Path of Iron Update: Archivist Progress

Two weeks now into the Path of Iron Kickstarter, and we're getting close to the $2000 mark!

Out of all of the classes being presented in Path of Iron, the archivist is certainly the most daunting. Since it has its own form of spellcasting, it requires a significantly larger time investment, as it needs a whole list of scripts (the spells), feats, and magic items to support the system. When looking at the entirety of Path of Iron, the rune magic system will in all likelihood make up about a quarter or more of the whole book.

When the play test launches, it will come with everything needed to play as an archivist. It will start off with 120 scripts that the archivist can use, spread among the six designs of rune magic so that all archivist studies have equal choice and opportunity. These aren't necessarily all of the spells that will be in the final product, just the starting point. Feedback provided by players during the play test will determine what spells should be added to better round out the archivist's powers.

I'll finish with two more of the archivist's studies: creation and invocation. If all goes well, there will be some exciting news regarding the play test come the end of next week!

Creation

Those who study creation are masters of their craft, protecting and supporting allies while summoning creations and creatures to fight.
Study Synergy: An archivist that studies creation gains the following ability when overloading a script.

Runic Barrier (Su): Whenever you overload a script, you create a 10-foot-radius barrier centered on yourself. Allies in the area (including you) gain a +1 bonus to their Armor Class for each creation runic charge expended. The barrier lasts until the end of your next turn.

Study Abilities: Your powers unlock the secrets of creation.

Writ of Recovery (Ex): At 2nd level, when you cast a script that recovers hit points, you do not provoke attacks of opportunity for casting that script. In addition, the maximum amount of hit points your healing scripts can heal is based on your archivist level, not the script’s normal maximum. For example, if you were 8th level and cast a recover script, it would heal 1d8+8 hit points instead of the normal 1d8+5 maximum.
Generation (Sp): At 8th level, you can create materials and structures as if using a create* script. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Intelligence modifier (minimum 1). You can have no more than one create* effect active at a time; using it again immediately ends the previous create* effect. At 14th level, you can use three of your daily uses of this ability to instead have it function as the manufacture* script.
In addition, for every three archivist levels past 8th, this ability is treated as if overloaded with a single runic charge of your choice, up to a full four runic charges at 20th level (this applies to both the create* and manufacture* effects).
Reflexive Barrier (Su): At 14th level, your creation of defensive wards becomes second-nature. You have a 25% chance to negate critical hits and sneak attacks used against you. This increases to 50% at 20th level.
Runic Vitality (Ex): At 20th level, your mastery over healing creations provides you with constant protection. You are immune to blindness, deafness, fatigue, exhaustion, sickness, nausea, energy drain, and death effects. Whenever you overload a script that restores hit points, it is automatically boosted by Empower Script*.

Invocation

Students of invocation commune with the forces of nature, calling forth elemental energy, primal forces, and natural disaster with a single word.
Study Synergy: An archivist that studies invocation gains the following ability when overloading a script.

Ward of the Seasons (Su): Whenever you overload a script, you can grant yourself or a creature within 30 feet resist energy 5 against your choice of acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage for each invocation runic charge expended. This effect stacks and be applied to a different energy type for each runic charge. For example, if using three invocation runic charges, you can apply three charges to fire damage to grant fire resist 15, two to cold and one to acid to grant cold resist 10 and acid resist 5, or any other combination. The resistance lasts for 1 minute.

Study Abilities: Your every step brings you closer to the natural world.

Nature Affinity (Ex): At 2nd level, you have acclimated to harsh environments. Your need to eat and sleep is reduced as if wearing a ring of sustenance, and you are protected from extreme temperatures as if under the effects of an endure elements spell.
Natural Resilience (Ex): At 8th level, you become immune to poison and disease, even ones that are magical in nature. You also gain a +2 natural armor bonus. The natural armor bonus increases to +4 at 14th level.
Step of the Ages (Su): At 14th level, the elements grant you a new way to traverse the world. Choose one of the following to gain. Once chosen, it cannot be changed:

  • Air - You gain a fly speed of 40 feet with average maneuverability. At 18th level, it increases to 60 feet with good maneuverability.
  • Earth - You gain a burrow speed of 30 feet and can breath normally while in the ground. At 18th level, you gain the earth glide universal monster ability.
  • Fire - Your land speed increases by 20 feet, and you are no longer slowed by difficult terrain. At 18th level, your speed increases by an additional 20 feet.
  • Water - You gain a swim speed of 30 feet, you take no penalties to attack rolls or damage rolls for being underwater, and can breath underwater. At 18th level, your swim speed increases to 60 feet and you no longer take damage or penalties for being deep underwater, such as pressure damage.

One With the World (Ex): At 20th level, you become one with the forces of nature. You become immune to paralysis, sleep, and petrification, and gain tremorsense out to 30 feet. When you overload a script that deals acid, cold, electricity, or fire damage, you may replace the script’s normal damage with one of the other four energy types or split the script’s damage, so that half is of its normal type and half is of a different type.

Path of Iron Update: Saboteur Changes

As the Kickstarter closes on the first week, I've been working on the play test for Path of Iron. Recently I've been getting the saboteur finished up, and there's been some big changes to the class since it was announced a few weeks ago.

If you read the initial post, you know that the saboteur had both trap creation and spell casting of level 1-4 spells. When I posted that, the feedback was mostly positive, but there were some that voiced a disdain for having normal spellcasting on top of traps. After working on the class more, I started agreeing with the sentiment, but didn't want to just outright get rid of spells. Without that, the saboteur had only 40 or so trap types (at the time), which meant removing spells was a significant blow to the class's overall power. Traps used to add to spellcasting, but without it there wasn't enough variety in tools available to the saboteur. So a solution was needed.

Now, the saboteur's spells are the traps.

Rather than having a separate mechanic for traps while also having levels 1-4 spellcasting, the saboteur's traps now function as spells of level 1-6. Instead of placing a generic "1d6/2 levels bludgeoning damage" trap, you can now place a burning hands trap, confusion trap, chain lightning trap and more. Think of it similar to an alchemist's extracts: where the alchemist only has self-use spells to drink as an extract, the saboteur only has area-based and offensive spells to create as traps.

Of course, this does leave the issue that low-level blasting spells become less useful in comparison to high-level blasting spells; most casters start using their lower-level slots for utility-based effects as they grow in skill. To aid this, the saboteur has a new ability called Combined Arms where she can give up multiple lower-level trap slots to create a stronger trap. For example, she can give up four levels worth of trap slots to create a 3rd level trap; this can be four 1st level trap slots, two 2nd level trap slots, and so on. This helps keep her lower-level slots still useful into the higher levels, if indirectly.

Also, to make up for the loss of 1-4 utility spells, the saboteur's tricks have been expanded to cover some of the key abilities lost. In her original design she received eight total tricks; now she gets eleven, and they cover more magical talent than they originally did.

I'll continue posting updates as the Kickstarter progresses; if all goes well, the play test should be out ahead of schedule, which should be fun for all of us! In the mean time, here's a couple of the tricks the saboteur will have access to. Stay tuned!

Ambush (Ex): During a surprise round, opponents are always considered flat-footed against the saboteur, even if they have already acted. If the saboteur strikes an opponent during the surprise round, the target remains flat-footed during the first round of combat (though it can act), and its place in the initiative order is reduced by the saboteur’s Intelligence bonus (minimum 0).

Charming Words (Sp): The saboteur’s words are incredibly compelling. By spending 1 minute conversing with the target of her charlatan’s mark, the saboteur can affect the creature as by a charm monster or suggestion spell. The saboteur chooses which effect to apply at the end of the conversation. The DC of the charm monster or suggestion spell is equal to her saboteur trick save DC, instead of their normal DC. The target must understand the saboteur’s language to be affected by this ability. Once a creature has been affected by this ability (whether it saves or not), it cannot be affected again for 24 hours. The saboteur must be at least 10th level before selecting this trick.

Glamered Arms (Su): All weapons and armor the saboteur wields or carries are shrouded in illusion, allowing her to change their appearance as if they had the glamered special weapon or armor property. The saboteur must be at least 6th level before selecting this trick.

Nowhere to Hide (Su): So long as a saboteur with this trick has marked a target with her informant’s mark, she gains the benefit of locate creature against that target, using her saboteur level as her caster level. She also gains blindsight out to 20 feet against the target of her informant’s mark. The saboteur must be at least 8th level before selecting this trick.

Trapsmith (Ex): The saboteur gains a bonus on Craft (Trap) checks equal to half her saboteur level. The time it takes for her to create or set mechanical traps is reduced by half.

Unreadable (Sp): The saboteur is an enigma to outside divination. She is treated as though under the effect of a mind blank spell, using her saboteur level as her caster level. She can suspend or resume this ability as a standard action; if it’s dispelled she cannot resume it for 1 minute. The saboteur must be at least 16th level before selecting this trick.

Path of Iron Update: Funding Progress and Vanguard Goodies

Hey everyone!

We're just over three days into the Kickstarter and we just passed 50% funding! We still have quite a bit of a way to go, so let your friends and local gaming groups know!

In the mean time, how about an update on the book's progress? I'm still moving onward with the book material, namely the material for the playtest at the end of the Kickstarter (and if it's completed fast enough, it'll be out before then!). Today I'm going to show off a few of the vanguard augmentations and resonance abilities that I've recently written.

If you don't know about augmentation and resonance, check out the blog post on the vanguard. The playtest version will include twenty-one augmentations, each with a corresponding resonance ability. The Mending Touch augment is granted for free, so that leaves twenty for you to choose from as you level. The main focus of the vanguard's resonance abilities is group support, so you'll see that reflected in the abilities. These aren't necessarily all of the augmentations that will be in the end product nor are they finalized; changed will be made in response to player feedback and new ones will be added based on suggestions (or by those who back the Artisan or Master Artisan reward tier, should they choose).

Here's just a few of the augmentations you can grant your construct companion:

ABLATIVE SHIELDING (SU)
Prerequisites: Level 10
Effect: A magical barrier of force surrounds the construct companion, mitigating incoming damage. The barrier grants the construct companion temporary hit points equal to 3 times its total Hit Dice. As long as the barrier has at least 1 temporary hit point remaining, the barrier restores 5 temporary hit points each round, back up to the its normal maximum. If the barrier is ever reduce to 0 hit points, it breaks and does not regain hit points for 1 hour, after which it is restored to 1 hit point.
Resonance: The barrier supercharges and can affect multiple allies. The temporary hit points of the barrier are restored to double its normal maximum. The barrier protects nearby allies; if an attack would harm an ally within 30 feet of the companion, half of the damage is redirected to the construct’s barrier instead. The resonance lasts for either 1 minute or until the barrier runs out of hit points. This resonance cannot be used if the ablative barrier is already at 0 hit points. Once the resonance ends, any temporary hit points in the barrier over its normal maximum are lost.

DISRUPTION FIELD (SU)
Prerequisites: Level 10
Effect: The construct emits a short-range field that disrupts magical energy. Creatures attempting to cast a spell while threatened by the companion take a -4 penalty to their Concentration checks to cast defensively.
Resonance: The disruption field grows larger and more potent, but only briefly. Any creature within 30 feet that attempts to cast a spell (including the vanguard or the companion) must make a Concentration check (DC 10 + the vanguard’s level + his Charisma modifier) or lose the spell. The field lasts for only 1 round.

ELDRITCH CASTER (SP)
Prerequisites: Charisma 11, Level 4
Effect: The companion gains the ability to cast a small number of spells. Choose any spell from the following list: break, burning hands, corrosive touch, feather fall, grease, magic missile, obscuring mist, shocking grasp,  stunning barrier, or thunderstomp. The construct companion can cast this spell once per day. For every three vanguard levels past 4th, the construct can choose an additional spell to cast once each day. It can also choose a spell it already knows to gain an additional casting of that spell each day. The caster level for these spells is equal to the companion’s Hit Dice, and the save DC for these spells is equal to 11 + the companion’s Charisma modifier.
Resonance: The companion’s magical expertise resonates to allies, making them more knowledgeable on how to defend against spells. All allies within 30 feet of the companion gain a +1 bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities. This bonus increases by +1 at 10th and 16th levels. The resonance lasts for 1 minute.

EXTRADIMENSIONAL ARSENAL (SU)
Prerequisites: Level 4
Effect: The companion gains an extradimensional storage space within its body. This functions as a bag of holding type I. The companion can draw items from the space as a move action. It can allow others to reach into the space to retrieve an item, though doing so is a full-round action for the other creature. At 11th level, it is instead treated a bag of holding type II. If the vanguard is shut down or broken, the items within the arsenal are not destroyed but cannot be retrieved until the construct is functional again; if the companion is ever annihilated or replaced, items left in the arsenal are lost forever.
Resonance: The vanguard can retrieve or store any item within the extradimensional arsenal. By using this resonance, the vanguard can teleport a single item to or from the arsenal weighing no more than 10 lbs. per vanguard level, as if by means of a teleport object spell (he only has to touch an object to teleport it into the arsenal, not out of it). An object teleported out of the arsenal appears in the vanguard’s hands or in the nearest open space (vanguard’s choice). The vanguard must have line of effect to his companion to use this resonance. The resonance ends once the item is teleported.

TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE (EX)
Prerequisites: Intelligence 10
Effect: The companion gains additional knowledge. The vanguard selects any three skills that are not already class skills for the companion: those skills become class skills for the companion. In addition, the companion gains 3 skill points per Hit Dice it has and an additional 3 skill points every time it gains a Hit Dice. This augmentation can be gained multiple times. Each time it is gained, the companion gains three new skills as class skills and gains three more skill points per Hit Dice.
Resonance: The companion shares its knowledge with nearby allies. All allies within 30 feet of the companion gain a +2 bonus on checks made with a particular skill. This bonus increases to +3 at 7th level, +4 at 13th level, and +5 at 19th level. The skill must be one that the companion is trained in.