Zaydos
2015-01-28, 04:17 PM
The Aberrant Shepherd
”I simply heed a different nature,” Markelov, defending himself to the council of druids.
Many are those who can attune their spirits to the so-called natural animals of this world, but those which can deal with the various creatures which exist outside the norms of the world are far rarer. Born with the blood of aberrations, aberrant shepherds have natures more attuned to the beings of the outer spheres, calling such horrors to them as faithful companions and allies.
BECOMING AN ABERRANT SHEPHERD
The blood of aberrations pulses through the veins of those who would become aberrant shepherds, leading them towards inspection of these creatures born of different laws and natures than those of the rest of the world. An aberrant shepherd often begins as one who has a deep connection to the natural world, but finds themselves slowly moving out of sync with it as they realize that they are not truly of its nature but of another alien reality. It is when they realize how to reconcile these differences that they become an aberrant shepherd in full.
Typically aberrant shepherds were druids before turning towards the path of the farspawned, coming to the realization that there is more to nature than that which is the human norm. Rangers sometimes turn to this path, but they are less prone to do so as they lack the magical focus of their counterparts. Shamans, or even wizards and sorcerers turn to this path on occasion, coupling their own takes on magic with the call of the furthest spheres.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Will Save: +2.
Feats: Aberration Blood (LoM)
Skills: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 5 ranks, Handle Animal 8 ranks
Special: Ability to call an Animal Companion.
Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d8
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecialSpells
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2Aberrant Companion, Aberrant Empathy-
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3 Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd
+2
+1
+1
+3 Telepathic Link, Extended Share Spells (30-ft)+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th
+3
+1
+1
+4 Aberrant Sense+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th
+3
+1
+1
+4 Shared Mind, Extended Share Spells (100-ft)+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th
+4
+2
+2
+5 Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th
+5
+2
+2
+5 Shared Senses, Extended Share Spells (1 mile) +1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th
+6
+2
+2
+6Inhuman Vitality+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th
+6
+3
+3
+6Pinnacle Beast, Interplanar Share Spells+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th
+7
+3
+3
+7Aberrant Psyche, Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
Weapon Proficiencies: An Aberrant Shepherd does not gain any new armor or weapon proficiencies.
Aberrant Companion (Ex): At 1st level an Aberrant Shepherd gains the ability to call an aberration in place of your animal companion. This aberration gains all the normal abilities that an animal companion of a character with an effective druid level of your level in classes which grant or progress animal companions plus your Aberrant Shepherd level. In addition you may affect your aberrant companion with spells as if it were an Animal. While you may call an Aberrant Companion like you would an animal companion, but no more than once per month. See table below for what aberrations can be called with this ability. If the aberrant companion has an intelligence of 3 or higher and its alignment would normally not be the same as yours it shifts up to one position on both the ethical (law and chaos) and moral (good and evil) axes to more closely match yours (for example if you were Lawful Good and selected an Umber Hulk aberrant companion it’s alignment would become True Neutral (Chaotic changing to Neutral, and Evil changing to Neutral), conversely if you selected a skum its alignment would be Lawful Neutral (Lawful remaining Lawful and Evil changing to Neutral). The aberration companion can also be trained and commanded as if it was an animal and the Aberrant Shepherd suffers no penalty to do so.
Aberrant Empathy (Ex): At 1st level an Aberrant Shepherd gains a certain empathy and understanding with creatures of the outer spheres. Aberrant Shepherds gain the ability to improve the attitude of aberrations with an Int of 4 or less. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The aberrant shepherd rolls 1d20 and adds her aberrant shepherd level and her Charisma modifier to determine the aberrant empathy check result.
To use aberrant empathy, the aberrant shepherd and the aberration must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an aberration in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
In addition the Aberrant Shepherd adds half their class level (rounded up) as a circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence aberrations.
Aberrant Feat: At 2nd, 6th, and 10th level you gain any one Aberrant or Illithid Heritage Feat that you qualify for as a bonus feat.
Telepathic Link (Su): At 3rd level you develop a telepathic link with your aberrant companion. As long as it is within Share Spells range you may communicate with it telepathically.
Extended Share Spells: At 3rd level the range at which you can share spells with your aberrant companion is increased to 30-ft, within this range you may also target it with touch range spells or any other spell as if it were adjacent to you. At 5th level this increases to 100-ft, at 7th level this now extends to 1 mile, and at 9th level you may share spells with your familiar regardless of distance or which plane it is on.
Aberrant Sense (Ex): At 4th level you have developed inhuman senses which allow you to sense the flow of reality nearby, giving you Blindsight 30-ft.
Shared Mind (Ex): At 5th level you and your aberrant companion have grown so closely connected that your minds begin to blend into each other. While within range of your telepathic link if you fail a Will save that your Aberrant Companion does not also have to make you may reroll it, if you fail again both you and your Aberrant Companion are affected by the effect as if you had both failed your saves; even if your Aberrant Companion is immune to the effect. If your Aberrant Companion fails a Will save that you do not also have to make you may attempt to make a Will save replacing its result with your own, on a failure you are both affected as if you had failed the saving throw bypassing any immunities you have to that effect.
Shared Senses (Su): At 7th level you and your aberrant companion’s telepathic bond has increased to the point that you can both constantly use the other’s senses in addition to your own. You gain access to all the senses of your aberrant companion, sensing them from its position. Conversely your aberrant companion gains access to all of your senses, sensing them from your position. This means that if your aberrant companion had scent you would know what it smelled as if you were exactly where it was but would not be able to locate things adjacent to you through scent unless they were also adjacent to your aberrant companion.
Inhuman Vitality (Ex): At 8th level your physiology is no longer the same as nature would desire. You gain immunity to poison and disease, as well as a +2 to saves against stunning, paralysis, death effects, and death from massive damage. You gain Light Fortification giving you a 25% chance of ignoring extra damage from critical hits or sneak attacks. In addition you no longer need to eat or drink, instead indulging in a bizarre dietary need once per month, if this meal is missed it is like you have not eaten in a week. Examples include: sentient brains, metal, gemstones, rotting elven flesh, ectoplasm, and spider venom. Finally the rate at which you age is halved.
The changes to your body are visible to those with a keen eye, disproportion of limbs, an odd tint to your skin of a color that normally only exists in fever dreams, sweat which is more like slime, eyes which bulge ever so slightly too much. An autopsy will also reveal that these changes go deeper, your organs are not where they should be, if they’re even what organs you should have.
Pinnacle Beast: At 9th level your aberrant companion has become one showing the acme of its monstrous nature. Your aberrant companion gains a +4 to Str, Con, and Cha as well as gaining an additional 2 HD. It also gains Spell Resistance equal to your class level +5 if it did not already have better.
Aberrant Psyche (Ex): At 10th level your transformation into inhuman creature has progressed even further. Your mind has changed so far that it can no longer be considered that of a humanoid. Your type changes to aberration, with the augmented humanoid subtype, you gain Darkvision 60-ft, and you gain immunity to mind-affecting effects. In addition you no longer age, nor do you have a maximum age. You do not lose access to feats or abilities you possess which require the humanoid type.
ABERRANT COMPANION OPTIONS
Choker (-3)
Grick (-3)
Skum (-3)
Carrion Crawler (-6)
Ethereal Filcher (-6)
Ethereal Marauder (-6)
Ettercap (-6)
Mimic (-6)
Otyugh (-6)
Rust Monster (-6)
Cloaker (-9)
Gauth (Beholderkin) (-12)
Chuul (-12)
Destrachan (-12)
Umber Hulk (-12)
Will’o’Wisp (-12)
Delver (-15)
Monster Manual III
Mindshredder Larva (+0)
Lurking Strangler (-3)
Harpoon Spider (-6)
Mindshredder Warrior (-6)
Runehound (-6)
Quaraphon (-9)
Dread Harpoon Spider (-12)
Lifeleech Otyugh (-12)
Seryulin (-12)
Stone Singer (-12)
Susurrus (-12)
Prismatic Roper (-15)
Five-headed Shrieking Terror (-15)
Greater Seryulin (-18)
Lords of Madness
Saltor (-6)
Grell (-9)
Spectator (-9)
Gibbering Mouther (-9)
Kigrid (-9)
Cildabrin (-12)
Embrac (-12)
Eye of the Deep (-15)
Hound of Gloom (-15)
Zeugalak (-18)
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Folugub (-3)
Thought Eater (-3)
Temporal Filcher (-6)
Intellect Devourer (-12)
Thought Slayer (-18)
Complete Psionics
Larval Flayer (+0)
Tome of Magic
Deadly Dancer (-6)
Ephemeral Hangman (-12)
Tooth Beast (-12)
PLAYING AN ABERRANT SHEPHERD
An aberrant shepherd has fallen to the lure of those parts of this world which do not seem to belong. They never quite fit in with either the people around them, and can find no peace in the wild places either, instead drifting towards the edges of places forbidden to men, realms where madness lays just a step away. Aberrant shepherds often grow accustomed to only having their aberrant companion for company, and often grow uncomfortable when surrounded by normal people.
Combat: Aberrant shepherds primarily rely on their aberrant companion and their own magical powers in combat. Lacking wild shape, they must instead turn towards laying buffs on their allies. Their aberrant companion can offer them a wide array of possible strategies from equipment destruction with a rust monster, stealthy scouting with an ethereal marauder, paralyzing poison of a carrion crawler, or the confusion inducing gaze of an umber hulk. Their ability to share spells at a range allows them to use their aberrant companion to scout out possible danger, and the various spells that they may bring in from their previous class can allow them to turn both themselves and their companion into powerful combatants.
Advancement: After completing an aberrant shepherd many choose to return to their previous path, continuing to advance their animal companion that way and thus their aberrant companion.
Resources: An aberrant shepherd has few resources to draw upon outside of their own power and that of their companion. When two aberrant shepherds meet they are liable to exchange information, if only for the hope of getting some in return, but they are rare enough to lack any but the most loose knit organizations.
ABERRANT SHEPHERDS IN THE WORLD
”Did you see the way he talked to that… thing? It just ain’t natural, a giant bug like that just following at his heels, no good can come of it,” Dan, level 2 commoner with skill focus (Craft (basket weaving)) upon seeing an aberrant shepherd and his carrion crawler companion.
Aberrant shepherds are isolated figures, by choice and by necessity. Few in the world accept their choice of companions. Aberrant shepherds can sometimes be found congregating around sites renown for learning, especially with great stores of aberration lore. Aberrant shepherds straddle the line between two worlds, that of men and that of horrors beyond imagining. Many aberrant shepherds find themselves feeling more comfortable amongst illithids, neogi, and even aboleths and beholder cities than amongst the races of humanoids, and sometimes can be found their providing magical service for the aberrations in exchange for access to their troves of knowledge. Aberrant shepherds are sought out by those which seek to delve into aberrant lore without entering this dangerous world for themselves.
Daily Life: Aberrant shepherds spend their days in contemplation and study. They have discovered vast new vistas of what nature is, and they must explore it to the best of their ability. Aberrant shepherds rarely live in what would be considered comfort, instead acting out their lives with an alien aesthetic and seeking personal goals.
Notables: Two aberrant shepherds appear in stories of their kind. The first, Markelov, was a druid of the Order of the Silver River who argued that even these creatures were part of nature and should be understood not simply destroyed out of hand. Markelov was banished from his order for his heretical beliefs, and spent many years wandering the world with his thought eater companion. Markelov’s death is the subject of much embellishment telling stories of how he faced down a trio of ullitharids to prevent a secret coup of a human kingdom, only to die in the battle having held off the beasts long enough to make obvious their plans, or other tales say that he vanished into the far realm having entered it to close a portal to that alien realm which could only be sealed from within.
The other such figure is Talderli Varesho, a figure whose name is still infamous among the elves to this day. Talderli was a powerful elven wizard who delved into knowledge of aberrations. He rose high in influence within the court of the elven queen. Talderli’s ambition, though, was to create a new order and he called upon his allies, the grell, to aid him. The grell attacked through ancient secret passages built to allow the royal family means of escape in times of dire need, slaughtering those the passage ways were meant to save. While Talderli did not benefit from his coup, it left the people with a fear and hatred for his kind.
Organizations: Aberrant shepherds do not often form organizations of their own, but they often join organizations dealing with aberrations. The Order of the Inward Turned Eye was in fact founded by an aberrant shepherd. It is dedicated to the understanding of the secret nature of this world that most never see or even notice, seeking an answer for the origins of the various creatures that exist in the hidden places of the world. This organization is split on what actions it should take with dangerous aberrations, some saying that destroying them risks losing access to knowledge which may outweigh all the damage they could deal and others claiming that they cannot be allowed to run unopposed. Those members which fall into the latter group tend to be some of the most knowledgeable aberration hunters, having access to the information gathered on them by the Order of the Inward Turned Eye.
NPC Reaction
Aberrant shepherds are not often well loved by the people they encounter. Alienated by their own natures as much as by the acts of others, aberrant shepherds do little to help matters being closer to their aberrant companion than they can ever be to a mere human. Having a creature which too most seems no different from the various monsters that would rend them apart following at your heels does little to incite trust either. These factors combine to make aberrant shepherds a suspicious figure to those around them, untrusted if only for their choice of ‘friends’. Few people trust an aberrant shepherd, rumors abounding about their unnatural habits and twisted practices.
ABERRANT SHEPHERDS IN THE GAME
An aberrant shepherd trades a level of spellcasting, 2 points of Fort, and their wild shape advancement for an aberration companion, three feats selected from a very limited set, blindsight, minor resistances and the major immunity to mind-affecting effects. They should be weaker in direct combat than a druid, many aberrations having weaker melee capabilities than animals of similar CR and lacking wild shape. Blindsight and Shared Senses should give them the edge in scouting, though, especially when options such as ethereal marauder are taken into account with its ability to turn ethereal or back at will. Other options provide reusable status ailments (umber hulks’ confusing gaze, carrion crawlers’ paralyzing poison), or even the cornucopia of options granted by access to a monster that can destroy metal with a touch.
Adaptation: Aberrant shepherds could be part of an ancient order meant to regulate the influence of aberrations on the world, using their tamed beasts to fight back their wild cousins. Conversely aberrant shepherds could be the first agents of an oncoming aberrant invasion. The hermit aspects of the class are not truly a necessity, and one could make them have world spanning organizations dedicated to the understanding of aberrant life forms, or simply downplay the aspect of ‘doesn’t fit in with humans’ and play them more as a mad scientist who deals with creatures that would drive a normal man crazy. For a more mechanical conversion, you could drop their spellcasting entirely, add Favored Enemy (Aberrations) at levels 3 and 7, improves their skill points to 6 + Int, and give them full BAB and good Fort to make them more of a Ranger PrC and less of a druid one; while ultimately this choice is still weaker it favors a different type of character one which is more militant and less introspective towards their nature. Another possibility is making the class progress psionics and allowing an entry through Wild Cohort and psionic powers.
Encounters: NPC aberrant shepherds can take the role of spellcasters encountered alongside aberrations, humanoids accepted by the horrors as a kind of kindred. They can also serve as sage advisors on matters of the aberrant and far realm.
Sample Encounter
Alixof has retreated into the Underdark gathering a loyal legion of cloakers, carrion crawlers, and otyughs. Alixof has sunken deeper into his madness, and now has begun raiding surface villages for subjects for his depraved study.
EL 9: Alixof wears breastplate made from the scales of a shadow dragon which was killed within the Underdark. He wears a heavy hood, brown in color, and his baggy sleeves hide the odd joints of his arms. His eyes are a dark brown, and his hair a pair blond. His pasty white skin, reveals his lack of exposure to the outer world. Alixof is most likely to be encountered either at night when vision is limited or underground, and when on the surface prefers to keep to areas of heavy underbrush to make use of his woodland stride. He keeps his yellow skinned carrion crawler Kavvie beside him and attempts to keep it within 30-ft at all times so that he may more easily cast spells to augment it. Should Alixof join battle he’ll most likely already have Barkskin active on both himself and Kavvie separately, and begin the fight with a combination of Lion’s Charge and Bite of the Wereboar on Kavvie or should maneuverability really be limited shared on them both. This gives Kavvie the ability to make all 8 tentacle attacks on an opening charge, with an additional +2 to hit and +3 to the Fort save to resist paralysis. Alixof will then focus on using Nature’s Favor, Moonbolt, and low level battlefield control with Splinterbolt to injure any foes that prove resistant to Kavvie’s paralysis. Alixof is often encountered with a pair of cloakers which would raise the EL of the encounter to 10. These cloakers target likely spellcasters with their stupor moans, opening the way for Kavvie and Alixof to take out the targets with higher Fortitude, and also serve to finish off paralyzed foes.
Alixof
Neutral Evil Male Human Druid 5/Aberrant Shepherd 4
Init +5, Senses: Listen +4, Spot +4; blindsight 30-ft
Languages: Common, Undercommon, Beholder
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AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+1 Dex, +3 shield, +1 deflection, +2 natural, +5 armor); 25, t 12, FF 24 with Barkskin.
hp 69 (9 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +12
------------------------------------------------
Speed 20-ft. (4 squares), swim 20-ft
Melee +6 melee (1d6, quarterstaff)
Ranged: +7/+7 ranged touched (4d6, splinterbolt).
Base Atk +6, Grp +8
Atk Options: Spells
Combat Gear: Continuous items only
Spells Prepared:
0: Create Water, Detect Magic x3, Purify Food and Drink x2.
1st: Entangle x2, Wall of Smoke (SpC), Lesser Vigor x2 (SpC)
2nd: Barkskin x2, Splinterbolt (SpC), Nature’s Favor (SpC)
3rd: Lion’s Charge (SpC), Greater Magic Fang, Windwall, Swift Fly (SpC)
4th: Moonbolt (SpC), Bite of the Wereboar (SpC)
Supernatural Abilities: Wild Shape (medium only) 1/day, Telepathic Link (30-ft)
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14 (16), Int 14, Wis 16 (18), Cha 8
SQ: Trackless Step, Woodland Stride, Resist Nature’s Lore, Nature’s Sense, Wild Empathy, Aberrant Empathy.
Feats: Aberrant Blood (flexible limbs), Knowledge Devotion, Aberrant Hide, Improved Initiative, Starspawn, Aberrant Summoning.
Skills: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +14 (12 ranks), Knowledge (Nature) +14 (12 ranks), Heal +15 (12 ranks), Survival +15 (12 ranks), Concentration +14 (12 ranks), Ride +13 (12 ranks), Swim +8 (0 ranks)
Possessions: Periapt of Wisdom and Health +2, +1 heavy wooden shield, +1 dragonscale breastplate, ring of protection +1, quarterstaff, spell component pouch, backpack, holly and mistletoe, exotic military saddle for Kavvie, Mw Leather barding on Kavvie.
Kavvie
True Neutral Carrion Crawler
Init +3, Senses: Listen +7, Spot +7; darkvision 60-ft, scent
Languages: -
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AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural, +2 armor); 25, t 12, FF 22 with Barkskin.
hp 32 (5 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6
------------------------------------------------
Speed 30-ft. (6 squares), climb 15-ft
Melee 8 tentacles +5 melee each (paralysis) and bite +0 melee (1d4+1)
Base Atk +3, Grp +10
Atk Options: Paralysis
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 15, Cha 6
SQ: Link, Share Spells, Evasion.
Feats: AlertnessB, Combat Reflexes, Track, Ability Focus (Paralysis).
Skills: Climb +13 (2 ranks), Listen +7 (3 ranks), Spot +7 (3 ranks).
Possessions: Exotic Military Saddle, Mw Leather Barding
Paralysis: Any creature struck by Kavvie’s tentacles must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds.
Feat(s)
Aberrant Summoning (Aberrant)
You have learned to summon that which does not fit into the world as it is commonly known, calling upon your own aberrant nature to provide a conduit through which it may pass.
Requirements: Aberrant Blood, 1 other aberrant feat.
Benefit: When you summon a creature with the celestial or fiendish template applied to it with a Summon Monster spell you may replace that template with the psuedonatural from Lords of Madness (or Complete Arcane). When you summon an animal or vermin with a Summon Nature’s Ally spell you may apply the psuedonatural template to it.
In addition the following creatures are added to the available creatures for both spells at the listed levels:
II: Larval Flayer (Complete Psionic), Mindshredder Larva (MMIII)
III: Choker, Skum, Lurking Strangler.
IV: Ethereal Maruader, Saltor (Lords of Madness), Rune Hound (MMIII)
V: Cloaker, Otyugh, Kigrid (Lords of Madness), Mindshredder Warrior (MMIII)
VI: Chuul, Umber Hulk, Embrac (Lords of Madness), Tooth Beast (Tome of Magic)
VII: Gauth (beholderkin), Lifeleech Otyugh (MMIII), Eye of the Deep (Lords of Madness)
VIII: Delver, Hound of Gloom (Lords of Madness)
IX: Greater Seryulin (MMIII), Zeugulak (Lords of Madness), Thought Slayer (Expanded Psionics Handbook).
Wings of the Outer Spheres (Aberrant)
Your wings grow sturdier and more capable of sustaining flight, even as you grow more inured to the harshness of the upper air.
Requirements: Starspawn feat.
Benefit: The flight granted to you by the Starspawn feat no longer has a continuous use limit, and now has a speed equal to your base land speed instead of one-half it.
In addition your racial, class based, or feat based cold resistance increases by 3 for every Aberrant feat you have. If you have 5 or more Aberrant feats you no longer need to breathe.
”I simply heed a different nature,” Markelov, defending himself to the council of druids.
Many are those who can attune their spirits to the so-called natural animals of this world, but those which can deal with the various creatures which exist outside the norms of the world are far rarer. Born with the blood of aberrations, aberrant shepherds have natures more attuned to the beings of the outer spheres, calling such horrors to them as faithful companions and allies.
BECOMING AN ABERRANT SHEPHERD
The blood of aberrations pulses through the veins of those who would become aberrant shepherds, leading them towards inspection of these creatures born of different laws and natures than those of the rest of the world. An aberrant shepherd often begins as one who has a deep connection to the natural world, but finds themselves slowly moving out of sync with it as they realize that they are not truly of its nature but of another alien reality. It is when they realize how to reconcile these differences that they become an aberrant shepherd in full.
Typically aberrant shepherds were druids before turning towards the path of the farspawned, coming to the realization that there is more to nature than that which is the human norm. Rangers sometimes turn to this path, but they are less prone to do so as they lack the magical focus of their counterparts. Shamans, or even wizards and sorcerers turn to this path on occasion, coupling their own takes on magic with the call of the furthest spheres.
ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Base Will Save: +2.
Feats: Aberration Blood (LoM)
Skills: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) 5 ranks, Handle Animal 8 ranks
Special: Ability to call an Animal Companion.
Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Knowledge (the Planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int
Hit Dice: d8
LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecialSpells
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2Aberrant Companion, Aberrant Empathy-
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+3 Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd
+2
+1
+1
+3 Telepathic Link, Extended Share Spells (30-ft)+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th
+3
+1
+1
+4 Aberrant Sense+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th
+3
+1
+1
+4 Shared Mind, Extended Share Spells (100-ft)+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th
+4
+2
+2
+5 Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
7th
+5
+2
+2
+5 Shared Senses, Extended Share Spells (1 mile) +1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th
+6
+2
+2
+6Inhuman Vitality+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th
+6
+3
+3
+6Pinnacle Beast, Interplanar Share Spells+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th
+7
+3
+3
+7Aberrant Psyche, Aberrant Feat+1 level of existing spellcasting class
Weapon Proficiencies: An Aberrant Shepherd does not gain any new armor or weapon proficiencies.
Aberrant Companion (Ex): At 1st level an Aberrant Shepherd gains the ability to call an aberration in place of your animal companion. This aberration gains all the normal abilities that an animal companion of a character with an effective druid level of your level in classes which grant or progress animal companions plus your Aberrant Shepherd level. In addition you may affect your aberrant companion with spells as if it were an Animal. While you may call an Aberrant Companion like you would an animal companion, but no more than once per month. See table below for what aberrations can be called with this ability. If the aberrant companion has an intelligence of 3 or higher and its alignment would normally not be the same as yours it shifts up to one position on both the ethical (law and chaos) and moral (good and evil) axes to more closely match yours (for example if you were Lawful Good and selected an Umber Hulk aberrant companion it’s alignment would become True Neutral (Chaotic changing to Neutral, and Evil changing to Neutral), conversely if you selected a skum its alignment would be Lawful Neutral (Lawful remaining Lawful and Evil changing to Neutral). The aberration companion can also be trained and commanded as if it was an animal and the Aberrant Shepherd suffers no penalty to do so.
Aberrant Empathy (Ex): At 1st level an Aberrant Shepherd gains a certain empathy and understanding with creatures of the outer spheres. Aberrant Shepherds gain the ability to improve the attitude of aberrations with an Int of 4 or less. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check made to improve the attitude of a person. The aberrant shepherd rolls 1d20 and adds her aberrant shepherd level and her Charisma modifier to determine the aberrant empathy check result.
To use aberrant empathy, the aberrant shepherd and the aberration must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal conditions. Generally, influencing an aberration in this way takes 1 minute but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
In addition the Aberrant Shepherd adds half their class level (rounded up) as a circumstance bonus on Diplomacy checks made to influence aberrations.
Aberrant Feat: At 2nd, 6th, and 10th level you gain any one Aberrant or Illithid Heritage Feat that you qualify for as a bonus feat.
Telepathic Link (Su): At 3rd level you develop a telepathic link with your aberrant companion. As long as it is within Share Spells range you may communicate with it telepathically.
Extended Share Spells: At 3rd level the range at which you can share spells with your aberrant companion is increased to 30-ft, within this range you may also target it with touch range spells or any other spell as if it were adjacent to you. At 5th level this increases to 100-ft, at 7th level this now extends to 1 mile, and at 9th level you may share spells with your familiar regardless of distance or which plane it is on.
Aberrant Sense (Ex): At 4th level you have developed inhuman senses which allow you to sense the flow of reality nearby, giving you Blindsight 30-ft.
Shared Mind (Ex): At 5th level you and your aberrant companion have grown so closely connected that your minds begin to blend into each other. While within range of your telepathic link if you fail a Will save that your Aberrant Companion does not also have to make you may reroll it, if you fail again both you and your Aberrant Companion are affected by the effect as if you had both failed your saves; even if your Aberrant Companion is immune to the effect. If your Aberrant Companion fails a Will save that you do not also have to make you may attempt to make a Will save replacing its result with your own, on a failure you are both affected as if you had failed the saving throw bypassing any immunities you have to that effect.
Shared Senses (Su): At 7th level you and your aberrant companion’s telepathic bond has increased to the point that you can both constantly use the other’s senses in addition to your own. You gain access to all the senses of your aberrant companion, sensing them from its position. Conversely your aberrant companion gains access to all of your senses, sensing them from your position. This means that if your aberrant companion had scent you would know what it smelled as if you were exactly where it was but would not be able to locate things adjacent to you through scent unless they were also adjacent to your aberrant companion.
Inhuman Vitality (Ex): At 8th level your physiology is no longer the same as nature would desire. You gain immunity to poison and disease, as well as a +2 to saves against stunning, paralysis, death effects, and death from massive damage. You gain Light Fortification giving you a 25% chance of ignoring extra damage from critical hits or sneak attacks. In addition you no longer need to eat or drink, instead indulging in a bizarre dietary need once per month, if this meal is missed it is like you have not eaten in a week. Examples include: sentient brains, metal, gemstones, rotting elven flesh, ectoplasm, and spider venom. Finally the rate at which you age is halved.
The changes to your body are visible to those with a keen eye, disproportion of limbs, an odd tint to your skin of a color that normally only exists in fever dreams, sweat which is more like slime, eyes which bulge ever so slightly too much. An autopsy will also reveal that these changes go deeper, your organs are not where they should be, if they’re even what organs you should have.
Pinnacle Beast: At 9th level your aberrant companion has become one showing the acme of its monstrous nature. Your aberrant companion gains a +4 to Str, Con, and Cha as well as gaining an additional 2 HD. It also gains Spell Resistance equal to your class level +5 if it did not already have better.
Aberrant Psyche (Ex): At 10th level your transformation into inhuman creature has progressed even further. Your mind has changed so far that it can no longer be considered that of a humanoid. Your type changes to aberration, with the augmented humanoid subtype, you gain Darkvision 60-ft, and you gain immunity to mind-affecting effects. In addition you no longer age, nor do you have a maximum age. You do not lose access to feats or abilities you possess which require the humanoid type.
ABERRANT COMPANION OPTIONS
Choker (-3)
Grick (-3)
Skum (-3)
Carrion Crawler (-6)
Ethereal Filcher (-6)
Ethereal Marauder (-6)
Ettercap (-6)
Mimic (-6)
Otyugh (-6)
Rust Monster (-6)
Cloaker (-9)
Gauth (Beholderkin) (-12)
Chuul (-12)
Destrachan (-12)
Umber Hulk (-12)
Will’o’Wisp (-12)
Delver (-15)
Monster Manual III
Mindshredder Larva (+0)
Lurking Strangler (-3)
Harpoon Spider (-6)
Mindshredder Warrior (-6)
Runehound (-6)
Quaraphon (-9)
Dread Harpoon Spider (-12)
Lifeleech Otyugh (-12)
Seryulin (-12)
Stone Singer (-12)
Susurrus (-12)
Prismatic Roper (-15)
Five-headed Shrieking Terror (-15)
Greater Seryulin (-18)
Lords of Madness
Saltor (-6)
Grell (-9)
Spectator (-9)
Gibbering Mouther (-9)
Kigrid (-9)
Cildabrin (-12)
Embrac (-12)
Eye of the Deep (-15)
Hound of Gloom (-15)
Zeugalak (-18)
Expanded Psionics Handbook
Folugub (-3)
Thought Eater (-3)
Temporal Filcher (-6)
Intellect Devourer (-12)
Thought Slayer (-18)
Complete Psionics
Larval Flayer (+0)
Tome of Magic
Deadly Dancer (-6)
Ephemeral Hangman (-12)
Tooth Beast (-12)
PLAYING AN ABERRANT SHEPHERD
An aberrant shepherd has fallen to the lure of those parts of this world which do not seem to belong. They never quite fit in with either the people around them, and can find no peace in the wild places either, instead drifting towards the edges of places forbidden to men, realms where madness lays just a step away. Aberrant shepherds often grow accustomed to only having their aberrant companion for company, and often grow uncomfortable when surrounded by normal people.
Combat: Aberrant shepherds primarily rely on their aberrant companion and their own magical powers in combat. Lacking wild shape, they must instead turn towards laying buffs on their allies. Their aberrant companion can offer them a wide array of possible strategies from equipment destruction with a rust monster, stealthy scouting with an ethereal marauder, paralyzing poison of a carrion crawler, or the confusion inducing gaze of an umber hulk. Their ability to share spells at a range allows them to use their aberrant companion to scout out possible danger, and the various spells that they may bring in from their previous class can allow them to turn both themselves and their companion into powerful combatants.
Advancement: After completing an aberrant shepherd many choose to return to their previous path, continuing to advance their animal companion that way and thus their aberrant companion.
Resources: An aberrant shepherd has few resources to draw upon outside of their own power and that of their companion. When two aberrant shepherds meet they are liable to exchange information, if only for the hope of getting some in return, but they are rare enough to lack any but the most loose knit organizations.
ABERRANT SHEPHERDS IN THE WORLD
”Did you see the way he talked to that… thing? It just ain’t natural, a giant bug like that just following at his heels, no good can come of it,” Dan, level 2 commoner with skill focus (Craft (basket weaving)) upon seeing an aberrant shepherd and his carrion crawler companion.
Aberrant shepherds are isolated figures, by choice and by necessity. Few in the world accept their choice of companions. Aberrant shepherds can sometimes be found congregating around sites renown for learning, especially with great stores of aberration lore. Aberrant shepherds straddle the line between two worlds, that of men and that of horrors beyond imagining. Many aberrant shepherds find themselves feeling more comfortable amongst illithids, neogi, and even aboleths and beholder cities than amongst the races of humanoids, and sometimes can be found their providing magical service for the aberrations in exchange for access to their troves of knowledge. Aberrant shepherds are sought out by those which seek to delve into aberrant lore without entering this dangerous world for themselves.
Daily Life: Aberrant shepherds spend their days in contemplation and study. They have discovered vast new vistas of what nature is, and they must explore it to the best of their ability. Aberrant shepherds rarely live in what would be considered comfort, instead acting out their lives with an alien aesthetic and seeking personal goals.
Notables: Two aberrant shepherds appear in stories of their kind. The first, Markelov, was a druid of the Order of the Silver River who argued that even these creatures were part of nature and should be understood not simply destroyed out of hand. Markelov was banished from his order for his heretical beliefs, and spent many years wandering the world with his thought eater companion. Markelov’s death is the subject of much embellishment telling stories of how he faced down a trio of ullitharids to prevent a secret coup of a human kingdom, only to die in the battle having held off the beasts long enough to make obvious their plans, or other tales say that he vanished into the far realm having entered it to close a portal to that alien realm which could only be sealed from within.
The other such figure is Talderli Varesho, a figure whose name is still infamous among the elves to this day. Talderli was a powerful elven wizard who delved into knowledge of aberrations. He rose high in influence within the court of the elven queen. Talderli’s ambition, though, was to create a new order and he called upon his allies, the grell, to aid him. The grell attacked through ancient secret passages built to allow the royal family means of escape in times of dire need, slaughtering those the passage ways were meant to save. While Talderli did not benefit from his coup, it left the people with a fear and hatred for his kind.
Organizations: Aberrant shepherds do not often form organizations of their own, but they often join organizations dealing with aberrations. The Order of the Inward Turned Eye was in fact founded by an aberrant shepherd. It is dedicated to the understanding of the secret nature of this world that most never see or even notice, seeking an answer for the origins of the various creatures that exist in the hidden places of the world. This organization is split on what actions it should take with dangerous aberrations, some saying that destroying them risks losing access to knowledge which may outweigh all the damage they could deal and others claiming that they cannot be allowed to run unopposed. Those members which fall into the latter group tend to be some of the most knowledgeable aberration hunters, having access to the information gathered on them by the Order of the Inward Turned Eye.
NPC Reaction
Aberrant shepherds are not often well loved by the people they encounter. Alienated by their own natures as much as by the acts of others, aberrant shepherds do little to help matters being closer to their aberrant companion than they can ever be to a mere human. Having a creature which too most seems no different from the various monsters that would rend them apart following at your heels does little to incite trust either. These factors combine to make aberrant shepherds a suspicious figure to those around them, untrusted if only for their choice of ‘friends’. Few people trust an aberrant shepherd, rumors abounding about their unnatural habits and twisted practices.
ABERRANT SHEPHERDS IN THE GAME
An aberrant shepherd trades a level of spellcasting, 2 points of Fort, and their wild shape advancement for an aberration companion, three feats selected from a very limited set, blindsight, minor resistances and the major immunity to mind-affecting effects. They should be weaker in direct combat than a druid, many aberrations having weaker melee capabilities than animals of similar CR and lacking wild shape. Blindsight and Shared Senses should give them the edge in scouting, though, especially when options such as ethereal marauder are taken into account with its ability to turn ethereal or back at will. Other options provide reusable status ailments (umber hulks’ confusing gaze, carrion crawlers’ paralyzing poison), or even the cornucopia of options granted by access to a monster that can destroy metal with a touch.
Adaptation: Aberrant shepherds could be part of an ancient order meant to regulate the influence of aberrations on the world, using their tamed beasts to fight back their wild cousins. Conversely aberrant shepherds could be the first agents of an oncoming aberrant invasion. The hermit aspects of the class are not truly a necessity, and one could make them have world spanning organizations dedicated to the understanding of aberrant life forms, or simply downplay the aspect of ‘doesn’t fit in with humans’ and play them more as a mad scientist who deals with creatures that would drive a normal man crazy. For a more mechanical conversion, you could drop their spellcasting entirely, add Favored Enemy (Aberrations) at levels 3 and 7, improves their skill points to 6 + Int, and give them full BAB and good Fort to make them more of a Ranger PrC and less of a druid one; while ultimately this choice is still weaker it favors a different type of character one which is more militant and less introspective towards their nature. Another possibility is making the class progress psionics and allowing an entry through Wild Cohort and psionic powers.
Encounters: NPC aberrant shepherds can take the role of spellcasters encountered alongside aberrations, humanoids accepted by the horrors as a kind of kindred. They can also serve as sage advisors on matters of the aberrant and far realm.
Sample Encounter
Alixof has retreated into the Underdark gathering a loyal legion of cloakers, carrion crawlers, and otyughs. Alixof has sunken deeper into his madness, and now has begun raiding surface villages for subjects for his depraved study.
EL 9: Alixof wears breastplate made from the scales of a shadow dragon which was killed within the Underdark. He wears a heavy hood, brown in color, and his baggy sleeves hide the odd joints of his arms. His eyes are a dark brown, and his hair a pair blond. His pasty white skin, reveals his lack of exposure to the outer world. Alixof is most likely to be encountered either at night when vision is limited or underground, and when on the surface prefers to keep to areas of heavy underbrush to make use of his woodland stride. He keeps his yellow skinned carrion crawler Kavvie beside him and attempts to keep it within 30-ft at all times so that he may more easily cast spells to augment it. Should Alixof join battle he’ll most likely already have Barkskin active on both himself and Kavvie separately, and begin the fight with a combination of Lion’s Charge and Bite of the Wereboar on Kavvie or should maneuverability really be limited shared on them both. This gives Kavvie the ability to make all 8 tentacle attacks on an opening charge, with an additional +2 to hit and +3 to the Fort save to resist paralysis. Alixof will then focus on using Nature’s Favor, Moonbolt, and low level battlefield control with Splinterbolt to injure any foes that prove resistant to Kavvie’s paralysis. Alixof is often encountered with a pair of cloakers which would raise the EL of the encounter to 10. These cloakers target likely spellcasters with their stupor moans, opening the way for Kavvie and Alixof to take out the targets with higher Fortitude, and also serve to finish off paralyzed foes.
Alixof
Neutral Evil Male Human Druid 5/Aberrant Shepherd 4
Init +5, Senses: Listen +4, Spot +4; blindsight 30-ft
Languages: Common, Undercommon, Beholder
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AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+1 Dex, +3 shield, +1 deflection, +2 natural, +5 armor); 25, t 12, FF 24 with Barkskin.
hp 69 (9 HD)
Fort +8, Ref +3, Will +12
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Speed 20-ft. (4 squares), swim 20-ft
Melee +6 melee (1d6, quarterstaff)
Ranged: +7/+7 ranged touched (4d6, splinterbolt).
Base Atk +6, Grp +8
Atk Options: Spells
Combat Gear: Continuous items only
Spells Prepared:
0: Create Water, Detect Magic x3, Purify Food and Drink x2.
1st: Entangle x2, Wall of Smoke (SpC), Lesser Vigor x2 (SpC)
2nd: Barkskin x2, Splinterbolt (SpC), Nature’s Favor (SpC)
3rd: Lion’s Charge (SpC), Greater Magic Fang, Windwall, Swift Fly (SpC)
4th: Moonbolt (SpC), Bite of the Wereboar (SpC)
Supernatural Abilities: Wild Shape (medium only) 1/day, Telepathic Link (30-ft)
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Abilities Str 10, Dex 12, Con 14 (16), Int 14, Wis 16 (18), Cha 8
SQ: Trackless Step, Woodland Stride, Resist Nature’s Lore, Nature’s Sense, Wild Empathy, Aberrant Empathy.
Feats: Aberrant Blood (flexible limbs), Knowledge Devotion, Aberrant Hide, Improved Initiative, Starspawn, Aberrant Summoning.
Skills: Knowledge (Dungeoneering) +14 (12 ranks), Knowledge (Nature) +14 (12 ranks), Heal +15 (12 ranks), Survival +15 (12 ranks), Concentration +14 (12 ranks), Ride +13 (12 ranks), Swim +8 (0 ranks)
Possessions: Periapt of Wisdom and Health +2, +1 heavy wooden shield, +1 dragonscale breastplate, ring of protection +1, quarterstaff, spell component pouch, backpack, holly and mistletoe, exotic military saddle for Kavvie, Mw Leather barding on Kavvie.
Kavvie
True Neutral Carrion Crawler
Init +3, Senses: Listen +7, Spot +7; darkvision 60-ft, scent
Languages: -
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AC 22, touch 12, flat-footed 19 (-1 size, +3 Dex, +8 natural, +2 armor); 25, t 12, FF 22 with Barkskin.
hp 32 (5 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +4, Will +6
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Speed 30-ft. (6 squares), climb 15-ft
Melee 8 tentacles +5 melee each (paralysis) and bite +0 melee (1d4+1)
Base Atk +3, Grp +10
Atk Options: Paralysis
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Abilities Str 16, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 1, Wis 15, Cha 6
SQ: Link, Share Spells, Evasion.
Feats: AlertnessB, Combat Reflexes, Track, Ability Focus (Paralysis).
Skills: Climb +13 (2 ranks), Listen +7 (3 ranks), Spot +7 (3 ranks).
Possessions: Exotic Military Saddle, Mw Leather Barding
Paralysis: Any creature struck by Kavvie’s tentacles must succeed at a DC 16 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 2d4 rounds.
Feat(s)
Aberrant Summoning (Aberrant)
You have learned to summon that which does not fit into the world as it is commonly known, calling upon your own aberrant nature to provide a conduit through which it may pass.
Requirements: Aberrant Blood, 1 other aberrant feat.
Benefit: When you summon a creature with the celestial or fiendish template applied to it with a Summon Monster spell you may replace that template with the psuedonatural from Lords of Madness (or Complete Arcane). When you summon an animal or vermin with a Summon Nature’s Ally spell you may apply the psuedonatural template to it.
In addition the following creatures are added to the available creatures for both spells at the listed levels:
II: Larval Flayer (Complete Psionic), Mindshredder Larva (MMIII)
III: Choker, Skum, Lurking Strangler.
IV: Ethereal Maruader, Saltor (Lords of Madness), Rune Hound (MMIII)
V: Cloaker, Otyugh, Kigrid (Lords of Madness), Mindshredder Warrior (MMIII)
VI: Chuul, Umber Hulk, Embrac (Lords of Madness), Tooth Beast (Tome of Magic)
VII: Gauth (beholderkin), Lifeleech Otyugh (MMIII), Eye of the Deep (Lords of Madness)
VIII: Delver, Hound of Gloom (Lords of Madness)
IX: Greater Seryulin (MMIII), Zeugulak (Lords of Madness), Thought Slayer (Expanded Psionics Handbook).
Wings of the Outer Spheres (Aberrant)
Your wings grow sturdier and more capable of sustaining flight, even as you grow more inured to the harshness of the upper air.
Requirements: Starspawn feat.
Benefit: The flight granted to you by the Starspawn feat no longer has a continuous use limit, and now has a speed equal to your base land speed instead of one-half it.
In addition your racial, class based, or feat based cold resistance increases by 3 for every Aberrant feat you have. If you have 5 or more Aberrant feats you no longer need to breathe.