[Screen Name] Grand Scorpina

[Scorpina]

Issack stumbled upwards into the harsh yet welcome glare of the hot desert sun. For too long he had languished beneath the sands investigating these ruins, unearthed by a recent sandstorm. It appeared to the young archeologist to be some sort of temple to a long forgotten scorpion diety. He had surmised that it was a goddess, rather than a god from mossaics within the temple, and from scriptures carved into the granite walls he had come up with the phrase "Knights of the Scorpion". Holy warriors of the goddess, perhaps? He knelt down in the sand, spreading out the historical artifacts he had collected on the ground. From his sack, a small scorpion crawled. Issac, lifted his foot, poised to crush the vermin, when suddenly its shape changed...it became human....

A Grand Scorpina is a High Priestess of a Long Forgotten Scorpion Diety, whos name is largely forgotten. This is due in part at least to the Scorpina's policy of executing all those who dared to utter it aloud.

The Grand Scorpinas, and their servant warriors, the acclaimed Knights of the Scorpion, had ruled the desert with a tyranical iron hand centuries past, and yet mysteriously their power waned, until now there are but a few outposts remaining within the merciless sands.

Requirements:
In order to become a Grand Scorpina, a character must meet the following requirements
Alignment: Any Non-Good Non-Chaotic
Gender: Female
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 Ranks, Knowledge (History) 6 Ranks, Decipher Script 4 Ranks
Special: Must have gained knowledge of the Forgotten Scorpion Goddess and accepted her as her deity.


Class Skills:
The Grand Scorpina's class skills (and the keyability for each skill) are Appraise (Int) Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion) and Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

Grand Scorpina
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Scorpion Shape (Own Size), Venom Immunity.
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Comman Scorpions
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 Scorpion Shape (Witin One Size Category of own Size)
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 -
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Scorpion's Mind
6th +3 +2 +2 +5 Scorpion Shape (Within 2 size categories of own size)
7th +3 +2 +2 +5 Call of the Goddess
8th +4 +2 +2 +6 -
9th +4 +3 +3 +6 Scorpion Shape (wihin 3 size categories of won size)
10th +5 +3 +3 +7 Embrace of the Goddess

Spells Per Day:
Level 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
1 5 3
2 5 3 1
3 6 4 2
4 6 4 2 1
5 6 5 3 2 1
6 6 6 4 3 2
7 6 6 3 3 2 1
8 6 6 4 4 3 2
9 6 6 4 4 3 2 1
10 6 6 5 5 4 3 2

Class Features:
The following are the class features of the Grand Scorpina prestige class.
Weapon and Armour Proficienct: Grand Scorpinas gain no weapon or armour proficiences.
Spells: The Grand Scorpina gains access to divine spels. Her spells are based on Wisdom, so casting any given spell requires a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spells level. The DC for saving throws against these spells is 10 + spell level + the Grand Scorpina's Wisdom modifier. A Grand Scorpina prepares and casts spells in the same way as a Cleric does, but she must chose them from the spell list below.
Scorpion Shape: Once per day for every level of Grand Scorpina she has, a Grand Scorpina may assume the shape of a Monstorous Scorpion (Monster Manual) of her own size category. At 3rd level, she can assume the shape of a monstorous scorpion of her own size category and one size category smaller or larger (i.e. Small, Medium or Large for a Medium Grand Scorpina) at 6th Level she may assume the shape of a Monstorous Scorpion of a size category within two steps of her own, and at 9th level of any size category within 3 steps of her own. This ability otherwise functions like the druid's wild shape (Players Handbook).
Venom Immunity: Also at 1st level, the Grand Scorpina becomes immune to the poison of all monstrous scorpions.
Command Scorpions: Starting at 2nd level a Grand Scorpina may command or rebuke monstorous scorpions as an evil cleric commands undead (Players Handbook).
Scorpion's Mind: At 5th level the Grand Scorpina becomes attuned to the vermin which she worships and gains immunity to all Mind-Affecting effects.
Call of the Goddess: At 7th level the Grand Scorpina may summon 1d8 small Monstorous Scorpions, 1d6 medium Monstorous Scorpions or 1d4 large monstorous scorpions once per day. She may use this ability twice per day at 9th level, and at 10th level the number of scorpions summoned increases to 1d10 (small) 1d8 (medium) or 1d6 (large). At the DM's discretion, the Grand Scorpina may be able to summon monstorous scorpions of different size categories.
Embrace of the Goddess: At 10th level the Grand Scorpina becomes at one with her lost goddess and her scorpion kin. She permantly takes on the Vermin type, the Augmented subtype and is treated as a Monstorous Scorpion for all effects regarding them (including the Command Scorpions ability of other Grand Scorpinas.).

Grand Scorpina Spell List:
Grand Scorpinas choose their spells from the following list:
0 Level: Acid Splash, Create Water, Cure Minor Wounds, Detect Magic, Detect Poison, Guidance Inflict Minor Wounds, Know Direction, Light Read Magic, Resistance, Touch of Fatigue
1st Level: Burning Hands, Cause Fear, Command, Comprehend Languages, Cure Light Wounds, Delay Poison, Produce Flame, Endure Elements, Faerie Fire, Fog Cloud, Inflict Light Wounds, Longstrider, Magic Fang, Obscuring Mist
2nd Level: Acid Arrow, Contagion, Cure Moderate Wounds, Death Knell, Flame Blade, Flaming Sphere, Gust of Wind, Heat Metal, Hold Animal, Hold Person, Identify, Inflict Moderate Wounds, Resist Energy, Scorching Ray, Soften Earth and Stone, Summon Swarm
3rd Level: [i]Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Cure Serious Wounds, Dispel Magic, Giant Vermin, Inflict Serious Wounds, Neutralize Poison, Poison, Protection from Energy, Remove Blindness/Deafness, Remove Curse, Remove Disease, Repel Vermin, Stinking Cloud
4th Level: Black Tentacles, Crushing Dispair, Cure Critical Wounds, Enervation, Lesser Geas, Inflict Critical Wounds, Insect Plague, Solid Fog, Spike Stones, Tongues, Vampiric Touch
5th Level: Acid Fog, Antilife Shell, Atonement, Baleful Polymorph, Cloudkill, Creeping Doom, Dominate Person, Greater Dispel Magic, Hold Monster, Repulsion, Slay Living, Stone Skin, Teleport, Transmute Mud to Rock, Transmute Rock to Mud
6th Level: Analyze Dweomer, Antimagic Field, Antipathy, Energy, Finger of Death, Drain Geas/Quest, Harm, Heal, Horrid Wilting, Insanity, Limited Wish

[Zagaroth]

Very evil

I like it. :)

[AngelSword]

Quite intriguing. It is definitely a very unique class.

[guessmith]

Wow, great PrC!

This will definitely be used in my game - next week! It fits well with an evil cult of poison, that my PCs have been trying to stop.

Thanks, Scorpina!

[Musrum]

Scorpion Shape: Once per day for every level of Grand Scorpina she has, a Grand Scorpina may assume the shape of a Monstorous Scorpion (Monster Manual) of her own size category. At 3rd level, she can assume the shape of a monstorous scorpion of her own size category and one size category smaller or larger (i.e. Small, Medium or Large for a Medium Grand Scorpina) at 6th Level she may assume the shape of a Monstorous Scorpion of a size category within two steps of her own, and at 9th level of any size category within 3 steps of her own. This ability otherwise functions like the druid's wild shape (Players Handbook).

It might be an idea to C&P the wildshape ability from the SRD and modify it. Firstly wildshape references polymorph so it can be frustating to keep chasing references down. Secondly the druid's wildshape is limited to HD <= druid levels. I'm sure this is not what you want because you have the size category mechanic but a literal reading would have you apply both rules.
[hr]
Nasty...

[Zherog]

Overall, this is a nice class. I see it being more for NPC's than PC's, but that's OK. Comments below.

<<snipped flavor text>>

Good flavor text. But... it leaves me wondering about the "Knights of the Scorpion." You gonna post them, too? ;)

Requirements:
In order to become a Grand Scorpina, a character must meet the following requirements
Alignment: Any Non-Good Non-Chaotic
Gender: Female
Skills: Knowledge (Religion) 8 Ranks, Knowledge (History) 6 Ranks, Decipher Script 4 Ranks
Special: Must have gained knowledge of the Forgotten Scorpion Goddess and accepted her as her deity.

Interesting requirements. It seems that Wizard or Bard would have the best shot getting in, due to the ranks needed in Knowledge (History) and Decipher Script. Is that what you had in mind? I'd think other classes (such as Cleric, Rogue, etc) would be the ones you want coming in here. If so, you may wanna tweak the requirements a bit to make it easier for those classes to get in.

Class Skills:
The Grand Scorpina's class skills (and the keyability for each skill) are Appraise (Int) Concentration (Con), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Knowledge (History), Knowledge (Religion) and Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int Modifier

Is everybody tired of me suggesting Craft and Profession should be class skills yet? ;)

Class Features:
The following are the class features of the Grand Scorpina prestige class.
Weapon and Armour Proficienct: Grand Scorpinas gain no weapon or armour proficiences.

You spelled "Armor" wrong. :P :P :P :P :P

Spells: <<snipped the text>>

If you intend for this to be a class a spellcaster would enter (a wizard, cleric, etc), you might be better off granting +1 spellcasting rather than it's own list. Just a thought. If you want it open to all sorts of classes, this is a good option, though.

Scorpion Shape:<<snipped>>

Seems OK. As Musrum suggested, you'll need to point out exactly how this ability differs from Wildshape, otherwise it inherits everything.

Command Scorpions: <<snipped>>

I'll assume only Grand Scorpina levels count? What if the character had previous levels in Cleric? What if the character's cleric domain(s) already allowed them to Command or Rebuke vermin (I'm sure there's one somewhere that does this)? Do any or all of those stack? Nice ability - just needs some slight clarifications.

Also - it's spelled wrong in the table.

Scorpion's Mind: <<snipped>>

nice ability.

Call of the Goddess: At 7th level the Grand Scorpina may summon 1d8 small Monstorous Scorpions, 1d6 medium Monstorous Scorpions or 1d4 large monstorous scorpions once per day. She may use this ability twice per day at 9th level, and at 10th level the number of scorpions summoned increases to 1d10 (small) 1d8 (medium) or 1d6 (large). At the DM's discretion, the Grand Scorpina may be able to summon monstorous scorpions of different size categories.

What type of action is this ability - standard, move, full round, etc?

Embrace of the Goddess: At 10th level the Grand Scorpina becomes at one with her lost goddess and her scorpion kin. She permantly takes on the Vermin type, the Augmented subtype and is treated as a Monstorous Scorpion for all effects regarding them (including the Command Scorpions ability of other Grand Scorpinas.).

I like this abliity except....

You are essentially allowing a character with level 2 in this class to command a character of level 10 in this class. That doesn't seem right to me.

Grand Scorpina Spell List:

Energy, Finger of Death, Drain

I snipped most of the spell list. I think you probably pasted Finger of Death into the wrong spot there. ;)

The list is OK, but I have one personal beef. I don't like seeing arcane spells (such as Limited Wish for example) appearing on Divine spell lists. It's just a personal thing, though - I think Divine Casters already have enough good spells, and some of the really good ones should be left as Arcane only.

***

Overall, it's a fairly solid class. It would make for an awesome evil cult in a game!

[Fsi-Dib]

Truly, this one is quite unique. Wild shaping into scorpions.

And Zherog, armour is not spelled wrong. Armour and armor are the very same thing, armour just is the british way to write it.

[Zherog]

And Zherog, armour is not spelled wrong. Armour and armor are the very same thing, armour just is the british way to write it.

See all those :P smilies after my comment? ;)

And incidentally - it's also how the Canucks and Aussies spell it.

[penguinscanfly81]

But the second level ability, "Comman Scorpions" Is spelled wrong. Or is that British too? :P

[Adghar]

... You do know that it's supposed to be Command Scorpions, and not Common Scorpions, right? Well anyways, did you ever know a European language that excluded use of D's? Well, did you?! That's what I thought.

You are essentially allowing a character with level 2 in this class to command a character of level 10 in this class. That doesn't seem right to me.

No, only allowing a character with level 2 in this class to command a level 1-4 in this class... Note the 5th level ability.. I'm pretty sure that Command Scorpions would be a mind-effecting ability... But if I'm wrong, then still, the 10th level Grand Scorpina would have a pretty good saving throw for scorpion turning/rebuking/destroying/controlling.