Schadrach
2011-08-29, 10:09 PM
Anyone playing in my current game, please stop reading *NOW* or else.
In my current game, the gods are...somewhat less extant than normal, and have been for quite a while. They actually exist only in the form of vestiges (as in Tome of Magic Binder vestiges), whose seals are secret and are only accessible to a homebrew Prc (it's a binder/incarnate mystic theurge-style class, one of the prereqs is literally having figured out that the gods can be contacted as vestiges and discovering a seal for their intended patron vestige). Game is Pathfinder + some 3.5 stuff that wasn't converted with appropriate skill and HD changes.
This PrC is kind of a binder/incarnate mystic theurge kind of deal that has a patron vestige (one of the lost gods, patron vestige functions ala Knight of the Sacred Seal) and chooses a favored domain of said deity vestige. The class features amount to +soul binding, +meldshaping, soulmelds can be hidden like vestige signs (though the patron vestige's sign and any melds must be visible to function), first granted power from the favored domain, and domain spells each 1/day as a spell like ability, up through the 5th level domain spell at 10th in the PrC.
The PrC isn't what's at question here, as I've got it basically like I want it. The thing I'm not entirely sure how to do right is designing vestiges. The first one likely to come up (the first character with this PrC is likely going to be an NPC) serves Kossuth, Lord of Flame. Here were the thoughts I had on the topic:
1. Signs should be more severe than normal signs to denote the "special" nature of these vestiges.
2. It would not only be permissible but even reasonable to scale with total character level or essentia investment, since any character able to use these vestiges is a binder/meldshaper by definition.
Here was my start of a Kossuth vestige (leaving out the fluff, since, well, the fluff is remains of God of Fire after plot events).
Kossuth
Sign: Your body appears to transform into living flames. These flames do not damage you or you gear, but this sign must be visible in order for Aura of Fire or Devouring Flame to be active.
Abilities
Fire Bolt: You can fire a bolt of flame as a ranged touch attack. This deals 1d6 damage per two binder levels (should this be character levels?). You can invest essentia into this ability as though it were a soulmeld, granting a +1 to hit (should this be a different bonus?) per point of invested essentia.
Devouring Flame: Once per day, over the course of one minute, you can incinerate the corpse of any living being. You must lay both hands on the corpse at all times for this effect to function, although performing it only requires a standard action per round. If interrupted, the process must be started anew. You gain a reserve of power equal to the number of HD of the last creature you used this ability on (that is, devouring a new creature overwrites the previous one). This reserve of power is used to power the sustaining flame and servant of fire abilities. If you fail to renew your pact with Kossuth, you lose any remaining reserve.
Sustaining Flame: By consuming one HD of your reserve, you can negate the need to eat or drink for one day, burning away the remnant life force of your victim. By consuming one HD of your reserve, you can negate the need to breathe for one minute, resuming as though you just started holding your breath at the end of that duration. Using either of these effects requires a standard action.
Servant of Fire: You can create a fire elemental that serves you. This fire elemental cannot have more HD than your $UNNAMED_PRC_MENTIONED_ABOVE level, creating it costs a number of HD of your reserve equal to the number of HD it possesses. This ability can be infused with essentia in the same fashion as a soulmeld, and doing so has the same effect as investing essentia in Soulspark Familiar. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with Soulspark familiar. If you fail to renew your pact with Kossuth, the fire elemental dissipates.
Aura of Fire: You gain the burn special ability of a fire elemental, as though an elemental with as many HD as your total character level.
So, umm, is that a reasonable vestige, given it's a primary feature of a prestige class for a binder/incarnate combination and that a deity existing in this state is a major plot point? Is it too much? Too little? Too complicated? Not enough different powers? Any ideas for other deities?
In my current game, the gods are...somewhat less extant than normal, and have been for quite a while. They actually exist only in the form of vestiges (as in Tome of Magic Binder vestiges), whose seals are secret and are only accessible to a homebrew Prc (it's a binder/incarnate mystic theurge-style class, one of the prereqs is literally having figured out that the gods can be contacted as vestiges and discovering a seal for their intended patron vestige). Game is Pathfinder + some 3.5 stuff that wasn't converted with appropriate skill and HD changes.
This PrC is kind of a binder/incarnate mystic theurge kind of deal that has a patron vestige (one of the lost gods, patron vestige functions ala Knight of the Sacred Seal) and chooses a favored domain of said deity vestige. The class features amount to +soul binding, +meldshaping, soulmelds can be hidden like vestige signs (though the patron vestige's sign and any melds must be visible to function), first granted power from the favored domain, and domain spells each 1/day as a spell like ability, up through the 5th level domain spell at 10th in the PrC.
The PrC isn't what's at question here, as I've got it basically like I want it. The thing I'm not entirely sure how to do right is designing vestiges. The first one likely to come up (the first character with this PrC is likely going to be an NPC) serves Kossuth, Lord of Flame. Here were the thoughts I had on the topic:
1. Signs should be more severe than normal signs to denote the "special" nature of these vestiges.
2. It would not only be permissible but even reasonable to scale with total character level or essentia investment, since any character able to use these vestiges is a binder/meldshaper by definition.
Here was my start of a Kossuth vestige (leaving out the fluff, since, well, the fluff is remains of God of Fire after plot events).
Kossuth
Sign: Your body appears to transform into living flames. These flames do not damage you or you gear, but this sign must be visible in order for Aura of Fire or Devouring Flame to be active.
Abilities
Fire Bolt: You can fire a bolt of flame as a ranged touch attack. This deals 1d6 damage per two binder levels (should this be character levels?). You can invest essentia into this ability as though it were a soulmeld, granting a +1 to hit (should this be a different bonus?) per point of invested essentia.
Devouring Flame: Once per day, over the course of one minute, you can incinerate the corpse of any living being. You must lay both hands on the corpse at all times for this effect to function, although performing it only requires a standard action per round. If interrupted, the process must be started anew. You gain a reserve of power equal to the number of HD of the last creature you used this ability on (that is, devouring a new creature overwrites the previous one). This reserve of power is used to power the sustaining flame and servant of fire abilities. If you fail to renew your pact with Kossuth, you lose any remaining reserve.
Sustaining Flame: By consuming one HD of your reserve, you can negate the need to eat or drink for one day, burning away the remnant life force of your victim. By consuming one HD of your reserve, you can negate the need to breathe for one minute, resuming as though you just started holding your breath at the end of that duration. Using either of these effects requires a standard action.
Servant of Fire: You can create a fire elemental that serves you. This fire elemental cannot have more HD than your $UNNAMED_PRC_MENTIONED_ABOVE level, creating it costs a number of HD of your reserve equal to the number of HD it possesses. This ability can be infused with essentia in the same fashion as a soulmeld, and doing so has the same effect as investing essentia in Soulspark Familiar. This ability cannot be used in conjunction with Soulspark familiar. If you fail to renew your pact with Kossuth, the fire elemental dissipates.
Aura of Fire: You gain the burn special ability of a fire elemental, as though an elemental with as many HD as your total character level.
So, umm, is that a reasonable vestige, given it's a primary feature of a prestige class for a binder/incarnate combination and that a deity existing in this state is a major plot point? Is it too much? Too little? Too complicated? Not enough different powers? Any ideas for other deities?