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MasterVerhoffin
2008-05-26, 02:49 PM
Hello everyone. Here's a PrC I designed a while ago but never quite finished, the Gray Master. I designed it after attempting to play a wizard with undead minions and realizing how much better clerics were at it.

Gray Master
Gray Masters are powerful Necromancers who, unlike most Arcane Necromancers, focus more on the physical aspects of Necromancy than the energy-related.

Hit Dice: d4

Requirements
Alignment: Any Nongood
Skills: Concentration 10 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 10 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 10 ranks.
Feats: Corpsecrafter, Fell Animate, Spell Focus: Necromancy
Spells: Able to cast 4th-level arcane spells, including Animate Dead

Class Skills
The Gray Master’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier.

GRAY MASTER
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special|Spells

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Improved Fell Animate|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|-|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Animating Power +1|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Corpsecrafter Bonus Feat|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Efficient Animation|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Corpsecrafter Bonus Feat|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Animating Power +2|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|-|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Greater Fell Animate|+1 level of existing spellcasting class

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Dead Legions|+1 level of existing spellcasting class [/table]

Class Features
All of the following are Class Features of the Gray Master prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Gray Masters gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new Gray Master level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class.

Improved Fell Animate: Starting at 1st level, whenever a Gray Master applies the Fell Animate feat to a spell, she can choose whether it animates zombies or skeletons. It also only raises the spell's level by 2 instead of 3.

Animating Power: Starting at 3rd level, the Gray Master's caster level is counted as 1 higher for determining the effects of Animate Dead and other spells that create undead.

At 7th level this bonus increases the Gray Master's effective caster level for Animate Dead and other undead-creating spells by 2 (and replaces the previous bonus).

Corpsecrafter Bonus Feat: At 4th level and again at 6th level the Gray Master gains any feat that has Corpsecrafter as a prerequisite as a bonus feat. She must meet all other prerequisites of the feat in order to select it.

Efficient Animation: Starting at 5th level, the Gray Master learns ways to empower the onyx used in the Animate Dead Spell. She now need only use a gem with a value of 10 gp per Hit Dice of the target instead of 25 gp.

Greater Fell Animate: At 9th level, the Gray Master's Fell Animate feat only increases the effective level of whatever spell she applies it to by 1.

Dead Legions: At 10th level, the Gray Master's power over undead is nearly unchallengeable. She gains the granted power of the Deathbound Domain, allowing her to create up to 3 times her Hit Dice of undead per casting of Animate Dead. Also, she can now control 4 + her primary casting stat modifier per level in HD of created undead instead of 4 per level.

Thoughts? Comments? I think it's fairly balanced, considering how narrow the focus is and how much better clerics can do the same thing.

SurlySeraph
2008-05-26, 07:23 PM
"Corpsecrafter Bonus Feat: At 4th level and again at 6th level the Gray Master gains any feat that has Corpsecrafter as a prerequisite as a bonus feat. She must meet "

Could you just put in however you met to finish that sentence?

Other than that, it's good. Nice job.

MasterVerhoffin
2008-05-26, 07:41 PM
Ack, thanks for catching that. It should have been "all other prerequisites of the feat in order to select it".

Vrel
2008-05-27, 05:22 PM
funny stuff... i designed a creature called a gray master a while back for one of Tribble's contests. good stuff, by the way.