Jormengand
2015-02-08, 10:32 PM
Well, here it is again. The worldspeaker: now with fixed feats, epic levels, and more!
Yeah, it's a truenamer, but at the same time it's so much more than a truenamer! Capable of actually doing something! All the problems with it fixed - no more infinite blindsight! Feats that don't suck! It's amazing, isn't it? Isn't it! Anyway, I figured that this bears a re-post, given the massive amount more stuff there is than there was when I first posted it. Watch this space for new Honour Guards and Mechanical Warriors, too.
The Worldspeaker
“The World speaks the truth to me, and I speak the World to the truth.”
Truespeak is an undervalued art. Its practitioners, the Truenamers, have little power. Little do they know that they have whole worlds tucked behind their tongues. The changes they make affect people, items, or areas, while wizards control cities and countries.
Worldspeakers, however, control worlds. Stars live and die at their command, and woe betide those foolish enough to stand against them. An accomplished Worldspeaker rips entire cities asunder with an impatient word, and turns skin and bone to dust and ash with a single syllable. Some, however, use their phenomenal power to create, rather than destroy. Such Worldspeakers are highly regarded, and are often revered as heroes or even gods by those who witness their great deeds.
The Worldspeaker
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1st+0+0+0+2Utterances, Known Personal Truename3————————
2nd+1+0+0+3Knowledge Focus4————————
3rd+1+1+1+3Speak Unto The Masses43———————
4th+2+1+1+444———————
5th+2+1+1+4443——————
6th+3+2+2+5Truename Research444——————
7th+3+2+2+5Knowledge Focus5443—————
8th+4+2+2+6Bonus Recitation Feat5444—————
9th+4+3+3+6See The Named55443————
10th+5+3+3+7Knowledge Focus55544————
11th+5+3+3+7555443———
12th+6/+1+4+4+8555544———
13th+6/+1+4+4+8Sending5555443——
14th+7/+2+4+4+9Knowledge Focus5555544——
15th+7/+2+5+5+9Bonus Recitation Feat55555443—
16th+8/+3+5+5+1055555544—
17th+8/+3+5+5+10555555443
18th+9/+4+6+6+11555555544
19th+9/+4+6+6+11555555544
20th+10/+5+6+6+12Say My Name and I Am There555555554
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d6
Starting Age: As Wizard
Starting Gold: 4d4*10 gp (100 gp)
Class Skills:
Concentration, Craft, Perform (oratory), Knowledge (all skills, takenindividually), Truespeak, Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features of the Worldspeaker:
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The Worldspeaker is proficient in simple weapons, longbows, short bows and longswords as well as light armour, but no shields.
Known Personal Truename: As a speaker of the world, you know your own personal true name, and are familiar with it. As such, you gain a +4 to all truespeak checks in addition to the normal benefits.
Utterances (Sp): You have the ability to speak utterances, powerful combinations of truenames that can alter the world around you in fundamental ways. Utterances are counted as spells for the purposes of qualifying for feats, salient divine abilities and anything else which requires spellcasting as a prerequisite. Utterances exist in four lexicons: The Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, the Lexicon of the Perfected Map, and the Lexicon of the World Asunder. You begin play knowing three utterances of the 1st level. You gain access to higher levels of utterances at the levels indicated on the table above. When you gain access to higher-level utterances, you can choose an utterance from that level or from a lower level, if you wish.
When you gain utterances of the fourth level, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, the Lexicon of the Perfected Map and the Lexicon of the World Asunder become available to you. Choosing an utterance from a different Lexicon is no different from choosing a spell from a different school - you just do it.
Each utterance represents hundreds of truenames in your repertoire. When you gain the word of bolstering, for example, you say thanthan'ku'ul-hrasechni when you're delivering it on your elf ranger ally and yanu-shankrini'qalaasha when you're delivering it on your gnome rogue friend.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your utterances is 10 + 1/2 your Worldspeaker level + your Int modifier.
Speak unto the Masses (Su): At 3rd level, you have the ability to affect a number of creatures of the same creature type with a single, powerful utterance. You can only affect creatures of the same type (humanoids, giants, or dragons, for example) with a single use of this ability, although you could use it against a different group of a different creature type each round. No two of the creatures you wish to affect with your utterance can be more than short range (25+5/2 levels feet) apart, and the base DC for your Truespeak check is equal to the most powerful (highest CR or most Hit Dice, if you are affecting PCs) creature in the group. For each creature you wish to affect with the utterance beyond the first, the DC of your Truespeak check increases by 2.
The Law of Resistance applies to utterances altered with speak unto the masses. As a result, additional uses of an utterance modified with speak unto the masses might be more difficult, even if you then want to use the utterance on a single creature later in the day.
Knowledge Focus (Ex): As a Worldspeaker, you spend a great deal of time studying the world around you in an effort to learn new truenames. At the levels indicated on Table: The Worldspeaker, you gain a permanent +3 bonus on a Knowledge skill of your choice. Each time you gain this ability, you can apply it to a different Knowledge skill, or to the same Knowledge skill, if you want to focus on a particular area of expertise.
Truename Research: At 6th level, you gain Truename Research as a bonus feat. See the feats section for details.
Bonus Recitation Feat: By repeating your own personal truename over and over with a particular inflection, you can achieve various healing effects starting at 8th level. Choose one recitation feat from those given in the feats section. You must still meet the prerequisites for the bonus feat to take it.
At 15th level, you gain a second bonus recitation feat.
See the Named (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you have the ability to see a creature from afar whose personal truename you know. This ability works as the scrying spell, but does not require a mirror or pool of water to function. Instead, you must make a Truespeak check for the creature as normal. If your check is successful, the creature does not get a save to resist the ability, but you can view the subject for only 1 round. You can use this ability exactly as though it were a fifth-level utterance of the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, though obviously you do not need to see the target to use it.
Sending (Su): Beginning at 13th level, you can speak to creatures whose personal truenames you know from a great distance. You must make a successful Truespeak check to use this ability, as though it were a fifth-level utterance from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind save that you do not need to see the subject.. If successful, you can send a message to the subject as a sending spell (caster level equal to your Worldspeaker level).
Say My Name and I Am There (Su): At 20th level, you develop a truename—not your personal truename, but a sort of true nickname—that is invested with cosmic power such that others who speak it can conjure you forth. Whenever someone successfully says this truename, you can appear at that creature's location as if taken there by a word of recall spell. You know who is saying your truename, and you can choose not to be transported if you wish. The nickname is often one or two syllables taken from your personal truename. A creature speaking your true nickname need not make a Truespeak check to do so.
You may not say your own name to activate this ability.
Most Worldspeakers with this ability teach the truename to their friends and allies so they can be called when needed.
UTTERANCES:
To speak an utterance, you must speak in a clear voice as loud as a spellcaster. Each utterance is a spell-like ability that requires a successful Truespeak check. But becausethe language of truenames requires such precision of pronunciation and timing, an utterance takes a standard action to perform and provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening enemies. Utterances are spell-like abilities with verbal components(unlike other spell-like abilities, which have no components)that require a successful Truespeak check; the DC for the check depends on which lexicon you are uttering from. Your effective caster level for your utterances is equal to your Worldspeaker level.
UTTER DEFENSIVELY:
If you’re worried about attacks of opportunity, you can “utter defensively” by accepting a –5 penalty on your Truespeak check for each foe who could hit you. In exchange, the utterance no longer provokes attacks of opportunity.
SPELL RESISTANCE:
Spell resistance applies to your utterances, so you must succeed on a caster level check to overcome the spell resistance of creatures you speak utterances on. Because your utterances are spell-like abilities, the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats make those caster level checks easier, just as they do for spellcasters. When you deliver an utterance, it has an effective caster level equal to your Worldspeaker level. In addition, when speaking an utterance, you can voluntarily increase the DC of a Truespeak check by 5 to automatically overcome a target’s spell resistance.
THE UNIVERSE KEEPS TRACK OF YOU:
When you deliver an utterance, you’re dealing with the cosmos itself and reshaping reality. If a target changes its creature type with a spell such as polymorph, its personal truename doesn’t change, although the truename you would use in a less specific utterance might. Shapechange, wild shape, disguise, resurrection, reincarnation —none of these change a personal truename. Only the ritual of renaming (describedin the Truename Spells section of the Tome of Magic) can change a personal truename.
TARGET:
With the exception of utterances that use the Lexicon of the Perfected Map and the Lexicon of the World Asunder, all utterances target a single creature or object. Because the language of truenames is both exacting and specific, the same truename doesn't necessarily apply to all four orcs charging at you. You must be able to see your target (or at least perceive it in some other way that gets you as much information as sight). However, your target doesn't need to hear the truename. You aren't speaking to the target, after all. You’re using truenames to speak to the cosmos about the target.
For utterances that use the Lexicon of the Perfected Map, you must be able to see the centre of the area you’re truenaming. You can’t truename a dungeon chamber that’s on the other side of a closed door, but you can truename the room once you open the door, even if you can’t see the entire room from the outside.
The Lexicon of the World Asunder requires that you be able to see at least part of the target - if the target is a particular star, you must be able to see it. If the target is a moon, it is entirely possible to utter at it even if there is a large tree blocking the majority of it.
THE UNIVERSE HEARS JUST FINE:
Because no creature needs to hear you speak the truename, a silence spell won’t automatically stop your utterances. It is more difficult to speak a truename properly when you don’t have the feedback of hearing your own voice. You take a -5 penalty on your Truespeak check when you deliver it from within the area of a silence spell.
RANGE:
Unless otherwise specified, utterances work at a range of 60 feet, unless they are from the Lexicon of the World Asunder, in which case they have unlimited range.
DURATION:
Utterances have short durations. Your use of truenames reorders the universe as you direct, to be sure, but the universe quickly re-establishes some semblance of the status quo. When you deliver an utterance, you’re remaking reality itself. Whether the “default reality” returns quickly or slowly, it does so at its own pace. Once you’ve delivered an utterance, it will run its full course; utterances aren’t dismissible.
EFFECTIVE SPELL LEVEL:
The effective level of an utterance is equal to its utterance level for the purpose of Concentration checks, as well as interactions with other spells and abilities, such as globe of invulnerability. However, you can increase the effective spell level of an utterance, to a maximum of level 9, by increasing the DC of your Truespeak check. For every spell level you increase the utterance by, increase the DC of your Truespeak check by 4.
REVERSED UTTERANCES:
Any utterance may be reversed, not just those from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind. This essentially grants you a second utterance for all purposes except that of the Law of Resistance.
THE LAWS:
All utterances obey a single important universal law that governs Truespeak. In fact, this law—the Law of Resistance—is so pervasive that even uses of Truespeak not involved in speaking utterances must frequently obey it. Many Truespeak-based abilities, especially some prestige class abilities, follow the strictures of this law.
THE LAW OF RESISTANCE:
The first time you speak a particular utterance, you calculate the DC as described in the relevant Lexicon. However, the universe tends to resist being manipulated with Truespeak repeatedly in a short period of time, so each time you successfully speak the same utterance in a day, the DC of your Truespeak check for that utterance increases by 2. If you fail a Truespeak check, however, the DC does not increase on your next attempt of that utterance.
THE LAW OF SEQUENCE:
The Law of Sequence usually does not apply to the Worldspeaker - you have evolved above such nonsense, and can alter as many people, places and objects as you deem necessary. The exception, however, is the Word of Rising - such power does it require that it is simply unquestionable that he universe should for one moment consider a single individual from creating more than one simultaneously.
COUNTERSPEAKING AND DISPELLING:
Utterance effects with ongoing durations can be dispelled normally using dispel magic. They can also be countered by counterspeaking, which works similarly to countering a spell.
COUNTERSPEAKING:
To counterspeak an utterance, you must select an opponent as the target of the counterspeaking and ready an action to counterspeak. When your opponent begins to speak an utterance, you can attempt a Truespeak check (DC equal to the DC of the utterance being spoken) to identify it. If you also know the utterance, you can then attempt a second Truespeak check in an effort to counter the utterance. If your check result is higher than your opponent’s, you negate the utterance with no other results.
DISPELLING:
To dispel an ongoing utterance, you must successfully speak the same utterance on the same target as the original utterance. If your Truespeak check result is higher than the original worldspeaker’s check result, the utterance is dispelled as if its duration had expired. In cases where the Truespeak check for the original utterance is unknown, assume that it’s 11 + the worldspeaker’s Truespeak bonus.
You may not dispel your own utterance.
RESEARCHING AND USING TRUE NAMES:
True names are annoying and unwieldy. Usually, it's easier to say "The man standing in front of me with a longbow" or "The man I know whose Common name is Jonah." This is all well and good, but it's far more effective to use someone's true name.
If you know someone's given name, they take a -2 penalty on their saving throw against the utterance. If you know their given surname, they take a further -2 penalty on their saving throw to the effect of a -4 penalty if you know both. However, if you know their true name, they are not entitled to a saving throw at all. Not even a deity can resist the effects of an utterance including their true name, and therefore they take great precautions against this eventuality (such as the Truename Backlash or Obscure Personal Truename feats).
Using a given name is unwieldy, as it requires you to switch between truespeak and, for example, common in the middle of the sentence. While trying to say an Common name in the middle of an Elven sentence sounds jarring, to do so in the middle of a truespeak sentence is actually unwieldy, increasing the DC to utter by 5 (whether one name or both is used).
Using a true name is even harder, as they are bundles of compound truespeak words - normally, one can say "The person who slays dragons", but if "Dragonslayer" is part of someone's true name, the words "Dragon" and "Slayer" actually intertwine in a way that is entirely alien to other languages. Even worse, the entire name moves syllables about depending on the time when these deeds were done, and if one happened while another was the case. The result is a mess even by truespeak standards; to use a true name therefore increases the DC to utter by 20.
Intelligent magic items might have common names and always have true names. A mundane or non-intelligent magic item's common name doesn't help negate its object saving throws, and even if an intelligent magic item's names are used, it might still be entitled to an object saving throw if it's attended.
To research a true name, one of the following must be undertaken:
A creature with at least 6 PC class levels, 9 NPC class levels or 12 hit dice knows its own true name.
Have access to the Book of True Names, which will reveal the true name and location of any creature you can identify unambiguously.
Be simply told the true name by someone else who knows it. Often, it is easier for a wizard or sorcerer to find a true name than it is for a worldspeaker to do so. Even though the wizard or sorcerer would probably have difficulty pronouncing it to the effect that they could actually use it in an utterance, this doesn't stop them imparting the information to a worldspeaker.
Use Legend Lore, Vision or similar, which will reveal a target's true name if they are at hand or you have detailed information on them. If they have the Obscure Personal Truename feat, they must be at hand.
A cleric whose deity knows the true name can ask for it by casting Divination.
Because they are technically one-word answers, they can be given as a response from a Contact Other Place or Commune spell, but even a deity only has a 1% chance of knowing a true name offhand. Such creatures will almost certainly know their own true name but are usually not willing to give it and never under an obligation to do so (unless a further spell is at work).
Failing this, you must visit some great source of information regarding the subject, such as a library, and then take a knowledge check. This process is explained in more detail below.
To research a true name using mundane means, you must take a knowledge check whose difficulty class is the same as that of a truespeak check against the target. You must use the relevant knowledge sub-skill, or knowledge (Arcana) for intelligent magic items and (Psionics) for intelligent psionic items. Success allows you to complete the check in two weeks; each 5 points by which you exceed the difficulty class decreases this by one day to a minumum of one day. Once the time has been reduced to one day, each further five points reduces the time by one hour to a minimum of one hour.
The Truename Research feat gives a +20 bonus on the check result, normally reducing the time taken by four days. If you're trying to research the true name of a creature with an Obscure Personal True Name, the difficulty class increases by 20.
TRUESPEAK FEATS
The following feats are used in conjunction with truespeak.
Empower Utterance: You can deliver more powerful utterances.
Enlarge Utterance: You can use utterances at greater range.
Extend Utterance: You can make an utterance last longer.
Extra Utterance, Greater: Grants the use of a 5th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Least: Grants the use of a 1st-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Lesser: Grants the use of a 3rd-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Major: Grants the use of a 6th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Minor: Grants the use of a 2nd-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Moderate: Grants the use of a 4th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Super: Grants the use of a 7th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Superior: Grants the use of a 8th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Superlative: Grants the use of a 9th-level utterance.
Focused Lexicon: Your utterances are more effective against one creature type.
Maximise Utterance: You can use utterances at maximum power.
Obscure Personal True Name: Your true name becomes harder to research.
Personal True Name Backlash: A creature who says your true name takes damage.
Quicken Utterance: You can utter as a swift action.
True Name Rebuttal: +4 bonus on attempts to counter or dispel utterances.
True Name Training: Truespeak is always a class skill for you.
Utterance Focus: +1 bonus on save DCs against specific utterance.
Except those mentioned here, the feats above have the effect written in the Tome of Magic. The effects of the True Name Research and Obscure Personal True Name feats are given in the section on researching true names, and neither has any prerequisites.
Extra Utterance
Prerequisites: Must have at least 2 ranks in truespeak, plus 2 for each level of the utterance you wish to learn. You must also know at least 2 utterances of the previous level, if any.
Effect: You learn a single utterance of the level given in the short description above.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, allowing you to use it to take multiple utterances.
Focused Lexicon
As written, but it should be clarified that the DC referred to is the DC to save against the utterance, not to utter it.
Personal True Name Backlash
Prerequisites: Obscure personal True Name
Effect: A creature who speaks your personal true name as part of an utterance or true name magic takes 1d6 points of damage for each hit die you possess.
RECITATION FEATS
Recitation feats are usable as swift actions, rather than as full-round actions. Otherwise, they are as written, except of course that the clause in the Recitation of Meditative State mentioning the restrictions in its use due to requiring a full-round action is void.
EPIC TRUESPEAK FEATS
Tread with caution, interloper.
Extra Utterance, Dreaded: Grants the use of a 13th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Epic: Grants the use of a 10th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Legendary: Grants the use of a 12th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Mythic: Grants the use of a 11th-level utterance.
Intensify Utterance: Your utterance's effects are maximised and then doubled.
Persistent Utterance: Your utterance lasts all day.
Multiutterance: You may use many quickened spells in a single swift action.
Uttering Harrier: If someone utters defensively, you can attack them anyway.
Extra Utterance, Dreaded/Epic/Legendary/Mythic
Prerequisites: As Extra Utterance, but the required truespeak value is 2 higher.
Effect: As Extra Utterance.
Intensify Utterance
Prerequisites: Truespeak 30 ranks, ability to utter 11th-level utterances.
Effect: All variable, numeric effects of an intensified utterance are maximized, then doubled. An intensified utterance deals twice maximum damage, cures twice the maximum number of hit points, affects twice the maximum number of targets, and so forth, as appropriate. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected. The DC to utter an intensified utterance is 35 higher. You can’t combine the effects of this feat with any other feat that affects the variable, numeric effects of an utterance.
Multiutterance
Prerequisites: Quicken utterance, ability to utter 10th-level utterances.
Effect: You may utter one additional quickened utterance in a round, as a single swift action.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Persistent Utterance
Prerequisites: Extend Utterance; truespeak 23 ranks, ability to utter 10th-level utterances
Effect: A persistent utterance has a duration of 24 hours. The persistent utterance must have a personal range or a fixed range. Utterances of instantaneous duration cannot be affected by this feat, nor can utterancess whose effects are discharged. The DC to utter a persistent utterance is 30 higher.
Utterance Harrier
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes.
Effect: Any truespeak user you threaten in melee provokes an attack of opportunity if he or she tries to utter defensively. You get a +4 bonus on this attack roll.
Yeah, it's a truenamer, but at the same time it's so much more than a truenamer! Capable of actually doing something! All the problems with it fixed - no more infinite blindsight! Feats that don't suck! It's amazing, isn't it? Isn't it! Anyway, I figured that this bears a re-post, given the massive amount more stuff there is than there was when I first posted it. Watch this space for new Honour Guards and Mechanical Warriors, too.
The Worldspeaker
“The World speaks the truth to me, and I speak the World to the truth.”
Truespeak is an undervalued art. Its practitioners, the Truenamers, have little power. Little do they know that they have whole worlds tucked behind their tongues. The changes they make affect people, items, or areas, while wizards control cities and countries.
Worldspeakers, however, control worlds. Stars live and die at their command, and woe betide those foolish enough to stand against them. An accomplished Worldspeaker rips entire cities asunder with an impatient word, and turns skin and bone to dust and ash with a single syllable. Some, however, use their phenomenal power to create, rather than destroy. Such Worldspeakers are highly regarded, and are often revered as heroes or even gods by those who witness their great deeds.
The Worldspeaker
LevelBABFortRefWillSpecial 1st2nd3rd4th5th6th7th8th9th
1st+0+0+0+2Utterances, Known Personal Truename3————————
2nd+1+0+0+3Knowledge Focus4————————
3rd+1+1+1+3Speak Unto The Masses43———————
4th+2+1+1+444———————
5th+2+1+1+4443——————
6th+3+2+2+5Truename Research444——————
7th+3+2+2+5Knowledge Focus5443—————
8th+4+2+2+6Bonus Recitation Feat5444—————
9th+4+3+3+6See The Named55443————
10th+5+3+3+7Knowledge Focus55544————
11th+5+3+3+7555443———
12th+6/+1+4+4+8555544———
13th+6/+1+4+4+8Sending5555443——
14th+7/+2+4+4+9Knowledge Focus5555544——
15th+7/+2+5+5+9Bonus Recitation Feat55555443—
16th+8/+3+5+5+1055555544—
17th+8/+3+5+5+10555555443
18th+9/+4+6+6+11555555544
19th+9/+4+6+6+11555555544
20th+10/+5+6+6+12Say My Name and I Am There555555554
Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d6
Starting Age: As Wizard
Starting Gold: 4d4*10 gp (100 gp)
Class Skills:
Concentration, Craft, Perform (oratory), Knowledge (all skills, takenindividually), Truespeak, Use Magic Device.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features of the Worldspeaker:
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: The Worldspeaker is proficient in simple weapons, longbows, short bows and longswords as well as light armour, but no shields.
Known Personal Truename: As a speaker of the world, you know your own personal true name, and are familiar with it. As such, you gain a +4 to all truespeak checks in addition to the normal benefits.
Utterances (Sp): You have the ability to speak utterances, powerful combinations of truenames that can alter the world around you in fundamental ways. Utterances are counted as spells for the purposes of qualifying for feats, salient divine abilities and anything else which requires spellcasting as a prerequisite. Utterances exist in four lexicons: The Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, the Lexicon of the Perfected Map, and the Lexicon of the World Asunder. You begin play knowing three utterances of the 1st level. You gain access to higher levels of utterances at the levels indicated on the table above. When you gain access to higher-level utterances, you can choose an utterance from that level or from a lower level, if you wish.
When you gain utterances of the fourth level, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, the Lexicon of the Perfected Map and the Lexicon of the World Asunder become available to you. Choosing an utterance from a different Lexicon is no different from choosing a spell from a different school - you just do it.
Each utterance represents hundreds of truenames in your repertoire. When you gain the word of bolstering, for example, you say thanthan'ku'ul-hrasechni when you're delivering it on your elf ranger ally and yanu-shankrini'qalaasha when you're delivering it on your gnome rogue friend.
The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against your utterances is 10 + 1/2 your Worldspeaker level + your Int modifier.
Speak unto the Masses (Su): At 3rd level, you have the ability to affect a number of creatures of the same creature type with a single, powerful utterance. You can only affect creatures of the same type (humanoids, giants, or dragons, for example) with a single use of this ability, although you could use it against a different group of a different creature type each round. No two of the creatures you wish to affect with your utterance can be more than short range (25+5/2 levels feet) apart, and the base DC for your Truespeak check is equal to the most powerful (highest CR or most Hit Dice, if you are affecting PCs) creature in the group. For each creature you wish to affect with the utterance beyond the first, the DC of your Truespeak check increases by 2.
The Law of Resistance applies to utterances altered with speak unto the masses. As a result, additional uses of an utterance modified with speak unto the masses might be more difficult, even if you then want to use the utterance on a single creature later in the day.
Knowledge Focus (Ex): As a Worldspeaker, you spend a great deal of time studying the world around you in an effort to learn new truenames. At the levels indicated on Table: The Worldspeaker, you gain a permanent +3 bonus on a Knowledge skill of your choice. Each time you gain this ability, you can apply it to a different Knowledge skill, or to the same Knowledge skill, if you want to focus on a particular area of expertise.
Truename Research: At 6th level, you gain Truename Research as a bonus feat. See the feats section for details.
Bonus Recitation Feat: By repeating your own personal truename over and over with a particular inflection, you can achieve various healing effects starting at 8th level. Choose one recitation feat from those given in the feats section. You must still meet the prerequisites for the bonus feat to take it.
At 15th level, you gain a second bonus recitation feat.
See the Named (Su): Beginning at 9th level, you have the ability to see a creature from afar whose personal truename you know. This ability works as the scrying spell, but does not require a mirror or pool of water to function. Instead, you must make a Truespeak check for the creature as normal. If your check is successful, the creature does not get a save to resist the ability, but you can view the subject for only 1 round. You can use this ability exactly as though it were a fifth-level utterance of the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, though obviously you do not need to see the target to use it.
Sending (Su): Beginning at 13th level, you can speak to creatures whose personal truenames you know from a great distance. You must make a successful Truespeak check to use this ability, as though it were a fifth-level utterance from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind save that you do not need to see the subject.. If successful, you can send a message to the subject as a sending spell (caster level equal to your Worldspeaker level).
Say My Name and I Am There (Su): At 20th level, you develop a truename—not your personal truename, but a sort of true nickname—that is invested with cosmic power such that others who speak it can conjure you forth. Whenever someone successfully says this truename, you can appear at that creature's location as if taken there by a word of recall spell. You know who is saying your truename, and you can choose not to be transported if you wish. The nickname is often one or two syllables taken from your personal truename. A creature speaking your true nickname need not make a Truespeak check to do so.
You may not say your own name to activate this ability.
Most Worldspeakers with this ability teach the truename to their friends and allies so they can be called when needed.
UTTERANCES:
To speak an utterance, you must speak in a clear voice as loud as a spellcaster. Each utterance is a spell-like ability that requires a successful Truespeak check. But becausethe language of truenames requires such precision of pronunciation and timing, an utterance takes a standard action to perform and provokes attacks of opportunity from threatening enemies. Utterances are spell-like abilities with verbal components(unlike other spell-like abilities, which have no components)that require a successful Truespeak check; the DC for the check depends on which lexicon you are uttering from. Your effective caster level for your utterances is equal to your Worldspeaker level.
UTTER DEFENSIVELY:
If you’re worried about attacks of opportunity, you can “utter defensively” by accepting a –5 penalty on your Truespeak check for each foe who could hit you. In exchange, the utterance no longer provokes attacks of opportunity.
SPELL RESISTANCE:
Spell resistance applies to your utterances, so you must succeed on a caster level check to overcome the spell resistance of creatures you speak utterances on. Because your utterances are spell-like abilities, the Spell Penetration and Greater Spell Penetration feats make those caster level checks easier, just as they do for spellcasters. When you deliver an utterance, it has an effective caster level equal to your Worldspeaker level. In addition, when speaking an utterance, you can voluntarily increase the DC of a Truespeak check by 5 to automatically overcome a target’s spell resistance.
THE UNIVERSE KEEPS TRACK OF YOU:
When you deliver an utterance, you’re dealing with the cosmos itself and reshaping reality. If a target changes its creature type with a spell such as polymorph, its personal truename doesn’t change, although the truename you would use in a less specific utterance might. Shapechange, wild shape, disguise, resurrection, reincarnation —none of these change a personal truename. Only the ritual of renaming (describedin the Truename Spells section of the Tome of Magic) can change a personal truename.
TARGET:
With the exception of utterances that use the Lexicon of the Perfected Map and the Lexicon of the World Asunder, all utterances target a single creature or object. Because the language of truenames is both exacting and specific, the same truename doesn't necessarily apply to all four orcs charging at you. You must be able to see your target (or at least perceive it in some other way that gets you as much information as sight). However, your target doesn't need to hear the truename. You aren't speaking to the target, after all. You’re using truenames to speak to the cosmos about the target.
For utterances that use the Lexicon of the Perfected Map, you must be able to see the centre of the area you’re truenaming. You can’t truename a dungeon chamber that’s on the other side of a closed door, but you can truename the room once you open the door, even if you can’t see the entire room from the outside.
The Lexicon of the World Asunder requires that you be able to see at least part of the target - if the target is a particular star, you must be able to see it. If the target is a moon, it is entirely possible to utter at it even if there is a large tree blocking the majority of it.
THE UNIVERSE HEARS JUST FINE:
Because no creature needs to hear you speak the truename, a silence spell won’t automatically stop your utterances. It is more difficult to speak a truename properly when you don’t have the feedback of hearing your own voice. You take a -5 penalty on your Truespeak check when you deliver it from within the area of a silence spell.
RANGE:
Unless otherwise specified, utterances work at a range of 60 feet, unless they are from the Lexicon of the World Asunder, in which case they have unlimited range.
DURATION:
Utterances have short durations. Your use of truenames reorders the universe as you direct, to be sure, but the universe quickly re-establishes some semblance of the status quo. When you deliver an utterance, you’re remaking reality itself. Whether the “default reality” returns quickly or slowly, it does so at its own pace. Once you’ve delivered an utterance, it will run its full course; utterances aren’t dismissible.
EFFECTIVE SPELL LEVEL:
The effective level of an utterance is equal to its utterance level for the purpose of Concentration checks, as well as interactions with other spells and abilities, such as globe of invulnerability. However, you can increase the effective spell level of an utterance, to a maximum of level 9, by increasing the DC of your Truespeak check. For every spell level you increase the utterance by, increase the DC of your Truespeak check by 4.
REVERSED UTTERANCES:
Any utterance may be reversed, not just those from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind. This essentially grants you a second utterance for all purposes except that of the Law of Resistance.
THE LAWS:
All utterances obey a single important universal law that governs Truespeak. In fact, this law—the Law of Resistance—is so pervasive that even uses of Truespeak not involved in speaking utterances must frequently obey it. Many Truespeak-based abilities, especially some prestige class abilities, follow the strictures of this law.
THE LAW OF RESISTANCE:
The first time you speak a particular utterance, you calculate the DC as described in the relevant Lexicon. However, the universe tends to resist being manipulated with Truespeak repeatedly in a short period of time, so each time you successfully speak the same utterance in a day, the DC of your Truespeak check for that utterance increases by 2. If you fail a Truespeak check, however, the DC does not increase on your next attempt of that utterance.
THE LAW OF SEQUENCE:
The Law of Sequence usually does not apply to the Worldspeaker - you have evolved above such nonsense, and can alter as many people, places and objects as you deem necessary. The exception, however, is the Word of Rising - such power does it require that it is simply unquestionable that he universe should for one moment consider a single individual from creating more than one simultaneously.
COUNTERSPEAKING AND DISPELLING:
Utterance effects with ongoing durations can be dispelled normally using dispel magic. They can also be countered by counterspeaking, which works similarly to countering a spell.
COUNTERSPEAKING:
To counterspeak an utterance, you must select an opponent as the target of the counterspeaking and ready an action to counterspeak. When your opponent begins to speak an utterance, you can attempt a Truespeak check (DC equal to the DC of the utterance being spoken) to identify it. If you also know the utterance, you can then attempt a second Truespeak check in an effort to counter the utterance. If your check result is higher than your opponent’s, you negate the utterance with no other results.
DISPELLING:
To dispel an ongoing utterance, you must successfully speak the same utterance on the same target as the original utterance. If your Truespeak check result is higher than the original worldspeaker’s check result, the utterance is dispelled as if its duration had expired. In cases where the Truespeak check for the original utterance is unknown, assume that it’s 11 + the worldspeaker’s Truespeak bonus.
You may not dispel your own utterance.
RESEARCHING AND USING TRUE NAMES:
True names are annoying and unwieldy. Usually, it's easier to say "The man standing in front of me with a longbow" or "The man I know whose Common name is Jonah." This is all well and good, but it's far more effective to use someone's true name.
If you know someone's given name, they take a -2 penalty on their saving throw against the utterance. If you know their given surname, they take a further -2 penalty on their saving throw to the effect of a -4 penalty if you know both. However, if you know their true name, they are not entitled to a saving throw at all. Not even a deity can resist the effects of an utterance including their true name, and therefore they take great precautions against this eventuality (such as the Truename Backlash or Obscure Personal Truename feats).
Using a given name is unwieldy, as it requires you to switch between truespeak and, for example, common in the middle of the sentence. While trying to say an Common name in the middle of an Elven sentence sounds jarring, to do so in the middle of a truespeak sentence is actually unwieldy, increasing the DC to utter by 5 (whether one name or both is used).
Using a true name is even harder, as they are bundles of compound truespeak words - normally, one can say "The person who slays dragons", but if "Dragonslayer" is part of someone's true name, the words "Dragon" and "Slayer" actually intertwine in a way that is entirely alien to other languages. Even worse, the entire name moves syllables about depending on the time when these deeds were done, and if one happened while another was the case. The result is a mess even by truespeak standards; to use a true name therefore increases the DC to utter by 20.
Intelligent magic items might have common names and always have true names. A mundane or non-intelligent magic item's common name doesn't help negate its object saving throws, and even if an intelligent magic item's names are used, it might still be entitled to an object saving throw if it's attended.
To research a true name, one of the following must be undertaken:
A creature with at least 6 PC class levels, 9 NPC class levels or 12 hit dice knows its own true name.
Have access to the Book of True Names, which will reveal the true name and location of any creature you can identify unambiguously.
Be simply told the true name by someone else who knows it. Often, it is easier for a wizard or sorcerer to find a true name than it is for a worldspeaker to do so. Even though the wizard or sorcerer would probably have difficulty pronouncing it to the effect that they could actually use it in an utterance, this doesn't stop them imparting the information to a worldspeaker.
Use Legend Lore, Vision or similar, which will reveal a target's true name if they are at hand or you have detailed information on them. If they have the Obscure Personal Truename feat, they must be at hand.
A cleric whose deity knows the true name can ask for it by casting Divination.
Because they are technically one-word answers, they can be given as a response from a Contact Other Place or Commune spell, but even a deity only has a 1% chance of knowing a true name offhand. Such creatures will almost certainly know their own true name but are usually not willing to give it and never under an obligation to do so (unless a further spell is at work).
Failing this, you must visit some great source of information regarding the subject, such as a library, and then take a knowledge check. This process is explained in more detail below.
To research a true name using mundane means, you must take a knowledge check whose difficulty class is the same as that of a truespeak check against the target. You must use the relevant knowledge sub-skill, or knowledge (Arcana) for intelligent magic items and (Psionics) for intelligent psionic items. Success allows you to complete the check in two weeks; each 5 points by which you exceed the difficulty class decreases this by one day to a minumum of one day. Once the time has been reduced to one day, each further five points reduces the time by one hour to a minimum of one hour.
The Truename Research feat gives a +20 bonus on the check result, normally reducing the time taken by four days. If you're trying to research the true name of a creature with an Obscure Personal True Name, the difficulty class increases by 20.
TRUESPEAK FEATS
The following feats are used in conjunction with truespeak.
Empower Utterance: You can deliver more powerful utterances.
Enlarge Utterance: You can use utterances at greater range.
Extend Utterance: You can make an utterance last longer.
Extra Utterance, Greater: Grants the use of a 5th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Least: Grants the use of a 1st-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Lesser: Grants the use of a 3rd-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Major: Grants the use of a 6th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Minor: Grants the use of a 2nd-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Moderate: Grants the use of a 4th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Super: Grants the use of a 7th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Superior: Grants the use of a 8th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Superlative: Grants the use of a 9th-level utterance.
Focused Lexicon: Your utterances are more effective against one creature type.
Maximise Utterance: You can use utterances at maximum power.
Obscure Personal True Name: Your true name becomes harder to research.
Personal True Name Backlash: A creature who says your true name takes damage.
Quicken Utterance: You can utter as a swift action.
True Name Rebuttal: +4 bonus on attempts to counter or dispel utterances.
True Name Training: Truespeak is always a class skill for you.
Utterance Focus: +1 bonus on save DCs against specific utterance.
Except those mentioned here, the feats above have the effect written in the Tome of Magic. The effects of the True Name Research and Obscure Personal True Name feats are given in the section on researching true names, and neither has any prerequisites.
Extra Utterance
Prerequisites: Must have at least 2 ranks in truespeak, plus 2 for each level of the utterance you wish to learn. You must also know at least 2 utterances of the previous level, if any.
Effect: You learn a single utterance of the level given in the short description above.
Special: You may take this feat more than once, allowing you to use it to take multiple utterances.
Focused Lexicon
As written, but it should be clarified that the DC referred to is the DC to save against the utterance, not to utter it.
Personal True Name Backlash
Prerequisites: Obscure personal True Name
Effect: A creature who speaks your personal true name as part of an utterance or true name magic takes 1d6 points of damage for each hit die you possess.
RECITATION FEATS
Recitation feats are usable as swift actions, rather than as full-round actions. Otherwise, they are as written, except of course that the clause in the Recitation of Meditative State mentioning the restrictions in its use due to requiring a full-round action is void.
EPIC TRUESPEAK FEATS
Tread with caution, interloper.
Extra Utterance, Dreaded: Grants the use of a 13th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Epic: Grants the use of a 10th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Legendary: Grants the use of a 12th-level utterance.
Extra Utterance, Mythic: Grants the use of a 11th-level utterance.
Intensify Utterance: Your utterance's effects are maximised and then doubled.
Persistent Utterance: Your utterance lasts all day.
Multiutterance: You may use many quickened spells in a single swift action.
Uttering Harrier: If someone utters defensively, you can attack them anyway.
Extra Utterance, Dreaded/Epic/Legendary/Mythic
Prerequisites: As Extra Utterance, but the required truespeak value is 2 higher.
Effect: As Extra Utterance.
Intensify Utterance
Prerequisites: Truespeak 30 ranks, ability to utter 11th-level utterances.
Effect: All variable, numeric effects of an intensified utterance are maximized, then doubled. An intensified utterance deals twice maximum damage, cures twice the maximum number of hit points, affects twice the maximum number of targets, and so forth, as appropriate. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected. The DC to utter an intensified utterance is 35 higher. You can’t combine the effects of this feat with any other feat that affects the variable, numeric effects of an utterance.
Multiutterance
Prerequisites: Quicken utterance, ability to utter 10th-level utterances.
Effect: You may utter one additional quickened utterance in a round, as a single swift action.
Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Persistent Utterance
Prerequisites: Extend Utterance; truespeak 23 ranks, ability to utter 10th-level utterances
Effect: A persistent utterance has a duration of 24 hours. The persistent utterance must have a personal range or a fixed range. Utterances of instantaneous duration cannot be affected by this feat, nor can utterancess whose effects are discharged. The DC to utter a persistent utterance is 30 higher.
Utterance Harrier
Prerequisite: Combat Reflexes.
Effect: Any truespeak user you threaten in melee provokes an attack of opportunity if he or she tries to utter defensively. You get a +4 bonus on this attack roll.