Contemplative: Cleric as PrC

I really like the flavor of the Contemplative PrC, particularly that it is accessible to anyone who studies the local religion. It strikes me as a potentially mystical class. I run an Arcana Evolved game so there is the conceit that the gods are distant an uninvolved in any direct way. They might not even exist. So I was looking for the hermit, the mystic, the pure of heart that gains some mastery over the world due to his transcendance from it.

But, I really don't want the character to use spells.

I guess I want a class like the rogue, monk or akashic where the classes gain an ability practically every level. No spells. Potentially minimal combative ability. I looked at the Saint class in the Mideval Player's Guide, and that seemed like a good start. It was far too passive, however. We're playing D&D, after all. I do like the concept however of a class getting poor BAB, all good saves and a d12 HD due to divine providence.

Anyone have any ideas from what's published?

if i understand you your trying to make a class that is poor at combat and gets no spellcasting right?

hope you don't except any PC's to play it

I do indeed, just like the warlock. Poor at combat, no spellcasting, yet able to handle themselves in a fight. I'm hoping that someone had a similar idea and published it so that I won't have to adapt the warlock, saint (as above) and other concepts into a 10 level PrC.

Mainly, this is for NPCs. My priests tend to be either experts or akashics (AE) and thus don't have any spellcasting to begin with. thus, having a mystic PrC that give a couple of bonus domains, spellcasting and other stuff really isn't a good fit for the concept (Contemplative in the splats).

What do you want it to be able to do?

Healing?
Divinations?
Curses?
Blessings?
Breaking curses?

-- N

PS: Many people consider the Warlock to be a spellcaster.

What do I want? Let’s see…

I want something that is the cross between a Christian saint and a Buddhist mystic. A class that evokes Relg the Ulgo zelot as well as Brother Candle the Mayalesian. They have, through great introspection and mediation, connected with the Divine, the Implicate Order, God, what-have-you.

I was initially thinking of an akashic model. The class has a specific power every few levels as well as a wild card slot in the remaining levels. The wild card lets you select a from a list dependant on the strength of the ability.

I see a healing track. HP --> Restoration --> Disease / Poison --> Raise Dead
I see an “illumination” track. Augury --> Divination --> something
There should be an offensive means of some kind, perhaps pseudo-alignment based. Something based off of holy word, perhaps? Also, I was thinking of a kind of imposable sanctuary. “Back off, and nobody gets hurt.” The target gains a significant penalty to attack, but gains AC as well. If they attack they lose the AC bonus and just have the attack penalty.

So, a 10 level cleric that someone would consider for the last 10 levels of their carrier that has abilities rather than a spell list.

Nifft said:

PS: Many people consider the Warlock to be a spellcaster.

Click to expand...

Oh. Ok, a non-spell using spellcaster, then.

This is just the bare skeleton of the class. Is this the kind of thing you're after, Baron Opal? If so, I'll work out the full details.

If not, I might work on it anyway.

EDIT: added the rest of the class abilities. Auras and Graces forthcoming.
EDIT 2: Added Aura (Ex), to reflect the connection to the contemplative's deity.
Mettle added as a selectable Aura.
Fixed some typos.

Contemplative (Non-casting Variant)
HD: d6*

* I haven't decided on what the eventual HD will be, but keeping the d6 until (and if) it is balanced to do so.

Table 1: The Contemplative

Prerequisites
To qualify to become a contemplative, a character must fulfil the following criteria
Alignment: Any non-evil, must match patron deity or philosophy
Skills: Concentration 6 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 13 ranks
Feat: True Believer
Special: Must have had direct contact with one’s patron deity or a direct servant of that deity, or with an enlightened being embodying the highest principles of an alignment

Class Skills
The contemplative’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier

Class Features
All of the following are class features of the contemplative prestige class.

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Contemplatives gain no weapon or armour proficiencies.

Aura (Ex): A contemplative of a chaotic, good, or lawful deity has a particularly powerful aura corresponding to the deity’s alignment (see the detect evil spell for details). A contemplative’s registers to alignment detection spells as a cleric of his deity’s alignment with HD equal to his contemplative level, plus the number of auras and graces he knows.

Auras (Su): A contemplative’s divine inspiration and faith can be channelled into various effects. A 1st-level contemplative gains knowledge of one aura from the table below, and gains a new aura known at 2nd level, and every even-numbered level thereafter (4th, 6th, etc). Auras require no effort or concentration to maintain, and cannot be dispelled. Raising or changing an aura is a swift action and does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Some Auras have requirements that must be met before taking them.

Graces (Sp): A contemplative is able to achieve incredible effects through the power of his faith. A 1st-level contemplative gains knowledge of one grace from table 3, and gains a new grace known at 3rd, 6th, and 10th level. Using a grace is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity unless otherwise noted in its description.
A contemplative may use his grace abilities a number of times per day equal to his class level plus his Wisdom modifier.

Divine Health (Ex): A contemplative has immunity to all diseases, including magical diseases such as mummy rot and lycanthropy.

Slippery Mind (Ex): At 2nd level, a contemplative gains the ability to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise control or compel him. If a contemplative with slippery mind is affected by an enchantment and fails his saving throw, one round later he can attempt his saving throw again. He only gets this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.

Craft Relics: A 3rd-level contemplative may create relics specific to his patron deity as if you had the required feats and spells necessary to make the item. The contemplative’s effective caster level equals twice his contemplative level. Levels in a divine spellcasting class stack with contemplative levels for the purpose of determining caster level for crafting relics, but the character’s effective caster level may not exceed his character level.

Divine Willpower (Ex): When a 4th-level contemplative is subjected to an effect that requires a Will save, he may choose to make a Concentration check in place of his Will save to resist the effect. If the contemplative has the Mettle class ability, the effects of that class ability apply on the Concentration check as well.

Divine Body (Su): At 5th level, a contemplative becomes immune to poisons of all kinds.

Divine Fortitude (Ex): When a 7th-level contemplative is subjected to an effect that requires a Fortitude save, he may choose to make a Concentration check in place of his Fortitude save to resist the effect. If the contemplative has the Mettle class ability, the effects of that class ability apply on the Concentration check as well.

Divine Soul (Su): At 7th level, a contemplative gains spell resistance. His spell resistance equals his class level + 15. In order to affect the contemplative with a spell, a spellcaster must roll the contemplative’s spell resistance or higher on 1d20 + the spell caster’s level.

Withstand (Ex): When a 7th-level contemplative is forced to make a Reflex save to avoid damage from an area effect spell, he may choose to make a Concentration check in place of his Reflex save to resist taking full damage. If the contemplative has the Evasion or Improved Evasion class ability, the effects of that class ability apply on the Concentration check as well.

Eternal Body (Ex): After achieving 9th level, a contemplative no longer suffers ability penalties for aging and cannot be magically aged (Penalties he has already suffered remain in place). Bonuses still accrue, and the contemplative still dies of old age when his time is up.

Mystic Union (Su): At 10th level, a contemplative becomes a magical creature. He is forevermore treated as an outsider (native) rather than a humanoid for the purposes of spells and magical effects. Additionally, the contemplative gains damage reduction 10/magic.


Table 2: Contemplative Auras
Aura of Courage- The Faithful gain your Cha bonus on saves against Fear.
Aura of Health- The Faithful gain your Cha bonus on fortitude saves against disease and poison.
Aura of Loyalty- The Faithful gain your Cha bonus on saves against charms and compulsions.
Aura of Menace- The Faithful gain a morale bonus equal to your Charisma modifier on attack/damage rolls.
Divine Grace- You gain a bonus equal to your Cha bonus on all saving throws.
End to Strife- Characters lose their action when attempting to attack.
Mettle- You gain the ability to ignore effects that assault your body and spirit.
Sanctuary- Enemies must succeed on a Will save to attack you.

Mettle (Su)
Prerequisite: Contemplative level 8 or higher.
The contemplative gains a special blessing allowing him to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise harm him. If a contemplative makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw that would normally reduce the spell’s effect, he suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of “Will partial”, “Fortitude half”, or similar entries can be negated through this ability.

More to come, plus full descriptions.

Table 3: Contemplative Graces

Divine Wholeness- Cure damage with a touch
Feed the Hungry- Divine miracle creates food or restores ruined food
Remove Affliction- Removes Curses, Disease, Fatigue, Poison with a successful level check
Restoration of Body- Restores ability damage equal to 1 + half your class level to Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength
Restoration of Soul- Restores ability damage equal to 1 + half your class level to Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom

More to come, plus full descriptions.

Wow. Yes, I dare say that is exactly what I'm after.

I'm amazed that you pounded that out so quickly. Please continue.

Baron Opal said:

Wow. Yes, I dare say that is exactly what I'm after.

I'm amazed that you pounded that out so quickly. Please continue.

Click to expand...

Cut and paste is my friend.

Cool, I'll get back to "work".

Contemplative Auras and Graces

Contemplative Auras (incomplete)

Aura of Courage
Followers of your patron deity within the area of your aura gain a morale bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on saving throws against Fear effects.
While this aura is active, you are immune to fear effects.

Aura of Health
Prerequisites: Divine Health, Divine Body
Followers of your patron deity within the area of your aura gain a morale bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on saving throws against Disease and Poison.

Aura of Loyalty
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 13 ranks or Intimidate 13 ranks, Divine Willpower
Your allies within the radius of your aura gain a morale bonus equal to your Charisma bonus on saving throws against Charm and Compulsion effects.
While this aura is active, you are immune to Charm and Compulsion effects.

Aura of Menace
Prerequisites: Base Attack bonus +10, Intimidate 15 ranks
Followers of your patron deity within the radius of your aura gain a morale bonus equal to your Charisma modifier on either attack and damage rolls when fighting an enemy of your religion.
While this aura is active, you may make an Intimidate check to demoralise an enemy of your religion as a free action if you charge them or cast a spell at them. The enemy must be inside the radius of your aura to be affected.
If the target succeeds on its special level check, it is immune to your aura of menace for 24 hours.

Divine Grace
Prerequisite: Contemplative level 2
While this aura is active, you gain a bonus on all saving throws equal to your Charisma bonus. This aura does not have an area.

End to Strife
Prerequisites: Contemplative level 10, Sanctuary Aura, Charisma 15, Wisdom 17
Activating End to Strife is a standard action. When you activate this aura, all intelligent creatures within your aura that make an attack takes must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ contemplative level + contemplative’s Charisma modifier) or lose their action.

Targets outside of your aura may freely attack creatures in the area without being affected from End to Strife.

Maintaining End to Strife requires concentration, and you must spend a standard action each round to maintain the effect, to a maximum duration of 1 round per class level. End to Strife is an Enchantment (Compulsion) effect.

Mettle
Prerequisite: Contemplative level 8 or higher
The contemplative gains a special blessing allowing him to shrug off magical effects that would otherwise harm him. If a contemplative with mettle makes a successful Fortitude or Will saving throw that would normally reduce the spell’s effect, he suffers no effect from the spell at all. Only those spells with a Saving Throw entry of “Will partial”, “Fortitude half”, or similar entries ca be negated through this ability.
This aura is personal range, and does not have an area.

Sanctuary
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 13 ranks
While this aura is active, intelligent creatures within your aura attempting to directly attack you must make a Will save (DC 10 + ½ contemplative level + contemplative Charisma modifier) or be unable to follow through with their attack, and loses their action. You can still be included in the area of area of effect spells and abilities.

Creatures attempting to attack you from outside of the radius of your aura are not subject to the sanctuary effect.

If you attack a creature within your aura, that creature is not subject to your Sanctuary Aura for the duration of the encounter.

Contemplative Graces (incomplete)

Divine Wholeness
With a touch, you can cure hit point damage equal to your twice your contemplative level plus your Charisma modifier and your Wisdom modifier.

Feed the Hungry
Channelling divine power, you produce basic food and water sufficient to feed one medium size creature per contemplative level for one day. This food will only keep for a day, but can be purified with this ability to extend the duration.
Alternatively, you may purify ruined or spoiled food and beverages so that it is fresh and edible once again. You may purify up to 2 cubic feet of food or beverage per contemplative level per use of this ability.

Remove Affliction
Channelling divine power, you can remove Curses, Diseases, Poisons, as the Exhausted, Fatigued, Nauseated, and Sickened conditions. If the effect was created with a spell, you must make a level check (DC 10 + the caster level of the effect) to successfully removed that condition. Each condition to be removed requires a separate use of this grace.

Restoration of Body
Prerequisites: Divine Wholeness, Divine Fortitude
Channelling divine power, you eliminate ability damage equal to 1+ ½ your contemplative level (round down, minimum +1) to the target’s Constitution, Dexterity, or Strength score.

Restoration of Soul
Prerequisites: Divine Wholeness, Divine Willpower
Channelling divine power, you eliminate ability damage equal to 1 + ½ your contemplative level (round down, minimum 1) to the target’s Charisma, Intelligence, or Wisdom score.

DR xx/magic is rarely ever useful. Ask any dragon.