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Mephibosheth
2013-03-28, 05:11 PM
The Faceless Man


“It is not for you to say who shall live and who shall die. That gift belongs to Him of Many Faces. We are but his servants, sworn to do his will."
– The kindly man, A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, p. 445

We have flowered in Braavos amongst these northern fogs, but we first took root in Valyria, amongst the wretched slaves who toiled in the deep mines beneath the Fourteen Flames that lit the Freehold’s nights of old. Most mines are dank and chilly places, cut from cold dead stone, but the Fourteen Flames were living mountains with veins of molten rock and hearts of fire…

…The dragonlords of the old Freehold were strong in sorcery, and lesser men defied them at their peril. The first Faceless Man was one who did…

…Some say he was a slave himself. Others insist he was a freeholder’s son, born of noble stock. Some will even tell you he was an overseer who took pity on his charges. The truth is, no one knows. Whoever he was, he moved amongst the slaves and would hear them at their prayers. Men of a hundred different nations labored in the mines, and each prayed to his own god in his own tongue, yet all were praying for the same thing. It was release they asked for, an end to pain. A small thing, and simple. Yet their gods made no answer, and their suffering went on. Are their gods all deaf? He wondered…until a realization came upon him, one night in the red darkness.

All gods have their instruments, men and women who serve them and help to work their will on earth. The slaves were not crying out to a hundred different gods, as it seemed, but to one god with a hundred different faces…and he was that god’s instrument. That very night he chose the most wretched of the slaves, the one who had prayed most earnestly for release, and freed him from his bondage. The first gift had been given.
– A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin, pp. 456-458

Hit Dice: d6
Requirements:

Feats: Blind Fight
Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Craft (poisonmaking) 2 ranks, Disguise 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 2 ranks, Listen 8 ranks, Spellcraft 2 rank
Special: The character must have received training in the House of Black and White or from another Faceless Man
Special: The character must be a worshipper of Him of Many Faces
Class Skills:

The faceless man’s class skills are Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcane) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier


Table 1: The Faceless Man
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Old Powers
1|+0|+0|+2|+0|Poison use +1, practiced dissembler, sneak attack +1d6 or skirmish +1d6, three new things|2
2|+1|+0|+3|+0|Change face|3
3|+2|+1|+3|+1|Blindsense 30 ft., poison use +2|3
4|+3|+1|+4|+1|Sneak attack +2d6 or skirmish +1d6/+1AC|4
5|+3|+1|+4|+1|Poison use +3|4
6|+4|+2|+5|+2|Blindsense 60 ft.|5
7|+5|+2|+5|+2|Poison use +4, sneak attack +3d6 or skirmish +2d6/+1AC|5
8|+6|+2|+6|+2|Improved change face|6
9|+6|+3|+6|+3|Blindsight 15 ft., Poison use +5|6
10|+7|+3|+7|+3|Sneak attack +4d6 or skirmish +2d6/+2AC, Valar Morghulis|7[/table]


Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Faceless men gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Old Powers: In addition to the mundane mummers’ tricks they use, faceless men practice techniques belonging to the old powers of glamour and enchantment. The magical abilities they gain through these techniques are simple and crude but effective.

Beginning at 1st level, a faceless man learns two old powers. These powers are spell-like abilities that he can use at will. Using a power is a standard action that provokes an attack of opportunity unless otherwise indicated in its description. If a faceless man is damaged while using an old power, the power is ruined unless he makes a successful Concentration check. A faceless man’s old powers are subject to spell resistance unless the power’s description specifically states otherwise. A faceless man’s caster level with his old powers is equal to his class level. A faceless man may dismiss an old power as a standard action, just as a wizard can dismiss a spell.

The save DC for an old power (if it allows a save) is equal to 10 + the equivalent spell level of the power + the faceless man’s Charisma modifier. Since spell-like abilities are not actually spells, a faceless man cannot benefit from any metamagic feat or the Spell Focus feat. He can, however, benefit from the Ability Focus feat and any other feat that affects spell-like abilities. All old powers that allow a save are considered mind-affecting abilities.

A faceless man learns two old powers at first level and additional powers as he gains levels, as shown on Table 1.

Poison Use (Ex): Faceless men are trained in the use of countless forms of poison; from the most deadly and painful venoms to the gentlest, most peaceful substances. They never risk accidentally poisoning themselves when handling poison of any type.

In addition, a faceless man learns unique alchemical processes by which the virulence of a poison can be heightened. By spending 10 minutes and making a successful Craft (poisonmaking) check, a faceless man can increase the save DC of a poison by one. The DC for this check is equal to 5 + the save DC of the poison.

As a faceless man gains experience, his ability to manipulate poisons improves. At every odd level, the save DC increase he applies to his poisons using this ability increases by one, to a maximum of +5 at 9th level.

Sidebar: The Poisons of A Song of Ice and Fire
Basilisk Venom

A viscous paste spiked with the blood of the basilisks of Yi Ti, basilisk venom added to meat gives it a savory scent. It causes violent madness in men and animals.

Type: Ingested DC 17
Initial Effect: None
Secondary Effect: A creature that ingests basilisk venom must succeed on a Fortitude save or become violently insane. It attacks the nearest creature, using any melee weapons that are on its person or within its reach. If it has no easily-accessible weapons, it attacks with unarmed strikes or natural weapons. It cannot use ranged attacks, spells, or other special abilities, preferring rather to attack the nearest creature using melee attacks to the best of its ability, including the use of feats that improve melee combat (but not feats that require caution or strategy, such as Robilar's Gambit). If it has the Rage ability, it is activated by the poison. The victim must continue to make Fortitude saves every minute until it either succeeds once, 10 minutes have passed, or is killed.
Cost: 250 gp
Manticore Venom

Extracted from the insect-like manticores that reside on Jade Sea islands, this poison kills its victim the moment the venom reaches the heart. While this usually means it kills quickly, certain rare alchemical (and possibly sorcerous) processes can thicken the venom to prolong the victim's agony.

Type: Injury DC 20
Initial Effect: 1d6 Con damage
Secondary Effect: 3d6 Con damage
Special: Manticore venom can be thickened to prolong the dying process. In this case, the secondary effect is 1d6 Con damage. The victim then takes 1d6 points of Con damage (no save) every day until he or she is dead.
Cost: 1800 gp
The Strangler

The strangler is a rare and potent poison, able to cause a man’s throat to close and stop his breathing. The faceless men are among the few who are known to be able to make it. It is made from the leaves of a plant found only on Jade Sea islands. The leaves are aged, soaked in a wash of limes, sugar water, and rare spices. The resulting liquid is thickened with ash and allowed to harden into deep violet crystals and dissolve in liquid.

Type: Ingested DC 25
Initial Effect: A creature that ingests the strangler must make a Fort save or immediately begin making Constitution checks to avoid suffocating.
Secondary Effect: If it still alive and fails this second Fort save, the creature continues to make checks to avoid suffocating. It must continue to make a Fort save every minute thereafter, with the DC increasing by 1 for each save after the second, until it either succeeds or dies of suffocation. If it succeeds on this or any subsequent save, it has fought off the effects of the poison.
Cost: 3500 gp
Sweetsleep

Sweetsleep is a fascinating substance. In very small doses, it can calm tremors and bring restful sleep. In larger doses, it produces a sleep from which there is no waking. It has a noticeably sweet flavor and is best administered in cakes, pies, and honeyed wines.

Type: Ingested DC 15
Initial Effect: A relaxing of the muscles, causing a -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and all Strength and Dexterity skill and ability checks. It also ends any paralysis effects, seizures, or fits.
Secondary Effect: Unconsciousness. If three doses are administered at once, the secondary effect is death instead of unconsciousness.
Cost: 200 gp
The Tears of Lys

The Tears of Lys is an extremely potent poison. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it is also almost impossible to detect. It kills quickly by attacking the bowels and the belly, with its symptoms mimicking those of a sudden and severe illness. It is commonly associated with the Alchemists of Lys, though the Maesters of the Citadel are also familiar with the process by which it can be concocted.

Type: Ingested DC 30
Initial Effect: 2d6 Con
Secondary Effect: 2d6 Con
Special: Detecting the Tears of Lys is very difficult. The DC of any skill check made to detect the poison while examining the victim increases by 10.
Cost: 4500 gp
Warm Milk

Named after the substance in which it is most often administered, this subtle poison gives liquid to which it is added a burnt, slightly bitter aftertaste. It renders the victim blind for extended periods of time. The Faceless Men often use this substance as a test for potential acolytes; to train them in the use of senses other than sight.

Type: Ingested DC 12
Initial Effect: None
Secondary Effect: Unlike other poison, warm milk's secondary effect doesn't kick in until the victim goes to sleep. If the victim fails her Fortitude save against the secondary effect, she is permanently blinded.
Cost: 150 gp
Antidote Cost: 150 gp
Practiced Dissembler (Ex): A faceless man’s training heavily emphasizes lying, deception, and the detection of same. He gains an insight bonus equal to his class level on Bluff and Sense Motive checks.

Sneak Attack (Ex): This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. The extra damage dealt increases by +1d6 at 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th levels. If a faceless man gets a sneak attack bonus from another source the bonuses on damage stack. If a faceless man has the skirmish ability upon entering the class, he instead advances his skirmish ability as shown on Table 1.

Three New Things (Ex): Faceless men know that knowledge is among their most powerful weapons. As part of their training, they are required to learn three new things every day; a practice that many continue throughout their lives. A faceless man gains a bonus on Gather Information checks equal to his class level.

Change Face (Ex): At 2nd level, a faceless man begins to develop his most iconic ability; the ability to replace his face with that of another. This ability has two aspects; the collection and preservation of different faces and the donning of a new visage.

A faceless man can preserve the face of any humanoid creature that died less than 24 hours before the faceless man attempts to use this ability. Through his study of post-mortem decay, a faceless man can take 10 minutes to examine a corpse and tell to within one hour how long ago the creature died. The faceless man then carefully removes the creature’s face and preserves it using a unique alchemical process. This process requires rare reagents costing 100 gp each time a face is preserved. Collecting and preserving a face takes 10 minutes, not counting any time the faceless man spent determining the corpse’s time of death. A faceless man can have a total number of faces equal to his class level at any one time. Once he reaches this limit, he must completely destroy one of his old faces in order to preserve a new face, usually by incinerating it or dissolving it in acid.

A faceless man can don any face he currently has preserved. Doing so requires 10 minutes free of other distractions. The faceless man first makes an incision in his forehead, allowing the blood from this cut to completely cover his face. He then places the preserved face over his own. As the new face comes into contact with the blood, its normally hard and leathery texture softens and melds perfectly with the faceless man’s skin.

While worn in this way, a preserved face is completely indistinguishable from the faceless man’s own skin. It isn’t a mask; for all intents and purposes, this is the faceless man’s real visage. The face does not register as false or magical under any spell or ability that detects lies, falsehoods, illusions, invisibility, or any other forms of deceit. Spells and abilities that detect lies (including the Sense Motive skill) still function on the faceless man’s words and actions, but cannot determine that his face is in any way a disguise. To the faceless man, however, his face still feels in all ways like his own.

A disguise this perfect must be built on more than simple mummery. An intense connection forms between the faceless man and the preserved face he is wearing. He experiences dreams and snatches of memories from the new face. These images help him adapt to his new role; he gains a +5 bonus on all Bluff and Disguise checks made to impersonate the individual whose face he is wearing. This bonus increases to +10 at 5th level and +15 at 10th level.

A faceless man can remove the face he is wearing at any time, though he cannot remove his own original face. Doing so takes the same amount of time and requires the same conditions as donning a new face. There is no limit to the number of times a faceless man can don and remove an individual face, nor is there a limit to the number of times he can change his face daily.

Blindsense (Ex): As part of his training, a faceless man is blinded for a short period during which he is taught to rely on his other senses and function without the aid of his eyes. At 3rd level, he gains blindsense with a range of 30 feet. The range increases to 60 feet at 6th level.

Improved Change Face (Ex): The faceless man can now don or remove a face in one minute rather than ten.

Blindsight (Ex): The culmination of his reliance on senses other than sight, at 9th level faceless man gains blindsight with a range of 15 feet.

Valar Morghulis (Ex): The faceless man gains the ability to slay a target with a single deadly attack. The faceless man must be completely undetected by the target during the round in which he uses this ability. As a standard action, he makes a single attack with a melee weapon or a ranged weapon from within 30 feet. If his attack succeeds, the target must make a Fort save (DC 10 + the faceless man’s class level + his Int modifier) or die.



Old Powers

Absence
This power conceals the faceless man from attempts to watch him from afar via magic. He gains a bonus equal to his class level on Will saves to resist such effects. He can also make a Will save against such effects even if one is not normally allowed. If he succeeds on this save, he is simply not detected and the caster is not aware that anything is amiss. This ability functions against Scrying, Greater Scrying, and any effect which replicates or is substantially similar to these spells. It also allows the faceless man to attempt a Will save against Arcane Eye and Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, possibly rendering him invisible to these spells but not otherwise affecting them. It also functions against similar effects, such as a Red Priest's ability to see individuals in the flames.

Concealing Glamour
This power masks the faceless man’s presence, functioning as the spell Invisibility. However, if the faceless man passes within the line of sight of any creature, that creature can make a Will save to attempt to disbelieve the illusions that conceal the faceless man. A faceless man can only target himself with this power.

Deceptive Glamour
This power functions in all ways as the Disguise Self spell.

Distracting Echoes
The faceless man creates illusions of voices and other sounds. These sounds seem issue from any location within 50 feet of the faceless man. He can create voices in different timbres and tones (speaking in any language he knows) as well as any noise that would fall within the parameters of the Ghost Sound spell. Anyone who hears these sounds can make a Will save. If they succeed, they recognize the sounds as illusory but still hear them. This effect lasts a number of minutes equal to the faceless man’s class level.

Enrage
The faceless man’s power causes hatred to rise up in the target’s heart. The faceless man can use this power on a single living target within 50 feet. If the target fails its Will save, it feels compelled to find and kill a single creature or individual of the faceless man’s choosing. It attacks that creature or individual to the best of its capability, using all abilities at its disposal. If the target becomes enraged against a creature it holds in regard (such as a friend, ally, or benevolent monarch), it can attempt additional Will saves at the initial DC every to shake off the effect. The interval for these saves is a number of rounds equal to the faceless man's Charisma modifier. This effect otherwise lasts a number of minutes equal to the faceless man’s class level. A faceless man can only have one creature enchanted with this power at a time.

Favorable Countenance
The faceless man can cause those who look upon him to perceive him as attractive, beloved, or worthy of praise. This ability functions in all ways as the Charm Monster spell, save that it lasts a number of minutes equal to the faceless man’s class level.

Footfall Cushion
The faceless man can prevent the sound of his passage from reaching the ears of his foes. All sound that emanates from his square is stopped. Conversation is impossible, spells with verbal components cannot be cast, and no noise whatsoever issues from the area. The faceless man can only target himself with this power.

Footsteps of the Unquiet Dead
The faceless man can enter locked rooms or doorless chambers as if he were a ghost. While this old power is active, he can pass through walls and other solid surfaces as if incorporeal, though he cannot move up or down as incorporeal creatures do. He only passes through walls when he does so intentionally, meaning that he could lean on a wall or be bull rushed into one while this power is active. He can pass through barriers up to 5 feet thick. At class level 5, he can pass through barriers up to 10 feet thick. This power lasts 1 round.

Frightful Visage
The faceless man can cause those who look upon him to perceive him as terrifying. All creatures within 50 feet who can see the faceless man must make a Will save or be frightened for a number of minutes equal to the faceless man’s class level.

The Peace of Slumber
The faceless man, through a combination of alchemical substances and magical arts, wafts a cloud of soporific smoke toward the target. A single target within 50 feet of the faceless man must make a Will save or fall asleep for a number of minutes equal to the faceless man’s class level.

Spider Climb
This power functions as the spell of the same name, save that it lasts a number of minutes equal to the faceless man's class level.

Voices of the Dead
The faceless man meditates over the body of an individual or creature that died within 24 hours of his use of this power. Doing so requires 10 minutes of concentration. The faceless man gains glimpses of the creature’s life. The information he gains is fragmented and chaotic, keeping within the rough parameters of the Speak with Dead spell.

Mephibosheth
2013-03-28, 05:14 PM
Obviously, this is an adaptation of the faceless men from A Song of Ice and Fire. I know there's a Game of Thrones RPG, but I don't have access to it. If anyone has any insight from the RPG, I'd love to hear what, if anything, they've done with the faceless men.

I'd also love some suggestions for more old powers. They should be fairly minor but useful, things that are complimentary with the class' other abilities.

Any any ideas for how to fill that 8th dead level?

I'd love to see what people think.

Ir0npanda
2013-03-29, 12:29 AM
Any any ideas for how to fill that 8th dead level?

Improved Change Face: The Faceless Man can now apply or remove his Change Face ability in one minute rather than ten.

____

Also, I think you could add some sort of ability to craft a special magical coin with a specific sentient living target in mind once per week

You can only have one coin, and one target for it, at any time. Making the coin requires a ritual taking one minute without distractions, and uses any standard monetary coin as a component and you must keep your specific living sentient individual target in mind, though you need not know his name. The coin becomes imbued with the magical effect, but cannot be differentiated from an identical mundane coin by any means short of divine intervention, until it is triggered by the recipient. Once triggered, the magic is consumed, but traces remain which can now be detected by normal means. You can only perform this ritual once per calendar week. Making a coin while you retain another one removes the magic from the older coin.

If your specified target ever handles the coin of his own will (either from you planting it in his possession, and waiting for him to pick it out of his purse or pocket randomly, or from throwing it to him, or leaving it where he will find it) he is immediately compelled to view it as an immediate action. Upon viewing the coin, the target must make a will save***.

If he passes the save he becomes shaken for one minute

If he fails the save, he becomes catatonic for one minute. While in this state he is unresponsive but remains in whatever position he was in at the time he viewed the coin (including standing upright if he was prior). He is helpless to all attackers, and on top of that he is particularly vulnerable to the Faceless Man who crafted the coin (you). Any coup de grace you perform on the victim during this minute will be a swift action rather than full-round, will not allow the target a fortitude save, and will ignore all immunities to death effects, damage reductions, or immunities or resistances to critical hits, nor will it provoke attacks of opportunity from nearby threats.

If the target somehow survives the coup de grace through any means, or any other attack he suffers during this time, the catatonic state immediately ends and he becomes panicked at the sight of all living conscious humanoids for the remaining duration of the original effect.

If the recipient survives the initial effect (either by making the save or by failing the save but not being killed during that time), the coin does not affect him again. He makes a wisdom check. If he passes, he becomes aware that the coin is linked to his fate, and may then carry it with him as a totem. So long as he has the coin on his person, he is immune to the effects of any future attempt of this kind from any Faceless Man (not only you).

If he loses the coin later or another sentient living being physically handles it, he permanently loses this protection and the coin loses all traces of residual magic. The owner will generally not willingly allow anybody to handle it.

If the recipient survives the initial effect but fails the wisdom check, the coin immediately loses all residual magic and the recipient does not receive any protection, nor does he gain any insight whatsoever as to what caused him to be scared or to pass out.


___

***This will save should be of a higher-than-standard difficulty check. I am not a DnD player so I welcome your insight

Mephibosheth
2013-04-02, 02:44 PM
Thanks for the comments, Ir0npanda. Sorry for not replying sooner.

I like the idea of changing faces more quickly. Sort of rough-and-ready, on the fly changing. It's so simple, I can't believe I didn't think of it. Added!

I'm not sure what I think about the coin. My impression from reading the book is that (spoilers for those who haven't read A Dance with Dragons)...

Arya took advantage of her target's habit of biting coins to determine their veracity and poisoned the coin with an ingested poison. So the intermediary wouldn't be affected but the target would. My impression is that the faceless men don't actually use magic all that often; just in certain circumstances. And magic in general in ASoIaF seems crude; nothing like the precision of d20 spells. That's why I went with warlock invocation-inspired old powers instead of partial spellcasting (which was my original intention). So a magic coin would make less sense than a cleverly-poisoned one.
But your mileage may vary.

Thanks again for the very helpful comments!

Ir0npanda
2013-04-03, 12:11 AM
I just spitballed the whole coin thing tbh

I think the PrC really needs to have something iconic to do with coins, considering the narrative importance of the Braavosi coin as well as the coin that Arya uses in her apprenticeship final test.

genericwit
2013-04-06, 07:16 PM
This is excellent. I don't really have anything constructive to add, but this seems flavorful, well-balanced, and well-executed.

CinuzIta
2013-04-08, 08:00 AM
no uncanny dodge & improved for these guys? I feel like these are abilities they should get during their training [in the same period the gentle man blinds them]

Mephibosheth
2013-04-08, 09:02 AM
no uncanny dodge & improved for these guys? I feel like these are abilities they should get during their training [in the same period the gentle man blinds them]

I think I like blindsense and blindsight better to represent the heightened awareness that they get from their various sensory training exercises. I don't remember reading anything about the kind of combat awareness that improved uncanny dodge represents, and blindsense and blindsight both make it hard to sneak up on them. Plus, a fair number of the most likely entry classes for this PrC give uncanny dodge. I'm not too worried about its absence. If you make a good argument, it might fit at 5th level...

CinuzIta
2013-04-08, 12:11 PM
well, you're right obviously: quite all of the classes that would take these prc probably would already have uncanny dodge..still, I think that a faceless man would have as much combat awareness to make it difficult for an enemy to flank him easily or to catch him unaware..and neither blindsight nor blindsense can grant him these bonuses..but maybe that's just my call, as it depend on how you see the prc to work better..

Mephibosheth
2013-04-08, 12:40 PM
That's fair enough. I guess it depends on where you're drawing your inspiration. (Spoiler'd for possible spoilers)

I'm working mostly off of Arya's training in the House of White and Black. There was some combat work, but most of it seemed more focused on her awareness and use of alternative senses rather than straight-up combat skills. The Kindly Man actively discouraged her from using conventional violence to deal with her first test in Dance with Dragons. That's why I'm reluctant to give a combat-heavy ability like Improved Uncanny Dodge.

CinuzIta
2013-04-08, 12:58 PM
That's fair enough. I guess it depends on where you're drawing your inspiration. (Spoiler'd for possible spoilers)

I'm working mostly off of Arya's training in the House of White and Black. There was some combat work, but most of it seemed more focused on her awareness and use of alternative senses rather than straight-up combat skills. The Kindly Man actively discouraged her from using conventional violence to deal with her first test in Dance with Dragons. That's why I'm reluctant to give a combat-heavy ability like Improved Uncanny Dodge.

I agree even tough I'm not that convinced that uncanny dodge is that combat oriented in d&d..sure it's an ability that grants you some protection in combat but in my opinion there's a reason if only the "experts" classes get the ability and not the tank classes [with the exception of the barbarian]

Anyway you could consider the idea of inserting 4 new poisons

while Arya is training in the House of Black and White the "ghost girl" tell her of three toxins while she was preparing a poison

The first of the toxins is the sweetdream [or something like that, I'm unsure about the english translation]: just a little bit of it can calm a person, a little more and that person will sleep without dreams, a tad more and it causes a coma

Then there are the Tears of Lys: that burns the organs of the victim until it kills her

The third toxin is the Basilisc's Blood: it causes madness both in animals and in humans alike

The last one is the toxin that Arya herself ingested with the milk, that blinded her

And what about another ability called "Learn Three New Things" that provide a bonus to Gather Informations equals to class level?

Just some ideas!:)

Palanan
2013-04-08, 05:39 PM
Now that I've conquered my fear of spoilers and actually read this, it looks very cool...in a disturbed, unsettling, steal-your-face-creepy kind of way.

All I know about the series are the first two seasons from HBO, so I know virtually nothing about these faceless guys. The one change-of-face that was shown, right near the very end of Season 2, seemed to take place in just a few seconds--Creepy Face Guy turned away, all dramatical-like, and turned back, and he was someone else. Is the transformation that quick in the novels? And is there actual cutting-off-of-face involved?

Ew. Just sayin'. :smalleek:

Ir0npanda
2013-04-08, 06:02 PM
All I know about the series are the first two seasons from HBO, so I know virtually nothing about these faceless guys. The one change-of-face that was shown, right near the very end of Season 2, seemed to take place in just a few seconds--Creepy Face Guy turned away, all dramatical-like, and turned back, and he was someone else. Is the transformation that quick in the novels? And is there actual cutting-off-of-face involved?

Ew. Just sayin'. :smalleek:

That face change in the end of season 2 was use of deceptive glamour, not the Change Face ability.

The Change Face has not been used in the TV show yet. The idea is it is an undispellable and more potent disguise than mere glamour. It is not outright magical, yet it is not entirely mundane. To be honest I think in the books that it is some kind of divine power granted by the Many-Faced God of Death to his Faceless Men that allows them to meld their faces with the actual skinned faces of their enemies or victims.

Mephibosheth
2013-04-09, 08:57 AM
Anyway you could consider the idea of inserting 4 new poisons

while Arya is training in the House of Black and White the "ghost girl" tell her of three toxins while she was preparing a poison

The first of the toxins is the sweetdream [or something like that, I'm unsure about the english translation]: just a little bit of it can calm a person, a little more and that person will sleep without dreams, a tad more and it causes a coma

Then there are the Tears of Lys: that burns the organs of the victim until it kills her

The third toxin is the Basilisc's Blood: it causes madness both in animals and in humans alike

The last one is the toxin that Arya herself ingested with the milk, that blinded her

Good call! There's always a need for new, more interesting poisons. What do you think of this? Particularly, any input on the gp costs?

Sidebar: The Poisons of A Song of Ice and Fire

Basilisk Venom

A viscous paste spiked with the blood of the basilisks of Yi Ti, basilisk venom added to meat gives it a savory scent. It causes violent madness in men and animals.

Type: Ingested DC 17
Initial Effect: None
Secondary Effect: A creature that ingests basilisk venom must succeed on a Fortitude save or become violently insane. It attacks the nearest creature, using any melee weapons that are on its person or within its reach. If it has no easily-accessible weapons, it attacks with unarmed strikes or natural weapons. It cannot use ranged attacks, spells, or other special abilities, preferring rather to attack the nearest creature using melee attacks to the best of its ability, including the use of feats that improve melee combat (but not feats that require caution or strategy, such as Robilar's Gambit). If it has the Rage ability, it is activated by the poison. The victim must continue to make Fortitude saves every minute until it either succeeds once, 10 minutes have passed, or is killed.
Cost: 250 gp
Manticore Venom

Extracted from the insect-like manticores that reside on Jade Sea islands, this poison kills its victim the moment the venom reaches the heart. While this usually means it kills quickly, certain rare alchemical (and possibly sorcerous) processes can thicken the venom to prolong the victim's agony.

Type: Injury DC 20
Initial Effect: 1d6 Con damage
Secondary Effect: 3d6 Con damage
Special: Manticore venom can be thickened to prolong the dying process. In this case, the secondary effect is 1d6 Con damage. The victim then takes 1d6 points of Con damage (no save) every day until he or she is dead.
Cost: 1800 gp
The Strangler

The strangler is a rare and potent poison, able to cause a man’s throat to close and stop his breathing. The faceless men are among the few who are known to be able to make it. It is made from the leaves of a plant found only on Jade Sea islands. The leaves are aged, soaked in a wash of limes, sugar water, and rare spices. The resulting liquid is thickened with ash and allowed to harden into deep violet crystals and dissolve in liquid.

Type: Ingested DC 25
Initial Effect: A creature that ingests the strangler must make a Fort save or immediately begin making Constitution checks to avoid suffocating.
Secondary Effect: If it still alive and fails this second Fort save, the creature continues to make checks to avoid suffocating. It must continue to make a Fort save every minute thereafter, with the DC increasing by 1 for each save after the second, until it either succeeds or dies of suffocation. If it succeeds on this or any subsequent save, it has fought off the effects of the poison.
Cost: 3500 gp
Sweetsleep

Sweetsleep is a fascinating substance. In very small doses, it can calm tremors and bring restful sleep. In larger doses, it produces a sleep from which there is no waking. It has a noticeably sweet flavor and is best administered in cakes, pies, and honeyed wines.

Type: Ingested DC 15
Initial Effect: A relaxing of the muscles, causing a -2 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, and all Strength and Dexterity skill and ability checks. It also ends any paralysis effects, seizures, or fits.
Secondary Effect: Unconsciousness. If three doses are administered at once, the secondary effect is death instead of unconsciousness.
Cost: 200 gp
The Tears of Lys

The Tears of Lys is an extremely potent poison. Colorless, odorless, and tasteless, it is also almost impossible to detect. It kills quickly by attacking the bowels and the belly, with its symptoms mimicking those of a sudden and severe illness. It is commonly associated with the Alchemists of Lys, though the Maesters of the Citadel are also familiar with the process by which it can be concocted.

Type: Ingested DC 30
Initial Effect: 2d6 Con
Secondary Effect: 2d6 Con
Special: Detecting the Tears of Lys is very difficult. The DC of any skill check made to detect the poison while examining the victim increases by 10.
Cost: 4500 gp
Warm Milk

Named after the substance in which it is most often administered, this subtle poison gives liquid to which it is added a burnt, slightly bitter aftertaste. It renders the victim blind for extended periods of time. The Faceless Men often use this substance as a test for potential acolytes; to train them in the use of senses other than sight.

Type: Ingested DC 12
Initial Effect: None
Secondary Effect: Unlike other poison, warm milk's secondary effect doesn't kick in until the victim goes to sleep. If the victim fails her Fortitude save against the secondary effect, she is permanently blinded.
Cost: 150 gp
Antidote Cost: 150 gp


And what about another ability called "Learn Three New Things" that provide a bonus to Gather Informations equals to class level?

I love this! *Implements*

Edit: I might do some more poisons if I get time. Any thoughts on the prices? Also, I'm still looking for ideas for more Old Powers.

CinuzIta
2013-04-09, 09:44 AM
mmmh, I don't know much about poisons' costs and dc, but the amount of gp you stated seems fair to me!

Regardin old powers, I'm quite unsure on wich spells could work better and on wich style you'd like them to be but what about something like these:

Ventriloquism - as the spell
Spider climb - as the spell
Gaseous form - as the spell
Feather fall - as the spell
Ghost step - a faceless man with these old power can pass through walls as if she were a ghost. She can pass through a wall or other surfaces up to 5 feet thick per level as if she were incorporeal. She must exit the solid material by the end of his turn

Or maybe some passive powers? Like slippery mind [additional saving throws when charmed] or ghost mind [the character cannot be scryed]

Mephibosheth
2013-04-09, 11:59 AM
Thanks for some great ideas! I implemented the spider climb, ghost step, and ghost mind ones. Ventriloquism is already included in "Distracting Echos." The others I decided not to include for arbitrary and capricious reasons of my own! :smallwink:

Raiki
2013-04-09, 12:26 PM
A) I love it.

B) I have a few, possibly major, concerns about the Old Powers.

1: Footfall Cushion.

The way it's worded, it's open to some...creative uses against spellcasters. For example, if one were to grapple a spellcaster (which causes you to enter their square) with this power activated, no spell with a verbal component could be used until the power wore off or the spellcaster escaped. Given, grappled spellcasters are already boned, but I don't envision you intending this power to work this way.

2: Enrage.

This seems quite powerful for an ability it's possible to get at level 6. Considering the duration (minutes per level), and the fact that it's a Will save, it seems like it's pretty much a "Hey Mr. Barbarian, go kill your caster friend." button. Also, as a side-note, since this can be used at will as a standard action, that's 10 peons per minute you can convince to hunt down and murder someone. If one of my players got a hold of this (Or, to be honest, if I did) there would be bloodthirsty mobs tracking down their enemies at pretty much all times.


That's all I've got for now. Good 'brew!

~R~

CinuzIta
2013-04-09, 12:45 PM
2: Enrage.

This seems quite powerful for an ability it's possible to get at level 6. Considering the duration (minutes per level), and the fact that it's a Will save, it seems like it's pretty much a "Hey Mr. Barbarian, go kill your caster friend." button. Also, as a side-note, since this can be used at will as a standard action, that's 10 peons per minute you can convince to hunt down and murder someone. If one of my players got a hold of this (Or, to be honest, if I did) there would be bloodthirsty mobs tracking down their enemies at pretty much all times.


That's all I've got for now.

Well, I'm not saying you're wrong obviously. These sounds correct clearly, but wouldn't a spellcaster be able to do the same thing just by casting a charm spell like dominate monsters? What I mean is that to me these ability doesn't seems to be such a big issue..:)

Mephibosheth
2013-04-09, 12:58 PM
Thanks a lot for some very helpful comments! I'm glad you like the class.


The way it's worded, it's open to some...creative uses against spellcasters. For example, if one were to grapple a spellcaster (which causes you to enter their square) with this power activated, no spell with a verbal component could be used until the power wore off or the spellcaster escaped. Given, grappled spellcasters are already boned, but I don't envision you intending this power to work this way.

I see your point, though I'm not too concerned. The same thing could be said of the Silence spell, which is available as early as 3rd level.


2: Enrage.

This seems quite powerful for an ability it's possible to get at level 6. Considering the duration (minutes per level), and the fact that it's a Will save, it seems like it's pretty much a "Hey Mr. Barbarian, go kill your caster friend." button. Also, as a side-note, since this can be used at will as a standard action, that's 10 peons per minute you can convince to hunt down and murder someone. If one of my players got a hold of this (Or, to be honest, if I did) there would be bloodthirsty mobs tracking down their enemies at pretty much all times.

I definitely see your point, though I'm not too sure how to fix it. A shorter duration, perhaps? Maybe a limitation that you can only have one creature so enchanted at a time? I'm afb right now, but I'm sure there's a spell somewhere that duplicates this ability.

Raiki
2013-04-29, 12:00 PM
Well, I'm not saying you're wrong obviously. These sounds correct clearly, but wouldn't a spellcaster be able to do the same thing just by casting a charm spell like dominate monsters? What I mean is that to me these ability doesn't seems to be such a big issue..:)

You're absolutely right...why didn't I think of that?

Dominate Monster, I mean, a wizard could do that as early as level 17!

/sarcasm

In seriousness, comparing an ability attainable at level 6 to a 9th level spell doesn't exactly speak well towards balance.

As for a serious fix...well, limiting it to one target at a time certainly helps, but the real problem is being able to target the rage. There is an enrage-like spell, but it just makes the person go crazy and violent, it doesn't let you aim them like a medieval ICBM. I would say, if you want to keep that part of the ability, to add something like this: If an person becomes enraged against a person they hold in regard, such as a friend, an ally, or a benevolent monarch, they receive an additional will save every (wisdom modifier) rounds to break the effect.

The wording could use some polish, but I think it's a good counterbalance.

CinuzIta
2013-04-29, 12:47 PM
Mea culpa, I'm not a spells' fanboy so I didn't remember the spell level of dominate monster!:p

Mephibosheth
2013-04-29, 12:51 PM
As for a serious fix...well, limiting it to one target at a time certainly helps, but the real problem is being able to target the rage. There is an enrage-like spell, but it just makes the person go crazy and violent, it doesn't let you aim them like a medieval ICBM. I would say, if you want to keep that part of the ability, to add something like this: If an person becomes enraged against a person they hold in regard, such as a friend, an ally, or a benevolent monarch, they receive an additional will save every (wisdom modifier) rounds to break the effect.

The wording could use some polish, but I think it's a good counterbalance.

I'm fine with that. Done and done! Thanks a lot for your help!