Beast Rider Class Mods

[Iron Dragoon]

This is just a rough idea. Dune has already said he likes the basic stuff here, over all, but plans to tweek it. He just wanted this up for feed back from the other players.

This was made under the idea that a barbarian tribe has no access to 'refined' magics, which would allow them to make magical items. But because they tend to rely on spiritual magic and mysticism, they call upon the spirits of nature and their ancestors to 'boost' their natural abilities, without the intention of them *ever* getting any sort of magical item. Basically, instead of depending on equipment for an extra boost, they focus on themselves.
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The Beast Rider class its self has diffrent 'ranks' in it, similar to the ranks in an Order of Knights. Coiencidentally, the Beast Rider is viewed by his Tribe much like a Knight is viewed in the various Relms of the world.

At the first 'rank' of the class, the Beast Rider gains the telepathic/empathic connection to his Totem Mount. The ceremony for this is the combat between the Beast Rider and his 'persepective' mount. After the combat, the Beast Rider must enter into a meditative trance, aided by special herbs grown only by the Tribe's Holy Man. During the trance, the Beast Rider's 'spirt/mind' approaches the the spirit of the recently defeated Totem Creature, offering it the partnership. If the creature finds the Beast Rider strong enough, it will agree and the telepathic bond will be formed. Upon his return to the tribe, he is given a sacred artifact, to be used in future ceremonies.

At the second rank of the class, the Beast Rider must travel to a secluded area, and through the use of the sacred artifact, given to him after achiving the first rank, he summons a 'council' of past Beast Riders and their Totem Mounts. After testing by each of the council (number of Beast Rider pairs and exactly what tests are to be given are to be determined by the GM), if found worthy, the character is raised to the second rank. Upon achieving the second rank, the bond between the Rider and his Mount is strengthened, and blessed. The Beast Rider and his Totem Mount can now comunicate telepathically without the previous requirement of visual contact. I.E.- they can now communicate through walls, underground, and other obsticles. The Totem Mount also gains a +2 to all saves, indicating it begining its way onto the path of being a true Totem, a spirit given phsyical form. The Beast Rider gains all senses equal to that of his mount, this gives him a +2 on all Survival, Navigation, Tracking, Spot, and Listen checks. Both also gain Low-Light Vision/Infravision/Darkvision. The Beast Rider also gains an 'Aura,' which effects all creatures on the instinctual level, making them view him as a Predator, similar to the way smaller animals view the Totem Mount. This gives him a small bonus to all actions connected to intimidation, equal to a +2 bonus for Bluff.

At the third rank of the class, the Beast rider must once again go through the council ceremony, and upon passing the testing, his bond is strengthened once again. His Totem Mount gains the ability of Chameleon or a similar 'Shadow-walk' like ability, determined by the GM. The Totem Mount also transverses more into the Spirit-form, becoming a low-level magical beast. It's attacks are now considered magical, and deal damage normally to creatures who would otherwise need a magical weapon to be damaged. It also gets a +2 to all damage against 'normal' creatures. This bonus does *not* carry over to creatures requiring a magical weapon to be harmed. The mount also gains an additional +1/2 to all saves. The Beast Rider gains a +2 bonus to all saves, drawing on his Mount's strengthening spiritual transition. He/she also gains a stronger aura, raising the bonus to +3, as well as sharpened senses, resulting in that bonus being raised to +3 as well.

Because of the inherant strength of the bond between the totems and the Beast Rider, he does not recieve any of the effects of enchanted weapons, armor, or similar items. The power of his own spirit, and the blessings and strengthening of his bonds interferes with such enchantments. However, power of a higher order, such as that of a god/cleric has full effect, as well as 'temporary' magic, such as blessings and wizardly magic.
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I know that last bit is a little distorted, but that's because I wrote it as an after-thought, and in a bit of haste. Basically, it means that I get no bonuses from magical items, but any other kind of magic still effects. All Cleric/Mage/Monster magic and abilities effect me normally, but magic items get regulated back to 'Masterwork' in my hands.

Anyway, the reason I came up with this is because I wanted Darius to be more of a 'self' powered character than an equipment powered character. I'd much rather have him be built on inherant abilities that make him use his strengths and cleverness than go, 'Oh! +8 sword of WTFPWN'ing!' =p

[Carthrat]

Thematically, it's kind of cool to improve your beast, but I question to the level to which she gets improved, because she's starting to overshadow you.

I'm somewhat leery of inherent class abilities that get rid of magic items. They're not the easiest thing to balance, and it's very easy to over or undershoot the bounds.

I think you need to detail when the ranks appear. Moreover, this shoves plenty more of the focus onto Serith- something that, as earlier stated, was a little tiresome (though admittedly the focus of your class as well, and I don't think that will continue to be an issue). I think the most pressing issue here is that you essentially get another equal-level fighter (making you twice as good) as a cohort, AND, if we go into combat against enemies which can't be damaged with normal weapons, you may as well go home and take a nap and leave Serith to do everything, because those nonmagical swords you're wielding aren't up for it.

I suppose Serith being a tradeoff for magical items is pretty needed at this point overall. Between you and her, you're already significantly better than any other equal level fighter (I basically consider her part of your class rather than an entirely seperate NPC.) Assuming that, as has already been stated, we're not going the cohort route, it's true that something has to be done to bring you back on par (and we haven't even started on mastery and high mastery yet!)

Also, all the skill things you listed are 3rd ed. Wrong game, dude. I dunno, I can't help but read this with some apprehension.

[Carthrat]

[10:59] <Iddy> So, any ideas on how to fix it?
[11:00] <Carthrat> Offhand?
[11:00] <Iddy> [Away] Reason:[Auto Away: 30mins of no action] Gone for:[30mins 18secs] Pager:[/ctcp Iddy page *message*] - SysReset 2.53
[11:01] <Iddy> That would be useful that you could post =p
[11:01] <Carthrat> I'd say that making sure your mastery isn't hugely strong (come'on, +3/+3 is awesome as is), and instead making sure it allows you to afffect enemies that you otherwise can't.
[11:01] <Iddy> Post it =p

[Dracos]

Okay, two things.

Thing THE FIRST (capped for importance): It is a saying at Blizzard that when tweaking small things in a complex system, you should only make large changes, then twist back rather than attempting to make many small changes simultaneously to see how they affect the system.  I think that applies here.  You've got two real changes in front.  One is a reasonably ambitious defining of barbarian styles.  The other, in an attempt to rebalance this before its even seen in action, is a reinvisioning of your class tweaking pretty much every design aspect related  to you inclusive of some that'd have retroactive considerations.

My opening advise is to put the class on ice for a while and finish the first tweak and see how it fits, then worry about the rest.  I think you'll only make both jobs harder both on yourself and Dune in attempting to pile all these changes into a single package deal that is far more difficult to look at and consider.  You're setting something up that's almost guarenteed to have at least minor tweaks done to it later for cleanup and will leave both more incoherent.

That's my opening advice and what I suggest strongest.

Now under the assumption that's not taken:

Thing the second: On the magic issue.You're writing in what is effectively a cultural opposition to magic, both divine and wizardly.  Ignorning the issue with the fact that there's months of Darius not having any problem with such magics or the free and happy use of them, from a concept coherency perspective, you can't go half way on something like that.  If you're having a cultural opposition to such things, that means no accepting magic on you period if you can avoid it.  Flailing about as the cleric tries to push divine magic in, for example.  It doesn't make sense to go "I'm totally fine with magic warping the fabric of my body to make me stronger, but NOT A +1 SWORD IN MY HAND!"  The whole 'relegated' bit is silly too.  You don't magically de-enchant items.  You simply don't choose to use them.  It's far more sensible a solution.

The standard balancing of this kind of thing is null magic zones/magic resistance.  If you are to keep something like that, I'd suggest that down the ranks, you'd get a 10 then 25 percent magic fail effect.   Maybe less, though i've always been of the opinion that small magic fail chances might as welll be nonexistant since the odds of rolling more than one or two per session is tiny and a 2-5 percent magic resistance rate pretty much is forget worthy.  This would be a factor of your relation with your tribal spirits and would nominally reject both helpful and nonhelpful magic and would not be self controlled, as it is instead a representation of rites you undergo regularly to the spirits and your holding of your clan taboos.

So that's the magic end, if you go that way.

Thing the third: I'm going to note that Rat is right.  Having a beast that starts outclassing you is the realm of wussy beast trainers and the like and I think it'd be better not to push the pendulum back towards a class ability taking such center stage.  I'd actually think it'd be good to encourage that we don't start running strictly into +2/- type enemies later on as well.  Notably, as I recall, +3 natural weapons is what a level 20 monk gets (in both 2nd and 3rd).  I would suggest that this is a bit a high and, as rat said, pushing Serith more towards equal/stronger cohort than class perk type deal.  I think I'd wait on a rewrite on that conceptual level before giving minor tweaks on what you did give.  it seems a good ninty percent of the things are relevant more to abilities your totem gains rather than things you gain.  More balance there is needed.  These are spiritual events for you that, theoretically, should not be almost all 'your totem helper gaining uber powers'.

Thing the fourth: You should have your abilities tied in more with the forest and with tribal things.  Having things that are more woodlands aligned and give bonuses in those environments  (high ones potentially) may fit better than 'anywhere' type bonuses.  Right now, there's nothing in such a totemic class to indicate the generall comfort with the woodlands and represent the more common familiarity there.

Thing the fifth: This should've been thing the earlier, but...  This is absolutely not raw fighter xp chart level stuff.   It's way too complicated, way too many bonuses and tidbits, and very few penalities (only one of which is worth mentioning and really isn't properly balanced against what's being put up, as noted earlier).  It's something that possibly outweighs knight and stalker type deal and definitely could be argued on lines of paladin level abilities or more.  You're getting a bunch fo semi-magic abilities that are innate and tied into the class on top of raw warrior combat skills.

and...yeah, that's a good start.  I think it's still at the rough level as is and definitely shouldn't pass without rebalancing the no magic thing to be coherent and balanced.

Dracos

[Iron Dragoon]

After discussion, Dune and I have decided to cank this idea, as we can't really figure out any way to make it work smoothly.

However, Dune does like the RP value of this, so that part of it may come up in game.