Vitiator (Defiler)- Orc PrC

[aaron22]

I know its already being made and this is a waste of time, but i made this up anyway.
I built this on the back of Blood magus and the 3.5 Defiler from Dragon magazine #315


Orc Vitiator
Requirements:
Race: Grey Orc or Half Orc
Alignment: Chaotic or Neutral Evil
Skills: Concentration 4 ranks
Feats: Spell Focus: Abjuration, Necromancy, or Transmutation; Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Use Poison
Spell level: Able to cast Arcane 3rd Circle spells or higher


Class Features:
- Hit Die: d6
- Base Attack Bonus: Low
- High Saves: Fortitude, Reflex
- Weapon Proficiencies: A Vitiator gains no weapon proficiencies.
- Armor Proficiencies: A Vitiator gains no armor proficiencies.
- Skill Points: 2 + Int Modifier.
- Class Skills: Bluff, Craft Alchemy, Concentration, Intimidate, Heal, Lore: Arcana, Lore: Nature, Lore: The Planes, Spellcraft, Survival
- Spells per Day/Spells Known: At every level the Vitiator gains more spells per day. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming a Vitiator, he must decide which class he adds the new level for purposes of determining spells per day.

- Class Feats:
Level 1: Spoil the Land 1, Vitiate 1
Level 2: Skill Focus: Concentrate, Vitiate 2
Level 3: Vitiate 3
Level 4: Bonus Feat: Sickening Grasp, Vitiate 4
Level 5: Spoil the Land 2, Vitiate 5
Level 6: Vitiate 6
Level 7: Polluted Aura, Vitiate 7
Level 8: Empower Sickening Grasp, Vitiate 8
Level 9: Spoil the Land 3, Vitiate 9
Level 10: Defile Target, Vitiate 10




Spoil the Land
Type of Feat: Class Ability
Prerequisites: Vitiator 1st Level
Specifics: As a Two full round action, the Vitiator draws upon the life of nature around him to empower his spells. This evil act steals the life from all living creatures around the Vitiator and leaves a lasting mark on the earth. Once this action is completed, the full power of this horrid power is revealed. Casting this spell is outlawed everywhere and causes the caster to become KOS. Leaving the designated area will cancel all benefits and returning will not grant them back. Another casting would have to be made to create the connection to the life that is required to gain the benefits from the spell-like power. This can be cast twice per day at the first level and another cast added every level thereafter.
1st through 4th Level:
-An entangle spell like effect grows around the caster. The duration is increased to 4 hours and it effects all that are inside or move into the area of effect including the caster and his allies. the caster level of this spell like effect is 10+the Vitiator level+1d6. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means.
-The Caster Level of the Vitiator is increased by 1.
-Access to metemagic feats Still and Silent spells are opened to the Vitiator
-Penalty to all Wisdom and Charisma based skill checks suffer a -2 penalty
5th through 8th level:
-An entangle spell like effect grows around the caster. The duration is increased to 4 hours and it effects all that are inside or move into the area of effect including the caster and his allies. the caster level of this spell like effect is 10+the Vitiator level+1d8. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means.
-A spike growth spell like effect grows around the caster. The duration is increased to 4 hours and it effects all that are inside including the caster and his allies. Caster level of this spell like effect is 10+the Vitiator level+1d8. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means.
-Caster level of the Vitiator is increased by 2
-Access to metamagic feats Empower and Extended spells are opened to the caster as well as the ones before.
-Wisdom and Charisma based skill checks suffer a -4 penalty. This is not in addition to the penalty from Spoil the Land 1
9th and 10th level:
-An entangle spell like effect grows around the caster. The duration is increased to 4 hours and it effects all that are inside or move into the area of effect including the caster and his allies. the caster level of this spell like effect is 10+the Vitiator level+1d10. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means.
-A spike growth spell like effect grows around the caster. The duration is increased to 4 hours and it effects all that are inside or move into the area including the caster and his allies. Caster level of this spell like effect is 10+the Vitiator level+1d10. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means.
-A cloud of bewilderment spell like effect forms around the caster. The duration is 4 rounds and effects all that are inside or move into the area including the caster and his allies. Caster level of this spell like effect is 10+Vitiator level+1d10. This effect cannot be dispelled by normal means. It refreshes every 4 rounds for 4 hours.
-Caster level of the Vitiator is increased by 3.
-Access to metamagic feats Quickened and Maximized spells are opened to the Vitiator as well as those before.
-The Vitiator may recover an already expended spell. This is a full round action and creates an attack of opportunity if there is a foe nearby. Once the spell is recovered it can be cast on the next free action. Only one spell can be recovered at a time.
-The Vitiator may recover an expended spell slot for spontaneous casters. This is a full round action and creates an attack of opportunity if there is a foe nearby. Only one spell slot can be recovered at a time. The cost for this skill is greater because the slot is more versatile than a recovered spell.
-The Vitiator may cast a spell without an expensive material component. This would be for use with spells like Teleport and Dimension Door.
-Wisdom and Charisma based skill check suffer a -8 penalty. This is not in addition to the previous versions.

Vitiate
Starting at the 1st level and for every level thereafter, The Vitiator gains 4 vitiation points. These points are used to pay for the cost of the abilities gained gained by the class while defiling. If the points are expended to zero(0), the Vitiator must make a saving throw vs fortitude (at DC 10+Vitiator level+1d10) or be slain. If the save is successful the Vitiator still takes 1d4 damage to all ability scores and movement speed is reduced to 1/2. Full rest will recover all lost vitiation points and statistical and movement speed damage.

Vitiation costs:
-Silent spell=1
-Still spell=1
-Empowered spell=3
-Extended spell=2
-Quickened spell=4
-Maximized spell=4
-Recover expended spell=2/spell level
-Recover expended spell slot=3/spell level
-Cast a spell w/o material cost=1/500gp

***every time a Vitiation bonus is used there is a 1% chance that the Vitiator will cast "Revenge of the Land" on himself. It will act as the 5th level Druid spell of the same name and the Caster level for the spell will be 10+Vitiator level+1d10***

Polluted Aura
Through repeated uses of Spoil the Land, the Vitiator has become a poison to all living things. Any creature that strikes you in melee combat must make a saving throw against poison. Poison is: primary 1d4 damage and secondary is 1d4 constitution damage. DC for this poison is 10+Vitiator level+Constitution bonus. The Vitiator suffers a -4 penalty to all Wisdom, Constitution and Charisma based skill checks while under this aura.

Empowered Sickening Grasp
The Vitiator touch has become a devise of destruction. This spell acts exactly like Sickening Grasp except that the penalties are increased to -3 and the victim takes 1 point of bleeding damage for the duration of the spell. This bleeding damage can stack with itself and other types of bleeding damage.

Defile Target
The Vitiator can single out a single vessel to fuel his destruction. As a full round action the Vitiator may cast this spell like power.

Spell Level: 9
School: Necromancy
Descriptor(s): Negative
Components: Verbal and Somatic
Range: Short
Target/Area: Single
Duration: Permanent
Save: Fortitude
Spell resistance: Yes

Description: Target must save vs Fortitude or lose 2d4 character levels. The number of levels removed can be temporarily added to the Vitiator's Vitiation count. On a successful save the target still takes 3d8 + 1*Vitiator level in damage and no points are added to the Vitiation count. DC for this spell like power is 10+Vitiator level+con bonus. This may be used once per day.

Use: Selected

------------------------------------------------

Druid spell additions:

Detect Vitiator
Divination
Level: Druid 1
Components: V,S
Casting Time: 1 Standard action
Area: Special
Duration: Concentration, up to 10min/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You can sense the presence of Vitiators nearby. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject.

!st Round: Presence or absence of creatures with a Vitiation Point Score.
2nd Round: Number of creatures with a Vitiation Point Score and the power of the most potent Vitiator according to the Detect Vitiator table below. If the strongest Vitiator's aura power is overwhelming and the HD or level of the aura's source is at least twice your character level, you are stunned for 1 round and the spell ends.
3rd Round: The power and location of each aura. If the aura is outside your line of sight, then you discern its direction but not it's exact location.

The spell can penetrate barriers but cannot detect an aura between the Surface, Upperdark and Underdark.

Detect Vitiator
Vitiator Score____Aura Power
1-10=_____________Faint
11-20=____________Moderate
21-30=____________Strong
31-40=____________Overwhelming

Revenge of the Land
Evocation [Earth]
Druid 5
Components: V,S,M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25'+5'/2 levels
Target: 1 Vitiator creature/level. no two can be more than 30' apart
Duration: 1 rd/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude (partial)
Spell Resistance: Yes

Life energy is channeled through your spell, affecting creatures within range that have a Vitiation Score. Translucent arcs of energy emerge from the ground near you and connect unerringly with each target before connecting back to the ground. The energy deals 1d6 points of damage per 2 caster levels each round.
Targets need not be in contact with the ground to be affected by the spell.
Targets can attempt a Fortitude save to negate the damage for that round, but must apply their Vitiation score divided by 5 as a penalty to that fortitude save.
If you cannot break the Vitiator's Spell Resistance when you first cast Revenge of the Earth, then that subject is unaffected in subsequent rounds.

Return to LIfe
Transmutation
Level: Druid 3
Components: V,S,M
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Large
Target: Self
Duration: 1 round/ 3 caster levels
Saving Throw: Special
Spell Resistance: No

The Druid attempts to return the land back to it's original state after a Vitiator has cast Spoil the Land. Centering herself on the affected area, the Druid casts this spell. Once cast and for every round until the duration expires or the land is returned, the Druid will roll against the Caster level of the Spoil the Land. The Caster level of this spell is 10+Druid level/3+1d10. This number increases by +1 for every round after the first until the duration is expired. Upon completion of the spell, no matter if it succeeds or fails, the Druid is exhausted.





Edited to correct misspell and add a limitation to Spoil the Land

[aaron22]

I would want to be including a few spells to the druid list so that some of these effects can be countered. i will get to that as soon as i can. as well as a couple other fun things to progress the druid/vitiator rivalry.

anyway. it was fun to build this and put it all together. i am glad that we have a forum to do creative stuff like this that is observed by people who share a common passion.

[Sun Wukong]

Is that an area effect that follows the caster?

[aaron22]

Is that an area effect that follows the caster?

No. I am thinking it to be stationary. call the casters location ground zero. and it lays static to that central locale. the area would last long after the vitiator has departed so this would show any that walk to it that a vitiator has been here and alert them.

on the other hand the aura will follow and is always on even when not defiling.

[Sun Wukong]

In this game we have specific transition points, and someone could cast this area of effect thing right on top of one. People would spawn on it, and it could potentially block an area transitions for hours, while the caster just logs out.

[K'yon Oblodra]

In this game we have specific transition points, and someone could cast this area of effect thing right on top of one. People would spawn on it, and it could potentially block an area transitions for hours, while the caster just logs out.

My suggestion is, to just leave a visual effect something that would look similar to a grease spell but maybe with less animation so it doesn't disrupt the server... If it even would...

[aaron22]

With a large area of effect, transitions would be an issue. Of course if this something that seems to be being done to aggravate other players and not something that has a legitimate reasoning behind it. Then the DM Team can go through whatever steps they go through to discipline bad behaviour.

Today I will add a couple druid spells that will remedy some of this in game.

[aaron22]

Is this explained well enough?
Does this seem overpowered? Underpowered?
Does it seem like something that would be fun to play?
Does this look like something that would be fun to play alongside or against?

[Sun Wukong]

Is this explained well enough?

I suppose, I think it might be hard to make...

Does this seem overpowered? Underpowered?

If I understood correctly, at level 10 of this PRC you would have 40 points of vitiate. If I am not mistaken, you would be able to cast 9 or 10 maximised spells that were not maximised in your spell book. Or do the same thing think with quickened to spam those level 7, 8, and 9 spells. Thus a part of me says that this PRC would be better than a Bloodmagus, Archmage and Arcane Scholar combined. I think you are required to stand within the spoiled ground to use your vitiate abilities, and even though it will probably be taken away by a mere Wand of Gust of Wind - this seems bit more than powerful.

Not to mention that Polluted Aura would work very well with spells like Death Armor and Elemental Shield.

Does it seem like something that would be fun to play?

I do not know... But people do like that mechanical power.

Does this look like something that would be fun to play alongside or against?

I do not know... It rather depends on your character. But I can imagine how some would groan about having yet another PvP based arcane PRC added to the server...

[aaron22]

added some druid spells to the OP and issued a couple more penalties to the class as well.

[aaron22]

I suppose, I think it might be hard to make...

I am new to making stuff and know less than nothing about the scripting involved, but i tried to use things that had similar properties already in the game. i could be way of here though.

If I understood correctly, at level 10 of this PRC you would have 40 points of vitiate. If I am not mistaken, you would be able to cast 9 or 10 maximised spells that were not maximised in your spell book. Or do the same thing think with quickened to spam those level 7, 8, and 9 spells. Thus a part of me says that this PRC would be better than a Bloodmagus, Archmage and Arcane Scholar combined. I think you are required to stand within the spoiled ground to use your vitiate abilities, and even though it will probably be taken away by a mere Wand of Gust of Wind - this seems bit more than powerful.

Not to mention that Polluted Aura would work very well with spells like Death Armor and Elemental Shield.

i tried to mitigate the overpoweredness of the auto meta magic by limiting the casters ability to move and constantly needing to succeed your concentrate checks. which if casting the aura would place it at -4. standing inside of a cloud of bewilderment is really a bad idea. the auto metas is what makes things weird. i would want the spell to be removed from all tables if used in that manner. so lets say you wanted to cast an extended mass bulls, the spell would be removed from the standard table as well as the meta tables. so you could not turn around and cast a quickened one right after unless you had it memorized twice in your standard table. is that the difficult part for scripting? if so that really hurts the class as that is really the backbone of the defiler translation from 2ed. and the backbone to the Vitiator itself.

As far as the aura goes, i think it is rather fluff. antidote pots are common as water and the poison save would be hard pressed to get above 30 for a wizzy build. its likely you would pump int to get your spell count up and then con with a bears could be as high at 22-24 so that. but more than that you would want to pump that dex because of the reflex saves you will NEED to be doing.

I do not know... But people do like that mechanical power.

this seems to have two things to me. both mechanical power and alot of RP. one not wishing for conflict in their life WOULD NOT WANT THIS CLASS. those that do, should get a great deal of satisfaction.

I do not know... It rather depends on your character. But I can imagine how some would groan about having yet another PvP based arcane PRC added to the server...

now i may be seeing this in my own way here, but i do not see this as PvP based any more than a paladin, morning lord or rogue is. in fact, those have more mechanical PvP based feats on them or lean that way. I see this as RP based. and sure, RP and PvP go hand in hand. I personally choose to look at things that offer RP as positives. things that offer opportunities to develop character conflict as positives. i like what this provides a druid as much as what this could do for the orc community or players of this proposed class. rangers. elves. evil and good.

[K'yon Oblodra]

I totally dig the concept, there might be things to adjust in terms of power but the concept is golden. I like it so much I think it would actually be a shame to only make it for orcs....sorry Aaron .

In terms of being possible to script... I think most of it could be done but would be quiet a lot of work for sure.

I still see him more as destroying nature rather than letting him grow brambles but that is a difference in style only.
I imagine him to leave an effect similar to grease but just visually basically telling everyone that this guy just sucked the life force out of the surrounding nature. One could go as far as giving him a large area when casting spoil the land and smaller areas when casting spells possibly increasing their size from a dot when casting a level 1 spell to leaving a massive area when casting a level 9 spell and maybe even make a difference between how powerful the meta-magic being used is.

Regarding balance... I need some more time to think about that.

[aaron22]

I totally dig the concept, there might be things to adjust in terms of power but the concept is golden. I like it so much I think it would actually be a shame to only make it for orcs....sorry Aaron .

me too. when i look at the balance issue, i feel like the racial limitation is kind of what makes it balanced. i am also conflicted by the lore. the lore should eliminat alot of races that i would not care to see take this class on. it would be slightly immersion breaking. i contemplated this for a few days as well. would we really want to see a rock gnome vitiator? that is questionable for me. human? yes. elf? yes. orc? yes. dwarf??? i dont like it as much. so i thought to myself.. what MAKES THE MOST SENSE? and it cam back to orcs and humans. i removed human because it make them so mechanically superior. i just feel that a human in this role would be too vastly powerful. i see combinations with red wiz that i do not like. human is to multi-purpose.

I still see him more as destroying nature rather than letting him grow brambles but that is a difference in style only.
I imagine him to leave an effect similar to grease but just visually basically telling everyone that this guy just sucked the life force out of the surrounding nature. One could go as far as giving him a large area when casting spoil the land and smaller areas when casting spells possibly increasing their size from a dot when casting a level 1 spell to leaving a massive area when casting a level 9 spell and maybe even make a difference between how powerful the meta-magic being used is.

i follow you there. and i looked into combinations of such. grease is simply more effective as a spell. i was trying to keep "spoil" more easily overcome. it really is a representation of the attack and the degree of corruption that is being cause by the "spoil" spell.

Regarding balance... I need some more time to think about that.

well i have not seen any PrC's with so many detractions as this one, it has very detrimental negatives but very high bonuses. not sure if it balances. i am not one to judge such things. i just tried to make it as balanced as i could. it also changes things that i created a druid spell that pretty much makes Vitiators shake in their evil boots.

[aaron22]

added another detriment upon using Vitiaution points.

[K'yon Oblodra]

Think just simple visuals would do for the effect of destroying nature...