[Wrymstone Update] On the Sunny Side of the Street...

[Morgenstern]

A quick look at my creative process when developing the Coronus, a sort of "solar paladin" Master Class providing the capstone to a career serving Sun Guards faction.

The Coronus can be found here~
http://wyrmstone.org/x/db-show/Mechanics/Classes

The goal was to make something of a new holy warrior without stepping on the toes of Paladins or requiring a highly specific entry path. With a strong association with the sun, light-based toggles seemed obvious. I had anticipated including some fire resistance, but that was eventually folded into the new path fdor the faction, making it a poor choice to further boost in the class. Belonging to a group named the sun GUARDs, and with a mandate to defend their Goddess' intersets rather than to go out on crusades, the abilities should be primarily defnesive. The Coronus focuses on being the last man standing rather than ending the fight as quickly as possible, in fact with the gamebreaker time is almost always on your side. The faith's priciples of choice and accountability immediately suggested immunity to charms (preserving your choices) and possibly some sort of saves debuff (ensuring other must face consequences). That later overlapped too much with the Paladin and was eventually scrapped.

The requirements include some new tech, particulalry the renown requirement - one of the most role-playing driven requirements I've ever tried (jury is still out, so get playtesting, you!). The Basic Skill Mastery gives a little counter-tension to the strong combatant footing of the class as a whole. Counter-tension is important when pushing flavor rather than raw power.

The skill list includes the 4 alignment skills of the required alignment, listed directly in with the other skills for less page flipping - one of the advantages of tightly purpose-built master classes even when alignment-based.

Steps along a single path offer a diverse stack of effects for characters new to paths, while smoothly meshing with Priests and Paladins who might have already have becomes agents of the faith. This required the addition of Caster levels, which also helped the class be a good capstone for several possible entry paths.

The class uses a series of abilities that toggle based on lighting conditions, but the only ability that can be entirely negated by poor lighting is paired at level 1 with another ability that should be always available. All the others use partial modifiers like those seen in the Lancer class - you always get some benefit, and then you get a bit more when you're in your happy place.

Providing group support, Of Your Own Will provides a tightly targeted Spell Defense, at potentially very high levels (35-40ish) to you and your team. This high effectiveness and shared protection is set squarely against it only covering a single discipline - but a damn annoying one to be the victim of .

Swift as the Dawn is supported conceptually by both the high inititve and the acrobatics class skill, making it feel like a smooth progression on existing strengths.

The game breaker offers regeneration, a massively potent ability that is partially ofset by the class NOT having max vitality (trimming the pool and making it easier for foes to threaten burning through the Coronus's vitality pool).

Enjoy!

[Mister Andersen]

It strikes me that lowering the renown to 3+ would make more sense -- the build character to start at level X approach shouldn't force people to pick only 1 origin (namely, the one allowing heroic ranks at 20 instead of 30)

[Morgenstern]

*looks at math* Hmm. Yes I suppose that it will have to be Renown 3. A tad disappointing, but them's the numbers.

[paddyfool]

It strikes me that lowering the renown to 3+ would make more sense -- the build character to start at level X approach shouldn't force people to pick only 1 origin (namely, the one allowing heroic ranks at 20 instead of 30)

Of course, you could also do it relatively easily from an Assassin base (EDIT - thanks to "Unspoken Name", which gives you a free rank of Heroic Renown at 4, and another at 8 ), but I doubt that's to be desired either.  Lancer 6 might be more appropriate, with its "Promotion" ability (free rank in renown of your choice).  Sage could also work, if they snaffled "Unspoken Name" with cross-training at 4.

(EDITED again to remove accidental

[TheCommodore7]

It strikes me that lowering the renown to 3+ would make more sense -- the build character to start at level X approach shouldn't force people to pick only 1 origin (namely, the one allowing heroic ranks at 20 instead of 30)

Wasn't this listed as a Master Class (and not an Expert Class) so entry is at level 15?  That would make it easy to get to renown rank 4.

[Dhampire]

Master Classes are designed to be entered at 10th level.  Expert Classes are designed to be entered at 5th.

[paddyfool]

Of course, the amount of renown you accumulate will depend a lot on how things work out for your character etc.  But going by the book, starting reputation at level 10 is 100, and you'd need 120 for renown 4 without a discount from your speciality or a class ability free rank.  So yeah, this probably should be 3.

[Krensky]

Hmm...

Morg, is the enter at 15 if you don't meet X still part of the tech?

[Crafty_Alex]

Hmm...

Morg, is the enter at 15 if you don't meet X still part of the tech?

We've dropped it from all official Master Classes. Wyrmstone, having Allegiance-style rules, may be different.

[Morgenstern]

Morg, is the enter at 15 if you don't meet X still part of the tech?

The equivalent 'lock' here seems to be the alignment requirement, and I'm not inclined to let people sidestep alignment requirements - there is just no way this class makes sense for an agent of the Lords of Grimness, even at the highest levels . Better to ensure that all alignments have their own master class options in a mature setting.

If it does make sense for the Lords of Grimness, it's because the specific character paid in full for a character option like a feat or something that allows them to advance as if they had a second alignment. An example would be a "Second School" feat for a setting like Rokugan, where the feat gives a modest bonus and allows you to take classes, paths, and feats as if you had an additional alignment. For example you could create a Crane who has acess to both Crane and Lion character goodies.

[Krensky]

Morg, is the enter at 15 if you don't meet X still part of the tech?

The equivalent 'lock' here seems to be the alignment requirement, and I'm not inclined to let people sidestep alignment requirements - there is just no way this class makes sense for an agent of the Lords of Grimness, even at the highest levels . Better to ensure that all alignments have their own master class options in a mature setting.

If it does make sense for the Lords of Grimness, it's because the specific character paid in full for a character option like a feat or something that allows them to advance as if they had a second alignment. An example would be a "Second School" feat for a setting like Rokugan, where the feat gives a modest bonus and allows you to take classes, paths, and feats as if you had an additional alignment. For example you could create a Crane who has acess to both Crane and Lion character goodies.

Actually, I was more thinking about it in terms of the renown requirement.

[Morgenstern]

Once it's dropped down to 3? No, I think a certain amount of investment in the group should be required to gain access to their most holy techniques .