Vague search for a PRC, or help in letting down a player

[Enlong]

OK. So, I'm DMing a Sandstorm campaign, and one of the PCs for it has a very specific idea about what kind of prestige class he'd like. Trouble is, I don't know/think that such a class exists, and don't know how to break it to him if I just have to tell him "no", as I can understand his excitement over a possible homebrewed prestige class of whic I'm not sure of the mechanics yet. So... I have 2 questions.

1: is there any martial (sticking point) class (base or otherwise) that represents some kind of supernatural connection to the earth? Specifically, the ability to do things such as generate armor out of surrounding earth or sand, the ability to become earth and/or meld with it, and... well, that's sort of it. (he also mentioned casting off the armor by animating it as a temporary Golem)
My problem with this idea, as awesome as it sounds; is that our party already has a sand-shaper, whose spells sound more and more like what he's trying to do anyway, and I'd rather not homebrew a Prestige class just to end up making something redundant.

2: If not, what's a polite way to ask him to persue other classes? I almost think he'd like playing an Ashworm Dragoon or a Swordsage with Desert Wind maneuvers, but I'd have to first convince him to give up on this idea, if it does not exist.

3: Actually, the class sounds fairly cool, if it can be done without the aforementioned redundancy. If it does not exist, does anyone know of anyone who has homebrewed a class along those lines?

[FlyMolo]

I know there's a geomancer Prc. I'm not sure whether it does anything, but have a peek?

there's a pair of feats for psionic characters...called Earth sense? gives tremorsense, I think. And a second feat, uses the first as a pre-req, which is a free, stacking, torc of power preservation

Psion, kineticist. A PsyWar with a dorje of animate object?

[Enlong]

Hm... perhaps. I'm already allowing a Wilder, so maybe a Psychic Warrior. I think the Geomancer class is "Geo" because its magic is based on his relative location to "leylines"? I dunno.

I think I'm just gonna have to let him down and tell him that the Sandshaper already fills that niche, and that there are many other things he can do as a Martial character. It'd probably help if I also introduced him to Tome of Battle as I did so. There's no way he can not find Desert Wind to be cool.

[Glyphic]

If you've got Tome of Magic, there's a Shadow Smith class in the second section of the book. Full bab, good reflex, makes things out of shadow. Minor mystery casting. It could work, with a little reflavoring.

[Eita]

If he wants awesome armor made out of naturally occurring stuff, then perhaps Greenstar Adept?

[Sstoopidtallkid]

If he wants awesome armor made out of naturally occurring stuff, then perhaps Greenstar Adept?

Yes, because addicting the character to space crack is the way to go.

Honestly, it's underpowered, but it is a Gish PrC so that's standard (though it's even bad at that) and if completely re-fluffed would be what he wants.

[Eita]

Sandstone Adept then? It has potential. Of course, the whole 'making a sand golem' thing should be scrapped as that's more of a caster thing.

[Hal]

Well, it's not exactly what he wanted, but what about an elemental infiltrator?

[Ralfarius]

*Blink*
He wants to be Gaara, doesn't he? It doesn't necessarily invalidate the idea, but I often find people are slightly embarrassed when you call them on wanting to be a character from some shonen manga/anime.

[Ponce]

Stonelord? I think you have to be a dwarf, but hopefully you can handwave that.

Edit: Source is complete warrior, by the way.

[sonofzeal]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned Deepstone Sentinal (Tome of Battle). It's a fairly high-level dwarf-only PrC, requiring BAB +10, but allows for massive reshaping of stone and earth around you to awesome effect. The signature ability creates a pillar of stone underneath you, giving you the high ground and making all squares around you count as difficult terrain (and requiring balance checks to avoid falling prone... meaning it makes most people flatfooted too). Not sure if it's over- or under-powered, but the flavour is good and ToB is pretty reliable.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

How did I forget that? Waive the Dwarf-only requirement, and you have a class. It's weaker than other ToB stuff (the "can't move" stances are a bad idea) but it is ToB so it's not too bad.

[bosssmiley]

There's the Elemental Warrior class from Planar Handbook. A 5 class martial PrC that draws its power from one of the four Elemental Planes.

[Talic]

Druids get shapechange and are more martial than most martial classes. Add in elemental companion for an earth elemental buddy, and take certain feats from Sandstorm, and you'd be on your way. They don't get the elemental form until higher levels, but if he's looking to be a cheap knockoff of a villain from Spider man 3, hey, more power to him.

[cupkeyk]

How about the underdark hunter class substitution levels for paladin in dungeonscape or complete champion(I forget). It can swim through earth, gets stone shape as a spell like ability. Good entry into deepstone sentinel as well.

[Enlong]

*Blink*
He wants to be Gaara, doesn't he? It doesn't necessarily invalidate the idea, but I often find people are slightly embarrassed when you call them on wanting to be a character from some shonen manga/anime.

Well, his things have changed regarding that. He mainly wants a martial character with a deep connection to the earth, so that he can transform into sand and create armor from earth. If I had to say, its closer to that one guy from Yu Yu Hakusho.

[ColonelFuster]

..he wants to be an earthbender?

[Enlong]

Yes... I suppose... sort of, but he does not know it by that name.

Thanks for all your commentary, I think I know what to do now.

[bosssmiley]

..he wants to be an earthbender?

Oh, Shugenja (Comp Div) or Wu-Jen (Comp Arc) should cover it then.
No, seriously. Look at their spell lists; they're already D&D's elementalist/*bender caster classes.