Secrets and Mysteries [PrC]

[The Demented One]

Keeper of Secrets

It is said that, deep within multiverse, where the Plane of Shadows touches the Plane of Dreams, there are two houses, in which live two brothers and storytellers. One is known as the House of Secrets, the other the House of Mysteries. Keepers of Secrets are users of shadow magic who have visited these houses in their dreams, and learned their stories. With the umbral magic of a shadowcaster and the storytelling skill of a bard, they whisper dark secrets and occult mysteries to master the dark.

Hit Die: d6.

Requirements
To qualify to become a Keeper of Secrets, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Feats: Dreamtelling^HoH
Skills: Knowledge (The Planes) 8 ranks, Perform (Storytelling) 6 ranks
Mysteries: Capable of casting 2nd level mysteries
Special: Must be capable of using bardic music

Class Skills
The Keeper of Secrets’ class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Knowledge (The Planes) (Int), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), and Spot (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

{table]
[tr][td]Level[/td]
[td]BAB[/td]
[td]Fort[/td]
[td]Ref[/td]
[td]Will[/td]
[td]Special[/td]
[td]Mysteries[/td]
[/tr][td]1st[/td][td]+0[/td]
[td]+0[/td][td]+2[/td][td]+2[/td]
[td]Fabled lore, secret stories[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]2nd[/td][td]+1[/td]
[td]+0[/td][td]+3[/td][td]+3[/td]
[td]–[/td][td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]3rd[/td][td]+2[/td][td]+1[/td][td]+3[/td]
[td]+3[/td][td]Shadow enchantment[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]4th[/td][td]+3[/td][td]+1[/td][td]+4[/td]
[td]+4[/td][td]–[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]5th[/td][td]+3[/td][td]+1[/td][td]+4[/td]
[td]+4[/td][td]–[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]6th[/td][td]+4[/td][td]+2[/td][td]+5[/td]
[td]+5[/td][td]Lore of the shadows[/td][td]–[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]7th[/td][td]+5[/td][td]+2[/td][td]+5[/td]
[td]+5[/td][td]–[/td][td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]8th[/td][td]+6[/td][td]+2[/td]
[td]+6[/td][td]+6[/td]
[td]Horrific Secret[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]9th[/td][td]+6[/td][td]+3[/td]
[td]+6[/td][td]+6[/td][td]–[/td]
[td]+1 level of existing casting class[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]10th[/td][td]+7[/td][td]+3[/td]
[td]+7[/td][td]+7[/td]
[td]Weave Mythos[/td][td]–[/td][/tr]
[/table]
Class Features
All the following are class features of the Keeper of Secrets prestige class.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Keepers of Secrets gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Mysteries
When a new Keeper of Secrets level is attained, the character gains new mysteries per day and mysteries known as if he had also attained a level in any one mystery-casting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of either class would have gained. If a character had more than one mystery casting class before he became a Keeper of Secrets, he must decide to which class he adds each level of Keeper of Secrets to for purpose of determining mysteries per day, and caster level.

Fabled Lore (Ex)
A Keeper of Secrets may make a Perform (Storytelling) check in place of a Knowledge check.

Secret Stories (Ex)
Keeper of Secret levels stack with Bard levels for determining how many daily uses of bardic music he receives.

Shadow Enchantment (Sp)
As a standard action, a 3rd level Keeper of Secrets with 9 or more ranks in Perform (Storytelling) may expend one or more daily uses of his bardic music class feature to use any arcane spell of 3rd level or lower of the enchantment school as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to his class level and a Cha-based DC. However, in before the target or targets of the spell make their saves against the spell, they may make a Will save. If they succeed, the spell is only partially real to them; it only has a 20% chance to successfully affect them. For every additional bardic muse use expend, the chance to successfully affect a creature increases by 5%, and for every two uses expended, the level of spell that can be emulated increases by one.

Lore of the Shadows (Su)
A 6th level Keeper of Secrets with 12 or more rank in Perform (Storytelling) can whisper dark secrets to instill his mysteries with occult power. As a move action, he may utter a dark secret by expending a daily use of his bardic music class feature and making a Perform (Storytelling) check. The next mystery he casts before the end of his next round gains a bonus to its caster level, depending on the result of his check.

{table]
[tr][td]Perform Check Result[/td]
[td]Caster Level Bonus[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]20 or less[/td][td]+0[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]21-25[/td][td]+1[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]26-29[/td][td]+2[/td][/tr]
[tr][td]30 or more[/td][td]+3[/td][/tr]
[/table]
Horrific Secret (Su)
An 8th level Keeper of Secrets with 14 ranks or more in perform can tell a secret story of things that should not be that demoralize all foes who can hear him by expending a daily use of his bardic music as a standard action. This ability last for as long as the Keeper tells the story, and for five rounds after. All enemies that can hear the story take a -4 penalty on all attack and damage rolls, skill checks, and saves. At the end of the ability’s duration, all affected enemies must make a Will save, DC 10 + the Keeper’s class level + the Keeper’s Cha modifier, or go permanently insane. Aura alteration, greater restoration, heal, miracle, reality revision, wish, and similar effects, are the only things capable of curing the insanity. This is a mind-affecting, compulsion ability.

Weave Mythos (Su)
As a standard action, a 10th level Keeper of Secrets with 16 or more ranks in Perform (Storytelling) may expend three daily uses of his bardic music ability to attempt to trap a creature within 30 ft. of it in a web of stories. If that creature fails a Will save, DC 10 + the Keeper’s class level + the Keeper’s Cha modifier, he is sent to a small demiplane of the Plane of Shadow, shaped to form a living story. Each round, the character may attempt to find a “plot hole” in the story that will allow it to return by making a DC 20 Intelligence or Perform (Storytelling) check as a full round action. If the subject doesn’t escape, the demiplane disappears after 1 minute per class level, forcing the subject to leave. On escaping or leaving the demiplane, the subject reappears where it had been when this ability was used. If this location is filled with a solid object, the subject appears in the nearest open space. Spells and abilities that move a creature within a plane, such as teleport and dimension door, do not help a creature escape the demiplane, although a plane shift or shadow walk spell allows it to exit to whatever plane is designated in that spell.

[Fax Celestis]

Finally. A class that doesn't depend on Bardic Music but instead Bardic Storytelling.

Nice, in general, though I have some qualms about Fabled Lore. Considering any bard worth his salt is going to be pumping Perform (Storytelling) to get into this class, that thereby makes all Knowledge skills effectively obsolete. Why put it into four or six knowledge skills when you can put points into just this one?

Also, what's the DC on the Lore of the Shadows?

Is Horrific Secret's insanity permanent? Temporary? Is it curable (through heal or wish or otherwise)?

[The Demented One]

Nice, in general, though I have some qualms about Fabled Lore. Considering any bard worth his salt is going to be pumping Perform (Storytelling) to get into this class, that thereby makes all Knowledge skills effectively obsolete. Why put it into four or six knowledge skills when you can put points into just this one?

But considering he already has bardic lore, it isn't excessively overpowered.

Also, what's the DC on the Lore of the Shadows?

No set DC, though you have to get 10 or above for it to do anything.

Is Horrific Secret's insanity permanent? Temporary? Is it curable (through heal or wish or otherwise)?

I'll specify.

[Fax Celestis]

No set DC, though you have to get 10 or above for it to do anything.

Right, but you need twelve ranks in Perform (Storytelling) to even use it, which is a success. Perhaps toggle those numbers a bit.

[The Demented One]

Right, but you need twelve ranks in Perform (Storytelling) to even use it, which is a success. Perhaps toggle those numbers a bit.

Perhaps...get, get, get, get to work!