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View Full Version : Let your mind start to journey to a strange new world... [PrC]



Jarl
2006-10-31, 03:26 AM
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before...

Phantom
A ten level prestige class
Artifact related to a certain Phantom... (http://home.comcast.net/~jarl_the_radical/mask4.jpg)

In sleep he sang to me
In dreams he came
That voice which calls to me
And speaks my name
And though I dream again
For now I find
The phantom of the opera is there
Inside my mind...

Twisted and deformed, the Phantom is a vicious beast indeed. As an artist descends into the madness of his own art, he lets it blacken and destroy his world. Misery begets great art, but the art does not heal the misery, and that makes the artist miserable, drives him to madness, makes him lose quality, makes him more miserable...

Requirements
Alignment- Any evil aligned
Skills- Perform (any) 10, Jump 5, Tumble 5, Bluff 5, Disguise 5, Hide 5, Use Rope 10
Bardic Music- Must be able to Inspire Competence
Feats- Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Whip), Leadership
Special- Must have some "flaw" (if using the Flaw system, must have at least one) that the character obsesses over. Must be "unbalanced" (if using the Sanity system, must be at 75% or less of maximum Sanity) as a result of this flaw.

Features
Hit Die- d6
BAB and Saves- As Bard
Skillz dat Illz-The Class skills of the Phantom (and the relevant ability scores) are Jump (Str), Tumble (Dex), Perform (any) (Cha), Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Hide (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex). The Phantom gains 2+Cha mod skill points per level.
Proficiencies- The Phantom gains no proficiencies. He may not use his class features while wearing medium or heavier armor.

Phantom
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Bardic Music, Stranger than you Dreamt it, Past the Point of No Return

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|The Music of the Night

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+3|
+3|All I Ask of You

4th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Learn to be Lonely

5th|
+3|
+1|
+4|
+4|Why So Silent?

6th|
+4|
+2|
+5|
+5|Keep your Hand at the Level of your Eye

7th|
+5|
+2|
+5|
+5|Masquerade

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+6|
+6|A Little Illumination

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+6|
+6|Your Chains are Still Mine

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+7|
+7|Angel of Music[/table]

Bardic Music (Su)- For the purposes of Bardic Music, a level of Phantom is a level of Bard.

Stranger than you Dreamt it... (Su)- If using the Sanity System, a Phantom adds the difference between his current and maximum sanity to a perform check as an insight bonus.
If not using the sanity system, a Phantom, when making a perform check, must make a will save (DC Perform check result + Hit Die). If the save is passed, nothing happens. If the save is failed, he takes half the amount he failed by in damage to his wisdom. However, he adds twice the amount he failed the save by to his perform check as an insight bonus.
Regardless, the character is fatigued after doing so.

Past the Point of No Return (Su)- If a Phantom is reduced to 0 sanity or less, he may add his maximum sanity, multiplied by two, to all perform checks. If he becomes good aligned, he may do this, but immediately is reduced to 0 sanity.
If not using the sanity system, he may add his hit die multiplied by 5 to all perform checks when at half or lower his starting wisdom score. He may do the same if he becomes good aligned, but is immediately reduced to 1d4 Wisdom permanently (may be negated through a wish or miracle, and may be raised by magical means, level ability mods, etc).

The Music of the Night (Su)- Beginning at second level, a Phantom may make a perform check while hiding without giving away his position, and may use Inspire Competence for Move Silently and Hide checks.

All I Ask of You (Ex)- Beginning at third level, a Phantom may add his perform ranks to his bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate checks as competence bonuses upon a successful perform check.

Learn to be Lonely (Su)- Beginning at fourth level, a cohort of a Phantom may use the Phantom's Perform ranks instead of his own, and may add half his ranks to his bluff, diplomacy, and intimidate checks as competence bonuses.

Why So Silent? (Ex)- Beginning at fifth level, a Phantom may add half his ranks in perform to his hide and move silently checks as a competence bonus. After a successful perform check, he may instead add his whole perform bonus.

Keep your Hand at the Level of your Eye (Su) Beginning at sixth level, a Phantom who has someone entangled in a net or lasso* or whip may make an opposed strength check. If he succeeds, the enemy takes 1d4 slashing damage. Each round, the Phantom may attempt a new attack as though he has the enemy in an improved grapple. If the attack succeeds, the enemy takes 1d4 slashing damage. If the weapon is vorpal and a critical hit is achieved, it has the normal effect a vorpal weapon would have (assuming the enemy has a head).

Masquerade (Ex)- Starting at seventh level, a Phantom may add half his ranks in Perform to his Disguise checks, all ranks upon a successful perform check, as a competence bonus.

A Little Illumination (Ex)- Starting at eight level, a Phantom begins to transform into a creature of darkness. He begins to lose 1d4 sanity per hour spent in sunlight or full illumination. If not using the sanity system, he takes 1 wisdom damage per hour in sunlight or full illumination.

Your Chains are Still Mine (Su)- Starting at ninth level, a Phantom and his cohort enter a vicious mentally sadomasochistic relationship. If using the sanity system, a Phantom may (once per day) inflict 1d6 sanity damage on his cohort (no save), and both receive twice the damage as a bonus to their charisma scores. If not using the sanity system, a Phantom may (once per day) inflict one damage to his cohort's wisdom score and add twice his own wisdom modifier to each character's charisma-related skill checks.

Angel of Music (Ex)- At tenth level, a Phantom transforms into a creature of darkness. He becomes an Outsider with Native and Evil subtypes. He may no longer become permanently insane, though he may be reduced to less than -10 sanity. If not using the sanity system, he retains consciousness and sentience when reduced to 0 or less wisdom. His charisma score remains unaffected.

*Lasso
Any character with one or more ranks in Use Rope may create a lasso out of any rope he or she carries. It does not count as an improvised weapon.
A lasso is an entangling weapon that deals no damage, but it entangles only parts of an opponent's body. When you use a lasso to entangle your opponent's arms, you make a ranged touch attack against your target (if using a silk rope, a +2 circumstance bonus is added to the attack roll). A lasso maximum range is 30ft. If you hit the target is partially entangled, taking a -2 on attack rolls and a -4 penalty on effective Dexterity. The creature's speed is not reduced, and it can still charge or run, but if you control the trailing rope by succeeding at an opposed strength check while holding it, the lassoed creature can only move within the limits that the rope allows. If the lassoed creature attempts to cast a spell. it must succeed a DC 15 Concentration check or fail. The lassoed creature can escape with a DC 20 escape artist check as a full round.
A hemp rope lasso has 2 HP and can be broken with a DC 23 strength check- also a full-round action. A silk rope lasso has 4 hp and can be broken with a DC 24 strength check.
Alternatively, you can use a lasso to make trip attacks. If you are tripped during your own attempt, you can drop the lasso to avoid being tripped.

Lasso
-cost (1 gp for hemp, 10 gp for silk)
-range increment 10ft, max 30
-3lb


***

-Okay, fixed a few errors (wisdom), added in some rules for Lassos. It's basically the net with a greater range and it's easier to escape from. [further edit] Meddled in the affairs of silk rope.

Jarl
2006-10-31, 11:37 PM
Drat, I just checked the SRD again, there's no rules for lassos.

-Obviously, I lost so many sanity points I hallucinated we were back in the days of 2nd ed.

Jack_Simth
2006-11-01, 07:06 AM
Nobody dies directly from being reduced to 0 wisdom. They just get paralized with a little added flavor. It's only Con-0 that kills you directly.

Jarl
2006-11-01, 05:50 PM
Huh. I thought they did.
I was misled.
Gonna have to come up with something for that. It's really more of a sanity-based class as it is, anyways.
[edit]Rechecking "How to Design a Monster" reveals something about wisdom. Having 0, or a "non-ability", in your wisdom score, means you do not perceive the world and are, in fact, an item. You also have no charisma score.
So, a Phantom with the "Angel of Music" feature would... be...

-I don't know. I'm in over my head.

Jack_Simth
2006-11-01, 06:26 PM
A nonability is not the same thing as an ability score of 0.

"Wisdom 0 means that the character is withdrawn into a deep sleep filled with nightmares, helpless."

Just make him immune to that effect, and you're set. So he gets a -5 to Spot, Listen, Sense Motive, Will saves, and a couple other things when his Wis is damaged or drained to 0.... but isn't that the point?

Jarl
2006-11-01, 06:30 PM
Ironically, a deep sleep filled with nightmares fits the character perfectly.
Fiddled with it, anyways. Added Lassos, messed with the Angel of Music thing so he's good.

-Still, you gotta wonder what kind of effect that would have on a creature's psychology, being reduced to 0 or less wisdom. Fits well with the -10 or less sanity.

Jarl
2006-11-02, 11:20 PM
Re-re(rerere)formatted the class, this time to include Progression tables (coming soon to my other prestige classes!).

-To think, this started out as a 5 level rogue PrC.

Umbral_Arcanist
2006-11-06, 09:37 PM
Just a "nit" but the Phantom's lasso was made of catgut.....

out of curiosity what is your expierience with the character? Obviously the Lloyd webber musical but anything else?

Jarl
2006-11-07, 03:18 AM
Well yeah, the lasso's catgut, but the SRD had rules for Hemp and Silk.
To be honest, I'd say 40% of this was inspired purely by the soundtrack for the film. Altogether, I've listened to the soundtrack with startling regularity, seen the film a few times, seen clips of various versions of the play (There was this one really dark version, I forget which, with the phantom hooded and dark and everything, singing the All I Ask of You reprise from Don Juan Triumphant, and it was just... chilling), read "Maskerade", have the original book on hold at the library, and also referenced Wikipedia.
I feel I should also mention the influence Abraham Maslow's research had on this PrC. As you know, Maslow created the hierarchy of needs (Physiological, Psychological, Interpersonal, Self Actualization) and believed that one could not skip "levels". That is, you had to be physiologically sound before you could attempt psychological achievement. Thing is, unlike Freud and other psychologists, Maslow only used healthy people in his studies.
So, by "logical analysis" (which, as we all know, doesn't apply to psychology, what with it not being science), unhealthy people can skip levels. And, come on. Van Gogh's idea of love was mailing a prostitute his ear, and his artwork is some of the most sought-after and famous in the world. Poe drank his breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and he's one of the most famous English language writers in American history. Therefore, this class trades its wisdom for it's charisma, its sanity score for better perform checks.
That's just how I roll.

Technically, it's "inspired" by the Phantom, just as the Bonded Duskstrider was "inspired" by the Shadow, etc. It's not meant to perfectly re-create the character, just to create a character archetype that strongly resembles the original character.

-Wait a tick... I've created PrCs based on the Shadow AND the Phantom (Okay, "A" phantom)?! Man of Bronze, here I come!