GitP PrC Contest XL: Based on a Bestseller!

[ErrantX]

Based on a Bestseller!

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Inspired here by what inspires you.


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Giant in the Playground PrC Contest XL

The contest begins with the posting of this thread and will run through midnight of May 2nd MAY 10TH.

Soon after a poll will be opened for everyone to vote for their favorite that will last until midnight of May 10th MAY 20TH.

Rules

1) You will be creating an 'original' prestige class. The theme is a class inspired by story, book, movie, comic, or anime that inspires you to create a class based on something from them. You could make a Super Soldier prestige classed based on Captain America, a clever time-traveler with a pair of hearts like the Doctor, a shinigami's catspaw who slays with a Death Note, or a brave man who's taken the Black and guards the land at the Wall as in Game of Thrones. The goal is to take something that you love and has inspired you, and generate a prestige class from it and maybe share with the rest of us something we may not be too familiar with to spread your fandom. Please link your source to give credit where credit is due here (such as a homepage for the author or the IMDB page for the movie, etc, link credits to the best of your ability to the author or producer of your choice). Sky's the limit here (feel free to use any of the above) and anything that is official Wizards of the Coast or Paizo Pathfinder material is allowed for source material. Homebrew material as a base is allowed by permission (just ask).

2) Entries must include name, complete class, and fluff, combat related and role playing related. Incomplete entries at the deadline will be disqualified.

3) Entries must be 3.5 or Pathfinder (please specify), using the standard format below.

4) Post all entries in this thread. Post all conversation, questions, etc here in the
chat thread) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=207612).

5) Maximum of one entry per participant (gotta save up those creative juices for the next one too!)

6) Entries must be your own work, and must not be copied for other places. Only new work may submitted; no previously posted work will be accepted. Such entries will be disqualified. Additionally, do not post your work outside of the contest until such a time as the voting for the contest has been posted. Such entries will be disqualified.

7) No reserving posts. Feel free to tweak your class, but the initial post must include the basics.



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And here's helpers if you need it!

(Fax Celestis' Prestige Class Creation Thread) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10433)
(Djinn_In_Tonic's What to make and How to make it special!) (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=137641)

[ErrantX]

PRESTIGE CLASS NAME

http://Picture URL

Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING A CLASS NAME
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
:
:
:
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Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: x + int

Hit Dice: dx

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

1st|
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2nd|
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10th|
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+x|Class Ability[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

PRESTIGE CLASS NAME

http://Picture URL

Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING A CLASS NAME
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
:
:
:
:
:

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: x + int

Hit Dice: dx

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

1st|
+x|
+x|
+x|
+x|Class Ability

2nd|
+x|
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3rd|
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4th|
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6th|
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7th|
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8th|
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9th|
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10th|
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+x|Class Ability[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A place to put the different proficiencies.
Put all the different class abilities in here!

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on..

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[malonkey1]

Crack Lawyer

http://cghs.dadeschools.net/african-american/twentieth_century/atticus.gif
Atticus Finch, Crack Lawyer. (Image Copyright Universal Studios)


"To begin with, this case should never have come to trial. The State has not produced one iota of medical evidence that the crime Tom Robinson is charged with ever took place."
-Atticus Finch

Atticus Finch. Phoenix Wright. Harvey Specter. These three people are clever legal maneuvers, with an uncanny ability to sway juries, persuade judges, and an almost perfect knowledge of legal systems. These are Crack Lawyers, masters of the courtroom dance.(Pathfinder)

BECOMING A CRACK LAWYER
Many Crack Lawyers are experts, both as a class and in the abstract sense. Nearly anyone with an intellectual and social bent can become a Crack Lawyer, but Bards are often best able to use these talents.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Bluff 3, Diplomacy 5, Knowledge[History] 3, Sense Motive 5
SpecialPerform[Oratory] 3 and Profession[Lawyer] 5, or Perform[Oratory] 5, Profession[Lawyer] 3.
Feats: Persuasive, Skill Focus(Diplomacy)

Class Skills
The Crack Lawyer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge[Any] (Int), Linguistics (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int

Hit Dice: d6


LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecial
1st
+0
+0
+0
+2Courtroom Demeanor
2nd
+1
+0
+0
+2Courtroom Maneuver (I Object!)
3rd
+1
+1
+1
+3
4th
+2
+1
+1
+3Courtroom Maneuver (Cross-Examination)
5th
+2
+1
+1
+3Courtroom Politics
6th
+3
+2
+2
+4Courtroom Maneuver (Approach the Bench)
7th
+3
+2
+2
+4
8th
+4
+2
+2
+5Courtroom Maneuver (Star Witness)
9th
+4
+3
+3
+5Legal Research
10th
+5
+3
+3
+6Courtroom Maneuver (Surprise Witness), Ace Attorney


Weapon Proficiencies: You don't learn to swing a sword in law school. No new proficiencies.

Courtroom Demeanor (Ex): Your training in the courtroom lend itself well to other tasks. You may use the better of your Profession[Lawyer] and Perform[Oratory] checks when making a roll for either. Additionally, for you, having 5 or more ranks in Profession[Lawyer], grants a +2 Synergy bonus in the following skills: Perform[Oratory], Diplomacy, and Bluff.

Courtroom Maneuvers (Ex): At level 2, and every even level afterward, your ability in the courtroom improves, granting you a new trick to use. These function perfectly well in non-court settings, but any skill rolls made with these receive a competence bonus equal to 1/2 your class level in a courtroom or similar setting.


I Object!: At level 2, you learn that a well-placed objection can change the game. As an immediate action, you may object to a Bluff, Diplomacy, Perform[Oratory], or Profession[Lawyer] check, provided it's one which requires speaking (so it can't be used against a feint attempt, or a check to perform research, for example). To do so, you must succeed on a Profession[Lawyer] check against the target's Demoralization DC. If you fail, you may not use this ability again for 1d6 rounds. If you succeed, the target's skill check fails. (If your DM is using critical success/failure rolls, a critical success here would mean a critical failure for the target!) Be warned that using this excessively will tee off some judges, who could prevent you from using this ability at all.
Cross-Examination: When you are present for a testimony (any vocal statement), you may cross-examine the creature who made the statement. In doing so, you make a Sense Motive check to determine the veracity of their statement, and you may allow any other people nearby to use the result of your check instead of their own. This is good for situations like when you need to convince a jury that a witness is lying.
Approach the Bench: 5 times/day, when you are having a whispered conversation, the DC to hear you becomes 20+class level. Additionally, you receive a bonus equal to 1/2 your class level to Diplomacy, Bluff (But not for feinting), and Intimidate while in such a conversation. These bonuses apply only against others in the conversation.
Star Witness: 3 times/day, when an ally makes a Bluff or Diplomacy check, you may instead roll for them applying your normal bonuses. The target (that is, the ally who you are allowing you to use your bonuses) must accept this. Otherwise, you cannot use the ability. Regardless of what you roll, if you choose this, you must use your roll.
Surprise Witness: 1/day, you may choose to call in a PC or an NPC with which you are closely familiar as a surprise witness. This witness is retroactively considered to have been there the whole time, but this does not change the events of previous rounds. The character acts on your initiative, but may otherwise act normally. It must make logical sense that that character was there, and the character can not be present unwillingly. You may use this up to 2 additional times per day, but only in a courtroom or similar setting.


Courtroom Politics (Ex): At level 5, you gain a stronger understanding of courtroom politics. You receive a +2 bonus on Bluff and Diplomacy checks in a courtroom or other legal setting, or when otherwise dealing with politics. Additionally, you receive a permanent +2 bonus on Profession[Lawyer] checks, and may substitute Charisma for Wisdom when making Profession[Lawyer] checks.

Legal Research (Ex): At level 9, your experience in law has granted you an uncanny skill with speed-reading and gathering information. You may substitute any Diplomacy check made to gather information, any Knowledge[Local] check, any Knowledge[Nobility] check, or any Knowledge[History] check with a Profession[Lawyer] check.

Ace Attorney: The legal profession is almost effortless for you. A number of times per day equal to the greater of you Intelligence or Charisma modifier, you may take 20 on a Profession[Lawyer] check. If you succeed this success is treated as a critical success (DM allowing).

PLAYING A CLASS NAME
The key to this class is roleplay, roleplay, roleplay. You do best when sweet-talking, lying, and generally being clever in a social setting.
Combat: This is not a combat class. If you find yourself in combat, try to talk your way out. Failing that, magic items and existing trick will have to be your salvation.
Advancement: Bards are well-suited to this class, and specializing in Perform[Oratory] is your best bet. Provided you have the spellcasting, Loremaster could be a good call. Additionally, your abilities could be very effective for lulling someone into a sense of security, good for Rogues and Assassins.
Resources: Often times, Crack Lawyers are well-respected members of a law firm, and often have large amounts of fiscal and legal resources at their disposal. Many accrue a large number of favors, and those favors can often reach far.

CRACK LAWYERS IN THE WORLD
"Wait, did I just confess to treason? Damn, he's good."

Crack Lawyers can be found in any place with a legal system, from tiny backwoods dumps to bustling metropolises.
Daily Life: Crack Lawyers are often pursuing new clients, or information about cases. If a case is lucrative enough, or it hits them in a sensitive spot, they'll take it, and run with it as far as they can. Chaotic lawyers often use the system to their advantage, while lawful lawyers prefer to remain impartial arbiters of the law.
Notables: The Vizier Alphonse Melleris, head legal advisor to his king, once enacted a brilliant plan to use legal loopholes to seize absolute power. The only thing that stopped him was his brilliant former student Zell Marko.
Organizations: Crack Lawyers are often important members of law firms, sometime a partner, sometimes they're in charge of the entire thing.

NPC Reaction
Lawyers, for a few reasons, have a bad rap, especially amongst fighting types and thieves. Wizards and the like often feel rather ambivalent about them, edmiring their diligence, but finding the subject of their study as a trivial thing in the long run.

CRACK LAWYERS IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

[sirpercival]

CANDYSMITH

Inspired by Willy Wonka (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willy_Wonka).

Image! (http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n_Uf3A2PwC0/T9zFDURUPTI/AAAAAAAAAUY/rF-q1JF7JkM/s1600/willy_wonka.jpg)

Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple.

You are an extraordinary person, who has discovered all there is to know about chocolate and other fine candies. You know so much about them that you can wreak havoc on your opponents with your delectable delicacies.

BECOMING A CANDYSMITH
A Candysmith begins life learning how to concoct brews of various types (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=13940075&postcount=4), usually as a Warcrafter (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=256614) (though other means of entry are possible). When he is ready, he begins to delve into the world of chocolate and sugar.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills: Bluff 4 ranks, Craft (Alchemy) 8 ranks, Profession (Chocolatier) 5 ranks
Feats: Brew Potion
Maneuvers: 3 Mystic Brew maneuvers, one of which must be 3rd level or higher
Special: Craft Construct feat or Craft homunculus class feature

Class Skills
The Candysmith's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Disable Device (Int), Knowledge (arcana, architecture & engineering, the planes) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Open Lock (Dex), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), and Use Magic Device (Cha).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int

Hit Dice: d10

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|M.Known|M.Readied| Stances
1st |+0|+0|+2|+2|Chocolatecraft, Oompa Loompa (1) |1|0|0
2nd |+1|+0|+3|+3|The Inventing Room |0|0|0
3rd |+2|+1|+3|+3|Oompa Loompa (2), Sweet Talk |1|0|0
4th |+3|+1|+4|+4|Chocolatecraft, Loompasong |0|0|1
5th |+3|+1|+4|+4|Oompa Loompa (3), Wonka-vite |0|1|0
6th |+4|+2|+5|+5|Everything is Eatable, Slugworth |1|0|0
7th |+5|+2|+5|+5|Chocolatecraft, Oompa Loompa (4) |0|0|0
8th |+6|+2|+6|+6|Improved Loompasong, Mint & Licorice |0|0|1
9th |+6|+3|+6|+6|Oompa Loompa (5), Vita-wonk |1|0|0
10th|+7|+3|+7|+7|Chocolatecraft, The Candyman Can |0|1|0
[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A Candysmith gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

Maneuvers: At 1st, 3rd, 6th, and 9th level, you gain one new maneuver known from the Glass Elevator (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15042859&postcount=5) or Mystic Brew disciplines. You must meet a maneuver’s prerequisite to learn it. You add your full Candysmith levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known. At 5th level and 10th level, you gain an additional maneuver readied per day.

Stances Known: At 4th and 8th level, you learn a new martial stance from the Glass Elevator or Mystic Brew disciplines. You must meet a stance’s prerequisite to learn it.

Chocolatecraft (Ex): At 1st level, and again at 4th, 7th, and 10th levels, you may choose to exchange one maneuver you know of any discipline for a Glass Elevator maneuver of the same level, provided you meet the prerequisites. If you do not, you instead gain a cumulative +2 competence bonus to Craft (Alchemy) and Profession (Chocolatier) checks.

Oompa-Loompa (Ex): You learn to call upon the services of a tiny little man from a far-off land. Functionally, you gain the ability to create an Oompa-Loompa, a special kind of homunculus (see below). At 1st level, you may have 1 Oompa-Loompa in your service at any given time; you may have an additional Oompa-Loompa in your service at every odd level (i.e., 2 at 3rd level, 3 at 5th, and so on).

Oompa-Loompae
{table=head]{colsp=2}
Oompa-Loompa


Size and Type:|Small Construct

Hit Dice:|1d10+10 (15hp)

Initiative:|+0

Speed:|15 feet (3 squares)

Armor Class:|12 (+1 Dex +1 size), touch 12, flat-footed 11

Base Attack/Grapple:|+0/-3

Attack:|Slam +2 melee (1d3+1 bludgeoning)

Full Attack:|Slam +2 melee (1d3+1 bludgeoning)

Space/Reach:|5 ft/5 ft

Special Attacks:|–

Special Qualities:|Construct traits, candy creation, low-light vision, teamwork

Saves:|Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +0

Abilities:|Str 12, Dex 12, Con –, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 12

Skills:|Craft (any) +8, Craft (any) +5, Perform (singing) +5, Profession (Chocolatier) +5

Feats:|Skill Focus (craft)

Environment:|Any (Loompaland)

Organization:|Workforce (1-4, with a Candysmith leader)

Challenge Rating:|1/2

Treasure:|Standard, items are potions and alchemical items only

Alignment:|Always Lawful Neutral

Environment:|Any (Loompaland)

Advancement:|None

Level Adjustment:|–[/table]

Unlike other homunculi, Oompa-Loompae have a lot of personality and character. They are known for their short stature, green hair, orange skin, and white pants with protruding knees. They are mischievous, love practical jokes, singing, and are very good at improvising.

Oompa-Loompae aid a Candysmith in his adventures and his crafting. They tend to stay out of direct conflict, but are quick to sing a song extolling the virtues or (more likely) flaws of those around them.

Combat:
An Oompa-Loompa will stay at the fringes of combat, trying to avoid coming into contact with enemies.

Candy Creation (Su): An Oompa-Loompa can perform the daily tasks related to item creation on behalf of its Candysmith master. The Candysmith must meet (or emulate) all the prerequisites to create the desired item normally, and pays the gold and XP cost himself. The only cost an Oompa-Loompa can help with is time. The Candysmith spends 1 hour initiating the process, channeling spell prerequisites into the Oompa-Loompa, and paying the XP cost to make the item. He may then leave, allowing the Oompa-Loompa to carry the process through to completion. Oompa-Loompae may only craft brews (as defined in the Mystic Brew discipline) and alchemical items this way.

Teamwork (Ex): Multiple Oompa-Loompae work together quite efficiently. They always go on the same initiative count (making one roll for the group), and in a group, all but one Oompa-Loompae always make Aid Another actions for the one who is acting directly (or for the Candysmith, if he is taking the actions). However, any Aid Another actions made by an Oompa-Loompa grant a +3 bonus instead of +2.


The Inventing Room (Ex): As a candysmith, it is important that you stay at the bleeding edge of your field, concocting new and strange confections for your customers to swoon over. Beginning at 2nd level, you gain the Item Creation ability of a Warcrafter. If you already had this ability, instead you add half your Candysmith level (rounded down, minimum 1) to your Warcrafter or Artificer level (if any) to determine your Craft Reserve (which only resets when you gain a full effective level in Warcrafter or Artificer, instead of on half-levels).

Sweet Talk (Su): You have the gift of gab, clouding your meaning among flowery phrases and apt quotations. When you reach 3rd level, you can roll twice whenever you make a Bluff check, and take the better result.

Loompasong (Su): Starting at 4th level, your Oompa-Loompae begin to realize their musical talents (for all know that Oompa-Loompae are consummate performers). Once per day per two class levels, as long as there are at least 2 Oompa-Loompae present, you may expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver as an immediate action during the Oompa-Loompae's turn. If you do so, the Oompa-Loompae initiate a bardic music ability chosen from the list below, with an effective bard level (and ranks in Perform) equal to the number of Oompa-Loompae present plus the level of the expended maneuver.
Counter Fear (RoS 147)
Fascinate (SRD)
Inspire Competence (SRD)
Inspire Courage (SRD)
Inspire Defiance (RoS 147)
Healing Hymn (CC 47)


Wonka-Vite (Su): At 5th level, you concoct a formula which allows you to perceive creatures as their younger selves -- guileless and without forethought or responsibility. Any creature that attempts a Charisma check or Charisma-based skill check against you suffers a penalty equal to your class level to its roll.

Everything is Eatable (Ex): By 6th level, you have discovered how to make a delicious and refreshing version of just about everything -- including magic. As an immediate action, you can expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver to attempt to counter a spell that you've identified with Spellcraft, as long as the maneuver is of the same level or higher as the spell. You counter the spell as though using greater dispel magic as a caster of your initiator level. If the counterspell attempt is successful, you gain temporary hit points equal to twice the caster level of the spell.

Slugworth (Ex): You have been often imitated, but never duplicated. Your competitors try so hard to recreate the special blend of magic and madness that comes naturally to you, but they always come just short. Starting at 6th level, you gain a measure of resistance against martial maneuvers. Whenever you are targeted by a maneuver which does not come from the Mystic Brew or Glass Elevator disciplines, the initiator of that maneuver must make an Initiator level check (DC 11 + your Initiator level) or fail to affect you with that maneuver. You take no damage from any successful attacks made as part of initiating the maneuver, and suffer none of the additional effects of the maneuver. You may activate or deactivate this ability as a free action.

Improved Loompasong (Su): Beginning at 8th level, your Oompa-Loompae have grown more skilled at spinning their dulcet voices into tapestries of song. Add the following Bardic Music effects that the Oompa-Loompae can create with your Loompasong ability:
Inspire Arcana (RotD 110)
Inspire Greatness (SRD)
Phantasmal Song (RoS 147)
Spellbreaker Song (CM 35)
Suggestion (SRD)


Mint & Licorice (Su): Soothing mint and fortifying licorice form a potent combo in your hands. Starting at 8th level, allies within 30 feet of you receive a bonus to saves vs ability damage, death effects, disease, energy drain, exhaustion, fatigue, poison, nausea, and sickness equal to your Charisma modifier.

Vita-Wonk (Ex): By the time you reach 9th level, your mastery of the age of your customers has grown significantly. You have created a concoction which enables you to perceive creatures as they will be in their twilight years. Creatures that attack you in melee combat suffer a -6 penalty to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution for the duration of their attacks against you. Creatures which are explicitly immune to penalties due to aging are immune to this ability.

The Candyman Can (Ex): Who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream, separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream? That's right, you can -- the world tastes good because you think it should. At 10th level, you have learned to impose your (often warped) will on your surroundings. You continuously project an aura which duplicates the effects of the mirage arcana spell, to a radius of 20 feet. The DC to disbelieve the illusion is equal to 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + Cha modifier.

In addition, you can expend a readied (and unexpended) maneuver as a swift action at any time to lend chocolatey substance to your delusions. When you do so, you can create up to 20 cubic feet of material in any configuration within the range of your aura, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to the level of the expended maneuver. The substance makes some portion of your aura solid, causing the created material to count as a Shadow effect instead of a Glamer effect.

PLAYING A CANDYSMITH
The primary goal of every Candysmith is to bring joy, merriment, and a healthy helping of sweetness and chocolate to every boy, girl, kobold, and ogre. The secondary goal of every Candysmith is to teach those boys, girls, kobolds, and ogres something about themselves in the process.

(Occasionally, yes, such teaching may cause the death of the learner. But hey, they learned that they weren't nearly tough enough to interfere with your schemes!)

Combat: As with other Mystic Brew warcrafters, you specialize in the offensive uses of your brews, and have added another dimension to your combat abilities with Glass Elevator maneuvers. Behold the power of candy!
Advancement: A Candysmith might learn to concoct even more bizarre creations by entering Master Alchemist or Alchemist Savant, or he might take more levels in Warcrafter to perfect his martial prowess; the most demented and inspired Candysmiths enter the Gadgeteer Genius class and build fantastic contraptions to distribute chocolate at high velocities towards their enemies.
Resources: With your exceptional Profession (Chocolatier) skill bonus, aided by your team of Oompa-Loompae, you can sell confections anywhere in the world! You should never want for employment. The Landlord feat is highly recommended for the construction of your personal candy factory.

CANDYSMITH IN THE WORLD
Snozzberries? Who ever heard of a snozzberry?

Candysmiths are regarded with awe and joy by children of every race, and with wonder (and often, resentment and fear) by adults. Purveyors of the finest whipped marshmallow, dark chocolate, and fruit jellies, a Candysmith is welcome in every town, and leaves behind bellies full of spoiled appetites... and maybe a little wisdom, or a few nightmares to help unruly children toward obedience.
Daily Life: As a Candysmith, you'll rise well before dawn, when it's time to make the donuts. Once that's complete, you'll prep other confections for the day, readying your Glass Elevator maneuvers, and then continue on your adventures, distributing chocolate and sugar by the morsel (and occasionally whoopass by the can).
Notables: The most famous Candysmith of all was Charles P.O. Bucket, heir to the Wonka Factory and all its amazing inventions. While Wonka himself was known worldwide as an eccentric genius, Bucket surpassed his benefactor and friend, becoming the first to codify and truly master the Glass Elevator. Bucket's accomplishments also include the Chocolate Rights Movement, the taming and settling of Loompaland, and the creation of the Ultimate Candy, which currently resides in a private collection.
Organizations: Most Candysmiths don't like to work with others of their kind, instead jealously guarding their recipes and inventions from prying eyes. However, they're happy to work with party members of other occupations, and keep said allies well-supplied with delicious desserts.

NPC Reaction
"Mom! Dad! The Candy Man is here! Can I get something, please? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLE -- YAY!!!!!"

CANDYSMITH IN THE GAME
In play, a Candysmith is a gimmicky martial adept who can specialize in any of offense, defense, or (especially) support. The particular party role depends entirely on which maneuvers the Candysmith learns.
Adaptation: While the fluff of this class has been designed heavily to represent the inspiration (as is appropriate for the contest), it can be refluffed with a little effort. In a gritty cyberpunk game, the Candysmith could be peddling drugs with fanciful names, which have beneficial or detrimental effects on the consumer. In a fantasy campaign rife with primitive cultures, the Candysmith could be a tribal witch doctor creating strange concoctions. In a spacefaring sci-fi adventure, a Candysmith could be a member of an alien race, creating genetically engineered nano-organisms to create effects in his enemies and allies.
Encounters: An NPC Candysmith is likely to be a somewhat benevolent, entirely demented force of nature, pulling strings through manipulation of public opinion and distribution of obsessively delicious candies.

Sample Encounter
EL 12: The public image of Count Chocula is of a benevolent breakfast merchant, making delicious cereals for children everywhere to enjoy when they wake. However, this alimentary empire is a front for more sinister dealings: hidden in the proprietary chocolate formula of every cereal box produced by Chocula's hidden army of Oompa-Loompa drones is a psychotropic drug. This agent is designed to create restlessness and wanderlust in youngsters, pushing them toward the adventuring life, and leading them on a long and winding road, to find themselves prostrated on the cocoa-dusted floor of Chocula's Palace of Rich Delight. There Chocula feasts on the souls of these poor misguided fools, giving him strength to brew new batches of his "medicine".

Count Chocula (http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1wnjwctFE1qgs0hco1_500.jpg)
LE Male Vampire Elf Warcrafter 6/Candysmith 4
Init +5, Senses: Listen +9, Spot +9,
Languages Common, Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Infernal
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AC 21, touch 15, flat-footed 16 (+5 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 55 (10d10 HD)
Fort +6, Ref +11, Will +10
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee Slam +13 melee (1d6+4 bludgeoning plus energy drain)
Base Atk +9, Grp +13
Atk Options Energy drain, blood drain, Mystic Brew & Glass Elevator maneuvers
Combat Gear A large selection of potions & elixirs
Maneuvers Readied Alchemical Capsule, Candy-Coated Pencils, Has-Beans, Honeycombs and Brushes, Incompetent Fools, Mixed Brew, Splash Brew, Wild Alchemy
Stances Defer Brew, Eatable Marshmallow Pillows, Shotgun Brew
Supernatural Abilities Children of the Night, Dominate, Create Spawn, Loompasong
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Abilities Str 18, Dex 20, Con –, Int 18, Wis 12, Cha 18
SQ Alternate Form, Damage Reduction 10/silver and magic, Fast Healing 5, Gaseous Form, Cold and Electricity Resistance 10, Spider Climb, Turn Resistance +4, Undead Traits, Elf Traits, Oompa-Loompa (2), The Inventing Room, Sweet Talk, Item Creation, Craft Reserve, Quick Fingers, Retain Essence
Feats Blade Meditation, Brew Potion, Craft Construct, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Disturbing Confection, Scribe Scroll, Upgraded Alchemy
Skills Craft (Alchemy) +17, Profession (Chocolatier) +17, Bluff +25
Possessions Lots of potions & elixirs, lots of breakfast cereal

[sirpercival]

Glass Elevator

Key Skill: Profession (Chocolatier).
Discipline Weapons: Club, quarterstaff, spear, sword-cane.

Feats
Candyfloss Rodeo [Tactical]
You know how to use stringy sugar against your opponents like they are marionettes.
Prerequisites: BAB +6, Disturbing Confection, two Glass Elevator maneuvers, Profession (Chocolatier) 9 ranks.
Benefit: The Candyfloss Rodeo feat enables the use of three tactical options.
Cotton Candy Connection: To use this option, you must affect two different creatures with Glass Elevator maneuvers on consecutive rounds. On the second round, if the two creatures are adjacent, you may attempt to tangle the two creatures together with candyfloss. Make a Profession (Chocolatier) check as a free action; both creatures immediately make grapple or Escape Artist checks (their choice) against a DC equal to your check result. If either creature fails, both creatures grapple each other until the beginning of your next turn. Either creature may attempt another grapple check as normal to escape, but against their opponent's grapple check instead of your skill check result.
Licorice Lasso: You may use Profession (Chocolatier) checks in place of Use Rope checks.
Toxic Truffle: To use this option, you must affect the same creature with two Glass Elevator maneuvers on consecutive rounds. On the second round, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + Charisma modifier) or be sickened for 1d6 rounds. This ability has no effect on creatures who are already sickened or nauseated.


Disturbing Confection
Your desserts include such dubious morsels as "Crunchy Frog" and "Lark's Vomit".
Prerequisites: One Glass Elevator maneuver
Benefit: When an opponent fails a save against one of your Glass Elevator maneuvers, you may cause that creature to be shaken for a number of rounds equal to the maneuver's level. This ability has no effect on creatures that are already shaken, frightened, panicked, or cowering.

Funsize
You can package yourself in a tiny wrapper, which is apparently more fun than other means of packaging.
Prerequisites: One Glass Elevator stance
Benefit: Whenever you enter a Glass Elevator stance, you may choose to shrink in size by one size category, as per the reduce person spell, for as long as you are in that stance.



Maneuver and Stance list

Level 1:
Cavity-filling Caramels - Counter. Gain 1d4+IL/2 temporary hit points.
Lickety-Split Peas - Boost. Increase your speed by 5 times your Initiator Level for 1 round.
Luminous Lollies - Strike. Opponent is struck by glowing sugar, as faerie fire.
Magic Hand-fudge - Stance. You can make a chocolatey touch attack.
Nice Plums - Strike. Opponent may become fascinated by the candy it eats.
Square Candies that Look Round - Stance. You gain Uncanny Dodge.

Level 2:
Butterscotch and Buttergin - Counter. Your opponent becomes suddenly drunk.
Fizzy Lifting Drink - Boost/Strike. Levitate yourself or your enemies.
Glumptious Globgobblers - Strike. Your opponent eats something which makes it voraciously hungry.
Lollipop Bush - Adjacent allies can eat a lollipop, which heals them.
Scarlet Scorchdroppers - Strike. Opponent eats a fiery candy, taking 2d6+IL damage.

Level 3:
Elastic Forest - Stance. You become very bendy and stretchy.
Everlasting Gobstopper - Stance. You are immune to fatigue, and need not eat, drink, or sleep.
Incompetent Fools - Strike. Cause temporary confusion in your enemies.
Invisible Chocolate Bars - Counter. You become invisible for 1 round.
Wonkawash - Remove a harmful condition.

Level 4:
Candy-Coated Pencils - Counter. Your opponent's attack heals you by accident.
Fragile Egos - Boost. The DC for the next Will save you force is increased by +IL/3.
Honeycombs and Brushes - Counter. Opponent considers you an ally for 1 round.
Spewed Dumplings - Strike. Opponent swallows something which causes it to be nauseated.
Wriggle-Sweets - Strike. Your attack makes opponent's equipment try to escape.

Level 5:
Eatable Marshmallow Pillows - Stance. You are energized by consuming candy.
Golden Egg - Boost. One of your allies' magic items suddenly functions at a much higher capacity.
Hair Toffee - Strike. Every action your opponent takes makes them entangled more strongly.
Has-Beans - Counter. Your enemy's attack doesn't work like it used to.
Wonkavision - Break into a million pieces and be transported across the room.

Level 6:
Black Box of Frogs - Strike. A giant black frog swallows your opponent.
Cotton Candy Sheep - Counter. An opponent becomes wispy soft and tame.
Lickable Wallpaper - Boost. Allies can lick the snozzberries to be healed.
Three-Course Dinner Chewing Gum - Strike. Turn your opponent into a blueberry.

Level 7:
Chocolate River - Strike. Scald and drown your opponents in a torrent of molten chocolate.
Mechanical Clouds - Fill target squares with solid fog, which can move at the beginning of your turn.
Rainbow Drops - Strike. You spit in seven different colors.
Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight - Boost. All your chocolatey effects are bursting with extra flavor.

Level 8:
Fudge Mountain - Strike. You drop a landslide of chocolate on your opponent.
Heart-Shaped Lungs - Boost. For 1 round, you cannot die as long as you can breathe.
Root-Beer Goggles - Stance. You can see things as they should be.

Level 9:
Exploding Candy - Initiate a lower-level strike, and it explodes!


Maneuver Descriptions
Black Box of Frogs
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 Large or smaller creature
Duration: See text
A giant black frog bursts from the ground, swallowing your opponent and dragging him underground. Your target makes a Strength check (DC 20) every round to break free, returning 5 feet from its original position (use the splash weapon scattering rules to determine the creature's location). While it is trapped, the subject cannot breathe, making Constitution checks for suffocation as necessary.

Butterscotch and Buttergin
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: 5 feet
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round/level
You breathe a cloud of alcoholic fumes into your opponent's face, intoxicating it. Your target must make a Fortitude save vs poison (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or take 1 point each of Dexterity and Wisdom damage. In addition, on a failed save, all future poison saves that the target makes for the duration suffer a cumulative -1 penalty.

Candy-Coated Pencils
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee reach
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
Your opponent's weapon is suddenly coated with healing, nourishing chocolate. Initiate this maneuver in response to a successful melee attack which would deal damage to you. Make a Profession (Chocolatier) check; instead of taking damage from that attack, you instead heal a number of hit points equal to your check result.

Cavity-Filling Caramels
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Your wounds are filled and patched with delicious melted sugar. You gain 1d4 + half your Initiator level (rounded down, minimum 0) temporary hit points.

Chocolate River
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: 60 feet
Area: 60-foot line, 10 feet wide and 10 feet deep, originating from a corner of your square
Duration: Instantaneous
You release a flood of viscous molten chocolate, filling the area with scalding-hot, thick, delectable cocoa. Creatures within the area take 1d4 damage per Initiator level, half of which is fire damage (Ref save DC 10 + 1/2 IL + Cha mod for half damage). Creatures who fail their Reflex saves must make a Swim check at the same DC or be submerged in the chocolate, suffering half the damage again the following round. Submerged creatures are also unable to breathe. A submerged creature can be rescued by spending three consecutive full-round actions scraping away the hardening chocolate.

Cotton Candy Sheep
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Touched creature
Duration: 1 round
You transform your target's outer layers into soft and wispy spun sugar. When you initiate this maneuver as immediate action, make a melee touch attack with your weapon against a creature. If you are successful, until the end of your next turn, that creature loses all damage reduction, hardness, natural armor bonus, and armor and shield bonuses to armor class. In addition, that creature must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + Cha modifier) or be unable to take violent actions, as if affected by the calm emotions spell, for the duration.

Eatable Marshmallow Pillows
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You consume a scrumdiddlyumptious candy, granting yourself a benefit. When you enter this stance, roll a d10 to determine a type of candy from the table below, and make a Profession (Chocolatier) check as part of the same action. At any time, you can exit this stance as an immediate action to gain the benefit of that candy. However, since we can't have you spoiling your appetite, you cannot enter this stance more often than once every 10 minutes.
{table=head]Result|Candy|Benefit
1 |Caramel|This chocolate has a very chewy and sticky center, which coats your internal organs and makes them resistant to damage. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single Fortitude save.
2 |Cordial|Emboldened by this chocolate's secret-recipe liqueur, you lash out quite aggressively. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single attack roll.
3 |Cluster|The nuts in this candy are shrouded in silky dark chocolate, little gems of inspiration. Recover an expended maneuver, even one that you initiated this round.
4 |Cream|So light and smooth, this candy slides you right out of the way of danger. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single Reflex save.
5 |Crisp|The crunchy interior of this chocolate reinforces your bone structure. You gain temporary hit points equal to your Profession (Chocolatier) check result.
6 |Ganache|The chocolate filling of this candy is quite flavorful and rich, repairing whatever it is that ails you. You heal an amount of damage equal to your Profession (Chocolatier) check result.
7 |Marshmallow|You are protected by this candy's pillowy-soft center. Reduce the damage from a single attack by an amount equal to your Profession (Chocolatier) check result.
8 |Nougat|You are quite upset that you happened to eat a nougat, and this gives you great resolve against whatever trials you face. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single Will save.
9 |Praline|Your abilities are enhanced by the addition of almonds and sugar. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single skill check for any skill in which you have ranks.
10|Toffee|This crunchy candy invigorates you with its daring flavor. Use your Profession (Chocolatier) check result in place of a single initiative check.
[/table]

Elastic Forest
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
While in this stance, you are quite malleable and stretchy. You have a percent chance to negate critical hits and precision damage equal to 10 + your ranks in Profession (Chocolatier), to a maximum of 100%, and gain a bonus to Escape Artist checks equal to your ranks in Profession (Chocolatier). In addition, you can move through cracks or holes as if you were two size categories smaller, and your melee reach increases by 5 feet when attacking (but not for the purposes of determining your threatened area).

Everlasting Gobstopper
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You pop an Everlasting Gobstopper into your mouth, which sustains you indefinitely. While you are in this stance, you do not need to eat, drink, or sleep, and are immune to fatigue and exhaustion. Magic sleep effects, however, affect you as they normally would.

Exploding Candy
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 9
Prerequisite: 4 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Your sugary trick explodes in your opponent's face. Choose a Glass Elevator strike which requires no more than a standard action to initiate. It need not be a maneuver you know, but must be one that you can otherwise initiate (e.g., there must be a valid target if the chosen maneuver requires one). You automatically initiate that maneuver, without needing to ready or expend it. In addition, make a Profession (Chocolatier) check as part of the same action. Any creature affected by the chosen strike takes additional fire damage equal to twice your check result as the candy explodes in their collective face.

Fizzy Lifting Drink
Glass Elevator (Boost or Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 swift action (boost) or 1 standard action (strike)
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: Concentration, up to 6 rounds
You pour a fizzy beverage into your target's mouth, and they lift into the air. Targeting a willing creatue with this maneuver is a boost, and requires a swift action, whereas targeting an unwilling creature is a strike, requiring a standard action, and allowing a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) to avoid the effects. An affected creature lifts 10 feet each round that you maintain concentration (which requires the same type of action that was used to initiate the maneuver), and suffers a penalty to attacks as per the levitate spell. A floating creature can move 5 feet in any direction by making a DC 15 Swim check as a standard action, or 15 feet as a full-round action. Once you cease concentrating, or the duration expires, the target floats back down to the ground at the same rate as they rose; attack penalties remain until the creature reaches the ground once more.

Fragile Egos
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round or until discharged (D)
You recognize that those around you are simply not as self-assured as you are. It cannot be avoided. The next time before the beginning of your next turn that an action you take forces a non-willing creature to make a Will save, the DC of that save is increased by your Initiator level divided by three (rounded down, minimum +1). If the action forces more than one creature to make a Will save, the DC is only increased for one affected creature (your choice). If the creature fails the Will save altered by this maneuver, that creature is wracked with ego-shattering despair, and suffers a -3 penalty on attacks, saves, ability checks, skill checks, and weapon damage rolls for a number of rounds equal to your Initiator level.

Fudge Mountain
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
Area: 15-foot square column, 30 feet high, centered on a target creature
Duration: Instantaneous
You toss some Expanding Fudge into the air, which explosively decompresses and collapses onto your target. The target takes 1d8 bludgeoning damage per Initiator level (Reflex save DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier for half damage), and any other creature in the area takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage per two Initiator levels (Reflex save at the same DC for half damage). In addition, the target is immobilized within the column of semi-solid chocolate dessert, and may make a Strength check at the same DC to move 5 feet. If the target failed its Reflex save, it was completely unprepared for the assault, some of the fudge gets into its lungs, suffocating it. In such a case, the target must begin making Constitution checks as if it had already been holding its breath for 2 rounds times the target's Constitution score. Creatures outside the column can attack the chocolate (AC 5, hardness 2, hit points 60) to free a creature trapped inside; the trapped creature may also attack the chocolate column from the inside, but suffers penalties and restrictions when doing so as if grappled.

Glumptious Globgobblers
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous and 1 round/level
Your opponent's open mouth swallows the innocent-looking candy you toss in its direction, and suddenly its eyes bulge in ravenous hunger. The target must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or immediately draw and consume a potion, poison, or alchemical item (the creature's choice) on its person as a free action, automatically failing the first save (if any) against the effect. If the creature consumes an alchemical item that is not intended for consumption, it must make a Fortitude save at the same DC or be sickened for 1 round/level. If the creature does not have a potion, poison, or alchemical item on its person to consume, it is nauseated for 1 round, then sickened for 1 round/level.

Golden Egg
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Touch
Target: Touched willing creature
Duration: 1 round
As you gently touch your target, one of their magic items glows golden, like it was filled with delicious chocolate and wrapped in foil. Your ally chooses one magic item it is wielding, wearing, or holding. Until the beginning of your next turn, the caster level for that magic item increases by an amount equal to half your ranks in Profession (Chocolatier) (rounded down, minimum +1), to a maximum of 20th level.

Hair Toffee
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
You spray a mesh of sticky, sugary strands at your opponent, which work their way into its clothing and equipment. The target must make a Reflex save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls, a -2 penalty to Dexterity, a -5 foot reduction to speed, and be unable to run or charge. In addition, an affected creature must make a Concentration check (DC 15 + spell level) to cast a spell. Whenever an affected creature performs any action other than free actions, the creature must make another Reflex save at the same DC, or the penalties increase by the same amount (another -1 to attack rolls, -2 to Dexterity, and -5 feet to speed). These penalties last until the creature spends 2 consecutive full-round actions removing the toffee from their person.

Has-Beans
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 5
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Touch
Target: Touched creature
Duration: See text
You drop a candy bean into your opponent's mouth, and suddenly it reverts to the awkward bumbles of childhood. Initiate this maneuver in response to an attack by a creature in your melee reach. With a successful touch attack, your opponent's build and equipment shrink, imposing a -8 penalty to Strength and reducing the base weapon damage by one size category for one attack. In addition, if the incoming attack is successful, it deals minimum damage.

Heart-Shaped Lungs
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: See text
You swallow an elixir which transforms your lungs into a heart, granting you incredible resilience as long as you can supply them with air. Until the end of your next turn, you cannot die. You are immune to an effect which would directly cause your death (including Death effects), and your hit point total cannot drop below -9 (any damage in excess of this disappears). You can act without penalty while disabled or dying, and you automatically stabilize when below 0 hp. You are immune to ability damage or drain, poison, disease, and effects which would remove your mind or soul (including magic jar, mind switch, microcosm, and similar effects) or destroy your body (such as disintegrate). You gain the benefit of this maneuver for the duration as long as you are able to breathe (even effects which would remove your need to breathe cannot bypass this requirement).

Honeycombs and Brushes
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 immediate action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round
As your target approaches, the sweet scent of honey twines through its hair, calming it and making it regard you amicably. Your target must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or treat you as an ally until the end of your next turn. You may move through an affected creature's threatened squares without penalty, and gain the benefit of any effect such a creature generates which affects its allies. Any hostile actions the creature takes cannot target you or include you in their area, if it is possible to avoid you. An affected creature whose action you interrupt with this counter must choose to change that action if it would negatively affect you.

Incompetent Fools
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Area: 30-foot-radius burst
Duration: 3 rounds
You toss a handful of chocolate coins into a group of your enemies, making them scramble for the faux funds. Creatures in the area must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or be confused (as the confusion spell) for 3 rounds. On a successful save, affected creatures are instead dazzled for 3 rounds.

Invisible Chocolate Bars
Glass Elevator (Counter)
Level: 3
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Removing your seemingly empty hand from a handy pouch, you pantomime eating something which isn't there -- and vanish. Until the beginning of your next turn, you are invisible, as the greater invisibility spell.

Lickable Wallpaper
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: 60 feet
Area: 60-foot-radius burst, centered on you
Duration: Instantaneous
You toss a bundle into the air, which unfurls into a giant sheet of wallpaper speckled with pictures of fruit, hanging above you. As part of initiating this maneuver, make a Profession (Chocolatier) check. Allies within the area may spend an immediate action to lick the snozzberries, healing an amount of hit point damage equal to your check result. In addition, each ally healed by this maneuver may choose to remove one of the following conditions they suffer from: blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, exhausted, fascinated, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, shaken, or sickened. Instead of requiring an immediate action, you may lick a snozzberry as part of the same action as initiating this maneuver.

Lickety-Split Peas
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Munching on some vibrating green legumes, you feel your feet begin jiggling as well. Until the beginning of your next turn, you gain a bonus to your base speed equal to 5 feet times your Initiator level.

Lollipop Bush
Glass Elevator
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
Around you sprouts a miniature forest of hard candies on sticks. At any time before the beginning of your next turn, any number of allies adjacent to you can spend an immediate action to eat a lollipop, healing 1d8 + your Initiator level hit points.

Luminous Lollies
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: 1 round/level
You fling a glowing candy at your opponent, who instinctively snatches it out of the air. As part of initiating this maneuver, make a ranged touch attack against your target. If you are successful, your target is dazzled, as well as outlined in sparkling light as the faerie fire spell, for the duration.

Magic Hand-fudge
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
Your hands become coated with mystic chocolate, which you can use to damage your enemies. While in this stance, in place of a normal attack you may make a melee attack against your opponent's touch AC. If successful, such an attack deals 1d8 + your ranks in Profession (Chocolatier) damage due to the sugary richness overload, and your opponent suffers a (non-stacking) -1 penalty to saves against Glass Elevator maneuvers for 1 round.

Mechanical Clouds
Glass Elevator
Level: 7
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10ft/level)
Area: One 5-foot cube/level, which need not be contiguous
Duration: 1 round/level
You whip out a miniature vapor gun, and lay down a trail of gelatinous mist to slow down your enemies. Each cube you target when initiating this maneuver is filled with thick, gooey marshmallow vapor that functions as per the solid fog spell. In addition, at the beginning of your turn each round, as a free action you may reposition the fog, shifting each cube by 5 feet in any direction.

Nice Plums
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: See text
The delicious sugared fruits you toss into your opponent's mouth bear an entrancing flavor which distracts your opponent. Your target must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or be fascinated for a number of rounds equal to your Charisma modifier, or until broken as normal for the fascinated condition.

Rainbow Drops
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: Up to 7 creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
You suck down a serving of magical Rainbow Drops, and your teeth begin to emit a vibrant glow as you spit out seven globs of color. Each target you select is affected by one prismatic effect (assigned randomly), as per the prismatic spray spell, and no two targets are affected by the same color. The save DC for any saves forced by this maneuver are equal to 10 + 1/2 your Initiator level + your Charisma modifier.

Root-Beer Goggles
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 8
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
You place bottle-brown goggles on your face, and suddenly the world seems so clear -- and so beautifully effervescent. While in this stance, you can see things as they are, as per the true seeing spell.

Scarlet Scorchdroppers
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 2
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: 1 creature
Duration: Instantaneous
You toss a few bright red candies to your opponent, whose face quickly turns bright red as smoke streams from every orifice. Make a ranged touch attack against your target; if successful, the opponent takes 2d6 + your Initiator level fire damage.

Spewed Dumplings
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Touched creature
Duration: Instantaneous and 1 round (see text)
Holding your nose, you force one of your most disgusting creations down your opponent's throat. As part of initiating this maneuver, make a Profession (Chocolatier) check and a melee touch attack against your opponent. If successful, your opponent takes acid damage equal to your check result as their bile attempts to escape their body. In addition, a creature who takes damage from this maneuver must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or be nauseated for 1 round. Creatures who are immune to the nauseated condition but not to the sickened condition are instead sickened for 3 rounds.

Square Candies that Look Round
Glass Elevator (Stance)
Level: 1
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Stance
As you place a few candies on your shoulders, they open their tiny sugar eyes, warning you if danger is near. While in this stance, you gain the Uncanny Dodge ability of a barbarian. If you already have Uncanny Dodge from another source, this stance grants you Improved Uncanny Dodge instead, using your Initiator level to determine the number of rogue levels which are required to flank you.

Three-Course Dinner Chewing Gum
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 6
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: See text
Throwing caution to the winds, you feed your opponent a candy which has not yet undergone complete testing and development; as your opponent chews, it slowly inflates to spherical, and turns a violent shade of violet. As part of initiating this maneuver, make a ranged touch attack against your opponent. If you are successful, your opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 Initiator level + your Charisma modifier) or turn into a giant blueberry. The target's speed in all modes are reduced to 0 feet, but it can roll 10 feet as a standard action. The expansion of the creature's body makes its limbs ineffectual, reducing the creature's reach to 0 feet and making it unable to wield manufactured weapons at all (though it can still hold them). The target loses its Dexterity bonus to armor class for the duration.

The target remains in this state until it has taken damage equal to your ranks in Profession (Chocolatier), at which point the blueberry juices burst out (dealing 5d6 additional damage), and the creature returns to normal.

Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight
Glass Elevator (Boost)
Level: 7
Prerequisite: 3 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 swift action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round
You drench your candies with extra-delicious chocolate, enhancing their flavor to no end. Until the beginning of your next turn, whenever you make a d20 roll due to a Glass Elevator maneuver or stance, you roll twice and take the better result, and henever an opponent makes a d20 roll due to a Glass Elevator maneuver or stance, that opponent rolls twice and takes the worse result.

Wonkavision
Glass Elevator
Level: 5
Prerequisite: 2 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft + 10 ft/level)
Target: You and touched objects or other touched willing creatures
Duration: Instantaneous
You whip out a camera and break yourself into a million pieces, flying across the ceiling to land on the other side of the room, or something. You teleport to any point in range, as per the dimension door spell.

Wonkawash
Glass Elevator
Level: 3
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuvers
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Melee touch attack
Target: Touched creature
Duration: Instantaneous
You run your target through a mechanical cleaning apparatus, washing away a harmful situation. You remove any one of the following conditions from your target: blinded, confused, dazed, dazzled, deafened, diseased, exhausted, fatigued, frightened, nauseated, panicked, paralyzed, shaken, sickened, or stunned.

Wriggle-Sweets
Glass Elevator (Strike)
Level: 4
Prerequisite: 1 Glass Elevator maneuver
Initiation Action: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft + 5 ft/2 levels)
Target: One creature
Duration: Instantaneous
As you feed your opponent some wiggly candies, their equipment gets a giant case of the heebie-jeebies. Choose one piece of equipment your opponent is wielding or wearing (not including armor), and then make a disarm attempt (no touch attack required to initiate) against your target, using a Profession (Chocolatier) check in place of the attack roll. If the disarm check is successful, your opponent drops that piece of equipment, and you choose a new item to attempt to disarm, with a -2 penalty to your Profession (Chocolatier) check. Continue choosing items to disarm, at a cumulative -2 penalty each time, until you fail a disarm attempt.


Items
Golden Ticket
A Golden Ticket is one of several items that grants its wearer the use of a maneuver (in this case, one from Glass Elevator). The ticket holder need not be a martial adept, but knowledge of other maneuvers and ranks in Profession (Chocolatier) would give the wearer access to more powerful maneuvers.

Lore: The first Candysmith of all, William Q. Wonka, designed five Golden Tickets which granted the wielder access to his great Glass Elevator discipline. He then held a contest, looking for an apprentice to train as a successor. This contest had such popularity among the masses that imitation Golden Tickets were made almost immediately; however, it took some time for the true magic of the Golden Tickets to be duplicated, and by that time the contest was already over, and an heir to the Wonka Factory chosen.

Description: Three types of Golden Tickets exist: novice, scholar, and master. Each is a thin slip of golden paper (http://seanheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Golden-Ticket.jpg), covered with small writing and fancy scrollwork. There is no visual difference between the novice, scholar, and master Tickets.

Prerequisite: Anyone can bear a Golden Ticket, but to gain any benefit from it, a bearer must meet the prerequisite of the desired maneuver.

Activation: A Golden Ticket requires a day to attune to its bearer once it is in his possession. After carrying it continually for 24 hours, the bearer must choose one of the Glass Elevator maneuvers that the item can grant for which he meets the prerequisite. He then gains knowledge of that maneuver and can use it as long as the Ticket is borne. Should the Ticket be discarded and then taken up again, it requires another day to attune itself to the bearer before it can grant knowledge of any maneuvers. Note: Golden Tickets do not take up a body slot; they must simply be in the bearer's possession to be used, and are priced accordingly higher than equivalent slotted items.

Effect: A person who has borne a Golden Ticket for 24 hours gains the use of a single Glass Elevator maneuver for which he meets the prerequisite. The maneuver can be of a level up to the highest level the item grants. A novice Golden Ticket grants a maneuver of up to 3rd level, a scholar GOlden Ticket grants a maneuver of up to 6th level, and a master Golden Ticket grants a maneuver of up to 9th level.

Aura/Caster Level: Faint divination (novice), moderate divination (scholar), or strong divination (master). CL 5th (novice), 10th (scholar), or 15th (master).

Construction (Novice): Craft Wondrous Item, knowledge of a maneuver from the Glass Elevator discipline; 1,750 gp, 140 XP, 4 days.
Construction (Scholar): Craft Wondrous Item, knowledge of a maneuver from the Glass Elevator discipline; 8,750 gp, 700 XP, 18 days.
Construction (Master): Craft Wondrous Item, knowledge of a maneuver from the Glass Elevator discipline; 27,500 gp, 2,200 XP, 55 days.
Weight: —
Price: 3,500 gp (novice), 17,500 gp (scholar), or 55,000 gp (master).

[Techwarrior]

YMURRI STALKER

http://Picture URL

Quote of Some Kind by a member of the class!

A general description of whatever the class is!

BECOMING AN YMURRI STALKER
How you would normally become a member of this prestige class.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Feats: Mounted Archery, Rapid Shot
Skills: Ride 9 Ranks, Hide 4 Ranks, Move Silently 4 Ranks, Listen 4 Ranks, Spot 4 Ranks
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Special: Must successfully notice (via the spot or listen skills) a hiding Ymurri Stalker of at least 4th level and shoot them with an arrow before the Stalker realizes you have noticed them.

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are....
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int

Hit Dice: d8

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spellcasting

1st|
+1|
+0|
+2|
+0|Ymurri Mount, Skirmish (+1d6)|+1 Level of Ranger

2nd|
+2|
+0|
+3|
+0|Ride as One|+1 Level of Ranger

3rd|
+3|
+1|
+3|
+1|Motion is Motion, Skirmish (+2d6)|+1 Level of Ranger

4th|
+4|
+1|
+4|
+1|Stalk as One|+1 Level of Ranger

5th|
+5|
+1|
+4|
+1|Sniper, Skirmish (+3d6)|+1 Level of Ranger

6th|
+6|
+2|
+5|
+2|Flow as One|+1 Level of Ranger

7th|
+7|
+2|
+5|
+2|Swift Eye, Skirmish (+4d6)|+1 Level of Ranger

8th|
+8|
+2|
+6|
+2|Strike as One|+1 Level of Ranger

9th|
+9|
+3|
+6|
+3|Cluster Shot, Skirmish (+5d6)|+1 Level of Ranger

10th|
+10|
+3|
+7|
+3|Move as One, Body and Mind|+1 Level of Ranger[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: An Ymurri Stalker is proficient with all bows (excepting crossbows), including exotic bows (such as a Greatbow). The Ymurri Stalker is also proficient with light armor and shields (but not tower shields).

Spellcasting: At each level of Ymurri Stalker, the character gains an increase in spells per day and caster level as if they had gained a level in Ranger. If the Stalker did not have Ranger levels, they instead gain the spellcasting progression of a first level Ranger.

Skirmish: An Ymurri Stalker finds precision in the ebb and flow of the battlefield like few others. Whenever the Stalker moves at least 10 feet in a single round, they deal additional damage with their attacks for that round. This extra damage is precision damage, and thus only applies against living creatures that have a discernible anatomy. Undead, constructs, oozes, incorporeal creatures, and creatures immune to critical hits are not normally subject to precision damage. The Stalker must be able to see well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. Precision damage may be dealt with a ranged attack, but this is normally restricted to a range of 30 feet. Like a Scout, an Ymurri Stalker cannot gain their Skirmish bonuses while wearing medium and heavy armor, or when carrying a medium or heavy load.

Ymurri Mount: An Ymurri Stalker, upon first taking their class, is granted a special Ymurri mount. This mount is unusually tough, fast, and strong for its size, and bonds with the Stalker as the Stalker increases in level. The mount gains special abilities according to the information below, but is otherwise a typical creature for its kind (though you may select its feats). An Ymurri Mount may not also be an animal companion, familiar, cohort, or similar.

Ymurri Mount
{table=head]Level|Bonus HD|Str|Con|Dex|Tricks|Special
1|+4|+2|+4|+2|1|Link, Slight Build
2-3|+6|+2|+4|+4|2|Fast Movement +10
4-5|+8|+2|+4|+4|2|
6-7|+10|+4|6|+4|3|Fast Movemnt +20
8-9|+12|+4|+6|+6|3|
10|+14|+6|+8|+6|4|Fast Movement +30
[/table]
Level: The Ymurri Stalker's class level
Bonus HD: These are racial hit dice added to the base creature, providing the normal skills, feats, hit points, and saving throw adjustments.
Str This is added to the base creature's Strength score.
Dex This is added to the base creature's Dexterity score.
Con This is added to the base creature's Constitution score.
Tricks These are additional tricks (see the Handle Animal skill) that the mount may learn. These tricks require no Handle Animal checks to learn, but only the Stalker may teach them to the mount.
Link The mount becomes attached to the Ymurri Stalker, and much easier to direct by them, but much more difficult to direct by others. The Ymurri Stalker gains a Circumstance bonus to Handle Animal checks related to their mount equal to their class level. Anyone other than the mount's stalker take a penalty to all Ride and Handle Animal checks related to the mount equal to the Stalker's class level.
Slight Build An Ymurri Mount is small and dextrous for a creature of its size. Whenever it would be beneficial, the mount may be counted as one size category smaller than normal.
Fast Movement An Ymurri Mount is faster than most creatures. The Mount gains an Insight bonus to all of their speeds listed on the table.


An Ymurri Stalker may normally choose a Light Warhorse, Warpony, or Riding Dog as their special mount, but with the permission of their DM, may select alternate mounts following the rules for Paladin's (Dungeon Master's Guide, page 204). If they select a non-standard mount, an Ymurri Stalker subtracts the difference between the Available as Mount number (such as 6 for a Large Monstrous Spider) from 5 and determines the bonuses from their class level and determines their mount's abilities with their effective level.

Ride As One: An Ymurri Mount responds quickly to a Stalker's commands. When riding their Ymurri Mount, the Stalker of second level or higher gains a Circumstance bonus to Ride checks related to their mounts equal to their class level.

Motion is Motion: An Ymurri Stalker of third level or higher becomes highly in tune with their mounts movements. If the Stalker is riding its mount, and the mount takes a move action (or double move or withdraw action), the Stalker gains an additional move action to use that round. The Stalker must use the move action in the round it is acquired, or it is lost, and the Stalker be mounted during the duration of the round.

Stalk as One An Ymurri Stalker may use the Hide Another action (see the Epic Hide skill) in regards to their mount without the associated -30 penalty to the Stalker's Hide check, and may freely do so whenever the Stalker would Hide. The Ymurri Stalker may not use this ability if they are using their mount as cover (see the Ride skill). Additionally, as a free action, they Stalker may elect to treat their mount as having a space equal to the Stalker's own.

Sniper: An Ymurri Stalker can make superbly accurate attacks from a far distance. At fifth level, the Stalker may deal precision damage, gain the additional bonus from Point Blank Shot, and use attack modes normally restricted to melee from far distances. Essentially, the Stalker may choose to use the listed range for an abilities maximum range or the distance of one range incremement for the weapon they are using, whichever is higher. Additionally, the Stalker is a master of striking unseen. As a Swift Action taken after any attack action, the Stalker may make a Hide check to Snipe (see the Hide skill). While Sniping

Flow as One: An Ymurri Stalker and their mount can avoid attacks with incredible agility and grace. The Stalker gains the Evasion feature. Additionally, while riding their mount, their Ymurri Mount also gians Evasion, and after rolling reflex saves when both have been subjected to a reflex save, the Stalker and the Mount may choose to use the other's result if it is higher.

Swift Eye: An Ymurri Stalker's ability to punch through armor with their arrows is legendary. An Ymurri Stalker of seventh level or higher may attempt to punch through the protections of their enemy with deadly precision. As a Swift Action, the Stalker may make a Spot check with a DC of the opponents AC. If the Stalker is successful, they may resolve their attacks as if they were touch attacks for 1 round.

Strike as One: An Ymurri Stalker and their mount move together with incredible precision, striking as one in a deadly blur of lethality. If the Stalker is riding their mount while it charges, both may make full attacks at the end of the charge. The Stalker is considered to be charging, though they may make ranged attacks while doing so, and do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity for doing so.

Clustered Shot: An Ymurri Stalker is adept at placing many arrows in a close space. Whereas a normal archer riddles an enemy with arrows, a Stalker can put all of them in the exact same place, though this requires greater accuracy than normal. By accepting a -5 penalty on their attack roll, the Stalker may make a Cluster Shot at their highest attack bonus. All of the attacks the Stalker would normally deal hit or miss as one, and their damage is added together before DR and the like are applied. For example, a 6th level Ranger/9th level Stalker with a Splitting Bow of Speed may use the Rapid Shot feat and make one attack roll at a -7 penalty (-2 for Rapid Shot, and -5 for a Cluster Shot). If this attack hits, it deals damage as if the Stalker had hit 10 times (1 for full BAB, 1 for Rapid Shot, 1 for Haste, 1 for BAB-5, and 1 for BAB-10), but DR only counts once. A critical hit with a Clustered Shot multiplies the base damage of all the attacks as if all of them were critical hits.



PLAYING A CLASS NAME
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: Here's a section where you will describe common combat methods for your class. Remember to include information on how your class will use his powers in combat.
Advancement: This is a section on different options and paths that the class can go down when they advance in power.
Resources: What resources might a member of this PrC be able to draw on.

CLASS NAME IN THE WORLD
A quote of somebody else talking about your class!

A brief description of how your class is persevered in the world and how he interacts with the world.
Daily Life: Some general information about the typical day in the life of your class.
Notables: Make up some cool information about notable figures in the history of your class. It's best to give a little information from one of the good alignment and evil alignment (unless it's a good or evil only class).
Organizations: Some information about organizations dedicated to the practice of your class and other organizations which members of your class will be attracted towards.

NPC Reaction
This is an in detail description of how NPC's would perceive your class and the immediate generalization that people would give of your class.

CLASS NAME IN THE GAME
This is a good place to provide a quick note on how your class will effect game play statistically.
Adaptation: This is a place where you put in detail how people can adapt your class into their campaign setting.
Encounters: This is a place to describe what sort of encounters PC's will have with NPC versions of your class.

Sample Encounter
Give an example of how one might encounter a member of this PrC.
EL x: Give the encounter level and description of a sample member of this class and a stat block for him/her.


Name
alignment/Gender/Race/Levels
Init +0, Senses: Listen +, Spot +,
Languages
------------------------------------------------
AC , touch , flat-footed ()
hp ( HD)
Fort +, Ref +, Will +
------------------------------------------------
Speed ft. ( squares)
Melee
Base Atk +, Grp +
Atk Options
Combat Gear
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str , Dex , Con , Int , Wis , Cha
SQ
Feats
Skills
Possessions

[Tragak]

NIGHTMARE SLAYER (3.5)

Adapted from demon-hunting stories like Buffy the Vampire Slayer (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/BuffyTheVampireSlayer), Hellsing (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Manga/Hellsing), Spawn (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Spawn), or Hellboy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/ComicBook/Hellboy).

http://static6.businessinsider.com/image/4eb012c56bb3f7e962000013-400-300/sarah-michelle-gellar.jpg

“I’m the thing that monsters have nightmares about.”

Nightmare slayers are the people that specialize in combatting the worst demons, devils, and undead that the world can throw at them.

They can be the holy warriors devoted to protecting the innocent, the mercenaries who find city-states plagued by vampires to be willing to pay more than those plagued by bandits, the survivors who grew up in an environment plagued by evil necromancers and had no choice but to learn to defend themselves against the mages' creations, the cultists devoted to one specific side of the Blood War and who aid their masters whenever the battles spill into the Material planes, or simply the thrill-killers who find hunting fiends to be more "fun" than killing mortals.

BECOMING A NIGHTMARE SLAYER
To qualify to become a nightmare slayer, a character must fulfill all of the following criteria.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
BAB: +5
Feats: Vampire Hunter; OR Nemesis (Undead OR Evil Outsider)
Special: Favored Enemy (Undead OR Evil Outsider) +4; OR Smite Evil 2/day; OR Favored Enemy (Undead OR Evil Outsider) +2 and Smite Evil 1/day

Class Skills
The Nightmare Slayer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (CHA), Concentration (CON), Gather Information (CHA), Heal (WIS), Hide (DEX), Intimidate (CHA), Knowledge (The Planes) (INT), Knowledge (Religion) (INT), Listen (WIS), Move Silently (DEX), Sense Motive (WIS), Spellcraft (INT), Spot (WIS), Tumble (DEX), Use Magic Device (CHA)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + INT modifier

Hit Dice: d8

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

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+2|Focused Training

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+3|Disruption

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+3|Eldritch Experience

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+4|Exorcism, Special Ability x1

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+4|Improved Disruption

6th|
+6/+1|
+5|
+2|
+5|Imp. Exorcism, Binding, Imp. Eldritch Experience

7th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+2|
+5|Imp. Binding, Special Ability x1

8th|
+8/+3|
+6|
+2|
+6|Greater Disruption/Exorcism/Binding

9th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+3|
+6|Greater Eldritch Experience

10th|
+10/+5|
+7|
+3|
+7|Special Ability x2[/table]

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A nightmare slayer is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Focused Training (Ex): A nightmare slayer has devoted her entire life to learning how to fight pure evil incarnate. She adds her nightmare slayer class level as a bonus to all Attack rolls, Damage rolls, and for Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, and Spot skill checks against Undead or Outsiders (Evil).

Disruption (Ex): A nightmare slayer does not rely exclusively on melee combat when she can be taught to use spells specifically designed to kill undead and evil outsiders from a distance. From class level 2 onward, when attempting to activate a magic item to cast a spell from the Good, Glory, or Sun Domains, she adds her nightmare slayer class level as a bonus to the Use Magic Device skill check.

Eldritch Experience (Ex): Despite the fact that none of an undead's formerly-vital organs serve any purpose save occasionally the brain, experienced nightmare slayers have found they do in fact have vulnerable areas that can be attacked, however mind-bogglingly different from those of any creatures still alive. From class level 3 onward, nightmare slayers can deal precision damage to undead such as Critical Hits, Sneak Attacks, Skirmishes, etc.

Special Abilities: At class levels 4 and every 3rd level thereafter (7th, 10th, and 13th), a nightmare slayer gains the appropriate number of special abilities of her choice from among the following options.


Eldritch Precision (Ex): A nightmare slayer adds 1 to the Critical Threat range for all attacks she makes against an Undead or Evil Outsider. This ability may be taken up to 3 times.

Eldritch Ferocity (Ex): A nightmare slayer adds 1 to the Critical Multiplier for any attack she makes against an Undead or Evil Outsider. This ability may only be taken once.

Eldritch Resistance (Blood) (Ex): A nightmare slayer only takes 1 point of CON damage per round of a vampire's Blood Drain attack, rather than 1d4, and the vampire only receives 1d4 temporary HP per round instead of 5. This ability may only be taken once.

Eldritch Resistance (Energy) (Ex): A nightmare slayer receives no negative levels on an Undead or Evil Outsider's Energy Drain attack that does not score a critical, and only takes normal negative levels on a such a creature's critical hit instead of twice normal (which also deprives the attacker of the temporary HP that they would've received by inflicting more negative levels). This ability may only be taken once.

Eldritch Paralysis (Ex): When a nightmare slayer inflicts paralysis against an Undead or Evil Outsider, the paralysis lasts an extra 1 round. This ability may be taken any number of times.


Exorcism (Ex): A nightmare slayer will not always settle for just hoping that combat will be enough, rather she will also explore ways of removing the threat without risking direct confrontation. From class level 4 onward, when attempting to activate a magic item to cast "Dismissal" or "Banishment," she adds her nightmare slayer class level as a bonus to the Use Magic Device skill check.

Improved Disruption (Ex): From class level 5 onward, when activating a magic item to cast a spell from the Good, Glory, or Sun Domains, her nightmare slayer class level is added as a bonus to any Saving Throw DC for opposing the spell.

Improved Exorcism (Ex): From class level 6 onward, when activating a magic item to cast "Dismissal" or "Banishment," her nightmare slayer class level is added as a bonus to the Saving Throw DC for opposing the spell.

Binding (Ex): As a nightmare slayer learns to kill stronger and stronger fiends, preventing the escape of those that can be killed easily becomes just as important as is banishing those that cannot. From class level 6 onward, when attempting to activate a magic item to cast "Dimensional Anchor," she adds her nightmare slayer class level as a bonus to the Use Magic Device skill check.

Improved Eldritch Experience (Ex): From class level 6 onward, when a nightmare slayer deals a Critical Hit against an Undead or Evil Outsider, the opponent is paralyzed for 1d4 rounds. Creatures can neither change their form nor move inter-dimensionally until this paralysis is ended (unless it is done to them by another), even if they would've otherwise done so automatically.

Improved Binding (Ex): From class level 7 onward, when activating a magic item to cast "Dimensional Anchor," her nightmare slayer class level is added as a bonus to the Attack Roll for the spell's ranged touch attack.

Greater Disruption/Exorcism/Binding (Ex): From class level 8 onwards, when activating a magic item to cast "Dismissal," "Banishment," "Dimensional Anchor," or any spell from the Good, Glory, or Sun Domains, her character level is used in place of her nightmare slayer class level for determining bonuses.

Greater Eldritch Experience (Ex): From class level 9 onwards, if a nightmare slayer decreases the Hit Points of an Undead or Evil Outsider by at least 50% with a single attack, the opponent is paralyzed for 1d6 rounds (this stacks with the 1d4 rounds if a hit was also critical, and the same prohibition against teleporting or changing form applies for the whole duration).

EPIC NIGHTMARE SLAYER

Hit Die: d8

Skill Points at each level: 6 + INT modifier

Perfect Disruption: At class level 11, when activating a magic item to cast any spell from the Good, Glory, or Sun Domains, she may Take 10 on all such Use Magic Device skill checks even if circumstances would normally not allow her to, and she may add either her INT or WIS modifier as a bonus to the selfsame checks.

Perfect Eldritch Experience: At class level 12, when a nightmare slayer makes an Attack of Opportunity that inflicts paralysis against an Undead or Evil Outsider, the paralysis lasts an extra 1d3 rounds.

Perfect Exorcism: At class level 14, when activating a magic item to cast "Dismissal," "Banishment," she may Take 10 on all such Use Magic Device skill checks even if circumstances would normally not allow her to, and she may add either her INT or WIS modifier as a bonus to the selfsame checks.

Perfect Binding: At class level 15, when activating a magic item to cast "Dimensional Anchor," she may Take 10 on all such Use Magic Device skill checks even if circumstances would normally not allow her to, and she may add either her INT or WIS modifier as a bonus to the selfsame checks.

{table=head]Level|Special

11th|Perfect Disruption

12th|Perfect Eldritch Experience

13th|Special Ability x2

14th|Perfect Exorcism

15th|Perfect Binding[/table]

PLAYING A NIGHTMARE SLAYER

A champion that has trained specifically to battle the fiends of Hell itself would not be very humble about her combat prowess, even by already a warrior's already tenuous standards for humility, because if truly anybody could do what she does every day, would her foes really be considered the universal symbols of invincible monsters?

She might choose to downplay her choice in challenging demons and devils by instead emphasizing her duty to the church or the community, she might choose to downplay how much of her ability to do so came naturally by instead emphasizing her years of training, she might wish to avoid taking advantage of celebrity status by instead choosing not bringing up her prowess when she is not needed for combat, but she normally realizes how insulting it would be to downplay her prowess itself once it has been made known.

Combat: When facing a potential confrontation against fiends, experienced nightmare slayers will normally attempt to use their scrolls to exorcise as many enemies as possible before the fiends can counter-attack them directly.

Advancement: Nightmare slayers start out as rangers and/or paladins, and occasionally seek out precision training from rogues after discovering that undead do in fact have vital areas.

Resources: Nightmare slayers tend to travel with clerics even more than other warriors do, as clerics can provide scrolls for exorcism and nightmare slayers can battle (with buffs from the clerics) undead that are too powerful for a cleric to simply Turn/Rebuke.

NIGHTMARE SLAYERS IN THE WORLD
"Why is it that every conversation you people have has the word "corpse" in it?"

Daily Life: Nightmare slayers generally spend much of their time practicing combat, studying lore on undead, demons, yugoloths and devils, and practicing using magic items that could end combat faster. Some of the more sadistic slayers use captured fiends/undead as test subjects for experimenting hands-on with which scrolls work best and where the slayer can hit them for the most grievously crippling injuries.

Notables:
Partalock Zetob (Ranger) was one of the most powerful warriors in the Blue Flame of Dispater, a cult that would abduct demon summoners, not only to remove demonic warriors opposing Dispater's armies in the Blood War but also to take the credit for slaying them in the Material Plane, not revealing that they both served Dispater and orchestrated the demon summons in the first place. Partalock was extremely popular in his town for the number of demons he killed and the amount of time he spent training the new demon-hunting recruits from the nearby towns. Obviously, Partolock had no connection to those summoning the demons he killed, and obviously he wouldn't do anything to harm the fellow demon hunters, and obviously the ones that didn't come back from scouting missions were lost in combat against demons and Partalock will be a hero when he avenges them, and obviously the deceased demon hunters didn't find out about some imaginary conspiracy that attracted the attention of mortal assassins that obviously Partalock wouldn't have conveniently forgotten to train them against...

Todracent Crillaim (Paladin) grew up in a town that was frequently attacked by packs of vampires. He was raised by the Church of Pelor when his family was slaughtered, and he spent most of his life training to fight back against vampires. By the time that the disparate packs started to unite into a massive army under a commander who had been a minotaur in life, Todracent had grown powerful enough to slay the vampire in single combat while his allies handled the honor guard; when divinations showed where to find what was left of tribe that the minotaur had belonged to in life before turning against them as a vampire, Todracent and his friends brought the staked and beheaded body to the tribe to show them what had happened to their elder, and were able to persuade them to join the war against the army of vampires that had been raised.

Organizations: The Blue Flame of Dispater was a cult that controlled numerous city-states by abducting summoners of demons, forcing them to summon demons (with the demons believing that their summoners acted alone) that the cult would be able to kill, and having the summoners give the demons permission to ravage the countryside while being distracted from Dispater's armies. The regions' governors would then hire local guilds of demon hunters that allegedly had no connection to anything like the cults of Dispater, and the warriors would be publicly viewed as heroes for slaying the demons while the guild leaders would have the good-will of the populous and governors to take financial/political advantage of at a later point.

NPC Reaction

Anybody who has learned to battle the perfect embodiments of pure evil itself and lived to tell the tale will be universally recognized as incredibly powerful warriors by anybody who has seen or heard stories about what fiends and undead do to those who cannot fight back.

Even those who use their power and reputation to extort those who live in fear of demonic attacks will be accepted, however begrudgingly, as the lesser of two evils, and the people who's lives depend on slaying the demons that have plagued them will be even more terrified of angering so-called mortals that the selfsame demons would be afraid of.

NIGHTMARE SLAYERS IN THE GAME

A nightmare slayer's focus on Undeads and Evil Outsiders would leave them less prepared for mortal enemies, so they would learn to choose their battles carefully.

Adaptation: In a sci-fi setting, nightmare slayers could be re-imagined as the soldiers, mercenaries, or hunters that specialize in killing aliens of unique species (sentient or otherwise) that have very specific weaknesses and require more specialized weaponry to kill than do most other species like humans (who can be killed simply with quiet feet, quick hands and a letter opener).

Encounters: Good Slayers would tend to be Paladins more often than they would be Rangers while Evil Slayers would always be Rangers, although Good Ranger/Slayers would still be fairly common.

Unless the PC party includes undead or evil outsider characters, enemy slayers probably wouldn't want to pick a fight with other mortals without their own, less over-specialized, back-up. However, neither would the party want to attack a slayer outright if the consequences would mean the anger of his allies that are more dangerous to mortals, especially if his public face is that of a hero and the party would have to deal with law enforcement as well as assassins.

Sample Encounter

EL 13: "Through the trees, you see a party of [fewer than half a dozen (Good PCs) / over a dozen (Evil PCs)] tents built in the clearing. You are spotted by a watchman who wakes the group, and are addressed by a woman who identifies herself as Casistomend, Paladin of Bahamut and commander of the region's Exorcism chapter."

Good PCs: "She informs you that half of her party was captured by vampire raiders, and requests your assistance in attacking the vampires' holdout to retrieve her warriors before they can be killed or turned."

Evil PCs: "She warns you that her troops have far more experience dealing with all of the fiends from all of the Lower Realms than yours have dealing with the mortals that are afraid of them, and that if you do not wish to have every knight in the country hunting you, you will surrender to be taken to trial for your crimes."

Casistomend
Lawful Good/Female/Human/Paladin5 NightmareSlayer8
Init +0, Senses: Listen +6, Spot +6,
Common, Infernal
------------------------------------------------
AC 25, touch 12, flat-footed 21 (+13 armor, +2 DEX)
hp 93 (5d10+8d8+26 HD)
Fort +10, Ref +3, Will +7
------------------------------------------------
Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee
Base Atk +13, Grp +15
Atk Options
Scimitar +19 Melee (1d6+6)
Combat Gear
Mithril +3 Breastplate: 13,000 gp, 15 lbs
Silver +4 Scimitar: 32,000 gp, 4 lbs
Cold Iron +3 Scimitar: 20,000 gp, 4 lbs
Heavy Mithril +3 Shield: 10,000 gp, 7.5 lbs

Cloak of Charisma +2: 4,000 gp, 2 lbs
Gloves of Dexterity +4: 16,000 gp, 2 lbs

Minor Scroll [Dimensional Anchor x2 + case] x5: 3,500 gp, 5 lbs
Minor Scroll x5: 8,250 gp, 5 lbs
Minor Scroll [Searing Light x2 + case] x4: 1,500 gp, 4 lbs

[b]Special Qualities
Aura of Good, Detect Evil, Smite Evil 2/day, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands, Aura of Courage, Divine Health, Turn Undead, Special Mount, Focused Training +8, Disruption, Improved Disruption, Greater Disruption, Exorcism, Improved Exorcism, Greater Exorcism, Binding, Improved Binding, Greater Binding, Eldritch Experience, Improved Eldritch Experience, Eldritch Resistance (Blood), Eldritch Resistance (Energy)

-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 10, Cha 18
Feats
Power Attack, Cleave, Vampire Hunter, Improved Critical x2, Skill Focus (Use Magic Device)
Skills
Concentration 18, Diplomacy 12, Heal 8, Intimidate 10, Knowledge: Nobility/Royalty 6, Knowledge: Religion 7, Knowledge: the Planes 6, Listen +5, Ride 5, Sense Motive 5, Spot 5, Use Magic Device 19
Possessions
Healer's kit
Traveler's outfit: 5 lbs

[Mephibosheth]

Vessel of the Ancient Gods
Inspired by Anansi Boys (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi_Boys) by Neil Gaiman (http://www.neilgaiman.com/)
Warning: minor spoilers abound!



"There are myth-places. They exist, each in their own way. Some of them are overlaid on the world; others exist beneath the world as it is, like an underpainting.

"There are mountains. They are the rocky places you will reach before you come to the cliffs that border the end of the world, and there are caves in those mountains, deep caves that were inhabited long before the first men walked the earth.

"They are inhabited still."

--Anansi Boys By Neil Gaiman, p. 73


“’The door is open. Now: if you stay here, you’ll die.’ An impatient rustling; the swish of a tail; a roar, half-muffled in the back of a throat. ‘Give me your hand and your allegiance. Invite me inside you.’

“’I don’t underst –‘

“’Give me your hand, or bleed to death.’

“In the black of the meat cellar, Grahame Coats put out his hand. Someone – something – took it and held it, reassuringly. ‘Now, are you willing to invite me in?’

“A moment of cold sobriety touched Grahame Coats then. He had already gone too far. Nothing he did would make matters worse, after all.

“’Absatively,’ whispered Grahame Coats, and as he said it he began to change. He could see through the darkness easy as daylight. He thought, but only for a moment, that he saw something beside him, bigger than a man, with sharp, sharp teeth. And then it was gone, and Grahame Coats felt wonderful. The blood no longer spurted from his leg.

“He could see clearly in the darkness. He pulled the knives from his belt, dropped them onto the floor. He pulled off his shoes, too. There was a gun on the ground, but he left it there. Tools were for apes and crows and weaklings. He was no ape.

“He was a hunter.”

-- Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, p. 302


The people of the world worship many gods. Gods of sky and sea. Gods of war and love and wisdom. Gods of technology and knowledge. Invisible, impersonal, and transcendent gods. Heroes ascended to divinity. Gods of every color and form and power.

Some of these gods are new, having only recently begun attracting worship. These gods are vital and strong, able to lever the devotion of their adoring masses into substantial influence in the material world. Other gods - subtle, ancient, and almost forgotten - must rely on servants, vessels, and weakened incarnations to wield their powers. People seldom tell their stories or conduct the rites that sustain them, so they must eke out a meager existence feeding off what dribbles of power and devotion they can find.

The ancient gods fall under the later category. They are deities in animal form who have existed since the beginning of the world. The conflicts and relationships between them shaped the fate of the earth for millennia. But now they have lost much of their power and act outside of their ancient, rocky homeland only when they can enter a willing mortal's mind.

Most often, this type of possession happens at the instigation of the deity. There are a few, however, who know the rites necessary to travel to the beginning of the world and treat with the ancient gods. These rare individuals are able to enter into bargains with the spirits of the ancient gods; agreements of supposed mutual benefit that both sides attempt to twist in their favor. These individuals are called Vessels of the Ancient Gods. The ponderous strength of Elephant, the ferocity of Tiger, the dexterity of Monkey, the tenacity of Hyena, and the cunning of Spider are theirs to wield.

For a price!

Becoming a Vessel of the Ancient Gods
Only those familiar with the practices of soul binding are able to successfully conduct these transactions, so all Vessels of the Ancient Gods must have at least one level in the binder class. Most Vessels of the Ancient Gods seek to maximize their soul binding power, entering this class as straight binders. Others seek specialized skills beyond soul binding, at the expense of their binding power. They usually only do so for specific reasons, as a loss in binding power makes bargaining with the cunning and devious ancient gods extremely difficult.

Hit Dice: d8

Requirements:

Skills: Diplomacy 3 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 8 ranks, Perform (act, comedy, oratory, or sing) 3 ranks
Special: Soul Binding class ability
Special: Must have personally encountered one of the ancient gods or visited the beginning of the world
Class Skills:

The Vessel of the Ancient Gods' class skills are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (the planes (int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier


Table 1: Vessel of the Ancient Gods
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special
1|+0|+2|+0|+2|Pact with the ancient gods, soul binding, speak with animals
2|+1|+3|+0|+3|Shadow of the ancient gods
3|+2|+3|+1|+3|Show reality who's boss (social skills)
4|+3|+4|+1|+4|Shadow of the ancient gods
5|+3|+4|+1|+4|Through picture and sky (dimension door)
6|+4|+5|+2|+5|Shadow of the ancient gods (incorporeal)
7|+5|+5|+2|+5|Show reality who's boss (charm)
8|+6|+6|+2|+6|Shadow of the ancient gods (ethereal)
9|+6|+6|+3|+6|Through picture and sky (teleport)
10|+7|+7|+3|+7|Shadow of the ancient gods (dire)[/table]


Class Abilities

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Vessels of the Ancient Gods gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Pact with the Ancient Gods: Beginning at 1st level, you gain the knowledge of a special mystical ritual which you can perform while binding your vestiges for the day. It allows you to leave your body behind and travel in spirit to a place at the beginning of the world where the ancient gods still live. Doing so adds one hour to the time required to bind vestiges. In the beginning of the world, you can bargain with the spirits of the ancient gods (outlined below) and bind them as you would any other vestige. Ancient animosities run rife between the ancient gods; only one can be bound at a time, even if you can bind more than one vestige simultaneously. You can still bind other vestiges in addition to spirits of the ancient gods, according to all the normal restrictions on binding multiple vestiges.


Sidebar: A Trip to the Beginning of the World

"He rubbed his eyes against the daylight. He looked around.

"A sheer rock face skyscrapered up behind him: the side of a mountain. Ahead of him was a sheer drop: cliffs, going down. He walked to the cliff edge and, warily, looked over. He saw some white things, and he thought that they were sheep until he realized that they were clouds; large, white, fluffy clouds, a very long way below him...

"He took a step back from the cliff edge.

"Then he turned and walked back toward the mountains, which rose up and up...He forced himself to look down again, to keep his eyes on the ground, and in so doing, he noticed holes in the rock face near ground level which looked like entrances to natural caves.

"The place between the mountainside and the cliffs, on which he was standing, was, he guessed, less than quarter of a mile wide: a boulder-strewn sandy path dotted with patches of greenery and, here and there, a dusty brown tree. The path seemed to follow the mountainside until it faded into a distant haze."

--Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, p. 142

Soul Binding: As you gain levels as a Vessel of the Ancient Gods, your ability to bind vestiges improves. Each level counts as a level in the binder class for the purpose of determining how many vestiges you can bind simultaneously. Your binder levels and your Vessel of the Ancient Gods levels also stack for determining your effective binder level (for the purposes of binding checks and the level-dependent effects of your vestige abilities) and the level of vestiges you can bind, but only for the purpose of binding the spirits of the ancient gods. For all other vestiges, every odd level counts as a level of binder for determining your effective binder level and the level of vestiges you can bind.

For example, a binder 5/VotAG 3 can bind 2 vestiges simultaneously. She has an effective binder level of 8 for the purpose of binding the spirits of the ancient gods and an effective binder level of 7 for binding all other vestiges.

You gain no other benefits of the binder class other than those listed here.

Speak with Animals (Su): As long as you are bound to an ancient god, you can speak with animals of the god's species as the spell Speak with Animals.

Shadow of the Ancient Gods (Su): Beginning at 2nd level, whenever you have a good pact with one of the ancient gods and are showing its sign, you can temporarily take on some of the physical characteristics and abilities of the god. Your outward appearance seems to encompass both your normal visage and the form of the ancient god to which you are bound, though a True Seeing spell reveals your original form.

While in this form, you retain all of your original characteristics and abilities. The change in your appearance is more illusory than physical; you remain in your original form for most respects. The changes brought about by binding a specific ancient god are outlined in the ancient god's description below.

At 6th level, when you have a good pact with one of the ancient gods and are showing its sign, you can choose to become incorporeal. You can switch back and forth between corporeal and incorporeal as a swift action. At 8th level you can switch between corporeal, incorporeal, and ethereal.

You can use this ability for a number of minutes per day equal to your class level, broken up as you desire. You can initiate and end a use of this ability as a swift action.

Show Reality Who's Boss (Su): Beginning at 3rd level, when you are in a pact with a spirit of the ancient gods, you gain a measure of their control over reality; particularly their influence over people's minds. At 3rd level you gain an insight bonus on Bluff, Diplomacy, Intimidate, and Sense Motive checks equal to half your class level (rounded up). At 7th level, a number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier, when you make a successful Bluff, Diplomacy, or Intimidate check, one humanoid creature who is a target of that check regards you as their friend (as the Charm Person spell). This effect lasts for a number of minutes equal to your class level. An unwilling creature can make a Will save against your skill check to negate the charm effect (though they may still be affected by your skill check).

Through Picture and Sky: Starting at 5th level, you learn to travel the way gods do. When you are in a pact with a spirit of the ancient gods, you can use Dimension Door as a spell-like ability a total number of times per day equal to your Charisma modifier. At 9th level, you can use either Dimension Door or Teleport. Your caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to your effective binder level.



Playing a Vessel of the Ancient Gods
Vessels of the Ancient Gods derive much of their power from the animal spirits of long-forgotten deities. Their abilities depend very much on which ancient god they are bound to. A Vessel of the Ancient Gods bound to Tiger will be a potent melee combatant, tearing into the flesh of her foes with long, sharp claws and teeth. A Vessel of the Ancient Gods bound to Spider will be more circumspect, relying on trickery, poison, summoned allies, and snares to get the better of her foes.

Combat: A Vessel of the Ancient Gods' combat style depends on which pacts she currently has active. Most pacts with ancient gods (Tiger, Lion, Hyena for example) make the Vessel a powerful physical fighter who uses the natural weapons granted by her Shadow of the Ancient Gods ability to great effect. A Vessel bound to Bird or Spider will be less overtly physical, relying on various other tricks and techniques to prevail. And the Vessel might also have other active pacts that complement her pact with an ancient god or provide different abilities.

Advancement: Most Vessels of the Ancient Gods choose classes that improve their effective binder level and enhance the abilities gained by their bound vestiges. More levels in the binder class or in prestige classes that improve EBL are most common.

Resources: The techniques necessary to bind the ancient gods are strange and obscure even among binders, a group already outcast for its heretical practices. This problem is compounded by the fact that most of the ancient gods nurse old grudges and animosities against each other and are unlikely to cooperate. However, they know that they are all in a similar situation and can be convinced to work together by a persuasive Vessel. Otherwise, the Vessel is pretty much on her own.



Vessels of the Ancient Gods in the World


"There was some kind of animal in the house. Maybe it was just Grahame Coats. I mean it sort of was him, but it was sort of something else..."

--Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, p. 316

In some ways, Vessels of the Ancient Gods are feared and misunderstood. This is especially true when they are showing a god's sign; when people perceive them as both animal and human simultaneously. An unsettling experience to say the least.

On the other hand, Vessels are filled with the powers of the ancient gods and can exert significant influence over the minds of those around them. If they need to be liked or believed, they can push the universe just enough to fool or impress their fellow humans.

Daily Life: How a Vessel of the Ancient Gods spends her days depends largely on which god she currently has bound. A pact with Monkey will encourage her to spend most of her time finding food (usually fruit) and jumping from one activity to another. A pact with Tiger will encourage her to hunt and kill and cause fear, to spend her time lurking in the shadows, and to eschew tools and weapons. Vessels bound to Spider seem to enjoy fishing, dancing, and flirting with or charming pretty much anyone who crosses their path.

Notables:

Fat Charlie Nancy
Fat Charlie Nancy (who isn't really fat but who can't seem to escape the nickname) was a reluctant Vessel. A son of Spider, he didn't know about his divine heritage until he was an adult, when the world of the ancient gods came crashing into his own. His more divinely-aware brother arrived for a visit after their father's "death" and proceeded to steal Charlie's fiance and usurp his life. Seeking to rid himself of his brother, Fat Charlie began to embrace his heritage and entered into a pact with Bird to gain the power to make his brother leave. Things spiraled out of control before Charlie and his brother were able to reconcile and resolve their differences.
Grahame Coats
Grahame Coats, a decidedly sinister Vessel, favored pacts with Tiger as a vehicle to power and wealth. Grahame Coats unwittingly became a vehicle for Tiger's revenge against Spider when he got involved in the struggles between Fat Charlie and Fat Charlie's brother. He grew more and more dependent on Tiger to resolve conflicts, eventually giving himself over to Tiger's influence completely and nearly murdering a woman.
Organizations: Vessels of the Ancient Gods seldom gather. When they do, it is either to support each other in more complicated rituals involving travel to the beginning of the world or to address a common concern that involves both them and the ancient gods themselves. When they do gather in large groups, they often assert complicated hierarchies similar to animals around a watering hole. In many of these gatherings, storytelling and singing skills play an important role in determining how things play out.



NPC Reaction

NPCs react differently to Vessels of the Ancient Gods when they're suppressing their pacts' signs and when the signs are showing. When the signs are suppressed, there is little that distinguishes a Vessel from any other humanoid, and their Show Reality Who's Boss ability helps ensure a favorable reaction. People either find them strangely charming and compelling or inexplicably frightening, depending on which god the Vessel currently has bound.

If their signs are showing, however, interacting with a Vessel becomes much more unsettling. People see both their humanoid form and their animal form simultaneously, as though seeing with two sets of eyes. This is difficult for almost everyone to reconcile, leading many to avoid interacting with them as much as possible. They still feel the effects of the Vessel's personality and abilities, but they are far less comfortable about it. One individual described his encounter with a Vessel bound to Monkey as having an oddness that made his teeth hurt.



Vessels of the Ancient Gods in the Game

Adaptation: The ancient gods are as old as the earth; older than almost all other gods. However, their worship has been all but forgotten by most sentient beings. It is this fact that makes them willing to enter into pacts with Vessels of the Ancient Gods; if they received regular worship, they would be powerful enough to act in the world of their own accord. This fact also makes it easy for DMs to insert this class into their games. Perhaps the PCs find a dusty, half-decomposed tome describing the ancient gods in a forgotten ruin. Perhaps they run into a Vessel while traveling to a remote destination. The PCs should discover the lore behind this class in out-of-the-way places and among archaic cultures.

The ancient gods can be compared to most other vestiges in terms of power. DMs interested in allowing normal binders to bind the ancient gods should feel free to do so. In this case, the DM and binder players should work together to integrate the ancient gods into the established pantheon of vestiges within their campaign world. It might even be possible to combine the ancient gods into a single vestige, with each animal personality as one aspect of a primordial animal spirit that can be bound as a vestige. In this case, the binder would select which aspect to bind when she makes a pact with this vestige.

Encounters: Many Vessels of the Ancient Gods, especially those under the influence of their pacts, work to spread stories and songs from the dawn of the earth; stories that tell of the ancient gods' deeds and praise their powers. Others seek to continue long-held feuds between ancient gods, using Vessels as tools to get revenge for old slights.



The Precipitous Decline of Grahame Coats: EL 10

The founder and owner of the Grahame Coats Agency, a prominent house of trade and banking, Grahame Coats specializes in providing financial management for wealthy individuals who lack the interest or skills to do so themselves. He's a weasel and everyone knows it; they just think that he's their weasel.

What no one knows is that Grahame Coats has been embezzling from his clients for years, skimming off the top and squirreling the money away for his own personal use. Grahame Coats chooses his clients carefully, only representing people he judges to be completely ignorant or unconcerned with finances.

Grahame Coats is of medium height and slender build. Comfortably middle aged, his brown hair is sprinkled liberally with gray that actually enhances his appearance. His nose is sharply-pointed and his face has the smoothness of a man with few cares. His voice is a high baritone, but what would be a comforting effect is ruined by his oily mannerisms and tendency to sprinkle conversations with cliches, proverbs, and lame platitudes.

The PCs could encounter Grahame Coats in a number of ways. Long-term theft like Grahame Coats cannot go unnoticed forever; a client will inevitably notice the discrepancies and take some action, perhaps hiring some rough-and-ready characters to investigate further or aid in taking revenge on Grahame Coats. Or perhaps Grahame Coats, under the increasing influence of Tiger, has killed a client in order to prevent her from exposing him and the PCs have become involved in the investigation. Or maybe the newly-wealthy and otherwise-preoccupied PCs hire Grahame Coats to manage their affairs and discover his plot themselves.

Grahame Coats is far from stupid; he's known for years that he would have to give up his scheme at some point or other. He has an escape plan prepared which he implements if he discovers his secret beginning to come out. He plans to flee to an isolate island with as much wealth as possible and live out the rest of his days in luxurious anonymity. The PCs might also encounter him in this context; either en route to the island or having recently arrived there. And there's nothing to say that his unscrupulous past won't follow him to his island paradise...

Tactics:
Grahame Coats tries to avoid combat if at all possible. Typically bound to Naberius, he tries to talk his way out of confrontations, putting his ability to take 10 on Bluff and Diplomacy checks and his Command spell-like ability to good use. If he can, he will use his Disguise Self ability before the encounter and attempt to trick his opponent that way.

If forced to enter combat, he relies heavily on Tiger's abilities. He will make use of his shadow of the ancient gods ability and wade into melee, attacking with his newly-gained claw and bite attacks.

Grahame Coats
Chaotic evil male human Binder 5/Vessel of the Ancient Gods 5
Init +0, Senses: Listen +7, Spot +7
Languages English
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AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 20
hp 58 hp (10d8+10)
Fort +9, Ref +2, Will +10
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Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee normal: MW morningstar +7 (2d8+1) shadow of Tiger: 2 Claws +12 (1d8+6) and Bite +7 (2d6+3)
Ranged flaming light crossbow +7 (1d8+1d6 fire+1)
Base Atk +6/+1, Grp +7
Supernatural Abilities Pact augmentation (2 abilities), shadow of the ancient gods, show reality who's boss (social skills), soul binding (2 vestiges, 5th level ancient gods, 4th level normal vestiges), speak with animals, suppress sign
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Abilities Str 12, Dex 10, Con 12, Int 15, Wis 14, Cha 16
Feats Expel Vestige, Improved Binding, Sudden Ability Focus, Multiattack, Ability Focus (fear aura), Widen Supernatural Ability
Skills Bluff +18, Diplomacy +18, Intimidate +18, Knowledge (religion) +10, Listen +7, Perform +5, Profession (merchant) +4, Sense Motive +5, Spot +7
Typical Pacts Tiger, Naberius
Possessions 11,000 gp, +1 flaming light crossbow, +2 chain shirt, amulet of natural armor +2, ring of protection +2, soul lens (refluffed into dark sunglasses), cloak of charisma +2

[Mephibosheth]

The Ancient Gods


Bird

Vestige Level: 6
Binding DC: 27
Manifestation: Bird appears in a flurry of feathers that coalesce into the form of a woman with raven-black hair. She appears neither young nor old and her features are severe, as if carved from obsidian. At the same time, she appears as a massive bird with a cruelly-curved beak and gray feathers that shine green and purple as if covered in a sheen of oil. In both forms, her eyes are black pits that never seem to blink.
Sign: When bound to Bird and showing her sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a crow with a long, narrow beak and black feathers. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Bird, perhaps more than any other of the ancient gods, nurses long-held grudges. She has a particular hatred and distrust of Spider, with whom she was once close friends but who tricked her and earned her ire. You may not use any abilities that summon or control spiders. Your attitude is automatically hostile when interacting with Spider and any Vessels of the Ancient Gods bound to Spider.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Bird, you gain the following special abilities.
Avian Ally: You can summon an avian creature to aid you in combat. Using this ability is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, but the creature doesn't arrive until the beginning of your next turn, appearing in a location of your designation within 20 feet. The type of ally you can summon depends on your effective binder level, as outlined in the list below. You can control and communicate with your avian ally telepathically as a mental action. The creature remains with you for 1 hour or until it is slain, whichever comes first. You can only have 1 avian ally at a time. After you lose your avian ally, either because it is killed or the duration has expired, you cannot summon another one for 5 rounds.
EBL 5: arrowhawk (juvenille), eagle, cockatrice, giant eagle, giant owl, hawk, hippogriff, owl, or raven
EBL 10: arrowhawk (adult), griffon, manticore, or any three creatures from the EBL 5 list
EBL 15: arrowhawk (elder), chimera, criosphinx, lammasu, roc, any three creatures from the EBL 10 list, or any 6 creatures from the ELB 5 list
Command Birds: You gain the ability to rebuke, command, or bolster flying creatures of the animal type as an evil cleric rebukes undead. You can use this ability a total number of times per day equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Use your effective binder level for any level-dependent variables related to this ability. Levels in a class that grants Turn/Rebuke Undead do not stack with Vessel of the Ancient Gods levels for determining the effects of this ability.
Eyes of a Hawk: You gain a +8 bonus on Search and Spot checks.
Murder Form: You gain the ability to discorporate and take on the form of a swarm of crows, ravens, or similar birds. While in this form, you cannot use any abilities other than those granted by your new form, which has the statistics of a bat swarm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/swarm.htm#batSwarm), save that it lacks blindsense. As you gain power, so does your murder form. For every 4 effective binder levels you have, your murder form gains 2 hit dice for the purpose of determining its swarm damage. You use your hit points and saves while in this form. If you are brought below 0 hit points while in this form, your body reforms.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Bird and are showing Bird's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 12. You gain low-light vision and Ex fly speed 40 ft. (average)
4th Level: You gain 2 natural talon attacks which deal 1d4 + Str modifier damage. You can only use them while flying. You can use them as your primary attacks or, if you have other natural or manufactured weapons, as secondary natural attacks at a -5 penalty.
10th Level: Your fly speed improves to 80 ft. (good). The damage dealt by your talons increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 12, Dex 20, Con 14.
Cheetah

Vestige Level: 3
Binding DC: 21
Manifestation: Sometimes Cheetah appears in his animal form; a lithe spotted cat with black tear marks on its face and a long spotted tail. Other times he appears as a slender man who moves with cat-like grace and seems to have the shadows of tear lines and spots on his face and shoulders.
Sign: When bound to Cheetah and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a tawny-and-black spotted cheetah. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Cheetah emphasizes speed and stealth, running down his foes with his superior speed. If there is an opponent within charge range during the first round you are able to act in combat, you must charge it.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Cheetah, you gain the following special abilities.
Agile Charge: Your feet dig into the ground as you run, giving you supernatural agility at high speeds. When you charge, you may make a single turn of up to 90 degrees. You may also charge over difficult terrain, making Jump and Tumble checks as necessary.
Sprint: When you make a charge, instead of doubling your base speed you run 5 times faster than you normally would. Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again for 5 rounds.
Stealthy Hunter: You gain a +8 bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks.
Trip: You gain Improved Trip as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. If you have a natural bite attack, you can make a free trip attempt on any creature you hit with your bite attack. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip you.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Cheetah and are showing Cheetah's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15. You gain low-light vision and scent. Your base speed increases by 20 feet.
4th Level: You gain a primary natural bite attack that deals 1d6 + Str modifier damage and two secondary natural claw attacks that deal 1d2 + 1/2 Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon, in which case you only add 1/2 Str modifier to damage with that attack.
10th Level: The increase in your base speed improves to 40 feet. The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 18, Dex 23, Con 17.
Elephant

Vestige Level: 6
Binding DC: 26
Manifestation: Sometimes Elephant appears in his animal form; a massive, ponderous elephant with thick, plate-like gray skin, long curving tusks and an agile trunk. Other times he appears as a man with thick round legs and folded, gray-ish skin. His voice is deep and slow and he walks swaying slightly from side to side.
Sign: When bound to Elephant and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as an elephant with a long trunk and huge, fan-like ears. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Elephant values adherence to laws and established practices. His memory is long and his tolerance of grievances is limited. You cannot willingly break a law while bound to Elephant and under his influence.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Elephant, you gain the following special abilities.
An Elephant Never Forgets: If you fail your save against a mind-affecting spell or effect, you can choose to make an additional save at the same DC 1 round later. If this second save succeeds, you throw off the effects of the spell or effect.
Frightful Trumpet: As a standard action, you let out a deafening, terrifying, trumpet-like bellow. Doing so is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. All creatures within 60 feet are deafened for 1 round (no save) and must make a Will save or be shaken for a number of rounds equal to half your class level. Once you have used this ability, you cannot use it again for 5 rounds. Once an opponent has either made his save against this ability or been affected by it, he is immune to it for 24 hours.
Improved Overrun: You gain Improved Overrun as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites.
Powerful Build: Whenever you are subject to a size modifier or special size modifier for an opposed check (such as during grapple checks, bull rush attempts, and trip attempts), you are treated as one size larger if doing so is advantageous. You are also considered to be one size larger when determining whether a creature’s special attacks based on size (such as improved grab or swallow whole) can affect you. You can use weapons designed for a creature one size larger without penalty. However, your space and reach remain those of a creature of your actual size.
Trample: Whenever you successfully overrun an opponent, you deal 2d6 + your Str damage to that opponent. An opponent who chooses to avoid your overrun attempt can make a Reflex save to avoid this damage. An opponent who chooses to attempt to block you is not allowed a save.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Elephant and are showing Elephant's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 26, Dex 10, Con 21. You gain low-light vision and scent.
4th Level: You gain a primary natural slam attack that deals 2d6 + Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the slam attack as a secondary natural weapon, in which case you only add 1/2 Str modifier to damage with that attack.
10th Level:The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 30, Dex 10, Con 23.
Hyena

Vestige Level: 4
Binding DC: 22
Manifestation: Sometimes Hyena appears in her animal form; a thin, ragged hyena with muscular jaws and shoulders. Other times she appears as a woman. You're not sure whether she's attractive or hideously ugly, but there is something almost dog-like in her appearance. When she laughs, her voice is high-pitched, unpleasant and almost manic.
Sign: When bound to Hyena and showing her sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a hyena with a broken bone in your jaws. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Hyena revels in the strength of her jaws, proud of their ability to break bone and extract every ounce of nutrition from marrow. While bound to Hyena and under her influence, if you are challenged to a test of strength, you must accept.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Hyena, you gain the following special abilities.
Bone-Breaking Jaws: Your attacks bypass hardness and damage reduction as though made of adamantine.
Cackle: You open your mouth and, as a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, unleash a hideous, maddening laugh. All creatures within 60 feet must make a Will save or be confused, as the spell, for a number of rounds equal to half your class level (min 1). Once you use this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you use it again. Once an opponent has either made his save against this ability or been affected by it, he is immune to it for 24 hours.
Leaner, Meaner, Obscener: When you deal damage to an opponent in melee combat, all other opponents who can see you must make a Fortitude save or be sickened for 1 round. Once an opponent has either made his save against this ability or been affected by it, he is immune to it for 24 hours.
Trip: You gain Improved Trip as a bonus feat, even if you don't meet the prerequisites. If you have a natural bite attack, you can make a free trip attempt on any creature you hit with your bite attack. If the attempt fails, the opponent cannot react to trip you.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Hyena and are showing Hyena's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 14, Dex 15, Con 15. You gain low-light vision and scent.
4th Level: You gain a primary natural bite attack that deals 1d8 + Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon, in which case you only add 1/2 Str modifier to damage with that attack.
10th Level: The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 20, Dex 15, Con 17.
Lion

Vestige Level: 5
Binding DC: 23
Manifestation: Sometimes Lion appears in his animal form; a powerful male lion with an impressive mane. Other times he appears as a man, bare-chested with a lion skin wrapped around his waist. His voice is low and seems to rumble in his chest. His tawny hair is long and ragged, hanging around his head and shoulders like a mane. A tail protrudes from under his lion skin and swishes at flies that buzz around his body. His eyes are large and golden and his skin is dark.
Sign: When bound to Lion and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a powerful lion. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Lion considers himself king of the beasts. A vessel under the influence of Lion is imperious and arrogant, prone to ordering others around even when the exact nature of power and authority hierarchies is unclear.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Lion, you gain the following special abilities.
Improved Grab: You gain Improved Grapple as a bonus feat. In addition, if you hit an opponent with an unarmed strike or natural attack, you can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Natural Armor: Your natural armor increases by 1 per 4 effective binder levels, to a maximum of +5 at 20th level.
Rake: When you have successfully grappled an opponent (including the round in which you initiated the grapple), in addition to damaging it as normal you gain two rake attacks from strong claws that grow on your toes. You use your highest BAB with these attacks, which deal 1d4 + Str modifier points of damage.
Roar: As a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity, you can open your maw and let out a terrifying roar. All creatures within 60 feet must make a Will save or be frightened for a number of rounds equal to half your class level (min 1). Even if they make this save, they are still shaken for the duration of this ability. Once an opponent has either made his save against this ability or been affected by it, he is immune to it for 24 hours. Once you use this ability, you must wait 5 rounds before you use it again.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Lion and are showing Lion's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 19, Dex 17, Con 15. You gain low-light vision and scent.
4th Level: You gain two primary natural claw attacks that deal 1d4 + Str modifier damage and a secondary natural bite attack that deals 1d8 + 1/2 Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon.
10th Level: The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 25, Dex 19, Con 17.
Monkey

Vestige Level: 3
Binding DC: 20
Manifestation: Sometimes Monkey appears in his animal form; an ape with long, dextrous limbs and a clever face. Other times he appears as a very hairy man with long arms and dextrous hands and feet. He chatters when he speaks and seems very excitable. He appears unsettlingly human and inhuman at once.
Sign: When bound to Monkey and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as an ape or large monkey. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Monkey is always hungry and always looking for something amusing to do. When bound to Monkey and under his influence, when you encounter an individual for the first time that day (including an individual you previously knew), you must ask that individual for some food, usually a mango, peach, or other type of fruit.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Monkey, you gain the following special abilities.
Agile Acrobat: You gain a +8 bonus on Jump and Tumble checks.
Prehensile Tail: A long tail sprouts from your lower back, curling in the air behind you. While it cannot make any attacks, wield weapons, or hold a shield, it acts as a third hand in all other ways and is capable of lifting up to 50 pounds.
Rend: When you hit with two or more attacks in a single round, you latch on and tear your opponent's flesh. You automatically deal an extra 1d10 + Str modifier points of damage.
Unquenchable Hunger: Your mind is never settled, always looking for the next source of food or the next activity and difficult to affect or control. You gain a bonus to Will saves equal to your Charisma modifier.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Monkey and are showing Monkey's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 15, Dex 14, Con 12. You gain low-light vision, a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and a 30 ft. climb speed.
4th Level: You gain a primary natural bite attack that deals 1d4 + Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon, in which case you only add 1/2 Str modifier to damage with that attack.
10th Level: The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 17, Dex 16, Con 14.
Spider

Vestige Level: 7
Binding DC: 27
Manifestation: Sometimes Spider appears in his arachnid form; a large, shiny, black spider with yellow markings at the end of each of its legs. Other times he appears as a spry old man with a pencil-thin mustache, yellow gloves and a green fedora. He sings and hums frequently and tends to move by soft-shoe dance rather than simple walking.
Sign: When bound to Spider and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a large black spider. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: You are clever and lazy, confident in your wits but aware of your physical weakness. You try to avoid combat as much as possible, preferably through bluffing or other trickery.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Spider, you gain the following special abilities.
Goofy Sort of Thing: One of your most powerful abilities is mockery and caricature. You are so adept at subtle mockery that even the most frightful creatures can seem amusing. As an immediate action, you can render harmless one ability of any type currently being used by an opponent. You must succeed on an opposed level check (using the total of yours and your opponent's class levels and racial hit dice) against the opponent to do so. If you have 5 or more ranks in Perform (act, comedy, oratory, or sing), you gain a +2 insight bonus on this check. If you succeed, the ability you are targeting has no effect and cannot be used for a number of rounds equal to half your class level. You can use this ability twice per day.
For example, Charlie Nancy, a 10th level Vessel of the Ancient Gods bound to Spider, uses this ability to nullify Hyena's Cackle. "Goofy sort of cackle," Charlie says. He must succeed on an opposed level check against the user of Hyena's Cackle. If Charlie succeeds, the cackle has no effect and cannot be used again for 5 rounds.
Minor Image: You can use Minor Image (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/minorImage.htm) at will, as the spell. Your caster level is equal to your EBL for all purposes related to this ability.
Smooth-Talkin' Spider: You gain a +8 bonus on Bluff and Disguise checks.
Spider Army: You gain the ability to summon spiders to your aid. This ability takes one of two forms, outlined below. Using this ability is a standard action that doesn't provoke an attack of opportunity, but the summoned creature doesn't arrive until the beginning of your next turn, appearing in a location of your designation within 20 feet. You can control and communicate with your spider army telepathically as a mental action. The summoned creature remains with you for 1 hour or until it is slain, whichever comes first. You can only have 1 spider army at a time. After you lose your spider army, either because it is killed or the duration has expired, you cannot summon another one for 5 rounds.
You summon a spider swarm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/swarm.htm#spiderSwarm) to aid you in combat. For every 4 effective binder levels you have, the spider swarm gains 2 hit dice, in creasing its swarm damage and the save DC for its poison, gaining 5 hit points per hit die gained, and increasing its saves and skills as appropriate.
You can summon a single Large or smaller monstrous spider to aid you in combat. When your effective binder level reaches 10, you can summon a Huge or smaller monstrous spider. When your effective binder level reaches 15, you can summon a Gargantuan or smaller monstrous spider. When your effective binder level reaches 20, you can summon a Colossal or smaller monstrous spider.
Web: You can use Web at will, as the spell. Your caster level is equal to your EBL for all purposes related to this ability.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Spider and are showing Spider's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 11, Dex 19, Con 12. You gain low-light vision, a +8 racial bonus on Climb checks, and a 30 ft. climb speed.
4th Level: You gain a primary natural bite attack that deals 1d6 + Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon, in which case you only add 1/2 Str modifier to damage with that attack.
10th Level: The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 15, Dex 21, Con 14.
Tiger

Vestige Level: 7
Binding DC: 30
Manifestation: Sometimes Tiger appears in his cat form; a massive, powerful Bengal tiger that seems constantly shrouded in shadow. Other times he appears as a tall, muscular man clad only in a piece of tiger skin wrapped around his waist. His hair is long and black and a tiger's tail swishes back and forth behind him.
Sign: When bound to Tiger and showing his sign, you appear simultaneously completely normal and as a large jungle cat. Observers find it difficult to tell which visage is your true form.
Influence: Under the influence of Tiger you become cruel, stealthy, and terrible. You revel in the blood, fear, and pain of others. You refuse to use manufactured weapons in combat, preferring instead to use unarmed strikes or natural weapons, even if you lack appropriate feats.
Granted Abilities: When bound to Tiger, you gain the following special abilities.
Fast Healing: You enter a state of accelerated recuperation. You gain fast healing 1. The rate of this healing increases by an additional +1 every 2 class levels, to a maximum of fast healing 5 at 10th level.
Fear Aura: You gain a fear aura (as the special ability) with a radius of 30 feet. All creatures within this aura must make a Will save or be frightened for a number of rounds equal to half your class level (min 1). Even if they make this save, they are still shaken for the duration of this ability. Once an opponent has either made his save against this ability or been affected by it, he is immune to it for 24 hours.
Frenzy of Blood and Terror: You draw power from the pain and fear. You gain a bonus on attack and damage rolls equal to your Charisma modifier when attacking a creature you have damaged in combat or who is under the effects of your fear aura.
Improved Grab: You gain Improved Grapple as a bonus feat. In addition, if you hit an opponent with an unarmed strike or natural attack, you can then attempt to start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Pounce: Whenever you charge an opponent, you can follow with a full attack.
Rake: When you have successfully grappled an opponent (including the round in which you initiated the grapple), in addition to damaging it as normal you gain two rake attacks from strong claws that grow on your toes. You use your highest BAB with these attacks, which deal 1d8 + Str modifier points of damage.
Shadow of the Ancient Gods: When you are in a pact with Tiger and are showing Tiger's sign, you gain the following abilities at the indicated levels.
2nd Level: Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 22, Dex 15, Con 17. You gain low-light vision and scent.
4th Level: You gain two primary natural claw attacks that deal 1d8 + Str modifier damage and a secondary natural bite attack that deals 2d6 + 1/2 Str modifier damage. If you are wielding a manufactured weapon, you can use the bite attack as a secondary natural weapon.
10th Level: The damage dealt by your natural attacks increases as if you had grown one size increment. Where advantageous, you can replace your physical ability scores with any of the following: Str 27, Dex 15, Con 17

[Rabidmuskrat]

Leader of Men

Unable to obtain image due to copyright issues.

"I love it when a plan comes together." - Hannibal Smith, leader of the A-Team

Some men are born to greatness. Some men have greatness thrust upon them. And some men achieve greatness by inspiring it in others. These are the Leaders of Men, people who can take a rag-tag group of individuals and forge them into a crack, cohesive fighting unit. This PrC is based on individuals such as Hannibal Smith from A-Team, King Leonidas from 300 and William Wallace from Braveheart.

BECOMING A LEADER OF MEN
Any individual with a knack for leadership can become a Leader of Men. All it takes is a decision to focus more on guiding others' actions than on improving one's own skills. Leaders of Men come from all classes (except perhaps Wizard or Druid), though depending on his background he will be played differently.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Feats: Leadership
Skills: Diplomacy 6 or Intimidate 6
Base Attack Bonus: +5

Class Skills
The Class Name's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skills Points at Each Level: 4 + int modifier.

Hit Dice: d10

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

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Band of Brothers, Follow the Leader

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Direct Action, Command: Stay Together

3rd|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+3|Planning Ahead, Inspirational Speech

4th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Command: Scatter

5th|
+3|
+1|
+1|
+4|Adjutant, Calm Assurance

6th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+5|Command: Surround Them

7th|
+5|
+2|
+2|
+5|Bodyguard

8th|
+6/+1|
+2|
+2|
+6|Command: Cover The Flanks

9th|
+6/+1|
+3|
+3|
+6|Heroic Speech

10th|
+7/+2|
+3|
+3|
+7|Fight as One[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Leader of Men gains no new weapon or armour proficiencies.

Band of Brothers (Ex): At 1st level a Leader of Men gains his own personal Unit, of which he is the leader. He can then induct individuals into his Unit, a process taking one week of practice and training with the other Unit Members. There are several restrictions to potential Unit Members. They must:
-be willing.
-have an intelligence score of more than 3.
-be able to understand your commands (shared language or telepathy).
-be able to follow you and execute your commands.
Any number of characters may be inducted at once, but you cannot begin inducting a new character while you are still busy inducting a previous one.
Your Unit can have a total number of members equal to four times your class level. It can have a total number of Hit Dice equal to your (Class Levels + charisma modifier) x 4 + your character level (+ your own racial Hit Dice). However, if your Unit were to grow to a greater number of Hit Dice than the limit, such as due to leveling or polymorphing, no Unit Members are lost. Instead, you merely cannot induct any new Unit Members until sufficient Hit Dice becomes available. The Leader of Men whose Unit it is is considered to be a Unit Member for the purposes of bonuses granted, but does not add to the Hit Dice total of the Unit. No character can be a part of more than one Unit at any point in time.
Leaving (or being kicked out of) a Unit takes a week during which the character is no longer considered part of the Unit, but still counts as a member for the purposes of determining the Unit Hit Dice total and number of Unit Members.
This ability in no way guarantees the availability of potential Unit Members nor does it provide any means to obtain individuals to be inducted.
If the Leader of Men is ever incapacitated or killed his Unit Members immediately lose all their bonuses from being in the Unit and at the end of the week, if the Leader of Men has not regained conscious contact with his Unit, all Unit Members are considered to have left the Unit and must be reinducted. The same holds for any Unit Members that are cut off from the Leader of Men; at the end of the week they are assumed to no longer be a part of the Unit.

Follow the Leader (Ex): At 1st level, in any situation that requires a roll for initiative, your Unit Members may choose to act on your initiative instead of their own. This decision must be made before initiative is rolled, but characters may delay their turns as normal afterwards. The Unit Members may themselves decide which order they act in. This does not allow any characters to act during turns they would not normally be able to act in, such as during surprise rounds.

Commands (Su): At 2nd level and every two levels thereafter (except 10th level), the Leader of Men gains access to a Command. A Command functions like a stance, except that changing it is only a swift action, but requires the ability to speak or otherwise convey information to your Unit Members. Unit Members unable to hear or otherwise perceive your Command gain no benefit from it. Only one Command can be active at any time. Giving a new Command while the previous is still in effect cancels the previous Command. Commands can be canceled as a free action.
Commands gained are the following:
2nd - Stay Together: Unit Members gain +2 AC for every other Unit Member that is adjacent to both themselves and their attacker. Unit Members suffer a movement speed penalty of -10ft, to a minimum of 15ft.
4th - Scatter: Unit Members gain +4 to their reflex saves, but suffer -1 AC for every adjacent ally.
6th - Surround Them: Every enemy that has been attacked by a Unit Member is considered flanked by all other Unit Members acting in the same initiative. However, any Unit Member that attacks an unflanked opponent suffers -2 to their attack.
8th - Cover the Flanks: Every attack directed at a Unit Member provokes an attack of opportunity from every other Unit Member that is within reach in retaliation. Attacks of opportunity occur after the original attack is resolved. Unit Members suffer -4 to their damage.

Direct Action (Ex): At 2nd level, the Leader of Men can allow a willing Unit Member to reroll the result of any single die. The decision to use this ability must be made before the DM announces the result of the die roll and the new result must be used, even if it is lower than the first. This ability takes no action but can only be used once per day. At 6th level this limit increases to twice per day and at 10th level to three times per day.

Planning Ahead (Ex): At 3rd level, by concentrating for a minute, the Leader of Men can plan an action to apply the effect of his Direct Action ability to a predicted future action of a Unit Member. If he does so, the Unit Member may still decide to keep his first result once the dice have been rolled. For a future action to be planned successfully, the Unit Member involved, the target and the nature of the dice roll must be exactly specified, such as 'climb check on this wall', 'will save against dominate person', 'longsword to-hit roll' or 'fireball damage roll'. No exact timing needs to be specified, but it cannot be more than a day in advance. Once the specified conditions appear, however, the planned action is consumed regardless of whether any dice were rerolled. Any particular die roll may only be rerolled once.
At 3rd level, the Leader of Men can have one action planned ahead. This limit increases by 1 at each subsequent level, to a maximum of 8 planned ahead actions at 10th level. An unused planned action may be canceled at any time.

Inspirational Speech (Ex): At 3rd level, a Leader of Men can take several minutes to give a motivational speech to his Unit Members. This gives them a +1 morale bonus to Attack, Damage, Skill Checks and Saves for 10min/level. At 6th level this bonus becomes +2 and at 9th level, it becomes +3. This ability can be used only once per day at all levels. This ability cannot be used to affect characters that are in combat or otherwise distracted.

Calm Assurance (Su): At 5th level, the Leader of Men is a pillar of stability amidst the chaos of the battlefield. Allies within 40ft + 10ft/level (including himself) gain +2 bonus to will saves against fear effects. In addition, as a standard action, the Leader of Men can rally all allies within range to give them a new saving throw to reduce their fear level by one. For example, panicked becomes frightened, frightened becomes shaken and shaken is removed. Allies that are not under any fear effects are unaffected.

Adjutant (Ex): At 5th level, the Leader of Men can assign one of his Unit Members as his Adjutant to take over from him should he be incapacitated. If a Unit has an adjutant, they retain all Unit based bonuses (including active commands) upon the Leader of Men's incapacitation or death until the end of their current encounter or until the Adjutant is also incapacitated. In addition, the Adjutant gains all the benefits of the Follow the Leader class feature. He gains none of the other class features of the Leader of Men.
The exception to this is if the Adjutant himself also has class levels in the Leader of Men prestige class. In such a case, the Adjutant may use his class features such as Command or Inspirational Speech as if the Unit is his own for as long as the Leader of Men is incapacitated, even if he cannot normally lead such a large Unit, including the ability to assign a (temporary) Adjutant. He cannot, however, induct any new members to the Unit. At the end of the week, if the original Leader of Men is still unavailable, instead of the Unit disbanding, the Adjutant may instead fully take control of it by removing individuals from the Unit until it is small enough (without counting himself) for him to command.
Assigning an Adjutant takes a day to take effect.

Bodyguard (Sp): At 7th level a Leader of Men has become a sufficiently high profile target that he requires a personal escort. At will as a standard action, the Leader of Men may designate a willing Unit Member within 5ft to be his bodyguard. The Leader of Men then gains all the benefits of the Shield Other spell - +1 deflection to AC, +1 resistance to saves and shared wounds - as if it had been cast by the designated bodyguard.
If the distance between the Leader of Men and the bodyguard ever exceeds 5ft, the effect ends. If both characters act on the same initiative, only check the distance after both have moved.

Heroic Speech (Su): At 9th level, a Leader of Men can take half an hour to make a speech so powerful that it can reduce the most hardened, cynical sociopath to patriotic tears. All allies within earshot gain a +3 morale bonus to Attack, Damage, Skill Checks and Saves. All Unit Members within earshot additionally gain DR 10/-, an additional stacking morale bonus equal to your charisma modifier, the Die Hard feat if they do not already possess it and immunity to fear. All these effects last for 24 hours. This ability may only be used once per YEAR and uses up your daily use of Inspirational Speech.

Fight as One (Su): At 10th level, the Leader of Men has trained his Unit to such a degree that they begin to fight as a single individual. This improves his other class features. Add the following to each class feature.
Band of Brothers: The Leader of Men grants his Unit Members a +1 untyped bonus to attack, damage, skill checks and saves.
Follow the Leader: Unit Members acting on the same initiative may now perform their collective actions in any order. For example, two Members may move to flanking positions before both perform an attack.
Stay Together: Against ranged attacks, Unit Members instead gain +2 AC for every Unit Member that is within 5ft of themselves.
Scatter: Unit Members that are not adjacent to any other Unit Members gain Evasion if they do not already have it. Non-Adjacent Unit Members that already have evasion instead gain Improved Evasion if they do not have it.
Surround Them: Unit Members gain a sneak attack of 1d6 damage as the Rogue class feature. This damage stacks with any other forms of sneak attack they might possess.
Cover the Flanks: Attacks of opportunity are now resolved before the original attack is resolved.
Direct Action: The Leader of Men may force a dice reroll if he so desires and he may use this ability on any creature, not just his Unit Members.
Planning Ahead: This ability may now be used on all creatures, not just Unit Members. There is now no time limit to how far actions may be planned ahead.
Inspirational Speech: This action can now be performed as a full round action, even if Unit Members are in combat or distracted.
Calm Assurance: This ability now grants a +2 will save to all [mind-affecting] effects, not just fear.
Adjutant: If the Adjutant has no class levels in Leader of Men, he gains the Band of Brothers and Follow the Leader class features. He is treated as a first level Leader of Men for the purposes of his maximum Unit size. If the original Leader of Men ever becomes incapacitated or killed, he retains these abilities - and hence may take over the original Leader's Unit - for up to a year, during which he must either take a level in Leader of Men or lose them. If he does lose the abilities, any Unit under his command disbands.
Bodyguard: The designated bodyguard now gains the additional ability to suffer the effects of any single target spell targeted at the Leader of Men instead of him. If the spell requires an attack roll, the bodyguard is automatically hit in such a case, but he is allowed to perform saves as normal. The decision to suffer the spell instead of the Leader of Men must be made the moment the spell is targeted, before any rolls are made. This ability can only be used once per day, and only if the bodyguard is within 5ft of the Leader of Men.
Heroic Speech: For one year after using Heroic Speech, you gain +2 reputation bonus to your leadership score.

PLAYING A LEADER OF MEN
Leaders of Men realize that they are not best suited to fighting on the front line. Instead, they try to make sure that those who are, do. A caster-origin Leader of Men such as a Bard or Sorcerer will hang back, using his Unit to protect himself. A combat-origin Leader of Men such as a Fighter or Barbarian will use his Unit as an offensive tool to bring the fight to the enemy.
Combat: At lower levels, the Leader of Men will fight very much as he always had, but at higher levels he will hang back, playing the strategic game, regardless of his origin. Every round he will adjust his active Command to whatever is most beneficial and least harmful at that given moment in time. Since none of the Leader of Men's buffs require active actions on his behalf, he is free to spend his actions every round on aiding his party in other, interesting ways such as ranged attacks or using magic items.
Advancement: There is no real advancement beyond being a Leader of Men. Most Leaders of Men instead revert to their old classes or enter entirely new prestige classes.
Resources: True Leaders of Men are rare enough that their abilities are in great demand. They will most likely have served in numerous military organizations and have built up more than a few acquaintances who once fought alongside them.

A LEADER OF MEN IN THE WORLD
"We knew there was no way we could win. And then he came. He sat down with us, talked to us all serious-like. No flashy bravado, or emotional pleas, he just sorta explained things to us. And then? Then we knew there was no way we could lose!" - Pvt. Reaves, Battle of Herkeley

Look at any great conquering warlord or liberating general throughout history. Even if they themselves were nothing more than aristocratic fops, the successful ones counted at least one, if not more, Leaders of Men among their officers.
Daily Life: The most common activity for a Leader of Men is drilling. Every order, every command, every move, every countermove needs to be drilled into his Unit until they obey even before he gives the order. Other than that, their leadership responsibilities such as logistics usually take up most of their time.
Notables: Captain Switch and his cavalry force nearly stopped an orcish advance single-handedly after the main army force was defeated at the Battle of Two Rivers. By repeatedly attacking the orcs supply trains he was able to stall the advance for long enough until the army could be rallied and the orcs finally defeated at the Battle of Herkeley, once again with his help.
The Ogre Warlord Giz-Jaz conquered most of the Eastern lands despite being a complete and utter moron. The key to his success? His trusty First Lieutenant and childhood friend, the half ogre Warikvar, a true Leader of Men (or in this case Bugbears). When Warikvar was eventually slain by an assassin, Giz-Jaz' entire empire fell apart.
Organizations: As reliant as they are on others, few organizations cater exclusively to Leaders of Men. However, many prize them, especially military groups. There, they usually fill the positions of Sergeant, at low levels, up to Captain at high levels.

NPC Reaction
Often, Leaders of Men acquire a kind of celebrity status among the common populace, especially at higher levels. They are treated as war heroes despite their own (comparatively) poor combat performance. However, just as often Leaders of Men are content to let their Unit Members take the credit, preferring to manage and aid from the shadows. In such cases, Leaders of Men usually enjoy a level of anonymity unusual for most characters of their level.

LEADERS OF MEN IN THE GAME
Leaders of Men are relatively weak classes on their own, but perform a rather unique function. They buff allies by providing leadership. Any party containing a Leader of Men will fight more effectively than one without. The greatest advantage of a Leader of Men, however, is in the simplification of the initiative system. They allow the entire party to act on a single initiative, allowing for smoother combat.
Adaptation: Odds are Leaders of Men are already present in a campaign, they simply do not have the crunch to support them. Any NPC who is generally referred to as a 'great leader' can trade a few of his less useful statted class levels (I'm looking at you, fighter) for a few levels in Leader of Men.
Encounters: Murderhobo PCs will most likely encounter Leaders of Men in the city guard as Sergeants or Lieutenants in charge of anti-adventurer 'SMAT' (Special Magic And Tactics) teams.
Elsewhere, any organized group of monsters has the potential to either be lead by a Leader of Men (monsters) or have one sprinkled in somewhere in the hierarchy, along with its group of crack troops.

The Herkeley Town Hall Party

EL 9: Your rather chaotic group of adventurers happen upon a rather sizable town. After being informed that the town has a rather significant tax on all magic item trading, you illustrate your displeasure at such taxation without representation by throwing the town hall into the ocean. Who arrives to stop you? Well, nobody else but Sgt. Knobbs and his group of eight 2nd level Fighters (4 shield privates, 4 bow privates)

Sgt. Jeremiah Knobbs
Lawful Good/Male/Human/Fighter6 LeaderofMen3
Init +6, Senses: Listen +6, Spot +6,
Common, Dwarfish
------------------------------------------------
AC 23, touch 17, flat-footed 21(+6 armour, +5 shield, +2 dex)
hp 78(9 HD)
Fort +7, Ref +5, Will +6
------------------------------------------------
Speed 20ft. (4 squares)
Melee
Base Atk +8, Grp +11
Atk Options
Longsword +11, 1d8+5 damage
Combat Gear
Longsword +1
Breastplate +1
Tower Shield +1
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
Command: Stay Together
Inspirational Speech (used, already added)
Move Action: +2 AC to adjacent ally.
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 13, Wis 10, Cha 13
SQ
Under the effects of Inspirational Speech (already added to stat block, except skills)
+2 Dodge AC against a single opponent each round.
Shield +2 AC for each adjacent ally with a shield.
Feats
Improved Initiative
Combat Expertise
Leadership
Shield Defender
Shield Specialization
Shield Ward
Shield Mastery
Intimidating Strike
Shield Wall
Skills 54
Listen 6
Spot 6
Intimidate 13
Climb 8
Jump 8
Swim 8
Diplomacy 6
Gather Information 6
Sense Motive 5
Possessions
Ring of Counterspells - Fireball


Shield Private
Lawful Good/Male/Human/Fighter2
Init +2, Senses: Listen +0, Spot +0,
Common
------------------------------------------------
AC 21, touch 16, flat-footed 19(+5 armour, +2 dex, +4 shield)
hp 18(2 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1
------------------------------------------------
Speed 20ft. (4 squares)
Melee
Base Atk +2, Grp +4
Atk Options
Short Sword +5, 1d6+3 damage
Combat Gear
Short Sword (Masterwork)
Breastplate
Tower Shield
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ
Under the effects of Inspirational Speech (already added to stat block, except skills)
+2 Dodge AC against a single opponent each round.
Shield +2 AC for each adjacent ally with a shield.
Feats
Shield Specialization
Shield Ward
Shield Wall
Shield Mastery
Skills 15
Jump 7
Climb 7
Swim 5
Intimidate 1
Possessions


Bow Private
Lawful Good/Male/Human/Fighter2
Init +2, Senses: Listen +0, Spot +0,
Common
------------------------------------------------
AC 17, touch 12, flat-footed 15(+5 armour, +2 dex)
hp 18(2 HD)
Fort +5, Ref +3, Will +1
------------------------------------------------
Speed 20ft. (4 squares)
Melee
Base Atk +2, Grp +4
Atk Options
Greatsword +5, 2d6+4 damage
Composite Longbow +6, 1d8+3
Rapid Shot +4, +4, 1d8+3
Combat Gear
Greatsword (Masterwork)
Breastplate
Composite Longbow (masterwork, str 2)
Spells Prepared
Supernatural Abilities
-----------------------------------------------
Abilities Str 14, Dex 14, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 8
SQ
Under the effects of Inspirational Speech (already added to stat block, except skills)
+1 Attack/Damage vs targets within 30ft
Feats
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Weapon Focus: Composite Longbow
Skills 15
Jump 7
Climb 7
Swim 5
Intimidate 1
Possessions
20xArrows

Edits:
Clarified Band of Brothers rule text.
Fixed Encounter HPs (boosted slightly).
Added Encounter equipment: Ring of Counterspells.
Added the Direct Action and Planning Ahead class features.
Clarified Direct Action and Planning Ahead class features.
Altered Direct Action's uses per day.
Altered Planning Ahead's usage mechanics.

[Tesla]

Dark Driver (3.5)

'Blood. Sometimes, it sets my teeth on edge. Other times, it helps me control the chaos.' Dexter (http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/dexter/index.html), a Dark Driver

Some people out there are cursed with a dark presence inside of them. These Dark Passengers guide their hosts to do evil things in return for power. However there are some who are blessed with this dark presence, and the capacity to better control the needs of their Dark Passenger.

Becoming a Dark Driver
Almost anyone can become a Dark Driver by bonding with their Dark Passenger. However most come from dark backgrounds befitting rogues. There are quite a few that mix in levels of fighter to better deal with more physically capable targets.

Entry Requirements
Feats: Dark Passenger, and any other Passenger feat
Skills: Bluff 4 ranks, Hide 8 ranks, Move Silently 8 ranks
Special: The character must have killed a creature for no other reason than to maintain their Dark Passenger benefits.

Class Skills
The Dark Driver's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Open Lock (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Rope (Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Hit Dice: d8

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

1st|
+0|
+2|
+2|
+2|Hellfire Touch, Passenger Ability

2nd|
+1|
+3|
+3|
+3|Hellfire Enhancement

3rd|
+2|
+3|
+3|
+3|Passenger Ability

4th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Hide in Plain Sight

5th|
+3|
+4|
+4|
+4|Detect Hostility, Passenger Ability

6th|
+4|
+5|
+5|
+5|Nondetection Cloak

7th|
+5|
+5|
+5|
+5|Passenger Ability

8th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+6|Shielded Thoughts

9th|
+6|
+6|
+6|
+6|Ageless Body, Passenger Ability

10th|
+7|
+7|
+7|
+7|Passenger Adaptation, Passenger Fusion[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A Dark Driver gains no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Passenger Abilities: A Dark Driver gains one Passenger Ability of their choice at level 1, and another every two levels thereafter. These abilities counts as Passenger feats for the purposes of effects based on the number of Passenger feats possessed.

Defensive Roll (Ex): The Dark Driver gains the ability to roll with a potentially lethal blow to take less damage from it than they otherwise would. Once per day, when they would be reduced to 0 or fewer hit points by damage in combat (from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability), the Dark Driver can attempt to roll with the damage. To use this ability, the Dark Driver must attempt a Reflex saving throw (DC = damage dealt). If the save succeeds, they take only half damage from the blow; if it fails, they take full damage. They must be aware of the attack and able to react to it in order to execute the defensive roll—if they are denied their Dexterity bonus to AC, they cannot use this ability. Since this effect would not normally allow a character to make a Reflex save for half damage, the evasion ability does not apply to the defensive roll. This ability may be taken more than once, with each iteration providing another use per day.

Evasion (Ex): The Dark Driver gains the ability to avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Dark Driver is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Dark Driver does not gain the benefit of evasion. If the Dark Driver already has Evasion from another source they instead gain improved evasion. Improved evasion works like evasion, except that while the Dark Driver still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks henceforth they take only half damage on a failed save. A helpless Dark Driver does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Hellfire Mastery (Su): The Dark Driver gains a stronger Hellfire Touch. Their Hellfire Touch does additional damage equal to the number of Passenger feats they have.

Mettle (Ex): The Dark Driver gains the ability to resist magical and unusual attacks with great fortitude and willpower. If they make a successful Fortitude or Will save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Fortitude partial or Will half), they instead completely negate the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Dark Driver does not gain the benefit of mettle.

Shadow Shield (Su): The Dark Driver gains a deflection bonus to armor class equal to one-third the number of Passenger feats they have.

Skirmish: The Dark Driver gains the ability to do an extra +1d6 skirmish damage. If they already have the skirmish ability instead improve it by one step. This ability may be taken more than once, with each iteration increasing it by one step.

Sneak Attack: The Dark Driver gains the ability to do an extra +1d6 sneak attack damage. This ability may be taken more than once, with each iteration providing an additional +1d6 sneak attack damage.

Passenger Feat: The Dark Driver may gain a bonus Passenger feat instead of a special ability.

Hellfire Touch (Su): A Dark Driver gains the ability to as a standard action make a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 hellfire damage per Dark Driver level.

Hellfire Enhancement (Su): Starting at 2nd level a Dark Driver gains the ability to channel their Hellfire Touch damage into a melee weapon. That melee weapon does one half of their Hellfire Touch damage in addition to its normal damage.

Hide in Plain Sight (Su): Starting at 4th level a Dark Driver can use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as they are within 10 feet of some sort of shadow, a Dark Driver can hide themselves from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. They cannot, however, hide in their own shadow.

Detect Hostility (Su): Starting at 5th level a Dark Driver becomes aware of the presence of any creatures with hostile intent within 10 feet of them, plus 10 feet for every two Passenger feats they have. A creature may make a Bluff check opposed by a Sense Motive check by the Dark Driver to attempt to hide themselves from this awareness. Any creature that does not make this check, or that fails this check cannot surprise the Dark Driver or catch them flat-footed. Additionally the Dark Driver knows which direction the hostile creature is, but they do not know the exact location of the creature.

Nondetection Cloak (Su): Starting at 6th level a Dark Driver (and any gear they wear or carry) becomes more difficult to target with divination spells. The Dark Driver gains magical protection from divinations equivalent to a nondetection spell (caster level equals the character's level), except that it affects only the Dark Driver and their possessions.

Shielded Thoughts (Su): Starting at 8th level a Dark Driver can wrap their thoughts within their Dark Passenger, thereby becoming immune to mind-affecting effects (charms, compulsions, patterns, phantasms, and morale effects). They can suppress or resume this ability as a free action.

Ageless Body (Su): Upon attaining 9th level a Dark Driver no longer suffers the penalties of aging so long as they count as having at least one Passenger feat. This removes any penalties that they have already taken. Bonuses still accrue, and they still die of old age when their time is up.

Passenger Adaptation (Ex): Starting at 10th level a Dark Driver no longer needs to perform normal kills to keep the powers of their Passenger active. Additionally they may go an additional number of days without performing their ritual equal to their Dark Driver class level.

Passenger Fusion (Su): Starting at 10th level a Dark Driver can temporarily become one with their Dark Passenger. Once a day they may activate this ability. So long as this ability is active their effective Passenger feat count increases by a number equal to one-half their Dark Driver level, and they gain temporary hit points equal to one-half their Dark Driver level times their improved Passenger feat count. Additionally they gain a bonus to armor class, attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks equal to one-fourth their Dark Driver level. This ability lasts only as long as they still have temporary hit points from the initial activation of this ability. The temporary hit points provided by this ability are kept separate from their actual hit point pool, and are targeted before hit points gained through any other source. If not gotten rid of through combat these temporary hit points last until the Dark Driver chooses to rest, or 24 hours, whichever comes first. Activating this ability takes no time itself, but a Dark Driver can do it only during their action.

Playing a Dark Driver
You seek adventure to fulfill whatever desires you might have, but in doing so you also seek to keep your passenger fed. You actively seek targets that will allow you to fulfill your ritual, but are willing to settle for adventures that offer you a large amount of blood to shed. Other adventurers will almost certainly be wary of the zeal you have for killing, but as a Dark Driver you must make sure to hide your true self from them. Dark Drivers that are outed for what they really are do not tend to last long.
Combat: Dark Drivers vary in their combat styles, but one thing that is universal is their attachment to hellfire. The ability to burn through any opponent is a powerful tool, and one that keeps Dark Drivers in melee to maintain destructive output. However a Dark Driver prefers to start combat from the shadows, as even those without the ability to sneak attack benefit from the element of surprise.
Advancement: There tend to be two schools amongst Dark Drivers. The first seeks only destructive power, and focuses on destroying opponents by doing everything in their power to do more damage. They tend to take feats such as Predatory Passenger, Shadow Warrior, and Shadow Predator. While the second school focuses more on living to see their next kill, and thus focuses on becoming more resistant to harm. They tend to take feats such as Shadow Fortitude, Shadow Reflexes, and Shadow Will.
Resources: Dark Drivers tend towards solo operations, and tend to distrust others from their same school of thought. However there are some with similar rituals that form temporary alliances, and there have been cases of Dark Drivers taking on apprentices. There is even one case of a man trying to assemble a cult of Dark Drivers, but that one did not end well.

Dark Drivers in the world
'Holy Heironeous Morgan, Holy Heironeous you're the killer'

Dark Drivers vary dramatically in their daily routine, as not every Dark Driver focuses exclusively on their craft. The only thing they all share is secrecy as far as their true self goes. Only an idiot would go around announcing they are a serial killer after all.
Daily Life: Most Dark Drivers dedicate some of their time each day to preparing for their next ritual performance. Other than that it all depends on what their actual job is, as Dark Drivers are very good at blending in with society.
Notables: The best Dark Drivers are still lurking in the shadows, but there are some outed Dark Drivers that are renowned for their skills. The Trinity Killer was feared across the land for performing over 250 rituals across multiple countries, but what made him so much more terrifying was the fact that it took over twenty years for anyone to realize that the murders were connected. Another known Dark Driver was the Reaper, but he did not have nearly as successful a career as the Trinity Killer. On the other hand he interacted with the world more directly, and sought to control the world through terror.
Organizations: There have been no successful organizations based around Dark Drivers. However there are talks about a man gathering friends that happen to be quite dangerous. It is quite possible that this Billy Grimm is assembling a gathering of Dark Drivers.

NPC Reaction
Most Dark Drivers pride themselves on remaining in the shadows, but those that discover a Dark Driver for what they are tend to lash out at them. Especially considering the fact that most people figure out they are dealing with a Dark Driver because they are targeted by one. Nobody likes waking up strapped to a table with a knife hovering over their chest after all.

Dark Drivers in the game
Dark Drivers function as a sort of hellfire based assassin class. In play they would need certain accommodations as outside of an evil focused campaign they would almost certainly hide their extracurricular activities from the party. However being a stealthy rascal type class they will almost certainly be very skilled at hiding the details of their lives.
Adaptation: The Dark Driver is a class that works best in horror games, but with a bit of work could be adapted without too much hassle. Changing the requisites of a ritual away from killing, and to some other somewhat difficult task could make the passenger more eldritch rather than abomination for instance.
Encounters: Dark Drivers can be worked in almost anywhere a villain is needed. However due to their skillful nature, and capacity as tricksters they work best when the players do not know what they are. One could pose as a wounded man in need of an escort, a noble lady in need of a few bodyguards, perhaps even a kindly innkeeper.

[Tesla]

Passenger Feats
Passenger feats are unlike typical feats in that they grant power to a presence inside of the character. So long as the Passenger is happy with the actions of the character it will continue to grant them the benefits of its guidance, however to keep the Passenger happy a character must kill often.
Killing for a Passenger is not just something done in the moment because of combat, but must follow a ritual to truly appease them. This ritual varies tremendously from Passenger to Passenger. Some have an easy ritual of binding their prey before finishing it with a coup de grace. While others have more complex rituals like forcing their prey through a maze while chasing them with a battleaxe. No matter what a ritual must take at least one minute to perform, and the death must be caused directly by the character with the Dark Passenger.

{table=head] Passenger Feats|Days without Kill|Days without Ritual
1-3|1|7
4-6|3|14
7-9|5|21
10+|7|28
[/table]

Any creature with a Dark Passenger that goes beyond their limitations in either days without killing, or days without performing their ritual must make a Will save (DC: 10 + the number of Passenger feats they have) or lose themselves to the Passenger. Any creature that loses themselves to the Passenger must immediately find an appropriate target to kill, and must kill them via their ritual if at all possible. (Appropriate being one that the character is reasonably capable of killing, and that killing them will not bring great risk to the character Example: A level 10 character standing with a CR20 dragon on their left, a CR1 king on their right, and their best friend who is CR10 in front of them. They would kill the friend, as the dragon would rip them apart, and the king's servants would seek revenge for his death.)

If a creature succeeds on their save it counts as a kill for the purposes of delaying the next time they have to make their saving throw, but the DC for that saving throw is increased by two. Additionally every time that they go with a save instead of a kill in a row, they take a cumulative minus one penalty to the effective number of Passenger feats they have for the purposes of Passenger feat based benefits. (Example: If a character with 10 Passenger feats goes 84 days without performing their ritual they count as having three less Passenger feats.) This effective reduction of Passenger feats does not have an effect on the amount of time they can go without killing, or the amount of time they can go without performing their ritual.

Some Passenger feats have an additional cumulative effect based on your total number of Passenger feats. This accumulation increases as you gain additional Passenger feats. For example, a character with Dark Passenger who selects Knowledgeable Passenger gains +2 to all Knowledge checks (plus one for each Passenger feat they possess). If they later select Patient Passenger, they gain another +1 to all Knowledge checks (in addition to the normal benefit of Patient Passenger).

Dark Passenger [Passenger]
'What happened changed something inside you. It got into you too early.'
Prerequisites: Any non-good alignment. Must have had a traumatic experience at a young age.
Benefit: You have an evil presence inside of you that gives you guidance and power in return for fulfilling its dark desires. You gain immunity to effects as though your alignment were Evil. Additionally you gain a bonus to Will saves against mindaffecting spells and abilities equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you possess.
Special: This feat may only be taken by a 1st-level character.

Aberrant Passenger [Aberrant, Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is so powerful that they mutate your physical form.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: Your Passenger feats count as Aberrant feats for all purposes, and your Aberrant feats count as Passenger feats for all purposes.
Special: This feat is treated as Aberration Blood for the purposes of meeting prerequisites.

Alert Passenger [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger makes sure that you are aware of your surroundings.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: You gain a bonus to Listen and Spot checks equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally Listen and Spot are class skills for you.

Dark Intuition [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger provides you special insights.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: You gain a bonus to Search and Sense Motive checks equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally Search and Sense Motive are class skills for you.

Knowledgeable Passenger [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger knows a lot about the world.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: You gain a bonus on Knowledge checks equal to the number of Passenger feats you have. All Knowledge skills are class skills for you.

Patient Passenger [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger needs less blood than others.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: For every Passenger feat you have you may go an additional day without killing or performing your ritual before risking your Passenger taking over. Additionally you get a bonus to saving throws to resist your Passenger taking over equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have.
Special: The benefits provided by this feat are not reduced due to lack of killing.

Predatory Passenger [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is a stealthy beast.
Prerequisites: Dark Passenger
Benefit: Your melee attacks deals extra damage any time your target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when you flank your target. This extra damage is equal to the number of passenger feats you have. Should you score a critical hit this extra damage is not multiplied. This damage stacks with sneak attack damage.

Shadow Self [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is particularly old and powerful.
Prerequisites: Character Level 6th, Dark Passenger, and any one other Passenger feats
Benefit: You gain one hit point for each Passenger feat you have. Additionally this feat counts as two Passenger feats for the purposes of effects based on the number of Passenger feats you have.
Special: You may take this feat multiple times and its effects stack.

Shadow Fortitude [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger guards your body.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases. Additionally you gain a bonus to Fortitude saves equal to one-fourth the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Reflexes [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger guards you from unseen danger.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain Uncanny Dodge, and Improved Uncanny Dodge. All of your class levels stack to determine the minimum character level required to sneak attack you. Additionally you gain a bonus to Reflex saves equal to one-fourth the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Will [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger guards your mind.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain immunity to fear effects. Additionally you gain a bonus to Will saves equal to one-fourth the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Survivor [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger guards your life.
Prerequisites: Shadow Fortitude, Shadow Reflexes, and Shadow Will
Benefit: You no longer fail saves on a natural 1, and you gain a bonus to all saving throws equal to one-eighth the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Combatant [Fighter, Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger has a deep understanding of combat.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain a bonus to opposed Strength checks equal to one-third the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally a number of times per day equal to the number of Passenger feats you have, you may take a 5 foot step when someone makes a bull rush, disarm, grapple, overrun, sunder, or trip attempt against you. If that 5 foot step takes you out of their reach they automatically fail the attempt.

Shadow Fighter [Fighter, Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is well versed with weapons
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain a bonus to melee attack rolls equal to one-third the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally you gain the ability to make a very accurate attack a number of times per day equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. This accurate attack gets an additional bonus to the attack roll equal to the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Warrior [Fighter, Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger possess combat training.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain a bonus to melee damage rolls equal to one-third the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally you gain the ability to make a very powerful attack a number of times per day equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. This powerful attack gets an additional bonus to the damage roll equal to the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Warlord [Fighter, Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is a master of combat.
Prerequisites: Shadow Combatant, Shadow Fighter, and Shadow Warrior
Benefit: You gain the ability to make a full-attack as a standard action a number of times per day equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, and opposed Strength checks.

Shadow Movement [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger knows how to avoid attention.
Prerequisities: Shadow Self
Benefit: You gain a bonus to Hide and Move Silently checks equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. Additionally Hide and Move Silently are class skills for you.

Shadow Predator [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is a vicious beast.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self, and Predatory Passenger
Benefit: Any attack that qualifies for Predatory Passenger does an additional amount of damage equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. This damage stacks with Predatory Passenger. Additionally you gain the ability to stealthily attack a number of times per day equal to one-half the number of Passenger feats you have. This stealthy attack is treated as denying your opponent their Dexterity bonus for the purposes of extra damage that requires your opponent to be denied their Dexterity bonus.

Shadow Speed [Passenger]
Your Dark Passenger is faster than most.
Prerequisites: Shadow Self
Benefit: You avoid the normal penalties for accelerated movement while moving acrobatically. You ignore the normal -5 penalty when making a Balance check while moving at your full normal speed. You can climb at half your speed as a move action without taking a -5 penalty to your Climb check. Also you can tumble at your full speed without taking the normal -10 penalty on your Tumble check. Finally, you gain a bonus to base land speed equal to 10 feet times one-fourth the number of Passenger feats you have.

Shadow Assassin [Passenger]
Prerequisites: Shadow Movement, Shadow Predator, and Shadow Speed
Benefit: You gain the ability to bypass fortification and critical immunity with your sneak attack damage, sudden strike damage, and the damage from Predatory Passenger and Shadow Predator. Additionally you do an additional 1d6 sneak attack damage.

[Glimbur]

Inspiration:
COBRA (”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/COBRA_(science_fiction_novels)”), by Timothy Zahn. The first book is an exploration of what it means to be made into a super-man, the second book is shows an alien culture, and the third is about war and deception on a personal level.
HOUSE CANNITH CLASSIFIED: LEVEL TAUPE. Executive summary of project VIPER

Invasion is a tricky business. If you don’t kill every person, then your opponents can hide among the populace like were-sheep among sheep. - John of Moondale, first VIPER to graduate training

(excerpted from minutes of House Cannith Leadership Meeting. Security level Taupe) “Our next item of business is approval of the Violent Individual Plotter Expert Revolutionaries, or VIPERs. They are intended to infiltrate the population and encourage a... regime change to something more favorable to our interests. They will be unremarkable but excellent leaders; bland yet deadly.”

Becoming a VIPER
VIPERs are especially loyal agents of House Cannith who are selected for radical modification and extensive training.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Skills:8 Ranks in Gather Information
Attribute:13 Constitution
Special:Must be selected by House Cannith VIPER Squad


Class Skills
The VIPER's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disguise (Cha), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Listen (Wis) ,Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (none), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Tumble (Dex), and Use Rope (Dex)
Skills Points at Each Level: 6 + int mod

Hit Dice: d8

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

1st|+0|+2|+2|+0| More than Human, Fingertip Lasers, Revolutionary Leader

2nd|+1|+3|+3|+0| Toughened Skeleton +1, Supplementary Cogitator (Evasion)

3rd|+2|+3|+3|+1|Fingertip Arc, Mobility Trick, Drill and Discipline

4th|+3|+4|+4|+1|Toughened Skeleton +2, Ear of the People, Supplementary Cogitator (Response)

5th|+3|+4|+4|+1|Improved Fingertip Lasers, Mobility Trick, Supplementary Cogitator (Range)

6th|+4|+5|+5|+2|Toughened Skeleton +3, Delegation, Subsonics

7th|+5|+5|+5|+2|Mobility Trick, Combat Training

8th|+6|+6|+6|+2|Toughened Skeleton +4, Burst of Speed

9th|+6|+6|+6|+3|Mobility Trick, Telescopic Sight

10th|+7|+7|+7|+3|Toughened Skeleton +5, Anti-everything Laser

[/table]

Weapon Proficiencies: A VIPER is proficient in all of the weapon-like abilities that he gains from the class. He gains no other weapon or armor proficiencies.

More than Human (Ex): House Cannith is unsurpassed in their ability to craft strange modifications and magics. The augmentations applied to the VIPERs are safe and effective. There are data to back this up.
The VIPERs gain a number of abilities that appear similar to grafts. Unlike normal grafts, the modifications made by House Cannith alter their fundamental self, not just their body. Accordingly, if a VIPER is subjected to powerful restorative magic, like Regeneration, Resurrection, or even Reincarnation, his class features that appear like grafts stay with him. This does not apply to any other grafts he may possess from other sources.

Fingertip Lasers(Su): A small and easily concealed weapon is occasionally necessary for a revolutionary. Early experiments with implanted daggers caused too much bleeding, so later efforts focused on...
The VIPER gains a pair of fingertip lasers in his pinkies. If he has no pinkies, he has two small lasers installed wherever House Cannith feels is the best location for them. These lasers are exotic ranged weapons with a range increment of 20’. They do 1d6 force damage, crit on a 20, and have a x3 crit multiplier. They never need to be reloaded. When questioned about where the power comes from, House Cannith technicians change the subject. The two lasers may be used to Two Weapon Fight, similar to using two throwing weapons. They can also be used to Rapid Shot, Manyshot, and any other ranged ability that does not require a specific weapon.
At VIPER level 5, the base damage of the fingertip lasers increases to 2d6.

Revolutionary Leader (Ex): In the initial stages of the project it was realized that leading a revolution is harder when the agent has been executed. Therefore, extensive training on avoiding suspicion is one of the first VIPER lessons.
A VIPER may use Gather Information checks and not arousing suspicion without taking a -20 penalty to his skill check. Gather Information is the correct skill to use to find dissenters and other people who could be mobilized into a revolution. Once they are found, other skills, such as Diplomacy, might also be useful. In a typical city, a serious dissenter can be found with a DC 15 check. Each additional +3 on the check locates an additional dissenter. The base difficulty can be modified by up to 10 based on how well loved or despised the ruler is.

Toughened Skeleton (Ex) Early experiments with the VIPERs suggested that it would be helpful if their bones were unbreakable. Accordingly, a hyper-calcifying solution was injected. This caused 100% mortality. Future attempts were instead based on...
The VIPER gains a +1 natural armor bonus at level 2. This improves at each even level by +1, so by level 10 he has a +5 natural armor bonus. This is a non-magical bonus, exactly as though his race provided the natural armor, and it stacks accordingly.

Supplementary Cogitator (Evasion) (Su) The real breakthrough of the VIPER program was when, after a late night brainstorming session, it was decided to add a supplemental brain to the VIPERs. This extra brain would enhance reflexes, track subtle sensory input, and increase killing potential. The first brain tried was that of a rabbit. This led to a great deal of distraction. The next attempt...
At 2nd level and higher, a VIPER can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the VIPER is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless VIPER does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Fingertip Arc (Su): Force damage, though generally effective, is not always the optimal choice. Modifications were attempted on the fingertip lasers to allow a variety of elemental attacks. After a number of amputations, electricity was selected.
The VIPER may instead deal electrical damage with his fingertip lasers. He decides what damage type to use before each attack, as a free action. Attacks using Fingertip Arc ignore any armor or shield bonus that comes from metal armor or shields; this includes any enhancement bonus to the armor or shield. This means that normal platemail and +5 platemail provide the same AC bonus against this attack: 0.

Mobility Trick (Su) In simulations, the ability to perform unusual feats of mobility and avoidance increased median lifespan by thirteen days. Accordingly, additional modifications and training were added to the VIPER program
At third level, and every other level thereafter (5th, 7th, and 9th) the VIPER may select one Mobility trick from the following list

-Wall Run: The VIPER may move up and along walls at his normal pace without a climb check. He may not end his turn on a wall using this ability; he must either climb with the climb skill or fall.
-Standing Backflip: The VIPER no longer takes penalties to his jump check for not having a running start.
-Implausibly High Jump: The VIPER may jump 1’ vertically for each 2 Jump DC. This means he may jump twice as high for a given jump check.
-Catfall: The VIPER may make a jump check when he lands after a fall. He reduces the effective distance of the fall by how high he could have jumped with that jump check. Using this ability prevents any other skill use to reduce falling damage, such as tumble. The VIPER is not prone when he lands after using this ability.
-Sprint: The VIPER increases his base land speed by 10’ when wearing light or no armor.
-Run: The VIPER gains Run, as the feat.

Drill and Discipline (Ex) Leading an untrained band of rabble to victory was determined to require special training. Accordingly, VIPER training includes a number of tips and tricks that are easily shared with less skilled subordinates.
The VIPER is able to serve as Team Leader for any Teamwork Benefit (DMG II) whether or not he meets the prerequisites. In addition, the team he leads can learn one additional Team Benefit beyond the normal 1 per 4 hit dice limit.

Ear of the People (Ex): Testing revealed that buying ale and listening was insufficient for gathering a revolution within an acceptable time-frame. Bards and other instigators were employed to teach VIPERs advanced techniques for rabble-rousing.
The VIPER gains a competence bonus to all Gather Information checks equal to his class level. In addition, his Gather Information checks now only require 1d3 hours, instead of 1d4+1 hours.

Supplementary Cogitator (Response): The choker. The cat. The fly. All of these are renowned for their rapid responses. Implanting the brain of a fly was determined to be ineffective, so instead a thaumic resonance was built in order to... ...and the experiment was a complete success except that the walls required weeks to clean.
The VIPER gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat. If he already has Improved Initiative, he gains Quick Reconnoiter (Complete Adventurer) as a bonus feat.

Supplementary Cogitator (Range): The eagle, the falcon, and other birds of prey have astonishing ability to cope with large distances. Applying some of their flight muscles to the fine motor muscles of the VIPER should grant the same ability. The first round of tests led to too many deaths by the mistaken belief that they could now fly...
The VIPER halves all distance penalties to-hit with ranged weapons. This does not increase the maximum range of weapons, it only improves their accuracy at range.

Delegation (Ex): As a resistance grows, it becomes important for it to not need direct supervision by one person. The VIPER learns how to train others to lead teams.
The VIPER may allow any of his allies to act as though they have the Drill and Discipline class feature. This allows for more teams of 8 that have teamwork benefits. He must train with the delegate and their team for one day each month, or else the benefit is lost until he retrains them as normal.

Subsonics (Su): Some of the bards brought in for social training revealed, under extreme torture, that low sounds unsettle people. Researchers took this to the logical conclusion by lengthening vocal chords and granted the VIPERS power over fear. Sort of.
As a swift action, a VIPER may activate a fear aura. It extends for 10’ per point of charisma bonus he has (minimum 10’), and all enemies within the aura must succeed on a will save (DC 10+Cha mod+class level) or be Shaken for a number of rounds equal to the VIPER’s charisma modifier (minimum 1). Any creature that succeeds on a save against the fear aura cannot be affected by this ability for 24 hours. The fear aura lasts for a number of rounds equal to five plus the VIPER’s constitution modifier.

Combat Training(Ex): Turning commoners into warriors is the ultimate goal of the VIPER. The first VIPERs trained their revolutionaries with violence. The body count was deemed unacceptable, so the second wave tried...
The VIPER can allow his revolutionary compatriots to trade in levels in NPC classes for levels in base classes. This requires a week of training for each class level traded in, and the VIPER can supervise as many people as his charisma modifier multiplied by his VIPER class level. The VIPER cannot allow anyone to gain levels in a Prestige Class as a result of this ability. If a level that grants a feat is traded in, the feat that was chosen that level may also be re-selected. The VIPER cannot allow anyone to trade in more NPC levels than he has VIPER levels, so a 10th level VIPER can turn a commoner 20 into a wizard 10/commoner 10 but not a wizard 20.

Burst of Speed (Su): Sometimes it is vital that the VIPER be somewhere else, immediately. Through modifications to the adrenal glands and spine, experienced VIPERs can fulfil this requirement.
As an immediate action, the VIPER may take a move action. On his next turn, he does not have a move action, leaving him with only a standard action (the swift action was used for the immediate action).

Telescopic Sight: It was determined that long distance vision makes reconnaissance much easier. Unfortunately, only very experienced VIPERs can control it without blinding headaches and nausea.
The VIPER takes no distance penalties to Spot checks.

Anti-everything laser (Su): The original name was “anti-armor laser”, but truthfulness required this instead.
As a standard action, the VIPER may fire his Anti-everything laser, which is mounted inside his left leg with the attack coming out of the heel. Bringing the laser up to fire at a target in front of him is part of the standard action. The laser does 8d6 force damage and ignores armor and shield bonuses to AC. It has a range increment of 50’, crits on a 20, and does x3 damage on a crit. The anti-everything laser does double damage against objects and non-living creatures (constructs and undead). Any creature damaged by the anti-everything laser must make a Fort save (DC 20+Con Mod) or be dazed for a round. The VIPER may use this laser a number of times per day equal to three plus his constitution modifier; each use after this limit deals one point of constitution burn.

Playing a VIPER
Brief description on how to play the class you are designing.
Combat: You’ll probably use a lot of fingertip lasers, possibly with two-weapon fighting, rapid shot, and other ways to put out more attacks. It would be nice to have some sneak attack.
Advancement: VIPERs typically pursue paths that include both skills and the ability to strike from surprise. Assassin, rogue, or various PrCs that offer sneak are solid choices.
Resources: VIPERs represent a large investment from House Cannith, but they are also intended for subtle manipulation. ‘Plausible deniability’ is a phrase they learn to hate.

VIPERs in the world
I don’t know how it happened. We took his weapons, but he still escaped and killed half of my men doing it. -nameless guard captain

VIPERs are similar to adventurers in general: extremely expensive, but capable of great tasks.
Daily Life: VIPERs tend to be send on long-term destabilization assignments. This becomes their daily life.
Notables: VIPERs do not exist. Anyone who tells you otherwise is slandering the good name of House Cannith.
Organizations: VIPERs build their own organization; they are trained by House Cannith and then sent into the wild.



NPC Reaction
Part of the point of the VIPER is to blend in, until it is time not to blend in. Reactions typically change from indifference to surprise and fear.

VIPERs in the game
The VIPER has unusual weapons, and they are usable more often than spells. Their strangest features are actually their leadership-like abilities.
Adaptation: Take out House Cannith, replace with anyone else that has the resources and need to alter people into secret weapons. Or it’s an ancient curse/blessing. Or a symbiont from the Far Realms.
Encounters: A VIPER is not a good encounter for a party if he is alone. Throw in a bunch of commoners, augmented by his abilities. Also an ambush, because ambushes.

New skill use: Gather Information.

Gather Information is the correct skill to use to find dissenters and other people who could be mobilized into a revolution. Once they are found, other skills, such as Diplomacy, might also be useful. In a typical city, a serious dissenter can be found with a DC 15 check. Each additional +3 on the check locates an additional dissenter. The base difficulty can be modified by up to 10 based on how well loved or despised the ruler is. Unless the person using this skill takes a -20 penalty to do it subtly, the authorities become aware of his actions within 1d3 days, normally. A police state will be aware of him before the skill check is completed, a very permissive and lax state will take about a week to learn about the troublemaker.

New Feats

Anti-Everything Back Roll.
Prerequisites: VIPER level 10, BAB +15, Rapid Shot.
Benefit: As a full round action, the VIPER may fire his Anti-everything laser at every target he selects within one range increment (typically 50’). Each shot fired counts as one use of the Anti-Everything Laser, so this may lead to Con burn.