New class: Spirit Bound

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SerGavin
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New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Hey guys. I'm posting here to ask you about an idea me and my party have thought up.

A varient of druid that can establish a permanent bond with a natural animal. such a binding is permanent and if one dies so does the other. i was thinking maybe telepathy within a mile? and the animal should be able to level up as well. becoming more intelligent the longer theyve been bound.the druid must give up the ability to cast spells.

for example a level 7 spirit bound Druid can cast no spells but has a companion winter wolf who can fight with and protect him. At level seven the winter wolf, which has to be bonded with at a young age, has gained its breath weapon and saves as a fighter 7. After this point the bonded wolf will begin to grow larger and more intelligent taking on several more human traits. The Druid also gains several more wolffish qualities such as a craving for raw meat, or a habit of stalking around at night.

Any surges tigons on how this could be improved? Like experience for one thing how much should they require to level up? Should they gain it together or separately. My group was thinking of play testing this and we would love to have feedback. :D
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
black1blade
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by black1blade »

Yeah we want to make sure it's balanced first so that people in our group don't think it's unfair. Me and gavin have talked a bit about it and it would basically be like the animal companion thing from3.5. I think he's trying to indead it to be a full life link thing- if one dies the other does too.
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Mmm, kind of. I'm more thinking something like where the animal essentially acts as a PC which, I think, would make for an interesting game play mechanic. Plus the Bonded animal makes saves as a pc would and does not need moral as moral in this circumstance makes no sense as the animal is fully aware of the fact that if one dies so does the other. Furthermore the human half does not function fully as a druid as they can cast no (or maybe drastically reduced) spells. Finally the Bonded pair should gain Exp together as they are from the moment of the bonding, one entity.

I don't think that bonding should normally be done by a character during a game as I believe it would be a lengthy process requiring months of solitude and an adjustment period to account for the merging of souls.
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Also I think that Bonding should only be available for natural creatures. and probably for convenience nothing more than one size larger than you. And any character attempting to bond with magical or evil creatures should go insane and become irrevocably evil. maybe a character with a high enough intelligence bonus could bond with a magical creature but I doubt their minds could take the strain of something so alien being a part of your mind. of course this is all to the potential DM's discretion.
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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Lord Gilbard
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by Lord Gilbard »

Yeah I think this would be a great idea for a class. I do however think that it will need some considerable refinement and balancing to make it a fair class to play as.
Maybe some sort of mechanic that lets the human develop a connection with all of the animals in the world of the same type as the animal that is the companion.
But as i say it will need some considerable refining and balancing but this project has my support :D
UTINI!!!
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Right. I'm not sure about the freindship thing but you make some good points
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Dimirag
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by Dimirag »

To be used as a class it need more details outside its main special ability, otherwise it may be better to do it as a sub-class (most likely a cleric sub-class) or as a quasi-class.

Does the character fight like a cleric? Is he durable as a fighter/monster? What weapons and armor can he use?

The easiest way is to treat the animal as part of the character, using the pc level where needed

You can go with shared HD, so there's no different in using a 6hd animal from a 1hd one, both will have the HP of its bounded character.

Character Ideas:
Req: Wisdom and Charisma.
HD: d4 or d6
AB: MU or CL/TH
ST: MU or CL/TH
Special Abilities:
Spirit Bond
Animal Senses: Surprised in 1 in 6 chances.
Animal Reflex: +2 on wands and dragon breath saves.
Climb, Move Silently, Hide and Listen.

Animal ideas
HD: As per the animal.
AB: As monster
ST: As fighter
Special Abilities:
Spirit Bond.

Notes: HD may vary depending on the mechanism selected.
Sorry for any misspelling or writing error, I am not a native English speaker
Drawing portfolio: https://www.instagram.com/m.serena_dimirag/
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Me and my currant Dm were talking and we thought that the animal, if appropriate and sensible has HD as a fighter but the druid is downgraded to D4.

Also I just recently had an idea. When engaging the same enemy the pair get a plus one to hit but when engaging separate enemy their concentration is affected giving them a minus two to hit.

The druid as a result of the bonding gains spells as a druid two levels lower and can never cast animal companion. If the bonded pair are apart more than a mile they can no longer communicate telepathically but can still sense if the other one is wounded or in danger and automatically knows the general direction of their bonded partner no matter what. If within 400' the pair can feel each others pain and if one is severely damaged the other faces a penalty to saves and takes one sixth damage rounded down.

The druid can use only leather or hide armour and must use weapons consisting of at least 50% wood.

When affected by a spell like charm person the affected gets a plus one to their save but if they fail then they are both charmed, and when poisoned the other takes half damage.

If quasi-classing the class must apply to both bonded and they both must have the necessary requisites.
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

the druid may not cast the following spells:

Animal friendship

speak with animals

charm animal

Hold animal

summon animals II

and suffers a minus two to the animal affinity roll
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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SerGavin
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Re: New class: Spirit Bound

Post by SerGavin »

Also all spirit bound suffer a minus two if both are not in the same room and a plus one if they are within ten feet.
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."
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