Osteomancer, entry and viability

[Xuldarinar]

I felt like posting a thing discussing single class entry into Osteomancer (Dragon #317, Dragon Magazine Compendium). Also to ask about it's viability. Just how useful is it? Can it be effective?

On the point of who all can enter it (single class):


To qualify to become an osteomancer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Heal 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks.
Feats: Toughness.
Spells: Ability to cast at least three transmutation spells, one of which must be 1st level or higher


{table=head]Class|Minimum Level For Entry
Adept (NPC)|8th
Archivist|8th
Artificer|6th
Bard|6th
Beguiler|8th
Cleric|6th
Death master|6th
Dread Necromancer|10th
Druid|6th
Duskblade|5th
Favored Soul|6th
Hexblade|8th
Jester|6th
Magewright (NPC)|8th
Paladin|8th
Ranger|8th
Savant|6th
Shadowcaster|8th
Sha'ir|8th
Shugenja|8th
Sorcerer|8th
Spellcaster (Generic)|8th
Spellthief|6th
Spirit Shaman|6th
Urban Druid|6th
Warmage|8th
Wu Jen|8th
Wizard|8th [/table]

If you permit Psionic entry, make the following changes:


To qualify to become an osteomancer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +4.
Skills: Heal 4 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 4 ranks, Knowledge (psionics) 4 ranks.
Feats: Toughness.
Manifesting: Ability to manifest at least three psychometabolism powers.


Class|Minimum Level For Entry
Ardent|6th
Divine Mind|8th (?)
Erudite|8th
Lurk|6th
Psion|8th
Psionic Warrior|6th
Wilder|6th

[Waker]

Of the three classes introduced in the Body of Knowledge article, this is my least favorite. I'll set that aside for a bit and comment on it.
Well, first off I'll say that the class favors a charisma-based entry, since so many of it's abilities are reliant on the stat. Due to the loss of spellcasting levels, you'll also want to consider someone who isn't as wholly reliant on magic. Combined with the decent HD, BAB and slew of bone-related powers, I'd say your best bet is a Gish approach. Bard, Paladin, Favored Soul and Spirit Shaman seem like some of the better entry classes.

[Xuldarinar]

Of the three classes introduced in the Body of Knowledge article, this is my least favorite. I'll set that aside for a bit and comment on it.
Well, first off I'll say that the class favors a charisma-based entry, since so many of it's abilities are reliant on the stat. Due to the loss of spellcasting levels, you'll also want to consider someone who isn't as wholly reliant on magic. Combined with the decent HD, BAB and slew of bone-related powers, I'd say your best bet is a Gish approach. Bard, Paladin, Favored Soul and Spirit Shaman seem like some of the better entry classes.

Not classes I see every day being suggested, but here they do seem perfectly reasonable.


Edit:
an Idea I just had, least from a thematic standpoint this could be interesting.
Paladin 4/Bone Knight 6/Osteomancer 10

[Incorrect]

Off-topic
From danish to english Osteomancer translates directly to Cheeseomancer.
based on that, I conclude that dragonwrought kobold would be a fitting race .

[Waker]

Off-topic
From danish to english Osteomancer translates directly to Cheeseomancer.
based on that, I conclude that dragonwrought kobold would be a fitting race .

Noted.


Edit:
an Idea I just had, least from a thematic standpoint this could be interesting.
Paladin 4/Bone Knight 6/Osteomancer 10
It makes for a nice visual if nothing else.

[Xuldarinar]

It makes for a nice visual if nothing else.

Well, since I have nothing better to do I might as well break that one down.

Paladin 4/Bone Knight 6/Osteomancer 10

Hp: 10d10 + 10d8 (+ Con mod x 20)

BaB: +15/+10/+5
Fort: +16 (+ Cha mod, + Con mod)
Ref:+6 (+ Cha mod, + Dex mod)
Will: +10 (+ Cha mod, + Wis mod)

Cast as: Paladin 14th
Effective Rebuking level: Rebuke as 7th level Cleric

Class Features: Adamantine Bones, Aligned Bones, Aura of Courage, Bonecraft Armor, Bonecraft Weapon, Boneless, Bone March, Bone Spurs, Divine grace, Divine Health, Enlarge/reduce, Fill the Ranks 1/day, Improved Bonecraft Armor, Iron Bones, Lay on Hands, Master of the White Banner, Osteophage, (Paladin Conversion), Rebuke Undead, Sap Life, Seize the Core, Silver Bones, Skeletal Shift, Summon Skeletal Steed, Unnerve, Wield the Core.

Minimum Intellect Required for Build: 12 (Races getting skill point bonuses can get away with lower.)
Minimum Wisdom for Build: 12

Primary ability scores: Strength, Constitution, and Charisma.

With DM approval, one could treat bone spurs as if created in part via bonecraft weapon, giving them +1d6 damage vs living creatures. They are weapons you craft out of bone after all.

Bone Spur (Spiked Gauntlet): 1d4 + 1d6 vs living creatures (If you permit Boneknight/Osteomancer synergy). Overcomes DR as: Adamantine, Aligned (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful), Cold Iron, Piercing, and Silver.

Bone Spur (Armor Spike): 1d6 + 1d6 vs living creatures (If you permit Boneknight/Osteomancer synergy). Overcomes DR as: Adamantine, Aligned (chaotic, evil, good, or lawful), Cold Iron, Piercing, and Silver.

[nickia]

Its fun to add on to a fleshwarper. :smallbiggrin: a flying, fire breathing, adamantine fisted, finger of death ray shooting, 10 foot tall medium creature capable of disguising itself as other creatures and growing to even more monstrous proportions. Oh yeah, on a fleshwarper it would be ridiculous not to take a few levels in osteomancer.

[Fouredged Sword]

I find the best use of ostiomancer is to get the two extra natural weapons that show up nowhere else. You get a spiked gauntlet and armor spikes as NATURAL attacks. I would consider it for a druid / warshaper / totemist build to stack on natural attacks.

[TheGeckoKing]

One idea I've had is a Changeling Full BaB 4/Warshaper 4/Suel Arcanamach 2/Osteomancer 10 - It would create a nice "Living Weapon" theme. Not sure what you'd take for the first 4 levels, though. Hexblade maybe?

[nickia]

One idea I've had is a Changeling Full BaB 4/Warshaper 4/Suel Arcanamach 2/Osteomancer 10 - It would create a nice "Living Weapon" theme. Not sure what you'd take for the first 4 levels, though. Hexblade maybe?

That actually makes a lot of sense for a changeling, while the disguise ability is kinda redundant, to use the changelings racial abilities to the fullest you often find yourself unarmed and unarmored. It really matches the flavor too. Think of it a society of changelings dedicated to a particular aspect of their control over their own bodies form. I like it.

[Xuldarinar]

Interesting things so far.

Question: What of Osteomancers of races with no bone structure, like a Warforged Osteomancer?

[nickia]

seems to take away both the main powers of the class, role, and flavor.

[Xuldarinar]

seems to take away both the main powers of the class, role, and flavor.

True..

And now I'm thinking about Osyluths (Bone devils). Perhaps any number of classes that can work with devils could make for interesting Osteomancers.

Then again, necromancers fit in thematically with Osteomancers just as well, roughly.

[Fouredged Sword]

See, I thought they are more transmutation flavored myself. They don't raise dead or deal in negative energy. They twist existing things (their bones) into other things. This seems like transmutation to me.

[Xuldarinar]

See, I thought they are more transmutation flavored myself. They don't raise dead or deal in negative energy. They twist existing things (their bones) into other things. This seems like transmutation to me.

That is how they function, hence the prerequisites. However, dealing with bone can be used with various thematic elements. My statement about necromancy, is simply based on the use of skeletons and similar undead. obviously this also fits with other classes involving the body, and/or classes focused on transmutation.

[nickia]

For a game Im running I ruled that an individual who masters osteomancy and then becomes a lich has the abilities of a Boneclaw on top of their normal lich abilities. Only in order for this to work the phylactery for such a lich had to be made form the bones of a direct descendant. haha it gets better but I wont bore you.