Open Discussion: Palemaster class changes

[wilkins1952]

This is the rough idea I had for chances to the Palemaster class to one make it more thematic to Ravenloft and two make it less jank than it is in Default NWN.


Palemaster

Class requirements:

• 5 Lore 5 Spellcraft and 5 Occultism.
  
  5 levels in at least one of the following Classes; Wizard, Sorceror, Bard, Warmage.
  
  Feats: Spell focus: Necromancy
  
  Greater Spell Focus:Necromancy

No additional Weapon/Armor proficcencies.

Class skills 4+int skillpoints per level

Concentration, Spellcraft, Hide, Move silently, Spot, Listen, Influence, Speak Language.

Class features: The Palemaster gains levels in his chosen caster class and develops his powers as if he were that class including spells known in the case of Bard and Sorcereor. Along with this His Caster level also increases equal to (Primary casting class level + Pale master leve)

Level 1: Palemaster gains the ability to summon undead as a spell like ability this undead levels as the Palemaster gains levels in the class (See below for undead stats) When an undead is summoned the Palemaster must make an Occultism roll with DC20+PM level to ensure that they remain under the Palemasters control after that each turn they must also make a concentration Flat DC 30 roll to ensure that it remains obediant.

Level 2: Palemaster gains 1 feat. He also gains an additional 2 AC as his body becomes more infused with necromantic energies

Level 3: Nothing other than Caster Level

Level 4: Palemaster gains undead Touch that allows him at will to make an attack against an enemy that does 1d4 level drain with a Con check to resist that is (10+CasterLevel/2+Int Modifier)

Level 5: One free Feat and the Palemaster gains a +2 to both Dex and Con

Level 6: The Palemaster can now summon Two undead per rest and his undead gain the ability to be posessed by the Palemaster similar to how a Familiar can be.

Level 7: Palemasters undead Touch now deals 2d4 level drain, He aslo reaches a break through in this process and manages to entirely replace his arm with an undead one, What form this takes is up to the Palemaster. It can be Vampiric, Ghoulflesh, Skeletal, Or a Shade.

Level 8: One Free Feat +2 AC

Level 9: Nothing other than CL

Level 10: PM gains crit immunity and and additional +2 AC as well as the ability to summon three undead per rest.



Undead stats I'll only detail here when the undead stats change there will be 4 levels to it improving on the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th levels of Palemastery The Palemaster can choose the type of undead to summon but this doesn't change the stats only acts as an RP difference

Code: Select all

1st level


Str: 18
Dex: 14
Con: 15
Wis: 8
Int: 8
Cha: 8

Immunity to Mind spells, Immunity to Critical Hits, Immune to Knockdown
AB 13 
AC 15


4th Level 
Str: 22
Dex: 18
Con: 20
Wis: 8
Int: 8
Cha: 8

Immunity to Mind spells, Immunity to Critical Hits, Immune to Knockdown
AB 15 
AC 18

7th
Str: 24
Dex: 22
Con: 25
Wis: 8
Int: 8
Cha: 8

Immunity to Mind spells, Immunity to Critical Hits, Immune to Knockdown
AB 19
AC 23

10th
Str: 28
Dex: 25
Con: 30
Wis: 8
Int: 8
Cha: 8

Immunity to Mind spells, Immunity to Critical Hits, Immune to Knockdown
AB 24
AC 28

Thoughts and input on this would be good. Undead stats are very liable to change once I get around to testing them but consider that a rough estimate of where I would put them I'll update that once I can put a bit more thought into it.

[Ouroboros]

Going down the list on each feature I feel compelled to comment on.

Class Pre-reqs - Bard feels unfitting as an inclusion, here, as does Warmage. If Bard as a class were pointed towards Necromancy, it would be far more at home with the Dirgist. Likewise, Warmage is an exclusively offensive spell-based class and Pale Master diverges significantly from this.

Skills - Hide and Move Silently feel unfitting for this class. One of the chronic issues of the Pale Master is that it's class features offer heavy incentivisation towards multiclassing with martial classes, contrary to it's narrative. Hide/MS as a class feature continue that tradition, encouraging stealthers to cross-class in it.

Class Features - Undead summoning. Pale Master has always been written as the unloved Arcane step-child of the Necromancer archetype; even their writeup admits this and points out that Divine spellcasters and True Necromancers are superior options for raising the dead. Combined with the other notable feature of Pale Master, suggests the Pale Master is meant to be more focused on a single Undead minion, while hordes are left to other types of Necromancer. Instead of giving Pale Master multiple undead summons, I'd instead suggest they get a singular one; the Libris Mortis writeup does the same with their 9th level Cohort feature. If we do eventually implement the True Necromancer, the Pale Master having the capability to summon 3 Undead at once would necessitate the True Necromancer gaining far, far more summons to stay true to their respective differences, which is a problem.

Class Features - Undead Graft. This is arguably the thing that defines a Pale Master, far moreso than their penchant for raising the Undead. They steadily step closer to the boundary separating the living from the undead through self mutilation and experimentation. I would very much prefer to see the Pale Master focus on this aspect more than any other, as the Libris Mortis provides a wealth of Graft options not explicitly tied to the Pale Master. Examples include the Bodak's Eye, Mohrg's Tongue and Vampire's Fangs options. Instead of the existing graft progression I think it would be far more interesting to provide a series of tiered graft options the PC must select from; each tier being successively more interesting, powerful but also profoundly corrupting in nature.

Class Features - Crit Immunity. This one needs to go into the bin. It's an absolutely insane power jump and even if it's locked behind 10 levels of class progression and numerous repercussions, crit immunity is a profound game changer. If possible I'd rather see a flat percentage of crits just be reverted back to confirmed hits instead; essentially some variable amount like 30% crit immunity' instead. Add in a feature that changes how non-sapient/sentient Undead perceive them also, perhaps, so they can wander through Undead infested areas with a chance at not drawing their attention, if the scripting behind such a thing isn't absolutely insane.



Overall, I don't think the Pale Master is a class worth implementing, but if it were it would by necessity need to be heavily inclined towards the Undead Graft features, to make it both narratively unique and compelling mechanically. Otherwise you're just making a Wish.com Necromancer.

[Maiyannah]

I would rather keep Pale Master, but as Ouroboros suggests, I would lean into the Undead Graft features. The base Necromancer class will be implemented, and that will be the minion-based one when it does. Palemaster's signature feature has always been the arm/hand, and I think fully implementing the Undead Grafts would really allow for giving the class a unique vibe in a way that is entirely in keeping and indeed reinforcing Ravenlofts themes.

I'd support a proposal of changes that leaned into that themes, though I don't really have one myself.