Re: Prestige Class: The Heavy

Seems a tad powerful.  Two good saves, a cleric BAB, a boatload of special
abilities, 4 skill points per level, the best HD in the game, and a decent
list of class skills.  I didn't read the prestige class in Polyhedron, but
my gut reaction is that this class could use a bit of toning down.


>Am I the only one who saw the tough in the polyhedron with SotSM and
>thought
>"hrmmm......"???
>
>
>Heavy
>Lv           Atk               Fort               Ref               Wil
>Special
>
>1             +0               +2               +2               +0
>Unstoppable, Undentable
>
>2             +1               +3               +3               +0
>Unglareable, Unreadable, Untireable
>
>3             +2               +3               +3               +1
>Untouchable, Unrateable
>
>4             +3               +4               +4               +1
>Unphaseable, Unrockable, Unbeatable
>
>5             +3               +4               +4               +1
>Unmoveable, Unblockable
>
>6             +4               +5               +5               +2
>Uncrushable, Unshakeable
>
>7             +5               +5               +5               +2
>Unburnable, Undroppable
>
>8               +6/+1             +6               +6               +2
>Unslammable, Ability Increase
>
>9               +6/+1             +6               +6               +3
>Unhurtable, Unbendable
>
>10               +7/+2             +7               +7               +3
>Unbreakable, Unkillable
>
>
>
>
>
>Requirements:
>
>Race:    Any without Strength or Constitution penalties.
>
>Skills:   Any profession, craft, or sport with relevant ability of
>strength,
>dex, or con (4)

What rank?  As it is, this prestige class can be taken at 2nd level by a
human.  The only published prestige class that can be taken before 6th level
that I know of is the Forsaker in Masters of the Wild.  With that in mind,
having a requirement of 8 ranks seems reasonable (and is possible with a
straight fighter at 5th level).

>
>Feats:            Toughness, Iron Will

I'd toss in Endurance.  Like Toughness, it's a pretty worthless feat, and
will increase the cost of entering the class.

>
>Special:            Must have an average of at least 8 hit points per
>character level, not including constitution.

This is fairly arbitrary, and kind of like making an ability score a
pre-req.  And it could be fairly tough to get.  It's got one other weird
effect, which is that as the character goes up in level, it will become
_harder_ to gain this prestige class.  The fact that you get max hp for 1st
level will weight your average for a while, but after a couple levels, even
a barbarian will be averaging 6.5-7 hp per level.
>Abilities:
>
>
>
>Unstoppable:            Its not easy to get in this blokes way without a
>pro
>blem.  +2 bonus to and versus trips, grabs, and holds.

I think the terminology you want is trip attacks and grapple checks.  The
term for Holding is Pin, and it is a subset of the grapple check.  This
should probably be combined with Unmovable.  Maybe include a +2 to making
Bull Rushes and +2 Grapples for Unstoppable and +2 to resist Grapples and
Bull Rushes for Unmoveable.  I'd ditch the tripping resistance bonus (the
Blob, the classic unmoveable foe, is constantly getting tripped.)

>Undentable:            For years of physical work the character has
>developed a slightly thicker skin than normal.  +1 enhancement to natural
>AC.

This probably should be a +1 natural bonus to AC, not enhancement.  AFAIK,
there are no enhancement bonuses to AC.

>Unglareable:            Stoic and stubborn work-ethics or sports arrogance
>have ingrained themselves into the characters visage, let alone his broad
>nature.  +4 bonus to Bluff, Intimidate, and Charisma checks when the
>characters "buffness" is an appropriate deciding factor.

Whew!  That's the equivalent of 2 pumped up skill focus feats and a +8 Cha
modifier for certain actions.  Even though it is limited by situation, a +2
is probably more in line with what other prestige classes get.

>Unreadable:            It is hard to figure out what the character is
>thinking - if anything at all.  +2 DC to opponents sense motive.

I like this one a lot.

>Untireable:            Character needs two hours less sleep per night than
>standard to be fully rested/re-memorise spells, recover psionic power
>points, and generally feel better.

Also neat, though the time to rememorize spells should probably not be
changed.  Elves only have to sleep 4 hours per night (and even then, it's
not really sleeping), but they still have to spend 8 hours recovering
spells.  Not that a spellcaster is likely to qualify for this class, but
nonetheless.

>
>Untouchable:            Blows do less subdual damage, from years or taking
>tackles in sport, or workplace injuries.  Hardness equal to level/+1 versus
>subdual damage.

Objects have hardness, characters have damage reduction.  This is also a
neat/not very powerful ability.

>
>Unrateable:            The character is adept at fitting in with the
>common-folk, slipping into the role of the ignored big guy.  +4 to disguise
>checks to go unnoticed/conceal buffness etc.

The bluff bonus should suffice for this effect w/o adding a bonus to
disguise as well.  Seems unnecessary/strange.


>Unphaseable:            The character is able to shake off mental effects.
>+2 on all saves vs fear or morale-lowering effects.  If no save is allowed,
>character may take a half normal save.

What's a half normal save?  Do you mean save with half their normal bonus?

>
>Unrockable:            It takes an army to bring the character down, or
>almost.  +2 will saves vs dizziness, nausea, daze effects.

You probably want +2 to saves vs stun, daze, or nausea effects.  Also, does
this apply to magical effects, or just physical ones like the monk's
stunning blow (which is a fort save).

>Unbeatable:            The character either excels incredibly at his
>profession, or learns another that he can easily transfer his aptitude
>within.  +4 bonus (equivalent to skill focus x 2) to one profession, craft,
>or sport skill - although character need not take it in the skill with at
>least 4 ranks that got him into the prestige class.

Limiting it to a profession or craft skill makes this ability fairly
useless, but it's almost unnecessary clutter.  I'd cut it out, it doesn't
add a lot to the class and isn't that interesting.

>Unmoveable:            The character is used to reacting fast, and as long
>as he is not caught flat footed, he cannot be charged or bull rushed.

Immunity to an attack form is pretty hefty, especially immunity to charge.
Maybe give a +2 bonus to resisting bull rushes instead.  Stopping opponents
from being able to charge doesn't make sense, since a charge does not cause
the target to move.  To stop a charge, you'd need an ability to slow
down/disorient your opponent to prevent him from using his momentum in his
attack.

>
>Unblockable:            The characters fists are like bricks of lead,
>strong
>after years of hard labour.  Free Feat - Improved Unarmed Strike.
>
>Uncrushable:            Who really needs a hardhat anyway?  Hardness equal
>to level/+1 versus bludgeoning damage

This should be DR again.  This is really powerful, I'd substitute the
barbarian's ability to resist damage instead.  They max out relatively low
and can't be overcome with magic weapons.

>Unshakeable:            The character is able to shake of paralysing
>effects.  +2 will saves versus stuns (magical or non), allowed half save if
>normally there is none.

How is this different from Unrockable?  The could probably be combined.

>Un(burn)able:            The character can choose one type of energy,
>below,
>that he has accustomed his body to - either by handling, working near, or
>mere chi.  +2 saves to a specific type, magical, non-magical, and psionic.
>
>             Unburnable:     +2 saves vs fire
>
>             Unchillable:       +2 saves vs cold
>
>             Unshockable:   +2 saves vs electricity
>
>             Undissable:       +2 saves vs impact (including falls)
>
>             Undrainable:     +2 saves vs energy draining/ability
>debilitating attacks
>
>             Unstingable:     +2 saves vs poisons

Resistance would be more appropriate.  Saves are about dodging an effect,
whereas this character seems more about absorbing punishment.

>Undroppable:            "That brick to the head did nothing to him my lord,
>it was amazing!".  Character can make a fortitude save with a DC equal to
>damage from ONE hit per day, and if successful delay the damage and other
>effects until the combat is over.

This is neat, and should probably replace unhurtable (which is way too
powerful).

>Unslammable:            With rest after combat the Heavy can shake off a
>greater amount of damage than he could ever before.  In regards to
>bludgeoning, impacts (magical or otherwise), and subdual damage, character
>can make a save vs total damage to recover half of the hit points lost, but
>needs to rest for 20-Heavy level rounds.

Another pretty cool ability.  I'd increase the time to 20 minutes instead of
1 minute.  It might be too powerful.

>
>Ability Increase:            In addition to all normal character level
>ability increases, the character gains a free increase to either Strength,
>Dexterity, or Constitution.

This prestige class is loaded with goodies, this is probably too much.

>Unhurtable:            "And then we pushed the wall on him, and he just got
>up and kept coming like he was possessed, or made of iron!".  Once per day
>per 2 Heavy levels, character can select to make a fort save vs one hit (DC
>equal to damage inflicted) to ignore the wound completely (excepting
>additional effects such as bleeding, magical damage etc).  Decision must be
>made before damage is rolled, but once a hit has been scored.

This is really really bad.  It's also contradictory, since the rules for
bleeding, poison, etc require that damage be done for the effect to occur.

>Unbendable:            "We finally plugged him with about a dozen arrows,
>but he kept coming, eyes glazed over, blood pouring out of everywhere".
>Character can continue acting during combat until taken to -5 (minus wisdom
>modifier) hit points, making a fort save each round to stop bleeding.
>Partial actions only.

There's an ability in the FRCS called Die Hard.  IIRC, it let's you fight
till -10 hp.  That would probably fit a little better.

>
>Unbreakable:            "What?  No milord, I don't know who Bruce Willis
>is,
>was he a knight some years ago?".  No save regarding death for extreme (50+
>in one blow) damage.  Character no longer takes any subdual damage.

Also cool.

>
>Unkillable:            "Well anyway, the mage even hit the guy with a
>finger
>of death, and it just went straight through him.  Poor old mage, his neck
>was so mangled by the time we got back from our tactical retreat."  +4 to
>saves against magical/psionic/special "instant kills" such as finger of
>death, swallows etc.

Decent.

>
>
>
>Class Skills:            Alchemy(Int), Animal Empathy (Cha), Balance (Dex),
>Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Int), Handle Animal
>(Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis),
>Spot
>(Wis), Sport (Str, Dex, or Con), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

You've got the cream of the crop thief skills, including Disable Device and
Spot on an already hefty class.  I'd trim out Disable Device, Alchemy (wtf
is that doing there anyway), Animal Empathy, Handle Animal, Open Lock, and
Use Rope and dump him down to 2 skill points.  That makes him about equal to
what a fighter would have.

>Skill Points = 4 + int modifier/level

>Hit Dice:            1d12

>Weapons and Armour:            All simple weapons, light armour, and medium
>armours.


Why not all martial weapons?  He's going to have them anyway in order to
qualify?

Check out the Ghostwalker in Sword and Fist for another example of the Bruce
Willis type take-a-lot-of-punishment-and-keep-coming-back-for-more type
character.  Maybe try and split the difference with that class and the one
in polyhedron to get what you're trying for.

Sebastian

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