Here's a class I sketched out ages ago and wasn't going to post because basically, it's bonkers.
I warn you. It sticks to my aesthetic tenet that the coolest abilities are always at least a little difficult to code.
Pretty much, this is from a few months ago when I went into imaginative overdrive as ToME reawakened me to how rubbish and derivative mainstream RPG class design is. I'm deciding to post this class because I still do really like some of the abilities outlined, particularly the wholesomely hardass flavour of the one-handed weapon trees. As an aside, ToME, I can't thank you enough for all the awesome. Expect donations the minute I get a functioning debit card.
The Spirit Talking and Soul Mending trees lay the groundwork for a casterish Spirit Medium class, which could potentially have trees such as Karma, Epiphany, Radiant Absolution, Lucid Sight, Ectoplasm, Aether, Prophecy, Apparition, Disturbance and Metaphysics. The Soul resource is designed to be non-rechargeable, non-boostable and even non-scummable, low Soul rating giving you a kind of living-on-the-edge riskiness similar to a Corrupter having low Vim. Anyone's welcome to use, reappropriate, add to or generally butcher any of these. I know there's been an idea for a Spiritualist simmering in people's fantasies for a while now, but searching the forums gives no results. So here we have it: an exposure.
If I were to start critiquing myself, I'd ask why many of these couldn't be Psi abilities, and how the interactions with death that I present are differentiated from plain necromancy.
Probably a better and more obvious weapon setup would be an Astral Assassin class with the familiar dual weapon trees. I started on the design path of a single-handed weapon wielder because I felt it fit the flavour of the class's frail health total and the nature of attacking from a ghostly companion plane- an attack would be one patient, precise slice, directed at the throat to let out life in an instant, while the demands of constant insubstantiation would restrict how much could be carried.
What I have created however would be incredible for a different, charismatic fighting class. A duelist could be made with these trees, plus I expect another tree for an épéeist's strikes and lunges and, say... Dirty Fighting, Combat Techniques, Field Control, Tactical, Lethality, locked Thuggery, any Grappling tree, maybe Battle Tactics, Warcries or Superiority.. Bearing in mind DarkGod's intentions for a pirate-themed class, these trees with coupled with a couple gunslinging or alchemist-styled explosives trees could make a fantastic Swashbuckler.
Now I've gone and polished all these up I'm not so sure how to name and describe it. A dervish, as it is, kind of lacks a whirling-like-a-nutter tree, but it does fit the spiritual theme. Best I can do so far:
The Deathless Dervish
Most on the adventuring path come face to face with their mortality as a regular consquence of their profession, and most eventually acquire means to allay for a time that inherent weakness of being upon the physical realm- prolonging life either by restorative infusions inlaid by the scribes found in any human city, or by esoteric means such as necromancy, celestial blessing, or even manipulation of the time stream.
The Deathless Dervish, however, has taken up a path of warfare against mortality that is total. By some great revelation- whether a life-altering close call, the agonizing passing of a loved one, or the painful fruit of a lifetime's sombre study, the Deathless Dervish glimpsed beyond the bounds of mortal life. They have witnessed a realm above everything known in mortal existence, where death is barely a setback, even a joyful release. For now, no longer wholly mortal like the rest of us, and driven zealous by some vision of a greater calling, they have denied themselves death's release.
The Deathless Dervish adopts a lightweight, one-handed combat style suited to their ethereal excursions, demanding high Dexterity as well as wits and Cunning. At the same time, the strain of siphoning a better portion of their essence to the Astral Realm requires great Constitution; communion with the spirits they must treat with there takes Willpower.
Stats: +5 CON, +2DEX, +1 WIL, +1 CUN
Starts with Soul Fracture (1/5), Spirit Link (1/5), Strike From Thin Air (1/5), Lethality (1/5)- and a knife!
Trees available:
Spiritualism/ Soulsplitting (generic)
Spiritualism/ Spirit Talking (generic)
Spiritualism/ Astral Assassin
Spiritualism/ Astral Travel
Spiritualism/ Vital Force
Spiritualism/ Soul Mending (generic, locked)
Spiritualism/ Ghost strikes (locked)
Techniques/ One-Handed Weapon Techniques
Techniques/ Combat Techniques (locked)
Cunning/ Lethality
Cunning/ Dirty Fighting
Cunning/ Duelist (locked)
Cunning/ Survival (locked)
Spiritualism/ Soul Splitting (generic)
Soul Fracture/ Passive
Gain an extra soul at max soul rating, but your max health is divided by the number of souls you can have. When you die, if you have more than one soul in your possession, you do not exit the world completely but instead lose a soul and travel to the astral plane, gaining the Astral Walk status effect during which you may take 5 actions. While travelling the astral plane, other creatures cannot see you, but you cannot interact with them. You may pass through walls and creatures, but if you do then you lose one turn of Astral Walk's duration for every square you pass through this way. While on the astral plane time passes slowly (you move at 500% speed) as you fluidly weave around the turgid confines of material reality. At the end of your Astral Walk, you reappear with full health.
In addition, you gain 25->65% of your con health bonus as a basic increase to all your souls' health totals.
Can increase this talent only every 8 levels.
NOTES: I've considered adding a Mortal Exhaustion effect as a potential dampener to the power level here.
Spirit Prism/Sustain, 0
This ability is channeled. Once for every turn that you stand still, you will call one insubstantial copy of yourself, a reflection across the shifting membrane of the spirit realm you have learnt to control. Every copy costs 1 soul, but you may deactivate Spirit Prism to recall the spirit copies and regain soul rating according to how many are still intact. However, if your spirit copies lose life, then that will be deducted proportionately from the soul rating you are able to recall. Your spirit copies will attack and distract your foes for you (their prowess is decided by your Constitution), though they will not use advanced Spiritualism techniques that you have learnt.
Death No Deterrent/Activated, 0, cooldown 21-TL
When you activate this talent, if you die within 3 turns, then your original body does not perish completely, but instead goes on fighting for 1+TL turns despite its injuries. Increasing the talent level will also decrease the cooldown.
Snuff/ 1 soul, cooldown 16-TL
You die, passing to the astral realm, but in your sudden perishment bewildering your enemies (radius 2 +TL/2) and both confusing and dazing them for 3+TL turns. Your demise is more disturbing and thus distracting with higher Consitution.
Spiritualism/ Spirit Talking (generic)
Spirit Link/Passive
After slaying a living, non-corrupted enemy, you beckon its soul to persist in this world for 4+TL turns. Walk to this spirit to commune with it, assuaging its worldly worries and gaining soul rating as its essence subsides peacefully into the astral realm ; you will regain 0.1-0.5 souls depending on its level compared to your own level (0.3 at same level), and double for recovering the soul of an elite or boss. You can also retrieve the souls of falled allies this way.
Soothe the Anguished/Passive, 0.3 souls, cooldown 18 - TL *3, range 5+TL
You learn to tap into the twisted spirits of evil, corrupted and non-living beings, but reaching out to such dangerous souls comes at a great risk. The spirits that appear when you slay these beings will be hostile, lashing out at their destroyer with a fury of elemental energy. However, you may activate this talent to command them to relent, giving you a chance to harness their wrath towards your own ends, the power of such thralls scaling with Willpower. Be warned- the revenant soul of a greater evil may not be so easy to tame.
Seance/cooldown 16
This ability is channeled. For each turn that you stand still, you call one spirit to your side (range 5+TL), and hear the hideous secrets of its short, mortal and brutish existence. All targets within a radius of 5 will be silenced for 5 turns as a squall of unnatural moans, shrieks, and psychic disturbance rages throughout the area. For every spirit you so call, one foe within radius 3 will also be confused for 3 turns.
Absolution/ cooldown 50 - 4*TL
Call all spirits within a range of 3 + TL/2 to absolve them of their sins, their anguish and their regret, allowing them to regain purpose by aiding you in your travails for a limited duration. Each becomes a Redeemed Soul and will endeavour to aid you in whatever way possible. The spirits will persist for longer the more of them there are to deal with- every 4+ TL *2 turns, one of them will dissipate, returning to dwell on the Astral Plane and adding to your soul rating as normal.
Spiritualism/ Astral Assassin (class)
Strike from Thin Air/cooldown 3, Stamina 20
You must use this talent when on the Astral plane. You rematerialize on the mortal coil, striking with a savage cut at your enemies' exposed parts and hitting each of them in a radius of 1 for 150-200% damage. For every talent level, your critical strike bonus damage when attacking enemies from the Astral plane also increases by 10%. You must wield a one-handed weapon without a shield to take advantage of this talent.
Severing Strike/cooldown 8, Stamina 12
You strike your target, deaing 80% weapon damage and making it bleed for 70 +TL*10% damage over 5 turns. This bleeding damage benefits from critical hits. If you use this while on or materializing from the Astral plane, your sudden and bloody assault leaves your opponent blinded for 2+TL/2 turns as it struggles to locate you. At TL 3, you have a 10*TL% chance to remain on the astral plane after using this ability.
Soul Rend/ 0.5 souls, cooldown 12, range 6
Send a shard of your vital essence through immaterial reality, savagely disrupting the lingering souls of your fallen foes. Each spirit that you hit will be annihilated but will release an astral shockwave upon all those within a radius 2, stunning them for 1+TL/2 turns per hit up to 4+TL. You may use this talent while on the astral plane; if you do, it also deals 100-300 mind damage to those in its path.
Phantasmal Slayer/ 1 soul, cooldown 30, range 5+TL
You thrust a spiritual effigy of yourself toward your target, either killing it in one, or crushing it for 4 +TL/2 turns, rendering it immobile. At TL 3, your phantasm persists as a shade, for TL turns.
Spiritualism/ Astral Travel (class)
Astral Walk/ 0.2 souls, cooldown 8
You travel to the Astral Realm, breaking the bonds of your mortal body for long enough to perform 2+TL actions. While travelling the astral plane, other creatures cannot see you, but you cannot interact with them. You may pass through walls and creatures, but if you do then you lose one turn of Astral Walk's duration for every square you pass through this way. While on the astral plane time passes slowly as you fluidly weave around the turgid confines of material reality.
Grasp the Skeins/ 0.1 souls, cooldown 12, instant
You grasp the gossamery threads that connect one target's body to its soul in the astral realm, and drag your target without its willing to a more desirable location. Lasts for TL+2 actions or until you reappear in the material plane.
Astral Call/ 0.5 souls, cooldown 32 -TL*2, range:melee
You call one enemy to join you on the Astral Plane, where the two of you may fight alone for 2+TL/2 turns. Damage done there, however, depletes your soul rating, but not by more than 0.1 per strike. Your bodies are linked and moving will break the bond, jolting you back into the material world.
Unravelled Animus/ 0.2 souls, cooldown 35
This ability is channeled. For up to 6+TL times, if you do not take a move, you teleport to a random square within a radius of 3+TL (from where you started). If you stand still, you act as though you did so at 300%->700% movement speed Each teleport costs 0.1 souls as this reckless meddling with the precepts of mortality erodes your life force. Moving will end this effect.
Spiritualism/ Vital Force (class)
Essence Blade/ Sustain, 20 Stamina, 10% max health, instant, 10 cooldown
You project a part of your living essence into the weapon you carry, improving its strike speed by 0.1 or 0.2 if it is a knife, dealing an extra 5->25 (CON) nature damage and having a 10%->35% (WIL) chance to recover 0.1->0.3 souls with the first melee strike you make against any living being at less than 50->65% health.
Sublime Body/ Passive
Your thriving life force bolsters your combat abilities, while your ability to see souls enhances your power to subdue them. Gain XX% of your Constitution as Dexterity and XX% of your Willpower as Cunning; they will further increase by X for each whole soul you have remaining.
Transubstantiate/Activate, 30 Stamina, Instant, cooldown 33-TL*3
You strain the mortal body to intensify the immortal spirit. For 1+TL turns, all soul costs are reduced by 50%-80%(WIL) or by up to 0.3->0.5; abilities costing 0.1->0.3 soul points will be free; however, fatigue will increase by 500%->300%(CON) of its total and physical damage reduced by 35%->15%(WIL) throughout this duration.
Prime Manifestation/Activate, Instant, cooldown 54-TL*4
The tether that ties your final, immortal soul to the mortal spheres grows unshatterable; when you have less than 1 soul remaining, activate to gain unbroken duality. For 2+TL turns you gain 0.1->0.3 souls per turn up to a maximum of 1, 5->15%(CON) damage resistance, and 5->15%(WIL) increased mind and nature damage.
Spiritualism/ Soul Mending (generic, unknown)
Serene Communion/ passive
Each soul you commune with heals 10+8*TL (WIL) of your health. At talent level 3, they will also reduce negative effects on you by 1 turn.
Cloaked in Repose/ 0.2 souls, active, cooldown 25-TL*1.5
Call one spirit in range 2+TL/2 to relish the relief of death, letting it lap around your body and exult in the aura of your beatitude. Gain a damage shield for 3->5 turns equal to 10+2*TL%(WIL) of the departed's health, though letting free the spirit.
Transference/ 0.3 souls, active, cooldown 16
This ability is channeled. For each turn that you stand still up to 3+TL/2 turns, leech up to 4+TL(WILL) health from all enemies within 3->5 squares. Spirits within range will also move in toward you, and this ability will likewise heal any allies in the area.
Reincarnation/sustain, 1 soul, cooldown 50, instant
If you die with Reincarnation active, you may instantly regrow anywhere within 2+TL/2 squares; you return at 5+TL*2%(WILL) of your maximum health, but retain all temporary effects apart from Reincarnation which is deactivated, consuming the soul energy you reserved. However, focusing this level of attunement with the realm of the immortal spirit is detrimental to the mortal form and will drain your soul rating by 0.1 per turn it is active.
NOTES: This is supposed to have up-front sustain cost, however that is achieved.
Spiritualism/ Ghost Strikes (class, unknown)
Chastening Hand/ 0.1 souls, 8 stamina, cooldown 6
Forcing your iron will out across the aether, you perform a single strike with your unarmed offhand on any target within range 3+TL/2, dealing full damage as mind damage. All spirits that are adjacent to the target will be overcome with loathing, likewise attempting a single melee strike for 50% of that damage as nature damage.
Squalling Rebuke/ 0.2 souls, 25 stamina, cooldown 30, range 3->7
You raze the bounds of matter, void, and soul, surging out across the Astral Plane and whipping all spirits into your path into a fury of restless energy that clamours and seethes around you. You rush out at an enemy within 5+TL squares, moving through any obstructions and hitting it for 120->170% weapon damage; for each spirit that you move through or near to, you bring that spirit adjacent to your enemy , and add torment to your weapon for one turn per displaced spirit.
Howling Mien/ 0.1 souls, cooldown 15
You evoke the terrible primordial forms of all the hates and torments you have visited upon yourself in helping souls free of their burdens. You deal 20+TL*20 mind damage to all adjacent foes, become fearsome for 2+TL turns; If you use this from the astral plane, your sudden, wrathful emergence will knock back all adjacent enemies up to 2+TL squares, hurting others they are knocked into in their frenzied panic.
Soul Schism/0.5 souls, cooldown 58-TL*7.5/
You have drunk deep in the sorts of nightmares that others have scarcely imagined; now, you know well enough the beastly roil of loves, pains and notions that comprise a living spirit, that you can act, physically, as a surgeon of the soul. Acting from the astral plane, you cut one enemy's ill will free from the rest of its spirit, bringing a wrathful, insubstantial spirit copy of the creature into being, reducing its health by half or up to 100+80*TL(WILL) and the copy's by half. However, if you succeed in slaying the spirit copy, the original turns to your side for 4+TL turns, before dissipating into a quiet death and releasing the severed remains of its soul. A great power that cannot be converted will instead suffer 80+20*TL(WILL) mind damage.
Technique/ One-Handed Weapon Techniques (class)
Trip/ Stamina 15, cooldown 12
Using nimble footwork and your free off-hand, you attempt to thwart your opponent by a sudden, unbalancing manoeuvre. This is a basic unarmed attack that disarms your opponent for 3+TL/2 turns as it struggles to regain composure. Also, you may lead your opponent into a disadvantageous position. Target the square you wish to move to; move to the one your opponent occupies to knock it back 3 squares and enter its position; move backward to have it appear in the square behind you, or move sideways to propel your foe in the opposite direction. Knocking it into a wall or another creature will deal XX(DEX) damage.
Press the Advantage/ Stamina 15, cooldown 14
Attack your foe for 110-132% damage. If you hit, your weapon speed increases against that foe by 25-55%(DEX) for 5 turns.
Parry/ Sustain, Stamina 20, cooldown 10, instant
You gain 3+TL*2(DEX) defense. In addition, when you block or avoid a hit, you gain a 35->65%(DEX) chance to get a free, automatic hit against your foe that also dazes for a turn. However, this consumes 15 stamina and renders Parry ineffective for 4->3->2 turns thereafter as you recover your sense of surprise against that particular opponent.
Tumble/Stamina 50, instant, cooldown 35
For 4+TL turns, you gain a movement and weapon speed increase of %15 + TL*5(DEX). Also, if you are hit, and provided you have plenty of room to manoeuvre, there is a 50% chance to evade completely and instead be knocked 1 square in a random, backward direction. Also, if you are hit by an area attack, you will be knocked backwards to its perimeter and suffer half damage, if this is possible. This can happen once per each of your turns. If you have allowed your back to be put to the wall, however, Tumble will have no evasive effect.
Cunning/ Duelist (class, locked)
Finesse/ Sustain, Stamina 20
You are a duelist by training, expert at predicting and avoiding the moves of a single opponent, while forcing your foes into a stalemate during a drawn-out battle of wits. When you stand next to only 1 opponent, you gain 3+TL*2(CUN) to saves against that foe's effects and recover 1+TL stamina(CUN) for each of its attacks that misses you.
En Garde!/ cooldown 16-TL*1.5, Stamina 30
You shout an ennervating challenge, calling one of your foes into battle from up to 2+TL*2/3 squares away. Further talent points will reduce the cooldown.
Touché!/ cooldown 13-TL, Stamina 15, instant
You make the best out of a dire situation, turning it to your advantage in a moment's resourceful thinking. Should you be hit by a single attack for over %25 - TL*2(CUN reduces) of your max health, for 1+TL/3 turns afterward you may activate this talent to feign piteousness, death, usefulness, or even a fearsome imperviousness to that attack- whatever will suprise your opponents or draw their attention from their onslaught-stunning the foe that harmed you and slowing all foes in a radius of 2+TL/2 for 3+TL/2 turns.
Coup de Grâce/ cooldown 27-TL*2.5, Stamina 50
Having pressed your foe into an unsalvageable position, you force a final, crucial opening before going in for the kill. You make a strike against your foe for 150->220% weapon damage with a 8+TL*2% chance to kill plus 5+TL*2%(CUN) for each negative status effect it carries (apart from saturation and destabilization effects), though this attack will do nothing if it suffer no effects. Mighty opponents may not succumb to the killing blow, but meeting the gap in their defenses will debilitate them severely, stunning them or putting 4+TL of their talents on cooldown and reducing their healing by 50% for 5 turns.
Class- Astral Assassin / Spiritualist / Dervish(w/ 1h trees)
Moderator: Moderator
Re: Class- Astral Assassin / Spiritualist / Dervish(w/ 1h tr
sounds like it would fit into the same class type as the spirit shaman I put up last year