I Shall Not Fall [Prestige] [PEACH]

[Reinboom]

"Here I stand, the mountain before you. And forever, shall I stand." — General Suno of the Walking Mountains

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|

+0

|

+2

|

+0

|

+2

|Damage Reduction, Unmoveable

2nd|

+1

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Venom Immunity, Ability Damage Reduction

3rd|

+2

|

+3

|

+0

|

+3

|Harmony of Body (Petrification), Harmony of Mind (Resist)

4th|

+3

|

+4

|

+0

|

+4

|Harmony of Body (Fast Healing 2), Harmony of Mind (Fear)

5th|

+3

|

+4

|

+0

|

+4

|Harmony of Body (Negative Energy), Harmony of Mind (Blindsight)

6th|

+4

|

+5

|

+0

|

+5

|Harmony of Body (Life), Harmony of Mind (Mind Blank)

[/table]

Alignment: Any
Hit Die: 1d20 (Any game mechanics other than GM ruling can't allow you modify or reroll this roll)
Class Skills:
Climb (Str) ,Craft (Int) ,Diplomacy (Cha) ,Intimidate (Cha) ,Listen (Wis) ,Spot (Wis) , and Survival (Wis) .
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.

Requirements
To qualify to become a mountain, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Character Level: 8
Base Attack Bonus: +6
Feats: Endurance, Great Fortitude, Iron Will, and proficiency with all armor (heavy, medium, and light)

A character may also have a base fortitude save of +6 instead of the Great Fortitude feat and/or a base will save of +6 instead of the Iron Will feat.

Class Features
All of the following are features of the mountain prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Mountains gains no weapon or armor proficiency.

Damage Reduction (Ex): A mountain gains Damage Reduction equal to its mountain level. Subtract 1 from the damage the mountain takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. Damage reduction gained this way stacks with previous extraordinary damage reduction.

Unmoveable (Ex): A mountain gains a bonus equal to four times its mountain level against any attempts to grapple, lift, push, bull rush, overrun, throw, trip, or any other attempt to force the subject to move against its will whether by physical or magical means.

Ability Damage Reduction (Ex): Beginning at 2nd level, whenever a mountain would be dealt ability damage or ability drain, reduce the amount taken by her mountain level, minus one.

Venom Immunity (Ex): At 2nd level, a mountain gains immunity to all poisons.

Harmony of Body and Mind (Ex): Beginning at 3rd level, a mountain has finally begone the stages of its harmonous transition. Each level offers a new ability based on this transition. Whenever the class moves more than twice the base land speed standard to its race during a single round, they lose all benefits of the Harmony of Body and Harmony of Mind abilities for 2 rounds. They do not lose these benefits from baleful movement such as being pushed or falling or by moving due to a spell with the (Teleportation) descriptor.

Harmony of Body (Petrification)(Ex): By 3rd level, a mountain has finally begone the stages of its harmonous transition. Through full brute power, the mountain has learned to shrug off the affects of restrictive transormation. The mountain gains immunity to all petrification.

Harmony of Mind (Resist)(Ex): At 3rd level, a mountain also has become extremely mentally focused and is able to resist many mental intrusions. The mountain gains a +4 bonus to resist mind-affecting spells and effects and to resist fear effects.

Harmony of Body (Fast Healing)(Ex): At 4th level, a mountain has gained an understanding over the healing processes of their own body and has become able to subconsciously improve upon it. The mountain gains fast healing 2.

Harmony of Mind (Fear)(Ex): At 4th level, a mountain has learned to trust in their own capabilities in even the most horrendous of situations. The mountain gains immunity to all fear effects.

Harmony of Body (Negative Energy)(Ex): At 5th level, a mountain has developed a sense of how to resist the pull negative energy. They gain an immunity to energy drain.

Harmony of Mind (Perception)(Ex): At 5th level, a mountain becomes in tune to its surroundings and is able to percieve more than just what the eye permits. As long as they can hear, they gain blindsight out to 20 feet.

Harmony of Body (Life)(Ex): At 6th level, the mountain live as the mountains, whether on sea or on land. They no longer require food or air to live, and thus can not suffocate or be damaged from starvation. The mountain no longer takes ability score penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged. Any penalties she may have already incurred, however, remain in place. Bonuses still accrue, and the mountain still dies of old age when her time is up, though at a later time than normal. The mountain also ages at one fourth the rate standard for their race from the point they gain this ability.

Harmony of Mind (Mind Blank)(Ex): At 6th level, the mountain becomes focused to such a degree as to allow them to ignore the effects of anything that attempts to detect, influence, or read emotions or thoughts. This protects the mountain from all mind-effecting spells and effects and all information gathering by divination spells and effects. This effect is as the spell mind blank but permanent.

[Yeril]

First problem.

Prerequsiites, Bab +8 and reflex BELOW +3? Dex lower than 11?

"Sorry mate your not allowed to join us, your too dexterious, come back when a freak accident permenantly reduces your dexterity."

and "Hmph well your a good high level! welcome to the- wait a minute, your a level 12 fighter, sorry mate we only allow level 8-11 fighters join us, get out."

seems very very silly.

[Reinboom]

First problem.

Prerequsiites, Bab +8 and reflex BELOW +3? Dex lower than 11?

"Sorry mate your not allowed to join us, your too dexterious, come back when a freak accident permenantly reduces your dexterity."

and "Hmph well your a good high level! welcome to the- wait a minute, your a level 12 fighter, sorry mate we only allow level 8-11 fighters join us, get out."

seems very very silly.

Easiest way I could think of to restrict highly dexterous classes from taking this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

[PhoeKun]

Easiest way I could think of to restrict highly dexterous classes from taking this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Usually, the way to do that is by adding requirements that would be counter-intuitive for high-dex builds. Things like Power Attack, high BAB (since most full BAB classes I can think of tend not to favor dex-builds), a high Fort save, heavy armor proficiency, ranks in skills that are found in low-dex classes, and other things like that. There are a bunch of classes, like the Cavalier, that have very restrictive requirements. Try looking at those, and see if any ideas come to you.

It's always better to make players work towards having something, instead of trying to prevent them from having something else.

[Mr.Moron]

Easiest way I could think of to restrict highly dexterous classes from taking this. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

All benefits only apply when wearing heavy armor. It might be slightly off the flavor you want, but it's effective at least. Also, d20 HD is highly unconventional. A flat boost to hp/HD simliar to Improved Toughness might be the way to go. A base fortitude save requirement would also be more in line with standard mechanics for prestige classes than a CON requirement.

[Reinboom]

Modified and did away with the wonky requirements.
I'm keeping the d20 HD on the notion only of, that, one of the reasons I wanted to make the class at all was just to get away with using a d20 for HD - and a way to flavorly make it work.

[Maldraugedhen]

d20 HD is highly random. Might be a good idea to allow a reroll, or change it to 2D10, or something.

[PhoeKun]

Dice are highly random in general. It's no different than a d12, except its bigger and has a higher average roll. Which, shockingly enough, is how all dice seem to work as you scale larger in size.

As a concept for a class, d20 hit dice makes me smile. It doesn't really need changing.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Damage Reduction (Ex): A mountain gains Damage Reduction equal to its mountain level. Subtract 1 from the damage the mountain takes each time he is dealt damage from a weapon or a natural attack. At each even-numbered level after, this damage reduction rises by 1 point. Damage reduction can reduce damage to 0 but not below 0. Damage reduction gained this way stacks with previous extraordinary damage reduction.

This is self-contradicting. First, it says that a mountain gains DR X/-, where X is equal to his class level. Then, immediately afterwards, it says that a mountain gains DR 1/- at 1st level, DR 2/- at 2nd level, and DR3/- at 4th level. Which is it? Does a 5th-level mountain have DR 5/- or DR 3/-?

Harmony of Body (Petrification)(Ex): By 3rd level, a mountain has finally begone the stages of its harmonous transition. Through full brute power, the mountain has learned to shrug off the effects of restrictive transormation. The mountain gains immunity to all petrification.

The intent and mechanical effect of the ability is clear, but the fluff is a bit awkwardly worded. Also, I think you mean "begun," not "begone," which are two very different words.

Harmony of Mind (Resist)(Ex): At 3rd level, a mountain also has become extremely mentally focused and is able to resist many mental intrusions. The mountain gains a +4 bonus to resist mind-effecting spells and effects and to resist fear effects.

Should be "mind-affecting spells and effects".

Harmony of Mind (Mind Blank)(Ex): At 6th level, the mountain becomes focused to such a degree as to allow them to ignore the effects of anything that attempts to detect, influence, or read emotions or thoughts. This protects the mountain from all mind-effecting spells and effects and all information gathering by divination spells and effects. This effect is as the spell mind blank but permanent.

If "this effect is as the spell mind blank but permanent," then shouldn't this be a spell-like or supernatural ability rather than an extraordinary one?

[Reinboom]

Ah, crud, a bit of leftover text from my unseen prestige class that I ripped to shreds to make this be where that extra line in the DR came from. Oops, omitted!
The rest is just minor errors. Fixed. Thanks.

If "this effect is as the spell mind blank but permanent," then shouldn't this be a spell-like or supernatural ability rather than an extraordinary one?

No.
It's as the spell in the sense of how it works, but not it's source. This is directly becoming harmonized with your mind and becoming simple - or foreign - in ways of thought.
Mind blank is a spell blanketing over your mind.
Sort of like how a Molotov cocktail and fireball both provide fire damage.

[Charlie Kemek]

what about changing hd to d10+5? it wouldn't be as random, 5-15, as 1-20, and isn't as unusual, so in my opinion, basically give it d10 hd, and give it some class feature with +5 hp every level. i would also add toughness or improved toughness to the requirements. why does it get a good will save?

[Lord Iames Osari]

what about changing hd to d10+5? it wouldn't be as random, 5-15, as 1-20, and isn't as unusual, so in my opinion, basically give it d10 hd, and give it some class feature with +5 hp every level. i would also add toughness or improved toughness to the requirements. why does it get a good will save?

Firstly, math error: 1d10+5 would have a range of 6-15, not 5-15.

As for why it has a good Will save, tell me, have you ever seen a mountain get charmed or dominated?

[Reinboom]

Nope, sorry, the main thing I won't change on this is the HD. If you wish it to be different, then use it differently.

For the will save:
It's idealed as more of a 'harmony with oneself' style class. Which is very much a mental power thing as well as physical (hence the naming convention of the abilities).
The idea is to become as a mountain, able to control all willpower to stand strong for years.

-edit-

As for why it has a good Will save, tell me, have you ever seen a mountain get charmed or dominated?

I keep trying to charm the mountain, but it just won't reply to my notes of love.

[Darkantra]

Opening nitpick, if a Mountain is required to have every armor proficiency before taking this PRC then you should just state that they gain no armor proficiencies, rather than all.

While I find the PRC concept interesting it seems hideously powerful. Mechanics-wise there's no reason why every dwarven fighter wouldn't become a mountain at level 8. They'd lose some feats, sure, but they'd gain reduction or immunity to almost everything that can cripple a regular fighter, higher saves and the same BAB.

Most PRCs have ability specific restrictions to limit characters to one form or combat or roleplaying, like not being able to use the abilities if they wear medium or heavier armor, in order to keep mechanics between classes balanced. You should put in a few restrictions in as well, because as it is there's nothing stopping a Mountain from being hasted and then charging through the battlefield like a dervish.

An ideal one would be to completely limit the Mountain to it's base speed after armor penalties. In no way could their speed be magically or mundanely enhanced. This would effectively keep all medium sized creatures at a 20 ft movement rate. Try to work something like this into the Unmoveable feature, I feel that it works with the flavour of the class

You should probably have a Wisdom requirement for this class too since so many of it's abilities revolve around philosophically, mentally and physically emulating mounatins. Maybe something like Wis 15 required to enter the PRC, and possibly some fluff where they have to meditate on a mountain for X amount of time.

I'm also not too sure about having diplomacy as a class skill. Why would someone who wishes to emulate a towering, uncompromisable, mountain be able to express themselves with grace?

You might want to consider extending this PRC out to 10 levels, and changing the BAB to 3/4 for balance. While I don't have any problem with most of the abilities this class gains, they get them way too quickly. As for the attacks, again the class seems to focus a lot in the fluff and in the crunch on embracing an ideal not martial prowess, so the reduction fits. Here's my recomendation.

1: Damage Reduction (equal to 1/2 class level), Unmoveable (bonus equal to 2x class level)
2: Ability Damage Reduction (equal to 1/2 class level)
3: Immunity (poison)
4: Harmony of Mind (Resist)
5: Harmony of Body (Petrification)
6: Harmony of Body (Fast Healing)
7: Harmony of Mind (Fear)
8: Harmony of Body (Negative Energy)
9: Harmony of Mind (Perception)
10: Harmony of Mind (Mind Blank), Harmony of Body (Life)

(Sorry for the back and forth writing, began before dinner and finished afterwards!)

[Illiterate Scribe]

I like it, but I think that you should really de-emphasise its offensive capabilities - they currently don't fit with the concept of some sort of highly enlightened character who channels that into immense personal and inner resilience, rather than on 'l33t m4rt141 4rtz sk1115'.

Maybe give it some nifty skills such as autohypnosis as a class skill (mostly flavour, but gets the nice contemplative feel).

My recommended changes -

1/2 BAB - harsh, but helps de-emphasise the 'fighterness of it'. A similar decrease in entry requirements could balance this.

Autohypnosis.

Energy resistance - a small amount of universal energy resistance could round out the protection.

I'm personally imagining how awesome a Mountain/Void Incarnate would be.

[Reinboom]

3/4 BAB.
Put in a movement restriction (which is something I was already debating).

+6 BAB, +6 Fort, +6 Will for requirements?

The issue is, I want this to be a "fighter" achievable PrC. And now I'm also debating adjusting it to possibly fit knight into it.
For this, I wont bring the BAB down to 1/2 - I just need a way to properly adjust the intro requirements.

Also : for the concentrated immunities that it gets. Mind... -it- gets these. Its teammate's don't (unless they all become this). I'm not going to stretch its progress out much further.

I will do the next set of changes all at once - after I sleep on it.

[Darkantra]

Having a wisdom requirement rather than a will might be the better bet since it will make it easier for fighters to qualify. Plus it's usually a good move for a fighter to have a decent wisdom score for the extra saves anyways.

[Reinboom]

It now has 3/4 BAB.

I changed around the requirements significantly as to appeal to both the standard high fort, high BAB class as well as knights, clerics, and favored souls - since it would make sense for certain clerics to strive for this (roleplay reasons).

[DracoDei]

Just to avoid cheese... (and any GM who DIDN'T disallow these is already out of his MIND)...
Explicitly state that NO you CAN'T use Action Points and probably not the Luck Domain ability or similar things to alter the d20 roll for hp

[Reinboom]

... *giggle fit*

Added - of course. Thanks.
Are there any other glaring issues with the requirements or abilities that anyone could find?