Undead Paragons: Making PCs even freakier beyond the Grave
Posted: Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:02 am
(and other related subjects)
The following things are the result of me playing around with various templates and ideas in order to make them more player friendly and accessible. All PRCs require the character to be undead, and frequently have additional prerequisites.
Negative Energy Infused
The Negative Energy Infused is an undead who, somehow, is not only animated by negative energy, but has a deep inherent connection to it. This may come from age, an extended trip to the Plane of Negative Energy, or random occurrence, but regardless of how it happens, they practically drip Negative Energy, and their body is made the stronger for it.
Inspired by: Evolved Undead
Requirements
Base Will Save: +5
Skills: Kn. The Planes 10r
Game Info
HD: d12
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Good Will and Fort
Skills: Bluff, Hide, Kn the Planes, Kn Arcana, Kn Religion, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot (4/lv)
Level--Special
1--Bad Vibes, Fast Healing, Reinforced Hide/Bolstered Essence, Craft of the Grave
2--Necro-Feedback Loop
3--Maw of Blackness
Fast Healing The creature gains Fast Healing 1. Each additional level of Negative Energy Infused raises the amount you heal each round by 1 point.
Reinforced Hide/Bolstered Essence Corporeal undead notice that the necromantic energies that seep into their forms cause a noticeable toughening. Their tougher hide/stronger bones grant them a +1 NA bonus, or increase an existing NA by 1. This bonus increases by 1 for each level of Negative Energy Infused taken. Incorporeal undead instead notice their essence becomes better at repelling attacks, gaining a +1 deflection bonus, or increasing an existing one. This bonus increases by 1 for every additional level of Negative Energy Infused taken. They also gain a +2 increase to str and cha (+4 cha for Incorporeal Undead), which increase by 2 every third level (3, 6, 9, etc.) of this class.
Craft of the Grave Living hundreds of years through strength of will has a funny effect on your skills. You tend to become an expert, then a paragon, and finally an avatar of the task. Due to their long lives, and, perhaps, Negative Energy bolstering their existing abilities in an effort to protect itself, a feature from a prior class (such as Rage from Barbarian, Bonus Feats from Fighter, Sneak Attack from Rogue, or Spellcasting from Spellcasters) counts Negative Energy Infused as levels of that class for advancement purposes.
Bad Vibes You have an extremely creepy aura due to the influx of Negative Energy constantly feeding into your body and dissipating into the world. This has two effects: first, you constantly exude a Fear Aura, with the added feature that most mundane animals will be skittish or hostile to you, depending on their nature. However, animals commonly seen as symbols of, or attracted to, death or sickness will have no aversion to you, are unaffected by your fear aura, and in fact rather like you. These include cats, bats, spiders, ravens, rats, etc. Second, you may make a touch attack that deals 1d6/ChLv Negative Energy damage, which, of course, heals undead. Finally, fortune tellers and spiritually inclined stoners will commonly regard you as a bad omen, and a serious drain on mood and resources, just by your very presence, and will either run, curse you, or try to run you off, whether they're actually affected by your Fear Aura or not. (Affected animals and such people start of as hostile towards you, with the DC to improve their attitude always 10 points higer per three levels.)
Necro-Feedback Loop At second level, you learn how to use your link to the plane of negative energy to channel a continuous loop of necrotic spirit stuff, forming a feedback energy loop which renecrotizes you and harms your enemies. This loop creates a palpable field of negative energy which deals a d6/2ChLv of negative energy per round to any target out to 10'. You can only maintain this loop for up to a number of rounds equal to your Cha Mod+3 before you burn out the energies and loose your connection. At the end of this loop, you loose your Bad Vibes and Fast Healing abilities from this class for a number of rounds equal to how long the loop was active, during which time your normal link to the Plane of Negative Energy reopens and begins to trickle your usual flow of energy back into you. When you acquire Maw of Blackness, you will loose use of that ability during this recharge time as well.
Maw of Blackness At third level, you gain a potent ability which emulates the all consuming nature of Negative Energy. 1/day, for a number of rounds equal to twice your Cha mod, your mouth may function as a window the Plane of Negative Energy. Your mouth horrifically distends to roughly a quarter of your height, and seems to stretch at the sides as well. You gain a bite attack which deals damage appropriate to your size, but also deals damage as your touch attack from Bad Vibes, and it is treated as a magic weapon of sharpness. Limbs severed with this ability are devoured by the Plane of Negative Energy, but they are also instantly animated. While using this ability you may summon (as summon monster) the limbs and extremities you've severed. They are Tiny Undead, but otherwise have the stats of a similarly shaped animal (spiders represent hands, snakes represent arms and legs). Finally, you gain the Swallow Whole ability in this state, with the usual size restrictions. However, creatures you swallow are not sent to your stomach as usual, but to the Plane of Negative Energy. If they escape (use the standard rules for escaping swallow, they're just fighting sentient strands of negative energy rather than a digestive track), they emerge from the Negative Energy Infused's mouth. However, any creature who dies without escaping this swallow can later be summoned by the Negative Energy Infused as if they were an undead created by a Necromantic Creation Feat for 2rnds/Caster Level.
Negative Energy Infused may use Maw of Blackness 3/day at fifth level, and at will at seventh.
Variable Length Class This class doesn't have a maximum number of levels. A character can take as many as he wishes, and abilities stated to improve by level continue to improve, whether the character takes 3 or 30 levels.
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So, go on, tell me how horrible that is.
The following things are the result of me playing around with various templates and ideas in order to make them more player friendly and accessible. All PRCs require the character to be undead, and frequently have additional prerequisites.
Negative Energy Infused
The Negative Energy Infused is an undead who, somehow, is not only animated by negative energy, but has a deep inherent connection to it. This may come from age, an extended trip to the Plane of Negative Energy, or random occurrence, but regardless of how it happens, they practically drip Negative Energy, and their body is made the stronger for it.
Inspired by: Evolved Undead
Requirements
Base Will Save: +5
Skills: Kn. The Planes 10r
Game Info
HD: d12
BAB: 3/4
Saves: Good Will and Fort
Skills: Bluff, Hide, Kn the Planes, Kn Arcana, Kn Religion, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Sense Motive, Spot (4/lv)
Level--Special
1--Bad Vibes, Fast Healing, Reinforced Hide/Bolstered Essence, Craft of the Grave
2--Necro-Feedback Loop
3--Maw of Blackness
Fast Healing The creature gains Fast Healing 1. Each additional level of Negative Energy Infused raises the amount you heal each round by 1 point.
Reinforced Hide/Bolstered Essence Corporeal undead notice that the necromantic energies that seep into their forms cause a noticeable toughening. Their tougher hide/stronger bones grant them a +1 NA bonus, or increase an existing NA by 1. This bonus increases by 1 for each level of Negative Energy Infused taken. Incorporeal undead instead notice their essence becomes better at repelling attacks, gaining a +1 deflection bonus, or increasing an existing one. This bonus increases by 1 for every additional level of Negative Energy Infused taken. They also gain a +2 increase to str and cha (+4 cha for Incorporeal Undead), which increase by 2 every third level (3, 6, 9, etc.) of this class.
Craft of the Grave Living hundreds of years through strength of will has a funny effect on your skills. You tend to become an expert, then a paragon, and finally an avatar of the task. Due to their long lives, and, perhaps, Negative Energy bolstering their existing abilities in an effort to protect itself, a feature from a prior class (such as Rage from Barbarian, Bonus Feats from Fighter, Sneak Attack from Rogue, or Spellcasting from Spellcasters) counts Negative Energy Infused as levels of that class for advancement purposes.
Bad Vibes You have an extremely creepy aura due to the influx of Negative Energy constantly feeding into your body and dissipating into the world. This has two effects: first, you constantly exude a Fear Aura, with the added feature that most mundane animals will be skittish or hostile to you, depending on their nature. However, animals commonly seen as symbols of, or attracted to, death or sickness will have no aversion to you, are unaffected by your fear aura, and in fact rather like you. These include cats, bats, spiders, ravens, rats, etc. Second, you may make a touch attack that deals 1d6/ChLv Negative Energy damage, which, of course, heals undead. Finally, fortune tellers and spiritually inclined stoners will commonly regard you as a bad omen, and a serious drain on mood and resources, just by your very presence, and will either run, curse you, or try to run you off, whether they're actually affected by your Fear Aura or not. (Affected animals and such people start of as hostile towards you, with the DC to improve their attitude always 10 points higer per three levels.)
Necro-Feedback Loop At second level, you learn how to use your link to the plane of negative energy to channel a continuous loop of necrotic spirit stuff, forming a feedback energy loop which renecrotizes you and harms your enemies. This loop creates a palpable field of negative energy which deals a d6/2ChLv of negative energy per round to any target out to 10'. You can only maintain this loop for up to a number of rounds equal to your Cha Mod+3 before you burn out the energies and loose your connection. At the end of this loop, you loose your Bad Vibes and Fast Healing abilities from this class for a number of rounds equal to how long the loop was active, during which time your normal link to the Plane of Negative Energy reopens and begins to trickle your usual flow of energy back into you. When you acquire Maw of Blackness, you will loose use of that ability during this recharge time as well.
Maw of Blackness At third level, you gain a potent ability which emulates the all consuming nature of Negative Energy. 1/day, for a number of rounds equal to twice your Cha mod, your mouth may function as a window the Plane of Negative Energy. Your mouth horrifically distends to roughly a quarter of your height, and seems to stretch at the sides as well. You gain a bite attack which deals damage appropriate to your size, but also deals damage as your touch attack from Bad Vibes, and it is treated as a magic weapon of sharpness. Limbs severed with this ability are devoured by the Plane of Negative Energy, but they are also instantly animated. While using this ability you may summon (as summon monster) the limbs and extremities you've severed. They are Tiny Undead, but otherwise have the stats of a similarly shaped animal (spiders represent hands, snakes represent arms and legs). Finally, you gain the Swallow Whole ability in this state, with the usual size restrictions. However, creatures you swallow are not sent to your stomach as usual, but to the Plane of Negative Energy. If they escape (use the standard rules for escaping swallow, they're just fighting sentient strands of negative energy rather than a digestive track), they emerge from the Negative Energy Infused's mouth. However, any creature who dies without escaping this swallow can later be summoned by the Negative Energy Infused as if they were an undead created by a Necromantic Creation Feat for 2rnds/Caster Level.
Negative Energy Infused may use Maw of Blackness 3/day at fifth level, and at will at seventh.
Variable Length Class This class doesn't have a maximum number of levels. A character can take as many as he wishes, and abilities stated to improve by level continue to improve, whether the character takes 3 or 30 levels.
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So, go on, tell me how horrible that is.