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Character Classes In HevaIntroductionThis page contains information about both the mechanical modifications to character classes and basic information about how each class fits into the setting. Flavor material for classes may change from region to region. Information provided in this page specifically pertains to Heva and the surrounding regions. Wizards in far and distant Mu may be mechanically similar, but the cultural assumptions they operate under may be very different. Also, since the entire game is going to undergo massive changes in less than a year, I'm feeling a little free to make some long desired changes to some of the weaker classes. Monk, I'm looking at you. If the section under a character class is entirely blank it means I haven't figured out what the classes role in Heva is. I may not figure it out until I (a) feel like it or (b) you show an interest in playing the class and request the information. So, if you're interested in something I haven't outlined, please ask me about it. Table of Contents
ArdentArtificerMechanicsFlavorMany Folk wonder why an Artificer would bother to ply his craft when Wizardry and Psionics seem so much more exciting and as readily available. The likely response would be that they don't have time to ask such a stupid question and that they need to get back to their laboratory. It's true that a Wizard can kill with a word, a twist of his fingers and a small ball of waste from a flying rodent, and that a Psion can tear apart a mind as easily as a rampaging Bison can trample the life out of a Goblin Scout but neither discipline can do what Artificer's are best at. If most other spell-casting disciplines generate potential and then focus it into expression of power, an Artificer simply transfers potential that's locked into an effect he cares nothing for into an effect he desires. It is often for this reason that an Artificer and a Spell-Thief will quietly share notes on those rare occasions when the two practitioners happen across one another. As long as there aren't any Psions or Wizards in earshot, that is. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Dwarven or Human, frequently Gnomish, Hafling or Half-Elven, rarely Elven or Greenblood. BarbarianMechanics
FlavorPractitioners of the martial discipline centered around unleashing the beast within and directing its latent power into violent, deadly fury are called Berserkers by the common folk of Heva. The older form is an archaic usage more commonly used during the period immediately after the Pact of Two and the founding of the Dominion. During this period of Hevan history, the time tested bonds of covenant and fidelity between the Gnomish and Greenblood peoples had not yet fully solidified. Many of the self-appointed protectors of Gnomish culture looked askance at the ancient Greenblood cult, worried that their children would be transformed into frothing, raving, blood-lusting lunatics by the strange practices of their new allies. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Greenblood, frequently Dwarven, Half-Elven, Gnomish, Hafling or Human, rarely Elven. BardMechanics
FlavorBards have been an integral part of Gnomish culture since the beginning of recorded history. Their appreciation of all things sensory, their adeptness with the various forms of art, their crystalline memories when it comes to the spoken word, all these traits work together to make Gnomes extraordinary bards. Many Gnomes are quite open about their belief that without their race's adeptness at molding and shifting public sentiment in directions favorable for the Dominion's programs, Heva would have fallen to the Orc onslaught many centuries ago. A question as yet unanswered by the scholars of Heva is that regarding the true source of a Bards extraordinary supernatural abilities. Many of the larger scholarly salons of the Seven Suitors routinely come back to this debate, since it is often so frequently a subject of intense and entertaining discussion amongst the scholarly community. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Gnomish or Human, frequently Hafling or Half-Elf, rarely Dwarven, Elven or Greenblood. ClericMechanics
Daevic Compact(Ex): All clerics gain their supernatural class abilities by binding to a mystical agreement forged between Daeva and Kin that is known as a Compact. A Daevic Compact is an agreement that describes what supernatural powers a Daeva will grant Kin bound to the Compact in exchange for worship and engaging in specific activities on behalf of the Daeva. A Compact can be made with a single Daeva or a group of Daeva's. Singluar Compacts are much more common than pantheonic Compacts. Mechanically, the most important parts of a Compact are those pertaining to the role(s) of the Daeva(s) bound to the agreement and the domains assigned to the Daeva(s). When playing a Cleric you must first decide if your character will be bound to one of the Compacts described in the section on Religion in Heva or if you are going to design your own Compact using the rules described later in the same section. Once you have selected or generated a Compact you will need to determine the role of your Cleric. In a Compact with a single Daeva, the Cleric and Daeva's roles are the same. In a Compact with multiple Daeva's, the Cleric may select one from the roles of the Daevas. The Cleric's role determines the effect generated by a use of Daevic Power and sets one of a Cleric's three domains. Finally, a Cleric will need to select two domains from whatever the Compact makes available. For a Compact with a single Daeva, the available choices are those that the one Daeva provides. For a Compact with multiple Daevas, the available choices are those provided by the Daeva with the same role as the Cleric. The Cleric then gains a third domain, the nature of which is determined by the role of the Cleric. Example: Antonita, a gnomish matron of a one of the more recent family lines, follows the call of her heart and becomes a priestess of the Onyx Queen. Having lost several children to an uncontrollable plague that swept through her city twenty years earlier, she has found that she identifies most strongly with the Kind Mother aspect of the Onyx Queen and takes on the Protector role. The Kind Mother aspect provides the Healing, Community, Family and Rewnewal domains as choices for selection. She selects the Community and Renewal domains and is automatically granted the Protection domain by her role. Domain Spontaneity(Su): A Cleric can spontaneously convert prepared spells into any spell of the same level in one of his three domains as a standard action. Example: Because Antonita selected the Protector role and the Community and Renewal domains, she can spontaneously convert prepared spells into a spell of the same level from the Protection, Community and Renewal domains. Daevic Power(Su): A Cleric can call upon the power of his Daeva and shape it into a specific effect.
This can be a number of times per day equal to 3 + Cha and cannot be less than one. Each Cleric can use Daevic Power in one of two ways, with the first generally applying to a single creature and the second generally applying to a group of creatures. The nature of each effect depends on the Cleric's role:
FlavorWithout the influence and power of the Daeva's, Heva would likely be a wasteland of savagery overrun by the Orc race and their filthy Orc-Kin. Though the ancient Greenblood race practiced a limited form of Daevic worship and introduced its precepts and practices to the Gnomish people when they first encountered one another, subsequent migratory influxes have established that Daeva worship appears to be a universal phenomenon amongst the Kin that are so inclined to engage in it. A thorough understanding of ancient Gnomish oral history indicates that the Greenblood people often considered their troupe of Daeva's to be far more trouble than they were usually worth on account of their frequent, petulant, childish and counterproductive demands. It was in fact the wholesale transfer of responsibility for these entities onto the shoulder's of the Gnomish people as part of the Pact of Two that freed the Greenblood race to endlessly wander the Rolling Plains without interference from anything but the occasional and soon to be slaughtered Orc raiding party. The general means by which Kin can bind their spirit to a Daeva and gain supernatural powers in return is well understood by most Folk. Even if the occasional Kin is ignorant of what's involved, a Daeva that's in the mood to make a deal will be more than willing to walk him through the important rituals. Of course, in Heva most of the Daeva's that righteous folk would want to bind to are already spoken for, so if you're wandering the streets of Melanthetis at night and you're approached by a Daeva you probably just want to politely tell it no thanks and continue on your way. The nature of Daeva's is a matter of much debate within the scholarly community. It's clear that they have the ability to spontaneously generate theoretically unlimited quantities of Potential, but why they cannot harness it themselves and why they can bind to the spirits of willing Kin and subsequently grant them supernatural abilities is likewise a mystery. Folklore pertaining to rare situations where Daevas have shed light on their nature and origin universely provide the explanation that they are the created reflections of the power of the Great Spirits as a means for the Great Spirits to ensure that the flow of the River of Time continues on without the direct involvement of the apparently easily bored Great Spirits. Daeva's are quick to correct any Kin that confuses them with creatures found in other dimensions that also appear to posses the ability to endow Kin with Potential. That Daeva's appear to be governed by an entirely different set of rules than these creatures lends credence to this statement. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Human or Half-Elven, frequently Gnomish or Dwarven, rarely Elven, Hafling or Greenblood. Divine MindDruidMechanics
Nature's Power(Su): At 1st level and at every 3rd level of Druid taken, a character gains an addtional per day use of the "Nature's Power" class ability. A single use of Nature's Power can be spent to Invoke the Great Spirits and channel their power into a use of Harrow Perversion, Call Nature's Ally or Wild Shape when it becomes available. A Druid's pool of Nature's Power refreshes every morning at dawn. Harrow Perversion(Su): Druids refer to creatures lacking a Natural Imperative as perversion, in that they are perversions of the natural order as the Great Spirits intend it to be. A character with at least one level in Druid gains the ability to expend a use of Nature's Power to Invoke the Great Spirits and channel their power into a supernatural attack against creatures that lack a Natural Imperative. There are four different versions of Harrow Perversion, with each version affecting the various creatures lacking a Natural Imperative to a greater or less extent depending on the creature's specific type. The four versions of Harrow Perversion are Blast, Disjoin, Fear and Hold. A character must select which two of the four versions he wishes to use when he takes his first level of Druid. Once selected, the two versions cannot be changed by magic or retraining. Each of the eight types of creatures lacking a Natural Imperative are immune to one version of Harrow Perversion and resistant to another.
A creature with a Natural Imperative is immune to the effects of Harrow Perversion. To use Harrow Perversion, a Druid must expend one use of Nature's Power as a Standard action and decide which of the two available versions he will use. The Harrow is a 60' burst centered on the Druid that may affect any vulnerable creature within its area. The total hit dice of creatures that a Druid can affect with a single Harrow is equal to his levels in Druid times three. To determine which creatures are affected the Druid must first make a Harrow Check (d20 + Druid Level + Cha). Then, starting with the nearest vulnerable creature and moving outwards the Harrow Check is compared against that creature's Harrow DC (10 + Hit Dice + Harrow Resistance + Cha). If the check is equal to or greater than the DC, the creature is affected and its hit dice are subtracted from the total hit dice that the Druid can affect. The Harrow check continues to be compared to vulnerable creature's DC's until either all of the creatures within the area of the Harrow have been checked against or no creature can be succesfully checked without the Druid's maximum hit dice affected dropping below zero. The four different versions of Harrow create the following effects:
Call Nature's Ally(Su): A character with at least one level in Druid gains the ability to expend a use of Nature's Power to Invoke the Great Spirits and channel their power into calling an ally that serve the Druid for a period of time not to exceed one hour per level of Druid possesed by the character. The Druid may call any type of creature with a Natural Imperative but it must be one that can be commonly found in the terrain the Druid currently occupies. Using Call Nature's Ally is only a full round action, but the arrival of the called creature takes 1d6 X 10 minutes and may not happen at all if the creature cannot physically reach the Druid under its own power. Call Nature's Ally cannot be used to call a specific creature or a creature with specific features. The called creature cannot have more hit dice than the characters has levels in Druid. A called creature is friendly to the Druid and his allies and assists him in any way it is capable of. It cannot be made to take actions that are directly suicidal, will not attack creatures of its own kind (unless it is already predisposed to doing so for some reason) and will take no action that would violate its Ethos. If the called creature is not capable of speech he must direct its actions through the succesful execution of Handle Animal checks or through the use of enabling magic. If the called creature is capable of speech he may direct as he would any other creature capable of speech. Even after the magic compelling the creature to serve the Druid wears off, it remains neutral to the Druid for another 24 hours afterwards, provided the Druid and his allies do nothing to provoke it. After this time, the creature fully reverts to its natural disposition and behavior. Calling an intelligent creature can be dangerous, as most intelligent creatures are socially organized and its pack, herd or tribe may want to investigate why their compatriot has suddenly wandered off into the wilderness. Call Nature's Ally can be used again while a previously called creature is still in service to the Druid. Each additional use of Call Nature's ally requires an additional expenditure of Nature's Power for each creature already in service. Example: Kerthane of the Vashti Invokes the power of the Great Spirits and calls upon a Dire Bear to serve him for 12 hours. This requires him to expend one use of Nature's Power. Four hours later he calls an additional Dire Bear to service, and expends two uses of Nature's Power to do it. One hour later, after a difficult battle with a Frost Giant, one of the Dire Bears is dead and Kerthan expends two (rather than three, as the first creature no longer serves him) uses of Nature's Power to accomplish this. A character can expend an additional use of Nature's Power to extend the time a called creature will serve by one hour per level of Druid the character possesses. Wild Shape(Su): The Druidic ability of Wild Shape works in most ways as it did before. At 4th level the Druid gains the ability to expend a use of Nature's Power to shift into a specific form as a standard action. The form must be medium sized or smaller, must have no more than 4 hit dice and must be a creature with a Natural Imperative. The first form the Druid shifts into when he gains the use of this ability at 4th level is the only form he can shift into until he gains another form at 8th level. At 8th level the Druid gains a second form that he can shift into in addition to the prior form. This second form can be large sized or smaller, must have no more than 8 hit dice and must be a creature with a Natural Imperative. At 12th level the Druid gains a third form that he can shift into in addition to the two prior forms. This third form can be huge sized or smaller, must have no more than 12 hit dice and must be a creature with a Natural Imperative. At 16th level the Druid gains a fourth form that he can shift into in addition to the three prior forms. This fourth form can be gargantuan sized or smaller, must have no more than 16 hit dice and must be a creature with a Natural Imperative. At 20th level the Druid gains a fifth and final form that he can shift into in addition to the four prior forms. This fifth form can be colossol sized or smaller, must have no more than 20 hit dice and must be a creature with a Natural Imperative. FlavorDruids are about evenly split between three philosophies. One philosophy has given rise to a well established organization known as The Wardens of the Wild. The Wardens are focused mostly on the interaction between the Wild and Civilization. These are the druids that are most often tapped for activities like improving crop yields and ending droughts. A loose cabal of Druids devoted to the eradication of all creatures without a Natural Imperative has evolved around a second philosophy. These Druids are typically the ones that can be found with groups of Explorers. A third philosophy involves radical beliefs about the definition of Natural Imperative. A rag-tag assortment of wild-eyed fanatics roam the isolated countrysides, attempting to enforce their narrow views of Natural Imperative. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven or Greenblood, frequently Human or Half-Elf, rarely Dwarven, Gnomish or Hafling. FighterMechanics
FlavorThis class can be found everywhere, as it represents dedication to self-improvement through the constant practice of martial techniques. There are several martial society's dedicated to the perfection of a specific suite of martial techniques, though these can be difficult to find without a good contact. The Hevan War College in Belutreho produces many of the Greenblood's that fight in the legions of the Dominion. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Greenblood or Human, frequently Dwarven or Half-Elven, rarely Gnomish, Elven or Hafling. Favored SoulHexbladeLurkMarshallMonkMechanics
FlavorMonks use the same mental construct as Psions, Psychic Warriors and Soul Knives to generate Potential, that of extreme mental discipline and ascetic living. Like Psychic Warriors and Soul Knives, Monks channel the Potential they generate into improving their martial abilities. Unlike Psychic Warriors and Soulknives, a the outward manifestation of the focused Potential is much more subtle as it generally results in direct and permanent improvements of their bodies natural abilities. Monks are probably the most widely seen expression of the Comtemplative Arts encountered outside of Elven communities. Many different religious and philosophical communities, particularly those that are isolated or insular, have adopted the base mental construct as part of their behaviors. This is particularly the case for communities that need to have the ability to defend themselves without involving outsiders. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven, frequently Gnomish, Half-Elf or Human, rarely Dwarven, Hafling or Greenblood. NinjaPaladinMechanics
FlavorA Paladin is a Kin who has bound himself to a Daeva that is not bonded to any other Kin's spirit. This bond is formed with the understanding that the Kin and Daeva's goals are very similar and that the bond will not be extended to include any other Kin. The name Paladin is actually a bastardization of an ancient fraternal order known as the Knights of Pala Din. The Knights of Pala Din were the first widely recognized religious order devoted entirely to the execution of justice and protection of the innocent. Religious organizations with similar goals and individuals solely bound to a Daeva are found in numerous places throughout the historical record prior to the Knights. What made their order unique was that its formation was the first time in recorded history that a group of people, each individually bound to a different Daeva, came together and worked towards a common goal. In the case of the Knights of Pala Din, their common goal was the drestruction of the Enochian Heresy. They were so succesfull in this endeavor, and Folk so grateful for their efforts, that the word Paladin came into common usage as a term for any person intent on being a champion of the Folk who is also uniquely bound to a Daeva. Obviously, not every bound warrior is interested in the self-sacrificial pursuit of goodness. Thus, other terms such as Sword Saint, Templar, Blackguard and Hellknight are occasionally used in order to illustrate the difference. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Human, frequently Gnome or Half-Elven, rarely Dwarven, Elven, Hafling or Greenblood. PsionMechanics
FlavorPsions are the pre-eminent practitioners of the mental construct commonly referred to as 'Psionics' or "The Contemplative Arts.' The exact mechanism by which it works is not fully understood. The leading theory amongst the scholarly community is that a Psion's mind, and other practitioners of the Contemplative Arts such as Monks, Psychic Warriors and Soulknives, are reduced to such an ordered state through meditation and a very simple lifestyle that the interface between the mind and the spirit begins to slightly obstruct the Ebb and subsequently generate Potential. The Psion's vastly greater ability to express a variety of effects when compared to the martial disciplines of the Contemplative Arts also requires a comessurately greater level of understanding of how expression of Potential can be focused in varying ways to achieve specific affects. In this way, Psions are like Wizards. They must rigorously study their chosen art if they are to become more proficient at it. For a Psion, this often means searching for historical records of previously unseen effects and then further digging and research in the hope of uncovering the specific combination of mental states that must be imposed in order to replicate the effect. Within the Hevan scholarly community, there is a small but growing faction that believes that the heavy focus on the Ritual Arts at the expense of the Contemplative Arts has led to the wholesale removal of entire classes of effects from the ritualistic mental construct. One particular example that is often cited in debates on the matter is the relative ease by which Psions can achieve minor fleshcrafting effects, whereas Wizards must generate and harness huge quantities of Potential in order to achieve the same results. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven, frequently Half-Elven or Human, rarely Dwarven, Gnome, Greenblood or Hafling. Psychic WarriorMechanics
FlavorLike the Monk and the Soulknife, this class is another example of the Contemplative Arts turned towards improved combat ability. The expression of the Potential generated by use of this mental construct is harnessed towards more obvious and focused expressions of Power, more similar in nature to the effects worked by Psions than those created by Monks and Soulknives. Psychic Warriors are often found defending their communities, particularly when those communities are Elven. On the other hand, they can often be found wandering far from their home communities as the stereotypical Elven Xenophobia leads them to be so well defended that they usually do not need every competent warrior available. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven, frequently Half-Elven or Human, rarely Dwarven, Gnome, Greenblood or Hafling. RangerMechanics
FlavorRangers are often lumped in with Clerics, Druids and other individuals that some scholars would like to collectively label as practitioners of the Transactional Arts. Clearly, if this label were appropriate shopkeeps and ruggers across Heva would display a wide variety of Supernatural Abilities. For Clerics and Paladins, the source of the Potential they focus into expressions of power are the Daeva's to which they have bound their spirits. For Druids, Rangers, Spirit Shammans and other similar effect-making disciplines the source of their power is something of a mystery to those who would use logic to explain it. In all cases, they believe the Potential they focus into effects is granted to them by the Great Spirits by virtue of their devotion to the presumed ideals of said entities. A thorough examination of the extensive body of folk-lore dedicated to the exploits of the supposed creators of everything reveals them to be so chaotic and wild in their reported behavior that it strains credulity to believe that they have some sort of understandable unified agenda. None-the-less, the effects generated by the supposed bequest of the Great Spirits is quite real and must have a source. That all these related disciplines have an underlying distrust and frequently obsessive hatred of all creatures lacking a Natural Imperative would imply that there is at least some truth to their argument. Desending further into irony, it is the proficiency with Fleshcrafting that Druids in particular display that led to the great intellectual leap forward known to scholars as the Biological Revolution. That this leap forward ultimately resulted in some of the most insidious threats menacing modern times and that they required the existence of Druids and their proficiency with Fleshcrafting to come into being is a paradox that cannot be ignored.
A simpler and more logical explanation is that by mortal standards, the Great Spirits are thoroughly and totally insane. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Greenblood, frequently Dwarven, Elven, Half-Elven or Human, rarely Gnomish or Hafling. RogueMechanics
Sneak Attack: All creatures with A Natural Imperative have living bodies that function similarly enough to be subject to the Sneak Attack of a well trained Rogue. Even oozes have rudimentary internal organs that are easily identified through their generally translucent skin. Creatures that lack a Natural Imperative are a different matter entirely. Though their bodies may look feverishly alive and even contain mockeries of useless flesh masquerading as organs, it is Potential alone that holds these perversions together and gives them motive power. Thus, creatures such as these are not normally subject to a Rogue's sneak attack. Nevertheless, the magic that binds such a creature together is organized after a fashion, and this organization can be directly assaulted by a Rogue armed with the correct weapon and the appropriate level of skill. Ten ranks in the appropriate Knowledge skill and a weapon alloyed with the material that normally bypasses that type of creature's damage reduction (even if the creature in question doesn't have damage reduction) is enough to allow the Rogue's sneak attack to be effective. The creature type and the associated Knowledge skills are as follows:
In some rare and special cases, a creature may be so far outside the Rogue's area of expertise that a succesful Knowledge check must first be made before Sneak Attacks become effective, even if the Rogue has the required general Knowledge and alloyed weapon. FlavorThis is the quintessential do everything class, similar to the Bard in terms of skilled versatility but lacking the Bard's supernatural abilities. In fact, many Rogues specifically sharpen their skills in order to allow themselves to more easily pierce and disrupt magical Dweomers. In Heva, there is a popular belief that people trained in the standard constellation of skills and abilities of a Rogue are by definition either a thief or an assasin. While this is quite often true, these same people often overlook that Rogues are also commonly the travelling companions of Druids and Rangers dedicated to culling the constantly expanding population of dangerous creatures that lack a Natural Imperative. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Hafling or Human, frequently Half-Elven or Dwarven, rarely Elven, Gnomish or Greenblood SamuraiScoutMechanics
FlavorWhen a comparison of Rogues and Scouts are made by Folk, Scouts are often assumed to be the Greenfolk version of a Rogue by virtue of the two discipline's similar degree of skillfullness and semi-congruent suite of abilities. Most Folk aren't aware that scholars have incontrivertable evidence that the reality is exactly the opposite. A thorough examination of ancient Gnomish oral history from the period from the period around the formation of the Dominion indicates that even in that ancient time, Greenbloods were already utilizing a suite of martial techniques commonly attributed to what Folk in modern times call a Scout. The martial techniques evoked when modern Folk describe someone as being a "Rogue" are really nothing more than a significant refinement of the ancient Greenblood discipline. If the Greenblood people were more concerned with what the other Folk of the Dominion thought they might make an effort to address this ignorance. As it stands, they're far more interested in their ceaseless migrations over the Rolling Plains, maintaining their ancient tribal traditions in the ultimate act of veneration of the Great Spirits and slaughtering any Orc-Kin that blunders into their reach. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Greenblood, frequently Human, Elven, Half-Elven, Gnomish or Dwarven, rarely Hafling. ShugenjaSpell-ThiefSpirit ShamanSorcerorMechanics
Craft DistaffA Sorceror's ability to craft a Distaff replaces his ability to call a familiar. Crafting a Distaff requires special material components worth 250 gp and approximately a full work day. Like a familiar, a Distaff is an extension of a Sorceror's spirit. If it is destoyed it causes the Sorceror to take 1d4 points of Constitution drain and cannot be recrafted until the ability score drain is restored. Once crafted, a Sorceror can Imprint his Distaff with spells from his class spell list and then cast the Imprinted spells as if they were on his list of known spells. A Distaff must be held in a Sorceror's hand when used. Other than that, casting a spell Imprinted in the Distaff is just like casting a spell on his known spell list. A Sorceror can only use his personal Distaff. The Use Magic Device skill cannot be applied to a Distaff. A Distaff cannot be used to "catch" a spell cast by another caster. Providing a spell for Imprinting into a Distaff is always a voluntary choice. A Distaff can hold a total number of spell levels equal to number of levels in Sorceror the character has. The Sorceror can divide up the available space in the Distaff however he sees fit. The Distaff does not have to be full. Example: Barthavius is a a 4th level Sorceror. His Distaff could be imprinted with a maximum of four 1st level spells, one 2nd level spell and two 1st level spells or two 2nd levels spells. Imprinting a spell into a Distaff requires a source for the spell being charged, material components worth 100 gp per spell level and one full minute of time. The source for the spell being Imprinted can be a spell cast by another caster or a spell completion or command word item campable of casting the spell. The material components for Imprinting a spell are special alchemical chalks that are used to draw a complex mystical diagram. The active ingredients in thse materials are consumed during the Imprinting process. The components cost the level of the spell to be imprinted times 250 gp. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is botched. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20. If the diagram is botched, the Imprinting fails and the spell source and material components are still consumed. If a Distaff does not have the empty space to contain a spell being Imprinted, the Sorceror can choose to replace spells currently Imprinted with the new spell.
Metamagic EndowmentAt 5th level a Sorceror gains the ability to Endow his Distaff with a specific metamagic feat in the same manner that he can Imprint spells. At 10th, 15th and 20th level the number of metamagic feats he can Endow increases by one. A specific metamagic feat can be Endowed multiple times, with each Endowment increasing the range of spell levels over which the feat can be applied. A single Endowment of a metamagic feat allows it to be applied to cast spells of levels 1st through 3rd. A second Endowment of the same feat allows it to be applied to cast spells of levels 4th through 6th. A third Enfowment of the same feat allows it to be applied to cast spells of levels 7th through 9th. The Distaff has one charge per two levels of Sorceror per day. The charges are renewed whenever the Sorceror regains his spent spell-slots. Using the Distaff to apply a metamagic feat to a spell is a swift action and does not increase the casting time of the subsequent spell. Applying a feat to a spell uses up one charge for spells of levels 1st through 3rd, two charges for spells of levels 4th through 6th and three charges for spells of levels 7th through 9th. The Quicken Spell metamagic feat cannot be applied to a Sorceror's Distaff. Example: Barthavius endows his Distaff with the Still Spell feat at 5th level and can subsequently apply that feat to any spell he casts of levels one through three by expending one charge. At 10th level he endows his Distaff with the Maximize Spell feat and can subsequently apply that feat to any spell he casts of levels one through three by expending one charge. At 15th level he endows his Distaff with the Maximize Spell feat again and can subsequently apply that feat to any spell he casts of levels four through six by expending two charges. At 20th level he can endow his Distaff with the Maximize Spell feat a third and final time and subsequently apply that feat to any spell he casts of levels seven through nine at a cost of three charges. Like Imprinting a spell, Endowing a Distaff with a meta-magic feat requires a source, material components in the form of special alchemical chalks and time. The source can be any spell with the appropriate meta-magic applied that is cast by a caster or an item that supplies the meta-magic feat for use by a caster. The material components for a first Endowment cost 2,500 gp. The material components for a second Endowment cost 5,000 gp and a third endowment costs 10,000 gp. Each Endowment takes one full minute to accomplish and, like Imprinting a spell, requires the creation of a mystical diagram with the material components. Drawing the diagram by hand takes 10 minutes and requires a DC 20 Spellcraft check. You do not know the result of this check. If the check fails, the diagram is botched. You can take 10 when drawing the diagram if you are under no particular time pressure to complete the task. This task also takes 10 full minutes. If time is no factor at all, and you devote 3 hours and 20 minutes to the task, you can take 20. As with Imprinting a spell, a botched diagram results in a failed Endowment and consumption of the source spell and material components. FlavorSome Kin are able to generate potential without the careful study of the arcane arts, the intense self-discipline of the contemplative arts or the patronage of a near or distant supernatural entity. Such individuals are collectively referred to as Touched, and Sorcerors squarely fall withing the ranks of the Touched. Most Folk assume that the Touched must be the distant or near descendant of the product of a union between Kin and an embodied Daeva. That such unions are expressly prohibited by all upstanding churches and cults subsequently casts a patina of scandal on the anyone who displays the ability to spontaneously potentiate. Within scholarly circles, debate is ongoing about the fundamental differences between a Sorceror, Warlock, Favored Soul and the numerous other manifestations of the Touched. The prevailing theory mimics the belief of the folk; that spontaneous potentiation within Kin requires a near or distant ancestor who was the product of a union between Kin and an entity capable of spontaneous potentiation. Unlike the Folk, scholars are generally careful to point out that there are many entities capable of spontaneous potentiation besides Daevas and that a person cannot choose their ancestors. A more worthwhile and interesting avenue of intellectual exploration is that which illuminates the cause behind the numerous reported differences in how the Touched harness their inborn Potential. The malleability of magical expression seen throughout Kin as a whole implies that what is most important is what the invdividual believes must be done in order to shape and release the Potential. In this light, it can be logically assumed that Sorcerors are created when one of the Touched comes into contact with the thought construct referred to as Wizardry at an early enough age to significantly shape the Touched's beliefs about how they must go about harnessing their Potential. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Human or Hafling, frequently Half-Elven, rarely Dwarven, Elven, Gnomish or Greenblood. SoulknifeMechanics
FlavorThe Soulknife is a practitioner of the mental construct known as Psionics or the Contemplative Arts that allows Kin to generate Potential through a conscious application of strict mental-discipline.
Like the Monk and the Psychic Warrior, the Soulknife focuses this generated potential into supernatural martial prowess. Unlike the Monk or the Pyschic Warrior, the expression of Potential is mostly focused on the generation and endowment of a corporeal extension of the practitioner's spirit known as a Mind-Blade. Contrary to popular belief amongst Folk, Soulknives often make better assasins than Rogues on account of their ability to be armed even when completely naked. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven, frequently Human or Half-Elf, rarely Dwarven, Gnomish, Greenblood or Hafling . SwashbucklerWarlockMechanics
FlavorAs with the Sorceror, Warlocks belong to a class of Kin known as the Touched. The greater degree of raw and unfocused power displayed by a Warlock seems to indicate that they are perhaps the closest to a pure expression of Spontaneous Potentiation. The tendency of Warlocks to focus their Potential into dark, destructive and generally nasty effects also indicates that something of a damaged mind may be necessary as well. Most Warlocks do not have pure and carefree spirits. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Human, frequently Half-Elven, rarely Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, Greenblood or Hafling. WarmageWilderMechanics
FlavorOh come on, has anyone ever even played this class? I herebye declare it Un-Fun and request it's removal from 4th Edition.Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Elven, frequently Human or Half-Elf, rarely Dwarven, Gnomish, Greenblood or Hafling . WizardMechanics
FlavorWizards are practitioners of a specific mental construst that allows non-Touched Kin to generate Potential and harness it to power a variety of effects. The scholarly consensus is that the exacting rituals involving sounds, motions and materials that Wizards employ to generate and direct Potential allows them to connect to a perfect ritual that exists throughout the course of the River of Time, and it is this omnitemporal ritual that actually generates and focuses the generated Potential. It is a difficult concept for Folk new to the Ritual Arts to truly understand but, in essence, each and every succesful casting of a particular spell by every Wizard throughout the whole of time contributes to the fundamental order of that ritual and thus subsequently generates directable Potential. There are a variety of other viable mental constructs in use across Heva, but Wizardry is the dominant form by virtue of its near total acceptance within the scholarly community as the most rational way of organizing the various effects that can be produced through magic. Most Wizards belong to one or more scholarly orders that come together to debate the current intellectual topics of interest and occasionally hear lectures by particularly distinguished scholars and experts. Members Of This Class Are . . .Usually Human or Gnomish, frequently Hafling or Half-Elven, rarely Dwarven, Elven or Greenblood. Wu-Jen |
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