master zzan
2010-06-30, 08:44 AM
i made this prestige class for one of my recurring high level enemies that the party i game for had to deal with. it's basically my best effort to fit in the campaign a "Shang Tsung" npc.
I'm sorry for any misspelling and the like in this work, English is not my native language.
The Soul Thief.
Requirements :
A Necromancer or spell focus (necromancy),ability to cast the arcane spell vampiric touch.
Special – must have killed (reduced to -10 h.p. or under) a live creature with over 20 h.p. with the vampiric touch spell.
Alignment: any non-good .(DM can change this to evil only)
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3447/soulthieftable.jpg
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, concentration, craft,diplomacy, disguise,intimidate, knowledge (arcane & religion), profession, spellcraft.
1st level :
Spellcasting: At each level, 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 an 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 arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Soul Thief, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
-Soul Chamber: the Soul Thief gain the ability to storage stolen souls inside part of his own soul. Only the Soul Thief and his stolen souls can perceive this place, and it manifest differently within each Soul Thief. Some see it as a prison with many cells each holding a soul , While others see a vest sea with tiny islands hosting the captured souls on them. The except shape and theme of the chamber is up to the Soul Thief's mind. Yet the same rules apply to them all.
the Soul Thief can hold no more souls then twice his character level in HD .
* edit* and no soul with hd more then his level -2 (a 5\5 wizard \st can have souls of up to 8 hd per soul)* end edit*
.1/2 HD count as one whole while souls of creatures with 1 hit point count as 1/4 of a HD. The Soul Thief can freely move through the chamber and talk with the trapped souls, this takes a full round action and basically represent a round spent in the chosen chamber with the souls he seek ,this method is used mainly to *edit* compel or making deals with them to gain their secrets or help.the Soul Thief can cast spells while at the chamber and since it is molded by his thought he can even torment the souls inside.the souls can feel pain and even get hurt in the chamber,but as will be explained they can not be used outside the chamber unless they have a positive hp (they can have all the negative hp the st is willing to inflict on them.but he will have to heal them after if he wants to use their bodies).a dm might want to look up the rules for tormenting victims in the book of vile deeds,or play it out as he seem fit .*end edit*.
While his mind visit's the chamber the Soul Thief is oblivious to the real world, but he can still feel a violent touch (such as an attack or a shake) while he is in the chamber the Soul Thief suffer a -20 to his spot and listen checks.
Although inside the chamber the souls see themselves as isolated each soul knows of the others and can freely talk with them.*edit*this is done mentally.no common language is needed.remember that talking to a fly the Soul Thief keep for escape route can be less then effective.*end edit*
Souls that are not housed in the chamber are ether freed to move on, used on the body of the Soul Thief or imbued in a body or gem. Except for the freed souls the rest count for the total of souls the chamber may hold and are in the control of the Soul Thief. Freeing a soul is a free action.
The stress of containing the chamber and it's hosted souls is immense and take a great toll from the Soul Thief's mind and soul .As long as the chamber has even one soul trapped in it the soul thief can summon no creature by spell, have no familiar(previous familiars are freed with no xp loss) and have no animal companion or a link that resemble it (such as the Beast Heart prestige class ability). Dominated creatures count against the total the chamber can hold, but Charmed creatures do not.(the Soul Thief can be as charming as he like)
-Soul Stealing: the Soul Thief can steal a soul of a live victim. For that he need to use vampire's touch to sly it or cast it on the body of a previously live creature within 1 round per class level after lowering it below 0 h.p .
A soul that is just stolen have -10 h.p. and must be healed before usage. Any time the Soul Thief is magically healed in any form he decade which soul(he's or a stolen one) is healed.
Souls in bodies heal normally.
Captured souls can be stored in bodies or in a gem worth 10 gp per h.d (at 5th level and higher)or in the Soul Chamber. They must still be bound by the power of the Soul Chamber and any HD over the total are released. Souls in gems are freed if not trapped there by spells or by the Soul Chamber (if sold the new owner better have a way of keeping them in the gem.)
-stolen knowledge:*edit* the Soul Thief gain a competence bonus of +1 per class level when he uses one of the following skills on a soul in a chamber: bluff.diplomacy and intimidate (including the intimidate check while torturing a prisoner).on the other hand a soul gain a competence bonus of +1 to opposing skills as sense motive and diplomacy,as well as will saves vs the intimidate for every check beyond the first in a week duration.(the bonus is not given for will vs charm effect and other spells the Soul Thief might use).*end edit*
2nd :
-Wear Soul: As a standard action this has the same effect as the 4th level spell polymorph self with the following changes : can only take the form of a captive soul (with standard gear\wardrobe as per the spell), No duration. While wearing the soul the Soul Thief uses the base attributes of the soul , it's skills and hit points. his HP are not used until he changes back . And he project the soul nature so a good soul will hide an evil Soul Thief against detect evil and the like(up to the time it was used. the trace of evil from before the change might be detected).and true sight will show only the stolen soul. if the hit points of the soul are lowered to 0 or lower it is freed, the change is over and any damage below 0 is deducted from the Souls Thief's sum.
for example a Soul Thief uses the soul of a small spider(1 hit point) to change into one and spy on his enemy .while in that shape a passing boy stamps on him dealing 3 points of damage. the soul of the spider is freed, the soul thief resumes his normal body and receive 2 damage to his hit points total which are now used.(probably foiling his spying chances while doing so).
While in the soul's shape the Soul Thief can still use his special abilities (including his spell casting ability and the ability to wear a different soul).
Wearing a soul *edit* and imbuing a body with a soul ( later) are supernatural ability that manipulates the souls of the thief and his trapped guests thus it can not be dispelled or disrupted but an anti-magic area effect neutralize it.in an anti-magic zone the following happen : souls in gems are free from the chamber's power and are free if not imprisoned by other means. souls imbued or worn are free from the domination of the Soul Thief for as long as they remain in the zone,and are for all aspects considered alive again.once both the Soul Thief and the body wearing souls are out of the zone control is regained.
protection from evil and other spells and effects that prevent possession or free a possessed soul work as follows.as long as the Soul Thief hasn't reached the 8th class level ability (total control).they will prevent the domination effect or free the soul.depend on spell\power. a protection from evil ,for example ,will let the soul gain control for the duration of the spell.(probably giving it a chance of escape by killing itself).while power such as the ring of reversion (ravenloft,von halsing arsenal.page 46) that free the possessed will release the soul to move on.
*end edit*
5th :
-Morph : as wear soul but with the shape change spell benefit .The change takes a move action.
-Imbued Soul:
The Soul Thief can host a soul in a dead body as a full round action. The body must be of a previous living creature of the same size as the original soul's form. After storing the soul the body changes to a copy of said form as by a polymorph spell. The body resembled the older body of the soul from before it's death and it is considered a live creature ,not an undead, even if the body that is housing the soul was a old corpse before the change. the soul must be at 1 positive hit point or more when imbued or it is freed. it has all states, skills and powers as the original creature and it is dominated by the soul thief. Any effect that remove or free a dominated person can free the soul. (This includes the extra save when forced to do things it objects). The change last until the new body is dealt enough damage to drop it to 0 hit points, which release the soul. Or until the soul thief decide to call the soul back into the chamber as a full round action.
If the Soul Thief release the soul from the chamber's hold while it is hosting a body it is free of the Soul Thief's hold and is basically alive again. The soul's reaction after such an event is up to the DM.
The soul can also be called into a gem that is worth no less then 10 gp per soul's HD. This is a way to prison the soul in a way that deny it from talking to other souls. As well as providing the Soul Thief with a way to use the soul as payment or powering soul- powered devices. If used as a coin the new owner need a way to keep the soul trapped or it is freed when the soul-thief decide to let the chamber release it's hold on the soul . Until he does, the soul is counted against the total of the chamber hosting capacity. Souls in gems receive their normal saving against imprisonment spells and abilities.(not a save against the imbuing of the soul in the gem, Just against the imprisoning of it via spells and the like)
The soul thief can talk with the trapped soul by holding the gem and using his ability to perceive the chamber on the gem.
8th:
Total Control :
The Soul Thief has all the powers and skills the stolen soul had while wearing it.(including spell casting abilities, see note at end of file).
Souls in bodies can not be freed by anything less then a wish or freedom spell.
(As opposed to releasing a dominated soul). The other methods still apply. ( Death, re-hosting and freedom from the chamber).
Imbuing and calling back a soul in a body or gem is a standard action now.
10th:
Converter : the Soul Thief can convert HP from one soul to an other(like to his soul)as a standard action.he can also convert age but only from a soul to himself.
(a 40 year old human Soul Thief can be 20 years old if he ages a soul he has by 20 years).
Morphing is a free action now.
Note:
A soul's spells and other powers that charge after 8 hours of rest and studying or meditating take the same process to regain. the soul have all the spells it could cast when it died and can access them while being worn or while the soul imbued a body. (a 8th level Soul Thief can use the spells the soul have while wearing it , And a soul hosted in a body can cast the spells while being dominated)
Damage to a soul while imbued or wearied remain until healed .if the soul take enough damage to be at 0 h.p. or less when not in the Soul Chamber it is freed. A new soul that is just caught is at -10 h.p. and must be healed before usage.
Unless informed of their priests death even deities can be tricked to give the stolen cleric soul it's daily spells. (much like a dominated cleric can still receive and cast his divine spells). however should such divine being become aware of the theft it might chose to deny the spells from the thief and he's toy.(it might chose not to deny, some deities are like that).
I'm sorry for any misspelling and the like in this work, English is not my native language.
The Soul Thief.
Requirements :
A Necromancer or spell focus (necromancy),ability to cast the arcane spell vampiric touch.
Special – must have killed (reduced to -10 h.p. or under) a live creature with over 20 h.p. with the vampiric touch spell.
Alignment: any non-good .(DM can change this to evil only)
http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3447/soulthieftable.jpg
Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level): Bluff, concentration, craft,diplomacy, disguise,intimidate, knowledge (arcane & religion), profession, spellcraft.
1st level :
Spellcasting: At each level, 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 an 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 arcane spellcasting class before becoming a Soul Thief, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.
-Soul Chamber: the Soul Thief gain the ability to storage stolen souls inside part of his own soul. Only the Soul Thief and his stolen souls can perceive this place, and it manifest differently within each Soul Thief. Some see it as a prison with many cells each holding a soul , While others see a vest sea with tiny islands hosting the captured souls on them. The except shape and theme of the chamber is up to the Soul Thief's mind. Yet the same rules apply to them all.
the Soul Thief can hold no more souls then twice his character level in HD .
* edit* and no soul with hd more then his level -2 (a 5\5 wizard \st can have souls of up to 8 hd per soul)* end edit*
.1/2 HD count as one whole while souls of creatures with 1 hit point count as 1/4 of a HD. The Soul Thief can freely move through the chamber and talk with the trapped souls, this takes a full round action and basically represent a round spent in the chosen chamber with the souls he seek ,this method is used mainly to *edit* compel or making deals with them to gain their secrets or help.the Soul Thief can cast spells while at the chamber and since it is molded by his thought he can even torment the souls inside.the souls can feel pain and even get hurt in the chamber,but as will be explained they can not be used outside the chamber unless they have a positive hp (they can have all the negative hp the st is willing to inflict on them.but he will have to heal them after if he wants to use their bodies).a dm might want to look up the rules for tormenting victims in the book of vile deeds,or play it out as he seem fit .*end edit*.
While his mind visit's the chamber the Soul Thief is oblivious to the real world, but he can still feel a violent touch (such as an attack or a shake) while he is in the chamber the Soul Thief suffer a -20 to his spot and listen checks.
Although inside the chamber the souls see themselves as isolated each soul knows of the others and can freely talk with them.*edit*this is done mentally.no common language is needed.remember that talking to a fly the Soul Thief keep for escape route can be less then effective.*end edit*
Souls that are not housed in the chamber are ether freed to move on, used on the body of the Soul Thief or imbued in a body or gem. Except for the freed souls the rest count for the total of souls the chamber may hold and are in the control of the Soul Thief. Freeing a soul is a free action.
The stress of containing the chamber and it's hosted souls is immense and take a great toll from the Soul Thief's mind and soul .As long as the chamber has even one soul trapped in it the soul thief can summon no creature by spell, have no familiar(previous familiars are freed with no xp loss) and have no animal companion or a link that resemble it (such as the Beast Heart prestige class ability). Dominated creatures count against the total the chamber can hold, but Charmed creatures do not.(the Soul Thief can be as charming as he like)
-Soul Stealing: the Soul Thief can steal a soul of a live victim. For that he need to use vampire's touch to sly it or cast it on the body of a previously live creature within 1 round per class level after lowering it below 0 h.p .
A soul that is just stolen have -10 h.p. and must be healed before usage. Any time the Soul Thief is magically healed in any form he decade which soul(he's or a stolen one) is healed.
Souls in bodies heal normally.
Captured souls can be stored in bodies or in a gem worth 10 gp per h.d (at 5th level and higher)or in the Soul Chamber. They must still be bound by the power of the Soul Chamber and any HD over the total are released. Souls in gems are freed if not trapped there by spells or by the Soul Chamber (if sold the new owner better have a way of keeping them in the gem.)
-stolen knowledge:*edit* the Soul Thief gain a competence bonus of +1 per class level when he uses one of the following skills on a soul in a chamber: bluff.diplomacy and intimidate (including the intimidate check while torturing a prisoner).on the other hand a soul gain a competence bonus of +1 to opposing skills as sense motive and diplomacy,as well as will saves vs the intimidate for every check beyond the first in a week duration.(the bonus is not given for will vs charm effect and other spells the Soul Thief might use).*end edit*
2nd :
-Wear Soul: As a standard action this has the same effect as the 4th level spell polymorph self with the following changes : can only take the form of a captive soul (with standard gear\wardrobe as per the spell), No duration. While wearing the soul the Soul Thief uses the base attributes of the soul , it's skills and hit points. his HP are not used until he changes back . And he project the soul nature so a good soul will hide an evil Soul Thief against detect evil and the like(up to the time it was used. the trace of evil from before the change might be detected).and true sight will show only the stolen soul. if the hit points of the soul are lowered to 0 or lower it is freed, the change is over and any damage below 0 is deducted from the Souls Thief's sum.
for example a Soul Thief uses the soul of a small spider(1 hit point) to change into one and spy on his enemy .while in that shape a passing boy stamps on him dealing 3 points of damage. the soul of the spider is freed, the soul thief resumes his normal body and receive 2 damage to his hit points total which are now used.(probably foiling his spying chances while doing so).
While in the soul's shape the Soul Thief can still use his special abilities (including his spell casting ability and the ability to wear a different soul).
Wearing a soul *edit* and imbuing a body with a soul ( later) are supernatural ability that manipulates the souls of the thief and his trapped guests thus it can not be dispelled or disrupted but an anti-magic area effect neutralize it.in an anti-magic zone the following happen : souls in gems are free from the chamber's power and are free if not imprisoned by other means. souls imbued or worn are free from the domination of the Soul Thief for as long as they remain in the zone,and are for all aspects considered alive again.once both the Soul Thief and the body wearing souls are out of the zone control is regained.
protection from evil and other spells and effects that prevent possession or free a possessed soul work as follows.as long as the Soul Thief hasn't reached the 8th class level ability (total control).they will prevent the domination effect or free the soul.depend on spell\power. a protection from evil ,for example ,will let the soul gain control for the duration of the spell.(probably giving it a chance of escape by killing itself).while power such as the ring of reversion (ravenloft,von halsing arsenal.page 46) that free the possessed will release the soul to move on.
*end edit*
5th :
-Morph : as wear soul but with the shape change spell benefit .The change takes a move action.
-Imbued Soul:
The Soul Thief can host a soul in a dead body as a full round action. The body must be of a previous living creature of the same size as the original soul's form. After storing the soul the body changes to a copy of said form as by a polymorph spell. The body resembled the older body of the soul from before it's death and it is considered a live creature ,not an undead, even if the body that is housing the soul was a old corpse before the change. the soul must be at 1 positive hit point or more when imbued or it is freed. it has all states, skills and powers as the original creature and it is dominated by the soul thief. Any effect that remove or free a dominated person can free the soul. (This includes the extra save when forced to do things it objects). The change last until the new body is dealt enough damage to drop it to 0 hit points, which release the soul. Or until the soul thief decide to call the soul back into the chamber as a full round action.
If the Soul Thief release the soul from the chamber's hold while it is hosting a body it is free of the Soul Thief's hold and is basically alive again. The soul's reaction after such an event is up to the DM.
The soul can also be called into a gem that is worth no less then 10 gp per soul's HD. This is a way to prison the soul in a way that deny it from talking to other souls. As well as providing the Soul Thief with a way to use the soul as payment or powering soul- powered devices. If used as a coin the new owner need a way to keep the soul trapped or it is freed when the soul-thief decide to let the chamber release it's hold on the soul . Until he does, the soul is counted against the total of the chamber hosting capacity. Souls in gems receive their normal saving against imprisonment spells and abilities.(not a save against the imbuing of the soul in the gem, Just against the imprisoning of it via spells and the like)
The soul thief can talk with the trapped soul by holding the gem and using his ability to perceive the chamber on the gem.
8th:
Total Control :
The Soul Thief has all the powers and skills the stolen soul had while wearing it.(including spell casting abilities, see note at end of file).
Souls in bodies can not be freed by anything less then a wish or freedom spell.
(As opposed to releasing a dominated soul). The other methods still apply. ( Death, re-hosting and freedom from the chamber).
Imbuing and calling back a soul in a body or gem is a standard action now.
10th:
Converter : the Soul Thief can convert HP from one soul to an other(like to his soul)as a standard action.he can also convert age but only from a soul to himself.
(a 40 year old human Soul Thief can be 20 years old if he ages a soul he has by 20 years).
Morphing is a free action now.
Note:
A soul's spells and other powers that charge after 8 hours of rest and studying or meditating take the same process to regain. the soul have all the spells it could cast when it died and can access them while being worn or while the soul imbued a body. (a 8th level Soul Thief can use the spells the soul have while wearing it , And a soul hosted in a body can cast the spells while being dominated)
Damage to a soul while imbued or wearied remain until healed .if the soul take enough damage to be at 0 h.p. or less when not in the Soul Chamber it is freed. A new soul that is just caught is at -10 h.p. and must be healed before usage.
Unless informed of their priests death even deities can be tricked to give the stolen cleric soul it's daily spells. (much like a dominated cleric can still receive and cast his divine spells). however should such divine being become aware of the theft it might chose to deny the spells from the thief and he's toy.(it might chose not to deny, some deities are like that).