I based this one off the Kalak kit in TKoA.
As always, your comments are welcome
.Kalak (ranger) substitution levels
“The soft-shell will not escape for long.”
- Dommkak, Kalak of the Ithok-kek pack
Kalak - seeker in the kreen language - are the specialized scouts of the thri-kreen packs roaming the wastelands of Athas. They are true nomad to the heart, growing restless when stopping in one place for too long. They find prey that will be run down later by the hunters of the pack, and are always on the look-out for water and the other basic necessities of kreen life. While scouting, they also keep watch for enemies and large predators that could endangers their clutch-mates, being the far-reaching eyes and ears of the pack.
They are often slightly smaller and quicker than most other thri-kreen, making up by excelling at hunting and tracking prey. While rare, most pack will have one or two Kalak in their ranks.
Hit Die: d8.
Requirements
To take a Kalak substitution level, a character must be thri-kreen ranger about to take his 3rd, 4th, or 6th level of ranger.
Class Skills
Kalak substitution levels have the class skills of the standard ranger class.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
I only let it that way because it is the word used in the kreen lexicon and as the original kit's name in TKoA.The name will definitely throw people off.
The same name in Thri-Kreen of Athas, p. 6, had thrown off nobody. Vice versa, it had added some new flavour to the SK Kalak name.
I have no problem with it being spelled the way it has always been spelled. These things happen, in different languages. I wouldn't change it just because it happens to be a SK's name also. :P
If this was for Grey Hawk or the Forgotten Realms I'd be cool with it.
Look at it this way. Would people be as complacent if "Hamanu" was also the halfling word for "dung crawler".
If this was for Grey Hawk or the Forgotten Realms I'd be cool with it.
Look at it this way. Would people be as complacent if "Hamanu" was also the halfling word for "dung crawler".
You mean that it isn't?
You mean that it isn't?
Ha...it is now.
I can see Urik's halfling legion now.
"Okay men, these orders come from Lord Hamanu himself. What in Ral's name are you all snickering about!"
-High Templar of Hamanu addressing Urik's halfling army
Nowhere to Hide (Su): At 6th level, the Kalak can find and decipher spoors that any other tracker would miss. The Kalak can find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell or similar ability that make it physically impossible to track a creature.
This benefits replaces the improved combat style class feature the standard ranger gains at 6th level. If the ranger later gains the combat style mastery class feature, he gains the improved combat style class feature instead.
I feel this ability needs a bit more to it. Giving up an improved combat style and it being a 6th level ability I think it should offer more of a benefit. What about the ability to detect or pin point invisible opponents with a successful spot check or something to that effect.
I feel this ability needs a bit more to it. Giving up an improved combat style and it being a 6th level ability I think it should offer more of a benefit. What about the ability to detect or pin point invisible opponents with a successful spot check or something to that effect.
The Nowhere to Hide ability was the hardest to come up with, and I didn't know if it was balanced for the level, too high or too low in level, etc. I like your idea, I'll look into the invisibility and Spot rules and try to come up with a revised version to this ability. Thanks.
Looks groovy, although I tend to agree that trading out the free improved multi-weapon feat is tough to balance (as it is arguably over powered), since that's what most kreen players dig on (at least ours loves doing his best blender impersonation), although I can't think of anything good to swap it out for instead(maybe evasion).
You're rewrite is very cool (although is the DC 20 spot a free action?) though and might convince some to not go the blender route.
So now what do you got for my half-giant rogue and mul druid? :D :D
Jack
Nowhere to Hide (Ex): At 6th level, the Kalak can find and decipher spoors that any other tracker would miss. The Kalak can find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell or similar ability that make it physically impossible to track a creature. A Kalak cannot use this benefits while using the swift tracker class feature.
The Kalak can also use this ability, as a free action, to detect invisible creatures in his vicinity. Each round the Kalak makes a successful DC 20 Spot check, the invisible creatures are considered visible to the ranger in regards to combat advantages the creatures normally gains.
This benefits replaces the improved combat style class feature the standard ranger gains at 6th level. If the ranger later gains the combat style mastery class feature, he gains the improved combat style class feature instead.
I think your on the right track, but I now I feel its a bit to good. Personally, I'd change two things. First, take a look under the rules for pin pointing an invisible opponent under the SRD:
A creature can generally notice the presence of an active invisible creature within 30 feet with a DC 20 Spot check. The observer gains a hunch that “something’s there” but can’t see it or target it accurately with an attack. A creature who is holding still is very hard to notice (DC 30). An inanimate object, an unliving creature holding still, or a completely immobile creature is even harder to spot (DC 40). It’s practically impossible (+20 DC) to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location with a Spot check, and even if a character succeeds on such a check, the invisible creature still benefits from total concealment (50% miss chance).
I'd suggest changing a few things about the ability based on this. First, I'd change it from being a free action to move action. Second, instead of a straight up DC why not have it be a bonus in order to notice and pin point invisible creatures. Something like a +10 competence bonus. Third, change the miss chance from 50% to 20% maybe even 10% .
I feel with these changes the ability would be more or less balanced. I could be dead wrong though. If so, anybody is more than welcome to chime in
Looks groovy, although I tend to agree that trading out the free improved multi-weapon feat is tough to balance (as it is arguably over powered), since that's what most kreen players dig on (at least ours loves doing his best blender impersonation), although I can't think of anything good to swap it out for instead(maybe evasion
My thri-kreen paragon class offers evasion ;)
My thri-kreen paragon class offers evasion ;)
Heh, you misunderstand, rangers get evasion at 9, I was suggesting moving the third substitution up to level 9, so that thri-kreen multi-weapon blenders don't lose their extra attacks
Jack
Heh, you misunderstand, rangers get evasion at 9, I was suggesting moving the third substitution up to level 9, so that thri-kreen multi-weapon blenders don't lose their extra attacks
Jack
My B. :P
Here is another version of the ability, which I based off the see invisibility (Brd3/Wiz2) spell. I want the ability to really enable the Kalak to ''see'' where invisible creature are with its great perception senses. I changed the level to the 9th, which is 2 level before the ranger gains the ability to cast 3rd level spells (with a high-enough Wisdom). Tell me what you think of it.
Nowhere to Hide (Ex): At 9th level, the Kalak can find and decipher spoors that any other tracker would miss. The Kalak can find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell or similar ability that make it physically impossible to track a creature. A Kalak cannot use this benefits while using the swift tracker class feature.
The Kalak can also use this ability to detect invisible creatures in a 30 feet radius for duration of 10 minutes per ranger level. Once the Kalak activate this ability, as a swift action, all invisible creatures within range are considered visible to the ranger in regards to combat advantages the creatures normally gains. The Kalak can use this ability a number of times per day equals to one-half its ranger level.
This benefits replaces the evasion class feature gained by a standard ranger at 9th level
Jackmojo, with your thread you gave me a reason to do another (beside the slave-warrior) racial substitution levels. :D
Do you have any concept ideas for those two players of yours. For the mul druid, I'm thinking about a Restless racial substitution levels, like some kind of nomad druid. For the HG rogue, I am more at a loss.
What Sysane suggested is good. Give them a bonus (I wouldn't go no more than (+10 personally) and reduce the 50% miss chance to 25% and call it good.
Still pretty cool ability.
If you insist on keeping the former at least change it from Ex to Su. Making it Ex makes no sense and just seems even more overpowered.
I thinks it's less broken this way, thanks to your comments Sys and Nyt:
Nowhere to Hide (Ex): At 9th level, the Kalak can decipher spoors that any other tracker would miss. The Kalak can find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell or similar ability that make it physically impossible to track a creature. A Kalak cannot use this benefits while using the swift tracker class feature.
The Kalak can also use this ability, as a swift action, to help him detect invisible creatures in his vicinity. All Spot checks the Kalak makes to notice invisible creatures benefits form a +10 competence bonus. If the Kalak succeeds on his check, the invisible creature benefits only from concealment (20% miss chance).
This benefits replaces the evasion class feature gained by a standard ranger at 9th level.
Here's another try :D
I thinks it's less broken this way, thanks to your comments Sys and Nyt:
Good stuff. One more minor tweak. You need to add that the +10 competence bonus also applies to pin pointing an invisible creature as well as to noticing it. They are two different checks/actions.
That's probably more of a nitpick though, just feels cleaner dropping the penalty by one half and keeping with the whole double of a doubling rule but in reverse.
Nowhere to Hide (Ex): At 9th level, the Kalak can decipher spoors that any other tracker would miss. The Kalak can find or follow the tracks made by a subject of a pass without trace spell or similar ability that make it physically impossible to track a creature. A Kalak cannot use this benefits while using the swift tracker class feature.
The Kalak can also use this ability, as a swift action, to help him detect invisible creatures in his vicinity. All Spot checks the Kalak makes to notice and pinpoint invisible creatures benefits form a +10 competence bonus. If the Kalak succeeds on his check, the invisible creature benefits only from concealment (20% miss chance).
This benefits replaces the evasion class feature gained by a standard ranger at 9th level.
Nyt, the reason I kept the 20% is because normal concealment offer by default 20%, while total concealment (like invisibility) offers 50%. Why concealment at first do not give 25%, but 20%, is anyone guess, since it is listed as such in the PHB, and I can't see a rational or link for those two numbers myself (from 20% to 50%
). But for the sake of having the same numbers as in the rules, I use 20% too and say the creature benefits only of normal concealment.Jackmojo, with your thread you gave me a reason to do another (beside the slave-warrior) racial substitution levels. :D
Do you have any concept ideas for those two players of yours. For the mul druid, I'm thinking about a Restless racial substitution levels, like some kind of nomad druid. For the HG rogue, I am more at a loss.
I'll toss up a new thread for them so as not to derail this one. (and trust me the half giant rogue leaves most of us at a loss :P )
As to the Ranger ability, how about replacing it with some defined range (30ft?) of tremorsense (to keep the whole earthy connection going) IIRC that should let them pinpoint the enemy's square and put them down to the 20% concealment chance.
Jack
Nyt, the reason I kept the 20% is because normal concealment offer by default 20%, while total concealment (like invisibility) offers 50%.
That's my bad, keep forgetting that they dropped from 50% to 20% (shows how much I have played or read the rules recently).
Also I agree with Jack, you need a range with this thing. Bringing it back to 30ft. should do it.
I edited the Nowhere to Hide ability in the original post to reflect all the ideas, including the 30 feet range. Other than that, I hope it now looks more balanced.