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View Full Version : The Nihilist [3.5 Base Class] (PEACH)



Hyooz
2010-10-07, 02:06 PM
NIHILIST

"What was that?" "Oh... nothing."

There lies a void within all things. In the tree, in the rock, in the flesh of mortal and immortal races. Between the crude matter exists a great expanse of Nothing. This Nothing has existed since time began. From out of it came all things, and to it all things will return. It is primal, it is fierce, and it is powerful. The Nothing goes by a variety of names; the Void, the Darkness, and such. The Nihilists have found this great void, and have somehow made its power their own. Not all Nihilists fully understand the origin of their powers, and even scholars have found no effective way to explaining them. Their powers are quite real, however, and the great Nothing that fuels them even more so.

Abilities: Wisdom is the Nihilist's primary ability. They use it to draw upon the Nothing, and it determines the DCs of their abilities, as well as how many Nihilo they can have at any given time. Dexterity is also important to the Nihilist, granting them a higher armor class and making it easier to strike with their Nihilo when they must.

Role: The Nihilist is primarily a battlefield controller, shaping and distorting his Nihilo to make the field of battle a potentially dangerous place for anyone who treads there. He is also a capable ranged attacker, able to use his Nihilo as versatile and potent weapons.

Background: Most Nihilists accidentally discover their talent for manipulating the void. They might spend their early life prone to losing small things, discover the occastional hole in a wall or piece of clothing that shouldn't be there, or simply notice themselves accidentally bringing bizarre shapes of... something into existence. On rare occasions, they are able to study the art in a text somewhere and develop their abilities from there.

Organization: The Tower of the Void is the primary gathering of those studying the Nothing. Those versed in the Void, or with interest in ultimate emptiness, gather there. Nihilists are more than welcome, their powers a great boon to study of the Nothing.

Alignment: Nihilists of all alignments exist. Those who follow the law see the Nothing as the ultimate order, while the aspirants of chaos see it as the highest form of entropy. For good and evil, it is simply another weapon. Evil Nihilists might try to reduce the whole of existence back to its original oneness with the Nothing, but evil is as evil does.

Races: Long-lived races and immortal races most commonly develop Nihilists, as they have a better chance than most to witness the progression back to the Void, but Nihilists can come from any race.

Religion: Nihilists are a confused lot when it comes to religion. The gods, quite frankly, are nearly impossible to deny. They are certainly powerful, and many might be worth of worship. But to a Nihilist, who sees and feels the great Nothing constantly looming, threatening to return all things to it, the gods may fall short. So, a nihilist might worship a god as he chooses, appreciating his or her work in the world and the god him/herself. Or, a nihilist may not see the point to god worship, and keep the Void as his only deity, as it is above all.

Other Classes: The Nihilist tends to get along well with members of all classes. There can be complications, however, depending on their view of the Nothing. One Nihilist may take issue with those who are too frivolous in life. The rogues and bards, flitting about without a care. We are all moving toward the great end to all things, how can you waste your time on something that doesn't matter? On the other hand, another Nihilist might be dancing alongside the bard, convinced that since all things will end, nothing truly matters, and taking yourself too seriously, as the clerics and paladins tend to do, is truly a greater waste. Druids, and other nature-loving people may take offense to the Nihilist's abilities as well, seeing the Void as entirely abhorrent to nature, as any emptiness is.

Adaptation: Nihilists should fit into any campaign world without too much trouble. Eternal worlds generate the most trouble, but other explanations of what the Void is are all that would be required.

Hit Die: d8

Starting Gold: 3d4x10 (75gp)


Nihilist Class Features

Class Skills: The Nihilist's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Profession (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).

Skill Points at First Level: (2 + Int modifier) x 4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 2 + Int modifier

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

1st|
+0|
+2|
+0|
+2| Nihilo 1d6

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+0|
+3|Nil Body

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+1|
+3| Nihilo 2d6,

4th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4| En Nihilo (Counterspell)

5th|
+3|
+4|
+1|
+4| Nihilo 3d6, Nil Body (Magical)

6th|
+4|
+5|
+2|
+5| Maleable Naught

7th|
+5|
+5|
+2|
+5| Nihilo 5d6

8th|
+6|
+6|
+2|
+6| En Nihilo (Material)

9th|
+6|
+6|
+3|
+6| Nihilo 6d6

10th|
+7|
+7|
+3|
+7| Ex Nihilo (Creation)

11th|
+8|
+7|
+3|
+7| Nihilo 7d6

12th|
+9|
+8|
+4|
+8| En Nihilo (Energy)

13th|
+9|
+8|
+4|
+8| Ex Nihilo (Life)

14th|
+10|
+9|
+4|
+9| Nihilo 8d6

15th|
+11|
+9|
+5|
+9| En Nihilo (Death)

16th|
+12|
+10|
+5|
+10|Ex Nihilo (True)

17th|
+12|
+10|
+5|
+10| Nihilo 8d6

18th|
+13|
+11|
+6|
+11| En Nihilo Logos

19th|
+14|
+11|
+6|
+11| Deus Ex Nihilo

20th|
+15|
+12|
+6|
+12| Nihilo 9d6[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: The Nihilist is proficient with light armor, and all simple weapons.

Nihilo (Su): The signature ability of a Nihilist. Nihilo are, essentially, small regions of absolute nothing. This is more than a mere vacuum; it is a region connected to the primal emptiness that began all existence. Nihilo of different Nihilists rarely look the same. The connection to the Nothing was brought forth by their individual will, so their individual will shapes it, colors it, and gives it a presence on the material plane. Thus, some Nihilo will appear as black spheres, while others will be amorphous blue shapes or silver rods. Complicated shapes are possible, and some Nihilists revere the Void to the point of creating Nihilo in a manner similar to other divine relics, but a shape more complicated than a simple geometric or amorphous shape requires a Craft check DC 15 as part of the creation of the Nihilo. You may create and maintain a number of Nihilo up to your Wisdom modifier.

Nihilo are, in a certain way, magical in nature, and can be dispelled. Treat the Nihilo's spell level as being equal to the highest level spell a wizard of the manifesting Nihilist's level could cast for the puproses of dispelling. Creating a Nihilo is a standard action that provokes attacks of opportunity. Upon creation, a nihilo floats in a square adjacent to you which you designate. A Nihilo will remain in its square, perfectly still, unless you move it. Nihilists can move each of his Nihilo up to 30ft as a move action. A creature that ends its turn in the same square as a Nihilo takes damage based on the Nihilist's class level.

Nihilo are as abhorrent to nature as a more standard vacuum, and coming into contact with one is a painful experience for all but the Nihilist that created it. The Nothing tears and rips at everything it touches from the confines of the Nihilo. As a standard action, the Nihilist can direct a Nihilo to attack a creature. This is a ranged touch attack originating from the Nihilo's square that does damage based on the Nihilist's class level.

Nil Body (Su): The Nihilist's connection to his Nihilo allows him a number of abilities to connect himself more directly to the Nothing. By taking the Nihilo into himself, and expanding its existence through his body, he can make it significantly more difficult for his foes to find his body with their blades. By moving a Nihilo into his own square, the Nihilist enjoys a 10% miss chance against all mundane attacks. If multiple Nihilo are used for this purpose, the miss chance increases by another 10% (to a maximum of 10% miss chance per 2 Nihilist levels).

Once a Nihilo is used for this purpose, it stays with the Nihilist until he moves it out of himself (or the Nihilo runs out of time.)

At 5th level, as the Nihilist's connection to the Void is becoming more powerful, so too does his ability to fade into it. The miss chance from this ability now protects him from all effects requiring an attack roll.

En Nihilo: At fourth level, the Nihilist's Nihilo begin to become much more than weapons. The Nihilist is able to use them as direct conduits from their world to the Void, drawing the material, and more still, into the infinite blackness.

At first, a Nihilist can only use this against that which is already barely there - magic. An enemy casts a spell, directed at the Nihilist. Unfortunately, they do not account for the Nihilo in the way, and can only watch as their spell is drawn away into the Void. Any time a spell is cast with a line of effect that would pass through one of his Nihilo, the Nihilist may, as an immediate action, destroy his Nihilo to counter the spell.

At eighth level, the Nihilo have grown more powerful, and the insatiable vortex to the nothing can draw material objects with it. By destroying a Nihilo, a Nihilist can do damage that ignores hardness to any unattended object in its square equal to the Nihilo's normal damage. Additionally, if a creature passes through his Nihilo, a Nihilist can, as an immediate action, destroy the Nihilo to attempt to sunder a weapon or shield carried by the creature. The Nihilist and his target make opposed attack rolls with their respective weapons. If the Nihilist beats the defender, roll Nihilo damage (which ignores hardness) and deal it to the weapon or shield. If he fails, he doesn't do any damage.

At twelfth level, a Nihilist can attempt to draw all of a creature's energy into the Void, rendering it nearly motionless. When a creature passes through one of his Nihilo, the Nihilist can destroy it, forcing the creature to halt, possibly leaving it in a desperate strait. As an immediate action, the Nihilist can destroy his Nihilo as a creature passes through it. The creature's movement is immediately stopped, and it must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + Nihilo's level + Wis modifier) or be exhausted for 1d4 rounds and a Will save (DC 10 + Nihilo's level + Wis modifier) or be unable to move from its current square for 1d6 rounds.

At fifteenth level, Nihilists are feared for their ability to draw entire beings into the Void in an instant. When a creature passes through one of his Nihilo, the NIhilist can, as an immediate action, attempt to totally remove a creature from reality. The creature must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + Nihilo level + Wis modifier) or be utterly destroyed.

Maleable Naught (Su): Nihilists aren't limited to simple compact regions of Void. Very quickly, they learn to twist and stretch their Nihilo, making them incredibly versitile tools for a clever Nihilist.

As a move action, the Nihilist can adjust one of the following aspects of a Nihilo. Any Nihilo so adjusted can no longer be used to attack, and moving it through a creature no longer has a chance do damage them. Otherwise, no matter how adjusted, the Nihilo is still a Nihilo, and can be used for Nihilist class abilities, and moved like a normal Nihilo.

Width: Stretching and skewing the naught, the Nihilist draws the Nihilo into a curtain of non-existence, separating himself from his foes. He can press his Nihilo into a wall of a number of 5ftx5ft squares equal to his class level. The squares can be arranged in any way, as long as each square is connected to another and at least one square occupies the Nihilo's original square.

Refractive/Reflective: Nothing tends to do weird things to natural processes, and light is not excluded. With a little help from the Nihilist, this can be adjusted to his advantage. Making a Nihilo refractive blocks line of effect through it, while making a Nihilo reflective blocks line of sight through it. You can only adjust one of these aspects at a time.

Vicious: While a shaped Nihilo can't be used to attack directly, it is still very possible for the Nihilist to make them dangerous again. A Nihilo adjusted to be Vicious does normal Nihilo damage to any creature passing through its square. This damage still does not occur when the Nihilo is moved through someone, and the Nihilist still cannot attack with the Nihilo.

Solid: The Nihilo expands, filling with proto-matter that first erupted from the Void at the beginning of time. It quickly becomes totally impassable, taking up space in the most effective of ways. The Nihilo becomes a 5' cube or matter, effectively forming a small wall. If the Nihilo you are making Solid was widened before, each square becomes the face of a cube, placed on whichever side the Nihilist chooses. These blocks are solid, and made of some kind of matter, however crude. Each 5' block has 10 hp and 10 hardness. If a block is broken, treat it as if the creature that broke it has passed through the Nihilo for the purposes of other Nihilist abilities.

Viscous: Any square the Nihilo occupies becomes difficult terrain.

Ex Nihilo (Su): Just as everything will one day return to naught, in the beginning, all things sprang forth from it. The material, the ethereal, and the astral; all planes were once a part of it. The gods themselves are said to have come from it. A Nihilist does not simply wield a sword or magical energy, or even entropy. A Nihilist's weapon is the very primordial existence from which all things were made.

At 10th level, a Nihilist can tap into the primal substance of the Nothing to create something wholly new. By destroying a Nihilo, he can create a small item, as Major Creation without a material component.

At 13th level, the Nihilist learns to create life out of Void, though only a vague, primordial representation of it. The creatures he forms are of his own design, but ill formed and temporary, as all things are. As a standard action, the Nihilist can destroy a Nihilo to create an Astral Construct as if he had manifested the Psionic power with a number of power points equal to his class level.

At 16th level, the Nihilist's ability to create matter becomes even more refined. He is now able to create matter as a True Creation spell, instead of Major Creation.

En Nihilo Logos (Su): The Void is an existence beyond comprehension. To look into it risks confusion, at best, and utter madness at worst. Drawing upon their entire connection to the Nothing, the Nihilist can cause a region of his world to mimic the sheer insanity of the Void. As a full attack action, the Nihilist can activate this ability by using all of his Nihilo. This effect has a duration of 1 minute/2 levels and is dispellable.

Treat each Nihilo as a vertex (if a Nihilo is currently occupying multiple squares, determine a "center" of the Nihilo to serve as the vertex) of the area effected by this ability. Within the area:

- All attacks have a 50% miss chance.
- Area effects with a source or target within the area have a 20% chance of improper placement. If this occurs, the spell is centered 1d4 x 5 feet in a random direction from where the caster intended. To determine direction, use rules for a missed splash weapon.
- Any movement, from a 5-foot step to a full run and everything between, occurs in a random direction. (Again, use the rules for a missed splash weapon to determine direction.) Reroll any result that places the creature in an "illegal" space (in another creature's area, within a wall, and so on). A random roll that results in a fall off a ledge (or a similar mishap) is allowable. A successful Will save negates this particular effect, but that save must be repeated for each round of movement.

You are immune to the movement altering effect, but not the other effects of this ability.

Deus Ex Nihilo: Just as the deities sprang forth from the eternal Void, the Nihilist can make himself, if only temporarily, akin to a god. Drawing his Nihilo into himself, he draws raw divine power from them, granting himself the likeness and power of a deity. Activating this ability is a full round action. The Nihilist gains a divine rank equal to the number of Nihilo he destroys for this ability, gaining the related bonuses detailed below (where X is equal to the divine rank granted through this ability.) This effect lasts for 1d6 rounds, after which the Nihilist is fatigued and unable to create any more Nihilo for as many rounds. At the end of this effect, the Nihilist returns to having as many divine ranks as he had before using the ability, unless he had no divine rank before using this ability, in which case, he goes back to having no divine rank.

- All past and present HD are maximized
- Base land speed increases to 60ft, if not already higher
- Gains a +X Divine bonus to armor class
- Gainst a +X bonus to existing natural armor, or gainst +X natural armor
- Apply Charisma modifier as a Deflection bonus to Armor Class
- Gains a +X divine bonus to all attack rolls
- Gains damage reduction 20/epic and any alignment opposed to the Nihilist's own
- Gains a +X divine bonus to all saving throws
- Gains immunity to polymorph, petrification, energy drain, ability drain, ability damage, mind-affecting effects, electricity, cold, acid, disease, poison, stunning, sleep, paralysis, death effects, disintegration, and all effects that imprison or banish the Illustrious One. These immunities (except elemental immunities) can be overcome only be a creature with a higher divine rank than the Nihilist
- Gains a +X divine bonus on all skill checks, ability checks, caster level checks, and turning checks.
- Gains fire resistence of 5 + X
- Gains spell resistence 32 + X
- Gains immortality (not that it's likely to come up)
- Becomes immune to massive damage
- Gains a Divine Aura (Daze). Every creature (or every enemy, at the Nihilist's choice) within a radius of up to 100 x X feet (the Nihilist may increase or decrease this radius as a free action) must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + X + the Nihilist's Charisma modifier) or simply stare at the Nihilist in awe, unable to take any actions save those required to defend themselves. The Nihilist may activate or deactivate this ability as a free action. Once a creature has saved against this effect, it is immune to the effect for 24 hours. This ability is a mind-affecting ability, and does not effect creatures of an equal or higher Divine Rank than the Nihilist.
- Gains the ability to speak, read, write, and understand all forms of communication.

Hyooz
2010-10-07, 02:07 PM
Reserved for future Nihilist Feats