Issues with Bootstraps and Variant Classes

[risner]

I've had HL since PaizoCon 2010 and I just tried to create my first character.
A whole lot of things were not available, so I had to input a number of classes/abilities/feats etc. This is a short list of the things I don't know how to do. Can anyone help with these?

I'm making a bunch of Variant Class features for Cityscape. Most I have resolved, but I have a few issues:

1) Variant Class features seem to require a Class to be listed, so things like this:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a
Skilled City-Dweller
Which allows you to sub out one or more class skills for other class skills doesn't work.
There needs to be some way to do this, since otherwise you need one for each class that exists in your data sets.

2) I have two different classes modifying Wild Shape. I don't know how to reliably handle this. Right now I have one variant class feature replacing Wild Shape 1/day with one using the variant's different progression. But another class stacks with Druid and modifies the progression as well. The only way I can think to solve this is to make a mesh of all classes with variant Druid with all other combos?

An alternate way is to have the non-variant class feature classes run a script based on the Wild Shape ability description. So when it says "Small and Medium Animal and Plants" for example, I could search for "Plant" and modify the other class live name to fix? See this example of a Master of Many Forms (gaining Monstrous Humanoid in addition to Druid Animal) might look:
Wild Shape (1/day)
Small and Medium Animals
Wild Shape (1/day)
Add Monstrous Humanoids to Wild Shape.

The first would be provided by Wild Shape (1/day) special and the second from the special in the Master of Many Forms class?

3) I need to make a variant that allows you to swap Resist Nature's Lore for an ability that grants a Bonus Feat (one that can be swapped out for any feat if you already have it) and a +2 to disease.
I created the special and the variant. But I seem to need a boot strap. I don't know how to bootstrap the class special the variant bootstraps to the feat.

I have a class variant (Druid level 4) that removes Resist Nature's Lore.
I have a special that I tried to put "Bonus Feats granted" but it didn't work.
I have a feat that is the bonus feat.

I don't know how to tie the class variant because I need a bootstrap to put in the "additional special" area, but I don't know what to do in the Special to make it a boot strap.

4) There is an item that grants +4 to Wild Shape HD and unlocks new things (treat as +4 Druid levels) and there is a class that stacks for max HD of form and grants +1 daily use per level?

I found this thread:
http://forums.wolflair.com/archive/i...hp/t-9273.html

But I still don't quote know how to handle these two cases.

5) How do you best do Reducing Level Adjustment?
I need something that I can put in the Level Adjustment reduction and an Experience point total (negative) and have it remove that many LA and subtract that many EXP?

[Mathias]

1)Variant classes are very much tied to the specific class they modify, so you'll need a different variant class to handle applying that variant class to each class you want to alter.

3) Take a look at other class specials that bootstrap feats, and see how they do it. For example, the Soulknife's Speed of Thought class special or the Wizard's Scribe Scroll class special (the Ranger's Endurance uses obsolete code, so don't use that as an example).

For the others, please bump this post in a few weeks. I'm afraid I won't have the time to figure out the details until after Gen Con (so, perhaps August 12th).

[risner]

Originally Posted by Mathias

3) Take a look at other class specials that bootstrap feats, and see how they do it. Wizard's Scribe Scroll

Awesome, I fixed it based on Wizard Scribe Scroll. I looked at Ranger Endurance and couldn't figure it out before I posted this. That is why, since the Ranger Endurance is broken/oldway.

[risner]

I will bump this again in a few weeks.

Putting this here to add to the list:

6) Wild Empathy doesn't print what the bonus is anywhere, and Druidic Avenger is -4 on Wild Empathy

[Mathias]

2) Characters aren't allowed to take more than one variant class that modifies the same class ability - so, just create each one on its own, and the user can deal with the errors created if they add both.

6) Druidic Avenger has already been added to the files, and it already includes a special ability that notes the -4 Wild Empathy.

[Mathias]

4) I'm afraid that the way Wild Shape is currently written, all you can do is add effective levels. That means that both the HD and size would be affected. The thread you linked to includes how to do that.

The other portions of that ability will have to be left as text-only.