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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Orc in the Playground
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    Default Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    Obviously I'm in a festive mood. I would not be surprised if this has been done, but, creating my take on the timeless classic.

    The Shape
    "I met him, fifteen years ago. I was told there was nothing left. No reason, no conscience, no understanding; even the most rudimentary sense of life or death, good or evil, right or wrong. I met this six-year-old child, with this blank, pale, emotionless face and, the blackest eyes... the devil's eyes. I spent eight years trying to reach him, and then another seven trying to keep him locked up because I realized what was living behind that boy's eyes was purely and simply... evil."

    The Shape is terror incarnate. In a world of supernatural forces, they are mundane, but terrifying in their dogged persistence, beyond even death. They silently stalk the night, never speaking, striking fear with a mere glance, then disappearing into the darkness. Their evil is that of the deepest recesses of a humanoid's mind. The blood that flows coldly through their veins is the same as the average adventurers, but their mind is a void of muted, honed rage.

    They are The Shape. And they will find blood.

    Hit Die: d12

    Requirements:
    Race: Any Humanoid
    Alignment: Neutral Evil
    Skills: Intimidate 6 ranks, Hide 4 ranks, Move Silently 6 ranks.
    Feats: Diehard.
    Special: You must abandon voluntarily speaking (which includes telepathy) upon taking the first level of this class. Breaking this condition renders you unable to use any features granted by this class, and you are unable to advance further for one month, which you must spend in complete silence.

    Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Hide, Knowledge (local), Listen, Move Silently, Spot.
    Skill-points per level: 4+Int modifier
    {table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

    1st|
    +1
    |
    +2
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |Art of Intimidation, Terror's Edge +1d8

    2nd|
    +2
    |
    +3
    |
    +0
    |
    +0
    |Enduring Evil, Fear Immunity

    3rd|
    +3
    |
    +3
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |Horrid Strength, Terror's Edge +2d8

    4th|
    +4
    |
    +4
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |Vestige of Fear

    5th|
    +5
    |
    +4
    |
    +1
    |
    +1
    |Mettle, Terror's Edge +3d8

    6th|
    +6
    |
    +5
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |Master of Intimidation

    7th|
    +7
    |
    +5
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |Hide in Plain Sight, Terror's Edge +4d8

    8th|
    +8
    |
    +6
    |
    +2
    |
    +2
    |Stalking Shape

    9th|
    +9
    |
    +6
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |Terror's Mind, Terror's Edge +5d8

    10th|
    +10
    |
    +7
    |
    +3
    |
    +3
    |Evil Never Dies[/table]

    Weapon and Armor proficiency: The Shape gains no new weapon or armor proficiencies.

    Art of Intimidation (Ex)
    Your intimidation is a finely honed tool, and you only show your face to work your prey into a frenzy of fear. At 1st level, you may use Intimidate to demoralize a foe at a range of 30 feet. In addition, for every class level you possess in The Shape, the duration of the shaken condition lasts 1 additional round.

    Terror's Edge (Ex)
    As you are a skilled practitioner in the art of fear, whenever you unnerve your foes is your chance to strike. At 1st level, you deal an additional 1d8 damage on a foe under the influence of a fear effect. This damage increases by 1d8 every odd level after 1.

    Enduring Evil (Ex)
    As you strike a foe in the grip of terror, your resolve to slay them only grows stronger. At 2nd level, after successfully attacking a foe with terror's edge, you gain half the additional damage as temporary hit points that last for 1 minute.

    Fear Immunity: At 2nd level, you become immune to all fear effects.

    Horrid Strength (Ex)
    No barrier can stop The Shape, and they show strength past what any man can rightfully possess. At 3rd level, you gain a +4 bonus on Strength checks to destroy objects, and as a bonus on bull rush, grapple, overrun, and trip checks against creatures vulnerable to fear. This bonus doubles against foes who are currently suffering a fear effect.

    Vestige of Fear (Ex)
    The Shape is called so because they have no personality, nothing that makes them unique except for the terror they inspire. At 4th level, when you are wearing any equipment that covers your face (magical or not), you gain a competence bonus to Intimidate rolls equal to your class level in addition to any effects the item gives. Having this item removed or destroyed immediately negates the bonus.

    Mettle (Ex)
    The Shape is horrifying in their persistence, their inability to shrug off the worst physical punishment without stopping their rampage. At 5th level, whenever you make a successful Fortitude or Will save against an attack that has secondary effects on a successful save, those secondary effects are negated.

    Master of Intimidation (Ex)
    As your descent into the darkest recesses of your own mind progresses, you become more adept at striking fear into your foes with a mere glance. At 6th level, the range of your demoralize increases to 60 feet, and winning the opposed check frightens your target as opposed to merely rendering them shaken. However, even if your target succeeds, they are shaken for 1 round.

    Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)
    The Shape is a master of appearing to give the briefest appearance of their unnerving presence, then fading back into the shadows. At 7th level, you may use the Hide skill even while being observed. As long as you are within 10 feet of a shadow, you can hide yourself from view in the open without having anything to actually hide behind. You cannot, however, hide in your own shadow.

    Stalking Shape (Su)
    The Shape's only claim to supernatural forces is their ability to simply vanish when directly unobserved. They may disappear around a corner, and when pursued, they are simply not there, despite logic and reason. At 8th level, once per hour while not being observed, you may use Dimension Door as the spell, with a caster level equal to your class level. Your destination must always be in a place that is not being directly observed, and thus may be up to modification by the DM.
    You may be observed by animals or any creature with an Intelligence score of 2 or lower; those that do observe your disappearance or arrival are shaken for 1 minute (no save).

    Terror's Mind (Ex)
    Being a creature of terror, The Shape's mind is an impenetrable fortress of fear. At 9th level, you are treated as continually under the effect of a mind blank spell with a caster level equal to your character level. Even if it is successfully dispelled, it returns 1 round later.

    Evil Never Dies (Su)
    The Shape may die, but in time they will rise to once again stalk their prey. At 10th level, after being reduced to -10 hit points or lower, as long as your body is in one piece, you are affected as true resurrection (except your body must be intact for you to be resurrected) 1 minute later. For one week, if you die again, you are left dead for one year before rising again, your corpse preserved as gentle repose. If your body is destroyed, then you must be resurrected by another source.
    Last edited by strawberryman; 2011-10-26 at 02:49 PM.
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  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ogre in the Playground
     
    Sucrose's Avatar

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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    Seems like a very good representation of the idea. The only suggestion I might have is that you could include a Mind Blank effect at higher levels, as they retreat further and further into their own deranged psyche.
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    It looks good and flavorful. Three suggestions:

    Evil Never Dies is a really powerful ability, especially since you can get it at only 14th level (if my math is correct). The high hit die and Enduring Evil should make him plenty tough enough in a fight, without the ability die and get up again completely restored. I'd tone down the resurrection to always take a year (just in time for next Halloween! Muahahahahaha!).

    A death attack might not go amiss somewhere in here, to really represent the popping-out-of-nowhere-and-killing-you bit.

    It might benefit from an ability letting him intimidate multiple foes at a time.
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  4. - Top - End - #4
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    I'm kinda surprised that it can't ignore fear immunity [not that that"s a bad thing] unless you're simply banking on the fact that the rules don't explicitly describe intimidate as a fear effect...

    I'm not entirely sure that +Xd8 is necessary, i suspect that +Xd6 would be sufficient for the extra damage; it's not as if anyone can resist Intimidate checks... well, pretty much ever...

    I know its a capstone, but Resurrection would probably be sufficient for the ability. I was under the impression that Jason managed to put himself back together even when burnt, dismembered or shot into space. A basic Resurrection would cover that but would prevent him coming back if disintegrated completely...not sure if that's a bad thing...
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  5. - Top - End - #5
    Ettin in the Playground
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    It's neat, but why would one take levels in this PrC and not just the Boogeyman template?

    Edit: Though now I contemplate a character who chooses both options. *evil beard stroke*

    Edit Edit: @Mullet: Jason can really come back from anything at the point of Freddy vs. Jason. I mean, we always see him come back from at least a chunk the size of his heart but he was dragged down into Hell itself at the end of Friday the 13th IX and we saw a corpse re-inflating in the intro of FvJ.

    Though I'd honestly devote a different PrC to a Slasher like Jason since he's a completely different breed of monster after he's brought back as a zombie. I mean, that's what d20 modern did when they made the Boogeyman and Revenant templates.

    Edit^3: How exactly would this class function in your typical evil party or atypical mixed alignment party?
    Last edited by Tanuki Tales; 2011-10-26 at 03:55 PM.

  6. - Top - End - #6
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    Quote Originally Posted by Sucrose View Post
    Seems like a very good representation of the idea. The only suggestion I might have is that you could include a Mind Blank effect at higher levels, as they retreat further and further into their own deranged psyche.
    Accounted for, also added Fear Immunity.

    Quote Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant View Post
    It looks good and flavorful. Three suggestions:

    Evil Never Dies is a really powerful ability, especially since you can get it at only 14th level (if my math is correct). The high hit die and Enduring Evil should make him plenty tough enough in a fight, without the ability die and get up again completely restored. I'd tone down the resurrection to always take a year (just in time for next Halloween! Muahahahahaha!).

    A death attack might not go amiss somewhere in here, to really represent the popping-out-of-nowhere-and-killing-you bit.

    It might benefit from an ability letting him intimidate multiple foes at a time.
    I believe the fact that The Shape's body needs to be intact to survive, which is not impossible, and in fact likely unless the party are tossing around disintegrate like candy, balances it out. And even after the first time, an average PC party will likely wise up and behead him or disintegrate him.

    That said, I don't know about the death attack bit, it already has a lot of abilities, even for my "no dead levels" policy. Though I may add in the multi-intimidate to Master of Terror.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mulletmanalive View Post
    I'm kinda surprised that it can't ignore fear immunity [not that that"s a bad thing] unless you're simply banking on the fact that the rules don't explicitly describe intimidate as a fear effect...
    Yeah, on one hand, fear immunity is arguably the most common immunity, which makes it rather annoying from a personal experience. However, I don't recall any examples of Paladinesque people standing up to Michael. Then again, I haven't seen every movie. So I erred on the side of safety and assumed that while Michael is very scary in his own right, it doesn't make The Shape as a PrC any more able to strike fear into the fearless.

    I think Fear Immunity is kind of a copout anyway. There's many different types of fear. But in the casual game, yeah, it's a lot easier to just say "immune to fear" and be done with it.

    Quote Originally Posted by Mulletmanalive View Post
    I'm not entirely sure that +Xd8 is necessary, i suspect that +Xd6 would be sufficient for the extra damage; it's not as if anyone can resist Intimidate checks... well, pretty much ever...

    I know its a capstone, but Resurrection would probably be sufficient for the ability. I was under the impression that Jason managed to put himself back together even when burnt, dismembered or shot into space. A basic Resurrection would cover that but would prevent him coming back if disintegrated completely...not sure if that's a bad thing...
    Taking the damage into account. And I was going to go with plain Raise Dead if not for the lost level complicating things.

    Also, as said below, Jason is a different kind of slasher to Michael.

    Quote Originally Posted by Bendraesar View Post
    Edit^3: How exactly would this class function in your typical evil party or atypical mixed alignment party?
    I've no idea. I never assume to know how any of these things would go.
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  7. - Top - End - #7
    Ettin in the Playground
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    Quote Originally Posted by strawberryman View Post
    I've no idea. I never assume to know how any of these things would go.
    Well, what force drives The Shape?

    The Boogeyman template has them starting out as people of strong virtue and righteousness who ended up casting morals aside and becoming horrific monsters in the pursuit of that righteousness.

    Michael himself is driven either by the curse placed on him or by just unknown hatred.

    So is The Shape just a omnicidal maniac who couldn't be a PC or is he a monster with a specific mission and purpose that could be wrangled and directed by a party for their benefit?
    Last edited by Tanuki Tales; 2011-10-26 at 07:00 PM.

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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    I'm kinda surprised that it can't ignore fear immunity [not that that"s a bad thing] unless you're simply banking on the fact that the rules don't explicitly describe intimidate as a fear effect...
    Creatures immune to fear cannot be intimidated
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    Default Re: Evil on Two Legs [3.5, PrC]

    Horrid Strength is good when it's gained, but becomes stale before you even finish the class. Needs to scale up some to keep pace with the more and more exotic materials and barriers that hapless adventurers will try to put between themselves and a terrifying death.
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