Volfogg
2013-03-22, 10:19 PM
Hi All,
In a previous post I was looking for some shadow themed homebrew and was lucky enough to receive a plethora of excellent replies as well as advice, however. I was stuck trying to hammer out a prestige class for an NPC that my group encountered. After a number of rough starts I was finally able to cobble together something that could pass as a prestige class. Although, in all honesty, I think it's pretty darn terrible. For this reason I am posting it here in the hopes of receiving some helpful feedback. The basic premise is an individual which binds a portion of the plane of shadow to himself in order to augment his body and abilities. Please note this is a work in progress.
Original Version:UMBRAL DEVOTEE
Through a terrifying, and sometimes fatal process, the individual binds a portion of shadow to their very essence. The process strains the mental capacity of most individuals as the bound shadow-stuff exerts a small, yet acute sense of murderous intent. It is unknown whether this is a problem with the process or its just a byproduct of the procedure. Some have gone so far as to say that the darkness, which is bound to the Devotee's soul, is itself a malevolent and savage entitiy.
Requirements
To qualify to become a umbral devotee, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
BaB: +4
Skills: Intimidate 6 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 4 ranks, Stealth 8 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will.
{table=head]Level|BaB|F|R|W|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Ebon mask, gaze of ineffable darkness
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Sudden strike +1d6
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|Umbral flesh
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Sudden strike +2d6
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Umbral fortitude
[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
The umbral devotee’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex).
* Please note that we use the Pathfinder skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
CLASS ABILITIES
Ebon Mask(Su): As a move action the character is able to expel liquid darkness from his eyes. The expeled shadow stuff cloaks his visage in a nightmarish veil of gloom and darkness which hides the character's features. The veil also grants the character a bonus on Intimidate checks equal to his umbral devotee level.
Gaze of Ineffable Darkness: The character's eyes are destroyed by the darkness that now exists within his body. Instead his eye sockets are home to two baleful black orbs of dark energy. This transformation grants the umbral devotee darkvision 60'. If instead the character possesses darkvision already, his range is increased by 60'.
Sudden Strike: As per the ninja ability.
Umbral Flesh(Su): The umbral devotee's body constantly leaks shadowy rivulets and streamers which causes the outline of the character's body to constantly shift and waver. This effect grants the umbral devotee concealment as well as the ability to hide in plain sight - that is, you can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. See the ranger class feature, page 48 of the Player's Handbook.
Umbral Fortitude: So much of the character's body has been integrated with shadowstuff that he is now able to, 25% of the time, negate critical hits against him. This ability otherwise functions as the fortification (light) armor property. Another benefit granted by his shadow infused body is the mitigation of certain biological needs. From this point forward the character needs to eat only a single meal per week as well as requiring only 1 hour of sleep (but you must still rest for 8 hours to regain your spells/mysteries/etc for the next day).
Completed Version:
UMBRAL DEVOTEE
Through a terrifying, and sometimes fatal process, the individual binds a portion of shadow to their very essence. The process strains the mental capacity of most individuals as the bound shadow-stuff exerts a small, yet acute sense of murderous intent. It is unknown whether this is a problem with the process or its just a byproduct of the procedure. Some have gone so far as to say that the darkness, which is bound to the devotee's soul, is itself a malevolent and savage entitiy.
Requirements
To qualify to become a umbral devotee, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
BaB: +4
Skills: Intimidate 6 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 4 ranks, Stealth 8 ranks.
Feats: Blind-fight, Iron Will.
{table=head]Level|BaB|F|R|W|Special
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Cloak of Shadow, Cold Creep, Darkvision
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Low-light Vision, Sudden Strike +1d6
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Swiftness, Shadow Shift
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|Greater Low-light Vision, Sudden Strike +2d6
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|Umbral Flesh, Hide in Plain Sight
[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
The umbral devotee’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowlegde (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex).
* Please note that we use the Pathfinder skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
CLASS ABILITIES
The following are the class abilities of the umbral devotee.
Cloak of Shadow (Su): An umbral devotee can cloak her form in shifting shadows. This ability provides her with a variable amount of concealment depending on her level. While her cloak of shadow is active, attacks against an umbral devotee have a miss chance equal to 15% + 5% per class level (to a maximum of 40% at 5th level). Darkvision and low-light vision offer no help in piercing the cloak of shadow, although any creature that can see in magical darkness can ignore the miss chance, as can a creature with true seeing. A umbral devotee can dismiss or resume this effect as a free action. While her cloak of shadow is active, a umbral devotee can make Hide checks as if she had concealment. Cloak of shadow doesn't function in daylight, and it is the equivalent of a 3rd-level darkness effect for the purpose of interacting with light spells.
Cold Creep (Ex): An umbral devotee gains cold resistance equal to 5 + her class level, which stacks with all other extraordinary sources of cold resistance. She also gains a racial bonus on Intimidate and Stealth checks equal to 1 + her class level.
Darkvision: An umbral devotee gains darkvision equal to 10 ft. + 10 ft. per class level. If she already has darkvision, its range increases by the same amount.
Low-light Vision: At 2nd level, an umbral devotee gains low-light vision, which improves to greater low-light vision at 4th level, allowing her to see four times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. If she already has a form of low-light vision, the abilities stack according to the rules of adding multipliers.
Swiftness (Ex): At 3rd level, all of an umbral devotee's movement speeds increase by 10 ft.
Shadow Shift (Su): An umbral devotee of 3rd level can avoid potentially fatal attacks by momentarily converting her body into a mass of shadow energy. This ability otherwise functions as per the rogue evasion class ability, except the character can do so even while wearing medium or heavy armor. This ability is suppressed in natural daylight or within the radius of a daylight spell or similar effect.
Umbral Flesh (Su): At 5th level, an umbral devotee has a 25% chance to negate any critical hit scored against her. This ability otherwise functions as the fortification (light) armor property. In addition, from this point forward she needs to eat only a single meal per week as well as requiring only 1 hour of sleep (but must still rest for 8 hours to regain her spells/mysteries/etc for the next day).
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 5th level, the umbral devotee may use the Hide skill even while being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or a similar effect).
Any and all comments/suggestions are welcome! Like I already mentioned this is a rough draft. I am keenly aware that it needs improvement .... alright, a lot of improvement in order to make it a fully functional prestige class. Hopefully with the help of the folks around here I can turn this into something worth playing. Thanks!
Edits
Increased skill points to 6 per level.
Please see "spoilered" finalized version for complete prestige class.
Cheers
Volf
In a previous post I was looking for some shadow themed homebrew and was lucky enough to receive a plethora of excellent replies as well as advice, however. I was stuck trying to hammer out a prestige class for an NPC that my group encountered. After a number of rough starts I was finally able to cobble together something that could pass as a prestige class. Although, in all honesty, I think it's pretty darn terrible. For this reason I am posting it here in the hopes of receiving some helpful feedback. The basic premise is an individual which binds a portion of the plane of shadow to himself in order to augment his body and abilities. Please note this is a work in progress.
Original Version:UMBRAL DEVOTEE
Through a terrifying, and sometimes fatal process, the individual binds a portion of shadow to their very essence. The process strains the mental capacity of most individuals as the bound shadow-stuff exerts a small, yet acute sense of murderous intent. It is unknown whether this is a problem with the process or its just a byproduct of the procedure. Some have gone so far as to say that the darkness, which is bound to the Devotee's soul, is itself a malevolent and savage entitiy.
Requirements
To qualify to become a umbral devotee, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
BaB: +4
Skills: Intimidate 6 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 4 ranks, Stealth 8 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will.
{table=head]Level|BaB|F|R|W|Special
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Ebon mask, gaze of ineffable darkness
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Sudden strike +1d6
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|Umbral flesh
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Sudden strike +2d6
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Umbral fortitude
[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
The umbral devotee’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex).
* Please note that we use the Pathfinder skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
CLASS ABILITIES
Ebon Mask(Su): As a move action the character is able to expel liquid darkness from his eyes. The expeled shadow stuff cloaks his visage in a nightmarish veil of gloom and darkness which hides the character's features. The veil also grants the character a bonus on Intimidate checks equal to his umbral devotee level.
Gaze of Ineffable Darkness: The character's eyes are destroyed by the darkness that now exists within his body. Instead his eye sockets are home to two baleful black orbs of dark energy. This transformation grants the umbral devotee darkvision 60'. If instead the character possesses darkvision already, his range is increased by 60'.
Sudden Strike: As per the ninja ability.
Umbral Flesh(Su): The umbral devotee's body constantly leaks shadowy rivulets and streamers which causes the outline of the character's body to constantly shift and waver. This effect grants the umbral devotee concealment as well as the ability to hide in plain sight - that is, you can use the Stealth skill even while being observed. See the ranger class feature, page 48 of the Player's Handbook.
Umbral Fortitude: So much of the character's body has been integrated with shadowstuff that he is now able to, 25% of the time, negate critical hits against him. This ability otherwise functions as the fortification (light) armor property. Another benefit granted by his shadow infused body is the mitigation of certain biological needs. From this point forward the character needs to eat only a single meal per week as well as requiring only 1 hour of sleep (but you must still rest for 8 hours to regain your spells/mysteries/etc for the next day).
Completed Version:
UMBRAL DEVOTEE
Through a terrifying, and sometimes fatal process, the individual binds a portion of shadow to their very essence. The process strains the mental capacity of most individuals as the bound shadow-stuff exerts a small, yet acute sense of murderous intent. It is unknown whether this is a problem with the process or its just a byproduct of the procedure. Some have gone so far as to say that the darkness, which is bound to the devotee's soul, is itself a malevolent and savage entitiy.
Requirements
To qualify to become a umbral devotee, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
BaB: +4
Skills: Intimidate 6 ranks, Knowledge (planes) 4 ranks, Stealth 8 ranks.
Feats: Blind-fight, Iron Will.
{table=head]Level|BaB|F|R|W|Special
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Cloak of Shadow, Cold Creep, Darkvision
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Low-light Vision, Sudden Strike +1d6
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Swiftness, Shadow Shift
4th|+4|+1|+4|+4|Greater Low-light Vision, Sudden Strike +2d6
5th|+5|+1|+4|+4|Umbral Flesh, Hide in Plain Sight
[/table]
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d8
Class Skills:
The umbral devotee’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowlegde (planes) (Int), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), and Stealth (Dex).
* Please note that we use the Pathfinder skills.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
CLASS ABILITIES
The following are the class abilities of the umbral devotee.
Cloak of Shadow (Su): An umbral devotee can cloak her form in shifting shadows. This ability provides her with a variable amount of concealment depending on her level. While her cloak of shadow is active, attacks against an umbral devotee have a miss chance equal to 15% + 5% per class level (to a maximum of 40% at 5th level). Darkvision and low-light vision offer no help in piercing the cloak of shadow, although any creature that can see in magical darkness can ignore the miss chance, as can a creature with true seeing. A umbral devotee can dismiss or resume this effect as a free action. While her cloak of shadow is active, a umbral devotee can make Hide checks as if she had concealment. Cloak of shadow doesn't function in daylight, and it is the equivalent of a 3rd-level darkness effect for the purpose of interacting with light spells.
Cold Creep (Ex): An umbral devotee gains cold resistance equal to 5 + her class level, which stacks with all other extraordinary sources of cold resistance. She also gains a racial bonus on Intimidate and Stealth checks equal to 1 + her class level.
Darkvision: An umbral devotee gains darkvision equal to 10 ft. + 10 ft. per class level. If she already has darkvision, its range increases by the same amount.
Low-light Vision: At 2nd level, an umbral devotee gains low-light vision, which improves to greater low-light vision at 4th level, allowing her to see four times as far as a human in starlight, moonlight, torchlight, and similar conditions of shadowy illumination. If she already has a form of low-light vision, the abilities stack according to the rules of adding multipliers.
Swiftness (Ex): At 3rd level, all of an umbral devotee's movement speeds increase by 10 ft.
Shadow Shift (Su): An umbral devotee of 3rd level can avoid potentially fatal attacks by momentarily converting her body into a mass of shadow energy. This ability otherwise functions as per the rogue evasion class ability, except the character can do so even while wearing medium or heavy armor. This ability is suppressed in natural daylight or within the radius of a daylight spell or similar effect.
Umbral Flesh (Su): At 5th level, an umbral devotee has a 25% chance to negate any critical hit scored against her. This ability otherwise functions as the fortification (light) armor property. In addition, from this point forward she needs to eat only a single meal per week as well as requiring only 1 hour of sleep (but must still rest for 8 hours to regain her spells/mysteries/etc for the next day).
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 5th level, the umbral devotee may use the Hide skill even while being observed (except in natural daylight, the area of a daylight spell, or a similar effect).
Any and all comments/suggestions are welcome! Like I already mentioned this is a rough draft. I am keenly aware that it needs improvement .... alright, a lot of improvement in order to make it a fully functional prestige class. Hopefully with the help of the folks around here I can turn this into something worth playing. Thanks!
Edits
Increased skill points to 6 per level.
Please see "spoilered" finalized version for complete prestige class.
Cheers
Volf