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View Full Version : New Vestige: Prometheus, Unbridled Envy



Atypical_Necro
2014-12-06, 11:06 PM
Prometheus, Unbridled Envy
Binders who make a pact with Prometheus find they can spy from afar, see magical auras, steal beneficial magic, and more.
Legend: On his home plane Prometheus was 'friend' to a young mage who he reviled for having every advantage over him; both boys' parents were mages but his rivals' were more famous, and after their untimely deaths Prometheus' rival went to a premiere arcane academy while he ended up a street urchin who stole money and magic to survive. He met a powerful man during these years who promised him revenge and anything else his heart desired; Prometheus apprenticed to him in arcane studies in return for his aid, and in the process learned that the woman for whom his heart beat had chosen his rival's affections.
He aided his master for many years, but when his rival joined a group of adventurers who would eventually come to oppose them his hatred and envy burned ever brighter. Prometheus eventually rebelled against his master and sought to bring his hated enemy to his knees by attacking him on his wedding night. He failed and died cursing his rival's name. When his soul reached judgement all gods rejected the weak, vile, and faithless man; left unclaimed, it eventually made its way to the realm of vestiges.
Manifestation: When Prometheus is summoned a large, ruby-framed mirror appears in the seal. After a moment it seems as if two hands are pushing out the surface of the mirror from within and then slowly recede. Another moment passes before an entire humanoid figure pushes at the mirror accompanied by an ear-shattering scream of indignation. A crossbow bolt flashes into the mirror and causes it to explode, the shards coalescing into a featureless, mirror-skinned man dressed in a strange combination of kingly raiment and pauper's garb. The crossbow bolt is lodged in his chest and he clutches a large shard of blood-spattered ruby in his hand.
Sign: While bound to Prometheus the binder's eyes take on the appearance of a mirror shattered by the ruby shard embedded in the middle.
Influence: Under the influence of Prometheus you believe yourself superior to others, despite evidence to the contrary. Anyone who even implies that you are inferior to them in some way becomes an object of intense hatred. You believe that everyone who bests you in some way must have had some sort of advantage over you.
Granted Abilities: Prometheus grants you the ability to see from afar, to see magical auras and gauge a spellcaster's strength, to steal beneficial magic for your own use, and to stun others with your 'superior' nature.
-Prometheus' Eye: You are under a continuous arcane sight effect. You must be showing Prometheus' sign to benefit from this ability.
-Obviously Superior: You may show enemies that YOU are they one they should be in awe of. When you activate this ability all enemies within 30 ft. must make a Will save. Those who fail are dazed for 1 round and shaken the following round. Those who succeed on their save ignore the daze effect and are instead rendered shaken for 1 round. Arcane spellcasters suffer a -4 penalty on their saving throw against this ability. Once you have used this ability you may not do so again for 5 rounds. This is a mind-affecting fear effect.
-Rightfully Mine: With a thought and a gesture you can steal an opponent's beneficial spells. Choose one enemy with 5 feet per binder level. For each beneficial spell affecting that creature roll 1d20+binder level (max +20) against a DC of 11+the spell's caster level. For each successful check that particular spell is suppressed for the target and now affects you. The spells' durations continue to expire while affecting you. Spells for which you are an invalid target are ignored by this ability. These spells benefit you for 5 rounds or until the spell's normal duration expires (whichever comes first), after which time they cease to affect you and resume their effects on the target of the ability. Once you have used this ability you many not do so again for 5 rounds, however you may not affect the same creature with this ability more than once for each binding Prometheus.
-Jealous Observation: Once per binding you may use this ability to scry on others, as the spell scrying. You need no medium through which to observe your target; it and it's surroundings appear as a life-sized illusion around you. The same limitations on magical perception apply to this ability as to the spell scrying.

This vestige is based on an NPC named Prometheus Weld from the first DnD campaign I ran; the rival mentioned in the story was the wizard PC and his mentor/master was the campaign's main antagonist. I wanted to include this vestige in my current campaign somehow, as I'm sure my players would get a kick out of seeing such a memorable villain again.

First of all, do the abilities seem fitting? Prometheus was a Spellthief/Diviner with the Master Spellthief feat who was every bit as envious and spiteful as the story implies.

Also, how do the abilities look from a power standpoint? I've never homebrewed a vestige before, so I'm not sure whether to tone them down or up.

What level would you call this vestige? What would you rate the binding DC at? I'm thinking of increasing the DC if the binder has levels in an arcane spellcasting class.

Any insight, helpful advice, and general comments would be great.

MrNobody
2014-12-07, 08:09 AM
This vestige looks like a more powerful Karsus (arcane sight vs detect magic, rightfully mine vs karsus touch) so i would set it as a 6th level vestige, binding DC 25 with a circumstance -2 on the binding roll if the binder can cast arcane spells.

To me it looks really fitting on the original NPC, and also balanced.

A few notes:
- I would specify that Obviously Superior is a fear effect, allowing some kind of resistance. Otherwise it looks just a little OP.
- In Rightfully mine you already state that "The spells' durations continue to expire while affecting you" but i suggest to add "these spells benefit you for 5 rounds or less if the duration of the spell expires". It is redundant but i think it helps making it clearer and avoiding abuses.

I really like your work and I want to ask you something. In my spare time i'm working on a fighter-variant of the Binder (essentially he summons Vestiges and bounds them to his weapon instead to himself): after finishing the base classe and the "conversion" of the official vestiges i would like to add also those that are homebrewed. May I use your Prometheus too?

Atypical_Necro
2014-12-07, 12:36 PM
Thanks for the input. I've edited the original based on your comments, Mr. Nobody. How does it look now?

Feel free to use him, I'm sure Prometheus would love to stick it to as many uppity, priveleged mages as possible. :smallsmile:

Thanks for the praise! I'm also working on a vestige based on the BBEG of a campaign I played in, a Lich Mystic Theurge who nearly blanketed the world in darkness, but that one's quite a ways from finished at the moment.