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View Full Version : Advanced Critique: The Haruspex PrC [3.5]



Lappy9000
2009-09-03, 02:08 PM
Haruspex
http://th01.deviantart.net/fs34/300W/i/2008/294/f/9/Morag__The_Gatherer_of_Souls_by_butterfrog.jpg
-Image by butterfrog (http://butterfrog.deviantart.com/).

Bound to the ancient arts of divination, haruspices follow the flow of the lifefoce in order to determine the fates of the future. However, while others immerse themselves in this extraordinary radiance for guidance, haruspices instead focus on the energies of the physical body in order to study their art. Despite an often ill-advised connection to negative energy, haruspices make use of their practices to great effect during ceremonies or even within the heat of battle.

Requirements: To qualify to become a haruspex, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Alignment: Any non-good.
Skill: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks.
Special: Must radiate a moderate or stronger aura of a non-good alignment.

Table: Haruspex
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+2|Hepatomancy

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+3|Augury, Sibylline Vision

3rd|
+3|
+0|
+3|
+3|Revoke Brio

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+4|Seal the Wakened

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+4|Reversed Paroxysm, Torrent of Vigor[/table]

Hit Die: d8
Class Skills: The haruspex's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int Modifier

Class Features
All the following are class features of the haruspex prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Haruspices gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Hepatomancy (Su): The art of the haruspex lies in telling fates from the bodies of the living. To perform hepatomancy, a haruspex must target a living, corporeal creature that she can see visibly within 30 ft. By making a DC 20 Heal check, a haruspex can predict a sampling of immediate future events, granting her an insight bonus to Armor Class equal to her haruspex level. This bonus to AC lasts for 1 minute.

Augury (Sp): At 2nd level, a haruspex can cast Augury (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/augury.htm) as a spell-like ability at-will.

Sibylline Vision (Su): A 2nd level haruspex hones her divining prowess and learns to add her haruspex level to all Wisdom-based checks.

Revoke Brio (Su): By 3rd level, a haruspex can alter the fate of a creature whom she can perform hepatomancy on. By making a successful melee attack against the creature, a haruspex can immediately perform a DC 25 Heal check to twist fate using the body as a focus. If successful, the creature takes a -2 profane penalty to Armor Class and saving throws for one minute, in addition to dealing damage as normal.

Seal the Wakened (Su): By using her strange powers over positive and negative energy, a 4th level haruspex can turn and rebuke undead as if she were a cleric of the same level by channeling the power of the fates through a symbol of power.

A haruspex may attempt to turn and rebuke undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier. If a haruspex already has the ability to turn or rebuke undead, she instead gets an additional use of the ability per day.

A haruspex adds her haruspex levels with cleric levels to determine her effective level for turning or rebuking undead. Additionally, she gets a +4 bouns on checks to either turning or rebuking if she already gained the ability from another class.

Reversed Paroxysm (Su): Once per day, a haruspex of 5th level can revert life energy targeted towards her into a different form. By making an instantaneous DC 30 Heal check, the haruspex can turn negative or positive energy inflicted upon her to turn into the opposite energy type.

Torrent of Vigor (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, a haruspex can break down natural barriers to positive energy upon a creature that she can perform hepatomancy upon. By taking a full-round action that provokes an attack or opportunity, the haruspex can make a DC 30 Heal check to destroy these barriers, granting the creature Fast Healing 10. However, the creature now begins to aquire bonus hit points above their normal maximum amount. If the creature attains twice their normal number of hit points, they explode in a brilliant flash, instantly killing the creature.

If the creature affected by this fast healing is brought below half hit points, or survives the effect for one minute, they are rid of the effect, and return to their normal maximum number of hit points.

The Neoclassic
2009-09-03, 06:20 PM
Ed note: Understandably, things don't tend to get very much critique when they're in a campaign setting alone.

Sooooo true. :smallsmile:



Requirements: To qualify to become an edificer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Fix your copy/paste! :smallwink:


Alignment: Any non-good.
Skill: Heal 8 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks.
Special: Must radiate a moderate or stronger aura of a non-good alignment.

Hmm, why non-good? Is it because they're essentially working with negative or unholy energies for many of their abilities? Also, the aura... so that'd restrict this to clerics and blackguards (as far as core classes)?

At first I found it weird that this wasn't a caster class, but I rather like this flavor for a martial-based class. Very nice.


Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Haruspices gain proficiency with light and medium armor but not with shields.

It's rare for prestige classes to grant new armor proficiencies. Why do haruspices get them? It makes sense that most would be proficient, but I can't imagine why joining this class would give them to a character who didn't have them beforehand.


Hepatomancy (Su): The art of the haruspex lies in telling fates from the bodies of the living. To perform hepatomancy, a haruspex must target a living, corporeal creature that she can see visibly within 30 ft. By making a DC 20 Heal check, a haruspex can predict a sampling of immediate future events, granting her an insight bonus to AC equal to her haruspex level. This bonus to AC lasts for 1 minute.

The wording is slightly confusing. Does the haruspex gain this insight bonus to her own AC specifically and only against the creature she studied? It's not clear if that's what this means, though I think that's what you intended.


Augury (Sp): At 2nd level, a haruspex can cast Augury (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/augury.htm) as a spell-like ability at-will.

At will? The only hesitance I have here is that augury is usually a spell which requires components... As a spell-like ability, do they still need the material component / focus? Sorry, I don't remember the rules for that. :smallredface:


Sibylline Vision (Su): A 2nd level haruspex hones on her divining prowess and learns to add her haruspex level to all Wisdom-based checks.

I think this should just be "hones" not "hones on." This seems a rather powerful bonus, though it's not as bad since this isn't a caster class.


Revoke Brio (Su): By 3rd level, a haruspex can alter the fate of a creature whom she can perform hepatomancy on. By making a successful melee attack against the creature, a haruspex can immediately perform a DC 25 Heal check to twist fate using the body as a focus. If successful, the creature takes a -2 profane penalty to AC and saving throws for one minute, in addition to dealing damage as normal.

Nifty.


Seal the Wakened (Su): By using her strange powers over positive and negative energy, a 4th level haruspex can turn and rebuke undead as if she were a cleric of the same level by channeling the power of the fates through a symbol of power.

A haruspex may attempt to turn and rebuke undead a number of times per day equal to 3 + her Charisma modifier.

So she can do either? I also assume that if she has cleric levels, she adds her haruspex and cleric levels to determine her effective level for turning/rebuking.


Torrent of Vigor (Su): Upon reaching 5th level, a haruspex can break down natural barriers to positive energy upon a creature that she can perform hepatomancy upon. By taking a full-round action that provokes an attack or opportunity, the haruspex can make a DC 30 Heal check to destroy these barriers, granting the creature Fast Healing 10. However, the creature now begins to aquire bonus hit points above their normal maximum amount. If the creature attains twice their normal number of hit points, they explode in a brilliant flash, instantly killing the creature.

If the creature affected by this fast healing is brought below half hit points, or survives the effect for one minute, they are rid of the effect, and return to their normal maximum number of hit points.

I don't see a limit for how often a haruspex can use it. Perhaps just once per day? Very cool though.

This class has a lot of nifty abilities. It might be *slightly* underpowered for a prestige class though. A (boring) way to fix this could be giving them good Fort saves, Ref saves, or both. They have a close tie to bodily energies and an uncanny insight into the future, so either would be reasonable if you chose to add them.

DragoonWraith
2009-09-03, 06:35 PM
At will? The only hesitance I have here is that augury is usually a spell which requires components... As a spell-like ability, do they still need the material component / focus? Sorry, I don't remember the rules for that. :smallredface:
As per the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/specialAbilities.htm#spellLikeAbilities), Spell-like Abilities never have any components of any sort.

Lappy9000
2009-09-03, 06:58 PM
Fix your copy/paste! :smallwink:CURSES!!!


Hmm, why non-good? Is it because they're essentially working with negative or unholy energies for many of their abilities? Also, the aura... so that'd restrict this to clerics and blackguards (as far as core classes)?Pretty much, yeah. It works well in a world where alignment isn't absolute, 'cause you can have a haruspex sacrificing their purity for the greater good, oddly enough.

It's an interesting prerequisite, because blackguards and clerics (plus evil outsiders) can enter early, while your run-of-the-mill human evil baddy will have to wait till level 11. Check out the table: [linky (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/detectEvil.htm)]

Heck, you can radiate a Chaotic or Lawful aura and get into the class no prob.


first I found it weird that this wasn't a caster class, but I rather like this flavor for a martial-based class. Very nice.I might actually make it more martial.


It's rare for prestige classes to grant new armor proficiencies. Why do haruspices get them? It makes sense that most would be proficient, but I can't imagine why joining this class would give them to a character who didn't have them beforehand.Yeeeeah, it's a little unnecessary now that you mention it. I'll scratch that out.


The wording is slightly confusing. Does the haruspex gain this insight bonus to her own AC specifically and only against the creature she studied? It's not clear if that's what this means, though I think that's what you intended.Ah, it's supposed to be just a flat bonus to AC. Otherwise it'd be lame like Dodge.


At will? The only hesitance I have here is that augury is usually a spell which requires components... As a spell-like ability, do they still need the material component / focus? Sorry, I don't remember the rules for that. :smallredface:DragoonWraith got that one :smallcool:


I think this should just be "hones" not "hones on." This seems a rather powerful bonus, though it's not as bad since this isn't a caster class.It probably got erased then re-typed. I'll fix that.


Nifty.:smallcool:


I also assume that if she has cleric levels, she adds her haruspex and cleric levels to determine her effective level for turning/rebuking.Ah, I thought I wrote that in there. I'll go back and make it clearer.


I don't see a limit for how often a haruspex can use it. Perhaps just once per day? Very cool though.I'll probably throw another less situational ability in there.


This class has a lot of nifty abilities. It might be *slightly* underpowered for a prestige class though. A (boring) way to fix this could be giving them good Fort saves, Ref saves, or both. They have a close tie to bodily energies and an uncanny insight into the future, so either would be reasonable if you chose to add them.The class doesn't really scream "fortitudious" to me, but I can't go with a potentially boring choice anyways :smallwink:

I'll think up another little class feature or two to throw in there. Thanks again, you're always an awesome help NeoClassic!

Lappy9000
2009-09-03, 07:23 PM
Schweet; fixed errors and added a new class feature that lets a haruspex (potentially) be healed by a negative energy attack (or a positive energy attack if she's an undead or tomb-tainted soul).