Eldan
2010-06-05, 04:22 PM
Work in Progress.
The Transcendent Scion
And so, The Witness of Forlorn Memories was intrigued. The disturbance was neglectable in size, and infinitely fragile, and yet it held many secrets. There were laws inside the tiny bubble that none of the Elder Minds had ever dreamt up, causes following effects, linear time, three dimensions of space closely intertwined.
The Witness of Forlorn Memories extended a fine tendril of his essence towards the disturbance carefully peeling apart it's outer layers and reaching for it's core.
But suddenly, as he touched the strange reality within, the tendril was severed from him by an unknown force, because, unbeknownst to him, the powers of that reality had felt and dreaded his incursion, and trapped his essence in a mortal shell, forever to be bound in that little creature's descendants.
The Witness of Forlorn Memories pondered this for a grand cycle and a half, until he felt something new, a bright and tiny spark of his own essence had freed itself from the disturbance inside him. He parted his layers and studied the spark, and he knew it.
And so, the seed of a new Elder Mind was born.
-The Codex of Forbidden Dreams
Outside reality, beyond the boundaries of Time, Space and logic, lies the Far Realm, home to entities vast and powerful, perhaps more so than even the gods. Few ever notice the tiny bubble of reality, but those that do sometimes invest a tiny spark of their own essence in it, to grow and mature. This spark attaches itself to the conciousness of a newborn or weak-minded creature, displacing it's soul in the process.
Scions are those born with such a spark, manifesting most often as an unusually powerful talent for Xenotheurgy. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122103) The feeling of not belonging in this world never entirely leaves them, and some of them seek to return to the place calling to them, the Far Realms. These become Transcendent Scions, developing their talents and seeking their "True Form".
Prerequisites:
Feats: Any two aberrant feats
Skills: Knowledge: the Planes 8 ranks, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 8 ranks
Special: Must know at least three murmurs, one of which must be Endless Evolution
The Transcendent Scion
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Internal Change, Seeping through
2nd|
+1|
+3|
0|
+3|External Change
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Murmur, Concious Incursion
4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Internal Change
5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|External Change
6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Murmur, Lessened Reality
7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Internal Change
8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+6|External Change
9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+6|Murmur, Broken Boundaries
10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+7|Internal Change, True Form[/table]
Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (the planes), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skill points per level: 4+intelligence modifier
Hit Die: d8
Internal Change (ex): At first level, and every three levels thereafter, the character's metabolism changes in a strange way, bringing them closer to their alien origins. A close examination of the character may reveal these changes, which requires a DC 15 heal check.
They may select one of the abilities from the list below:
Alien Blood: the character's blood is replaced with a foul-smelling, translucent liquid. All creatures coming in contact with their blood, by drinking or draining it, or treating a bleeding wound, take 1d6 points of acid damage and must make a fortitude save, DC 10+class level+the character's constitution modifier, or be nauseated for one round. Furthermore, any wounds the character takes immediately stop bleeding, negating the constitution damage from a wounding weapon, and any ongoing damage from attacks which continue to bleed, such as a bat swarm's wounding attack. When reduced below 0 hit points, the character automatically stabilizes.
Breath of the Ancients: The Scion can hold his breath four times as long as normal. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on fortitude saves against all gaseous spells and effects. They can breathe water as easily as air.
Developing Mind: The character gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat, and may choose a single first level power from the psion or psychic warrior list which he can manifest three times per day as a psi-like ability.
Rapid Metabolism: The character gains immunity to all natural poisons, and a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against supernatural poisons, and all diseases. Their wounds heal at four times the normal rate.
Scrambled Organs: The character gains a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks.
Waking Mind: The character is constantly awake and on edge, never restful. They gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks, on will save to see through illusions and a +4 bonus on all spot and listen checks and all sleep spells and effects. Furthermore, the character does not sleep, but instead meditates half as long as he would normally sleep, as an elf (an elf instead only meditates half as long).
Seeping Through (ex): Remnants and traces of their far realm origin manifest all around the character. They can no longer suppress the disturbances gained from any of their murmurs.
External Change (su): The character's body now more closely resembles their true form. At second level, and every three levels thereafter, he may select one of the abilities from the list below. Every ability includes a small, but visible change active at all times, and a larger change which may be activated or deactivated at will as a swift action. The character may manifest one or several of these changes, but may only activate one of them at any time. When trying to conceal his identity, the character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on disguise checks for every change active
A thousand eyes: When active, the character's body is covered in dozens of large, unnaturally covered eyes. These eyes give the character darkvision out to a range of 60 feet or increases the range of an already existing darkvision by 30 feet. Furthermore, the character gains a +8 circumstance bonus on all spot checks, and can no longer be flanked, except by someone with at least four more rogue levels than they have Transcendent Scion levels.
When deactivated, the Scion's eyes have an unnatural colouration or strangely shaped pupils.
Crawling Skin: When active, the character's skin is crawling with all manner of worms, grubs and vermin, and a cloud of flying insects surround them constantly. The character takes no damage from standing inside a swarm, instead, they gain fast healing one while occupying the same space as a swarm. The cloud of insects provides the character with concealment against all attacks made from more than five feet away.
While deactivated, others see worms or flies crawling over the character's skin from time to time, but always only out of the corner of their eyes.
Fibrous Flesh: When activated, the character's muscles bulge outwards, replaced by mighty strands of hard, fibrous material. They gain a +4 bonus to strength, but a -2 penalty to dexterity, and damage reduction 5/slashing.
When deactivated, the character's limbs seem to shiver uncontrollably from time to time.
Gaping Maw: When activated, a mouth full of teeth opens on the character's body, giving them a bite attack dealing 1d6 damage as a primary natural weapon for a medium creature. If they already have a bite attack, they gain a second one, doing the same damage, as a secondary natural weapon.
When deactivated, the character has a long, jagged scar in the place where the mouth would be which, from time to time, oozes a clear liquid.
Membranous wings: When activated, the Scion grows a pair of semi-transparent, veined wings from his back, giving him a flight speed equal to his base land speed with average maneuverability.
When deactivated, the Scion's skin is pale, his veins clearly visible under the skin, and his fingers become webbed.
Oozing body: When activated, slime oozes from the character's skin, completely covering him. The slime changes consistency from sticky to liquid as the character desires. This gives them a +4 circumstance bonus to all climb and escape artist check, and any creature biting the character must make a fortitude save equal to DC 10+class level+the character's constitution modifier or be sickened for one minute. Furthermore, he gains a +1 natural armour bonus, or his existing natural armour improves by +1.
When deactivated, the character's body constantly seems clammy and their skin has a sickly colour.
Sensory Hairs: While active, inch-long stalks cover the character's face and head, constantly quivering and detecting small vibrations in the air. They gain Blindsense out to a range of 20 feet, and Blindsight to a range of 5 feet.
Tentacles: When activated, a pair of tentacles sprouts from the character's body. These are secondary natural weapons, dealing 1d4 damage each (for a medium sized character).
When deactivated, large, snake-like forms seem to move under the character's skin from time to time.
Special: this ability may be selected multiple times, each time giving the character an additional pair of tentacles to attack with.
Conscious Incursion (ex): At third level, the Scion no longer takes any penalties to your wisdom and charisma-based skill and ability checks when using an incursion.
Murmur (su): At fourth level, and every three levels thereafter, the Scion gains access to another murmur, though they may still only have three murmurs active at any given time.
Lessened Reality (su): At sixth level, reality begins to break down around the Scion. They can choose to surround themselves with an aura, similar to an Incursion's periphery effect, but much more limited in area. This ability has a range of 30 feet around the Scion, and can be activated or deactivated as a free action.
When this ability is gained, the Scion may choose one of the incursions connected to one of their murmurs, which determines the effect of their Lessened Reality. As long as they have this murmur active, the DC of their daily will save to resist incursions is lowered by 4, and when they fall unconscious or become insane, they can choose not to activate this incursion.
The effects of the aura are as the chosen Incursion's periphery effect, of a strength as if the Scion had level four breaches, except where noted below. The Scion is always treated as being in the area of the effect.
Despoiled World: Animals entering the area become complacent and lazy. Wild or trained animals will stop moving unless they succeed on a will save (DC 10+Scion level + charisma modifier). Handle animal checks suffer a -5 penalty. All food and drinks become stale and tasteless, and lose all nutritional value.
Foreboding Landscape: All tracks made by creatures within the area are harder to read, giving a -5 penalty to survival checks for tracking, and everyone in the area has a -4 penalty to listen checks. All magical orientation attempts automatically fail.
Divinity's Demise: The use of Wild and Divine feats is not automatically impossible. Instead, the user must make a will save DC 15+Scion level+charisma modifier to use them.
Terminal Infection: All creatures entering the area must save against void rot, but upon leaving the area, they gain a +10 bonus to resist the infection.
Entropic Collapse: Objects in the area do not automatically take damage. Instead, they have their hardness reduced by five points while the aura is active.
Warped Magic: The creation of magical items is not more difficult. Instead, the caster level of all magical items is reduced by 2.
Beyond the Stars: Instead of being only active at night and affecting the night sky, the area constantly causes shadowy illumination within it's borders, and aberrations constantly have the mentioned bonuses.
Frozen Heart: Instances of water in the area do not freeze. Instead, they become impossibly cold, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage to any creature immersed in water, and 1 point of cold damage to any creature merely in contact with it.
Broken Boundaries (su): At ninth level, reality around the Scion weakens further, providing access to the Far Realm's strange inhabitants. As long as the Scion is conscious, all attempts to summon creatures within 100 feet of him result in strangely twisted versions of the intended being. Their type changes to Aberration, and their alignment is treated as being true neutral.
The Scion finally recognizes how feeble reality around them is, and can ignore some of it's laws: once per round, as a move action, they can instantly move himself up their base land speed, disappearing at their starting point and reappearing at their goal. This ability is not dependent on any of the conventional planes, and abilities which block planar travel are useless against it.
Even time gives up some of it's hold upon the Scion: they no longer age.
True Form (ex): At tenth level, the Transcendent Scion finally achieves perfection, gaining their true form. Their creature type changes to aberration, and they can choose one of the true forms from the list below. The Scion can choose to change between his mortal and true forms as a move action at will. Every true form has requirements: one ability each from the list of internal and external changes.
Amorphous Mass: The Scion's true form is that of a gigantic, pulsating mass of Ooze, constantly quivering and changing it's shape.
Requirements: Scrambled Organs, Oozing Body
Benefits: When in his True Form, the Scion's size category increases by one step. This gives him the corresponding changes to ability scores. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#sizeIncreases)
Furthermore, he becomes immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and gains a slam attack dealing damage appropriate to his new size.
The Scion's limbs become long, flexible arms, giving him a reach of five feet longer than normal for his increased size. While his amorphous form lacks most normal body parts, he can still wear and use all items he did before, suspended in the liquid mass of his body, with the exception of armour, which becomes useless to him.
Starspawn: The Scion's true form is that of a horror from the space between stars, able to travel the void at great speeds.
Requirements: Membranous Wings, Breath of the Ancients
When in their True Form, the Scion grows a pair of gigantic wings, giving them a flight speed equal to twice their land speed with perfect maneuverability. They no longer need to breathe, and becomes immune to all effects of high or low pressure, including a full vacuum. In any environment without an atmosphere, such as Outer Space or certain planar environments, the Scion's flight speed increases to twenty times their base land speed.
Finally, the Scion becomes immune to cold damage.
The Transcendent Scion
And so, The Witness of Forlorn Memories was intrigued. The disturbance was neglectable in size, and infinitely fragile, and yet it held many secrets. There were laws inside the tiny bubble that none of the Elder Minds had ever dreamt up, causes following effects, linear time, three dimensions of space closely intertwined.
The Witness of Forlorn Memories extended a fine tendril of his essence towards the disturbance carefully peeling apart it's outer layers and reaching for it's core.
But suddenly, as he touched the strange reality within, the tendril was severed from him by an unknown force, because, unbeknownst to him, the powers of that reality had felt and dreaded his incursion, and trapped his essence in a mortal shell, forever to be bound in that little creature's descendants.
The Witness of Forlorn Memories pondered this for a grand cycle and a half, until he felt something new, a bright and tiny spark of his own essence had freed itself from the disturbance inside him. He parted his layers and studied the spark, and he knew it.
And so, the seed of a new Elder Mind was born.
-The Codex of Forbidden Dreams
Outside reality, beyond the boundaries of Time, Space and logic, lies the Far Realm, home to entities vast and powerful, perhaps more so than even the gods. Few ever notice the tiny bubble of reality, but those that do sometimes invest a tiny spark of their own essence in it, to grow and mature. This spark attaches itself to the conciousness of a newborn or weak-minded creature, displacing it's soul in the process.
Scions are those born with such a spark, manifesting most often as an unusually powerful talent for Xenotheurgy. (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=122103) The feeling of not belonging in this world never entirely leaves them, and some of them seek to return to the place calling to them, the Far Realms. These become Transcendent Scions, developing their talents and seeking their "True Form".
Prerequisites:
Feats: Any two aberrant feats
Skills: Knowledge: the Planes 8 ranks, Knowledge: Dungeoneering 8 ranks
Special: Must know at least three murmurs, one of which must be Endless Evolution
The Transcendent Scion
{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special
1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2|Internal Change, Seeping through
2nd|
+1|
+3|
0|
+3|External Change
3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3|Murmur, Concious Incursion
4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|Internal Change
5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4|External Change
6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5|Murmur, Lessened Reality
7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5|Internal Change
8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+6|External Change
9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+6|Murmur, Broken Boundaries
10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+7|Internal Change, True Form[/table]
Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Bluff (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (history), Knowledge (the planes), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha)
Skill points per level: 4+intelligence modifier
Hit Die: d8
Internal Change (ex): At first level, and every three levels thereafter, the character's metabolism changes in a strange way, bringing them closer to their alien origins. A close examination of the character may reveal these changes, which requires a DC 15 heal check.
They may select one of the abilities from the list below:
Alien Blood: the character's blood is replaced with a foul-smelling, translucent liquid. All creatures coming in contact with their blood, by drinking or draining it, or treating a bleeding wound, take 1d6 points of acid damage and must make a fortitude save, DC 10+class level+the character's constitution modifier, or be nauseated for one round. Furthermore, any wounds the character takes immediately stop bleeding, negating the constitution damage from a wounding weapon, and any ongoing damage from attacks which continue to bleed, such as a bat swarm's wounding attack. When reduced below 0 hit points, the character automatically stabilizes.
Breath of the Ancients: The Scion can hold his breath four times as long as normal. This gives them a +4 racial bonus on fortitude saves against all gaseous spells and effects. They can breathe water as easily as air.
Developing Mind: The character gains Wild Talent as a bonus feat, and may choose a single first level power from the psion or psychic warrior list which he can manifest three times per day as a psi-like ability.
Rapid Metabolism: The character gains immunity to all natural poisons, and a +4 racial bonus on saving throws against supernatural poisons, and all diseases. Their wounds heal at four times the normal rate.
Scrambled Organs: The character gains a 25% chance to ignore the extra damage from critical hits and sneak attacks.
Waking Mind: The character is constantly awake and on edge, never restful. They gain a +2 bonus on initiative checks, on will save to see through illusions and a +4 bonus on all spot and listen checks and all sleep spells and effects. Furthermore, the character does not sleep, but instead meditates half as long as he would normally sleep, as an elf (an elf instead only meditates half as long).
Seeping Through (ex): Remnants and traces of their far realm origin manifest all around the character. They can no longer suppress the disturbances gained from any of their murmurs.
External Change (su): The character's body now more closely resembles their true form. At second level, and every three levels thereafter, he may select one of the abilities from the list below. Every ability includes a small, but visible change active at all times, and a larger change which may be activated or deactivated at will as a swift action. The character may manifest one or several of these changes, but may only activate one of them at any time. When trying to conceal his identity, the character gains a +2 circumstance bonus on disguise checks for every change active
A thousand eyes: When active, the character's body is covered in dozens of large, unnaturally covered eyes. These eyes give the character darkvision out to a range of 60 feet or increases the range of an already existing darkvision by 30 feet. Furthermore, the character gains a +8 circumstance bonus on all spot checks, and can no longer be flanked, except by someone with at least four more rogue levels than they have Transcendent Scion levels.
When deactivated, the Scion's eyes have an unnatural colouration or strangely shaped pupils.
Crawling Skin: When active, the character's skin is crawling with all manner of worms, grubs and vermin, and a cloud of flying insects surround them constantly. The character takes no damage from standing inside a swarm, instead, they gain fast healing one while occupying the same space as a swarm. The cloud of insects provides the character with concealment against all attacks made from more than five feet away.
While deactivated, others see worms or flies crawling over the character's skin from time to time, but always only out of the corner of their eyes.
Fibrous Flesh: When activated, the character's muscles bulge outwards, replaced by mighty strands of hard, fibrous material. They gain a +4 bonus to strength, but a -2 penalty to dexterity, and damage reduction 5/slashing.
When deactivated, the character's limbs seem to shiver uncontrollably from time to time.
Gaping Maw: When activated, a mouth full of teeth opens on the character's body, giving them a bite attack dealing 1d6 damage as a primary natural weapon for a medium creature. If they already have a bite attack, they gain a second one, doing the same damage, as a secondary natural weapon.
When deactivated, the character has a long, jagged scar in the place where the mouth would be which, from time to time, oozes a clear liquid.
Membranous wings: When activated, the Scion grows a pair of semi-transparent, veined wings from his back, giving him a flight speed equal to his base land speed with average maneuverability.
When deactivated, the Scion's skin is pale, his veins clearly visible under the skin, and his fingers become webbed.
Oozing body: When activated, slime oozes from the character's skin, completely covering him. The slime changes consistency from sticky to liquid as the character desires. This gives them a +4 circumstance bonus to all climb and escape artist check, and any creature biting the character must make a fortitude save equal to DC 10+class level+the character's constitution modifier or be sickened for one minute. Furthermore, he gains a +1 natural armour bonus, or his existing natural armour improves by +1.
When deactivated, the character's body constantly seems clammy and their skin has a sickly colour.
Sensory Hairs: While active, inch-long stalks cover the character's face and head, constantly quivering and detecting small vibrations in the air. They gain Blindsense out to a range of 20 feet, and Blindsight to a range of 5 feet.
Tentacles: When activated, a pair of tentacles sprouts from the character's body. These are secondary natural weapons, dealing 1d4 damage each (for a medium sized character).
When deactivated, large, snake-like forms seem to move under the character's skin from time to time.
Special: this ability may be selected multiple times, each time giving the character an additional pair of tentacles to attack with.
Conscious Incursion (ex): At third level, the Scion no longer takes any penalties to your wisdom and charisma-based skill and ability checks when using an incursion.
Murmur (su): At fourth level, and every three levels thereafter, the Scion gains access to another murmur, though they may still only have three murmurs active at any given time.
Lessened Reality (su): At sixth level, reality begins to break down around the Scion. They can choose to surround themselves with an aura, similar to an Incursion's periphery effect, but much more limited in area. This ability has a range of 30 feet around the Scion, and can be activated or deactivated as a free action.
When this ability is gained, the Scion may choose one of the incursions connected to one of their murmurs, which determines the effect of their Lessened Reality. As long as they have this murmur active, the DC of their daily will save to resist incursions is lowered by 4, and when they fall unconscious or become insane, they can choose not to activate this incursion.
The effects of the aura are as the chosen Incursion's periphery effect, of a strength as if the Scion had level four breaches, except where noted below. The Scion is always treated as being in the area of the effect.
Despoiled World: Animals entering the area become complacent and lazy. Wild or trained animals will stop moving unless they succeed on a will save (DC 10+Scion level + charisma modifier). Handle animal checks suffer a -5 penalty. All food and drinks become stale and tasteless, and lose all nutritional value.
Foreboding Landscape: All tracks made by creatures within the area are harder to read, giving a -5 penalty to survival checks for tracking, and everyone in the area has a -4 penalty to listen checks. All magical orientation attempts automatically fail.
Divinity's Demise: The use of Wild and Divine feats is not automatically impossible. Instead, the user must make a will save DC 15+Scion level+charisma modifier to use them.
Terminal Infection: All creatures entering the area must save against void rot, but upon leaving the area, they gain a +10 bonus to resist the infection.
Entropic Collapse: Objects in the area do not automatically take damage. Instead, they have their hardness reduced by five points while the aura is active.
Warped Magic: The creation of magical items is not more difficult. Instead, the caster level of all magical items is reduced by 2.
Beyond the Stars: Instead of being only active at night and affecting the night sky, the area constantly causes shadowy illumination within it's borders, and aberrations constantly have the mentioned bonuses.
Frozen Heart: Instances of water in the area do not freeze. Instead, they become impossibly cold, dealing 1d6 points of cold damage to any creature immersed in water, and 1 point of cold damage to any creature merely in contact with it.
Broken Boundaries (su): At ninth level, reality around the Scion weakens further, providing access to the Far Realm's strange inhabitants. As long as the Scion is conscious, all attempts to summon creatures within 100 feet of him result in strangely twisted versions of the intended being. Their type changes to Aberration, and their alignment is treated as being true neutral.
The Scion finally recognizes how feeble reality around them is, and can ignore some of it's laws: once per round, as a move action, they can instantly move himself up their base land speed, disappearing at their starting point and reappearing at their goal. This ability is not dependent on any of the conventional planes, and abilities which block planar travel are useless against it.
Even time gives up some of it's hold upon the Scion: they no longer age.
True Form (ex): At tenth level, the Transcendent Scion finally achieves perfection, gaining their true form. Their creature type changes to aberration, and they can choose one of the true forms from the list below. The Scion can choose to change between his mortal and true forms as a move action at will. Every true form has requirements: one ability each from the list of internal and external changes.
Amorphous Mass: The Scion's true form is that of a gigantic, pulsating mass of Ooze, constantly quivering and changing it's shape.
Requirements: Scrambled Organs, Oozing Body
Benefits: When in his True Form, the Scion's size category increases by one step. This gives him the corresponding changes to ability scores. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm#sizeIncreases)
Furthermore, he becomes immune to critical hits and sneak attacks, and gains a slam attack dealing damage appropriate to his new size.
The Scion's limbs become long, flexible arms, giving him a reach of five feet longer than normal for his increased size. While his amorphous form lacks most normal body parts, he can still wear and use all items he did before, suspended in the liquid mass of his body, with the exception of armour, which becomes useless to him.
Starspawn: The Scion's true form is that of a horror from the space between stars, able to travel the void at great speeds.
Requirements: Membranous Wings, Breath of the Ancients
When in their True Form, the Scion grows a pair of gigantic wings, giving them a flight speed equal to twice their land speed with perfect maneuverability. They no longer need to breathe, and becomes immune to all effects of high or low pressure, including a full vacuum. In any environment without an atmosphere, such as Outer Space or certain planar environments, the Scion's flight speed increases to twenty times their base land speed.
Finally, the Scion becomes immune to cold damage.