Corrupted Template

[trentonjoe]

Re: Alternate Corrupted Template

This is a cool idea you came up with for making alternate witch types. Here is my take on the Corrupted to make it a bit more flexible. Not all those who make an infernal pact want the same thing, after all...

.

My first reaction to this was damn, this guys idea is better than mine!

Upon further review, and some ego stroking by myself (YOU're the champ Joe!) I decided to take what I liked.

Ability scores: Brilliant idea. I had been wrestling with the fact that maybe a spell caster would do this and the old template didn't help them as much soooo I took you're suggestion.

Feats: I kinda of went back to my orginal idea that the corrupted guy becomes like the 6 million dollar man. Bigger, faster, stronger, more alert. YOur feats are great but I liked mine better. Plus I wasn't real familiar with some of them

SPells: I changed my spell list too. I added spider climb and obscurring mist. I removed true strike and magic missile. I tried to only allow spells that were evil or had something to do with my perception of the abyss or nine hells. Most of them are fear, fire, cold, smokey, negative energy type stuff. I added shield and shield of faith just to add a defensive option and it seemed to fit okay.

THis is a really great thread (IMO) and I can't thank you guys enough for coming up with great ideas.

Keep 'um coming and maybe Kaptain Kantrip and I can have battle royal with out templates at the end.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

I think the spell list should reflect the kind of spells a person would want and would see a lot of use, as they are giving up their soul for them (and the rest of the template powers, LOL). I don't think it's purely a matter of whether the spells are perceived to be "evil" so much as useful to the one making the bargain.

Wieldskill (+10 to one skill check, from Magic of Faerun, cleric 1, duration 1 minute or until discharged) is an invaluable spell for anyone wishing to become a master manipulator (+10 to bluff, seduction, diplomacy, etc.), artist/craftsman, thief, bard, etc. Wieldskill stays useful throughout the corrupted's entire career unlike spells like sleep which start to lose their efficacy by the middle levels. Also, the corrupted could take a ring of skill (+10 to one skill) as their "gift" and take wieldskill as their spell-like ability for a +20 skill check bonus once per day! That's just for a 1st level character with no ranks in the desired skill... While this may sound too powerful, it is in keeping with many stories of those who made deals with devil, like a mad painter whose work was ridiculed, then who sold his soul for artistic talent and became a master painter whose work was praised as genius virtually "overnight."

Shield stays useful forever, too, and is probably one of the most powerful spells in the game with its +7 AC bonus. Shield can make the corrupted virtually unhittable in combat, depending on the adversary confronted.

These are probably the smartest utility and defense spells one could take.

I think the template needs a lot of options/flexibility so as to reflect all types of pactmaker ambitions (options for hack-n-slash "zap 'em" warlords, behind the scenes "skill heavy" manipulators, and those who seek a balance somewhere in between).

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

*bump*

Comments?

 

[drowdude]

How about having the ability bonuses stack when applied to the same attribute?

You know what I mean?

How better to tempt the wizard than with infernal insight into all matters arcane (+6 Int). Or tempting a weakling with the power to smite those that ridicule them (+6 to Str)...


I think this would be good addition to the template, and not really overpowered when compared to the others.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Hmmm... interesting idea! I like it.

 

[trentonjoe]

Another great idea form the slightly smaller, very much darker, elf friend.

Is +6 to one ability= to +2 in three?

I don't think so.

The magic item value for those kinda item advance by powers of 2 (4-8-16-32-64). I think they did that for a reason.

If this bonus was a magic item to three +2s would be worth 12,000 and the +6 would be an artifact level 128,000.

Also,
I try to avoid people running around with 24 and 26 in their stat column, personally.

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

Good point, trentonjoe. +2 to three stats is plenty good, LOL!

 

[Scarab]

This is a very nice template. I was looking for something not quite as strong as the fiend/half-fiend templates to use on a level 2 "boss monster", and this hits the spot perfectly.

And I agree - +2 to three different stats, +6 to one is way too strong.

 

[Nik_the_Pig]

Soul

Just an idea but how about making such characters unable to be raised due to their souls being locked in service to whatever fiend on whichever level of hell after death???

 

[Kaptain_Kantrip]

If your character was Corrupted, wouldn't you want to be able to be raised from the dead? Taking that away from them is no fun (whether they are PC or NPC). However, a compromise might be that the fiend who owns their soul would only allow them to return to life in exchange for performing some great service. Then again, the character's soul might "sneak off" and escape hell, and the angry fiend might come looking for him (ala the film ANGEL HEART). Of course, fiction is rife with examples of evil doers coming back from the dead (hell) to wreak revenge and havoc, possessing their descendants, etc., and in most of these examples, there is no penalty or prohibition attached to the corrupted coming back to life. Indeed, it seems to be encouraged so that more evil can be done in the world. The Corrupted is basically an earthbound agent of the fiend he made the pact with, and the fiend might very well want to keep as many agents "in play" on earth as possible to gain it more power, converts, etc.