GiTP Prestige Class Contest XLV: Hidden Knowledge

[Ra_Va]

True-Spoken Troubadour



I've had so many names... Old names that only the wind and the rivers can pronounce.

While the pursuit of knowledge is not among the stereotypical tropes of a Troubadour, a Bard's vocal skills make them uniquely apt at learning True Speak and learning the powers it possesses.

BECOMING A TRUE-SPOKEN TROUBADOUR
While it is possible for Bards who dabble in True-Name Magic to become True-Spoken Troubadours, most Troubadours are members of Illustrious Guilds, who guard the secrets of True-Speak jealously.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills:Perform (any) 8 ranks,
Feats: Truename Training (Tome of Magic, p. 229), Mounted Combat
Special:Bardic music class feature.

Class Skills
The True-Spoken Troubadour's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff(Cha), Climb(Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script(Int), Disguise(Cha), Forgery(Int), Gather Information(Cha), Hide(Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump(Str), Knowledge (Any)(Int), Move Silently(Dex), Open Lock(Dex), Profession(Wis), Search(Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Sleight of Hand(Dex), Speak Language, Swim(Dex), Use Magic Device(Cha) and True Speak (Int).

Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d8

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

1st|

+0

|

+0

|

+0

|

+2

|Troubadour's Voice, Known Personal Truename, TrueNamed Mount

2nd|

+1

|

+0

|

+0

|

+3

|Truename Research

3rd|

+1

|

+1

|

+1

|

+3

|Zone of Divulgence,

4th|

+2

|

+1

|

+1

|

+4

| Sekhen's Left Hand, Song of Distant Steps

5th|

+2

|

+2

|

+2

|

+4

|See the Named, Song of Restored Health

6th|

+3

|

+2

|

+2

|

+5

|Zone of Divulgence

7th|

+3

|

+3

|

+3

|

+5

|Song of Perfected Movement

8th|

+4

|

+3

|

+3

|

+6

|Song of the Thunder Drake 1/day

9th|

+4

|

+4

|

+4

|

+6

|Zone of Divulgence, Alter Personal Truename

10th|

+5

|

+4

|

+4

|

+7

|Song of the Thunder Drake 3/day, Zone of Divulgence, Sekhen's Right Hand[/table]

Maximum Utterance Level Known
{table=head]Level|Lexicon of the Evolving Mind|Lexicon of the Crafted Tool|Lexicon of the Perfected Map
1st | 1st | — | —
2nd| 1st | — | —
3rd | 2nd| — | —
4th | 2nd| 1st | —
5th | 3rd |1st | —
6th | 3rd | 2nd | 1st
7th | 4th | 2nd | 1st
8th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd
9th | 5th | 3rd | 2nd
10th | 6th | 4th | 3rd
[/table]

Utterances (Sp): Troubadours have the ability to sing utterances, powerful combinations of truenames that can alter the world around you in fundamental ways. Utterances exist in three lexicons: The Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, the Lexicon of the Crafted Tool, and the Lexicon of the Perfected Map. You begin play knowing one utterance from the 1st level of the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind, and you gain one utterance from this lexicon at each True-Named Troubadour level you attain. You gain access to higher levels of utterances at the levels indicated on the table above. When you gain access to higher-level utterances, you can choose an utterance from that level or from a lower level, if you wish.

Troubadour's Voice: All beneficial utterances effect all allies he knows the truename of within a 30 ft radius of the Troubadour.

All offensive utterances effect enemy creatures within a 30 ft radius.

Known Personal Truename: You know your own personal truename. You cannot pronounce it automatically; doing so requires a Truespeak check with a DC equal to 15 + CR + (2 x Utterance Level). Because it's your personal truename, you get a +4 bonus on the Truespeak check.

TrueNamed Mount: You gain a mount you can summon when speaking its true name aloud as a full-round action and dismiss it as a free action. The mount is the same creature each time it is summoned, though the Troubadour may release a particular mount from service. Each time the mount is called, it appears in full health, regardless of any damage it may have taken previously. The mount also appears wearing or carrying any gear it had when it was last dismissed. Calling a mount is a conjuration (calling) effect.

If the mount dies, it immediately disappears, leaving behind any equipment it did not bring with it from its native realm. You cannot call forth another mount using this ability for thirty days or until you gain another True-Spoken Trabadour level, whichever comes first, even if the mount is somehow returned from the dead. During this thirty-day period, you take a —2 penalty on Truespeak checks.

{table=head] Name | Type | HD | Speed | Stats | Feats | Special

Infernal Hell Cat | Large Outsider Animal |3d8+9|50 ft |Str:13, Dex:15, Con:15, Int:2, Wis:8, Cha:13|Mighty Roar|+2 to Diplomacy and +2 Intimidation for Infernal Outsiders

Abyssal Scorpion | Large Outsider Animal |4d8+12|30 ft |Str:12, Dex:5, Con:18, Int:2, Wis:8, Cha:13| | +2 to Diplomacy and +2 Intimidation for Abyssal Outsiders

Water Strider | Large Insect Animal |2d8+4|70 ft|Str:9, Dex:18, Con:10, Int:5, Wis:8, Cha:13 |Water Walk|-4 Penalty on those trying to track you

Gryphon | Large Animal |3d8+9|50 ft|Str:13, Dex:15, Con:15, Int:4, Wis:8, Cha:17 |Devoted Tracker| +2 to spot check and listen check

[/table]

Truename Research: At 2nd level, you gain the Truename Research feat as a bonus feat regardless of whether you meets its prerequisites.

Zone of Divulgence (Su): Starting at 3rd level, while in a location that the True-Spoken Troubadour knows the True Name of, out to a maximum of 5ft per class level (limited by the size of the location itself), You can see invisible creatures and objects as the See Invisibility spell. Every four levels after 3rd, the True-Spoken Troubadour uncovers additional truths in his immediate location as follows:

-- Starting at 6th level, in the area of his Zone of Divulgence, as long as the True-Spoken Troubadour knows the True Name of his location, creatures find themselves unable to tell lies as the Zone of Truth spell.

-- Starting at 9th level, in the area of his Zone of Divulgence, as long as the True-Spoken Troubadour knows the True Name of his location, he may produce his choice of a Speak with Dead, Speak with Plants, or Stone Tell effect as the spells, once each per location encounter.

-- At 10th level, in the area of his Zone of Divulgence, as long as the True-Spoken Troubadour knows the True Name of his location, he can discern the true nature of things as the True Seeing spell.

Sekhen's Left Hand:Make a Truespeak check as a full-round action and target a creature that is helpless. You must be within touch range of the creature to use this ability, and doing so provokes attacks of opportunity. If your Truespeak check is successful, the helpless creature takes 1d8 damage and looses all True-Speak Magic Knowledge they possess. All True-Speak Words and names known by that creature are now known by the Troubadour.

Song of Distant Steps:At 4th Level you can use dimension door (as the spell, PH 221) to transport yourself and any items you are carrying a maximum of 100 feet per even-numbered Level (4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th). You cannot use this ability to affect other creatures or any objects you aren't carrying. Location Transported to must be a place Troubadour is familiar with. This cost one Bardic Music usage

See the Named (Su): Beginning at 5th level, you have the ability to see a creature from afar whose personal truename you know. This ability works as the scrying spell, but does not require a mirror or pool of water to function. Instead, you must make a Truespeak check for the creature as normal. If your check is successful, the creature does not get a save to resist the ability, but you can view the subject for only 1 round. You can use this ability once per day.

Song of Restored Health:As a full-round action, make a Truespeak check [15 + CR + (2 x Utterance Level)] to heal yourself. You restore a number of hit points equal to your character level and your allies within 30ft for half of their character level. Using this ability provokes attacks of opportunity, but you can attempt to use it defensively, exactly as if it were a 3rd-level utterance.

Song of Perfected Movement: With this song you can move with great speed and agility, striding swiftly over the contours of the physical world. As a swift action you can make a DC 25 Truespeak check to increase your base speed by 20 feet. In addition, while this ability is active, you can walk on water, quicksand, snow, or even a spider's web without sinking or breaking through. You can take part of your movement for the round to traverse a wall or other relatively smooth vertical surface if you begin and end your move on a horizontal surface. The height you can achieve on the wall is limited only by your normal movement restrictions. If you do not end your movement on a horizontal surface, you fall prone, taking falling damage as appropriate for your distance above the ground.

This benefit lasts for 1 round. This increase stacks with other bonuses to your speed, such as from the haste spell.

Song of the Thunder Drake: Once a day you can make a single breath weapon attack— specifically, a 20-foot cone of painful noise that deals 2d6 points of sonic damage per TrueSpeak Rank. The Reflex save to halve the damage is DC 10 + your True-Spoken Troubadour class level + your Con modifier + TrueSpeak Rank.

At level 10 you can use this ability 3 times per day.

Alter Personal Truename (Su): At 9th level, you can alter your own truename slightly—just enough to make it difficult or impossible for others to utter it correctly.

any creature other than you that attempts to speak your truename takes a —4 penalty on the Truespeak check.

Sekhen's Right Hand: Make a Truespeak check as a full-round action and target a creature that has died. You must be within touch range of the corpse to use this ability, and doing so provokes attacks of opportunity. If your Truespeak check is successful, the dead creature losses its True Name and cannot enter a realm of the After-life. Even if resurrected a ritual of
renaming has no effect, this leaves them unable to learn or practice true-name magic in any form.

Weapon Proficiencies: True-Spoken Troubadour gains no proficiency with any weapons, armor, or shields.

PLAYING A TRUE-SPOKEN TROUBADOUR
While not as focused as those who have studied True name Magic all their lives, a Troubadour only adds to the versatile abilities of the Bard adding more magic flair and abilities to compliment such an edge.

Combat: True-Spoken Troubadours work best as Scouts and Tacticians, due to class abilities however utterances should leave the Troubadour versatile enough to take offensive, defensiveness and support roles.

Advancement: Once you have undergone your initial training, you can
continue your studies in the downtime between adventures, much the way a wizard learns new spells. You’re always practicing the pronunciation of truenames you already know and trying to figure out the truenames you
don’t know yet. Occasionally, you might visit the library of your mentor or a truename-aware organization so you can
learn more truenames. When you reach higher levels, you might advance the lore of truenames yourself, discovering new truenames and becoming the first to speak them aloud.

As you attain more levels in the True-Spoken Troubadour class, the most important choice you face is which utterances to learn. Each utterance from the Lexicon of the Evolving Mind represents an action, and its reverse, that you can use against friends or enemies. Eventually, you learn words that you can use to form utterances that affect objects and places. At every level, you learn a new utterance that can affect creatures you encounter. The words you can learn also increase in difficulty (and therefore increase in power) as you gain levels, allowing access to new, more powerful
utterances.

Resources: While some may be nervous around Troubadours they are considered useful and most True-Name Academic Organizations allow them to study in their halls. Their Guilds are also usually easy enough to find in most major cities and some smaller towns.

TRUE-SPOKEN TROUBADOUR IN THE WORLD

"I was never the same after I heard that boy sing."

Most people do not know True-Spoken Troubadours and anything more then Bards who can sing in a foreign tongue, but anyone who even dabbles in the art of True-Name Magic know of the Troubadours and deal with them with anything from contempt to jealousy to hatred

Daily Life: Troubadours often spend there time in the library of their Guild Houses studying, or out traveling to keep the knowledge of True-Name Magic from those they deem unworthy, or would otherwise abuse it.

Notables:

• Gelebor Hamastyl: The First of the Troubadours and Founder of the Mulhorandi Witch-Hunters Guild. The Bard son of a Truenamer who was killed by an evil eleven-fingered Bereft, He took up true name magic to better exact his revenge.
  
• Vyrthur Kjenth: A Troubadour that describes himself as 'The Prophet of Baftis'. He serves the consort of the Lord of the Seventh, hoping to one day win her affections, through either his music or his deeds and arguably rules her small but dedicated Cult. He Endlessly seeks the Truename of Baalzebul, and seeks to put Baftis on the Throne Maladomini, and eventually all of Baator.

Organizations:

• House of the Unnamed: One of the only academies in the Realms devoted to truename magic is found in Velprintalar in Aglarond. The House of the Unnamed contains the largest library dedicated to truename magic in the Realms. Other libraries such as Candlekeep or the one found in the Leaves of Learning may contain more volumes of interest to truenamers but none are as well-cataloged or concentrated as in this school.
  
• Daughters of Dis: An evil group of all female Troubadours who make their home in the Iron City of Dis. They protect the Infernal Library of True-Names with Fanatic devotion.
  
• Mulhorandi Witch-Hunters Guild: A Guild dedicated to taking out evil Berefts, FiendBiners, and others who would use True-Name Magic to their own ends.
  
• Untherian Bards College: Hiding in plain site, the Troubadours of the Bards College hold an impressive archive of True-Name Magic Tomes, but lock it away from even other members of the College.
  
• Thayan Thieves Guild: A group of Rouge-ish Troubadours, who are known for stealing True-Name Documents from the Infernal Libraries of Baator and replacing them with nonsense. Obvious rivalry with the Daughters of Dis.

NPC Reaction
Those who do not dabble in True Speak will react to them just as they would any bard, however those with any knowledge if True-Name Magic tend to be on shaky ground once they know they are dealing with a Troubadour, even if they have nothing to hide from them.

True-Spoken Troubadour IN THE GAME
Troubadours rely on truename magic,. But as long as
truename magic is compatible with your ongoing campaign, you can introduce it gradually. Troubadours are versatile enough to have fun in nearly any sort of encounter.

Adaptation: You can use utterances and recitation feats. That leaves plenty of room to replace those elements with utterances and recitation feats invented by the Troubadour or DM.

Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.

EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
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AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
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Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
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Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions