Zaydos
2014-07-21, 11:55 PM
Animator
”Life and art are the same side of the same golden coin, to create is to live and to live is to create.”
An animator is someone gifted with the power to create reality from naught but his imagination and desire. Their artistic talents tap into the creative power of the universe and thus they make a new reality with the end of their brush.
Adventures: Excitement! Adventure! Inspiration! Life begets art. To see the world is to have one’s mind widened and creativity stimulated. A man of narrow horizons is one whose mind has narrow vistas. Just like anyone else animators have various reasons for adventure. Perhaps one chases after a famed artifact, the Canvas of the Gods; another desires the love of a certain maiden and sees adventure as a means to capture her heart; yet another seeks to see if his creations can stand against those of the gods themselves.
Characteristics: An animator creates what they need for the situation. They are masters of creation, changing the world to fit their desires. An animator's creations are their shield and sword, and often serve as the same for the animator's companions. Their powers allow them to remove physical obstacles, reshape the battlefield to their choosing, and even create destructive blasts of energy to wear down foes. Ultimately, though, an animator is usually an artist first and a warrior later, and even their destructive powers take on an artistic style, their flames resplendent in a hundred colors, their eidolons an example of their personal flare and taste.
Alignment: Animators may be of any alignment. Like many artists animators tend towards Chaotic, challenging social norms and resenting any authority which tries to control their artistic vision. It is a rare animator indeed who cares enough about social regulations to be considered Lawful. They are more evenly divided between Good and Evil, although animators lean slightly towards Good; they are by nature creators and would prefer to create something new than to take what belongs to another.
Religion: Animators tend to follow artistic gods, or those of creation. Gods of craftsmanship, or beauty attract them. Those that do not worship such gods often either worship no god in particular, or turn towards gods of magic or knowledge.
Background: Animators must study their art. The magic of creation wielded by an animator is no easy skill to master, and most learn it after years of study. Some animators learn their talents from a single master, serving under them in a dedicated apprenticeship. Others study at great colleges of the arts, learning the secret skills to bringing life out from nothing but their own will and artistic spirit.
Races: Elves and gnomes are the most likely to study the art of creation, both having a natural aptitude for both magic and art. Dwarves, artistic craftsmen as they are, rarely have the flare and force of personality needed to become animators. Orcs and other savage people rarely develop the intricate knowledge of magic needed to perform an animator's arts.
Other Classes: Animators are often haughty, seeing their powers of creation as putting them above common people. In wizards and psions they sometimes see equals, for wizards too have the power to rewrite reality itself, and share their years of study. They look at sorcerers with something of envy, they have such power inborn with no need of long training. A religious animator may see themselves as something of a priest, while one that scorns the gods see them as nothing but lap dogs indenturing themselves for power. They see more need of a rogue's cunning than a fighter's sword, their stock animations serving to fulfill much the same function as the warrior's edge.
Role: An animator acts primarily as a summoner. Their animate eidolon and stock animation abilities allow them to create disposable warriors which serve to take hits for the party, and with sheer numbers can drag down powerful foes at an expensive cost to the animator. In this way they can serve as a warrior, using hordes of expendable summons to hold off a foe. Their later abilities allow them to debuff enemies (edit and erase), control the battlefield (backdrop), and eventually even destroy enemies right out (draw hole on the ground, erase). Draw Energy allows them to deal some damage to enemies directly, but is only a minor source of damage at most levels, acting more to finish off already weakened enemies or fill turns in which other abilities are not worth using.
Adaptation: As written animators are a learned technique, much like a wizard, but it could be easily adapted so that instead they spontaneously develop their powers like a sorcerer. Animators could also be divorced from their artistic roots entirely, making it simply the magic of creation and removing the drawn nature of their creations; in that case one might choose to replace Draw Hole with some other ability or remove it entirely.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Animators have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Many of an animator's powers rely upon Charisma. Dexterity and Constitution both serve to help them defensively, making up in part for their light armor. Intelligence is useful for skill points. Wisdom is used for mental defenses, and Strength is usually of little importance.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4
Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: As sorcerer.
Class Skills
The Animator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
ANIMATOR
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Animate Eidolon, Stock Animation, Artist’s Focus, Artistry, Alchemical Training
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Draw Energy
3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Erase 1/day
4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Creation (Fleeting)
5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Backdrop 1/day
6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Erase 2/day, Minor Edit
7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Draw Hole 1/day
8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Creation (Momentary)
9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Edit 1/day, Erase 3/day
10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Backdrop 2/day, Draw Hole 2/day
11th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Erase Magic
12th
+6
+4
+4
+8
Erase 4/day, Creation (Lasting)
13th
+6
+4
+4
+8
Draw Hole 3/day
14th
+7
+4
+4
+9
Erase Creature, Minor Edit (double)
15th
+7
+5
+5
+9
Backdrop 3/day, Erase 5/day
16th
+8
+5
+5
+10
Draw Hole 4/day, Creation (Persevering)
17th
+8
+5
+5
+10
Edit 2/day
18th
+9
+6
+6
+11
Erase (6/day, limitless objects)
19th
+9
+6
+6
+11
Draw Hole (5/day)
20th
+10
+6
+6
+12
Backdrop (at-will), Creation (True), Double Stock Animation, True Eidolons
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Animator
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: An animator is proficient in 3 simple weapons of their choice, as well as light armor.
Animate Eidolon (Sp): An animator’s most basic, and useful, technique is the creation of characters or “toons”. By spending 1 full round an animator may create 1 or more toons. This functions like a Summon Monster spell as cast by a wizard of the animator’s class level except its duration is increased by 1 round, and a spell level of one half the animator’s class level rounded up (at 19th or higher level any creature created by this ability gains +4 to all ability scores and +2 natural armor). This is considered a spell-like ability of the same spell level as the Summon Monster spell replicated. In addition to creatures from the Summon Monster list an animator may use this ability to summon monsters from one of the following spells’ list of creatures, assuming the spell exists and is available in the campaign.
Summon Nature’s Ally
Summon Undead
Conjure Ice Creatures
Summon Desert Ally
Summon Giants
Bat, Rat, or Spider Swarm (this counts as a monster from the Summon Monster III list)
Astral Construct (use augmentation as a psion of your animator level)
Any creature created with Animate Eidolon appears to be made from paint and color given form, obviously not a normal creature but something somehow drawn.
This ability functions even in an area which precludes dimensional travel, but is otherwise considered a summoning effect, a creature created with this effect and banished is unmade returning to the nothing from which it formed. An animator may create eidolons with any alignment without it being an aligned act, but toons lose access to any spell-like ability they possess that has an alignment descriptor opposed to part of the animator that created them’s alignment.
An animator may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + ½ their Charisma modifier (if positive).
Stock Animation (Su): An animator learns how to create certain toons more easily by reusing the same creation over and over again. At 1st level an animator may select 2 creatures they may summon with Animate Eidolon as Stock Animation, and whenever they gain an animator level they may select a new creature that they can summon as a Stock Animation. At 3rd level and every odd level thereafter an animator may replace 1 Stock Animation they have access to with another creature they can summon. An animator may not select an incorporeal creature or swarm as a Stock Animation with this ability. This ability functions like Animate Eidolon (see above) except it is a supernatural ability (it cannot be dispelled, countered, does not provoke AoOs to use, SR does not apply, etc) and as described below.
An animator may use Stock Animation at will, but may only have 1 creature created with it at a time, and if a creature created with it is destroyed the animator must wait 5 minutes before using it again. Creatures created with Stock Animation last indefinitely and may travel any distance from the animator. The animator may dismiss a creature created by Stock Animation as a full round action; if they do so they must wait 1 minute before using Stock Animation to create another creature. Finally the spells and spell-like abilities of creatures created with Stock Animation are limited. In addition to their normal limits based upon the creature summoned (i.e X/day), any expenditure of a spell or spell-like ability by a toon created by Stock Animation is carried over to all toons of the same kind (i.e. if one unicorn uses a spell-like ability and you later use Stock Animation to make another unicorn it still has that spell-like ability expended), and your Stock Animations may only use a number of spells or spell-like abilities each day equal to your Charisma modifier.
If you create an astral construct with your stock animation ability its chosen traits are determined when you learn that stock animation.
Artist’s Focus: An animator requires tools to perform his arts, a symbolic focus through which to channel the creative energies. To use any Supernatural or Spell-like ability granted by the animator class other than erase the animator must have such a focus in hand. This focus must be some form of drawing or painting utensil: a pen, a brush, a piece of chalk, etc.
Artistry (Ex): An animator learns how to create pieces of visual art. At 1st level an animator gains 4 ranks in any single Craft skill related to drawing or painting, and they gain another rank in that skill for every level in animator they obtain thereafter. If this would put an animator's skill ranks in this skill above their maximum skill ranks based on level they must immediately retrain the excess skill ranks placing them into other skills.
Alchemical Training (Ex): Despite not truly being a spellcaster an animator may make full use of Craft (Alchemy).
Draw Energy (Su): An animator learns to animate short bursts of special effects, a gout of flame, a surge of water, a bolt of lightning. Beginning at 2nd level an animator may 3 + Charisma modifier times per day, as a standard action, create an offensive burst of energy or matter which almost instantaneously vanishes. They may choose one of the following types of damage: fire, cold, electricity, acid, bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. The effect deals 1d6 damage of the chosen type per two animator levels. The animator may choose one of the following methods of attack: Ranged touch, line (5-ft long per animator level; must be at least 4th level to use), 5-ft square, emanation (5-ft/2 animator levels burst centered on self), cone (5-ft long per 3 animator levels; must be at least 6th level to use), burst (5-ft radius per 4 animator levels; must be at least 10th level to use), or 1 shapeable 5-ft square per 2 levels (must be at least 8th level to use, squares must be contiguous unless you have at least 14 animator levels). Unless the attack is a cone, emanation, or line the effect must be placed within 10-ft + 10-ft per animator level (for burst this only applies to the center), and unless it is a ranged touch a reflex save (DC 10 +1/2 animator level + charisma modifier) is allowed for half damage. Whatever method the animator uses to attack it must be visibly detectable and appears to be drawn with whatever is appropriate to their artist’s focus, and the player is encouraged to be descriptive with the effect.
Beginning at 6th level an animator may instill this energy with a certain level of greater substance. When using Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Slashing, or Piercing damage and using any shape other than 5-ft squares if the target suffers damage they must also make a Fortitude save or be pushed away from the source of the effect (center of burst if burst, you if anything else) 5-ft + 5-ft per 3 points by which they failed their save; creatures apply any size modifiers applied to bull rush attempts or bonuses to resist bull rush attempts to this saving throw. When an animator is using Fire a creature damaged must make a second Reflex save or be caught on fire suffering 1d6 fire damage per round for 1 minute or until the fire is extinguished (standard action). When an animator is using Electricity the target must make a second Reflex save or be entangled for 1 round. Using these additional effects costs an additional daily use of Draw Energy. Beginning at 16th level these additional effects may be used at will with no additional expenditure of Draw Energy.
Erase (Su): An animator does not merely draw, sometimes there is a mistake and they must erase what has been made. Beginning at 3rd level an animator gains the ability to erase one object from existence, or a 5-ft cube of an object larger than 25 cubic feet. This ability only affects non-magical objects, and can be used once per day per 3 animator levels. Unattended objects are not allowed saving throws, but attended objects (including the floor beneath someone’s feet) are allowed a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier). The animator must have line of sight to the object and be within 60-ft of it. Beginning at 11th level this ability may now affect magical items, which are allowed a saving throw even if unattended. Beginning at 14th level an animator may attempt to use this ability on a creature. A creature is allowed a Fort save, and on a failure take 2d6 damage per animator level you possess, if this damage reduces them to 0 or less hp they are destroyed as if disintegrated, if they succeed on the Fort save they take 5d6 damage instead; any effect which prevents disintegration also protects against this ability. Beginning at 18th level when an animator uses this ability against an object it does not count against their daily uses, and they may use this ability against objects with 0 uses remaining.
If an animator erases the ground beneath a creature’s feet it is allowed a Fortitude save as an attended object and the creature is allowed a Reflex save to move 5-ft into an unoccupied square to avoid falling within; if the creature is large size or larger they will not fall regardless.
Creation (Su): An animator learns how to create objects as well as creatures and energy. As a swift action an animator may create an object. This allows the animator to create a weapon or suit of armor made for a creature up to their size, or any object which could be made with a Major Creation spell with a caster level equal to their animator level. At 4th level objects created this way last for only 1 round, at 8th level they last for 1 minute, at 12th level they last for 1 hour, at 16th level they last for 1 day. Beginning at 20th level an animator may expend 1 XP per 5 GP worth of item created to make a permanent item. An animator may only use this ability a number of times each day equal to their Charisma modifier plus 1 (minimum 1). The object must be created within 30-ft of the animator and created on a surface which can support its weight. The object can be created in another creature’s hand, or already worn by another creature, but in that case the creature is allowed a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier) to prevent its creation. Any creature touching an object made with this ability may spend a Standard action to make a Will save to destroy the object. Objects made by this ability look as if they were drawn by your Artist’s Focus.
To create anything complicated (including weapons and armor) an animator must make a Craft check using a Craft skill related to drawing or painting in place of whatever the normal craft skill for the object would be.
Backdrop (Su): Creation is not limited to the foreground, a background is important as well. Beginning at 5th level an animator may draw a scene for the action to take place in adding terrain features. As a standard action the animator can create one of the following within 10-ft per animator level:
A shapeable wall of material 1-ft by 10-ft by 10-ft per animator level the entire structure must be physically connected and any fragment of a section smaller than this costs the full sized price (a 5’ by 5’ by 5’ box which had all six sides made from this ability would cost the same as a 10’ by 10’ by 10’ one or 6 10’ segments). Regardless of what the wall is drawn to look like it has hardness 10 and 30 hit points per foot of thickness. If the wall would be made adjacent to a creature the creature can make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ your animator level + your Charisma modifier) to get to the other side before the wall is finished (this costs 5-ft of movement or a 5-ft step from the creature’s next turn). This wall may not be formed with a creature inside it or with any unattached segments. The wall does not have to be flat or smooth and can be decorated, have arrow slits, doors, or handholds although adding them requires a DC 20 Craft check (with a relevant artistic skill).
4 squares of difficult terrain per animator level. An animator may spend 3 squares of difficult terrain to cause the terrain to cause the square to cost 4 squares of movement to enter instead of 2.
1 solid obstacle unaffected by gravity per 3 animator levels. These obstacles can be up to 5’ by 5’ by 5’ and have hardness 10 and 150 hit points. These obstacles cannot be made in an occupied square. The obstacle does not need to be a specific shape but can only be used to create crude objects and structures and requires a DC 25 Strength check to move (5-ft as part of a move action +5 feet per 10 points over 25) except for the animator who made it and who can move it with a DC 0 check.
Total darkness or shadowy concealment in a 15-ft radius +5-ft per 4 animator levels, centered within the range. This is considered a 3rd level spell of the darkness descriptor for interaction with magical light effects. This is considered magical darkness.
Fog, as the spell Fog Cloud in a 15-ft radius +5-ft per 4 animator levels, centered within the range.
Anything created with Backdrop lasts only 1 round per point of Charisma modifier the animator possesses.
An animator may use backdrop once per day per 5 animator levels, and beginning at 20th level may use it at-will, but an animator may have no more than 3 instances of backdrop active at once.
Minor Edit (Su): An animator is able to make some minor alterations and tweaks to reality as well as their more overt creations and erasures. Beginning at 6th level an animator may, as a standard action, make a single edit to a creature or object. This minor edit may do one of the following:
Reduce a creature’s natural armor by 1 per 2 animator levels up to a maximum reduction of the Animator’s Charisma modifier or to 0.
Remove 1 natural weapon of a creature with more than 1 natural weapon.
Reduce damage dealt by a creature’s natural weapons by 1 die size each.
Reduce a creature’s speed of one type by 10-ft to a minimum of 5-ft.
Reduce a creature’s flight maneuverability by 1 step (perfect becomes good, average becomes poor, etc) if this would reduce it to below clumsy the creature loses its flight speed altogether.
Remove one racial extraordinary quality from the creature, it must have a physical (and visible) component to modify (scent for example could be negated by plugging their nose or sealing it, frightful presence by adding pink bows and other cutesy things, improved grab with oil dripping from their grabbing appendage, but darkvision could not be removed by sealing their eyes as that would also blind them, and poison couldn’t be removed by removing the stinger at least not with this function).
Reduce the target’s Dexterity by 4 points.
Impose a -4 penalty on the target's Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Intimidate checks (by making them look totally ridiculous).
Reduce the target’s Damage Reduction or Hardness by ½ your animator level.
The target is allowed a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your Animator level + your Charisma modifier) to resist the change and on a failed save only lasts 1 round per point of Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). Minor edit is usable at will but using it again undoes the previous use.
Beginning at 14th level you may have 2 instances of minor edit active at once, but only one on a single creature at a time (a 3rd use undoes the earliest active use).
Draw Hole (Su): An animator learns how to paint a hole in the surface of an object allowing themselves, and others, to pass through. Beginning at 7th level an animator may as a standard action create a circular opening in an object within 5-ft per animator level. This opening is up to a 5-ft radius and can pass through up to 10-ft of material per animator level, if the object is thicker than the maximum depth of the hole then it forms a tunnel/pit of its length (for example if a level 7 animator attempted to use this ability on the ground it would create a 70-ft pit). Any creature standing over where the hole is made may make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ animator level + animator’s Charisma modifier) to move to an open square adjacent to them to avoid falling. A huge creature that fails its save falls 2-ft per point it failed by before sticking (and can climb up like climbing a chimney). A gargantuan creature is simply knocked somewhat off balance and must spend a move action to right itself or be entangled until it does so. A colossal creature is completely unaffected.
A hole created this way lasts 1 round per point of the animator’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round) or until its creator spends a Swift action to close it. Even once closed the painted hole remains visible for 1 minute. Any creature or object within the hole when it closes is ejected to the nearest unoccupied square taking no damage. The DC to climb the walls of the hole created this way is 25, although at 5-ft in radius a large or larger creature may reach opposite sides of the hole to reduce this DC by 10 (see Climb).
At 7th level an animator may use this ability 1/day, gaining 1 additional use per day at 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th level.
Edit (Su): An animator learns to make even more crippling edits to a creature, some of these affecting even non-visual aspects of it (in these cases the edit takes the form of some drawn runes or glyphs across the creature’s skin). Beginning at 9th level an animator may use Edit 1/day on a creature they have line of sight and effect to within 60-ft. This can do any of the following:
Bestow a curse on the creature as the spell Bestow Curse
Reduce a creature’s natural armor to 0.
Remove 1 natural weapon of a creature.
Reduce a creature’s speed for all movement modes by 20-ft.
Remove a creature’s fly speed.
Remove one special attack or quality or class feature of the target (including spellcasting or spell-like abilities).
Reduce the target’s Damage Reduction or Hardness to 0.
A successful Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier) negates this effect. This edit is theoretically permanent, but the target is allowed a Will save every 24 hours to remove the effect, and it can be removed with a Remove Curse, Break Enchantment, Limited Wish, or similar effects (but not Greater Dispel Magic). Beginning at 17th level an animator may use this ability twice per day.
Double Stock Animation: Beginning at 20th level an animator learns how to maintain a stock animation more easily. A 20th level animator may have two creatures created by Stock Animation at once, these creatures must either be the same kind of creature (2 elder earth elementals) or one must be from the Summon Monster VIII list (or equivalent) or lower.
True Eidolons (Su): Beginning at 20th level an animator has mastered the art of creation to such an extent that they may create true life. An animator may create a single truly living member of any species that they can create via animate eidolon. The created creature has no memories, but instinctually knows what it is and how to function as what it is (including alignment) and has no inherent loyalty to its creator. Creating a creature this way takes 200 XP times the created creature's CR and 1000 GP times the created creature's CR, and requires 8 hours of work, and 5 uses of Animate Eidolon, for a number of days equal to its CR.
At the DM's discretion this ability may be used to create creatures not on the lists for Animate Eidolon, and can be used to create wholly new creatures with DM approval.
”Life and art are the same side of the same golden coin, to create is to live and to live is to create.”
An animator is someone gifted with the power to create reality from naught but his imagination and desire. Their artistic talents tap into the creative power of the universe and thus they make a new reality with the end of their brush.
Adventures: Excitement! Adventure! Inspiration! Life begets art. To see the world is to have one’s mind widened and creativity stimulated. A man of narrow horizons is one whose mind has narrow vistas. Just like anyone else animators have various reasons for adventure. Perhaps one chases after a famed artifact, the Canvas of the Gods; another desires the love of a certain maiden and sees adventure as a means to capture her heart; yet another seeks to see if his creations can stand against those of the gods themselves.
Characteristics: An animator creates what they need for the situation. They are masters of creation, changing the world to fit their desires. An animator's creations are their shield and sword, and often serve as the same for the animator's companions. Their powers allow them to remove physical obstacles, reshape the battlefield to their choosing, and even create destructive blasts of energy to wear down foes. Ultimately, though, an animator is usually an artist first and a warrior later, and even their destructive powers take on an artistic style, their flames resplendent in a hundred colors, their eidolons an example of their personal flare and taste.
Alignment: Animators may be of any alignment. Like many artists animators tend towards Chaotic, challenging social norms and resenting any authority which tries to control their artistic vision. It is a rare animator indeed who cares enough about social regulations to be considered Lawful. They are more evenly divided between Good and Evil, although animators lean slightly towards Good; they are by nature creators and would prefer to create something new than to take what belongs to another.
Religion: Animators tend to follow artistic gods, or those of creation. Gods of craftsmanship, or beauty attract them. Those that do not worship such gods often either worship no god in particular, or turn towards gods of magic or knowledge.
Background: Animators must study their art. The magic of creation wielded by an animator is no easy skill to master, and most learn it after years of study. Some animators learn their talents from a single master, serving under them in a dedicated apprenticeship. Others study at great colleges of the arts, learning the secret skills to bringing life out from nothing but their own will and artistic spirit.
Races: Elves and gnomes are the most likely to study the art of creation, both having a natural aptitude for both magic and art. Dwarves, artistic craftsmen as they are, rarely have the flare and force of personality needed to become animators. Orcs and other savage people rarely develop the intricate knowledge of magic needed to perform an animator's arts.
Other Classes: Animators are often haughty, seeing their powers of creation as putting them above common people. In wizards and psions they sometimes see equals, for wizards too have the power to rewrite reality itself, and share their years of study. They look at sorcerers with something of envy, they have such power inborn with no need of long training. A religious animator may see themselves as something of a priest, while one that scorns the gods see them as nothing but lap dogs indenturing themselves for power. They see more need of a rogue's cunning than a fighter's sword, their stock animations serving to fulfill much the same function as the warrior's edge.
Role: An animator acts primarily as a summoner. Their animate eidolon and stock animation abilities allow them to create disposable warriors which serve to take hits for the party, and with sheer numbers can drag down powerful foes at an expensive cost to the animator. In this way they can serve as a warrior, using hordes of expendable summons to hold off a foe. Their later abilities allow them to debuff enemies (edit and erase), control the battlefield (backdrop), and eventually even destroy enemies right out (draw hole on the ground, erase). Draw Energy allows them to deal some damage to enemies directly, but is only a minor source of damage at most levels, acting more to finish off already weakened enemies or fill turns in which other abilities are not worth using.
Adaptation: As written animators are a learned technique, much like a wizard, but it could be easily adapted so that instead they spontaneously develop their powers like a sorcerer. Animators could also be divorced from their artistic roots entirely, making it simply the magic of creation and removing the drawn nature of their creations; in that case one might choose to replace Draw Hole with some other ability or remove it entirely.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Animators have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Many of an animator's powers rely upon Charisma. Dexterity and Constitution both serve to help them defensively, making up in part for their light armor. Intelligence is useful for skill points. Wisdom is used for mental defenses, and Strength is usually of little importance.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d4
Starting Age: As cleric.
Starting Gold: As sorcerer.
Class Skills
The Animator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
ANIMATOR
Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Animate Eidolon, Stock Animation, Artist’s Focus, Artistry, Alchemical Training
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Draw Energy
3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Erase 1/day
4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Creation (Fleeting)
5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Backdrop 1/day
6th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Erase 2/day, Minor Edit
7th
+3
+2
+2
+5
Draw Hole 1/day
8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Creation (Momentary)
9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Edit 1/day, Erase 3/day
10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Backdrop 2/day, Draw Hole 2/day
11th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Erase Magic
12th
+6
+4
+4
+8
Erase 4/day, Creation (Lasting)
13th
+6
+4
+4
+8
Draw Hole 3/day
14th
+7
+4
+4
+9
Erase Creature, Minor Edit (double)
15th
+7
+5
+5
+9
Backdrop 3/day, Erase 5/day
16th
+8
+5
+5
+10
Draw Hole 4/day, Creation (Persevering)
17th
+8
+5
+5
+10
Edit 2/day
18th
+9
+6
+6
+11
Erase (6/day, limitless objects)
19th
+9
+6
+6
+11
Draw Hole (5/day)
20th
+10
+6
+6
+12
Backdrop (at-will), Creation (True), Double Stock Animation, True Eidolons
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Animator
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: An animator is proficient in 3 simple weapons of their choice, as well as light armor.
Animate Eidolon (Sp): An animator’s most basic, and useful, technique is the creation of characters or “toons”. By spending 1 full round an animator may create 1 or more toons. This functions like a Summon Monster spell as cast by a wizard of the animator’s class level except its duration is increased by 1 round, and a spell level of one half the animator’s class level rounded up (at 19th or higher level any creature created by this ability gains +4 to all ability scores and +2 natural armor). This is considered a spell-like ability of the same spell level as the Summon Monster spell replicated. In addition to creatures from the Summon Monster list an animator may use this ability to summon monsters from one of the following spells’ list of creatures, assuming the spell exists and is available in the campaign.
Summon Nature’s Ally
Summon Undead
Conjure Ice Creatures
Summon Desert Ally
Summon Giants
Bat, Rat, or Spider Swarm (this counts as a monster from the Summon Monster III list)
Astral Construct (use augmentation as a psion of your animator level)
Any creature created with Animate Eidolon appears to be made from paint and color given form, obviously not a normal creature but something somehow drawn.
This ability functions even in an area which precludes dimensional travel, but is otherwise considered a summoning effect, a creature created with this effect and banished is unmade returning to the nothing from which it formed. An animator may create eidolons with any alignment without it being an aligned act, but toons lose access to any spell-like ability they possess that has an alignment descriptor opposed to part of the animator that created them’s alignment.
An animator may use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + ½ their Charisma modifier (if positive).
Stock Animation (Su): An animator learns how to create certain toons more easily by reusing the same creation over and over again. At 1st level an animator may select 2 creatures they may summon with Animate Eidolon as Stock Animation, and whenever they gain an animator level they may select a new creature that they can summon as a Stock Animation. At 3rd level and every odd level thereafter an animator may replace 1 Stock Animation they have access to with another creature they can summon. An animator may not select an incorporeal creature or swarm as a Stock Animation with this ability. This ability functions like Animate Eidolon (see above) except it is a supernatural ability (it cannot be dispelled, countered, does not provoke AoOs to use, SR does not apply, etc) and as described below.
An animator may use Stock Animation at will, but may only have 1 creature created with it at a time, and if a creature created with it is destroyed the animator must wait 5 minutes before using it again. Creatures created with Stock Animation last indefinitely and may travel any distance from the animator. The animator may dismiss a creature created by Stock Animation as a full round action; if they do so they must wait 1 minute before using Stock Animation to create another creature. Finally the spells and spell-like abilities of creatures created with Stock Animation are limited. In addition to their normal limits based upon the creature summoned (i.e X/day), any expenditure of a spell or spell-like ability by a toon created by Stock Animation is carried over to all toons of the same kind (i.e. if one unicorn uses a spell-like ability and you later use Stock Animation to make another unicorn it still has that spell-like ability expended), and your Stock Animations may only use a number of spells or spell-like abilities each day equal to your Charisma modifier.
If you create an astral construct with your stock animation ability its chosen traits are determined when you learn that stock animation.
Artist’s Focus: An animator requires tools to perform his arts, a symbolic focus through which to channel the creative energies. To use any Supernatural or Spell-like ability granted by the animator class other than erase the animator must have such a focus in hand. This focus must be some form of drawing or painting utensil: a pen, a brush, a piece of chalk, etc.
Artistry (Ex): An animator learns how to create pieces of visual art. At 1st level an animator gains 4 ranks in any single Craft skill related to drawing or painting, and they gain another rank in that skill for every level in animator they obtain thereafter. If this would put an animator's skill ranks in this skill above their maximum skill ranks based on level they must immediately retrain the excess skill ranks placing them into other skills.
Alchemical Training (Ex): Despite not truly being a spellcaster an animator may make full use of Craft (Alchemy).
Draw Energy (Su): An animator learns to animate short bursts of special effects, a gout of flame, a surge of water, a bolt of lightning. Beginning at 2nd level an animator may 3 + Charisma modifier times per day, as a standard action, create an offensive burst of energy or matter which almost instantaneously vanishes. They may choose one of the following types of damage: fire, cold, electricity, acid, bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing. The effect deals 1d6 damage of the chosen type per two animator levels. The animator may choose one of the following methods of attack: Ranged touch, line (5-ft long per animator level; must be at least 4th level to use), 5-ft square, emanation (5-ft/2 animator levels burst centered on self), cone (5-ft long per 3 animator levels; must be at least 6th level to use), burst (5-ft radius per 4 animator levels; must be at least 10th level to use), or 1 shapeable 5-ft square per 2 levels (must be at least 8th level to use, squares must be contiguous unless you have at least 14 animator levels). Unless the attack is a cone, emanation, or line the effect must be placed within 10-ft + 10-ft per animator level (for burst this only applies to the center), and unless it is a ranged touch a reflex save (DC 10 +1/2 animator level + charisma modifier) is allowed for half damage. Whatever method the animator uses to attack it must be visibly detectable and appears to be drawn with whatever is appropriate to their artist’s focus, and the player is encouraged to be descriptive with the effect.
Beginning at 6th level an animator may instill this energy with a certain level of greater substance. When using Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Slashing, or Piercing damage and using any shape other than 5-ft squares if the target suffers damage they must also make a Fortitude save or be pushed away from the source of the effect (center of burst if burst, you if anything else) 5-ft + 5-ft per 3 points by which they failed their save; creatures apply any size modifiers applied to bull rush attempts or bonuses to resist bull rush attempts to this saving throw. When an animator is using Fire a creature damaged must make a second Reflex save or be caught on fire suffering 1d6 fire damage per round for 1 minute or until the fire is extinguished (standard action). When an animator is using Electricity the target must make a second Reflex save or be entangled for 1 round. Using these additional effects costs an additional daily use of Draw Energy. Beginning at 16th level these additional effects may be used at will with no additional expenditure of Draw Energy.
Erase (Su): An animator does not merely draw, sometimes there is a mistake and they must erase what has been made. Beginning at 3rd level an animator gains the ability to erase one object from existence, or a 5-ft cube of an object larger than 25 cubic feet. This ability only affects non-magical objects, and can be used once per day per 3 animator levels. Unattended objects are not allowed saving throws, but attended objects (including the floor beneath someone’s feet) are allowed a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier). The animator must have line of sight to the object and be within 60-ft of it. Beginning at 11th level this ability may now affect magical items, which are allowed a saving throw even if unattended. Beginning at 14th level an animator may attempt to use this ability on a creature. A creature is allowed a Fort save, and on a failure take 2d6 damage per animator level you possess, if this damage reduces them to 0 or less hp they are destroyed as if disintegrated, if they succeed on the Fort save they take 5d6 damage instead; any effect which prevents disintegration also protects against this ability. Beginning at 18th level when an animator uses this ability against an object it does not count against their daily uses, and they may use this ability against objects with 0 uses remaining.
If an animator erases the ground beneath a creature’s feet it is allowed a Fortitude save as an attended object and the creature is allowed a Reflex save to move 5-ft into an unoccupied square to avoid falling within; if the creature is large size or larger they will not fall regardless.
Creation (Su): An animator learns how to create objects as well as creatures and energy. As a swift action an animator may create an object. This allows the animator to create a weapon or suit of armor made for a creature up to their size, or any object which could be made with a Major Creation spell with a caster level equal to their animator level. At 4th level objects created this way last for only 1 round, at 8th level they last for 1 minute, at 12th level they last for 1 hour, at 16th level they last for 1 day. Beginning at 20th level an animator may expend 1 XP per 5 GP worth of item created to make a permanent item. An animator may only use this ability a number of times each day equal to their Charisma modifier plus 1 (minimum 1). The object must be created within 30-ft of the animator and created on a surface which can support its weight. The object can be created in another creature’s hand, or already worn by another creature, but in that case the creature is allowed a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier) to prevent its creation. Any creature touching an object made with this ability may spend a Standard action to make a Will save to destroy the object. Objects made by this ability look as if they were drawn by your Artist’s Focus.
To create anything complicated (including weapons and armor) an animator must make a Craft check using a Craft skill related to drawing or painting in place of whatever the normal craft skill for the object would be.
Backdrop (Su): Creation is not limited to the foreground, a background is important as well. Beginning at 5th level an animator may draw a scene for the action to take place in adding terrain features. As a standard action the animator can create one of the following within 10-ft per animator level:
A shapeable wall of material 1-ft by 10-ft by 10-ft per animator level the entire structure must be physically connected and any fragment of a section smaller than this costs the full sized price (a 5’ by 5’ by 5’ box which had all six sides made from this ability would cost the same as a 10’ by 10’ by 10’ one or 6 10’ segments). Regardless of what the wall is drawn to look like it has hardness 10 and 30 hit points per foot of thickness. If the wall would be made adjacent to a creature the creature can make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ your animator level + your Charisma modifier) to get to the other side before the wall is finished (this costs 5-ft of movement or a 5-ft step from the creature’s next turn). This wall may not be formed with a creature inside it or with any unattached segments. The wall does not have to be flat or smooth and can be decorated, have arrow slits, doors, or handholds although adding them requires a DC 20 Craft check (with a relevant artistic skill).
4 squares of difficult terrain per animator level. An animator may spend 3 squares of difficult terrain to cause the terrain to cause the square to cost 4 squares of movement to enter instead of 2.
1 solid obstacle unaffected by gravity per 3 animator levels. These obstacles can be up to 5’ by 5’ by 5’ and have hardness 10 and 150 hit points. These obstacles cannot be made in an occupied square. The obstacle does not need to be a specific shape but can only be used to create crude objects and structures and requires a DC 25 Strength check to move (5-ft as part of a move action +5 feet per 10 points over 25) except for the animator who made it and who can move it with a DC 0 check.
Total darkness or shadowy concealment in a 15-ft radius +5-ft per 4 animator levels, centered within the range. This is considered a 3rd level spell of the darkness descriptor for interaction with magical light effects. This is considered magical darkness.
Fog, as the spell Fog Cloud in a 15-ft radius +5-ft per 4 animator levels, centered within the range.
Anything created with Backdrop lasts only 1 round per point of Charisma modifier the animator possesses.
An animator may use backdrop once per day per 5 animator levels, and beginning at 20th level may use it at-will, but an animator may have no more than 3 instances of backdrop active at once.
Minor Edit (Su): An animator is able to make some minor alterations and tweaks to reality as well as their more overt creations and erasures. Beginning at 6th level an animator may, as a standard action, make a single edit to a creature or object. This minor edit may do one of the following:
Reduce a creature’s natural armor by 1 per 2 animator levels up to a maximum reduction of the Animator’s Charisma modifier or to 0.
Remove 1 natural weapon of a creature with more than 1 natural weapon.
Reduce damage dealt by a creature’s natural weapons by 1 die size each.
Reduce a creature’s speed of one type by 10-ft to a minimum of 5-ft.
Reduce a creature’s flight maneuverability by 1 step (perfect becomes good, average becomes poor, etc) if this would reduce it to below clumsy the creature loses its flight speed altogether.
Remove one racial extraordinary quality from the creature, it must have a physical (and visible) component to modify (scent for example could be negated by plugging their nose or sealing it, frightful presence by adding pink bows and other cutesy things, improved grab with oil dripping from their grabbing appendage, but darkvision could not be removed by sealing their eyes as that would also blind them, and poison couldn’t be removed by removing the stinger at least not with this function).
Reduce the target’s Dexterity by 4 points.
Impose a -4 penalty on the target's Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, and Intimidate checks (by making them look totally ridiculous).
Reduce the target’s Damage Reduction or Hardness by ½ your animator level.
The target is allowed a Will save (DC 10 + ½ your Animator level + your Charisma modifier) to resist the change and on a failed save only lasts 1 round per point of Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round). Minor edit is usable at will but using it again undoes the previous use.
Beginning at 14th level you may have 2 instances of minor edit active at once, but only one on a single creature at a time (a 3rd use undoes the earliest active use).
Draw Hole (Su): An animator learns how to paint a hole in the surface of an object allowing themselves, and others, to pass through. Beginning at 7th level an animator may as a standard action create a circular opening in an object within 5-ft per animator level. This opening is up to a 5-ft radius and can pass through up to 10-ft of material per animator level, if the object is thicker than the maximum depth of the hole then it forms a tunnel/pit of its length (for example if a level 7 animator attempted to use this ability on the ground it would create a 70-ft pit). Any creature standing over where the hole is made may make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ animator level + animator’s Charisma modifier) to move to an open square adjacent to them to avoid falling. A huge creature that fails its save falls 2-ft per point it failed by before sticking (and can climb up like climbing a chimney). A gargantuan creature is simply knocked somewhat off balance and must spend a move action to right itself or be entangled until it does so. A colossal creature is completely unaffected.
A hole created this way lasts 1 round per point of the animator’s Charisma modifier (minimum 1 round) or until its creator spends a Swift action to close it. Even once closed the painted hole remains visible for 1 minute. Any creature or object within the hole when it closes is ejected to the nearest unoccupied square taking no damage. The DC to climb the walls of the hole created this way is 25, although at 5-ft in radius a large or larger creature may reach opposite sides of the hole to reduce this DC by 10 (see Climb).
At 7th level an animator may use this ability 1/day, gaining 1 additional use per day at 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th level.
Edit (Su): An animator learns to make even more crippling edits to a creature, some of these affecting even non-visual aspects of it (in these cases the edit takes the form of some drawn runes or glyphs across the creature’s skin). Beginning at 9th level an animator may use Edit 1/day on a creature they have line of sight and effect to within 60-ft. This can do any of the following:
Bestow a curse on the creature as the spell Bestow Curse
Reduce a creature’s natural armor to 0.
Remove 1 natural weapon of a creature.
Reduce a creature’s speed for all movement modes by 20-ft.
Remove a creature’s fly speed.
Remove one special attack or quality or class feature of the target (including spellcasting or spell-like abilities).
Reduce the target’s Damage Reduction or Hardness to 0.
A successful Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your animator level + your Charisma modifier) negates this effect. This edit is theoretically permanent, but the target is allowed a Will save every 24 hours to remove the effect, and it can be removed with a Remove Curse, Break Enchantment, Limited Wish, or similar effects (but not Greater Dispel Magic). Beginning at 17th level an animator may use this ability twice per day.
Double Stock Animation: Beginning at 20th level an animator learns how to maintain a stock animation more easily. A 20th level animator may have two creatures created by Stock Animation at once, these creatures must either be the same kind of creature (2 elder earth elementals) or one must be from the Summon Monster VIII list (or equivalent) or lower.
True Eidolons (Su): Beginning at 20th level an animator has mastered the art of creation to such an extent that they may create true life. An animator may create a single truly living member of any species that they can create via animate eidolon. The created creature has no memories, but instinctually knows what it is and how to function as what it is (including alignment) and has no inherent loyalty to its creator. Creating a creature this way takes 200 XP times the created creature's CR and 1000 GP times the created creature's CR, and requires 8 hours of work, and 5 uses of Animate Eidolon, for a number of days equal to its CR.
At the DM's discretion this ability may be used to create creatures not on the lists for Animate Eidolon, and can be used to create wholly new creatures with DM approval.