Tome of the Holy Grail: Draw Power From Legends. [3.5]

[bekeleven]

Class Design
Goals

• Tier-3 power level
• Capable striker also able to sub into other party roles, containing many utility abilities.
• A spellcaster with shaped and limited powers and spell lists
• Able to multiclass but reward single-classing heavily. A player should want all 20 levels.
• Balance spirits against each other. Some may dominate others for certain play-styles, and some are tilted towards low/high level play, but all are viable and no servants are clearly better than the others.
• Introduce a unique play-style with its own mechanics and a few unique abilities
• No overlap: No two spirits should occupy exactly the same niche in combat. No two servants should get the same weapon. No two weapons should share an ability. No spell should be repeated. More basically, no servant soul should have a spell that duplicates its weapon powers, install buffs, or phantasms.
• The heroic spirit list should include a variety of different playstyles, from concealment modifiers, to powerful healing, to unlimited spellcasting, to powerful curses. Servants contain single-target and area effects, melee and ranged damage, weapon and spells, offense and defense.
• A party can consist of 5-10 servant souls with essentially no overlap in abilities. Has access to the frontline, skirmisher, tank, mage, healer, archer, buffer, and more roles depending on specialization.
• Faithfulness to the source material, Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma Ilya
• Faithfulness to the source material, Fate/Stay Night

Major Version Changes
1.0: Release
1.1: Tweaked Spells per day, added flavor blocks.
1.2: Changed Caster’s noble phantasms, tweaks.
1.3: Huge spell list revisions.
1.4: Changed and updated feats list, other tweaks.
1.5: Tweaked Assassin’s includes.
1.6: Updated and changed feats, overhauled Assassin’s include.
1.7: Alternative servants, large reorganization, added pictures
1.8: Alternative servants, massive cleanup, removed extraordinary include as a feat – it’s an instantaneous conjuration past level 10, the feat is redundant. Extraordinary install was rolled into “Ext. Contract”. Changes to the base Spell list. “Spirit Duality” feat added.
2.0: Includes 1/Encounter; Removed feats Extra Include and Unlimited include; added feats Crystallized Memory, Empowered Install, Increased Output, Prana Concentration. Updated Install save bonuses to explicitly give bonus equaling the difference between “poor” and “good” save progressions. Increased ability boosts slightly. Updated a few installs (scaled bonuses, changed some servants’ granted save, round up on Caster’s caster level increase).
2.0.1: Berserker gets Steadfast Determination from PHBII; replaced Archer's force damage spells with piercing damage/Sword spells. Small clarification/debuff to Anderson Caster's include and install. Added new feat "Phantasmal Pounce".
2.1: Clarified Archer’s include phantasm. Fixed issue with Extraordinary Contract. Buffed Saber’s CL when installing. Altered Saber’s metamagic access. Increased caster level across the board when installing. Updated Miyu’s statblock, which had grown increasingly out of date. Gave Ripper sneak attack (less than Hassan!).
2.1.1: Clarified Arcane Spell Failure language. Clarified language on spirit contracts. Changed Assassin's includes... again.
2.2: Fixed typo on Spirit Devotion. Changed two Assassin include phantasms to debuff instead of killing. Added new prestige class: Spiritual Vassal. Tweaked epic heroic spirit mastery.
2.2.1: Fixed error on Miyu statblock. Slight tweak to Spiritual Vassal’s superior crafting and Spirit Mastery. Clarified issue in Spirit Specialization. Added Spiritual Vassal pictures and fluff, including a statblock for level 9 Kuro Von Einsbern (and she is MEAN). Added four alternative class features: Class Specialist, Legacy Hero, Martial Soul and Spiritual Dilettante.
2.3: Added a new prestige class (Theurgic Servant) as well as a new alternative class feature (Sealing Enforcer). Fixed an issue in Kuro’s stat block (feat qualifications).
2.4: Introducing 7 new heroic spirits, based on the D&D Iconics! In order to accommodate them, Berserker (Heracles) slightly changed weapons. Also buffed the Class Specialist ACF (mastery arrives, albeit late), Martial Soul ACF (increased HD and skills), and Sealing Enforcer ACF (Brilliant Energy is optional), and introduced a new ACF: Initiate Soul. Removed typos from Theurgic Servant.
2.4.1: Fixed typos and clarified language in Vadania’s include and install, and buffed her install. Buffed Krusk’s install. Buffed Black Knight’s spells, and swapped Arturia’s 5th level spell. Fixed a typo on Saber Joan’s entry.
3.0: Seven new heroic spirits from the Fate franchise! Shirou, Li Shuwen, Lu Bu, Tamamo-no-Mae, Elizabeth Bathory, Iskander, and Gawain. Added new ACF: Devoted Soul. Reworked Saber’s Excalibur attack to be much more versatile. Greatly simplified Nero’s Domus Aurea. Buffed Mialee’s, Atalanta’s, Sasaki’s include phantasms, as well as David’s install phantasm. Upped all Archers to 60 ammo. Added new feats: Subsumed Rage and Install Universale. Alternate hero has been tweaked. Allowed transition from includes to installs (it’s come up in play). Massive reorganization of the class and spirits, and cleaning up of language.
3.0.1: Spirit Alignment rules moved to “Adaptations” as a variant rule, and the language was slightly cleaned up. Also clarified language in Mialee’s Renewal, Arturia’s Avalon, Ember's Overpower, and the Heroic Spirit Install description. Fixed typos in Shirou and Drake. Clarified language in Shirou and Tamamo.
3.1: Seven new spirits, based on the Nanoha franchise! The three aces (Nanoha, Fate, and Hayate) are joined by two cloud knights (Signum and Vita), a forward (Teana) and a summoner (Lutecia). New feat: Broken Phantasm. Fixed a typo in Luvia’ stat block and fixed several small style issues in heroic spirits. Disallowed power attack with Gae Bolg (you bet it came up in play). Placed a minimum of 1 die/increase on phantasms.
3.2: Clarified that servant souls can always use magical items summoned by class abilities. Added a (mostly flavor) ability to transform a held weapon into included weapons. Upped include time at level 1. Added a new alternate class feature (Adapted Soul) and related feat (Spirit Versatility).
3.2.1: New feat: Spiritual Cacophony. Elizabeth Bathory’s install phantasm now scales nausea on her con mod. Tamamo-no-Mae’s witchcraft now gains iterative attacks. Fixed some typos.
3.3: Made a number of alterations to Spiritual Vassal to support non-casting souls as well as some souls that summon items besides weapons; granted install in it 2 levels earlier. Changed Spells/Day to an accelerated track that leads to more spells at every level past 1, as well as an increase for the highest or second-highest spell level on every level-up. Nerfed Drake’s install phantasm to only stun for 1 round.
3.4: Introduced a new adaptation: Infused Soul, for players that like binders. Fate's sonic move requires LOE. Diarmuid's shortspear is explicitly a light weapon. Increased Corpse Swallower's range to 30 feet/level. Updated Miyu, Kuro and Luvia's increased spells per day, and slightly reworded Miyu's fluff block. Noted proficiency with summoned shields.
3.4.1: Buffed both of Gawain’s phantasms (Numeral of the Saint no longer ends an include, and Knight of the Sun hits with an AoE even if the roll misses). Signum’s Biting Snake is explicitly magical. Nero’s Aurea now requires an extra save. Modified devoted soul to qualify for a few things it was missing.
4.0: New Base Class: Legacy Gatekeeper! Create portals to the vaults of the king’s treasury and requisition weapons, shields, goods, and magical flying machines. Comes with two feats and two ACFs, and integrates into the tome’s feats, prestige classes, and heroic spirits. Buffed Lidda’s include to summon tools instead of a crappy sword. Reduced penalties in Arturia and Signum’s infusions.
4.1: Buffed Class Specialist by exchanging its bonus servant soul feats for class-specific boosts. Tweaked Gilgamesh’s install slightly. Cleaned up wording in Archer Shirou’s include and Kuro’s Statblock.
4.2: New ACF: Sage Soul, for all your spellcasting needs (consider going into Theurgic Servant).
4.3: Added 4 invocations, so warlocks and Dragonfire Adepts can make more deals with more extraplanar entities. Updated wording to use generic "Contractor level" instead of Servant Soul Level/Class Level.
4.3.1: Added some restrictions in Phantasm Prototype. Martial Soul levels count as fighter levels. Fixed a few typos.
4.3.2: Altered David, Vlad, St. George, and Arturia to use Holy/Unholy damage rather than Positive/Negative energy damage, since positive energy damage is quite often useless. Also made a note that spirits with no types may select any Spiritual Boon (Spiritual Vassal). Thanks for the notes, Bacchante!
5.0: A new prestige class based on eternal installs, and seven new heroic spirits based on Magic: The Gathering! Also: Cleaned up language in Heroic Spirit Include; Spirit Devotion; Lesser Contract; Epic Servant Souls; Black Knight’s Install; Nanoha’s Install Phantasm; the contractor feats header; the legacy gatekeeper feats header; Hayate’s Install phantasm; multiple locations in Bazett’s stats; references to spirit types; and a few spell lists. Also changed Hassan’s spells, buffed Sealing Enforcer, added more tables and images.
5.1: Absorbed Strengthened Connection into Reinforced Bond. Altered the rate at which Heroic Mediums gain skills and ready spirits. Nerfed Magic Resistance, Monstrous Strength, Military Tactics, and Clairvoyance. Buffed Riding and Oblivion Correction. Clarified Information Erasure. Fixed scattered typos.
5.1.1: Note on Heroic Mediums casting spells.

Balance Notes: Why is the Servant Soul tier 3?
Simply put, because it has no powers that could rival a full caster. They start with 4 spells, learn 1 spell each level, + 5 more per servant. So the average servant soul would know a total of 58 spells at level 20. Sounds like a lot until you realize that under the majority of combat situations, only 5 of them can be used, and it’s not pick-and-choose either. In addition, although I occasionally cribbed from level+1, their spells only go to level 5. The most powerful spells on their spell list are Heal/Harm, Wrack, Freedom of Movement, antimagic field, shadow evocation, hero’s feast, and a few other similar ones.

The class is MAD as hell and not going to take it anymore. Designed for largely melee fighting with a D8 HD and light armor, meaning that it requires DEX and CON to not keel over and explode. The class uses weapons on nearly all Spirits and all of the weapons use STR (including composite bows and slings with Archer). The class casts its spells off of Int, and has some limited utility in its skill list as well. CON makes a comeback when it comes to noble phantasm save DCs. A servant soul can maybe justify dumping WIS or CHA.

The class is feat-heavy. Not as bad as some I’ve seen, but I can’t justify building a Servant Soul pre-epic and not including Quicker Install. Faster Phantasm is a gimme pick as well. Battle caster is good for mithril full-plate, and power attack of course, especially since when fighting it has full BAB but with 3/4 BAB worth of attacks. Even if some installs give a few bow feats or what have you, the class needs some investment, even given the bonus feats throughout its career.

The class similarly punishes multiclassing. When I build classes I like to make a class you want to take 20 levels in, due to its solid progression of power and abilities you can’t pass up. I avoided the concept of “dead levels” entirely, making sure that every level contained at least one goodie (discrete class feature or spell level). I made feats for if a player really wanted to multiclass, but if you want the full power of the Spirits you possess, you need to take 2 of them every 7 levels – in other words, all of your feats. If somebody wanted to dip the class for 1 level and spend half of his feats on Strengthened Connection for a single kickass weapon + phantasm, I won’t stop him. I don’t think it’s a good build, but I won’t stop him. Giving up two of the 3 noteworthy abilities - installs at 6, mastery at 15 – makes the class somewhat dull.

Most of the ACFs are just ways to go down to tier 4 with style. Devoted Soul is my favorite, especially for investment-heavy spirits like Kojiro, Vlad, or Iskander.

Special Thanks
This was originally Nekomata's class idea. Since then he's worked out many of the mechanics, provided balance help, and ideas for spirits and ACFs.

He's also a member of my RP group, which tests the Servant Soul, among other things. Other members are Nathiel, Rycass, Tahosa, and Zaelix.

Fizban's given me endless feedback on balance and playability. Besides myself and my D&D group, also the only known player. Thanks for the playtesting!

Homebrew Requests
Make whatever you want, just link me when you post it.