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TheLonelyScribe
2010-05-30, 12:30 PM
Welcome, stranger!

This is my concept, a 3.5 campaign world based upon Eberron, but with a few key changes:

First, the houses will be replaced by 7 houses, each representing a school of magic. If I was using wizards, they would each specialise in their house's school of magic, but I'm not, see below.

Second, all spellcasters are mad, crazy, loony, batty, off their rocker etc. The power to which they have been exposed has corrupted their minds. This doesn't express itself in game terms, but is simply a matter of flavour. It doesn't even mean a chaotic alignment, as people can obsessively follow the law and get bound in chains of obedience created by their own minds. The only magical classes that do not experience this madness are psionic classes, divine casters (see below), and half-casters like rangers and paladins.

Third, souls, religion and the afterlife work differently. There are no gods, and everybody accepts this. However, that doesn't stop people worshipping things like demon princes, Archdevils, powerful celestials, great wyrm dragons, primal elementals and the like. Divine spellcasters, to be detailed later, draw their spells from these powerful (but not godly) creatures.
Souls are much less important to who a person is than in core D&D. When a creature dies, it's soul is recycled into the closest thing being born (including undead, warforged and sentient magical items, but not including normal constructs). Raising a creature can be done with any soul, and any spellcaster can perform the feat with a DC 37 spellcraft check, receiving a +1 bonus per 5,000 GP of diamonds on hand (basically the same effect of a Raise Dead spell, if they beat the DC by 5 it's like a Resurrection spell, and if they beat it by 10 it's like a True Resurrection spell). This requires a creature with a soul (including undead, warforged and sentient magical items, but not other constructs) to be killed during the ritual. However, if the creature does not have the original soul the recipient of the raise dead attempt had when it was alive, the creature raised retains all memories, but it feels removed from it's past life and has a slightly different personality. To have the same personality as the original creature the correct soul must be found, and taken from it's current owner.

Fourth, there are no hard-and-fast alignments. Instead, a creature has a set of plainly stated beliefs, eg. children come first, elves must die and royal authority must be overthrown. Detect (alignment) spells and smite (alignment) abilities become Detect Opposed Views and Smite Opposed Creature. For the example above, presuming the creature is a kobold, anyone with any of the following beliefs would be eligible: children are not important, kobolds (including their children) must die, elves are amazing, elves must be preserved, royalty are our rightful rulers, I must protect the heir to the throne, kings are awesome etc. etc.

Finally, other than divine casters (who are spontaneous) and artificers, there is no vancian magic. The most common spellcasters are those who this thread is dedicated to, the Casters of the Seven Houses. They are going to be mechanically based on the warlock, and will have at least slightly madness-themed (or at least madness-compatible) abilities. The first seven will be based on one school each, but there will be 21 other possible combinations of schools, and classes can be created from any two school combinations. I will begin with the Grand Oracular, but, after I've done that, I would greatly appreciate if it was PEACHed and if others could contribute with more base classes/prestige classes/invocations. Be creative!

Grand Oracular and divine casting class to be created some time in the next week, probably sooner rather than later. I already have quite a few ideas.

TheLonelyScribe
2010-05-31, 03:16 AM
O.K, this is how the divine caster goes:

Almost exactly like the Favoured Soul. See the class from complete divine here (http://www.scribd.com/doc/28433254/Complete-Divine). However, there are some changes. The energy resistance is decided by the creature she worships, usually anything but the kind of damage it deals, so a red dragon might grant resistance to cold, acid and electricity but not fire. The wings appear similar to the creature's worshipped, eg. red dragon wings from a red dragon, firey wings from a firey elemental, slimy, decaying bat wings from a demon of decay. The damage resistance is bypassed by one energy type of the creature's choosing, usually the type that the patron deals.

Spells are drawn from a spell list that the patron has chosen. These are usually slightly more powerful than a normal divine spell list. Each time the favoured soul touches her patron she may choose a different selection of spells to know. In return for this increased power and versatility, a favoured soul has two less spells known per level than the number shown on the table in complete divine.

Example spell list:

Great Wyrm Red Dragon
Spells in Red from Draconomicon, others from PHB.

0 Level: Daze, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Disrupt Undead, Flare, Guidance, Inflict Minor Wounds, Light, Mending, Read Magic, Resistance, Virtue + a version of Ray of Frost that instead deals fire damage

Level 1: Bane, Bless, Burning Hands, Cause Fear, Colour Spray, Command, Deathwatch, Detect Opposed Views, Detect Undead, Disguise Self, Divine Favour, Doom, Endure Elements, Enlarge Person, Feather Fall, Inflict Light Wounds, Jump, Magic Stone, Magic Weapon, Protection from Opposed Views, Cheat

Level 2: Aid, Augury, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, Continual Flame, Darkness, Daze Monster, Death Knell, Delay Poison, Enthrall, Flaming Sphere, Hold Person, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Levitate, Locate Object, Owl's Wisdom, Produce Flame, Pyrotechnics, Resist Energy, Restoration (Lesser), Scare, Scorching Ray, Shatter, Spider Climb, Spiritual Weapon, Status, Undetectable Views, Entice Gift

Level 3: Arcane Sight, Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Daylight, Deeper Darkness, Explosive Runes, Fireball, Fly, Hold Person, Inflict Serious Wounds, Magic Circle against Opposed Views, Obscure Object, Prayer, Protection from Energy, Rage, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Searing Light, Speak with Dead, Suggestion, Water Walk, Miser's Envy, Dragon Breath (Fire Cone only), Dragonskin

Level 4: Animate Dead, Confusion, Death Ward, Dimensional Anchor, Dismissal, Divination, Divine Power, Fire Shield, Fire Trap, Freedom of Movement, Imbue with Spell Ability, Inflict Critical Wounds, Locate Creature, Rainbow Pattern, Restoration, Sending, Spell Immunity, Wall of Fire, Voice of the Dragon

Level 5: Blight, Break Enchantment, Command (Greater), Dominate Person, Dispel Opposed Views, Disrupting Weapon, Flame Strike, Hold Monster, Inflict Light Wounds (Mass), Mark of Justice, Righteous Might, Slay Living, Spell Resistance, Teleport, True Seeing, Lesser Dragon Ally (Red only), Draconinc Might, Dragonsight, Flight of the Dragon

Level 6: Banishment, Bear's Endurance (Mass), Bull's Strength (Mass), Create Undead, Dispel Magic (Greater), Find the Path, Fire Seeds, Forbiddance, Geas/Quest, Harm, Heal, Heroism (Greater), Heroes' Feast, Inflict Moderate Wounds (Mass), Legend Lore, Owl's Wisdom (Mass), Repulsion, Suggestion (Mass), Symbol of Fear, Symbol of Persuasion, Tenser's Transformation, Undeath to Death, Word of Recall

Level 7: Control Weather, Delayed Blast Fireball, Destruction, Drawmij's Instant Summons, Fire Storm, Hold Person (Mass), Inflict Serious Wounds (Mass), Limited Wish, Power Word Blind, Prismatic Spray, Refuge, Regenerate, Restoration (Greater), Sequester, Spell Turning, Symbol of Stunning, Symbol of Weakness, Teleport (Greater), Teleport Object, Vision, Energy Immunity, Dragon Ally (Red only)

Level 8: Antimagic Field, Antipathy, Binding, Create Greater Undead, Demand, Dimensional Lock, Discern Location, Earthquake, Incendiary Cloud, Inflict Critical Wounds (Mass), Prismatic Wall, Protection from Spells, Power Word Stun, Spell Immunity (Greater), Sunburst, Symbol of Death, Symbol of Insanity, Sympathy, Phantasmal Thief

Level 9: Dominate Monster, Freedom, Energy Drain, Heal (Mass), Hold Monster (Mass), Implosion, Imprisonment, Meteor Swarm, Miracle, Power Word Kill, Prismatic Sphere, Shapechange (Red Dragon only), Soul Bind, Storm of Vengeance, Teleportation Circle, Greater Dragon Ally (Red only)


New Epic Feat:

Worshipful Power [Epic]
Prerequisites: 20 HD, must be able to use a spell OR spell-like ability OR supernatural ability, Leadership, followers must worship you
Benefits: Followers and anyone else who worships you is able to gain spell from you if they have a level in Favoured Soul. You create a spell list, with your DM making sure you don't choose anything too powerful. This is the spell list your worshippers gain their spells from.This feat grants you no strict mechanical bonuses, but being a recognised semi-divine being is sure to get you places.

TheLonelyScribe
2010-06-01, 04:03 AM
The Grand Oracular

I have seen you. I have seen inside of you. I have seen your deepest fears, your most hidden memories and the terrible, terrible things that you have done. I have also seen your doom.

The Grand Oraculars originate from the Tower Guild of the Oracles, one of the great seven houses. They gain the ability to see through darkness and matter, and eventually overcome the visibility obstacle of time itself.

Abilities: Wisdom affects how hard the Oracular's invocations are to resist (those that target creatures, anyway). It also helps with their sensory skills, which is one of the main abilities of the Oracular. Constitution and Dexterity are always useful.

Role: The Oracular is an excellent ranged attacker, as he can see well even in darkness and poor visibility. They also do everything that your typical diviner wizard does.

Background: All Grand Oraculars have ascended the Guild Tower of the Oracles, and have touched the Great Eye. Because of this, very few Grand Oraculars are not part of the Tower Guild of Oracles.

Organization: The Tower Guild of Oracles, basically.

Alignment: Most Oraculars are true neutral, as that is the main alignment of the Tower Guild of Oracles. However, there are no alignment restrictions.

Races: All. Humans and Elves are usually attracted to the road of the Oracular in particular, though.

Other Classes: The Grand Oracular, whether he likes it or not, plays an important part in providing information to the rest of the party, so he has to keep on at least fairly good terms with them. They generally get along best with those who also have divination powers or who also excel at ranged attacks.

Adaptation: Pretty easily adapted, really, just take away some of the 'mad prophet' fluff.

Hit Die: d6

Starting Gold: As Warlock


Class Features

Class Skills: The Grand Oracular's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis) Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Unveilings Known

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Pierce the Veil, Unveiling (least)|1

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Detect Magic|2

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Augury 1/day|2

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Item Proficiency|3

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Augury 2/day|3

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|New Unveiling (least or lesser)|4

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Divination 1/day|4

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Thoughtsense|5

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Divination 2/day|5

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Improved Thoughtsense|6

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+3|
+7|Legend Lore 1/day, new unveiling (least, lesser or greater)|7

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Imbue Item|7

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Further Improved Thoughtsense|8

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+4|
+9|Legend Lore 2/day|8

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+9|Greater Scrying 1/day|9

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|New Unveiling (least, lesser, greater or true)|10

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Greater Scrying 2/day|10

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Prying Eye|11

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Foresight 1/day|11

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Foresight 2/day|12[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Oraculars are proficient with all simple weapons, the longbow and the shortbow. They are proficient with light armour but not with shields.
Because the somatic components required for Oracular Unveilings and spell-like abilities are relatively simple, a Oracular may use any of her Unveilings in light armour without suffering from spell failure. This does not apply when the Oracular is wearing medium or heavy armour, and does not apply to spells gained from other classes. All Oracular Unveilings and spell-like abilities have somatic components.

Unveilings: These work exactly like Warlock invocations, but are based on Wisdom, and are dawn from a different list (to be detailed below)

Pierce the Veil (Su): One of the signature abilities of the Grand Oracular, this is the ability to see where others can not. At 1st level a Grand Oracular gains 60ft Darkvision. If he already had darkvision he increases it's range by 60 feet. He can also see right through thin layers of non-stone, non-metal material, giving him double range of vision in poor visibility and meaning that most Oraculars go around with blindfolds over their eyes, just because they can. It also allows them to look through clothing, this may or may not be something you want to emphasise in your campaign.
At 3rd level the ability enhances. The Oracular may now penetrate one foot of wood, flesh or dirt, one inch of stone, or a thin layer of metal other than lead (so, gold dust no longer hides you, but otherwise metal is still useful against them). This allows them to see through sparse forests without limitations on range of vision. The range of their darkvision increases by 30ft.
At 5th level the ability enhances. The Oracular may now penetrate three feet of wood, flesh or dirt, one foot of stone, or an inch of metal other than lead. This allows them to see through medium forests without limitations on their range of vision. Their range of vision in poor visibility triples.
At 7th level they can see through 5 feet of wood, flesh or dirt, three feet of stone, a foot of metal other than lead or a thin sheet of lead. This doesn't enhance their Thoughtsense ability (see below). This allows them to see through dense forests without limitations on the range of their vision. The range of their darkvision increases by 30ft.
At 9th level they can see through 7 feet of wood, flesh or dirt, 5 feet of stone, three feet of metal other than lead or an inch of lead. They take half penalty to spot checks for distance. Their range of vision in poor visibility quadruples.
At 11th level they can see through 9 feet of wood, flesh or dirt, 7 feet of stone, 5 feet of metal other than lead or a foot of lead. The range of their darkvision increases by 30ft.
At 14th level they can see through 11 feet of wood, flesh or dirt, 9 feet of stone, 7 feet of metal other than lead or three feet of lead. Their range of vision in poor visibility is five times the normal amount.
At 17th level they can see through a limitless amount of wood, flesh or dirt, 11 feet of stone, 9 feet of metal other than lead or 5 feet of lead. The range of their darkvision increases by 30ft.
At 20th level they can see through a limitless amount of wood, flesh or dirt, a limitless amount of stone, 11 feet of metal other than lead or 7 feet of lead. They take no penalties for poor visibility. They can see 30ft into even magical darkness.

Detect Magic (Sp): The Oracular is familiar with the warp of magic around them, and can cast the spell Detect Magic at will as a spell-like ability.

Spell Name (Sp): The Oracular gains abilities that let him see into the future. These operate as the spells, but do not have XP or costly material components. Instead, they have foci worth twice the material component cost or five times the XP cost, whichever is higher.

Item Proficiency (Ex): The Oracular can veiw the warp and weave of magic around objects, and manipulate it easily. When they have Detect Magic active they can take 10 on Use Magic Device checks.

Thoughtsense (Su): An 8th level Oracular gains a basic sense of other creature's thoughts around them. They always gain the benefit of the first round of Detect Thoughts. They may actually concentrate for two rounds to gain the effects of the second round of the spell until they stop concentrating.
At 10th level they always gain the benefit of the second round of Detect Thoughts, and may concentrate for three round to gain the benefits of the third round.
At 13th level they always gain the benefit of the third round of Detect Thoughts.

Aracane Eye (Su): This ability acts exactly like the spell named, but for four things: it is a supernatural ability, only one eye can be created as a time, concentrating to use the eye is a swift action and, if the eye is destroyed, it reappears in your space on the next round.


Some Unveilings:

Least:

Unveil True Intent
Least; 1st
You atomatically have the Detect Opposed Views and the Detect Similar Views spells in effect on you for 24 hours. These behave just as the normal versions do.

Detect Emotional Subtleties
Least; 2nd
You gain a vague sense of how creatures feel and how to manipulate them. You gain a +6 bonus on Diplomacy, Intimidate and Sense Motive checks.

Unveil the Invisible
Lest; 2nd
You can detect even invisible objects and creatures, and can cause them to lose their invisibility. You gain the effects of the spell See Invisibility. Creatures and objects that you perceive with this ability must make an opposed Will save against you. If you succeed, they are no longer invisible. If you fail you can no longer see them through the use of this ability until you have rested for 6 hours.

Detect Nature
Least; 1st
You feel the auras of natural beings around you. This ability behaves as the spells Detect Vermin and Detect Plants and Animals, cast at the same time.

Sense the Unnatural
Least; 1st
This behaves exactly as the spell Detect Undead, but it works on aberrations as well as undead.

Detect Traps
Least; 2nd
As the spell Find Traps.

Unveil True Purpose
Least; 1st
As the spell Identify, but you need not use the material component. Instead, you lose the use of your Pierce the Veil ability and other invocations whilst using this invocation and for 1d4 hours thereafter.

Magic Comprehension
Least; 1st
As the spell Read Magic, but you can read 1 page of magic in 1 second, and you gain a +8 bonus on related spellcraft checks.

Lesser:

Unveil Lies
Lesser; 4th
You can tell when creatures are lying, and they pay dearly if they do not tell the truth. This functions as the spell Discern Lies, but, if you sense a creature lying with this ability they take 1d6 lethal damage from a horrible sensation of pain.

Unveil Location
Lesser; 4th
You may use both the Locate Object and Locate Creature spells.

Unveil Language
Lesser; 4th
As the spell Tongues, but it can work for creatures that don't have a language, as long as they have some way of communicating. It is only as effective as that way of communicating.


Greater

Unveil the True Aura
Greater; 6th
This ability functions exactly like the spell Analyse Dweomer, but it works on artefacts and there is no save to avoid its effects.

Extra Eyes
Greater; 5th
This ability functions exactly like the spell Prying Eyes, but you can only have one use of this spell active at a time and you can dismiss them and gain any information they gathered as a full round action without requiring them to be near you.

Nature Conversation
Greater; 6th
You may use the spells Speak with Animals, Speak with Plants and Stone Tell at will.

Direct Thoughts
Greater; 5th
Willing creatures within range of your Thoughtsense ability can now converse with each other telepathically as per the spell Telepathic Bond. This bond lasts for 5 rounds after you have turned your gaze away, and reinstates as soon as you look back.


True

Supernatural Knowledge
True; 6th
This Unveiling functions exactly like the spell Commune, but for the following alterations. You do not contact an otherworldly being, instead you tap into the fabric of the universe and attempt to gain knowledge through that. You can use this ability as a standard action, and it has no material or XP cost.

Unshakable Tail
True; 9th
This Unveiling allows you to use the spell Discern Location, and then, if that succeeds, you can use the spell Find the Path to get to that location.

All-Seeing Eyes
True; 8th
Exactly as the spell Greater Prying Eyes, but the range is instead anywhere on the material plane.

Unveil the Truth
True; 7th
You have a permanent True Seeing effect on you, as the spell. In addition, you can cause one other creature to see what you see as a standard action that fatigues you, this effect lasts for 15 minutes. If you are already fatigued you are exhausted, and if you are already exhausted you are knocked unconscious and are exhausted when you awake. If you somehow use this ability wile unconscious you die.

TheLonelyScribe
2010-06-01, 07:13 AM
Please PEACH! Also, some additional Unveilings could be useful if you're bored and in the mood for helping some random guy make a homebrew for his setting.