Ackapus
2007-03-28, 11:45 AM
I've been tweaking this bugger for over a year now, but since the campaign I was going to use it in keeps getting postponed I have yet to really try it with a party. The history behind making the class is about as long as the class description itself, though, so if it seems there's a lot of "fluff", it's because this is meant to be a little more in-depth than just a tack-on.
Caveat #1- I got to play epic once, and I really liked it. This class is meant to fit an epic progression as best as it can be balanced. It may seem overpowered, but keep in mind it's meant to be unavailable until at LEAST CL 40.
Caveat #2- I like psionics in my campaigns, and see no reason to play it without using the Psionics Are Different variant rules. This class is meant to honor that variant; however, if desired, the psy-related features of the class can be thrown out. Psionic skill checks will have non-psionic substitutes.
I tried to make it resemble a like entry from the Epic Level Handbook. As per 3.5 rules, there's no BAB or Saves progression. I also apologize for the formatting; this has been cut-paste from my .doc file.
UPDATE: It seems I've tripped the character count! Anyone else know that there's a limit of 50000 characters to any one post? Anyways, given the nature of the class, I have a convenient middle point to split it. This class will have to be in two posts. Er... my apologies if this is awkward... Better get a cup of coffee or something to mull this over with.
The United Archon
IntroductionStereotypes normally have basis in fact; after all, they had to come from somewhere, no matter how far removed from the source they are. However, there are always exceptions to the norm; one of these exceptions is the United Archon. A warrior who understands their mind and soul are the metaphorical soft underbellies where a warrior’s defenses are at the lowest often takes steps to offset these weaknesses. With a both quick and inquisitive mind and a body trained for and forged in battle, the United Archon knows early on that while their physical prowess is their primary strength, they can protect their mind and soul by fusing them completely in their own material form. Once these intangible vulnerabilities are protected from tampering, the United Archon is immune to most harmful effects that mere mortals dread. The trademark of the United Archon, though, is what they do with their fused life essence- they select whichever weapon they favor above all else, and imbue it with their own mind and soul, making it an extended part of their body. The combination of being and blade that results is a terrifying conglomerate, and with their personal Metaweapon, a United Archon is a primal force of destruction on the battlefield.
Adventuring is no place for the common foot soldier; a band of questing heroes needs wits, guile, support, healing, and quite a few more things that a simple combat-oriented character cannot provide. Most fighters and barbarians are content to accept this, but a psychic warrior, ranger, or monk knows firsthand the value of having multiple capabilities for oneself. Of those who fight with more than just their wielded weapons, those who can still keep their focus in the fight itself sometimes demonstrate the cunning, tenacity, and inquisitive mind that bring about the attention of the United Archons. Whatever the particulars may in fact be, an Archon hopeful must be initiated in the art by an accomplished Archon at their hidden College. When the mood strikes one to take on a pupil (which some Archons refer to as one’s understudy), the abilities that attract an Archon’s attention are as follows: an overt fondness of a two-handed melee weapon; a sharp wit; a healthy intuition; and above all else, the ambition and initiative to rely on yourself first and foremost in a tight situation. The latter, as any Archon will tell you, is quite different from an overt fondness of violence and a sense of self-importance and superiority. It is possible to entreat an Archon into taking one on as an apprentice, but unless the Archon is approached just as the mood strikes him to do so anyway, one must often prove themselves somehow. In any event, Archons only select those who show promise.
In public society, United Archons are all but unknown; with the weight of destiny and time lifted from their shoulders, Archons are free to live life for simple pleasures and pursuits without the shadow of future or past hanging over them. (What constitutes simple pleasure and pursuits depends largely on the Archon.) As any Archon will tell you, once you free yourself, you will feel just how tethered you once where. Archons are close to their friends, and if their friends decide to go off adventuring, an Archon will back them up from the darkest dungeon to the deepest layer of the Abyss. Some Archons have an agenda, and actively work towards that end. However, since all come from the same source, Archons feel a great amount of camaraderie towards each other, and will talk their differences over in any dispute. If escalated, a duel may take place, but Archons hold the final deaths of their kind to be one of the greatest atrocities possible, and an Archon who slays another faces final death himself. Archons tend not to advertise their presence or their existence; the epic psychic warrior or ranger whom your party meets in a planar metropolis may in fact be a United Archon. Archons will sometimes hire themselves out as mercenaries, but often it isn’t until you witness the tangible raw power coiling around one as she unsheathes her Metaweapon in combat that you realize the Archon is much more than meets the eye.
Archons can be from any alignment in theory; no alignment is strictly opposing the self-sufficiency and actualization that an Archon’s mindset requires. In practice, though, it’s up to the Archons doing the teaching that decides who does the learning. As one can expect, an Archon looking for a pupil will likely take on an apprentice of similar alignment; and an individual’s alignment normally changes after the initial Metaweapon bonding process- ensconcing the fire and brimstone of one’s emotions into a physical blade makes most initiates much calmer than they used to be. In general, Archons tend towards neutrality on one axis, either morals or ethics- and even then, they are not known to be the most upstanding paragons of their alignments. Archons can recognize each other on sight due to a special ability discussed later, and all share a feeling that they and they alone truly understand both mortality and immortality in the multiverse. In the event that two parties containing Archons cross blades, the Archons tend to take their duel off to the side, refusing any help from their comrades and not helping them in turn. Such duels are most often to incapacitation, however; regardless of the victor, neither Archon will intervene in the fight between cohorts except to prevent death. Archons consider fights between two Archons to be contests of ideology and skill, quite removed from the life-and-death struggle of reality. If two parties containing Archons are determined to fight each other to the death, the Archons, most likely, will not fight at all or, if the Archons also champion the causes of their respective parties, will duel amongst themselves on the side and let the others kill each other.
Basic Traits
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus: +30
Skills: Five ranks each in Knowledge: Arcana, Psionics, Religion, and The Planes;
Feats: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, & Improved Critical all in one two-handed melee weapon.
Special: Must wield a two-handed melee weapon (can be double-sided) with above feats.
Must have been subject at least three of the following:
Silver cord attacked on Astral Plane;
Worn a Gal-Ralan bracer (however briefly) from the Shadow Plane;
Been subject of level drain, energy drain, or incorporeal touch attack;
Been target of undead/demonic possession (successful or not);
Felt the solidarity or integrity of immortal soul threatened in some other way.
Must have had some exposure to magic (arcane and divine) and psionics first-hand.
Class Skills: Autohypnosis(wis), Balance(dex), Bluff(cha), Climb(str), Craft(int), Concentration(con), Intimidate(cha), Jump(str), Knowledge(The Planes, Arcana, Religion, and Psionics)(int), Swim(str), and Tumble(dex).
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Psionics:
Even if it is not a particular Archon’s calling, the College recognizes that mastery of the mind is an integral part of the final product, and psionics is the best path to that understanding. At level 1, a United Archon gains a daily power point reserve of one point per day, and gains the “Psionic” descriptor. United Archons do not gain any further power points or psionic powers, just as they gain no spell slots or acquire additional spells, unless they take further levels in other classes.
Metaweapon:
This is the characteristic most (except the Archons themselves) would say defines a United Archon. Certainly, it is the process of making one’s Metaweapon that a prospective Archon becomes one; and it is without question that an Archon’s most outwardly impressive abilities focus around her Metaweapon. An Archon without her Metaweapon, though, is more worthless than a bard without his music- for without it the Archon loses nearly all class features, not to mention the sheer power of the weapon itself.
A Metaweapon is created over the course of a weeklong period of rest, in which the Archon-to-be spends an hour before resting in deep meditation with weapon in hand. In actuality, the Archon is pulling all vestiges of his mind, soul, and trace of existence from every corner of the multiverse and distilling it within himself. As a person’s past, present and future is more than can be contained within a material shell even when concentrated and purified, and the Metaweapon becomes the repository and permanent home to a great portion of the Archon’s total being. After this meditation ends, the Archon then enters a trance for eight hours, with his Metaweapon in hand. Removing the Metaweapon from his grasp during this trance or waking him breaks the process, as does removing it during mediation or disturbing him. If the Archon has spells or powers, he does not regenerate these abilities overnight, as this is not truly resting. However, during this time, he does not become fatigued or exhausted due to lack of sleep and any spells or power points he has in reserve do not become lost; these can be rationed over the course of the week.
An Archon who loses his Metaweapon loses all benefits of Battle Mind, Aura of Awe, and suffers a -4 circumstance penalty when using any other weapon, even if it is the same type as his Metaweapon. An Archon who suffers the misfortune of having his Metaweapon destroyed loses class abilities as above but also is wracked with unimaginable pain as half his life essence is ripped away, taking 10 points of ability damage to all attributes, losing 1000 experience points per Archon level, and suffering half his Archon levels in negative levels. His life essence slowly rebuilds itself over the course of a hundred days, during which time the ability damage heals at a rate of one point of each attribute every ten days. (If the Archon has achieved Stone Soul these benefits slowly dissipate over the course of the hundred days.) After that time, the shattered Archon can make a new Metaweapon, which in most cases are the remains of the previous one reforged. (This is out of nostalgia and a sense of obligation, and does not make things any easier or quicker.) After the new Metaweapon is imbued, the Archon regains his negative levels and all class features, though the experience loss is quite permanent.
Metaweapon abilities and features are discussed later.
Resistance (Ex):
An Archon studies magic, both divine and arcane, and psionics to better resist their effects. This pays off first as simple energy resistance, as the Archon learns to warp and bend destructive energies, and branches into spell and power resistance.
Preternatural Resistance: At level 2, the Archon becomes preternaturally resistant to energy damage and gains energy resistance 15/all.
Innate Resistance: At level 5, the Archon becomes innately resistant to magic and psionics, using his knowledge as a direct deterrent to spells and powers. The Archon gains spell and power resistance equal to 20 + half his Archon level + half his ranks in the relevant Knowledge. Note that as magic goes, divine magic and arcane magic are different animals, even if they are both channeled through the soul, and a divine spell is resisted by ranks in Knowledge (religion); ranks in Knowledge (arcana) do not help.
Supernatural Resistance: At level 8, and every five levels after (13th, 18th, 23rd, and so on), the Archon’s Preternatural resistance becomes stronger, increasing by 5/all for a total of 20/all (and 25/all at 13th level, 30/all at 18th level, and so on).
Energy resistance and spell/power resistance granted by United Archon class features do not stack with similar resistance granted by items and magic/psionic effects; however, it does stack with feats, other class features, or other permanent effects.
Damage Reduction (Ex):
An Archon’s study of the arcane and intangible may grant him special resistance to energy damage and supernatural effects, but his roots are in the cut-and-thrust of melee combat. The Archon does not forget this, nor does his body remain as frail as it once was. Reinforced by the coexistence of mind and spirit, and the ever-growing potency of being, the Archon’s physical form becomes extremely resilient. At levels 3, 6, and 9, the Archon gains Damage Reduction as the epic feat (DR 3/-, cumulative with damage reduction from this feat or class features but not nonpermanent sources such as items or spells/powers). As the Archon’s power increases, the body continues to harden itself, becoming more and more impervious to physical harm, but the change is more subtle after the metamorphosis of Stone Soul. The Archon continues to gain Damage Reduction every three levels in pace, but after level 9 every additional installment increases the amount by 1/-. (Meaning that at level 12 the Archon has DR 10/-, at level 15 it becomes DR 11/-, level 18 grants DR 12/-, and so on.)
Battle Mind (Ex):
The Archon does not fear for his own mortality, nor does he see any opponent as beyond his harm. In his mind, the Archon can defeat any foe, siege any stronghold, hunt any quarry, and shrug off any assault. While this unshakeable faith is based more on self-assurance and confidence, starting at level 4, within the Archon’s mind this belief is reinforced into sacred truth. The Archon is immune completely to any fear effect, be it magical, psionic, or mundane, to the point of being all but unaware of the effort. When in battle, with Metaweapon drawn, the Archon is also immune to any Charm effects. Any other effect with the Mind-Affecting descriptor that breaches his resistance is subject to an Autohypnosis roll to shrug it off, with a DC of the effect’s saving throw. This is considered an immediate action. If successful, the effect is totally negated, along with any partial effects; and these partial effects are all the Archon feels if unsuccessful. Regardless of the outcome, the Archon notices the effort, its relative power, and the direction from which it came. Needless to say, most wielders of powerful mind-effecting magic or psionics find dealing with Archons most vexing.
Aura of Awe (Su/Ps):
It is one thing to be an invincible juggernaut in the mind’s eye; it is quite another to seem that way on any field of battle. With Aura of Awe, the Archon does exactly that. At Archon level 7, the mere sight of an Archon wielding his Metaweapon, whether he’s actively using it or not, is as heartening to those fighting with him as it is frightening to those who oppose him. The Archon generates a spherical aura that extends ten feet per Archon level from his person. The Aura is a sight-based magic/psionic ability, and manifests itself as neither all magic nor all psionic, but is dependent on sight- that is, the Aura is blocked by total concealment, blindness, and both a Null Psionics zone and Anti Magic field, but not total cover (unless the cover also provides total concealment), Darkvision or alternate forms of sight, or merely a Null Psionics zone or Anti Magic field by itself. Turning one’s head or closing one’s eyes does not end the effect, though a panicked enemy may freeze in fear and try it; once the effects of the Aura take hold they persist until the Archon is out of sight, slain, or sheathes his Metaweapon. Should the Aura’s duration run out while in battle, any combatants affected by it stay affected until one of the above ending conditions is met or until the combatant is subjected to another moral effect, at which time the Aura’s effects are dispelled.
Allies within range enjoy a moral bonus equal to the Archon’s Charisma mod + 1/ every 4 Archon levels to Attack rolls, Damage rolls, Will saving throws, and to their Constitution score, bestowing an indirect bonus to Fortitude saves and temporary hit points. This moral bonus does not stack with any other moral bonuses. Against any effect that Battle Mind protects the Archon from, the bonus to Will saves is doubled in his allies.
Enemies within range are affected according to their Hit Die. Those with more than twice as many HD as the Archon need no save; they simply see him as more of a threat than they otherwise would- which may not always be a good thing. Targets with more Hit Die than the Archon, but less than twice his number, must make a Will save (as discussed below); failure means they take a morale penalty to Attack Rolls, Damage Rolls, and all saving throws against the Archon equal to the corresponding moral bonus his allies enjoy (Charisma mod plus one for every four Archon levels), and the target sees the Archon’s allies as more threatening than they otherwise would. Targets with less Hit Die than the Archon must make the same save, but in this case a failure renders the target panicked with regards to the Archon and suffers the moral penalty as above to all of the Archon’s allies. Success on any save simply means the target is affected as per the next highest gradient of HD.
Target HD >= 2x Archon’s HD: No save required, Archon is just viewed as larger threat.
2x Archon’s HD > Target HD >= Archon’s HD: Success: Affected as above.
Failure: Morale penalty vs Archon, allies are seen as greater threat (as above).
Target HD < Archon’s HD: Success: Morale penalty vs Archon, allies are seen as greater threat (as above).
Failure: Target panicked with regards to Archon. Suffers morale penalty against Archon’s allies.
The Will save against an Archon’s Aura of Awe is 10 + Archon levels + one-half total tanks in Intimidate + Archon’s Charisma modifier (if any). Aura of Awe may be considered a fear effect, but it is not mind-affecting; any intelligent creature with a fear of death is a potential target. For instance, a paladin does not fear death after level 3, so she is immune to its negative effects, but an outsider on its native plane (where it can be slain permanently) is subject. A creature that successfully saves against a particular Archon’s Aura of Awe is, for the next 24 hours, considered to have the next highest gradient of HD if the creature is subject to the Aura again within that period. In this way, a weak foe can progressively stave off the Aura’s effects by saving successfully multiple times. A creature that fails its save is denied another save for 24 hours if subject to the Aura again, but any unnatural ending of the Aura (such as a moral-boosting spell, a superior’s rally cry, or simply being slapped out of hysterics by a comrade) allows the creature to make another saving throw. No bonus or penalty is applied.
Bystanders and combatants neutral with regards to the Archon (if any) are not subject to any effects of Aura of Awe, but are duly impressed. Archons relish using this ability to bolster their comrades, normally using spells or powers such as enlarge to ensure their visibility in the field of battle. Archons are immune to the Aura of Awe of other Archons.
The Archon can activate his Aura for one minute per Archon level, as many times per day as his Archon level + Cha modifier. The Aura can be dismissed at any time, though the Archon must be actively wielding his Metaweapon to call it forth. Thus, a 7th level Archon can activate Aura seven times for one minute or less each time, once in the day for 7 minutes straight, twice in the day for three and a half minutes each, and so on. Any combination is allowed, as long as neither limit is reached.
Stone Soul(Ex):
An Archon who achieves level 10 has finally completed the process he started when entering the class- the Archon is now a being wholly unto himself. All traces of his essence are recalled totally from Time and Fate, and his unified form is a permanent fixture. From this point in, the Archon is no longer considered humanoid (or native outsider, or monstrous humanoid, etc) or mortal- the Archon’s type changes to Aberration and he ceases to age from that point on. His newly fused composite form is nigh-impossible to alter except by his own powers and abilities; he is immune to petrification, polymorphing, insanity, energy drain, negative levels, charms, mental control, possession, poison, disease, death effects, most positive or negative energy channeling, and almost anything else that would affect his mind or soul. The Archon cannot even lower his immunity voluntarily for such things, even the healing spells and buffs of allies. Cure and Inflict spells cannot affect him, nor can he partake of simple buffs like Bull’s Strength, unless he casts them on himself. More powerful spells like Heal still work, as they target the mind and soul as well as the body. An Archon can still drink the simplest of potions, as their power is ingested into the body. A cursed potion will likewise take its toll. In the same note, alcohol will still inebriate. The Archon’s own spell or powers also retain their full effects. Epic magic and psionics are extremely powerful forces; there is no guarantee against such things. However, against any such thing that an Archon is normally immune to, the Archon always gets a saving throw, and also gets a +20 racial bonus to the roll.
Aside from combat, Stone Soul has a number of lesser, yet at times significant, side-effects. Not all Archons are prepared for the complete transition, although none lament their path. The soul now unable to leave the body, an Archon can no longer perform an astral projection: travel to the Astral Plane must be done bodily. An Archon’s coalesced soul is superimposed on the Ethereal Plane; an ethereal creature or traveler can see him clearly, but his form is soft and almost gelatinous. An Archon finds anything passing through his ethereal presence to be slightly unnerving or worse, depending on the exact nature of the passing. Attacking his ethereal presence does not damage him, though it may make him angry. Other than that, the Ethereal Plane is as invisible as ever to the Archon. An Archon’s form is now much harder to permanently alter; even by himself. Any spell or power he intends to make permanent on himself has an experience cost five times higher than normal; he must also make a Will save (DC total character level/2 + unaltered Con mod) to which he gets no bonus from any items, buffs, or feats to see that he can “reform” himself with this new permanent ability. The XP cost is paid before the Will save; win or lose, it’s spent. Wish spells and Reality Revision powers increasing ability scores are subject to this side effect as well, but ability Tomes & Manuals require only the Will save. The Archon can no longer take part in Metaconcert, either- the power does not manifest for him, no matter how hard he tries.
After reaching level 10, the Archon will never die naturally. The aging process only stops because the body is rendered static; Monks, for example, attain this same feat in Perfect Body. However, unlike Monks, the Archons are no longer a part of Time or Fate. Some Archons attempt to stay on with family or friends after a while, but once the gulf between mortal and immortal is realized most leave the Material Plane behind them and seek out either adventure or relaxation elsewhere on the Great Wheel. When life and whatever pleasures it brought become jaded, a Stone Soul Archon has one last reprieve- to bodily enter a shared dreamworld of the Archons’ invention. Ostensibly, it is similar to the Norse legends of Valhalla, except that an Archon can return to the world of the living whenever he wants. Not much is known of this dreamworld (the Archons themselves don’t even have a name for it!), and no specific memories carry back with an “awakened” Archon except for a generic pleasant buzz, but one constant seems to be that time flows much slower than in the Great Wheel. When an Archon decides to go to “sleep”, the body disintegrates, the Metaweapon disenchants and falls to the floor, and thereafter no divination in the multiverse will register the Archon’s existence anywhere. The Metaweapon loses all enhancements, powers, and auras, though it retains its increased hardness and HP. The Metaweapon’s physical form becomes a portal, of sorts- on “waking”, an Archon will reconstitute next to his Metaweapon while his life force pours in. If there is insufficient space for the Archon to reconstitute next to the Metaweapon he is shunted aside to the nearest accommodating space, taking 1 point of subdual damage for every 5 feet traveled. Reconstitution takes 1 round for every thousand years the Archon has been “dreaming”. Disturbing the Metaweapon has a 1% chance of waking the Archon in the next 20 rounds; if successful, roll a D20 to determine when the Archon returns. Another Archon can pull a sleeper back with him, but requires a trance-like commune with the sleeping Metaweapon for 4 rounds. Striking a sleeping Metaweapon will always call an Archon back, although the fog of the dreaming will lay like a blanket over the Archon’s mind for at least 10 rounds- allowing him a Will save DC= 1/10 number of years spent in slumber to shake it off; every failure cuts the DC in half to be attempted again next round. Until the Archon clears his head, as it where, he will attack anyone nearby. Destroying a sleeping Metaweapon before the Archon reconstitutes effectively traps the Archon in the Dreaming, though it does not kill him- pray he never finds another way out.
The United Archon by level:
{table]Level|Ability
1|Metaweapon
2|Preternatural Resistance
3|Damage Reduction
4|Battle Mind
5|Innate Resistance
6|Damage Reduction
7|Aura of Awe
8|Supernatural Resistance
9|Damage Reduction
10|Stone Soul
11
12|Damage Reduction
13|-
14|–
15|Damage Reduction, Bonus Feat
16|-
17|–
18|Damage Reduction
19|-
20| Bonus Feat[/table]
Caveat #1- I got to play epic once, and I really liked it. This class is meant to fit an epic progression as best as it can be balanced. It may seem overpowered, but keep in mind it's meant to be unavailable until at LEAST CL 40.
Caveat #2- I like psionics in my campaigns, and see no reason to play it without using the Psionics Are Different variant rules. This class is meant to honor that variant; however, if desired, the psy-related features of the class can be thrown out. Psionic skill checks will have non-psionic substitutes.
I tried to make it resemble a like entry from the Epic Level Handbook. As per 3.5 rules, there's no BAB or Saves progression. I also apologize for the formatting; this has been cut-paste from my .doc file.
UPDATE: It seems I've tripped the character count! Anyone else know that there's a limit of 50000 characters to any one post? Anyways, given the nature of the class, I have a convenient middle point to split it. This class will have to be in two posts. Er... my apologies if this is awkward... Better get a cup of coffee or something to mull this over with.
The United Archon
IntroductionStereotypes normally have basis in fact; after all, they had to come from somewhere, no matter how far removed from the source they are. However, there are always exceptions to the norm; one of these exceptions is the United Archon. A warrior who understands their mind and soul are the metaphorical soft underbellies where a warrior’s defenses are at the lowest often takes steps to offset these weaknesses. With a both quick and inquisitive mind and a body trained for and forged in battle, the United Archon knows early on that while their physical prowess is their primary strength, they can protect their mind and soul by fusing them completely in their own material form. Once these intangible vulnerabilities are protected from tampering, the United Archon is immune to most harmful effects that mere mortals dread. The trademark of the United Archon, though, is what they do with their fused life essence- they select whichever weapon they favor above all else, and imbue it with their own mind and soul, making it an extended part of their body. The combination of being and blade that results is a terrifying conglomerate, and with their personal Metaweapon, a United Archon is a primal force of destruction on the battlefield.
Adventuring is no place for the common foot soldier; a band of questing heroes needs wits, guile, support, healing, and quite a few more things that a simple combat-oriented character cannot provide. Most fighters and barbarians are content to accept this, but a psychic warrior, ranger, or monk knows firsthand the value of having multiple capabilities for oneself. Of those who fight with more than just their wielded weapons, those who can still keep their focus in the fight itself sometimes demonstrate the cunning, tenacity, and inquisitive mind that bring about the attention of the United Archons. Whatever the particulars may in fact be, an Archon hopeful must be initiated in the art by an accomplished Archon at their hidden College. When the mood strikes one to take on a pupil (which some Archons refer to as one’s understudy), the abilities that attract an Archon’s attention are as follows: an overt fondness of a two-handed melee weapon; a sharp wit; a healthy intuition; and above all else, the ambition and initiative to rely on yourself first and foremost in a tight situation. The latter, as any Archon will tell you, is quite different from an overt fondness of violence and a sense of self-importance and superiority. It is possible to entreat an Archon into taking one on as an apprentice, but unless the Archon is approached just as the mood strikes him to do so anyway, one must often prove themselves somehow. In any event, Archons only select those who show promise.
In public society, United Archons are all but unknown; with the weight of destiny and time lifted from their shoulders, Archons are free to live life for simple pleasures and pursuits without the shadow of future or past hanging over them. (What constitutes simple pleasure and pursuits depends largely on the Archon.) As any Archon will tell you, once you free yourself, you will feel just how tethered you once where. Archons are close to their friends, and if their friends decide to go off adventuring, an Archon will back them up from the darkest dungeon to the deepest layer of the Abyss. Some Archons have an agenda, and actively work towards that end. However, since all come from the same source, Archons feel a great amount of camaraderie towards each other, and will talk their differences over in any dispute. If escalated, a duel may take place, but Archons hold the final deaths of their kind to be one of the greatest atrocities possible, and an Archon who slays another faces final death himself. Archons tend not to advertise their presence or their existence; the epic psychic warrior or ranger whom your party meets in a planar metropolis may in fact be a United Archon. Archons will sometimes hire themselves out as mercenaries, but often it isn’t until you witness the tangible raw power coiling around one as she unsheathes her Metaweapon in combat that you realize the Archon is much more than meets the eye.
Archons can be from any alignment in theory; no alignment is strictly opposing the self-sufficiency and actualization that an Archon’s mindset requires. In practice, though, it’s up to the Archons doing the teaching that decides who does the learning. As one can expect, an Archon looking for a pupil will likely take on an apprentice of similar alignment; and an individual’s alignment normally changes after the initial Metaweapon bonding process- ensconcing the fire and brimstone of one’s emotions into a physical blade makes most initiates much calmer than they used to be. In general, Archons tend towards neutrality on one axis, either morals or ethics- and even then, they are not known to be the most upstanding paragons of their alignments. Archons can recognize each other on sight due to a special ability discussed later, and all share a feeling that they and they alone truly understand both mortality and immortality in the multiverse. In the event that two parties containing Archons cross blades, the Archons tend to take their duel off to the side, refusing any help from their comrades and not helping them in turn. Such duels are most often to incapacitation, however; regardless of the victor, neither Archon will intervene in the fight between cohorts except to prevent death. Archons consider fights between two Archons to be contests of ideology and skill, quite removed from the life-and-death struggle of reality. If two parties containing Archons are determined to fight each other to the death, the Archons, most likely, will not fight at all or, if the Archons also champion the causes of their respective parties, will duel amongst themselves on the side and let the others kill each other.
Basic Traits
Hit Die: d6.
Requirements:
Base Attack Bonus: +30
Skills: Five ranks each in Knowledge: Arcana, Psionics, Religion, and The Planes;
Feats: Weapon Focus, Weapon Specialization, & Improved Critical all in one two-handed melee weapon.
Special: Must wield a two-handed melee weapon (can be double-sided) with above feats.
Must have been subject at least three of the following:
Silver cord attacked on Astral Plane;
Worn a Gal-Ralan bracer (however briefly) from the Shadow Plane;
Been subject of level drain, energy drain, or incorporeal touch attack;
Been target of undead/demonic possession (successful or not);
Felt the solidarity or integrity of immortal soul threatened in some other way.
Must have had some exposure to magic (arcane and divine) and psionics first-hand.
Class Skills: Autohypnosis(wis), Balance(dex), Bluff(cha), Climb(str), Craft(int), Concentration(con), Intimidate(cha), Jump(str), Knowledge(The Planes, Arcana, Religion, and Psionics)(int), Swim(str), and Tumble(dex).
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Psionics:
Even if it is not a particular Archon’s calling, the College recognizes that mastery of the mind is an integral part of the final product, and psionics is the best path to that understanding. At level 1, a United Archon gains a daily power point reserve of one point per day, and gains the “Psionic” descriptor. United Archons do not gain any further power points or psionic powers, just as they gain no spell slots or acquire additional spells, unless they take further levels in other classes.
Metaweapon:
This is the characteristic most (except the Archons themselves) would say defines a United Archon. Certainly, it is the process of making one’s Metaweapon that a prospective Archon becomes one; and it is without question that an Archon’s most outwardly impressive abilities focus around her Metaweapon. An Archon without her Metaweapon, though, is more worthless than a bard without his music- for without it the Archon loses nearly all class features, not to mention the sheer power of the weapon itself.
A Metaweapon is created over the course of a weeklong period of rest, in which the Archon-to-be spends an hour before resting in deep meditation with weapon in hand. In actuality, the Archon is pulling all vestiges of his mind, soul, and trace of existence from every corner of the multiverse and distilling it within himself. As a person’s past, present and future is more than can be contained within a material shell even when concentrated and purified, and the Metaweapon becomes the repository and permanent home to a great portion of the Archon’s total being. After this meditation ends, the Archon then enters a trance for eight hours, with his Metaweapon in hand. Removing the Metaweapon from his grasp during this trance or waking him breaks the process, as does removing it during mediation or disturbing him. If the Archon has spells or powers, he does not regenerate these abilities overnight, as this is not truly resting. However, during this time, he does not become fatigued or exhausted due to lack of sleep and any spells or power points he has in reserve do not become lost; these can be rationed over the course of the week.
An Archon who loses his Metaweapon loses all benefits of Battle Mind, Aura of Awe, and suffers a -4 circumstance penalty when using any other weapon, even if it is the same type as his Metaweapon. An Archon who suffers the misfortune of having his Metaweapon destroyed loses class abilities as above but also is wracked with unimaginable pain as half his life essence is ripped away, taking 10 points of ability damage to all attributes, losing 1000 experience points per Archon level, and suffering half his Archon levels in negative levels. His life essence slowly rebuilds itself over the course of a hundred days, during which time the ability damage heals at a rate of one point of each attribute every ten days. (If the Archon has achieved Stone Soul these benefits slowly dissipate over the course of the hundred days.) After that time, the shattered Archon can make a new Metaweapon, which in most cases are the remains of the previous one reforged. (This is out of nostalgia and a sense of obligation, and does not make things any easier or quicker.) After the new Metaweapon is imbued, the Archon regains his negative levels and all class features, though the experience loss is quite permanent.
Metaweapon abilities and features are discussed later.
Resistance (Ex):
An Archon studies magic, both divine and arcane, and psionics to better resist their effects. This pays off first as simple energy resistance, as the Archon learns to warp and bend destructive energies, and branches into spell and power resistance.
Preternatural Resistance: At level 2, the Archon becomes preternaturally resistant to energy damage and gains energy resistance 15/all.
Innate Resistance: At level 5, the Archon becomes innately resistant to magic and psionics, using his knowledge as a direct deterrent to spells and powers. The Archon gains spell and power resistance equal to 20 + half his Archon level + half his ranks in the relevant Knowledge. Note that as magic goes, divine magic and arcane magic are different animals, even if they are both channeled through the soul, and a divine spell is resisted by ranks in Knowledge (religion); ranks in Knowledge (arcana) do not help.
Supernatural Resistance: At level 8, and every five levels after (13th, 18th, 23rd, and so on), the Archon’s Preternatural resistance becomes stronger, increasing by 5/all for a total of 20/all (and 25/all at 13th level, 30/all at 18th level, and so on).
Energy resistance and spell/power resistance granted by United Archon class features do not stack with similar resistance granted by items and magic/psionic effects; however, it does stack with feats, other class features, or other permanent effects.
Damage Reduction (Ex):
An Archon’s study of the arcane and intangible may grant him special resistance to energy damage and supernatural effects, but his roots are in the cut-and-thrust of melee combat. The Archon does not forget this, nor does his body remain as frail as it once was. Reinforced by the coexistence of mind and spirit, and the ever-growing potency of being, the Archon’s physical form becomes extremely resilient. At levels 3, 6, and 9, the Archon gains Damage Reduction as the epic feat (DR 3/-, cumulative with damage reduction from this feat or class features but not nonpermanent sources such as items or spells/powers). As the Archon’s power increases, the body continues to harden itself, becoming more and more impervious to physical harm, but the change is more subtle after the metamorphosis of Stone Soul. The Archon continues to gain Damage Reduction every three levels in pace, but after level 9 every additional installment increases the amount by 1/-. (Meaning that at level 12 the Archon has DR 10/-, at level 15 it becomes DR 11/-, level 18 grants DR 12/-, and so on.)
Battle Mind (Ex):
The Archon does not fear for his own mortality, nor does he see any opponent as beyond his harm. In his mind, the Archon can defeat any foe, siege any stronghold, hunt any quarry, and shrug off any assault. While this unshakeable faith is based more on self-assurance and confidence, starting at level 4, within the Archon’s mind this belief is reinforced into sacred truth. The Archon is immune completely to any fear effect, be it magical, psionic, or mundane, to the point of being all but unaware of the effort. When in battle, with Metaweapon drawn, the Archon is also immune to any Charm effects. Any other effect with the Mind-Affecting descriptor that breaches his resistance is subject to an Autohypnosis roll to shrug it off, with a DC of the effect’s saving throw. This is considered an immediate action. If successful, the effect is totally negated, along with any partial effects; and these partial effects are all the Archon feels if unsuccessful. Regardless of the outcome, the Archon notices the effort, its relative power, and the direction from which it came. Needless to say, most wielders of powerful mind-effecting magic or psionics find dealing with Archons most vexing.
Aura of Awe (Su/Ps):
It is one thing to be an invincible juggernaut in the mind’s eye; it is quite another to seem that way on any field of battle. With Aura of Awe, the Archon does exactly that. At Archon level 7, the mere sight of an Archon wielding his Metaweapon, whether he’s actively using it or not, is as heartening to those fighting with him as it is frightening to those who oppose him. The Archon generates a spherical aura that extends ten feet per Archon level from his person. The Aura is a sight-based magic/psionic ability, and manifests itself as neither all magic nor all psionic, but is dependent on sight- that is, the Aura is blocked by total concealment, blindness, and both a Null Psionics zone and Anti Magic field, but not total cover (unless the cover also provides total concealment), Darkvision or alternate forms of sight, or merely a Null Psionics zone or Anti Magic field by itself. Turning one’s head or closing one’s eyes does not end the effect, though a panicked enemy may freeze in fear and try it; once the effects of the Aura take hold they persist until the Archon is out of sight, slain, or sheathes his Metaweapon. Should the Aura’s duration run out while in battle, any combatants affected by it stay affected until one of the above ending conditions is met or until the combatant is subjected to another moral effect, at which time the Aura’s effects are dispelled.
Allies within range enjoy a moral bonus equal to the Archon’s Charisma mod + 1/ every 4 Archon levels to Attack rolls, Damage rolls, Will saving throws, and to their Constitution score, bestowing an indirect bonus to Fortitude saves and temporary hit points. This moral bonus does not stack with any other moral bonuses. Against any effect that Battle Mind protects the Archon from, the bonus to Will saves is doubled in his allies.
Enemies within range are affected according to their Hit Die. Those with more than twice as many HD as the Archon need no save; they simply see him as more of a threat than they otherwise would- which may not always be a good thing. Targets with more Hit Die than the Archon, but less than twice his number, must make a Will save (as discussed below); failure means they take a morale penalty to Attack Rolls, Damage Rolls, and all saving throws against the Archon equal to the corresponding moral bonus his allies enjoy (Charisma mod plus one for every four Archon levels), and the target sees the Archon’s allies as more threatening than they otherwise would. Targets with less Hit Die than the Archon must make the same save, but in this case a failure renders the target panicked with regards to the Archon and suffers the moral penalty as above to all of the Archon’s allies. Success on any save simply means the target is affected as per the next highest gradient of HD.
Target HD >= 2x Archon’s HD: No save required, Archon is just viewed as larger threat.
2x Archon’s HD > Target HD >= Archon’s HD: Success: Affected as above.
Failure: Morale penalty vs Archon, allies are seen as greater threat (as above).
Target HD < Archon’s HD: Success: Morale penalty vs Archon, allies are seen as greater threat (as above).
Failure: Target panicked with regards to Archon. Suffers morale penalty against Archon’s allies.
The Will save against an Archon’s Aura of Awe is 10 + Archon levels + one-half total tanks in Intimidate + Archon’s Charisma modifier (if any). Aura of Awe may be considered a fear effect, but it is not mind-affecting; any intelligent creature with a fear of death is a potential target. For instance, a paladin does not fear death after level 3, so she is immune to its negative effects, but an outsider on its native plane (where it can be slain permanently) is subject. A creature that successfully saves against a particular Archon’s Aura of Awe is, for the next 24 hours, considered to have the next highest gradient of HD if the creature is subject to the Aura again within that period. In this way, a weak foe can progressively stave off the Aura’s effects by saving successfully multiple times. A creature that fails its save is denied another save for 24 hours if subject to the Aura again, but any unnatural ending of the Aura (such as a moral-boosting spell, a superior’s rally cry, or simply being slapped out of hysterics by a comrade) allows the creature to make another saving throw. No bonus or penalty is applied.
Bystanders and combatants neutral with regards to the Archon (if any) are not subject to any effects of Aura of Awe, but are duly impressed. Archons relish using this ability to bolster their comrades, normally using spells or powers such as enlarge to ensure their visibility in the field of battle. Archons are immune to the Aura of Awe of other Archons.
The Archon can activate his Aura for one minute per Archon level, as many times per day as his Archon level + Cha modifier. The Aura can be dismissed at any time, though the Archon must be actively wielding his Metaweapon to call it forth. Thus, a 7th level Archon can activate Aura seven times for one minute or less each time, once in the day for 7 minutes straight, twice in the day for three and a half minutes each, and so on. Any combination is allowed, as long as neither limit is reached.
Stone Soul(Ex):
An Archon who achieves level 10 has finally completed the process he started when entering the class- the Archon is now a being wholly unto himself. All traces of his essence are recalled totally from Time and Fate, and his unified form is a permanent fixture. From this point in, the Archon is no longer considered humanoid (or native outsider, or monstrous humanoid, etc) or mortal- the Archon’s type changes to Aberration and he ceases to age from that point on. His newly fused composite form is nigh-impossible to alter except by his own powers and abilities; he is immune to petrification, polymorphing, insanity, energy drain, negative levels, charms, mental control, possession, poison, disease, death effects, most positive or negative energy channeling, and almost anything else that would affect his mind or soul. The Archon cannot even lower his immunity voluntarily for such things, even the healing spells and buffs of allies. Cure and Inflict spells cannot affect him, nor can he partake of simple buffs like Bull’s Strength, unless he casts them on himself. More powerful spells like Heal still work, as they target the mind and soul as well as the body. An Archon can still drink the simplest of potions, as their power is ingested into the body. A cursed potion will likewise take its toll. In the same note, alcohol will still inebriate. The Archon’s own spell or powers also retain their full effects. Epic magic and psionics are extremely powerful forces; there is no guarantee against such things. However, against any such thing that an Archon is normally immune to, the Archon always gets a saving throw, and also gets a +20 racial bonus to the roll.
Aside from combat, Stone Soul has a number of lesser, yet at times significant, side-effects. Not all Archons are prepared for the complete transition, although none lament their path. The soul now unable to leave the body, an Archon can no longer perform an astral projection: travel to the Astral Plane must be done bodily. An Archon’s coalesced soul is superimposed on the Ethereal Plane; an ethereal creature or traveler can see him clearly, but his form is soft and almost gelatinous. An Archon finds anything passing through his ethereal presence to be slightly unnerving or worse, depending on the exact nature of the passing. Attacking his ethereal presence does not damage him, though it may make him angry. Other than that, the Ethereal Plane is as invisible as ever to the Archon. An Archon’s form is now much harder to permanently alter; even by himself. Any spell or power he intends to make permanent on himself has an experience cost five times higher than normal; he must also make a Will save (DC total character level/2 + unaltered Con mod) to which he gets no bonus from any items, buffs, or feats to see that he can “reform” himself with this new permanent ability. The XP cost is paid before the Will save; win or lose, it’s spent. Wish spells and Reality Revision powers increasing ability scores are subject to this side effect as well, but ability Tomes & Manuals require only the Will save. The Archon can no longer take part in Metaconcert, either- the power does not manifest for him, no matter how hard he tries.
After reaching level 10, the Archon will never die naturally. The aging process only stops because the body is rendered static; Monks, for example, attain this same feat in Perfect Body. However, unlike Monks, the Archons are no longer a part of Time or Fate. Some Archons attempt to stay on with family or friends after a while, but once the gulf between mortal and immortal is realized most leave the Material Plane behind them and seek out either adventure or relaxation elsewhere on the Great Wheel. When life and whatever pleasures it brought become jaded, a Stone Soul Archon has one last reprieve- to bodily enter a shared dreamworld of the Archons’ invention. Ostensibly, it is similar to the Norse legends of Valhalla, except that an Archon can return to the world of the living whenever he wants. Not much is known of this dreamworld (the Archons themselves don’t even have a name for it!), and no specific memories carry back with an “awakened” Archon except for a generic pleasant buzz, but one constant seems to be that time flows much slower than in the Great Wheel. When an Archon decides to go to “sleep”, the body disintegrates, the Metaweapon disenchants and falls to the floor, and thereafter no divination in the multiverse will register the Archon’s existence anywhere. The Metaweapon loses all enhancements, powers, and auras, though it retains its increased hardness and HP. The Metaweapon’s physical form becomes a portal, of sorts- on “waking”, an Archon will reconstitute next to his Metaweapon while his life force pours in. If there is insufficient space for the Archon to reconstitute next to the Metaweapon he is shunted aside to the nearest accommodating space, taking 1 point of subdual damage for every 5 feet traveled. Reconstitution takes 1 round for every thousand years the Archon has been “dreaming”. Disturbing the Metaweapon has a 1% chance of waking the Archon in the next 20 rounds; if successful, roll a D20 to determine when the Archon returns. Another Archon can pull a sleeper back with him, but requires a trance-like commune with the sleeping Metaweapon for 4 rounds. Striking a sleeping Metaweapon will always call an Archon back, although the fog of the dreaming will lay like a blanket over the Archon’s mind for at least 10 rounds- allowing him a Will save DC= 1/10 number of years spent in slumber to shake it off; every failure cuts the DC in half to be attempted again next round. Until the Archon clears his head, as it where, he will attack anyone nearby. Destroying a sleeping Metaweapon before the Archon reconstitutes effectively traps the Archon in the Dreaming, though it does not kill him- pray he never finds another way out.
The United Archon by level:
{table]Level|Ability
1|Metaweapon
2|Preternatural Resistance
3|Damage Reduction
4|Battle Mind
5|Innate Resistance
6|Damage Reduction
7|Aura of Awe
8|Supernatural Resistance
9|Damage Reduction
10|Stone Soul
11
12|Damage Reduction
13|-
14|–
15|Damage Reduction, Bonus Feat
16|-
17|–
18|Damage Reduction
19|-
20| Bonus Feat[/table]