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GrassyGnoll
2008-10-19, 10:11 PM
Who says horrors beyond the scope of human reasoning are the sole dominion of arcane casters? Here's a psionic version of the delectable Alienist PrC.

Requirements
Alignment: Any non-lawful
Skills: Knowledge (the planes) 8 ranks
Feat: Psicrystal Affinity or Conjunctive Mind (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Conjunctive_Mind)
Special: Must have made peaceful contact with an alienist or pseudonatural creature

{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special|Manifesting
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Psicrystal synthesis|+1 level of existing manifesting class
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Alien blessing|+1 level of existing manifesting class
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Metapsionic secret, Psicrystal synthesis|+1 level of existing manifesting class
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Mad certainty|+1 level of existing manifesting class
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Psicrystal synthesis|+1 level of existing manifesting class
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Metapsionic secret|+1 level of existing manifesting class
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Psionic Epiphany, Psicrystal synthesis|+1 level of existing manifesting class
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Insane certainty|+1 level of existing manifesting class
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Timeless body|+1 level of existing manifesting class
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Alien transcendence|+1 level of existing manifesting class[/table]
Hit Die: d4
Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Concentration (Con), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually)(Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Psicraft (Int), and Spot (Wis)
Skill Pints at Each Level: 2+ Int Modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Alienists gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.

Power Points per Day/Powers Known: You know the drill, Power Points and Powers Known progress as previous class with no benefits such as bonus feats, turning, etc. If she had more than one manifesting class before becoming an alienist, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining power points per day and powers known.

Psicrystal Synthesis: If an alienist had a psicrystal from a previous class it ceases to exist. The alienist reabsorbs her fragmented personality, but does not rejoin the two. No matter how depraved or insane an alienist becomes there is always a fragment of herself that retains her original Wisdom score. This fragment of the alienist can not contribute to any Will saves or Wisdom checks, but bestows the bonuses of a psicrystal belonging to a psion of the same character level as the alienist at all times. At first the alienist benefits from darkvision 40 ft. and the personality bonus of her crystal, but at levels 5 and 7 she gains the Alertness feat and Improved Evasion, respectively. This secondary personality may contact others independently of its host with its telepathic speech. The psicrystal is not only a voice of reason, but a perpetual schemer against its master's attempts to gain more aberrant knowledge.

Alien blessing (Ex): An alienist who attains 2nd level gains a +1 insight bonus on all saving throws, but she permanently loses 2 points of Wisdom.

Metapsionic Secret: An alienist listens to the secret voices whispering from beyond time's end, and profits thereby. At 3rd and again at 6th level, she can choose any metapsionic feat as a bonus feat.

Mad Certainty (Ex): At 4th level, an alienist's mad certainty in the power of entities beyond the reach of normal space and time lend her an unnatural fortitude, granting her 1/2 a hit point per hit die. However, constantly dwelling on such beings is mentally corrosive, and the alienist's mind begins to fracture. She now takes a -4 penalty on all Bluff, Diplomacy, and Handle Animal checks made to influence nonpseudonatural creatures.

Psionic Epiphany (Su): At 7th level an alienist unlocks an apotheosis based on his discipline. If she does not have a discipline she gains the epiphany of the school she has the most powers from.

Egoist: The egoist gains Form of Doom once per day as manifested by a psychic warrior twice her alienist class level. In addition, the alienist is incapable of using the personal pronoun "I" any longer. She gains a cumulative -5 penalty on all Diplomacy and Handle Animal checks due to her slipping perception of self.

Kineticist: A noticeable field of distortion surrounds the alienist. She gains a +3 deflection bonus to AC and the permanent effects of Control Object and Control Air as manifested by a level 5 psion. The kineticist is ill-suited to this new, malleable world, imposing a -5 penalty on Balance and Hide checks.

Nomad: A nomadic alienist gains a brief nonlinear insight into the artifice of time and ability to momentarily rearrange its structure. The alienist gains Time Regression as a once per day ability, but with a range of 25+5/2 manifester level ft., target of one creature not necessarily herself (save Will), and no XP cost. For 10 rounds after this dimensional lapse the target is sickened (Will save does not negate). Only the affects of the target's actions are undone by this ability. The target does not retain memory of its actions lost to the regression. The alienist's vision is perpetually unfocused, imposing a -5 penalty on Spot and -2 to Search and Appraise checks.

Seer: A seer alienist is afflicted with a shifted temporal perception. She may freely utilize the Precognition ability and five times per day Greater Precognition. With each use of this ability the DM rolls a d10 in secret and on a result of 1 the alienist is subject to the affects of Cruel Disappointment (BoVD). The alienist takes 2 points of Charisma damage upon gaining this ability.

Shaper: The alienist's connection to the warp begins perverting her Astral Constructs. The constructs created by her have the pseudonatural template (CMage or this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=4083148&postcount=2); not Epic Level Handbook variety, of course, add the extraplanar subtype rather than the outsider type). Constructs gain the Berserk (ex) ability of the Clay Golem (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/golem.htm).

Telepath: An alienist of the telepath discipline gains a permanent Read Thoughts effect within a radius of 50 ft. The alienist cannot inhibit or halt this power, but may focus on one subject and benefit from Mind Probe in lieu of the Read Thoughts aura. This constant feed of knowledge unhinges her further, imposing a -5 penalty on all Autohypnosis and Concentration checks.

Insane Certainty (Ex): At 8th level, an alienist's mad certainty crystallizes into a truly chilling mania. She gains an additional 1/2 hit point per hit die (+1 hit point per die total), but her mental faculties continue to degrade. The player rolls a d% to determine an effect she then acquires from Table 6-10 of the Sanity variant rules with the following exceptions: a character stricken with amnesia retains her Knowledge (forbidden lore) ranks and a catatonic alienist is subsequently commandeered by her psicrystal and ignores morale bonuses and mood affects (immunity to fear, rage, etc.).

Timeless Body (Ex): A 9th level, an alienist learns the secret of perpetual youth. She no longer takes ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Ability score bonuses from aging still accrue, and any penalties the alienist might have already taken remain in place. The alienist is stolen away by horrible entities when her time is up, and she is never seen again. A psion loses any ability to cheat death by old age; such as Astral Seed, True Mind Switch or conversion of racial type. These abilities function in all other respects, but cannot fool the benefactor’s ‘true’ interpretation of their temporal contract.

Alien Transcendence (Su): A 10th level alienist, because of long association with alien entities and intense study of insane secrets, transcends her mortal form and becomes an alien creature. Her type changes to outsider. Additionally, she gains damage reduction 10/cold iron and resistance to acid 10 and electricity 10. The psicrystal's ego is also broken, putting an end to its traitorous conniving and personality bonus.

Upon achieving alien transcendence, an alienist undergoes a minor physical change, usually growing a small tentacle or other strange feature, such as an extra appendage, organ, eye, or enigmatic lump. An alienist can hide this abnormality in a robe or hood, but the alien growth is not under the alienist's control and sometimes moves, twitches, opens, or otherwise animates of its own accord (Int 4, size diminutive, host's saves; may be inactivated through Int damage). This applies a -4 penalty on Disguise checks an alienist makes to conceal her true nature.

Anyone who shares an alienist's predilection for study of the Far Realms immediately recognizes her transcendent nature, the alienist's penalties to skill checks are voided and she gains a +2 circumstance bonus on all Charisma-based skill checks and ability checks when interacting with such beings. She gains a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks involving any other creatures to whom she reveals her abnormal nature.

Depending on the mutation gained, the alienist is granted a new ability. If banishment or another spell/power able to hedge out outsiders targets the alienist she receives 5d6 damage from the organ purging itself from her body even if she makes the Will save. She will regrow one in its place in 24 hours.

Digit: The alienist gains a new digit on one of her hands, feet, or elsewhere. The digit is frightfully articulate and gestures of its own will. Once per day the alienist may manifest a power with a touch attack requirement with a +10 bonus to the attack roll. She also benefits from a +4 bonus to Sleight of Hand checks and the Monkey Grip feat.

Organ: The alienist gains an extrinsic organ within her chest cavity. Its fluid filled membrane muffles the sound of a heartbeat and radiates a signal of its own. The alienist is not detected by lifesense, detect magic/psionics, or any magics/psionics that recognize life. The radiation given off by the organ dampens summoning magic and reduces the number of creatures summoned by spells (not psionics) by one within a 50 ft. radius. Pseudonatural creatures and rangers that overcome a DC 25 Knowledge (the planes) check gains a +4 bonus to Survival checks to track the alienist.

Eye: The alienist grows an eye somewhere on her body. It rests on a contractible eyestalk and radiates a faint psionic aura. The eye can cast detect psionics at will and protrudes such that the alienist can no longer be flanked (Imp. Uncanny Dodge restrictions apply). If the alienist is targeted by a gaze attack and makes her save, the eye can rebroadcast the same gaze attack once within the next 24 hours as a swift action.

Lump: A hollow lump encased in an elastic marrow grows on the back of the alienist's body. Twice per day the alienist may de-ossify herself and move about as a boneless lump. The alienist is treated as a diminutive ooze and may travel with a land speed of 20 ft. In addition to size bonuses she gains a +8 racial bonus to Escape Artist checks. The alienist is unable to manifest powers in this state.

Mouth: Unnamed benefactors graft a tributary digestive tract to the alienist. A beaked proboscis, toothed sucker, or other appropriate orifice manifests somewhere on her body. With this mouth the alienist can make a natural touch attack that deals 1d4 slashing and piercing damage. On a successful touch attack, the alienist may initiate a grapple check as a free action with a +8 bonus to maintain. Each round she maintains the grapple the alienist drains 6 power points from her target or, against a nonpsionic creature or psionic creature that currently has no power points, 1 point of Intelligence damage. This mutation must drain 12 power points a day to remain functional and will gorge itself on the alienist’s own reserve if it does not receive adequate nourishment. One point of Intelligence damage is worth 6 power points of nourishment. The orifice is perfectly eloquent and will advertise its hunger without patience or courtesy.

JMobius
2008-10-20, 11:19 PM
Have to say I love this initiative. Hope you finish it. :smallsmile:

Lorien077
2008-10-21, 05:55 PM
Well I for one really like it. Not entirely sure on the balance bits of this; but with the penalties received by each discipline its definitely close. I will note however that for the kineticist taking a penalty on reflex saves when the class granted evasion earlier doesn't seem quite fair. Thoughts?

GrassyGnoll
2008-10-21, 06:21 PM
Pushed back epiphany a level, but the kineticist reflex penalty doesn't seem to egregious to me. Other, more congruous, suggestions for a penalty? Need one for nomad as well.

Draken
2008-10-21, 09:54 PM
Granted the description on nomad's effect. The most obvious penalty would be Spot and Listen.

Anyway. Other notes.

Good aspects:

The psycristal stuff makes for some seriously good roleplaying possibilities.

Looks better than the actual alienist.

Bad aspects:

Mad Certainty and Insane Certainty are still cheap filler. They really aren't worth it. The guy has a pathetic d4 for hit dice. +6 hp is not going to help. I would say +1 per hit dice* and then +2 per hit dice**. Not that big a deal I suppose.

*effectively d6 hd
**effectively d8 hd.

Alien transcendence is still fairly pointless. DR/Cold Iron sure is better than /magic however. I would consider giving different options of creepy mutations with different bonuses to each one. Like a tentacle natural attack or an eye that causes fear, or something else.

Last but not least.

Detect Thoughts in a 100 feet radius.

This is basically 100 ft.radius of blindsense I believe. And you don't want players with that much blindsense avaiable to them. Do you?

GrassyGnoll
2008-10-21, 10:20 PM
Granted the description on nomad's effect. The most obvious penalty would be Spot and Listen.

Duly noted.


Mad Certainty and Insane Certainty are still cheap filler. They really aren't worth it. The guy has a pathetic d4 for hit dice. +6 hp is not going to help. I would say +1 per hit dice* and then +2 per hit dice**. Not that big a deal I suppose.

*effectively d6 hd
**effectively d8 hd.

d8 is a bit much for a psion. +1/2 hit dice and +1 hit dice progression, though. That's a nice fix.


Alien transcendence is still fairly pointless. DR/Cold Iron sure is better than /magic however. I would consider giving different options of creepy mutations with different bonuses to each one. Like a tentacle natural attack or an eye that causes fear, or something else.

Gotta work with what I have down already. I'll get to this eventually.


Detect Thoughts in a 100 feet radius.

This is basically 100 ft.radius of blindsense I believe. And you don't want players with that much blindsense avaiable to them. Do you?

Gimping to 50 ft.

Lord Iames Osari
2008-10-22, 06:18 PM
Power Points per Day/Powers Known: You know the drill, Power Points and Powers Known progress as previous class with no benefits such as bonus feats, turning, etc. If she had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an alienist, she must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining power points per day and powers known.

I think you mean manifesting class here.

GrassyGnoll
2008-10-24, 11:07 PM
I think you mean manifesting class here.

Remedying.

Does this all look stable enough to stay toying around with Alien Transcendence?

Lord Iames Osari
2008-10-25, 07:40 PM
It does, yes.

However, can I request that you go and add bolding to the various ability names? Ie,

Ability (Ex): The character can do something.

Lorien077
2008-10-27, 12:42 PM
(Sorry it took so long to respond)
The trouble with the reflex save penalty is that with low HD, and therefore low hit points, as a caster, having evasion is a great way to not die horribly. however the kineticist having a penalty to their reflex saves makes that feature much less helpful.
So perhaps another skill penalty? -5 to all moves silently checks due to the kineticist's constant area of shifting material?

GrassyGnoll
2008-10-27, 05:12 PM
(Sorry it took so long to respond)
The trouble with the reflex save penalty is that with low HD, and therefore low hit points, as a caster, having evasion is a great way to not die horribly. however the kineticist having a penalty to their reflex saves makes that feature much less helpful.
So perhaps another skill penalty? -5 to all moves silently checks due to the kineticist's constant area of shifting material?

Sure, Hide I guess. When someone has a noticeable field of distortion around them it tends to be... noticeable.

Lorien077
2008-10-29, 01:15 AM
XD Yeah, that's pretty darn true. Tornado wanna-be's don't hide so well.

GrassyGnoll
2008-11-05, 09:34 PM
Alien transcendence update made.

Criticize to your content.