WIP: Serving the Vodun, a new subsystem

[Jeff the Green]

Attention newcomers: If you want to jump to the (tentative) content, it starts here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?378246-Testing-the-water-brainstorming-about-a-Vodun-themed-subsystem&p=18289181#post18289181).

So I've been reading a lot about West African religion and the religions that arose from the African Disaspora and have been inspired to work on a system that would have much of its fluff based on it.

The rough idea I've got is that there'd be three classes (for now, Warrior, Rogue, Sorcerer) and three groups of spirits (for now Ancestral, Deific, and Malefic). Each class would specialize in one of the types of spirit (Warrior:Ancestral, Rogue:Deific, Sorcerer:Malefic) but would get some access to the others later on (and could get earlier, limited access with a feat similar to Shape Soulmeld). Ancestral spirits are rather vague (being conglomerations of generations of souls) and so are not good at interacting with the world but very good at buffs; activating one of them might give you natural weapons, DR, flight, or stat boosts. Deific spirits are able to get almost any information and so can perform divinations but also give bonuses to skills and other abilities where insight helps. Malefic spirits affect the world, usually by blowing it up, dissolving it, freezing it, or flat out obliterating it.

Each would also have a resource pool (for now, PP) that they could spend to activate the spirits abilities (an Ancestral spirit might cost 1 PP for 1 minute, while a Malefic spirit would cost 1 PP per use, for instance). If the character is out of PP, they can continue to use the abilities at a price that depends on the spirit; one associated with undeath might make your flesh progressively rot, giving an ever-increasing penalty to Charisma-based checks while a valorous spirit might impose a penalty to AC or force a Will save to not charge an enemy.

Anyway, thoughts? Questions, suggestions, objections?

[DoomHat]

I once knew a Santerian priest, and from my understanding there wasn't really a distinction between Ancestral and Deific worship.

One received blessings and guidance from the god's through one's ancestors. The best priests are ones who's ancestors were trained in the secrets of the spirit world in life, making them more effective brokers to the material world.

Black magic is what happens when, instead of seeking out the voices of their ancestors to conjure blessings for the benefit of the community, a priest calls up the madness of lost and damned souls for their own benefit. Black magic is known to have bigger flashier short term effects, but there's really no such thing as an elderly priest of the dark arts, as the stress of being a conduit for pure hatred and despair into the material world brings ruin on the body, mind, and spirit.

Additionally there's some degree of karmic "hangover" for every Black Magic spell cast, with the practitioner incurring unto themselves a portion of the bad fortune they inflicted.

The two main ways magic manifests (as I was given to understand) was divination and enchantment.

Divination took the form of a one on one interview with the subject, where after both participants completing a number of ritual actions (making a sacrifice of alcohol to an idle, taking a puff of a cigar from the lit end, that kind of thing) the priest could look into the past, present, and future of their client to help guide them.

Enchantment basically involves beneficent or cursed charms/tokens/trinkets. A thematically appropriate item is blessed to draw up the influence of a particular deity or spirit. The down side is that the object acts as a kind of appendage of that entity, and as such demands certain standards of care and treatment respective to the entity in question. Failure to maintain that standard of care results in the entity's manifest wrath.

-I hope any of that is of use.

[Almarck]

I'm interested.

Granted the subsystem you describe seems similar at least in the sense you contact other world entities to receive boons to the binder class presented in tome of magic.

The only functional difference I can see right now is that your spirits will extort their summoner's for things if called on too much

Binders instead keep all of their benefits as long as the spirit is bound, whole day if neccesary. And they can use the active powers of each spirit once every five turns while still benefitting from the passive s each spirit has.

not going to say you shouldn't do your class, it ultimately it has to be judged in its relationship to published material since there's strong overlap.

[Jeff the Green]

Crap. I forgot to remind everyone that I dont want advice on modeling the religions involved. For one, there's no way I could actually do it. For another, it's against forum rules.


I'm interested.

Granted the subsystem you describe seems similar at least in the sense you contact other world entities to receive boons to the binder class presented in tome of magic.

The only functional difference I can see right now is that your spirits will extort their summoner's for things if called on too much

Binders instead keep all of their benefits as long as the spirit is bound, whole day if neccesary. And they can use the active powers of each spirit once every five turns while still benefitting from the passive s each spirit has.

not going to say you shouldn't do your class, it ultimately it has to be judged in its relationship to published material since there's strong overlap.

Yeah, that's what I'm worried about. There will be some key differences, I think. I'm thinking about stealing the Erudite's unique powers per day mechanic, so you'd be able to choose an ability on the fly. Also, each spirit would be more constrained in what they can do.

[Almarck]

Well, I can see that valid for the "sorcerer" variant of this system, but not so much for the rogue or fighter.

Altenratively, perhaps consider use a variant of the vestige binder system

The list of "Patrons" is the same for all classes, but each one adds special boons to members of a specific class. In the case of sorcerers, they add spells they can cast, fighters would get combat buffs, and rogues get a mix of both with some utilities.

In this proposed system, the casters have a limited number of times per day they can "swap" patrons.

[Jeff the Green]

Well, I can see that valid for the "sorcerer" variant of this system, but not so much for the rogue or fighter.

From a fluff or crunch standpoint? If crunch, it'd be similar to psywar with the erudite casting system.

[Almarck]

Fluff mostly, I just feel leaning it more to "empowered warrior" instead of "warrior with spellcasting", but that's just me. I can see the validity of a spellcasting warrior. Paladin is proof of that it is a valid option to use divinely empowered/spellusing fightin classes.

Granted, my knowlede of 3.5 psionics is rather minimal compared to binder, so that might be coloring my point of veiw more.


Edit: well, I must have missed the part where the different classes get their own list of spirits to choose from. So, forgive me for that bit of confusion. I was actually under the impression that all classes could learn all three, so my main point of contention is moot.

Also, I failed to understand that you were using "power points" as powerpoints for some reason. Again my fault, but I still don't know if you plan to use them the same way psionics use them, in the sense of augments, ect. I suppose I got over zealous and wanted to help in the project too strongly.

[Jeff the Green]

No worries about the confusion. I'm sure I'm not explaining it as well as I could since it's only half-gelled in my mind. (And I appreciate the zeal!)

I think psionics is the closest analog. You have a pool of points you use to activate abilities and these are discrete effects for the most part rather than always-on abilities like incarnum or Binder.

On the other hand, each spirit has multiple abilities: a malefic spirit of fire might give you a cone of fire, let you set an opponent on fire from the inside out doing damage over time, and let you set fire to their nerves, dazing them; an ancestral hunter spirit might give you bonuses to archery, give you a bonus to a Survival check, and give you trackless step/freedom of movement. (Unlocked at appropriate levels). Plus, unlike psionics, you aren't strictly limited by your points; it's just that going beyond them inflicts some sort of penalty or geas.

I also think that there will be something similar to the Binder's sign, but not hideable. The Ancestral spirit will cause some physical change, the Deific will require you to carry a focus (like a doll or a token) for each spirit (not specific to a spirit, just generic) and when you use it the spirit's name appears on the focus, and the malefic spirits will appear in the form of an obviously supernatural animal that follows the caster around, much like a familiar.

You were partly right about the different lists. While each one primarily uses one set of spirits, at mid-high levels they get access to the others. I think I'll add in an additional restriction to using "off-list" spirits. The skill monkey will probably be limited by alignment (the fluff is that they're a priest), the warrior will have a halved "caster level" for the other effects, and the sorcerer won't be able to use his points to activate non-Malefic spirit abilities and so will have to take the penalty (since the fluff is that he binds the spirits to his will; the Malefic spirits don't care because they want to cause destruction and that's what being bound allows them to do, but the others have more specific agendas and don't like being bound).

I don't think there'll be augmentation. What I think I'm going to do is have each ability cost one point regardless of what it does and scale without additional investment.

[Almarck]

K, with those thoughts in mind, perhaps I think for the purpose of presenting the information, we have to use Binder vestiges as a "Template" if you will.

I'm thinking each will have the following traits:

Name
Type
Level (or other prerquisites. You going for all accessable at level 1 or something?)

Abilities: Self explanatory

And Penalty: Basically the price for not being of the right class to use this spirit.

One quick question that'll probably shape the way the game is set up. How are we going to handle multiple spirits? CAn you use more than one at a time? We just have them all accessable from level one, or do you have to "learn" about them.

Also, perhaps power points in itself might need some changing up (the name especially since you're not likely going to use the same points progression)
I thought of something just recently. Spirits, even the ones working for you, will demand offerings to placate them for using their power. With this in mind, perhaps we should consider splitting the whole "resource" mechanic into 3 stages.
-Points per day. Standard using. Refreshes at every day up to a given maximum
-Overbudget, basically going into negative points and accruing a debt for penalties increasing at specific thresholds. If the character is in so much debt that he goes to a negative value equal to his maximum, well, really bad stuff happens. Also, any debt you left over unpaid up moves on to the next day.
-Then we have bargaining, basically the character setting aside time for him/herself to work off her debt by placating the spirits for more power immediately instead of waiting for the "pact" to refresh. Can be paid in advance up to the character's normal maximum.

I was thinking that, since sacrifice is a huge element in placating spirits and gods. While this isn't really done in much detail in D&D outside of evil gods, maybe a mechanic to represent that in this subsystem might be interesting to consider. Hence, why you can "refresh" your points early in the "Bargaining" phase.

[Jeff the Green]

K, with those thoughts in mind, perhaps I think for the purpose of presenting the information, we have to use Binder vestiges as a "Template" if you will.

I'm thinking each will have the following traits:

Name
Type
Level (or other prerquisites. You going for all accessable at level 1 or something?)

Abilities: Self explanatory

And Penalty: Basically the price for not being of the right class to use this spirit.

Yeah, I think that's about what it'll need to be. The penalty won't be so much for using an out-of-class spirit as for using it without enough powerpoints, I think, though the sorcerer won't be able to use out-of-class spirits using his powerpoints and will always take the penalty.


One quick question that'll probably shape the way the game is set up. How are we going to handle multiple spirits? CAn you use more than one at a time? We just have them all accessable from level one, or do you have to "learn" about them.

I was planning on having them be accessible all at level one (assuming that you have the ability to use one, either through a class or a feat), but some abilities are level-locked. Like the aforementioned fire one might give the cone at level one, the DoT at 5, and the stun at level 9. Sort of like a domain or mantle


I thought of something just recently. Spirits, even the ones working for you, will demand offerings to placate them for using their power. With this in mind, perhaps we should consider splitting the whole "resource" mechanic into 3 stages.
-Points per day. Standard using. Refreshes at every day up to a given maximum
-Overbudget, basically going into negative points and accruing a debt for penalties increasing at specific thresholds. If the character is in so much debt that he goes to a negative value equal to his maximum, well, really bad stuff happens. Also, any debt you left over unpaid up moves on to the next day.
-Then we have bargaining, basically the character setting aside time for him/herself to work off her debt by placating the spirits for more power immediately instead of waiting for the "pact" to refresh. Can be paid in advance up to the character's normal maximum.

I was thinking that, since sacrifice is a huge element in placating spirits and gods. While this isn't really done in much detail in D&D outside of evil gods, maybe a mechanic to represent that in this subsystem might be interesting to consider. Hence, why you can "refresh" your points early in the "Bargaining" phase.

I do like that. I'm a little worried that it is too complicated to keep track of, though. You have a single point pool, an overbudget for each spirit (which will probably be in the double digits at high levels), and a "pre-payment" for each spirit. Maybe instead you can't pre-pay but you do "heal" the overbudget with rest, if very slowly (like maybe 1/3 level + 1 per night, spread across all spirits as you choose).

So the block would look like this:

<Name> (<type>) [<descriptors>]
<Fluff>

<Ability name> (<level available>)

<Ability description.>
Cost: <Overbudget penalty>
Sacrifice: <Sacrifice>

[Almarck]

I do like the idea of havign each spirit have its own debt, though perhaps for simplisty, keep a cap of how many spirits you can owe a debt to. Going further than this discourages spirits from wanting to deal with you, both to prohibit players from going overboard keeping track of loans and to ailieviate it being a game breaking flaw. I say... you may only owe debts to 3 spirits at any given time. If you do owe 3 debts, you may only call on these specific spirits.

Perhaps an entry like:
Penalty: (when Overbudget)


The whole point of prepayment is actually to refresh someone's "mana" midday while in a crisis instead of going into debt. I suppose if we have an individual debt for each spirit, this isn't as as important to "regain" points in your pool. The system I proposed in the above assumes you have a single Pool, a single debt pool, and can restore points of debt and refresh your pool using rituals.

Perhaps what we should do is this.
I am thinking that each should have at least one or two immediate way of paying for the debt, a Sacrifice, if you will. Perhaps some some it could be simple as ability damage, or some it might be living sacrifices of animals. That sort of thing. You sacrifice something in order to appease the spirit, this allows you to "forgive" your debt, but this cost should scale with how high the debt is.
Also, if you go overboard paying a debt, such as using say, animal sacrifice, when all you need to do is 1 point of Con damage, you get extra power points to use for the rest of the day, but only for that spirit.
The catch: The extra points gained by sacrifice only last for the current day. Tommorrow, well, the spirits are back to being indifferent at you.

Also, I am saying, debt points are immediately deducted from your daily pool the day after you were in debt and continue to do so until your debts are paid in full.

[Jeff the Green]

I do like the idea of havign each spirit have its own debt, though perhaps for simplisty, keep a cap of how many spirits you can owe a debt to. Going further than this discourages spirits from wanting to deal with you, both to prohibit players from going overboard keeping track of loans and to ailieviate it being a game breaking flaw. I say... you may only owe debts to 3 spirits at any given time. If you do owe 3 debts, you may only call on these specific spirits.

Yeah, that could work. Maybe with a feat and/or class feature that increases the amount you can go into debt for.


Perhaps what we should do is this.
I am thinking that each should have at least one or two immediate way of paying for the debt, a Sacrifice, if you will. Perhaps some some it could be simple as ability damage, or some it might be living sacrifices of animals. That sort of thing. You sacrifice something in order to appease the spirit, this allows you to "forgive" your debt, but this cost should scale with how high the debt is.
Also, if you go overboard paying a debt, such as using say, animal sacrifice, when all you need to do is 1 point of Con damage, you get extra power points to use for the rest of the day, but only for that spirit.
The catch: The extra points gained by sacrifice only last for the current day. Tommorrow, well, the spirits are back to being indifferent at you.

Also, I am saying, debt points are immediately deducted from your daily pool the day after you were in debt and continue to do so until your debts are paid in full.

Hmm, yeah. There's the precedent of temporary power points, and it's no more complicated to keep track of than a debt. That should probably be limited too, like you can only prepay for one spirit at a time (again, expandable by feat or class feature).

I don't think the sacrifices should be as severe as Constitution damage, though. I was thinking the penalties would be relatively minor and specific. Like a -2 penalty to Charisma-based checks per point of debt, a -1 to AC per point, must spend a move action dancing (moving from your square at no more than half your speed) after you use the spirit's ability, etc.

[Almarck]

Well, sacrifices are essentialy just that, sacrifices. You give up something of value as a trade to quickly remove a spirit's penalties and debts you owe. Maybe you have lots of fire wood? Fire spirit wants to burn it all and will let you spam fireball more and stop making you stare at fires in fear because you did.

Penalties are the temporary disadvantages of acruing debt, Sacrifices are permanent resource expendatures to remove them.

Granted, I keep forgetting ability damage is divided into temporary and permanent in 3.5. In PF, it was more easily healed, relatively speaking, so maybe that's a concern, so maybe ability damage is if you really want to appease say 15 debt (assuming that's quite alot) to an anrgy spirit, but that's up to you.

I don't know why I am fixated on it so, but I think it would make for an interesting game mechanic to characterize it differently from other divines/primals.

Anyways, I think I can nitpick about sacrifces or not and specific mechanics later, I think. Hopefully all this chatter helped you out.

[Jeff the Green]

Yeah, I think I can go build the first version of the classes. I'm thinking the skill monkey will be a Houngan (a Vodou priest) the warrior an Iyamo (a Camdombé oracle) and do stuff inspired by capoeira, and the sorcerer a Bokor (a different kind of Vodou priest) unless I can find a better name.

I'll put the drafts here and move them to their own thread once the bugs are worked out and enough spirits are written.

[Almarck]

Well I look forward to that then. I'll look forward to any stuff you got.

Also need any specific help?

[Jeff the Green]

Help with terminology help would be awesome. Current tentative terminology is:

Orishas. Ancestral spirits that give buffs
Loas. Spirits that serve divine beings and give divination-related abilities such as skill boosts, scrying, and maybe even things like sneak attack.
Bakas (changed from Voduns). Spirits of chaos, change, and destruction, which give abilities that affect the outside world like damage and debuffs.
Iyamo. Warriors that primarily use orishas, mostly unarmed, lightly armored. Gain benefits from Charisma.
Houngan. Priests that primarily use loas, able to use heavier armor. Skill monkeys. Gain benefits from Wisdom.
Bokor. Sorcerers that primarily use bakas, have particular difficulties using the other types of spirits. Gain benefits from Intelligence.


Things that have no name yet:

Spirits in general. I was thinking 'Vodun', the Yoruba word for spirits/deities, but I'm not super happy about it.
Points. 'Ashe' might work, as the Kreyol (Haitian creole) word for life force, but again I don't like it (primarily because no one will pronounce it the way it's supposed to be: "ASH-ay".
Generic name. Like 'spellcaster', 'manifester', or 'meldshaper'. In the interim I'm using 'channeler', but I'd like something better.
Channeling. Like 'cast', 'manifest', or 'initiate', the act of calling the spirit to you.
Manifest. What the spirits do when you channel them
Sign. The change the spirit makes when it manifests (on the channeler's body for orishas, on a token for loas, and a separate being for bakas).
Cast. Using the abilities the spirit gives once you've channeled it. 'Use' might be fine.


I'm working on the Iyamo right now and there are a few abilities I'm using placeholders for, but those should probably wait until I've got descriptions of them written.

[Jeff the Green]

Alright, here's what I have of the mechanics. The formatting isn't what it'll look like (there will be hierarchies of headings, for instance) but I've found that when you're not working from a template it's not a good idea to put them in until you figure out the content.

List of terms that need to be replaced

<spirit>
<spirits>
<Spirit>
<Spirits>
<channel>
<channeling>
<channeled>
<channeler>
<Channeling>
<points>


In order to make use of a <spirit>'s abilities, a <channeler> must <channel> it. This creates a physical presence, called a manifestation, from which the spirit can act. Exactly what this manifestation is depends on the <spirit>, though each of the three types of <spirits> manifest in similar ways. What action <channeling> a <spirit> requires depends on the type of <spirit>, but the <channeler> must be able to speak its name aloud.

Granted Abilities and <points>
Once a <channeler> has <channeled> a <spirit>, they gain access to a number of abilities. Some of these abilities have a minimum <channeler> level, below which the <channeler> cannot use them. The effects generated by a <spirit> are spell-like abilities and thus are subject to spell resistance, provoke attacks of opportunity (though a <channeler> can choose to cast defensively using the Concentration skill), and can be disrupted by an enemy's attack. Unless noted otherwise, abilities generated by the <spirit> require a standard action to activate.

Each <channeler> has a pool of personal energy called <points> that they use to activate the abilities of the <spirits> they have channeled. Each time they use an ability granted by a <spirit> they must pay one point of <points>. To regain used <points>, a <channeler> must have a clear mind. To clear his mind, he must first sleep for 8 hours. The character does not have to slumber for every minute of the time, but he must refrain from movement, combat, using abilities granted by a <spirit>, skill use, conversation, or any other demanding physical or mental task during the rest period. If his rest is interrupted, each interruption adds 1 hour to the total amount of time he has to rest to clear his mind, and he must have at least 1 hour of rest immediately prior to regaining lost power points. If the character does not need to sleep for some reason, he still must have 8 hours of restful calm before regaining power points.

To regain <points>, a <channeler> must have enough peace, quiet, and comfort to allow for proper concentration. The <channeler>’s surroundings need not be luxurious, but they must be free from overt distractions, such as combat raging nearby or other loud noises. Exposure to inclement weather prevents the necessary concentration, as does any injury or failed saving throw the character might incur while concentrating on regaining <points>. After he has rested for 8 hours, the <channeler> must meditate for 15 minutes. After this time the <channeler> regains all <points> up to his daily maximum and any spirits he currently has channeled are dismissed.

<Spirits> per day
A <channeler> can call upon a limited number of individual <spirits> each day. Unlike a Wizard choosing spells or an Incarnate shaping soulmelds, a <channerler> need not choose all of his <spirits> when he regains his <points>. Instead, he can call upon a spirit at any time as long as he has not already channeled the maximum number of individual spirits since he last regained <points>. If a <channeler> has somehow lost access to a <spirit> (such as by dismissing it) he can immediately <channel> the <spirit> again, but it still counts against his spirits per day regardless of whether he does or not.

Debt and propitation
If a channeler uses up her <points>, she can still use the abilities granted by a <spirit>, but doing so causes to incur a debt to the <spirit>. This usually manifests as a physical change and either a penalty or an action the <channeler> is forced to perform under certain circumstances. Each time he uses a <spirit>'s ability without any <points>, his debt to the <spirit> increases by one and the physical change and penalty or action he is forced to perform become more severe. A <channeler> can be in debt to a maximum of three spirits at a time; if has no <points> remaining he cannot use any ability granted by a <spirit> he is not indebted to.

To redeem his debt, a <channeler> must propitiate the <spirits> he is indebted to. Each <spirit> must be repaid individually in the way it prefers. If he wishes, he can pay a <spirit> before he has incurred a debt, building a pool of credit equal to the amount of debt his payment would redeem. In this way he may use a spirit's abilities when he has used all of his <points> for the day without incurring debt and its associated penalties, instead paying from his pool of credit. A <channeler> can have such a credit with only one <spirit> at a time; if he builds a credit with another <spirit> he loses any credit he built with the previous one.

<Spirits>
There are three types of <spirit>, each with a different role.

Bakas
Bakas are spirits of change, chaos, and destruction. Though not necessarily malevolent, they are usually wild and mischievous. Bokors are specialists in <channeling> bakas. <Channeling> a baka requires a move action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Bakas' Manifestations
When a character <channels> a baka it creates a physical form resembling an animal that follows the <channeler>. What shape the baka takes is up to the <channeler>, but it is always a tiny animal with some trait that makes it obvious it is not a normal animal. Regardless of the animal whose form it takes, it always stays within five feet of the <channeler>—even if the baka took the form of a rat and the <channeler> is flying.

In this form a baka cannot physically affect the world or be affected by physical or most magical forces (e.g. it cannot attack, move objects, take damage, or be grappled), but it is vulnerable to a targeted dispel magic and similar effects. With a successful dispel check (DC 11 + the <channeler>'s level), the baka ceases to inhabit its physical form (which disperses harmlessly) and the <channeler> loses access to any

Like a familiar, a <manifested> baka can make skill checks other than Knowledge checks or checks that involve manipulating objects using the <channeler>'s skill ranks. Treat it as having a +0 modifier in all of its ability scores. It can communicate telepathically with the <channeler> as long as it remains within five feet of him.

Loas
Loas are servitor <spirits>, messengers of powerful beings. They are extremely knowledgeable on their own and are capable of learning even more. <Channeling> a loa requires a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity.

Loas' Manifestations
When a character <channels> a loa it inhabits an object called a gris-gris. Most often this is either a token, about the size of a coin and carried in a pocket or on a chain around the <channeler>'s neck, or a doll or effigy. Any given gris-gris can be used for any loa, though two loa cannot inhabit the same gris-gris at the same time. Some loas prefer certain types of gris-gris, but accomodating them is more a matter of courtesy than necessity; no loa will refuse to serve a <channeler> because they don't offer their favorite gris-gris. Regardless of what kind of gris-gris the <channeler uses>, once a loa inhabits it the loa's name appears inscribed on it.

In order to use the abilities granted by a loa, a character must have the loa's gris-gris on their person (this does not include gris-gris in extra-dimensional storage, such as a Handy Haversack), though not necessarily at hand. A gris-gris inhabited by a loa is very difficult to damage; regardless of its form it has 40 hit points, a hardness of 20, and a break DC of 40. If it is destroyed, the loa departs, but can immediately be <channeled> again by the <channeler>.

Like a magic item, a loa's power can be suppressed by dispel magic or a similar effect targeting the gris-gris it inhabits. With a successful dispel check (DC 11 + the <channeler>'s level) suppresses the gris-gris for 1d4 rounds, during which time the <channeler> cannot draw upon the abilities granted by the loa.

Orishas
Orishas are ancestral <spirits>, amalgamations of generations of souls. Each orisha is composed of the souls of ancestors that filled a certain role, such as warriors, hunters, or smiths. Because they have a much less distinct existance than other <spirits>, they have difficulty affecting the physical world and must work through a scion. <Channeling> an orisha requires a free action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Orishas' Manifestations
As ancestral spirits, orishas possess the <channelers> who <channel> them. This causes some physical change in the <channeler>. There

Dismissing <Spirits>
If a <channeler> no longer requires the service of a <spirit>, they can dismiss them. This requires a standard action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. (Dismissing a loa does not require that the <channeler> have the loa's gris-gris on their person.)

<Spirit> Descriptions
The description of each <spirit> is presented in a standard format. Each category of information is explained and defined below.

Name
The first line of every spell description gives the name of the <spirit>. The <spirit>'s name must be spoken aloud to <channel> it.

Type
Beneath the <spirit>'s name is a line giving the type of <spirit> that it is.

[Descriptor]
Appearing on the same line as the <spirit> type, when applicable, is a descriptor that further categorizes the <spirit> in some way. Some <spirits> have more than one descriptor and some spirits have abilities with descriptors they don't have themselves.

The descriptors are acid, air, chaotic, cold, darkness, death, earth, electricity, evil, fear, fire, force, good, language-dependent, lawful, light, mind-affecting, sonic, and water.

Most of these descriptors have no game effect by themselves, but they govern how the <spirit> interacts with spells, with other <spirits>, with special abilities, with unusual creatures, with alignment, and so on.

Descriptive text
This describes the <spirit>, its personality, and its manifestation.

Abilities
These are the spell-like abilities that the <spirit> grants to characters who <channel> it. Unless otherwise noted, they follow the normal rules for spell-like abilities.

Debt
This is the effect that applies to you if you become indebted to the <spirit>. Any penalties inflicted by debt to a spirit stacks with any other such penalty, including itself.

Propitiation
This is how you can propitiate a spirit, reducing your debt. The method listed is to remove one effective point of <points> worth of debt.

[Jeff the Green]

Here are the mechanical parts of three spirits, one example of a baka, a loa, and an orisha.

Kalfu (baka) [Darkness, Chaos]
<Fluff>

Quickening of the Night (1st)

Darkness surrounds an object, creature, or point within 100 ft. + 10 ft./level in a 20' radius for one minute per level. An attended or magical object or a creature can make a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Initially this darkness does not block darkvision. At 4th level it blocks darkvision. At 10th level it blocks any vision, even abilities that specifically see through magical darkness. At 16th level it blocks blindsense, blindsight, lifesight, and any divination effect that would be blocked by lead. Quickening of the night[/b] dispels (but does not counter) any light spell of equal or lower level and is dispelled (but not countered) by any light spell of equal or greater level.
Touch of Entropy (6th)

With a touch you instantly destroy a nonmagical object, deal 1d8 points of damage per level to a magic item, or deal 1d5 points of damage per level to a construct. Attended objects, magic items, and constructs that succeed on a Fortitude saving throw for half damage
Misfortune (8th)

A creature within 20 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels must make a Will save or suffer a curse of misfortune for one round per level. Whenever they make an attack roll, saving throw, damage roll, ability check, or skill check, they must roll twice and take the lower roll. If the roll is one that a natural 1 would autmatically fail and a natural 20 would automatically succeed, they automatically fail if either roll is a 1 and automatically succeed if either roll is a 20. (If one roll is a 20 and one is a 1, they must reroll both dice.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks.
Propitiation: You must destroy something that does not belong to you and that you do not have either permission or the right to destroy. The sacrifice must be worth at least 100 GP times your level squared. For the purpose of propitiating Kalfu, you own any object that has been in your possession for a year and a day even if you are not the rightful owner as well as anything you take that has been abandoned or which you took from a creature you defeated or participated in defeating.

Gran Boa (loa)
<Fluff>

Voice of the forest (1st)

You can speak with animals, as the [i]speak with animals spell, for 10 minutes/level. At level 4 you can additionally speak with plants as the speak with plants spell. At level 8 you can speak with any elemental, fey, or magical beast as the tongues spell or, if the creature does not have a language, like the speak with animals spell except allowing you to communicate with these creature types.
Veil of the Forest(4th)

You become invisible as the spell for 10 minutes per level. At 10th level this effect does not end if you attack, as greater invisibility. At 12th level you can concentrate on this effect if you are within 10 ft. of a living plant of at least medium size, rendering you immune to detection by see invisibility, faerie fire, glitterdust, invisibility purge, and dust of appearance, although creatures under the effect of the spell can be detected by true seeing.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Propitiation: You must leave food (a mix of both fruit and vegetables) worth 10 GP times your level squared at the base of a plant of at least large size.

Ogoun (orisha) [Fire]
<Fluff>

Anvil Strike (1st)

For one minute per level your unarmed strikes and natural attacks count as silver. Starting at level 4 they also count as cold iron. Starting at level 6 they aslo count as calomelMoE, targathECS, kheferuSand, and byeshkECS. Starting at level 10 they also count as adamantine. STarting at 18th level they also count as Thinaun (you are not treated as though you were touching thinaun; if you die while this effect is in place your soul still leaves your body for the afterlife). Any soul you capture with this ability remains in your body until you die, you choose to release it to move on, or you absorb another soul with this ability.
Innured to flame (1st)

You gain resistance to fire 5 for 10 minutes/level. This increases by 5 for every two levels above 2. At 14th level you instead become immune to fire damage.
Heat of the forge (6th)

Fire wreathes you for 1 round per level, dealing 1d6 damage per level fire damage to any creature grappling you (or which you grapple). At 8th level any melee attacks you make deal an additional 1d8 fire damage per 2 levels. At 10th level, any creature striking you with a melee weapon takes 1d8 fire damage per 2 levels.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to initiative checks.
Propitiation: You must grasp a red-hot iron object for one round per level. This deals 1d6 fire damage per round. If any of your HP is restored while you hold the poker (including by fast healing) or the damage is reduced or negated in any way, this does not propitiate Ogoun.

Fluff isn't written yet because I'm not great at it and wanted to have a couple examples before I post what's coming in the next post.

[Jeff the Green]

And what comes here is the Cavalo, the first class I've got a rough draft of. The Cavalo channels orishas to make him a formidable unarmed warrior.


Cavalo

Image URL
Image by Artist (http://Link).

Quote
—Person

Description

Races
Insert stuff about races here

Abilities
I'm thinking Strength, Constitution, Charisma, and Dexterity, in that order

Alignment
Probably lawful?

Other Classes
Relationships go here

Starting Gold: Not sure. As monk, maybe?
Starting Age: Like a paladin?

Hitdie
d10.

Table: the Cavalo


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
<Points>
Loa
Orisha
Baka


1st
+1
+2
+0
+0
<Channeling>, unarmed strike

-
2
-


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+0
AC Bonus

-
3
-


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+1
Orishas sustain

-
3
-


4th
+4
+4
+1
+1
<Divine Grace>

-
3
-


5th
+5
+4
+1
+1
<Efficient channeler> (1/day), oath

-
4
-


6th
+6/+1
+5
+2
+2


1
4
-


7th
+7/+2
+5
+2
+2
<Immediate channeler> (1/day)

1
4
-


8th
+8/+3
+6
+2
+2
Orishas nourish

1
5
-


9th
+9/+4
+6
+3
+3


1
5
-


10th
+10/+5
+7
+3
+3
<Efficient channeler> (2/day), oath

2
5
-


11th
+11/+6/+1
+7
+3
+3
Orishas protect

2
6
-


12th
+12/+7/+2
+8
+4
+4


2
6
1


13th
+13/+8/+3
+8
+4
+4
<Immediate channeler> (2/day),

2
6
1


14th
+14/+9/+4
+9
+4
+4


3
7
1


15th
+15/+10/+5
+9
+5
+5
<Efficient channeler> (3/day), oath

3
7
1


16th
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+5
+5


3
7
2


17th
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+5
+5
Orishas guide

3
8
2


18th
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+6
+6


4
8
2


19th
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+6
+6
<Immediate channeler> 3/day

4
8
2


20th
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+6
+6
<Avatar>, <efficient channeler> (4/day), oath

4
9
3


Class Skills (4 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Climb, Concentration, Craft (any), Diplomacy, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (history), Knowledge (the planes), Knowledge (religion), Listen, Perform (any), Profession (any), Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the the cavalo class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Cavalos are proficient with all simple weapons, martial weapons, light armor, and shields (except tower shields).

<Channeling>
A cavalo <channels> <spirits>. At first it can only <channel> orishas, ancestral <spirits> that possess the cavalo, but at 6th level she gains the ability to channel loa, oracle <spirits> and servants of the divine, and at 12th level she gains the ability to channel bakas, chaotic and destructive <spirits>. The number of individual <spirits> of each type that the cavalo can <channel> each day is shown on Table: the Cavalo. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a cavalo’s <spirit> abilities is 10 + 1/2 the cavalo's class level + her Charisma modifier.

A cavalo gains a pool of <points> that she can use to fuel abilities granted her by the <spirits> she channels, as shown on Table: the Cavalo.

Unarmed strike (Ex)
At 1st level, a cavalo gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. A cavalo’s attacks may be with either fist interchangeably or even from elbows, knees, and feet. This means that a cavalo may even make unarmed strikes with her hands full. There is no such thing as an off-hand attack for a cavalo striking unarmed. A cavalo may thus apply her full Strength bonus on damage rolls for all her unarmed strikes.

Usually a cavalo’s unarmed strikes deal lethal damage, but she can choose to deal nonlethal damage instead with no penalty on her attack roll. She has the same choice to deal lethal or nonlethal damage while grappling.

A cavalo’s unarmed strike is treated both as a manufactured weapon and a natural weapon for the purpose of spells and effects that enhance or improve either manufactured weapons or natural weapons.

A cavalo also deals more damage with her unarmed strikes than a normal person would as a monk of her class level. (Wearing a Monk's Belt or taking the Superior Unarmed Strike feat increases the cavalo's effective monk level for the purpose of determining her unarmed strike damage.)

AC Bonus (Ex)
Starting at 2nd level, a cavalo can add her Charisma modifier as a bonus to Armor Class, so long as she wears no armor or light armor and is unencumbered. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when she is flat-footed. However, she loses this bonus when she is immobilized or helpless.

Orishas preserve (Su)
Starting at 3rd level, a cavalo gains a bonus equal to half her class level to saving throws against extremes of temperature (but not to [Fire] or [Cold] spells and effects) and to avoid the effects of high altitude, and she can hold her breath for twice as long before needing to make Constitution checks.

<Divine grace> (Su)
At 4th level, a cavalo gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on her saving throws.

<Efficient channeler> (Ex)
Beginning at 5th level, a cavalo can activate several different abilities granted by orishas at the same time. She can activate a number of abilities equal to 1 per 5 class levels + her Charisma modifier at once. This requires the same amount of time that it would to activate the ability with the longest casting time, and never provokes an attack of opportunity more than once. She can only use <points> to activate half of them (rounded up), or fewer if she does not have enough points of <points>. The rest of the abilities require that she become indebted to the orishas that grant them.

She can use this ability once per day at 5th level and gains an additional daily use every five levels thereafter.

Oath (Su)
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter a cavalo must make a sacred oath. These oaths might seem obscure or arbitrary to others, but to the cavalo they are extremely important. In exchange, she gains a +2 perfection bonus on attack rolls, damage rolls, Reflex saving throws, Will Saving throws, or ability checks (chosen at the time she makes the oath). If she violates an oath, she immediately loses this bonus and takes a -2 morale penalty to her <channeler> level until she redeems all debt she has incurred to <spirits> and spent 8 hours meditating and rededicating herself to her oaths.

At 10th level and every five levels thereafter the cavalo makes another oath. Bonuses from multiple oaths (and penalties from multiple broken oaths) stack with each other but otherwise do not stack with bonuses of the same type.

Possible oaths include:
Donate 5% of her income to a church or other charity.
Offer a sacrifice of a particular kind (such as of food, alcohol, or incense) worth 50 GP times her character level squared three times a day.
Cannot benefit from flanking bonuses or make sneak attacks (though she may grant bonuses to others or allow others to sneak attack by flanking with them).
Cannot own more than she can carry (without the use of anything that would reduce the weight, such as extradimensional spaces).
Cannot sleep inside.
Must slay a creature of a particular creature type each week (or month, if a particularly rare type or a creature of a particular type and subtype, such as an outsider with the evil subtype).
Cannot wear more clothing than a loose tunic, breeches, a cape, and sandals, or any clothing (excepting wondrous items) worth more than 10 GP (including armor and shields).
Cannot use metal tools or equipment.
If a cavalo's oath becomes impossible or irrelevant (such as if a cavalo who has sworn to never sleep inside is reincarnated as an elf or a cavalo who has sworn to slay an aberration every week manages to slay all aberrations and stop more from arising) she must immediately make another oath.

<Immediate channeler> (Ex)
Starting at 6th level, a cavalo can <channel> and use an ability from an orisha or use an ability from a orisha that she has already <channeled> as an immediate action. She cannot use <points> to use this ability but instead must become indebted to the orisha that grants the ability she uses.

A cavalo can use this ability once per day at 6th level and gains an additional daily use every six levels thereafter.

Orishas nourish (Su)
Beginning at 8th level, a cavalo need only eat and drink one tenth the normal amount required by a creature of her size.

Orishas protect (Su)
Starting at 11th level, a cavalo becomes immune to all poisons and diseases as well as similar substances and effects like positoxins, an aboleth's mucus, or afflictions.

Orishas guide (Su)
Beginning at 17th level, a cavalo becomes immune to all mind-affecting effects (except those he chooses to accept).

<Avatar> (Su)
At 20th level, the cavalo's body becomes the stuff of <spirits>. Her type becomes Outsider and she can choose any plane she has been to as her native plane. She gains outsider traits (except that she can be brought back to life as normal) and additionally no longer needs to breathe. She no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging, cannot be magically aged, and will not die of old age. She gains a +4 perfection bonus to her lowest three ability scores and a +2 perfection bonus to her three highest ability scores (if there is a tie between two or more ability scores, the cavalo can choose the order of these ability scores for determining which bonus they get.)

She may at any time choose to join the orishas as an honored member among their host, at which point she no longer interacts normally with the physical world (and thus ceases to be either a PC or NPC).

[Mahrke]

I think you may need to tweak the sacrifice oath. A level 15 Orisha must sacrifice 33,750 gold pieces worth of incense or food or whatnot -every day-.

[Jeff the Green]

...Yeah, that could be a problem. I'm thinking level2*2. That's 50/day at 5th (0.56% of WBL) to 800/day (0.1%) at 20th.

[Mahrke]

Make sure to remove the three times / day part from the wording as well.

[Almarck]

I dislike flexible oath system put in place. Not that it's necceasrily wrong objectively, but oaths as is are currently imbalanced, since its easier to keep track of or put up with some versus others. Having an effect like Vow of poverty makes it hard to balance game design wise and it's not something a game like D&D can really help with, especially if you're comparing benefiting from flanking or sneakattacks as another oath. Instead, consider attaching "bans" to each spirit or perhaps requiring the Calvo has a single, primary patron spirit, and as part of being the key benefactor enforces its rules on the Calvo, such as ever increasing weaknesses to water from a fire spirit.

Also, perhaps consider naming the system "Rituals" with each practitioner as a "Ritemaster" since I think ritual must play a very big component to these classes.

[Jeff the Green]

I dislike flexible oath system put in place. Not that it's necceasrily wrong objectively, but oaths as is are currently imbalanced, since its easier to keep track of or put up with some versus others. Having an effect like Vow of poverty makes it hard to balance game design wise and it's not something a game like D&D can really help with, especially if you're comparing benefiting from flanking or sneakattacks as another oath. Instead, consider attaching "bans" to each spirit or perhaps requiring the Calvo has a single, primary patron spirit, and as part of being the key benefactor enforces its rules on the Calvo, such as ever increasing weaknesses to water from a fire spirit.

Hmm. Yeah, I like that. I think to simplify it I'll make it that you have to propitiate the <spirit> once a day (or week for some <spirits>).

(Though there isn't anything like VoP in there; I pulled from Wu Jen's taboos. The two restricting possessions really just mean that your wealth has to be very portable and you can't buy a house for one of them and that you can't wear heavy clothing in cold weather for the other.)


Also, perhaps consider naming the system "Rituals" with each practitioner as a "Ritemaster" since I think ritual must play a very big component to these classes.

Hmm, yeah, I like that (though probably "ritualist" rather than "ritemaster"). I still need to name the general class of <spirits> though, and what you call it when you summon them. "Invoke" would work, I suppose.

[Almarck]

Even then, I think the equipment restriction is unneccesary/ bad game design. It's either going to kill a character by preventing them from having enough essential supplies or not going to matter at all. It has to be something that is always going to be a downside, yet not crippling, hence my idea to tie bans to specific spirits.

In any case, it's a moot point since as far as I am aware, I already gave you some ideas to change things up.


Also, let's no call the system "invoke" since it's already used by offical materials. Instead, consider beseaching, contact, or commune, since the idea is a joint cooperation between a man and the immaterial.

As for what to call spirits, how about simply Loa? Since we're mostly doing this out of Voudun anyways.

[Gray Mage]

I feel like with this name, ride should be a class skill and it should give a bonus to movement speed. :smallamused:

Sorry, carry on. :smallredface:

Edit: Is the 3rd level ability called Preserve or sustain?

Edit 2: Also, except for the last one, all the Orishas - seem pretty underwelming in my opinion (much like monk's class features). :smallredface:

[Jeff the Green]

Even then, I think the equipment restriction is unneccesary/ bad game design. It's either going to kill a character by preventing them from having enough essential supplies or not going to matter at all. It has to be something that is always going to be a downside, yet not crippling, hence my idea to tie bans to specific spirits.

In any case, it's a moot point since as far as I am aware, I already gave you some ideas to change things up.

Yeah, I'm still working on exactly how I want to do that. I'm thinking that some spirits will be harder to propitiate than others (e.g. you have to kill an undead creature of a CR at least equal to your level -2) and will absolve you of more debt. Taking an oath to them would require you to propitiate them once per day for normal or once per week if propitiating them would absolve you of more than one point of debt.


Also, let's no call the system "invoke" since it's already used by offical materials. Instead, consider beseaching, contact, or commune, since the idea is a joint cooperation between a man and the immaterial.

Actually, there isn't anything that uses "invoke". Warlocks use invocations, they don't invoke invocations. Plus this is much closer to what "invocation" means. Do you still think it'll be a problem?

(Also it's not necessarily cooperation. The bokor sort of forces the spirits to go along with his wishes; he has to because the other spirits don't like people who spend so much time and energy with the bakas.)


As for what to call spirits, how about simply Loa? Since we're mostly doing this out of Voudun anyways.

Yeah, except that the divine spirits are already called loa. The only other term I've found is "vodun", which is also the name of the religion. I was thinking about widening the lore I'm drawing on, though. There are a number of other similar concepts one could use.

Actually, I just found one: "houn", the root of "houngan", which is what I was planning to name the one who uses the spirits I previously was calling "loa". So Loa could be the broad class, with houns, bakas, and orishas (I kind of which I could use the Brazilian spelling, Orixas, without making people think it sounds like "oriksas") as the specific groups.


I feel like with this name, ride should be a class skill and it should give a bonus to movement speed. :smallamused:
How many horses have you known that ride their fellows? :smalltongue:


Edit: Is the 3rd level ability called Preserve or sustain?

Bother. It's supposed to go preserve, sustain, protect, guide.


Edit 2: Also, except for the last one, all the Orishas - seem pretty underwelming in my opinion (much like monk's class features). :smallredface:

I assume you mean <spirits>—only one, Ogoun, is an orisha. Really? I was, perhaps, too worried about them being overpowered and they were rather hastily put up. Reviewing them I can see how that might be the case; given that the per day mechanic is similar to the erudite's and the number of available spirits is similar, I'm aiming for each spirit with all its abilities taken together to be slightly more versatile and slightly less powerful than a psion's powers.

Edit:
(Since lately I seem to be incapable of making a post where I don't forget something.)

So bokor are supposed to "serve the loa with both hands". I've given them both a lay on hands feature and deadly touch feature (c.f. paladin of slaughter/tyranny) as "servant of the spirits (right)" and "servant of the spirits (left)", and then later an ability to spend some number of points to remove/inflict disease, poison, or curses or to use the ability in conjunction with another touch attack. I thought an appropriate capstone might be called "Serve with both hands", but I can't figure out what that might be. If it matters, the other class features are a favored spirit, which increases their level for a particular spirit, lets them summon it faster, and use the metaspirit feats, or whatever I'm going to call them, more easily; and the ability to use a spirit's ability without paying for it or incurring a debt, but if you use any of its abilities in the next 24 hours you incur debt even if you have points left to pay with (and you still have to pay if you can).

[Jeff the Green]

So I finished the bokor, the class that uses the destructive bakas.


Bokor

Image URL
Image by Artist (http://Link).

Quote
—Person

Description

Races
Insert stuff about races here

Abilities
Intelligence, obviously.

Alignment
No prereq, probably not often good.

Other Classes
Relationships go here

Starting Gold: As wizard?
Starting Age: As wizard.

Hitdie
d10.

Table: the Bokor


Level
Base Attack Bonus
Fort Save
Ref Save
Will Save
Special
<Points>
Loa
Orisha
Baka


1st
+0
+0
+0
+2
Bo, <channeling>
3
-
-
2


2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3
Spirit chains 1/day
4
-
-
3


3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
Servant of the <spirits> (left hand)
4
-
-
3


4th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Bonus feat
5
-
-
4


5th
+2
+1
+1
+4
Favored baka
5
-
-
4


6th
+3
+2
+2
+5

6
-
-
5


7th
+3
+2
+2
+5

6
1
-
5


8th
+4
+2
+2
+6
Servant of the <spirits> (right hand)
7
1
-
5


9th
+4
+3
+3
+6
Bonus feat, spirit chains 2/day
7
1
-
6


10th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Favored baka
8
1
-
6


11th
+5
+3
+3
+7
Greater servant
8
2
-
6


12th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8

9
2
-
7


13th
+6/+1
+4
+4
+8

9
2
1
7


14th
+7/+2
+4
+4
+9
Bonus feat
10
2
1
7


15th
+7/+2
+5
+5
+9
Favored baka
10
3
1
8


16th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10

11
3
1
8


17th
+8/+3
+5
+5
+10
Spirit chains 3/day
11
3
2
8


18th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11

12
3
2
9


19th
+9/+4
+6
+6
+11
Bonus feat
12
4
2
9


20th
+10/+5
+6
+6
+12
Favored baka, serve with both hands
13
4
2
9


Class Skills (2 + Int modifier per level, x4 at first level): Bluff, Concentration, Craft (any), Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Disguise, Intimidate, Knowledge (all, taken separately), Sense Motive, Sleight of Hand, Speak Language, Spellcraft

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the the bokor class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency
Bokors are proficient with all simple weapons and light armor.

<Channeling>
A bokor <channels> <spirits>. At first he can only <channel> bakas, chaotic and destructive <spirits>, but at 7th level he gains the ability to channel houn, oracle <spirits> and servants of the divine, and at 13th level he gains the ability to channel orishas, ancestral <spirits> that possess the bokor. The number of individual <spirits> of each type that the bokor can <channel> each day is shown on Table: the Bokor. The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a bolkor’s <spirit> abilities is 10 + 1/2 the bokor's class level + her Charisma modifier.

A bokor gains a pool of <points> that she can use to fuel abilities granted him by the <spirits> she channels, as shown on Table: the Bokor.

Bo (Ex)
Unlike other <channelers>, a bokor does not gain the ability to channel every houn and orisha once he is of the proper level. Instead, he must specifically research how to <channel> each one he wishes to use. This requires a number of days of research equal to half his <channeler> level and 1000 GP worth of magical supplies and texts per day of research. If he has the assistance of a <channeler> that doesn't use Bo, such as an cavalo or houngan, the research only requires a number of days equal to his channeler level divided by three and the cost is similarly decreased. Such <channelers> are generally loathe to work with bokor, however, and outside of unique circumstances convincing one to help the bokor requires a payment of the bokor's <channeler> level multiplied by 250 GP or a service of similar value.

This restriction applies even if the bokor multiclasses into a <channeler> class that doesn't use Bo, such as cavalo or houngan, and applies to any houn or orishas he might <channel> using that class's abilities. Because of this, few bokor multiclass into cavalo or houngan and a houngan or cavalo multiclassing into bokor is almost unheard of.

Spirit chains (Ex)
At 2nd level a bokor gains the ability to force a <spirit> to comply with his wishes. Once per day he can use an ability granted by a <spirit> without spending <points> or incurring a debt. The <spirit> is angered by this and for the next 24 hours the bokor incurs a debt to that <spirit> whenever he activates the <spirit>'s abilities regardless of whether he has <points> remaining. (If he has <points> remaining he must still use one point of it to use these abilities.)

The bokor can use this ability twice a day at 9th level and three times per day at 17th level.

Servant of the <spirits> (Su)
Beginning at 3rd level, the bokor can cause wounds with a successful touch attack with his left hand. Each day he can deal a total number of hit points of damage equal to ½ his bokor level x his Intelligence bonus. An opponent subjected to this attack can make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ the bokor's level + his Intelligence modifier) to halve the damage dealt. A bokor may choose to divide his damage among multiple opponents, and she doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using this ability is a standard action.

Beginning at 8th level, a bokor can also heal wounds (her own or those of others) by a touch of his right hand. Each day he can heal a total number of hit points of damage equal to ½ his bokor level × his Intelligence bonus. A bokor may choose to divide his healing among multiple recipients, and he doesn’t have to use it all at once. Using serve with the right hand is a standard action.

Bonus feat (Ex)
At 4th level and again at 14th level a bokor gains a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Skill Focus (Bluff), Skill Focus (Intimidate), Skill Focus (Knowledge [any]), Skill Focus (Spellcraft), <add more here>

Favored baka (Ex)
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter, the bokor chooses a baka to become particularly adept at <channeling>. His <channeler> level for this baka is treated as two levels higher than normal and he can channel this baka as a free action. If he has any <metaspirit> feats, the <points> cost to apply these feats to the favored baka is reduced by 1 (to a minimum of 1)

Greater servant (Ex)
Beginning at 11th level, a bokor can use his servant of the <spirits> ability to produce more exotic effects. By spending 5 points of his wounding touch he can use any other points of his wounding touch to damage an enemy while making another touch attack (such as to deliver the effect of an ability granted by a <spirit>). By spending 10 points of his wounding touch he can replicate the effect of a contagion spell as a spell-like ability. By spending 15 points of his wounding touch he can replicate the effect of a bestow curse spell as a spell-like ability. And by spending 20 points of his wounding touch he can replicate the effect of a poison spell as a spell-like ability.

By spending 5 points of his healing touch he can use any other points of his healing touch to heal an ally while touching them as part of another action (such as to deliver the effect of an ability granted by a <spirit>). By spending 10 points of his healing touch he can replicate the effect of a remove disease spell as a spell-like ability. By spending 15 points of his wounding touch he can replicate the effect of a remove curse spell as a spell-like ability. And by spending 20 points of his wounding touch he can replicate the effect of a neutralize poison spell as a spell-like ability.

The bokor's caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to his class level and the saving throw DCs are equal to 10 + ½ his bokor level + his Intelligence modifier.

Serve with both hands (Su)
At 20th level the bokor learns the supreme technique of Bo: once per day he can force an orisha or houn to manifest as a baka. When he does so the houn or orisha is treated like a baka for all purposes and any of the abilities granted by the houn or orisha that would normally affect the bokor <channeling> the houn or orisha instead affects any creature the bokor touches.

Houns and orishas hate and despise being treated as bakas and so whenever the bokor uses any ability granted by a houn or orisha he has <channeled> in this way he accrues two additional points of debt in addition to paying <points> or accruing the normal point of debt.

[Jeff the Green]

Also, some new loa and tweaked versions of the previous.

Kalfu (baka) [Darkness, Chaos]
A <spirit> of destruction, misfortune, chaos, and night, Kalfu is outcast and despised by many despite the fact that he is no more maleficent than any other baka. His manifestation is a creature so black as to reflect no light at all, but with glowing red eyes like the last burning embers of a forest fire.

Quickening of the Night (1st)

Darkness surrounds an object, creature, or point within 100 ft. + 10 ft./level in a 20' radius for one minute per level. You can see through this darkness. An attended or magical object or a creature can make a Will saving throw to negate this effect. Initially this darkness does not block darkvision. At 4th level it blocks darkvision. At 10th level it blocks any vision, even abilities that specifically see through magical darkness. At 16th level it blocks blindsense, blindsight, lifesight, and any divination effect that would be blocked by lead. Quickening of the night[/b] dispels (but does not counter) any light spell of equal or lower level and is dispelled (but not countered) by any light spell of equal or greater level.
Touch of Entropy (6th)

With a touch you instantly destroy a nonmagical object, deal 1d8 points of damage per level to a magic item, or deal 1d6 points of damage per level to a construct. Attended objects, magic items, and constructs that succeed on a Fortitude saving throw for half damage.
Foul Luck (8th)

A creature within 20 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels must make a Will save or suffer a curse of misfortune for one round per level. Whenever they make an attack roll, saving throw, damage roll, ability check, or skill check, they must roll twice and take the lower roll. If the roll is one that a natural 1 would autmatically fail and a natural 20 would automatically succeed, they automatically fail if either roll is a 1 and automatically succeed if either roll is a 20. (If one roll is a 20 and one is a 1, they must reroll both dice.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to attack rolls, damage rolls, and skill checks.
Propitiation: You must destroy something that does not belong to you and that you do not have either permission or the right to destroy. The sacrifice must be worth at least 100 GP times your level squared. For the purpose of propitiating Kalfu, you own any object that has been in your possession for a year and a day even if you are not the rightful owner as well as anything you take that has been abandoned or which you took from a creature you defeated or participated in defeating.

Shango (baka)
Shango is a baka of dance, song, and drums. His drummiing produces lightning and thunder. His manifestation is a creature that seems to be made of a storm cloud crackling with electricity.

Frenzy of drums (3rd)

All creatures and objects within 10 feet of you take 1d6 sonic damage per level. A successful Fortitude save halves this damage. At 5th level any creature that fails its Fortitude save is deafened for one minute. At 10th level any creature that fails its Fortitude save is also staggered for 1d4+1 rounds. At 15th level any creature that fails its Fortitude save is also dazed for one round.


Spear of heaven (1st)

You create a line of electricity originating in your square and extending up to 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels that deals 1d4 damage/level. A successful Reflex save halves this damage. A creature that rolls a natural 1 on its Reflex save is paralyzed for one round and then suffers the effect of the [i]slow spell for 1 round/level.

For every five levels above 5th, you can create an additional line of electricity.Tarantella (15th)

This ability functions as irresistible dance except that the target is also surrounded by the sound of drums and crackling lighting, imposing a -10 penalty to Move Silently checks and allowing anyone who can hear them to pinpoint the target even if they are invisible or otherwise undetectable. This drumming lasts 1 round/level.

Cost: You take a -5 penalty to Move Silently checks.
Propitiation:You must publicly perform either drumming or dance for one hour before an audience of at least 10 people times your level, successfully impressing the audience (usually a DC 15 Perform check).

Gran Bwa (houn)
Gran bwa is a solitary <spirit>, avoiding humans and other eidolons alike and accepting the company only of animals. His manifestation is an insignia that resembles a mangrove tree.

Voice of the forest (1st)

You can speak with animals, as the speak with animals spell, for 10 minutes/level.

At level 4 you can additionally speak with plants as the speak with plants spell.

At level 8 you can speak with any elemental, fey, or magical beast as the tongues spell or, if the creature does not have a language, like the speak with animals spell except allowing you to communicate with these creature types.
Eyes of the forest (1st)

You gain a bonus equal to 5 + 1 per two levels on Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), and Survival checks for 1 hour/level and can make checks with these skills as though you were trained.

At 8th level you also gain awareness from the forest around you. By concentrating on this effect you can see through the eyes of all trees with 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels as though you were present in all of these trees' location.

At 12th level you gain a +2 bonus to Spot and Listen for every animal or vermin within 25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels of your location.
Veil of the Forest(4th)

You become invisible as the spell for 10 minutes per level.

At 10th level this effect does not end if you attack, as greater invisibility.

At 12th level you can concentrate on this effect if you are within 10 ft. of a living plant of at least medium size, rendering you immune to detection by see invisibility, faerie fire, glitterdust, invisibility purge, and dust of appearance, although you can be detected by true seeing.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to Listen, Search, and Spot checks.
Propitiation: You must leave food (a mix of both fruit and vegetables) at the base of a plant of at least large size worth 10 GP times your level squared.

Simbi (houn)
Gran bwa is a solitary <spirit>, avoiding humans and other eidolons alike


Blessed Vision (1st)

You gain the effect of detect aberrationLoM, detect diseaseOA, detect dragonbloodRotD, detect fireFrost detect magic, detect chaos, detect evil, detect good, detect law, detect metal and mineralsRoF, detect secret doors, detect snares and pits, detect undead, and detect weaponryCity for 1 minute/level, each extending in a 60-ft. cone, and may concentrate on all of them as a standard action.

At 6th level you also gain the effect of detect thoughts, but must concentrate on it separately.

At 10th level you no longer need Concentrate and gain knowledge of the location and strength of all auras detected by these abilities (except detect thoughts, which you must still concentrate on).

At 12th level you also gain the effect of detect thoughts, but must concentrate on it.

You may stop concentrating at any time without ending the effect and then resume concentration at a later time, though without concentrating you don't gain any benefit from the spells. You can distinguish between the auras detected by each spell effortlessly, but must make any appropriate Spellcraft or similar checks to identify the aura.
Healer's Sight (4th)

You gain the effect of the deathwatch spell and a +4 bonus to Heal checks for 10 minutes/level. At any point before this duration expires you may choose to heal any creature within 30 ft. 2d6 + 1d6/level HP as a standard action or 1d4/level HP as an immediate action, but this ends the effect. If you use this ability immediately after the subject takes damage, it effectively prevents the damage. It would keep alive someone who had just dropped to —10 hit points, for example, leaving the character at negative hit points but stable.

This ability does not use positive energy but rather the perfect knowledge of how to repair injury and so works equally well on undead and constructs as on the living.
Foresight (6th)

You gain a pool of insight containing a number of points equal to 3 + 2/level. As an immediate action you can spend a number of points from this pool eqaul to no more than your level + 1 to gain the same number as an insight bonus to a single Initiative check or saving throw, or to your AC for one round. You may choose to use this ability after your check or saving throw or your attacker's attack has been rolled but before you know the result.

If any points from this pool remain after 24 hours they disappear. If you use this ability while you still have points remaining the pools do not stack but instead the points from the first pool are replaced by the points from the second.
Cost: You take a -1 to all Intelligence- and Wisdom-based rolls, including skill checks, Will saving throws and ability checks.
Propitiation: You must pour a number of vials of holy water (or unholy, anarchic, or axiomatic water, as appropriate to your alignement) equal to your level squared and divided by three (minimum 1) onto the ground.

Bosou Koblamin (orisha)
Bosou Koblamin is a constellation of the spirits of barroom brawlers, but also of those ancestors who began wars to end slavery and oppression. He manifests as three horns of darkest night, representing freedom, violence, and strength.

Bondbreaker (1st)

You gain a bonus to Strength checks equal to 4+1/2 levels for one hour/level, or double this to Strength checks made to break chains, ropes, manacles or similar restraints or to escape an effect entangling or immobilizing you.


Rhinoceros Charge (3rd)

You gain a gore attack that deals 1d6 damage (1d4 damage if you are small, 2d6 damage if you are large) plus your Strength modifier, or twice this on a charge. For every 6 levels beyond 4th, you gain an additional gore attack you can use as a primary weapon in a full attack. You can use these gore attacks as secondary weapons, in which case you only add half your Strength modifier to the damage. This ability lasts 1 minute/level.
Free Man (8th)

You gain the effects of the freedom of movement spell for 1 hour/level. At 16th level you also gain the benefit of a freedom spell when you activate this ability and can activate it even if you are currently subject to maze or imprisonment.
[/INDENT]
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to AC.
Propitiation: You must start and win or draw a barroom brawl, riot, or similar fight involving a number of other people at least equal to your level. A fight that is forcibly stopped by another person or group (such as police or friends) is considered to by Bosou Koblamin to be a draw, but if you stop fighting willingly without being overpowered by this person or group he considers you to have lost and is not propitiated. This redeems two points worth of debt.

Ogoun (orisha) [Fire]
Ogoun is the collected spirits of smiths of all kinds and rules over metal and metalcraft. He manifests as a silvery sheen or the dull grey of iron on his ritualist's skin.

Anvil Strike (1st)

For one minute per level your unarmed strikes and natural attacks count as silver.

Starting at level 4 they also count as cold iron.

Starting at level 6 they aslo count as calomelMoE, targathECS, kheferuSand, and byeshkECS. Starting at level 10 they also count as adamantine.

Starting at 18th level they also count as Thinaun (you are not treated as though you were touching thinaun; if you die while this effect is in place your soul still leaves your body for the afterlife). Any soul you capture with this ability remains in your body until you die, you choose to release it to move on, or you absorb another soul with this ability.
Innured to flame (1st)

You gain resistance to fire 5 for 10 minutes/level. This increases by 5 for every two levels above 2. At 14th level you instead become immune to fire damage.
Heat of the forge (6th)

Fire wreathes you for 1 round per level, dealing 1d6 damage per level fire damage to any creature grappling you (or which you grapple).

At 8th level any melee attacks you make deal an additional 1d8 fire damage per 2 levels.

At 10th level, any creature striking you with a melee weapon takes 1d8 fire damage per 2 levels.
Cost: You take a -1 penalty to initiative checks.
Propitiation: You must grasp a red-hot iron object for one round per level. This deals 1d6 fire damage per round. If any of your HP is restored while you hold the poker (including by fast healing) or the damage is reduced or negated in any way, this does not propitiate Ogoun.

[Jeff the Green]

Finally, a capstone for the Cavalo rewritten to be as good as the bokor's

<Avatar> (Su)
At 20th level, the cavalo's body becomes the stuff of <spirits>. Her type becomes Outsider and she can choose any plane she has been to as her native plane. She gains outsider traits and additionally no longer needs to breathe. She no longer takes penalties to her ability scores for aging, cannot be magically aged, and will not die of old age. She gains a +4 perfection bonus to her lowest three ability scores and a +2 perfection bonus to her three highest ability scores (if there is a tie between two or more ability scores, the cavalo can choose the order of these ability scores for determining which bonus they get.) In addition, if she is to die she may return to life in seven days as though through a true resurrection spell. Once per month she may instead decide to return to life as through a resurrection spell at any time within 24 hours after her death (even if her body has been destroyed. This ability can return her to life even if some other circumstance (such as being a member of the False in the Forgotten Realms or being devoured by a barghest) would normally prevent her resurrection.

She may at any time choose to join the orishas as an honored member among their host, at which point she no longer interacts normally with the physical world (and thus ceases to be either a PC or NPC).

[UDwarf]

Simbi's level 6 and level 12 abilities seem to be the same.

Ogoun appears impossible to propitate if you get fast healing from, say, a template -- maybe allow an option to surpress any fast healing you may have?

Does the bokor's capstone use up any points from his Lay On Hands. Harming Touch? (I know it doesn't really matter, but flavor.)

Other than minor nitpicks, though, I have no real contributions to make right now. I may come back later with suggestions.