Ryan Naylor wrote:Actually a lepoard is a rare type of Thayvian cat...
It's french right? Sorry for being nitpicky and posting only the typos, but I just want to improve the quality of the pdf to come. ...even more.
Apropos: Do you have a layout and/or some art planned btw? For art I suggest you contact Ósdem. He did some excellent art for the Mistfinder pdf.
I love the stats for each of them, and the scope of the work is staggering! Still waiting eagerly for the Ba'al Verzi. That rules for them have been absent in all published and fanon RL work so far is astounding.
Or, wait only a little bit longer and I'll put it up when I get home.
There is a point beyond what labour of love/twisted obsession will drive me to do in my spare time, and selecting art is a step too far. If you can't tolerate 300 pages of solid text, you don't deserve it.
Like any other world, some exceptional people of Ravenloft can achieve the power sufficient to gain levels in a prestige class. Likewise, the Land of the Mists is home to a number of prestige classes unheard of in other worlds.
Remember that the abilities granted by prestige classes must still followed the guides lines discussed in Chapters Two and Four. Also remember that domains are treated as independent planes, and no mortal magic can overcome closed domain borders.
Altered Prestige Classes
Prestige class features are unaltered except as noted below. Whether or not a prestige class is available should be discussed with the GM.
Arcane Archer
Seeker Arrow: The arrow cannot follow its target across domain borders, whether open or closed.
Phase arrow: The arrow may be impeded by ethereal resonance if the archer’s Charisma is not high enough to overcome it. See the section on ethereal resonance above.
Dragon Disciple, Harrower, Low Templar, Red Mantis Assassin
These prestige classes are typically not available in Ravenloft, although a rare exception might potentially exist.
Hellknight
The Talons of Falkovnia are Hellknights. In this case, the requirement for the class is that they undergo a brutal initiation instead of slaying a devil. They wear talon bracers, are fantically loyal to Drakov and (due to the requirements of their service) typically LE. A Talon that has his talon bracers removed could conceivably become LN or even LG.
Disciplines: Pentamic faith is not typically available. Summon devil is not available.
Holy Vindicator
Stigmata: For observers of different faiths to the holy vindicator, seeing their stigmata may be cause for a Horror save.
Horizon Walker
Terrain mastery: Although Ravenloft is a demiplane within the Ethereal Plane, all abilities function as though it were part of the Material Plane. Thus, Ethereal mastery only grants bonuses when the horizon walker is within the Near Ethereal itself. The character cannot choose the Mists as a favoured terrain. Astral mastery doesn’t function in Ravenloft.
Plane of Shadow mastery: The character gains lowlight vision and darkvision 60 ft. If the character already has darkvision, the range is extended by 60 ft.
Plane of Shadow dominance: The horizon walker gains a +1 insight bonus on attack and damage rolls against outsiders. He gains dimension door as a spell-like ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + the character’s Wisdom modifier (caster level equal to the character’s level).
Master Chymist
Mutagenic Form: The character no longer has to make Will saves to avoid becoming evil when they drink a mutagen. The mutagenic form’s alignment is stable. Of course, many mutagenic forms are evil.
Mystic Theurge
Mystic theurges in Ravenloft are typically cleric/witches devoted to the goddess Hala.
Nature Warden
Animal Companion: This is not a dread companion.
Pathfinder Chronicler
Pathfinding: This ability doesn’t grant any ability to navigate the Mists.
Call Down Legends and Lay of the Exalted Dead: The barbarians summoned by these abilities are subconsciously drawn from the Mists themselves. They are not truly the spirits of departed heroes. They have the Mists descriptor.
Shadowdancer
Remember that shadow magic draws free willed shadows into Ravenloft.
Shadow of Death: The shadow dancer gains this ability at 1st level. If the shadow dancer is killed, they become trapped on the Plane of Shadow and rise as a CE shadow 1d4 rounds later. They cannot be raised or resurrected until the shadow is killed, freeing their spirit.
Summon Shadow: This shadow is not a dread companion. If the shadowdancer is killed, the summoned shadow becomes CE.
Anchorite
Anchorites are the most devoted of the clergy of Ezra; many of the leaders of the various sects are Anchorites. They have power over the Mists, granted by Ezra herself, that almost rivals that of the Vistani.
Alignment: LG, LN, TN or LE
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements: Skills: Knowledge (arcane) 6 ranks, Knowledge (religion) 6 ranks, Knowledge (the planes) 2 ranks; Spellcasting: Mists domain, able to cast 3rd level divine spells.
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: An Anchorite gains no proficiency in any weapon or armour.
Spells Per Day: When a new level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belonged to before adding the prestige class. He does not, however, gain other benefits a character of that class would have gained, except for additional spells per day, spells known (if he is a spontaneous spellcaster), and an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one divine spellcasting class before becoming an Anchorite, he must decide to which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.
Mist Domain: The Anchorite continues to gain granted powers from the Mists domain. Levels in Anchorite stack with levels in the spellcasting class the character belonged to before adding the prestige class to determine which powers are gained.
Blind-Fight: At 1st level, an Anchorite gains the Blind-Fight feat for free.
Veil of the Mists: At 2nd level, an Anchorite can use nondetection once per day, with a caster level equal to the character’s primary divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level.
Mist Channel: At 3rd level, an Anchorite can channel energy to damage or heal creatures with the Mists descriptor as a cleric of level equal to their Anchorite level, as if the creature were undead. Levels in Anchorite stack with levels of other classes that provide the ability to channel energy for the purposes of this ability. If the character has the Turn or Command Undead feats, Mist creatures can also be targeted with these feats.
Mists Fugue: At 4th level, an Anchorite can use confusion once per day, with a caster level equal to the character’s divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level. Mists creatures and darklords are immune to this ability.
Mists Stride: At 5th level, an Anchorite can use dimension door once per day, with a caster level equal to the character’s primary divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level. At 7th level, she can use this ability twice per day, and at 9th level she can use it three times per day.
True Seeing: The Anchorite can cast true seeing 3/day with a caster level equal to the character’s primary divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level.
Blindsight: At 6th level, an Anchorite gains the blindsight special quality with a range of 30 feet.
Truce of the Mists: At 7th level, an Anchorite is protected from creatures with the Mists descriptor as long as she takes no actions against them. Mists creatures may not attack the Anchorite or target her with spells or spell-like or supernatural abilities, so long as the character refrains from attacking them in kind. This ability is similar to the sanctuary spell, save that the creatures are not allowed a Will save to attack normally, and the effect’s duration is permanent until broken by the character.
Mists Oubliette: At 8th level, an Anchorite can use maze once per day, with a caster level equal to the character’s primary divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level. Mists creatures and darklords are immune to this ability.
Shroud of the Mists: At 10th level, an Anchorite can use mind blank once per day, with a caster level equal to the character’s primary divine spellcasting level plus her Anchorite level.
The Anchorite
Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +0 +1 +0 +1 Blindfight
2 +1 +1 +1 +1 Veil of the Mists
3 +2 +2 +1 +2 Mist channel
4 +3 +2 +1 +2 Mists Fugue
5 +3 +3 +2 +3 Mist Stride 1/day, true seeing
6 +4 +3 +2 +3 Blindsight
7 +5 +4 +2 +4 Mist Stride 2/day, truce of the mists
8 +6 +4 +3 +4 Mists oubliette
9 +6 +5 +3 +5 Mist Stride 3/day
10 +7 +5 +3 +5 Shroud of the Mists
An avenger has suffered a great crime at the hands of another. Consumed by a burning need for justice, the avenger puts aside all other interests to reinvent herself as an iron-willed vigilante.
Alignment: Any non-lawful.
Hit Dice: d12
Requirements: Base attack bonus: +3; Will Save: +2; Skills: Survival 5 ranks; Special: The avenger must have suffered some disaster at the hands of a foe who then escaped punishment.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: An avenger is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, all shields, and light and medium armour.
Intuition: An avenger knows her nemesis so well that she can accurately guess its direction with a successful Sense Motive check (DC 20). The avenger gets a bonus to this check equal to their avenger level. The avenger can retry the check once per day. The avenger determines her nemesis’ location by analyzing its motives and observed behaviour; she does not need to literally follow its tracks. If an avenger succeeds at the Intelligence check by 5 or more, she can narrow the nemesis’ probable location to an area the size of a large city. If she succeeds by 10 or more, she can narrow the location down to a specific neighbourhood within that city. If she succeeds by 15 or more, she can narrow her focus down to a handful of specific “usual hideouts” within that neighbourhood.
Nemesis: An avenger is defined by her dogged determination to find and destroy her nemesis. Her bullish refusal to accept defeat can make her nearly unstoppable. When facing her nemesis in combat, an avenger gains a +4 circumstance bonus to her Strength and Constitution, and a +2 bonus to Will saves and Wisdom based skill checks. At 5th level, these bonuses increase to +6 and +3 respectively.
Hatred: The avenger gains a bonus equal to half her avenger level to all saves against the spells and special abilities of minions of her nemesis or creatures that strongly remind her of her nemesis (creatures she knows to be werewolves, for example, if her nemesis is Alfred Timothy).
Frightful Fury: When she surprises minions of her nemesis or creatures that strongly remind her of her nemesis, all opponents within 30 feet of her must succeed on a Will save (DC 10 + avenger level + Wis modifier) or become shaken, taking a -2 penalty on attack rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
Untiring: The avenger becomes immune to exhaustion, becoming fatigued instead.
Smite: At 4th level, the avenger can smite one opponent that would be subject to the hatred or Nemesis effect once per day as a swift action. The avenger adds her Wisdom bonus (if any) to her attack rolls and adds her total level to all damage rolls against that target. The smite attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess.
While smite is in effect, the avenger gains a deflection bonus equal to her Wisdom modifier (if any) to her AC against attacks made by the target of the smite attack.
The smite effect remains until the target of the smite attack is dead or the next time the avenger rests and regains her uses of this ability. This does not stack with bonuses due to abilities such as smite evil or chaos from other sources.
The Avenger
Lvl BAB Fort Ref Will Special
1 +1 +1 +0 +0 Intuition, Nemesis
2 +2 +1 +1 +1 Hatred
3 +3 +2 +1 +1 Untiring, frightful fury
4 +4 +2 +1 +1 Smite
5 +5 +3 +2 +2 Nemesis
The Ba’al Verzi are an ancient brotherhood of assassins. Once feared throughout Barovia, they fell into decline when the land was drawn into Ravenloft. Their fortunes began to wax when they fell under the sway of a vampire, who used blood magic to augment their mundane skills with his own supernatural powers.
Alignment: Lawful evil.
Hit Dice: d8
Requirements: Skills: Intimidate 5 ranks, Perception 5 ranks, Stealth 5 ranks; Feats: Alertness, Two-Weapon Fighting; Special: The character must undergo a vile initiation ceremony to prove his worth to the brotherhood, culminating in an assignment to murder someone and take part of their skin to bind their dagger with.
Class Skills: Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (local), Knowledge (nature), Knowledge (nobility), Knowledge (religion), Perception (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Stealth (Dex).
Skill Ranks at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A Ba’al Verzi assassin is proficient with all simple weapons and all light martial weapons. She is proficient with light armour but not shields.
Magical bond: A Ba'al Verzi assassin may choose one of two magical bonds: the black path, or the red path.
The Black Path: A Ba’al Verzi assassin casts arcane spells drawn from the sorcerer/wizard spell list, but is limited to illusion and transmutation spells. She can cast any spell she knows without preparing it ahead of time. To cast a spell, a Ba’al Verzi assassin must have a Charisma score of at least 10 + the spell’s level. Her bonus spells are based on Charisma, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + the spell level + the caster’s Charisma modifier (if any). Her selection of spells is extremely limited—at each Ba’al Verzi level, she gains one or more new spells, as indicated on the table. At 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level, she can choose to learn a new spell in place of one she already knows, provided the new spell is of the same level as the one she is replacing.
As mentioned above, a Ba’al Verzi assassin can only learn sorcerer/wizard spells from the schools of illusion and transmutation, although as she gains levels, a small number of additional spells are added to her list. She does not automatically learn these spells when they become available—they must be selected as part of her total spells known.
At 2nd level, she adds obscuring mist and true strike to her spell list.
At 4th level, she adds darkness and summon swarm to her spell list.
At 6th level, she adds fog cloud and see invisibility to her spell list.
At 8th level, she adds clairaudience/clairvoyance and hold person to her spell list.
At 10th level, she adds dimension door and modify memory to her spell list.
A Ba’al Verzi assassin can cast spells while wearing light armour without incurring the normal arcane spell failure chance. Like any other arcane spellcaster, a Ba’al Verzi assassin wearing medium or heavy armour incurs a chance of arcane spell failure if the spell in question has a somatic component. A multiclass Ba’al Verzi assassin still incurs the normal arcane spell failure chance for arcane spells received from other classes.
The Red Path: The Ba'al Verzi assassin can cast spells as above. However, their Ba'al Verzi assassin levels are divided by two to calculate their spell progression, adding spells to their spell lists, and caster level. However, the assassin has a mystical bond with their Ba'al Verzi dagger. They are able to enchant their bonded weapon as though they were a spellcaster with the Craft Arms and Armour Feat. Their caster level for any enchantment is equivalent to their total character level, and instead of making a Spellcraft check to enchant the weapon, they may make a Craft (weapons) check or use their Base Attack Bonus plus their Charisma score. If the dagger is lost or destroyed, it can be replaced after 1 week in a special ritual that costs 1000 gp plus the cost of the dagger. This ritual takes 8 hours to complete. Items replaced in this way do not possess any of the additional enchantments of the previous bonded item. The assassin can designate an existing magic item as his bonded item, but must bond to a dagger.
Sneak Attack: This is exactly like the rogue ability of the same name. If the Ba’al Verzi assassin gets a sneak attack bonus from another source, the damage bonuses stack.
Knife Fighting: At 1st level, a Ba’al Verzi assassin deals damage with a dagger as though the weapon were one size larger than it actually is. At 4th level, she gains Weapon specialisation (dagger) as a bonus feat. At 5th level, she gains Greater Weapon Focus (dagger) as a bonus feat. At 7th level, she gains Greater Weapon Specialization (dagger) as a bonus feat.
Inspire terror: At 2nd level, a Ba’al Verzi assassin learns to strike terror into the hearts of her targets as a standard action. She must be within 30 feet of and visible to her victim. The victim is transfixed by terror (fascinated) by her unless he makes a Will save (DC 10 + the Ba’al Verzi assassin’s class level + her Charisma modifier—if she’s wielding a bonded dagger, this DC gains a +2 bonus). She can maintain the fascination effect by concentrating. The victim may attempt a new save to escape fascination each time a threat (other than the fascinating assassin) appears. At any point after 3 rounds, she may make a coup de grace attack against the target, provided the target is still fascinated. Activating or concentrating on maintaining a prayer attack does not provoke an attack of opportunity. This is a language-dependent, mind-affecting fear effect.
Red Shroud: At 3rd level, a Ba’al Verzi assassin gains the ability to create a veil of red mist a number of times per day equal to her Constitution bonus (minimum once per day) as a move-equivalent action. The red shroud persists for 1 round per class level. It grants a +1 dodge bonus to AC and fast healing equal to her Constitution bonus (minimum of fast healing 1). This mist cannot be dissipated by wind. If she is slain while this ability is active, she can choose whether to remain corporeal or to disintegrate into a cloud of red mist that leaves behind only her gear in order to deprive her enemies of access to her remains.
Resurrection Sense: At 5th level, a Ba’al Verzi assassin senses if a creature she has slain within the last year has been restored to life, as long as they are both on the same plane.
Moon Frenzy: Once per day as a standard action, the Ba’al Verzi can draw on the powers of her vampire master for 1 min/class level. She gains a +2 morale bonus to Strength, +3 natural AC, darkvision 60 ft, and fast healing 2. She may also act as if she had a full round to act in during the surprise round.
At 8th level, the Ba’al Verzi’s dagger attacks inflict 1d6 bleed on a hit while in a moon frenzy, and she gains DR 5/good.
At 10th level, she inflicts 1 negative level whenever she makes a critical hit with her daggers. Each negative level inflicted in this manner grants the Ba’al Verzi assassin 5 temporary hit points that last for 1 hour. The save DC to remove these negative levels is equal to 20 + the Ba’al Verzi assassin’s Constitution modifier. In addition, her damage reduction increases to 10/good while in the moon frenzy.
Fading: At 8th level, the Ba’al Verzi assassin can become ethereal as a free action a number of times each day equal to her Constitution modifier (minimum 1/day) for an instant as she is attacked by a weapon or is forced to make a Reflex saving throw. She must choose to activate this ability before the weapon’s attack roll or the spell’s effects are adjudicated. This grants the Ba’al Verzi assassin a 50% chance to avoid taking damage from the attack or effects.
Creeping Doom: At 9th level, a Ba’al Verzi assassin may use creeping doom as a spell-like ability three times per day.
With school over for the summer I have some free time. I'll have to resume my sombre second judgement of the content.
So far the only thing that has really caught my eye upon a casual reading is this:
Ryan Naylor wrote:Intuition: An avenger knows her nemesis so well that she can accurately guess its direction with a successful Sense Motive check (DC 20). The avenger gets a bonus to this check equal to their avenger level. The avenger can retry the check once per day. The avenger determines her nemesis’ location by analyzing its motives and observed behaviour; she does not need to literally follow its tracks. If an avenger succeeds at the Intelligence check by 5 or more, she can narrow the nemesis’ probable location to an area the size of a large city. If she succeeds by 10 or more, she can narrow the location down to a specific neighbourhood within that city. If she succeeds by 15 or more, she can narrow her focus down to a handful of specific “usual hideouts” within that neighbourhood.
First, I assume the reference to Intelligence check really refers to Sense Motive.
But there are other issues. What is the action for this check? Success by 5 narrows it down to a city and 10 a neighbourhood. What does a base success get you? Domain?
As there's no real penalty for failure (other than not being able to re-attempt) you could in theory Take 20 and spend three weeks tracking someone and going right to their "usual hideouts".
If you already know what city or neighbourhood they're in, this ability doesn't seem useful.
Or, wait only a little bit longer and I'll put it up when I get home.
There is a point beyond what labour of love/twisted obsession will drive me to do in my spare time, and selecting art is a step too far. If you can't tolerate 300 pages of solid text, you don't deserve it.
But, but... this is the internet. There's got to be some people who have layout and editing skills and want to commission free art from other people here. *looksaroundshiftily* Now dontcha lookat me... How about those Fraternity guys? Or maybe the Mistfinder author would like to help himself? That is if you would want that Ryan. I'm sure the community can do this. And it will be awesome... er.
That said: I'll need some time to digest the prcs, but on a first glance I feel the Bond ability is actually a misnomer. Why not call it a path then? Also why no gold path?
