mp122984
2007-09-22, 08:22 PM
Hello again. To those who've read my previous work (The Mahou Shoujo (www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3078599#post3078599) and The Otaku (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=3164689)), I welcome you back. Whether you have or you haven't, I invite you to read them now as I've done some work on them (including adding Skill Points per level so that they actually work now. :eek:)
This is my third new advanced class, the Idol. Trying to figure out the mechanics of this class was probably one of the tougher things I've done yet but I hope I've come up with something interesting and balanced. After reading, please feel free to leave your opinions and suggestions; I'd be more than happy to hear them for this or my other advanced classes. Thanks for coming, let's begin.
Prestige Class: The Idol
Beloved and envied by millions, the Idols stand as the superstars of modern Tokyo. Chosen by entertainment masters seeking the next big thing, these rising stars quickly earn massive followings with their catchy tunes. Although critics claim that Idols are little more than manufactured fads with generic warbles, their fans claim to feel the Idol’s emotions in their every song. An Idol’s very presence is capable of whipping her audience into a powerful frenzy. Although an Idol sometimes comes to resent the throngs of devotees he or she trudges on in her career nevertheless, always putting a bit of themselves in their music.
It is this that gives an Idol’s music its power. Unknown to almost everyone (even the Idol herself) the Idol carries with them the supernatural power to influence the minds of those that listen, starting with the very people that chose them to become stars. Although incredibly few understand why, anyone who’s experienced it understands the Idol’s power. Seen by many as glorious, others as lucrative, and some as outright dangerous, the Idols always make their fame and presence shown.
Select this prestige class if you want a music-loving character capable of changing the minds of many with her songs.
The fastest path to this class is from the Charismatic hero basic class, though other paths are possible.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Idol, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Diplomacy 6 Ranks, Perform (Sing) 6 ranks.
Special: Check with your GM to make sure she is using psionics before selecting this advanced. This class may be used even if psionics are not part of the campaign, in which case the psionic effects are treated as spell-like abilities.
Class Information
The following information pertains to the Idol advanced class
Hit Die
The Idol gains 1d6 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.
Action Points
The Idol gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half her character level, rounded down, every time she attains a new level in this class.
Class Skills
The Idol’s class skills are as follows.
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge [Popular Culture] (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform [Act, Keyboards, Sing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments] (Cha), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (None)
Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int Modifier
{table=head]Class Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Defense Bonus | Reputation Bonus
1st | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Idol’s Skill, Idol’s Performance 1/day | +1 |+0
2nd | +1 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Fan’s Devotion | +1 |+0
3rd | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Bonus Feat, Idol’s Performance 2/day. | +1 |+1
4th | +2 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Lovely Lyricist | +1 | +2
5th | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Idol’s Performance 3/day | +2 | +3
6th | +3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | Bonus Feat, Fan’s Devotion | +2 | +3
7th | +3 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Idol’s Performance 4/day | +2 | +4
8th | +4 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Lost in the Music | +3 | +5
9th | +4 | +3 | +5 | +5 | Bonus Feat, Idol’s Performance 5/day | +3 | +6
10th | +5 | +3 | +5 | +5 | Fan’s Devotion | +3 | +6[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the Idol Advanced Class.
Idol’s Skill
An Idol has access to the following Psionic skill. This skill is considered a class skill for the Idol, and she can use her skill points to buy ranks in it, just like other skills in the game.
Concentration (Con): The normal Concentration skill expands to include psionic applications, as defined below.
Check: You must make a Concentration check whenever you may potentially be distracted while engaged in an activity, including manifesting a power or concentrating on an active power, that requires your full attention.
If the check succeeds, you may continue with the action as normal. If the check fails, the action automatically fails and is wasted. If you were in the process of manifesting a power, the power is lost. If you were concentrating on an active power, the power ends. The table in the Concentration skill description summarizes the various types of distractions. In situations where the distraction occurs while you are manifesting a power, you add the level of the power to the DC.
Try Again?: You can try again, but doing so doesn’t cancel the effects of a previous failure. If you lost a power, the power is lost.
Special: By making a check (DC 15 + power level), you can use Concentration to manifest a power defensively, thus avoiding attacks of opportunity. If the check succeeds, you can attempt the action without incurring any attacks of opportunity.
Idol’s Performance
The Idol’s signature ability are her mind-altering songs.
The Idol’s songs have the ability to create effects identical to certain psionic powers, but they do not require power points to use. An Idol can use her songs to emulate these psionic effects even if she is unaware of their true psionic nature. Unlike arcane spellcasters, Idols don’t have spellbooks and they don’t prepare powers ahead of time. In addition, an Idol can use her songs while wearing armor without risking the failure of the power.
An Idol’s songs can only manifest psionic powers that contain the Mind-Affecting descriptor, and such powers have the same level as they do for the Telepath. In addition, an Idol must have a key ability score equal to at least 10 + the power’s level to manifest a particular power. The DC for saving throws to resist a psionic power is 10 + the power’s level + the Idol’s key ability modifier.
In order to manifest a psionic power using her songs, the Idol must perform music for a number of minutes equal to the power’s level (1 minute for 0-level powers), and the result of the Perform check must be equal to or greater than 15 + the power’s level. Manifesting a power in such a way requires the Idol’s full attention. A failed attempt has no effect and does not count against the Idol’s available uses of Idol’s Performance (although at GM‘s discretion, there may be separate effects for having failed the Perform check).
Up to three times per day, an Idol may use her music to manifest an appropriate 0-level psionic power. Doing so does not count against her available uses of Idol’s Performance.
At 1st level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 1st or lower level psionic power once per day.
At 3rd level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 2nd or lower level psionic power up to twice per day.
At 5th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 3rd or lower level psionic power up to three times per day.
At 7th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 4th or lower level psionic power up to four times per day.
At 9th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 5th or lower level psionic power up to five times per day.
Fan's Devotion
At 2nd level, the Idol gains the ability to capture the attention of the audience. Once per day per class level, an idol with 3 or more ranks in a class Perform skill can use his music to cause one or more humanoid creatures to become fascinated with him. Each such creature to be fascinated must be within 50 feet, able to see and hear the Idol, and able to pay attention to him. The Idol must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every two levels an Idol attains beyond 2nd, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.
To use the ability, an Idol performs 1 minute of music and makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the Idol cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits or stands quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the Idol continues to play and concentrate to continue this effect (up to a maximum of 1 minute per Idol level). While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the Idol to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new perform check result.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is a psionic (compulsion), mind-affecting effect.
Starting at 6th level, the Idol may use Idol’s Performance without breaking Fan’s Devotion’s effect. If the attempt to manifest a power using Idol’s Performance fails, the effect of Fan’s Devotion breaks.
At 10th level, any psionic powers manifested using Idol’s Performance may target fascinated creatures in addition to their normal targets.
Bonus Feat
At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Idol gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Idol must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.
Alertness, Charismatic Plus, Creative, Deceptive, Iron Will, Psionic Skills, Renown, Wild Talent, Windfall, Any metapsionic feat.
Lovely Lyricist
The Idol uses her gift for voice and talent for lyrics to soothe troubled spirits. The Idol gets a +4 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and treat Hostile people as unfriendly for the purpose of Diplomacy checks.
Lost in the Music
By 8th level, the Idol’s music takes on a disturbingly addictive quality. The Idol gets a +4 bonus to Concentration checks made when potentially distracted.
In addition, after listening to at least 15 or more continuous minutes of the Idol’s music, a person must make a Will save equal to the Idol’s last Perform check. This applies even if the Idol is not attempting to manifest a psionic effect with their performance. If the person does not understand the language in which the music is being performed, he or she gets a +5 bonus to this check. The Idol and others directly involved in creating the music are immune to this effect. Failure has effects depending on how much the listener failed by. These effects are cumulative.
{table=head]Failed Will Save By… | Effect
5 or more | Listener wants to listen to more of the Idol’s music, and encourages it being played.
10 or more | Listener seeks out new music or merchandise related to the Idol.
15 or more | Listener seeks out the Idol herself, hoping to get as up close as possible.
25 or more | A listener unable to get close to the Idol lashes out, gaining a hostile attitude and becoming destructive and dangerous until he or she sees the Idol or hears more of the Idol’s music.[/table]
An affected listener never does something suicidal or obviously harmful, but might convince himself that something illegal or very dangerous is worth doing.
Recordings of the Idol’s music or music heard through sound systems also carry the same ability. The Perform DC is based on the initial performance, but the playing’s effective DC cannot be higher than 5 + the Idol‘s class level. If hearing both at once, a live, unfiltered performance supersedes a recorded or filtered one.
Lost in the Music is a psionic (compulsion), mind-affecting effect. The Idol cannot suppress, cancel, or otherwise prevent this effect beyond attempts to limit the number and severity of situations in which the ability could manifest (such as by taking breaks between songs, or only performing through radio).
This is my third new advanced class, the Idol. Trying to figure out the mechanics of this class was probably one of the tougher things I've done yet but I hope I've come up with something interesting and balanced. After reading, please feel free to leave your opinions and suggestions; I'd be more than happy to hear them for this or my other advanced classes. Thanks for coming, let's begin.
Prestige Class: The Idol
Beloved and envied by millions, the Idols stand as the superstars of modern Tokyo. Chosen by entertainment masters seeking the next big thing, these rising stars quickly earn massive followings with their catchy tunes. Although critics claim that Idols are little more than manufactured fads with generic warbles, their fans claim to feel the Idol’s emotions in their every song. An Idol’s very presence is capable of whipping her audience into a powerful frenzy. Although an Idol sometimes comes to resent the throngs of devotees he or she trudges on in her career nevertheless, always putting a bit of themselves in their music.
It is this that gives an Idol’s music its power. Unknown to almost everyone (even the Idol herself) the Idol carries with them the supernatural power to influence the minds of those that listen, starting with the very people that chose them to become stars. Although incredibly few understand why, anyone who’s experienced it understands the Idol’s power. Seen by many as glorious, others as lucrative, and some as outright dangerous, the Idols always make their fame and presence shown.
Select this prestige class if you want a music-loving character capable of changing the minds of many with her songs.
The fastest path to this class is from the Charismatic hero basic class, though other paths are possible.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Idol, a character must fulfill the following criteria.
Skills: Diplomacy 6 Ranks, Perform (Sing) 6 ranks.
Special: Check with your GM to make sure she is using psionics before selecting this advanced. This class may be used even if psionics are not part of the campaign, in which case the psionic effects are treated as spell-like abilities.
Class Information
The following information pertains to the Idol advanced class
Hit Die
The Idol gains 1d6 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier applies.
Action Points
The Idol gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half her character level, rounded down, every time she attains a new level in this class.
Class Skills
The Idol’s class skills are as follows.
Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Knowledge [Popular Culture] (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform [Act, Keyboards, Sing, Stringed Instruments, Wind Instruments] (Cha), Profession (Wis), Speak Language (None)
Skill Points at Each Level: 5 + Int Modifier
{table=head]Class Level | BAB | Fort Save | Ref Save | Will Save | Special | Defense Bonus | Reputation Bonus
1st | +0 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Idol’s Skill, Idol’s Performance 1/day | +1 |+0
2nd | +1 | +0 | +1 | +1 | Fan’s Devotion | +1 |+0
3rd | +1 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Bonus Feat, Idol’s Performance 2/day. | +1 |+1
4th | +2 | +1 | +2 | +2 | Lovely Lyricist | +1 | +2
5th | +2 | +1 | +3 | +3 | Idol’s Performance 3/day | +2 | +3
6th | +3 | +2 | +3 | +3 | Bonus Feat, Fan’s Devotion | +2 | +3
7th | +3 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Idol’s Performance 4/day | +2 | +4
8th | +4 | +2 | +4 | +4 | Lost in the Music | +3 | +5
9th | +4 | +3 | +5 | +5 | Bonus Feat, Idol’s Performance 5/day | +3 | +6
10th | +5 | +3 | +5 | +5 | Fan’s Devotion | +3 | +6[/table]
Class Features
All of the following are features of the Idol Advanced Class.
Idol’s Skill
An Idol has access to the following Psionic skill. This skill is considered a class skill for the Idol, and she can use her skill points to buy ranks in it, just like other skills in the game.
Concentration (Con): The normal Concentration skill expands to include psionic applications, as defined below.
Check: You must make a Concentration check whenever you may potentially be distracted while engaged in an activity, including manifesting a power or concentrating on an active power, that requires your full attention.
If the check succeeds, you may continue with the action as normal. If the check fails, the action automatically fails and is wasted. If you were in the process of manifesting a power, the power is lost. If you were concentrating on an active power, the power ends. The table in the Concentration skill description summarizes the various types of distractions. In situations where the distraction occurs while you are manifesting a power, you add the level of the power to the DC.
Try Again?: You can try again, but doing so doesn’t cancel the effects of a previous failure. If you lost a power, the power is lost.
Special: By making a check (DC 15 + power level), you can use Concentration to manifest a power defensively, thus avoiding attacks of opportunity. If the check succeeds, you can attempt the action without incurring any attacks of opportunity.
Idol’s Performance
The Idol’s signature ability are her mind-altering songs.
The Idol’s songs have the ability to create effects identical to certain psionic powers, but they do not require power points to use. An Idol can use her songs to emulate these psionic effects even if she is unaware of their true psionic nature. Unlike arcane spellcasters, Idols don’t have spellbooks and they don’t prepare powers ahead of time. In addition, an Idol can use her songs while wearing armor without risking the failure of the power.
An Idol’s songs can only manifest psionic powers that contain the Mind-Affecting descriptor, and such powers have the same level as they do for the Telepath. In addition, an Idol must have a key ability score equal to at least 10 + the power’s level to manifest a particular power. The DC for saving throws to resist a psionic power is 10 + the power’s level + the Idol’s key ability modifier.
In order to manifest a psionic power using her songs, the Idol must perform music for a number of minutes equal to the power’s level (1 minute for 0-level powers), and the result of the Perform check must be equal to or greater than 15 + the power’s level. Manifesting a power in such a way requires the Idol’s full attention. A failed attempt has no effect and does not count against the Idol’s available uses of Idol’s Performance (although at GM‘s discretion, there may be separate effects for having failed the Perform check).
Up to three times per day, an Idol may use her music to manifest an appropriate 0-level psionic power. Doing so does not count against her available uses of Idol’s Performance.
At 1st level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 1st or lower level psionic power once per day.
At 3rd level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 2nd or lower level psionic power up to twice per day.
At 5th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 3rd or lower level psionic power up to three times per day.
At 7th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 4th or lower level psionic power up to four times per day.
At 9th level, the Idol may manifest an appropriate 5th or lower level psionic power up to five times per day.
Fan's Devotion
At 2nd level, the Idol gains the ability to capture the attention of the audience. Once per day per class level, an idol with 3 or more ranks in a class Perform skill can use his music to cause one or more humanoid creatures to become fascinated with him. Each such creature to be fascinated must be within 50 feet, able to see and hear the Idol, and able to pay attention to him. The Idol must also be able to see the creature. The distraction of a nearby combat or other dangers prevents the ability from working. For every two levels an Idol attains beyond 2nd, he can target one additional creature with a single use of this ability.
To use the ability, an Idol performs 1 minute of music and makes a Perform check. His check result is the DC for each affected creature’s Will save against the effect. If a creature’s saving throw succeeds, the Idol cannot attempt to fascinate that creature again for 24 hours. If its saving throw fails, the creature sits or stands quietly and listens to the song, taking no other actions, for as long as the Idol continues to play and concentrate to continue this effect (up to a maximum of 1 minute per Idol level). While fascinated, a target takes a –4 penalty on skill checks made as reactions, such as Listen and Spot checks. Any potential threat requires the Idol to make another Perform check and allows the creature a new saving throw against a DC equal to the new perform check result.
Any obvious threat, such as someone drawing a weapon, casting a spell, or aiming a ranged weapon at the target, automatically breaks the effect. Fascinate is a psionic (compulsion), mind-affecting effect.
Starting at 6th level, the Idol may use Idol’s Performance without breaking Fan’s Devotion’s effect. If the attempt to manifest a power using Idol’s Performance fails, the effect of Fan’s Devotion breaks.
At 10th level, any psionic powers manifested using Idol’s Performance may target fascinated creatures in addition to their normal targets.
Bonus Feat
At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Idol gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Idol must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.
Alertness, Charismatic Plus, Creative, Deceptive, Iron Will, Psionic Skills, Renown, Wild Talent, Windfall, Any metapsionic feat.
Lovely Lyricist
The Idol uses her gift for voice and talent for lyrics to soothe troubled spirits. The Idol gets a +4 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy checks, and treat Hostile people as unfriendly for the purpose of Diplomacy checks.
Lost in the Music
By 8th level, the Idol’s music takes on a disturbingly addictive quality. The Idol gets a +4 bonus to Concentration checks made when potentially distracted.
In addition, after listening to at least 15 or more continuous minutes of the Idol’s music, a person must make a Will save equal to the Idol’s last Perform check. This applies even if the Idol is not attempting to manifest a psionic effect with their performance. If the person does not understand the language in which the music is being performed, he or she gets a +5 bonus to this check. The Idol and others directly involved in creating the music are immune to this effect. Failure has effects depending on how much the listener failed by. These effects are cumulative.
{table=head]Failed Will Save By… | Effect
5 or more | Listener wants to listen to more of the Idol’s music, and encourages it being played.
10 or more | Listener seeks out new music or merchandise related to the Idol.
15 or more | Listener seeks out the Idol herself, hoping to get as up close as possible.
25 or more | A listener unable to get close to the Idol lashes out, gaining a hostile attitude and becoming destructive and dangerous until he or she sees the Idol or hears more of the Idol’s music.[/table]
An affected listener never does something suicidal or obviously harmful, but might convince himself that something illegal or very dangerous is worth doing.
Recordings of the Idol’s music or music heard through sound systems also carry the same ability. The Perform DC is based on the initial performance, but the playing’s effective DC cannot be higher than 5 + the Idol‘s class level. If hearing both at once, a live, unfiltered performance supersedes a recorded or filtered one.
Lost in the Music is a psionic (compulsion), mind-affecting effect. The Idol cannot suppress, cancel, or otherwise prevent this effect beyond attempts to limit the number and severity of situations in which the ability could manifest (such as by taking breaks between songs, or only performing through radio).