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TheGeckoKing
2011-11-14, 09:06 PM
Esoteric Puppeteer

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2010/164/7/0/Sorcerer_by_EnferDeHell.jpg

Oh, my friend is just a little memento of better times - Neville Stitchfingers, on being questioned about his Magic Puppet.

With nimble fingers and odd magics, there dwell a class of mages who can use a puppet focus to enhance their Enchantment skills beyond that of other mages, surpassing common limitations and making enhancements to their art.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Perform (Puppetry) 2 ranks, Sleight of Hand 10 ranks, Spellcraft 15 ranks
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast at least three spells from the Enchantment school. Must also be able to cast at least one spell with the Force descriptor
Special: Must of performed a puppet show at least once, using your magic to enhance the performance.

Class Skills

The Esoteric Puppeteer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Perform (Puppetry) (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int) and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int modifier.

Hit Dice: d6

The Esoteric Puppeteer
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Puppet Focus, Puppet Trick|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Puppet Trick|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Multi-Stringed, Puppet Trick|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Puppet Trick|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Cut the Cord, Puppet Trick|+1 level of existing spellcasting class[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Esoteric Puppeteer gains no new proficiencies.

Puppet Focus (Su): At 1st level, the Esoteric Puppeteer gains the ability to craft a Magic Puppet foci for their Enchantments, costing 100gp and taking 8 hours of time. It is a Fine object with a Hardness of 50 and 25hp. As a free action, the Esoteric Puppeteer may "Play the Puppet", provided they have a free hand.
While the Magic Puppet is being played, thin wires of force attach to key points on the puppet, and the Esoteric Puppeteer can manipulate the puppet like a normal marionette.
The Magic Puppet itself stays within the same square as the Esoteric Puppeteer, although it can be attacked as if it were sharing the same square as the Esoteric Puppeteer (use the Esoteric Puppeteer's saves and AC when applicable). If a Magic Puppet is destroyed, then its owner immediately takes 2 points of Cha Drain (no save) from the mental backlash.
While playing the puppet, the Esoteric Puppeteer can substitute manipulating the puppet for any somatic components, and does not need to supply any material components with a negligible cost.
While the Esoteric Puppeteer is playing the puppet, they take a -10 penalty to all Dex based skills, and the Spellcraft check DC to determine that the Esoteric Puppeteer is casting an Enchantment spell is reduced by 10, provided they can be seen.

Puppet Trick (Su): At each Esoteric Puppeteer level, the Esoteric Puppeteer may pick one Puppet Trick from the following list. A Puppet Trick is like a Metamagic feat in that the Esoteric Puppeter can apply its benefits to any Enchantment spell (but only Enchantment spells) it casts as a free action, but it does not increase any of the spell's variables like casting time and spell level.
While under the effects of a spell enhanced by a Puppet Trick, a Detect Magic spell will immediately alert one to odd happenings because at the enchanted creature's joints, glowing strings of force lead up and up into the air before disappearing into nowhere. If the corresponding Esoteric Puppeteer can be seen playing their puppet, then the puppet's movements seem to eerily match the poor victim's movements down to a tee.
An Esoteric Puppeteer may only apply one Puppet Trick to a spell at a time (but see Multi-Stringed).

Puppet Trick List:


Piercing Strings - The Esoteric Puppeteer's strings gouge into the victim's mind like harpoons, and rather than manipulate the puppet with finesse, the puppeteer yanks the puppet along to their arcane symphony.
An enchantment spell enhanced with this Puppet trick can affect Undead, Constructs and Mindless creatures normally, as if it were not an enchantment spell or mind-affecting. The spell still fails if they have a seperate reason for immunity other than race or the Mindless quality (such as a Mind Blank spell). However, because of the crude way of asserting control needed, the DC to ascertain that the enchanted creature is enchanted is reduced by 10, and the victim cannot use any Dex based skills, such as Sleight of Hand.


Long Strings - With nimble fingers you weave long strands of thread to make your puppet dance from far away, all the while making sure the strength of the thread does not waiver.
A successfully cast enchantment spell enhanced with this Puppet Trick still functions no matter where the enchanted subject may be, and even functions if the caster and subject are in different planes. However, because of how thin he string is, the Save DC to resist the spell after it is cast (but not the initial Save DC) and the Dispel check needed to dispel the enchantment is decreased by 5.


Thick Strings - The strings you weave with your puppet are short and thick, winded on themselves for more connectivity. However, they are unwieldy at best, and restricting at worst.
An Enchantment spell enhanced with this Puppet Trick has its Save DC (both initial and any new ones) increased by +2, and any dispel check made to remove the effect have their Dispel check increased by 5. However, the shorter strings mean that the Esoteric Puppeteer has little fine control over the puppet, and the subject itself easily gets tangled in its own strings. The victim of a spell with this Puppet Trick takes a -6 penalty on all Reflex Saves, and cannot do any task requiring fine manipulation, like using a sword or making most Dex based checks.


Loaded Strings - With wicked glee you weave explosive energies into your strings to blow at your discretion - but watch out, for broken toys are hard to fix, especially when they have a limited warranty.
A successfully cast enchantment spell enhanced with this Puppet Trick, after a number of turns equal to the enhanced spell's spell level, instantly ends and a 60ft burst originating (and including) the victim flares up, making all in its path make a Reflex Save (same DC as spell's initial DC) or take Xd6 Force damage, where X is the enhanced spell's level.


Linking Strings - With delicate effort, you loop some of your strings around the puppet's heart, giving you better means to keep tabs on your puppet. Watch out however, for a puppet's strings lead both ways.
A successfully cast enchantment spell enhanced with this Puppet Trick links the Esoteric Puppeteer directly to the subject's position, and so any attempts to divine the subject under this spell by the Esoteric Puppeteer automatically succeed. Even spells that would normally mask the subject's location fail, except for spells with a higher CL than the Esoteric Puppeteer. The catch is that the strings are two-way, and so while the enhanced spell is still in effect, any attempts to divine the caster of the enhanced spell are strengthened by the strings acting like a beacon, so while the enhanced spell is active, the Esoteric Puppeteer takes a -5 penalty to all saves made against Divination spells and Clairsentience powers.




Multi-Stringed (Su): At 3rd level, the Esoteric Puppeteer's fingers become nimble enough to pull multiple strings. An Esoteric Puppeteer may now apply two Puppet Tricks to a spell instead of one (within certain limits, however).

Cut the Cord (Su): At 5th level, the Esoteric Puppeteer can silence their puppets with a short, sharp snap of string. Three times per day, when the Esoteric Puppeteer dismisses a spell enhanced with a Puppet Trick, they may choose to snap the string instead, forcing a Will Save (Same DC as the inital spell) or die instantly as their mind is ripped out with the strings. Success means the former puppet simply takes 1d4 points of Cha damage instead.

lothofkalroth
2011-11-15, 06:11 PM
This is an interesting idea, but the mechanics are waaaay unbalanced. For instance, this means any time a character with the "Cut the Chord (which should be spelled cord btw)" ends an enchantment spell their target has to make a save-or-die. Also, the whole not allowing the target of an enchantment to move more than 100ft. away using the "thick strings" trick is kind of overpowered. Maybe consider toning down the power of the puppet tricks.

Hope this helps.

Veklim
2011-11-15, 06:13 PM
Save or die with any enchatment at level 15? Ouch dude, nice flavour to the class though...would be curious to see how this plays.

TheGeckoKing
2011-11-15, 08:14 PM
This is an interesting idea, but the mechanics are waaaay unbalanced. For instance, this means any time a character with the "Cut the Chord (which should be spelled cord btw)" ends an enchantment spell their target has to make a save-or-die. Also, the whole not allowing the target of an enchantment to move more than 100ft. away using the "thick strings" trick is kind of overpowered. Maybe consider toning down the power of the puppet tricks.

Hope this helps.

1. Why did I type chord? :smallconfused:
2. It's supposed to be enhanced spells only, but even then at 15th level Save-or-Die's aren't that uncommon. I'll add a cap per day on it though, I guess.
3. The 100ft thing was supposed to be the nerf. Will have to change that up, I guess.

Veklim
2011-11-16, 05:24 AM
2. It's supposed to be enhanced spells only, but even then at 15th level Save-or-Die's aren't that uncommon.

The trouble isn't in save or die effects themselves, it's the number you can use, you could make every spell in your entire repertoire a save or die using this, all you have to do is prepare nothing but enchantments. Also consider, save or die spells do only that in most cases whereas what you're doing here gives you the effect of the enchantment, THEN gives a save or die.