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So I'm working on two classes and I'm having a lot of trouble. I write, delete, and rewrite. I'm not posting the two because I'm stuck and not happy with them. Last year I wasn't in an active group and did not have this problem. Now that I've been playing again for the last three months it has been harder. Anyhow, I'm going to post the general ideas of each class and would like suggestions on what such a class should be capable of how you would go about it.
A note: A began both of these classes at a rather slow pace some time ago, but a few weeks ago started playing the lego marvel superheroes game, and that has been an inspiration - originally subconsciously but later consciously.
DYNAMO
A martial combatant that moves at superhuman speed. Not quite like The Flash, but perhaps like one of the Shield agents who has drawn a gun and fired off a half dozen aimed rounds before you're had a chance to inhale. When others are just realizing that combat has begun, a dynamo is already in action.
Obviously, I want to include bonuses to initiative, base speed, attack, AC, etc. (much like a haste spell). I also have an ability called Flurry, which is like Rapid Shot, but for any weapon and whose penalties stack with other abilities that grant extra attacks. He will also get an "uncanny ability" every other level reflecting specific talents.
Two mechanics I am toying with. The first is a rounds based and represents how much time per day can be spent in a heightened state. The other is a point pool wherein of superhuman speed can be can be performed X many times per day.
ENERGY BASED CLASS
Strangely this began as an arcane archer base class. The more I worked, the more it became an energy based class. Not just elemental energy, but all of them. Fire, cold, acid, electricity, sonic, positive, negative, force. All of it. Obviously, some of these would have limitations. :)
At lower levels, he can wreath a weapon in fire or shoot arrows of lightning (D&D cartoon?) or make his attacks particularly deadly to undead. Later he can launch rays or blasts like a fireball or wreath his body in energy. Along the way he might pick up talents like flight, regeneration, and other abilities. He can spread out into many energies or specialize in one or two.
The character might end up looking like Iceman, the Human Torch, or Storm, but could also resemble a spell caster who wields various energies.
I feel like both classes are too narrow of concept and need a strong mechanic to back them up. But if I had to pick one of the two, I'd go with the first one, even though that sounds like a ranged flurry of blows. I could see that concept expanded for a melee combatant, maybe even a samurai with inhuman reflexes.
Then I failed in describing the concept. The concept was that any weaponry could be used, not just ranged.
I think both are viable concepts but they have to somehow thematically fit in with Pathfinder. I find once you have the theme, the rest answers itself (mostly). But first lets dig into the concepts themselves.
Dynamo
What immediately lept to mind is "bullet time". The character moves faster, reacts quicker. Not always. But when it counts. A bullet time pool of points (arcane/ki?) that are burned to power his various super speed related abilities.
My question though is, is this enough for a base class? It seems like its either going to be a full BA class with some speed tricks, like a suped up fighter (which sounds great). Or another mechanic is required. Either that or this could be a very good candidate for an archetype for multiple different martial classes.
Energy guy
Do you envision this class to be a caster class? I assume that it is a mixed martial and caster character that specialises in different forms of energy. Does one character have access to multiple different energies? Or is it more sorcerer-like in that a character has to choose a single energy type? Conceptually, I like the idea of firing energy arrows or creating a melee weapon made of pure energy. And later getting the equivalent of fiery body (or a lesser version thereof).
The other problem with base classes in general is do they stand on the toes of other similar classes? Like the magus, bloodrager or the kineticist? What makes this class unique and at the same time varied? I have always had an itch to have an arcane archer base class: one that fires energy/spells from a bow. The magus always just fell short.
Avianfoo
That description of hedynamo is very accurate. I have some point pool mechanics (nothing groundbreaking) in writing, but want something more original. One version is round based like rage, where he gains combat and speed bonuses, while the other is "per use" and would be spent to do things like move his speed or make an attack as a swift action. There would also be ways to perform all manner of action more quickly, but only so many times per day.
The "energy guy" would be a non-caster. Its all supernatural abilities and martial stuff. Yes its all pretty vague, but that was on purpose to allow building all manner of "energy guys". I suppose I'll need to post something for actual critique.
Is the energy guy like the Kineticist at all? Cause it sounds like a Kineticist.
Uh maybe? I'm not familiar.
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Kineticist is a class from the occult adventures playtest, which uses elemental blasts to face his enemies. His main ability is the way he can shape his elemental blasts to imbune his weapons with elemental power, add various properties to the intrinsic blast, or even wreath his fists in the raw elemental power. from what you are describing with the class, there are some distinct similarities.
The Kineticist uses elemental attacks based on the big four(Fire(pyrokinetics),Wind(Aerokinetics),Water(Hydrokinetics),Earth(terra kinetics)) and a 5th elemental style based on using Telekinetics(or Aether). The playtest is free so you should be able to take a look, and maybe use elements from the class to make your own energy guys the way you want them.
What a kineticist does not do is positive and negative energy and it also is not all that martial, relying on its free blasts to blast his enemies. So there is still a bit of wiggle room here. but is it enough for a base class? Perhaps a full base attack martial character with some magic tricks would be quite interesting.
I'm still working, but it's going slow. Any ideas for specific abilities.
from what you are describing with the class, there are some distinct similarities.
I agree.
You could do an archetype for the Kineticist that does shoot positive or negative energy, depending on the aligment. Add a few more talents for those specific energy types and you're done. Sounds nifty to me.
Here is my beginning of the dynamo. Full BAB, good Ref & Will.
Celerity (Ex): A dynamo gains a pool of celerity points equal to his level + his Constitution modifier (minimum 1) that he can spend to perform acts of celerity. He cannot spend points if he is exhausted or fatigued. As long as he has at least 1 point remaining in this pool, he gains a +2 bonus to initiative checks. This pool of points replenish once per day after 8 hours of rest. These hours need not be consecutive. Most acts of celerity cost one point of celerity (1CP), but others require spending more.
-As a free action, the dynamo gains a +2 bonus to ability checks, attack, AC, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, and a +10 foot bonus to his base speed. These bonuses last until the start of his next turn. At 8th and 16 level, the bonus increases by +1, and his bonus to base speed increases by +5. (1CP)
-He can move his speed as a swift action. He gains a +4 bonus to AC during this movement. (1CP)
-He can use the attack action as a swift action. If he uses a weapon wielded in two hands, the attack suffers a -2 penalty. (1CP)
-He gains a +4 bonus to an initiative check. If he spends the point before he rolls, he instead gains a +8 bonus. (1CP)
-Beginning at 5th level, a dynamo can use a move action as a swift action. (1CP)
-Beginning at 5th level, he can move one-quarter his speed as an immediate action. (1CP)
-Beginning at 5th level, he can use a move action as a free action. This ability can only be used once per round. (2CP)
-Beginning at 9th level, a dynamo can use a standard action as a move action.
-Beginning at 9th level, as an immediate action, he can treat his touch AC as though it were equal to his AC. (1CP)
-Beginning at 9th level, he can use a standard action as a swift action. (2CP)
-Beginning at 13th level, as a swift action action, he gains use of the pounce special ability until the end of his turn. (1CP)
-Beginning at 13th level, he can use a swift action as an immediate action. (1CP)
-Beginning at 13th level, he can use a full-round action as a standard action. (3CP)
-Beginning at 17th level,
Upper Hand (Ex): A dynamo adds his level to damage rolls against flat-footed creatures. During the first round of combat, as a swift action, he can draw or pick an item or weapon, or he can move half his speed.
Uncanny Ability (Ex): As a dynamo gains experience, he learns a number of talents that grant him special abilities. At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter, he gains an uncanny ability of his choice that he qualifies for (see below). A dynamo cannot select an individual uncanny ability more than once. At 6th level and every four levels thereafter, he can choose to lose one uncanny ability he has learned, and learn another that he qualifies for in it's place. He cannot lose an uncanny ability that is the prerequisite for another he possesses.
Flurry (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, when making a full-attack action, a dynamo can make one additional attack. Each attack roll suffers a -2 penalty. If the additional attacks is made with a weapon wielded in two hands, it suffers an additional -2 penalty. The additional attacks cannot be made with natural weapons. This ability is not cumulative with effects such as the spell haste or the speed weapons enhancement.
Some suggestions
Extra standard actions are dangerous. They mean an extra spell a round which is a big no-no (besides quicken spell) Consider limiting the extra standard action.
You use the -2 penalty for wielding a weapon in two hands. Why not specify that the dynamo cannot use his abilities in conjunction with a weapon in two hands and have an uncanny ability to allow the use of 2 handing a weapon but at a -2 penalty.
Extra standards can be dangerous, yes, but this class lacks spell casting. I am not flat out saying no to your idea, but I don't think thats a strong example of abuse. As the creator of this I have some blinders on, but I imagine it being used for weapon attacks, magic items, and certain skills. Can you think of abuses other than spell casting?
I think I will use your second suggestion. I already planned on having an uncanny ability that eliminates the penalty, so its not a big stretch.
I'm not crazy about granting extra standard actions either. I'd explicitly limit the choices what the class can do with them, which is what the monk of the four winds's slow time ability does.
Moving up to your speed as a swift action is a really powerful ability (in fact, it's a mythic ability). Even if it were just 30, 20, or even 10 feet, that's insanely good. Even the fact it's based off of movement speed rather than a flat value means it scales well if the class buffs their movement speed. Additionally, they can get an extra attack as a swift action. There's absolutely no reason for any martial to not dip one level into dynamo. Ranged fighters can get an extra attack and can move as a swift action and full attack.
I hadn't considered the 1 level dip, so I'll work on that. This pool had originally been introduced at 4th level. Maybe I should move it back. I will look at monk of the four winds too.