Ravenwalker (A Odin worshiping martial caster PRC for a homebrew campaign)

[Jervis]

I've been working on making some homebrew content for a upcoming homebrew campaign and this was one of the first things to come to mind. Much of the northern region in this setting worships the Norse pantheon in a similar vein to how Mulhurandi has Egyptian gods. This is made to represent wandering preists/skalds of Odin who fight, party, collect knowledge knowledge, recite poetry, make kings, and fell nations all for the hell of it. The "Intended" entry is Bard 1/ Barbarian 2/ Cleric 3 but there are plenty of ways to get in more efficiently, but I'll leave that as a exorcise for any interested reader.

https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/006/283/480/large/max-hugo-unknown-berserker.jpg?1497389687


Ravenwalker

Requirments

Patron: Odin (In your campaign this can be substituted for any warrior god who has no issue with magic, or a god of knowlege with warrior followers.)
Skills: Concentration 8 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 8 ranks, Perform (Poetry) 8 ranks
Feats: Iron Will, Power Attack
Spells: Must be able to cast 2nd level divine spells.
Special: Rage, Bardic Knowledge, and Uncanny Dodge special abilities or similar abilities, such as a Loremaster's Lore ability. Must have completed the Rite of the Azure Eye.

Hit Dice: d10

Class Skills
The following are class skills for a Ravenwalker. Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Handle Animal, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (all), Listen, Preform, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft.

Skill Points: 4 + Int



Level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
Spellcasting


1st
+1
+2
+0
+2
Divine Rage, Bardic Knowledge
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3
Continued Progression
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3
Raven Companion
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


4th
+4
+4
+1
+4
Raging Mettle,
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


5th
+5
+4
+1
+4
Improved Raven Companion
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


6th
+6/+1
+5
+2
+5
DR 2/—
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


7th
+7/+2
+5
+2
+5
Improved Raven Companion
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


8th
+8/+3
+6
+2
+6
Improved Raging Mettle
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


9th
+9/+4
+6
+3
+6
Improved Raven Companion
+1 level of existing spellcasting class


10th
+10/+5
+7
+3
+7
DR 5/—, Limbo of Death
+1 level of existing spellcasting class



Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Raenwalker gains no additional armor or weapon proficiencies.

Spellcasting: I'm not going to bother writing this, it advances any one casting class you had before taking levels in this.

Divine Rage(EX): A Ravenwalker has learned how to walk the line of madness and ecstasy of a berserker rage, flying into a frenzy wile channeling divine inspiration and reciting tales of glory from times past. While raging you gain a bonus to your Wisdom and Charisma scores equal to the bonus to Strength you gain while raging. Additionally, you may continue performing bardic music or cast spells while raging without issue, as well as make perform checks unhindered.

Bardic Knowledge: Your levels in Ravenwalker stack with your levels in other classes that provide Bardic Knowledge or a similar ability for determining your bonus to these checks.

Continued Advancment: At 2nd level each level thereafter, a Ravenwalker's class levels stack with other class levels for several class features. Add your Ravenwalker level to levels of any class that grants Rage or Bardic Music, or similar abilities for determining their effectiveness. For example a Ravenwalker 10/ Barbarian 5/ bard 1 would have the bardic music abilities of a 11th level bard and the rage related abilities of a 15th level barbarian, granting them Greater Rage and 4 uses of Rage a day as well as Inspire competence, suggestion, etc. Additionally you may add these levels in Ravenwalker to your cleric levels for determining your effective level for all cleric related abilities, such as domain powers and your effective turning level.

Raven Companion: At 3rd level a Ravenwalker gains the service of a mystical Raven companion. This functions exactly as a wizard's familiar except as stated here. If your Raven Companion dies you may summon it again at the next dawn. It does not grant you any bonus in Appraise cheks, instead you may choose one knowledge skill or bardic knowledge checks, you receieve a +3 bonus to those checks while within 5 feet of your Raven companion. You may change the knowledge skill check you receive this bonus on by sending your Raven Companion away to gather information for 1 hour, this can be done only once per day. Your effective wizard level for determining the statistics of your Raven companion is equal to your Ravenwalker level plus any levels your have in other spellcasting classes.

At 5th level and beyond your Raven Companion's maximum hit points are equal to 3/4 of your maximum hit points. Additionally, you may choose to have your Raven Companion retrieve knowledge of a language spoken nearby instead of retrieving information. You gain the ability to speak that language until you send your Raven Companion to retrieve information again, but you do not gain any bonus from it on knowledge checks until then either..

At 7th level you may choose two knowledge skill checks or one knowledge skill and your bardic knowledge checks to receive this bonus on. Additionally this bonus increases to +5.

At 9th level you may send your Raven Companion to gather information on a specific question once per day. You phrase one question to it and send it to find the answer to the best of it's abilities. It returns in 10d10 minutes. This can provide information similar to that which could be gathered by the casting of a Divination or Commune spell.

Raging Mettle(EX): At 4th level a Ravenwalker gains the benefits of Mettle (As the Hexblade feature) while raging. At 8th level, he instead gains the benefits of Improved Mettle while raging.

Damage Redution(EX): You gain DR2/- at 6th level, this improves to DR5/- at 10th

Limbo of Death(SU): At 10th level you've learned to walk the fine line between life and death flawlessly. If you die, your body remains in a undecayed state for a number of days equal to your class level as if under the effect of the Gentle Repose spell. During this time you may be revived without any loss in levels, experience points or constitution. Additionally, every day at dawn during this time there is a 10% chance that you revive with 1 hit point.

[Jervis]

Initiate of Odin[/B]
You have discovered the secretes of Odin's followers

Prerequisites: Divine caster level 3rd, Patron Deity Odin

Benefit: You add Preform, Sense Motive, and Survival to your skill list for every class. Every time you gain a level in any class, you gain one rank in any knowledge skill without spending skill points, this cannot increase your ranks in the skill beyond 3 + your character level.

Additionally, add the following spells to your spell list in any one divine spell casting class of your choice at the listed level.

Disguise Self*(1)
Alter Self*(2)
Lightning Lance(4)
Runic Spell**(8)
*Cannot disguise or remove a injury such as a missing eye.
**New Spell


Runic Spell

[B]Transmutation
Level: Cleric 8(Odin)
Components: V,S,M,XP
Casting Time: see text
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous

You enter a death like trance for a number of days to decipher arcane knowledge for your own gain.

To cast this spell, you must select a magic item to sacrifice to learn its knowledge. You perform a ritual draining one spell trigger or spell completion item of it's magic to transfigure one spell contained within into a divine spell. You meditate in a death like state for a number of days equal to the level of the spell you wish to learn, at the end of the ceremony the item drained is rendered non-magical. Thereafter you may prepare the spell as a divine spell 1 level higher than it was normally. You may not learn a spell of a level higher than 7th using this spell.

Material: A spell trigger or spell completion item containing the spell you wish to learn and a sanctified elixir worth the spells level2 x 1000 GP which the spell consumes.

XP: A amount of XP equal to 20 x your caster level

Rite of the Azure Eye

A Ritual performed in secret by the most dedicated followers of Odin. Knowing of the Rite's existence requires a DC 20 Bardic Knowledge or Knowledge (History) check, though that does not reveal how the rite is performed. To gain the benefits of the Ritual, a character must seek out one who has already undergone it and convince the to teach them, usually requiring some exceptional text of bravery and showing a lust for knowledge and adventure.

The rite requires that the one receiving the benefits consume a tincture made of wine and hallucinogenic herbs before spending a night in revelry fighting, hunting, or performing some other task in the name of Odin before gouging out one of their eyes with a spear tip. This injury cannot be healed by mortal magic and provides a permanent -4 to all spot and search checks as well as all ranged attack rolls (Except those made to confirm crits or with the Lightning Lance spell). However, if Odin is impressed by their efforts, they also gain a +2 to all Intimidate, Sense Motive, and Survival checks as well as all Intelligence based skill and ability checks. If Odin is for some reason unpleased, they gain no benefit immediately, but may gain the benefits of this ritual later if they please him. Once granted these benefits will not be revoked.

One who has received the benefits of the Rite may sometimes receive visions of a place or event where they will find glory or knowledge they seek.

[Eurus]

The prerequisites are pretty steep, but advancing spellcasting, rage, and bardic music with full BAB is pretty impressive. It pulls in a lot of directions at once, and getting through the first six levels to qualify here sounds like a rough time, but I think I like it. Bardbarian is an under-supported archetype. :smallbiggrin:

[Jervis]

Thanks. I like the idea of PrCs that combine weird abilities to make you play something outside of what you normally would.