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Zaydos
2011-03-04, 02:22 PM
Occasionally a psychic is born with a special connection to the wild, a power coursing through him that makes him more kin to beasts than men. These beast blooded psions run with animals as if they were kin, calling wolves to them and sharing a portion of themselves with these lupine companions.

Argent Minds, sometimes called wolf-brothers, have a special connection with wolves which allow them several abilities akin to those of druids when dealing with wolves and other canine creatures. Eventually they develop the ability to transform themselves physically into lupine forms, and eventually develop the ability to communicate even in this form through the use of nothing more than their mind.

They are often at odds with the society of men, never feeling that they fit in within a city. Society as well often shuns them, a primal fear of wolves filling men and beast. Even so argent minds are inclined to social interaction, seeking out a small group with which they form extraordinarily strong bonds of loyalty and friendship. An argent mind cares little for a hundred acquaintances and hanger ons, but for those elect few they consider friends they will fight furiously using every inch of their psychic might to fight even if it may mean their own deaths.

Prerequisites:
Skills: 8 ranks in one of Handle Animals, Knowledge (Nature), or Survival; 4 ranks in each of the others.
Psionics: Ability to manifest Animal Affinity.

Argent Mind
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Wolf Companion, Wild Empathy, Wolf Empathy|-

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Scent, Track|+1 level of existing manifesting class

3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+3|Shape of the Wolf 1/day|+1 level of existing manifesting class

4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Psychic Trip|+1 level of existing manifesting class

5th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+4|Dire Wolf Companion|+1 level of existing manifesting class

6th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Shape of the Wolf 2/day|-

7th|
+3|
+5|
+2|
+5|Telepathy 60-ft|+1 level of existing manifesting class

8th|
+4|
+6|
+2|
+6|Mind-Rending Howl|+1 level of existing manifesting class

9th|
+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Shape of the Wolf 3/day, Shape of the Dire Wolf 1/day|+1 level of existing manifesting class

10th|
+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Phrenic Companion|+1 level of existing manifesting class [/table]
HD type: d6.
Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points per Level: 2 + Int.

Wolf Companion: At 1st level an argent mind's psychic bond manifests and he quickly attracts a wolf companion. You gain the ability to call a wolf companion to serve you. If you already have an animal companion ability you add twice your class level to your effective druid level to determine your new effective druid level (this cannot raise your effective druid level to higher than your character level) when choosing a canine animal companion. If you do not already have an animal companion ability you gain one with an effective druid level equal to twice your class level (maximum of your character level) but may only select a wolf or dire wolf as an animal companion. If you take feats to expand your animal companion choices only suitably canine animal companions are added.

Your wolf companion gains Share Powers in addition to Share Spells.

Scent (Ex): Slowly an argent mind begins taking on traits showing his lupine nature gaining first a keen nose like that of a true wolf. At 2nd level an argent mind gains the scent ability.

Track (Ex): Also gaining the ability to follow foe and friend, or prey and pack, by nothing more than their scent or the paltry signs of their passage. At 2nd level an argent mind gains Track as a bonus feat and a +4 class bonus to survival checks to track by scent.

Shape of the Wolf (Su): Slowly they develop the ability to take on the form of their lupine spirit, becoming capable of transforming themselves into a powerful wolf. At level 3 an argent mind gains the ability to take on the form of a wolf 1/day. This ability functions Polymorph except that they do not replace their physical ability scores with those of a wolf’s but instead apply a wolf’s physical ability score modifiers to their existing physical ability scores (+2 Str, +4 Dex, +4 Con; Spd becomes 40-ft, gain Trip, bite attack dealing 1d6 +1-1/2 str damage, medium size, +2 natural armor). This ability takes a standard action to activate and lasts 1 hour or until dismissed (as a standard action). While in the wolf form the psion is unable to manipulate objects that require hands or to speak understandably, although they gain the ability to converse with wolves and other canine creatures. You gain an additional use of this ability every 3rd level.

Psionic Trip: An argent mind gains the ability to focus their mind to pull creatures down, like a wolf uses its fangs. At 4th level an argent mind gains Telekinetic Maneuver as an additional power known and they may choose to use it for two less power points, if they do so they may only use it to perform trips.

Dire Wolf Companion: At 5th level an argent mind’s ability to bind a dire wolf as an animal companion improves. An argent mind’s effective druid level for a dire wolf companion is only 3 less than normal instead of 6 less.

Telepathy (Su): An argent mind slowly learns how to transcend the need of words gaining the ability to communicate with thoughts alone, thus transcending the limitation of his lupine form. At 7th level an argent mind gains telepathy out to 60-ft, unlike normal telepathy this may be used on wolves and other canine creatures which do not normally have a language.

Mind-Rending Howl (Su): An argent develops the ability to unleash a soul shattering howl, like that of a true wolf except augmented with psionic power so that it sends chills straight into the soul of foes. At 8th level 1/5 rounds an argent mind may release a howl empowered with psionic energy. This is a mind-affecting fear effect which causes one target within 60-ft to cower for 1d4+1 rounds. A successful will save (DC 10 + class level + mental ability score of your choice). This ability has a verbal component and does not function if the argent mind is unable to howl (due to being in an area of magical silence or gagged) or on creatures unable to hear the argent mind (due to being deafened or the argent mind being under the effects of a Superior Invisibility spell). If the argent mind is in wolf form, or dire wolf form, when he unleashes this howl the DC to resist is increased by 2.

Shape of the Dire Wolf (Su): An argent mind's lupine form continues to grow in power even as he does. At 9th level an argent mind gains the ability to assume the form of a dire wolf 1/day. This functions as shape of the wolf except that you gain dire wolf stats (large size, +3 natural armor, 50-ft movement, bite dealing 1d8 +1-1/2 Str) and apply their physical ability score modifiers to your existing physical ability scores (+14 Str, +4 Dex, +6 Con).

Phrenic Companion: Through their connection to the argent mind an argent mind's wolf companion gains psionic abilities of its own. At 10th level you apply the phrenic template to any wolf companion you possess. If you have a non-lupine animal companion it does not benefit from this ability.

Adaptation
An argent mind could be adapted to other creatures, although its scent, psychic trip, shape of the wolf/dire wolf, and mind-rending howl abilities might should be changed in that case. If people like the class and want me to make versions for other types of animals I'd be more than happy :smallsmile:

Notes on Design:
I gave them -2 ML because I didn't think they were powerful enough for -3, I also wonder if I could give them d8 HD and a medium BAB, but decided to err on the side of caution. I kind of wish I could figure out a way to allow access to both psions and psychic warriors at Lv 5 without requiring multiclassing (Psychic Warriors don't get any of the three skills as class skills) so suggestions on that wouldn't be out of place.

Thanks in advance.

Pyromancer999
2011-03-04, 06:15 PM
Looks pretty good so far. Personally, though, I'd revise the capstone of this prestige class. Don't get me wrong, an Argent Mind's Wolf Companion is all well, but what does the Argent Mind get? Capstones are usually about the player's character than their character's companion. I'd suggest maybe gaining some kind of ultimate wolfish thing, like being able to turn in to a great, huge wolf. Something like Fenrir from Norse Myth.

stainboy
2011-03-05, 03:38 AM
Sweet, a psionic class with pets and they even scale properly!



Notes on Design:
I gave them -2 ML because I didn't think they were powerful enough for -3, I also wonder if I could give them d8 HD and a medium BAB, but decided to err on the side of caution. I kind of wish I could figure out a way to allow access to both psions and psychic warriors at Lv 5 without requiring multiclassing (Psychic Warriors don't get any of the three skills as class skills) so suggestions on that wouldn't be out of place.

Thanks in advance.

A Natural World Ardent gets medium BAB and Metamorphosis. Druids get medium BAB and can pick more powerful forms than dire wolf. I think you can safely go to medium BAB, especially since the class is more likely to appeal to gish builds than pure manifesters.

Don't worry about making this class overpowered. Your reference points for balance are Wild Shape and Metamorphosis abuse, so go crazy.

Consider a more even rampup from Shape of the Wolf to Shape of the Dire Wolf. As it is now the strength bonus goes from "decent" to "War Hulk" in one level. Argent Mind gets plenty of cool stuff but dire wolf form is what gives it focus. That strength bonus is the big draw so start rationing it out before level 9. Consider just having the Strength bonus go up by 2 points per level until it reaches +14 at level 9 (when you get the other benefits of being a dire wolf like the size increase).

Anyway, hope I'm helping.