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starwoof
2013-10-28, 12:34 PM
Hello! This is part two of my nine-part races of Auguros series. Part one, elves, can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=310830). A map of Auguros can be found here (http://i995.photobucket.com/albums/af79/starwoof1/Auguros_update_zps36ae805c.png). I am writing up all of the nine player races of my setting and providing a prestige class and probably some feats and stuff for each. I'm looking for feedback on everything, both lore-wise and mechanically.

The sentinels are kind of an odd-duck. I've had a lot of trouble figuring out how exactly they should work with their 'possessed armor' thing over the years but I think I finally have something I like. I think I (finally) have the right mix between being incorporeal and being solid. I may find a way for them to be forced out of their armor. I could definitely make their abilities weirder but I think I like them. My main concern is that they stack up well with my elves:

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 wisdom, –2 Constitution. Elves are agile and in tune with their environments, but are frail.
Size: Medium
Type:Humanoid (Elf)
Base Speed: 40 ft, elves are extremely swift.
Nature's Blessing: Elves have a plantlike physiology and thus have +4 to saves against disease and poison
Elven Immunities: Elves are immune to magic sleep effects and gain a +2 racial saving throw bonus against enchantment spells and effects.
Meditation: Elves do not sleep, instead restoring their body and mind with a 4 hour meditation session. Elves gain the full benefit of eight hours of rest in this time, including for the purposes of spellcasting. During their meditation, small plants will grow more quickly around them.
Keen Senses: Elves have a +2 racial bonus on Perception checks.
Low Light Vision: Elves are able to see twice as well as humans in conditions of dim light.
Weapon Familiarity: Elves are proficient with longbows (including composite longbows), battleaxe, kukri, and shortbows (including composite shortbows), and treat any weapon with the word “elven” in its name as a martial weapon.
Languages: Elves begin play knowing Common and Elven. Bonus languages: Celestial, Kartic, Giant, Gnome, Goblin, Tharsh, and Sylvan


The prestige class is almost definitely broken in some way, but I don't really know how. I don't know if I'm the first person to base a PRC on a Skylander but I probably am. :smallbiggrin: I think the capstone, Convergence Flurry, is a little ridiculous. Hopefully I can bring the whole class in line and make it both interesting and powerful. I may/probably should also extend it to 10 levels. If I do that I will likely add a scaling ability of some sort and add more spring attack shenanigans.

I am aware that the fluff for it is... lacking. If anyone has a cooler name feel free to suggest it. Honestly, at this point I think it's more of a PRC concept than a finished class.

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Sentinels
Artor was the greatest human civilization from the age of myth. The Artorans and the dwarves mastered arcane magic together and were the center of civilization. When the giants conquered most of Auguros the Artorans and dwarves were able to resist. Eventually the giants were defeated and the mage lords of Artor were critical in sealing away their gods, the titans.

Hundreds of years later, a foreign born wizard became a mage-lord. Unbeknownst to the other lords, he had somehow learned many of the secrets of apotheosis from the titans themselves and now planned to steal the ritual of binding from Artor. He succeeded in his goal, imprisoning and devouring two astrals before he was discovered. The astrals smote Wrechis, but he deflected the blow with his newfound divinity. Wrechis escaped as a new god of darkness, and Artor was destroyed by the magical blast.

The sentinels are the people of Artor that were caught in the magical fallout from the blast. They are not truly alive or dead and are something of a 'living ghost'. Sentinels cannot move on to the afterlife; when they do achieve true death their spirits linger for several years before being reformed in the heart of Artor. After reforming, a Sentinel's memories have mostly faded away, leaving them with just an impression of their last life.

Physical Description
Sentinels look like ghostly blue humans that trail a fine, insubstantial mist. Their extremities trail off into mist unless they are in motion. Sentinels are partially transparent. Sentinels almost always bond themselves to clothing or armor that covers their entire body. Many sentinels go so far as to wrap their entire head in cloth or wear heavy helmets at all times.

Society
Artor is now a blasted wasteland full of hungry wraiths and ghouls. There is a small fortress called Ghostwatch on the edge of the wastelands that is always manned by vigilant sentinels. The fortress is a safe place for anyone wandering the desert, though their main goal is to provide shelter and news to newly regenerated sentinels. Ghostwatch is the only true sentinel community on Auguros.

Most sentinels prefer to avoid ghostwatch as much as they can, instead becoming wanderers or hermits. Sentinels are frequently found as traveling merchants or mercenaries. Sentinel wanderers are always hospitable to their own kind; after all, you never know who might have been a friend in your past life.

Relations
The dwarves still remember their old alliance with the sentinels, and they usually get along well. Sentinels are always welcome in dwarven lands. Most humans consider sentinels to be at least a little off if not downright creepy. Elves consider sentinels to be unnatural, though they hold no hostility to them.

Alignment and Religion
Most sentinels feel at least a small amount of bitterness towards the astrals for destroying their city, even if it was accidental. Since they are unable to enter the afterlife anyway, many sentinels do not worship gods. Those that do generally follow Vilanox or Wolene.

Sentinels are very diverse in alignment. There is a slightly higher number of lawful sentinels.

Adventurers
Adventuring comes naturally to the sentinels with their skills and natural wanderlust. Wizard and fighter are both common career choices, though many sentinels are Magi instead. Sentinels are out of touch with the natural world and rarely become druids or rangers.

Standard Racial Traits
Ability Scores: +2 str, +2 int, –2 wis. Sentinels are physically powerful and intelligent, but their partially incorporeal state leaves them out of touch with their senses.
Size: Medium
Type:Humanoid (Sentinel).
Base Speed: 20 ft, but sentinels are never slowed by armor or encumbrance.
Buried Memories: Select two skills. These are always treated as class skills.
Defensive Training: Sentinels gain a +4 dodge bonus to AC against monsters of the giant subtype.
Darkvision: Sentinels have darkvision 60 feet.
Weapon Familiarity: Sentinels are proficient with the ranseur and treat dire flails as martial weapons.
Languages: Sentinels begin play knowing Common and Artoran. Bonus languages: Any.

Sentinel Subtype
Immune to poison, bleeding, and non-magical diseases
Sleeps but does not eat or breathe. Sentinels can sleep in armor without penalties.
Sentinels in spirit form cannot manipulate any object or cast spells with material components.
Sentinels can bond themselves to a suit of armor or set of clothing. This gives them the ability to manipulate objects and cast spells with material components, even if the clothing or armor does not have gloves. The process of possessing armor requires ten minutes of concentration, during which time neither the sentinel or armor can be moved. The armor cannot be worn during this time. An identical procedure is used to switch to a different bonded armor or shed a bonded armor.



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Prestige Class
Spectral Slayer
There are those among the sentinels that do not see their spirit forms as a hindrance, but rather a boon. They have learned to project their spirits into the world to do battle while their armor fights on behind them. More blurb incoming when I've slept more.

Role: The spectral slayer excels at dealing damage and staying mobile, but spirit form is very vulnerable. At the same time, living armor is very tough and can make a solid front line.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Requirements
To qualify to become a Spectral Slayer, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
Race: Sentinel
BAB: +6
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Armor Proficiency (Medium)

Class Skills: The spectral slayer's's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim(Str).

Skill Ranks at Each Level: 2 + int modifier.

Spectral Slayer*
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+0|Living Armor/Spirit Form, Convergence

2nd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+0|Death Mark, Ghost Touch Weapons

3rd|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+1|Spring Cleave, Convergence Wave

4th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+1|Brutal Armor

5th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+2|Convergence Flurry, Ghost Armor
[/table]

Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Spectral slayers are proficient with light, medium, and heavy armor, and with shields (except tower shields).

Living Armor/Spirit Form (Su): At first level the spectral slayer learns to project a spirit version of himself while his armor fights on as an automaton. As a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity the spectral slayer separates from his armor and becomes a spirit. Both the armor and the spirit have the same ability scores, hit points, and saving throws. Living armor gains DR 5/-.

Spirit form carries a ghostly copy of any wielded weapons or magic items but does not wear any sort of armor. Spirit form gain +20 movement speed. Spirit form retains all abilities that are not directly related to the shed armor, but cannot use items like potions or scrolls. Living armor becomes a mindless construct that can take no actions other than moving and attacking. It cannot charge or perform combat maneuvers. Living armor makes one attack per round at the character's highest base attack bonus. Living armor cannot use any feats or class abilities that the character possesses.

This ability lasts for a number rounds equal to 1 + cha modifier. Living Armor/Spirit Form can be used once per day per spectral slayer level + cha modifier. Living armor can be canceled at any time during the spectral slayer's turn as a free action. A spectral slayer can only use this ability while wearing medium or heavy armor.

Convergence (Su): When Living Armor/Spirit form ends, one of two things happens chosen by the spectral slayer. The first option is for the spirit form to return to the armor; in this case the spectral slayer gains 1d8 hit points per spectral slayer level. The second option is for the living armor to leap to the spirit form; if this option is chosen the armor immediately moves to the spirit form's location and makes a single charge attack. Distance is not a factor during this movement; the armor moves extremely quickly. The target of this attack loses it's dex bonus to AC. When convergence occurs the spectral slayer is immune to attacks of opportunity.

Death Mark (Su): At 2nd level, spirit form marks targets for the living armor to kill. Targets struck by a melee attack from spirit form are death marked. When Living Armor/Spirit Form ends, the living armor makes a single normal melee attack against all death marked targets.

Ghost Touch Weapons (Su): At 2nd level any weapon wielded by the spectral slayer, his spirit form, or his living armor is treated as having the ghost touch weapon property.

Spring Cleave (Ex): At 3rd level the spectral slayer learns how to make long slashing attacks during a spring attack. If the spectral slayer hits with a spring attack they may make a second spring attack at their ful base attack bonus during this turn. They must move at least ten feet between spring attacks and cannot move more than their speed. They can only make one additional attack per round with this ability. When the spectral slayer uses this feat, they take a –2 penalty to their Armor Class until their next turn.

Convergence Wave (Su): At 3rd level an additional effect is added to convergence: a wave of energy that knocks down nearby foes. After convergence, the spectral slayer makes a single trip attempt against all creatures within 5 ft of his final location. If he fails the trip they may not try to trip him back.

Brutal Armor (Su): At 4th level the living armor becomes more powerful. It gains the spectral slayer's full attack progression and may use any combat feats the spectral slayer possesses. It may also perform combat maneuvers. Brutal Armor gains damage reduction 10/-.

Convergence Flurry (Su): At 5th level convergence reaches it's full power. Living armor makes a full attack as a free action just before it combines with spirit form.

Ghost Armor (Su): At 5th level the spectral slayer's armor or living armor gains the ghost touch property. Spirit form gains a deflection bonus to AC equal to one half of his normal armor bonus.