Renfield
Explorer
This is a custom class for my campaign world. I'd love to hear advice and opinions and the like. Refrain from advice/opinions if you're of the mind that 3.5 spells *aren't* watered down and terribly weak versions of their 3.0 counterparts (with the occasional exception of course) I'm a DM who can handle so called 'broken' rules and spells with the ease of a big boy going to the bathroom without a diaper. This is sort of a replacement for the monk but not quite.
Naer Dess
The Naer Dess Healer
Having a campaign world lacking in any real healing magic, something needed to be done, I could have played it tough on my players and told them too bad, I could have given in and given them your standard cleric band-aid (Clerics being one of my favorite classes by the way, I’ve been fighting their band-aid rep for as long as I’ve been playing them), but instead I chose to stretch my creative muscles and rip a few inspirations from other works of fiction and movies and the like and create the Naer Dess. This also serves to cover for the monk class after a fashion, being that fighting monks just seem a little too eastern to truly fit in with the bulk of my campaign as they are I figured another martial arts class could be used, only they’d be healers!
The Naer Dess come from a community hidden away in the Skycut Mountains they train to perfect the art of healing and perfect their own bodies. Seeking enlightenment through the wisdom of the spirits and self improvement. None have been able to contend with their talent for healing and few can manipulate the lifestream with such surgical precision. Surely some of the most extraordinary people a world without magic holds.
Adventures: Naer Dess rarely truly adventure for adventures sake, often times one may join up with a group of adventurers as a way to hone their abilities, afterall, adventurers are grand damage magnets and often find themselves in need of healing. While these healers lack anything akin to the instant abilities of standard D&D clerics they make up for it quite easily with the ability to perform interesting feats at lower levels as well as hold their own in combat. All in all while most Naer Dess either practice in their community or are assigned to various towns and villages, some feel more comfortable in a small adventuring group and find they get more chances to hone their abilities.
Characteristics: Often silent, though that is not a rule, these seekers of wisdom. One could think of the personality of a priest or monk as they are very spiritual and their wisdom is the stuff many fables are made of. Never will true Naer Dess enjoy or even be eager to use their knowledge for violence, preferring to spend most combat doing subdual damage. Againm this is not the rule, if they must kill they will, but only if they must.
Alignment: The Naer Dess have no strict alignment guidelines save that none can really be chaotic and endure the rigors and discipline required in their training. Other than that Naer Dess tend to gravitate towards Good, Neutral, and Lawful alignments as the art of healing is a primarily benevolent practice. There are some who prefer to focus their efforts on their own personal perfection, while this is often frowned upon they still exist.
Religion: The Naer Dess follow an old and dying faith, a way known only as, well, The Way. It follows philosophies of peace and tranquility tempered by ideals of benevolence. Helping people is something few Naer Dess refuse, and those that due through malice or selfish reasons are often outcasts of the community. People who simply couldn’t be made to believe that the way of the Naer Dess shouldn’t be used for personal gain. It is said that some Healers secretly hunt and kill outcasts known to have abused their teachings.
The Naer Dess hold strong faith in the wisdom of the spirits. While they in no way worship them they do revere the wisdom of the spirits and often seek guidance in difficult times. In learned circles (aka. If you’re a first level commoner, fighter, etc, there’s little chance you know this... no, there’s no chance you know this.) It is whispered that the Spirits themselves taught the healers their practice. Outside of the wisdom of the Spirits the Naer Dess seek what could almost be described as Enlightenment and believe that the body, while merely a vessel in this life, can carry their soul down the path to enlightenment. As such they’ll not pollute their body and you’ll rarely find a Naer Dess with a pot belly.
It is taught that if one does not completely learn The Way throughout the course of their life then upon death they’ll spend time in the afterlife learning from the spirits in hopes that when they return to the mortal world they’ll be reinforced by instinctual memory so deep that it’s imbedded into their very soul.
Backgrounds:
Naer Dess are often orphans or children who have been left with the commune to learn their ways and find a place in the world that their parents couldn’t help them with. Some are chosen by Naer Dess provided parental consent or in some cases, particularly in abusive families, simply spirited away upon the childs consent. Those at their puberty are rarely chosen and those past their puberty are almost unheard of... though many more exceptional students are taken in.
The Naer Dess have a pact, a bond with the peoples of the lands to serve as healers and often their wisdom is sought in many matters from domestic disputes to political. Rarely do they ever truly favor a side in political battles be it war or trade.
Races: None are excluded from the Commune of the Naer Dess. Though those who do not graduate are not allowed to advance in the more risky teachings.
Other Classes: Naer Dess may not multiclass and continue on the path of the Naer Dess. Only a Jaded or Fallen ever multiclasses and the Fallen are hunted while the Jaded may never advance as a Naer Dess again. Though should they find redemption they may return to the path, however they must continue indefinitely or they will die, one of the stranger and rarely known facts even by the healers themselves... until they find redemption that is.
Role: Typically the path of a Naer Dess is as such: They are given to the commune as orphans where they train for years to reach the status of Graduate. This is merely the beginning. Soon after they are assigned to a master and serve to protect a village or the like. Many stay on until they begin feeling restless and choose to wander the world or until their master returns to the commune to further their studies. A Naer Dess after enough training from their master either travels or returns to the Commune to graduate to Master only to return to the village and take their former master’s place. After a time serving as healer to whatever community they are in they take on a student themselves. When that student is ready to replace them they often return to the commune to further themselves spiritually.
Naer Dess are not the only healers in the world, but they are arguably the best, and oddly enough they prefer to serve the smaller communities like towns and villages or the poorer sections of cities, where they feel their work will do them the most good. Few would intentionally bring serious harm to a Naer Dess, it is taboo akin to slaying a dove or any sort of symbol of peace. Though they are far from helpless.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: A high Dex and Con are often needed as the Naer Dess must hone their bodies. Str is often Secondary to these. A high Wisdom is crucial for the healers to access their healing abilities they must have a better understanding of the body in relation to the Life Flow.
Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Being a Naer Dess requires discipline, sometimes discipline is overcome by the natural inclination to do good.
Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Rogue
Saving Throws: As Monk
Defence Bonus: As Monk
Class Skills: Healing (duh, and if you do not take this skill you, and every character you create, simply cease to exist in my campaign, that level of stupidity will not be tolerated.), Tumble, Swim, Awareness, Jump, Concentration, Climb, Balance, Survival, Knowledge (Local, geography, religion, anatomy), Sense Motive.
Skill Points: 4 + Int modfier x 4
Skill points each additional level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor: Naer Dess are actually adept with a nice selection of weapons.
Wielding the Life Stream: A Naer Dess learns to manipulate the very energies of the body by concentrating their own energies into altering those of the one they’re healing. They get a number of Chi points equal to their Level + Wis modifier. For those who simply can’t understand here’s a nifty little italicized example thingy.
There, now that you have been schooled in the niceness of using Naer Dess abilities let me go into a bit of explanation about the in game mechanics of this interesting thing. The Life Stream is quite simply the energies of life that exist in all living things it is akin to Ether, something you’ll learn about later, only restricted purely to life and the existence of. Everyone has their own life stream however the Naer Dess are the only ones who’ve managed to learn how to wield theres with such precision that they can manipulate others. Naturally doing so drains them of their life force which thankfully they build a wall during their training that blocks this from getting to dangerous levels. At higher levels Naer Dess can break down this barrier and tap into their reserves however this is at great risk to their lives.
Now another neat ability of the Life Stream. If you have so much as 1 point of LP in your pool you get a +2 bonus to Will Saves. As being able to sense your very life force brings you some rather potent mental fortitude.
Purify The Body: At the cost of 1 LP a Naer Dess can grant themselves one re-roll on a Save vs. Disease or a Save vs. Poison. Some of the first training a Naer Dess receives is on their own body, for how can you tend to another if you cannot even attend to yourself. At 10th Level this second save is rolled automatically and at 15th Level Naer Dess are immune to all non magic disease’s and poisons while at 20th they become immune to even those of magical power.
The act of self purification is rather simple in a manner of speaking. The Naer Dess concentrates after failing a save and manipulating the life stream of his body forces the poison out. Visually this could be disturbing if the poison was consumed or was some form of contact. The life stream makes sure the poison get’s into the blood in a concentrated manner and then ejects the blood. This means some form of bleeding is made to get rid of the toxin. Sweating blood and bleeding noses are some of these means. Through bites or cuts things tend to be a little easier on the eyes as the eyes as the cut or bite simply bleeds as the poison is pushed out the way it came. The blood is purely physical and doesn’t do any damage.
In ejecting Disease the second saving through swiftly boosts your immune system and sets them to assaulting the invaders promptly and without mercy. Such a vigorous attempt by ones body often leaves one a little worn out though nothing too serious.
A Naer Dess can give others the same second chance by spending another LP. Note: Only one second chance is available per poison/disease. If one get’s afflicted with another disease or poison they can get a second chance on that but not the first. So if you fail twice too bad for you.
Endure: Spending 3 LP one can insure that they remain fighting until -Con with only their last hit-point being partial actions. Such an act sends adrenal glands into overdrive struggling to keep the body moving despite horrible punishment. A Naer Dess in this state is often calm and driven if in pain as they are well aware of being close to death and find themselves in survival mode with the awareness that any moment can be their last. This is one ability that truly can be used only one time a day. The drain on the body is severe and at a higher level the Naer Dess can indeed attempt such again at great risk to their life. This is a strain in that the Naer Dess slows the flow of blood to a trickle taking the punch out of hitting the -‘s
Rapid Mending: Open wounds, bruises, or even damage from exposure and the like can be swiftly healed by a Naer Dess. This is similar to but slower than the Paladins ‘Lay on Hands’ ability. Essentially what it does if add to your reserve points. By spending 2 LP a Naer Dess can add their wisdom bonus times their level in reserve points to a wounded comrade. One cannot be healed more than their max reserve points and the amount of hit points they had lost. AKA:
See, it’s fun and easy, granted much more useful with a higher Wis score, bet Orpheus can’t wait to attain 4th level and slap a point on his Wis. Another nifty quality to this is that it lasts for an hour. Meaning if a Naer Dess doesn’t manipulate all his allotted points he can move to a another wounded comrade and provide the same treatment or even focus on mending himself.
Cut the Flow: When wounded below Con Bonus A Naer Dess can spend a LP to will his blood flow to ease to a trickle. Not as potent as ‘Endure’ but still quite the life saver. This is often reserved as a lifesaver. The Naer Dess must make a Concentration Check vs. a DC of 10 + |Damage Below 0|. They can by pass the check by putting extra effort into the attempt and spending an extra LP. At 7th Level only spending an LP is needed.
This ability can be used on others as well. Outside of combat a Naer Dess must make a Knowledge Anatomy check vs. a DC of 10 + |damage below 0| as well as spending 1 LP. During combat one has little time to act and can miss a pressure point if they aren’t careful. At 7th Level a Naer Dess can simply spend an extra LP and automatically stabilize another even in combat. While at 11th level they have reached an understanding of of the life stream that they only need 1 LP to Cut the Flow.
Hitting Where it Hurts: With a Knowledge Anatomy check a Naer Dess can make a full attack and insure that the first successful strike does extra damage. This comes in five four level intervals. 1d6 at first level, 2d6 at 5th Level, 3d6 at 10th Level and so on. Now it may seem like it’s not much however it can essentially be made an unlimited number of times a day as the Naer Dess focuses his attacks where it really counts. Neck, Sternum, wherever they can strike. The down side is that they lose all other attacks per round.
While this naturally becomes easier at higher levels the sacrifice of your remaining attacks is often enough to counter balance that. Good news though? When you get to the point of having two attacks (8th Level) you can spend 1LP to get those extra attacks back! More good news? Spend yet another 1LP and you can get a second check to Hit Where it Hurts. Yay for you!
Side Benefit: You have a crit range of 19-20 when fighting unarmed. Your crit multiplier increases to x3 at 10th level and x4 at 20th.
Unarmed Strike: While the Naer Dess are not Monks they have learned how to make sure their strikes do damage and have also practiced hardening their bodies enough to increase that damage above what others would receive. Naturally they get not attack of opportunity from such things.
Levels Damage Damage (Small)
1-7 1d6 1d4
8-14 1d8 1d6
15-20 1d10 2d4
Not much sure, but you add in strength damage, a nifty ability to charge your attacks with your Life Force and then add in Hitting Where it Hurts and you make a potent adversary unarmed.
NOTE: You do not get the monks Unarmed Attack bonus’ Sorry... well, no, I’m not.
Flurry of Blows: Another nifty ability. Upon reaching 4th Level the Naer Dess has honed their martial arts in such a fashion that they get the Flurry of Blows ability. This sacrifices accuracy for speed. One extra attack is gained at attack bonus but that attack and all other attacks suffer a -2 penalty. Painful... perhaps, but very handy.
Body Mind and Soul: The Naer Dess Healers already have a potent saving through table. However upon reaching 10th Level they’ve become especially adept at tweaking their Life Stream to reject toxins and have gradually honed their body against such impurities. This grants them double their Con bonus in saves vs. Poison and Disease.
An extension of this is magical disease, however this requires mental focus on the part of the Naer Dess and instead of their Con bonus getting doubled they add their wisdom bonus to their saving through as well to fend off things like Lycanthropy and Mummy Rot.
Rapid Healing: At 10th Level a Naer Dess has such control over his body he is actually able to heal Rapidly. By focusing and charging his Life Stream instead of healing 1 RP per minute he heals 1/round. He can use Life Points to enhance this. 1LP changes the effect to +Con Bonus in RP per round. Spending 2LP means you get a 2-1 ratio healed. A very nice thing. Spending 2LP can get you double the Reserve points healed. Another very nice thing.
Now that may not seem beefy enough to you but oh well, deal with it, it’s almost over the top as far as I’m concerned and I’m just waiting to see Darren tweak this ability in such a fashion that I regret making it in the first place. Another nifty bonus. If the Naer Dess uses at least one of the 2LP abilities they can spend another 2LP to invoke the ‘Endure’ Ability.
Resilient Body: Naer Dess have wandered near and far and encountered poisons and diseases that harm stats. This allows them to become rather resilient to such abilities. Upon achieving 8th level and providing the Naer Dess has been exposed to some stat draining thing a few times (Poison or Disease) his body becomes even more resilient towards such effects, even magical when the time comes! For effects have dice damage reduce the damage die by one level i.e. 2d6 becomes 2d4. If the Damage Dice are a d4 to begin with then they go down by 1 to d3, d3 to d2 etc.
Simply that Good: At 10th Level a Naer Dess have such control over their own bodies that they can resist just about anything that affects the body itself. Essentially stat drain abilities, stun abilities, and paralyzation abilities. Just as Purify the Body they can Spend an LP to get a second save against such attacks. They get an automatic second save against them at 15th Level.
Willfull: Spending an LP can permit a second saving throw vs. mind affecting spells in the manner of the Slippery Mind abilities of the rogues. This becomes an automatic re-roll at 10th level.
Power of Life: Power of Life enables a Naer Dess to spend a life point to charge their attacks with their very life energy enabling them to cut through defenses and deal more damage. They can maintain this for as many hours as their wisdom until 13th level. Upon reaching that level they hold the charge indefinitely so long as they have 1 LP/+1. AKA: at 13th level you must have a minimum of 3LP to keep your +3 bonus to attack and damage. If this lowers to 2LP your bonus lowers as well. Simple No?
Feats:
Lifestream Variance:
PreReq: Power of Life
Benefit: A Naer Dess purchases this feat and chooses a weapon quality. Upon spending 1LP their unarmed attacks take on this quality for the purposes of getting past damage reduction. Certain qualities cannot be taken without certain requirements i.e. a nongood character cannot take ‘good’ and a non evil character cannot take ‘evil’. Also, these things don’t just happen, roleplay them dammit, either learning from another Naer Dess or reaching a certain level of enlightenment or self-understanding or whatever.
Note: This feat can be taken multiple times. With each time adding a different quality. In such a fashion a Naer Dess can spend an LP/weapon quality. Again, at 13th Level one only has to have the appropriate number of LP’s Upon getting low they choose a quality to lose. Here, this is likely a bit confusing, let’s move on to an example.
Empower:
PreReq: Power of Life +2
Benefit: by spending a single LP you can add your Power of Life ability to any weapon you are using. You can do this for as many hours as your wisdom bonus. Should you switch weapons you must spend another LP to charge the new one. Upon attaining Power of Life +4 you only spend 1LP period. This simulates better understanding of your ability as your Empower ability reaches such a level that you find yourself capable of a general enhancement to your mind that improves your hand eye coordination and for the bonuses and casually transfers your weapon qualities to whatever it is you’re holding be it cup or blade.
Naer Dess and Knowledge: Anatomy in combat.
Naer Dess have a rather potent familiarity with pressure points. This can lead to some interesting affects. These attacks cannot work against creatures with no discernable anatomy or creatures that aren’t living to begin with.
Stunning Attack: 1LP DC 15 Same as the monk ability with a couple exceptions. Instead of half Level it’s whole level.
Wounded Senses: 2LP DC 20 This ability strikes at the ears and other areas to cause a targets motor skills to go crazy. Giving them a -2 penalty to attack, damage, and Defence. Spending extra LP can enhance this. 1LP: additional -2 penalty for a max of -6 until 10th level and -10 after. 1LP: Lower DC by 2 for a minimum of DC 16. 1LP: +2 to DC to a max of +4 until 10th level and +8 until 15th then +10.Duration 1 round per wisdom bonus of Naer Dess.
Paralyze: 3LP DC 30 Just as it sounds. DC is the same as always. Duration is the same as Wounded Senses. A rather deadly attack as it completely paralyzes an opponent outright making them helpless. Charging is the same as Wounded Senses.
Feat: Five Point Exploding Palm Technique
PreReqs: Wisdom 18, Knowledge Anatomy 15 ranks, must learn technique from a Master.
Benefit: You can use the Five Point Exploding Palm Technique
Five Point Exploding Heart Technique: 3LP DC 35 Similar to the Quivering Palm Technique of the monk this is a little different. Essentially here’s how it works. The Naer Dess strikes their enemy, should they hit and deal damage they perform the technique forsaking all other attacks. Once the victim of the technique moves fifteen feet (aka: Five three foot steps) or ten feet if small (five two foot steps) they make a saving throw vs a DC of 10 + Naer Dess Level + Wisdom Bonus. Same charging abilities as before with a minimum DC of 25.
Naer Dess Healing: Naer Dess heal in a manner similar to others. However they have other nice bonuses as they have the advantage of being able to manipulate a person’s Life Stream. As such checks are a little different.
Checks: DC:
Treat Caltrop Wound 10
First Aid: 10
Long Term Care: 10/15/25
ND Healing: 15/25/35
ND Care: 15/25/35
Treat Poison: Poison’s DC
Treat Disease: Disease’s DC
First Aid and Long Term Care: The PH equivalent of the same. Should one achieve a DC of 15 they can heal another six patients per increment. They won’t get ND bonuses however.
ND First Aid: Same as First Aid with one exception. The one healed is brought to 1 HP. They do not awaken however as their body needs to recuperate. Typically they remain unconscious for 1 hour per point below zero not counting sleep. DC 25 person is awake in 10min/point of damage below zero. DC 35 as DC 25 and receives half the Naer Dess’ Levels in Reserve Points.
ND Care: As Long Term save that the bonuses are doubled. Achieving a DC of 25 means you can spread that care to 12 patients instead. DC 35 means you can tend to 12 patients and triple the benefits or treat 18 patients.
Treat Poison/Disease: Works as per the PH however the patient receives the Naer Dess’ Wisdom bonus when they make their save.
Life Charge: At 5th lvl a Naer Dess can spend LP to charge their body with their own life energy effectively giving it an enhancement bonus that mimics magic weapons. This bonus lasts 1hour/wisdom bonus and grants a +1/+1 to attack and damage for every 4LP spent. This changes to a +1/3LP at 8th level and +1/2LP at 12th and +1/1LP at 16th. With a maximum of +5 until 20th Level.
Seeing Life’s Path: Upon reaching 6th level the Naer Dess gains the ability to see anothers life stream. 1 LP must be spent to trigger this per hour, at 9th level 1LP/ two 3 hours, and at 12th level 1LP is good enough for it to last the day with 17th Level granting the vision at will. This grants the ability to use ones abilities on members other than the common humanoid races.
Level Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Abilities
1 +0 +2 +2 +2 HWH 1d6, Cut the Flow , Purify the Body, Wield the Lifestream
2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Rapid Mending
3 +2 +3 +3 +3
4 +3 +4 +4 +4 Flurry of Blows, Endure
5 +3 +4 +4 +4 Life Charge, HWH 2d6
6 +4 +5 +5 +5 Seeing Life’s Path, Power of Life +1
7 +5 +5 +5 +5 Cut the Flow 2,
8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Life Charge, Resilient Body,
9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Seeing Life’s Path 2, Power of Life +2
10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Simply That Good 1, Rapid Healing, HWH 3d6, Purify the Body 2
11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Cut the Flow 3,
12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Life Charge, Seeing Life’s Path 3
13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Power of Life +3
14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +9
15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Simply That Good 2, HWH 4d6, Purify the Body 3
16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Life Charge, Power of Life +4
17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Seeing Life’s Path 3
18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11
19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Power of Life +5
20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Life Charge, HWH 5d6, Pure Body
Naer Dess
The Naer Dess Healer
Having a campaign world lacking in any real healing magic, something needed to be done, I could have played it tough on my players and told them too bad, I could have given in and given them your standard cleric band-aid (Clerics being one of my favorite classes by the way, I’ve been fighting their band-aid rep for as long as I’ve been playing them), but instead I chose to stretch my creative muscles and rip a few inspirations from other works of fiction and movies and the like and create the Naer Dess. This also serves to cover for the monk class after a fashion, being that fighting monks just seem a little too eastern to truly fit in with the bulk of my campaign as they are I figured another martial arts class could be used, only they’d be healers!
The Naer Dess come from a community hidden away in the Skycut Mountains they train to perfect the art of healing and perfect their own bodies. Seeking enlightenment through the wisdom of the spirits and self improvement. None have been able to contend with their talent for healing and few can manipulate the lifestream with such surgical precision. Surely some of the most extraordinary people a world without magic holds.
Adventures: Naer Dess rarely truly adventure for adventures sake, often times one may join up with a group of adventurers as a way to hone their abilities, afterall, adventurers are grand damage magnets and often find themselves in need of healing. While these healers lack anything akin to the instant abilities of standard D&D clerics they make up for it quite easily with the ability to perform interesting feats at lower levels as well as hold their own in combat. All in all while most Naer Dess either practice in their community or are assigned to various towns and villages, some feel more comfortable in a small adventuring group and find they get more chances to hone their abilities.
Characteristics: Often silent, though that is not a rule, these seekers of wisdom. One could think of the personality of a priest or monk as they are very spiritual and their wisdom is the stuff many fables are made of. Never will true Naer Dess enjoy or even be eager to use their knowledge for violence, preferring to spend most combat doing subdual damage. Againm this is not the rule, if they must kill they will, but only if they must.
Alignment: The Naer Dess have no strict alignment guidelines save that none can really be chaotic and endure the rigors and discipline required in their training. Other than that Naer Dess tend to gravitate towards Good, Neutral, and Lawful alignments as the art of healing is a primarily benevolent practice. There are some who prefer to focus their efforts on their own personal perfection, while this is often frowned upon they still exist.
Religion: The Naer Dess follow an old and dying faith, a way known only as, well, The Way. It follows philosophies of peace and tranquility tempered by ideals of benevolence. Helping people is something few Naer Dess refuse, and those that due through malice or selfish reasons are often outcasts of the community. People who simply couldn’t be made to believe that the way of the Naer Dess shouldn’t be used for personal gain. It is said that some Healers secretly hunt and kill outcasts known to have abused their teachings.
The Naer Dess hold strong faith in the wisdom of the spirits. While they in no way worship them they do revere the wisdom of the spirits and often seek guidance in difficult times. In learned circles (aka. If you’re a first level commoner, fighter, etc, there’s little chance you know this... no, there’s no chance you know this.) It is whispered that the Spirits themselves taught the healers their practice. Outside of the wisdom of the Spirits the Naer Dess seek what could almost be described as Enlightenment and believe that the body, while merely a vessel in this life, can carry their soul down the path to enlightenment. As such they’ll not pollute their body and you’ll rarely find a Naer Dess with a pot belly.
It is taught that if one does not completely learn The Way throughout the course of their life then upon death they’ll spend time in the afterlife learning from the spirits in hopes that when they return to the mortal world they’ll be reinforced by instinctual memory so deep that it’s imbedded into their very soul.
Backgrounds:
Naer Dess are often orphans or children who have been left with the commune to learn their ways and find a place in the world that their parents couldn’t help them with. Some are chosen by Naer Dess provided parental consent or in some cases, particularly in abusive families, simply spirited away upon the childs consent. Those at their puberty are rarely chosen and those past their puberty are almost unheard of... though many more exceptional students are taken in.
The Naer Dess have a pact, a bond with the peoples of the lands to serve as healers and often their wisdom is sought in many matters from domestic disputes to political. Rarely do they ever truly favor a side in political battles be it war or trade.
Races: None are excluded from the Commune of the Naer Dess. Though those who do not graduate are not allowed to advance in the more risky teachings.
Other Classes: Naer Dess may not multiclass and continue on the path of the Naer Dess. Only a Jaded or Fallen ever multiclasses and the Fallen are hunted while the Jaded may never advance as a Naer Dess again. Though should they find redemption they may return to the path, however they must continue indefinitely or they will die, one of the stranger and rarely known facts even by the healers themselves... until they find redemption that is.
Role: Typically the path of a Naer Dess is as such: They are given to the commune as orphans where they train for years to reach the status of Graduate. This is merely the beginning. Soon after they are assigned to a master and serve to protect a village or the like. Many stay on until they begin feeling restless and choose to wander the world or until their master returns to the commune to further their studies. A Naer Dess after enough training from their master either travels or returns to the Commune to graduate to Master only to return to the village and take their former master’s place. After a time serving as healer to whatever community they are in they take on a student themselves. When that student is ready to replace them they often return to the commune to further themselves spiritually.
Naer Dess are not the only healers in the world, but they are arguably the best, and oddly enough they prefer to serve the smaller communities like towns and villages or the poorer sections of cities, where they feel their work will do them the most good. Few would intentionally bring serious harm to a Naer Dess, it is taboo akin to slaying a dove or any sort of symbol of peace. Though they are far from helpless.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: A high Dex and Con are often needed as the Naer Dess must hone their bodies. Str is often Secondary to these. A high Wisdom is crucial for the healers to access their healing abilities they must have a better understanding of the body in relation to the Life Flow.
Alignment: Any non-chaotic. Being a Naer Dess requires discipline, sometimes discipline is overcome by the natural inclination to do good.
Hit Die: d8
Attack Bonus: Rogue
Saving Throws: As Monk
Defence Bonus: As Monk
Class Skills: Healing (duh, and if you do not take this skill you, and every character you create, simply cease to exist in my campaign, that level of stupidity will not be tolerated.), Tumble, Swim, Awareness, Jump, Concentration, Climb, Balance, Survival, Knowledge (Local, geography, religion, anatomy), Sense Motive.
Skill Points: 4 + Int modfier x 4
Skill points each additional level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features:
Weapon and Armor: Naer Dess are actually adept with a nice selection of weapons.
Wielding the Life Stream: A Naer Dess learns to manipulate the very energies of the body by concentrating their own energies into altering those of the one they’re healing. They get a number of Chi points equal to their Level + Wis modifier. For those who simply can’t understand here’s a nifty little italicized example thingy.
Orpheus is a third level Naer Dess with a naughty word wisdom of 15. This wisdom gives him a +2 bonus. And So, using simple first day of Math 054 stuff we’ll add: Naer Dess Level 3 + 2 = 5. He has 5 Life Points. Nifty ain’t it?
There, now that you have been schooled in the niceness of using Naer Dess abilities let me go into a bit of explanation about the in game mechanics of this interesting thing. The Life Stream is quite simply the energies of life that exist in all living things it is akin to Ether, something you’ll learn about later, only restricted purely to life and the existence of. Everyone has their own life stream however the Naer Dess are the only ones who’ve managed to learn how to wield theres with such precision that they can manipulate others. Naturally doing so drains them of their life force which thankfully they build a wall during their training that blocks this from getting to dangerous levels. At higher levels Naer Dess can break down this barrier and tap into their reserves however this is at great risk to their lives.
Now another neat ability of the Life Stream. If you have so much as 1 point of LP in your pool you get a +2 bonus to Will Saves. As being able to sense your very life force brings you some rather potent mental fortitude.
Purify The Body: At the cost of 1 LP a Naer Dess can grant themselves one re-roll on a Save vs. Disease or a Save vs. Poison. Some of the first training a Naer Dess receives is on their own body, for how can you tend to another if you cannot even attend to yourself. At 10th Level this second save is rolled automatically and at 15th Level Naer Dess are immune to all non magic disease’s and poisons while at 20th they become immune to even those of magical power.
The act of self purification is rather simple in a manner of speaking. The Naer Dess concentrates after failing a save and manipulating the life stream of his body forces the poison out. Visually this could be disturbing if the poison was consumed or was some form of contact. The life stream makes sure the poison get’s into the blood in a concentrated manner and then ejects the blood. This means some form of bleeding is made to get rid of the toxin. Sweating blood and bleeding noses are some of these means. Through bites or cuts things tend to be a little easier on the eyes as the eyes as the cut or bite simply bleeds as the poison is pushed out the way it came. The blood is purely physical and doesn’t do any damage.
In ejecting Disease the second saving through swiftly boosts your immune system and sets them to assaulting the invaders promptly and without mercy. Such a vigorous attempt by ones body often leaves one a little worn out though nothing too serious.
A Naer Dess can give others the same second chance by spending another LP. Note: Only one second chance is available per poison/disease. If one get’s afflicted with another disease or poison they can get a second chance on that but not the first. So if you fail twice too bad for you.
Endure: Spending 3 LP one can insure that they remain fighting until -Con with only their last hit-point being partial actions. Such an act sends adrenal glands into overdrive struggling to keep the body moving despite horrible punishment. A Naer Dess in this state is often calm and driven if in pain as they are well aware of being close to death and find themselves in survival mode with the awareness that any moment can be their last. This is one ability that truly can be used only one time a day. The drain on the body is severe and at a higher level the Naer Dess can indeed attempt such again at great risk to their life. This is a strain in that the Naer Dess slows the flow of blood to a trickle taking the punch out of hitting the -‘s
Rapid Mending: Open wounds, bruises, or even damage from exposure and the like can be swiftly healed by a Naer Dess. This is similar to but slower than the Paladins ‘Lay on Hands’ ability. Essentially what it does if add to your reserve points. By spending 2 LP a Naer Dess can add their wisdom bonus times their level in reserve points to a wounded comrade. One cannot be healed more than their max reserve points and the amount of hit points they had lost. AKA:
Orpheus, our piddling 3rd level Naer Dess, just got out of a viscious battle with a savage Fel. Ragnar the Warrior is down to 8/32 hit points has enough RP left to get him up to 15. Battle is still kind of risky in this state and so Orpheus spends 2 LP and enacts Rapid Mending stimulating Ragnars life stream into sealing his wounds faster. Orpheus can heal 6 reserve points (wisdom bonus +2 x Level 3 = 6), giving Ragnar 6 extra reserve points to boost him up to 21, two thirds your hit points is better than none though he’s likely just as doomed.
See, it’s fun and easy, granted much more useful with a higher Wis score, bet Orpheus can’t wait to attain 4th level and slap a point on his Wis. Another nifty quality to this is that it lasts for an hour. Meaning if a Naer Dess doesn’t manipulate all his allotted points he can move to a another wounded comrade and provide the same treatment or even focus on mending himself.
Cut the Flow: When wounded below Con Bonus A Naer Dess can spend a LP to will his blood flow to ease to a trickle. Not as potent as ‘Endure’ but still quite the life saver. This is often reserved as a lifesaver. The Naer Dess must make a Concentration Check vs. a DC of 10 + |Damage Below 0|. They can by pass the check by putting extra effort into the attempt and spending an extra LP. At 7th Level only spending an LP is needed.
This ability can be used on others as well. Outside of combat a Naer Dess must make a Knowledge Anatomy check vs. a DC of 10 + |damage below 0| as well as spending 1 LP. During combat one has little time to act and can miss a pressure point if they aren’t careful. At 7th Level a Naer Dess can simply spend an extra LP and automatically stabilize another even in combat. While at 11th level they have reached an understanding of of the life stream that they only need 1 LP to Cut the Flow.
Hitting Where it Hurts: With a Knowledge Anatomy check a Naer Dess can make a full attack and insure that the first successful strike does extra damage. This comes in five four level intervals. 1d6 at first level, 2d6 at 5th Level, 3d6 at 10th Level and so on. Now it may seem like it’s not much however it can essentially be made an unlimited number of times a day as the Naer Dess focuses his attacks where it really counts. Neck, Sternum, wherever they can strike. The down side is that they lose all other attacks per round.
Orpheus finally reached 4th Level, good boy, sadly he’s not quite 5th Level which means he only has +1d8 bonus damage. He makes his Anatomy check vs. DC 15 and makes it. He rolls to attack the nasty mean old bandit with a quarter staff hitting him right upside the face for a whopping 1d6+1d8+2 (str bonus.)
While this naturally becomes easier at higher levels the sacrifice of your remaining attacks is often enough to counter balance that. Good news though? When you get to the point of having two attacks (8th Level) you can spend 1LP to get those extra attacks back! More good news? Spend yet another 1LP and you can get a second check to Hit Where it Hurts. Yay for you!
Side Benefit: You have a crit range of 19-20 when fighting unarmed. Your crit multiplier increases to x3 at 10th level and x4 at 20th.
Unarmed Strike: While the Naer Dess are not Monks they have learned how to make sure their strikes do damage and have also practiced hardening their bodies enough to increase that damage above what others would receive. Naturally they get not attack of opportunity from such things.
Levels Damage Damage (Small)
1-7 1d6 1d4
8-14 1d8 1d6
15-20 1d10 2d4
Not much sure, but you add in strength damage, a nifty ability to charge your attacks with your Life Force and then add in Hitting Where it Hurts and you make a potent adversary unarmed.
NOTE: You do not get the monks Unarmed Attack bonus’ Sorry... well, no, I’m not.
Flurry of Blows: Another nifty ability. Upon reaching 4th Level the Naer Dess has honed their martial arts in such a fashion that they get the Flurry of Blows ability. This sacrifices accuracy for speed. One extra attack is gained at attack bonus but that attack and all other attacks suffer a -2 penalty. Painful... perhaps, but very handy.
Body Mind and Soul: The Naer Dess Healers already have a potent saving through table. However upon reaching 10th Level they’ve become especially adept at tweaking their Life Stream to reject toxins and have gradually honed their body against such impurities. This grants them double their Con bonus in saves vs. Poison and Disease.
An extension of this is magical disease, however this requires mental focus on the part of the Naer Dess and instead of their Con bonus getting doubled they add their wisdom bonus to their saving through as well to fend off things like Lycanthropy and Mummy Rot.
Rapid Healing: At 10th Level a Naer Dess has such control over his body he is actually able to heal Rapidly. By focusing and charging his Life Stream instead of healing 1 RP per minute he heals 1/round. He can use Life Points to enhance this. 1LP changes the effect to +Con Bonus in RP per round. Spending 2LP means you get a 2-1 ratio healed. A very nice thing. Spending 2LP can get you double the Reserve points healed. Another very nice thing.
Orpheus has managed to survive, being a healer has it’s perks after all. Now, however, he is in a rather nasty bit of combat alone against 2 Fell, these beasts are taking a good bite out of him and he decides it’s time to call in the reserves as healing 1 Reserve Point per round isn’t helping too much. Being played by someone smart enough to make it to 10th level under my sadistic DMing This person is a smart player and pumps a considerable 5LP into the act. Having boosted his Con to 16 Orpheus has a +3 bonus. There’s a little help right there, with the extra 2LP spent he only drains 1 RP for every two HP healed and with the other 2LP spent he heals double his con a nice +6/round.
Now that may not seem beefy enough to you but oh well, deal with it, it’s almost over the top as far as I’m concerned and I’m just waiting to see Darren tweak this ability in such a fashion that I regret making it in the first place. Another nifty bonus. If the Naer Dess uses at least one of the 2LP abilities they can spend another 2LP to invoke the ‘Endure’ Ability.
Resilient Body: Naer Dess have wandered near and far and encountered poisons and diseases that harm stats. This allows them to become rather resilient to such abilities. Upon achieving 8th level and providing the Naer Dess has been exposed to some stat draining thing a few times (Poison or Disease) his body becomes even more resilient towards such effects, even magical when the time comes! For effects have dice damage reduce the damage die by one level i.e. 2d6 becomes 2d4. If the Damage Dice are a d4 to begin with then they go down by 1 to d3, d3 to d2 etc.
Simply that Good: At 10th Level a Naer Dess have such control over their own bodies that they can resist just about anything that affects the body itself. Essentially stat drain abilities, stun abilities, and paralyzation abilities. Just as Purify the Body they can Spend an LP to get a second save against such attacks. They get an automatic second save against them at 15th Level.
Willfull: Spending an LP can permit a second saving throw vs. mind affecting spells in the manner of the Slippery Mind abilities of the rogues. This becomes an automatic re-roll at 10th level.
Power of Life: Power of Life enables a Naer Dess to spend a life point to charge their attacks with their very life energy enabling them to cut through defenses and deal more damage. They can maintain this for as many hours as their wisdom until 13th level. Upon reaching that level they hold the charge indefinitely so long as they have 1 LP/+1. AKA: at 13th level you must have a minimum of 3LP to keep your +3 bonus to attack and damage. If this lowers to 2LP your bonus lowers as well. Simple No?
Feats:
Lifestream Variance:
PreReq: Power of Life
Benefit: A Naer Dess purchases this feat and chooses a weapon quality. Upon spending 1LP their unarmed attacks take on this quality for the purposes of getting past damage reduction. Certain qualities cannot be taken without certain requirements i.e. a nongood character cannot take ‘good’ and a non evil character cannot take ‘evil’. Also, these things don’t just happen, roleplay them dammit, either learning from another Naer Dess or reaching a certain level of enlightenment or self-understanding or whatever.
Note: This feat can be taken multiple times. With each time adding a different quality. In such a fashion a Naer Dess can spend an LP/weapon quality. Again, at 13th Level one only has to have the appropriate number of LP’s Upon getting low they choose a quality to lose. Here, this is likely a bit confusing, let’s move on to an example.
Orpheus has finally achieved wisdom and power. Having made it to lucky 13th level he can now access ‘Power of Life +1 and it’s nifty bonus abilities. His hands are always +3 weapons so long as he has 3LP but even more he has the Variance feat, twice. He has chosen Silver and Good for his qualities. Now that’s 5 bonuses so his weapons maintain these qualities so long as he has 5LP When he reaches 4LP he chooses to sacrifice Silver as he is fighting nasty evil creatures. Upon reaching 3LP he decides it would be prudent to sacrifice a +1 bonus to keep his Good quality, after all, what good is a +1 bonus when you can even damage the bastard.
Empower:
PreReq: Power of Life +2
Benefit: by spending a single LP you can add your Power of Life ability to any weapon you are using. You can do this for as many hours as your wisdom bonus. Should you switch weapons you must spend another LP to charge the new one. Upon attaining Power of Life +4 you only spend 1LP period. This simulates better understanding of your ability as your Empower ability reaches such a level that you find yourself capable of a general enhancement to your mind that improves your hand eye coordination and for the bonuses and casually transfers your weapon qualities to whatever it is you’re holding be it cup or blade.
Naer Dess and Knowledge: Anatomy in combat.
Naer Dess have a rather potent familiarity with pressure points. This can lead to some interesting affects. These attacks cannot work against creatures with no discernable anatomy or creatures that aren’t living to begin with.
Stunning Attack: 1LP DC 15 Same as the monk ability with a couple exceptions. Instead of half Level it’s whole level.
Wounded Senses: 2LP DC 20 This ability strikes at the ears and other areas to cause a targets motor skills to go crazy. Giving them a -2 penalty to attack, damage, and Defence. Spending extra LP can enhance this. 1LP: additional -2 penalty for a max of -6 until 10th level and -10 after. 1LP: Lower DC by 2 for a minimum of DC 16. 1LP: +2 to DC to a max of +4 until 10th level and +8 until 15th then +10.Duration 1 round per wisdom bonus of Naer Dess.
Paralyze: 3LP DC 30 Just as it sounds. DC is the same as always. Duration is the same as Wounded Senses. A rather deadly attack as it completely paralyzes an opponent outright making them helpless. Charging is the same as Wounded Senses.
Feat: Five Point Exploding Palm Technique
PreReqs: Wisdom 18, Knowledge Anatomy 15 ranks, must learn technique from a Master.
Benefit: You can use the Five Point Exploding Palm Technique
Five Point Exploding Heart Technique: 3LP DC 35 Similar to the Quivering Palm Technique of the monk this is a little different. Essentially here’s how it works. The Naer Dess strikes their enemy, should they hit and deal damage they perform the technique forsaking all other attacks. Once the victim of the technique moves fifteen feet (aka: Five three foot steps) or ten feet if small (five two foot steps) they make a saving throw vs a DC of 10 + Naer Dess Level + Wisdom Bonus. Same charging abilities as before with a minimum DC of 25.
Naer Dess Healing: Naer Dess heal in a manner similar to others. However they have other nice bonuses as they have the advantage of being able to manipulate a person’s Life Stream. As such checks are a little different.
Checks: DC:
Treat Caltrop Wound 10
First Aid: 10
Long Term Care: 10/15/25
ND Healing: 15/25/35
ND Care: 15/25/35
Treat Poison: Poison’s DC
Treat Disease: Disease’s DC
First Aid and Long Term Care: The PH equivalent of the same. Should one achieve a DC of 15 they can heal another six patients per increment. They won’t get ND bonuses however.
ND First Aid: Same as First Aid with one exception. The one healed is brought to 1 HP. They do not awaken however as their body needs to recuperate. Typically they remain unconscious for 1 hour per point below zero not counting sleep. DC 25 person is awake in 10min/point of damage below zero. DC 35 as DC 25 and receives half the Naer Dess’ Levels in Reserve Points.
ND Care: As Long Term save that the bonuses are doubled. Achieving a DC of 25 means you can spread that care to 12 patients instead. DC 35 means you can tend to 12 patients and triple the benefits or treat 18 patients.
Treat Poison/Disease: Works as per the PH however the patient receives the Naer Dess’ Wisdom bonus when they make their save.
Life Charge: At 5th lvl a Naer Dess can spend LP to charge their body with their own life energy effectively giving it an enhancement bonus that mimics magic weapons. This bonus lasts 1hour/wisdom bonus and grants a +1/+1 to attack and damage for every 4LP spent. This changes to a +1/3LP at 8th level and +1/2LP at 12th and +1/1LP at 16th. With a maximum of +5 until 20th Level.
Seeing Life’s Path: Upon reaching 6th level the Naer Dess gains the ability to see anothers life stream. 1 LP must be spent to trigger this per hour, at 9th level 1LP/ two 3 hours, and at 12th level 1LP is good enough for it to last the day with 17th Level granting the vision at will. This grants the ability to use ones abilities on members other than the common humanoid races.
Level Attack Bonus Fort Ref Will Abilities
1 +0 +2 +2 +2 HWH 1d6, Cut the Flow , Purify the Body, Wield the Lifestream
2 +1 +3 +3 +3 Rapid Mending
3 +2 +3 +3 +3
4 +3 +4 +4 +4 Flurry of Blows, Endure
5 +3 +4 +4 +4 Life Charge, HWH 2d6
6 +4 +5 +5 +5 Seeing Life’s Path, Power of Life +1
7 +5 +5 +5 +5 Cut the Flow 2,
8 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Life Charge, Resilient Body,
9 +6/+1 +6 +6 +6 Seeing Life’s Path 2, Power of Life +2
10 +7/+2 +7 +7 +7 Simply That Good 1, Rapid Healing, HWH 3d6, Purify the Body 2
11 +8/+3 +7 +7 +7 Cut the Flow 3,
12 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Life Charge, Seeing Life’s Path 3
13 +9/+4 +8 +8 +8 Power of Life +3
14 +10/+5 +9 +9 +9
15 +11/+6/+1 +9 +9 +9 Simply That Good 2, HWH 4d6, Purify the Body 3
16 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Life Charge, Power of Life +4
17 +12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +10 Seeing Life’s Path 3
18 +13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +11
19 +14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +11 Power of Life +5
20 +15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +12 Life Charge, HWH 5d6, Pure Body
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