erradin
2015-10-10, 10:46 PM
So, thinking about Halloween and the various costumes people wear, and being not a little inspired by the Halloween Homebrew thread and Majora's Mask, I sought to make a PrC that would make use of masks and the various transformations they bring on. It seems Zaydos has already beat me to a mask-themed class, but this one is less eldritch-horror and more Happy Mask Salesman, if you know what I mean. :) Please review my ideas and critique honestly and bluntly.
Lord/Lady of the Masks
Prerequisites:
Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Disguise 8 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Craft (Wood and any one of the following: leather, metal, pottery) 5 ranks
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item
Alignment: Any
Special: Must have deliberately used magic, or some other power, to change shape into at least one non-humanoid creature.
level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
spells per day
1
+0
+2
+0
+2
Mask of Many faces, Masks of Power
-
2
+1
+3
+0
+3
Trading Faces
+1 existing casting class
3
+2
+3
+1
+3
You can sustain 2 Masks of Power
-
4
+3
+4
+1
+4
Greater Aspect
+1 existing casting class
5
+3
+4
+1
+4
You can sustain 3 Masks of Power
-
6
+4
+5
+2
+5
I Am My Mask
+1 existing casting class
7
+5
+5
+2
+5
You can sustain 4 Masks of Power
-
8
+6
+6
+2
+6
Chimeric Masks
+1 existing casting class
9
+6
+6
+3
+6
You can sustain 5 Masks of Power
-
10
+7
+7
+3
+7
Masks of the Unliving
+1 existing casting class
HD: d6
Class Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Craft, Knowledge (arcana), Diplomacy, Heal, Listen, Spot, Use Magic Device
Mask of Many Faces: Through your research, you have created a nondescript mask of polished wood imbued with flecks of your own flesh and blood. Whenever you wear it, you may assume the appearance of any humanoid whose face you have seen with your own eyes. You may use this ability at will and dismiss it as a free action by removing the mask. Otherwise, this power functions as Alter Self. Your Mask of Many Faces melds into your new form. When you remove it, the face of your current form appears to come away in your hands before molding itself back into a mask. The power of your mask works only for you. If your mask is ever lost or destroyed, you may craft a new one with a day of work, provided you have the materials. This also renders the previous mask non-magical.
Masks of Power: You have learned the art of crafting masks from wood, clay, skin and bone. Through careful study or lucky accident, you have stumbled upon the secret to seizing the powers of the fallen to benefit yourself. By harvesting skin, blood, hair and bone(and/or other vital substance) samples from a living creature, you are able to craft a mask that matches their face perfectly. You cannot create a mask from non-living creatures or creatures you are unable to harvest vital materials from. Materials must be used while they are relatively fresh. You may only craft a mask from a creature which has a discernible face. Crafting this mask takes you a day (8 hours of work) and must also be made with small amounts of your own blood. You must also pay for any materials needed (5-10gp depending on your trade.) At first, you may sustain only your Mask of Many Faces and one Mask of Power. At higher levels, you can sustain multiple Masks of Power at once. Crafting masks in excess of your limit renders one of your earlier Masks of Power non-magical. Your Masks of Power work only for you. You may wear only one of your magical masks at a time.
Wearing a Mask: While you wear a Mask of Power, you physically transform into the creature you created the mask from. If the creature was humanoid, you look exactly like the original. If the creature was not a humanoid, then you transform into a vaguely humanoid version of that creature, bearing the significant features: claws, fur, wings, additional arms, eyes,, etc. Your size category always stays within one step of your original size, whatever form you wear. Treat this ability as Alter Self for the purposes of gaining racial skills, feats, forms of movement and attacks. Regardless of the form you assume, you are still capable of the gestures and speech needed for spellcasting, as well as wielding a weapon or shield.
When you create this mask, you may choose one Special Quality possessed by the creature. You gain that special quality while wearing the this mask. See the table below for notes on valid special qualities and how they effect you. Qualities not appearing on this list may not be selected using this power. All qualities are treated as supernatural qualities when granted by a Mask of Power. While under the effects of a Mask of Power, you are immune to attempts to change your form through magic.
Special Quality Chosen
Benefit You Gain
Blindsense
You gain Blindense out to the distance specified for the creature
Blindsight
You gain Blindsight out to the distance specified for the creature
Damage Reduction
You gain Damage Reduction of the specified amount and type for the creature or 1 per Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Damage Reduction
You gain Damage Reduction of the specified amount and type for the creature or 1 per Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Darkvision
You gain darkvision out to 60 ft. If you already had darkvision, increase its range by 60 ft.
Fast Healing
You gain Fast Healing equal to that of the original creature or ½ your Lord of Masks level + 1(round down), whichever is less.
Fly
If the creature has Flight as an extraordinary or supernatural ability, you may choose this quality. You gain a fly speed equal to your normal movement speed.
Frightful Presence
You gain Frightful Presence (shaken) with a range of 30 ft and a DC equal to 10 + ½ your HD + your CHA modifier.
Low Light Vision
You gain low-light vision out to 60 feet If you already had low light vision, add 60ft to its range.
Poison Immunity
You gain immunity to all non-magical poisons
Regeneration
You gain the basic Regeneration quality. Regardless of the specific regeneration quality the original creature possessed, a coup-de-grace kills you. Regardless of how much HP the original creature regenerates, you regenerate HP equal to ½ your Lord of Masks level per turn. If the creature you created the mask from has a special weakness that ignores its regeneration quality, that weakness also applies to you.
Resistance to Energy
Gain resistance to energy of the type specified for the creature. The amount equals either the creature's original amount, or your Lord of Masks level +10- whichever is less.
Scent
You gain the Scent special ability
Spell Resistance
Gain SR equal to that of the original creature or your Lord of Masks level + 10, whichever is less.
Tremorsense
You gain Tremorsense as described for the original creature
Turn Resistance
You gain Turn Resistance equal to either that if the original creature, or your Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Shifting Faces: Once per day, whenever you have at least an hour in which to concentrate on your masks, you may shift your power from any Mask of Power you are currently sustaining into a Mask of Power you have previously rendered non-magical. The target mask provides the benefits you chose for it during its creation, while a currently active mask loses its power and becomes non-magical.
Greater Aspect: You may now choose two special qualities possessed by your target creature when you make your masks. You may also choose a second quality for 2 Masks of Power which you have already crafted. All other masks you may already have still possess only one quality from the original creature.
I Am My Mask: When you create a new Mask of Power, you may choose the type or subtype of the original creature as one of the special qualities for your Mask of Power. This does not grant you any supernatural or spell-like abilities ordinarily granted by that type or subtype, but it may grant you multiple energy resistances or other qualities. Gaining a subtype in this way may grant you special qualities not available in the table above. Your hit dice, ability scores, saving throws, alignment, and skills do not change as a result of gaining this subtype. Within these limits, you gain all qualities of the subtype, both positive and negative, while wearing the mask.
Chimeric Masks: You may choose to fuse two of your Masks of Power together. The resulting form is a strange, alien hybrid of both original creatures (in humanoid form). You gain the benefits of wearing both masks simultaneously. You may have only one such fusion at a time. The fusion is irreversible and, if undone, destroys both masks. Even though the masks are fused together, they still count as two Masks of Power.
Masks of the Unliving: Your mastery of arcane mask-making allows you to work with more ephemeral substance and stranger powers. You may now craft masks from undead and constructs. You must still have some sizable piece of the creature to include in your mask.
Are the abilities underpowered?
Is there a high potential for abuse of anything I'm not seeing?
Should I add more offensive powers?
Is being able to use the masks 'at will' too much?
Lord/Lady of the Masks
Prerequisites:
Skills: Bluff 8 ranks, Disguise 8 ranks, Knowledge (Arcana) 8 ranks, Craft (Wood and any one of the following: leather, metal, pottery) 5 ranks
Feats: Craft Wondrous Item
Alignment: Any
Special: Must have deliberately used magic, or some other power, to change shape into at least one non-humanoid creature.
level
BAB
Fort
Ref
Will
Special
spells per day
1
+0
+2
+0
+2
Mask of Many faces, Masks of Power
-
2
+1
+3
+0
+3
Trading Faces
+1 existing casting class
3
+2
+3
+1
+3
You can sustain 2 Masks of Power
-
4
+3
+4
+1
+4
Greater Aspect
+1 existing casting class
5
+3
+4
+1
+4
You can sustain 3 Masks of Power
-
6
+4
+5
+2
+5
I Am My Mask
+1 existing casting class
7
+5
+5
+2
+5
You can sustain 4 Masks of Power
-
8
+6
+6
+2
+6
Chimeric Masks
+1 existing casting class
9
+6
+6
+3
+6
You can sustain 5 Masks of Power
-
10
+7
+7
+3
+7
Masks of the Unliving
+1 existing casting class
HD: d6
Class Skills: Bluff, Disguise, Craft, Knowledge (arcana), Diplomacy, Heal, Listen, Spot, Use Magic Device
Mask of Many Faces: Through your research, you have created a nondescript mask of polished wood imbued with flecks of your own flesh and blood. Whenever you wear it, you may assume the appearance of any humanoid whose face you have seen with your own eyes. You may use this ability at will and dismiss it as a free action by removing the mask. Otherwise, this power functions as Alter Self. Your Mask of Many Faces melds into your new form. When you remove it, the face of your current form appears to come away in your hands before molding itself back into a mask. The power of your mask works only for you. If your mask is ever lost or destroyed, you may craft a new one with a day of work, provided you have the materials. This also renders the previous mask non-magical.
Masks of Power: You have learned the art of crafting masks from wood, clay, skin and bone. Through careful study or lucky accident, you have stumbled upon the secret to seizing the powers of the fallen to benefit yourself. By harvesting skin, blood, hair and bone(and/or other vital substance) samples from a living creature, you are able to craft a mask that matches their face perfectly. You cannot create a mask from non-living creatures or creatures you are unable to harvest vital materials from. Materials must be used while they are relatively fresh. You may only craft a mask from a creature which has a discernible face. Crafting this mask takes you a day (8 hours of work) and must also be made with small amounts of your own blood. You must also pay for any materials needed (5-10gp depending on your trade.) At first, you may sustain only your Mask of Many Faces and one Mask of Power. At higher levels, you can sustain multiple Masks of Power at once. Crafting masks in excess of your limit renders one of your earlier Masks of Power non-magical. Your Masks of Power work only for you. You may wear only one of your magical masks at a time.
Wearing a Mask: While you wear a Mask of Power, you physically transform into the creature you created the mask from. If the creature was humanoid, you look exactly like the original. If the creature was not a humanoid, then you transform into a vaguely humanoid version of that creature, bearing the significant features: claws, fur, wings, additional arms, eyes,, etc. Your size category always stays within one step of your original size, whatever form you wear. Treat this ability as Alter Self for the purposes of gaining racial skills, feats, forms of movement and attacks. Regardless of the form you assume, you are still capable of the gestures and speech needed for spellcasting, as well as wielding a weapon or shield.
When you create this mask, you may choose one Special Quality possessed by the creature. You gain that special quality while wearing the this mask. See the table below for notes on valid special qualities and how they effect you. Qualities not appearing on this list may not be selected using this power. All qualities are treated as supernatural qualities when granted by a Mask of Power. While under the effects of a Mask of Power, you are immune to attempts to change your form through magic.
Special Quality Chosen
Benefit You Gain
Blindsense
You gain Blindense out to the distance specified for the creature
Blindsight
You gain Blindsight out to the distance specified for the creature
Damage Reduction
You gain Damage Reduction of the specified amount and type for the creature or 1 per Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Damage Reduction
You gain Damage Reduction of the specified amount and type for the creature or 1 per Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Darkvision
You gain darkvision out to 60 ft. If you already had darkvision, increase its range by 60 ft.
Fast Healing
You gain Fast Healing equal to that of the original creature or ½ your Lord of Masks level + 1(round down), whichever is less.
Fly
If the creature has Flight as an extraordinary or supernatural ability, you may choose this quality. You gain a fly speed equal to your normal movement speed.
Frightful Presence
You gain Frightful Presence (shaken) with a range of 30 ft and a DC equal to 10 + ½ your HD + your CHA modifier.
Low Light Vision
You gain low-light vision out to 60 feet If you already had low light vision, add 60ft to its range.
Poison Immunity
You gain immunity to all non-magical poisons
Regeneration
You gain the basic Regeneration quality. Regardless of the specific regeneration quality the original creature possessed, a coup-de-grace kills you. Regardless of how much HP the original creature regenerates, you regenerate HP equal to ½ your Lord of Masks level per turn. If the creature you created the mask from has a special weakness that ignores its regeneration quality, that weakness also applies to you.
Resistance to Energy
Gain resistance to energy of the type specified for the creature. The amount equals either the creature's original amount, or your Lord of Masks level +10- whichever is less.
Scent
You gain the Scent special ability
Spell Resistance
Gain SR equal to that of the original creature or your Lord of Masks level + 10, whichever is less.
Tremorsense
You gain Tremorsense as described for the original creature
Turn Resistance
You gain Turn Resistance equal to either that if the original creature, or your Lord of Masks level, whichever is less.
Shifting Faces: Once per day, whenever you have at least an hour in which to concentrate on your masks, you may shift your power from any Mask of Power you are currently sustaining into a Mask of Power you have previously rendered non-magical. The target mask provides the benefits you chose for it during its creation, while a currently active mask loses its power and becomes non-magical.
Greater Aspect: You may now choose two special qualities possessed by your target creature when you make your masks. You may also choose a second quality for 2 Masks of Power which you have already crafted. All other masks you may already have still possess only one quality from the original creature.
I Am My Mask: When you create a new Mask of Power, you may choose the type or subtype of the original creature as one of the special qualities for your Mask of Power. This does not grant you any supernatural or spell-like abilities ordinarily granted by that type or subtype, but it may grant you multiple energy resistances or other qualities. Gaining a subtype in this way may grant you special qualities not available in the table above. Your hit dice, ability scores, saving throws, alignment, and skills do not change as a result of gaining this subtype. Within these limits, you gain all qualities of the subtype, both positive and negative, while wearing the mask.
Chimeric Masks: You may choose to fuse two of your Masks of Power together. The resulting form is a strange, alien hybrid of both original creatures (in humanoid form). You gain the benefits of wearing both masks simultaneously. You may have only one such fusion at a time. The fusion is irreversible and, if undone, destroys both masks. Even though the masks are fused together, they still count as two Masks of Power.
Masks of the Unliving: Your mastery of arcane mask-making allows you to work with more ephemeral substance and stranger powers. You may now craft masks from undead and constructs. You must still have some sizable piece of the creature to include in your mask.
Are the abilities underpowered?
Is there a high potential for abuse of anything I'm not seeing?
Should I add more offensive powers?
Is being able to use the masks 'at will' too much?