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Lord_Gareth
2010-09-04, 03:54 PM
The Harrowed

“Trapping the beast within you does not make you a monster, child. Knowing when to unleash it – that is what makes you human.”Jozan, to Aryllia, a Harrowed.

Sorcerers are born with raw magic flooding their veins. Bards tap into the strange and whimsical powers in music, where clerics draw powers down from gods and druids up from the earth itself. For these individuals, power is a blessing.

For the Harrowed, it is a curse.

The Harrowed are unfortunates that, for whatever reason, have found themselves trapped in an unending battle for their souls. Hurled back into the realms of the living from those of the dead, each Harrowed struggles with a being trapped within them, fighting for control of their bodies, their souls, and their sanity. The fact that they can steal a measure of this monster’s power is bitter comfort to most Harrowed, who know that their control over their abilities is fickle at best.

Abilities: Wisdom is the most important ability to a Harrowed, as it increases their Will save and therefore their control over themselves and their abilities. Charisma increases the save DCs of their powers, and Dexterity is essential for accurate use of their Shadowmental Touch. Many Harrowed find Intelligence to be a useful ability, especially those of a more careful, investigative bent.

Role: A Harrowed serves as a ranged damager and supernatural investigator for her party. Where some spells fail – or simply have yet to be invented – a Harrowed can hound clues to the ground using supernatural senses, the spirits of the deceased, and even by tracking the mystic resonances left behind by her quarry. Depending on her selection of feats, a Harrowed may serve in myriad other ways to an adventuring party, limited only by their tolerance and her inventiveness.

Background: Most Harrowed wake up some place in the wilderness or on the outskirts of civilization with no memory of who they are or how they came to be there. Many of these Harrowed will take the names of objects, equipment, kindly strangers, or even concepts as their own. It is worth noting that these Harrowed almost instinctually realize what they are and take steps to master themselves almost immediately. A few Harrowed are instead born like normal members of their race and raised from childhood. Those that aren’t promptly slain for being “unholy witch children” typically manifest their powers around the ages of three to five, struggling early and often with the monster within. They typically leave their homes early in order to protect those around them – or are forced out when the community either exiles them or lays in ashes at their feet.

Harrowed enjoy a peculiar kind of immortality – whenever they would be permanently slain, they reincarnate once again, going through the same cycle of struggle and destruction over and over again. So far, no one has caught on to this pattern, though some extremely old Harrowed are beginning to catch snatches of memories that they have never lived – and investigating thoroughly.

Organization: None. Each Harrowed is a wholly unique case, and they are typically so rare as to be nearly unheard of. One Harrowed encountering another may be surprised, angry, pleased, or just about any conceivable reaction, really. It’s worth noting that the name “Harrowed” is typically applied to them only by beings who truly understand their predicament – ancient celestials, the eldest of fiends, and over-deities. Others may call the Harrowed witches, fiends, or even sorcerers; no universally accepted name for them exists.

Alignment: Any. Many Harrowed tend towards good, and/or lawful alignments due to the instinctive “fight” reaction associated with their monster, but quite a few turn to evil, either having become corrupted from within or hoping that their base debaucheries will appease the dark force within them.

Races: Harrowed hail from almost any race, though each race only possesses a meager handful at most. Curiously enough, non-mortal races – that is, those incapable of dying of old age, such as planetouched, most outsiders, or sentient constructs – never produce Harrowed, and members of these races cannot gain levels in the Harrowed class. Many Harrowed are human, probably due to that race’s prodigious breeding rate, but some of the oldest living Harrowed are elves.

Religion: Harrowed tend to reject religion out of spite; to them, the gods are weaklings at best and sadistic tormentors at worst, unworthy of worship or even consideration. Some Harrowed even blame the gods for their condition; of these, a few turn to religion in the vain hope that their patron deity will lift their curse.

Other Classes: Harrowed often possess a deep-seated resentment for classes that either possess innate magical power (such as sorcerers) or who gain it from a higher force (such as clerics or druids). Harrowed tend to express this by being snappy and short-tempered around these individuals, and biting, sarcastic remarks (“Why don’t you just snap your fingers and magic it away, then?”) are very common. Harrowed tend to be more tolerant of those who earned their power through sacrifice or study (such as wizards or paladins), but they only truly feel at ease around non-magical classes such as barbarians, rogues, fighters, and monks. This isn’t to say that the Harrowed is completely open to these individuals – how can they really understand the Harrowed, after all? – but they do find forming relationships with them to be much easier and far less tense.

Adaptation: Many details of the Harrowed condition have been left intentionally vague so that the Dungeon Master may more easily work them into their world (but see one possible example below). Mechanically speaking, the Harrowed can be adapted quite easily, usually by altering their Shadowmental Touch class feature, or by removing or introducing feat lines.

Hit Die: D8.

Starting Gold: 3d4 x 10 gold.

Class Features

Class Skills: The Harrowed’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are as follows: Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (All skills, chosen individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (N/A), Spellcraft (Int), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)

Skill Points at First Level: (4 + Intelligence Modifier) x 4
Skill Points Per Level After First: 4 + Intelligence Modifier

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

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|The Monster Within, Shadowmental Touch (1d6), Bonus Harrowed Feat

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Two-World Eyes (Darkvision)

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Shadowmental Touch (2d6)

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Death Sight

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Shadowmental Mantle, Shadowmental Touch (3d6), Bonus Harrowed Feat

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Shadowmental Touch (Melee)

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Glimpse the Soul, Shadowmental Touch (4d6)

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Dark Whispers

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Bestial Resilience 10, Shadowmental Touch (5d6)

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Two-World Eyes (Detect Magic), Bonus Harrowed Feat

11th|
+8/+3|
+3|
+3|
+7|Shadowmental Touch (6d6)

12th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Read the Soul, Scent the Occult

13th|
+9/+4|
+4|
+4|
+8|Shadowmental Touch (7d6)

14th|
+10/+5|
+4|
+4|
+9|Shadowmental Touch (Unholy Infusion)

15th|
+11/+6/+1|
+5|
+5|
+9|Evil Eye, Shadowmental Touch (8d6), Bonus Harrowed Feat

16th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Two-World Eyes (Magical Darkness), Sense the Unseen

17th|
+12/+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+10|Shadowmental Touch (9d6)

18th|
+13/+8/+3|
+6|
+6|
+11|Bestial Resilience 20

19th|
+14/+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Shadowmental Touch (10d6)

20th|
+15/+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Shadowmental Fury, Bonus Harrowed Feat[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Harrowed are proficient with all simple weapons, one martial weapon of their choice, and light armor.

The Monster Within (Su): The Harrowed shares her body and soul with a being of elemental power, dark purpose, and terrible will, constantly fighting it for control of her body and mind. Though the Harrowed can draw upon some of the beast’s power, in doing so she risks losing control; whenever the Harrowed uses one of her activated supernatural abilities from this class (as well as certain Harrowed feats – see feat descriptions for details), she must make a Will save (DC = 10 + the class level needed to use the ability) or lose control of her body to the monster for one round per character level (the ability is still activated as intended; that is, Shadowmental Touch still attacks it target, Shadowmental Mantles still activate, et cetera). The Harrowed may not choose to fail this save. If they succeed at the saving throw, they do not need to save again for that particular ability (or feat) for a number of rounds equal to their Charisma modifier.

The monster within the Harrowed is highly intelligent and invariably Chaotic Evil, but it knows it only has a limited amount of time in which to enjoy its freedom. While acts of murder, rape, destruction and betrayal are not out of line with the monster’s behavior, it is equally likely to party hard, kiss a random barmaid, gorge itself on fine food, and other indulgent behaviors. While the Harrowed is possessed in this manner, her player should treat her alignment as Chaotic Evil (if her player cannot be trusted to portray this, the DM is encouraged to treat her as an NPC for the duration). Generally speaking, the monster does not form long-term plans, unable to think past the next point of escape and freedom.

It is worth noting that the monster prefers its body to be free and unencumbered, the better to cater to its whimsical nature. The Harrowed may wear light armor without penalty, but medium armor imposes a -4 penalty to Will saves against the monster, while heavy armor imposes a -8 penalty. The Harrowed suffers no such penalties for being encumbered, but it is highly likely that the monster will shed any offending items – such as backpacks – when it takes control.

Attempts to remove the monster from the Harrowed inevitably fail – spells fizzle out, powerful artifacts come to naught, and even greater deities strive in vain as their powers fail again and again. This trait is universal amongst Harrowed, and is a source of extreme speculation among those sages familiar with the Harrowed’s condition.

There is, however, a minor benefit to the monster’s presence in the Harrowed’s mind and body, beyond the power that the Harrowed can steal from it – the beast’s foul will bolsters the Harrowed’s own, providing them with a +4 bonus to will saves vs. mind-affecting abilities, as well as soul-displacement effects such as Trap the Soul and Magic Jar.

Shadowmental Touch (Su): The simplest expression of her power, the Harrowed can tap into the monster within, siphoning off a measure of its anger, its hatred, and its essence and unleashing it as a ranged touch attack (max range 60 feet). At first level, the Harrowed’s player chooses one of the following elements. This choice, once made, cannot be changed.

Hellfire: The Harrowed’s beast is suffused with unholy, chaotic flame. Her beast is likely to be destructive, violent, and impatient, like a malevolent wildfire. The Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two class levels (starting at level one), half of which is fire and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to any kind of resistance. Hellfire can ignite objects and beings on fire as though it were alchemist’s fire; a being who fails a reflex save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) ignites in unholy flame, lasting for a number of rounds equal to the Harrowed’s class level or until they douse themselves in water or succeed at a reflex save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) to put it out.

Frigid Hate: The Harrowed’s beast is suffused with creeping, slithering cold, unfeeling and unforgiving. It is likely to be methodical, sadistic, and cunning. The Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two class levels (starting at level one), half of which is cold and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance of any kind. Creatures struck by Frigid Hate must succeed at a fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls, reflex saves, and dexterity-based skill checks for a number of rounds equal to the Harrowed’s class level. Frigid Hate may freeze five cubic feet of liquid per d6 of damage it deals, provided that said liquid is not a living being (thus, a Harrowed could freeze a pond, but not a water elemental).

Caustic Fury: The Harrowed’s beast is a spiteful, acidic thing, suffused with the worst elements of the earth beneath her feet. It is likely to be patient, unforgiving, and implacable. The Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two class levels (starting at level one), half of which is acid and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance of any kind. Caustic fury clings to its victims, forcing them succeed at a reflex save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed’s class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or suffer half of the damage dealt (rounded down) the following round at the beginning of the Harrowed’s turn.

Thunderous Rage: The Harrowed’s beast is infused with rotting wind and sickly lightning. It is likely to be devious, fickle, and tempestuous. The Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch deals 1d6 points of damage per two class levels (starting at level one), half of which is electricity and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance of any kind. The Shadowmental Touch is accompanied by a raging thunderclap, forcing all those within five feet of the victim to succeed at a fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed’s class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or be deafened for 1d4+1 rounds (this is a sonic effect).

Sun's Wrath: The Harrowed's beast is infused with the pure destructive power of positive energy, turning the fundamental building block of life into a weapon of utter devastation. It is likely to be persistent, spontaneous, and obsessed with creation. The Harrowed's Shadowmental Touch deals 1d4 points of damage per two class levels (upgraded to 1d8 against beings normally damaged by positive energy, such as the undead; starting at level one), half of which is positive energy and the other half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance of any kind. This Shadowmental Touch may strike incorporeal creatures without penalty.

Activating Shadowmental Touch is a standard action. Regardless of the element chosen, a Harrowed is immune to the damage and effects of her own Shadowmental Touch, though not those of other Harrowed, even those who have chosen the same element. Activating Shadowmental Touch provokes a will save (see The Monster Within)

At sixth level, as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, the Harrowed may infuse her melee weapon with her Shadowmental Touch, dealing Shadowmental Touch damage in addition to weapon damage for a single attack, as well as triggering the secondary effects of her Shadowmental Touch. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit. If the Harrowed misses, the attack is not wasted, and remains imbued in her weapon until she strikes a being or object, dismisses the effect as a free action, or fails to use it within a number of rounds equal to her charisma modifier. Infusing her weapon provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), though striking with her weapon thereafter does not.

At fourteenth level, once per encounter as a standard action, the Harrowed may forgo making a normal Shadowmental Touch attack and instead lash out with a ray of pure unholy energy. This attack deals the same damage as her Shadowmental Touch, though the source is pure unholy energy, not subject to any form of resistance. A being struck by this attack must succeed at a fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed’s class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or gain 1d4 negative levels. Good-aligned beings suffer a -2 penalty to this save. Using this ability in place of a normal Shadowmental Touch does not trigger the Shadowmental Touch’s secondary effects. Using this ability in place of her Shadowmental Touch provokes a will save (see The Monster Within).

Bonus Harrowed Feat (Ex): At first level, and again at fifth level and every five levels thereafter, the Harrowed may choose a bonus feat from among those labeled as Harrowed feats. She must still meet all prerequisites for the feat.

Two-World Eyes (Su): The energies of the beast within infuse the Harrowed, seeping into her senses and allowing her to sense those energies that are similar to it. Starting at second level, the Harrowed’s senses sharpen in a mostly mundane way; she gains darkvision out to a range of sixty feet (or her existing darkvision improves by sixty feet). Darkvision is exactly like normal vision, except that it is in black-and-white only, and the Harrowed can function just fine with no light at all.

Starting at tenth level, the Harrowed can see magical auras and manifestations; she benefits from a constant detect magic effect. Additionally, the Harrowed can sense those beings whose nature, like her beast’s, is formed of the fundamental blocks of creation; she automatically detects any creatures with the elemental type (or the air, cold, earth, fire, or water subtypes) within her field of vision, as though she enjoyed the benefits of a true seeing spell. The Harrowed automatically knows if the creature she perceives possesses the elemental type, as well as if it possesses any of the aforementioned subtypes.

Starting at sixteenth level, the Harrowed’s darkvision functions even in magical darkness, and her supernatural perception sharpens to incredible acuity; the Harrowed detects all beings with the elemental type, the outsider type, or the air, cold, earth, extraplanar, fire, or water subtypes as though she possesses blindsight out to sixty feet, but only with regard to those beings (when those beings are within that range, she may also perceive her surroundings in this manner, but not beings without the aforementioned types or subtypes). Nothing short of an antimagic field (or similar effects) may foil this perception.

A blind or otherwise visually-impaired Harrowed still benefits from these abilities, but her sense of sight is limited only to the supernatural sense granted by this ability; that is, at second level, a blind Harrowed may still “see” magical auras, at tenth level the Harrowed may still “see” beings with the proper types and subtypes, and at tenth level the Harrowed benefits from blindsight with regards to those beings with the proper types and subtypes, but she is still blind with regard to those beings and effects that do not fit those criteria.

Upon acquiring this ability, the Harrowed’s eyes change to a deep, clearly inhuman color, such as blood red, dark violet, or even a kaleidoscopic rainbow of colors. Many Harrowed develop catlike slits for pupils, or other, stranger shapes. The Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch often changes color to match that of her eyes.

Death Sight (Su): As a Harrowed’s power grows, she becomes more sensitive to resonances from the lands of the dead. Starting at fourth level, the Harrowed develops a sort of second sight relating to the dead; when she sees a corpse, no matter how old it is, she can instantly tell how long it has been dead, and what, in general, killed it (examples might include poison, lacerations, magical fire, and divine punishment). Additionally, if the corpse has been dead less than a number of days equal to the Harrowed’s class level, she may converse with it as though using speak with dead as a cleric of her class level. A Harrowed may only use this ability once on any given corpse.

The Harrowed may use this ability to determine if a corpse is or is not undead, and by what means (infection, spell, transformative process, et cetera) it joined the ranks of the unliving.

Using Death Sight to speak with dead provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), though the Harrowed enjoys a +2 bonus to this save.

Shadowmental Mantle (Su): As the Harrowed’s stolen power grows, her body becomes more and more suffused with the dark elemental energies of the monster within her. With an act of will, she may force these energies from her skin, becoming wreathed in a protective layer of Shadowmental energy. Once per encounter, as a swift action that does no provoke attacks of opportunity, the Harrowed may activate this ability. While this ability is active, she becomes shrouded in a raging manifestation of her Shadowmental energy. Any being striking her in melee with a natural or non-reach manufactured weapon takes Shadowmental Touch damage on their first successful attack, as well as suffering the secondary effect of the Harrowed’s Shadowmental Touch. Additionally, while her Shadowmental Mantle is active, the Harrowed has DR X/- against projectile attacks, where X is equal to her class level. This damage reduction counts against conjured projectiles (such as acid arrows), but not against rays or force effects (such as magic missiles).

Using Shadowmental Mantle provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), and lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Harrowed’s charisma modifier.

After gaining this ability, the Harrowed’s footprints flicker and gutter with weak Shadowmental energy, adding a +5 circumstance bonus to those attempting to track her (with obvious exceptions made for common sense, such as cold energy in the arctic tundra), even when the ability is not active.


Glimpse the Soul (Su): The Harrowed’s senses continue to expand past the mundane, giving her glimpses of the auras that all beings with souls possess. Starting at level seven, she may concentrate and scrutinize these auras in order to gain information about their bearers. As a full-round action, the Harrowed may observe any being with a soul (including elementals, outsiders, and intelligent constructs) and make a sense motive check (DC = the creatures hit dice + its wisdom modifier). If she succeeds, the Harrowed may learn one of the following: one component of the creature’s alignment (good-evil, law-chaos), its current mood, its relative intelligence (in general terms; “animal intelligence” “stupid” “clever” and “brilliant” would all be appropriate readings), or if it is currently bearing any objects containing trapped souls. The Harrowed may attempt this check more than once on any given creature in a day, but each time she does, the DC increases by five.

Using Glimpse the Soul provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), though the Harrowed enjoys a +2 bonus to this save.

Dark Whispers (Ex): A Harrowed can, in a limited fashion, project their mind and afflict others with the dark whispers and desires of the monster within. Starting at level eight, twice per encounter, the Harrowed may activate this ability as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. The Harrowed designates a victim, who immediately begins hearing insidious, whispering, demanding voices in his head, forcing him to succeed at a will save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed’s class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or go insane for a number of rounds equal to the Harrowed’s charisma modifier. While insane, the victim suffers a -6 penalty to wisdom and is unable to tell friend from foe, lashing out violently against the nearest available victims. Victims who succeed at the will save are immune to further uses of this ability – by any Harrowed – for 24 hours. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Harrowed are immune to the effects of Dark Whispers.

Activating this ability provokes a will save (see The Monster Within).

Bestial Resilience (Su): As her Shadowmental energy continues to infuse her body, the Harrowed begins to develop a tolerance for it. At level nine, the Harrowed gains resistance 10 to whatever form of damage her Shadowmental Touch deals (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or force). At level 18, this improves to resistance 20.

Read the Soul (Su): Starting at level twelve, as a full-round action, the Harrowed can lock onto the aura of any intelligent being within her view. Activating this ability is a standard action, and while she concentrates on that being, the Harrowed may tell any of the following: if that being lies, if it activates a supernatural or spell-like ability, if it changes alignment (but not what alignment it changes to), or if it becomes possessed. A Harrowed may only read one aura at a time this way, and concentrating on the task takes a standard action each round to maintain.

Activating Read the Soul provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), and maintaining it provokes a will save (see The Monster Within) every other round, though the Harrowed enjoys a +2 bonus to these saves.

Scent the Occult (Su): As the Harrowed infuses more of herself with the stolen power of her beast, its senses continue to bleed through into her own. At level twelve, her sense of smell sharpens and takes on a supernatural edge, allowing her to hound down magic by scent. This functions almost identically to the scent special quality, with the exception that she may only detect magical beings (that is, beings with supernatural or spell-like abilities, or those beings capable of casting spells, or beings created by magic, such as certain undead and constructs) and effects this way. A Harrowed may track the movement of these beings and effects by scent, as well as being able to distinguish the type of magic she is dealing with (arcane or divine) and its source (inherent, learned, or granted).

Note that a Harrowed can only track where a spell or effect has been; she could, for example, follow the path of a programmed image, but she could not trace it back to its caster unless the image happened to pass near there.

A Harrowed can identify spells or magical items by scent, but doing so imposes a -8 penalty on the appropriate Knowledge (Arcana) or Spellcraft roll.

Evil Eye (Su): Temporarily shifting her soul from behind her eyes, a Harrowed of level fifteen or higher can allow her beast to glare out into the world, inflicting its hate and rage on unfortunate victims. Once per encounter, as a swift action that does not provoke attacks of opportunity, the Harrowed may glare at her foe as a gaze attack. Her victim must succeed at a will save (DC 10 + ½ Harrowed’s class level + the Harrowed’s charisma modifier) or suffer a -6 profane penalty to all ability scores, skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls for a number of rounds equal to the Harrowed’s charisma modifier. This is a mind-affecting ability.

Activating the Evil Eye provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), and the Harrowed suffers a -2 penalty to this save.

Sense the Unseen (Su): The most profound sharpening of her senses, a Harrowed of level sixteen or higher gains the ability to see even invisible or ethereal creatures. The Harrowed sees these creatures as though they were not invisible, though ethereal creatures appear somewhat transparent and hazy. A Harrowed may also sense the presence of nearby creatures on the Plane of Shadow, though she may only detect whether any such creatures are present within a forty foot radius of her, and not their exact type or location. Likewise, the Harrowed may sense the presence of incorporeal creatures within forty feet of her, but not their exact type or location.

Shadowmental Fury (Su): At level twenty, the Harrowed has mastered the most destructive and potent of her powers. By tapping into her own rage and fury and magnifying it with that of her beast, she becomes a beacon of dark elemental energy, creating and releasing it at a prodigious rate. When she activates her Shadowmental Fury, the Harrowed can make her Shadowmental Touch attacks as attack actions; that is, she may make as many Shadowmental Touch attacks as her base attack bonus allows. This effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to her Charisma modifier.

Activating Shadowmental Fury provokes a will save (see The Monster Within), and the Harrowed suffers a -4 penalty to this save.

Multiclass Harrowed: Nothing prohibits a Harrowed from multiclassing. However, those wishing to play as a Harrowed must begin play as a member of the class; Harrowed are born, not made, and those not afflicted from the day of their birth have no hope of becoming so, even if they wished to.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-04, 03:55 PM
Harrowed Feats
"I woke up this morning covered in blood, with six-inch claws that weren't there yesterday. What do you think?"

- Aryllia Hart, answering a friendly "How are you?"

The following are feats specifically made for, and geared to appeal to, Harrowed players and characters. Almost all of them are Harrowed-specific, and all of them are eligible as bonus feats from the Harrowed's bonus feat class feature.

It should be noted that while a player, of course, chooses her character's feats, the character herself does not necessarily develop these powers voluntarily. It's certainly possible, and some of them (such as Shadowmental Sniper) make more sense if interpreted that way. However, many of these feats manifest without the character's intent or, frankly, permission. She might awaken one morning with a lupine jaw, the voices of her past lives shrieking in her ears, or a glimmering halo of unholy energy and have no idea what is going on. This can make for a wonderful playing opportunity and a door to the Harrowed developing even more feats as she attempts to explore her own limitations.

Two specialized forms of feats bear mentioning here - Beast and Soul feats. Beast feats focus on physical transformations that the Beast inflicts upon its host, slowly warping their form into something it is more comfortable with. Several Beast feats alter physical attributes, a quality that should be kept in mind before the Dungeon Master approves or denies them. Most Beast feats require Bestial Body as a prerequisite.

Soul feats, on the other hand, deal with the essence of the Beast leaking into the Harrowed's mind. Soul feats tend to add nifty supernatural tricks and benefits, and also to modify mental attributes (Dungeon Masters should keep that in mind before allowing any specific Soul feat). Unlike Beast feats, you can only have one Soul feat, but most of them come with a feat tree to enhance the concept, should you have a mind.

All of that being said, the feats will now show up in the following spoiler(s)!

Beast Feats
Bestial Form [Harrowed - Beast]
Your body has begun a slide into a more animalistic form.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within class feature
Effect: You gain a permanent +2 inherent bonus to one physical attribute, but permanently lose two points in another. You gain a +2 racial bonus to Balance, Climb, Jump, Tumble, or Swim checks, chosen when you select this feat.

Hell-Born Savagery [Harrowed - Beast]
You grow talons that gleam with unholy elemental energy.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, Shadowmental Touch (Melee), Bestial Form
Effect: Your character can grow or retract two claw attacks at will (1d6 piercing damage for Medium characters) as a free action. Successful attacks with these claws also deal 2d6 points of energy damage, using the same type as the character's Shadowmental Touch damage. However, you cannot wield weapons or engage in any fine manipulation of objects (at least with those hands) while your claws are unsheathed.

[Type]
Description Text
Prerequisites:
Effect:

Soul Feats
GOTCHA!

General Harrowed Feats
Dark Deal [Harrowed]
You’ve forged a dark deal with the beast within for leniency.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, Intelligence 13+
Benefit: Your monster within will not violently lash out against your friends or loved ones, or publicly commit crimes which it knows could lead to your incarceration or execution unless doing so is necessary to stay alive. While commiting chaotic and/or evil actions, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves made to resist the influence of your monster within.

Butchery Pact [Harrowed]
You’ve cut a dark deal with your beast; so long as you show no mercy and no pity, it leaves you (mostly) well enough alone.
Prerequisites: Non-good alignment, Dark Deal
Benefit: Whenever you kill an intelligent being (that is, a being with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher), you gain a +2 profane bonus to will saves made vs. your monster (see The Monster Within) for the next hour. Whenever you make a successful coup de grace against a sentient being, you gain temporary hit points equal to your class level for 10 minutes.

Hellfire Conflagration [Harrowed]
Your unholy flames burn ever brighter, spreading and consuming.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Hellfire) 3d6
Benefit: A creature ignited by your Shadowmental Touch receives additional damage equal to half you class level per round, half of which is fire, and half of which stems from pure unholy energy and is not subject to resistance.

Hellfire Inferno [Harrowed]
Your Hellfire is a raging inferno, consuming all around you.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (8d6), Hellfire Conflagration
Benefit: Once per encoutner, as a full-round action, you may surround yourself with shadowmental fire. All creatures within 10 feet take damage appropriate for your Shadowmental Touch or half as much with a successful reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Harrowed's class level + her Charisma modifier). All creatures within 15 feet who fail a reflex save (same DC) catch fire but take no additional penalties (even from your hellfire conflagration feat).

Howling Rage [Harrowed]
The thunderclaps of your rage are so loud as to crack bones and shatter skulls.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Thunderous Rage) 3d6
Benefit: Your Shadowmental Touch violently leaps from one foe to another, traveling as a malevolent serpent. When you make a successful attack with your shadowmental touch, you may select another target within 5 feet. The target takes half as much damage as the primary target unless they succeed at a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier).

Nightmare Mind [Harrowed]
Your beast is particularly close to your mind, and it savages those who dare disturb it.
Prerequisites: Dark Whispers, Iron Will
Benefit: Whenever you are successfully targeted by a compulsion effect (such as suggestion spell) or an unwanted telepathic intrusion (such as dominate person), the originator of the ability becomes shaken for 1d4+1 rounds and you learn their name.

For as long as a creature is shaken by this ability, you can sense their exact location so long as they ware within 10 feet/class level of you as if you possessed blindsight.

Piercing Energy [Harrowed]
Your Shadowmental energy is especially potent.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch 4d6, two or more Harrowed feats
Benefit: Your supernatural abilities and feats ignore an amount of energy resistance equal to your Harrowed class level. Creatures immune to energy damage remain immune.

Rob the Beast [Harrowed]
You have stolen additional power from your beast, allowing you to use an ability more often.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, one or more Harrowed feats
Benefit: Choose a Harrowed class feature or Harrowed feat that has limited uses per day or per encounter. You gain an additional use of that ability.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time, you gain an additional use of a different ability or feat.

Thunderous Onslaught [Harrowed]
You unleash the full rage of your beast upon your foes, allowing it to ravage them.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Thunderous Rage) 8d6, Howling Rage
Benefit: Once per encounter, you may unleash the full wrath of your beast upon your foes. As a full round action, you can let loose this shadowmental energy as a 60-foot foot line, subjecting each creature to the full damage of your shadowmental touch or half that much with a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier).

Shadowmental Armor [Harrowed]
The unholy energy coursing through you protects your body and your equipment
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Mantle, Bestial Resilience
Benefit: You gain a +1 deflection bonus your armor class. While using your shadowmental mantle, this increases to a +2 bonus.

Lastly, your Bestial Resilience ability applies to your equipment and any object or structure you touch (for example, a Harrowed with Shadowmental Touch (Hellfire) and Bestial Resilience 10 who stands in a tavern confers ten points of fire resistance to the tavern itself, but not the other objects within it).

Shadowmental Dispelling [Harrowed]
Your Shadowmental energy can devour enchantments.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (5d6), Knowledge (Arcana) 12 ranks, Spellcraft 12 ranks
Benefit: Twice per encounter, you may replace your Shadowmental Touch’s normal secondary effect with a dispel magic effect. This effect is identical to a targeted dispel magic spell cast by a cleric of your class level, targeting the victim of your Shadowmental Touch attack.

Shadowmental Endowment [Harrowed]
Shadowmental energy infuses every fiber of your being, bleeding it from your very pores.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (8d6), Shadowmental Infusion, Shadowmental Enhancement
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons deal an additional 3d6 points of damage (this replaces the enhancement from Shadowmental Enhancement) with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit. Additionally, whenever you infuse your natural or melee weapon with your Shadowmental Touch, the next two attacks you make that round deal additional damage as your shadowmental touch ability.

Shadowmental Enhancement [Harrowed]
You are a veritable beacon of Shadowmental energy, channeling it into every strike.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (5d6), Shadowmental Infusion
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons deal an additional 2d6 points of damage (this replaces the enhancement from Shadowmental Infusion) with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit. Additionally, whenever you infuse your natural or melee weapon with your Shadowmental Touch, the next attack you make that round deals additional damage as your shadowmental touch ability.

Shadowmental Infusion [Harrowed]
You are a living generator of Shadowmental energy, and it infuses your attacks.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Mantle, Shadowmental Touch (Melee)
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons are infused with Shadowmental energy, dealing an additional 1d6 points of damage with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit.


Much credit to Realms of Chaos for his submission of many of these feats, revised from older editions of Harrowed.

EdroGrimshell
2010-09-04, 05:46 PM
Glad to see this is back. I really liked the original and revised. I can't wait to see what comes of this revision.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-04, 05:48 PM
Mostly? Feats. I also changed one of the Shadowmental elements, but feats. Lots of feats.

InfiniteNothing
2010-09-04, 10:15 PM
:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin: You have just made my day Gareth. Can't wait to see what you have planned.

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 12:05 AM
Honestly, having played a Dark Will Harrowed a few times... I'm not sure nerfing it was the best choice. Dark Will was clearly the best Shadowmental Touch ability, but even it was somewhat underwhelming, while the rest of them are outright weak. The class is really dependent on them; as much as I like the flavor, you can't really do much in combat that doesn't involve using it, so it has to be good. I mean... it's kind of like a Warlock with just Eldritch Blast, no other Invocations...

That aside, I do really like this class in general, and I'd play it again in a heartbeat nonetheless.

The Tygre
2010-09-05, 12:48 AM
Gareth, I've seen this class three times now and each time it's the best thing on the boards. Well done. :smallcool:

ArcanistSupreme
2010-09-05, 09:58 AM
Wow, this is the first time I've seen this, and it's amazing! The only problems I can see with it a minor nitpicks.


A blind or otherwise visually-impaired Harrowed still benefits from these abilities, but her sense of sight is limited only to the supernatural sense granted by this ability; that is, at second level, a blind Harrowed may still “see” magical auras, at tenth level the Harrowed may still “see” beings with the proper types and subtypes, and at tenth level the Harrowed benefits from blindsight with regards to those beings with the proper types and subtypes, but she is still blind with regard to those beings and effects that do not fit those criteria.

The description of the abilities here don't match up with the levels they are granted at.


Dark Whispers (Ex): A Harrowed can, in a limited fashion, project their her mind and afflict others with the dark whispers and desires of the monster within. Starting at level eight...

And just a minor grammatical/consistency issue here. Great work! Now we need more feats!

Owrtho
2010-09-05, 09:08 PM
Glad to see this showing up again, but I must ask, why is the force damage choice gone? Also, if you're going to give a positive energy version, why not give a negative energy version as well?

Owrtho

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 09:40 PM
Dark Will (the Force version) was clearly the best of the Shadowmental Touch effects. By far.

Personally, I'd recommend that the others get improved somewhat, though, rather than removing Dark Will/replacing it with a weaker effect.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-05, 09:42 PM
Then I ask, in all earnestness, this - what would you replace it with? How would you improve them?

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 09:49 PM
Honestly, I've been thinking that this class almost seems like an Invocation-user. Adding Invocations to the class would be interesting. My biggest gripe with that idea is that it turns a completely unique class into something that fits into a neat little category of "invocation-user". Hmm. Considering their abilities are Su, maybe sort-of-like Invocations, but Su instead of Sp. Makes them more weird, less predictable (Su can't be dispelled and doesn't provoke, IIRC), but allows you to customize them.

And it allows you to have the weaker effects of the Shadowmental Touch at level 1 (which is appropriate; Dark Will was definitely too good at level 1), and offer the opportunity to improve them with "Shape" and "Essence" like "Invocations".

I dunno, again, I don't like homogenizing them into the invoker scheme, but I feel like they need a bit more power, especially in the form of non-damage effects, and a bit more customizability. How does that sound?

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-05, 09:50 PM
The feats are intended to fill that gap. I'd felt great when I posted the thread, mind, and now I feel like a bag full of pounded turds, but they will get posted. Damnit.

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 09:54 PM
The feats are intended to fill that gap. I'd felt great when I posted the thread, mind, and now I feel like a bag full of pounded turds, but they will get posted. Damnit.
I really hope that's not because of my comments! But I dunno... 5 feats isn't a lot of customizability. I really liked the feats you had last time (really liked them), but I dunno. Heh, I like classes like Sorcerer and Swordsage, where I can pick new ____ known every level.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-05, 10:00 PM
No, it isn't, but your comments on Invocations are also perfectly correct. They're generic. They're not Harrowed. They're...lame. Lame lame lame lame lame. I didn't like 'em on Warlock, and I haven't liked 'em since. Let them rot in hell.

Personally, I feel the feats are enough. Part of Wiz/Sorc/Cleric/whatever's brokenation is the fact that they get, essentially, a whole host of powerful new class features (spells) every level. Let a Harrowed have to live with their flavorful choices, eh?

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 10:05 PM
No, it isn't, but your comments on Invocations are also perfectly correct. They're generic. They're not Harrowed. They're...lame. Lame lame lame lame lame. I didn't like 'em on Warlock, and I haven't liked 'em since. Let them rot in hell.
That... confuses me. Why? What's wrong with them? They're just spell-like abilities that you get to choose from a list...


Personally, I feel the feats are enough. Part of Wiz/Sorc/Cleric/whatever's brokenation is the fact that they get, essentially, a whole host of powerful new class features (spells) every level. Let a Harrowed have to live with their flavorful choices, eh?
Yeah, but if you got 1 per level, or less (as with the Warlock), and they were no more powerful than the actual class features you were otherwise getting, then that's not going to be true here. Spells are broken; what I'm suggesting presumably wouldn't be.

But that's all I'll say; you're more than welcome to your opinion, it's your class, after all. I'll give some thought to what can be done with the Shadowmental Touch abilities as they are.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-05, 10:08 PM
That... confuses me. Why? What's wrong with them? They're just spell-like abilities that you get to choose from a list...

No. They're spam-buttons or, for all intents and purposes, perma-buffs. In every game I've played that includes a Warlock or 'brewed Invoc user, his end of the table sounds a lot like the Fighter's. "I invoke [X] at [Y]". A lot.

DragoonWraith
2010-09-05, 10:36 PM
Right, but I assumed your versions would retain The Monster Within save. Because that's far too awesome to lose.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-05, 11:57 PM
...What if, instead of invocs, they gained special modifications (let's call them...Aberrations) each level? Let 'em replace the bonus feats and still include a few class-specific feats (Imp Shadowmental, for example) for added spice.

Fako
2010-09-06, 01:51 AM
...What if, instead of invocs, they gained special modifications (let's call them...Aberrations) each level? Let 'em replace the bonus feats and still include a few class-specific feats (Imp Shadowmental, for example) for added spice.

That sounds like a good idea... I know it's been done to death by other classes, but can I suggest adding a few Aberrations that are unique to each Shadowmental? The idea of using Sun's Wrath to set a ghost on fire amuses me... :smallbiggrin:

Lix Lorn
2010-09-06, 05:12 AM
I like Sun's Wrath. Positive Energy damage is underrated. ;P
Although, it would make perfect sense to also have Force/Negative damage, both at 1d4. They're all hard to resist. (Shrugs)

InfiniteNothing
2010-09-06, 03:56 PM
Ehm... Sorry to say, but the concept of invocation-like abilities and the Harrowed just don't mesh well in my mind. If you want to, say, let them take (a) feat(s) that allowed them to gain spell-like abilities or 'abberations' based on their shadowmental abilityies, be my guest. Just don't make them part of the class itself.

DragoonWraith
2010-09-06, 06:05 PM
...What if, instead of invocs, they gained special modifications (let's call them...Aberrations) each level? Let 'em replace the bonus feats and still include a few class-specific feats (Imp Shadowmental, for example) for added spice.
Yeah, this is pretty much what I meant. I chose Invocation as an example just because the Harrowed's abilities were at-will (but with the save). So, these "Aberrations", then, could be Su, require The Monster Within saves, and be usable at-will? Would they solely be augmentations/modifications to the Shadowmental Touch, or would you have stand-alone effects?

EdroGrimshell
2010-09-06, 06:27 PM
I can help with the feats if you need it, just ask. I happen to be pretty good with feats once given an idea.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-06, 10:27 PM
Yeah, this is pretty much what I meant. I chose Invocation as an example just because the Harrowed's abilities were at-will (but with the save). So, these "Aberrations", then, could be Su, require The Monster Within saves, and be usable at-will? Would they solely be augmentations/modifications to the Shadowmental Touch, or would you have stand-alone effects?

I'd like to save Touch techniques for feats. Instead, I'd prefer for the Aberrations to take the place of, say, the Beast & Soul feat line, or to grant bonuses on skills or new movement modes, that kinda deal.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-23, 03:30 PM
Bump, 'cause I'ma start work on this again soon.

EdroGrimshell
2010-09-23, 05:41 PM
My offer to help is still open.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-28, 03:09 PM
Feel free, if you want - I'm always taking ideas. Djinn still owes me feats, the bottled bastard :p

EdroGrimshell
2010-09-28, 04:37 PM
Feel free, if you want - I'm always taking ideas. Djinn still owes me feats, the bottled bastard :p

I'll get working on them. I'll be basing them off animals mostly, most will be Beast type as well. I'm not sure what you'd be looking for in Soul feats but i should be able to get a few based on the different Shadowmental elements.

DragoonWraith
2010-09-28, 05:13 PM
Hmm... I was just in the process of updating my "Beast Without" Harrowed/Xenotheurge dual-progression PrC, and it dawns on me that Dark Deal (a prerequisite for it) is no longer present. Do you intend to include something like that as a Feat this time?

I've just read the description of Beast and Soul feats, and those are pretty much awesome. I really love those ideas. I haven't really done much thinking about Aberrations, but I'll try to give it some more thought. Just have so much on my plate.

Owrtho
2010-09-28, 05:15 PM
You might try looking here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=58810) and here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118467) for ideas.

Owrtho

Realms of Chaos
2010-09-28, 09:47 PM
Wow. I honestly didn't even know that this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=118467) version even existed. As it's almost identical and the balance issues can basically be counted on one hand (one finger if you disregard the feats and even that can be fixed by pinning the -2 penalty to will saves when choosing crushing will that the third version possesses), why does this version even exist?

YOU HAD PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!

DragoonWraith
2010-09-28, 10:13 PM
I disagree. Having played that version of the Harrowed, while it had cool in spades, its abilities were a little flat, mechanically.

Realms of Chaos
2010-09-28, 11:11 PM
But you think this version is better? :smallconfused:
They're practically identical in every single way... except that one has a full list of feats. In fact, this thread probably could've been duplicated by simply sorting the feats in that thread into a couple categories and adding a few new ones.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-28, 11:13 PM
The old feats were, ah, broken. Severely. In many places.

Realms of Chaos
2010-09-28, 11:30 PM
Beyond the point of fixing? :smallconfused:
All of them? :smallconfused:
Really? Looks like at least half of them would still work.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-28, 11:40 PM
Hey, if you wanna fix 'em, feel free. I'm BAD at feats. I'd LOVE for someone to fix 'em.

Realms of Chaos
2010-09-29, 12:48 AM
Well, as a start...

Dark Deal [Harrowed]
You’ve forged a dark deal with the beast within for leniency.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, Intelligence 15+
Benefit: Your monster within will not violently lash out against your friends or loved ones, or publicly commit crimes which it knows could lear to your incarceration or execution unless doing so is necessary to stay alive. While commiting chaotic and/or evil actions, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves made to resist the influence of your monster within.

A combination of both prior incarnations of the feat. :smallbiggrin:

Butchery Pact [Harrowed]
You’ve cut a dark deal with your beast; so long as you show no mercy and no pity, it leaves you (mostly) well enough alone.
Prerequisites: Non-good alignment, Dark Deal
Benefit: Whenever you kill an intelligent being, you gain a +2 profane bonus to will saves made vs. your monster (see The Monster Within) for the next hour. Whenever you make a successful coup de grace against a sentient being, you gain temporary hit points equal to your class level for 10 minutes.

Lowered the saving throw bonus a bit and gave a bonus with coup de graces. This feat is a less abusable form of that shapeshifter reserve feat in complete mage (considering that you can't just kill chickens to keep the bonus constant).

Hellfire Conflagration [Harrowed]
Your unholy flames burn ever brighter, spreading and consuming.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Hellfire) 3d6
Benefit: A creature ignited by your Shadowmental Touch receives additional damage equal to half you class level per round, half of which is fire, and half of which stems from pure unholy energy and is not subject to resistance.

Toned down the damage big time as well as the prereqs (you can select it as your level 5 bonus feat now). An extra 10 damage by level 20 allows this ability to scale without getting too out of hand.

Hellfire Inferno [Harrowed]
Your Hellfire is a raging inferno, consuming all around you.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (8d6), Hellfire Conflagration
Benefit: Once per encoutner, as a full-round action, you may surround yourself with shadowmental fire. All creatures within 10 feet take damage appropriate for your Shadowmental Touch or half as much with a successful reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Cha modifier). All creatures within 15 feet who fail a reflex save (same DC) catch fire but take no additional penalties (even from your hellfire conflagration feat).

This seemed like more of an inferno to me than the original. It targets multiple people but it's close range means that it's only really useful for taking on groups of mooks.

Howling Rage [Harrowed]
The thunderclaps of your rage are so loud as to crack bones and shatter skulls.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Thunderous Rage) 3d6
Benefit: Your Shadowmental Touch violently leaps from one foe to another, travelling as a malevolant serpent. When you make a successful attack with your shadowmental touch, you may select another target within 5 feet. The target takes half as much damage as the primary target unless they succeed at a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier).

Need sleep...

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-29, 10:33 AM
Feel free to continue; I can always experiment with Aberrations after playtesting :p

Realms of Chaos
2010-09-30, 12:33 AM
okay, more of them


Nightmare Mind [Harrowed]
Your beast is particularly close to your mind, and it savages those who dare disturb it.
Prerequisites: Dark Whispers, Iron Will
Benefit: Whenever you are successfully targeted by a compulsion effect (such as suggestion spell) or an unwanted telepathic intrusion (such as dominate person), the originator of the ability becomes shaken for 1d4+1 rounds and you learn their name.
For as long as a creature is shaken by this ability, you can sense their exact location so long as they ware within 10 feet/class level of you as if you possessed blindsight.

Your mind now gives people fear rather than mental ability score damage (seems to go with the "nightmare" concept :smallwink:) and it has become less powerful an automatic. On the bright side, no more saving throws.

Piercing Energy [Harrowed]
Your Shadowmental energy is especially potent.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch 4d6, two or more Harrowed feats
Benefit: Your supernatural abilities and feats ignore an amount of energy resistance equal to your Harrowed class level. Creatures immune to energy damage remain immune.

unchanged.

Rob the Beast [Harrowed]
You have stolen additional power from your beast, allowing you to use an ability more often.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, one or more Harrowed feats
Benefit: Choose a Harrowed class feature or Harrowed feat that has limited uses per day or per encounter. You gain an additional use of that ability.
Special: You may take this feat more than once. Each time, you gain an additional use of a different ability or feat.

also unchanged.

Thunderous Onslaught [Harrowed]
You unleash the full rage of your beast upon your foes, allowing it to ravage them.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (Thunderous Rage) 8d6, Howling Rage
Benefit: Once per encounter, you may unleash the full wrath of your beast upon your foes. As a full round action, you can let loose this shadowmental energy as a 60-foot foot line, subjecting each creature to the full damage of your shadowmental touch or half that much with a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 class level + Charisma modifier).

A huge lightning "snake" savaging your foes seemed most appropriate here. As an extra note, I increased the range of the inferno by 5 feet as well to even things out. Shouldn't make this guy too overpowering...

Shadowmental Armor [Harrowed]
The unholy energy coursing through you protects your body and your equipment
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Mantle, Bestial Resilience
Benefit: You gain a +1 deflection bonus your armor class.
While using your shadowmental mantle, this increases to a +2 bonus.
Lastly, your Bestial Resilience ability applies to your equipment and any object or structure you touch (for example, a Harrowed with Shadowmental Touch (Hellfire) and Bestial Resilience 10 who stands in a tavern confers ten points of fire resistance to the tavern itself, but not the other objects within it).

A smaller AC bonus evens out this feat nicely (as +2 AC is more than most feats grant you, no real worries about it being underpowered).


Shadowmental Dispelling [Harrowed]
Your Shadowmental energy can devour enchantments.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (5d6), Knowledge (Arcana) 12 ranks, Spellcraft 12 ranks
Benefit: Twice per encounter, you may replace your Shadowmental Touch’s normal secondary effect with a dispel magic effect. This effect is identical to a targeted dispel magic spell cast by a cleric of your class level, targeting the victim of your Shadowmental Touch attack.

A couple dispellings never hurt anybody. I reduced the number per encounter to 2, right between Djinn's suggested 1 or 3.

Shadowmental Endowment [Harrowed]
Shadowmental energy infuses every fiber of your being, bleeding it from your very pores.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (8d6), Shadowmental Infusion, Shadowmental Enhancement
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons deal an additional 3d6 points of damage (this replaces the enhancement from Shadowmental Enhancement) with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit. Additionally, whenever you infuse your natural or melee weapon with your Shadowmental Touch, the next two attacks you make that round deal additional damage as your shadowmental touch ability.

Shadowmental Enhancement [Harrowed]
You are a veritable beacon of Shadowmental energy, channeling it into every strike.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Touch (5d6), Shadowmental Infusion
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons deal an additional 2d6 points of damage (this replaces the enhancement from Shadowmental Infusion) with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit.Additionally, whenever you infuse your natural or melee weapon with your Shadowmental Touch, the next attack you make that round deals additional damage as your shadowmental touch ability.

Shadowmental Infusion [Harrowed]
You are a living generator of Shadowmental energy, and it infuses your attacks.
Prerequisites: Shadowmental Mantle, Shadowmental Touch (Melee)
Benefit: Your natural and melee weapons are infused with Shadowmental energy, dealing an additional 1d6 points of damage with each strike, half of which is the energy chosen for your Shadowmental Touch ability, and half of which stems directly from unholy power and is not subject to resistance. This extra damage is not multiplied in the event of a critical hit.

So... I did away with the enhancement bonuses here and instead allowed the second feat of the chain to grant one additional attack and the third to feat to grant a second additional attack (making for a full attack for an average harrowed). Now that only the damage is included (and not the secondary effects), things should be fully balanced here.

Lord_Gareth
2010-09-30, 12:53 AM
Folks, can we get PEACHes on these feats?!?!?

Lord_Gareth
2010-10-08, 03:31 PM
Bump With Great Might!

Neon Knight
2010-10-09, 09:38 AM
Well, I do enjoy the class, so I guess I'll take a shot at evaluating the feats. I'm not the greatest balance savant, and if you've got some counter reasoning, I'd like to hear it.

Dark Deal [Harrowed]

Seems interesting; I might give it a different name, though, as a good character can just take this to get the neutral benefits and never utilize the evil portion of it. Calling it more like a Truce or something seems more proper, as it isn't a proper Faustian-esque pact.

Butchery Pact [Harrowed]

Now, this? This is a proper Faustian-esque pact. Seems like an alright option for an evil Harrowed.

Hellfire Conflagration [Harrowed]

Seems alright. I doubt it is too powerful, and it may be a bit on the weak side for a feat. But then again, the proper balance for a feat is probably one of the most difficult things to decide in DnD 3.5.

Hellfire Inferno [Harrowed]

Once again, alright, and certainly has its utility.

Howling Rage [Harrowed]

A simple but mechanically sound chain spell feat.

Nightmare Mind [Harrowed]

Seems alright, I suppose. Of course, I'd rather take Iron Heart Surge to counteract stuff like this; in fact, this seems rather not useful. So they're shaken, you know where they are, and you know their name. You're still successfully affected by whatever effect they were using on you. In all likeliness, it seems like they'll have a chance to command you and book it before you get to take advantage of their condition.

Piercing Energy [Harrowed]

Ho-hum. A nice effect to have access to.

Rob the Beast [Harrowed]

Good to have, since the Harrowed has many abilities that can benefit from more uses.

Thunderous Onslaught [Harrowed]

Heh, Ride the Lightning. Seems alright.

Shadowmental Armor [Harrowed]

Feels a bit weak, even so. Yeah, I know feats rare;y give you more than one, and those are super weak; really, I don't think feats can give a good amount of AC without coming off a bit powerful. 4 seems like too much, but 2 seems like too little compared to the some of the things I could get with a feat slot. In general, anything I can get with either cash or a feat, I'll get with cash. That, of course, is an opinion about how feats should be balanced, and what they should do. If you disregard that viewpoint, then I'm sure it is fine.

Shadowmental Dispelling [Harrowed]

Seems a-okay by my reckoning.

Shadowmental Endowment [Harrowed]
Shadowmental Enhancement [Harrowed]
Shadowmental Infusion [Harrowed]

Okay, the wording on these is just plain confusing. The original wording makes it sound like all attacks made with natural weapons or melee weapons gain the benefit of the feat, but subsequent feats in the chain give the impression this is not so. Also, do you get this all the time, or is this an additional effect that you gain during a Shadowmental Mantle use?

Other than that, minor extra damage for 3 feats. Rather meh. I'd rather have a good ToB boost, which I pick up for... you guessed it, a feat.

Moose Man
2010-11-12, 06:42 PM
feels like a Jinchuuriki, like in naruto.

Owrtho
2010-11-13, 12:21 AM
Just a thought, but perhaps dark deal should require that you commit an evil act every x number of days or you lose the benefits from having it until you do, possibly even getting a penalty to saves against the monster.

Also, for those who aren't aware, I'm entering a Harrowed PRC (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=9711612&postcount=9) in the PRC contest.

Owrtho

EdroGrimshell
2010-11-27, 07:04 PM
A few Beast feats

Beast Skin [Beast]
Your beast within reinforces your skin with its unholy energies, strengthening it.
Prerequisites: Bestial Form
Benefits: Your natural armor bonus increases by one plus one for every three Beast feats you possess. This is an actual increase in natural armor, not a bonus.

Jaws of the Beast [Beast]
You can cause your jaws to extend into an unusual structure (such as an insect's mandibles, a crocodile's jaw, or a lion's muzzle).
Prerequisites: Bestial Form
Benefits: You can extend your jaws to give yourself a bite attack that deals 1d8 points of damage. Successful attacks with this bite also deal 2d6 points of energy damage, using the same type as your Shadowmental Touch damage. However, you cannot speak while your jaws are extended in this way.

Dread Form [Beast]
You have a second, more horrifying form that more closely resembles the beast within.
Prerequisites: Bestial Form, Dark Deal, Hell-Born Savagery, Jaws of the Beast
Benefits: Once per encounter, as a swift action, you may call on a greater amount of your beast's power, altering your form in the process. You gain a +4 bonus to the ability you increased with Bestial Form, a +2 bonus to your natural armor, and your natural attacks deal damage as if one size category larger. This form last for a number of rounds equal to your Cha modifier + your Con modifier, although you can end it prematurely as a swift action. Each round you are in this form you must save against the beast within at a -4 penalty.

I also got an idea for a Soul feat tree (although i only thought of the first one)

Blood Magic [Soul]
You gain the ability to use your blood to fuel semimagical effects.
Prerequisites: Con 13, Cha 13, Beast Within class feature
Benefits: You gain two hit points for each level of a class that gives the beast within (generally the harrowed and its PrCs). Additionally, you can sacrifice hit points to gain a bonus to will saves against your beast within equal to half the sacrificed hit points. You can sacrifice a maximum number of hit points equal to half your levels in a class that gives the beast within.

Expand on it as you will.

Tael
2010-11-27, 10:12 PM
What tier would you consider this class? I've heard people advertise it as tier 3, but I can't see how it's significantly (or at all) more powerful than a warlock, which is solid tier 4.

radmelon
2010-12-01, 11:02 PM
Bump of the ages.

Kilbourne
2010-12-02, 02:50 AM
I may begin playing with this class in a month or two -- I will report back with any findings about the class compared to others, and possible changes.

Gandariel
2010-12-02, 04:54 PM
simple question: what happens if you lose control in the middle of a fight?

does the monster still fight?
does it fight both enemies and allies?
can it use the abilities? maybe are they stronger, since now their power is not limited?

EdroGrimshell
2010-12-02, 05:00 PM
I may begin playing with this class in a month or two -- I will report back with any findings about the class compared to others, and possible changes.

I'm actually going to attempt to play one, with the beast sculpted PrC by Owrtho

Kilbourne
2010-12-02, 08:57 PM
Before the month is out I may post an altered version of this class (all credit to Lord_Gareth) with streamlined class-features trees and feats. I'm going to base the progressions and synergies on Barbarian rage powers and ToB maneuvers, so that you can have a specific, high-powered path, or several moderate abilities.

I'll post into this thread, and create a new one as well.

Owrtho
2010-12-02, 10:03 PM
Well, just thought I'd go and propose a variant of Dark Deal, so as to make it more like a deal with ups and downs.

Dark Deal [Harrowed]
You’ve forged a dark deal with the beast within for leniency.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, Intelligence 13+
Benefit: Your monster within will not violently lash out against your friends or loved ones, or publicly commit crimes which it knows could lead to your incarceration or execution unless doing so is necessary to stay alive. While commiting chaotic and/or evil actions, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves made to resist the influence of your monster within.
If you fail to commit a chaotic and/or evil for 3 consecutive days, the monster will not obey the above stipulations, and will go out of its way to violate them if able. For each day after that you fail to commit a chaotic and/or evil act, you gain a cumulative -1 penalty to will saves against the monster within. Upon committing a chaotic and/or evil act, all penalties are removed and the monster will again obey the above contract.

The second paragraph is to help actually make it a dark deal, as otherwise a character could take it solely for the fact it will prevent the creature from attacking allies.

As for Gandariel's question, to the best of my understanding, the answers are:
Yes, the monster usually loves killing.
Yes, without dark deal the monster doesn't bother to distinguish friend from foe.
Yes, it can use abilities, no they are not more powerful, as you are still a prison limiting its power (note the beast sculpted PRC does gain some boosts when the monster is in control, but that isn't the normal harrowed).

Owrtho

EdroGrimshell
2010-12-02, 10:48 PM
Well, just thought I'd go and propose a variant of Dark Deal, so as to make it more like a deal with ups and downs.

Dark Deal [Harrowed]
You’ve forged a dark deal with the beast within for leniency.
Prerequisites: The Monster Within, Intelligence 13+
Benefit: Your monster within will not violently lash out against your friends or loved ones, or publicly commit crimes which it knows could lead to your incarceration or execution unless doing so is necessary to stay alive. While commiting chaotic and/or evil actions, you gain a +2 bonus on Will saves made to resist the influence of your monster within.
If you fail to commit an evil for 3 consecutive days, the monster will not obey the above stipulations, and will go out of its way to violate them if able. For each day after that you fail to commit an evil act, you gain a cumulative -1 penalty to will saves against the monster within. Upon committing an evil act, all penalties are removed and the monster will again obey the above contract.

The second paragraph is to help actually make it a dark deal, as otherwise a character could take it solely for the fact it will prevent the creature from attacking allies.

As for Gandariel's question, to the best of my understanding, the answers are:
Yes, the monster usually loves killing.
Yes, without dark deal the monster doesn't bother to distinguish friend from foe.
Yes, it can use abilities, no they are not more powerful, as you are still a prison limiting its power (note the beast sculpted PRC does gain some boosts when the monster is in control, but that isn't the normal harrowed).

Owrtho

Would chaotic acts work as well?

And please tell me your not using this for the campaign we're in now.

Owrtho
2010-12-02, 11:26 PM
Well, if the change were made, amendments would likely be added to the more advanced pacts allowing certain things to qualify. For example the Pact of Butchery could bring back the part about eating a sentient creature and have that qualify. If pact of trickery were brought back (which I feel should be, though the precise benefits are uncertain), it might include bluffing or otherwise tricking as qualifying for the 'evil' act.

Owrtho

Lord_Gareth
2010-12-03, 12:25 AM
I'll be here to make additional comments, feats, and revisions soon. Look forward to Aberrations - Beast Feats are becoming class features.

On the subject of the Beast in battle, keep in mind that its goal is to revel in its freedom. While the Beast is Chaotic Evil, the emphasis is actually more heavily on the Chaotic aspect. That is, the Beast might attack a paladin not because they're a champion of good, but because they're a champion of order.

Lord_Gareth
2011-02-08, 01:24 AM
I'll be continuing work on the Harrowed anon; expect some extreme and radical changes. I have not yet decided if there will be a new thread for them, but I PLEAD with the mods not to lock this one so that I can make edits and/or copypasta my materials that are already made.

Lix Lorn
2011-02-08, 04:51 AM
I believe the maker of a homebrew thread is exempt from necromancy. I think. :smallsmile:

rayne_dragon
2011-02-08, 05:01 AM
Lix is right, the maker of a homebrew thread has a special exemption from necromancy - it's all right there in the rules.

All the same, a new thread might be good if you want to consolidate things onto one page so that it'll be easier to look through or so that people who've already looked at this thread are more likely to look at the changes. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes.

radmelon
2011-02-08, 10:02 AM
It liiiiiiiives! :smallbiggrin:

Owrtho
2011-02-08, 11:01 AM
Lix is right, the maker of a homebrew thread has a special exemption from necromancy - it's all right there in the rules.

All the same, a new thread might be good if you want to consolidate things onto one page so that it'll be easier to look through or so that people who've already looked at this thread are more likely to look at the changes. I'm looking forward to seeing the changes.

Also, I'd point out everything is already on one page (though split between the first few posts).

Owrtho

Lord_Gareth
2011-02-19, 03:10 PM
Alright folks, new work is now beginning in all seriousness. New thread will be up shortly ^_^