PDA

View Full Version : [d20 Future] Cybermentalist Advanced Class



Kuma Kode
2011-01-04, 08:54 PM
http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k185/kuma_klaw/php33noaQAM.jpg

Cybermentalist

There have always been ghosts in the machine. Random segments of code that have grouped together to form unexpected protocols. Unanticipated, these free radicals engender questions of free will, creativity, and even the nature of what we might call the soul. Why is it that when some robots are left in darkness, they will seek out the light? Why is it that when robots are stored in an empty space, they will group together, rather than stand alone? How do we explain this behavior? Random segments of code? Or is it something more? When does a perceptual schematic become consciousness? When does a difference engine become the search for truth? When does a personality simulation become the bitter mote of a soul?

~ Dr. Lanning, "I, Robot" ~

The Cybermentalist crosses the line between organic and digital, manifesting psionic powers through an electronic medium. Lines of code become thoughts, and thoughts become reality. The cybermentalist can control the thoughts of others, manipulate electronics, and even generate metaphysical source code for his robotic creations. The electric pulses that surge through a robot or cybernetic attachment are the same pulses that course through a living body, and the cybermentalist learns to control these pulses regardless of the format and blur the concepts that define the soul and free will.

Take this Advanced class if you want to possess psionic powers while retaining an affinity for technology, and to merge the two together.

The fastest path into this advanced class is from the Smart Hero basic class, though other paths are possible.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Cybermentalist, a character must fulfill the following criteria.

Skills: Computer Use 6 ranks, Craft (Electronic) 6 ranks, Craft (Mechanical) 6 ranks.
Feat: Wild Talent.
Special: Must have at least three cybernetic attachments or be of the Construct (Robot) type.

Class Information
The following information pertains to the Cybermentalist advanced class.

Hit Die
The Cybermentalist gains 1d6 hit points per level. The character’s Constitution modifier (if any) applies.

Action Points
The Cybermentalist gains a number of action points equal to 6 + one-half her character level, rounded down, every time he attains a new level in this class.

Class Skills
The Cybermentalist's class skills are as follows.

Autohypnosis (Wis), Computer Use (Int), Craft (electrical, mechanical) (Int), Concentration (Con or Cha), Demolitions (Int), Disable Device (Int), Drive (Dex), Knowledge (earth and life sciences, physical sciences, popular culture, technology) (Int), Navigate (Int), Pilot (Dex), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), Read/ Write Language (none), Repair (Int), Research (Int), Speak Language (none).

Skill Points at Each Level: 7 + Int modifier (6 + Int modifier for nonhumans).

{table=head;width=100%]
Level|
Base Attack Bonus|
Fort Save|
Ref Save|
Will Save|
Special|
Defense Bonus|
Reputation Bonus

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Unexpected protocol, psionic skills, psionic powers|
+0|
+0

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Binary brain, psionic powers|
+1|
+0

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Bonus Feat, psionic powers|
+1|
+1

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Psychosphere, psionic powers|
+1|
+1

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Ghost in the machine, psionic powers|
+2|
+1

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Bonus Feat, psionic powers|
+2|
+2

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Power-line soul, psionic powers|
+2|
+2

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Combat manifestation, psionic powers|
+3|
+2

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Bonus Feat, psionic powers|
+3|
+3

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Machine messiah, psionic powers|
+3|
+3[/table]

Class Features
All of the following features pertain to the Cybermentalist advanced class.

Psionic Skills

A Cybermentalist has access to the following psionic skills. These skills are considered class skills for the Cybermentalist, and he can use his skill points to buy ranks in them, just like other skills in the game.

Autohypnosis (Wis): Trained only. You have trained your mind to resist certain injuries and threats while also gaining a few select benefits.

Check: The DC and effect depend on the task you attempt.

Resist Fear: In response to a fear effect, you can make an Autohypnosis check on your next action even if you’ve been overcome by fear. A successful check grants you another saving throw with a +4 morale bonus to resist the fear effect.

Memorize: You can attempt to memorize a long string of numbers, a long passage of verse, or other particularly difficult piece of information. Each successful check allows you to memorize up to 250 words or the equivalent of what could be comfortably contained on an 8 1/2-by-11-inch sheet of paper. You always retain this information; however, you can only recall it with a successful Autohypnosis check.

Tolerate Poison: In response to being poisoned, you can make an Autohypnosis check on your next action. A successful check grants you a +4 morale bonus on your saving throw to resist the poison’s secondary damage.

Willpower: If reduced to 0 hit points (disabled), you may make an Autohypnosis check. If successful, you can perform a strenuous action without taking 1 point of damage. A failed check carries no penalties—you can choose not to perform the strenuous action. If you do perform the strenuous action after failing the check, you take 1 point of damage, as normal.

{table=head]Task | DC
Resist fear | 15
Memorize | 15
Tolerate poison | Poison’s DC
Willpower | 20[/table]

Try Again?: For resist fear and memorize, you can make a check once per round. You can’t try again to tolerate poison. You can’t try again in the same round for willpower.

Special: You can take 10 on Autohypnosis checks, but you can’t take 20.

Most uses of Autohypnosis are attack actions. Willpower is a free action that can be attempted once per round.

Concentration (Con): The normal Concentration skill expands to include psionic applications, as defined below.

Check: You must make a Concentration check whenever you may potentially be distracted while engaged in an activity, including manifesting a power or concentrating on an active power, that requires your full attention.

If the check succeeds, you may continue with the action as normal. If the check fails, the action automatically fails and is wasted. If you were in the process of manifesting a power, the power is lost. If you were concentrating on an active power, the power ends. The table in the Concentration skill description summarizes the various types of distractions. In situations where the distraction occurs while you are manifesting a power, you add the level of the power to the DC.

Try Again?: You can try again, but doing so doesn’t cancel the effects of a previous failure. If you lost a power, the power is lost.

Special: By making a check (DC 15 + power level), you can use Concentration to manifest a power defensively, thus avoiding attacks of opportunity. If the check succeeds, you can attempt the action without incurring any attacks of opportunity.

Psicraft (Int): Trained only. Use this skill to identify psionic powers as they manifest or psionic effects already in place.

Check: You can identify psionic powers and effects.

{table=head]DC| Task
15 + power level | Identify a psionic power as it manifests. (You must sense the power’s display or see some visible effect to identify a power.) You can’t try again.
20 + power level | Identify a power that’s already in place and in effect. (You must be able to see or detect the effects of the power.) You can’t try again.
20 + power level | Identify materials created or shaped by psionics. You can’t try again.
30 or higher | Understand a strange or unique psionic effect. You can’t try again.[/table]
Try Again?: See above.
Time: Unless otherwise indicated, Psicraft is a move action.

Psionic Powers: The Cybermentalist's main strength is her ability to manifest psionic powers.

A psionic power is a one-time psionic effect. Psionic powers require power points to use. Unlike arcane spellcasters, Cybermentalists don’t have spellbooks and they don’t prepare powers ahead of time. In addition, a Cybermentalist can use psionics while wearing armor without risking the failure of the power.

A Cybermentalist's level limits the number of power points available for manifesting powers. In addition, a Cybermentalist must have a key ability score equal to at least 10 + the power’s level to manifest a particular power.

The Cybermentalist's selection of powers is extremely limited but unusual and effective. At 1st level, a Cybermentalist knows two 0-level powers of your choice. At each level, the Cybermentalist discovers one or more previously latent powers, as indicated on the table below.

Powers Discovered by Level
{table=head]Cybermentalist Level | Pts/Day | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
1st | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | —
2nd | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | —
3rd | 4 | 3 | 1 | — | — | —
4th | 5 | 3 | 2 | — | — | —
5th | 8 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | —
6th | 11 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | —
7th | 16 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | —
8th | 21 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | —
9th | 26 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | —
10th | 33 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1[/table]

The DC for saving throws to resist a psionic power is 10 + the power’s level + the Cybermentalist's key ability modifier.

A Cybermentalist can manifest a certain number of powers per day based on her available power points. She just pays the power point cost of a power to manifest it, no preparation necessary. The base number of power points available per day is shown above. This number is improved by bonus points determined by the Cybermentalist's Intelligence score, as shown on the table below.

{table=head]Int Score | Bonus Power Points per Day
12–13 | 1
14–15 | 3
16–17 | 5
18–19 | 7
20–21 | 9
22–23 | 11[/table]

Unexpected Protocol: The consciousness emergent of digital complexity is not well-understood, and reacts to code in unexpected ways. A robotic Cybermentalist becomes immune to conventional effects designed to control it, including remotes and morality or ethics cores, even if the robot was originally designed to accept these measures.

If the Cybermentalist is living, his or her cybernetics become immune to conventional effects designed to disable them, including the gimp chip or other government measures, even if these devices were originally built to be controlled by these external forces.

Psionic powers or devices, or conventional devices specifically designed with digital psionics in mind, function normally.

Binary Brain: At 2nd level, the cybermentalist gains the power to manipulate latent consciousness in the structures of the digital. The cybermentalist may now affect robots with an Intelligence score with his or her mind-affecting psionic powers, even though they are normally immune.

Bonus Feats: At 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, the Cybermentalist gets a bonus feat. The bonus feat must be selected from the following list, and the Cybermentalist must meet all the prerequisites of the feat to select it.

Alien Weapon Proficiency, Builder, Craft Cybernetics, Cybernetic Surgery, Cybertaker, Exotic Firearms Proficiency, Exotic Melee Weapon Proficiency, Frightful Presence, Gearhead, Mastercrafter, Vehicle Expert.

Psychosphere: By the time he reaches 4th level, the Cybermentalist has crafted a metal in which the electrons have been swapped for psions, the subatomic particles responsible for consciousness. This allows the cybermentalist to mold the metal as if it were silly putty, though it remains hard as steel.

The psychosphere is a shiny metal orb two-and-a-half inches in diameter. It floats effortlessly in the cybermentalist's hand and can be control telekinetically within a short range. It has several modes.

Weapon: The psychosphere forms spikes in weapon mode, and can be flung at an enemy within 10 ft. like a thrown weapon, except that it returns immediately and can be used to make multiple attacks, if the character has that ability. The psychosphere deals 1d6 points of piercing damage. The character's Strength modifier does not apply to damage, but his Intelligence is used instead of his Dexterity for the attack roll.

Shield: A psychosphere in shield mode molds into a disc half-an-inch thick. It attempts to intercept attacks, granting the cybermentalist a +2 shield bonus to Defense.

Tool: Though it lacks precision in shape, the psychosphere can form itself into a rudimentary tool. What crudeness it has in form it makes up for by being hands-free, and grants a +2 equipment bonus to skill checks, dependent upon the task at hand. The GM has the final say in to what you can and cannot apply the tool bonus.

Ghost in the Machine: Robots built by the Cybermentalist have an eerie tendency to exhibit unusual qualities in their behavior. Whether or not the Cybermentalist is creating poor programming or disturbingly good programming is debated, but those who have met the cybermentalist and his or her robotic companions know it's the latter.

When a Cybermentalist of 5th level or higher builds a robot, he has the option of programming it to have a limited-use psionic power, but doing so requires an investure of himself. The psionic module is built into the robot and cannot be salvaged. It counts as an accessory with a Purchase DC of 15 + the power's level + the manifester level. This is usually figured into the final cost of the robot.

Crafting a ghost in the machine requires an expenditure of experience points equal to the Purchase DC of the module × the manifester level × the power's level. 0-level powers do not consume experience.

A ghost in the machine smaller than tiny can manifest its power once. Unable to handle the power surging through its miniscule circuitry, the robot melts and is destroyed as if reaching 0 HP. A robot of tiny size or larger can manifest its imbued power once per day and is not harmed.

If the robot is destroyed, the module cannot be salvaged and the experience remains lost.

Power-Line Soul: At 6th level, a Cybermentalist can send his consciousness through a wire or device he is touching and interface with it, even jumping from wire to wire to bypass physical switches. He is treated as if he were using a neural jack to interface with the device, even if the device lacks a neural jack or is not actually nearby (touching a cord that ultimately reaches it will suffice). Doing so consumes 1 power point, plus an additional point for every Computer Use check made while in this disembodied state.

While interfaced, the cybermentalist's body is catatonic and unaware of its surroundings. If removed from the device, the cybermentalist immediately reawakens.

Combat Manifestation: At 8th level, a Cybermentalist becomes adept at manifesting psionic powers in combat. He gets a +4 bonus on Concentration checks to manifest a power while on the defensive.

Machine Messiah: Upon reaching 10th level, the Cybermentalist is the next evolution of digital kind, and is treated as a nearly god-like figure by electronics. A robot must succeed at a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 the Cybermentalist's class level + the Cybermentalist's Intelligence modifier) in order to attack or otherwise take hostile actions against the Cybermentalist. If it succeeds, it may ignore the cybermentalist's Machine Messiah ability for 24 hours. If it fails, it may attempt the action on subsequent rounds until it succeeds or gives up.

This ability applies to any robot with an Intelligence score, even ones with a remote control or a morality or ethics core.

Cybermentalist Powers
The Cybermentalist chooses psionic powers from the following list.

0-Level Cybermentalist Powers
Burst (Dex). Speed improves by 10 feet for 1 round.
Daze (Int). Target loses next action.
Detect Psionics (Wis). Detect the presence of psionics activity.
Far Hand (Dex). Minor telekinesis.
Missive (Int). Send a one-way telepathic message.
Telempathic Projection (Int). Modify the subject’s emotions.
Verve (Str). Gain 1 temporary hit point.

1st-Level Cybermentalist Powers
Charm Person (Int). Makes target your friend.
Conceal Thoughts (Int) Hide your motives.
Control Object (Dex). Telekinetically animate a small object.
Identify (Wis). Identify single feature of magical or psionics item.
Lesser Body Adjustment (Str). Heal 1d8 hp, or gain +1 bonus on next Fortitude save to resist poison or disease, or heal 1 point of ability damage.
Lesser Mindlink (Int). Forge a limited mental bond with target.
Object Reading (Wis). Reveal an object’s past.
White Noise (Wis). Scramble electronic transmissions.

2nd-Level Cybermentalist Powers
Brain Lock (Int). Target can’t move or take any mental actions.
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance (Wis). Hear or see at a distance.
Darkvision (Wis). See in the dark.
Detect Thoughts (Int). Detect target’s surface thoughts.
Electronic Fog (Wis).Scramble electronic signals.
Knock (Dex): Open locked doors.
Sensitivity to Psychic Impressions (Wis). Reveal an area’s past.
Suggestion (Int). Compels target to follow suggested action.

3rd-Level Cybermentalist Powers
Charm Creature (Int): Make creature believe you to be an ally.
False Sensory Input (Int). Falsify one of the target’s senses.
Lesser Domination (Int). Forces target to obey your will.
Mental Blast (Int). Target stunned for 3d4 rounds.
Mindlink (Int). Forge a mental bond with others.
Negate Psionics (Wis). Cancels psionic powers and effects.

4th-Level Cybermentalist Powers
Domination (Int). Subject obeys your will.
Forced Mindlink (Int). Forge mental bond with unwilling target.
Mindwipe (Int): Subject’s recent experiences are wiped away.
Tailor Memory (Int). Plant false memory in target.
Telekinesis (Dex). Lift or move 25 pounds per level at long range.
Signal Feed (Int) Cameras show what you want them to show.
Steadfast Perception (Wis). +4 bonus against illusions, +2 bonus on Search and Spot checks.

Kuma Kode
2011-01-04, 08:56 PM
Reserved for new Cybermentalist powers.....

No other reservations needed.

rysade
2011-01-05, 07:45 AM
I have to admit that this is an astounding piece of work. I did not even realize that this kind of character class was missing.

At first blush, I admit that merely the concept of this class is my kind of thing, so I am probably extremely biased. I'll look over the power list in more detail later, but all in all I like this.

Kuma Kode
2011-01-08, 01:16 PM
Final bump for any feedback or suggestions.

Dencero
2011-01-08, 09:14 PM
You have just made my day. I was looking for some sort of class for a d20 game I'm going to be running soon. It's set in Mirrodin, a Magic the Gathering setting, and it has a lot to do with machines. I wanted some sort of pseudo-Memnarch controller with power over machines and some sort of magical or psionic power. Were you in my head? You were, weren't you?

It looks balanced at a glance. I love the ability to create robots with the ability to use your powers, and ultimately becoming a robot god.

All I want to see is some unique Cybermentalist powers. Something like being able to remote view using a robots you control. You get what I'm talking about. Can't wait to see what you come up with.