Footholds of the Void in our reality (3.5 feats)(PEACH)
The strange spirits with which binders make pacts have few connections to the world, and those connections are largely through the pacts made willingly by binders. However, some scholars have noted on rare occasions that somehow the vestiges manage to influence some people before they are born, creating possible footholds in the realm of the real. The people are said to have been touched by the vestige. No one is sure how precisely this happens, although apparently one route is for a person to have been bound to the vestige when pregnant.
Thus far, not all vestiges have been found to have such footholds in the material plane. Binder scholars have observed that the vestiges which do have such connections are generally vestiges which are easy to bind, which may if the pregnancy hypothesis is correct create more chances for this to occur. Alternatively, the more tenuous connection of the other vestiges may make them have more trouble establishing a foothold. At least one philosopher has even suggested that the direction goes the other way, and that the presence of such individuals makes it easy to bind that vestige.
Touched by Vestige feats can only be taken as a first level character. For each Touched by Vestige feat you have that Vestige's sign permanently, whether or not you are bound to it. If the vestige has a choice of sign (such as Aym) you must make the choice when you choose the feat). This is part of your natural make-up and thus is an extraordinairy effect not supernatural. So it will not go away in any anti-magic field or under similar circumstances. Each feat gives a small constant set of bonuses or abilities as well as strengthened powers when actually bound to the vestige in question. You also get a +4 bonus on all binding checks to bind your associated vestige(although they do not by themselves give you the ability to bind that vestige). Unless noted otherwise, every part benefit from of a Touched by a Vestige feat that applies when not bound is extraordinary. If you have the ability to bind vestiges you may ignore any special requirement in binding the vestige that you are touched by. These feats are deeply intrinsic part of who you are and so they cannot be removed by retraining or similar abilities, although a wish or a miracle can possibly sever one's tie to a vestige.
(Since all such feats have the same basic rules I'm not going to include the usual "prerequisite" section for the feats. In cases of vestiges which are not in ToM I have provided links in their name to where they can be found.)
Touched by Amon
You gain Amon's ram attack ability even when not bound to Amon. If you are of character level at least five, you gain darkvision out to 30 feet (this stacks with other sources of darkvision such as Amon).
When bound to Amon, you may as a free action sheeth your ram's horns in flames. This adds 1d6 fire damage +1 damage per every 2 effective binder levels when you use Amon's ram attack ability.
Touched by Andromalus
You gain a +4 bonus on all slight of hand checks to place an object on a person, and a +1 bonus bonus on disguise checks.
When bound to Andromalus these bonuses double. When you use your locate item ability, if any form of magic would otherwise block it from succeeding (such as some form of abjuration which interferes with divination effects on the object) you may make a caster level check (your effective caster level = your binder level) to be aware that such an effect is in play and ignore it. If you fail the caster level check by 5 or less you will be aware of the existence of interference.
Touched by Aym
You gain a +2 bonus on all Appraise checks, and you gain resistance to fire 5.
When bound to Aym, your resistance to fire increase to 15, and your bonus on Appraise checks increases by 1 for every 4 binder levels. You also gain a +2 bonus on all Diplomacy and Intimidate checks made with dwarves.
Touched by Dahlver-Nar
You gain a +1 bonus on all saves against mind-affecting or sonic effects. If if you have ever used the Tooth of Dahlver-Nar corresponding to a specific vestige you get a +2 bonus on binding checks to bind that vestige and are treated as having the Ignore Special Requirement feat for binding that vestige.
If bound to Dahlver-Nar the bonus to saves increases to +4, and your Natural Armor bonus is increased by 2.
Touched by Dromilius
You gain a +2 bonus to Autohypnosis checks and may make them as if you were trained.
When bound to Dromilius, your bonus to Autohypnosis checks doubles. And you gain damage resistance +1/magic or adamantine, and an increase in +1 to any other damage resistance.
Touched by Focalor
You may cry at will and use your tears to heal people. Doing so takes a full-round action in which you must drop your tears on a wound. This heals 1d3 points. You may use this ability up to your constitution modifier times a day times your character level (minimum 1).
When bound to Focalor, your tears healing ability becomes stronger, increasing to 1d6 points with an additional +1 for every four binder levels. Additionally, you gain more control over your Aura of Sadness and so may have the aura not effect allies.
Touched by Haagenti
You gain an intuitive feel for the battleaxe, greataxe, handaxe and throwing axe, and are automatically proficient in those weapons. . Also, you gain an intrinsic native ability to speak and understand Giant. You also gain a +1 bonus on any saves to resist effects that would unwillingly change your form.
When bound to Haagenti you get a bonus on attack rolls with these weapons of +1 for every 5 binder levels, and your bonus to saves increases to +4.
Touched by Karsus
If you touch an object you immediately are aware if the object is magical. You gain no other knowledge about the object from this touch. Your blood is capable of suppresses magic. When you are injured by any magical weapon that deals piercing or slashing damage you may choose to suppress the object's magical effects. If so, your blood flows even more than
it would from your sign, and weapon the must make a will save (DC equal to (1/2th damage dealt) + your con modifier) or be suppressed for 1d4 rounds.
If you are bound to Karsus then when you use your touch ability you automatically know what schools of magic are associated with the object and if the magic is arcane or some other form of magic. You increase the save DC for your suppression ability by 1 per every 5 binder levels. Finally, the bonus on Heavy Magic improves to +4.
Touched by Leraje
You gain +1 bonus, to Spot, Listen and Search checks. You also gain a +2 bonus to hide checks made in forests or other natural terrain. You are automatically proficient in the composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow and shortbow.
If you are bound to Leraje you gain a +2 bonus with attack rolls with the composite longbow, composite shortbow, longbow and shortbow and the bonus goes up by 1 for every 5 effective binder levels. When you bind to Leraje you may take one feat that has Precise Shot as a prerequisite. You choose this feat when you bind to Leraje and may not choose again until yo renegotiate your pact.
Touched by Malphas
You automatically are proficient in poison use. You gain a +1 bonus on attacks made in a surprise round. You gain a +1 bonus to Move Silently checks.
When bound to Malphas, the above bonuses double to +2. Also, the DC for any poison you deliver via a weapon increases by 1 for every 4 effective binder levels.
Touched by Naberius
You get a +1 bonus on all Bluff, Diplomacy and Intimidate checks.
When bound to Naberius, this bonus doubles to +2. You increase by 1 the number of skills you can choose using Naberius's Skills.
Touched by Paimon
You gain a +2 bonus on Tumble and Perform(dance) checks and you gain proficiency with the rapier and shortsword.
When bound to Paimon, the bonus above doubles, and stacks with Paimon's Skills. Additionally, while wielding a rapier or shortsword you are treated as having the Improved Disarm feat, and whenever you successfully disarm an opponent they take a -2 morale penalty on any attacks they make against you for the next 24 hours.
Touched by Ronove
You gain a +2 bonus on all saves against poisons and diseases.
When bound to Ronove you become immune to all non-magical poisons and diseases. When using Ronove's fist, your effective binder level for determing your unarmed strikes stacks with any monk levels or other classes which stack with monk levels improving your unarmed strike. You also gain the Flurry of Blows class feature.
Special: You must take the smiling form of the sign when you take this feat. However, if you succeed on the binding check your face does form a frown. Suppressing the sign results in your usual smile.
Touched by Salagora
At a touch you automatically find out if the touched being has a necrotic cyst, and you gain a +2 bonus on all saves against necrotic spells. You gain a +4 bonus on heal checks to remove necrotic cysts.
When bound to Salagora, your touch also tells you if the being has a Mother Cyst or similar object. Also, if the person does have a necrotic cyst, you learn approximately how long ago (nearest day, week month or year) that they gained it. Your bonus on heal checks to remove cysts becomes +8. You are also instantly aware if any being within 100 feet of you casts a necrotic spell. You may choose to have your Necrotic Pulse do an additional +1 damage per a binder level.
Special:Touched by Salagora counts as a necrotic feat if you have a Mother Cyst. (For rules related to necrotic feats and spells see the link above).
Touched by Savnok
You are automatically proficient in heavy armor. When wearing any form of armor you gain a +1 bonus to AC for every five character levels you have.
When bound to Savnok, you may use a standard action to call your armor. Additionally, while bound to Savnok all armor check penalties are reduced by 1.
Touched by Taratai
You gain a +2 bonus on all saves against effects related to sleeping or dreaming. You gain a +1 bonus on psicraft checks and may make psicraft checks as if you were trained.
When bound to Taratai you become immune to all effects related to sleeping or dreaming that allow a save. You may voluntarily lower this ability as a standard action. When you attack a target with your mindblade, the target must make a will save equal to half damage dealt or lose psionic focus.
Re: Footholds of the Void in our reality (3.5 feats)(PEACH)
These are certainly interesting, but are pretty powerful. Each of them grants two effects in essence. What do you think about scaling the benefits by character level or HD more?
Re: Footholds of the Void in our reality (3.5 feats)(PEACH)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
eftexar
These are certainly interesting, but are pretty powerful. Each of them grants two effects in essence. What do you think about scaling the benefits by character level or HD more?
Hmm, yeah you are right, a bunch of these are probably a bit on the strong side for level 1 feats. Will reduce power accordingly.
Ok. Reduced the benefits for Amon (so they scale more), and reduced the benefits for Aym. Reduced bonuses in a few other cases. Removed initial attack bonus for Haagenti. Made Savnok scale.
Are they a bit better now in terms of power level?
Re: Footholds of the Void in our reality (3.5 feats)(PEACH)
Yeah, I think they are much better now.
Hmm... Why don't you allow non-binders access to these? They wouldn't gain the full benefits anyways.
Re: Footholds of the Void in our reality (3.5 feats)(PEACH)
Quote:
Originally Posted by
eftexar
Yeah, I think they are much better now.
Hmm... Why don't you allow non-binders access to these? They wouldn't gain the full benefits anyways.
Yeah, that's a good point. I think the initial thought was to reflect that the people had an intuitive connection to vestiges, but that doesn't seem necessary either fluff or balance wise. Requirement removed.
