PDA

View Full Version : Ebon Phoenix Mage [PrC]



Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-12-14, 10:42 PM
I've been telling people that it's just a sidebar, but then I thought "Hey, I could make this. It'd be easy." So I did. Most of it's just a copy of the JPM, but I think I did it right.


--

Ebon Phoenix Mage
http://www.wocstudios.com/images/atsuki.jpg
Dark Vonn, an ebon phoenix master and reincarnation of Zizzel

Countless eons ago, seven fiends of great martial power and eldritch energy were created by the god Levakross to combat the thirteen mortal men that imprisoned him away. When these twenty warriors fought, three mortal warriors survived and but a single fiend did as well. The three mortal men grieved as they performed the ritual that created the great jade phoenix that allowed themselves and their fallen comrades to reincarnate their souls so they may keep the god Levakross trapped in his cage.
The fiend Thornuss was the one to survive, and using divination magic he saw the ritual that the jade magi used. He decided his fallen allies deaths would not go to such great waste. Their souls would too be reincarnated, through the power of the twisted creature the fiend created: the ebon phoenix. Now each of the 20 souls pass from body to body, constantly battling, defending and perishing just to renew themselves as their phoenix lords do.

HD: d6

Requirements
Alignment: Any nongood
Skills: Concentration 9 ranks, Intimidate 4 ranks, Knowledge (arcana) 4 ranks
Maneuvers: Must know 2nd level maneuvers, including at least one strike and one stance.
Arcane Spellcasting: Ability to use 2nd level arcane spells.
Special: Must go through the rite of waking, awakening the soul of one of the seven Ebon Fiends that your soul has become the host of.

Class Skills: Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Diplomacy, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (all skills, taken individually), Martial Lore, Move Silently, Ride, Sense Motive, Tumble
Skill-points per level: 2+Int modifier

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spellcasting
1st|+1|+2|+0|+0|Arcane wrath, rite of waking|--
2nd|+2|+3|+0|+0|Vicious phoenix stance|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
3rd|+3|+3|+1|+1|--|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
4th|+4|+4|+1|+1|Blackfire|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
5th|+5|+4|+1|+1|--|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
6th|+6|+5|+2|+2|Black wings stance, ebon phoenix master|--
7th|+7|+5|+2|+2|--|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
8th|+8|+6|+2|+2|Possession's hold|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
9th|+9|+6|+3|+3|--|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
10th|+10|+7|+3|+3|Black flame holocaust|+1 level of existing spellcasting class
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances Known
1st|1|0|0
2nd|0|0|0
3rd|1|1|0
4th|0|0|0
5th|1|0|1
6th|0|1|0
7th|1|0|0
8th|0|0|0
9th|1|1|0
10th|0|0|0
[/table]

Weapon and Armor proficiencies: Ebon phoenix magi do not gain proficiency with any additional weapons, armor or shields.

Maneuvers: At every odd-numbered level, an eldritch knight ebon phoenix mage gains new maneuvers known from the Desert Wind, Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218) or Shadow Hand discipline, chosen at first level. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full ebon phoenix mage levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 3rd, 6th and 9th levels, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances: At 5th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Desert Wind, Dread Crown (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=76218) or Shadow Hand disciplines. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Spellcasting: At each level except first and fifth, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level(and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an arcane spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one arcane spellcasting class before becoming an ebon phoenix mage, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

Arcane Wrath (Su): You can spontaneously channel stored spell energy into your melee attacks. As a swift action, you can lose any prepared arcane spell or spell slot to gain a +4 bonus on a single attack or martial strike, as well as an extra 1d10 points of damage per spell level expended. Both bonuses can be applied only on an attack made before the beginning of your next turn. For example, if you lose a 3rd level spell slot or prepared spell, you gain a +4 bonus on an attack roll you make before your next turn, and you deal an extra 3d10 points of damage if your attack is successful.

Rite of Waking (Ex): When you become an ebon phoenix mage, you participate in a Rite of Waking with the master who accepted you into the society. This rite takes 10 minutes, but requires nothing other than the presence of n ebon phoenix master and a suitable candidate. On completion of the rite, you gain awareness of your previous lives. You now remember places you visited, people you knew, and things you did in lifetimes long past. You gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge checks, and you can attempt a Knowledge check even if you are untrained in the appropriate Knowledge skill. You also gain a +2 bonus on saving throws against poison and mind-affecting effects.

Vicious Phoenix Stance (Su): At 2nd level, you learn how to focus the energy of the ebon fiend within you into destructive martial skill. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any Desert Wind stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While you're in this stance, your caster level for arcane spells increases by 1, and you receive a +2 profane bonus on all attack rolls. In addition, when you first activate this ability, you can choose to expend an arcane spell slot. If you do, you also gain a bonus to damage with your melee attacks as long as you maintain this stance. The value of the extra damage dealt is equal to 2 times the level of the spell you expend(maximum 10 extra damage for a 5th level spell. This bonus damage is half fire, and half profane energy(untyped).

Blackfire (Su): At 4th level, you learn how to channel your power over flame into your darker side. Whenever you use a Desert Wind maneuver while in a Shadow Hand or Dread Crown stance, and successfully strike a foe with it, you invoke black flames that eat away at the victims soul. They take a number of Con damage equal to the level of the Desert Wind maneuver divided in two(rounded down) plus one. Once this ability has been used, you must wait 5 rounds to use it again.

Black Wings Stance (Su): At 6th level, you learn the second stance of the ebon phoenix mage and the first of the ebon phoenix master. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any Desert Wind stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, your melee weapons are considered to have the flaming burst weapon property are are both magic and evil for the purposes of overcoming damage reduction and the caster level for all spells of the Fire descriptor you cast increase by 3. In addition, you can choose to expend an arcane spell slot when you activate this stance. If you do, you gain an aura of black fire that deals 1d6 points of damage per spell level to any creature within 10 feet (Reflex half, DC 14+key spellcasting ability modifier). Half the damage dealt by this aura is fire, and the other half is raw profane energy(untyped). The aura deals damage each round at the beginning of your turn. Once you activate this ability, the fiery aura lasts for 1 minute, after which time the effect ends and the normal effect of your stance resumes.

Ebon Phoenix Master (Su): When you attain 6th level, you earn the right to call yourself an Ebon Phoenix Master. You can now perform the Rite of Waking on someone else, provided he or she is a suitable candidate and hosts or embodies the reincarnated spirit of one of the seven ebon fiends(the DM decides if this is true for any given NPC). You gain the ability to sense the direction and distance to the nearest Ebon Phonic mage, master or candidate simply by meditating for 1 minute without interruption.

Possession's Hold: At 8th level, the fiend within you begins taking a hole of your soul to a point where it reaches your body through your martial skill. Whenever you successfully use a martial maneuver against a foe, you acquire one of the fiendish abilities from the list below, based on the fiend whose soul you have or are host to. The effects of this ability last a number of rounds equal to the maneuver you used, and this ability cannot be used again until the duration of the first has expired.
{table="head"]Fiend|Ability

Thornuss|Deathly Shell (Ex): Your body decays slightly, becoming more undead. You have a 50% chance to avoid all extra damage from critical hits and precision based attacks. You also receive a +4 bonus on saves against necromantic abilities and Fort saves unless it would also affect an object.

Melkion|Corrupt Flame (Su): All your maneuvers and spells that deal fire damage ignore any fire resistance a creature has, and deals half damage to those with fire immunity.

Gorron|Skin of stone (Ex): Your flesh becomes rock-like, and similar to a demon. You gain DR 10/good and adamantine.

Zizzel|Shadow Shroud (Su): You are surrounded by a mist of black shadows. This cloud grants you a 50% miss chance against attacks made against you.

Derthronn|Derthronn's arms (Su): You sprout two extra arms just like your normal ones, each holding a new weapon. The weapon you wield can be any light or one-handed weapon you are proficient with, and is a +1 unholy cold iron weapon. You also gain use of the Multiweapon Fighting feat.

Serroz|Dark Guile (Su): Your charm and grace protect you and excel your martial skill. You gain a bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls and armor class equal to your Cha modifier.

Nigh|What might be grace (Su): You gain a +6 bonus on saving throws against spells and abilities of the good descriptor, and you are treated as being one step closer to a good alignment than your actual alignment for all the harmful effects of good-aligned spells and items.
[/table]

Black Flame Holocaust (Sp): At 10th level, once per week you are capable of performing a great and terrible act of eldritch power. You temporarily take on the shape of the fiend you have reincarnated from and explode in a burst of black fire that deals 20d6 points of damage in a 20 foot radius (Reflex half, DC 19+key spellcasting ability modifier). Half the damage the blast deals is fire, and the other half is raw profane energy(untyped). Extraplanar creatures that fail their their saves must immediately succeed on a Will save (DC 19+key spellcasting ability modifier) or be dismissed to their native planes. This blast utterly destroys you, but 1d6 rounds later, you re-form in the exact spot where you were when you exploded this ability. You are dazed for 1 round after you reappear, but you are healed of all damage (including ability drain or damage), blindness, deafness, disease, paralysis, or poison. Any equipment you were wearing or objects you were holding or carrying when you used this ability re-form with you, exactly as they were. This ability is the equivalent of a 9th level spell.

ErrantX
2008-12-14, 11:53 PM
I like it Krimm. I especially like the demonic possession abilities, though I'm thinking a couple of them could be toned down a little. Like the one that gives you extra arms with unholy shortswords. That's devastating on a high dex character with the Shadow Blade feat so long as they're in a Shadow Hand stance. And that's definitely what I'd be doing if I had that fiend. Just a little strong, but otherwise, I really like the small tweaks.

Gave me some really good ideas and I'm going to use this in my current Eberron campaign. Rakshasa main villian is killing JPM's (I call them Silver Phoenix Mages and have attached them to the Silver Flame IMC) and is twisting them into dark mirrors of what they were (similar to Abyssal Exalted).

Again, good work!
-X

magic_unlocked
2008-12-15, 07:26 AM
Indeed, I rather like this class, though, but I can't make any true judgements... I don't know ToB.

cliffiepizza
2008-12-15, 10:41 AM
I really like this class. its an awesome twist on the jade phoenix mage from the ToB

Stycotl
2008-12-15, 01:32 PM
pretty cool. conveniently, i find this only a few days after i have written up a few of my own variations of the jade phoenix mage, though mine have fewer mechanical changes; mostly fluff. one of them is called the solar devourer, which is also a fiendish version, though it is based off of consuming the energy of the sun.

Draz74
2008-12-15, 01:57 PM
If this is sorta just an evil reflection of the JPM, its name is a bit odd. I always thought the "good" part of the JPM was the "Phoenix" part, not the "Jade" part. Maybe this thing could be named "Jade ____ Mage" instead?

This is probably a really dumb idea, since I'm not very familiar at all with the JPM's fluff. But it struck me as a bit odd.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2008-12-15, 10:25 PM
If this is sorta just an evil reflection of the JPM, its name is a bit odd. I always thought the "good" part of the JPM was the "Phoenix" part, not the "Jade" part. Maybe this thing could be named "Jade ____ Mage" instead?

This is probably a really dumb idea, since I'm not very familiar at all with the JPM's fluff. But it struck me as a bit odd.

The Ebon Phoenix Mage name comes from the JPM entry of Tome of Battle itself. It goes into it about as much as light penetrates lead, so I decided to make up a little mythology for it and keep the names.

Remington Vaugh
2009-04-28, 10:15 PM
How would you make this work with a warlock? They can meet the prerequisites, but... Either it's utterly broken with them, or completely non-functional. Not sure which. Any ideas? Maybe the loss of ability to use a certain invocation for X rounds?

ErrantX
2009-04-28, 10:31 PM
How would you make this work with a warlock? They can meet the prerequisites, but... Either it's utterly broken with them, or completely non-functional. Not sure which. Any ideas? Maybe the loss of ability to use a certain invocation for X rounds?

Warlock doesn't qualify as it requires 2nd level spells. Now, if you had 2nd level spells AND had warlock levels (example: warblade 1 / wizard 3 / warlock 3) you could use those +1 caster levels in warlock, but the abilities that say sacrifice a spell you'd have to spend one of your wizard spells from the above example. Warlock on its own doesn't meet the qualifications for this class or the Jade Phoenix Mage (it's basis).

Unless some DM fudging was to occur, then YMMV.

-X

Tatsel_Ganav
2009-04-28, 11:32 PM
Ah. Alright then. Blows away all my fun. Well then, if your DM was open to fudging, how would you work that?

Icewalker
2009-04-28, 11:38 PM
Well, first off, it's bloody awesome. Looks pretty balanced because it shares most of its abilities with the JPM.

More importantly...I want to mention this: I am currently playing a character in a friend's game who has split personalities. The primary personality, Vale, is going to become a Jade Phoenix Mage. One of his sub-personalities, Uremb, is going to take advantage of these mysterious new-found powers and, once he figures out the details, try to manipulate the whole 'imprisoned doom beast' deal to his advantage.

Now, he can use mechanics as this class here. This is absolutely fantastic.

Krimm_Blackleaf
2009-04-29, 11:19 PM
Ah. Alright then. Blows away all my fun. Well then, if your DM was open to fudging, how would you work that?

Probably something like 1/encounter powers, or abilities that can only be used once every 5 rounds or so.


Well, first off, it's bloody awesome. Looks pretty balanced because it shares most of its abilities with the JPM.

More importantly...I want to mention this: I am currently playing a character in a friend's game who has split personalities. The primary personality, Vale, is going to become a Jade Phoenix Mage. One of his sub-personalities, Uremb, is going to take advantage of these mysterious new-found powers and, once he figures out the details, try to manipulate the whole 'imprisoned doom beast' deal to his advantage.

Now, he can use mechanics as this class here. This is absolutely fantastic.

You're very welcome.:smallbiggrin: