Archimedes314
First Post
I cooked this class up the other day and I'd like some feedback. Please, don't hold back if you think it's too powerful (or too weak), I don't mind criticism. So without further ado...
The Haruspex
Every warrior must learn to read the stance and movements of his opponents in order to guess at their next move. But what would he give to predict with certainty his enemies attacks before they happen? For the haruspex, the answer is his eyes. The Haruspices Belli, also called the Warseers, are a secretive order of martial diviners. Through the sacrifice of their eyes they gain the ability to enter a mystical trance, during which they claim to be able to peer a few moments into the future. Those that have fought the haruspex are inclined to believe them; it is quite disconcerting to find that your opponent moving to block your blows before they are made. They sell their services, and because of this most believe them to be nothing more than a mercenary company, albeit one with a grizzly initiation ritual. However, sages speculate that they may have some grander purpose. What is know is that they occasionally offer to fight for one side at no charge. The only discernible pattern in these incidents is that every one has led to a major power shift between the groups involved in the combat. Whatever the impetus behind their actions, it remains dark. They are known to hunt down rogue members and outsiders are not allowed into their scattered keeps (attempts at uninvited ingress have rarely succeeded).
During the ritual promotion from lay member to haruspex, the potential haruspex must remove his own eyes with an enchanted knife whose blade is crafted from a shard of a shattered crystal ball. To perform this excruciating feat without fainting from the pain the initiate must succeed on a DC 20 Will save. If he makes it through his initiation, the title of haruspex is conferred on the character. This entitles him to full membership benefits, which include free lodging and meals for himself and discount lodging for his companions at any keep maintained by the Haruspices Belli, access to their impressive libraries devoted to the history of combat and warfare, and discounted services from the spellcasters attached to the order. In exchange he must perform services for his superiors in the organization. The haruspex is expected to respond to any summons and must participate every year in at least one combat engagement lasting for at least one week. Other than this members are free to work as independent sellswords as long as they pay their dues (100 gp/year) and do not work against the aims of the organization as a whole.
Members of the Haruspices Belli are drawn primarily from the fighters and multiclass fighters. Monks can also qualify, and because their combat styles are similar, both relying on disciplined training and acute senses, they make fearsome haruspices. Rangers and barbarians are uncommon but not unknown, often serving as scouts or overland couriers. Paladins, on the other hand, are almost unheard of as the order is not affiliated with any deity or church. Other classes are similarly rare.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
BAB: +5
Skills: Listen 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks, Knowledge (history) 4 ranks
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Iron Will
Special: The character must either have been born blind or voluntarily blind himself in a painful ritual. For the details of this ritual see above.
Class Skills
Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4+Int modifier
Class Features
The following are the class features of the haruspex prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The haruspex is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and with shields.
Monk Abilities: A character's haruspex levels stack with any monk levels he possesses for determining his unarmed strike damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus.
Blinsight/Blindsense (Ex): At 1st level, the haruspex gains blindsight out to a 10 ft. radius and blindsense out to a 20 ft. radius. The range of his blindsight and blindsense increase as shown in the table above. This ability is based primarily on the haruspex' hearing and thus ceases to function if he is deafened.
Trance (Su): At 2nd level, the haruspex gains the ability to enter a battle trance once per encounter. While in this trance the haruspex is able to peer into the future granting him a +2 insight bonus to attack and damage rolls, AC, and Reflex saving throws. The trance lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 plus the character's Wisdom modifier. At fifth level the bonus to attack and damage rolls, AC, and Reflex saving throws increases to +3. At eighth level it increases to +4. The insight bonus to AC and Reflex saving throws is lost whenever the haruspex would lose his Dexterity bonus to AC.
When the trance ends the haruspex is mentally exhausted, receiving a -2 penalty to Will saving throws, and skill and ability checks based on mental attributes. In addition, because the trance requires intense concentration it does not stack with the benefits granted by rage or similar abilities, only the most recent effect applies.
Improved Initiative: At 2nd level, the haruspex gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
Haruspicy(Sp): At 3rd level, the haruspex may use augury once per day as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to his haruspex level plus his Wisdom modifier.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4nd level, a haruspex retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a haruspex already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a haruspex can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has haruspex levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.
Greater Haruspicy (Sp): At 8th level, the haruspex gains the ability to use divination once per day as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to his class plus his Wisdom modifier. In addition his Haruspicy ability improves, it can now be used three times per day instead of one.
Sight Beyond Time (Su): At 10th level, the haruspex has perfected his ability to gaze through the veil of time. He is treated as if he were under the effects of a foresight spell, with a caster level equal to his class level plus his Wisdom modifier, at all times. A successful dispel magic, greater dispel magic, or mage's disjunction suppresses this ability for 2d4 rounds, after which it functions normally. This ability does not function when the haruspex is unconscious.
The Haruspex
Every warrior must learn to read the stance and movements of his opponents in order to guess at their next move. But what would he give to predict with certainty his enemies attacks before they happen? For the haruspex, the answer is his eyes. The Haruspices Belli, also called the Warseers, are a secretive order of martial diviners. Through the sacrifice of their eyes they gain the ability to enter a mystical trance, during which they claim to be able to peer a few moments into the future. Those that have fought the haruspex are inclined to believe them; it is quite disconcerting to find that your opponent moving to block your blows before they are made. They sell their services, and because of this most believe them to be nothing more than a mercenary company, albeit one with a grizzly initiation ritual. However, sages speculate that they may have some grander purpose. What is know is that they occasionally offer to fight for one side at no charge. The only discernible pattern in these incidents is that every one has led to a major power shift between the groups involved in the combat. Whatever the impetus behind their actions, it remains dark. They are known to hunt down rogue members and outsiders are not allowed into their scattered keeps (attempts at uninvited ingress have rarely succeeded).
During the ritual promotion from lay member to haruspex, the potential haruspex must remove his own eyes with an enchanted knife whose blade is crafted from a shard of a shattered crystal ball. To perform this excruciating feat without fainting from the pain the initiate must succeed on a DC 20 Will save. If he makes it through his initiation, the title of haruspex is conferred on the character. This entitles him to full membership benefits, which include free lodging and meals for himself and discount lodging for his companions at any keep maintained by the Haruspices Belli, access to their impressive libraries devoted to the history of combat and warfare, and discounted services from the spellcasters attached to the order. In exchange he must perform services for his superiors in the organization. The haruspex is expected to respond to any summons and must participate every year in at least one combat engagement lasting for at least one week. Other than this members are free to work as independent sellswords as long as they pay their dues (100 gp/year) and do not work against the aims of the organization as a whole.
Members of the Haruspices Belli are drawn primarily from the fighters and multiclass fighters. Monks can also qualify, and because their combat styles are similar, both relying on disciplined training and acute senses, they make fearsome haruspices. Rangers and barbarians are uncommon but not unknown, often serving as scouts or overland couriers. Paladins, on the other hand, are almost unheard of as the order is not affiliated with any deity or church. Other classes are similarly rare.
Hit Die: d8
Requirements
BAB: +5
Skills: Listen 4 ranks, Sense Motive 4 ranks, Knowledge (history) 4 ranks
Feats: Alertness, Blind-Fight, Iron Will
Special: The character must either have been born blind or voluntarily blind himself in a painful ritual. For the details of this ritual see above.
Code:
Level BAB Fort Ref Will Blindsight/Blindsense Class Features
1 +1 +0 +2 +2 10ft./20ft. Monk Abilities
2 +2 +0 +3 +3 10ft./20ft. Trance (+2), Improved Initiative
3 +3 +1 +3 +3 15ft./30ft. Haruspicy
4 +4 +1 +4 +4 15ft./30ft. Uncanny Dodge
5 +5 +1 +4 +4 20ft./40ft. Trance (+3)
6 +6 +2 +5 +5 20ft./40ft.
7 +7 +2 +5 +5 25ft./50ft. Improved Uncanny Dodge
8 +8 +2 +6 +6 25ft./50ft. Greater Haruspicy, Trance (+4)
9 +9 +3 +6 +6 30ft./60ft.
10 +10 +3 +7 +7 30ft./60ft. Sight Beyond TimeClass Skills
Balance (Dex), Craft (Int), Climb (Str), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Knowledge (history) (Int), Listen (Wis), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Tumble (Dex)
Skill Points at Each Level: 4+Int modifier
Class Features
The following are the class features of the haruspex prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: The haruspex is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor and with shields.
Monk Abilities: A character's haruspex levels stack with any monk levels he possesses for determining his unarmed strike damage, AC bonus, and unarmored speed bonus.
Blinsight/Blindsense (Ex): At 1st level, the haruspex gains blindsight out to a 10 ft. radius and blindsense out to a 20 ft. radius. The range of his blindsight and blindsense increase as shown in the table above. This ability is based primarily on the haruspex' hearing and thus ceases to function if he is deafened.
Trance (Su): At 2nd level, the haruspex gains the ability to enter a battle trance once per encounter. While in this trance the haruspex is able to peer into the future granting him a +2 insight bonus to attack and damage rolls, AC, and Reflex saving throws. The trance lasts for a number of rounds equal to 3 plus the character's Wisdom modifier. At fifth level the bonus to attack and damage rolls, AC, and Reflex saving throws increases to +3. At eighth level it increases to +4. The insight bonus to AC and Reflex saving throws is lost whenever the haruspex would lose his Dexterity bonus to AC.
When the trance ends the haruspex is mentally exhausted, receiving a -2 penalty to Will saving throws, and skill and ability checks based on mental attributes. In addition, because the trance requires intense concentration it does not stack with the benefits granted by rage or similar abilities, only the most recent effect applies.
Improved Initiative: At 2nd level, the haruspex gains Improved Initiative as a bonus feat.
Haruspicy(Sp): At 3rd level, the haruspex may use augury once per day as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to his haruspex level plus his Wisdom modifier.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4nd level, a haruspex retains his Dexterity bonus to AC (if any) even if he is caught flat-footed or struck by an invisible attacker. However, he still loses his Dexterity bonus to AC if immobilized. If a haruspex already has uncanny dodge from a different class, he automatically gains improved uncanny dodge instead.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a haruspex can no longer be flanked. This defense denies a rogue the ability to sneak attack the barbarian by flanking him, unless the attacker has at least four more rogue levels than the target has haruspex levels. If a character already has uncanny dodge from a second class, the levels from the classes that grant uncanny dodge stack to determine the minimum level a rogue must be to flank the character.
Greater Haruspicy (Sp): At 8th level, the haruspex gains the ability to use divination once per day as a spell like ability with a caster level equal to his class plus his Wisdom modifier. In addition his Haruspicy ability improves, it can now be used three times per day instead of one.
Sight Beyond Time (Su): At 10th level, the haruspex has perfected his ability to gaze through the veil of time. He is treated as if he were under the effects of a foresight spell, with a caster level equal to his class level plus his Wisdom modifier, at all times. A successful dispel magic, greater dispel magic, or mage's disjunction suppresses this ability for 2d4 rounds, after which it functions normally. This ability does not function when the haruspex is unconscious.
