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View Full Version : The Organization Skymage: Setting Neutral Rip



dzk87
2013-08-16, 12:19 PM
So as the name might suggest; this is a rip of an existing class. What is the point? I make the class (Zhentarim Skymage) setting neutral, and tweak a few things about it.
PS: Please read through it (or at least the last two paragraphs), the class itself is interesting, and if you have suggestions for how to change, much appreciated.

Now, this PrC is broken, mainly because of what you can get as your mount... so use and abuse it as you wish.
PS: Maybe there should be something in there about being unable to command creatures with more (X-stat) then you? That, or leave abuse up to the DM? I just wanted a setting neutral specialized flying mage..
Bolded and Italic items are changes from the original.


REQUIREMENTS:
To qualify to become a Organization Skymage, a character must
fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Diplomacy 2 ranks, Handle Animal 2 ranks, Knowledge (geography) 2 ranks, Ride 2 ranks, Spellcraft 4 ranks.
Feats: Iron Will, Mounted Combat, Mounted Casting, Removed Combat Casting.
Special: Member in good standing of organization.
Spellcasting: Must be able to cast detect thoughts, invisibility,
and suggestion, plus one summon monster spell of 3rd level
or higher.


CLASS SKILLS

The Organization Skymage’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Bluff (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive(Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells Per Day

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+0|
Bonus Scrolls, Flying Mount|
+1 level in existing class

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+0|
Bonus Scrolls, flying feat, Craft Wand|
+1 level in existing class

3rd|
+1|
+3|
+1|
+1|
Bonus Scrolls, Spell Focus, share spells|
+1 level in existing class

4th|
+2|
+4|
+1|
+1|
Bonus Scrolls, Skill Focus, flying feat|
+1 level in existing class

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+1|
Bonus Scrolls, Enlarge Spell|
+1 level in existing class
[/table]

CLASS FEATURES
All the following are class features of the Organization Skymage prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Organization Skymage gain no proficiency in weapons, armor, or shields of any type.
Spells per Day: A Skymage continues training in magic while developing a bond with a flying monster and making political advances within the Black Network. Thus, when a new Skymage level is gained, the character increases his spellcasting ability as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (bardic knowledge, metamagic or item creation feats, and so on). This essentially means that he adds the level of Skymage to the level of some other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known (if appropriate), spells added to his
spellbook, familiar abilities, and caster level accordingly. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a Skymage, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Skymage for purposes of determining spellcasting when he adds the new level.

Bonus Scrolls (Ex): At each level of Skymage gained, the Organization awards the character a scroll of two spells of any level he could cast. If the character has a spellbook, he may instead add these spells to his spellbook immediately at no cost or time spent. Adding spells to his spellbook like this replaces the actual scrolls.
Flying Mount (Ex): A Skymage can call a flying monster to serve as his personal mount. The mount cannot have more Hit Dice than the Skymage’s class level + his Primary Spellcasting modifier + 1. The mount serves the Skymage loyally as if it were a druid’s or ranger’s animal companion, and carries the Skymage into combat if desired (if the creature is strong enough to carry the Skymage). Should a flying mount die, the character can replace it after gaining two levels in any spellcasting class. Necromancer Skymages sometimes use undead monsters as mounts (including the animated corpse of a slain flying mount), and certain powerful conjurer Skymages even have enslaved fiends as mounts. If the Skymage suffers permanent Spellcasting Stat damage or loses enough levels that he could no longer have his flying mount, the mount flees at the first opportunity, often attacking its former master before doing so. Suitable mounts (and Hit Dice) include chimera (9), criosphinx (10), dire bat (4), dragonne (9), dragons (varies), giant eagle (4), giant owl (4), griffon (7), hieracosphinx (9), hippogriff (3), manticore (6), nightmare (6), peryton (5; see Monsters of Faerûn), roc (18), sinister (4; see Monsters of Faerûn), spider eater (4), wyvern (7), and yrthak (12).
Flying Feat (Ex): The skymage gains one of the following feats: Flyby Attack, Mounted Archery, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge, or Trample. The Skymage must meet all prerequisites for the feat before it can be selected. The Flyby Attack feat applies to the mount, not to the Skymage, and cannot be used if the Skymage is flying without a mount (such as with a fly spell).
Spell Focus (Ex): The Skymage gains the Spell Focus feat.
Share Spells (Su): The Skymage can share spells with his flying mount as if the mount were his familiar. This ability only works if the skymage is riding the mount, and a shared spell ends for the mount instantly if the Skymage is no longer riding it.
Skill Focus (Ex): The Skymage gains the Skill Focus feat, which must be applied to one of the Skymage class skills.
Enlarge Spell (Ex): The Skymage gains the Enlarge Spell feat.


Ok, so here it is: Changes that I already made: I removed Combat Casting from the pre-req list, nobody likes it for one, and two: you shouldn't BE in combat, you should be bombarding enemies from above. Maybe just consider this a Zhent Skymage "Fix" rather then a rip, but I replaced Combat Casting with Mounted Casting because I felt it fits better.
The only other CURRENT change is that the mount now uses your spellcasting stat modifier, not Cha. Why? Cha makes a little sense, but I feel you are using your spellcasting abilities to enslave your mount, notice the suggestions spell pre-req.

Changes I would like to make but haven't yet:
KEEP full caster progression.
Remove Bonus Scrolls, thinking about replacement now.
Add a new capstone feat. I am thinking about creating a new feat, something about... metamagic and flying. Not 100% ironed out yet.

Carl
2013-08-16, 01:43 PM
Really really basic suggestion. Make the mount a magical construct of some kind. A sort of magic power shaped into a mount thing.

I'd recommend creating a new template that combines portions of the outsider and Construct templates, but have stats, (bar the non-existent con score), be identical to the mage's, with the attacks scaling off his level. The form can be whatever he decides within a PrC level decided size range, (with the size modifiers apply to all basic capabilities, with an assumed base size of medium or maybe large). Also give option to add feats et al as you level up, (say one fear from a list per PrC level).

Lets say the following for the template:


A mount has the following template


Features

A mount has the following features.
12-sided Hit Dice.
Base attack bonus equal to ¾ total Hit Dice (as cleric).
All Saving Throws good
Skill points equal to (2 + Int modifier, minimum 1) per Hit Die, with quadruple skill points for the first Hit Die.

Traits

A construct possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature’s entry).

No Constitution score.
Low-light vision.
Darkvision out to 60 feet.
Immunity to all mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Immunity to poison, sleep effects, paralysis, stunning, disease, death effects, and necromancy effects.
Cannot heal damage on their own.
Not subject to critical hits, non-lethal damage, ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, exhaustion, or energy drain.
Immunity to any effect that requires a Fortitude save (unless the effect also works on objects, or is harmless).
Not at risk of death from massive damage. Immediately destroyed when reduced to 0 hit points or less.
Since it was never alive, a construct cannot be raised or resurrected.
Proficient with its natural weapons only.
Proficient with no armor.
Mounts do not eat, sleep, or breathe.


Hope that helps.

dzk87
2013-08-16, 03:30 PM
You provide a very interesting idea, which does help remove the concerns of how people might abuse the mount (so many easy ways to do so), but my only concern with that is it removes some of the fun, as it were.. namely of the more balanced mounts available, the under 10HD ones.
But yes, I will consider that idea, since a magical construct serving as a mount IS a pretty cool idea... maybe interesting enough for me to make into a homebrew.. hmmm.