the Jester
Legend
Disparager
Some people use swords as their weapons. Others use spells. But a disparager uses words. She taunts, insults and offends. While observers may find her amusing, her target finds her humiliating and distressing.
Many disparagers start as bards or rogues, but anyone can become one. Fighters with high intelligence scores are another fairly likely candidate; the ability to demoralize enemies is helpful in battle. A disparager’s scorn for the enemy can heighten
Hit Die: d6
Prerequisites: Nongood alignment. Bluff (4 ranks), Intimidate (8 ranks), Perform (oratory) (4 ranks), Sense Motive (1 rank).
Class Skills: Bluff (cha), Gather Information (cha), Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (local) (int), Listen (wis), Perform (cha), Sense Motive (wis), Speak Language. Skill points per level: 6 + int bonus.
Base Attack: Medium (as bard).
Good Saves: Will.
Poor Saves: Fort and Ref.
Level---Special Abilities
1---Disparagement, taunt
2---Demoralize
3---Social rebuke
4---Cutting wit, mass disparagement
5---Stunning insult
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A disparager gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Disparagement (Ex and Su): A disparager gains the ability to utter insults and cutting remarks at an enemy, causing a variety of effects to the victim. All applications of disparagement are language-dependant mind-affecting abilities. A disparager may make one disparagement attempt per class level per day plus one per point of charisma bonus. Much like bard song, the various forms of disparagement available to the character depend on her level. All of the disparager’s class abilities require one use of his disparagement abilities (except for mass disparagement; see below). Disparagement is a standard action.
Taunt (Ex): A disparager can taunt other creatures past the point of reason, raising their ire to the point that they do nothing but attack her (although they may do so in their most efficacious manner) for 1d4 rounds. A disparager can use this ability once per day per point of charisma bonus or per class level, whichever is less. A Will save, DC 10 + charisma bonus, will negate this ability. A creature that makes its save is still vulnerable to further uses of this ability.
Demoralize (Ex): The disparager may use her disparagement ability to rob a single creature of confidence, imposing a -2 penalty to attacks, saving throws and skill checks and allowing the disparager to make an opposed level check against the caster level of any morale bonuses the victim has to suppress them. (The disparager uses her character level for this check.) The victim is allowed a Will save, DC 13 + cha bonus, to negate this effect.
Social Rebuke (Ex): When in a social situation , the disparager may attempt to make a social rebuke against another. She may utter an imprecation, snub the individual in some way, or spread rumors about him. A social rebuke may take as little as a single round or as much as a full evening to perform, depending on the level of drama involved (generally, higher-drama affairs involve quicker checks). The disparager makes a Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check against the target, which makes an opposed check using his Sense Motive plus Will save bonus. If the disparager succeeds, the victim suffers a -4 morale penalty on all Charisma related checks when the disparager is within sight and within 100’. This penalty lasts until the victim can successfully beat the disparager in an opposed Diplomacy check in a social situation. The victim may attempt this only once per social situation.
Cutting Wit (Su): The disparager may speak words so harsh and cutting that the victim suffers 1d6 points of charisma damage. A Will save, DC 13 + cha bonus + class level, negates the damage.
Mass Disparagement (Ex or Su): By spending two uses of her disparagement ability for the day, the disparager may choose to affect up to four targets, no two of whom are more than 30’ apart, with any of her disparagement effects. For every additional use of her disparagement ability she uses, she may affect another four targets and she increases the maximum separation between them by 5’, so if she spends 3 uses of her disparagement she can affect up to 8 targets, no two of whom are more than 35’ apart.
Stunning Insult (Su): The disparager can issue a disparagement so sever that the target is stunned for one round if it fails a Will save (DC 20 + cha bonus).
Design Notes: A bard (who prolly best synergizes with the disparager) loses spells, one good save and bardic lore/music progression. In return he gets pretty cool abilities. Is this a good trade-off? I think so, but I'm not 100% sure. Also, this class is all will-based all the time, something I think is both a strength and a weakness. Feedback?
Some people use swords as their weapons. Others use spells. But a disparager uses words. She taunts, insults and offends. While observers may find her amusing, her target finds her humiliating and distressing.
Many disparagers start as bards or rogues, but anyone can become one. Fighters with high intelligence scores are another fairly likely candidate; the ability to demoralize enemies is helpful in battle. A disparager’s scorn for the enemy can heighten
Hit Die: d6
Prerequisites: Nongood alignment. Bluff (4 ranks), Intimidate (8 ranks), Perform (oratory) (4 ranks), Sense Motive (1 rank).
Class Skills: Bluff (cha), Gather Information (cha), Intimidate (cha), Knowledge (local) (int), Listen (wis), Perform (cha), Sense Motive (wis), Speak Language. Skill points per level: 6 + int bonus.
Base Attack: Medium (as bard).
Good Saves: Will.
Poor Saves: Fort and Ref.
Level---Special Abilities
1---Disparagement, taunt
2---Demoralize
3---Social rebuke
4---Cutting wit, mass disparagement
5---Stunning insult
CLASS FEATURES
Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: A disparager gains no weapon or armor proficiencies.
Disparagement (Ex and Su): A disparager gains the ability to utter insults and cutting remarks at an enemy, causing a variety of effects to the victim. All applications of disparagement are language-dependant mind-affecting abilities. A disparager may make one disparagement attempt per class level per day plus one per point of charisma bonus. Much like bard song, the various forms of disparagement available to the character depend on her level. All of the disparager’s class abilities require one use of his disparagement abilities (except for mass disparagement; see below). Disparagement is a standard action.
Taunt (Ex): A disparager can taunt other creatures past the point of reason, raising their ire to the point that they do nothing but attack her (although they may do so in their most efficacious manner) for 1d4 rounds. A disparager can use this ability once per day per point of charisma bonus or per class level, whichever is less. A Will save, DC 10 + charisma bonus, will negate this ability. A creature that makes its save is still vulnerable to further uses of this ability.
Demoralize (Ex): The disparager may use her disparagement ability to rob a single creature of confidence, imposing a -2 penalty to attacks, saving throws and skill checks and allowing the disparager to make an opposed level check against the caster level of any morale bonuses the victim has to suppress them. (The disparager uses her character level for this check.) The victim is allowed a Will save, DC 13 + cha bonus, to negate this effect.
Social Rebuke (Ex): When in a social situation , the disparager may attempt to make a social rebuke against another. She may utter an imprecation, snub the individual in some way, or spread rumors about him. A social rebuke may take as little as a single round or as much as a full evening to perform, depending on the level of drama involved (generally, higher-drama affairs involve quicker checks). The disparager makes a Bluff, Diplomacy or Intimidate check against the target, which makes an opposed check using his Sense Motive plus Will save bonus. If the disparager succeeds, the victim suffers a -4 morale penalty on all Charisma related checks when the disparager is within sight and within 100’. This penalty lasts until the victim can successfully beat the disparager in an opposed Diplomacy check in a social situation. The victim may attempt this only once per social situation.
Cutting Wit (Su): The disparager may speak words so harsh and cutting that the victim suffers 1d6 points of charisma damage. A Will save, DC 13 + cha bonus + class level, negates the damage.
Mass Disparagement (Ex or Su): By spending two uses of her disparagement ability for the day, the disparager may choose to affect up to four targets, no two of whom are more than 30’ apart, with any of her disparagement effects. For every additional use of her disparagement ability she uses, she may affect another four targets and she increases the maximum separation between them by 5’, so if she spends 3 uses of her disparagement she can affect up to 8 targets, no two of whom are more than 35’ apart.
Stunning Insult (Su): The disparager can issue a disparagement so sever that the target is stunned for one round if it fails a Will save (DC 20 + cha bonus).
Design Notes: A bard (who prolly best synergizes with the disparager) loses spells, one good save and bardic lore/music progression. In return he gets pretty cool abilities. Is this a good trade-off? I think so, but I'm not 100% sure. Also, this class is all will-based all the time, something I think is both a strength and a weakness. Feedback?
