[D&D 4e] Building a class from the ground up: The Bloodwitch
Posted: Tue Dec 08, 2009 1:22 pm
Alright, so a friend and I have been talking some about a custom character class I've had brewing in my head for a while and finally got to cranking out quite a bit of it last night. Now I'm wondering if anyone would like to perhaps give suggestions, point out over/underpoweredness, or toss in ideas to help the class building along. So! Let's dive right into it, shall we?
The Bloodwitch: As you can likely guess, the theme of this character is, surprise, blood. But to be more specific: Blood magic. Though instead of casting spells of an arcane nature like the already existing Blood Mage, the Bloodwitch's abilities are far more basic, aggressive, and utterly brutal. She manipulates the life energies existing within the blood of her enemies to dole out gratuitous amounts of damage, and is able to damage herself and use her own blood to further beef up the damage in exchange for her own hitpoints.
This class is intended to be a mid ranged caster with dex melee support, dishing out large amounts of damage indiscriminately (many of her attacks are area based, and effect all creatures caught in the path of the spaying blood). The powers are less "spells" and more "magical abilities", things such as projectile vomiting blood at an enemy to burn their flesh with magical fire or acid damage, or making an enemy's blood literally explode from their body to deal damage to them and any close enough to be sprayed by the magically charged fluid, or have blood ooze from their palms and coat their weapon in order to grant a magical boost to the damage of their melee attacks, things like that.
The flavor can wait though, for now I'll simply tell you the bare class stats:
Bloodwitch:
Role: Striker
Power Source: Blood (Blood magic, blood energy, I would appreciate a cool name that rolls of the tongue.)
Key Abilities: Charisma, Dexterity, Constitution
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee
Implements: Blood Claws (See class features)
Defenses: +1 Ref, +1 Will
HP 1st level: 12+Con score
HP gained per level: 6
Healing Surges per day: 6+Con mod
Skills: Choose four; Arcana, Endurance, Heal, History, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth
Class Features: Blood Claws, Sanguine Vestments, Scarlet Pact, Burning Blood
Blood Claws: You have two natural weapons that can be manifested as a free action. You are proficient in these weapons (+2 prof), 2d6 damage, these claws can be selected for the purpose of weapon specific feats. The player cannot use other weapons when the Blood Claws ability is active.
One of the first twisted abilities you learn on your way to become a Bloodwitch, you are able to warp your hands into long, wickedly sharp claws. Your fingers grow twice their length and the pointed tips become a strange, blood colored material as strong and as a sharp as a steel blade..
Sanguine Vestments: While wearing cloth or no armor, and not using a shield, you have a +2 bonus to AC. This bonus increases to a +3 bonus when you are bloodied, this bonus increases to +4 when bloodied at Paragon Tier. (Though perhaps the increase might need to be changed, or turned into a feat the class can take or something)
Through the fell magics and abhorrent rituals you practice, the very blood that soaks and stains your clothing becomes a form of magical protection on par with a suit of armor.
Scarlet Pact: When using any Bloodwitch power, as a free action before you cast the power, you may damage yourself. Heroic: 1d8 / Paragon: 2d8 / Epic: 3d8. If the Bloodwitch attack hits the enemy, add double this number to the damage the enemy receives.
You use the blood and life energy from your very veins to power your magics, and can borrow some of that blood to boost the power of your attacks.
Burning Blood: When you are bloodied, and use a Bloodwitch encounter or daily power, the target(s) of the attack takes ongoing fire and/or (haven't figured out if it should be both, or the player's choice of one or the other) acid damage equal to your constitution modifier (save ends).
When your body is injured enough, the latent fury coursing through your veins seethes with energy, burning the flesh of your enemies as they are covered in it.
That's it for the basics of the class, I'll post all the powers that we figured out (We have 23 so far) once I get back from classes. In the meantime, I would greatly appreciate suggestions for powers and feats, tweaked stats, or even so much as interesting names for things. We've yet to run this all by our DM, so some suggestions for balancing would be very nice as well. Oh! And I'll post oodles and oodles of flavor text as well, once I'm back.
((Lowered some of the dice rolls to suggested numbers.))
The Bloodwitch: As you can likely guess, the theme of this character is, surprise, blood. But to be more specific: Blood magic. Though instead of casting spells of an arcane nature like the already existing Blood Mage, the Bloodwitch's abilities are far more basic, aggressive, and utterly brutal. She manipulates the life energies existing within the blood of her enemies to dole out gratuitous amounts of damage, and is able to damage herself and use her own blood to further beef up the damage in exchange for her own hitpoints.
This class is intended to be a mid ranged caster with dex melee support, dishing out large amounts of damage indiscriminately (many of her attacks are area based, and effect all creatures caught in the path of the spaying blood). The powers are less "spells" and more "magical abilities", things such as projectile vomiting blood at an enemy to burn their flesh with magical fire or acid damage, or making an enemy's blood literally explode from their body to deal damage to them and any close enough to be sprayed by the magically charged fluid, or have blood ooze from their palms and coat their weapon in order to grant a magical boost to the damage of their melee attacks, things like that.
The flavor can wait though, for now I'll simply tell you the bare class stats:
Bloodwitch:
Role: Striker
Power Source: Blood (Blood magic, blood energy, I would appreciate a cool name that rolls of the tongue.)
Key Abilities: Charisma, Dexterity, Constitution
Armor Proficiencies: Cloth
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple Melee
Implements: Blood Claws (See class features)
Defenses: +1 Ref, +1 Will
HP 1st level: 12+Con score
HP gained per level: 6
Healing Surges per day: 6+Con mod
Skills: Choose four; Arcana, Endurance, Heal, History, Intimidate, Perception, Stealth
Class Features: Blood Claws, Sanguine Vestments, Scarlet Pact, Burning Blood
Blood Claws: You have two natural weapons that can be manifested as a free action. You are proficient in these weapons (+2 prof), 2d6 damage, these claws can be selected for the purpose of weapon specific feats. The player cannot use other weapons when the Blood Claws ability is active.
One of the first twisted abilities you learn on your way to become a Bloodwitch, you are able to warp your hands into long, wickedly sharp claws. Your fingers grow twice their length and the pointed tips become a strange, blood colored material as strong and as a sharp as a steel blade..
Sanguine Vestments: While wearing cloth or no armor, and not using a shield, you have a +2 bonus to AC. This bonus increases to a +3 bonus when you are bloodied, this bonus increases to +4 when bloodied at Paragon Tier. (Though perhaps the increase might need to be changed, or turned into a feat the class can take or something)
Through the fell magics and abhorrent rituals you practice, the very blood that soaks and stains your clothing becomes a form of magical protection on par with a suit of armor.
Scarlet Pact: When using any Bloodwitch power, as a free action before you cast the power, you may damage yourself. Heroic: 1d8 / Paragon: 2d8 / Epic: 3d8. If the Bloodwitch attack hits the enemy, add double this number to the damage the enemy receives.
You use the blood and life energy from your very veins to power your magics, and can borrow some of that blood to boost the power of your attacks.
Burning Blood: When you are bloodied, and use a Bloodwitch encounter or daily power, the target(s) of the attack takes ongoing fire and/or (haven't figured out if it should be both, or the player's choice of one or the other) acid damage equal to your constitution modifier (save ends).
When your body is injured enough, the latent fury coursing through your veins seethes with energy, burning the flesh of your enemies as they are covered in it.
That's it for the basics of the class, I'll post all the powers that we figured out (We have 23 so far) once I get back from classes. In the meantime, I would greatly appreciate suggestions for powers and feats, tweaked stats, or even so much as interesting names for things. We've yet to run this all by our DM, so some suggestions for balancing would be very nice as well. Oh! And I'll post oodles and oodles of flavor text as well, once I'm back.
((Lowered some of the dice rolls to suggested numbers.))