Pale Master: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 01:13, 5 March 2021

Necromancy is usually a poor choice for arcane spellcasters. Those who really want to master the deathless arts almost always pursue divine means. However, an alternative exists for those who desire power over undead, without losing too much of their arcane power. Enter the pale master, who draws on a font of special lore that provides a macabre power all its own.

Requirements

Alignment: Any Non-Good

Special: 3 levels in an Arcane spellcasting class (Wizard, Sorcerer, or Bard)

Hit Die: d6

Proficiencies: Pale Masters gain no additional proficiencies

Skill Points: 2 + INT

Class Skills: Concentration, Craft, Decipher Script, Forgery, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (all), Listen, Lore, Move Silently, Persuade, Profession, Sense Motive, Spellcraft

Level progression

Lvl	BAB	Saves			Feats	HP range	AC bonus	Undead summon
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+0	+2	+0	+2	Bone Skin (+2AC)	3-6	+2
2nd	+1	+3	+0	+3	Animate Dead	6-12	+2	Greater Mummy
3rd	+1	+3	+1	+3	Darkvision	9-18	+2
4th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Summon Undead, Bone Skin (+2AC)	12-24	+4	Abyssal Ghoul
5th	+2	+4	+1	+4	Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	18-33	+4
6th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Undead Graft, Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	24-42	+4	Doom Knight, Vampire Warrior
7th	+3	+5	+2	+5	Tough As Bone, Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	30-51	+4
8th	+4	+6	+2	+6	Undead Graft II, Bone Skin (+2AC), Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	36-60	+6	Vampire Mage
9th	+4	+6	+3	+6	Summon Greater Undead, Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	42-69	+6	Bloated Abomination
10th	+5	+7	+3	+7	Deathless Master Touch, Deathless Mastery, Deathless Vigor (+3HP)	48-78	+6	Skeletal Knight, Cursed Warrior, Dread Bone Horror

Animate Dead

Once per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman, but only one henchman across summoning abilities may be active at a time.

Level 2: Greater Mummy
Level 6: Doom Knight
Level 10: Skeletal Knight

Summon Undead

Twice per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman, but only one henchman across summoning abilities may be active at a time.

Level 4: Abyssal Ghoul
Level 6: Vampire Warrior
Level 8: Vampire Mage
Level 10: Cursed Warrior

Summon Greater Undead

Once per day, the pale master may summon forth a far more powerful undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed.

Level 9: Bloated Abomination
Level 10: Dread Bone Horror

Undead Graft

Grants a +4 strength bonus. Twice per day, a pale master may use their undead arm to paralyze foes with a touch attack. The DC vs fortitude is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier. The paralysis lasts for d6 +4 rounds. Level eight Pale Master grants an additional use. The strength bonus is now granted automatically. Any relevels or rebuilds after March 1st 2021 should reduce strength by 4 and remove the special graft token.

Deathless Master Touch

At 10th level, a pale master's touch attack becomes deadly, instantly killing unless a fortitude save vs death is made. The DC is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier and creates a Skeletal Knight henchman on a successful kill that serves loyally until slain or dismissed. Creating a henchman with this ability after a henchman summon is already active allows the Pale Master to have both, for a maximum of two. The pale master may use this ability three times per day.

Bonus spells

Upon reaching pale master levels 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in his highest caster class (bard, sorcerer, or wizard). He does not learn any new spells through this ability, but for wizards it can allow higher-level spells to be learned through other means (i.e. from scrolls or later leveling as a wizard).

Epic pale master

The pale master's bond with the undead continues to grow, as she becomes the epic pale master.

Hit die: d6

Skill points: 2 + int modifier

Bonus feats: The epic pale master gains a bonus feat every three levels (i.e., at levels 13, 16, and 19).

Available Epic bonus feats: automatic quicken spell, automatic silent spell, automatic still spell, epic energy resistance, epic spell focus, epic spell penetration, epic spell: dragon knight, epic spell: epic mage armor, epic spell: epic warding, epic spell: greater ruin, epic spell: hellball, epic spell: mummy dust, improved combat casting

Bonus spells: The character continues to gain additional spells per day in his highest caster class at every odd pale master level, up to the maximum spells per day (at caster class level 20).

Epic pale master level progression

Lvl	Feats	HP range	AC Bonus	Undead Summon
11th		51-84	+6
12th	bone skin (+2AC)	54-90	+8	vampire rogue
13th	bonus feat	57-96	+8
14th		60-102	+8	greater bodak
15th	deathless vigor (+5HP)	68-113	+8
16th	bonus feat, bone skin (+2AC)	71-119	+10	ghoul king
17th		74-125	+10
18th		77-131	+10	vampire mage
19th	bonus feat	80-137	+10
20th	bone skin (+2AC), deathless vigor (+5HP)	88-148	+12	skeleton blackguard

Special

Boneskin: AC improves by +2 for every four levels past level 8.

Undead graft: Can use this supernatural attack an additional time per day for every 3 epic levels gained.

Deathless vigor: Every five epic levels an additional +5 permanent hit points are gained.

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 '''Animate Dead'''
-Once per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman.
+Once per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman, but only one henchman across summoning abilities may be active at a time.
 Level 2: Greater Mummy<br>
@@ Line 69: / Line 69: @@
 '''Summon Undead'''
-Twice per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman, but only one may be active at a time.
+Twice per day, the pale master may summon forth a loyal undead servant to aid them until slain or dismissed. The undead acts as a henchman, but only one henchman across summoning abilities may be active at a time.
 Level 4: Abyssal Ghoul<br>
@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 '''Undead Graft'''
-Grants a +4 strength bonus. Three times per day, a pale master may use their undead arm to paralyze foes with a touch attack. The DC vs fortitude is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier. The paralysis lasts for d6 +4 rounds. '''The strength bonus is now granted automatically.  Any relevels or rebuilds after March 1st 2021 should reduce strength by 4 and remove the special graft token.'''
+Grants a +4 strength bonus. Twice per day, a pale master may use their undead arm to paralyze foes with a touch attack. The DC vs fortitude is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier. The paralysis lasts for d6 +4 rounds. Level eight Pale Master grants an additional use. '''The strength bonus is now granted automatically.  Any relevels or rebuilds after March 1st 2021 should reduce strength by 4 and remove the special graft token.'''
 '''Deathless Master Touch'''
-At 10th level, a pale master's touch attack becomes deadly, instantly killing unless a fortitude save vs death is made. The DC is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier and creates a Skeletal Knight henchman on a successful kill that serves loyally until slain or dismissed. The pale master may use this ability three times per day.
+At 10th level, a pale master's touch attack becomes deadly, instantly killing unless a fortitude save vs death is made. The DC is equal to 10 + pale master level + strength modifier and creates a Skeletal Knight henchman on a successful kill that serves loyally until slain or dismissed. Creating a henchman with this ability ''after'' a henchman summon is already active allows the Pale Master to have both, for a maximum of two. The pale master may use this ability three times per day.