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ErrantX
2009-09-28, 07:17 PM
Hybrid Theory

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Anything you can do, I can do twice!

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Giant in the Playground PrC Contest XIV

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will run through midnight of October 28th.

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until midnight of November 9th.

Rules

1) You will be creating an 'original' prestige class. Your class must combined abilities from two base classes in a synergistic way. Core examples of this are classes like any of the Theurge classes, as well as Abjurant Champion, Illithid Slayer, Ruby Knight Vindicator, and so on. You could make a battle cry screaming bard-barian who's rage grants new music effects, a noble and stealthy Ranger Knight who gains abilities for using knight's challenge on favored enemies, a dark and dangerous warlock/shadowcaster who's mystery use augments his eldritch blast, and so forth. The sky's the limit. You may draw from any source for base classes from the Wizards of the Coast line, and remember, the classes must synergize (and of course add to) the class abilities of two base classes. No previously posted classes please.

2) Entries must include name, complete class, and fluff, combat related and role playing related. Incomplete entries at the deadline will be disqualified.

3) Entries must be 3.5, using the standard format below.

4) Post all entries in this thread. Post all conversation, questions, etc here in the
chat thread) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=108732).

5) Maximum of one entry per participant (gotta save up those creative juices for the next one too!)

6) Entries must be your own work, and must not be copied for other places. Such entries will be disqualified.

7) No reserving posts. Feel free to tweak your class, but the initial post must include the basics.



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And here's a helper if you need it!

(Fax Celestis' Prestige Class Creation Thread) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10433)

ErrantX
2009-09-28, 07:23 PM
PRESTIGE CLASS NAME

http://Picture URL

Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING A CLASS NAME
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
:
:
:
:
:

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: x + int

Hit Dice: dx

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

2nd|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

3rd|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

4th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

5th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

6th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

7th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

8th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

9th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

10th|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
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AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
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Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

Violet Octopus
2009-10-05, 01:32 PM
Psychic Tempest

"You are mistaken if you think me a mere angry brute! Until now you've only witnessed one half of my fury!"
- Fell Hand Tharz, psychic tempest

There are few forces in the world as powerful as raw emotion. Lovers defy tradition, logic and the wishes of their elders to be together. People sacrifice their lives for patriotism, religion or honour. Barbarians achieve unparalleled physical strength through their rage and wilders unleash their passion to do what psions cannot.
The psychic tempest embraces their emotion, letting it empower their body and mind. Psychic tempests understand, on the deepest level, that the mind is embodied, and that the body without the mind is but purposeless flesh. Awareness of this inseparability is what makes them more than a barbarian, more than a wilder. The psychic tempest can manifest powers while raging, learns to psionically augment their rage, and can shrug off fatigue and exhaustion.

BECOMING A PSYCHIC TEMPEST
Most psychic tempests are barbarian/wilders, although psychic warriors, and ardents can also can also meet the skill requirements. Egoists and kineticists can qualify, however they have less to gain than classes with Wisdom or Charisma as their primary manifesting stat. Other psions won't be able to qualify until late in their career.
Githzerai are more likely to become psychic tempests than any other race, however on the Prime Material plane, psychic tempests are most likely to be humans, maenads or half-orcs blessed with psionic talent.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
8 ranks in Autohypnosis
Rage ability
Ability to manifest 1st level powers
Wild Surge class ability or Overchannel feat

Class Skills
The psychic tempest's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Rage Augments Learnt|Manifesting

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Instinctual Manifesting, Rage, Augment Rage|
1|
-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Psychic Stamina|
0|
+1 level

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Wild Surge +1|
0|
+1 level

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|
-|
1|
+1 level

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Exultant Rage|
0|
+1 level

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Mettle, Surging Euphoria +1|
0|
-

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|
-|
1|
+1 level

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Improved Psychic Stamina|
0|
+1 level

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Wild Surge +2|
0|
+1 level

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Mind Unleashed|
1|
+1 level[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A psychic tempest gains no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Manifesting: At every level except 1st and 6th, a psychic tempest gains additional power points per day and access to new powers as if they had also gained a level in whatever manifesting class they belonged to before they added the prestige class. If they had more than one manifesting class before they became an psychic tempest, they must decide to which class they add the new level of psychic tempest for the purpose of determining power points per day, powers known, and manifester level.

Instinctual Manifesting (Ex): A psychic tempest has learned to use their psionics on a more subconscious level than other manifesters. While raging, they may use psionic powers with a manifesting time of 1 round or less, metapsionic feats, and may use the Concentration skill for checks related to manifesting powers, such as manifesting defensively. This ability does not allow a psychic tempest to cast spells while raging, or use any other ability that requires concentration, or to use magic or psionic items requiring a command word/thought, spell/power trigger, or spell/power completion.

Rage (Ex): A psychic tempest adds their class level to their barbarian level to determine their effective barbarian level for number of rages per day, and whether they have access to Greater Rage or Mighty Rage.

Augment Rage (Ps): A psychic tempest learns various ways to psionically empower their rage. They may decide to activate their rage as a swift action (instead of a free action), or as an immediate action if they have the Instantaneous Rage feat (Complete Warrior). If they do, they may spend PP to augment their rage, much in the same way as powers can be augmented. They may purchase different augments as part of the same action, but cannot spend more PP than their manifester level. That said, a psychic tempest may use Wild Surge or Overchannel with this ability. Unless specified otherwise, they cannot purchase the same augment more than once at the same time, and the effects last for the duration of the rage. Rage augments are psi-like abilities, however they do not provoke attacks of opportunity. If an augment allows a saving throw, the DC equals 10 + total PP spent on augments divided by 2, rounded up + a psychic tempest's Charisma or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. For example, a psychic tempest with 18 Charisma and 14 Wisdom spends 6 PP augmenting their rage, any rage augments that offer a save do so at DC 17.
A psychic tempest knows one augment at 1st level, and learns new augments at 4th, 7th and 10th levels.

Psychic Stamina (Su): At the conclusion of a rage, a psychic tempest may spend 3 PP to avoid becoming fatigued. This does not require an action.

Wild Surge (Su): At 3rd level, the psychic tempest gains Wild Surge, as the wilder class feature, including the risk of psychic enervation. If they already have or gain Wild Surge from another source, this stacks with it. For example, a barbarian 3/wilder 2/psychic tempest 3 has Wild Surge +3.
At 9th level, the psychic tempest may use Wild Surge to boost their manifester level by an additional 1.

Exultant Rage (Ex): At 5th level, a psychic tempest's fury intensifies either their force of personality, or heightens their primal instinct and perception. When they gain this ability, they choose Charisma or Wisdom. From that point on, whenever the psychic tempest enters a rage, they gain a bonus to that ability score equal to the bonus they gain to Strength and Constitution. This bonus disappears at the conclusion of the rage. When determining DCs for rage augment saving throws, use the new modifiers.

Mettle (Ex): A 6th level psychic tempest's psionic strength fortifies their body and mind against assault. They gain Mettle, as the Hexblade class feature.

Surging Euphoria (Ex): At 6th level, a psychic tempest gains Surging Euphoria, as the Wilder class feature. If they have or gain Surging Euphoria from another source, this stacks with it.

Improved Psychic Stamina (Su): An 8th level psychic tempest may spend 7 PP to negate any fatigue effect, or 11 PP to negate any exhaustion effect. This does not require an action.

Mind Unleashed (Ex): At 10th level, a psychic tempest's emotions enable an extended outburst of power. While raging, they do not need to expend their psionic focus to use the Quicken Power feat. However they must remain psionically focused to use it.

AUGMENT LIST

Amplify Momentum
Psychokinesis
You store energy in your hands, ready to instantly convert it to kinetic energy when you strike your foes.
If you spend 4 PP on this augment, you temporarily gain the Improved Bull Rush feat. Additionally, if you hit an opponent with an attack that deals extra damage from Power Attack, you may attempt a bull rush as a free action, and if successful, do not have to move with the opponent for them to travel more than 5 feet.
Every additional 2 PP spent on this augment grants you an extra +1 bonus to bull rush attempts.

Energised Weaponry
Psychokinesis
You channel psionic power into your weapon, infusing it with elemental energy.
By spending 4 PP on this augment, you can charge a weapon you are wielding with one of the following energy types: cold, electricity, fire or sonic. The weapon deals an additional 1d6 damage of the chosen type, plus the following effects:
Cold:+1 point of damage per die. If any attack from this weapon allows a saving throw, it becomes a Fortitude save.
Fire:+1 point of damage per die.
Electricity: If any attack from this weapon allows a saving throw, this adds a +2 bonus to the save DC.
Sonic:-1 point of damage per die, the additional damage ignores an object's hardness.
For every additional 2 PP you spend, increase the die size by one step: d6 to d8 to d10 to d12 to 2d6.
You may purchase this augment multiple times, but it applies to a different weapon in each case.

Fluidity
Psychometabolism
You gain perfect awareness of every muscle, every tendon, granting supernatural flexibility and grace.
For every 4 PP that you spend on this augment, you gain a +1 dodge bonus to AC, and you can move 5 feet in between each attack in a full attack action. This does not allow you to move before or after a full attack action, and during your full attack, your total movement cannot exceed twice your speed.

Form of the Lion
Psychometabolism
Ectoplasm runs like a current through your body, letting you leap into the fray like a flash of lightning and tear your enemies apart.
If you spend 6 PP on this augment, you gain pounce, and two 1d4 rake attacks (which are only usable when grappling or during a pounce).
For every additional 4 PP spent on this augment, you gain 1d6 rend damage, which you can apply to any opponent you hit with two different natural attacks or weapons (including different ends of a double weapon) in the same round. You can deal rend damage to multiple opponents in the same round, but not to the same opponent more than once per round.

Form of the Eagle
Psychometabolism
Psionic energy ruptures out of your back, forming translucent yet powerful wings.
You can spend 4 PP on this augment to gain a fly speed equal to your land speed, with poor maneuverability. You may choose the general appearance of the wings created by this augment.
Once you have a fly speed (or if you already have one), for each additional 2 PP your fly speed increases by 10 feet and the maneuverability improves by one step: poor to average to good to perfect.

Form of the Octopus
Psychometabolism
Ghostly copies of your arms separate from your real ones. Their extremities become solid and defined, but the rest of them remain sketchlike.
For every 4 PP you spend on this augment, you gain one extra arm (or tentacle, etc.). Extra arms gained through this augment resemble your ordinary ones, and are just as strong and dextrous. If you have Two Weapon Fighting feat, the penalty reduction to offhand attacks applies to all your offhand attacks. Improved and Greater Two Weapon Fighting grant you extra offhand attacks with all of your limbs gained through this augment.

Form of the Gazelle
Psychometabolism
Ectoplasmic muscles congeal around your legs, letting you trample your foes at great speed.
If you spend 4 PP on this augment, you gain Improved Overrun as a temporary feat, and your land speed increases by 10 feet. Additionally, if you successfully overrun an opponent during a charge, you may continue the charge towards another enemy along the same line. For every additional 2 PP spent on this augment, your land speed increases by another 10 feet, and you gain an additional +1 on overrun attempts.

Form of the Shark (swim speed)
Psychometabolism
As you leap into the water after your foe, fins smoothly grow out of your back, arms and legs.
You can spend 2 PP on this augment to gain a swim speed of 10 feet.
Once you have a swim speed (or if you already have one), for each additional 2 PP your swim speed increases by 10 feet.

Kinetic Weapons
Psychokinesis
Your weapons hover away from your outstretched arms, gliding and twisting through the air in concert with them.
For every 4 PP you spend on this augment, increase your reach for weapon attacks by 5 feet. You must be wielding weapons not attached to your body for this to have any effect.

Primal Scream of Fear
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
You scream, but not with your mouth. Waves of psychic impressions affect those around you, awakening ancient panic.
This augment costs 6 PP. At the beginning of your rage, everyone within 10 feet of you must make a Will save or be panicked, as the fear spell (a successful save reduces this to being shaken for 1 round),
For every 2 additional power points you spend on this augment, the radius of its area increases by 5 feet.

Primal Scream of Hunger
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
You telepathically project the simplest thought into the minds of those around you. FOOD.
This augment costs 8 PP. At the beginning of your rage, everyone within 10 feet of you must make a Will save or be exhausted (a successful save reduces this to fatigue), believing themselves to be ravenous with hunger. In reality, they are not (this augment cannot cause someone to starve to death), but their unconscious mind controls blood sugar and metabolism as if the body needed to conserve energy.
For every 2 additional power points you spend on this augment, the radius of its area increases by 5 feet.

Primal Scream of Rage
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Walls between minds are broken. As you rage, so do they.
This augment costs 6 PP. At the beginning of your rage, everyone within 10 feet of you must make a Will save or enter a rage (a successful save negates, note that one can choose to fail a save) as the rage spell, except as noted here.
If you have Greater Rage, you can spend another 2 PP to make everyone who fails their save enter a rage as that of a 1st-level barbarian (instead of the weakened rage created by the rage spell).
If you have Mighty Rage, you can spend another 2 PP to make everyone who fails their save enter a greater rage.
For every 2 additional PP you spend on this augment, the radius of its area increases by 5 feet.

Psychic Static
Telepathy [Mind-Affecting]
Your heightened emotions fill the air around you, forcing others too expend more power to force a signal through.
This augment costs 8 PP, and generates an catapsi field, as the catapsi power except as noted here. The radius of the field is 10 feet.
For every 2 additional power points you spend on this augment, the radius of its area increases by 5 feet.

Spacefolding
Psychoportation
Your expanded awareness can intuitively feel other dimensions. Stepping through them is as easy as taking a step north.
This augment costs 10 PP, and grants you the ability to teleport once per round as a move action. The maximum distance equals your land speed. When you teleport, you may bring along held or carried objects that don't exceed your maximum load. If you arrive in a place already occupied by a solid body, you take 1d6 damage, and return to your starting position.
By spending an additional 2 PP, you can teleport as part of a charge.


PLAYING A PSYCHIC TEMPEST
As a psychic tempest, you believe the good life is one that is lived to its maximum potential. Instead of restraint, one must express themselves to the full extent their mind and body is capable. While a monk believes in transcending the material, you know that one must embrace all aspects of themselves, and that all aspects are inseparable. As a consequence, you are less concerned with the afterlife than the here and now - separate from the body, your soul after death is no longer you. Emotion versus reason is a false dichotomy - both are faculties that exist for a purpose, to be applied to alter the world around you.
Combat: With a 1:1 base attack bonus and d10 hit die, you make an excellent frontline combatant. Depending on your power selection and rage augments, you can make yourself even more effective at dealing damage, weaken your enemies before you wade in, or become more adaptable to unusual circumstances.
Advancement: As you learn more powers, take ones that don't overlap with your rage augments, and focus on ones which increase your combat prowess over ones which deal damage directly. Since you have a poor Reflex save, a power or item which protects you from energy damage may save your neck.
Since your abilities revolve around the use of rage, taking Extra Rage or Extend Rage (Complete Warrior) as feats can be helpful, depending on the campaign. You'll want to use Wild Surge as much as possible to counter your loss in manifester level, so Enervation Endurance or Postpone Enervation (Complete Psionic) are worthwhile. Quicken Power is a must, especially if you plan to take this class to the end. Expanded Knowledge is another good choice, especially to learn powers like hustle or schism.
Resources: Most psychic tempests do not gain any special perks through becoming one. Organisations devoted to the practice are secret or difficult to access, and they care little for sponsoring those who learn the techniques independently.

PSYCHIC TEMPESTS IN THE WORLD
"...a pack of them, six-armed with six cruel daggers hovering around them. We thought we had the upper hand, until they started teleporting."
- Joral Garner, Captain of the Malish Guard, sole survivor of an expeditionary force to locate a hostile band of psychic tempests.

Psychic tempests fit into any world that features psionics. Much like monks, their inward focus makes them fit in among most organisations, religions or causes. Depending how organised psionicists are in your setting, they can either be loners blessed with supernatural power like sorcerors, or can be the product of unorthodox combat schools.
In civilised areas, psychic tempests have little social standing that they haven't earned through stories of their achievements - their skills are not viewed as a fine art like swordplay or wizardry. If others pay respect to them, it is more due to fear than cultural ideals.
Daily Life: Most psychic tempests are minor warlords or agents of greater powers. The former face the challenges of ruling territory through strength rather than guile, while the latter are blunt tools available at their master's whim. Either way, a psychic tempest is able to live in luxury, but most value their self-sufficiency too much to indulge. More than anything, they desire to revel in their power, more interested in wielding it for its own sake rather than to achieve an overriding goal.
Notables: The githzerai coteries (see below) stretch back in history to before the split between githyanki and githzerai, and at one time similar organisations existed among the githyanki. Askiir-Vul Harth was a psychic tempest who, over a thousand years ago, led her coterie in a coup attempt against the Githyanki Queen. She failed, and her actions led to the Githyanki Queen declaring the Great Purge against all githyanki coteries.
A changeling, Kholeri Marr, also did something way cool. Totally.
Organizations: Githzerai are the only people who have an open tradition of psychic tempests. Githzerai outcasts, misfits and people disinterested in the life of a monk organise into coteries, which wander the chaotic scape of Limbo, sharing psionic secrets among their members. Psychic tempests have existed among the githyanki, have been suppressed by the Githyanki Queen due to their perceived uncontrollability, so any remaining tradition is underground. House Vaymin (one of the Six Hidden Houses) contains a splinter faction who train psychic tempests, believing one will become their Ultimate Scion. Outside of these groups, psychic tempests usually learn their talents independently. There is a rumour of a group of psychic tempests who serve as elite warriors for a secret, militant druid circle. People knowledgeable of psychic tempests speculate that these warriors focus on the 'Form' augments. Most, however, dismiss this as a conspiracy theory.
NPC Reaction: In lands where psionics are uncommon, psychic tempests are perceived as barbarians with a suite of magical powers, and anyone from a civilised environment is likely to think their powers are out of control. More than one psychic tempest has been preemptively incarcerated under the belief that they're a danger to themselves and others.
Amongst individuals and societies well-versed in psionics, psychic tempests are see as an unrefined expression of psionic power. Any psion with even a slight elitist tendency would look down upon or be patronising towards a psychic tempest. Wilders are more intrigued, while psychic warriors act cooly, reserving judgement until they see true prowess in battle.

[b]PSYCHIC TEMPESTS IN THE GAME
Adaptation: Expanding the list of rage augments, or replacing some of the self-buffs with offensive augments, can redefine the psychic tempest's role in combat.
Alternately, the psychic tempest could be converted into allowing spontaneous arcane casters to enter. Some rage augments and class abilities such as psychic stamina could function by sacrificing spell slots, others like Wild Surge and Mind Unleashed would need replacing.
Other possibilities include adding a maneuver progression that advances Diamond Mind and Tiger Claw (probably removing the rage augments and Wild Surge), or changing it to advance barbarian and warlock. Such a class could gain its power from trafficking with fey who know the secrets of weaving magical effects out of primal emotion.
Encounters: Psychic tempests are most likely to be warlords or powerful agents, but they make poor puppetmasters. They can be paired with NPCs capable of crowd control, or depending on their power selection, they can attempt to fill the role themselves. Their psionic powers and rage augments offer many possibilities for more mobile combat - encounters can take advantage of complex terrain. Note that unlike, say, the frenzied berserker, psychic tempests are not mechanically restricted from surrendering or being negotiated into halting combat.

[b]Sample Encounter

EL 13:
Tharz (title Fell Hand) is the leader of the Rrathamyr, one of the larger githzerai psychic tempest coteries. His coterie is being pushed out of its territory by slaadi attacks, and the politicking of the githzerai monasteries has led to nearby settlements denying them trade or aid. The Rrathamyr have decided to carve out a new territory on the Prime Material, and are sending individual scouts to determine its location. This incursion is upsetting regional politics, which Tharz cares little for.
Tharz won't attack unless he sees an obvious threat to his survival, but is distrustful of anyone from outside his coterie. He is most likely to be located in the wilderness, on the move. If he senses defeat, he will use psionic plane shift to return to Limbo, before returning about an hour later with other Rrathamyr to annihilate the threat.

Tharz
TN male githzerai barbarian 2/wilder 3/psychic tempest 7
Init +3, Listen +5, Spot +5, darkvision 60'
Languages: Common, Gith
------------------------------------------------
AC 19 (17 when raging), touch 16 (17 when raging), flat-footed 19 (17 when raging)
hp 76 (100 when raging) (12 HD)
Mettle, Fort +10 (+12 when raging), Ref +6, Will +8 (+10 when raging)
------------------------------------------------
Speed 40 ft. (8 squares)
Base Atk +11, Grp +14
Atk Options: power attack, rage, psionic weapon, deep impact, power storing falchion
Attack +16 melee (2d4+7/x3, falchion) or
Full Attack +16/+11/+6 melee (2d4+7/x3, falchion) or
Attack (when raging +18 melee (2d4+10/x3, falchion) or
Full Attack +18/+13/+8 melee (2d4+10/x3, falchion)
Manifesting: ML 8, 72 PP/day, far hand, offensive precognition, specified energy adaptation, energy bolt, psionic dimension door
Options: Quicken Power, Wild Surge +3
Psi-like Abilities: (ML 6, Cha-based DC) 3/day-inertial armor, psionic daze, catfall, concussion blast, 1/day-psionic plane shift
Rage Augments Known: Energised Weaponry, Form of the Eagle, Kinetic Weapons
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities: Str 16+2 (+6 when raging), Dex 16, Con 13 (+4 when raging), Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 16 (+4 when raging
SQ: Power Resistance 17, fast movement, uncanny dodge, wild surge +3, psychic enervation, rage 3/day, elude touch, instinctual manifesting, augment rage (3 augments known), exultant rage (Cha), mettle, surging euphoria +1
Feats: Quicken Power, Power Attack, Psionic Weapon, Deep Impact
Skills: Autohypnosis +10, Concentration +16 (+18 when raging), Intimidate +8 (+10 when raging), Listen +5, Knowledge (psionics) +7, Psicraft +7, Sense Motive +5, Spot +5, Survival +5
Possessions: nonmagical brown robes, +1 power storing falchion (currently storing concussion blast), +2 mithral shirt, gauntlets of ogre power, immovable rod, dispel psionics power stone, psionic true seeing power stone, psionic tongues power stone 100gp

Krimm_Blackleaf
2009-10-06, 08:36 AM
Thalassic Witch
"I call upon you, creatures of darkness... Iyahg... gaaaa... NAAGAGHH YAHAGODA GOG AGAA AAAA ANUNGAYAGAAA AAAAAAA AMUNG AHU GOG AGARRUM"

-Direen Nala, Speaking in wretched tongues to creatures unknown


http://www.waynereynolds.com/Magazine%20Art/MagazineThumbnails/Nuliajuk.jpg
Direen Nala, a wretched thalassic witch

These dreaded practitioner of profane arts are spellcasters and masters of innate magic, known most commonly as sea witches(or sea warlocks, if they are male members of this class), but most commonly refer to themselves as thalassic witches or warlocks. Following this dread path leads deep into the darkness of the sea, literally and metaphorically... from the powers of both man and Elder God, using the resting place of such creatures as a catalyst and world-spanning temple.

HD: d6

Requirements
Alignment: Any nongood and nonlawful
Skills: Knowledge (the planes or religion) 4 ranks, Swim 4 ranks, Spellcraft 8 ranks, Speak Language (Daelkyr)
Feats: Practiced Spellcaster
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd level spells.
Invoking: Ability to use least invocations, including swimming in styx. Eldritch blast 2d6.
Special: Must worship or at least pay tribute to the sea, and the lovecraftian horrors that lay there.

Class Skills: Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Swim and Use Magic Device
Skill-points per level: 2+Int modifier

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Sea cultist, create water, twisted thoughts
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Blackwater casting
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Control water
4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Cracked mind
5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Blackwater casting, fulfill desires
6th|+3|+5|+2|+5|The dead still speak
7th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Shattered mind
8th|+4|+6|+2|+6|Call forth the indescribable
9th|+4|+6|+3|+6|Blackwater casting
10th|+5|+7|+3|+7|Mind of beyond, brine immortal
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Spellcasting|Invoking
1st|--|+1 of existing invocation-using class
2nd|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
3rd|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
4th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
5th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
6th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
7th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
8th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
9th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|+1 of existing invocation-using class
10th|+1 of existing spellcasting class|--
[/table]

Weapon and armor proficiencies: Thalassic witches gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting: At each level except first, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level(and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a thalassic witch, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Invoking: At each level except 10th, you gain new invocations known and an increase in caster level as if you had also gained a level in an invocation-using class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level(including eldritch blast). You do not, however, gain any other benefits a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one invocation-using class before becoming an occult spellmaster, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining caster level and invocations known.

Sea Cultist (Ex): Upon entering this class, you embrace the sea and it embraces you. You gain constant use of your swimming in styx invocation, except it is not supernatural in anyway, so it still functions in an antimagic field and cannot be dispelled. At 5th level the swim speed granted to you increases to double your base land speed and at 9th level, you become immune to oceanic pressures.
Additionally, you are capable of drinking salt water and become as well hydrated from it as if it were fresh water and resistance to cold 5. At 5th level this resistance increases to 10, and again to 15 at 9th level. This resistance stacks with any other class features that grant cold resistance.

Create Water (Sp): Upon entering this class, can summon forth bits of the sea if you should happen to be far from them. You are capable of using create water as if it were an invocation. If you know the create water spell, you gain a +2 to caster level checks when using it as either a spell or invocation. When using this ability, you may create fresh water or salt water, whichever you choose.

Twisted Thoughts (Ex): You have taken but a single step into the madness that is the Far Realms, and the first step is always the most shattering. At 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th levels, you gain a -1 penalty to a mental ability score of the witch's choice, as a sign of your degenerating mental capacities. Additionally, your far more fragile than your average mind when stress takes it's hold. In any situation where you would be considered shaken, frightened or panicked you instead become confused for the duration.

Blackwater Casting (Ex): At 2nd, 5th, and again at 9th level, you gain the ability to call upon the knowledge of the blackness that reaches beyond the depths of the sea. You gain access to one of the domains listed below, even if you are not a divine spellcaster. If you are an arcane spellcaster, the spells are added to your spells known or spellbook whenever you achieve the appropriate level to cast them.

Domains: Blackwater (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Blackwater), Chaos, Cold, Corruption (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Corruption), Darkness (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Vile_Darkness), Death, Evil, Madness (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Madness), Magic, Ocean (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Ocean), Spell (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Spell), Storm (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Storm), Water, Watery Death (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/domain.pl?Watery_Death)

Control Water (Sp): At 3rd level, you gain control over the waters you call home. You are capable of using control water as if it were an invocation. If you know the control water spell, you gain a +2 to caster level checks when using it as either a spell or invocation.

Cracked Mind (Ex): At 4th level, your mind becomes stronger against the effects of insanity because of high exposure to it. You gain a +2 bonus to all mind-affecting spells and effects, with an additional +4 on saves against all confusion effects(including insanity). A thalassic witch can lower this resistance(and further advances of this resistance or future immunity) to allow beneficial effects, or allow another to read their mind, for the benefits of the mind of beyond class feature gained at 10th level.

Fulfill Desires (Su): At 5th level, you are capable of being an emissary of darkness for your terrible gods. Once per week, you may grant a humanoid the casting of a single limited wish spell as long as it in no way grants you a direct benefit. Upon doing this, the creature is affected as if by a geas/quest cast by you, with a task you decide upon using the limited wish and they do not receive a saving throw against the ability. Unlike the normal geas/quest spell, the victim does not become sickened but begins to drown, whether or not they are beneath water.
You cannot use this ability on yourself, your family or any particularly close allies.

The Dead Still Speak (Su): At 6th level, the gateway between the living and the dead no longer keeps you out. You have a constant speak with dead effect active, with a caster level equal to your highest caster level. If the corpse you speak to died in the water, the limit for the number of questions you may ask it is doubled.

Shattered Mind (Ex): At 7th level, your mind breaks down even more, making it even more resistant to the effects of madness. Your bonus to saves against mind-affecting spells and effects increases to +4, while your mere resistance to insanity becomes immunity to such effects.

Call Forth the Indescribable (Sp): At 8th level, you gain the ability to call upon your twisted masters of the depths and the Far Realm to deliver creatures to you from where the two realms meet. You are capable of using summon monster as a spell-like ability at will. The level of the summon monster spell you can use is equal to the highest level spell you can cast. Additionally, creatures summoned this way must be have a swim speed to be summoned, and always have the psuedonatural (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4083148&postcount=2) template(without the effects of material vulnerability).

Mind of Beyond (Ex): At 10th level, your mind is an impenetrable wall of chaos and insanity, one which none can pierce. You gain immunity to all mind-affecting spells and effects, and your insanity can spread to others. Anyone attempting to read your mind must make a Will save (DC 20+Cha modifier), and on a failed save they are affected as though by the insanity spell. Anyone who passes the save still cannot read the thoughts of the creature, as it's a garbled jumble of nonsense and madness.

Brine Immortal (Su): At 10th level, you become nigh immortal as long as you touch down with the darkness of the sea, the home of your masters. As long as you are in at least waist-high salt water, you cannot be killed by being brought to -10 hp or below, and you continue to fight normally even with 0 or negative hit points, as the Diehard feat. This does not protect you from spells that would destroy your body, such as disintegrate, but provides a +4 bonus to saving throws against effects that would.
However, when you are below 1 hp you are incapable of speaking normally and merely jabber incoherently, something similar to the language of the Far Realm. Not even magical means to discern what you are saying will function, and you must succeed on a DC 15 Spellcraft check to cast any spell with verbal components.

Playing a Thalassic Witch
Thalassic witches generally have the same role as the two classes that make them up. Whatever spellcasting class they have, and the warlock class can have similar roles, but any gaps between the two can be bridged with this class. Because of the open-endedness of the spellcasting required for this class, anything from wizards to warmages to beguilers can take this class.
Combat: Combat spells, if the class has access to them are commonly used by this class just as if they were a normal spellcasting class. Invocations that enhance the users eldritch blast ability are also useful in direct combat.
Advancement: This class can benefit from many prestige classes that enhance a spellcaster's or warlocks abilities. The class gets the greatest benefits out of other classes that increase spellcasting and invocations just as this class does. Classes like that include the eldritch theurge and eldritch disciple of Complete Mage, and the occult spellmaster (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=79361).
Resources: Of all the official books available to the player, the most valuable is likely to be Complete Mage with Complete Arcane as an extremely close second.

Thalassic Witches in the World
"I had fallen over the side of the ship during the most horrible of storms... It was times like these that I worried most greatly of creatures that might swallow me whole. I saw a beautiful woman a mere foot beneath the waves looking at me. I thought it were a mermaid... and I were wrong..."

-A bitter, one-legged old salt regaling his tale to drunkards

This class is almost always seen by common people, and many not-so-common people throughout the world as a living cancer, a scar on the world that threatens to spread and cause havoc and death to anyone in their wake.
Daily Life: The daily life of any member of this class is likely to involve lots of swimming. The homes of these witches and warlocks are often built beneath the waves, and close to shores where victims can be lured for whatever dark purposes they may have in mind.
Notables: The only notable members of this class are commonly told in tales by those who have suffered to these witches or have seen the horrors they can produce. Rarely in these stories are they mentioned by name, and if they are it is typically false.
Organizations: Sometimes covens of these spellcasting warlocks will gather in places in the sea close to shore or vice versa, where they may pray to the Elder Gods that lay beneath the waves. Most often these cults will be those dedicated to the Elder God Cthulhu or lesser creatures, such as the demon prince Dagon.

NPC Reaction
Depending on the outward appearance and charisma of the thalassic witch or warlock, an NPC will react differently. Usually because of the high Charisma required to be an affective warlock, NPC will warm up to the character over time, but if they're seen doing some dark ritual or have an appearance that would frighten any common folk, this warming up may be impossible.

Thelassic Witches in the Game
How this class will effect gameplay is very dependent on the kind of spellcaster the character is, the spells and invocations chosen by the caster and whether or not the character is above or below salt water. Of course, if the thalassic witch is below water, they have a distinct advantage of mobility and at higher level, invulnerability.
Adaptation: This class need not be restricted soley to spellcasters and warlocks. Any combination of two magic-using classes can be used for this class, such as shadowcasters, binders and even sometimes psionic characters can be used for this class. The only importance is the preservation of the fluff of the class.
Encounters: Thelassic witches are most usable when it comes to encounters in or near water, and especially the sea. The thelassic witch may also have used her powers to change the environment of almost any location, and may use them to raise the water level of a city's sewers and create salt and brine for the water.

Sample Encounter
EL 13: Direen Nala (warlock 3/beguiler 3/thalassic witch 7) is an unusual human being, one who lives a somewhat nomadic life and moves from island to island around Tanzen, Shello and most particularly the coldest islands around Arcnus Mortis. She has an incredible fondness for illithids, as she sees Cthulhu not only as her god, but as something of a father figure. This means she will no doubt refer to any illithids she sees as brothers or sisters. When encountering almost any other creature, she will react with hostility, but will attack from the shadows and keep the party on their toes. It is rare that the party will actually see Direen until it is too late.

Djinn_in_Tonic
2009-10-15, 06:26 PM
Warden of the Hedge

"To those who seek to enter Titania's realm I say this: Turn back, traveler, lest I bring the realm to you." -Engelad Ryer, Warden of the Hedge

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs29/f/2008/135/7/a/Knight_of_Wands_by_puimun.jpg
Engelad Ryer, a Warden of the Hedge, crosses over from the feywild atop his faithful Bassilunius.


*****

The Hedge divides the faerie world from that of the mortals, and is a closely guarded secret amongst the fey. Yet they are, as a rule, loath to inhabit it, for while the creatures of the feywild revel in their kingdom of vibrant color and deep magic and likewise dance in the moonlight of the mortal realm, there is something about lingering in the transition between this world and the feywild that unnerves them, driving them slowly mad as they long to burst forth gloriously into one world or the other.

A creature of chaotic emotions cannot stand the draining effect of the Hedge, but humanity, it was discovered, can. And thus began the practice of stealing mortal children and replacing them with faerie get, overriding the faerie instinct with that of a mortal mind. A infant fey, blessed with Titania's magic and carrying a birthmark of a whorled fingerprint where her touch was felt, is placed in a mortal's home, to be raised as one of their own. And in time, Titania comes to claim what is hers.

Fey turned mortal, then mortal turned fey, able to stand strong in the face of the Hedge's magic while still remaining connected to both the faerie and the mortal worlds, these are the perfect guardians of the hidden pathways to the feywild. These are the Wardens of the Hedge.

BECOMING A WARDEN OF THE HEDGE
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Lawful or Chaotic
Base Attack Bonus: +7
Feats: Child of the Faerie, Titania's Blessing
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks
Special: Divine Grace class feature
Special: Special Mount class feature
Special: Smite 1/day
Spells: Ability to spontaneously cast Charisma-based arcane spells of at least 2nd level. At least four of your spells known must come from the Enchantment and Illusion schools.

Feats

Child of the Faerie
Prerequisites: Character level 1st only. Human, Half-Elf, or Elf only. Charisma 14+
Benefit: Your creature type changes to Fey. Additionally, you count as Chaotic in addition to your normal alignment. Finally, you gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against the spell-like and supernatural abilities of Fey creatures, and against spells from the Enchantment and Illusion schools.
Downside: You take 1 additional point of damage from cold iron weapons.

Titania's Blessing
Prerequisites: Child of the Faerie, Divine Grace class feature, Smite 1/day.
Benefit: You retain your Paladin abilities as long as your alignment is either Lawful or Chaotic. Additionally, if you fail a saving throw against a spell-like or supernatural ability of a Fey creature, or against a spell from the Enchantment or Illusion school, you may immediately re-roll your save. You must take the re-roll, whether it is better or worse than the original roll. Finally, your Smite class ability deals an additional 2 points of damage against non-Fey creatures.


Class Skills
The Warden of the Hedge's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nobility and royalty) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + Int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spellcasting

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Faerie Steed, Fey Magic|--

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Walk the Briar Path|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Hedge Strike I, Smite Mortal 1/day|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Defender of the Realm|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Pass the Thorny Gate|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Hedge Strike II, Smite Mortal 2/day|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Return From Whence Thou Came|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Cloak of Faerie Glamour|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Hedge Strike III, Smite Mortal 3/day|+1 level of existing Arcane Spellcasting class

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|Knight of the Hedge|--[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Warden of the Hedge gains no additional proficiencies with weapons or armor.

Spellcasting (Sp): At each level except first and tenth, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a spontaneous arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Warden of the Hedge, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

You may select your spells known from the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list, but may only learn spells from the Enchantment and Illusion schools.

Faerie Steed (Sp): As a gift from Titania herself, your mount is replaced by a creature of the feywild. This creature is superior to a normal mount of its kind and has special powers, as described below. Your effective Warden of the Hedge level is equal to the sum of your Paladin levels and your Warden of the Hedge levels for the purposes of determining the powers of your special mount. Unlike your normal mount you may summon your Faerie Steed as many times per day as you desire, and you may dismiss it as a full-round action. For every hour it remains in the feywild, it regains hit points as if it had rested for one full day.

When you mount appears, it seems to burst from the air beside you, causing it to appear as if the world had momentarily stretched and cracked at the point of its emergence. It is accompanied by wisps of color and shadow: trails of magic resulting from exiting the Hedge.

Your mount may be chosen from the following list of animals: Heavy Warhorse, Lion, Huge Viper, Tiger, Dire Bat, Dire Wolf, Dire Wolverine, Queen Giant Ant, Giant Wasp, or Huge Monstrous Centipede. At the DM's discretion you may expand this list to include any animal of at least one size category greater than the Warden, provided the animal has six or fewer Hit Dice and a challenge rating of 4 or less.

{table=head]Warden Level|Bonus Hit Die|Deflection Bonus|Str Bonus|Dex/Cha Bonus|Intelligence|Special

6th-7th|
+4|
+5|
+0|
+2|
10|Empathic Link, Fey Beast I, Improved Evasion, Share Saving Throws

8th-9th|
+6|
+6|
+1|
+3|
11|Fey Beast II

10th-11th|
+8|
+7|
+2|
+4|
12|Fey Beast III

12th-13th|
+10|
+8|
+3|
+5|
13|Fey Beast IV

14-15th|
+12|
+9|
+4|
+6|
14|Fey Beast V

16th|
+14|
+10|
+5|
+7|
15|Fey Beast IV[/table]

Fey Steed Abilities:
Bonus Hit Dice: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Extra Hit Dice improve the mount’s base attack and base save bonuses. A special mount’s base attack bonus is equal to that of a cleric of a level equal to the mount’s HD. A mount has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). The mount gains additional skill points or feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Deflection Bonus (Su): The mount gains the following Deflection bonus to its armor class.

Strength Bonus (Ex): Add this figure to the mount’s Strength score.

Dexterity/Charisma Bonus (Ex): Add this figure to the mount's Dexterity and Charisma scores.

Intelligence (Ex): The mount’s Intelligence score.

Empathic Link (Su): The Warden has an empathic link with her mount out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The Warden cannot see through the mount’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically.

Note that even intelligent mounts see the world differently from humans, so misunderstandings are always possible.

Because of this empathic link, the Warden has the same connection to an item or place that her mount does, just as with a master and his familiar.

Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a mount takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage if the saving throw fails.

Share Saving Throws (Su): For each of its saving throws, the mount uses its own base save bonus or the Warden’s, whichever is higher. The mount applies its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any other bonuses on saves that the master might have.

Fey Beast I: Your mount's creature type changes to Magical Beast. Choose one of the following abilities:

Bite: Your mount's head, teeth, and mouth shift unnaturally, granting it a Bite attack if it does not already have one. Treat this as a primary natural attack dealing 1d8 points of damage.
Gore: Your mount grows any number of horns, antlers, or tusks, granting it a Gore attack if it does not already have one. Treat this as a primary natural attack dealing 1d8 points of damage.
Scales: Unusually for its species, your mount is covered in scales. It gains +3 Natural Armor.
Thick Fur: Unusually for its species, your mount has patches of thick fur. It gains +2 Natural Armor and gains Cold Resistance 15.
Spines: Unusually for its species, your mount is covered in any number of quills and barbs. Creatures striking it with a natural weapon or engaged in a grapple with your mount take 2d6 points of Piercing damage.

Fey Beast II: Your mount's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Choose one of the following abilities:

Hedge Step: As a swift action, your mount and any riders it carries may teleport up to the mount's base land speed. Once your mount has used this ability, it must wait 5 rounds before it can use it again.
Frightful Howl: As a swift action, your mount may make a fearful howl. All enemies within 100ft must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Character level + your mount's Charisma modifier) or be frightened for 1 round and then shaken for 1d4 rounds. A successful save leaves the target shaken for 1 round. This is a sonic, mind-affecting fear effect. Once your mount has used this ability, it must wait 5 rounds before it can use it again.
Fey Song: As a swift action, your mount may cry out a tune full of the magic of the fey. All allies within 100ft gain a +4 untyped bonus to all attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, ability checks and saving throws, as well as gaining a +4 untyped bonus to their Armor Class. This bonus lasts for 2 rounds. Once your mount has used this ability, it must wait 5 rounds before it can use it again.
Breath of the Elements: As a swift action, your mount may breath out a 50ft cone of fire, cold, sonic, acid, or electricity (choose one when you select this ability). This ability deals 1d6 damage of the chosen type for each level you have in the Warden of the Hedge prestige class. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Character level + your mount's Constitution modifier) results in half damage. Once your mount has used this ability, it must wait 5 rounds to use it again.

Fey Beast III: Your mount's gains damage reduction 10/magic. Choose one of the following abilities:

Blood Drinker: Your mount's Bite attack (if it has one) deals 1 point of Constitution damage on a successful hit. Your mount regains 5 hit points for each point of Constitution damage dealt.
Poisonous Touch: Choose one natural weapon your mount possesses. When your mount successfully strikes a foe, that foe must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Character Level + your mount's Constitution modifier) or take 2 points of Dexterity damage. One minute later the victim must make a second save at the same DC or take an additional 2 points of Dexterity damage.
Elemental Aura: Your mount is surrounded by an aura of fire, cold, sonic, acid, or electricity (choose one when you select this ability). Any opponent who ends his or her turn adjacent to your mount takes 1d4 points of damage of the chosen type per 2 levels you have in the Warden of the Hedge prestige class.

Fey Beast IV: Your mount gains Spell Resistance of 11 + your Character Level. Choose one of the following abilities:

Faerie Glamour: Your mount may use major image at will as a spell-like ability (cast level equals your character level). Once every 10 rounds, your mount may use Persistent Image as a spell-like ability (caster level equals your character level). The save DCs are Charisma based.
Faerie Voice: Your mount may use suggestion at will as a spell-like ability (caster level equals your character level). Once every 10 rounds, you mount may use Mind Fog as a spell-like ability (cast level equals your character level). The save DCs are Charisma based.
Faerie Sight: Your mount may use clairaudience/clairvoyance at will as a spell-like ability (caster level equals your character level). Once every 10 rounds, you mount may use True Seeing as a spell-like ability (cast level equals your character level). The save DCs are Charisma based.

Fey Beast V: Your mount's natural weapons are treated as magic weapons and cold iron weapons for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction. Choose one of the following abilities:

Fey Flight: Your mount gains a fly speed (if it does not already have one) of double its base land speed (perfect maneuverability).
Faerie Walk: Your mount and any riders it carries can travel through physical objects as if incorporeal (although it cannot travel in three dimensions more than it would ordinarily be able to). It cannot end its movement inside of a physical object.
Questing Beast: Choose one movement mode your mount possesses. Its base speed for that movement mode triples, and it is never fatigued or exhausted from extended travel. Additionally, your mount gains the Scent special quality.

Fey Beast VI: Your mount gain damage reduction 20/magic and cold iron. Choose one of the following abilities

Immortal Beast: As long as you are alive, your mount cannot drop below 0 hit points for any reason. Effects which would kill it outright are likewise negated (death effects, energy drain below 1 level, constitution damage below 1, and the like).
Fabled Mount: When you are riding your mount, you both receive a +3 Morale bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks. You both also receive a +3 moral bonus to your Armor Class.

A Note on Fey Beast Abilities: Players are encouraged to work with their DMs to create Fey Beast abilities suited to their own personal mount. Use the above examples as guidelines for the power of each ability.


Fey Magic (Su): As you begin to draw closer and closer to the world of the faerie, your natural magic attunes to your fey heritage, drawing closer and closer until it is an innate part of you. Whenever you cast an arcane spell from a spontaneous arcane-casting class, treat the spell as if you had cast it as a spell-like ability instead. If the spell has an XP cost, you must pay that cost as if you had cast a spell rather than used a spell-like ability.

Walk the Briar Path (Su): As a standard action, you (and your mount) may enter the Hedge itself, allowing you to walk parallel to the world of mortal and faerie alike. When walking the briar path, a creature cannot attack, although it may cast spells as normal. Your movement speed increases to double it's normal rate and your mount's movement speed increases to triple it's normal rate, and you both may move through solid objects as though incorporeal, although you are limited by the normal terrain features of the ground (so, while you are unhindered by obstructions or difficult terrain, you cannot sink into the ground or fly unless you would otherwise be able to do so). Additionally, all attacks against you suffer a 20% miss chance.

You may deactivate this ability as a swift action.

When walking the briar path you gain no special attributes or abilities beyond those specifically mentioned.

Hedge Strike (Su): By bringing down Titania's wrath upon mortal beings, you can briefly draw forth the magic of the faerie upon your foe. Whenever you successfully hit a mortal creature with your Smite ability, you may, as a swift action, also target them with any Enchantment spell you know of up to 2nd level. The DC of this spell increases by +1. Additionally, the victim of your attack must re-save against any of your Illusion spells they have already saved against, and they receive a -1 penalty against saving throws against your Illusion spells for one hour per class level.

At sixth level you may channel any Enchantment spell of up to 4th level, and the save DC bonus and save penalty increase to +2 and -2, respectively.

At ninth level you may channel any Enchantment spell of up to 6th level, and the save DC bonus and save penalty increase to +3 and -3, respectively.

Smite Mortal (Su): Titania cares little for good and evil, but she does not approve of mortal interlopers within her realm. You may now use your Smite ability against both Evil foes and non-fey, non-outsider creatures. Additionally, you gain an additional use of your Smite ability at third level and every three levels thereafter (sixth and ninth level).

Defender of the Realm (Su): As a Warden of the Hedge, you are charged with defending the pathways to the feywild. Whenever a non-fey creature within a radius of one mile per class level uses a spell, item, effect, or ability that would allow it to travel into the realm of the faerie, you are instantly alerted as to the location and nature of the interloper. If you so desire, you may attempt to deny the creature entry by making a special check (your level + your Charisma modifier vs. the caster level of the effect in question). If you meet or surpass your opponent's check, the creature is barred from entering the feywild. Regardless of your success and you (and your mount) may instantly teleport to any space within 60ft of the spot where the would-be interloper attempted passage.

Pass the Thorny Gate (Su): When someone does manage to breach the Hedge, it is the job of the Warden to hunt them down. When walking the briar path, you may, as a full-round action, transport yourself to the other side of the Hedge. You must still cease walking the briar path as normal, but, when you do, you are on the opposite plane from the one you began on (you can transport yourself from the mortal world to the feywild, or from the feywild to the mortal world). Additionally, when teleporting through the use of the Defender of the Realm class feature, you now appear within 60ft of the interloper regardless of which plane he or she is currently on.

Return From Whence Thou Came (Su): When in the feywild, you are capable of bringing the powers of the faerie down on your foe with enough force to fling him back through the Hedge. Whenever you score a critical hit upon a non-fey opponent, or whenever you hit a non-fey opponent with a Smite attack, you may force that opponent to make a Will save (DC 10 + your Warden of the Hedge class level + your Charisma modifier) or be ejected from the feywild to a random point on the mortal plane. The trip is jarring: any creature transported in this manner takes 1d8 points of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma damage.

Cloak of Faerie Glamour (Su): From long hours patrolling the Hedge, you have learned to emulate it with your natural powers, enabling you to conceal the fey from mortal eyes. All fey or magical beasts within 100 feet of you are rendered completely invisible as if by the invisibility spell. You may choose to exclude any creature from this effect if you so desire. You may activate or deactivate this ability as a swift action.

Knight of the Hedge (Su): At the pinnacle of your ability you are so much a part of the Hedge that you are almost one with it, and thus, if you desire it, an anathema to fey creatures everywhere. You gain immunity to all effects of the abilities of fey creatures and magical beasts (unless you wish to be affected), and to spells of the Illusion and Enchantment schools (unless you wish to be affected). Additionally, you take no damage from attacks by fey or magical beasts. Finally, you gain Damage Reduction 10/cold iron and magic.


*****

http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs25/f/2008/081/0/b/Knight_of_Pentacles_by_puimun.jpg
Lilander Hursis, Captain of Titania's Guard, guides his steed Drulanger through the twisted forests of the faerie realm.

*****


PLAYING A WARDEN OF THE HEDGE
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Outside of the Hedge, Wardens play much like the paladin/sorcerer multiclass they are. You have a strong melee ability, with a powerful mount to back you up, so don't hesitate to engage your opponents in face-to-face combat. On the flip side, you have an impressive array of spells to fall back upon. Your Smite ability doesn't deal as much damage as it once did, but it now makes your spells much stronger, and may confuse opponents who saw through your illusions. When fighting intruders to the feywild, your powerful abilities take care of much of the fight for you, but the above advice still applies.
Advancement: After exiting the Warden of the Hedge class, a Warden usually progresses as either a Paladin or a Sorcerer for the last few levels of his career. Paladin is probably a stronger choice, as each Paladin level also increases the power of your Fey Steed, and an ally of that strength is most likely worth more than a few extra spells per day. The exception is if the Warden of the Hedge is exited early, in which case more Sorcerer levels may be a strong choice.
Resources: Wardens of the Hedge that are sufficiently advanced usually have connections to powerful fey entities in both the faerie world and the mortal realm. Their status as a protector of the fey entitles them to make requests of these being, whether for magic, assistance, or simply a place to stay.

NPC Reaction
Almost no mortals recognize a Warden, but almost all fey will recognize one instantly, and bear a deep, if sometimes begrudging, respect for these individuals. Getting help from a fey is an easy task for a Warden: even evil-aligned fey usually comply.

WARDENS OF THE HEDGE IN THE GAME
Adaptation: The Warden of the Hedge could be adapted to function within the bounds of a faerie kingdom, rather than a separate plane. In a similar vein, changing the qualities of the fey beast and adding a darker feel could get you a knight who patrols the borders of death, keeping unruly necromancers from venturing in to capture souls.
Encounters: A typical encounter with a Warden comes when the PCs are trying to enter the feywild, or when the Warden suspects them of doing so. A Warden might also hunt down the PCs after they win a fight against a group of fey creatures on a mission for Titania. It is rare to encounter a friendly Warden: to do so, a PC must have done something to get into Titania's good graces deeply enough that she would send one of her faithful to their side.

T.G. Oskar
2009-10-16, 09:24 PM
INITIATE OF THE DIAMOND BLADE

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“Through our hearts flow the spirit of those slain in the day the Temple of Nine Swords fell. In our blades flow the souls that shall avenge them.” — motto of the Monastery of the Diamond Blade

Ever since the fall of the Temple of the Nine Swords, the scattered survivors have attempted to honor the legacy left by Reshar, the greatest master of the Sublime Way. Some have turned into masters on their own right, teaching the arts and the mysteries of the fallen school. Others have lived what remains of their lives in a futile quest to reunite the Nine Swords, or to find the final destination of Reshar so that they may reform the Temple anew. The Monastery of the Diamond Blade has a different mission laid on their path; they desire to avenge their fallen comrades in the spiritual path to martial mastery. Unlike groups who have attempted to avenge their fallen comrades in the present days, the members of this singular group have sworn to entrust this task to “those who shall come upon us”, upon the souls of those who have yet to incarnate upon this world. Through knowledge about the mythical power of incarnum and the source of this mythical energy, and training upon the art of meldshaping, the warriors of the Monastery of the Diamond Blade hope to influence the future souls into their crusade.

BECOMING AN INITIATE OF THE DIAMOND BLADE
The members of the Monastery of the Diamond Blade are numerous and come from diverse backgrounds, but usually have something in common; the ability to shape soulmelds and an equally strong ability to initiate powerful maneuvers. The easiest method of entry is taking levels in a meldshaping class such as incarnate or totemist, and then couple their training with entry into a martial adept class such as crusader, swordsage or totemist. Rarely, a fighter who has taken enough Martial Study feats gains entry into the class after dabbling into meldshaping, but it is important for the entrant to hold a strong grasp in the art of meldshaping. Soulborns who take either path to initiate maneuvers are rare, yet not absent.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any except neutral
BAB: +5
Meldshaping: Able to shape three soulmelds, able to bind soulmelds to a chakra
Martial Maneuvers: Must know two maneuvers, at least one from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw discipline
Feat: Azure Strike (Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw)
Special: A soulknife with the Discipline Mind Blade feat may qualify as if it had the Azure Strike feat, but it must be from one of the disciplines

Class Skills
The Initiate of the Diamond Blade's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances|Special|Meldshaping

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|1|0|1|Diamond Blade|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|0|0|0||+1 of existing meldshaping class

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|1|1|0|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands)|+1 of existing meldshaping class

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|0|0|0||+1 of existing meldshaping class

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|1|0|0|Midnight Resurgence|+1 of existing meldshaping class

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|0|1|1|Diamond blade enhancement|+1 of existing meldshaping class

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|1|0|0||+1 of existing meldshaping class

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|0|0|0|Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|+1 of existing meldshaping class

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|1|1|0||+1 of existing meldshaping class

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|0|0|0|Blooming the spirit flower|+1 of existing meldshaping class[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: An Initiate of the Diamond Blade gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Meldshaping: At each initiate of the diamond blade level except 1st, you increase your meldshaper level, the number of soulmelds you can shape, the number of chakra binds you can create, and your essentia pool as if you had gained a level in a meldshaping class to which you belonged prior to gaining the initiate of the diamond blade level. You do not, however, gain any other abilities of that class, such as new tiers of chakra binds. If you had more than one meldshaping class before becoming an initiate of the diamond blade, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your essentia pool, meldshaper level, and the number of soulmelds and chakra binds available.

Maneuvers: At each odd-numbered level, an initiate of the diamond blade gains a new maneuver from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisites to learn it. You add your full initiate of the diamond blade levels to determine your total initiator level and your highest level maneuvers known.
At 3rd level, 6th level and 9th level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.

Stances: At 1st level and 6th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a stance’s prerequisites to learn it.

Diamond Blade (Su): At first level, an initiate of the diamond blade learns to shape a special and unique soulmeld developed through the ages on the Monastery, which allows him to manifest one of the favored weapons of a discipline into a physical shape through the power of incarnum. Treat the ability as if it were the incarnate weapon soulmeld, but with the following traits.
The initiate of the diamond blade may shape a diamond blade weapon from the favored weapons of the discipline selected with the Azure Strike feat. An initiate of the Diamond Blade who chooses unarmed strike instead may deal lethal damage with them, and the damage increases to 1d6 (as a monk’s unarmed strike, except the damage does not grow with level); if the initiate instead chooses to manifest claws, it gains two claw natural attacks that deal 1d6 slashing damage and are treated as natural weapons for purposes of spells that may affect them. You are considered proficient with your diamond blade regardless of whether you have the weapon proficiency feat or not (in the case of claws, treat them as your primary natural attack) A diamond blade is not an aligned weapon (unlike the incarnate weapon), and thus has no alignment descriptor.
If the initiate of the diamond blade had soulknife levels before entering this class, it may designate its mind blade as its diamond blade. The mind blade retains any properties it already had by virtue of the levels in the soulknife class, but it is treated as a diamond blade for purposes of initiate of the diamond blade’s class abilities that enhance a diamond blade.

Chakra Binds: As you attain higher levels, you can bind your soulmelds and magic items to your chakras, gaining new powers based on the combination chosen. At 3rd level, you can bind your soulmelds or magic items to your lesser chakras (arms, brow, and shoulders), in addition to any other chakras you have available. When you attain 8th level, your greater chakras (throat and waist) become available for chakra binds.

Midnight Resurgence (Su): At 5th level, an initiate of the mind blade learns how to prepare for combat with uncanny speed. An initiate of the diamond blade can use the same swift action to reallocate essentia and change its current stance.

Diamond Blade Enhancement (Su): At 6th level, the initiate of the diamond blade learns to manifest the essences of each discipline into their incarnum weapons. With such ability, they expect to infuse the soul energy with the essence of the Sublime Way, hoping that said essence becomes infused with those yet to be born.
As a swift action, an initiate of the diamond blade may invest special properties to its diamond blade, incarnate weapon (or necrocarnum weapon) soulmeld, or mind blade depending on the discipline of the stance currently adopted. The weapon must be infused with essentia before activating this ability. The acquired properties are as follows:

{TABLE]Discipline|Special effect
Desert Wind|Weapon deals 1d6 flame damage with each attack, as if a flaming weapon. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, it behaves as a flaming burst weapon instead.
Devoted Spirit|Weapon deals 1d6 points of damage with each attack. The initiate must choose an alignment, unless it is using the incarnate (or necrocarnum) weapon soulmeld or is on a stance with the chaos, evil, good or law descriptor, in which case it adopts the alignment of the soulmeld or stance. The damage only affects outsiders of the chosen alignment, clerics of the chosen alignment, undead (in the case of good), paladins (in the case of evil), and shapechangers (in the case of law). If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, it behaves as an anarchic, axiomatic, holy or unholy weapon instead.
Diamond Mind|Weapon ignores an amount of the opponent’s AC equal to twice the amount of essentia invested on the weapon. The amount of AC ignored is subtracted from the sum of armor, shield and natural armor bonuses to AC. If the weapon has 3 essentia, the weapon deals 2 points of damage per point of essentia invested as well.
Iron Heart|Weapon grants a bonus to AC equal to the amount of essentia invested on the weapon, as if a defending weapon. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, add the amount of essentia invested on the weapon to AC when fighting defensively, using the total defense action or using the Combat Expertise feat (this ability stacks with the amount of effective enhancement bonus converted to AC from the weapon)
Setting Sun|The initiate of the diamond blade may use its weapon as part of trip attempts and treat it as a light weapon to attack while grappling. If used for disarm or trip attempts, the opponent may not react with a disarm attempt. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, it grants a +3 insight bonus per point of essentia on touch attacks and opposed checks when using bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, or trip attacks, and add 3 points of damage per point of essentia with any damage dealt as part of these abilities.
Shadow Hand|Weapon deals 1d6 points of damage with each attack. This damage applies only if the opponent is flanked or otherwise denied its Dexterity bonus to AC. Damage dealt by the weapon is cumulative with sneak attack, if available. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, the weapon deals 3d6 damage instead.
Stone Dragon|Weapon ignores damage reduction as if it were a weapon made from adamantine, cold iron or silver, as well as hardness. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, the weapon deals twice the base damage (but not the damage based from Strength or the enhancement bonus)
Tiger Claw|Weapon deals 2d6 points of damage with each attack, but initiate receives 1d6 points of damage, as if a vicious weapon. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, all damage dealt to the enemy is considered bleeding damage.
White Raven|Weapon’s effective enhancement bonus is reduced by 1, but all allies’ weapons gain a +1 morale bonus per effective enhancement bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls and saves vs. fear effects, as if under the effect of inspire courage. If the initiate has the ability to use inspire courage, add the essentia infused to the weapon minus one to the bonus provided. If the weapon has at least 3 essentia, all allies also receive a morale bonus on skill checks equal to twice the effective enhancement bonus, and five temporary hit points per point of effective enhancement bonus.[/TABLE]

While this ability is in effect, the diamond blade is treated as if having an effective enhancement bonus 1-3 points lesser than usual. All abilities are active for a number of rounds equal to the initiate of the diamond blade’s class level (except for the improvement to inspire courage which lasts for the duration of the effect). If the initiate changes its stance, the ongoing effects are lost.

Blooming the Spirit Flower (Su): At 10th level, an initiate of the mind blade has honed knowledge of its own body and of the nature of incarnum beyond the limits of mortals, by understanding the source of the power behind the Sublime Way. This supernatural maneuver serves as the culmination of the very philosophy of the monastery; by drawing upon the soul energy of the unborn in a singular pattern, an initiate hopes to draw the spirits of the unborn to itself and commence their training.
While an initiate of the diamond blade is in a Devoted Spirit, Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, Stone Dragon or Tiger Claw stance, it may forego its usual benefit to gain the effect of blooming the spirit flower. This ability lasts as long as the initiate would maintain this stance. An initiate may also stop using blooming the spirit flower and resume gaining the normal benefit of the stance as a swift action.
When you use this ability, you may bind any single soulmeld of your choice to any chakra, even to chakra the initiate has not opened yet, except for the heart, soul and totem chakras. If the character can bind to the heart, soul or totem chakra (or can bind to if it had progressed in a meldshaping class to which it once belonged), it may temporarily gain the ability to open the chakra. Effectively, the initiate of the diamond blade can bind a soulmeld to an already opened and bound chakra, a chakra which has not yet opened, or a chakra position where a magic item resides. Your initiator level is considered your class level for purposes of how much essentia you may invest on a soulmeld located or bound to this temporary chakra, and as your meldshaper level for related effects. An initiate may also immediately reallocate essentia as if it had used the swift action; as well, an initiate may bind an existing soulmeld to the temporary chakra as part of the swift action, although the soulmeld must have already been shaped (the soulmeld may be bound or unbound). If the initiate decides to stop using the effect of this ability, it may rebind the soulmeld bound to this chakra to where originally was bound as part of the swift action, but not bind to another chakra a soulmeld that was originally unbound.

PLAYING AN INITIATE OF THE DIAMOND BLADE
You have an important mission set upon your path: to guide the souls of the unborn to assume the avenging of the fallen Temple of the Nine Swords upon their birth and growth. To achieve this mission, you have set upon yourself two important steps to follow; the first, to refine your skills in the disciplines you have practiced and mastered so that you become a master of the Sublime Way when the future avengers are grown, and to master the mysterious art of Incarnum to guide those souls even before their birth. The knowledge of Incarnum has enhanced your combat capabilities, allowing you to fight at your very best even when unarmed and unarmored.
Your continuous survival is important to the success of the monastery. You seek to learn the soulmelds that best complement your fighting style, and the techniques that best complement your choice of soulmelds. Binding the right soulmeld can provide you with the strongest defense to supplement the offensive abilities of your maneuvers, and choosing the right stances and counters allow you to exploit the benefits of your bound soulmelds.

Combat: By itself, soulmelds provide a very solid blend between defense and offense. Totemist soulmelds in particular tend to incline to the offensive, since the totem chakra usually grants the meldshaper the natural weapon or special attack that the creature most uses. Stances that increase damage or improve damage are enhanced when natural attacks are added to the combat routine; boosts that improve damage are enhanced in the same path. Generally, after choosing the right soulmeld to bind to the totem chakra, focus on the best stances and boosts to increase the effectiveness of all attacks; stances such as punishing stance, blood in the water, assassin's stance amongst others tend to work well with multiple natural attacks, while leading the charge blends magnificently with soulmelds that improve a charge, such as the dread carapace, the sphinx claws or the urskan greaves.
Incarnate and soulborn soulmelds work in different ways, inclining towards alignment and the improvement of skills. Evil meldshapers have access to necrocarnum soulmelds, which incline towards various immunities and causing various forms of damage as possible; while the doom charge maneuver and the aura of tyranny may seem solid options, such meldshapers may benefit from maneuvers and boosts that cause as much damage as possible. Good meldshapers can regulate the flow of healing through battle, by combining such maneuvers as rallying strike, stances such as martial spirit and aura of triumph and soulmelds such as lifebond vestments; equally, such initiates can focus on strengthening their defenses by shaping soulmelds such as spellward shirt, assuming strong defensive stances such as immortal fortitude or roots of the mountain, and letting soulmelds such as mantle of flame deal retributive damage.
These are not the only paths to follow, but rather an example of what an initiate can deal with. An initiate initiating the thicket of blades stance may seek a natural weapon with reach and issue area control, or use its diamond blade class ability, manifested as claws, and execute as many maneuvers and bind as many soulmelds to chakras in order to deal as much damage in a single strike.
Finally, don't forget about how the class abilities of the initiate enhance these simple combinations. Shaping the diamond blade as claws allows various soulmelds to synergize well, but shaping said meld into other weapons (such as a scimitar or kukri) may also hold the same effect. Also, consider placing as many points of essentia in the Azure Strike feat (if you have it) as possible, since it strongly synergizes with the benefits granted by the diamond blade enhancement ability.

Advancement: Once you have chosen a path to follow, strengthen it with the kinds of feats that might grant a greater advantage. If you have decided on charging, choose feats that depend or enhance charging, such as Power Attack coupled with Shock Trooper (and also involving Improved Bull Rush, which works well with some soulmelds). If you have decided on multiple attacks with natural weapons, think of the weapons you usually shape and get Improved Natural Attack for those weapons. Other feats to consider are Shape Soulmeld to acquire soulmelds from other classes, and Martial Study/Martial Stance to expand your choice of maneuvers.
Given the strong use of Incarnum, an initiate does not depend on magic items the way other classes do. Consider which chakras you will leave open through your advancement, and find strong magic items to complement your chosen feats, soulmelds and maneuvers. Since the initiate has a strong need for Constitution, consider finding a way to add an amulet of health at the mix, which never works wrong. Mostly, try preventing redundant magic items and abilities: if the soulmeld you bind grants a fly speed, seeking a magic item that does the same will work negatively; conversely, if you find a better option to use a magic item to grant a fly speed, then it's a better idea to leave that chakra alone and bind a soulmeld to another chakra that may grant a benefit you haven't considered.

Resources: Once an initiate learns to blend the arts of Incarnum and the initiation of maneuvers, the masters of the Monastery expect the individual to be self-sufficient. The monastery is on a very secluded place, so any aid provided usually comes from fellow initiates. If on the grounds of a monastery, the masters and the residents are willing to offer a place to rest, as well as access to various martial scrolls for the initiate and any of its companions to use. Aside from the martial scrolls, the path of the Diamond Blade has little need for magic items, so it is understandable that they hold little to no magic items to provide to the party.
Every now and then, a fellow initiate may request aid from the monastery if it finds that a new soul tempered by the forge of the Sublime Way may have emerged. This compels various members of the monastery to travel together in a pilgrimage, in order to find the newborn and guide said soul towards the path they walk. An initiate is compelled to aid and follow the pilgrims in any way possible, regardless of alignment or motives: the mission, to the initiates, is more important than themselves.

INITIATES OF THE DIAMOND BLADE IN THE WORLD
"He was wearing fine and mystical attire, a glistening blade with a blade that seemed like forged from a large jewel. When he fought, his very body brimmed with magical power. Why, I could swear that when he swung his blade, there was someone else swinging a blade with him!" - Raknos the One-Eyed, soothsayer.

Initiates of the Diamond Blade are warriors from different places with a common goal. Hailing from a same training place, and following the same mission, they hold a sense of camaraderie that extends beyond other alliances. Yet, their methods differ between each other; all seek to find the souls tempered on the forge of their past battles, and shape them into the avengers of the future, yet the way they pursue that goal follows very closely the way they perceive life. No two initiates are the same, and no two initiates will agree on the same goal.

Daily Life: The beginning of an initiate of the Diamond Blade is spent in meditation, determining which soulmelds to shape and which maneuvers to ready for the day. An initiate rarely exchanges its maneuvers, only altering their tactics when deemed necessary (such as when an initiate faces an opponent foreign to the area). After such training, the initiate wanders the path, wary of any sign that may involve a newborn soul with the right qualities has been born.
In the rare occasion one is found, the initiate adopts such creature as an apprentice, teaching it the arts of shaping soulmelds and initiating maneuvers. Even in the more usual occasions when its not, an initiate takes part of its time in weapon drills reminiscent of those which were taught to him (or her) at the monastery. When the apprentice has learned enough about the arts of meldshaping and maneuvers, the initiate delivers the new recruit into the monastery, ready to begin the path anew.
During those occasions, the initiate follows the path once traveled. Some initiates seek to earn fame and glory, awaiting the moment where a newborn soul finds him and seeks to emulate it. Or, the initiate may seek to right some wrongs, knowing that one of its future companions may hold the talent she seeks.

Notables: Legend speaks that the grand master of the monastery of the Diamond Blade was in one time and age a student of the very temple master of the Diamond Mind. According to the same legend, the disciple was one of the witnesses that saw how the sacred sword of the Diamond Blade discipline, Supernal Clarity, was stolen by the rakshasa Kaziir-Thet centuries ago. Upon the fall of the temple, the legend states that the disciple swore never to rest until the day the Temple was restored, and the fallen avenged. Whether the story is true or not, the current Grand Master of the Diamond Blade, Qin the Enlightened (LG male azurin soulborn 8/swordsage 2/Initiate of the Diamond Blade 10) prefers to hold silence.
Amongst those notable members of the monastery stand twin brothers that were separated by birth, driven to different paths and turned into sworn enemies, only to be reunited by the monastery. While the name of Ereias the Blessed (NG male aasimar incarnate 5/crusader 1/initiate of the Diamond Blade 4) has grown synonymous to heroism, the name of Atreyes the Whispered (NE male tiefling incarnate 5/crusader 1/initiate of the Diamond Blade 4) is spoken only in whispers. Little is known about the two (and much less people know about their mysterious brotherhood), aside from a rumor that they are key to an ancient prophecy involving the monastery, the rebuilding of the Temple of Nine Swords, and even the return of Reshar itself.

Organizations: The monastery of the Diamond Blade lies far away, secluded in the natural fortress provided by the Jagged Mountains. The path to the monastery is highly protected, and since its creation few lands have been disturbed by bandits, supernatural events and even natural events. A few initiates who have grown old have built smaller monasteries throughout the land, after a long pilgrimage in which they seek the blessing of the Grand Master in order to fulfill the completion of their mission until their natural death. Those few monasteries teach those worthy students the arts of the Sublime Way, and serve as a safe haven for those few who hold an innate art for meldshaping. Those who learn to master both are instructed to travel in a pilgrimage to the original monastery, and those who may fulfill the mission of all initiates are followed by the master itself.

NPC Reaction
Because of their unorthodox method of training and their abilities, most initiates at first are confused with powerful warriors. Most initiates with a strong devotion to an alignment are confused with paladins, even those which follow evil alignments. Those who hold a connection with nature are confused with shamans at first, or even druids. In general, the alignment of the individual usually determines the reactions of the people; if the initiate is virtuous and strong, most people usually offer a friendly hand and a warm smile; if the initiate is vile and vicious, people often offer a hand in fear of retaliation, a cold respect born of intimidation. Warriors of all kinds, such as fighters, rangers and even the occasional swordsage respect the skill of these warriors; paladins and crusaders hold their respect only to those who deserve it, and warblades only seek respect after a combat. Of those few who shun the initiates, those who still hold ties to the Shadow Tiger horde and those who fear the power of Incarnum as a force for evil are hostile and attack the initiate on sight when they recognize the initiate.

INITIATE OF THE DIAMOND BLADE IN THE GAME
Compared to other classes that combine two different power systems, the Initiate of the Diamond Blade may seem (and in a way, is) more powerful. Since levels in other classes still increase initiator level, and since meldshaper level doesn't have the same importance as caster level or manifester level (except for dispelling the soulmelds), the combination of both may place your character in a stronger spot than other characters. Indeed, they make excellent warriors given their maneuvers and their lack of reliance on magic items (which at the same time frees the wealth of the character for a few important items), but they still can be dealt with easily by other classes. An initiate will only rarely learn enough maneuvers and soulmelds to surpass a single-classed meldshaper or martial adept, so the strength of the class depends almost exclusively on how the character complements every single aspect of itself. In essence, the initiate of the Diamond Blade rewards the right choices, at the right moments.

Adaptation: An Initiate of the Diamond Blade can be reduced in focus very easily, in order to make several prestige classes focusing on specific themes. For example, an initiate may be divided into a prestige class specifically designed for classes that place a lot of importance on alignment (and the entry requirements relaxed to allow such classes as paladins), while another can focus on the concept of natural attacks. Although it is required to remove some of the wider options for the prestige class (mostly on the area of Diamond Blade Enhancement), it can be done with relative ease.
Given how the prestige class interacts with the Soulknife, another option can be to limit the entrance only to Soulknives, and replace the Diamond Blade and Diamond Blade enhancement abilities with Mind Blade and Mind Blade Enhancement abilities. Thus, the class can be limited only to the rare Soulknife that learns both initiating maneuvers and meldshaping.

Encounters: Usually, the best way to introduce an Initiate of the Diamond Blade is if a character who dabbles in Incarnum and maneuvers is present on your party. The PC may have been once a soul tempered in the forge of the NPC initiate, or perhaps a former acquaintance has driven an initiate to your encounter. In very rare occasions, if the party has faced many users of Incarnum during their campaign, an initiate may face them in order to stop them from endangering their enduring mission.

Sample Encounter
EL 11: Upon entering a small village, a group of warriors set in ostentatious attire reaches from the other side. By strange reasons (perhaps an enemy of the PCs has framed them, or perhaps they had to eliminate a meldshaper or martial adept that caused great danger), the leader of the warriors recognizes the PCs and issues a dour warning. Regardless of how the battle is handled, the leader issues a challenge to the entire party, seeking to "understand why they are threats to the mission of the Diamond Blades".

NEW FEAT: AZURE STRIKE [INCARNUM]
You can channel incarnum to enhance your comprehension upon one of the disciplines of the Sublime Way.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Blade Meditation, initiator level 1+
Benefit: Once per day, you can invest essentia into this feat. Add the invested essentia to the DC (if any) of your maneuvers, to the damage dealt with your discipline’s preferred weapons when using a strike of that discipline, and to skill checks dealt with your discipline’s preferred skill. The discipline to which these bonuses apply is the discipline chosen for your Blade Meditation feat. The bonuses to damage and skill checks stack with the bonuses provided with the Blade Meditation feat. Once the amount of invested essentia is chosen, it cannot be altered and remains invested for 24 hours.
You gain 1 point of essentia.
Special: You can gain the benefits of this feat more than once. Each time you acquire this feat, it applies to one of the disciplines chosen for your Blade Meditation feat.

NEW FEAT: DISCIPLINE MIND BLADE [PSIONIC]
When you reshape your mind blade, you can shape it into the signature weapons of your favored discipline.
Prerequisites: Blade Meditation, ability to form a mind blade, initiator level 6+
Benefit: Any time you wish to reshape your mind blade, you can add the weapons from the discipline chosen with the Blade Meditation feat. You are considered proficient with any of the weapons you lack proficiency as if you had the correspondent Martial Weapon Proficiency or Exotic Weapon Proficiency feat. The weapon is appropriately sized for you and deals damage as a weapon of its type.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time you gain this feat, it applies to any other discipline to which you may have the Blade Meditation feat.

Arbitrarious
2009-10-18, 01:57 PM
PSYCARNATE

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/2959/psycarnate.jpg

“I beat you because you still can’t reconcile what you think is right and you feel is right. My will and spirit are united in purpose and it is that certainty that makes all the difference.”
-Brandalin, lecturing fellow Psycarnate Hiro

Through rigorous meditation and self reflection the Psycarnate hopes to bypass the limits of mind and spirit by unifying them internally. Using special techniques he can channel his will into raw spiritual force, using psionic power to fuel his soul based gifts. With practice he becomes able to reverse the process. He can then feed the near limitless of power of his soul into his psionic powers. Once he masters both aspects of his training the conventional limits of power no longer concern him.

BECOMING A PSYCARNATE
Due to the heavy philosophical influences of Incarnum and excellent ability synergy, the most common Psycarnates are Incarnate/Ardents. Incarnate/Psions are a close second. Totemists are not uncommon especially when paired with Egoists or Psychic Warriors, though Psychic Warriors are they themselves rare. Wilders are rare but not unheard of. Soulborns and Divine Minds seldom choose this path as it harder for them to qualify and they lose a great deal of their martial prowess. It is however possible, if not difficult, to qualify to be a Psycarnate without ever taking an actual psionic or incarnum class. All thinking creatures possess the potential for psionic power and can awaken to it. Similarly all living things are blessed with incarnum. It is simply a matter of learning to harness it. Characters who did not previously belong to a meldshaping or manifesting class begin progressing as Incarnates and Ardents respectively (see meldshaping and manifesting below).

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 4 ranks, Knowledge (Psionics) 4 ranks
Manifesting: Ability to manifest 2 powers, power point reserve 5+
Meldshaping: Ability to shape a soulmeld, ability to bind a soulmeld to a chakra, essentia pool of 3+
Feats: Azure Talent, Psycarnum Infusion


Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), and Spellcraft (Int)
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Manifesting/Meldshaping

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Assume Mantle, Forge Psycarnum, Distill Essentia|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Manifest Psycarnum Power, Unified Purpose|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+0|
+3|Bonus Feat, Chakra binds (Crown, Feet, Hands)|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Shape Psycarnum Soulmeld, +1 Psycarnum Capacity|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Persist Psycarnum|+1 level of existing meldshaping class

6th|
+3|
+2|
+1|
+5|Bonus Feat, Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulders)|+1 existing manifesting class

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Enduring Psycarnum, Power Receptacle|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Essentia Augmentation, +1 Psycarnum Capacity|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Bonus Feat, Chakra binds (Throat, Waist)|+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Psycarnum Conduit |+1 level of existing meldshaping class and +1 existing manifesting class[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: Psycarnates gain no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Meldshaping: At each Psycarnate level except 6th, you increase your meldshaper level, the number of soulmelds you can shape, the number of chakra binds you can create, and your essentia pool as if you had gained a level in a meldshaping class to which you belonged prior to gaining the Psycarnate level. You do not however, gain any other abilities of that class, such as new tiers of chakra binds. If you belonged to more than one meldshaping class before becoming a Psycarnate, you must decide which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your meldshaper abilities. If you did not belong to a meldshaping class before becoming a psycarnate you gain the meldshaping ability of a first level Incarnate. If your alignment is not compatible with the Incarnate class you must choose one component of your alignment (Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) to be your incarnum devotion. You meldshape as an Incarnate of that alignment. A Psycarnate does not lose meldshaping ability for becoming an incompatible alignment to their previous meldshaping class, but you still may lose other class features as normal. Neutral characters who become Psycarnates progress as Totemists rather than Incarnates.

Manifesting: At each Psycarnate level except 5th, you increase your manifester level, the number of powers known, and the number of power points per day as if you had gained a level in a manifesting class to which you belonged prior to gaining the Psycarnate level. If you belonged to a class that gained access to psionic mantles you add your Psycarnate level to your manifesting class to determine how many mantles you can access. You do not however, gain any other abilities of that class, such as bonus feats. If you belonged to more than one manifesting class before becoming a Psycarnate, you must decide which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your manifesting abilities. If you did not belong to a manifesting class before becoming a psycarnate you gain the manifesting ability of a first level Ardent including access to 2 psionic mantles in addition to the alignment mantle granted by the Assume Mantle ability.

Assume Mantle: At achieving first level, the Psycarnate selects one psionic mantle that represents their incarnum devotion. Select one of the following mantles: Chaos, Evil, Good, Law, or Natural World (Totemist Only). You gain the mantles granted power and you add the mantle’s powers to the list you can select from when gaining new powers. If you already have the associated mantle, such as an ardent, select an additional mantle to further refine your philosophical world view.

Forge Psycarnum: A Psycarnate of first level can shape psionic energy into a unique form called psycarnum to temporarily power soulmelds and other essentia receptacles. A Psycarnate can spend power points as part of reassigning their essentia. For each 2 power points spent the Psycarnate gains 1 point of temporary essentia, called psycarnum, which can be invested into an essentia receptacle. This essentia disappears at the beginning of the Psycarnates next turn. The normal rules for maximum essentia capacity and power points spent on a single ability apply. Alternatively he may use his Psycarnum Infusion feat to generate psycarnum equal to his unmodified maximum essentia capacity rather than its normal effect. If he generates psycarnum using his Psycarnum Infusion feat he can immediately invest that psycarnum into receptacles, even receptacles that can only be invested in once a day, following all other rules for investing essentia.

Distill Essentia: A Psycarnate's unique insight into the interaction of mind and soul allows them to gain additional benefit from the Azure Talent feat. Each point of essentia invested in your Azure Talent feat grants you additional power points equal to your Psycarnate level.

Manifest Psycarnum Power: Starting at 2nd level a Psycarnate can use psycarnum to manifest short lived soulmelds. By spending 4 power points when assigning essentia he can shape any soulmeld he knows as though he was manifesting a psionic power. This soulmeld follows the normal rules for sharing chakra but can exceed the maximum number of soulmelds shaped. There is automatically 1 point of psycarnum invested in the soulmeld. You can invest additional essentia into this soulmeld as normal or shape additional psycarnum to invest. For each additional 4 power points you spend you can shape an additional soulmeld with its own point of psycarnum. When the psycarnum invested in the soulmeld dissipates so does the soulmeld and any other essentia invested returns to your essentia pool. You can manifest a number of unique soulmelds per day equal to your character level / 4, but you can manifest same soulmelds repeatedly as long as you have power points. Points spent on this ability do not count towards the limit of the Forge Psycarnum ability.


Unified Purpose: A 2nd level Psycarnate blending of powers allows them to use their gifts to greatest effect. When manifesting a psionic power or using a soulmeld with a DC he can use the higher ability modifier between his manifesting or soulmelding primary ability.

Bonus Feat: Starting at 3rd level and every 3 levels after that (3, 6, and 9) the Psycarnate's exploration into alternate uses for incarnum and psionic power allows him to gain access to new expressions for them. Select a bonus psionic or incarnum feat.

Chakra Binds: As you attain higher levels, you can bind your soulmelds and magic items to your chakras, gaining new powers based on the combinations chosen. At 3rd level, you can bind soulmelds o magic items to your least chakras(crown, feet, and hands), in addition to any other chakras you have available. When you attain 6th level, your lesser chakras (arms, brow, and shoulders) become available for chakra binds and at 9th level you gain access to your throat and waist chakras.

Shape Psycarnum Soulmeld: At 4th level, when you are shaping soulmelds for the day, you can take a psionic power you know and shape it into a soulmeld. The power must have a personal or fixed range, a duration longer then 1round/level, and be a level equal to or less than your unmodified essentia capacity for soulmelds. The process requires the investment of power points equal to the base cost of the power. These power points cannot be recovered while the soulmeld remains shaped.

While shaped you are constantly under the effect of the power as though it were cast unaugmented on yourself. The soulmeld can occupy any otherwise open chakra. Each essentia or psycarnum you invest increases the effect of the power as though it were augmented by 2 power points. If the soulmeld is bound to a chakra each point of psycarnum, but not essentia, increases the augment by 3 instead of 2. Using this chakra bind cannot increase the effect of the power in the soulmeld higher than your character level. You can shape any number of psycarnum soulmelds limited by your maximum number of soulmelds by level.

Psycarnum Capacity: At 4th level your mastery of shaping psycarnum allows you to invest more power into your soulmelds. When investing essentia, if you choose to use psycarnum you can exceed your normal capacity by 1 point. For example; if a Psycarnate who was a 10th level character (3 incarnate/3 ardent/4 Psycarnate) shapes bluesteel bracers his normal essentia capacity is 3 (2 from character level and 1 from Incarnate). If he shapes a point of psycarnum he can invest that into his bluesteel bracers giving him a total investment of 4, 1 more than his normal capacity. At 8th level you can exceed your normal capacity by an additional point.

Persist Psycarnum: As a free action, starting at 5th level, you can prevent your psycarnum from dissipating by spending 2 power points for each point of psycarnum you want to maintain. You cannot spend more power points then your manifester level this way and points spent on this ability do count towards your Forge Psycarnum abilities limit. If you maintain the psycarnum in a psycarnum power, the soulmeld is also maintained.

Enduring Psycarnum: Once the Psycarnate understands the method for prolonging psycarnum it is a small step to creating more stable forms for longer use. At the beginning of the day, when shaping soulmelds, you may shape enduring psycarnum. Each point shaped costs 1 + 2 points for each point of enduring psycarnum previously shaped (1, 3, 5, 7). Investing enduring psycarnum into incarnum feats and other non-soulmeld receptacles allows you to use your Psycarnum Capacity feature with those receptacles. You cannot spend more points than your character level on this ability.

Essentia Augmentation: By investing essentia into this ability a Psycarnate can alleviate some of the burden of enhancing his psionic powers. For every 2 points of essentia invested into this class feature, the augmentation cost of your psionic powers is reduced by 1. This effect does not stack with other abilities that reduce augmentation cost. Only the ability that provides the greatest discount applies.

Power Receptacle: When shaping soulmelds for the day you can reserve a number of powers equal to 1/3 your class level to be essentia receptacles. You can invest essentia into these receptacles as though they were soulmelds. You can chose to manifest this power normally or to manifest this power for free. When manifesting this power freely you manifest it as though you had spent power points equal to 2 + invested essentia.

Psycarnum Conduit: A Psycarnate of 10th level has reached an unsurpassed mastery of the interactions of will and spirit. He can now maintain psycarnum more easily, spending only 1 power point per point of psycarnum maintained and he reduces the cost of each point of enduring psycarnum by 1 power point as well. In addition, if he consumes a point of psycarnum (effectively destroying it) he can exceed the normal limits of his powers. Each point of psycarnum consumed allows him to increase his effective manifester level by 1, this allows him to spend more power points on manifesting powers and increases the effects on any level dependent variables. He can also consume psycarnum to temporarily boost the effect of soulmelds and other essentia receptacles. By consuming a point of psycarnum he can temporarily raise the essentia cap on any other essentia receptacle by 1. He cannot consume more psycarnum in one round in this manner then his psycarnum capacity for soulmelds (unmodified essentia capacity + psycarnum capacity + any other effect that increases soulmeld capacity).


PLAYING A CLASS NAME
You have mastered the juxtaposition of mind and soul. Your convictions and motivations are your own, but they run deep. Your background and personality are influenced by your incarnum devotion. Don't forget that you are delving into the very crux of nature vs. reason. Whatever your concept, remember you are on personal quest of self discovery. No matter your personal methods, the end goal is the same for all Psycarnates.
Combat: Your combat abilities are defined by the synergy of your soulmelds and psionic powers. Most Psycarnates rely on the enhancing abilities of their soulmelds, including powers shaped into psycarnum soulmelds; gaining most offensive power through the use of their psionic powers. While psycarnum can give you a tremendous advantage, using too much at lower levels can severely cripple you in the long run. Spend your power points wisely. They are your most potent and most quickly depleted resource. Conserving power by using soulmelds power receptacles will help prolong your fighting potential. Don't forget you can create psycarnum with your Psycarnum Infusion feat if you have the opportunity to regain your psionic focus while in combat.
Advancement: Devotions shape your character choices. Your incarnum devotion helps define your world outlook and your psionic devotions (discipline or mantles) define the tools you can work with. As you gain power think about what tools you have access to and how you can use them to further explore your nature. Consider feats that expand your options like Shape Soulmeld or Expanded Knowledge. Increasing your primary ability for manifesting will grant much needed power points and help increase soulmeld DCs with your Unified Purpose class feature.
Resources: Psycarnates have few resources to draw on and most simply don't need them. Magic items will be competing for item slots with soulmelds unless you take the Split Chakra feat. Mundane goods can be supplanted by psionic powers. A well prepared Psycarnate has little to fear from depravation.

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
Dalmar is a fine man and excellent adventuring companion. I do enjoy our discussions on the nature of Good as a universal concept and its place in the world. It is a shame, that for all the knowledge he posses on the nature of the soul, he doesn't take an active interest in a respectable church.
- Praeis, Cleric of Pelor

Most Psycarnates are content with a solitary life of meditation and exploration, both the world at large and the world within. They gain little directly from gathering amongst themselves. Though they sometimes find a new perspective on a topic by someone that shares their gifts can lead to surprising insights. Many choose to adventure to gain a more visceral understanding of the concepts they embody. Through real world experience, they hope to find correlations in the nature of their devotion both as a force in the universe and as a perception of it. Psycarnate characters often fill the roles of wise men or sages, dispensing knowledge gained through study and reflection.
Daily Life: Psycarnates are philosophers at heart. Whether they choose to sit in perfect stillness or simply stare into a clear blue sky, a good amount of the Psycarnate's time is devoted to introspection. Much of their remaining time is focused on studying the interaction of their soulmelds and psionic powers, including the discovery of new powers and soulmelds. Whatever free time they have they will spend pursuing personal goals.
Notables:Most Psycarnates choose to maintain a low profile in order to avoid distraction on their path of enlightenment. Not so with Brandalin Still-Leaf. This chaotic elf Psycarnate is an undeniable presence wherever he goes. His good looks, sly tongue, and unpredictable actions, invariably cause an uproar. That suits him just fine. He's taken with his wandering life and sees no reason to stop in the foreseeable future. His rival and friend (at least according to Brandalin) is fellow Psycarnate Hiro. Hiro's devotion to Law amuses Brandalin to no end. Brandalin often ribs him about how much more progress he's made just to get a rise out of him. He is seldom disappointed. For Hiro's part, he simply can't understand how someone with no discipline or self control can master the difficult art of channeling his will power so effortlessly. Of course, what Brandalin is trying to show Hiro is that the path of the Psycarnate is not about discipline and self control at all. It's about understanding and accepting yourself completely. So long as Hiro doubts his own abilities and progress he will always lag behind.
Organizations: Psycarnates have little use for organizations as a whole. The journey of self discovery is a personal one. However, there is one group dedicated to the study of the base nature of power and the interactions of its various forms. The Seekers of Perfect Enlightenment look to find the fundamental truth behind the forces of Psionics, Incarnum, Arcane and Divine Magic, and even more obscure powers. They believe that beneath all the trappings placed upon them, there is a single perfect truth that defines the very nature of power. Members are spread amongst the Theurgist classes. Members are expected to submit notes about their experiences wielding multiple powers and make the organization aware when they encounter a form of power they have not seen previously.

NPC Reaction
Characters aware of incarnum and psionics are aware of the existence Psycarnates, though it is not always easy to tell Psycarnates apart from their contemporaries counterparts. Most NPCs meet Psycarnates who out wandering in order to broaden their understanding. As such they rarely get the time to interact with them to any great degree. They may come off as an itinerant hermit out on a spiritual journey of discovery or divinely inspired sorcerer. More outgoing Psycarnates can make a lasting impression acting upon their individual ethos. In a land ruled by tyrants, a chaotic Psycarnate would be a freedom fighter and a beacon of hope in the face of unrelenting in oppression. In a calm, well-run kingdom they would be considered trouble maker at best and dissident at worst. The starting attitudes of most in NPCs will be based on the Psycarnate's devotions in relation to the community and how active they are within it. A Psycarnate who focuses on the nature of good with a vast array of healing abilities may still garner an attitude of indifferent if they stay locked up in a library all day.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME

Any game world that already has established psionics and incarnum can benefit from including Psycarantes. However, they are more valuable in introducing a new system into a world that lacks it. In a campaign full of powerful psions, a Psycarnates ability to create long lasting versions of their powers as soulmelds or to freely manifest some weaker powers is unique and gives players a reason to explore the source of these unusual powers. It also allows you to showcase soulmelds as quasi-powers, making them more understandable to players unfamiliar with incarnum. In worlds lacking psionic characters a Psycarnate would be someone who sacrificed a measure of power in order to explore new ways to enhance their soulmelds. They would be weaker at meldshaping in general, but capable of surpassing normal meldshapers by burning a limited resource to reach levels normal incarnum users didn't think possible. It should appeal to players who want psions that have a suite of base options to fall back on or a incarnum user looking to add a little oomph in their repertoire.
Adaptation: While most Psycarnates focus on the dual nature of mind and soul, you can easily tweak it so that rather than supplementing each other one replaces the other. A disillusioned Incarnate forsakes his spiritual belief in good and replaces it with the more detached view of the ardent. He replaces his faith with sheer will in order to manipulate incarnum. In such a case Psycarnates would be limited to meldshapers who suffered an alignment conflict and lost their powers and began to study psionics instead.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
When first encountering a Psycarnate decide what power they rely on. What might pass for a simple meldshaper would certainly surprise the party when he dominates the groups fighter and sets him upon his former allies.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

The Witch-King
2009-10-18, 02:10 PM
Witchknight

http://img42.imageshack.us/img42/3612/warriorwitch.jpg

Note: This class makes use of the Witch class from the DMG 3.5, page 175.

”Your end comes quickly, Inquisitor. That's more mercy than you ever showed any of your victims.”--Tannail of the Templars of the Cauldron

Throughout history, there have been those who hunted the innocent and called them witches. Many of these innocents were nothing of the sort and were simply those who could not defend themselves and their property from overzealous madmen. The Witchknight takes up the cause of the defense of the innocent, hunting down those cruel men who kidnap and torture the innocent for their own personal wealth, the advancement of their own power or the service of their unholy gods. Witchknights are the defenders of their coven and of the common man, riding out to do battle with any who would harm another out of a sense of religious persecution.

Becoming a Witchknight
Most Witchknights begin as Witches and then either because of religious persecution they themselves have experienced or because of something that happened to a friend or loved one, decide to take up the call of becoming a Witchknight.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Skills: Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 2 ranks, Ride 4 ranks.
Feats: Mounted Combat or Endurance.
Spellcasting: Ability to cast Speak with Animals, Disguise Self, Endure Elements and Cure Light Wounds. Ability to Summon a Familiar.

Class Skills
The WitchKnight's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
Str: Climb, Jump, Swim.
Dex: Ride.
Con: Concentration.
Int: Craft, Decipher Script, Know(any), Spellcraft.
Wis: Heal, Profession, Sense Motive.
Cha: Bluff, Diplomacy, Handle Animal.

Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Class Ability|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Oathbound; Implements|-

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|Burning Heart; Armored Mage (light)|+1 existing caster level of one of: Witch, Wizard, Beguiler or Druid.

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Aura of Resolve; Divine Health; Witchknight's Hex 1/Day|+1 level of existing class features of one of: Fighter, Knight, Ranger, Rogue or Scout.

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|Armored Mage (medium)|+1 existing caster level of one of: Witch, Wizard, Beguiler or Druid.

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|Witchknight's Hex 2/Day|+1 level of existing class features of one of: Fighter, Knight, Ranger, Rogue or Scout.

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Fighter Feat or Bodyguard Ability|+1 existing caster level of one of: Witch, Wizard, Beguiler or Druid.

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|Armored Mage (heavy shield); Witchknight's Greater Hex|+1 level of existing class features of one of: Fighter, Knight, Ranger, Rogue or Scout.

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|Fighter Feat or Bodyguard Ability; Parry Spell|+1 existing caster level of one of: Witch, Wizard, Beguiler or Druid.

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|Witchknight's Hex 3/Day. Witchknight's Dire Hex|+1 level of existing class features of one of: Fighter, Knight, Ranger, Rogue or Scout.

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|True Witch; Deny Caster Defenses|+1 existing caster level of one of: Witch, Wizard, Beguiler or Druid[/table]

Proficiencies:
Armor: Light, Medium, Heavy, Shield.
Weapons: Simple, Martial.

Oathbound:

Witchknights pledge their loyalty to a coven. They must follow the high priest's and high priestess' orders and uphold the Code of Conduct the coven obeys. As long as a Witchknight does these two things, he cannot be forced to act against his coven by mind-affecting effects.

Implements (Athames and Cauldrons):

Athame: As a Witchknight, you can apply the enhancement bonus of a magic dagger or magic sword to the DC of any spell you cast from the Witch spell list (DMG, p. 175), while still using the blade's properties and powers. Having an athame in hand in no way reduces your ability to make use of Somatic gestures.

Cauldron: As a Witchknight, you can apply the enhancement bonus of a cauldron as a bonus to the total caster level of any ritual spell or incantation cast by you or a group composed of only Witches and/or Witchknights. Cauldrons can also add to the DC of spells cast from the Witch list like Athames but Athame and Cauldron bonuses do not stack: the highest bonus takes precedent. A single ritual spell or incantation likewise only benefits from the highest bonus of all cauldrons present. Cauldrons add their enhancement bonus to all alchemy checks and again, only the highest bonus applies.

Burning Heart (Su):

At 2nd level, a Witchknight gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

Armored Mage (light): A Witchknight ignores the Arcane Failure chance of certain types of armors when casting spells from the Witch list:
2nd – Light Armor & Light Shields
4th – Medium Armor
7th – Heavy Shields

Aura of Resolve (Su)

Beginning at 3rd level, a Witchknight is immune to all compulsion effects. Each ally within 10 feet of him gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against compulsion effects. This ability otherwise functions identically to the paladin's aura of courage class feature.

Divine Health (Ex): At 3rd level, a Witchknight gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Witchknight's Hex: n/day. A visible opponent within 60’ can be targeted with a curse as a Free Action. The opponent receives a –2 penalty on attacks, damage, saves, ability checks, & skill checks for one hour (WillNeg DC = 10 + ½ Class level + Charisma modifier). Multiple curses do not stack & an opponent that successfully saves cannot be targeted again by that Witchknight for 24 hours. The effect is ended by anything that removes or dispels curses. If the Witchknight accidentally hexes a creature that is not evil, the hex has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day.

Bodyguard Abilities:

Cover
The Bodyguard may transfer his/her Shield bonus to AC and / or his/her Dodge bonus to AC due to Combat Expertise to a creature in an adjacent hex (the two bonuses can apply to the same or different creatures). If the creature gaining protection moves more than 5’ away from the Bodyguard, it loses the AC bonus.

or

Clear the Path
The Bodyguard can use the Cleave & Great Cleave feats, but only when Fighting Defensively, using Combat Reflexes, and/or transferring his/her Shield bonus to AC to another using the ‘Cover’ ability.

Witchknight's Greater Hex

Your Witchknight's Hex now causes a –4 penalty (instead of –2).

Parry Magic (Su)

At 8th level, a Witchknight may use a magic sword to parry magic targeted at him. When the Witchknight is targeted by a spell or supernatural ability, he may take an Attack of Opportunity against the targeted effect. If he can make an attack roll against an AC equal to the spell or effect's DC with this Attack of Opportunity, the effect does not affect him.

Witchknight's Dire Hex

Your Witchknight's Hex now causes a -6 penalty (instead of -2).

True Witch

Can add +2 caster level to any ritual magic or incantation cast by another Witch or Witchknight. May make use of his or her personal Athame's bonus to skill rolls to assist primary casters in casting ritual magics and incantations. Gains the use of 1 Clerical Domain.

Deny Caster Defenses (Ex):

At 10th level, a Witchknight attacking with his magic sword ignores any AC bonuses on his targets that come from spells or spell-like abilities.

http://www.unlikelyangeldesigns.com/images/Elfin%20Warrior%20Witch1.jpg

PLAYING A WITCHKNIGHT
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.

Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.

Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.

Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

Code of Conduct
A Witchknight must be of chaotic good alignment and loses all class abilities if he ever willingly commits an evil act. Additionally, a Witchknight's code requires that he respect individual liberty, help those in need (provided they do not use the help for selfish or evil ends), and punish those who threaten or curtail personal religious freedom.

Associates
While he may adventure with characters of any good or neutral alignment, a Witchknight will never knowingly associate with evil characters (except on some sort of undercover mission), nor will he continue an association with someone who consistently offends his moral code. A Witchknight may accept only henchmen, followers, or cohorts who are chaotic good.

WITCHKNIGHTS IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is perceived in the world and how he interacts with the world.

Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.

Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).

Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

WITCHKNIGHT IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.

Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.

Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.

EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.

Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions[/QUOTE]

http://img252.imageshack.us/img252/5021/10075142a3.jpg

Arcane_Snowman
2009-10-21, 09:18 PM
Soulfuser
*** Work in Progress ***
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e316/Neraagile/ModifiedTitan.png

”I am Savnok, the Instigator, and I am free at last. Prepare to meet your doom.” – Tareem, after having soulfused with Savnok, the Instigator.

Pact magic, the art of calling upon entities that have transcended life, death and even unlife, its practitioners condemned as heretics for associating with what should never have been. And meldshaping, the manipulation of the forces of the soul itself, distilling it into an embodiment of raw alignment. A soulfuser combines these two arts into one, doing more than forging a minor pact with a vestige; through essentia, they become the embodiment of their strange benefactors.

BECOMING A SOULFUSER
Both incarnates and totemists find it simple to become a soulfuser, as it they require 2 levels as well as 2 levels of binder to meet the meldshaping and binding prerequisites. Few soulborn venture into this prestige class as the soulmeld requirements are difficult for them to meet (they require 8th level to meet the binding requirement).
As with all meldshapers, Constitution is an important ability, as it determines the amount of soulmelds you can shape as well as making up for the low hit dice. Wisdom is useful if you use any soulmeld that requires a save, but can be foregone in favor of more direct applications of your soulmelds. Charisma is perhaps the most important ability (second only to Constitution) as it increases the chance of making a good pact and increases the DC for any of your soulfuse vestige abilities. Depending on your approach to combat, Strength or Dexterity is also vital.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Concentration 8, Knowledge (Arcana) 8,
Soulmelding: Ability to shape three soulmelds; ability to bind a soulmeld to a chakra.
Special: Pact Augmentation class feature.

Class Skills
The Soulfuser’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Meldshaping

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Incarnum pact 1, soul binding +1|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Soul binding +2, soulfuse vestige (2nd)|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+3|Soul binding +3|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Chakra binds (crown, feet, hands), soul binding +4|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

5th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Soul binding +5, soulfuse vestige (3rd)|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

6th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Soul binding +6|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

7th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Incarnum pact 2, soul binding +7|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

8th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
+6|Soul binding +8, soulfuse vestige (4th)|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

9th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
+6| Chakra binds (arms, brow, shoulder), soul binding +9|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class

10th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Soul binding +10, soulfused avatar|+1 Existing Meldshaping Class [/table]

As a soulfuser, you learn to not only meldshape and bind at the same time, but to combine the two arts into one, as you progress through as a soulfuser, you become increasingly more proficient at integrating vestiges into your soulmelds, this art is called soulfusing, an art that once mastered, will make you a walking vestige.

Weapon Proficiencies: A soulfuser gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Meldshaping: At each soulfuser level, you increase your meldshaper level, the number of soulmelds you can shape, the number of chakra binds you can create, and your essential pool as if you had gained a level in a meldshaping class to which you belonged prior to gaining the soulfuser level. You do not, however, gain any other abilities of that class, such as new tiers of chakra binds. If you had more than one meldshaping class before becoming a soulfuser, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining your essentia pool, meldshaper level, and the number of soulmelds and chakra binds available.

Soul Binding Bonus: At each soulfuser level, your soul binding ability improves as if you had also gained a level in the binder class. Your soulfuser levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of your vestige-granted abilities, your ability to bind higher-level vestiges, and the number of vestiges you can bind. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained.

Incarnum Pact (Su): Because of their capabilities to mold essentia, soulfusers are known to provide vestiges with more control, more sensations, than a normal binder, giving them a small bargaining chip when trying to make a pact. Beginning at 1st level, once per day, at the same time that you shape your soulmelds and make your pacts, you can invest 1 essentia into a single vestige; this grants you a +1 bonus on all binder checks with that vestige. As long as you have that vestige bound to you, you gain the benefit of an additional pact augmentation for each essentia invested in this ability, chosen when you bind the vestige.
At 7th level, you can invest up to 2 points of essentia into a vestige.

Soulfuse Vestige (Su): With their talent for manipulating essentia, soulfusers can infuse a vestige directly into their own essentia, making the vestige a part of himself and making himself and extension of the vestige. Starting at 2nd level, at the beginning of the day, when the soulfuser is calling upon his vestiges and shaping his soulmelds for the day, a soulfuser chose to infuse himself with a vestige of 2nd level or lower. It requires the standard binding procedures, but you cannot soulfuse a vestige that you have a bad pact with, it takes up a one of your allotted vestiges, as well as the soul slot on your body, as if it were a soulmeld, you cannot however, bind it to a chakra. Because of the link that you share with the vestige, you cannot suppress the sign that you have the vestige bound to you, and you are under the influence of the vestige, even though you have a good pact, likewise when you would try to ignore the vestiges influence you must succeed on a Will save DC 10 + 1/2 class level + vestiges level to not be compelled to do so anyway, success means you are free to chose, but ignoring the influence grants the soulfuser a -1 penalty on attack rolls, saves, and checks until the vestige leaves.
At 5th level you can soulfuse a vestige of 3rd level or lower, and at 8th, you can soulfuse with a vestige of 4th level or lower.

Soulfused Avatar (Su): Having perfected the art of soulfusing, the soulfuser can now tether a vestige to his own soul. At 10th level, you can chose to bind a vestige that you have already soulfused with to your soul chakra, even though you have not opened that particular chakra yet, in addition to the normal costs of soulfusing with a vestige, you must use 2 of your chakra binds to become a soulfused avatar. If you later open the soul chakra, the cost of binding the vestige to your soul chakra is reduced to 1 chakra bind.

PLAYING A SOULFUSER
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

SOULFUSER IN THE WORLD
"I have fought Tareem, once, his connection with Savnok is astounding. At times, I would even dare say that he is Savnok. I still don't know, whether to admire, or fear such capabilities." - Morden, dwarf binder.

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

SOULFUSER IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init: +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages:
------------------------------------------------
AC: , touch , flat-footed ()
HP: ( HD)
Fort: +, Ref: +, Will: +
------------------------------------------------
Speed: ft. ( squares)
Melee:
Base Attack +, Grapple: +
Attack Options:
Combat Gear:
Spells Prepared:
Supernatural Abilities:
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities: Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
Special Qualities:
Feats:
Skills:
Possessions:

PairO'Dice Lost
2009-10-28, 06:10 PM
Tripartite Mentalist

Superego, ego, and id—three disparate parts of the psyche, yet three parts of a whole, and most powerful when used in concert.

The psion nurtures the superego, and strives for perfection in the arts of the mind. The wilder gives in to the id, manifesting psychic power through sheer passion. The soulknife harnesses the ego, using psychic power solely as a means to an end. The Tripartite Mentalist is a rather unique individual, one who has dabbled with all three of these paths and realized that these distinctions are more of a hindrance than anything else. Why focus one part of your mind on a goal when you can unify your entire mind in the pursuit of psionic power?

Becoming a Tripartite Mentalist
Becoming a Tripartite Mentalist is quite simple: possess the psion's art, the wilder's talent, and the soulknife's training, and you're more than half-way there.

Prerequisites
Skills: Psicraft 8 ranks, Autohypnosis 8 ranks
Feats: Any one metapsionic feat
Manifesting: Ability to manifest 2nd-level powers
Class Ability: Discipline Focus
Class Ability: Elude Touch
Class Ability: Throw Mind Blade

Class Skills
The Tripartite Mentalist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Knowledge (psionics) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int) and Spot (Wis).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d6

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Psion Manifesting|Wilder Manifesting
1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Triple Threat|+1 level|—
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Multifaceted Personality|+1 level|+1 level
3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Distributed Psyche|—|+1 level
7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
8th|
+6|
+2|
+6|
+6|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
9th|
+6|
+3|
+6|
+6|Tripartite Unity|+1 level|+1 level
10th|
+7|
+3|
+7|
+7|Meeting of the Minds|+1 level|+1 level[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies
A Tripartite Mentalist does not gain any proficiencies with weapons or armor.

Triple Threat
A Tripartite Mentalist adds his class level to his psion, wilder, and soulknife class levels to determine the acquisition and power of the Bonus Feat, Wild Surge, and Psychic Strike class features, respectively. For instance, a psion 1/wilder 4/soulknife 2/tripartite mentalist 4 gains a bonus psionic feat as if he were a 5th-level psion, has Wild Surge +3 as if he were an 8th-level wilder, and deals +1d8 Psychic Strike damage as if he were a 6th-level soulknife.

Multifaceted Personality
At 2nd level, the Tripartite Mentalist gains Psicrystal Affinity as a bonus feat; if he already possesses this feat, he may instead gain any [Psionic] feat whose prerequisites he meets.

A Tripartite Mentalist gains more benefit from a psicrystal than most manifesters. His psicrystal has three personalities rather than one, and any ability that would let him add one personality to his psicrystal instead add three. The Tripartite Mentalist's effective level for the purposes of psicrystal benefits is the sum of his levels in psion, wilder, soulknife, and Tripartite Mentalist.

Tripartite Unity
This ability, from which the Tripartite Mentalist derives its name, allows him to draw on one part of his psyche to reinforce the other two. At the levels indicated on the table, the Tripartite Mentalist gains one of the following abilities of his choice:

Wild Focus: While the Tripartite Mentalist is under the effects of Surging Euphoria, he adds its bonus as a morale bonus to the save DCs of powers from his chosen discipline until the start of his next turn.

Wild Strike: While Whenever the Tripartite Mentalist wild surges, he increases the critical threat range of his mind blade by 1 for every +1 manifester level added by the surge until the start of his next turn.

Focused Surge: Whenever the Tripartite Mentalist wild surges to manifest a power from his chosen discipline and the power fails to affect his target (does not penetrate PR, target makes the saving throw, etc.) he does not lose any power points from psychic enervation.

Focused Strike: Whenever the Tripartite Mentalist manifests a power from his chosen discipline, his Psychic Strike class feature is automatically charged without requiring an action on his part.

Psychic Focus: If the Tripartite Mentalist manifests a power affected by a metapsionic feat, he may expend his Psychic Strike class feature to power it instead of expending his psionic focus.

Psychic Surge: If the Tripartite Mentalist scores a critical hit with his mind blade, the next power he manifests before the start of his next turn is automatically wild surged without a chance for Psychic Enervation.

Distributed Psyche
Sometimes the most efficient use of mental power is to distribute it among the three portions of the mind, rather than simply combining their mental energies. Whenever the Tripartite Mentalist becomes psionically focused, roll 1d6; in addition to the normal benefits of holding and expending a psionic focus, the Tripartite Mentalist gains the indicated benefit until the focus is expended.

1-2: The psionic focus is held solely by the id; the Tripartite Mentalist's chance for psychic enervation is decreased by 5% while he holds this focus, and he can expend it to “take 15” on any single skill check using a wilder class skill.

3-4: The psionic focus is held solely by the ego; the Tripartite Mentalist is treated as if the enhancement bonus of his mind blade were +2 higher while he holds this focus, and he can expend it to “take 15” on any single skill check using a soulknife class skill.

5-6: The psionic focus is held solely by the superego; the Tripartite Mentalist increases his manifester level for the purposes of penetrating PR by +2 when manifesting powers from his chosen discipline while he holds this focus, and he can expend it to “take 15” on any single skill check using a discipline class skill.

Meeting of the Minds
At 10th level, the Tripartite Mentalist can merge, separate, and rearrange portions of his mind as easily as a gambler shuffles cards; at a moment's notice, he can focus every iota of his mental power to a single purpose. Three times per day, the Tripartite Mentalist may enter a state of perfect focus. While in this state, he gains three benefits:
He treats all powers known as belonging to his favored discipline.
He is constantly wild surging, with no chance for psychic enervation.
When he makes an attack with his mind blade, he may spend power points to add an enhancement bonus to damage with the attack on a 1-for-1 basis (1 PP = +1 damage).
This state lasts for a number of rounds equal to the sum of his Intelligence and Charisma modifiers; when it ends, the Tripartite Mentalist is mentally drained (can't wild surge, can't gain or expend psionic focus, can't charge a psychic strike) for an equal number of rounds.


Playing a Tripartite Mentalist
A Tripartite Mentalist plays similar to a cerebremancer or psychic theurge, combining the assets of its component classes for a varied playstyle. He is at his best when alternating melee combat and manifesting, since most of his class abilities involve fusing the two or gaining benefits in one from the other.
Combat: The Tripartite Mentalist is essentially a psionic gish—combining the potent manifesting of the psion and wilder with the combat ability of the soulknife allows the Tripartite Mentalist to mix it up in combat while buffed or sit back and support (or blast) from the back lines with ease.
Advancement: Essentially any psionic prestige class can be added to the Tripartite Mentalist's progression and it will work out well for him. Since the Tripartite Mentalist constantly advances certain class features of its base classes, simply continuiing in psion, wilder, or soulknife for the last few levels is a viable option.
Resources: Tripartite Mentalists aren't inherently part of any organization, and often tend to be the “loner on the mountaintops seeking enlightenment” types, but they can benefit from any contacts any other psionic characters could.


Tripartite Mentalists in the Game
The Tripartite Mentalist affects the game about as much as other multiple-progression PrCs—namely, not really that much more than their component classes—so if psionics are already in your game, adding this PrC doesn't change much. The class abilities are towards the higher end of the power scale, but given the steep entry requirements (“Triple classing? Are you nuts, Dice?”) they shouldn't overpower characters.

Xallace
2009-10-28, 09:41 PM
THE PRIMAL CATALYST

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGH!"

You have heard the primal scream, the noise before sound, the words before language, the howl that echoed across creation before there were ears to hear it. This sound still echoes throughout your very self as a meaning, a concept without form or description. It's almost dormant, a low white noise that only you can hear; but when you are enraged, the sound grows to a thundering roar. When you speak, astute listeners can hear your voice echo with an otherwordly energy.

BECOMING A PRIMAL CATALYST

Nearly all Primal Catalysts are Barbarians who multiclassed into Truenamer in an attempt discover the secrets of the primal sound.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Attack Bonus:+10
Skills: Truespeak 6 ranks
Special: Ability to use 1st-level utterances
Special: Ability to Rage

Class Skills
The Primal Catalyst's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Survival (Wis), Truespeak (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level |BAB |Fort |Ref |Will |Class Features |Spells Per Day
1 |+1 |+0 |+0 |+2 |Primal Scream, Forceful Annunciation|+1 Existing Spell Progression
2 |+2 |+0 |+0 |+3 |Howl of the Green Spirits, Cocoon of the Creator Spirit|+1 Existing Spell Progression
3 |+3 |+1 |+1 |+3 |Howl of the Stone Spirits, Emergence of the Creator Spirit|+1 Existing Spell Progression
4 |+4 |+1 |+1 |+4 |Howl of the Animal Spirits, Freedom of the Creator Spirit|+1 Existing Spell Progression
5 |+5 |+1 |+1 |+4 |Howl of the World Spirit, Living Creator|+1 Existing Spell Progression
[/table]
Rage: Your Primal Catalyst levels stack with your Barbarian levels for the purpose of determing the strength and daily uses of your Rage.

Existing Spell Progression: At each indicated level, you gain new Utterances and access to new lexicons as though you had continued taking levels in whatever class granted you the ability to cast Utterances. You gain no other abilities you would gain from taking levels in that class.

Primal Scream (Su): The scream resonates through your form, a barrage of meaning and concept amalgamated into a single sound. While it usually amounts to little more than white noise that you can hear only in silence, your outbursts of emotional energy draw the scream to the surface. The howl fills your ears when you rage, deafening you to the distractions of the outside world. Your words twist into animalistic cries when you try to speak. But in this maelstrom of sound and frenzy, you find yourself more capable of plucking pure concept from the torrent.
While raging, you become immune to being deafened. You can make Truespeak checks and gain a bonus to Truespeak checks equal to twice your class level while raging. Finally, you can choose to deal 1d6 points of sonic damage per class level when you affect a creature with an Utterance.

Forceful Annunciation (Ex): You can choose to use your Charisma modifier to modify your Truespeak checks, rather than your Intelligence modifier.

Howl of the Green Spirits (Su): Every idea, every possibility and concept for flora exists in a single sound. Everything that makes the plant life of the world what it is can be summed up in a single syllable. You can howl that syllable, that sound that has not been heard since the dawn of time. When you do, the greenery around you seems to shutter and shake, grow and flourish, drink in the power. A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can reproduce any of the following spells as a supenatural ability: Plant Growth, Animate Plants, Entangle. Your caster level is equal to your ranks in Truespeak.

Cocoon of the Creator Spirit (Ex): As your connection to the genesis of all creation grows, you begin a transformation into a being worthy of wielding such power. At 2nd level, your soul swells and strengthens, a seed of something more than divine being planted there. You become immune to death effects. While raging, you are immune to energy drain, ability score damage, and ability score drain.

Howl of the Stone Spirits (Su): The stones of the world sing with the word of their creation, and you can now distinguish that song from the rest of the spirits. A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can reproduce any of the following spells as a supenatural ability: Stone Shape, Meld into Stone, Stone Tell. You need no material components for these abilities. Your caster level is equal to your ranks in Truespeak.

Emergence of the Creator Spirit (Ex): At 3rd level, your body follows your soul in the transformation into primal spirit. Your type changes to fey, and you cease aging. You gain sonic resistance 10 and you deal an additional 1d8 points of sonic damage with each successful melee attack.

Howl of the Animal Spirits (Su): The beasts of the earth know the song of their creation, and so too do you. A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can reproduce any of the following spells as a supenatural ability: Animal Growth, Summon Nature's Ally V, Animal Trance (HD limit equal to your ranks in Truespeak). You need no material components for these abilities. Your caster level is equal to your ranks in Truespeak.

Freedom of the Creator Spirit (Ex): Your ascent to spirit almost complete, you begin to shed your earthly form and free yourself from mortal life. You gain a +5 bonus on Truespeak checks to use an Utterance on yourself.

Howl of the World Spirit (Su): The howl of all creation rages through you, echoing between the genesis of spirits and your earthly body. You can bring new life to the world, just as your progenitors did. A number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, you can reproduce any of the following spells as a supenatural ability: Genesis, Major Creation. You need no material components for these abilities. Your caster level is equal to your ranks in Truespeak.

Living Creator (Ex): You shed your physical self and become one with the primal sound. You can become incorporeal at will, as a swift action. While incorporeal, and creature that moves through your space takes 2d10 points of Sonic damage and is deafened for one minute. Any creatures that move adjacent to you take 1d8 points of sonic damage and are deafened for one round. Your incorporeal nature can be suppressed by magical zones of silence.

PLAYING A PRIMAL CATALYST
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

PRIMAL CATALYSTS IN THE WORLD
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Daily Life:
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

PRIMAL CATALYSTS IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.

ErrantX
2009-10-29, 07:19 AM
Voting Thread is up! (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7213417)

-X

ErrantX
2009-11-10, 11:33 AM
And the winner is...

Djinn_In_Tonic's Warden of the Hedge!

Congrats Djinn!

-X