/PF GitP Regulars as Vestiges!

[Elricaltovilla]

Alright, here's my attempt at a vestige. It's pathfinder style, so deal with it.

Red Fel, the Friendly Fiend

The fiend known as Red Fel was once a powerful and dangerous general of hell, known for his great skill in crafting and cooking alike. His unusual attitude and general pleasantness led other fiends to see him as weak, though and so they ganged up and betrayed him. Red Fel now offers his knowledge and skill to binders, though his knowledge invariably leaves the binder craving still more knowledge and power and with an instinct to seek darker purposes.

Summoning Rules
Spirit Level: 3rd
Constellation: Fiend
Binding DC: 20
Totems: You gain a totem bonus on the spirit's binding check if you meet some or all of these conditions:

• You have recently cooked and eaten a gourmet meal
• The seal is drawn in the blood of a minor fiend
• You are a skilled craftsman, with 5 ranks in at least one Craft or Profession skill, and you possess the Master Craftsman feat.

Ceremony: You gently drip a vial of orphan tears into an open flame in the center of the seal.
Manifestation: The steam from the tears turns bright red, with plumes of blue and purple mixed in. The steam coalesces into a humanoid form before cheerfully greeting you and urging you to complete the pact.

Granted Abilities
Major Granted Abilities:
Mindburn- you release a dart of blue fire that strikes a target within close range (25 ft. +5 ft/2 levels) on a successful ranged touch attack. This flame deals 3d6 points of fire damage and 1 point of Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma (your choice) damage. At 10th level and every 4 levels thereafter, your attack deals an extra point of Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma damage. This ability can be used once every 5 rounds.

Capstone Empowerment- Creatures immune to fire damage still take the ability damage.

Minor Granted Abilities
Conceal Alignment- While bound to Red Fel, your alignment appears as True Neutral, no matter what your true alignment is. In addition, you gain a bonus to diplomacy rolls equal to 1/2 your binder level to attempt to influence characters of an alignment opposite yours.
Red Fel's Feast- Once per day you can summon a hero's feast as the spell (caster level equal to your binder level), creatures that partake of the feast register as Neutral Evil for the duration of the feast's effects. If you partake of the feast, your alignment still registers as True Neutral, as per the Conceal Alignment ability.
Crafter's Insight- You gain the Craft Magical Arms and Armor and Craft Wondrous Item feats as bonus feats for the duration of your pact with Red Fel, even if you do not meet the prerequisites.

Signs and Influence
Physical Sign: Small red horns grow out of your forehead, and when you exhale, smoke billows from your mouth or nostrils. Whenever you activate one of Red Fel's granted abilities, the smoke turns bright red and arcane sigils glow briefly on your skin.
Personality: You are always helpful and willing to offer advice, though your advice tends to be towards destructive or power hungry ends.
Favored Ally: Humanoid (Humans)
Favored Enemy: Outsider (Evil)

Spoiler: Explanation

Show

So, I tried to include nods to Red's Ironsoul Forgemaster Guide and his hilarious Allegory thread. Other than that, I based the vestige on my (somewhat limited) interactions with Red, where I noted that while Red is always helpful and willing to offer advice, it almost invariably leads to lots of destruction or being evil. Since Red Fel seems to have a fondness for teaching people how to play evil characters, or run effective villains, I figured fiend seemed appropriate.

[Vhaidara]

My one objection to that is the ceremony. Red Fel is many things, but I do not believe he is a book burner.

[Elricaltovilla]

My one objection to that is the ceremony. Red Fel is many things, but I do not believe he is a book burner.

I can pretty much guarantee you're correct, I doubt anyone here is a book burner. Any alternative suggestions for an appropriately creepy feel?

[Snowbluff]

I can pretty much guarantee you're correct, I doubt anyone here is a book burner. Any alternative suggestions for an appropriately creepy feel?

Soft meat crown?

[Elricaltovilla]

Soft meat crown?

[Snowbluff]

Oh, come on. Don't tell me you haven't worn a soft meat crown while sacrificing a goat so the clock in the produce prep room would be accurate.

Besides, your response tells me that it's what you were looking for.

I like it. I think that's a favorable trade on the whole, but sure. Edited accordingly.

Well, it is a fourth level vestige. You get it when wizards get polymorph.

I'll concede that the relationship between rudisporkery and Orcus is complicated, and I'll rewrite the special requirement to say as much, but mechanically I'm leaving it as is. Besides, this encourages rudisplorkery in your Orcus summoning (in that you have to take Ignore Special Requirements to bind both Snowbluff and Tenebrous). You probably wouldn't want to anyway, at least until you could guarantee a good pact with Tenebrous, as his influence kinda screws with iaijutsu stuff.

I'll attribute any discrepencies to the apparent schism and the fact that we've lost the annuls of history. Maybe I didn't like summoning Orcus to solve my problems?

Snowbluff, I haven't officially done this yet, but welcome to the Guild.

Oh, thanks. Someone already gave me a title. IDR who but you might want it checked out.

[Elricaltovilla]

Its really more... gross than creepy. I guess it could work, but I'll have to tweak it a bit.

[WhamBamSam]

Well, it is a fourth level vestige. You get it when wizards get polymorph.

A more apt comparison might be that you get it when Warblades get WRT, or when Wild Shape Rangers get Wild Shape, since a) every Binder takes Improved Binding, and b) comparison within T3 is more useful in determining whether something is balanced, but point taken.

[Red Fel]

Alright, here's my attempt at a vestige. It's pathfinder style, so deal with it.

Red Fel, the Friendly Fiend

Elric, you're my friend.

Seriously, that is awesome. The flavor is nice, the title is hysterical, the tone is so perfect. I love all the little nuggets - this vestige really makes the PC a horrifyingly good team player, while at the same time disturbingly good at self-promotion. Dumbing down enemies (and nerfing casters, love it!), crafting items (which makes people adore you), crafting food (which also makes people adore you), and concealing alignment. It's an odd hodge-podge that's surprisingly potent if used wisely.

This is crazy awesome.

Just for that, I'm going to try my hand at reciprocation. Don't blame me if I'm horrid at it. (Or if I'm just plain horrid. )

Ahem...

Elricaltovilla, Author of Power

The origins of the vestige known as Elricaltovilla are shrouded in mystery. Some say he was a scholar who chronicled the great martial disciplines in ages past. Others say he was a founder of several schools of combat. Still others suggest that he was never mortal, but is in fact a long-forgotten god who helped draft the preliminary sketches of many aspects of our reality. Whatever his origins, he remains approachable, and is willing to help the intrepid binder who seeks his wisdom.

Summoning Rules
Spirit Level: 1st
Constellation: Scholar
Binding DC: 17
Totems: You gain a totem bonus on the spirit's binding check if you meet some or all of these conditions:

• You have recently participated in the drafting of an informative document, book, or pamphlet.
• You are proficient in the use of at least one martial weapon.
• You place within the seal five drops of your own blood (take 1d2 nonlethal damage), drawn with a martial weapon.

Ceremony: You perform the movements of any artistic martial performance. It can be a weapon drill, martial dance, combat form, or any similar performance.
Manifestation: The sound of drums can be heard, like a distant march. They seem to come towards you from every direction. Above the seal, as though approaching through the mist, a blue-skinned reptilian humanoid appears in full military regalia. Its eye-ridge rises, as it eyes you in silent appraisal, waiting for you to make the next move.

Granted Abilities
Major Granted Abilities:
Terrible Lizard's Thunder: You unleash a bolt of crackling electricity as a ranged touch attack, which deals 1d4 points of electricity damage. This damage increases by 1d4 at 3rd level and every 2 binder levels thereafter. After you use this ability, it becomes expended for 5 rounds.
Capstone Empowerment: You may, at your discretion, channel your Terrible Lizard's Thunder through your weapon, as per the Magus Spellstrike class ability.

Minor Granted Abilities:
Martial Adaptivity: You are treated as possessing the Weapon Focus feat for the purpose of any martial weapon you wield for the duration of your pact with Elricaltovilla.
Improved Maneuvers: Any damage-dealing maneuver you use deals an additional +1d2 damage. This damage increases with your binder level. At level 4, such maneuvers deal +1d4 damage. At level 8, they deal +1d6. At level 12, they deal +1d8. At level 16, they deal +1d10. At level 20, they deal +2d6. This damage stacks with all other sources of bonus damage. This damage may only be applied once per maneuver (so any maneuver that connects multiple times only deals bonus damage once).
Combat Skill: You gain an insight bonus on CMB and CMD equal to 1/2 your binder level + 1/2 any levels you may have in the Warder, Stalker, or Warlord classes.

Signs and Influence
Physical Sign: Your skin takes on a faint blue tint, and your teeth enlarge and extend slightly. In dim light, purple energy, like electricity, can be seen crackling around your hands. Whenever you activate one of Elricaltovilla's granted abilities, this energy pulses brightly.
Personality: You take on a more analytic tone. You become more eager for martial combat, but view it tactically.
Favored Ally: Any creature with ranks in martial classes, or in Magus
Favored Enemy: Any creature with ranks in spellcasting classes (other than Magus)

Spoiler: Explanation

Show

Okay. I wanted to focus on your work on PoW, while throwing some nuggets to Magus. Terrible Lizard's Thunder is a terrible play on words, and I love it so I put it in; the capstone empowerment is based on Magus. The rest is basically designed to allow the build to be comfortably martial, and possibly to theurge with PoW classes. That's kind of what I build the Improved Maneuvers thing around.

I tried to present the vestige as patient, intelligent, and helpful, because I've read your guides and they're awesome, and I've found your posts on PF to be extremely instructive.

I also have no doubt whatsoever that this is a hideous hodge-podge of abilities that do binders no favors. But that's me.

[Elricaltovilla]

Elric, you're my friend.

Seriously, that is awesome. The flavor is nice, the title is hysterical, the tone is so perfect. I love all the little nuggets - this vestige really makes the PC a horrifyingly good team player, while at the same time disturbingly good at self-promotion. Dumbing down enemies (and nerfing casters, love it!), crafting items (which makes people adore you), crafting food (which also makes people adore you), and concealing alignment. It's an odd hodge-podge that's surprisingly potent if used wisely.

This is crazy awesome.

I'm so glad you like it! I always find your posts to be really insightful and entertaining, so I thought you deserved to be vestiged. Keep up the good (or evil) work!

Just for that, I'm going to try my hand at reciprocation. Don't blame me if I'm horrid at it. (Or if I'm just plain horrid. )

Ahem...

Elricaltovilla, Author of Power

This is a thing of beauty. Really, its amazing how much you've captured me lol. Thank you.

[Threadnaught]

I'll concede that the relationship between rudisporkery and Orcus is complicated, and I'll rewrite the special requirement to say as much, but mechanically I'm leaving it as is. Besides, this encourages rudisplorkery in your Orcus summoning (in that you have to take Ignore Special Requirements to bind both Snowbluff and Tenebrous). You probably wouldn't want to anyway, at least until you could guarantee a good pact with Tenebrous, as his influence kinda screws with iaijutsu stuff.

It's really not that complex.

Orcus was fed up of being Summoned every time someone cast a Summoning Spell or even said his name out loud, we were sick of Summoning Orcus every time we cast a Summoning Spell or said his name, especially when we said something like this had better not ******* Summon Orcus before casting a Summoning Spell.
Orcus and the Rudisplorkers recognized each others' frustrations and banded over it.

Orcus is a proud member of the Rudisplorkers' Guild. Though his title is withheld while operations are ongoing.

Oh, thanks. Someone already gave me a title. IDR who but you might want it checked out.

Emperor Win didn't involve himself in the whole shebang, you're fine. Avatar of PCdom is pretty close to Optimization/Rudisplorkery.

Ceremony: You ritually burn the pages of an ancient tome individually, calling out the name of a fiend with each page you burn.

I feel this would suit ********** *** ***** ******* much better.
Maybe we should refer to this person as He Who Must Not Be Named? Or #HWMNBN.

[Elricaltovilla]

I feel this would suit ********** *** ***** ******* much better.
Maybe we should refer to this person as He Who Must Not Be Named? Or #HWMNBN.

I'd be inclined to agree with you if I knew who said person was, or was more familiar with Rudisplorking. I admit that I'm pretty ignorant of that.

[Red Fel]

I feel this would suit ********** *** ***** ******* much better.
Maybe we should refer to this person as He Who Must Not Be Named? Or #HWMNBN.

I feel we should really drop that tired old chestnut. Look, I love humor, particularly at the expense of others, but that... that's not even really a joke anymore. It's not even all that funny. Let's devote our energies to something more productive, hmm?

Like coming up with alternatives to burning books. I'm rather fond of spilling tears from a vial while reminiscing about how I caused them to be shed, for example. But that's me.

[WhamBamSam]

Orcus was fed up of being Summoned every time someone cast a Summoning Spell or even said his name out loud, we were sick of Summoning Orcus every time we cast a Summoning Spell or said his name, especially when we said something like this had better not ******* Summon Orcus before casting a Summoning Spell.
Orcus and the Rudisplorkers recognized each others' frustrations and banded over it.

Orcus is a proud member of the Rudisplorkers' Guild. Though his title is withheld while operations are ongoing.

Oh very well.

"Special Requirement: Owing to his prior identity as a champion of Rudisplork, Snowbluff disapproves of summoning Orcus, the Demon Prince of Undeath. He will not answer the call to a Binder already bound to Tenebrous."

Are we happy now?

I feel we should really drop that tired old chestnut. Look, I love humor, particularly at the expense of others, but that... that's not even really a joke anymore. It's not even all that funny. Let's devote our energies to something more productive, hmm?

Like coming up with alternatives to burning books. I'm rather fond of spilling tears from a vial while reminiscing about how I caused them to be shed, for example. But that's me.

Can I fill the vials with my own tears of laughter as well as those of my victims? I assume so, since I'm sure you'd agree evil shouldn't be wasteful. Use every part of the fiendish buffalo and all that.

[Elricaltovilla]

I feel we should really drop that tired old chestnut. Look, I love humor, particularly at the expense of others, but that... that's not even really a joke anymore. It's not even all that funny. Let's devote our energies to something more productive, hmm?

Like coming up with alternatives to burning books. I'm rather fond of spilling tears from a vial while reminiscing about how I caused them to be shed, for example. But that's me.

Vial of tears? I think that works. Can I make it the tears of orphans? I don't want it to be too specific or it becomes inordinately hard to summon you, but orphan tears are probably pretty good for magic or something.

[Ssalarn]

Vial of tears? I think that works. Can I make it the tears of orphans? I don't want it to be too specific or it becomes inordinately hard to summon you, but orphan tears are probably pretty good for magic or something.

And if they've been freshly made orphans, the tears should be relatively easy to come by...

[Tarlek Flamehai]

Tarlek Flamehai- Celebrant of the Form.

I love it. I think you have truly captured my many foibles and obsessions, especially as I have expressed myself on this forum. Many thanks!

I present you with a cookie.

[Elricaltovilla]

Edited to Orphan Tears. No more book burning to call Red Fel required

[Coidzor]

Even better for weirdness and creepiness. Orphan Tears are hallucinogenic, after all.

[oxybe]

I like to think that some of these edits are currently ongoing in some sort of meta-fiction where some poor binder is in the middle of a ritual and a big, dumb windows error message pops up telling that connection to the vestige is currently unavailable and to try again later, only to find out that the summoning requirements have changed when he tries to resummon.

[Elricaltovilla]

I like to think that some of these edits are currently ongoing in some sort of meta-fiction where some poor binder is in the middle of a ritual and a big, dumb windows error message pops up telling that connection to the vestige is currently unavailable and to try again later, only to find out that the summoning requirements have changed when he tries to resummon.

Fortunately, every character I've ever played carries a vial of orphan tears with them wherever they go. They're just so refreshing!

[PsyBomb]

And if they've been freshly made orphans, the tears should be relatively easy to come by...

This explains SO MUCH...

Incidentally, love the Spirit you made for me. I immediately went to see just how badly I can break level-amp effects :D

[Ashtagon]

Feel free to stat me up as a vestige.

[Faily]

Don't think people notice me that much, but permission is granted if anyone feel like it.

I probably won't be able to do much in return, alas, as the Vestiges-thing is on the side of mechanics I never really looked into.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Sure, go for it.

[Threadnaught]

Are we happy now?

We're not unhappy. We're quite pleased to have cleared up the confusion actually... Well a few of us are sad about that. I am of course referring to how the multiple personalities in my head would feel about the situation in the thread.

Damn that makes me look crazy. I'm not crazy... Well, I am crazy, but I'm not crazy like that. I mean the multiple different personalities of the multiple characters I've created, some of which are absolutely insane.

[Jormengand]

On phone, so can't easily format.

Spoiler: Jormengand

Show

Name: Jormengand, the Scalene Mind
Vestige Level: 3rd
Binding DC: 28
Legend: (I don't know enough about you for a good legend. May do this later.)
Manifestation: A series of translucent spheres appears in a vertical line, the height of a human being: gray, white, red, and then a flaming ball, from bottom to top. A warforged walks around from behind the lit spheres, wearing a cape of red and black colors suggesting destruction.
Sign: Something indeterminate about you makes others inclined to disagree with you for no good reason.
Influence: You prefer the pronoun "it" to gendered pronouns, and must correct anyone who mid genders you. For languages besides Common, you prefer the closest applicable pronoun.

Granted Abilities

Truespeech: You are treated as having ranks in Truespeech equal to your effective binder level - 3, if they would otherwise be lower than this amount. You also gain Minor Lexicon of the Evolving Mind as a bonus feat.
Partial Immortality: As an immediate action, you can gain the benefit of the Delay Death spell (Races of Destiny). This lasts for 1 round. Once you have used this ability, you may not do so again for 5 rounds.
Bolt of Burning Death: You gain the Eldritch Blast ability as a Warlock of your Binder level. This blast also sets the target creature on fire if it hits and they fail a Reflex save. Once you have used this ability, you may not do so again for 5 rounds.
Strawman Callout: You may apply a -4 penalty to any Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check made against you.

This almost certainly isn't a good picture of Jormengand, but I used what I could find.

What's the manifestation all about? And I don't get where Partial Immortality was from either. Otherwise, pretty amusing.

[Kazyan]

Partial Immortality comes from Amkii, and the manifestation is open to interpretation.

[Jormengand]

Partial Immortality comes from Amkii, and the manifestation is open to interpretation.

Ahh. You should have called it False Immortality (As opposed to Amkii's True Immortality).

"Open to interpretation"? Is that a challenge?

[Coidzor]

Sure, go for it.

Grod The Giant, Feller of the Tree

Spoiler: A Very Vestigial Grod The Giant

Show

The primordial giant known as Grod was an early scholar of magical theory and the nature of the world, and one of the earliest practicioners of binding. Known for his disdain of magical items, Grod cut down a great tree growing in the courtyard of Boccob's domain which was serving as a model of the nature of magical items and mortals dependency on items to act as anchors for such permanent enchantments, saying that he would disprove the model. The tree was cut down and now exists as a great stump in which Boccob sealed Grod's knowledge, the only piece of which is visible is a summary of a formula known only as "Grod's Law."

Grod the Giant now offers the power to break those shackles of item dependency upon those who would spurn them and wisdom to better utilize the powers granted by Vestiges.

Summoning Rules
Spirit Level: 7th?
Constellation: Giant? Scholar? Binder?
Binding DC: 26? 30? 35?
Totems: You gain a totem bonus on the spirit's binding check if you meet some or all of these conditions:

• You have recently discarded, destroyed, or otherwise willingly and purposefully had a magic item leave your possession without compensation.
• You cut down or burn down a living tree without uprooting it within an hour of starting the ceremony or as part of the ceremony?
• The seal is drawn in giant's blood?
• You are a scholar, with 5 ranks in Knowledge(Arcana), Knowledge(Psionics), Knowledge(History), Knowledge(Religion), or Knowledge(The Planes), and Skill Focus for any of those Knowledge Skills.

Ceremony: You burn or cut down an effigy of a tree in the center of the seal. Or destroy a sapling, tree, bonsai, or significant and still-living main branch of a tree.
Manifestation: The smoke or open cut erupts into a paper-like substance covered in seemingly random arcane sigils and formulae that assumes a humanoid form of idealized proportions that towers at least a head taller than the Binder and silently regards the Binder as various arcane symbols and signs form and vanish around it in dim, heatless blue and green flames and Grod's Law is written in the air as the Binder finishes.

Granted Abilities

1. Grod's Law (Su): As a Standard Action, the Binder may declare one creature within 60 feet in violation of Grod's Law, limiting their opponent's power by making it frustrating to use their abilities. The creature must make a DC 17+ Cha Will Save . If they fail their Will Save, every time they try to use an ability derived from a class feature they suffer a 30% of failure that increases by 5% every class ability they attempt to use up to a maximum failure chance of 75%. If they succeed on their Will Save, their failure chance starts at 5% and increases to a maximum of 15%. Iterative attacks from high BAB are each individually affected by the failure chance, but not the first attack in a full attack routine. Actions are still expended when failing the percentile roll to determine if the ability can be used. This ability is not a Necromantic effect or Necromancy but otherwise functions as a Bestow Curse effect with a duration of 1 minute and caster level equal to the Binder's Binder level. After using this ability, the Binder must wait 1d4 rounds before being able to use it again. There is no limit on the number of creatures that can be declared in violation of Grod's Law.
2. Cutter of the Magic Tree (Su): The Binder who binds Grod The Giant gains a competence bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, armor class, saving throws, and initiative checks equal to one-third their Binder level, rounded down. If using a shield, double this bonus to armor class. This bonus supercedes any Enhancement bonuses, even if lower.
3. Binder's Friend (Su): Any abilities the Binder possesses from other Vestiges are usable every 1d4 rounds instead of once every 5 rounds.

Signs and Influence
Physical Sign: Grod's Law is written upon your flesh along with various arcane symbols and formulae and randomly shifting signs of Vestiges both "real" and hypothetical. Whenever you activate one of Grod The Giant's granted abilities, an aura of blue-white or golden light surrounds you, illuminating brightly within 5 feet and dimly out to 10 feet.
Personality: You are disdainful of magical items, and those who are reliant upon them for their power, save for a few items that are deemed sufficiently interesting(such as planar orreries) or that are trinkets.
Favored Ally: Humanoid (Humans)?
Favored Enemy: Constructs?

Spoiler: Help?

Show

Influence?: Binders that bind Grod The Giant have to resist his influence or they become unable to wear magic items in any of their body slots and must make a will save every time they try to use a spell-completion or use-activated magic items? Can't recall how you'd handle that, sorry. Really do need to re-read Tome of Magic.

Spoiler: Explanation

Show

So, I tried to convey Grod's Law as basically saying that an enemy is in violation of it, which makes them have their abilities become really annoying to use, frustrating their attempts to use them in the first place.

Cutter of the Magic Tree is almost completely copy-and-pasted from his Chopping Down the Christmas Tree Magic Item Rules homebrew.

I picked up on Binder's Friend from his houserules/fixes of Binders, since he has it so that once every 5 rounds abiliites are 1d4 rounds like a dragon's breath weapon.

The Influence I'd like to give him naturally follows from the cutting down the Christmas Tree and I figured Grod's Law shouted Scholar to me and where else would you have a literal representation of the Christmas Tree but the Deity of Magic's personal desmense. But I can't actually recall how to do that properly, sorry.

Sort of a quasi-real representation of a metaphysical property of the multiverse made possible by copious amounts of magic. And then he tried to disprove it. With an Axe. Which may or may not have also bee a quasi-real representation of a metaphysical property of the multiverse. Anyway, he *did* cut it down, but he's also a Vestige now, so...

I think the power of nearly-at-will and auto-scaling Bestow Curse and also being able to ignore some investment in magical items would make him more suitable for mid-levels, hence the 4th level Vestigeness, especially since you need to be at least level 3 before that ability would give any benefit at all.

This Color Denotes Uncertainty due to fuzzy recollections of Binder RAW or placeholders. Also that suggestions are welcome for what to put instead of purple text.

(With thanks to Elricaltovilla due to cribbing the template off of Red Fel's Vestige)