#class balance

Destiny Update 2.3.0 is scheduled to deploy tomorrow. The following is a preview of how it will impact class balance.

From the desk of Grant Mackay:

Hello, this is Grant. You might remember me from the previous round of Warlock class balance changes. Well, I’m back and I’m excited to have the opportunity to talk about another round of changes, this time focused on Hunters.

So why are we changing Hunters?

On the Sandbox Design Team, we talk about build diversity a lot. We want to ensure that a number of different builds are viable for any given Class. It’s important to us that players have meaningful choices to make when customizing their characters.  

We also want to make sure that the choices between the classes themselves are interesting. Ideally, we’d like to address any ability that feels underwhelming to use. We also want to address abilities that feel frustrating or unfair when used against you by another player.

Ultimately, balance is an ongoing effort to improve the game. We have a lot of data on class performance and the choices that people are making. We want to try and use that data to inform improvements to overall game health and keep things interesting. We’ve taken a design pass with this in mind for Titans and Warlocks already, so now it’s time for the Hunters.

Gunslinger

Grenades

The Tripmine Grenade has been a dominant grenade choice for a while. It’s possible that this because it was the grenade that did everything: set a trap, stick it to an opponent, miss an opponent and end up setting a trap anyway. The original intent with this grenade was to be used as a trap, not a sticky, so we moved it back in that direction. Conversely, we increased the Swarm Grenades damage and ability to detect opponents to improve that option.

Changes:

Swarm Grenade: increased arming radius by 0.5 meters

Swarm Grenade: detonation damage increased by 7%

Tripmine no longer attaches to enemies; instead arms on impact then bounces

Tripmine damage reduced by 3%

Golden Gun

Golden Gun was feeling a bit lackluster damage wise, so we boosted that and provided further damage gains to the Deadeye perk which wasn’t seeing a lot of use. The hope is that this brings it into a place where it is considered a valid option in comparison to Shadowshot for Strikes and similar activities.

Changes:

Base damage increased by 50% and an additional 30% against AI combatants

Deadeye now increases Golden Gun damage by an additional 30%

Throwing Knife

The Throwing Knife was creating some frustration, especially with the Incendiary Blade upgrade, so we nudged the damage down slightly. This will ensure that low armor players can’t be killed in a single headshot (with the extra burn damage from the Incendiary Blade upgrade). We also reworked the Circle of Life upgrade to be about building up your Golden Gun instead of maintaining it, since very few players where opting into the original incarnation.

Changes:

Throwing Knife base damage reduced by 10%

Circle of Life modified functionality: precision kills with Throwing Knife reduce the cooldown of Golden Gun

Circle of Life no longer extends the duration of golden gun

Circle of Life +1 armor removed

Perks

We took a look at some of the passives in the Gunslinger build and tried to improve some of the least used options. On the whole, we’re pretty happy with the various choices and build paths there, so these changes are minor.

Changes:

Scavenger: increased the amount of Grenade and Melee energy awarded by 33%

Chain of Woe: +1 Recovery added

Over the Horizon: +1 Recovery removed

Bladedancer

Mobility

Bladedancer mobility, particularly the ability to quickly relocate, is proving to be a bit too advantageous. We made some changes to try and reduce this. The Blink ability now has a recovery tradeoff and Blinkstrike doesn’t lunge as far.

Changes:

Blink now incurs a -1 Recovery penalty

Blinkstrike lunge distance decreased by 0.4 meters

Blinkstrike

The Backstab upgrade has been the source of some confusing behavior for a while, particularly when it appears to hit from the front. The valid region for Backstabbing should now be more solidly behind the target. Escape Artist had some visual issues that we tried to smooth out and Fast Twitch was too fast so we slowed it down.

Changes:

Backstab valid backstab angle reduced by 30 degrees

Escape Artist invisibility effect delayed by 0.5 seconds

Fast Twitch recharge reduced by 20%

Arc Blade

Arc Blade has a number of changes in this patch, many related to the mobility issue. We wanted it to be more about decisive strikes and not swinging frantically to try and cover ground, avoid enemy fire, or stay airborne for long periods of time. It will last longer but cost more to swing if you have no target. On the other hand it should hit the target you’re aiming at more consistently.

Changes:

Base duration increased by 2 seconds

Hit search range increased by 0.5 meters

Added a 0.8 second cooldown between arc blade swings while airborne

Energy cost per swing increased by 20%

Energy cost on hit decreased by 20%

Being effective against AI Combatants with the Arc Blade has traditionally been difficult so we upped the damage against those foes. The Encore perk will now provide a significant damage boost if kills are chained together, and the Vanish and Showstopper upgrades should now have more utility.

Changes:

Arc Blade damage increased by 30% against AI combatants

Vanish now causes the player to vanish on cast in addition to its normal functionality

Showstopper damage radius extended by 1 meter

Encore killing an enemy with Arc Blade now extends its duration and grants a 150% increase to Arc Blade damage for a short time.

Nightstalker

Grenades

The Spike Grenade was seeing very little use, likely due to how easy it was to escape the damage, so we’ve changed the rate at which it pulses to improve its output. The total damage dealt remains the same.

Changes:

Spike Grenade damage impulses per second reduced to 5 from 10

Spike Grenade damage per impulse increased by 100%; total damage unchanged

Shadowshot

Hitting another player with Shadowshot only to have them kill you with their Super before the effects kicked in was frustrating and confusing (often to both players involved) so we made it suppress when it hits.

Changes:

Shadowshot now applies the suppression effect on impact

Smoke

The Smoke ability received a number of modifications making it less frustrating to victims, but also adding some utility against slower opponents. The package of status effects delivered on impact could be overwhelming so we opened up more opportunities to escape. At the same time, the cloud will last longer and the initial impact of a direct hit will hurt more.

Changes:

Impact damage increased by 34%

Impact suppression and damage over time duration reduced by 1 second

Jump suppression removed from initial impact status effects

Base smoke cloud duration increased by 1 second

Envenomed cloud duration increased by 1 second

Envenomed Jump suppression removed from cloud status effects

Vanish in smoke: +1 Agility removed

Snare cloud duration increased by 1 second

Perks

A number of Nightstalker perks have had small changes, mostly to power up perks that weren’t being chosen as frequently. The exception is Shadestep. The ability to evade, shedding tracking projectiles and the aim of your opponents, was overwhelming all the other choices in the build. We don’t want it to be so easy to completely disengage or bewilder enemies so we’ve disabled the ability to perform two evades in rapid succession. Nightstalkers will only be able to Shadestep once before they have to wait for the ability to recharge, but it takes less time to recharge.

Changes:

Courage of the Pack now increases Recovery, Armor and Agility by 2 per stack

Courage of the Pack now stacks 3 times

Lockdown increases smoke duration by 2 seconds(+2 additional seconds with the Snare upgrade)

Predator now reduces the cooldown of the Shadowshot ability

Shadestep moved to a single dodge on a 3 second cooldown

Other Classes

Universal Consistency

But wait, this was about Hunters?! It turns out some of the things we wanted to change are in use by other classes and we want the game to be consistent. The Defender Spike Grenade got the same treatment as the Nightstalker version, and Voidwalker Blink ability received the same tradeoff as the Bladedancer version. The Twilight Garrison Exotic armor, which was creating similar problems to Shadestep, has been adjusted in the same manner.

Changes:

Spike Grenade damage impulses per second reduced to 5 from 10

Spike Grenade damage per impulse increased by 100%; total damage unchanged

Twilight Garrison moved the Tactical Air Support ability to a single dodge on a 3 second cooldown.

Super Damage

Tweaking the Super damage output on Hunters led us to investigate the damage output of the other classes. It turns out many of them needed additional love.

Changes:

Hammer of Sol damage increased by 10% against AI combatants

Fist of Havoc base damage increased by 50% and an additional 50% against AI combatants

Nova Bomb base damage increased by 50% and an additional 50% against AI combatants

Stormtrance damage increased by 10% against AI combatants

Sunbreaker

The Sunbreaker has been suffering a little since we ended their reign of terror, so we made some changes to make Hammers hit more consistently again. These adjustments may seem insignificant, but we remember the harsh rule of the Solar Overlords, so we’re making more targeted changes.

Changes:

Hammer of Sol hammer travel speed increased by 1.3%

Hammer of Sol hammer detonation radius increased by 10%

Sunsinger

As promised, we kept an eye on Warlocks after the previous patch. Sunsingers, while not out performing other classes, are still creating frustrating encounters. Most of these encounters are the result of a combination of build perks and the Firebolt grenade so we adjusted the target search radius and arming time. This means that from the moment the grenade lands players will have a split second longer to get out of the area in which the bolts fire and that area is slightly smaller, so there should be a little more counter play.

Changes:

Firebolt: increased arming time by 0.2 seconds

Firebolt: decreased victim search radius by 1 meter

Viking Funeral

The biggest change to Sunsingers is to the Viking Funeral build perk. This perk will no longer extend the duration of Ignite (damage over time) effects. Instead it now causes those effects to weaken the target to other sources of damage (but not the Ignite itself). This will reduce the frequency and duration of the damage over time effect, but should still allow the Sunsinger interesting build options involving Ignite.

Changes:

Viking Funeral: no longer extends the duration of Ignite effects

Viking Funeral: now weakens targets afflicted with Ignite effects, causing them to take 5% more damage from all sources, stacking up to 3 times.

Flame Shield

We added a minor delay to the activation time of Flame Shield. Ideally this makes it so that there is a window of opportunity (if only very briefly) for people to win melee trades against Warlocks running this upgrade.

Changes:

Flame Shield: 0.3 second delay added before the overshield activation

Thanks so much for reading. These are the changes you’ll find in the June Update that will impact many of the Sub-Classes you find in Destiny. This won’t be the last time we talk about the way different Guardians fight, so be sure to let us know how combat feels in the new Sandbox. Player feedback is a huge part of what we do!

Note: I know that its actually Vancian casting, as in Jack Vance, but when I was a little kid I misread it as Vatican as in the pope, and I thought that the magic kinda felt Catholic to me, so I call it Vatican casting, which is better for me because it’s a term people can use in world.

Vacian magic is divided into three broad groups, Divine, Arcane, and Primal.  Divine is siphoned from the Gods, with the caster serving as a conduit for their will, Arcane is based upon harnessing the fundamental building blocks of the universe, and Primal is tapping into the raw force of nature.  Vatican casting is all about memorizing spells and then casting them, though that too comes in three forms (three by three), Prepared, Spontaneous, and Word crafting.

 There are rumors of a fourth type of Vatican Casting, called Occult, but those have not been confirmed (because I haven’t read that book yet)

 The Divine Casters include

 Cleric- These are prepared Divine Casters, famous for their ability to turn undead, wear armor, and serving as the warriors of their god.

Favored Souls: The Personal prophets of their god, these Evangelists come from more of a protestant tradition.  In addition to their famous wings, they get some domains, can turn undead and can wield weapons and armor.  They use the Spirit Shaman method of casting.

Oracles: Chosen by a god (often unwillingly) these poor sods are divine spontaneous casters, able to easily harness magical energy, but having less spells.  They also choose a certain mystery to complement their powers.  They do lack the combat abilities of the other two divine classes.

Mystic: An additional Divine casters, these guys draw upon the divine energy within their own soul, which makes them really popular among other divine classes (seriously, they love them).  The Mystic uses the Wordcasting style of Pathfinder, but also come with a crap ton of Domains, but no fighting ability.    

The Archivist, who research and study the divine much like a science, these guys are really disliked by the other divine classes, they are a mix of divine and arcane magic with their own powers.

Arcane Casters include

The Wizard Prepares her spells at the start of the day, and gains his power via massive research.  

The Sorcerer spontaneously summons her magic, and draws her magic from her own bloodline (She is special that way).

The Shugenja who mixes arcane and divine magic, coming with their own spell list.  They do not have to choose the element in my game and have some special powers.

The Wu Jen is a strange alternate caster who uses the Word Crafter list (their own unique spells are spell like abilities).  

Primal magic draws from the natural world itself, with the caster harnessing the power, almost like a conductor of magical power if the conductor could also turn into a giant wasp.  

Witch (Pathfinder Witch combined with Quintessential Witch) is a sort of Arcane/Primal mix, with their own special powers.  

Shaman is a spontaneous Primal caster (I use a combination of the D&D Shaman, the Green Ronin, and the Shaman from the Shaman Handbook)

The Druid is a Prepared Primal Caster.  

The Yamabushi (Spirit Shaman) Uses a completely different casting system, a mix of Primal and Divine Magic who can literally choose their spells at will.

The Wokan, who combines Primal Magic with Arcane magic, and uses Wordcasting.  Their own unique spells return as spell like abilities.  

Idolaters, who draw power from Idols, where Spirits dwell within a small object, are a mix of Divine Magic and Primal, they are spontaneous casters with their own unique powers.  

In addition, there are also spellcasters who have somehow accessed Vatican magic via a different route, specifically their connection to Yin and Yang.  These casters seem to have a strange ability to “alter” the spells via adding templates to them or increasing/decreasing their power, like a more advanced version of metamagic. While there are three kinds of these casters, they don’t seem to correlate perfectly to Arcane/Divine/Primal, rather each one seems to be a different mix of the three.  All of these classes claim they draw from the “Evolved magic”.  The three casters are the Magister, Greenbond, and the Daoshi (Arcana Evolved Witch)

Finally there is the Channeller, who draws from arcane, divine, and primal equally.  

The Occult/Psychic Magic is also Vatican, but little is known about them at this time…because I haven’t read those books.  

So….the Knight.

           The Knight is one of those classes that basically exist as a replacement paladin, since WOTC has absolutely no idea how to do the Paladin concept correct, but because they weren’t able to give the Knight any unique characteristics, despite its cool mechanics it basically fell by the wayside, forgotten.  So I decided to make the Knight a more interesting class storywise, and for that to work, they need to be moved  thematically away from the Paladin so they can be their own entity.

             “All is Fair In Love and War”

Such a sentiment is abhorrent to a Knight, in a way the Knights exists as opposition to such terms.  After all, so much of our concepts of fairness come from in regards to love and war, rules of war have existed as far back humanity, and codes of proper behavior in regards to dating date from the same era.  Love and War aren’t in opposition to fairness, they are the creators of it, and now Knights exist to personify and defend it.  Mostly the War Part because relationships get complicated real fast.  

           Knights are honorable warriors and their honor makes them strong, literally. Following their code of honor allows them maintain their powers.  Some of these powers include immunity to “Dishonorable techniques” provided the Knight themselves doesn’t employ them.  They at higher levels become immune to flanking, poison, being flat footed, certain combat tricks, and sneak attack for people not four levels higher than they.  

 The Knights code

Don’t attack an unaware opponent, especially not sleeping opponents.

Don’t stab an opponent in the back

Don’t flank an opponent

Surrenders must be honored, at least in the moment.

Don’t kill unarmed opponents (Unless they insist on fighting unarmed).

Don’t slay fleeing opponents, unless they are doing some Parthian shot shit.

Always be the last to retreat, and do so as a fighting retreat.

  Questing

The focus of a knights life beyond all things, is the ideal of the Quest.  Knighthood is all about doing extremely dangerous thing for its own sake, often with little reward, for the sake of complete adventures, some might call them the Platonic ideal of adventurers.  Others might call them “The people who get it wrong”.  

 New Powers

Questsight: Knights connection to the ideal of questing is so great they can sometimes “Feel” a quest in the area.  A certain number of times per day (varies on level) the Knight can observe the area and “feel” if certain people who have a problem and feel like they need a hero to solve the problem.  Some Knights describe the experience as a sense of certainty, that they hear the person’s need almost like a song and are drawn to it.  Others describe it as an exclaimation mark over a person’s head, but they are generally seen as gauche.  

 Questsense: More powerful Knights understand their powers so well that they realize where they must go for the sake of the quest.  A certain number of times per quest, they can just “know” what item they might have to get for the sake of continuing the quest, or what location they have to go to, or what person they have to talk to. What they are supposed to do next is unclear, but it is a good hint.  And no, it doesn’t look like a marking on a mini map, shut up.

 The Questing Beast

Should a Knight really have no ideas of what to do next, they can summon a questing beast to give them guidance.  A knight must spend a day either in prayer or meditation (if secularly inclined) alone (or with a small group of companions) in the wilderness contemplating for the answers, and then the moment the sun goes down they will see a glimpse of the questing beast, and the Knight must pursue.  The path they follow is a magical one, and they will likely find themselves in completely different locations, a knight located in the middle of the desert might pass behind a dune and emerge by a lake or on top of a mountain, the only limitations are that the Questing Beast always stays on the Material Plane and they never bring Knights to locations where they wouldn’t be able to survive (so a Water Elf Knight might go underwater but a human wouldn’t unless they had a magical item).  If the Knight losses his way, he will turn a corner and emerge back where he started.  

Along this road, the Questing Beast will bring the Knight to random locations across the Material Plane where they might do battle with great monsters, each journey contains 1-3 combat encounters.  These are almost always encounters with mindless monsters, but not always (see below).  Should the Knight or their companions die, their bodies appear back where they last rested, which confuses the attackers.  These encounters are always actual locations on the Material Plane, which means that band of knights might emerge at any point and attack random monsters, something that stresses people out (though the odds are astronomically small). Evil outsiders always have to plan for the possibility that knights might randomly attack them when they are on the Material Plane.  

After the conflicts are resolved, the Knight will find themselves at a pool, where the Questing Beast will face them, before vanishing.  It will leave behind an item or clue to help the Knight to slay the Questing Beast, who usually have a small hoard of items with them, but should the killer ever encounter another knight, they will instantly recognize them as a slayer.  Questing Beasts will answer future calls, but tend to take the knight to more dangerous encounters, provide less useful information (certainly no bonus magic items) and when they do show up, tend to have buddies with them. However they will always answers summons, and a few particularly psychotic Black Knights have made a habit out of killing them, though eventually the Questing Beasts will start to lead other Knights to these killers so they could be brought down.   Questing Beasts can choose not to answer a summons, but if a Knight asks for a questing beast for a year and a day, their request must be answered.  

           In terms of encounters, most Questing Beasts simply make it an easy combat encounter, madd cityoften against an unambiguously evil force like undead, a monster, or evil outsider (Darkspawn are also popular).  Among Questing Beasts, its considered bad form to involve politics into it, but there are always Questing Beats who buck the trend, and so knights might encounter people who the Questing Beast simply doesn’t like, or even have an ideological disagreement.  A knight might encounter a band of Harmonium, or possibly a Peasant revolt, and the Knight might be expected to talk them into going home, or slaughter them, entirely depending upon the disposition of the Questing Beast in question.  They are required to give the Knight a hint on how they want to solve the quest, but no details.  So if a knight sees an ogre war band, they might see a dove fly by as an indication that the Questing Beast wants them to make peace.  

 Knightly Orders

Knights like to form orders, much like guilds, where they work to get a bunch of different quests, normally based around a theme.  Knights are extremely honorbound and  

  Terms

 Hedge Knight- A knight who hasn’t yet joined an order.

A  knight Errant: A knight who hasn’t earned a rank in said order.

Landed Knight: A knight who commands his own lands and lords.  

Household Knight:A knight who doesn’t join an order, but instead serves a lord or other official.

Sworn Shields: Personal Bodyguards for important people.  

White Knight: The champion of the Guild, expected to answer challenges.  Only rank other than Purple which must be Appointed.

Purple Knight: The Leader of a Guild or Order, sometimes called a Grandmaster, they assign people on Quests and maintain the group.  Often call themselves kings.

Red Knight: The Knight with the highest kill count, often go out to fight big dangerous beasts.

Blue Knight: Defender of the common folk or the helpless, often assigned as a protector.

Green Knight: Guardian of a location or region.

Yellow: Winners of Championships

Gold: Who brings back the most money

Silver: Who brings back the most magic items

Brown: Who discovers the most new locations.

Hit Dice: 1D6

SKils: 6 per level

Important Stats: Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom

Save: Good Reflex, and Will Saves, poor Fortitude Saves

Class

1st Level: Poison use, Ki Pool, Ninja trick, Sneak attack 1D6 Ninja Dodge 1 2nd Level: Ninja Trick, Trapfinding, Sudden Strike 1D4 3rd level: No Trace 1, Sneak attack 2D6, Ghost Step 4th level Sudden Strike 2D4, Great Leap, Ninja Trick 5th level: Acrobatics mastery, Sneak Attack 3d6, Ninja Dodge 2 6th level: Light Steps, ninja trick, no trace +2, sudden strike 3D4 7th level Sneak attack 4D6, Speed of Darkness, Elemental Power 8th level: Improved uncanny dodge, Ninja trick, Ninja Dodge 3 9th level No Trace +3, Sneak attack 5D6, Shadow Run Ninja trick 10th level: master Trick, Ninja Trick Blind Fight, sudden strike 5D4 11th level: Sneak attack 6D6, Master Trick, Deflect Arrows, Elemental Power, Ki Dodge 12th level: Ninja Trick, No trace +4, Ninja Dodge 4, Ghost Strike 13th level: Sneak attack 7D6, Ghost Step, Sudden strike 7D4, Master Trick. 14th level: Improved Poison, Ninja Trick and Elemental Power 15th level: Acrobatiscs4, Evasion, Ninja Trick, Elemental Power 16th level: Ghost Mind, Sudden Strike 8D4, Master Trick 18th level Ninja Dodge 5, Ninja Trick, Shadow Shield 19th level: Sudden Strike 9D4, elemental Power, master Trick 20th level: Ghost Walk, Ninja Trick, Elemental Power 21 Level: Acrobatics: 6: Elemental Power, Ninja Trick 22nd level: Sudden Strike 10D4, Master Trick 23rd level: Ninja Trick, Elemental Power, Master Power 24th level: Ninja Trick, Elemental Power, Great Ki Dodge 25th level: Sneak attack 8D6, Master Trick 26th level: Ninja Trick, Elemental Power 27th level: Sneak attack 9D6, Master Trick 28th level: Ninja trick, no trace +6, Elemental Power 29th level Sneak attack 10D6, Elemental Power, Ninja Trick, master Trick 30th level: HIdden Master, Ninja Trick, Master Trick

Class Powers

Sneak Attack: Like the Rogue, maxes out at 10D6

Ninja Training: At second level you get 4 extra skill points to place where you want.

Trap Finding: As normal

Shadow Armor: A Ninja can add her Wisdom Bonus to your defensive bonus, for a max of +5

Sudden Strike: In addition to sneak attack, if you catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, you can deal extra damage. If the target is ever denied their dexterity bonus to AC, or can’t use defense for what ever reason, you can, in addition to your sneak attack, deal an extra 1D4 damage. this maxes out at 15D4 damage

Ninja Dodge: LIke the Dodge Ability, except that the rogue has it constantly against all enemies. At 1st level this is +1, at 5th it is +2, at 10th it is +3, at 15th It is +4, 20th +5, 25th +6, and 30th it is +7

Ninja skills: you automatically get a +4 in spot, search, move silently, Gather information, Listen, Hide, and Bluff.

Poison use: You know the deal

Uncanny Dodge: Again you know the deal

Speed of Darkness: In addition to your dex, a Ninja can also add her intelligence to her initiative Roll.

Shadow Run: For every extra point in dex you have past 10th, you can run an additional 5 feet per round

Blind-fight: You get this for free

Deflect Arrows: You get this for free as well.

Great Leap: You can make normal Jump attacks as if you were running and had the run feat, thus counting as long jumps, in addition to getting another +4 bonus. Must have a light load.

Ninja skills: At certain levels you gain a +2 to Climb, jump, tumble, and acrobatics, for a max of +6

Speed Climb: You can move up vertical services as if it were no penalty.

Improved Poison Use: You get it

Evasion: YOu gets it.

NO Trace: YOu can remove your tracks constantly. ANybody trying to track the Ninja will find that the DC has increased by 1, which will continue to increase to a max of +4.

Light Steps: At will you can walk over surfaces without technically touching it, including water, lava, thin tree branches, as well as mechanical location based traps.

Improved Uncanny Dodge: Notice a pattern here.

Ghost Mind: You gain a special resistance to scrying spells. To Detect or see a ninja with such spells, the caster must make an additional spell check, (DC 20+ninja’s level) to see them. The caster will know that it failed but not be able to see anything.

Ghost Sight: You can see invisible and ethereal creatures normally and can see in complete darkness.

Ghost Walk: You can enter either the Ethereal or Shadow plane for a span of 3 rounds, in order to move through physical substances.

Hidden Master: You can at will cast Improved Invisibility upon yourself, which renders you immune to invisibility purge, see invisibility and tree seeing, at the cost of 3 ki points. In addition, if you ever sneak attack/sudden strike them, you can sacrifice a dice of damage to reduce an ability score by 1 for 8 hours. This ability cannot take your enemies below 1 and you can only drain a stat once. This mode lasts 10 rounds+level.

Chosen Abilities: At certain levels you can choose these powers.

Deceptive Mist: You can create a bunch of mist to fuck with people, you can later make it poison, and later make it solid

Blinding Flash: You can admit a flash 1/day which stuns everybody in the area, and makes them vulnerable to Sudden Strike. Can be upgraded to deal 1D6 extra damage, and upgraded again that it gives you a +2 to AC for three rounds.

One With Earth: You can Meld into stone for a min. If upgraded you gain a burrow speed (can make it last longer if you spend KI point, 1 point-5 rounds, and then you can gain DR 10/Adamantine for 1D4+1 round after emerging from the earth.

Wind’s Touch: You can Use Feather’s fall at will. If upgraded becomes levitate at will, and again becomes fly.

Ki Power

You get a small pool of ki points that you can do to use awesome things. As long as you still have at least one Ki point let, you get a 2 bonus to all will saves. You total Ki point pool is 11/2 your level +Wisdom Modifier.

Ghost Step: YOu can use 1 Ki point to go invisible for 3 rounds. At level 10, this becomes improved invisiblity.

Shadow Jump: You can do it for 1 Ki point

Ki Dodge: You can grant yourself 20% concealment for 3 rounds, negated by True Seeing

Shadow SHield: You can spend a point to reroll any negative attack that might have otherwise effected you, including magic.

Ghost Strike: You can use a ki point to add your intelligence to your attack and damage in addition to your dex. This can hurt imcorporeal, ethereal and shadow creatures for double damage.

Spiderclimb: You gets it.

Greater Ki dodge: It goes up to 50%

Ninja Tricks: Like the standard ki powers, except you get to pick them at certain levels.

Acrobatic Master: At the cost of 1 Ki, you can get +20 to Acrobatics checks.

Bleeding attack: This costs one Ki, you can inflict bleeding on a foe at a rate of 1 point per round until they get magically healed or get a DC 15 Heal Check. Bleeding ignores DR

Choking Bomb : All targets in the area must make a fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 ninja level+int) or be staggered for 1D4 rounds

Combat Trick: You get an extra bonus combat feat

Darkvision: You have Darkvision

Deadly Range: You can deal sneak attack from 10 further feet

Arrow Dodge: You can spend a ki point to undue any ranged critical hit

Fast Stealth: You can use stealth at full speed

Flurry of Stars: You can make two extra ranged attack with some sort of throwing weapon in a round at a -2 attack at the cost of 1 ki point.

Forgotten Trick: You can spend a Ki point to use a level 1 Wu Jen or Shunjena spell.

Hidden Weapons: When hiding weapons you can add your ninja level to all Sleight of Hand checks to hide your weapons.

High Jumper: You can jump over a target without provoking an attack of opprotunity, as long as you are next to the target.

Ki Block: If used against any enemy who uses Ki or Charka (including Benders) the Ninja can spend a Ki point to make them unable to use their powers for a number of rounds equal to the Ninja’s dex modifying. DC 10+1/2 the Ninjas level+int bonus.

Ki Charge: A ninja can infues a single thrown weapon with ki (one point) which can be thrown as a standard action. After hitting a target, the weapon explodes, dealing 1D6 damage to everyone in 10 feet, with an addition 1D6 per ninja level, for a max of 4D6.

Pressure Point: if the Ninja chooses to sneak attack with her fists, she can drain 1 point of strength, Dexterity, or constitution. This damage can be over done with a DC 15 heal check, ninjas get a +10 to this check (AKA, don’t use this on Ninjas)

Rogue Talent: You can select a Rogue Talent

Shadow Clone: The Ninja with 1 ki, can create 1D4 shadow duplicates of herself who will run around independently. The player can tell you what these ninjas do, but the moment they get hit they cease to exist. They cannot attack or even do anything, but they can run around distracting enemies. They can’t leave the sight of the ninja.

Slow Metabolism: YOu can hold your breath twice as long, and poison takes twice as long to go into effect.

Slow Reactions: Opponent who are sneak attacked can’t make attack of opportunity for 3 rounds.

Snatch Arrows: If you have Deflect arrow,s you get this

Style Master: You get a bonus style feat.

Sudden Disguise: You can spend a ki point to use disguise self

Unarmed Combat Training: You get improved Unarmed Strike

Undetected Sabotage: If you use a disable device, you can make a stealth check vs. the person’s ability to notice if the item has been sabotaged.

Vanishing Trick: You can use a ki point to teleport 20 feet to another shadow

Ventriloquism: You can use this ability for 1 min by spending a Ki point.

Wall climber: you get spider climb.

Weapon Training: you get a weapon Focus bonus feat.

Master Tricks

Advanced Talent: You can get a rogue Advanced Talent

Assassinate: If you study your unaware target for 3 rounds as a standard action, you can deny that target their AC, and you get backstab. Even if they survive, they are paralyized for 1 round.

Blinding Bomb: Yo ucan blind all living creatures in the area for 1D4 rounds (Fortitude Save DC 10+1/2+Int bonus)

Deadly Shuriken:

Improved Evasion: Hey you got that too.

Bonus Feat: You get one

Ghost Walk: You can turn incorporeal for 5 rounds for 1 ki point, but your attacks work perfectly fine.

Invisible Blade: You can use a Ki to use improved invisibility for 10 rounds, ever subsequent Ki gives you another min

Master Disguise: You get a +15 bonus to all disguise checks.

See the Unseen: You can spend a Ki point to use invisibility purge.

Shadow Split: You can create an illusionary double who can move and scout an are with you seeing through its eyes. You can do things while it goes, but you have a -2 to….everything while controlling the clone. The clone can sneak, move, open doors, and take any action other than attack, and if the clone is hit it vanishes. Anybody who sees it can make a Perception (DC 10+1/2 ninja level+int mod), and the clone lasts 10 rounds +1 per level. A clone costs 2 ki points.

Unarmed Combat mastery: A ninja who selects this trick deals damage with her unarmed strikes as if she were a monk 4 levels lower

This is some

Basically this role is to counter another role, to undermined other people.  PVP type classes, their primary job is to keep to other classes from using their full potential.  Since this is a class role mostly invented  by me, all of the classes listed here are new to D&D....and ripped off from other sources.  

Primary: The Templar Class, inspired by Dragon Age, exists as the anti magic class, their primary purpose is to disrupt and weakened spellcaster’s ability to function properly and thus their role in a party is to take out the enemy spell casters.  The Benders (yes as in Avatar) are also this class, in that for all of their utility, their real mechanical ability is in keeping the battlefield constantly changing and keeping the enemies from using their abilities properly.  

Hybrids: I haven’t decided yet

So last time we were talking about class roles, and I think there is something I want to clarify.  Within each role, there are three ways you can do it.

1) The Primary, the person who embodies the role the most and is defined by the role they are playing.   They are designed to fit this role perfectly.  Their can be more than one primary in each role, in fact that is for the best.  The Wizard and Sorcerer have the same role and are both primaries at it, but are dramatically different within that role.  

2) The Hybrid.  This is a class which is designed to be part one role and part another.  The Bard is a hybrid of the Support and the Face, not as good at each job as either, but still quite good.  The Noble is the hybrid of Secondary Fighter and the Face.  Again their can be multiple versions of each Hybrid.  

We all know and love the rogue, I am not sure we need to even talk about the nature of the rogue.  So the question is this, in my game, is the rogue any different?  How can we improve it?  Well on the rogue end of things

1) Sneak attacks apply to undead, constructs, and stuff like that.  And you can use sneak attacks with most weapons all levels.  

2) Rogues get an extra abiliyt, back stab, which they can only use on a target who is not ready for combat at all, which just doubles their damage.  Undead, constructs and what not are immune to that

3) A massive amount of special non magical abilities they gain access to each level, to make them more useful and versatile

And on the other end of things, decreasing the ability of other classes to use simple spells to invalid the rogue helps a great deal.  

Basic Fluff: They are your standard dude who just trains really really hard and fights really really well.  

What makes them Unique:   Fighters are obviously one of the main front line fighters, but what makes them different from other melee classes?  Three things

Firstly) Fighters get far more special attacks and fancy maneuvers that aren’t magical (and thus can be used forever, or even in tandem), and this gives them far more versatility. 

Secondly, while most of the other melee classes are forced into a specific type of warrior (Front line, tank, back line, support etc) the Fighter can switch between styles, or even what weapons he uses.  No matter what circumstance you are in, a well optimized fighter can adapt to it in terms of the weapon, fighting style, and combat role

Third) At higher levels fighters get battle meditation, which allows them to become basically combat gods for a short period of time.  They get lots of attacks of opportunity, most of their attacks become crits, and they can absorb  Beyond this as a basic power, they also get MANY attacks per round, and so while they aren’t the best tank, battlefield controller, they will be attacking more than almost any other class.  

Goal: The story of the fighter is “they swing the sword every round” but I want that to be given to other classes who are sort of mixed fighters (paladins for example) I want fighters to be the people who use combat 

Balance: So how am I hoping to make the fighter less unbalanced?   Well there are some fundamental game changes i introduced that might help.  

One of the primary choices i made was making melee damage is MUCH more deadly, and your chance of getting hurt is far more likely, to that end.  For example, martial classes can automaticlaly ruin a concentration check (that doesn’t render concentration useless however, as the wizard will need that for damage from non Martial attacks.  

1) Bleeding is not a constant mechanic, which means that the fact that Fighters can maximize their bleeding damage, and can avoid taking it themselves, means that being good in melee is useful. 

2) In addition to hit points, there are also wound points, which is basically how long you can last after taking direct damage before you simply can’t move any more and just kinda fall apart.  If you have hit points but no wound points, you are alive but can’t move.  

3) There is also vitality, which is a bit like fatigue from other systems, if you want to do certain actions, you need to have the energy to do it.  Which obviously, fighters do.  

4) You also have injuries, which means that when you get hit in melee, you can inflict a random injury, basically like Dragon Age, random debuffs that can be inflicted upon a critical hit.  Fighters not only have access to the most amount of injuries to be inflicted, they also can choose which ones they can inflict. So if they hit a wizard, they can choose to make the wizard’s concentration checks weaker.  

5) Martial classes get the unique ability to try to do called attacks, and FIghters are the absolute best of that, and at high levels they can cut off a wizard’s hand.  

6) In addition to your normal skills, my game introduces weapon skills, which not only gives you bonuses to attack, but also allow you to use special types of attacks (like half swording or the murder stroke) that let you do certain special effects.  Fighters get more weapon points than anybody else, which gives them more variety of weapon styles than anybody else.  Since there is a greater focus in the game on choosing the manner in which you will attack somebody.  “I drive my shield into their leg and attack with my sword over my shield.”  vs. “I attack”.   You also get the ability to do combos with your specific attacks.  

7) Fighters get MANY more Bonus feats than any other class.  Again variety.  With that comes MANY more attacks per round, more than any other class.