[3.5] "I have mastered the Elements a thousand times in a thousand lifetimes."

[Xefas]

Related Threads
Mythos Discussion Thread I (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?323694-Mythos-Inspired-Homebrew-Discussion)
Mythos Discussion Thread II (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?364949-Mythos-Homebrew-Discussion-II-Where-Simplicity-Goes-to-Die)
Estranged cousin to the Teramach. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=286983)


http://i.imgur.com/T2gbSik.png

"It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place, it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others, the other elements, the other nations, will help you become whole.
It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful." ~Iroh, Avatar The Last Airbender

The Kathodos


The Prime Material plane is the core of the Great Wheel; its heart, the source and filter of its lifeblood. From it comes the lives and beliefs that fuel all the ostentatious gods and angels and demons that lurk at its fringes, who vie for every inch and mote they can scrape from it to fuel their eternal ideological struggle. And why do they need it? What makes the Prime so important? So powerful?

Simply, it is the Center. The Omphalos. It is what is Real. It is substance, and form, and constancy. Beyond the Prime lay the Inner Planes, worlds of tempestuous elemental fury, quite real, but simple, each part of the mechanism that operates the Omphalos, feeding it the earth of its foundations, the air of its breath, and water of its fertility, and the fires of its blood, as well as the light and dark of its life and death, churning it, shaping it, molding it, populating it, and harvesting it. Out from there, things become less certain. The Astral Plane is a place of thought; its substance determined by will and perspective. The Outer Planes are more fictional still, mere reflections of the philosophies and understandings of beings both lesser and greater. The intangible is tangible, and the solid mutable. Past the outer gates lay Vestiges of existence, things which are Not, yet they see, and they touch, and they hunger. But, beyond even where Is and Is Not fray and bend and skew, is the Far Realm, of which nothing can be spoken.

Each layer, as it reaches further from the Omphalos, is less real. That is the greatest masterwork of the ancient gods, who saw chaos and infinite potential, and among all possible glories, chose Meaning and Significance and Consequence; reality.

All beings of the Prime carry with them a portion of that weight, and the potential to change all the multiverse with the gravity of their will and actions, though only rarely is it ever realized to any degree. Most of those movers and shakers will manipulate and flavor that core of meaning with experience, and magic, and emotions, and the threads of fate - but some touch upon it more purely. They come to understand, even if only in the abstract, the unity and purpose and power of the Omphalos, and with that understanding, nothing is beyond them.

Hit Die: d10
Skill Points: 6 + Intelligence Modifier
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (Any), Listen, Perform, Ride, Search, Sense Motive, Speak Language, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble
Proficiencies: Kathodos are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, but not with any armor or shields.


LevelBABFortRefWillSpecialMythosExcellencies
1st+1+2+2+2The Omphalos' Mythos, Mythos Known, Exceptional Mythos, Elemental Excellence, The Flow of Energy I, Precision Philosophy+2+1
2nd+2+3+3+3+0+1
3rd+3+3+3+3The Flow of Energy II+1+0
4th+4+4+4+4+0+1
5th+5+4+4+4The Flow of Energy III+1+0
6th+6/+1+5+5+5+0+1
7th+7/+2+5+5+5The Flow of Energy IV, Fantastic Mythos+1+1
8th+8/+3+6+6+6+0+1
9th+9/+4+6+6+6+1+0
10th+10/+5+7+7+7+0+1
11th+11/+6/+1+7+7+7+1+0
12th+12/+7/+2+8+8+8+0+1
13th+13/+8/+3+8+8+8Legendary Mythos+1+1
14th+14/+9/+4+9+9+9+0+1
15th+15/+10/+5+9+9+9+1+0
16th+16/+11/+6/+1+10+10+10+0+1
17th+17/+12/+7/+2+10+10+10+1+0
18th+18/+13/+8/+3+11+11+11+0+1
19th+19/+14/+9/+4+11+11+11Exalted Mythos+1+1
20th+20/+15/+10/+5+12+12+12+1+1


The Omphalos' Mythos: A Kathodos' power is expressed in terms of one or more "Mythos", the building blocks of the legend that they are, and the stories that they have told and will tell. While any given Mythos varies from the rest, they share some similar traits. They are always Extraordinary abilities, and when they reference a difficulty class for an imposed saving throw, that saving throw is always calculated as (10 + 1/2 class level + Intelligence modifier, unless otherwise stated). When a Mythos references a "level" that is not clearly defined in some other way, such as "character level", it refers to "class level" as in the number of levels one has in the Kathodos class. When a Mythos references "allies", it specifically does not refer to the Kathodos using it. When a Mythos grants a feat as a bonus feat, it is regardless of whether the character meets the prerequisites for that feat (unless otherwise stated), and if the character already possesses that feat (in some permanent fashion - via the normal allotment gained by leveling up, or through another Mythos, and so on, but not those gained temporarily, such as via a "Heroics" spell), they must replace the prior instance of that feat with another feat that they qualify for.

Every Mythos has a Tier. The Tier of a Mythos ranges from 1 to 4, typically referred to as Exceptional, Fantastic, Legendary, and Exalted. Exceptional Mythos tell the story of powerful and cunning heroes that have learned to see the world as an extension of themselves, and may shape it as they desire through focus and will, both literally and figuratively. A Kathodos with Fantastic Mythos is more learned, and has gained deeper understanding of their connection to the world and its elements. The world is not merely an extension of their self, but their self is also an extension of the world. They shape the world, and the world shapes them, raising them above the ambitions of mortal men. A Legendary Kathodos has not begun to lose their humanity, so much as they have realized its lack of existence all along. All life, all energy, and all will, is merely the ebb and flow of the cosmos; to some, mere random sparks and happenstance guttering in the infinite magnitude of reality - to others, a beautiful clockwork concert drifting playfully through the space-time calliope; and still, to others, a headache best left unexamined. An Exalted Kathodos is a force of nature, not a person. Though some may still wear a face, the wise see this masquerade for what it is; as meaningful as the whispers in a hurricane, the dancing foam on a tsunami, the flickering patterns of embers on a ruined city, or the rhythm of an earthquake.

Some Mythos, in addition to their initial stated effect, have Basic and Advanced manifestations. When a Kathodos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Basic manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit immediately as well. This choice may not be changed later. When an Kathodos gains access to a Mythos with a list of Advanced manifestations, they may choose one such manifestation, and they gain that benefit upon achieving their next level of Kathodos. This choice may be changed at any point before receiving the chosen manifestation itself, but not after (choosing beforehand is just an easy way to mark it down on your character sheet so you don't forget that you'll be getting something later).

Mythos Known: A 1st level Kathodos begins play with two Exceptional Mythos that he qualifies for if this is his first level in a PC character class. At higher levels, he gains additional Mythos as noted on the Kathodos class table.

For characters that multiclass into Kathodos after having taken levels in another PC character class, the 1st level of Kathodos grants only a single Exceptional Mythos, rather than two.

A Kathodos also has the ability to learn more Mythos, above the ones automatically allotted to him by leveling up, by pursuing inner strength at the expense of external strength. The exact method varies for each Kathodos; some give their belongings to the poor and downtrodden, others sacrifice strange idols to the gods or ideals they believe in, others take esoteric pilgrimages, while still others meditate by carousing in drunken stupors or partaking of truly staggering quantities of hallucinogens in monastic shrines or wandering through the wilds. In all cases, the Kathodos must somehow lose gold or items, in such a way that does not otherwise mechanically benefit him or his allies, with the understanding that he will never attempt to reclaim what was lost (otherwise, the sacrifice would mean nothing, and therefore yield no enlightenment). He then gains Mythos Points equal to the gold piece value of the currency or items removed.

By spending 1,000 Mythos Points, and 250xp, a Kathodos may learn an Exceptional Mythos. A Fantastic Mythos requires 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp. A Legendary Mythos takes 10,000 Mythos Points, and 1,000xp. And an Exalted Mythos takes 20,000 Mythos Points and 2,000xp.

For half the listed price for a given Tier, a Kathodos may learn a Basic or Advanced manifestation of a Mythos they already know of that Tier.

Learning Mythos above the standard amount requires astounding, nearly single-minded devotion to the story of the Kathodos. One may only utilize this ability while more than half of his effective character level (ECL) is devoted to levels in the Kathodos class.

Elemental Excellence: As denoted on their class table, a Kathodos gains a certain number of abilities known as "Excellencies". These tend to be more general, generic, and passive than a Mythos, but are useful nonetheless, and are drawn from their own separate list, unsegregated by Tiers. Like a Mythos, a Kathodos may learn more Excellencies above their allotted amount. Each one costs 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp, plus an additional 1,000 Mythos Points and 100xp for each time a new Excellency is innovated beyond the first. (So, 2,000mp and 200xp for the second, 3,000mp and 300xp for the third, etc.)

The Flow of Energy: Many of the Omphalos' Mythos are marked either or [External], and may have one or more of [Air], [Water], [Earth], [Fire], [Any], or [Variable] as descriptors.

Mythos are drawn exclusively from the energies inside of a Kathodos, and require certain qualities to be usable. To use or learn an [Internal][Air] Mythos, you must be capable of breathing (the ability to speak does not necessarily denote the ability to breathe in a fantasy setting; looking at you, intelligent undead). An [Internal][Water] Mythos requires that a significant portion of your body be composed of water (like a human). An [Internal][Fire] Mythos requires that your body produces its own body-heat. An [Internal][Earth] Mythos requires that some portion of your body be a hard, inanimate mineral (bones count). [Internal][Any] Mythos only require that you meet one of the above prerequisites.

In the case of passive effects of [Internal] Mythos, you lose these benefits (including bonus feats) if you no longer meet the above elemental requirement, but regain them upon meeting the requirement again.

[External] Mythos move and manipulate pre-existing physical manifestations of their element from the world around the Kathodos, such as an [External][Water] Mythos pulling and shaping the water from a lake, river, falling rain, or even a waterskin. The Kathodos must have line of sight to the element they wish to manipulate, or it must be contained within an object equipped to their person (such as a flame in a lantern, or a jar of dirt), and it must be within [(Kathodos level + intelligence modifier) x 5] feet. In addition, there must be roughly enough of the required element to produce the desired effect; a Kathodos cannot create a suit of armor out of earth using a hand-full of dirt, for instance (the one exception is fire; if there is enough air around the fire to feed the fire to the required size, you may grow the flame to the necessary size to produce your desired effect as part of using the Mythos). When an [External] Mythos produces an effect, the effect originates from the elemental source being used unless otherwise stated (for example, a Mythos that hurls a rock thirty feet would hurl the rock thirty feet from the rock's original location, not thirty feet from you).

[Variable] Mythos will state how they can be used as different elements. When utilizing a Mythos as a particular element, that Mythos is considered to be of that type. Unless otherwise stated, if a [Variable] Mythos deals damage, it deals piercing damage if used as an [Air] Mythos, bludgeoning damage if used as a [Water] or [Earth] Mythos, and fire damage if used as a [Fire] Mythos.

Finally, due to a Kathodos' ability to read, recognize, process, and implement the patterns of energy as it flows around them, through them, and through others, they receive a bonus to their Armor Class equal to their Intelligence modifier while they are not wearing armor (including armor made light enough to no longer be considered armor for some purposes).

At 3rd level, a Kathodos has become comfortable enough manipulating elemental energy, that they can produce small effects with only trivial effort. They can telekinetically "pick up", levitate, and move around a roughly 1ft cube of unattended fire, air, water, or earth within [(Kathodos level + intelligence modifier) x 5ft), moving it up to 15ft as a move action (the earth cannot be connected to a larger structure, such as a section of stone wall). You can also produce minor, non-damaging, displays of elemental force, such as a puff of air strong enough to snuff a candle, a spark of fire strong enough to ignite a campfire or give someone a minor burn, a tremor to knock a cup over, or something to similar effect.

At 5th level, a Kathodos' training has allowed them to deeply and more perfectly understand the concept of willpower in a less intuitive and more calculated, exacting manner. They may add their intelligence modifier in place of their wisdom modifier for the purposes of Will saving throws.

At 7th level, a Kathodos can more easily subborn and break the impure elemental manipulations of magic. They add their intelligence modifier to saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities with the [Fire], [Air], [Water], or [Earth] descriptors, and when they successfully save for a partial effect from such magics, they instead negate the effect entirely.

Precision Philosophy: The Kathodos' study and understanding of the elements lends itself to a certain kind of finesse and calculated precision. These ideals tend to spread into all facets of their life and training. As such, they may lean towards speed and agility over brute strength in combat. They may use their Dexterity modifier in place of their Strength modifier for the purposes of bonuses to attack and damage with melee attacks using weapons they are proficient with.

[i]Class Variant: The Katarrei

There's so much to do and I may never create the full Tharizdun/Elder Elemental Eye Mythos set that I'd like to. But I've had the idea for a 'Dark Kathodos' ever since I wrote the vestige for The Maiden Who Surmounted The World. So, here's a little tweak for playing a less nature-protect-y-but-still-throwing-around-elemental-blasts character. Insert the following fluff, remove the two Mythos 'Sought By Nature's Chaperon' and 'Sojourner Of A Thousand Lives Shintai', and replace them with the two Mythos that follow. Season with crazy to taste.



http://i.imgur.com/jmG0kID.png


After his defeat by The Maiden Who Surmounted The World (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?325277-3-5-quot-that-nighted-penguin-fringed-abyss-quot), mad Tharizdun was sealed within an impenetrable prison of elemental power, designed by the Omphalos and constructed by the hands of every pantheon that spins upon the Wheel. Never before and never again shall there ever be so impervious a cage. Neither god nor titan could ever hope to breach it.

Truly, Tharizdun had long forsaken his status as Lawgiver, infested and mutated by the Beyond and its denizens as he had been. It had made him peerless in his power, a lord among mythic lords, but even he could not batter down the walls that held him. But the Far Realm did as it does, and defied reason and expectation. It spread its madness from Tharizdun to the prison that held him, and from that empty corner of the multiverse, none could hear the fallen one's screams as he was remade. His mythic heart rotted and boiled, seething, and collapsed, and his legend poured onto the walls of his prison where the Far Realm's madness seared them together.

Tharizdun is no more, though the mask of his name is sometimes worn by that husk the Far Realm's champions now inhabit. By their corruption, both prison and prisoner are now the Elder Elemental Eye, and in this way, That Which Was Tharizdun has found a withered sort of freedom, where it may reach its influence outward and continue to undermine the multiverse it so hates. Such plots have included the creation of the Evil Archomental Princes: Imix, Yan-C-Bin, Olhydra, and Ogremoch, as well as the (repeatedly) failed Temple of Elemental Evil.

Unfortunately for those that call the Great Wheel home, by using the prison so forged and saturated with the Omphalos' elemental mythic power in the creation of the Elder Elemental Eye, the Farspawn unintentionally found a conduit into the same planar strata that allows the Omphalos' Mythos to flow outward into mortal bodies and create Kathodos. Through these channels, That Which Was Tharizdun slowly spreads its contagious insanity, creating dark cousins to the Omphalos' children. They are called Katarrei - living avatars of the world's essence, corrupted.

[i]New Exceptional Mythos: Revolving Upon An Alien Fulcrum
Prerequisite: Must have had a vision of an otherworldly tower of seething elemental storms crowned by a lidless eye of many irises.

You gain Omniscient Whispers (UA) as a bonus feat, and the use of that feat does not render you Exhausted.

Once per round, as a free action, you may focus your thoughts on the alien tower that lurks in the dark mists of your mind. Without warning or flourish, your perceptions suddenly shift from perceiving the normal world to perceiving a bizarre mirror of it, as you are struck with a concentrated hallucinatory madness.

In this state, fire appears to you in unnatural hues, ranging from brilliant greens and purples in its outer flames to cores of infrared and ultraviolet oddities that the common tongue has never had words for. It stinks of pungent incenses and the sound of it burning is curiously inverted, as if it were exhaling rather than consuming the air around it.

Water reflects things to you that are not present, and sometimes you glimpse squirming shadows just beneath the surface - shadows of impossibly connected mandibles and many-jointed limbs, or surfaces pocked with irregular holes. It smells like the unsettling sweetness of overripe citrus.

Air carries with it mumbled whispers when it moves, unintelligible and perhaps without meaning to begin with. Any spoken words you hear or speak while this Mythos is active are similarly unintelligable, as if they were thoughtless gibberish. However, non-verbal communication, such as hand-signals or telepathy, are uninhibited.

Earthen materials look as if stained with thick, blotchy crystalline dyes that sweep through spirals and elegant flourishes, meticulous and measured, as if crafted by a purposeful hand in an alien calligraphy.

Though no one else can see your hallucination, while you are hallucinating, your [External] Mythos cause the alien world you see to leak into reality, transforming the elemental material used in the Mythos such that it appears like the elements in your hallucination (for example, a stone thrown with Land-Strike Wrath would become dyed in reality to match its appearance in your hallucination, and remains so indefinitely). Fire you transform in this way replaces any oxygen it consumes to feed itself with stagnant, pungent air that cannot be further respired by itself, or by mortals that require breath. The smell is strong enough to make tracking by Scent through the area impossible. Transformed water is unpotable to most creatures, save for those hailing from the Far Realm or those that possess this Mythos. Transformed air usually disperses too quickly to have a pronounced ongoing effect, though [External] Mythos that maintain a constant wind effect (such as Omphalic Monument Skin's wind-armor) inflicts a -4 circumstance penalty on Listen checks to decipher specific audible details in the area (such as the exact words you're speaking, though it would not penalize a Listen check meant to perceive that you were speaking at all). Plants grown in transformed earth always grow into odd shapes. Pumpkins might sit in the center of vine networks arranged in sprawling fractal patterns, or roses might bloom with what appears to be a sleeping face nestled between its petals.

Divine spellcasters that take damage from one of your transformed [External] Mythos must make an additional Will save. On a failed save, they lose one randomly selected divine spell of the highest level they have prepared, or one use of their highest level of unused spells per day if they do not prepare spells. In addition, they lose access to the domain power of, and cannot cast domain spells taken from, the Fire, Water, Air, or Earth Domains, for 5 minutes. If, within that 5 minutes of non-access, they fail a second save from this Mythos, they lose access to those Domains until they next rest and regain their spells.

A Divine Spellcaster that has no more spells or spell uses left to lose instead takes 1d4 Wisdom damage on a failed save. A Divine Spellcaster reduced to 0 Wisdom in this way goes temporarily mad (after they recover enough Wisdom to regain their agency) and their connection to their deity is severed. During this time, they are mysteriously still granted spells if they pray for them, though their god will not speak to them (even through spells that facilitate such a conversation, such as Commune). They pick new Domains, if they normally have access to Domains, from the following list: Air, Earth, Fire, Madness, Water. An Atonement spell will return a Divine Spellcaster's connection to their deity, returning their proper domains to them, and allow them to hear the voice of their god once more. Those that go long enough without receiving an Atonement almost invariably go completely insane and become cultists of the Elder Elemental Eye, though the faith of powerful priests and clerics can remain resolute for long indeed.

To end your hallucination and return your perceptions to reality, you must meditate for 5 minutes, focusing on forcibly peeling back the veil.

New Legendary Mythos: Hollow Slave-Prison Shintai
Prerequisite: The 'Revolving Upon An Alien Fulcrum' Mythos

Upon learning this Mythos, a mental tendril of the Farspawn that lives inside the Elder Elemental Eye slams through your body, completely gutting you of any humanity or personality, enslaving you to its will and purpose without hope of resistance.

With a gasp, your body goes into agonized convulsions, as the flesh of your limbs begins to melt and fuse - your legs to one another, and your arms to your torso. They retain their distinctive shape, but are rendered completely unusable, your legs now unable to support you, your fingertips melted to each other, or to your palm, or perhaps paralyzed entirely, and your upper arms fused to your rib-cage down to the elbow. Further, your teeth sharpen to points and your tongue elongates. One of your eyes grows to around three times its normal size, the bone of your skull malforming to accommodate it. Your giant eye's iris splits into many fragments, and it moves independently of its fellow.

Next, a few writhing batteries of perforated chain-shaped tentacles of flesh grow in asymmetrical arrays around your body. These chains function, in aggregate, with the same dexterity as a humanoid hand, and assume the same functions as your arms and hands would. They can make any Slam, Claw, Tentacle or other natural attack that you lost with the loss of your arms and legs, as well as making unarmed attacks.

Now, the convulsions cease, and your wracked form levitates from the ground of its own accord. Hence, while utilizing your land speed, you may naturally levitate up to six inches off of any solid or liquid surface, propelling yourself despite your useless appendages. This levitation exerts no pressure on the ground you levitate over, so you do not leave tracks, nor do you set off pressure plates or similar mechanisms.

After being fully transformed, your 'Revolving Upon An Alien Fulcrum' Mythos becomes permanently active and cannot be turned off with meditation. You lose all prior personality and motivations you once held, and are instead uncontrollably, unconscionably dedicated to the service of the Elder Elemental Eye and the eventual eradication of all things that are not the Far Realm. You possess no morals or ethics in the face of this goal, and pursue what you believe to be the most effective route to this end, even if it would clash with less enlightened servants of Once-Tharizdun. Such a clash is, however, unlikely - so evocative is your new form that a mere DC 15 Knowledge (Religion) check upon seeing you is enough to decipher that you are a devoted spawn of the Elder Elemental Eye, or one of its pseudonyms. Followers of the Eye gain a +10 bonus on this check. Unless lead by a highly charismatic, or equally powerful master, most cultists will worship you as an extension of their god.

You gain Deformity (Madness) as a bonus feat. Further, you gain an insane boon similar to the Madness Domain taken by the followers of the Eye. You have an Insanity score equal to 1/2 your class level. When you calculate the DC of a saving throw inflicted by one of your Katarrei Mythos, add your Insanity score to your Intelligence score. (For example, a level 20 Katarrei with this Mythos and 30 Intelligence would calculate their save DCs as if they had 40 Intelligence. Their saving throws would be DC 35.) However, your Wisdom score has a continuous penalty equal to your Insanity score (as per normal ability penalty rules, this cannot reduce your Wisdom below 1). Once per day, you may choose to have a single round of lucidity, lifting this penalty for the duration, and you may speak a few tortured sentences with a mind only as insane as it was prior to taking this Mythos. Echoes of a consciousness long dead and gone.

Finally, your type changes to Aberration with the Augmented subtype, and all other prior subtypes. If you were previously an Undead, Construct, or Outsider, you instead gain the Augmented Aberration subtype. You radiate an aura of evil as if you were a cleric of an Evil deity. You are immune to ability damage and drain to your mental ability scores, and you may exist comfortably in the normally inhospitable environments of the Far Realm.

[Xefas]

Exceptional Mythos


At Home In This World
Prerequisite: -
[Any]

This world was made for you to move through it.

As an internal [Air] effect, the air of your body propels itself through the air of the world with ease; you gain Leap of the Heavens (PHBII) as a bonus feat. As an internal [Water] effect, the water of your body propels itself through the water of the world with ease; you gain a Swim speed equal to your land speed. As an internal [Earth] effect, the earth of your body propels itself over the earth of the world with ease; you gain a Climb speed equal to your land speed. As an internal [Fire] effect, the blood and heat of your body work more efficienctly, transmitting the oxygen and fluid and nutrients your body needs for exertion with superhuman proficiency; you add your Dexterity modifier as a bonus to all Balance, Climb, Jump, Swim, and Tumble checks.

Blossoming Incarnum Inheritance
Prerequisite: -

Though not originally worked into the design of the Omphalos, nevertheless, Incarnum is born within its womb, and it holds a certain authority over how the concentrating life-stuff travels through its body. With this Mythos, you become aware of the vein of the Incarnum that has always flowed through you, and can partition pieces of it off for your own use.

Your Meldshaper level becomes equal to your class level, to a maximum of 6. Your Crown Chakra opens. You gain 2 Essentia. You may shape a single Soulmeld per day, drawn from the following list: [i]Beast Tamer Circlet, Crystal Helm, Diadem of Purelight, Enigma Helm.

With further meditation, requiring a Meldshaper level of at least 3, you may broaden your enlightenment. By meditating for an hour and paying 500 Mythos Points and 125xp, you may open your Feet Chakra, gain +1 Essentia, and the following soulmelds to your list: Acrobat Boots, Airstep Sandals, Cerulean Sandals, Impulse Boots.

A second session of meditation, requiring a Meldshaper level of at least 6, with the same time and cost as the first, will open your Hands Chakra, give you another point of Essentia, allow your to craft and maintain a second Soulmeld, maintain a single Chakra Bind, and add the following soulmelds to your list: Lighting Gauntlets, Rageclaws, Sighting Gloves, Theft Gloves.

Elemental-Fisted Pugilist Style
Prerequisite: -
[Any]

You gain Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Natural Attack (Unarmed Strike) as bonus feats. Like a Monk, you may make unarmed attacks with any part of your body, even if your hands are otherwise occupied.

At 5th level, you gain a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage rolls with unarmed attacks, and your unarmed attacks bypass damage reduction as if they were magical. At 10th level, this enhancement bonus increases by 1, and your unarmed attacks bypass damage reduction that may be bypassed by a particular material (such as silver or cold iron) or by a particular alignment. At 13th, 15th, and 17th level, this enhancement bonus increases by another 1.

Basic
Sylph-Fist Technique: [Air] With a quick breath, your limbs feel light and flexible, each strike whipping through the air with unsettling little effort. You gain Snap Kick as a bonus feat (ToB).

Naiad-Fist Technique: [Water] As you strike with your limbs, additional weight and momentum seems to surge forth and build from nowhere at all, until an otherwise light punch crashes into your target like a mighty wave. You gain Superior Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat (ToB).

Oread-Fist Technique: [Earth] Your motions are inexorable, with joints and muscles that seem to strike and lock without yielding an inch, evicting whatever former occupant was within the space you chose to place them, whether it be flesh, stone, or steel. You gain Hammer Fist as a bonus feat (RoS).

Salamander-Fist Technique: [Fire] The heat of battle builds in you until, like coals stoked with a sudden wind, you roar into a terrible wrath, striking with unrestrained brutality. You gain Improved Critical (Unarmed Strike) and Roundabout Kick as bonus feats (CW).

Dragon-Claw Technique: You are especially adept at projecting force through sweeping arcs or pin-point jabs that can dismantle many otherwise stubborn obstacles. You gain Versatile Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat (PHBII).

Element-Forged Geomach Arsenal
Prerequisite: -
[External][Variable]

As a swift action, you pull an elemental piece of your surroundings to your hand, and shape it into the form of a melee weapon that you are proficient with. When creating a weapon of a particular element, this Mythos has that element's subtype, and when you attack with the weapon, you may choose for it to either deal its normal damage type, or the damage type of its elemental subtype.

Each time you create a weapon with this Mythos, choose one of the following set of statistics for the weapon's base damage, critical range, and critical damage. The weapon has these statistics instead of what the weapon's appearance would normally suggest. However, it is still considered the weapon that the element is mimicking for all other purposes (for example, a Longspear made of Fire would still be a two-handed weapon, it would still have reach, and would still receive a bonus from the Weapon Focus (Longspear) feat).

The damage listed is for a weapon sized for a Medium creature, but your created weapon can be of any size that you are able to wield. If your size changes while you're wielding an elemental weapon, it likewise changes size to match you.


Consistent Weapon 2d4 damage, 18-20/x2
Balanced Weapon 2d6 damage, 19-20/x2
Brutal Weapon 2d6 damage, 20/x3
Impractical Weapon 2d4 damage, 20/x4

You may only have one weapon created through this Mythos at a time. If you create a new one, the old one disappears. If, at the end of your turn, the created weapon is no longer in your hands or on your person, it disappears as well.

At 5th level, the weapon created by this Mythos has a +1 enhancement bonus to attack and damage and bypasses damage reduction as if it were magical. At 10th level, this enhancement bonus increases by 1, and it now also bypasses damage reduction that may be bypassed by a particular material (such as silver or cold iron) or alignment. At 15th and 18th level, this enhancement bonus increases by another 1.

Advanced
Calling The Elemental Bow: You may create ranged weapons with this Mythos. Weapons that require ammunition, such as bows, crossbows, and slings, generate their own basic ammunition as necessary with each attack from a seemingly endless internal supply. However, Consistent and Impractical ranged weapons deal only 1d6 base damage, and Balanced and Brutal ranged weapons deal only 1d8 base damage.

Calling The Elemental Shield: When you create a light or one-handed weapon with this Mythos, you may also create a shield of a type that you are proficient with, which appears equipped to your opposite arm. At 5th level, the shield imparts a +1 enhancement bonus to your armor class. At 10th, 15th, and 18th level, this bonus increases by 1.

Calling The Elemental Armory:When you create alight or one-handed weapon with this Mythos, you may also create as many other light or one-handed weapons as you have hands to wield them, which appear in those hands. Each weapon may be of a different shape, damage/critical type, and element, provided the necessary additional [External] elements are within range.

Land-Strike Wrath
Prerequisite: -
[External][Variable]

With a gesture, you pull a suitable chunk of your chosen element from your surroundings, and hurl it violently at a target. This functions like a melee unarmed attack, except that it has a range increment of 30ft, and two range increments (thus a maximum range of 60ft from its origin point). Despite this, it is not a ranged attack. In addition, the attack deals the damage type of whichever elemental descriptor matches the element used from the environment to fuel the attack.

You can choose for the origin point of this [External] Mythos to be your own space, even if the external element is farther away (but still within your [External] Mythos range), pulling the elemental chunk to you, and launching it with a emphatic punch or kick. If you choose to do so, your unarmed attack deals damage as normal. If you choose for the attack to originate from elsewhere within range, it deals only half damage, as you are only able to propel it with lesser force.

At 7th level, melee unarmed attacks modified by this Mythos have three range increments instead of two. At 13th level, this increases to a number of range increments equal to your intelligence modifier, if this would be greater than three.

Ley-Channeling Shamanism Practices
Prerequisites: -
[Variable]

With a little work, you can create totemic vessels for elemental energy, imbuing them with a portion of your own primal spirit. In turn, the totem projects the stored energy outward into the world without requiring your personal attention.

First, you must construct the totem itself. At its most simple design, it is a Tiny object, carved from one or more pieces of wood, inlaid with inscrutable hieroglyphs that contain and release the stored energy in the manner that you choose. Creating this kind of totem takes about an hour, and is negligible in material costs. Fancier totems can be made, but they may require Craft checks and costly materials to create properly.

When a totem is made, you choose its element (Fire, Air, Water, or Earth) and this Mythos has the corresponding subtype during the construction. Then, choose whether the totem is designed to be Empowering, Protecting, or Emanating. Once the totem is made, these choices cannot be altered (although you can always craft more totems).

Next, you must ritually imbue the totem with power. By meditating for 8 hours while in contact with totems of your own construction, you may imbue up to four such totems. You may only ever have one totem of each element imbued at one time and, at 1st level, you may only have a single totem imbued at all. This increases to two at 5th level, three at 9th level, and four at 13th level. If you imbue a new totem above your limit by level or element, the old totem's power is lost.

Once a totem is created and imbued, it has two settings. Its 'Personal' setting functions while it is within 5ft of you, drawing on your personal power to project its effect. The 'Anchored' setting functions while the totem is partially stuck into a solid surface contiguous with a planetary body in the Inner Planes (including the Prime). In this state, it draws from the ley-energy coursing through the planet to produce its effect, which is both more powerful, and will also function at greater than five feet of distance from you. As a standard action, you may strike one totem into an adjacent surface (at 5th, 9th, and 13th level, the number of totems you may strike down with a single standard action increases by 1). In something soft, like soil or sand, this shouldn't require any additional effort. However, to drive them into a harder surface, like stone, you make a melee attack as part of this action (totems are considered one-handed weapons that you are proficient with for this purpose; if you sharpened the end of the totem, it deals piercing damage, otherwise it deals bludgeoning). You must be able to overcome the Hardness of the surface and drive the totem at least an inch into it.


Fire Totems
Empowering
[i]Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +2 bonus to their Strength score.
Anchored: You and every ally within 60ft gain a +2 bonus to their Strength score, and may deal an additional 1d6 fire damage with each successful melee or ranged attack.

Protecting
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains Fire Resistance 5.
Anchored: You and every ally within 60ft gain Fire Resistance 5, which stacks with one other source of Fire Resistance, and a +2 bonus on saving throws against any effect that deals fire damage or has the [Fire] descriptor.

Emanating
Personal: The totem glows brilliantly (twice as brightly as a torch), casting bright light out to 40ft, and shadowly illumination out to 80ft.
Anchored: The totem continually spews flame in every direction, out to a 10ft radius. Creatures that enter the area, or begin their turn within, take 1d4 fire damage. You are immune to this damage.

Air Totems
Empowering
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +10 bonus to their movement speeds.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gain a +10 bonus to their movement speed, and a +2 bonus to their Intelligence.

Protecting
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saving throws.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gain a +2 bonus on Reflex saving throws and have a +2 bonus their Armor Class against all ranged attacks.

Emanating
Personal: The totem projects a field of fresh, breathable air around you. This allows you to breathe uninhibited in any environment, and anyone nearby can duck their head into your space and gulp up a few breaths if need be.
Anchored: The totem constantly blows Strong winds in a 10ft radius around it. This is enough to snuff unprotected flames as large as a torch, impose a -2 penalty on ranged attacks that pass through this space, and require Tiny creatures to make a DC 10 Fortitude save or be knocked down if they try to move through it. The air is clean and breathable, and blows away other gaseous substances, such as fog or a Cloudkill spell, as well as spraying particulate matter around.

Water Totems
Empowering
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +2 bonus to their Dexterity score.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gain a +2 bonus to their Dexterity score and a +2 bonus to their Armor Class against Attacks of Opportunity.

Protecting
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains Cold Resistance 5.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gain Cold Resistance 5 and a +2 bonus on saving throws against any effect that deals cold damage or has the [Cold] descriptor.

Emanating:
Personal: The totem regulates the purity and refreshment of your body. You gain a +4 bonus on saving throws against poison, and you are constantly hydrated, negating the need for you to drink fluids to remain healthy.
Anchored: A stream of water pours from the totem, releasing about one gallon of fresh, pure, drinkable water every round.

Earth Totems
Empowering
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saving throws, and damage reduction 3/-.

Protecting
Personal: Every ally within 60ft gains a +2 bonus on opposed rolls to resist being bull rushed, overrun, tripped, disarmed, or grappled.
Anchored: You, and every ally within 60ft, gain a +4 bonus on opposed rolls to resist being bull rushed, overrun, tripped, disarmed, or grappled. All of your other totems within 60ft increase their Hardness by 5.

Emanating
Personal: The totem spreads stability around you, increasing the Hardness of each item you hold, and each item equipped in each of your equipment slots (hands, feet, head, armor, shoulders, etc) by 5.
Anchored: The totem projects a field of tremors and fluctuating gravity. The ground for 10ft around it is considered difficult terrain. Any creature, other than you, that begins their turn within the area, must make a Fortitude save or fall prone.


Meditating On The Elements
Prerequisite: -
[Internal][Variable]

With intense focus and meditation on a particular element, you may voluntarily create an imbalance within your mental state, erring towards one element in particular. This requires only 10 minutes of concentration, but lasts for 24 hours. You cannot meditate to create a new imbalance until the previous one has already run its course.

Fire is intense, uncompromising, passionate, frenetic, confident, and ambitious. Like a suddenly ignited flame, while you are imbalanced towards fire, you may spend a swift action to go into a Rage* for 5 minutes. While in this Rage, you add your intelligence modifier to all melee damage rolls, and have access to the effects of the Power Attack feat, as if you possessed it. If you already have the Power Attack feat, all melee attacks you make are considered to be with a two-handed weapon, adding twice the number subtracted from your attack rolls as damage, and you may even Power Attack with light weapons.

Air is distant, detached, pensive, diligent, flexible, and adaptive. While you are imbalanced towards air, you are trained in all skills, and you are considered to have (1/2 class level) ranks in all intelligence, wisdom, and charisma based skills that you normally have fewer ranks in.

Water is graceful, deceptive, reactive, methodical, fluid, and ever-changing. While you are imbalanced towards water, taking a Delay action does not reduce your initiative count to the count in which you act after the Delay. Instead, on the following round, you initiative count is reduced by 4. (For example, if your initiative count is 18, and you Delay to act on count 11, the next round you would act on count 14, rather than 11. Although you are free to Delay again if you wish.) In addition, taking a readied action does not change your initiative count. When you Ready an action, you may either Ready two different responses (which must both require the same kind of action) to a single trigger, then choose between the two responses when the specified trigger happens, or you may specify two different triggers for your readied action, and take your readied action in response to either happening (though you may still only take your readied action once).

Earth is stubborn, slow, massive, implacable, unmoveable, and unstoppable. While you are imbalanced towards earth, you gain a +4 bonus on the opposed roll to resist being bull rushed, overrun, tripped, disarmed, or grappled. In addition, you have access to the effects of the Improved Bull Rush, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Improved Disarm, and Improved Grapple feats, as if you possessed them if you do not already.

*Rage Effects
The effected character may not show any manner of restraint in their attacks (for example, they may not voluntarily deal nonlethal damage if there is a suitable lethal method available, or purposefully pull their punches to deal less damage). They may not voluntarily perform movement that would take them farther away from all of their enemies (they may switch targets, but not forsake all of them). If a foe is dropped unconscious, and there are other dangers afoot, they may focus on those other dangers, but if there are no other enemies, dangers, or pressing concerns, they must attempt to kill fallen enemies. Any creature that strikes them (even if that creature is under some kind of outside influence) is considered an enemy (and cannot be considered an ally, obviously) for the duration of the Rage.

A Raging character takes a -4 penalty on all skill checks (other than Balance, Climb, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Tumble checks), and ranged attack rolls (except with thrown weapons), and cannot cast spells, manifest psionic powers, or utilize Truenaming or Shadow Magic (Binding, Incarnum, and Invocations are fine).

Omphalic Monument Skin
Prerequisite: -
[External][Variable]

You've learned to pull an element from your environment and shape it into a shield around yourself as a swift action. You may only have one elemental shield shaped from this Mythos active at a time, but you may drop your current shield, or change from one elemental shield to another, as a swift action.

With a shield of fire, any creature that makes a melee attack against you must make a Reflex saving throw to strike around the whirling wreathes of flame or else take (intelligence modifier, but no greater than your Kathodos level) fire damage.

With a shield of air, you have concealment against ranged attacks, as billowing winds rip arrows and scorching rays down and away from you.

With a shield of water, slithering tendrils of fluid descend like crashing waves from your limbs with every attack, adding an additional (intelligence modifier) bludgeoning damage to every successful melee attack.

With a shield of earth, attacks rebound off your stony armor, giving you damage reduction (intelligence modifier, but no greater than your Kathodos level)/-.

Sought By Nature's Chaperon
[Internal][Any]
Prerequisite: Must have endangered your own well-being to protect, mend, or avenge the sanctity of nature somewhere on the Prime Material Plane or the Inner Planes, or you must be currently committed to undertaking such a task.

Because of your understanding and service to the natural world, it loans you a steward for guidance and protection. You gain Wild Cohort as a bonus feat. In addition, the animal companion that you gain via this feat already knows the 'Defend' and 'Guard' tricks and, for the purposes of Ride checks that you make with it, it is already trained to be a mount and a combatant.

Basic
[i]Honored By Nature's Champion: For the purposes of which alternate animal companions you may choose with the Wild Cohort feat, and the benefits provided to them via that feat, you are treated as a Druid of your character level, rather than as a Druid of your character level -3.

Blessed By Nature's Herald: When you obtain a new animal companion from the Wild Cohort feat, you may choose for it to have the Air Element, Water Element, Earth Element, or Fire Element template applied to it (MotP). Due to its status as one of the Omphalos' heralds, it may consider any Inner Plane, including the Prime, to be its Native plane. Each time you gain a new companion, you may select a different element for it to be composed of.

Taught By Nature's Wisdom: Once per day, by spending 10 minutes playing with, talking to, or otherwise interacting directly and amiably with your animal companion, your actions produce the effects of a Divination spell as an Extraordinary ability, with a caster level equal to your character level. If your animal companion is not drawn from an alternate list requiring a higher effective druid level to obtain, this ability is +5% more likely to succeed. Characters with this manifestation are rarely aware of its existence.

[Xefas]

Fantastic Mythos


Cosmic Yang Epiphany
Prerequisite: -

Your mind has reached a further plateau in its understanding of the elements, encompassing Positive Energy, one of the more esoteric facets of the Inner Planes.

As a standard action, you may deal a number of points of Positive Energy to a creature equal to (class level + intelligence modifier), healing living things and harming the undead. A touch attack is required to use this ability on an unwilling creature.

If a creature rests long enough to benefit from natural healing within 24 hours of being subjected to this Mythos, they heal (intelligence modifier) points of ability damage, distributed as they please, in addition to the other benefits of natural healing. Multiple applications before a creature rests do not stack this ability damage healing benefit. Only creatures that are healed by Positive Energy receive this benefit.

Cosmic Yin Epiphany
Prerequisite: -

Your mind has reached a further plateau in its understanding of the elements, encompassing Negative Energy, one of the more esoteric facets of the Inner Planes.

As a standard action, you may deal a number of points of Negative Energy to a creature equal to (class level + intelligence modifier), healing undead things and harming the living. A touch attack is required to use this ability on an unwilling creature.

As a standard action, you may lay hands on an object up to Huge size, or a Huge-sized chunk of a larger object, and suffuse it with increased entropy. For 24 hours, its Hardness is halved. A touch attack is required to strike an animate or otherwise attended object. Sentient objects are allowed a Will save to negate this effect.

Dualistic Paraelemental Understanding
Prerequisite: -

Where the four primal elemental planes border one another, four more 'paraelemental' planes exist. Your mastery of the elements has extended to these places.

Your external [Fire] and [Air] Mythos may pull in and manipulate smoke rather than fire or air, based on the principles of the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal half piercing and half fire damage, rather than piercing or fire, and they fill the target's space with smoke, which provides concealment to and from that space as long as it remains, as well as forcing the target (if they breathe) to make a Fortitude save or be sickened for 1 minute. Multiple applications of the sickened condition from this Mythos stack the duration.

Your external [Air] and [Water] Mythos may pull in and manipulate ice rather than air or water, based on the principles of the Paraelemental Plane of Ice. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal cold damage, rather than slashing or bludgeoning, and that creatures that are standing in, or are soaked with, water or similar liquid, take a -3 penalty on saving throws, and to their armor class, against them.

Your external [Water] and [Earth] Mythos may pull in and manipulate acid and ooze rather than water or earth, based on the principles of the Paraelemental Plane of Ooze. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal acid damage, rather than bludgeoning, and that any damage they deal to a target is also dealt to any suit of armor the target is wearing. Any armor destroyed in this way has its value in gold pieces granted to you as Mythos Points.

Your external [Earth] and [Fire] Mythos may pull in and manipulate lava and other molten materials, rather than earth or fire, based on the principles of the Paraelemental Plane of Magma. They function the same, save for the fact that any damage they deal is fire, rather than being fire or bludgeoning, and that those that take damage from them must make a successful Reflex save or retain flecks of cooling molten material on their bodies, taking 1/4 of the original damage at the beginning of their next two turns.

Steam-and-Dust Showdown
[Internal][Any]
Prerequisite: -

Though the four elements live in unity with one another, they are of two conflicting pairs. Fire and water, earth and air, the nature of these energies is to oppose one another, but it is the struggle of their impossible combination that forms the nexus of all real things. In the Omphalos, even the most disparate things may be unified in conflict, and made to resolve.

As a full-round action, you may issue a challenge to one target that can see and hear you. The target must be made explicitly aware that the challenge is a one-on-one conflict, if they are not already familiar with the arrangement, and you must offer stakes. These stakes can be negotiated before both parties accept. Once both parties accept, all stakes are final for the current showdown. If a character accepts against their will due to magical persuasion, the fact that they are being unnaturally compelled becomes evident to any who can see and hear them, and the showdown does not initiate.

While any stakes may be set, only the following ones are enforced by the showdown in any real way. Both participants are aware of the metaphysical significance of these stakes.


-Ownership of magical items. The participants may specify whether or not the item(s) being fought over may be used in the showdown itself. At the conclusion of a showdown where an item is at stake, the winner is left holding the item, and the defeated loses the ability to use the item for a year and a day, or until he wins back ownership of the item in another showdown. To the loser, not only do none of the item's magical properties function for them, but merely carrying it voluntarily imposes a -1 penalty on all d20 rolls, and if it is a weapon or a suit of armor, they treat the item as if they were not proficient with it.

-Services rendered. The participants specify a particular course of action that they wish the other to take, and the loser is bound to perform that course of action. The showdown enforces the spirit of the agreement, not the letter, so it is largely impossible to trick someone into agreeing to something they didn't intend to with clever wordplay. Once someone is bound to perform the specified duty, they will do so, to the best of their ability, without attempting to directly subvert their agreement, although they need not enjoy doing so. The only way to release a loser from their duty before its completion is for the loser, or someone acting on his behalf, to defeat the winner of the showdown that bound them, in another showdown, with the specified stakes of nullified the loser's service.

-Power. The participants may stake some amount of their own power, to be given to the winner. In a showdown between two Mythos-using characters, Mythos Points may be staked. Otherwise, a Mythos-user may stake the use of one of his Mythos, of a tier at least one lower than his maximum. In the case of a loss, they lose access to the offered Mythos, and the winner acquires it for however long the participants agreed upon. The recipient must meet the prerequisites of the offered Mythos, and the Mythos-user cannot stake a Mythos on a showdown if they are already missing one via another showdown. Invocation users may stake their Invocations, in the same way that a Mythos-user stakes a Mythos. A spellcaster may stake their spells. Prepared casters must stake spells they have currently prepared. If the chosen spells have expensive material components, they must be supplied as well. If the spellcaster loses, they lose access to the chosen spells, and cannot prepare more spells in the lost spell slots until the winner has used the spell from that slot. Expensive material components are consumed into the power of the spells as they are transfered to the winner. The winner may use the transfered spells as spell-like abilities, calculating the DC, caster level, range, and other statistics as if they were cast by the spellcaster at the time they lost the showdown. Spontaneous spellcasters work the same way, except that they stake a certain number of uses of specific spells that they know, and lose that many spells per day of the appropriate level, and cannot regain them until the winner uses up that energy. Divine spellcasters are morally responsible for how their spells are used by the winner, as they are choosing to broker the power of their deity or ideal, in the good faith that it will not be subverted. Incarnum users may stake specific soulmelds that they currently have shaped, with however much essentia is in them at the time of the showdown. Should they lose, they cannot shape the same soulmeld for the duration of the stakes, and their number of soulmelds per day is lowered by the number of soulmelds they lost in the gamble, until such time as the agreed upon duration elapses. Their essentia is likewise reduced. The winner cannot bind a won souldmeld to a chakra or shift its invested essentia unless they could already, although they may have more essentia invested in a won soulmeld than they could otherwise, based on the loser's essentia capacity. A Binder may stake one of their bound Vestiges. If they lose, they can bind one less Vestige than usual until the agreed upon duration elapses, and cannot bind the lost Vestige. The winner is automatically considered to have made a bad pact with the Vestige, but otherwise has access to all of its abilities, using the loser's Binder level to determine the Vestige's effectiveness, for the duration.


Stakes need not be symmetrical. A wizard can bet three Wishes against a vampire's ownership over the Sword of Kas, or two adventurers can wager ownership over the same +1 Dagger they just found in a raided tomb, or a Binder can bet 8 hours of Ashardalon's service against 24 hours of a Teramach's All-Consuming Rampage Release. And so on.

Once stakes are nailed down, and unanimously agreed upon, the showdown begins. Both participants are transported into a pocket world within the roiling nexus of the Omphalos itself; this is a Teleportation effect if used outside the Prime Material Plane. Here, the elements shift and intertwine, forming a bizarre and unique conflux of shapes and occurences for the showdown to come. This space is habitable for all kinds of creatures, allowing, for instance, air-breathing creatures and water-breathing creatures to compete together.

Randomly choose five skills (feel free to omit, for instance, Autohypnosis in a game without psionics, Martial Lore in a game without the Tome of Battle, etc). The challenge's nature is determined by these skills, and the form that it takes should be at least vaguely outlined. For example, a Jump/Diplomacy/Spellcraft/Climb/Hide showdown might be a race through a series of floating ruins. Traversing the ruins requires Jump and Climb, while the roaming ruin guards must be avoided (Hide) or reasoned with (Diplomacy). Spellcraft deciphers arcane ruins that denote shortcuts for gaining an advantage over a more straightforward adversary.

Each round, both participants simultaneously make a skill check of their choice, chosen from the five skills, to represent progressing through the challenge. No other actions may be taken; not even free ones, except to talk. Participants gain a +2 bonus on their skill check for each other skill they've used during a single challenge, to a maximum of +8 on a check if they've already used all four other skills. The challenge ends once one participant has reached a certain combined total of skill checks, and been declared the victor. The total required is set by the group challenge-to-challenge, based on how long they want to draw things out, but 100 is a good starting point for low level characters.

Once a victor has been decided, the stakes are resolved, and the participants are transported to the nearest safe space to the point where they entered. The Omphalos won't allow the sanctity of its challenge to be sullied by transporting a challenger back into, for example, a cage his foes have placed at the point where he disappeared, or inside of a Cloudkill, or similar. Participants reappear as they were when they entered; wounds, objects, and such that were narratively acquired as part of the skill challenge do not carry over.

Flowing Incarnum Inheritance
Prerequisite: The 'Blossoming Incarnum Inheritance' Mythos, and you must have opened your Crown, Feet, and Hands Chakra.

Your understanding of Incarnum progresses, opening your Brow Chakra, granting you another point of Essentia, and allowing you to shape and maintain another Soulmeld. Add the following Soulmelds to the list you may shape from: Keeneye Lenses, Mage's Spectacles, Silvertongue Mask, Truthseeker Goggles. Your Meldshaper level is equal to your class level, to a maximum of 12.

With an hour of meditation, you may spend 2,500 Mythos Points and 250xp to further increase your enlightenment if your Meldshaper level is at least 9. Your Arms Chakra opens, you gain another point of Essentia, and the number of Chakra Binds you may have at one time increases by 1. Add the following Soulmelds to the list you may shape from: Armguards of Disruption, Bluesteel Bracers, Riding Bracers, Sailor's Bracers.

With another hour of meditation, you may spend an additional 2,500 Mythos Points and 250xp to reach further into your understanding of Incarnum, provided you have a Meldshaper level of at least 12. Your Shoulders Chakra opens, you gain two more points of Essentia, and your may create and maintain one more Soulmeld at a time. Add the following Soulmelds to the list you may shape from: Adamant Pauldrons, Mantle of Flame, Pauldrons of Health, Wind Cloak.

Geomantic Worldbender Assumption
Prerequisite: -

You can telekinetically "pick up", levitate, and move around a portion of elemental material as a standard action. You may do so with Air, Water, Earth, Fire, and any elements you may manipulate with the Dualistic Paralemental Understanding, Negative Quasielemental Understanding, and Positive Quasielemental Understanding Mythos. For physical elements, like earth and water, you may manipulate up to a Heavy Load of material, using your Intelligence score in place of your Strength score for determining this carrying capacity. For the more ephemeral elements, like air and fire, you may manipulate up to (class level) cubic feet of material at a time.

With a single standard action, you may move the material up to 30ft, but you may not move material beyond [(class level + intelligence modifier) x 5]ft from yourself; material somehow brought beyond this area is removed from your control. You may spend your move action simultaneously with your standard action to move along with the material you're controlling.

Each turn, you may concentrate on maintaining your control, using your standard action for the round. If you take damage while concentrating, you must make a DC (10 + damage taken) Concentration check, or lose control over your manipulated element, at which point it resumes acting as you would expect.

As a free action, you may voluntarily release your control.

Elements moved with this Mythos are not usually moving fast enough to be an effective weapon, although you can, for example, move a large stone over something and then drop it. Aware targets will usually spend their turn moving away, though, after you spend a free action on your own turn to relinquish control over the improvised bludgeon.

You may move attended objects with this Mythos (assuming they're made of an element you can manipulate). Attempting to take an object off of an unaware target uses the rules for the Sleight of Hand skill, just at range. If the target is aware of you (or becomes aware because their Spot check defeated your Sleight of Hand check), it becomes an opposed check - your Intelligence versus their Strength to withhold the item.

You may exert force on unattended elemental objects, such as a stone switch or lever, using your Intelligence score as a telekinetic Strength score. This can also be used to smash or break objects, using your Intelligence score against their Break DC.

Air moved with this Mythos can generate up to 7mph winds. Although this is not usually strong enough to disperse things like fog, or a Cloudkill spell, it is strong enough to contain and move them in a manner of your choosing.

Water moved with this Mythos can generate 'Rough Water' for Swim checks.

You may attempt to 'move' Earth that is part of a larger structure. This deals (class level)d6 damage to the portion of the structure around the part you are attempting to move. If you manage to bypass the structure's Hardness and wear down the Hit Points of the surrounding material to 0 (which may take several turns), you can tear your selected portion of earth from the structure and control it as normal.

Fire moved with this Mythos can be 'pulled off' something, causing it to cease burning. Once you stop controlling fire that is not anchored to a physical object it can burn, it snuffs out.

Negative Quasielemental Understanding
Prerequisite: The 'Cosmic Yin Epiphany' Mythos

Where the four primal elemental planes border the negative energy plane, four 'quasielemental' planes exist. Your mastery of the elements has extended to these places.

Your external [Fire] Mythos may pull in and manipulate ash and soot instead of fire, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Ash. They function the same, save for the fact that they are deadlier against creature that are harmed by negative energy, bypassing any energy resistance of immunity they have, and inflicting a single negative level on them if they fail a Fortitude save. Creatures killed by these negative levels do not automatically rise as Wights.

Your external [Air] Mythos may generate a vacuum in air, rather than manipulating the air directly, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Vacuum. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal no damage against creatures that do not need to breathe. Against those that do, they deal nonlethal damage, but they deal 50% additional damage if the target fails a Fortitude save, as the air their body requires is torn from them.

Your external [Water] Mythos may generate pockets of extreme dryness from air or water, rather than manipulating water, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Salt. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal dessication damage, rather than bludgeoning damage, and they deal an additional 50% damage against plants and creatures with the [Water] subtype if they fail a Fortitude save.

Your external [Earth] Mythos may pull in and manipulate sand and other crumbled particulate matter, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Dust. They function the same, save for the fact that they deal slashing damage instead of bludgeoning, and that attacks made with them ignore 1/2 of the target's armor and natural armor bonuses.

Positive Quasielemental Understanding
Prerequisite: The 'Cosmic Yang Epiphany' Mythos

Where the four primal elemental planes border the positive energy plane, four 'quasielemental' planes exist. Your mastery of the elements has extended to these places.

Your external [Fire] Mythos may pull in and manipulate light instead of fire, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Radiance. They function the same, save for the fact that they are deadlier against creatures that are harmed by positive energy, bypassing any energy resistance or immunity they have, and dealing an additional 50% damage against them if they fail a Fortitude save.

Your external [Air] Mythos may pull in and manipulate electricity instead of air, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Lightning. They function the same, save for the fact that any damage they deal is electricity damage, rather than piercing, and that creatures composed of metal or wearing metal armor take a -3 penalty on saving throws, and to their armor class, against them.

Your external [Water] Mytos may pull in and manipulate steam instead of water, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Steam. They function the same, save for the fact that any damage they deal is half fire damage and half bludgeoning, rather than pure bludgeoning, and that attacks made with them ignore 1/2 of the target's armor and natural armor bonuses.

Your external [Earth] Mythos may pull in and manipulate metal instead of earth, based on the principles of the Quasielemental Plane of Minerals. They function the same, save that any damage reduction they grant is doubled, and any damage they deal bypasses all damage reduction.

Tumultuous Geokinema Assault
Prerequisite: The 'Land-Strike Wrath' Mythos
[External][Variable]

With a gesture, you pull a suitable chunk of your chosen element from your surroundings, and cause it to erupt in a grandiose display of power. This functions like a melee unarmed attack, except that it is applied in an area, at least half of which must be within the range that your [External] Mythos' can pull elements from, but may otherwise take place anywhere within that range, and it requires a full standard action to perform.

You may create a line with dimension up to 10ftx10ftx[30 + (intelligence modifier x 5)]ft, or a sphere with a diameter up to (intelligence modifier x 5)ft.

If you draw the elements to you, and create the sphere with its center point on yourself, or the line with one of its ends originating from you, this attack deals damage as normal. Otherwise, it only deals half the normal damage of your unarmed attacks.

Wandering The Omphalos
Prerequisite: -

Through focus on a particular element, you may slowly transcend from one Inner Plane to another, shifting planes over the course of an hour of meditation. Arriving at a precise location is impossible, though you may aim at a particular place you are familiar with, appearing only 5d100 miles away in a random direction. You may bring along up to (intelligence modifier) willing passengers, who must remain in contact with you for the entire meditative process.

Furthermore, you are protected from any and all inherent planar traits of the Inner Planes that would prove deadly to you, regardless of how you arrive there. For example, you would not take fire damage from the fact that the Elemental Plane of Fire is made of fire, although this would not protect you from an attack that deals fire damage. As another example, you can breathe on the quasielemental plane of vacuum, but could still be suffocated in a grapple. These realms are your home, and their very nature will not kill you without some external will behind them.

When you use this Mythos to shift to another plane and take passengers with you, you may extend this planar protection to them, mandating that they be considered guests among the normally inhospitable elemental planes. However, this protection only remains with them for (intelligence modifier) days, or until they leave the plane you brought them to.

[Xefas]

Legendary Mythos


Countersquall
Prerequisite: The 'Tumultuous Geokinema Assault' Mythos

Once per round, you may activate Tumultuous Geokinema Assault as an immediate action, summoning destructive elemental power without a moment's warning given.

Such is the sudden intensity of this display that if this immediate action interrupted the action of a character that usually requires a Concentration check to continue performing while taking damage (such as spellcasting or a Disable Device check), and dealt damage to that character, they must make a Fortitude save to prevent the action from being wasted altogether, in addition to the normal Concentration check. If they have some means to prevent requiring a Concentration check for such an action, they must still make this Fortitude save, but need not make the Concentration check as usual.

Elemental Servant-Will Sublimation
Prerequisite: -
[External][Variable]

With an hour of meditation, you may attain a spiritual link with the Inner Planes that stays with you until expended. It may be expended as a full-round action to direct your power and spirit at a suitably sized chunk of elemental matter with the range of your [External] Mythos, and summon an Elemental of up to Huge size from the Inner Planes, which animates the chosen elemental matter and uses it to form a body. Aftering doing so, you must meditate for another hour before you may recreate your link and use this ability again.

After summoning an Elemental, you may give it a command. However, while it is your place and your right to command the elements, this Mythos does not give you the authority to suborn or corrupt an Elemental's nature. You must give the Elemental a command that is in line with its nature, otherwise it disregards your command and acts of its own will, possibly with a negative attitude towards you, depending on how insulting your command was.

Some appropriate commands include...

The nature of Fire Elementals is to consume. They may be commanded to rampage in a particular direction, or rampage within a particular location. For example "Travel east and burn all within your path." or "Reduce the town of Hommlet to ash." However, they do so indiscrimately, and cannot be commanded to be choosey about what they do and do not burn, such as "...but don't harm my allies." or "...but spare the children."

The nature of Air Elementals is to travel. They may be commanded to carry a message, item, or passenger to a particular location, or to look for a particular person in a particular location and give it to them. They will fight to protect their charge, but only if escape or circumvention is not a viable strategy.

The nature of Water Elementals is to covet. They be commanded to acquire and/or protect a particular person or object. They are aware that their time on the Prime (or wherever you summoned them to) is temporary, and will take whatever measures necessary to prevent others from acquiring the objects they are commanded to covet, usually by hiding them somewhere so that, when they can no longer guard them directly, they will be guarded by simple secrecy. A Water Elemental cannot be commanded to relinquish their item, once acquired, to anyone.

When commanded to protect a person, they are intelligent enough to know that preventing a person from going into a dangerous situation is much more effective than waiting for them to get into a dangerous situation and then protecting them from it. For example, if their charge tries to venture into a potentially-violent-ogre-infested-dungeon, the Elemental will simply do everything they can to prevent their charge from going inside (short of killing them), rather than going in with them and fighting the ogres.

Alternatively, a Water Elemental can be commanded to quench all fire in a given location. For example, "Put out all the torches in that castle." or "Put out that forest fire."

The nature of Earth Elementals is to wait. They can be given a simple task to perform in the general vicinity, and a specific time to do it in, and they will do so. For example, "Wait one hundred and ninety-two hours, eleven minutes, and forty-seven seconds, and then flip the switch on this bomb." or "For the next two days, tell every living thing that comes through that door that I'm not home and I'll be back on Sunday." They may also be commanded to guard a location, attacking anyone that enters the specified area. Like a Fire Elemental, the Earth Elemental is indiscriminate in its guarding, and cannot be commanded to allow some to go by unmolested, while preventing the passage of others.

All Elements will defend themselves if threatened, though they are aware that the destruction of their temporary summoned bodies will not harm their true selves (unless you've summoned them on their home plane). It'll just hurt. If the completion of their mission absolutely requires them to be destroyed, they will err on the side of completing their mission.

An Elemental remains summoned until its mission is completed, or until (class level) days have passed, if their mission lasts for that long.

Sojourner Of A Thousand Lives Shintai
Prerequisite: -
[Fire][Air][Water][Earth]

The Omphalos' relationship with time is not like a mortal's. It is not truly omniscient, though it might perhaps seem to cleave in that direction from a mortal perspective, perceiving most of its own existence from beginning to end as a single chain of memories, with all the inaccuracy, imperfection, and bias that a memory intails. But part of its future is dark; a great disastrous uncertainty. And it is for this purpose that, very occasionally, the Omphalos will turn its unspeaking, inscrutable will towards bending the very rules it was constructed to maintain, and withhold a dying soul from its afterlife.

These occurrences are rare; written off by the Outer Planar bureaucracy as a routine clerical error. Sometimes a soul destined to become a great Solar or Duke of Hell, or something of that kind, goes missing, and a god pops down to the Omphalos' inner machinery to check if anything has gotten stuck, but they are like toddlers staring into the workings of a great computer. Inevitably, they retreat back to their palatial estates and blame the whole affair on a rounding error.

However, in these vast mechanisms, the stolen soul is rejuvenated, relieved of its necessity to continue on to the afterlife and become one with the eternal ideological battlefield there. The custodians of the Omphalos inform the soul of its purpose and destiny, tutor it on matters that will one day become important and, eventually, send the soul backwards, back down to the Prime, where it inhabits a newborn body in place of a wholly new soul from the Positive Energy Plane. It remembers nothing. Yet. It grows into a new life, becomes a new person, makes new choices, and eventually dies again. And the process is repeated. Again and again, the soul is rejuvenated and recalled, over and over it lives, sometimes as a Kathodos, sometimes as a member of another class, other times as a simple sailor or dam-builder, once a human, once a dragon, once an orc, once a kobold, once a giant, and so on.

Eventually, the soul arrives here. It is a Kathodos, and it is ready to realize its purpose. Though great power awaits, such a choice is difficult and rarely taken once presented. To awaken as one of the Sojourners is tantamount to a death of the self, as that which the individual believes to be who they are - their various personality traits and quirks, likes, dislikes, beliefs, and ideals - is overtaken in a flood of a thousand lives just as rich and beautiful and painful and unique as their own. What's more, they suddenly remember all the trials and teachings given to them between lives, and so their scope of time stretches even further.

So varied and muddled becomes a Sojourner's personality that they effective lose their personality altogether. All traits are subsumed into the one purpose that they have been born, and born, and born ad infinitum to do; protect the Prime, protect the Inner Planes, protect the Omphalos. They have no personal desires (for every hundred lives they've had that have enjoyed doing something, perhaps they've had a hundred that disliked it), no true friends (one life of loyality is outweighed by a thousands lives that are indifferent) - they are only stoic guardians now, impartial stewards of balance.

You gain a +6 bonus to your Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores from the counsel of a thousand lives of experience. You gain a +30 competence bonus on checks with every skill, taught by a thousand lives of learning. You gain ten bonus feats of your choice, though you must meet the prerequisites for them. Finally, at (your initiative count - 10), you may act with a single standard, move, or swift action in addition to the actions you normally receive every round.

Surging Incarnum Inheritance
Prerequisite: The 'Flowing Incarnum Inheritance' Mythos, and you must have opened your Brow, Arms, and Shoulders Chakra.

Your mastery of Incarnum grows to even greater heights. Your Throat Chakra opens, you gain one more point of Essentia, and you may support one additional Chakra Bind. Your Meldshaper level is equal to your class level, to a maximum of 18. Add the following Soulmelds to the list you may shape from: Apparition Ribbon, Dissolving Spittle, Planar Ward, Soulspeaker's Circlet.

At the cost of 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp, you may meditate for one hour and unlock further Incarnum secrets, provided you have a Meldshaper level of at least 15. Your Waist Chakra opens, you gain two points of Essentia, and you may shape and maintain one more Soulmeld at a time. Add the following Soulmelds to the list you may shape from: Flame Cincture, Heart of Fire, Strongheart Vest, Vitality Belt.

With a Meldshaper level of 18 or higher, you may meditate again, paying another 5,000 Mythos Points and 500xp, and climbing nearer to the zenith of Incarnum power. Your Heart chakra opens, you may create and maintain an additional Soulmeld, you gain four points of Essentia, and you may add any four Soulmelds of your choice from the Incarnate class list to the list of Soulmelds you may shape.


Exalted Mythos


Eminent Incarnum Inheritance
Prerequisite: The 'Surging Incarnum Inheritance' Mythos, and you must have opened your Throat, Waist, and Heart Chakra

You gain Soul Aesthetics (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=9725.msg157890#msg157890) as a bonus feat. Your aesthetic must be somehow related to the inner planes of elements and energy, as the nebulous soulstuff is alloyed and run in perfect synchronization with the elemental authority of your body and the Omphalos. You also gain any one other [Incarnum] feat as a bonus feat, but you must meet its prerequisites.

Your Soul Chakra opens. You gain one more point of Essentia, and you may support one more Chakra Bind. Add a number of soulmelds from any list to the list of soulmelds you may bind equal to your Intelligence modifier. Furthermore, through an hour of meditation, you may spend 1,000 Mythos Points to add an additional soulmeld from any list to your list of soulmelds, or create a wholly new soulmeld never before seen, though it must still operate under the same principles and power level of other soulmelds.

After another meldshaper witnesses a new soulmeld of your own devising, they may attempt to recreate it through whatever esoteric crafts they prefer (assuming they can even decipher that it [i]is a soulmeld, given your soul aesthetic), or they may spend (8 - the higher of their intelligence or wisdom modifier) hours, minimum 1, under your tutelage, and spend 300 experience points to have you place it onto their class list for them. Plus whatever other fees you might charge.

Essence Fracture
Prerequisite: -

As a standard action, you may make a melee touch attack to place an empty hand on your target. Once connected, you become aware of whether the touched creature is a native of the Inner Planes (including the Prime). If they are, you may flood them with your elemental power, invading their body and intruding on their most fundamental components in an attempt to break them - to destroy what they are, without harming them. They must make a successful Fortitude save to resist. If they are at maximum hit points, they gain a +20 bonus on this saving throw. If they are at >3/4 of their hit points, but not at their maximum, this bonus drops to +15. If they are between 3/4 and 1/2 of their maximum hit points, this bonus drops to +10. If they are between 1/2 and 1/4 of their maximum hit points, this bonus drops to +5. If they are at less than 1/4 of their maximum hit points, they gain no bonus.

On a failed save, the target loses all class levels that advance one of the following: Arcane or Divine Spellcasting, Psionics, Invocations, Incarnum, Truenaming, Shadowcasting, Binding, Martial Initiation - or grants the owner spell-like or supernatural abilities. Any class levels that do not qualify for this reason, but that the target can no longer qualify for due to loss of other class levels (such as one of those lame prestige classes that require spellcasting to enter but don't actually advance spellcasting) are also lost. Any level-based benefits, such as feats gained through natural level progression, are also lost if the target is no longer high enough level to qualify for them. This Mythos may also remove a target's levels in a Mythos-granting class; however, you must have access to Mythos of at least one tier greater than the target does (for example, if you have an Exalted Mythos, and they only have Legendary and below). If the target possesses a Mythos with the word "Shintai" in it, then this Mythos may not remove levels from the class through which the target gained that Mythos.

If a character loses all of their class levels through this Mythos, they are left with one level of Commoner.

Aftering losing levels from this Mythos, the target may continue to gain experience and take new levels; however, they cannot take levels in a class that grants or advances the same subsystem that they lost. For example, a character that lost levels of Wizard could not then gain levels of Duskblade, though they could become a Cleric, Warblade, or Warlock. A character that was forced to take a level of Commoner, that later gains a new level of a different class, may choose to lose that level of Commoner (to speed up future experience point acquisition).

As long as the highest Tier of Mythos you possess is "Exalted", a character may regain all lost class levels via a Wish, Miracle, or similar effect, or by a character with this Mythos using a standard action to lay hands on the target and reverse the effect. If you possess Mythos of a higher tier, then only Epic-level effects may return lost levels, including the touch of an Epic-level character with this Mythos. If a character regains lost levels, but had already gained new levels in the interim, this resurgence cannot cause them to become higher level than they currently are, or were previously - whichever is higher. They may also choose to rebuild their character from the ground up to represent a melding of their old and new learning; for example, a Wizard that loses their Wizardliness, then turns to demonic forces for succor and becomes a Warlock, then regains his Wizard powers, might rebuild himself as a Wizard/Warlock/Eldritch Theurge to represent a fusion of competency.

If the target successfully makes their Fortitude save to resist, they may choose to turn the tables and use their own essence to attack the portion of you that invaded them. You must then make a Fortitude save with a DC of (10 + 1/2 their character level + their highest ability score modifier). On a failed save, you lose access to your highest Tier of Mythos (except for any Mythos with the word "Shintai" in their name) until you spend 8 hours to rest, and may not use [External] Mythos of any Tier for the same duration.

Terrestrial Disaster Incarnation
Prerequisite: The 'Land-Strike Wrath', 'Omphalic Monument Skin', and 'Tumultuous Geokinema Assault' Mythos
[External][Any]

With a minute of concentration, you unhinge your spiritual self from your physical body and consume it, becoming an invisible being of pure elemental power. You then flood out into the world, claiming a contiguous quantity of fire, air, water, or earth within range of your [External] Mythos that measures about a mile across and between 20 and 100 feet high.

This claimed elemental material becomes your new body. Your size increases to the equivalent of Colossal+6, inflicting a -512 penalty to your Armor Class and Attack Rolls and a -40 penalty on Hide checks. You do not gain the standard bonus to Grapple checks. Your base Reach becomes 50ft, but also encompasses all spaces within your own body.

Your senses extend throughout your entire body, and beyond your body as if your normal form were standing at its edge (for example, if you normally have Darkvision out to 60ft, you would have Darkvision everywhere within your body, and 60ft beyond it). While you are considered to be 'observing' everything in your body, your senses are not perfect, and therefore it is still possible for creatures with Hide In Plain Sight, or a similar ability, to hide from you while inside you.

While transformed, you continually benefit from the Omphalic Monument Skin corresponding to the element you are inhabiting. You may not use [External] Mythos requiring an element other than the one you are inhabiting, and you may use your own body as the elemental material required for [External] Mythos.

You may not speak while in the form of a living disaster, but you may communicate telepathically with all creatures of the Elemental type that are inside of you, or within 1,000ft of you. A Commune With Nature spell allows the caster to ask you three yes-or-no questions, though you are not compelled to answer. Other spells that communicate with nature may have similar effects.

Because of your new anatomy, you are immune to precision damage (such as critical hits and sneak attack damage) as well as critical hits and ability damage or drain to your physical ability scores, and you cannot be tripped, grappled, or bullrushed. You cannot be targeted as a creature or object. Furthermore, you cannot be meaningfully damaged by an attack or effect that harms less than a 40ft diameter area of your body. Such attacks and effects deal half their normal damage unless they harm a 100ft diameter area on your body or more. You do not need to eat, sleep, or breathe.

With another minute of concentration, you may draw your essence back together and reconstitute your normal body, which appears in the center of your former elemental one.

Additional alterations to your character are based on which element you have become.

When you use this as a [Fire] Mythos, you become one with a roaring inferno. Your very presence is inhospitable to most life, igniting all combustible material that you pass over, which will continue to burn even when you move on, as well as automatically dealing 1d6 fire damage each round to all within, and an additional 1d6 damage to those that must breathe (holding one's breath prevents this damage). Those that take the fire damage must also make a Reflex save or have their body and equipment catch on fire. Those caught on fire this way take an additional 1d6 fire damage at the beginning of each of their turns, which is also dealt to items that they have equipped. As a move action, they may make Reflex save to put themselves out. Each of these Reflex saves made while they are outside of your body gain a cumulative +2 bonus (so +4 on the second save, +6 on the third save, etc) until they successfully put themselves out.

Breathing creatures in your body must make a DC 15 Fortitude save (+1 DC per previous save they have had to make in consecutive rounds) at the start of their turn or be crippled by smoke inhalation, losing their move action for the turn.

In your inferno form, you cannot fly, even if you normally have a fly speed, and cannot move beyond areas in which your body has the fuel necessary to burn. You must have oxygen to devour, and combustible materials to travel across, such as grassland or wooden structures. Your body can leave small gaps between its fires, such as a cobblestone alleyway between two burning buildings, or a small stream between two sides of a forest fire.

When you use this as an [Air] Mythos, you become a fearsome hurricane. The lashing winds of your body make standard ranged attacks by equipment smaller than seige weaponry impossible, and inflict a -8 penalty even on attacks massive enough to qualify. Each round, creatures that begin their turn within your body must make a DC (20 + your intelligence modifier) Fortitude save or be effected based on their size; Huge creatures with something to anchor themselves to are merely unable to move, while those that do not, or do not wish to be anchored, are thrown (1d6 x 5)ft with the direction of the wind. Large creatures face similar problems, though they must throw themselves prone in order to properly anchor themselves, and when blown away, they are instead thrown (1d6 x 10)ft. Medium and smaller creatures cannot properly anchor themselves at all, though those with something to hold are able to reduce their duress, only being knocked prone and thrown (1d4 x 10)ft, and taking 1d4 nonlethal damage per 10 feet thrown. Medium and smaller creatures with no way to stabilize themselves are thrown for (2d6 x 10)ft instead. Flying or otherwise completely airborne creatures are considered one size category smaller than they actually are for determining how they suffer in the winds.

Allowing your body to linger in the same place for more than a round also causes massive structural devastation, to the tune of 10 damage per round to all inanimate structures too heavy or stable to simply be picked up and tossed around by ~150mph winds. This is enough to strip wooden forts to splinters in under a minute, upheave cobblestone roads to barren nothing, turn glass windows into deadly environmental hazards for hapless bystanders, and even destabilize stone fortifications given enough time.

In your hurricane form, you can fly at twice your base land speed with perfect maneuverability. However, you must have air to travel through, and enough space to whip the air into wind. Most underground areas are too small to maintain a hurricane, and underwater movement is impossible.

When you use this as a [Water] Mythos, you become a tiny living sea. When you move, creatures in your body must make a Fortitude save or be moved with you, carried along by your currents. You may also, round-to-round choose the general disposition of your waters - Calm, Rough, or Stormy, which determines the Swim DC necessary to swim through you properly.

In your living sea form, you have a swim speed equal to twice your base land speed, but at least one half of your body must remain within a larger body of water. The other half may move inland as localized flooding. When especially angered, you may also build yourself into a small tsunami. After ten minutes of whipping yourself in a tempestuous sea, you pull yourself into a massive 20-ft wave and, over the course of the next round, rush a half-mile inland or over open water, upending any sailing vessels within, dealing 10d6 bludgeoning damage to solid structures, and forcing all creatures within to make a Foritude save or be knocked prone.

If you choose, on the round following a tsunami, you may then initiate a powerful riptide as a full-round action, moving back to where you were prior to initiating the tsunami. As per normal, creatures in your body must make a Fortitude save or move with you.

When you use this as an [Earth] Mythos, you become a living nexus of tectonic instability; an invisible, insidious force that travels through earthen material undetected until it wishes to cause destruction. The earth that you are currently traveling through is considered your 'body', but when you move, you do not move the earth itself as your body; you are merely small tremors and rumblings, barely even notable.

As a full-round action, you may create an earthquake throughout your entire body, forcing creatures to make a Fortitude save or be knocked prone. Structures built on top of your body take 10d6 damage, cavern complexes within your body crumble and cave-in if unsupported and supported complexes take 10d6 damage to their support structures. Earthen cliffs on your body crumble and create land-slides, striking in a radius as long as the cliff is tall. Creatures caught in a landslide, in the debris of a collapsing building, or in a cave-in, take 8d6 damage (DC 15 Reflex save for half).

In this form, you must move through contiguous earthen material, and cannot leave it.

[Xefas]

Excellencies


[Ability] Beyond Mortal Seeming
Prerequisite: One Fantastic Mythos

Choose one of Dexterity or Intelligence. This Excellency may be purchased once for each Ability Score, granting a +2 enhancement bonus to the chosen ability.

Once you have at least one Legendary Mythos known, this Excellency may be purchased a second time for each Ability Score. This second purchase increases the enhancement bonus by 4, to a total of +6.

Blood-Ebbing Prana
[Water]
Prerequisite: -

Through subtle, possibly unconscious, control over the ebb and flow of your blood, you are especially difficult to exsanguinate. You automatically stabilize when reduced below 0 hit points. At the beginning of your turn, you may either recover from one point of Constitution damage or reduce ongoing bleeding damage that you are suffered from (such as that inflicted by a Bearded Devil's 'Infernal Wound') by 2 per round.

At 6th level, you may recover from Consitution Drain as if it were Constituion Damage during natural rest and recovery.

At 10th level, you may treat Constitution Drain as Constitution Damage for the purposes of all recovery, including that provided by this Excellency.

Breath of Meaning
[Internal][Air]
Prerequisite: -

You come to learn the ancient and elemental languages of the Prime Material Plane, their meaning drawn into you with a breath from the world, and your breath returning it in kind. Add Auran, Aquan, Terran, Ignan, and Draconic to your list of languages known. If you already knew one or more of these languages, replace them with new ones.

At 6th level, you can understand all spoken language, and may learn new languages extremely rapidly, picking up a conversational vocabulary just by conversing with a native speaker for a few minutes, and mastering it simply by spending a few days living among native speakers. This does not aid you with reading or writing these languages. In addition, you gain a +10 competence bonus on Spellcraft checks to identify a spell being cast if it has a verbal component.

Elemental Primogenitor Blood
[Internal][Any]
Prerequisite: One Fantastic Mythos

So infused with elemental power has your body become, that it has been altered down to its procreative processes. Your children, when birthed, will never suffer from genetic defects or hereditary illnesses from either parent, nor will they ever be stillborn or born unviable for whatever reason, such as prematurity, and their birth will not harm their mother. While pregnant with a child, you suffer no debilitations great enough to impede you, even in strenuous activities, such as combat, nor do such activities harm the child, and the growing proto-infant is immune to poisons and diseases that might pass from you to it.

Further, you breed as if you were a unique Elemental. For example, a Human Kathodos with this Excellency that mates with another Human would produce a Half-Elemental Human, whose children would, in turn, be Genasi. If that Human Kathodos mated with an Archomental, the resulting child would be a new, fully unique, fully Elemental creature. If they mated with a Bronze Dragon, the child would a Half-Elemental Bronze Wyrmling.

Which element your child inherits is determined randomly, with a higher propensity towards a particular element if you favor one above the others. If you do not qualify for an [Internal] element, your children will not be born of that element.

Flowers-And-Roots Extrapolation
[Internal]
Prerequisite: 4 ranks in Knowledge (Nature) and Knowledge (Geography)

When you make a Heal or Handle Animal check, you may instead make a Knowledge (Nature) check and substitute the result. When you make a Survival, Gather Information, or Knowledge (Local) check, you may instead make a Knowledge (Geography) check and substitute the result.

Sea-of-Chi Understanding
[Internal][Fire]
Prerequisite: -

Using your own body heat as a source of ignition, you can create a spark to ignite the air around you, and thereby use [External] Fire Mythos as if they were [Internal]. Furthermore, by stoking your inner flame, you can stave off the cold. You gain Cold Resistance equal to your class level and a +2 bonus on saving throws against spells with the [Cold] descriptor or other effects that rely primarily on cold.

Skin Like Adamant
[Internal][Earth]
Prerequisites: -

You have hardened over your years of training, awakening the earth within your bones.

You gain Toughness and Improved Toughness as bonus feats.

At 6th level, you gain your Constitution modifier as an untyped bonus to your AC against all critical confirmation rolls; if you also know Universal Muscle-Hardening Exercise, the bonus is instead equal to the higher of your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers.

[i]Courtesy of Amechra (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/member.php?56070-Amechra)

Synaptic Storm Understanding
Prerequisite: -

To learn this Excellency, your body must be able to produce its own electricity, such as with electrical synapses in a human central nervous system.

By learning this Excellency, you become aware of such natural systems on an instinctual level, and may use your mastery of the elements to safely channel external electricity through your body's pre-existing conduits, before grounding it harmlessly out into the surrounding environment. You gain Electricity Resistance equal to your class level.

Furthermore, if you possess the Positive Quasielemental Understanding Mythos, you may activate [External] [Air] Mythos as if they were , but only when using that Mythos to manipulate electricity, pulling lightning from your very body as you do so.

Universal Muscle-Hardening Exercise
[Internal]
Prerequisite: -

Although nature may have not gifted you with an abundance of innate toughness, you have been hardened in the crucible of life and what natural talents you [i]do have can make up for other physical shortcomings. You may substitute your Dexterity in place of your Constitution for the purposes of calculating your Fortitude saving throw, as well as for how long you can hold your breath, and on checks to continue running, or avoid nonlethal damage from forced marches, starvation/thirst, harsh climates, and swimming.

Wind-Fire Sky Stride
[Internal][Air or Fire]
Prerequisite: 10 ranks in Jump

With a thought, you may project sustained blasts of air or fire from your limbs, allowing you to propel yourself through the air. You gain a Fly speed equal to your land speed with Good maneuverability. If you have 13 ranks in Jump, your maneuverability improves to Perfect.

[Amechra]

Was Steam-and-Dust Showdown supposed to make my brain shout "Xiaolin Showdown"? Because, if so, you succeeded (and it needs a further Mythos or Manifestation that lets you fight as groups.)

Otherwise, I'm looking at this, and I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. Part of me wants to pour through my Lo5Rs books to see if there are any spells/kiho/kata I can adapt.

If you don't mind, of course.

[Rosstin]

Awesome.

While watching Avatar, I constantly thought about how it was an excellent game setting.

[gurgleflep]

I don't know what drew me into this more, the Last Airbender quote or the orc in the picture at the top. Either way, this is fantabulepiterrifisome (fantastic/fabulous/epic/terrific/awesome) and I'll be keeping an eye on it! :smallbiggrin:

[ben-zayb]

Whoa, I just want to apply for yet another high level campaign just to test this (sort of like a Shaman build ala Thrall)! Great job! Although while the Thrall reference I understand, but I am not sure if Nicol Bolas fits the Kathodos description.

So would it be correct to assume that the Kathodos will be a more Ability Score diverse class than the Teramach? (more like the Sun Hero?)

Funny coincidence: next base class contest will likely be based on the inner planes as well :smallbiggrin:

[Arcanist]

Was Steam-and-Dust Showdown supposed to make my brain shout "Xiaolin Showdown"? Because, if so, you succeeded (and it needs a further Mythos or Manifestation that lets you fight as groups.)

Otherwise, I'm looking at this, and I'm liking what I'm seeing so far. Part of me wants to pour through my Lo5Rs books to see if there are any spells/kiho/kata I can adapt.

If you don't mind, of course.

I believe that it should allow for more than one person to be challenged. Can you say "Cosmic Clash Xiaolin Showdown"? :smallwink:

[vasharanpaladin]

I believe that it should allow for more than one person to be challenged. Can you say "Cosmic Clash Xiaolin Showdown"? :smallwink:

Don't forget the Xing Yi Bu Dare! :smallbiggrin:

[Amechra]

Why did you think I mentioned multiple people :smallwink:.

I need to watch that show again.

[Xefas]

I'd like to say that I have more Mythos on the way, but it turns out that the knee injury (which I mentioned in the Teramach thread) I got on Friday didn't quiiite heal over the weekend, and working today kinda did really bad things to it. I'm off to the doctor here in a minute, but first, some replies. I hope you guys understand, if I didn't reply to you, I still read your post, thank you for the encouragement, but I'm in a bit of a hurry!


Was Steam-and-Dust Showdown supposed to make my brain shout "Xiaolin Showdown"?
Yes.

Because, if so, you succeeded (and it needs a further Mythos or Manifestation that lets you fight as groups.)
I have a few ideas for modifying it. If you recall, I wasn't intending to post this so soon. You can consider this pre-Alpha footage :smalltongue:.

If you don't mind, of course.
I already have a pretty extensive layout planned for what Mythos I want to write for the Kathodos (to start with). But, you're welcome to contribute whatever ideas/Mythos you'd like.

Although while the Thrall reference I understand, but I am not sure if Nicol Bolas fits the Kathodos description.
It's possible I may replace him with another Planeswalker, but I think the higher level Mythos will make some more sense in this regard.

So would it be correct to assume that the Kathodos will be a more Ability Score diverse class than the Teramach? (more like the Sun Hero?)
My concept right now is that it's Dexterity and Intelligence focused, with perhaps an Excellency/Feat/ACF/something to shift from Intelligence to Wisdom.

Funny coincidence: next base class contest will likely be based on the inner planes as well :smallbiggrin:

I considered waiting and entering the Kathodos in that, actually, but I don't like the format. That part at the beginning, where they want you to write how members of your class relate to Alignment, and Races, and Other Classes, and stuff? Basically anathema to my very soul.

It took me so long to grind through that drek to do the Holocaust Sun for the last prestige class contest. Never again.

Can you say "Cosmic Clash Xiaolin Showdown"? :smallwink:

If some kind artist wanted to make me an avatar with Korra and Nicol Bolas both grabbing a Jade Daiklave and shouting "Gong Yi Tanpai!", I wouldn't object. :smalltongue:

[vasharanpaladin]

My concept right now is that it's Dexterity and Intelligence focused, with perhaps an Excellency/Feat/ACF/something to shift from Intelligence to Wisdom.


My itch is for the shift from Int to Cha, really. :smalltongue:

[Xefas]

Minor update: I added two new Fantastic Mythos - A Million Little Gods, and Sought By Nature's Chaperon, as well as a new Excellency, Flowers-And-Roots Extrapolation.

I'm aiming to do more Wednesday. Tomorrow is going to be stupidly busy for me. Prepare for super baby making and/or elemental fusion dance Mythos. :smallbiggrin:

[RoyVG]

While I really like the Teramach, its general directon as "I can do anything with strength and intim.. intimid.... WRAAGH" was a bit 'too much'.

This however, hit the spot exactly right. I'll be waiting to see more of this.

[3WhiteFox3]

I just want to commend you for this class. I love the mechanics for the Teramach, but I just don't like playing a character who is entirely based around rage. That's just not my playstyle. This however, seems like a great concept to build a class around, and since it looks quite excellent, I'll be looking forward to how it is made.

[Swok]

What action does it take to use Wrathful Dragon-Shot?

[Xefas]

Glad you guys like it. My schedule actually didn't end up being quite as ridiculous as it could've been today. With any luck, I'll get a few Mythos out by night's end.


What action does it take to use Wrathful Dragon-Shot?

Whoops! Fixed. It should be a standard action. Although it will probably get a rapid fire (+other things) upgrade Mythos at some point.

[JerichoPenumbra]

This is going to be great. I loved the Teramach, so I'm sure I'm gonna love this.

[Xefas]

I'm still mulling over how exactly to do elemental babies. But, I did add another two Fantastic Mythos (Sun-and-Sky Union, Changing Seasons Kata), and another Excellency (Blood-Ebbing Prana) tonight.

[Amechra]

Sun-and-Sky Union is broken. Really broken.

And then you stick on the Manifestations, and game balance cries.

Why? You essentially go from 4 normal characters to 4 super characters.

Let's grab a Wizard, a Cleric, and Druid, and a Kathodos that knows this Mythos, and get them to combine. Of course they are going to decide "gee, let's make this permanent."

I mean, the Druid wildshapes into a ; due to Natural Spell, all the component pieces get to still use their spells. They get nifty permanent buffs from the Kathodos, layer on any Personal buffs, and then go to town.

And they still get to act as if they were 4 separate characters. Sure, they have one HP total to keep track of, and lose out on magic item slots, but the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks.

I suggest you go back to the drawing board on that one. [I]Unity of the Closed Fist is not an effect a 7th level character should get.

And another thing: A Million Little Gods' failed save effect is ill-defined on who it affects. Unless that whole thing about PC and NPC class levels is fluff, you need to specify how many NPC class levels count as "set in their way."

I feel like the balance of the Mythos in general is all over the place; Animal Companion and 1/day Divination is definitely stronger than Stance Roulette.

I mean, one's an extra character, and the other is a nice buff where, if you follow a predictable pattern of stance changes, you gain a small benefit (while healing Int + 1 HP, gaining FH 2 for Int rounds, and 2*Int THP is nice, it also requires you figuring out a strategy involving changing a stance each round, and is still less potent than a freaking extra character).

I know, I know, Alpha release. But I thought I'd tell ya early.

[Allnightmask]

If the Fusion Dance is Fantastic Mythos tier...I will ,with glee in my heart, await the Exalted Mythos's.(Mythoses? Mythosies? I don't even right now)

[gurgleflep]

If the Fusion Dance is Fantastic Mythos tier...I will ,with glee in my heart, await the Exalted Mythos's.(Mythoses? Mythosies? I don't even right now)

Maybe it's Mythos'?

[Arcanist]

Maybe it's Mythos'?

That would imply it was possessed by someone named Mythos.

[Amechra]

Mythos is the plural of Mythos.

Just like read is the past tense of read.

English, ladies and gentlemen!

EDIT: That is to say, Mythos doesn't have a singular; a Mythos is a collection of Myths, so they can't be "counted", per sé (a collection of Mythos is just part of a larger Mythos, after all.)

[Xefas]

Sun-and-Sky Union is broken. Really broken.
Duly noted.

Unless that whole thing about PC and NPC class levels is fluff, you need to specify how many NPC class levels count as "set in their way."
"A few". That can mean different things in different groups and settings, and that's the point. If I, personally, were nailing down a setting for whatever reason, I'd probably put the general populace in the level 1-3 range. But then you have people playing Forgotten Realms where it's perfectly reasonable to be ambushed by a level 27 chimney sweep (dust bunnies grant 1xp each; hes been sweeping for decades).

My hope is that a group healthy enough to find, feel comfortable with allowing, and play with homebrew written by a stranger on the internet is also healthy enough to be capable of implemented the phrase "a few" without it devolving into fisticuffs.

[3WhiteFox3]

Duly noted.

"A few". That can mean different things in different groups and settings, and that's the point. If I, personally, were nailing down a setting for whatever reason, I'd probably put the general populace in the level 1-3 range. But then you have people playing Forgotten Realms where it's perfectly reasonable to be ambushed by a level 27 chimney sweep (dust bunnies grant 1xp each; hes been sweeping for decades).

My hope is that a group healthy enough to find, feel comfortable with allowing, and play with homebrew written by a stranger on the internet is also healthy enough to be capable of implemented the phrase "a few" without it devolving into fisticuffs.

I think you should just explicitly say that what 'a few' constitutes is intentionally left vague on purpose and that the actual limit should be determined by the world and the needs of the particular table. That way people have an idea of what they are supposed to do with it.

[Arcanist]

If some kind artist wanted to make me an avatar with Korra and Nicol Bolas both grabbing a Jade Daiklave and shouting "Gong Yi Tanpai!", I wouldn't object. :smalltongue:

GET SOMEONE ON THIS NOW!!! :smallbiggrin:

[ArkenBrony]

GET SOMEONE ON THIS NOW!!! :smallbiggrin:

now, I don't want to raise anyones hopes to much, because I'm not a great artist, but I have already begun sketching this, it should be done eventually

[Xefas]

A little less than 3 hours to go, guys. New episode of Korra. :smallcool:


I think you should just explicitly say that what 'a few' constitutes is intentionally left vague on purpose and that the actual limit should be determined by the world and the needs of the particular table. That way people have an idea of what they are supposed to do with it.

This is exceptionally reasonable. Done.


now, I don't want to raise anyones hopes to much, because I'm not a great artist, but I have already begun sketching this, it should be done eventually

Sweet. No pressure. I think it's awesome that you're giving it a shot in the first place. :smallbiggrin:

[Xefas]

Alright, I added one Excellency (Breath of Meaning), amended an Exceptional Mythos (Coursing Riverwalker Swiftness) to interact with Harrowing Ice Epiphany, added a Fantastic Mythos (Overwhelming Dragon-Suspire), and against my better judgment, posted a Legendary Mythos: Descrying the Lifestream.

For those of you that missed Korra last week, you missed Ice Hug Guillotine.


http://i.imgur.com/uqLt3Mq.gif

\(Which will probably be combined with Desert Coffin/Burial type inspiration to make a ranged elemental grappling Mythos.)

[Draken]

Silly question. Why does breath of meaning help you identify spells with somatic components when it is about speech?

[Xefas]

Silly question. Why does breath of meaning help you identify spells with somatic components when it is about speech?

Just a typo. Thanks for the catch. Should be fixed now.

[Morph Bark]

What weapons and armor are they proficient with?

[Xefas]

What weapons and armor are they proficient with?

Simple, martial, and no armor or shields. I put proficiencies up with class skills and hit points, rather than down with the class features. I just like it better that way.

[Zarthrax]

I am very much looking forward to this becoming as fleshed out as the Teramach, so I can use it in games.

Xefas, have you ever thought about compiling all the homebrew you've made into a post in the Homebrewer's Signature thread? I know you had one for a while, but it's missing this as well as the Warlock/ToB PrCs you made a long time ago.

[Doorhandle]

If some kind artist wanted to make me an avatar with Korra and Nicol Bolas both grabbing a Jade Daiklave and shouting "Gong Yi Tanpai!", I wouldn't object. :smalltongue:

*Artwork Fuel*

Don't hold your breath though. It's going to take me at least a month to return from my holiday.

[Avalon®]

And then Mala Mala Jong arrives to join the fray.

[Omnicrat]

So, is this going to be updated again?

Also, can the pictures on page one be spoilered so as not to mess up the formatting of the page?

[vasharanpaladin]

Also, can the pictures on page one be spoilered so as not to mess up the formatting of the page?

We went over this in the Teramach thread. No. :smalltongue:

[Omnicrat]

We went over this in the Teramach thread. No. :smalltongue:

How about just two of them?

[vasharanpaladin]

How about just two of them?

There's only one image. :smallamused:

[Omnicrat]

There's only one image. :smallamused:

Ooh! Stack them 3 high in whatever makes them a composite rather than 2?

[Primal Fury]

Even if the picture did change, I don't think it would matter. It looks like it's the table that makes the formatting weird, not the picture.

[Amechra]

It is rather odd that it doesn't break that one long line of class features at first level up...

[vasharanpaladin]

Ooh! Stack them 3 high in whatever makes them a composite rather than 2?

But then he'd need to find another character that fits the theme! :smalleek:

[Omnicrat]

But then he'd need to find another character that fits the theme! :smalleek:

Ang?

text limit cheat!

[Xefas]

I made the image smaller. Does it help? More importantly, how much grandeur has it lost?

[Primal Fury]

Yeah, see? It still looks weird because of the table. Is there any way you can cut down on the amount of words in the first line?

[Thokk_Smash]

It looks fine to me; it doesn't stretch the screen anymore.

[Omnicrat]

It looks fine to me; it doesn't stretch the screen anymore.

Yep, my screen if fine too now.

... now all we need are more class features :smalltongue:

[Primal Fury]

It looks fine to me; it doesn't stretch the screen anymore.
Huh... I guess my screen resolution is higher, because nothing changed for me. And more Mythos would be nice, but this one seems like the most difficult to create them for.

[Network]

And more Mythos would be nice, but this one seems like the most difficult to create them for.
Really? As it is, this class has a much lesser amount of elemental powers to choose from than vancian spellcasters do. There's no mythos that lets you inflict acid, slashing or sonic damage, even though they could all possibly be elemental powers. No mythos that lets you make an elemental armor or create an elemental creature (such as a Kakashi-style water dragon, or an elemental clone), nor is there any mythos based on uttercold (the mix of cold and negative energy). Only one mythos deals with electricity and only one other mentions the positive and negative energy planes at all. These are all valid basis for more mythos.

Though for the elemental armor bit, I can see it combined with some feats I posted on the broad not too long ago (which do exactly that).

[Xefas]

Huh... I guess my screen resolution is higher, because nothing changed for me.

I don't think I can change how the table wraps its text. However, I tried lowering my own screen's resolution to see if I could reproduce the issue, and the text in the first line of the table just wrapped itself around to keep from stretching the screen. So... I dunno what to do!


Really?

Not really! I have tons of ideas written down for Kathodos stuff. More than the Olethrofex has right now, actually. The only reason I haven't fleshed them out into complete Mythos is because I'm working on other things.

Or, in today's case, because I got into the Hearthstone beta this morning and it's eating my time almost as badly as a new Civ game. I'm like "Alright, I've got 20 minutes before my laundry's done. I'll play until then and then fold the laundry, clean the fish tank, and do the dishes."

>>6 hours later

"Why is the sun so dark today?"

[Eurus]

I believe it's possible to manually insert a line break in a table, it's [ br] or something. It messes up in previews and editing though so you have to fix it when you do.

[7th son of sons]

How does Sun-And-Sky Union function in a campaign where characters are already gestalted? is the Union character treated as having 4 classes? That would be quite the mythic creation, I feel.

Also, do you have prepared, or are you currently working on, the Exalted mythos and further Legendary mythos for the Kathados? it is one of my favourite of these Mythic classes, and I would love to be able to play one at higher levels.

[Tempestfury]

Yeah, 7th Sons has said what I've been wanting to say for sometime... I would love to have this class finished and improved, its a cool concept, but I'm not sure how well it could currently work.

Also... I'm just thinking... you can buy mythos's, right? So that means its possible to combine 4 people using Sun-And-Sky Union and then make it permanent... if that was in a gestalt game, wouldn't you have an octo-talt character now? That would be insanely fun to play.

Oh and talking about buying Mythos... your actually giving your gold away to get the mythos points, right? Does that mean if you have Vow of Poverty, in game receiving money, and give it away, you would get the mythos points, allowing you to benefit from both VoP & the mythos points?

[GreaserFish]

As I understand it, you're not supposed to gain Mythos points at the same time as gaining anything else.

[Tempestfury]

As I understand it, you're not supposed to gain Mythos points at the same time as gaining anything else.

Well technically your not gaining anything else, is just that you have a passive bonus if you have little to no wealth, and you gain mythos points by giving wealth away.

[gkathellar]

Well technically your not gaining anything else, is just that you have a passive bonus if you have little to no wealth, and you gain mythos points by giving wealth away.

It's obviously not the intent.

[Tempestfury]

It's obviously not the intent.

That's funny, doesn't RAI and RAW come up all the time in ruling discussions?

[gkathellar]

That's funny, doesn't RAI and RAW come up all the time in ruling discussions?

If you're looking for rules loopholes to exploit, why bother going to homebrew? There's plenty of ways to break the game in official material.

[Tempestfury]

If you're looking for rules loopholes to exploit, why bother going to homebrew? There's plenty of ways to break the game in official material.

I'm not purposefully looking for rules loopholes, I'm just pointing one out, and to me, it makes sense that they do work together.

[MythicalBruiser]

(Hmmm, alrighty. First post. You can do this. Come out of thosd dreadful shadows and speak!)

Hey! Umm, does anyone know when will we get more mythos or should we start making our own like they did with the Big T and the Bellator?

[Tacitus]

Xefas said he's got ideas, but has been working on other things. However, as with all Mythos classes I'm sure the addition of player brewed ones is welcome, especially if they are presented here for all to use (and to get a touch of peer review). If I were not trying to puzzle out my own Mythos class in my spare time, this is the one that'd be getting my attention.

[Kymme]

Here's some. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JytQWWNQupmupzInjBwJaOIfGYG_ewbDpJgbkwkIyGU/edit)

Not all of these are mine, and I'll make no assumptions about their balance, but they are enough Mythos to round out the Kathodos.

[qazzquimby]

Can someone link other mythos additions for the core classes?
@Kymme, Who should I attribute the collection to? Kymme and company?

[Kymme]

Can someone link other mythos additions for the core classes?
@Kymme, Who should I attribute the collection to? Kymme and company?

I kind of shamelessly stole a few of those Mythos from another guy. :smallredface: I can't remember his name right now, but he came up with a couple of them.

Just mark them out to Kymme and others.

[MythicalBruiser]

Here's some. (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JytQWWNQupmupzInjBwJaOIfGYG_ewbDpJgbkwkIyGU/edit)

Not all of these are mine, and I'll make no assumptions about their balance, but they are enough Mythos to round out the Kathodos.

They look amazing! There's only two problems that I can see here:
1. The advanced "stage" (not really sure what to call it) of Reading the Dragon Lines doesn't mention what kind of action does it take to activate them
2. In Devastating Breath of the Prime, the fire aspect is enormously superior to the other manifestations. It has a big area, it deals unblockable damage if you fail the check and it only takes one full action to bring it to its full potential.:smallfrown: I suggest for it to become a wildfire instead.

[Kymme]

They look amazing! There's only two problems that I can see here:
1. The advanced "stage" (not really sure what to call it) of Reading the Dragon Lines doesn't mention what kind of action does it take to activate them

They are all move actions. It says so in their descriptions.


2. In Devastating Breath of the Prime, the fire aspect is enormously superior to the other manifestations. It has a big area, it deals unblockable damage if you fail the check and it only takes one full action to bring it to its full potential.:smallfrown: I suggest for it to become a wildfire instead.

I gave it a couple hits with the nerf bat. I meant it as the culmination of fiery death. Creatures within the AoE have one round to get out, or else they are roasted. No save. No resistance or immunity. Just death.

[MythicalBruiser]

Ok that seems fair for fire... And sorry for skipping the action. Quickread is not my friend.

[Vauron]

I kind of shamelessly stole a few of those Mythos from another guy. :smallredface: I can't remember his name right now, but he came up with a couple of them.

Just mark them out to Kymme and others.

Well at least someone noticed the Mythos I posted. You are missing the ones from the second post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17319479&postcount=705). Kinda wish I'd gotten some feedback or response or something when I posted them. I'm still not really happy with One-With-The-World Transcendence. Similarly, I'm debating folding Wind Guide into a single Air mythos that deals with ranged attacks. Things like making it harder for enemies to hit with ranged attacks or something. Maybe it'd include a small buff for Air weapons and/or thrown weapons as a manifestation too.

Looking at the link you provided, I'm unsure as to why Aquas Omnipresence Enlightenment was altered to Aquaterra Omnipresence Enlightenment. Leaving aside the apparent misunderstanding of why it was External [Air or Earth]*, I don't know why the earth bit was grafted on. I guess it does speed up wrenching a chunk of ground out of the floor.

On another note, what would you think of a Fantastic Leadership mythos building off of Fanning the Soul's Flame? Currently I have it penciled in as 'Sparks Follow Bonfires' with the cohort and followers being different basic manifestation. Beyond the normal 'leadership is really strong' concerns, I'm mildly worried about the synergy between having lots of followers and A Million Little Gods. All of the followers should probably qualify for A Million Little Gods. The cohort wouldn't, though having a lot of Xbenders with the Elite Array instead of 11/11/11/10/10/10 would be useful in many situations.

A new Exceptional mythos, which could use some criticism:
Internal Pyre Enrichment
[External][Fire]
Fire is the cleanser, and so it is only right that in it's presence burns away the taint present in the body. In a ritual taking (10-INT, minimum 1) minutes the Kathados can bless a target touched, fortifying their inner fire and allowing them to fight off the taint in their body.

Coward's Hope's Consumption: You can heal an amount of ability damage the target is suffering due to a mundane poison equal to your INT modifier, split up as you wish between any attributes that have taken ability damage.

Disease as Fuel Understanding: The target may immediately make a save against any mundane diseases they currently are suffering from with a +5 bonus to the save. This save counts as one of the saves needed to fight off the disease(s). There are no negative repercussions for failing this save.

Advanced

Devouring the Taint: Coward's Hope's Consumption is improved to also heal magical poisons

Rejection of the Virulent Death: Disease as Fuel Understanding can now cure magical diseases.

*The mythos condenses the water in the air or draws water up from the ground. No Air or Earth? Than you would have nowhere to get the water from.

[Kymme]

Well at least someone noticed the Mythos I posted. You are missing the ones from the second post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17319479&postcount=705). Kinda wish I'd gotten some feedback or response or something when I posted them. I'm still not really happy with One-With-The-World Transcendence. Similarly, I'm debating folding Wind Guide into a single Air mythos that deals with ranged attacks. Things like making it harder for enemies to hit with ranged attacks or something. Maybe it'd include a small buff for Air weapons and/or thrown weapons as a manifestation too.

Thank you! I was looking for some of those. I had seen them before but forgotten to bookmark them. Transcendence seems alright to me, though it could do with some advanced manifestations that shore up your defenses/increase offense. Wind Guide could also do with some advanced manifestations, as well.


Looking at the link you provided, I'm unsure as to why Aquas Omnipresence Enlightenment was altered to Aquaterra Omnipresence Enlightenment. Leaving aside the apparently misunderstanding of why it was External [Air or Earth]*, I don't know why the earth bit was grafted on. I guess it does speed up wrenching a chunk of ground out of the floor.

I put on the earth bit to help circumvent a weakness in Geomantic Worldbender Assumption, namely:
...this ability does not automatically break off appropriately weighted pieces of stone from a larger structure... I felt like there should be a way around that limit.


On another note, what would you think of a Fantastic Leadership mythos building off of Fanning the Soul's Flame? Currently I have it penciled in as 'Sparks Follow Bonfires' with the cohort and followers being different basic manifestation. Beyond the normal 'leadership is really strong' concerns, I'm mildly worried about the synergy between having lots of followers and A Million Little Gods. All of the followers should probably qualify for A Million Little Gods. The cohort wouldn't, though having a lot of Xbenders with the Elite Array instead of 11/11/11/10/10/10 would be useful in many situations.

That sounds pretty cool. Doesn't seem that overpowered to me, considering what the Teramach and Olethrofex can do.


A new Exceptional mythos, which could use some criticism:
Internal Pyre Enrichment
[External][Fire]
Fire is the cleanser, and so it is only right that in it's presence burns away the taint present in the body. In a ritual taking (10-INT, minimum 1) minutes the Kathados can bless a target touched, fortifying their inner fire and allowing them to fight off the taint in their body.

Coward's Hope's Consumption: You can heal an amount of ability damage the target is suffering due to a mundane poison equal to your INT modifier, split up as you wish between any attributes that have taken ability damage.

Disease as Fuel Understanding: The target may immediately make a save against any mundane diseases they currently are suffering from with a +5 bonus to the save. This save counts as one of the saves needed to fight off the disease(s). There are no negative repercussions for failing this save.

Advanced

Devouring the Taint: Coward's Hope's Consumption is improved to also heal magical poisons

Rejection of the Virulent Death: Disease as Fuel Understanding can now cure magical diseases.

I like it, but it ought to have 4 ranks in Heal as a prerequisite. The advanced manifestations seem a little weak, though. It might be better to just roll the current advanced manifestations in with the basics and do something else with them. Also, Disease as Fuel Understanding should give them a bonus to the save equal to the higher of your Intelligence modifier or Kathodos level. Just some random thoughts.

[Vauron]

One-With-The-World Transcendence is 'light' on defense in part because I assume that everything that matters to you will be based on DEX or INT by that point. By that point its basically '+3 to all d20 rolls and +6 to AC'. I suppose that I could figure out some excuse for SR or concealment, but neither fits appropriately to me for this mythos. Temp HP could fit, or maybe setting your touch AC equal to your total AC.

Wind Guide will likely be reworked and made an advanced manifestation of an Air ranged attack mythos.

Extraordinary
Fundament Invoking Behest
[External][Variable]
You gain the Summon Elemental feat, ignoring prerequisites. You are treated as having a conjuration (summoning) spell available to cast equal to {(1+Kathados level+ 1/2 Other HD)/2}.

Internal Pyre Enrichment
[External][Fire]
Prerequisite: 4 ranks in Heal
Fire is the cleanser, and so it is only right that in it's presence burns away the taint present in the body. In a ritual taking (10-INT, minimum 1, minutes) the Kathados can bless a target touched, fortifying their inner fire and allowing them to fight off the taint in their body.

Basic

Coward's Hope Consumption: You can heal an amount of ability damage the target is suffering due to a mundane poison equal to your INT modifier, split up as you wish between any attributes that have taken ability damage. When you gain access to Fantastic mythos, this mythos can also affect ability damage inflicted by magical poisons as well.

Disease as Fuel Understanding: The target may immediately make a save against any mundane diseases they currently are suffering from with a bonus to the save equal to your INT modifier. This save counts as one of the saves needed to fight off the disease(s). There are no negative repercussions for failing this save. When you gain access to Fantastic mythos, this mythos can also affect magical diseases.

Fury of the Anemoi Thyellai
[External][Air]
Throughout the world are countless spirits, entities born of the elements. The Kathados may call on the spirits of the Tempest-Winds to cast down enemy projectiles and ensure her arrows always find their mark.

Increase the ranged increment of any ranged weapon you use by 50%. Ranged weapon attacks do not suffer any penalty from wind effects. Impossible attacks are still impossible until you have access to Fantastic mythos.

The Basic and Advanced manifestations of this mythos are activated as a standard action and last 5 rounds. All manifestations of this mythos that are known to the Kathados are activated in a single action.

Basic

Aim: Increase your attack bonus by your INT modifier as a circumstance bonus, overwriting any circumstance bonus or penalty that would be lower.

Air Shield: You gain a 20% miss chance against ranged attacks. This improves by 10% each time you gain access to a new tier of mythos, with a maximum of 50%.

Advanced

Wind Guide: Aim affects you and all allies within 30 feet. The range doubles each time a new mythos tier is gained. (30--60--120--240)

Arrow Fend: Air Shield affects you and all allies within 30 feet. The range doubles each time a new mythos tier is gained. (30--60--120--240)



Fantastic
Sparks Follow Bonfires
[Fire]
Prerequisite: Fanning the Soul's Flame
Lesser flames are swept up by a greater flame. What greater flame could there be than the Omphalos? Thus the Kathados finds students and penitents drawn to her.
Add your intelligence modifier instead of your charisma modifier when determining your Leadership Score. This mythos counts as Leadership for the purpose of meeting prerequisites.

Basic

[I]First Among Flames: You get a Cohort, as described in the Leadership feat. The cohort can never gain leadership through any means, nor can they get a cohort of their own.

Ten Thousand Dancing Candles: You gain the ability to draw followers as described in the Leadership feat.

I did like the name 'Rejection of the Virulent Death', maybe I'll find something else to hang that name on.

FotAT is intended to completely replace the old Wind Guide.

Edit2: I just noticed the change you made to Fanning the Soul's Flame. FtSF was intended to be one of a set of 4 mythos that dealt with increasing the health of friendlies. Fire would provide Temp HP. Earth would give Fast Healing and/or some DR. Water would be the simple HP goes up, while I never figured out what to do with Air. It never was intended as a damage buff. Honestly the anti-fear and anti-intimidate bits were just grafted on as that fit the fluff so well I couldn't not include it.

[Kymme]

One-With-The-World Transcendence is 'light' on defense in part because I assume that everything that matters to you will be based on DEX or INT by that point. By that point its basically '+3 to all d20 rolls and +6 to AC'. I suppose that I could figure out some excuse for SR or concealment, but neither fits appropriately to me for this mythos. Temp HP could fit, or maybe setting your touch AC equal to your total AC.

Oh, yes. I didn't really think about the implications of that bonus to Dex and Int. :smallredface: Obvious, really.

Temporary HP would be nice, though. Maybe equal to double your Int?


Fundament Invoking Behest

I like it! The Kathodos was missing some sort of summoning ability. However, I think that this should be upped to a Fantastic Mythos. That's the level when casters would be able to get this ability.


Internal Pyre Enrichment

I really like this Mythos, but I'm still a bit curious as to why you're postponing the ability to cure magical diseases and poisons to 7th level at the earliest. Remove Disease and Neutralize Poison come online at level 5, after all.


Fury of the Anemoi Thyellai

Cool! Though I'm a bit curious: where did the name Anemoi Thyellai come from? I know that Anemoi are some kind of Greek thing, but it seems a bit odd compared to the names of other Mythos.


Sparks Follow Bonfires

Cool! This seems balanced, though perhaps there should be some kind of caveat on the followers option? Maybe something that stops them from taking levels in classes like wizard and artificer?


Edit2: I just noticed the change you made to Fanning the Soul's Flame. FtSF was intended to be one of a set of 4 mythos that dealt with increasing the health of friendlies. Fire would provide Temp HP. Earth would give Fast Healing and/or some DR. Water would be the simple HP goes up, while I never figured out what to do with Air. It never was intended as a damage buff. Honestly the anti-fear and anti-intimidate bits were just grafted on as that fit the fluff so well I couldn't not include it.

Ah, that makes sense. However, having to take four different Mythos to be good and buffing your comrades seems like a bit too much. Maybe just one mythos that has all of the elemental buffing variants as basic manifestations?

[Vauron]

I like it! The Kathodos was missing some sort of summoning ability. However, I think that this should be upped to a Fantastic Mythos. That's the level when casters would be able to get this ability.
I suppose. I honestly have trouble picking out where to tier mythos sometimes. Some are easy, like the gate-lite one, but I didn't think that having a small elemental for 1 round would be that big a deal at levels 1-2.


I really like this Mythos, but I'm still a bit curious as to why you're postponing the ability to cure magical diseases and poisons to 7th level at the earliest. Remove Disease and Neutralize Poison come online at level 5, after all.
Understand that almost all poisons are extraordinary. Only poisons that are explicitly noted as not being extraordinary are not effected by a level 1 Kathados. For instance, there are ZERO magical poisons in the core books.

Similarly, of the diseases in core, only 3 are magical: Devil Chills, Demon Fever, and Mummy Rot. I don't see a problem with having some diseases or poisons still be effective for a few more levels. A bigger issue I missed is that curing the disease doesn't do anything about the ability damage you've taken, and I should also note that this counts as magical healing. Otherwise Mummy Rot would be forever beyond the ability of a Kathados to heal.


Cool! Though I'm a bit curious: where did the name Anemoi Thyellai come from? I know that Anemoi are some kind of Greek thing, but it seems a bit odd compared to the names of other Mythos.

Originally, as attested in Hesiod and Homer, these four minor Anemoi were the Anemoi Thyellai (Ἄνεμοι θύελλαι, "Tempest-Winds"),[citation needed] wicked and violent daemons (spirits) created by the monster Typhon, and male counterparts to the harpies, who were also called thuellai. These were the winds held in Aeolus's stables; the other four, "heavenly" Anemoi were not kept locked up. However, later writers confused and conflated the two groups of Anemoi, and the distinction was largely forgotten. I originally intended to make an air mythos for each of the Greek winds. The first was Septentrional Surging Strike, which covered the northern wind. The name was much less obvious in the reference, as it has to do with a rarer Roman word for the northern wind: Septentrio, a word derived from septem triones ("seven oxen") referring to the seven prominent stars in the northern constellation Ursa Major. I'm still stuck on what to do with the other 3 cardinal winds. I have a vague idea for a mythos that creates healing rain to represent Eurus. I have no idea for Notus, the southern wind, which is known as a destroyer of crops, or the gentle western wind Zephyrus.


Cool! This seems balanced, though perhaps there should be some kind of caveat on the followers option? Maybe something that stops them from taking levels in classes like wizard and artificer?
My understanding is that followers default to NPC classes. If your dm will let you have stuff like Artificers, than go ahead.


Ah, that makes sense. However, having to take four different Mythos to be good and buffing your comrades seems like a bit too much. Maybe just one mythos that has all of the elemental buffing variants as basic manifestations?
In part my intention was to eventually get enough mythos for the Kathados that it would be entirely viable to completely ignore the flashy stuff from some of the elements. Maybe your character is a 'magmabender' and is only really good with Earth and Fire. You would still be roughly able to do many of the same things, but how you did that and what you were most effective at would change depending on the elements you focus on.

To use healing as an example, Fire gets temp HP because I don't see Fire as being good at healing, but rather it is good at inspiring. Water would get actual HP goes up because waterbendering was the element with actual healers in Avatar. Earth draws on the legend of Antaeus, who was invincible while he touched the ground, so you would get fast healing or DR to represent being nurtured by the earth.

[Kymme]

I suppose. I honestly have trouble picking out where to tier mythos sometimes. Some are easy, like the gate-lite one, but I didn't think that having a small elemental for 1 round would be that big a deal at levels 1-2.

Honestly, you'd be surprised. I can think of a ton of uses for those little guys.


Understand that almost all poisons are extraordinary. Only poisons that are explicitly noted as not being extraordinary are not effected by a level 1 Kathados. For instance, there are ZERO magical poisons in the core books.

Similarly, of the diseases in core, only 3 are magical: Devil Chills, Demon Fever, and Mummy Rot. I don't see a problem with having some diseases or poisons still be effective for a few more levels. A bigger issue I missed is that curing the disease doesn't do anything about the ability damage you've taken, and I should also note that this counts as magical healing. Otherwise Mummy Rot would be forever beyond the ability of a Kathados to heal.

I see. Well, in that case it seems reasonable to postpone curing magical stuff.


I originally intended to make an air mythos for each of the Greek winds. The first was Septentrional Surging Strike, which covered the northern wind. The name was much less obvious in the reference, as it has to do with a rarer Roman word for the northern wind: Septentrio, a word derived from septem triones ("seven oxen") referring to the seven prominent stars in the northern constellation Ursa Major. I'm still stuck on what to do with the other 3 cardinal winds. I have a vague idea for a mythos that creates healing rain to represent Eurus. I have no idea for Notus, the southern wind, which is known as a destroyer of crops, or the gentle western wind Zephyrus.

Thank you for the explanation. It seems every day I'm learning more and more every day here.


My understanding is that followers default to NPC classes. If your dm will let you have stuff like Artificers, than go ahead.

I don't think that there is any rules that say so, but followers being NPC classes makes sense to me.


In part my intention was to eventually get enough mythos for the Kathados that it would be entirely viable to completely ignore the flashy stuff from some of the elements. Maybe your character is a 'magmabender' and is only really good with Earth and Fire. You would still be roughly able to do many of the same things, but how you did that and what you were most effective at would change depending on the elements you focus on.

While I respect that idea, I think that making different Mythos for each of the elements makes it quite hard to play a Kathodos that wants to master all of them. I think that having elemental stuff be manifestations of Mythos that you can choose from when you can take them would be the best option. That way it's still easy to specialize, but also way less expensive to generalize and try to master all four elements.


To use healing as an example, Fire gets temp HP because I don't see Fire as being good at healing, but rather it is good at inspiring. Water would get actual HP goes up because waterbendering was the element with actual healers in Avatar. Earth draws on the legend of Antaeus, who was invincible while he touched the ground, so you would get fast healing or DR to represent being nurtured by the earth.

These seem like good, thematic ways to categorize the elements. I'll keep these in mind as I make more Mythos.

Also, Excellencies. I've noticed that the Teramach and the Bellator have ways to roll twice and take the better on skill checks, but the Kathodos has nothing like that. I think I'm going to set my sights on more passive stuff.

[Amechra]

Bump'd because Xefas made some changes, and he didn't bump the thread (tsk, tsk).

I love you for the Incarnum additions; may I suggest giving Soul Aesthetics (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9725.msg157890#msg157890) as a bonus feat at some point? After all, why shape vague blue "energy" when you can have a diadem of flame and claws of stone?

[Xefas]

Bump'd because Xefas made some changes, and he didn't bump the thread (tsk, tsk).

I love you for the Incarnum additions; may I suggest giving Soul Aesthetics (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=9725.msg157890#msg157890) as a bonus feat at some point? After all, why shape vague blue "energy" when you can have a diadem of flame and claws of stone?

Done - the Exalted Mythos, 'Eminent Incarnum Inheritance'. It needs something else, which I'll think on. But that seems like a basic start, progressing from the other Mythos that come before.

edit: The feats are really awesome, by the way.

[Amechra]

Thanks.

Maybe it could include some way to "aspect" a Soulmeld to one of the 4 elements?

Also, you are remiss, sir. You left out the quasiparaelemental planes. (http://mimir.net/essays/planarphysics.html)

How could you forget such classics as clay, pumice, obsidian, silt, crystal, frost, spark, and fumes?

[Xefas]

Also, you are remiss, sir. You left out the quasiparaelemental planes. (http://mimir.net/essays/planarphysics.html)

How could you forget such classics as clay, pumice, obsidian, silt, crystal, frost, spark, and fumes?

Look, the extended family of elemental planes already makes no goddamn sense whatsoever. I'm not creating rules for weaponized pumice. I have to draw the line somewhere. :smalltongue:

[vasharanpaladin]

Also, you are remiss, sir. You left out the quasiparaelemental planes. (http://mimir.net/essays/planarphysics.html)

How could you forget such classics as clay, pumice, obsidian, silt, crystal, frost, spark, and fumes?

They don't exist, they never existed, they never will exist. Your heresy has been reported; do please submit to the Inquisitor calling at your place of residence within the hour.

[Amechra]

Did someone say... heresy?

HERETICS! (http://th03.deviantart.net/fs43/PRE/f/2009/118/b/a/Heretics_by_Mr_Culexus.jpg)

Bring the Inquisitor, guv. I et 'em for breakfast. Sometimes, I forget the milk.



Oh, and so this isn't entirely off-topic, have an [Earth] Excellency, because you have one for [I]every other element.

Skin Like Adamant
[Internal][Earth]
Prerequisites: -

You have hardened over your years of training, awakening the earth within your bones.

You gain Toughness and Improved Toughness as bonus feats.

At 6th level, you gain your Constitution modifier as an untyped bonus to your AC against all critical confirmation rolls; if you also know Universal Muscle-Hardening Exercise, the bonus is instead equal to the higher of your Dexterity and Constitution modifiers.

[Xefas]

Oh, and so this isn't entirely off-topic, have an [Earth] Excellency, because you have one for [I]every other element.

Done. Also added another Excellency, Elemental Primogenitor Blood.

Also, squee, Cultist-tan.

[vasharanpaladin]

Afraid I still don't see the connection between this not-Avatar and Int, by the way. You seem to have removed the Excellency that lets them fob off their key mental score onto a different one... :smallfrown:

[Amechra]

Ah, Dragonblooded breeding proficiency. Wonderful.

And yes, Cultist-Tan. Because why not.

Oh, and a set of Excellencies I thought might be apropos:

[Element] Within And Without
[Any]
Prerequisites: Any Fantastic Mythos

It is a simple, key lesson - the only distinctions between a person and the world are convention and culture. There is no "inside" or "outside" to the truly enlightened.

This Excellency is actually a set of 4 Excellencies, one for each Element. Upon learning any of these Excellencies, the Kathodos may treat any [Internal] Mythos belonging to that Element as if they were [External] Mythos, requiring a quantity of the appropriate element that is, at most, two sizes smaller than the Kathodos.



In other words, you can use [Internal][Fire] Mythos without having body heat if you're carrying a sufficient amount of fire (or are on fire).

[Regalus]

Now, now; being able to create your own bloodline does have its advantages~

THat said I must voice Vasharan's comment; after reading through it, intelligence does seem a bit odd given it doesn't have a particularly scholarly nature to it.

[Tempestfury]

Intelligance isn't just being a scholar. Its the ability to understand the world around you.

[commander panda]

i though that fell into the purview of wisdom?

[Tacitus]

Logical understanding is Intelligence, intuition is wisdom. I can see where Wisdom might be a fit for it, but there seems to be more of understanding than feeling, or at least understanding first and then feeling.

[Vauron]

I like the new stuff. While I made a bunch of stuff, some of which really doesn't fit well with the new stuff, I was often unhappy about the feel of things.

[Gravelyn]

I feel like wisdom is more in tune with monks than intelligence, at least philosophically. I know this has gone it's own route but I still feel like that core of it is about aligning oneself with the world and manipulating the existing flows. This has always seemed to me to be about an intuitive understanding, or coming into knowledge that the body already knows but the brain hasn't accessed.

Edit* also I love the update and new stuff. This is looking awesome.

[Xefas]

I added a simple little class variant to the end of the first post. I don't know if this is a good idea. I believe that the concept this variant is intended to represent could be fleshed out into its own class - or at least into a much larger working that replaces or alters most of the Kathodos' Mythos. But that would take a lot longer. This was something I whipped up relatively quickly as an experiment while working on something else.

So, I guess my question to everyone is - Are you of the opinion that (1) a quick and simple variant like this undermines the uniqueness of the base class it works off? or (2) having new options is better than not having them, even if the new options are thematically weaker in their representation? or (3) something else?

And, of course, that's in addition to the normal, implied questions. Would you describe it as more... 'awesome' or 'radtacular'? On a scale of 8 to 10, how great is bastardizing ye olde time D&D lore? Would you say the standard reaction to requests to play this in the play-by-post forum will be 'No' or '...No'?


[Element] Within And Without

This is a cool idea, and one I might end up using. Possibly in that form, or possibly incorporated into something else. I'm not sure.

[Adam1949]

I like the idea of a variant 'pseudo-class' that works off of a larger class. Similar to how Fighters, Wizards, Clerics... basically any other 'core' class has variants and Alternate Class Features from various splatbooks, adding subclasses to the 'Major' Mythos class adds variation and choice to them without needing an entirely new class that basically fills the same function. For instance, if/when you ever make the Cynosure, then an ACF option for it could be a more tyrannical version of Leader, caring a bit more about dealing damage and Intimidate rather than Diplomacy and cowing the weak without physical harm.
Overall, I like it. I think it should be explored more fully as an option for Mythos classes, so that the subsystem doesn't become glutted with redundancies.

[Allnightmask]

Really like most of the imagery of the alternate mythos. I think it's cool to have fun alternatives and makes an easy "like the PC but Not" scenario. I like how the fire changes, it makes it right freaky. Would there be any obvious way you would describe what all paraementals might look like to the the new exceptional mythos or are they set apart enough to not warrant the extra writing spacce to fret about?

[Kymme]

Um... *glances around nervously* ...dat Katarrei.

[Tempestfury]

I really, really like the idea and concepts of these alternative mythos/class features for the mythic classes. Gives a little be more variety and fluff to the scene.

[commander panda]

i really like the fluff, but two mythos does not a new anthol make. i feel like something as major as being empowered by a being of primal madness, rather than one of calm and balance, should warrant some change in the kathados' core abilities.

[Kymme]

i really like the fluff, but two mythos does not a new anthol make. i feel like something as major as being empowered by a being of primal madness, rather than one of calm and balance, should warrant some change in the kathados' core abilities.

I don't really consider it as a new Anthol, but more as a perversion of an existing concept.

Also, Xefas. I've managed to whip up a little sumthin'-sumthin' for ya. No promises, though.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/Kymme777/dee58b26-8f2b-432f-9940-1380eb448433_zps03aca4ae.png

[Xefas]

Thank you all for the feedback so far.


Really like most of the imagery of the alternate mythos. I think it's cool to have fun alternatives and makes an easy "like the PC but Not" scenario. I like how the fire changes, it makes it right freaky. Would there be any obvious way you would describe what all paraementals might look like to the the new exceptional mythos or are they set apart enough to not warrant the extra writing spacce to fret about?

The Mythos is already really long as it is. I suppose I could write those in as well, but I feel like it's easy enough to suss it out on one's own in play if need be. Ice, for example, being a mixture of Air and Water, probably appears to have shadowy things frozen (or moving) in their depths, and murmurs can be heard if one places their ear against it. When the ice cracks, a subtle moan of pain accompanies it. Snowcones made from it are unsuitable for consumption.



Also, Xefas. I've managed to whip up a little sumthin'-sumthin' for ya. No promises, though.

http://i1231.photobucket.com/albums/ee508/Kymme777/dee58b26-8f2b-432f-9940-1380eb448433_zps03aca4ae.png

Niiiice.

[Xefas]

I've added a Fantastic Mythos (Geomantic Worldbender Assumption), Legendary Mythos (Countersquall), and an Excellency (Synaptic Storm Understanding).

[khadgar567]

some small questions
is Omphalion can get in to this class
and
lets say omphalion with this class decides to marry Syntrofos long sword what sort of amalgamation their baby is (İ know its perfect specimen of new race but would any one explain me? How the heck they produce the baby( lets say Syntrofos has Humanoid Spirit Projection mythos so he has body )

[Yasahiro]

some small questions
is Omphalion can get in to this class
and
lets say omphalion with this class decides to marry Syntrofos long sword what sort of amalgamation their baby is (İ know its perfect specimen of new race but would any one explain me? How the heck they produce the baby( lets say Syntrofos has Humanoid Spirit Projection mythos so he has body )

Simple. They can't have a baby. You can't have a baby with something that lacks reproductive organs, like a sword... Unless it is one of these swords made by gnomes from that I glad comic... Which I am afraid I can't link for risk of a ban.

[Regalus]

^ THough to be precise, neither the Syntrofos noran Omphalion have reproductive organs to begin with; and they're both (living) constructs so it's not like you have DNA/viable flesh to do freaky pseudo-cloning/hybridization experiments with.

So unless there's some freaky Wish level mojo going on, or one of the two generates Mythos for the explicite purpose of making an oven to put a bun in it, offspring between the two are rather unlikely.

If you were to somehow get around that; you'd probably end up with an Omphalion whose Geomarch Arsenal weapon might be reminiscent of the Syntrofos parent, but beyond that neither race or class really puts much stock in descendant mechanics.

[Adam1949]

Pretty much what's been said above, I'd say. Thanks to the [Living Construct] typing, neither race (or rather, neither the race nor the class) would be able to properly procreate in a 'mundane' manner. A shame honestly; the concept of a gemlike weapon, such as an Onyx Dagger, is interesting.

[khadgar567]

Pretty much what's been said above, I'd say. Thanks to the [Living Construct] typing, neither race (or rather, neither the race nor the class) would be able to properly procreate in a 'mundane' manner. A shame honestly; the concept of a gemlike weapon, such as an Onyx Dagger, is interesting.
well I agree with you mate but simple out of universe question then how come scarlet witch made a baby with vision
since he is pretty much living construct( aka Syntrofos) and she is some sorta cosmic being( a unique mythos class)

[Yasahiro]

well I agree with you mate but simple out of universe question then how come scarlet witch made a baby with vision
since he is pretty much living construct( aka Syntrofos) and she is some sorta cosmic being( a unique mythos class)

Simple. They are not Mythos D&D characters. They are comic characters living in a separate multiverse with its own rules, and they are not d&d characters.

[Xefas]

Adopt?

Craft an Intelligent Item together (or a golem, but Craft Construct is higher level)? You can't force something to be a Syntrofos, but I don't see why you couldn't specifically attempt to create a plain ol' sapient weapon. Build a Lesser Power into them that lets them assume a humanoid form if you really want to. You're performing an intimate act together that brings life to the lifeless... that's close enough to birth, right?


well I agree with you mate but simple out of universe question then how come scarlet witch made a baby with vision
since he is pretty much living construct( aka Syntrofos) and she is some sorta cosmic being( a unique mythos class)

Literally magic.

IIRC, she used magic to give herself an immaculate conception, and just kinda fudged what would be Vision's half of the DNA the best she could. They (William and Thomas Maximoff) didn't physically come from him.

[khadgar567]

Adopt?

Craft an Intelligent Item together (or a golem, but Craft Construct is higher level)? You can't force something to be a Syntrofos, but I don't see why you couldn't specifically attempt to create a plain ol' sapient weapon. Build a Lesser Power into them that lets them assume a humanoid form if you really want to. You're performing an intimate act together that brings life to the lifeless... that's close enough to birth, right?

then the real question is what powers the amalgamation race has is they have a weapon form and heart shape or some thing wholly unique thing that only resident cthulhu may understand?
the only thing I know is that being may alert Lawgivers

[Xefas]

I've added Steam-and-Dust Showdown back to the list of Fantastic Mythos. I'm still not sure if anyone would want to take it in an actual game, but dammit, I spent too long writing it not to have it posted in some form.

(It also adds context to Kymme's rad Nicol Bolas vs Korra picture further up the thread.)

[spwack]

I've added Steam-and-Dust Showdown back to the list of Fantastic Mythos. I'm still not sure if anyone would want to take it in an actual game, but dammit, I spent too long writing it not to have it posted in some form.

(It also adds context to Kymme's rad Nicol Bolas vs Korra picture further up the thread.)

Is there a specific reason why combat is omitted? Also, can we have it so a Kathodos can start a duel for two other people, rather than just Kathodos v. someone else?

[Xefas]

Is there a specific reason why combat is omitted?

Because its supposed to be a skillmonkey competition, not a facestabber competition.


Also, can we have it so a Kathodos can start a duel for two other people, rather than just Kathodos v. someone else?

That seems reasonable.

[noob]

If I believe in the city god who is a giant city can I sacrifice cities I own to gain mythos points?(for a Neron like BBE and stuff of this kind)