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Frozen_Feet
2009-11-07, 06:42 PM
This is something I came up with after listening Blind Guardian's Precious Jerusalem few too many times. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with the desire to play a peace-loving desert-themed cleric, and not remembering a pre-existing class filling that niche, I created this PrC instead. Yup, the ordinary cleric just doesn't do it for me.

Some of the abilities are barely described, and a class-specific spell list might be in place. However, before I get around myself to do something about it, you can take a look at the bare-bones of this class.

Prophet of the Sands

Description: Prophets of the Sand are holy men who become disillusioned with the violence of the world, and retreat to the barren deserts either to die or to get away from people they despise. However, instead of fading into obscurity some men find unearthly wisdom in delusions and mirages of the hot sands, and return to their people to spread the message of love, nonviolence and mutual respect. To win the hearts of people to their sides, they use their divine powers to create food and water, ever so sparse among desert dwellers, and speak words of wisdom to solve conflicts between warring tribes. However, the desert is a harsh place, and evil knows there is more to the prophets than just kind words and calmig appearance. Thus the mere presence of the more powerful prophets is enough to ward off hostile beings that have even a hint of self-preservation left...

Requirements:
Flaws: Noncombatant
Feats: Open Mind, Negotiator, Self-Sufficient
Domains: Must have the Sun domain and one other of the following: Good, Healing, Travel, Community, Liberation, Earth
Alignment: Any good

HD: d4
Class Skills (6+Int modifier per level): Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Survival (Wis), Profession (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha) Spellcraft (Int) and Sense Motive (Wis).
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The prophet gains no additional proficiencies.

{table=head]Level | Base Attack Bonus | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Spells |
1st | +0 | +0 | +0 | +2 | Creation Domain, Animal Companion, Turn Undead | +1 level of existing class |
2nd | +1 | +0 | +0 | +3 | Violence Solves Nothing | +1 level of existing class |
3rd | +1 | +1 | +1 | +3 | Find Oasis | +1 level of existing class |
4th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Wise Leadership | +1 level of existing class |
5th | +2 | +1 | +1 | +4 | Exhausting Magic, Desert Aegis | +1 level of existing class |
6th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Righteous Reflection | +1 level of existing class |
7th | +3 | +2 | +2 | +5 | Frightful Mirage | +1 level of existing class |
8th | +4 | +2 | +2 | +6 | Moment of Prescience | +1 level of existing class |
9th | +4 | +3 | +3 | +6 | Create Oasis | +1 level of existing class |
10th | +5 | +3 | +3 | +7 | Master of Sands | +1 level of existing class |[/table]

Code of Conduct:
The powers of the prophet stem from his determination to help and bring peace. Thus, he must actively try to benefit the common people around him, to promote nonviolence and seek peaceful solutions whevenever possible. If the prophet strays from this path for more than a week or does something completely contradictory, he's considered losing one prophet level for the purpose of his class features. He's considered losing one more for each additional misdeed or day spent astray. In order to recover lost abilities, the prophet must retreat to a desert and meditate for one day per each transgression.

Creation Domain:
The prophet gains access to the Creation domain as if he was a cleric of similar character level. He can spontaneously cast a Creation spell in place of a prepared spell of the same level.

Animal Companion (Ex):
When entering the class, the prophet gains an animal companion selected from the following list: Camel, Dromedary; Camel, Two-Humped; Camel, War; Horned Lizard; Jackal; Serval (Savannah Wildcat); and Vulture. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level prophet's companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As the prophet advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on the table. If the prophet releases her companion from service, he may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

Turn Undead (Su):
The prophet can Turn Undead as a cleric of similar level. This stacks with all other sources of turning.

Violence Solves Nothing (Ex & Su):
The prophet does not believe in aggression, and will avoid violent action whenever possible. He subtracts his prophet level from all melee and ranged attack rolls. However, as long as he is unarmed, he adds his wisdom modifier to his AC; if he hasn't yet personally attacked anyone in combat, this bonus is doubled. After reaching 4th class level, the prophet is constantly under the effect of Sanctuary spell; if he breaks or willingly suppresses it, the effect remanifests after one hour. The AC increase is treated as an extraordinary ability, where as the sanctuary effect is supernatural.

Find Oasis (Su):
When wandering in a desert, the prophet instinctively nows the location of the nearest oasis and can once per day teleport himself and a his allies to that location. This power is similar to Greater Teleport spell with caster level equal to the prophet's character level, with the expection that friendly creatures need not to touch the prophet, they only have to be within 30' range of him.

Wise Leadership (Ex):
The prophet is revered amongst his own people and followers gather around to hear his words. He gains the Leadership feat, but uses wisdom instead of charisma to determine his leadership score. If he already has the feat, he gains Epic Leadership instead.

Exhausting Magic:
While reluctant to kill living creatures, the prophet has no qualms wearing them down if hostile. He can easily make any offensive spells he knows deal nonlethal damage, and gains +4 bonus to all touch attacks (ranged and normal) as well as spell save DCs. The prophet retains the benefits of Violence Solves Nothing when using this ability in self-defence, ie. against an enemy who attacked and wounded him first.

Desert Aegis (Su):
At 5th level, the spirits of the desesrt surround the prophet to protect him from harm. This ability has several different effects. Firstly, whilst in a desert, the prophet gains full immunity to the effects of heat, drought, starvation and other environmental hazards. His body also becomes unaffected by sands of time: he will never die of old age, and as long as he remains in desert-like climate, he can ignore penalties from aging.

Secondly, the prophet becomes able to escape death by discorporating into peckles of dust. This acts like the psychokinetic power Fiery Discorporation, with the key element being sand instead of fire. The prophet can augment this power by causing one point of constitution burn on himself.

Righteous Reflection (Su):
Being a creature of peace, psionic energies and the magic of the world bend to punish any creature trying to harm the prophet. If he hasn't yet personally attacked anyone in combat, the prophet is under the effects of maximized Spell Turning and Reddopsi.

Frightful Mirage (Su):
While travelling in a desert, the prophet has the ability to ward off any evil creatures by conjuring an image of a mighty desert fortress and a celestial warband. Against all evil creatures and neutrals with hostile intentions, the prophet has Frightful Presence; this ability works even against creatures that are normally immune to fear, as long as they aren't completely mindless. The range for this ability is (20' * prophet's character level), the save DC is (15 + prophet's character level + his charisma modifier), the duration is d6 per class level and the effect is triggered simply by the presence of the prophet.

Moment of Prescience (Ex):
His time in the desert has made the prophet prone to flashes of extraordinary flashes of insight. Times per day equal to his wisdom modifier, he can duplicate the effects of the Moment of Prescience spell as an extraordinary ability.

Create Oasis (Su):
The prophet's body becomes a shelter for the seeds of various desert plant life. Spirits of unborn desert animals also flock around him, giving him the power to instill life in a barren location or demiplane created by the Genesis spell. The prophet can use this ability once per week to create a fertile oasis with a diameter of (100' * the prophet's class level). Using this ability costs 2,000 experience points.

Master of Sands (Su):
At 10th level, the prophet becomes one with the desert. A number of times per day equal to his wisdom modifier, the prophet may assume control of the terrain around him. This effect lasts for 1d4+1 rounds, during which the prophet can spontaneously cast any spell with the Earth descriptor in place of a prepared spell of that level.

The prophet can use this power outside desert environment, provided he is standing on sand or barren natural rock and there is abundance of similar materials nearby.

The Prophet's Animal Companion
{table=head]Class Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str/Dex adj. | Bonus Trick | Special |
1st - 2nd | +0 | +0 | +0 | 1 | Link, Share Spells |
3rd - 4th | +2 | +2 | +1 | 2 | Evasion |
5th - 6th | +4 | +4 | +2 | 3 | Devotion, Turn to Sand |
7th - 8th | +6 | +6 | +3 | 4 | Multiattack |
9th -10th | +8 | +8 | +4 | 5 | Improved Evasion|[/table]

Link, Share Spells, Evasion, Imp. Evasion, Devotion, Multiattack:
These funtion identically to a druidic companion's abilities.

Turn to Sand (Su):
The prophet's companion may escape death to the sands as well. This acts like the psychokinetic power Fiery Discorporation, with the key element being sand instead of fire.

Milskidasith
2009-11-07, 08:08 PM
A few things: One, the wording on the animal companion is a bit bad. By saying any animal in the desert... you are essentially allowing them to take, well, any animal. Including epics. Plus, you don't even mention the druid level required.

Furthermore, it's a bit weird. He gets a bonus to attacks when nonlethal, but it doesn't make up for the fact he loses all of his class abilities if he does so. It takes a ton of feats to get into this, and in exchange, you get a PrC that is... lackluster. While it is full casting, the abilities themselves are only OK, and that's even assuming an optimal desert environment. In a non desert enviornment, all it does is gimp yourself.

Debihuman
2009-11-08, 08:49 AM
Well here is the information from the SRD:



Animal Companion (Ex)
A druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level druid’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a druid advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on the table. If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

A druid of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals. Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s druid level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s druid level and compare the result with the druid level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the druid’s effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.)

I think you need to make up a list of suitable desert animals. Suitable desert animals from Sandstorm are: Camel, Dromedary; Camel, Two-Humped; Camel, War; Horned Lizard; Jackal; Serval (Savannah Wildcat); and Vulture.

Debby

Temotei
2009-11-09, 12:19 AM
I've got a few more nitpicks, but for now...
Don't have an ability requirement for a class. Nobody should be penalized for rolling badly during character creation.

Toliudar
2009-11-09, 07:08 PM
I second the nixing of the wisdom requirement. There are LOTS of requirements already for this PrC.

For the Find Oasis ability, you'll want to specify a maximum number of "all allies", especially since you're giving epic leadership as a possible feat. Perhaps "as if using a greater teleport spell, using the Prophet of the Sand's caster level"?

The only build I can actually picture working with this PrC would be a cloistered cleric summoner , in which the goal would be to never have to make an attack, but would be relying on minions to do so. I'm not sure how you're defining 'offensive action', as per your Violence Solves Nothing ability - would the bringing in of an earth elemental to bash in the desert hobgoblin's skull count as offensive action?

Frozen_Feet
2009-11-10, 12:48 PM
You've brought up good points. I'll edit in an update next saturday.



The only build I can actually picture working with this PrC would be a cloistered cleric summoner , in which the goal would be to never have to make an attack, but would be relying on minions to do so.
That's pretty much what I had in mind when creating the class. I might give it some new class features or perhaps feats to make it work for something else as well.


I'm not sure how you're defining 'offensive action', as per your Violence Solves Nothing ability - would the bringing in of an earth elemental to bash in the desert hobgoblin's skull count as offensive action?
I'll define more strictly as "personally attacking someone with a weapon or hostile spell", so summoning or buffing allies is allowed. Or/and I might add a clause that charming, exhausting magic and your animal companion defending you don't count as offensive.

Temotei
2009-11-10, 05:39 PM
You may have to change the descriptions of some abilities then, to say something along the lines of "The prophet of the sands doesn't believe in personal aggression, but sees when a situation warrants violence, so they will provide protection to allies and summon creatures to 'take care of business' for them."

Yeah. Something like that.

Frozen_Feet
2009-11-14, 05:21 AM
Okay, an update is up. Changes made:


The Wis requirement is gone
Added description and a table to Animal Companion. Still needs work. More suggestions for the companion list are welcome
Changed descriptions of Moment of Prescience and Master of Sands so they would be useful outside a desert as well.
Separated some effects of Master of Sands into 5th level feature, Desert Aegis.
Changed wording of Violence Solves Nothing and Righteous Reflection so they're clearer and more allowing.
Consequently, added a Code of Conduct to the class.

Narmy
2009-12-13, 05:10 AM
Looks good to me, I sort of skimmed, but it appeared fine.