Knight Otu
First Post
(I'll post a similar thread on this class in House Rules, to get a few more opinions)
Well, I finally went and finished the first draft of my Dervish of Sairundan prestige class. It is loosely based on the dervish from Complete Warrior, but I did some extensive rewriting of the abilities (mostly toning down).
A number of abilities and requirements are for flavor, such as the Test, Song of the Storms United and the Song of the Blade. The flavor requirements (alignment, the special requirement and the test) of course are not meant to impact the balance of the class - they are there simply for a better tie to Sairundan.
I'm a bit concerned about the number of 1st level abilities, though I don't think that Songs of the Storms united will be a major point.
I'm also torn on the 6th and 10th level abilities that add the dervish's Dexterity bonus to damage dealt. They may be fine, considering they come pretty late in the advancement, but I'm not sure.
For the Test, I'd expect the DCs to be 15ish, +-2 according to the mood of the appropriate dervish.
Dervish of Sairundan
Be as the wind, listen to the storm, and care for the whims of your spirits as well as others. This is the the Path of the Dervish.
Sairundan, a land ruled by a loose federation of tribes, was supposedly founded by several djinn, who passed their knowledge and their blood to the mortals under their care. The legends of these times tell that many Sairundani forged alliances with the very winds, granting them great magical powers, tremendous speed, or enormous strength. However, as the era of the djinn ended, many of its secrets faded from the common knowledge of the tribes.
One of the few bits that still remind of that era is the Path of the Dervish. Taking the nomadic nature of their tribes to the extreme, dervishes strive to attain unity with the winds and the storms in the Dance of the Winds. They no longer are considered part of a single tribe, and they travel far and wide to aid all the tribes in need. Many take this a step further and travel all of the world, seeking new steps for their dances in exchange for their aid. The dervishes of Sairundan learn to follow their whims without harming their surroundings, and shape the winds as the winds shape the dervish, expressing their soul in songs. When two dervishes meet, they are as likely to start a training fight/dance as to start singing together to share their stories.
Most tribes send the young people who seem to be promising dervishes to meet several other tribes, but a few actually send them into distant lands, where they are supposed to pick up new knowledge and as a preparation for their new life as a dervish.
Fighters and rangers are the most common classes to live the path of the dervish. A few ex-monks, bards or rogues might also follow this path, but the martial requirements often discourage them. Other classes usually lack either the martial or the artistic aptitude required for the dervishes.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become a dervish of Sairundan, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Perform (Dance) 3 ranks, Perfom (Sing) 3 ranks, Tumble 3 ranks.
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Two-Weapon-Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (scimitar).
Alignment: Neutral good, chaotic good or chaotic neutral.
Special: Must be from Sairundan, or be accepted by a Sairundan tribe as one of their own. Must pass the Test of the Fifteen Winds.
Test of the Fifteen Winds: To be accepted as a dervish, the aspiring character must impress a number of existing dervishes of his talents as a dancer, singer and athlete. Five dervishes gather, and the character must perform seperately his skills Perform (Dance), Perform (Sing) and Tumble. If at least three of the dervishes are impressed, the character can join the ranks of the dervishes, otherwise he must wait a month before he can take the test again. While dervishes normally travel far and wide, the best chance to gather the five dervishes needed for this test is in Sairundan.
Class Skills
The dervish of Sairundan’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the dervish of Sairundan prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dervishes of Sairundan gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
AC Bonus (Ex): A dervish of Sairundan gains this bonus to Armor Class as long as he is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a shield. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when the dervish is flat-footed. He loses this bonus when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor heavier than light, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Song of the Storms United (Su): When a dervish is affected by a bardic music effect or a similar ability, the dervish may attempt a Perform (Sing) check (DC 15 + required ranks in Perform for that ability). If he succeeds, he picks up the song, and can affect other allies just like the bard, but using his dervish levels and bard levels for level-based effects. The dervish can only relay a song if he has enough ranks in Perform to use the ability if he were a bard. For example, a 10th level dervish affected by an inspire greatness effect could inspire greatness in one of his allies with asuccessful Perform check (DC 27). If the dervish also has 2 levels of bard, he can inspire greatness in two allies instead.
The following bardic abilities can be used with this ability: Countersong, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, Song of Freedom, Inspire Heroics. Other, similar abilities might be added to that list by the GM.
Movement Mastery (Ex): A dervish is so certain of his movements that he is unaffected by adverse conditions. When making a Jump, Perform (dance), or Tumble check, he may take 10 even if stress and distraction would normally prevent him from doing so.
Slashing Blades: A dervish treats the scimitar as a light weapon (rather than a one-handed weapon) for all purposes, including fighting with two weapons.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a dervish gains an enhancement bonus to his speed. A dervish in any armor heavier than light or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this bonus.
Spring Attack: At 3rd level, a dervish gains the Spring Attack feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Dervish Dance (Ex): Beginning at third level, the dervish, may attempt to take an additional 5 foot step during a full attack by succeeding at a Perform (dance) check with a DC of 20. The dervish may not take two 5 ft steps in succession – they must be seperated by at least one attack.
Every three levels thereafter, the number of 5 foot steps the dervish can attempt to take increases by one, but the DC to succeed increases by 10. For example, a 6th level dervish could attempt to take two additional 5 foot steps during a full attack, the first requiring a DC 20 Perform check, the second requiring a DC 30 Perform check.
The dervish can not take 10 on the Perform check for this ability.
Djinni’s Grace: At 4th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity.
Songs of the Blade (Sp): Upon attaining 4th level, the dervish gains the ability to dance with any slashing melee weapon and listen to its song once per day. From the song of the blade, the dervish can attempt to find out about any special abilities that the weapon possesses, as per the spell identify cast by a caster of the dervish’s class level. To use this ability, the dervish dances for 1 hour with the blade, and then must succeed at a Perform (Dance) check with a DC of 10 + the weapon’s caster level. If he succeeds, he gains insight into all magic properties of the weapon, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any). If he fails by 9 or less, he receives no insight. If he fails by 10 or more, he receives false insight.
Just like identify, songs of the blade does not function when used on an artifact.
Songs of the Blade is the equivalent of a 1st level spell.
Wind’s Fury (Su): At 6th level, the dervish becomes one with the winds that guide his movements. He may add 1/2 his Dexterity bonus, rounded down, to the damage dealt by his melee attacks.
Djinni’s Boon: At 7th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma.
Djinni’s Gift: At 10th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength.
Storm’s Fury (Su): At 10th level, the dervish literally becomes the winds that guide his movements. He may add his Dexterity bonus to the damage dealt by his melee attacks. This ability replaces Wind’s Fury.
Well, I finally went and finished the first draft of my Dervish of Sairundan prestige class. It is loosely based on the dervish from Complete Warrior, but I did some extensive rewriting of the abilities (mostly toning down).
A number of abilities and requirements are for flavor, such as the Test, Song of the Storms United and the Song of the Blade. The flavor requirements (alignment, the special requirement and the test) of course are not meant to impact the balance of the class - they are there simply for a better tie to Sairundan.
I'm a bit concerned about the number of 1st level abilities, though I don't think that Songs of the Storms united will be a major point.
I'm also torn on the 6th and 10th level abilities that add the dervish's Dexterity bonus to damage dealt. They may be fine, considering they come pretty late in the advancement, but I'm not sure.
For the Test, I'd expect the DCs to be 15ish, +-2 according to the mood of the appropriate dervish.
Dervish of Sairundan
Be as the wind, listen to the storm, and care for the whims of your spirits as well as others. This is the the Path of the Dervish.
Sairundan, a land ruled by a loose federation of tribes, was supposedly founded by several djinn, who passed their knowledge and their blood to the mortals under their care. The legends of these times tell that many Sairundani forged alliances with the very winds, granting them great magical powers, tremendous speed, or enormous strength. However, as the era of the djinn ended, many of its secrets faded from the common knowledge of the tribes.
One of the few bits that still remind of that era is the Path of the Dervish. Taking the nomadic nature of their tribes to the extreme, dervishes strive to attain unity with the winds and the storms in the Dance of the Winds. They no longer are considered part of a single tribe, and they travel far and wide to aid all the tribes in need. Many take this a step further and travel all of the world, seeking new steps for their dances in exchange for their aid. The dervishes of Sairundan learn to follow their whims without harming their surroundings, and shape the winds as the winds shape the dervish, expressing their soul in songs. When two dervishes meet, they are as likely to start a training fight/dance as to start singing together to share their stories.
Most tribes send the young people who seem to be promising dervishes to meet several other tribes, but a few actually send them into distant lands, where they are supposed to pick up new knowledge and as a preparation for their new life as a dervish.
Fighters and rangers are the most common classes to live the path of the dervish. A few ex-monks, bards or rogues might also follow this path, but the martial requirements often discourage them. Other classes usually lack either the martial or the artistic aptitude required for the dervishes.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements
To qualify to become a dervish of Sairundan, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Base Attack Bonus: +6.
Skills: Perform (Dance) 3 ranks, Perfom (Sing) 3 ranks, Tumble 3 ranks.
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Two-Weapon-Fighting, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (scimitar).
Alignment: Neutral good, chaotic good or chaotic neutral.
Special: Must be from Sairundan, or be accepted by a Sairundan tribe as one of their own. Must pass the Test of the Fifteen Winds.
Test of the Fifteen Winds: To be accepted as a dervish, the aspiring character must impress a number of existing dervishes of his talents as a dancer, singer and athlete. Five dervishes gather, and the character must perform seperately his skills Perform (Dance), Perform (Sing) and Tumble. If at least three of the dervishes are impressed, the character can join the ranks of the dervishes, otherwise he must wait a month before he can take the test again. While dervishes normally travel far and wide, the best chance to gather the five dervishes needed for this test is in Sairundan.
Class Skills
The dervish of Sairundan’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points at each level: 4 + Int modifier.
Code:
[b]Level Base Fort Ref Will AC Special
Attack Save Save Save Bonus
Bonus[/b]
1st +1 +0 +2 +0 +1 Movement mastery, slashing blades, song of the storms united
2nd +2 +0 +3 +0 +1 Fast movement +5 ft.
3rd +3 +1 +3 +1 +1 Spring Attack, dervish dance 1
4th +4 +1 +4 +1 +1 Djinni’s grace, [i]songs of the blade[/i]
5th +5 +1 +4 +1 +2 Fast movement +10 ft.
6th +6 +2 +5 +2 +2 Wind’s fury, dervish dance 2
7th +7 +2 +5 +2 +2 Djinni’s boon
8th +8 +2 +6 +2 +2 Fast movement +15 ft.
9th +9 +3 +6 +3 +3 Dervish dance 3
10th +10 +3 +7 +3 +3 Djinni’s gift, storm’s furyAll of the following are class features of the dervish of Sairundan prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Dervishes of Sairundan gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
AC Bonus (Ex): A dervish of Sairundan gains this bonus to Armor Class as long as he is wearing no armor or light armor and not carrying a shield. This bonus to AC applies even against touch attacks or when the dervish is flat-footed. He loses this bonus when he is immobilized or helpless, when he wears any armor heavier than light, when he carries a shield, or when he carries a medium or heavy load.
Song of the Storms United (Su): When a dervish is affected by a bardic music effect or a similar ability, the dervish may attempt a Perform (Sing) check (DC 15 + required ranks in Perform for that ability). If he succeeds, he picks up the song, and can affect other allies just like the bard, but using his dervish levels and bard levels for level-based effects. The dervish can only relay a song if he has enough ranks in Perform to use the ability if he were a bard. For example, a 10th level dervish affected by an inspire greatness effect could inspire greatness in one of his allies with asuccessful Perform check (DC 27). If the dervish also has 2 levels of bard, he can inspire greatness in two allies instead.
The following bardic abilities can be used with this ability: Countersong, Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, Song of Freedom, Inspire Heroics. Other, similar abilities might be added to that list by the GM.
Movement Mastery (Ex): A dervish is so certain of his movements that he is unaffected by adverse conditions. When making a Jump, Perform (dance), or Tumble check, he may take 10 even if stress and distraction would normally prevent him from doing so.
Slashing Blades: A dervish treats the scimitar as a light weapon (rather than a one-handed weapon) for all purposes, including fighting with two weapons.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, a dervish gains an enhancement bonus to his speed. A dervish in any armor heavier than light or carrying a medium or heavy load loses this bonus.
Spring Attack: At 3rd level, a dervish gains the Spring Attack feat, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.
Dervish Dance (Ex): Beginning at third level, the dervish, may attempt to take an additional 5 foot step during a full attack by succeeding at a Perform (dance) check with a DC of 20. The dervish may not take two 5 ft steps in succession – they must be seperated by at least one attack.
Every three levels thereafter, the number of 5 foot steps the dervish can attempt to take increases by one, but the DC to succeed increases by 10. For example, a 6th level dervish could attempt to take two additional 5 foot steps during a full attack, the first requiring a DC 20 Perform check, the second requiring a DC 30 Perform check.
The dervish can not take 10 on the Perform check for this ability.
Djinni’s Grace: At 4th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity.
Songs of the Blade (Sp): Upon attaining 4th level, the dervish gains the ability to dance with any slashing melee weapon and listen to its song once per day. From the song of the blade, the dervish can attempt to find out about any special abilities that the weapon possesses, as per the spell identify cast by a caster of the dervish’s class level. To use this ability, the dervish dances for 1 hour with the blade, and then must succeed at a Perform (Dance) check with a DC of 10 + the weapon’s caster level. If he succeeds, he gains insight into all magic properties of the weapon, including how to activate those functions (if appropriate), and how many charges are left (if any). If he fails by 9 or less, he receives no insight. If he fails by 10 or more, he receives false insight.
Just like identify, songs of the blade does not function when used on an artifact.
Songs of the Blade is the equivalent of a 1st level spell.
Wind’s Fury (Su): At 6th level, the dervish becomes one with the winds that guide his movements. He may add 1/2 his Dexterity bonus, rounded down, to the damage dealt by his melee attacks.
Djinni’s Boon: At 7th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Charisma.
Djinni’s Gift: At 10th level, the dervish’s bond with the winds strengthens, granting him a +2 enhancement bonus to Strength.
Storm’s Fury (Su): At 10th level, the dervish literally becomes the winds that guide his movements. He may add his Dexterity bonus to the damage dealt by his melee attacks. This ability replaces Wind’s Fury.
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