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2009-03-28, 06:03 PM
Utterdark Binder
“There is a new power rising, free from the constraints of the old. See how it spills from the Northlands! Soon we shall know all secrets the Utterdark holds.”
-Sara V’Indi- Binder apprentice.
This is the first homebrew-ed thing I’ve done, and it’s part of a campaign setting I’ve got planned. The basic premise involves a magical civilisation near/at its peak. For some unknown reason an expanding field of liquid, magical darkness. The scholar-mages have named this the Utterdark, and while it doesn’t directly do harm, it coats the lands it covers in never-ending darkness. The expansion has stopped and some more curious mages have began to study properties of the Utterdark; with some mages learning how to wield a fraction of the unknown power of the North. This particular class is mostly based for NPC’s but may be available for PC’s if it works.
Utterdark Binder
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Fundamentals, Chilling aura, Clumsy Fumbling
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Walk in Darkness
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Sap strength
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Sap Will, Freezing Aura, Fumblings
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Walk in Nightmares
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Walk in Shadows, Near Mastery
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Walk Unseen
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| Adeptness
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Utterdark Calling
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| Absolute Chilling Aura, Utterdark Ascendent [/table]
Hit Dice: d4.
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana): 8 ranks
Knowledge (The Planes): 8 ranks
Spells: Must be able to cast 3rd level arcane spells
Other: Must have been trained by a higher level Binder, must have lived for at least a month in the Utterdark.
Class Skills
[As Wizard]
Class Features
Weapon/Armour Proficiency: An Utterdark Binder gains no additional proficiency with weapon or armour.
Fundamentals: Tapping into the Utterdark grants certain abilities, but it cuts off other avenues of power. When a binder reaches first level s/he loses any ability they had to previously cast arcane spells. However, the binder gainst the following abilities:
Darkvision out to 60 feet. If the binder previously had darkvision, s/he gains no extra benefit.
Darkbolt: The binder gains the spell-like ability to project a bolt of Utterdark, which deals damage (of a nonspecific energy type) according to level.
Level
1-2: 4d6
3-4: 5d6
5-6: 6d6
7-8: 7d6
9-10: 8d6
The binder may cast the spells Chill Touch and Cause Fear at will.
Chilling aura: The air around a binder is perceptibly colder, and their eyes seem a little darker and distant, unnerving to those unused to meeting them. As a consequence at first level, the binder gains a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
Clumsy Fumbling: The Utterdark is a newly discovered power, and not much is known about its use. Occasionally, the binder may find it outstrips his wildest expectations in terms of power. However it may also ebb and fall short. At first level, the binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level - 5 + 1d6.
Walk in Darkness: At second level, the binder can cause Utterdark to curl about him, fluid-like, giving them the ability to cast Darkness and Invisibility at will.
Sap Strength: At third level, the binder can project a ray of black light at will as a spell like ability that saps strength, functioning as a Ray of Enfeeblement.
Sap Will: At fourth level, the binder can projects an aura of dismay at will as a spell like ability that blackens mood, functioning as the spell Crushing Despair.
Freezing Aura: The air around the binder drops to more frigid temperatures. As such, a fourth level binder gains the ability to cast the spell Chill Object at will. Chill Object functions as the spell Chill Metal but any non-living material may be the target, not only metal.
Fumblings: The binder becomes more adept at handling the Utterdark. At fourth level the binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level – 3 + 1d4.
Walk in Nightmares: At fifth level, the binder can reach out and touch a dreaming mind. They may cast the spells Dream and Nightmare at will as spell like abilities.
Walk in Shadow: At sixth level, the binder can move through shadows as easily as a man crosses a room. As such they can cast the spell Shadow Walk as a spell like ability at will.
Near Mastery: A sixth level binder has unprecedented control over their newfound abilities, yet they continue to be surprised by the occasional unpredictable aspect of their magic. The binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level – 2 + 1d3
Walk Unseen: The binder can now cause the concealing Utterdark to swarm over his allies, granting them invisibility and can cast the spell Mass Invisibility at will as a spell like ability.
Adeptness: The Utterdark holds no secrets from an eighth level binder. The binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level.
Utterdark Calling: At ninth level, a binder can create the semblance of life and objects by forcing together the liquid night. Effectively, they can now cast the spell Shades as a spell like ability at will.
Absolute Chilling Aura: The air around the binder now drops to painfully low temperatures. Water freezes solid as they pass. Any creatures in 5 feet of the binder takes 1d4 points of cold damage per round. The binder cannot suppress this effect, but so much exposure to the frigid Utterdark has granted the binder cold resistance 5.
Utterdark Ascendant: The binder becomes something more than human. Once per day they can enter a state called the Utterdark Ascendant for one minute, dispersing into pure night. During this time, the binder gains damage reduction 10/-. Fast healing 5, a fly speed equal to their land speed with perfect manoeuvrability.
“There is a new power rising, free from the constraints of the old. See how it spills from the Northlands! Soon we shall know all secrets the Utterdark holds.”
-Sara V’Indi- Binder apprentice.
This is the first homebrew-ed thing I’ve done, and it’s part of a campaign setting I’ve got planned. The basic premise involves a magical civilisation near/at its peak. For some unknown reason an expanding field of liquid, magical darkness. The scholar-mages have named this the Utterdark, and while it doesn’t directly do harm, it coats the lands it covers in never-ending darkness. The expansion has stopped and some more curious mages have began to study properties of the Utterdark; with some mages learning how to wield a fraction of the unknown power of the North. This particular class is mostly based for NPC’s but may be available for PC’s if it works.
Utterdark Binder
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Fundamentals, Chilling aura, Clumsy Fumbling
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Walk in Darkness
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Sap strength
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Sap Will, Freezing Aura, Fumblings
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Walk in Nightmares
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Walk in Shadows, Near Mastery
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Walk Unseen
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6| Adeptness
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Utterdark Calling
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7| Absolute Chilling Aura, Utterdark Ascendent [/table]
Hit Dice: d4.
Requirements
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana): 8 ranks
Knowledge (The Planes): 8 ranks
Spells: Must be able to cast 3rd level arcane spells
Other: Must have been trained by a higher level Binder, must have lived for at least a month in the Utterdark.
Class Skills
[As Wizard]
Class Features
Weapon/Armour Proficiency: An Utterdark Binder gains no additional proficiency with weapon or armour.
Fundamentals: Tapping into the Utterdark grants certain abilities, but it cuts off other avenues of power. When a binder reaches first level s/he loses any ability they had to previously cast arcane spells. However, the binder gainst the following abilities:
Darkvision out to 60 feet. If the binder previously had darkvision, s/he gains no extra benefit.
Darkbolt: The binder gains the spell-like ability to project a bolt of Utterdark, which deals damage (of a nonspecific energy type) according to level.
Level
1-2: 4d6
3-4: 5d6
5-6: 6d6
7-8: 7d6
9-10: 8d6
The binder may cast the spells Chill Touch and Cause Fear at will.
Chilling aura: The air around a binder is perceptibly colder, and their eyes seem a little darker and distant, unnerving to those unused to meeting them. As a consequence at first level, the binder gains a +2 bonus to Intimidate checks.
Clumsy Fumbling: The Utterdark is a newly discovered power, and not much is known about its use. Occasionally, the binder may find it outstrips his wildest expectations in terms of power. However it may also ebb and fall short. At first level, the binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level - 5 + 1d6.
Walk in Darkness: At second level, the binder can cause Utterdark to curl about him, fluid-like, giving them the ability to cast Darkness and Invisibility at will.
Sap Strength: At third level, the binder can project a ray of black light at will as a spell like ability that saps strength, functioning as a Ray of Enfeeblement.
Sap Will: At fourth level, the binder can projects an aura of dismay at will as a spell like ability that blackens mood, functioning as the spell Crushing Despair.
Freezing Aura: The air around the binder drops to more frigid temperatures. As such, a fourth level binder gains the ability to cast the spell Chill Object at will. Chill Object functions as the spell Chill Metal but any non-living material may be the target, not only metal.
Fumblings: The binder becomes more adept at handling the Utterdark. At fourth level the binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level – 3 + 1d4.
Walk in Nightmares: At fifth level, the binder can reach out and touch a dreaming mind. They may cast the spells Dream and Nightmare at will as spell like abilities.
Walk in Shadow: At sixth level, the binder can move through shadows as easily as a man crosses a room. As such they can cast the spell Shadow Walk as a spell like ability at will.
Near Mastery: A sixth level binder has unprecedented control over their newfound abilities, yet they continue to be surprised by the occasional unpredictable aspect of their magic. The binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level – 2 + 1d3
Walk Unseen: The binder can now cause the concealing Utterdark to swarm over his allies, granting them invisibility and can cast the spell Mass Invisibility at will as a spell like ability.
Adeptness: The Utterdark holds no secrets from an eighth level binder. The binder’s caster level = previous spellcasting class + binder level.
Utterdark Calling: At ninth level, a binder can create the semblance of life and objects by forcing together the liquid night. Effectively, they can now cast the spell Shades as a spell like ability at will.
Absolute Chilling Aura: The air around the binder now drops to painfully low temperatures. Water freezes solid as they pass. Any creatures in 5 feet of the binder takes 1d4 points of cold damage per round. The binder cannot suppress this effect, but so much exposure to the frigid Utterdark has granted the binder cold resistance 5.
Utterdark Ascendant: The binder becomes something more than human. Once per day they can enter a state called the Utterdark Ascendant for one minute, dispersing into pure night. During this time, the binder gains damage reduction 10/-. Fast healing 5, a fly speed equal to their land speed with perfect manoeuvrability.