Need help with Ancestor Warrior PrC - any suggestions?

[The Crimster]

I have a player in my campaign that is just about ready for a PrC. I'm designing it, but I'd thought I'd see if anyone has any ideas out there!

He is a Fhokki fighter (from the Kalamar setting - think tall, nordic, slightly barbaric). He started out with a rare ability to speak with the dead spirits of his ancestors. Up til now, he's used it as more for roleplaying and minor information gathering (they're cranky, but would help them as much as they can - he's their descendant, after all). After some time, the character realized he could do more than that - he's what is called a Soul Binder. Those who die nearby become trapped within him. Friends, enemies - anything with a soul. There have been no good or bad results of this yet. That will come later.

But on to some ideas for the PrC. He's able to speak to his ancestors, right? Well how about making Knowledge (History) a class skill. Ok, that's easy. Access to other languages (only those his ancestors would have known, of course). Perhaps the ability for his ancestors to lend him their fighting ability...? We've briefly talked about the ability to 'travel' to the places where his ancestors died. A cool idea, and allows for great adventure possibilities. ("Aye, lad. I died beneath a dragon's claw... That was only about 100 or so years ago - think ye can take the thing if it's still there?").

Ok, so there you go. Any suggestions? Ideas? Perhaps other, already created PrC's I can copy from? =)

The Crimster

 

[The Crimster]

Hissssssssssss!

You there! Answer me! Or feel my dreaded Mind Blast (tm)..!

The Crimster

 

[wolfpunk]

I think the idea has lots of merit. I am not too famaliar with the Kalamar setting. However, I think perhaps detect spirit would be a possible ability. Or maybe something as simple as he can see spirits, "I see dead people". At a later level perhaps he has the ability to cast off his body and travel as a spirit himself.

I think it depends on what sort of abilities you want him to have and whether they act on a good basis with spirits, or on an evil basis with spirits. If it is just ancestor related ability. You could look at the oriental adventures book and use the samurai's ancestoral daisho ability, and allow the character to enchant their weapons with ancestoral magical ability.

 

[The Crimster]

I think the idea has lots of merit. I am not too famaliar with the Kalamar setting. However, I think perhaps detect spirit would be a possible ability. Or maybe something as simple as he can see spirits, "I see dead people". At a later level perhaps he has the ability to cast off his body and travel as a spirit himself.

I think it depends on what sort of abilities you want him to have and whether they act on a good basis with spirits, or on an evil basis with spirits. If it is just ancestor related ability. You could look at the oriental adventures book and use the samurai's ancestoral daisho ability, and allow the character to enchant their weapons with ancestoral magical ability.

Indeed. I mustn't leave that off. Perhaps some type of Speak With Dead ability.

Good, good, yesssss....

The Crimster

 

[kenjib]

I imagine someone like this might exist with one foot in the land of the living and one foot in the spirit realm, so to speak. What effect would this have on a person? Some ideas of the top of my head:

1. Speak with dead - as mentioned before.
2. See ethereal creatures.
3. Inherent ghosttouch ability.
4. Turn/rebuke undead as a cleric of 2 levels lower than your level in this PRC. These levels stack with cleric/paladin/etc. levels.
5. Perhaps at high level they can gain supernatural powers that emulate Shadow Walk, Ethereal Jaunt, Etherealness, or some other similar spells to represent their deepening connection to the spirit world.
6. To represent the guidance and aid of ancestors maybe something like the following - Ancestral Guidance (Su): You may invoke the spirits of your ancestors to guide your actions. You may do this once per day at 1st level and one extra time per day for every 3 additional levels you have in this prestige class (i.e. 1 at 1st, 2 at 4th, 3 at 7th, and 4 at 10th). You can choose one of the following benefits when invoking this power:
a) You may spend a full minute communicating with your ancestors to attempt to find the answer to a single question. As a result you may make any one knowledge check as if you had maximum ranks for your character level in the applicable skill
b) As a move equivalent action you may call upon the spirit of a warrior in your past. The next single attack you make may be made as if you had the BaB of a fighter of your character level.
c) Calling on ancestral spirits to protect you from harm, you may make a single saving throw as if you had the base saving throw progression of a monk of your character level. You must decide to invoke this power before rolling the die.
d) As a standard action you may call upon the spirit of an experienced ancestor to guide your actions. When you do this you must choose a skill from the following: Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Spot, Swim, Tumble. The next single skill check you make with this skill within the next minute can be made as if you had maximum ranks in the skill for your character level.

I think that would be a pretty sound basis for an interesting prestige class, but there will be a bit of a balancing job to balance out the rather powerful ancestral guidance idea. The list of applicable feats for usage (d) might also need to be revisited. I tried to pick purely physical, action oriented, feats, that resolve quickly. When you're done with the details make sure and post the PRC. I think it's a really fantastic idea!

 

[reapersaurus]

hmmmmm.. the Shang Tsung of PrC's.... much merit in this!

 

[kenjib]

Hiyah Crimster. Did anything ever come of this? I really like this idea so if you don't post a class here I just might have to give it a shot!

 

[trentonjoe]

How about an ability that allows the spirits to posses the body and cast spells?

I figure you could call on a spirit to cast anyspell (some spellcasters have to had had died sometime right?)?

Maybe a formula could be 20% * your PrC level - 10% * spell level?

If you don't want it being a combat ability have it take a turn.

I also really like the inherent ghost touch ability.

Alertness might also work (Hey, ALive guy! Look out there are 50 orcs sneeking up on you that want you to meet me in person!)


Good Luck!

 

[The Crimster]

Actually, these are all *great* ideas - the player and I are working on making this class, abeit slowly.

As soon as we get it, we will be posting it here - I'm looking forward to seeing what you guys think.

The Crimster

 

[kenjib]

Nice ideas trentonjoe.

I look forward to seeing it Crimster.