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The Demented One
2006-07-23, 09:03 PM
Hollowmouth Prolocuter

Hollowmouth Prolocuters are truenamers who turn their talents to the art of necromancy. Though the two arts generally share no common ground, the prolocuters have discovered a ritual that allows one to speak the names of the dead with a force unimaginable to others. It is not very complicated: one must simply sever his tongue, burn it, and bury the ashes beneath a stone marked with the last syllabe of his truename.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Hollowmouth Prolocuter, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 12 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 12 ranks, Truespeak 12 ranks
Utterances: Able to speak 3rd level utterances of any lexicon.
Special: Must ritually sever your tongue as described above, permanently losing your ability to speak. Regaining your tongue causes you to not meet this requirement.

Class Skills
The Hollowmouth Prolocuter’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Speak Language (–), Perform (Oratory) (Cha), Truespeak, Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

http://img150.imageshack.us/img150/8117/hollowmouth1wj0.jpg

Class Features
All the following are class features of the Hollowmouth Prolocuter prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Hollowmouth Prolocuter gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Utterances
At all levels except 1st, 5th, and 10th, the character gains new utterances known and truespeaker level as if he had also attained a level in any one utterance-using class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of either class would have gained.

Rebuke Undead (Su)
A Hollowmouth Prolocuter may rebuke undead as a cleric of his class level.

Truespeach Synergy (Su)
Whenever a Hollowmouth Prolocuter rebukes undead, he may make a Truespeak check. He gains an enhancement bonus on his turning damage roll equal to the check result divided by 10.

Hollow Speach (Ex)
A Hollowmouth Prolocuter learns to use truespeach bereft of his tongue. Though he cannot speak normally, he may use the Truespeak skill without hindrance.

Truespeach Reanimation (Su)
A 2nd level Hollowmouth Prolocuter may use truespeach to rename a corpse into an undead. Doing so is a standard action, and requires him to place an obsidian carving of a tongue, worth 25 gp per HD of the creature to be animated, in the corpse’s mouth. The corpse is raised as either a skeleton or zombie under the control of the prolocuter. The prolocuter may not control more undead in this one than twice the number of ranks he has in Truespeak. The DC to reanimate a creature is equal to 15 plus the CR of the undead to be created. The law of resistance applies to this ability.

At higher levels, a Hollowmouth Prolocuter may raise other forms of undead. Doing so, however, requires him to know the personal truename of the creature to be reanimated. If animating a creature this way, the tongue figurine used must be worth 50 gp, rather than 25 gp, per HD of the creature.

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/1286/hollowmouth2or7.jpg

Word of Profanity (Su)
A 4th level Hollowmouth Prolocuter may corrupt an area with truespeach. By making a DC 25 Truespeak check, he may defile an area, as the desecrate spell, with caster level equal to his class level. By taking a -5 penalty on his check, he may increase the power of the corruption, causing the area to be unhallowed, as the spell, rather than desecrated. The law of resistance applies to this ability.

Recitation of Self’s Destruction (Su)
A 6th level Hollowmouth Prolocuter may speak his own truename with a particular inflection to temporarily convince the universe he is dead. This is treated as a recitation. If he successfully speaks the recitation, for 10 min./level, his type changes to undead and he loses his Constitution score. The law of resistance applies to this ability.

Recitation of the Ghost’s Shape (Su)
An 8th level Hollowmouth Prolocuter may speak his own truename with a particular inflection to make it seem to the universe as if he was bodiless. This is treated as a recitation. If he successfully speaks the recitation, for 1 round/class level, he becomes bodiless and gains the incorporeal subtype. All of his gear becomes incorporeal along with him. The law of resistance applies to this ability.

Phylactery of the Name (Su)
A 10th level Hollowmouth Prolocuter transfers a portion of his personal truename into what is known as a phylactery of the name, gaining a sort of pseudo-undeath. The phylactery of the name is an obsidian carving of a tongue. The prolocuter does not create it physically, but rather speaks it into existence. If the prolocuter dies while his phylactery still exists, the prolocuter’s body is recreated at the location of the phylactery, and his soul returned to it. If the prolocuter’s phylactery is destroyed, he may never speak another one into existence.

"Fallen" Prolocuters
A Hollowmouth Prolocuter who, for any reason, regains his tongue, loses all of his class features. However, regaining them is not hard--he simply has to once again ritualistically sever his tongue.

Seffbasilisk
2006-07-23, 09:41 PM
Regenerate
Conjuration (Healing)

Level: Clr 7, Drd 9, Healing 7

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 3 full rounds

Range: Touch

Target: Living creature touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject’s severed body members (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, or even heads of multiheaded creatures), broken bones, and ruined organs grow back. After the spell is cast, the physical regeneration is complete in 1 round if the severed members are present and touching the creature. It takes 2d10 rounds otherwise.

Regenerate also cures 4d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +35), rids the subject of exhaustion and/or fatigue, and eliminates all nonlethal damage the subject has taken. It has no effect on nonliving creatures (including undead).

The Demented One
2006-07-23, 09:42 PM
Regenerate
Conjuration (Healing)

Level: Clr 7, Drd 9, Healing 7

Components: V, S, DF

Casting Time: 3 full rounds

Range: Touch

Target: Living creature touched

Duration: Instantaneous

Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)

Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The subject’s severed body members (fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms, legs, tails, or even heads of multiheaded creatures), broken bones, and ruined organs grow back. After the spell is cast, the physical regeneration is complete in 1 round if the severed members are present and touching the creature. It takes 2d10 rounds otherwise.

Regenerate also cures 4d8 points of damage +1 point per caster level (maximum +35), rids the subject of exhaustion and/or fatigue, and eliminates all nonlethal damage the subject has taken. It has no effect on nonliving creatures (including undead).
Well, aren't you a clever one? However, losing the tongue is a requirement. Regaining the tongue causes you to no longer meet the requirement. Don't meet all the requirements? No abilities for you!

Seffbasilisk
2006-07-23, 09:48 PM
Doesn't say in the requirements you must be tongue-less. Just that you have to sever it in a ritual, burn it, and bury the ashes. If you regrow it, the ashes are still there, so symbolically it's still done. Hence you meet the requirements.

Zeal
2006-07-23, 11:30 PM
someone were to unearth the ashes, would the Prolocuter lose their abilities?

Zincorium
2006-07-24, 01:57 AM
Um, it says if you regain the tongue, you don't meet the requirements, not if the ashes are no longer there. The ashes are part of the one-time ritual, the loss-of-tongue is the means by which they operate.

So, if you disturb the ashes, nothing. If you somehow hold them down and cast regenerate, they are powerless until they can, I dunno, cut the tongue off again?

Jack_Simth
2006-07-24, 02:10 AM
Well.... losing all the benefits of a PrC when you cease to meet the requirements is kinda iffy.

As far as I'm aware, the only place that particular rule shows up as a 3.5 rule is in Complete Warrior - it was in 3.0, but even then there was an Argumentum ad Absurdum in the case of the Dragon Disciple, that still exists if you follow the Complete Warrior:

The requirements on the Dragon Disciple Prestige Class include "Race: Any Nondragon (cannot already be a half-dragon)"

The 10th level ability of the Dragon Disciple PrC turns the character into a half-dragon (dragon apotheosis), gaining the dragon type.

So the class ability of the class voids the requirements of the class - so, if you follow the CW rule, at the 10th level of Dragon Disciple, you lose all Dragon Disciple class features.... which includes dragon apotheosis. Once you lose dragon apotheosis, you again qualify for the Dragon Disciple Prestige Class, and so regain all your class abilities. Which includes dragon apotheosis. Once you've regained dragon apotheosis, you no longer qualify for the Dragon Disciple PrC, and lose all DD PrC class abilities....

Zincorium
2006-07-24, 06:11 AM
Special: Must ritually sever your tongue as described above, permanently losing your ability to speak. Regaining your tongue causes you to not meet this requirement.

Emphasis mine.

Okay. What part of this is in dispute? If you have a tongue, you don't qualify for the class anymore. No contradiction in the class itself. Perhaps I'm wrong in my idea that you would lose your existing class abilities, but I'm fairly certain that at the very least you would lose the ability to advance further.

The Demented One
2006-07-24, 10:10 AM
someone were to unearth the ashes, would the Prolocuter lose their abilities?
The ashes themselves have no importance. It's only the symbolism in the ritual that is important, and once the ritual is done, bamf! Instant power.

Jack_Simth
2006-07-24, 05:53 PM
Emphasis mine.

Okay. What part of this is in dispute? If you have a tongue, you don't qualify for the class anymore. No contradiction in the class itself. Perhaps I'm wrong in my idea that you would lose your existing class abilities, but I'm fairly certain that at the very least you would lose the ability to advance further.I didn't mean to say it was wrong, exactly; just that such rules are kinda.... awkward, mechanically, with at least one, probably more, of the PrC's already in existance, when it comes to suddenly failing to meet a pre-requisite for whatever reason.

Some of the base classes (e.g., Paladin, Barbarian, Bard, Monk) have requirements (e.g., alignment restrictions - Lawful Good, Non-lawful, Non-lawful, Lawful, respectively) but in the cases of the standard base classes, they explicity call out what happens if you no longer meet those requirements (e.g., no longer get any class abilities, can't rage or gain more Barbarian levels, can't advance as a bard, can't advance as a monk, respectively). I tend to consider that a much better model than the Complete Warrior / 3.0 rule.

A simple spelling out on what happens if you're somehow made to regain your tongue would be just about perfect.

The Demented One
2006-07-24, 06:02 PM
A simple spelling out on what happens if you're somehow made to regain your tongue would be just about perfect.
Alright, added under the section marked "Fallen" Prolocuters.

Seffbasilisk
2006-07-25, 11:32 PM
Wouldn't cutting out your tongue deal you some HP damage? Maybe 1 temp con damage or something?

martyboy74
2006-07-26, 09:14 AM
It'd be hp damage, but hopefully you'd have some kind of healing available.

The Demented One
2006-07-26, 09:24 AM
I wouldn't see cutting off your tongue as real damage--it isn't exactly vital to life. As it is in a ritual context, it's assumed you have someway of preventing yourself from bleeding to death. Bottom line, hurts like ****, but no significant damage.

martyboy74
2006-07-26, 09:33 AM
I wouldn't see cutting off your tongue as real damage--it isn't exactly vital to life. As it is in a ritual context, it's assumed you have someway of preventing yourself from bleeding to death. Bottom line, hurts like ****, but no significant damage.
I was assuming something around 1d10 points of damge, nothing bad.