legion cgl
2023-04-24, 01:02 PM
hi there!
this is my first time making a prestige class and i didn't take the easiest task to start with. one of my players wanted a lore accurate elf law prestige class. i came up with this. it's a lot more of a reactionary mechanics build than an action based mechanic build, so i had a rough time trying to make it even functional, let alone balanced. i'd love some criticism and suggestions if you have any.
my main goal was to make a ridiculous glass cannon with a lot of power, but that can be taken out on a technicality or even by accident. let me know what you think!
Squire of the Seelie court
“A broken promise is a broken you”
Laws are what separate men from beasts. They are the backbone of civilization. But none are more complex and unforgiving than the laws of the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Many profess to be bound by their word, but to the færies, this is no mere metaphor.
Squires of the Seelie court are beings in the favour of the courts of Elfhame or færies themselves who have brought the laws of their fantastical realm with them, affecting those they interact with on other planes. They hold people to their word and pay their debts. They seldom accept discourteous behaviour and uphold the traditions of guest’s privilege, honesty, and many more. Their contracts are binding, their curses are vicious, and, if you’re not careful, they can hold terrible power over your head.
The protection of the færies is great, but easily lost. Just as a bright summer day can suddenly turn to rain and lightning, so can the old laws turn upon their wielder, creating catastrophic situations. As with all others, this færie gift is a two sided coin.
Requirements:
Race/class: elf, half-elf, gnome, Fey race, fey descendant, or fey pact warlock
Skills: 8 ranks in Knowledge (nobility), 8 ranks in knowledge (local), 4 ranks in knowledge (planes), 4 ranks in sense motive, 4 ranks in bluff
language: sylvan
Abilities: Charisma score of 15 or more, and an intelligence score of 12 or more
Feats: negotiator
Special: fey descendants, sylvan races and sylvan descendants must have travelled to the feywild and have been of service or aid to an archfey or prominent fey, granting them favour and admission to their coterie. fey pact warlocks and fey races except the jaebrin are exempt from this requirement, fey races already emerging from the feywild and fey pact warlocks already being in service to an archfey.
features:
Hit die: d4
Class skills:
appraise, bluff, decipher script, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, knowledge (history), knowledge (local), knowledge (nobility), knowledge (plains), profession, sense motive
Skill points each level: 4 + int
Weapon and armour proficiency: Squires of the Seelie court gain no proficiency with any weapon or armour
Færie nature:
Squires of the seelie court receive a number of bonuses due to their færie nature or their proximity to it. If a character already possesses any of these boons, the powers granted by the prestige class do not stack. Use the highest of the two.
Faerie nature: DR/cold iron and silver equal to 1/2HD
Boon of the fair folk: spell resistance equal to 10+HD
Tongues of man: Squires of the seelie court lose literacy in all humanoid scripts.
OCD: Whenever seeing spilled salt or a broom, a squire of the seelie court must sit down and count the grains of salt or bristles of the broom, causing them to be occupied for 5d10 rounds. During this time, they are considered flatfooted and they lose their movement, action and bonus actions.
Lucky wards: All abilities of the squire of the seelie court do not function if its target is either wearing, emblazoned with or made of oak, rowan, blackthorn, four leaf clovers, or bread or wearing an item of clothing inside out.
Politeness: A squire of the seelie court must be invited into a home or business by the owner of the premises or a representative of the owner.
GuestÂ’s duty: A squire of the seelie court is not permitted to cause harm, ruckus or dishonour in a hostÂ’s home or business and must at least attempt to impede anything or anyone that might. However, if the host becomes discourteous, the squire of the seelie court is not held to this requirement anymore.
Wrong way: A squire of the seelie court who walks “widdershins” (counter-clockwise) in a full circle loses the abilities of this prestige class until they make a full circle “deasil” (clockwise)
Glamour:
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
Special: all effects granted by glamour cease to function in twilight, as if affected by an antimagic field.
Sly form: (sla) at 1st level, a squire of the seelie court can cast disguise self 1/day and once more every 3HD after
TricksterÂ’s boon: (sla) at 3rd level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Invisibility 1/day and once more every 3HD after, but they can only target themself
Otherworldly: (sla) at 5th level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Veil 1/day and once more every 3HD after, but they can only target themself
TricksterÂ’s favour: (sla) at 7th level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Greater invisibility 1/day and once more every 3 HD after, but they can only target themself
Betwixt worlds: (su) at 9th level, a squire of the seelie court is under a constant blink effect, but they can choose not to be if they so wish.
GuestÂ’s privilege:
When a guest causes or allows harm, ruckus or dishonour to fall upon the guests or host of a household they are invited to, they are considered a scurrilous guest. A squire of the seelie court who becomes a scurrilous guest loses all benefits of this prestige class until they perform reparations.
The same applies to hosts of the household to be affected by the guestÂ’s privilege abilities.
Someone may become a scurrilous guest when performing these actions unprovoked:
When they ruin the general mood of a party or gathering (open to interpretation)
Act impolitely (as defined by faerie law, not necessarily human etiquette)
Allowing harm, ruckus or dishonour to fall upon the guest or host of the household they are invited to.
Hospitality rules:
Hosts must be courteous towards their guests and vice versa
Guests are expected to defend host and home and vice versa
Cannot enter a home uninvited
Additionally, faerie etiquette prohibits certain actions, deeming them discourteous, such as:
Refusing a gift or service without good reason
Gifting a poor quality gift (judging on the means of the gifter of course)
Lying (although omission is not considered lying)
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
Smite the unworthy: (su) at 1st level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a place of business, a squire of the seelie court gains smite the unworthy, allowing them to add their charisma modifier to an attack roll and dealing 1 extra point of damage per squire of the seelie court level. A squire of the seelie court may only smite a scurrilous guest or host.
Rightful weapon: (sla) at 2nd level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may enchant their weapon with magic weapon as the 1st level wizard spell.
Protected by law: (sla) at 3rd level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may conjure a mage armour as the 1st level wizard spell.
Peace of the polite: (sla) at 4th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, at the beginning of combat, a squire of the seelie court may cast sanctuary upon themself as the 1st level cleric spell.
Teach a lesson: (sla) at 6th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast bane upon the aggressor as the 1st level cleric spell.
Judge the discourteous: (sla) at 8th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast enervation upon the aggressor as the 4th level wizard spell
Curse the scurrilous: (sla) at 10th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast dictum upon the aggressor as the 7th level cleric spell.
Words of truth
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
If a squire of the seelie court explicitly lies, they lose the benefits of this prestige class until reparations are made. (omission is not lying for the purposes of this ability)
A person who tells a squire of the seelie court “you’re welcome” implies the squire of the seelie court is welcome to helping themself to all manner of possessions and actions, thus not incurring debt or acting discourteously.
Thrice asked: (sla) at 1st level, 1/day and an once more every 3 HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast a zone of truth as the 2nd level cleric spell by asking a question three times (the question must be answered between each asking, but there is no limit of time between the questions. The same question may be asked years appart, but the third time it is asked, this ability applies)
Voice of the forest: (sla) at 1st level, 1/day and once more every HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast speak with animals as the 1st level druid spell
Hear the unheard: (sla) at 3rd level, 1/day and once more every HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast speak with plants as the 3rd level druid spell
Curse the oathbreaker: (sla) at 5th level, 1/day, a squire of the seelie court may bestow curse as the 3rd level cleric spell upon someone who broke a promise made towards them.
Debt unfulfilled: (sla) at 7th level, 1/day, a squire of the seelie court may cast a lesser gease upon a person indebted to them. Debt may be incurred in many ways such as:
Saying iÂ’m sorry, implying fault and thus incurring debt
Accepting a gift
Saying thank you, implying debt
Borrowing something
Stealing something
The lesser geaseÂ’s command may only be used as a means to repay the debt and only if the debtor refuses to pay back their debt.
True name: (sla) at 9th level, 1/day and once per person, a squire of the seelie court may cast a gease/quest spell upon someone they know the full and true name of.
Debtors bane: (sla) at 10th level, the lesser gease of the {debt ability} is improved to gease/quest.
Class table:
level Base attack bonus Fortitude save Reflex save Will save special
1st +0 +0 +0 +0 - Faerie nature
- Boon of the fair folk
- Tongues of man
- Ocd
- Lucky wards
- Politeness
- GuestÂ’s duty
- Wrong way
- Sly form 1/day
- smite the unworthy
- thrice asked 1/day
- voice of the forest 1/day
2nd +1 +0 +0 +0 - rightful weapon
- voice of the forest 2/day
3rd +1 +1 +1 +1 - TricksterÂ’s boon 1/day
- protected by law
- hear the unheard 1/day
- voice of the forest 3/day
4th +2 +1 +1 +1 - peace of the polite
- sly form 2/day
- thrice asked 2/day
- voice of the forest 4/day
- hear the unheard 2/day
5th +2 +1 +1 +1 - otherworldly 1/day
- curse the oathbreaker 1/day
- voice of the forest 5/day
- hear the unheard 3/day
6th +3 +2 +2 +2 - teach a lesson
- tricksterÂ’s boon 2/day
- voice of the forest 6/day
- hear the unheard 4/day
7th +3 +2 +2 +2 - tricksterÂ’s favour 1/day
- debt unfulfilled 1/day
- sly form 3/day
- thrice asked 3/day
- voice of the forest 7/day
- hear the unheard 5/day
8th +4 +2 +2 +2 - judge the discourteous
- otherworldly 2/day
- voice of the forest 8/day
- hear the unheard 6/day
9th +4 +3 +3 +3 - betwixt worlds
- true name 1/day
- tricksterÂ’s boon 3/day
- voice of the forest 9/day
- hear the unheard 7/day
10th +5 +3 +3 +3 - curse the scurrilous
- debtorÂ’s bane
- sly form 4/day
- tricksterÂ’s favour 2/day
- thrice asked 4/day
- voice of the forest 10/day
- hear the unheard 8/day
this is my first time making a prestige class and i didn't take the easiest task to start with. one of my players wanted a lore accurate elf law prestige class. i came up with this. it's a lot more of a reactionary mechanics build than an action based mechanic build, so i had a rough time trying to make it even functional, let alone balanced. i'd love some criticism and suggestions if you have any.
my main goal was to make a ridiculous glass cannon with a lot of power, but that can be taken out on a technicality or even by accident. let me know what you think!
Squire of the Seelie court
“A broken promise is a broken you”
Laws are what separate men from beasts. They are the backbone of civilization. But none are more complex and unforgiving than the laws of the Seelie and Unseelie courts. Many profess to be bound by their word, but to the færies, this is no mere metaphor.
Squires of the Seelie court are beings in the favour of the courts of Elfhame or færies themselves who have brought the laws of their fantastical realm with them, affecting those they interact with on other planes. They hold people to their word and pay their debts. They seldom accept discourteous behaviour and uphold the traditions of guest’s privilege, honesty, and many more. Their contracts are binding, their curses are vicious, and, if you’re not careful, they can hold terrible power over your head.
The protection of the færies is great, but easily lost. Just as a bright summer day can suddenly turn to rain and lightning, so can the old laws turn upon their wielder, creating catastrophic situations. As with all others, this færie gift is a two sided coin.
Requirements:
Race/class: elf, half-elf, gnome, Fey race, fey descendant, or fey pact warlock
Skills: 8 ranks in Knowledge (nobility), 8 ranks in knowledge (local), 4 ranks in knowledge (planes), 4 ranks in sense motive, 4 ranks in bluff
language: sylvan
Abilities: Charisma score of 15 or more, and an intelligence score of 12 or more
Feats: negotiator
Special: fey descendants, sylvan races and sylvan descendants must have travelled to the feywild and have been of service or aid to an archfey or prominent fey, granting them favour and admission to their coterie. fey pact warlocks and fey races except the jaebrin are exempt from this requirement, fey races already emerging from the feywild and fey pact warlocks already being in service to an archfey.
features:
Hit die: d4
Class skills:
appraise, bluff, decipher script, diplomacy, gather information, handle animal, knowledge (history), knowledge (local), knowledge (nobility), knowledge (plains), profession, sense motive
Skill points each level: 4 + int
Weapon and armour proficiency: Squires of the Seelie court gain no proficiency with any weapon or armour
Færie nature:
Squires of the seelie court receive a number of bonuses due to their færie nature or their proximity to it. If a character already possesses any of these boons, the powers granted by the prestige class do not stack. Use the highest of the two.
Faerie nature: DR/cold iron and silver equal to 1/2HD
Boon of the fair folk: spell resistance equal to 10+HD
Tongues of man: Squires of the seelie court lose literacy in all humanoid scripts.
OCD: Whenever seeing spilled salt or a broom, a squire of the seelie court must sit down and count the grains of salt or bristles of the broom, causing them to be occupied for 5d10 rounds. During this time, they are considered flatfooted and they lose their movement, action and bonus actions.
Lucky wards: All abilities of the squire of the seelie court do not function if its target is either wearing, emblazoned with or made of oak, rowan, blackthorn, four leaf clovers, or bread or wearing an item of clothing inside out.
Politeness: A squire of the seelie court must be invited into a home or business by the owner of the premises or a representative of the owner.
GuestÂ’s duty: A squire of the seelie court is not permitted to cause harm, ruckus or dishonour in a hostÂ’s home or business and must at least attempt to impede anything or anyone that might. However, if the host becomes discourteous, the squire of the seelie court is not held to this requirement anymore.
Wrong way: A squire of the seelie court who walks “widdershins” (counter-clockwise) in a full circle loses the abilities of this prestige class until they make a full circle “deasil” (clockwise)
Glamour:
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
Special: all effects granted by glamour cease to function in twilight, as if affected by an antimagic field.
Sly form: (sla) at 1st level, a squire of the seelie court can cast disguise self 1/day and once more every 3HD after
TricksterÂ’s boon: (sla) at 3rd level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Invisibility 1/day and once more every 3HD after, but they can only target themself
Otherworldly: (sla) at 5th level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Veil 1/day and once more every 3HD after, but they can only target themself
TricksterÂ’s favour: (sla) at 7th level, a squire of the seelie court can cast Greater invisibility 1/day and once more every 3 HD after, but they can only target themself
Betwixt worlds: (su) at 9th level, a squire of the seelie court is under a constant blink effect, but they can choose not to be if they so wish.
GuestÂ’s privilege:
When a guest causes or allows harm, ruckus or dishonour to fall upon the guests or host of a household they are invited to, they are considered a scurrilous guest. A squire of the seelie court who becomes a scurrilous guest loses all benefits of this prestige class until they perform reparations.
The same applies to hosts of the household to be affected by the guestÂ’s privilege abilities.
Someone may become a scurrilous guest when performing these actions unprovoked:
When they ruin the general mood of a party or gathering (open to interpretation)
Act impolitely (as defined by faerie law, not necessarily human etiquette)
Allowing harm, ruckus or dishonour to fall upon the guest or host of the household they are invited to.
Hospitality rules:
Hosts must be courteous towards their guests and vice versa
Guests are expected to defend host and home and vice versa
Cannot enter a home uninvited
Additionally, faerie etiquette prohibits certain actions, deeming them discourteous, such as:
Refusing a gift or service without good reason
Gifting a poor quality gift (judging on the means of the gifter of course)
Lying (although omission is not considered lying)
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
Smite the unworthy: (su) at 1st level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a place of business, a squire of the seelie court gains smite the unworthy, allowing them to add their charisma modifier to an attack roll and dealing 1 extra point of damage per squire of the seelie court level. A squire of the seelie court may only smite a scurrilous guest or host.
Rightful weapon: (sla) at 2nd level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may enchant their weapon with magic weapon as the 1st level wizard spell.
Protected by law: (sla) at 3rd level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may conjure a mage armour as the 1st level wizard spell.
Peace of the polite: (sla) at 4th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, at the beginning of combat, a squire of the seelie court may cast sanctuary upon themself as the 1st level cleric spell.
Teach a lesson: (sla) at 6th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast bane upon the aggressor as the 1st level cleric spell.
Judge the discourteous: (sla) at 8th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast enervation upon the aggressor as the 4th level wizard spell
Curse the scurrilous: (sla) at 10th level, once per combat when they are a guest or host in a home or place of business, a squire of the seelie court may cast dictum upon the aggressor as the 7th level cleric spell.
Words of truth
All ability save DCs are equal to 10 + 1/2HD + cha mod. CL is equal to squire of the seelie court levels + other caster levels.
If a squire of the seelie court explicitly lies, they lose the benefits of this prestige class until reparations are made. (omission is not lying for the purposes of this ability)
A person who tells a squire of the seelie court “you’re welcome” implies the squire of the seelie court is welcome to helping themself to all manner of possessions and actions, thus not incurring debt or acting discourteously.
Thrice asked: (sla) at 1st level, 1/day and an once more every 3 HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast a zone of truth as the 2nd level cleric spell by asking a question three times (the question must be answered between each asking, but there is no limit of time between the questions. The same question may be asked years appart, but the third time it is asked, this ability applies)
Voice of the forest: (sla) at 1st level, 1/day and once more every HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast speak with animals as the 1st level druid spell
Hear the unheard: (sla) at 3rd level, 1/day and once more every HD after, a squire of the seelie court may cast speak with plants as the 3rd level druid spell
Curse the oathbreaker: (sla) at 5th level, 1/day, a squire of the seelie court may bestow curse as the 3rd level cleric spell upon someone who broke a promise made towards them.
Debt unfulfilled: (sla) at 7th level, 1/day, a squire of the seelie court may cast a lesser gease upon a person indebted to them. Debt may be incurred in many ways such as:
Saying iÂ’m sorry, implying fault and thus incurring debt
Accepting a gift
Saying thank you, implying debt
Borrowing something
Stealing something
The lesser geaseÂ’s command may only be used as a means to repay the debt and only if the debtor refuses to pay back their debt.
True name: (sla) at 9th level, 1/day and once per person, a squire of the seelie court may cast a gease/quest spell upon someone they know the full and true name of.
Debtors bane: (sla) at 10th level, the lesser gease of the {debt ability} is improved to gease/quest.
Class table:
level Base attack bonus Fortitude save Reflex save Will save special
1st +0 +0 +0 +0 - Faerie nature
- Boon of the fair folk
- Tongues of man
- Ocd
- Lucky wards
- Politeness
- GuestÂ’s duty
- Wrong way
- Sly form 1/day
- smite the unworthy
- thrice asked 1/day
- voice of the forest 1/day
2nd +1 +0 +0 +0 - rightful weapon
- voice of the forest 2/day
3rd +1 +1 +1 +1 - TricksterÂ’s boon 1/day
- protected by law
- hear the unheard 1/day
- voice of the forest 3/day
4th +2 +1 +1 +1 - peace of the polite
- sly form 2/day
- thrice asked 2/day
- voice of the forest 4/day
- hear the unheard 2/day
5th +2 +1 +1 +1 - otherworldly 1/day
- curse the oathbreaker 1/day
- voice of the forest 5/day
- hear the unheard 3/day
6th +3 +2 +2 +2 - teach a lesson
- tricksterÂ’s boon 2/day
- voice of the forest 6/day
- hear the unheard 4/day
7th +3 +2 +2 +2 - tricksterÂ’s favour 1/day
- debt unfulfilled 1/day
- sly form 3/day
- thrice asked 3/day
- voice of the forest 7/day
- hear the unheard 5/day
8th +4 +2 +2 +2 - judge the discourteous
- otherworldly 2/day
- voice of the forest 8/day
- hear the unheard 6/day
9th +4 +3 +3 +3 - betwixt worlds
- true name 1/day
- tricksterÂ’s boon 3/day
- voice of the forest 9/day
- hear the unheard 7/day
10th +5 +3 +3 +3 - curse the scurrilous
- debtorÂ’s bane
- sly form 4/day
- tricksterÂ’s favour 2/day
- thrice asked 4/day
- voice of the forest 10/day
- hear the unheard 8/day