(Okay, so I have this class that's about giving or taking positional bonuses from allies... This is an idea for a central ability of the class. It's supposed to be balanced around a lvl 1 cleric spell)
By concentrating, you can grant another character benefit of your karma and strength, protecting them from harm. The caster vanishes, replaced by a set of gleaming armor on the target. Target creature gains +4 Armor plus a Deflection bonus equal to the caster level; these bonuses do not stack with natural armor or worn armor. The target also gains the option to use the caster's Strength or Dodge bonus instead of their own. All damage inflicted upon the target is instead redirected to the caster. The caster is limited to free or swift actions for the duration of the spell; any other actions taken by the caster dismisses the effect.
It's supposed to be like Sanctuary, but the other spells that give defense are 20% or +4, I threw in the +4 armor...
-Crissa
Edits, highlights
Last edited by Crissa on Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:48 am, edited 1 time in total.
If it doesn't stack with Natural or item Armor, why not make it one of those types?
The added effect would be the main focus which is pretty powerful for a SL1.
Does redirection work over any distance?
If so what's to stop a warrior from wearing this buff from an item, while the cleric spams CLW on themself, separated over miles?
It comes with an Armor bonus? I don't know what you're asking. Deflection works against touch attacks?
One, it's not a cleric spell, it's a class ability that's used like a spell (I do that alot). Two, the caster can't take any actions. Casting CLW is an action. They can take Free and Swift actions, but I didn't write that down. Maybe I should write it to be more like it was in game...
Okay, did that. Anyhow, the spell is basically a 'I stand in the way and give you crappy magic armor' kinda like Ed in Fullmetal Alchemist, I guess.
-Crissa
Last edited by Crissa on Fri Feb 27, 2009 10:50 am, edited 3 times in total.
No one cares about a +4 armor bonus. If they aren't wearing a chain shirt, they get a free one. Woo!
Everyone cares about a +7 deflection bonus (7th level caster). Take note that this doesn't stack if they already have a deflection bonus, and applies to touch attacks. The ability to sacrafice all of your primary and secondary actions to gain a +(caster level) to AC is weaksauce.
The ability to use the caster's strength or dodge bonus is also pretty bad, unless buffs are going to transfer. A cleric has a strength of 14 if they are lucky. This spell will do less than Bulls Strength on most characters. Same situation (but worse) with using the Cleric's dodge bonus.
The ability to take damage for the target is good, especially if the cleric has some kind of Vigor/regen/fast healing going on. However, if this is the desired effect, you might as well cast a good healing spell.
So, all in all, this spell gives:
- no armor bonus (except to a monk or wizard without an armor bonus)
- a huge deflection bonus
- 0-to-little bonus to Dex or Strength (pick one)
- Temporary hit points equal to cleric hit points that have to be healed.
- Afflicts the caster with a Dazed condition every round while this is in effect.
It gives these bonuses to a target (+CL in AC, +hp in hp) at the expense of a spell slot and your next rounds in actions? No thanks.
I would much rather have:
Karmic Armor - level 2 cleric spell
- subject gains +CL deflection bonus to AC (unnamed, stacks) for as long as you concentrate. Take note, this can be mitigated to a move or swift action with the right feat combo.
Karmic Transfer - level 1 cleric spell
- all damage subject takes is transferred to caster.
Do you really have players that want to be a suit of armor for the duration of combat?
Well, the spell isn't a cleric spell. It's an ability from a melee class. Some buffs are transmutations, so wouldn't stack, but I think abjuration buffs would.
And yes.
-Crissa
Does anyone complain about Mage Armor?
Last edited by Crissa on Sat Feb 28, 2009 7:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
No one complains about Mage Armor because it provides a bonus you don't care about and lasts all day. Seriously, it takes slightly longer to prepare mage armor than it does to put on a chain shirt, bu only just.
It does not, for example, use up your entire fucking character and set all your actions on fire for an entire fucking combat. It's not even cast in combat. I do not even vaguely understand why you think this Karmic Armor crap is a good idea. It's not. Drop it and move on.
Now maybe if it did something that didn't set all your actions on fire - what if it worked like being Mounted, where the person acting as armor could use their actions for movement, leaving the wearer free to full attack/draw weapons/whatever? Still situational, but at least you're not completely wasting your actions.
Ice9 wrote:Now maybe if it did something that didn't set all your actions on fire - what if it worked like being Mounted, where the person acting as armor could use their actions for movement, leaving the wearer free to full attack/draw weapons/whatever? Still situational, but at least you're not completely wasting your actions.
That was my original idea, but I was unable to figure out how to price it.
This spell might actually be fun if there was a set of options for the caster to actively select each round. So long as you're dealing with a cleric, though, I think that spending your actions to buff/heal will be more satisfying.
Could be as simple as the following:
Karmic Armor
Level 1
Components: S,
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
Cast this spell as a swift action. You may cast touch and personal range spells on the target regardless of range or individuality. [Taking an action which is not a move or a spell cast on the target of this spell ends it.]
The law in its majestic equality forbids the rich as well as the poor from stealing bread, begging and sleeping under bridges.
-Anatole France
Mount Flamethrower on rear
Drive in reverse
Win Game.
-Josh Kablack
I suppose saying that I'm balancing next to a cleric spell or a wizard spell or a sorcerer spell doesn't mean they're a cleric, wizard, or sorcerer. Only that their spells/abilities are a mediocre part, expandable part, core part of the class.
But we're still back to the very basic question: why the fucking hell did you think this was a good idea in the first place? It's not. It's a really, really shit idea. And you know why it's a shit idea? Because it's really obviously a shit idea!
Character A, the character who actually has this ability drops it onto Character B. Character A now stops adventuring altogether and Character B goes on to have a 15 minute work day as an adventurer. This is literally he exact opposite of the an ability that you want to appear in a game or story about adventuring. The actions it encourages are the most fucking lame actions you've ever imagined in your mildest dreams.
I'm with Frank. Turning one character into nothing but a force field generator for the entire combat is an unworkable idea, and boring to play.
I mean shit, unless you've got spells you can cast a swift actions, you're basically out of the combat. You can't even take move actions, so the best you can do is 5 ft step. Really, once you cast this, you might as well just wander away and play video games.
The plan is to protect or stabilize a weak or targeted character so they can continue instead of being taken out by focused-fire.
And yes, I understand that once your mini is off the table, you'd wander away, but that really isn't a problem with these players. They don't seem to care f their mini is on the table in the first place, as long as they get to talk.
-Crissa
Heck, I had one group who refused to use the simplified skills because it 'removed flavor' from their characters having weird numbers of ranks in various things. Not every group is the same :P
Last edited by Crissa on Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:34 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Crissa wrote:
The plan is to protect or stabilize a weak or targeted character so they can continue instead of being taken out by focused-fire.
The problem is that your spell isn't something you can cast very quickly as a reaction. If all your monsters decide to nuke one PC, he's probably already going to be dead.
If you wanted an emergency shield, maybe you should make the spell an immediate action, possibly where you give up your next standard on your next action.
I like CatharzGodfoot's suggestion. This way you can burn a swift action followed by a normal spell (Barkskin, Healing). Also, a level one spell like that stays relevant to later levels.
You could also do something like this:
Karmic Armor
Level 1
Components: S,
Range: Close
Target: Creature touched (not self)
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Reflex negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: No
Casting Time: Immediate action
Target creature gains either 4 your level in AC (whichever is more) for 1 round. You lose your next round of combat (Move, Swift, and Standard actions) casting this.
