Splintercaster (3.5e Class)

Splintercasters can deal high burst damage and offer a number of abilities that harass the enemy, costing them either health or actions. Splintercasters have low defence if they are committed to their offensive abilities, and they suffer in melee combat with powerful individuals, but hold their own against weaker enemies thanks to Whirling Defense and Barrage.

Abilities: Wisdom is important for determining the attack roll of a splintercaster’s attacks. Intelligence determines the number of splinters the splintercaster can control. Dexterity and Constitution can offer valuable defence to the splintercaster..

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any, but chaotic.

Starting Age: As Monk.

Hit Die: d6.

Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level)
Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), cHeal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Splinterdance) (Cha), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Splintercasters have a number of techniques for both offence and defence, but have a limited number of active splinters and must choose how to balance their resources. All of the following are class features of the Splintercaster.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Splintercasters are proficient with all simple weapons, and with light armor, but not shields. (Splintercasters seldom wear metal armor; see Casting.)

Splinters: The Splintercaster can control up to his Intellect Modifier + Splintercaster level in Splinters. Once cast, Splinters deal 1d4 damage and stick in their target and cause 1d2 damage each time the target makes a move action. A target may remove a single splinter as a move action (that causes damage) that provokes an Attack of Opportunity. At 3rd level, 1d6 and 1d3 damage when the target makes a move action. At 6th level, 1d8 and 1d4 damage when the target makes a move action and now count as Magic +1 for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction. At 9th level, 2d6 and 1d6-1 (min. 1) damage when the target makes a move action and now count as Magic +3 for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.

Cast: The Splintercaster may fling one of his Splinters at a target as a ranged Attack Action versus AC (d20 + Base Attack bonus + Wisdom modifier) and may cast another if granted an additional attack by high Base Attack bonus or Haste effects. Range is limited to 10ft + 10ft per Splintercaster level. As excessive metal interferes with the Casting process, the splintercaster suffers the Armor Check penalty of metal armor on Casting attack rolls regardless of proficiency. (Splinters may benefit from Weapon Focus, Point Blank Shot, or Improved Critical feats.)

Recall: The Splintercaster may recall Splinters that have already been Cast as a Move Action. The splintercaster determines which splinters to recall, up to the maximum he can control.

Splinter Shield: The Splintercaster may sacrifice 3 or more of his active Splinters to create a floating shield to deflect incoming blows, granting +2 Shield bonus to AC. For every two splinters after the first three, this bonus increases by 1. This effect does not stack with any other Shield bonuses to AC.

Barrage: The Splintercaster may Cast more than one of his active splinters at a time, equal to his Base Attack Bonus as a Full Action. Each Splinter may be directed to a different target and requires its own attack roll.

Improved Splinters: The Splintercaster’s splinters take on a new property. Choose one of the following, the choice may not be altered until 10th level.
Jagged: The critical threat range on these splinters is expanded to 17-20.
Massive: These splinters are extra large. Each splinter gains one damage die, but no longer sticks in the target.
Irritating: These splinters cause pain to the target when dodging, reducing the AC of the target by 1, and Reflex Save by 1.

Nettlecloud: The Splintercaster may place a number of splinters (min 2) into a swirling cloud in a 5’ square within normal attack range, and line of sight/effect. Any creature that passes through this square takes 1d6 damage per shard (1d8 for massive shards) in the cloud. This effect lasts until Recalled by the Splintercaster.

Anchored Step: The Splintercaster may Cast two splinters into the ground at his feet and repel himself away from them as a standard action. The Splintercaster may move up to half his maximum casting range with this technique, but only in a straight line. Passing through threatened squares in this manner does not provoke Attacks of Opportunity, unless the attacker makes a Reflex check of 12 + the Splintercaster’s level first.

Whirling Defence: The Splintercaster’s active splinters spin around him in a whirlwind of edges. Any enemy striking the Splintercaster with a natural weapon must make a Reflex check of 15 + the Splintercaster’s level, or suffer 1d4 damage per active shard.

Precise Cast: The Splintercaster may cast a single splinter as a full action and add both Wisdom and Intelligence modifiers to the attack roll and damage for each attack granted by Base Attack Bonus or Haste effects..

Shatter: As an attack action, the Splintercaster may shatter a splinter that is stuck in an enemy dealing double the splinter’s normal damage and forcing the target to make a Fortitude check of 15 + ½ the Splintercaster’s level or begin to hemorrhage blood and suffer 1d2 Constitution damage per turn unless a Heal check DC15 is made to staunch the flow. Targets immune to critical hits are not affected by the hemorrhage effect. The Splintercaster may also use this technique on an unattended nonmagical metal item to refill his active splinters. The item is destroyed, and the Splintercaster’s maximum active splinters is replenished. Splinters in a target continue to cause pain, but are no longer able to be Shattered or Recalled until the Splintercaster’s active shards are reduced below maximum again.

Masterful Splinters: The Splintercaster’s splinters ignore the first 5 of any Damage Reduction effect (consider them Epic, for this effect) this includes the pain damage caused by moving. In addition, the splinters attack with an additional +1 to attack roll. At the beginning of each day, the Splintercaster may choose one of the Improved Splinters properties. For the remainder of the day, all of the splintercaster’s splinters carry this property.

Further Growth: After 10th Splintercaster level, the splintercaster may benefit from gaining one splinter for every two levels in another class in addition to dealing one bonus damage (primary and movement pain) for every three levels above 10th.

Casting Power Attack: Prerequisite: Int 16. As melee Power Attack; sacrifice attack bonus for damage at a 1-to-1 ratio, up to the limit of your base attack bonus.

Casting Finesse: Prerequisites: BAB +1, Int 14. As melee Weapon Finesse; Use Int modifier on Casting attack rolls, instead of Wis.

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Weapons: Quarterstaff (1d6/1d6, crit x2, 4lb., two-handed, bludgeoning.)

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 4 + Int modifier.

Feat: Point Blank Shot.

Bonus Feats: Armor Proficiency (medium).

Gear: Hide armor (+3 AC, +4 Max Dex, -3 Armor Check, 20ft speed), Backpack with waterskin, one day's trail rations, bedroll, sack, flint & steel, and Three torches.

Gold: 2d4.

Religion: Splintercasters may choose to pursue any religion that does not interfere with learning and personal discipline.

Other Classes: Splintercasters that leave the monasteries are often curious and enjoy the company of Rangers and Rogues, for the opportunity to see new things. Splintercasters often get along well with Monks, given their similar upbringings, though they take little pleasure in each other's company. Some splintercasters are interested in the workings of magic, though they tend to prefer Wizards (who also value learning) over Sorcerers (who have little self-discipline).

Combat: Ranged damage dealer.

Advancement: Multiclass with Monk. Might multiclass well with Wizard or Ranger.

Splintercasters are rarely found outside their mountaintop monasteries. They prefer to keep to themselves and train their minds and expand their knowledge. The rare splintercaster finds themselves bored by book learning and will leave the monastery in search of knowledge, often choosing to send their findings (and wealth) home to the monastery.

Notables: Cattevar, Grand Master of the Monastery at Delthu'un. Mek'tok, Stormgiant Splintercaster, who taught the first human Splintercasters.

NPC Reactions: Common folk are often shocked and intimidated by a Shardcaster with his cloud of shards Active. Wizards are often disdainful of the shardcaster's pseudomagic, but relent when they discover the shardcaster's love for discipline and knowledge.

Characters with ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) or (Religion) or (History) can research Splintercasters to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Adaptation: .

Sample Encounter: .

EL : .

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