Edit: oh.. was this like 2 years old and I didn't notice? Whups. a lot of this wouldn't have applied back then, as al ot didn't exist. Though i guess if you ever wanted to update it now
Kay I so would play this.
I have made a ton of pathfinder throwing characters. It’s pretty hard to make a good one.
This one is pretty nifty! I have some notes based on my past experience with throwers (so many. Mostly 3/4th bab based though)
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Blitzball. Consider making it a D8. Like a Chakram in pathfinder. It isn’t much, but the difference between a thrown knife and chakram is so darn much in pathfinder. Not super needed. But something I suggest.
Also consider adding in a blurb about how a blitzballer can still throw underwater at full effect. You’d be surprised how many folks do not allow many things when it comes to water.
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Needs swim as a class skill
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So. about the returning property. Scratch that. and reword it. Look at the Shield Champion brawler in pathfinder.
The problem with returning is... it comes back far too late. Basically if you move after you throw it... its returning to the wrong place and you've lost your thrown weapon. it won’t' return until right before you're next turn. So people can easily just... pick it up and take it. or keep it from returning somehow. Its honestly pretty useless enchantment.
Instead go read Shield Champion Brawler from Pathfinder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-c...d-champion). That is the absolute best example of a thrown martial made yet in official lit.
You should also gift the class Far Shot like Shield Champion does.
It bounces back to you once the attack finishes. That way you could use it with movement and it'll always return to you at the end of your attack sequence instead of after your turn. That way makes so much more sense. Honestly you could move Ricochet to 5 like that class is. Or keep it at 7 because of the status effect balls.
Basically this'll make it work with so much more moves. Shot on the run is an example. Although not the best example of a throwing move.
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There are some moves that would rarely be used honestly.
Aim for one. it takes far too long for that. I might consider making it 1/2 level and a move action, or 1/4th and a swift action. A full round simply will rarely if ever be used. Archer can get away with spending such a long time aiming. But throw builds are always ALWAYS within charging close range distance. So they can't afford to wait so long. If they aren’t full attacking them to death, they have to be moving so they aren’t full attacked. If you’re worried about usefulness. Put a cooldown on the ability. Roll a d4 and it can’t be used again until it’s over (representing relaxing your nerves from being hyper focused aiming) I suggest the swift action with a cooldown the most. Even if the cool down is just something like every other round.
For a similar reason. Power Shot will probably rarely if ever be used. The bonus damage doesn't really keep up with the cost of a full round. Especially once you can richoet instead—technically rules wise. I can hit an opponent and ricochet off the floor next to him (*Eating one attack hitting AC 5) and bounce into the guy again. Power shot probably shouldn’t have to compete directly with Ricochet-which it does due to both of them eating a full round action. Additionally, a similar move in pathfinder, Dead Shot for gunslingers. Is already far stronger than this and far more ranged. All for the same action cost (admittedly also costs a bullet. But negligible really)
So I would make Power Shot a standard attack. This would compare favorably with other things like Vital Strike (historically a horrible use of action), Gunslinger's(pathfinder) Pistolero’s Up Close and Deadly. (the exchange for not costing points, would be that you do not do partial damage. And in general FF classes are a bit stronger on the martial side anyway. And you are building for FF not pathfinder (which historically loves to hamper martials. Don’t do this. One reason FFD20 is so wonderful is any style of play is completely valid because it’s so well balanced and even between them. It is missing Thrown and this is your chance to make it shine!)
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The buffing feels a bit off, or strange. Perhaps because it is only one thing and the rest focuses on attacking. Not really a bad thing just something I noted. I can’t really think of a solution for that. Other than just fusing skillshot and cheers into one feature, making a couple more Cheers and increasing the frequency that the blitzer gets to choose to ever 3 levels. Make both of them run off the 3+cha (or 1/2lv +cha). Name the class feature something like. Blitz Lore or How the game is played or Blitzball Skills, and then subcategorize them as cheers and skillshots.
That way you could have a blitzballer who buffs and one who debuffs. without trodding over eachother's feet.
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In the end. If you are worried about it being too strong with the above changes. I do have one final suggestion and that is to make them 3/4th bab instead of full bab. This wouldn’t be bad either and would still keep in line with stuff that they do. If you do, do that, then I strongly suggest the 1/2LV+Cha format over the 3+cha. That way they can truly be more debuff. I mean the HD and the Points are already 3/4th bab set.
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As a suggestion for keeping the debuff going, AND because it was one of my favorite moves in FFX. I might suggest making one of the Limit Breaks the debuff ball. Hit the target and it applies all the Skill Shots that you know +1 of your choice (per activation chose one) (or I guess give a Blitz Lore at level 1) I’d replace Line Breaker. Sphere Shot is just too perfect. Line breaker is pretty cool, but it also relies on a combat action and the class doesn’t really gain any bonuses to it. So after a point it would get harder to use it. It would suck to lose a multi-hit move. but if it’s trying to be a debuff class to, it would be good for it to have a good support of it.
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Pathfinder style feat Startoss is perfect for this class. though parts of it is already built in.
I'd love to play a debuffing centric one. I’d rarely ever Cheer, but I think there are more than enough Buffing ones (though it would make a good archetype) but so few great debuffing non magic ones.
Kay I so would play this.
I have made a ton of pathfinder throwing characters. It’s pretty hard to make a good one.
This one is pretty nifty! I have some notes based on my past experience with throwers (so many. Mostly 3/4th bab based though)
-------
Blitzball. Consider making it a D8. Like a Chakram in pathfinder. It isn’t much, but the difference between a thrown knife and chakram is so darn much in pathfinder. Not super needed. But something I suggest.
Also consider adding in a blurb about how a blitzballer can still throw underwater at full effect. You’d be surprised how many folks do not allow many things when it comes to water.
-------
Needs swim as a class skill
---------
So. about the returning property. Scratch that. and reword it. Look at the Shield Champion brawler in pathfinder.
The problem with returning is... it comes back far too late. Basically if you move after you throw it... its returning to the wrong place and you've lost your thrown weapon. it won’t' return until right before you're next turn. So people can easily just... pick it up and take it. or keep it from returning somehow. Its honestly pretty useless enchantment.
Instead go read Shield Champion Brawler from Pathfinder (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/hybrid-c...d-champion). That is the absolute best example of a thrown martial made yet in official lit.
You should also gift the class Far Shot like Shield Champion does.
It bounces back to you once the attack finishes. That way you could use it with movement and it'll always return to you at the end of your attack sequence instead of after your turn. That way makes so much more sense. Honestly you could move Ricochet to 5 like that class is. Or keep it at 7 because of the status effect balls.
Basically this'll make it work with so much more moves. Shot on the run is an example. Although not the best example of a throwing move.
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There are some moves that would rarely be used honestly.
Aim for one. it takes far too long for that. I might consider making it 1/2 level and a move action, or 1/4th and a swift action. A full round simply will rarely if ever be used. Archer can get away with spending such a long time aiming. But throw builds are always ALWAYS within charging close range distance. So they can't afford to wait so long. If they aren’t full attacking them to death, they have to be moving so they aren’t full attacked. If you’re worried about usefulness. Put a cooldown on the ability. Roll a d4 and it can’t be used again until it’s over (representing relaxing your nerves from being hyper focused aiming) I suggest the swift action with a cooldown the most. Even if the cool down is just something like every other round.
For a similar reason. Power Shot will probably rarely if ever be used. The bonus damage doesn't really keep up with the cost of a full round. Especially once you can richoet instead—technically rules wise. I can hit an opponent and ricochet off the floor next to him (*Eating one attack hitting AC 5) and bounce into the guy again. Power shot probably shouldn’t have to compete directly with Ricochet-which it does due to both of them eating a full round action. Additionally, a similar move in pathfinder, Dead Shot for gunslingers. Is already far stronger than this and far more ranged. All for the same action cost (admittedly also costs a bullet. But negligible really)
So I would make Power Shot a standard attack. This would compare favorably with other things like Vital Strike (historically a horrible use of action), Gunslinger's(pathfinder) Pistolero’s Up Close and Deadly. (the exchange for not costing points, would be that you do not do partial damage. And in general FF classes are a bit stronger on the martial side anyway. And you are building for FF not pathfinder (which historically loves to hamper martials. Don’t do this. One reason FFD20 is so wonderful is any style of play is completely valid because it’s so well balanced and even between them. It is missing Thrown and this is your chance to make it shine!)
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The buffing feels a bit off, or strange. Perhaps because it is only one thing and the rest focuses on attacking. Not really a bad thing just something I noted. I can’t really think of a solution for that. Other than just fusing skillshot and cheers into one feature, making a couple more Cheers and increasing the frequency that the blitzer gets to choose to ever 3 levels. Make both of them run off the 3+cha (or 1/2lv +cha). Name the class feature something like. Blitz Lore or How the game is played or Blitzball Skills, and then subcategorize them as cheers and skillshots.
That way you could have a blitzballer who buffs and one who debuffs. without trodding over eachother's feet.
---
In the end. If you are worried about it being too strong with the above changes. I do have one final suggestion and that is to make them 3/4th bab instead of full bab. This wouldn’t be bad either and would still keep in line with stuff that they do. If you do, do that, then I strongly suggest the 1/2LV+Cha format over the 3+cha. That way they can truly be more debuff. I mean the HD and the Points are already 3/4th bab set.
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As a suggestion for keeping the debuff going, AND because it was one of my favorite moves in FFX. I might suggest making one of the Limit Breaks the debuff ball. Hit the target and it applies all the Skill Shots that you know +1 of your choice (per activation chose one) (or I guess give a Blitz Lore at level 1) I’d replace Line Breaker. Sphere Shot is just too perfect. Line breaker is pretty cool, but it also relies on a combat action and the class doesn’t really gain any bonuses to it. So after a point it would get harder to use it. It would suck to lose a multi-hit move. but if it’s trying to be a debuff class to, it would be good for it to have a good support of it.
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Pathfinder style feat Startoss is perfect for this class. though parts of it is already built in.
I'd love to play a debuffing centric one. I’d rarely ever Cheer, but I think there are more than enough Buffing ones (though it would make a good archetype) but so few great debuffing non magic ones.