The Harbinger [Base Class, PEACH]

[Kellus]

The Harbinger

”I have found power in the mysteries of thought,
Exultation in the changing of the Muses;
I have been versed in the reasonings of men;
But Fate is stronger than anything I have known.”

http://fc05.deviantart.com/fs19/f/2008/010/8/4/8410e3ab3f44ef80.jpg

Harbingers walk halfway between the living and the dead, the past and the future. With one foot among the living and one among those who have moved on, harbingers can perceive mysteries hidden to most eyes. The shadows whisper to them, and dark secrets reveal themselves so the harbinger might make use of them. These tormented souls are born of tragedy and misery, and spread naught but gloom. They can see the spools of fate, and have the cursed gift of trading life for a bit more thread.

Adventures: Harbingers spread tidings of things to come and memories of things past. They are received wherever they go, but leave no joy behind them as they leave. A harbinger can adventure for much the same reasons as anyone else, but many seek to discover more of the mysteries of life and see their own destiny unfold.

Alignment: Most harbingers are nongood. They walk a fine line between evil and madness, and are generally forced to do terrible things to maintain their connection with darkness. There have, however, been good-aligned tortured souls who have taken up the role of harbinger after some terrible cataclysm, either to preserve the memories of those lost or to ensure that such an event never happens again.

Religion: Harbingers worship no specific deity. Many revere gods of fate, death, or tragedy.

Background: Anybody who chooses to become such a wanderer of woe has generally participated in or witnessed some terrible event that incited them to give up their old life in favour of a mournful and frightening vocation.

Other Classes: All classes can get along with a harbinger. Paladins and other good-aligned characters may be uncomfortable with the dark nature of a harbinger’s abilities, but anyone can appreciate the nature of a harbinger’s service and her control over the threads of fate.

Role: In a party of adventurers, a harbinger fills much the same role as a bard: that of a generalist, support character, and party ‘face’. Harbingers can invoke omens and portents to reweave fate to aid party members, and also posess shadow magic that gives them powerfu abilities of their own.

Game Rule Information

Alignment: Any.

Hit Die: d8.

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Skills: The harbinger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Cha), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Speak Language (n/a), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Survival (Wis).

Table: The Harbinger
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+2|
+2|Ominous sacrifice, weave fate (martial shadows)

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+3|
+3|Whispers

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+3|
+3|–

4th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|Weave fate (memories)

5th|
+2|
+1|
+4|
+4|–

6th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|Trade destiny 1/day

7th|
+3|
+2|
+5|
+5|Weave fate (life and death)

8th|
+4|
+2|
+6|
+6|Mournful presence

9th|
+4|
+3|
+6|
+6|–

10th|
+5|
+3|
+7|
+7|Weave fate (irresistable force)

11th|
+5|
+3|
+7|
+7|–

12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+8|
+8|Trade destiny 2/day

13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+8|
+8|Weave fate (forgotten echoes)

14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+9|
+9|Instinctive weave

15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+9|
+9|–

16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+10|
+10|Weave fate (grasping shadows)

17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+10|
+10|–

18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Trade destiny 3/day

19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+11|
+11|Weave fate (subtle hand)

20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+12|
+12|Dark intervention

[/table]

All of the following are class features of the harbinger.

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A harbinger is proficient with light armour and simple weapons, as well one martial weapon of her choice. The harbinger is not proficient with shields of any kind.

Mysteries: Every night at midnight, a harbinger selects the secrets that the shadows of fate shall reveal to her on the following day. A harbinger does not require any specal rest to have her daily mysteries revealed to her.

Every day a harbinger may prepare mysteries to use. Based on her level of achievement, she may prepare ever more powerful mysteries, as shown on the following chart.

Table: Harbinger Mysteries by Level
{table=head]Harbinger Level|Maximum Mystery Level
1-2|Fundamentals, 1st
3-4|2nd
5-6|3rd
7-8|4th
9-10|5th
11-12|6th
13-14|7th
15-16|8th
17-20|9th[/table]

A harbinger may select one mystery from each level available to her every day. Unlike a shadowcaster who must discover her mysteries through training and perseverence, mysteries reveal themselves to a harbinger who has eyes to see them and ears to hear them. Thusly, a harbinger does not need to select her daily mysteries from the same paths; she may choose each mystery of each level from any path she likes. Every mystery she prepares may be used twice per day as a supernatural ability. A harbinger may use a higher-level mystery to cast a lower-level mystery that she has prepared on the same day.

A saving throw made against a mystery cast by a harbinger has a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the harbinger’s class level + the harbinger’s Wisdom modifier.

Ominous Sacrifice (Su): In a dark ritual, a harbinger can trade life for some influence over fate. This ritual is performed on a living creature adjacent to the harbinger, which must have 0 hp or less for the duration of the ritual. Most harbingers prefer to restrain their victims as well. This ritual requires a full minute of work.

After the ritual is performed, the victim is killed, and the harbinger gains a number of portent points equal to her class level + her Wisdom modifier. A harbinger may only benefit from one sacrifice at a time. If she sacrifices another creature before she runs out of portent points, she loses all previous points that were not spent.

As the harbinger becomes more powerful, more powerful sacrifices are needed to maintain some control over destiny. To gain the benefit of this ability, the harbinger must sacrifice a creature with Hit Dice equal to at least 1/4 her class level.

Weave Fate (Su): As a harbinger gains experience, she may apply her portent points to change certain threads of fate. Spending portent points is an immediate action. A harbinger may only spend a certain number of portent points on any one effect, as shown on the following chart.

Table: Maximum Portent Points Spent by Level
{table=head]Harbinger Level|Max Portent Spent
1-4|2
5-8|4
9-12|6
13-16|8
17-20|10[/table]

The following abilities may be used with Weave Fate.

Martial Shadows: Beginning at 1st level, a harbinger may spend portent points to improve an attack or damage roll made against a target within line of sight of her. This requires a number of portent points equal to the improvement applied.

Memories: Beginning at 4th level, a harbinger may spend portent points to draw upon the memories of those departed, granting raw skill and talent to any target within line of sight of her. For every portent point she spends in this way, the target receives a +2 competence bonus on the next skill check they make within the following round.

Life and Death: Beginning at 7th level, a harbinger holds the power to give life and to take it away. By spending one portent point, the harbinger may see the result of any stabilization check made within line of sight of her. By spending an additional point, the harbinger may force it to be rerolled. She may continue to spend portent points to force a reroll until she is satisfied with the result, she runs out of portent points, or she reaches the limit of portent poitns she may spend based on Table: Maximum Portent Points by Level, above.

Irresistable Force: Beginning at 10th level, a harbinger may destine a strike to succeed. She may spend 2 portent points to increase the DC of any saving throw made within line of sight of her by 1.

Forgotten Echoes: Beginning at 13th level, a harbinger may reach into the depths of fate and pluck out a possibility that might have been. By spending 6 portent points, she may allow any being within line of sight to reroll a d20 roll. She may choose to use this ability after the roll is deemed a success or failure, but before the exact consequences of the roll are known.

Grasping Shadows: Beginning at 16th level, a harbinger may use her grasping shadows to snag a target that tries to elude fate. She may spend 3 portent points whenever she uses her Irresistable Force class feature to increase the DC of a saving throw by at least +1. This additional twist of fate deprives the target of the following abilities for the purposes of this saving throw: evasion, mettle, improved evasion, and improved mettle.

Subtle Hand: Beginning at 19th level, a harbinger may manipulate fate so deftly that destiny doesn’t even realize that it’s been cheated. By spending 10 portent points, she may adjust any d20 roll made on the table by one side. That is, she may nudge the die to show any side of her choice adjacent to the side which originally ended up on the top. The harbinger may decide to use this ability after she knows whether the roll is a success or not. If this die is adjusted to show a 20, it is not treated as a natural 20.

Whispers (Su): The harbinger is surrounded by the shadows and imprints of those departed. These shadows are always whispering secrets and lore to her. Beginning at 2nd level, a harbinger may make a Listen check in place of any kind of Knowledge check, but the DC for the check is increased by 5.

Trade Destiny (Su): Beginning at 6th level, a harbinger may exchange the future shadows of her own fate for the fates of the here and now. As a full-round action that provokes attacks of opportunity, the harbinger may allow any ally within line of sight of her to take a result of a natural 20 on a d20 roll made within the following round. Sometime in the next 24 hours, the harbinger receives an arbitrary result of a natural 1 on any d20 roll of the DM’s choosing. At 6th level, the harbinger may use this ability once per day. She gains another daily use of this ability at 12th level and 18th level.

While the 20 granted by this ability is counted as if it had been rolled naturally for the purposes of attack rolls, saving throws, and the like, it does not activate vorpal or similar weapons.

Mournful Presence (Su): Beginning at 8th level, a harbinger is constantly surrounded by an aura of melancholy. All beings within 5ft./level of the harbinger must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 the harbinger’s level + the harbinger’s Wisdom modifier) or be fatigued so long as they remain within the area of the presence. If a creature succeeds on its saving throw, it becomes immune to the presence for 24 hours. Dragons and other beings immune to Frightful Presence are similarly immune to a Mournful Presence. A harbinger may suppress or restart this ability as a swift action.

Instinctive Weave (Su): Beginning at 14th level, a harbinger does not require an immediate action to spend portent points. At this point it happens so instinctually that the harbinger does not require any action at all to make minor adjustments to the shadows of destiny.

Dark Intervention (Su): At 20th level, a harbinger has reached the height of her shadowy strength. She gains the talent neccessary to perform her final sacrifice. This final art can bring about the ruin of the gods themselves, but at a grievous price. This sacrifice requires a full minute of activity, and targets any being of divine rank 16 or greater on the same plane as the harbinger. Upon completion, the harbinger dies. So long as the harbinger remains dead, the deity loses access to its Always Maximize Roll ability.

[Kellus]

Hurr... No comments? :smallfrown:

[Mee]

It actually sound really cool, the only problem I could see is this,
Irresistable Force: Beginning at 10th level, a harbinger may destine a strike to succeed.
Does that mean that every swing will hit? Or is there a limit?

[Kellus]

If you keep reading the ability is explained further.


Irresistable Force: Beginning at 10th level, a harbinger may destine a strike to succeed. She may spend 2 portent points to increase the DC of any saving throw made within line of sight of her by 1.

The ability just lets the harbinger debuff a saving throw.

[Caracol]

Strange concept, a little too sad, in my opinion.
Now for the suggestions.
reduce the class skills. they're too much.
I don't know what those misteries are, you're taking it from an expansion or are stuff you made?
Ominous sacrifice and Weave Fate are good in concept and realization.
Whispers is a really nice concept, but add a DC in Listen or something similar to comprehend what the shadows are saying.
Trade destiny: too powerful. Just think about an ally with a vorpal weapon. Add a %chance for this ability to work and raise the chances with the level.
Mornful presence: what? have I understanded it well? and what about the allies? just remove it, or otherwise no one would go in party with this guy.
Dark Intervention: nice concept, but as a final ability for a class its chances are too low to be used. Leave it, but add something else too.

[Kellus]

Strange concept, a little too sad, in my opinion.
Now for the suggestions.

Rather the idea.


reduce the class skills. they're too much.

6 + Int? It's the same amount that a bard gets, and the harbinger has access to the charisma skills neccessary to play a party face anyhow. In addition, there's no real reason for her to invest in Intelligence to increase skill points like a conventional shadowcaster.


I don't know what those misteries are, you're taking it from an expansion or are stuff you made?

Mysteries are the equivalent of spells from Shadow Magic in the Tome of Magic. A really cool book with a really poor execution.


Ominous sacrifice and Weave Fate are good in concept and realization.

Super.


Whispers is a really nice concept, but add a DC in Listen or something similar to comprehend what the shadows are saying.

That... would already be there with the whole "make a Listen check in place of any kind of Knowledge check, but the DC for the check is increased by 5" thing.


Trade destiny: too powerful. Just think about an ally with a vorpal weapon. Add a %chance for this ability to work and raise the chances with the level.

Yes, Trade Destiny is extraordinarily powerful. It's also extraordinarily dangerous, since the DM can pick any d20 roll you make in the next 24 hours and treat it as a natural 1. That means an automatic fail on any saving throw the DM wants, to go with the most obvious application.


Mornful presence: what? have I understanded it well? and what about the allies? just remove it, or otherwise no one would go in party with this guy.

I like the ability, but I'll probably give them the ability to suppress it or restart it as a swift action. I think I intended to do that to start with, but forgot to write it down. :smallannoyed:


Dark Intervention: nice concept, but as a final ability for a class its chances are too low to be used. Leave it, but add something else too.

Basically, by that point, the harbinger has everything they need to do well in a party. The capstone is intended as the last unique ability the class gets before epic levels, and (in my mind) really personifies the class. You can sacrifice your own life to take away a god's ability to manipulate destiny.

[Mee]

If you keep reading the ability is explained further.



The ability just lets the harbinger debuff a saving throw.

What I thought it meant was that any attack rolls would hit, that's why I left out the last bit. :smalltongue:

Sorry.:smallsmile:

[Caracol]

6 + Int? It's the same amount that a bard gets, and the harbinger has access to the charisma skills neccessary to play a party face anyhow. In addition, there's no real reason for her to invest in Intelligence to increase skill points like a conventional shadowcaster.

I wasn't referring to the skill points, but to the class skills.



Mysteries are the equivalent of spells from Shadow Magic in the Tome of Magic. A really cool book with a really poor execution.

So this is a spell caster with a lot of good other abilities? Then defenately lower the HD and the skill points.



Yes, Trade Destiny is extraordinarily powerful. It's also extraordinarily dangerous, since the DM can pick any d20 roll you make in the next 24 hours and treat it as a natural 1. That means an automatic fail on any saving throw the DM wants, to go with the most obvious application.

It still doesn't convince me. What if you use it as your last action in a combat, and then you don't do anything in the following 24 hours? You basically trick the DM, since you can make your party go natural 20 and don't even take ther responsabilities for this if you don't do anything particulary dangerous for 24 hours.



I like the ability, but I'll probably give them the ability to suppress it or restart it as a swift action. I think I intended to do that to start with, but forgot to write it down. :smallannoyed:

That's better.



Basically, by that point, the harbinger has everything they need to do well in a party. The capstone is intended as the last unique ability the class gets before epic levels, and (in my mind) really personifies the class. You can sacrifice your own life to take away a god's ability to manipulate destiny.

As I said, the idea is really cool, but...
I see very little occasion for this to be used. Also, if you can use it and simply be raised later, you can defenately destroy a DEITY ar a mere level of 20.
And if you can't be raised later, I don' t really see why a player would do that.

[Kellus]

I wasn't referring to the skill points, but to the class skills.

So you don't have a problem with being able to learn tons of skills, just the particular skills available? There aren't any really dangerous ones in there like Use Magic Device; it's basically the bard skill list with a few changes.


So this is a spell caster with a lot of good other abilities? Then defenately lower the HD and the skill points.

Okay, I know you haven't read Tome of Magic, so I'll give you a quick synopsis: mysteries are like spells, but generally weaker for their level. A shadowcaster, the base class, gets 1 mystery/level, and can cast it eventually up to 3/day. In addition, they eventually get infinite use of their fundamentals, or 0th-level spells. In addition to a slew of other class features. Harbingers get 1 spell per spell level, and can use it twice per day. That means that at 20th level, they have 1 9th level spell that can be used twice, all the way down to a single 0th level spell that can be used twice. Also bear in mind that there is a very small selection of mysteries, being in only one supplement and all, so spontaneous selection counts for a lot less than it normally would here.

As for the hit die, shadowcasters get a d6 as opposed to a typical caster's d4. The harbinger gets a d8 as opposed to a bard's or rogue's d6. The idea is that shadow magic users are a bit tougher than they otherwise would be, from channeling shadows through their body.


It still doesn't convince me. What if you use it as your last action in a combat, and then you don't do anything in the following 24 hours? You basically trick the DM, since you can make your party go natural 20 and don't even take ther responsabilities for this if you don't do anything particulary dangerous for 24 hours.

If your plan for the party is to engage in one single action every day, I think you've got bigger problems than whether this class feature is reasonable or not. Also, if your plan is to "trick the DM" and hope that he won't notice, I feel very sorry for you. Please remember that he's the one that decides what happens, and whether or not, say, a horde of mind flayers attacks you in your sleep.


As I said, the idea is really cool, but...
I see very little occasion for this to be used.


Also, if you can use it and simply be raised later, you can defenately destroy a DEITY ar a mere level of 20.

So you do see an occasion for this to be used! :smallsmile:


And if you can't be raised later, I don' t really see why a player would do that.

This class feature doesn't let you take down a deity on its own. It takes away one specific ability from the deity, that basically makes it unfightable. This makes it possible to fight it, but still impossible to beat on its own, given the typical deity's abilities. Including, say, Immortality. For example.

[Caracol]

If your plan for the party is to engage in one single action every day, I think you've got bigger problems than whether this class feature is reasonable or not. Also, if your plan is to "trick the DM" and hope that he won't notice, I feel very sorry for you. Please remember that he's the one that decides what happens, and whether or not, say, a horde of mind flayers attacks you in your sleep.
Point taken. But this means that this guy creates problem for himself, AND the party.


This class feature doesn't let you take down a deity on its own. It takes away one specific ability from the deity, that basically makes it unfightable. This makes it possible to fight it, but still impossible to beat on its own, given the typical deity's abilities. Including, say, Immortality. For example.

So, what's even the point? A bunch of 20th level harbingers have to die to make a deity slightly less umbeatable? And an all-knowing deity with tons of means to control reality would actually let they do this once he knows?
Also, deities spit wish and miracle spells out like their don't even notice, so they could recover the abilities lost in no time.
I mean, a deity is a deity. It's made to be unbeateble by purpose.

[Thunderbuckets]

Um, just a thought here...


So, what's even the point? A bunch of 20th level harbingers have to die to make a deity slightly less umbeatable? And an all-knowing deity with tons of means to control reality would actually let they do this once he knows?

I don't think multiple uses of Dark Intervention stack, as they only remove one deific ability that the deity only has once. It's not removing any ability, it's removing the Always Maximize Roll ability. Which makes the deity slightly more beatable, if you can find some way to counter the other abilities. Which are unlikely, but we are talking about epic characters here. There's always a possibility.


Also, deities spit wish and miracle spells out like their don't even notice, so they could recover the abilities lost in no time.

I don't think wish or miracle have the power to grant someone deific abilities, so I don't get why they'd be able to recover them. I mean, a god could use divine powers to restore the harbinger to life, thereby undoing the Dark Intervention (unless deities are also constrained by the PHB mandate that an unwilling soul may not be returned to their body.)


I mean, a deity is a deity. It's made to be unbeateble by purpose.

DnD deities still work within a system of rules and limits, and thus can still technically be destroyed because they are mandated by the rules and limits. Nigh-impossible, true, but... you can't tell me, say, a level 100 PC Wizard couldn't square off against a deity, with a little help from, say, a harbinger.

I see the ability as more of a plot point or a flavor capstone than an actual ability. It's not going to get a whole lot of gameplay, mostly because few DnD sessions become 'go kill God!,' but it could be an excellent plot hook or storytelling device for what has gone before. Rival deities could have harbinger heralds they used to kill each other, say. It's powerful, but it's mostly there for show. That being said...

I like the class, but would like to see Ominous Sacrifice work a little differently. As it's written, a harbinger can gain a plethora of reality-reshaping abilities by... stabbing a mouse. Or picking a flower. And that's fine at lower levels, but just plain silly higher on. Perhaps there could be a minimum HD requirement for the victim? Nothing too challenging, like equal to the class level, but something a little higher would encourage creative thinking and killing on the part of the harbinger. And that could be half the fun.

[YuanTi]

Very nice and interesting dark class.

It is true that a Harbinger would carry around a sack of mice as sacrifices, as written. So the suggestion of HD limit (equal to Harbinger level) sounds like a good balance.

Trade Destiny is obviously very powerful, allowing needed criticals or necessary skill checks to get through. The party not doing anything for 24 hours won't be a problem either. "Random" encounters get around that.

[Caracol]

Very nice and interesting dark class.

It is true that a Harbinger would carry around a sack of mice as sacrifices, as written. So the suggestion of HD limit (equal to Harbinger level) sounds like a good balance.
An HD like this would be too high, but limitations need to considered. Just make a table with the minimun HD needed and increase it with the level.



Trade Destiny is obviously very powerful, allowing needed criticals or necessary skill checks to get through. The party not doing anything for 24 hours won't be a problem either. "Random" encounters get around that.

That's what I was trying to say. And is expecially in random encounter that you can destribute natural 20s all around, then go to sleep and forget everything. And if the DM decides to force the Harbinger to perform a task or be attacked again just to make him fumble something within the 24h, the party would be involved in this tasks or attacks too, and this means that an harbinger is a walking attractor of misfortunes, and would be left alone by the party as soon as they realize it.

[Kellus]

The HD required for Ominous Sacrifice is now equal to 1/4 your class level.

As for Trade Destiny, I still think it's fine. The harbinger grants an excellent benefit to the party, but places a severe penalty on herself. It's the sort of thing that no sane player would use consistently, but instead as either a last resort, when it's that or certain death, or for a grand coup, with a planned out single strike involving the rest of the party against a huge baddy. And both of those uses would be fun in play and perfectly reasonable.

If the 24-hour limit on it is such a problem, how about this: once you use Trade Destiny, you lose access to the ability until you receive the natural 1, at which point you need to wait 24 hours to use it again. It puts more emphasis on the DM, so he can put a cap on it if he feels the harbinger is abusing the ability, and also encourages the DM and player to work together to tell the story. That sound more reasonable? :smallsmile:

[Pyroconstruct]

I would just throw in a simple "this cannot trigger vorpal weapons" clause on the ability. That's the only use of the ability that takes it from "a desperate but powerful move" to "a desperate but incredibly cheesy move."

[Kellus]

Huh. Why yes, that would clear it up nicely. Good call! :smallwink:

Also, I adjusted Subtle Hand slightly so that it can't be used to replicate Trade Destiny without the drawback.

[Realms of Chaos]

double post. sorry.

[Realms of Chaos]

No reason to lower the hit die or askill points, seeing as you will, at 20th level, be getting a grand total of 18 mysteries per day. you may want to up it to 3 uses per mystery per day.

As a real fan of shadow magic, you have my solute.