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Xuldarinar
2013-09-10, 02:46 PM
PRESTIGE CLASSES OF THE ALLOPRAX
A while back I created the Alloprax (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=291761), a race of planetouched associated with the far-realm. In the post, among other things, I created two prestige classes. Since I never received feed back on them, I thought it was time I posted them independently. Enjoy.

Farbinder: The simply the far-realm equivalent of the demonbinder (Drow of the Underdark).

Quintessence Mage: Collectors of quintessence, these spellcasters have learned to tap into this resource to enable them to more easily cast spells.


FARBINDER


The farbinder draws the essence of aberrations into himself to acquire their power. Such an act made by any other creature would result in madness, but the alloprax's innate connections to the far-realm allow them to not only survive this process, but to thrive with it. While invocation-users among the alloprax are rare, the few that do exist have learned from observing the demonbinders of the drow. Twisting this process to their own ancestry, they have made it their own, drawing upon the far-realm instead of the abyss.

Hit Die: d4

Requirements
Race: Alloprax
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks.
Language: Undercommon.
Invocations: Breath of the Night plus any two others.

Class Skills
The farbinder's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Disguise (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table 4-1: The Farbinder
Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Invocations Known
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Aberration points, farbind|-
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Blur +1/day|+1 level of existing class
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Resistance to cold 5|+1 level of existing class
4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Blur +2/day|+1 level of existing class
5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Resistance to cold 10|+1 level of existing class
6th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Blur +3/day|+1 level of existing class
7th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Immunity to poison|+1 level of existing class
8th|+4|+6|+2|+6|Blur +4/day|+1 level of existing class
9th|+4|+6|+3|+6|Immunity to cold|+1 level of existing class
10th|+5|+7|+3|+7|Blur +5/day|+1 level of existing class

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Farbinders gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Invocations Known: At each level above 1st, you gain new invocations and advance eldritch blast damage as if you had also gained a level in the warlock class. You do not gain any other benefits a warlock would have otherwise gained.

Aberration Points (Ex): You gain a number of aberration points equal to your Charisma modifier plus your class level plus one. You use aberration points to activate your farbind abilities. You cannot spend aberration points when the in the area of a zone of natural purity spell. You regain all spent aberration points after 5 minutes of rest.

Farbind (Sp): Once per day per class level, you can spend aberration points to invoke the essence of an aberration and bind it to your soul. This changes your general appearance and also grants you certain benefits. Binding the essence of an aberration in this way is a full-round action and lasts for 10 rounds.
If you invoke a second farbind when another is still active, the new one replaces the old one. Temporary hit points granted by a farbind vanish when the far bind ends (or is replaced by a new far bind).
Some farbinds allow you to spend additional aberration points to gain an extra benefit. You can use this option only when affected by the farbind, and the benefit lasts until the start of your next turn or until the far bind tends, whichever comes first. Any saving throw allowed has a DC of 10 + class level + Cha modifier.
When under the affect of a farbind, you gain telepathy out to 100 feet. If you enter an area protected by a zone of natural purity spell, the farbind is suppressed for as long as you remain in the area.
Each farbind is equivalent of a spell whose level equals the farbind point cost for invoking the farbind.
Umber Hulk (1 point): Your skin hardens to form an exoskeleton.
You gain 5 temporary hit points and +2 natural armor.
Shadow Flayer (2 points): Your skin becomes jet black and rubbery. You gain 10 temporary hit points and sneak attack +1d6.
In addition, you can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to lace your eldritch blast with psionic energy, stunning for 1 round. A Will save (appropriate for your invocations) negates.
Gibbering Mouther (3 points): Your skin appears to be flowing as eyes and mouths perpetually appear and vanish along it's surface.
You gain 15 temporary hit points and the benefits of the tongues spell.
You can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to gain a +5 competence bonus on Intimidate and spot checks.
Neogi (4 points): Your skin turns pale brown and six vestigial limbs hang uselessly for the duration from your ribs.
You gain 20 temporary hit points and you can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to gain a climb speed equal to your land speed.
Destrachan (5 points): Your skin turns to fine brown scales and your nails turn black.
You gain 25 temporary hit points.
In addition, you can spend 1 spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to augment your eldritch blast with screeching sonic energy. A target struck by this eldritch blast takes an additional 10 points of sonic damage and becomes deafened for 5 rounds (Fort negates deafness).
Grell (6 points): Your lips harden to form a sharp beak and tentacles erupt from your ribs. Your skin becomes grey and heavily wrinkled.
You gain 30 temporary hit points and a +5 bonus on Grapple checks.
in addition, you can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to deal damage equal to your eldritch blast damage to a grappled target.
Rust Monster (7 points): Your skin hardens into a rust colored exoskeleton and a pair of antennae sprout from your forehead.
You gain 35 temporary hit points and +2 natural armor.
Additionally, you can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to lace your eldritch blast with corrosive power. Upon hitting an object with your eldritch blast destroys a 10-foot cube of metal instantly. Magical armor and weapons, and other magic items made of metal, must succeed on a Reflex save or be dissolved. The save DC is Constitution-based and includes a +4 racial bonus.
Tsochar (8 points): An extra two sets of arms grow from the sides of your body as your legs twist around one another. Your flesh turns blue and rubbery.
You gain 40 temporary hit points.
Your original arms (if any) are your primary arms, and the new limbs are secondary limbs. You can wield extra weapons with these new limbs, but all such attacks are treated as off-hand attacks.
Also, you can spend 1 aberraation point as a swift action to use one of your new limbs to fire an eldritch blast at a -5 penalty on the attack roll; you can't apply any eldritch essence or blast shape invocations to this eldritch blast.
Beholder (9 points): Tentacles ending in eyes sprout from your back as your skin becomes a rough hide.
You gain 45 temporary hit points and a fly speed equal to your land speed (good maneuverability)
Also, you can spend 1 aberration point as a swift action to produce a 150-foot cone of anti-magic for 1 round in front of you. This functions just like anti magic field (caster level equal to your effective caster level).

Blur (Sp): Beginning at 2nd level, and at every even numbered level thereafter, you gain an additional daily use of your blur spell-like ability.

Resistance to Cold (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, you gain resistance to cold 5. At 5th level, this resistance increases to 10. This resistance stacks with the energy resistance class feature gained by the warlock.

Immunity to Poison (Su): At 7th level, you gain immunity to all types of poison, even magical poison.

Immunity to Cold (Su): At 9th level, your resistance to cold is replaced by immunity to cold.


QUINTESSENCE MAGE

"Ever wonder what it would be like to become a spell? Come closer.." Talus Ilthimer, Alloprax Quintessence mage

Quintessence, its purpose in the universe along with it's presence has gone unknown to most. To some, however, it is fuel. The primary users of quintessence are the illithids of thoon. Madder than their standard brethren, the illithids of thoon pursue quintessence with single minded zealotry. The alloprax, on the other hand, have come upon knowledge of quintessence through personal study. The quintessence mage, regardless of their origin, is among the few capable of finding, extracting, and wielding quintessence.

Hit Die: d4

Requirements
Skills: Craft (armorsmithing, blacksmithing, gemcutting, or sculpting) 8 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 4 ranks
Feats: Sense Quintessence, Craft Wondrous Item
Special: Alloprax may be treated as affiliated with thoon for the purposes of taking and using sense quintessence.

Class Skills
The quintessence mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (all, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table 4-2: The Quintessence Mage
Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Quntessence Extraction Time|Spells per Day
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Quintessential Casting, Quintessence Receptacle, Extract Quintessence|1 minute/10 rounds|-
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|-|54 seconds/9 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|-|48 seconds/8 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|-|42 seconds/7 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|-|36 seconds/6 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th|+3|+5|+2|+5|-|30 seconds/5 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th|+3|+5|+2|+5|-|24 seconds/4 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th|+4|+6|+2|+6|-|18 seconds/3 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th|+4|+6|+3|+6|-|12 seconds/2 rounds|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th|+5|+7|+3|+7|-|6 seconds/1 round|+1 level of existing spellcasting class


Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Quintessence mages gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day: When a new quintessence mage level is gained, with the exception of 1st level, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in any one spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class and any one divine spellcasting class he belonged to previously. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of quintessence mage, minus 1, to the level of what ever other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day and caster level accordingly.
If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he becomes a quintessence mage, he must decide to which class he adds each level of quintessence mage for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Quintessence Receptacle: Upon becoming a quintessence mage, the character puts themself through a grueling and painful ordeal, requiring a full day of construction and surgery, at the end of which their quintessence receptacle is complete. Typically the quintessence is stored in a tank on the quintessence mage's back, with tubes running through their arms to their palms to use the quintessence in their spells and to draw quintessence back into the receptacle. A quintessence receptacle typically stores up to 6 gallons of quintessence, or 18 units of quintessence, and is typically made of glass and metal.

Quintessential Casting: True to their name, quintessence mages are capable of using quintessence to cast spells. To cast a spell using quintessence, they must use a number of units of quintessence (QUC) based on the level of the spell, listed below. Furthermore, a quintessence mage cannot cast a spell with quintessence that is higher than their class level minus 1 (1st level quintessence mages can only cast cantrips with quintessence, where as 10th level quintessence mages can cast up to 9th level spells with quintessence). Casting a spell using quintessence takes the place of a spell slot. A gallon of quintessence is equal to 3 units of quintessence.

Table 4-3: Quintessence Unit Cost for Spells
{table=head] Spell Level|QUC
0|1
1|1
2|3
3|5
4|7
5|9
6|11
7|13
8|15
9|17 [/table]

Extract Quintessence: A quintessence mage is capable of extracting quintessence from objects and even creatures. Extracting quintessence requires the quintessence mage spend a full minute (or 10 rounds) of concentration in contact with the object (or corpse) containing quintessence. As time goes on they become more adept at extracting the quintessence they need. The amount of time it takes to extract quintessence decreases by 6 seconds (or 1 round) at each level, requiring only a full-round action at 10th level to extract a gallon of quintessence. Objects that contain quintessence are broken when the quintessence is extracted, where as corpses that had quintessence drawn from them cannot be resurrected short of a greater resurrection without the quintessence being recovered.
Some objects or creatures may contain more or less than 1 gallon of quintessence. Increase or decrease the amount of time it takes to extract the quintessence accordingly, for instance; If a 5th level quintessence mage tries drawing quintessence from an object that has 2 units of quintessence, it only requires 24 seconds (4 rounds). On the other hand, lets say an object contains 4 units of quintessence, the same level of quintessence mage would require 48 seconds (8 rounds). To determine the amount of time, multiply the time it would require to extract 1 gallon of quintessence by the number of units of quintessence divided by 3.
It is up to the DM who or what actually contains quintessence. Quintessence appears black when detected via detect magic and is invisible otherwise, until it is extracted. Once extracted, it appears as a green, glowing fluid.

Variant (Quintessential Shadow):Quintessential shadows are mystery-users who have learned to use quintessence to cast mysteries. They may use the mystic reflection fundamental to qualify for and use sense quintessence. The QUC for mysteries is based on mystery level instead of spell level.

Variant (Quintessence Psion):Quintessence Psion match the quintessence mage's capacity for using quintessence. Instead of requiring craft wondrous item, quintessence psion require craft universal item. They may qualify for sense quintessence, and use it in conjunction with, detect psionics instead of detect magic. Instead of spellcraft as a class skill they have psicraft, they may use quintessence psion levels to advance manifester level, and the QUC for powers are equal to the power's cost. Unfortunately, quintessence psions only gain the ability to actually use quintessence to manifest at their 2nd level.

Variant (Quintessence Invoker):Quintessence Invokers are invocation-users who have learned to use quintessence to power their eldritch blast/breath weapon. Warlocks may qualify for sense essentia using their detect magic class feature, where as dragonfire adepts may qualify instead with the magic insight invocation. A quintessence invoker may expend quintessence to increase the damage of their eldritch blast (for warlock) or breath weapon (for dragonfire adept) by the number of units of quintessence expended times two. A quintessence invoker is restricted in the amount of quintessence they can expend at any given time the same way a quintessence mage is restricted from spending quintessence on higher level spells. For example, a 5th level quintessence invoker can only expend up to 7 units of quintessence to power their eldritch blast or breath weapon, increasing damage dealt by 14 points.

Amnoriath
2013-09-10, 05:25 PM
1. While I really loved the idea of the Demonbinder in DotU it had a couple critical flaws that really made it choice you never wanted to stick with. Its weaker base frame and lack of eldritch blast was meant to offset its shear increase in options as well as temp. hit points/resisitances however since there wasn't a level cap to the forms technically a dip and high charisma netted you the forms right away. You also forgot to mention how or when points are regenerated.
2. Interesting idea, but actually quite boring the fact is no one is going to wait through a class like that just so it can extract quintessence feasibly in battle. They can do that when everyone is dead and find some other class. You may want to consult the blood mage PrC in Pathfinder as it has a similar idea but gives a few more perks and spreads out the benefit a bit more.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/a-b/bloatmage

Xuldarinar
2013-09-10, 05:36 PM
1. While I really loved the idea of the Demonbinder in DotU it had a couple critical flaws that really made it choice you never wanted to stick with. Its weaker base frame and lack of eldritch blast was meant to offset its shear increase in options as well as temp. hit points/resisitances however since there wasn't a level cap to the forms technically a dip and high charisma netted you the forms right away. You also forgot to mention how or when points are regenerated.


I do agree, it isn't that great of a PrC, neither the base nor this one. Though:
"You regain all spent aberration points after 5 minutes of rest."

I should adjust it so it does advance eldritch blast, at least mentioning it does, which should help it along greatly.



2. Interesting idea, but actually quite boring the fact is no one is going to wait through a class like that just so it can extract quintessence feasibly in battle. They can do that when everyone is dead and find some other class. You may want to consult the blood mage PrC in Pathfinder as it has a similar idea but gives a few more perks and spreads out the benefit a bit more.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/prestige-classes/other-paizo/a-b/bloatmage

Valid point. It does need a lot more in terms of flavorful abilities. 1st level it takes a while and you can only really use quintessence to cast cantrips.

I'll look into the bloat mage for some ideas.




Thank you.