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Thread: Worth a Thousand Words V

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    Orc in the Playground
     
    MindFlayer

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    Default Re: Worth a Thousand Words V

    Beholderkin Slavemaster

    You think we don't see what you're doing? We see everything! EVERYTHING!!!

    Beholderkin slavemasters take one of the most recognizable and widely-feared monsters across the Material Plane and enslave them, using the eye tyrants' mighty abilities for their own. Where others flee in terror, the slavemasters see valuable resources to add to their toolbelt.

    Adventures: The same ineffable quality that attracts beholderkin slavemasters to the beholders in the first place inspires a similar personality in them - a love for bloodshed, destruction, and treasure. Normal society offers no recourse for obtaining these things lawfully, and so the slavemasters seek these rewards abroad.

    Characteristics: A beholderkin slavemaster is capable of controlling situations, on and off the battlefield, in a variety of interesting ways, by making use (simultaneously) of his various minions' abilities and his own skills and talents.

    Alignment: Being a class that deals extensively and intimately with the horrid and evil creatures known as beholders and their kin, and doing so using the oppressive techniques of domination, drives any and all good characters away from the class.

    Religion: No single deity or ideal unifies the slavemasters, though some may choose to pay a sort of respect to the Great Mother, creator of the beholders.

    Background: While any class can qualify to become a beholderkin slavemaster, their ranks are typically filled out by spellcasters, though rogue-like classes both have the skill points to invest in the requirements and stand to benefit from having plenty of allies on the battlefield.

    Races: No particular race is prominently represented among the slavemasters, but those races who tend to be gentler in nature, such as elves, are more rare. One would never encounter a beholder who has picked up the class; both because they believe themselves to be superior beings and would never subjugate one another in such a way, and because the concept that their own species can be controlled in such a way exposes a primal fear and vulnerability in them such that they avoid even thinking about beholderkin slavemasters whenever possible.

    Other Classes: Other classes which make use of minions relate easily to the slavemasters. They best understand the utility and peril of controlling powerful creatures or great numbers of creatures for one's own gain. Spellcasters and beastmasters (including mounted combatants, etc.) respect the nature of the class's focus, and virtually any martial class can appreciate the value of having several beholderkin in combat at one time, though they maybe feel undervalued among a small army of aberrations. Good and virtuous characters such as paladins loathe the means by which the beholderkin slavemasters accomplish their goals but can not deny their efficacy.

    Role: Between ranged magical attacks and the sheer number of creatures on the battlefield, slavemasters can fulfill the role of flanking buddy, blast-from-the-back support, and combat distraction / aggression-drawing all at once. Their extra eyes make them great lookouts; high-level slavemasters are never caught unawares.

    Adaptation: The concept of the slavemaster could be extended to some iconic species other than beholders; several class features would need to be changed to more accurately reflect the abilities of the new species, and likely some feature other than eyes would mark the slavemaster, as well as serving as the focus for their abilities.

    GAME RULE INFORMATION
    Beholderkin slavemasters have the following game statistics.
    Abilities: Charisma is the most improtant ability for the class, as it determines the save DCs to dominate the beholders in the first place. Dexterity, Wisdom, and Constitution are all equally important as secondary attributes to boost AC and saving throws, as a defense against any beholders that turn against you.
    Alignment: Any nongood.
    Hit Die: d6

    Class Skills
    The beholderkin slavemasters class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Concentration (Con), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Search (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha)

    Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

    Beholderkin Slavemaster
    Level BAB Fort
    Save
    Ref
    Save
    Will
    Save
    Special Spells per Day/Spells Known
    1st
    +0
    +2
    +0
    +2
    Call beholder 1/day, extra eye, ocular domination
    2nd
    +1
    +3
    +0
    +3
    Extra eye +1 level of existing spellcasting class
    3rd
    +1
    +3
    +1
    +3
    Call beholder 2/day, extra eye
    4th
    +2
    +4
    +1
    +4
    Extra eye +1 level of existing spellcasting class
    5th
    +2
    +4
    +1
    +4
    All-around vision, call beholder 3/day, extra eye

    Class Features
    All of the following are class features of the beholderkin slavemaster.

    Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: Beholderkin slavemasters gain no weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Call Beholder (Sp): Beginning at first level, as a full-round action, a beholderkin slavemaster can call forth one beholder or beholderkin creature whose HD do not exceed (1/2 character level plus slavemaster level). He must use this ability while on a plane inhabited by the chosen kind of creature. The creature to be summoned may make a Will save (DC 10 + beholderkin slavemaster level + Charisma modifier) to resist the calling. This is a conjuration (calling) effect, and is useable once per day at first level, twice per day at 3rd level, and 3/day at 5th level.

    Extra Eye (Ex): Each time a level is gained in this class, the beholderkin slavemaster gains an eye anywhere on his body of his choosing. Each eye gained in this way provides a +2 racial bonus on Search and Spot checks.

    Ocular Domination (Su): The beholderkin slavemaster uses his eyes to dominate his namesake creatures. He may control one beholder/kin creature at one time for every extra eye he has gained as a result of levels gained in this class; each creature so controlled must conform to the same HD limitations as those called by the Call Beholder ability. To initiate the control, he may make use a standard action to make a gaze attack at an appropriate target that he can see. The subject must make a Will save (DC 10 + class level + Charisma modifier) or be affected as by dominate monster, except that the domination effect is permanent and new commands can be issued as a swift action (rather than a move action). The same new command can be issued to any number of dominated beholders / beholderkin as a single swift action. Beholders and beholderkin creatures dominated by the slavemaster cannot have thralls of their own, including any creature under a dominate effect.

    Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new beholderkin slavemaster level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class in which he belonged to before he added the prestige class level. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had levels in more than one spellcasting class before he became a slavemaster, he must decide to which class he adds each level of archmage for the purpose of determining spells per day.

    All-Around Vision (Ex): At 5th level, the continuing accumulation of eyes provides the slavemaster with 360 degrees of vision; he cannot be flanked.


    ____________________

    New Feats:

    Extra Eye
    Prerequisite: Extra eye class feature
    Benefit: Gain one additional extra eye.

    Dire Gaze
    Prerequisite: Gaze attack of any kind
    Benefit: Add +2 to the save DC of all your gaze attacks.

    Diligent Spellcaster
    Prerequisites: Spellcasting gained from one or more classes, at least one level of a prestige class which did not advance existing spellcasting
    Benefit: Your caster level, spells per day, and spells known increase as if you gained a level in your existing spellcasting class. You do not gain any other benefits you would have gained from taking an actual level in the class.
    Last edited by ezkajii; 2015-01-20 at 11:28 PM.
    Behold! The Monster Compendium

    My Homebrew.

    78% of DM's started their first campaign in a tavern. If you're one of the 22% that didn't, copy and paste this into your signature.
    Mine started with the intrepid heroes whisked away to a battle gauntlet in the sky by a mystery deity! It was meant to be strictly a playtest but quickly devolved.