PDA

View Full Version : [D&D 3.5 NPC Class] Obscultist [WiP, PEACH]



Xuldarinar
2013-10-05, 03:10 AM
OBSCULTIST

"From a land of death and night, far from this mortal plane, the Shadows dwell. They whisper to me, dancing in the corners of my vision, telling me I must learn more, more, taunting me when my knowledge is not sufficient, when my talent is not great enough.
And so I use what power I have to make them mine, using them, sending them spinning, whirling about, trying to silence their whispers.
But still they laugh, saying, chuckling-it is not enough! You need more! Sell your soul! Sell your friends! How will you find power if you are so weak!-
So I isolate myself, so I am not tempted. But I can not run from my soul, and sometimes I worry that I will slip up, that I will sell my soul, my humanity. And still they laugh.
Perhaps my soul is already theirs."

While most who delve into shadow magic are either accomplished casters of another magic or are trained to be shadowcasters, there are some that either have the gift but lack the discipline required to truly master the shadows, or possess the training but lack the gift to truly bloom. An obscultist (Ob-Skull-Tist) is a minor practitioner of shadow magic, too often driven mad in their scramble to understand and master the powers they hold.

Hit Die: d6

Class Skills
The obscultist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Conentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Table 1-1: The Obscultist
NPC level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Fundamentals of shadow, apprentice mysteries
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|-
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|-
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|-
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|-
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|-
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|-
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|-
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|-
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|-
11th|+5|+3|+3|+7|-
12th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|Apprentice mysteries (spell-like), initiate mysteries
13th|+6/+1|+4|+4|+8|-
14th|+7/+2|+4|+4|+9|-
15th|+7/+2|+5|+5|+9|-
16th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|-
17th|+8/+3|+5|+5|+10|-
18th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|-
19th|+9/+4|+6|+6|+11|-
20th|+10/+5|+6|+6|+12|-

Table 1-2: Uses per Mystery per Day
NPC Level|1st|2nd|3rd|4th|5th|6th
1st|1|-|-|-|-|-
2nd|1|-|-|-|-|-
3rd|1|-|-|-|-|-
4th|1|1|-|-|-|-
5th|1|1|-|-|-|-
6th|1|1|-|-|-|-
7th|1|1|-|-|-|-
8th|1|1|1|-|-|-
9th|1|1|1|-|-|-
10th|1|1|1|-|-|-
11th|1|1|1|-|-|-
12th|2|2|2|1|-|-
13th|2|2|2|1|-|-
14th|2|2|2|1|-|-
15th|2|2|2|1|-|-
16th|2|2|2|1|1|-
17th|2|2|2|1|1|-
18th|2|2|2|1|1|-
19th|2|2|2|1|1|-
20th|2|2|2|1|1|1

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the obscultist NPC class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Obscultists are skilled with all simple weapons. Obscultists are not proficient with any type of armor nor with shields.
Fundamentals of Shadow (Su): As an obscultist, you must master certain basic powers before proceeding to deeper secrets of shadow. These powers, known as fundamentals, function as supernatural abilities usable three times per day. You begin play with three fundamentals. You can, when gaining a new level in which you would learn a new mystery, instead acquire a new fundamental. When choosing a fundamental, you can "relearn" an already known fundamental, thus gaining another set of uses of that fundamental per day. The save DC of any fundamental is equal to 10 + 1/2 caster level + your Cha modifier.
Mysteries and Paths: You do not cast spells as others do, but instead invoke mystical secrets called mysteries. You know one mystery at 1st level, and gain one additional mystery at 2nd and every even numbered class level there after. At 12th level, you gain access to initiate mysteries. You can choose your new mystery from any category you have access to (including fundamentals).
Shadow magic progresses in very specific stages. You may not "jump ahead" in a path, although you need not complete a path if you do not wish to. Within a category (Apprentice, Initiate), you must have at least two mysteries of any given level before you can take any mysteries of the next higher level, and you must know all previous mysteries within a path to select a mystery from that path.
Mysteries represent thought patterns and formulae so alien that other spells seem simple in comparison. As you progress, however, your connection the the Plane of Shadow grows stronger, and your mysteries become more ingrained in your essence. When you are capable of casting only apprentice mysteries, you cast them as though they were arcane spells. They all have somatic components, armor-based spell failure chance, and are subject to interruption. Whenever you cast a mystery as an arcane spell, observers can make a DC 15 Spot check to note that your shadow is making different gestures from the ones you make when you cast the mystery.
At 12th level, when you become capable of casting initiate mysteries, your apprentice mysteries become so much a part of you that they now function as spell-like abilities, and they no longer require somatic components. Your new initiate mysteries function as arcane spells and follow the rules described above.
You can learn a mystery more than once. Each time you relearn a mystery, you gain another set of uses of that mystery per day.
You can use each mystery you know a certain number of times per day depending on whether it is cast as a spell (once), or a spell-like ability (twice). The allotments per level are given on Table 1-2, above, but only apply if you are able to cast mysteries of the level indicated. Like spellcasters, you gain bonus mysteries for a high ability score, based on high charisma. Although you do not prepare spells, you must rest for 8 hours to regain your use of mysteries just as a sorcerer or bard must rest and meditate to regain use of spell slots.
In order to cast a mystery, you must have an Intelligence score of at least 10 + the mystery's level. The save DC for your mysteries equal 10 + the mystery's level + your Cha modifier. Even though as a obscultist you do not "cast spells" in the traditional sense, your levels in this class count for the purpose of determining your overall caster level. Should any of your mysteries become supernatural abilities, the save DC associated with the mystery becomes equal to 10 + 1/2 caster level + your Cha modifier.