[Hourglass of Zihaja] Chapter 11: Bonus Material

[Zeta Kai]

Hyaenthropy [Arcane, Fire]

• Key Skill: Jump.
• Time: 10 minutes.
• Ritual: Hyaenthropy, the condition of being a were-hyena, is considered by most to be a curse in & of itself. The affliction is usually only spread via hereditary inheritance or by a were-hyena’s bite. But under certain circumstances, you can inflict the curse of hyaenthropy onto a person without having it yourself. To do this, you must throw a lock of your intended target’s hair in a large bonfire (15’ diameter) in the desert under the new moons. Then, you must leap over the bonfire; this requires a Jump check (DC15).
• Effects: If successful, then your intended target must make a successful Fortitude save (DC15) or become a were-hyena (see the Were-Hyena monster entry). This ritual is only effective against creatures with the Giant or Humanoid type.
• Untrained: Possible; your target gains a +10 circumstance bonus on their Fortitude save. Knowledge (Nature) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the jumping, then you fall into the bonfire, take 4d6 points of fire damage, & must make a Reflex save (DC15) or catch on fire. If your target makes their Fortitude save, then all that is lost is time (although you cannot attempt this ritual against the same target until the next new moons).
• Removal: MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Liberation of the Masses [Martial, Mind-Affecting]

• Key Skill: Intimidate.
• Time: 1 round.
• Ritual: Enchantment is a subtle & potent school of magic, made more so by the fact that it can be used on multiple creatures simultaneously. In order to free the minds & hearts of the masses, one must jar them from their current line of thought. With an obscure yet simple rite, you can break the arcane bindings that coerce others to act as others would wish them to. To do this, you must place a bladed weapon into the ground with your left hand, stare into the sky, & scream. This requires a successful Intimidate check (DC15 + the caster’s level + the enchantment spell’s level).
• Effects: All creatures within 30’ under the influence of an enchantment must then make an involuntary Will save (DC25) or all effects related to spells of the Enchantment school are suppressed for 1 hour.
• Untrained: Possible; your targets gain a +5 circumstance bonus on their Will saves, & your Intimidate check’s DC goes up by +5. Knowledge (Arcana) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the Intimidate check, then you suffer a -2 morale penalty on all attack rolls, skill checks, & saving throws for 1d4+1 minutes, due to your impotence.
• Removal: MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Lost Talent

• Key Skill: Any.
• Time: Varies, no more than 10 minutes.
• Ritual: Some people excel at a particular skill, honing it until they have become its utter master. You can rob a person of their proficiency with a simple ritual. You must challenge the intended target to a contest which involves a single skill check. The skill can be any one of your choosing, so long as the contest takes no longer than 10 minutes; the intended target is under no obligation to participate. You may use any means necessary to win this contest, & this contest may be public or private. If your skill check exceeds that of the intended target, then you win the contest.
• Effects: If you then spit at your target’s feet to complete the rite, they must then immediately make a successful Will save (DC25) or suffer a -20 penalty on all checks of that particular skill.
• Untrained: Possible; your target gains a +10 circumstance bonus on their Will save, & you gain a permanent -5 penalty on all social checks regarding the target, regardless of the success of the check. Knowledge (Local) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the contest, then you suffer a -10 penalty to the chosen skill for the next 8 days. But if your target makes their Will save, then all that is lost is time.
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Mask of the Ghul [Arcane]

• Key Skill: Forgery.
• Time: 1 hour.
• Ritual: The ghuls are among the most frightening creatures on Siraaj; people everywhere wisely fear & loathe them. With a short arcane rite, you can make someone look like one of these horrifying figures. You must write out a binding contract onto a single piece of parchment, promising a portion of your intended target’s soul in exchange for a bit of the ghul’s frightening power. Next, you must sign the target’s name to the contract; this requires a successful Forgery check (DC20).
• Effects: The intended target must immediately make a successful Fortitude save (DC20) or take on the appearance of a ghul. The target maintains their normal size & all other statistics, but all creatures see them as a ghul. A true seeing spell or similar means of piercing illusions will reveal the target’s true form. Other creatures are permitted a one-time Will save (DC25) to see through the illusion upon first seeing the target. While this effect is active, the target can use darkness, detect magic, & obscuring mist once per day each, as spell-like abilities; they are instinctually aware of these abilities. This illusion lasts for as long as you choose (the the time of the ritual’s performance), up to a number of days equal to your Charisma bonus; it also ends upon the death of the intended target, even if they are later revived within the duration.
• Untrained: Impossible. Knowledge (The Planes) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the signing, then the ritual affects you instead (no save). But if your target makes their Fortitude save, then all that is lost is time & the materials.
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Mind of the Beast

• Key Skill: Sleight of Hand.
• Time: 1 round.
• Ritual: The civilized people of the world live in a fragile equilibrium, balancing the structure & strictures of society with their own base instincts & desires. With just a small ritual, you can shatter this balance, tipping the scales in favor of the beast within. To unleash the animal inside of a creature, you must first kill an animal or vermin & take some small piece of its body, such as blood or hair. You must then place it onto the person of your intended target, like in a pocket or tucked into their clothing, without their knowledge. Doing so requires a successful Sleight of Hand check (DC30).
• Effects: Your intended target must then make a Will save (DC25) or lose their wits, becoming like a wild animal. Their mental scores (Intelligence, Wisdom & Charisma) drop to 2 each for 1d4 hours; their mental scores cannot be lowered further via any means while this ritual is in effect.
• Untrained: Possible; your targets gain a +5 circumstance bonus on their Will saves, & your Sleight of Hand check’s DC goes up by +5. Knowledge (Nature) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the Sleight of Hand check, then the ritual fails & you are caught red-handed. If the target creature makes their Will save, then the materials are wasted, & you suffer 1d6+4 points of damage to one of your mental scores (determined randomly).
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Mouth of Madness [Language-Dependent]

• Key Skill: Concentration.
• Time: 1 minute.
• Ritual: The civilized world is built upon speech, & a member of civilized society is all but lost without a means of communicating effectively with their peers. With just a minute of mediation, you can turn a person’s spoken & written words to unintelligible gibberish. To do this, you must place a severed frog’s tongue on your own & focus for one full minute on your intended target & their voice &/or handwriting; this requires a Concentration check (DC15). Then you must say your target’s name & swallow the tongue; if successful, they must make a Will save (DC15).
• Effects: Should the intended target fail their save, the frog’s tongue will speak instead of their own, & since you have swallowed it, your intended target will be incoherent when they try to speak (or write).
• Untrained: Simple. Knowledge (Local) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the meditation, then the ritual affects you instead (no save), & you become confused for 1d4 rounds after any attempt to speak or write, due to the dissonance in hearing the frog’s voice instead of your own. But if your target makes their Will save, then all that is lost is time.
• Removal: BE, GR, LW, MW, RC.

[Zeta Kai]

Plague of Dire Fate [Evil, Natural]

• Prerequisites: Any evil alignment.
• Key Skill: Spellcraft.
• Time: 1 hour.
• Ritual: Your hatred for one person can spill over into their entire community with this contagious curse. To unleash this outbreak, you must carve a written statement describing your loathing of the intended target onto a thin lead sheet, which was specially prepared for this by soaking in acid. The statement must be carved with a spent wand, & the entire procedure requires a successful Spellcraft check (DC25). The sheet is then rolled up & hidden within the home of your intended target.
• Effects: The target is then inflicted with a terrible disease (1d4 Strength/Constitution/Wisdom per day, Contact DC25 to resist), known as the Black Blight for the dark veins & foul sores that appear on infected victims. Other creatures that come into direct contact with the target must make the same saving throw or catch the Black Blight, as well.
• Untrained: Dangerous; your target (& all other victims of this outbreak) gains a +5 bonus on their initial Fortitude save, & even attempting this ritual deals 1d4 negative levels to you. Knowledge (Nature) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then you automatically become infected with the disease (although this version is not contagious). If your target makes their Fortitude save, then you are merely nauseated for 1 full day.
• Removal: NA; greater remove curse can cleanse a single creature, but will not stop the outbreak as a whole; remove curse or remove disease cannot eliminate this plague from a creature.

[Zeta Kai]

Prayer of Pashati [Divine]

• Prerequisites: Cleric only, Ritual Lore (Veneration), must worship Pashati.
• Key Skill: Knowledge (Religion).
• Time: 20 minutes.
• Ritual: The Mother of Rains is a kind & caring deity, dedicated to life & healing. Her church is simple & direct, striving to help others in any they can rather than promoting themselves & their faith. Their most well-known ceremony is a straightforward rite that can fully restore a creature’s health, bringing them back from the brink of death if need be. To perform this ritual, you must lay the intended target’s body on a bed of living vegetation (most temples dedicated to the Riverqueen have well-tended lawn for just such a purpose). The target creature must be alive & stable, although they can be in negative hit points. You must then speak to Pashati herself, talking to her as if having a conversation with a dear friend. You must ask her to heal the target on your behalf, all the while sprinkling the target with an aspergillum filled with common rain water. At the end of the conversation, you must make a successful Knowledge (Religion) check (DC10 + the target’s HD).
• Effects: If you succeed, then your intended target is fully restored to health. All HP & ability damage is restored, all status conditions are negated, & all diseases, poisons, & curses (including negative effects from other rituals) are neutralized. The target also falls asleep for 1 full day. The target can opt to make a successful Will save (DC20) to resist this effect, although it is harmless. Disciples of Pashati will perform this ritual for allies of the church, or if they are properly moved to do so, will perform it for strangers that pledge to complete a quest for the temple.
• Untrained: Impossible. Knowledge (Religion) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then the target only heals 1d6+4 points of damage. If the target makes a Will save to resist the effects of this ritual, then it simply fails, & all that is lost is time & materials.
• Removal: NA.

[Zeta Kai]

Sacrament of Qirus [Divine]

• Prerequisites: Cleric only, Ritual Lore (Veneration), must worship Qirus.
• Key Skill: Knowledge (Religion).
• Time: 10 minutes.
• Ritual: The Lion God is a robust, unwavering god, able to withstand adversity that would fell the mightiest of mortals. To honor his sublime determination, the church of the Stoic Watcher often performs a ceremony to aid the leaders of an army before a great battle, so that they can lead their forces to victory. To perform this ritual, you must first drink enough poison to suffer at least 4 points of damage to two different ability scores. Then you must cut yourself with a bladed weapon, dealing at least 3 points of damage, & anoint your intended target on the forehead with your blood. Lastly, you must repeat the following litany for 10 full minutes: Riqa zabul eq guadai faj, ludr zenul diu hizu ua genumel geju jujim aq-Qirusai qash (“Though I may suffer in your stead, you will know only valor & victory through the resolve of Qirus.”). This all requires a successful Knowledge (Religion) check (DC25).
• Effects: If you succeed, then your target receives divine protection & resolve until the next sunrise. The target gains a +2 deflection bonus on their AC, DR2/-, Spell Resistance 2 + their HD, & a +2 resistance bonuses to all Will saving throws. These bonuses each increase by +2 for each encounter that your target participates in before the next sunrise (only encounters with an ECL greater than your HD -2 count toward this). The target can opt to make a successful Will save (DC25) to resist this effect, although it is harmless. Due to the risks involved in the ritual, the Church of Qirus is reluctant to let its priests perform it, except in dire circumstances.
• Untrained: Impossible. Knowledge (Religion) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the Knowledge check, then all time & materials are lost, but you still suffer the damage sustained from the attempt. If your target resists the ritual, then it has no effect.
• Removal: NA.

[Zeta Kai]

Sacrifice to Maqur [Divine, Evil, Fire]

• Prerequisites: Cleric only, Ritual Lore (Veneration), must worship Maqur.
• Key Skill: Knowledge (Religion).
• Time: Varies, but no longer than 1 day.
• Ritual: The Scarlet Shahbanu is a cruel & fickle deity, always dancing about, leaving mayhem & suffering in her wake. Her followers are no better, & they delight in sowing discord with their duplicitous ways. One means of doing so is by employing a dark ceremony that turns its unwitting victim into an agent of destruction. To perform this ritual, you must kill & burn a Tiny or smaller creature (of the Animal or Vermin type) while praising Maqur & promising her compounding sacrifice. This requires a Knowledge (Religion) check (DC25). You must then take the ashes & get your intended target to eat them without their knowledge or consent; this is often done by slipping the ashes into their food or drink. This can be done a little at a time, or all at once (in a strong tasting food), but must be done within 24 hours of burning the sacrifice.
• Effects: If you succeed, then your target must make a Fortitude save (DC30) or they become infused with the destructive power of fire. A wicked flame burns within their body, forever threatening to lash out & destroy those near them. The target must make a Will save every hour that they are awake (DC12 + 1 per hour awake). A full night’s rest (at least 6 hours) resets the saving throw’s DC. If they fail a saving throw, then the fire immediately surges forth, burning everything within 10’ of the target at the time for 1d6 rounds. These hellish flames deal 2d6 points of fire damage per round; this damage ignores Damage Reduction & Energy Resistance. The fire does not harm the target, but it does affect their clothing & other possessions. A moment of high stress (such as being affected by a fear effect or sustaining heavy damage) also triggers another Will save, & permanently adds +1 to the DC. The target feels when a surge is potentially coming, & can tell 1d6 rounds before a saving throw is required.
• Untrained: Impossible. Knowledge (Religion) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then the sacrificial creature explodes, & everything within 20’ takes 6d6 points of fire damage. But if your target makes their Fortitude save, then all that is lost is time & the materials.
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Scar of the Earth [Earth]

• Key Skill: Heal.
• Time: Varies, no more than 20 minutes.
• Ritual: Much of the land on Siraaj is a desert of some sort: parched dunes or rocky wastes. The arable areas of the world are precious to all & highly sought after commodities. But with a single ritual, you can make a portion of land unable to support life. To do this, you must first lay a dying creature (IE one with negative hit points) on the bare ground of an area that can support vegetation & have them drink a potion of sleep. If they fail their saving throw against the potion, then you must make a successful Heal check to stabilize their condition (DC25, which is the normal 15, but with a +10 to the DC for this particular effect), but they can receive no other healing until the ritual is complete. Lastly, you must partially bury the stabilized creature in the soil from the immediate area; this takes 1d4+3 minutes (half this time with a shovel), & must be complete before the creature awakens.
• Effects: If successful, then when the stabilized creature awakens, their body will absorb the life force of the local area, healing them completely. All hit points & ability damage will be completely restored. In exchange for that, however, the area around the creature will be sterilized & unable to support life. All creatures will leave the area of their own volition within 24 hours, & all plant life here will die. No plants will grow here, & creatures that sleep within this area will awaken fatigued & suffering from 1 point of Constitution damage. This dead zone is permanent, & at its center, a scorched outline of the creature is left where they lay in the earth. This area is equal to the dying creature’s HD × 20’. Even if you succeed in performing this ritual, you still take 1d4 points of Constitution damage & are sickened. In addition, both you & the creature suffer a -2 morale penalty on saving throws, AC, & social skill checks versus fey, plants, animals, & other creatures with close ties to nature (such as druids & rangers).
• Untrained: Dangerous; your Heal check’s DC does not increase, but even attempting this ritual untrained deals an additional 1d4 points of Constitution damage, leaving you nauseated instead of sickened. Knowledge (Nature) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then the creature dies. You still suffer 1d4 points of Constitution damage for the attempt, as well as being sickened.
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Shattered Shell

• Key Skill: Climb.
• Time: 10 minutes.
• Ritual: Magic can be used to transform objects, creatures, & even people into radically different forms. This often leads to confusion & mistrust in those who are not aware of something’s true form. With a little-known ritual, you can undo certain transmuting magics, forcing your target to revert into its natural shape. To do this, you must first climb a vertical surface (DC25) of a height no less than 30’, such as a wall or a cliff side. Standing at the top, you must take an egg, smash it open, & coat your hands in the yolk. This ritual can only be performed in the daytime.
• Effects: If successful, then your touch is infused with a disrupting magic until the dawn of the next day. The next single object or creature that you touch that has been polymorphed into a different form must make a Fortitude save (DC25) or revert to its true form. This touch can negate the effects of following spells: alter self, baleful polymorph, disguise self, polymorph, polymorph any object, & shapechange. This also negates the effects of the Wild Shape class feature. While negated, the affected creature cannot be transformed from its natural shape. This negation lasts until dawn of the next day.
• Untrained: Possible; your targets gain a +5 circumstance bonus on their Fortitude saves. Knowledge (Nature) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the climb, then you fall & take damage as appropriate. If your target makes their Fortitude save, & you are trained (IE you have the Ritual Lore feat for Shattered Shell), then all that is lost is time & materials. If your target makes their Fortitude save, & you are untrained, then your hands burn with the uncontrolled magic. You take 2d6 points of damage, & you take another 1 point of damage anytime that you touch an object for the rest of the day.
• Removal: NA.

[Zeta Kai]

Shutting the Eyes of the World

• Key Skill: Knowledge (Local).
• Time: 1 minute.
• Ritual: Many things occur behind closed doors, & many people would prefer that such things were not discovered by others. But many mages have access to scrying & other means of divination, which can reveal even the deepest of secrets. Thus was a ritual devised that could prevent others from spying via any magical means. To do this, you must make a circle around the area that you wish to protect (no more than a 15’ radius) with crushed glass (about 15 glasses’ worth, 30gp). Then, you must make a circle of poured wine within the circle of glass (about 3 bottles’ worth, 30gp). Lastly, you must make a circle of oil within the circle of wine (about 30 pints’ worth, 3gp). All of this requires a successful Knowledge (Local) check (DC30).
• Effects: If successful, then the sphere of space contained within the circles becomes impervious to certain forms of magic for the next 24 hours. No spells of the divination school of magic can penetrate the area, & nothing can be teleported into it, either. All divinations &/or teleportations originating from within the area will still function as normal, however. The edge of the area is invisible, & viewing it via divinations reveals a blank sphere of space, so magical detection is still the best method for find such areas.
• Untrained: Possible; your Knowledge check’s DC goes up by +5. Knowledge (Arcana) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then you fall unconscious for 1 hour, helpless & unable to be awakened.
• Removal: NA.

[Zeta Kai]

Spawn of the Blackened Blood [Evil]

• Prerequisites: Any evil alignment.
• Key Skill: Spellcraft.
• Time: 1 hour.
• Ritual: There are vicious little creatures called divi that seem to exist for no other reason than to destroy & kill. Invariably evil, the ruin they leave in their wake is difficult to comprehend. It is possible, using dark magic, to create one that will obey your commands. To create a div, you must sever one of your own fingers (which deals 1d6+4 points of damage, plus 1d3 points of Constitution damage) & infuse the culled flesh with evil magic; this requires a Spellcraft check (DC30).
• Effects: If successful, a black egg is formed (4HP, hardness 2), from which a div will hatch in 8 days. The resulting div will follow your orders (& only yours) without question, as if you were using a dominate monster spell upon it at all times. Due to your missing finger, you suffer a permanent -2 penalty to all Craft, Disable Device, Forgery, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, & Use Rope checks; these penalties can only be removed by a casting of limited wish, miracle, regeneration, or wish. Only your own severed fingers will work for this dark rite; other fingers will not create the black egg.
• Untrained: Dangerous; your Spellcraft check is made at a -10 penalty, & the listed skill penalties are permanent, regardless of the success of the check. Knowledge (Arcana) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then all materials are wasted (& you still suffer all listed skill penalties for the attempt).
• Special: You can make an advanced div, by putting more of yourself into the rite. Every additional severed finger will raise the div’s HD by 1, up to the maximum (4HD). Every additional severed finger will add another permanent -1 penalty to all Craft, Disable Device, Forgery, Open Lock, Sleight of Hand, & Use Rope checks. If you sever your entire hand to put into this ritual (-6 skill penalty), then the black egg will create a fully-grown almasti instead; this almasti will still obey you (& only you).
• Removal: NA; once a div is created, spells that normally dispel rituals cannot undo the creature (although a well-worded limited wish could slay the creature outright).

[Zeta Kai]

Thunder Lure [Electricity]

• Key Skill: Spellcraft.
• Time: 10 minutes.
• Ritual: Lightning is one of the most primal & powerful forces known to man. Even in the arid world of Siraaj, electricity is an energy that is more feared than understood. With an obscure rite, you can attune an intended target to an electric charge, making them a magnet for lightning bolts. You must first dissolve a shocker lizard in acid within a specially-treated cauldron. Next, you must add enough lye to the mixture to offset the acid. Then, you must add either a lock of hair or a drop of blood from your intended target. All of this requires a Spellcraft check (DC25) to accomplish correctly.
• Effects: If successful, then your target must make a Fortitude save (DC20) or be hit by lightning 1d4-1 times per day. Being hit by natural lightning deals 6d6 points of electricity damage; a successful Reflex saving throw will reduce the damage of a bolt by half.
• Untrained: Possible; your target gains a +5 circumstance bonus on their Fortitude save, & your Spellcraft check’s DC goes up by +5. Knowledge (Arcana) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then all materials are wasted, & you take 1d6 points of electricity damage each time you touch the intended target (remove greater curse will undo this effect). If your target makes their Fortitude save, then all materials are again wasted.
• Removal: BE, GR, LW, MW, RC.

[Zeta Kai]

Trial of Limalia [Divine]

• Prerequisites: Cleric only, Ritual Lore (Veneration), must worship Limalia.
• Key Skill: Knowledge (Religion).
• Time: 1 minute.
• Ritual: The Sultana of Winds is a harsh goddess, one who ushers her followers into dangerous situations & forces them to overcome adversity. Not everyone can relate to her seeming cruelty, but those who endure in her name find their perseverance rewarded & their deeds all the more exalted for the hardship that they faced along the way. One such way to earn her favor involves an initially-unpleasant ritual that provides a useful boon to those who suffer through it. To perform the ritual, you must first have your intended target drink the juices from a live cactus plant; this must be their first liquid that day. Next, you must whip your target across the back 3 times in a row, dealing at least 5 points of non-lethal damage; they must remain silent & bear the stinging pain & bitter juice. This requires a successful Knowledge (Religion) check (DC20) on your part, as well as a successful Will save (DC15) on their part to be silent.
• Effects: If successful, then your target becomes faster & hardier than a desert fox. They can run (up to 4× their speed) without needing to rest; they automatically succeed all Constitution checks to continue running, & to avoid nonlethal damage from a forced march, starvation, or thirst. Also, they automatically succeed all Fortitude saves made to avoid nonlethal damage from hot or cold environments. While running, they cannot become exhausted or fatigued, & they can even run on the surface of the water, so long as they maintain their maximum speed. These effects last until the next sunset.
• Untrained: Impossible. Knowledge (Religion) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ritual, then all that is lost is time, but your target still suffers the damage sustained from the attempt. Also, if the ritual fails, you must be whipped across the back 3 times in a row, taking at least 5 points of non-lethal damage, before you can perform the ritual again. If you cry out, the atonement fails, & you must repeat the whipping another day to perform the ritual again.
• Removal: MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Unending Agony [Evil, Mind-Affecting]

• Prerequisites: Any evil alignment.
• Key Skill: Ride.
• Time: 4 hours.
• Ritual: Pain is a natural motivator & deterrent, albeit an unpleasant one. Methods for causing pain are myriad, & most are evil in some fashion. Conjuring magically-powered pain is one of the vilest & most petty acts mortals can do to one another, harnessing the underlying forces of the world to do explicit harm. One method of doing this is a ritual that binds an intended target’s soul in endless searing anguish, a form of torture far worse than the most gruesome death. To perform this wicked rite, you must first ride a creature (such as a horse) until it dies of exhaustion (DC30), then carve out the creature’s heart & burn it. The ashes of the heart must be thrown at the intended target.
• Effects: The target must then make a Will save (DC25) or have all the suffering of the riding creature channeled into them tenfold. The target is wracked with constant searing pain, unable to even sleep; they are considered exhausted & sickened, & they cannot cast spells.
• Untrained: Possible; your target gains a +5 circumstance bonus on their Will save, & your Ride check’s DC goes up by +5. Knowledge (Arcana) to learn.
• Failure: If you fail during the ride, then you are thrown from the ridden creature, & suffer any subsequent falling damage, but you may try again if you wish. But if your target makes their Fortitude save, then all time & materials are wasted, & you are exhausted.
• Removal: GR, LW, MW.

[Zeta Kai]

Veneration [Divine]

• Key Skill: Knowledge (religion).
• Time: 5 minutes.
• Ritual: Veneration takes many forms, but in general it is five minutes of reverent prayer & ceremony begging the further favor of your deity. You perform the veneration to regain divine spellcasting ability that you have expended this day. Make a Knowledge (religion) check to recall a previously-cast spell. The DC to recall is 10 + (5 × the spell’s level), plus 2 per previous veneration you have performed this day.
• Effects: If you succeed, you feel your god’s approval & you regain the requested divine spell.
• Untrained: Possible; your Knowledge (religion) check is made at a -10 penalty, & the DC escalates by 4 instead of 2 for additional venerations. Knowledge (Religion) to learn.
• Failure: You are dealt 1d4 subdual damage per spell level requested. Retries are not allowed for the remainder of the day.
• Removal: NA.

[Zeta Kai]

Alchemist
(3E, Revised)

NOTE: This version of the alchemist is intended to be an improvement of the old version. It is recommended that anyone who has read the original should compare the two versions, as this one has been enhanced in a number of ways. This version is easier to enter, has a higher spell progression, & has more & stronger class features. Please let us know what you think of this class, either as a standalone PrC or as an improvement over its predecessor.

Hit Die: d6

Entry Requirements
To qualify to take levels as an alchemist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

• Skills: Craft (alchemy) 8 ranks
• Feats: Skill Focus (Craft (alchemy))
• Spells: Must be capable of casting 1st-level spells.
• Special: You must have studied a great tome of alchemy or practiced under one of its connoisseurs.

Table 5-1: The Alchemist (PrC)

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fortitude Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|+0|+2|+0|+2|Brew Potion, Alchemical Concoctions|--
2nd|+1|+3|+0|+3|Improved Potions & Oils (4th)|+1 level of existing class
3rd|+1|+3|+1|+3|Breakthrough|+1 level of existing class
4th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Rote Distillation (12 hours)|+1 level of existing class
5th|+2|+4|+1|+4|Weaponized Vials|+1 level of existing class
6th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Improved Potions & Oils (5th), Rote Distillation (6 hours)|--
7th|+3|+5|+2|+5|Elemental Substitution|+1 level of existing class
8th|+4|+6|+2|+6|Rote Distillation (3 hours)|+1 level of existing class
9th|+4|+6|+3|+6|Synthesized Spell|+1 level of existing class
10th|+5|+7|+3|+7|Improved Potions & Oils (6th), Rote Distillation (1 hour)|+1 level of existing class[/table]

Class Skills
The Alchemist’s class skills (& the key ability for each skill) are Appraise (Int), Craft (Int), Disable Device (Dex), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Arcana) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), & Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Intelligence modifier.

Class Features
Weapon & Armor Proficiency: You gain no proficiency with any armor. You do gain proficiency with all thrown weapons & with all shields.

Spells: At every level except for 1st & 6th, an alchemist gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that he adds the level of alchemist to the level of whatever other spellcasting class the character has, then determines spells per day & caster level accordingly.

If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a alchemist, he must decide to which class he adds each level of alchemist for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Brew Potion: An alchemist gains the Brew Potion feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Alchemical Concoctions (Ex): An alchemist can use their crafting prowess to create various special substances & items. In order to make a concoction, the alchemist must make a successful Craft (Alchemy) check, the DC for which is on Table 5-1b: Alchemist Concoctions. The DC for creating any other kind of magical or alchemical item is equal to 10 + (the item’s market price/5). The alchemist must also pay for his ingredients, which cost half of the total market price (also provided on Table 5-1b). Making a concoction takes one full hour of time, & the alchemist must have access to an Alchemist’s Lab.

Improved Potions & Oils: At 2nd level, an alchemist gains the ability to create potions & oils that duplicate the effects of 4th level spells. At 6th level, an alchemist gains the ability to create potions & oils that duplicate the effects of 5th level spells. And at 10th level, an alchemist gains the ability to create potions & oils that duplicate the effects of 6th level spells. All other restrictions to potions & oils still apply, including monetary & experience costs.

Breakthrough (Ex): At 3rd level & every level thereafter, an alchemist can create one breakthrough, chosen from the table below. A breakthrough in this case is an alchemical concoction (see above) that provides a permanent additional benefit. His alchemist level plus the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma) determines the breakthroughs from which he can choose. He can choose the same breakthrough twice, if he wishes, but most of the benefits are alchemical bonuses, which do not stack. He cannot make more than one breakthrough concoction per level, & a concoction that has more than one breakthrough benefit in it.

Rote Distillation (Ex): An experienced alchemist gains the ability to reduce the time that it takes to create a potion or oil. Normally it takes one full day (24 hours) to brew a potion of distill an oil. At 4th level, it only takes an alchemist half a day (12 hours) to do the same. At 6th level, this time is reduced to a quarter-day (6 hours). At 8th level, this time is further reduced to a eighth of a day (3 hours). And at 10th level, this time is reduced further still to a single hour. All other restrictions to potions & oils still apply, including monetary & experience costs. Certain potions or oils cannot be brewed in less than one full day, such as that of a synthesized spell (see below).

Weaponized Vials (Sp): At 5th level, an alchemist can infuse vials of liquid with any spell that they can cast, including offensive magic. It takes an hour a day to prepare the fluids & store them in special vials, during which time the alchemist must have access to an Alchemist’s Lab. Such spell-laden vials remain viable for up to 24 hours. An alchemist may prepare a number of vials each day equal to the modifier of his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). Infusing a vial with a spell in this manner does not count as actually casting the spell, & he does not need to actually prepare a particular spell (if he is a prepared caster) in order to infuse a vial with that spell.

Throwing a single vial is a standard action; the alchemist uses their base attack bonus plus either their Strength or Dexterity modifier, whichever is higher. An alchemist is considered proficient with these vials, & they are treated in most respects as thrown weapons. Vials have a range increment of 10’ & shatter on impact, unleashing the contained spell from that point. A vial containing a Creation, Calling, or Summoning spell must impact in an unoccupied square to function; a vial containing a spell that requires a target must impact directly on a valid target (ranged attack roll against touch AC). Vials with a range of personal or touch discharge their effects on any creature struck; such a creature is treated as a valid target for those effects (though it is not “you” per se). Vials containing an area effect trigger on deliberate impact with anything. If a vial does not meet these conditions, it merely breaks & the spell is wasted. As a key ingredient is left out of each mixture, alchemists’ vials cannot be used without the assistance of the alchemist that created it.

Elemental Substitution (Su): At 7th level, an alchemist can change the elemental foundation of his formulae without altering the overall structure. As a swift action, he can substitute one form of energy damage (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic) in a potion, oil, concoction, or weaponized vial for any other energy type listed above. This ability has no effect on spells that do not deal energy damage, or spells that deal force damage, & does not change the number or type of damage dice of a spell vial.

Synthesized Spell (Ex): At 9th level, an alchemist draws upon his magical learning to prepare potions & oils with experimental traits. Within a potion or oil, he can duplicate the effects of almost any spell, even those spells that are exclusive to other classes. Unlike other potions & oils, synthesizing these requires a successful Craft (Alchemy) check; the DC for this check is 15 + (the spell’s level × 5). Failing the Craft check results in a vial full of inert liquid, which has no effect, magical or otherwise.

Certain restrictions still apply to these synthesized potions & oils. An alchemist cannot duplicate the effects of a spell that is of a higher spell level than he can cast. A duplicated spell must have a casting time of 1 round or less; it must also have a range that is either personal, touch, or expressed in feet. Such spells may not be ray spells or have a line-shaped area. Alchemists still cannot directly cast spells that they do not have access to, nor can they make magic items other than potions or oils using these non-listed spells. Alchemists must still pay the normal monetary & experience costs for these synthesized potions & oils, even if they fail the craft DC. The shelf life of a synthesized potion/oil is a number of hours equal to the modifier of his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), with a minimum of one hour.

Table 5-1a: Alchemist Breakthoughs

{table=head]Level + Modifier|Breakthough|Effect
5|Elixir of Vitality|+5 hit points
6|Tincture of Resolve|+3 alchemical bonus on Will saves
7|Tincture of Resilience|+3 alchemical bonus on Fortitude saves
8|Tincture of Reaction|+3 alchemical bonus on Reflex saves
9|Boosting Spirit|+4 alchemical bonus to any one ability score
10|Talent Spirit|+5 alchemical bonus to any one skill
11|Elixir of Defense|+4 alchemical bonus to AC
12|Martial Spirit|+3 alchemical bonus to attack rolls
13|Tincture of Protection|Damage Reduction +1/-- per alchemist level
14|Elixir of Insight|A bonus feat
15|Tincture of the Magi|Spell Resistance 12 + total character level
16|Unguent of Health|Immunity to all poisons & diseases
17|Unguent of Energy|Immunity to one energy type (acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic)
18|Unguent of Ability|Immunity to ability damage, ability drain, fatigue, & exhaustion
19|Unguent of Condition|Immunity to daze, energy drain, paralysis, petrification, & stun
20|Elixir of Life|Immortality (cannot die from old age & will not advance beyond their current age category)[/table]

Table 5-1b: Alchemist Concoctions

{table=head]Concoction|Market Price|Craft DC
Acid (flask)|10 gp|12
Alchemist’s Fire (flask)|20 gp|14
Antitoxin (vial)|50 gp|20
Everburning Torch|110 gp|32
Holy Water (flask)|25 gp|15
Smokestick|20 gp|14
Sunrod|2 gp|10
Tanglefoot Bag|50 gp|20
Thunderstone|30 gp|16
Tindertwig|1 gp|10[/table]

[Zeta Kai]

Geomancer
(3E, Revised)

NOTE: This version of the geomancer is intended to be an improvement of the old version. It is recommended that anyone who has read the original should compare the two versions, as this one has been enhanced in a number of ways. This version is easier to enter, has a higher spell progression, & has more & stronger class features. Please let us know what you think of this class, either as a standalone PrC or as an improvement over its predecessor.

Hit Die: d6

Entry Requirements
To qualify to take levels as a geomancer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

• Skills: Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), or Knowledge (nature) 8 ranks
• Languages: Terran
• Spells: Must be capable of casting 1st-level spells.
• Special: You must contact a being of elemental earth, which will provide you with an ounce of enriched clay. You must consume this clay alone & the sleep for one night in a bed of bare earth.

Table 5-4: The Geomancer (PrC)

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fortitude Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special|Spells
1st|+0|+0|+0|+2|Geomancy|--
2nd|+1|+0|+0|+3|Burrow (Sand & Soil)|+1 level of existing class
3rd|+1|+1|+1|+3|Stone Shape|+1 level of existing class
4th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Hardened Skin (Natural Armor)|+1 level of existing class
5th|+2|+1|+1|+4|Spike Stones|+1 level of existing class
6th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Burrow (Rock or Stone), Transmute Earth|--
7th|+3|+2|+2|+5|Whispered Awareness|+1 level of existing class
8th|+4|+2|+2|+6|Wall of Stone|+1 level of existing class
9th|+4|+3|+3|+6|Hardened Skin (Damage Reduction)|+1 level of existing class
10th|+5|+3|+3|+7|Earthquake|+1 level of existing class[/table]

Class Skills
The geomancer’s class skills (& the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (local) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis).

Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Weapon & Armor Proficiency: You gain no proficiency with any armor. You do gain proficiency with all thrown weapons & with all shields.

Spells: At every level except for 1st & 6th, a geomancer gains new spells per day (& spells known, if applicable) as if he had also gained a level in whatever spellcasting class (either arcane or divine) he belonged to before he added the prestige class. He does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before he became a geomancer, he must decide to which class he adds each level of geomancer for the purpose of determining spells per day.

Geomancy (Su): A geomancer draws divine knowledge from the earth around him & can consult its primordial wisdom to guide him to the information he needs. He gains a daily pool of geo-points equal to his class level plus the modifier of his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), which he may spend to use a geomancy ability as a standard action. The geomancer may use any geomancy ability that he can afford.

The geomancy abilities (& their costs) are:

• Know Direction (1 point): As the spell.
• Detect Secret Doors (2 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Detect Snares & Pits (3 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Augury (4 points): As the spell.
• Find Traps (5 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Locate Object (6 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Clairvoyance/Clairaudience (7 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level, & can see through magical darkness & natural darkness.
• Divination (8 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Scrying (9 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level. The geomancer requires a pool of water or mud, or a smoothed clay or stone surface, to employ this ability. The saving throw DC is equal to 10 + the geomancer’s class level + the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma).
• Commune with Nature (10 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Telepathic Bond (11 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level. Participants in the bond must be standing on the bare earth or sand (if they lose contact with the ground, the bond goes silent until they return).
• Stone Tell (12 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Find the Path (13 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Discern Location (14 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level.
• Foresight (15 points): As the spell, cast at the geomancer’s caster level; personal range only.

Burrow (Ex): At 2nd level, a geomancer gains a burrow speed, allowing them to tunnel through the earth like a fish swims through the sea. He can burrow through sand & soil, but not solid stone (at least, not right away). His burrow speed is equal to 5’ per class level. He cannot charge or run while burrowing. Like most burrowing creatures, he does not leave behind tunnels other creatures can use, because the material they tunnel through fills in behind them. Later, at 6th level, he can burrow through rock & stone; dense metallic deposits may still slow or even block his travel, however.

Stone Shape (Sp): At 3rd level, a geomancer can use stone shape (as per the spell) a number of times per day equal to his class level plus the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). His caster level for this spell-like ability is equal to his total character level.

Hardened Skin (Ex): At 4th level, a geomancer’s flesh becomes tougher & more stone-like, gaining an ashy, rocky cast. This results in a natural armor bonus equal to his class level. At 9th level, his flesh becomes even denser & more like stone, which grants him Damage Reduction/-- equal to his class level.

Spike Stones (Sp): At 5th level, a geomancer can use spike stones (as per the spell) a number of times per day equal to his class level plus the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). His caster level for this spell-like ability is equal to his total character level.

Transmute Earth (Sp): At 6th level, a geomancer can use soften earth & stone, transmute rock to mud, &/or transmute mud to rock (as per the spells) a total number of times per day equal to his class level plus the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). His caster level for these spell-like abilities is equal to his total character level.

Whispered Awareness (Ex): At 7th level, a geomancer gains Tremorsense, with a range equal to 10’ per class level.

Wall of Stone (Sp): At 8th level, a geomancer can use wall of stone (as per the spell) a number of times per day equal to his class level plus the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma). His caster level for this spell-like ability is equal to his total character level.

Earthquake (Sp): At 10th level, a geomancer can use earthquake (as per the spell) a number of times per day equal to the modifier from his primary casting stat (Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma), minimum 1. His caster level for this spell-like ability is equal to his total character level.

[Zeta Kai]

Zihaja’s Palace

Normally, the palace cannot be seen or accessed from either Siraaj or Najmah. The only way to catch a glimpse of it is to ride upon Qamar, the Wandering Moon, as the souls of the dead do when they cross over into the afterlife. As the moon passes through the Place Between Places, the incorporeal spirits fall into the River of Starlight, to be carried by its currents & washed away to the Pool of Rebirth. Only during this time can His Sublime Palace be seen, a great luminous bastion surrounded by dark nothingness & the swirling river.

The Outer Expanse
The palace of Zihaja is opulent beyond mere words, a vision of wealth & power that transcends all measure or description. It looks different to each viewer: some see only three great spires joined by bridges & buttresses, while others perceive countless smaller towers branching from a vast citadel, & others still see only a cyclopean pyramid, so smooth & featureless that it appears to be made of a single impossibly-large stone. The walls are made of polished marble, each block gleaming like ivory & veined with what looks like sparkling gold. Waves of translucence randomly pass over the walls, during which it seems as though the stone is transformed into pearlescent crystal for a fleeting moment.

The entire structure floats alone in an endless black void, the cold distant stars its only company. A river of starlight winds through the vast emptiness & wraps around the palace, spiraling down to a vanishing point infinitely far below. Where the starlight first meets the palace, a gigantic doorway arches overhead, its two great doors shut tight. Only a crack of blinding light can be seen between the closed doors, the entrance sealed by magic & guarded by twin ammuti.

To enter the palace, one must approach the doors & knock four times, no more, no less. No spell, trick, or display of power can gain access to the inside of the palace; only by walking through the open doorway can one enter. (Teleportation & flight are impossible within sight of the building.) The doors will remain shut until the fourth knock, & will be locked forever for anyone who knocks more than four times. The ammuti will not strike unless they are attacked first, but they will not allow someone to enter who wishes to do harm to anyone inside the palace.

The Inner Spaces
For those who have knocked exactly four times, the great doors can be pushed open with ease, gliding silently back along golden grooves in the tiled floor. No living creature can be seen within the palace, but the empty halls sometimes echo with the sounds of distant creatures: talking, laughing, crying, screaming. The vestibule is enormous, silent as a grave & lit by a blazing brilliance, which seems to come from everywhere & nowhere at once. An immense rug lies in the middle of the floor, woven with dazzling intricacy to depict an ever-changing scene of various mythological events. The atrium has five open doorways, which each lead to their own mazelike halls spreading in all directions.

Every hall & room in the palace is lavishly appointed, but as sterile & austere as a temple. The floors are tiled with gold, marble, & crystal, laid out in various geometric patterns of maddening complexity. The walls are made of flawlessly interlocking stones, each precisely etched with minute symbols & pictograms in an unknown language. The ceilings are very tall, arching overhead at a height which would allow for the greatest of beasts to walk unhindered. Although there are no light fixtures to be found anywhere, every inch of the palace is illuminated in a steady even light, & no shadow is cast anywhere. The air is cold & still, as though no creature has walked these halls in centuries, though no dust has gathered upon any surface. Time does not appear to pass at all in this place, as people do not hunger, thirst, age, or need to rest within these walls.

The hallways twist & branch to form an un-navigable labyrinth which can easily cause anyone to become hopelessly lost. The corridors seem to change direction & orientation when one isn’t looking, which makes mapping the halls impossible. No means of marking one’s path will work, as every attempt will disappear as quickly as it is applied. Those who become lost can always save themselves, however, simply by entering one of the myriad unlocked doors which line the halls at irregular intervals. Every door leads to one of five rooms, the destination being determined purely by chance.

Chambers of the Palace
The Prison (“Al-Zinzana”) is the most commonly seen chamber in the palace, as well as the largest. It a truly vast chamber, a single room with walls that extend into the hazy distance, so large that it almost feels like being outside on a cloudy day. The chamber has countless rows of golden sarcophagi, each of which is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide, & 4 feet tall, shaped like an expressionless man in repose. Each sarcophagus has a removable (albeit very heavy) lid, & inside of each one is the body of a comatose being encased in opalescent crystal, making identification of even their races impossible. The purpose for these incarcerations is unknown, & no means exists to free the untold thousands of beings from their frozen slumber.

The Library (“Al-Maktabah”) is the most densely-packed chamber, making it feel more intimate & personal than the rest. Almost the entirety of the room’s expansive space is dedicated to innumerable bookshelves, each of which is packed tightly with books of every shape & size. It is said that a copy of every book ever written can be found here, if one is willing to search for it long enough. These books cannot be burned, torn, or otherwise destroyed, nor can they be taken out of the Library; any unattended, closed book will find its way back onto the nearest available shelf as soon as one’s back is turned. The shelves do not seem to be organized into any known system, so finding the particular tome that one is looking for may seem to be a daunting task. However, the shelves have a way of moving the books around when no one is looking; it never takes longer than a few minutes to find a specific book, provided that the seeker say the name of the book aloud (or at least the desired subject).

Besides the multitude of bookshelves, the only other objects in the Library are occasional tables & chairs. The largest book in the entire Library is an absolutely enormous volume called the Tome of Days, which is the only book that sits upon a table (as it would not fit upon any shelf). The Tome of Days is a record of everything that has ever happened, with each page recording all of the events of a single day. The book is always open to yesterday, & only the previous pages can be read. The reader could, if desired, read about anything that has ever occurred within the Kamala, in astounding detail, but the page for the current day cannot be turned by any means, so one cannot read of future events. One could, however, get a good guess at how long the Kamala will last, by estimating the number of pages left in the tome.

The Arena (“Al-Hatam”) is a circular chamber, with only a 100-foot diameter, but it is a place where one could spend a lifetime exploring (or exploiting). The walls are completely lined with tall cabinets, each with many drawers; every weapon, armor, & magical or mundane item ever created can be found inside one of these drawers, as one needs only to look for a short time to find whatever thing that they could possibly desire. The only object that cannot be used is a simple wooden hourglass (the sands of which never seem to fill or empty), which is always in the first drawer that someone opens.

In center of the Arena is an 80-foot-wide ring, marked by small drop in the floor’s height (about a foot deep). Inside the ring, battles, duels, & contests of any kind can be conducted, without regard for the rest of the Kamala. Anyone in the ring can instantly summon any creature imaginable, just by declaring aloud that they wish to do so. No form of magic can cross the ring’s boundary, nor can any kind of summoned creature, although solid, non-summoned creatures can cross freely. The chamber is guarded by a solar named Shaliel, a silent red-robed figure who can call any number of solars, planetars, &/or maruts to her aid if she feels the need. One must ask Shaliel (or her occasional substitute, Shekiel) for permission to take any item from the Arena; otherwise, she will prevent the removal via any means necessary.

The Bedroom (“Al-Firash”) is the most surprising of the palace’s chambers, considering the vacant, ascetic character of the structure. Upon entering, a person will encounter a sumptuous room, decorated in a style that they would consider extravagant. The room always has a bed & a dresser, but the other furniture that is present (if any) depends on the viewer. The bed is luxurious & ornate, like all the adornments of the chamber, & the wardrobe contains a comfortable sleeping outfit for whoever opens it. While time does not pass normally within the palace, anyone who lies in the bed can sleep soundly in total relaxation, unlike any that they have ever experienced elsewhere; doing so will completely restore any lost hit points or ability scores, as well as remove any negative status conditions.

For groups who enter the Bedroom, the situation is much the same as for an individual, except that the chamber will appear much larger. A number of beds will appear equal to the number of people who enter the room, each having the same appearance & properties. Groups will also find that the Bedroom contains a central table with enough chairs for their entire party, should they decide to sit down.

The Sanctum (“Al-Hujra”) is the most rarely seen of the palace’s chambers, as it can only be found if the lord of the palace Himself wishes it. The Sanctum is actually rather small, compared to the other rooms in the palace, but it makes up for it in sheer majesty. Every surface is covered in sumptuous detail, & every line is angled toward the center of the chamber. Upon a raised dais is a circular divan, & reclining upon it, looking through the eyes of one of ten golden masks, is a man with obsidian skin wearing plain white linen robes. The nine unworn masks hang from the golden walls, each framed by the feathers of homa, simurghs, phoenixes, rocs, hafaza, & devas of all types.

Zihaja is the only permanent occupant of His palace, although he sometimes keeps servants for a time. He never removes his mask-of-the-moment, & cannot be affected by arms or magic of any kind; His will is absolute, & cannot be thwarted. On the rare occasions when he speaks, His voice has a deafening almighty power, but is tinged with weariness, regret, & age beyond imagining. Should He choose to answer a question, He will not lie, but most requests are met with a silence that is somehow louder than His words.

Should Zihaja find a particular soul (either living or dead) to be worthy, He will bring the person to His Sanctum. There, they will be interviewed by Him directly, where He will ask ten questions that cut to the very core of the individual. Should the answers be found satisfactory, the soul will be tasked to serve Him in His Sublime Palace; this service usually takes the form of a perilous quest. Those that fail to meet His standards are banished from the palace, forever barred from crossing the threshold again.

An Alternate Route
Unbeknownst to all but a few archmages, there exists a secret means of seeing (& even entering) His Sublime Palace. This method, unlike the means vaguely alluded to above, does not involve being a disembodied spirit or riding the Wandering Moon across the planar boundary. The steps needed for a mortal being to do so are as follows:

1. Discover that He exists (Knowledge (Kamala) check, DC40).
2. Learn that He has a nigh-inaccessible palace in the Space Between Spaces (Knowledge (Kamala) check, DC50).
3. Become Colossal-sized via some method (an epic-level version of enlarge person?).
4. Cast stairs of Madrasah.
5. Ascend the staircase & enter the Chamber (Will save, DC30).
6. Instead of the chamber, step onto the balcony overlooking the River of Starlight (Will save, DC40).
7. Jump “into” the river (the Leap of Faith; Will save, DC50).
8. “Swim” to the shore (Swim check, DC40); those who fail are swept down into the Pool of Rebirth & are reincarnated on the plane opposite of that which they were born (effective character death, no save).
9. Walk along the “shore” to the door of the palace, taking care not to be swept into the river again (Balance check, DC30).
10. Knock four times upon the doors of the palace; no more, no less (Knowledge (Kamala) check, DC60).

[Zeta Kai]

Dervish
(3E, Revised)

NOTE: This version of the dervish is intended to be an improvement of the old version. It is recommended that anyone who has read the original should compare the two versions, as this one has been enhanced in a number of ways. Please let us know what you think of this class, either as a standalone PrC or as an improvement over its predecessor.

Hit Die: d10

Entry Requirements
To qualify to take levels as a dervish, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:

• Base Attack Bonus: +3.
• Skills: Knowledge (religion) 4 ranks, Perform (Dance) or Tumble 4 ranks.
• Feats: Combat Reflexes, Iron Will.
• Alignment: No more than one step away from your deity’s alignment.
• Special: You must be devoted to a deity (or a cause), & have defeated one of its opponents in its name.

Table 5-2: The Dervish (PrC)

{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fortitude Save|Reflex Save|Will Save|Special
1st|+1|+2|+2|+2|Spring Attack, Warrior’s Prayer +1
2nd|+2|+3|+3|+3|Clerical Domain, Whirl
3rd|+3|+3|+3|+3|Smite 1/day, Uncanny Dodge
4th|+4|+4|+4|+4|Evasion, Mettle, Warrior’s Prayer +2
5th|+5|+4|+4|+4|Smite 2/day, Whirlwind Attack
6th|+6|+5|+5|+5|Greater Smite
7th|+7|+5|+5|+5|Smite 3/day, Warrior’s Prayer +4
8th|+8|+6|+6|+6|Sublime Smite
9th|+9|+6|+6|+6|Improved Uncanny Dodge, Smite 4/day
10th|+10|+7|+7|+7|Wrath of God, Warrior’s Prayer +8[/table]

Class Skills
The Dervish’s class skills (& the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Perform (dance) (Cha), Profession (any religious) (Wis), Ride (Str), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 8 + Int modifier.

Class Features
Weapon & Armor Proficiency: A dervish gains proficiency with his deity’s favored weapon, but gains no proficiency with armor or shields.

Spring Attack: A dervish gains Spring Attack as a bonus feat, even if they do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Warrior’s Prayer (Su): After waking, a dervish may spend one hour in prayer or silent contemplation. Doing so affords him a +1 bonus to attack rolls, damage rolls, skill checks, AC, & saving throws for 24 hours. The type of bonus received depends on the alignment of the dervish’s deity: a Good god grants a sacred bonus, an Evil god grants a profane bonus, & a Neutral god grants either one (although they are consistently one or the other). At 4th level, this bonus increases to +2; at 7th level, this bonus increases to +4; finally, at 10th level, this bonus increases to +8.

Clerical Domain: At 2nd level, a dervish gains access to one of their deity’s domains, like a cleric would. The dervish chooses which domain that they gain access to, & this choice cannot be changed later. They can immediately use the domain’s granted power, & can cast the first spell in the domain as a spell-like ability. For each subsequent class level, a dervish can cast another spell in the domain as a spell-like ability; for example, a 4th-level dervish can cast the third spell in a domain, while a 10th-level dervish can cast the ninth spell in a domain. Each of these spell-like abilities are useable once per day, being replenished during the Warrior’s Prayer.

Whirl (Ex): At 2nd level, a dervish may enter into a whirling frenzy of divinely-guided wrath. The dervish gains a +2 bonus on all physical ability scores (Strength, Dexterity, & Constitution) for a number of rounds equal to the dervish’s class level. This bonus increases by +2 for every level of dervish taken, so a 4th-level dervish would gain a +6 bonus, while a 10th-level dervish would gain a +18 bonus. The type of bonus is equal to the bonus type gained by the Warrior’s Prayer (see above), & because this bonus affects the ability scores while the benefits of the Warrior’s Prayer affects rolls & stats dependent upon those abilities, the two bonuses effectively stack.

A Whirl is much like a barbarian’s Rage feature in a number of ways. The increase in Constitution increases the dervish’s hit points by 2 points per level, but these hit points go away at the end of the Whirl when their Constitution score drops back to normal. These extra hit points are not lost first the way temporary hit points are. While whirling, a dervish cannot use any Charisma-, Dexterity-, or Intelligence-based skills (except for Balance, Escape Artist, Intimidate, & Ride), the Concentration skill, or any abilities that require patience or concentration, nor can they cast spells or activate magic items that require a command word, a spell trigger (such as a wand), or spell completion (such as a scroll) to function. They can use any feat they have except Combat Expertise, item creation feats, & metamagic feats. A dervish may prematurely end their whirl. Unlike a barbarian’s Rage, however, a dervish does not become fatigued at the end of a Whirl.

A dervish can perform a Whirl a number of times per day equal to either their Wisdom modifier or their Charisma modifier (their choice, minimum 1). A Whirl cannot be performed if the dervish is flatfooted, & if the dervish becomes helpless for more than one round, the Whirl ends.

Smite (Su): At 3rd level, a dervish may attempt to smite an enemy of their deity, just as a good paladin smites evil creatures. An enemy, in this case, is any sentient creature that does not worship the dervish’s deity, & has an alignment more than one step removed from their deity’s. To perform a smite attack, the dervish adds the better of their Wisdom modifier or their Charisma modifier to a single melee attack roll, & deals 1 extra point of damage per total character level. If the dervish accidentally smites a creature that is not an enemy of their deity, the smite has no effect, but the ability is still used up for that day. At 5th level, 7th level, & 9th level, the dervish gains an additional daily smite attempt.

Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 3rd level, a dervish retains their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) regardless of being caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. They still lose any Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized or otherwise rendered helpless. If a dervish gains Uncanny Dodge from a second class, they automatically gain Improved Uncanny Dodge instead.

Evasion (Ex): At 4th level, a dervish can avoid even magical & unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the dervish is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless dervish does not gain the benefit of this feature. If a dervish gains Evasion from a second class, they automatically gain Improved Evasion instead.

Mettle (Ex): At 4th level, if the dervish makes a successful Fortitude or Will save against an attack that normally would have a partial effect on a successful save, he instead completely negates the effect. This ability does not function while the dervish is helpless.

Whirlwind Attack: At 5th level, a dervish gains Whirlwind Attack as a bonus feat, even if they do not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

Greater Smite (Su): At 6th level, a dervish’s smites become infused with divine energy. Any successful smite attack by the dervish (including smites from other sources) deals an additional 1d6 points of damage from one of the following energy types: acid, cold, electricity, fire, or sonic. The dervish chooses the energy type each morning during their Warrior’s Prayer. For every additional level of dervish after 6th, the damage from Greater Smite increases by +1d6 points.

Sublime Smite (Su): At 8th level, a dervish may add a radiant power to their smites. This smite deals 5d6 points of divine damage, which stacks with the dervish’s normal smite damage. In addition, a foe struck by the dervish’s smite attack must make a Fortitude save (DC = 10 + the dervish’s class level + the dervish’s Wisdom or Charisma modifier, whichever is greater) or be blinded for 1d4+1 rounds.

Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 9th level, a dervish can no longer be flanked. This defense denies rogues the ability to use flank attacks to Sneak Attack the dervish. The exception to this defense is that a rogue at least four levels higher than the dervish can flank then (& thus sneak attack them).

If a dervish gains Uncanny Dodge from a second class, then they automatically gain Improved Uncanny Dodge, & the levels from those classes stack to determine the minimum rogue level required to flank the character.

Wrath of God (Su): At 10th level, a dervish may spend a smite attempt & instead make a special death attack against an enemy of their faith. On a successful melee touch attack, the opponent must make a Fortitude save (DC 10 + the dervish’s total character level + the dervish’s Wisdom or Charisma modifier, whichever is greater) or die. Upon a successful save, the foe suffers no ill effect. If the adversary is not an enemy of the dervish’s faith (as defined above), then the attack has no effect, but the attempt still counts against the dervish’s total number of smites that day, just like a genuine smite attack.

[Zeta Kai]

The Pactspell
& the
Ten Dark Years

Prelude to Disaster
The Pactspell was a cataclysmic event that killed millions, destroyed nations, & changed the fate of both worlds forever. During the Ten Dark Years that immediately followed the Great Calamity (as it is known the people of Najmah), untold millions more died, either of famine, despair, or at the black hands of the ghuls. To truly understand the Pactspell, its effects, & its aftermath, one must look to the root causes of the tragedy, some of which occurred centuries before that fateful day.

During the imperial era, the Council of the Archmagi gained increasing political power in the Empire of Admaja. Founded in 460 IR, their influence was the driving force behind the empire’s ever-growing use of (& some would say dependence upon) magical spells & items. The council ostensibly represented all of the registered mages in the Old Empire, focusing their collective ambitions & making the already-formidable imperial army nigh-unstoppable. The archmages were always on the hunt for ways to increase their power, & they thought that they had found their answer in the mastery of gates that could bridge the divide between Siraaj & Najmah.

Meanwhile, on the Plane of Night, the genies were searching for a solution to their own problems. They were striving for power, as well, vying for territory with the houris, devas, devils, & other peoples of Najmah, but despite their innate magical abilities, they were losing. The other major races were deeply entrenched in a long-standing stalemate, & the genie nations could make no headway, stymied at every turn. Longing for a place where they could expand their rule uncontested, they eventually looked to escape Najmah altogether, seeing the mortal realms of Siraaj as ripe for the taking.

So when the Council of the Archmagi first made contact with the ambassadors of multiple genie nations (Agni, Atma, & Padam) from Najmah in 545 IR, it seemed like a serendipitous match to both sides. They each got something that they wanted: the mages of Admaja obtained access to arcane lore & magical formulations that they never could have gotten otherwise, while the genies were able to gain a foothold onto Siraaj, sending hundreds (& later thousands) of their kind through the transplanar gates. In less than 50 years, the archmages had enough genie-backed magical power to rival the emperor himself in influence, & the genies were poised to found a nation of their own on Siraaj, a base from which they could potentially mount an invasion.

The Final Days
Things continued on in this vein for many years, until the archmages became the dominant entity in the politics of the Admajai Empire, & the emperor was little more than a figurehead in an effective magocracy. But the council’s ambitions were not sated; they wanted more, as did the genies, & their collective thirst for ever-increasing control over their worlds led to their undoing, & the ruin of all around them. By 818 IR, the council & the genies were ready for the next step in their plans.

Together, the archmages & the genies conspired to make both of their wildest dreams a reality. They designed a magical ritual of truly epic proportions, with hundreds of casters simultaneously participating on each side, working in concert to complete the arcane formulae. This “pact-spell,” as they conceived of it, would transport nearly all of the pureblooded genies to Siraaj, while also shifting most of the empire’s citizenry to Najmah. The imperials could live in a world of magical wonders, a paradise that they had awaited for centuries, & the genies would have a brand new world all to themselves, free of any rivals that could match their magical might.

But the Pactspell was not nearly as flawless & well-designed as the archmages were led to believe. The genies were the primary architects of the ceremony, & they were more concerned with the wellbeing of their own kind than what would happen to the Admajai upon arriving on Najmah. The formulae would not work unless they were precisely balanced, & the lack of care that the genies put into the Pactspell all but guaranteed that something would go awry. But the archmages were too eager to check the ritual for errors, & could only poorly understand the genies’ notations in the first place. The council thought that they would be bringing their empire into a new world of wonders; they were right.

So after more than a decade of planning & preparation, on the morning of Zurah, the 36th day of Lura-Balaz, in the year 829 of the Imperial Reckoning, in the center of the Admajai capital of Asanam, the 12 leaders of the council each stepped onto a disk of obsidian, on a dais made especially for the casting of this ritual. At the same time, on Najmah, the 12 best theurges from Agni, Atma, Padam, & other genie nations gathered together on a similar platform to begin the chant that would initiate the Pactspell. For hours, the casters on both sides recited their memorized scripts, each contributing all of their arcane power & knowledge to the monumental task of enacting the grand ceremony.

Finally, as the sun was setting in the western sky, the Pactspell was complete. From what accounts remain, a portal of night opened up over every Admajai settlement on the continent. For a moment, it seemed as though the great scheme might have been a success, but it was soon apparent that something had gone wrong. The gates pulled upon the people, the buildings, & everything else within their grasp, drawing them upward with titanic strength into their starry maws. Entire cities were sucked up into the portals, torn asunder as they disappeared forever from the face of Siraaj. The citizens fared little better, as many were crushed between stone, metal, wood, & glass as all was carried skyward.

Outside of the towns & cities, countless smaller gates were opening, dumping out genies by twos & threes. These rifts opened with explosive force, destroying anything (or anyone) that was nearby, even as it deposited the genies with relative gentleness. The combined destruction wrought by the genies’ arrival sent vast plumes of dust & debris into the air, creating choking clouds that blanketed the land & obscured the sky. Thus began the Ten Dark Years.

After the End
The genies of Najmah greatly outnumbered the citizens of the Empire of Admaja, even if one does not count the janni or those genies that did not belong to one of the major nations. When they were transported to Siraaj (an event that was widely expected among their kind), they did not find the peaceful day-lit world that they had been promised. The Pactspell had utterly ravaged the land, & the dark clouds of ash blocked the sun. Only smoking craters remained where the cities of the Admajai once proudly stood. The crops withered in the fields, livestock starved & died alongside the wildlife, & black rain fell hard as storms raged across the continent. In this devastation, the natives of Siraaj barely noticed the immigrant genies.

On the Plane of Night, the Admajai & their once-shining cities fell like meteors. Many of the settlements fell into the Speckled Sea, never to be seen again, & those that actually struck land became twisted heaps of dust & death. Only the Admajai capital of Asanam arrived mostly intact, & even it was instantly transformed into a shattered necropolis. Almost none of the mortals survived their abrupt journey to Najmah, & those few who did found little but the emptied genie lands & horrors unimagined in the living realm.

Both planes saw unparalleled desolation, with ruined cultures & power vacuums left in the wake of the apocalyptic event. The Empire of Admaja, at the time the largest nation on Siraaj, was functionally wiped clean from the map. Nearly all of the pureblooded genies (except for the janni) crossed over to Siraaj, disappearing overnight & leaving their own governments to collapse. The ghuls, long held in check by the Old Empire’s might, surged into the empty imperial lands, virtually unopposed by the newly-arrived genies. And there were other, less-foreseeable consequences of the Pactspell, repercussions that would resound through to the present day.

While Siraaj bore most of the brunt from the catastrophe, many places on Najmah suffered greatly, as well. The genie lands were left mostly empty, with only the janni, the mortal minority, & a few scattered geniefolk left behind, so they were ripe for the picking for demons, devils, & rakshasas to invade. And many settlements were damaged in the chaos that followed the Great Calamity, as the Pactspell was known in the Realm of Night. In fact, the destruction was so widespread that Sunya was forced to split the Pillar of Shadow into 33 fragments to rebuild the cities, a task that left the pillar broken ever since.

Most of the advances in medicine, astronomy, & other sciences on Siraaj were lost, as the Admajai had been the primary innovators & preservers of history, education, & culture for the previous thousand years. With their scholars & libraries suddenly gone, & the Ten Dark Years forcing the remaining societies to focus on mere survival, civilization on the Siraaj took several major steps backward. Some non-imperial centers of learning were untouched, but most were at least damaged or depopulated, & most areas of advancement have yet to recover.

The lack of science is especially painful, considering that magic has been blamed as the primary cause of the Pactspell. The Council of the Archmagi promoted magic as the solutions to most of life’s problems, so when their vaunted alliance with the genies & their much-hyped ritual blew up in their faces, it was widely seen as hubris & karmic retribution for meddling with forces that could not be understood. Ever since the Ten Dark Years passed, the use of magic has been condemned as selfish, destructive, & evil. Spell-casting is banned in most places, magical items are commonly illegal or tightly regulated, & inherently-magical creatures (including the numari races) are often persecuted.

As much as the natives of Siraaj suffered during the Ten Dark Years & afterward, the genies underwent far more pain & anguish. They have been reviled by mortal folk for their magical nature & their association with the Pactspell, even those who don’t fully understand their role in the catastrophe. They were left disoriented & leaderless. They have been hunted by the ghuls, & to a lesser extent the dragons of Azhan. And worst of all, they have been directly punished by Zihaja Himself, although they do not know the source of these reprimands.

In a rare intervention with His creations, Zihaja bound most of the genies into objects en masse during the Ten Dark Years. Only the genies left behind on Najmah, & the few janni who came to Siraaj, were spared this sentence. Genie-binding had been practiced in a very limited fashion prior to the Great Calamity, but Zihaja bound the majority of them into Admajai relics left behind by the Pactspell as a harsh reminder of their misdeeds. It also served to keep the balance of souls intact & restrict the use & spread of magic on Siraaj.

Even more upsetting to the genies, Zihaja revoked their rights in the Pit of Fate, throwing the very future of their race into question. As the souls of the dead travel along the path to the afterlife, they must walk up an ascending staircase in a dark void. Between the Ascensions of Desires & Worth, there was once the Terrace of Delight, where the genies could barter with souls to join their ranks (like the devas & the devils do). That balcony is a blasted ruin now, called the Terrace of Oblivion, as it was destroyed by Zihaja’s own hand in response to the Pactspell. Without the terrace, which was the genies’ primary means of gathering souls for reproduction, they have been forced to find other ways to perpetuate their kind, including diluting their blood with that of mortal races.

The Ten Dark Years were epitomized by sunless days, cold windswept nights, & hordes of ghuls prowling the countryside, hunting the unwary & unfortunate. People despaired, losing all hope for better days, & many believed that the world was coming to an end. A few brave souls rebelled against the forces of chaos & evil, like the great aazlai general Shimha Qirus, but they were rare motes of light in the vast clouds of darkness.

At last, when the ghuls seemed to be mounting a singular force to crush the beleaguered allies of goodness & decency, Akasha could bear the cries of the suffering no more. She gave the Light of Hope to Qirus, & asked for Sidaru to come to Siraaj & fight alongside the mortals. The White Sphinx answered the call, joining Qirus & his small remaining army of stalwart warriors, & together, they broke the ghul horde & scattered their ilk. Finally, the aazlai general held the Light of Hope aloft, & it parted the clouds, revealing the daylight for the first time in a decade. The Ten Dark Years were finally over, & the people of Siraaj could finally begin the process of rebuilding their damaged world.