One thing I liked about D&D3.x is that it had clearly-defined class abilities. One thing I didn't like is that many of those class abilities were shit, poorly conceived, and poorly implemented. And this kind of feeds back into my design goals for Space Madness!, so in the interests of getting my head space where it needs to be at, I want to go through several classes' worth of abilities and see what they did good, bad, or indifferent...and why.
Starting off:
Hexblade from Complete Warrior.
Ignoring weapon/armor proficiencies, spells, familiars, and bonus feat to concentrate on the unique abilities:
Verdict: This is okay. It's a magical ability that gives the PC new options, and the higher the character's level the more time they can use it. Negatives: it's an X-uses-per-day ability, which is less than ideal, especially as a (Su) ability. The numerical penalty is technically static, which is bad in a level-based game, but actually increases with level - they just broke it into two other abilities for whatever stupid fucking reason. It's still not great, because the ability is nerfed all to hell and the obvious points of expansion (increased number of uses per day/increased penalty) aren't built-in.Hexblade's Curse (Su): Once per day, as a free action, a hexblade can unleash a curse upon a foe. The target must be visible to the hexblade and within 60 feet. The target of a hexblade's curse takes a -2 penalty on attacks, saves, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls for 1 hour thereafter. A successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 hexblade's class level + hexblade's Cha modifier) negates the effect.
At every four levels beyond 1st (5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th) a hexblade gains the ability to use his curse one additional time per day, as indicated on Table 1—1. Multiple hexblade's curses don't stack, and any foe that successfully resists the effect cannot be affected again by the same hexblade's curse for 24 hours.
Any effect that removes or dispels a curse eliminates the effect of a hexblade's curse.
A hexblade can utter only one hexblade's curse per round, even if he gets multiple curses per day.
Greater Hexblade's Curse (Su): When a hexblade attains 7th level, the penalty on attacks, saves, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls incurred by a target of the hexblade's curse becomes -4 instead of -2.
Dire Hexblade's Curse (Su): When a hexblade attains 19th level, the penalty on attacks, saves, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls incurred by a target of the hexblade's curse becomes -6 instead of -4.
How to fix it: Make hexblade's curse a spell, change it to spell-like, penalty effect is level-based. Pretty easy. I still don't like X-uses-per-day, and honestly as one of the characteristic abilities of the Hexblade you could make it at will and I don't think that would be unbalancing, since the curses don't stack.
Verdict: This is...less-great. Just giving out bonuses is a bit shit, it doesn't provide new options or abilities, jut a mechanical bonus to an existing ability...and those bonuses don't normally improve with level. This one is tied to Charisma, which is not as bad, since you can improve your Charisma in various ways but...eh. Not sure how to fix this one either.Arcane Resistance (Su): At 2nd level, a hexblade gains a bonus equal to his Charisma bonus (minimum +1) on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects.
Verdict: Solid. This expands the PC's abilities in a tangible way, and scales by level nicely.Mettle (Ex): At 3rd level and higher, a hexblade can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower or fortitude. If he makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. An unconscious or sleeping hexblade does not gain the benefit of mettle.
Verdict: Okay. I really dislike "X number of times per day" abilities. I would prefer if this was like "burn a spell slot to activate" instead, or something else that worked off the hexblade's main gimmick. The effect itself is fine from a level point of view (20% is 20% regardless of mechanical bonuses), although the limited number of uses per day sucks.Aura of Unluck (Su): Once per day, a hexblade of 12th level or higher can create a baleful aura of misfortune. Any melee or ranged attack made against the hexblade while this aura of unluck is active has a 20% miss chance (similar to the effect of concealment). Activating the aura is a free action, and the aura lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the hexblade's Charisma bonus (if any).
At 16th level and higher, a hexblade can use his aura of unluck twice per day. A 20th-level hexblade can activate this aura three times per day.
How to fix: Instead of 1-3 uses/day, have them burn 4 levels of spells slots to activate.
You could probably narrow this down further by formalizing the effects as spells and then just letting the hexblade spontaneously convert spell slots into them, and compensate by giving them more spell slots as they level. But you get the general idea.
Duskblade (Player's Handbook II)
Verdict: Meh. Giving you a grab-bag of lower-level spell-like effects instead of just giving you an equivalent number of spell slots and spells known is a bit shit, isn't it? It's really splitting your resource pool into spells and spell-like abilities, and while none of these are bad by any means, it would be faster, easier, and more versatile to just give them more cantrip slots.Arcane Attunement (Sp): You can use the spell-like powers dancing lights, detect magic, flare, ghost sound, and read magic a combined total of times per day equal to 3 + your Int modifier. These spell-like powers do not count against your total of spells known or spells per day.
Verdict: Crap. This is one of those abilities that is almost generic across multiple classes, as it is used by multiple classes with almost the same wording. It's also nerfed all to hell to prevent multiclassing shenanigans (which is the entire point of a gish to begin with) and interacts with a shitty legacy mechanic.Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, which can cause spells to fail if those spells have a somatic component. A duskblade's limited focus and specialized training, however, allows you to avoid arcane spell failure so long as you stick to light armor and light shields. This training does not extend to medium or heavy armors, nor to heavy shields. This ability does not apply to spells gained from a different spellcasting class.
At 4th level, you learn to use medium armor with no chance of arcane spell failure.
At 7th level, you learn to use a heavy shield with no chance of arcane spell failure.
How to fix it: Wearing armor does not cause any chance of arcane spell failure. Done.
Any ability which is just "you gain a feat" is not an ability.Combat Casting: At 2nd level, you gain Combat Casting as a bonus feat.
Verdict: Solid. I mean, you're probably not going to equip a 30-foot pole and use flaming fist to destroy doors in a dungeon or anything, but I like that that is a legitimate option. This augments the character's options, so is a solid ability.Arcane Channeling (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you can use a standard action to cast any touch spell you know and deliver the spell through your weapon with a melee attack. Casting a spell in this manner does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The spell must have a casting time of 1 standard action or less. If the melee attack is successful, the attack deals damage normally; then the effect of the spell is resolved.
At 13th level, you can cast any touch spell you know as part of a full attack action, and the spell affects each target you hit in melee combat that round. Doing so discharges the spell at the end of the round, in the case of a touch spell that would otherwise last longer than 1 round.
Verdict: Meh. This is kindof a version of Quicken Spell feat, only you can only use it X times per day and there's no cost to it. There's also no way to improve it except leveling up to get more uses per day, which caps out at a whopping four at level 20.Quick Cast: Beginning at 5th level, you can cast one spell each day as a swift action, so long as the casting time of the spell is 1 standard action or less.
You can use this ability twice per day at 10th level, three times per day at 15th level, and four times per day at 20th level.
How to Fix It: Modifies the Quicken Spell feat by cutting the cost in half (i.e. instead of taking up a spell slot 4 levels higher, it takes up a spell slot 2 levels higher). That way you decide how often to use it, and whether the cost is worth it - all about increasing options, not just providing X number of uses per day.
Verdict: Crap. It's a slightly-level-based flat bonus to a relatively obscure check which only works if you actually hit something - literally, punch them or something - to get it to work. It's just a weird ability that has been nerfed all the way down.Spell Power (Ex): Starting at 6th level, you can more easily overcome the spell resistance of any opponent you successfully injure with a melee attack. If you have injured an opponent with a melee attack, you gain a +2 bonus on your caster level check to overcome spell resistance for the remainder of the encounter. This bonus increases to +3 at 11th level, to +4 at 16th level, and to +5 at 18th level.
How to fix it: Two options: either just give a level/based bonus to the caster level check to overcome spell resistance, or if you hit them then you can ignore spell resistance. Both approaches have their benefits and drawbacks. Straight bonuses are unexciting, but if the bonus is level-commensurate (I'd be looking at something more like +1/level) then at least useful; having to hit someone to activate an ability is a kind of stupid activation cost (a lot of opponents are glass ninjas anyway), but if you can just ignore spell resistance that's substantial - especially since your main other abilities are casting spells and channeling them through melee attacks, so there's some synergy there.
Warmage (Complete Arcane)
See above. This is actually the shittier version, since it caps out sooner...and why? I mean, if they have to have armor-based arcane spell failure chance, and Armored Mage is the answer to that, and it improves with level...why not just have it as a generic ability that continues to level up? Why have it so this class gets a shittier version of it than that class?Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, which can cause his spells to fail (if those spells have somatic components). A warmage's limited focus and specialized training, however, allows him to avoid arcane spell failure as long as he sticks to light armor and light shields. This training does not extend to medium or heavier armors, nor to heavy shields. Nor does this ability apply to spells gained from a different spellcasting class.
At 8th level, a warmage learns to use medium armor with no chance of arcane spell failure.
Verdict: Nerfed to death. Comments about mechanical bonuses stand, but this could be an okay ability if not for the fact that it was specifically written to not be of any fucking use whatsoever except in the narrowest of contexts (i.e. warblade spells). The general concept of "your spells hit harder" is good, but they seem to be afraid that it was too good. But too good is the point.Warmage Edge (Ex): A warmage is specialized in dealing damage with his spells. Whenever a warmage casts a spell that deals hit point damage, he adds his Intelligence bonus (if any) to the amount of damage dealt. For instance, if a 1st-level warmage with 17 Intelligence casts magic missile, he deals 1d4+1 points of damage normally, plus an extra 3 points of damage due to his Intelligence bonus. The bonus from the warmage edge special ability applies only to spells that he casts as a warmage, not to those he might have by virtue of levels in another class.
How to fix it: Remove the nerfing, make the damage bonus level-based instead of or in addition to Int-based.
This doesn't need to be an ability. There are a few abilities like this out there, where one class can pinch spells off of another class's list, and they're all pretty shit because the lists should not be so limited that and shit that you'd want to spend one of your few level-based abilities nicking a spell off another class's list. Warmage needs to use the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list.Advanced Learning (Ex): At 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 16th level, a warmage can add a new spell to his list, representing the result of personal study and experimentation. The spell must be a wizard spell of the evocation school, and of a level no higher than that of the highest-level spell the warmage already knows. Once a new spell is selected, it is forever added to that warmage's spell list and can be cast just like any other spell on the warmage's list.
See above about getting feats as abilities.Sudden Empower: At 7th level, a warmage gains Sudden Empower (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.
Sudden Enlarge: At 10th level, a warmage gains Sudden Enlarge (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.
Sudden Widen: At 15th level, a warmage gains Sudden Widen (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.
Sudden Maximize: At 20th level, a warmage gains Sudden Maximize (described in Chapter 3) as a bonus feat. If he already has the feat, he can choose a different metamagic feat.
At this point I should add that this isn't about "fixing" these classes or balancing these abilities - this is like studying Roman ruins and trying to figure out what they did right or wrong, or why they did what they did and how to emulate/avoid it when you're building your own place. It's about sifting ideas and why things worked and why they don't, free from the absolute context of the class itself.
So, maybe one more for right now...
Suel Arcanamach (Complete Arcane)
This is a kindof-equivalent ability to Armored Mage, just instead of giving a pass to specific categories of armor, it gives you a reduction in spell percentage. This is probably the better-designed ability in most respects, as it reduces the percentage itself (which is good) and it improves every level (better). It's still not great, because it only applies to Suel arcanamach spells (lame), and it's a shitty penalty that shouldn't exist in the first place. If this were a build-your-own-class scenario, you might be able to do some sort of economy-shopping version of these features - if you know very specifically what armor you're going to wear at what level, for example, then Armored Mage might have an advantage, if it was cheap enough - but even then, that feels situational.Ignore Spell Failure Chance (Ex): A Suel arcanamach’s practice at merging spellcasting and swordplay results in a reduction in the arcane spell failure chance associated with using armor or shields. This reduction starts at 5% at 1st level and increases by 5% every three levels thereafter. The arcanamach subtracts the given percentage value from his total spell failure chance, if any. For example, a 1st-level arcanamach wearing a mithral shirt has a spell failure chance of 5%, not 10%. This ability only functions when the character casts a Suel arcanamach spell.
Verdict: Static bonuses suck. +6 DC becomes less and less relevant as the levels and the bonus dice stack up.Tenacious Spells (Ex): An arcanamach’s Suel arcanamach spells are particularly difficult to dispel; add 6 to the DC required to dispel the character’s arcanamach spells.
Verdict: Okay. Not great, because it's still an X-times-per-day power, and it's weaker than just giving you greater dispel as a spell-like ability, because there' a condition on using it. Still, as you level up and Base Attack Bonus increases, this ability remains fairly relevant, as every part of it levels up too.Dispelling Strike (Su): Once per day, a Suel arcanamach of 2nd level or higher can attempt a dispelling strike with one normal melee attack. If he hits, he deals normal damage, and the victim is subject to a targeted greater dispel magic. The arcanamach’s dispel check is 1d20 + class level + 6. If a Suel arcanamach makes a dispelling strike against a creature with no spells or effects to dispel, the dispelling strike has no effect, but the ability is used up for that day. At 6th level, an arcanamach can use this power two times per day, and at 10th level he can use it three times per day.
Aside: One of the good things about shadow magic from the Tome of Magic was the idea that you had these spell-like abilities, and as you leveled up you could use them more often per day. At a certain point they could even become at will, which is sort of the golden standard for "That sounds cool." And indeed, being able to do a greater dispel magic at will via successful melee attack is awesome at around 6th level. It's an ability you could even have a lot of fun with improving, because there are other abilities that improve dispel attempts and variant dispel spells that have other effects. But that would require this ability to be structured in such a way for PCs to be able to use it way more often and improve it way more cheaply and easily...neither of which is true.
Extend Spell already exists as a feat, so my thoughts on this are similar to the Quick Spell ability above.Extended Spellstrength (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a Suel arcanamach knows how to extend the duration of spells that he casts on himself. The duration of any of his Suel arcanamach spells with which he targets himself is doubled, as if affected by the Extend Spell feat (but without any adjustment to the spell’s effective level or casting time). For instance, a bull’s strength spell cast by a 3rd-level Suel arcanamach on himself has a duration of 6 minutes rather than 3 minutes. Spells that target multiple targets are affected by this power, but only the arcanamach gains the extended duration. For example, a 5th-level arcanamach who casts haste would be hasted for 10 rounds, while his allies would gain the effect only for the normal 5-round duration. Spells that do not have a Target entry are unaffected by this power even if the arcanamach is the only one affected.
Which does beg the question: why did they do the feat/ability dance? Giving someone a feat as a class ability is a bit shit (you might as well make it a generic bonus feat and let them choose their own), and taking a feat and turning it into a limited ability is also shit, since you're removing versatility from one end (uses per day) in exchange for eliminating a not-terribly-great cost at the other.
I could go on. And I might! Later.