[3.5] Scion of Malphas (Tome of Magic prestige class, variant of Tenebrous Apostate

I am trying to make a variant for Tenebrous Apostate focused on the 2nd level vestige Malphas. I want this to be a prestige class for multiclass binders that either have a magical bent or a rogue like nature. This class will focus on being sneaky and enhancing malphas existing abilities to stronger versions.

Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly, both on balance and on style.

Prerequisites:
Able to bind Malphas
Skills: Hiding 5 ranks, Move Silently 5 Ranks, Craft (Poison-making) 5 Ranks

Class Features
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Spellcasting or Sudden Strike
1st|+0|+0|+2|+0|Soul Binding+1, Master of Poison|+1 level of spellcasting class or +1d6 sudden strike
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+0|Soul Binding+2, Improved Bird's Eye Viewing|+1 level of spellcasting class or ---
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+1|Soul Binding+3, Pass without Trace|+1 level of spellcasting class or +1d6 sudden strike
4th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Soul Binding+4, Farther Strike|+1 level of spellcasting class or ---
5th|+3|+1|+4|+1|Soul Binding+5, Greater Invisibility|+1 level of spellcasting class or +1d6 sudden strike
[/table]


A Scion of Malphas may choose one of these two abilities (Spellcasting or Sudden Strike).
Spellcasting: At each Scion of Malphas level, you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level (and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in an spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Scion of Malphas mage, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known.

or

Sudden Strike: This ability is like the ninja (complete adventure) ability of the same name. You gain 1d6 sudden strike damage at Scion of Malphas class level 1, and it advances to 2d6 at level 3, and 3d6 at class level 5.
Soul Binding: At each Scion of Malphas, your soul binding ability improves as if you had also gained a level in the binder class. Your Scion of Malphas levels and binder levels stack for the purpose of determining your bonus on binding checks, the effectiveness of your vestige-granted abilities, your ability to bind higher-level vestiges, and the number of vestiges you can bind. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a binder would have gained.
Eternal Bondage (Ex): You no longer need to summon Malphas every day; you are bound to him constantly. You cannot choose to bind a different vestige in his place. However, you can still attempt a binding check each day to negate his influence.
Master of Poison: You gain the Master of Poison (Drow of the Underdark) feat as a bonus feat
Improved Bird's Eye Viewing: This ability improves the Malphas Bird's Eye Viewing ability. You can now summon a number of simultaneous birds equal to your class level. When you try to summon more birds than your class level one of the older birds disappears (your choice.) Commanding said birds still remains a standard action but you can command all of your birds with a single standard action. You can see and hear everything the birds see concurrently with what you see and hear.
At 4th level, you can now use your own skill modifiers through the bird (if your modifiers are higher) through the bird for Bluff, Search, Spot, Listen
At 5th level, you can now command the birds as a free action.
Pass without Trace: Whenever you use Malphas invisibility ability, you are concurrently affected with the effect of a pass without trace spell for a number of rounds equal to your binder level.
Farther Strike: Your sudden strike ability now has a range equal to 30ft or 1 range increment of the used weapon, whichever is farther.
Greater Invisibility: Malphas invisibility ability is now treated as greater invisibility instead of invisibility.

Some more thoughts

Note: Since this is meant to be a multiclass prc type character, I made this prc class skill list a combination of the binder skill list and the rogue skill list. From the rogue skill list I added skills in the area of movement and face, but not on the area of disabling traps or opening locks.

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On the area of entry into this prestige class.

Binder does not get Hiding or Move Silently as class skills, thus the earliest they can enter this class as a single class is level 8 (7+3)/2=5. If they multiclass into a class that gets these skills they can enter the class as soon as level 3 (binder 1/x1 with the improved binding feat). One nice thing about this is this allows earlier entry for multiclass class characters focusing on sneak but doesn't allow many early entry options for spellcasters unless they sacrifice caster levels.

• Wizard and Sorcerer does not get hide, move silently as class skills.
• Cleric can get hide via the trickery domain, but they can not get move silently (to my knowledge) via domains.
• Archivist does not get hide or move silently as class skills.
• Beguiler does get hide and move silently as class skills. The thing about beguiler though is that is limited pre-done spell selection doesn't make this class unbalanced.

Thus a binder/spellcaster/master of scion hybrid will have to wait to level 8 if the character only wants to sacrifice 1 casting level, or it must sacrifice two casting levels but can enter the class as soon as level 4.

Um, Farther strike should either be just 30 ft or the range of any ranged weapon you're holding, as right now it says to do both. A bit confusing.

Also, given the formatting, it looks like you have to choose between spellcasting or getting the other features of the class at each level.

In addition, disregarding the bind Malphas requirement, people would be able to enter this class at level 3, before they could actually bind Malphas.

While I do like the idea of prestige classes focusing on vestiges other than Dantalion and Tenebrous, I can't help but feel like the lose of the ability to change your vestige for several levels is a hefty cost for this class.

Outside of that concern, perhaps you could note an alternate ability for level 1 if you don't have access to Drow of the Underdark?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pyromancer999

Um, Farther strike should either be just 30 ft or the range of any ranged weapon you're holding, as right now it says to do both. A bit confusing.

Also, given the formatting, it looks like you have to choose between spellcasting or getting the other features of the class at each level.

In addition, disregarding the bind Malphas requirement, people would be able to enter this class at level 3, before they could actually bind Malphas.

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I will work on the formatting on Monday (I worked today, and I work tommorrow)

You can bind Malphas as soon as character level 1 due to the fact at level 1 your binding is 1 due to your binder level. The feat improved binding (which requires 4 ranks in intimidate further depleting your skillpoints) lets you treat your binding level as 2 higher for the purpose of binding vestiges. You need a effective binding level of 3 to bind 2nd level vestiges such as Malphas.

The reason why I reference 30ft or the weapon range increment is normally sudden strike has a range limitation of 30ft (just like normal sneak attack). Thus you are limited to the normal limitation of 30ft or 1 range increment of the weapon whichever is further. This way your shurikens will still have a sudden strike range of 30ft (even though shurikens have a range increment of 10ft) but a longbow will have a range of 100ft.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Vauron

While I do like the idea of prestige classes focusing on vestiges other than Dantalion and Tenebrous, I can't help but feel like the lose of the ability to change your vestige for several levels is a hefty cost for this class.

Outside of that concern, perhaps you could note an alternate ability for level 1 if you don't have access to Drow of the Underdark?

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Master of Poison feat lets you use Poison (which Malphas already gives) and lets you use poison as a swift action, I will rewrite this area later on so you do not need DoTU

I wanted this class to be Malphas focused and have a specialization cost (the specialization cost is that you have to use Malphas) That said your comment made me realize I can do this similar to how pathfinder does wizard specialization. If you do not bind Malphas that day you will retain the bab, hit dice, skills, soul binding, spellcasting/sudden strike but you lose the other abilities this class grants (Master of Poison, Improved Bird's Eye Viewing, Pass without Trace, Farther Strike, Greater Invisibility). I will redo this text on Monday. Either you get specialization and greater power due to specialization or you can be the traditional generalist binder but you do not get class benefits this prc gets or a normal binder would receive (such as pact augmentation).

Thank you both of you.