[3.5, E6] Converting Prestige Classes to E6 - Taking Requests!

[Gnorman]

A pretty simple exercise, here - do you have a prestige class you've been dying to take, but E6 only lets you take a couple of levels? I'm here to help! You give me a prestige class, and I'll see what I can do to condense it down to E6 size.

Requests:
Blood Magus
Acolyte of the Skin
Oozemaster
Master of Many Forms
Arcane Trickster
Beastmaster
Order of the Bow Initiate
Kensai
Nightmare Spinner
Mindbender
Blackguard
Dragon Discipline
Shadowdancer
Fist of Zuoken
Pyrokineticist
Daggerspell Mage
Anarchic Initiate
Flayerspawn Psychic
Initiative of the Sevenfold Veil (...)
Assassin?
Some kind of gish class

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

The Illustrious One (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=7969666&postcount=7)

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:smalltongue:

Anyway, now that I'm done trolling...I don't really need to see these made, but I'm sort of tempted to give you some stuff to make.

So let me see a well-built E6 version of any/some/all of the following. Note that I'm less interested in seeing abilities preserved than I am in seeing concept preserved. Some of these will likely be a bit tricky. :smallbiggrin:


Blood Magus
Acolyte of the Skin
Oozemaster
Master of Many Forms
Arcane Trickster

[GunbladeKnight]

Complete Adventurer
Beastmaster
Complete Warrior
Order of the Bow Initiate
Kensai
Complete Mage
Nightmare Spinner
Complete Arcane
Mindbender

EDIT: Also, if you're feeling up to it:
Ahri (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/ahri/)
Akali (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/akali/)
Garen (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/garen/)
Jarvin IV (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/jarvaniv/)
Jayce (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/jayce/)
Jinx (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/jinx/)
Katarina (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/katarina/)
Lux (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/lux/)
Master Yi (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/masteryi/)
Xin Zhao (http://gameinfo.na.leagueoflegends.com/en/game-info/champions/xinzhao/)

[LucarinZer0]

I got a few to ask of you.

Blackguard (DMG)
Dragon Disciple (DMG)
Shadowdancer (DMG)
Fist of Zuoken (ExPsi)
Pyrokineticist (ExPsi)
Daggerspell Mage (CompAd)
Anarchic Initiate (CompPsi)
Flayerspawn Psychic (CompPsi)

I'll refrain asking for more, as I don't want to overfill your work load. I'll be back later if this thing takes off.

[Tvtyrant]

Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil please! All of the defenses!

[Rhaegar14]

Well, this isn't as much of a request per se, but Assassin works perfectly fine as a 3-level E6 Prestige Class if you drop the Hide and Move Silently ranks required to 6 (thus allowing characters to take it from character level 4 to 6). This gives them 2nd-level spells at 3, which actually makes their spellcasting an asset, but frankly, a buff won't kill the Assassin.

EDIT: I'd love to see any of the Gish PrCs get a conversion to E6.

[Gnorman]

It's finals week right now, so I won't have time to get to any of these, but I'll start work on Saturday and see what I can do.

[Xefas]

I'm slightly unclear on how this would work. Is the goal to convert a prestige class to a 6-level base class in the style of Gnorman's other E6 base classes? Or to condense it to a smaller prestige class with only a couple of levels in it and prerequisites that can be accessed by a level 1-5 character?

[Gnorman]

I'm slightly unclear on how this would work. Is the goal to convert a prestige class to a 6-level base class in the style of Gnorman's other E6 base classes? Or to condense it to a smaller prestige class with only a couple of levels in it and prerequisites that can be accessed by a level 1-5 character?

I'm open to various methods. I'd envisioned it more as a 3-level progression, with the prerequisites altered to allow entry at level 4.

Here's a very, very rudimentary example:

Arcane Trickster

Requirements
Alignment: Any nonlawful
Skills: Decipher Script 4 ranks, Disable Device 4 ranks, Escape Artist 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks
Spells: Ability to cast mage hand and at least one other arcane spell of 1st level or higher
Special: Sneak attack +1d6

HD: d4
Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (None), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points: 4 + Int per level (4x at 1st)

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spells Per Day

1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Ranged Legerdemain|+1 level of existing class

2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Sneak Attack +1d6|+1 level of existing class

3rd|+1|+1|+3|+3|Impromptu sneak attack 1/day|+1 level of existing class[/table]

Were I to give it an actual go, I'd fudge around with the abilities because, rather plainly, the Arcane Trickster isn't a very good class, and as is, it required almost zero creativity on my part.

[Xefas]

I dunno if you wanted help, but I tried to help anyway. What d'ya think?

Acolyte Of The Skin


Among the blasphemous tomes of arcane knowledge kept by demonologists, warlocks, and apostates of all kinds, one might find a portion of - or, if one is especially unfortuitous - the entirety of, a dark rite known as the Ritual of Despoiled Flesh. Both immediately dangerous and damning in the long-term, only the most foolish, desperate, or insane would willingly perform it on themselves. And yet some do; few survive.

The requirements for the ritual are fairly simple, if specific enough to be nearly impossible to replicate without a tutor or a set of instructions and precise diagrams. An elaborate pictogram must be drawn on a ten-foot radius circle of some solid material, which takes (20 - 1 per rank in the Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft skills) minutes to create. Then, assorted symbolic tokens, easily obtainable in any village-sized settlement for under a gold piece, are placed amidst the prepared space. A chant is performed for the duration of the ritual. One minute after the chant begins, the ritualist's flesh begins to crack and peel off, as if by some unseen heat, inflicting excruciating pain, and dealing 1d4 damage per round. If the chant can be maintained for 5 full rounds, a sizzling black oil begins to ooze from the ritualist's wounds, covering them, and ceasing the pain. If they meet the prerequisites for the Acolyte of the Skin prestige class and are prepared to progress to their next level of experience, then they are initiated into it and gain the first level of that class. If they do not meet this criteria, the oil ignites, dealing 1d4 fire damage per round for 5 more rounds, or until the victim successfully spends a full-round action to make a DC 15 Reflex save to put out the fire.

A character with 8 ranks in both Knowledge (Arcana) and Spellcraft, who spends a combined total of (60 - 5 per point of Intelligence modifier) hours studying a written manual for the Ritual of Despoiled Flesh can learn to modify it to even more villainous purposes. The modified version requires 10 more gold pieces in implements, and a helplessly restrained or unconscious creature placed in the center of the ritual space. Performing the ritual is much the same, save that while the ritualist chants, the damage is applied to the helpless creature bound within, and that upon its completion, it is the unwilling victim who becomes an Acolyte of the Skin (or is cast aflame).

Requirements
Alignment: Any. The dark powers are always willing to help.
Variable: The character must have one of: A Base Attack Bonus of +3 or +2d6 Sneak Attack or a Caster Level of 3.
Special: Must have undergone the Ritual of Despoiled Flesh (see above).

HD: d8
Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Disguise, Escape Artist, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills taken individually), Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Spellcraft, Spot, Swim, Tumble
Skill Points: 4 + Intelligence Modifier

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spells Per Day
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Lesser Fiendskin, A Question Of Focus|+1 level of existing class
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Greater Fiendskin|+1 level of existing class
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Perfect Fiendskin|+1 level of existing class
[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Acolytes of the Skin gain no further proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells Per Day/Spells Known: At each level, an Acolyte of the Skin gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class to which he belonged before adding the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of turning or destroying undead, a bonus feat, and so on). If he had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an Acolyte of the Skin, he must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known.

A Question Of Focus: Although it is most common for spellcasters to stumble upon the Ritual, it was purposefully devised to be simple enough to be performed by laymen in the arcane crafts, and sometimes a warrior is tempted by the promise of power it provides, or is subjected to it against their will. When a character with no levels in a spellcasting class gains a level of Acolyte of the Skin, the class provides a "Good" Base Attack Bonus and Reflex Saving Throw progression (as a Brawler, for reference), and 1 additional maximum hit point. When the infernal or demonic power they draw upon has no magical gift to feed, it instead makes them all the quicker, tougher, and more bloodthirsty in battle.

Lesser Fiendskin: The black oil secreted by the completion of the Ritual of Despoiled Flesh is, in fact, a refined and liquified version of the planar energies used to birth a new Demon, Devil, Yugoloth, or other denizen of the Lower Planes. It adheres to the new Acolyte's raw flesh, and forms a rough, clearly inhuman shell around them. The exact appearance is never the same twice, but it is always unnatural to behold; red or black scales are common, eyes that are miscolored, cat-like, goat-like, or pupiless perhaps - these minor alterations herald worse things to come.

The Acolyte gains a +1 natural armor bonus, or their previous natural armor bonus improves by 1, and they gain a +1 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks against targets that can see their true self.

Furthermore, the planar energy bonded to their mortal self whispers dark things to them at all hours of the day and night. Most of the time it is soft, insidious, too quiet to be a constant bother, but too loud not to take its toll after a while. Once per day, after they have made an attack roll, damage roll, skill check, or imposed a saving throw on another creature, but before the results of that action have resolved, they may call upon the voices to aid them. In the case of an attack or damage roll, the result gains a +2. For a skill check, it gains a +4. For the imposition of a saving throw, the defender's result is considered 2 less.

However, the daily use of this ability only recharges after 24 hours have passed, and the Acolyte has been driven to perform at least one Evil act, per level they have in this class, by the voices in their head, since the last time they used it.

Greater Fiendskin: The Acolyte's body undergoes more dramatic cosmetic changes than before. Horns, claws, and eyes like burning coals are common but, again, no two transformations are the same. Some grow clusters of tentacles, others have a nimbus of flame in place of their hair, and still others have flesh that looks (and smells) rotting and diseased.

The Acolyte gains Resistance 5 to one of (Fire, Cold, Electricity, or Acid), and the circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks granted by Lesser Fiendskin increases by 1. If they have manifested some form of sharp physical mutation that would aid them in melee combat, such as claws, spines, bladed ridges on their forearms, or something more exotic, they gain the Improved Unarmed Strike feat as a bonus feat if they did not have it already, and may deal Slashing damage with their unarmed strikes.

Perfect Fiendskin: The Acolyte has lost their humanity entirely, having bonded completely with the blasphemous powers they have consorted with, willing or no. They are considered either their original type or an Outsider with the [Native] subtype, whichever is most beneficial to them at any given time. Along with this transformation, they become physically profane in appearance. Digitigrade cloven hooves, multiple rows of shark-like teeth, impossible anatomical proportions; the Acolyte's whole body becomes a perfect kin to creatures of the pit, often times unrecognizable as the person they once were.

The Acolyte gains two feats, which must have one of the [Vile], [Abyssal Heritor], or [Devil-Touched] descriptors, that they meet all prerequisites for, save for alignment prerequisites. If the Acolyte is not already Evil, somehow, the dark powers are all too eager to heap more corruption upon them. (These can often be used to model a particular set of bodily changes, such as taking Willing Deformity and Deformity (Teeth) to represent growing an inhumanly large shark-maw, or Vestigial Wings and Otherworldly Countenance for a succubus-inspired shape.)