PDA

View Full Version : D&D 3.x Class Dread Vulture Mage (Sublime Warlock PrC, request)



Zaydos
2016-02-14, 05:01 PM
DREAD VULTURE MAGE

"The demon within screams for you to die!"

The Jade Phoenix Mages, after their defeat of the Souldrake became a thing of legend, a story to reach even across worlds. The Abyss took notice. Perhaps it was the original home of the Souldrake, the unholy pit that spawned the beast. Whatever the reason an Abyssal Prince took an interest in their merger of the Sublime Way and powers arcane. It would not do, however, to simply teach mortals these arts.

So the Abyssal Prince selected 13 vrocks in his service, 13 hellish vultures to match the phoenixes which would be born again and again. The Prince discorporated their bodies, reducing the tanar’ri to nothing more than spirits. Into each of the vrock spirits he instilled a portion of his essence and then he sent them out to find thirteen warriors to serve as his champions.

To this day the thirteen spirits still perform their task finding those in whose heart evil dwells and granting them power merging piece by piece into them. They teach their prey the secrets of the Black Heron and grant them eldritch invocations as part of luring them down the path of darkness, using these ‘Dread Vulture Mages’ to work havoc in the world at large. They particularly enjoy finding those who are close to Jade Phoenix Mages, especially those who are jealous of the other’s power not truly earned but given out as a result of their birth, and leading them into the darkness, twisting them and turning them into a dark mirror of their former friend or rival.

The Dread Vulture Mages combine eldritch might with the sublime way, blending them into one harmonious and destructive whole. Drawing upon demonic powers they gain the ability to strike down foes with an eldritch blade, to use invocations more fluidly in combat, to walk as a living blasphemy against all that is good, and to channel the powers of the dread vulture within their soul to take on some of its traits.

BECOMING A DREAD VULTURE MAGE
To become a Dread Vulture Mage one must be chosen by one of 13 immortal spirits. This requires a black heart and potential with both the blade and dark arts. Then the spirit must bond with the future dread vulture mage. This does not necessarily make them a dread vulture mage immediately, it will put them on the path, but unless they also have a certain level of mastery of both the dark arts and the sublime way it is impossible for a person to learn the more advanced techniques of a dread vulture mage.

Once they are readied and bonded with the spirit the rest will come naturally, all they have to do is listen to the whispers of darkness that sound in their soul.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
Alignment: Any Evil.
Skills: Concentration 9 ranks, Intimidate 9 ranks, Martial Lore 2 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 2 ranks.
Martial Maneuvers: Must know at least 2 martial maneuvers, including one strike
Martial Stances: Must know a martial stance.
Invocations: Must know at least 2 invocations.
Special: Eldritch Blast 2d6.

Class Skills
The Dark Vulture Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (the planes) (Int), Martial Lore (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Tumble (Dex).
Skills Points at Each Level: 2 + int

Hit Dice: d6


LevelBase Attack BonusFort SaveRef SaveWill SaveSpecialMan. KnownMan. ReadiedStances Invocations
1st
+1
+2
+0
+2Demonic Blow
1
0
0 -
2nd
+2
+3
+0
+3Demonblood Stance
0
1
0+1 level of existing class
3rd
+3
+3
+1
+3-
1
0
0 +1 level of existing class
4th
+4
+4
+1
+4Sublime Blast
1
0
0 +1 level of existing class
5th
+5
+4
+1
+4-
1
1
1 +1 level of existing class
6th
+6
+5
+2
+5Walking Blasphemy Stance
0
0
0-
7th
+7
+5
+2
+5-
1
0
0 +1 level of existing class
8th
+8
+6
+2
+6Battle Invocation
1
1
0 +1 level of existing class
9th
+9
+6
+3
+6-
1
0
0 +1 level of existing class
10th
+10
+7
+3
+7Demonic Ascension
0
1
1 +1 level of existing class


Weapon Proficiencies: A Dread Vulture Mage gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.

Martial Maneuvers: A Dread Vulture Mage gains martial maneuvers like a sublime prestige class. It gains a new maneuver known at every level other than 2, 6, and 10, a new maneuver readied at 2nd, 5th, 8th, and 10th, and a new stance at 5th level.

A Dread Vulture Mage selects their maneuvers known from the Black Heron (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?100874-TOB-The-Black-Heron-Discipline) and Eldritch Rain (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?404238-Eldritch-Rain-%283-5-Supernatural-Martial-Discipline-Ray-based%29) disciplines.

Invocations: At each level other than 1st or 6th, you gain new invocations known, increased damage with eldritch blast/breath weapon, and an increase in invoker level as if you had also gained a level an invocation using class you possessed previously. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained.

Demonic Blow: Dread vulture mages learn to use their eldritch powers in harmony with the sword. They gain the Hideous Blow invocation as a bonus invocation, and 1/encounter when using a martial strike with a range of melee attack they may add their eldritch blast damage and eldritch essence effect to the attack from the strike (if the strike grants multiple attacks it only applies on the first attack on each target).

Demon’s Whispers: The demonic spirit implanted within a dread vulture mage whispers to them telling them dread secrets of the Abyss and words of terror. A dread vulture mage gains a +2 bonus to Intimidate and Knowledge (the planes) checks.

Vulture Spore Dance (Su): A dread vulture mage learns to invoke the demonic energies of the spirit planted within them taking on part of its nature and power through the sublime way. At 2nd level a dread vulture mage learns a special stance unique to them. It is considered to be both a Black Heron and an Eldritch Rain stance gaining whatever benefits are gained for such (though if they are from the same ability such as Defensive Stance then it only applies once). While in this stance and in any round in which they leave it, a dread vulture mage loses their ability to use Eldritch Blast or apply its damage to invocations. However they gain multiple advantages. A dread vulture mage may release a cloud of energetic ‘spores’ as a free action 1/round, these spores immediately deal damage equal to that from their eldritch blast to all creatures adjacent to them, and all creatures blow them or adjacent to a space below them (in short if a Medium sized dread vulture mage used this ability it’d create a 15 by 15 ft square of death which would fall all the way till it lacked line of effect). A Reflex save is allowed for half damage (DC 10 + dread vulture mage level + Cha modifier). In addition if they fail they take 1 damage per die of damage your eldritch blast does each round for 3 rounds. Multiple instances do not increase this lingering damage but reset its remaining duration.

In addition while in this stance a dread vulture mage gains limited flight. They have speed equal to their land speed and good maneuverability, but must end their turn on the ground or fall. This fall is slightly slowed and is treated as if it were 30 ft shorter than it actually is.

This stance is a supernatural ability and is considered the equivalent of a 5th level stance.

Sublime Blast (Sp): A dread vulture mage learns to incorporate the sublime way into the dread gifts of their demonic spirit. Beginning at 4th level, once per encounter, a dread vulture mage may apply a non strike as an eldritch essence with an effective spell level of its maneuver level, you may not use this as an eldritch essence to apply to a [Blast] strike. The strike must be one that targets a single creature other than you, a strike that targets multiple creatures or yourself cannot be used this way, and must be a standard action to initiate, and must have a range of melee (or ranged) attack. You add any damage or effects from the maneuver to that of your eldritch blast using the saving throw DC of your eldritch blast in place of any belonging to the maneuver. This is applied to each creature damaged by your eldritch blast allowing you to affect multiple targets with the proper blast shape. This expends the applied maneuver.

[b]Walking Blasphemy Stance (Su): The tanar’ri are the most destructively evil of all beings. Their vile nature knows no bounds and can even spill forth to wash over reality. Invoking the evil of the demonic spirit within them, beginning at 6th level, a dread vulture mage can enter the Walking Blasphemy Stance a special stance unique to them. It is considered to be both a Black Heron and an Eldritch Rain stance gaining whatever benefits are gained for such (though if they are from the same ability such as Defensive Stance then it only applies once). While in this stance any weapon the dread vulture mage wields is considered to have the Unholy property. In addition you radiate an aura out to 5 ft per initiator level. Good aligned spellcasters within this aura have their caster level reduced by 2, and evil aligned creatures gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC and resistance bonus to saves against the attacks, spells, and effects of good aligned creatures. You may expend a readied maneuver as a swift action to increase this CL reduction to -5 and the deflection and resistance bonus to +5 for 1 round. This is a supernatural ability and the equivalent of a 7th level maneuver.

Battle Invocation: In the heat of battle one must have sword and hex in accord, the first flowing naturally into the other. Beginning at 8th level whenever a dread vulture mage uses an invocation (including eldritch blast) as a standard action they may select a single readied maneuver and exchange it for another, this does not apply if they used a maneuver as part of the invocation (such as a strike or the Sublime Blast ability), this new maneuver is not expended even if the exchanged maneuver was and is automatically granted immediately. In addition 1/encounter when a dread vulture mage uses a martial strike they may use a least or lesser invocation, including eldritch blast but if so they may not apply blast shapes or eldritch essences to it, that would normally be a standard action as a swift action.

[b]Demonic Ascension (Sp): The demonic spirit within a dread vulture mage empowers them even as it rages within. At 10th level a dread vulture mage learns how to invoke its power fully, letting it fill them and transform them. Their mortal body and soul can only handle the demonic strain for so long however, and a dread vulture mage can only use this ability once per week. Using this ability is a swift action, and when used the dread vulture mage is transformed. Their size becomes large (10 ft space, 10 ft reach), they lose all racial Ex abilities, as well as their racial ability score modifiers and any aging bonuses or penalties as they become for a few brief moments an immortal fiend. Their type changes to Outsider (Evil, Tanar’ri) and they gain all relevant traits of that type and subtypes. They lose their racial movement speeds and modes, as well as their natural armor, and natural weapons defined by their race. Instead they gain 30 ft speed with 50 ft (average) flight, +11 natural armor, 2 claws which deal 2d6 damage each (primary natural weapons), a bite which deals 1d8, and 2 talons which deal 1d6. They gain DR 10/good, spell resistance 8 + Character level, telepathy 100 ft, the ruinous dance, spores, and stunning screech special abilities (see below), a +8 racial bonus on spot and listen checks, and racial ability score modifiers of +12 Str, +4 Dex, +14 Con, +4 Int, +6 Wis, and +6 Charisma. This transformation lasts 1 round per dread vulture mage level and when they transform they heal as if a heal spell had been cast upon them (CL = their CL). This is the equivalent of a 9th level spell.

[b]Ruinous Dance (Su): Once during the transformation a dread vulture mage may perform a dance of demonic powers as an action requiring 3 full rounds. If they finish it they may use a maneuver in a massive burst. This replaces the [blast] maneuver’s normal area (if any) and makes it a 1 mile radius burst. Creatures within 100 ft of the dread vulture mage take double damage (Reflex halves), creatures within 300 ft take full damage (Reflex halves), creatures within 1000 ft take ½ damage (Reflex negates), and creatures further away take ¼ damage and gain a +4 bonus on their Reflex save (Reflex negates). Outsiders with the tanar’ri or Chaos and Evil subtypes are immune.

[b]Spores (Ex)
A dread vulture mage under this effect can release masses of spores from its body once every 3 rounds as a free action. The spores automatically deal 1d8 points of damage to all creatures adjacent to the mage. They then penetrate the skin and grow, dealing an additional 1d4 points of damage each round for 10 rounds. At the end of this time, the victim is covered with a tangle of viny growths. (The vines are harmless and wither away in 1d4 days.) A delay poison spell stops the spores’ growth for its duration. Bless, neutralize poison, or remove disease kills the spores, as does sprinkling the victim with a vial of holy water.
Stunning Screech (Su)
Once during the effect a dread vulture mage can emit a piercing screech. All creatures except for Outsiders with the tanar’ri or Chaos and Evil subtypes within a 30-foot radius must succeed on a DC 19 + Charisma modifier Fortitude save or be stunned for 1 round.

Eno Remnant
2016-02-15, 12:41 AM
Looks good, Zaydos. A PrC that theurges Warlock and a martial class is a great idea, and of course your existing Warlock disciplines cinch the whole thing together nicely. It certainly seems balanced, too, which is always a plus.

Zaydos
2016-02-15, 12:51 AM
Looks good, Zaydos. A PrC that theurges Warlock and a martial class is a great idea, and of course your existing Warlock disciplines cinch the whole thing together nicely. It certainly seems balanced, too, which is always a plus.

Thanks for the kind words, but wasn't my idea (it was a request), and only one of the disciplines is mine (the request specified which two to use). Still thanks.