Harmonium PrC - The Harmonium Elite

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

zombiegleemax

Dec 22, 2003 20:24:23
Feedback is most welcome.

Harmonium Elite

Uniting the multiverse under the banner of universal harmony ain't easy work. There're a lot of berks who just won’t listen unless you’ve got the might to back it up. To that end, the Harmonium has set up training camps throughout Arcadia where they drill raw recruits into hardened soldiers. Some of the sods can’t take it, but most get into shape and tough it out.

Of course, any group of berks can raise an army, and there are a lot deadlier things out there than a few sods with pointy sticks. The Harmonium knows this too, that’s why they don’t just teach 'em to fight – they teach 'em to fight as a unit. The Harmonium Elite is their ultimate foot soldier, utilizing group tactics that make a squad much more than the sum of their parts.

Hit Die: d10.

Requirements

To qualify to become a Harmonium Elite, a character must fulfil all the following criteria.

Base Attack Bonus: +5.
Feats: Combat Reflexes, Endurance, Toughness.
Special: Must have visited Ortho, the Harmonium homeworld, and been approved for promotion by the leaders there. Obviously, only the most promising and dedicated bloods are considered.

Class Skills

The Harmonium Elite’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge [War] (Int), and Swim (Str). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Harmonium Elite prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Harmonium Elite are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, with all types of armour, and with shields.

Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special<br /> 1st +1 +2 +0 +2 Improved Flanking<br /> 2nd +2 +3 +0 +3 Got Your Back<br /> 3rd +3 +3 +1 +3 Morale Bonus<br /> 4th +4 +4 +1 +4 Like-Minded<br /> 5th +5 +4 +1 +4 Timed Attack
#2

zombiegleemax

Dec 23, 2003 1:30:00
This looks good, but the thoughtof 12 3rd level elite harmonium members, on two rows, the back row attaking with reach weapons is frightening.

Got Your Back (Ex): Harmonium Elite become even more proficient at teamwork when they reach second level. Two of them fighting side-by-side can coordinate their actions to fend off attackers from all sides. If two Harmonium Elite are adjacent to each other, neither is considered flanked unless both of them are. This works for every pair of adjacent soldiers, meaning that no member of a line of second-level Harmonium Elite is considered flanked unless every soldier in the line is flanked.

Those 12 Hardheads are thus unflankable. Combined with the morale bonus, we have 12 "killing-machine" that cannot be flanked and all have +11 to attacks, saves and damage (being all within 30 ft of each other).

As I said, quite frightening...
#3

zombiegleemax

Dec 23, 2003 6:15:25
Alright, good point. The morale bonus does get ridiculous when you put that many hardheads together. How about I change it so it applies only to saving throws?
#4

zombiegleemax

Jan 01, 2004 19:54:47
Yes, well, they are 8th level characters. Do you know how rare 8th level characters are in the scheme of things?

Besides, they are suposed to be tough. They are the best of the best of the best the Harmonium has to offer, and in a typical adventuring party, these abilities will be meaningless.
#5

zombiegleemax

Jan 01, 2004 22:03:31
That was my original line of thinking. Either you're going to have a small number of PCs taking this class, or the DM's going to be using it. In the first case, there wouldn't be enough players to abuse the stacking bonus, and in the latter case the DM marching out twelve Harmonium Elite should be a sign for the players to surrender.

But other people might have different ideas about how this class could be used, so it's good to get feedback.
#6

zombiegleemax

Jan 02, 2004 3:47:24
Well, a group of 12 level 5 fighters / 3 Harmonium Elite will be an EL 15 encounter.

At level 5 Harmonium Elite, they will be EL 17, and a challenge for some of the more powerful fiends.
#7

tec-goblin

Jan 03, 2004 3:34:06
I still won't accept something like that. A group like this can appear - ECL 15 isn't so high. And 12 guys who attack each at +28/+24 (ie about 18 attacks would hit!) are an opponent no 15 level fighter could dream of overcoming - they would kill him in a single round!
Providing morale bonuses that stack and reach such numbers is not 3.5 spirit.
I suggest that the bonuses should not stack (nor with any other morale bonuses - a bard in the above example would turn the bonuses ridiculously high), but, they would follow a simple (logarithmic )increase like this
1 Harmonium Prc with this ability would grant a +1 bonus
2-3-----"-------------------------------------------------- +2 ----"--
4-7 --------"-----------------------------------------------+3 bonus
8 or more -------------------------------"---------------- +4 bonus

Still the prestige class will be quite powerfull.
#8

zombiegleemax

Jan 03, 2004 7:48:50
Watching empires burn, eh?

Alright, I like your idea. How's this?

Morale Bonus (Su): Harmonium Elite of third level begin to project an aura of confidence (up to 30 feet). Harmonium Elite of any level gain morale bonuses to attack, damage, and saving throws based on the number of auras influencing them, as listed in the following table:

1 aura: +1 morale bonus
2-3 auras: +2 morale bonus
4-7 auras: +3 morale bonus
8 or more auras: +4 morale bonus
#9

zombiegleemax

Jan 05, 2004 0:51:49
You could do that, or simply set a limit, a maximum. Say, +5. That way, a small number of Elites is still fearsome, and the difference between meeting two and meeting 3 and meeting 4 is still ennough to make a basher wait and count before rushing in to fight.
#10

Ryltar_Swordsong

Jan 05, 2004 1:10:22
Idea: You could have their special prerequisite changed to "Must have visited Ortho, the Harmonium homeworld, and been approved for promotion by the leaders of the Harmonium." Or you could even add it on to the existing prerequisite. I think it would add a RP element to the PrC.
#11

zombiegleemax

Jan 05, 2004 3:13:20
The RP requirement sounds good. I'll throw that in immediately.

I'll also add the stacking limit to the description of the morale bonus right now, since it's clear one will be needed. I'm not sure about the progression, though. Maybe +1 per two auras? I'm not sure, and I'm worried about making the rules for the thing too complex.
#12

tec-goblin

Jan 12, 2004 1:36:00
Originally posted by overtrick
Watching empires burn, eh?

Alright, I like your idea. How's this?


yep, VNV Nation rule!
I think now the PrC is lovely
#13

zombiegleemax

Jan 12, 2004 6:30:58
yeah but that line of nasty Harmonium cutting ribbons off anyone stupid enough to get in the way will quickly be buggered by a decent mage or cleric weilding spells of death dealing nastiness. to dodge fireballs etc they make a reflex save, that means they run and the ranks break, unless they choose to stand firm and take full damage they aint in a line no more......
#14

tec-goblin

Jan 13, 2004 3:54:22
Originally posted by Painwraith
yeah but that line of nasty Harmonium cutting ribbons off anyone stupid enough to get in the way will quickly be buggered by a decent mage or cleric weilding spells of death dealing nastiness. to dodge fireballs etc they make a reflex save, that means they run and the ranks break, unless they choose to stand firm and take full damage they aint in a line no more......

These are the consequences of following the order! - Anyway, they won't make the save. They won't dodge, just charge! (with fewer hp). That is how I imagine Harmonium enforcers
#15

zombiegleemax

Jan 13, 2004 7:30:07
heheheheheheh

'Hold the line lads!'

'Charge!!!!!!!'

'Lads? Lads?'

*drifting soot and ash *

'Oh bugger......'