PDA

View Full Version : [Org] {PrC}The Cult of the SummerKin



Cayzle
2006-08-30, 05:38 PM
Name: The SummerKin

Introduction:

At dawn on the longest day of the year. dancing feet and thundering paws pound the earth in an ancient rhythm, and the SummerKin rejoice! All that long day, these sun worshippers -- wemics and humans, mostly -- gather to celebrate the summer's bounty, to court and to trade, to sing and to play. The LightSisters plan how best to guide the clans and prides over the coming year, and the LightBrothers bask in the sunshine.

But at sunset on the shortest day of the year, voices lift in prayer, and the SummerKin grieve. The LightBrothers sing to coax the sun to return, and the LightSisters huddle close by to keep warm during the long night.

All year long, the SummerKin thrive under the sun, growing strong in the light. And that is good, because those who follow newer gods often persecute them and drive them out.

General description: The SummerKin are a survival of an ancient culture that worships the sun as a diety. They use only bronze, copper, and gold metals, which they view as holy, disdaining iron, silver, and others. They stand out from other folk with their flowing white, yellow, and red clothes; with their white tents and wagons; with their strange wild music, with their ornate and beautiful copper rings and bracelets. They never wear hats or helms, not wanting “protection” from the sun. They are often nomadic, wandering from place to place selling humble wares, performing as street entertainers, or following herds that they tend or hunt. When they settle in one place, they are often scorned or abused, so that they tend to distrust outsiders and move on at any sign of trouble.

Purpose: The SummerKin are sun worshippers who harken back to an older time. In their small numbers, unusual beliefs, and dedication to keeping apart, the word "cult" is not inaccurate. Their traditions are rooted in ancient wemic beliefs: they live for the day, dance in the light, and rejoice in nature. But they are mocked and persecuted, both for the cultural practices that set them apart, as well as for the “heresy” of sun worship. Their goal is to simply live in a hostile world, to be at peace under the sun.

Alignment: The SummerKin are primarily good in alignment, although those who are born into the organization can be of any alignment. Most of those who do not agree with the ethos of the cult, however, strike out on their own when they come of age.

Economics/Benefits/Restrictions: The SummerKin are usually dirt poor, but members do gain some advantages and suffer under some penalties ...

Restriction 1: SummerKin must celebrate two holy days. Summermass, the longest day of the year, is a day for celebration. Wintermass, the shortest day, is a day of contemplation and mourning. If possible, a member must gather with other SummerKin on these days.

Restriction 2: SummerKin must not use any taboo metals – that is, any metals other than the holy metals of gold, copper, and bronze. They may use only bronze weapons and armor (see DMG, page 144). They may not use magic items that are made from taboo metals. They can use nonmetal items freely. Taboo metals can be traded, if handled with blessed leather gloves.

Restriction 3: SummerKin must keep their heads uncovered. They cannot use hats or helms, and they cannot use magic items that fill the hat/helm or goggles body slots.

Restriction 4: They may not honor any other god than the sun.

Benefit 1: News from far off places travels among the SummerKin’s far-flung clans and prides. DMs might award members a bonus to Gather Info and Knowledge (Local) rolls of +1 or +2 if there are NPC SummerKin nearby.

Benefit 2: Smiths in the cult retain knowledge of how to make bronze weapons and armor; SummerKin can purchase those from NPC members. Seers in the cult are somewhat rarer, but when available they are usually happy to tell fortunes or share stories from days gone by (for example, via bardic lore).

Benefit 3: The SummerKin have a tradition of dance and music. They are lovers of the outdoors, and they know how to live off the land. Members can take ranks in Perform and Survival as class skills.

Benefit 4: If at least 100 SummerKin gather for a Summermass festival, there will be enough people present to Weave Sunbeams. This ceremony creates magic items by weaving sunbeams together. A SummerKin willing to sacrifice gold and experience points can make magic items at Summermass even if the he or she has no item creation feats and even if the SummerKin is not a spell caster. Actual gold (not gems nor platinum nor other items) in the required amount is distilled into the making of the item. At any given Summermass, a SummerKin can make one of the following items in the feast's single day, spending the usual gp and xp: a Sun Blade, a Fire Elemental Gem, a Gem of Brightness, a Gem of Seeing, any Ioun Stone, a Luckstone, a Lens of Detection, or a lesser or standard Strand of Prayer Beads (not the greater strand). These items are made of a golden-colored diamond-like substance that has the properties of adamantine.
Membership Requirements: Any person wishing to join the SummerKin must declare this intention at a Summermass festival and live by the cult's restrictions for an entire year, until the next Summermass. At that time, if four SummerKin speak in favor of the candidate, then the person is accepted. There is no formal hierarchy for advancement, but one gains great respect by learning the Wemic tongue and becoming a LightBrother or LightSister.

Authority Figures: The LightBrothers protect and sustain the SummerKin (see associated prestige class). The LightSisters guide the SummerKin with wisdom and foresight (they tend to be druids, bards, sorcerers, and seers).

The foremost LightBrother is a wemic named Liram the Peaceful: If you use the stock 5 hit die wemic from Monsters of Faerun, then he is a Wemic5/Ranger2/LightBrother10; if you use less powerful liontaur rules, then he is a Ranger5/LightBrother10. He is calm and careful, seldom resorting to violence, striving to keep the peace among wemic tribes and with outside enemies.

The most respected LightSister is a human named Calo the Far-Seeing, a Druid3/Sorceer4/Seer6. She is known for the truth of her dream-visions, as well as for her skill in interpreting omens.

Racial Makeup: Wemics 63%, Humans 35%, Others (gnomes, halflings) 2%

Class Makeup: Experts 40%, Commoners 15%, Warriors 15%, Rangers 10%, Bards 5%, Druids 5%, LightBrothers and LightSisters, 5%, Other 5%. Experts tend to be hunters, peddlers, crafters, animal handlers, and performers.

Origins/History/Lore:

Wemics are known for their bravery, hunting prowess, and nobility, but not for embracing new things. While humans and other two-leggers created empires and intricate works of magic, wemics lived the same way for thousands of years, thriving where the land was too hot or dry or dangerous for weaker races. The SummerKin are the ancient remainder of a bronze-age wemic belief in the divinity of the sun.

Historically, the cult survived only among certain wemic tribes, isolated from other races. But as human populations grew over recent centuries, pushing against wemic territory, more humans encountered wemic SummerKin, either in slave pits, passing through liontaur territory, or in meetings of adventurers. Ever willing to try new things, some of those humans learned the wemic language and adopted the old religion.

Knowledge Checks:

DC 14 - SummerKin are wandering folk with strange taboos who tell fortunes, sing and dance, and peddle simple wares.

DC17 - Summerkin hate to touch iron, although they will trade it. They wear white robes and copper bracelets, and they never cover their heads. Some call them heretics because they worship the sun.

DC20 - There are many liontaur SummerKin as well as humans who are members of the cult. Some say that there are more liontaur SummerKin than humans, and that the Cult started among wemics.

DC25 - The leaders of the SummerKin are called LightBrothers and LightSisters. Their holy days are at midsummer and midwinter, and at the summer festival they weave sunlight into magic items.

Adventure Hooks:

Low Level: Clerics of Pelor have been sermonizing against local SummerKin. A mob, inflamed by the preaching, is set to lynch two SummerKin families. The party can intervene just in time, and then escort the families safely to a new home. As a reward, the Summerkin give the PCs copper jewelry and tell their fortunes.

Middle Level: A wemic LightBrother meets the party and offers to join them. A LightSister told the wemic that he was fated to meet these heroes and help them save the tribe from a rampaging herd of gorgons. What she did not tell him was that he was destined to die (or be stoned?) in doing so. Reward: Several charged magic items made at Summermass celebrations.

High Level: An evil theocrat has initiated an organized nationwide persecution of hundreds of SummerKin, who are being rounded up and massacred. The PCs must convince the theocrat to change his dictum, or they must rescue the SummerKin, or overthrow the despot, or save the day in some other way. Reward: Sunblades all around!

The Crunchy Bit - See prestige class following.

Cayzle
2006-08-30, 05:40 PM
The LightBrother

Across open plains and savannah, or from town to village to thorp, a cult of sun-worshipping humans and wemics hunt, trade, and roam. Among these SummerKin, the ones known as LightBrothers bask in the sun's rays, and they carry the summer with them all year long, bringing light, life, and warmth to the dark and the cold.

The LightBrothers emulate the sun by wearing full manes (http://www.quietcorn.com/qfg2k/images/rakeesh.jpg) and beards (http://www.royalathena.com/media/goldsilvercataloguepics/Roman/DS0004.jpg) that frame their faces -- an echo of how light streams out from the sun. Elves, half-elves, and women cannot be LightBrothers because they cannot grow such beards. Dwarves and half-orcs are usually too at-home in the dark to be sun worshippers. A number of humans have wholeheartedly adopted the old liontaur teachings. LightBrothers tend to be druids, clerics with the sun domain, rangers, and barbarians.

As NPCs, LightBrothers are beacons of light and warmth who radiate sustenance and hope. In times of plenty, they are joyful and peaceful. In adversity, they are life-bringers. They are gentle as sunbeams, and do not seek combat; on the other hand, they are glad when the chance comes to defeat the forces of darkness.

Hit die: d10

Requirements
Feats: Toughness, Endurance
Skills: Survival 8 ranks, Perform 4 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) 2 ranks, Spot 2 ranks.
Base Attack Bonus: +5
Language: Wemic
Special: Must be good in alignment and must wear a full beard. Also must be a member of the Summerkin Cult.
Table 1: LightBrother

Lvl...Att....Fort...Refx...Will...Special Abilities
.1....+0......+2.....+0.....+0.....Aura of Sustenance
.2....+1......+3.....+0.....+0.....Radiance +1
.3....+1......+3.....+1.....+1.....Sun Healing 1/rnd
.4....+2......+4.....+1.....+1.....Walking on Sunshine
.5....+2......+4.....+1.....+1.....Radiance +2
.6....+3......+5.....+2.....+2.....Sun Healing 2/rnd
.7....+3......+5.....+2.....+2.....Summerstrike
.8....+4......+6.....+2.....+2.....Radiance +3
.9....+4......+6.....+3.....+3.....Sun Healing 3/rnd
10....+5......+7.....+3.....+3.....Aura of Calm

Class Features

Prestige Class Ethos: A LightBrother is devoted to spreading warmth, life, and joy. He also battles the forces of darkness when they cross his path, but he is not necessarily a crusader. A LightBrother must wear a full beard as well as a mane or full head of hair. A first level LightBrother's hair and beard gradually changes to a golden or red color, and he never fears going bald. If his hair is cut, he loses all special abilities until his hair grows back. And as SummerKin, LightBrothers accept the advantages and restrictions of membership in the cult.

Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Chr), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Chr), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Skill Points per level: 4 + Int modifier

Weapon & Armor Proficiencies: LightBrothers are proficient in all simple and martial light weapons, and in light armor.

Spells: Beginning at 1st level, a LightBrother gains the ability to cast a number of divine spells, just like clerics and druids do, but with no spontaneous casting. The LightBrother spell list appears below. Note: If the LightBrother has other caster classes, then all caster levels stack when casting spells on the LightBrother spell list.

Special Abilities
(all of the LightBrother's special abilities are supernatural effects)

Aura of Sustenance: At first level the LightBrother glows with a satisfying light. The light has two effects: (1) All living creatures (including the LightBrother) within 10 feet per level are sustained, and do not need food or drink. (2) The aura illuminates clearly within 5 feet per level, and with shadowy illumination within 10 feet per level (those with low light vision see clearly to ten feet per level and dimly to 20 feet per level). This illumination dispels any lesser darkness it touches and cancels out any darkness of equal level within the area of overlap. The aura of a 3rd level LightBrother dispels a 2nd level Darkness spell and nullifies a 3rd level Deeper Darkness where it overlaps. The aura cannot be turned off, so that in dim or dark areas the aura makes it practically impossible to hide. In direct sunlight the aura seems to disappear, since the sun outshines it, but its effects remain.

Radiance: At second level, when underground, at night, or in windowless rooms, the LightBrother radiates physical and spiritual warmth. The LightBrother and all allies within 10 feet per level gain cold resistance 1. They also gain a +1 sacred bonus on all saving throws, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as on all Charisma and Wisdom checks, including skill checks and Turn Undead checks. At fifth level and at eighth level this bonus rises to 2 and then to 3.

Sun Healing: At third level, when outdoors in the direct rays of the sun, the LightBrother gains fast healing of 1 hp per round. At sixth level that rises to 2 per round, and at ninth level, 3 per round.

Walking on Sunshine: At fourth level the LightBrother can walk on sunbeams at will as a free action, but only in the summer. Treat this exactly like the Airwalk spell, except that if the sun is no longer available (due to shadow, cloud, etc), then the LightBrother descends at 60 feet per round until he gently reaches the earth.

Summerstrike: In the summertime only, a seventh level LightBrother can choose to bless two light melee or thrown weapons he uses himself so that they take on the brilliant energy special ability. Once blessed, the weapons retain the special ability until the end of the summer. The power is only active when the weapons are used by the LightBrother.

Aura of Calm: The tenth level LightBrother’s aura Calms Emotions (as the spell) of all creatures, friend and foe, within 5 feet per level. The save DC is 10 + LightBrother level + Wisdom bonus. Those wishing to attack must save every round, whether they saved or failed the previous round. The effect ends only if the LightBrother attacks or rages, in which case the aura returns the next time the dawn sun shines on him.

Table 2: LightBrother Spell Progression

Lvl...0...1...2...3...4...5
.1....2...0...-...-...-...-
.2....3...1...-...-...-...-
.3....3...1...0...-...-...-
.4....4...2...1...-...-...-
.5....4...2...1...0...-...-
.6....5...3...2...1...-...-
.7....5...3...2...1...0...-
.8....6...4...3...2...1...-
.9....6...4...3...2...1...0
10....7...5...4...3...2...1

(When 0 spells are gained, only Wisdom bonus spells are granted.)

Spell list

Lvl 0: Color Spray, Dancing Lights, Endure Elements, Entropic Shield, Flare, Light
Lvl 1: Continual Flame, Cure Light Wounds, Faerie Fire, Produce Flame, Resist Energy*
Lvl 2: Daylight, Heat Metal, Hypnotic Pattern, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Searing Light
Lvl 3: Fire Shield, Plant Growth, Protection from Energy*, Summon Monster IV**
Lvl 4: Rainbow Pattern, Summon Monster V**, Sunbeam
Lvl 5: Mass Cure Light Wounds, Summon Monster VI**, Sunburst

* effective only vs fire or cold
** lantern archons only

Epic LightBrothers: A 20th level character with 10 levels of LightBrother may advance beyond tenth level in the prestige class. Every third level, the LightBrother’s Radiance and Sun Healing powers improve. Radiance advances to +4 at level 11, +5 at level 14, +6 at level 17, etc. Sun Healing advances to 4/rnd at level 12, 5/rnd at level 15, 6/rnd at level 18, etc. Save DCs that depend on level also improve. In addition, the LightBrother gains a bonus feat every four levels, at LightBrother level 14, 18, etc.