Arcana Unearthed Causes and Totems

[jpwic]

Well I am starting to design a Homebrew worlld using AU as a base, I'm going to be making some new causes for champions and totems for totem warriors that fit better with the feel of this world. So as I finish them I'll post them here so I can get your guys (and Gals) opinions on them and suggested tweaks. With that heres the first one, the Champion of Undeath.

Champion of Undeath
Special: The Champion of Undeath has Spellcraft and Use Magic Devices as class skills.

Level 1: Undeath's Touch - Touch of Disruption once
per day.

Level 5: Immunity to Poisons/Diseases - Constant exposure to
various rotting corpses leaves you immune to all poisons/diseases.

Level 10: Undead Allies - Able to cast Animate Dead once per week (Once per day
seems a little strong)

Level 15: Stronger Undead - Animate Dead is cast as the heightened version for free.

Level 20: Undeath - The champions long association with the undead has finally taken
a toll on his body. After falling into a coma the champion awakens to life as an undead creature.
Subject to an undead's strengths and weaknesses.

Oh well, as always comments are appreciated and welcomed.

Coming up next: The Fox totem warrior

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

I like the 1st and 20th level powers, but immunity to poison and disease doesn't seem to fit, and for variety's sake, maybe replace the second animate dead effect. I'm a fan of Arcana Unearthed too, so I'm looking forward to your other causes/totems.

 

[jpwic]

Hmm, before I actually edit the post I'll post an alternative I thought about,

5th Level: Noxious Smell - All the time spent around rotting corpses has left the stench of death on you. Anyone within 5' of the champion becomes sickened for 10 rounds, A Fortitude save (DC = 1/2 champion level + 10) grants you immunity to the stench for 24 hours. Creatures/Characters without a sense of smell are not affected by this ability and creatures/characters with the scent feat are at a -5 to this save as their heightened sense of smell makes the stench harder to ignore. Other champion of undeath of at least fifth level are immune to this as well.

15th Level: Spirit Host - You can even control the spirits of the long departed. Cast Rouse Undead Spirit as the heightened version once per day.

What a villain this would be, you get your champion as the BBEG. the original undead spirit he creates with this spell and a whole lot of spawn from the spirit. With no clerics in the world this guy would rock

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

5th Level: Noxious Smell - All the time spent around rotting corpses has left the stench of death on you. Anyone trying to grapple or touch attack you gets a -1 to attack as they try not to retch from your smell. (I'm not sure how balanced this is, I didn't want to give it to all non-reach melee attacks since I thought it might be to broken

This is pretty cool. How about 1/day, you can, as a move-equivalent action, release a cloud of noxious vapours which makes anyone within 5' sickened (as per the Player's Handbook) unless they make a Fortitude save (DC = champion level + 10?). Maybe not such a good idea.. people will start calling this 'noxious fart' and no one will take your champion seriously. How about Noxious Smell working like the troglodyte ability (i.e. constant effect as you first suggested, but anyone within 5' become sickened for 10 rounds), unless they make a Fortitude save (DC = champion level + 10.. or champion level + 5.. or 1/2 champion level + 10). A successful save grants you immunity from that champion's stench for 24 hours.

15th Level: Spirit Host - You can even control the spirits of the long departed. Cast Rouse Undead Spirit once per week.

Nice.

I know once per week does not seem a lot, but a patient Champion would be able to summon 356 lesser undead and 356 Spirits in a year. So while most of the abilities for champions are once per day, I thought it was appropiate to set it to once per week. Should I give them another ability to make up for it or does that seem good?

The spell description says that you can only control one undead at a time (any additional undead you rouse attempt to slay you immediately), so no need for a casting restriction I think. If you think this is too weak for a 15th level ability, you can grant the champion the augmented version of the spell.

 

[jpwic]

How about Noxious Smell working like the troglodyte ability (i.e. constant effect as you first suggested, but anyone within 5' become sickened for 10 rounds), unless they make a Fortitude save (DC = champion level + 10.. or champion level + 5.. or 1/2 champion level + 10). A successful save grants you immunity from that champion's stench for 24 hours.Nice.

Sounds Pretty good,

The spell description says that you can only control one undead at a time (any additional undead you rouse attempt to slay you immediately), so no need for a casting restriction I think. If you think this is too weak for a 15th level ability, you can grant the champion the augmented version of the spell.

Ok thats good, thats what happens when I'm doing this quicky at lunch

My whole motivation behind this one was that while the book says the champion of death consorts with Undead I kind of see the champions as being more like Baudin (knight of high house death) in Steven Eriksons Malazan Book of the Fallen series and while he may technically be undead he was not fond of the two necromancers (I forget their names ATM). Ok I fixed the second post to reflect the changes.

 

[Ulorian - Agent of Chaos]

Sounds Pretty good,

Won't do much for their love life, but what are you gonna do?

My whole motivation behind this one was that while the book says the champion of death consorts with Undead I kind of see the champions as being more like Baudin (knight of high house death) in Steven Eriksons Malazan Book of the Fallen series and while he may technically be undead he was not fond of the two necromancers (I forget their names ATM). Ok I fixed the second post to reflect the changes.

Love those books too. The two necromancers: Broach and somebody.. starts with a 'K' I think.

 

[jpwic]

Kaubelin I think his name is. I'll finish up working on the fox totem warrior some time today