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View Full Version : A PrC I made on a dare



mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 02:10 AM
This came up in a discussion on dragon sleeping habits.

Exotic Smut Artist

Prerequisites:
Skills: Craft (write), Craft (draw), Craft (sculpture) 8, or Perform (Dance) 8
Special: Must have a dirty mind and no self esteem.

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex)

Skill Points: 6+Int Modifier

Exotic Smut Artist
{table=head]Level|Base Attack[br]Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Disturbing Mental Image
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Mass Fascination
4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Multimedia Fascination
5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Multimedia Suggestion
[/table]

Disturbing Mental Image (Ex)
A 1st Level Exotic Smut Artist gains the ability to create a Disturbing Mental Image in the mind of one target. The target must make a Will save equal to the Exotic Smut Artist's relevant Craft or Perform check, or be shaken for a number of rounds equal to the amount by which it was failed.

Mass Fascination (Sp)
As Fascination, but affects any number of creatures.

Multimedia Fascination (Sp)
As Mass Fascination, but rather than a Perform Check, the Exotic Smut Artist may write, draw, or sculpt something. He makes the check when he first makes it, and this is the DC of the Will save anyone reading or viewing it must make to avoid becoming fascinated. He must then pay an XP cost equal to 100xp * their Craft Check. Affected people get an additional Will save every minute of viewing. Someone who has made their Will save may attempt to help break their fascination, granting a +1 bonus to their Will save. Anyone who makes a Will save against a particular piece of art is completely immune to being affected by it, and a +1 bonus to save against work by the same artist, whether this is Fascination or Suggestion.

Multimedia Suggestion (Sp)
As Mass Suggestion, but an Exotic Smut Artist may include a Suggestion in anything in which they include a Fascination. The XP it costs to make it is 150% as one that merely Fascinates. The Will save to resist is the same as the Will save to resist Fascination. They additionally get a separate Will save to break it for every minute they are affected by the Suggestion, and again someone who has made a Will save may attempt to help break someone under a Suggestion, granting a +1 bonus. Breaking a Fascination also breaks any Suggestion they're under, and vice-versa.

I actually like those last two abilities. Reminds me a bit of Narcissus, how he was so fascinated with himself that he sat there forever...

Edit: Made some changes, it's not nearly as powerful now.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2007-01-07, 02:17 AM
If I took levels in this class could I count it as a flaw for the purpous of aquiring an additional feat?

purple gelatinous cube o' Doom
2007-01-07, 02:19 AM
the fact that someone bothered to create this class in the first place says they have way too much time on their hands.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 02:28 AM
the fact that someone bothered to create this class in the first place says they have way too much time on their hands.

Yeah, the time between semesters tends to do that to me.

Demented
2007-01-07, 06:29 AM
You could very well tweak and use the last three abilities and call the PrC the "Exhibitionist".

Machete
2007-01-07, 10:42 AM
I just had to go and mention "naughty dragon literature" didn't I? :)

Athenodorus
2007-01-07, 12:11 PM
I think no self esteem is a bit too much for the class, and it's underpowered considering the requirements. I would also switch the high will save into Reflex, to better fit the low willpower class premise.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 02:07 PM
My thinking was they have to have a high willpower to work with all that dirty stuff.

I do agree it's a bit underpowered given the requirements, but it's supposed to be entered from Bard anyway, so they can get ranks in those things easily.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-07, 02:35 PM
Get the Book of Erotic Fantasy to pick some spells there as powers :p

mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 02:43 PM
Get the Book of Erotic Fantasy to pick some spells there as powers :p

Ooh, that's an excellent plan.

bosssmiley
2007-01-07, 04:21 PM
"There is PrC of it - no exceptions" :smallannoyed:

Brickwall
2007-01-07, 06:47 PM
Yay, you used my beginning!

Just so you all know, I am the one who made the dare. You may commence trying to beat me. But you'll just be punching a wall.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 07:23 PM
Yeah, I thought that was necessary.

On an unrelated note, related to your signature, the answer is "Don't count 'one-two, one-two' first."

Jack_Simth
2007-01-07, 11:28 PM
So... a Bard or Rogue-5/ESA-5 could take over the world.

Seriously.

Lots of sculpture. Taking 20, with an Int of 16, max ranks, and Skill Focus (Craft(Sculpture)), it's a Will save DC 39 vs. the Suggestion. With two such, basically only one in 400 people (and this includes basically anyone without Mind Blank; it takes a +21 Will save before you're out of Nat-20 territory with THAT) will save vs. the Suggestion... which can be basically anything. Two outside the "gallery" that suggest harmless, Buy a ticket, or whatever else is needed to get the masses inside, with a lot inside that have whatever (including "please come again") twenty times over, and very quickly the entire city is doing your bidding. Make more to have gallaries set up other places and, well.....

I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm going to have to call this one overpowered. Especially if such feats as Able Learner are tossed into the mix. Unlimited fixed suggestions that can be left lying around, at a fairly small cost, are a bad idea. When they scale based on skill ranks, rather than the standard maximum of 10+1/2 character level + some ability modifier (with the occasional feat or two upping this marginally), it gets out of control rather quickly.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-07, 11:59 PM
So... a Bard or Rogue-5/ESA-5 could take over the world.

Yeah, that's basically the idea.

You do know that it wasn't supposed to be serious, right? :smalltongue:

Halcyon_Dax
2007-01-08, 01:08 AM
So what you are saying is...

Erotica holds the reigns of the world?

Sounds about right.







What do dragons do when they are looking at dragon porn?

mikeejimbo
2007-01-08, 09:25 AM
What do dragons do when they are looking at dragon porn?

I dunno, what DO dragons do when they are looking at dragon porn?

Athenodorus
2007-01-08, 10:10 AM
I think that most everybody has a guess.

Roderick_BR
2007-01-08, 10:17 AM
The campaign world is for porn!

I wonder if the feat "Thog thinks pretty girls icky" would give the character a chance to avoid most of these effects.

As for the brickwall... you better be careful with monks with Ki Strike (Adamantine) ;)

ampcptlogic
2007-01-08, 10:26 AM
I dunno, what DO dragons do when they are looking at dragon porn?

I think Rich has answered this one, rather disturbingly, in fact

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0188.html

mikeejimbo
2007-01-08, 12:33 PM
The campaign world is for porn!

I wonder if the feat "Thog thinks pretty girls icky" would give the character a chance to avoid most of these effects.

As for the brickwall... you better be careful with monks with Ki Strike (Adamantine) ;)

I'd imagine it would, as well as they get saves every minute or so and as soon as they make one, they're immune to that particular piece of art.

Tussy the Druid
2007-01-08, 09:25 PM
Ooooook. This is thinking out of the box. It could be overpowered if you look at it like that, but i know i would never play it. Too me, it's 5 levels down the drain. No offense Mike, i'm just saying i'd never use it.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-08, 10:14 PM
Well obviously, it's a joke. I'd only take it for an April Fool's Quest.

Maybe for an NPC though.

Bouldering Jove
2007-01-09, 08:17 PM
So... a Bard or Rogue-5/ESA-5 could take over the world.

Seriously.
True. There should be an xp cost for the items crafted with Multimedia Fascination, and/or a shortening of spell duration.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-09, 08:30 PM
True. There should be an xp cost for the items crafted with Multimedia Fascination, and/or a shortening of spell duration.

That actually makes sense. I don't know about the shortening of spell duration, how that would work, but I was thinking perhaps something that someone who has made a Will save against a particular artist is immune to it and can attempt to get other people out of it.

The Dirge
2007-01-09, 08:36 PM
Imagine, a group of orcs is charging at a lone person. Suddenly, the persons pulls out 'Playorc' and the orcs are dumbstruck. He calmly walks past each of them and stabs them in the back while they busy themselves with a foldout 'Orc on Hobgoblin action'.

Great class, it would be fun to roleplay but only on special occasions

Ultimatum479
2007-01-09, 08:37 PM
Well, mikee, in that case it'd be basically the same as one who's broken free of an illusion spell helping others to disbelieve it. Not a problem. I like the idea of XP costs for the creation of MF Items.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-09, 08:44 PM
Well, mikee, in that case it'd be basically the same as one who's broken free of an illusion spell helping others to disbelieve it. Not a problem. I like the idea of XP costs for the creation of MF Items.

Me too. In a while, I'll edit it with a bit of those things.

And to The Dirge: Yes, that is excellent, although the thought of it is quite disturbing. Which is quite the point of the class.

Jack_Simth
2007-01-09, 09:51 PM
Yeah, that's basically the idea.

You do know that it wasn't supposed to be serious, right? :smalltongue:

Yeah.

But then, this might actually see play somewhere, so it's probably a good idea if it's at least partially balanced.


Ooooook. This is thinking out of the box. It could be overpowered if you look at it like that, but i know i would never play it. Too me, it's 5 levels down the drain. No offense Mike, i'm just saying i'd never use it.What's an artist to do if not make a gallery? Don't most highly successful artists have some kind of message? Whether that message is "Do as I say" or "everyone shall live in peace and harmony", the result is essentially the same; if someone with a full-blown case of ESA starts putting a fixed message into their work, pretty soon basically everyone is doing what the ESA afflicted character instructs.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-10, 08:28 AM
All right, I made some changes. For one thing, people who are unaffected can help break affected people, and note that I gave it an unnamed bonus, so they stack. After all, the more people telling you something, the more likely you are to fail to Peer Pressure.

In a similar vein though, maybe they should take a penalty for everyone that is fascinated already?

Bouldering Jove
2007-01-11, 06:56 AM
How many art galleries are there in medieval fantasy, though?

Realistically, even in a setting with public art galleries. getting as many people as possible to see an artwork is actually quite challenging, especially if the exotic smut artist's work is very unusual (perhaps it must be in order for Multimedia Fascination to work). First, what percentage of the people that you personally know regularly visit local art galleries? Second, getting it to be displayed in the open like a public statue requires convincing the local government to allow it, which may be difficult if it's smut. Third, even getting it displayed in some kind of establishment requires convincing the establishment owner, and preventing the Suggestion from sending away customers - which will inevitably get the thing removed by the owner, even if the owner was magically persuaded to allow it in the first place.

The real use of artwork laden with suggestions is either in partnership with local rulers or with niche targets: the regional nobility attending an invite-only social meeting (where exotic is a bragging point), a drawing left under a person's door, part of a complicated trap.

Notes on the changes: Now I think you've made it too weak for the experience cost. I think the best idea would be to allow Suggestion as an option instead of Fascination, rather than in addition to it. Multimedia Fascination would have a save opportunity every minute, while Multimedia Suggestion would have the normal Suggestion spell in effect or a save every hour. Regarding the length of the Suggestion, you didn't specify: is the caster level of the Suggestion equal to the Craft check for duration purposes?

Speaking of the Craft check, the fact that actual item creation rather than performance is necessary for the Multimedia ability should probably strike out Perform (Dance) as a prerequisite option.

Also, there are some blank rows in the table code.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-11, 08:45 AM
Also, there are some blank rows in the table code.

Whoops, that must have happened when I edited it.

As for your other comments, you make good points. The reason I had it as Fascination and Suggestion was because Bards can only make a Suggestion to someone they've Fascinated.

Jack_Simth
2007-01-12, 01:23 AM
How many art galleries are there in medieval fantasy, though?

Fairly immaterial; at 10th, one can usually afford to make an art gallery personally.


Realistically, even in a setting with public art galleries. getting as many people as possible to see an artwork is actually quite challenging, especially if the exotic smut artist's work is very unusual (perhaps it must be in order for Multimedia Fascination to work). First, what percentage of the people that you personally know regularly visit local art galleries? Second, getting it to be displayed in the open like a public statue requires convincing the local government to allow it, which may be difficult if it's smut. Third, even getting it displayed in some kind of establishment requires convincing the establishment owner, and preventing the Suggestion from sending away customers - which will inevitably get the thing removed by the owner, even if the owner was magically persuaded to allow it in the first place.

Becomes a lot easier at that 5th level with the ability to plant suggestions. before the XP costs (I made the "take over the world" comment before they were put in place), you don't ask permission; you just set 20+ statues in front of your publicly accessable building (mostly to insure that basicaly everyone fails at least one save - and with a save DC based on your craft check, 20 should be more than plenty, but the number is chosen primarily around the nat-1 clause in saving throws) with the same Suggestion - based around something along the lines of "It is good and proper that these should be seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible" - anyone walking by sees them, and has very, very little chance of avoiding the Suggesion. When 99%+ of the people that see a thing are fine with it, it gets tricky to move against the target. Inside the gallery, you put in whatever Suggestions you want, and charge something in the way of admission (a few coppers is sufficient, as nearly everyone who walks by encourages everyone they know to come....).

With the current XP costs, of course, making 20 highly Suggestive pieces of art is cost prohibitive, and the strategy falls apart.


The real use of artwork laden with suggestions is either in partnership with local rulers or with niche targets: the regional nobility attending an invite-only social meeting (where exotic is a bragging point), a drawing left under a person's door, part of a complicated trap.

With the XP costs in place, that's true.

elliott20
2007-01-12, 01:56 PM
this is like, the PrC that the authors of "Stileproject.net" took or something.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-12, 03:39 PM
So, Mr. Smith, would you say the XP costs are a fair balancing act?

Jack_Simth
2007-01-12, 05:25 PM
It cuts down on the "taking over the world" thing, at least. At 10th (Say, Bard-5/ESA-5) when you can have Multimedia Suggestion, with a Craft check of +20 (not unreasonable - Masterwork tools +2, ranks +13, Int +2, Skill Focus(Craft(Smut))+3), taking 10 on your Craft check (which gives a DC of 30) costs 3,000 xp. While that has a chance of successfully planting a Suggestion in even a fairly high level character (the 15th level Cleric with a Wisdom of 28, Cloak of Resistance +5, and a luckstone has a Will save of +23 - fails on a 6 or less, 30% of the time; the Fighter-15 with Iron Will, a Wisdom of 14, a Cloak of Resistence +5, and a Luckstone needs a 15, and is basically doomed if he needs to save against two), he can only make about three of them before leveling. If the ESA happens to roll a 20, that's a DC 40 bit of Smut. Sure, it costs 4,000 xp, and he can maybe make two, but that Cleric-15 suddenly fails on a 16 or less, 80% of the time. The Fighter-15 doesn't stand a chance (nat-20 territory). With 2 rolls of 20 (or potentially taking 20 twice), the Cleric's basically left with about a 95% chance of having to suck up one of the suggestions.

He's still left with a good chance of defeating, with something he made a while back, something CR 5 over himself. By himself, provided he gets to choose the venu. And it's based on his opponent's good save.

He can't now gallery and take over the world easily, but he can still do a lot, against people that should, by the flavor of it, be able to resist fairly readily.

mikeejimbo
2007-01-12, 05:51 PM
What about the fact that if they save against it, they get bonuses against that same artist? And bonuses for other people who try to help them resist?

Jack_Simth
2007-01-12, 07:16 PM
Then a sufficient number of DC 1 Suggestive things invokes the nat-1 clause.

And he's still got an initial chance of Suggesting something absurd to someone five levels above him successfully that's not bad at all, even when the target is basically the worst case scenario.

And you get XP for defeating targets, not for killing them. If they're planted with a Suggestion that renders them harmless, they're defeated. An ESA-5 will level fast if he puts his hand to it.