[Vestige] Tell me 'bout the good old days...

Grandpa, everything is changing fast
We call it progress, but I just don't know
And Grandpa, let's wander back into the past
And paint me the picture of long ago

Did lovers really fall in love to stay
And stand beside each other, come what may?
Was a promise really something people kept
Not just something they would say?
Did families really bow their heads to pray
Did daddies really never go away?
Oh, Grandpa, tell me 'bout the good old days

-=-=-=-=-=-

Praeter, the Dead Immortal
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/2/139...b03ed8a5_m.jpg

{table]Vestige Level: 7th
Bind DC: 30
Special Requirements: Yes[/table]

Praeter was a man who could not get over his past, and wallowed in hindsight even after learning the secret of immortality. His granted abilities helps his summoners to turn back the clock and right past wrongs.

Legend: Praeter was one such man who left all he knew for the greener pasture he was sure was beyond. He became intensely wealthy, but after an attempt on his life he became obsessed with his own mortality. He eventually spent all he had gained to discover a way to prolong his life. He delved into mysticism and the arcane with a single-minded fervor that allowed him to excel in his studies and explorations. Finally he believed he had found the cure for age and so he had. However, as all those he knew died and the once prosperous city crumbled to ruin he knew that he had somehow failed as well.

He had squandered his years and before he knew it had grown old beyond all reckoning, destitute in his very soul. Alone, without friends or family, he spent many a dark day in the decrepit rooms of his formerly glorious manor. In the shadows of his mind a light of madness began to flicker. He would return to his past and the days of his happiness. Somehow, someway, he would.

No one is quite certain how, but Praeter managed to pull himself out of the stream of time. What he did not realize was that once he had removed himself from time, so had he removed himself from life. And so he remains, unable to return to his youth, but unwilling to move ahead.

Special Requirements: Praeter will not answer the summons of any being with an Age Category younger than Middle Age.

Manifestation: An ancient door, worm-eaten and horribly rusted appears and creaks open like a whimpering scream. Revealed is a dark hallway that extends out of sight. A being appears in the distance and shuffles forward with painful slowness. Praeter manifests as a figure in a thread-bare suit, with moth-eaten holes showing naught but cobwebs within. His head is turned around completely so that he can only see back the way he came. The skin is unwrinkled and ageless, yet age spots speckle it heavily.

Sign: Your appearance ages to the point you appear more dead than alive, and your hair and teeth fall out. Your voice is dry and raspy so as to be barely heard. Your voice carries no farther than 10 feet, though you may still casts spells with a verbal component.

Influence: Under Praeter's influence you dwell consistently on your past mistakes, whatever they may be. This intense nostalgia makes you lose interest in all further goals. You lack any ambition and simply do not care about anything but correcting things you failed to do in the past, exacting revenge and other similar goals. As well, you have an intense dislike of dwelling in anything under a century old. Ancient churches, long-standing castles and dusty manors are fine, but newer built constructions fill you with distrust. Praeter requires you give deference to the elderly, showing them constant respect, or suffer the penalty for defying him.

Granted Abilities: Praeter grants you knowledge of the past, youthful vigor, limited ability over the past and immortality.

Hindsight: You continuously have historical visions of your current location. Rooms, streets, tunnels, and other discrete locations accumulate impressions left by powerful emotions experienced in a given area. These impressions offer you a picture of the location’s past.
The types of events most likely to leave impressions are those that elicited strong emotions: battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and great pain, or any other event where one emotion dominates. Everyday occurrences leave no residue for you to detect.
The vision of the event is dreamlike and shadowy. You do not gain special knowledge of those involved in the vision, though you might be able to read large banners or other writing if they are in your language, and gain a +20 bonus to knowledge (history) and +10 to (local) for the area you occupy.
Beginning with the most recent significant event at a location and working backward in time, you can sense one distinct event for every minute you maintain concentration, if any such events exist to be sensed. Your sensitivity extends into the past a maximum number of years equal to 20 x your binder level.

Redo: You may reroll any roll you made in the same round, every 5 rounds. Your final reroll must be kept, even if it is worse than.

Regression: Despite your appearance, a day with Praeter is like taking a dip in the fountain of youth. For all intended purposes you revert to the Age Category of Adulthood, gaining a +1 to your physical stats per age category you regressed (minimum +1). Your mental stats are unaffected. You do not age a second while bound to Praeter, nor can you be magically aged.

Start Over: Each time you make your pact you must decide whether to accept or decline a special offer by Praeter. If you accept he will turn back time for your body and soul if you should die while bound. The exact time of the binding on the next day you awake with no memory of your time bound, but in the exact same shape directly before the binding. Anything taken from you is still gone, but physically and mentally you are exactly the same. However, upon awakening you must complete the ritual again and he automatically gains full control over you when he wishes. The limits to what he can make you do is the same as Dominate, so that you will not harm yourself or do something in direct opposition to your alignment such as killing a friend. Praeter only takes direct control if you would attempt to go against his inclinations, though has the ability whenever he likes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Start Over: Each time you make your pact you must decide whether to accept or decline a special offer by Praeter. If you accept he will turn back time for your body and soul if you should die while bound. The exact time of the binding on the next day you awake with no memory of your time bound, but in the exact same shape directly before the binding. Anything taken from you is still gone, but physically and mentally you are exactly the same. However, upon awakening you must complete the ritual again and he automatically gains full control over you.

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Define "full control"? Does it mean you suffer his influence no matter what? Does it mean you are an NPC now? :smallconfused:

Also, I like it. Pact Magic always needs more lovin'.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arguskos

Define "full control"? Does it mean you suffer his influence no matter what? Does it mean you are an NPC now? :smallconfused:

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Not precisely. Elaborated. However, no different than a ghost taking over or a demon possessing.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Not precisely. Elaborated. However, no different than a ghost taking over or a demon possessing.

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Ah, I see. That... makes more sense.

What is the inspiration for this poor aged fellow? Just for kicks (ala the following)?
"Hey Vorpal, you know what would be cool?"
"No Vorpal, what would be cool?"
"Some old guy who turns into an immortal vestige!"
"That is cool!"
"Let's make it happen!"
"Yeah!"

Actually, made him into a deity like 2 years ago and folks were saying, 'Oh, he's not a god, he's a perfect vestige!'

Just took me til now to have enough time to actually read over Tome of Magic and rewrite him for it.

I like Pact Magic. Practically screams 'homebrew' and allows for much creativity and flavor.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Actually, made him into a deity like 2 years ago and folks were saying, 'Oh, he's not a god, he's a perfect vestige!'

Just took me til now to have enough time to actually read over Tome of Magic and rewrite him for it. Pact Magic practically screams 'homebrew' and allows for much creativity and flavor.

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Dude, that whole book oozes pure awesome from every pore. It's like a delicious flavor sandwich of a 3.5 supplement.

Also, awesome. And yeah, I can't imagine this guy as a deity. Maybe as the deity of being grumpy and being a stereotypical old man, but that's a stretch in general.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

I like Pact Magic. Practically screams 'homebrew' and allows for much creativity and flavor.

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Does this mean we can expect to see more Vorpal pact awesome-sauce? Because that would kick ungodly amounts of ass.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arguskos

Dude, that whole book oozes pure awesome from every pore. It's like a delicious flavor sandwich of a 3.5 supplement.

Also, awesome. And yeah, I can't imagine this guy as a deity. Maybe as the deity of being grumpy and being a stereotypical old man, but that's a stretch in general.

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Cookies shall shower you like blood on Kratos if you make a stereotypical old man of grumpiness and...oldness as a character and actually play as him.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Temotei221

Cookies shall shower you like blood on Kratos if you make a stereotypical old man of grumpiness and...oldness as a character and actually play as him.

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...but I LIKE my twins dammit!! :smalltongue:

Anyways, Redo needs rewording (irony alert). As it's worded, you get only 1 reroll per 4 Effective Binding Levels per bind, which is crazy low. Better, and more in keeping with the other vestiges, to make it a 1 per 5 rounds ability.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by arguskos

Also, awesome. And yeah, I can't imagine this guy as a deity.

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Well, here's what he was before: Praeter (Demigod)

Quote:

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Does this mean we can expect to see more Vorpal pact awesome-sauce?

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Oh yes :smallamused:

Quote:

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Anyways, Redo needs rewording (irony alert). As it's worded, you get only 1 reroll per 4 Effective Binding Levels per bind, which is crazy low. Better, and more in keeping with the other vestiges, to make it a 1 per 5 rounds ability.

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Hmm, don't think it'd be a bit powerful to reroll every 5 rounds?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Hmm, don't think it'd be a bit powerful to reroll every 5 rounds?

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You get 1 reroll every 5 rounds. Uh, yeah, that's not such a big deal, given that you're practically a straight Binder to get to him at all, and probably don't have any crazy scary thing to be rerolling. I think it's fine. I mean, a level 2 vestige (you can access at level 1, thanks to Improved Binding) gives you a functional Benign Transposition 1/5 rounds. That's not overpowered, not even at level 1. Btw, that would be Savnok, with Move Ally.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Hmm, don't think it'd be a bit powerful to reroll every 5 rounds?

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Well, there is a precedent: Balam, the Bitter Angel, which gives you Balam's Cunning. Allows a reroll once every 5 rounds.

A 5th level vestige, too.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Adumbration

Well, there is a precedent: Balam, the Bitter Angel, which gives you Balam's Cunning. Allows a reroll once every 5 rounds.

A 5th level vestige, too.

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That's right, Balam does grant a reroll. Yeah, as a 7th level? This guy is FINE.

Actually, sorta weak honestly, though the whole "lol you're immortal" thing is nice.

First off a lot of good fluff in here. Good job Vorpal.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Hindsight: You continuously have historical visions of your current location. Rooms, streets, tunnels, and other discrete locations accumulate impressions left by powerful emotions experienced in a given area. These impressions offer you a picture of the location’s past.
The types of events most likely to leave impressions are those that elicited strong emotions: battles and betrayals, marriages and murders, births and great pain, or any other event where one emotion dominates. Everyday occurrences leave no residue for you to detect.
The vision of the event is dreamlike and shadowy. You do not gain special knowledge of those involved in the vision, though you might be able to read large banners or other writing if they are in your language, and gain a +20 bonus to knowledge (history) and +10 to (local) for the area you occupy.
Beginning with the most recent significant event at a location and working backward in time, you can sense one distinct event for every minute you maintain concentration, if any such events exist to be sensed. Your sensitivity extends into the past a maximum number of years equal to 20 x your binder level.

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Situational, but highly useful I like it.

Quote:

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Redo: You may reroll any roll you made in the same round, every 5 rounds. Your final reroll must be kept, even if it is worse than.

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Confusingly worded. How about:
You may, as a free action, reroll any roll you made in this round. The reroll value must be kept, even if it is worse then the original roll. You may use this ability once every five rounds.

Quote:

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Regression: Despite your appearance, a day with Praeter is like taking a dip in the fountain of youth. For all intended purposes you revert to the Age Category of Adulthood, gaining a +1 to your physical stats per age category you regressed (minimum +1). Your mental stats are unaffected. You do not age a second while bound to Praeter, nor can you be magically aged.

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Nice and flavorful.

Quote:

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Start Over: Each time you make your pact you must decide whether to accept or decline a special offer by Praeter. If you accept he will turn back time for your body and soul if you should die while bound. The exact time of the binding on the next day you awake with no memory of your time bound, but in the exact same shape directly before the binding. Anything taken from you is still gone, but physically and mentally you are exactly the same. However, upon awakening you must complete the ritual again and he automatically gains full control over you when he wishes. The limits to what he can make you do is the same as Dominate, so that you will not harm yourself or do something in direct opposition to your alignment such as killing a friend. Praeter only takes direct control if you would attempt to go against his inclinations, though has the ability whenever he likes.

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Looks good.

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While the individual abilities looks good, this doesn't seem to have enough of a kick to be a level 7 vestige. I'd probably drop it down to a level 6.

The idea of someone's teeth growing back when the pact ends somehow strikes me as odd, but I guess it works.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Regression: Despite your appearance, a day with Praeter is like taking a dip in the fountain of youth. For all intended purposes you revert to the Age Category of Adulthood, gaining a +1 to your physical stats per age category you regressed (minimum +1). Your mental stats are unaffected. You do not age a second while bound to Praeter, nor can you be magically aged.

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I assume everything but the last two sentences reverts when the binding ends?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

Start Over: Each time you make your pact you must decide whether to accept or decline a special offer by Praeter. If you accept he will turn back time for your body and soul if you should die while bound. The exact time of the binding on the next day you awake with no memory of your time bound, but in the exact same shape directly before the binding. Anything taken from you is still gone, but physically and mentally you are exactly the same.

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Wow... is there any practical way around this for an enemy? (considering "ambush him when he reforms before he can complete the ritual again" to NOT be a practical way). If not, then this is the strongest ability of the lot! I can see Epic builds focused around this. Then again, there are tricks one can pull with Astral Travel that are almost as good... and having the PCs needing to figure out how to kill a BBEG who spams this makes a good puzzle.

DOH! Just remembered Flesh to Stone would do it too...

Quote:

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Originally Posted by The Vorpal Tribble

However, upon awakening you must complete the ritual again and he automatically gains full control over you when he wishes. The limits to what he can make you do is the same as Dominate, so that you will not harm yourself or do something in direct opposition to your alignment such as killing a friend. Praeter only takes direct control if you would attempt to go against his inclinations, though has the ability whenever he likes.

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By the fluff I think you mean Charm. Or do you just mean you automatically succeed on any secondary saves? (Does Dominate grant additional saves?)