Kerrick
First Post
This is something I came up with in the course of making spells. It's not quite all done yet... what I'm wondering is if I should keep the mid-level abilities as such or make them spells (that's how I came up with them). The concept is really too cool to drop, but I don't want to make them spells AND abilities - then it'll just have a bunch of spell-like abilities.
Cipher
Codebreaker. Wordsmith. Riddler. All of these and more describe the Cipher. He is someone who deals in codes, who sees words in patterns of seemingly random agglomerations of letters, who can conceal messages in plain sight, or reveal that which was hidden to all other eyes.
Many kingdoms employ Ciphers, though few admit it; they are invaluable as counterspies, codebreakers, and writing coded messages that others cannot read.
Bards, with their vast knowledge of words, are most likely to become Ciphers, though wizards rank not too far in the minority.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a Cipher, the character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Decipher Script 9 ranks, Speak Language (any two)
Feats: Diligent, Studious
Special: Must have developed a new code.
Class Skills
The Cipher‘s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Int), and Spot (Wis).
BAB: Bard
Saves: Fort/Ref weak, Will strong.
1: Codebreaker
2: Alter text
3: Unbreakable code
4: Hidden message
5: Encrypt/decrypt
6:
7: Unintelligible speech
8:
9: Selective hearing
10: For your eyes only
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cipher prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Cipher gains no additional proficiencies.
Codebreaker (Ex): A Cipher gains a bonus to Decipher Script checks equal to his class level. In addition, he can take 10 on any Decipher Script check, even when circumstances would normally prevent him from doing so.
Alter Text (Su): Once per day per point of his Int modifier, as a full-round action, a Cipher can alter up to one page per class level of written nonmagical text. For instance, he could make a treatise on magic appear to be a long, rambling discourse on minerals, or a packet of important documents look like a sheaf of normal letters. True seeing and similar spells will see through the ruse, but decrypt will not (as the words are not encoded). Pictures and maps can also be altered, though they must remain pictures or maps; the text, if any, can be changed to different words. The altered text remains so indefinitely, until the Cipher changes it back, or a dispel magic is cast on the text.
Unbreakable Code (Ex): Any text the Cipher encodes gains his class level as a bonus to the DC for anyone attempting to Decipher it.
Hidden Message (Su): The Cipher can hide text in between the lines of normal text, making invisible to all normal sight (in effect, hiding it in plain sight). The altered text can be read by the Cipher himself or by someone using a calcite lens (which costs 5 gp to manufacture).
Encrypt/decrypt (Sp): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, the Cipher may cast either encrypt or decrypt (see Arcane Strife) as a spell-like ability.
Unintelligible Speech (Su): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, a Cipher may touch someone and render his speech unintelligible for ten minutes per class level. The target may make a Will save (DC 10+Cipher’s class level+Cha modifier) to avoid the effect; if the save fails, he cannot utter anything but gibberish – he cannot verbally communicate with anyone, and cannot cast spells with a verbal component. Spells like tongues and comprehend languages will not work – the speech is not any form of language.
Selective Hearing (Su): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, a Cipher may alter his words so that his words are unintelligible to everyone but one person per class level, whom he chooses. He may speak thus for as long as he wishes, but he cannot cast spells or use any other abilty that requires the voice while this power is in use. The encoding defies all attempts to understand it otherwise, like comprehend languages (it’s not a language, it’s coded speech).
For Your Eyes Only (Su): The Cipher may scribe encoded text that only one person per point of his Int modifier can read. The code cannot be deciphered by normal means; anyone attempting to use a spell like decrypt must make a caster level check vs. 10+the Cipher’s class level+his Int modifier to read the script.
Cipher
Codebreaker. Wordsmith. Riddler. All of these and more describe the Cipher. He is someone who deals in codes, who sees words in patterns of seemingly random agglomerations of letters, who can conceal messages in plain sight, or reveal that which was hidden to all other eyes.
Many kingdoms employ Ciphers, though few admit it; they are invaluable as counterspies, codebreakers, and writing coded messages that others cannot read.
Bards, with their vast knowledge of words, are most likely to become Ciphers, though wizards rank not too far in the minority.
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a Cipher, the character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Decipher Script 9 ranks, Speak Language (any two)
Feats: Diligent, Studious
Special: Must have developed a new code.
Class Skills
The Cipher‘s class skills are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Forgery (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Knowledge (Int), and Spot (Wis).
BAB: Bard
Saves: Fort/Ref weak, Will strong.
1: Codebreaker
2: Alter text
3: Unbreakable code
4: Hidden message
5: Encrypt/decrypt
6:
7: Unintelligible speech
8:
9: Selective hearing
10: For your eyes only
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Cipher prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The Cipher gains no additional proficiencies.
Codebreaker (Ex): A Cipher gains a bonus to Decipher Script checks equal to his class level. In addition, he can take 10 on any Decipher Script check, even when circumstances would normally prevent him from doing so.
Alter Text (Su): Once per day per point of his Int modifier, as a full-round action, a Cipher can alter up to one page per class level of written nonmagical text. For instance, he could make a treatise on magic appear to be a long, rambling discourse on minerals, or a packet of important documents look like a sheaf of normal letters. True seeing and similar spells will see through the ruse, but decrypt will not (as the words are not encoded). Pictures and maps can also be altered, though they must remain pictures or maps; the text, if any, can be changed to different words. The altered text remains so indefinitely, until the Cipher changes it back, or a dispel magic is cast on the text.
Unbreakable Code (Ex): Any text the Cipher encodes gains his class level as a bonus to the DC for anyone attempting to Decipher it.
Hidden Message (Su): The Cipher can hide text in between the lines of normal text, making invisible to all normal sight (in effect, hiding it in plain sight). The altered text can be read by the Cipher himself or by someone using a calcite lens (which costs 5 gp to manufacture).
Encrypt/decrypt (Sp): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, the Cipher may cast either encrypt or decrypt (see Arcane Strife) as a spell-like ability.
Unintelligible Speech (Su): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, a Cipher may touch someone and render his speech unintelligible for ten minutes per class level. The target may make a Will save (DC 10+Cipher’s class level+Cha modifier) to avoid the effect; if the save fails, he cannot utter anything but gibberish – he cannot verbally communicate with anyone, and cannot cast spells with a verbal component. Spells like tongues and comprehend languages will not work – the speech is not any form of language.
Selective Hearing (Su): Once per day per point of his Cha modifier, a Cipher may alter his words so that his words are unintelligible to everyone but one person per class level, whom he chooses. He may speak thus for as long as he wishes, but he cannot cast spells or use any other abilty that requires the voice while this power is in use. The encoding defies all attempts to understand it otherwise, like comprehend languages (it’s not a language, it’s coded speech).
For Your Eyes Only (Su): The Cipher may scribe encoded text that only one person per point of his Int modifier can read. The code cannot be deciphered by normal means; anyone attempting to use a spell like decrypt must make a caster level check vs. 10+the Cipher’s class level+his Int modifier to read the script.
