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The Thinktank => Homebrew & House Rules => : PhaedrusXY December 04, 2009, 10:52:54 AM

: Naga Apostle, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: PhaedrusXY December 04, 2009, 10:52:54 AM
This is balanced to fit into a Tome game. So it might look a bit overpowered by normal standards. Here are some Tome caster PrCs to compare it with. (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Tome_of_Necromancy_%283.5e_Sourcebook%29/Necromancy_with_Class) And if someone has a better name, I'm all ears. It is supposed to be "worshipping" fiendish ha nagas (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/monsters/haNaga.htm), instead of couatls, maybe as some kind of cult worshipping a specific fiendish ha naga.


Naga Apostle

Prereqs: Able to cast 3rd level arcane spells, Knowledge (Planes or Dungeoneering) 4, non-good

HD: d4 (Same as Rainbow Servant)
BAB: medium
Saves: Good Will, Bad Ref and Fort
Skills: 4 per level
Class skills: Bluff, Hide, Move Silently, Disguise, Gather Information, Diplomacy, Use Magic Device, Knowledge (all), Spellcraft, Concentration
Spellcasting: +1 at every level

Naga Apostle 1      Detect Good (at will, as Paladin's Detect Evil), Evil subtype (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#evilSubtype), Immortality (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/True_Fiend_%283.5e_Class%29#Immortality)
Naga Apostle 2      Attune Domain (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Tome_of_Fiends_%283.5e_Sourcebook%29/Spheres_and_Feats#The_Feats) (Charm (http://www.worldofmedieval.com/dungeons_dragons/ch81s02.html))
Naga Apostle 3      Heat Vision (Darkvision 60', or double range if already have it)
Naga Apostle 4      Attune Domain (Travel (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/clericDomains.htm#travelDomain))
Naga Apostle 5      Forked Tongue (add class level to Bluff as a racial bonus, can take 10 on Bluff)
Naga Apostle 6      Magical Flight (60', perfect)
Naga Apostle 7      Snake in the Grass (add class level to Hide as a racial bonus, can take 10 when hiding)
Naga Apostle 8      Attune Domain (Trickery (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spellLists/clericDomains.htm#trickeryDomain))
Naga Apostle 9      False Skin (add class level to Disguise as a racial bonus, can take 10 on this skill)
Naga Apostle 10    Cleric Spell Access (as Rainbow Servant)

Snake in the Grass: As the Dark Serpent's powers grow, he gains the ability to manipulate the coloring of his own skin. At 6th level, this allows him to add his class level to Hide checks, and take 10 while hiding (normally impossible as it is an opposed check).

False Skin: At 9th level, his control of his chameleon powers has improved to the point where he can make fine manipulations to aid him in using the Disguise skill. He adds his class level as a racial bonus to Disguise checks, and can take ten on them.
: Re: Dark Serpent, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: Kuroimaken December 04, 2009, 11:31:58 AM
I move to have it renamed as Naga Apostle (or Cobra Apostle, since cobras are black).
: Re: Dark Serpent, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: PhaedrusXY December 04, 2009, 11:35:40 AM
I move to have it renamed as Naga Apostle (or Cobra Apostle, since cobras are black).
I like it. Done. :D


And to anyone else looking at this class... yes I hand out Immortality like candy. It doesn't really matter mechanically (how many games ever see someone die of old age?), and it fits my campaign. You could certainly drop it if you dislike it, and it wouldn't matter in the slightest. It's mostly for the coolness factor.

The same goes for the Evil subtype. It has a few minor benefits, if you dig around enough in your books, or combine it with certain other things, but is probably more of a drawback for most characters. For one, it makes you vulnerable to effects like Banishment.
: Re: Naga Apostle, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: Kuroimaken December 04, 2009, 11:43:07 AM
Aye. The Evil subtype is mostly useful if the Taint mechanics are available, and if you have a combination of high Charisma and low Wisdom, and happen to be an outsider.
: Re: Naga Apostle, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: Bozwevial December 04, 2009, 02:13:47 PM
Should I be worried? :P

It seems balanced when taken in context, though. I also like the new name. :D
: Re: Naga Apostle, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: PhaedrusXY December 04, 2009, 03:06:55 PM
Should I be worried? :P

It seems balanced when taken in context, though. I also like the new name. :D
I think it is ok, but it is hard to judge. It has to compete with things like this (http://dungeons.wikia.com/wiki/Stranger_with_the_Burning_Eyes_(3.5e_Prestige_Class)), though. :D The Tome caster PrCs all seem to offer full spellcasting along with decent and flavorful abilities at every level. Some of the more powerful ones do have pretty steep requirements, though, and they usually have high skill prereqs, making early entry unavailable (which I'm sure was on purpose).

So the main thing I worry about is that the prereqs are too easy. I don't really mind early entry as long as it doesn't get you early access to powerful spells or abilities that you shouldn't have until later. And in a way, if you're willing to allow a PrC at all as a DM, then the prereqs are kind of a non-issue. I can see the logic of making someone pay for more powerful abilities, but if they're unbalanced to start with, that doesn't make them balanced...

I think this class would certainly be ok for a Sorcerer based entry, but for the Warmage I do worry a bit that I'm adding too much versatility with all those tasty domain spell lists... and then the cleric list on top of that. He'll have the same house-ruled restriction about cleric spells known that actual clerics do, though. But the domains granted by the original are mostly crappy compared to these. This one doesn't grant the domain abilities though. Just the spells.
: Re: Naga Apostle, an evil Rainbow Servant variant
: Kuroimaken December 04, 2009, 03:51:26 PM
Considering that the Warmage spell list is nothing to drool for in the first place (I can blast, dur) and the houserule limitations, it should be just fine. As a rule of thumb there are plenty more utility spells in the Sor/Wiz list than there are in the Cleric list, and those are the ones to worry the most about. The Cleric doesn't have that many encounter-trivializing spells (exceptions made to, say, Death Ward against necromancers, or True Seeing against illusionists), at least off the PHB.