Exalted of Siberys

[DanMcS]

A prestige class for an Eberron game.

Siberys marks his own, and they are known throughout the land as his Heirs. Some of them go farther than that, and are truly his. His part in the prophecy lives in them.

Prereq:
Skills: Two skills at 18 ranks.
Feats: Action Boost
Special: Improved Siberys Mark

Class Features:
Hit Die: d8
Skills: Haven't given it much thought, probably as the Heir of Siberys.
BAB: 3/4 progression
Saves: All 1/2 progression (Good saves if not using fractional advancement).

Level Feature
1 Charm
2 Charm, +1 spellcasting level
3 Charm, +1 spellcasting level
4 Charm, +1 spellcasting level
5 Charm, +1 spellcasting level

Charm: An ability available to members of this class, generally powered by action points. You should note that I use a stunt rule to allow regaining of action points through well-described, heroic actions, so this isn't quite as limiting as it would first appear.

Examples include:
Ability Boost Charms: Select one of the ability scores when you chose this charm. To activate the charm, spend and roll an action point; add the result to that score as an unnamed bonus for a number of minutes equal to your class level. This may be selected more than once, and applies to a different ability score each time.

Many epic feats also work well as charms, if you make them powered by action points. I generally disregard the skill requirements, or reduce them to 18 ranks. The stat requirements can be kept or not, but I will generally allow them to take the feat even if they don't have it and then reach the ability score requirement through buffs before they can use it. Keep the feat prereqs, in general.

Examples here:
Improved Combat Reflexes (Dex 21, Combat Reflexes)
When the character spends an action point, there is no limit to the number of attacks of opportunity the character can make in one round. (the character still can’t make more than one attack of opportunity for a given oppertunity.)

Improved Elemental Wild Shape (Wis 25, ability to wild shape into an elemental)
Spend an action point to ... (gain the benefit of the epic feat for one usage, basically).

Storm of Throws (Dex 23, Point Blank Shot, Quick Draw, Rapid Shot)
Spend an action point and as a full round action, the character may throw a light weapon at his or her full base attack bonus at each opponent within 30 feet. All light weapons thrown need not be the same type.

And so on. I think these work well.

Some do not work as well, because the use of action points is better than the bonus (Superior Initiative, Epic Weapon Focus, for example). I'd probably allow them to be taken, and let them not require the use of action points. Similarly with the Great $Stat feats.

For d20-roll-boosting feats (attack, saves, skills, initiative, etc) there are additional charms. In the (Action point) -> Action Boost chain, there are:
Improved Attack Boost
Improved Initiative Boost
Improved Fortitude Boost
Improved Reflex Boost
Improved Will Boost
Improved Strength Boost
... (all six stats)
and any others that might become necessary.

These act like Action Boost (changing the action die bonus from a d6 to a d8), bumping the die for that action type to a d12. The stat boosters apply to skills associated with that stat.

The last charm I've worked on is "Siberys Magic", which will take up the next post.

 

[DanMcS]

Siberys Magic
Prereq: 18 ranks in Spellcraft/Psicraft, and Knowledge (religion, arcana, nature, or psionics).
Spellcaster level 14

(Inspired by Sepulchrave's spontaneous epic magic rules.)

By spending an action point and using up one of the activations of his Siberys Mark for the day, the spellcaster can cast an epic spell. This is subject to the following restrictions:

He must know the seed or seeds used in the effect.
Each seed costs 5000gp and 1000 xp to learn and takes a month of research to master. Make a spell/psicraft check at the end of this period, DC 30, to learn it. If failed, he may spend an additional 500 gp and take another week to experiment. Each week bears this cost and adds +1 cumulatively to his *craft check. The experience point cost is not spent until the end, when he either learns the seed or gives up. The 5000 gp research cost can be reduced to a 500 gp experiment cost if the caster can find an appropriate manual or teacher for the seed (/adventure-hook).

The final spell/psicraft DC of the effect must be 0, after all mitigating factors.
This is pretty self-explanatory. I have added some additional mitigators.
-Material Components: Must be thematically appropriate to the effect. -1 DC/100 gp value. Consumed in casting.
-Required Focus: Large and immobile, typically. Not consumed by casting. -1 DC/1000 gp value.
-Magical Item: Must be appropriate to the effect, and are consumed by the spellcasting. Valued as the experience points required to create it; items not fully charged are appropriated prorated.
-Action Points: Each additional action point used (besides the one required to cast the spell at all) is rolled, and reduces the DC accordingly.
-Manifest Zone/Planar Conjunction: If appropriate to the effect, -20 DC. These can both be applied to the spellcasting if they can be met.
-Ability damage: to the ability score of the casters choice, 2 points of damage/-1 DC.
-Additional Siberys Mark Use: -20 DC.
-Casting time increases: as ELH; note that if the casting takes more than 1 day, the spellcaster's Siberys Mark usage is required each day, not just at the beginning, but only 1 action point is spent, at the beginning.

Due to the DC 0 requirement, spells will typically end up requiring collective casting, long casting times, or both. At best, a spellcaster of Siberys will get off two of these in a day.

An example:
Golden Sorceror Skin (provides DR 10/gold for 20 hours; casting time 11 minutes; 1 action point, 1 Siberys Mark use, 100 gp; 18 points of mitigation required).
Fortify seed (DC 17, provides DR 1/magic);
increase DR by 9 (+18);
change DR type from magic to gold (ad hoc DC +4);
increase casting time by 10 minutes (-20 DC);
100 gp as a material component will work thematically as a mitigator;
use action points, backlash damage, and ability score damage to make up the remaining 18 points of DC.

 

[Victim]

I don't think people need any more incentives to become Heir of Syberis. The class already rocks.

 

[DanMcS]

I don't think people need any more incentives to become Heir of Syberis. The class already rocks.

Really? It gives access to a spell-like ability, of a 6th to 8th level spell (I think), by 14th level at the earliest. Which is one level earlier than the party wizard or cleric would be able to cast the spell, at best. It's a pretty good ability, but I don't think it's superbly great. Not as flexible as a spellcasting class, for one.

In any case, a bump for the work-weekers. I'm working on ideas for an Heir of Khyber class, too.

 

[DanMcS]

Rules Quicky: Stunting

Level 1 Stunt: an inventive description of your action. Rather than, "I attack the orc", it's "I stab the orc, dipping my sword around his guard to punch through his shoddy armor."
Result: Gain a bonus action point. You may spend it on this action if you haven't spent one already, or save it for later (unless it would take you over your max action points, in which case it would be lost so you might as well spend it).

Level 2 Stunt: an inventive description of your action, interacting with the environment. "I swing the chandelier with my off hand to tangle my foe's blade and then cut him before he can recover."
Result: Reinvigoration; you may regain 1d12 hit points or an action point.

Level 3 Stunt: an inventive description that makes the other players or DM go "wow", basically.
Result: Get both the action point and the hit points.

 

[DanMcS]

Heir of Khyber

The quick, seductive path of power. Problem is, you lose your humanity.

Prereq: 13 ranks in 2 skills, Heroic Spirit.
Special: Must be one of the dragonmarked races, and must be recruited by a rakshasa or other spawn of Khyber.

Skills: As Heir of Siberys, I think.
BAB: +3/4 progression.
Saves: All Good.

Abilities
1 Lesser Khyber Mark, +2 action points per level.
2 Khyber Mark, +1 caster level, improved action boost.
3 Improved Khyber Mark, Change Shape, +1 caster level or a bonus feat.
4 Charm, +1 caster level.
5 Charm, +1 caster level.
6 Charm, +1 caster level.
7 Charm, +1 caster level.
8 Charm, +1 caster level.
9 Charm, +1 caster level.
10 Charm, +1 caster level.

(All spell-like abilities have a save DC of 1/2 character level + charisma bonus, and have a caster level equal to the character level.)

Improved Action Boost: Gain it as a bonus feat.
Bonus Feats: Choose from: the Heir of Siberys bonus feat list, basically.

Lesser Khyber Mark: You take on the qualities of your dark master. You become a native outsider, gain 60' darkvision, and all the benefits and restrictions of that type. This may be indicated on your person by a physical change, such as eye color, hair color, or marks on your skin. Once per day you may invoke the power of the lesser mark:

Lesser Mark Power (Sp): A Magic Circle Against Chaos/Evil/Good/Law or a Lesser Planar Ally.

Khyber Mark: The power of your bargain seals into you. You gain the evil subtype, and are affected as such. A khyber mark, similar to the other dragonmarks, appears on your skin. Your Lesser Mark Power is usable twice per day, and once per day you may use a Mark power:

Khyber Mark Power (Sp): you may use one of the following spell-like abilities each day: Blasphemy, Dictum, Holy Word, Word of Chaos, Planar Ally.

Improved Khyber Mark Your bargain is completed. You are no longer a native outsider, but an extraplanar (your native plane is the astral, unfortunately for you). You gain DR 10/magic; you breathe, but you do not need to eat or sleep. When you die, ressurection won't work on you, nor any magic, even a wish or miracle- once you die, Khyber has devoured you.

You may use your lesser power 3/day, a mark power 2/day, and once per day you may use a greater mark power:

Greater Mark Power (Sp): Cloak of Chaos, Holy Aura, Shield of Law, Unholy Aura, Greater Planar Ally.

Change Shape (Su): You may assume any humanoid form or revert to your own form as a standard action. You remain in one form until you choose to assume a new one; this change in form cannot be dispelled, but you revert to your natural form when killed. True Seeing reveals your natural form. You gain a +10 bonus to disguise checks while using this ability.

Charm: Like the exalted of Siberys, the Chosen of Khyber can continue exploring this aspect of their being.