Eleven
2010-02-17, 01:31 AM
Alright, here's the deal. I've got a nice concept for a class, and I've got it laid out nicely, but I am absolutely horrendous at balancing things and, frankly, haven't got a vast amount of homebrew experience. So I'd like some help here. This is for a character in my personal campaign. Also, I'd like to note that this uses Kellus's redesigned system of Truenaming (found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=90961)), because its beautiful and works well.
DREAD SPEAKER
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cd_gallery/81410.jpg
"The horror, the horror!" Kurtz, dying words
Little is known of the Far Realms. We can be sure that they are as antithetical to the multiverse as possible. Where the planes offer possibility and existence, the Far Realms are a place of the impossible and the nonexistent. It is a place where logic and reason annihilate themselves. Needless to say, a being from Reality who traversed the Far Realms would have their sanity, if not their whole being, torn to shreds. There are some though, who make the journey, and converse with the impossible. The Dread Speaker has faced the madness, and their words pierce the soul.
BECOMING A DREAD SPEAKER
The Dread Speaker is what remains after a Truenamer walks unbound within the Far Realms and speaks the twisted tongue of those lands. Their sanity is barely intact, and their tracks are haunted by the ghosts of the void.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Truenaming: Able to cast 4th level Utterances.
Will Save: +6
Special: Must have travelled to the Far Realms and attempted communication with one of the natives.
Feats: Words of Creation (from BoED)
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (The Planes) 8 ranks
Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), and Truespeak (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Absolute Limit Increase at Each Level: 1 + Cha modifier.
Hit Dice: d4
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Truenaming
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Uncarnate Communication, Lost Names|
+1 level of existing class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Words of Unmaking (1d3), Sacrifice (Shredded Soul)|
+1 level of existing class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Dreaded Name|
+1 level of existing class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Sacrifice (Soundless Night)|
+1 level of existing class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Words of Unmaking (1d4)|
+1 level of existing class
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Sacrifice (Empty Heart)|
+1 level of existing class
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Black Tongue|
+1 level of existing class
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Sacrifice (Broken Mind)|
+1 level of existing class
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Words of Unmaking (1d6)|
+1 level of existing class
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Whisper|
+1 level of existing class[/table]
All of the following are class features of the Dread Speaker.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Dread Speaker gains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.
Uncarnate Communication (Ex): The Dread Speaker has the ability to communicate with Abberations and other beings of the Far Realms, including Aboleths, Mind Flayers, Elder Evils and Lovecraftian entities. This communication is in their natural language, and anyone within 30 ft without the ability to speak this language is Sickened (Fort save 10+Dread Speaker’s level+ Cha modifier).
Lost Names (Ex): The Dread Speaker does not treat any creature targeted by Uncarnate Communication as Nameless and can research their Truenames.
Words of Unmaking (Sp): A being’s Truename is inexplicably tied to their being and when the Dread Speaker targets their Truename, it is like matter meeting antimatter, and they are broken on the inside. Whenever the Dread Speaker uses an utterance against a being with a Truename, they are dealt damage to their total hit point total according to Table 1.1. This is untyped damage and does not heal naturally, although high level magic (Wish, Limited Wish, Restoration, Heal and Miracle) will heal it.
Sacrifice (Ex): As the influx of impossibility into the mind and words of the Dread Speaker becomes unbearable, they make personal sacrifices, gaining power as they do.
Shredded Soul: The Dread Speaker is infused with the energy of the Far Realms. They lose a facet of their alignment (i.e. a Chaotic Good character would be listed as Chaotic or Good), as a being unconnected with reality. Alignment checks simply do not function. Furthermore, the natural world abhors the Dread Speaker, and no animal will willingly come within 30 ft of the Speaker.
Soundless Night: The Dread Speaker, to avoid the torment of the twisted words they hear, must remove their ears. They are treated as deaf and fail Listen checks automatically. They are immune to effects based on sound and sonic effects. They can still be vocalised against. The Speaker has such a profoundly disturbing affect on those nearby that they may turn Animals or Humanoids as a Cleric of their Dread Speaker level 3/day.
Empty Heart: The Dread Speaker is further infused with the energy of the Far Realms. They lose the second facet of their alignment (i.e. a Chaotic character would be listed as Unaligned), as a being unconnected with reality. Alignment checks simply do not function. Furthermore, the Dread Speaker's eyes echo the madness they've witnessed. Anyone who meets their gaze must make a Will save (10+Dread Speaker’s level+ Cha modifier) or lose their action for the round.
Broken Mind: The Dread Speaker is totally insane, losing x points of Wisdom, and gaining x/2 to the absolute limit of their truenaming. Furthermore, the Speaker has such alien physiology that normal combat effects do not often harm them. This mimics 75% Fortification Armour.
Dreaded Name (Su): The Dread Speaker’s own name is sufficiently ravaged by the dread language they speak, that few can say it without suffering its madness. Truespeaker’s who successfully vocalize against a Dread Speaker using an utterance suffer 1d4 wisdom damage. Other Dread Speaker's are immune to this effect.
Gibber(Sp): The Dread Speaker has a strange effect on the casters around them. Anyone casting a spell with a verbal component (or Truespeaking) within 80 ft must make a Will Save (DC is 10 + 1/2 Dread Speaker's Class Level + Cha Modifier) or act as if they are in a Wild Magic zone (DMG 149). This does not apply to Dread Speakers themselves, and is suppressible at will as a free action.
Whisper (Su): In a single, twisted word, the Dread Speaker can unleash all the strange madness of the shadowy depths of the Far Realms. This can manifest several effects.
This can fill the target's mind with so much impossibility that they can not process thought. Three times a day they can use this power, acting as a Power Word Stun as an SLA (with caster level equal to their Truenaming level).
This can permanently crush the mind of a foe. Once a day they can use Syllable of Death with automatic success.
Finally, once a day, the Dread Speaker can speak the name of anyone around and warp their form with the energy of the Far Realms. The victim must make a Fort save (DC 10+1/2 Dread Speaker's Class Level+Cha Modifier) or take the Pseudonatural Template (Manual of the Planes version)
DREAD SPEAKER
http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/cd_gallery/81410.jpg
"The horror, the horror!" Kurtz, dying words
Little is known of the Far Realms. We can be sure that they are as antithetical to the multiverse as possible. Where the planes offer possibility and existence, the Far Realms are a place of the impossible and the nonexistent. It is a place where logic and reason annihilate themselves. Needless to say, a being from Reality who traversed the Far Realms would have their sanity, if not their whole being, torn to shreds. There are some though, who make the journey, and converse with the impossible. The Dread Speaker has faced the madness, and their words pierce the soul.
BECOMING A DREAD SPEAKER
The Dread Speaker is what remains after a Truenamer walks unbound within the Far Realms and speaks the twisted tongue of those lands. Their sanity is barely intact, and their tracks are haunted by the ghosts of the void.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Truenaming: Able to cast 4th level Utterances.
Will Save: +6
Special: Must have travelled to the Far Realms and attempted communication with one of the natives.
Feats: Words of Creation (from BoED)
Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (The Planes) 8 ranks
Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Perform (oratory) (Cha), Speak Language (n/a), and Truespeak (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier
Absolute Limit Increase at Each Level: 1 + Cha modifier.
Hit Dice: d4
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Truenaming
1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Uncarnate Communication, Lost Names|
+1 level of existing class
2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Words of Unmaking (1d3), Sacrifice (Shredded Soul)|
+1 level of existing class
3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Dreaded Name|
+1 level of existing class
4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Sacrifice (Soundless Night)|
+1 level of existing class
5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Words of Unmaking (1d4)|
+1 level of existing class
6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Sacrifice (Empty Heart)|
+1 level of existing class
7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Black Tongue|
+1 level of existing class
8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Sacrifice (Broken Mind)|
+1 level of existing class
9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Words of Unmaking (1d6)|
+1 level of existing class
10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Whisper|
+1 level of existing class[/table]
All of the following are class features of the Dread Speaker.
Weapon Proficiencies: A Dread Speaker gains no additional weapon or armour proficiencies.
Uncarnate Communication (Ex): The Dread Speaker has the ability to communicate with Abberations and other beings of the Far Realms, including Aboleths, Mind Flayers, Elder Evils and Lovecraftian entities. This communication is in their natural language, and anyone within 30 ft without the ability to speak this language is Sickened (Fort save 10+Dread Speaker’s level+ Cha modifier).
Lost Names (Ex): The Dread Speaker does not treat any creature targeted by Uncarnate Communication as Nameless and can research their Truenames.
Words of Unmaking (Sp): A being’s Truename is inexplicably tied to their being and when the Dread Speaker targets their Truename, it is like matter meeting antimatter, and they are broken on the inside. Whenever the Dread Speaker uses an utterance against a being with a Truename, they are dealt damage to their total hit point total according to Table 1.1. This is untyped damage and does not heal naturally, although high level magic (Wish, Limited Wish, Restoration, Heal and Miracle) will heal it.
Sacrifice (Ex): As the influx of impossibility into the mind and words of the Dread Speaker becomes unbearable, they make personal sacrifices, gaining power as they do.
Shredded Soul: The Dread Speaker is infused with the energy of the Far Realms. They lose a facet of their alignment (i.e. a Chaotic Good character would be listed as Chaotic or Good), as a being unconnected with reality. Alignment checks simply do not function. Furthermore, the natural world abhors the Dread Speaker, and no animal will willingly come within 30 ft of the Speaker.
Soundless Night: The Dread Speaker, to avoid the torment of the twisted words they hear, must remove their ears. They are treated as deaf and fail Listen checks automatically. They are immune to effects based on sound and sonic effects. They can still be vocalised against. The Speaker has such a profoundly disturbing affect on those nearby that they may turn Animals or Humanoids as a Cleric of their Dread Speaker level 3/day.
Empty Heart: The Dread Speaker is further infused with the energy of the Far Realms. They lose the second facet of their alignment (i.e. a Chaotic character would be listed as Unaligned), as a being unconnected with reality. Alignment checks simply do not function. Furthermore, the Dread Speaker's eyes echo the madness they've witnessed. Anyone who meets their gaze must make a Will save (10+Dread Speaker’s level+ Cha modifier) or lose their action for the round.
Broken Mind: The Dread Speaker is totally insane, losing x points of Wisdom, and gaining x/2 to the absolute limit of their truenaming. Furthermore, the Speaker has such alien physiology that normal combat effects do not often harm them. This mimics 75% Fortification Armour.
Dreaded Name (Su): The Dread Speaker’s own name is sufficiently ravaged by the dread language they speak, that few can say it without suffering its madness. Truespeaker’s who successfully vocalize against a Dread Speaker using an utterance suffer 1d4 wisdom damage. Other Dread Speaker's are immune to this effect.
Gibber(Sp): The Dread Speaker has a strange effect on the casters around them. Anyone casting a spell with a verbal component (or Truespeaking) within 80 ft must make a Will Save (DC is 10 + 1/2 Dread Speaker's Class Level + Cha Modifier) or act as if they are in a Wild Magic zone (DMG 149). This does not apply to Dread Speakers themselves, and is suppressible at will as a free action.
Whisper (Su): In a single, twisted word, the Dread Speaker can unleash all the strange madness of the shadowy depths of the Far Realms. This can manifest several effects.
This can fill the target's mind with so much impossibility that they can not process thought. Three times a day they can use this power, acting as a Power Word Stun as an SLA (with caster level equal to their Truenaming level).
This can permanently crush the mind of a foe. Once a day they can use Syllable of Death with automatic success.
Finally, once a day, the Dread Speaker can speak the name of anyone around and warp their form with the energy of the Far Realms. The victim must make a Fort save (DC 10+1/2 Dread Speaker's Class Level+Cha Modifier) or take the Pseudonatural Template (Manual of the Planes version)