jiriku
2010-07-07, 10:30 PM
WAVEKEEPER
"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."
-- Lao Tzu
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Wavekeeper/1061348806_atersprite.jpg
This is a 20-level class based on the Wavekeeper prestige class originally presented in Stormwrack (pp.65-67). The wavekeeper is skilled with manipulating water and ice, enhancing or impeding mobility, and (to a lesser degree) healing and supporting allies.
Designer Notes:
This is not intended to compete with the wizard class, but rather to provide a more limited, themed alternative for DMs and players who want to use casters that feel more like popular fantasy archetypes and don't achieve the limitless godlike power of the wizard. Compare to the bard, beguiler or dread necromancer (or the warmage if it didn't suck).
Unlike the other elemental casters I've made, the wavekeeper has a slightly flexible spell list, through the Domain Wizard feature. I did this because there are A LOT of spells that are appropriate to the class, and I had to cut a lot of good ones to get the spell list down to size. Domain Wizard gives you a means of getting your favorite water-themed spells on your list if you don't already see them there.
I specifically am scaling back on the max number of spells per day at each level in order to force the player of a wavekeeper to manage his spells more carefully than would a sorcerer or a focused specialist wizard.
My target game balance level is Tier 3, somewhere between the beguiler and the dread necromancer.
Change Log:
1.0 Original version.
1.1 Cloak of the sea improved to grant concealment in addition to its other benefits.
1.2 Removed Elemental Lore and Wave Friend. Replaced Crashing Wave feature with a spell of the same name. Combined Blindsense, Low-Light Vision and Resist Cold into a single feature, Deepwater Adept. Granted Water Elemental Wild Shape sooner, and made it scale more slowly. Moved Fog Sight from 11th level to 9th. Added proficiency with nets.
1.21 Updated tables and clarified some abilities.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Wavekeepers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a wavekeeper, as it determines how powerful a spell she can cast, how many spells she can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. Strength determines the effectiveness of some of the wavekeeper’s secondary abilities, and a wavekeeper benefits from high Dexterity and Constitution scores much as a sorcerer or wizard would.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
LevelBase AttackFortRefWillSpecial-0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2Domain wizard, expert swimmer, armored mage53--------
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3Wave companion54--------
3rd
+1
+3
+1
+3Deepwater adept (2x/5)55--------
4th
+2
+4
+1
+4Masterful swimmer, mastery of breath553-------
5th
+2
+4
+1
+4Cloak of the sea554-------
6th
+3
+5
+2
+55553------
7th
+3
+5
+2
+5Deepwater adept (3x/10)5554------
8th
+4
+6
+2
+6Essence of the waves55553-----
9th
+4
+6
+3
+6Fog sight55554-----
10th
+5
+7
+3
+7555553----
11th
+5
+7
+3
+7Deepwater adept (4x/30/20)555554----
12th
+6/+1
+8
+4
+8Current mastery5555553---
13th
+6/+1
+8
+4
+85555554---
14th
+7/+2
+9
+4
+9Water elemental wild shape 1/day (large)55555553--
15th
+7/+2
+9
+5
+9Deepwater adept (5x/60/30)55555554--
16th
+8/+3
+10
+5
+10555555553-
17th
+8/+3
+10
+5
+10Water elemental wild shape 2/day555555554-
18th
+9/+4
+11
+6
+115555555553
19th
+9/+4
+11
+6
+11Deepwater adept (6x/90/immune)5555555554
20th
+10/+5
+12
+6
+12Water elemental wild shape 3/day (huge)5555555555
CLASS SKILLS (2 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
A wavekeeper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).
"Most of us, I suppose, are a little nervous of the sea. No matter what its smiles may be, we doubt its friendship."
-- H. M. Tomlinson
CLASS FEATURES
Your spells and class features make you well-suited to a variety of roles, but you are best suited to tasks involving battlefield control, enhancing your allies, and combat support. At higher levels, you can use your magic to allow your entire party to adventure safely underwater or bury an entire group of landbound foes beneath a wall of rushing water. Depending on your spell choices, you may also be able to support an expedition into a forbidding frostfell, function as a backup healer, guide your party through the deeps of oceanic trenches, or blast your foes with acid and cold spells.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The wavekeeper gains proficiency with all simple weapons, and with rapiers, short swords, spiked armor, nets and tridents. She is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Spells: A wavekeeper casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the wavekeeper spell list (below). When you gain access to a new level of spells, you automatically gain access to all the spells for that level on the wavekeeper’s spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known list.
To cast a wavekeeper spell, you must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wavekeeper’s spell is 10 + the spell's level + the wavekeeper’s Int mod. Like other spellcasters, a wavekeeper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The base daily spell allotment is given in the table above. In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Intelligence score.
A wavekeeper need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that level.
Domain Wizard: Water is ever-changing and cannot be bound into a single form. Wavekeepers, too, learn that their discipline is flexible, and their deep study of the element of water can yield surprising secrets. A wavekeeper gains access to a single domain, gaining its granted power and adding its spells to her list of spells known. Spells gained from a domain are arcane spells for her, and she casts them just as she would her other spells. A wavekeeper's available domains are Blackwater (Storm 109), Cold (SC 271), Healing (PH 187), Knowledge (PH 187), Seafolk (Storm 110), Water (PH 189), and Winter (Frost 85).
Instead of choosing a domain, the wavekeeper may choose an Alternate Path. A practitioner of an Alternate Path does not acquire a granted power, but may add a bonus spell to her list of wavekeeper spells known every time she gains access to a new level of spells. The wavekeeper may choose any spell from any spell list, provided the spell does not have the [air], [earth], or [fire] descriptor and meets one of the following conditions:
Any [water] spell.
Any [cold] spell that conjures or manipulates ice or snow (but not [cold] spells that create coldfire or "cold energy").
Any Divination or [teleportation] spell of 4th level or lower.
Any Conjuration (healing) spell of 3rd level or lower.
Any other spell that the DM agrees is thematically appropriate (e.g. spells that increase or decrease movement speed, create fog or mist, deal [acid] damage, or inflict or remove [fatigue] or [exhaustion]).
Alternate Path spells are learned and cast at their original level if they are taken from a list that grants full casting (such as cleric, druid, or sorcerer/wizard), or at one level higher than their original level if they are taken from an abbreviated list (such as bard, paladin, or ranger).
Expert Swimmer: Your constant journeys beneath the waves have made you an excellent swimmer. You gain Expert Swimmer (Storm 92) as a bonus feat, and may ignore the Endurance prerequisite for it.
Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, causing an arcane spell failure chance. However, a wavekeeper’s limited focus and specialized training allow you to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor. This training does not extend to shields, other forms of armor, or spells gained from other spellcasting classes.
Wave Companion: Upon reaching 2nd level, the wavekeeper may perform a special incantation to call a small water elemental as a familiar. The ritual requires rare dusts and pigments costing 100gp, and requires 24 hours of uninterrupted meditation. The elemental progresses as a familiar, as described in the Player's Handbook (pp. 52-53), except that the wavekeeper does not lose experience if her companion is killed, and she may replace a slain or dismissed familiar after waiting seven days.
Deepwater Adept (Ex): At 3rd level, a wavekeeper learns rituals for hardening her flesh against the frigid cold of the pelagic abysses and trains her eyes to peer through its stygian blackness. You gain low-light vision and resist cold 5.
Upon reaching 7th level, you can now see three times as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination, and your cold resistance increases to 10. At 11th level, you acquire a delicate sensitivity to subtle changes in the pressure of the surrounding water or air, and gains blindsense with a range of 30 ft. Additionally, you can see four times as far and your cold resistance increases to 20. At 15th level, the range of your blindsense improves to 60 feet, you can see five times as far and your cold resistance increases to 30. At 19th level, the range of your blindsense improves to 90 feet, you can see six times as far and you become immune to cold.
Masterful Swimmer (Ex): At 4th level, a wavekeeper augments her swimming using the minutest of currents and swimming patterns, granting her a swim speed of 20 feet or increasing her existing swim speed by 10 feet if she has a natural swim speed. If she is not of an aquatic race, she no longer takes the -10 penalty to Listen checks that land creatures suffer underwater (see Storm p.87).
Additionally, any spell she casts that increases a creature's base land speed also increases its base swim speed (if it has one) by the same amount, even if the spell normally would not do so.
Mastery of Breath (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, a wavekeeper adapts to her watery environment, becoming amphibious and able to breath water or air interchangeably.
Cloak of the Sea (Su): As a free action, a wavekeeper of 5th level of higher can command the spirits of water to surround her in an aura of sea foam and salt spray a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Strength modifier. This cloak of the sea lasts for five minutes. While cloaked in this watery aura, the wavekeeper channels the essence of water to become swift, forceful and elusive. She gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws and all Strength-based checks and does not provoke attacks of opportunity for movement or spellcasting. She also gains concealment, although this concealment cannot be used to hide because the spray and foam give away her general position. At 14th level, the bonus increases to +4.
Essence of the Waves (Ex): At 8th level, a wavekeeper masters the mystery of binding the spirits of water within her own flesh. Imbued with the essence of water, her movements acquire the speed and certainty of the crashing wave. Her skin appears to be coated with a fine layer of dew, and wisps of vapor seem to float from her flesh at times. She gains +10 to her speed in each of her movement modes, which increases to +20 while she is cloaked in her cloak of the sea ability.
Fog Sight (Su): A wavekeeper of 9th level can assert her authority over airborne particles of water, enabling her to peer through clouds, fog, murky water or almost any other sort of haze or suspended particles, as easily as if the impediment weren't there. The wavekeeper can still see the clouds or fog as a ghostly outline, so she can avoid walking into acid fogs and the like. This ability is not effective against smoke or blown dust or sand.
Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the wavekeeper’s Str modifier.
Current Mastery (Su): A 12th level wavekeeper gains the ability to create currents that move the water in her vicinity. The current flows in a direction she specifies and affects water within 30 feet of her position. Creatures, including the wavekeeper, are moved in the direction the water flows. The current moves at 10 feet per round. At 15th level, the speed of the current increases to 20 feet per round.
The wavekeeper can use her current mastery to increase or impede the speed of a ship, though if she attempts to impede a ship with sails that ship's speed is only reduced by 5 feet (or by 10 feet for a 15th-level wavekeeper).
Water Elemental Wild Shape (Su): At 14th level, a wavekeeper gains the ability to assume the form of a Small, Medium, or Large water elemental once per day. This works just like a druid’s wild shape ability, except as described herein. The wavekeeper gains the elemental's racial bonuses to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and natural armor, and gains Water Mastery, Drench, and Vortex as per the water elemental description. She also gains the elemental's feats. She retains her own type and racial attributes, but gains the [water] subtype. The effect lasts one hour per wavekeeper level, or until the wavekeeper changes back. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.
Upon changing to water elemental form, the wavekeeper regains hit points (but nothing else) as if she had rested for the night. If slain in water elemental form, she reverts to her normal shape (but remains dead).
The wavekeeper gains an additional use per day of this ability at 17th and 20th level. At 20th level, she may use this wild shape ability to assume the form of a huge water elemental.
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Wavekeeper/Nereid_by_K1LLB0T.jpg
"Ocean: A body of water occupying two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills. "
-- Ambrose Bierce
WAVEKEEPER SPELL LIST
The wavekeeper spell list appears below. All spells are notated with the name and page number of the sourcebook in which they appear.
0 Level: create water (PH 215), detect magic (PH 219), know direction (PH 246), prestidigitation (PH 264), purify food and drink (PH 267), read magic (PH 269).
1st Level: animate water (SC 13), benign transposition (SC 27), conjure ice beast I (Frost 91), endure elements (PH 226), expeditious retreat (PH 228), expeditious retreat, swift (SC 85), glaze lock (Frost 97), hydrate (Sand 117), ice dagger (SC 118), ice slick (Frost 100), identify (PH 243), living prints (SC 134), locate water (Sand 117), longstrider (PH 249), moment of clarity (SC 142), obscuring mist (PH 258), ray of enfeeblement (PH 269), second wind (SC 182), slide (SC 191), snowshoes (SC 194), snowsight (Frost 104), wave blessing (Storm 125), winter chill (SC 241).
2nd Level: baleful transposition (SC 23), calm emotions (PH 207), conjure ice beast II (Frost 91), conjure ice object (Frost 91), escalating enfeeblement (CM 103), fog cloud (PH 232), ice darts (Frost 99), inky cloud (SC 123), locate object (PH 249), quick march (SC 164), quick potion (SC 164), see invisibility (PH 275), slide, greater (SC 192), snake's swiftness (SC 193), stormrunner's ward (Storm 122), swim (SC 217), tern's persistence (Storm 123), tojanida sight (Storm 123), torrent of tears (CM 119), turbidity (Storm 123), winter's embrace (SC 241).
3rd Level: amorphous form (SC 9), arcane sight (PH 201), arctic haze (Frost 88), column of ice (Frost 93), conjure ice beast III (Frost 91), crashing waves, detect ship (Storm 118), dispel magic (PH 223), haste (PH 239), healing touch (SC 111), heart of water (CM 107), ice axe (SC 118), ice shape (Frost 99), icelance (SC 119), primal form (water only) (SC 161), ray of exhaustion (PH 269), scales of the sealord (Storm 121), sink (SC 190), sleet storm (PH 280), snake's swiftness, mass (SC 193), standing wave (SC 204), tormenting thirst (Sand 124), water breathing (PH 300), water walk (PH 300), weather eye (SC 238).
4th Level: aspect of the icy hunter (PH2 96), conjure ice beast IV (Frost 91), control currents (Storm 114), control water (PH 214), ice shield (Frost 99), ice storm (PH 243), locate creature (PH 249), rushing waters (SC 178), scrying (druid focus) (PH 274), siren's call (Storm 121), solid fog (PH 281), summon elementite swarm (water only) (SC 214), swim, mass (SC 217), thalassemia (Storm 123), wake trailing (Storm 124), wall of ice (PH 299), wall of water (SC 235), wind at back (SC 239).
5th Level: call avalanche (Frost 90), cloak of the sea (SC 48), conjure ice beast V (Frost 91), dance of the unicorn (SC 58), dispel fire (Frost 93), flesh to ice (Frost 94), flowsight (Storm 117), ice to flesh (Frost 100), longstrider, mass (PH2 117), neutralize poison (PH 257), pass through ice (Frost 103), sheltered vitality (SC 188), sirine's grace (SC 191), swamp stride (SC 217), waves of fatigue (PH 301).
6th Level: animate snow (SC 12), conjure ice beast VI (Frost 91), contingency (PH 213), drown (SC 74), entomb (Frost 93), extract water elemental (SC 86), freezing fog (SC 99), mephit mob ([water] subtype only) (Sand 118), move snow and ice (Frost 102), snow wave (Frost 104), stormwalk (Storm 122), summon greater elemental (water only) (SC 214), true seeing (PH 296).
7th Level: arcane sight, greater (PH 201), as the frost (PH2 101), blood to water (SC 33), conjure ice beast VII (Frost 91), elemental body (water only) (SC 78), ice claw (SC 118), nixie's grace (SC 148), spell turning (PH 282), submerge ship (SC 207), tidal surge (SC 220), waterspout (SC 236), waves of exhaustion (PH 301).
8th Level: conjure ice beast VIII (Frost 91), field of icy razors (SC 90), flashflood (Sand 114), maelstrom (SC 135), megalodon empowerment (Storm 118), mysterious redirection (CM 107), red tide (SC 170), regenerate (PH 270), simulacrum (PH 279).
9th Level: conjure ice beast IX (Frost 91), drown, mass (SC 74), elemental swarm (water elementals only) (PH 226), genius loci (water only) (PH2 105), iceberg (Frost 101), planar navigation (Storm 119), summon elemental monolith (water only) (SC 214), tsunami (SC 224).
NEW SPELLS
Crashing Waves
Conjuration (Creation) [Water]
Level: wavekeeper 3
Components: S, special
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Effect: 30-ft radius emanation, centered on the caster.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
With merely a forceful gesture, you conjure the spirits of water in a great wave to conceal your allies and buffet your foes.
Whenever you use any version of crashing waves, nonmagical fires are snuffed out within the area of effect, and everything is drenched by the sudden flood of water.
In its most basic version, the rushing wave, you throw out your arms and conjure a swell of cold water that races out to the edges of the effect. Affected allies find the water to be soothing and restorative; healing damage equal to your Strength bonus (minimum 1) and receiving a +4 bonus to saves against [fire] effects until the beginning of your next turn. Enemies are pushed back by the water. Treat the effect as a bull rush towards the nearest edge of the effect at a bonus of 7 + your Strength modifier, but creatures are not pushed further once they have been pushed outside the effect. At 13th level, the save bonus increases to +6, and the bull rush attempts are at an additional +4.
A caster of at least 9th level can conjure a crashing wave: you throw out your arms and send a wall of foaming white water out to the edges of the effect. Allies gain concealment amidst the foamy waves for 1 round, while enemies are battered about, sustaining 3d6 points of bludgeoning damage, and may be knocked prone. Treat the effect as a trip attempt with a bonus of 7 + your Strength modifier. At 17th level, allies gain total concealment instead, and the trip attempts are at an additional +4.
A caster of at least 13th level can conjure dark water: you throw out your arms and send forth an icy wave of black water from the deep ocean trenches, leaving the area awash until the beginning of your next turn. Within the area of the effect, magical [fire] effects are dispelled and [fire] spells being cast are countered as if with a greater dispel magic.
A caster of at least 17th level can conjure a maelstrom: you throw out your arms and call a mighty vortex of whirling, spinning water to fill the area for 1 round, trapping enemies but leaving allies afloat. On its turn, each enemy may attempt a Swim or Profession (sailor) check as a move action (DC = 13 + your Strength modifier) to escape the maelstrom, moving to the nearest square outside the area of effect. Failing that, the creature is unable to move of its own accord, and revolves helplessly in the whirlpool. At the end of its turn, move the creature 30 feet clockwise around the rim of the whirlpool.
Taking actions while trapped within the whirlpool is possible, but extremely difficult. Weapon attacks are made as if the creature was underwater, attacking with ranged weapons of any kind is impossible, and performing any action requiring concentration or focus requires a concentration check (DC = 13 + Strength modifier).
Special: To cast this spell, you must have your Cloak of the Sea feature active (see above), or must be within 30 feet of a large mass of water or ice (such as a pond, snowfield, or an area of driving rain or heavy snow).
"Nothing in the world is more flexible and yielding than water. Yet when it attacks the firm and the strong, none can withstand it, because they have no way to change it. So the flexible overcome the adamant, the yielding overcome the forceful. Everyone knows this, but no one can do it."
-- Lao Tzu
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Wavekeeper/1061348806_atersprite.jpg
This is a 20-level class based on the Wavekeeper prestige class originally presented in Stormwrack (pp.65-67). The wavekeeper is skilled with manipulating water and ice, enhancing or impeding mobility, and (to a lesser degree) healing and supporting allies.
Designer Notes:
This is not intended to compete with the wizard class, but rather to provide a more limited, themed alternative for DMs and players who want to use casters that feel more like popular fantasy archetypes and don't achieve the limitless godlike power of the wizard. Compare to the bard, beguiler or dread necromancer (or the warmage if it didn't suck).
Unlike the other elemental casters I've made, the wavekeeper has a slightly flexible spell list, through the Domain Wizard feature. I did this because there are A LOT of spells that are appropriate to the class, and I had to cut a lot of good ones to get the spell list down to size. Domain Wizard gives you a means of getting your favorite water-themed spells on your list if you don't already see them there.
I specifically am scaling back on the max number of spells per day at each level in order to force the player of a wavekeeper to manage his spells more carefully than would a sorcerer or a focused specialist wizard.
My target game balance level is Tier 3, somewhere between the beguiler and the dread necromancer.
Change Log:
1.0 Original version.
1.1 Cloak of the sea improved to grant concealment in addition to its other benefits.
1.2 Removed Elemental Lore and Wave Friend. Replaced Crashing Wave feature with a spell of the same name. Combined Blindsense, Low-Light Vision and Resist Cold into a single feature, Deepwater Adept. Granted Water Elemental Wild Shape sooner, and made it scale more slowly. Moved Fog Sight from 11th level to 9th. Added proficiency with nets.
1.21 Updated tables and clarified some abilities.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Wavekeepers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Intelligence is the most important ability for a wavekeeper, as it determines how powerful a spell she can cast, how many spells she can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. Strength determines the effectiveness of some of the wavekeeper’s secondary abilities, and a wavekeeper benefits from high Dexterity and Constitution scores much as a sorcerer or wizard would.
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: d6
LevelBase AttackFortRefWillSpecial-0--1--2--3--4--5--6--7--8--9-
1st
+0
+2
+0
+2Domain wizard, expert swimmer, armored mage53--------
2nd
+1
+3
+0
+3Wave companion54--------
3rd
+1
+3
+1
+3Deepwater adept (2x/5)55--------
4th
+2
+4
+1
+4Masterful swimmer, mastery of breath553-------
5th
+2
+4
+1
+4Cloak of the sea554-------
6th
+3
+5
+2
+55553------
7th
+3
+5
+2
+5Deepwater adept (3x/10)5554------
8th
+4
+6
+2
+6Essence of the waves55553-----
9th
+4
+6
+3
+6Fog sight55554-----
10th
+5
+7
+3
+7555553----
11th
+5
+7
+3
+7Deepwater adept (4x/30/20)555554----
12th
+6/+1
+8
+4
+8Current mastery5555553---
13th
+6/+1
+8
+4
+85555554---
14th
+7/+2
+9
+4
+9Water elemental wild shape 1/day (large)55555553--
15th
+7/+2
+9
+5
+9Deepwater adept (5x/60/30)55555554--
16th
+8/+3
+10
+5
+10555555553-
17th
+8/+3
+10
+5
+10Water elemental wild shape 2/day555555554-
18th
+9/+4
+11
+6
+115555555553
19th
+9/+4
+11
+6
+11Deepwater adept (6x/90/immune)5555555554
20th
+10/+5
+12
+6
+12Water elemental wild shape 3/day (huge)5555555555
CLASS SKILLS (2 + Int mod per level, x4 at 1st level)
A wavekeeper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).
"Most of us, I suppose, are a little nervous of the sea. No matter what its smiles may be, we doubt its friendship."
-- H. M. Tomlinson
CLASS FEATURES
Your spells and class features make you well-suited to a variety of roles, but you are best suited to tasks involving battlefield control, enhancing your allies, and combat support. At higher levels, you can use your magic to allow your entire party to adventure safely underwater or bury an entire group of landbound foes beneath a wall of rushing water. Depending on your spell choices, you may also be able to support an expedition into a forbidding frostfell, function as a backup healer, guide your party through the deeps of oceanic trenches, or blast your foes with acid and cold spells.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The wavekeeper gains proficiency with all simple weapons, and with rapiers, short swords, spiked armor, nets and tridents. She is proficient with light armor, but not with shields.
Spells: A wavekeeper casts arcane spells, which are drawn from the wavekeeper spell list (below). When you gain access to a new level of spells, you automatically gain access to all the spells for that level on the wavekeeper’s spell list. You can cast any spell you know without preparing it ahead of time. Essentially, your spell list is the same as your spells known list.
To cast a wavekeeper spell, you must have an Intelligence score of 10 + the spell's level. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a wavekeeper’s spell is 10 + the spell's level + the wavekeeper’s Int mod. Like other spellcasters, a wavekeeper can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. The base daily spell allotment is given in the table above. In addition, you receive bonus spells for a high Intelligence score.
A wavekeeper need not prepare spells in advance. You can cast any spell you know at any time, assuming you have not yet used up your spells per day for that level.
Domain Wizard: Water is ever-changing and cannot be bound into a single form. Wavekeepers, too, learn that their discipline is flexible, and their deep study of the element of water can yield surprising secrets. A wavekeeper gains access to a single domain, gaining its granted power and adding its spells to her list of spells known. Spells gained from a domain are arcane spells for her, and she casts them just as she would her other spells. A wavekeeper's available domains are Blackwater (Storm 109), Cold (SC 271), Healing (PH 187), Knowledge (PH 187), Seafolk (Storm 110), Water (PH 189), and Winter (Frost 85).
Instead of choosing a domain, the wavekeeper may choose an Alternate Path. A practitioner of an Alternate Path does not acquire a granted power, but may add a bonus spell to her list of wavekeeper spells known every time she gains access to a new level of spells. The wavekeeper may choose any spell from any spell list, provided the spell does not have the [air], [earth], or [fire] descriptor and meets one of the following conditions:
Any [water] spell.
Any [cold] spell that conjures or manipulates ice or snow (but not [cold] spells that create coldfire or "cold energy").
Any Divination or [teleportation] spell of 4th level or lower.
Any Conjuration (healing) spell of 3rd level or lower.
Any other spell that the DM agrees is thematically appropriate (e.g. spells that increase or decrease movement speed, create fog or mist, deal [acid] damage, or inflict or remove [fatigue] or [exhaustion]).
Alternate Path spells are learned and cast at their original level if they are taken from a list that grants full casting (such as cleric, druid, or sorcerer/wizard), or at one level higher than their original level if they are taken from an abbreviated list (such as bard, paladin, or ranger).
Expert Swimmer: Your constant journeys beneath the waves have made you an excellent swimmer. You gain Expert Swimmer (Storm 92) as a bonus feat, and may ignore the Endurance prerequisite for it.
Armored Mage (Ex): Normally, armor of any type interferes with an arcane spellcaster's gestures, causing an arcane spell failure chance. However, a wavekeeper’s limited focus and specialized training allow you to ignore the arcane spell failure chance for light armor. This training does not extend to shields, other forms of armor, or spells gained from other spellcasting classes.
Wave Companion: Upon reaching 2nd level, the wavekeeper may perform a special incantation to call a small water elemental as a familiar. The ritual requires rare dusts and pigments costing 100gp, and requires 24 hours of uninterrupted meditation. The elemental progresses as a familiar, as described in the Player's Handbook (pp. 52-53), except that the wavekeeper does not lose experience if her companion is killed, and she may replace a slain or dismissed familiar after waiting seven days.
Deepwater Adept (Ex): At 3rd level, a wavekeeper learns rituals for hardening her flesh against the frigid cold of the pelagic abysses and trains her eyes to peer through its stygian blackness. You gain low-light vision and resist cold 5.
Upon reaching 7th level, you can now see three times as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination, and your cold resistance increases to 10. At 11th level, you acquire a delicate sensitivity to subtle changes in the pressure of the surrounding water or air, and gains blindsense with a range of 30 ft. Additionally, you can see four times as far and your cold resistance increases to 20. At 15th level, the range of your blindsense improves to 60 feet, you can see five times as far and your cold resistance increases to 30. At 19th level, the range of your blindsense improves to 90 feet, you can see six times as far and you become immune to cold.
Masterful Swimmer (Ex): At 4th level, a wavekeeper augments her swimming using the minutest of currents and swimming patterns, granting her a swim speed of 20 feet or increasing her existing swim speed by 10 feet if she has a natural swim speed. If she is not of an aquatic race, she no longer takes the -10 penalty to Listen checks that land creatures suffer underwater (see Storm p.87).
Additionally, any spell she casts that increases a creature's base land speed also increases its base swim speed (if it has one) by the same amount, even if the spell normally would not do so.
Mastery of Breath (Ex): Beginning at 4th level, a wavekeeper adapts to her watery environment, becoming amphibious and able to breath water or air interchangeably.
Cloak of the Sea (Su): As a free action, a wavekeeper of 5th level of higher can command the spirits of water to surround her in an aura of sea foam and salt spray a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Strength modifier. This cloak of the sea lasts for five minutes. While cloaked in this watery aura, the wavekeeper channels the essence of water to become swift, forceful and elusive. She gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws and all Strength-based checks and does not provoke attacks of opportunity for movement or spellcasting. She also gains concealment, although this concealment cannot be used to hide because the spray and foam give away her general position. At 14th level, the bonus increases to +4.
Essence of the Waves (Ex): At 8th level, a wavekeeper masters the mystery of binding the spirits of water within her own flesh. Imbued with the essence of water, her movements acquire the speed and certainty of the crashing wave. Her skin appears to be coated with a fine layer of dew, and wisps of vapor seem to float from her flesh at times. She gains +10 to her speed in each of her movement modes, which increases to +20 while she is cloaked in her cloak of the sea ability.
Fog Sight (Su): A wavekeeper of 9th level can assert her authority over airborne particles of water, enabling her to peer through clouds, fog, murky water or almost any other sort of haze or suspended particles, as easily as if the impediment weren't there. The wavekeeper can still see the clouds or fog as a ghostly outline, so she can avoid walking into acid fogs and the like. This ability is not effective against smoke or blown dust or sand.
Using this ability is a standard action. Each use lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 + the wavekeeper’s Str modifier.
Current Mastery (Su): A 12th level wavekeeper gains the ability to create currents that move the water in her vicinity. The current flows in a direction she specifies and affects water within 30 feet of her position. Creatures, including the wavekeeper, are moved in the direction the water flows. The current moves at 10 feet per round. At 15th level, the speed of the current increases to 20 feet per round.
The wavekeeper can use her current mastery to increase or impede the speed of a ship, though if she attempts to impede a ship with sails that ship's speed is only reduced by 5 feet (or by 10 feet for a 15th-level wavekeeper).
Water Elemental Wild Shape (Su): At 14th level, a wavekeeper gains the ability to assume the form of a Small, Medium, or Large water elemental once per day. This works just like a druid’s wild shape ability, except as described herein. The wavekeeper gains the elemental's racial bonuses to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution and natural armor, and gains Water Mastery, Drench, and Vortex as per the water elemental description. She also gains the elemental's feats. She retains her own type and racial attributes, but gains the [water] subtype. The effect lasts one hour per wavekeeper level, or until the wavekeeper changes back. Changing form is a standard action and doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity.
Upon changing to water elemental form, the wavekeeper regains hit points (but nothing else) as if she had rested for the night. If slain in water elemental form, she reverts to her normal shape (but remains dead).
The wavekeeper gains an additional use per day of this ability at 17th and 20th level. At 20th level, she may use this wild shape ability to assume the form of a huge water elemental.
http://i846.photobucket.com/albums/ab24/gallopinggiraffes/Wavekeeper/Nereid_by_K1LLB0T.jpg
"Ocean: A body of water occupying two-thirds of a world made for man - who has no gills. "
-- Ambrose Bierce
WAVEKEEPER SPELL LIST
The wavekeeper spell list appears below. All spells are notated with the name and page number of the sourcebook in which they appear.
0 Level: create water (PH 215), detect magic (PH 219), know direction (PH 246), prestidigitation (PH 264), purify food and drink (PH 267), read magic (PH 269).
1st Level: animate water (SC 13), benign transposition (SC 27), conjure ice beast I (Frost 91), endure elements (PH 226), expeditious retreat (PH 228), expeditious retreat, swift (SC 85), glaze lock (Frost 97), hydrate (Sand 117), ice dagger (SC 118), ice slick (Frost 100), identify (PH 243), living prints (SC 134), locate water (Sand 117), longstrider (PH 249), moment of clarity (SC 142), obscuring mist (PH 258), ray of enfeeblement (PH 269), second wind (SC 182), slide (SC 191), snowshoes (SC 194), snowsight (Frost 104), wave blessing (Storm 125), winter chill (SC 241).
2nd Level: baleful transposition (SC 23), calm emotions (PH 207), conjure ice beast II (Frost 91), conjure ice object (Frost 91), escalating enfeeblement (CM 103), fog cloud (PH 232), ice darts (Frost 99), inky cloud (SC 123), locate object (PH 249), quick march (SC 164), quick potion (SC 164), see invisibility (PH 275), slide, greater (SC 192), snake's swiftness (SC 193), stormrunner's ward (Storm 122), swim (SC 217), tern's persistence (Storm 123), tojanida sight (Storm 123), torrent of tears (CM 119), turbidity (Storm 123), winter's embrace (SC 241).
3rd Level: amorphous form (SC 9), arcane sight (PH 201), arctic haze (Frost 88), column of ice (Frost 93), conjure ice beast III (Frost 91), crashing waves, detect ship (Storm 118), dispel magic (PH 223), haste (PH 239), healing touch (SC 111), heart of water (CM 107), ice axe (SC 118), ice shape (Frost 99), icelance (SC 119), primal form (water only) (SC 161), ray of exhaustion (PH 269), scales of the sealord (Storm 121), sink (SC 190), sleet storm (PH 280), snake's swiftness, mass (SC 193), standing wave (SC 204), tormenting thirst (Sand 124), water breathing (PH 300), water walk (PH 300), weather eye (SC 238).
4th Level: aspect of the icy hunter (PH2 96), conjure ice beast IV (Frost 91), control currents (Storm 114), control water (PH 214), ice shield (Frost 99), ice storm (PH 243), locate creature (PH 249), rushing waters (SC 178), scrying (druid focus) (PH 274), siren's call (Storm 121), solid fog (PH 281), summon elementite swarm (water only) (SC 214), swim, mass (SC 217), thalassemia (Storm 123), wake trailing (Storm 124), wall of ice (PH 299), wall of water (SC 235), wind at back (SC 239).
5th Level: call avalanche (Frost 90), cloak of the sea (SC 48), conjure ice beast V (Frost 91), dance of the unicorn (SC 58), dispel fire (Frost 93), flesh to ice (Frost 94), flowsight (Storm 117), ice to flesh (Frost 100), longstrider, mass (PH2 117), neutralize poison (PH 257), pass through ice (Frost 103), sheltered vitality (SC 188), sirine's grace (SC 191), swamp stride (SC 217), waves of fatigue (PH 301).
6th Level: animate snow (SC 12), conjure ice beast VI (Frost 91), contingency (PH 213), drown (SC 74), entomb (Frost 93), extract water elemental (SC 86), freezing fog (SC 99), mephit mob ([water] subtype only) (Sand 118), move snow and ice (Frost 102), snow wave (Frost 104), stormwalk (Storm 122), summon greater elemental (water only) (SC 214), true seeing (PH 296).
7th Level: arcane sight, greater (PH 201), as the frost (PH2 101), blood to water (SC 33), conjure ice beast VII (Frost 91), elemental body (water only) (SC 78), ice claw (SC 118), nixie's grace (SC 148), spell turning (PH 282), submerge ship (SC 207), tidal surge (SC 220), waterspout (SC 236), waves of exhaustion (PH 301).
8th Level: conjure ice beast VIII (Frost 91), field of icy razors (SC 90), flashflood (Sand 114), maelstrom (SC 135), megalodon empowerment (Storm 118), mysterious redirection (CM 107), red tide (SC 170), regenerate (PH 270), simulacrum (PH 279).
9th Level: conjure ice beast IX (Frost 91), drown, mass (SC 74), elemental swarm (water elementals only) (PH 226), genius loci (water only) (PH2 105), iceberg (Frost 101), planar navigation (Storm 119), summon elemental monolith (water only) (SC 214), tsunami (SC 224).
NEW SPELLS
Crashing Waves
Conjuration (Creation) [Water]
Level: wavekeeper 3
Components: S, special
Casting Time: 1 immediate action
Range: 30 ft.
Effect: 30-ft radius emanation, centered on the caster.
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes
With merely a forceful gesture, you conjure the spirits of water in a great wave to conceal your allies and buffet your foes.
Whenever you use any version of crashing waves, nonmagical fires are snuffed out within the area of effect, and everything is drenched by the sudden flood of water.
In its most basic version, the rushing wave, you throw out your arms and conjure a swell of cold water that races out to the edges of the effect. Affected allies find the water to be soothing and restorative; healing damage equal to your Strength bonus (minimum 1) and receiving a +4 bonus to saves against [fire] effects until the beginning of your next turn. Enemies are pushed back by the water. Treat the effect as a bull rush towards the nearest edge of the effect at a bonus of 7 + your Strength modifier, but creatures are not pushed further once they have been pushed outside the effect. At 13th level, the save bonus increases to +6, and the bull rush attempts are at an additional +4.
A caster of at least 9th level can conjure a crashing wave: you throw out your arms and send a wall of foaming white water out to the edges of the effect. Allies gain concealment amidst the foamy waves for 1 round, while enemies are battered about, sustaining 3d6 points of bludgeoning damage, and may be knocked prone. Treat the effect as a trip attempt with a bonus of 7 + your Strength modifier. At 17th level, allies gain total concealment instead, and the trip attempts are at an additional +4.
A caster of at least 13th level can conjure dark water: you throw out your arms and send forth an icy wave of black water from the deep ocean trenches, leaving the area awash until the beginning of your next turn. Within the area of the effect, magical [fire] effects are dispelled and [fire] spells being cast are countered as if with a greater dispel magic.
A caster of at least 17th level can conjure a maelstrom: you throw out your arms and call a mighty vortex of whirling, spinning water to fill the area for 1 round, trapping enemies but leaving allies afloat. On its turn, each enemy may attempt a Swim or Profession (sailor) check as a move action (DC = 13 + your Strength modifier) to escape the maelstrom, moving to the nearest square outside the area of effect. Failing that, the creature is unable to move of its own accord, and revolves helplessly in the whirlpool. At the end of its turn, move the creature 30 feet clockwise around the rim of the whirlpool.
Taking actions while trapped within the whirlpool is possible, but extremely difficult. Weapon attacks are made as if the creature was underwater, attacking with ranged weapons of any kind is impossible, and performing any action requiring concentration or focus requires a concentration check (DC = 13 + Strength modifier).
Special: To cast this spell, you must have your Cloak of the Sea feature active (see above), or must be within 30 feet of a large mass of water or ice (such as a pond, snowfield, or an area of driving rain or heavy snow).