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Zaydos
2014-01-29, 06:42 PM
SPIREKNIGHT

At the center of the Outlands, and some would say the Outer Planes at least if not the entire multiverse, a single stone mountain towers over the plane known as the Spire. This Spire is the center of the tiered anti-magic field which stretches across the Outlands. Some explorers of the Spire have reported seeing strange runes scattered across the Spire and even in caves in the face of the stone pillar. The spireknights are those warriors who have studied these runes, gaining some of the properties of the Spire in the process.

BECOMING A SPIREKNIGHT
Becoming a spireknight requires a combination of martial skill and knowledge of the runes at the Spire. Once these things are combined it is not too hard to become a Spireknight.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BAB: +5
Skills: Knowledge (the Planes) 4 ranks.
Special: Must have visited the Outlands, reaching the innermost 3 bands.
Special: Must have studied the runes of the spire, either in person, a copy, or the runes appearing on another spireknight.
Special: Proficiency in medium or heavier armor and at least 3 martial or exotic weapons.
Special: Ability to read and speak the Rilmani language, Celestial, Abyssal, and Infernal.

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (n/a), Spot (Wis), and Truespeak (Int).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

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

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Dispelling Strike, Spirestone

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Aligned Strike, Center of the Wheel

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Spire Runes

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Command Traveler, Spireborn

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Dismissal, Sense Planar Rifts

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+5|Greater Spire Runes

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+5|Bind Outsider

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+6|Plane Step, Voice of the Center

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+6|Greater Aligned Blade

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+7|True Spire Runes[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Spireknight gains no new armor or weapon proficiencies.

Dispelling Strike (Su): A Spireknight’s blows disrupt magical energies. A number of times per day equal to their spireknight level plus their Wisdom modifier a spireknight may activate a dispelling strike. A dispelling strike is made as part of an attack action, acting as a targeted dispel magic against the creature they are attacking which is resolved before their attack, or against one freestanding spell effect occupying the same square as their target (a spireknight may choose to not actually make an attack to attempt to dispel a free standing spell effect). A spireknight gains a bonus on their dispelling check equal to their character level + 2, increasing to +4 at character level 16; there is no cap to this bonus and beginning at 11th character level it is considered Greater Dispel Magic instead of Dispel Magic.

Spirestone (Su): A Spireknight’s studies of the Spire’s powers have allowed them to emulate a portion of them. A Spireknight radiates an aura that stiffens the planar connections nearby. Whenever a spell or effect that would bring a creature (or object) within 10-ft of the spireknight per spireknight class level through teleportation, summoning, or planar travel (including gate and calling effects) the arrival is delayed by 1 round per spireknight level, and the spireknight is automatically aware of such attempts. Attempts to leave the area through these effects instead must succeed at a caster level check DC 15 + twice your Spireknight level (use HD in the case of supernatural or extraordinary effects). A spireknight may suppress this ability or reactivate it as a swift action.

Aligned Strikes (Su): A Spireknight’s blows are filled with the power of the spire, striking out at creatures which deviate towards good, evil, law, or chaos. A spireknight’s attacks count as all alignments for overcoming DR and/or regeneration, and deal an additional 1d6 damage against any creature that is not true neutral, or 2d6 against any creature with an alignment subtype.

Center of the Wheel (Ex): A Spireknight is a being infused with the powers of the Spire which sits at the very center of the Great Wheel. As such a 2nd level or higher Spireknight counts as whatever alignment is most beneficial for all spells and effects (each determined separately and independently).

Spire Runes (Su): Runes older than the planes themselves spread across a spireknight’s body, aiding its resistance to magic. Beginning at 3rd level a Spireknight gains Spell Resistance equal to 15 + their class level. A Spireknight may raise or lower this spell resistance 1/round as a free action.

Command Traveler (Sp): 1/day per 4 character level a 4th level or higher Spireknight may issue a command towards a creature . This functions as Greater Command but it only affects Outsiders and Extraplanar creatures, with a caster level of the Spireknight’s character level and a Wisdom based saving throw DC. A Spireknight automatically succeeds at the Concentration check to use this ability defensively.

Spireborn (Ex): A spireknight is a native of the multiverse. Beginning at 4th level a Spireknight is never considered an extraplanar creature.

Dismissal (Sp): Beginning at 5th level a Spireknight may use Dismissal as a spell-like ability 1/day per 5 character levels with a caster level of the Spireknight’s character level and a Wisdom based saving throw DC. A Spireknight automatically succeeds at the Concentration check to use this ability defensively.

Sense Planar Rift (Su): Beginning at 5th level a Spireknight may sense any planar portals within 1 mile, knowing their location and what plane they lead to. This includes even momentary rifts and openings such as those created by summoning spells, calling spells, teleportation spells, and planar travel spells. A Spireknight is able to discern which plane such spells access, and what kind of spell was used.

Greater Spire Runes (Su): The runes across a Spireknight continue to grow more powerful. Beginning at 6th level a Spireknight’s spell resistance improves to full-fledged spell immunity (SR = infinite). A Spireknight may still suppress or reactivate this protection as a free action 1/round.

Bind Outsider (Su): Among the runes at the Spire are the truenames of all outsiders. A spireknight, tapping into the powers of these runes is able to call and bind an outsider to their service. To do so requires a 24 hour ritual, which summons the desired outsider and binds it to the spireknight in a deep bond. The outsider may never act against the binding spireknight (although it may refuse orders likely to lead to self-destruction) and should the spireknight die the outsider will as well. In addition the two share an empathic link (as the familiar ability) which stretches across interplanar distances. A bound outsider may be any outsider with a CR up to the spireknight’s character level -5. If a bound outsider dies the spireknight may not bind another of the same alignment for 1 level, may not bind another at all for 1 month, and must make a Fortitude save (DC 25), on a failure they take 4 negative levels and on a success they still take 2; these negative levels fade after 24 hours never resulting in permanent level loss. Only the actual binding of the outsider and the empathic link are a supernatural abilities, once it has been completed the servitude and negative levels are not supernatural abilities and therefore cannot be suppressed by anti-magic.

Plane Step (Su): The Spire is the center of the outer planes, beneath the planar nexus of Sigil, drawing upon its energy a Spireknight is able to step between the planes themselves. Beginning at 8th level a Spireknight may replicate the effects of a Greater Planeshift spell on themselves and, if they want it their bound outsider, 1/day per 4 character levels. This requires a standard action, but does not actually require the spireknight to be able to move.

Voice of the Center (Sp): A Spireknight can speak with the authority and power of the planar center. 1/day per 5 character levels an 8th level or higher spireknight can use any of the following as a spell-like ability: Blasphemy, Dictum, Holy Word, Word of Balance, or Word of Chaos. A Spireknight automatically succeeds at the Concentration check to use this ability defensively.

Greater Aligned Strike (Su): At 9th level a Spireknight’s Aligned Strike improves. It now deals 2d6 damage to non-neutral creatures, 4d6 to creatures with alignment subtypes. In addition 1/day per 3 character levels may supercharge an attack. This ability is activated before making the attack roll and the a creature struck by the attack must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ character level + Wisdom modifier) or suffer an effect based on its alignment for 1 round. If the target is Chaotic they are dazed, if they are Evil they are nauseated, if they are Good they are blinded, and if they are Lawful they are slowed. A creature is affected based on both their alignment and any alignment subtypes they have so a pit fiend would be slowed and blinded, while a succubus that had become a LG paladin would be dazed, blinded, slowed, and nauseated.

True Spire Runes (Su): The power of a spireknight’s runes continues to increase becoming similar to the power of the Spire itself. Beginning at 10th level a Spireknight may leverage the full power of their spire runes to radiate an anti-magic field out to 30-ft, this field functions against 7th level or higher spell effects out to 60-ft, and while it is active all planar connections are completely severed within a spireknight’s spirestone area making teleportation, summoning, calling, or planar travel into or out of the area impossible. Even the powers of lesser deities (as well as demigods and quasi-deities) are negated in this area, and this anti-magicfield is considered to be of deific strength. This anti-magic field does not negate a Spireknight's Spirestone, (Greater) Spire Runes, and (Greater) Aligned Strike.

PLAYING A SPIREKNIGHT
A Spireknight is a well-studied warrior, their knowledge of the outer planes and linguistics required to perform the studies of the spire runes from which they learn their special powers. A spireknight remains a warrior first and foremost, skilled in combat, with potent defenses and offenses against outsiders. Against other foes they rely more heavily on their previous skills, although never forgetting the powers of their aligned strikes, as well as the potent power possible in their Voice of the Center ability. Their bound outsider can give them a plethora of other powers and abilities that can provide the Spireknight with useful means to contribute in a variety of circumstances depending upon the selected outsider.
Combat: A Spireknight can resist the spells of an ill-prepared mage, resist the blasphemous utterances of a pit fiend, and survive the magical attacks of a solar even as his blade strips it of its magical buffs. Many of their abilities are most effective against outsiders or extraplanar creatures, but their anti-teleportation and spell resistance abilities provide them with useful abilities to protect themselves from certain foes, and their aligned strikes aids in a variety of combats.
Advancement: How a Spireknight will advance once they complete the Spireknight prestige class is largely dependent upon what other abilities they may have. Thankfully many of their Spireknight abilities continues to advance based upon character level.
Resources: A Spireknight can pull on a limited amount of resources through their bound outsider's aid, beyond that they rely primarily on their might of arms and skill as mercenaries in planar conflicts. The runes that serve as proof of their skills can grant a Spireknight access to many opportunities for employment in mercenary jobs on the Outer Planes due to their known talents.

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LOTRfan
2014-01-29, 08:24 PM
Hello, Zaydos. It's been a while. How are you doing this evening? :smallsmile:

I'm reading through this class now, and (as I expected) it is really good. I particularly like the capstone. Intermediate deities and higher can still use their abilities within the field though, correct?

My first reaction was "greater spire runes is too powerful!" but really now that I think about it I think there's a player race that gives roughly the same ability for +2 LA.

I think it is a very good prestige class, and I am looking forward to the fluffy bits.

Zaydos
2014-01-29, 08:59 PM
You are correct that Intermediate and higher deities are unaffected.

Any idea what the race might be? Sounds like it could potentially be fun to build stuff around.

Thanks.

LOTRfan
2014-01-29, 10:40 PM
Ah, if I remember correctly, it was a human subrace, except that it didn't have the ability to lower its spell immunity. I'll see if I can find the name.

Zaydos
2014-01-29, 11:46 PM
Were you maybe thinking of Karsites (no spell immunity but SR and LA +2, the ability to heal by resisting spells and to suppress magic items by attacking, also can't be casters)? Those keep coming to my mind... to google, because if there's no playable race with spell immunity I now want to make one.

LOTRfan
2014-01-29, 11:48 PM
Oh, yeah, that actually is what I was thinking. Sorry about that. I'd love to see what you would come up with, though.