Master of Masks

[Person_Man]

The new Complete Scoundrel Excerpts (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070105a) are up on the WotC board. The prestige class is the Master of Masks (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070105a&page=3).

Poor BAB, mediocre Skill and hit points, a few levels of caster progression, good Ref and Will Save. So the basics of the class are meh.

But it comes with a boatload of potential Supernatural abilities. Nothing earthshatteringly good, but still plenty interesting.

You can take a one level dip for the Gladiator Mask, which gives you proficiency in all Martial and Exotic Weapons and +1 on attack and damage rolls (but sets your itterative attacks back slightly), useful for combat oriented Rogues perhaps.

I also see a good future for this PrC in terms of people dipping into it to meet the requirement for other PrC, since the Master of Masks has so many different possible features (arcane spells, divine spells, Sneak Attack, weapon proficiency).

Though it was obviously made for Bards, I'm thinking this would be a great prestige class for Beguilers, or maybe a multi-classed Marhsall.

Does this give you any character or build ideas?

Discuss.

[Fax Celestis]

Grabbing the Dragon Mask and getting some breath weapon altering spells or feats without actually having a breath weapon from any other source is a potential niftiness. Similar holds true for the Savage Mask, with claw attacks. I'm seeing a Swordsage dipping a level of this for the Dragon and Savage Masks, and then heading into the Bloodclaw Master PrC.

Any of the caster masks might let you qualify for PrCs that you would normally have to go roundabout ways to get into.

Some of the feats look really nifty too. I see good things for Daring Outlaw/Warrior. Master Spellthief is incredible with a Spellthief/Sorceror mix.

I have discovered I need this book.

[Halcyon_Dax]

Awwwwssooooome!

My first thought was villain.

Imagine the scary mask salesman from Majora's Mask as a villain pullingthe strings... crazy awsome.

[Pegasos989]

Gladiatoral mask and assassin mask... This will propably become a common dip class, indeed...

[Person_Man]

I think Halcyon has the best idea so far: Villain.

Reoccurring BBEB wears different masks, challenging the PC's in different ways each time. Not only does he kick their butt in combat from time to time, but he manipulates them directly using a high Disguise check and the ability to mimic whatever alignment he wants.


Another use for the Gladiator Mask is that it solves a magic item problem that's common in some games - DM's randomly rolling up powerful exotic weaponry from treasure hoards which have to be sold because no on has proficiency in it and no one wants to waste a feat in a sub-optimal weapon (OK, can anyone use this +5 Dire Flail? No? Guess we have to sell it, again. Man, can't you roll anything useful for the party?)

[Rigeld2]

Gladiator Mask + Exotic Weapon Master 4tw.

[pestilenceawaits]

I thought this was a very cool class. I like the variety it provides to play situations. I can even see going into it as a duskblade or some such class.

[Telonius]

Very, very interesting! I currently have a level 11 Rogue with one level of Wizard (stupid useless 20th Rogue level). Thanks to the spellcasting progression, he might actually end up with a few useful spells by 15th level. With an Assassin mask, I can get back almost all of the missing Sneak Attack damage from taking the PrC. Assassin mask in combat, some other mask (Faceless maybe?) at other times. Hat of Disguise to conceal the mask's appearance until you get Hidden Mask at 6th.

[Person_Man]

Very, very interesting! I currently have a level 11 Rogue with one level of Wizard (stupid useless 20th Rogue level).

Why did you dip in Wizard when you could have dipped into a prestige class, or even just 1 level of Fighter for full BAB and a bonus feat?

[Bears With Lasers]

Grabbing the Dragon Mask and getting some breath weapon altering spells or feats without actually having a breath weapon from any other source is a potential niftiness. Similar holds true for the Savage Mask, with claw attacks. I'm seeing a Swordsage dipping a level of this for the Dragon and Savage Masks, and then heading into the Bloodclaw Master PrC.
Swordsages head into the Bloodclaw Master PrC anyway--daggers instead of claws, but.

The breath weapon thing is IMO better handled with a spell that gives you a breath weapon. Like, uh, Dragon Breath.

Master Spellthief'll be great with Duksblade.

[Telonius]

Why did you dip in Wizard when you could have dipped into a prestige class, or even just 1 level of Fighter for full BAB and a bonus feat?

Well, the character was originally a cohort. He's the uncle of my Ranger character, and I've played him as that one shady uncle that everybody seems to have, that's always got some quasi-legal scheme going on. Int 18, Dex 20, Wis 11, Cha 14, Con 12, Str 10 (I think- don't have the sheet on me). He was angling for Arcane Trickster. We had a major character shuffle-around (long story), and our full skillmonkey and our cleric/party face left. I retired the Ranger, and Phido had to step up and go full Rogue from there out. Current party composition is my Shifter Rogue, a Warforged Barbarian, a Human Fighter (that has been reworked with a bunch of things from Tome of Battle), an Elven... uh ... psionic thingie, and a human Druid/Wizard. Very limited healing, plus some wands - making for a very interesting/dangerous tactical situation.

Anyway, as it is I only have to make a Caster Level Check (usually DC 5 or less) instead of a Use Magic Device check (20+spell level) when I use a scroll; and I get Ray of Frost, which stacks with Sneak Attack. That's definitely come in handy in a few situations. So at least it's not a totally useless level. :smallsmile: