Inevitability
2015-07-20, 02:01 AM
The Arcanist (WIP)
http://i.imgur.com/emytFJX.jpg
"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well."
Faded wall paintings in the tomb of a long-dead pharaoh. A leather-bound tome, its thick pages covered in images of man, beast, and monster. Poorly-done tattoos on a murdered adventurer's muscled chest. Colorful mosaics decorating the mansion of a Rakshasa lord. All the same. All telling the same story. But how? And why?
You may be a scholar driven to research those things. Alternatively, you might have been given the power to manipulate the cards by someone else, whether you wanted it or not. You may even have slain an Arcanist, only to discover that by some fickle chance, you inherited its power.
All who possess the power of the Arcana sense that no matter what they gain their abilities from, it is more than a source of power; it is a being more old and vast than one can ever imagine. This 'being' is nothing less than the universe itself, with the twenty-two cards representing the stages it grows through.
Arcanists are not sure what will happen once the final stage has been reached. Some say the cycle will start over again, as it must have done many times before, while others insist the world will end. Others again state the final stage will never end, but what exactly it will bring is not agreed upon. Depending on those beliefs, Arcanists either seek to further the cycle, slow it down, or even destroy it. As a result, they almost always become adventurers.
Abilities:
Role: An Arcanist can assume many roles, dependent on which card he is manifesting at the time. Most Arcanists tend towards the ranged control and damage roles, though.
Background: An Arcanist has, though chance or deliberate action, gained mastery of the unpredictable and powerful forces of the Arcana. At the same time, they have gained awareness of something far bigger than any individual Arcanist. Some call it an endless cycle, others view it as a countdown to destruction, but regardless of their viewpoints, all Arcanists seek to influence it.
Organization: Arcanists who have similar goals and interests often group together, but their relations with those who interpret the Arcana differently can't be called anything but hostile.
Alignment: Arcanists are not drawn to any particular alignments.
Races: Interestingly, humans seem to be those favored most by the Arcana, and they make up most of the Arcanists. Halflings and gnomes, with their love of games of chance, are not too uncommon Arcanists either.
Religion: Arcanists often eschew religion, not believing gods to have any power where the cards reveal all. Those who do worship gods prefer deities of luck, chance, and fate.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As sorcerer
Starting Gold: As sorcerer
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Features
Cards
Arcanum Points
Arcanum Threshold
1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Arcana Knowledge (Fool and Physical) Personal Deck, Reader of the Cards
3
5
1
2
+1
+0
+3
+3
Arcana Divination (Augury)
3
8
2
3
+2
+1
+3
+3
Blue Redraw of Vigor
3
12
2
4
+3
+1
+4
+4
Moment of Destiny (1/day)
4
16
3
5
+3
+1
+4
+4
Arcana Divination (Divination)
4
21
3
6
+4
+2
+5
+5
Favored Card (2 cards)
4
26
4
7
+5
+2
+5
+5
Arcana Knowledge (Mental)
5
32
4
8
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6
Additional Favored Card
5
40
5
9
+6/+1
+3
+6
+6
Renew Deck
5
48
5
10
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7
Arcana Divination (Commune)
6
57
6
11
+8/+3
+3
+7
+7
Moment of Destiny (2/day)
6
67
6
12
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Additional Favored Card
7
78
7
13
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Arcana Knowledge (Spiritual)
8
89
7
14
+10/+5
+4
+9
+9
Renew Deck (2/day)
8
101
8
15
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+9
White Redraw of Restoration
9
113
8
16
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Favored Card (3 cards)
9
125
9
17
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Additional Favored Card
10
137
9
18
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+11
Moment of Destiny (3/day)
10
150
10
19
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+11
Black Redraw of Utter Devastation
11
164
10
20
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Arcana Knowledge (World)
12
180
10
Skills: The Arcanist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at first level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features:
All the following are class features of the Arcanist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Arcanist is proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armor. Arcanists are not proficient with shields.
Arcana Knowledge. Initially, you are only able to manifest Physical cards and the Fool card. As you grow in power, you gain the ability to manifest other types of cards.
Starting at 7th level, you can also manifest Mental cards.
Starting at 13th level, you can also manifest Spiritual cards.
At 20th level, you gain the ability to manifest the World card.
Personal Deck (Su). An Arcanist starts play with his own personal deck of cards. These cards initially look like plain white cards with a single symbol on them, but as the Arcanist grows in power they shift their appearance to show their bearer's deeds.
The deck is a magic item, and it becomes a nonmagical deck of cards in an antimagic field. The item is attuned to its Arcanist, and he only can draw cards from it unless he allows others to do so.
If the Arcanist ever loses his deck, he can replace it through a simple ceremony. This ceremony costs 25 GP per card to be recovered (most often in the form of some sacrifice to the Arcana), and it takes exactly one hour to perform. At the end of the ceremony, the deck appears in front of its Arcanist, and all other decks attuned to said Arcanist disappear into nothingness.
Reader of the Cards (Su). At first level, you become able to tap into the true potential of the cards. At the start of each day, select a number of cards from levels you have mastered up to the number given in the above table to place in your deck for that day. The Fool card is then automatically added to your deck.
After selecting your cards for a day, they shuffle themselves, and you draw a random card. This is the card you initially manifest. By spending one arcanum point as a swift action, you can shuffle your current card back in the deck, draw a new card (this may be the same as the one you shuffled back), and immediately swap to manifesting that one. In an Antimagic Field or similar area, you can not manifest any cards, although cards you were manifesting when the effect started are remanifested at no cost when it ends.
While manifesting a card, you gain access to certain supernatural abilities. Some of these abilities may require expending arcanum points, though you can never activate an ability with a higher cost than your arcanum threshold. The cost for such an ability is given in parentheses (A cost of '?' indicates the amount varies). You regain all expended arcanum points when you select your deck at the start of a day. Note that your arcanum threshold does not apply to anything that costs arcanum points but isn't directly granted by cards, such as the various effects from Blue Redraw of Vigor.
Save DC's for abilities granted by manifested cards, as well as your various Arcanist abilities are equal to 10 + half your Arcanist level + your Charisma modifier.
Arcana Divination (Sp). Starting at 2nd level, you gain limited insight in fate through use of your deck of cards. Once per day, you can cast Augury as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your Arcanist level. However, you must still provide the material component.
From 5th level on, you can instead cast Divination, but you still have to provide the material component.
From 10th level on, you can instead cast Commune, contacting beings that directly serve the World. The answers you receive are generally true, but remember that even the World has its own agenda. You must still provide the material component, as well as pay the XP cost.
Blue Redraw of Vigor (Su). Starting at 3rd level, you can pay four arcanum points as a standard action to shuffle your currently manifested card back in the deck, randomly draw a new card, manifest that card, and gain an additional bonus depending on the card drawn for as long as you remain manifesting it.
Fool: You take a -2 penalty to AC.
Magician: You gain resist acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic 5.
Priestess: You gain a +3 bonus to Will saving throws.
Empress: Allies within 5 ft. of you gain +1 to Armor Class and saving throws.
Emperor: Allies within 5 ft. of you gain +1 to attack and damage rolls.
Hierophant: Your type changes to Outsider (native). This does not let you fulfill any prerequisites for feats, prestige classes, or other things.
Lovers: You gain a +5 bonus to Will saving throws against Mind-Affecting effects.
Chariot: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls.
Strength: You gain a +3 bonus on melee damage rolls.
Hermit: You gain a +4 bonus to Will saving throws if no creatures are within 20 ft. of you.
Wheel of Fortune: You gain a +1 luck bonus to all d20 rolls.
Justice: You are immune to fear.
Hanged Man: You gain DR 2/—
Death: You gain immunity to Death effects.
Temperance: You gain the [Good] subtype, and you don't have to sleep, eat or drink.
Fiend: You gain the [Evil] subtype, and you gain telepathy over a range of 30 ft.
Tower: Your height doubles and your weight is multiplied by 8. Your size (and your equipment's) increases by one category.
Star: You gain darkvision over a range of 60 ft. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 60 ft.
Moon: A subtle illusion conceals your shape, giving attacks against you a 5% miss chance.
Sun: You shed bright light to a radius of 60 ft., and shadowy illumination to 120 ft. Allies within the bright light gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
Judgement: You gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws.
World: You gain 40 temporary hit points. Shuffle the World card back in your deck, then draw a card of your choice, which takes effect as if you had drawn it normally.
Moment of Destiny (Su). Starting at 4th level, you can, once per day, pay three arcanum points to draw a card of your choice from your deck and immediately manifest it. At level 11, you can use this ability twice per day. At level 18, you can use it three times per day.
Favored Card (Su). From 6th level on, you gain a measure of control over the chaos that dictates the cards you draw. Certain cards suddenly become more likely to show up, indicating your connection to them. Select a single card you can manifest, which is referred to as your favored card from now on. You gain additional favored cards at level 8, level 12, and level 17, all of which you must be able to manifest at the time.
When you create your deck, you may decide to add two copies of any favored cards you have, rather than one. You can do so even if the extra cards would cause your deck to exceed its maximum capacity.
From 16th level on, you can choose to add up to three cards instead of one.
Renew Deck (Su). Starting at 9th level, once per day you can completely alter your deck, as if you were preparing it again at the start of a day. You stop manifesting your currently manifested card, and randomly draw a new card to manifest from your altered deck. Using this ability takes a standard action and costs ten arcanum points.
From 14th level on, you can use this ability twice per day.
White Redraw of Restoration (Su). From 15th level on, once per day when you are reduced to 0 HP or fewer (even if you are killed outright) you can spend fifteen arcanum points as an immediate action. You shuffle your currently manifested card back in your deck, draw a new one, and immediately manifest it. Your HP is set to 10, and an additional effect based on the card you drew then takes place.
Fool: Your HP is set to -1.
Magician: A burst of flame erupts around you. All creatures within a 30 ft. burst centered on you (except yourself) must make a Reflex saving throw or take 8d6 fire damage.
Priestess: Healing energy erupts from you. You regain 30 HP, and all allies within 30 ft. of you regain 10 HP.
Empress: You gain a +10 insight bonus to AC and saving throws until the end of your next turn.
Emperor: You regain 10 HP for each ally within 30 ft. of you.
Hierophant: For the next minute, you have fast healing 5.
Lovers: If you are within 5 ft. of an ally, immediately regain an additional 40 HP.
Chariot: You can immediately stand up, move up to your speed and make a weapon attack.
Strength: You unleash a fearsome roar. All enemies within 60 ft. of you who can hear and see you must make a Will saving throw or be shaken for 1 round.
The Hermit: If you have no allies within 5 ft. of you, regain an additional 40 HP.
Wheel of Fortune: Regain an additional 1d20x1d6 HP.
Justice: If you were brought to 0 HP by direct damage from a creature, that creature takes 6d6 damage, which can't be avoided.
The Hanged Man: You gain DR 20/— until the end of your next turn.
Death: All creatures within 30 ft. of you must make a Fortitude saving throw or take 3d6 damage as their life force is drained away. You regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Temperance: A cloak of light envelops you as you open your eyes. You regain 20 HP, and until the end of your next turn, you gain the benefit of a Sanctuary spell.
Fiend: Batlike shadows flutter out of nowhere, then cease to exist. For the next minute, you have Regeneration 2, which is overcome by Good-aligned weapons or spells with the Good descriptor. This regeneration does not let you regrow body parts or regrow lost parts of your body.
Tower: A 2-inch thick stone wall surrounds the edges of your space, then falls down at the start of your next turn. Each 5 ft. section of the wall has 30 hit points and hardness 8. A section that drops to 0 hit points is breached and crumbles away.
Star: You gain 40 temporary hit points.
Moon: You become invisible until the end of your next turn.
Sun: All creatures within 60 ft. of you must make a Reflex saving throw or be blinded for 1 round.
Judgement: If you were brought to 0 HP by direct damage from a creature, that creature takes 12d6 damage. A Fortitude saving throw halves this damage.
World: You disappear within the world itself, reappearing after 1 minute. When you reappear, you are restored to full hit points and all conditions curable with a Heal spell have been removed from you. When you draw this card, you can choose not to disappear, in which case you heal 20 HP and remove the Fatigued, Exhausted, Shaken or Sickened conditions.
Black Redraw of Utter Devastation (Su). Starting at 19th level, you have the ability to gravely hurt a single creature within 120 ft. of you, using some of the most powerful magic the arcana can give. Using this ability is a standard action that costs twenty arcanum points, and you can only use it once per day. You shuffle your currently manifested card back in your deck, randomly draw a new card, and manifest that card. The card you drew determines the effect that takes place.
Some of the given effects only last as long as you keep manifesting the card. If this is the case, it is noted in its description.
Fool: You take 3d6 wisdom damage. You then shuffle the fool back in the deck, draw another card, and manifest it. The effect linked to that card then takes effect as normal.
Magician: A colossal inferno, blizzard, thunderclap, acid blast, or lightning bolt strikes the target and all creatures within a 30 ft. burst centered on it. Such creatures must make a Reflex saving throw or take 20d6 damage, which can be Cold, Fire, Sonic, Acid, or Lightning. All creatures take the same type of damage. Creatures still take half damage if they make their save.
Priestess: Divine energy, drawn from the World itself, overwhelms the target, who must make a Fortitude save or take 30d6 damage. This damage is pure divine power, rather than a certain type of energy. If the target saves, it takes half damage.
Empress: The target is imprisoned in a cube of force (as Forcecage, except the cube is always a windowless cell with sides of 30 ft.). If other creatures are within the cube the moment it is created, you may choose to move them to the closest point in space outside the cube. In addition, the area within the cube is heavily warded, preventing planar shifting, teleportation, astral and ethereal travel, and summoning spells. The cube disappears after 24 hours, but you can end it early as a standard action.
Emperor: The target must make a Will saving throw or be dominated by you (as the Dominate Monster spell with a caster level equal to your Arcanist level). This is a mind-affecting effect. This effect ends if you cease manifesting the Emperor arcana.
Hierophant: A vision of incredible divine glory presents itself to the target, showing the majesty of the World and the nothingness of each human being in comparison. The target must make a Will saving throw or be blinded, deafened, and panicked for 1 hour. In addition, it has a 50% chance each turn to take no actions. If the target succeeds on its saving throw, it is blinded, deafened, and frightened for 1 minute.
Lovers: The target immediately becomes friendly to you (as Charm Monster with no saving throw and a caster level equal to your Arcanist level). A creature immune to mind-affecting effects is not affected by this. If you appear to be of a race and gender the target is normally attracted to, it views you as its one true love.
Chariot: The forces of fate and time themselves turn against your target, declaring it is to be defeated. You and up to four allies within 60 ft. of you can immediately cast a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action or less, make an attack, or activate a magic item, as long as this action has a direct and negative influence on the target. (Attacking his allies, for example, would not count, but sundering his weapon would)
Strength: A giant transculent hand made of pure force appears next to the target. The hand attacks once per round, right after you take your turn. Treat it as a Crushing Hand (as the spell) except it only disappears when you stop manifesting this card and you use your charisma modifier to calculate its grapple bonus. Your caster level for the hand is equal to your Arcanist level.
Hermit: The target is whisked away to a remote demiplane unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw. The demiplane is a barren plain with no other life than the creature itself, apparently of infinite size. While on the demiplane, the creature doesn't need to eat or drink, and it doesn't age. Whenever the target attempts to leave it by whatever means, it must make another Will saving throw. On a success, the target leaves as normal. On a failure, the target remains on the demiplane and can't leave for the next 24 hours, after which it will have to try again.
Wheel of Fortune: Draw two more cards, but do not manifest them. Choose either card, which takes effect just as if you drew it normally. The two cards are then shuffled back in your deck, and you manifest the Wheel of Fortune card.
Justice: The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or become cursed by this card's magic. Whenever the target deals damage to another creature, it takes an equal amount of damage. If the target deals damage to multiple creatures with a single action (such as casting a Fireball) it takes the damage only once. Damage dealt to the target by this effect can't be reduced or prevented, although it can be healed normally. If the target deals direct harm to creatures without dealing damage (such as ability damage, ability drain, harmful spells, or bullrushing them into dangerous areas) it instead takes 3d6 damage. The curse lasts until removed by a Remove Curse or similar magic.
Hanged Man: The target must make a Will saving throw or be forced into a state of suspended animation as its body floats upwards until it is hanging upside-down 20 ft. above the ground. It is unconscious and helpless. The creature remains suspended as long as you keep manifesting the Hanged Man card. However, if the target takes any damage, it wakes up immediately and falls down. However, it is dazed for 1d4 rounds after waking up, still baffled by the great things it saw while comatose. If the target succeeds on another Will saving throw, it is only dazed for 1 round.
Death: This powerful card can completely annihilate its victim's soul, leaving nothing but an atrophied body. The target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or be slain instantly (a Death effect). In addition, there is a 50% chance of the victim's soul being devoured, leaving it unable to be brought back to life by mortal magic.
Temperance: An Antimagic Field becomes centered on the target, moving with it, and remains there for as long as you remain manifesting the Temperance card. In addition, the target must make a Will saving throw or be affected by a Calm Emotions effect (this effect ignores the antimagic field) for as long as you remain manifesting this card.
Fiend: Target unit must make a Will saving throw or have its soul ripped from its body and imprisoned by a powerful fiend. This fiend's strength can range from a Balor or Pit Fiend to an archduke or demon prince. This being will not voluntarily release the soul, although it may be tempted to trade it for something it desires. If a non-evil Arcanist uses this power, he must make a Will saving throw or immediately change his alignment to that of the fiend. If an evil Arcanist uses it, he must make a Will saving throw or take 1d6 points of damage to all ability scores. A non-evil Arcanist can, upon drawing this card, decide not to use it. He still manifests it as normal.
Tower: A terrible storm (Storm of Vengeance) appears, centered on a point 2000 ft. above the target. You do not have to maintain concentration on the storm, and you are immune to its harmful or deliberating effects. If you stop manifesting the Tower card, the storm disappears.
Star: Four small stars appear next to you, then soar towards the target. Each star explodes as if it were a meteor created by the Meteor Swarm spell. If all four meteors hit, you gain 50 temporary hit points.
Moon: A strange madness grips the target's mind. It must succeed on a Will saving throw or become permanently confused (as the Insanity spell). In addition, while it is insane this way, its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are reduced by 3d6, to a minimum of 1. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Sun: A ray of unnaturally bright sunlight, infused with positive energy, hits the target. A 100 ft. radius centered on the target is brightly illuminated, with shadowy illumination for another 100 ft. If the target is undead, it is immediately destroyed, leaving nothing behind but a bit of dust. If the target is a living creature, it must make a Fortitude saving throw or be obliterated by the positive energy, its body exploding in a flash of light. On a successful save, it instead takes 8d6 damage and is blinded for 1 minute.
Judgement: Deafening trumpets audible only to you and your victim sound as the World's judgement strikes its target. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw or be struck dead, leaving an otherwise intact corpse. Even on a successful saving throw, it takes 10d6 damage from pure divine energy. Using this ability is not without risk to you, however, and being a conduit for the World's fury is highly dangerous. You must make a Fortitude saving throw or take 15d6 points of damage from pure divine energy. On a successful saving throw, you instead take half damage.
World: For a moment, the World awakens fully from its eternal slumber, focusing its full power on your unfortunate victim. The target is slain instantly and utterly, with no body or soul remaining. However, you must make a Will saving throw or suffer the same fate. Even if you succeed, you take 20d6 damage from pure divine energy and are unconscious for 24 hours. Nothing can prevent this damage or end the unconsciousness early.
http://i.imgur.com/emytFJX.jpg
"Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well."
Faded wall paintings in the tomb of a long-dead pharaoh. A leather-bound tome, its thick pages covered in images of man, beast, and monster. Poorly-done tattoos on a murdered adventurer's muscled chest. Colorful mosaics decorating the mansion of a Rakshasa lord. All the same. All telling the same story. But how? And why?
You may be a scholar driven to research those things. Alternatively, you might have been given the power to manipulate the cards by someone else, whether you wanted it or not. You may even have slain an Arcanist, only to discover that by some fickle chance, you inherited its power.
All who possess the power of the Arcana sense that no matter what they gain their abilities from, it is more than a source of power; it is a being more old and vast than one can ever imagine. This 'being' is nothing less than the universe itself, with the twenty-two cards representing the stages it grows through.
Arcanists are not sure what will happen once the final stage has been reached. Some say the cycle will start over again, as it must have done many times before, while others insist the world will end. Others again state the final stage will never end, but what exactly it will bring is not agreed upon. Depending on those beliefs, Arcanists either seek to further the cycle, slow it down, or even destroy it. As a result, they almost always become adventurers.
Abilities:
Role: An Arcanist can assume many roles, dependent on which card he is manifesting at the time. Most Arcanists tend towards the ranged control and damage roles, though.
Background: An Arcanist has, though chance or deliberate action, gained mastery of the unpredictable and powerful forces of the Arcana. At the same time, they have gained awareness of something far bigger than any individual Arcanist. Some call it an endless cycle, others view it as a countdown to destruction, but regardless of their viewpoints, all Arcanists seek to influence it.
Organization: Arcanists who have similar goals and interests often group together, but their relations with those who interpret the Arcana differently can't be called anything but hostile.
Alignment: Arcanists are not drawn to any particular alignments.
Races: Interestingly, humans seem to be those favored most by the Arcana, and they make up most of the Arcanists. Halflings and gnomes, with their love of games of chance, are not too uncommon Arcanists either.
Religion: Arcanists often eschew religion, not believing gods to have any power where the cards reveal all. Those who do worship gods prefer deities of luck, chance, and fate.
Hit Die: d6
Starting Age: As sorcerer
Starting Gold: As sorcerer
Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Features
Cards
Arcanum Points
Arcanum Threshold
1
+0
+0
+2
+2
Arcana Knowledge (Fool and Physical) Personal Deck, Reader of the Cards
3
5
1
2
+1
+0
+3
+3
Arcana Divination (Augury)
3
8
2
3
+2
+1
+3
+3
Blue Redraw of Vigor
3
12
2
4
+3
+1
+4
+4
Moment of Destiny (1/day)
4
16
3
5
+3
+1
+4
+4
Arcana Divination (Divination)
4
21
3
6
+4
+2
+5
+5
Favored Card (2 cards)
4
26
4
7
+5
+2
+5
+5
Arcana Knowledge (Mental)
5
32
4
8
+6/+1
+2
+6
+6
Additional Favored Card
5
40
5
9
+6/+1
+3
+6
+6
Renew Deck
5
48
5
10
+7/+2
+3
+7
+7
Arcana Divination (Commune)
6
57
6
11
+8/+3
+3
+7
+7
Moment of Destiny (2/day)
6
67
6
12
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Additional Favored Card
7
78
7
13
+9/+4
+4
+8
+8
Arcana Knowledge (Spiritual)
8
89
7
14
+10/+5
+4
+9
+9
Renew Deck (2/day)
8
101
8
15
+11/+6/+1
+5
+9
+9
White Redraw of Restoration
9
113
8
16
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Favored Card (3 cards)
9
125
9
17
+12/+7/+2
+5
+10
+10
Additional Favored Card
10
137
9
18
+13/+8/+3
+6
+11
+11
Moment of Destiny (3/day)
10
150
10
19
+14/+9/+4
+6
+11
+11
Black Redraw of Utter Devastation
11
164
10
20
+15/+10/+5
+6
+12
+12
Arcana Knowledge (World)
12
180
10
Skills: The Arcanist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language, and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill points at first level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill points at each additional level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features:
All the following are class features of the Arcanist.
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Arcanist is proficient in the use of all simple weapons and light armor. Arcanists are not proficient with shields.
Arcana Knowledge. Initially, you are only able to manifest Physical cards and the Fool card. As you grow in power, you gain the ability to manifest other types of cards.
Starting at 7th level, you can also manifest Mental cards.
Starting at 13th level, you can also manifest Spiritual cards.
At 20th level, you gain the ability to manifest the World card.
Personal Deck (Su). An Arcanist starts play with his own personal deck of cards. These cards initially look like plain white cards with a single symbol on them, but as the Arcanist grows in power they shift their appearance to show their bearer's deeds.
The deck is a magic item, and it becomes a nonmagical deck of cards in an antimagic field. The item is attuned to its Arcanist, and he only can draw cards from it unless he allows others to do so.
If the Arcanist ever loses his deck, he can replace it through a simple ceremony. This ceremony costs 25 GP per card to be recovered (most often in the form of some sacrifice to the Arcana), and it takes exactly one hour to perform. At the end of the ceremony, the deck appears in front of its Arcanist, and all other decks attuned to said Arcanist disappear into nothingness.
Reader of the Cards (Su). At first level, you become able to tap into the true potential of the cards. At the start of each day, select a number of cards from levels you have mastered up to the number given in the above table to place in your deck for that day. The Fool card is then automatically added to your deck.
After selecting your cards for a day, they shuffle themselves, and you draw a random card. This is the card you initially manifest. By spending one arcanum point as a swift action, you can shuffle your current card back in the deck, draw a new card (this may be the same as the one you shuffled back), and immediately swap to manifesting that one. In an Antimagic Field or similar area, you can not manifest any cards, although cards you were manifesting when the effect started are remanifested at no cost when it ends.
While manifesting a card, you gain access to certain supernatural abilities. Some of these abilities may require expending arcanum points, though you can never activate an ability with a higher cost than your arcanum threshold. The cost for such an ability is given in parentheses (A cost of '?' indicates the amount varies). You regain all expended arcanum points when you select your deck at the start of a day. Note that your arcanum threshold does not apply to anything that costs arcanum points but isn't directly granted by cards, such as the various effects from Blue Redraw of Vigor.
Save DC's for abilities granted by manifested cards, as well as your various Arcanist abilities are equal to 10 + half your Arcanist level + your Charisma modifier.
Arcana Divination (Sp). Starting at 2nd level, you gain limited insight in fate through use of your deck of cards. Once per day, you can cast Augury as a spell-like ability with a caster level equal to your Arcanist level. However, you must still provide the material component.
From 5th level on, you can instead cast Divination, but you still have to provide the material component.
From 10th level on, you can instead cast Commune, contacting beings that directly serve the World. The answers you receive are generally true, but remember that even the World has its own agenda. You must still provide the material component, as well as pay the XP cost.
Blue Redraw of Vigor (Su). Starting at 3rd level, you can pay four arcanum points as a standard action to shuffle your currently manifested card back in the deck, randomly draw a new card, manifest that card, and gain an additional bonus depending on the card drawn for as long as you remain manifesting it.
Fool: You take a -2 penalty to AC.
Magician: You gain resist acid, cold, electricity, fire, and sonic 5.
Priestess: You gain a +3 bonus to Will saving throws.
Empress: Allies within 5 ft. of you gain +1 to Armor Class and saving throws.
Emperor: Allies within 5 ft. of you gain +1 to attack and damage rolls.
Hierophant: Your type changes to Outsider (native). This does not let you fulfill any prerequisites for feats, prestige classes, or other things.
Lovers: You gain a +5 bonus to Will saving throws against Mind-Affecting effects.
Chariot: You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls.
Strength: You gain a +3 bonus on melee damage rolls.
Hermit: You gain a +4 bonus to Will saving throws if no creatures are within 20 ft. of you.
Wheel of Fortune: You gain a +1 luck bonus to all d20 rolls.
Justice: You are immune to fear.
Hanged Man: You gain DR 2/—
Death: You gain immunity to Death effects.
Temperance: You gain the [Good] subtype, and you don't have to sleep, eat or drink.
Fiend: You gain the [Evil] subtype, and you gain telepathy over a range of 30 ft.
Tower: Your height doubles and your weight is multiplied by 8. Your size (and your equipment's) increases by one category.
Star: You gain darkvision over a range of 60 ft. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 60 ft.
Moon: A subtle illusion conceals your shape, giving attacks against you a 5% miss chance.
Sun: You shed bright light to a radius of 60 ft., and shadowy illumination to 120 ft. Allies within the bright light gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls.
Judgement: You gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws.
World: You gain 40 temporary hit points. Shuffle the World card back in your deck, then draw a card of your choice, which takes effect as if you had drawn it normally.
Moment of Destiny (Su). Starting at 4th level, you can, once per day, pay three arcanum points to draw a card of your choice from your deck and immediately manifest it. At level 11, you can use this ability twice per day. At level 18, you can use it three times per day.
Favored Card (Su). From 6th level on, you gain a measure of control over the chaos that dictates the cards you draw. Certain cards suddenly become more likely to show up, indicating your connection to them. Select a single card you can manifest, which is referred to as your favored card from now on. You gain additional favored cards at level 8, level 12, and level 17, all of which you must be able to manifest at the time.
When you create your deck, you may decide to add two copies of any favored cards you have, rather than one. You can do so even if the extra cards would cause your deck to exceed its maximum capacity.
From 16th level on, you can choose to add up to three cards instead of one.
Renew Deck (Su). Starting at 9th level, once per day you can completely alter your deck, as if you were preparing it again at the start of a day. You stop manifesting your currently manifested card, and randomly draw a new card to manifest from your altered deck. Using this ability takes a standard action and costs ten arcanum points.
From 14th level on, you can use this ability twice per day.
White Redraw of Restoration (Su). From 15th level on, once per day when you are reduced to 0 HP or fewer (even if you are killed outright) you can spend fifteen arcanum points as an immediate action. You shuffle your currently manifested card back in your deck, draw a new one, and immediately manifest it. Your HP is set to 10, and an additional effect based on the card you drew then takes place.
Fool: Your HP is set to -1.
Magician: A burst of flame erupts around you. All creatures within a 30 ft. burst centered on you (except yourself) must make a Reflex saving throw or take 8d6 fire damage.
Priestess: Healing energy erupts from you. You regain 30 HP, and all allies within 30 ft. of you regain 10 HP.
Empress: You gain a +10 insight bonus to AC and saving throws until the end of your next turn.
Emperor: You regain 10 HP for each ally within 30 ft. of you.
Hierophant: For the next minute, you have fast healing 5.
Lovers: If you are within 5 ft. of an ally, immediately regain an additional 40 HP.
Chariot: You can immediately stand up, move up to your speed and make a weapon attack.
Strength: You unleash a fearsome roar. All enemies within 60 ft. of you who can hear and see you must make a Will saving throw or be shaken for 1 round.
The Hermit: If you have no allies within 5 ft. of you, regain an additional 40 HP.
Wheel of Fortune: Regain an additional 1d20x1d6 HP.
Justice: If you were brought to 0 HP by direct damage from a creature, that creature takes 6d6 damage, which can't be avoided.
The Hanged Man: You gain DR 20/— until the end of your next turn.
Death: All creatures within 30 ft. of you must make a Fortitude saving throw or take 3d6 damage as their life force is drained away. You regain hit points equal to the damage dealt.
Temperance: A cloak of light envelops you as you open your eyes. You regain 20 HP, and until the end of your next turn, you gain the benefit of a Sanctuary spell.
Fiend: Batlike shadows flutter out of nowhere, then cease to exist. For the next minute, you have Regeneration 2, which is overcome by Good-aligned weapons or spells with the Good descriptor. This regeneration does not let you regrow body parts or regrow lost parts of your body.
Tower: A 2-inch thick stone wall surrounds the edges of your space, then falls down at the start of your next turn. Each 5 ft. section of the wall has 30 hit points and hardness 8. A section that drops to 0 hit points is breached and crumbles away.
Star: You gain 40 temporary hit points.
Moon: You become invisible until the end of your next turn.
Sun: All creatures within 60 ft. of you must make a Reflex saving throw or be blinded for 1 round.
Judgement: If you were brought to 0 HP by direct damage from a creature, that creature takes 12d6 damage. A Fortitude saving throw halves this damage.
World: You disappear within the world itself, reappearing after 1 minute. When you reappear, you are restored to full hit points and all conditions curable with a Heal spell have been removed from you. When you draw this card, you can choose not to disappear, in which case you heal 20 HP and remove the Fatigued, Exhausted, Shaken or Sickened conditions.
Black Redraw of Utter Devastation (Su). Starting at 19th level, you have the ability to gravely hurt a single creature within 120 ft. of you, using some of the most powerful magic the arcana can give. Using this ability is a standard action that costs twenty arcanum points, and you can only use it once per day. You shuffle your currently manifested card back in your deck, randomly draw a new card, and manifest that card. The card you drew determines the effect that takes place.
Some of the given effects only last as long as you keep manifesting the card. If this is the case, it is noted in its description.
Fool: You take 3d6 wisdom damage. You then shuffle the fool back in the deck, draw another card, and manifest it. The effect linked to that card then takes effect as normal.
Magician: A colossal inferno, blizzard, thunderclap, acid blast, or lightning bolt strikes the target and all creatures within a 30 ft. burst centered on it. Such creatures must make a Reflex saving throw or take 20d6 damage, which can be Cold, Fire, Sonic, Acid, or Lightning. All creatures take the same type of damage. Creatures still take half damage if they make their save.
Priestess: Divine energy, drawn from the World itself, overwhelms the target, who must make a Fortitude save or take 30d6 damage. This damage is pure divine power, rather than a certain type of energy. If the target saves, it takes half damage.
Empress: The target is imprisoned in a cube of force (as Forcecage, except the cube is always a windowless cell with sides of 30 ft.). If other creatures are within the cube the moment it is created, you may choose to move them to the closest point in space outside the cube. In addition, the area within the cube is heavily warded, preventing planar shifting, teleportation, astral and ethereal travel, and summoning spells. The cube disappears after 24 hours, but you can end it early as a standard action.
Emperor: The target must make a Will saving throw or be dominated by you (as the Dominate Monster spell with a caster level equal to your Arcanist level). This is a mind-affecting effect. This effect ends if you cease manifesting the Emperor arcana.
Hierophant: A vision of incredible divine glory presents itself to the target, showing the majesty of the World and the nothingness of each human being in comparison. The target must make a Will saving throw or be blinded, deafened, and panicked for 1 hour. In addition, it has a 50% chance each turn to take no actions. If the target succeeds on its saving throw, it is blinded, deafened, and frightened for 1 minute.
Lovers: The target immediately becomes friendly to you (as Charm Monster with no saving throw and a caster level equal to your Arcanist level). A creature immune to mind-affecting effects is not affected by this. If you appear to be of a race and gender the target is normally attracted to, it views you as its one true love.
Chariot: The forces of fate and time themselves turn against your target, declaring it is to be defeated. You and up to four allies within 60 ft. of you can immediately cast a spell with a casting time of 1 standard action or less, make an attack, or activate a magic item, as long as this action has a direct and negative influence on the target. (Attacking his allies, for example, would not count, but sundering his weapon would)
Strength: A giant transculent hand made of pure force appears next to the target. The hand attacks once per round, right after you take your turn. Treat it as a Crushing Hand (as the spell) except it only disappears when you stop manifesting this card and you use your charisma modifier to calculate its grapple bonus. Your caster level for the hand is equal to your Arcanist level.
Hermit: The target is whisked away to a remote demiplane unless it succeeds on a Will saving throw. The demiplane is a barren plain with no other life than the creature itself, apparently of infinite size. While on the demiplane, the creature doesn't need to eat or drink, and it doesn't age. Whenever the target attempts to leave it by whatever means, it must make another Will saving throw. On a success, the target leaves as normal. On a failure, the target remains on the demiplane and can't leave for the next 24 hours, after which it will have to try again.
Wheel of Fortune: Draw two more cards, but do not manifest them. Choose either card, which takes effect just as if you drew it normally. The two cards are then shuffled back in your deck, and you manifest the Wheel of Fortune card.
Justice: The target must succeed on a Will saving throw or become cursed by this card's magic. Whenever the target deals damage to another creature, it takes an equal amount of damage. If the target deals damage to multiple creatures with a single action (such as casting a Fireball) it takes the damage only once. Damage dealt to the target by this effect can't be reduced or prevented, although it can be healed normally. If the target deals direct harm to creatures without dealing damage (such as ability damage, ability drain, harmful spells, or bullrushing them into dangerous areas) it instead takes 3d6 damage. The curse lasts until removed by a Remove Curse or similar magic.
Hanged Man: The target must make a Will saving throw or be forced into a state of suspended animation as its body floats upwards until it is hanging upside-down 20 ft. above the ground. It is unconscious and helpless. The creature remains suspended as long as you keep manifesting the Hanged Man card. However, if the target takes any damage, it wakes up immediately and falls down. However, it is dazed for 1d4 rounds after waking up, still baffled by the great things it saw while comatose. If the target succeeds on another Will saving throw, it is only dazed for 1 round.
Death: This powerful card can completely annihilate its victim's soul, leaving nothing but an atrophied body. The target must succeed on a Fortitude saving throw or be slain instantly (a Death effect). In addition, there is a 50% chance of the victim's soul being devoured, leaving it unable to be brought back to life by mortal magic.
Temperance: An Antimagic Field becomes centered on the target, moving with it, and remains there for as long as you remain manifesting the Temperance card. In addition, the target must make a Will saving throw or be affected by a Calm Emotions effect (this effect ignores the antimagic field) for as long as you remain manifesting this card.
Fiend: Target unit must make a Will saving throw or have its soul ripped from its body and imprisoned by a powerful fiend. This fiend's strength can range from a Balor or Pit Fiend to an archduke or demon prince. This being will not voluntarily release the soul, although it may be tempted to trade it for something it desires. If a non-evil Arcanist uses this power, he must make a Will saving throw or immediately change his alignment to that of the fiend. If an evil Arcanist uses it, he must make a Will saving throw or take 1d6 points of damage to all ability scores. A non-evil Arcanist can, upon drawing this card, decide not to use it. He still manifests it as normal.
Tower: A terrible storm (Storm of Vengeance) appears, centered on a point 2000 ft. above the target. You do not have to maintain concentration on the storm, and you are immune to its harmful or deliberating effects. If you stop manifesting the Tower card, the storm disappears.
Star: Four small stars appear next to you, then soar towards the target. Each star explodes as if it were a meteor created by the Meteor Swarm spell. If all four meteors hit, you gain 50 temporary hit points.
Moon: A strange madness grips the target's mind. It must succeed on a Will saving throw or become permanently confused (as the Insanity spell). In addition, while it is insane this way, its Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores are reduced by 3d6, to a minimum of 1. This is a mind-affecting effect.
Sun: A ray of unnaturally bright sunlight, infused with positive energy, hits the target. A 100 ft. radius centered on the target is brightly illuminated, with shadowy illumination for another 100 ft. If the target is undead, it is immediately destroyed, leaving nothing behind but a bit of dust. If the target is a living creature, it must make a Fortitude saving throw or be obliterated by the positive energy, its body exploding in a flash of light. On a successful save, it instead takes 8d6 damage and is blinded for 1 minute.
Judgement: Deafening trumpets audible only to you and your victim sound as the World's judgement strikes its target. The target must make a Fortitude saving throw or be struck dead, leaving an otherwise intact corpse. Even on a successful saving throw, it takes 10d6 damage from pure divine energy. Using this ability is not without risk to you, however, and being a conduit for the World's fury is highly dangerous. You must make a Fortitude saving throw or take 15d6 points of damage from pure divine energy. On a successful saving throw, you instead take half damage.
World: For a moment, the World awakens fully from its eternal slumber, focusing its full power on your unfortunate victim. The target is slain instantly and utterly, with no body or soul remaining. However, you must make a Will saving throw or suffer the same fate. Even if you succeed, you take 20d6 damage from pure divine energy and are unconscious for 24 hours. Nothing can prevent this damage or end the unconsciousness early.