Unseelie Knight [PrC]

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Unseelie Knight

Selandaen of Ash, an elven unseelie knight.

Fifteen years ago, the nation of wild magic was brutally murdered at the hands of the nation of the dead, Arcnus Mortis. Shello was destroyed only overnight, killing almost all that lived there, leaving a few tortured survivors and countless undead. Many left if they were able, but many stayed and became survivors. Even fewer of these survivors began to take on the qualities of the land, unholy and unfortunate feylike creatures. The unseelie became the twisted versions of the beautiful fey they once were, but they were survivors... and these knights learn and mold themselves to become the unseelie themselves.

HD: d8

Requirements
Alignment: Neutral evil, chaotic neutral or true neutral
BAB: +3
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 2 ranks, Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks, Martial Lore 2 ranks
Feats: Fey Blood
Spellcasting: Ability to cast 2nd level divine spells, including summon nature's ally II and faerie fire.
Maneuvers: Ability to use 2nd level maneuvers of the Dancing Leaf or Shadow Hand disciplines, including at least one strike and one stance.
Special: Must be a Shello native who lived there during the reaping of Shello, who not only survived it but remained a native for a long time after.

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Martial Lore, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spellcraft, Spot, Survival, Swim and Tumble
Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier

{table="head"]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Divine Spellcasting
1st|+0|+0|+2|+2|Ashen grace|--
2nd|+1|+0|+3|+3|Unseelie blade|+1 of existing spellcasting class
3rd|+2|+1|+3|+3|--|+1 of existing spellcasting class
4th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Inured flesh|+1 of existing spellcasting class
5th|+3|+1|+4|+4|Unseelie ice strike|+1 of existing spellcasting class
6th|+4|+2|+5|+5|Stance of black whimsy|--
7th|+5|+2|+5|+5|Greater inured flesh|+1 of existing spellcasting class
8th|+6|+2|+6|+6|--|+1 of existing spellcasting class
9th|+6|+3|+6|+6|Reaving claws of Shello|+1 of existing spellcasting class
10th|+7|+3|+7|+7|Ashen fey apotheosis|+1 of existing spellcasting class
[/table]

{table="head"]Level|Man. Known|Man. Readied|Stances Known
1st|1|0|0
2nd|0|1|0
3rd|1|0|0
4th|1|0|1
5th|1|0|0
6th|0|1|0
7th|1|0|0
8th|1|0|0
9th|1|0|1
10th|0|1|0
[/table]

Weapon and armor proficiencies: Unseelie knights gain no additional weapon or armor proficiencies.

Spellcasting: At each level except 1st, 6th you gain new spells per day and an increase in caster level(and spells known, if applicable) as if you had also gained a level in a divine spellcasting class to which you belonged before adding the prestige class level. You do not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If you had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an unseelie knight, you must decide to which class to add each level for the purpose of determining spells per day, caster level, and spells known(if applicable).

Maneuvers: At each level except 2nd, 6th and 10th, and unseelie knight gains new maneuvers known from the Dancing Leaf, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet a maneuver's prerequisite to learn it. You add your full unseelie knight levels to your initiator level to determine your total initiator level and your highest-level maneuvers known.
At 2nd, 6th and 10th levels, you gain additional maneuvers readied per day.

Stances Known: At 4th and 8th levels, you learn a new martial stance from the Dancing Leaf, Shadow Hand or Tiger Claw disciplines. You must meet the stances prerequisites to learn it.

Ashen Grace (Ex): Your feyish mind, flesh and blood meld with your ability to avoid blows, much like it enhances your druidic magic. You add your Cha modifier as an insight bonus to your Armor Class instead of your Wisdom modifier. If you did not have a class feature that granted you a Wisdom bonus to AC before taking levels in this class, you gain no benefits from this class feature.

Unseelie Blade (Su): At 2nd level, your blade takes on certain darkling qualities. Any weapon you wield or natural weapon you possess deals an additional amount of damage equal to your Cha modifier to any non-fey you make a successful melee attack against.

Inured Flesh (Ex): Your skin takes on special qualities that make you resistant to the harsh lands of Shello. At 4th level, you gain DR 5/cold iron and resistance to negative energy 5. Additionally, you gain a +1 to saves against necromantic spells and effects and disease.

Unseelie Ice Strike (Su): At 5th level, you learn a special attack that concentrates the cold death that dwells on Shello's dead surface into your weapon. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 5th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. You initiate this strike as a standard action, and you make a single melee attack against a foe you threaten. If this attack hits, it deals an additional 4d6 points of cold damage to the foe and renders them under the effects of both the morality undone and suggestion spells, both as if cast by you. The save DC's for the spell effects are 15+Cha modifier.

Stance of Black Whimsy (Su): At 6th level, you learn a particular stance that is a reflection of the twisted whimsy that is inherent in the unseelie fey of Shello. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, you are capable of influencing all that surround you that might wish you harm. Anyone that comes within 30 feet of you and witnesses you initiating a maneuver must make a Will save (DC 15+Cha modifier) or become fascinated. Additionally, as a standard action you can use suggestion as a spell-like ability. Once you use your suggestion, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Making a save against the fascinate ability renders you immune to the effects of it for the duration of the encounter.

Greater Inured Flesh (Ex): At 7th level, your flesh becomes even more durable to the vicious landscape of Shello. Your DR increases to 10/cold iron, your resistance to negative energy becomes 10 and your saves vs. necromantic spells and effects and disease increase to +2.

Reaving Claws of Shello (Su): At 9th level, you learn a special strike almost stolen right from the hands of death itself that was used to reap the land of Shello clean of life. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 7th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. You initiate this strike as part of a normal full-attack action, with special bonus effects based on how many strikes you successfully make against them, as seen on the table below. Extra damage dealt by this strike is considered half cold damage and half unholy energy(untyped).

{table="head"]Strikes|Effects
1|5d6 damage.
2|10d6 damage.
3|15d6 damage.
4|15d6 damage, Fort save(DC 17+Cha modifier) or be struck dead.
[/table]

Ashen Fey Apotheosis (Ex): At 10th level you become one of the unseelie of Shello. Your type changes to fey permanently(and despite the requirements of the feat, you retain Fey Blood), your DR changes from DR 10/cold iron to DR 10/cold iron and magic, your negative energy resistance becomes full immunity to negative energy damage and your bonuses to saves against necromantic spells and effects and poison becomes +4 instead of +2. Additionally, on top of your normal ability to recover maneuvers(if indeed you have one), you gain the ability to regain a single maneuver every time you fell a foe with at least as many HD equal to one half your own.

[Athaniar]

Homebrew setting?

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Homebrew setting?

Yes, Nation of the Dead.

[The Demented One]

Unseelie Blade (Su): At 2nd level, your blade takes on certain darkling qualities. Any weapon you wield or natural weapon you possess deals an additional amount of damage equal to your Cha modifier to any good-aligned non-fey you make a successful melee attack against.

I think it'd be fine if you just had it straight-up add your Cha modifier to melee damage rolls, without the alignment restrictions. Maybe keep the non-fey bit in just for flavor.

Unseelie Ice Strike (Su): At 5th level, you learn a special attack that concentrates the cold death that dwells on Shello's dead surface into your weapon. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 5th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. You initiate this strike as a standard action, and you make a single melee attack against a foe you threaten. If this attack hits, it deals an additional 6d6 points of cold damage to the foe and renders them under the effects of both the morality undone and suggestion spells, both as if cast by you.

First off, I think the DC on this should be clarified...does it use the DC for the spells as if you cast them, or the standard maneuver DC formula? Also, as is, I think it's a bit too much for the level you get it at. Between the extra damage and the double-whammy of alignment shift and suggestion, it's just too much bad stuff to lay down on someone with one maneuver. Maybe trim the bonus damage, and have the DC just be 15 + Cha?

Stance of Black Whimsy (Su): At 6th level, you learn a particular stance that is a reflection of the twisted whimsy that is inherent in the unseelie fey of Shello. You take a swift action to lose the benefits of any stance you're in to gain the benefits granted by this stance. While in this stance, you are capable of influencing all that surround you that might wish you harm. Anyone that comes within 30 feet of you must make a will save (DC 10+half initiator level+Cha modifier) or become fascinated. Additionally, as a standard action you can use suggestion as a spell-like ability against any creature that's successfully been fascinated. Once you use your suggestion, you cannot do so again for 5 rounds. Making a save against this ability renders you immune to the effects of it for the duration of the encounter.

I wouldn't do this as a stance...maybe any creature that sees you initiate a maneuver must save against fascination, and you can the make suggestions as normal.

Reaving Claws of Shello (Su): At 9th level, you learn a special strike almost stolen right from the hands of death itself that was used to reap the land of Shello clean of life. This is treated just as a normal martial maneuver: you must ready it and expend it normally. It is a 7th level strike, and does not belong to any discipline. You initiate this strike as part of a normal full-attack action, with special bonus effects based on how many strikes you successfully make against them, as seen on the table below. Extra damage dealt by this strike is considered half cold damage and half unholy energy(untyped)

For the four-attacks one, you might as well make it a death effect, since there's no way any creature that's paralyzed for hours survives. Granted, seeing as there's almost no way these guys are going to get more than three attacks, it could just be taken out.

[The Neoclassic]

First of all, very good idea and nice accompanying picture.

I'm curious why you do not allow these characters to be CE. I presume it is a flavor decision. However, what happens if your alignment changes after you take levels in the class? Are you simply not allowed to progress further, or do you lose some of its granted abilities?

Ashen Fey Apotheosis (Ex): At 10th level you become one of the unseelie of Shello. Your type changes to fey permanently(and despite the requirements of the feat, you retain Fey Blood), your DR changes from DR 10/cold iron to DR 10/cold iron and magic, your negative energy resistance becomes full immunity to negative energy damage and your bonuses to saves against necromantic spells and effects and poison becomes +4 instead of +2. Additionally, on top of your normal ability to recover maneuvers(if indeed you have one), you gain the ability to regain a single maneuver every time you fell a foe with at least as many HD equal to one half your own.

This may be me not used to reading about DR, but you say it goes from "DR 10/cold iron to DR/cold iron and magic." Does that mean that now the weapon has to be cold iron and magic to harm? I thought with DR it was usually only one thing, but I could be wrong (like, DR 10/silver, but magic weapons are more powerful than silver and so can also override the DR). If I'm mistaken, let me know.

I notice that this class slowly becomes immune to negative energy, but does positive energy still function against them in the same way? They still are fully healed by cure spells and the few spells which do positive energy damage have the same effects? It just strikes me as a little odd that their relationship with positive energy remains entirely unchanged while they gain such a resistance to negative energy. Not a criticism, and I will certainly understand if you don't want to change it.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

I think it'd be fine if you just had it straight-up add your Cha modifier to melee damage rolls, without the alignment restrictions. Maybe keep the non-fey bit in just for flavor.


First off, I think the DC on this should be clarified...does it use the DC for the spells as if you cast them, or the standard maneuver DC formula? Also, as is, I think it's a bit too much for the level you get it at. Between the extra damage and the double-whammy of alignment shift and suggestion, it's just too much bad stuff to lay down on someone with one maneuver. Maybe trim the bonus damage, and have the DC just be 15 + Cha?


I wouldn't do this as a stance...maybe any creature that sees you initiate a maneuver must save against fascination, and you can the make suggestions as normal.


For the four-attacks one, you might as well make it a death effect, since there's no way any creature that's paralyzed for hours survives. Granted, seeing as there's almost no way these guys are going to get more than three attacks, it could just be taken out.

Marvelous ideas, I'll edit them shortly.

First of all, very good idea and nice accompanying picture.

I'm curious why you do not allow these characters to be CE. I presume it is a flavor decision. However, what happens if your alignment changes after you take levels in the class? Are you simply not allowed to progress further, or do you lose some of its granted abilities?

I did it because druids are restricted from having any of the extreme alignments, but since it's an unseelie fey PrC aswell, I cut off all good and lawful alignments. And usually the way PrC's work is that if you stop qualifying for it you cease being able to advance in it. I'm not sure if you stop being able to use class features, just because I havn't had to think about that in a long while...

This may be me not used to reading about DR, but you say it goes from "DR 10/cold iron to DR/cold iron and magic." Does that mean that now the weapon has to be cold iron and magic to harm? I thought with DR it was usually only one thing, but I could be wrong (like, DR 10/silver, but magic weapons are more powerful than silver and so can also override the DR). If I'm mistaken, let me know.

Yes, the weapon now has to be a magic cold iron weapon to overcome the DR. There really isn't more powerful things when it comes to DR that are taken into account, if something has DR vs. cold iron, only something that's cold iron will overcome it. Doesn't matter if it's a +20 wounding truebane fullblade, it'll still do 10 less damage than a cold iron one(though still probably kill it).

I notice that this class slowly becomes immune to negative energy, but does positive energy still function against them in the same way? They still are fully healed by cure spells and the few spells which do positive energy damage have the same effects? It just strikes me as a little odd that their relationship with positive energy remains entirely unchanged while they gain such a resistance to negative energy. Not a criticism, and I will certainly understand if you don't want to change it.

Negative energy and positive energy are two very opposite things, though they seem to function similarly just with reversed roles, they're still not blocked if the other side happens to be. One can be resistant/immune to one while still feeling the full effects of another.

[newbDM]

As much as I love fey, the Seelie Court, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and everything relating to them, I didn't bother to read anything in the OP (aside from look at the picture) due to not wanting to figure out it's edition.

What edition is it?

[Ekeralos]

It's 3.5 Edition, and its most likely taken by a Druid with some knowledge of martial manuevers. This class is pretty interesting and I lurve hybrid prestige classes, though I dislike the alignment restrictions for this particular one.

[The Demented One]

As much as I love fey, the Seelie Court, the Queen of Air and Darkness, and everything relating to them, I didn't bother to read anything in the OP (aside from look at the picture) due to not wanting to figure out it's edition.

What edition is it?

If it's a PrC, then it kinda has to be 3.x. The general rule on this forum seems to be that everything is 3rd edition unless otherwise stated.

[Risek]

Awesome, of course.
I'd like to see your take on this.
It's not terrible, but it could definitely use ToB and Krimm.

[Agrippa]

Not bad Krimm. This looks perfect for any fey villain I might use. Come to think of it the idea of prestige classes themselves isn't unique to 3rd edition. They weren't called prestige classes in 1st edition AD&D, OD&D or the Holmes set. Hell, even certain Tome of Battle mechanics could be translated into pre-3rd edition terms. Sorry I just lost the point of this post. By the way, when do you think you can start with the mechanics for the black dove prestige class? I'm just asking.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

Not bad Krimm. This looks perfect for any fey villain I might use. Come to think of it the idea of prestige classes themselves isn't unique to 3rd edition. They weren't called prestige classes in 1st edition AD&D, OD&D or the Holmes set. Hell, even certain Tome of Battle mechanics could be translated into pre-3rd edition terms. Sorry I just lost the point of this post. By the way, when do you think you can start with the mechanics for the black dove prestige class? I'm just asking.

Oh, I think I'll work on that now. I've just been distracted by things... things that penetrate celestial boundaries...

[The Tygre]

My God, Krimm! When will you stop making AWESOME THINGS?!

[Limos]

That picture looks like a Fantasy version of Pyramid head. Except his sword is too small.

I like it.

[Krimm_Blackleaf]

My God, Krimm! When will you stop making AWESOME THINGS?!

NEVER! When I die, I'll simply explode into an eternal stream of amazing.

That picture looks like a Fantasy version of Pyramid head. Except his sword is too small.

I like it.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army