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View Full Version : What makes the best cerebrants?



Xuldarinar
2013-09-11, 12:36 PM
As the title, class/PrC wise, what do you think would make for the best cerebrants? A cerebrant is anyone who possesses the cerebrosis (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Cerebrosis) feat. This feat grants you 11 spells known, all relating to the far realm. To just briefly describe the spells:


1st-level Cerebrotic spells
Aching Dread: A necromancy fear effect, leaving all creatures in it's range shaken. You can escalate it to make people frightened. If you fail the escalation save, you are frightened instead.
2nd-level Cerebrotic spells
Call Amoebic Crawler: A conjuration (summoning) spell that summons a creature called an Amoebic Crawler. Escalation summons two, but failure causes the extra to attack you
3rd-level Cerebrotic spells
Dimension Rift: A long range conjuration (teleporation) spell. You roll a d100 however, deciding how long it takes and if (and how much) you take damage along the way. You can even bring a friend. Excalation allows you to teleport much further, but you add +30 to your roll on the table. Worst case: You never get there but someone going there later -might- find bone fragments and bits of rotted remains.. apparently dead for centuries.
Far Realm Visitation: Another necromancy fear effect. It deals non-lethal damage and can daze the target for a few rounds. Screaming is apparently involved on the victim's part. Escalation makes it harder to resist, but failure causes it to target you.
4th-level Cerebrotic spells
Call Cranial Encyster: Another conjuration (summoning) spell, summoning a few creatures called cranial encysters. Escalation summons more, failure causes 2 to turn on you.
Lingering Raver: Necromancy fear, the target is subject to a save or die from fear, but success leaves them with damage. The next round, it does it again to a random target and then ends. Escalation increases it's duration, and thus number of targets by 1, but failure makes you the initial target.
5th-level Cerebrotic spells
Soul-blasting Dread: Necromancy fear, Panic in a burst. Escalation causes wisdom damage. Failure, you panic.
6th-level Cerebrotic spells
Call Kaortic Hulk: Yet another conjuration (summoning) spell, summoning a kaortic hulk. Already having an increasing chance on turning on you anyways, escalation calls two but failure causes the extra to turn on you immediately.
7th-level Cerebrotic spells
Finger of Expulsion: Giving your victim the finger, this teleporation spell throws your victim into the Far Realm. If they are lucky, they save against it and just take damage. Escalation can let you give the finger to two creatures at once, failure throws you instead. Virtually a save or die.
8th-level Cerebrotic spells
Call Nightseed: Yet another summoning spell here, it calls a creature called a nightseed. They also have a problem with staying in your control. Excalation summons 2, extra turns on you if you fail.
9th-level Cerebrotic spells
Welcome the Amoebic Sea: A conjuration (summoning) spell that summons a part of the far realm. Deals a lot of damage and creatures that die from it only leave their equipment and red tinged bubbles. Survivors are panicked. Creatures that succeed on their save take less damage and panic for less time. Escalation increases the area effected. Failure, drops it right on top of you.

Urpriest
2013-09-11, 12:40 PM
With all the necromantic fear effects, I'd recommend a Dread Witch.

evil-frosty
2013-09-11, 12:51 PM
With all the necromantic fear effects, I'd recommend a Dread Witch.

Especially a reflavored one to more resemble and represent the Far Realm aspect of the feats/spells. Also an alienist could work well with the flavor.

Spuddles
2013-09-11, 12:56 PM
Anyone with a limited number of spells known and a mechanic to trade out spells known for other spells, like a Sorcerer (with Apprentice feat to get even more mileage).

Xuldarinar
2013-09-11, 01:14 PM
Dread Witch does even mention the Far Realm under it's "In the World" entry, so thematically it does fit as well as functionally.

I do have to wonder though: Reflective Fear + Failure on Escalation. Could you get yourself caught in a loop? Though, nightmare spinner would fit well with dread witch, and grant you an immunity to fear so this isn't an issue any more.

That does, however, leave the question of what casting class should be used to enter dread witch. Dread necromancer (same book) has the same stat dependency, has a limited list which cerebrosis would help out a lot with, and if one felt like tossing in nightmare spinner, it can enter it.

Xuldarinar
2013-09-11, 08:06 PM
In retrospect, I note that no one went towards the summoning cerebrotic spells. and I cannot help but be curious as to why.

Chronos
2013-09-11, 11:10 PM
Probably because there are a ton of other ways to summon creatures, and without a copy of the magazine it's hard to say if these critters are enough better than Summon Monster to justify it.