that target weapons and armor (such as the greater magic weapon spell). All shadow-sculpted items have hardness 10, and 2 hit points per unit used to create the item. Shadow-sculpted armor has no armor check penalty, and no maximum Dexterity bonus to Armor Class. Shadow-sculpted items weight the same as their normal counterparts.

Shadow-sculpted items may be carried into areas where magic and psionics work; however, they follow the same rules as the shadow blade does.

• Shadows Loving Embrace: At 6th level, an occisor gains the ability to enhance the items that he crafts from shadows. The occisor can enhance up to two shadow items with this ability. Applicable items are his shadow blade and items crafted via the shadow sculpting ability.

The occisor can apply any of the +1 abilities listed below to an applicable item. If the shadow item in question is not a weapon, armor, or shield, then the item is considered to be of masterwork quality.

At 13th level, the occisor can have a total of +2 abilities in each of the two items. If the shadow item in question is not a weapon, armor, or shield, then the item is considered to be of masterwork quality but grants a +3 bonus when applicable.

At 20th level, the occisor can have a total of +3 abilities in each of the two items. If the shadow item in question is not a weapon, armor, or shield, then the item is considered to be of masterwork quality but grants a +4 bonus when applicable.

Weapon	Bonus	Armor	Bonus	Shield	Bonus
Bane	+1	Shadow	+1	Anchoring	+1
Deadly Precision	+1	Silent Moves	+1	Arrow Catching	+1
Defending	+1	Slick	+1	Blinding	+1
Ghost Touch	+1	Easy Travel	+1	Fortification, light	+1
Keen/Impact	+1	Glamered	+1	Animated	+2
Vicious	+1	Balance	+1	Arrow Deflection	+2
Warning	+1	Silent Moves, improved	+2	Fearsome	+2
Domineering	+2	Balance, improved	+2	Ghost Touch	+3
Enervating	+2	Bane blind	+2	Fortification, moderate	+3
Ghost Strike	+2	Shadow, improved	+2	Vanishing	+3
Impedance	+2	Slick, improved	+2
Metalline	+2	Shadow, greater	+3
Parrying	+2	Silent Moves, greater	+3
Transmuting	+2	Slick, greater	+3
Wounding	+3	Balance, greater	+3
Bodyfeeder	+3	Ghost Touch	+3
Curse Spewing	+3	Vanishing	+3
Ethereal Reaver	+3
Speed	+3

These alterations look like a good place to start. Eric, go ahead and update Mauritius with these changes to the class. WARNING: He may become useful. --Randy (Talk) 12:53, 14 July 2009 (UTC)

Sadly, these alterations don't affect me for a few more levels. I shall suck until then. --Askewnotion 13:55, 14 July 2009 (UTC)